Midnight, Cylus 3, Arc 720
It was an indescribable delight that filled him each time Carver smiled at him, each time he met his gaze so warmly, each time he expressed the joy that Laures wanted so desperately for him to feel. It shone over his skin and warmed him like rays of sunlight, washed over him like the ebb and flow of the waves, cooled him down again like a gentle, calming breeze. In Carver, Laures found everything he could ever possibly desire, and everything that he had never even thought to wish for. Certainly, in the twenty-something arcs leading up to the moment in which he finally met his soulmate, he had not considered that such a thing might even exist. And yet here he was, dazzling and divine, raising from his chair to meet him again.
Laures’ slanted smile only widened, a brightened fixture on his face as Carver grabbed onto him and pulled him close. To the edge of the desk, pressed against his hips, sitting rather comfortably as if it was only natural to be exactly where he was. He might have mentioned needing to leave only trills prior, and the thought still lingered in his mind, but… ah, fuck it. It would have been nearly impossible for the older blond to pull himself away, and it was equally as difficult to keep the desperation from each kiss he so eagerly met. Couldn’t they just stay here a while? Avery was in the other room, sure, and they had somewhere to be, but why not? Just a few more bits, at least, he could make do with that, and he felt his lover’s soft fingers against his skin, smoothing downwards in such inviting fashion. His own hands sought purchase in the heavy fabric of the navy blue sweater, fingers twisting it in their hold to keep the other man as close as possible. Quint could wait. Or, he should. Didn’t he understand that this was more important?
Avery didn’t understand that, as it turned out, for a knocking at his Iver’s bedroom door caused his lover’s hand to still. Laures managed to suppress the whine of disapproval that threatened at his throat, but he could not help the frustrated rolling of his eyes - had he really told Carver not to kill her? He was regretting that now. She could have been roasting over the fire for all he cared, if only he could keep Carver here with him. His dutiful husband did not seem swayed, though, for his fingers continued their delightful descent… only to be stopped again as his Iver’s sister proved persistent in her knocking. A low groan then, impatient and unamused, but Carver was moving away before he could even think to pull him back. Laures breathed out a heavy sigh, lying back against the desk for a few trills longer, staring up at the ceiling as if it might contain his disappointment.
A cruel world it was. Urged on by the sound of rustling clothes as Carver pulled on his coat, Laures forced himself to sit up, and pushed off from the desk with a little huff. The letters were collected once more, but there was little else that he had found of importance, so he left the rest of the room alone. Carver had already passed through by the time Laures made it to the bedroom door, pink-faced and ruffled, and he did not miss the surprised (albeit very… amused?) look that the blond woman gave him. Holding two steaming cups of tea, he grabbed one and took a sip, if only to hide the embarrassment on his own fine features. Burnt his tongue, and the woman only laughed, before stepping out of his way.
“That was his cup,” she stated, “you both grabbed the same one.”
He blinked, unsure of what she meant by that. The two stared at each other for a long moment, one smiling while the other sipped more carefully at his tea. She had that look again, the one that reminded him of himself, and he exhaled in a gentle sigh. Holding the mug to the side, Laures stepped forward, and slipped his arm around her narrow shoulders to pull her into a tight embrace. Surprised though she was by the action, Avery seemed to relax, and after a trill, she returned the hug, leaning her head against the taller blond’s chest.
Laures was not sure why he did it. Even so, he whispered, “take care of yourself here. Don’t worry about me, I’m going to be alright.”
“Yeah,” and he heard her sniff, though it sounded like she was doing her best not to.
“You better be. Both of you.”
And just like that, Avery pulled away from him, raising her free hand to wipe indignantly at her eyes. Laures was not sure why, but he felt sorry for her. Sorry for leaving her behind. He didn’t like it. Iver’s sister turned away, and disappeared quickly into her room, and he thought that was the end of it. He started down the hall, sipping at what he could of the hot tea, and retrieved his coat from near the hearth. It was pulled back on, and after downing another good bit of his drink, the mug was set down. Laures shoved his hands into his pockets and walked to the door.
“Wait!”
She reached him before his hand could twist the knob. Dark eyebrows drawn together, the taller turned to face her, questioning.
“Take this,” requested Avery, mug of tea having been switched out for what he assumed was a tiny pouch of coins, and… a knife? No - a dagger, short and sharp, pointed downward in her calloused hand. She held both items out to him, expectant, and said, “just in case. I know you can handle yourself, Ivy, but… you’ve got more than just yourself to worry about now.”
Stunned into silence, Laures only stared.
“And don’t drop this on your foot,” she warned, “hurts like a real bitch. Come on, take it. Antoni’s not gonna wait out there forever, is he?”
“Uh -” hesitantly, he accepted both the coins and the blade, “yeah. Of course.”
He didn’t know if a woman had ever been so kind to him, and for no reason either. Laures would admit that he had not interacted with many, all things considered, and his mother (or what he could remember of her) had hardly been a shining example of kindness. Tucking the items away within his coat, Laures managed, “...thank you, Avery.”
She smiled, and he could see himself reflected in her; a mirror that did not offend.
“You’re welcome. Now get out, then,” she shooed, setting a hand against his shoulder to turn him around, and she opened the door to lead him out. “Before you make him change his mind. Keep him safe out there, yeah?”
Laures stepped outside, almost dazed, and offered a nod.
“Yeah, always.”
He moved away from the house to find and join his lover, and linked their elbows as soon as he did. He did not turn around, but he could feel a gaze on them as they walked away. For once, he decided, he did not mind.
Laures’ slanted smile only widened, a brightened fixture on his face as Carver grabbed onto him and pulled him close. To the edge of the desk, pressed against his hips, sitting rather comfortably as if it was only natural to be exactly where he was. He might have mentioned needing to leave only trills prior, and the thought still lingered in his mind, but… ah, fuck it. It would have been nearly impossible for the older blond to pull himself away, and it was equally as difficult to keep the desperation from each kiss he so eagerly met. Couldn’t they just stay here a while? Avery was in the other room, sure, and they had somewhere to be, but why not? Just a few more bits, at least, he could make do with that, and he felt his lover’s soft fingers against his skin, smoothing downwards in such inviting fashion. His own hands sought purchase in the heavy fabric of the navy blue sweater, fingers twisting it in their hold to keep the other man as close as possible. Quint could wait. Or, he should. Didn’t he understand that this was more important?
Avery didn’t understand that, as it turned out, for a knocking at his Iver’s bedroom door caused his lover’s hand to still. Laures managed to suppress the whine of disapproval that threatened at his throat, but he could not help the frustrated rolling of his eyes - had he really told Carver not to kill her? He was regretting that now. She could have been roasting over the fire for all he cared, if only he could keep Carver here with him. His dutiful husband did not seem swayed, though, for his fingers continued their delightful descent… only to be stopped again as his Iver’s sister proved persistent in her knocking. A low groan then, impatient and unamused, but Carver was moving away before he could even think to pull him back. Laures breathed out a heavy sigh, lying back against the desk for a few trills longer, staring up at the ceiling as if it might contain his disappointment.
A cruel world it was. Urged on by the sound of rustling clothes as Carver pulled on his coat, Laures forced himself to sit up, and pushed off from the desk with a little huff. The letters were collected once more, but there was little else that he had found of importance, so he left the rest of the room alone. Carver had already passed through by the time Laures made it to the bedroom door, pink-faced and ruffled, and he did not miss the surprised (albeit very… amused?) look that the blond woman gave him. Holding two steaming cups of tea, he grabbed one and took a sip, if only to hide the embarrassment on his own fine features. Burnt his tongue, and the woman only laughed, before stepping out of his way.
“That was his cup,” she stated, “you both grabbed the same one.”
He blinked, unsure of what she meant by that. The two stared at each other for a long moment, one smiling while the other sipped more carefully at his tea. She had that look again, the one that reminded him of himself, and he exhaled in a gentle sigh. Holding the mug to the side, Laures stepped forward, and slipped his arm around her narrow shoulders to pull her into a tight embrace. Surprised though she was by the action, Avery seemed to relax, and after a trill, she returned the hug, leaning her head against the taller blond’s chest.
Laures was not sure why he did it. Even so, he whispered, “take care of yourself here. Don’t worry about me, I’m going to be alright.”
“Yeah,” and he heard her sniff, though it sounded like she was doing her best not to.
“You better be. Both of you.”
And just like that, Avery pulled away from him, raising her free hand to wipe indignantly at her eyes. Laures was not sure why, but he felt sorry for her. Sorry for leaving her behind. He didn’t like it. Iver’s sister turned away, and disappeared quickly into her room, and he thought that was the end of it. He started down the hall, sipping at what he could of the hot tea, and retrieved his coat from near the hearth. It was pulled back on, and after downing another good bit of his drink, the mug was set down. Laures shoved his hands into his pockets and walked to the door.
“Wait!”
She reached him before his hand could twist the knob. Dark eyebrows drawn together, the taller turned to face her, questioning.
“Take this,” requested Avery, mug of tea having been switched out for what he assumed was a tiny pouch of coins, and… a knife? No - a dagger, short and sharp, pointed downward in her calloused hand. She held both items out to him, expectant, and said, “just in case. I know you can handle yourself, Ivy, but… you’ve got more than just yourself to worry about now.”
Stunned into silence, Laures only stared.
“And don’t drop this on your foot,” she warned, “hurts like a real bitch. Come on, take it. Antoni’s not gonna wait out there forever, is he?”
“Uh -” hesitantly, he accepted both the coins and the blade, “yeah. Of course.”
He didn’t know if a woman had ever been so kind to him, and for no reason either. Laures would admit that he had not interacted with many, all things considered, and his mother (or what he could remember of her) had hardly been a shining example of kindness. Tucking the items away within his coat, Laures managed, “...thank you, Avery.”
She smiled, and he could see himself reflected in her; a mirror that did not offend.
“You’re welcome. Now get out, then,” she shooed, setting a hand against his shoulder to turn him around, and she opened the door to lead him out. “Before you make him change his mind. Keep him safe out there, yeah?”
Laures stepped outside, almost dazed, and offered a nod.
“Yeah, always.”
He moved away from the house to find and join his lover, and linked their elbows as soon as he did. He did not turn around, but he could feel a gaze on them as they walked away. For once, he decided, he did not mind.
