[Ciro once took pride in himself for being able to sleep through Rune staying up late to work on spells, obsess about things he considers productive, or whatever else he does in the basement. Lately the smallest things have been waking him, so his eyes open the moment he hears Rune kneeling at his bedside.
Before he can ask what Rune is doing, the other witch's words reveal what's happened and explains why he reads as unsettled up until they make contact. It doesn't mean he doesn't want to know more.]
I'm right here. [Ciro settles his hand on top of Rune's, and after a lazy breath, takes it to rest against his chest. His own heartbeat is calm and steady at the moment, and it's not often he can offer that to Rune, but he hopes that can be a little bit grounding for now.] Would you like to talk about it?
[He suspects the answer will be no, which is fine, but is already shifting to make space for Rune to join him. On that matter he isn't willing to compromise, even reaches to draw him closer by a handful of shirt.]
[ maybe it's the exhaustion, but he doesn't fight the draw of ciro's touch or his magic. it's warm and familiar, and rune's always wanted it, to be close and to be swallowed by it. but things are far too complicated to allow himself the thought of a reality where they're together and nothing else matters. it would be kinder, he knows, to leave ciro and never come back, but being selfish is easy when ciro gives all of himself to him.
for a while, rune is quiet, letting his fingertips trace up ciro's arm to where his heart beats. his magic is strong, and there's comfort in that. ]
I don't remember much. [ his way of saying no—sort of. but there's one thing that continues to bother him, biting down on the tip of his tongue until he's forced to say it. ] But I don't want you to leave me.
[ that's the source of the sweat, the fear. he'd tried so hard to convince ciro to stay, and still, in the end, he'd gone just as everyone else in his life had. ]
[There are a number of things that could be the cause of keeping Rune up at night, giving him unrestful sleep, and causing him to busy himself when he should be resting. Trying to pinpoint which one is something he stopped doing some time ago, and instead his focus falls on providing comfort. He knows that he can at least do that reliably.
And there is the fact that his feelings for the man make him perpetually eager to help in any way possible. So he's not expecting Rune to say anything more, and when he does, Ciro shifts to drape an arm around him, leaning in closer for a more tangible kind of reassurance that he has no intentions of leaving.]
I couldn't leave you. It would kill me. [The thought alone makes him want to show Rune how true that is, but he doesn't have the words. He's not sure if it's his emotions or Rune's magic that slowly start to swallow him up, but he's always happy to let himself drown in it. Ciro finds Rune's lips easily, kissing him soundly to chase away any concern he might have about that dream.]
[ the touch of his mouth brings a little more comfort, but it's not enough. the shadows of the dream – or had it been a vision? – pull him deeper, sinking their claws into him even as he moves against ciro to return the kiss. it's surprisingly gentle at first, the desperation slowly growing as his fingers dig into ciro's clothes. rune leans up and over him, half on his side so he can meet his gaze in the dark.
things had been easier before when he'd still had the tag. now, his magic is unwieldy and difficult. different. ]
I could kill you, Ciro. [ his palm flattens and rests against his chest. ] You're not safe anymore.
[ be it from him or those out there like gris who would want to take ciro from him. how can he protect him from that when he can barely stand on his own after everything? the world is chaotic and uncertain, and ciro had been the rocky foundation of the ocean that had been his life. now, it's touch and go—a reason rune has spent more time alone, either in the basement or out away from the shop and their home. he can't figure it out, and it's driving him crazy. ]
[After everything they've been through it hasn't once occurred to Ciro that Rune might have had these feelings. Sure he could feel him withdrawing to do other things, and there was an undertone of worry that hadn't been present before, but Ciro hadn't attributed it to that line of logic. He shakes his head, almost dismissive of the notion that it might be warranted.]
Don't.
[Ciro pushes Rune's hand from his chest and instead drapes his arm over his shoulders to draw him down, closer.]
I'm perfectly safe with you, and you wouldn't kill me. [Before it had been a matter of Rune not having the magic to overpower him in order to kill him, but now there's an excess of that polluting Rune's original magic alongside everything he recovered. It's not necessarily bad, but the means he employed to obtain it were troubling. Still, he doesn't worry that Rune isn't in control of it all. He moves his thighs apart so the other can settle between them, maybe a bit of a distraction from this topic.]
[ normally, he would leave it at that and leave ciro too. he'd go back to his room and collect himself, decide that he needed to go out into the middle of nowhere to work. less distraction, less possibility of hurting anyone. but ciro's pull is much too strong, and rune is far too tired to protest beyond the slightest shake of his head, settling between his legs and pressing his face against his chest. a moment to breathe, to think.
ciro always feels good. and right now, rune believes it's for all the wrong reasons. ]
You put too much faith in me. [ he's a little more composed when he speaks next, turning his head so his cheek rests against him. an exhale, and his voice is low. ] I would do anything for you. You must know that by now.
[ despite how poorly he's demonstrated it in the past. the fight with gris, the deal he'd made for his magic... all of it had been for ciro, and worse, still, is the fact rune would tear the entire world apart for him if he had to. he wouldn't even blink at such a thing because it would not be a choice, just a means to an end to keep ciro safe. ]
[Ciro doesn't care what reason Rune uses to justify staying, only cares that he does. Besides, deep down, they both know that there's no where Rune can run to that Ciro won't try to follow. Associated danger be damned, he would find Rune or die trying.]
Maybe I do. [He agrees that his reason is clouded by emotion usually, but it doesn't mean that it's wrong.] That's why I know you wouldn't hurt me.
[It's tempting to take advantage of Rune's mood, and those words. If he could get anything he wanted from him, he would be tempted to use it for selfish things. More nights like this, for sure. Ciro rakes his fingers over Rune's scalp, letting the shorter hairs at the back of his head slide between his fingers as he considers.] There's only one thing I want from you, Rune. [Well, a few things, but just one important thing.] Don't ever push me away.
[ he presses into ciro a little harder, listening to the beat of his heart and the thrum of his words spoken so close. how long had he gone without this? how long had they been without each other? his life before all of this, before ciro and the tea shop, is almost nonexistent in his mind now despite how short a time it's been in comparison. he'd lived hundreds of years without ciro, but a day had felt ten times as long knowing he might never have been able to save him. ]
I would if it meant keeping you safe. [ he would tear out his own heart for him. ] But I'm too tired to argue with you, so I won't.
[ rune doesn't want to waste the time, eventually shifting and tilting his head so that his lips brush against the curve of ciro's jaw. he kisses him there, his chin, the corner of his mouth. their noses nudge together, and rune squeezes his eyes shut so he can soak in the feeling of it. ]
[Sometimes he wants Rune to be more forthcoming about his feelings. Not so much blind declarations of love--though he wouldn't refuse those either--but it's sometimes nice to hear someone attempt to articulate the way he knows they feel. That part is undeniable. He can feel that Rune loves him as easy as he feels the weight of him pressing down. Ciro doesn't want to hear about being kept safe, or warnings of danger, he doesn't care about that. They would find a way to deal with those things as they arise.
He wants promises that they'll be at each others sides until the end of their days. Even if they're lies, sometimes.]
Mm, I like the way that sounds. [That's good enough for him. Ciro smiles the closer Rune gets to his lips, and doesn't resist the urge to kiss him again. He would never tire of that, no matter how simple the gesture.] Do you want to sleep? [He asks gently, hiking his legs up to wrap around Rune's waist playfully.]
[ it would be easy to fall into this and forget about everything for a while. he nearly does except for the small thought in the back of his head that's beginning to bother him, sighing in a way that causes his shoulders to sag and his head to tip forward slightly as if he's going to rest against ciro again. rather than any of that, he kisses him back. once, twice. then, carefully, he pushes ciro's legs down so he can move away to sit on the edge of the bed instead. ]
No. [ not that he would mind sex right now. there's just something else he's considering. ] I want you to read me. I don't care how you do it or what you use. I just need to know where to go from here.
[ which is something he's never allowed ciro to do—not with him. he doesn't like fortunes or premonitions or even divination. those are arts he'd sworn off, had purposely set aside because of what they reminded him of, but now, more than anything, rune needs to embrace it. he also needs to convince ciro that it's a good idea to do this in the middle of the night after he'd passed out from a previous attempt. ]
[Ciro thought his interest check would lead to promising results but just as Rune begins to return those kisses he frees himself from the other witches legs, and he's left to wonder whether it's something he said. Upon further clarification he realizes that Rune just has his mind elsewhere, and so it doesn't bother him so much as it might have otherwise.
But on second thought, maybe there's something more going on. Rune is vehemently opposed to that type of magic, and the fact that he's suddenly open to it plays out more like a warning sign than just an excuse not to have sex.]
You want me to do what?! [Ciro cocks his head to one side, puzzled as he sits up to face Rune like his body has just been taken over by some unknown entity.] You're looking for guidance? Why so suddenly?
[ rune gives him a sharp look that slowly softens. ]
It's not guidance I want. I need to know that, as long as we're together, nothing is going to happen to you.
[ it's why he'd tried the runes, at first. his namesake, the only memento he has of his mother and what she'd been really good at. her magic had been similar to ciro's in that regard, helping others find their way when they felt lost. it's also why he'd sworn it off for several decades and why ciro probably thinks he's lost his mind. rune turns, reaching out to take ciro's hand and grateful for the warmth of his skin. ]
I meant it, Ciro. Perhaps you're not worried about it, but I am.
[Again, Rune finds a way to make this about protecting him. Ciro wants to argue that he doesn't need protecting, but he thought so before as well and still ended up getting kidnapped by a faerie madman. And nothing much has changed since then. Maybe a handful of battlemagic lessons when Rune finds the time to deal with Ciro's eagerness to give up on things he isn't great at by default.
He sighs, mostly at himself this time. Ciro has peeked into his lover's future more than a handful of times without him knowing and he doesn't usually find anything there outside of the usual trouble Rune finds himself in. Nothing he can't manage.
But since he's asking so nicely now, there's no reason he can't take a more focused look.]
Alright, I'll do it if it's what you want. [It's cliche as hell, but he does have a crystal ball--well, technically a quartz sphere, right on his night stand. Ciro has to use both hands to lift it up off of its base, the thing is heavier than it looks.] I'll show you that there's nothing to worry about. Come on.
[ truthfully, he's not happy about what might lie somewhere in the future. rune prefers to make his own destiny, set his own path. that's how he's always wanted it to be, especially with ciro. but after gris and the riptide that's become his magic... he needs something more.
rune shifts on to his feet to approach ciro and his ball, pausing only a moment before reaching out to help him hold it. the weight is something he expects, but the consequences of what might happen make him wary. he's still exhausted, still reeling from what he'd tried to do in the basement, and his thoughts are scattered. maybe he should have let ciro fuck him instead; that, at least, wouldn't have required as much effort. ]
What would you like me to do?
[ since he's following ciro's guidance for once. ]
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Before he can ask what Rune is doing, the other witch's words reveal what's happened and explains why he reads as unsettled up until they make contact. It doesn't mean he doesn't want to know more.]
I'm right here. [Ciro settles his hand on top of Rune's, and after a lazy breath, takes it to rest against his chest. His own heartbeat is calm and steady at the moment, and it's not often he can offer that to Rune, but he hopes that can be a little bit grounding for now.] Would you like to talk about it?
[He suspects the answer will be no, which is fine, but is already shifting to make space for Rune to join him. On that matter he isn't willing to compromise, even reaches to draw him closer by a handful of shirt.]
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for a while, rune is quiet, letting his fingertips trace up ciro's arm to where his heart beats. his magic is strong, and there's comfort in that. ]
I don't remember much. [ his way of saying no—sort of. but there's one thing that continues to bother him, biting down on the tip of his tongue until he's forced to say it. ] But I don't want you to leave me.
[ that's the source of the sweat, the fear. he'd tried so hard to convince ciro to stay, and still, in the end, he'd gone just as everyone else in his life had. ]
no subject
And there is the fact that his feelings for the man make him perpetually eager to help in any way possible. So he's not expecting Rune to say anything more, and when he does, Ciro shifts to drape an arm around him, leaning in closer for a more tangible kind of reassurance that he has no intentions of leaving.]
I couldn't leave you. It would kill me. [The thought alone makes him want to show Rune how true that is, but he doesn't have the words. He's not sure if it's his emotions or Rune's magic that slowly start to swallow him up, but he's always happy to let himself drown in it. Ciro finds Rune's lips easily, kissing him soundly to chase away any concern he might have about that dream.]
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things had been easier before when he'd still had the tag. now, his magic is unwieldy and difficult. different. ]
I could kill you, Ciro. [ his palm flattens and rests against his chest. ] You're not safe anymore.
[ be it from him or those out there like gris who would want to take ciro from him. how can he protect him from that when he can barely stand on his own after everything? the world is chaotic and uncertain, and ciro had been the rocky foundation of the ocean that had been his life. now, it's touch and go—a reason rune has spent more time alone, either in the basement or out away from the shop and their home. he can't figure it out, and it's driving him crazy. ]
You're not safe with me.
no subject
Don't.
[Ciro pushes Rune's hand from his chest and instead drapes his arm over his shoulders to draw him down, closer.]
I'm perfectly safe with you, and you wouldn't kill me. [Before it had been a matter of Rune not having the magic to overpower him in order to kill him, but now there's an excess of that polluting Rune's original magic alongside everything he recovered. It's not necessarily bad, but the means he employed to obtain it were troubling. Still, he doesn't worry that Rune isn't in control of it all. He moves his thighs apart so the other can settle between them, maybe a bit of a distraction from this topic.]
no subject
ciro always feels good. and right now, rune believes it's for all the wrong reasons. ]
You put too much faith in me. [ he's a little more composed when he speaks next, turning his head so his cheek rests against him. an exhale, and his voice is low. ] I would do anything for you. You must know that by now.
[ despite how poorly he's demonstrated it in the past. the fight with gris, the deal he'd made for his magic... all of it had been for ciro, and worse, still, is the fact rune would tear the entire world apart for him if he had to. he wouldn't even blink at such a thing because it would not be a choice, just a means to an end to keep ciro safe. ]
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Maybe I do. [He agrees that his reason is clouded by emotion usually, but it doesn't mean that it's wrong.] That's why I know you wouldn't hurt me.
[It's tempting to take advantage of Rune's mood, and those words. If he could get anything he wanted from him, he would be tempted to use it for selfish things. More nights like this, for sure. Ciro rakes his fingers over Rune's scalp, letting the shorter hairs at the back of his head slide between his fingers as he considers.] There's only one thing I want from you, Rune. [Well, a few things, but just one important thing.] Don't ever push me away.
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I would if it meant keeping you safe. [ he would tear out his own heart for him. ] But I'm too tired to argue with you, so I won't.
[ rune doesn't want to waste the time, eventually shifting and tilting his head so that his lips brush against the curve of ciro's jaw. he kisses him there, his chin, the corner of his mouth. their noses nudge together, and rune squeezes his eyes shut so he can soak in the feeling of it. ]
You have me the same way that I have you.
no subject
He wants promises that they'll be at each others sides until the end of their days. Even if they're lies, sometimes.]
Mm, I like the way that sounds. [That's good enough for him. Ciro smiles the closer Rune gets to his lips, and doesn't resist the urge to kiss him again. He would never tire of that, no matter how simple the gesture.] Do you want to sleep? [He asks gently, hiking his legs up to wrap around Rune's waist playfully.]
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No. [ not that he would mind sex right now. there's just something else he's considering. ] I want you to read me. I don't care how you do it or what you use. I just need to know where to go from here.
[ which is something he's never allowed ciro to do—not with him. he doesn't like fortunes or premonitions or even divination. those are arts he'd sworn off, had purposely set aside because of what they reminded him of, but now, more than anything, rune needs to embrace it. he also needs to convince ciro that it's a good idea to do this in the middle of the night after he'd passed out from a previous attempt. ]
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But on second thought, maybe there's something more going on. Rune is vehemently opposed to that type of magic, and the fact that he's suddenly open to it plays out more like a warning sign than just an excuse not to have sex.]
You want me to do what?! [Ciro cocks his head to one side, puzzled as he sits up to face Rune like his body has just been taken over by some unknown entity.] You're looking for guidance? Why so suddenly?
no subject
It's not guidance I want. I need to know that, as long as we're together, nothing is going to happen to you.
[ it's why he'd tried the runes, at first. his namesake, the only memento he has of his mother and what she'd been really good at. her magic had been similar to ciro's in that regard, helping others find their way when they felt lost. it's also why he'd sworn it off for several decades and why ciro probably thinks he's lost his mind. rune turns, reaching out to take ciro's hand and grateful for the warmth of his skin. ]
I meant it, Ciro. Perhaps you're not worried about it, but I am.
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He sighs, mostly at himself this time. Ciro has peeked into his lover's future more than a handful of times without him knowing and he doesn't usually find anything there outside of the usual trouble Rune finds himself in. Nothing he can't manage.
But since he's asking so nicely now, there's no reason he can't take a more focused look.]
Alright, I'll do it if it's what you want. [It's cliche as hell, but he does have a crystal ball--well, technically a quartz sphere, right on his night stand. Ciro has to use both hands to lift it up off of its base, the thing is heavier than it looks.] I'll show you that there's nothing to worry about. Come on.
no subject
rune shifts on to his feet to approach ciro and his ball, pausing only a moment before reaching out to help him hold it. the weight is something he expects, but the consequences of what might happen make him wary. he's still exhausted, still reeling from what he'd tried to do in the basement, and his thoughts are scattered. maybe he should have let ciro fuck him instead; that, at least, wouldn't have required as much effort. ]
What would you like me to do?
[ since he's following ciro's guidance for once. ]