WHO Essek Thelyss and Caleb Widogast WHERE The library of the Xhorhaus WHEN May 10th, right after everyone was sent back to the present WHAT A wizard reunion. STATUS Complete ART CREDIThere WARNINGS K-I-S-S-I-N-G
Essek hadn't known what to expect when he popped back into existence in the time that he knew. The anecdotes that he knew about those who attempted time travel back in Exandria never ended well; he still couldn't quite imagine what it would be like to see one of your fellow researchers attempt such a feat, only to return and immediately turn to dust. He could only hope that wouldn't be the case here.
Even with that hope brewing, Essek froze when he blinked and went from standing next to his brother in a crowd of fellow Outlanders to sitting on a sofa in the library of the Xhorhaus. It was precisely where he had been trancing the days preceding the trip to the past, an act of passive aggression that he could not regret more. Looking down at himself, he inspected his spread hands, his once broken arm that had been magically healed only in thanks to the adornments that were now missing from his ears, the similarly bartered for clothing he was wearing. Though Essek had certainly been in better shape, he wasn't turning to dust -- and that was more than he could have asked for.
More than that, Essek knew his relief was rooted in the simple fact that he was home.
Without Caleb's uncanny ability to know what time it was, Essek didn't immediately know if it was the exact same time of day as it had been when Dr. Strange had ended the spell; the darkness surrounding the Xhorhaus wasn't anything he could actually go by, after all. The house seemed relatively quiet, though, which gave him an idea. There were a great many people that he wanted to see and check in with, one more so than anyone else.
"Caleb?" Essek called, getting to his feet. He didn't take a step, though, before he started casting Sending, knowing that there was a chance his partner wasn't even home. Once cast, he sent, "Caleb, where are you?" A brief pause. "I'm here -- I'm home."
Did Caleb burst through the door to the library within moments of getting the Sending?
Maybe. Perhaps.
Yes.
Did he regret it? No. He had been waiting since the heads up came through the journals, and Caleb didn’t do well when he was on edge. He had Frumpkin patrolling around the house, watching, as he paced. So he wasn’t about to apologize when the wooden door clanked against the nearest bookcase as it burst open with his lack of chill involved. He’d fix it later.
But Caleb came to a stop right in the doorway, suddenly unsure about this reunion, despite the fact that they had both apologized and had moved on, they hadn’t seen each other since they were fighting. Caleb had missed him-- to a very high degree, though. All of the air rushed out of his lungs. “Ja-- Hello.”
Essek likewise stopped, not that he had moved much further in the time between watching the threads of his Sending take off and Caleb bursting through the door. His eyes landed on the other wizard -- his wizard, as he had indulgently come to think of him as -- and the relief that he had felt at returning home sunk into him deeper, turning into full comfort. He took a quick inventory, eyes darting over Caleb to confirm that he was more or less unchanged in their time apart, before they landed on his face once more.
Breathing out a soft chuckle, the corners of Essek's mouth lifted into a soft smile. "Hello."
There was a brief hesitation, all born out of the same reasons as Caleb's. A fight, followed by several days of avoidance and simmering, followed by ten days of extreme separation was a lot, even if there had been an apology mixed in there. It hadn't left Essek unchanged, though the changes were simple: he had learned he never wanted to do this again, both have a prolonged fight with Caleb and be apart for such a long period of time. He had missed him, more than he'd imagined possible.
It was that -- his unwillingness to be apart a moment longer -- that broke Essek's reverie, pushing past his insecurities until he walked forward and closed the distance between them. He raised his hands hesitantly, resting each on Caleb's face in a gentle hold. If he didn't know any better, Essek would have thought he was dangerously close to crying, of all things. Instead, he just repeated, "Hello."
Caleb wasn’t one for rushing right into touching someone, he usually let things build up, or avoided the contact as much as he possibly could. It wasn’t personal, it was just-- his own hangups, and his own sensitivity.
Essek was different though, he had been different for a long time. Essek’s touch made him feel more calm and on fire at the same time, in a good way. There was comfort there that he got from Essek that no one else could compare to, as much as he loved his friends. So really, it was the easiest thing in the world to lean in for a kiss.
And another kiss. And another. When he pulled away, he was flushed red and had an apologetic smile forming on his face. “Sorry. Hello. I missed you a great deal.”
As Caleb pulled away, a similar grin took over Essek's face. "Don't apologize. You never have to apologize for that."
And then, as if to illustrate the point, Essek pulled Caleb down just enough to share one more kiss. He was already smiling again as it came to an end, his fingers gently gliding over red hair and blushing cheeks before they came to rest lightly on Caleb's shoulders. His heart felt impossibly full, but that wasn't an uncommon feeling at all when he was around the other wizard.
"I missed you, too," Essek echoed, expression soft. "Even more than I imagined was possible, if I'm being honest." And he made an effort to be as honest as he could be with Caleb; it was the promise he'd made even before they'd put a label to their relationship. "Why don't we try not to give ourselves reason to miss the other so much again, all right?" Both the fight that Essek knew he helped prolong longer than it should have gone on and the over a week of separation, though only one of those things was something either of them had control over. Essek could only hope that Vallo would take pity the next time something like this happened.
“That-- ah, would be nice.” Caleb was nearly the same color as his hair now, if anyone looked too closely. But he wouldn’t remark on it, and let himself just stay flushed and happy.
He still, unfortunately, had a little guilt weighing on his chest from everything. Being apart was difficult, to be sure, but there had been something so abrupt and snappish to have it happen when Caleb had been angry. It felt so final that way, with all the chances of regret and how often they had seen people leave and come back with no memories of this place.
If that had happened with Essek, Caleb wasn’t sure what he would have done. “I do not know that Vallo will listen to us but-” He brought Essek’s hand around to his mouth, to kiss gently. “I would like to make the promise to you to not go to bed angry any longer. Even if I let my temper get away from me, I do not want things to go out like that.”
Essek took in the handsome, blushing face before him. He wasn't unfamiliar with letting tempers get in the way of repairing a relationship; his mind flashed briefly to his father, a topic he tried not to linger on. No matter his feelings about that particular situation and his father, there was no denying that they had parted with anger and that had never been resolved. It was different with Caleb, of course -- but if he had moments of wondering what might have happened had his last parting with his father hadn't been the final one, he couldn't imagine how he would feel if that were to be the case with Caleb.
He lifted his free hand, thumb gently running along Caleb's jawline before resting against the red hair at the back of his head. "That is a promise that I will readily make in return," Essek said, leveling his gaze on his partner. "Just as I promise not to trance as some sort of punishment, because I am feeling stubborn."
Smiling once more, a small and fragile thing, Essek added, "Communication, yes?" His hand moved slowly, smoothing over Caleb's hair. "I am not always good at it, but I want to be better, for both of us."
Caleb leaned into Essek’s hand, arching into the touch as if he were part cat. Maybe he was, somedays. He certainly acted enough like Frumpkin. But that was besides the point, he was content and warm, feeling safe and happier now that he had Essek in front of him.
That helped, tremendously, to quell any grievances he’d had for the last two weeks.
“Ja, communication. I will do my best on this end, as well.” It was a promise, as heartfelt as he could manage. He would have to tell someone - Fjord, maybe - to help him keep his end of the promise or give him a swift kick in the ass if it was necessary. Because Caleb would likely forget in anger, and right now there was nothing more he wanted less.
He leaned in for another kiss, and smiled against Essek’s lips. “But first I would like to say that right now I am very glad for the prestidigitation spell. As hypocritical as that is.”
That inspired an immediate laugh from Essek, soft as he pressed his forehead to Caleb's. Laughter had once been as rare for the previous Shadowhand as his willingness to share space with another in just such a way had been, a disposition that Essek was grateful to have shed. It felt good. He may not have always felt that he deserved all of the good he had in his life, but in this moment he was happy to hold all of that good near and cherish it as was deserved.
"You and me, both," Essek replied, allowing his arms to circle around Caleb to hold him close and complete their embrace. "I may have had to give up my jewelry and favorite dressing gown for trade, but I at least did not have to give up feeling clean. I would have been very annoyed had I needed to prolong this reunion for bathing to spare you the fragrance of the past." Although he probably would have just suggested Caleb join him, were that the case. Maybe later, he decided as he nuzzled into Caleb's cheek, eyes closing for a moment as he pressed an indulgent kiss there, as well.
"Though, speaking of magic," he continued, leaning back to lift an elegant, albeit teasing, eyebrow. "I expect my spellbook was well behaved?" The fact that it hadn't been an immediate impulse to ask after it on arrival was testament to just how much he loved the other man, Essek thought.
Caleb chuckled into the nuzzle, his throat bobbing with laughter that didn’t quite spillover. “I am also impressed it took you five whole minutes to ask.” He couldn’t say he would be the same. Maybe the first minute? He wouldn’t have begrudged it to Essek, either, as a spellbook was a Wizard’s lifeline.
And Caleb knew all too well how horrible it was to be away from his. He’d kept Eseek’s safe, and reached down to unsnap the holster closer to his thigh - usually reserved for an adventuring journal - and pulled out an expensive looking spellbook. Much fancier than Caleb’s well-loved and lighter leather one, this one was dark and luxurious to hold in his hand.
He offered it out to Essek. “We had a few moments where it did not like being alone, but I believe we managed. I am glad to have kept it safe for you.”
Essek took the book and didn't bother trying to suppress the soft sigh of relief that escaped him upon having it back in his possession. It wasn't his first spellbook -- that had been much different in design, chosen by his mother when he first started showing magical promise and was now locked away in the depths of his tower out of an odd form of sentiment he had never quite been able to explain. This had been a book of his own design, filled with standard spells, powerful spells, and spells of his own creation. While his first book spoke of beginnings, this was progress, his life's work. There was only one other person he would trust it with.
"Thank you for keeping it company, Caleb." Essek held it to his chest for a moment; he had his wizard and his spellbook, both of which did much to make him feel grounded. His fingers traced the familiar sharp corners of his book, then moved to begin the casting of his extradimensional pocket to store it away, then hesitated. Twice now, storing his book in such a space had meant being separated from it, first being his original arrival in Vallo.
Mouth tipping up in a smirk, he reached out and indicated toward Caleb's various holsters. "Perhaps you have the right idea with those."
Caleb inclined his head, attempting to hide his blush and small smile “You’re welcome. It-- ah. Was a comfort? A reminder that you would be back for it.” Because a Wizard did not willingly leave behind their spellbook, and having Essek’s things here with him helped Caleb stay grounded, as much as getting to speak with him in the magical journals had.
He glanced down at his own holsters, his two others that had books in them, and immediately flushed even deeper in picturing Essek with his own.
“... Well.” That conjured up a great many pleasant images in his brain, immediately. His hands went up to Essek’s midsection to brace themselves there. “If you are going to get holsters, I uh-- believe I need to get you naked first. For measurements.”
Essek laughed, ringing bright and clear in the way that only Caleb could inspire. Fondness and amusement and appreciation, all wrapped up into one short sound. He was lucky, so ridiculously lucky.
"How very pragmatic, ussta che." Essek let his hands rest on Caleb's for a moment, then reached out with one toward the holsters that were guarding the books. Two fingers slipped beneath the leather to tug Caleb down, allowing Essek to steal a brief kiss before he sidestepped, flashing another smirk as he started to pull him toward their bedroom door. "No time like the present, yes?"