WHO Essek Thelyss and Caleb Widogast WHERE Outside the courthouse, then in a clearing in the forest WHEN Morning of November 17 WHAT The wizard boyfriends become wizard husbands. Plus: wild magic surge. STATUS Complete ART CREDIThere :3 WARNINGS None, just shmoopy and flirty
The morning had gone in a direction that Essek couldn't have truly predicted when he had slipped from his trance to true wakefulness that morning. On the one hand, he could admit that they had been headed in this direction for a long while, even before Luka and their future had dropped into Vallo and their lives in such an incredibly tangible way. They had known for a while now that their futures were to be entwined, both thanks to the evidence that Vallo had shown them and their own dedication to the other, so perhaps the twist of events shouldn't have been such a twist.
But, on the other hand, Essek had spent around 120 years quite convinced that he just wasn't the marrying type. That had, of course, been before Caleb Widogast had come barreling into his life. There were, in fact, a great many things that Essek had been sure he wasn't "the type" of before Caleb. What was one more?
Besides, it had all felt perfectly logical when their morning conversation that touched once more on the future, a topic broached a bit more frequently, both teasingly and seriously, in the wake of the recent slip in time, had turned into the mutual clearing of schedules. It had been easier than Essek could have imagined, having spent his years watching the spectacles that his peers among the noble dens put on for their own weddings; it would have been his own fate, had he ever caved to his mother's machinations. Instead, it had been a signing of paperwork that legally tied them together. It was simple and perfunctory and quite frankly them.
"Ah," Essek said, words soft as they stepped outside. "It's still snowing."
Perhaps not the most inspired of words to begin a marriage with, he had to admit to himself as he tipped his head back to look up at the clouds that were dumping large snowflakes down upon them. The weather had turned very wintery that morning, though, and he couldn't help but comment on it through the gentle smile that had been living on his face since they'd made the decision to elope that morning.
As Caleb had remembered his scarf this morning, and had wrapped Essek around in his shawl, despite the fact that they knew they could teleport. Cozy behavior was nothing new to either of them, and now it gave him a chance to pull Essek’s hand in his own. For once they weren’t wearing mittens, despite the weather, which left their hands bare and new rings glinting off of the white landscape around them.
It hadn’t been completely impromptu, this marriage of theirs. Caleb had commissioned the rings months before, knowing that it would happen someday but neither were particularly keen on the romantic edge of things. Or, rather, they were, but their idea of romance was often unusual to others.
That was what got them into this, really. Caleb had seen Essek hunched over a book, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, looking academic and delectable. The next thing he knew, they were signing their names to paperwork and joined as one. “It reminds me of when we were first in Aeor.” That was a good thing, if his tone held any weight. Caleb pressed a gentle kiss to Essek’s purple hand. “Are you cold?”
Caleb's mention of Aeor struck recognition for Essek as well, brief memories of his self-exile to the Frozen Wastes rising to the surface of his mind. It had been a stressful time, made even more so with the serendipitous arrival of the Mighty Nein and their plight--but they had also been a very bright spot in an otherwise harsh landscape and he was ever grateful for them. It was that feeling, that warm feeling of acceptance and friendship, that he easily focused on when his thoughts wandered back to that time.
It was especially easy to focus on those feelings with Caleb right there, a physical representation of the positive turn his life had taken.
Essek lifted his free hand up, turning it as though letting them both inspect it. "I am so cold, I have gone purple," he joked with a small smile, wiggling his fingers once before he brushed over Caleb's jaw, then let them disappear into the loose plaits of his braid. It wasn't his best joke, but it certainly wasn't his worst; he was getting far better at humor. "I suppose you will just have to stay close. Alas, such a burden."
It earned a chuckle from Caleb, who let it huff out with the breath of winter air that came along. He’d been in a ridiculously good mood since Veth’s arrival as it was, and this? Only added to that flush in his cheeks and grin on his face. He could forgive a silly joke about Essek’s skincolor, especially now.
“I suppose now I am stuck with such jokes.” He could still deadpan with the best of them, that Zemnian accent helping to make him sound serious instead of joking. “They are all going to kill us for doing this without them, but I hope they understand.” The secrecy was not for any malicious purpose, but merely their own peace of mind. Caleb could appreciate a long, loud wedding, he had attended more than a few.
But his own? He did not do well with the attention on him, unless he was showing off a new spell. Caleb had not wanted his own issues to sour any of this, and knew well that Essek felt similar. So he did not regret their choice, and instead moved one half step closer to Essek, into his space. He did not care that they were in public now, so long as they were not interrupted by strangers. “We will owe them one.”
Essek took Caleb's step into his space as an invitation, moving forward himself. It made it all the easier for him to move his arms, his hands sliding under Caleb's scarf to take advantage of the warmth trapped there while also letting his fingers brush the bare skin at the edge of his jacket collar. It was more touchy-feely than the occasional hand holding or palm pressed to Caleb's back that Essek would indulge in when in public, but if ever there was a special occasion to indulge, he had to think that this was top of the list.
"We will owe them," Essek echoed in agreement. "I am afraid that what we will owe them will be a party, however."
Despite the elopement, that part he couldn't necessarily be upset with. His enjoyment of parties varied, but it was the ceremony part that Essek had been more concerned about. Though far from secretive when it came to the depths of his feelings for Caleb, expressing that in front of people in such a way did not appeal to the drow. He could tolerate being the center of attention if the occasion called for it, but this was different and he also could not regret their choice to start their marriage out in just such a way that they both wanted.
"Something small, with cake," he suggested, a hand sneaking out from within the loop of Caleb's scarf to run a thumb along a scruffy jawline. "I think that they will understand, though, once they have their fill of killing us. We have never been particularly traditional."
“I do like cake,” Caleb knew their friends liked cake even more, and could easily (hopefully easily) be distracted with such offerings. Put enough desserts in front of them and they may just forget about the fact that Caleb and Essek had married without them, in a quiet, quick ceremony that was more practical than it was ostentatious.
“At least with a party of our own, we can escape if we require it.” And they would, he knew it. “Come, I have a surprise for you.” It was rude to teleport without asking permission first, but Caleb and Essek trusted each other enough that he knew it would be fine, as he held his husband’s hand in his, and teleported them to the clearing they so often used for magical means. In the middle of that clearing sat an open, but magically obscured in a dim, warm-looking fog.
But that didn’t become the focal point of interest, as following the teleport, a butterfly appeared to float around the pair of them. Caleb raised an eyebrow and turned slightly, and another one appeared. And another. “Ah-” Soon, there was a whole host of them, floating around the pair, flower petals dropping all around them as the butterflies fluttered about. “That was not the surprise. Did you do this?”
Turning slowly, hand still linked with Caleb's and not seeming to be all that concerned with letting go, Essek's brow furrowed as he observed the petals and butterflies around them. He reached up with his free hand, hesitating for just the briefest of seconds wherein some rapidfire weighing of consequences rushed through his mind before he tapped on a passing butterfly. His finger passed right through it, doing little more than sending off additional amber sparkles in its wake. They were clearly illusory, but also were unlike anything he could have expected when arriving in the otherwise familiar clearing.
"I did not," Essek murmured, slipping into Curious Mode, a state of mind that came most easily to the drow and had spelled trouble in the past. He was less apt to lean into trouble in Vallo, at least, particularly when the curiosity was something like this--and when he had adult supervision in the shape of his husband of less than an hour at his side.
Essek reached out once more, this time tapping a petal. "Do you think our arrival triggered some magic that was already here? Or they were already floating about and we simply disturbed them?"
“I do not know,” Caleb murmured, also having slipped into Curious Mode. It was not particularly romantic, but it was very them to do this sort of thing. Ultimately, they felt harmless, as they floated around and even devolved into sparkles as Essek touched one. If any of their friends had known about their elopement, he would have put it on them. But that was not a worry on his mind, since they were just as likely to explode confetti cannons on them.
“It was not here when I set up all of this,” Caleb gestured to the tent ahead of them, magical in itself, but not along the same vein as the illusionary butterflies. He finally turned away from them and back to his husband, where he raised an eyebrow. “I had planned to fuck you into oblivion, but now will we be able to think of anything other than magical butterflies, I wonder?”
Apparently it would not be a problem, as Essek's attention immediately shifted back onto his husband--his husband. "Caleb Widogast," he scolded; at least, it would have seemed more like a scolding were the tone not in competition with a combination of a pleased smirk and blush that was tinging his cheeks a delightful plum.
It also likely helped when Essek reached out, tugging down on Caleb's scarf to bring his face closer to his own to steal a slow, appreciative kiss. The snow was still falling around them and the tent was going to be well valued before long as the temperature seemed to continue to dip, but Essek paused as he broke the kiss just enough to meet Caleb's eye.
"I am in favor of your plans." Essek's hands had moved at some point in the kiss, now framing Caleb's face. His eyes caught on the ring that would now be a permanent fixture on his left hand, then looked back to Caleb's blue eyes. "And I do not mean to be too, ah--too sappy, but I only wanted to say that this has been a very good day and I am quite grateful to have you."
Caleb was more smug than he was scolded, though his own cheeks were flushed far more visibly than Essek’s, part from the cold and part due to his own raunchy commentary distracting him.
Well, truly, Essek was the one distracting him. Easily, though that was nothing new for Caleb. Since the moment they had met, he had taken stock of Essek and all that he was. How similar they were, how their stories had started separate and traumatic, but had slowly woven together as they learned what it was to be another’s person.
“I am as well.” That kiss had left his face even more heated, but it was the good kind that would spread from his neck down to his chest, the more they spoke like this. He was never very good at conversations of this sort but for Essek it came easier. “You and I, cut from the same cloth, now woven together in something very magical. We are luckier than I ever expected.”
Essek hummed in consideration, smiling a warm, gentle smile that seemed to be reserved for only his very favorite people--and Caleb, of course, was top of that list. "That is both very true and poetic," he decided, head tipped back. "I rather like it."
In fact, he did not know if he could have put it better himself. Like Caleb, he did not always do well with conversations about emotions and feelings, but (also like Caleb) it was easier with the other wizard. It hadn't always been, even early on in their relationship, but time, practice, and an incredible amount of love and devotion had made it easier.
The wind picked up around them and Essek did not mind using it as an excuse to step in a bit closer to Caleb in an effort to steal his warmth. "Isstan che dos, ussta m'ranndi," Essek murmured, only because he could be that quiet when they were that close. He switched back to their shared language to add, "But I will somehow love you even more if that tent is heated."
Caleb was eternally thankful that he had been learning Essek’s language the last few years, and knew enough to immediately understand what was said. His cheeks flushed a little more, this time it was certainly the words and the brief distance more than it was the cold.
“Ich liebe dich, husband.” Caleb echoed back in his native Zemnian. “And you are in grand luck, as it is heated. Both the air and the bed.” Because he was, if anything, an effective heater and always most prepared. He knew just how easily Essek got cold, and never would have suggested the tent without ways to remedy that. Caleb stole a brief kiss, framed by the snow as it continued to fall around them.
When he leaned back, he looked over to the tent with a sly smile attached. “Shall we uh- love even more?”
The turn of phrase brought a surprised, yet so very fond, laugh out of Essek. Laughter and smiles had been so rare before Caleb and the rest of the Mighty Nein had come barreling into his life, giving him yet one more thing to be grateful to them for. Right then, though, all he could really focus on was the introduction of this feeling, the one that existed between himself and Caleb and had somehow solified even further on a snowy Thursday. This wasn't the beginning of anything, as they had already spent so much time walking a path together to get to this moment in the first place, but it was the continuation of something very good, something that gave Essek hope and a grand sense of comfort and home.
Because though they were both a great deal of time and space away from Exandria, Rosohna, Rexxentrum, Aeor, or any of the other important places in their lives before Vallo, Essek knew that home was here, with Caleb, wherever that might lead him.
Essek's hands traveled down Caleb's arms, fingers lacing together as he started to step backward toward the tent, taking his husband with him. He smiled, smug and happy and pleased, all in one. "We shall."