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Corvus was still fast asleep. Soren had woken up sometime in the night, jolted by a nightmare. Luckily he hadn’t screamed or leapt out of bed so his partner laid undisturbed, the rise and fall of his chest slow and steady. He tended to curl up in his sleep and tonight was no different, Corvus had wrapped himself around Soren. An arm draped around his back, the other pulled to his chest, and legs tangled over his body. It brought him comfort in the wake of the nightmare watching how peaceful Corvus looked. But sleep refused to return to him. Maybe it was the fact that his 25th birthday had recently passed or that memories and old feelings were resurfacing. It had taken years but the world is steadily healing. Queen Janai and Queen Amaya have settled back into Lux Aurea with their child, the sickness had taken a long time to cure but with help it was accomplished. A smaller trading village had even grown out of the once refugee camp. Queen Zubeia and Prince Zym have done well to ease concerns among the other Arc Dragons, attempting to keep them and all of Xadia at ease. As for Katolis, it was certainly different. Realistically Soren had known it would never be the same but it still stung the way things had slowly transformed. The Kingdom of Duren had been a major aid to Katolis, helping provide supplies, shelter, and safety. The village had been repaired first but the scars are clear. You can see where the old stone meets the new, worn and loved stones stark against the clean and polished ones. Like an ugly reminder despite it’s shine. The castle was the last place to begin repairs, it wasn’t quite as big as it once was and even to this day there were areas still being fixed, ashes still tucked deep into corners, and empty walls where rooms used to be.
Soren found he no longer enjoyed walks on the rampart. The view stopped inspiring awe and joy now it was just twisted a sinking feeling of dread. Memories of his father holding his chin as he spoke to him in lies riddle with vaugeness. The cold fear that washed over him imagining golden scales looming overhead, and phantoms of a smoke long gone lingered at the corner of his eyes. Somehow it felt like the most devastating part, because up on the rampart was also Corvus. Corvus looking to him and understanding, Corvus saying yes and watching the sunrise with him.King Ezran has been doing better at least. Only 17 years old but his eyes are heavy, more often then not Soren will spot him eyebrows furrowed and a slump in his shoulders. But he has started smiling more again, and not the polite King smile but his real one. Callum and Rayla,predictively, had gotten married the second things settled down and disappeared for a few months to travel together leaving behind only a letter. And Claudia…he pushed away those thoughts. Regardless he haunting feeling that he would never be over mourning begun to engulf him. And he can’t understand why. It was over. It had been over for years now. Here he is, laying with Corvus in their bedroom. There is no looming threat, no magical quest or political tensions and yet still, he found himself wondering.When would it end? When would Corvus leave? Get hurt? When would it all fall down again?It was unreasonable, he knew, being this protective. Corvus is steady, strong, someone who Soren felt at ease leaning against, someone he knew could more than hold his own, and someone he knew for a fact he could always trust. It didn’t stop his brain from wandering away from the idea he’d one day slip from his life as well. He could feel the unfair tears prickling at the corner of his eyes despite his efforts to fight them. Instinctively he squeezed Corvus tighter to himself only to mentally curse when he felt the man shift in his arms.“Soren?” Corvus grumbled awake, voice still deep and groggy as he slowly unfurled. “You okay?” He brings a hand up to touch Soren’s face and he could almost allow the tears to spill. Instead he leans into the touch with a hum closing his eyes and savoring the feeling of Corvus’s hand. “Do you want to talk about it?” He does but he doesn’t. He knows its strange for him to be this silent, usually he’s the one to fill the silences but now the words kept dying in his throat. Bubbling up only to halt halfway pushed down by a force he couldn’t name. Corvus understands and just rubs and thumb along his cheek and neither of them say a word, simply laying together in the comfort of their bedroom as the early rays of dawn slipped through the curtains. It used to be Corvus’s room, back when Katolis burned it was no more than a tent. But as time had went on, as they had gotten closer, and fallen in love it gradually became their space. It was odd in a nice way having watched it change. The cloth tent turning to a wooden base to a cobblestone foundation before eventually becoming what it is now. A cozy home of sorts.Corvus’s cello stand propped near his desk, where letters from his family laid out and open. They were hoping he and Corvus could visit again sometime in the fall. Soren’s poetry book rested on their bed stand, sometimes he would wake up and write nonsense in it from a dream and fall right back sleep. Their boots rested next to each other by the doorway with Soren’s scattered and Corvus’s neatly nestled together. Their walls had a couple of paintings and a nice rug in the center of the room. When he was younger he remembered rolling his eyes at the idea of putting up artwork, he never understood it before but now he thinks he gets it. There was a sort of comfort to the walls being full, it made it feel less empty and more like home.It was a strange feeling, getting older. Soren used to think he wouldn’t make it to his twenties, that somewhere along the way he’d do something dumb and…it was over. But here he was, listening to his lovers steady heartbeat feeling the all too heavy weight of being alive and present. Time was passing in a way he wouldn’t feel anymore. It hadn’t been intentional but his beard was starting to grow fuller and as he worked out more he found he was starting to put on some good weight as well. Both things Corvus remarked happily on. Gentle fingers begun to run their way through his hair, it was getting longer too. He had started to consider tying it up, but would it mean its here to stay? Did he want to cut it? It felt nice when Corvus did this though. Nails gently scratching his scalp his hair falling between his fingers. Corvus had also changed, his dreads were slightly longer now but still short not even passing the base of his neck.
Most days he wore it tied up in a similar style to his father’s. Somehow his eyes had gotten softer, his brows less furrowed and body more relaxed. After all this he truly seemed, happier. Why hadn’t he proposed yet, he wondered to himself as he pulled Corvus closer to plant a soft kiss on his neck just above one of his scars. “Do you want to come to Del Bar with me?” The words slip out before Soren could process them. He had been waiting for a different time to bring this up.Corvus’s fingers halt in his hair, and he cranes his neck down to look at him a puzzled look on his face. “Del Bar?” His lips are pursed nervously and his entire body tensed. “Not like- move there I meant like…a trip.” His shoulders relax and Soren can’t help but chuckle and bury his face in Corvus’s collarbones planting more happy kisses and sliding his hands to hold his waist. Under him him Corvus chuckles deeply as well, and Soren can feel the rumbles in his chest that encouraging him on. “What’s the occasion?” Corvus breathes out, patting Soren on his shoulders. His sign asking him to ease up a little. Fair, the man was probably still waking up. Soren gives a last departing kiss on his shoulder before he pulls away bringing his face up. “Well… remember when I asked the Crow Lord about records of letters sent by my mother?” Corvus nodded. It had been a difficult task, considering most records had been incinerated or lost but somehow by some grace of Lady Justice, the Crow Lord found a single singed letter sent from Del Bar, signed with his mother’s maiden name. The address had been mostly lost but after a couple of restless nights and requesting a map of Del Bar from anyone who might have it he pin pointed a few locations where she could be.Soren hadn’t told anyone. He was far to nervous of disappointment, of rejection. “I…sent a letter out and she…responded.” “Soren that’s…” “Great?” His voice was shaky, and his eyes darting away to the ground. “She invited me over to meet her family. Her husband and my… half siblings.” Corvus nodded solemly, knowing well of the complicated emotions whirling through Soren without them needing to be shared.“I think that would be nice. You’ve been there before no?” Soren made an a confirming sound as Corvus cupped his face between his hands and scratched behind his ears. “Then worse comes to worse you can show me around.” Soren thought about it for a moment. He wasn’t sure some of the shops would still be there, but the long standing woodwork no doubt would still be around, and there were plenty of sights. Katolis looked beautiful from up there when he was child. Now would be different but at least they’d experience it together. “I’d like that.” He decided resting his head back down on Corvus’s shoulder. Whatever was next, at least for now, he’d have Corvus by his side.