"Elias," Caelum called out gently when he saw Elias's eyelids flutter open.
Elias slowly opened his eyes, a soft, weary smile touching his lips as he looked at Caelum. He reached out, pulling Caelum close for a tight embrace. "I'm free," he murmured, the words a profound sigh of relief.
Caelum nodded, a relieved smile mirroring Elias's. "Don't you ever scare me like that again," he admonished, his voice a mixture of lingering worry and pure relief. "You told me you might fall unconscious, but that doesn't mean you should sleep for two whole days straight," he said, his expression softening as he looked at Elias.
Elias smiled faintly, a hint of genuine apology in his eyes. "I'm truly sorry," he said. "But I'm okay now, I promise," he assured the man holding him.
Caelum gave a firm nod. "You absolutely better be," he said, letting out a small breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "Nathan found the antidote to the mind control potion, and he's currently in the manor, talking to your mother," he explained as he began to sit up. "I'll go get him," he offered.
Elias held him back, his arms tightening around Caelum's waist. "Just a few more moments," he whispered against Caelum's ear, a deep, unsettling sadness coloring his tone.
"Is something wrong?" Caelum asked, his earlier relief instantly evaporating. He realized that even though Elias was smiling, his eyes looked suspiciously glossy, as if he were close to tears, and they were not tears of joy.
Elias remained utterly silent for a long while, simply basking in the familiar, comforting scent of Caelum and the secure closeness of his body. Finally, he pulled back slightly, his expression carefully neutral. "Go get Nathan, please," he requested, his voice regaining a measure of control.
Caelum shook his head immediately. "No, something is definitely wrong," he insisted, his eyes searching Elias's face for an answer. "You're acting a little distant," he pointed out, a slight frown creasing his brow.
Elias let out a heavy sigh, trying to sound reassuring. "Nothing is wrong, Caelum," he insisted. "I'm absolutely fine."
"I don't believe those words coming from you right now," Caelum said firmly, sitting back down beside Elias on the bed. He reached out and gently took Elias's hand in his own. "I've told you before. If you're having any trouble, you can always tell me," he said softly, his concern evident.
"I truly don't think you can solve this for me, my dear," Elias replied, the carefully constructed dam finally breaking as tears began to stream down his pale cheeks.
Caelum gasped softly, instantly pulling Elias into his arms and holding him close in a comforting embrace. "Tell me," he urged, his voice filled with fierce determination. "I will solve it, whatever it is," he promised sincerely.
"Do you think I have enough energy to run around the manor right now?" Elias asked, desperately trying to divert the conversation.
"Of course you do," Caelum replied, trying to sound convincing. "And don't you bloody dare try to change the subject, you stubborn man," he said, a touch of exasperation in his voice.
Elias let out a small, genuine laugh despite the heavy, aching feeling in his heart. "Did you just curse at me?" he asked, a watery chuckle escaping him as he quickly wiped away his tears with the back of his hand.
Caelum gave him a slightly apologetic smile, a deep blush creeping up his neck. "I'm sorry for the language," he admitted.
Elias shook his head, a genuine smile replacing the forced one. "It was actually quite refreshing," he confessed. "Help me sit up, please," he requested, his voice still weak.
Caelum smiled warmly and gently helped Elias sit up, leaning him against the soft headrest of the bed. "I'll really go get Nathan now," he said, starting to move.
Elias's fingers quickly wrapped around Caelum's hand, pulling him back onto the mattress, making sure Caelum tumbled directly onto his chest.
"Elias!" Caelum exclaimed in surprise, trying immediately to push himself up. "I'm heavy, you just woke up," he protested, worried about Elias's recovery.
"Oh!" Elias countered with a playful smirk. With a smooth, unexpected motion, he flipped them both over, ending up hovering above Caelum, his body lightly supported by his arms. "No, you're definitely not heavy," he corrected, his eyes twinkling. "Now, am I heavy?" he asked, his voice low and teasing.
Caelum shook his head, a soft, affectionate huff escaping him. "I think I've told you quite a number of times that you are not heavy at all," he confirmed, his heart beginning to beat faster.
"Caelum," Elias called his name, his voice suddenly thick and strained, cutting through the playful atmosphere. Caelum immediately looked up at him, noticing the fresh welling of tears in Elias's beautiful eyes. Fear instantly formed a knot in Caelum's stomach.
"Why are you crying again?" Caelum asked in a sudden panic, his hands reaching up to cup Elias's face and wipe the tears away. "Are you hurt somewhere? Are you in pain? Did the antidote potion not work properly?" he rushed out, his voice laced with growing desperation.
Elias lowered himself down slightly, supporting his weight on one arm as he gently cupped Caelum's cheek with his other hand. His gaze was intense, full of deep, confusing sadness and longing. "I know this is incredibly unfair to you, but… can we have sex? Just one last time?" he asked, the words barely a whisper as his tears began to slowly drop onto Caelum's face.
"One last time?" Caelum repeated, his voice barely audible, the words hanging heavy and confused in the air. "What exactly do you mean by that, Elias?" he demanded, needing to understand.
Elias shifted their positions, pulling Caelum up to sit against the headboard with him, still straddling Caelum's thighs. "I like you, Caelum," he confessed simply, his eyes filled with genuine feeling.
Caelum gasped, his eyes widening in a mix of shock and dawning realization. "Is that why you said you might lose a part of me after we found the antidote to the potion?" he asked, his face turning a brilliant, fiery red as he suddenly understood.
"Yes," Elias confirmed, nodding slowly. "I honestly didn't want to lose the incredible closeness we shared. I didn't want to lose the warmth and comfort of your body pressed against mine."
Caelum, overwhelmed by the sudden confession and his own emotions, immediately buried his face deep into Elias's chest. "You oblivious idiot," he muttered affectionately, though the realization that he too had completely missed Elias's feelings made him internally retract the insult. 'I failed to notice his feelings for me, so I'm no better,' he thought, despite the playful name.
Elias gasped softly, then gently took Caelum's chin in his hand, making him look up. "You… you like me, too?" he asked, his voice shaking slightly with surprise and hope.
Caelum instantly looked away, unable to meet Elias's intense gaze, but he gave a small, hesitant nod.
"Since when have you felt this way?" Elias pressed, sounding excited but also undeniably anxious, his heart hammering against his ribs.
"Somewhere between the term break and the middle of the second term, I think," Caelum admitted shyly, still refusing to look directly at Elias.
A radiant smile spread across Elias's face, chasing away the earlier sadness. With newfound confidence, he gently pushed Caelum back down onto the bed, then hovered above him, supporting his weight on his forearms.
The sudden, gentle movement brought Caelum's eyes back up to meet Elias's, who was smiling at him with profound tenderness and affection.
"Caelum, may I make love to you now?" Elias asked softly, his voice full of respect and deep emotion.
Caelum nodded immediately, his breath catching in his throat. "Please don't ask me in that tone of voice," he managed to say with a shaky gasp as Elias leaned down to press a series of soft, warm kisses along his neck. "And I don't think I'm capable of refusing anything you ask of me, truly, unless it would put you in danger," he finished, the words coming out in small gasps between the gentle kisses.
"Can I bite you?" Elias asked, his lips brushing against the sensitive skin below Caelum's ear.
Caelum nodded again, his eyes fluttering shut. "I told you, there's nothing, ung…" he began, but the sudden, sharp, yet gentle bite on his collarbone instantly cut him off, drawing a low moan from deep in his chest.
Elias had both of them naked within a few short, passionate minutes, his hands immediately beginning to explore Caelum's body in earnest. Since he only truly knew how to pleasure Caelum internally, he was determined now to find all the other wonderfully sensitive spots on his body as well.
"Elias, please," Caelum begged, his eyes teary with building pleasure, his face flushed a deep crimson, and a light sheen of sweat covering his body. "I can't hold back much longer, please," he pleaded, his control rapidly slipping away.
Elias smiled, a beautiful, wicked thing, against Caelum's inner thigh. "Just a little more, my dear," he whispered, his voice rough with desire. "I absolutely love how you react to just my hands on your body. If you want to come now, you truly can," he said as he resumed kissing, sucking, and gently biting the extremely sensitive skin of Caelum's inner thighs.
Caelum grit his teeth, holding back the climax with immense effort. "I want to come with you inside me," he managed to say between short, frantic gasps.
Elias smiled against Caelum's thighs, feeling a rush of exhilaration and love. He slowly moved upwards, his lips and tongue trailing kisses and licks across Caelum's stomach and chest. He finally leaned up and kissed Caelum deeply on the mouth. "Bear with me for just a bit longer, my dear," he said, his voice husky and rough from the effort of holding back his own overwhelming desire. "I truly want to do so much more to you," he confessed.
Caelum smiled, a look of pure, unrestrained desire in his eyes. "Then do all of that after you're inside me," he countered playfully. "I need you inside me right now," he demanded.
"So feisty, my love," Elias whispered right into Caelum's ear, the soft breath and rough voice making Caelum shiver uncontrollably with anticipation.