"Elias," Caelum called out, his voice carrying clearly as he waited for Elias to finish bathing and emerge from the washroom.
"Caelum," Elias responded from inside, and Caelum immediately rushed in, concern etching his features.
"Poison?" Caelum asked softly, only to be pulled instantly into a tight, wet hug.
Elias shook his head, burying his face in Caelum's neck. "I'm scared," he confessed, his voice muffled against the damp skin. "I'm scared that we won't find the antidote in the one week you gave us, and I'll be forced to put you back in this difficult position." His body trembled slightly in Caelum's embrace.
Caelum's arms went around Elias, offering a reassuring squeeze. "I'll help you for as long as you need me, Elias. I will be here for you."
"Even with the sex?" Elias questioned, pulling back just enough to look Caelum in the eyes, his own eyes clouded with worry. "That idiotic brother of mine will not stop once he realizes we can only use the sealer for a week," he said, his expression strained. "It will be difficult on your body. I know he won't stop with just once a day," Elias continued, his voice heavy with dread. "He'll keep drawing my magic and triggering the poison until we get him out of the academy." Elias' hands, still gripping Caelum's shoulders, began to shake noticeably.
"If we don't find the antidote by the end of the twenty third hour of the seventh day, teleport us back to your manor," Caelum suggested with a determined, gentle smile. "If us having sex will stop him from drawing your magic and triggering the poison, we'll keep doing it. Even if you can't finish inside me after a few times, as long as you stay inside me and I push my magic into you, you'll be fine. You will be safe."
"You'll go through all of that for me?" Elias asked, his voice filled with disbelief and gratitude.
"Of course," Caelum stated without hesitation. "You're the only person I truly care for in this world, Elias." A flash of anger crossed his face, darkening his eyes. "That stupid brother of yours should be glad you're not dead. He'd be dead instantly otherwise," he growled, the threat hanging heavy in the air.
Elias's worried expression melted into a soft smile as he hugged Caelum even tighter, pressing their bodies close. "Alright," he agreed, a sense of peace returning to him. "But don't complain about it when we actually have to go with that plan of yours," he teased, a cheeky, playful smile spreading across his lips.
"I won't," Caelum promised, a faint blush creeping onto his cheeks. "I know you're still scared of hurting me, even now, after all the times we've done this," he said, his voice soft and understanding. "That is why I gave you that one hour to relax with me," he finished, his smile gentle and reassuring.
Elias gasped softly, his eyes widening with affection. "I'll say it again. I'm glad I asked you to be mine before anyone else did," he declared, his heart full.
"I wouldn't have accepted a cocky brat anyway," Caelum countered with a light scoff, though his eyes sparkled with amusement. "I think you were the only person I have been observing ever since the written tests for the Royal Academy. You captured my attention early on."
"Really?" Elias asked, a surge of excitement making his voice higher.
Caelum nodded, his gaze thoughtful. "When I was going back home, I saw you smiling as you looked at your hands after the written tests. But I felt that the smile on your face didn't quite reach your eyes," he explained, recalling the precise moment. "I wanted to see what a real, genuine smile would look like on you."
"When did you finally see the real one?" Elias asked, a furious blush coloring his cheeks at the realization that Caelum had been watching him from the very beginning.
"After our first night together," Caelum confessed with a tender smile, the memory clearly pleasing him. "When I said, 'it can't be helped,'" he added, quoting his own words from that significant morning.
"You remember…" Elias began, his voice trailing off in wonder.
"I told you, didn't I?" Caelum said, his voice firm yet affectionate. "I remember every word I gave you and every conversation we've had." He smiled again as he pulled away from the comforting hug, his eyes searching Elias's face. "Want to stay in the water for a while longer?" he asked, casually checking the temperature of the bathwater with his hand.
Elias shook his head, stepping out of the tub. He quickly put on the soft, white robes and walked out of the room with Caelum following close behind. "Why did you call me out, though?" he asked, a question he had momentarily forgotten.
"A letter from Matheas," Caelum said, pointing to a neatly folded parchment on Elias's desk. "He sent it through an eagle," he added, indicating the unconventional delivery method.
"That would be Falcon," Elias corrected gently, walking over to the desk. "Matheas found him on a trip a few years ago. Falcon was abandoned by his mother, so when he grew up, Matheas trained him to deliver emergency letters. He is a very smart bird." Elias then cut the wax seal with a small, sharp knife and carefully opened the letter.
He smirked, a predatory light in his eyes as he read the contents. "Looks like that stupid brother took the bait," he announced with satisfaction. "It was stolen early this morning," he added.
"He'll use it," Caelum predicted, already beginning to take off his clothes with a smooth, unhurried motion, anticipating their next action.
"I just took a bath," Elias grumbled good-naturedly, removing his own robes, which he had only just put on. His eyes met Caelum's with a heated intensity. "Bed, my dear," he murmured, his voice husky with desire.
"You've started using those words of endearment out of nowhere," Caelum observed, his face instantly flushing a deep, appealing red at the pet name.
"I like how you react to them," Elias confessed with a charming smile. He walked closer and gently pushed one finger into Caelum, testing his readiness. "Though, I thought you'd be used to them already, with how many times I use them," he teased, a playful, cheeky smile dancing on his lips.
Caelum gasped sharply as Elias hit his prostate with the invading finger. "Evil," he whispered, his eyes fluttering shut, a mixture of pleasure and surprise in his voice.
Elias laughed, a low, pleased sound. He slowly and gently pushed a second finger inside, beginning to scissor and stretch Caelum carefully, taking his time to ensure he wouldn't cause him any actual pain.
When the third finger was added, Caelum was gasping for air, his breath coming in shallow bursts, because Elias was expertly targeting his prostate with every single movement.
Elias felt the subtle, familiar shift in his own body, the precursor to the poison being triggered, and quickly aligned himself to Caelum, ready to enter. But Caelum immediately stopped him, gripping his arms.
"We always do it at the last minute," Caelum managed to say between his ragged gasps for air. "If we break the pattern now, he'll know something is different. He'll suspect."
Elias nodded in understanding. "Let me know when," he instructed, his eyes serious as he felt Caelum's stabilizing magic flow into him, a warm, protective current. He kept pushing his fingers into Caelum, maintaining the stretch, preparing the way for his entry.
"Now," Caelum finally whispered, four minutes later, his voice tight with anticipation.
Elias immediately removed his fingers and pushed his length into Caelum's welcoming heat. He smiled, a deep, satisfied expression on his face, as he went inside smoothly, the prepared passage easing his entry.
He looked down at Caelum's flushed, exquisite face, his expression one of pure adoration. He leaned down slowly and kissed him, a long, deep connection. "Open your mouth," he whispered, leaning close to Caelum's ear, the soft breath tickling the sensitive skin.
Caelum gasped in response, and Elias took that chance. He gently licked Caelum's lips first, tracing the outline, before slipping his tongue inside Caelum's mouth, claiming the kiss with fervent hunger.
When he finally pulled back, Caelum was taking deep, shaky breaths, his body trembling with pleasure as he moaned softly, a beautiful sound to Elias's ears.
Elias smiled again, a complex emotion swirling in his eyes. He knew he liked Caelum; that was undeniable. But a worry remained: would Caelum accept the rule Matheas accepted, the requirement of absolute devotion, or would he hate him for asking so much of him? He didn't know the answer.
'But if the days in the academy are the only days I can have you like this, only the time I have you fully to myself, then I'll take advantage of every single minute,' he thought with a resolute determination as he began to kiss Caelum's neck and shoulders, marking him with soft, insistent pressure.