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Aegisthus had something on his mind.
Whatever it was, he wasn’t telling Teldryn about it.
It had been a few months since Aegis walked into the Retching Netch and hired Teldryn. The two had spent pretty much the entire time since then together, Teldryn the sidekick in Aegis’s heroic Dragonborn journey. Aegis was Teldryn’s longest employee he’d ever had. The mercenary thought the Altmer would be dead by now; if it were anyone else, Teldryn wouldn’t mind. But for awhile now, he felt himself feeling something towards the mage he probably shouldn’t be.
The two’s relationship had gone from employer and employee to friends (with benefits) over their time spent together. They were close confidants, even if they didn’t admit it to each other or others. But now, something seemed to be on Aegis’s mind, and Teldryn wasn’t handling it well, because Aegis has grown to be rather good at telling Teldryn his issues. Now it felt like they were back to square one, two cocky Mer too proud to tell their true feelings.
Did Aegis no longer trust him?
If Teldryn was being honest with himself, he fancied the Altmer. A lot. And with how he was currently being, distant and all, it scared him. Did the mage know and desire to keep distance between them, to rebuild that wall that was supposed to exist between a mercenary and their employer? But they had grown to be more than that. Or so Teldryn thought.
They had been through so much together, saving Skyrim from Alduin and currently about to defeat yet another villain, Miraak.
Teldryn never considered his patrons his friends, until Aegis. He was different, an actual pleasure to be around. His cockiness, uptight character not unusual for an Altmer complimented Teldryn’s own sarcastic and snarky nature perfectly. And unlike some of the other Altmer he met, Aegisthus actually knew when to be cocky. He was actually surprisingly caring when he wanted to be. And a good partner in bed...
Not to mention, he was probably Teldryn’s most competent patron. All his other ones either killed themselves doing something reckless or were just useless, depending on Teldryn to carry them through everything. The Dunmer was a mercenary, not some half-septim babysitter. No wonder Aegis was the Archmage of Winterhold. As much as Teldryn poked fun at the college, he was impressed by the powerful mages that made up the organization (and honored that Aegis decided to hire him for this long...).
The mage and spellsword were currently on Solstheim, making their way back to Raven Rock after clearing out Bloodskal Barrow on a mission to help the mine. They had no problem making it through the Barrow, but the entire time Aegis was eerily quiet like he had something on his mind. Sure, maybe he was focusing on their mission, but usually he'd be quipping back and forth with Teldryn.
Wanting to dispel the unusual tension between them, Teldryn attempted to make small talk.
“It took you quite awhile to figure out that the sword opened that door, eh Aegis? Guess you’re not so intelligent after all.” Teldryn felt at the Bloodskal Blade strapped to his back; Aegis was a pure mage, being too weak and inexperienced to hold swords, so he always gave cool swords he found to Teldryn. The spellsword found it humorous when Aegis insisted on being the one to swing the Bloodskal Blade around to figure out the door puzzle.
Aegis just scoffed, kicking a rock on the ashy beach, giving Teldryn the cold shoulder. The mercenary huffed, wondering why Aegis didn’t try to defend himself, like he always did.
If Aegis didn’t tell Teldryn what was wrong soon, he might have to force it out of him. He missed the Aegis he knew, the one who’d level with his sarcasm and share his worries and be a nice confidant.
“What, no rebuttal?” Teldryn tried, crossing his arms and stopping in his tracks. “You’re not usually like this. Why are you acting like this?”
Aegis avoided eye contact, regret showing on his face. He continued walking ahead and soon Teldryn huffed and followed behind in uncomfortable silence; soon Teldryn took the lead and Aegis seemed to be trailing behind the Dunmer like a hurt nix-pup. Teldryn clenched his fists at the thought that this was the Mer his feelings had decided he fancied, the one he’d come to know so intimately but not close enough, not in the way he wanted.
Raven Rock was finally appearing in the distance when Aegis finally spoke up. The Altmer suddenly stopped walking, a hand pushing back his messy brown self-cut bangs as he called out to Teldryn still walking ahead.
“First of all... I’m sorry for my childish behavior. There’s been something on my mind for awhile, and I really don’t know how to deal with it.”
“If you don’t enjoy my company anymore, just say so.” Teldryn was ready to accept it. He’d been losing sleep over the idea of Aegis no longer needing him, but if it was what made the Altmer happy, he’d be content.
“That’s not it.” Aegis’s words made Teldryn stopped in his tracks, turning on his heels in the grey sands. He crossed his arms, guarded. Aegis walked towards Teldryn until he was inches from him, their chests almost flush together. He towered over the Dunmer. The sudden closeness made Teldryn blush. They’d been like this before, in bed, it shouldn’t be an unusual feeling, and yet...
Aegis was looking anywhere but at Teldryn. The Dunmer swore he saw the taller Mer’s face flush as he brought a hand up to scratch the back of his head, the other adjusting his bag over his shoulder.
Teldryn couldn’t take it anymore. If they stayed this close together for any longer, he might just lose himself and kiss Aegis on his stupid lips that looked so damn soft.
Aegis opened his mouth like he was about to say something, but out of nowhere a dragon flew overhead, breathing its fire deathly close to the two Mer. The mage and spellsword were forced apart, Teldryn brandishing his sword and summoning a fire atronach. Aegis started shooting lightning bolts at the dragon, shouting commands to Teldryn that he didn’t hear.
Thank Azura this dragon got us out of that awkward conversation, Teldryn thought to himself.
“You idiot!” Teldryn stomped over to the bloodied Aegis, laying pathetically on the shore. “You could have died! You’re supposed to stay behind me!”
Aegis had gotten a bit reckless with defeating the dragon; he got within biting-distance of it every time it landed and seemed to not cast his wards in favor of going all out offense with his lightning spells. That was Teldryn’s job, to hack and slash at the dragon while Aegis stayed at a distance and offered healing support; what was he thinking?! Was he trying to prove to Teldryn that he didn't need him anymore...?
After the dragon’s defeat and Aegis had absorbed its soul, he collapsed in a pool of his own blood. The Altmer had probably exhausted his magicka pool and couldn’t heal himself.
The spellsword straddled the Altmer, leaning down and grabbing his face roughly. Teldryn cast his best restoration spell and focused it on Aegis’s wounds, trying to clean up the blood sticking to his bronze beard.
“Teldryn...” Aegis rasped, a smile creeping along his face. The bastard’s audacity! Did he think this was funny?
“I thought I’d lost you,” Teldryn continued, “I thought it had finally happened. I—“
Aegis lifted a weak hand to wipe at Teldryn’s tears he didn’t know he had shed. Horrified, he tried to pick himself off the Altmer, but Aegis held him in place with his other hand. Teldryn was fully capable of getting up; both of them knew that. So why didn’t he?
Aegis cast a healing spell on himself, aiding the process of Teldryn’s own spell, the cuts and blood covering his face disappearing. Why had Teldryn acted like that? Panicked, Teldryn kept berating Aegis:
“You s’wit, you think you’re so tough, you think you can never get hurt or lose or—“
“Why do you care so much?” Aegis asked.
“Because I love you!”
The two Mer froze in place, processing what Teldryn had just said. Aegis’s emerald eyes widened, Teldryn staring into them and seeing the universe.
Teldryn slowly dropped his hand that was healing Aegis’s face, resting his hands instead on the mage’s chest. Aegis slowly brought a hand up, cupping Teldryn’s face.
“There’s... no way...” Aegis whispered in disbelief.
This was too much. Too soon. Teldryn’s head was spinning.
As a last ditch effort, Teldryn tried, “Ha, just another one of my jokes, I don’t actually—“
“I love you too.”
Teldryn gasped, disbelieving; so Aegis wasn’t being distant because he didn’t like Teldryn, but the complete opposite? How did... how did he not realize that?
How had he been so stupid?
Teldryn tried to suppress the heat that was climbing up his neck. His tears threatened to fall again.
“What do you mean?” The Dunmer whispered, voice clear in the mid afternoon wind. “This whole time, I... we’ve had mutual feelings of love...?”
Aegis moved his hands to the mercenary’s back, encouraging him to lean in closer. His eyes looked suspiciously at Tel’s lips.
The mage chuckled, “I think we both know what that means, Teldryn.”
With the waters of the ashy shore as their witness, brunette locks met charcoal ones as the two Mer’s lips came together, at last. At first it was shy, the two barely pecking each other on the lips. Soon Teldryn became addicted to the feeling— Aegis’s lips were so so soft and perfect— and evidently so was Aegis.
They’d kissed multiple times already, but this one felt brand new and like a thousand doves had been freed from Teldryn’s heart, his heart that had been aching for this moment, the moment he got to kiss Aegis deeply and mean it.
They deepened the kiss, tongues clashing over one another greedily. Aegis was pulling Teldryn closer into him, not seeming to mind his chitin armor poking at him. Teldryn had put his hands in Aegis’s hair, ruffling it up like he always did, but this time with true love.
They finally parted for more than a second, both breathing heavily.
“Why didn’t you just tell me you fancied me, s’wit?” Teldryn said, trying to sound annoyed but failing. “I thought you knew of my feelings, and hated me for it.”
Aegis laughed, pulling Teldryn to rest his head in the crook of his neck. “Oh Teldryn, you’ve always been a worrier. I can’t believe I fancy you.”
The two got up, wiping the dirt and ash off themselves.
“So we’re really boyfriends now....” Teldryn said, smirking. “I can call you annoyingly affectionate pet names.”
Aegis returned the smirk, leaning down to kiss Teldryn tenderly again. He said after they pulled back, “I should have done this the first time I saw you in the Retching Netch. I fell in love with you the moment you said your stupid name.”
Teldryn playfully punched Aegis’s shoulder. They teased and quipped before finally gathering themselves and continuing towards Raven Rock, but now hand-in-hand and the happiest they’d both ever been in their lives.