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Kneeling beside the tub Eris gently moves the sponge, drenched in luke-warm water, down his mate’s wounded chest. He is careful not to touch the shredded skin too much, but he has to clean them out as well so he can’t fully avoid them either.
Azriel’s arms rest in the water, letting his tense muscles soak and ease, his head is tipped back, resting on the edge of the tub, lips parted.
Eris moves the sponge over the edges of a very nasty gash, always careful, but with wounds like these you can never be careful enough.
Azriel’s face contorts with a grimace, before he clenches his jaw to hold back from crying out.
“I am sorry, my love,” Eris whispers, his own heart squeezing when he feels his mate’s pain through the bond. “But I need to clear the wounds of the dirt and the puss, it will get infected otherwise.”
“Don’t apologise,” Azriel breathes, a muscle feathering in his jaw.
What Eris is doing for him…he has no words for it. No one has ever done that for him. When returning home from a mission he always used to be alone, cleaning his own wounds and processing everything that has happened on his mission.
Not anymore.
Now he has a mate. A mate who worries and cares more than anyone else has ever done before. A mate who helps him bathe, cooks food for him, massages his sore muscles and wings and who holds him throughout the whole night, whispering words of love and comfort, trying to soothe all the tension within him. And when the cold from deep within him threatens to spill all throughout his body, his mate keeps him warm.
Azriel can barely articulate how grateful he is for Eris and how much he loves him. He has always been more of the physical type and so he is happy with showing Eris how much he means to him through his actions rather than his words – squeezing his hand, kissing his forehead, pulling him close to his body, making tender love to him throughout the whole night…
Eris runs the sponge down his mate‘s chest once more before placing it on the edge of the tub. Rolling back his shoulders, he also cranes his neck, then lifts his hand to brush back a few strands of hair that have fallen into Azriel’s face.
“I should be so mad at you and give you the silent treatment for at least two weeks.” Tenderly, Eris lets two fingers trail down the side of his lover‘s face, collecting a few stray droplets of water.
Azriel can’t help but chuckle. He lifts his head, glimpsing at his mate through one eye. “And why is that?”
“For putting yourself in so much danger!” Eris throws one arm up in despair, frowning at his mate. “You could be dead, Azriel. Or wounded much worse, or—”
“But I am not!” As quick as a shadow, Azriel grasps Eris‘ hand, and brings it to his lips, softly kissing his mate‘s palm. “I have looked worse, trust me.”
“That isn’t really a relief, you know?” Eris grumbles, fighting the urge to roll his eyes.
“Join me in the water?”
“You‘re just trying to change the topic.”
“Maybe.”
“Impossible.” Despite his little displeasure about his mate’s nonchalance concerning his wounds, Eris rises from the floor a second later, stripping out of his shoes first, then his trousers and lastly his shirt.
Azriel watches him all the while, silently admiring and devouring his mate with his eyes. The corners of his lips kick up and he closes his eyes, a breathy chuckle leaving him. “I think I will never grow tired of seeing you like this, naked and stunning. Delicious.” Azriel slides forward, making room for his mate behind him.
“Still trying to change the topic and distract me.” Eris lifts one foot over the edge of the tub perfectly accommodated for wings, then the second and slowly sinks into warm water. “And now trying to seduce me with your words, Shadowsinger .”
“But it works so well, doesn’t it?”
This time Eris chuckles, sitting back on his heels while picking up the sponge again. “Spread your wings.”
Azriel hums in response and it edges on a moan. He leans over the tub wall, bending at the waist and then unfolds his wings, following Eris' order and letting his mate finish attending to his wounds.
“Gods,” Azriel sighs, resting his chin on his hand, feeling how he gets hard only from his mate’s subtle caress on his wings. They won’t end up fucking this night, that is for sure. Azriel is way too tired and exhausted, and his body a little too wounded, for it — Eris would never allow them to go beyond kissing or worse doing something that causes Azriel more pain.
But teasing? Even if they don’t end up tangled up in the sheets together, teasing is always on Eris‘ agenda. And so is making his mate feel good, in the best possible way.
“You want to talk about your mission?” Eris asks, carefully, running the cloth up the juncture of Azriel’s right wing and then over the soft membrane.
“Not yet.” Azriel often needs time to process everything he has seen and Eris accepts this — of course he does.
“Good,” Eris hums, now moving on to the second wing. “The hounds missed you, always barking and whining, hoping you‘ll return soon.”
“They are almost as bad as their owner.” A soft chuckle slips through Azriel’s dry lips, which is rapidly cut off when Eris flicks his ear. He yelps a little in response – a very dramatic reaction to the barely-there pain..
“They just want you at home where you are safe.” Eris places the cloth on the edge of the tub and sits back with a heavy sigh. “I fucking hate seeing you hurt.”
“I know,” Azriel answers, voice tinged with remorse. “I’ll try to be more careful.” He changes his position, sitting back down in the water, flaring his wings and leaning back against the tub wall.
Opening his arms, he invites Eris into his embrace, “Come here.”
Eris follows, happily seeking comfort in his mate’s strong arms. He snuggles up against Azriel, who rests his chin atop his head and folds his arms over the base of his throat. “I would never do something reckless that could really hurt me, or at least I’m not doing those kinds of things anymore.”
Eris doesn’t say anything, only listens.
“I have a reason to return now. I have a person to come back home to. I have someone waiting for me. And I have someone I want to see again, someone whose smile I want to see again, someone whose laughter I want to hear again, someone who I want to kiss and hold again.” Azriel’s chest lifts with a deep inhale, pushing against Eris’ back.
“I have a mate and I have a home, I would never risk not seeing this ever again..” His lips kiss the top of the High Lord’s head who shudders in his embrace.
“I love you, Eris,” he whispers, and some small tears roll down his cheeks. “More than I could ever put into words.”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Eris crouches down in front of Azriel with a smirk on his lips. “You enjoy this too much, my love.”
They stayed in the bath for as long as possible — Eris used his firepowers to keep the water enjoyably warm— but at some point they had to leave. Namely when Azriel’s stomach started to growl and Eris went into full mother-hen mode — his mate needed to eat and that immediately.
“I do,” Azriel hums, “because most of the time this position leads to other things.” A grin splits his lips and Eris shakes his head with a dramatic huff.
“They gave me the horniest mate of all of them, didn’t they?” he says in an amused voice.
Azriel only shrugs, having to snigger slightly. Maybe they did. But with a mate like Eris it is hard to not be aroused half of the time.
“I don’t think you don’t like it.”
“My mate being constantly horny?” Eris deliciously slowly slides the towel up Azriel’s inner thigh.
“Mhm.” The shadowsinger’s eyes travel to Eris’ chest, following a few droplets of water that slowly make their way down to where his towel is wrapped around his waist. His lids grow heavy, and he knows Eris can scent his arousal, but that is alright. He is his mate, and he should know just how much he desires him. Every minute of the day.
Azriel’s breath catches, and then he swallows thickly. Eris moves his towel-clothed hand down Azriel’s other leg, his other hand holding onto his mate’s hip for support. He knows exactly what he is doing and it drives Azriel’s almost insane. “Tease,” he murmurs, his tone edging on a growl.
Eris chuckles deeply, and then flashes his mate a big grin. He can feel how the shadowsinger‘s body reacts, tensing in response to his actions. Azriel’s cock starts to throb with desire, feeling heavier at the touch of his mate’s hands on his skin, and the position they find themselves in.
The bond is still new, the frenzy still strong, their need for each other so very strong. But not tonight. Tonight is all about closeness, holding each other, maybe cuddling naked, but no love making. And definitely no fucking.
When both Azriel’s strong and muscular legs are dry, Eris starts to tend to the rest of his mate’s sculpted body. His lower abdomen, his marvellous chest, his arms and of course his hands which he pays extra attention to. Lastly, he rubs the towel over Azriel’s head and kisses his lips. “Let’s eat, my love.”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Only one step out into the corridor, Azriel is met with the hounds. All twelve of them, happily barking and trying to press their damp snouts against him, sniffing him and licking him.
Azriel’s greets all of them, tumbling back and forth from the impact of them pressing against him. It takes him quite a while to get free of them, allowing them to follow him into the dining room where he will give them a few treats (much to their owner’s dismay who always says Azriel spoils them).
Soft candle light flickers on the table, accompanied by some scones on the wall, otherwise the room is dark. But it isn’t an uncomfortable darkness — it is soothing, and peaceful and Azriel knows he is not alone. He is with his mate, and their precious pets, so he hums in delight.
The High Lord approaches him with a plate — only one as it is already late and Eris has undoubtedly already had dinner not knowing his mate would arrive back home this evening.
“Here you go.” Eris' gesture is so simple, only a little peck to the top of his head but Azriel’s heart almost burst out of his chest due to it.
Before Eris can move away from him, the spymaster quickly reaches out, wrapping both strong arms around his mate’s torso and pulling him so close that he can bury his face in Eris‘ solid belly.
“I love you,” Azriel mumbles, the sound muffled due to his mouth being pressed against part of Eris fluffy bathrobe and his bare skin.
“I love you.” Eris‘ gently lets his hand slide into Azriel’s soft hair, massaging his scalp in a light caress. They stay like this for a while — until Azriel’s stomach decides to make himself known once again.
This time Eris is quick enough. He moves away rapidly when he hears the growling noise of his mate’s stomach, not liking it a bit. “Eat now!”
>>>>>>>>>>>>
The moment Azriel appears in their shared chamber the bed is already waiting for him, inviting him into its soft embrace. The sheets whisper when he slides beneath them and his eyelids grow heavy, closing and staying closed for a bit. Until he feels the bed dip beside him.
“I missed you,” he mumbles, shifting so that he can lie half-atop his mate.
Eris wraps both arms around Azriel, holding him tight and close, the fingers of one hand gently scratch the back of Azriel’s head, with his other hand Eris‘ tenderly caresses the shadowsinger‘s back. “I missed you.”
Turning his head a little, Azriel pecks Eris' chest, humming lowly when he does so. Then he nuzzles his face into his mate’s warm skin and the fine dusting of hair, exhaling a long and deep sigh.
“You need to work tomorrow, or do we have time for each other?”
The hand in Azriel’s hair pauses and his soft chuckle makes his chest vibrate against Azriel’s face. “I am the High Lord, my love,” Eris says, “and if my mate tells me he wants me all for himself, I simply decide that I have no work to do and stay with him instead.”