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Wanderer’s eyes slowly opened as he gained consciousness, returning to the world after a night of peaceful sleep. The first thing he could make out was the already lively hustle and bustle of Sumeru city. The first thing he was met with was the wall. Turning around, his gaze fell upon the man laying right next to him, still asleep and slightly drooling on a pillow. Wanderer felt like he should feel disgusted about it, but there was this part of him that could not bear to tolerate such a feeling when Sethos was so unaware of his state, and with his whole guard lowered as he slumbered away. The blanket was pushed down to his middle, exposing his bare upper body, and his face was planted comfortably into the pillow, as if the pillow was swallowing him up. His hair was messy, curls everywhere and nowhere, all tangled up. It was going to take a lot of brushing to tame it, if it was even possible to tame that unruly hair in the first place.
He looked so at ease, it drew Wanderer in. It’s far from the first time that he wakes up to this sight, but it sometimes still feels like it’s the first time. He feels fulfilled, content. At ease, as if he’s meant to be here. He knows he’s not supposed to be here. Someone else is supposed to be laying in his place, but for some reason, it’s him. For some reason, he’d captured all of Sethos’ attention, all of his love, care, and everything Wanderer thought he was undeserving of, especially coming from a person like Sethos. But he hogged it all, snatched it from potential other people’s grasps and possessively kept it to himself until he took more than he’s allowed to. To him, that is. But he does not complain. He does not feel selfish anymore, and he accepts whatever Sethos throws at him, because there’s no way for him to swat it away before it can reach him.
The way the sun shines through the one window in the room and lights up Sethos’ face with the shadow of leaves moving animatedly over his features… It makes Wanderer feel like he could lay here for millenia and not get bored.
He’s heard people talk about ‘home’ before. People refer to their living quarters as their home, because it’s where they return to at the end of every day, it’s where they get to be themselves with no filter, and it’s a place of solitude for a person, a place they’re the most comfortable. Others referred to beings as their home, either a person or an animal. Wanderer did not understand that for most of his life. He’s never really had a home. Sure, a long time was spent within the Fatui, but he wouldn’t call that his ‘home’, even if it was all that he had a few years ago. In not a single world, would he refer to even a singular sliver in that place as his ‘home’. The Zapolyarny Palace has never felt like a place where he could be himself, or where he could be comfortable. The same counted for whatever other base he’s ever had. Going to before his time as a Harbinger, he could recon he probably had a ‘home’ then, but he can’t even think about what that could’ve been. All that comes up when he thinks of those times are sorrow and grief. No comfort, no solace. When he first started out his new life in Sumeru, nothing felt like home, either. Nahida had tried so hard to give him comfort, space, anything that’d help him settle in, but he stayed wary for a long time. He got accustomed to the Sanctuary or Surasthana slowly, and he got used to Nahida’s kindness, but still, it never quite felt like something he’d call ‘home’, even if Nahida was there. Even making acquaintances in Sumeru didn’t feel anything like what people describe when they say ‘home’. He found meeting new people tiring, sometimes even annoying depending on the person’s persistence. When he first spoke to Sethos, he never thought he’d find comfort in him. He’d spoken to him as a tease, maybe even a taunt, and he hadn’t anticipated the way that escalated.
Looking at Sethos’ resting face, feeling the contentment in his core… perhaps this is what people call ‘home’. Wanderer’s always welcome in Sethos’ house, whether the man is there too or not. Wanderer does not feel out of place here. Sethos always encourages him to express himself, share his opinions on things, share random stories, anything. He encourages him to be himself. Whether it’s a tired, overstimulated and annoyed, or a calm, patient puppet that he greets, Sethos never tries to change him. He accepts him with open arms. Said arms also embrace him in a warmth Wanderer never knew he needed in his life. It’s a different warmth than what Nahida gives. It’s more intimate, it feels tighter and more pressing, but not in a bad sense. It feels more grounding.
Every piece in Sethos’ house screams the brunette’s name, and it’s comforting. Every time Wanderer visits and he zeroes in on the fact that he’s surrounded by the man, he feels a sense of comfort. But that’s not because of the house itself, it’s because of its owner.
Still staring at that sleeping face, Wanderer considers the thought of calling Sethos his ‘home’, and strangely enough, it doesn’t feel wrong. It feels like one of the most right decisions he’ll ever make in his life, even.
He reaches a hand towards a strand of hair that had fallen over Sethos’ face, and gently tucks it behind his ear. He watches as that seems to wake him up.
“Mornin’...” Sethos murmured, still half knocked out, but turning to lay on his back and rub his eyes. He hears a hum escape Wanderer’s mouth, and turns back to him. He smiles that damn smile that could kill a person (Wanderer, to be specific), and leans in to give the other a brief kiss on his lips before he sits up. “I’m surprised you didn’t prepare for classes yet.”
Oh, right. Did he really get so distracted that he forgot that he has a life outside of the moments he spends with Sethos?
Sethos laughed softly as he watched how realisation settled into his boyfriend. “Wow. Where would you be without me?”
Nowhere.
“Get dressed, I’ll make you breakfast,” Sethos gave him one more kiss before hopping out of bed and stretching the sleep from his body. “Oh, and don’t forget that you wanted to go with me to the Temple of Silence after you’re done with your classes. If you don’t want to anymore though, just let me know.”
Wanderer watched as the other left the room. He sighed, letting himself relax against the bed. He really didn’t want to go to class…
But he’ll no doubt be picking me up later today.
He’s not looking forward to the classes. The only thing he’s looking forward to is the goodbye kiss he’ll get right before he leaves for the Akademiya, and the fact that Sethos will be waiting for him just outside of the Akademiya when his last class ends. He’s only looking forward to seeing his boyfriend again after a couple of hours of separation.