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The key made a quiet metallic click in the door when it unlocked it, the sound drawing the blond to look up from his book, blue eyes hopeful.
Leo eased the door shut behind him and was about to let out a quiet sigh, relieved that he hadn't woken anyone when a book snapped crisply shut and he snapped his head up, two sets of blue eyes meeting.
"Leo?" Kalceran asked, voice tentative, verging on hopeful as he set aside his book and got up from his spot curled up on the window seat. Leo startled slightly at his fiancé's voice, reality finally, pleasantly washing over him as he set down his bag beside the door. "Kal?".
Kal drew in a sharp but relieved breath, a wide smile breaking out over his face like the first ray of sun after a long frigid winter, tears spilling over dimpled cheeks as he rushed over to his fiancé. The brunet swept his fiancé up in his arms when Kal reached him, hugging him tight as Leo buried his face in the crook of Kal's neck.
Leo's freckled cheeks bloomed with dimples, long lashes clumping with tears of pure joy as storm-blue eyes crinkled at the corners. Kal clutched Leo close, laughter bubbling up his throat even as tears continued to stream.
"You're alive." Kal said, voice slightly breathless as his nails dug into the back of Leo's shirt. "Oh, thank the Gods.". "I'm alive." Leo agreed, pulling away and drinking in his fiancé's face with worshipful eyes. "You're real.". "I'm real." Kal said, reaching up one hand to cup the brunet's cheek and stroking his thumb along Leo's cheekbone, tears wet and warm against his skin.
Leo nuzzled into Kal's hand as if starved for touch, tilting his head to kiss the blond's palm and sighing against the skin, uncalloused and as soft as silk. Kal allowed his fiancé to cuddle into his hand for a moment longer before untangling himself from Leo and patting his hands over the brunet's torso and arms. "You're in one piece?".
"Mostly." Leo agreed, hastening to add after the sharp but worried look Kal gave him, "I'm definitely missing some blood and skin but other than that I'm fine.". Kal let out a relieved sigh and leaned his forehead against Leo's shoulder as if he needed something to brace himself against. "I was so worried about you. I'm so glad you're alright.".
"I'm alright." Leocoril agreed, hugging his fiancé closer and pressing a kiss to the top of lavender-scented hair.
And he was, at least for the most part.
Kal melted into the embrace, breath warm against Leo's neck as he wrapped his arms around the brunet's waist and hugged him tight.
After a long moment of listening to each other's breathing, Kal broke the silence with a breathy little laugh of, "You're surprisingly clean.". Leo laughed as well though it was slightly sheepish, the sound warm and filling up Kal's chest like a hot drink on a cold day. "I took a bath before coming up here.".
Kal nuzzled his nose against his fiancé's neck and chuckled warmly, voice sweet as he said, "You used the same soap I do.". "It smells nice." Leo said, which it did though he would've used it even if he didn't like how it smelled.
Kalceran pulled away from the hug and cupped Leo's face in both hands, nuzzling their noses together as he asked, "Are you tired?". "Are you?" Leo asked, fidgeting with the wisps of hair at the base of Kal's neck that had escaped the loose bun he had it pulled up in for the evening.
Kal chuckled softly and bumped his nose to his fiancé's like a friendly cat. "We're talking about you, Love.".
"I could stay up longer." Leo answered, cheeks flushing at the pet name; he had missed it, missed everything about Kal really. "I'm going to read a little longer. Would you like to sit with me?" Kal asked, stroking his thumbs along Leo's cheeks. "I could read to you if you want.".
"That sounds nice." Leo agreed, resting his forehead against his fiancé's with a small content noise. "I just wanna change first. My clothes are so gross.". Kal let out a bright laugh, the sound music to Leo's ears. "I bet they are.".
They lingered like that for a moment longer before Leo looped an arm around Kal's waist and cradled his fiancé's cheek in his other hand with a soft murmur of, "Can I?". Kalceran let out a soft sigh, nodding. "Always.".
The brunet's body melted the moment heart-shaped lips met his, the kiss gentle and openmouthed, tense muscles finally fully relaxing and furrowed brow softening.
"I missed you." Leo said against Kal's lips when they parted, feeling the blond's warm breath pant against his skin. "So much.". Kal let out a breathy chuckle and pressed a chaste kiss to the corner of Leo's mouth. "I missed you too. I'm so happy you're home.".
Home? Yeah, Leo supposed this was his home now. Huh, he hadn't had somewhere that felt like home in years, it was nice.
"I'm happy I'm home too." Leo said, indulging himself in one last peck to coral-pink lips before untangling himself from his fiancé. "I'm gonna go change real quick." Leo added, fishing the small grey mouse from the pouch at his hip with a gentle hand. "Can you take Toby?".
"Mhm, of course." Kal agreed, accepting Toby into his cupped hands and giving the sleeping rodent a gentle kiss on the head.
While his fiancé got undressed, Kalceran brought Toby over to the bed and gently laid him down on the little pillow on Leo's side of the bed -which also happened to be the side Kal had been sleeping on for the past month.
"Hey, Kal?" Leo asked just as Kal finished laying Toby down, drawing bluebell eyes over to him. "Can you help me with my wrappings please?". Cornsilk eyebrows raised with pleasant surprise, Kal's lips quirking up in a smile as he got up from the bed and walked over to where his fiancé stood. "Of course, Treasure.".
The brunet flinched at the first touch of warm hands on his back, quickly followed by a shiver when Kal began to unwind the thick cloth. "Are you alright?" Kal asked, voice gentle as his hands stilled for a second.
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." Leo answered. "I'm just not used to someone else doing this for me.".
Or rather he was, just under different circumstances and by the last person in the world Leo would ever compare Kal to.
Kal pressed a kiss to the back of Leo's neck, prompting yet another shiver of an entirely different kind. "Am I doing this right?". "Yep," Leo said, he was actually doing surprisingly well for Leo having never asked him to do this before. "As good as I can.".
"All done." Kal said a moment later, passing three coils of bandages to his fiancé. "You know, your wrappings are pretty old. Do they still work as well?". "I think they're fine." Leo said with a small shrug, tossing the wrappings over to the vanity and pulling a shirt on over his head. "They've been old for a while and I'm still alive.".
Kal's brow furrowed slightly at that, though he didn't say anything, simply returning to the window seat and laying his head on his knees to watch his fiancé finish up getting ready for bed.
"That one's new." Kal said when Leo took a seat next to him, the two facing each other. The blond reached over and brushed his fingers over a small fresh scar on the join between Leo's neck and his shoulder. "And there's another one on your back and one on your shoulder.".
Leo rubbed the new scar on his shoulder through his shirt. "Oh yeah. Sorry about that.". Kalceran smiled softly, tapping Leo's nose and leaning in to kiss the scar over the brunet's nose. "Don't apologize, I like your scars. However, I do distinctly remember telling a certain someone to be careful when he left.".
Leo laughed sheepishly, eyes crinkling up from his smile. "I tried my best.". Kal folded his legs beneath himself and cupped Leo's cheek in his hand, watching as the brunet's nuzzled into it like a friendly stray. The blond's voice was warm when he spoke, bluebell eyes curving up into happy crescents. "That's all I'm asking.".
The two sat in comfortable silence for a long moment, simply relishing in the other's continued existence before Leo kissed the palm of Kal's hand and asked, "How do you want me to lay while you read?".
Kal tapped his fiancé's nose again and smiled. "However you'd like.".
Having been given permission -that according to Kal, he really didn't need-, Leo laid down, stretching his long legs out and resting his head on his fiancé's soft lap. "Comfortable?" Kal asked, settling back against his pillows and picking his book back up to search for the page he lost due to his sheer excitement.
Leocoril pressed his cheek against Kal's thigh and nodded. "Very.". Kal smiled and reached down to stroke his fingers through loose chocolate curls. "I'm glad.".
"Which book is that?" Leo asked, eyes drooping slightly as he fought back a yawn. "I've read it to you before." Kal said, massaging his fingers against the brunet's scalp which prompted a pleased noise from his fiancé. "Tell me if you recognize it after a couple lines. If you don't, I'll tell you.".
"Alright." Leo agreed, eyes finally fluttering shut; he definitely wasn't going to last long enough to tell Kal what book he thought it was, but he could try. "And, Leo?" Kal said, honey-sweet voice curling around his words as he combed Leo's bangs out of his eyes. "I love you.".
"Love you too..." Leo mumbled, voice already beginning to thicken with sleep, he was extremely comfy.
Leo settled in more comfortably and let out a pleased sigh when Kal stroked over his temple in slow gentle sweeps, already beginning to drift off when Kal began to read.
It was nice to be home.