[ He will indulge. He hums in delight as he lets his fingers trail, greedily touching against scars, over and around muscles. Oh he can't stop himself either, he leans forward and drags his tongue up along the middle of his pecs, eyes flicking upwards after. ]
[it's not hard to guess where Cacao is, considering Affogato knew him best during his darkest years. He was either in his den working himself to death or in bed, rotting.
[He shivers with that tongue on his chest. Of course his dear advisor would be clever with his mouth.
he can't wait to find out how clever indeed.]
Far too long, apparently. If you are this hungry.
[As nice as the adoration of his chest is though, it's past time for him to make his own appreciation known, now that Affogato's robe is open. So he leans in, nosing his way to his throat to mouth there]
[ Rotting indeed. He stops at the doorway when he peeks in and spots him, then sighs gently and steps in. His bundle gets set down as he moves over to his King. His lover. He kneels onto the bed and gently lays himself on the lump of him, his hand coming up to stroke his hair, his voice soft. ]
Have you slept, or is your grief too much?
[ Frankly, he likes Truthless. The man is no longer such saccharin sweetness that even Affogato can't stomach him, and it's sort of fascinating to see those eyes burn right into you and through you.
[ He's about to dig his teeth into the meat one of when Cacao leans in instead and he shudders a little to the touch, tilting his head back for the touch to his throat. He slides his hands up to Cacao's shoulders, squeezing and rubbing gently as he explores. Any scales he finds are met with delight, scratched at so Cacao can feel him there, as he brings his knee up along side his hip. To dig his feet into clothes at his waist and begin to push, using his toes to hook where he can.
There is no inch of Cacao allowed to escape him. ]
All the way. I want to taste you.
[a...proximtely valentines day? time is fake in the grove.]
( white lily cookie's been quiet, since the incident at the clinic. they've both been quiet, and the house feels emptier and emptier by the day. but when its safe to go out, she still makes a decision-
when she comes back inside, closing the door behind her, lily pauses like she's trying to figure out what to say when she sees cacao... but words fail her, initially, so she instead just shows him what she went out for. groceries, a dark bottle of plum wine, and a new blanket. )
If... If I'm right, it's almost Valentine's day... I understand if you don't want to do anything. But I thought maybe a little treat might be nice regardless...
[Hearing someone come in and crawl into the bed, he assumed it would be Lily. At his best he would be able to tell the difference in their footfalls in an instant. Now he does not.
He hates himself for the thought, but he had expected Affogato to stay away. To find the grief soaking the house distasteful for a man he didn't seem to really like. But he is glad to feel him, hear him.]
[ And as Cacao strips, Affogato's look is predatory. Uncurling his tail from around the other so he can move, and he watches inch by inch of skin come into view.
And oh, his mouth waters. There is only two people he would give himself truly to and one of them is right here. ]
Maybe. But snow is starting to melt, and isn't that around the time...?
I brought some things for dinner.
( steak, for mr warrior king! and sides, of course. heimr insisted it'd all pair well with the wine, and he sent his love (in a note for cacao to read privately) and they can at least get a nice night in with everything.
she lets him take some of the bundles, sliding her shoes off to head further in. )
[ That response makes him frown. He gently presses a kiss to Cacao's ear then sits himself up again. ]
Then I am glad I arrived when I did. I will not let you suffer.
[ He moves off the bed again to grab his bundle and unwrap it, beginning to lay things out. It is not the first time he has drugged Cacao into sleep, but this one he has to make sure is dreamless, so the grief doesn't follow the King down. ]
... He will come back.
[ He dislikes Pure Vanilla but if it makes Cacao happy then so be it. ]
[Into the kitchen they go, and Cacao sees the note as he paws through the goods, tucking it away for later- and reminding himself he should go visit. Before now the idea of discussing what happened to their friend hurt too much. But he owes it to him.]
I am... well enough. I took some time to write.
[Nearly all of it trashed, but the attempt was therapeutic, he finds. He's always found it easier to write his thoughts over speaking]
( she hopes it did. she hopes it brought him any sort of peace, let him work through what he's been carrying for weeks now.
the blanket will be placed far from the food, at least.
tucked into the paper-wrapped meat- tuna!- is a recipe card, because lily is not actually good at improvising in cooking if she tries for others... she gets performance anxiety. if cacao snoops, it's for grilled tuna with a side of seared vegetables- simple but filling and fresh. )
( before she starts any preparations, lily sets everything down in full and pulls cacao down, closer to her, close enough to hold and press a kiss to his forehead. )
[he doesn't answer, but he does roll over to watch him work. He wants to believe that. Lily did, in a way, after all. Even after being rebaked. But could that happen again? Would Truthless even want that? Distant as they have become, he is still his husband. ]
( something about that hits her oddly- like she's finally close enough to the brink to realize that she doesn't know how to do as he asks.
pure vanilla helped her studies, as did others over time, but she never relied on them. with their friends as adventurers, things were different, but also not.
...
after a moment, lily just leans into him, one arm wrapped around him as best she can. )
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