At night, before sleeping, Caelum said, "Do not think you will hurt me if the poison acts up. You need to live." He sighed as he laid on the bed. "I still do not know how you made me forget that lecture I had prepared for you."
Elias smiled as he turned to face Caelum, who was already turned towards him. "It is an art I have learned," he said.
Caelum smiled, a soft curve on his lips, and closed his eyes.
It was close to midnight when Caelum woke to sharp, desperate gasps escaping Elias. A sudden fear gripped his chest.
"I told you not to care about hurting me," he said, his voice a low, urgent murmur as he threw his own blanket away and hurried to Elias' bed. He quickly pulled off his own clothes and then gently helped Elias take his off as well.
"It just started," Elias groaned, the sound raw with suppressed pain. Despite the intense heat building inside him, he managed a small, pained smile. "I was about to wake you," he said, letting Caelum continue to help him with the oppressive layers of clothing.
Caelum repositioned them on the bed, his movements precise and purposeful, getting himself into a comfortable position. "Do it," he commanded, his eyes meeting Elias' with a firm, unwavering gaze.
Elias shook his head, a sheen of sweat already covering his skin. "I was stubborn yesterday. I did not know what you would do after you woke up," he confessed, his voice tight. "I do not want to hurt you, so maybe a finger or two to help you loosen up will not hurt me," he said, his expression gentle as he carefully inserted one finger inside Caelum, ensuring he caused no pain.
Caelum sighed inwardly, a mixture of exasperation and affection stirring within him. 'This kid!' he thought.
"One minute left," Caelum said aloud, calculating the dwindling time in his mind with an intense focus.
Elias groaned again, the physical discomfort evident in his strained features. "Just a little more time and I would not hurt you," he pleaded, his breathing quickening.
"Do it," Caelum repeated, his tone now quite stern and leaving no room for argument. "And you will be getting a lecture come morning," he added, a hint of a warning in his voice.
Elias laughed, the sound shaky but genuine, before he slowly and deliberately pushed himself into Caelum. "Okay?" he asked, his eyes searching Caelum's face for reassurance.
"Yes," Caelum replied, letting out a deep breath as he adjusted to the feeling. "A lot better than yesterday," he admitted. He looked up at Elias, a more serious question on his mind. "Will it drain your life force now?" he asked.
Elias shook his head, a dark lock of hair falling over his forehead. "No," he said. "Once I am inside another person, it does not," he explained, his body already beginning its slow, rhythmic movements.
"How does, ngh, that work?" Caelum asked, his voice catching slightly with the building sensations. He wrapped his arms around Elias' neck and gently began to run his hands through the soft strands of his hair.
"I do not know," Elias murmured, his movements slow and measured, focused on Caelum's comfort. "All I know is that when I am inside someone when the five minute timer finishes, I do not need to worry about my life force being drained."
Caelum nodded, absorbing the information. "Should I, ngh, try to pass, ngh, some healing magic, ngh, into you and see, ngh, if there is any effect, ngh, of the magic on you?" he asked, his words interspersed with small, involuntary gasps.
"Can you?" Elias asked, momentarily pausing his movements to gauge Caelum's condition. "I know you are not bleeding like yesterday, but I have not stretched you enough for you to not feel the pain," he said, his brow furrowed with concern.
Caelum smiled, a genuine, warm expression. He focused his inner energy and passed his healing magic into Elias through the connection of his hands in his hair. "Feel, ngh, any difference?" he asked expectantly.
Elias kept moving, maintaining their connection, but he concentrated on sensing his own body and his magic. A look of surprise crossed his face. "My body is not feeling the usual heat," he reported, a deep breath escaping his lips. "And my magic is a lot calmer," he added, his voice clearer.
Caelum nodded, a sense of quiet triumph settling over him. "That, ngh, would mean that our, ngh, magic is compatible," he concluded. A playful idea sparked in his mind. "Shall we team, ngh, up even in the, ngh, magical classes?" he asked.
"The theory classes about magical control?" Elias asked, a wide, genuine smile spreading across his face.
Caelum nodded. "It might not look, ngh, like an ideal pairing, ngh, but I know, ngh, your ice power, ngh, it freezes you when, ngh, you use it. I can, ngh, help you keep using it, ngh, for longer with my healing," he explained, laying out the logical advantage of their synergy.
"We will be partners on both divisions then," Elias said, his voice ringing with newfound excitement.
Caelum smiled, a soft sound escaping his lips, as pleasure shot through him, letting him know he was reaching his limit. "Thank you, ngh," he whispered.
"At your limit?" Elias asked, his gaze fixed on Caelum's flushed face.
Caelum nodded, unable to speak further.
"So am I," Elias said, his own body trembling slightly. He increased his pace, but maintained the gentle strength of his movements. "I will make sure, ngh, it is not like yesterday," he promised, his eyes closing as he forced himself not to give in to his own pleasure and slam into Caelum, an action he knew Caelum would not object to but would likely hurt him.
Caelum smiled through the overwhelming feeling of actually being seen and cared for, pulling Elias closer to himself in a tight embrace.
When Caelum felt the hot liquid flow into him, he also felt that Elias was holding himself above him with a noticeable difficulty, his muscles shaking with exhaustion.
He sighed and pulled Elias down onto him completely. "Just lie down," he said, his voice soft with relief and fatigue. "I do not have enough strength to fight you, so just lie down on me and do not move for a while," he added, his arms tightening around Elias.
Elias smiled, a tired but content look on his face, and slowly let Caelum pull him down onto his chest. He buried his face in Caelum's shoulder. "Thank you," he murmured, the words muffled.
Caelum smiled as he closed his eyes, his breathing evening out quickly.
After a while, Elias pulled himself gently out of Caelum and carefully carried him to the bathroom for a good, relaxing bath.
"I can do it myself," Caelum argued, the moment Elias put his fingers inside Caelum, helping all the liquid flow out of him.
"Relax and let me do it," Elias said, his voice unexpectedly stern. "That is an order."
Caelum sighed, a soft sound of surrender, and relaxed into Elias' strong arms. 'This kid!' he thought again, a fond smile playing on his lips.
Elias put Caelum back on his own bed, and then, with surprising strength, moved Caelum's bed, pushing it to the edge of the room. He then sat beside Caelum, leaning against the headboard. "You will be sleeping beside me from now on," he stated, his decision final. "It is better if the poison acts up in the middle of the night," he added quickly, anticipating Caelum's protest as he saw him open his mouth to argue.
He smiled, a mischievous glint in his eye, when he saw Caelum's argument die on his lips and closed his mouth with a little huff of frustration.
"One more thing, Your Highness," Caelum said, sitting up suddenly, his expression turning serious.
"I told you…" Elias began, a tired protest, but his voice trailed off, and his face paled when he looked at the hard, determined expression on Caelum's face. 'Shit,' he cursed silently, bracing himself.
Caelum launched into a fierce, passionate lecture. He spoke about Elias' duty as a prince and the absolute necessity for him to live. His voice filled the quiet room as he told Elias not to give up on his life for any reason.
In a flash, Elias found himself thoroughly lectured on the profound importance of his presence in the kingdom, the words ringing with genuine conviction.
What Elias did not expect was the heartfelt promise Caelum made in the heat of his lecture: to find an antidote to the poison in him, no matter what it took. That powerful vow had Elias secretly smiling throughout the rest of the lecture he received, a warmth spreading through his chest, before he finally drifted off to sleep.