Ask Across The Universe

[Emryc Thorne]

They had been through this routine before, but Emryc wasn’t sure why it was especially difficult this time. He heard Morgan’s words, but he didn’t turn to look. His gaze remained on the mugs long after Morgan had returned to his room, the door cracked just a bit. He sat there for what felt like hours before he made his way downstairs to clean up the mugs.

---​

Regardless of whenever Morgan woke up, he would realize that Emryc had come in at some point to lay with him for a while. By the time the skies first began to hint at morning, Emryc was already up and about. He would slip into his usual routine of freshening up and working out. This time, however, he took the time to clean up Morgan’s kitchen till it was sparkling.

He was gone for a while, using the pass Morgan had given him to head to the gym. He had to use the Force to turn the cameras in a different direction, ensuring that no one was around before he began. By the time he was done, he was completely drenched in sweat and starving.

Emryc grabbed his bag and ignored the double takes he received from the people he passed. The half Sephi checked to make sure no one knew where he was going before taking the repulsorlift back up towards Morgan’s door.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Darth Stolas]

Morgan was breathing softly and wrapped around a pillow when Emryc lay with him for a time, deep asleep. His boyfriend's presence didn't wake him while he was there, though when he left again the grip on the pillow tightened a little.

The prince only woke up after the other man had left, rising and noting the more fresh scent of his soldier boy clinging to the sheets and a straightened bit of bed. He smiled a little and climbed out of the bed to do his morning preening before returning to make the bed more completely and change into patterned sweatpants and some band T-shirt. Soft footsteps took him downstairs where he paused for a moment to stare at the meticulously cleaned kitchen.

Morgan inspected Emryc's handiwork and noted that everything was still precisely where it was supposed to be, just polished down and sterilized. He slowly blinked once and smiled again, looked around to see if Emryc was still there. He wasn't, but he'd have said something if he wasn't coming back, so Morgan slipped his apron off a wall hook and retrieved some things.

Emryc would be greeted on his return to the sound of gentle bubbling from a pot on the stove and a savory vegetable soup smell, joined by the vaguely sweet smell of rice going in the cooker on the counter. There was a pot of tea on the eating counter next to a poured cup of the steaming and fragrant liquid. A cutting board and knife had both clearly been used and then cleaned right afterwards and left to dry on a rack.

The balcony door was cracked open and Morgan was visible there, lounging with a cigarra in one hand and a tea cup in the other and looking out over the city. His head turned slightly when Emryc re-entered and then a little further to look at him through the window. The cigarra-waving hand waved lazily toward him, clearly not quite awake yet.

He looked a little tired still.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc walked in and could smell delicious food cooking already. He knew he didn’t smell the best, and he opted not to go near Morgan for now. A gentle brush with the Force against the Firrerreo greeted him in response. It was a curious way to display affection for a Force user, but the gesture was just purposeful and deliberate enough.

He stepped into the shower for a few minutes before coming out. He threw on a tank and shorts. Morgan would recognize the tank as a replica of the one he had destroyed on the burner ship. Emryc made his way towards Morgan, grabbing the tea along the path. He was normally not a fan, but the Queen and Morgan both had him curious about it.

Emryc looked over at Morgan and grinned, “You didn’t want to sleep in?” He caught the tired look on his face. The same was true for the half Sephi as he looked less rested than usual. Emryc glanced out over at the cities ahead, the scenery very different in daylight.

“I’d ask you to teach me to cook like you do,” He said as he took a sip while hints of the soup smell wafted over outside, “But then I’d have no excuse to ask you to cook for me,” Emryc turned to give him a sheepish smile.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Darth Stolas]

Stilled storm clouds welcomed the touch of Emryc's presence as he passed into the apartment. Morgan turned back to the city while breakfast continued to cook in the background. He sipped his tea, a white jasmine, and simply allowed time to pass by for a little while.

The Firrerreo didn't seem to move much until his boyfriend arrived on the balcony. His head turned slightly in his direction like it often did, and Emryc may have noticed by now that he didn't always watch with his eyes. Golden eyes still followed a moment later to look at him directly with a small smile.

"Not today," he answered simply, "I wanted to see you sooner." A finger flick dropped ash into the tray before he took a drag of the cigarra, smoke lazily pouring from his lips and wafting away with the breeze. Morgan turned back to watch the speeder traffic between the buildings. Between his fingers the cigarra made slow, idle rotations around the digits while he took another sip of the tea.

Emryc's comment earned him a cheery smile, if still a little tired. "I would have to refuse." The cigarra had one last inhale in it before he put it out in the tray, reaching over with his freed hand to lay itself over Emryc's. "I'd have no excuse to cook for you." Morgan laughed softly and stood up from his seat and stepped over to the other man, leaning down to gently kiss him for a few seconds before drawing back.

"Good morning, soldier boy."

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc followed the speeders and the general buzzing of traffic out in the distance. He was silent while Morgan spoke, though a faint smile broke out when he addressed the cooking. He had never known what it was like to have homecooked meals and he knew it would be difficult to go back to MREs after this.

He glanced up when Morgan walked over and leaned down to kiss him. However, Emryc didn’t let him pull back up, grasping at Morgan’s wrist to stop him. A gentle tug and shift would see Morgan back on his lap, facing out towards the scenery. His arm was lazily coiled around the Firrerreo again as he silently contemplated his surroundings.

Emryc sat in silence for a while, withdrawn deep into his mind. While the steely gaze fixated on the cities, the eyes were vacant and distant. He spoke after a moment, his grip on Morgan tightening, “I..fear what we have at times,” He confessed quietly, one of the very few times he had ever spoken of fear, “That I should not do any of this. That it is happening only for it to be taken from me.”

They had been here before and Morgan had lashed out to remind him nothing could. However, it was a deep rooted fear that took hold of him. That fear only grew the deeper in love Emryc fell. The half Sephi was always used to being in control, and in this case he had absolutely none. It made him far more uncomfortable than any of his training or battles he had faced.

"I...don't need you to reassure me otherwise, Morgan," He said before Morgan could respond, "It is not a fear that will subside anytime soon. We are Sith."

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Darth Stolas]

Morgan followed the line of Emryc's motion, turning and sitting in his lap with the ease of warm familiarity. He leaned back lazily against him and kept his hand over the other man's as they looked into the city together. The sun was slowly rising over the buildings, golden rays weaving themselves through and around the buildings.

The prince only moved again when his soldier boy's grip tightened, head turning ever so slightly in his direction as he spoke. Emryc's words were soft but carried a great weight with them. They surprised Morgan, not for the content but that they were said at all, and that surprise was obvious on his face. It turned quickly to worry as he wondered what words would follow. He said nothing in response at first, only listening.

What reassurance could Morgan offer beyond what he had? The man could not honestly say they would never be parted some way or other and it was a fear he shared as well. Golden eyes turned slowly back to the city and silver crept more deeply into his skin.

"We are Sith," said the Drast, the voice of a young man whose family legacy was built long ago by a woman betrayed by Jedi, who lost a dear love of her own to fighting. He could promise retribution and fury to those who would try, he could promise cruelty and death. He could not promise he wouldn't meet some end one day, that the holomessages would stop, and all that was left of him were distant echoes of song.

"I fear one day you'll be carried home, soldier boy," Morgan admitted softly after another moment in reference to the song, a chaotic mix of conflicting emotions visible on his face. He pressed deeper into Emryc and pulled the arm around him tighter. It wasn't exactly a secret but he hasn't voiced it before.

He took a slow, deep breath that shook just a little.

"It won't stop me from loving you. From wanting to see you when I wake, or hear your voice, or sit here like this together on the balcony, or sing so only you can hear." Morgan paused a moment and looked as if he were remembering something, listening and feeling the other man's heart beat just behind him. A hand came up behind him and settled itself in Emryc's hair and stroked through it affectionately.

"I’m right here. And this is now. Is that not so?"

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc chuckled at Morgan’s words about being carried home. It didn’t hit him that the gesture could potentially offend Morgan as the half Sephi found the concern outright silly. Emryc pulled Morgan even closer, giving him a perplexed look, “I am a soldier and death is inevitable,” He gazed up to meet Morgan’s sideways glance, “But I would have known you before dying so I will be carried home in peace,” He said the words rather flatly and matter of factly, once again, as if they were the most obvious things ever.

The half Sephi’s grin faded with the rest of what Morgan said, the affection back in his eyes. Morgan had used his own words right back, and Emryc hadn’t realized the impact they may have had earlier. He decided to help Morgan turn around so the man sat on his lap facing him. Emryc gazed up at him for a moment.

“It is so, nightingale,” He said quietly before tugging Morgan down for another kiss. He lingered on it this time before drawing back, his fingers running through his hair. Emryc looked at him in silence for a few seconds, eyes lost and far away. He came back to reality at last as he leaned back in his seat with an amused look, “All right, where are you dragging me off to today?”

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Darth Stolas]

Offended Morgan was, in fact, for a short while at least. He considered it a serious concern. Obviously the two of them were more likely to die to violence than most other things, which was the reason he feared it. It was almost inevitable. Fortunately the next words out of Emryc's mouth were somewhere north of sweet and struck the prince quiet, blinking slowly toward the cityscape beyond the balcony railing as his neck and shoulder visibly flushed gold.

He was turned around to face Emryc easily enough, looking down into those silver eyes that had softened into something affectionate. Morgan smiled into the kiss and and slipped his arms over the other man's shoulders, clearly satisfied by his response. Golden eyes watched his face when they drew apart again and quiet followed, head tilting slightly.

Then he turned to look through the window toward the kitchen area. Shamelessly he tightened his grip on his boyfriend and leaned forward to lay his head against a strong shoulder, purring softly as he did.

"I have an idea," he said with a hint of mischief creeping its way into his voice, "But first, breakfast. Kitchen please."

Morgan obviously intended to be carried there based on how he absolutely was not letting go of Emryc.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc could only chuckle as Morgan casually leaned in and implied that he wanted to be carried again. The half Sephi shook his head as his hands slid down his back and below to hook and allow him to stand. He winced and grunted slightly, his muscles protesting after having just lifted.

“You are...so lazy, my prince,” Emryc said as he turned and walked towards to the apartment. His actions suggested he didn’t mind it a single bit, holding Morgan tightly to himself as he strode into the kitchen. He paused as he noticed a detail he hadn’t before - the cutting board and knife had been washed directly after use. Emryc simply stood there staring for a moment. The close proximity would allow Morgan to sense exactly how elated Emryc was at the sight, though the man said nothing.

The half Sephi was about to set Morgan down when he glanced over at the bowls that had been set out. And the chopsticks next to them.

“Nope,” Emryc said simply, turning around and walking towards some drawers, “Grab a fork and spoon, I’m not putting up with that bullshit for breakfast,” He wasn’t going to budge, waiting till Morgan grabbed utensils for him before finally making his way over to ease him down into a seat.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Darth Stolas]

A cheerful humming of contentment and a series of feathery kisses were Emryc's reward for indulging Morgan's newfound desire to be carried around rather than walk under his own power, especially right then first thing in the morning. He didn't disagree with Emryc's assessment of laziness because of it's accuracy. Really it was his own fault for spoiling him with it before but the prince had no inclination for complaint.

Emryc's clear appreciation of the cleaned dishes made the extra effort worth it. Morgan usually cleaned things afterwards but he'd quickly picked up on his boyfriend's habit of wanting things clean as much as possible. Repayment for doing the dishes and the refresher on his own, but also just because he loved him.

Golden eyes rolled a little with a short laugh but he retrieved what Emryc had asked for from a precisely organized drawer. When he was set down he reached over and placed them next to the half-Sephi's pair of bowls, one for soup and one for rice. A hand rose up toward the stove to switch it off and move the pot onto a heatproof cloth on the counter closer to the them, then went about manually serving the light vegetable soup and rice. There was no meat in this breakfast, although the tofu did contain protein and Morgan added some kind of dried meat flakes to his.

Another bowl, a small and plain glass one filled with plump and tangy yellow berries, was also pulled over. "Could you get us water, please?" he asked in the middle of refilling the tea cups.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Two glasses of chilled water were brought over and set down next to the bowls. Emryc took a seat across from Morgan, practically salivating at the sight of a purely vegetarian meal. He tried a bit of everything, savoring every taste. His station habits never really left him, his eating always very quick and methodical. He seldom spoke during meals - something he had to actively remember to do during diplomatic dinners.

He hardly spoke a word, finishing his breakfast within a few minutes even with second helpings. Emryc drank from his water, setting it down before looking up at Morgan, “I love you,” He mumbled casually. Evidently the easiest way to coax those words out was through feeding him delicious meals. Emryc rose from his seat, taking whatever dishes there were to get them cleaned off.

He floated over the cup of tea he had been working on before taking a sip from it. Emryc looked down at his chrono, “It’s already 0900 hours, we should get going,” He said as he walked back over towards Morgan. 9 am was basically late afternoon for Emryc.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Darth Stolas]

Morgan ate somewhat slower than the other man, though the meal was meant to be eaten quickly of course. The prince was looking more lively after the tea and everything but he still wasn't quite out of lazy mode. For all the efficiency he could summon up when he was working, waking up early otherwise just didn't seem to be his strong suit.

Emryc finishing his food first, seconds and all, and delivering a casual 'I love you' at the end clearly perked up the Firrerreo and his second bowl of soup was gone through much more quickly. "I love you too, cheri," Morgan answered with clear delight before sipping at his tea.

He'd almost emptied the bowl of soup when the other man noted the time, delivering a short stare at him before glancing at a wall chrono. Morgan didn't understand why he hadn't seen this coming.

The prince's expression shifted toward consternation for several seconds before he gave in, drank the remaining soup, dabbed at his lips with a napkin, and stood from the table. His arms rose up in a lazy stretch before he started gathering up the dishes and transferring to them to the sink. Washing them wouldn't take long and he already had his clothes picked out.

"Do you mind driving?" Morgan asked after a moment, head turning slightly toward wherever Emryc was just then. He knew well the other man's appreciation for nice airspeeders.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc gave nothing more than a vague “hmm” as a response to the question. He walked upstairs to get ready, changing into some casual clothes. He found a nice form fitting t-shirt along with some jeans and sneakers. He also grabbed his Huttball hat and checked himself in the mirror. To anyone else he looked like the biggest jock douche of all time, but he was oblivious to that, beaming with pride at seeing the Ryloth Rancors represented.

He checked his chrono before he went to find Morgan who was still not ready. While Emryc always liked getting on the move as quick as possible, he also had patience to a fault. He would suppress his own frustrations and wait hours if needed. Emryc walked to the balcony and pulled out a cigarra to pass the time.

After a while, he walked back inside to find Morgan again. Once he did, he would follow him towards the speeder in question, eyebrows raising at how fancy it was. Emryc simply shook his head with a grin, walking around to open the door for Morgan. His poise and actions were exactly those of a professional driver, Morgan knowing about him moonlighting as one as a side hustle before.

Emryc walked back around and hopped in on his side, checking his chrono again for the time. That was probably a pointless gesture when he was with the Firrerreo…

“Where are we going, my prince?”

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Darth Stolas]

Morgan finished washing out the bowls in short order and placed them on the drying rack. He went straight upstairs from there to get himself ready to leave. Although he'd already chosen his clothes he had to get it and his appearance together just so. Between that and the dishes Emryc finished his own dressing to find Morgan half-dressed and pulling a pair of fitted and high-waisted black trousers over a burgundy shirt with long sleeves.

He turned and offered Emryc an apologetic look before disappearing into the refresher after he wandered off, arranging earrings and other accessories and getting his hair just so. Fortunately by the time the other man's cigarra was finished the prince had arranged himself appropriately, black dress boots on and a casual blazer over the same arm that held a small bag similar to the previous night's.

In the speeder garage Emryc's casual politeness got him a quick kiss for a tip before the prince slipped into the passenger side. Almost at the same time as the half-Sephi he pulled his holocomm out, checked the time and shop location, and then plugged it into the center console.

"That one," he said and pointed to a location on the map that showed up, essentially a large shopping mall in the business district known for higher end products. Morgan looked over at Emryc in the close quarters, paired treble clef earrings swaying slightly from the motion. Namely, at his hat, which brought a small but affectionate smile to his face. It was almost strange to see the famed politician in such casual attire but it had a certain charm to it even if it wasn't the kind of thing Morgan usually wore himself.

"I still want to see a game with you."

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc marveled at the speeder and how nice the interior was. For a moment he was completely distracted, saying nothing in response to Morgan’s rather sweet comment. He grazed his fingers over the console as if he were brushing against Morgan’s skin, his eyes displaying fondness that only came out when he admired luxury vehicles.

“You got turbo repulsors on this thing?” He asked excited, flicking through the menu on the console and now being the one to delay them both. However, he collected himself after a few minutes, clearing his throat and finally putting it in reverse. Emryc had to appreciate just how smooth it rode as he eased out of the garage and set them on the roads.

It was only then that it occurred to him what Morgan had said earlier. Emryc put his shades on to block out the reflecting sun, tilting his head to look at Morgan briefly, “Huttball games aren’t very classy, you know,” He felt the need to say it. He knew Firrerreon had violent sports, but the only ones he had met had appeared to be the classy types.

“It gets rowdy and there’s a lot of violence and spice involved,” Emryc got on a speedway towards the mall, purposely whizzing by other traffic and getting a feel for the speeder.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Darth Stolas]

Morgan had a mixed look of open satisfaction and amusement as he watched Emryc completely geek out over the speeder. He knew the other man would never accept something like it as a gift but he seemed perfectly pleased to drive it around. Gold crept up his neck and he couldn't help thinking seeing this side of Emryc more often would be nice.

It was also distracting enough he'd already let his question get lost in everything else, his gold-rimmed sunglasses finding their way out of his bag onto perching onto his noise when they turned out into the bright light of day. Morgan blinked once and turned to look at Emryc, an eyebrow raising in an expression of polite bewilderment.

"Emryc, I kill people for a living," he replied a little dryly, though the small smirk on his face made it clear he wasn't offended. "And I'm not unfamiliar with either of those things." Morgan went back to looking out his side of the speeder, smirk spreading slightly into a smile as he caught Emryc's reflection in the window. The sight reminded him of the chauffeur's speeder on Cloud City.

"There's VIP seats if you prefer, nice and private. But I still want to go. With you."

The prince was already curious about seeing it live anyway, but especially after his boyfriend had endured that musical. It had been very sweet of him and Morgan had enjoyed himself. So he wanted to go.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc grinned at Morgan’s response, though he didn’t turn to face him, “You getting violent is exactly the issue,” He explained as he took an exit, “There will be people all up in your business and you’ll cause a scene,” He said flatly, the wind rustling through his hair as he drove. He had set his hat aside for now.

The comment about VIP seats earned Morgan a fleeting disgusted look, “It’s not the same if you don’t get blood and sweat splashing on you from the players,” He grumbled. However, he reached a hand over without looking to grasp Morgan’s, bringing it up to kiss it, “We’ll go,” He said with a firmer tone to end any protesting that would have come up otherwise. He needed to get ahead of his boyfriend complaining that he would never cause a scene.

Emryc found his way over to the mall, containing his frustrations at the traffic that led to the parking. He finally found a garage to park in, stepping out after and putting his hat back on. Emryc walked along with Morgan, taking in sight of the ‘mall’.

He could recall when he went to a mall for the first time several years ago. That had been the first day he had met Tiamat. He vaguely realized he technically never bothered to learn her true name, the one she had back then. The thought escaped him as soon as it arrived.

“I might go buy some new kicks,” He announced casually after a moment before glancing over at Morgan, “..Shoes. I might go buy some new shoes,” He clarified. He hadn’t heard the prince use a single slang ever.

Emryc stuffed his hands in his pockets as they walked past several stores. People glanced over at him or did double takes a few times. The half Sephi ignored it for the most part, leaving people confused about whether they recognized him from Holo or not.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Darth Stolas]

Morgan had actually been about to protest that he did have the ability to restrain himself, looking somewhat offended by the implication, but Emryc seemed to know him well enough by now. The other man took his hand and kissed it gently with a promise that they would go and his prince seemed satisfied enough by, switching from annoyed to cheered in the span of a couple seconds.

He stepped out of the speeder once they'd found a spot with his bag in hand and slung it over his shoulder. Slender fingers plucked the sunglasses from his face and replaced them in their case before they moved to the mall itself. Morgan glanced over at the huttball hat more than once, although the reason wasn't apparent, and his eyes went to Emryc's face instead when he mentioned buying shoes.

While Morgan didn't use slang himself he was familiar with some of it from some languages and cultures. Based on the mildly bemused look he fixed Emryc with, however, 'kicks' wasn't one of the things he understood and was about to try figuring it out from context before the half-Sephi explained what he meant.

The result was a little light shining behind the Firrerreo's eyes.

"Shoes are a good idea," he agreed eagerly and looked around for the mall map. Morgan noticed the looks they- or more accurately, Emryc- seemed to be getting and didn't quite succeed in hiding an amused smirk tinged with just a little smugness. Even if Emryc's handsome face wasn't also famous there would be a sense of pride in the attention.

"What kind? Sneakers?"

Morgan didn't think he actually owned sneakers. He leaned in a little to look at the map to find the shoe stores.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc nodded, “Some nice training shoes,” He had the same old pair of sneakers from the station. He had been attached to them, but they were finally falling apart and needed to be replaced.

He never understood the point of wandering around aimlessly at the mall. As he looked around, he saw countless couples or groups of friends staring about directionless and walking in some vague path. How was this considered an entertaining activity? Why did people take the time to travel out here just to do that when they could wander aimlessly as soon as they walked out of their dwelling?

Emryc’s musings took him past stores with mannequins on display. His gaze lingered for a moment on a particularly racy outfit with a high skirt and stockings. He kept walking towards the shoe store, beginning to spot a few more clothing shops along the way.

“Anything look interesting?” The half Sephi asked, spotting a few women openly staring at both men. Emryc stared back and casually snaked an arm around Morgan’s waist. The girls looked away immediately flustered and he couldn’t help but grin, “Think we look like best friends?” He mused aloud as he released Morgan again.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Darth Stolas]

While Emryc's thoughts were on training shoes Morgan's were on his own supply of casual footwear. He did have canvas shoes but he couldn't remember the last time he'd even considered trying on some kind of sneaker. Well, while he was here...

The half-Sephi's eyes weren't the only pair that caught sight of the outfit in a shop window, mischief glinting behind goldens that remained when he turned back to look at Emryc. "I have an idea," he said meaningfully, head nodding slightly toward a similar display in a different window. "Would have try it on."

Morgan's expression seamlessly slipped into a soft smile as his boyfriend's arm went around his waist, gold flushing over his neck. It then became something approaching smug when he noticed the reactions of the girls who had until then been stealing glances. "We are very close," the prince answered, slipping his arm around Emryc's when it retreated from his waist.

The prince pulled his soldier boy toward the largest shoe store, containing a mix of sport wear, casual wear, and some more expensive leather attire. It seemed to have a mix of things that either of them might like. He also asked a question just before they went inside.

"What do you think of lace?"

@Sreeya