Ask Across The Universe

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc rifled through the products, face scrunching up in mild annoyance. Some of them had labels he couldn’t read, but he managed to find a few that worked. The tools to cut hair looked as if they hadn’t been touched in ages, and he wasn’t entirely surprised. In his mind, it was a wonder Morgan had any of this at all - the prince struck him as the type to go to fancy salons or have a personally hired stylist come in.

He glanced over to look at Morgan while he was perched on the counter, dutifully waiting like a customer. Emryc chuckled softly as he shook his head, “Don’t get too excited,” He said as he walked over with everything he needed and set it out, “It’ll have to be a variation of a military cut. I can’t do much with the patch that’s missing,” He said nothing else about it. It wasn’t as if he felt any remorse for doing it, and Morgan was singing too much to file a complaint at the time.

He got to work with a small comb, leaning in close to diligently work on his hair. He switched between a trimmer, comb and scissors. He had a completely focused look on his face, his eyes on Morgan’s hair the entire time. It was probably the only time he managed to be this close while the man was nude without getting distracted.

“But then you can be bald and still look exquisite,” Emryc said casually before he paused, “Don’t worry, I didn’t kriff anything up to where that has to happen.”

He continued for a while before he was finally done. He even took the time to use some products to style Morgan’s hair afterwards. Emryc stepped back to allow Morgan to take a look. His hair was back to being even on all sides, though it was slightly shorter in length. The top and front of it was perfectly styled without a strand out of place. He was as beautiful as ever, but with a slightly more traditional military look.

Emryc wrapped his arms around Morgan's waist from behind as they gazed into the mirror, giving him a light kiss on the cheek, “You don’t make such a bad soldier boy yourself.”

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Darth Stolas]

Morgan sat with practiced patience before Emryc, unmoving except for when his head was nudged this way or that. He'd made it a habit of allowing Emryc to move him around and this wasn't much different. That he did actually want his hair to look nice probably also factored in. The Firrerreo looked up at him several times throughout, taking in the lines of his boyfriend's face and the expressions he made.

It was beyond clear this was something he cared about and that simple fact made Morgan very happy.

When the work was done he hopped down and looked at himself in the mirror, turning his head to see from different angles. It was very nice, if shorter of course than he'd been used to, and the style reminded him of something he used to have when he was younger. The half-Sephi obviously knew what he was doing, but then again he wouldn't have offered if he didn't think he'd do a good job.

The prince's sharp-eyed look of appraisal was interrupted by a smile as his favourite soldier boy came in close and delivered his kiss. Golden eyes didn't leave the mirror where he saw them both and he found himself staring for a couple seconds without actually saying anything back.

"I love you, Emryc," he said while both hands settled over the other man's around his waist. His eyes still looked only at the mirror, head tilting just a little to the left with a pensive expression. After another moment he turned around in Emryc's arms to look at him directly looking distinctly hopeful.

"May I take a picture of us? Please?"

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc’s focus shifted from the mirror to Morgan, tracing kisses along his cheek and down along his jawline. His arms wrapped more firmly around him, with Morgan’s hands layered above his. He only ‘hmm’d in contentment in response to the love declaration, his face burying into his neck. Emryc’s gestures were lazy and satisfied, and he made no moves to hide his affection for the other man.

He allowed some space for Morgan to turn around, his grip on him loosening, though his arms remained around him. When he asked his question, Emryc’s eyebrow rose. He glanced down at Morgan for a moment and then his gaze flicked to the mirror and to the various bandages on his body, “Right now? Like this?” He asked before shrugging, which was silent agreement. He wasn't going to turn anything down when Morgan looked at him like that.

Emryc allowed Morgan to take pictures however they wanted, though it was clear he wasn’t the best at this. He had the same stoic expression in any variation of pictures they took, though his eyes had the slightest bit of warmth from his proximity to Morgan.

After they were done, he turned his attention back to Morgan. As he had done before, he leaned down and easily scooped the other man up into his arms, carrying him out of the refresher, “So, is there a gym where I can go lift while I’m here or will carrying you around be my workout?”

Emryc set him down on the edge of the bed, giving him a quick kiss before leaning back to stand. He was about to head downstairs to change when he glanced at the Holo. It was back on Morgan’s game main menu and profile and he could see recently played games and hours. His eyes narrowed slightly, “You’ve been playing Warfare 3 without me?”

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Darth Stolas]

The barrage of bonus kisses left Morgan smiling by the time he'd turned around, a look that further brightened when Emryc agreed. He had a few pictures of one of both of them already from previous times they'd been together. Morgan liked to look at them in the times they weren't. The other man might not be the best at pictures but the Firrerreo could still catch the different expressions.

The prince pulled his visual comm from somewhere and snapped an image of them both from the waist up. All the bandages just made it better in a way, really.

A trilling laugh followed in their wake as they left the refresher, Morgan finding himself once again casually carried around and tipping his carrier in more kisses. "Training area is set up in the storage unit," he said, eyes glancing over in the direction of the front door. "Resident gym on the ground floor." Personally he preferred his own set up over the more public area but he wasn't going to judge Emryc's preferences.

Morgan was placed back down atop the bed, leisurely stretching his limbs as Emryc turned to go. He was just considering what fresh clothes to get into when the half-Sephi stopped in place. The prince tilted his head slightly toward him. Warfare 3 was another game they played together, usually over holo, one with smaller deathmatch maps and larger battlefield type ones.

"Trying to unlock the autoscatter rifle," Morgan answered, unsurprisingly a player that relied on a mix of stealth and aggressive flanking to make up for his otherwise questionable aim in an FPS setting. Scatterguns were also good for discouraging other players from charging into sniper nests. "Practicing."

He leaned to the right a little to get a better look at Emryc's face and then stood from the bed to head over toward his closet. Morgan slipped on a comfy pair of plain black pajama shorts and tank before turning back to look at him.

"It's not as fun by myself. Want to play after dinner?"

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc opened his mouth to explain how pointless such a weapon was until he recalled how effective Morgan was with the sledgehammer. He said nothing, deciding he was satisfied with the answer. Emryc walked briefly back into the refresher to set all the hair materials back where they were. He also cleaned up bits of hair from Morgan's haircut. The refresher was left just as he had found it by the time he walked out, carrying Morgan’s with him.

Morgan was already in pajamas by the time Emryc was out and he nodded in response to playing after dinner. The half Sephi made his way downstairs, finally removing his towel and folding his, along with Morgan’s, before placing them in a hamper. He took a moment to rifle through his bag to take out a hoodie and sweatpants, changing into them.

Emryc sat near the kitchen counter again with no couch to use. He was back on his datapad, playing a round of Qwent. He heard Morgan arriving nearby but he didn’t look up then. At some point a text from Renfry popped up. He glanced at it briefly before swiping it away to get back to his game.

“Did you want to go somewhere tomorrow?” He asked, jaw tightening slightly as he lost the round. He started the next round, “Not that I’d mind spending the entire trip in bed with you,” Emryc grinned down at the game, “Or any other surface,” He decided he liked making little quips like that around the polite and composed prince.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Darth Stolas]

Morgan paid no mind to Emryc's wandering off to clean and put things back, considering it just another part of how he was. He did seemed cheered that his boyfriend wanted his place to be organized and they'd be playing more games later, giving Morgan one less thing to do. He wondered if he had anything to go with dinner? Emryc deserved something nice.

The prince followed Emryc toward the stairs, stopping for a moment to make sure the way Emryc had arranged his hair had stayed in place after putting on his tip, and then arrived in the kitchen. He started pulling knives, pots and pans, and ingredients out as well as a pair of cutting boards, passing by Emryc on his way from one end of the kitchen to the other. Gold eyes caught the game he was playing and he was about to go back to what he was doing when he saw the message from the former nightsister.

Morgan stopped by the table to look at the game. He hadn't bothered to read the message itself and found Qwent more interesting, though he had caught the name along with Emryc's casual swiping away.

"I would like that," the prince answered, leaning down to lay a kiss along a tensed jaw before walking back toward the cutting boards. His shoulders and neck visibly flushed and he turned to flash the half-Sephi a fanged grin. "There are many surfaces," he stated matter-of-factly before beginning to wash and slice the many different varieties of mushrooms. Morgan loved mushrooms.

"There's a nicer part of the city where the corporate types live. Shops and restaurants mostly, some entertainment. Oh!" Morgan paused a moment to move some sliced mushrooms aside before turning back to look at Emryc.

"Mind helping me pick some clothes?"

The prince had a mischievous glint in those golden eyes of his.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc glanced up from his game at Morgan’s response. There was a curious stare back as his mind considered various surfaces and the different ways they could get rather creative. The visible flush he could see on Morgan’s skin brought out a grin. No matter how nonchalant the response, that little flush was exactly what Emryc pursued. It had been the same coy look on Naboo or at the restaurant in Terminus. Emryc realized he was staring and losing his game, and he quickly looked down again.

He heard the rest of what Morgan said and thought over it. Clothes always held his interest and the thought of his boyfriend modeling things for him sounded appealing. Emryc won his next round of Qwent before he spoke, “We can go, what’s the occasion?”

It wasn’t long before he could smell some of the food, and he found himself genuinely looking forward to it. Emryc knew he could never cook every day - it took far too much time and didn’t align with his efficient way of living. However, he couldn’t deny that he could eat Morgan’s cooked meals every day.

“If we go to a restaurant tomorrow, maybe pick one that doesn’t have a waitress that despises me,” Emryc grinned as he looked up at Morgan again.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Darth Stolas]

The mushrooms didn't take long to get through, placed into individual ceramic bowls alongside several bottles and containers of sauces and pastes in a foreign language. Hot water was poured from the sink into a pot and placed on the stove, where a pale yellow paste was added and mixed along with some green dried leaf flakes.

Morgan looked over at Emryc with a bright smile and affection burning behind his eyes. "I'm together with the man I love," was his simple answer before he cleaned his knife, switched cutting boards, and started reducing a relatively small amount of meat into bite sized pieces. Morgan had always liked cooking for himself, especially away from Firrerre, but it felt much nicer to do with Emryc around. Eating together and cooking for his boyfriend was something he found he was looking forward to.

A soft chuckle joined the sounds of chopping for a moment and he moved the meat aside into yet another bowl beside some garlic. Morgan walked over to the counter and leaned against it, listening to the sound of the water but looking at Emryc. "We can do that. Few places I haven't tried." For some reason certain places quickly considered the young Firrerreo a notable regular. Maybe the tips.

He glanced over at the pile of neatly organized rubble that once was a couch. "I should probably also get a new couch while we're out," he said with amusement before leaning over to kiss near one of the bandaged bites.

"It's a date then. I wonder what you want to see me wear?"

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc won another round of Qwent, satisfied with his streak. He was officially in the galactic rankings now. He decided he would enter the next tournament when it came up. Emryc looked up when Morgan leaned in close to kiss him, grinning as he set his datapad down. The game was minimized and there were hundreds of unread text notifications. The half Sephi kept his gaze on Morgan.

“Me,” He said matter of factly to his question before turning away to flip on Holonet. He intended to find replays from the Huttball game he missed, but he instead came across the news channel. Within moments his own face popped on in Tatooine. There was a Naboo guard near him that looked flustered and coy in his presence before the feed switched over to talk about the Naboo Queen visiting Tatooine.

“They broadcast my shit out here too?”Emryc all but groaned. He watched himself keep a calm resolve on camera as the man he hired as a bodyguard caused a scene. This was followed by him firing him on the spot and multiple reporters getting in his face. The Naboo guard was by far the most entertaining part of it all.

Social media platforms focused almost entirely on his looks and his love life. He garnered more attention since he was considered a 'private man' and 'mysterious'. He normally withdrew from the public entirely when he wasn’t actively working. He could only tolerate people so much.

“We might have people bugging us tomorrow when we go out in public,” Emryc said with a sigh.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Darth Stolas]

Morgan gave Emryc a knowing look and immediately wrapped his arms around him. "Done. What else?" His eyes turned to back to Emryc's device, watching the news. This particular report had been made already to some degree or other and Morgan actually had it set up so Emryc's appearances were flagged for recording while he was off working.

"Of course they do. I watch them," the prince confirmed, watching the various goings-on in the news report. "You seem popular," he commented with a tone of amusement, watching the guard's face along with the familiar smooth look and action of Emryc on camera. "I don't blame him. You're a catch."

The water hit the right boiling sound and Morgan untangled himself from Emryc to go put things into it including several of the mushroom varieties and some kind of brown salty sauce. His head remained tilted in his boyfriend's direction, though his eyes were on his cooking.

"Ah. I hadn't thought of that." He sounded dejected, thinking they may have to avoid going out together. "Do you still want to go?" As much as he'd like to go out with him he wasn't going to force political or media attention on Emryc if the other man would rather avoid it.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc leaned into Morgan as the man held him, always enjoying the feel of him. He shook his head with a grin as he commented on the Naboo guard, tilting his head slightly, “You jealous?” Emryc asked teasingly as Morgan walked off to get back to his cooking. He changed up the feeds to get to what he intended - the Huttball recaps.

He kept his gaze on the analysis of his favorite player scoring a few points. The Rancors were definitely making the playoffs, and there was a genuine smile on Emryc’s face as he heard all this. He looked up and stared blankly at Morgan for a moment, catching the slightly dejected look. It took a second to recall what he said.

“Of course I want to go,” He looked thoughtful for a moment, remembering Naboo, “Do you have anything I can use to disguise myself? If I change my eyes and wear some kind of hat to hide the tips of my ears, I should be okay.”

All his hats were usually custom made so they didn’t brush up against his ears. Emryc could go without disguise, but that would mean Morgan would come too much into the spotlight, something he wanted to actively prevent for now. At least while the Eternal had their crosshairs on him.

Emryc put the datapad down and glanced up, “Can we eat now?”There was no stopping Morgan’s keen ears from picking up the fact that the half Sephi’s stomach was growling.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Darth Stolas]

Fangs flashed for a moment and meat went into the pot, cut so small it would cook quickly along with the remaining mushrooms. Morgan added a dash of vinegar. "You are mine," the prince said with obvious pride that had only been recently reinforced by boyfriend status. He turned and leaned against the kitchen counter, angling his features in that same confident way he did when Emryc was looking at him in their more intimate moments.

"Why should I be?" Morgan was certainly not short of self-confidence, all of which he felt was justified. He didn't take pride in his skills or appearance for nothing.

Golden eyes turned sharp and looking over Emryc's features for a moment, Morgan's head tilting a little. His tongue dragged briefly over a fang, abruptly reminded of the discomfort involved in filing them. They grew back quickly but there was a reason he avoided doing it unless he had to.

"In storage," he confirmed, indicating the front door with a nod of the head, visibly brightening up again since Emryc still wanted to go. Back to the pot, stirring it for a moment before retrieving some rice from that morning and a pair of bowls. Rice went into one side of the bowl and he turned the heat down to keep the stew warm, ladling the thickened mushroom stew into the other half.

Of course he'd heard the sound of Emryc's hunger and Morgan himself had the typical signs, having forgone food for napping in his boyfriend's arms. A bowl and rice spoon were placed in front of the half-Sephi with another set across from him where Morgan would sit, then two glasses of water, then a bottle of bourbon with paired glasses. Morgan poured himself some and offered the same to Emryc.

The last thing he retrieved was a small glass bowl from the fridge that he took a lid off of and placed on the table. Inside was a collection of candied fruits and berries that Morgan had made in advance, though he hadn't expected Emryc to arrive as soon as he did or there would probably be cake, too.


"Dinner is better with you here," he said suddenly after a moment of silently looking across the counter, feeling the urge to voice the sentiment. He flushed a little and started eating.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc nodded in agreement. He had no qualms with accepting that he did belong to Morgan. It was a sense of belonging he hadn’t even known to desire with someone before, “I’d be in trouble if you were the jealous type..” He said almost too quietly to hear.

He thought of options for disguising himself, wondering if different colored eyes would drastically alter his appearance. The thought of accidentally looking more approachable and friendly sounded horrific. Emryc’s mind wandered off until he realized Morgan was done cooking. He rose from his seat to help set the bowls and silverware.

The food, as he expected, smelled delicious. He was once again awed that Morgan ate like this every day. MREs for three meals a day sounded near impossible now and he dreaded going back to the station after this.

Emryc brought up a spoonful to eat when Morgan spoke. He paused, glancing up at the Firrerreo that was suddenly flushing. Emryc blinked at him for a moment, “Everything's better when you are with me, babe,” He said very flatly before taking a bite. It was as if it were the most obvious thing ever and he practically gave a half shrug saying it before focusing back on the food.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Darth Stolas]

Morgan caught the jealousy comment but filed it away for the moment, focusing instead on food and Emryc's presence with him as they ate. The pet name the other man seemed to have gotten into the habit of using was obviously appreciated by the faint gilding that remained during the meal and the general cheerful aura that existed around the prince. Emryc's tendency to handle these things in a straightforward and honest manner were a large part of why he was trusted, and why what he did say meant as much as it did.

The meal was relatively simple but well seasoned and almost tasted like meat despite having such a small amount in it. With consideration for his hunger Morgan ate quickly, alternatively drinking the bourbon or water. Something about the simple act of sharing a meal with Emryc in his kitchen brought him joy. Golden eyes regularly glanced up at him as if to make sure he was still there. Everything just felt nicer this way.

Stew and rice went quickly and Morgan moved his bowl aside and finished the glass of bourbon. His head turned to look at the tall windows that looked out over the city for a few seconds, then to Emryc after he was done eating.

"Come smoke with me?" he asked, realizing that neither of them had indulged their habit since they'd been together, too otherwise distracted by just being privately in the same space. The balcony outside was fairly roomy and he regularly smoked out there while looking over the city.

"I also have whiskey, if you like."

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc was beyond satisfied after his meal, and he cleaned off his bowl as well as he could without resorting to uncivilized means like licking it off (which he would have done if alone). Having a nice homecooked meal was inexplicably better than anything he could ever get at a restaurant. His water glass was empty and he turned to the bourbon next.

He looked up when Morgan asked about a smoke. It wasn’t till then that he realized that he hadn’t had a cigarra since he arrived, a rarity for the half Sephi. He also managed to go the whole day without getting a headache or becoming moody. Emryc nodded in response, but he first gathered up the dishes. Morgan would be subjected to waiting till the cleaning was done before he would smoke. Emryc couldn’t stand any dishes laying around, and the fact that he was a neatfreak to a fault shined through now that they were spending more time together.

Emryc finally emerged on the balcony, taking a moment to look over the city. He could make out the lights and tall spires in the distance. The air was slightly cool and windy, but he didn’t mind it. He had his bourbon with him, content with that for now.

A cigarra was lit as he eased into a seat, gazing out as he blew out smoke, “You have a nice life here,” He said quietly, gazing out ahead of him, “Close, yet far from everything.”

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Darth Stolas]

Morgan stayed to wait for his boyfriend instead of immediately heading to the balcony. He watched him gather up and clean the dishes without a word, turning in his seat to see better. It felt somewhat domestic the way the half-Sephi went about putting things where they were meant to be immediately, and it did save Morgan the trouble after cooking. Thinking about it gave the prince a fluttery feeling.

He blinked and moved to stand when the cleaning was nearly done and headed out the door to the balcony, bringing his bourbon glass and bottle out with him. Morgan settled comfortably into a seat and poured more bourbon, then lit a cigarra as Emryc appeared in the doorway. He took a slow drag and allowed the smoke to pour lazily from his lips, drifting lazily away over the railing. Golden eyes watched it go as a familiar buzz ran through the Firrerreo and relaxed him. They glanced at Emryc and then out over the vast city, head cocked slightly to listen to the whisperings of the wind and distant urban mutterings.

"Just far enough," the Drast said back, sounding almost a little sad. He took a shorter drag and tapped a bit of ash habitually into the tray placed on the small table between the two chairs. Eriadu was within Sith space but far from the Eternal or the groupings of other Sith, and his apartment was near but outside the busiest parts of the capitol city. It was a nice place to come back to, but often lonely, being one of the few places he could honestly be who he was.

"You're the first person in that chair." The comment was sudden and he wasn't entirely sure why he'd said it at all. Not a soul was allowed in Morgan's living space and the two balcony chairs had come with the apartment, but Emryc being in the chair next to him felt like it was how it'd belonged all along.

Morgan sipped his drink and stared out at the city in silence for a few seconds more, looking pensive.

"Would you play a drinking game with me?"

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc looked over curiously when Morgan mentioned he was the first in the chair. He almost made a quip about why Morgan himself never bothered sitting in it, but it died in his thoughts as others took its place. Silver eyes fixed on him for a moment as he exhaled his cigarra smoke. The Firrerreo wasn’t looking at him and Emryc’s gaze instead ran along the sharp angles of his jaw, the ears with the piercings, the new haircut he had given him.

He thought about the way Morgan had been about his brands and revealing them. He thought about the incident with Dorian. Emryc drew in from the cigarra and exhaled again, never removing his gaze even as Morgan asked about a drinking game.

“Morgan,” He said quietly, curiosity in his eyes, “Am I the first man you’ve been with?” Emryc paused before continuing, “...By choice.”

He wasn’t sure why he cared about this or why it mattered, but he felt compelled to ask. Emryc was always guarded by nature, but he had been far more transparent with his prince. He wasn’t sure what the boyfriend distinction changed, but he had urges to learn more about the man.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Darth Stolas]

Morgan blinked, then sipped his drink again and set it down. His expression was complicated and for a moment there was a flush of silver that was soon replaced by a light gilding over his neck and shoulders. Golden eyes turned to find silvers, the bright orbs as sharp as they were affectionate.

"You are." In any meaningful way worth remembering, at least. The courting on Firrerre didn't count, and the rare physical fling happened while still mostly dressed and without feelings or real trust. Morgan inhaled more calming smoke and reached his other hand over toward the other man, slender fingers settling over his leg. Light filtered from the windows behind them, casting the many patterned brands on the young Firrerreo's arm in sharp relief against the relative darkness of night.

The prince tilted his head slightly as if to look at Emryc's features from a different angle. The muscles of his face and neck, the handsome features and the tapered ears, the strong eyebrows that so complimented his stoic looks. Those beautiful silver eyes Morgan was so very fond of, sometimes burning with yellow in a way that sent shivers down his spine. Morgan smiled brightly over at the half-Sephi.

"I never thought it was something I wanted," he stated softly, eyes never leaving silvers. His true self and the markings on his skin had long been secret and he'd been afraid of being seen as who and what he was. Morgan had been denied that his entire life, that intimate closeness and trust. Now that Emryc saw him, really saw and loved him for it, he felt free beyond words.

"But I do. So long as it's you, cheri."

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc quietly looked at him when he truthfully answered. He knew it was a strange topic - Emryc normally cared very little for these things. He thought back to their first time and the passion that had been there. He thought he would have wanted to change some things if he had known back then, but in the end it was exactly as it should have been. He still felt that rush through him whenever he kissed Morgan just as he had that first time on the broken ship couch.

He smiled at Morgan after a while, leaning back comfortably in his seat, “Come here,” He said simply, gesturing for the Firrerreo to walk towards him. When he would, he grasped him by the hand and invited him to sit on his lap to allow them both to gaze out at the skyline ahead. An arm comfortable wrapped around Morgan’s waist, tugging him close. He had grown to treasure this feeling.

“I’ve never loved another before you,” Emryc said after a while as he tilted his head slightly to smoke. Smoke plumed out of his nostrils as he kept gazing ahead, fingers tenderly grazing against Morgan’s stomach. When he spoke next it was very quietly, “And I don’t think I ever will.”

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Darth Stolas]

Emryc's request was acquiesced easily, the prince rising from his chair and walking over. The half-Sephi took his hand to gently guide him to sit and he sank softly into the new seat. It was a comfortable and familiar closeness and he could feel himself immediately relaxing further as an arm found it's way around his waist. Slender fingers lay over it, a thumb tracing the lines of muscle and idly playing with his fingers. He looked out over the railing into the city ahead, leaning back a little while a content purring vibrated from his chest.

The half-Sephi was at an excellent vantage point to watch how every inch of skin from Morgan's shoulders to his face flushed gold after what he said. Trilling laughter sang unbidden from the young man, bright and joyous as the morning sun in just the same way as in the cafe on Terminus. Emryc always managed to somehow find the words Morgan liked to hear in that blunt manner of his and he found it both amusing and incredibly endearing. But also embarrassing.

Of course he didn't want him to stop. Morgan loved that part of him too.

"I am glad to be so treasured," he softly said before pausing to take another drag and tap more ash into the tray. "I feel the same." Affectionate purring noticeably intensified and he pressed back into Emryc as if to be as close as possible, his warmth contrasting nicely to the chilly night air. The Drast's thoughts turned on their own to all the little things he'd observed in Emryc and the bits of his past he'd learned or been told. They lingered on Andraste's figurine for a moment, now filled to the brim with song.

"If I was to love someone I think it was meant to be you." It was almost poetic, he thought, considering their backgrounds. He squeezed Emryc's hand and was content to simply watch the city for a time, steadily going through drink and cigarra. After a while his eyes turned to the balcony railing, head tilting slightly at it.

"Railing is a surface."

@Sreeya