Yearning
Nepthys stood at the window, waiting for Isaac to bid his friend farewell. He had overheard some of the conversation, only a little bit on purpose, and assumed Isaac would need further company tonight. He was, as always, right.
Isaac half stumbled through the front door, seeking Nepthys out. He sighed, upon seeing him there, dressed in one of his shirts and holding a cup of tea that had long since gone cold, before lazily draping himself over him. Nep found himself sighing as well, running his free hand along Isaac’s spine in slow, soothing motions.
“Something happen?” Nep asked simply, resting his cheek against Isaac’s head.
“Saved a noble from a starcatcher. I killed it. Noble now knows who we are.” Isaac huffed, nuzzling into Nep’s shoulder. Nepthys knew Isaac was withholding some key details, but he also knew that he would tell him eventually. Isaac was not fond of the pressure and tension that came with keeping secrets.
“Well… I’m just glad you came home safe and sound, beautiful.” Nep hummed, moving his hand to instead run it through Isaac’s hair. Isaac sighed out a soft, flustered giggle, further melting against Nepthys. “Other than that, did you have a nice night out?”
“Mhm. Got some information, too. I’ll tell you about it in the morning, though. Kinda tired.” Isaac hummed quietly, keeping his voice quiet and soft. Nepthys was being so sweet to him, he couldn’t help trying to return the favor. “How was your night… Uh, gorgeous…?”
Nepthys felt himself smile, lips quirking up ever so slightly. “It was absolutely dreadful, being apart from you for so very long. I nearly died, actually.” Isaac peeked up at him, squinting, examining his little smile and flushed cheeks.
“That would’ve been a shame, considering I would’ve had to follow right behind you. I would much rather die yours than live in a world that had even the slightest possibility of forgetting your name.” Isaac whispered, cupping Nep’s cheek in one hand while resting his other on his hip. He straightened up slightly in order to rest his forehead against Nep’s, gently brushing their noses together. Nep blinked, reflexively tensing up. He was feeling rather conflicted, at the moment. He wanted nothing more than to lean into Isaac’s affections, however, the man was clearly intoxicated. He’s typically a bit of a bumbling fool, one who treats any and all conscious forms of intimacy as a foreign language. He did not want Isaac’s drunken attention, he wanted them to live and breathe as one. So, he sighed heavily, and he leaned ever so slightly back.
“I’m sure you would, my dear, but I think it’s past your bedtime. Come on, let’s get you to bed.” Nep cleared his throat, placing his mug on the table before gently taking Isaac’s hand, leading him to their bedroom. He helped Isaac change into sleepclothes, reminded him to brush his teeth, coaxed him into drinking a glass of water. The entire time Isaac went back and forth between humming, praising Nepthys, and prattling off random and obscure plant facts. Nepthys humored him halfheartedly, all the way until the two were tangled under their blankets and Isaac was barely conscious.
Nepthys found himself examining Isaac’s features in the dim light, as he so often did. From Isaac’s crooked nose, to his long eyelashes, to his countless scars and few freckles. He could never quite pinpoint what it was that he found so alluring about Isaac, why it was that he felt drawn to him from the very moment they met. Perhaps he just was, he assumed, or perhaps it was simply nothing he would ever be able to name. He supposed it did not matter. Knowing the “Why” would not change anything. He would still see Isaac in rose colored hues and early fall sunrays, even while others looked on in fear and disgust. He still felt safe and complete next to him, as if this was where he was meant to be all along. He made him feel weak, and he felt like maybe it was okay to be weak. To be soft.
He brushed some of Isaac’s hair out of his face, watched him lean into the touch despite being sound asleep. He sighed, leaning in and pressing a ghostly kiss to Isaac’s forehead.
“Sweet dreams.”
—
Isaac awoke slowly, drifting between worlds softly. Bits and pieces of what had transpired the night prior came to him as he did, and he felt the anxiety and regret creeping in even before he opened his eyes. He felt Nepthys’ form curled against his back, and so, embarrassment joined the myriad of other sour feelings at the back of his throat.
Not only had he brazenly made an unwanted advance, but he had also allowed Nepthys to take care of him afterwards. Isaac felt that it was abundantly clear that their relationship was not of that nature, and yet he had still… Gotten too close.
Nepthys tightened his arms around Isaac momentarily, nuzzling against his back in his sleep. Isaac felt his chest tighten with an emotion he had yet to name, and he came dangerously close to realizing what everyone else around him had previously realized. Could he still consider this a complicated friendship, one where he harbored one sided feelings, if Nep slept in his clothes, was the big spoon each and every night, ate off the same plate as him, got jealous if he spent extended periods of time with people other than him, and so on and so forth…?
But then he brushed that aside, telling himself that was simply wishful thinking.
So, he did what he did each morning. He silently slid all his complicated thoughts and emotions in a box hidden deep behind his ribs, and locked it tight, before gently detangling himself from Nepthys, sliding out of the bed. He did not leave the room before ensuring Nepthys was secure under their blankets, tucking him in slightly.
Then he got everyone’s day started with breakfast. And things were as they always were.
—
Nepthys got a more detailed explanation from a rather guilty sounding Isaac shortly after he finished eating, listening silently with an eyebrow quirked. In all honesty, he didn’t see this as entirely too dire, but he did want to tease Isaac.
“So. You revealed your identity not only a nobleman, but one who just so happens to come from an incredibly powerful mage family? And, not only that, but you got little information on Prince Ezil aside from the fact that people want him dead…?” Nepthys drawled, leaning back in his chair and crossing his legs, folding his hands in his lap. The action was far less intimidating than he had intended for it to be, as he was still wearing nothing other than Isaac’s shirt and he had unruly bedhead. Isaac blinked at him from across the table before swallowing thickly and nodding. “Hm” Nepthys paused, cocking his head to the side. He saw Isaac’s eyes dart down before he panicked and returned to making anxious eye contact with Nepthys. “That is rather disappointing, my dear. I must admit, I expected a bit better from you. A mistake such as this, however, may require I puni–”
“Ahem.” Kaiyo interjected from the doorway, looking vaguely disgusted. She looked between the two men, crossing her arms. Isaac startled, quickly averting his gaze, staring at the floor. “Isn’t it a bit early for this?”
“My apologies, Kai. Isaac was just making me aware of something that occurred last night! Good morning, though.” Nepthys giggled, relaxing. His eyes never strayed from Isaac for long, though, fixated on how red his ears had grown. He loved flustering Isaac. Relished in how easy it was to turn him into a stammering mess, incapable of functioning properly. However, he supposed it was likely a bit early for such antics, so he did occasionally look away from the redhead.
“Yes, I’m sure that’s all this is.” Kaiyo sighed, running a hand down her face. She was deliberately ignoring the state Isaac was in for her own sanity. “Anyways, I’m going out shopping. Do either of you need anything?”
“Uh, no, thank you.” Isaac mumbled, hugging his knees to his chest. This motion did not go ignored by the man sitting across from him.
“I could use some more thread, if it’s not too troublesome!” Nepthys hummed, getting up and leaving the room momentarily. He returned and handed a few coins to Kaiyo, who simply nodded and pocketed the money before silently excusing herself. Nepthys turned to continue picking and poking at Isaac, but Isaac briskly brushed past him, mumbling about how he should get ready for work.