[Sauti PRP] Back in One Piece | Nimueh/Callum

[Painted Moose]

Scarlett Arbuckle

In his youth Callum had been dissuaded from crying, and on principal, very rarely did so into his adult years. However, he'd found it to be far more therapeutic than any other method thus far. Foreign substances could only quell the tide for so long, and fake smiles had such a short lifespan. Nimueh was one of the few who walked this earth that Callum felt free enough to let his guard down, and even though he was sobbing, the act itself took an immense weight off his soul.

Their battles weren't over; rather, a fresh round was just beginning. There were still so many unanswered questions, and Callum wasn't entirely sure Nimueh was capable of answering them all. It was obvious he'd sustained a near deadly head injury, one that effected his mind. He'd already seen him struggle to remember a word, one that made up half his being; alkidike. How could he just forget that?

He wasn't expecting the touch, and yet, Callum gravitated towards it. It was nostalgic in so many ways that a fresh wave of tears slipped out of him. This time, however, he straightened just enough to rise up and drape one of his arms across Nimueh's lap. The swordsman canted his head to the side, propping himself up against his husband's thigh with a tentative smile. Callum knew how horrible he must look; how could he not, with his eyes burning so much?

Those fingers that caressed the base of his neck sent shivers down Callum's spine. They were too warm to be anything other than alive, and the sensation was still so new it shocked him.

"Yeah, it will be... because I'm not losing you again." Callum angled his leg so that he could rise just a little further, pressing the flat of his palm against NImueh's hip. He was close, so agonizingly close, and yet, the nearer he got to his target the more Callum hesitated. How many times had he looked into those endless, sunbright eyes and felt at peace? And yet, now he was so afraid...

"Can I...can I hug you?"  

[scarlett arbuckle]

Painted Moose

It wasn't easy, to see a loved one cry; especially when you were the cause of it. One's first instinct was to interfere, somehow - to try and quell the rush of tears by wiping them away, or changing the subject or, in other heartless cases, fleeing until the storm had passed, and the tears had dried. But there was, at the same time, a level of intimacy and love that came through such a vulnerable moment. A connection that reached deep into one's soul - as painful as it was to see Callum here, sobbing so hard his body shook, Nimueh also felt a relief that he could still provide this comfort.

All at once, this felt like a sort of rebirth. These wouldn't be the last tears that they shed from this; it'd be naive to think that the pain of his absence could be forgotten or brushed away so easily, but their closeness in this moment seemed to have broken the tension that had been hanging between them.

Now that Nimueh had touched him, he didn't feel he'd be able to stop - he prayed that his husband wouldn't pull away, after he'd calmed back down again. The contact seemed to be a good idea, though - as Callum lifted his tear-ruddy face, moving back up the length of his body, until he was no longer thrown to the floor, but instead half propped on the edge of the chair.

Every point of contact tingled, heating pleasantly under the pressure. The warmth across his lap - up his thigh, then finally settling against his hip, a gentle, welcome pressure that tempted him to just grab for Callum and pull him against him, hard. Busted knee or not, he could do this--

But for that quiet fear in Callum's eyes, he likely would have. Instead, he respected his pace, even as his fingers twitched against the warmth of his neck, his free hand cautiously dropping to caress his cheek, thumb following the line of his cheekbone. "Yes. Please." He urged, eyes lighting up in relief. This time, rather than waiting for the slow crawl of movement, Nimueh nearly folded in half as he leaned down to meet him, embracing his lover fully. He stayed there for a long second, his cheek pressed to Callum's tear-streaked one, kissing his temple. Then, he straightened back up, half pulling Callum up with him from his kneeling position.

Too eager, maybe - but he prayed Callum didn't blame him for it.  

[Painted Moose]

Scarlett Arbuckle

Yes. Please.

Callum's knee jerk reaction to Nimueh's progressive contact was to move away. He pulled his torso further from his husband than he'd initially wanted, and leaned from his touch until the initial panic went away. The intention had been to go slow...something simple so as not to overwhelm himself, and yet, Nimueh had other plans.

The fact that his husband was even here to change his fate was enough to push his nerves away, once again. When it seemed as if Nimueh might pull away Callum raised his arms to ensnare Nimueh's torso. It brought Callum up to his feet, body bent over to keep the contact without daring to put any pressure on his husband's injured knee. He was so terrified to touch it that his body was comically angled away from it, and yet, Callum held onto Nimueh as if he would disappear the moment he let go.

Ever so gently, he nuzzled his face into the crook of Nimueh's neck. His lips grazed the other man's jugular, inhaling the oh too familiar scent that had eluded him for years. How could he have ever forgotten what he smelled like? It was like he was rediscovering Nimueh all over again. His arms ventured from the larger hybrid's torso to coil around his neck so that Callum's lips could drift northward.

"You're going to be the death of me, Nimueh; no doubt about it."
.  

[scarlett arbuckle]

Painted Moose

With the initial rejection, Nimueh's lips had pressed together, quietly resigned, even as he felt his stomach flip uncomfortably with anxiety at the motion. He'd gone too far-- too fast - and even while he understood it, to an extent, he still felt a tightness of emotion in his throat that made him feel suddenly childish, throwing a fit when things didn't go his way. Chastened, he did just as Callum expected and began to pull back, an apology already halfway out his mouth, before he grabbed once again, feeling the welcome pressure of Callum gripping him, hard.

Nimueh held him in equal turn, his eyes closing in peaceful bliss, turning his head so he could nuzzle against the curve of his lover's ear. His fingers sank into thick, flowing cloth around Callum's figure.

It was hard to ignore the no doubt awkward contorting Callum was stuck in, trying to hold him without jarring his injuries,
so Nimueh helped by shifting his leg out, his arm sliding down to grip his hip, gently pulling him so he could sit, propped,
on his good leg, leaning his weight against Nim's opposite arm and torso.

It was hard not to laugh, breathlessly, at the soft exclamation, pressing chaste, sweet kisses along Callum's cheek again.
"Mm- no. Want to be a good, boring husband. Starting now." He joked, weakly, bumping their temples together fondly.  

[Painted Moose]

Scarlett Arbuckle

FIN

Through layers of Belrean fabric Callum could feel Nimueh's heart beating away. It was hard to believe that after such a long a time something so grand could happen, and while Callum knew there were challenges involved, he couldn't help feeling giddy. The more the truth resonated in his soul the lighter it became, and the closer he wanted to be to his husband. It felt...strangely relieving, and nerve wracking all in one.

His movements were measured, tentative, and all around removed from what he considered 'normal' for them. Despite this, however, Callum didn't shy away; rather, he sidled onto to Nimueh's exposed leg, nestling his hip against the other man's.

Long, scarred fingers slipped into his husband's hair to massage the scalp beneath. Callum's touch was gentle; even though he knew this to be the 'good' side, he still didn't know what sort of underlying issues Nimueh had or if his head ached in anyway. As badly as he wanted to be close he wouldn't risk harming the younger man.

"Boring?" Callum shook his head before pressing it against the other's. "I don't know if we can, but I'd like to try." If it would keep his husband closer to his side for longer than a few years at a time then Callum would try. Their relationship could hardly be 'healthy' for either of them, considering their history, but he was past the point of considering anything else. He'd tried it; moving on, stepping away from Nimueh. Inevitably he always came back to the memory this beautifully aggravating man left behind, and now that he was here Callum was content.