(no subject)

[thewidewideworld]

{From here}

Sinric leans Athelstan into their rooms. It's clear he hasn't slept there either. Even the mead cup sits on the table when he left it.

He draws Athelstan towards the bathroom. "Will you bathe with me?" His voice is soft and gentle. "Your clothes smell rather strongly of goat."

Comments

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric eases them into the water till they're comfortable in the water. He breaking the kiss to fetch a cloth, moving wash Athelstan's shoulders.

[athelstanthescribe]

He's covered in hay dust and goat hair that found its way in under his clothes, and he turns into Sinric's touch.

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric is gentle and careful, picking off the bits of straw and wiping away the dust. "May I wash your hair?" Sinric asks, his voice so very soft.

[athelstanthescribe]

"Yes", he says quietly, not saying that Sinric doesn't need to ask - because he thinks he understands why he is asking.

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric moves slowly, gently untying Athelstan's hair. He guides Athelstan to dip his hair in the water so he can rinse it out, rubbing the shampoo through deeply to massage Athelstan's scalp as he does.

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan lets himself slip down into the water, putting himself entirely in Sinric's hands.

[thewidewideworld]

He washes and massages and takes gentle care of Athelstan. As the rinse the shampoo out and starts working through the conditioner, he presses a little kiss to Athelstan's shoulder.

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan reaches back to rest his hand on Sinric's leg, where it's stretched out beside him.

[thewidewideworld]

The touch draws a soft sound from Sinric. Not really a purr but a sigh at least.

[athelstanthescribe]

"I'm sorry", Athelstan murmurs again, straight from the heart.

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric shakes his head again and pulls Athelstan around into a soft kiss. "Please don't." He whispers, trying to keep tears from his eyes. "We can't change what is."

[athelstanthescribe]

"Sometimes I think - "

I should just stay there until it's over.

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric lowers his eyes. "I must go back. To my Emperor. I will visit here often but I can no longer wait here, always fearing you will not return."

[athelstanthescribe]

"You have your life to live", he says quietly. "I don't want to hold you back."

[thewidewideworld]

"Just as you endure to sooner be with Ragnar, I endure to sooner set him on the path to you, as I have been preordained to do. If that is all the point of my life, it will not have been in vain."

[athelstanthescribe]

"But you live beyond that", he says, turning his head to look at him. "As far as we know."

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric forces a small smile. "And if I'm fortunate, I will see you again after that. But I will have done what I think I will be given my freedom to do."

[athelstanthescribe]

"Perhaps", he concedes. "And when it's done, you'll truly be free."

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric shakes his head and smiles, genuinely this time. "I will be truly free because I do it. Not a duty to discharge but an honour to be carried."

[athelstanthescribe]

He doesn't really understand, but the smile gets a more real one in response because it's the first he's seen from Sinric for a while.

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric kisses him again. Not a kiss to silence Athelstan, or to stop himself from speaking but a kiss borne of a need to share with Athelstan things Sinric cannot put into words.

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan leans into it, trying to do the same thing - not the pain, but his gratitude and love for Sinric for being one of the people trying to ease it.

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric breaks the kiss after a long moment, trying not to push and deepen the kiss.

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan's eyes turn a little sad.

"So patient", he murmurs.

[thewidewideworld]

Sinric shakes his head, lowering his eyes a little. "No, not so patient as I may seem. But practice has made me accustomed to putting another's needs first."