[Closed] @eidxiety🐎🌹

[winterbolt]

Angelina is a black horse with white markings on her face in this sorry I can't picture her as being any other color-

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[eidxiety]

[Ain will at least help get Angelina parked in there and make sure everyone is good to go for the night before he grabs all his stuff and hauls ass inside. It's fucking cold. Like, yeah, the desert is cold, but the mountains? They're gorgeous and also not any better in terms of the temperature drop. The stables are uncomfortable for humans... not for horses, the horses will be fine with their horse blankets, but god.

The lady running the front desk this late just nods at them. Ain keeps his head down so she can't get a good glance at him and ask about the one room thing, lifting his voice an octave to sound more girlish for now while he checks in and drags them off.

Unlike with the last inn, this one is a lot nicer. It's not a presidential suite or anything, but it has a little couch on one wall and a small place to cook via a wood-burning oven. This mountain town seems to be more touristy than anything, at least until they get further up where the houses are, so it makes sense they'd want people to stay. Ain tucks his stuff into a corner by the couch and then thrusts two apples into Wolfwood's hands.

Is he still wearing that collar Ain gave him?]

Okay. Talk whenever. [Ain sits down on the bed, cradling his bruised knuckles.] Tell me why you're back, tell me why you left in the first place and are suddenly taking it back... and whatever else you feel is pertinent, I guess. Then I'll decide if I'm still heartbroken or not.

[lupusxylem]

[He sure is! It hasn't once left his neck. It's still there even now, metal charm jingling softly as they walk, though he feels like he's pretty much switched on autopilot for the time being with how out of sorts he is. His face throbs where Ain punched him, and he feels no better now than when he first arrived, not knowing yet...how he's going to be received.

But he's here now. He managed to catch up with Ain before he got too far away from him. So, theoretically...the only way he can go from here is up.

He doesn't even really have much of a chance to admire the nicer room before Ain is handing him a couple apples, cluing him in to remembering that he hasn't eaten anything fresh in four solid days. He may not feel like eating, but his body ends up kindof making the decision for him nonetheless as he takes a huge bite out of one of them, taking a seat across from Ain on the other side of the bed.

He won't presume that he's allowed to sit right next to him. Not yet. Instead, he'll eat that apple (carefully, because ow) as he mulls over what to say.]

...m'back cause...I regretted leavin' you the moment you were gone.

[He murmurs around the apple, rubbing it with his thumb.]

I left 'cause...I dunno. I guess I got...spooked. Everythin' was happenin' real fast, yaknow? [It's not the truth. But it's not a lie, either.] And I'm...worried, about you bein' safe around me.

[...]

I thought really hard about it all. An' I realized I didn't...wanna keep bein' without you.

That's why m'here. And I get it if you don't believe me, or ain't gonna forgive me, cause...it was a shitty thing to pull on you outta the blue, only to not even commit in the end.

[eidxiety]

[Ain looks like he's going to cry again, oh no. Look what you do to him Wolfwood. You make him cry.

Ain has his hands folded in his lap, fidgeting with his sleeves in an anxious, nervous tic of his that he's never quite gotten rid of. Wolfwood probably hasn't seen it before, considering Ain was normally quite put together. Alas, there's a first time for everything.]

Yeah... that's my fault. For things moving fast, I mean. I don't know what got me so attached to you so quickly. I honenstly was going to sleep with you maybe... once or twice, and then steal your stuff and bail while you were sleeping. That didn't wind up happening, and I really enjoyed your company, and then...

Oops.

["Oops" because he fell in love, but Wolfwood knows that. Presumably he heard it, Ain's assuming he did, or else he might not be here in the first place.]

I don't want to take anything I said back. I do have feelings for you, and I spent four days crying about it. And I get if you don't reciprocate, that's fine, you don't even have to say anything. But... if you want to stay with me, and you're serious about it, you need to know it. And you need to not be weird about it, either. If you're going to leave, leave. If you're going to stay... then stay.

[lupusxylem]

[...well, there it is. Ain just admitting with his whole chest that his plan was to seduce him and rob him blind, exactly how Wolfwood suspected from the start. But honestly, at this point? He feels like Ain would have gotten better off if he had done that from the beginning, instead of letting his feelings get so wrapped up in him. Maybe he wouldn't have gotten hurt like this, were that the case.

He actually scoffs, even though he doesn't really mean to and quickly covers it by coughing into his fist, taking another bite of that apple quickly after. Because yeah, it was fast. Too fast for a man who only just realized he was gay.

But at the same time...would Wolfwood have realized he feels anywhere near the same way for Ain, if he hadn't said it first?]

...well. I can tell ya one thing for free.

[He turns the apple, offering Ain a bite of it from where he hadn't bitten yet.]

I ain't goin' anywhere. We still got mountains to see.

M'just. Sorry you had to go through what you did for me to get that.

[eidxiety]

[Yeah, unlike Someone Here, Ain has decided to be fully honest. So yes, he was planning to steal your stuff and leave, Wolfwood, but then you kept sticking around and he wanted companionship instead. Sue him. Sue him and his quick-to-fall-in-love ass, this is why he just robs people instead of trying to make something of his life and his relationships. "Relationships".

Ain doesn't take the offer of a bite, shaking his head instead and motioning for Wolfwood to continue eating because he looks like shit and two apples may just fix him. Please get some fruit into you, lord.]

...I'm not gonna say "it's okay", because it's not, and you're still a dick. [Wow.] But... I still love you, and I'll forgive you only because you chased me all the way here. I don't know how you kept up with me, and I don't know how we're gonna get the wagon equipped with three horses now, but...

[He scoots across the bed, closer to Wolfwood, and plants his chin on the man's shoulder.]

...we can think about that later. I need a long break after all of that.

[lupusxylem]

[Tell him you love him. Say it back, you fucking coward.

Wolfwood continues eating, the first apple having been bitten all the way down to the core. If he were outside, he would have fed this to the horses. Instead, he lightly tosses it onto the floor to be collected later, weighing the other fruit in his hand for a moment as Ain finally crosses the tenuous gap between them and lays a head on his shoulder.]

It don't hafta be okay. I know I was in the wrong. There's nothin' I can really say to get around that.

[Miracle upon miracles. He's actually admitting to his own faults.

...he lays his head against Ain's.]

I pushed Angelina day and night. Only slept when I was about to pass out on her back. [If Ain was wondering why he looks like shit so much] I...honestly didn't even know if I'd find you or not.

[eidxiety]

And yet she looks five hundred times better than you. I thought you looked a bit gaunt.

[Meanwhile Angelina just sat there nibbling on Elria and having zero problems with anything, damn. She's probably eaten all her hay by now, but she didn't appear worse for wear. Ain was pushy with his horses too, granted, but they had regular breaks. He supposes it makes sense that Wolfwood caught up, then, if he was pushing while Ain was taking breaks and also "sleeping" at night aka crying in the back of the wagon.

He could've left that wagon instead of buying Dachie, but four days of supplies were not gonna fit on Elria's back. Hunting on the way could've happened, sure, but somehow this was easier. In the end, he's glad he went with the second horse and wagon idea instead of crying into sand at night. Crying into a wooden floor is obviously so much better.]

I spent my nights crying into your old coat in the back of the wagon. It was pretty pathetic, haha... I was trying so hard not to break down in front of you or other people, so everything came out as soon as I made it out of town. I really did think I could convince you to stay back there just by being cute in your general direction.

[But Wolfwood also led him on super hard sooooooo Ain's ignorance was kind of justified.]

I'm only half-sorry for decking you. You scared me! You know it's dark in the stable, and you could've been a serial murderer, right?

[lupusxylem]

I coulda' been. It's for the best you got a killer right hook. Nobody's gonna mess with you any time soon.

[The way he says that is excessively fond despite the fact Ain clocked him good, his face still aching and already starting to blossom with a nice dark bruise that will be there for the next couple weeks. He's lucky Ain didn't punch him in the eye, he'd be much worse off if he had.

As Ain explains how distressed he was during the trip over, crying day in and day out over him...Wolfwood decides to set aside the second apple for a second, less interested in eating it and more concerned with Ain next to his side. It's not hard for him to imagine poor Ain just bawling his eyes out, he just wishes that hadn't happened to begin with.

Because of him.

...

Even though he knows Ain might fuss at him for ignoring the other apple, he'll shift just a little so he can open up his arms for Ain, not wanting to...presume, but also leaving the offer there for him to take.]

C'mere.

[eidxiety]

[The way Ain collapses right into Wolfwood's arms says a lot. He's been trying to keep it together, but hasn't been doing well... There's a sniffer and whimper as he flattens his face into Wolfwood's chest.

Aaaaaaaaaa...

The hug he gives Wolfwood is suffocatingly tight.]

I missed you. I'm glad you followed me. I'm sorry...

[Wahhhhh :( ]

I love you.

[lupusxylem]

[And he wraps his arms around Ain the moment he falls into them, gathering him up close to his chest in a hug that rivals the one they shared the night prior, when Wolfwood was busy having his breakdown about being gay. There's still a sort of...tension charged within this one, but Wolfwood hopes that will fade with time. He has a lot of ground to make up for, a lot of things to fix...but now that he's decided what he wants to do, he thinks it will work out.

He wants to be with Ain. That's the starting point. He just needs to build up from there.]

Hey. Don't apologize anymore, kay? I missed you too. M'sorry too.

[He kisses the crown of Ain's head, rocking him a little as he pulls him even further up into his arms until he's sitting sideways in his lap, one hand resting between his shoulders while the other cradles the back of his head.]

I promise, you didn't do anythin' wrong. I jus' got caught up in my own shit...and forgot about what was really important.

[eidxiety]

[The pathetic sniffling will continue until morale improves.]

I love you, [he repeats, with increasing desperation,] I'm glad you're here... I-I'll stop crying in a minute...

[Will he, though... At least Wolfwood's hugs and that kiss help a bit. Ain's not full-on bawling, but he is relief-sobbing into Wolfwood's chest. His shirt will be all set and gross.]

Will you stay with me tonight? You're n-not gonna wander off again?

[lupusxylem]

[Ain tells him he loves him, again. And Wolfwood's heart aches. It screams.

He wants to say it too. But it scares him. It fills him with the urge to flee again, which he doesn't want to do.

Because of that...he doesn't. He can't. He turns away from it, so as not to end up finding himself falling back into that same hole he dug for himself again.

Instead, he'll focus on what he can do: hold Ain tight, pressing another lingering kiss to his hair.]

I told ya I ain't goin' anywhere. I'll be with you tonight, and every other from now on. ...if you'll have me.

[eidxiety]

[Ain notices, but honestly, he's the one who told Wolfwood that he didn't have to say it back yet. That'll become an expectation later, but Ain knows that he's sort of uh... Ridiculous right now. Maybe it's not actually love and he's just starved for companionship! Who knows!

(Ain knows. Ain knows he has a bad habit of doing this, dammit, but he can't help it. The heart wants what it wants, et cetera. The heart is also incredibly fucking stupid.)

He cries for a minute more before he feels the least bit better, releasing his hold on Wolfwood before he thrusts that second apple into his hands again.]

I'm gonna wash my face off.

[He is Sorry for crying on you.]

I'll be right back. Please eat more before you die on me.

...

And yes, I'll have you. I thought it was obvious by now.

[lupusxylem]

[Please Ain, he deserves all of your tears on his clothing and more. He doesn't even mind.

He will take that apple though, albeit a bit reluctantly since it means he isn't holding Ain anymore. He tosses it between his hands, nodding. Maybe it's a bit silly to think that Ain wouldn't have taken him back after all of that, but...if their situations were reversed, he sure isn't sure he would have. But that maybe says more about him as a person than it does Ain.

Wolfwood gestures with the apple as Ain steps out.]

It'll be gone before you get back.

[Maybe while Ain's gone, Wolfwood can calm down enough so that it doesn't feel like his insides are vibrating anymore.]

[eidxiety]

[Yes, it says Ain is so small and so lonely and so wants to be held at night. Sue him he's a romantic. Not like it was obvious with his stupid little guitar and penchant to sing love songs.

He does take some time scrubbing his face. Half because dirty, half because he's all puffy-eyed from crying. He takes his braid down, too, and generally tries to get ready to rest.

Ugh. He looks so ugly right now. Why does Wolfwood want him again? His eye bags are permanent (they're not permanent) he's hideous he looks like a teenage girl who's boyfriend cheated on her. Ughhhhhhh.

Anyway, after five minutes, he comes out of the bathroom looking less Red around the eyes thanks to cold mountain water he splashed on his face. He has a cloth in one hand, and he sits down with it and dabs at Wolfwood's bruised face. It... Is fucking freezing. Welcome to the mountains.]

I think my nails cut you when I punched you... Sorry, haha.

[Dab dab dab.]

We can find some ice in the morning for your bruise. I'm sure the staff here have some.

[It's the mountains. Ice is fucking free here.]

[lupusxylem]

[Just as promised, Wolfwood has finished the apple by the time Ain returns, and even went so far as to clean up the cores so they're not just sitting on the floor. Honestly, he could use a full-blown shower after traveling for four days straight with barely a break for sleep, food, or bathing, but eh. Ain hasn't commented on how bad he stinks yet, so maybe it's not as bad as he thinks. Either way, he doesn't mind letting Ain spend as much time as he needs to wash himself up, still feeling particularly guilty for making him weep like that in the first place.

Also he wants you because you're cute? And perfect?? God Ain keep up-

The icy coldness of the cloth actually shocks him as it touches his skin, causing him to flinch and inhale a sharp breath briefly before relaxing a fraction, his brows slightly furrowed. He knows it'll feel better in a second, but damn.]

Nah...s'fine. You were aimin' to kill, though. If you punched me in the right part of my nose, you woulda' probably killed me instantly.

[eidxiety]

Mm... Let's be glad I didn't, then. You really scared me.

[Wolfwood is lucky Ain went for the right hook to the cheek instead of anywhere else. He didn't know he could hit that hard, but to be fair, it was dark and Ain is a criminal! And feminine! And everyone knows women who travel alone are in danger from random men, okay. Who's to say Wolfwood wasn't some sicko who thought Ain was female in the dark??

He will hold the cloth to Wolfwood's face and dab at the microscopic claw marks and bruising until it gets warm. And clean the dirt away while he's at it.

And yes, Wolfwood is stinky. They're both stinky. Speaking of—]

You need a bath. You have mud caked in your stubble. What did you do, faceplant into a puddle?

[lupusxylem]

[Wolfwood doesn't blame him at all for it, because he's pretty sure if he were in that position, he would have kicked himself in the balls. So, uh. Thank you Ain for not doing that.

He leans into the touch of the washcloth as Ain wipes his face, wincing a little every so often when he presses on the bruise a little too hard.]

I did sleep on just a bedroll on the sand every night, so probably.

[Also sandstorms. Those happen relatively frequently, and they're not so easy to avoid when you don't have a wagon you can take temporary shelter in.

Wolfwood then tilts his head a little, gently nudging it into Ain's palm.]

Wanna take one together?

[eidxiety]

Who's sleeping with the scorpions now...?

[Okay. He's probably been mean enough to this bruise. Theoretically the cold will help the swelling, but not if they don't have ice. At least the fingernail cuts are cleaned? They can wring this cloth out and keep scrubbing when they're actually in the bath, too.

Ain hops to his feet and kicks his shoes off.]

Yeah, I do. It's gonna take a bit for the water to heat up. [Those coals were not hot when he went in there, obviously.] Let me get them ready. I'll do our laundry in the morning, too.

[Disappearing into the bathroom now, Wolfwood can follow if he wants to—]

[lupusxylem]

Haha...look, I didn't say it was a good idea.

[Yeah no hi he is following you now, stop going away...stop leaving...he doesn't want to be alone anymore-

Not that there's a whole lot he can do to help since heating up the coals is a one person job. Hm.

Well, he can go ahead and start stripping his very, very sandy clothes. There is so much sand everywhere, in everything. So much for his blazer being brand new and pristine, he supposes.

Don't look now Ain he is just stripping down right there he's about to be ass-out.]

[eidxiety]

[Looks over from where he's heating up the water...

Pinches Wolfwood's left buttcheek.

Heehee.]

You're getting sand all over the floor.

[But at least this isn't like the beach where sand somehow gets in your asscrack? So there's that. Anyway, once Ain gets the coals going, he'll strip down, too. He's got a button-down on today, and that means painstakingly undoing every single button. Enjoy that Wolfwood, Ain's hopping into the water while it warms.]

[lupusxylem]

[wow hey-

Wolfwood startles a little when Ain pinches him, prompting him to look over his shoulder with a low Oi as it happens. He's already naked by now, kicking his underwear to the side as he turns to watch Ain unbutton his shirt, just barely managing to keep his hands to himself as it happens.

Only when Ain is getting in does Wolfwood follow after, trying to shake off as much sand as he can before getting in and ruining it.]

A lil' sand ain't the worst thing this place has seen, I'm sure.

[It's fancy, but that doesn't mean the clientele is.

He groans softly as he sinks into the hot water, stretching out as much as the confines of the tub allow with his arms resting along the sides.]

[eidxiety]

[Meanwhile, Ain... just moves right up to Wolfwood and lays on his chest for a minute. Hi. We're going back to how things used to be and you can't say no this time.]

On the way here, I passed by a meadow, and a waterfall, and a cave. And we probably shouldn't walk into a cave, but now that you're here and I feel better, I kind of want to walk into the cave.

[This is like the fucking snake thing all over again.]

[lupusxylem]

[Ain! Why do you crave danger. Why.

Unlike all of those other times where he was hesitant and nervous about it, this time?

Wolfwood sinks back a bit further into the tub so he can let Ain lay on his chest properly, resting one of his hands against his back.]

Yeah? I didn't notice.

[Yeah you were too busy bum rushing across the desert to notice literally anything.]

We could visit those if you want, though. But don't you wanna check out the mountains, first?

[eidxiety]

Yeah! But these are also in the mountains! [Kicky feets while he lays in the tub like this also how are you bending like this, Ain, how flexible are you. He's flopped over on Wolfwood chest-to-chest and bent at the spine because Must, this bathtub is pretty big but it's not That Big. What the fuck.] So we can look at them too, and it counts. I would've stopped on the way if I wasn't sad.

[He was very sad and just wanted to sleep you see. Now he's very happy and not sleeping because yayyy Wolfwood is here!!]

We can check out the rest of this town, though. It seems pretty cute.