He had to smirk just a little at Hugh's assertion, especially when he was still (mostly) in said lace. Having that power over Hugh was intoxicating. It would have to be taken advantage of, but carefully. There was no point in overusing a good thing.
Hugh wiped the smirk right off Emmrich's face as he crawled up and got in position. It felt like so long since he'd been touched, and then Hugh didn't even pause, didn't wait, simply took Emmrich in and drove the air out of the mage's lungs. And then he still didn't wait, moving right away and keeping the tension around Emmrich's cock intense, and doubling down with the kiss. It was so much, so suddenly, and he whimpered as Hugh plundered his mouth.
His hands went to Hugh's hips, not to slow down or control, but so he had guidance for meeting Hugh's movements. There was an obvious eagerness in his response; for all that he'd enjoyed making Hugh frantic Emmrich still desperately needed contact.
When the kiss broke he was panting, expression dazed. "The bites, more, please." He'd never sought pain, but between the snap and how good Hugh's teeth had felt it was becoming clear that at least a little bit felt quite lovely and he wanted more of that. Not like it would take too much more at this point to tip him over the edge, and with that thought he returned one hand to Hugh's cock, stroking in time with their matched thrusts.
The grand irony in planning a wedding, an event meant to declare publically and solidify a couple's devotion to one another, left outrageously little time for proper intimacy. If Hugh had been keeping track (which he wasn't — honestly, really), he and Emmirch hadn't properly fucked since the first night after they had returned.
Now, full to bursting with long-neglected lust and Emmrich just as desperate underneath him, was making up for lost time with interest.
Hugh swallowed those whimpering noises Emmrich made, feeling them thick as honey on his tongue as he rolled his hips, teasing out whatever noises he could. Much as he enjoyed Emmrich playing his part as the domineering love, even when he was being fucked Hugh loved to make him writhe. When the kiss broke, Hugh grinned broadly at the request.
"Bit of a minx for a little sting, aren't you?"
It was all the warning Hugh gave before he dipped his head and started to drag his teeth along Emmrich's already tender neck and shoulder. Bruising kissing punctuated by bites with just enough force to leave marks without breaking the skin he knew Emmrich would feel for days.
That cockiness only lasted so long, however. Once Emmrich found purchase on his hips and matched pace, Hugh couldn't keep a clear head. The pressure in his groin tightened, threatening release. Hugh moaned, the sound brittle and turning into whimpers of his own between kisses that turned into goading nips as he bucked his hips, trying to get Emmrich to fuck him deeper.
"Minx?" he asked, sounding outraged with one eyebrow as high as it could possibly go. But further protest was efficiently cut off by Hugh choosing to apply himself instead of continuing offense. Emmrich's head fell back against the headboard as the soreness was exploited and magnified, making breathy noises as he was so well-taken-care-of.
Hugh's request got a broken hum of acknowledgement. If he wasn't being so attentive to Emmrich's neck, Emmrich might tease him, prolong it, but there'd been enough teasing today. His grip tightened on Hugh's hips and he thrust upward, giving his partner his all.
"Anything for you," he groaned. "Been such a good boy, dearest. So good." It was a fight to last, to make sure Hugh got everything he needed first, but then he was hit by inspiration. Emmrich cast lighting again, just as carefully as before, letting his touch radiate tingling where he clutched Hugh.
Hugh could stifle his laughter against the hollow of Emmrich's throat at his lover's indignation at what Hugh considered a fair observation. At the back of his mind, Hugh stored away the sight of Emmrich bristling at the remarks and committed it to memory. That was a string that could be plucked at a later time.
Laughter broke into a drawn-out moan as Emmrich's cock hit his prostate. He keened, and moved against Emmich's grip on his hips in a bid to chase that feeling as his love took him in hand. Hugh had nearly found his voice again, wanting to beg Emmrich and assert he was good, good enough for him, and then Emmrich made him see stars.
Hugh's vision went white as he doubled over, toes curling and arms wrapping around Emmrich's shoulders. The thrum of Emmrich's magic, the firm grip around his cock, and all while being fucked, held safe in the other man's arms. It was overwhelming as Hugh cried out once, then spilled across Emmrich's chest and stomach. Shaking like a foal, Hugh gasped and heaved, collapsing against Emmrich as he continued to move his hips in shallow, weaker thrusts.
Somehow even better than Hugh coming for him, on him, clenching tight around him, was what he came to. It was Emmrich's magic that had guided him over the edge. For so long he'd held back, worried that that part of him might not be welcome. But it was. Hugh had so clearly absolutely enjoyed it.
Heart full, Emmrich needed only a couple more thrusts upward until he too was releasing, gasping, sliding his arms around Hugh and holding him close so they could come down together.
"There, love," he breathed, pressing the side of his face to Hugh's. "My gorgeous darling." Emmrich trailed fingers up and down his partner's back as their breathing got closer to normal.
Tiny white and blue dots winked in and out of Hugh's eyes, and he could have sworn he just got fucked into the edge of the Fade itself for a moment. Crashed against Emmrich, he could feel their hearts thud wildly against each other as sweat cooled on their skin. Never before Emmrich had he been so whacked after sex. Up until nearly a year ago, he had spent his entire adult life scratching that itch and then going about his day as if nothing happened. Emmrich was magic, alright, and not just because of that little trick with the lightning.
Hugh let himself settle a moment longer in Emmrich's embrace before he started to get antsy. Leaning back, he shook his head hard enough he almost heard something rattle around until his vision righted itself. Already, Hugh could feel Emmrich's spend and his own go from pleasently warm to dry and tacky. Not wanting to get up and clean just yet, Hugh came up with a different solution.
Stretching his legs, Hugh slid down in Emmrich's arms until he was almost laying on his stomach. Propped on his elbows on either side of Emmrich's waist and at eye level with the older man's abdomen. He looked at Emmrich with a warm, sleepy smile before leaving his tongue just above Emmrich's navel, lapping up his own spend and showing just how appreciated his release was.
Satisfied he got most if not all of it, Hugh rolled onto his side and rested his head on Emmrich's thigh. Still smiling, Hugh looked up at Emmrich almost expetently. No matter who brought who off, it was typical of Hugh to want to curl himself on top of Emmrich, usually in a position where his hair would be stroked. He was a glutton for the attention afterward and would be the first to admit it.
"Maker, you're incredible," Hugh managed with his voice rough and reedy. "I don't think I'll be walking the rest of the night."
He was starting to think about maybe proceeding with a bath and relaxing there when Hugh scooted down, sliding out of his arms. Emmrich gave him a slightly tired, confused look that transformed into pure desire when Hugh started cleaning him. He exhaled shakily as he watched, wishing he was about two decades younger and able to quickly jump into a second round. It was fine that he wasn't, though, he reminded himself. Hugh didn't seem bothered by them shifting to cuddling after one round most of the time.
Emmrich smiled, amused, as Hugh looked up at him with an incredibly readable expression. The response was of course immediate. He threaded his fingers through Hugh's hair and gently played with it, tracing patterns lightly against the man's scalp.
"In that case, when I've recovered a little more I'll go retrieve the gift from the living room so you can give it to Manfred in the morning. He'll be more delighted to get it from your hands than to find it simply there for him." His smile went very soft. "And thank you for the compliment. I'm very glad you enjoyed that."
The last part especially, he thought but wouldn't say. Obviously Hugh enjoyed being told to be good and told what to do. That had been a given for quite some time. Hugh would do a great deal for praise. Speaking of...
"The snap was creative. None of my previous partners have tried that." None of his previous partners had pushed him the way Hugh did either. Emmrich treasures this relationship so very much; it's everything to him. "Though your word choice means that we'll be choosing between spice and lavender cake for the wedding. I'd like every chance of keeping a clear head at our wedding possible and now there are images and memories associated with 'hazelnut.'"
A bath would be heavenly right now, but Hugh was more inclined to stay right where he was. Every shift of his weight pulled at a different muscle that twinged with a deep ache. The pain was the sort he could stand to revel in a while longer. Being fucked until he felt like he just limped away from a fight was strangely exquisite. Emmrich had been holding out on him until tonight.
When Emmrich carded his fingers through his hair, blunted nails scratching his scalp, Hugh closed his eyes as his face relaxed in an expression of pure bliss.
"You're selling yourself short, love," Hugh said as he cracked open one eye. "I think I'm going to be in danger of my trousers getting tight if so much as my socks pick up static on the carpet."
Idly, Hugh reached around his head and started to toy with the stocking strap still lashed around Emmrich's thigh. Not enough to snap it again, Hugh just needed something to do with his hands. Even after being fucked into the mattress it was never long before the urge to fidget reared its head.
"Bit of an impulse, really." Hugh admitted, but he'd remember that for next time. "And I didn't hear a 'skeletal.'"
At that, Hugh fully opened his eyes and looked up at Emmrich with a curious expression.
"What was all that, anyway? Your safeswords and such, what's the point? Forgive my ignorance here, but you'd never hurt me."
His gaze darkened at the thought of Hugh being turned on from something so small in the future, all because of him. Maybe he can leverage that in the future for some lovely shoved-against- something time.
Hugh's hand going for the strap cut those thoughts short, making his breath catch briefly. It was just idle play, though. Emmrich started to relax against the headboard. He could easily fall asleep here. And then Hugh asks about safewords, and he couldn't not explain.
"Sometimes there's a very thin line between pain and pleasure, between enough and too much. Sometimes one's mouth says stop when they don't actually want things to stop in those situations. Sometimes someone says don't stop, but the gaps between the words make it difficult to be certain if they mean those words together or separately. Safewords are to make it clear that a boundary has been or is about to be crossed. Mm. Take lightning as an example. Its intensity can make it quite difficult to communicate well. Having just one word you need to say if you need things to stop is much easier."
He continued threading his fingers through Hugh's hair. There were so many things he'd learned during his student years that he'd thought many were familiar with.
"Also if I'd been more dominant on the whole, you might have been hesitant to draw a line where you needed it. The words are simply meant to make sure everyone is safe if things veer in an extreme direction. It doesn't hurt to be safe when trying out things that are new to at least one involved party."
"If either of us is communicating well with a magic dildo shoved up the arse, then clearly something has already gone incredibly wrong," Hugh snorted. His language always became more candid and colorful when they were like this.
Some of what Emmrich was saying made sense, but for the most part, Hugh didn't see the point. If he wanted Emmrich to stop, the word alone should suffice. Even it didn't, which was absurd because Emmrich was always gentle, the man was half his weight soaking wet. The confusion was clear on Hugh's face as he mulled over what he was being told.
"This is an experience thing, isn't it?" Hugh asked after a protracted silence, looking back up at Emmrich. It wasn't accusatory or something like it, just a plainly stated question. "You're either holding back, or I should already now all this."
He laughed quietly at the first, for it was a good point. He definitely had difficulty communicating when Hugh was inside him. The other got a blink before Emmrich was shaking his head, hands smoothing over Hugh's shoulders reassuringly before one went back to his hair.
"Or, perhaps, neither," Emmrich said with a small smirk before shaking his head again. "I do have additional experience that I haven't introduced yet, but it's not that I'm holding back, or that there's some sort of sex primer you missed. When fighting the gods there truly was no space or time for kink, and we're still finding a routine with living together."
He went quiet for a few moments, playing with Hugh's hair and thinking. "A safeword can help if you hit previously unknown limits, or fears, or boundaries when trying something new. Take being tied up, for instance. It can be liberating, in a strange way, but I did tie a fully consenting partner who then discovered it set off traumatic memories. If they'd simply said stop, we would have stopped, I would have waited for more guidance, and perhaps they would have been overwhelmed with panic or anxiety. They used their safeword, so without any further clarification I got the rope off them with great haste. They didn't need to say anything more."
Emmrich shrugged. "I've also been submissive once, fully so, and knowing that I had that word let me relax. I've never quite managed to dominate someone, but even tonight I did like knowing that there was something to signal clearly that a line was crossed. You're not always... communicative or forthcoming, and I want to never hurt you."
"I'll study a sex primer if you're the one teaching," Hugh said with a suggestive waggle of his eyebrow. "Would there be a quiz afterward? Please tell me it concerns this 'additional experience' I'm just now learning about."
He knew that Emmrich wasn't keen on the whole professor-student thing for good reason. Whereas Hugh's formal education ended when the Chantry in West Hill was razed, Emmrich clearly had no interest in bringing his active professional life into the bedroom. There was no loss to either of them, but Hugh did like to tease on occasion.
The mood shifted as Emmrich went on, and the space between Hugh's brow furrowed as he considered what was being conveyed. Being tied up didn't immediately appeal to him. Confide spaces could remind him too much of the Deep Roads, but he wouldn't dismiss it entirely. Emmrich would know more, and perhaps that was where a safeword would come in handy. Hugh didn't know his own limits because this was all uncharted territory.
If that wasn't enough to make him second-guess his proficiency between the sheets, Emmrich pointing out Hugh's reticence certainly hammered the point home. Hugh winced at the reminder and, now more clearheaded, was replaying the day's events that led them here. He doubted this line of conversation would lead them into another near-fight like in front of the restaurant, but it did get Hugh thinking. About them, about certain disparities between them that were meaningless when they were saving the world but steadily becoming apparent as they settled into an actual life together.
"Emmrich, can I ask you something?" Hugh lifted himself onto his elbows, off Emmrich's lap, and reclined in a half-sitting position to be closer to eye level. "What we're talking about now and everything that's happened today. Does it...bother you that you're older than me?"
"I'll see if I can find time to write that between all of the other things I'm writing," Emmrich said dryly. "But there may be a few books that can assist with learning more in the library. I'll take a look tomorrow."
The thought of having to take lead in all of it was daunting, which felt odd until he considered what had been going on of late. He'd had to keep taking lead. He'd had to plea for Hugh to think about them, fail, and then plea for Hugh to only vanish for two months, he was having to make nearly every call about the wedding, he was trying to get Hugh to realize that he had worth as a person, and it was so very much on top of being a professor teaching and mentoring multiple students, while having an apprentice.
He needed a break in the bedroom. He needed to not have to make all the calls, and that's why teaching sex and a 'quiz' simply didn't appeal.
Hugh's question surprised him, but it almost felt like it fell parallel to his own thoughts. Emmrich exhaled, looking past his partner as he tried to sort out the full answer to that because oh, was it complicated.
"Yes and no," he finally said. "I'm no longer nervous about the age difference. But I feel you often expect me to take point on everything because I've more experience in the world, rather than partnering with me on matters. Taking the obvious example of a wedding -- I've never planned one before. I've had fleeting fancies, it was a dream to find someone to marry, who would marry me, and then I'd stopped looking as I prepared for lichdom. I don't have some grand vision. There are so many details, details that apparently matter to the people that do weddings as their jobs, and it isn't making it easier on me for you to step back. It puts all of the work on my shoulders."
He shook his head. "You are my partner. I have gotten over my issues with our ages. But I think matters would be easier if you could accept that you are my equal. That you are a person, deserving of life, love, happiness, freedom, and joy. That my offer to buy a cottage wasn't a simple, silly whim, it was saying that I want you to have what you need to be happy. I... I think I need you to start figuring out who Hugh Thorne is. I didn't think of that as an age issue so much, as personally I feel the Wardens made you feel like who you were was inconsequential, but it feels relevant.
"I treasure what I know of you, what I've seen of you. You should try treasuring it too."
The brevity and clipped way in which Emmrich responded to what Hugh thought was gentle, playful prodding at first now had him on edge. A nerve had been struck, and it put Hugh on tenterhooks as if he had just heard the distinct 'click' of a wire trap being sprung. All levity had fled the room, and now Hugh was faced with the cracks in a new foundation beginning to show.
It was then that Hugh noticed Emmrich didn't just look annoyed or unimpressed by Hugh's flippancy and the turn of events but tired. This wasn't only about the wedding. Hugh realized maybe a little too late but that in the next month, he would be leaving Emmrich with a ludicrously unbalanced timetable. Between work and wedding arrangements, the latter Hugh had dragged his feet on at almost every turn, and he'd be handling everything by himself. Emmrich would have, at best, Hugh's sporadic and unplanned appearances for the next two months, where he'd be shipped off to Maker knows where with no idea when he could so much as send a letter.
At some point, Hugh had sat up, legs drawn under him to where he moved to the opposite side of the bed. He was still close to Emmrich's side but far enough apart to start to feel the chill of the room's still air against his cooling skin.
"I..."
Hugh glanced down at his hands, fingers picking at the skin around the nails as he fidgeted to fight the guilty flush burning across his face. Swallowing the lump that choked in the back of his throat was about as easy as forcing a stone down, but he managed. He wanted the words to be right, but he struggled even to get that far in his own head. Hugh took a deep breath and met Emmrich's eyes again or tried to. What he liked less about how poorly this made him feel was Emmrich not looking at him.
"I think when I said that I trusted your judgment and didn't want to screw things up was only partially true," He started, cautiously as if feeling the shape of the words around his tongue before speaking them. "The other part of me was relieved I wasn't making the calls anymore, that I wasn't 'in charge' for once. That isn't fair to you, and I let my fears gnaw at me because of it.
I know it won't be a walk among the roses, and don't take this the wrong way, but maybe the next two months will let me...well, it will give me time to think. You're right about everything, but figuring out who Hugh Thorne is shouldn't be your burden to bear when I'm not doing much to begin with."
Hugh then reached out and placed a hand on Emmrich's knee,
"What I do know about Hugh Thorne is that he wants this, that he wants you. That he meant what he said: that a wedding is only a day, but he wants to be with you forever."
With a reticent smile that waned, Hugh gave a weak and breathy laugh.
"Alright, now I'm talking in the third person. I— should we maybe clean up? We can spend the rest of the evening going over some of the arrangements, maybe sneak up to the gardens later and just sit. Whatever you like."
He felt guilty when Hugh started to talk, immediately hearing how nervous he'd made the man he loved. It was good that they were talking about this, good that it was being thought about, but the space Hugh was taking said Emmrich had made him feel judged and that hadn't been his intention.
Once Hugh stopped talking, Emmrich met his eyes with a small smile, took the hand on his knee, and raised it to his lips for a kiss.
"And I want to be with Hugh Thorne forever," he said in his gentlest voice. "Thank you for the acknowledgment, and I'm sorry that I voiced my thoughts in a way that clearly made you feel uncomfortable."
Emmrich glanced toward the bathroom. "I think those sound like excellent plans." Hugh's hand got another kiss, a squeeze, and then he released it so he could start to scoot off the bed. Hugh thinking about himself while dealing with Warden matters seemed especially fitting; if anything could break the man away from viewing himself as a sacrifice maybe that would finally do the trick.
He grabbed a clean cloth, ran water into the washbasin, heated it, and wiped himself off quickly before grabbing a second one and bringing cloth and basin back.
"What set of arrangements would you least mind tackling with me? If we choose a date we can also tackle the invitations, which are..." He shook his head as he sat back on the bed and gently began to clean Hugh, washcloth perhaps wandering just a bit more than was necessary. "I knew there were a great many varieties of paper. I had to go over many sorts with the publication of my books. I also know what I prefer to take notes on, and give written exams on. But invitation paper is ridiculous. Further, there's a booklet on all of the font choices and their meanings. Which are, of course, different in different nations and we're sending invitations out to people of every nationality. Which is not selling the task, I realize after I've said all that. So. Flower arrangements? Table arrangements? Final guest list? Ceremony parts?"
He'd even inquired about hiring a wedding planner, and likely still would, but it seemed like they didn't do the planning so much as make sure the plan stayed on track. Truly there was a great deal to do.
"That's the thing about the truth, love," Hugh used his other hand to pull Emmrich in close enough to kiss his brow. "It won't always be a comfort, and I don't want that standing in the way of speaking from your heart. Especially to me and especially when it concerns us."
Hugh knew that went both ways, as he was already well aware of his own shortcomings. This was a work in progress, and by now, he had accepted that anything meant to last was. There would be a lot in the fallout of the next two months. Apprehension and dread hung over them both — it would be the first time apart in over a year. As Hugh watched him gracefully slide off the bed, he knew Emmrich was worth it all.
"How about— Maker your hands are too clever by half," Hugh was about to get a word in edgewise when Emmrich's hand holding the warmed washcloth cleaned somewhere already oversensitive, and he had to fight against his own short refractory period.
Once recovered, Hugh pulled a dressing gown off the baseboard of the bed. His own was a gift from Emmrich, larger and more plainly designed. Hugh rarely wore it, usually only when he was up and about in the mornings when Emmrich and Manfred were still there, and he didn't want to be seen in the buff by the latter accidentally.
"How about we start with the flower arrangements over a glass of wine," Hugh continued where he left off, hooking his chin on Emmrich's shoulder and running a hand up the other man's arm. "Then work on the table arrangments. We can even make a game of it — by category or Worst Possible Seating Arrangments, the Funniest, and the one we officially settle on."
"Likewise," he said quietly. "I want to hear what you're thinking and feeling."
The upcoming two months were terrifying in many ways. The worst was the chance Hugh might simply not come back; even though the assignment was leading a troop transfer Emmrich had no faith that it would stay that simple. Why would it, when this was the last opportunity the king and queen of Ferelden would have to use Hugh? There was also a chance (slim, but his mind refused to let go of the thought,) that after a break Rook would decide he'd simply been infatuated and swept up, and no longer was into Emmrich. It wasn't a ridiculous possibility considering Hugh was going to be trying to figure out himself. Perhaps Emmrich wasn't truly what Hugh wanted.
All that was certain was that Emmrich would be stressed about Hugh's safety, he'd struggle to get to sleep without the man's warmth near him, and he'd have more time to work on the wedding and his own job but he didn't welcome that.
They'd just have to make the time they had before then very worth it. Emmrich's smirk at the comment about his hands said he'd been going for a reaction just like that, but he didn't follow up any further. They were going to actually get something done.
He took back the basin, put the cloth in the laundry bin, and added the panties to the pile before unbuckling, pulling down, and putting to the side the stockings. They'd take special care. After choosing his purple and silver dressing gown he was glad to return to the bed to where Hugh was, and leaned into the touch.
"That sounds good, except for the part where I have to move again," he teased before indeed getting right back up. Emmrich took Hugh's hand for another kiss because why not and lead the way out to the main room.
"If you don't mind getting out and pouring the wine, love, I'll locate what I have for those." He took a seat on the couch and started going through the folders, pulling out everything he had on flowers and setting that in one pile before doing the same with the guest list and all the notes on tables and fitting them into a place.
Emmrich grabbed a lap desk, his quill, ink, a few additional pieces of paper, and sat back with the first stack. "So the obvious central flowers are lilacs and lily of the valley. We will want an arrangement for each table, smaller ones for Neve and Bellara to carry, and I need to remember to ask Taash if they'd like to carry one or not," he said, making a note, "and a central one for the ceremony itself. There's the option of an arch for us to marry under that would be covered in flowers which I'm not certain on. It's romantic, but it may feel like gilding the lily, so to speak."
Just from a slight shift in expression and movement in those hazel eyes of his, Emmrich's thoughts were deafeningly loud. Hugh could tell he wasn't the only one thinking about the impending two-month intermission in this relative peace they had created for themselves.
For a while now, Hugh had wanted to allay any fears Emmrich carried, but nothing that came to mind seemed sufficient. The last thing Emmrich wanted to hear was how Hugh's average deployments were months longer and often in far worse conditions, with any correspondence regulated to wishful thinking. That wasn't going to help Emmrich sleep at night, or Hugh for that matter. Within the last year Hugh had been sleeping better than he had in, well, his entire life. The thought of not having that heartbeat against his ear at night was already putting dark circles under his eyes.
Only that was the future, and Hugh wished to remain in the present for as long as they could. After stealing one more kiss, Hugh let himself be led out into the main room. As Emmrich settled, Hugh made his way to the impressive wine cabinet tucked into the corner. After retrieving two glasses and a bottle of Montsimmard white that he had been wanting to try settled on to the long back couch beside Emmrich.
"Be a love and chill these for us," Hugh asked as sweet as honey after generously pouring two glasses and setting them down. One benefit to being engaged to a talented mage was never having to wait for a properly chilled glass of white.
Hugh sat with his arm propped on the back of the couch, listening to Emmrich's thoughts before offering his own.
"Taash should be in Rivain next week. I planned on swinging by to say hello." If by 'hello,' Hugh meant he was going to get ripsnorting drunk at the Hilt after helping Taash and possibly Davrin hunt down something gargantuan. "I'll ask them."
Hugh then made a thoughtful noise between slow sips from his wine glass — sweeter than he normally liked, but the tartness was agreeable. He made a note to consider it for a dessert wine when they started planning the menu.
"I thought we could make space in the library and hold the ceremony in there," Hugh said. "Room could be made, and we could wreathe the banisters in flowers without it being too overwhelming."
Somehow they'd survive, one way or another. Emmrich had to believe that.
"The true reason you're fine with having a mage around," Emmrich teased as he touched the glasses and chilled the wine instantly. "I'm useful. And excellent. Please make sure to consider how you're getting home rather than trying to wander the Crossroads alone and drunk."
Previous trips had been as a group, splitting up for various activities and then there'd been assistance to get the inebriated warriors back to the Lighthouse. But Emmrich hadn't been invited, doubted the other mages (or rogue) were, and wasn't going to foist himself on Hugh's plans. Separate outings, even with mutual friends, were healthy.
He blinked at the idea, and felt a little silly for not thinking of it first. It would be far safer than the Lighthouse, considering the lack of abrupt edges.
"I like that. I'll have to consult with Audric and make sure he's all right with the idea, but I can't see him having an objection. And then the reception could be in the main hall, under the bell. There's plenty of room for tables for sitting and eating around the edge, and the center could be used for dancing. It won't be the first celebration to happen there by far."
And he can't see Myrna or Vorgoth objecting either. There's just one concern.
"Will everyone be fine with the sheer quantity of skeletons wandering around, do you think?" He was mostly concerned with the Fereldans, but even while everyone else had been exposed to Manfred, they were used to that single exception to the norm rather than the usual skeleton helpers.
"Oh, don't sell yourself short. You're leaving out being able to make me cum until I'm cross-eyed with that little sparkle trick," Hugh tilted his glass in Emmrich's direction in an approximation of a toast with a wink before taking another sip. "As for the last part, just don't be surprised if you wake up to Taash sleeping on the couch."
For the same reasons that Emmrich only asked Hugh if he wanted to meet with Viago and Teia in Treviso for a lengthy tour of the local art museum or opera to be polite, Hugh hadn't asked if Emmrich wanted to tag along. They respected each other's diverging interests, and in the end, that worked for them. Even when Emmrich was less than thrilled with the warriors of the Veilguard stumbling around his pristine apartment with raging hangovers.
"The Lighthouse could still play its role," Hugh said as he got back on track, "Maybe host the rehearsal dinner there? Keep the guest list smaller, make it a more intimate affair before the ceremony proper.
As for the skeletons..." He shrugged with ambivalence. "They're well-behaved, right? Late enough into the reception, I don't, anyone cares who or what is pouring their wine."
"Exactly. Useful," he said, smile growing as he took his own first sip. "I'll be sure to have the fire blanket on the couch just in case." Blankets that could smother fires were invaluable for mages. While he hadn't had a bad reaction to a nightmare in decades, there was always still a risk. And now they knew a firebreather who liked getting drunk with his fiance, so there was an added benefit to having one.
The suggestion got a nod and Emmrich made a note. "Us, our attendants, earring bearer, and officiant. Then it's entirely people who have been to the Lighthouse before as well, so there's no requirement to warn them or guide them in."
It would be bittersweet to be back there with this group. Sweet, because of all the memories attached to the place, and bitter because they were down one. Emmrich knew he'd check out the building that used to be Lace's if it was accessible, but he also knew he'd be saddened if the garden had done what was most likely and fallen apart.
"We'll include a note with the invitations regarding them so everyone is forewarned." There, locations were settled nearly for certain as he truly couldn't imagine any objections. "So. Just lilacs and lily-of-the-valley, or do we want pops of yellow in there as well, or more purples and whites for variety? Actually, for the banisters perhaps yes, a little more since that will be a continuous length. For the others we could keep it simple with just the two? Further shades can be introduced with the table fabrics and place settings."
"And thoughtful, too," Hugh added with a crooked smile.
Taash had yet to visit, and the last time they stepped foot in the Necropolis, it had been to put down the demon-possessed corpse of a centuries-old dragon. Part of Hugh knew Emmrich would cut no corners if it meant softening Taash's opinion of the place. Even if that meant their first night here potentionally nursing a powerful hangover.
"The Lighthouse just feels..." Hugh drew his legs up onto the couch as he reclined further into the cushions, closer to Emmrich as he settled in with his thoughts and fiance. "I don't know, sacrosanct. I'd love for it to be part of the wedding, but only a small part with the people who would truly appreciate it."
The ceremony itself would have more people, guests of friends he had never met and only knew in passing. To try and fit them all into their little safe haven tucked into the Fade was a logistical nightmare that sat ill with him for more reasons than just that. It had been home when Hugh thought the word had lost all meaning, and he wanted to keep it close and undisturbed.
"Yellow would be grand," He agreed readily, happy for his thoughts to drift back to something less melancholic. His attention then drifted to watching Emmrich start to work himself up into the moment, his love already weaving the mental image of flowers twisting like colorful vines up the library banisters. Emmrich was getting excited, and it was cute when he got excited.
At some point, the grey and purple silk of Emmrich's dressing gown slipped over his shoulder. Hugh's gaze immediately fell on the elegant slope of pale, slightly olive-toned skin like a hawk spotting movement on the forest floor. Setting his wine glass down, Hugh leaned forward as Emmrich continued.
"What about azaelas?" Hugh asked, casually as though he wasn't now pressing his lips to Emmrich's shoulder as a hand slipped under the lap desk and rested on Emmrich's knee just under the hem of the gown. "They come in yellow."
"I understand. It does." The Lighthouse had been their haven even more than a base of operations. After he'd arrived, whenever something had gone wrong they'd regrouped and supported each other at the Lighthouse. It had felt safe despite the disasters going on in the waking world.
It would be perfect for a small reunion.
At Hugh's agreement Emmrich happily made the notes, estimating the ratio of yellow to purple and white that would liven it up without being distracting, sketching the banisters to remember how long the ones facing the main study area were, as that would be the best part of the library to commandeer.
"Perhaps five every section, and azaleas--" he cut off as he was kissed and touched. He hadn't even seen Hugh moving in. "Um. Yes, yellow azaleas would look fantastic. They, bright, yes."
Thankfully he could at least function enough to write down 'yellow azaleas' on the paper.
"Um. The Lighthouse won't need them." Emmrich half-turned his face, looking clearly tempted to start kissing Hugh back. "And maybe around the, the dance floor. The room can, you know. Be sombre."
It could all be sombre. He liked that usually. Almost always. "That, ah, that's the flowers, then?" They'd been going to talk table arrangements too, but he'd had enough time to recover and Hugh's touch never failed to make him respond.
He could always play hard to win over, though. Or rather, he could try to play it even though he knew he was eternally transparent. "Funniest seating arrangement, Mila and her father with the Shadow Dragons. Dorian's always, Archon Pavus has always been flummoxed by children, while Maevaris, um, I think Maevaris would be delighted at the least."
"There are pale ones with streaks of white I saw at the florist's," Fingers teased the bend of Emmrich's knee as Hugh continued to talk as if nothing had changed. "Lemon lights, I think she called them.
"Those and some enchanted sconces would liven up the ballroom, skeletal company notwithstanding."
The bite marks that peppered Emmrich's skin from his shoulder to just beneath his jawline had gone from welting red to blushing pink. Hugh smiled at his handy work before pressing a kiss to the largest indentations of teeth on his love's skin just above the clavicle.
Peering down, he could also see that Emmrich's normally impeccable handwriting had started to become more inconsistent and drift out of the margins. The note 'yellow azaleas' had a too-long whorl on the 'y' that nearly cut into the paper from pressure from the quill before Emmrich righted himself.
"If we're humbling the leadership, then I suggest it would amuse to seat Isabela with the Ferelden king and queen," Hugh said as his mouth trailed up the length of Emmrich's neck until he was kissing him just behind the shell of the other man's ear. At some point, his hand had started to wander north to Emmrich's inner thigh. "From what Isabela intimated last time we caught up at the Hilt, it'd be an interesting reunion."
Emmrich's leg twitched as Hugh's hand moved, but that was nothing on the shudder that ran through him as one of the earlier bites was teased. If he hadn't been assured of how bad he was at acting unbothered before, he'd be very convinced now.
...but he was liking this game, too.
"Lemon lights," Emmrich repeated. It took a moment for his brain to work so that he could write that down, along with enchanted sconces. Normally they were enchanted to be green in the Necropolis, but he could mess around with the shades and see what worked best.
"And I don't, oh," he breathed out. The continued kisses had been excellent, and the gentle current kisses were lovely, but they worked especially well as Hugh's hand kept drifting up. Emmrich closed his eyes and enjoyed it for a few seconds before trying again to focus. "I doubt that would humble either. We can, Evka and Antoine."
Evka and Antoine deserved better company, but they'd manage it. Everyone deserved better. But also he wasn't going to try to make someone feel awkward or ashamed about their past sexual history.
"If eight a, a table... No, six. Six, then five tables." He could not think. Or count. But he was pretty sure that would be enough tables. They didn't have a massive invitation list, which he knew was going to cause some comment considering what they'd done this last year and his own status, but Emmrich wanted an event where he could mostly relax. Only mostly, with the Queen and King there, unfortunately. If they came. Maybe they wouldn't. Either way, he had a beautiful, amazing partner beside him who deserved far better than him dwelling and he was weak.
Emmrich turned his face to indulge in a short kiss, trying to see if that would be enough to tide himself over to get through a realistic seating arrangement.
"The complicated, difficult table, difficult guest, will be Johanna." No one deserved to have to deal with her either for the whole thing. He'd put her with the Fereldans but he didn't want to risk the skull being smashed. "With Isabela she might, could be fine. And Rowan."
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Hugh wiped the smirk right off Emmrich's face as he crawled up and got in position. It felt like so long since he'd been touched, and then Hugh didn't even pause, didn't wait, simply took Emmrich in and drove the air out of the mage's lungs. And then he still didn't wait, moving right away and keeping the tension around Emmrich's cock intense, and doubling down with the kiss. It was so much, so suddenly, and he whimpered as Hugh plundered his mouth.
His hands went to Hugh's hips, not to slow down or control, but so he had guidance for meeting Hugh's movements. There was an obvious eagerness in his response; for all that he'd enjoyed making Hugh frantic Emmrich still desperately needed contact.
When the kiss broke he was panting, expression dazed. "The bites, more, please." He'd never sought pain, but between the snap and how good Hugh's teeth had felt it was becoming clear that at least a little bit felt quite lovely and he wanted more of that. Not like it would take too much more at this point to tip him over the edge, and with that thought he returned one hand to Hugh's cock, stroking in time with their matched thrusts.
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Now, full to bursting with long-neglected lust and Emmrich just as desperate underneath him, was making up for lost time with interest.
Hugh swallowed those whimpering noises Emmrich made, feeling them thick as honey on his tongue as he rolled his hips, teasing out whatever noises he could. Much as he enjoyed Emmrich playing his part as the domineering love, even when he was being fucked Hugh loved to make him writhe. When the kiss broke, Hugh grinned broadly at the request.
"Bit of a minx for a little sting, aren't you?"
It was all the warning Hugh gave before he dipped his head and started to drag his teeth along Emmrich's already tender neck and shoulder. Bruising kissing punctuated by bites with just enough force to leave marks without breaking the skin he knew Emmrich would feel for days.
That cockiness only lasted so long, however. Once Emmrich found purchase on his hips and matched pace, Hugh couldn't keep a clear head. The pressure in his groin tightened, threatening release. Hugh moaned, the sound brittle and turning into whimpers of his own between kisses that turned into goading nips as he bucked his hips, trying to get Emmrich to fuck him deeper.
"Close—" He gasped, "Please, more..."
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Hugh's request got a broken hum of acknowledgement. If he wasn't being so attentive to Emmrich's neck, Emmrich might tease him, prolong it, but there'd been enough teasing today. His grip tightened on Hugh's hips and he thrust upward, giving his partner his all.
"Anything for you," he groaned. "Been such a good boy, dearest. So good." It was a fight to last, to make sure Hugh got everything he needed first, but then he was hit by inspiration. Emmrich cast lighting again, just as carefully as before, letting his touch radiate tingling where he clutched Hugh.
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Laughter broke into a drawn-out moan as Emmrich's cock hit his prostate. He keened, and moved against Emmich's grip on his hips in a bid to chase that feeling as his love took him in hand. Hugh had nearly found his voice again, wanting to beg Emmrich and assert he was good, good enough for him, and then Emmrich made him see stars.
Hugh's vision went white as he doubled over, toes curling and arms wrapping around Emmrich's shoulders. The thrum of Emmrich's magic, the firm grip around his cock, and all while being fucked, held safe in the other man's arms. It was overwhelming as Hugh cried out once, then spilled across Emmrich's chest and stomach. Shaking like a foal, Hugh gasped and heaved, collapsing against Emmrich as he continued to move his hips in shallow, weaker thrusts.
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Heart full, Emmrich needed only a couple more thrusts upward until he too was releasing, gasping, sliding his arms around Hugh and holding him close so they could come down together.
"There, love," he breathed, pressing the side of his face to Hugh's. "My gorgeous darling." Emmrich trailed fingers up and down his partner's back as their breathing got closer to normal.
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Hugh let himself settle a moment longer in Emmrich's embrace before he started to get antsy. Leaning back, he shook his head hard enough he almost heard something rattle around until his vision righted itself. Already, Hugh could feel Emmrich's spend and his own go from pleasently warm to dry and tacky. Not wanting to get up and clean just yet, Hugh came up with a different solution.
Stretching his legs, Hugh slid down in Emmrich's arms until he was almost laying on his stomach. Propped on his elbows on either side of Emmrich's waist and at eye level with the older man's abdomen. He looked at Emmrich with a warm, sleepy smile before leaving his tongue just above Emmrich's navel, lapping up his own spend and showing just how appreciated his release was.
Satisfied he got most if not all of it, Hugh rolled onto his side and rested his head on Emmrich's thigh. Still smiling, Hugh looked up at Emmrich almost expetently. No matter who brought who off, it was typical of Hugh to want to curl himself on top of Emmrich, usually in a position where his hair would be stroked. He was a glutton for the attention afterward and would be the first to admit it.
"Maker, you're incredible," Hugh managed with his voice rough and reedy. "I don't think I'll be walking the rest of the night."
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Emmrich smiled, amused, as Hugh looked up at him with an incredibly readable expression. The response was of course immediate. He threaded his fingers through Hugh's hair and gently played with it, tracing patterns lightly against the man's scalp.
"In that case, when I've recovered a little more I'll go retrieve the gift from the living room so you can give it to Manfred in the morning. He'll be more delighted to get it from your hands than to find it simply there for him." His smile went very soft. "And thank you for the compliment. I'm very glad you enjoyed that."
The last part especially, he thought but wouldn't say. Obviously Hugh enjoyed being told to be good and told what to do. That had been a given for quite some time. Hugh would do a great deal for praise. Speaking of...
"The snap was creative. None of my previous partners have tried that." None of his previous partners had pushed him the way Hugh did either. Emmrich treasures this relationship so very much; it's everything to him. "Though your word choice means that we'll be choosing between spice and lavender cake for the wedding. I'd like every chance of keeping a clear head at our wedding possible and now there are images and memories associated with 'hazelnut.'"
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When Emmrich carded his fingers through his hair, blunted nails scratching his scalp, Hugh closed his eyes as his face relaxed in an expression of pure bliss.
"You're selling yourself short, love," Hugh said as he cracked open one eye. "I think I'm going to be in danger of my trousers getting tight if so much as my socks pick up static on the carpet."
Idly, Hugh reached around his head and started to toy with the stocking strap still lashed around Emmrich's thigh. Not enough to snap it again, Hugh just needed something to do with his hands. Even after being fucked into the mattress it was never long before the urge to fidget reared its head.
"Bit of an impulse, really." Hugh admitted, but he'd remember that for next time. "And I didn't hear a 'skeletal.'"
At that, Hugh fully opened his eyes and looked up at Emmrich with a curious expression.
"What was all that, anyway? Your safeswords and such, what's the point? Forgive my ignorance here, but you'd never hurt me."
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Hugh's hand going for the strap cut those thoughts short, making his breath catch briefly. It was just idle play, though. Emmrich started to relax against the headboard. He could easily fall asleep here. And then Hugh asks about safewords, and he couldn't not explain.
"Sometimes there's a very thin line between pain and pleasure, between enough and too much. Sometimes one's mouth says stop when they don't actually want things to stop in those situations. Sometimes someone says don't stop, but the gaps between the words make it difficult to be certain if they mean those words together or separately. Safewords are to make it clear that a boundary has been or is about to be crossed. Mm. Take lightning as an example. Its intensity can make it quite difficult to communicate well. Having just one word you need to say if you need things to stop is much easier."
He continued threading his fingers through Hugh's hair. There were so many things he'd learned during his student years that he'd thought many were familiar with.
"Also if I'd been more dominant on the whole, you might have been hesitant to draw a line where you needed it. The words are simply meant to make sure everyone is safe if things veer in an extreme direction. It doesn't hurt to be safe when trying out things that are new to at least one involved party."
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Some of what Emmrich was saying made sense, but for the most part, Hugh didn't see the point. If he wanted Emmrich to stop, the word alone should suffice. Even it didn't, which was absurd because Emmrich was always gentle, the man was half his weight soaking wet. The confusion was clear on Hugh's face as he mulled over what he was being told.
"This is an experience thing, isn't it?" Hugh asked after a protracted silence, looking back up at Emmrich. It wasn't accusatory or something like it, just a plainly stated question. "You're either holding back, or I should already now all this."
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"Or, perhaps, neither," Emmrich said with a small smirk before shaking his head again. "I do have additional experience that I haven't introduced yet, but it's not that I'm holding back, or that there's some sort of sex primer you missed. When fighting the gods there truly was no space or time for kink, and we're still finding a routine with living together."
He went quiet for a few moments, playing with Hugh's hair and thinking. "A safeword can help if you hit previously unknown limits, or fears, or boundaries when trying something new. Take being tied up, for instance. It can be liberating, in a strange way, but I did tie a fully consenting partner who then discovered it set off traumatic memories. If they'd simply said stop, we would have stopped, I would have waited for more guidance, and perhaps they would have been overwhelmed with panic or anxiety. They used their safeword, so without any further clarification I got the rope off them with great haste. They didn't need to say anything more."
Emmrich shrugged. "I've also been submissive once, fully so, and knowing that I had that word let me relax. I've never quite managed to dominate someone, but even tonight I did like knowing that there was something to signal clearly that a line was crossed. You're not always... communicative or forthcoming, and I want to never hurt you."
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He knew that Emmrich wasn't keen on the whole professor-student thing for good reason. Whereas Hugh's formal education ended when the Chantry in West Hill was razed, Emmrich clearly had no interest in bringing his active professional life into the bedroom. There was no loss to either of them, but Hugh did like to tease on occasion.
The mood shifted as Emmrich went on, and the space between Hugh's brow furrowed as he considered what was being conveyed. Being tied up didn't immediately appeal to him. Confide spaces could remind him too much of the Deep Roads, but he wouldn't dismiss it entirely. Emmrich would know more, and perhaps that was where a safeword would come in handy. Hugh didn't know his own limits because this was all uncharted territory.
If that wasn't enough to make him second-guess his proficiency between the sheets, Emmrich pointing out Hugh's reticence certainly hammered the point home. Hugh winced at the reminder and, now more clearheaded, was replaying the day's events that led them here. He doubted this line of conversation would lead them into another near-fight like in front of the restaurant, but it did get Hugh thinking. About them, about certain disparities between them that were meaningless when they were saving the world but steadily becoming apparent as they settled into an actual life together.
"Emmrich, can I ask you something?" Hugh lifted himself onto his elbows, off Emmrich's lap, and reclined in a half-sitting position to be closer to eye level. "What we're talking about now and everything that's happened today. Does it...bother you that you're older than me?"
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The thought of having to take lead in all of it was daunting, which felt odd until he considered what had been going on of late. He'd had to keep taking lead. He'd had to plea for Hugh to think about them, fail, and then plea for Hugh to only vanish for two months, he was having to make nearly every call about the wedding, he was trying to get Hugh to realize that he had worth as a person, and it was so very much on top of being a professor teaching and mentoring multiple students, while having an apprentice.
He needed a break in the bedroom. He needed to not have to make all the calls, and that's why teaching sex and a 'quiz' simply didn't appeal.
Hugh's question surprised him, but it almost felt like it fell parallel to his own thoughts. Emmrich exhaled, looking past his partner as he tried to sort out the full answer to that because oh, was it complicated.
"Yes and no," he finally said. "I'm no longer nervous about the age difference. But I feel you often expect me to take point on everything because I've more experience in the world, rather than partnering with me on matters. Taking the obvious example of a wedding -- I've never planned one before. I've had fleeting fancies, it was a dream to find someone to marry, who would marry me, and then I'd stopped looking as I prepared for lichdom. I don't have some grand vision. There are so many details, details that apparently matter to the people that do weddings as their jobs, and it isn't making it easier on me for you to step back. It puts all of the work on my shoulders."
He shook his head. "You are my partner. I have gotten over my issues with our ages. But I think matters would be easier if you could accept that you are my equal. That you are a person, deserving of life, love, happiness, freedom, and joy. That my offer to buy a cottage wasn't a simple, silly whim, it was saying that I want you to have what you need to be happy. I... I think I need you to start figuring out who Hugh Thorne is. I didn't think of that as an age issue so much, as personally I feel the Wardens made you feel like who you were was inconsequential, but it feels relevant.
"I treasure what I know of you, what I've seen of you. You should try treasuring it too."
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It was then that Hugh noticed Emmrich didn't just look annoyed or unimpressed by Hugh's flippancy and the turn of events but tired. This wasn't only about the wedding. Hugh realized maybe a little too late but that in the next month, he would be leaving Emmrich with a ludicrously unbalanced timetable. Between work and wedding arrangements, the latter Hugh had dragged his feet on at almost every turn, and he'd be handling everything by himself. Emmrich would have, at best, Hugh's sporadic and unplanned appearances for the next two months, where he'd be shipped off to Maker knows where with no idea when he could so much as send a letter.
At some point, Hugh had sat up, legs drawn under him to where he moved to the opposite side of the bed. He was still close to Emmrich's side but far enough apart to start to feel the chill of the room's still air against his cooling skin.
"I..."
Hugh glanced down at his hands, fingers picking at the skin around the nails as he fidgeted to fight the guilty flush burning across his face. Swallowing the lump that choked in the back of his throat was about as easy as forcing a stone down, but he managed. He wanted the words to be right, but he struggled even to get that far in his own head. Hugh took a deep breath and met Emmrich's eyes again or tried to. What he liked less about how poorly this made him feel was Emmrich not looking at him.
"I think when I said that I trusted your judgment and didn't want to screw things up was only partially true," He started, cautiously as if feeling the shape of the words around his tongue before speaking them. "The other part of me was relieved I wasn't making the calls anymore, that I wasn't 'in charge' for once. That isn't fair to you, and I let my fears gnaw at me because of it.
I know it won't be a walk among the roses, and don't take this the wrong way, but maybe the next two months will let me...well, it will give me time to think. You're right about everything, but figuring out who Hugh Thorne is shouldn't be your burden to bear when I'm not doing much to begin with."
Hugh then reached out and placed a hand on Emmrich's knee,
"What I do know about Hugh Thorne is that he wants this, that he wants you. That he meant what he said: that a wedding is only a day, but he wants to be with you forever."
With a reticent smile that waned, Hugh gave a weak and breathy laugh.
"Alright, now I'm talking in the third person. I— should we maybe clean up? We can spend the rest of the evening going over some of the arrangements, maybe sneak up to the gardens later and just sit. Whatever you like."
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Once Hugh stopped talking, Emmrich met his eyes with a small smile, took the hand on his knee, and raised it to his lips for a kiss.
"And I want to be with Hugh Thorne forever," he said in his gentlest voice. "Thank you for the acknowledgment, and I'm sorry that I voiced my thoughts in a way that clearly made you feel uncomfortable."
Emmrich glanced toward the bathroom. "I think those sound like excellent plans." Hugh's hand got another kiss, a squeeze, and then he released it so he could start to scoot off the bed. Hugh thinking about himself while dealing with Warden matters seemed especially fitting; if anything could break the man away from viewing himself as a sacrifice maybe that would finally do the trick.
He grabbed a clean cloth, ran water into the washbasin, heated it, and wiped himself off quickly before grabbing a second one and bringing cloth and basin back.
"What set of arrangements would you least mind tackling with me? If we choose a date we can also tackle the invitations, which are..." He shook his head as he sat back on the bed and gently began to clean Hugh, washcloth perhaps wandering just a bit more than was necessary. "I knew there were a great many varieties of paper. I had to go over many sorts with the publication of my books. I also know what I prefer to take notes on, and give written exams on. But invitation paper is ridiculous. Further, there's a booklet on all of the font choices and their meanings. Which are, of course, different in different nations and we're sending invitations out to people of every nationality. Which is not selling the task, I realize after I've said all that. So. Flower arrangements? Table arrangements? Final guest list? Ceremony parts?"
He'd even inquired about hiring a wedding planner, and likely still would, but it seemed like they didn't do the planning so much as make sure the plan stayed on track. Truly there was a great deal to do.
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Hugh knew that went both ways, as he was already well aware of his own shortcomings. This was a work in progress, and by now, he had accepted that anything meant to last was. There would be a lot in the fallout of the next two months. Apprehension and dread hung over them both — it would be the first time apart in over a year. As Hugh watched him gracefully slide off the bed, he knew Emmrich was worth it all.
"How about— Maker your hands are too clever by half," Hugh was about to get a word in edgewise when Emmrich's hand holding the warmed washcloth cleaned somewhere already oversensitive, and he had to fight against his own short refractory period.
Once recovered, Hugh pulled a dressing gown off the baseboard of the bed. His own was a gift from Emmrich, larger and more plainly designed. Hugh rarely wore it, usually only when he was up and about in the mornings when Emmrich and Manfred were still there, and he didn't want to be seen in the buff by the latter accidentally.
"How about we start with the flower arrangements over a glass of wine," Hugh continued where he left off, hooking his chin on Emmrich's shoulder and running a hand up the other man's arm. "Then work on the table arrangments. We can even make a game of it — by category or Worst Possible Seating Arrangments, the Funniest, and the one we officially settle on."
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The upcoming two months were terrifying in many ways. The worst was the chance Hugh might simply not come back; even though the assignment was leading a troop transfer Emmrich had no faith that it would stay that simple. Why would it, when this was the last opportunity the king and queen of Ferelden would have to use Hugh? There was also a chance (slim, but his mind refused to let go of the thought,) that after a break Rook would decide he'd simply been infatuated and swept up, and no longer was into Emmrich. It wasn't a ridiculous possibility considering Hugh was going to be trying to figure out himself. Perhaps Emmrich wasn't truly what Hugh wanted.
All that was certain was that Emmrich would be stressed about Hugh's safety, he'd struggle to get to sleep without the man's warmth near him, and he'd have more time to work on the wedding and his own job but he didn't welcome that.
They'd just have to make the time they had before then very worth it. Emmrich's smirk at the comment about his hands said he'd been going for a reaction just like that, but he didn't follow up any further. They were going to actually get something done.
He took back the basin, put the cloth in the laundry bin, and added the panties to the pile before unbuckling, pulling down, and putting to the side the stockings. They'd take special care. After choosing his purple and silver dressing gown he was glad to return to the bed to where Hugh was, and leaned into the touch.
"That sounds good, except for the part where I have to move again," he teased before indeed getting right back up. Emmrich took Hugh's hand for another kiss because why not and lead the way out to the main room.
"If you don't mind getting out and pouring the wine, love, I'll locate what I have for those." He took a seat on the couch and started going through the folders, pulling out everything he had on flowers and setting that in one pile before doing the same with the guest list and all the notes on tables and fitting them into a place.
Emmrich grabbed a lap desk, his quill, ink, a few additional pieces of paper, and sat back with the first stack. "So the obvious central flowers are lilacs and lily of the valley. We will want an arrangement for each table, smaller ones for Neve and Bellara to carry, and I need to remember to ask Taash if they'd like to carry one or not," he said, making a note, "and a central one for the ceremony itself. There's the option of an arch for us to marry under that would be covered in flowers which I'm not certain on. It's romantic, but it may feel like gilding the lily, so to speak."
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For a while now, Hugh had wanted to allay any fears Emmrich carried, but nothing that came to mind seemed sufficient. The last thing Emmrich wanted to hear was how Hugh's average deployments were months longer and often in far worse conditions, with any correspondence regulated to wishful thinking. That wasn't going to help Emmrich sleep at night, or Hugh for that matter. Within the last year Hugh had been sleeping better than he had in, well, his entire life. The thought of not having that heartbeat against his ear at night was already putting dark circles under his eyes.
Only that was the future, and Hugh wished to remain in the present for as long as they could. After stealing one more kiss, Hugh let himself be led out into the main room. As Emmrich settled, Hugh made his way to the impressive wine cabinet tucked into the corner. After retrieving two glasses and a bottle of Montsimmard white that he had been wanting to try settled on to the long back couch beside Emmrich.
"Be a love and chill these for us," Hugh asked as sweet as honey after generously pouring two glasses and setting them down. One benefit to being engaged to a talented mage was never having to wait for a properly chilled glass of white.
Hugh sat with his arm propped on the back of the couch, listening to Emmrich's thoughts before offering his own.
"Taash should be in Rivain next week. I planned on swinging by to say hello." If by 'hello,' Hugh meant he was going to get ripsnorting drunk at the Hilt after helping Taash and possibly Davrin hunt down something gargantuan. "I'll ask them."
Hugh then made a thoughtful noise between slow sips from his wine glass — sweeter than he normally liked, but the tartness was agreeable. He made a note to consider it for a dessert wine when they started planning the menu.
"I thought we could make space in the library and hold the ceremony in there," Hugh said. "Room could be made, and we could wreathe the banisters in flowers without it being too overwhelming."
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"The true reason you're fine with having a mage around," Emmrich teased as he touched the glasses and chilled the wine instantly. "I'm useful. And excellent. Please make sure to consider how you're getting home rather than trying to wander the Crossroads alone and drunk."
Previous trips had been as a group, splitting up for various activities and then there'd been assistance to get the inebriated warriors back to the Lighthouse. But Emmrich hadn't been invited, doubted the other mages (or rogue) were, and wasn't going to foist himself on Hugh's plans. Separate outings, even with mutual friends, were healthy.
He blinked at the idea, and felt a little silly for not thinking of it first. It would be far safer than the Lighthouse, considering the lack of abrupt edges.
"I like that. I'll have to consult with Audric and make sure he's all right with the idea, but I can't see him having an objection. And then the reception could be in the main hall, under the bell. There's plenty of room for tables for sitting and eating around the edge, and the center could be used for dancing. It won't be the first celebration to happen there by far."
And he can't see Myrna or Vorgoth objecting either. There's just one concern.
"Will everyone be fine with the sheer quantity of skeletons wandering around, do you think?" He was mostly concerned with the Fereldans, but even while everyone else had been exposed to Manfred, they were used to that single exception to the norm rather than the usual skeleton helpers.
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For the same reasons that Emmrich only asked Hugh if he wanted to meet with Viago and Teia in Treviso for a lengthy tour of the local art museum or opera to be polite, Hugh hadn't asked if Emmrich wanted to tag along. They respected each other's diverging interests, and in the end, that worked for them. Even when Emmrich was less than thrilled with the warriors of the Veilguard stumbling around his pristine apartment with raging hangovers.
"The Lighthouse could still play its role," Hugh said as he got back on track, "Maybe host the rehearsal dinner there? Keep the guest list smaller, make it a more intimate affair before the ceremony proper.
As for the skeletons..." He shrugged with ambivalence. "They're well-behaved, right? Late enough into the reception, I don't, anyone cares who or what is pouring their wine."
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The suggestion got a nod and Emmrich made a note. "Us, our attendants, earring bearer, and officiant. Then it's entirely people who have been to the Lighthouse before as well, so there's no requirement to warn them or guide them in."
It would be bittersweet to be back there with this group. Sweet, because of all the memories attached to the place, and bitter because they were down one. Emmrich knew he'd check out the building that used to be Lace's if it was accessible, but he also knew he'd be saddened if the garden had done what was most likely and fallen apart.
"We'll include a note with the invitations regarding them so everyone is forewarned." There, locations were settled nearly for certain as he truly couldn't imagine any objections. "So. Just lilacs and lily-of-the-valley, or do we want pops of yellow in there as well, or more purples and whites for variety? Actually, for the banisters perhaps yes, a little more since that will be a continuous length. For the others we could keep it simple with just the two? Further shades can be introduced with the table fabrics and place settings."
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Taash had yet to visit, and the last time they stepped foot in the Necropolis, it had been to put down the demon-possessed corpse of a centuries-old dragon. Part of Hugh knew Emmrich would cut no corners if it meant softening Taash's opinion of the place. Even if that meant their first night here potentionally nursing a powerful hangover.
"The Lighthouse just feels..." Hugh drew his legs up onto the couch as he reclined further into the cushions, closer to Emmrich as he settled in with his thoughts and fiance. "I don't know, sacrosanct. I'd love for it to be part of the wedding, but only a small part with the people who would truly appreciate it."
The ceremony itself would have more people, guests of friends he had never met and only knew in passing. To try and fit them all into their little safe haven tucked into the Fade was a logistical nightmare that sat ill with him for more reasons than just that. It had been home when Hugh thought the word had lost all meaning, and he wanted to keep it close and undisturbed.
"Yellow would be grand," He agreed readily, happy for his thoughts to drift back to something less melancholic. His attention then drifted to watching Emmrich start to work himself up into the moment, his love already weaving the mental image of flowers twisting like colorful vines up the library banisters. Emmrich was getting excited, and it was cute when he got excited.
At some point, the grey and purple silk of Emmrich's dressing gown slipped over his shoulder. Hugh's gaze immediately fell on the elegant slope of pale, slightly olive-toned skin like a hawk spotting movement on the forest floor. Setting his wine glass down, Hugh leaned forward as Emmrich continued.
"What about azaelas?" Hugh asked, casually as though he wasn't now pressing his lips to Emmrich's shoulder as a hand slipped under the lap desk and rested on Emmrich's knee just under the hem of the gown. "They come in yellow."
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It would be perfect for a small reunion.
At Hugh's agreement Emmrich happily made the notes, estimating the ratio of yellow to purple and white that would liven it up without being distracting, sketching the banisters to remember how long the ones facing the main study area were, as that would be the best part of the library to commandeer.
"Perhaps five every section, and azaleas--" he cut off as he was kissed and touched. He hadn't even seen Hugh moving in. "Um. Yes, yellow azaleas would look fantastic. They, bright, yes."
Thankfully he could at least function enough to write down 'yellow azaleas' on the paper.
"Um. The Lighthouse won't need them." Emmrich half-turned his face, looking clearly tempted to start kissing Hugh back. "And maybe around the, the dance floor. The room can, you know. Be sombre."
It could all be sombre. He liked that usually. Almost always. "That, ah, that's the flowers, then?" They'd been going to talk table arrangements too, but he'd had enough time to recover and Hugh's touch never failed to make him respond.
He could always play hard to win over, though. Or rather, he could try to play it even though he knew he was eternally transparent. "Funniest seating arrangement, Mila and her father with the Shadow Dragons. Dorian's always, Archon Pavus has always been flummoxed by children, while Maevaris, um, I think Maevaris would be delighted at the least."
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"Those and some enchanted sconces would liven up the ballroom, skeletal company notwithstanding."
The bite marks that peppered Emmrich's skin from his shoulder to just beneath his jawline had gone from welting red to blushing pink. Hugh smiled at his handy work before pressing a kiss to the largest indentations of teeth on his love's skin just above the clavicle.
Peering down, he could also see that Emmrich's normally impeccable handwriting had started to become more inconsistent and drift out of the margins. The note 'yellow azaleas' had a too-long whorl on the 'y' that nearly cut into the paper from pressure from the quill before Emmrich righted himself.
"If we're humbling the leadership, then I suggest it would amuse to seat Isabela with the Ferelden king and queen," Hugh said as his mouth trailed up the length of Emmrich's neck until he was kissing him just behind the shell of the other man's ear. At some point, his hand had started to wander north to Emmrich's inner thigh. "From what Isabela intimated last time we caught up at the Hilt, it'd be an interesting reunion."
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...but he was liking this game, too.
"Lemon lights," Emmrich repeated. It took a moment for his brain to work so that he could write that down, along with enchanted sconces. Normally they were enchanted to be green in the Necropolis, but he could mess around with the shades and see what worked best.
"And I don't, oh," he breathed out. The continued kisses had been excellent, and the gentle current kisses were lovely, but they worked especially well as Hugh's hand kept drifting up. Emmrich closed his eyes and enjoyed it for a few seconds before trying again to focus. "I doubt that would humble either. We can, Evka and Antoine."
Evka and Antoine deserved better company, but they'd manage it. Everyone deserved better. But also he wasn't going to try to make someone feel awkward or ashamed about their past sexual history.
"If eight a, a table... No, six. Six, then five tables." He could not think. Or count. But he was pretty sure that would be enough tables. They didn't have a massive invitation list, which he knew was going to cause some comment considering what they'd done this last year and his own status, but Emmrich wanted an event where he could mostly relax. Only mostly, with the Queen and King there, unfortunately. If they came. Maybe they wouldn't. Either way, he had a beautiful, amazing partner beside him who deserved far better than him dwelling and he was weak.
Emmrich turned his face to indulge in a short kiss, trying to see if that would be enough to tide himself over to get through a realistic seating arrangement.
"The complicated, difficult table, difficult guest, will be Johanna." No one deserved to have to deal with her either for the whole thing. He'd put her with the Fereldans but he didn't want to risk the skull being smashed. "With Isabela she might, could be fine. And Rowan."
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