try very hard."
The door opened quietly before Cafon could reply, and Rathiel stuck his head into the room. He looked better than Teofil felt, and he gave Cafon a reproving look.
"I told you to leave him be," Rathiel admonished, slipping into the room. "Good morning, Teo. How are you feeling?"
"Like I did get run down by a carriage," Teofil admitted ruefully, making Rathiel and Cafon snicker.
"He was awake when I looked in," Cafon told Rathiel, casually wrapping an arm around Rathiel's waist when he got close enough. Teofil stifled a bit of jealously at how comfortable they were with each other, focusing on trying to brush the wrinkles from his shirt.
"Mmhmm," Rathiel hummed suspiciously, a smile playing about his lips as he stared at Cafon. Cafon just grinned back, pleased about something—Rathiel, probably.
"I need to go," Teofil spoke up, interrupting their moment. "Thank you for dinner and the bed."
"It was my pleasure," Rathiel said automatically, turning away from Cafon to meet Teofil's eyes as he spoke. "You can't stay for a bit of breakfast?"
"I don't think I could stomach breakfast," Teofil said with a grimace, confused as Cafon and Rathiel exchanged a look he couldn't read.
"You'll have to come again," Rathiel said after a moment, smiling a little. Cafon pulled him a bit closer, giving Teofil a wide smile.
"I for one would love to hear some embarrassing stories about Rath's childhood," Cafon said mischievously, smirking a bit at Rathiel.
Rathiel groaned, but he smiled a little more widely. "Teo won't tell you. I've got just as much on him as he does on me."
Teofil laughed, instantly regretting it as his head throbbed.
"I'd like to come again," he offered, keeping his voice quiet so as to not upset his head any further. "But with less wine, perhaps?"
"We can do that," Rathiel promised. He looked like he was about to say something more, but instead just smiled again, detangling himself from Cafon's grasp to offer his arm to Teofil. "I'll walk you to the door. Did you want to borrow fresh clothes?"
"No, Wystan would mock me even more for that," Teofil declined, accepting Rathiel's arm and wondering if this was another noble custom he wasn't aware of. Cafon didn't voice any objection, so probably.
"I should have sent a servant to get you some clothes from your house," Rathiel said ruefully. "I confess, I wasn't thinking straight after the wine we drank last night."
Teofil nodded wholeheartedly, and they lapsed into silence as Rathiel navigated them through hallways and staircases that Teofil must have traveled last night but didn't remember in the least. Cafon trailed behind them quietly, lost in his own thoughts.
Teofil sighed, hoping that Wystan would wait until the worst of his headache had passed to tease him for spending the evening at Rathiel's.
"It was good to see you again, Teo," Rathiel said quietly as they reached the front hallway. Cafon smiled affectionately as Rathiel kissed Teofil lightly on the cheek. "I hope things work out with your admirers."
Teofil shook his head, not willing to think about that this early in the morning, and most certainly not when his head was hurting so much.
"Thank you for keeping Rath company," Cafon said gravely, a smile lurking in his head. He stepped forward and copied Rathiel's gesture, except that he kissed Teofil's left cheek instead of the right. "He mopes when he's alone."
"I do not," Rathiel protested, rolling his eyes. Teofil smiled a little at them, ignoring that his cheeks were too warm; the kisses were friendly gestures, after all.
He made his goodbyes as quickly as he could, barely remembering to wish them a happy anniversary before he made his escape. On the street, Teofil refused to focus on anything except his headache, the unsettled state of his stomach, and what blackmail he could think up to keep Wystan from teasing him too much.
*~*~*
Teofil let himself into his house later than usual that evening. He barely glanced at the kitchen
The door opened quietly before Cafon could reply, and Rathiel stuck his head into the room. He looked better than Teofil felt, and he gave Cafon a reproving look.
"I told you to leave him be," Rathiel admonished, slipping into the room. "Good morning, Teo. How are you feeling?"
"Like I did get run down by a carriage," Teofil admitted ruefully, making Rathiel and Cafon snicker.
"He was awake when I looked in," Cafon told Rathiel, casually wrapping an arm around Rathiel's waist when he got close enough. Teofil stifled a bit of jealously at how comfortable they were with each other, focusing on trying to brush the wrinkles from his shirt.
"Mmhmm," Rathiel hummed suspiciously, a smile playing about his lips as he stared at Cafon. Cafon just grinned back, pleased about something—Rathiel, probably.
"I need to go," Teofil spoke up, interrupting their moment. "Thank you for dinner and the bed."
"It was my pleasure," Rathiel said automatically, turning away from Cafon to meet Teofil's eyes as he spoke. "You can't stay for a bit of breakfast?"
"I don't think I could stomach breakfast," Teofil said with a grimace, confused as Cafon and Rathiel exchanged a look he couldn't read.
"You'll have to come again," Rathiel said after a moment, smiling a little. Cafon pulled him a bit closer, giving Teofil a wide smile.
"I for one would love to hear some embarrassing stories about Rath's childhood," Cafon said mischievously, smirking a bit at Rathiel.
Rathiel groaned, but he smiled a little more widely. "Teo won't tell you. I've got just as much on him as he does on me."
Teofil laughed, instantly regretting it as his head throbbed.
"I'd like to come again," he offered, keeping his voice quiet so as to not upset his head any further. "But with less wine, perhaps?"
"We can do that," Rathiel promised. He looked like he was about to say something more, but instead just smiled again, detangling himself from Cafon's grasp to offer his arm to Teofil. "I'll walk you to the door. Did you want to borrow fresh clothes?"
"No, Wystan would mock me even more for that," Teofil declined, accepting Rathiel's arm and wondering if this was another noble custom he wasn't aware of. Cafon didn't voice any objection, so probably.
"I should have sent a servant to get you some clothes from your house," Rathiel said ruefully. "I confess, I wasn't thinking straight after the wine we drank last night."
Teofil nodded wholeheartedly, and they lapsed into silence as Rathiel navigated them through hallways and staircases that Teofil must have traveled last night but didn't remember in the least. Cafon trailed behind them quietly, lost in his own thoughts.
Teofil sighed, hoping that Wystan would wait until the worst of his headache had passed to tease him for spending the evening at Rathiel's.
"It was good to see you again, Teo," Rathiel said quietly as they reached the front hallway. Cafon smiled affectionately as Rathiel kissed Teofil lightly on the cheek. "I hope things work out with your admirers."
Teofil shook his head, not willing to think about that this early in the morning, and most certainly not when his head was hurting so much.
"Thank you for keeping Rath company," Cafon said gravely, a smile lurking in his head. He stepped forward and copied Rathiel's gesture, except that he kissed Teofil's left cheek instead of the right. "He mopes when he's alone."
"I do not," Rathiel protested, rolling his eyes. Teofil smiled a little at them, ignoring that his cheeks were too warm; the kisses were friendly gestures, after all.
He made his goodbyes as quickly as he could, barely remembering to wish them a happy anniversary before he made his escape. On the street, Teofil refused to focus on anything except his headache, the unsettled state of his stomach, and what blackmail he could think up to keep Wystan from teasing him too much.
*~*~*
Teofil let himself into his house later than usual that evening. He barely glanced at the kitchen
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