"I think you should come with me."
"Kev, we talked about this," the older man glances up at him from where he is packing the books he's managed to accumulate in two years into a sturdy trunk. "You have responsibilities. You're needed elsewhere."
"I could beg off a little longer," he proposes, looking around the rooms at a life half-packed. "Maybe Desily will claim I've been injured helping her, and I can't travel."
"Kevian," Taskin's voice is a little sharper, stopping him mid-prowl. He looks over as Taskin sits back on his heels and looks up at him. His partner's usually gentle eyes are intense on his. "I am not going to be the reason you are derelict in your duty," he says fiercely.
He has to blink a moment, taken aback, and having just been abruptly reminded of a few things. The first and most important being that he very much loves this man, and he is so relieved that a crazy Marquise's assassin didn't murder him. The second, and nearly as important, is that there is absolutely nothing weak about his partner. Any authority he cedes to Kevian on a regular basis is by choice - not because he can't handle himself. Sometimes he just…doesn't want to.
Kevian leans slowly back against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest, and holds Taskin's gaze. "I'm afraid," he admits.
Taskin stands up slowly. He comes to stand close enough to Kevian that he can feel the soft puff of his breath, but somehow they aren't quite touching.
"I'm afraid," he repeats, "that I am going to go, and you won't be here when I get back. She'll have gotten to you, somehow."
"I've resigned," the now former professor says quietly. "Dean Hollen made sure she knew it, too. She got what she wanted; she has no reason to keep threatening me."
"What if that's not enough?"
"I'm going to keep a low profile here in the city," Taskin reassures him. "She doesn't know where I'll be, and Gefin and Kuri would never say anything. And even if she tries something - it's not going to get past them. I know you have only seen them looking carefree and innocent, but they are anything but harmless. Didn't I tell you Kuri finished at the top of her class for wards and protection spells? And Gefin's specialty is defensive magic." He takes Kevian's hand, twining their fingers together. "Even Desily gave her seal of approval on me staying with them, and she's even harder to please than you."
"Mmm." Kevian inhales and exhales as slowly as he can, briefly closing his eyes. "I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you."
Warm, slender fingers squeeze his, and Taskin leans in to kiss him. Kevian opens his mouth, deepening the kiss and lingering until his partner pulls away. He only goes far enough to lean his head down on Kevian's shoulder, letting the larger man support his weight. "Nothing's going to happen to me. But if you want to see me safely ensconced with them before you leave, I need you to help me finish packing this place up."
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The house that Taskin's friends live in is in a quiet (and wealthy) part of the city, actually quite near to Desily's. Kevian has only come this way a few times, most recently to find Taskin after the archivist had rescued him and taken him home. They've paid to store most of the things from Taskin's rooms until he decides to sell them or moves into a new permanent living arrangement, but they're lugging the things his partner doesn't want to do without with them.
The warded gate is locked when Kevian tries it, but it swings open easily when his partner shifts the box in his arms to reach for it. Once they are inside the small front yard, Taskin immediately sets down the things he's carrying. Kevian is opening his mouth to ask why when two huge wolfhounds come barreling around the corner; he stiffens, bracing for impact, but Taskin just drops to his knees, laughing, temporarily buried under a mountain of flashing tongues and wagging tails.
"Chaos, Pan, off!" One of the hounds retreats a few feet, but the other just pushes forward, knocking Taskin backwards onto the ground, not retreating until: "Pandemonium! Off."
The owner of the voice is Kuri, who follows the dogs around the corner. Kevian has to blink at the riot of colorful braids on her head, which he swears she hadn't had the last time they met. "What have I told you about encouraging them?" she asks, gazing at Taskin, who is still on the ground. She sounds stern enough to give even Kevian pause, but then he glances at his partner, who is grinning up at her, his smile nearly ear to ear.
"Sorry," he sounds anything but sorry, "I just missed them."
"You would have done the same thing if you were gone for ten minutes, Taskin." He doesn't deny it, just keeps smiling up at her. After a brief standoff, she shakes her head and then smiles back at him, white teeth bright against her dark skin. "Alright, get off the ground and get inside, you nuisance. Gefin's in the kitchen."
Bemused, he internally rearranges what he thought he knew about Taskin's relationship with the pair of mages who live here. It's not like Taskin has never talked about them - quite the opposite. He knows all about them, in the vague sort of way you know a friend's friends; he's even had dinner with them when he was not traveling, though in a restaurant, not anyone's home. He is also aware, in an abstract and academic way, that Taskin enjoys their company (and their bed) frequently when Kevian is away, and even infrequently when he isn't.
Kevian just hadn't realized they were keyed-to-the-wards-at-the-house close, or I-miss-your-pets-when-I-don't-see-you close. He has a sudden urge to know the pair of mages better; he doesn't want to keep Taskin from anyone he loves, but he wants to protect him, and how can he do that if he doesn't know the people Taskin loves?
The tribesman climbs to his feet and picks up his things, darting forward to brush a kiss across Kuri's cheek before disappearing into the house, the hounds at his heels, leaving the mage and the cleric to follow behind. Kuri leads him in what is clearly the back door and down a short, dark hallway that opens into a bright, warm kitchen.
Taskin is wrapped like an octopus around the man in the kitchen, who is holding him effortlessly aloft with one arm under his thighs. Gefin is impossible to miss and impossible to forget - he's got the muscled build and calloused hands of someone who is used to hard work and is big enough that he would probably be intimidating if it weren't for the tousled sandy brown hair and big sweet brown eyes.
He looks up as they come in and smiles warmly at them, before patting Taskin's thigh where his hand is resting and then sliding the slender man to the ground. Taskin leans over to investigate what is on the stove, and Gefin swats him away, saying, "Dinner is almost ready, and it'll be fine without your input. Taskin, why don't you go put your things in the front bedroom and get them out of my kitchen? Put the pups in their room while you're at it."
Taskin laughs even as he mutters something about adding too much spice one time, and comes over to take his second bag from Kevian and grabs his box off the counter before he disappears out of the kitchen and down another hallway, calling back, "Pan, Chaos, come!"
"You're staying for supper and the night, right?" Gefin opens the oven to check on something, but looks at Kevian over his shoulder all the same. "You can leave first thing in the morning, it'll be better for travel than going tonight. And maybe by then, we'll have proven to you that he'll be fine here."
"Gefin," Kuri says sharply, but Kevian is already feeling a wave of shame. It's clear even from these couple of minutes he's been here that they care as deeply for Taskin as he does; it might be a different relationship, but not love any less true.
"I'm sorry to intrude," he says awkwardly, "I just…" he's falling silent when she reaches out and lays her hand on his arm. Gefin turns away from his preparations to study them.
"You're worried about him," she finishes his thought. "That's not a crime, Kevian. It's normal and reasonable. And you aren't intruding. That man's loved ones are just as welcome here as he is."
"He loves you. You love him. We love him, too," Gefin says quietly. "We won't let anything happen to him."
"Though it's easier to help with that when we know there's a problem," she adds, and he blinks at the censorious tone before realizing that Taskin has walked back into the room behind him. He turns, to catch his partner wincing.
"Aw, Kuri, it wasn't like that," he protests, "everything just happened so fast."
Kuri's eyes narrow, her gaze fixed on Taskin as he tries to downplay the situation. "Not like what, exactly?" she asks, her voice low and even, but with a hint of warning. "You didn't think it was important to tell us that someone's trying to kill you? How long was it, exactly, between when Kevian heard the first rumor and the attack the other day?"
Taskin shifts uncomfortably, his eyes darting between Kuri and Gefin, who's also watching him with a grim expression. "I didn't want to worry you," he tries, sheepishly.
"That's a terrible excuse, menace, and you know it," Gefin says lowly. "Don't you think we'd rather worry with you than mourn your death? That's not even considering that we are perhaps the best qualified to help keep you safe."
"I'm sorry," he answers, plaintive, and Kevian catches a hint of something he doesn't like in the tone; guilt he thought they'd exonerated already, and something more. It's clear Taskin is feeling pretty ganged up on. He lifts his chin to catch Gefin's eye, trying to caution him to tread more carefully. The other man nods, just slightly; message received.
"We know," he says reassuringly, "but honey, nobody wants you to be sorry. We just want you to let us help, this time and every time."
Taskin looks at them, and though his eyes are filled with a mix of guilt and determination, Kevian is satisfied to see they've lost that brittle edge. "I'm sorry," he says, his voice sincere. "It won't happen again."
"Good," he reaches out and tugs his partner into an embrace. "If you need any incentive, remember that if you don't take your safety seriously, I'll spank you when I get back."
"Kevian!" Taskin hisses a protest, "You can't just say that to…to everyone!" He wriggles in Kevian's arms, trying to get free, but Kevian's grip is firm, and Taskin's not trying too terribly hard.
"We're not everyone," Gefin points out. "We're your people, too. We're not going to think any less of you."
"Quite right," Kuri agrees, "No need to be ashamed. If a spanking is what you need or earn, I'm perfectly capable of handling that, too." She smiles, but it's more of a promise than anything else, somehow hard and determined and not at all the warm, soft expression she'd aimed at him earlier.
Taskin turns his head to stare at her, body going still in Kevian's hold. "You…you wouldn't," he sputters, but Kevian can tell from the way Gefin straightened and oriented himself to her when her voice and smile changed that not only would she, but it wouldn't be her first experience.
"I would," she counters, holding his gaze. It's not a threat, but the way she is suddenly intently focused on Taskin makes it clear it's a promise. It even gives Kevian pause, and he doesn't swing to that end of the spectrum. "And we can talk the specifics of that later, so we're on the same page. But if you just behave like the good boy we all know you can be, you won't have to worry about it," Kuri softens her approach at the end, warmth and leisure once more replacing the effortless air of domination.
"I already have one person willing to spank me," Taskin complains, "I don't need two!"
Gefin steps away from the stove, crossing the few steps to run a gentle hand through Taskin's hair and uses the other to tip his face up and presses a kiss to his forehead. "Three," he corrects him cheerfully as he pulls away. "I will happily roast your cute little bottom, any time you need or want it."
Kevian knows from experience that as the man in his arms has gone slack, letting Kev take all of his weight and hold him upright, his jaw has also dropped in shock. He can't see his face, but he can also guess at the darkening of his eyes as his pupils blow wide. He suspects that even if Taskin is the textbook example of perfect behavior for the rest of time, the trio will be adding some new things to their pleasure repertoire, and he has to suppress a chuckle because he doesn't think it would be much appreciated by Taskin at this time.
"Now that that's settled, dinner has been ready for plenty long enough, I think," Kuri announces. "Taskin, why don't you get another table setting for Kevian while Gefin and I move things to the table? He's going to spend the night."
Kevian doesn't remember agreeing to that, but he also doesn't feel inclined to argue with Kuri. It's not like he has any real desire to leave Mythlight while Taskin is still vulnerable here. And Gefin wasn't wrong when he said leaving at the crack of dawn and riding hard all day would be an objectively better choice than riding all night until he has to stop on the side of the road somewhere from exhaustion.
He releases Taskin from his arms as their hosts leave the room, expecting him to go to the cabinets to fetch the dishes he'd been directed to retrieve, and blinks in surprise when the other man only turns back towards him, placing a hand on his chest and looking up, a worried crease between his eyebrows.
"Is this okay?"
"Is what okay, dearheart?"
"Is it…too much…for you to be here with them? For us to be…" Taskin reddens, all the way down below his collar, "flirting?"
Kevian reaches out, gently tucking some stray hair behind Taskin's ear. "Relax, my heart," he murmurs, his thumb tracing soothing circles along Taskin's jaw. "I knew what I was getting into. Remember? We talked about this when I suggested it. I always knew that not all of your dalliances would just be about sex. You love too much for that. Life with you might be a whirlwind, but I wouldn't change a thing."
Taskin's cheeks flush deeper, but the tension in his shoulders eases. Kevian smiles, leaning closer. "Besides," he whispers, his voice husky, "I'm fascinated by you, Taskin. By your passions, your worries, your resilience. This delightful blush." He's rewarded by Taskin laughing out loud and half-heartedly slapping at his chest.
"I might not be able to meet your biological family, my whirlwind, not for a long time. But Gefin and Kuri are the family you've chosen here, am I right?" Taskin nods. "They're important to you, so it's important to me that I get to know them."
His gaze holds Taskin's, unwavering and full of warmth. "I want to be part of your life, all of it. The good, the bad, the messy, and the beautiful. Including your loved ones, no matter what the nature of your relationships are."
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