Sleeping was out of the question, so instead he tried to work, tried to read, paced his room. Nothing helped. He felt tight and caged in, his hands trembling as he clenched his fingers and released them, Frumpkin's eyes watching his slow rotations around the room.
"Mrow," the cat berated him eventually, leaping down from the bed and rubbing his face against the door, flopping down in front of it and rolling around luxuriously.
Caleb sighed. "Where is there to go?" he asked. "Out on the street, there will be people. In the house, someone may hear me. Upstairs, there is Caduceus. There is nowhere to go where I won't face someone, and I am not up for that right now. No, we stay here." He lasted another three minutes and forty seconds before letting out another sigh, digging his nails into his palm as he watched the cat stretch his paws tragically under the doorframe. "You are a menace," Caleb told him, opening the door. Frumpkin leapt to his feet, skittered out into the hallway, and streaked off toward the staircase. Caleb gave a wry smile. "You're on your own," he called after him in a low voice.
Alone in his room, however, the walls began to feel even more oppressive. Without Frumpkin's eyes on him, he felt even more jittery and out of sorts, practically vibrating with the need to do something, only the something was nebulous and out of reach.
"Fine," he said aloud to the walls finally. "You are right, cat. That is the least objectionable of our options." He left the room, closing the door behind him, and turned for the stairs to the roof.
The stone that lined the twisting staircase was soothingly cool under his touch as he wound his way upward, and the evening air was a relief on his cheeks as he emerged into the night. Faint lights were glowing in the tree above, and he could see Caduceus curled up at the base of it, Frumpkin loafed contentedly in the dip of his hip. His breathing was slow and steady, lifting Frumpkin gently with every inhale, and Caleb couldn't tell from this distance if his eyes were open.
He crossed to the edge of the roof and climbed onto the wall there, letting his legs dangle over the edge as he looked out over the city lights of Rosohna. The cool air he breathed in with great gulps seemed to steady his fingers a little as he let them curl around the edge of the wall, still trembling faintly.
"I was wondering," he heard Caduceus say behind him, eventually, "if you'd be joining us, or if your friend decided to visit on his own." Frumpkin leapt up onto the wall beside Caleb, and Caleb let a hand fall to his ruff, scritching his fingers into the soft fur.
"I didn't really feel like seeing anyone," Caleb said. He smiled wryly down into the placidly blinking eyes of his cat. "Frumpkin, it seems, had other plans."
"Ah," Caduceus said easily. "Well, I can go back to – "
"No," Caleb said, too quickly. "Uh," he added, flustered, "that is, I do not mind you being here. I am the one invading your space, after all."
"This is everyone's space." Caduceus leaned against the wall beside him, forearms stretched out against the stone, hands dangling next to Caleb's legs. "I could have taken a room inside if I wanted one. I like being here to see people when they come up to enjoy – " he waved a hand at the tree, the shrines, the view. "Everything. But I have lots of practice giving people their space, too, when they need it."
"I don't know that space is what I need," Caleb admitted. He hadn't wanted to see anyone, but he couldn't deny that the feeling of Caduceus leaning warm against his side was starting to soothe him, ground him in exactly the ways that he had missed for so long. "I…I'm not sure what I need." It was a lie, and he could tell that Caduceus knew it by the way his eyes shifted up to look at Caleb sideways, then dropped to his shaking hands.
He half expected Caduceus to say "I do," but instead he looked back up at Caleb. "Is there anything that has helped you before? When you feel like…" he waved one of his hands expressively. "Whatever it is that you feel like right now?"
"I…" Caleb felt a flush creeping up his neck. "There are some things, yes. But nothing that is quite…accessible right now." He waited for Caduceus to prompt him for more, but he didn't. Caleb bit his lip, considering, and continued hesitantly. "There was a time in my life when I had…friends. They knew how to give me what I needed."
"Ah." Caleb looked out at the city to avoid seeing the sympathy in Caduceus's eyes, and felt a jolt go through his body as the solid warmth of a wide hand dropped to his knee, fingers squeezing gently. "You have friends here," Caduceus reminded him.
"I." Caleb swallowed. "I know." He drew in a shaky breath. "But I am not…friends with anyone here in the way that I was with them."
"No one is ever the same kind of friend with any two people," Caduceus said sagely. "But if you mean the kind of friends that you have sex with, I know there are people here who could give you that, if it's what you'd looking for." He eyed Caleb. "It's okay," he said, "you can tell me whatever it is. Don't worry, it's pretty hard to embarrass me."
Caleb laughed weakly. "Ja," he said, "I know, but it's very easy to embarrass myself." His face was flaming with heat, but he swallowed, lifting his eyes above the city before continuing. "It would help, sometimes, to be…" he hesitated, but Caduceus's hand was still warm and steadying against his leg, and the thought of feeling it against his skin more insistently, more intentionally, was intoxicating. "To be told what to do. To not have to think for myself, for a while. Maybe sex, yes, like you said, but only…only to do what they asked of me. To give them what they wanted. Maybe to let them hurt me. To be…" his voice faded as he said, "theirs."
Caduceus was still and quiet beside him for a long moment, and Caleb felt panic begin to surge through him before Caduceus's fingers went tighter around his knee, squeezing lightly. "Yeah, okay, I think I could do that." Caleb let out a shaky breath, looking down at him, his eyes feeling wild, like he needed to look everywhere at once, but as soon as they caught Caduceus's wide dark gaze, he felt something in him settle. "That is," Caduceus continued, "if you would be interested in that. Being…" he hesitated. "Mine."
Caleb swallowed. "I," he said. He let his hand fall on top of Caduceus's, tangling their fingers together. "You do not have to do this for me," he said.
"I'm not," Caduceus replied. "I'm doing it because it sounds interesting. It sounds like something I'd like. And you're telling me that it's something you know you like. So that's twice as good, right?" He squeezed Caleb's hand, then pulled away, pushing himself up off the wall and stepping away, stretching. "C'mon," he said, "I've made a nice cozy spot around back of the tree." He held out a hand to Caleb.
Caleb swung his legs around and slid off the wall, pausing to look at Frumpkin, curled into a loaf and blinking sleepily out at the city lights. "Gute Nacht, mein Freund," he said, and snapped his fingers, making the cat blink out of existence. He turned to fit his hand into Caduceus's, and let Caduceus lead him to the far end of the roof.
The space in the far corner had been converted to something that could best be described as a nest, all soft fabrics and gentle sloping surfaces of different heights, with lights cascading down from the tree above, plants and other growths making a gentle canopy around it, providing just enough privacy from the house and the city. Caduceus led him to the edge of it, then paused, reaching for Caleb's other hand as well, turning to face him, eyes intent.
"You haven't answered," he said.
"I." Caleb's eyes were fixed on their fingers, twisted together so that he could hardly feel the energy thrumming under his skin. "I'm sorry, I've forgotten the question."
"Are you interested," Caduceus said, his voice lower as he stepped forward into Caleb's space, looking down at him, "in being mine?"
"Yes." Caleb breathed out the word, looking up into Caduceus's gentle face. "Please."
Caduceus nodded. "I will trust you," he said, "to tell me if you don't like anything." A flicker of expression crossed his face. "Unless," he said carefully, "you are interested in me not listening to you if you say something like that. If that's the plan, we'd need to – "
"No," Caleb said, a little too forcefully. He winced. "I…" He swallowed. "I have been interested in it, in the past," he admitted. "But I do not think I would like it from you."
"Easy enough, then," Caduceus said. "Thank you for telling me. In that case, if you would like me to stop, or change something, or pause, or anything at all, just say so, okay?" Caleb nodded mutely. "Okay, Caleb?" Caduceus asked, more firmly.
Caleb looked up at him. "Ja," he said. "Okay."
"Good." Caduceus smiled fondly down at him. "You're going to be very good at this," he decided, and just the words sent a surge of pleasant warmth down Caleb's spine. "Well, then." Caduceus looked him over. "Would you like to be naked?"
"I…" Caleb hesitated. "If you – "
"Don't overthink it," Caduceus said, an unfamiliarly sharp edge to his tone. "Would you like to take your clothes off for me?"
"Yes," Caleb replied, the answer tumbling from his lips before he had time to rationalize his way out of it.
"Good," Caduceus said. "You should do that, then." He dropped Caleb's hands and backed away, settling himself comfortably down onto one of the surfaces in his neck that was about the height of a chair. He leaned back into the soft fabric and watched appreciatively as Caleb reached for the buttons of his shirt.
He stripped his clothes off efficiently, not really knowing how or wanting to make a show of it, but each time he'd peek up at Caduceus, he could see his eyes on him, watching him appreciatively. Once his clothes had all fallen to the floor, he shifted on his feet, looking up to Caduceus for direction.
"Here," Caduceus said. He gestured to the space on the floor of the nest beside him.
Caleb felt his breath catch at the thought of going to his knees for Caduceus, but without a more explicit command, he simply stepped forward and stood in the space that Caduceus had indicated, waiting. Caduceus reached up, his fingertips light and soft against Caleb's jaw, tracing upward until his hand was cupping his face, wide and warm and grounding.
"You said you like to be hurt," Caduceus said.
Caleb drew in a sharp breath. "Yes," he said, a little helplessly. "If you – "
"The body in pain," Caduceus interrupted him, "can have very similar reactions to the body in pleasure. I imagine it would be equally enjoyable to watch you experience either." Caleb was still trembling, but he suspected that now it was more from anticipation and desire than unspent energy. "What is it that you like?"
"Whatever you'd give me," Caleb breathed out, and he let his head drop to the side, pressing a hot open kiss to Caduceus's palm, the skin soft and faintly velvety under his lips.
Caduceus's thumb brushed over his cheek tenderly before his fingers tightened on Caleb's jaw, turning his head forward again. "I asked a question, Caleb." The sharp tone was back.
Caleb let out a low groan. "Biting," he said, "scratching, slapping. Whips, canes, blades. Whatever will make me feel something." His face was impossibly hot with shame, but when he met Caduceus's eyes, he saw no judgement there, and maybe even a spark of interest.
"Good," Caduceus said, and his hand fell from Caleb's cheek to his shoulder, pushing him downward. Caleb let his legs fold, and all but collapsed onto his knees in the plush nest, Caduceus's hand staying heavy on his shoulder. "Thank you for telling me that, Caleb."
Caleb nodded in acknowledgement, and adjusted himself more comfortably on his knees, feeling the steady warmth of Caduceus's touch spreading through him. He let his head fall at the end of the nod, and felt a pleasant stretch in his neck as he looked downward, feeling Caduceus's eyes on him but not looking up to meet them.
Slowly, eventually, Caduceus lifted his hand to Caleb's hair, and it took Caleb a moment to realize this his fingers were undoing the tie there, letting his hair fall softly down around his face. Caduceus let the tie fall to the ground, and his fingers raked up against Caleb's scalp with just the hint of a scrape of claws, sending a shiver running down his spine.
"C'mere," Caduceus said in a low rumble, cupping his hand around the back of Caleb's head and tugging until Caleb scooted closer on his knees, settling himself just beside Caduceus's feet. "Mm," Caduceus rumbled in approval, "better," and his heavy hand pressed at Caleb's head until he slowly leaned in and rested his flushed face against Caduceus's thigh, letting his eyes flutter closed as both of Caduceus's hands sank into his hair and started carding through it.
"Oh," he breathed out across Caduceus's lap. He let one of his hands curl around Caduceus's ankle, holding on, and Caduceus didn't pull away. Instead, his fingers kept up a steady rhythm through his hair, down his neck, over his upper back, and with each pass, they dug in just a bit harder, until Caleb was gasping at the hot streaks of sharpness wearing themselves into his skin.
"I like you like this," Caduceus said above him, dropping his hands just to Caleb's back, shoulders, upper arms, his claws scratching marks across him. "Kneeling for me." He dragged another hot stripe of his hand over Caleb's back. "Hurting for me. You're really beautiful like this." Caleb let out a quiet moan, muffling it against Caduceus's thigh. "No, none of that," Caduceus said. He reached to tangle his fingers into Caleb's hair and tilt his head almost roughly to the side. "Let me hear you."
Caleb gasped out a breath, and when Caleb's nails trailed down his neck, he dutifully let out a hiss of pain.
Caleb could have counted every second that Caduceus spent raking his claws over him, but instead he chose not to. He closed his eyes and drifted on the sharp sweetness of the pain, the anchoring softness of Caduceus's warm leg beneath his cheek.
Eventually, the sensations started to fade into the gentle touch of Caduceus's fingertips against him, tracing over the lines he'd left, pressing the cool soothing magic of healing into his body, and Caleb felt like he might be floating right out of his skin as he felt it fold back together smoothly under Caduceus's touch.
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timeasmymeasure
Fill: Caduceus/Caleb, 1/2
Date: 2020-09-24 02:32 am (UTC)Sleeping was out of the question, so instead he tried to work, tried to read, paced his room. Nothing helped. He felt tight and caged in, his hands trembling as he clenched his fingers and released them, Frumpkin's eyes watching his slow rotations around the room.
"Mrow," the cat berated him eventually, leaping down from the bed and rubbing his face against the door, flopping down in front of it and rolling around luxuriously.
Caleb sighed. "Where is there to go?" he asked. "Out on the street, there will be people. In the house, someone may hear me. Upstairs, there is Caduceus. There is nowhere to go where I won't face someone, and I am not up for that right now. No, we stay here." He lasted another three minutes and forty seconds before letting out another sigh, digging his nails into his palm as he watched the cat stretch his paws tragically under the doorframe. "You are a menace," Caleb told him, opening the door. Frumpkin leapt to his feet, skittered out into the hallway, and streaked off toward the staircase. Caleb gave a wry smile. "You're on your own," he called after him in a low voice.
Alone in his room, however, the walls began to feel even more oppressive. Without Frumpkin's eyes on him, he felt even more jittery and out of sorts, practically vibrating with the need to do something, only the something was nebulous and out of reach.
"Fine," he said aloud to the walls finally. "You are right, cat. That is the least objectionable of our options." He left the room, closing the door behind him, and turned for the stairs to the roof.
The stone that lined the twisting staircase was soothingly cool under his touch as he wound his way upward, and the evening air was a relief on his cheeks as he emerged into the night. Faint lights were glowing in the tree above, and he could see Caduceus curled up at the base of it, Frumpkin loafed contentedly in the dip of his hip. His breathing was slow and steady, lifting Frumpkin gently with every inhale, and Caleb couldn't tell from this distance if his eyes were open.
He crossed to the edge of the roof and climbed onto the wall there, letting his legs dangle over the edge as he looked out over the city lights of Rosohna. The cool air he breathed in with great gulps seemed to steady his fingers a little as he let them curl around the edge of the wall, still trembling faintly.
"I was wondering," he heard Caduceus say behind him, eventually, "if you'd be joining us, or if your friend decided to visit on his own." Frumpkin leapt up onto the wall beside Caleb, and Caleb let a hand fall to his ruff, scritching his fingers into the soft fur.
"I didn't really feel like seeing anyone," Caleb said. He smiled wryly down into the placidly blinking eyes of his cat. "Frumpkin, it seems, had other plans."
"Ah," Caduceus said easily. "Well, I can go back to – "
"No," Caleb said, too quickly. "Uh," he added, flustered, "that is, I do not mind you being here. I am the one invading your space, after all."
"This is everyone's space." Caduceus leaned against the wall beside him, forearms stretched out against the stone, hands dangling next to Caleb's legs. "I could have taken a room inside if I wanted one. I like being here to see people when they come up to enjoy – " he waved a hand at the tree, the shrines, the view. "Everything. But I have lots of practice giving people their space, too, when they need it."
"I don't know that space is what I need," Caleb admitted. He hadn't wanted to see anyone, but he couldn't deny that the feeling of Caduceus leaning warm against his side was starting to soothe him, ground him in exactly the ways that he had missed for so long. "I…I'm not sure what I need." It was a lie, and he could tell that Caduceus knew it by the way his eyes shifted up to look at Caleb sideways, then dropped to his shaking hands.
He half expected Caduceus to say "I do," but instead he looked back up at Caleb. "Is there anything that has helped you before? When you feel like…" he waved one of his hands expressively. "Whatever it is that you feel like right now?"
"I…" Caleb felt a flush creeping up his neck. "There are some things, yes. But nothing that is quite…accessible right now." He waited for Caduceus to prompt him for more, but he didn't. Caleb bit his lip, considering, and continued hesitantly. "There was a time in my life when I had…friends. They knew how to give me what I needed."
"Ah." Caleb looked out at the city to avoid seeing the sympathy in Caduceus's eyes, and felt a jolt go through his body as the solid warmth of a wide hand dropped to his knee, fingers squeezing gently. "You have friends here," Caduceus reminded him.
"I." Caleb swallowed. "I know." He drew in a shaky breath. "But I am not…friends with anyone here in the way that I was with them."
"No one is ever the same kind of friend with any two people," Caduceus said sagely. "But if you mean the kind of friends that you have sex with, I know there are people here who could give you that, if it's what you'd looking for." He eyed Caleb. "It's okay," he said, "you can tell me whatever it is. Don't worry, it's pretty hard to embarrass me."
Caleb laughed weakly. "Ja," he said, "I know, but it's very easy to embarrass myself." His face was flaming with heat, but he swallowed, lifting his eyes above the city before continuing. "It would help, sometimes, to be…" he hesitated, but Caduceus's hand was still warm and steadying against his leg, and the thought of feeling it against his skin more insistently, more intentionally, was intoxicating. "To be told what to do. To not have to think for myself, for a while. Maybe sex, yes, like you said, but only…only to do what they asked of me. To give them what they wanted. Maybe to let them hurt me. To be…" his voice faded as he said, "theirs."
Caduceus was still and quiet beside him for a long moment, and Caleb felt panic begin to surge through him before Caduceus's fingers went tighter around his knee, squeezing lightly. "Yeah, okay, I think I could do that." Caleb let out a shaky breath, looking down at him, his eyes feeling wild, like he needed to look everywhere at once, but as soon as they caught Caduceus's wide dark gaze, he felt something in him settle. "That is," Caduceus continued, "if you would be interested in that. Being…" he hesitated. "Mine."
Caleb swallowed. "I," he said. He let his hand fall on top of Caduceus's, tangling their fingers together. "You do not have to do this for me," he said.
"I'm not," Caduceus replied. "I'm doing it because it sounds interesting. It sounds like something I'd like. And you're telling me that it's something you know you like. So that's twice as good, right?" He squeezed Caleb's hand, then pulled away, pushing himself up off the wall and stepping away, stretching. "C'mon," he said, "I've made a nice cozy spot around back of the tree." He held out a hand to Caleb.
Caleb swung his legs around and slid off the wall, pausing to look at Frumpkin, curled into a loaf and blinking sleepily out at the city lights. "Gute Nacht, mein Freund," he said, and snapped his fingers, making the cat blink out of existence. He turned to fit his hand into Caduceus's, and let Caduceus lead him to the far end of the roof.
The space in the far corner had been converted to something that could best be described as a nest, all soft fabrics and gentle sloping surfaces of different heights, with lights cascading down from the tree above, plants and other growths making a gentle canopy around it, providing just enough privacy from the house and the city. Caduceus led him to the edge of it, then paused, reaching for Caleb's other hand as well, turning to face him, eyes intent.
"You haven't answered," he said.
"I." Caleb's eyes were fixed on their fingers, twisted together so that he could hardly feel the energy thrumming under his skin. "I'm sorry, I've forgotten the question."
"Are you interested," Caduceus said, his voice lower as he stepped forward into Caleb's space, looking down at him, "in being mine?"
"Yes." Caleb breathed out the word, looking up into Caduceus's gentle face. "Please."
Caduceus nodded. "I will trust you," he said, "to tell me if you don't like anything." A flicker of expression crossed his face. "Unless," he said carefully, "you are interested in me not listening to you if you say something like that. If that's the plan, we'd need to – "
"No," Caleb said, a little too forcefully. He winced. "I…" He swallowed. "I have been interested in it, in the past," he admitted. "But I do not think I would like it from you."
"Easy enough, then," Caduceus said. "Thank you for telling me. In that case, if you would like me to stop, or change something, or pause, or anything at all, just say so, okay?" Caleb nodded mutely. "Okay, Caleb?" Caduceus asked, more firmly.
Caleb looked up at him. "Ja," he said. "Okay."
"Good." Caduceus smiled fondly down at him. "You're going to be very good at this," he decided, and just the words sent a surge of pleasant warmth down Caleb's spine. "Well, then." Caduceus looked him over. "Would you like to be naked?"
"I…" Caleb hesitated. "If you – "
"Don't overthink it," Caduceus said, an unfamiliarly sharp edge to his tone. "Would you like to take your clothes off for me?"
"Yes," Caleb replied, the answer tumbling from his lips before he had time to rationalize his way out of it.
"Good," Caduceus said. "You should do that, then." He dropped Caleb's hands and backed away, settling himself comfortably down onto one of the surfaces in his neck that was about the height of a chair. He leaned back into the soft fabric and watched appreciatively as Caleb reached for the buttons of his shirt.
He stripped his clothes off efficiently, not really knowing how or wanting to make a show of it, but each time he'd peek up at Caduceus, he could see his eyes on him, watching him appreciatively. Once his clothes had all fallen to the floor, he shifted on his feet, looking up to Caduceus for direction.
"Here," Caduceus said. He gestured to the space on the floor of the nest beside him.
Caleb felt his breath catch at the thought of going to his knees for Caduceus, but without a more explicit command, he simply stepped forward and stood in the space that Caduceus had indicated, waiting. Caduceus reached up, his fingertips light and soft against Caleb's jaw, tracing upward until his hand was cupping his face, wide and warm and grounding.
"You said you like to be hurt," Caduceus said.
Caleb drew in a sharp breath. "Yes," he said, a little helplessly. "If you – "
"The body in pain," Caduceus interrupted him, "can have very similar reactions to the body in pleasure. I imagine it would be equally enjoyable to watch you experience either." Caleb was still trembling, but he suspected that now it was more from anticipation and desire than unspent energy. "What is it that you like?"
"Whatever you'd give me," Caleb breathed out, and he let his head drop to the side, pressing a hot open kiss to Caduceus's palm, the skin soft and faintly velvety under his lips.
Caduceus's thumb brushed over his cheek tenderly before his fingers tightened on Caleb's jaw, turning his head forward again. "I asked a question, Caleb." The sharp tone was back.
Caleb let out a low groan. "Biting," he said, "scratching, slapping. Whips, canes, blades. Whatever will make me feel something." His face was impossibly hot with shame, but when he met Caduceus's eyes, he saw no judgement there, and maybe even a spark of interest.
"Good," Caduceus said, and his hand fell from Caleb's cheek to his shoulder, pushing him downward. Caleb let his legs fold, and all but collapsed onto his knees in the plush nest, Caduceus's hand staying heavy on his shoulder. "Thank you for telling me that, Caleb."
Caleb nodded in acknowledgement, and adjusted himself more comfortably on his knees, feeling the steady warmth of Caduceus's touch spreading through him. He let his head fall at the end of the nod, and felt a pleasant stretch in his neck as he looked downward, feeling Caduceus's eyes on him but not looking up to meet them.
Slowly, eventually, Caduceus lifted his hand to Caleb's hair, and it took Caleb a moment to realize this his fingers were undoing the tie there, letting his hair fall softly down around his face. Caduceus let the tie fall to the ground, and his fingers raked up against Caleb's scalp with just the hint of a scrape of claws, sending a shiver running down his spine.
"C'mere," Caduceus said in a low rumble, cupping his hand around the back of Caleb's head and tugging until Caleb scooted closer on his knees, settling himself just beside Caduceus's feet. "Mm," Caduceus rumbled in approval, "better," and his heavy hand pressed at Caleb's head until he slowly leaned in and rested his flushed face against Caduceus's thigh, letting his eyes flutter closed as both of Caduceus's hands sank into his hair and started carding through it.
"Oh," he breathed out across Caduceus's lap. He let one of his hands curl around Caduceus's ankle, holding on, and Caduceus didn't pull away. Instead, his fingers kept up a steady rhythm through his hair, down his neck, over his upper back, and with each pass, they dug in just a bit harder, until Caleb was gasping at the hot streaks of sharpness wearing themselves into his skin.
"I like you like this," Caduceus said above him, dropping his hands just to Caleb's back, shoulders, upper arms, his claws scratching marks across him. "Kneeling for me." He dragged another hot stripe of his hand over Caleb's back. "Hurting for me. You're really beautiful like this." Caleb let out a quiet moan, muffling it against Caduceus's thigh. "No, none of that," Caduceus said. He reached to tangle his fingers into Caleb's hair and tilt his head almost roughly to the side. "Let me hear you."
Caleb gasped out a breath, and when Caleb's nails trailed down his neck, he dutifully let out a hiss of pain.
Caleb could have counted every second that Caduceus spent raking his claws over him, but instead he chose not to. He closed his eyes and drifted on the sharp sweetness of the pain, the anchoring softness of Caduceus's warm leg beneath his cheek.
Eventually, the sensations started to fade into the gentle touch of Caduceus's fingertips against him, tracing over the lines he'd left, pressing the cool soothing magic of healing into his body, and Caleb felt like he might be floating right out of his skin as he felt it fold back together smoothly under Caduceus's touch.