Acatl heard him coming, of course, but he still looked stunned when Teomitl appeared around the edge of the copper-belled entrance curtain and lifted it to let the noon sun stream in. “What are you doing here?”
Suddenly, Teomitl wasn’t sure this was such a good idea. It had felt like one when he’d set out, and even when he’d had a tense and terrifying conversation with Ichtaca before being allowed to go in search of the man, but...well, his current record of good ideas was somewhat tarnished. After the past week, his nightmares had a new scenario to torment him with. Still, he was here now. Might as well forge ahead. Smiling with a confidence he didn’t quite feel, he held out the fat vegetable-and-chile tamales he’d brought. “I thought we could have lunch. You need to eat something.”
“I don’t need to be mothered,” Acatl muttered, but he took the tamale anyway.
Victory. He stepped back, holding the curtain open. “Come on,” he offered, “let’s sit in the sunlight.”
It was a beautiful day. A little chilly, admittedly, but that just meant he had an excuse to sit a bit closer than he normally would. The last time they’d been together like this had been after one of the worst days of his life, a day when he’d honestly thought Acatl might never speak to him again—ah, but then the man had smiled at him, and it was on the strength of that smile that he was here now. But the man he loved seemed distracted, eyeing him oddly, and finally Teomitl asked, “What?”
Acatl took another bite of his tamale and set it down, frowning. “...I wasn’t expecting...” He gestured wordlessly between them.
“Did you not think I was going to stop by?” They hadn’t seen each other in two days, since his utter debacle of a coup attempt. It had felt like an eternity.
Acatl was staring at the ground as though he found bare dirt fascinating. Finally he said simply, quietly, “I’m not your teacher anymore. You don’t need me.”
Oh. Oh. Teomitl sucked in a sharp breath. “And you think that means I’d cut all ties with you?” he snapped, angrier than he’d meant. “You think that I don’t still want you in my life, Acatl? In any way I can?” He knew he was saying too much, revealing things he’d really hoped to keep hidden, but he couldn’t stop himself. “There doesn’t need to be a reason!”
Silence for a long moment, and then Acatl looked up and there was a smile tugging at his lips and oh no, Teomitl was gone. “So I’m to assume this will be a regular occurrence then?”
“Of course,” he huffed, and shoved half a tamale into his mouth before Acatl noticed he was blushing. “How are we going to hold the Empire together without you?”
Obsidian & Blood, Acatl/Teomitl
Acatl heard him coming, of course, but he still looked stunned when Teomitl appeared around the edge of the copper-belled entrance curtain and lifted it to let the noon sun stream in. “What are you doing here?”
Suddenly, Teomitl wasn’t sure this was such a good idea. It had felt like one when he’d set out, and even when he’d had a tense and terrifying conversation with Ichtaca before being allowed to go in search of the man, but...well, his current record of good ideas was somewhat tarnished. After the past week, his nightmares had a new scenario to torment him with. Still, he was here now. Might as well forge ahead. Smiling with a confidence he didn’t quite feel, he held out the fat vegetable-and-chile tamales he’d brought. “I thought we could have lunch. You need to eat something.”
“I don’t need to be mothered,” Acatl muttered, but he took the tamale anyway.
Victory. He stepped back, holding the curtain open. “Come on,” he offered, “let’s sit in the sunlight.”
It was a beautiful day. A little chilly, admittedly, but that just meant he had an excuse to sit a bit closer than he normally would. The last time they’d been together like this had been after one of the worst days of his life, a day when he’d honestly thought Acatl might never speak to him again—ah, but then the man had smiled at him, and it was on the strength of that smile that he was here now. But the man he loved seemed distracted, eyeing him oddly, and finally Teomitl asked, “What?”
Acatl took another bite of his tamale and set it down, frowning. “...I wasn’t expecting...” He gestured wordlessly between them.
“Did you not think I was going to stop by?” They hadn’t seen each other in two days, since his utter debacle of a coup attempt. It had felt like an eternity.
Acatl was staring at the ground as though he found bare dirt fascinating. Finally he said simply, quietly, “I’m not your teacher anymore. You don’t need me.”
Oh. Oh. Teomitl sucked in a sharp breath. “And you think that means I’d cut all ties with you?” he snapped, angrier than he’d meant. “You think that I don’t still want you in my life, Acatl? In any way I can?” He knew he was saying too much, revealing things he’d really hoped to keep hidden, but he couldn’t stop himself. “There doesn’t need to be a reason!”
Silence for a long moment, and then Acatl looked up and there was a smile tugging at his lips and oh no, Teomitl was gone. “So I’m to assume this will be a regular occurrence then?”
“Of course,” he huffed, and shoved half a tamale into his mouth before Acatl noticed he was blushing. “How are we going to hold the Empire together without you?”