jikan_rpg | January Catch-All

It took a moment, full minutes before Will pulled back enough to peer up at Riley. Ah, his beautiful changeling boy. Tears clung heavy on his lashes but stopped spilling over cheeks. One armed loosed around Riley's waist so Will could caress his cheek and pet his hair.

"What happened? The room froze and you showed your True Body."

"It did? I did?"

He frowned because he was trying to sort through what that meant. The only time that had happened...

"I remember going to sleep with you. Then I was back in our world. I got to meet you and we moved in together. We got all our babies and we were so happy together. It was all perfect," he started, trying to sort through all the memories and match it up to what Will had seemed to have gone through. Not an easy task.

"I was at work and you were coming home from it. You sensed something was...wrong. You went out to the park and the Unseelie Queen found you demanding to know where I was. The two of you fought because you wouldn't let her get close to me. From a distance I saw the magic and ran over just in time to see her hurt you badly with cold magic. When she saw me she gave me the coldest smile I've ever seen and held out her arms to me..."

Riley shuddered as his gaze seemed to go distant a moment while he remembered it all. "She said I was her son and she shouldn't have let me go. She said that the Fae of Winter belonged with her as her heir and she reached for me and...I snapped. Power I've never known I had came out of me and I protected you in a bubble of warmth then everything went to ice. She screamed my name, my True Name, to try to calm me but apparently my True Body formed and I attacked her. I actually hurt her really, really badly and she had to retreat."

Tears formed and fell down his face as he cupped Will's cheeks, thumbs rubbing under his eyes. "I got you better and you told me that the name she screamed, Llyr, is my True Name and the form I took was my True Body. But more than that you were blinded. I've been trying so hard to fix your eyes again but the cold she forced into you hasn't left your eyes. They're so silver now..."

He knew he'd spilled out so much but he'd needed to say it. And he let out a laugh as more tears fell. "I love you so much. I couldn't let her kill you. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you like that ever again."

Will listened attentively, taking in every detail. The mention of the Unseelie Queen caused his eyes to go wide and a shudder ran through him. She's a formidable foe and even he knew, with all his confidence in his abilities, that he was no match for Royalty. Even if he were armed to the teeth with human weapons and managed to get the element of surprise, she could crush a mere Lord with a gesture. Will also knew, without any doubt in his mind, that he would willingly face such a foe if it meant protecting Riley.

But the most shocking revelation wasn't even Will's blindness (the fact that he survived the Queen at all was nothing short of a small miracle!), but Riley's true lineage. No wonder the Fae had been hounding him for so many years. The Unseelie Queen's son was a valuable asset. And, if Will recalled correctly, she would continue to grow weaker as long as Riley grew stronger. It was in her best interest to keep him close as her power and thus her reign waned. All of this certainly explained Riley's affinity for water and ice, and his immunity to cold. He was truly the Fae of Winter. It also explained his potential to wield fire, as well. Such opposite elemental mastery would be significantly easier for a Royal Fae.

His fingers carded through Riley's hair, then curled into the strands to draw him near enough to press their forehead together. This was bad news. If the Queen herself came for him...

"They're never going to let you go..."

"I know. That's what you said before..."

Closing his eyes, he drew in a deep breath. When he opened them again there was a fierce determination in his eyes. Tears or not, he'd decided on something. And he was never letting that go. Ever.

"But they can never claim me. I will never fall into their grasp no matter what they try. I am my own person and I am not going to do things based on their whims." He leaned in to press a kiss to Will's lips, pulling back to gaze into his eyes. "I know where I came from but that doesn't give them the right to do decide my life. And I will always pick you over them. Always."

That was his vow.

His hand slides from Riley's hair to thumb away the tears. He knows that Riley's always been fiercely independent. It's part of what drew Will to him. Riley didn't need someone to be his other half; he was whole and complete by himself. What he needed, what he wanted was a true partner. Someone to love him, but who also respected and admired him. Someone who wouldn't ever try to control him, someone who didn't need to control or parent him. All because he was his own man from start to finish.

Will hung on his boyfriend's words, his heart swelling when he finished speaking. Instinct had him pulling Riley close again, both arms winding around Riley's slim waist. He couldn't stop himself before the words tumbled out. "Let's get married."

Riley leaned into the touch and when he was pulled closer, he let his legs drape over the sides of the chair as he wrapped his arms around Will's neck. Then he said those words that made so much sense but surprised him anyway. Mouth falling open and eyes widening, he stared at him a moment.

Then he threw himself at Will and only quick thinking to form a pillar of ice behind the chair kept it from sending them to the floor. Bursting into laughter, more tears fell down his face as he pulled back and nodded.

"Yes! Yes! Let's get married!"

Will yelped when the chair tipped backward but joined in Riley's laughter when he realized they weren't falling. It gave him pause, but he stretched his arm out for the drawer at their bedside table hoping not to overbalance them one way or another. What he withdrew was a box. He's sure Riley could see where this was going. He tipped the chair upright so he could open it without worries. Inside was a pair of kizuna rings.

"With these rings, we'll always be able to find each other, love."

Leaning back, he watched as Will produced rings. They were beautiful and matched so well. And they truly meant they'd be able to find each other too. Gasping softly, his eyes went so wide at the sight of the rings. When had Will gotten those? They were stunning!

"Oh Will..." They had to get married right away. They had to. He knew that but first he just smiled because he wanted to be in this moment here and now. Banishing the ice pillar behind the chair not that it was no longer needed, he offered his hand to Will so he could put the ring on his finger.

Taking Riley's hand, Will slipped the lighter of the rings on his finger. "Tomorrow. As soon as possible." He'd heard the griping about Vegas and Pete's elopement so he knew they couldn't just run away and come home married. It would disappoint their family too much.

He hands the box with the other ring to Riley and holds out his hand in turn. This was just the outward symbol of their undying love. A signal to the rest of the world that they would always choose each other, stand by and support each other. No matter what.

"I can spend today letting everyone know I'm okay. And tomorrow..." Tomorrow in a small ceremony with only the people they cared about most? They'd get married. Riley was so happy and he took the box so that way he could remove the other ring and slide the darker one onto Will's hand. Then he threaded their fingers together as he leaned in to kiss him.

"But before I let everyone else know, I have to take care of you first. Have you changed at all since we went to bed days ago?"

Despite the joy practically oozing out his pores, Will looked suddenly sheepish. "No... I've been here with you." Almost the whole time. He only left when Pete or someone else assured him it was okay to take a minute to use the bathroom.

That earned Will another kiss and then he poked his nose. "Then it's time to get you a shower and your hair brushed. And some clothes. My soon to be husband needs to feel like himself again."

Riley gave him a warm smile and one more kiss. "Sound good?"

He nuzzled against Riley, bumping their noses and then pressing his forehead against the other Fae's. "Only if you come with me," he stated quietly. "My soon-to-be husband hasn't had a shower in a couple of days, either."

That made him giggle a little. He still wasn't sure how many days had actually passed but that was okay. It had been more than enough and that meant that it was time for him to have that much needed shower too. "I was going to come with you. You need quality time with me obviously."

"I do," he agreed with a nod. But he had to wait for Riley to get up before he could move. He wasn't sure he could carry his boyfriend to the bathroom right now. And he's thinking about some of the things Riley's said... but he knew better than to ask about his own future.

Once Riley climbed out of his lap, Will took his hands as he got to his feet to lead them to the bathroom. After three days without any restful sleep, he's feeling the exhaustion now. But he can't rest yet. Shower first, then he can finally sleep. Well, maybe after he told everyone Riley's okay...

"There's so much to do."

Getting up, the blankets fell to reveal that he'd gone to bed naked as usual. And he sure was still very naked. Riley didn't mind though and just took Will's hand to walk with him to the bathroom so he could start the water, testing it to make sure it was going to run nice and hot.

"You can leave some of that to me now. It doesn't have to be all on you. We're partners, remember?"

Riley smiled at him then reached to help him start stripping down, giving him kisses the whole time. "Tell me what needs to be done okay? You need to sleep so I can do some of that to help out."

He's not surprised by Riley's nudity. It's a normal thing for him. Riley always sleeps naked, after all. And since he'd been safely under the covers, there was no need to struggle to dress him while he was... sleeping.

"We have to let everyone know you're alright now. Kim and Wanyin were really worried. Everyone was, really. And then we have to tell them we're getting married and get all that together... Vegas has been in the kitchen cooking for days, so we'll probably have enough food to last a month."

He's rambling. Just letting the thoughts that came to mind spill out unbidden. But he didn't put up any fight when Riley peeled his clothes off. He wasn't particularly helpful other than lifting his arms about his head.

Finally, he flopped down on the toilet to rest for a moment and rubbed his knuckles to his bleary eyes.

"I'm so ugly right now..."

"Okay. I'll do all that." That way Will could get the sleep that he needed. "After you're asleep so I can be with you until then. And I'll be back before you wake up."

Watching him go to sit down, he smiled at him fondly and went to go over to run his fingers through that long hair to push it back from Will's face. Humming, he analyzed him a bit. Like he was seeing if that was actually true.

"Hmmmm... Nope. You just need your gardener to give you a good watering and a proper bed to rest in. Luckily your gardener is here so let's get you that water first so my really beautiful flower will feel better, okay?"

And maybe a little sunshine after his rest. He hasn't been out of their room in days. A weary but genuine smile settled on his lips and he peered back at Riley. Oh, how he loved this Fae. Everything about him: his charm, his kindness, that damn cute face. But mostly it was his huge heart. Will never wanted anything to make Riley close that off.

He leaned forward and slipped his arms around Riley in a loose hug. He just wanted to be close to him for a moment before they got in the shower. He was tired and the relief of seeing Riley awake and well only made him sleepier.

"My gardener is so good to me."

"He's always going to be too."

That was a promise. He waited until Will was ready, giving him time to lean against him and hug him before getting him into the shower. After getting them both cleaned off and Will's hair combed out, he brought him back to their bed and tucked them in. Smiling at him, he stroked his cheek the whole time until the other was sound asleep.

Only then did he get up to get dressed and go find everyone to let them know he was awake and about the wedding.

January Catch-All

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