pet play

Part 5

Was it possible to miss the sound of a person breathing? Theoretically, at least, there shouldn't be a significant difference in the sounds of a person breathing. It was far too abstract. If you wanted to listen to breathing, you could just listen to your own breathing.

Alver gently caressed Cale's sleeping face, admiring every curve of his face as he listened to Cale's breathing.

Three weeks. Three weeks dealing with that rat they called a king in the Mogoru Empire. Negotiating trade agreements and reparations from the incidents at the border. Two weeks sleeping as a guest in that stuffy palace with merciless eyes all around him, waiting for a single excuse to create an international incident.

And frankly, Alver wouldn't have minded those miserable three weeks. He was good at what he did and he took a certain amount of gleeful joy in outwitting that arrogant bastard and reminding him just who was holding all of the cards in this negotiation.

But he didn't dare bring Cale.

King Adin was the slimy sort of bastard who always kept an eye out for ways to hurt the Rowoon Kingdom and when that failed, Alver personally. Twice now Adin had attempted to have Alver poisoned.

It was a hilarious and pleasurable irony that both times Adin had decided to use dead mana as his poison of choice.

He shuddered to think what would happen if Cale was the one who took a sip of the poisoned tea though. If Adin were to ever realize just how dearly Cale was treasured. To the outside world, he was known as a close personal attendant and scandalous rumors painted him as something of a concubine that Alver was 'too ashamed of' to announce officially.

Truthfully it was Cale who had requested his official title be an attendant. Alver was happy to give him whatever official position he wanted. However, there was a certain advantage to Cale being considered the kings 'dirty little secret' when it came to shielding Cale from the kingdom's enemies.

But he couldn't bring Cale with him. Couldn't even risk calling him on a communication orb. And so for three weeks, he couldn't see Cale. Couldn't touch him. Couldn't hear his voice.

And he couldn't hear his breathing.

It was such a silly thing to miss. There were so many more things about Cale that he wanted to have nearby. Like the sharp sound of his laugh and that particular way the bottom of his eyes wrinkled when he let a real smile slip out. The casual way that Cale walked through life like he owned the world and the worrisome hesitation in the back of his heart that made Alver want to give him anything and everything to make it better. He hadn't even realized he missed Cale's breathing until he was here, holding the sleeping 'pet' gently against his chest and losing himself in the warmth.

He didn't dare say anything or adjust his position.

Selfish as it was, he wanted to hold Cale just a bit longer. And he knew that Cale would saunter back off towards his pet bed if he woke up. Probably cursing up a storm while he went, just to make sure that Alver knew how annoyed he was.

To hide how much he'd enjoyed Alver's warmth.

Alver wasn't so delusional as to think that Cale returned his feelings, Cale had been clear, consistent, and emphatic, but Alver had spent his entire life wearing a mask. It would be impossible not to recognize when the man he loved wore one too.

He knew that Cale liked being held like this. That sometimes he pretended to be more exhausted after sex than he really was just to linger in this warmth. That he was embarrassed or ashamed or possibly just annoyed that he liked it and so he hid it behind curses and scorn.