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 Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2024 8:10 am
“I wasn’t really hurt before jumping in,” Reims frowned as he watched Cassidy circle him like a shark. “But it does feel different from bath water, yeah,” he agreed, and then snorted in amusement at apparently a random thought he’d had.
“Have you ever, like… considered selling your bath water?”
Wait, that sounded weird.
“I mean, like. N-not that I would want any. But I see online how people joke about buying bathwater from-- I mean -- you’re pretty, so. Wait, that’s really gross, don’t do that. Pretend I didn’t say any of that. Oh my god.”
He hid his face in his hands, his cheeks too red now to even pretend that it was the heat. What was he even talking about?? At least Cassidy’s arm wasn’t giving him grief!
Ephesus squeaked and giggled when the water was flicked at him. He couldn’t help but do the same in return at Amarynthos. Although he also was quite happy to be so close to his boyfriend, even if he didn’t really need help to get his footing.
“I can’t wait to do this in a normal swimsuit,” he sighed, glancing down at the fabric sticking to him. The outfit was already pretty lightweight, so everything stuck to him and was nearly see through. He wouldn’t have to worry about it until he got out, but already decided he would have to ask Amarynthos to get him a towel so he could cover himself.
“You look good like this, though,” he insisted, placing a hand on the soaked fabric of Amarynthos’s shirt. “Oh, but you always look good.”
If they kept up their own small conversation, then they could both eavesdrop without it being obvious.
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Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2024 8:11 am
Cassidy blinked up at Reims. He’d dipped low enough that the water was just under his nose but he had to come up so he didn’t get water in his mouth when he laughed.
“No, I never thought about that before! I don’t exactly need money like that, my parents are both trying to buy my love right now so I’m pretty set. But I’ll keep it in my pocket, thanks. That’s a good ego boost. I do spend a lot of time online, I’ve seen some people do that before. Most girls though, but I appreciate your confidence in me. Seems like a fun gimmick I guess. Like a pet rock.”
He continued moving in a slow circle around Reims. “You’re fun, Reims. You know, I was really nervous about meeting your friends and coming to some strange place. My heart’s all pitter-pattery. You make me feel more comfortable. I like being around you. If you wanted my bathwater, I wouldn’t even charge you. Here, you can have this. It’s basically bathwater, but a little better I think. Because it’s magic,” he said, scooping his hands full of water and presenting it to Reims as he tried to keep a mostly-straight face.
Though Amarynthos couldn’t quite tell what Reims and Cassidy were talking about, he supposed it was good to give them a bit of privacy. Cassidy was only friends with ‘Reims’ after all, and the less time he and Ephesus spent around him, the less likely they were to slip up and reveal that they knew a bit too much to be strangers.
He plucked at the skin-tight fabric clinging to Ephesus and nodded. “Well, thank you. You always look good, too.” He suspected Ephesus might be self conscious with the way his fabric was handling water; he’d have to make sure to get out first so he could get him a towel.
“Are you comfortable, Effie? We could always try to slip away, too. I mean, Reims seems like he’s got things under control for now. We just have to make some time so you can see if your magic can do anything.”
He wasn’t holding his breath but he wasn’t giving up, either.
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Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2024 8:11 am
Reims couldn’t exactly recall the last time anyone called him fun. Especially in such a sincere way. Despite how frequently Cassidy teased him -- or at least Riker -- Reims didn’t feel like he was being teased at all.
His heart was pitter-pattery? What did that mean? Was that because he felt sick or -- certainly not like what Elliot described to him when he realized he was actually interested in Atticus, right? Maybe he was getting too ahead of himself. But Cassidy even said he made him feel comfortable and he liked being around him.
Well… that was nice. He felt like his ego was getting a little boost, too.
He lowered his hands from his face to watch Cassidy circle him, but stared in confusion, eyebrows furrowed as Cassidy scooped up some water to hand him. Instinctively, Reims held out his hands to receive the water, too momentarily panicked about what to do to really think about it.
Oh… he was being teased.
Ephesus smiled, but it was small and sad. He wanted his magic to work, even just a little bit, but he knew that there were probably limitations on what his magic could actually do.
If he could just soothe Cassidy’s injuries when he was feeling particularly sore, then maybe that was better than nothing.
“What would we do if we slipped away?” he asked instead, leaning close enough so he could gently rest his forearms against Amarynthos’s chest and fiddle with the open collar of his shirt. And maybe unbutton one or two more.
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Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2024 8:13 am
Cassidy was delighted when Reims offered his hands, because even if he had been teasing, it meant that Reims was going along with it, and now it was their joke and not just his.
He laughed as he poured the water into Reims’ hands, but he spilled too much of it so had to get a second scoop, and then a third, to top off.
“There you go. What do you think people normally do with bath water? You can’t drink it, right? I mean, ew, why would you want to.”
He seemed temporarily perplexed and had to tilt his head. “I wish I got wifi up here, I want to look that up.” A few seconds passed. He watched the water slowly trickle from Reims’ cupped hands. “Wait. No, I don’t want to look that up. I don’t think I actually want to know.”
Amarynthos’ lips pressed together in something almost a pout. There was more he wanted to do or say, but he glanced over Ephesus’ shoulder to watch Cassidy and Reims. If they’d been alone, Amarynthos probably would have pulled his boyfriend into his lap and just kissed him silly.
…But that was also probably what Michael and Devyn had gone off to do, and for as good of an idea as it sounded, he was also pretty sure they shouldn’t just ditch Reims. He wanted to daydream but the more he humored the thought, the worse it was going to be to deny himself.
So, he sighed heavily and pressed his forehead to Ephesus’.
“Oh, probably the same as always. But a little less romantic because Princess will find a way to interrupt.” If not her, he was pretty sure Devyn and Michael had some radar that went off. He grinned at Ephesus though, because he couldn’t help it. His heart pounded to be so close to him. He didn’t want to get distracted, they were here to help Cassidy!
…But he seemed okay with Reims for right now so a few extra kisses would be fine.
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Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2024 8:14 am
Still not sure what to do with his hands -- or the water slowly dripping from them -- Reims kept them cupped and held out in front of him. He didn’t know, nor did he want to know, what people did with their bathwater that they purchased. He just knew that people did it.
And now, with the water almost completely gone from his hands and no reason for Reims to keep them cupped, he flicked his fingers at Cassidy, spraying what was left of the water at him.
“Maybe stick to other weird things people like -- wait, don’t do weird things. There’s too much weird going on already,” he decided with a grimace.
Ephesus just laughed softly and wrapped his arms around Amarynthos, completely comfortable and at ease with their foreheads pressed together.
“Princess would definitely find a way to interrupt. I wonder if Papa has influenced her staying away so she doesn’t scare Reims and Cassidy,” he giggled. Not because he would be happy if they were scared! But because he loved Princess and she was perfect in every way.
“At least they’re enjoying themselves,” he laughed softly again, glancing over to where Reims and Cassidy were bobbing around in the springs.
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Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2024 8:15 am
Once again, Cassidy laughed. Even though he was wet, he instinctively raised his hands to block the water, and then to brush away what Reims had flicked at him.
“Okay, okay. But some weird things have to be acceptable. Like accepting trips from strangers to visit other worlds, right? I’m just kidding, I’d have to have you vet them first. Hey, I’ll have you know, I made it through a whole week of school without telling anyone about any of this, by the way.”
Well, it was half a week, but it had to count for something.
Cassidy’s shoulders were both under the water now and he massaged his shoulder. “Which is crazy, because I love to gossip. But I didn’t want to disappoint you. Oh, or get in trouble with the wrong people, that too.”
Cassidy wasn’t speaking quietly enough that Amarynthos couldn’t hear, but when it seemed like things were going well, he felt a little less compelled to eavesdrop.
“They both look relaxed,” Amarynthos mused, doing his best not to seem like he was peeking at the others. “We should have bothered Cassidy for some of his tomato pie before we got in the springs though, I’m starting to feel peckish,” he hummed, immediately pecking Ephesus’ lips once, twice, three times.
“I should have bothered Alastor for some of his snacks before they left.” As if he didn’t have some of his own stashed away. “Maybe it’s for the best. I don’t think I’m supposed to snack in the springs, but now that I’m here, I don’t want to get out. Do you really think Princess could scare Reims and Cassidy? I’m sure she’s got a scary face but when I think about her, I can only imagine her tail wagging.”
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Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2024 8:27 am
It was… weird seeing Cassidy like this. Or -- no… it wasn’t Cassidy who was different. It was him.
He wasn’t surrounded by others as Cassidy chattered at him. He wasn’t in the locker room, already expected to be made fun of for one thing or another. For as confident as he was, there were a lot of things he was insecure about, and Cassidy, for whatever reason, seemed to draw those insecurities out.
But mostly only when other people were around. Alone like this? Or… well, mostly alone… Cassidy was… funny. Endearing. Clever and generous.
Cassidy didn’t want to disappoint him.
“I could help,” he said suddenly, and then awkwardly gestured at his own shoulder. “I mean. Uh… So you’re not rotating-- uh… too much.”
He realized it was a weird jump in conversation.
“I, uh… I mean I guess I don’t have much experience with -- uh, massaging shoulders. Other than myself. But, as a thank you. For the tomato pie. And, you know, not telling everyone about the whole magic thing.”
Ephesus tried not to squeak with delight too loudly as he was pecked. It was always the silly little things that made his heart flutter. The bigger things too, but how could he not love his boyfriend when he was so cute and sweet?
He kissed him back, of course. Smiling into it the whole time.
“Oh, we’re not supposed to snack in the springs? I was just thinking how delicious you looked--” he started, still smiling brightly even as he burst into giggles and hid his face behind a hand.
“Oh no. Oh, that sounded so silly. I’m sorry! I couldn’t help it. You’re so clever with the things you say! I’m still practicing!”
One day he wanted to be able to flirt better and not say dumb little things that were easier to laugh at than anything else. He knew Amarynthos wouldn’t think poorly of him for it, but he wanted to make sure he was pulling his own weight in their relationship, and that it wasn’t Elliot doing all the work.
“I love Princess. I think she might be scary at first, but she’s so good and perfect.”
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Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2024 8:31 am
Cassidy looked up at him with a curious expression but it didn’t take him any time at all to make up his mind. “I’d like that. I mean, if you want to try. It’s not hard, I mean you just wiggle your fingers around. I’ll give you tips, if you need them. But that would be really nice.”
He dipped below the water again, enough that his chin was just resting atop the surface. “Or I can give you one first if you want. Don’t you get sore, carrying everyone to safety, and handling heavy bags?”
Cassidy bounced back up suddenly. “You don’t have to give me a thank you for the tomato pie, you haven’t even gotten to try it yet! And anyway, that was already a thank you for saving me. Unless you want to just ping pong back and forth with thank yous for each other, that might be fun. Or maybe we could just be friends looking out for each other. I mean, I don’t have magic, but.”
He looked at his bag thoughtfully and then smiled. “Well, I can make good food. And I can give good massages. So maybe I could still be useful to have around, right?”
Amarynthos couldn’t imagine loving anyone but Ephesus. Was anyone in the world as fun or charming or cute as him? No, he didn’t think so. He didn’t have to think very hard about it, either.
Ephesus’ giggles might as well have been ambrosia for him, he couldn’t get enough of them.
“It didn’t sound silly, it sounded perfect. It was cute but I don’t mind if you want to keep practicing with me,” he laughed. “I think whatever you say is very romantic so you don’t have to work too hard to make me think about how much I love you.”
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Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2024 8:32 am
Okay, that wasn’t too hard. Cassidy said he’d like Reims to try to rub his shoulder for him. Well… did he? He was now offering to give him a massage first? And then was bouncing up and down in the water and pointing out flaws in Reims’ excuse to try and--
“Oh my god! Shut up and let me do something nice!” he sputtered with exasperation as Cassidy kept hopping from topic to topic. He was just trying to be nice! This was why he didn’t bother! Wait, no, he was trying to bother! Cassidy was getting him flustered and unsure of what he was doing, though.
“Just. Hold still!” he insisted, doing his best to ignore the heat that rose in his cheeks, already coloring his ears. Anxiously, he glanced over to what Ephesus and Amarynthos were laughing about, but it seemed like they were busy talking to each other.
Oh, Ephesus was absolutely charmed by Amarynthos. Everything he said was so sweet and considerate. And it made him feel special and wanted. Like he could do no wrong. It was definitely a boost to his confidence.
“I love you, too,” he beamed up at him. “I really do think you’re very handsome. I’ll definitely have to keep practicing, though. I like when we play around like that. Oh, but you’re much better with it than I am, which is why I need to practice,” he insisted, even as he wiggled with delight at being told he didn’t have to work too hard to say something romantic.
Which also meant he would be leaning up to claim a kiss or two or three!
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Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2024 8:32 am
It never occurred to Cassidy that the laughter from the other two boys might have been related to them; he was so sure they were caught up in each other's eyes that he and Reims might as well have been on another world entirely.
But then, Cassidy was too caught up with Reims to pay much attention to them, anyway.
He laughed when scolded. “Okay, okay!” When he smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkled.
“I think saving my life and showing me Ganymede was already nice, but I’ll be still, just tell me where you want me. I can’t promise the ‘shutting up’ part, that’s really hard. But I’ll do my best.”
He wasn’t off to a great start, though.
Across the springs, in their own little corner, Amarynthos’ lips were drawn to Ephesus’ like a magnet. After a kiss or two or three, he drew away and looked at him with a heart so full of love it shined in his eyes.
“Well, my dads have good genes so I got lucky on the handsome front. And you definitely got all of Alastor and Sessrumnir’s good looks, but you’re prettier than both of them. Your skin is so soft, your lips especially. And your hair is better than mine, but I know that’s because Alastor’s been sneaking you all the good stuff,” he laughed. “You’ll have to give me tips. Call me over the next time you’re doing a hair treatment, I want to do one with you. And we’ll put on a romcom so we can get some fresh ideas for flirting.”
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Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2024 8:34 am
“Oh my god,” Reims sputtered again, positive that his face had flushed another shade darker. “Just. Hold still!” he repeated, unsure of what else to say to get Cassidy to just let him do something for him! He was trying to be nice! He didn’t think that saving his life and showing him Ganymede was him doing anything nice, just… what else was he supposed to do?
Reims shuffled around in the water, hoping that Cassidy would just stay where he was and he would move to where he needed to go instead. Once behind him, well… now he had to figure out what he was doing. He knew how to rub his own shoulder to make it feel better, so it had to be the same for Cassidy, right?
Hesitantly, Reims reached out with both hands to place against Cassidy’s shoulder -- the injured one that was supposed to be healing and the one causing him problems. He couldn’t see any scars with the long sleeved swim top he was wearing, but Reims hoped he wasn’t pressing sensitive areas too hard.
Instead, he gently massaged the tips of his fingers into the muscles of Cassidy’s neck and shoulder and down his arm a little. He assumed if it sucked, Cassidy would have no qualms with telling him to stop.
Ephesus giggled, delighted to listen to everything Amarynthos said. About their dads, about them, about what they could do together.
Although for a moment, Ephesus looked curiously up at Amarynthos. Maybe a little apologetically.
“Oh, I can share the stuff I use in my hair if you’d like? I don’t really have any special hair treatment. I just wash it in the--”
Oh!
“But-- um. There is some-- I mean-- technique that I could show you. It’s definitely easier to show you than just tell you about it. Maybe the next time my dads are away. Or-- oh, we could always, um, practice on the Moon,” he suggested, absolutely ignoring the flush to his cheeks. Even now, he couldn’t stop himself from smiling if he wanted! Amarynthos was just so sweet and charming and always made him feel safe.
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Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2024 8:35 am
Cassidy struggled to keep himself still but he did so with great diligence once Reims moved behind him. It didn’t stop him from laughing at least once, but nothing really could have. He fell quiet only when Reims put his hands on his shoulder.
It wasn’t clear that he was holding his breath, but he slowly let it out once he felt Reims’ fingers. Forced it out, really. He was tense underneath Reims’ touch, even if he was trying to relax.
At first, he tilted his head to the left, and then the right, and then forward. He opened up different parts of himself to try and make it easier for him to access all of it.
He let out a soft hum, clearly complacent and content with the attention, but only a few seconds later, he’d tensed again and his right arm jerked. He seemed to know it was about to happen just before his body did because he sat upright and was already laughing, “Oh, ha! Sorry, that thing has a mind of its own! You’re doing good, that felt nice. Don’t pay that any mind, really. I don’t want you to stop.”
Briefly, Amarynthos looked over Ephesus’ shoulder to watch Reims and Cassidy, but his eyes never strayed for long. “I’d like that,” he said pleasantly. “It sounds fun. I want to do everything with you, after all. And if you show me that special technique for how you do your hair, maybe I can help wash yours sometimes.”
He didn’t need an excuse to play with Ephesus’ hair, he just liked having another reason to be close to him. He wanted to pamper him! Especially when his cheeks were so pink and his smile made Amarynthos’ heart skip a little faster.
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Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2024 8:36 am
Reims hesitated when Cassidy’s arm jerked. Not because he didn’t believe Cassidy, but because he didn’t want to do anything that would hurt him.
“You’re really tense,” he pointed out with a small frown. “Do I make you nervous?”
He was some strange magician-like character that appeared out of nowhere and whisked him away to another world, after all. Reims wouldn’t blame him if he felt weird about being near him, especially when he wasn’t looking at his face.
Okay then… he could fix that. He would just move to Cassidy’s side then. This way he could massage the back of his shoulder and the front at the same time.
“Am I hurting you?” he wondered as well, because even if Cassidy said it felt nice, it could have also been hurting.
“I’d like that, too,” Ephesus smiled brightly, even if it was a little sheepishly now that they were making plans to wash each other’s hair. It sounded like fun! But-- oh, what if he did something and ended up making a fool of himself? Amarynthos would still love him, he knew that, but he didn’t want him to think he wasn’t able to do things on his own!
“It’ll probably be important to practice a few times, too. At least until you get used to it. But, um…. Yeah, sometimes it’s a pain to reach back for my hair, so some help would be nice.”
It wasn’t hard for him to wash his hair, but if it meant spending more time with Amayrnthos? Ephesus would use any excuse.
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Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2024 8:37 am
Cassidy hummed for a few seconds. He was usually quick to talk but he was biting on his lower lip while he summoned an answer.
“No,” he finally said, slowly. It wasn’t very convincing and he knew that the moment it left his lips. It took him a few seconds more to answer. “Don’t stop,” he insisted. Maybe it bought him a few seconds, but it wasn’t enough of an answer to placate Reims. He sucked in a breath and held it as he tipped his head forward. Some of the hair that framed his face tipped into the water and made a little shield between him and the springs. It was a thin wall but it was enough for him to gather his thoughts.
“I’m still getting used to my new mattress. And I’ve been running around all week. You know, those bookbags aren’t light. Puts a lot of strain on my back! That’s probably what you’re feeling, that’s all. Your hands feel nice. I don’t want you to stop. My muscles just need a little extra help to relax. They’re stubborn. The rest of me is too but I bet you figured that out already.”
Once more, Amarynthos could only see what Cassidy and Reims were up to. He couldn’t hear them, and couldn’t even attempt to lipread. Cassidy’s head was bowed down close to the water while Reims massaged, but Reims was half turned away from him.
Amarynthos had no reason to worry about them, they seemed like they were getting along.
“Oh,” he hummed. “Well, you know I like to play with your hair. I’d like to get the back of your hair. You know, showers are supposed to be relaxing. You shouldn’t have to work too much. I’ll be happy to help.”
Ephesus was looking a little sheepish, so Amarynthos once more took advantage of peppering his face with kisses. Really, Reims was doing such a good job not fussing over their overt affection, and Cassidy couldn’t even see.
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Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2024 8:37 am
Was-- was Cassidy hiding from him?? He was certainly trying to avoid Reims looking at his face! Did he really make him nervous? Or was it that he was hurting him and he didn’t want to admit it! He didn’t want him to stop, but Reims wasn’t sure if he should keep going.
“You’ve got a locker, right? Or friends that can help you carry your bag?” Reims prompted, trying not to sound too alarmed. He -- as Riker, of course -- had tried avoiding Cassidy that first week, afraid that he would do or say something that would give himself away, or that would end up hurting Cassidy’s feelings. Besides, Cassidy did have plenty of other friends who could help him out.
Reims was absolutely going to fuss at Amarynthos for not making sure Cassidy didn’t have someone looking out for him more. He supposed he couldn’t blame Atticus or Julian or Énna since they were all small and probably had enough trouble with their own backpacks, but Elliot was athletic and could handle an extra backpack.
Even though he hesitated, he didn’t stop gently pressing his fingertips into the too tense muscles of Cassidy’s shoulder. He didn’t like not being able to see his face, but he didn’t want to be pushy about it. He wanted to push his hair back so he could look at him, but Reims resisted. For now.
“Maybe we should find somewhere for you to sit down? I could call Effie over to use his magic and see if that helps,” he offered, glancing over his shoulder and making a face at the mushy display. “Maybe not…”
Ephesus once again tried not to be too loud as he giggled delightedly at the kisses. After a decent amount of peppering, Ephesus lifted his hands from the water to gently catch Amarynthos’s face, palms gently on each cheek so he could direct him to an actual kiss.
He knew he shouldn’t be so affectionate around their friends, but he couldn’t help it! His heart felt like it was overfull and if he didn’t regulate his emotions through physical affection like this, then he would most certainly start to cry! He knew it was silly, but there was just so much love he felt for his boyfriend that he didn’t know how else to handle those feelings.
“After being in the Springs for so long,” he started once he finally broke the kiss long enough to get in a breath. “We should probably get rinsed off anyway. Just in case.”
He didn’t think there was anything wrong with the Spring water, but he also didn’t mind an excuse to spend more time with Amarynthos.
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