“Where are you taking me?” Xornoth giggled as Fwhip tugged him by his hand, the other clamped tightly over his eyes. Fwhip had insisted for their destination to be a surprise, and who was Xornoth to deny the man’s fun?
The trip there could’ve been smoother, though, to say the least.
The elven king grunted softly as he bumped into yet another obstacle, the thousandth bumbling, snickering apology finding its way out of Fwhip’s mouth. “Could you be any clumsier?” Xornoth huffed, though he couldn’t muster any malice behind it. “Scott and Elwyn are going to think you beat me to a pulp out here with the amount of bruises I’ll come back with.”
A wheezing laugh squeezed out of Fwhip’s throat, flooding warmth into Xornoth’s chest despite Rivendell’s brisk air. “Nah, they know you’d snap first out of the two of us. Surprised they haven’t found me face down in a ditch with how grouchy you can get,” Fwhip teased.
A wave of smug satisfaction settled itself over Xornoth’s shoulders at the high-pitched squawk Fwhip let out, a sure sign that his swift jab to the ankle had collided. “See! I’m literally being abused right now,” Fwhip whined. “I’m such a victim of domestic abuse and I’m gonna sic Gem on you.”
If Xornoth could roll his eyes behind his hand, he would. “Please, Gem loves me. Do you seriously believe she’d believe you over me?”
“Well, we’re here, so how about we stop talking about my sister on our anniversary?” Fwhip suddenly stopped in his tracks, leaving Xornoth to run into his back with another ‘oof.’ His shit-eating grin was evident, even if Xornoth couldn’t see it.
“Can I uncover my eyes now? Despite how much you annoy me, I do like to see your handsome face from time to time.”
“Oh, shut it, you flirt. And yeah, you can open your eyes.”
Xornoth let his hand fall, though the one intertwined with Fwhip’s stayed put. He blinked rapidly at the dim light that felt way too bright, contrasting with the prolonged darkness he’d just been released from. Fwhip was the first thing he saw, a distinct red flush present across his cheeks. Though whether that was from the chill or from the compliment wasn’t obvious.
What was obvious were the copious amounts of peonies surrounding them. On every side, everywhere he looked, the pastel purple flower filled the elf’s vision. It was clear where they were now- the garden. It was one of Xornoth’s favorite places in the castle, the memories of hide and seek with Scott as children, picnics in the spring, and many other events taking place in this very spot flooded his mind. It was no surprise that Fwhip would bring him here after their dinner. It was important to Xornoth, after all.
“Do… you like it?” Fwhip’s hesitant question brought Xornoth’s eyes back to the man. The tinkerer had suddenly adopted a much more sheepish body language, eyes darting back and forth and shifting his weight from side to side. His hands had been stuffed into his pockets, a sure sign of his nerves, and he was no doubt fiddling with a scrapped project he always kept on hand.
“Of course,” Xornoth whispered, leaning forward to cup his hands around Fwhip’s face and press a gentle kiss to his lips. “I see you prettied it up, huh? Scott help you with that?” The elf giggled when they parted, glancing around the small clearing of flowers.
Small lights had been strung up around the garden from its spruce lattices, no doubt filled with fireflies. Xornoth distantly wondered how long Fwhip had been out catching the bugs, and if he got help. The image of him floundering around with the tiny glass orbs and missing the bugs by mere inches tugged a smile onto Xornoth’s face.
“What did I say about bringing up our siblings? I thought tonight was for us,” Fwhip chuckled. “But yeah, he helped me string up the lights. Gem actually had some fireflies on hand- though she helped me fill up a few more once we realized we didn’t have enough.”
Xornoth nodded at the explanation, taking the time to glance around at the scenery once more before turning his attention to Fwhip. “As much as I love this and all, why did you bring me here?” He mused.
Fwhip’s nerves returned with full force at Xornoth’s question, stuttering out a few sounds before finally responding, “Well- as you know, it- it’s our fifth anniversary-”
Xornoth raised a brow, nodding. “Right?” He asked through Fwhip’s silence.
The Count made a few hand motions, cutting himself off each time, before giving up. “I wanted to give you something,” he spat out.
Xornoth took a surprised step back as Fwhip lowered himself to the ground, reaching a hand into his pocket. What he retrieved was a small black box, a smooth velvet adorned with gold clasps and- wait, was he-?
The box opened, revealing a stunning necklace.
Its beauty sucked the breath right out of Xornoth’s lungs. The chain was simple for the most part, an ornate gold that sparkled under the dim light. What stood out most, though, was the gem. A large, dark red crystal took the center stage, its deep color akin to blood- or the deepslate redstone Fwhip loved so much. Its sparkle was entrancing, and Xornoth couldn’t help but watch its shimmering patterns for a moment.
“Is- is this for me?” He stammered out, absolutely speechless.
Fwhip beamed, elated with Xornoth’s reaction. “Yeah- I found it stored away in the mansion! Do you like it?”
“I love it,” Xornoth couldn’t help but laugh, covering his mouth with his hands. “Can I- can I touch it?”
Fwhip was quick to stand back up from where he kneeled. “Of course, it’s yours to wear, after all.”
“Can you put it on me?” The words were out of Xornoth’s mouth before he could think. Putting someone’s jewelry on for them (if you weren’t family or a servant), was an incredibly intimate gesture in elven culture. Xornoth didn’t mind with Fwhip, though. They’d been together for five years, for Aeor’s sake!
That didn’t stop the tips of Fwhip’s ears from turning bright red. Xornoth giggled at the shade matching his partner’s scarf, watching the man fumble with the amulet for a moment. Xornoth turned, raising his hair so Fwhip could see what he was doing, and let the necklace drape over his shoulders. It took a moment for Fwhip to fiddle with the clasp, but then, it was on securely.
Xornoth had never felt more complete. Like he’d been naked for his whole life, only to finally be clothed. He looked down, admiring the way the crystal complimented the color of his shirt.
“Oh, Fwhip, it’s gorgeous,” the elf spun around, pulling Fwhip into a fierce kiss. “Thank you, I-I don’t know how to repay you-”
“Repay me?” Fwhip full on laughed at the notion. “It’s a gift, why would you need to repay me?”
Xornoth joined in on the mirth, shaking his head. “I don’t know! I just genuinely can’t thank you enough- I-” He took a deep breath. “Thank you. Really. Thank you.” He settled on, squeezing Fwhip into a tight hug.
“For you, anything, angel.”
I'M KILLING THEM BY NUCLEAR BLAST I LOVE THEM SO MUCH
for @mcytransswag in the t4t week! i picked rarepair, and wrote some fwhornoth based on @deityoftherain's tales of the empires au!
betaed by the amazing wonderful @dtandsomenumbers <33333
