@theredconqueror continued from here
Once upon a time, Emmrich would have been the kind of man that he would have hungrily gazed at across the room of an academic library, his nose too far into the book and his insecurity too buried into his soul to ever think he had a chance, let alone to think of crossing the borderlands that were the shackles of the rules his particular society bound him to. There was only misery, for men like him. Men who liked…
Now, he sat fireplace-sided, dangerously close to what time tempted him with. Emmrich and his kind eyes and his gentlemanly tongue. "Careful, Emmrich," he said, storm-blue eyes lifting from his book, "I'm susceptible to flattery." He supposed all gods were. His gaze, arrow-true, focused on the other's face. "In any case, you have it." Now, what will you do with it?
Emmrich had caught on by now that Valrys enjoyed flattery, try as the other might to hide it. But he could see it in the way he took a compliment from the necromancer. From the subtle smile and the little bit of light behind his gaze when Emmrich praised his actions or skill. There was hardly any point in trying to deny there was an attraction there. And in quiet moments like this, it was hard to deny the comfort and connection.
The necromancer didn't know what possessed him to tell Valrys he wanted his attention. That he wanted the other man's stormy gaze to fall upon him as he'd noticed it happening more and more. Especially since that kiss shared at New Years. The feel of it still lingered on his lips sometimes, when he was alone and in the dark and thinking of things he couldn't have.
"I have been thinking of that kiss, at New Year's." Emmrich said softly, eyes gentle and perhaps a bit yearning as he watched the firelight dance across the younger man's handsome features. Not much younger than himself, but regardless he felt quite flattered himself to have the other mage's eyes on him.
"You said it was for good luck, and I am starting to very much believe that you were right. Otherwise how is it that I should be so lucky to be able to attract the attention of such a handsome and intelligent man as yourself?"