It's been awhile since I last posted due to yk, common student's struggles, but here some wholesome stuff before I go on vacation and also a sort of hiatus cuz I'll be preparing for the Elisop/Aeseli Summer Week and probably won't post until then 

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"I-... I love you."

He exhaled deeply, his lips tightly pressed together as he finally confessed what had been weighing on his heart for so long. How could three simple words take so much strength away from him? How did he even get in such a situation in the first place? He wasn't really sure, before he knew it, he asked the embalmer to follow him to the garden and both stayed in an awkward silence for quite some time, the latter fidgeting anxiously with the hem of his sleeve while waiting for the seer to say something, anything.

Though he probably never expected this and the seer himself didn't either.

They bathed in the faint light bestowed by the moon, clear like crystal and as transparent as those beads of sweat trickling in his neck. Initially, Eli didn't forecast telling Aesop about the feelings hidden in the cradle of his heart. He thought he would die and bring them to the grave. The main reason being because he already had a fiancée. She was waiting for him to come back and he loved her deeply but, it has been three years.

Three years that he had passed confined within the walls of this manor. Such a long time his legs had been madly running in fear for his life. He somehow got used to this torturing game as days, weeks and months went by and he never once forgot the sweetest smile Gertrude gave him when he returned from the fields as well as her loving embrace.

Alas, slowly, the features of her face started to vanish from his memory and the bond he felt with her also began to extinguish.

During that confusing time he wondered if everything was his fault, his attention was brought upon the gray-haired male now in front of him, Aesop Carl.

The man was quite different from him, unlike the seer, the embalmer instead found solace in the Oletus manor. For reasons he ignored at first, Aesop wasn't affected at all by this masquerade and seemed to identify this prison as an appealing bed of roses. He more or less hated him for that but when somehow learning of his background before coming here and how he had no family, friends or relatives outside, he pitied him.

And since he knew of his sins, Eli told him his too.

From that, a peculiar relationship formed between them. They weren't really friends at the beginning but weren't just acquaintances either. The seer couldn't fathom the embalmer's beliefs and there were some arguments about it. Nonetheless, both of them tried to help the other work on their flaws and after a while, maybe one could say that they were close fellows.

Eli surprisingly grew fond of Aesop during this time. What was originally pity became something more enigmatic and passionate. The two men were often spending time together and every time his gaze would land on the fair looking embalmer, the seer couldn't help but feel lost and mesmerized. He noticed all the small gestures the man did and remembered the foods he preferred with his habits as if he was some kind of stalker albeit he was just an inch away from him rather than spying on him from afar.

To make it short, Eli fell head over heels for Aesop.

Those three years by his side were more comforting than he ever thought and he just loved him so much that those feelings needed to get out of his chest. He wanted to kiss him and pull him into his arms so badly that his heart hurt like he would kick the bucket were it that the embalmer severed their friendship even if that was but a mere delusion on his part and unlikely to be real.

"Sorry," he resumed, "I would understand if you don't feel the same way and if that's the case, I simply hope that things would stay the same between us."

Aesop's eyes widened for a second before he lowered his mask to speak.

"I would be lying if I said I dislike you."

The seer's mind brightened at these words but he stayed quiet and waited for the embalmer to continue as he didn't want to assume anything yet.

"Actually, I never thought in my whole life that anyone would feel like this towards me so I'm a bit disoriented about how I should handle this but," he paused, the corner of his lips turning upwards faintly, "I believe that I wouldn't regret it if I were to reciprocate your feelings."

"Does it mean that...?"

"I've never been in a relationship so forgive me if I ever hurt you in the future though." he spoke in a low voice.

Eli let out a laugh then smiled fondly at the embalmer.

"It's alright, I don't mind it and I wouldn't blame you for that."

Followed by this claim, the seer shyly reached for Aesop's hand, their fingers intertwining like a key in a lock. His other hand cupped the man's face and after getting his approval from a small nod, he got closer until their breaths tangled and sealed his lips with a kiss. It was obvious from the way the embalmer's lips moved that he felt quite bashful but with the seer's guidance, they shared a pleasant moment as their tongues melted together and both of their faces grew red.

They parted when they became short of breath but not without their bodies still being pressed to each other in a loving embrace.

"I love you, Eli Clark."

"I do too, my dear."