Alva frowned in concentration at the potion he was working on, adding the liquid crow's feet drop-by-drop. The potion turned blue after the third drop and Alva set the dropper back into the bottle of crow's feet, nearly tipping it over when Ithai shouted something from the back of the house. The words were too muffled to make out through three rooms, and Alva wasn't in the mood to deal with Ithai's nonsense, so he ignored it.
Scowling, he reached for the next ingredient for the anti-ageing potion. He really hated making the stupid stuff, but the women in this village apparently couldn't live without it. Something thumped heavily from the back room, but Alva ignored it again. Ithai was more experienced than he was, as he'd said fifty times this week, so he could deal with whatever screw-up he'd managed this time.
Picking up the small knife he'd set out earlier, Alva carefully sliced a boothleaf into thirds. Putting two of the thirds back into the boothleaf jar, he added the last third to the anti-ageing potion and corked it. Giving it a vigorous shake, he watched critically as it turned the final color—a pastel pink—and then set it aside.
He got to make twenty bottles of the stuff, too, which was improving his mood ever so much. The smell of the grassweed paste gave him a headache, which Ithai knew, but it never stopped him from ordering Alva to deal with it. In fact, it seemed like Ithai took real pleasure in making Alva deal with it.
Scowling, wishing for the hundredth time that week that there was another plant master within an hour's ride of here that he could work with, Alva picked up the next jar. The best part of this potion was that it had to be made one single batch at a time.
Something thumped in the doorway, and Alva turned, scowling, a sharp comment on his lips because Ithai usually left him alone when he was making a potion that could turn volatile at any stage. Ithai was leaning against the doorway, his eyes bright and feverish. He was flushed and Alva cursed.
"What were you working with?" Alva demanded, standing up to go fetch an antidote. Ithai was usually better about dealing with hazardous ingredients.
"Plants," Ithai said, which was completely unhelpful, since half of what they worked with was plant-based.
"So you want it to kill you," Alva said flatly, crossing his arms and glaring as Ithai smiled, slow and calculating and Alva seriously wanted to smack him. It was one thing when Ithai wouldn't tell him what he was working with just to piss him off, it was another altogether when Ithai wouldn't tell him after inhaling or ingesting or touching something that was obviously affecting him negatively.
"It won't kill me," Ithai all but purred, and there was seriously something wrong with him. "There's no antidote, Alva, don't bother."
"Then go wear it off elsewhere," Alva snapped, refusing to step back when Ithai started to cross the room. "I'm busy doing those stupid anti-ageing potions."
"Take a break," Ithai said, still doing that purring thing with his words. He punctuated it with a leer, and Alva stared. What the fuck had Ithai inhaled?
"No," Alva said after a moment, ignoring the way his heart started to beat more quickly when Ithai stepped into his personal space. "I actually take pride in my work, unlike some people." Alva gave Ithai a pointed glare.
"That hurt," Ithai pouted, pressing hand to his heart. He managed to hit Alva's crossed arms on his way up, as close as he was standing, and Alva resisted the urge to step back. "You'll have to make it better."
Before Alva could muster a retort, Ithai had crossed the remaining distance between them and kissed him hard, sure and confident and cocky and Alva nearly lost his head and went with it. Ithai was as good a kisser as he was at everything else—current mishap aside—and Alva didn't hate him always. Still, Ithai wouldn't kiss him normally, so it had to be a side effect of the plant.
Shoving, Alva moved quickly several steps away, wiping his lips and trying to banish the memory of the way Ithai had kissed him. Fuck, now how was he supposed to work with Ithai? Perhaps it would be better if Alva locked himself away until the effects of the plant wore off. Except, what if Ithai left and inflicted himself on a stranger, one who didn't understand that Ithai was under the effect of something?
"Alva," Ithai said, smiling slowly as he crossed the room. "You kissed me—"
"You kissed me, asshole," Alva snapped, moving to put some furniture between Ithai and himself. If it was a normal plant, the effect should wear off in 4-6 hours. Depending on the dose, of course, but Ithai wouldn't be stupid enough to expose himself to more than that, would he?
"You kissed back," Ithai replied, looking infuriatingly smug, and Alva wanted to hit him.
"Ithai, please go to your room," Alva said, trying to make it sound more like a request than an order.
"I like it when you say please," Ithai said, moving more quickly than Alva gave him credit for. He used the bench to step up to the table and over it, narrowly avoiding knocking over an open jar of frogwart, and Alva stupidly focused on that instead of the fact that Ithai was coming towards him, and then Ithai was kissing him again.
"Mmph—" Alva tried to protest, but this kiss was different, softer and more sure, and Alva really, really wanted to believe it, really wanted to believe that Ithai wanted to kiss him this way, but it was the plant, it had to be—Alva hiccupped out a gasp when his back hit the wall, and he hadn't even noticed Ithai was moving them. "Ithai—"
"Yes, sweetheart?" Ithai asked, trailing kisses along Alva's jaw and Alva bit back another gasp as Ithai's tongue traced over a particularly sensitive bit of skin.
"Stop it," Alva finally gathered himself to say, but it was weak and he knew it. Ithai grinned, kissing him again, and Alva groaned, wishing he was smarter, had the willpower to say no and really mean it.
"No," Ithai said, pushing Alva's shirt open—when had he unbuttoned it?—and Alva gave up, because this would keep Ithai occupied and away from any unsuspecting villagers, and it wasn't like he wanted to say no, though he would probably have to throw himself down a well later.
Ithai pushed his shirt off his shoulders and Alva squirmed, letting it fall to the floor. Ithai was kissing the crook of his neck and shoulder now, making shivers run down Alva's spine. Thankfully, Ithai didn't ever seem to get properly dressed—he was wearing a shirt that simply pulled over his head, and Alva just yanked on it until Ithai got fed up with the distraction and took it off himself. He immediately returned to touching and tasting Alva's skin, and Alva couldn't say he was disappointed with that.
Ithai really was as good at this as he was working with the plants, Alva thought as Ithai's fingers skimmed the waistband of his pants. Alva pushed into the touch, hooking his fingers in Ithai's pants and pulling him close. Ithai obediently pressed close, pushing their cocks together; he groaned into Alva's ear, and Alva pushed back, his eyes shutting at the sensation.
Ithai fumbled at the fastenings to Alva's pants, pulling away to push them out of the way, and before Alva could muster even half a protest—at what, he wasn't sure—Ithai's hand was wrapped firmly around his cock. Alva swore loudly, his grip on the fabric of Ithai's pants tightening.
"Say please," Ithai murmured softly in Alva's ear, then nipped the shell of Alva's ear, making him shiver.
"Fuck you," Alva said, then shoved his hand down Ithai's pants, not bothering to unfasten them. There was barely enough room for him to wrap his hand around Ithai's cock, and Ithai froze.
"Touché," Ithai said. Alva caught a brief smirk before he was being kissed again, and he forgot about everything but Ithai's lips and the hand slowly, slowly stroking his cock, teasing and Alva was going to kill him if he didn't—
Alva groaned, frustrated all over again when Ithai's hand disappeared. Ithai laughed, then pulled Alva's hand free—and for a single, brief moment, Alva panicked, because what if the drug had worn off and Ithai was back to his senses? Then Ithai removed his pants and crowded close again, his hand returning unerringly to Alva's cock, and Alva had the presence of mind to return the favor this time, stroking Ithai's cock in time with the rhythm Ithai was applying to his cock.
The pressure built slowly, steadily, and Alva couldn't even form words as Ithai continued to kiss him, stroke him, and Alva couldn't catch his breath as Ithai finally pulled him over the edge, murmuring something that Alva couldn't hear over the pounding of his heart. Alva managed to keep it together long enough to bring Ithai to climax, then he slumped heavily against the wall, tired and spent and Ithai just kissed him, like it was perfectly normal for them to have sex in the middle of the potion room.
Ithai grinned, like the cat who got the cream, and Alva resisted the urge to smack him. At least the sex seemed to have taken the edge off whatever reaction Ithai was having.
"Sit," Alva ordered, ducking out of Ithai's arms. "I'll get something to clean up—"
"We're just going to get dirty again," Ithai promised, drawing him back and pressing a kiss to Alva's neck.
"We'll get clean first," Alva said tartly, and Ithai laughed, but let him go. Alva could feel Ithai's eyes on his back as he headed towards the sink. Alva discreetly palmed a small bottle from one of the work tables as he passed it. Ithai didn't say a word, so hopefully he hadn't seen. Alva snagged a folded cloth from the clean pile and turned on the tap, liberally dousing the cloth with the bottle instead of sticking it under the tap.
Setting the bottle at the bottom of the sink, Alva shut off the water and headed back over to where Ithai was sitting, watching him both lazily and hungrily, which really was just like Ithai. Ithai smirked at him, leering again, and Alva scowled at him and then dropped the washcloth on his face.
It was a powerful sedative, so Ithai only had to laugh—which he did—to inhale some of it, and then he was falling asleep. Alva left him there, picking up the washcloth and returning to the sink with it. He dropped it in the bucket labeled "Dirty—Contaminated" and washed his hands thoroughly. Then he returned to where Ithai was slumped and dressed. He dropped Ithai's clothes in a pile and then fetched the pillow and blanket from the couch tucked in the back corner that Ithai occasionally camped out on when he was working on an intensive, multi-day potion.
There was no way in hell Alva was going to be able to move him, so he'd just have to suffer the hard floor. It served him right, Alva thought, scowling and trying to not feel stupid. He shouldn't have—but he had, so he had to deal with it. First, he needed to find out what Ithai had been working with.
Fetching a fresh cloth, Alva headed into the cottage, towards the plant processing room in the back. Tucking the cloth over his nose and mouth, Alva nudged open the ajar door. On the table below the window was a half-processed bundle of ashwagandha, confirming Alva's suspicions that Ithai's amorous behavior was plant-induced. Crossing the room, Alva shoved on the window until it opened. The fresh air would dilute the aroma coming off the herb to the point where it wouldn't affect anyone.
Ithai should have known that. He should have been working it outside, not inside. Scowling, Alva left the room, slamming the door behind him. Why had Ithai worked on the plant inside? What the fuck was he going to do when he woke up? What was Alva going to do?
He couldn't leave Ithai alone in case he had an adverse reaction to the sedative or the ashwagandha, though he probably should. He'd work on the stupid anti-ageing potions, then—that would give him proximity and an excuse for that proximity. When Ithai woke, he could figure out what to do next based on Ithai's reaction.
Decided, Alva returned to the potions room, pausing briefly to make sure that Ithai was still breathing—he was, and snoring softly, too—before returning to the work table and starting on the next potion. He worked steadily, keeping an ear out for Ithai's snores. He managed to get through all but a handful of the 20 bottles before he heard Ithai stirring.
Tensing, Alva didn't turn, just continued adding the crow's feet to the current bottle, drop by tedious drop. Ithai groaned behind him, and Alva scowled, hoping his head was killing him. Alva had a lovely headache from working with the grassweed, so it would only be fair for Ithai to also have a headache. The potion turned blue, and Alva set the dropper aside, pretending he wasn't paying attention to noises Ithai was making behind him.
Pulling out a fresh boothleaf, Alva focused on slicing it, tensing even more when the sounds behind him halted completely. Ithai swore softly, and that inexplicably made Alva feel better, even as it disappointed him, too. Obviously Ithai was upset—he liked to make Alva's life miserable, not… push him against walls and drive him crazy with his kisses and touches.
Adding the third of a boothleaf to the potion, Alva corked the bottle and shook it, frowning at it until it turned the proper shade of pink. Setting the finished potion aside with the other finished potions, Alva grabbed an empty bottle and prepared to start all over again.
"Here," Ithai said, setting a half-empty jar in front of him. He sat down on the bench next to Alva, and Alva tried to ignore his proximity.
"What is it?" Alva asked suspiciously, not sure Ithai would be above drugging him in recompense for Alva sedating him. He picked up the bottle, frowning at it. There was no label and the potion inside was clear, so it could be any number of things.
"A painkiller, mild," Ithai said. "Drink it."
Rolling his eyes at Ithai's bossy tone, Alva tossed it back. What was the worst that would happen? Ithai could be drugging him, but Alva didn't really care much right now. It left the bitter taste of ashroot in his mouth, so it probably was just a painkiller. Setting the bottle aside, Alva reached for the grassweed, planning to ignore Ithai for the moment. Maybe for a month or a year.
Ithai snatched the packet away, throwing it further down the table before Alva could reach it, and Alva turned to scowl at him.
"I have work to do—" Alva began, but Ithai reached out and put his hand over Alva's mouth, cutting him off.
"It can wait," Ithai said, and his voice was so serious and solemn that Alva didn't even protest, because Ithai never let him get away with that. "Alva…"
"What?" Alva snapped, scowling when Ithai said nothing more than his name. He couldn't interpret the look on Ithai's face, which annoyed him—Ithai was usually easy to read. Ithai said nothing, and Alva finally snapped, "Why the fuck were you working with ashwagandha inside?"
"Because I'm an idiot," Ithai said, not looking terribly pleased to be admitting that. "The merchant told me it was at half potency, and I didn't want to wait to get it cured, but it's supposed to rain today."
"You should have at least warned me," Alva said, trying to not be upset. It was an accident, was all. "You never tell me anything, and this is what happens! What if it had been bloodweed? You could have killed me."
"I'm not that stupid," Ithai said, rolling his eyes. Alva shoved up from the bench, unable to take it any longer.
"You were stupid enough to believe a merchant when he said the ashwagandha was half-strength!" Alva snapped. "Why wouldn't you do the same with something more dangerous?" Turning, Alva started to storm from the room, sick to death of dealing with Ithai today.
He barely made it to the doorway before Ithai caught up to him, and Alva did not want to be caught, but Ithai wasn't having that, and despite the brief scuffle, Alva found himself pinned against a wall for the second time that day.
"Will you stop—" Ithai started, looking utterly frustrated for a moment, and Alva took the opportunity to stomp on Ithai's foot. Ithai grunted, frustration replaced by pain, but his grip didn't falter. "Stop it, Alva."
"Fuck you," Alva said, but it was weak and he knew it. Ithai knew it too, to judge by the look on his face.
"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean—"
Alva scowled, shoving at Ithai again. "I don't care. Just don't let it happen again. Now let me go, I have work to do."
"No," Ithai said, staring at him, and Alva wondered what the hell Ithai was seeing that was making him look at Alva quite like that. "You don't mean that."
"What?" Alva demanded, debating the merits of kneeing Ithai in the dick. It would probably get him free, but it would also probably get him fired. "I don't mean what?"
"You care," Ithai said, and Alva stilled because it was true and because Ithai wasn't supposed to have figured that out. "I am sorry, Alva. I never meant to hurt you."
"It was an accident," Alva ground out, glaring because Ithai didn't apologize for anything normally. "I'll get over it, and you're not allowed to make me work with grassweed for a year."
Ithai frowned, staring at Alva for a long moment. Alva glared back, wondering Ithai was up to, and then Ithai kissed him.
Kissed him, like he hadn't done more earlier, under the influence of a potent drug. Alva froze, then stomped Ithai's foot hard, making him curse and pull away—but not release the grip he had on Alva's shoulders, pinning him to the wall.
"What the fuck?" Alva demanded, irate and not in the mood to be played with. He'd had enough of that today. "Damn it, Ithai, what—mmph—" Ithai kissed him again, quick and hard, effectively shutting him up. Ithai smiled, that damn smirk of his, and Alva scowled in return.
"Why didn't you sedate me to begin with?" Ithai asked, all but purring the words at Alva.
"The sedative was on the other side of the room," Alva said, struggling with Ithai again. He didn't want to have this conversation. "Why didn't you lock yourself in the plant room?"
"My mind was impaired," Ithai said blithely. "Yours wasn't."
"Fuck you," Alva snapped, and why the hell did he even bother? Of course Ithai was going to torment him about this too. Hitting Ithai's elbow, Alva broke half his hold and ducked away, managing to make it out of the potions room. Ithai was following him, Alva could hear him, but he didn't care. If he got to his bedroom quickly enough, he could get packed and leave, because there was no way he could stay here if Ithai was going to use this against him.
"Alva, wait," Ithai said, but Alva ignored him, taking the stairs to the second level of the house two at a time. He could go and stay with his cousin for a day or two before deciding where to move on. He could probably get a job anywhere—potion masters were usually overworked and liked having help.
"Alva, goddamn it," Ithai said, and that was all the warning he had before Ithai grabbed him again. A brief scuffle ensued, and Alva managed to trip over the corner of the runner rug in the upstairs hallway, crashing to the ground. Ithai landed on top of him, too tangled with Alva to free himself from the fall. His elbow landed squarely in Alva's stomach, knocking the wind from him painfully.
"Ow," Alva managed, struggling to breathe. Ithai winced, but didn't get off of him.
"Will you listen to me already?" Ithai demanded, but Alva couldn't even snap at him, just groan as he tried to get his diaphragm working again. "You shouldn't have given into me, but you did—ow, fuck—and if I had known that, I would have done something about it sooner."
Alva stilled, his fist ready to hit Ithai again. What?
"I was pretty sure you hated me, Alva," Ithai said, smiling. It was a sad little smile, nothing like his usual smirks or smug smiles, and Alva stared, baffled. "All you do is snap at me and curse me and call me names. You don't seem to like me in the least, so I wasn't going to say or do anything…"
"You're an idiot," Alva said weakly, finally managing a deep breath. "You're an asshole, and I don't… what?"
"I've wanted to fuck you in the potions room for months," Ithai said, grinning. Alva scowled half-heartedly when Ithai cupped his face, running his thumb over Alva's bottom lip. "Only, I was sure that attempting it would get me castrated."
"It would," Alva said, ignoring the way his heart was racing. That was only because of the race up the stairs and the scuffle. "There are delicate potions—"
"You should have sedated me to begin with," Ithai said, ignoring Alva's words. "But you didn't and you actually kissed me back and—"
"Oh, shut up," Alva said, grabbing a fistful of Ithai's shirt and pulling him down to Alva's level. Before Ithai could utter another word, Alva kissed him. Ithai returned the kiss, and god it was so much better being horizontal and under Ithai and they really should get to a bed—
"So that's a yes?" Ithai asked, stealing another kiss even as his fingers worked on the fastenings to Alva's shirt.
"A yes to what?" Alva demanded, ignoring the breathless quality to his voice. He batted Ithai's hands away, determined they'd make it to an actual bed this time.
"To me, fucking you, in the potions room," Ithai murmured, undeterred. His hands slipped under Alva's shirt, exploring every inch of skin they could, and Alva nearly forgot what he was thinking.
"Not unless you want to blow something up," Alva muttered, then shut Ithai up with another kiss. This was obviously a stupid idea. He was going to kill Ithai in a week, maybe a few days, and Ithai would be smug forever… but it was hard to find reasons to say no when Ithai was kissing him like he was the only thing in the world that deserved attention.
"I want to blow you up," Ithai muttered, then paused, flashing Alva a grin. "Not literally, of course."
Alva rolled his eyes and smacked Ithai's chest. "Get up. If we're doing this, I want a fucking bed."
"I'll give you a fucking bed," Ithai said, leering, and Alva downgraded the time before he killed Ithai to a number of hours. Ithai stood though, offering Alva a hand, and Alva didn't protest as Ithai dragged him down the hallway to his bedroom and proceeded to give him that fucking bed.
Special Certification
"No, you can't do that," Alva said testily. "Not unless you want it to swell up three times its size."
"But—" Corizal began, obviously not listening to a single word that Alva said.
"Don't listen to me, then," Alva said, shoving the bottled potion across the table towards Corizal. "But don't come running back to me asking me to fix it when it goes wrong for you."
Corizal didn't reply to that, just threw a few coins on the table and snatched up the potion. His expression spoke volumes—obviously he knew better than an apprentice to the town's plant master, never mind that Alva had been learning potions and plants for nearly four years. Corizal would be back, and Alva would charge him triple for the antidote to putting Green Spider paste in places it wasn't meant to go.
Scowling as the front door slammed, Alva stood, pushing back his chair and barely catching it before it toppled. Righting it with a jerk, Alva paused, hand on the back of the chair. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm his temper. Ithai was due back today, and Alva still had a few delicate potions left to finish before he returned. Being angry while making them was a sure way to screw things up, and Ithai would never let him hear the end of it.
Alva scowled at that—Ithai was wonderful at criticizing him when he screwed things up, but he never ever gave Alva any credit for the numerous things he did right or any of the things he did fantastically. Letting go of the chair, Alva debated simply not doing the potions. Let Ithai take care of it, since he'd been so keen to go to the market and leave Alva with all of the work.
Except that would just give Ithai another excuse to prevent him from completing his apprenticeship. Not that Ithai needed another excuse. Ithai was wonderful at coming up with excuses. Alva's favorites were "because I said no" and the "is that weeping lily blooming" distraction while Ithai high-tailed it out of the house.
Alva was about to take himself off to another plant master to get his certification. The only thing stopping him was Ithai's threats to drag him back and tie him to his bed; Alva had ignored that threat once and regretted it. He wasn't yet fed up enough to risk it a second time. Storming into the workroom, Alva stopped in the doorway, pausing briefly to inhale the familiar smells of the plants and herbs that were drying in the rafters.
So maybe the real reason he wasn't taking off was because he liked it here, Alva grudgingly admitted to himself as he headed to his usual table. He started picking up the ingredients from the potion he'd made for Corizal, clearing off the space so he could begin on the last two potions. They were tricky, both because they were delicate and because timing was everything; both potions used the remnants of the ingredients from the other, so it was impossible to make one and not the other.
Alva methodically laid everything out that he'd need, setting up the ingredients and instruments in the order he'd need them. He was much calmer when he'd finished, and Alva double-checked everything before settling behind the work table and starting the long process of putting the two potions together.
He was nearly finished when Ithai showed, hovering in the doorway of the workroom but not entering it. Alva glanced up briefly, but then immediately returned his attention to the potions, not willing to screw them up simply because he hadn't seen Ithai in a week. Ithai was smart enough to leave him to it; he didn't even say hello before slipping away again.
Alva finished the potions as quickly as he could, labeling them clearly and putting away the leftover ingredients. He loitered for a few moments once he was done, but then decided he wasn't going to stall. Leaving the work room, Alva hesitated in the hallway, then headed for the front room. Ithai would either be there, updating the records with whatever he'd purchased at the market, or he'd be in the processing room, processing the plants to make them ready for potion making.
Ithai was in the front room, but he wasn't updating the records. He was staring out the front window, looking pensive, as though he had things to worry about. Alva resisted the urge to snort, just leaned against the doorway and waited for Ithai to notice him. It didn't take long; Ithai turned, apparently done with his brooding for the moment, and Alva decided he wasn't going to be nice this time.
"You get to either give me a good reason why I still don't have my certification, or I'm going to demonstrate how extensive my knowledge of poison powders is," Alva said, crossing his arms and glowering.
"I didn't have the paperwork," Ithai said, smiling as though Alva hadn't just threatened to poison him.
"You didn't have it, but you do now?" Alva asked suspiciously, not ready to buy it yet. He wouldn't buy it until Ithai had signed the papers in front of him.
"I do," Ithai said, smiling quick and… nervous? Alva stared at him, but Ithai was already moving towards the desk where he usually did the record-keeping. Alva pushed away from the doorway and followed him in, wondering if Ithai was playing an elaborate joke or if there was something he was missing here that was setting Ithai on edge.
"The papers have to be drawn up by a King's clerk," Ithai said, tapping the folder on top of the desk. "There's a bunch of places you have to sign, but once that's done, everything should be in order."
"Really?" Alva asked, excited despite himself. He'd been pestering Ithai about it for so long, he'd almost given up on Ithai ever actually doing it. It didn't really matter in the end, since nothing would change, but it would be nice to not have Ithai lording his apprentice status over his head for the rest of their relationship.
"Really," Ithai said, drawing the word out in a slow drawl. Alva smacked him absently across the chest and sat down heavily in the chair, flipping open the folder. Ithai stepped away, giving him some space to read, and Alva read through the first page quickly.
As Ithai had said, it was the official certification document for Alva, drawn up by a King's clerk. The certification was only a single page, however, and there were more documents in the folder. Signing the certification quickly, Alva flipped the page and read over the next page.
"What is this?" Alva demanded, turning in his chair. Ithai had prudently put distance between them, and also prudently had positioned himself near the front door.
"It's a document," Ithai said, and Alva really wanted to strangle him. "You don't have to sign that one, but I thought, now that you have your certification, you might need a reason to stay around."
"I might need a reason to stick around?" Alva repeated, standing up and pushing the chair back violently. It toppled to the floor, but Alva paid it no mind, more intent on throttling Ithai. "Is that why you stalled so long on my certification? Because you think I need a professional reason to stick around?"
"No," Ithai said, when clearly he meant yes, and Alva was seriously going to throttle him. Alva stalked across the room, and Ithai proved he wasn't completely stupid by not trying to evade. "The paperwork for both your certification and adding you to the business took a while to prepare."
"You're an idiot," Alva said, thumping Ithai's chest. Ithai grabbed his arm, pulling him close, but Alva turned his head so Ithai's lips only met his cheek. "You're not getting off that easily. Why the hell didn't you just ask what I planned to do?"
"What did you plan to do?" Ithai asked, wrapping arm securely around Alva's waist. Alva could probably get free, if he wanted to… but he didn't really want to.
"Nothing," Alva said scathingly. He thumped Ithai's chest, but with only half the force he'd thumped him with earlier. "I like it here, despite your idiocy." Alva paused, then continued, despite the mocking he knew Ithai would give him for admitting it, "I like you, despite your idiocy."
"Good," Ithai said, grinning. He tried to kiss Alva again, but Alva turned his head again, grabbing the front of Ithai's shirt and yanking on it.
"Why are you really trying to give me half your business?" Alva demanded, not buying Ithai's excuse that he'd been trying to make Alva stay. Ithai was too egotistical to believe that Alva needed a reason other than him to stay.
"I told you—"
"You want to be poisoned?" Alva cut him off tartly. He ignored the way Ithai's hand, previously at the small of his back, was sliding down, as well as his own reaction and anticipation. Most of their fights did end in sex, but Alva refused to acknowledge that until he got what he wanted out of Ithai.
"Fine, fine," Ithai said, his free hand coming up to brush Alva's hair away from his eyes. It was a surprisingly gentle touch, and Alva stilled, waiting expectantly. "I didn't want anything between us. I wanted you to be my equal, in every way."
"That's absurd," Alva managed, ignoring that his voice was a little wobbly. "We'll never be equals. I'm much better at potion making than you are."
Ithai laughed, kissing him, and Alva let him this time, kissing back because Ithai might be an idiot, but he had his smart moments and Alva believed in rewarding them. It also helped that Ithai was good at kissing like he was good at potions; he was methodical and confident and just plain good at it, though Alva would never say that aloud because he'd never hear the end of it.
"You're still an idiot," Alva said when they broke for air, but Ithai just grinned like it was a compliment and kissed him again, brief and sure. He pulled away, tugging Alva's shirt up and over his head, and it was incredibly stupid to do this in the front room, where anyone could come in for this or that potion, but Alva could care less.
Alva yanked at Ithai's shirt, not trying to be gentle, and Ithai got the hint and quickly removed it, tossing it off to the side without a care for where it landed. Alva shivered, arching into Ithai's touch even as Ithai kissed him. Ithai's hands traced down Alva's chest, paying scant attention to his nipples before dipping lower, down over Alva's sides and curving over his hips. Alva returned the favor as best he could, incredibly distracted by Ithai's touch, especially when Ithai's fingers dipped below the waist of Alva's pants, teasing slightly before pausing.
"I will kill you," Alva threatened, but ruined the threat by kissing Ithai again. Ithai obligingly moved his hands, one hand curving around Alva's right hip and the other cupping Alva through the front of his pants. Alva groaned, but it wasn't enough, and he nipped at Ithai's lower lip, shoving his own hand down the front of Ithai's loose travel pants and wrapping a hand firmly around Ithai's cock.
Ithai mumbled something incomprehensible, but he still had the wherewithal to fumble with the fastenings to Alva's pants, shoving at them until they fell enough to bare Alva's cock. Alva adjusted his own grip, trying but failing to get the maneuverability he needed to jerk Ithai off. Ithai pulled his hand away though, long enough to wriggle out of his own pants.
"Finally," Alva muttered, the word cutting off into another moan when Ithai simply grabbed his cock in reply. "Jerk."
"Yes, sir," Ithai said, flashing that smug grin that said he knew just how much Alva wanted him. He did as he was told, though Alva had meant it more as an insult than an instruction. Alva had no qualms though, as Ithai started a steady rhythm, his grip firm and sure. It took an embarrassingly small amount of time before Alva was shouting his release as he came in Ithai's hand.
Alva simply breathed for a moment, still reeling, and then he kissed Ithai, hard and quick before dropping to his knees. His pants were still bunched about his knees, but Alva ignored that slight awkwardness in favor of wrapping his hand around the base of Ithai's cock and taking the head in his mouth. Ithai groaned, his head tilting back as usual.
Thankfully for Alva's ego, it didn't take Ithai long to come either; a few bobs of Alva's head and Ithai's hand was tightening in his hair and the bitter, salty flavor of Ithai's release filled Alva's mouth. Alva turned and spat it out, making a brief face because he never could get used to the taste. Ithai laughed at him breathlessly, like usual, before pulling him up for a thorough kiss that made Alva forget all about the taste.
"Bed," Ithai said, even as Alva wriggled free of his pants. "That's not all you're getting, but I travelled too hard to fuck you on this floor."
"Yeah, yeah, old man," Alva grumbled, turning and leading the way deeper into the house. Ithai smacked his bare ass, and Alva glared over his shoulder but continued to move, more motivated to get to bed than he was to exact any punishment at the moment. It was strikingly normal, and Alva smiled, pleased because despite Ithai's idiocy about the matter, he wanted Alva there and he'd gone to great lengths to ensure that Alva knew it.
