With a Twist and a Twirl, They Disappeared into the Fog (o/o closed)

"We will rebuild it, Gray, my love," Elluin said with clear determination in his voice. "You and I were able to connect so many people under our rule, and you're still alive, and you've found me. You've sacrificed so much for our people, and you deserve to be a glorious king again." He kept crying, but his pupils dilated in his burning passion as he looked at Gray. "I've never been happier than when I was under your rule. I want everyone to feel that." Elluin squeezed his arms between his long fingers, tilting his head into them with a slow, deep inhale, breathing in the musky smell of the Human. Yeah, he was dirty and wet from rain, but that scent brought back so much he hadn't realized he forgot. "I'll do whatever it takes to help restore your kingdom. I know people need someone neutral like we were. We can help so much, just like we did earlier. I want to go back. I want what we had before, but better. Stronger." His burning passion overrode any tears of happiness that welled up, despite his quiet sniffling. He could put his energy into a better, stronger emotion to convince himself and Gray that what he was saying was true.

(hi I like love their chemistry and we just made them off of a whim??? A few details I planned to have like the Elf stuff but I adore this RP that's all thanks)

(agyhjn I rarely cry but I'm so emotionally invested like I love this?? It's so fun to write too just ahah lmao. I'm glad you're having fun! ^D^)

Elluin nodded along with him, giggling his tinkly laugh when it was needed, but his eyes went wide at the proposition, his eyebrows shooting up as it sunk in. "Marry you? I- of course, Gray. I'd love to marry you." He gave a slow laugh of his own, squeezing his hands tightly. "I will always be by your side, in your– I'm sorry– our kingdom." His smile returned through the shock, and he laughed slowly. "I love that, I love how that sounds. You and me will do amazing things as kings together." He leaned forward and pushed his head into Gray's, a smile still splitting his face. His cheeks were starting to ache based on how much he was smiling. Elluin felt like he was falling in love all over again with the Human.
They had truly met by chance, while Elluin was passing through town. They met in a library in his kingdom, and they had made a conversation together due to Elluin being Elven, and Gray of course being the king. Their conversation had sucked Elluin in, and just encaptured him like no other Human had before. He couldn't stop thinking about him, and that was still true. Gray had never truly left him and his conscious.

Elluin never really understood the idea of marriage among Humans– such a thing didn't really exist within their Elven culture. There were intense commitments such as the one he and Gray had exhibited together between Elves, and Elluin could link Humans just wanting… physical proof of it.
"I can't wait either, Gray. You look extremely excited." He giggled softly, his eyes sparkling after his bought of passion. "We'll rule together, just like we did earlier. Except this time, I'll be a king." Elluin tilted his head, thinking about it himself. He hadn't really considered such a thing before about rulership, but he did have plenty of time to consider on their journey back and while Gray got his rest. Elluin did know that Humans shared rings, last names, and other things like possessions. It was certainly an interesting thought to the Elf, in fact one that made him smile and rosy. "I'm also glad you think I'm good enough to be your husband in the future. As far as I know it's a big commitment, yes?" His eyes rounded a little, his high cheeks dusted in red. "I'm truly honored we can celebrate our love in… both of our cultures. I think it will be beautiful. Of course, more than it already is."

Most Human books described Elves as self-centered and not very capable of harboring love for anyone but themselves. Elluin knew of this blemish in their society, and Elves were quite self-centered, but they were possible of showing intense amounts of love. Elluin showed Gray that much.
"Well, how I've seen it is that two Elves will go somewhere private to speak to the other and recite what you Humans call 'vows', I suppose. Only the leaves and the trees bare witness to their testimonies to each other, and whatever God those Elves may believe in will witness it as well. Often gifts are given from the community, and some Elves if they like exchange gifts with each other. I've seen Scholars swap their thesis on different things in an open ceremony once a few moons ago." Elluin shrugged. "I think however way suits you best would be wonderful. If it excites you, and it means a lot to you, then I will absolutely do it. To set it in stone, despite my feelings for you being very apparent." He laughed softly, but leaned forward to steal a kiss. "We can talk about it in more detail later, though, my love. We should get some rest."

"Ah, my furniture is no where as nice, nor as important to me as you and you comfort are. You may strip naked to sleep if you want, and I can give you some clothes that are small on me if you so desire." Elluin rose from his chair, running his fingers through Gray's hair again. "I don't mind if you sleep with nothing, though. It will be quite warm with the two of us in bed." The Elf crossed his home anyway, approaching a tiny dresser in the other room, pulling out a long set of silken white robes. "I could cut them down to size if you so wish, as well." His brown eyes returned to Gray's with a smile, holding them out a little. "I don't wear these, though, so they won't be as nice as my robe." He laughed as he removed his cloak and draped it across a large, teetering stack of books that somehow stayed steady.

"Hm… I don't have traditional Human garb, and most of this stuff are just backups on what I sleep in, you know?" Elluin didn't look worried or upset anymore, just relaxed and happy as he talked to his lover. "I'll just close the blinds and you can decide if you want me to cut something down for you." He crossed his house again in another few strides, closing the blinds on a small few windows he had. The blinds were white like the rest of his room, but they closed out any light that had managed to get into the house. In the half-dark, Gray could see the lanky figure of his fiance cross the house and lean down into his bed with a slow sigh.
"Dionga had woken me up from a nap when he came to tell me about your arrival. I thought he was pranking me so I did take my time getting ready and flicking up the blinds. I'm glad he was telling the truth." He chuckled softly to himself as he pulled his sheets up around himself for the second time that day.

"I don't mind if I have to later on, Gray. I can always find some clothes for you later to sleep in." Elluin stretched out as Gray got dressed, giving him that privacy and stretching his lanky limbs out slowly. "Mmm and you can put your clothes anywhere. I'll end up washing those at some point if you want to keep traveling in them on our way back." He tilted his head back to Gray when he finished his stretch, opening the sheets invitingly with one of his long arms. He was more excited than he was willing to admit to cuddle up with the Human again. He missed the constant warmth, waking up next to him after a bad nightmare and smiling at the sleepy face… One of the memories Elluin treasured was when Gray was asleep after a long day of arguing, and Elluin was just able to drink in those peaceful features of the sleeping king. How intimately truthful and trusting sleeping with someone was.

Elluin smiled as he watched the other approach the bed and sink into it. Elves usually made their beds with soft leaves and pelts that were hunted, most unlike how Humans made mattresses. Most Elves, however, like Elluin preferred to wrap their mattresses with silk so the hard textures of the fur wouldn't disturb their rest.
So as the pair wrapped their arms around each other and cuddled up to get ready for bed, it was quite comfortable between the smooth textures of the sheets, and the robes they both were wearing. Elluin pressed a kiss to Gray's forehead gently before mumbling back: "I love you too, my king." He took a few more moments to fall asleep, watching Gray slip into that peacefulness and reminiscing about everything he had forgotten over the years. The warm memories, accompanied with a smile, sent Elluin into a sleepy, warm comatose.

The life of a scholar wasn't made for an Elf like Elluin, and he knew that much as soon as he laid eyes on his Gray again. He missed talking to people and learning through physical, hands-on means instead of reading books all day (like he clearly had been), and living the monotonous, continuously uninteresting life he lived after he was forced to leave. He could only imagine how much Gray had gone through to find him here, but he also thought about it with a sense of wonder. How much did he learn? What creatures and animals did he come across?

His dreams as he slept were images of greenery flashing before his eyes, the crunching of sticks and small rocks under his sturdy traveling boots. As he looked around in his dream, he saw the figure of Gray in them, smiling and talking to him.
As Elluin woke up a few hours later, slowly blinking his brown eyes open, the warm sun and feeling of leaves didn't fade until he realized he was at home, curled up securely around Gray as the other slept on.

Elluin stayed wrapped up around Gray for a while, listening to the quiet mull of voices from the Elves outside as they went home to get some rest. He slowly stretched out around the sleeping form of the other, grabbing one of the many books on his inn table to read the time away. This particular book was about different patterns of weather, and about snow. Elluin hadn't seen much snow in his travels around Humans, but he made a mental note to ask Gray about it. He had been a king before, so he did a lot of traveling to other countries when he was royalty, so he had seen it before, right?
The thought was comforting. It felt correct. In the time they were together Elluin constantly pestered Gray with his almost infinite amounts of questions, and he didn't have that for many years when they were apart. Now reading over his sleeping (snoring) form, thoughts of growth together and what they could achieve bloomed in Elluin's head. They could conquer the world together if they set their minds to it.

Elluin glanced down at Gray again as he stirred, tilting his head down and giving the top of his head a kiss. His bluish hair shimmered silver at his movements as they hunkered together away from the heat of sunhigh. Elluin set his book down a little, using one of his fingers as a bookmark to run his fingers through Gray's hair and straighten it out the best he could.
"I'm reading about the weather. Specifically about snow, for the past couple hours. I've never seen it but I've heard of it aplenty of times." His eyes went wide as he talked about it, the sun turning his pupils a honey brown color. "But how did you sleep, my love? I forgot how long Humans sleep for, but you looked very comfortable. You had a smile on your face the whole time you were sleeping." Elluin was teasing him gently, with his own smile highlighting his Elven features.

Elluin smiled more against the kiss, leaning forward into it with a contented sigh. He shut the book and set it back down where he got it from a couple hours ago, still petting Gray as if he were a cat.
"I'm glad to hear you slept well, my Gray." Elluin gave a sheepish smile, laughing with him. The nervous flirtatious energy never left his lover despite all the years of traveling he did. "I think it'd be more interesting to see it for myself than read about it, you know? I think I've only seen it once or twice but never how they describe. Can you tell I'm running out of things to read?" He laughed again, shaking his head. He always had the concern of running out of things to read, but somehow he always found more to research. "Now's not the time to complain, though. The bathhouse should be empty if you'd like to take a bath. I can accompany you or I can get Voron to guard the area to ensure your privacy."

Elluin sat them up carefully, moving his legs off of the edge of the bed and stretching out his calves. "I don't really have a lot of jobs, especially at this time of the day. Besides it should probably be my job to keep an eye on you and keep you safe, well fed and watered." He leaned down and gently took Gray's hands from the hem of the robe. "If you want me to accompany you, I don't mind at all. I could use a bath, I'm sure." He smiled and stood up, swiping his hands down the front of his robe, the soft silken threads gleaming in the sunlight. "The sooner we get you cleaned, we can also sit down together and eat. Catch up and the like." He turned around and offered their hand, still smiling warmly.

Elluin laughed affectionately, his voice soft like the downy in his mattress. They leaned down to press a kiss to his lips, hugging him close by his hips. There was more than a foot between them, but Elluin didn't seem to mind making exceptions based on his lover. The Elf wasn't quite used to slowing his stride, curling up a little tighter, or bending down way more for anyone but Gray, yet Gray was the only person he was more than okay helping. Gray certainly put up with way more than their height difference, and there was a point in their lives they could look past it.
"Alright then, Gray, let's go." They squeezed his hand affectionately, leading him out of the home with a couple of strides, opening the door and glancing around outside. It was abandoned despite the sun leaking in through the holes in the ground ceiling, and it was quite hot due to the sunlight.
A shifting of robes and a click of wood alerted them of Voron, who moved over from his post. He bowed to Gray slightly before speaking: "What is it you'd like?"
"We're going to go to the bathhouse, Voron. Is there a way you could find some clothes for Gray, just some small pieces of garb works, and guard the area for us after?" Elluin asked politely, with a small, slight smile.
Voron thought for a few moments before bowing again. "Of course. No one is out that I have seen, so you and Gray are safe to walk over."

Elluin lead Gray down the long streets as Voron bowed his "you're welcome" to walk off and find some clothes, memory leading Elluin's feet as he glanced back at his companion with a warm smile. Gray looked happier than he had seen him in a while; his eyes gleaming in awe, a sweet smile on his face, and not a molecule of stress to be seen. It was quite unlike when they lived together back at his castle, but the stress of kingship was a given, and the Elf couldn't blame him at all. It was refreshing to see him so happy for once, really.
The streets of the scholars were quite clean, with white pavement lining the path. It was intricately woven and looked like a Roman pattern of tile. The paths led all around, all around the neighborhood of built in, dirt homes whose blinds were closed and the lights inside were off.
A few minutes of walking brought them to the largest building yet, that was also made of dirt, but woven in with different leaves, pavement patterns, and vines. Elluin led him inside to find a bathhouse filled with comfortable warmth and steam, and careful stacks of towels, soaps, and leaves.