#jk i'm murdering the blorbos in another fic or two :3 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

glossolali · 2 years

Text

a heart is hard to translate

shadowgast - cat café AU

coda to chanse @spottedenchants cute catfé fic (tumblr, ao3)

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Caleb's ginger waves are twisted into a simple braid today, and a beloved memory flips its dog-eared pages open for Essek, warming him inside and out.

"Do you remember when we first met and you were wearing your hair up with one fishtail braid on each side?"

His partner looks up at him with an amused half-smile, "Yes."

"I recall thinking it was on purpose for a moment. It took me by surprise, and I got even more nervous. I always wondered if you knew what it meant."

Caleb's brow furrows further.

"I suppose from the mystified look on your face that you don't, then."

Caleb slots a postcard into his book and shuts it and lays it in his lap, then looks intently at Essek.

"Am I supposed to?"

"Not necessarily."

Caleb quirks a brow at him, squints and waits, then smiles again when nothing more is proffered.

"Alright."

And he makes to go back to his book, a little smile still curling his lip.

Infuriating man.

In bringing this up, something in his belly flutters, dormant butterflies from their first meeting awakening from their slumber.

read the rest on AO3

"Hair and hairstyles have some significance in Kryn culture. As does its lack, but that's a story for a different time." He smiles ruefully when he catches Caleb's eye again, who gazes back at him, curious and attentive once more.

"Some styles are meant to indicate status, wealth. Some more complex styles are specific to specific dens. Yours, however, was something different. The style is called Nau'shindcal, meaning fruit."

"Fruit.. What is that referring to?"

Essek regards him meaningfully and then says in a matter-of-fact tone, "Well.. fruit is meant to be picked, and eaten."

It is a rare thing, but it always makes Essek even more utterly taken with him to see Caleb blush as he does now, how it colors his pale skin rosy, all the way down his neck and up to the tips of his ears.

Eyes round, he blinks a few times, seemingly speechless.

Essek carries on, so very delighted, and curious to see how he reacts further.

"Literally, the word comes from the root words 'forbidden' and 'eat'. It is meant to indicate one's availability and willingness to be courted. And imply others' temptation to do so. Not unlike the temptation to pick a piece of fruit from a tree."

Caleb's eyes widen and he processes for a few more moments then, adorably, he hides his face in his open book and grumbles loudly.

"Ugh.. Jester. Jessie knew. That's why she insisted," his muffled voice says.

Essek is taken aback, and it makes him laugh, sudden and wholehearted.

"Ah. It actually makes a lot of sense that she was involved."

Exasperating as she is, he loves that meddling girl very much.

Caleb has now laid his head on the table and is covering his head with his book.

Essek reaches over and gently moves the book aside, and cards his fingers through Caleb's auburn locks, curling a strand around his forefinger as he speaks.

"If it helps, it made you even more.. intriguing. And not just because you looked good in that hairstyle."

Caleb looks up at him from under lovely ginger lashes, embarrassment seemingly forgotten, and sends a smirk his way that makes the butterflies flit around even more aggressively.

"Noted."

Essek smiles back in much the same manner, and silently applauds himself that he succeeded in flustering Caleb a little. It's why he brought this up in the first place.

Caleb leans up and into the space between them and kisses him soundly and suddenly. Essek makes a surprised noise, then presses back into the kiss, reciprocating, drawn to him as if by something as irrefutable as gravity.

Caleb looks terribly self-satisfied when he pulls away. Essek's face warms, and he rolls his eyes, pushing on Caleb's chest playfully to get away from him.

"Caleb Widogast."

Caleb laughs, and it lights up his nerves in the best way, and Essek can't resist his infectious joy, his own irritated smile splitting into a laugh as he joins him right after.

He makes a mental note to thank Jester later.

#shadowgast #critical role #catfe au #shadowgast catfe au #whumptober??? nay i say!#jk i'm murdering the blorbos in another fic or two :3 #caleb widogast #essek thelyss #essek #caleb #cr 2 #glossofic #glossopost

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