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“Pulling out all the stops today,” he laughs, but he’s charmed, and he loves being told so openly. “You’ve shown me I can feel happy tethered. My younger self would be shocked and possibly appalled.” He’s never been so glad to be wrong.

“Shall I get you more coffee?” That’s one thing they won’t need to adjust in the house. It’s already covered.

"Less a tether and more an anchoring point in a comfortable and familiar port called home," David suggests. Balthier's a ship, after all, moving and seeking and yet he's got a home to come back to. "Even a younger you might have seen value in that."

More coffee. Oh god yes. He nods and offers his mug over. "Sorry, Tea won't cut it tonight."

“Mm I like that better,” Balthier agrees. And it feels true. It’s not a sense of being tied down, it’s a sense of having a safe harbor he wants to return to. He’s spent so long looking for something he couldn’t name and hes beginning to suspect it was this. A sense of home.

“I think me from a few years ago would have admitted the value but been too scared he’d never find it himself to really indulge, and I think a younger me, like the one you met, would have found it beautiful.” He can still feel that boy in him sometimes, and there’s something lovely about making him proud.

To the coffee he laughs, shaking his head as he pours it. “I’ll have a little, but whatever you need.”

The younger one had been a sweet boy. But David had to blush at the memory of his own younger self. Talk about a source of embarrassment.

"I'm sure he had reasons to aspire to it. And I'm glad I would give that charming boy something happy."

He does lean forward to kiss Balthier one last time.

"Top me up, get me a small plate of the nibbles, and I'm going back in. Feel free to stop by your place to drop stuff off or to head into my room to get personal effects. And be careful with my action figures."

Because yes, he was maintaining the collection of knock off action figures of his friends.

Balthier would have disagreed. Young David had been kind, ambitious, confident, welcoming. It wasn’t his fault he only knew what he had been taught, and the fact that he went on to grow as he did spoke to a hunger in him.

For Balthier, it was soothing to be seen that way by people he cared for, and to be loved in a way he hadn’t been in his youth. “Oh he liked you a good deal,” he teases but entirely meaning it. They’d talked a little of the way young Balthier had sat up in that empty house, awed at the photos of some beautiful future life with a smiling partner and a full wardrobe and a chest of letters and a house of beautiful things, aching for it to be real.

And it was. Balthier hums happily into David’s kiss. He’d fought so long, and this was so worth it.

“Yes yes your boyfriend who works with rare magical artifacts needs to be reminded to be gentle with possessions,” he laughs, moving to oblige the rest of David’s request. “We will get you and all your things moved in good condition,” he promises. “I want you settled and happy with me, not bemoaning poor packing skills.”

Oh those letters must have been a trip for little Balthier. David, on the other hand, had basically been adopted by Tommy for the duration of things and thus hadn't spent enough time in his apartment to really explore too deeply. Some of the shame and fear had motivated that of course.

"Hey," he said when the kiss ended, "your rare magical artifacts have to be handled delicately or we get those damn cursed spirits again. Mine are just collectable toys."

Poor packing skills, hardly! The man lived on a ship. With turbulence. David has faith in his packing skills. Just not in the durability of the toys.

"Thank you, love. You're going to make some of this a lot less painful."

But not less scary.

Balthier's glad to do it, and he pulls himself away knowing he's making David's life easier, getting a load moved to the house before taking David back to the Conference. Over the next few days -- and numerous text messages -- he gets things sorted to the spare bedroom and storage, pulling the things David uses more often and putting them in their rightful places at home.

A home that now is going to include David, all the time. It makes Balthier's breath catch over and over, and while he's vibrating with nervous energy and doing his best not to give into the fearful side of this decision, he also indulges in setting up a few surprises for David. He wants this to feel special and celebratory, and when David finally gets back, Balthier greets him with a meal full of Ivalician spices waiting, and doesn't say a word about the way he's filled half the shelves with David's books and figures, or that he's already put David's favorite cooking items in the kitchen.

He does, however, get a cheeky grin when he says, "Welcome home," and very much sweeps David into a kiss.

The miserable part is, of course, playing at being a 'normal' person. It meant that on his way back from the conference he had actually bothered to take the plane. And then get a cab back. Has he ever mentioned he hates planes? He does.

But he's got keys to a new home, and while he's certain there are still a few things he needs to address at the old place (which he is still fucking paying for part of and he hates that of course), he shows up at Balthier's door. Their door. His door. Fuck. That's got him grinning when he walks in with his bags.

And is immediately met with warmth, affection, the smell of good food, and a kiss. Damn that's good.

"Hey," he says after he catches his breath. "I'm home."

Powerful words.

Balthier didn't particularly like David going on a plane either; it seemed like a lot of extra time and stress when they had the technology to move rapidly, but he understands the decision. Even if some part of him was nervous that David would somehow get detained in travel.

But he's here now. Not just for the night or the weekend or until work calls. Balthier finds himself grinning and flushing at David's echoing of his words.

"On that note, I have something for you," Balthier says, plucking a plainly wrapped package from the entry table. Inside is a fairly quiet wooden wall ornament with the words "David and Balthier, est. 2022" carved in Ivalician calligraphy with traditional braided floral decorations around the edges. Getting them to do the nonsense date had been a task, but, convincing them to weave in moon and star motifs had been much easier.

He'd meant to give it to David for their anniversary, but then had felt perhaps he was putting too much pressure, or maybe it was a silly gift when they didn't live together. Now, though, he was so glad to have it.

Have something for him? He takes the little package and opens it up, and is almost immediately laughing in delight. It's so cute, so right, and theirs.

"Yes," he says with a fond smile. "Yes, I love this. I..."

He sets it on the entry table with a chuckle and reaches into one of his bags, pulling out his own gift from the trip. He hadn't been sure what to get Balthier to apologize for being away for so long until he got asked to move in. Now he pulls out his own wrapped package.

One that contained a small wooden box that clearly went with the decor of the place. There wasn't carving on this, but rather the pattern was burned into it of stars. David had absolutely used technology to find out the stars in the night sky the first night Balthier had taken him up on the flier and their pattern was repeated here. And what was it?

"For letters. I thought we could put it on the wall."

For love letters actually. Living together didn't mean he wanted to abandon those. There was even a nice set of hooks on the bottom that one could tie a small netting to so they could put packages in it.

Balthier laughs with delight, pulling David tight to him with one arm and kissing him again. He's not sure if the joy of David loving his gift or having had such a thoughtful one himself is greater.

"It's perfect," Balthier promises. "I even have one I wrote you this weekend, and this is much better than hiding it in your bag when you may not open it for weeks." His heart skips at that again. No going back and forth between apartments means no more overnight bags, no more well, until next time.

"You know, you're terribly romantic and I'm wildly in love with you." Of course David knows this, but it feels important to say it out loud, to remind himself of how real all of this is.

"I don't know," he says with a wide smile. "I think you are terribly romantic and I'm wildly in love with you too."

See, they are just like that, connected to each other. They repeat this so many times, the parallels and yet they were so happy to have it too.

"We should put these up soon. But first, I'm so damn hungry."

The parallels are what make it so wonderful. He's never had someone return his affections and his dreams and his love so thoroughly, and he doesn't think he'll ever have enough of it.

"We have all the time in the world," he grins. "But yes, soon I think. For now--" he sets the letter box down carefully beside the plaque and takes David's hand, pulling him to the dining room. "Sit." Another kiss, and he goes to pull dishes from the kitchen, kept chilled or warm with the slow spells etched into the dishes. Things David likes, things from anniversaries, all warm welcomes.

And tonight Balthier sits next to David, not across, wanting to be close and casual.

Dinner looks amazing, and David sighs in delight.

"I'm so tired of take out," he says and smiles as he loads his plate. And if his feet nudge Balthier's under the table, he's not going to apologize. This was so nice. "You're spoiling me and I'm grateful."

“You’re fun to spoil,” Balthier points out, and his hand goes to David’s thigh while the other’s foot nudges his. They’ve done this a hundred times and yet it’s still so wonderful. “We should have leftovers, too.” Good food and no work.

Was he? Well, he likes that.

"I don't have work tomorrow. Any chance I can just stay home with you and recover before we start emergency planning?"

“A fair chance,” Balthier grins before finding David’s hand to squeeze. “I would like that quite a lot.” Take space and time for them, force the world to wait a minute.

“Any requests, or just laze about?” They hadn’t done that in awhile.

Oh man, that's a really good question.

"Laze. Though maybe a nice soothing bath," he says with a smile. "My hotel room had a space that wasn't suited to it."

“Mm we can certainly accommodate that,” Balthier assures him. And he’ll happily make tea and snacks, and maybe convince David into a massage. “Always more relaxing at home.”

And yes, he’s going to abuse that word for awhile yet.

“The weather should be nice tomorrow. We can go up on the roof too.”

Tea, snacks, a hot bath, and a beautiful man.

"Oh yes, this is the most comfortable home I've had. Thank you."

But he loves the idea of the roof.

"Will we be safe up there? I'm just worried about the Alliance."

That pronouncement makes his chest warm, even as he feels himself shrinking slightly from the cruel voice telling him that’s an expectation he can only disappoint.

No, he isn’t letting that voice in today.

“Good. I want you comfortable and cared for,” he says instead. “I want this to be a place you’re happy to return to — your port, too.” They both needed it.

He gives real thought to the roof concern but slowly shakes his head. “I have a general illusion on it, but others use their roofs, and the Society isn’t going to take kindly to interference with any of its members. Besides, this place is mine, not guild. I think we are just as safe up there as using the front door.”

His port too. Yeah, he can accept that. Now if only Excelsior in general was safe for them.

"Alright then. I would love to spend some time up there then."

But he would probably insist on the illusion protection.

Balthier laces his hand in David's. "We're going to have a lovely homecoming, and then we'll figure out the rest of this," he says coolly. He didn't know how yet, but he'd be damned if they didn't.

"We're two brilliant, beautiful, and tricky men. Of course we'll figure it out."

David a year ago wouldn’t have been that confident, not in the future and not in their union.

His hand gently turns David’s face to his, but there’s nothing gentle about his kiss. “Even fate ought not be fool enough to try to cross us,” he murmurs firmly, and right now, he means it. He has no desire to have to bring down gods again, but he would. He could.

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Wrap this soon, or jump to David coming home after conference?

I would enjoy the coming home if it would please

It would please!

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