Zorvut seemed to deflate at that, glancing away again with a guilty frown. “I just wish you would talk to me more about what’s going on.”
“There’s been nothing to talk about,” Taegan scowled. “I just told you everything that’s been going on. Maybe you’ve been learning new things, but every day has been the same for me. It’s boring, and lonely, so I’ve tried to keep it to myself to avoid distracting you. Zorvut, I... I really wanted to come here with you for you to learn as much as you could. But it’s been hard to be so far from home, not knowing about… about anything.”
For a long moment, Zorvut was silent as he looked out the window, unable to meet Taegan’s gaze. He watched Zorvut anxiously, his heart pounding at each miniscule change in the half-orc’s expression as he seemed to consider Taegan’s words. After a long moment, he felt a faint trickle of emotion coming from the bond, then a jolt of something—a mix of frustration and guilt and fear and a tinge of melancholy. His end of the bond was no longer so carefully guarded, and Taegan could feel his conflicting emotions. Though in some ways it started to amplify his own worries, there was also a strange comfort in finally knowing for sure what the other man was feeling.
“I’m sorry,” Zorvut said quietly, not quite meeting his gaze but looking down at his hands which were clasped in his lap. “I suppose I let my emotions cloud my judgment. You were having this hard of a time, and I didn’t realize... I apologize.”
“I understand,” Taegan said, unsure what else to say. His hurt still lingered, but the anger he had initially felt at Zorvut’s words had faded, burning out as quickly as it had flared up. “I’m sorry, too. I don’t mean to make this about myself. We came here for you.”
“Don’t apologize for that,” Zorvut said sharply, shaking his head as he finally looked back over at Taegan. “Just because we came here for me doesn’t mean you don’t get a say. I’ll tell Tom not to ask that warlock, we won’t go. I’ll finish my training with him and then we can head back.”
“I would appreciate that,” Taegan said, and despite how his relief was tinged with guilt, he managed a tiny smile, which Zorvut hesitantly returned.
“I realize now that my training is probably not as exciting for you as it is for me,” Zorvut said slowly. “Since you haven’t had much to do, maybe we can set aside a bit of time in the evenings to spar? To help keep you a bit more active, and I can show you a bit of what I’ve learned, too.”
Taegan chuckled. “I think that sounds pleasant. Although I still think you should come with me to the beach one of these days, too. It’s very nice. Do you know how to swim?”
“A little, yes. You’re right. Let’s go tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” he laughed. “I’m envious of how quickly you can change your mind. I might still be grumpy with you tomorrow.”
“That’s fine,” Zorvut said, and held out his arms. “Come here.” Slowly Taegan rose and stepped toward him, and Zorvut pulled him close, nestling his head against Taegan’s shoulder. “I love you,” he breathed, and Taegan wrapped his arms around the half-orc’s neck, kissing the top of his head. “Truly, I really am sorry. I don’t ever want to lose you... But that clouded my judgment.”
“You won’t lose me,” Taegan said, shaking his head. “It’ll be a lot harder than that to get rid of me.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Zorvut said with a long sigh, the tension draining from his body. The close contact sent a warm rush of arousal through Taegan, but Zorvut shook his head, still pressed into his shoulder. “I’m sorry. I really am tired.”
“Don’t apologize. I understand,” Taegan laughed. “Sorry to keep you up.”
“Come lay with me,” Zorvut said softly as he pulled away, laying back. Taegan crawled into bed with him, and although neither had blown out the candles, it seemed to take only a few minutes for Zorvut’s breathing to slow into the steady rhythm of sleep. Taegan lay looking at the flickering candlelight for a long while before finally extricating himself from his husband’s arms to blow out the lights and return to bed.
Even Tomlin seemed to notice their better mood the next morning as they ate breakfast. He was sitting on the opposite end of the kitchen, looking out the window as he strummed his lute and hummed a faint tune, but occasionally glanced over at them with a barely stifled smile. His relief at their less-tense interaction was nearly palpable. When Taegan met Zorvut’s gaze over the cup of coffee he had brought to his lips, he could not help grinning as well at the look of recognition they shared.
“Tom, I was thinking we could end early today,” Zorvut said after a moment. “I decided I should take Taegan up on his offer to visit the beach, so we’d like to go later this afternoon.”
“That’s fine, that’s fine,” the older man said, waving his hand dismissively. “You’ve learned just about everything, anyway. A half day or two won’t do any harm.” He winked at them from across the room as he strummed his lute again. “And Naimere’s known for its harbor and the beaches, so it’d be a shame if you didn’t spend some time down there while you can.”
“I agree,” Taegan said with a slight grin, and Zorvut only nodded in reply, although he too had an amused smile on his face.
He still went on his usual morning walk, but returned to Tomlin’s home when he would normally go to the beach. It was as beautiful a day as all the others had been so far, with the sky clear and blue, no clouds blocking the sun from shining down on them. When he returned to the house, Zorvut and Tom were still working in the backyard, but when Zorvut noticed him, they seemed to quickly wrap up and he came back inside, finding Taegan packing a small lunch for them to take.
“I’m ready to go,” he said, and Taegan grinned up at him. “Or should I bring anything with us?”
“We’ll have lunch while we’re there, so maybe a blanket to sit on?” he said, and Zorvut dutifully went to retrieve one. Soon they were heading out from the house, Taegan leading him down the street toward the harbor.
“Most people visiting the beach are on the north end of the harbor,” Taegan explained as they walked. “So let’s go to the south end, since it’s usually less inhabited. It’s more rocky on that side, so people don’t like swimming on that end as much, but I don’t think you’ll mind.”
“I trust your judgment,” he replied simply with a nod. So when they arrived at the harbor, Taegan led them to the south end—just as he had explained, they could see some beachgoers in the distance on the north end, but the south side looked quite uninhabited from what he could tell. The harbor was bustling with activity, but they avoided most of it as they walked.
Taegan had not been on the south end of the harbor, so as they walked, it surprised him to see a smaller dock in the distance, which was hidden from view by the harbor from the other side. Zorvut pointed it out almost immediately after he noticed it.
“What’s over there?” he asked, and Taegan shook his head.
“No idea,” he said, and glanced back. “Want to go look? I don’t see any ships. Maybe it’s abandoned.”
They made their way across the beach, clambering over rock formations and kicking up sand as they went. As they approached, Taegan’s suspicions were proved correct—the structure was a tall pier that looked entirely abandoned, stretching out into the ocean several yards before crumbling into a mess of rotting wood far out into the surf. A set of wooden stairs still remained to attach the dock to the shore below, but even those appeared soft and unsteady.
“My guess is that this was a fishing pier,” Taegan said. “And when the harbor got busier, it fell into disuse. Either all the fish were driven away or the fishing was just better from the new harbor than it was here.”
