"I guess you could say that. We don't have an official leader, per se, but… they listen to what I have to say." Itzal had never really figured out why all the gods–even Lazare and Alluma, who seemed like they would rather be on their own–followed and listened to him. Every time he'd thought about it in the past, something else had quickly caught his attention. Though now when he thought about it, a dull headache started building in the back of his skull. Thankfully, Cole's yawn quickly turned his attention to something else. "Oh, stars, it's late… are you getting tired?" Itzal asked gently.
From what he knew about Itzal, he could see why the other gods followed him without going their own way. He was kind, caring and took control when he ended to. He was a natural leader, even if he himself didn’t realize how much influence he had.
He shrugged, pausing while he tried to wake himself up. “A little…but I can stay awake if you want.” Cole pried his eyes open and glanced over at Itzal, offering a soft smile. He reached for the blankets after a moment asked one final question, “Do gods need sleep and food to survive?” There was clearly sleep in his eyes, but he kept himself in the moment.
Itzal decided he would answer one more question, and then they should probably go to sleep. "Not really. It's a pleasant thing to do, but we're not required to do it. I really like eating, though. And we all have a group dinner once a month… that's always very chaotic. And I always end up eating way too much glitter, thanks to Lazare. But it's a really nice time. The food is always incredible, too. Elief is amazing at cooking." Itzal sighed, remembering the last group dinner they'd had. Lazare had insisted on having a billion different coffee-flavored foods and turned the cake Elief had made for dessert into glass. And Finlai had gotten into a fight with them, which had resulted in a very impressive shouting match. Other than that, though, it had been very enjoyable.
(Very short, I apologize)
Cole chuckled at the thought of what the dinners were like, if Lazare was present. According to Itzal anything including the god of chaos was just that, chaotic. "It sounds like a really fun time, sort of like a family dinner with more craziness." He did his best to stifle a yawn after speaking, wanting to be awake if Itzal had any more questions for him.
(You're good!)
"Yeah, it was…" Itzal sighed. He'd never said it to the other gods before, but he did think of them as a family. His crazy, incredibly powerful family. Itzal glanced over at Cole, noticing his yawn. He wanted to ask Cole more questions, but the man was starting to look tired. They would have plenty of time after he finished dealing with the gods. "What do you say we get some sleep? You look exhausted." Itzal smiled softly at him, gently brushing a bit of hair away from his face.
"Maybe…I could use some sleep," He agreed after a moments pause, a sheepish smile crossing his face. Cole relaxed back against the bed, glancing over at Itzal, "Unless you have any more questions you want to ask." His lack of sleep was catching up with him quickly, but the last thing he wanted was to go to bed without giving Itzal one more chance to ask questions.
Itzal thought about it for a second and then decided one more question wouldn't hurt. "Okay. Just one more and then we'll go to sleep." He grinned at Cole. "What's your favorite song? Or your favorite type of music, if you can't decide." It was a really random question, but it had popped into Itzal's head and wasn't leaving.
Cole thought for a minute, finally speaking, "I suppose I don't have a favorite song…but I listen to pop and alternative…sometimes rock." He shrugged, a slight smile appearing on his face, "Do you have a preference for music?" He yawned, closing his eyes and letting himself embrace sleep, only keeping himself awake long enough to hear Itzal's response.
"Hmm, those are very nice genres of music." Itzal nodded. "I don't really have one. We don't listen to much music at home, but… you know, I've always been fond of musicals. They're so full of emotion and passion. I suppose I just like music that tells a story while also sounding amazing." He laughed softly, then glanced down at Cole. The man's eyes were closed, but Itzal knew he'd heard his response. Cole looked so peaceful… stars, he really didn't want to leave him. "Goodnight, Cole," Itzal whispered, gently kissing Cole's forehead.
"Goodnight Itzal," He whispered, his mouth barely opening to form the words. Cole was extremely close to falling asleep, but he forced himself awake to hear Itzal's choice of music, making note of it in case he needed to know. There was nothing else keeping him from crashing and he did so without hesitation, slipping into a deep sleep within a few minutes.
Itzal smiled softly, watching Cole for a couple of seconds more. Despite all the horrible things that had led up to their meeting, knowing Cole was worth it. He carefully laid down next to Cole, making sure not to disturb him. Itzal let his eyes close and even though he hadn't been tired, there was something so comfortable about lying next to Cole that he eventually drifted off.
(Do we want to do a timeskip? Or do you have anything you want to happen before morning?)
(Nope, a timeskip works for me!)
(Perfect! I’ll get one up sometime tonight)
Timeskip; morning
Cole truly wasn't sure the last time he had slept so well. It had been a strangely peaceful sleep, with no dreams or fears of beings attacking him. He was sure he could've slept for much longer, if he hadn't woken up to the sound of busy city streets. He yawned as he heard the blaring honk of a truck horn, nuzzling closer into his pillow and grabbing tighter onto what he assumed was the blankets. As the truck horn blared again, he pried his eyes open, whispering out a curse while blearily looking around. What he had assumed was his blanket was actually Itzal's shirt, and he was laying comfortably in the notch of his shoulder. The realization made him pause, but he didn't register fully what he saw, laying back down to try to get just a few more minutes of sleep in.
Itzal's dreams were blissfully free of weird memories. He was glad for that, because that meant he got to enjoy the rest. At least, he was, until the truck started blaring, waking him up rather abruptly. His eyes flew open, and he almost bolted up as well. The warm weight of Cole stopped him, however. Cole… Itzal's face split into a sleepy smile. At least he didn't have to go just yet. This was very nice. Very comfortable. Thankfully, the truck moved on quickly. Itzal let his eyes close again, wrapping a gentle arm around Cole. He wanted to stay there for as long as possible because once they got up, he would have to leave.
Cole did his best to settle back in, but after being woken up by the truck, he wasn't sure he could fall back asleep. "Good morning, Itzal," He murmured, a faint smile appearing as he felt an arm wrap around him. Any reminders that Itzal had to leave were gone from his mind while he took in the moment. It was peaceful and calm, exactly what he wanted, and he wasn't going to break the moment. The background noises of the city waking up grew slightly louder, but there was no more honking, thankfully.
"Morning, Cole." Itzal smiled gently, kissing the top of Cole's head. Stars, he wanted to wake up like this every day. "How did you sleep?" He asked, adjusting himself ever so slightly so that Cole was cradled even more comfortably in his arms. Itzal wondered how long he would be able to stay here, with him. How long would it take until Alluma came back, demanding he come with him? Well, Itzal was going to take all the time he could. Every last second.
"Really good…the best in a long time." He opened his eyes slowly and looked towards Itzal, happy to stay right where he was for quite a while, "And you?" Cole knew Itzal didn't need to sleep, but he figured the god would still gain some benefit from getting a good night's sleep in. He turned his head, pressing a soft kiss to Itzal's shoulder as he relaxed, slowly remembering that they only had limited time together.
"That's good," Itzal nodded slightly. After everything that Cole had been through, he was really glad the man was able to get a good rest in at last. "Ah, it was wonderful." It was true, gods didn't need to sleep. Some preferred not to do it–it didn't hurt them not to–but he liked it. And it was a hundred times better with Cole. Just being able to hold the one he loved in his arms.
"*Oh, you've got to be kidding me." Alluma's voice suddenly burst into his head, making Itzal jump. The god appeared at the foot of the bed, an exasperated look on his face. "Nevermind, I don't want to know. They're waiting for you." Alluma let out a sigh and disappeared just as quickly as he'd appeared. Itzal placed a hand over his racing heart, trying to stop a wave of disappointment from crashing over him. It seemed it was time to go.
Cole smiled, opening his mouth to speak again until he heard Alluma's voice. Or more accurately, felt the words in his mind. If Itzal's arm hadn't been looped over him, he would've jumped up, instead, he just froze, processing what happened before sagging against the god. "I think that's the sign that you have to go," He said softly, though he didn't move from where he was laying. Cole didn't want him to leave, even if he had to. The gods could wait a few moments more.
"It would seem so," Itzal sighed heavily, also not moving. Alluma said the gods were waiting for him, but he suspected that only Alluma was actually waiting for him. The other gods probably wouldn't care if he was a little bit late. "I'm sorry I have to go so soon," he murmured, pressing soft kisses to Cole's forehead and cheek. "I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise." Itzal shifted slightly, running a thumb over Cole's cheek and pressing a kiss on his jaw.
"You don't have to promise, I trust you'll be back whenever you're finished," He replied, leaning into the touch with a hum, "Please be safe." If the gods had been scattered so much by the beings before, he only hoped they would be more prepared this time. With Itzal leading them, he was confident things would go better, but there was still a hint of worry in his mind. Cole met Itzal's eyes and smiled gently, debating asking for a kiss. If he was sure Alluma wasn't going to make another sudden appearance, there would be no debate, but the god of dreams seemed to like to appear at the strangest of times.
"Mmm, I will be," Itzal promised, pulling away just enough to stare into Cole's eyes. "And, uh, I'll talk to Alluma about his popping in and out without warning. I know his… everything can be a little startling." Itzal sighed, knowing that Alluma would probably come right back in a few minutes if he didn't start moving. "Speaking of him… I should probably start to make motions towards leaving." Itzal's voice was full of disappointment, but he managed a smile for Cole. "Could you spare me a kiss for good luck?" He asked, a bit of laughter glittering in his eyes.
Cole couldn't help but laugh lightly while he nodded, "If you could talk to him…that would be nice. It's a little unnerving to just have him show up." He sighed at the mention of Itzal having to leave but made an effort to detangle himself from the other, even sitting up slightly. At the mention of sparing a kiss, he smiled, "I think I could spare one…if you think Alluma isn't going to come bother you for taking too long."
"I will." Itzal grinned at Cole. "I think I still have a little more time… and if he does, I'll get him out of here as quickly as possible. But I don't think he'll come." Itzal sighed softly, sending Alluma a mental warning to stay away, paired with a promise to be over there as soon as he could. That should keep him away long enough for Itzal to properly say goodbye to Cole. Itzal brought his other hand up to Cole's cheek, cradling his face in his hands. For a second, he just stared into Cole's face with a soft expression. Stars, he was acting as though he would never see him again. Itzal let out a breathy laugh and leaned forward, eyes sliding shut as he gently pressed his lips to Cole's.
Cole let out a breath as their lips met, his eyes closed as he took in the moment. He knew he would see Itzal again, but it still felt like he was saying goodbye forever. Until the beings were taken care of, it was goodbye. Reminding himself of that fact, he let the kiss linger, only pulling away when he needed to get a breath in. "I know I said it before…but be safe," He mumured, their faces only inches apart, "I don't need to loose you so soon after meeting you."
Itzal's eyes slid shut, focusing on nothing but Cole. His warmth, the safety Itzal felt when he was with him, his perfect heartbeat. As Cole pulled away, Itzal let his eyes stay shut for a moment longer, just savoring the moment. "I will be. And you stay safe as well, alright?" Itzal said, opening his eyes to stare into Cole's face. "Don't worry, nobody will be losing anyone. I promise you that." Itzal would do everything that he could to get back to Cole unharmed. He didn't want to burden the man with more worries.
“I’ll hold you to that,” He said with a smile, nodding, “I’ll stay safe.” Cole pressed a kiss to Itzal’s cheek, then another to his nose. “I suppose you should go soon…but can I have one more kiss first?” He met Itzal’s eyes, a gentle smile on his face. If there was time, he wished he could spend more time saying goodbye, but he had a feeling that Alluma would pop in if they took too much longer.
(btw, I'm going on vacation and probably won't be able to respond very often this week. :)
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