Nighttime Routine

Lys fiddled with the ring on his finger, sitting on Solomon’s bed as they both readied themselves to sleep. He sucked in a breath before closing his eyes, quickly ridding himself of his shirt and pants to change into the soft robe Solomon had set next to him to make his changing efforts easier. Even it was a bit of a struggle without opening his eyes, but it was still far easier than any of his own clothing. The robe itself was large on him, draping far past his foot and hiding the entirety of him.

He looked up to see what Solomon was doing, finding the oracle finishing up with changing out of his many layers and into the loose pants and shirt he wore to sleep. Lys stared on, thinking of how lucky he was to be in Solomon’s bed, to be held in those broad arms and be kept truly safe. He felt his face heat up as he noticed the oracle staring back at him, looking away and preparing to come up with an apology for staring when Solomon crossed the few steps between them. The oracle’s hand lifted his chin, making Lys look up and meet his eyes, and see the adoring look on his face.

“You are incredibly lovely, but you can lay down and rest if you wish. I know today’s been hard on you with all the walking; you can rest,” Solomon reassured him, thumb brushing across the curve of the nobleman’s cheek.

“You’re not going to bed?” Lys asked, seeming far more worried and hurt by the thought than Solomon was willing to let stand.

“I will be heading to bed in a bit, I’m just going to take my hair down and brush it out so it’s not a bird’s nest,” the oracle corrected. His withdrawal from Lys was slow, and yet still too soon for both their tastes.

“Could I help you? Brush your hair, I mean,” the nobleman asked, all too eager to help. It made little sense to the oracle, but, if it made Lys happy, it would be welcomed.

“You can if you wish to,” Solomon answered, taking the brush out of the drawer nearby and setting it in Lys’s hands. He took out the thin silk tie that kept his hair up, letting his hair fall as he considered where he could be that would be easiest for Lys. He settled for sitting on the trunk in front of the bed to give the nobleman the easiest access.

“Tell me if anything hurts,” Lys requested before he began, and Solomon heard him shift closer on the bed. The nobleman was painstakingly careful to be gentle as he began, using his fingers to work out the knots where Solomon’s hair had been tied up. He worked slowly, brushing out the oracle’s hair in sections to be as careful as possible not to hurt him. It wasn’t all out of worry though. Lys enjoyed the closeness of it, and the knowledge of the trust Solomon placed in him. Above it all, he enjoyed being allowed to care for the oracle in such a way.

“You’re far more diligent about keeping up appearances than I am,” the oracle observed with a pleased hum when the nobleman had finally finished. He leaned back against the baseboard, looking up at Lys for the sole joy of seeing him.

“I just like doing things for you,” the nobleman said. He brushed aside a wayward strand of Solomon’s hair, content to stay close by. The oracle seemed to consider his words a moment before straightening up, nowhere near as content as Lys was to sit on the trunk.

“We should get sleep,” Solomon said, getting up from the trunk and making his way around to his side of the bed. The nobleman hesitated in place, doubts evident on his face.

“I want you here in bed with me, and to hold you if you’d let me,” the oracle reminded him, soothing the hum of doubt for the moment. Lys gladly took the hand offered to him, letting Solomon reposition them both until he was tucked between the blankets and the oracle. Warm and comfortable, neither of them resisted sleep.