Work Text:
Taako’s life had been sort of a hurricane
It was a wash up of an existence that had ups and downs and highs and lows and left Taako with whiplash when he got too comfortable. It was a life that felt kind of like his but also felt like it belonged to everyone else more than it belonged to himself. It fit but it didn’t fit just right. Nothing fit. He wasn’t the best at rolling with the punches but one had to learn to scrap when they had nothing else, right?
Well, at least, that was how it had always been.
Right now was different. Not so much different it felt completely right… but different enough to make it worth noting, to make it worth remembering.
It was a balmy spring morning.
Taako’s room at the Bureau was definitely a lived in sort of affair. He wasn’t the neatest elf this side of faerun, but it was all just organized chaos, he swore--
It was messy, but fuck, it was the closest thing to a home he’d had in so long that it didn’t even matter. It was his mess.
And while normally he lounged alone in this room, this home that had sort of just fallen in his lap, today, on this fucking good ass morning, he had company.
That was a sentiment that he’d honestly not had in so long that it felt kind of fake to think.
Two bodies were twisted in satin sheets on a bed that hadn’t been made in months. The landscape of the room was changed so wholly by the presence of another figure that it felt like something were amiss.
Taako’s cheek was resting on the cool, dark shoulder of the reaper Kravitz. An apparently undead and immortal servant to the Goddess over the order of life and death, or… whatever.
They were together in his bed, but they hadn’t fucked or anything. Thaaaaaat was also weird-- just fucking… laying with someone. Talking to someone about… stuff. Just, shooting the shit, you know?
Kravitz had asked permission to see him, and Taako was hard pressed to turn down the request. He showed up in his room in the middle of the night, and while Taako hadn’t been exactly sure what to expect, just lounging around and talking definitely wasn’t on the spectrum.
They’d spoken for so long that the both of them-- two beings that definitely didn’t need to sleep-- dozed off.
Taako knew Kravitz was awake when he stirred, himself, but he didn’t speak, so he sort of just allowed the silence to hang over them. It wasn’t a strained or awkward silence… it was a silence that was comfortable and surprisingly easy. One of Kravitz’s hands was on his lower back, and it shifted occasionally, cool fingers tracing patterns on bare skin.
Merle and Magnus were awake. There were sounds of his roommates chatting and moving about in the other room and getting ready for another day of fuckin’ arduous training. Ever since they’d gotten back from Refuge, they’d gotten no relief. Taako should be up, getting ready, but… he’d roll in fashionably late or something.
No big deal.
“... Should you get up?” Kravitz’s voice almost startled him. It was so close to his head.
Taako responded only by turning his head away.
“S’no big deal to me, really,” Kravitz continued, in his silence, “I just don’t want you to get in trouble, is all.”
“I think… Um, honestly, I think if we’re looking at costs and benefits, the benefits of just laying here are way higher than the costs of, like, maybe getting a swat on the wrist or something.” Taako finally spoke, and he looked back at him, the reaper who was now softly chuckling under his breath.
“Sure, I think that tracks.” Kravitz nodded sagely, giving the elf against his side a squeeze.
Taako fell silent again…
Something about this scene caused him to be uncharacteristically introspective, and it was a strange state to be in. His whole life had been a whirlwind of ups and downs and, sure, maybe this current moment wasn’t the perfect future he’d envisioned for himself, but…
He was here. He had, well, a gig that paid in scratch, he had… a home, even if it was just a room in a shared dorm with two chucklefucks, it was still his. He had… said two chucklefucks, who were hopeless at the best of times, but, well, fuck, he had to be there to save their skin, right? … and now he had this fuckin’ devastatingly handsome man in his bed with him, who was only there because he wanted to see him, because he wanted to talk to him, because he wanted to know him.
… and, he was kinda okay with that, he guessed.
Life had been hell, but this was kind of an okay outcome, even if this was the best it got, right..?
Because this best, this moment… was sort of a silver lining in a the sack of shit his existence had been. He felt surprised at his own optimism, but he also couldn’t deny the ring of truth to it. Sure, pessimism threatened to rear its ugly head-- he won’t be interested for long, he’ll get sick of you, this will all change and he’ll leave and shit will go south real fast, don’t get comfortable.
He was less inclined to hear it, at least right now.
“You okay?” Kravitz had apparently noticed his distant expression, and sounded concerned.
“... I think so, yeah,” Taako looked up thoughtfully, “... just sorta thinking about how wild this is, I guess.”
“Wild..? I woulda chalked this one up to a kind of tame one, myself.”
“I-- well, sure, if you look at it that way,” Taako huffed, and rolled to face him a bit more, watching his face… he must have looked kind of intense, because Kravitz’s expression shifted to an uncertain one.
Taako continued, “... look, this is all kind of balls-to-the-wall weird for me. I…” where was he going with this, “I guess it’s just gonna take getting used to.”
Kravitz looked confused, “Okay. Well. What’s weird about it..? Is it me?”
“Yeah, I mean, no-- well, yeah, you’re weird, for sure, no doubting that, just kind of as a being you’re an anomaly, right-- but, I guess more…” Taako vaguely gestured to the both of them, “this.”
“Ah,” Kravitz cleared his throat, “well, I’m glad to hear that’s all. If me, as a person, weirded you out, we might be in a spot of trouble, huh? … but, you know, Taako, this is equally weird for me. I’ve never really… done something like this before?”
Taako hesitated, and Kravitz continued, “Wanting to see someone, to just… spend time with them? I’ll be honest, I don’t make mortal attachments, well… ever. But, here I am, this whole situation’s full of surprises for both of us, don’t you think?”
They watched each other then, and Taako didn’t really have a response for him… he let his head fall back against his chest. God, it was weird to even do this.
When did it stop feeling weird? When did it start feeling right?
… Taako huffed a sigh, and planted his face more directly into Kravitz’s cool skin.
Kravitz smiled to himself, though Taako couldn’t see it… he let one of his hands trail up to comb through his companion’s loose hair, toying with it.
“You know,” he began, and Taako’s ears perked in piqued interest, “... I’ve had a lot of wild experiences in this life… sorta comes with the territory, living forever, but… I think this is one of the better ones I’ve had. Started a little rough, had my tail between my legs a bit, but… this,” it was his turn to motion to the two of them, “definitely a silver lining.”
Taako’s face lifted from where it was buried, and the two of them shared a lingering moment of eye contact… and then Taako smiled and rolled away from him, “more gold, I think.”
“Gold, eh?”
“Yeah, I’m golden, baby,” he winked, and Kravitz chuckled.
“Okay, gold then. Whatever you want to call it. That’s what it is.”
“Goooood answer.”
Eventually, Taako did have to get up. He could easily justify some more time, just lounging, goofing off with him… but shit had to happen and Kravitz also had things to do, right..?
Taako was dressed and ready to go, and Kravitz had followed suit
“I’ll see you soon, alright?” Kravitz adjusted his cape, though it seemed to be more fidgeting than anything else… Was he nervous?
“For sure.”
Kravitz hesitated, regarding Taako, his languid expression… and before Taako had a chance to react, one of his hands had been snatched up… cool lips pressed a chaste kiss into his knuckles, and Kravitz stepped back.
“Soon, then, can’t come soon enough, I reckon… thank you for having me, Taako.” and he tore a rift through space, and… was gone.
Taako stood there, and he curled that hand against his chest, “... yeah, same.”