bakerstreet | grow old with MEme

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grow old with MEme

grow old with meme

The ultimate goal of any loving, committed relationship: to grow old with your best friend. But how often do we get the opportunity to write out the golden years of our favorite couples and partnerships? Now is your chance! Whether you start at the beginning of your story or the end, or even somewhere in between, "grow old with me" is the theme.

Prompts

1. The Proposal
Whether or not a diamond ring and a marriage is involved, is there anything sweeter than a proposal to spend the rest of your lives together?

2. The Golden Years
After decades of being together, how are you faring? Do you bicker like cats and dogs (but you really do care), or do you still walk hand-in-hand, just as lovesick as you began? What great adventures are you still enjoying together later in your lives?

3. The Parting
Illness and death is just a part of aging, and we all eventually need to say goodbye. Did you make it to the very end, or were you forced to part long before then?

4. Best Friends Forever
Friends can stay together for the rest of their lives, too.

5. Wildcard
Anything goes!

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[Any particular prompt you prefer? If not, maybe 1?]

[I'm good with any of them, including 1! ]

If one were taking pointers on how to progress a relationship at a snail's pace - well, look no further. It takes time. A lot of time for romance to truly bloom between the two of them. Traveling together feels like they're both hanging on a thread, just waiting for a sign. Both yearning for what they think can never truly be.

Caleb makes the first move. His lips come crashing against Essek's after setting ablaze to that room back in Aeor. He couldn't help himself. It's a moment of complete and utter vulnerability between the two of them.

Time marches forward. They're able to see each other every few months. Caleb eventually comes to the notion that all the knowledge they hold should be passed down in some fashion and begins to teach others. Unprofessionally at first, just strays that they come across. And then, he becomes a professor, teaching bold new ideas and spells. He keeps his knowledge of dunamancy secret.

For the most part.

Let's not assume some of his spells don't dabble a bit too close to that thin red line. However, it's always just enough to keep from getting into trouble.

He proposes in private, because he's fucking terrified Essek will say no. Even after nearly ten years' worth of a relationship, he still feels completely unworthy of any semblance of emotion or love.

Down on one knee with a bashful smile and a nervous flutter of his heart, he holds out a ring. It's a white crystal with a dark gem in the center. Magical in nature, although Essek won't be able to guess until he slips it onto his finger.

"Essek? I would - Can I ask - "

He's tongue-tied. Honestly, he had a whole speech prepared.

"I don't know the proper way to do this."

The relationship, like most things, did not come easy. The kiss had been a welcomed surprised, one that left Essek stiff and frozen in that dead city for a few seconds while the realization that it was Caleb’s lips against him slid like storms into his brain. Then, oh then, it was easy to relax into it, into him, unsure if this kiss was driven by the energy of the moment, a magic effect of this place, or a chance of things that would later be regretted later. But, for now, the drow willing to accept this fragile thing for what it was.

And then it happened again, and he became a little more sure. Undeserving, of course, but welcoming.

While Caleb taught, Essek hid, tangled in darkness and disguises. He did his business in the places he was comfortable and familiar with: the shadows. “A courier service” he would call it to those who asked, but to Caleb, he was bluntly honest about the smuggling he curated. He was, however, always careful not to facilitate the more…dangerous pieces, leaving those to the only man he trusted on the rare visits he could manage.

The question – when it came – was as much of a surprise as the kiss had been. Essek was trying to find an equation in a book, something he had read a bit ago that he wanted to share with Caleb, and when he turned around, there was the wizard down on one knee.

The thought was still slow to form, and thinking that he had tripped, he held out his hand to help him up.

And then, it slowly dawned on him. A flustered Caleb with a question to ask.

His eyes widened as he almost dropped the book, his fingers shaking as he snapped it shut. This part of courtship had also never crossed his mind, for many reasons.

“You hardly do things the proper way,” he whispered with a soft reserve. There was admiration in his syllables instead of ridicule; if Caleb did do things the proper way, he would have turned Essek in years ago for his crimes rather than sharing a bed with him.

“I…believe you simply ask.”

So much for being smooth about this. But then, since when has anything between the two of them ever gone as planned?

He can still hear Jester's message from earlier. Urging him to just be himself. Sweep that handsome drow boy off his feet! Wasn't that how she put it?

Both of Caleb's ink-stained hands reach for Essek's and for a moment, that little smile of his goes soft around the edges as their eyes meet. It's as if his lover is the sun itself. Or perhaps the moon would be a better metaphor? He can't look away.

"You'll have to forgive an old wizard." He's not old. Not yet, but he's in his early forties, and being around young, university-aged students day in and day out makes him feel ancient by comparison.

"I don't know how things are done among the Drow, let alone the Dynasty, but I do know that I want to marry you, Essek Thelyss." His voice gains confidence as he speaks.

"I'm tired of us being apart. I want to wake up next to you every day and I don't care what happens. If I live a life on the run, in the shadows, it doesn't matter to me. Being apart from you for months at a time is torture."

Was it the comment of being an old wizard that made Essek’s heart fill with fondness, or simply the way that Caleb gazed upon him, like he was the magical secret he was looking for all this time? It didn’t matter, not really; he smiled in return, those hands warm against his, as he continued on. Heartfelt. Honest.

“There are different requirements for different people in my home,” he answered. He was still surprised enough by the entire display that it felt too safe, too easy to fall back into his mentor role. “In my den, you would present to the Umavi first and be judged, if it was not something that had been an arranged partnership already.”

His thumb ran softly against that hand, dark against Caleb’s skin. “But I do not believe those rules apply to me any longer.”

The rawness of it all squeezed his heart, and everything inside of him wanted to say yes, of course, you troublesome young man. But he pragmatic, overly cautious, and there were aspects, things-

It wasn’t that simple. How could it be?

Essek swallowed the cold lump in his throat. “If anyone is familiar with living in hiding and what that entails, it is you.” History was bitter, repeating itself like this. “Are you sure you want to return to that lifestyle?” Even if the fact of the matter was that they were stronger together, safer together; what Caleb had endured before would be so very different than what they could do now at each other’s side.

No. No, this was-

“Are you prepared for what will happen in the future?” His violent eyes slid to the side for a moment, before back to him, weighted, blunt. “I will not age as you will. Have you truly thought about a distant future looks like, Caleb Widogast?”

Edited 2021-07-12 18:12 (UTC)

Caleb remains kneeling on the floor in front of Essek, refusing to look anywhere else, except at the object of his love and affection. The expression on his face exuding calm confidence instead of his usual chaotic nervousness. The fact that he can be so serene and calm in the face of Essek's questions betrays the fact that the redheaded wizard has given this a lot of thought.

This isn't an impulsive decision for him.

"It's true, I thought all the knowledge of magic we've gathered should be distributed, shared, and passed on with our peers. I've taught wizards for nearly a decade now." Here, his smile softens as he lifts one of his hands to gently pry the equation book out of the drow's hands so that he can link both their hands together.

"I think it's time to start a new chapter in my life. Besides, dealing with bumbling young wizards is starting to take a toll on my nerves." He's lying, of course. He loves teaching. It's incredible just how patient he can be. However, he's more than willing to sacrifice that portion of his life if it means they can be together.

Of course he knows what will happen. What's bound to happen. He's human, despite all his magical transmutation talents, he'll still age. Essek won't. He'll wither and grow old. Eventually, he'll die.

"We could fall into that old wizard trope. Searching for immortality, twisting our bodies with magical elements until we lose every semblance of who we once were." Even as those words leave his mouth, it tastes bitter on his tongue. No, that won't be the way they spend their remaining time together.

"I'm perfectly fine with growing old by your side. So long as it doesn't bother you."

He loves you, Essek. You damned fool.

Of course Caleb would have thought on this, dwelled it and overanalyzed it, calculated every risk and outcome and probably wrote it down in a book somewhere. When thoughts could come back into some semblance of regular order, he would have to ask to see what notes the wizard made and how long the question had been burning the back of his throat. Long enough to get the ring.

Magical ring? Interesting.

Essek felt the book being pulled away from his numbed fingers, but he never tore his eyes from him.

“You are a terrible liar.” To him, at least; others would beg to disagree. But the drow knew so much of the wizard, the patterns he felt in himself reflected back from Caleb. “On both things.”

He pulled his hands away as he drifted to standing on his feet, delicately, carefully. The pretenses were gone, shoved away, and he gently cupped the human’s face, feeling that coarse beard hair against soft palms. “I would not take you from teaching; the new generations would be completely lost and more difficult for me to deal with after you’re gone. It is for the betterment of my own headaches that you continue.”

And then, slowly, he eased down to his knees in a ceremonial bit of grace, robes pooled on the floor. Would he be bothered by Caleb’s age? No. Not at all, but he would not lie and say he didn’t fear it, too, those moments after. That responsibility of heartbreak and grief and taking him to the Blooming Grove alone.

But…that fear – like most – would drive him to cherish these moments now. So he leaned forward, silver eyelashes low as he pressed his forehead to Caleb’s, the man he loved more than himself. The man – along with a rowdy group – that taught him how to be a part of something.

“Yes,” he whispered. “Yes, I suppose I will.”

Caleb almost protests when that heavy, purple-black robe touches the ground as his lover mirrors him by kneeling in front of him. Although, he soon understands the sentiment behind it as he leans into the gentle touch to his face.

Honestly, he's prepared to spend the next ten years arguing with Essek about this. Back and forth.

He's certainly surprised by his answer.

"Yes?" Just like that? It's a victory that forces a wide, triumphant grin as he leans in to steal a quick, brief kiss from soft lips. It's hard to resist the urge to linger, but he steels himself against any further temptation.

Slowly, he holds out the ring. Metallic-wise, it's made of the highest grade of silver available. Silver is a very malleable metal, much more susceptible to spells than gold.

"I give this to you as a symbol of our union." He says as he slips the ring onto Essek's finger. Should he attune it, he would immediately sense as well as hear the steady beat of Caleb's heart. It's a costly spell to put in place. Reckless, perhaps. That's a piece of Caleb encased in the purple crystal.

The ring makes it easy to find him in cases of emergency. It also ensures the wearer knows that Caleb is alive. Unfortunately, the crystal containing his essence will shatter shortly after Caleb's heart eventually stops beating.

However, it's best to focus on the loud and steady thump of the wizard's heart.

"You'll know when to take off this ring."

“Yes.”

It was complicated in the logistics, of course; the details needed to be poured over as they tried to determine where to live, how to live, the length to live. There would be time for that, in the future. There would be a lot of time for that, just as there would be time to sit up at night and worry that he was endangering Caleb with his mere presence.

But Caleb was smart, and Essek had faith in that intelligence, in that wisdom. If this was what the wizard wanted, what he believed in, then…

Essek could believe in it – in him -, too.

His lips still hummed with the touch of Caleb’s as he looked at the ring, fighting the urge to cast Identify in this intimate moment. There was something here, something special with the ominous words hanging over his head: You’ll know when to take off this ring.. His eyes slid back up to Caleb’s, a silver eyebrow curiously arched.

“I would hope the answer is ‘never’.” But they both knew that wasn’t true; there was a destined moment when it would eventually come off, but that could be decades after Caleb left this world. It wasn’t as if romance had ever been something Essek devoted time to.

Not until the man before him.

“I feel rather unprepared, not having one to give back in return.” There was a bit of sarcasm to it, subtle and hard to hear. How could he have known this was happening today, of all days, on a day that was so …mundane and simple?

“I see that I will have to remedy this soon.” He leaned forward, kissing the corner of his mouth.

The finer details can be worked out at a later point in time. Time is, after all, something they still have an abundance of at the moment. There's certainly a finite amount of it, but he doesn't want to dwell on unpleasantries such as his own mortality. Not when his heart feels like it might just burst out of his chest!

He's happy, that much Essek can tell at a glance. The younger wizard is practically brimming with energy as he moves to his feet and offers a hand to help Essek up as well. Even if he doesn't need it, it's nice just to have the warmth of his hand against his own.

"I wouldn't expect you to have a ring. I didn't exactly give you any advance notice before springing this proposal." He says with a sheepish grin. This is such a momentous moment for the two of them! He wants to sweep his lover off his feet and kiss him until they're both breathless and riddled with a familiar hunger.

"We don't have to have a fancy ceremony, in fact, it should probably be kept a secret." Of course, they can't send out gilded wedding invitations. That would be an utter disaster. However, he does have one simple request.

"I'd just like to have the Mighty Nein with us. I know if I send out a message, they'll all come." He wants his friends around them for this occasion. When the ceremony happens, he wants all of them there. It wouldn't feel right to do this without them.

"And besides, I'm certain Jester would never forgive us if she wasn't present."

“O-Of course.”

His hand settled in Caleb’s as he allowed himself to be helped up. He wouldn’t dream of not having the Nein there; they were family, people that he trusted, who trusted him in turn. Did they know this was coming? Had Caleb talked to them first? Certainly, Veth had to know, at least?

Plans. Yes. His…fiancé? was making plans and there seemed to be a lot of information coming very quickly. Essek smiled, a hint of a thing that was fond and supportive as Caleb went making verbal lists and comments and checkmarks; it was pleasant to see him this excited.

“I imagine that Jester will want to officiate,” he said. “Or perhaps have Artagan preside.” Which, he wasn’t sure how Caleb would feel about that, if he was being honest.

A silence fell for a moment before he looked to the side. “I…could send a message to my brother.” A secret was fine, but Verin- Verin he trusted. “I would like him to know. And perhaps meet you, finally.”

It was a gamble, but it was one he was willing to take, especially over this. While he was not ultimately concerned of Verin telling the Dynasty and those in power, he did fear him being watched, a well-placed Scry that could leak his location. It could endanger a great deal, and Caleb had to know that, too.

But… Verin was there for him when they were young, the closest thing he had to an ally. New beginnings, new starts maybe included him, too.

Veth knows. Jester was actually the one to ask when and if the two of them would ever get married. He blames her for planting that thought in his head. A small seed that seemed to take root not only in his heart, but his mind as well. He's been preoccupied with making the ring for the past several months, but he's been planning the proposal for twice as long.

If the Mighty Nein are his family, Essek can rest assured that he has all of their combined approval for this union. Some would even venture to ask what took them so long to reach this point?

He pauses for a moment, his train of thought interrupted by the mention of a name he hasn't heard in a long time. Speaking of blessings, it never once crossed his mind that he might one day meet Essek's brother.

The thought alone makes him a bit nervous and that nervous energy portrays itself by the way he picks up a spare piece of chalk and fiddles with it, keeping his eyes downcast.

"Yes, you should invite him. I would be honored to meet Verin." His tone of voice is still quite soft and earnest, but he's still fiddling with the chalk in his hands.

Would Verin approve of this frumpy warlock his brother has chosen to become his husband? He doesn't know and it worries him.

"After the ceremony, we should plan a small vacation. That's customary, ja? A honeymoon of sorts. Just the two of us? We could travel."

Caleb’s nervousness did not go unnoticed; the way that chalk spun over his fingers caught Essek’s attention almost immediately. The drow had been around him long enough to know the subtle signs of his emotions; he had seen that chalk dance many times before.

Sighing, he reached out and rested his hand over Caleb’s, stopping the fiddling.

“I cannot say he will like you,” he warned softly. “I cannot say he will even be happy to hear from me.”

The rumors. The tales. The abandonment. How could he forgive that?

“But I can tell you that even if he does not like you, I will. It will have no bearing on my answer.”

He let go of his hand as Caleb began to talk about a trip. That-that sounded nice, welcoming, relaxing. Where could they go where they would not be found? Where was somewhere far from here, from hunters and assassins?

“Do you have somewhere in mind?”

Special twist I like- J’onn doesn’t age, but his partner does. It has drama and cuteness attached.

Other special twist I like, inspired by canon and linked to the above. J’onn doesn’t age, his partner does but they reincarnate, he finds them again.

[Marley is a snarky old witch from Seattle, Washington who looks after aging vampires and other magical beings, and has an apprentice to open doors for her due to a curse that makes weird things happen if she opens them herself.]

[ f/f for castmates ]

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grow old with MEme

jyn erso || rogue one || ota

cassian andor || rogue one || ota

rey || star wars || ota

ben solo || star wars || ota

bodhi rook || rogue one || ota

rose tico || star wars || ota

Essek Thelyss | Critical Role

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tifa lockhart | ffvii remake

junpei tenmyouji | zero escape | m/f

mion sonozaki | higurashi no naku koro ni

slaine troyard ( aldnoah.zero )

J’onn J’onzz 👽 DC

kenma kozume | haikyuu | m/m.

Jyn Erso | Rogue One | OTA

Cassia Andor | Rogue One | OTA

Essa Erso-Andor | Rogue One OC | OTA

Marley Jacobs | A Key, an Egg, and an Unfortunate Remark | ota

tohru honda | fruits basket | f/m

Cassian Andor | Rogue One | OTA

Rey | Star Wars | OTA

Ben Solo | Star Wars | OTA

Nico Acosta | OC | M/F

Evie Montgomery | OC | OTA