Calixtus wasn’t ashamed to admit he was growing fond of Aster.
It was an amusing thought to have when one considered that they were already married. Then again, the circumstances of said marriage were questionable at best. Still, in spite of Aster’s many quirks and the way in which he’d pushed himself into Calixtus’ previously uneventful life, he found it difficult to dislike Aster.
He was definitely odd, a bit too straightforward at times, and enjoyed teasing Calixtus a little too much. Calixtus still enjoyed his company. Even sharing a bed with him was something he’d quickly grown used to. It reminded Calixtus of his days as an apprentice, when he’d head out with a group of peers to train in the ways of the knights. They’d often sleep side by side to keep the chill of the night at bay, too exhausted and used to each other’s company to care.
Yes, it was much the same as then, but Calixtus wasn’t going to fool himself into thinking it was exactly the same. After all, he’d only just met Aster less than a month prior and there was no confusing the mage for a knight in training. Aster was also a lot more calm of a sleeper.
Calixtus hadn’t noticed at the start, but after sleeping at Aster’s side for nearly a week, he was aware of just how little he moved during the night. If it weren’t because Aster was always the first to rise, Calixtus might have doubted whether he was merely sleeping. And that was another thing he’d noticed about his so-called husband. Aster would, more often than not, wake up with the sun. By the time Calixtus was up and ready for the day, Aster had been up for a good long while.
That morning was no different.
Calixtus awoke, as was usual, to an empty bed. The space next to him was already cool to the touch and Aster was nowhere to be seen. Briefly, he wondered if this might be the reason for Aster’s perpetually tired appearance. If the man slept so little, it was no wonder he looked so frail and exhausted.
As he dressed for the day, Calixtus had the thought that perhaps he should talk to Aster about his poor sleeping habits. He had the hope that maybe he could convince Aster to be more mindful of his body’s apparent need for rest. With that in mind, Calixtus headed downstairs in search of breakfast.
“Awake at last, I see.”
Calixtus paused at the bottom of the stairs and saw his mother making her way over to him. She looked a lot more relaxed as of late, ever since her talk with Aster. He was sure she thought he didn’t know about their morning walk, but Aster hadn’t seen the point in keeping quiet about it.
“Good morning, mother,” Calixtus greeted. “We can’t all rise with the sun.”
“Your husband seems to have no problem with that,” his mother pointed out as she reached his side.
“I thought we’d established already that Aster’s a bit eccentric.” He certainly had.
“Eccentric, yes, but quite agreeable.”
“Oh? You like him then?” Calixtus couldn’t help but ask as they walked towards the dining room. He looked down at his mother with a poorly contained grin, amused at her change of mind.
“I never disliked him,” she argued. “And don’t look so smug.”
“No, you just thought he was suspicious.” She shot him a look that had him clamming up, even as he fought to keep from laughing.
“Well, either way, I’m glad you’ve found someone to keep you company. I’ll certainly feel more at ease now that I know there’s someone at your side,” she said with a smile that was soft and relieved all the same. It almost made Calixtus feel guilty when he thought of how it was all a lie.
“I’m glad you two have been getting along,” he said, and meant it more than he’d expected.
They walked into the dining room and found it surprisingly empty. Calixtus had a moment of fleeting disappointment that threw him for a loop when he realized it was brought on by Aster’s absence. He was quickly distracted by Rose walking in with a basket of fresh bread.
“Rose, do you know where Aster is?” Calixtus asked the young woman.
“He was in the library, last I saw. Should I call him down for you, Sir?”
“The library, at this hour?” Calixtus muttered to himself, surprised. “Has he been there for long?”
“A couple of hours. We served him a light meal, my mother’s idea,” Rose elaborated. Calixtus was glad his staff were so thoughtful. At least he knew Aster had eaten something.
“Let him be for now.” Calixtus only hoped Aster would remember to take a break at some point. The thought gave him pause. “Just check on him, if you can. Make sure he gets something to eat.” He figured that would be the safest way to make sure Aster didn’t starve in his library.
Idly, Calixtus had to wonder whether this was what Aster was like back home, when he was working away at spells and magical artifacts up in the tower. Maybe there was a good reason Aster had such a slight build if he made it a habit to keep such terrible habits regurlarly. Calixtus made a note to check on him at some point before joining his mother for breakfast.
As it turned out, Calixtus had no time to check back on Aster. His mother had dragged him into the study and made him pen letters to his relatives announcing his marriage and explaining the lack of a wedding. This was clearly a punishment of sorts. He couldn’t really complain, considering it had been a fairly improper way to go about getting married. It was, unfortunately, a more time consuming task than he’d hoped. Particularly with his mother keeping an eye on him and insisting he use just the right wording.
They took a break for lunch and, once again, Aster was nowhere to be found. Rose confirmed he was still in the library and had accepted some tea and light lunch. Calixtus, while not exactly pleased to hear Aster was still shut away, was glad to hear Rose was keeping an eye on him.
“Really, he’s a grown man, Calixtus. You can leave him to his own devices for a day,” his mother said as she led him back to the study. It was something Calixtus was definitely not looking forward to. “Or do you truly miss your husband’s presence so much? I suppose you two are newlyweds,” she added in a teasing tone.
Calixtus felt his face burn as he looked away from his mother. He couldn’t help but clear his throat nervously, too abashed to think of avoiding the habit. His mother laughed at his reaction and Calixtus found himself feeling relieved when her mind turned back to the letters he had yet to write.
Not even re-writing his letter to his great-aunt for the fourth time bothered him after that.
Supper, much as the other two meals, went by without a single glimpse of Aster. Calixtus couldn’t help but glance at the empty seat Aster usually occupied, wondering just what it was that he was up to in the library.
“Maybe you should check on him, if you’re so concerned,” his mother said, drawing his gaze away from the empty seat and to her.
“I notice you don’t seem to mind his absence,” Calixtus pointed out. His mother merely gave a small shrug.
“It’s not for me to question how your husband spends his time. Besides, he does look like the bookish type, I’m just curious what he’s found so interesting.” Calixtus was also curious about that particular detail. “It’s only too bad he’s made you feel so abandoned.” She sipped her drink to hide the grin on her face. Calixtus still caught it.
With a resigned sigh, he continued with his meal and did his best to ignore his mother’s teasing.
Calixtus didn’t give his mother the chance to drag him away after their meal, instead moving as quickly as he could towards the library. It was a spacious room with a ceiling high enough to house all the books his father had collected throughout his life. He’d been a merchant for most of it, traveling through the land and picking up odd texts wherever he went. Calixtus had enjoyed spending his afternoons there with his father when he was a child. He’d also enjoyed climbing the steps up to the mezzanine and looking down at the room from above. At times, he’d sit there, legs poking out between the bars of the railing and swinging back and forth as he read whatever book had caught his attention.
Now, when he entered the library, the first thing that caught his eye was Aster. He was sitting on the floor—of all places—books scattered around him and a neat stack of dishes at his side. At the moment, he was focused on taking notes on one of the journals Calixtus had often seen him with.
Guess it’s time to drag my husband off to bed, Calixtus thought, and tried not to focus too much on the warmth that brought to his face.
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