Deals led Astien to his room, and stood him in front of his bed where his present sat. "Okay open your eyes now!" Delas chirped.
Astien opened his eyes, and they immediately went wide. He covered his mouth. "Ooohh, that's so adorable." He picked up the bat and too the card from his hand, opening it. He smiled broadly. "This is so sweet, I can't believe you did this for me." He held the bat against his belly as Aiden kicked. "Aaw, Aiden likes him too."
"I'm glad you like him," Cormac said.
Astien pulled both the boys in for a hug. "You two are the best quasi-adopted sons a guy could ask for." Delas' face nearly cracked, his smile was so large.[/size]
Cormac smiled. "Glad to be one."
Astienpulled away and sat himself on the bed, carefully unwrapping the ribbon from around his new bat toy. "This is a lovely ribbon, but why so long?"
"I figured we could find another use for it." Delas said.
"I guess we could. Better to have it and not need it, I suppose." Astien groaned and curled in on himself. "My kidney... Ah, dammit Aiden."
"Oh sure, laugh it up. How'd you like it if there was a tiny person kicking around in your belly?"
"Good point," Cormac said.
"Exactly. So stop laughing at my pain." Astien ladies back on his bed and closed his eyes. "I wonder what Marius is doing…"
"Doing some odd jobs, reading, polishing his sword?" Cormac shrugged.
"Oh, I bet he's polishing his sword all right." Delas laughed. "Polishing it to thoughts of Astien."
"That's not what I meant," Cormac grumbled as he buried his face in his hands while it turned red. "Gods Delas..."
"You set me up for it, how was I not supposed to take it?"
"I would have preferred that, yes." Cormac yawned. "I should get to bed. I have an early morning again."
"I should get to sleep too. G'night, Astien." Delas left the room and curled up in his own bed.
"Good night, then." Astien said, and he fell asleep clutching the bat.
Cormac left the room and soon fell asleep in his own quarters.
As Astien slept, he longed for the warmth of Marius' arms. He wondered what he was doing.
Marius stepped out of his bathroom. After a day of doing odd jobs about town he needed to relax. He looked to his bed and sighed when he saw how empty it was. He wasn't ready to go back quite yet, but he did miss Astien's company. Polishing his sword didn't cut it, nor did he feel like doing so.
The next day was more of the same. Delas was off training, along with Cormac, and Astien was working. He decided that he was going to go back and see Marius, but he had yet to decide on what he would say to the man.
Marius kept himself busy late into the evening with running errands and various other odd jobs throughout town.