The sun rose over a peaceful estate, bathing the room in a glowing warmth .
Zaliyah lay sleeping soundly, his silver hair fanned out across the pillows like a silken waterfall. The morning light reflected off his pale skin, making him look less like a man and more like the Celestial being he truly was.
Karas, who had woken hours earlier, sat at the edge of the bed. He watched the steady rise and fall of Zaliyah's chest, his eyes filled with a gorgeous, almost painful adoration.
Even after five years of marriage, Karas found it impossible to get used to Zaliyah's beauty. It was a constant, marvel that left him breathless.
Moving with the quiet grace of a man who cherished his partner's rest, Karas went to the bathroom. He prepared the bathwater, checking the temperature until it was perfectly warm. He stepped outside into the garden. The garden that bloomed with life under his constant care.
He plucked a handful of fragrant petals. He scattered them across the surface of the water, adding scented oils that smelled of jasmine .
Returning to the bedroom, he gently removed Zaliyah's light undergarments. He scooped the heavy-bellied man into his arms, effortlessly carrying him.
As Karas lowered him into the scented water, Zaliyah gasped, his violet eyes snapping open as the warmth touched his skin.
He sucked in a sharp breath, blinking, taking in his surroundings with rapidly assembling indignation. His purple gaze traveled to Karas, standing at the edge of the tub looking entirely too pleased with himself, and then to the floating flowers, and then back to Karas.
Zaliyah immediately rolled his eyes, his eyes filled with sleep and his voice failed to hide his irritation irritation. "You could have just woken me up, Karas."
"I didn't want to disturb your rest, Zi," Karas spoke softly, settling on the low stool beside the tub , reaching for the washing clothe.
Zaliyah let out a huff, though he didn't pull away as Karas's hands gently moved towards the swell of Zaliyahs Belly. He began to carefully wash the curve of Zaliyah's stomach, as his thumb traced the skin he felt the baby shift within his hands and smiled.
"Do you think it's a girl or a boy?" Karas asked, his eyes shining.
Zaliyah starred at the ceiling "I don't know, and frankly, I don't care," Zaliyah sighed, leaning his head back against the rim. "I just wish they would come out sooner. This... this is becoming unbearable."
Karas giggled, "The physician said you'll be due in three weeks. Three weeks isn't too far from now, Zi. Just a little longer."
Zaliyah's eyes flashed, and he yanked Karas's hand off his stomach. "Easy for you to say! You don't have to walk while supporting your back. You don't know what it feels like to have to change your silks every hour because of these... these unnecessary leaks. I feel like I've been punched in the guts every time the baby kicks. I feel like I'm dying."
Karas's expression immediately shifted to one of profound guilt. He grabbed Zaliyah's hand again, pressing a kiss to the knuckles. "I'm sorry... my love. I am so sorry for putting you in this uncomfortable situation. I wish I could carry the burden for you."
Zaliyah pulled his hand back, though the his anger had softened into a pout. "It's already done. Just wash my hair and take me out of this water. I feel cold."
Karas obeyed instantly. He poured warm water over Zaliyah's long, silky white hair, massaging the scalp with scented soaps. "It's gotten so long," Karas noted with a smile. "Should we cut it? I think the weight of it stresses you out."
"It doesn't," Zaliyah snapped, though he leaned into the massage.
After the bathhe lifted Zaliyah from the water wrapping him in warmth towels, Karas dried him off and dressed him in light, flowing robes that didn't constrict his belly.
While Zaliyah sat in the nursery, meticulously arranging the blankets in the baby's cradle, Karas took to the kitchen.
When breakfast was ready, Karas returned to the nursery, lifting Zaliyah once more to carry him to the eating mat. He settled Zaliyah down with the utmost care, placing a cushion behind his back.
Zaliyah sat eloquently, his back straight robes settled, but his face hardened the moment his eyes fell on the bowl before him . "What is this?" he asked, his voice dripping with disgust.
"Fish and greens, Zi," Karas replied. "The physician said you should eat more of this for the baby's strength."
"Who cares what the physician says? I'm not eating that!" Zaliyah revolted.
"Zi, please... just give it one bite. For the baby?" Karas pleaded.
"No! I said I'm not eating it!" In a fit of hormonal rage, Zaliyah swiped his hand across the mat. The porcelain bowl flew across the room, shattering on the floor. The hot soup splashed everywhere, staining the floor.
Karas didn't even look at the mess. He rushed toward Zaliyah, his face pale with worry. "Are you okay? Did it splash on you? Does it hurt anywhere?" He gently grabbed Zaliyah's hands, turning them over tracing searching for burns, before bending down to check Zaliyah's legs for any stray drops of hot liquid.
Zaliyah stepped back, looking slightly sheepish but still stubborn. "I'm fine. Stop hovering."
Karas let out a breath of relief, then he crouched, immediately began picking up the broken shards with his bare hands. "I don't want you accidentally stepping on these. You'd hurt yourself." He looked up from the floor, his gaze tender. "Is there something else you want to eat? Anything at all?"
"Toads," Zaliyah replied flatly.
Karas froze, a shard of porcelain in his hand. He was used to Zaliyah's extraordinary pregnancy cravings-the pickled rose petals, the sour fermented goat milk. But this was shocking even for him. "Toads? Toads are dangerous, Zi... they're filthy and poisonous"
Zaliyah rolled his eyes and looked away dramatically. "Fine!. I suppose the baby and I will simply have to die from starvation. It's clearly what you want."
Karas sighed, a defeated man. "Toads it is. I'll find them."
Karas finished cleaning and dressed for his day. He picked up his straw hat, leaning in toward Zaliyah's lips for a goodbye kiss. Zaliyah turned his face away at the last second, a classic display of his current mood.
Karas laughed softly. He gently grabbed Zaliyah's hair with both hands, pulling him forward just enough and press his lips to Zaliyah's forehead instead.
"I'm going to work now. Is there anything else you need before I go?"
"I wish you stayed home more," Zaliyah replied, his voice suddenly small and pitiful.
The 180-degree turn in Zaliyah's mood hit Karas like a tidal wave. He stepped closer pulling Zaliyah into a , passionate kiss. Deep and unhurried , Zaliyah made a small sound of resistance as Karas's hands curled in his his hair. Their tongues danced together, a messy, intimate display of heat that left Zaliyah breathless and clinging to Karas's shoulders. They kissed like it was their first time in eachother's embrace.
Karas pulled back, his forehead resting against Zaliyah's. "I'll take a leave from work. I'll stay here."
Zaliyah rolled his eyes, his attitude returning. "You only work three times a week, Karas. Don't be dramatic."
Karas blinked, perplexed. "But... weren't you just complaining that I wasn't home enough?"
"Yes, but still don't be dramatic," Zaliyah countered.
"You're right" Karas laughed, kissing his forehead one last time. "I'll miss you so much" he walked towards the door. And turned back " I almost forgot to mention, I asked the neighbors to come by. I didn't want you being alone all day ."
Zaliyah's face went from pale to a bright, angry red. "You did what? How many times do I have to tell you I don't need those sissies 'taking care' of me? I am not a child!"
"You're pregnant, Zi... even walking is difficult. I just thought—"
"I need maids, not sissies!"
"But you were against the idea of maids You said they were intrusive!" Karas spoke gently.
"No, I was not. You just assumed!" Zaliyah yelled.
Karas vividly remembered the hour-long lecture Zaliyah had given him on why maids were "vultures," but he knew better than to argue. "Yes, you're right. I'm sorry, Zi."
"No! Don't talk to me. Just leave!"
"But Zi-"
"I said leave!"
Karas sighed, defeated for the tenth time that morning, and exited the house. As he left, three figures entered the residence, their presence announced by the flutter of silk and the snapping of flowery hand fans.
Alessia, Cressida, and Nyx.
They were dressed in beautiful, embroidered robes, their hair styled in intricate buns adorned with fresh petals. Nyx, the shortest, had sharp, beautiful features and dark skin that glistened like polished mahogany under the sun.
Cressida followed in pink, her olive skin glowing,she was ethereal, the kind of face that looked like it was kissed by the heavens and Alessia, the tallest and palest, looked like she had been handcrafted by the gods themselves.
Zaliyah rolled his eyes as they surrounded him.
"We just heard you yelling at your husband for the one-millionth time," Nyx joked, fanning herself.
Cressida giggled, . "It was funny seeing his defeated face as he walked down the path. Poor man."
Alessia shook her head. "Honestly, it's a mystery how he hasn't left you. Everyone is wondering."
Nyx walked toward Zaliyah, running her hands through his silver hair. "Look at this face, sisters... He could shit on me and I had thank him for it . He's too pretty to lose."
They all burst into laughter except Zaliyah, who looked visibly agitated. He swatted Nyx's hand away. His eyes drifted to Nyx's hair "Where did you get that flower in your hair?"
Nyx blinked "what?"
"That flower in your hair is it from my garden? It better not be from there."
Alessia rolled her eyes. "We clearly purchased these. Your husband doesn't allow a living soul within arms reach of that garden."
Cressida added, "He takes care of it as if the garden blooms life itself. Why would we ruin our already ruined reputation for some cheap flowers? "
"Heavens Zaliyah " Nyx said "you are exhausting"
"Great. So you can all leave," Zaliyah said, sitting down heavily.
"Your poor husband groveled at the feet of us 'sissies' begging us to spend time with you," Cressida said. "He feared you might accidentally hurt yourself while breathing."
Sounds of laughter erupted in the room except Zaliyah who's face remained visibly annoyed.
After another round of laughter and heavy persuasion, the sisters convinced Zaliyah to accompany them to their shop.
"We imported new makeup products," Alessia explained. "The women refuse to buy them. They say 'What do men know about makeup?' So we need your face to advertise."
"And why would I do that?" Zaliyah asked.
"Because you love us 'sissies' and want us to flourish," Cressida chirped.
Zaliyah's face hardened in disgust. "Eww. I only love my husband."
"Awww!" the sisters spoke in unison.
Eventually, Zaliyah gave in. They moved to the ladies' shop, a place that smelled of high-end perfumes and jasmine. fine silks folded and arranged in a corner, jade bracelets laid down on display ,gold pieces catching the light from the window.
expensive lip oils in small glass bottles lined up like jewels.
Zaliyah looked around, it was not his first time coming to the shop but he was impressed whenever he comes by.
Zaliyah sat on a stool, and Alessia began. Her hands moved over Zaliyah's face like she was performing a ritual, building layers that transformed Zaliyah rather than covered pores.
When she was done, Nyx gasped. "Our sister's hand is blessed by the heavens!" She crossed to Alessia and kissed her forehead.
Cressida handed a mirror to Zaliyah. "You should kiss her hand too , you walked in here looking miserable and now you look like something noble scholars would write poetry about"
Zaliyah prepared his usual eye-roll, but as he saw his reflection, he stopped. He looked unrecognizable. His cheeks were coded in the softest rose that looks like it was barely there , his eyes deepened and defined by subtle shadows, and his lips were stained, a deep crimson that looked like crushed berries.
"Not bad," he muttered.
Alessia grinned. "Don't you mean, 'Oh heavens, Alessia, you're the best! If my husband saw me, he would breed me like a rabbit?"
The shop exploded in laughter again while Zaliyah looked away, annoyed but secretly impressed.
What followed was, by far any commercial measure, Zaliyah sat on the stool with slanted light, like an exhibit.
For the rest of the day, Zaliyah was put on display.
Women stopped. Starred, stepped closer, Customers flocked to the shop, touching Zaliyah's face to see if he was a real person not a porcelain doll
"Who knew men could do makeup?" A woman muttered.
"I want that same lip oil!" one woman shouted pointing directly at Zaliyah's face."exactly that" .
The sisters made a year's worth of profit in a single afternoon.
By the time the sun went down , the shop was bare everything was sold out , the sisters danced happily.
By nightfall, Zaliyah was exhausted. The sisters refused to let him wash his face, wanting him to walk home so more people would see their hand work.
Zaliyah was too tired to argue, his head felt very heavy with the bun , he had developed a new genuine respect for the fact that the sisters wore this every single day .
Zaliyah walked slowly, holding his waist, his heavy belly making every step a chore.
The street's were quieter at this hour.
The few people that passed by looked at him with pity.
women murmured to each other as he walked passed.
"A pregnant lady so late at night?"
"Her husband must be a bum."
"Did he abandon her? Men are such trash."
Zaliyah ignored them all, finally reaching his familiar residence. He tried to bend down to undo the latch, but his belly made it impossible.
Suddenly, he heard footsteps.
"Zi..."
He turned slowly and Karas who had been reaching for his shoulder stopped, then immediately started apologizing. "Sorry! I thought you were my hus-"
Zaliyah rolled his eyes.
Karas stopped. His eyes widened. Under the silver glow of the moonlight, catching the stain berries on Zaliyah's lips , the shadowed eyes, the face Alessia had enhanced, his eyes fell on the white decorated bun and the rounded belly.
The makeup made Zaliyah look like a divine vision. Karas stood there, completely lovesick, his heart visible in his eyes.
He had been inlove with this person since before he had a words for it , he was more inlove with him now than he had ever been in his life, something he thought impossible yesterday.
Without a word, he scooped Zaliyah up and carried him inside.
The bedroom was quiet and warm.
Karas laid Zaliyah against the pillows with careful hands and looked at him in the low light ,the makeup still soft on his face, his hair coming loose from its arrangement, his eyes watching Karas with that particular expression he only wore in private, stripped of its usual sass.
Karas reached up and gently caught Zaliyah's wrists, guiding his hands above his head, holding them there lightly. Not constraining -simply stilling. Zaliyah let him.
He kissed him slowly.
He worked his way from Zaliyah's lips to his jaw, his throat, the soft skin beneath his ear, leaving hickeys on each place before moving to the next. His hands found the ties of Zaliyah's robes and loosened them with the unhurried confidence of someone who had learned this particular geography thoroughly and returned to it often.
The fabric slipped away in pieces, falling to the floor messily, and Karas's lips followed the newly revealed skin , the curve of a shoulder, the wrist, the soft warmth of his collarbone , until Zaliyah was bare beneath him and breathing with considerably less composure than he'd started with.
He kissed down the swell of Zaliyah's belly with particular tenderness, his lips warm against the stretched skin, and Zaliyah made a sound above him that was softer than his usual tone.
Then Karas's hand found him, and the soft sound sharpened.
He worked slowly- his hand moving with the knowledge of five years, finding the rhythm that made Zaliyah's back arch and his fingers twist in the sheets.
Karas's other hand reached lower with lube, slicked and patient, two fingers pressing at the familiar entrance and sliding in with careful ease. He felt Zaliyah tighten around them and watched his face , watched the precise moment his composure fractured, the way his brow furrowed and his lips parted and the sound that escaped him became something unguarded and genuine.
He found the spot within, and Zaliyah's entire body answered.
"There," Karas murmured, with the quiet satisfaction of someone who had never grew tired of this particular discovery. He pressed again, his hand still moving, and Zaliyah made a sound that filled the warm bedroom completely.
"K-karas" Zaliyah was out of breathe.
"My love. I know."
When the orgasm broke over him it broke thoroughly , Zaliyah's spine lifting from the bed, his hands gripping the sheets, a long broken sound escaping him before he could think to contain it. He released the warm liquid that left him shaking, his chest heaving, one arm coming up to cover his face.
Karas smiled. "Don't hide your face from me My love."
"This is embarrassing," Zaliyah said, muffled by his own arm.
"Nothing about you is embarrassing." He reached up and gently drew the arm away, and Zaliyah let him, his purple eyes slightly glazed and beautiful. Karas pressed his lips on Zaliyah's forehead. "Nothing. Ever."
He arranged the pillows carefully beneath Zaliyah's head and hips, making accommodations with attention, and then pressed himself to the entrance and slid in slowly, watching Zaliyah's face the entire time, feeling him stretch and accommodate with the familiarity of years.
Zaliyah's fingers found his back and held.
Karas began to move.
The pace he set was deep and unhurried long movements that let Zaliyah feel each one fully, his hands gentle at his sides, his eyes never leaving Zaliyah's face.
The sounds that filled the room were shallow and intimate , the soft rhythm of their wet bodies colliding with eachother, Zaliyah's low moans that he still, after five years, seemed mildly mortified by and entirely unable to suppress.
His fingers dug into Karas's back with increasing conviction.
"You feel," Karas said running his hands through his hair , his voice roughened, "so warm and wet." He pressed deeper and felt Zaliyah clench around him. "Like you were made for this. For me."
"D-Don't say things like that," Zaliyah managed, which would have been more convincing if he hadn't pulled Karas closer as he said it.
Karas kissed him instead of answering.
The pace fastened inevitably, as it always did, the gentleness vanished , His movements deepened. Zaliyah's sounds climbed. The wet rhythm of them grew louder in the quiet room, punctuated by Zaliyah's increasingly helpless vocalizations and the low growls that Karas pressed into his hair.
"Slower-Karas Slower" Zaliyah choked out.
Karas went deeper.
"I'm sorry," he said, and genuinely meant it, even as his hips maintained their entirely unapologetic course. "You feel -Uhh I can't" He broke off and tried again. "You made me this way."
Zaliyah came the second time with Karas's name on his lips, his whole body shaking with it, his nails leaving their evidence in Karas's back. Karas held him through it without stopping, his lips at Zaliyah's throat, his hands steady at his hips.
When the trembling subsided, Zaliyah lay beneath him wrecked and his breath coming in hitches.
The tension that crossed Zaliyah's face was eloquent.
Karas kissed it away and kept moving, the room filled again with their sounds , the slick intimate percussion of bodies that knew each other thoroughly, Zaliyah's voice rising and falling without restraint now, all pretense abandoned, Karas's low groans pressed against the pale skin. The lamps burned lower.
When Karas finally reached his own limit he pulled out with clenched jaw , his blue eyes fixed on Zaliyah's face with deep intensity he released across the soft skin of Zaliyah's cheek and jaw, the white liquid slowly dripping down Zaliyah's face.
He stared at the result for a long, thoroughly satisfied moment.
"I love you Zi,I love you so much" he said softly.
Zaliyah lay in the candlelight, chest heaving, makeup artfully disrupted, looking thoroughly and completely ruined and somehow more beautiful for it. He closed his eyes. "You're insufferable, what's so difficult in going slower?"
"Yes." Karas leaned down and kissed his temple. "Come on."
The bathwater was warm and smelled of the oils and petals karas added . He stepped in first and settled against the back of the wooden tub, then helped Zaliyah in , positioning him with ease until Zaliyah's back was against his chest and Karas's arms were around Zaliyah's waist, the swell of his belly cradled between Karas's hands.
Zaliyah washed his face in silence. The water went pink, then clear.
"How was your day?" Karas asked, his lips at the back of Zaliyah's damp hair.
Zaliyah told him. All of it . the shop, the stool, the women touching his face, the sold-out shelves, the walk home and the things the strangers had said as he passed. His voice carried its usual sassyness throughout, but underneath it, was someone who had found their day more enjoyable than they intended to let on.
"That must have been exhausting," Karas said. "On an empty stomach, no less."
Zaliyah leaned against Karas's chest "Yes But they were happy."
Karas smiled "they're not bad people, I wish you had get to know them more"
Zaliyah rolled his eyes in annoyance"why are we talking about those sissies?"
Karas smiled against his hair "I'm sorry"
The bathhouse went quiet for a moment, and then Karas spoke "I have something to tell you. Promise me you won't be angry."
"Just say it."Zaliyah rolled his eyes
He took a breath. "I couldn't find the toads."
Zaliyah said nothing.
"I searched everywhere. I had my students help me. I went to three markets. The merchants said they don't come out this season they're simply not available, I tried everything-"
"Karas."
"Yes?"
Zaliyah turned around looking at him with disgust. "Ewe Karas why would I want to eat toads.?"
"But you-"
"They're filthy," Zaliyah continued. "They're disgusting. They're poisonous.I can't believe you actually tried to feed me toads"
"You asked me this morning-"
"What happened to fish? Or greens?" He turned back to face front, "I still cannot believe you spent your entire day looking for toads to feed me. What is wrong with you."
Kara's let out a long weary sigh "I'm sorry,"
"You should be."
He wrapped his arms more firmly around Zaliyah and said nothing else, and the water lapped gently against the sides of the tub, the lamps on the windowsill burned in the still air.
Zaliyah's breathing slowed. Then slowed further. His head grew heavier against Karas's chest, he was resting there, eyes closed, his body giving up the last resistance of the day.
Karas looked down at him ,asleep in the bath, Zaliyah's round belly beneath his hands, white hair floating at the surface of the water and face entirely beautiful in the candlelight.
He ran his thumb gently across the curve of Zaliyah's belly. His hands feeling the small shift of the life inside.
'A handful' , he thought. From the very first day, an absolute stubborn and demanding handful.
He pressed his lips to the top of Zaliyah's sleeping head.
"I would have it no other way ."