{"sf1_id":null,"sf2_id":"nKr29NPm","title":"Ash and Song Chapter Nine","author":"Mithrilix","words":2753,"posted_at":"2026-06-09T03:45:00.000Z","tags":["Anthro","Cuddling","Dragon","Dragonborn","Fantasy","Gay","Human","Kissing","Love","Romance","Sweet"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/nKr29NPm-ash-and-song-chapter-nine","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/nKr29NPm","image_url":"https://www.sofurryfiles.com/std/thumb?page=\u0026ext=.jpg","description":"In the quiet village of Grovehollow, a dragonborn warrior named Toryn is trying to learn what it means to stay.  \n  \n Scarred from a life of battle and burdened by the belief that he is meant only for steel and solitude, Toryn never expects kindness—least of all from a soft-spoken human healer with golden hair and hands gentle enough to steady the fiercest flame. Cassius Ordo is shy, earnest, and quietly brave, tending wounds both seen and unseen. When he fusses over Toryn’s injuries with tender insistence, something long locked in the dragonborn’s chest begins to loosen.  \n  \n --","content":"“T- Toryn,\" Cassius\u0026nbsp;stammered Still shy and very clearly\u0026nbsp;overwhlmed. \"I don’t- I\u0026nbsp;mean, I- I've never-\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Shh.\" Toryn's thumb brushed the curve of Cass's cheekbone. \"I know.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe had suspected, of course. Cass's reactions to touch—the startled gasps, the trembling, the way he seemed to freeze whenever Toryn came close. The healer was inexperienced. Innocent. And the thought sent heat pooling low in Toryn's belly.\u0026nbsp;\n\n_He's\u0026nbsp;never been touched. Not like this. Not by someone who wants him._\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe Dragonborn leaned in again, slower this time. Deliberate. His scaled lips brushed the corner of Cassius's mouth, then the swell of his lower lip, then the sensitive skin just below. Cass's breath hitched.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Relax,\" Toryn murmured against his skin. \"Let me.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\nCassius nodded, his eyes falling closed. His body went pliant in Toryn's arms, surrendering completely.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe trust in that gesture hit Toryn like a physical blow. This man—this soft, gentle, beautiful man—was giving himself over completely. Despite\u0026nbsp;everything\u0026nbsp;Toryn was. Despite the scales and claws and endless capacity for violence.\u0026nbsp;\n\n_He trusts me._\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn kissed him again, deeper this time. His tongue traced the seam of Cassius's lips, and the healer\u0026nbsp;opened for\u0026nbsp;him with a soft moan. The sound shot straight through Toryn's core, igniting every nerve ending.\u0026nbsp;\n\n_Gods. He tastes like honey. Like summer._\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe healer was melting beneath his hands\u0026nbsp;now,\u0026nbsp;tension had\u0026nbsp;given\u0026nbsp;way to trust and shy want and something wonderfully affectionate. Cass’s fingers still rested against Toryn’s chest, though now they curled faintly against the scales there whenever Toryn deepened the kiss even slightly.\u0026nbsp;\n\nGods.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn did not think he would ever recover from the way Cass responded to him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCarefully, giving him every chance to pull away, Toryn tilted his head and let his mouth drift from Cass’s lips.\u0026nbsp;\n\nDown the curve of his jaw.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass inhaled sharply.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“T-Toryn…”\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe Dragonborn paused\u0026nbsp;immediately. “Too much?”\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass shook his head so\u0026nbsp;quickly\u0026nbsp;droplets scattered from his damp hair.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“No,” he admitted in a tiny voice.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThat soft honesty\u0026nbsp;nearly unraveled\u0026nbsp;Toryn completely.\u0026nbsp;\n\nVery\u0026nbsp;gently\u0026nbsp;now, he brushed another kiss beneath Cass’s ear.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThen lower.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAlong the slender line of his throat.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass made the smallest sound.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA breathy, startled little noise that\u0026nbsp;seemed to embarrass\u0026nbsp;him the instant it escaped.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn froze.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThen\u0026nbsp;felt heat flood violently beneath his scales.\u0026nbsp;\n\nGods above.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass hid his face instantly against Toryn’s shoulder with a mortified sound.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I am so sorry.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn stared ahead into the trees, fighting for control of himself with the desperation of a man dangling from a cliff edge.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“…Don’t apologize for that,” he said hoarsely.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass made another muffled noise against him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhich was somehow worse.\u0026nbsp;\n\nOr better.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn genuinely could not tell anymore.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCarefully, reverently, he kissed Cass’s neck again.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe healer shivered in his arms.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnother tiny sound slipped out before Cass caught it.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn’s tail tightened unconsciously around him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass\u0026nbsp;immediately\u0026nbsp;buried his burning face fully against Toryn’s chest now.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You cannot possibly know what you are doing to me,” Toryn muttered darkly toward the sky.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass laughed helplessly despite his embarrassment.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe sound was warm and\u0026nbsp;breathless\u0026nbsp;and fond.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd then Toryn noticed the slight tremor running through him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe pulled back enough to look properly at Cass again.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe healer’s skin prickled faintly from the cool night air now that they had been standing wet in the\u0026nbsp;river\u0026nbsp;so long.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You’re cold.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I’m alright.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You’re shivering.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass opened his mouth to argue.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnother shiver betrayed him\u0026nbsp;immediately.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn snorted softly.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Out,” he ordered gently.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass looked unfairly pleased by being fussed over.\u0026nbsp;\n\nTogether they waded carefully back toward shore, water sliding slowly from skin and scales alike.\u0026nbsp;Toryn stepped out first, then turned automatically and offered Cass his hand over the slick river stones.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass took it without hesitation.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe simple trust of it still struck Toryn every time.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThey dressed in quiet, flustered silence beneath the moonlight.\u0026nbsp;\n\nOr rather—Cass\u0026nbsp;attempted\u0026nbsp;to dress.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn was failing\u0026nbsp;rather spectacularly\u0026nbsp;at not staring.\u0026nbsp;\n\nGods.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThat was unfair.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe had imagined Cassius before—in shameful, desperate moments alone in his room at the inn. But those fantasies had been vague shapes, soft impressions of warmth and light. The reality was so much more. The slender curve of the human's waist. The fragile ridges of his shoulder blades. The way his skin, pale as moonlight, seemed to glow with the cold river water.\u0026nbsp;\n\n_Elegant_, Toryn thought.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn looked away.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThen\u0026nbsp;back again\u0026nbsp;immediately.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHopeless.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass caught him staring eventually.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHis entire face turned scarlet.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Toryn.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You’re\u0026nbsp;so\u0026nbsp;beautiful,” Toryn said automatically.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass nearly dropped his shirt.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe Dragonborn realized\u0026nbsp;perhaps half\u0026nbsp;a second too late that he had said that aloud.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAgain.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass looked like he had completely forgotten how to function as a person.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I—” He tried to gather the laces of his shirt collar and missed entirely. “You cannot simply keep saying things like that!”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I can if they’re true.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass made a strangled noise.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHis fingers fumbled the laces again, tying them crookedly before accidentally pulling one entirely loose.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn watched the increasingly disastrous attempt for another few seconds before stepping closer.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Here.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass looked up\u0026nbsp;immediately, visibly flustered. “I can do it.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You are currently losing a fight against your own shirt.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass looked deeply offended by how\u0026nbsp;accurate\u0026nbsp;that was.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn gently took the laces from his hands.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass went very still.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe Dragonborn worked carefully, rough fingers surprisingly deft as he threaded and tied the collar properly. The proximity made concentration difficult.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass smelled like river water and lavender and\u0026nbsp;moonbells.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn could feel the healer watching him quietly the entire time.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“There,” Toryn murmured once the knot sat properly. “Done.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nBut neither of them stepped away.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass’s hands hovered uncertainly near Toryn’s chest before finally settling lightly against him again.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“So,” Cass said softly after a moment, clearly\u0026nbsp;attempting\u0026nbsp;composure and failing. “You bought me flowers.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn huffed a quiet laugh.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You are never going to let me survive that peacefully, are you?”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Absolutely not.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn found he did not particularly mind being ruined.\u0026nbsp;\n\n_-_\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe walk back to the cottage was painfully awkward.\u0026nbsp;\n\nNot bad.\u0026nbsp;\n\nNot uncomfortable.\u0026nbsp;\n\nJust full of too many feelings and not\u0026nbsp;nearly enough\u0026nbsp;composure between them.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass carried the\u0026nbsp;moonbells\u0026nbsp;carefully against his chest while Toryn walked beside him through the moonlit forest path, still damp from the river despite their clothes.\u0026nbsp;\n\nNeither seemed entirely certain where to look.\u0026nbsp;\n\nEvery now and then their hands brushed accidentally while walking too close together.\u0026nbsp;\n\nEach time, Cass flushed bright pink.\u0026nbsp;\n\nEach time, Toryn\u0026nbsp;immediately\u0026nbsp;forgot how to function.\u0026nbsp;\n\nGods.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe\u0026nbsp;had kissed\u0026nbsp;Cass.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass\u0026nbsp;had kissed\u0026nbsp;him back.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe realization kept striking him anew every few moments like repeated blows to the chest.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBeside him, Cass kept touching his own lips absentmindedly as though he still\u0026nbsp;couldn’t\u0026nbsp;quite believe it either.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn noticed every single time.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhich helped absolutely nothing.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You’re\u0026nbsp;staring\u0026nbsp;again,” Cass murmured eventually, though he sounded\u0026nbsp;more shy\u0026nbsp;than bothered.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn looked\u0026nbsp;forward\u0026nbsp;immediately. “Apologies.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass smiled softly\u0026nbsp;into\u0026nbsp;the flowers.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You do not sound sorry.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“…No.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nThat earned him a quiet laugh.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe sound warmed the\u0026nbsp;cold night\u0026nbsp;air between them.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWithout thinking, Cass reached for Toryn's hand.\n\nThe Dragonborn looked down in surprise.\n\nCass immediately looked nervous.\n\n\"Is that alright?\"\n\nToryn stared at their joined hands for a moment.\n\nThen gently closed his fingers around Cass's.\n\n\"Yes,\" he said quietly.\n\nThe healer's smile returned.\n\nAnd together they walked home through the moonlit forest, neither of them letting go.\n\nWhen the cottage finally came into view through the trees, Toryn felt an unexpected rush of relief. The night had grown colder while they walked, and Cass still shivered faintly every now and then despite insisting he was fine.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe healer pushed open the cottage door first.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe inside had cooled\u0026nbsp;considerably in\u0026nbsp;their absence.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I’ll relight the hearth,” Toryn said automatically before Cass could move toward it himself.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass paused, watching him with that soft expression again.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Alright.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn knelt before the stone hearth and rebuilt the fire with practiced efficiency. Soon warm orange light flickered back to life across the cottage walls, filling the small space with crackling warmth and the scent of burning cedar.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBehind him, Cass carefully placed the\u0026nbsp;moonbells\u0026nbsp;in a clay pitcher of water near the window.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn found himself smiling faintly at the sight.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe flowers looked right there.\u0026nbsp;\n\nLike they belonged.\u0026nbsp;\n\nLike perhaps\u0026nbsp;he did too.\u0026nbsp;\n\nOnce the fire burned steadily, Toryn turned.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass stood nearby wringing water carefully from the ends of his long blonde hair. Damp strands clung stubbornly to his cheeks and neck.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You’ll catch\u0026nbsp;cold\u0026nbsp;if you stay wet,” Toryn said.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I’m trying.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You’re failing.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass huffed softly. “You are very bossy tonight.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You are very determined to freeze.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nBefore Cass could argue further, Toryn crossed the room and gently took the towel from his hands.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe healer blinked up at him.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Toryn?”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Sit.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass eyed him suspiciously.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You truly enjoy ordering me around.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You keep listening.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nA tiny smile tugged at Cass’s mouth before he finally settled cross-legged on the rug in front of the hearth.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn sat behind him carefully.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe sight alone nearly undid him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass relaxed slowly back against his chest while firelight painted warm gold across pale skin and damp hair.\u0026nbsp;\n\nFor a long moment, Toryn simply\u0026nbsp;stared.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe healer tilted his head slightly. “You stopped moving.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“…Thinking.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“That sounds dangerous.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You have no idea.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass laughed softly beneath his breath.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn began carefully brushing through the long golden strands with slow, patient movements.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe had never done this for another person before.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe intimacy of it struck him almost\u0026nbsp;immediately.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass trusted him enough for this.\u0026nbsp;\n\nEnough to sit vulnerable between his legs with his throat and chest exposed while Toryn handled him gently.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe realization made something warm ache fiercely beneath his ribs.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass slowly melted beneath the brushing, shoulders loosening one careful inch at a time.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“That feels nice,” he admitted quietly.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn made\u0026nbsp;a low sound\u0026nbsp;of satisfaction deep in his chest.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe fire crackled softly nearby.\u0026nbsp;\n\nOutside, crickets sang in the darkness.\u0026nbsp;\n\nInside, everything felt warm.\u0026nbsp;\n\nSafe.\u0026nbsp;\n\nDangerously domestic.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn finished working through one stubborn tangle before instinct took over completely.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe leaned forward slowly and pressed his face into Cass’s damp hair.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass stilled\u0026nbsp;immediately.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn inhaled softly against him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nLavender.\u0026nbsp;\n\nSmoke.\u0026nbsp;\n\nRiver water.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCassius.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA deep rumbling sound vibrated unconsciously in Toryn’s chest as he nuzzled carefully against the side of Cass’s head.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe healer shivered faintly.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Toryn?”\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe Dragonborn realized belatedly what he was doing.\u0026nbsp;\n\nDragonborn affection\u0026nbsp;had\u0026nbsp;always been more physical than human customs—nuzzling, scenting, gentle bites among trusted companions and mates alike.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe pulled back slightly. “Sorry.\u0026nbsp;It’s\u0026nbsp;a… habit.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass turned just enough to look back at him curiously.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You were scenting me.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn blinked. “You know about that?”\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass smiled faintly. “I read.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nOf course he did.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHeat crawled beneath Toryn’s scales.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“It’s considered affectionate,” he admitted roughly.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass’s expression softened instantly.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Oh.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe healer hesitated only a moment before leaning back into him deliberately.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe invitation nearly stopped Toryn’s heart.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCarefully now, Toryn brushed another slow nuzzle against Cass’s temple.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThen along his cheek.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass made the tiniest\u0026nbsp;pleased\u0026nbsp;sound.\u0026nbsp;\n\nGods.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn could not survive this man.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe\u0026nbsp;Dragonborn’s\u0026nbsp;lips brushed lightly against Cass’s jaw before instinctively, gently, he closed his teeth in the faintest playful nip against his cheek.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass startled with a surprised laugh.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Toryn!”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Gentle,” Toryn rumbled\u0026nbsp;immediately. “I know my own strength.”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You bit me!”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Affectionately.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass laughed harder now,\u0026nbsp;warm\u0026nbsp;and helpless and completely unafraid.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe sound filled the cottage beautifully.\u0026nbsp;\n\nEmboldened, Toryn brushed another tiny bite beneath Cass’s jaw, followed\u0026nbsp;immediately\u0026nbsp;by a soothing nuzzle against the spot.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass shivered.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“That,” the healer whispered breathlessly, “is unfairly distracting.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn smiled against his neck, sharp teeth grazing skin just enough to make Cass squirm softly in his arms.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You make very cute noises,” he murmured.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass\u0026nbsp;immediately\u0026nbsp;buried his burning face in his hands.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Toryn.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe Dragonborn laughed\u0026nbsp;quietly—low\u0026nbsp;and warm and impossibly fond while he held the smaller man safely against his chest before the fire.\u0026nbsp;\n\nSomehow, at some point after the hair brushing and laughter and affectionate nipping, Cass had ended up tucked fully against Toryn’s chest beneath one of the thick wool blankets from the couch.\n\nNot that Toryn was complaining.\n\nGods, he could not remember the last time he had been this comfortable.\n\nCass sat sideways between his legs with his back resting against Toryn’s broad chest while the Dragonborn curled protectively around him almost without thinking. Toryn’s tail had wrapped loosely across Cass’s lap at some point as well, warm and heavy and entirely unwilling to let the healer drift far away.\n\nThe moonbells rested nearby on the windowsill.\n\nTheir sweet scent mingled with smoke and lavender.\n\nToryn felt half convinced he had fallen asleep beside the river and dreamed all of this.\n\nCass shifted slightly against him, drawing Toryn’s attention immediately downward.\n\n“You’re staring again,” Cass murmured without opening his eyes.\n\n“You’re very distracting.”\n\nA faint smile touched Cass’s mouth.\n\n“I am sitting perfectly still.”\n\n“That has not helped at all.”\n\nCass laughed softly beneath his breath.\n\nThe sound vibrated warmly through Toryn’s chest.\n\nUnable to help himself, the Dragonborn lowered his head and pressed another lingering nuzzle into Cass’s hair.\n\nThen his cheek.\n\nThen the side of his neck.\n\nCass melted further against him immediately.\n\nToryn was beginning to learn.\n\nEvery tiny reaction.\n\nEvery little sound.\n\nThe places that made Cass shiver versus the ones that made him laugh.\n\nThe way the healer’s breathing changed when Toryn’s teeth grazed lightly beneath his jaw.\n\nThe adorable squeak he made whenever Toryn unexpectedly nuzzled against the sensitive spot behind his ear.\n\nToryn was becoming dangerously obsessed with discovering all of them.\n\n“There it is again,” Toryn murmured after coaxing another breathy little sound from Cass’s throat with a gentle nip.\n\nCass covered his face instantly with both hands. “You are impossible.”\n\n“You made that noise.”\n\n“You are biting me.”\n\n“Affectionately.”\n\n“That does not make it less distracting.”\n\nToryn rumbled with quiet amusement against his shoulder and rewarded him with another soft bite anyway.\n\nCass shivered dramatically in retaliation.\n\nGods.\n\nThe Dragonborn buried his face briefly against Cass’s neck because the sheer fondness threatening to spill out of him felt unbearable.\n\n“You smell nice,” he muttered before thinking.\n\nCass laughed softly. “You’ve said that three times now.”\n\n“And I’ve been correct every time.”\n\n“You are very strange for a man who spent weeks glaring at everyone in the village.”\n\n“I still glare at everyone.”\n\n“Mm.” Cass tilted his head back slightly against Toryn’s shoulder, blue eyes warm with amusement. “Not me.”\n\nNo.\n\nNever him.\n\nThe thought came so swiftly and honestly it startled Toryn a little.\n\nCass shifted again to better face the fire, one hand absently resting atop the Dragonborn’s tail where it lay across his lap.\n\nToryn nearly stopped breathing.\n\nCass noticed instantly. “Oh. Am I not supposed to touch—”\n\n“No,” Toryn said immediately, perhaps too quickly. “You can.”\n\nCass blinked.\n\nThen slowly stroked his hand once along the length of the dark scaled tail experimentally.\n\nToryn made a deep rumbling sound before he could stop himself.\n\nCass froze.\n\n“…Was that you?”\n\nToryn closed his eyes briefly in suffering.\n\n“Yes.”\n\nCass looked delighted.\n\n“Oh, that is adorable.”\n\n“I am going to throw you into the river.”\n\n“You are currently using me as a pillow. I think your threats have lost credibility.”\n\nToryn huffed a reluctant laugh and tightened his arms slightly around the healer instead.\n\nCass relaxed immediately into the embrace.\n\nQuiet settled again after that.\n\nEasy now.\n\nComfortable.\n\nThe kind that crept up slowly and made leaving feel impossible to imagine.\n\nToryn rested his chin carefully atop Cass’s head while the firelight danced warmly across the cottage walls.\n\nThis.\n\nThis was what ruined a man.\n\nNot battles.\n\nNot bloodshed.\n\nThis softness.\n\nThis unbearable gentleness.\n\nCass suddenly spoke very quietly.\n\n“You could stay tonight.”\n\nToryn went still.\n\nCass immediately looked nervous after saying it aloud. “Only if you want to,” he added quickly. “You do not have to. I only thought it was late and you’re warm and—” He stopped himself, flushing pink. “I mean—not that the inn is bad, just—”\n\n“I want to.”\n\nThe answer came rough and immediate.\n\nCass blinked up at him.\n\nToryn swallowed once before speaking more carefully.\n\n“If you’re certain.”\n\nCass hesitated only long enough for Toryn’s heart to start sinking.\n\nThen he nodded softly.\n\n“I’m certain.”\n\nSomething painfully tender unfolded inside Toryn’s chest.\n\nCass looked shy now, almost vulnerable after asking.\n\nAs though he feared Toryn might still refuse despite everything.\n\nThe idea alone hurt.\n\nVery gently, Toryn lifted one hand and brushed his knuckles along Cass’s cheek.\n\n“I would like that very much,” he said quietly.\n\nCass smiled then.\n\nSmall.\n\nSleepy.\n\nBeautiful enough to ruin him forever.\n\nAnd when the healer tucked himself closer beneath Toryn’s chin afterward with complete trust, the Dragonborn realized with sudden terrifying clarity that he no longer merely wanted to belong here.\n\nHe already did.","series":{"name":"Ash and Song","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/nAMOyJvn-ash-and-song-chapter-eight.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/m0Kj2QZe-ash-and-song-chapter-ten.json"}}