Kåre always found it stressful when Freyr left home. The thought of losing him and being alone again tormented him. Every hour being alone in that big house, even when he was doing chores or reading books, was agonizing. The anticipation for his arrival was the only thing that kept him grounded. He always believed that Freyr would return in his own time. The Master would never leave him alone. He had promised that. Shaking his head, the Seraph returned to sweeping the floors of dust. Freyr liked the house floor to be squeaky clean and Kåre put extra effort to ensure his needs were satisfied. After that, he began to do the laundry, cleaning Freyr's expensive attire by hand. As the afternoon approached, Freyr set up dinner. He prepared something a bit lighter this time. A simple stew with vegetables from Freyr's garden. One of his favorites. As he prepared it, Kåre tasted it and found it salty. He dumped the whole thing, and began anew. However, this time it didn't have enough seasoning. This cycle continued until he had nearly run out of ingredients. Once he was done, he was going to have to inform Freyr about the missing plants. He hoped the food would make up for wasting so many ingredients. As he turned off the stove, he heard the distinctive three and a half short knocks on the door. His Master had arrived.
Running over to the door, Kåre opened it, finding Freyr who looked a little worse for wear. His face fell the moment he saw his Master's tattered clothes, the missing cloak, and the angry look on his face. He was soaking as well, like he had been standing in the rain for too long. Walking forward, the Seraph got out of the Nayu's way and proceeded to close the door. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Freyr who turned to face him.
"I'd like a bath, please. Hot, but not scolding. Add some of those scented candles you made a while back and wait for me there." He said, before turning around and slowly heading toward his room. Kåre sighed as he saw Freyr slowly make his way across the hallway, clearly upset by something.
Using one of the divergent hallways, Kåre made his way into the bathroom which was not too far from Freyr room. As he filled the bathtub with warm water and poured in some soap, he began to think about what had happened to him. Freyr always told him Nero was safe. Was his Master lying to him? Or was he wrong? The mere thought of Freyr being wrong made Kåre nearly drop the glass bottle of soap he had in his hand. How could he think of a such a thing? His Master was never wrong. Shaking his head, he went into a small cabinet and grabbed some of the candles he had made out of some of the more fragrant flowers in Freyr's garden. Lighting them and placing them around the bathroom, Kåre stood there and waited for his Master to return. The moment the door opened, Kåre smiled as he saw Freyr enter wearing one of his robes. When he did, he took a deep breath, taking in the growing flowery smell in the room. Glancing at Kåre, he came over and caressed his cheek with his hand.
"Good work." He told the Seraphim, walking over to the bathtub. Feeling the water with his hand, he glanced at Kåre who was anxiously waiting for Freyr to 'review' his work.
"It's perfect." He said, making Kåre smile. Nothing brought the Seraph more happiness than pleasing his Master. He looked on as Freyr undid the belt of his robe, dropping it to the floor. In the light of both the candles and the lamps inside the bathroom he was able to see the scarring on Freyr's back. It was now that the Seraph had a chance to really look at the markings on Freyr's skin. Before, Freyr had only hinted at his past and that just made Kåre even more curious about how he had gotten those scars. Slowly, he saw as Freyr got into the bathtub, sighing as he felt the warm water around his body. Once he was neck deep in the water, he rested his head on a small pillow at the end of the tub.
Sitting there, Freyr wanted to close his eyes, but found himself unable to. Glancing at Kåre, he met his eyes.
"Something wrong?" He asked, sounding a little annoyed. This made the poor Seraph recoil and avoid his gaze. He shook his head, making Freyr sigh. "I didn't mean it like that. I'm just tired. You're not in trouble."
He reached out with one hand and caressed the Seraph's cheek. Turning back to him, Kåre pushed his head slightly into his Master's hand and blushed.
"I was worried about you, Master." Kåre admitted, closing his eyes as Freyr stroked his cheek bone with his thumb. "I thought you-"
The Nayu sighed, letting out a dry chuckle.
"Weren't going to come back?" Freyr finished his sentence, making Kåre open his eyes again and nod. Usually, it was rare for the cold assassin to feel any kind of empathy for anyone. It wasn't something he had been taught and no one he had met thus far aside from Kåre and that Armiel fellow deserved it anyway.
"No need to worry about me, little bird. I'll always come back." It was a blatant lie, but seeing Kåre's expression change from worry to relief made it all worth it.
"I know, Master. I feel silly questioning you or even doubting your ability. But, I worry for you." He said, glancing to the floor momentarily before looking up back at Freyr. "You're my everything, Master. I'm not sure what my life would look like without you. You gave me a name and a better life. The only way I can repay you is by devoting myself to you."
The Seraph spoke with the conviction of a cult-like devotee. Freyr knew Kåre admired and practically worshipped him. But this was at a whole other level. In a way, he felt uncomfortable, but at the same time he felt a strange sensation. It was a sensation of power. He had full control over this one person, and that made him feel good. Especially when he knew that Kåre practically saw him as a god.
"I could not have asked for a better servant, Kåre." Freyr said reassuringly, withdrawing his hand as Kåre gave him a wide satisfied smile. The Seraph received the compliment like it was the best thing in the world. He had been trained since birth to not be materialistic, and it showed. For some reason, Freyr couldn't see himself abusing this poor creature. The horror stories of Seraphim being abused by their Nayu Masters never made sense to him. Why waste your time?
Turning on his side, he gestured for Kåre to come closer.
"Join me." Said Freyr. This made Kåre's smile fade and he opened his mouth to politely refuse, only for Freyr to give him a glare. "You don't get a choice. Strip and join me."
It was just like the other night. His Master wanted affection. Ever since they met, Freyr seemed starved for it. He would never say such a thing in his presence, but he had noticed it right away. It always made him wonder why such a wealthy Nayu would need something like that. But he didn't question him. Taking his clothes off, he joined Freyr in the large tub, sitting on the opposite side. The Nayu carefully turned and moved in his direction, settling on the Seraph's chest. He laid against him, basking in Kåre's warmth.
"Hug me." Freyr said, speaking softly. Again, Kåre obliged cuddling his Master who closed his eyes in an instant.
When Freyr opened his eyes again, he found himself in his bedroom. Checking the clock by his bedside, he sighed. That was when he felt two arms wrapped around his torso. Glancing behind him he saw Kåre sleeping soundly behind him. The Seraph must have dried him and carried him all the way here after their bath. Freyr realized he must have fallen asleep. Getting comfortable again, Freyr decided to stay in bed for a little longer. What was the harm?