bsumone | ❝ Earth is strung with lovers’ pearls ❞

"About that..." He wasn't sure how comfortable Silvio would be with this idea. "Why don't you come back with me? We're only a few hours' drive from some dense wilderness. It would make seeing you easier..."

Right away his head tilted, not expecting that response. Su-jin had already anticipated this? Though that part wasn't surprising really. Honestly it was incredibly sweet and he smiled down at him. "We're going to have to figure out how to get me there. I don't have a passport."

But he definitely was saying yes. Where was he going to live so he could move his shrine to his pack there? He didn't know. But he'd figure it out. If there was a dense wilderness then he wanted to be there so he could be closer to his mate.

"I can help with that," he assured. He'd been handling the paperwork and identities for Tiras and himself for centuries. "Well, I mean, if you don't mind being an American." He may or may not have already started getting paperwork in order for Silvio, too.

He lifted a brow and tilted his head. For a moment he very much looked like he could see Su-jin even though the opposite of that was the case. But then he laughed as he tucked his mate closer to him. "Go on. Tell me what you've been figuring out to make this happen. I wanna hear it."

"You're an ecologist who's been here in Spain studying the flora and fauna and trying to seek out new conservation methods. But your visa is expiring so you have to come back to the US." That's the story he made up for Silvio to get his papers in order. He nestled a little closer. "I hope you don't mind that I took these liberties. I was prepared to destroy the documents if you said no."

"Good thing I'm an expert on the flora and fauna of Spain then, huh?" No, he didn't mind at all. He'd be able to answer any questions if they came up. "You'll have to help me figure out airports though. I've heard about them but I've never actually been to one since they were invented. I don't know how they work."

Lightly, he started to trail his fingers along Su-jin's shoulder. "Will we be able to get my pack over there too safely?"

The shrine was what he met. He wasn't going to dig up their bodies.

"Airports are very loud. I'll help you through them. There's a lot of ambient noise that people with sensitive hearing might have difficulty with." He's accustomed t the sounds of the city for, for Su-jin, most of the airport noise turns white. Except the jets taking off and the names being called over the PA systems. Those were still distracting to Su-jin. And the constant hum once the plane's in the air? Yeah, he'd definitely have to help distract Silvio from those maddening sounds.

His lashes lower respectfully a the mention of the altar. "I will help you pack them myself. Nothing will be harmed." Anything else Silvio wanted to keep they could have shipped. Su-jin planned on arranging to keep ownership of the cabin as he assumed his lover's pack were buried somewhere in this woods. He wouldn't want Silvio to lose that.

"Cities usually are these days. I'm not surprised airports would be too." It would be a lot to deal with but he'd trust Su-jin to get him through it. Hopefully he wouldn't have to deal with them all that often once they were over in America. Where he could live in the forests where it was quiet and peaceful.

"Thank you." He let out a soft sigh. "...you know I wanted to make one of them my mate before...everything. They all would have loved you though. Even him."

What a compliment! Tears stung his eyes and he tried to blink them away so they wouldn't fall. Well, would it matter if they did? Silvio knew what a soft-hearted monster Su-jin was by now.

"I hope I can be an adequate substitute."

"No. You don't. Because you're a not a substitute, Su-jin. No one can replace what I had." He rolled over to face him, cupping his neck and pressing their foreheads together.

"But no one can replace you either. You are my mate. You are not replacing anyone."

He blinked again, surprised, but warmed, by the wolf's words. He reached up to lay his hand over Silvio's and, though he couldn't see it, Su-jin looked him in the eyes. "I am somewhere around 700 years old. In that time, I've shared a bed with five people, including you. I've never considered any a true lover other than Tiras... and now you."

Giving that hand that held his a squeeze, he gave Su-jin a smile. He'd probably never meet Tiras unless it was an emergency and that was alright with him. They'd likely compete if they did. Like this they could peacefully share this sweet man they clearly both loved. "I'm around two hundred now since I'm not sure of my exact age. I've slept with only one other before you. You are my mate now. You, Su-jin."

"And I'm glad for that," he answered wholeheartedly. Not that he thought that lessened the bond Silvio shared with his previous love. By his own admission, there was no competition. Su-jin wasn't a stand-in for a lost love. Nor would Su-jin every compare what he and Silvio share with the love he will always hold for Tiras. It's different.

"Can I know his name? I would like to keep him in my memory because he was important to you."

"Luis. He was a grey wolf. Small but with a big personality. The complete opposite of you actually." Su-jin who was big but with a much smaller personality. Just a big of a heart though.

"He'd already been part of the pack long before they found me as a child. But even when I was little I was fond of him. After I became a wolf I grew closer to him. We even tumbled together a few times." Silvio rubbed his thumb over Su-jin's hand. "He would have loved you. Teased you often."

Su-jin chuckled at that last part. As if Tiras doesn't tease him enough. Some of his other friends, too. He supposed he was just made for it. Maybe he didn't look like what a shy person was supposed to. Who knew?

"Luis," he repeated reverently. This important person in Silvio's life would always be remembered by him. "It must still hurt being without them. I hope that, being closer, you can feel a little less lonely."

"It'll always hurt. That's something I'll have to live with." He smiled a bit as he pressed a kiss to Su-jin's forehead. "But that doesn't mean I can't move forward. Having you visit me all these years has meant the world to me."

"Moving forward is how we survive the slow march of time," he agreed with a slight nod. "You don't know it, but I'm fond of following human fashion trends. It started as a way to stay in touch with the world, but now I'm actually very particular about what I wear."

"I mean your clothes have always felt nice when I've touched them or leaned against them. That's about all I know about them." His own clothes tended to lean toward rugged mountain man rather than anything stylish. And usually something he could shed easily since he spent quite a bit of time naked due to being able to change into a wolf.

"What colors do you like to wear the most?"

Don't you worry, Silvio. You're going to be the sexiest rugged mountain man on the West Coast when Su-jin's done shopping for you.

"I like contrast. Dark pants, light shirts." Then he added a little shyly. "I really like pastels."

"Tell me what you look like. What's your coloring like?" How would pastels look on him he wondered. Probably amazing honestly. But there had been a time where he could see so he couldn't help being curious and wanting a description of what his mate looked like so he could envision him in his mind.

"I'm ethnically Korean... I guess. The Kingdom of Goryeo was a semi-autonomous Yuan state when I was born, but outside of royal bloodlines, the Mongols didn't intermix much with the native peoples." But that only painted the vaguest picture of I'm Asian for Silvio. "I'm pretty fair-skinned." Which could be due to his improper feeding schedule, too. "I understand that's very attractive in many places in Asia now. My eyes are dark brown and my hair, too."

"Handsome." He grinned as he pictured all of that. Longer hair and with some curls in it too. Little shorter than him but with a strong body like his. And those cheekbones and the full lips... "Pastels would look amazing on you."

He was very tall back in the day. Not that he considered himself short, now. Plus, he actually liked that Silvio had both height and weight on him. "I've always been fond of them. There was a time when it was much more common for men to strut around like peacocks in nice and colorful clothes. I do miss those days sometimes."

He nestles closer, smoothing a hand along Silvio's torso. Su-jin's fingers curl, letting his long nails scrape lightly over Silvio's skin. The gesture was just a little teasing, not even hard enough to leave a mark behind.

"You're the handsome one."

"It was that way in Spain when I was a child too." Those hundred years ago. But that was something else entirely wasn't it. Right now they were here in this moment. Talking about them and their future together.

He laughed softly and caught that hand so he could bring it up to his lips to kiss the palm.

"Why can't we both be handsome ones?"

He hummed and pressed his lips together as if actually giving it some thought. "Well, I suppose that's alright. I find you handsome, you find me handsome. That works out well enough." There's a light note of amusement in his voice when he speaks. In these modern times, he's usually been called 'pretty' but he'll take handsome, too. Especially from someone he loves.

"May I ask you a question?"

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