Page 28 of The Elves and the Shoemaker (The GriMM Tales #4)
Twenty-One
Henrik
H
enrik wasn’t sure what it said about him that he took more discomfort from Elias and Johan being in conflict than when he himself was directly in conflict with Elias. Maybe it was because he and Elias were naturally more antagonistic to one another.
Johan wasn’t like them, and so seeing him hurt and betrayed was difficult to watch. Equally, Elias couldn’t snark his way through his own discomfort, and the way he begged with his eyes for Johan to forgive him every second of the day broke Henrik’s heart.
It had been a fortnight since Elias had woken up from his burn-out. Magic had slowly returned to him, and he was almost back to his full strength, which was a relief. Henrik couldn’t even imagine what it would have done to Elias if magic had left him for good.
Johan had had fewer words than usual and worked from sunup until sundown, building their new home.
The elves had helped, too, of course, Henrik and Elias having designed most of it and Henrik adding magic where he could, but most of the physical labour had been down to Johan.
He didn’t seem to mind, though. If anything, Henrik had the feeling that the process of making something and wearing himself out each day was helping Johan work through some things, so Henrik tried to leave him to it.
It was close to dark outside now, and they were sitting at a small table that he and Elias had built as they ate their dinner. Johan hadn’t said a word, and Henrik could see the silence eating Elias alive.
Henrik saw the moment that Elias couldn’t contain it anymore, and it started playing out almost in slow motion, Elias blurting the words out.
“So, are just none of us going to have sex again because Johan is angry with me? The two of you don’t need to become monks on my account.
I can always… read a book or something.”
Henrik’s mouth hung open while Johan choked on the dried meat he’d been chewing.
After a sip of water to clear his throat, Johan glared at Elias. “I… I will not have sex with you when I-I-I’m angry with you.”
“Then don’t. I’m not asking you to have sex with me, I’m saying that you two can!” Elias snapped.
“We don’t want to have sex without you, Eli.” Henrik was exasperated.
Elias huffed before grabbing a hunk of bread and stuffing it in his mouth. It was dry and so he was left chewing for quite a while.
Johan stood up and said, “I’m going for a walk,” before swiftly heading out the front door and into the twilight.
“What is wrong with you?” Henrik asked Elias.
Elias stared at Henrik wide-eyed and frightened. “I don’t know how to fix this Rik, and every time I try, I swear I make it worse. I don’t know what to do, should I go and try to talk to him?”
“Not right now, he will have walked to the water spring. It’s where he goes to think.”
“See? That, right there. I should know that about him, but I don’t. I could tell you exactly how much pressure to apply when sucking on his balls, but I don’t know where he goes when he needs space. I-I’ve fucked this all up, Rik!”
Henrik realised that when he and Johan had agreed to not have sex until things were mended with Eli, that he’d made a mistake when it came to Elias.
He hoped that when Johan returned later, he would understand and not be cross with Henrik for his decision.
“Come here,” Henrik held out his hand for Elias before leading him over to the bed.
Henrik took his time undressing them both, and he left a trail of kisses down Elias’ neck and collarbone.
When they were both naked, Henrik pulled him down to the mattress, and then they faced each other, side by side.
Henrik pulled Elias’ leg so that it rested over his hip and left them skin to skin everywhere they could be.
When their cocks pressed together, Elias whimpered and scrunched his eyes shut.
Henrik kissed him hard, tried to show Elias with his lips and tongue how much he missed him, how much he loved him, and Elias all but melted.
“I’m sorry, Eli.”
“Why?” he whispered.
“I’ve given Johan an abundance of what he needed—space. But you need touch and affection, and we starved you of that. It… wasn’t kind.”
“I’m like an awful little leech, aren’t I?” Elias asked miserably.
Henrik laughed. “No, my love. You are a person, and you have needs just like we do. We’ll find a middle ground until things are mended.”
Elias sniffled so Henrik kissed him on the nose, then his cheeks, and then his lips. They kissed without the intention of it going anywhere despite their growing arousal. They kissed until the front door opened and Johan stepped inside.
“We weren’t… We didn’t… It isn’t what it looks like!” Elias exclaimed as he covered himself with the blanket.
Johan cocked his head to one side thoughtfully, and Henrik could see the moment it registered what he was giving to Elias. Henrik felt antsy until a small smile tugged on the corners of Johan’s lips.
He joined them on the bed, still fully clothed but he settled behind Elias and pressed a kiss to the back of his neck.
Johan cleared his throat. “You’ll sleep in the middle tonight?” he asked Elias.
“Is that okay?” Elias whispered.
Johan nodded and Henrik was flooded with relief.
He could see by the way Elias’ shoulders relaxed that he felt the same.
The last few weeks he’d become an elf-shaped barrier between the two of them, and the middle spot on the bed had started to feel loaded.
This was a step in the right direction, at least.
H
enrik smiled when he woke the next morning. Elias was wrapped up protectively in Johan’s arms with one hand reaching out to rest on Henrik’s waist. It was the most peaceful he’d seen Elias since they’d returned.
Johan’s eyelashes fluttered before he blinked a few times and smiled at Henrik.
“Morning,” Henrik whispered.
Johan reached over Elias and cupped Henrik’s cheek, stroking his thumb over his cheekbone.
Henrik had learned over their time together that Johan often found it most difficult to speak in the mornings, like he needed to warm up to the idea of conversing. Henrik didn’t mind, though, he loved how Johan communicated through touch like this. It was louder than words.
Henrik leaned into his hand. Johan had once told him and Elias that they were like cats, and he might have had a point.
“I need to relieve myself, but I don’t want to wake him,” Henrik whispered, eyeing his chances of climbing over Elias without disturbing him.
Johan peered down at Elias. “He’s… awake.”
Elias’ eyes flashed open suddenly. “How did you know?” He sounded affronted but Johan merely smirked knowingly before dipping his head to press a kiss to Elias’ shoulder.
“You snort like a… little piglet when you are asleep,” Johan said.
“I so do not!” Elias smacked Johan on the leg in retaliation.
Johan laughed, and it was deep and unreserved. Henrik couldn’t recall when he’d last heard it, but he was grateful for it now.
Henrik filled his lungs with air and breathed out in relief.
“Stop it!” Elias squealed as Johan tickled his ribs. “I’ll get you for that!”
Apparently, Elias’ idea of revenge was to stick his head under Johan’s nightshirt and attempt to blow a raspberry on his stomach, but Elias didn’t seem able to stop giggling for long enough to be successful.
When Johan’s stomach grumbled loud enough to be heard over all the raucous, they finally tumbled out of bed to have breakfast.
Henrik couldn’t help but fret as he gathered some food from the cupboard for them to eat. They were getting low and had no great resources yet for acquiring more food, so they were very much on rations now.
He and Johan had discussed trying some river fishing soon, as all Johan’s hunting attempts so far hadn’t been fruitful.
After they’d washed up and had a few mouthfuls of food to keep them going, they bundled up and headed outside to work on their new house together.
Henrik was excited to have a larger living space and hoped they could then turn the cabin into a workshop for making shoes, giving them a way to make a living again.
“I can help today, my magic feels stronger again,” Elias spoke tentatively and looked at Johan for a reaction that didn’t come, he only nodded his head.
The subject of Elias’ and magic had been a sensitive one. Henrik knew that Johan would never wish for Elias to lose his access to magic, but he understood the shoemaker's apprehension around its return as well.
Johan had already prepared a lot of the logs they were building with, and so when he connected them together, Henrik or Elias would use magic to create a seal which would keep their home weather-resistant.
Henrik was rather proud of himself for coming up with that one.
“Who taught you to build?” he asked as he and Elias helped winch a log up to Johan using a rope contraption Elias had designed to save Johan from breaking his back on this build.
“My father,” he paused. “We built that together.” He pointed to the hunting cabin. “There’s a lot… that I’m no good at but… I’m good with my hands. I think… my father knew I needed that.”
Henrik’s heart swelled a little for a man he would never meet. Johan rarely spoke of his parents, and Henrik hoarded every morsel of information he could to better understand the shoemaker who’d stolen a portion of his heart.
“You are a skilled builder and shoemaker,” Elias said. “But you are more than what you can make. Rik and I have a lot to learn from you and very little of it is what you can do with your hands.”
Henrik swallowed past the lump of emotion at Elias’ sincerity. He was proud of Elias. So often he resorted to making jokes or saying something distractingly outlandish, but there was vulnerability in what he’d just offered up to Johan, and it was progress.
“Thank you,” Johan said, his eyes glassy and grateful.
When the sun was at its highest, they stopped for something more to eat and drink.
It was a beautiful day, cold but the sky was a clear blue and birds twittered noisily in the trees. A poignant reflection of the day as a whole, it was fresh and comforting.
They’d just finished eating and were about to head back to work when Elias cleared his throat. “Johan, would you mind taking a walk with me? It’s fine if you’d rather not,” he hastily added.
“I’ll take a walk with you.” Johan smiled softly.