Many hours later, Lothar awoke. Even after all these years, his mage could still exhaust him; and he stretched luxuriously, totally content. It had felt so good to be with Khadgar once again, to hold him, to make love with him. His body had welcomed his partner's return as if no time had gone by at all.

No domination, physical or emotional. Just closeness, togetherness. Love. The perfect give and take between them that they'd always had.

He stretched again, turning over to find Khadgar already awake, and gazing at him fondly. "And to think most people believe death knights don't sleep."

"We can, we just don't have to," Lothar replied lazily. "Arthas didn't want his death knights doing anything that might have weakened his control, and his control was over the conscious part of their minds. So anything that affected consciousness was forbidden. Everything below that he couldn't touch, so it was pushed deep down. But it was still there."

"Waiting to come bubbling up if the grip of the rational mind was weakened, either through intoxication or dreaming while asleep," Khadgar mused. "Ingenious. Evil, but ingenious."

"I could never give up sleeping," added Lothar, draping an arm around his lover. His muscles were sore, but in a very good way. "Especially now. If you keep wearing me out like this, I'll need all the recovery time I can get."

The mage grinned. "I guess the theory that death knights don't sleep has officially been put to bed."

Lothar rolled his eyes. "There's that sass Terrix warned me about."

"Sass?" Khadgar repeated innocently. "I prefer to think of it as wittiness."

"Your bad puns are witty?" Lothar asked, arching an eyebrow.

The Archmage just laughed. "Kiss me, Anduin," he said, shifting closer.

Lothar chuckled, and did as he was told. "After all this time, still so bossy in bed."

His lover just snorted and wrapped his arms even more tightly around him. "How long before you have to go back to the Acherus?" he asked, pressing a kiss to a spot just above Lothar's collarbone. "Because I don't think I can give you up just yet."

"Don't worry, I'm not due back for a while. The Deathlord gave me a few days off, and suggested that I spend them in Dalaran."

Khadgar pulled back slightly, his brow furrowed. "Does she know about us?" he asked.

"I'm guessing she figured it out," Lothar replied. "Which probably wasn't too hard, given that you being alive was my sole prerequisite for agreeing to be raised." He took one of Khadgar's hands in his. "Don't worry, she can be very discreet. She's not going to tell anyone who doesn't already know."

"Other people know too?" The mage regarded him dubiously. "Who else?"

Lothar ran his fingers through Khadgar's hair, hoping to soothe any doubts he might have. "Just a few. And to be fair, Thassarian worked it out on his own years ago."

"Thassarian? The young man who's with Koltira Deathweaver, he's known for *years*?"

Lothar nodded. "He said he'd always suspected it. And that it made him feel a little less alone, growing up in Lordaeron, where loving another man wasn't exactly welcomed."

Khadgar seemed to accept this. "So if he knows, Koltira will too," he stated. "Anyone else? Just so I know what I can and can't say in front of certain people?"

Lothar shrugged. "Just a few others, mostly the people who helped me train – Xaelaan and Terrix and Durotan, along with anyone else who might have figured it out along the way. Not that I care. It's not like it used to be, Khadgar. Loving someone of the same sex doesn't earn you condemnation or pity like it did in Lordaeron after we evacuated."

"I know, but…" The Archmage blinked, as if he'd suddenly just heard what Lothar had said. "I'm sorry, but did you say Durotan?"

The former regent lord couldn't hold back a smile, secretly pleased that he could still rattle his lover just a bit. "Yes. Durotan is a death knight now, part of the Ebon Blade. And he's not just a death knight – he was raised by the Deathlord as one of the Four Horsemen. The third of us, right before me, in fact," Lothar said. "Oh, and he sends his regards, by the way. He'd love to chat with you again. Catch up. And he promises it won't be a repeat of your first encounter."

The mage's lips curled up into a smile of his own. "You know, Durotan was much gentler with me when we first met than you were," he pointed out.

Lothar ruffled Khadgar's hair. Maybe he could convince him to grow it a little longer, like it used to be. "Don't worry, I was reprimanded by Thassarian for mistreating a future Archmage…he asked how we met, and I told him. He seemed utterly scandalized that you'd been 'manhandled' in such a manner."

Khadgar laughed. Then his expression turned thoughtful. "Durotan. I suppose he's been told about his son, and all his accomplishments?"

"Thrall? I mean, Go'el?" he corrected himself. "Yes, yes he has. And Durotan's so proud of him, Khadgar, you have no idea. You can see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice, every time he talks about him." He paused. "But then, fathers are always proud of their children." Lothar felt an unexpected tightening in his throat at that, and looked away for a moment.

"Anduin," said Khadgar, moving closer to him, his embrace tightening. "I know this isn't easy to talk about, and I don't know if you've even considered this yet, but…have you talked to the Deathlord about Callan?" he asked softly.

"I have," he confessed. "It would depend on if he agrees to be raised, of course, and I would respect his decision either way…but first, we would have to find his body. Or what's left of it." His eyes closed almost involuntarily. "The magic the Deathlord wields requires a certain degree of…physical presence…to contact someone in the spirit realm. Without that, there's no way to talk to someone who's died, and no way to bring them back." He ran a hand down Khadgar's side, letting the warmth of his lover's body ground him. "That's why Varian hasn't been offered the choice yet, the Ebon Blade is still looking for his body. It's the same with Durotan's wife Draka." Lothar shook his head. "Durotan said that every orc who'd come through the Dark Portal knew where he'd died…but no-one knew where his wife had." He linked his fingers with Khadgar's then. "But wherever it happened…at least she was able to get their son to safety before she fell."

Khadgar squeezed his hand. "Azeroth owes her a debt of gratitude, then. Go'el is one of the finest, most noble individuals I've ever met, of any race," he declared.

"Mm." Lothar didn't want to dwell on the past, though. "If Callan or Varian or anyone else wants to come back, and we can offer them the choice, then so be it. If not, well…at least we know they're at peace."

Khadgar's expression softened. "Were you at peace, Anduin?" he asked gently. "And did you give up that peace for me?"

Lothar kissed him. "I couldn't have been, if I was away from you. It was my choice, and I do not regret it."

Khadgar settled back into Lothar's arms. "Choice. The difference between Arthas's death knights and those of the Ebon Blade," he murmured. "I'm glad you came back, Anduin. And knowing you came back for me? It's…well, it's overwhelming, to say the least."

"I hope you never doubt that what I did, I did for you," he replied.

He smiled. "You make me feel young again."

"And you make me feel alive again."

Khadgar cocked his head, gazing at him curiously. "You really don't mind that I've gotten old?" he asked.

"Older. Not old, older. And not at all," Lothar stated. "You don't mind that I'm dead?"

"Undead," Khadgar corrected. "And no, of course not."

"That's good. I was worried at first. I know I don't look like I used to."

"Anduin, you look exactly like you used to."

"Not my eyes," he replied, still self-conscious at the change in them now. "You always told me how much you liked them, and now, they're different." He cupped the other man's cheek. "I remember when you told me that you'd never seen a more beautiful blue."

"And I hadn't," stated Khadgar, resting a hand over Lothar's. "At least, not until now."

The kindness in his partner's words touched his heart. "I love you, Khadgar."

"I love you too, Anduin." He wrapped his arms around Lothar and then rolled onto his back, pulling the other man towards him. "And I want to show you just how much." He smiled mischievously, his expression a perfect match for the one he'd worn the first time the two had made love. "It's a good thing you're not due back for a few days, because that is exactly how long I'm going to keep you in my bed."

Lothar let himself be pulled down against Khadgar's body, both men's arousal already evident. "I'm counting on it, my love. I'm counting on it."