The loom had been particularly uncooperative today. Threads slipping, patterns misaligning—Eqa had nearly torn the whole damn thing apart twice.

Not because the silk was faulty. No, his work was always immaculate. But because his mind had been elsewhere.

He had finished the tapestry, an intricate piece of woven gold and deep crimson, meant to be sold to some noble who clearly didn't deserve it. The transaction had been set, the payment secured. The problem? That meant he was out of distractions.

His claws idly traced over the silken threads, feeling the tension in the weave. His mind, however, was on his human. Specifically, on something he had been thinking about for a while now.

Eqa wasn't impulsive. He was meticulous, patient—he took his time planning things out, ensuring every detail was perfect before he acted. But this? This had been lingering too long.

A low hum vibrated in his throat as he pulled himself up from where he had been hunched over, his extra arms stretching lazily. The tapestries that draped the high walls of his home shifted ever so slightly, a soft rustling of silk accompanying his movement. The whole place smelled faintly of warm fabric, of his own scent and his human's. It was comforting.

But now, the tapestry was done, and with it, his patience for being away from his human had also run out.

Eqa let out a slow breath. He'd been working on this piece for... too long, probably. Long enough that he hadn't spent time with his human in hours. Unacceptable. He ran his claws through his hair, smoothing it back as he turned toward the door.

Time to fix that.

Eqa moved silently through the halls of their estate, bare feet making no sound against the silk-lined floors. His home—their home—was a masterpiece of woven fabric and soft, layered walls. Everything inside carried his touch, from the draped curtains to the sheets in their shared bed. The house was big, but Eqa never had trouble finding his human. Not when every thread in this place was a part of him, a web spun through every room, letting him feel the faintest vibration of movement.

There.

The delicate tug of footsteps, a presence he knew better than anything else. His body moved before thought could catch up, walking effortlessly along the ceiling as he made his way toward him.

His plan was to push those annoying little thoughts, that kept coming back for weeks, to the back of his mind, and focus on spending some relaxing quality time with his love, but then he found his human in the living room. Lounging in one of the plush chairs, wrapped in his silk, because of course he was. Eqa took a moment to admire him, red eyes gleaming as they traced over his form, and that nagging need came back, almost flooding his mind.

"Busy?" His voice was smooth, hanging in the air like the silk that lined the walls. He didn't wait for an answer before dropping down, landing silently in front of him. His four arms reached out to pull his human up, two of which immediately wrapped around his waist. "I finished the tapestry." His head dipped lower, words spoken near his human's ear, deliberate. "It means I'm free. And I'd rather spend my time with you. And..."

There was a pause, and Eqa wasn't sure why he was holding it. To give his lovely human a moment to prepare? Not really... Was it to compose himself? Most definitely not. He's already made up his mind, right? Right. So he continued:

"I want to talk about... something."