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Morning light flooding through the palace openings woke Damen before he was ready. He came to with no rush, kept his eyes closed as the rest of his senses sparked.
He heard a gentle breeze rustle the fruit trees outside, heard waves crash and smelled the saltiness of the ocean mixed with the floral aroma that permeated the palace. In his mouth he could taste the thickness of not enough water and too much sleep, the faintest hint of peach and apricot from a late night snack. His skin was warm against the silky sheets he lied on and between his fingers, he felt Laurent’s, figured that even in sleep they didn’t let go of each other.
Damen nestled closer, nosed at the back of Laurent’s neck, kissed him through his hair. Laurent twitched in his sleep, shifted against Damen and squeezed closer. Damen stayed as he was until Laurent stirred again, only opened his eyes then to admire the form against his own.
Laurent was curled against him, bodies molded to the shape of one another, legs tangled underneath the covers. Damen propped himself up on one elbow to stare out at the view, squinted against the brightness.
“Lover,” Laurent said softly, drawing Damen’s attention back to him as he rolled over. “It’s morning?”
“Yes.”
“Kiss me good morning, then,” Laurent said tiredly, the beginnings of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
Damen happily obliged, leaned down to capture Laurent’s waiting mouth. It was slow and lazy, ridden with the tiredness that came from staying up late and sleeping in. It was perfect, Damen thought, the kind of kiss that should last forever if it could.
“Sleep well?”
Laurent hummed his answer and rolled back onto his side, apparently not ready to face the day just yet. Damen didn’t mind, smiled as he nuzzled his nose into Laurent’s hair again, brushed it aside to kiss his neck.
“Returning to our responsibilities becomes a more difficult concept to grasp every day,” Laurent said.
“It does.”
Laurent sidled closer and Damen trailed his fingers up and down Laurent’s side. Damen watched Lauren adjust to the brightness in their rooms, squint and blink over and over till it didn’t hurt to look outside.
“It’s beautiful,” Laurent said, maybe to himself.
“It’s more beautiful with you in it.”
Laurent twisted onto his back to direct his unyielding stare at Damen. “You’re only going to make it harder to leave this place.”
“Do you forget I’ll be leaving with you?”
“No,” Laurent said, “but we both know it won’t be like this.”
“We will make it like this then,” Damen told him. “Steal all the time we can.”
“Promise me,” Laurent said earnestly.
“I promise,” Damen said, staring down at Laurent. “As I do everything else, I promise you that.”
Damen kissed Laurent again, felt the warm press of fingertips against his neck. Damen shifted and relaxed on top of Laurent, hips flattened, legs still slotted together under the covers. Damen made a silent promise with each kiss he planted on Laurent’s skin- to stay, to love, to be fair and patient, to kiss like this always.
Laurent played with the ends of Damen’s hair, twisted a lock around his finger as Damen lowered his mouth to Laurent’s stomach. He slid his hand from Laurent’s hip to the small of his back and guided him upward, body arched into Damen’s touch. Damen watched as Laurent bit his lip, a splendid sign that he was giving in, letting his control weaken.
“I want to show you around the palace today,” Damen said in between kisses, words muffled by his mouth against Laurent, his breath sparking goosebumps.
“Sure.”
“Walk the gardens,” Damen added, “take you to the water.”
“Mhm.”
“We could ride today,” Damen suggested.
Laurent bent his elbows against the bed to hold himself up, lips pulled into a frown and his brows furrowed. His hair framed his face in unruly, sweat curled tendrils, and he stared petulantly at Damen.
“First of all, I’ll cook in that sun and you know that. No riding today as much as I’d like to. And second, why are you being so-” Laurent paused.
“So?” Damen prompted.
“Unbearably slow.”
Damen’s smile was teasing. “I thought you preferred it this way.”
“You’re taunting me and you know it.”
“I only mean to tell you how I want to properly court you. Or show you how I would have,” Damen said innocently, his eyes on Laurent’s from beneath his lashes, head tilted up near Laurent’s navel.
Laurent fell back against the mattress and Damen’s laughter was a short, sniffed sound that he muffled with his nose as he nudged against Laurent’s torso, sliding upward. Laurent caught Damen’s face in between his hands before he could pull away and Damen’s eyebrows raised appreciatively. He liked when Laurent let himself be, took what he wanted without hesitation. Laurent brushed his mouth against Damen’s, dragged his leg up against Damen’s thigh, met his mouth carefully. They kissed without urgency, like this morning might last forever. Laurent’s lips, his body warm against Damen’s made Damen wish it could. The kiss soothed tired tongues and puffy lips from a night of doing exactly this over and over, till time was nothing and the only thing Damen knew was Laurent.
Laurent pulled away first and Damen rested his forehead against Laurent’s, nudged him gently.
“Will you really burn so easily out there?”
“Look at me,” Laurent said flatly. “What do you think?”
“I think- my fair skinned king- that you could cover yourself in the clothes you arrived in.”
“I could,” Laurent contemplated briefly, “but I’d rather wear the chiton. At least while we’re here.”
“You like yourself in it,” Damen said with an approving smile.
“And the way you look at me.”
Laurent’s cheeks were pink, flushed by the admission, or maybe by the way Damen looked at him now. Damen stroked the apple of Laurent’s cheek and watched his eyes flutter closed. Laurent brought Damen’s hand to his mouth, pressed his lips to Damen’s knuckles, traced the lines of his palm with his index finger, and Damen’s chest tightened, like his heart was too full for his body to contain.
“Do you have any idea what you do to me, Laurent?”
Laurent eyed Damen with feigned innocence. Damen drew Laurent’s hand to his chest, flattened his palm atop Laurent’s above his heart. Laurent’s fingers curled against Damen’s flesh and Damen kept his hold tight.
“I’m no different,” Laurent said.
Damen let Laurent guide their joined hands to his own chest. His heart beat as furiously as Damen’s, a fast thrum underneath Damen’s palm. Damen removed his hand to kiss Laurent’s chest, soft skin under soft lips. Damen settled with his head there, content to stay like this all day. Laurent reached down and placed his hand on Damen’s head and Damen tilted his chin to stare up at the blue eyes he used to find cold. Laurent curled his fingers, scratched once at Damen’s scalp, lightly enough that it could have been wind lifting Damen’s hair and not fingers.
“Go on,” Damen told him.
Damen nuzzled against Laurent’s stomach, emitted a breathy giggle from Laurent’s lips, something, Damen discovered, that was prettier than any song or sound he’d ever heard. Laurent scratched and massaged, played with Damen’s hair, and Damen let his eyes shut, not quite asleep, but deeply relaxed and content.
“You are quite the contradiction,” Laurent said, breaking the comfortable silence.
“How is that?”
Laurent combed through Damen’s hair, lingered with his fingertips against the back of Damen’s neck before he scratched softly upward and messed up his hair again only to fix it.
“You are much-,” Laurent paused to search his thoughts, “softer than you appear.”
“Like you, no?”
“I am not soft.”
Damen smiled at Laurent’s defensiveness.
“I think you are, when you let yourself be.”
“If that is the truth, then you must know it’s only with you.”
Damen looked up, unsurprised by the pink flush that colored Laurent’s cheeks. He kissed the dip of Laurent’s abdomen in a failed attempt to hide his smile, drew a map with his mouth up to Laurent’s neck where he nosed at the skin, laughed when Laurent playfully shoved him away.
“You like seeing me red in the face, don’t you?”
“You have no idea how much,” Damen laughed.
Laurent’s feigned annoyance didn’t last, and even as he pushed Damen off him, he was smiling. Damen caught Laurent’s wrist before he made it too far from the bed and pulled him back, slid his fingers into place between Laurent’s.
“Come back. Let’s stay a while,” Damen suggested.
“We don’t have a while,” Laurent said, a hint of sadness in his voice. “And besides, you have some courting to do.”
~
Laurent left Damen to himself. He sat up, let the blankets fall from his waist, and stared outside. Laurent was right and he hated it. Every minute longer he spent with Laurent made the reality they had to return to harder to swallow. He prayed for the day- when loose ends were tied, messes were cleaned, peace was possible and in reach- to come quickly, had faith that it would as long as it was up to the two of them.
Damen reluctantly rose from the bed to dress himself and heard footsteps behind him. When he turned around, Laurent stood with his hip to the wall, arms crossed over his chest. Damen swept his gaze from the straps that wrapped around Laurent’s ankles to the closure on his shoulder that held his chiton in place. His hair remained messy and his lips pinked from kissing, his eyes bright and well rested.
“You look ravishing,” Damen said with a playful smile.
“Do I?”
Damen nodded as he finished dressing. He watched Laurent run his fingers through his hair repeatedly so at the very least, it no longer stuck up in odd places. Damen went to him, tucked a loose lock into place and nearly caught his mouth, but a knock on the door interrupted him. He shut his eyes and swallowed his annoyance, didn’t miss the teasing, sideways smile on Laurent’s face.
“My apologies, Exalted. I’ve come to see if you need anything.”
Damen turned to face the door. “I’d like a meal prepared in the gardens. Out of the sun and within the hour.”
“Yes, Exalted.”
Damen nodded to excuse the servant. Laurent snaked his arms around Damen’s waist before the door closed and Damen felt Laurent’s chin press into his back.
“A meal in the garden,” Laurent echoed. “A part of your courting, I presume?”
“Among other things.”
“Like what?”
“Come,” Damen said, turning and grabbing Laurent’s hand.
Outside, the air was warmer than it had been behind the shaded walls of their shared quarters. It was thick with the fragrance of flowers and the heat was heavy, the kind that would tire them before the sun sank. Damen looked forward to it, that content tiredness, more so when he would share it with Laurent. Damen led him with their arms gracefully linked at the elbows, the sides of their bodies brushing every so often as they winded through the shaded parts of the palace.
“If it doesn’t pain you to tell me, I would like to know more about your brother.”
Something flashed in Laurent’s eyes, the bite of words an angrier, past version of himself might have used perhaps.
“He liked days like this,” Laurent opted for instead. “His skin was as fair as mine, but he didn’t care if he burned.”
“No?”
Laurent shook his head. “He would not stay contained. Rain or shine or brutal storm, he’d find a way to make use of the outdoors.”
Damen smiled.
“Sounds like me.”
“He was. I told you, he would have liked you. I think he’d have gotten on well with you and Nikandros.”
Damen tried to ignore the pang of sadness that echoed in his belly, tore at his heart and rose into his throat.
“It would have been nice to see us all as a family,” Damen said quietly, his hand on Laurent’s. “I’m sorry I took that from us. From you,” he added gently.
Laurent paused and leaned against the nearest balcony, adopted Auguste’s uncaring demeanor towards the bright summer sun for the moment, tipped his head back to soak in the warmth. He pulled Damen with him and touched the scar on his chest, the physical reminder of the moment Damen changed Laurent’s life forever.
“Do you think we will ever heal?”
“No,” Damen said honestly. “Not completely. You will always wear his loss like I wear his wound,” Damen added, catching Laurent’s hand before he could pull away. “I will always be the man that took him from you.”
“Do you forget we are even? A brother for a brother, remember?”
Damen shook his head and looked out at the water.
“I don’t mean to offend,” Laurent said apologetically. “I only say that to remind you that you forgave me just as I forgave you.”
“In your own twisted way, of course,” Damen smiled, eyes narrowed against the light and the breeze that blew in from the sea.
Laurent’s smile was small and short lived. “You are more than just the man that killed him,” Laurent said as he stroked the scar again, and Damen could hear the stones in his throat erode his control. “What I feel for you now is far beyond what I used to.”
Damen leaned in and palmed Laurent’s neck. Laurent tilted for him and Damen kissed him below his mouth, a soft brush of lips against the smooth skin of his jaw.
“I’m not sure proper courting comes with kisses so soon.”
Laurent flattened his hand against Damen’s chest and shoved him away, cheeks flushed, eyes narrowed. Damen laughed brightly and caught up to Laurent as he strode away, grabbed his wrist to pull him back.
“You are incredibly skilled at making me regret every positive thing I’ve ever felt for you,” Laurent said, but there was no heat behind his words, no anger in those eyes that gave away much more than he realized these days.
“You are incredibly skilled at making this little game harder to play,” Damen admitted as he swept his gaze appreciatively over Laurent’s form, not the first time that day or at all.
“Come on then, keep playing,” Laurent urged and Damen took his place at Laurent’s side again.
They toured through the palace sharing stories of brothers and games, turning royal homes into playgrounds, days and nights spent avoiding responsibility if it meant a little more time to do what they wanted.
“Like we are now,” Damen observed.
Laurent nodded agreement. “I think we’ve earned it, don’t you?”
“I do.”
“And we both know we have to return.”
“Until then,” Damen said, gesturing with a nod towards a flower filled garden with a fountain in the middle, “would you care to join me?”
Laurent visibly softened, tilted his head to admire the view. Damen led him into the open area where a meal was laid out on a large, decorative cloth. Not the kind that goes on the floor of any palace unless the ruler of that palace asked you to put it there.
“I hope this is to your satisfaction, Exalted. Can I be of any help?”
“The carafe holds water, yes?”
“Yes, Exalted.”
“That will be all, thank you,” Damen smiled.
Laurent sat with his legs bent to one side to keep his chiton from showing too much. Damen bent down to sit across from him, but Laurent stopped him with a shake of his head.
“I want you closer.”
Damen swallowed hard. He obeyed, claimed his spot beside Laurent. Laurent lifted an orange slice from their spread and popped it into his mouth, and when he reached for another, Damen did the same.
“Please,” Damen offered with a brief bow of his head.
“I was getting it for you,” Laurent said as he picked it up between his fingers.
They both liked breaking the chains of custom, they had learned. Nothing they did was an act of slavery or dominance, nothing came from hatred or a need to prove status. Everything they did for one another was just that- for one another. There was no reason behind it other than to see the other smile, or make the other’s heart beat painfully quick. Everything was rooted in what they felt for one another, to water this beautiful thing that blossomed between them.
Damen gently bit the fruit, let his lips brush the tips of Laurent’s fingers, and hummed while he chewed, a sound that brought a smile to Laurent’s face. They shared food while Damen hung on Laurent’s every word and when they fell into a comfortable silence, Damen watched how the breeze lifted Laurent’s hair, smiled when Laurent repeatedly tucked the same strands into place.
The day moved quickly. It felt like no time at all had passed, though Damen led Laurent through most of the palace, showed him the vine covered walls of one part from which he picked a flower that he gave to Laurent with a kiss not quite on the mouth. From where they stood, they watched the setting sun paint the sky with colors too vivid to believe. Golden orange, bright pink, blue that looked even more beautiful reflected in Laurent’s eyes. The pair of them leaned with their elbows on the marble of the balcony to watch the sky, but Damen kept looking at Laurent.
“You are missing it,” Laurent said without taking his eyes off the view.
“I’m looking at exactly what I want to see, actually.”
“Are you?”
Damen nodded and Laurent smiled, eyes still cast forward. When Laurent finally turned and stood with his back to the sunset, Damen could see that his cheeks where slightly reddened from a walk they took through one of the gardens earlier. Damen stroked the backs of his fingers against Laurent’s face, his skin soft and sun warmed under Damen’s touch. Laurent leaned into it and Damen flipped his hand to cup Laurent’s neck, thumb at the cutting line of Laurent’s jaw.
“As your courter,” Damen said, and Laurent bit back a smile, “can I ask for just one kiss?”
“Can I tell you something first?”
“Anything.”
“I’d give you more- as many as you want without you asking.”
Damen smiled and guided Laurent to tip his head back just a little. It was barely a brush at first, like Damen was testing waters though he’d been swimming in them for some time already. Then the gap closed and Damen’s other hand found Laurent’s neck, held him gently in place. Damen felt like stars burned in his belly, like forces great enough to fracture the earth and end the world rushed through him. They had hardly gone a full day without a kiss like this and Damen felt like he’d been starved for a lifetime. Laurent’s desperation mirrored Damen’s and Damen smiled when Laurent grabbed at him a bit roughly, consequently breaking the kiss.
“Please keep going,” Laurent said, his hand against Damen’s chest.
Damen lifted Laurent’s hand to his mouth and kissed his knuckles, lined their fingers up and interlocked them.
“I will,” Damen said and then added, “Later. Now I want to take you to the shore.”
“It will be dark soon.”
“There is no sun to hide from,” Damen explained. “I thought we could take advantage.”
Laurent nodded and let Damen lead them passed the palace walls, down the marble steps to the rock dusted shore that made the ground a little unsteady. They walked hand in hand, using each other for balance, and finally water lapped at their sandaled feet as the tide moved in, painted clear gold by the sun at its lowest point in the sky before it sank. It was a disc on the horizon now and Damen watched Laurent’s mouth fall open at the view.
“This is beautiful,” he said. “Thank you for showing it to me.”
“Thank you for letting me.”
Laurent smiled and bent down to dip the tips of his fingers into the water. It was cool, but not so much that it wouldn’t feel welcoming. Before he straightened, he splashed some at Damen’s ankles and Damen raised his eyebrows, kicked back hard enough to land some droplets on Laurent’s knees.
“Any higher and I’ll need to undress,” Laurent joked, caught Damen’s smile before he could hide it. “But you would like that, wouldn’t you?”
“I would not be opposed.”
Laurent playfully jostled his arm against Damen’s. Damen sat down, unbothered by the scratch of sand on his skin and Laurent followed suit, sat in between Damen’s legs. Together they watched the sun disappear and the stars take its place, not a cloud in sight to ruin the view. The air was still warm even as a cool breeze came in off the sea, filled their lungs with saltiness. Damen leaned towards Laurent and rested his chin on Laurent’s shoulder, found his hand to hold.
“Would you like to join me for a swim?”
Laurent was silent for a moment. “I’m not sure I know how.”
“Not a swim then, but one day I will teach you if you’d like.”
“If not a swim, what then?”
“We will soak. Relax, enjoy the water.”
Laurent stood up and outstretched his hand to pull Damen with him.
“Are you sure this isn’t merely an excuse to get me out of my chiton?”
“Truthfully? It’s both a genuine request and a ploy,” Damen smiled.
Laurent began removing his sandals before Damen finished speaking. He undid the parts of the chiton that held it closed at his waist and shoulder, the latter first, a slow reveal that left Damen’s heart racing. Damen admired him for a moment, skin white under the soft glow of the moon, every curve and dip of muscle highlighted perfectly, as if Laurent was a statue of himself. Damen reached to undo his own after he’d stripped himself of his footwear, but Laurent caught his hand and gently pushed it away, undressed Damen himself. Laurent let his hands linger near Damen’s waist, brush his hip. Laurent led the way to the water and didn’t stop until it went up to just above their knees. Damen braced Laurent’s hips, spoke against his ear.
“The water is calmer here,” he said. “We can go in a little deeper.”
Laurent nodded once and moved forward. When the water hit his hips, Damen felt a chill shake his shoulders. Damen bent and cupped his hands below the surface, poured water against Laurent’s skin, an excuse to touch him, to follow the curve of hip to waist and back down to thigh.
“You will get used to it.”
Laurent stepped away from Damen, let the water hit his chest. He waved his arms through it and Damen smiled as he watched him. Damen took a deep breath and dove under the surface, came up for air just a short length away from his counterpart.
“Must you show off?”
Damen swam back to Laurent smiling, flattened his feet against the sand when arms length separated them. Another step forward and Damen could kiss him, he wanted to, needed to. Just as he moved to do so, Laurent ducked away, dipped himself below the surface and quickly rose again. His hair covered his eyes and his teeth shown white and Damen felt his stomach flutter when Laurent threw his head back and combed through his hair to get it out of his face. Under the stars and surrounded by the sea, he looked like a dream. Droplets glistened on his skin and turned him silver like, streaked his hair with reflected light. Damen thought if a star fell from the sky, it would look like this. Laurent caught Damen’s stare, must have noticed the intensity behind it, but ignored it in favor of taking an experimental dive forward, an attempted replica of Damen’s move from before. When he straightened again, he threw his head back. Damen watched from behind, mesmerized by the view. As he drifted closer, he could make out the dip of Laurent’s back, the spread of his fingers at his sides just below the surface. Damen lined their hands up, lifted Laurent’s above the water and admired it, twined their fingers together.
“Laurent,” Damen said softly.
Laurent tilted his head to one side and Damen kissed the exposed skin. He drew their closed hands towards their bodies, wrapped his arms around Laurent’s waist. Damen kissed Laurent’s shoulder, the muscle of his back, then the crook of his neck again.
Breathlessly, Laurent spoke. “I’m not sure we are playing this courting game anymore.”
“I graciously accept the loss if you’ll have me in spite of it.”
Laurent’s nod was faint. “Yes,” he said, and then again, but that might have been a yes to the way Damen’s mouth moved just below the lobe of his ear. Damen felt his cock harden and pressed gently against Laurent’s bottom, gave his hips an encouraging squeeze when Laurent let his head loll back against Damen’s shoulder.
Damen kissed wherever he could reach and Laurent remained pliant, tilted in the slightest one way or another to let Damen cover him in kisses. Laurent’s hand came to rest on Damen’s cheek and Damen curved closer, smiled when Laurent twisted to meet his mouth. As close as they were, Laurent appeared to decide it wasn’t close enough, turned all the way around and snaked his arms over Damen’s shoulders. Laurent followed a drop of water that fell from Damen’s hair as it trailed down his chest and caught it in a kiss. He worked his way up agonizingly slowly and lingered on his shoulder where he kissed a little harder with his lips parted. He ghosted a kiss over Damen’s palm when Damen reached up to play with Laurent’s hair.
“I wish this could be endless,” Laurent whispered, like it was meant for nobody’s ears. “I could do this forever,” he added, his eyes widening when he spoke like he couldn’t believe he had said the words out loud or even thought them.
“Would you?” Damen asked and Laurent stared up at him, cheeks pink, gaze soft. “Have me forever?”
“Without question.”
Damen kissed Laurent like it was the first time he ever had. Damen was gentle with him, barely parted his lips, twisted his fingers into the damp, salt curled strands of Laurent’s hair. Damen cupped Laurent’s jaw as he pulled away, only to catch Laurent’s mouth in another kiss even as he smiled.
“My love,” Laurent called, rested his palm on the back of Damen’s neck. “When you kiss me like that, I feel-” Laurent paused, swallowed, parted his lips as if parched.
“Tell me.”
“I feel like I belong to you more than I do myself.”
This, Damen decided then, or maybe he’d decided deep down long ago, was worth everything. Every venomous exchange between them, every time Damen questioned why he protected the young man in his arms, every moment of hatred and tension was worth it if it meant this. Times like this rendered Damen unbelieving that this was the same Laurent who promised him nothing but pain and humiliation. Damen brushed those thoughts away and cupped either side of Laurent’s neck, tipped Laurent’s head back, lined his thumbs up with his jaw. Damen admired him like this for a moment, pliant and gentle, eyes almost shut, hair mussed.
“Well what are you waiting for?” Laurent asked.
“Suddenly so impatient,” Damen remarked with a playful smile.
Before Laurent could hit Damen with his quick, snarky wit, Damen caught his mouth. Normally they would save something like this for the privacy of their sleeping quarters, but the only one watching them was the moon. They were nothing but tongues and lips and shared breath, and Damen longed for it even as it happened, even as Laurent moaned into his mouth when Damen deepened their kiss. Damen drew back just a touch only to kiss Laurent’s jaw and forehead and neck, Laurent at ease as Damen held his neck, head tipped back and mouth open somewhere in between a content smile and pleasurable gasp.
“Damen,” Laurent called softly, a sound that floated just enough for Damen to hear it before it got lost in the waves.
“Hm.”
“I want you to bring me back to our room.”
“As you wish.”
They glided through the water until it hit their ankles, arrived at the shore dripping with salt water and anticipation. Damen collected their chitons, though dressing seemed useless. He did anyway and his skin quickly soaked most of the fabric, leaving it nearly transparent. Laurent’s looked the same and he laughed at their appearances, latched onto Damen’s arm when he held it out to lead the way back.
“I suppose this is not quite the same as being completely naked.”
“Close enough, no?”
Laurent looked down at himself and Damen caught him, grinned at their current state. They kept close as they navigated the palace halls, snickering like children. Laurent muffled the sound by turning his face against Damen’s arm and Damen looked over at him just as he looked up, eyes mischievous and bright, the iciness of them melted into amusement and warmth.
The door to their room finally came into view and Damen shut the door behind them, leaned against it to collect himself. Laurent stayed close as his giggles faded to even breaths and then he stepped away from Damen after a brief kiss, wandered over to the balcony. Damen followed behind and stopped with his chest to Laurent’s back. He curled his hands around the balcony on either side of Laurent’s body and kissed his neck when the breeze blew his hair back.
Damen brought his hand to Laurent’s shoulder and undid the piece that kept the damp chiton in place. Goosebumps prickled Laurent’s skin when the fabric fell away from him, Damen’s water cooled fingers a soft brush against him. Damen untied the single part at Laurent’s waist and the fabric pooled at his feet. Another chill sent a new wave of goosebumps over Laurent’s skin, shook his shoulders. Damen kissed him there and Laurent tipped his head back against Damen’s shoulder in turn, let Damen kiss higher until he caught Laurent’s mouth in a breathless, sideways kiss. Damen drew away gently to kiss back downward on Laurent’s opposite side, dropped to his knees to kiss Laurent’s lower back, nudge his nose against Laurent’s thigh. Tension knotted Laurent’s shoulders, stiffened his spine, and Damen felt the change, guided Laurent to spin around.
Damen leaned in, gaze locked on Laurent’s, and kissed his hip. He repeated the motion a little lower, nuzzled into Laurent’s thigh and nipped softly at the skin. He dragged the tip of his nose through the pale dusting of hair below Laurent’s navel, kissed his way down, and Laurent rested his hand on Damen’s cheek. Damen turned to kiss Laurent’s palm before he pressed his lips to Laurent’s cock. Laurent quickly flushed pink, but Damen didn’t look away, not when he took Laurent in his mouth, not when Laurent bucked his hips forward. Damen kept his movement slow, his tongue flat. Laurent guided him to stop after a short time, breathless and on edge where he stood against the balcony for support.
“I want all of you. Not just this,” Laurent said with a wave of his hand. “I want-”
Laurent quieted in favor of undressing Damen, fingers in a hurry. Damen caught them and brought them to his mouth as the chiton fell away from him and Laurent let him, but not for long. He pulled Damen to him and kissed him hungrily and Damen let himself drown in it. They stumbled to the bed, tripped over each other’s feet and the chitons they left on the floor. Laurent laughed against Damen’s mouth when they struggled to find an opening in the canopy and Damen joined him, cursed under his breath in mild frustration. When Damen found it, they landed on the bed in a tangle, laughing and kissing, forcing one to a stop to do the other.
They shifted, unwilling to separate. They settled after a few moments, Laurent on his back underneath Damen, Damen between his legs. They kissed to make up for all the kisses they didn’t share over the span of the day, long and hard and desperate. There was no hurry, no holding back behind closed doors. Damen took his time exploring the body he craved as it lay beneath his, planted kisses wherever he pleased. His nose tickled Laurent’s skin, drew breathless giggles from his mouth. Damen paused with his mouth on Laurent’s chest, thumbed at Laurent’s nipple. His gaze flickered up to meet Laurent’s and he repeated the motion, pressed his lips to the peak. Laurent’s inhale was sharp, a hiss of breath through his teeth, and Damen was sure his smile was a smug one.
Damen let his teeth catch on Laurent’s skin as he moved downward, palms against Laurent’s back. He pushed Laurent’s hips up as he kissed him below his navel and Laurent reached for him, like Damen was too far away for his liking. Damen happily obliged, kissed a slow trail to Laurent’s mouth. Their kiss was breathless, sloppy, the eagerness that built up after a day of self restraint obvious in every twist of their tongues.
When Damen pulled away, it was only to find their oil. Damen took advantage of the moment to slide his hand down Laurent’s body, over his bottom and then between. Laurent’s head fell back and Damen whispered encouragement against his neck, massaged gently with the tips of his fingers. Damen felt Laurent’s tension loosen and kissed him hard on the mouth, adjusted so that they lined up properly. Damen eased inside him, bit back an inhuman noise at the slick tightness around his cock.
It was the heavy heat of a summer night, the controlled lack of touch that lasted most of the day that made them both equally hungry. Every thrust of Damen’s hips had Laurent clawing at him, desperately trying to get closer. Their mouths caught on one another’s, noses brushed and foreheads touched and Damen could already feel the climax coming down on him. He slowed down in an attempt to draw it out and Laurent only managed a disagreeing whine. Damen pushed deep into him and Laurent curled toward him, body trembling, breath erratic. Laurent held Damen’s face and tried to look into his eyes, but their synched movements forced Laurent to squeeze his eyes shut. Damen couldn’t keep it at bay any longer and he watched Laurent’s mouth fall open, noted his hair stuck to his forehead with sweat, eyes wild. The beautiful mess of him was Damen’s creation and all it took was watching Laurent come apart beneath him, coating his stomach in strips of white, for Damen to finish inside him, hips working harder as he came undone seeing stars and Laurent all at once.
Damen collapsed on top of Laurent, let his eyes fall closed as he caught his breath.
“Lover,” Laurent called sweetly, toyed with the ends of Damen’s saltwater and sweat soaked hair.
“Not yet,” Damen said, knowing that Laurent only wanted to leave the bed for a moment to retrieve a towel. Damen didn’t mind the mess though, didn’t care that it was drying stickily between them. “Stay with me like this. Just for a moment.”
“Yes, Damen.”
Damen listened to Laurent’s heartbeat while Laurent continued to play with loose strands of Damen’s hair. When Damen finally removed himself, his skin cooled quickly wherr Laurent’s had just pressed against his. He rolled onto his side with a lazy grin and Laurent sat up, bent to kiss him before he stood, weak legged and satisfied. He returned with the towel in hand, but the evidence of their rendezvous still spattered on his skin and Damen sat up as Laurent drew closer.
“I will attend you and you will attend me.”
“In the baths?”
“No, I- should we? We could use it, I’m sure.”
Damen smiled, pulled Laurent towards him. “In the morning. I will attend you and you will attend me,” Damen repeated. “This will do until then.”
Laurent climbed into Damen’s lap, knees bent on either side of Damen’s thighs. He cleaned Damen first and Damen dabbed and wiped Laurent’s stomach until his skin was no longer streaked. Damen disregarded the small towel and rubbed from Laurent’s thighs to his hips. Damen counted in breaths and heartbeats, dipped his head to kiss where Laurent’s pulse thrummed below his skin. Laurent guided their mouths together with gentle hands and Damen parted his lips for Laurent, forced him closer. Their mouths moved with the same calm as the sea in the secluded part down by the steps, an effortless push and pull, a slow rhythm of lips and tongue and exploring hands. Damen was enamored by Laurent’s kisses, the gentle eagerness of them, the poorly hidden desperation and the sweet way he let Damen take the lead.
Damen pulled their mouths apart to plant soft, warm kisses on Laurent’s neck and shoulder, nestled under his chin to kiss his chest.
“Are you not tired?” Laurent laughed.
“No,” Damen answered. He looked up to meet Laurent’s gaze. “Even if I was, I would stay awake to be with you.”
Laurent played with one of Damen’s curls again, dug his fingers into Damen’s hair to hold him in place.
“Stay awake, then.”
“If that is what you want, I will.”
“All night,” Laurent said. “And make love to me while the sun rises.”
Damen’s stomach somersaulted. Impatience hit him like a brick and he pouted at Laurent.
“Why wait?”
“Because,” Laurent said with his lips against Damen’s ear, close enough that his mouth brushed it when he spoke. “It’s the game I like.”
Laurent stole any chance for words away from Damen with a slow, longing kiss and when they separated Damen was breathless, half hard, with Laurent in his arms. He circled his arms around Laurent’s waist and pulled him closer, purposely let their cocks brush against one another. Laurent hissed and let his head fall to rest against Damen’s, elbows propped on Damen’s shoulders. Damen let their lips catch for a moment that flashed as quickly as a shooting star, tipped Laurent’s chin back to mouth at the column of his neck, flick his tongue against the lobe of his ear.
Damen whispered, felt the telltale shift of a chill in Laurent’s spine when he spoke in a tangible breath.
“Good thing two can play.”