Chapter Text
They sat on the bench in the orchard, under one of the peach trees. Renly looked up, admiring the branches that seemed to bend under the weight of their fruit.
“Those have to be the most beautiful peaches I have ever seen”, he commented, wonder clear in his voice.
Loras felt the secret thrill he experienced every time Renly praised anything related to Highgarden. It wasn’t the usual pride attached to the family name and ancestral seat, but something much more intimate, as though the Lord was complimenting him personally.
“Allow me to offer you one”, he said hastily.
Renly smiled.
“Gladly. I think I have never eaten any fruit as delicious as those of Highgarden. Your estate’s reputation is not usurped.”
“Those peaches won’t disappoint you”, Loras assured, raising a hand towards the branches full of ripe fruits. He chose the most perfect one he could reach and presented it to his Lord.
Renly thanked him courteously and admired the peach for a moment, running his fingers over the velvety, unblemished skin.
A shiver run down Loras’ back as he looked at him, mesmerized. The sun suddenly felt much hotter on his own skin, scorching him.
“So enticing”, Renly commented, before taking his first bite.
The peach was so swelled and gorged with sunshine that it burst immediately, soaking the young Lord’s lips with its juice. Renly laughed, and swallowed the bite with a little moan of pleasure.
“Exquisite”, he sighed. “You should have one too!”
Loras shook his head, his heart beating furiously in his chest. He watched Renly eat his peach, dreaming of licking off the sweet rivulet of juice that was running down the corner of his lips…and his lips, too…
Stop it, he scolded himself. You mustn’t think such things. You know what happened last time…you cannot always hope that he won’t notice anything! Look away, come on…
Renly wiped his mouth with a silk handkerchief, but Loras still didn’t manage to look away. Renly's eyes were burning through him like two blue suns. His face was very close…so close…
He is leaning towards me! Loras realized suddenly.
Thinking for a moment that his imagination was playing tricks on him, he couldn’t help praying the Gods with all his might that it was real.
Yes, he silently pleaded. Let him be about to kiss me…Let him kiss me…do it, please kiss me…kiss…
But all of a sudden, Renly backed away.
“Forgive me”, he said in a troubled voice. “I…”
He made a movement, as though to get up from the bench.
Loras didn’t think. He threw himself forward on sheer instinct and his lips met Renly’s with an involuntary brutality.
“Seven Hells!” Renly swore, bringing a hand to his mouth.
Horrified, Loras realized what he had just done.
“Oh, no!” He groaned.
I kissed him. I kissed Renly on the mouth. I kissed Lord Renly on the mouth.
Shame and fear were fighting to take over his mind.
It was an unforgivable familiarity on the part of a squire, worse, a veritable offence! And even though he and Renly had grown close enough that they acted like friends more than anything else, it didn’t mean such behaviour would be disregarded.
“P…please, forgive me”, he blurted out. “I don’t know what came over me, I…”
Renly didn’t give him time to finish his sentence. Loras’s eyes went wide in stupefaction when he felt the Lord’s lips on his again…but with a softness that was much different from the first contact. They were fluttering on his skin, and Loras closed his eyes under the caress. After a while, he felt Renly’s tongue gently running along the seam of his lips, and he instinctively opened his mouth.
Renly’s tongue was warm and his mouth tasted like the sweet fruit he had just eaten, and Loras couldn’t get enough of it. Big, strong hands cupped his jaw and he just let himself get submerged by the sensations.
It seemed to last for a very long time, and yet it was over way too soon for Loras’s liking.
He let out a little noise of protest when Renly broke away from him, trying to chase after him, but the man quite literally kept him at arms’ length.
“Loras, wait, I…I really shouldn’t have done that…I’m sorry…”
“What? No, no don’t be! I enjoyed it!” Loras replied earnestly.
“Well I’m very glad you did, but I still shouldn’t have done it…we shouldn’t do any of that together.”
“Why?” Loras all but whined, too far gone to be embarrassed about the way his voice cracked.
“You’re my squire. And you’re five years younger than me! It’s not…it’s not proper. It’s not right. It would feel like I’m taking advantage of you!”
“You’re not taking advantage”, Loras replied fervently. “I wanted this. I want this!”
Renly let out a shuddering breath and tried to run a hand through his hair, forgetting that it was tied up on the nape of his neck with a green ribbon. A few locks slipped out, making him look lovingly dishevelled. Loras wanted so badly to run his own fingers through it.
“You think you do, now”, Renly said. “But you’re so young, Loras, you have no idea…”
“I’m not a child”, Loras cut him off, propriety be damned. “I know what I want.”
I want you.
Renly let out a sigh, mixed with a little chuckle.
“You’re not going to make this any easier, are you?” He said.
“Didn’t you enjoy it too?” Loras asked boldly – though part of him was dreading the answer.
What if Renly had not liked the experience at all? After all, it was Loras’ first kiss. Maybe he was terrible at it, and Renly was just trying to spare his pride by talking about honour and duty…
“Of course I did!” Renly exclaimed. “But that’s not the point…”
Loras just grinned at him, suddenly very pleased with himself. So he wasn’t terrible at it! Renly had enjoyed it too!
“Well then you’re right”, he said mischievously. “I’m not going to make this any easier.”