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Nikos Legundo was awake.
Nikos Legundo was awake for the first time in more years then he knew how to count. This was the first time he had felt a cool evening breeze. The first time he had sat under the twinkling constellations, each one telling a different story that he had been alive too long ago to even understand. The first time he had felt soft grass brushing past the heels of his leather sandals. The first time he had to wash dirt and mud off his skin from a long day. And the first time his heart had raced with anticipation.
But despite the eventful day and his earlier claims of being able to sleep better than he ever did since he was alive, the moment Nikos lay down on his bedroll he found his eyes unable to shut and his thoughts incapable of slowing down there neverending race against time.
So much had happened in such a short time that Nikos had barely even gotten a chance to catch his breath. Let alone relax enough to sleep.
“He had to win,”
“He had to win,”
“He needed that wish,” His brain kept repeating, not giving his subconscious a break.
“Being resurrected to be the champion of the king of the gods was not as easy as it sounded,” Nikos chuckled to himself as he sat on the cliff edge next to where he had set up camp earlier that day, looking out over the vast stretch of land in front of him.
Nikos was halfway through a tired sigh, weathered by years stuck in The Underworld, when he heard faint footsteps approaching.
“Hello?” Nikos wondered, pushing himself to his feet as he searched the dark tree lined hillside for life.
“Hey,” A familiar voice said as a figure that Nikos had already memorized stepped out from behind the bushes.
Scott. Champion of Aeolus.
Soft wispy white hair that floated around his pale, carefully sculpted face like clouds. Flowy blue clothes snatched in by an intricate corset so tight Nikos was sure it had to be painful, yet the pain was at the cost of a jaw dropping figure. A floaty shawl-like piece of fabric draped over Scott's muscled arms. And a face so beautiful Nikos almost gasped just looking at Scott’s razor sharp jawline, perfect cupid's bow and blue eyes so deep and shiny Nikos would be happy to lose his life drowning in them.
“Hello, Pretty One.”
________
Scott, much like Nikos, couldn't sleep. He was used to life on the road and sleeping in unexpected places every night without knowing if you will be spending the next evening there, or across the world. And yet Scott couldn't seem to relax, with a heart beating so fast it felt like it might break through his chest and thought whipping through his mind like a tornado.
At some point in the night he decided he couldn't stay there, lying in a sleeping bag, tossing and tuning the night away.
So he went on a walk, just to stretch his aching legs and get a few gasps of fresh air, certainly the freshest air he had tasted in years at least.
The walk was fine, slow, predictable and not anything worth recounting in the morning if someone asked how his night was.
And then he heard an unmistakable gruff voice call out to him.
“Hello?” Nikos asked.
The moment he did Scott froze, because the last and first person Scott wanted to run into was the highly attractive champion of Zeus.
But there he was whispering “Hey.” back to him and slowly leaving his shadowy spot in the trees.
“Hello, Pretty One,” Nikos murmured the moment Scot revealed himself, a grin splitting the fighter's face into something warm and almost comforting as he took in Scott.
Scott was used to having people's eyes wander, he was used to being looked up and down and studied by people that swore he was just a friend. Yet when Nikos did it it felt all new because in his eyes was a blooming glow of affection and curiosity, not just the familiar look of hungry desire that Scott was used to. And Scott didn't hate the looks of thirst but after a while they had started to feel almost fake because every man looking at him like that only truly wanted one thing, and it definitely wasn’t to get to know him for who he was. As Nikos eyed him up and down Scott felt his face start to flush and couldn't help but don the same taking in the strong muscles of his fellow champions calves and thighs before looking further upward to his broad, toned chest and spiral of tattoos arching across his solid shoulders, muscular biceps and chiseled pecs. He was unfairly hot, Scott had no shame in admitting it. His face looked like there should be a famous painting of it with startling gray-brown eyes, tanned skin, angular eyebrows and thick, silky hair in a delicious shade of chocolate brown.
“Hi.” Scott smiled slyly, showing off his dimples that many men before had told him were cute before kissing each one slowly, then before he could really think about it he added “Handsome.”
Nikos’ whole demeanor changed with just that word and suddenly he was the one blushing a furious shade of tomato red.
“So what brings you here,” He stuttered, big hands fidgeting with each other as he tried in vain to regain his composure.
Scott hadn't expected that to make Nikos so nervous, the warrior seemed so stoic and unbreakable before, but here he was sweating after one man called him handsome.
“Oh you know, couldn't sleep,” Scott laughed, stepping closer to the other champion, striding into his personal space with confidence, looking up at him in a playful way he could only drop because of their few inches height difference. Scott didn't know why, but messing with Nikos like this was fun. More fun than he ever had in the land of the dead.
“Huh, me neither." Nikos grinned, meeting Scott’s eyes with an unexpected amount of charisma.
Scott giggled.
The champions' faces were now mere inches from each other, yet neither of them seemed to be backing down. If anything they almost seemed to want to prove to each other that they could flirt as much as possible without even breaking a sweat.
“You look very pretty right now,” Nikos whispered, leaning down, lips delicately brushing Scott's ear and sending a thousand lighting bolts of electricity down Scott’s spine.
Scott knew exactly what Nikos had just done and simply batted his eyelashes at him.
“Compliments will get you everywhere with me, Cutie.” Scott winked.
“Everywhere?” Nikos raised an eyebrow, then took it one step further, “I don't think I would mind everywhere.” At “Everywhere” Nikos flicked his eyes up and down Scott once more.
“You sure you want to play that game, Nikos,” Scott smirked.
“You said you're a lover not a fighter correct?”
Scott nodded, “Well I've been told I have other talents”
“Care to prove that?” Nikos got even closer to the point in which his and Scott's noses were almost touching.
To think that only ten minutes ago Scott had believed that he was going out on a calming midnight walk, peaceful and unremarkable, and now his body was pressed so close to Nikos’ he could feel every muscle and protruding part of him against his own.
“You wish.” Scott pressed a quick kiss to the champion's cheek before turning on his heel to walk off. Truthfully Scott didn’t know if pursuing anything with Nikos was worth it, after all he wasn’t the only person the man had been flirting with when they first met. He should honestly save himself the heartache and go back to bed.
But then Nikos grabbed his wrist.
The man was bright red, with little bolts of lighting flashing around his face, all stemming from the spot where Scott's lips had touched him, and his eyes seemed to be screaming at Scott not to leave.
“Wait!” Nikos said, using Scott's wrist to pull him closer and turn him at the same time so that the two were facing once more.
“Don’t go Scott!”
“Why not?” Scott shrugged, quirking an eyebrow.
“Becuase I haven't done this yet!”
Then Nikos brought his lips to Scott's, and kissed him.
The kiss was soft and sweet and not at all what Scott had expected this hulking warrior to kiss like. Nikos was tender in every move of his mouth as he coiled his strong arms around Scott’s waist pulling the man so close the two were practically merging into one another.
“May I?” Nikos whispered into Scott's mouth.
“What a gentleman,” Scott smiled against his lips before opening his mouth to allow Nikos’ tongue to slip inside.
And god that just made the kiss even sweeter, like Nikos’ tongue was coated in honey leaving behind a sweet trail every time it grazed Scott's mouth. The kiss tasted sweet and true like a bowl of ambrosia or the greatest wish from the gods.
“Kiss me like you want it, Pretty Boy,” Scott murmured as he began to trail a path of kisses down Nikos’ neck stopping at the top of his chest. Waiting…
Then Nikos grabbed him, pinning him to one of the trees that Scott had been previously hiding behind and began to kiss him with a desperate kind of urgency. He wanted this. He wanted this so badly. The kiss became rougher as both men’s mouths started to move quicker and press harder against each other, almost fighting to be in control of the kiss. And somewhere along the way Nikos’ hands found themselves beginning to explore Scott, gentle at first, more hesitant, as they traveled downward from Scott's face to his shoulders, then down his back, eventually settling on the strings of his corset. But they rapidly became quicker and more precise as they untied Scott’s corset in a matter of seconds with practiced precision, undoing each silky,blue ribbon, allowing it to fall to the floor, forgotten at their feet.
“Wow… you are good with your hands,” Scott smirked, grinning as Nikos’ hands began to freely explore his bare back, each press of his calloused fingertips bringing new zaps of electricity through his body.
“You know it,” Nikos laughed against Scott's mouth before kissing him one last time with enough force to keep him pinned under Zeus’ champion’s massive chest.
“Now show me what you've got,” He challenged, leaning back.
________
It was a foolish request. Nikos should have known that going in. Asking Scott of all people to kiss him the best he could. Dumb as fuck. But there he was begging the drop dead gorgeous champion of Aeolus to give him the best he had.
At the request Scott raised an eyebrow and Nikos couldn’t help but notice the way it made his forehead start to crinkle and his perfect lips sail upward in a smile.
“That was really the best you thought I could do?” Scott’s face slid into its familiar smirk, “Then get ready for a real kiss, Handsome.”
Then Scott’s lips were on Nikos’ once more. But this time everything felt different because Scott wasn't holding back anymore. Every move he made had a purpose. When he drove his hands through Nikos’ shoulder length hair his real goal was to subtly bring his hands down to brace against Nikos’ bare chest. When leaned back and opened his mouth to Nikos in, it was to allow his own tongue into the ring. When he moaned like this was his everything he used the distraction to turn both men's bodies so that Scott was now the one pinning the other champion. Every time Scott slipped his tongue back and forth between Nikos’ lips Nikos felt more alive then he had felt when he was actually resurrected.
Scott kissed like a drug. Scott kissed like a drug that anyone that tasted it would get addicted to.
“Scott,” Nikos groaned against the man, desperate for a break from each dose of lust Scott was quickly feeding him one after another with each press of his lips.
But thank god Scott released him, letting Nikos sump against the tree as he gasped for air.
Yet just because Scott let his lips free didn’t mean he was finished. Far from it in fact.
As soon as Scott removed his mouth he began to trail kisses down Nikos’ chin leaving Nikos in a dizzy, dazed state of utter shock and delight. Especially when the kisses began to travel even further downwards down Nikos’ neck and across his bare chest.
“You spoil me, Pretty One,” Nikos whispered into Scott's hair as the kisses descended lower and lower.
“But please, kiss me again,” He begged. Nikos didn't remember the last time he had begged for something with as much desperation as he had done in that moment. It was worth it though as Scott happily obliged, delivering a kiss that took Nikos’ breath away. Literally. With each kiss Nikos felt more and more like he couldn't breathe. Like the air was being sucked out of his lungs without Scott. But as soon as the contact between the two champions was returned Nikos could feel fresh air soaring back into his lungs. The kisses were keeping him alive and that only made him want the sweet air Scott could give him more and more.
“Hey,” Scott said, pulling back abruptly, ”Maybe we should slow down for the night?”
“Of course,” Nikos stuttered, he had gotten ahead of himself and caught up in the moment he knew that, it was painfully clear when he looked down to see his hands clasped so tightly around Scott’s waist that it must hurt, and he also knew that he had to take things one at a time when it came to relationships.
“Okay,” Scott smiled fondly at him as he took a slow step backward.
“But unfortunately, after what I’ve just experienced I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep for a while,” Nikos joked, intending a harmless tone merely to poke fun, but Scott’s eyes instantly filled with something akin to guilt.
“How’s this then?” Scott asked, walking over to Nikos’ campsite and laying down on his bedroll.
Scott was offering to share a bed with him. To help him sleep. It was the sweetest thing a man had ever done for him. And also the most panic inducing.
“Sure.” Nikos forced a smile to hide his anxiety about sharing a bed with Scott. He didn't even know if there was space for them both without needing to cuddle together.
“Don’t worry I won’t make it weird,” Scott gave him a goofy thumbs up before rolling to one side of the bedroll allowing Nikos to have more than enough space to sleep.
Despite how much Nikos liked Scott he found himself exhaling a long sigh of relief before he lowered himself next to the other man. The bedroll was small but Scott had given him enough space that only their shoulders were touching.
“So goodnight I guess,” Nikos said as he laid on his back staring up at the twinkling stars overhead, already feeling drowsy after his exciting midnight adventure.
“Good night, Nikos,” Scott replied before turning on his side to face away from the other champion.
“Good night, Pretty One,” Nikos whispered to the stars.
________
When morning came neither man had moved and neither man planned to.
Drift was the one that found them, fast asleep, tangled in each other's arms.
Nikos had one arm under Scott pulling him into his chest while the other rested protectively on his hip.
Scott had both arms wrapped around Nikos’ chest meeting together on his back and one knee slotted in between the warrior's legs.
At first Drift had just stared, not quite sure what she was looking at, then she cleared her throat causing Nikos and Scott to immediately jump apart as both their faces turned bright crimson.
She left soon after, promising not to tell anyone, though Scott had a sneaking suspicion that didn't include Shelby, and the two men had fallen once more into silence.
“I should probably go before more people come looking for us,” Scott said, breaking the silence as he turned back toward his own camp.
“Of course,” Nikos replied, trying to mask his disappointment as Scott walked further and further away.
“Oh wait, I forgot something,” Scott grinned, tuning around to look at Nikos before running over to him.
“And what would that be, Pretty One – ” Nikos started to say before Scott cut him off by pressing one last kiss to his lips.
“See you later, Handsome.”