This will be happily ever after...

[prince_of_vere]

From here.

"Tears of laughter?" Laurent asked. "You might not have to wait that long."

His breaths came quicker, sharper, jagged on the exhale as Damen unraveled his clothing. He wasn't sure what Damen had in mind, but he didn't want to question it for fear of their tentative peace dissolving yet again.

"How copious of me," Laurent responded, wondering if Damen's skill was anywhere near the level that his recounting of their fictional night would suggest.

Groaning softly as Damen's hand slid under his clothing, Laurent reached for him, winding his arms around Damen's neck and pulling him in for a kiss. There was no need to hold back, especially after their night together had been lost. Laurent's feelings for his new husband were deepening quickly, and he wanted.

Comments

Perfect

[notmyarena]

Damen didn't have the faintest idea how far Laurent would let him take this - although his husband had seemed eager to consummate the marriage for real this morning, so apparently 'how far' was rather far - but he secretly rejoiced at the easy way he was able to capture Laurent for a kiss and a pliant twine around him.

He didn't care that the terms of the 'evidence' had begun rapidly shifting. He still knew that he was in no frame of mind to properly rut Laurent as he'd wished to last night. That didn't mean they couldn't have a little improper rolling in the sheets this morning. Copiously.

His rasped response was lost in Laurent's mouth. He plied at the soft-silken bulge of flesh beneath his hand, quietly marveling at the perfect shape of it. He'd never gotten a truly good feel much less look at it last night. Laurent was perfect. Damen's hand cupped him fully, gently squeezing him through the panties. He wondered how hard they would be to get in to this time.

"You have already made such a mess of my sheets," he chided, low, warm voice against Laurent's jaw. "What's a little more to add to it?"

[prince_of_vere]

Laurent tried, poorly, to stifle a keening noise as Damen palmed at him, exploring him through the soft fabric of his undergarments. He'd never been explored before, and Damen's combination of gentleness and dominance was intoxicating.

"The servants will be so wroth with me," Laurent murmured, shuddering in Damen's arms and nipping at his throat. "You ought to properly undress me. I don't think that this morning's wardrobe is supposed to be included in the example. Aside from a bit of rumpling."

Damen's skin was hot against his lips, muscles and tendons shifting under the surface. Laurent flicked his tongue over the skin of Damen's throat, tasting him, testing what he could do with his mouth. They'd barely met and Laurent already craved him.

[notmyarena]

Damen did laugh at that plaintive murmur, the rumble of the sound rich and throaty against Laurent's mouth. "They will have expected it. Indeed, each mark across the sheets will be exclaimed over and praised for the virility of the King and his Prince." Coming from another man, it might have sounded like a boast; from Damen, it was plainly uttered fact.

He shook his head and tugged Laurent's trousers freer over his hips, pulling the laces free from their eyelets and finding the waistband of his undergarment. "We don't have time for anything more than this." Damen looked amused as he added, "Although if you'd adopted Akielon attire, a full undressing would be a matter of seconds, not hours."

Laurent's mouth was brushing close to that little reddened mark of indents on his neck. Damen knew he'd not told Laurent no, which was dangerous leeway. He couldn't imagine Laurent not using that privilege again.

But Damen found slack in the panties and simply slipped within. Immediately, warm flesh filled his hand. He curled around it, a thumb cresting the sloped head. "We must leave them a reason to exclaim."

[prince_of_vere]

"If I'd adopted Akielon attire, it would just be a matter of flipping up the hem and taking your pleasure of me," Laurent replied, smirking at him.

He gasped softly as Damen's hand surrounded him. Pressing his forehead against Damen's shoulder, Laurent gave a little whine. "Well, good luck with that, then," he said. "If you're concerned about the time, you might be better off playing your own flute. Mine might not provide, ah, results."

He sorely didn't want to go into further details than that. Most nights he didn't bother touching himself, knowing that it might be fruitless unless he had several days of frustration and longing behind it or had the time and inclination to really lose himself in it. Frustration, self-loathing, a fixation upon control and a tendency toward boredom all kept Laurent from easy climaxes.

[notmyarena]

"That is a very fair goal to work towards." Damen quietly enjoyed the first touch skin-to-skin, his fingers tucking around the velvety finish of Laurent's flesh. He clasped it, rubbed the heel of his hand against its length. He didn't have much room to do more than that, but then that was his own fault for not divesting Laurent of his garments first.

"Ah." Damen glanced down at him, brows lifting slightly. This was news to him. Laurent had been so responsive with him, he'd assumed that this would extend to his -

Yes, he could see why that would be something Laurent wouldn't want to talk about. In wordless soothing, he stroked a hip and edged the silk down over them.

"I would still like to touch you," he said, honestly. "And for you to touch me, if that pleases you. If not...you could kiss me and let me..." Damen's nose wrinkled as he repeated the very Veretian expression. " 'Play my flute.' "

[prince_of_vere]

Laurent smiled a little at the face Damen made. Nodding once, he slid his hand under Damen's garments, tugging at the string of his undergarment in order to release it. "We should properly undress. The idea is to muss the sheets, not our clothing."

And, Laurent couldn't deny, he wanted the few moments of reprieve before they continued, nervous about laying his hand on Damen.

He pulled away slightly, shucking his clothing with relative ease, because he knew all the laces to pull. He stripped all the way down, too proud and aware of his beauty to mind nudity. It made him vulnerable, but he was very stubbornly trying not to think about that fact.

Shy and wary and trying desperately to only show laziness and pride, Laurent settled again onto the bed. "My king."

[notmyarena]

It was almost shockingly easy to get Damen fully nude. He released the clasps of his chiton. "You think I could not manage to aim properly?" Damen's lips twitched. He had had plenty of practice rutting half-dressed without causing any extra work for his wardrobe's laundresses.

But Laurent seemed to want to be naked with him. Damen yielded. He too was unconcerned with his own nudity, the dark bronze of his skin seeming even darker against the crisp white of the sheets, the breadth of his muscles in relaxed quiescence.

Much more fascinating to Damen was the sight of Laurent's bareness, sprawled out beside him, his first glimpse at all of his new husband. Dark eyes swathed Laurent in unconcealed lust and wonder, the touch of his hand across Laurent's chest was reverent. "I wish my poet's skill was greater, that I could praise your beauty as it deserves."

He pressed forward, and a thigh brushed Laurent's leg as the leonine king bent down to kiss his lips.

[prince_of_vere]

Laurent could get used to being looked at like that. So many people looked at him as though he was something to possess. Damen, who did possess him, looked at him as though he was something wonderful.

His heart caught in his throat, and he warmed and relaxed as Damen kissed him. Returning it heatedly, Laurent sighed into it, letting himself focus only on the physical pleasure and not on his nerves.

Damen's body was so warm against him. Laurent regretted, a little, that they would be living in such a hot clime. He thought he might like the idea of living somewhere snowy and pressing against Damen's body for warmth.

Fingertips skimming over Damen's chest, Laurent hesitated again and again, fingers sliding down and then darting away like a spooked rabbit. He knew well enough how to touch himself, but he'd never touched anyone else, and Damen was intimidating, for all of Laurent's blithe dismissals. His fingers brushed Damen's shaft, then twitched away as though he'd been burned.

[notmyarena]

They had not had enough time last night to appreciate the bare contact of skin, Damen thought, marveling at the exquisite softness of Laurent against him. The softness was only surface, however; beneath, his body was firm, lithe, a dancer's tautness in his sinews and curves, like a well-strung bow.

Damen explored it with more and more sureness, once he saw that Laurent was not skittish about being touched. Touching in return, however...

The Akielon King grunted his amusement. "It doesn't bite." The nervous touch was more diverting than arousing, but kissing and petting Laurent had awakened the sleeping giant to more than half its waking state. "Unlike you."

Damen took Laurent's hand and curled it around himself, his own hand blanketing them both. "I like a strong grip, like a bold handshake." He squeezed Laurent's hand, which in turn made the clasp firmer, tighter around him. Against Laurent's palm, his cock twitched and stiffened a little more. He was big enough to need a good amount of stimulation to achieve his full potential. Or a very stimulating lover, which the provocative man in his bed certainly could be.

Laurent: not a direction-follower

[prince_of_vere]

"I know what I'm doing," Laurent snapped, even though he didn't, really. Not from this angle. Not like this.

He bit down on the edge of Damen's jaw, taking his frustration out that way, which had the various advantages of stinging Damen and leaving a rather unmistakeable mark for the appreciation of the court later. Swatting away Damen's hand, Laurent immediately defied his guidance and cupped his palm lower, around Damen's sack. He rubbed his thumb in soft circles over the fragile testes, shifting them within their veil of skin and toying with Damen's reactions there rather than where Damen wanted him to touch.

RIP Damen's future babies

[notmyarena]

Damen jumped in surprise, both from the bite (which he really should have been expecting) and the sudden flash of rebellion from Laurent. His muscles jumped too, ready to leap into whatever action was required of them, which was nothing in this case, but it took a moment or two for him to uncoil. He was used to instructing in bed, and to being obeyed, and Laurent was having none of it.

Damen couldn't say he minded. He liked being touched there; he often guided his lover's hands just as Laurent was doing. But...Laurent literally had him by the balls. He had two very important reasons to be worried about that.

"I know." His body stayed on edge, but his lips sighed an unconscious admission of pleasure and his eyelids drooped. Those fingers were being wonderfully gentle and skilled in their fondling. His knee pressed forward, thighs parting to allow the touch. "I know what I'm doing too, but I don't know what pleases you yet." He cupped Laurent's hip, stroked a thumb over the crease of his thigh. He'd never had such a beautifully volatile lover. At any moment there could be another vase shattered and storming-off.

He just hoped his balls weren't the vase.

screw you Damen's future babies

[prince_of_vere]

Laurent softened a little at Damen's response. He nuzzled at Damen's cheek, soothed by the gentle touch and the lack of reprimand for his rebellion.

Tempted though Laurent was to tease the way he had last night, they did have some time restraints. His fingers released their hostages and trailed upward, lingering over Damen's cock. He didn't use the firm grip that Damen had requested, too curious about what other reactions he could get out of him. Stroking swift and light as he sought out sensitive spots, Laurent kept his eyes locked on Damen's face, studying him as though he were a puzzle to be solved.

None for you, Laurent

[notmyarena]

Damen was learning. Which didn't mean he would always follow what he had learned; he thought it might be very satisfying, melting Laurent down in bed until he was did obey those commands. But for now, in the early stages of their intimacy, a light hand was more effective than a heavy blow, figuratively speaking.

"Does teasing me top that list?" He shifted subtly against Laurent's hand. He was obviously used to more, and to asking for more. But he submitted to the light touches with nothing more than a wry look at his lover.

His own hands were not idle, either. In every way, he wanted to know Laurent, to know his body so well that he could play any part of it to the fullest. He imitated Laurent's movements, spreading softly over his groin with a hand splayed across one thigh and the other sweeping gentle strokes along his length.

Laurent would easily find the best places to touch: the smooth rounded head, the dip of the ridge where it connected with the shaft, the thick vein up the underside, and oh the slit that was starting to leak precome. Damen inhaled. He was getting harder, even without the pressure he usually needed. His gaze flicked curiously at Laurent, darkening eyes revealing his own pleasure at the touches. He brushed a thumb over the delta of Laurent's frenulum. "Since you know yourself better than I...will you help me please you?"

[notmyarena]

It had taken a few days to pry themselves away from their rooms at Marlas, but at last the royal retinue had readied themselves for the journey back to Akielos, to tour the regions and receive the kyroi's congratulations on the King and Prince's nuptials. There were a number of both Veretians and Akielons in attendance and in the royal guard, and Damen had personally appointed one of his most trusted generals to accompany them on their journey.

He wished now, staring heavy-browed at the figure of Laurent riding very close indeed to the young and handsome Theron, that he had selected a much older and decrepit general to escort their party.

Theron's helmet was off and his long dark curls tumbled down his back. He was as fine a specimen of manhood as Akielos had to offer, and she had offered many exemplary specimens in recent history. His skin shone a burnished bronze in the sunlight and the straps of his armor seemed to fit with perfect acumen around the sinews of his broadly muscled body.

Damen had never disdained that body so much as he did now.

As he rode, he watched intently, wanting to interrupt but wanting more to see what Laurent would do.

[prince_of_vere]

Laurent had spent the past day avoiding Damen as much as he could. He felt skittish and vulnerable after their union. Damen had won him, claimed him, and Laurent was terrified by it, and terrified by how much he wanted more, how much he wanted to give himself heedlessly--heart and body--to Damen.

The illusion of their marriage was secured, at least, by the love bites covering Damen, and--less visible under Laurent's high collar--Laurent.

He was still wearing his Veretian clothing as they left Marlas, looking pristine and untouchable as he rode. Damen's gaze was heavy on him, but Laurent was getting used to that. He was very accustomed to being intently watched, and he at least trusted that Damen's gaze had no ill intent against him.

Laurent was busy chatting with Theron, a high ranking general who was evidently a personal friend of the King, as he became aware that Damen's gaze was a little more intent than he'd become accustomed to. It was also more focused on Theron.

Jealousy, or did he have a reason to distrust Theron? Either way, he was simply being too blatant about it, and it was making it difficult for Laurent to secure Theron as an ally.

Ignoring Damen as much as he dared, Laurent flirted with Theron unreservedly for a couple of hours, then struck up conversation with another of the nobles in the party, flirting with him instead in order to reduce the amount of rumors specifically linking him to Theron.

[notmyarena]

Damen simply didn't understand why, after the bliss of their night together and the happiness they'd shared, Laurent seemed to be going out of his way to shy away from his new husband. Had Damen offended him again somehow? He racked his brain, reviewing his actions, trying to think anything he might have said or done that Laurent could find displeasing. He had to admit he knew his consort too little as of yet to know everything that might have upset him.

He'd resolved to simply ask Laurent. Yet getting him alone, even out of earshot of others, had proved impossible so far. Instead, Laurent had seemed much too keen to be in the company of almost any other man except Damen.

The Akielon King's jaw tightened. Laurent was the one who looked untouched by their encounter. It was Damen who bore the bruises and bites of their passion openly, the low-necked chiton hiding nothing. And it was Damen who watched him throw himself at other men and glowered like the jealous husband that he was.

He had no reason to distrust Theron. The man wouldn't have been in Kastor's employ, couldn't have been. Damen felt very sure of his loyalty. Yet it was clear the general was flattered by the handsome Prince's attention. Theron always had been partial to a pretty face.

Alector, a council member of high rank, seemed more confused by Laurent's flirting. He glanced around, as if Laurent surely must be talking to someone behind him.

Yes, Damen thought with grim mirth. He's talking to me, just misjudging my proximity. Well done, Alector.

At the pause for the mid-day meal, Damen had to restrain himself from striding straight to Laurent and demanding explanations. He turned instead to Theron. Damen, never the best of actors, looked barely contained in his ire. "What is your opinion of our new Prince?"

Theron looked as if he was grasping for fitting words. "An amiable man, exalted," he said, inclining his head. "And a highly intelligent one. I do not think him likely to act thoughtlessly."

[prince_of_vere]

Damen's ill-temper kept up, from what Laurent could seem. He doubted the King was accustomed to being ignored, but Laurent had better things to do. He wanted to acquaint himself with his retinue and to start to make friends and allies within Akielos. Damen's ego could wait a few more hours to be petted.

Making the acquaintance of a group of soldiers over lunch, Laurent kept Damen in his periphery, wondering if the king was really so coarse and temperamental as to cause a ruckus about it.

Or to simply toss Laurent over his shoulder and demand Laurent's sole attention.

[notmyarena]

Theron was trying to tell him, Laurent had a plan. That much was clear to Damen. But damned if he could figure out what that plan was.

If Laurent had just told him straight up what he was going to do... but that was not Laurent's way, not at all.

He looked hard at Theron. "You count him wise?"

The general glanced over at the bright-haired man surrounded by some of his best soldiers. "He is no fool, the man you've married."

Damen knew he wasn't going to get more out of Theron without greater privacy than what they had here. He nodded, and put his hand on Theron's shoulder. "Neither are you, general. Your loyal service does not go unnoticed."

But if he bedded Damen's new husband, the gods themselves could not protect his manhood.

[prince_of_vere]

After lunch, Laurent went to his glowering husband, greeting him with an arched brow and a kiss. Even if Damen was being comedically unpleasant, Laurent couldn't allow it to be thought that they were quarreling. He pressed close, sliding his arms up around Damen's shoulders and giving him a wickedly seductive look, all mostly for the benefit of the retinue around them.

"What?" Laurent asked him, soft and taunting, for Damen's ears only. "Is that the face you make when you haven't had an orgasm in a whole day?"

[notmyarena]

Given how pointedly Laurent had been ignoring him, Damen couldn't have been more surprised by the public affectionate greeting than if Laurent had stripped naked for him on the spot. (Given how many eyes were on them, eyes that had recently been in flirtation exchange with the Veretian prince, Damen definitely preferred the more chaste display.)

And now, he was flirting with the man he should have been all along - his husband. The dark-haired King looked at Laurent with confusion across his features, until his wicked consort opened his mouth. Damen's abruptly snapped shut. Whatever he was about to say was swept utterly astray. All he wanted was for the affectionate, trusting man he'd had in his bed so recently to be with him on this journey, instead of this...dangerous stranger.

"It's the face I make when I start to wonder if I've married a whore masquerading as a prince," he grumbled.

[prince_of_vere]

Hurt surprise flickered briefly in Laurent's eyes, though he hid it quickly enough, drawing his arms away from Damen. It was a surprisingly sharp accusation, especially considering that Laurent had done nothing to earn it. He would have preferred being struck across the face by his new husband in front of their audience.

Whore.

Stung deeply, Laurent took a step back and turned, keeping his spine straight and his face cooly impassive to hide his reeling pride. Options and retorts spun through his head, limited by his knowledge that they were very much on display.

Pretend that we're in love. Laugh it off and make an excuse to get some air.

"Then don't fear you'll ever need to be troubled again by a whore in your bed, my king," Laurent hissed, letting the hurt rage show on his face, even though the rest of the camp wouldn't know what it was that had caused the quarrel.

His horse was only a few paces distant, ready to go, though the business of packing up after lunch was only half done. Laurent loosed the reins and mounted in two swift movements, putting heels to his horse and taking off down the road. He didn't much care where he was going, as long as he didn't have to spend the next minutes looking at Damen's face.

[notmyarena]

Laurent couldn't quite conceal how deep the sting had found its mark. Damen didn't enjoy hurting him, but there was a small part of him that was vindictively satisfied that Laurent knew exactly what sort of feelings his actions had stirred up in Damen. Hurt, betrayal, confusion. He could tell by the proud set of Laurent's posture that he had touched a nerve.

But it had not been the right way to go about that. Damen knew it even before Laurent's furious hiss, and the sudden retreat that followed. For a moment, Damen felt too stunned by the abruptness of it all to know what to do.

There was no way he couldn't go after Laurent.

The King's horse was fast for his size, and ready for the slightest whim of his rider. Damen set off down the road at a gallop. He hadn't the faintest idea what he was going to say to Laurent when he caught up with him. Plan or no plan, Laurent had been flaunting himself to other men. It was shameful to his new position, and made Damen seem a cuckold. But then, Damen had not asked him to explain what he was up to, either.

His thoughts remained a flurry as he rode, and he could think of nothing but finding Laurent and getting to the bottom of this.

[prince_of_vere]

Laurent was the better rider, and he knew he could outride Damen, even if the terrain was unfamiliar. But as the initial flash of rage faded, all that was left was hurt.

He'd let himself believe Damen could be kind. That Damen might even trust him. Love him.

That was folly.

Drawing up, Laurent let Damen catch up to him, expression icy to conceal his vulnerability. He kept his grip on the reins taut, far too skittish to let Damen come anywhere near grabbing distance. "Come to fetch back your whore, my king? Perhaps you ought to have brought chains to remind me of my station."

[notmyarena]

Damen drew his horse to a halt, aware that Laurent had let him approach. That was something at least. He came within speaking distance, although he could see that Laurent was poised to flee again and knew he must choose his words well.

"I came," he said plainly, "to fetch back my husband. And to ask him what I should have asked him before." There was a heaviness to Damen's expression that suggested his wrath of before had not been entirely subdued, though it was muted considerably by the concern and solicitude he felt at Laurent's flight. He had to wonder if any of this had been in Laurent's plan when he'd first started making his rounds today.

"Will you hear my question?"

[prince_of_vere]

It wasn't exactly an apology, but it was at least an opening to parlay, and included the possibility of finding out what--if anything--had goaded Damen into speaking so cruelly. Laurent's pride and temper warred with his duty, his eternal struggle of trying to curb his tongue.

"Is it about my price, your highness?" Laurent asked, acerbic, though he was at least staying to listen rather than fleeing further. "I thought you'd already learned that I won't be fucked for anything less than a kingdom."