marlowemuses | This will be happily ever after...

...Or that.

Damen's head tilted and his neck arched in silent sanction of such application of Laurent's mouth. A pleasant shiver rippled over him as nimble lips and teeth worked at his ear. He liked being adored, showered with attention, and particularly coming from Laurent, it held undeniably allure.

The flat circle of his nipple prickled with soft sensation, which spiraled out in delicious waves as Laurent strummed his fingers there. Warm breath wafted over his ear. A low, almost subaudible moan vibrated in Damen's throat. His husband was bolder than a pleasure slave, his actions more possessive and teasing. He had never wanted anyone so badly.

He closed his eyes. Without thinking, his fingers made a fist around himself and swept downward. The thick head jutted from the circle of his hand for a moment, outlined proudly before submerging once more into it on his upward stroke. He wanted to ask Laurent to keep doing that, to keep teasing him this way and he would have no trouble taking care of things quickly. Somehow, talking was difficult just then. Laurent was perceptive, however...

Laurent's nails scraped down Damen's chest, combing through the soft hair, dipping down to his belly and then back up. He didn't need much coaxing to continue, already having a clear idea of how he wanted this to pan out. Damen was his, and Laurent wanted to explore him, to play with Damen's pleasure and see him lose himself in it.

Curious, Laurent lowered his head to Damen's other nipple, flicking his tongue briefly across it and then nipping at the skin around it, leaving a significant bite mark on the side of Damen's pectoral.

His hand stayed low on Damen's belly, only just out of the way of Damen's stroking, as he experimented with kisses and soft scrapes of his teeth over Damen's nipple. His nails dug in slightly to the soft skin beneath Damen's navel, wanting to give Damen a little bit of the sense of vulnerability he felt, so that Damen would have to trust him.

The cadence of Laurent's fingers and nails was both soothingly hypnotic and the sort of playful affection that warmed Damen from within. He sank into it, rumbling again with pleasure with the first touch of wet tongue across his nipple. This was -

His body jerked in surprise, still not used to the assault of teeth on his skin. Eyes wide open once more, Damen forced himself not to pull away. He would deliberately give himself over to Laurent's attentions, even if his instincts perceived them as something that needed defending against. After all, he didn't mind seeing the proof of them lingering for days, the way the mark on his neck had, and Laurent's mouth was soft and warm and pleasurable.

And then the pressure of those nails was another point of vulnerability, placed just so, right beside the scar Kastor had left on him. Damen tensed. He was keenly reminded that the last time he'd trusted someone to have only the best intentions towards him, he'd almost lost his kingdom and his life for it. He watched Laurent closely, his muscles taut and hand stilling to a crawl.

Something had gone wrong. Uncertain as to what had put Damen so suddenly on the defensive, Laurent pulled back his hand, resting it gently on the center of Damen's chest. He sat up a little, softly kissing the tip of Damen's nose, radiating gentle reassurance as he watched his lover. "I'm sorry. We're both so touchy, aren't we?"

He gave Damen a sad, sympathetic smile, hating that they were both such a mess, though he wasn't entirely sure what he'd done wrong. "It's all right. Tell me what you want."

Laurent was not Kastor. No, Damen had known Kastor for decades and still was deceived by him. Laurent was still an unknown variable to him, their short acquaintance hardly enough to understand his true motives and feelings. Damen wanted with all his heart to believe that they were honest and true, with the same affection Laurent showed him in unguarded moments, but...how could he be sure?

Damen let out his breath, which he'd unconsciously held. He uncurled his hand, spreading it out over his thigh. "I...didn't mean to. You did nothing wrong. That place has...memories for me." Not good ones. Not ones he particularly wanted to reveal to Laurent at this moment.

He met Laurent's eyes, and was quiet for a few seconds. Now he understood Laurent's uncertainty. "I don't know," Damen said honestly. He was left in a daze of confusion, taken abruptly from the more pleasant trend of Laurent's attentions that had made this activity palatable to him. He had no desire to finish the job; the half-hard state of him now testified to that. He'd never experienced anything a tenth so complicated in the bedroom as this.

Wordlessly, he tucked an arm around Laurent's shoulders and drew his head down to nestle against Damen's chest, trying to communicate his wish to be close, even when his own feelings warred with each other.

"I'm sorry," Laurent murmured, again. He did not apologize easily or often, but it was not his way to intentionally disorient someone who was vulnerable to him.

Hugging close to Damen, Laurent cuddled up against his side, head on Damen's shoulder and legs tangled loosely around one of Damen's legs. As much as he wanted to continue, cuddling was much more appealing at the moment. Damen's broad chest was warm and solid, and he felt safe like this.

"I enjoyed that," he said, tracing the line of Damen's collarbones. "Even though we didn't get very far."

Damen was glad that they could always seem to find common ground in a comforting embrace. He tilted his head against Laurent's, nose buried in his fair hair. Both arms encircled his husband. He could not have put into words just then how much this was what he wanted.

A breath like the hint of a laugh followed Laurent's commentary. Damen cupped a hand around Laurent's bare shoulderblade. "If I was not so 'impatient' to you, where might we have gone?" He sounded curious, no frustration in his tone. It was easier, somehow, to talk about it after the fact when there seemed little likelihood of resuming just then, than it had been negotiating things during the fact.

"I think we both know where we'd eventually like this to lead," Laurent said, with a wry little smirk. He kissed the skin of Damen's shoulder, nestling closer into Damen's arms. "I know you would have respected me enough to wait, no matter how 'impatient' you felt," Laurent said, fond and teasing, amused that Damen had fastened upon that with some significance. "I didn't want the guilt of knowing that you must be aching for it, and me constantly pulling back."

Hugging tight to him, Laurent sighed, nuzzling his face into Damen's throat. "I like the way you smell," he confessed, and then immediately regretted the honesty. It was simply too embarrassing.

Damen almost smiled. He tucked Laurent a little closer, fitted his arms perfectly around him. "I think I understand," he said, quietly relieved that Laurent had acted as he had for his own sake and not out of any fear that Damen would simply plunder ahead if the need grew too great. "I was happy to do whatever made you feel comfortable. Even if there's no need for you to feel guilty about that. I would rather wait until you're ready to...touch me yourself." His voice was wry as he added, "I promise to be more patient next time you do."

Damen leaned his head back, throat arched for Laurent's nuzzle, hearing the confession murmured there... And then he did smile, broadly and suddenly, the way sunlight bursts through the gray of a rainy day. "That's good," he commented mildly, stroking Laurent's hair. "It would bode ill for us both if you found my scent repulsive." He wondered how keen Laurent's senses were, if he would be able to smell the faint traces of limestone and minerals amid the salt of Damen's sweat, the faint whiff of olive oil from his daily massages.

Laurent snorted, nipping fondly at Damen's throat. "And if I simply want to watch sometimes?" he asked, licking at Damen's skin to taste the salt on it. "Am I out of luck for that?"

Sitting up partway, Laurent tugged at the laces on one side of his hips, guiding Damen's hand to help him. "Help me out of these," he said, turning his head to kiss Damen's forehead, then returning his attention to the laces.

Damen's brows raised high on his forehead. This was a new revelation for him. "I didn't know you wanted to." The swipe of Laurent's tongue was meltingly soft. "Does that really--?" He couldn't imagine it. He couldn't imagine simply watching Laurent and not wanting to put hands on him himself. He would do it, of course, if Laurent wanted, but doing it by choice...

His contemplation was cut short, his help requested. Doing that. He stared at Laurent a moment. After everything, now was when Laurent wanted to get more naked? He touched the laces. "Laurent." His fingers tugged at the magic loosening thread. The sleep garment took mere moments to unfasten, and Damen's hand lingered at the waistband, smoothing over a hipbone. His gaze remained questioningly fixed on his husband's face.

The befuddled look on Damen's face was endearing. Of course he had no idea that people might simply enjoy watching. It was most of what Laurent had ever done, with the constant voyeurism available in the Veretian court.

"Unless you don't want to," Laurent said, meeting Damen's eyes with a teasing smile, because he was pretty confident that Damen always wanted to get him naked. He kissed Damen's lips softly, then lifted his hips so that Damen could tug the pajama pants off of him.

Damen's eyes glinted. "You may...keep going." When Laurent teased him like this, so freely and fondly, without fear, in turn it made Damen felt wonderfully at ease; calm and happy; ready to do anything to please him.

He hooked his fingers around the material on either side and gently drew the clothing down Laurent's raised hips. He kept his gaze upwards, locked with Laurent's eyes, checking for any signs of nerves or discomfort. In a few movements leaning forward, the pants were left shucked on the bed and Damen was coming back to gather Laurent in his arms and press his mouth to Laurent's mouth. Only their upper halves touched; anything else would be an imposition of the trust Laurent was displaying, letting himself be undressed right now.

Laurent sighed with pleasure at the kiss, tangling his hands into Damen's hair to keep him close and giving himself fully into the kiss. He moaned softly, shivering with want. His own doubts and desires frustrated him, making his head spin.

Breathless but smiling again when the kiss broke, Laurent watched his husband's eyes for a moment. "Would you like to finger me?" he suggested, slightly guarded but mostly inviting.

Damen focused on the softness of Laurent's mouth, the slide of clutching fingers through his mouth, anything to distract the both of them from the way Laurent was naked next to him. Patience was a very cultivated virtue in their bed. He feared to trample it underfoot in his clumsy eagerness.

Which is why the question left him dumbfounded, lips parted, a rich red from their kisses. Certain things might have been...logical deductions, once Laurent's pants came off. This one was not necessarily one of them. Damen struggled for lucidity, much less coherency. He fell into the deep blue of Laurent's eyes. His own gave away his struggle. Lust, longing, amazement, and utter surprise, leaving him unsure quite how to react to the invitation.

"I - yes," he blurted out. He bent forward, claiming Laurent's lips again. This spared him the need to talk for several more seconds, while properly expressing his willingness and desire to touch whatever part of Laurent's body he was allowed to. Once parted, he occupied himself reaching for the little vial of oil that was now discreetly tucked in the bedside drawer.

"Where would you like to be while I do this?" Damen normally would have arranged a lover in exactly the pose he wanted them for this task, but he hoped that giving Laurent his choice would help with any nerves.

"Right where I am," Laurent said, giving one of Damen's curls a gentle tug to coax him into another soft kiss. "In your arms."

Nervous but wanting, Laurent spread his legs, offering himself for Damen. His heart was pounding, worried that something would go awry yet again, leaving them both unsatisfied. "Damen."

That didn't take much coaxing; Damen was as liberal with his kisses as a newly wedded man possibly could be. The answer pleased him very much. He smiled, a soft hopeful thing as he gazed at Laurent. "I could not have chosen better."

Very carefully, he arranged his husband's body around his own for the best access, one leg splayed across Damen's lap, before letting himself at last gaze downward to appreciate Laurent in his full glory. The sweep of his eyes left tender caresses everywhere he looked. He slid a hand up the back of Laurent's thigh, almost worshipping. "I'm afraid to tell you how beautiful you are like this."

He met Laurent's eyes once more. There was a smile in Damen's. He let his touch drift over one buttock, then shallowly between. "I never did finish my head-to-toe map of you."

Laurent's eyes widened at Damen's statement that he could not have chosen better. He'd been certain that Damen deeply regretted his choice, or that at best Damen found him tolerable. The praise that Damen could not have chosen better was... unbelievable.

He blushed at the praise, stunned by the way that Damen admired him. Damen was so careful and respectful, and yet so appreciative, and it made Laurent want to bask. "Are you going to?" Laurent asked, his smile coy and playful.

His three days of marriage with Laurent had been wild, unpredictable, at times frustrating, but Damen did not regret his choice. The Laurent he'd found within these rooms was so much more fascinating and worthy of adoration than the beautiful, amusing Prince he'd been infatuated with. He wanted with all his heart to trust it entirely to Laurent. He chose to take these risks with him now, showing Laurent just how cherished he was.

Damen's touches curled around slim hips and firm cheeks. "I plan to. Perhaps with several expeditions. I seem to be nearing territory that calls for...spelunking." His face remained placid, but there was a gleam in his eye that answered that smile of Laurent's, teasing and delighted. His hands cradled his lover's body, making tracks across his lower torso, the planes of his abdomen, the gentle curve of hips, the creases of his thighs. His movements had a sort of slow, deliberate method to them, like he really was memorizing the shapes beneath his palms, the reactions each bit of skin earned him. He carefully explored everywhere except the obvious. The most critical juncture was pointedly avoided, in favor of learning every other precious inch of Laurent.

"Spelunking?" Laurent repeated, groaning. He scuffed the top of his foot lightly against Damen's head in playful reprimand at that word choice. He laughed, feeling more relaxed and playful, and then gasped and arched as Damen's fingertips skimmed over a sensitive spot. "Damen," he groaned, laughing and squirming. He liked Damen's hands exploring his skin.

Damen grinned. He was caught up in the waves of Laurent's laughter, like some benevolent riptide carrying him out to joyous sea. He bent, pressed his lips to Laurent's collarbone, teased at the sensitive area he'd found. "You cannot fault me for trying out some of my extensive Veretian vocabulary. Your land has some...interesting...words."

With considerable speculation, he eyed the lanky suppleness of Laurent's leg, magnanimously ignoring the fact that he'd just been clipped with it. "You're flexible." An observation. An interesting observation. Without ceremony, he slid some of the oil over his fingers and returned to his intimate mapping of Laurent's backside. "Beautiful, flexible...you're a man's dream lover, husband." Damen hardly dared admit how profoundly he longed for it, as his oiled fingertips moved along the valley of lush cheeks and began to warm the skin there, working lower and lower.

"Yes," Laurent said, pleased with the praise but feeling very slightly buttered up in anticipation of something. His breath caught as Damen's fingers moved between his legs, lashes fluttering and back lifting just slightly off the bed. "Spelunking is not generally a bedroom word," he said. "Not a word that any fluent Veretian would use in the bedroom."

He pushed his foot against Damen's shoulder, playfully pushing him backward, clearly not having any interest in succeeding at this discouragement. They both knew perfectly well that when Laurent wanted something to stop, he made himself entirely clear. This was just another form of play, like when he used his tongue to parry Damen's tongue away while they kissed.

Damen looked at him from half-lowered lids. "I am hardly a proper Veretian, am I?" Every line of him screamed Akielos. In the morning light, his skin was a burnished bronze, set off by the whiteness of the sheets around him. The powerful sinews of his body gave the impression of a man ready to spring into action, even in repose.

But that playful shove was no threat, as the easy relaxation of Laurent's body proclaimed. Damen was not put off. He just laughed and caught at Laurent's foot. "What sort of words should a well-versed Veretian use in the bedroom, then?" He lightly touched the captured extremity, running fingers along the sole. His thumb traced the graceful arch all the way up to the ball of the foot. A little playful rebuttal, which might well earn him a kick to the nose, but he was prepared for it.

Laurent tugged half-heartedly to free his foot, and then arched as Damen tickled him, groaning quietly with the pleasure of it. He was ticklish, that he'd known, but he'd never been tickled by a lover, and thus had never known that the stimulation of it could be so distinctly arousing. "Fingering," he answered, slightly more breathless than he would have liked. "Pleasuring. Touching."

Laurent made another squirming effort to free his foot, peering warily at Damen because this was unfamiliar terrain, even though he was much enjoying it.

Damen merely watched him with satisfaction, surprised that Laurent yielded so easily to the teasing stimulation. He tipped his head to the side, enjoying the rather...wide-spread view the extension of Laurent's leg afforded him. "Fine words. But not nearly so descriptive for map-making purposes."

He bent his head and encircled the long limb more securely in his arm. But rather than applying more tickling caresses to Laurent's foot, Damen turned his head and pressed his face to the arch of an ankle. Just as Erasmus had done (and Isander had attempted) when they were selected, although Damen did not put his lips to Laurent's foot itself, as they had done to their masters. His movement was the impulsive affection and yielding that that particular nuzzle of a cheek against the swell of the calf would signify, whether Laurent knew the meaning of the gesture or not.

It was something a King never did. But Damen did it for his husband.

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