marlowemuses | Fools in Love, for gentry

"What does that have to do with anything?" Laurent asked, fond and amused, though he was lacking some context to make sense of Gansey's apparently unrelated statements.

Resigned to going to the wash room now that he was already up, Laurent nuzzled briefly at him and then let go, looking around at his clothing for a good option. There wasn't one. He pulled one of Gansey's shirts over his head, since it was big enough on him to provide some modesty, and wobbled over to the stairwell. He paused at the door, leaning against it and looking back at his lover. Having to get up and go downstairs to a shared wash room while he was debauched and tired was awful, and it threw the disadvantages of the tower room into sharp relief. As much as he loved Gansey's eccentric tower room, this part was excruciating to Laurent's fastidious nature and need for privacy.

"I want a private bath, Gansey," he said, realizing now that they couldn't--that he couldn't--live in a room without one, no matter how much he might love the room.

Worries rushed up around him the moment after he'd said it, freezing his sense of contentment. What if Gansey refused to move rooms? Worse, what if Gansey agreed, but lost his Gansey-ness in an ordinary room with an attached bath? What if he resented the requirement? What if it drove them apart, with Laurent in the royal room and Gansey in the tower?

To the question Gansey merely wagged his eyebrows, letting Laurent take of that what he would.

Watching his poor lover have to drag himself to the door and eventually down the stairs did put things into perspective. If they were going to stay together, it was for the best that they moved into a wing. Private chambers. Something bigger than the rooms Laurent had been given for now. Even if he ordered there be a bathroom built alongside the tower, it was still not much room for two people.

"Okay." Meeting Laurent and wrapping an arm around the small of the other man's back, Gansey kissed his temple. "We'll figure it out." A marriage was built on compromise, right? Because he most certainly wanted to live with his husband. Some married couples did not sleep together every night but Gansey didn't think that they would be one of those.

"So, am I carrying you down? I'd love to carry you bridal style."

Laurent smiled, worries melting away. He trusted Gansey more than he trusted himself, and all it took was a smile and a kiss to ground him again.

"I'd love it if you did," Laurent said, sliding his arms around Gansey's neck. Gansey was warm and irresistible, especially since they weren't wearing much and Laurent was cold and tired, states of being which only compounded. "If you're sure you aren't going to strain something."

Laurent was long-legged and slender, but he was not insubstantial, and he wasn't sure how steady Gansey's broad shoulders and muscles were. "I will be terribly impressed, after all."

"Let me spoil you while I'm still young and spry," he said as he slipped his arm underneath Laurent's thighs and swing him up into position, tight against his chest. There were benefits to being utterly weird and working like one of the stable hands—cleaning the stables and tossing hay, carrying buckets, and working with heavy saddles meant that he was quite a bit stronger than he looked.

No, Laurent wasn't insubstantial. It wasn't effortless, especially since Gansey was also tired, but it wasn't all that difficult. Ignoring his complaining muscles, Gansey headed down the stairs. Years in the tower meant that he was used to each and every step and where to step on it.

"You know," he mused, tone utterly teasing, "if you're still interested in being had by a stable hand, I could dress up as one for you. I think I'd give a pretty convincing performance."

Laurent laughed because the suggestion was absurd, and laughed because it delighted him, and then sank for a moment into thoughtful silence as he realized exactly how appealing that idea was. The playfulness and performance of it were things that he loved, and he couldn't deny the draw of Gansey dressed as a stable groom, with straw in his hair.

"And then you ravish me in a bale of hay?" Laurent asked, happy and teasing. He hugged his arms tight around Gansey's shoulders, feeling incredibly safe and spoiled in his lover's arms. A nervous part of his brain, sharp and tinny, fluttered anxiously at being carried down stairs like this, but Laurent ignored it. The nerves were greatly outweighed by the trust and the pleasure of being pampered like this. "That sounds like... a lot of fun, honestly."

Normally Gansey ran down the stairs, used to skipping two steps at a time or sliding along the railing. Now, he was careful, because even though he was confident he didn't want to be careless. He'd throw himself down the stairs first so Laurent could land on him before he allowed his fiance to get hurt.

"Absolutely," he answered, tone still light and flirtatious, "and anywhere else I can get you." Reaching the bottom of the stairs safely, Gansey continued to carry the other man to the wash room, still considering what else playing stableboy for Laurent might consist of.

"Because I'll have been yearning for you for years—but a prince would never notice a lowly stable boy." Winking, Gansey gently deposited Laurent once they reached the wash room. "I'll run your bath." Setting to work, he checked the temperature before twisting the series of chains to pull the plugs that kept the hot water backed up. It was insulated so it remained warm for quite some time and was often replenished by the staff.

"My bath?" Laurent asked, smiling as he drew the shirt over his head and stepped into the tub. The water was still shallow, but it was warmer than standing in the cool air beside the tub. Laurent splashed some of the water over his legs to warm them. "Not our bath?"

Shooting Gansey a tempting grin, Laurent rested his arms on the side of the tub. "Keep telling me about being had by this stable hand. Have I been lusting after you secretly for years, or shall my head be turned all at once by a stolen kiss?"

"Our," he said, correcting himself with a soft laugh. The water was delightfully warm. Dipping his hand in, Gansey swirled in some of their bath salts. A few bubbles popped up in the water and a lovely floral scent filled the room.

"Mmmm... perhaps my love has been unrequited for years," he considered, stopping up the faucets once the tub was filled. "Whenever I had to saddle up your horse for a ride with one of your many suitors, agony burned my heart."

Once he was out of his trousers the prince slid into the bath, reclining back as the warm water eased the aches of his body. "Until one day I could no longer stand such pain, deciding then I would steal one kiss and leave. The memory of one kiss would be enough to warm my heart for the rest of my days. Lonely days, naturally. My heart would yearn for no one else."

Laurent slid into his arms, nestling close and peppering soft, adoring kisses down Gansey's neck. "Never guessing how I loathed all my selfish, pampered suitors, and how I longed to be stolen away by someone sweet and kind, with excellent muscles and a really very nice cock."

Grinning, he reached for a wash cloth, starting to attentively stroke it over Gansey's chest and shoulders. "Maybe someone like the broad-shouldered stable hand, who always was so gentle with my horse and my own person, with a devotion that I never suspected was anything more, never could have hoped to have turned toward me by a lover."

Nuzzling softly at Gansey's cheek, he smiled, watching his fiance's eyes. "You make me so happy."

As soon as Laurent was against him, Gansey wa sliding his arms around his waist. The kisses were sweet and tickled, making him smile, soft laughter echoing off the tiles. "A match made in heaven," he said as Laurent rubbed the cloth over his skin. It felt good, washing away the cooled sweat. In return Gansey slid one hand between Laurent's legs to soap him up, cleaning off the seed that had begun to dry there. Gently, as though giving his lover a massage, his fingers kneaded against Laurent's thigh.

Meeting Laurent's gaze and holding it, he was momentarily lost in blue. "I hope I always will." Pulling his other arm from around the other man's waist, Gansey reached up to cup Laurent's cheek with his hand, brush his thumb across his fine cheekbone. "I will always be here for you. I will always love you. Never forget that."

His hand dropped to touch the locket around Laurent's neck. "Do you have an idea of what you would like to put inside?"

"Yes," Laurent said, grinning warmly at him. "You keep distracting me with those eyes of yours. And those lips." Kissing him with a brief flick of tongue, Laurent let the cloth slip under the water as he opened the clasp of the locket and held it out to Gansey. "A kiss," he said, eyes sparkling with playful affection. "In case I ever need to have one saved up, if we're parted."

As much as the idea pleased him, Laurent didn't think that he'd ever open the locket again, for fear of risking that kiss. If Gansey was by his side, he could take his kisses from Gansey's lips. If Gansey was away from him, Laurent would never open the locket for fear that, if Gansey never returned, it would be the last kiss he'd ever have.

"How very clever," he hummed, eyebrow raised in humor at the idea. He liked it very much. Bowing his head, the young heir pressed his lips against the locket, as tender and loving as he would if he were kissing Laurent. Then he closed the locket himself to seal it in. It snapped shut with a little tink.

"It's a shame there's only room for one. I'd leave you a thousand, so you wouldn't miss me while we're parted."

His eyes sparkled as he said that, bumping his head against Laurent's. "Though, if I have my way, we'll never be parted for long."

"And my way," Laurent confirmed, kissing Gansey's cheek, his jaw, the curve of his ear, and the secret spot just behind it, warm and hidden. "I love you," he murmured there, smiling with pleasure.

Kissing the tip of Gansey's nose, Laurent smiled at him, entranced by the sweetness in his eyes. "There's only one thing in the world that I still want," he said, voice just slightly playful, inviting Gansey to guess.

Oh, he liked those kisses. Very much. Particularly the kiss to his ear and the sensitive spot behind it—he shivered at both of those, closing his eyes as warmth and love flooded through his chest. His arms returned to wrapping around Laurent's waist, holding him close.

"...One thing more, hm?"

Opening his eyes and lancing up at the ceiling, he gave what that might be some consideration. "Your new clothes?" He ventured just as playfully, thinking of the tailor hard at work.

Laurent laughed, sweet and innocent. A young laugh, with a freeness that he hadn't felt since he'd been six. "Convenient. Pleasant. But effectively already mine. Good food, warmth and safety, a life that satisfies my temperament, a very handsome and generous lover... All that is mine already."

His eyes sparkled, loving the fullness he felt from being able to flirt with Gansey from mere inches away, wrapped safely in his arms.

That laugh almost made Gansey's heart burst. Laurent should always be happy. Gods knew he was stunning when he was. An angel. Gansey's angel. Something holy but so real, touchable, and he never wanted to let him go.

"Tell me then," he begged, burying his face against Laurent's shoulder and giving a sharp nip. "That way I can give it to you as quickly as possible." Assuming it was something that could be given. If it was something philosophical Gansey was going to bite Laurent again for teasing.

"I must know."

Laurent laughed happily at the nip, delighted because he knew he was already covered in Gansey's marks, unquestionably claimed. Pressing his face close against the side of Gansey's head, he let his breath tease at Gansey's ear for a moment before he finally confessed. "To call you my husband," he murmured, smile wide and heart pounding with love. Fiance was very pleasant, but impermanent. Husband was a vow.

"Oh, oh. I like that."

Sliding his hands up and down Laurent's back, wearing an undeniable, huge smile, Gansey embraced the other man tightly. "Your husband. And you'll be mine. My husband." He rolled the words around his mouth in utter delight.

"My love. My husband. My one and only."

They all felt wonderful. Incredible.

"Come, now. Let me wash my future husband's beautiful hair," he coaxed, reaching for the scented soap, "while I fantasize about our future together."

[I use this icon all the time because it's the nearest I've got to my mental image of Laurent's smirk.]

Blushing happily at Gansey's reaction, Laurent kissed him again, full of promise, and then turned around. He slid down, dipping his head back into the water.

Grinning at Gansey, because he couldn't resist, Laurent winked impishly, and then dipped below the water, golden hairs teasing at Gansey's lap as he went all the way under. Only then, once he'd had his opportunity to be a tease, did he lift back up.

Very pleased with himself, Laurent smirked, dripping, erotic, and utterly unrepentant.

"You," Gansey growled, "are utterly unfair."

He resolved to give Laurent a taste of his own medicine later. Later only because he very much wanted to take his future husband up to bed and spoon him again, freshly bathed, and maybe give him a few more intricate bites.

Lathering up the scented soap in his hands, Gansey reached out to gently massage his fingers through his lover's hair. It was fine, smooth to the touch and easy to manage, lovely, like strands of gold thread. Not that he was above stealing a kiss; he leaned in to catch one, sliding his hands down to soap up Laurent's throat and shoulders as well. Working his hands down his lover's chest, over his arms, giving his body tender attention after having familiarized himself with it so thoroughly.

Laurent basked in it. He'd never had this kind of attention, and, like a cat, he very quickly discovered that he loved being petted.

Pliant and cooperative after Gansey started massaging his hair, Laurent stayed still when Gansey needed, and shifted smoothly every time Gansey needed a different angle. Giving himself entirely into Gansey's hands, Laurent let his eyes close, trusting Gansey's guidance as his fiance washed him.

His tiredness caught up with him all at once. After they rinsed his hair, Laurent melted back into Gansey's arms, resting his head on Gansey's shoulder and drifting, briefly, in and out of sleep.

Having Laurent in his arms, so sweet and pliant, warmed him more than the bathwater had. Once his head was resting on Gansey's shoulder, Gansey gave a kiss to the crown. Feeling similarly tired, it would be all to easy to recline and fall asleep in the bath—which would leave them shriveled up and eventually cold.

After snuggling in the water with Laurent for a time, Gansey gently sat up, arms still wrapped around his lover.

"Let's dry off," he coaxed, "and head up to bed." Smoothing Laurent's wet hair back, Gansey pressed another kiss against his forehead. "Tomorrow we can relax." It had been a busy few days, between Laurent's arrival and their whirlwind romance. It would be nice to simply just be together. Maybe read books in the library, or play chess again. Maybe have a nice ride through the garden. Nap together on a hammock in the screen room.

Reaching out, Gansey grabbed one of the thick, fluffy towels and wrapped it around Laurent's shoulders once they got to their feet.

Not fully awake, Laurent obeyed him. He got up, allowed Gansey to dry him, and stayed standing with a towel around his shoulders as Gansey dried himself.

He wouldn't remember most of the rest later. There was some blur about getting upstairs, and then the more important memory of curling into bed in Gansey's arms. Winding his own arms around Gansey's neck and hugging close, with his face tucked alongside Gansey's throat.

His Gansey. The most important person in the world, and Laurent knew that he'd give Gansey anything, follow him anywhere. Spend his life at Gansey's side.

It was the most comfortable sleep he had in a long, long time. Listening to the sound of Laurent's slowing breath and matching his to it helped him drift off. Having arms around his neck was soothing, breath flirting against his skin even moreso.

By the time he opened his eyes again, the sun was already risen in the sky. It was a normal hour for most people but for Gansey? He'd overslept by a long-shot, usually rising as soon as light cracked across the horizon. But his body had been greedy, soaking up sleep like a sponge once there was something that put his mind to rest.

Yawning, he shifted, rolling onto his back and blinking up at the ceiling.

"I haven't slept so good since I was a kid," he sighed, raking a hand through his thick hair.

Laurent smiled. As Gansey stirred, he woke, feeling perfectly rested and in tune with his lover.

Sitting up halfway, Laurent grinned and admired the sight of Gansey's bare chest. He skimmed his fingertips down his sternum and around his ribs, circling over the space where his belly dipped with each breath.

"Maybe for different reasons than when you were a kid," he said, playful and happy.

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