by Flynn Eire
“How can you be this clueless and ancient ?” Nero grumbled, pulling out the chair for me to sit down on before he went back to bed, pulling Verge against him. “I’m sorry, love, but he is one of my closest friends.”
“No, it’s cool. Just kinda wondering who this person is. I mean, I know he’s messed around with Nate and Matteo, Bowie and Sam, and I assumed Zibon, so yeah. Totally confused and thought he was into me?”
I was about to snap that not everything was about him and he should get over himself… Except it had only been just over a week. Yeah, that was fair.
“He’s taken an interest in one of the new warriors, the ones from Quebec,” Nero murmured, studying me closely. “Why?”
I opened my mouth and closed it a few times, trying to find the words. I let out a heavy sigh and plopped on the chair. “I understood exactly what Alastair had confessed about Zibon. I saw Falcon crying by himself on the obstacle course, and it was so heartbreakingly beautiful I was… Moved. He was stunning, and it hurt my heart at the same time. It wasn’t like when one of you is upset or even Verge where I want to help, it was more.”
“It was deeper?” Nero offered, and I slowly nodded. “So you tried to make a move on him, and he accused you of trying to molest him. I heard that part.”
“Yeah, so did I, so I thought that was a no go,” Verge muttered, glancing between us like a tennis match.
“I’m not going to give up,” I argued, thinking it was stupid to assume that.
“Because it’s a chase,” Verge said as if it was a set in stone thing.
“No, because I like him. He’s—we’re so similar. I know the shit he’s been through. I mean, I get it. I get him. I really said what I said and did originally because I was desperate to make him laugh or not hurt so much. I didn’t think he’d really give me a blow job out there when we didn’t even know each other’s names.”
“Umm, I’m pretty sure that’s exactly how it started with us except it was at a fridge,” Verge reminded me.
I didn’t know how to respond without being a shit and looked at Nero, his surprised glance not helping my emotional state. He cleared his throat and played with the bedding.
“Yes, my fangs come out with Verge sometimes,” he confessed, much to Verge’s shock. “It was how I knew he was much, much more to me than a fling or fun. I thought of you being with him when I wasn’t around, and my fangs came out when we were alone.”
I slowly nodded. “Yeah, I thought about someone else coming on his face or him on his knees for another man, and suddenly I have to break the kiss because my fangs are coming out.”
“So you just stopped the sex?” Verge asked, his eyes wide, probably thinking that too awkward for words.
“No, we’re just kissing. Last night and tonight. He’s not ready for more. I stole his first kiss when I was goofing around. I told him I would wait as long as he needed, go slow, whatever. It’s fine. I can be patient,” I rambled.
“You can?” Verge challenged, raising an eyebrow.
“Love, you’re moving onto that line of sounding like a jealous ex-lover who’s upset his ex is being better to his new lover instead of them,” Nero warned gently.
“I-I don’t mean to be,” Verge worried, glancing between us. “I swear I’m not. I’m confused because weeks of being with both of you and you weren’t all that patient, Gaius. I’m trying to say I think that tells you something. Or—fine, I’m shutting up.”
“No, I get it, thanks,” I admitted, realizing he was right. It wasn’t like me to be patient with a lover because I wanted what I wanted. “I want to be what he needs, not just get in him.”
“Then this is more than a fling for you, my friend,” Nero assured me gently. “And you’re panicking because that hasn’t happened in centuries, right? Or ever? And never so soon.”
“Never so soon, maybe never even,” I grumbled, scrubbing my hands over my hair. “Verge, don’t take offense to this, but kissing Falcon gets me more wound up than any naked lover I’ve had before rubbing themselves against me. It’s like…”
“Indescribable?” Nero offered, smiling when I nodded. “Yeah, that’s a big key. It’s not about sex, but the connection. You got this, Gaius. You’re not as dense or closed off as you think.”
“I think it’s the hormones or something in the air around here that’s making us all mushy and pairing up,” I confessed, still totally confused. “I have no idea what to do next. I told him I was reaching the point of not keeping my promise and walked him to his room, but I was acting weird. I know it. He knew it even if he doesn’t know me well. I have no idea what to—”
I wasn’t sure what I was going to say because a scream cut through the dorm, and I knew who it came from. I was out the door and running down the stairs before I could even think. Reaching Falcon’s door, I ripped it off the hinges to get at whatever threat was in there.
Only to find none.
He screamed again, and I realized it was a nightmare. I hurried to the bed and climbed in, pulling him to me and hugging him tightly. “It’s okay, hon. It’s okay, you’re not there.” He came awake with a start, swinging out at me, thinking whatever threat he was dreaming about was around. “I got you, Falcon. It’s okay. You’re okay.”
“No, councils want us dead,” he sobbed, curling into me.
“They won’t get you, I swear it, if I have to abscond with you and hide you somewhere, I promise it,” I whispered, petting his hair. I felt others at the door and waved them off.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he choked out, hugging onto me tighter. “So many died. There were so many that died, Gaius. I can’t live with this.”
“You can,” I rasped, tears filling my eyes, knowing well the pain he felt. “You can because you owe it to those people to make sure they’re heard. They need you to be their voice to get the justice they deserve. They need you to get stronger and fight harder so the next nest can’t take out a coven. The next coven can’t be used this way. So you can and will keep going. Look how you helped Lance, Nate, and Norris. There’s so much for you to do, Falcon.”
I kept murmuring he was okay until he calmed down, sagging against me. I realized he’d fallen back to sleep, exhausted from the crying and just everything. I picked him up, not able to leave him in a room that didn’t have a door anymore, and carried him out of the room. I nodded to Proximo when he said he’d handle getting the door at least jammed in the doorway. Basilia was there as well, and she followed me to open my door for me.
She shocked me by kissing my cheek as I went to go inside. “Fate puts people in our path for all kinds of reasons, but why this warrior came into yours is quite clear, my old friend. Don’t fight fate. You deserve happiness too.”
“I barely know him,” I argued, thinking it was a bit soon to be talking about fate and such.
“I barely knew you when we met, but that was the right call too, wasn’t it?” she challenged, handing me my keys and closing the door behind us.
I thought about what she said as I tucked him in, locked the door, and climbed in my bed as well once I shed my clothes.
It seemed like I closed my eyes and was woken right back up when he stirred. I snuggled against him more, somehow both of us having moved around so we were spooning, and kissed his hair. “We didn’t start out like this. Sorry, guess we wanted a cuddle.”
“No worries. Just missing a few details,” he admitted.
“You had a nightmare—”
“That I remember. Yeah, I remember that. I remember you pulling me out of it and being super sweet as I got myself together. I’m missing after that.” He sounded a bit upset about that, and I moved my hand over his chest to comfort him.
“When I heard you scream, I ripped off your door to get to you. I didn’t think it would really help whatever was coming after you in your dream to wake with the door in that state, so I brought you to my room. I swear I behaved. You were lying on your back, and I was facing away from you on my side.”
/> “Okay, thanks.” He was quiet a while but stiff in my arms, so I knew he wasn’t comfortable with the snuggling as I was. “Will you tell me why you were acting so weird last night?”
I sighed, smiling when my breath tickled his neck and he shivered. “I had a bit of a meltdown at how I was reacting to you. Normally kissing doesn’t get me so wound up, and I’m not really a patient person, so you might be new to all of this, but I’m not , and I’m having new reactions. Verge said it was about—”
“You went and had sex with Verge after you were making out with me?” he whispered, the pain so, so thick in his voice that I felt it like a kick to the balls, especially when he pulled away. “This was a mistake. I knew you’d burn me. I’m so, so stupid.”
“No, no , you’re not and I didn’t,” I assured him as he rolled to get out of bed. In a flash, I was in front of him holding my hands out in surrender. “I’ve not touched anyone since I met you. I swear it , okay?” I waited until he gave a slow nod, hurt and distrust in his eyes. “Verge said something about why I wasn’t really as into him as I’d thought. So did Nero. I went to talk to Nero, as he’s one of my best friends, and Verge was there.
“Fine, I interrupted their sex, but I wanted to talk to Nero. I didn’t go for Verge. Nero and I have never been anything. Basilia and I neither. They’re my closest friends. I swear it. I went for advice and to talk. I heard you scream and came running. That’s—that’s all of it.”
He searched my eyes carefully, not responding for way too long for my impatience. “What freaked you out? Give me something, Gaius. I’m not trying to pry, but yeah, give me something here. I think that’s fair to ask.”
“You’re going to think me a dirty, molesting pervert, though,” I grumbled, crossing my arms over my head.
“I already think that of you, but maybe it’s not such a bad thing to be,” he threw right back, his lips twitching.
I snorted, shaking my head, and then gave in, moving him back to the bed, and he let me push him down. I moved over him and gave him a gentle kiss. “I heard the guy grunt on the porn in the background, and that’s when someone is always finishing on someone’s face.”
His lip curled in disgust. “I hate that shit. People can make the arguments for whatever crap they want, but it’s basic psychology of someone asserting dominance or superiority over another person. That’s not okay with me. If people want to finish on the body to mark, that’s a sexual thing, or for like us who can smell more, fine. But on the face says way too much about their need for—”
“Please stop,” I whispered, leaning my head against his shoulder. “I never meant that when I did it with a lover. I get maybe it was a distance thing, keeping distance, like if I was leading or in charge, they weren’t my equal or serious, but I was not trying to humiliate someone. Yes, I marked, and I get how the face is more humiliating than the groin or stomach. I get that now. I didn’t mean it like that, but I see it now I’ve looked into it.
“For me, I liked watching them lick it off their lips. Getting to see them taste me. I always cleaned them up too, which… I don’t know, but I didn’t mean it to demean anyone. I didn’t.”
“So it’s something you’re into?” he checked, not sounding happy about it.
“I was. But I got upset at the idea of someone doing it to you when we were making out. It struck a chord with what Nero and Verge had said about me. I didn’t get it but—why would I suddenly not want to do it with someone when I had for so, so long, you know? You are throwing me for too many loops.”
“Isn’t that the way it should be, though? I mean, if it’s something real?” he challenged after a few moments. I felt his hesitant lips on my shoulder and neck as his hands traced the lines of my stomach, reminding me I was shirtless around him for the first time.
“It sounds nice, but it’s hard to change mindset after thousands of years going one way, you know?”
“No, but I can see that being hard.”
I lifted my head and let him see how unsettling it was for me. “Will you be patient with me? I swear I won’t be with anyone else. I can be faithful if it’s said. I’ve never cheated. I’ve just had meaningless flings. So will you be patient with me and give me some faith?”
“Yeah, I can do that,” he promised, smiling brightly, his light blue/purplish eyes lighting up.
“I would show my appreciation for it,” I teased him.
He raised a slow, sexy eyebrow. “Oh? How? More kisses? Those are like my ultimate addiction food, and I think I like them even more now.”
“I’ll give you as many kisses as you want, hon, and wherever, however, whichever you want.”
“Dirty pervert,” he chuckled, brushing his lips over mine. “It’s still super early. Want to go back to kissing?”
“Yes, but I’m shocked you’re initiating.”
“You haven’t seen yourself shirtless apparently.”
“If I get fully naked, does that get me more?” I joked but then swallowed when I saw heat in his eyes… Along with fear. Too much. Good to know. We made out for a while, but then I took a chance, kissing up his neck and nibbling on his ear. “Can I tell you how badly I want inside you, Falcon? I want to make love to you so bad, baby.”
He froze. “I don’t like that. You called Verge ‘sugar elf,’ and I get generic terms? It’s hard to think it’s real if I keep hearing that, Gaius.”
My impatience surfaced, my legendary temper, and I lifted my head slowly, meeting his eyes. “And what endearments have you given me? Why is it always on me ? Don’t you have to reciprocate to show you’re not just playing me ?”
He licked his lips as he studied me, and I was actually impressed he didn’t flinch or pull away. Falcon was a patient guy.
Which might be the reason he was such a good fit with me.
“The first I really heard of you was hearing about your sexcapades with people I know , one of which you were just chasing after, giving lavish gifts and getting into fights with your best friend over. I’d be insane not to pay attention to it, and yes, it’s a sensitive area with me, and I won’t apologize for it, but I will say that it’s not what you’ve done, more that I’m new to this. So yes, it puts extra on you because of that.
“It also puts extra on me because everyone is still talking about you and Verge. You don’t have that with me. You don’t have any anything with my sexual history or partners, right? How would you like it if you found out I’d been with Proximo, Alastair, and Seneca? It’s a hard pill to swallow, right? And in the past weeks? It’s understandable I keep checking I’m not getting played.”
“It is,” I agreed after a moment. “And Verge we went overboard with because Alastair did for Zibon. Because I was more focused on beating Nero in brotherly competition. I don’t want that with you. You don’t seem to like big statements, or like when Ellison started public shit, it made you uncomfortable. I’d rather do special to court you. I have—” I snapped my mouth shut, realizing I was going to give too much away.
He smiled brightly. “So you have something planned for today? Fun like the airsoft gun?”
“That was for the whole week, but yes, I ordered something for you to be delivered,” I assured him, giving a soft kiss. He shivered, and I smiled at him evilly. “You’re better than a sugar elf, Falcon. That was just a situational thing. He was swiping cake like an impish elf or the monster that snatches socks from the laundry. If you want your own endearment, I was thinking of ‘bird’ given your name, but that’s more for a female.”
“Well, it gives you something to work on, doesn’t it?” he challenged, mirth shining in his eyes. “Now, back to my present. Is it something I’d like?”
“No, I got it thinking you’d hate it,” I drawled, rolling my eyes. His laugher filled the room, and I felt some of my own darkness melt, like cleaning the gunk that builds on old stone.
He nibbled on my ear, and I groaned loudly. “Can we go a bit farther? Not too much, but yeah, a bit.”
�
�Yes, yes, please,” I growled, kissing along his neck and teasing his collarbone. “What did you have in mind?”
He moved his leg over my hip and ground his hips against mine. That was enough of a hint for me. I guided his other leg too and moved my hands to his ass as I sat back on my feet, wanting to see all of it. He stared at me with a curious gaze but then moaned as I started rocking us. I pulled him up with me, his legs still wrapped around me so it put us about as close as we could be without me in him.
“Hang on,” I whispered in his ear, smiling when he immediately wrapped his arms around me. I moved him faster than he could, using my ancient speed to my advantage to give him something unlike he’d ever felt before. The cute cries that came out of his mouth were addictive and pulled me in. After several minutes, I finished in my boxer briefs, having felt him come already too before I let myself go.
I let him fall back to the bed, wanting to see his debauched face. My heart swelled as he gasped for air, his eyes wide as he blinked up at me.
“Can we do that again and often?” he finally asked as I ran my fingers over his body. “I mean, I thought multiple orgasms were a myth, but—I think I had a dozen. There was nothing left to come out. Shit. This is going to be addictive like awesome food, right? I’m going to want more and more?”
“Yeah, but there’s tons to do, that I can do for you to take all the time you need.”
He smirked at me, catching my less-than-subtle hint. “But did I do it for you? I mean, that was good, right?”
“Oh yeah,” I chuckled, kissing him deeply. “I liked it. There might be something you could do especially for me too.”