“About me being a bottom?” Malik nodded, and Simon shrugged. “It’s fine, I guess.”
Malik leaned forward and tapped his finger on Simon’s forehead. “I didn’t ask you if it was fine. I want to know if you enjoy it, or if you’d rather top, or do neither of those things.”
“I don’t mind being a bottom, or a top, but it’s not like I can’t live without doing that.”
“Anal sex?”
“Yeah.”
“So you prefer blowjobs and the like?”
Simon blushed like an innocent virgin, something he definitely wasn’t. “Yeah. I know you’re going to want to take me when you bite me, and it’s fine. I don’t hate it. I just can do without it.”
Malik shook his head. “I won’t force you.”
“I know that. Did you even listen to what I just said?” Simon said with a huff.
Malik stared at him until Simon squirmed, then he nodded. “I know we’re going to have to trust each other, and I know it won’t happen right away,” Malik said. “I don’t want to doubt everything you say, though, so I’m going to take your word on this.”
“Good. So, I have lube in the nightstand. Can you grab it?” Simon said as he started to take his T-shirt of.
Malik stopped him with a hand on his wrist. “We’re not done talking.”
Simon let his T-shirt fall back into place. “We’re not?”
“Did you really think this was the only thing I wanted to discuss? Besides, we’re not even done discussing it.”
Simon wrinkled his nose. “What else is there to talk about?”
“You said you don’t mind bottoming, but that you don’t love it. What about topping?”
Simon eyed Malik. “Why does it matter?”
“Because I enjoy bottoming.”
Simon’s eyes went wide in surprise. “You do?”
“Yes.”
“But you’re so...” Simon waved at Malik’s chest. “And you’re, you know, the alpha, and, you know.”
Malik laughed. “Thanks, Simon. That was very clear. But yes, I do enjoy bottoming, even though I’m an alpha. I really don’t see what being an alpha has to do with what I do in bed, to be honest.”
Simon shrugged and looked at his lap. “You know. You have a lot of power, and you’re used to being in charge. I thought you’d be that way in bed too. Besides, anyone who looks at me thinks bottom, usually.”
“It can be nice not to be the one in control sometimes, and being the bottom doesn’t mean you don’t have control.”
“I know.”
“Look, we can do whatever you’re comfortable with. I don’t need to be inside you to mate with you.”
Simon wasn’t sure what to say to that. He’d known—or he’d thought he’d known—that when he met his mate, he’d be the smaller one. He was short for a guy, and he was thin, almost too much. Everyone had always told him he looked like a girl, so it hadn’t taken much to realize what would happen with his mate. But now Malik was saying that it didn’t matter, that he would gladly let Simon fuck him rather than the contrary, and Simon was having a hard time wrapping his head around that.
“It’s fine,” he finally said.
“What is fine?”
“You can fuck me.”
“Okay.”
Simon reached for his T-shirt again. “Can we do it now?”
Malik laughed and stopped him again. “Wait. I also wanted to tell you that I’m going to step down from my alpha position.”
Simon gaped. “But... why? I can move in with you. I don’t mind.” He didn’t want Malik to step down for his sake. He’d end up feeling guilty, and he didn’t want Malik to be unhappy.
“I know you don’t mind, but I’ve been thinking about it for a while. You’re just the thing that made me make the final decision. Being so far away is making it difficult to participate in council business. There’s the time difference, and I need to have a Nix shimmer me to the States every time something happens. I’ve been thinking about moving here to make things easier and to be closer to the problems the council is having. My school will be fine. I’ve been grooming my beta to take my place.”
“What about your family?”
“My mother died years ago, and my father didn’t appreciate it when I came out as pansexual.”
“But...”
Malik kneeled in front of Simon and cupped his cheek. “Do you want me to move here, or would you rather move to South Africa?”
“I want to stay here, but I feel guilty. I don’t want you to end up hating—”
Malik kissed Simon, and Simon forgot all about guilt and moving. He reached up and clung onto Malik’s shoulders, desperately trying to pull him closer. He felt himself tilt backward, and he didn’t fight it. Malik was moving with him, and he pressed Simon against the mattress, his weight pinning Simon down in a way he’d never thought he’d like. It was reassuring, grounding. It made Simon realize this was real. After watching his friends find their mate and thinking he’d find his years from now, it was a bit unreal, and Malik’s weight on top of him helped him.
Malik moved away. Their noses brushed against each other as he looked down at Simon. “You really want this?” he asked, his voice rough.
Their little chat was obviously over. Simon nodded and wrapped his legs around Malik’s waist to show him that he did want it. He knew it would be different with his mate, or at least he thought so. Even if it wasn’t, he didn’t exactly hate being fucked. He wanted to give it a try with Malik, to see how different it would be. Malik wasn’t a one-night stand. He’d be with Simon for the rest of their lives, and Simon wanted to give him everything he could. He knew Malik would do the same for him.
“Yeah, I want it. I want you to fuck me, and to claim me,” Simon said. He felt his cheeks heat, but he kept his gaze on Malik. He was glad, because the soft smile that appeared on Malik’s lips was something he’d have been sorry to miss.
Malik nodded and sat up. He reached for the hem of Simon’s T-shirt and pulled it up.
* * * *
Simon looked so good splayed under Malik, and Malik was glad he’d get to see that for the rest of his life.
He finished pulling Simon’s T-shirt up and dropped it on the floor. Then he finally got a good look at his mate.
He’d known Simon was different from him, physically. Simon was shorter, and thinner. He didn’t have muscles that Malik could see, but when he stroked his hand up Simon’s stomach, he felt the shift of muscles under his palm.
He smiled and pulled at the piercing in Simon’s left nipple. Simon groaned and arched his back, and Malik suddenly wanted more—needed more. He didn’t want to rush, though, so he moved slowly, taking his own T-shirt off, then rising to push his pants down his legs.
Simon looked frozen, his gaze fixed on Malik’s cock, and Malik laughed. Simon blushed, and Malik laughed again and kissed him. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about,” he said.
Simon huffed. “I know.”
“Then why are you blushing?”
Simon shrugged. “I’m not.”
“Right. Of course not.”
Malik reached for Simon’s pants, waiting for Simon to say or do something. Simon watched him, and when Malik’s fingers hooked into the elastic band at Simon’s waist, Simon raised his hips off the bed.
Malik dragged the pants down and they joined the clothes abandoned on the carpet.
They were both naked now, and Malik couldn’t resist looking. Simon was doing the same thing, so Malik didn’t feel like a voyeur. He looked at Simon’s nipples, smiling at the piercing, then he moved his gaze downward. Simon’s stomach was flat, his hips narrow. Malik wasn’t sure why his parents thought he looked like a girl, because from what he could see, Simon was as far from a woman as any man could be, and it wasn’t only for the cock that stood between his legs.
Simon’s thighs were slightly hairy and toned, and his legs were long, just like Mali
k had thought when Simon wrapped them around Malik’s waist. He couldn’t wait to feel then there again, this time without clothes.
He put his hands on Simon’s ankles and slowly raked them along Simon’s skin. He made sure to touch as much skin as he could, stopping to tease the sensitive skin under Simon’s knees, smiling when Simon squirmed.
Malik avoided Simon’s cock, even though he wanted nothing more than to lap at it. He tugged at the neat blond curls that surrounded it, then followed the path of hair that led up to Simon’s bellybutton. He tickled it, and Simon laughed.
Once Malik was back at Simon’s nipple piercing, Simon appeared to lose his patience. He twisted awkwardly, his legs still trapped under Malik’s weight, and reached for the nightstand. Malik let him, taking the chance to look at Simon’s body some more. He liked the way the muscles bunched under Simon’s skin and wondered how he could have thought Simon wasn’t muscled. They weren’t as obvious as Malik’s , but they were there.
Simon flopped on his back and thrust a bottle into Malik’s hand. Malik didn’t have to look at it to see what it was. He uncapped it and squeezed lube on his fingers. Never looking away from Simon’s face, he reached down and slicked his cock. It twitched, and Simon licked his lips as if he was hungry and Malik was the meal he wanted to eat. The thought almost made Malik laugh, but he bit on his lower lip and managed to stay serious. The last thing he wanted was for Simon to think he was laughing at him.
Simon tried to move, but Malik was still pinning him down, and he huffed. “Okay, now you showed me you’re a big, bad man. Can you let me go so I can open my legs and you can fuck me?”
Malik arched a brow. “Such a potty mouth.”
Simon snorted. “And you haven’t heard anything yet. You should hear me when I watch TV with Mal.”
Instead of answering, or even to moving away, Malik leaned down and kissed Simon. Their cocks slid against each other, and Simon groaned. He tried to push Malik away and to get him to move closer at the same time, and Malik laughed. “I think you should make a decision and stick by it,” he said.
One of Simon’s hands left his shoulders, and Simon pinched Malik’s ass.
Malik buried his face against Simon’s neck to muffle the laughter. God, sex had never been this funny, this easy. He felt like he’d known Simon all his life. They didn’t need to be focused, or serious. They both knew they’d get there, that they’d have sex before the day was over. They didn’t need to rush there. They were having fun, and Malik loved it.
Once he stopped laughing, his shark nudged at him. Malik realized his face was still pressed against Simon’s neck, and he licked it. Simon shuddered, his hand falling away from Malik’s ass. It was so tempting to bite Simon right now, but they’d barely started, and Malik wanted to have Simon ready to take him in. He knew the sensations would be too much if he bit Simon now, and he didn’t want to hurt his mate.
He straightened. Simon was a sight under him, flushed, his eyes wide, and Malik suddenly was in a rush. He slid sideways, freeing Simon’s legs, and they opened as if they’d waited only for him to move. Simon licked his lips again and looked at Malik, silently inviting him.
Malik took the lube from where he’d let it fall on the mattress. He slicked his fingers, and Simon’s legs widened even more.
Malik lay on his side, his front pressed against Simon’s side, and reached between Simon’s legs. He stroked Simon’s balls with one finger, but he didn’t stop there. He reached lower, and Simon tensed. Malik waited for him to relax again. He mouthed at Simon’s neck, licking the spot he’d bite soon.
It was enough for Simon to relax, and Malik gently breached him. He never stopped licking, sucking, and kissing Simon’s neck. Simon would have more than just a bite mark when the morning came, because Malik made sure to leave plenty of hickeys. He didn’t know why he felt the need to do that, since he was about to bite his mate anyway, but his shark found it satisfying, and Malik didn’t usually ignore his shark’s needs.
“I think I’m ready, unless you’re planning to fist me. In that case, you can add another finger.”
Malik froze at Simon’s words and moved to look at him. “Fisting?”
Simon rolled his eyes. “I’m joking. Well, on the fisting part. I really think I’m ready, and if you don’t fuck me now, I might have to go find someone else to do the job.”
Malik growled, surprising himself. He wasn’t usually possessive, but the idea of Simon fucking someone else after what they’d just done didn’t sit right with him.
He withdrew his fingers and rolled on top of Simon. Simon smiled up at him, making it obvious that he’d been joking, teasing. Malik put his hands on the inside of Simon’s thighs and pushed them open, then with one hand, he guided his cock inside his mate.
Simon tensed, and Malik stopped moving, but Simon slapped his ass. “Get in. You can stop once that monster of yours is completely inside.”
No matter what Simon was saying, Malik moved slowly. Simon stayed still for a while, then he huffed. “Well?”
Malik chuckled. “I’m not completely in yet.”
“I should have known. You have a big dick.”
“Oh, how you stroke my ego.”
“I’m not stroking anything at the moment, and neither are you.”
Malik gave a last push, and his cock slid in deeper. His thighs pressed against Simon’s ass, and Malik paused. “Okay?”
Simon nodded and wrapped his legs around Malik again. Malik sighed. He felt like he was home, and it wasn’t only because he was inside Simon. His presence was enough to make Malik feel that way. He’d heard tales about how it would happen, but he hadn’t truly believed them, not until now.
“You know, this would work better if you moved,” Simon pointed out.
Malik rolled his eyes and wondered what it would take to make Simon shut up, or better yet, to make him moan and scream. He decided to find out, and he retreated, only to thrust back in.
Simon moaned, and Malik grinned. The noises Simon made became louder with every thrust, and when he tilted his head to the side, offering Malik his neck, Malik didn’t stop to ask if he was sure. They’d talked about it, and he knew Simon wanted this as much as he did.
Malik bit down, his shark going crazy for a few moments, then settling as soon as Simon’s fangs penetrated into Malik’s flesh. The bond appeared, warm and soothing, and Simon tensed under Malik. Malik felt a spurt hit his stomach, then another, and the thought that he’d made Simon come like that was enough for Malik to follow.
He groaned and leaned his forehead against Simon’s jaw. Coming inside his mate felt incredible. For some reason, it was different from every time he’d come inside someone before. Simon was different. He was Malik’s future, something Malik hadn’t thought of much. Until now.
* * * *
Simon knew what was waiting for him, and he didn’t look forward to it.
He knew Mal and Elliott were in the kitchen. They’d want to talk, something he probably wouldn’t be able to do without having at least one coffee first. He was aware Malik and he hadn’t exactly been silent the night before. He hadn’t really thought to be, too busy mating and doing stuff.
Mal and Elliott wouldn’t berate him or anything. God knew they’d all heard Mal and Will going at it more than once. Mal wasn’t exactly the silent type, not even when it came to sex, or maybe especially when it came to that. Simon had teased Mal for it, and he knew Mal couldn’t wait to do the same with him.
“Aren’t you going to get up?” Malik asked as he came out of the bathroom, rubbing his hair dry.
“Do I really have to?”
Malik chuckled. “Probably. We’re supposed to go get Iggy furniture, remember? I can go alone with him and Mal, though.”
Simon pushed the blankets away from his face and scrunched his nose at the sun pouring from the window. He’d forgotten to close the curtains the night before, and when he looked at the time on his cell phone, he
gasped. “It’s only eight!”
“Yeah.”
“I don’t think I’ve woken up this early ever since I came back to Gillham.” Simon groaned. “Can I go back to sleep? You can wake me at a more decent time, like eleven.”
He pulled the blankets over his head, but Malik yanked them away. Simon curled into a ball, moaning, “Why are you doing this to me?”
His body ached in a very pleasant way, and he wasn’t ready to go back to reality just yet. He wanted to bask in the feeling of being mated and sex a bit longer, but Malik was there, tickling his sides, and Simon laughed.
Malik stopped only when Simon fell on the floor by the bed. The carpet scratched against Simon’s naked skin and he scowled at Malik. “I hate you.”
Malik pressed his palm against his chest. “Oh, I’m so hurt.”
“You don’t look like you are.”
“That’s because I know you’re lying. Mate bond, remember?”
Simon rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”
“Not that I don’t appreciate you being naked, but don’t you think you should go shower if you want to come with us?”
Malik looked at Simon’s body, and Simon resisted the urge to cover himself. Malik would see him naked often enough in the future, but still, they’d met only the day before, so Simon felt awkward, being exposed like that.
Malik seemed to read Simon, because he smiled softly. “You’re gorgeous.”
Simon sat up and shrugged. He pulled the blanket off the bed and wrapped himself in it, then started to get up. Malik extended a hand, and Simon took it, smiling when Malik hauled him up and continued pulling until Simon was in his arms.
“Why are you hiding your body?” Malik asked in a whisper.
Simon shrugged again. “It’s kind of weird.”
“Why?”
“You’re not going to let this go, huh?”
“I can if you really don’t want to talk about it.”
“It’s fine.” Simon leaned against Malik’s chest. “It’s just that I’ve been told all my life that I’m not really a man, and I feel kind of self-conscious about being naked around others.”
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