Redamancy

by T D Cloud

  Sorin turned his head to the side, raising a brow at as much of Navidae as he could see like this. “Do I really need to answer that?” If angsting was a sport, he had a feeling Navidae would be a lauded champion.

  The Drow rolled his eyes and huffed. “You think you have me all figured out, don’t you?” he muttered, stroking Khouri’s cheek with his knuckles. Khouri leaned into his touch easily, pulling a reluctant smile to Navidae’s lips. “Like I’m a mystery you’ve long since solved.”

  “You act like you’re being subtle,” Sorin said, propping his head on his hand to watch the Drow with lazy eyes. “But you really, really aren’t. So, tell me what’s on your mind. Maybe I can help.” It really was comfortable here. This bed was far nicer than the one he had in the guest room. Warmer, bigger, and with other bodies to hold. He was glad he hadn’t been asked to sleep alone again after last night. Even with the early morning rousing Sorin couldn’t imagine a better way to wake up.

  Navidae’s lips curled into a petulant frown. “You helped well enough last night,” he sniped, giving Sorin a glare. “You told him, and now I have to rethink everything knowing Khouri’s worried too.”

  Sorin raised a brow. As if Khouri hadn’t been worried before. “Isn’t it better if he knows? I’ve said it before; keeping secrets from him isn’t going to help anything. At least this way he can support you. You don’t have to lie to him and tell him everything is fine when it isn’t.”

  “It was never going to be fine,” the Drow pressed. “The lie was all the comfort I could give, and now I don’t even have that to offer him.” He flattened his hand on Khouri’s hip, squeezing gently as he buried his face in Khouri’s hair. “I’m supposed to protect him. He gave himself to me and I can’t even keep him safe.”

  It had been a mistake to sleep with Navidae, Sorin realized, because the pity and worry he had felt before tripled in an instant. How was he meant to reconcile the centuries Navidae had lived with the youth—the sincerity—he presented in moments like these? “You’ve just been laying here thinking about this for hours, haven’t you?” he whispered, reaching his hand over Khouri to stroke Navidae’s cheek.

  “What else am I to think about?” he mumbled, hiding his eyes in soft black hair. His skin was as soft as Khouri’s, and he didn’t shy away from Sorin’s hand, accepting the touch with as much grace as he could muster. “I’m losing everything I hold dear. If I’m to lose it, I’m going to savor the moments I have left before it’s snatched from me.”

  Sorin paused for a moment. “You love him, don’t you?”

  Navidae’s eyes opened and his entire body tensed. He stared at Sorin like a rabbit caught in the jaws of a wolf. Pain flashed across his face. It was gone as fast as it had come. He relaxed, closing his eyes. “What does it matter now?” he muttered. “It’s already over, isn’t it?”

  “Navid—” Sorin began, but he stifled it when he realized Khouri’s eyes were opening. Shit. He quickly softened his expression and tilted Khouri’s face towards him to give Navidae a chance to compose himself. “Looks like someone’s finally waking up,” Sorin teased, sharing a look with Navidae to let him know that this wasn’t over. They would get into it later, but for now tending to Khouri was the more pressing need.

  Khouri scrunched up his nose and pouted at Sorin first, and then Navidae once he batted Sorin’s hand away from his chin. “It’s too early to be awake,” he mumbled, resting his balled up hand on Navidae’s chest. He tilted his head expectantly, closing his eyes. It must have meant something to Navidae since he immediately dipped down to kiss him. Khouri purred softly, pulling away after a minute to turn his head towards Sorin with the same lazy expectancy.

  Sorin found himself just as trained at Navidae when he moved to kiss him without a second thought. Khouri was warm and soft, the kiss just a gentle caress of the mouths that eased the tension knotted at the base of Sorin’s spine. It felt natural to card his fingers through Khouri’s silky hair; the kiss deepened with Khouri’s soft moan. If every morning could feel like this, Sorin might have a better disposition entirely.

  “What are you two doing awake?” Khouri mumbled once the kiss was broken. He yawned cutely and shifted, wincing when he pulled a muscle still sore from last night. He shrugged off Navidae’s concerned touch. “It’s not even dawn yet. Were you two fighting again?”

  “Of course not, pet,” Navidae said softly, his voice still a little raw. Khouri furrowed his brow and cupped his lover’s cheek. Navidae forced a smile and kissed his inner wrist. “We were just chatting over how best to spend the day.”

  Sorin wanted to sigh. More lies. He nodded when Khouri looked to him for confirmation, owing this much to Navidae if nothing else.

  “My vote was to lay around some more,” Sorin said, kissing Khouri again. “Give you some more attention.” He let his hands wander as if to compliment his words. He broke the kiss and drew his fingers down Khouri’s soft skin, his lips falling to his bare shoulder. Khouri’s breath came faster, his heartbeat quick like a rabbit’s. Navidae coaxed Khouri’s attention back onto him, stealing a few kisses until Khouri couldn’t breathe at all.

  “I thought it a bit much personally,” Navidae said, brushing Khouri’s fringe away from his eyes. “But then again, there’s so much pleasure to be had in spoiling you rotten.”

  Khouri flushed a fetching shade of indigo. “I should’ve known,” he panted, closing his eyes on a soft moan. “You two together. You’re relentless.”

  “I think you like it,” Sorin said against the skin of his nape. He made sure to rub the vestiges of his beard against his neck, eliciting a shiver Khouri couldn’t deny.

  “He certainly does,” Navidae echoed, moving his hand lower, dragging his nails down Khouri’s stomach until he writhed. Lower, lower, and lower still they went, Sorin’s following as if caught in Navidae’s ebb and flow. Navidae glanced at Sorin when their fingers brushed between Khouri’s thighs. Sorin smiled and was pleased when it was returned to him. Khouri clung tightly to Sorin’s shoulder, biting his lip while they teased and probed, tracing their fingertips against his silky skin.

  “Be gentle,” he breathed, closing his eyes. “It’s— I’m really sore.”

  “I figured you’d say something like that,” Sorin sighed, kissing Khouri tenderly. They had been too rough on him. He might have enjoyed it in the moment, but Sorin had a feeling he would be carrying this pain with him for a few days. “Say something if it’s too much, alright?”

  Khouri squeezed his eyes shut and nodded his head, arching a little when Navidae began to kiss a line down his neck. His lips caressed a bite mark from last night Khouri shuddered, spreading his legs as if by instinct. It gave Sorin an idea, one he was loathe to ignore. He kissed a line downwards, drawing Khouri’s attention when he rolled between the Drow’s thighs.

  “What are you doing?” Khouri whispered, his fingers tightening in the sheets. His cute stomach twitched when Sorin gave his cock a tender lick. Sorin laughed softly, figuring the question was already answered.

  The moan that followed echoed beautifully throughout the room. Sorin tucked his hair behind his ears and bobbed his head up and down, eager to hear more. It was easy to be like this with Khouri; his soft skin and gentle scent invited it. He was made to be doted on.

  Sorin swallowed around Khouri, closing his eyes. Khouri was made to be loved.

  Khouri arched against the mattress, his thighs spread and his hands clenching the sheets with a quiet sort of desperation.

  Every moan he gave was soft, falling against Sorin’s ears like feather down.

  “Oh, Gods,” he breathed, writhing beneath Sorin’s mouth. “Please. Please.”

  “Oh, is that not enough for you?” Navidae crooned, and Sorin cracked open an eye. He watched Navidae lean over Khouri and obscure what little Sorin could see of him. His voice was but a whisper in the early morning darkness. “Do you want more, pet?”

  Khouri gave a broken keen, and in the next second his body was seizing
beneath Sorin’s hands. Sorin choked a little and pulled off, catching his breath to see what just happened. He raised a brow when he caught sight of Navidae sucking on Khouri’s peaked nipples, tugging and teasing skillfully enough to make Khouri shiver violently.

  “God, that’s a good look on you,” Sorin remarked, squeezing Khouri’s thighs appreciatively. He brought his fingers to Khouri’s entrance, rubbing gently at the flushed and swollen skin just to hear him cry out weakly. He was still so fucking wet down there. Still so stretched out. “Do you like having both of us like this?” Greedy as he was, Sorin could only assume the answer was yes.

  He let out a low laugh when Khouri made it clear he couldn’t focus long enough to answer. The Drow was a complete mess, staring at the ceiling with wide, lust-blown eyes. Sorin worked his fingers back and forth, dipping just the tips of his pointer finger inside to make sure he didn’t exacerbate the soreness. Watching was intoxicating all on its own, but Sorin couldn’t resist leaning back down to use his mouth again, loving the sounds it earned him in return.

  Below the sounds of pleasure Sorin could hear Navidae’s whispers. He ignored it at first, focusing more on what he was doing, but before long he found his attention straying. Sorin glanced up and found Navidae laid out at Khouri’s side, his fingers holding Khouri’s chin in place as he crooned his words against the shell of a pointed, pierced ear. Whatever he was saying had Khouri trembling. His slender fingers clenched the sheets at his side, his cheeks flushed dark as he stared blankly at the wall.

  What was he saying? What did Khouri think of it all? Sorin bobbed his head faster, taking Khouri deeper. His moans took on a desperate quality, and when he let go of the sheets, Sorin found it was to tug at his hair, urging him for more.

  Navidae said something to Khouri in the Drow language.

  Something musical and soft, loving and burdened with immeasurable intent. Blackbird, Sorin realized. He was calling Khouri his pet name with all the urgency of a man about to lose everything he held dear.

  It was enough to make Khouri come with a soft, broken cry.

  His fingers tangled in Sorin’s hair. Spine arched, thighs trembling, he only went limp when Sorin deigned to pull away, and even then he still had Navidae kissing him to contend with as well. Sorin watched as Khouri curled into Navidae’s arms, whimpering softly as Navidae kept playing with his nipples.

  They looked good together. Sorin couldn’t help but burn somewhere deep in his gut at the thought of having them both within reach.

  It was enough to make a man a glutton, really.

  Sorin let out a huff as he settled in behind Khouri, his muscles and joints protesting all the movement after such little rest. He wrapped an arm around Khouri’s waist, kissing his smooth shoulder and up his slender neck. “Is it time to go back to sleep now?” he wondered, more than ready to waste the day away so long as it meant he didn’t have to move.

  Navidae broke the kiss, prompting a soft whine from Khouri. He sniffed a few times pointedly. “I think it’s time for Khouri to take a bath,” he said with a smile, lifting himself up a little to look down at Khouri from above. When he caught Sorin staring, he shot him a smirk. “You’re a mess, pet.”

  He saw the ploy for what it was: a bid to talk some more alone. “You really are,” Sorin agreed, taking in the dried cum streaking Khouri’s inner thighs. They all were a bit dirty, but Khouri definitely received the brunt of it all after last night. It was as good an excuse as any to get Khouri to leave the bed.

  Khouri pouted, nuzzling Navidae with his cheek. “Don’t wanna,” he mumbled, wrapping himself around the Drow completely. “Wanna sleep more.”

  Navidae kissed his head with a deep chuckle. “Sweet pet, so sleepy,” he crooned. “You’ll be upset later if you fall back asleep like this. Go on, go take your bath. Don’t make me carry you.”

  Sorin felt the urge to look away when Khouri lifted his head to kiss Navidae sweetly, the familiarity and comfort of it all indicative of a long post-coital habit. “Will you sleep with me if I get up?” he murmured, just loud enough for Sorin to hear. “I don’t want you to lock yourself in your study today. I missed sleeping with you. So much.”

  The smile Navidae gave Khouri was as fake as could be, brittle as ice and as confident as a church mouse. “Didn’t you hear, pet?” he said, stroking Khouri’s cheek with his knuckles. “I was just telling Sorin; I’ve no work to see to today after the party last night. We can spend all day in bed if you like.”

  It rankled a little that Khouri smiled so beatifically. He believed the lie so easily, kissing Navidae with a happiness that must have hit Navidae somewhere in his gut. Khouri broke it after a moment, pressing their foreheads together for just a second longer.

  “Thank you,” he breathed, running his fingers through Navidae’s hair. “I’d like that a lot.”

  Navidae turned away first, patting Khouri’s cheek dismissively. “Go on, now,” he urged, nudging Khouri until he sat up and crawled for the edge of the bed. “We’ll be waiting here when you come back.” They watched Khouri slowly make his way to the door nestled in the corner of the room, one Sorin had to assume led to the bath. There was a stiffness to his walk that bespoke of the rough evening they’d shared together, the smattering of bruises serving as a reminder of how much he’d been touched by the both of them. He tossed them a lingering smile over his shoulder just as he opened the door.

  Beautiful, Sorin thought. Beautiful enough by far to drive a man to the lengths Navidae had gone.

  “Keep the bed warm for me,” Khouri teased, his dark eyes hooded and his smile a promise. “I won’t take long.”

  Sorin smiled back at him, content to forget for just a moment how dire things were. Khouri’s words held such promise. What he wouldn’t give to indulge like that for a day, a week, a lifetime. He had to think Navidae thought as much too. An endless night like the one they just shared. Sorin longed to be so lucky.

  Sadly, the world rarely catered to dreams like that. The second Khouri disappeared through the doorway was the second Navidae’s thin mask crumbled into dust. He sagged visibly, falling back into the sheets and pillows with a tired groan. He brought his hands to his eyes, kneading at them with the meat of his palms.

  “How much would it cost to have you smother me before he comes back?” he asked, voice a little muffled and a lot stressed.

  “More than you can afford,” Sorin snorted, rolling onto his side to enjoy his unrestricted view fully. Navidae really wasn’t fond of bedding. The single sheet he used was only just clinging to his sharp hips, and unlike Khouri, he bore no sign of the chilly Duskriven air bothering his bare skin. “Shouldn’t you have carried him? After what we did to him last night, I don’t think walking is the best thing for him right now.” Especially after he stepped on glass too.

  Navidae shook his head. “We’re made of tougher stuff than you humans,” he muttered. “If he was hurt, he would have said so. He knows better than to hide an injury like that from me.”

  Sorin hummed, unsure of what to do with that information. It made sense, but he didn’t really like it. “So, do you really not have more work to do or are you just giving up entirely?” he wondered next. A day in bed sounded great, but he knew better than to take that lie at face value.

  “What, have I not earned myself a day of rest in my lover’s arms?”

  Sorin rolled his eyes, reaching out a hand to stroke the soft skin of Navidae’s ribs. He still hadn’t been asked to leave the bed, so he assumed all occupants within it were fair game at this point. “I’m sure you have,” he figured, savoring the softness of Navidae’s skin. “But that’s never stopped you from working before. So, what gives?”

  Navidae sighed. He only registered the fondling with a single flick of the eyes. “What gives is that I’m out of options. I’ve literally nothing left to try.” He stared at the ceiling, expression morose. “Those who might have aided me once upon a time now want nothing to do with me. All I have… All I’ve got left is th
is. For as long as it lasts. And even then, it won’t be much longer. You’ll take Khouri soon and I’ll be alone to reap what my luck has brought me.”

  “You’re an even bigger idiot than I thought if you think Khouri will let me take him anywhere after what happened last night.”

  “This isn’t up for debate,” Navidae snapped, sitting up a bit to glare at Sorin properly.

  Sorin narrowed his eyes. “You love him, Navidae,” he said, refusing to back down when Navidae turned his face away. “He loves you too. Fight for him. He’s clearly willing to fight for you whether or not you're willing to let him.”

  “You don’t understand,” he said bitterly, spitting the words through clenched teeth. “Something like that doesn’t matter down here.”

  Had Sorin ever felt such a strong desire to hit someone in the face before? He sat up and glared at Navidae, resisting the urge only because Khouri would never forgive him if he came back to an all-out brawl on the bed. “Are you honestly going to look me in the eye and tell me that Khouri’s doesn’t love you?”

  The Lord held himself tightly. “Khouri can feel whatever he wishes to feel,” he said quietly, his unwillingness to raise his voice grating more than a shout would have. “That’s his gift.

  He’s not like me. He never was.”

  “What does that even mean?” Khouri was a half-Drow, but that didn’t matter, did it? No, there was nothing stopping Navidae from admitting it but himself. Sorin scoffed. “You’re your own worst enemy,” he realized, shaking his head when Navidae just stiffened some more. Sorin fell back against the sheets, too tired to entertain it sitting up. “You aren’t unlovable, Navidae. Whatever it is you think, it’s wrong.”

  And Navidae somehow had the gall to be defensive of it.

  “Love won’t win this fight.” Sorin rolled his eyes at the fangs Navidae bared. “Yet again you show a fundamental misunderstanding of how Drow are. If there was love to be found in all of this, it wouldn’t be happening in the first place.”