“You liked playing with them, didn’t you?” Brannal asked mildly.
“You know I did.”
“I’m saying you should keep doing that even while I’m gone.”
Perian continued to stare, and Brannal just kept staring back.
“Why?” Perian asked finally, feeling the tension all through his shoulders.
“Because I don’t want to imagine you alone wrapped up in our blankets cuddling my shirt and pillow. I want to know that you’re happy.”
“And you think they’ll make me happy?”
“I hope so. I hope they’ll help fill a gap until I’m back.”
“Oh?” Perian asked carefully.
Brannal blinked at him, and then he tugged Perian closer, fingers grasping his hips a little too hard. He pressed a short, fierce kiss to Perian’s lips.
“Perian, of course. They can’t keep you.” He stopped abruptly, frowned a little. “I mean, unless you would want to be kept. I would consider this an extension of what we’ve already been doing. Temporary play.”
Perian was reassured by both the raw possessiveness and then the more reasoned correction. He liked that he made Brannal feel things strongly.
“I’ll think about it,” Perian said finally.
He had to admit the idea of not being completely alone was a nice one, although he really just wanted Brannal.
He sighed and leaned against the other man again. Quietly, he said, “Do you know how many weeks in my life Ihaven’thad you? And how impossible that seems now?”
Brannal huffed a breath. “Exactly that. I’ve gone on dozens of patrols, and it has never felt like this.”
But part of navigating a new relationship was figuring out all these firsts. They weren’t going to get very far if they couldn’t adapt and change.
“It’s going to be fine,” Perian said, trying to sound confident. “You’ll be back beforewe know it.”
“Exactly,” Brannal agreed, sounding as though he was trying just as hard as Perian.
“Let’s go to bed,” Brannal suggested a few minutes later.
It wasn’t even that late, but Perian knew they weren’t heading to sleep, and he certainly couldn’t concentrate on his book.
Brannal made achingly sweet love to Perian that night, pressing into him inch by inch until they were as close and connected as it was possible to be.
“I’ll miss you,” Brannal told him quietly.
Neither of them had expressed words of love to one another, and it was probably too soon, but Perian still felt like he could feel it in moments like this.
“I’ll miss you, too,” Perian responded. “So much.”
This was something he’d never had before and something he definitely didn’t want to give up.
As if they had all the time in the world and Brannal’s departure was not looming, he moved slowly and carefully, nudging the two of them higher in almost imperceptible increments, building and building until their climax crashed over them, as inexorable as the tide.
Perian had never thought of himself as clingy, but as he literally clung to Brannal in bed, he thought he might need to reassess. (But to be fair, Brannal’s arms were wrapped pretty firmly around him, too.)
Chapter Three
Perian awoke to the delightful feeling of a hand wrapped around his cock, and Brannal slowly jerked him off before he slid inside of him and brought himself to completion as Perian begged to be filled up. He knew this morning meant parting, but he had to admit this was a really nice way to begin the day.