“Do your others also bathe with you and do this for you?” Zelli wondered after telling Tahlen to lean back again so Zelli could rinse his hair without getting soap in his eyes.
“Did they ever wash my hair?” Tahlen asked in a warm, faraway tone. “They didn’t ask to and I wouldn’t have let them.”
“Ah.” Zelli didn’t understand but pretended to so Tahlen would stay where he was, and dipped his hand down over Tahlen’s bitten shoulder. He couldn’t really feel the bruising from his teeth and eventually pulled his hand away to finish his task.
“Zelli,” Tahlen said after Zelli had rinsed his hair free of every bubble and was worrying over adding more water to the bath or letting the water cool, “I am protected. Is there anything else you want—aside from a good and decent ruler in the capital?” It was probably the cooling water that made Tahlen sound a bit more aware and awake, but he must have been dreaming still because he made no sense. “I mean, with your fever or without your fever. With or without the consequences of your wish. Is there anything else you want?”
“I would like you and everyone else safe.” Zelli expressed this sincerely, but spread his hand over Tahlen’s shoulder and left it there. “I’d like you to get the rest you need.” Tahlen pushed out a testy little breath. “I’d also like to get the restIneed,” Zelli added. “Which is why I have not asked you to tup me again. Although obviously, I would like that too.”
“Obviously,” Tahlen echoed. Then he turned, and Zelli didn’t know what he did, but Tahlen took hold of Zelli’s hands and then his waist and suddenly Zelli was in the water with him.
Zelli shouted in surprise and possibly shrieked too, which, thankfully no one would hear. He put his hands on the edge on either side of Tahlen, who settled onto the bench seat and pulled Zelli with him.
“Good thing you’re small,” Tahlen whispered, pleased with himself. He leaned back enough that most of Zelli would be in the water if Zelli let his legs float. He left his hands at Zelli’s ribs.
“My robe,” Zelli complained while staring at Tahlen in confusion. His robe and shirt tangled around him, the robe heavier by the moment. “In the bath?” he asked a while later, drifting closer to Tahlen and ending up with his knees on the seat and Tahlen sitting up with his arm around Zelli’s waist. “If I like?” he interpreted the light in Tahlen’s eye, then raised his arms agreeably. “But the robe is heavy now.”
Tahlen helped peel it off him, and the nightshirt too, and tossed them elsewhere. He smoothed his hands up Zelli’s spine and then down to his backside, trickling water over Zelli’s skin. It should have been too hot combined with the fever, but Zelli found it pleasing and told Tahlen so. He also liked Tahlen’s hands settling on his thighs.
“Do they match up with the bruises?” Zelli wondered absently after first leaning in to fit his teeth gently over the impression on Tahlen’s shoulder.
Tahlen considered Zelli with that distracted, dreaming look in his eyes again. “Should I tell you all we did last night?”
Zelli considered the offer, then Tahlen’s pretty eyes and pretty face. His mouth was also of interest. “We could just do it all again?” he suggested, his attention narrowing to Tahlen’s lips when Tahlen smiled. “Kiss?”
He’d meant to use a full sentence, but Tahlen leaned forward eagerly so Zelli kissed him without bothering with more words. His kiss was brief and careful. He still was not sure of his teeth, and though he remembered many kisses from the night before, open-mouthed, closed-mouthed, lips just parted, lips brushing in shivery teases, none had been deep.
He wondered if that bothered Tahlen, but it was a distant wonder. They kissed. Tahlen pulled Zelli closer. Zelli flattened his palm against Tahlen’s side and slid it lower since that was permitted.Anythingmight be permitted. Zelli bit down at the thought, then startled back to stare wide-eyed at Tahlen.
Tahlen put two fingertips to his reddened bottom lip. He spoke after a pause, his voice husky. “You were overwhelmed?”
Zelli nodded slowly. “I didn’t mean to accidentally hurt you.”
“Accidentally,” Tahlen echoed dryly, but leaned in again. “I was too much?”
Zelli shook his head. “Too much choice. I got excited. I’m sorry.”
Tahlen came that much closer, letting their mouths nearly touch. “I’m not.”
Hewastoo much. “Beautiful,” Zelli told him crossly and took Tahlen’s face in his hands to kiss him again.
The water was cool compared to the fires in him. Tahlen had done this and Zelli wanted to make him feel the same. He slipped his hands down, through damp chest hair and over taut nipples and smooth muscle. He broke their kiss but didn’t pull away, glancing down as he curled his hand around Tahlen’s cock. Tahlen drew in a breath.
Zelli’s whole body clenched, the fever and the cloudy memories of the night before leaving him with a need he tried to ignore. But his hips twitched and his mouth went dry as he explored.
Tahlen had been hard since the moment he’d entered the water, half-aroused before then. Zelli didn’t want to make him wait. He needed it to be good for him and eventually snapped heatedly for Tahlen to show himhowto make it good for him. Tahlen said his name, nearly a sigh, and closed his hand over Zelli’s. Then he wrapped an arm around Zelli’s waist to haul him closer.
Zelli slapped a hand on the edge of the tub to brace himself and watched, teeth sunk hard into his bottom lip. Tahlen’s cock felt and looked good in Zelli’s hand, wet and shining. Zelli licked his abused, swollen lip and dropped his forehead to Tahlen’s shoulder. Tahlen’s chest was heaving. His forearm made Zellihungryand he told Tahlen so, breathless and shuddering.
Tahlen’s hold on him tightened, then he pulled Zelli down against him with a groan. He spent white and thick along his chest and on Zelli’s hand. Zelli lurched up to place kisses all over his face and shoulders.
“Beautiful,” Zelli kissed Tahlen’s bruised mouth too. Tahlen shivered and Zelli felt another pulse against his hand.
Though the water would wash away Tahlen’s spunk, Zelli used the same hand to start to bring himself off. There was some spill left on Tahlen’s chest in the lovely patch of hair, and Zelli thought of finishing there and adding his mess to it.
Tahlen, eyes half-shut, lips red and parted, watched. His hand flexed at Zelli’s hip, tightening and releasing. His breathing did not even out.
He finally whispered, “Zelli,” so urgently that Zelli stopped to kiss him again without thinking.
