“You love us, and you want to make us feel loved,” Orin said out of nowhere, once more deceptively calm. Tiiran twitched to hear it said so boldly and raised his head. Orin seemed to be considering the room at large and not Tiiran in his arms, so Tiiran huffed. Nikoly began to rub a soothing circle on his back.
“So he scares us,” Nikoly added.
Nikoly was far scarier than Tiiran and they all knew it.
“Which we will have to bear, having chosen him.” Orin paused, and Tiiran should have guessed he was about to say something he knew Tiiran wouldn’t like. “Were chosen for him, perhaps, as he suggested.”
Tiiranhadsaid that, but he still sputtered, nearly drowning out Nikoly’s shaky exhale.
“But he also grants us authority over him, as he will not even for the king and the fae—bless them.” Orin seemed to be musing on the subject but Tiiran very much doubted he was; Orin’s gaze was fire. Tiiran went silent. “Consequences, then, will be up to us.”
He smiled.
Tiiran flicked a glance to Nikoly, who regarded Tiiran seriously.
“You did want us to be together more,” he reminded Tiiran, gentle and soft, before raising his head to address Orin. “He’s not well enough for much now.”
“An excellent idea,” Orin answered, as though that had been a suggestion of some kind. “He will have to wait. Do you hear that, kitten?” Rough amusement carried through Orin’s chest. “You will have to wait for my hands on you again. Wait, and want, and worry.” He spoke against Tiiran’s ear, laughing quietly when Tiiran wriggled.
“I can take anything right now,” Tiiran insisted, although he probably couldn’t. But Orin wouldn’t exhaust him too much. He trusted in that.
“What’s that?” Orin asked, raising his voice. “You want me to spank you here in this tavern?”
Tiiran pushed out a strangled noise and twisted around to meet Niksa’s wide eyes. He turned back to Orin, who watched Tiiran struggle with obvious pleasure.
“I’m sure you take spankings so well,” Nikoly joined in helpfully, leaving Tiiran to stare at him while he imagined himself bare from the waist down in front of everyone. In front of Mattin, and that… thatbard. His heart raced, blood pounding all through him until his face burned and he squirmed without meaning to. His cock was plumping and Orin would feel that, many layers of clothing or not. Nikoly would see it if he looked down.
“So well, so determined to be brave and tough it out.” Orin sighed, hands dropping to cup Tiiran’s behind and squeeze it right there in front of everyone. “But he wants it so much, takes it for so long that he could likely finish from that alone.”
“Really?” Nikoly’s voice held the faintest rasp.
Tiiran stared at Nikoly, beautiful and longing, then quickly hid his face against Orin’s shoulder.
A graceful, inked hand dipped into his lap.
Tiiran bit his lip but a small whine escaped.
“Your Nikoly doesn’t like being embarrassed as you do, but I think he would enjoy a hand on him,” Orin continued blithely into Tiiran’s ear.
“Our Nikoly,” Tiiran choked, trying to push against Orin’s hands but he was held too firmly. “Mine first,” he added because he hadn’t forgotten. “And ours.”
Orin didn’t remove his hands, but seemed to still.
Tiiran inched up to peek at him, then rose to kiss the side of Orin’s neck.Light kisses, he told himself. Even Orin needed softness and care. Perhaps especially Orin, but only in certain moments.
“Bear,” Tiiran whispered to him, although Nikoly probably heard. “Our Master when we say you are. But also Orin, odd duck. You are mine, and that means you are his.” Orin let out a short breath. His hands stayed on Tiiran but he was silent. He had behaved similarly when Tiiran had spoken of their bed. “Shh.” Tiiran soothed him as best as he could, feeling more than a little foolish, although Orin didn’t stop him and Nikoly didn’t suggest Tiiran stop. “We will make our house how it pleases us, and I don’t… I don’t want you to ever feel that you have been left. Either of you, but you most of all, Orin. I might have a fire-heart as you say, and it doesn’t bother me because I don’t spend much time with those who don’t burn inside. But you have such a heart too, and it must be so hard for you, blazing as you do around people who prefer you hide it.”
“Bee,” Nikoly murmured, choked and sad. He put his forehead to Orin’s shoulder. Orin swallowed, once, then again.
“I had so much time in that room, Orin.” Tiiran raised his head to brush the tip of his nose over Orin’s chin and then his cheek. “We think you’re beautiful. And we would have you.” Tiiran tried not to frown at Orin’s continued stillness. “You might not believe me yet, or worry that Nikoly only wants you to use him—or that he only wants to use you?” Tiiran would have to consider that in more detail later. “But I want you to feel what I feel for you. You’re quiet. Perhaps it hurts?”
“Fire tends to,” Orin answered faintly. “Sorry. I’m tired and you always surprise me, Tiiran. But I wasn’t expecting….”
He didn’t say what he hadn’t expected. Nikoly raised his head, as if perhaps also waiting on the answer.
Tiiran took Orin’s face in his hands, then hesitated because they were surrounded by strangers. But Orin once again did not stop him, so Tiiran took a hand from Orin to cup Nikoly’s jaw and left the other at the side of Orin’s neck.
“It’s very pleasurable to imagine you using Nikoly, with your rope or without it,” Tiiran informed him. “And I enjoyed being tupped by you and think he would enjoy it as well.”
