He was sideways over Orin’s lap, with Orin’s shoulder for a pillow. Orin’s arm was firm around his chest, keeping Tiiran from floating away like a butterfly. Orin was aroused, although not nearly as hard as Tiiran had been, or had felt like he’d been. Tiiran’s bottom throbbed in time with his heart, pounding and hot, cushioned only slightly by how Orin had positioned him in his lap.
Tiiran shifted at the thought, his thighs sliding together because he was still naked.
He opened his eyes. “Orin?”
“You did so well.” Orin gave him a smile that made Tiiran drop his head, although his face already stung so much, he wasn’t sure he could blush anew. “I knew you would, but you surprised even me with the strength of that surrender. You gave me everything. Then again, that’s how you are. I’m a fool for not expecting it.”
Tiiran shivered. His thoughts meandered around the room. His limbs were heavy and plastered to Orin. He could hear Orin’s heart beneath his ear.
“Was good?” Tiiran should have blushed to hear himself, but embarrassment was distant. “Am not needy?”
Orin lost some of his smile and shook his head. “Perfect. Mine.”
Tiiran was warm to his toes.
Orin used his free hand to stroke gently over Tiiran’s lower lip, which felt swollen. And hot, much like the rest of him. “We will have to discuss this when you have teeth and claws again, but I’d like to continue courting you, Tiiran. With your permission.”
Orin watched him, apparently aware that Tiiran had to fight to drag to his thoughts down from the clouds.
“Continue?” he said after staring into Orin’s dark eyes for hours. “Roses,” Tiiran realized a few moments after that. “Elorin Vahti,” he said, thoughts flying away again. “Orin wants to….” He focused on the face now regarding him with either amusement or concern. “Master of Strays, are you sure? I’d like to kiss you.”
“One thought follows the other?” Orin wondered, but pulled Tiiran up so Tiiran could clumsily take Orin’s face in his hands and kiss him. And scratch gently at his beard. And kiss him again, or really, be kissed, since Tiiran pushed their mouths together and let Orin do the work. He sighed when Orin finally settled him back down. He would have to try that again when his mind and his body were reunited, so he could better focus on the sensations.
He must have spoken something of that, because Orin’s voice held a smile. “I’ll take that as a yes for the moment.”
“Yes, Orin,” Tiiran echoed dreamily, snuggling into Orin’s heat because the side of his body facing the rest of the room was beginning to feel cold. “Nikoly?” He wondered if Nikoly would take punishment well. He thought so, and imagined tears in Nikoly’s eyes again. Nikoly probably wouldn’t drool or drip snot inelegantly. Or maybe he would, if punished enough.
Then he would be good like Tiiran was, curled up and warm, and Tiiran would kiss him too. He was going to kiss them both. For some reason, that was allowed.
“Nikoly?” Orin asked in return, once again seemingly content to wait for Tiiran to gather his thoughts.
“Nikoly.” Tiiran shifted a little. “Tighter.” Orin tightened his hold and smiled when Tiiran rubbed his cheek against him. “I get both?” Tiiran’s tongue was distressingly slow to follow his already slow thinking. “Both of you?”
Orin hummed thoughtfully. “If you say, ‘But, Orin’ right now, I will get my special rope from my pack and leave you bound while I go displace books in your library.” Tiiran’s breath caught noisily. Orin hummed again. “Very good, kitten. You’re learning. As for your pup, someone has to keep an eye on you while I’m gone. And… he adores you.” Orin brushed some of Tiiran’s hair from his face although Tiiran hadn’t noticed any wayward locks. “It’s a familiar feeling.”
“But duckling too?” It was a question, though Orin might not approve of Tiiran’s doubt.
“Some are both or something in between.” Orin was brushing away hairs that didn’t exist, soothing Tiiran before Tiiran had realized he needed it. “Don’t worry about that too much either right now. You like him? He’s made you happy?”
Tiiran nodded.
Orin wiped tears from beneath Tiiran’s eyes. “Do you like making him happy? No need to answer right away. You can drift. I’m quite enjoying you like this. I don’t even care that I’m going numb sitting here.”
Tiiran regarded him with as much suspicion as he was currently capable of, which wasn’t much. He hadn’t expected this, or to learn that Orin was wipingtearsand nottear tracksaway. Orin’s smile told him not to worry over that either, so Tiiran sniffled and tried not to.
‘“Don’t know if I’m good at it. I want…” Tiiran stopped, warm through his chest when Orin bent down to press a light kiss to his tender mouth. “Want you to help me. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t.” The rest of his thoughts fluttered down to him in the next moment. “But you like him too.”
Orin ran his thumb over Tiiran’s bottom lip. “You have good taste, and you are correct; if I met him out on the road, and I didn’t know you, I would have had him on his knees as soon as we were alone. Open.” He tapped Tiiran’s mouth. Tiiran parted his lips without thought. Orin smiled, hot and hungry, then met Tiiran’s stare. “But I more thanlikeyou, Tiiran. Let’s be clear.”
He waited, something Tiiran realized just in time to stop himself from askingwhy. “Yes, Orin.”
“It won’t be this easy always, I know that, butfuck, kitten.” Orin tugged him up to speak into his hair. “My good boy. You please me so much.” He was slow to relax his hold and let Tiiran slump against him once more. “When you are more used to this, I am going to fuck you while you’re still sore, so you think of me for days, and Nikoly will see those bruises and remember you were mine first.”
Tiiran gazed up at him, breathing hard, and Orin clucked his tongue and resumed his soft caresses.
“Which are you not ready for. And which Nikoly certainly will like despite my intentions, because he’ll get to fuss over you.” Orin was all banked fires again but Tiiran had seen them and that was enough for now. “You’ll have to talk with him.”
Another reckoning. But this one had turned out well. Something light popped up in Tiiran’s chest. A moment later, he snorted a laugh. Orin seemed delighted, which only made Tiiran want to giggle.
