“Can you please lie back down?” he asked gently.
“No,” Shiloh grumbled.
Fine. Levi gave a long-suffering sigh, then sat up, wrapping himself around Shiloh until the smaller boy’s back was plastered against his chest and Levi’s thighs sandwiched his. He hooked his head over Shiloh’s shoulder. “This works, too,” he said against his ear, hands gripping Shiloh’s hips, giving him a little squeeze.
“Are you always this pushy?” he said, tone still grumpy.
Levi laughed. “Only with guys who give me blue balls then try to leave.”
Shiloh crossed his arms over his chest with a snort. “I maintain that you gave yourself blue balls. I was perfectly on board with finishing what we started.”
“Were you, though?” Levi asked, breath puffing against Shiloh’s ear. “‘Cause you acted kind of like you were about to be martyred for your sacrifice.” He laughed softly. “And that’s not the usual response I get during sex.”
Shiloh shuddered against him. “It’s not nice to laugh at people,” he said, that sadness creeping back into his voice.
Levi’s heart squeezed. How was there someone on this planet who was so sexy and cute and sweet and funny all without trying? And what would it take for Levi to convince him it was true? He slipped his arms around Shiloh’s middle, giving him as big a hug as he could risk given his injuries.
“I’m not laughing at you,” he said. When Shiloh turned his head to glower at him, Levi gave him a lopsided grin. “Okay, I am. Only a little, though. And not because I’m making fun of you. You’re just so…”
“So…” Shiloh huffed.
“Adorable? Sexy? Moody? Temperamental?” Levi said. “Take your pick.”
Shiloh studied his features closely, seemingly still suspicious. Of course, he was suspicious. Why wouldn’t he be? Nobody knew better than Levi what years of abuse did to someone’s mind.
After a moment, he seemed to acquiesce, turning to stare at the wall once more. Levi loosened his grip just the slightest bit, still worried about hurting him.
“I’m going home,” Shiloh said, shooting to his feet, hoping to catch Levi off guard.
Levi’s arms shot out, moving of their own volition, yanking Shiloh back down onto the bed hard enough that he bounced on the mattress. “Oh, my God. Do I have to tie you to the bed?”
Shiloh stiffened.
Shame soaked into every crevice of Levi’s brain. “I-I didn’t mean that. I wouldn’t do that. I would never do that. Okay? I wasn’t thinking.”
Shiloh tried to shake Levi off him, but he held tightly. He had no right to hold him there against his will but what was he supposed to do? Send him home to be beaten again? If Levi had the ability to keep Shiloh safe, but didn’t, wasn’t he just as culpable in whatever happened to him next?
“What do you want from me?” Shiloh cried, hunching in on himself, like maybe he could put some room between them. But Levi held tight.
Levi sighed. “I just want to talk about…what just happened.”
Shiloh shot him a mutinous look. “Doesn’t seem like anything happened from where I’m sitting,” he snapped.
Ouch. Someone’s feelings were hurt. Did he truly think that this was something against Shiloh? That Levi had changed his mind about sex and now just didn’t want him? That was crazy. Levi was still hard, still aching. But he couldn’t sleep with Shilohknowing he felt the way he did. How many times had he given up his body because he thought it was…what? Expected of him?
He said he didn’t have much experience. Did that mean he had been taught that this was how he deserved to be treated? Levi just needed to understand how Shiloh could be hard and whining beneath him all while telling him he could treat him like shit if he wanted. It didn’t make sense. Something wasn’t adding up.
“Can you please just talk nicely to me?”
Shiloh snapped his head towards Levi once more, eyes narrowed like he was about to tell him to fuck off.
Levi couldn’t stop himself from taking advantage of Shiloh’s delicate little elf ear just inches from his lips. He nipped at it gently, then placed a kiss on the skin just beneath. “Please?” he crooned.
Shiloh shivered in his arms, leaning closer like he couldn’t help himself. He turned his head slightly, causing Levi’s lips to skim his cheek. A shock of pure heat went straight to Levi’s dick at Shiloh’s shuddery breath.
“Please,” Levi said again, not above begging.
Shiloh remained silent, so Levi occupied himself by placing wet kisses against whatever he could reach. Shiloh’s cheek, his temple, the hinge of his jaw, his nose, his hair. The hand still on Shiloh’s belly started to rub circles over the soft skin there. “So pretty,” Levi heard himself say again. “Please, just…talk to me.”
