I chuckle. “Let me clean you up and we’ll sleep.”
“If you’re sure…” he says, already dragged down by exhaustion. He whines as I pull away from him. “Don’t go too far…”
I smile and kiss his shoulder. “I’ll be right back, I promise.”
I stand up in the narrow camper, find a rag to clean us both, and come back to bed immediately.
For as long as we’ve been seeing each other, Perri has always been honest with what he wants and feels. He’s needy and earnest, and never plays games—unlike Jude who was a mastermind. I liked that about Jude, at first. It was exhilarating. But now I know it wouldn’t have worked in the long run. It made me sharp around the edges, while Perri’s particular brand of honesty and quirky sweetness soothes me. I want to protect and care for him.
Our world is harsh, but Perri never lost his spark. I definitely have Stellan to thank for that.
I clean both our bodies—tentacles included—before pulling Perri to me. He sighs happily and buries his face in my chest.
“Thank you,” he mumbles, “for being so patient with him.”
“What?” I ask.
“Stellan. He’ll come around…”
I chuckle. So he saw Stellan watching us, too. Of course he did. They’re attuned.
“I love you,” he whispers.
After a minute, he’s fast asleep, as if he didn’t just dropped a love bomb over my head.
I realize I would have crossed the entire north American continent to save this man, without regret.
And I’ll follow them farther still. The Traveling Market can function without me for a few weeks.
I close my eyes and let his steady heartbeat lull me to sleep.
15
The kiss.
“It’s funny, when I think about it, how social interactions were before the Rise. I remember having a crush on one of the scientists at the main lab. For months, I tiptoed around him, unsure if I should make a move or not. Then the Kraken attacked Tokyo Bay. Things didn’t change overnight, we still hung on to normalcy for a few weeks. But then more old gods woke from their slumber, and the entire planet became a war zone. When destruction finally reached my state, everyone left to be with loved ones. I called my colleague, the one I had a crush on, and asked him what he was planning to do. He said he was going west with his family, and wished me good luck before hanging up. I never saw him again. My feelings fizzled into nothingness in the matter of days. Survival was more important than anything, and all feelings had to be dealt with fast. You couldn’t hesitate, or you’d be collecting regrets. Now, as soon as I find someone I like—quite difficult, I admit, as thereare so few of us left—I get it over with as soon as possible. If you like me, come and get me. If you don’t, get out of my head. It’s as simple as that.”
Audio transcription of a recording by Aurora Melbourne, 2049.
STELLAN
I watch the sun rise over the dying forest, bleary-eyed. I spent the last hours of my watch thinking about what I’d seen and heard of Perri and Alastair fucking.
Alastair ate Perri out, with my cum still inside him.
I’m not new to felching—a term Perri taught me, of course—but I’m usually the one doing it to Perri, or once, to Jude.
No one but Perri has ever done it with mine. Alastair was chasing it with his tongue. I heard when Perri warned him, and his answer: “Oh, I know.”
There’s a twinge in my cock—again—remembering it once more.
I’m not dumb. For some reason, the King is hitting on me. At first, I thought he was just playing games, testing the water to see how he could steal Perri from me. He wouldn’t be the first to try. But now I’m not so sure. The way he looks at me, his eyes devouring, make me wonder.
I shake my head and get to my feet. It’s time to wake the two lovebirds. I make my way to the camper, quietly, to find them sleeping in each other’s arms. Perri has his head nestled on Alastair’s shoulder. Alastair’s eyes are closed, but his hand is caressing the Perri’s soft hair. He has a contented smile on his face.
I feel the sudden urge to climb on the bed and rest my head on his other shoulder. Cuddling with a bigger man is foreign to me. How would it feel to—
I clear my throat. “Time to wake up, guys.”
