Marius joined him, panting, and his eyes grew wide. “Is that what I think it is?”
They looked at each other, relief flooding their senses. They strode to the water and Kyle tested it, carefully lowering his hand in. It was hot but bearable. His eyes darted around, spotting another underground spring, and he ran there, tasting the cold water.
He looked at Marius, who just stood there, floored. “We have a hot and a cold spring. I think we can stay here for a while... rest a bit.”
He made a fire with the wood they had gathered, watching the smoke snake its way to the opening in the domed vault. Kyle’s eyes sparked. “Time for a bath, dominus.”
Marius snapped out of his trance at the word, frowning gently. “You don’t have to call me like that, ever...”
Kyle smirked, taking the fur off him and tugging at his clothes. “When we’re back in Rome, I’ll have to... besides...”—his eyes lifted to him, a small smile on his lips — “I'd like to... sometimes...” He kissed Marius but didn’t let him do anything, peeling his clothes off. “I’ll need to wash these too... a bath will do you good...”
Marius hadn’t washed since his capture, and he just stood there, letting Kyle take his clothes off, the young man silent when he looked at his body, black and dark purple bruises everywhere, raw wounds were the shackles had rubbed his skin off, covered in grime, and he swallowed, his tears welling up, his voice soft. “Come... in you go...” He helped Marius into the gently sloping pool and let him lie there, his eyes closing, a quivering breath escaping his mouth. His tears flew and Kyle stroked his face, washing it off, gently scrubbing with his fingers, careful with his hair full of dried blood where his wound was.
Marius looked at him. “Join me?”
Kyle quickly undressed and lowered himself into the scalding water, but it felt out of this world after their bitter cold journey, and he couldn’t believe their luck. He continued washing Marius’ hair out, revealing the wide cut on his scalp.
He pulled a face, and Marius hissed in pain. “Ouch... it burns.”
“Yes... not pretty, but your head could have split in half, so you’re lucky, in a sense. It’s going to be a nasty scar, thankfully under your hair...” Kyle’s hand glided down his face, washing the grime and blood off, the rest of Marius’ body soaking in the warm water. “It could have been on your pretty face...”
“Pretty?”
Marius’ eyes gleamed with amusement and Kyle smiled. “Yes, pretty... even with this beard.”
Marius’ hand went to it, rubbing his chin. Used to being shaved clean all his life, it irritated the hell out of him. He sighed, exasperated. “Just shave it off with that able hunting knife? I can’t stand it...”
Kyle’s lips parted, his fingers stroking the dark strands. “You’re sure? It’s very soft...”
Marius scoffed. “Yeah, I’m sure... you can keep yours and stroke it all you want.”
Kyle looked at him wordlessly, reaching for his knife. “Hold still...”
He put the sharp blade to Marius’ throat, the arteries gently pulsing under his skin, and he watched him swallow, a vague nervousness and thrill in Marius as he felt the cool metal on his skin. Kyle scraped the knife upwards, cutting the hair like butter, and Marius closed his eyes, feeling the cold, metallic blade glide on his moist skin, the cool air biting into it as his beard disappeared.
Kyle smirked. “You’ll be cold.”
“I don’t care. Id’ rather be cold than have all that fur on my face.”
Kyle finished and lay the knife aside, washing the rest of the hair off, gently massaging the pink skin. “There... all done.”
Marius opened his eyes, a small smile on his lips. “And you’ll keep yours?”
Kyle leant close. “Yes... for obvious purposes, against the cold... and you can tell me later how it feels when I’ll have my mouth wrapped around your cock...”
Marius’ eyes widened at his unexpected comment. Unable to retaliate, he just lay back in the pool. “Some things you say....”
“Let me wash you properly.” Kyle scraped the softened grime and blood off his skin, his nails gently scraping, grazing, his hands rubbing his skin, and Marius was aroused, despite his body being a block of pain. Kyle smiled. “You’re sure you’re up for it? You look a mess...”
Marius’ eyes were dark. “My body has a life of its own... or so it seems...”
Kyle smirked, straddling him carefully, leaning in to kiss him, doubt in his eyes. “Not sure we can fuck...you’re in pain.”
Marius put a finger on his lips. “We don’t fuck...?”
Kyle rolled his eyes. “Fine...” His eyes drifted to the fire, burning heartily, and he got up, leaving the pool, laying the bearskin down next to it. He went back and held his hands out to Marius. “Come out...you’re clean now.”
He helped him out, holding his numb body up and walked him to the bearskin, laying him down near the raging pyre, lying next to him, propped on his elbow, tracing his bruises. “Now... feeling better?”
