"You're practically submerged," said Julian with a laugh, sliding in next to him and cuddling up. Julian's hands were already warm, so Alex welcomed the snuggle gladly.
"I'm still cold," he said, aware that he sounded pouty about it.
Julian chuckled. "You'll warm up soon enough," he said, urging Alex up just enough that there was a shoulder for him to lay his head on. "You always do."
"I hope I never get tired of baths with you," said Alex. He'd put some sweet orange and violet bath oil in the water this time, warning the kittens away, and the light scent surrounded them in the steamy air. His hand drifted downward, finding Julian's fine, pert arse and cupping it.
Julian chuckled. "I hope so, too," he said, voice all low and sexy. He kissed along Alex's jaw and throat and up to his mouth,making happy little sounds as he got the heat up in Alex's blood even faster than the bath was doing.
Alex let out something akin to a purr and turned, pulling him even closer and shifting so they could sit chest to chest without too much of Julian's back out of the water. The room was getting warm enough that it wasn't so bad, anyway, especially not with the way their pulses thrummed with desire and power both. Visiting the Source didn't really get him going, but bathing with Julian almost always did, and he could feel that surfeit of energy winding in with the rest.
Julian ran sparking fingertips through Alex's hair and kissed him thoroughly, grinning. "We're gonna make magic," he singsonged.
Alex grinned right back and kissed the tip of his nose. "Yeah, we are," he said, sliding both hands up Julian's back to hug his shoulders, and then back down to get a nice grip on his arse. "Rub off like this?"
"Mmm, nice," Julian agreed, letting Alex set the pace. They grew hard as they moved, their bodies slick with bath oil, making the friction just right.
Alex murmured sweet nothings and breathed in the sweetness of Julian's power, the two of them permanently in circuit now with the myriad of braided bonds that tied them to one another. Julian whimpered sweetly at a particularly nice roll of his hips, and Alex sent him a hint through the bond that he might want to spare a hand for them, if they didn't want to take too long.
"And what if I do want to take too long?" teased Julian, leaving his hands just where they were as he rocked and rocked in Alex'slap. "I want to take our time and get hot to our cores." He bit Alex's lower lip and then kissed it better, letting out a very pleased sound at the way it made Alex's cock jerk in response against his own.
Alex was pleased about that, too, and readily gave in to Julian's wishes, keeping their pace steady but not rushed, letting the desire coil and build, the tension stretching between them, promising to break together. They'd not come at different times since the bonding, which no one had thought to warn them about but was definitely an experience with the bond echoing and redoubling each burst of pleasure.
Alex bit and kissed along the column of Julian's throat, mouthing at the sweat-slick skin, hands coaxing and caressing over that glorious arse as he did so. Their cocks were another level of pleasure, sensation coalescing in between them as they rubbed and rocked, everything slippery-good and sweet as honey.
Alex could feel, distantly, that things were starting to speed up whether they wanted to or not, the sensations reaching a point of no return and rocketing them toward the end now. Julian cried out softly as Alex bit at the juncture of neck and shoulder, stiffening as that sent him over and bringing Alex along with him in a rush of white-gold sensation and living power.
When Alex opened his eyes again, the ceiling was glowing in vine-patterns and the wards were practically humming with contentment at the energy that had just been dumped in them.
"Look up," he murmured, directing Julian's attention.
"Oh," said Julian with a grin. "We haven't done that in a while."
"I like it, though," said Alex. "It goes nicely with your hanging plants."
Julian laughed, delighted, and flopped against his chest. Alex slid down into the water further again so they could both relax into the warmth together now, sated and serene.
After a while Alex felt a little poke at them which he realised was from James using the Guardian bond, making sure they hadn't drowned. Alex poked back an assurance and then stretched, dislodging Julian from his front with a disgruntled noise.
"We're wanted outside of the bathtub," said Alex. "We'd best wash up."
"Bother," said Julian, but he was smiling as he said it, already going for the bergamot-scented bath wash that would go well with the oil Alex had chosen. They washed each other reverently and then rinsed with a quick shower, emerging to find all three kittens asleep in the middle of their bed with Horace nestled in the middle like a favourite toy.
"That's a sight I like to see," said Alex, reeling Julian in for a sweet kiss before stepping past to grab his underwear from the proper drawer.
Julian took a cat pic with his phone and then joined Alex in their closet to dress, comfortable house clothes of jeans and shirts and sweaters that would do well with whatever the day brought, hopefully.
They'd be good enough for lunch, anyway.
Chapter 39
After spending a lovely afternoon and evening with their friends, including some time to get back to theirCastlesgames and set some things up for their big weekend, it wasn't such a terrible thing to go back out the next day. Although they'd miss James and Jacques, they'd all had a lovely visit, and no one had tried to kill them once.
Julian was snuggled into Alex as they pulled up at the Temple garage, and Jacques got out to find Father Stephen, as he'd end up in the front with Jones rather than crowding the priest between people. Jones was happy to be of service, keeping them up on the gossip and his renovations as they drove.
"I'm happy to let it all dry for a day without me, honestly," Jones said again, sitting back and looking relaxed. "Everything smells like paint fumes now, and it's not like I can leave the windows open in this weather."
"Oh, I should make you a freshening charm," said Alex. "It'd be just a one-shot, but I can cobble something together when you drop us off, if you come in for a cuppa."
