Rakos throws his head back with a groan. “Well, actually, no, I do want you to suck my dick. If you want—I mean, a handjob is good too—”
Bell’s wet kiss beneath Rakos’s cockhead cuts off the rest of his babbling. Rakos can’t think about the wyrm, the convenient tree roots, or Bell’s super hearing. All that matters is Bell’s delightfully hot mouth covering his cock.
It’s clear Bell has never done this before, but he approaches the task with relentless enthusiasm. His lips redden, and his eyes lid with concentration—except when he looks up as if to check whether he’s doing a good job.
Rakos thumbs the corner of Bell’s lip where it stretches around his cock. “Fuck, you’re hot.”
Bell’s eyes crinkle in a smile as he swallows Rakos deeper. Blood rises under Rakos’s skin, driven by his rapidly pounding heart. Brand-new nerves fire off deep within him. His knees weaken as Bell’s hand drops to his balls, handling him with almost reverent care.
Bell doesn’t try to swallow Rakos all the way, and Rakos tries not to buck too forcefully into Bell’s mouth. It’s hard to remember this is Bell’s first time blowing a man when he devours Rakos with such fervor. Rakos isn’t sure what’s hotter—the eager tongue lapping every inch of him, or the rising flush in Bell’s cheeks. The redness at the corners of his eyes. The occasional glances up.
Keeping up the perimeter of Tem magic becomes a feat of concentration. Rakos’s power wavers in the deceptively gentle forest, expanding and retracting as his vision blurs.
Bell whimpers, his own hand buried in his trousers. His flushed face isn’t entirely from the pleasure of swallowing Rakos’s cock.
“Are you getting off too? That’s it, sweetheart. I want you to come.” Rakos throws his head back, sinking a hand into Bell’s hair more as an anchor for himself than any attempt to pull him closer.
Bell whimpers again, a sound of pure needy bliss. Rakos comes in a blinding flash of magic more exhilarating than anything else. He slams against the tree, completely dazed, as Bell licks all the come from his cock.
Moments later, Bell pulls away, groaning through his own release, his body tense, clutching Rakos’s hip for balance. His forehead presses against Rakos’s thigh. Rakos barely manages to hike his trousers back up before sliding to the ground next to Bell and pulls him in for a heated kiss.
Bell kisses him back with new fervor, and Rakos’s heart flips in his chest.
As the autumn air cools his racing pulse, a realization creeps up on him. Pushes through his bruises and settles around his heart.
Fuck casual.
Rakos won’t leave Bell behind. He has to make this work. Somehow, he’ll persuade Bell to come with him. To live anywhere that isn’t Silaise. Sarka will love Bell too, and they can all live happily together on a tropical island or wherever.
Bell’s hands tangle in his hair, the way he’s already tangled in Rakos’s heart.
***
The rest of the journey through the Friendly Forest goes smoothly. No more wyrms. But as they near the edge of the forest, Bell seems more and more distracted. Rakos wants to kiss away the furrow between his brows. He would if they weren’t on separate horses at the moment.
“What’s wrong?” Rakos finally asks.
“The magic around here seems so familiar.” Bell pulls his horse to a halt as he looks around. “I thought it would get fainter as we reached the edge of the forest, but instead, it’s getting stronger.”
“What is it? Is it dangerous?” Rakos is resolved to trust Bell’s judgment, especially after the wyrm incident.
“Not dangerous, but I’ve seen it before. I’ve never been able to tell what it is.”
Rakos nudges his horse closer to Bell’s. “Do you want to try sight-sharing again? I’m more familiar with the area. Maybe I’ll be able to tell what you’re seeing.”
Bell reaches out. “Let’s try it. Fair warning, the magic isn’t bright, but it’s hard to look at.”
Rakos takes Bell’s hand and braces himself.
The sight-sharing is gentler without the panicked rush of battle. Bell clasps his hand carefully, and just as carefully feeds a tendril of his magic into Rakos. There’s a moment where all they share is power. A tenuous tether. Rakos takes far too much pleasure in connecting with Bell like this.
Then the world brightens, and Rakos can’t hold back a gasp.
This is nothing like the fight in Nost, where the world was dark except for the brilliant magical attacks veering towards them. This is an all-over, omnipresent glow, not bright but inescapable. Nauseating waves of faint light pulse through the air itself, gilding the edges of each leaf and tree.
Strongest of all is the unpleasant glow from the earth itself. It’s weaker behind them and stronger ahead of them, towards the mountains.
Rakos wants to let go of Bell. Break away from the vision, make this sickening feeling stop. But he holds on, because as bad as this is, knowing that Bell has been suffering quietly is even worse.
