A DRINK BEFORE BATTLE (MxM)

Sevei woke to the touch of soft, warm lips on the back of his shoulder and fingertips tracing light circles over his bare hip. He hummed dreamily while blinking his eyes clear in the dim light, his body rapidly stirring under those lips and fingers.

“Still restless?” he whispered huskily over his shoulder.

“Mm,” Yeresym’s deep voice reverberated over Sevei’s ear. His hand spread over Sevei’s hip, the fingers kneading at the side of his buttock. “How could I sleep with all of this here beside me?”

Sevei hmph’ed affectionately. “You certainly are learning to talk nicely,” he chuckled.

Something in Yeresym’s tone worried him, though. He eased himself onto his back, then raised a hand to caress Yeresym’s shadowy face.

“Now, what are you really thinking about?” he said lowly.

Yeresym went quiet. He shifted his arm to wrap Sevei’s waist, hand grasping at his side.

“How badly this could go,” he finally whispered.

“And here I thought you were done with pessimism,” Sevei sighed. He pushed himself up the pillows and pulled Yeresym’s head down to his shoulder, wrapping an arm around him and stroking his hair. “I promise I’ll keep your reputation safe. I can keep quiet...”

“Must I remind you of Lieutenant Thelan,” Yeresym said irritably, “and Constable Yanek... it wouldn’t surprise me if Nal knows everything...”

“Kat, those are all our closest, most trusted people,” Sevei assured him. “You don’t have to worry about them. We’ll just have to be careful who else we let in.”

“Mm,” Yeresym grunted. He went quiet again until Sevei shook him in his embrace.

“What else?”

“We have to stay focused,” Yeresym reminded him. “Ghed’s death won’t end the war.”

“No, but it’ll give Loranar something to think about. Things should be nice and peaceful around here for a good while. The main front is still up north.”

“Our units could be reassigned – separately.”

“Would you miss me?”

He heard Yeresym swallow hard. “I would,” he said quietly.

“If only one of us could travel vast distances in the blink of an eye,” Sevei teased, smiling as he got a chuckle.

“There is that,” Yeresym admitted.

“And in that case, we’d be no different than the rest of the army,” Sevei said. “They leave their families to go into the field. You think they don’t miss them? Whatever happens, we’ll figure it out, just like they do. Trust me.”

“I do,” Yeresym answered. Then he mumbled, “I suppose you do... have more experience in these matters.”

Sevei snapped to attention, frowning. “Is that what’s bothering you?” he asked. “That I’ve had other...”

“No,” Yeresym answered, a bit too quickly. Then he seemed to reconsider his answer. “Do you... still think of them?”

Sevei shrugged. “Sometimes,” he said honestly. “It’s not like memories can be erased... unless there’s some Alchemist thing...”

“I don’t recommend it,” Yeresym said dryly.

Sevei chuckled at that. “But I don’t dwell on them,” he continued. “There are good reasons we didn’t work out. I’ve put them all behind me.”

“Could that be me one day, then... if we don’t work out?”

“Shh!” Sevei hissed. “Are you trying to curse me? That’s not something I have any intention of finding out.”

He lifted Yeresym’s chin, peering through the little bit of moonlight coming through the curtains to look into his eyes.

“General Urskatha, the pleasure of meeting you will be impossible to forget. If you ever leave me, I’ll probably spend the rest of my days pining away until there’s nothing left of me.” He leaned to plant a kiss on Yeresym’s forehead. “You can have as much of me as you want, for as long as you want me.”

Yeresym gave no reply, but he settled down against Sevei. His hand loosed its grip and began wandering around his waist and over his ribs, sending a tremor through Sevei’s stomach.

“Do you think Mister Damah might take a reservation on this room for a future day?” Yeresym asked.

Sevei smiled. “I’ll talk to him. I’m sure he’d be thrilled to accommodate us. ”

“You and he...” Yeresym asked hesitantly. “You never...?”

“Mm, no. Well, we kissed once... he kissed me, anyway. We were... about fifteen? The boy he really liked had just broken his heart, and he was... well, we knew early on that we weren’t meant for each other like that. He’s just my family. That’s nothing for you to be jealous of.”

“I’m not-”

“And I’ve never slept with anyone else here, either.”

“Hm,” Yeresym said softly, nodding against his chest.

“How did you even find this place?” Sevei wondered. “I can’t imagine you asking around...”

“Meira,” Yeresym answered. “We were in the marketplace when we arrived here, and there were some ladies shopping. Meira could tell they were courtesans, so she asked them. Then she made me go... she thought I should broaden my horizons.”

“She made you go every night for a week?”

“Well... I was unsuccessful.”

“The birds not to your liking?”

“It’s not that I didn’t like them. I just felt I should be protecting them from something, not taking advantage.”

Sevei’s chest felt suddenly stuffy, and he pecked his lips down into Yeresym’s hair.

“Where did you come from?” he muttered fondly.

“The Principality of Urskatha,” Yeresym replied dryly.

Sevei laughed aloud, then pulled him up and kissed him fervently. Yeresym returned his kiss with earnest intensity, and what had begun in mirth soon turned to ardent passion.

“I love you,” Sevei breathed against his lips.

When Yeresym rose to kiss him harder, Sevei pulled him over on top of himself, wrapping all four limbs tightly around him. His body flooded with heat as their hips pressed together, both of them already stiff and raring with urgent need. He slid his hands down Yeresym’s back to grasp his solid buttocks and pull him in closer. Yeresym rocked his body, grinding against him wantonly, and he moaned into Sevei’s mouth.

“You know,” Sevei whispered through feverish kisses, “as enchanting as you are when you’re all shy and flustered, you are absolutely astonishing when you get decisive.”

Yeresym backed off but kept his lips hovering just over Sevei’s, tantalizing him with their nearness.

“How decisive would you like me to get?” he said, his voice dripping with seduction.

Sevei sucked a breath through his teeth. He raised one hand to Yeresym’s chest, pushing him back while reaching for the oil on the table with the other. He blinked when the candle beside the bottle lit itself, but when he looked back, he was even more dazzled by the sight of Yeresym’s naked body looming over his own, now lit by flickering candlelight.

He made a small sound of appreciation. “How nice it would be to wake up to this sight every day,” he said. He took one of Yeresym’s hands, turned it, and poured the oil out into his cupped palm.

“I think you know what to do with this,” he purred, nudging his hip up suggestively.

Yeresym’s gleaming, reddened lips opened, and his eyelids dropped into a sultry glower. He shifted up onto his knees and lowered his hand between Sevei’s thighs, staring into his eyes all the while.

Sevei had to struggle to keep his eyes open when he felt Yeresym’s hand on him. Those oiled fingers hesitantly prodding, then sliding into him, immediately sent a prickling pleasure winding through his core. It intensified quickly as Yeresym explored him, leaving Sevei gasping and writhing against his hand. After only a few minutes of this delicious torment, Sevei hooked his heels around Yeresym’s hips and tugged him forward.

“Now...” he rasped, his voice breaking on the single word.

“Are you... you said this couldn’t be rushed...”

“Don’t listen to me. I’m an idiot.”

The corner of Yeresym’s mouth twitched. “If you’re sure,” he said skeptically. “Do you want to turn...?”

Sevei grabbed a pillow and lifted his hips, throwing it under his arched back.

“Like this...” he instructed.

Yeresym’s eyes raked over Sevei in this posture of offering, and his eyes glinted with a sudden dangerous hunger. Returning an equally ravenous gaze, Sevei watched his hand move to his own shaft, stroking it to spread the remaining oil before moving into position.

Yeresym began to enter him cautiously... almost too cautiously. His breath became shallow and tremulous, and Sevei noticed that the arm he held himself on was shaking. He was nervous. Sevei couldn’t help an adoring smile, and he ran a reassuring hand up that trembling arm.

Yeresym’s entire body shuddered, and he unexpectedly speared halfway into Sevei.

“Ah!” Sevei gasped. His hand shot up to grip Yeresym’s shoulder, fingers digging into hard muscle.

“Sorry!” Yeresym panted. “I couldn’t...”

Sevei chuckled warmly. “It’s alright. Yeresym, don’t worry so much, you’re doing just fine.”

Yeresym’s eyes narrowed on him. “Don’t lie to be nice or I won’t learn.”

Sevei laughed again. “Alright, that was... just a little too fast,” he conceded, but he raised his knees and prodded at Yeresym with his feet again. “I really am fine, though, no need to stop now.”

“Mhm... slowly, then,” Yeresym murmured. He began to move again.

Sevei moaned as the pain subsided and a lush, mellow warmth rolled through him in waves.

“Not too slow,” he breathed contentedly. “Steady is more important.”

Yeresym picked up his pace. His breath became increasingly audible, rushing between his open lips and keeping time with his movements. It wasn’t long, though, before it once again became ragged and halting.

Sevei gave a long and loud groan as he felt Yeresym’s hand close around his throbbing member. “Oh... Gods...”

“Vei,” Yeresym hissed, “I can’t...I don’t think I can wait...”

“Then don’t.”

Sevei’s eyes flew open wide when he felt that now familiar spark of ethereal energy winding around him.

“Yeresym! You shouldn’t...”

He ground his teeth and threw his head back, screaming to the gods as the climax was wrenched out of him and he was lost in the tempestuous storm of Yeresym’s powerful body crashing into him relentlessly.

When the onslaught finally receded, Sevei found Yeresym draped limply over him, heaving for breath and emitting weak little moans with every exhale.

“Aren’t you supposed to be conserving your energy?” he admonished half-heartedly.

“Mm,” came a feeble reply. And then a light chuckle. “To be honest, you, um... don’t really take that much.”

Sevei glowered. “Are you saying I’m easy?”

Yeresym’s shoulders twitched. “Yes.”

Sevei laughed heartily, his laugh trailing into a cough. “Gods, I wish I could do that, though,” he said.

“You might be able to,” Yeresym mumbled into the crook of Sevei’s shoulder. “I could try to teach you.”

“I’m not an Alchemist.”

“Everyone has ethereal energy. It’s part of what we’re all made of. Most people just never try to use it.”

Sevei raised an interested eyebrow. “So I could learn?”

“Well, you’re probably too-” Yeresym halted himself and cleared his throat. “For advanced magic, it’s best to start learning in childhood, but you might be able to conjure a small amount... for recreational purposes.”

Sevei laughed again. At that moment, a bluejay began to shriek as if it were being murdered outside the window. Sevei looked across the room at the pale rays of light gathering around the edges of the curtains on the window.

“It’s morning,” he said, stroking Yeresym’s sweat-damp hair.

Yeresym groaned. “I have to go soon.”

“Of course you do,” Sevei laughed. “You have a job.”

Yeresym lifted his head and fixed Sevei with a wry glare.

“I’ll be in camp early afternoon,” Sevei said, smiling fondly back at him. Then his mood soured thinking of the funerals he’d have to supervise this evening. “Today won’t be pleasant.”

“When we’re back in camp...” Yeresym said hesitantly.

“I’ll behave myself, I promise. All anyone else needs to know is that we’re friends now.”

Yeresym looked skeptical.

“Honestly, our troops will just be glad we’re getting along now,” Sevei assured him. “Mortal danger brings people together. They won’t think anything of it.”

The bluejay screamed again, and Yeresym cast an annoyed glance over his shoulder.

“I really do have to go,” he complained. Then he kissed Sevei’s lips tenderly. “I really don’t want to.”

“Well,” Sevei said mischievously, “if you can stay a little longer... there’s a really nice bathtub...”

[author] One more chapter!!! Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!

Also, please take note of the title of the first chapter and the title of this one and marvel at my cleverness (which was completely unintentional I have no idea how these things come together but I’m so glad they do. Probably some kind of hinkey mystical Muse shenanigans I cannot take the credit.)[/author]