It wasn’t the sunlight pouring over his face nor the sound of voices from the rooms below that woke Nikolai, it was the movement of the covers. He didn’t move or make a sound but let his eyes open just enough to see what his companion was doing. Argis sat at the edge of the bed, cradling his head and whispering to himself. Nikolai couldn’t make out what he was saying but there was already a knot forming in his stomach.
With a deep breath Argis straightened himself before glancing over his shoulder. He frowned slightly, “I know you’re awake.”
Nikolai buried his head beneath his pillow, “Am I that horrible of a liar?”
“No,” Argis replied, “I just know you that well. Get up; we’re leaving in an hour.”
Muttering obscenities Nikolai sat up like a bolt and stared hard at Argis. “Are we going to ignore last night?”
Argis raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean?”
“What. . . . What do I mean,” Nikolai laughed. “I mean your response! How the world seemed to come crashing down around you once everything was said and done.”
Argis turned his gaze away.
“No. No, no, no. You are not avoiding this.” Nikolai grabbed Argis’ hand and with one powerful tug, pulled the man into his arms. “Argis, if you didn’t want-”
“Look,” Argis snapped, “I know I could have said the word and you would have stopped, but I didn’t. I didn’t because I didn’t want to stop.”
“Oh.”
Argis pulled out of the awkward embrace and, with a shaky breath, locked eyes with Nikolai. “I enjoyed last night, believe me I did. You are something special, Nikolai. I guess it’s just hard for me to come to terms with this in just one night.”
Nikolai nodded, “I suppose you’re right. You have my apologies.”
“I should be the one apologizing,” Argis replied, kissing Nikolai softly. “You got yourself tangled with someone out of their depths.”
“Well, I’m willing to help you out.”
Argis chuckled, “I know that you are.”
“So, it’s a long ways to Windhelm.”
“That it is.”
“Think you can handle me alone in the wild?”
“I suppose I’ll have to find out.”
(I hope everyone enjoyed this, because I sure as hell did!)
Re: Now and Forever (8/8)
With a deep breath Argis straightened himself before glancing over his shoulder. He frowned slightly, “I know you’re awake.”
Nikolai buried his head beneath his pillow, “Am I that horrible of a liar?”
“No,” Argis replied, “I just know you that well. Get up; we’re leaving in an hour.”
Muttering obscenities Nikolai sat up like a bolt and stared hard at Argis. “Are we going to ignore last night?”
Argis raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean?”
“What. . . . What do I mean,” Nikolai laughed. “I mean your response! How the world seemed to come crashing down around you once everything was said and done.”
Argis turned his gaze away.
“No. No, no, no. You are not avoiding this.” Nikolai grabbed Argis’ hand and with one powerful tug, pulled the man into his arms. “Argis, if you didn’t want-”
“Look,” Argis snapped, “I know I could have said the word and you would have stopped, but I didn’t. I didn’t because I didn’t want to stop.”
“Oh.”
Argis pulled out of the awkward embrace and, with a shaky breath, locked eyes with Nikolai. “I enjoyed last night, believe me I did. You are something special, Nikolai. I guess it’s just hard for me to come to terms with this in just one night.”
Nikolai nodded, “I suppose you’re right. You have my apologies.”
“I should be the one apologizing,” Argis replied, kissing Nikolai softly. “You got yourself tangled with someone out of their depths.”
“Well, I’m willing to help you out.”
Argis chuckled, “I know that you are.”
“So, it’s a long ways to Windhelm.”
“That it is.”
“Think you can handle me alone in the wild?”
“I suppose I’ll have to find out.”
(I hope everyone enjoyed this, because I sure as hell did!)