With a happy sigh, he pressed a kiss to Brannal’s chest where the fabric gaped deliciously. Carefully, he asked, “Was that all right?”
“That was lovely,” Brannal assured him. “Thank you.”
“Just tuck it away if you don’t want to use it again. Or get rid of it. I don’t mind. Really.”
Brannal was silent for a moment, and Perian thought that was probably the end of that. He appreciated that Brannal had been willing to give him this one occasion.
And then Brannal pressed a kiss to his temple. “I like the way you see me.”
Perian swallowed, smiled, and pressed another kiss to his chest. “I like the way you see me, too.”
And maybe that was really what this was about. It was sometimes scary, being so exposed to another person. They’d learned a lot about one another, but there was still plenty more to discover.
Brannal’s hand came up to stroke up and down Perian’s back, and Perian settled comfortably on top of the man, loving the touch, loving the feeling of the two of them here, post-orgasm, so much good energy swirling around and filling them up. If there was a way to bottlethis, Perian was sure the doctor would be able to mend people in a trice no matter what their illnesswas.
Brannal’s voice was quiet when he said, “Tramad had been Summus for years when I wound up here after I manifested fire. He had Cormal late in life, and he had the position of Summus before Queen Talira assumed the throne. He was extremely dedicated to the royal family, and he believed in our mission to protect them and safeguard the country without question. He was very proud of his lineage, for he came from a line of Mages, and he carried on the tradition with Cormal.”
Perian didn’t personally think that something that was up to chance and which you didn’t have any control over was really that impressive, but he kept his opinion to himself.
“And then I showed up in the castle,” Brannal said with a sigh. “Twelve years old and grubby, with one of the rarest gifts, and it wasn’t long before I began to exhibit the others. Summus took me under his wing, choosing to coach and guide me personally. He saw a lot of potential in me, but I had to work hard to realize that potential. He thought I was good material for Secundus, was talking about making me his Secundus when I had a few more years of experience in me. But there were… certain ways to behave.”
Perian huffed quietly, realizing belatedly that with being on top of the other man, it was a little more audible than he’d meant it to be.
“Sorry,” he said.
Brannal let out a little laugh. “No, don’t be sorry. He’s been dead for six years. You and Molun and Arvus and others have shown me daily that a lot of his ideas are outdated. Iknowthey are, and yet there’s still part of me that keeps trying to live up to those expectations. I don’t mean to.”
But from the age of twelve, after losing his family, he’d had this man to look up to. And he’d still been looking up to him at twenty-four when Tramad had been killed, and Brannal had barely managed to save the royal family and stop the massacre from getting worse.
Perian pressed another kiss to Brannal’s chest. “You admired him.”
“I did admire him,” Brannal agreed. He was silent for a moment. “But he was also proud, opinionated, stubborn, and he could be a bit of an asshole.”
Perian barked out a laugh. “Now I understand where Cormal gets it from.”
Brannal poked Perian in the side, making him laugh again.
“Be nice,” he admonished. He drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Especially once someone dies, it’s easier to think of the good times.”
Perian nodded, because he’d experienced that, too.
Sighing again, Brannal acknowledged, “But that’s not fair, not to the person who died, and definitely not to the people who are left alive. I admired him a lot. I don’t know where I’d be if he hadn’t been here to guide me and help me control fire. But… not everything he taught me was of benefit. So now I need tounlearnsome things.”
Perian huffed. “Yeah, that’s never easy.” He pressed closer to the man. “And I know it’s hard to admit something like that, especially when it’s about someone you admire, and when it’s a vulnerability in yourself. For what it’s worth, I’m really proud of you. Maybe even more proud than when you do that thing with your arms crossed when you’re all dressed up and I drool a little.”
This made Brannal laugh. “Ooh, even more than when you see my biceps flex? Thatisproud.”
Perian grinned into the other man’s chest, pressing his lips to it through the fabric.
“I mean it, though,” he said.
Brannal’s hand stroked down his back. “I know you do. Thank you. I don’t think I’m ever going to wear this for anyone else to see, but I like wearing it for you.”
Perian swallowed, nodded. “I’m glad. Thank you. And I do mean it that you can tuck it to the back of the wardrobe, and we don’t have to pull it out often at all. We both know that I like it, and I’m glad you liked wearing it for me, but it doesn’t ever have to be something that you force yourself to do. It can be baby steps.” He corrected himself hurriedly, “I mean, really strong Mage Warrior baby steps.”
Brannal laughed again. “Oh, Perian, I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Perian said, tilting up his head for a kiss, which resulted in him being suddenly flipped and pinned down to the mattress while a satin-clad Mage Warrior ground down on top of him.
