This close to the full moon, their senses were heightened anyway, and Jason knew better than to start something with their wolves so close to the surface.
And so did Daryl.
Or he should.
With deft fingers, Daryl undid the knot holding the tie in place and let it fall to the floor.
Jason kept his eyes closed for a moment, not wanting to face what came next. But when he felt the barest press of Daryl’s mouth against his skin, it took all his will power not to lean back into it.
With a heavy sigh, he opened his eyes and stepped out of Daryl’s reach.
Turning to face him, Jason stopped in his tracks, floored by the heat in Daryl’s eyes. The lazy way his gaze roamed Jason’s body made his breath catch and his toes curl.
“You still up for relieving some tension?” The flash of uncertainty in his eyes was there and gone in an instant, but it was enough to snap Jason out of his Daryl-induced haze.
“I want to. You have no idea how much . . .”
Daryl raised an eyebrow, expression turning wary. “But?”
Fuck. He really didn’t want to do this, but he’d never forgive himself if he wasn’t as honest as possible. With another sigh, Jason sat on the edge of his bed. “Yes I’d like nothing more than to relieve some tension with you, but what I said before wasn’t exactly accurate.”
“Oh.” Daryl had moved to lean against the bathroom door, and he crossed his arms, defences going up. “Which part?”
“We have no way of knowing if there’s bond potential between us.”
“But you said—”
“I know I did, but I was trying to be funny, a bit playful.” It sounded so lame when he tried to explain. “And I was also horny as fuck, my brain wasn’t working at full capacity. I thought you’d call bullshit, tell me I was talking out of my arse, because no one can really know for sure, can they?” He ran a hand through his hair and met Daryl’s gaze. “But you didn’t correct me, and I’ve felt a bit shitty about it since. I like you Daryl, and more importantly, I trust you. I feel safe with you. If you feel anything remotely similar, then should we choose to fool around now, especially this close to a full moon, there’s every chance we could put something in motion that neither of us wants.
Not true, so not true.
Even as he said the words, the idea of a bond with Daryl made his heart swell.
But that was never going to happen.
“I’m not saying it would happen,” he added at Daryl’s sceptical expression. And that stung.
Didn’t he see Jason like that at all? “Just that there’s always the possibility.”
Might as well put it all out there. “And you know if we started anything here, there’d be no hiding it.”
“Yeah, I know.” Daryl remained leaning against the door frame, gaze fixed on Jason as though searching for something.
Jason let him look. He’d said everything he felt he needed to, he had nothing to hide. The relief was strong enough to make his shoulders relax, and he leaned back on his hands. Deceiving someone wasn’t something he ever wanted to do, and especially not over something as serious as a bond.
He gave Daryl all the time he needed to get his thoughts together, alternatively looking up at the ceiling or closing his eyes.
“You’re right. I should’ve known that about bonds.” Daryl said the words so softly, but they still
startled Jason into sitting upright. “But I’m not a fan, as you know, and I tend to bury my head in the sand where they’re concerned. So, thank you.”
“For what?” He frowned. “For being honest with you? You don’t need to thank me for that. I should’ve been clearer last night, made sure we were both on the same page. I’d never want to try and trick you, Daryl. That’s not who I am.”
“I know.” The smile he offered Jason was small, almost shy, and one he’d never seen on Daryl before. It felt private, like it was just for him. “And that’s part of the problem, isn’t it?”
Jason cocked his head to the side. Waiting.
This time it was Daryl who sighed, and he scrubbed a hand over his eyes. “I like you too, Jason.
