They shared a quiet meal and watched the stars for a little while. Taegan thought about what he wanted to say and put his hand on Zorvut’s knee.
“Since we are being honest with each other,” he said slowly, keeping his gaze on his hand. “Can I... talk with you about something?” He could feel Zorvut hesitate, then nod.
“Of course,” he replied, gesturing with an open palm for Taegan to continue.
“I don’t think this will be surprising to you,” he said, “But I had a lot of anger, at first, about not marrying another elf. This has been a hard adjustment—for both of us, I’m sure.”
“I know,” Zorvut said in acknowledgment, nodding.
“But,” Taegan continued. “I do want to make this work, Zorvut. Not just for my father, and the peace treaty, but...” He could feel his face flush, and he squeezed his eyes shut. “For us. I don’t want to be in a loveless marriage. I want us to get along, to… be fond of each other.”
For a long moment, Zorvut did not respond. Whatever he was feeling was a strange mix of emotions through the bond. Finally, he gingerly placed his hand over Taegan’s.
“Let me tell you something, too,” he said. “I always thought my father offered me up just to have me sent away from the clan. I know I told you I never fit in, but... I have always been less than my siblings in his eyes, I think. We constantly competed for his attention, and...” He looked away, a flash of sadness coming through the bond. “I don’t think I ever really felt like my family loved me. Well, my mother doted on me because I was small, but there was always a… a distance, between me and my siblings and my father. And the other members of our clan, they got along well with me, but maybe only because I was the warlord’s son. I always had that thought. So I had no hope of finding a mate, and when he told me he would offer me for the peace treaty, I just... accepted it. I figured I would never find anyone regardless, that no other orc would want to be with me. And maybe I was right.”
Underneath Zorvut’s grasp, Taegan’s hand clenched into a fist. His words were not surprising, but were still painful for him to hear spoken aloud. Part of him had known that Zorvut must not have fit in; he was quiet, thoughtful, and kind, the opposite of every orcish stereotype. But he had never considered why Zorvut would have agreed to be his father’s offering—his own father had not had a choice, having only one child. Having to compete for his father’s love certainly would have driven him to agree to an offer for something he did not even want.
“Iwant to be with you,” he said, the forcefulness in his voice taking them both by surprise. “Zorvut, our marriage may have been only a symbol of peace at first, but what I feel for you is genuine. I accept you just as you are, and I... I hope we can have a real relationship with each other. I want that for us.”
When he looked back up at Zorvut, there was a tenderness in his face that Taegan could not recall having ever seen before, and something like hope glimmered in the bond.
“I want that, too,” Zorvut replied.
“The other day, when I was frustrated,” Taegan offered. “The man we met in the library, he’s... We had had a previous relationship. Shortly before we were married.” He glanced away, feeling suddenly embarrassed. “I was angry he had approached me in front of you. I had asked him to leave me alone, and he wouldn’t.” He could feel anger and something like protectiveness stirring from Zorvut, and he quickly raised his free hand in a placating gesture. “It wasn’t like that, though, and I don’t think he’ll bother me again. I gave him a rather stern talking-to, and that’s why I was still upset when I came back. I wasn’t mad at you, truly, and I’m sorry for how I reacted. And I thought you should know, if we want to have a real relationship with each other.”
Zorvut nodded, seeming appeased. “I understand. And if he still doesn’t leave you alone, well...” He made a slashing motion with his hand, the way Taegan had earlier, and the elf laughed in spite of himself.
“Did you have anyone like that?” he asked, and Zorvut grimaced.
“I did,” he said. “It was purely physical, really, but... I thought I would say goodbye to him, the night of the procession, but he was... colder than I expected. Truth be told, I think he just wanted a way to get in good graces with my father.” He let out a bitter laugh at that, and Taegan nodded knowingly.
“I think that might have been the case for me, too,” he sighed, and smiled. “I suppose that’s one decent thing to come out of all this. No more suitors who only care for the title we come with.” He leaned into Zorvut’s shoulder, and the orc’s other arm came up to embrace him again.
After a moment, Zorvut pulled away to look Taegan in the face, who looked up at him questioningly. “Can I...” he started, color rising in his face—when he blushed, his gray-green skin took on a darker, more grayish tone. “I want to kiss you.”
The spike of fear that flashed through the bond as he said it gave Taegan a hot moment of pain, remembering with regret the times he had turned aside before. Despite the heat he felt prickling up his own face, he nodded.
Zorvut’s hand came up to cup his face, and he instinctively reached up to clasp it, his hand curling around the orc’s forefinger as he drew his face up, closer to him. This time Taegan did not turn away, closing his eyes.
There was a faint flash of fear as he felt the hard, unyielding tusks brush against the side of his mouth, but Zorvut tilted his head and their lips fit together perfectly. The kiss was chaste and brief, but somehow Taegan still felt dizzy when he pulled away. He opened his eyes to see Zorvut watching him closely, his golden-yellow eyes gleaming in the light of the moon, and Taegan leaned in to kiss him again. This time, he let his mouth open against Zorvut’s, a soft noise escaping his throat as their tongues met.
“My husband,” he breathed when they finally parted. He felt Zorvut groan, a low rumble deep in his chest, desire burning through him at the word.
“I want you again,” he said, pulling Taegan closer to him, and already he was nodding in agreement, pushing Zorvut’s shirt up. They undressed quickly, and Zorvut laid him down on their blanket, leaning back to look at him.
“My husband,” Zorvut echoed in a low growl, and Taegan smiled, stretching ostentatiously so the flickering light of the fire reflected off his freckled skin like a multitude of tiny stars. Zorvut admired him for only a moment longer before lowering his body over Taegan’s and trailing kisses along his throat and collarbones. “My husband...”
“Yours,” Taegan agreed breathlessly, running his hands along the rippling muscles of Zorvut’s back. He gasped as the orc’s fingers found his hole, wet and pliant, and slid in effortlessly. “W-Wait,” he stammered, and Zorvut froze, meeting his gaze questioningly. “No more holding back. I want to feel you, all of you.”
Zorvut looked away, visibly hesitating. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he said softly, and Taegan shook his head.
“You couldn’t,” he said, then laughed. “Well, you could, but I’ll tell you if you do. I promise. Please trust me.” He hesitated a moment longer, still seeming unconvinced, then nodded.
“Alright,” he agreed, and moved his fingers inside Taegan again. “Touch yourself. It would be easier if you come first.”
That would be easy, Taegan thought with a grin. Obediently, he lowered a hand to stroke his cock, and Zorvut leaned back again to watch him while still working him open with his fingers. While it was nowhere near as satisfyingly full as his cock, the gentle movement inside him along with the stimulation of his own cock made quick work of him, and it did not take long before he was shooting come onto his belly with a shuddering gasp, Zorvut’s fingers stretching him open even as he clenched around them.
Zorvut’s fingers left him after that, pushing his legs up and around his waist. The orc kissed him again roughly, and Taegan moaned into his mouth as he felt his cock driving into him, the familiar fullness sending a shockwave of bliss through his body. At first Zorvut carefully only entered him halfway, moving in gentle, slow strokes.
