Marcus’s POV
“But I want to try with you. I’ve never wanted anyone like I want you, Marcus.”
Everything stills for just a second as what they say fully registers in my head and fills my heart so fucking full it’s the most potently perfect mixture of pain and pleasure. They aresofucking close, and saying words that I’d almost given up oneverhearing.
Then there’s the slightest dimming in their bright, mesmerizing eyes, and they shift just the tiniest bit to pull away, taking my silence for rejection, and there’s no way I can ever let them believe I’d reject them. I lean in enough to brush our lips together, and they halt their movements, while the briefest touch of our lips has full-sized blooms blossoming in my chest.
Their eyes flicker to mine with such hope that it cracks me wide open, making me aware of just how fucking massive this moment is.
Theywantme, and it’s not just that they want me, because they have since the beginning. But this time, they’re ready to admit it. No more taking half a step towards me before taking ten steps back.
Their eyes are always so expressive, and right now, the hesitation and fear I’m so used to seeing in them are gone. Evenin the smallest glimpses of them almost giving in to this, those emotions have always been there, warring against their desire. But now, for the first time ever, all of that is absent—just desire and hope.
They lean in, brushing their lips against mine again, testing the waters before I surge forward and drown them, crushing their lips with mine so they can feel how powerfully overwhelming what they’ve just said is for me.
A gasp escapes them before they yield to me. They taste like perfection. Like those brief moments when everything in the universe aligns just right. Every desire realized, every want fulfilled, they taste like absolutely everything I’ve ever needed.
My hands mold so perfectly around their curves, it’s like they were made for me. I press my fingers into their warm skin with the slightest pressure, and I can feel their responding, wavering breath travel through them and into me.
Their body falls against mine, their arms tightening around my neck as they fight to give as much as they’re getting. And now I’m no longer assuming I won’t be able to come back from this; Iknowit for a fact.
“Fuck,” I growl out while tearing my mouth from theirs so we can catch our breath.
Their cheek rests against mine while their heavy breath puffs out steadily against my ear, and I’ve never been so completely whole as I am with them in my arms like this. I’ve imagined a million concepts of what perfection feels like, but none of them were as euphoric as the reality of this.
“You're mine. No more running away,” I breathe out, knowing I might just die if they change their mind.
Qiang nods, tightening their arms around me. “No more running away. I’m yours,” they breathe back, an evident quiver in their voice.
I can’t contain the amount of relief that floods through me at hearing those words, and it has me swallowing down a sob that tries desperately to break loose from my throat. To muffle what surely would have been a humiliating sound, I spring forward and pivot us until Qiang is on their back, and I’m hovering above them.
Before they can even catch their breath, my lips are on theirs again, savoring my new, and most likely forever, favorite taste. Really, I just can’t imagine anything topping this; the idea of it is so outrageous it’s borderline offensive.
The barest hint of a gasp escapes them as I brush my knuckles lightly down their neck, along their collarbone and the front of their shirt, until I reach the tie holding it together. I move up just a bit and stare down at them, andfuck me.
I’ve spent countless hours memorizing every part of their face, from the mole above their upper lip and another beside their eyelid to the thick set of their now kiss-swollen lips to the warmth of their expressive eyes that are currently glazed over and half-lidded with desire.
There’s an ache in my chest, one that breathes and expands around this internal divide of wanting every fucking thing at once, and wanting to explore them one cell at a time.
For right now, I twist the end of the sash around my finger and watch their pupils dilate as I slowly unravel it.
The sash comes undone, and the shirt opens to reveal… morecloth?
I wrinkle my brow when I realize the shirt must have another tie somewhere on the inside as well. I look up at Qiang, who now has the briefest glimmer of amusement stirring in their eyes at my obvious, confused disappointment.
“Goddammit, Qiang, why are your pajamas complicated?” I grumble as Qiang snorts out a laugh.
“They are not,” they argue while giggling, becauseheaven forbidtheynotargue about something.
They reach down and tug the side of the shirt open further, revealing three snaps that release the rest of the shirt. I have to stifle an eyeroll at how ridiculously made the shirt is, and if it didn’t look so damn pretty on them, I’d burn the damn thing on the spot.
Finally, after what felt likewaytoo long to get to more of their skin, the shirt falls open, leaving their beautiful torso naked to my desperate gaze, with the slight exception of the fiery belly button ringthey wore earlier with their costume, which contrasts perfectly with their golden skin.
It’s not like there’s much in front of me that I haven’t seen before, because while they aren’t much for running around without a shirt on, some of their styles showcase see-through shirts and peek-a-boo eyelet lace that leaves little to the imagination, not that I’m complaining about that at all.
However, what I’m allowed to do now, something I’ve never been allowed to do before, istouch. I reverently trail my fingers down their torso and watch with satisfaction as their skin pebbles at the caress.
I lightly twist the ring resting against their navel and watch as a breath hitches in their throat. They shuffle under me until I feel their leg glide along my very hard cock.
