Page 92 of Hummingbird and Kraken

He rubbed gently against the soft curves of Declan’s ass with one hand, then swung down with a slap.

Declan jerked, a sobbing sigh leaving his lips. Geir watched as his flesh turned white for a second, and then flooded with pink. He rubbed the area and Declan arched up into his touch.

He repeated the motion on the other side and Declan cried out louder. He would have worried that he was being too rough, but Declan was pliant in his grip and his cock was hard against Geir’s thigh. If he wanted him to stop, he only had to ask. But Declan clearly didn’t want it to stop.

In fact, this was supposed to be a reminder. He swung down again, harder this time, turning the other cheek pink. “You promised me you would stay in the van.” He hit the same place, letting some of the fear he’d felt when he saw Declan in danger wash through him. He would remind Declan, so he could keep him safe.

“I’m sorry!” Declan’s words were half lost in a sharp cry.

“Are you going to follow my instructions?” He punctuated his words with three more strikes.

“Yes, Geir,” he cried.

“Who keeps you safe?” Another two slaps.

“You do! Please…” Declan arched and writhed.

“Who do you belong to?” Three more.

“You. Just you.”

Geir believed him. He could hear the need in his voice. But if Declan wanted to feel like he’d atoned, like he was washed clean, this wouldn’t be enough. He started raining down blows, faster and harder.

Declan was fighting him now, bucking up against him and twisting away. He cried out at each strike and his cheeks, when he turned his head, were wet with tears. God, he was beautiful like this.

Geir wasn’t sure quite what he was looking for, but he sensed Declan was almost there. He struck two more times at the tops of his thighs where his skin was still pale.

“And who am I?” The final stinging blow. This was the most important.

“Daddy… Daddy!”

Declan stopped fighting and went limp. His shoulder shook with harsh sobs and his face was blotchy and red. He was gorgeous. Geir rubbed his warmed flesh, soothing all the places he had hurt.

Then, he pulled Declan into his arms, murmuring words that came from somewhere within him while Declan sobbed into his neck. He told him what a good job he had done. About how he would always take care of him. How he was too precious to be hurt. How Geir would always keep him safe.

He tasted Declan’s tears with his lips and gentle caresses of his tentacles. Declan’s damp cheeks tasted like the ocean. Like home.

Declan pulled the questing tip of one tentacle into his mouth and sucked on it lazily, teasing at the first suction cup with his tongue.

It was at once sweet and surprisingly pleasurable. Geir had had many lovers over the centuries, even some who knew about his other side. But none who accepted him so wholeheartedly.

Only Declan rejoiced in all of his differences. Only Declan wanted everything that he was, on the outside and the inside, and drove him to being even more himself.

He pulled out the tentacle and replaced it with his mouth, dropping one kiss on Declan’s pink lips and then another.

“How are you doing, sweetheart?”

“Mmmmm…” Declan hummed in answer. “Thank you, Daddy.”

“Is that what you wanted?”

“Mmmmm-hmmmm…”

This sleepy, floaty Declan usually came out after sex. Was this like another form of sex? Neither of them had come, but there was a special sort of connection between them now that felt the same.

He traced Declan’s cheek with one hand. The rest of Declan’s body was tightly bound against him, safe and secure. How had this man become so important, so critical to his very happiness and existence in such a short time? Was this love?

Declan nuzzled against his cheek then turned and kissed his palm.