27. HYRAN
27
HYRAN
“I cannot believe this evening ended with me carrying yet another neck robe in a box for you,” Hyran said as he and Taros got off the elevator in the Champions’ Tower.
Taros gazed at the larger pale blue box in his own arms with loving intensity. “I have to carry this. He gave me a dress. A dress just for me, and he wants me to wear it in battle sometime.”
Hyran rolled his eyes. “I think he doesn’t mean that literally.”
“How would you know what Kashana meant? It was just him and me and the dress. He kissed me. He kissed me, Hyran.”
Hyran looked up at the ceiling outside their suite as if reason was sticking to it. It wasn’t. Instead, next to him, Taros stupidly cooed at his box.
Inside the suite, the butler bot greeted them, but other than it, no one was in sight.
Hyran’s heart started racing. “Where is Col?”
“In his room,” the butler bot said.
Hyran relaxed.
“What, did you think he’d run off and leave the two of us behind?” Taros asked.
Hyran narrowed his eyes at the panoplian. “I was worried. He still needs medication and rest. And he is my Conduit. Which means, you take this”—he piled the boxes he’d been carrying for Taros into Taros’s arms. “I’ll be running.”
He moved, speed blurring everything, stopping only outside Col’s room to announce himself over the com. The door opened for him, and Col was right there, lying on that cozy corner bed in a pile of letters, some written on paper, even. There were cards in there as well as if Col had raided a calligrapher’s shop.
“What’s all this?” Hyran asked, approaching.
Col looked up from a letter in his hand. Hyran could tell precisely when he saw the cut left by the Beating, because the Conduit’s eyes widened in shock.
“What in the most fucked-up fucking Wild Hunt that ever hunted have you two idiots been doing?”
Hyran shrugged and picked at his braids. Strands had come loose, and he needed to undo them, start fresh. Or maybe I can leave my hair free so he can bury his perfect hands in it.
Hyran cleared his throat. “We didn’t do anything. I took Taros to see Kashana. He got a dress. It looks good on him. That’s it.”
“Sure.” Col rolled his eyes, exasperated.
“What have you been doing?” Hyran came closer to the nest Col had made of words, spotted and empty plate, and was glad he’d had some food while reading.
Col held up the letter in his hand. “This woman was evacuated by Shoda. She’s writing to us regardless to say she owes her life to us.” He picked up a card. “This one is from the parents of one of the extras who survived and is being treated for burns now. There’s one here where a daughter writes to thank us for saving all three of her parents. I wanted to make a list initially, but then I just started reading and… I should stop. There are other things that need doing.”
Hyran sat at the foot of the bed and picked up some of the letters, started gathering them. “You are allowed to rest as well, Col. Have a proper meal.”
Col nodded, his eyes drifting off into the distance. “Tomorrow. Tomorrow is going to be the last day, and then I’m sending the team home. The Op-AI says it’s not suited for copying itself and can’t because the hardware was destroyed. If the situation is dire enough and if there is the appropriate hardware, it says it would try. Day after tomorrow, you and I leave to see your friends outside the walls. We’ll have to reschedule the dinner with your mothers. I’m sorry.”
Hyran opened his mouth. Then he just nodded.
“Okay. We’ll do that. What can I do to help you?”
Col rolled onto his back. “I think the Op-AI is going to take care of the security bots. I have to check in with Rasev, but he sent a report, and while it’s a lot of work, he’s handling things. He’s using several office AIs to help him. I have to check with Orrey and make sure the Agri-Team can handle food production on the Grounds without an Op-AI. Have you noticed anything getting worse with the auto-drives?”
Hyran moved closer, gently took Col’s feet and put them in his lap. “I don’t think so. Restaurant wasn’t as full as normal, but not entirely empty either. That tells me people are leaving their homes.”
“Of course they are. What are you doing?”
“Massaging your feet. You don’t like it?”
“No, I do. No one ever did this for me, but I think I could get used to it.”
Hyran grinned at his supine Conduit. “Good.”
For a long, long moment, they didn’t speak, just looked at one another. Col relaxed visibly, clearly enjoying the attention. Hyran found it hard to control himself, but he did, focused on making his Conduit feel good.
“How long would it take you to clear all the letters away? Off the bed, I mean?” Col’s eyes darkened when he asked the question, their brown and blue almost eclipsed.
“I don’t know. Do you want to count the seconds? Tell me when you’re ready, and I’ll run.”
Like that, on his back and smiling, he’s perfect.
“Now.”
Hyran didn’t think. He sped, gathering papers from around Col and putting them on the ground next to the bed.
When he stopped, he stood at the foot of the bed in Col’s line of sight and began unwinding his braids.
“I got to two.” Col put an arm under his head and watched.
“Then I was slow.”
“Really?”
“No. I was in a hurry.” His first braid fell open on his left. He dropped the hairpin on the floor. Moved on to the second.
“I see. Why?”
“Ah, because I was hoping you’d invite me to join you on the bed. I’d hoped you’d prefer me to the papers.” His second braid unwound, and he shook out his hair, enjoying the fact that Col was watching. Hyran still felt the aftereffects of the Beating everywhere, but it didn’t bother him as much with Col’s eyes on him.
“Well, Guardian Hyran, I believe that, given that both you and Taros were out doing plainly stupid things, I should reject you from my bed.”
“How do you know we did anything stupid? Taros might have punched me by accident when he was trying on the dress. It really looks amazing on him, by the way.”
“So he was excited, and you were in the way. If I started to really, really interrogate you, do you think you’d want to maintain that’s what happened?”
Hyran started, stopped. “Are you interrogating me right now?”
Col snorted. “No. That would probably ruin my mood, such as it is. Undress. Slowly. I want to watch.”
Col rolled onto his side, propped his head on his elbow.
Hyran hesitated. “Where do you want me to start?”
Col looked him over. “Shoes.”
Hyran slipped out of them, kicked them aside, looked back at Col, waiting.
“Jacket and shirt.”
Hyran undid the hooks of his jacket, shrugged it off his shoulders, and dropped it where he stood. His shirt was a straight cut, close-fitting, and he flicked the buttons open one after the other, going slow and enjoying the way Col followed his hands.
He didn’t drop his shirt, instead parted it and ran his fingers over his chest while Col watched with unblinking attention. Hyran skimmed the waistband of his pants before running his hands up. He played with his nipples. Col shifted. It looked like he needed to give his own swelling cock more room.
“I didn’t tell you to do that.”
Hyran smirked. “Should I stop?”
“You’re not naked.”
“No.” Hyran twisted his nipples between his fingers, imagining it was Col doing this. That led to a full-body shiver.
“You’re enjoying yourself a lot.”
“I wouldn’t say a lot. I like that you like watching.”
“Take off your shirt, Hyran.”
The words worked on him like Col’s tongue would have on his cock. He complied rapidly, speeding, the world blurring for moments while Col leaped into the sharpest focus.
The Conduit’s eyes widened when Hyran stopped, slowed in order to stay where he was and continue, both with the undressing and the touching. He’d popped the topmost button on his pants, but had not gone further, though he was stroking himself through the fabric.
Col’s eyes dropped to Hyran’s crotch. “I didn’t tell you to do that either.”
“No.”
Col sighed and rolled off the bed, all graceful limbs and enchanting…everything. It’s the imprinting, isn’t it, that I adore everything about him, ass, eyes, voice, smell. Everything I don’t yet know he does. Everything that should annoy me if he weren’t him. If he weren’t mine.
The realization settled in Hyran’s mind like his speed might in his muscles. Col stood in front of him all of a sudden, this perfect man, perfect in no objective sense, but in the extremely subjective one.
“Do you need help getting undressed?” Col asked, eyes sky and earth, ice and sun-warmed rock.
“Y-yes. Please.”
Col’s lips twitched. “I don’t normally do this.” He reached for Hyran’s waistband, pulled him closer. Hyran let himself be pulled, followed willingly. “But sometimes Guardians need help with the simplest things, and who else should they turn to but a Conduit? It’s like you cannot see the details while you’re trying to see something in the distance.”
Hyran swallowed. “I see you. I see only you and no one else.”
Col huffed. “You’re so serious, Hyran.” He slapped Hyran’s hand away, opened the pants just far enough so he could shove them down partway, so that he could get to Hyran’s swollen cock.
“Ah, Col, fuck.”
“You’re big. And you’re not wearing any underwear.”
“I…I don’t always. Sometimes. Not today.”
“You don’t say.” Col circled the tip of Hyran’s cock with his thumb, tormented the sensitive hole. “Come.”
Hyran couldn’t not follow when Col pulled him toward the bed, pushed him down, thankfully after releasing his cock.
The loss of pressure and stimulation made Hyran whimper and wiggle his hips, his body acting of its own accord.
“And here I am, left to deal with your pants because you cannot even undress when I order you to do it.”
Col pulled at Hyran’s pants, and Hyran, not wanting to speed and injure Col in the process, played along, helping as much as he could. I hate clothing. Once we get to Argentea, I’ll make him spend a week at home, wherever home is, and then we can go naked all day, just resting, fucking, eating.
“Huh. You look like you had a very pleasant thought right there, Guardian Hyran.”
“Oh, nothing. Just how good I’m going to make you feel. Maybe make you enjoy getting there as much as the orgasm itself.”
“You’re welcome to try, but I’m really not making any huge promises there.” He tossed Hyran’s pants aside and straddled him, taking hold of his cock again. “This looks very nearly painful. Even pinker than all the rest of you. What happens if you’re left outside in the sun for too long?”
“I actually tan reasonably fast.”
Col gave Hyran’s cock a lazy tug. “Here too?”
“I never tried that.”
“Stay. You’re wet, but lube will make this better.”
The prospects of that nearly had Hyran writhe with anticipation, but he didn’t, tried his best to wait and watch, enjoy the sight of Col getting the lube from the alcove at the head of the bed.
“Can I undress you, Col?”
Col shook the bottle and played at thinking about that. “No. If I get undressed too, who knows what you might do? Who knows what you might tempt me into?”
“Everything.”
“Exactly.” He knee-walked back into position to straddle Hyran’s thighs and was quick about applying the lube, about pumping that slick cock and nearly making Hyran lose his mind. “Don’t move that much. Stay still.”
Hyran bit his lip, which was a bad idea because of the cut, so he just pressed them closed, which was only marginally better. He got sweaty from trying to not move. He’d had other partners who’d liked this and rougher, who had tied him down to make the pleasure last longer, and fighting against restraints was fun. Keeping still without them required concentration.
The tension built, was fed inexorably by Col’s touch. Col had his eyes on Hyran’s cock, focused on his torture while Hyran watched. It quickly became almost too much, and Col must have felt that. He lifted his gaze, and Hyran came undone with nothing more than his Conduit’s eyes on him.
His release seared through him like fire. It had been bottled up, gratification delayed, and was all the better for it. Col milked him methodically, even as Hyran felt himself getting limp.
“That was—”
“You made a mess all over yourself. I can’t decide if you look pretty, painted with your own cum, or lewd.”
Col let go of Hyran’s cock. Hyran moved, not nearly at full speed, but quick enough that with his strength and bulk, Col didn’t quite have a window to prevent being taken around the middle and pushed against the pillows.
Hyran cupped his Conduit through his pants. “Can I taste you?”
He watched Col’s throat bob. Then the Conduit nodded.
“You’re going to make it quick though. No letting me fall asleep this time.”
“Okay.”
Hyran sorted the fabric and zippers until he had access to what he wanted. There was no thought, he just opened his mouth and took Col inside all the way, then teased his Conduit’s balls as he sucked him off.
It lasted minutes, if that. But it was hot, not least because of the way Col clawed at Hyran’s hair, pulled with not enough strength to dim Hyran’s lust, only with enough to make him want more.
Most annoyingly, when Col came, Hyran didn’t manage to swallow all of it. Some of it trickled down his chin, and before he had a chance to lick at the best, muskiest places his Conduit had to offer, Col pulled him up by his hair and offered him a kiss.
Kisses and cum—it was the best feast Hyran had had in a while, and something he was willing to subsist on for the foreseeable future.
Hyran held Col after, hating that Col was still clothed but ignoring it because his nose was buried against Hyran’s chest.
They might have fallen asleep like that, but then Hyran’s screen beeped with an alarm.
“Ah, fuck,” he said. “Time for your meds, Col.”
“Uh.”
“Be good and take them and I’ll suck you off again?”
Col shoved Hyran’s shoulder. “Charmer. Give them. It’s time to get up anyway.”