Chapter 23
The Sex Life Spicing-Up did not go according to plan.
Aaren opened the bathroom door and stepped into the bedroom, holding his breath as Hades’ attention snapped onto him.
Hades’ eyebrows crawled up.
Aaren was wearing one of the new panties, the sheer pink shorts with a zipper going between his legs, with several long feathers taped to him everywhere—all around the waistband of his panties, some in his hair and behind his ears.
He even had them on his shoulders—Emmy had helped to tie the feathers together so Aaren could easily stick a bunch of them on himself when he was home.
“Surprise!” Aaren said nervously, taking a few wriggling steps into the room like a bird in a courtship dance.
“Did Emmy give you this idea?” Hades asked with a grin.
“Yes,” Aaren said, taking another brave step forward. “Do you like it?”
It sure was different from the usual costumes at a sex store; Emmy said the feathers were very inspiring. Then Aaren had stuck them on himself, and somehow, he didn’t feel all that pretty.
Hades swept his gaze up and down Aaren’s almost-naked body, taking in the fluttering feathers and Aaren’s curves.
Instead of disgust or confusion, Hades’ expression was warm, trailing over every inch of Aaren’s skin like he was cataloguing what Aaren had done to himself.
“Come over here,” Hades murmured, moving to sit on the edge of the bed, his thighs spreading to make space for Aaren.
Aaren hurried over with his feathers fluttering. “I was afraid that you wouldn’t like this.”
“Don’t even think that,” Hades growled. He caught Aaren’s hips and pulled him close, stroking his large, warm hands up Aaren’s back. “I can certainly appreciate the work that went into this. And I appreciate you, no matter what you’re wearing.”
Aaren blushed, swaying closer to his alpha. “Phew. I’m so relieved.”
Hades pressed a soft kiss to Aaren’s belly, then trailed more kisses up Aaren’s front, taking Aaren’s nipple into his mouth. When Aaren tipped his head back on a moan, he found several butt blessings taped to the ceiling above their bed. He gasped. “You stuck them on the ceiling!”
“Exactly like you asked, sweetheart.” Hades tugged on his other nipple. “The rest are in the doorways.”
Aaren peeked. There was an orange square in the doorway, exactly where you’d hang mistletoe. “That’s amazing!”
Hades didn’t even know what a butt blessing was, and he had done this just because Aaren had asked.
“You’re so good to me,” Aaren whispered, awed and grateful. He stepped even closer; Hades’ warmth soaked into him like a cozy hearth welcoming him home.
“I want to be deserving of you, sweetheart,” Hades murmured, wrapping his arms around Aaren.
“I’m not all that—”
“You are.” Hades brushed his fingers through Aaren’s hair, bringing his face closer to kiss his lips. “You’re perfect.”
Aaren’s heart leaped. Hades trailed kisses down his jaw; he kissed Aaren’s throat and collarbones, then down his chest.
This put his hair right in front of Aaren’s nose.
On any other day, this would’ve been fine.
But right now, Aaren caught a whiff of—of all things—cucumber.
His body revolted. His stomach heaved.
I’m going to puke, Aaren realized, shoving Hades off and making a mad dash for the bathroom.
“Sweetheart?” Hades asked, sounding confused.
Aaren skidded over the tiles and barely made it to the toilet, throwing up into it.
For a moment, that was all he knew. Then Hades cursed, and he was right next to Aaren, crouching down next to him.
“You’re sick again?” Hades asked.
“It’s your hair,” Aaren whined between retching.
“My... hair?” Hades rubbed Aaren’s back and frowned.
“It smells like cucumber! Oh gods, why does it smell like cucumber?” Aaren caught another whiff and retched again.
“Oh.” Hades winced, leaning away. “It was an accident.”
“How?!”
“I... You won’t believe me if I said I tripped and fell into some cucumbers, will you?”
“No.” Aaren squinted suspiciously. He accepted the glass of water that Hades handed him, rinsing out his mouth. Hades flushed the toilet. “What happened?”
Hades sighed. “I was in the kitchen earlier making cucumber limeade. Thought I could hold more limes in my hand than I actually could, while also holding a jug of cucumber water. The limes began to slip. In my hurry to catch them, I slammed the jug on the counter and lunged for the limes. The limes fell anyway. I didn’t realize how precariously the jug was balanced on the counter’s edge.
“When I retrieved the limes and stood up, I... forgot about the jug. We had a collision,” Hades said dryly.
“Cucumber water went everywhere, including all over me. My priority was getting it off the cabinets and floor; I didn’t bother washing it off myself.
I didn’t realize the scent would stay in my hair and give you such a strong reaction. Sorry.”
Hades winced, glancing at Aaren apologetically.
“Oh,” Aaren said. He pictured it all again—big, strong, competent Hades, defeated by a jug of cucumber water—and dissolved into helpless giggles. “You lost to the cucumbers.”
“I did.” Hades smiled wryly. “I promise to defend your honor better than that.”
Aaren giggled harder. Then he looked down at himself. Suddenly, the feathers, pink panties, and his flabby belly looked so unsexy next to Hades’ broad shoulders. What could Hades possibly see in all this?
“I should shower, get the cucumber scent off myself,” Hades said, turning away.
Aaren sagged. “Yeah.”
Maybe it was something in his voice. Hades turned back, a crinkle between his eyebrows. “Sweetheart?”
Aaren swallowed. “What?”
“What’s wrong?” Hades cradled Aaren’s face, tipping his head up to look into his eyes.
“I feel like I messed up,” Aaren mumbled.
“How?”
Aaren gestured at himself. “I’m not... that sexy.”
Hades frowned deeply. “Fuck, why would you think that? Why do you think I’ve had you in my bed this entire time? I can’t keep my hands off you.”
Aaren sighed. “But the feathers aren’t working, right?”
“Well. I can’t say the feathers are my kink,” Hades said slowly. “But you—you’re stunning. I was kissing and sucking you all over before this happened, remember? Right now, I’d like to remove the cucumber scent so you won’t react to it again. Then we can get back to what we were doing in bed.”
Aaren chewed his lip. That sounded good, but he couldn’t help the irrational thought that he still wasn’t enough.
“Why don’t you join me in the shower?” Hades murmured. “If being close helps. Just... don’t sniff me before the cucumber scent’s all gone.”
“Okay.” It sounded better than being left out here all by himself.
“Okay if I take the feathers off?”
Aaren nodded. Gently, Hades peeled the tape off his skin, careful not to rip the fine hairs off his body. He worked the tape off Aaren’s back, off his hips, combing through his hair to free the feathers there. It felt like care, like reverence.
“Where did you get these feathers, anyway?” Hades asked. “I was there during your lunch break.”
“Emmy,” Aaren said. “He bought a bunch for his alpha.”
Hades smirked. “Knowing Emmy, the feathers might not even be for sex.”
“Well, he was going to stick some up his alpha’s nose.”
Hades laughed, eyes crinkled at the corners. “Please don’t do that to me.”
“I won’t,” Aaren said.
How would Hades react if Aaren tried it, though? Emmy always had the best ideas.
Hades watched him for a moment, sighing fondly. “Fine. You can try it on me. Just once.”
Aaren’s heart skipped. “Really?”
“Anytime you want, sweetheart.”
Aaren picked up a long grey feather with white specks, watching Hades closely in case he changed his mind. Ballus would’ve had a fit and stormed off in outrage. Hades crouched back down on the floor next to Aaren like this was just another thing they did.
Aaren tickled Hades’ cheek with the feather. He flicked it against Hades’ jaw, chin, and throat. Then he drew it back up to trace the seam of his lips. Hades’ mouth curved into a handsome smile.
His heart skipping, Aaren teased the feather over Hades’ pecs and nipples. The little nubs hardened.
“It tickles a little,” Hades said, amused.
So Aaren drew it down Hades’ treasure trail and over his cock, flicking it under his balls. Hades rumbled, his cock swelling slightly.
“Would it be weird if you got the feather wet with your precome, and I stuck it in your nose?” Aaren asked.
Hades shrugged. “It’s just precome.”
Aaren petted Hades’ tip with the feather. Then he wriggled it under Hades’ nose, and dipped it into one nostril.
Hades sneezed.
To Aaren’s delight, Hades merely raised an eyebrow. “Want that in your nose, now that it’s been in mine?”
“No!” Aaren said. “That’s kind of weird.”
Hades laughed. “Of course it is.”
He picked up a long, black feather and swept it over Aaren’s face, over his eyelids, nose, and lips. Then he drew it down the same path Aaren had taken, over his throat, chest, and nipples. The feather was a light touch, barely there, but it made Aaren aware of every inch of skin it caressed.
Warm fingers caught the zipper on Aaren’s panties and tugged, opening them down the middle so Aaren’s cock and balls slipped out through the gap, hanging naked in the open air between his legs.
The feather flicked over those sensitive parts, light bursts of pleasure that made him gasp.
“Beautiful,” Hades murmured, stroking the feather up and down Aaren’s cock.
“It tickles,” Aaren whimpered.
Hades drew the feather up and down in longer strokes. Aaren grew hard, and the feather continued to tease him.
“Now, I’m going to wash off the cucumber scent,” Hades purred, setting the feather aside and standing up.
Aaren whined.
“You can choose to stay on the floor, or join me in the shower. Just a quick scrub. I’m ready to get back in bed.”
“Shower,” Aaren decided.
Hades helped him to his feet. He wrapped his warm hand around Aaren’s cock and balls, squeezing him once. Then he hooked his thumbs into the sheer panties and slid them down Aaren’s legs, before leading him into the shower.