Chapter Thirty-Six
Cormal
Cormal became aware that someone was running their hand through his hair.
It was… nice. And unusual. There weren’t a lot of people who would touch him like that.
Delana, maybe, but not when he was sleeping.
That would be weird. There wasn’t anyone who would touch him while he was sleeping. The only person he slept with was—
Cormal shot to a seated position, alarm jolting through him. “Kinan!”
Was he—?
“Hey, hey, it’s all right. I’m right here. Cormal, it’s all right.”
Cormal’s head snapped around, and there was Kinan, now sitting up beside him in bed. Cormal sagged with relief.
“Thank all the elements in all the world,” he breathed, relief flooding him even as he reached for the man.
It was too ingrained, not to try to touch him even when he knew that he couldn’t. Cormal blinked, staring in shock at his hand, which was now clasping Kinan’s upper arm, clothed in a shirt that Cormal could also touch. He could feel the warmth of Kinan’s skin through the thin fabric.
His eyes flew to Kinan’s. “It worked?”
Kinan offered a slightly tentative smile. “It worked.”
“Oh, thank goodness,” Cormal said even as he basically threw himself at Kinan, wrapping himself around him.
Kinan let out a laugh that sounded relieved, hugging Cormal back tightly.
They stayed like that for a long time, Cormal marveling at the feeling of the firm body against his, the warmth, the muscles, the weight of him.
When he finally pulled back, it was to ask, “May I kiss you?”
Kinan’s face lit up. “Yes, please.”
Thankfully, the pounding need drove him forward before he could overthink the fact that this was something that Kinan had apparently wanted for years and this was possibly his first kiss ever, and they’d never done this physically before, and—
Their lips met, and Kinan made the most perfect, most desperate sound ever, and then they were frantically yanking at one another’s clothes, trying to get to bare skin, desperate to—
“I think they’re awake,” an amused voice said.
Jolted unpleasantly out of the moment, they pulled away from one another and turned to find a very amused-looking Brannal.
Cormal would have had some very choice words to say to him—couldn’t he just have turned around and left?
—except that in addition to the doctor and Perian, Princess Larenia was with them as well. She looked totally disgusted.
Cormal cleared his throat, his voice coming out rough and slightly squeaky, “Yes, we’re definitely awake.”
He had just woken up. Perian looked like he was trying really hard not to laugh. The doctor had a twinkle in her eye. The Princess was looking at her brother very judgmentally.
“Are you totally sure you want him? It’s not too late to change your mind.”
It wasn’t too late at all, Cormal had to concede. The man was solid again. And a prince. He could have absolutely anybody that he wanted in the whole country. Relations were excellent with the neighboring countries, so he could no doubt have anyone there, too.
A warm arm wrapped around his waist, and then Kinan was pressed against his side. Cormal couldn’t help but sag into the contact, brain still a little shocked with each instance of their being able to actually touch one another.
“I’m totally sure,” Kinan said simply, like he didn’t have any doubt whatsoever.
“I’m definitely not going to change my mind.
” He cleared his throat. “And unless there’s anything in particular you need to check right now, do you think we could have another hour or so to, uh, conduct our own examination and make sure that everything’s working? ”
Perian outright laughed, and the Princess made a gagging sound. Brannal and the doctor both still looked amused.
“I think that could be arranged,” the doctor said.
“Gross,” Princess Larenia muttered.
“Come on, Renny,” Perian said cheerfully. “You want to go tell your mother that Kee might actually get out of bed later today?”
She huffed a breath. “Ugh, fine. I certainly don’t want to stay here and watch that.”
Another couple moments, and they were blissfully alone once more. Cormal was pretty sure the doctor had said she’d be back in an hour, but he’d stopped listening once it was clear they were going to leave.
He turned back to Kinan. “Where were we?”
Kinan’s gray eyes were bright, like mist just hiding the sun. “I don’t know. Maybe you should come over here and remind me.”
Cormal went eagerly, leaning in, and Kinan met him halfway. Kisses led to all sorts of touches, which led to a naked Cormal flat on his back with Kinan stretched out on top of him. He had no objections to allowing Kinan to direct everything.
“Feels amazing,” Kinan mumbled against his lips, hips rutting against Cormal’s. “You don’t know how long I’ve wanted—”
Only Cormal did know. Because Kinan had had a crush on him back when he was sixteen, and it had apparently been strong enough to carry him through six years of not being able to interact with anyone but his sister, through years of Cormal’s short temper and secrets about his father, through Cormal messing everything up with Perian.
Maybe they would never have made it here without all of that—and Cormal wouldn’t have wanted to start anything when Kinan was younger than this, not given the six years between them—or maybe it could have all happened a bit sooner and way more gracefully if Cormal hadn’t been an ass.
But that didn’t seem to matter anymore, not with Kinan writhing against him.
Cormal gripped Kinan’s hips, thrusting up even as Kinan drove down.
Friction was amazing, the sensation of the two of them rubbing against one another…
It was so simple, and yet it was something they’d feared they’d never be able to do together.
They’d made it work, but this was so much better.
It made liquid heat travel up Cormal’s spine, his whole body thrumming with it.
Kinan cried out, body growing taut as he came, and the sight, the feeling, was enough to push Cormal over the edge, spurting his own release between them to join Kinan’s.
Kinan collapsed on top of him, head against Cormal’s shoulder, and Cormal wrapped sweaty arms around him and held him close, still marveling that he could do that now.
“Good?” Cormal managed to ask after a moment.
Kinan let out a huff of breath that ghosted across Cormal’s skin and made him shiver.
“So good,” Kinan breathed. “When can we do it again?”
Cormal couldn’t help but laugh. “I think we might need a bit more recovery time.”
Kinan made a noise of displeasure, but he didn’t move.
As the mess between them began to cool unpleasantly, Cormal said, “We should get cleaned up.”
He definitely didn’t trust that some of the others wouldn’t barge in again if they weren’t ready when they’d said.
Kinan pushed himself up on his arms, though their legs were still tangled together. His face brightened. “I can bathe!”
Cormal almost laughed, but then he remembered that it had been almost seven years since Kinan had been able to do any of these common, everyday things that Cormal took for granted.
So he just smiled at the man, helpless in the face of his infectious enthusiasm.
“Yes, you can bathe.”
Kinan practically leaped out of the bed, but then he grabbed Cormal’s hand. “Come on, let’s go.”
Apparently, they were bathing together. Cormal had no objections.
They wiped the worst of the mess off while the tub was filling.
As far as he could tell, Kinan looked exactly like he had when he’d been intangible, just with an actual solid form now.
Had the Life Magic and Elemental Magic made that body because that’s what he thought he looked like?
Had it done it because that’s what Perian, Trill, and the others who’d directed it thought he looked like?
Or had his energy, even when it was just in energy form, somehow retained a sense of body?
However it had happened, Kinan retained the broad chest, trim waist, and strong thighs. He was so beautiful—especially with his evident happiness practically lighting him up from the inside.
Once the tub was full, they lounged together with Kinan lying back against Cormal.
“This is the best,” he said enthusiastically. “I definitely didn’t appreciate baths enough when I was younger.”
“I certainly think them improved with company,” Cormal agreed.
Cormal could hear the smile in Kinan’s voice, even though he couldn’t see his face. “Agreed.”
Reluctantly, Cormal conceded, “But… we should probably get out before everyone shows up again.”
Kinan’s stomach rumbled.
Cormal continued, “And we should find you some food.”
“Ooh, food!” Kinan exclaimed joyously.
Cormal laughed, his own stomach joining in the chorus.
Yes, there was a great deal to be experienced once again now that Kinan could touch everything. Cormal had to admit that he was pretty flattered that the first thing Kinan had seemed to want to do was, well, Cormal.
They emerged from the tub, dried off, and got dressed. Whoever had put them into Kinan’s bed together had apparently thought of everything. Cormal found his own clothes in what Kinan assured him was a new wardrobe.
And then he realized that Kinan was just standing there, stark naked, staring down at his hands and arms, looking at them like he’d never seen them before.
He sounded a little lost. “I, uh, tried to get dressed by thinking about it. The way that I used to with you, you know?”
Cormal came over and drew the other man into an embrace.
“We’re going to figure all of this out. You had almost seven years to get used to how your life worked when you couldn’t touch anything. Of course it will take some time to get used to being solid again.”
Kinan was staring at him, eyes huge.
Cormal teased, “And I promise not to laugh too much the first time you try to go through a wall.”
Thankfully, this made Kinan laugh.