24. Chapter 24 #2
Now and again, Gabe would nuzzle up closer to Cyrus, and Cyrus would rub against him in return. They were most certainly warm by the time they finished their drinks, but it seemed Gabe wanted to get even warmer.
“Care to take a bath?” Gabe asked.
“Hmm, well, we were cramped on that plane, and…could use some soap,” he teased.
“Are you saying I’m stinky?” Gabe replied.
“You’re the one who asked if I wanted to take a bath.” Cyrus rolled his eyes.
Gabe stood up, setting his empty mug on the table. “Fine then, “I’ll go alone.” He started for the bathroom.
Cyrus smirked and watched him undo his pants as he headed into the bathroom. A dim light flicked on and showed into the main room.
After another thirty seconds or so, Cyrus gave up and headed for the bathroom.
He stood in the doorway, watching as Gabe pulled his shirt off. Cyrus’s eyes darted along the bite marks along his back and shoulders. They were a couple of days old, fading, but the sight of them still made his pants tight. He loved marking Gabe, almost as much as he loved being marked by him.
He sighed and started to pull his shirt off, letting the long sleeve thing it the floor as he watched Gabe turn the water on in the large tub and pull the stopper up, so it didn’t drain.
“Decide to join me?” Gabe asked and stuck his tongue out at him.
Cyrus shook his head and reached for his belt. He watched Gabe’s eyes follow his every movement. The unbuckling, the swish as the leather came out of the loops of his jeans, and the way he folded it in his hands.
He stepped closer and moved the folded belt behind Gabe’s neck to pull him closer. He listened to Gabe shiver in silence.
“You may be Alpha, don’t forget who owns you,” he whispered.
Gabe bit at his bottom lip.
“Mmm, yes, Sir,” he breathed.
Cyrus leaned to kiss him and slid the belt down his back, feeling the way he tensed and shivered in response. It nearly brought his shiver on.
They both knew the truth. They owned each other. Every kiss, touch, sweet word. They could bring each other to their knees, and they often did. Who was in charge depended on the day and the mood.
Cyrus dropped the belt to the floor with a clink and then worked on getting his pants off the rest of the way. He watched as Gabe shook himself out of the sudden stupor he was apparently in and looked around the bathroom.
“Rose bubble bath,” Gabe said, wiggling the bottle at Cyrus with a smirk.
“Sounds relaxing.” Cyrus chuckled.
Gabe seemed to agree and poured a few drops of it into the running water to see how foamy it would get before putting in anymore.
Ten minutes later, they were both happily situated in the bathtub on opposite ends, a thin layer of bubbles reaching their mid-chest, legs crossed over and between one another.
Cyrus gazed at Gabe and tilted his head to the side.
“Are you going to be mushy the entire time we are here?” Gabe asked.
“Mmm, no, I’ll be rough too,” Cyrus replied.
Gabe flushed and shifted slightly underneath the water.
Cyrus ran his fingers over the top of the bubbles and collected some between his fingertips. Looking at them for a moment. When he looked up at Gabe, Gabe was doing the same but putting them on his face.
Cyrus chuckled softly. Gabe looked up at him with the bubble beard on his face, and he rolled his eyes playfully. He sighed and sunk a little more into the water, tilting his head to the side and gazing at Gabe.
They sat there looking at each other for a long moment before Gabe started to scoot closer and closer and put himself right in Cyrus’s lap.
Cyrus wrapped an arm around Gabe and then wiped the soap from his face with his other hand.
Gabe smirked crookedly. Cyrus leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips.
He sighed, content as Gabe leaned his forehead against his.
“I could get used to this,” Gabe mumbled.
Cyrus smiled. “Me too.” He closed his eyes for a moment. “Though, I’ll never quite believe it when”—he chewed at his bottom lip for a moment—“you’re there beside me when I wake up.” Cyrus’s heart squeezed painfully in his chest.
He opened his eyes and looked into Gabe’s.
“Always,” Gabe insisted.
Cyrus nodded and tugged him a bit tighter against him. The hot water and Gabe’s proximity helped ease any tension within him.
He slowly rubbed his hands along Gabe’s lower back.
They stayed like this for about twenty minutes before they finally started to wash up. After several long kisses, they were finally both dried off and in some pajamas. Cyrus was adding another log into the fire when Gabe came over and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
Cyrus looked down into the fire for a long moment.
“What’s on your mind?” Gabe asked him.
Cyrus chewed at the inside of his cheek.
“I’m nervous,” he said.
“About what?” Gabe asked.
Cyrus took a slow breath and turned to look at Gabe.
“The next blood moon ritual,” he said slowly.
Gabe’s brow furrowed. “Isn’t that…not for another few months?” he asked, “Besides, you don’t think anyone is willing to challenge me, right?”
Cyrus clicked his tongue. “I don’t think anyone will,” he admitted. “Everyone is pretty content with you, and…I would be the only other candidate.”
Gabe eyed him and nodded. “You know…Cyrus…” he said slowly.
Cyrus eyed him back. “No, don’t even go there.”
Gabe sighed. “I just want you to know I understand if you’d want to fight me for that right.”
Cyrus’s chest tightened.
“I love you,” Cyrus said bluntly. “I would kill someone for hurting you. I’m not interested.”
Gabe put his hands up.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he insisted. “I just know how much it meant to you. I love you too, Cyrus.” He reached to stroke Cyrus’s face.
“Don’t say that again, alright?” Cyrus asked him.
Gabe nodded.
After another moment, however, Gabe spoke once more.
“You know…” he said slowly. “It’s been hectic, having so many districts. The combination of Crimson Lotus. Maybe, it wouldn’t be a bad idea if there were two Alphas. If…you took over Lotus.”
Cyrus eyed him.
“I’ve heard of that happening before, but it’s…a very difficult process to get approved by the council.”
“I thought the council didn’t care about this stuff,” Gabe insisted.
“That they would care about. Packs start breaking off into smaller packs, and having districts within districts, two Alphas, becomes a trend. They’d care,” Cyrus told him and then sighed.
“Look, Gabriel,” he said quietly and turned toward him, pulling him close to him, “All I want is you. The life we have together, the life we’ll have together. I don’t care about being Alpha. You are…an amazing Alpha to the pack. As long as you’re here, I’ll be happy.”
Gabe pulled him closer and wrapped his arms around him.
“I will always be here.”
The morning sunlight peeked through the curtains around the room. It was dim and shrouded by grey clouds but there nonetheless. The morning air was chilly, even in the bedroom. The fire had died low during the night.
Cyrus shifted with a soft groan. The blankets around him and Gabe barely trapped the heat with them.
As he was waking, he could feel the pressure of the blanket against his morning wood and shivered for a moment.
Eyes clearing, he looked over, Seeing Gabe rolled slightly away from him, still snoring softly.
He scooted closer, nuzzled his bearded face into his shoulder, and wrapped an around him. Cuddling even closer under the covers to keep warm.
As he was going this, Gabe stirred.
Cyrus smiled.
“Good morning,” he whispered. He rubbed his chest against Gabe’s back and nuzzled the back of his neck. He could feel Gabe stir more in his arms, which made him smile.
“I love waking up with you,” Cyrus hummed out. He brushed his nose along the back of Gabe’s neck slowly and took in a slow breath.
Gabe groaned out softly as he was waking up and then chuckled.
“Good…morning,” Gabe husked out. His voice was lower than normal, thicker. He scooted back against Cyrus a bit more.
Cyrus hummed as Gabe’s ass rubbed against his groin.
“Oh,” Gabe mumbled. “Well, somebody’s awake.”
Cyrus chuckled and slowly kissed along the back and side of Gabe’s shoulder.
His heart was whole as he took in the smell of Gabe again and felt Gabe rubbing back against him amorously.
“I love you,” Cyrus whispered.
Gabe wiggled back against him more with a devious little chuckle.
“I love you too,” Gabe replied. He slowly turned around and wrapped his arms around Cyrus’s neck, pulling himself closer until both of their chests were pressed against the other.
Cyrus looked into Gabe’s eyes. He saw the affection in those sleepy brown eyes and felt Cyrus pulse.
Between his arousal that was cramped between them against Gabe’s arousal and the affection that he was feeling for Gabe, it was difficult not to be flooded with a sudden blush and desire to make sure Gabe knew how much he was cared for.
“Gabriel,” Cyrus purred as he leaned in and pressed his lips to his.
“Hm, yes?” Gabe asked against his lips.
Cyrus kissed him for a moment longer, enjoying the sweet taste of his lips and the warmth between them.
“I want to claim you,” Cyrus told him.
“Mmn, I can feel that,” Gabe hummed out at him.
Cyrus had to hold back a snort of a laugh. “No…well, maybe, but I don’t mean that,” he insisted, keeping his voice low.
It seemed to take Gabe a moment.
“Oh, wait…what?” Gabe asked.
Cyrus tilted his head up. “I want us to claim each other,” he told him.
He watched Gabe’s eyes start to mist. “Really?” he asked.
Cyrus felt his own throat grow tight. “Yes,” he replied. “I’ve been thinking about it for a few weeks. We might not have been ready when you asked all the months ago, but…”
He took a slow breath. “I want you as long as you’ll have me,” Cyrus said. “And I want everyone else to see that.”
Gabe pulled him closer and pressed his lips to his several times.
“Yes,” he whispered in return. “I want that too, more than anything—almost anything.”