Chapter 10 #3
"Let me," he murmured, bringing Hal's knuckles to his lips. The gesture was achingly tender. "You're shaking."
"Not from fear," Hal admitted, a flush spreading across his cheekbones. "Not anymore."
Jakob's smile was soft as he gently loosened Hal's tie, his movements deliberate, almost reverent. "We don't have to—"
"I want to," Hal interrupted, his voice steadier than his hands. "I want every moment I can have to be close to you." The 'while I still can' wasn't voiced, but was there between them anyway.
Jakob made a desperate sound low in his throat. His fingers moved to the buttons of Hal's jacket, working them free with careful precision.
"You're sure?" he asked again, even as Hal's jacket fell open under his touch.
Instead of answering, Hal leaned forward to press his lips against Jakob's, a kiss that started gentle but quickly deepened into something hungry. Jakob's hands slid inside his open jacket, palms flat against the thin fabric of his shirt, and Hal shivered at the heat of that touch.
"I've thought about this," Hal confessed against Jakob's mouth. "About having a bed. And time. About not having to rush."
Jakob pulled back just enough to meet his eyes, his own dark with want. "Tell me," he urged, working the buttons of Hal's shirt free. "Tell me what you've thought about."
"I want..." Hal swallowed hard. "I want more than we had at the lake. I want to really touch you." His voice dropped to a whisper, his eyes downcast and cheeks pink.
Jakob's breath caught audibly, his eyes darkening with sudden heat. "Yes," he breathed, the word half-groan. "Oh, Hal, yes."
They moved to the bed in a tangle of limbs and half-removed clothing, neither willing to break contact long enough to undress properly. Hal's fingers fumbled with the buttons of Jakob's uniform jacket, his usual grace abandoned in his urgency.
"Let me," Jakob murmured, stilling Hal's trembling hands. He worked his own buttons free with practiced efficiency, then reached for Hal's. "Your turn."
The reverence in Jakob's touch made Hal's breath catch. No one had ever looked at him like this before, like he was so precious they could hardly bring themselves to touch. Through his white shirt, he could feel the heat of Jakob's hands trembling slightly as they moved down his chest.
"Can I...?"Jakob's fingers hesitated at the first button.
"Yes," Hal breathed, flushing but not looking away. When Jakob's knuckles accidentally brushed over his nipple through the fabric, the sound Hal made surprised them both.
"Did that—" Jakob swallowed hard, watching Hal's face. "Did that feel good?"
"I didn't know..." Hal gasped. "Could you... again?"
When Jakob bent to push his shirt apart and kiss the sensitive peak, Hal whimpered. His face flamed at how wanton he sounded, but Jakob's answering groan made his embarrassment fade. "The sounds you make," Jakob breathed against his skin, his own voice shaky.
He pushed the shirt off entirely, bending to kiss the warm skin beneath. His mouth moved lower, tracing the constellation of freckles across Hal's ribs, the slight hollow of his stomach. When he reached the waistband of Hal's trousers, he glanced up, a question in his eyes.
"Yes," Hal whispered, lifting his hips. "Please, Jakob."
Jakob's hands were steady as he unfastened Hal's trousers, drawing them down along with his underclothes. Hal lay completely bare before him now, flushed and wanting, and Jakob couldn't look away.
"You're staring," Hal murmured, color high on his cheeks.
"Can't help it," Jakob admitted, his voice rough. "You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."
Before Hal could respond, Jakob bent to press a kiss to his hip bone, then lower, following the trail of golden hair that led down from his navel. Hal's breath caught, his hands fisting in the sheets.
"Jakob" he gasped. "What are you—"
"I want to taste you," Jakob whispered against his skin, echoing Hal's earlier words. "Can I?"
Hal's entire body trembled at the question. "You want to?"
"God, yes," Jakob breathed, pressing another kiss to the inside of Hal's thigh. "Been thinking about it since the lake. Since before."
"Please," Hal whispered, the word barely audible.
The first touch of Jakob's mouth made Hal's whole world white out. His hands flew to Jakobs curls, not pulling, just needing something to hold onto as pleasure sparked through him. "Oh god—"
Jakob pulled back slightly. "Good?"
"Please don't stop," Hal gasped. "Jakob..."
He could feel Jakob's groan against sensitive skin as he took Hal deeper. His hands shook where they gripped Hal's hips, like he was trying to be gentle but barely holding back. When Hal's fingers tightened in his hair, Jakob made a desperate sound that sent shivers up Hal's spine.
"Jakob," Hal whimpered. "I'm close, I can't—"
Jakob pulled off just long enough to gasp, "Yes. Hal, please—" before taking Hal deep again.
The permission in those words, combined with the heat of Jakob's mouth, sent Hal over the edge, his whole body shaking as pleasure washed through him, as he came in long desperate, wracking pulses, his hands clutched at Jakob's head and shoulders, not able to bear not touching him and wanting to pull him so, so close.
When Hal could think again, he found Jakob watching him with dark, hungry eyes. "Can I..." Hal swallowed hard. "I want to touch you too."
"You don't have to—"
"Want to," Hal insisted, though his voice shook. "Just... show me? Tell me what feels good?"
Jakob's breath hitched as Hal reached for him with trembling hands. "Just touch me," he whispered, guiding Hal's fingers. "Like you'd touch yourself."
The first contact made Jakob gasp, his head falling back against the pillows. Hal watched his face, fascinated by every flicker of pleasure that crossed his features. "Like this?" he asked, adjusting his grip.
"Oh…" Jakob breathed, eyes fluttering closed. "Yeah… like that…"
Hal leaned down to kiss him as his hand moved, swallowing Jakob's increasingly desperate sounds.
He was captivated by the way Jakob responded to each touch, each slight change in pressure or speed.
When he pressed his lips to Jakob's throat, feeling his pulse race beneath the skin, Jakob made a sound like he was breaking apart.
"Hal," he gasped, hands clutching at Hal's shoulders. "I'm going to—"
"Yes," Hal breathed against his skin. "Let me see you."
Jakob came with a broken cry that he muffled against Hal's shoulder, his whole body shuddering. Hal held him through it, amazed at the power of having reduced this strong, steady man to trembling vulnerability in his arms.
Afterward, they lay tangled together, sweat cooling on their skin. Hal rested his head on Jakob's chest, listening to his heartbeat gradually slow. Jakob's fingers traced idle patterns on his back, each touch sending little shivers of pleasure through him.
"That was..." Hal began, then shook his head softly. "there are no words to describe what that was."
Jakob's chest rumbled with answering laughter. "I know." His hand came up to card through Hal's hair, gentle and possessive. "I've never... not like that."
Hal lifted his head, meeting Jakob's eyes. "Really?"
"Really." Jakobs smile was soft, intimate. "Only you."
Something warm unfurled in Hal's chest at those words. He pressed a kiss to Jakob's sternum, right over his heart. "Only you for me too," he whispered.
They lay in comfortable silence for a while, just breathing together. Outside, snow had begun to fall, the first of the season, hissing softly against the window. The sound made their warm nest feel even more precious, more protected.
"I should go soon," Jakob murmured eventually, though his arms tightened around Hal even as he said it.
"Not yet," Hal whispered, pressing closer. "Please? Just... a little longer?"
He felt Jakob's smile against his temple. "As if I could deny you anything right now." His hand came up to card through Hal's sweat-damp hair. "A few more minutes."
Hal knew that anyone who tried to separate them right now would have to physically pry him from Jakob's arms. The thought should have scared him—this desperate need to keep Jakob close, to protect what they'd found together. Instead, it felt right. Inevitable.
"Whatever happens with Christian, with my mother..." Hal's voice was soft but steady. "This is worth fighting for."
Jakob's arms tightened around him. "Yes," he agreed, the word a vow in the quiet room. "Whatever comes, we face it together."
The snow fell thicker outside, muffling all sound until their breathing seemed impossibly loud in the quiet room. Hal fought to keep his eyes open, not wanting to miss a moment of this—the way Jakob's skin glowed in the dim light, the warm, sweet weight of him against Hal's side.
"Sleep, my prince," Jakob murmured, his own voice growing heavy. His fingers had slowed their movement on Hal's back, becoming less purposeful. "I can hear you thinking."