Xion stirred, roused by soft, lingering kisses trailing along his neck and cheek; each one warm, teasing, and maddeningly gentle.
If the other side of his face hadn’t been pressed into the pillow, he had no doubt it would have been just as thoroughly adored.
"Darius..." he rasped, voice still sprinkled with sleep.
Midnight black lashes fluttered delicately as he cracked open heavy eyelids to cast a sluggish glare at his mischievous lover.
But in his drowsy haze, it came out more like a pout, one that only made him look even more irresistible.
Sure enough, the wolf eyeing his prey didn’t let the opportunity slip.
Xion’s soft pink lips were captured by Darius’s hot ones. What was meant to be a chaste, innocent kiss quickly escalated into something far more intense.
The searing kiss pulled Xion’s barely-awake senses back into the hazy tide of pleasure.
Darius pressed the black-haired beauty into the mattress, prying open his mouth. His nimble tongue slipped over the rim of Xion’s teeth, exploring every inch with the desperation of a man starved.
A stifled moan, trapped by the new angle of the kiss, melted back into Xion’s mouth. He groaned against the feverish lips, his hands trembling against the lapel of the robe.
Gasping heavily, he managed to break away from the kiss. Red had made its way to his ears and it became apparent when he looked away.
Long eyelashes trembled along with his broken breath. "Sorry," he mumbled in utter shyness. "I-I couldn’t breathe."
Darius didn’t listen to what his baby was saying. All he could hear were soft gasps and murmurs that lightly brushed against his ears before floating away.
He gently pinched Xion’s chin, coaxing him to look up again. And when he did, Darius leaned in, softly biting the lower lip that was now just as red as the tantalizing blush on milky cheeks.
"I’m sorry, Xion," he whispered against his lips before kissing them again. Nonetheless this time, the touches were slow and tender. "My self-control drops to nothing when you’re this close to me."
Xion’s barely calm heart decided to do another flip.
He had gotten tired after going to church and then fell asleep without even seeing Darius last night.
The Archduke had been busy, and yet he had no clue with what.
He hadn’t minded at first, but after what Talia had said, he couldn’t stop wondering if they were preparing to receive that noble lady.
Of course, Darius wouldn’t marry her. That much was clear even to him.
But that didn’t stop the strange, uneasy feeling that crept beneath his skin.
The Archduke had plopped down beside him, wrapping him in his arms. One hand had slipped beneath the hem of Xion’s shirt, drawing a soft shiver from the delicate body.
"Yes, darling?" came the low, amused reply.
The fingers had started to sensually draw random lines on his back. It made Xion’s blood sizzle.
"You do want to have sex with me, right?"
Darius sputtered. "What?" The heat in his emerald eyes was so intense it sent a jolt through Xion’s nerves.
"No—wrong question!" the startled kitten yelped, trying and miserably failing to recover his dignity.
But the hand that had been gently caressing his back had slid lower.
"I do, Xion," Darius murmured as his palm rested over the delectable curve of Xion’s hip, pressing the young man closer to him. "But I don’t want to hurt you."
Planting a kiss on Xion’s forehead, he said, "If you’re offering, I’m more than willing."
The Archduke thrust his hips, just enough for flushing Xion to feel the full extent of his arousal.
It was morning, and kissing his lover like that was bound to wake up more than just emotions.
A flustered groan slipped past Xion’s bitten lips and the urge to smack his own head grew stronger.
The silly healer did exactly that.
He banged his forehead against the muscular and barely covered chest. "Sorry. I meant you do like me, right?"
This time, the Archduke didn’t answer right away.
The more those green jewels stared at him, the more Xion panicked. Had Darius... gotten bored of him already? No, it couldn’t happen this fast, right?
Before the wheels of his mind could sprint in the wrong direction, Darius spoke.
"Did I do something that made you feel ? Is it..." the silver-haired elf-like being hesitated before sighing. "Is it because of what happened in the church?"
Well, Allen and Ray were loyal subjects so it was no surprise that Darius knew about it already.
Still, now that everything was out in the open, Xion felt utterly exposed... and deeply embarrassed.
What should I even ask now?
He didn’t get the chance to figure it out because the next second, he felt the world tilt.
With a soft gasp, the healer found himself lying on top of his lover. Wide blue eyes blinked up in confusion, meeting the steady gaze of green as big palms held his waist to steady him.
"I have no childhood lover, Xion," the Archduke said gently, brushing aside loose strands of black hair from his forehead.
There it is, Darius thought. My baby, in his full beauty, just for me to admire.
"As for Bianca..." he continued, his voice taking on a teasing edge, "I don’t welcome just anyone into my castle, my lord. But... I didn’t expect you to be jealous."
That glint in his emerald eyes and the infuriatingly sexy smirk that followed made something snap in Xion’s already flustered mind.
He dropped his head onto Darius’ shoulder, hiding his burning face in the crook of his neck.
Jealous... so this is what it feels like to be jealous over your lover.
"Everything love gives you is worth more than gold..." Someone had once said that to him back in the modern world.
And now, the silly kitten who had never had a boyfriend before decided that... this part of love didn’t feel good at all!
He must still be dreaming. Otherwise, why else would he be acting so foolish first thing in the morning?