It was a little exciting taking Niaaki through the castle, showing off a little to the silver haired fae. It wasn't often that Nathaniel really had the opportunity, actually, he had never brought a lover to the castle before. Never had much of a reason too, but Niaaki was so fascinated by his being a knight.
And, well, on some small level, Nathaniel wanted to show Niaaki off a little. Despite the fact he couldn't actually introduce Niaaki as his lover, only as a friend. But, still, Nathaniel looked down at Niaaki and smiled, a warm, pleasant feeling spread through him. He was stunning and sweet, with that feisty nature that kept Nathaniel wanting to drag him back into bed.
"Here is the training yard. This is where I spend most of my time." Nathaniel gestured to where some knights were practicing swordsmanship. "What do you think?"
Being within the castle was both exciting and intimidating. Sure, Niaaki had been raised a Serenian noble, but he'd never been within a king's palace or anything. And before he'd met Nathaniel, it had been a good five years since he'd actually lived that lifestyle. Being here now, he must have looked like a regular country bumpkin for all of his gaping and staring and neck-craning and, truth be told, he felt like one.
At least he didn't have Butch with him; he felt comfortable enough with Nathaniel to leave the stupid doll at home. Yes, carrying that thing around would have made a beautiful impression.
Lead out to the yard, Niaaki looked out to where Nathaniel pointed.
"So this is what you do everyday? Impressive," Niaaki said, watching the soldiers at practice. Then, with a sly smile, he looked up at Nathaniel and added in a low undertone, "I should like to see you at swordplay one day, shirtless and sweaty. Then again..." He eyed Nathaniel thoughtfully. "I suppose in a way I already have."
He understood the need for discretion, but it was still a little frustrating having to keep his distance whenever they were outside of Nathaniel's home. But even so, he was enjoying himself. This was different, it was exciting, and, well, it was just nice getting to spend time with him, "just friends" or not. Getting to spend that time in a castle? Even better.
"Have you ever met the king?"
Nathaniel laughed at Niaaki's comment, wishing he could lean down and kiss him. But as it was, they had to play at just friends, as hard as that was with such a tempting presence with him, "That you have. Though if you want, one morning when I have training, I'll bring you along."
The idea of showing off for Niaaki appealed to him. Impress him with his stamina and swordplay in a whole new way.
"The king? Oh yes. A few times. He's pretty amazing, though a total womanizer. But that's probably going to change. I think him and the Commander are getting pretty serious."
"I'd like that. A lot," Niaaki said, folding his arms over his chest as he watched the knights work. They made it look so easy and effortless, flowing through the stances as smoothly as water, but he knew from his father that it took years of practice to achieve that kind of deadly grace. In a lot of ways, Niaaki envied them because he'd never be able to do that.
Nathaniel's next comment got his attention again, and he felt an initial spurt of awe that he'd met a king--and could say he had so casually--before the rest of what he said sank in.
Niaaki's eyes widened. "Wait, what? He and the commander, you said? They're an item?" Puzzled, he moved closer to Nathaniel so he could speak to him in a whisper. "I thought you said Adelans frown on, you know...that. Two men together." Which was the entire reason they were playing pretend right now.
"Commander is a woman. One of the few useful ones." Nathaniel could just about count the number of woman he didn't hate on two hands. Tarlaka was one of them. She did her job well and wasn't useless. Her kidnapping had shaken Nathaniel and he was glad she had been found.
"She trained me and my brother. Now stop looking so scandalized."
The captain strode into the yard. "Assemble!"
Every knight to a man broke off from their training and filed into formation. Akkiel was close on the captain's heels, Thorn in hand. Time did not permit him to walk among the knights every day, but he tried to do so whenever he could. Satisfied, he nodded to the captain.
"Back to work!" The captain drove the men on in their training all the harder with the king looking on.
Nathaniel quickly stood at attention when Akkiel arrived. He wasn't on duty, but he was still his King and it was just...proper. He relaxed when Akkiel started to look over the knights, "There he is. King Akkiel. He's...amazing."
Nathaniel's voice softened and his expression was a little wistful as he watched the red haired man. He had a crush on Akkiel from the moment he had met him.
For a moment, Niaaki stood enchanted, because that was a king. The king of a powerful nation who looked like he belonged right there among those men, a warrior king--or so he'd heard, though how much was truth and how much was exaggeration was anyone's guess. For a moment he watched, fascinated, not quite sure what the proper way of greeting a king was in these parts (or if it even mattered, considering the distance) and it didn't seem like he should copy Nathaniel since he was no soldier and that would probably look ridiculous and--
Nathaniel's voice filtered to him through his deliberation and stopped his thoughts cold.
He peered up at the man, and felt his body tense when he saw that Nathaniel was looking at Akkiel like an adoring puppy! What was with that? What was with his voice? That was not a tone he should be using on...on...random kings and whatnot!
"Oh." Niaaki swallowed, trying to swallow the irrational jealousy with it and failing. He jerked his eyes from Nathaniel and focused on Akkiel and found himself scrutinizing him harder than he normally would, searching out flaws.
"He's alright," he conceded with a shrug, crossing his arms over his chest and scowling down at the ground.
"Alright? You obviously don't know much about it." Nathaniel grinned, though his eyes never left Akkiel. He knew, had always know, that nothing could happen between them. Akkiel very much loved woman. But that didn't mean he didn't admire him from a distance.
"I'm not surprised, being Serenian and all. But his Majesty is amazing. Powerful, charismatic, a great leader. And, well, as you can see, utterly gorgeous."
Niaaki drummed his fingers on his arm and smoothed out his expression when he felt himself starting to scowl. "I'm sure he is," he said, staring across the way at the king and keeping his voice bored.
He had to admit, he was attractive--and that was what irritated him. He was attractive, strong, masculine, a warrior like Nathaniel...ugh.
Nathaniel was finally noticing there was something wrong and he tore his eyes away from Akkiel, "What's wrong? I thought you were excited about meeting the king?"
"Oh, I am. He certainly looks magnificent and dashing and handsome," Niaaki said dryly, still glowering in Akkiel's direction. He had been excited. But now, seeing Nathaniel's reaction to him, he was a little worried about the fact that Nathaniel spent the majority of his time here around him.
Maybe it was a stupid concern, considering the difference in their stations and, well...genders. But Niaaki never claimed to be rational.
"What's got you so grumpy then?" Nathaniel wished he could reach over and kiss Niaaki, but that would cause a stir. He grinned suddenly, "Don't tell me you're jealous."
"No!" Niaaki snapped, jolting a little at the accusation and staring at Nathaniel aghast. He hunched his shoulders and scowled at the ground, pointedly avoiding looking at the knight.
"I'm not jealous. Why would I be jealous of someone like...like that. I don't care. So he's wonderful with a sword and has a great body and is one of the most powerful men in the world whose bed everyone wants to share. So what? It doesn't bother me."
"You forgot has great hair too." Nathanial grinned, amused at Niaaki's reaction. He liked that he was rather jealous. He was going to have to tease him about this while fucking him later. It was a good look on the fae.
"Oh, thank you. How dare I forget his gorgeous hair. Can't have that," Niaaki huffed. "Anything else?"
"Oh, sure. Plenty. Sweet ass and prettiest eyes you've ever seen." Nathaniel's grin got a little wider, amused at the whole situation.
That got the full force of Niaaki's glare leveled right at Nathaniel. Stomping his foot in aggravation, he made a frustrated, angry sound. "You're horrible!" he snapped before turning on his heel, ready to storm off.
"Aw, come on now." Nathaniel reached out and grabbed Niaaki's wrist, gently, "Don't be so angry. I was just teasing. Besides, he's not the one I'm with, you are. You don't have anything to be jealous about."
"I don't, do I?" Niaaki grumbled, tugging lightly at his wrist--though, secretly, he'd hoped Nathaniel would stop him. It wasn't that he actually believed the words coming out of his own mouth; true, he was jealous, but he knew he was being irrational on some level, too. Mainly, he just wanted to hear Nathaniel say that he was being ridiculous and that it wasn't true and that he liked Niaaki best.
"I don't need to be jealous of his beautiful eyes or lovely hair or wonderful--" He faltered on the word, "ass or amazing charisma?"
"Oh, well, maybe a little. It is a very nice ass."
Niaaki stared at Nathaniel for a moment before making a loud, frustrated noise and yanking his wrist free. "I can't believe you! Wrong answer!"
"Aw, come on. I was just teasing." Nathaniel wanted to grab Niaaki into a hug, but their public location prevented it. Instead he grabbed Niaaki's other wrist, "Don't be mad. You have a much cuter ass. It squirms so delightfully."
Niaaki blushed at that and stopped struggling, though his first inclination had been to yank away again. Still, Nathaniel now had his full attention, and he looked up at him expectantly. "Oh? Go on."
Nathaniel moved closer, dropping his voice a little, "You look quite beautiful while riding my cock, gasping and begging me to take you harder. Akkiel has nothing on that."
"Nathaniel!" Niaaki dropped his voice to a low, harsh whisper, face on fire and expression mildly mortified. "Should you be mentioning that here?"
"There isn't anyone around to hear." He grinned, enjoying Niaaki's discomfort, "Now stop worrying so much when we're in a place I can't take advantage of your adorable burst of jealousy."
"Adorable? Is that what this is?" Niaaki huffed, still a little red in the face. Adorable. He was angry and getting called cute. Yet it was hard to maintain that indignation with Nathaniel's infectious grin and him calling him beautiful and such, appealing to his vanity.
Which wasn't fair at all.
"Yup." Nathaniel grinned, highly amused and not afraid to show it, "If it's so upsetting, would you like me to take you back home?"
That word was nice. Nathaniel liked when he had someone in that town house, someplace to call home. It was much nicer than when he spent all his time at his parents home.
Niaaki snorted. "And leave you alone with him?"
But despite his words, he no longer felt angry. He couldn't. Home, huh...?
The word sent an unexpected thrill through him as it started to sink in, that after years of wandering, years of aimlessness, he finally had a home now.
"I had been planning on going with you, buuuut, if you would rather I stayed here..."
"No!" Niaaki said quickly, staring at Nathaniel in horror. "No. That's fine. Let's be off, then!"
Nathaniel laughed, wishing he could gather Niaaki up close, but that wasn't really allowed. So he shoved his hands into his pockets and started off toward the exit, "Well, now you've seen what I do most days. Did you enjoy yourself?"
"Yes, for the most part," Niaaki answered with a wry smile, walking beside Nathaniel. It was a little awkward having to keep his distance but he'd manage.
"Are you okay to be leaving early? Much as I don't trust you remaining here alone, I don't want you to get in trouble."
"Oh sure. I'm not on duty today." Nathaniel wante so badly to walk with Niaaki on his arm. He walked qickly, glad when they were finally behind the closed doors of his home and he wrapped his arms around Niaaki, tugging him close and kissing him.
Niaaki melted into the kiss and wrapped his arms around Nathaniel's waist, pulling him hard against him. It had been frustrating spending the day in public with him but unable to act like they were together, and for one rare moment he actually missed Serendipity. True, they would still have to be discrete, but not nearly as painfully so, and he poured all his frustration into that kiss--and some of his jealousy, too.
When he finally came up for air, lips swollen, he smiled up at Nathaniel. "I've been wanting to do that all day. That was driving me mad."
It was very hard to break the kiss when Niaaki was kissing him like that. It took a moment for Nathaniel to get his mind out of his pants and he gave him a slow grin, "Well, if it makes you react like that, I might have to do that more often."
Niaaki scowled at that, brow furrowing. "I think not."
It was so fun to tease Niaaki, he was just so cute when he got mad. Nathaniel nuzzled against his hair, cuddling him close, "But I like seeing you all jealous."
"So you enjoy seeing me irate?" Niaaki asked, but it was difficult to keep the scowl on his face with Nathaniel nuzzling him like that. He felt his cheeks heat up and buried his face against Nathaniel's chest. "Why?"
"Yes. Because I like knowing you care that much." He had been really lonely and Niaaki was a breath of fresh air. So fiery and passionate.
"Of course I care!" Niaaki said, giving an exasperated laugh. "You're so odd! There are much better ways for me to prove I care, you know."
And just to prove his point, he grabbed Nathaniel by the front of his shirt and pulled him down for another searing kiss.
Nathaniel leaned into that kiss, pressing Niaaki up against the wall, "Oh, yes. I think I do like that way better."
"See?" Niaaki said when they broke the kiss, grinning up at Nathaniel and drawing absent patterns on the man's back. "When you're nice to me, you get nice things in return."
"Mmmmm. Well, I took you to see the castle. That's very nice, not many people get to see the inside. What do I get for that?"
In reply, Niaaki slid his hands around to Nathaniel's front and started to fiddle with the laces of his breeches. "And I suppose I did get to see the king of a powerful nation, so that's very exciting," he said. No, he was totally not still annoyed by all the fawning that should have been directed at himself!
"In any case," he continued, tugging the laces loose, "I can think of several things."
"I love the way you think." Nathaniel reached down and lifted Niaaki with a grunt, "But I think Amber will get mad if we follow through with these thoughts here." He moved quickly up past the kitchen where food was laid out for them and went up the stairs to hi-their bedroom.
He set Niaaki down, kissing him roughly as he pressed him down into the mattress, "You are so beautiful."
...Oh. Right.
Niaaki's face went red when Nathaniel pointed out exactly where they were--where Amber could walk in any second and was surprised at his own boldness and lack of thought. Nathaniel had apparently kissed the sense right out of his head to have him acting like that, pulling the man's clothes off before they were in private!
Thankfully, Nathaniel took care of that, because Niaaki wanted him and badly. It was silly and stupid that he was still jealous and insecure over that, but this was so much of a good thing and he didn't want to lose it, lose Nathaniel, and the day had been full of tiny frustrations that only made him want him more.
Pressed down onto the bed, he tugged at the back of Nathaniel's shirt, trying to pull it over his head. "Oh, yes? Better than your king?" he asked, trailing his nails along his skin.
"You were the handsomest knight out there."
"Oh, much better." Sure, Nathaniel had a bit of a crush on Akkiel, but that was nothing next to Niaaki. Niaaki wasn't some unobtainable ideal, he was real and right there and Nathaniel wouldn't have traded him for the world.
Nathaniel kissed down Niaaki's neck, not helping with his shirt at all, "You think so? Were you looking at the other knights?"
Niaaki tilted his head back to give Nathaniel more room, shivering under his touch and squirming a little. He tugged at his shirt again but without his help, there wasn't really much he could do to undress him.
"Mmm, yes...what? Wait, no!" It took a moment for Nathaniel's question to register--and its implications!--and Niaaki's eyes snapped open, cheeks coloring. "Yes, but not like that!" he said. "Only for comparison's sake!"
"Naughty boy. You were checking out my fellow knights hmmm?" Nathaniel's hands went to work on Niaaki's pants, kissing him again, "I'll have to make you pay for that."
And he took his time making love to Niaaki, teasing the boy and making him beg for more as he took out all that pent up sexual energy. It was difficult to have to hide how he felt about the boy. Once they were finished, Nathaniel cuddling Niaaki's sweaty body close, he kissed the top of his head, "Our dinner is probably quite cold."
Pay he did. But Niaaki was okay with the fee.
Still panting, heart hammering in his chest, Niaaki curled up against Nathaniel--and then let out a soft groan at the man's words.
"Oh. Dinner," he said, draping an arm over Nathaniel's waist and pressing his face against the area between Nathaniel's neck and shoulder. He lightly kissed the skin there. "Right. That. That involves going down stairs."
And right then, Niaaki didn't think himself capable of walking. His legs were shaking too badly and all he really wanted to do was drift off to sleep, hunger be damned! Except Amber would have a royal fit.
"Does this mean I'll have to carry you?" Nathaniel leaned over and kissed Niaaki's hair again. He had only moved in a few days ago, but Nathaniel was already attached. He loved him, loved having him around. Loved being able to spoil him and how wonderful it felt being loved by him.
"I did ride you rather hard."
Niaaki gave a startled laugh and hid his face against Nathaniel's neck. Even though they'd just done...that...and had numerous times, he was still getting used to how bluntly and plainly Nathaniel spoke about it.
"Ah...yes. Exactly," he finally managed, voice muffled against Nathaniel's skin. "So yes, that does mean you have to carry me. It's your fault, after all."
"Ah, such a chore. I'll have to have a beautiful boy in my arms." Nathaniel kissed his hair, then slid out of his arms, standing up and stretching. He wasn't at all bothered by his nudity as he started to clean up and get dressed.
A little stiff and sore (and regretting nothing), Niaaki slipped out of bed after Nathaniel and grabbed a towel to clean up. Gods, but he would never tire of Nathaniel's flattery! Stretching out tight muscles, he searched out his clothes which had landed scattered on the ground and dressed quickly, modest even now.
"Yes, I'm sure it is. And I know I weigh just so much, too. However will you cope?"
"Oh, poorly I imagine. It's a real trial being a knight, the things we have to do for King and Country." Nathaniel was much less modest, taking his time in cleaning up and getting dressed. And he liked the way Niaaki enjoyed his body, so why not show off a little. Wasn't like he worked so hard to have his body unappreciated.