The Quest for Normania #1: The Door of Andrios

47. Half-Conscious

"Even if the rest of us separate from us for a while," said Lawrence, "I want us to stick right together."

He and Cecil were standing in the space behind the bookshelves of the library; the younger man was staring out the window.

Silence reigned the older man's declaration for a long while.

Lawrence waited and waited... and then, he grew a little impatient. "What do you say?"

Cecil didn't turn around. "What do you want me to say?"

"Do you mind separating from me? Are you worried about your sister and wish to be with her wherever she goes?"

Another long silence filled the room. Something in Lawrence had been twitching for a while now, driving him to the brink of sanity. He tried to hold it in. The problem was, it twitched when he was staring at Cecil; when he was not, it settled down – mostly.

"I love you, too, you know."

The small yet clear voice roused him from his idle thoughts and turned his head quickly towards his companion, who, he was startled to realise, was staring at him, cool and composed.

Lawrence gulped.

Cecil nodded once at him. "Tell me, what do you say?"

He smirked. "Yes, well, I love you."

His face suddenly burst into a smile and the younger man rushed towards his lover, and hugged him tightly around the waist. "I love you, too. Thank you so much for being so patient with me."

A chuckle. "You're most welcome. And yes, I love you."

Cecil giggled as he turned his head upwards, catching the older man's eyes, which he realised now were a dark shade of blue. Lawrence's auburn hair stood still as a statue on his head. His head angled towards him, a smile pulling his lips up in a half-moon...

The next thing Cecil knew, he had leaned forward and pressed his lips to Lawrence's!

Panic shooting up his spine, he immediately moved away and gasped. "I –"

The older man groaned and, his eyes half-closed, he pulled the younger one back and placed his arms around his smaller torso, loose but firm. "You will not take this away from me," he growled. Suddenly, realising his tone and his words, his eyes widened, he blinked. "Oh, I'm – I'm so sorry! I meant, if you really want it and think that I don't – Really, I do!"

Cecil smiled then; slowly, Lawrence's mouth reflected it.

"Oh really? You really want this kiss again?" asked the former, his voice gone low and soft.

The twitching started again and the latter realised it was his core. He groaned and nodded. "If you'll let me."

"Gladly."

He pounced and caught his lover's lips in his own and pressed on it hard and intensely. His legs began to move and before he knew it, he had the younger man pinned against the wall, his own mouth on his.

At last, Lawrence leaned away and started kissing Cecil's neck. Cecil moaned but softly, half-conscious of the people on the other side of the wall. There was a great chance they were too far away to hear the sounds the men made, but he decided he didn't want to take it.

At long last, Lawrence leaned away, panting. "I think we should go and lend a hand."

Cecil nodded, though he was still in the mood to go on. "Besides, Agatha might come here at any moment." He gasped suddenly, his eyes gone wide. "Agatha!" he whisper-exclaimed. "She... we share a bond – one of those... blood bonds!" He turned to his lover, scared. "I hope she didn't hear any of this!"