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XVII: For Blue Skies

                  

Aleks's eyes drifted closed as James gently ran his hands across his skin, mapping every curve of his body. He was in a state of bliss; James had returned to him and they'd made love, sating their need for each other. Sex had cured them both of the horror that had plagued their minds for the last twenty-four hours.

The black cloud that had engulfed them was gone. Now the atmosphere was light, warm from their afterglow, creating a sense of normalcy.

"So much for the sex ban." James remarked, and Aleks opened his eyes to see him propped up on his elbow beside him.

A winter chill was beginning to settle in the room, and Aleks pulled their blanket over them, protecting their naked skin from the cold. "I'm sure I'll use it in the future." He replied lightly, inching into James's warmth.

"Yeah, because it worked out so well for you last time."

Aleks felt his lips quirk at James's sarcasm. No regrets. "Shut up." He said fondly.

Smiling, James lifted his hand to trace the contour of Aleks's lips with his fingertip. "Admit it, I'm irresistible."

Aleks tried to playfully bite James's finger, but he pulled his hand away. "Never."

His one word response was taken as a challenge. James suddenly grabbed his wrists, forcing Aleks's arms above him to pin him to the bed. Aleks was relieved when he didn't flinch as James rolled on top of him; the move so similar to what he'd been forced to endure the day before.

This was nothing like yesterday. The heat from James's gaze ignited every nerve ending in Aleks's body, and he felt nothing but pure love and desire. There was no room for anything else; James was his, body and soul.

Aleks bit his lip and rocked his hips, smirking at James's small sound of surprise. "We just cleaned up." His boyfriend reminded him, but there was no real fight in his words. Aleks could feel him growing hard already.

"I like you dirty."

Aleks's double-entendre didn't go unnoticed by James. "I bet you do." He said heatedly, releasing his wrists to lace their fingers together. He kept their clasped hands above Aleks's head as he leaned in, brushing their lips together. The kiss was gentle, but the passion between them was palpable.

Aleks felt James release one of his hands, but he didn't get the chance to touch him. Before he could move his arm, James snatched his wrist again.

"What is that? Is that a tattoo?"

In his haze, Aleks had completely forgotten about his new ink. "Yeah, it is. Aron fixed up a tattoo kit so I thought I'd give it a go." He replied quickly. They could talk about the meaning later; all he wanted to do was continue what they'd just started.

"That's Russian, isn't it?" James correctly surmised, and Aleks realised that it was futile. Once James focused on something, he wouldn't let it go. "What does it say?"

Moment of truth. "It's a J." Aleks told him, bracing himself for James's reaction as he hastily continued with his next words. "Well, the closest representation anyway. There's no J in the Russian alphabet."

James blinked. "Is that J for..." He trailed off, speechless, and Aleks nodded, watching him closely.

"You, idiot." He whispered, hoping the warmth in his tone was enough to convey his love. He wasn't ready to say those three little words yet, even though he felt them so strongly.

His reply didn't have the desired effect. Instead of showering him with affection, James left the bed, and he began to pull on his discarded clothing.