Reap the Earth at Which you Stand [boyxboy]

Chapter XVI

~Sunday 26th November 2017~

"How's your head?" Vasile asked in a soft voice, running his fingers through Dakota's curls. He had repeated the action enough over the past hour that he could be sure there would be no knots to stop the movement of his hand, or to injure the boy in any way. Vasile had a feeling that something as simple as pulling Dakota's hair would probably infuriate the boy in the state he was in.

"Little better," Dakota murmured, his brows furrowing ever so slightly as he shifted to a more comfortable position. He was laid completely over Vasile, with his head on the man's stomach, having slept part of the day like that. It hadn't taken much coaxing to get Dakota used to the idea of having to have physical contact with Vasile to sleep. That was always one of the easier aspects of the bond that a pairing would get used to.

"You want to sleep a little longer?" Vasile had been productive in no way that day. He had no opportunity to get to his laptop, nor did he have any desire to, with Dakota practically sewn to his hip. He probably could have offered the suggestion to the boy, and he doubted Dakota would have been selfish enough to prevent him from moving, yet he didn't want to. He wanted Dakota to be selfish. He wanted the boy to think of himself for once, instead of others. He was just getting comfortable with Vasile and the more intimate aspects of their bond, the man didn't want to skew that streak. Not when they were moving at such a good pace.

"I could run you a bath if you'd like, kitten?" Judging by the smile that spread lazily over Dakota's lips, he was definitely in agreement with that, "I'll be a few minutes," Vasile sat up carefully, slipping out from under Dakota and tucking the thick faux fur blanket around him. Leaning down, he pressed a long kiss to the boy's head, daring to peck his lips too, although he didn't get much of a response. That was fine, he just wanted to kiss Dakota, feel his lips against his own. It was simple, at least to Vasile anyway.

Stretching his arms over his head, Vasile wandered into the ensuite attached to his bedroom. He chuckled briefly, thinking of the last time he had been in the bath, of how much he had desired Dakota then. That was a different kind of craving, however, a lust that he never wanted the boy to see. Not until he was willing to accept it. Vasile feared that might be the one time the boy might reject him, and that made his heart ache from tip to root.

Rolling up his sleeves, Vasile perched himself on the side of the bath, turning one of the taps and waiting until the water ran hot enough to put the plug in. He dragged his long hair up into a bun, not particularly wanting to risk getting the ends wet, knowing that was so much worse than it seemed. His hair would matte at the tips and lose its glossy texture. He hated it, hence why he disliked rain so much. It just didn't agree with him.

Collecting some oils and bubble bath from the cupboard under the sink, Vasile poured a little of each into the rising water. He wasn't sure how warm Dakota would like the bath, so left the temperature relatively tepid. He would prefer the boy to wish for more hot water than to burn himself. Vasile prepared a towel too, leaving it on the radiator to warm whilst Dakota would be in the bath. He wouldn't want the boy getting ill, somehow, Vasile just assumed Dakota would have a pathetic immune system.

With the water finally reaching close to the rim of the bath, Vasile turned off the taps, returning to the bedroom. Dakota was still curled up how he had left him, although Vasile knew there was no chance of him being asleep. There were a few golden moments that a Kept could sleep without their Keeper, however, they never lasted very long. Besides, Dakota hadn't been asleep to begin with, he was just resting. Alcohol could do that to one, hence why Vasile didn't often consume much.

"Bath's ready, kitten," Vasile cooed at his boy, rubbing Dakota's back, hoping that might coax him from his fatigued state. The boy had a hideous temper when it came to waking up, and would cling to any semblance of sleep for as long as he could. Vasile thought it was cute, although he wasn't sure how long that would last.