Chapter Warnings: Sensual massage/Fondling

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"Rurik, no; I'm tired and you're still sick," the smaller chastised, holding onto his boyfriend's wrists once he pried the hands off, "you need to rest and recover your strength."

"But I've been resting all daaay," the taller whined, but their inability to break Lotus's grip only served to prove his point, "come ooon; I can't settle down for the night like this!"

Lotus stared at the sick skeleton in silent contemplation; Rurik was behaving for the most part and was probably going stir crazy from their lack of activity today. While Lotus didn't quite understand how touching him helped with their hypersexual disorder, there was no denying the allowances seemed to afford his companion more self-control; despite their combined fatigue, he decided to make a concession, "Fine... if you can promise to stay above the pelvis, I'll let you touch. Nothing involving souls or kissing either; I know you and the last thing you need is to be exerting yourself, plus I don't want to catch your bug."

"Really?" Rurik pepped up, his starry eye lights nearly shining.

"Yeah...," Lotus had to fight down a blush as he released his partner's wrists and picked up the dishes, "let me get these put away first; you go ahead and get comfortable."

Receiving an enthusiastic nod, Lotus made his way into the kitchen. As he rinsed the bowls and placed them into the dishwasher for a more thorough cleaning later, he felt his pulse rising in anticipation; he closed his sockets, focusing on the quickening beats. Maybe he had simply come to terms with Rurik's personality quirks, but something felt different this time; he wasn't dreading the moment for whatever reason. Why that was, he couldn't quite put a finger on it... maybe-

"Loootus...?"

The drawl of Rurik's voice pulled him from his thoughts and he closed the dishwasher, drying his hands off in the process before returning to his partner. "You were taking so long, I was beginning to think you fell into the dishwasher," the monster joked, holding his arms out in eager invitation, "are you ready now?"

"Yeah...," Lotus responded, sitting next to the skeleton's reclined body close enough to where they could easily reach him; he didn't want to put his full weight on them, so this would be a good compromise. The taller's arm wrapped around him, hooking under his arms, but he was startled when he felt himself being pulled into a straddling position on Rurik's torso.

The sick skeleton let out a small grunt, prompting Lotus to attempt to get off. A pair of hands held him in place, trembling lightly as Rurik gently commanded, "Don't; I want you here."

"But I'm too heavy... it's uncomfortable, right?" Lotus countered with uncertainty, watching his companion for signs of distress.

The taller shook his skull, a small smirk spread along his face, "Nope, you're light as a feather." Before Lotus could reply, the monster was already tracing the outline of his ribs through his hoodie, eliciting a gasp that had him clamping his mouth shut. He flushed as their smirk grew wider; what was it about that cocky grin that always got him so flustered?

He took slow, deep breaths as Rurik teased at his ribs and sternum, the touches leaving trails of heat in their wake. Slipping their hands under his hoodie, the monster lightly caressed the sensitive inner curves of his lower ribs, successfully earning a stuttering exhale.

"You're really tense; was work difficult today?" the taller purred, gradually making their way to his spine.

The question threw him off, but he tried his best to keep his voice level as he admitted, "K... Kind of... I haaa... had two extra sectors today and I- hnnn... I had to k... keep bouncing back anNNNH-!"

Lotus's arms gave out from under him, collapsing onto Rurik's chest with a shudder as the monster's thumbs pressed into the sensitive spaces connecting his vertebral column to his ribs. The taller grunted at the impact, continuing their ministrations moments later with a breathy chuckle, "You don't have to be so reserved... I like hearing the noises you make."

"Sh... shutup...," Lotus gasped, clenching at the cotton fabric of his companion's top while cursing his body for betraying him; of course, Rurik knowing all his weak spots certainly didn't help matters. Burying his face in the monster's chest to further stifle the soft moans that wanted to come out, he shuddered as he felt a hand wander down his lumbar vertebrae. "Too low," he protested.

"Oops, guess I got a little carried away," Rurik paused with a sheepish grin.

The smaller stammered, "Y-you pro-" His words caught in his throat when he realized his partner never explicitly promised anything; Lotus had only assumed they had an agreement! How could he be so stupid; was he really that tired?! His soul hammered in his rib cage as he ducked his skull to hide the mortification and frustration that he felt with himself. With the position they were in, Rurik would definitely-

The hand moved back up his spine, "That better?"

Lotus lifted his skull, finding Rurik staring at him with an odd look while awaiting confirmation. His soul settled as he murmured a dumbfounded, "... Yeah."

"Okay, let's see...," the skeleton mumbled, their fingers once again roving across Lotus's bones; albeit at a slower pace. A shiver raced up his spine as his partner traced purposefully along the crevices, as if searching for something. A breathy moan slipped out as Rurik's fingers touched upon one of his upper vertebrae. "There it is," the monster grinned triumphantly, massaging their thumb into a pinched joint the smaller didn't even realize was there until that moment.

"Wha- Hhhh!" Lotus sharply inhaled, his body spasming as his companion attacked the spot. Contrary to what he expected, his body seemed to be relaxing rather than building pressure from the stimulation. The more Rurik kneaded his bones, the more he felt himself melt and the more embarrassing noises were drawn out of him.

What in the world was his boyfriend doing that made this feel so good?

A hazy glance revealed Rurik was thoroughly enjoying the spectacle he created; an orange blush dusted his face as his starry eye lights burned with focus. The skeleton's chest rose and fell with each excited breath, murmuring winded encouragements as his unsteady hands meticulously worked their magic.

Lotus faintly registered Rurik's fingers dancing along his shoulder blades, moaning softly as it sent pleasant ripples through his body that seemed to steal away his strength; he didn't think he could move even if his life depended on it, but he found he really didn't care as long as he could stay wrapped in this comfortable and drowsy warmth for a little while longer.

Releasing a contented sigh, he felt something lightly touching his skull and a rumbling vibration under him combined with a muffled noise... was Rurik saying something?

"Hnn?" Lotus hummed, cracking open the sockets he didn't realize were closed and shifting his skull where it now rested on his partner's chest.

"Guess that did it... I messed up a bit in the middle when your eye light guttered out, but you look pretty relaxed now," Rurik chuckled weakly, reaching somewhere past Lotus's sight with a low groan; something soft draped over them as the monster flopped back against the pillow, "You look like you're about to fall asleep and I'm pretty tired myself; we can call it a day here."

The statement managed to rouse him; call it a day? Seriously? Even if he was sick, Rurik could do whatever he wanted right now and Lotus wouldn't be able to do a thing about it; the old Rurik-

That's when it clicked; the reason why Lotus had been excited earlier and why he was so relaxed now; the reason their interactions felt different; the odd look... this wasn't the old Rurik.

The Rurik he knew now took his wants and needs into consideration, respected most of the boundaries he set, and showed interest in him outside physical interactions. The monster in front of him encouraged him to speak his mind, allowed him to have a say in what happened between them, and made him feel like the moments they did have were more than mindless lust that anyone else could satisfy.

Lotus was no longer a toy to be played with or a tool to be manipulated; he was Rurik's partner... why did he only realize that now?

"You okay?" The taller asked with a touch of concern in his voice, "Did I do something wrong?"

"N... No, you're fine... but I feel like I should be asking you that," Lotus murmured. He could feel the heat coming off his companion now that he was paying attention, not to mention their labored breathing and drooping sockets. Reaching over the edge of the couch, the smaller snagged the discarded bag of partially melted ice still wrapped in the towel and lazily placed it on Rurik's skull, "You weren't supposed to exert yourself."

Rurik let out an amused exhale, his warm breath ghosting over the Lotus's face, "What can I say, I got into a rhythm... besides, you needed it and you didn't seem to mind all that much."

"Pervert," Lotus shot out halfheartedly, curling into their chest to hide his face, "Anyways, you can settle down and go to sleep now that you've had your fun."

"Yeah...," the taller skeleton chuckled, sliding his hands up to rest against Lotus's back as he yawned, "thanks for that..."

Lotus hummed absently, content to end the conversation so Rurik could drift off quicker; it didn't take long, if the soft snores shortly after were any indication. Figuring he was falling asleep early enough that he wouldn't need his alarm for work tomorrow, he nuzzled into the warm body under him and closed his sockets, wholly satisfied with the day's outcome.

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Word Count: 1,658