Pride be damned. Frey breathlessly surrendered underneath Marius' touch as heated yearning seeped into his body, wanting more. Being ready to ask for more. To beg for it.

They didn't need to think about anything else. Nothing existed but them. No trauma, and no worrying about what would happen in the future. Just their bodies intertwined and driven by the hunger for each other in a moment outside of time.

"Can I have you, Frey?" Marius mumbled against Frey's neck. "Right here?"

Frey nodded wordlessly, wishing he could say something equally salacious in response that would make Marius twitch as hard as he just had, but his mouth was dry and his thoughts were incoherent, so a nod was all he could offer at the time.

Moving up further, Marius grabbed around Frey's waist to prop him up on the army of pillows inhabiting at least a third of the bed, frowning as Frey quickly sank down through them to seemingly drown.

"Just—" Marius tossed pillow after pillow to the side with a frustrated groan. "How many of these are there?"

"A proportionate amount to the size of the bed," Frey insisted as one of the supporting pillows underneath him was removed, causing him to sink down further.

"And you sleep like this?"

"I have an explanation, but..." Frey shoved the rest of the pillows onto the floor before pulling Marius closer. "... Not right now."

Marius laughed into the kiss.

"Is it a long explanation, then?"

"You know me."

"Perhaps, but..." Marius ran a hand along Frey's stomach. "... I think I could know you better."

Frey shuddered as his neck was kissed, and he obediently tilted his head to expose it better.

"Here." He took Marius' hand to help him pull up his shirt. "Might as well throw this on the floor too. Show your imagination just how poor of a job it's been doing."

"I can't be good at everything," Marius protested while raising Frey's back to make his task easier, and though Frey's skin was exposed to the cold of the open balcony, the touch of Marius' warm hands soon made up for it. "And I prioritised my job as your stable boy, so..."

Frey grimaced as the shirt was pulled over his head and discarded to the floor.

"Except now you don't really have—"

"I know I don't have that job anymore, you don't need to rub it in." Marius pressed a hand against Frey's face to push him down against the bed again. "It was a joke about you saying I was yours back then."

"Well..." Frey removed Marius' hand, eyes averted. "... Couldn't you still be mine?"

Marius smiled, but raised an eyebrow.

"Your stable boy?"

"My... Someone."

"Oh?" Marius leaned down over him so their upper bodies pressed against each other, and Frey's breath hitched. "And what does that entail?"

"Uh..." Frey's cheeks flushed red as a series of ideas flooded his head, but he couldn't bring himself to utter a single one of them.

"Well?" Marius played with Frey's bangs while waiting. "What would you have your someone do?"

Mind spinning, Frey's eyes wandered down to Marius' lips.

"... Kiss me again."

"Out of everything you could have asked for?" Marius laughed, but obediently leaned down to give Frey a soft kiss. "And now, what?"

"Lower," Frey barely managed to whisper, and Marius' smile widened.

"How low?"

Frey's shoulders tensed up as he once again struggled with words.

"L— Lower than my lips."

Marius sounded like he suppressed a snort, but he bowed his head in subservience.

"I shall work with what I'm given, my someone."

Frey shuddered as Marius trailed kisses along his neck and down over his collarbone, igniting another heatwave through his stomach.

It was intoxicating, and Frey's head spun as Marius' lips travelled further down, stopping just as he reached the waistband of Frey's breeches.

"Is this low enough, Frey?" he whispered, voice so shamelessly smug, and Frey had to suck in a breath to overcome his racing heart, trembling lips opening to respond.

"No."

As Marius' thumbs slid under the waistband to pull the breeches down over Frey's hips, the latter had to stifle a gasp, feeling the crimson colour flush his cheeks again.

"How about now?" Marius mumbled against Frey's lower stomach, running his hand along his inner thigh before gently pushing his legs apart. "Better?"

Frey couldn't answer as Marius' lips grazed his shaft. He nodded breathlessly, fingers curling into the sheets as he tried to calm down. They'd barely started. He couldn't lose his mind already.

An upwards motion from Marius' tongue, however, implied differently, and a sharp moan spilled out of Frey before he could stop it.

"I s—said 'kiss', didn't I?" he whispered, trying in vain to sound disapproving as Marius' tongue kept moving.

"Ah, my bad..." Marius did not sound apologetic at all as he continued. "... I must have misheard."

"You're so disobedient," Frey whined, and Marius exaggerated a sigh before lifting his head slightly.

"Do you actually want me to stop?"

"I..."

"Because I will, if you tell me to."

"... Or you could keep going and pretend to disobey me."

"Oh, no no." Marius' grin widened. "You've done it now. Now you have to tell me to continue if you want me to."

"Marius..."

"In fact, you have to ask me nicely."

Frey scowled, but his body was too desperate to let embarrassment win.

"Please..." He muttered, nose scrunching up. "... Continue what you were doing."

He swallowed a gasp as Marius closed his hand around him, stroking him slowly before letting his lips slide down over him.

It was almost too much. Frey's chest heaved where he lay, exposed and flustered while being pleasured by the person he loved. It hadn't felt that good before. He supposed actual desire and arousal would have that effect unlike what he'd experienced last time, but he had not expected this. How was he supposed to last when Marius made him unravel like that with just his mouth?

"Marius," he panted after a while. "You need to slow down."

Marius pulled back, catching his breath while giving Frey a questioning look.

"Why?"

"I just..." Frey pretended to wipe bangs from his forehead, face too red and embarrassed to be perceived. "... I won't be able to... Control myself, like that..."

"And that's... Bad?" Marius leaned down to lick him again, and Frey stifled another gasp.

"I was hoping to last longer," he managed through clenched teeth. "But it— it's difficult... When it's you."

Marius gave him a sympathetic smile.

"I can go slower if you want, but... You just looked so happy earlier."

"I am happy." Frey still tried to nonchalantly hide his face. "And... I don't want it to end."

"And it won't." Marius reached over to remove Frey's hand with a shake of his head and corners of his mouth ever so quirked.. "We have all night. We have all the time in the world, so why deny yourself the pleasure?"

"Yeah..." Frey had to smile too at that. "... I suppose you're right."

"Of course I am." Marius reached up to give Frey a kiss before wrapping his hand around him again. "So go ahead and enjoy it already."

Frey inhaled loudly as Marius' lips slid back down, and he fumbled with his trembling hand to grasp around his head.

"This is unfair, isn't it?" He squeezed his eyes together while thoughtlessly moving his hips against Marius' movements, pressure building once again and he had to swallow before continuing. "Now it's just— just you pleasuring me."

Marius reached up with his free hand to press a finger against Frey's lips, and the latter let out a weak groan as his limit grew ever closer.

Being the playfully sadistic menace that he was however, Marius noticed this and decided to sink deeper over him.

"Ah, fu—" Frey's breath hitched again, head tilting back and convulsing hands pressing against Marius' curls as he couldn't hold back any longer.

Marius didn't stop at first, relentlessly continuing while Frey tried to keep his body from shaking to pieces, but as his throbbing eventually ceased, Marius pulled away.

"How was that, my Lord?" To Frey's dismay he kept rubbing, determined to get all of it out before licking the tip clean.

"Y—You should be able to tell," Frey uttered through clenched teeth, hands gripping the sheets tight to remain still until Marius finally let go with a grin smug enough to drown Frey in flusteredness. "Just wait until it's your turn."

"You make it sound like something I shouldn't want." Marius' amused look didn't ease up, but his tone at least implied a slight worry that Frey would bite him or something similar.

"No, it's just... You know..." Frey made a vague hand gesture. "... We'll see who's embarrassed once I'm done with you."

"Is that right?"

"Yes, very right," Frey insisted while searching his brain for ways to go about it. He may not be the most experienced when it came to other people, but he'd spent enough time alone, not to mention made progress in business with similar methods.

So he rolled over to open his bedside table, bringing out a jar of liquid.

"First, we're gonna need this."

Marius arched his eyebrows.

"You just keep that at the ready in your bedside table?"

"Yes." Frey frowned, averting his eyes again with a pout. "I can... Satisfy myself, you know."

"Oh?" Marius raised an intrigued eyebrow. "Wanna show me?"

"No way." Frey gently grabbed his head to push him down on the mattress. "I'm newly spent, and I believe we said it's your turn."

"Yes, but then you decided to scare me."

"Very funny," Frey said dryly as he positioned himself next to Marius, glancing down at his breeches. "So... You're gonna have to lose those."

Marius huffed.

"You're not even trying now. I helped you off with yours, didn't I?"

"I'm holding a jar."

"So put the jar down."

"Fine, you hold the jar," Frey settled on, pressing it into Marius' hand. "Just don't spill it."

"I shall do my best, my Lord."

"And you can stop calling me that."

"I shall do my best, sir."

"Marius..."

"Your highness."

"I'll have to pour that oil into your mouth if you keep this up."

"Always so threatening." Marius exaggerated an eye roll. "I know some people are into that sort of thing but I think you're doing it wrong."

"That's it," Frey muttered, placing one hand down on the mattress while the other harshly pulled down Marius' breeches.

"Whoah—" Marius began, eyes widening at the sudden motion and possibly fear that Frey really was aiming to hurt him.

"How's that?" Frey leaned down to whisper in Marius' ear, partly to show he was not flustered as his hand grasped around Marius, and partly to hide the instant blush that proved the opposite.

He hadn't expected any different, to be honest. He'd known he would suffer from intense desire long before he'd touched it. He had thought about it too many times and just the idea had been enough to make his head spin, but to his simultaneous dismay and satisfaction, the arousal that surged through his body despite recent release was stronger than he'd dared to imagine.

By Ilara, how he wanted him.

"Hand me the jar," Frey whispered, moving back to reach out his free hand, and an uncharacteristically quiet Marius was quick to obey, twitching against Frey's touch.

"You're... Alright with this, aren't you?" Frey had to pause at the silence, and Marius nodded rapidly.

"Of course I am." His mouth twisted in amusement. "Do you know for how long I've wanted this?"

"Since you had a bucket of water tipped over your head?"

"That actually stilled the desire for a day or two." Marius wrinkled his nose. "But yeah, something like that."

"If I'm being honest, I think I wanted it long before I was aware," Frey admitted through a mumble, dipping his fingers in the oily substance. "Despite the things I said."

"Don't worry..." Marius inhaled sharply as Frey's slick hand began stroking him. "... I didn't take it to heart anyway."

"Of course you didn't, you disrespectful menace." Frey squeezed a little harder, forcing a gasp out of Marius. "But... I suppose I'm relieved you didn't."

He reached up to give Marius another kiss while continuing to stroke him, heat building in his stomach again and he couldn't help but press up against him to enjoy the friction.

A wet substance suddenly ran down Frey's lower back and down between his cheeks, and his breath choked as Marius' hand began teasing his opening.

"Hey, I thought—" He paused to suppress a moan as fingers rubbed against him. "It— It's your turn."

"I can't help it, I enjoy that flustered expression of yours too much." Marius grinned, but his eyebrows soon knitted into a frown, and he raised his head from the mattress for a better look. "Wait, did you... Already prepare for this?"

Frey hadn't known he could blush more than he already did, but fittingly for a day of new experiences, he was made painfully aware.

"I..." He swallowed. "... Just thought, in— in case something was to happen... So when I was washing I thought I might as well."

"And you've been calling me shameless all this time." Marius pretended to be hurt. "While you're just as needy as I am."

"You're shameless because you suggest lewd things in the open," Frey uttered breathlessly as Marius' hand still explored his sensitive skin. "Even when inappropriate."

Then a finger slid inside him, and a loud gasp spilled out before he could stop it.

"Perhaps." Marius cupped Frey's chin to pull him closer. "But I'm beginning to think you're worse than me behind closed doors."

"Nn—" Frey bit his lower lip, eyes closing as another wave of pleasure blurred his thoughts. "Not... Likely..."

"Really?" Marius curled a finger, eliciting another moan. "Sounds to me like you can barely talk."

Frey opened a disapproving eye, gathering his breath for retaliation.

"Well... Fortunately... Someone is talking enough for both of us."

"Fair enough." Marius smirked, but did not stop his fingers from moving. "I suppose I should go back to being pleasured."

Frey had almost forgotten. In the daze of skin touching skin and overwhelming sensations hitting his guts, his pace had slowed to a near stop, and even as he tried to resume his stroking, his rhythm was off and he kept losing focus on what he was doing.

"C—cut it out." He glared at Marius' triumphant look, trying to get back at him by stroking faster but ultimately lost track of himself again as another finger was added to increase pressure against the right spot.

Marius blinked, trying to hide a smile as if he wasn't making it difficult on purpose at all.

"Should I?"

"Just... Let... Me..." Frey almost pleaded through a whimper. "I was s—supposed to pl...easure you..."

"Well, you're gonna have to do a better job than this," Marius kept teasing him. "Maybe try losing your mind a little less."

"And I'm... Supposed t— to be the cruel one?"

Marius sighed, still highly amused, but he pulled out to give Frey some breathing room.

"Alright, then." He held up his hands in submission. "I won't be mean, so do your best."

Frey considered the option to just walk away and see if Marius would be so cocky then, but he wasn't too fond of the idea himself. Instead he decided to throw self-consciousness to the wind before slowly getting up to seat himself on top of Marius, straddling him while reaching for the jar again.

To his pleasure, Marius did look taken aback, so he leaned down to whisper in his ear.

"You want me to do my best?" He reached back to add another layer of oil to Marius' shaft. "Do you know what I'm 'best' at, Marius?"

"I'm... Rather well aware," Marius uttered under a weak breath.

"Good." Frey placed Marius' tip against his opening, mind filling with too much lust to be embarrassed anymore. "Nice to know my stable boy was paying attention."

Frey wished he could have been the complacent, obnoxious one for once, seeing how Marius was indeed rendered speechless once Frey sank down to merge with him at last, but the problem was that Frey wasn't faring any better.

Jolts of immense pleasure crashed through his guts as he slowly moved up and down, with every confident word he'd planned to use fading into nothingness, replaced solely by shallow breaths and desperate kisses as Marius' strong hands grasped around his neck to pull him down.

Frey couldn't think properly. He was drenched in carnal desire for Marius. A craving that clouded his mind and sent bursts of heat through his body every time their gazes met. Every time they exchanged breaths.

"I get it now," Marius finally managed in between gasps. "Your... Being u—unable to talk."

"Yet you're still doing it." Frey rolled his eyes, and Marius chuckled.

"Apologies."

"Don't apologise," Frey mumbled through his dazed state of yearning for Marius' touch. "Just shut up and fuck me."

Marius' eyebrows shot up.

"Language."

"I said shut up."

"I... heard..." Marius groaned as Frey ground down against him. "... But what was that last part, again?"

Frey scowled, but relented.

"... Fuck me."

"Of course, my L—"

Frey slammed down against him, forcing sharp gasps out of both of them, but he still considered it a win since he'd made Marius interrupt himself.

"... Of course, Frey," Marius whispered in submission after recovering, and Frey nodded in approval.

"Better."

He rolled his hips down again, sparks shooting up his spine as Marius pressed against him in corresponding movements.

"Oh, fuck... Frey," he uttered through short, ragged breaths as he grabbed Frey's hips to bring him down at a faster pace. "I— I don't think I'm gonna last long either... If we go like this."

Frey didn't mind. He wanted Marius to feel as good as he did, so he leaned into the thrusts with abandon, letting Marius unravel to his heart's content.

A pulsating sensation, and Marius stifled a moan against Frey's shoulder as he came undone, trembling arms clenching tight around him.

They remained still for a while longer, sharing another kiss as the tension in Marius' shoulders slowly eased up.

"See?" Frey whispered, voice low and exhausted. "Not so easy, is it?"

"Apparently not." Marius sounded equally tired, and once he finally slipped out of Frey they both collapsed against the mattress to catch their breaths.

"We should probably close the balcony doors," Marius whispered after some time. "With all this sweat, we'll get cold real soon."

Frey laughed through his nose.

"You and your fear of colds."

"I just don't want to waste all this heat we've built up."

"I suppose that's fair." Frey kissed his cheek. "I'll close them."

"And we should probably huddle up under the covers to keep each other warm, just in case." Marius smirked, and Frey rolled his eyes once again.

"Shameless."