Note: this chapter contains sexual detail.

•••

Following the stunning display, the people of Goring all walk back to their respective homes for the evening; George glances at Levi, a forlorn expression already appearing on his face.

"I suppose I better be getting home," he frowns. "The last train of the night will be leaving, soon. Steph will wonder where I am if I miss it."

"You could—" Levi pauses, deciding not to voice the idea that's just come to his mind.

"I could what?" George furrows his eyebrows, the curiosity getting the better of him. "Is this one of your crazy schemes?"

"I'm just being daft. Ignore me." Levi flashes a smile, as the pair slowly head towards Levi's car.

"Tell me anyway," George demands softly. "Because now I'm intrigued."

"It was just a stupid idea," Levi explains. "I was going to say you could stay here tonight."

"Isn't your mum at home with Maisie and Meggy?" George asks. "I wouldn't want to gatecrash her home when she's only met me twice. And those poor dogs would be mortified at seeing a new face after the fireworks."

"When did I say anything about going to my house?" Levi chuckles. "I was going to suggest stopping in a hotel, so we didn't disturb them. There's a little independent place not far from the village; I've stayed there a handful of times before."

"Are you serious about this?" George questions nervously, rubbing the back of his neck with his palm. "Because, I can always call Stephanie and tell her I'm staying around my friend's house for the night, if you are."

"You realise this will be our first night together, don't you?" Levi reminds him. "And you have no toothbrush or anything. I don't know if I fancy kissing morning breath, even if you are gorgeous in every other way."

"Do corner shops not exist in Goring?" George jibes, as they reach Levi's car; he opens the passenger door to get in. "Surely I can grab some essentials from somewhere."

"You really want to do this, don't you?" Levi gets in the driver side, slamming the door to prevent the cold air from entering the vehicle. "I mean, we can arrange this for sure. Let me just grab some stuff from my house; and let me tell mum where I'll be for the night. I won't be long." He then reopens the car door, ducking his head as he leaves once again.

George watches as the man enters his home, and disappears out of sight; and he can't help but wonder what will come of the evening. George has only ever shared a bed with Stephanie before, so will it feel different with a man? Will they even share a bed, or would Levi request separate ones? Will Levi judge George for the way he sleeps? George has always been extremely self-conscious of how he looks when he's asleep — triggered by the times when Stephanie would take Polaroids of him sleeping in the back row, of the cinema they worked in together. He becomes a little anxious at this notion, but figures Levi will catch George off guard at some point regardless; maybe it's better to get it over with early on, rather than later. He taps the dashboard of the car with his fingers while he waits for his lover to return; eventually, Levi pops out of the house, approaching the vehicle once again.

"Right, that's sorted," he announces, slinging his overnight bag onto the back seat. "If I remember correctly, there's a corner shop next door to the hotel. You can buy stuff from there once we've checked in."

"Great." George chooses not to say anything else, deeming his previous concerns as unimportant. He observes as Levi starts the ignition of the car, before pulling out of his space in front of his home. "So, how far is this hotel?"

"A few miles. Not even that," Levi answers. "We'll be there in five minutes."

The drive is brief, only lasting three-to-four minutes as Levi predicted. He parks his car, before taking his car keys and placing them in his pocket a moment. After retrieving his bag from the back, and George exiting the vehicle, he locks up; then, the men walk to the building entrance, where they find a reception desk.

A woman is stood waiting to serve them. "How can I help you guys this evening?" she offers kindly.

"We were wondering if you had any rooms available," Levi requests politely. "We haven't booked, but we're hoping we'll get lucky."

"We have two rooms available tonight," the receptionist informs him. "We have the standard twin bed, and the standard double bed. Should I go ahead and assume the twin?"

"Make it the double," Levi intercepts quickly. "I'm sure I can share a bed for one night."

Levi's answer stuns George; although they're both actively partaking in this secret affair, he expected Levi to hold back on sharing a bed just yet. He doesn't react, however, as he doesn't wish to make his shock too obvious; neither does he want a stranger to be aware of their relationship to one another.

"So that's the standard double for one night, yes?" the receptionist clarifies. "Under what name, sir?"

"Levi Jones." He smiles at her, as she notes down his information.

"Excellent." The receptionist sets down her pen; instead grabbing a set of keys from under the desk, handing them to Levi. "Here you are. You're in room fourteen. Enjoy your stay, both of you." With an accommodating smile, she watches as the men head towards their hotel room for the night.

Upon entering their room, George can't help but look around in slight awe; to say it's just a simple hotel room, it's incredibly nicely decorated. The double bed sits offset to the left of the room, with a small box-shaped television perched on a clunky stand on the right. Not a speck of dust can be seen on any surfaces; the tasteful floral bedding compliments the off-white walls subtly.

"Well, this is nice," George comments. "Much nicer than I expected."

"See? Independent places can be very charming, can't they?" Levi takes a seat on the bed, bouncing himself on the spot, on the mattress to test how soft it is. "This is some good sleeping material right here. Feel that."

George obliges, sitting down on the other side of the bed to find out the truth for himself; he is pleasantly surprised at how comfortable it is. "Impressive," he chuckles. "I'm sure I could sleep well on this."

"Are you tired?" Levi asks him.

"Not yet, no. Plus, I need to go and buy some overnight stuff. And I need to call Stephanie and tell her I'm not coming home tonight."

"That's a good point," Levi agrees. "Let's get those things ticked off the list first, before we do anything else."

•••

Having run their obligatory errands, the men settle in the room for the evening. The receptionist kindly offered George the hotel phone, upon his request, to call Stephanie from — which made the task significantly easier for him. George is still somewhat antsy about the idea of sharing a room with Levi — not because he doesn't trust the man; but rather, because he has never slept in the same bed as someone he cares so strongly for, before. He worries that he will make some form of blunder; he will say or do something that hinders Levi's perception of him.

"Will you be wearing the same clothing tomorrow?" Levi asks him, making conversation while the pair are sat in the room together; Levi is sat on a chair by the window, whereas George is sat on the bed.

George glances down at his attire; he is currently wearing a crisp white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows; grey acid-wash skinny jeans; and a stylish, chunky black belt. "Well, I don't have anything else to wear. And besides, Stephanie would only question where I got different clothes if I did miraculously have a spare set."

"I brought some spare clothes if you did want some to go home in tomorrow," Levi informs him. "I could maybe spray my spray onto them. You know, so you have my scent when I'm not around."

"That's so cliché," George jibes, laughing a little. "I swear people do that in every romance movie ever created."

"Do you want it, or don't you?" Levi raises a brow, half-expecting to know the answer already.

George gives him a slightly awkward expression. "Maybe." He quickly flits his eyes down to the floor, realising that he has fallen victim to desiring every cutesy act of love he's ever seen around him.

"I figured you'd say that," Levi teases. "Okay — real question now. Are you a pyjama sleeper or a no-clothing sleeper?"

"Whichever you prefer," George flirts; as soon as the words have left his mouth, he has to take a moment to reflect on how unexpected his response was. "I-I just meant because we're going to be in the same bed," he lies.

"I'm partial to a little bit of bare skin," Levi explains, starting to unbutton his black shirt slowly. "I like the way cold, fresh bedsheets feel ... don't you?" He undoes the final button, parting the shirt slightly to reveal his lightly-toned chest; he isn't overly muscular, but it compliments his slim build perfectly.

George has to swallow harshly so that he can gain access to his vocal cords to speak up. "Uh, yes. Definitely." His eyes flicker to Levi's torso; but, not wanting to seem shallow for eyeing the attractive man up, he speedily looks back at his face. "Totally agree with you, there."

Levi picks up on George's squirminess, finding it amusingly appealing. "Are you nervous around me, George? You seem nervous."

For a moment, George doesn't answer; he inhales slowly, holding the breath in for a few moments, before releasing it again. "I'm just fine. This is just a new experience for me, that's all."

"What? You mean, being in the presence of somebody so flawless?" Levi jokes, resting his hands on his hips confidently. "I'm messing. I know what you mean. It must be kind of surreal being in a hotel room with a guy you met over the phone by accident."

"Something like that," George agrees quietly.

"But, you know ... " Levi moves away from the window at last, slowly approaching George, who is still on the bed. "The evening doesn't have to end for a while yet. There's hours until the sun rises. We have all the time in the world to enjoy one another's company, for now." He rests his hands on the bed, either side of George's sitting body; his front hovers just above George's as he brings his face close to the Greek. "We could really have a special evening, you know."

George's eyes close gently in natural reaction to Levi's head moving in towards his own. Their lips brush against one another's, tempting each other with a kiss, but not quite committing to it; almost like a little game with one another. As they try to resist each other, George feels a unique sensation building up within his chest; one he is vaguely familiar with, but can't quite put his finger on. The beautiful desperation becomes too much for George to bear; the perfect arches of his brows furrow as he gives in, harshly connecting his lips with Levi's at last. The only audible sounds from either of them, are the drawn-out breaths and the shuffling of their clothing as their passionate affair starts to progress. Levi climbs onto the bed alongside George; his jittering fingers shift upwards to begin unbuttoning George's shirt. The action causes George's breath to hitch; Levi detects this and interprets it as apprehension, so he stops immediately. They part from one another, with gazes fixed on each other.

"I didn't say stop," George utters, panting near-silently to catch his breath.

"Do you really want to do this?" Levi asks sincerely, with an expression of authenticity.

George doesn't speak; instead, he nods his head assertively as his answer. Levi gives a loose grin, before granting himself permission to kiss George once more. The intense session evokes a certain level of heat to rise in the room they're in; as Levi hurries to open George's shirt, droplets start accumulating on their foreheads, and their styled hair starts to flop down due to the saturation of the frontal locks. They both pause a moment, to regain a normal breathing pattern; in this time, Levi observes George's appearance. The delicate white button-up hangs loosely over George's body; the material drapes in such a way that his sun-kissed, modestly dark-haired chest is exposed in the most gorgeous fashion. Levi touches his hand to the area; it's soaked in sweat already from the moments they have just shared together. The men look to one another again; there's a sweet hunger evident in both their irises. However, it's not a hunger purely down to lust — but rather, down to the love that they share. Levi's hands head downwards, to toy with George's belt. He unseals the clasp, sliding it out from his lover's jeans as gradually as he can.

"You are so divine, my darling," Levi murmurs into his ear quietly, as he pulls the zipper down on George's jeans. He slides both of the trouser legs off him, leaving only his underwear beneath. As he carelessly tosses the article to one side, Levi starts to remove his own trousers. "So, so divine."

George's palms begin to moisten, as his nerves override all other senses; for he has never felt quite so doted-on before. He is so inexperienced in such an authentic attraction, that he feels almost chaste — with a naïve purity, much like a teenage boy experiencing arousal for the first time. As Levi reveals more of himself, George notices subtle throbbing becoming evidently clearer, further down his body; he tries to hide the physical evidence of this by drawing his legs up to his chest, but Levi isn't quite so oblivious.

"You don't need to close yourself off with me, George." He rests a single hand on George's knees, the gentleness of which immediately gives George the confidence to lower his legs once more. "I promise we don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with. I love you; I promise I love you. Do you trust me?"

"Yes." George drops every defence he once had, becoming entirely vulnerable to the man before him.

There's a sparkle in Levi's eye that George can't quite describe in the heat of the moment; but it's one of real, raw affection. Once both of them are satisfied that there are no more second thoughts on what is about to occur, Levi uses the same hold on George's chest as before, to lightly push him down onto the bed. He hovers himself just above George's body, eventually moving lower, so that their fronts press together. It is in this moment, where they can both physically detect the erotic level of appeal they feel for one another. Having removed every piece of clothing from both of their bodies, their seductive make-out resumes; this time, tongues come into play, as they playfully provoke one another between pecks. Among this alluring exchange, courage builds up between the two of them; and so shaky hands curiously start to roam to places previously forbidden. Soft groans sound from them both in response to the tantalising nurture they are giving to one another. Subtle, teasing touches soon lead them to the moment they've both been anticipating; their foreplay becomes so much more, with the use of their fingers being substituted for other, more sensitive alternatives.

As they begin to move in sync with one another, it's easy to tell that the dizzily-besotted pair are not just engaging in a meaningless lewd act — they are emotionally bound to one another; joined in their mutual feelings of adoration. This, to both of them, is much more than simply partaking in casual sex — they are making sweet, beautiful love; and they are cherishing every moment in which their souls are connected. The feeling of love during such an encounter, is foreign to George; but it is the most exquisite, and uplifting feeling he has ever had the utter, gorgeous privilege of experiencing. He savours every single second; appreciates every single motion; pours his heart into every single loving action he performs. And all the while, he is astonished at just how reciprocated this interaction is.

The sheer, wonderful pleasure increases as time moves forward; deep, throaty expressions of satisfaction sound from the backs of both their oesophaguses as they start to feel the recognisable sensation of their highs building up. Sweat clings to their bodies by now; some droplets fall to the mattress beneath them with the intense activity they are undergoing. Their lips part for a brief period, as they look into one another's eyes; George uses this as an opportunity to try and speak.

"I'm not going to last much longer," he utters, his voice gravelly due to his breathlessness. He shuts his eyes tight, which is when his climax arrives abruptly; it shocks his core, sending vibrations through his body. "Shit! Oh, shit," he curses, as the typical pulsating sensation takes over his ability to control his limbs. He attempts to catch his breath, while simultaneously working to aid Levi in reaching his peak, too.

"I can feel it," Levi gasps, allowing his breath to catch in his throat, as he too reaches his climax; he lets out a prolonged groan to vent the overwhelming feeling running through him. His body becomes weak, so he is forced to fall onto the bed beside George, as he finally allows himself to breathe once again. "My god, George."

George is still recovering from the intimate affair that has just happened. "That was ... incredible," he murmurs, a smile coming to his face. "It just felt different."

"You are incredible," Levi compliments him, raising his hand up to tangle in his lover's hair. "And that was you experiencing true attraction for the first time. Did it feel better?"

George's eyes avert to the ceiling above his head; his hands rest on his stomach as he beams. "It was the best feeling I've ever had. I've never felt so cared-for in all my life."

"And that's the way it should be," Levi assures him. "That's how it should always be. When you love somebody, meaningless sex becomes something much more." In understanding, George nods his head; Levi catches this motion out of the corner of his eye, so he glances to his side. "And if that doesn't convince you that your feelings are valid, nothing will."

George's little smile becomes a loose grin, as he flits his eyes to Levi. "Thank you for showing me what real love is."

Levi's expression matches his; as he moves his other hand up, so he can cup George's cheek. "Thank you for giving me somebody to show real love to."

Levi brings his face in to George's once more, giving him a simple kiss — not one of lust, nor of hunger; but rather, a small suggestion that his life truly is better for having this man in it.

•••

I genuinely adored writing this! I hope you enjoyed reading it. xx