Page 59 of A Winter Awakening

After a moment, Orteo spoke. “You look so beautiful,” Orteo said. He chuckled. “Less than a month ago, you were an innocent virgin. Now you’re lying before me, covered in our spend. I feel like I’ve corrupted you.”

Gael could feel Orteo’s thick, warm cum sliding down his cheek and dripping from his chin. He reached up and caught the drops, running his finger along his jaw and cheek, smearing the seed, and collecting it. Then he lifted his fingers above his lips and opened his mouth.

Orteo gaped.

The tang and saltiness dripped into Gael’s mouth. “Hmmm,” he said appreciatively. Then he licked at his fingers, drawing them into his mouth and running his tongue around them.

Orteo shuddered.

With his other hand, Gael wiped across his chest and stomach, collecting his own seed. Bringing that hand to his mouth, he began to suckle on his fingers.

“Mmm,” Gael said. “I find I quite like being corrupted by the oread I love.”

Orteo’s face broke into a smile, and he lunged on top of Gael. Hands cupping Gael’s cheeks, he kissed him fiercely.

ChapterThirty-One

“So this is where you live?” Gael asked.

Orteo stood against the wall of his cave, watching Gael moving around using his crutch. The Solstice festivities had been about to start in Ores when they left. But Gael had asked Orteo to show him his home first.

“Yes,” Orteo said.

He wondered what Gael saw. Orteo knew what he saw, a cold, empty cave. A place where he’d resided but never really lived. He’d just hidden in this cave of grief and loneliness. He’d never tried to make it cosy. No furs or mats or furniture except for the shelves. This cave had just been a place for him to exist and sleep and hate himself.

“There are all your figures,” Gael said.

“All of them except the ones back in the cabin that you painted,” Orteo said.

“I hadn’t realised there were so many,” Gael said. “Oh. And this is your family.”

Orteo came towards him. “Yes. This is Ori, Liney, and Aunties Suroth, Yelan, and Lela. And now Wareth.”

“But where are you?” Gael looked over the shelves and shelves of animals, oreads, and humans. He frowned. “Orteo, where are you? You’ve carved everyone! But where are you?”

“I’ve never done one of me,” he said.

“Never? Why not?”

Orteo shrugged. “Because I didn’t belong anywhere. Or with anyone. So I just didn’t.”

Gael took Orteo’s hands. “Well, you need to make one now. Because I need to put you on the shelf next to wooden Gael. Because I don’t want wooden Gael to be without his wooden Orteo.”

Orteo smiled, a lump forming in his throat. “All right.”

They left the cave and journeyed back to the village. Even before they reached Ores, excited voices, chatter, and laughter filled the air.

“It smells good,” Gael said.

Orteo inhaled. Sugar, baked goods, chocolate, and spices filled his nostrils. “It does smell good.”

They moved amongst the decorated wooden stalls that sold various foods, drinks, and trinkets. They tried everything they could. They bought Solstice cookies, hot chocolate, honey-roasted almonds, small marzipan balls dusted in cinnamon, and sausage mixed with lentils. They devoured everything they ate, eyes wide as they took everything in.

“We should get some mulled wine too,” Orteo said, eyeing the stall run by Ori and Wareth.

He’d not been avoiding it. Just working up the strength to approach.

“Let’s,” Gael said, and they made their way over.