Page 81 of Guiding Reason

“How do you know we did anything stupid? Taros might have punched me by accident when he was trying on the dress. It really looks amazing on him, by the way.”

“So he was excited, and you were in the way. If I started to really, really interrogate you, do you think you’d want to maintain that’s what happened?”

Hyran started, stopped. “Are you interrogating me right now?”

Col snorted. “No. That would probably ruin my mood, such as it is. Undress. Slowly. I want to watch.”

Col rolled onto his side, propped his head on his elbow.

Hyran hesitated. “Where do you want me to start?”

Col looked him over. “Shoes.”

Hyran slipped out of them, kicked them aside, looked back at Col, waiting.

“Jacket and shirt.”

Hyran undid the hooks of his jacket, shrugged it off his shoulders, and dropped it where he stood. His shirt was a straight cut, close-fitting, and he flicked the buttons open one after the other, going slow and enjoying the way Col followed his hands.

He didn’t drop his shirt, instead parted it and ran his fingers over his chest while Col watched with unblinking attention. Hyran skimmed the waistband of his pants before running his hands up. He played with his nipples. Col shifted. It looked like he needed to give his own swelling cock more room.

“I didn’t tell you to do that.”

Hyran smirked. “Should I stop?”

“You’re not naked.”

“No.” Hyran twisted his nipples between his fingers, imagining it was Col doing this. That led to a full-body shiver.

“You’re enjoying yourself a lot.”

“I wouldn’t say a lot. I like that you like watching.”

“Take off your shirt, Hyran.”

The words worked on him like Col’s tongue would have on his cock. He complied rapidly, speeding, the world blurring for moments while Col leaped into the sharpest focus.

The Conduit’s eyes widened when Hyran stopped, slowed in order to stay where he was and continue, both with the undressing and the touching. He’d popped the topmost button on his pants, but had not gone further, though he was stroking himself through the fabric.

Col’s eyes dropped to Hyran’s crotch. “I didn’t tell you to do that either.”

“No.”

Col sighed and rolled off the bed, all graceful limbs and enchanting…everything.It’s the imprinting, isn’t it, that I adore everything about him, ass, eyes, voice, smell. Everything I don’t yet know he does. Everything that should annoy me if he weren’t him. If he weren’t mine.

The realization settled in Hyran’s mind like his speed might in his muscles. Col stood in front of him all of a sudden, this perfect man, perfect in no objective sense, but in the extremely subjective one.

“Do you need help getting undressed?” Col asked, eyes sky and earth, ice and sun-warmed rock.

“Y-yes. Please.”

Col’s lips twitched. “I don’t normally do this.” He reached for Hyran’s waistband, pulled him closer. Hyran let himself be pulled, followed willingly. “But sometimes Guardians need help with the simplest things, and who else should they turn to but a Conduit? It’s like you cannot see the details while you’re trying to see something in the distance.”

Hyran swallowed. “I see you. I see only you and no one else.”

Col huffed. “You’re so serious, Hyran.” He slapped Hyran’s hand away, opened the pants just far enough so he could shovethem down partway, so that he could get to Hyran’s swollen cock.

“Ah, Col, fuck.”