Page 141 of Moonlight Hearts

The muscles in his shoulders bunched as he cradled my face in his hands in the most tender way possible.“Are you sure?Amory, you don’t have to do that.I’m not mad.I can’t be mad at you when you’re here and safe and alive.”

“It’s not because of that.It’s because I want to give you this.Please?”

He huffed out a small laugh.“You don’t have to beg.”

I opened my mouth to him.He wasn’t all the way firm yet, but Soyer’s libido was as rampant as it always had been.He got hard fast with my mouth so close, and the first lick made him shiver.

It made me wonder whether I could do this well enough to get him to come, or if not, then how I’d continue from here.But I’d have to take this one lick at a time.

I began with his head, focusing on that and lapping at it with my tongue.The taste of fire was everywhere on him, as if his skin hadn’t quite cooled yet after having burned.It wasn’t bad.I enjoyed the salty taste underneath the flames, and more than that, Soyer’s reaction to this.I was almost sure he was exaggerating to make me feel good about myself, but I didn’t mind.

I decided I’d try something else.From experimenting while brushing my teeth, I was all too aware that I didn't have the extreme tolerance Soyer did, that I’d never be able to take him deep into my throat like he’d taken me.I hoped that wouldn’t matter, hoped that going as far as I could would still be good, would make him feel good, would turn the experience from good to better.

Soyer started breathing through his mouth, letting out low moans as I felt him against my soft palate.I knew I’d not be able to go farther than this, so I tried moving my mouth up and down, letting my tongue glide against him.If I compared what I was doing to what Soyer had done with me, this was pathetic.Yet, it didn’t seem to bother him.He’d curled the fingers of his left hand into my hair, his eyes giving me all that focused attention that was reserved for me exclusively.

I kept doing the same thing, trying to give him as much friction as I could while keeping my teeth safely out of the way.Before too long, he was staring at me with even more intent in his gaze, and then his fingers scraped against my skull.

“I’m about to come.I’m almost…almost… Amory…”

The way his hand tried to guide me, he wanted to let me pull off if I wanted to.And, to be fair, I wasn’t sure about this.But I knew I’d never be entirely sure if I didn’t try.So I worked against his gentle hold, kept using my tongue and mouth.

Soyer came moments later.It flooded my mouth.The taste was smoky, likely still from the fire.I wasn’t able to get everything down.Whenever I’d tasted his cum or my own before, it hadn’t been like this.

As soon as he was done, Soyer sank to his knees in front of me, held me, kissed me.It was ridiculous, us sitting on the ground naked and mostly just holding each other, but that was what we did.

We went to the shower eventually, and then we went to bed.We exchanged both tenderness and sex, one blending into the other, each coming naturally.Sleep came after hours of that, hours of few words filled with the simple joy of being close to each other.

I dreamed of what I thought were fires at first, but just before waking, I realized that the flames I’d seen in my sleep were a beatific firebird’s flame-bright wings.

Epilogue 2

Thingsweremostlybackto normal some two weeks after the incident, except I was working seven days a week again while Thaeros healed.They came in every now and then with their arm in a sling to get food.I’d offered to cut their pancakes for them once, which had earned me an incredulous look from both them and Ben.Rae had outright made fun of me.

By the middle of December, it was getting festive, and Rae’s gingerbread latte was doing quite well; so well that we’d also added a gingerbread milkshake.The Moonlight tea Rose had delivered himself was fairly popular too, and after seeing it, Kasey had been inspired to make other blue food.The butterfly pea ice cream was popular with children and everyone who liked taking photos of their food.

On a slow Monday, the bells above the door twinkled, and Echo came in, his neck in a collar.

“Echo,” I said while Rae did the Moonlight’s greeting back from where they were making more coffee.

“Hi.Miss me?”

I was dumbstruck for a second.“Because you decided we’re friends?”

“No.Yes.Also maybe.”They looked around, though with them being unable to turn their head, it was just their eyes that moved from one corner to the other.“Hey, can we sit for a moment?I just wanted to talk.”

I looked at Rae.

Before I could even ask, they said, “Are you delegating, boss?Hold on, let me just mark that in my calendar.”

They pulled out their phone too.I decided to roll my eyes at them but pretend ignorance otherwise.

I plated two pieces of our cherry pie for Echo and myself, figuring that would be all right, especially because he’d picked Soyer’s table.I also made two of Rae’s gingerbread lattes, put a straw in Echo’s, and brought everything over.

Echo looked at the drink somewhat wistfully.“I miss things ahead of time sometimes.This coffee, for example.I’ve never had it, but I’ve known what it tastes like for a while now.”

“Not the cherry pie?”I asked, placing everything neatly on the table in front of him.

“Not particularly.It’s good, but I like the crepes better.The ones Kasey makes.The blue ones he hasn’t quite perfected yet.”