Page 13 of Sun and Stone (Elementally Yours #5)

13. Wooing

When I rush out of my apartment on the way to work, I trip and nearly bang my head into the wall. Something in my path tripped me up.

What now? I haven’t been in the greatest mood since performing a ritual with Fynn weakened me a few days ago. I glare at the offending object in my path… huh. There's a basket at my door.

A gift basket? Someone delivered a gift basket to my door, an edible arrangement with melons and cantaloupe and pineapple and a few other fruits all cut up into the shape of flowers.

My glare turns into a grin, only needing one guess about the sender. The card confirms my suspicions.

Thank you for reuniting me with magic.

Fynn's seen my not-so-sweet tooth in action enough to guess that I might not love a traditional treat, so he went with fresh fruit instead. He's so right.

I love fresh fruit. It's not always easy to budget for but seeing as I've been in school for about a million years, the ladies in the cafeteria know me and save some bananas and apples for me that would just get thrown out otherwise.

This, though, is a true delicacy. Way better than chocolate mushrooms. Fresh, artfully cut fruit just for me.

It's the last straw. Fynn Callahan has really done it this time. Wait, that sounds bad. It's the last straw in a good way.

This edible arrangement is so thoughtful and sweet, just like him. It makes me smile so big my cheeks hurt.

I’ve been in a sour mood, troubled about getting closer to The Danger Zone. Yet now I’m standing in my hallway grinning like a lunatic.

Fynn's been a bright spot in my life ever since we bumped into each other on the worst day ever. I was completely falling apart when he stepped in to comfort me. He's been so kind and understanding about my magic struggles. Most people wouldn't get it, but he does.

Yes, he's the bright spot in an otherwise stressful time. But even if I find magic tomorrow, I still want Fynn by my side. He makes the bad days lighter and the good days even brighter.

I've fallen for him. His warmth and optimism are contagious. I find myself laughing and smiling more than I have in ages. Fynn makes me feel alive again.

I can't keep seeing him and sleeping with him while pretending I don't want more. I need more than just a casual fling with him. I want to date him for real, to be his boyfriend. I want to explore this connection we have and see where it goes.

Maybe we met at the wrong time or maybe I met him just when I needed to. All I know is that I'm happy he's in my life now.

Now I just have to make him mine.

~

Fynn walks into my small apartment, looking around carefully.

"Hey, your apartment is… clean." How he says it doesn’t exactly sound like a compliment.

"Thank you?"

"Well, it’s not clean so much as totally empty."

Oh. I explain sheepishly. "I wanted to make the place presentable, and it turns out that shoving everything into closets is the quickest way to do that."

Looking around with fresh eyes, it becomes clear that very few possessions have survived my attempt to make the place presentable for Fynn. The most decoration is a vase of red roses on the coffee table between the TV and the couch.

"You don’t need to go to any trouble on my account," he insists as he heads towards the thrift store couch in my living room.

"Too late," I say.

"What?"

I grab Fynn before he can sit, pulling him towards me.

"I actually have a plan for the night.” Giving him my most seductive expression, I inform him, "I’m going to seduce you."

"What?” he blinks. "We’re already sleeping together."

"But I want more than that."

There. It’s out in the open. It's a relief to finally voice the words I've been thinking for so long, but I'm mostly worried about his reaction. I hold onto his hands tightly, afraid he’ll pull away.

My instincts are correct because Fynn does unlink our joined hands. Gently, but still.

"Perry, we talked about this."

"Keeping things casual, I know. But I don’t agree anymore.”

"You’re going through a big life change,” he reminds me. “We both are."

"Hear me out okay? You’re gorgeous, generous, and sweet. I get why you’re going to be a sunbrand. You bring so much light into my life.” I groan and cover my face with a hand. “See, now I’m being cheesy."

"Perry…" He doesn’t seem won over by my romantic declaration since he isn’t jumping into my arms and kissing the life out of me. But I can’t panic or get discouraged, not yet. Fynn’s biting his lip, and if I’m not mistaken, he looks torn.

"It would be a crime to let a man like you be strictly friends with benefits." I grab the vase from the table. "This is for you."

The roses are for him. Still tight with my old boss who owns a flower shop, I got a discount on the roses and did the arrangement myself. Flower arranging is just the beginning in a long line of fun but mostly useless skills I've picked up from a long line of dead-end jobs.

He takes the vase, frowning down at it. "You don’t have to—"

"I want to,” I insist. “Keeping things casual made sense when we started, from a logical standpoint. But the more I get to know you, the less I think it's actually right for us. Not everything in my life is under my control right now. Fate might have other plans for me than the ones I had for myself. But I do have some say in whether the greatest man I’ve met in quite some time dates me or not, so I’m stating my intentions very clearly.” I step up close to him and look him in the eye. “Let’s date."

"Perry—“

"And you can say no, of course, but hopefully you’ll think about it. If you let me, I’m totally going to woo you.” I point a stern finger in his direction, warning him, “Prepare to be wooed, mister."

He stares at me, expression guarded, and for a moment my stomach drops and I think bad news is coming. Then all the tension seems to drain out of him. His decision is made.

"Okay," he says, a small smile on his lips.

"Good." Pushing him towards the couch, Fynn sits down while I go to grab my supplies. I exhale shakily and tell my nerves to get it together.

This is good. He’s giving me a chance. Now I better not screw it up.

I get everything from the fridge and put it on a tray before bringing it over: champagne, strawberries, and whipped cream. With Fynn’s sweet tooth and me in need of a romantic gesture, I decided to go for a classic.

Fynn takes it in as I pop the bottle and pour us two glasses. "Let the wooing begin."

“No need," he says. "We should date. I’d love to be your boyfriend, Perry.”

…

He watches me with a warm smile, posture open on the couch like he’s expecting me to jump into his arms this time. I’m stuck in place, hovering awkwardly above him and not sure what to do now. Eventually, he kicks me with his foot, and I snap out of it.

“Oh… well, good.” It is good. But I expected to do more wooing. I barely started on the wooing. “You’re already wooed?”

Fynn grabs my hand and pulls me down onto the couch with him. “The only reason I tried to slow things down before is because I worried about the timing. Now that you know what happened with Malcolm, you understand why I didn’t want to repeat past mistakes. Rushing into a romance when you're vulnerable, it's easy to overlook things and act rashly.”

Malcolm was a low point in Fynn’s life. Fynn let things progress further than they probably should have because he needed support even though there were signs that they weren't compatible. So that means…

“You thought I just liked you because I’m going through something and need the support?”

“Thought? No. Worried about that anyway? Yes,” he says wryly. “I was trying to avoid one mistake, but I think the real danger was an entirely different mistake: letting you slip through my fingers.”

“Wow, are you trying to woo me now?” I joke because his sweet sincerity is almost too much. It’s amazing, I'm just not sure how to handle it. “Because you don’t need to, Honey, I’m totally wooed.”

“I mean it,” he says. “We click and it feels right with you. And if we don’t try just because the timing isn’t perfect, we could miss out on something incredible.”

“Well, uh, I’ll drink to that.” I clink my glass with his.

“Let me be perfectly clear, Perry Edison,” he tells me seriously. “I like you. I’ve wanted to get to know you and spend more time with you from the moment we met. I was holding back because I thought it was the sensible thing to do. It wasn’t because of you. I think you’re amazing."

Of course, I planned this grand romantic declaration for him. I hadn't expected him to say nice things to me too. It feels really good. Like he sees and adores all the parts of me just as much as I do with him.

“Oh,” I say, touched. “Then I guess we have something to celebrate. Good thing I have champagne.”

The champagne is top-tier, being the most expensive bottle from the selection of cheap champagne at the liquor store. It’s the best of the worst. Not bad, though we quickly lose interest in drinking it and would rather celebrate in a different way.

Leaning over Fynn, I press him back onto the couch and kiss him. The champagne tastes even better on his lips, and I try to lick the remaining traces from his mouth. His fingers run through my curly hair, tugging gently, sending tingles down my spine.

We get our shirts off and our pants unbuckled, and Fynn's fingers trace along my waistline, sending little shivers across my skin. "You're beautiful," he whispers.

"Sweet talker," I murmur, but my voice catches when he runs his hands across my chest.

"That gives me an idea." Fynn grins, sweet and mischievous as he jumps up and grabs the whipped cream.

I raise an eyebrow. "Really?"

"What?" he says innocently. "I like sugar."

He sprays a perfect line of white cream down my bare chest, cold against my warm skin. Then Fynn presses his lips to the creamy trail, his tongue dedicated to lapping up every drop.

"You taste good, Per." He's clearly enjoying every moment, licking and tasting my skin as much as the whipped cream. Considering how much he likes sugar, it's quite the compliment.

Fynn makes sure I join in on the fun. He holds a juicy red strawberry up to my lips, watching as I lean in and takes a bite. Mmm, the berry tastes even better when he feeds it to me piece by piece.

"Can't have all this sugar going to your head. You need some fruit too."

Adding whipped cream to the next strawberry, I bring it to his mouth. His lips part slightly in anticipation, and I slowly slide the cream-coated fruit between them. His eyes flutter closed, and a low moan escapes him as the fruit hits his tongue. I knew he'd love the strawberries and whipped cream. They're classics for a reason.

He licks his lip afterward but misses a bit of whipped cream. Unable to resist, I lean in and lick it away, savoring the sugary taste. Fynn reaches up, cupping the back of my neck to pull me closer. Our lips meet in a searing kiss, all tongues and heat.

“You’re already so sweet,” I say when we break apart to breathe. “I love when you taste sweet too.”

“How about we move this to the bedroom? I need you.” Fynn stands up, pulling me with him, and leads me to the bedroom. It’s not a big apartment, so he has no trouble finding it without my help.

He turns to me in the doorway with a wicked grin. “Fuck me, Perry.”

"Oh," I say, surprised. "Are you sure?"

"Remember when I said I’m either in the mood to bottom or I’m not?” he grins, kissing the surprised look on my face. “I’m in the mood. The romantic gesture is very much appreciated, and I need you inside me.”

Well then. Who am I to deny him what he wants?

We get into the bedroom and remove the rest of our clothes. I lay him down on the bed, climbing on top of him and pressing our bodies together. I kiss his lips and then work my way down, kissing his neck, his chest, and going lower still. Slowly, deliberately, I kiss my way down his thigh, pausing to nibble at the soft flesh of his hip.

"Perry, please…" Fynn groans softly, arching his back and pressing himself closer to me.

Gently pushing Fynn's legs apart, I kneel between them and find his hole waiting for me. I trace my fingers over the sensitive skin, moving them in small circles around his entrance.

I open him slowly, taking as much care with him as he did with me. I enjoy playing with his hole and getting him loose and ready for me, not moving on until he’s begging for more.

“Come on, Per. I’m ready please.”

I grab a condom from the bedside table, but he stops me before I get too far.

“Let’s stay like this. Face-to-face," he whispers. "Want to see you."

"Oh, look who's bossy," I tease. I don't mind. I love seeing the desire burning bright in his eyes, the way his body moves in sync with mine.

Settling over him, I slowly press the head of my cock against his entrance. I push inside him, my cock sliding into his tight heat. He gasps, his body shuddering as I fill him. I pause for a moment, letting him adjust to my size.

"Make love to me, Perry," he whispers.

"Can do," I murmur back. Every inch of him feels so damn good, hot and tight around my length. Looking into those warm green eyes as I start a steady rhythm and seeing the soft smile on his face is incredible.

I love having Fynn under me. Hell, I love having him above me; him being in my bed feels right. Love seeing all the emotion in his eyes. I know he can feel I care from the way I touch him tenderly. It's perfect.

"Perry, I need to release this feeling, if you don't mind…"

Already? Well, if he wants to come now, I don't really care. I'll just make him hard again. I'm about to give him permission to come when I realize that isn't what he means. I see a flash on the nightstand and then the air around us starts to glow warm and bright with natural light.

Well, it's not natural light from the sun kind of natural. But the same warm and soft glow created by sun magic. It surrounds us and feels warm and happy, all the best parts of sunbathing right in my apartment without the harmful parts. The harmful effects of sunlight are about the first thing a suncaster learns to filter out.

"Do I mind?" I repeat his question. "Of course I don't. Wish I had my own magic to whip out, but mixing rocks with naked skin doesn't really go so well."

Rock brands and romance aren't the most natural fit. I've never really had a problem expressing my emotions—well, not had a problem expressing the good emotions. But it's kinda hard to express happiness and romance through rock magic unless I built... I don't know, some kind of happy structure, like a smiley face? Whatever. He's romantic enough.

"You're already doing everything I need," Fynn says. "Or you will be, once you start moving again."

Oh. The sunlight magically filling the room distracted me and slowed my movements. I close my eyes, basking in the glow like I haven't heard him. "Mmm, your magic feels so good on my skin."

"Perry." He actually uses his leg to kick me, like I'm a horse and he's a cowboy telling me to giddy-up.

"Alright, alright."

I begin to move, thrusting in and out of him. He moans, his body arching up to meet mine. The glow around us intensifies.

"Guess that means you're enjoying yourself?" I laugh.

"Absolutely, don't you dare stop."

"Not going to. You feel so good wrapped around me. Your light on my back, your hole gripping my cock so tightly... Oh god, yes... And you like it when I talk dirty and tell you how good you feel? You're perfect. Not stopping anytime soon."

I can feel his arousal, his need for me. It's intoxicating. I can't help but thrust harder, faster, my cock sliding in and out of his tight heat.

"Perry, please, faster," he begs before long.

"Hold on just a second."

"Please!"

My thrusts are slow and deliberate, searching for that sweet spot deep within him. He cries out, arms tightening around me and I know I’ve found it. I oblige and pick up the pace; hitting that spot a few times in quick succession—the sunlight around us flashes like a strobe light and fritzes out, plunging us into darkness.

"Keep going, Perry! Keep going!" Fynn begs, not deterred as his powers go out, moaning and moaning; it's the sweetest sound that keeps falling from his lips.

"I can't see you anymore..."

"Your eyes will adjust. Please."

"Fine, I'll keep going," I say as if it's a hardship.

"Thank you... thank you... yes!"

God, he's so sweet.

He's so responsive, so eager for me. Already getting addicted to watching all the pleasure on his face, I love working him up more until he completely gives over to it, until he screams for me.

Flying blind in the sudden darkness, it takes a few tries to get my mouth in the vicinity of his. I finally find his lips, giving him a slow kiss as I grind into his prostate. Our tongues dance together, and I can feel the heat radiating from him, the way his heart beats against my chest.

"Ohhh yes," he breaks the kiss to moan. “Perry, can—"

He doesn't even need to ask. “Yes, you can come. I’m close too."

"Come inside me, Perry," he begs.

"Fuck, yes." I wrap my hand around his cock—wait...

"That's my arm."

"My eyes haven’t adjusted yet!"

"Sorry, that’s my fault, going from ultra sunlight to total darkness."

"Nothing to apologize for." Trying again, this time—yep, that's his length I find. “Wanna come at the same time.”

“Yes, Perry."

His skin is warm beneath my fingertips, his breath coming in ragged gasps as I take him closer to the edge. I can feel him trembling on the brink, ready to fall apart in my arms.

"Come for me, Honey."

I feel his body shuddering with the force of his orgasm. Fynn moans my name and tightens around me. My own release takes me over as we come together. It's incredible.

We collapse into each other, gasping and trembling. As we come back to ourselves, I pull out of him and roll onto my side, pulling him into my arms.

Everything is perfect. Of course, there are obstacles and issues waiting for us outside this bed and we’re both on a time limit when it comes to magic. But we’re together now, so it feels perfect. And that’s good enough for me.