Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“You do know you can’t get me pregnant no matter how much you kiss me there, right?”

“A man can dream.” Damen smiles, pressing a few more kisses to his husband’s tight abdominals, up to his chest.

“I asked you to help me get dressed, you’re just getting me naked.”

“What did you expect?” Damen grins, leaning up to nip at Laurent’s ear. Damen is already dressed in simple riding leathers in case he wants a break from the wagon ride to go horseback, but Laurent is wearing his usual intricate clothing even if the color is toned down to avoid attention. Now Damen has his husband underneath him in an open jacket and unlaced undershirt he was supposed to be helping him with.

“We’re going to be late.” Laurent says, but there’s a smile in his voice as Damen kisses up his neck. “Mm, Nikandros is going to come break this up any minute now.”

“Just another minute.” Damen murmurs, nuzzling his nose against Laurent’s for a moment before kissing him, all warmth and excitement and unfiltered devotion. Today will be the first step towards the birth of their first child. As soon as Damen allows Laurent to get dressed, they’ll be off with a small group of troops and wagons to Vask where a carefully chosen surrogate awaits them.

Laurent sighs into the kiss, letting a little more of his resistance fall away to enjoy it. He even pushes a hand into Damen’s curls, cups the back of his head as he brushes his tongue into Damen’s mouth. When he pulls away, it’s with a little glint of mischief in his blue eyes. “If you let us get going, you might just have a little fun on the wagon ride.”

The thought makes Damen’s cheeks go a little pink, having only fucked in tents, inns, and proper bedrooms since their marriage. A wagon would be… new. “Fair enough.” He sighs in defeat, giving Laurent one more chaste kiss on the lips before sitting back on his thighs to tie up his shirt.

Of course Laurent is more than capable of dressing himself in this outfit without lacing in the back, but Damen loves to tease Laurent when he dresses him and though he won’t admit it, Laurent loves being teased.

With both of them finally decent, Damen lets Laurent rise and reaches out to smooth his hair back down where the pillows had frizzed it. “You ready?”

“No thanks to you.” Laurent teases, grabbing a stack of books from the bedside table before heading for the door.

“You’re bringing all of those?”

“It’s a seven day journey, I’ll need more than your cock to entertain me.”

“Ouch.”

It’s a short walk from the kings’ chambers through the old capital palace at Ios. Despite the new palace at the center stronghold of the new kingdom, it’s a slow process moving a capital. Damen doesn’t mind the excuse though to revisit his childhood home. Since there’s far less people in the palace now, it’s also a great place to find some private time with Laurent at times when they’re not free enough to visit the summer palace.

Making their way out to the front of the palace, everything appears ready with three wagons — one of which they’ll be staying in — Nikandros, Paschal, Jord, and a secure team of a few trusted men on horseback for security as they make their way to Vask.

“Took you long enough.” Nikandros says as they approach the wagon, giving Damen a playful nudge in the side. “Ready to be a father?”

“We both are.” Damen smiles, putting a hand on the small of Laurent’s back. Ever since they decided Damen would be the biological father, he’s noticed a lot of congratulatory praise being thrown his way, but none towards Laurent.

He hasn’t said anything, but Damen sees the way Laurent’s brow subtly furrows for a moment when people congratulate Damen alone. As they’ve had a million conversations about, the child will be theirs, each as much of a father as the other.

“Right, right, I’m sure you’re both excited.” Nikandros corrects. “I’m sure we’ll all enjoy seeing this one with a picture book.”

Laurent does crack a slight smile at that. “Yes, I suppose you may just get a glimpse of my soft side, won’t you?”

“You can prove once and for all that you have one.” Nikandros chuckles as he walks off to saddle up his own horse.

“We might as well get comfortable.” Damen says, raising the curtain in front of the entrance to the wagon to let Laurent in first.

It’s cramped, especially for Damen, but at the insistence of the council, they’d be making the majority of the journey hidden away for security.

Laurent folds himself easily to sit on the fabriced floor, setting his pile of books next to him as Damen tries to get comfortable in the small space.

“Remind you of anything?” Laurent smiles as Damen finally manages to settle.

“Yeah, I don’t think we’ve had close quarters like this since our tent sharing days.” Damen laughs a little as he looks around. It feels utterly ridiculous to be riding in a wagon instead of leading his men on a horse, but this is a journey with a delicate purpose — not a march towards battle.

It’s only a moment before he hears the voice of Nikandros and the wagon begins to move, heading out on the first day of a tediously long ride. It’s incessantly boring, even just a few minutes in. Damen can’t see anything outside, all he hears are hooves. Laurent is buried in a book already.

“I guess I didn’t think what I’d do for all the time we’re gonna be stuck in here.”

Laurent points to the books without lifting his eyes from the page.

“No thank you.” Damen sighs, looking at the spines of the academic texts — each more boring than the last.

“It’s been practically ten minutes.”

“Ten minutes of boredom.”

“Damianos.”

“I know.” Damen sighs, rolling his shoulders and stretching his arms out. “Why don’t we just talk?”

“I talk to you every day.”

Damen pouts and leans his head back against the wooden framework of the wagon, watching Laurent’s focused expression as he turns the pages. He does look a bit handsome, as always, but Damen particularly likes the way he looks when he gets lost in something. His hair frames his face and even focused and absorbed, he looks so much more relaxed when he reads.

“Can I ask you something?”

Laurent raises an eyebrow.

“Does it… bother you when people keep talking like Nikandros?” Damen asks, bumping his knee against Laurent’s. He really just wants to make conversation, but having his husband in a confined space is also a good chance to prod him a little about the conversations Laurent avoids.

“Like what?” Laurent looks back to the page.

“I don’t like how people keep congratulating me on the baby, but not you. Does it bother you?”

“Why would it?”

“I see you tense when it happens.”

Laurent sighs and goes quiet. They’ve been married two years, long enough that Damen can read his every subtle expression or shift in mood. He’ll need a little loosening up before admitting he’s upset about something he considers petty.

Damen puts a hand on Laurent’s knee and slides it upward, stroking his thigh a little through the fabric of his pants.

“Damianos.”

“Yes?” Damen grins, playing blissfully unaware as he drags his nails lightly over the fabric, knowing he’s giving Laurent goosebumps.

“When I said we might have some fun in here, I meant at least more than an hour into the journey.”

“I’m not asking you to do anything.” Damen shrugs, stroking his hand a little closer to the inside of Laurent’s thigh and sliding an inch closer.

Laurent ignores him and continues to read, as Damen expected, but he has plenty of time to play the long game.

He continues to caress Laurent’s thigh, the subtle touch he knows his husband enjoys when they’re alone together. Even being married for two years now, Laurent is still touch starved from years without love. He shivers at Damen’s every touch whether he wants to or not.

When Damen runs his hand along the inside of his thigh and begins to purposefully brush up between his legs. Laurent pretends not to notice, keeping his eyes on the book even as Damen undoes the first lacing of his trousers.

“Damianos.” Laurent says in a warning tone when Damen unites the second, but Damen knows he’s just being stubborn. When Laurent truly doesn’t want sex, Damen can tell in an instant and Laurent doesn’t hesitate to give him a hard stop if he needs to either.

“Yes?” Damen unties the third, revealing the trim golden hair of his husbands naval.

Laurent turns another page, but Damen notices how he shifts, subtly spreading his thighs a little bit more for Damen to finish untying.

“You can just pretend I’m not here.” Damen smiles, kneeling between Laurent’s feet as he reaches inside and pulls his cock out, stroking it with unfettered affection.

Laurent says nothing, eyes on the page as he presses his mouth into a straight line, the blush on his cheeks betraying his arousal as Damen strokes him to hardness.

Damen licks his lips and touches Laurent with slow tugs of his wrist, leaning his head on his free hand and smiling at his husband over the top of his book as he plays with the tip of his cock.

“Enjoying yourself?”

“Are you?”

Laurent looks down again.

Damen lets go of him for a moment, resettling onto his knees and moving in before Laurent can register what he’s up to. He wraps his lips around the head of Laurent’s cock without hesitation, suckling until Laurent lifts the book to stare at him, completely flushed.

“What are you doing?” Laurent hisses, glaring, but his expression wavers when Damen looks him in the eye and laps at his slit.

“Giving my dear husband pleasure on a long boring wagon ride.” Damen says before planting a playful kiss that makes Laurent’s cheeks burn brighter.

Laurent mumbles a few curses in Veretian and tosses the book to the side, so he can spread his legs wider and push a hand into Damen’s hair. “You’re insatiable.”

Damen winks at him then happily eases back down. He’s learned that Laurent likes his cock sucked in the exact way that he had once instructed Ancel to do to Damen. He mouths along the shaft, kissing it, licking up the underside, and suckling the tip again until he hears a whine escape Laurent’s throat.

He opens his eyes as he takes Laurent slowly in his mouth, watching how his chest rises and falls with shallow breaths, his eyes shut with pleasure as Damen sucks diligently.

It didn’t used to be an act Damen did often — if at all. But he’s grown to love pleasuring Laurent with his mouth. He loves the way Laurent can never resist it, how over time, he finally started to relax enough during the act for Damen to make him come. He strokes his hands down Laurent’s thighs and groans around him, squeezing Laurent’s hips as he swallows.

“Damianos.” Laurent breathes, saying Damen’s full name in pleasure rather than a tease. He gives a gentle tug on Damen’s curls as a warning.

Damen holds off a little longer, pulling off and returning to kissing and licking, any little touch that would make Laurent squirm, just short of coming.

“Damen.” Laurent huffs, knocking his back against the wood. “Please, I’m gonna… M-Make me-“

Damen plunges himself down once more without mercy, listening to the quiet moan Laurent lets out as he tugs his hair and comes into his mouth. Laurent makes the most soft and vulnerable sounds when Damen gets him off like this and he basks in the sweet sounds as he swallows graciously.

“I am not reciprocating right now.” Laurent sighs as Damen lifts his head.

“Didn’t ask you to.” Damen smiles, leaning forward to give Laurent a soft kiss on the lips, letting him taste himself for a moment and nuzzling their noses together. “I just like to make you feel good.”

“You’re just bored.” Laurent says, but he’s smiling back, pressing a sweet kiss to the corner of Damen’s mouth.

“Was I more interesting than your book?”

“I suppose.” Laurent reaches out for the book again, but Damen grabs his wrist and pouts.

“Talk with me for a while. Just for a little, then you can read all you want.” Damen turns and leans back, settling himself between Laurent’s legs and lying back on his chest. “You’re trapped now anyways.”

Laurent rolls his eyes, but wraps an arm around Damen anyways. “What are you so eager to talk about?”

“What I asked earlier. I know it’s bugging you that people aren’t acting like this is a big a deal for you as it is for me.”

“Of course it bothers me.” Laurent sighs, his hand mindlessly stroking up and down Damen’s bicep just to be touching him. “I know how long we talked about this and I need a little time to feel like my bloodline isn’t so… tainted before we think of passing it down. I’m glad we chose you for this.”

“But?”

“I didn’t quite expect to be so… ignored in the whole thing.” Laurent admits and Damen’s heart sinks.

“It bothers me too. Are you sure you’re not bothered at all that I’m fathering our first?

Laurent shakes his head. “No, I’m also worried that if Paschal isn’t able to inseminate our surrogate with your seed, you’d have to um… do so directly.” He swallows. “Which is fine, but if I’m fathering the child, I don’t think I could… do that. With a woman.”

“Well, lets hope it doesn’t come to that with me either, okay?” Damen assures him in a soft voice, taking one of Laurent’s hands and kissing his knuckles. “And if it does, you’ll be there with me the whole time. With her, it’ll be nothing but a task we have to complete to create our child. It would never be like making love.”

“I’d hope so.” Laurent smiles, pressing a gentle kiss into Damen’s curls. “Don’t you dare tell anyone how nervous I am about all this.”

“We’re gonna be parents.” Damen shrugs. “I’m nervous too.” He hugs Laurent’s arm to his chest like a teddy bear and smiles up at him as the wagon rolls over a particularly bumpy set of the road. “There’s something else bugging you.”

Laurent tuts and looks off to the side, staying quiet until he can’t stand Damen staring at him any longer. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.” Damen feels Laurent deflate a little bit underneath him.

“I know that I can be… sharp. I don’t always mean to be, but do people really think that I’m so callous, I wouldn’t be kind to our own child?”

There’s some genuine hurt in Laurent’s eyes as he speaks and it makes Damen’s chest ache. That’s what’s been bothering him the most. Not being congratulated at the same rate as Damen is an annoyance, but this is a genuine insecurity.

“Do you think I wouldn’t be?”

“Laurent, of course not.” Damen frowns. “I know you. Sure, you can be a total bitch when you want to be, but I know how you are when we’re alone and I’ve seen how sweet you are with kids.” He sees Laurent shrug in disbelief. “Laurent, you are kind. I fell in love with a strong, strict, witty leader and I wouldn’t trade him for anything.”

“So you’re not worried about me?”

“Of course not, Love.” Damen says, twisting himself around a bit so he can give Laurent a proper kiss, cupping his jaw in his free hand and just barely nudging his tongue into his mouth. “No one cares more about protecting children than you. You’ll be an amazing father.”

“Well, I’m glad you think so at least.” Laurent sighs, pressing his lips to Damen’s temple. “I’ll suck your cock when we stop at the inn tonight.”

“Really?” Damen grins.

“If you let me get back to my book.”

“Fine.”

*****

Laurent gets a little less stiff after their conversation. While Damen lets him read, he kicks his feet up in Damen’s lap and jokes a little with him now and then.

When they stop for breaks, Damen pulls him into the woods to steal a few kisses, doing everything he can to make his husband laugh. He doesn’t want Laurent worrying about his ability to parent. He wants him to be happy and excited.

He chases him around the trees just to make him run until Laurent swings easily around a tree branch to turn and tackle him straight on to the ground, his eyes bright and joyful as Damen lets his wrists be pinned to the grass.

The dirt and grass stains earn Damen a few tell-tale looks from Nickandros, to which he winks and ushers Laurent back into the wagon.

They kill the rest of the day’s ride playing cards and although Damen loses all but one round, he’s just happy to see Laurent’s smile.

By the time their troup stops in Aegina for the night, everyone seems to be in good spirits. They disembark and head to their reserved inn for dinner. Damen sits between Laurent and Nikandros, surrounded by the rest of their men. The atmosphere is warm and full of energy - two young men stand in the corner by the fireplace, one playing a lute while the other strums a lyre. The music gives away their near proximity to Patras where the instruments are popular, but Damen leans into it.

It’s the perfect place for them to spend a night like this. They’re on their way to have a child together. The mood is celebratory as everyone toasts to both him and Laurent, drinks all around, barring Damen’s golden haired partner.

Even sober though, Laurent is a little playful. He feeds Damen pieces of bread and teases him as he tells the men the story of the last time they’d been in this position. The memory actually makes Damen’s heart warm a bit. They’d been so stupid back then. Damen wasn’t even close to admitting it to himself, but he was captivated by Laurent that entire night. Laurent eating submissively from his hand, pressed up against him on a balcony when they made their escape. Watching Laurent laugh along with Jord, Damen stops just to watch the joy on Laurent’s face. Gods, he’d move the stars themselves for this man.

Several glasses of decent wine in and full of food, the men stick around, exchanging stories of the battlefield and beyond, making guesses as to the look and gender of Damen and Laurent’s child-to-be.

Near midnight, Laurent leans in to Damen’s ear to be heard. “I’m going to go bathe upstairs. I think I’m a little tired.”

“Do you want me to come with you?” Damen asks, his head swimming a little with drunkenness, but he’s not to the point yet where he’ll be falling over himself. If Laurent wants to be fucked tonight, now’s the time.

“No, stay here and have fun.” Laurent says with a wave of his hand, kissing Damen’s cheek when he stands up from the table. “Come up whenever you want.”

“Okay.” Damen laughs, lingering a moment to watch Laurent walk away, briefly admiring the tight clothing he’d worn for the day before turning back to the men and raising a glass. It’s been so long since he’s felt this comradery away from the battlefield, he might just stick around a while.

The night seems to go on rather quickly. Damen’s about to head upstairs after a few more glasses of wine when Nikandros goads him into a drinking contest - which Damen wins. He insists on departing after his victory, wanting to attend to Laurent, but he’s also at his limit for the night if he wants his hangover to be anything less than severe in the morning.

He’s drunk enough that his balance is slightly off, but he steadies himself, makes his way out of the warm ambiance of the dining area towards the stairs. The stairs are a slightly bigger challenge, but with slow steps and one hand on the railing, he makes it to the top floor where they’ll be staying for the night.

When Damen opens the door, he smiles at the sight. Laurent is bathed, the tips of his hair still darkened with water as he lounges on the bed in silk pajamas - a light blue that compliments his eyes so well.

“You’re back.” Laurent smiles back at him. “Have fun?”

“A little too much.” Damen hiccups as he drags his feet over to the bed. “Missed you.”

“You’re a very sweet, but very clumsy drunk.” Laurent says, sliding up to the edge of the bed, so Damen is standing between his legs. “Come here.” He takes Damen’s wrist in his hand and undoes the few lacings at the sleeve, doing the same for his other arm before reaching to Damen’s chest to undo the top laces of his shirt as well.

“You’re so pretty.” Damen sighs, watching delicate fingers pull the fabric lose. He’s hardly in control of himself when Laurent reaches to undo his pants and Damen can’t help but press him down onto the bed. “I love you so much.” He mumbles against Laurent’s neck, wondering a little bit why he hadn’t heard his husband’s usual shocked gasp or whine, but too drunk to dwell much on it. “Come here.”

“D-Damen, you reek like wine.” Laurent says underneath him, his hands gently pushing at Damen’s shoulders, but all Damen feels is that Laurent’s put his hands on him.

“You’re so beautiful.”

“Damen.”

“I’m gonna make you feel so amazing, Love, I promise.” Damen presses himself down more, attempting to grind his hips against Laurent’s and pull his husband against him.

“Damen.” Laurent’s voice is quieter this time, fragile. Is it pleasure? Is Laurent just being the sweet demure man he often behaves as in the bedroom or something else? Damen attempts to soothe whatever the problem is by grinding down again to give Laurent some friction and dragging his lips up his neck until-

“Damen, get off!” Laurent shouts, pushing Damen back by the shoulders with his full force this time.

Damen rolls off quickly, shocked as he watches Laurent climb out of bed and start to pace. “Laurent?”

“You can’t just do that.” Laurent’s voice cracks as he walks to the far side of the room, facing away from Damen. “Y-You can’t just…”

He may be drunk, but the sight of his lover in such duress is enough to sober Damen enough to read him again. Laurent’s breathing so fast, his chest rising and falling, his face pale. Had Damen scared him? They’d had plenty of spontaneous sex in the past. “Laurent, what’s going on?” He asks, attempting to stand up from the bed but Laurent holds a hand up.

“Don’t.” He gasps. “Don’t come over here, I can’t… I-I can’t breathe.”

Damen hears Laurent gasp for air and has to bolt upright. He obeys Laurent and doesn’t come any closer, but he’s starting to genuinely fear for him. “Should I get Paschal? Are you okay?”

“Don’t get anyone.” Laurent says between gasps of breath, turning around to look at Damen with wide eyes. Laurent is never one to cry, but Damen could swear he sees his eyes watering. “Just… J-Just…” He looks around frantically as if searching for something, anything to latch on to, but his mouth just quivers. Damen’s never seen Laurent like this in his life…

“What’s happening, Laurent? Tell me so I can help you.”

“I don’t know what’s happening.” Laurent croaks, forcing a deep breath in and hugging himself as he bows his head and continues, forcing himself to breathe at a slower pace.

Damen can only stand and watch. What had he done to make Laurent react like this? His chest is aching seeing him in pain and he can’t figure out how to help. He wants to run over and hold him, tell him everything’s okay even if he has no idea what’s going on. So he waits. He stays standing, afraid Laurent may faint, but he doesn’t move closer. He watches Laurent with his ironclad will power slowly force himself to regain control, to breathe deeply, to blink back his tears.

When it seems like Laurent’s finally steadied again, Damen takes one step forward. “Did I do something?”

“Yes.” Laurent swallows. “No. It’s… I-It’s not your fault.” He says and Damen can see he’s stifling hiccups.

“Just tell me what it is, Love.” Damen says softly. “Talk to me so I can help you.” He hates himself for being drunk at this moment, now sober enough through sheer anxiety to have more consciousness, but he doesn’t have the faculty to figure out what’s going on right now. All he knows is that Laurent is scared and that Damen isn’t holding him.

Laurent’s mouth wobbles again and he takes a step back, cocking his head towards the bathroom. “G-Go wash your mouth out please. And change your clothes.”

“Okay.” Damen nods, no less confused, but determined to do anything to get Laurent out of this panicked state. He gives Laurent a wide berth as he walks to the bathroom and shuts himself inside, rinsing his mouth thoroughly with the pitcher of water provided and changing into simple linen pants to sleep in. The clothes, he folds and puts in the far corner before slowly stepping out to assess the situation.

Laurent is sitting on the edge of the bed now, his head hung low and his arms still loosely wrapped around himself. He looks like a scared child and it’s breaking Damen’s heart. What had he done?

“Is this better?” Damen asks, taking a tentative step forward.

Laurent raises his head and looks him over before giving a quiet nod and repositioning himself in bed to lean back against the pillows. He doesn’t look any less tense. “Can you come sit with me?”

Damen nods and makes his way around the bed, sitting on the empty side beside Laurent and looking him over with worry. “What happened?”

“You frightened me.” Laurent says in a quiet voice, almost a whisper.

“Frightened you?” Damen reaches out a careful hand to rest on Laurent’s knee, trying to let him know that he’s someone Laurent is safe with, someone who loves him. Nothing frightens Laurent, whatever is going on here, he has his wits about him enough to know it’s serious. “Was I being too aggressive? We’ve done it like that before, I didn’t think-”

“It wasn’t just that.” Laurent shakes his head. “It’s not your fault entirely, you just… You don’t usually get this drunk and you smelled so much like wine and then you were trapping me under you and…” Laurent’s breath hitches and he looks down at his lap, taking another forced deep breath. “Uncle would always drink.”

Damen’s heart sinks to his stomach. No… He’d pinned Laurent to their bed, drunk and smelling like wine, just like his uncle used to. How did Damen not think that through?

“This has never happened to me before.” Laurent gulps, looking over at Damen, his ocean blue eyes swimming with held back tears. “But when you held me down like that and you smelled like him… I kept saying your name and you weren’t talking to me, you kept pressing me down more and even though I know you would never hurt me, it just felt like…” He sighs and scrubs a tired hand over his face, leaning back on the pillows and looking away from Damen again. “It felt like I was about to be raped again.”

Damen can feel physical pain in his chest as he absorbs the realization. Even drunk, how could he have been so stupid? Of course Laurent would feel scared. This wasn’t the same as Damen soberly tackling him onto the sheets for a night of love making, or pinning him to the grass in the gardens to kiss him beneath the stars. This had been Damen stumbling in, drunk as a sailor, pinning Laurent to the bed and not reading him when he was trying to let him know he was scared. All those times Laurent said his name and his head hadn’t been clear enough to understand the tone. “Laurent… I’m so sorry, I… I’ll never let it happen again.” He moves closer to him, just an inch. “If you want me to sleep elsewhere tonight, I’ll understand. But if there’s any way I can make you feel safe again, please-” He’s cut off by Laurent’s arms around his shoulders, yanking him into a tight embrace as Laurent hugs him tight.

“Just hold me.” Laurent says in the softest most vulnerable tone Damen’s ever heard from him. Proud, smart, bitchy Laurent, the man who hadn’t shed a tear when he was sentenced to death, begging to be held.

“I’m here.” Damen whispers as he hugs him back, holding tight and pressing kiss after loving kiss into his hair. “I’m here and you’re safe. I would never hurt you. I’ll never scare you like this again, I’ll make you feel as protected as you make me feel.”

“I make you feel protected?” Laurent sniffs, the closest to crying Damen’s ever heard him.

“Of course you do.” Damen smiles. “You saved my life. You’re one of the best swordsmen in the world, you’re a battle strategy and political genius. I’ve never felt safer in my life than when you married me.”

“I feel that way too.”

“I’m glad.” Damen breathes a sigh of relief and just continues to hold him, feeling Laurent slowly but surely start to relax bit by bit in his arms. He doesn’t say another word, just lets Laurent feel. He strokes his hair and his back, kisses his forehead until Laurent lifts his head and the color has returned to his cheeks. “You okay?”

Laurent takes a less labored breath in and nods his head, even blushing a little bit as he glances away. “Please don’t tell anyone this happened.”

“Never.” Damen promises. “Do you think you can sleep? It’s another long day tomorrow.”

“Yes, just… stay close to me.”

“I will.”

Damen watches as Laurent puts out the oil lamp beside their bed and pulls up the covers, letting Damen underneath before he slides over and assumes his usual nighttime position. He glues himself to Damen’s side, resting his head over his heart with one arm and leg tossed over him as if Damen might run away if Laurent lets go.

“I’m sorry about tonight.” Damen whispers as Laurent closes his eyes. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

*****

In the morning, Damen is relieved to wake up to the sensation of his husband kissing his face, soft pecks on his cheeks and nose to wake him up. He blinks his eyes open and grins at the sight of Laurent, his hair wild and his expression adorably sleepy. “Morning.”

“Morning.” Laurent says quietly, leaning in to give Damen a proper kiss good morning. “Did you sleep okay?”

“Yeah, did you? How are you feeling?”

“Better. I’m… I’m sorry about last night.” He deflates a little, settling back on Damen’s chest. “I don’t know what came over me.”

“It wasn’t your fault. Now we know it can happen and that’s a good thing. We can prevent it.”

“I suppose.” Laurent grimaces, still holding on to Damen.

Damen knows that Laurent will put on a brave face as soon as they get back on the road, but he also knows that he’s rattled. Last night had really scared him and Damen knows how ashamed Laurent gets whenever his emotions get the better of him. So he lies there with him a little longer, stroking his hair. His head is pounding from last night’s poor decisions, but Laurent had woken him up so sweetly, he doesn’t even mind.

“We should really get going.” Laurent says, quietly. He doesn’t really want to get up, but he’s right, they’re running a bit late. “I’m sorry I didn’t um… fulfill my promise to you last night.”

Damen’s cheeks warm, remembering how Laurent had planned on reciprocating the oral sex Damen had pleased him with in the wagon. “Don’t worry about that. Come on, let’s get up and get going. You’ll feel better once you’re dressed.”

Laurent gives a weak nod and finally rises, smoothing his hair back and sliding out of bed to change from his pajamas into a simple chiton.

Damen follows suit, happy to see Laurent comfortably showing a little skin before they head downstairs together.

They cram themselves into the wagon again, but Damen changes the position this time, having Laurent sit between his legs and lean back against him while he reads. It’s nicer like this, propping his chin up on Laurent’s shoulder to read along with him until he gets too bored to pay attention.

The day’s ride is a bit harder than before, the wheels and horses kicking up dust that inevitably makes its way into the wagon. Laurent spends the better part of several hours trying in vain to brush it off his skin.

They’re nearing evening after another day crammed inside when the wagon stops.

“We’re not stopping tonight.” Laurent frowns. “Where are we right now?”

Before Damen can answer, Nikandros is knocking on the wooden frame of the wagon.

“Come in.”

Nikandros pokes his head through the curtain and coughs a bit before addressing them. “The path has been a bit dustier than expected. We’re along a clean stream right now if you would like to take a break and clean up. I think the men could use a refresher as well.”

“Anything to get this stuff off of me.” Laurent sighs, lifting himself from the floor and setting his book aside before reaching a hand down to pull Damen up.

Damen follows him out of the wagon, already looking forward to the image of a sun soaked Laurent bathing in a river. He’s come a long way from his Veretian prudish roots regarding nudity, but he still never bathes outdoors unless it’s just him and Damen. This is a special occasion.

Upon stepping out, most of the men have already made their way down to the riverbank to undress. Damen throws Laurent a glance.

“You really just… in front of everyone?”

“Well, what’d you think?” Damen shrugs. “It’s fine, everyone here is Aikelon. They don’t care about nudity.”

Laurent glances at the river bank in hesitation.

“You’ll be uncomfortable all night if you don’t wash up. I’ll come with you.” Damen says, taking Laurent’s hand and leading him down to the bank of the slow moving river. The water is a clear blue, the sun low in the sky, but still shining on the stream.

Damen takes the lead by unstrapping his sandals and sliding easily out of his own chiton, shaking the dust out of it before hanging it on a nearby tree branch.

Laurent’s cheeks are pink, but he toes his shoes off and throws one more nervous look at Damen.

“You’re the most beautiful person here, you have nothing to worry about.” Damen smiles, giving Laurent’s shoulder a squeeze. “Come cool off with me.”

Laurent thinks for another moment then nods, undoing the clasp at his shoulder so the fabric falls to his waist and he can step out. He hangs it next to Damen’s and follows him to the water.

Damen makes sure to take the lead, walking out into the water until it’s up to his chest and watching happily as Laurent follows him. Seeing him naked out in the open always does something special for him. Laurent hides the beauty of his body away, but now he wades into the river with Damen, his pink nipples perking up from the cool water as he makes his way in.

“It’s nice, right?” Damen grins, glancing off to the side where the men are having what appears to be a spirited splash fight.

“It feels good to be clean again.” Laurent sighs, running the water over his biceps to get the lingering dust off of his skin. The sun is starting to set behind him, creating a backlight behind his golden hair. Damen has to be the luckiest man in the world. “What?”

“You just look beautiful.”

Laurent rolls his eyes. “You’re worse than Erasmus with all your cheesy sentiment about love.”

“Can’t help it.” Damen grins stepping forward to lift him up. “Come here.” He takes Laurent in his arms and Laurent reacts quickly with a hard earned laugh, wrapping his legs around Damen’s hips and his arms around his shoulders.

“You’re ridiculous.”

“And you’re gorgeous.” Damen teases as he leans in and catches Laurent in a sweet kiss. He can’t even hear the men beside them as he holds Laurent up and licks into his mouth, relishing the quiet sigh Laurent lets out when the kiss deepens.

Nikandros makes a wolf whistle at them, but much to Damen’s delight, Laurent reaches a hand out to flick him off and kisses him even deeper with an exaggerated groan.

Damen hears the mix of more whoops and whistles and tries not to laugh into the kiss. This is the Laurent he knows.

“Having fun?” Laurent smiles when he pulls back, taking his legs away to stand on his own again.

“Lots of it.” Damen says, turning to look over at Nikandros. “You know, Nikandros is trying not to get his hair wet. He hates riding against the wind with wet hair.”

“Well I suppose some vengeance is in order.”

*****

Laurent’s mood proves content for the rest of the evening. Once clean, it’s not long until they’re off the dusty roads, so they can be more comfortable. They talk for a little, Laurent reads, and they lay blankets out on the floor to sleep through the night’s ride.

Damen is rather content despite his size, having Laurent snuggled up close to him in the soft proximity, but he wakes throughout the night, sensing Laurent tossing and turning next to him. A few times, he opens his eyes to find Laurent awake and attempts to soothe him back to sleep with a few silent gestures — stroking his hair in a steady rhythms until his breath evens out again.

He sleeps fairly well despite the interruptions, but Laurent is wearing a look that could kill on sight when they rise in the morning to continue their journey. Damen does his best to give him some space for the early hours, but it’s a bit hard to contain his excitement. This is their last full day of travel. Tomorrow afternoon, they’ll be arriving in Vask to meet their surrogate and make the first attempt at insemination. He’s buzzing and wants desperately to talk about all the possibilities tomorrow will bring, but he gives Laurent the morning.

Come afternoon, when they’ve had a break and a bit to eat, Damen hopes to find his husband in a better mood, sliding up next to him in the wagon. Laurent is reading again, but he has been most of the day. Maybe now Damen can get a little of his attention.

“Are you excited?” Damen grins, nudging Laurent in the arm. “We’re almost there.”

“Mm.” Laurent nods, his eyes lingering on the page.

“It’ll be nice if the surrogate is blonde like you. The baby might look more like both of us, but I know we prioritized health over any aesthetics.”

Laurent shrugs his shoulders.

Damen’s shoulders slump as he leans back against the wood, his heart a little heavy. He’s so excited for this. Isn’t Laurent? They were getting along great just yesterday evening. He wants to talk about tomorrow. “I wonder if it’ll take the first time.”

Laurent sighs. “I’m sure you’ll have to give it a few gos.”

“Are you pissed at me?”

Laurent rolls his eyes and continues reading without a word. Damen’s chest tightens with annoyance this time. He’s been nothing but kind and doting, why does Laurent have to get into these moods so often?

“Fine.” Damen gives up, moving away from him to sit on the bench of the wagon and try to entertain himself for the rest of the ride to the next inn. Laurent doesn’t say a word.

Part of Damen worries if Laurent is still upset about what happened the other night, but they’d been laughing and splashing in the water yesterday, it couldn’t be that. He can’t think of a single thing he could have done to make Laurent angry between then and now.

It’s disappointing, but Damen opts to keep his thoughts to himself. Laurent will come around when he gets some proper food and a bed. They’ll be excited together soon enough.

They don’t speak for the rest of the ride, the wagon soon falling dim with the fall of night as they ride into the nearest town.

Laurent eats with him and all the men, sitting next to him like he always does, but it’s not like the first night. He’s not telling funny stories to poke fun at Damen or making crude yet clever jokes. He just eats quietly, drinking only water, his expression cool and unreadable. Damen’s more than used to Laurent’s usual demeanor when they’re with others, but Laurent’s usually more himself alongside Damen and this close gathering of soldiers they know well.

When Laurent finishes, he gets up with nothing more than a passive squeeze of Damen’s shoulder to go up to their room.

Nikandros raises an eyebrow when he watches him go. “Trouble in paradise?”

“He didn’t sleep last night, I think he’s just in a mood.” Damen sighs, leaning his head on his hand and looking over at Laurent’s half eaten plate. “He’ll cheer up tomorrow I’m sure. He was a lot more excited yesterday.”

“Well have a drink or two, get your mind off it and he’ll probably be less bitchy by the time you go upstairs.”

“Only I get to call him bitchy.” Damen says in a friendly warning before taking his glass of water and clinking it against Nikandros’s goblet. “Not drinking tonight, I don’t want a headache in the morning.”

“Afraid you might lose to me this time?”

“Don’t kid yourself.”

Damen kills the better part of an hour downstairs, talking with the men about his excitements tomorrow and trying not to dwell on the disappointment of not being able to do so with his husband. As skilled as he is at reading Laurent, today has eluded him. He wants to talk about middle names, whether they think they’ll have a boy or a girl, how crazy Charls will go when they request baby clothes. It’s fun to talk it over with Nikandros, Jord, and the others, but it isn’t the same as sharing the excitement with Laurent.

When he thinks enough time has passed for Laurent to have freshened up and gotten a moment to collect himself, he excuses himself from the table to head upstairs.

When Damen arrives, it’s just like the other night, only now he’s sober enough to really appreciate it. Laurent with his damp hair, his skin pinkened by hot water, dressed only in a long linen undershirt that drapes down to his thighs as he sits in bed.

“Hi.” Damen grins, walking over to sit on the bed beside him. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine.” Laurent gives a shrug and looks away. “Tired. I think I’ll go to sleep early.”

Damen curses silently that Laurent is still in his mood and tries not to look too annoyed or disappointed. “Will you stay up with me a few minutes?”

“I’m really not interested in sex tonight.”

Damen actually feels a pinch of hurt at that. He only wants to talk, spend some time together after Laurent being so quiet all day. “I wasn’t trying to ask for sex.”

Quiet again.

“Laurent, what did I do?” Damen asks, anxiety clenching his stomach. “You’ve been so upset with me all day.”

“It’s not always about you.”

“Then what is it about?”

Laurent rolls his eyes and Damen glares, one hand unconsciously clenching the bed sheets.

“Why are you acting like this? I’ve been nice to you all day, I stayed up whenever you were tossing and turning last night, I didn’t drink a single drop today, so you wouldn’t smell it on me. What have I done to you to make you act like such a-“ Damen stops and presses his lips into a straight line to keep himself from finishing the sentence.

“Go on.” Laurent glares at him. “Finish what you were saying. I’m acting like such a what? A bitch?”

Yes, Damen thinks to himself. “I’m not trying to fight with you Laurent, I’m just trying to talk to you. You’ve been cold and cruel all day. We’re meeting the mother of our child tomorrow, why aren’t you excited? Don’t you care?”

“Just because I don’t hop and skip around everyone chattering nonstop about baby clothes doesn’t mean I don’t care.” Laurent is looking angrier and it only worsens Damen’s aggravation. What the hell does Laurent have to be upset about?

“Well you could’ve fooled me.” Damen huffs.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means you don’t seem happy at all that we’re going to make the first attempt at conceiving our first child tomorrow. What’s wrong with you?” The last part comes out harsher than Damen intended it to and he sees the quick moment of surprise cross Laurent’s expression before his eyes harden again.

Laurent just looks at him, seething, but thinking. He doesn’t have a response.

“Gods, Laurent.” Damen sighs, scrubbing a tired hand over his face. “I don’t understand why you’re acting like this.”

“I don’t express myself the same way you do over this kind of thing.”

“And how do I express myself? With human emotions?” Damen fumes. He knows he’s starting to go too far, but he’s just so frustrated not being able to tell what’s going on in his husband’s head. Is Laurent having second thoughts about the baby?

“You know that’s not fair.” Laurent says, his voice a little quieter, but his tone still angry, controlled.

Damen isn’t quite sure why this particular response feels like the last straw, but his temper snaps. Fair? What’s not fair is Laurent being cold and distant without telling him at all what’s going on, when they’re less than a day away from making one of the biggest commitments they’ll ever make to one another in their lives. It makes him furious that Laurent doesn’t seem to understand how important this is.

“Don’t talk to me about fair.” Damen hisses, standing up from the bed to look down at him. “Don’t you dare. What’s not fair is you acting like this before what’s supposed to be one of the most important days of our lives. Who acts like this when they’re about to have a child? I mean, are you even capable of the emotion it takes to be a father? Do you even love me like you say you do, do you have the capacity?”

The last two parts are a low blow, but they escape before Damen has time to stop them. He stands before the bed, prepared for Laurent to yell at him, curse him out, rip him apart with a dozen clever insults, but Laurent is just staring at him, fallen completely silent.

Laurent’s face is pale as Damen’s ever seen it. His skin is completely white, recalling the expression he’d worn when the court had sentenced him to die, the fearful look he has given Damen the other night. It was a rare look reserved only for when Laurent is hurt enough to feel sick to his stomach. His usually cold eyes are blown wide, all calm and coolness gone, no anger. Just… heartbreak. He’s looking at Damen like he just stabbed him through the heart, his mouth hanging partially open, unable to find the words. He can see beautiful blue eyes watering, Laurent’s eyebrows just barely pushing together.

Damen feels his own expression fade as he looks at his husband, taking in the devastation before him. What had he been thinking? Of course he hadn’t meant it at all, but Damen knows more than anyone how much love Laurent has in his heart. “Laurent?”

Laurent clamps a hand over his mouth and looks away, quickly sliding out of bed and pulling on a pair of linen pajama pants.

“What are you doing?”

Laurent keeps his back to Damen as he runs a hand through his hair in a haphazard attempt to smooth it before walking past him to the door, one hand still covering his lips.

“Laurent?” Damen asks again, nausea swelling in his stomach. He’d caught one glimpse of Laurent’s expression when he pushed past him. It looked like he was really crying. Had he… actually made Laurent cry? He didn’t know that was possible, he’s never even seen it. Close, sure, but not this...

The door slams shut behind Laurent and Damen is stuck in place, staring at the door knob like he can’t believe his husband had just turned it and walked out. Where is Laurent going? He’s barefoot in pajamas with no security.

What’s wrong with him? He knows Laurent was acting childish today, but he just told him that he wasn’t capable of being a father, of loving something. Damen realizes with horror that he’d taken the deep insecurity Laurent confided in him and thrown it right back in his face.

Laurent has never broken like he just did, even if he made it out the door without Damen hearing him cry, the tears were there. How could Damen have hurt him so badly?

The panic is finally enough to spur him into action as he runs for the door, leaving it half open behind him as he takes the stairs down two at a time.

Downstairs, Jord and Nikandros are still awake, drinking and playing cards by the fireplace. Damen practically sprints over to the table.

“Have you seen Laurent?” He asks, well aware of how frantic he must look, but he is frantic. Laurent may have left the inn barely dressed and unarmed. Even if he’s not recognized, any man who sees his beauty could easily be prompted to harm him.

“No?” Jord blinks. “He wasn’t upstairs?”

“No he was, he just… he left.” Damen swallows hard. “Give me your sword, I’m going looking for him.”

“Damen, you shouldn’t go out on your own, if someone recognizes you-“

“I’m going regardless, so give me your sword or I’ll simply head out unarmed.”

Nikandros gives one of his ‘you’re an idiot’ sighs and undoes the belt around his waist that holds his sheath and sword.

Damen says a quick thanks and equips the sword before hurrying back to the lobby and out of the inn, looking desperately around for Laurent’s blonde hair. Nothing. There’s a few merchants drinking outside and nothing more.

He rushes around the building, checking the stables, the back porch, but no sign of Laurent. Either he ran into town, or… Damen looks worriedly over at the woodland behind the inn. If Laurent was in search of privacy, that’s where he’d go, but he might not be easy to find.

With a deep breath and a silent prayer that Laurent hasn’t been spotted, he puts a hand on the hilt of Nikandros’s sword and walks into the trees.

The foliage isn’t thick, which makes it easier to maneuver through as Damen listens and searches for signs of Laurent’s trail — broken sticks on the ground, foot prints, anything.

He walks quietly, not wanting to scare Laurent away if he’s trying not to be seen, moving through the rows of trees one step at a time.

Minutes go by before he hears something. It sounds like a cough, or maybe someone gagging, and the absolute worst crosses his mind. Was Laurent found? Was he poisoned? Was he choking?

Heading towards the sound, Damen finally rounds the thick trunk of a tree to see the figure of his husband a few yards away.

Just before Damen can call out to him, Laurent has one hand pulling his hair back as he doubles over and vomits behind the trunk of the tree he’s gripping for balance.

Damen watches silently, a heavy anvil of guilt pressing down on his chest. He can’t see Laurent’s face through the tree trunk, but he hears him dry heave and gag like his body is trying to force out the poison Damen’s words had injected him with. When Laurent lifts his head, he cries. Just a gasp of shaky breath and a wipe of his eyes with his sleeve before he presses the heels of his palms to his eyes and slides down the tree to sit on the ground, choking on sobs he isn’t letting out.

Damen can’t just watch this… he knows Laurent will be embarrassed, but seeing him in so much pain, he has to hold him. Even if Laurent hates him, he has to tell him he’s sorry, that he didn’t mean it, that he loves him, loves him more than he can say.

“Laurent.” Damen calls out to him, just loud enough to be heard as he steps out from behind the tree and approaches him.

Laurent takes his hands away from his eyes and looks at Damen, almost frightened, his mouth quivering, his eyes pink and wet.

“Please go.” Laurent pleads, quickly crossing his arms over his chest and looking away from him. “You don’t have to come after me.”

“Of course I do.” Damen says, his voice low and soft as he comes to kneel down next to him. “Laurent, I’m your husband. I’m so sorry for what I said, I let my temper get the best of me, but you know I love you, don’t you? You have to know that.”

Laurent hiccups and refuses to look at him. “But you don’t think I love you.”

“That was a stupid thing to say, I know you love me.” Damen assures, his chest aching as he longs to pull Laurent into his arms. “I was just confused and angry, I never meant to say those things.”

“You don’t have to have a baby with me.” Laurent croaks like the words are killing him. “You… You deserve better than this.”

“Laurent.” Damen breathes, tears pricking at his own eyes as he reaches out and cups Laurent’s jaw, a tender careful touch as he turns Laurent’s head to face him. “There’s no one else on Earth I want to have a baby with. We talked about this for months, I thought we were on the same page, but if you’re not ready, I’d rather wait than put you through this. What’s going on?”

“What if you’re right?” Laurent sniffles, his face red with humiliation as he continues fighting his emotions internally. It’s a rare battle to see Laurent lose. “I… I don’t mean to be cruel. I became this way to protect myself and now I can’t remember who I was before Auguste died and I don’t know how to stop, what if…” He takes a deep shuddery breath and looks at Damen with the saddest eyes he’s ever seen. “What if I traumatize our child too? What if they turn out like me?”

“If our child turns out like you, I would be the proudest parent in the entire kingdom.” Damen whispers, brushing the tears from Laurent’s cheeks and leaning in to kiss the tracks they left on the pink skin. “If they’re half as smart, brave, strong as you, I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

“Do you really worry that I won’t love our baby?” Laurent says, his voice so hoarse it’s almost a whisper.

“Of course not.” Damen assures, pressing another kiss to Laurent’s forehead. “I know you’re going to be an amazing father. I know that you love me and that you would do anything to protect our child.” He reaches up and pushes Laurent’s hair back behind his ears, looking at the way teardrops have clung to Laurent’s light lashes. He’s even beautiful when he cries. “Do you remember when we thought Kastor’s baby was mine?”

Laurent glances away and nods.

“You were ready to sacrifice yourself to your uncle for a baby you didn’t even know was mine or not. Do you think there’s any doubt in my mind that you would love and protect our child?” Damen smiles when Laurent meets his eyes again. “I love you. I lost my temper, but I know the man I married and I wouldn’t be starting a family with you if I didn’t think we were both up to the task. I wouldn’t be with you if I thought you were cruel or unfeeling, I know how earnest you really are. You’re not unfeeling, you feel everything intensely. You care deeply about other people, you’re just good at hiding it.”

“I’m… I’m sorry for being so insufferable today.” Laurent says under his breath, leaning in a little closer to Damen.

“What was making you so upset?”

“I’m nervous.” Laurent admits, resting his head on Damen’s shoulder. “And I’m… I know it’s ridiculous and that’s why I didn’t want to talk about it, because I’m being a child.”

“Why is it ridiculous to be nervous about this? It’s a huge step, I’m a little nervous too.”

Laurent looks at him with guilty eyes then looks down at the roots of the trees when he speaks. “I know there’s no other way, but it’s hard not to be… jealous. Of you making a baby with someone else.”

“You were jealous?” Damen can’t help the grin that spreads across his face. “You?”

“I know.” Laurent cracks a small smile and wipes his eyes again. “It’s just difficult. I’m glad we’re doing it, but some part of me fears you might feel something for this woman.”

“Laurent, I could never have eyes for anyone else. I’m married to the most beautiful person in all of Vere and Aikelos combined, you think there’s anyone else that could get my attention?”

“I can never give you what a woman can.”

“I don’t want anything else, I want you.”

“What if our child doesn’t see me as their father?”

“They will.” Damen promises, putting a hand on Laurent’s knee and squeezing. “You’re going to raising them as much as me and we don’t even have to tell them which one of us is the biological father if we don’t want to. Who knows? We’ll probably have more anyways and you can be the father.”

“I suppose.” Laurent sighs, lifting his head and taking another deep breath. “Thank you… for coming after me.”

“I’m never going to let you run off when you’re upset like this. I shouldn’t have said what I did.” Damen looks into Laurent’s eyes and is relieved to see there aren’t fresh tears forming. “I’ve never seen you cry before… I didn’t know that you did.”

“Only on the rarest of occasions.” Laurent grimaces, his cheeks turning pink.

“Have you ever cried since you met me? Excluding this time.” Damen asks, pressing a playful kiss to Laurent’s head to let him know he’s only asking out of curiosity and concern, not to make fun of him.

“Three times.”

“Really?”

Laurent nods and scoots closer to Damen on the ground, so their thighs are touching and he can more comfortably rest his head on his shoulder. “Once when I realized I couldn’t stop falling in love with you. It was only days before you kissed me at Ravanel.”

“You cried?”

“I was terrified.” Laurent sighs. “I loved you so much it hurt to look at you. I wanted you so much and I felt evil for it, falling in love with the man who killed my brother, a man I didn’t think I would ever be able to see again once you left for Aikelos. I had never felt that way about anyone and at the time, I was positive I couldn’t have you.”

“But you did.” Damen smiles.

“Lucky me.” Laurent says with a nudge to Damen’s side.

“And the second time?”

“After the Kingsmeet.” Laurent admits and Damen goes tense. “After Uncle took me away, I was so relieved that you were safe, but I thought I would never see you again. And I thought that if I did, you wouldn’t want to touch me knowing what my Uncle did to me.”

“Oh, Laurent.” Damen murmurs, finally putting both arms around him and squeezing tight, pressing kiss after kiss into the golden hair he loves so much. “Nothing could ever make me stop loving you. I promise that.”

Laurent is quiet, but he doesn’t need to speak. He just hugs Damen back and squeezes, his face buried safely in Damen’s neck. “The third time was when you were dying… you lost a lot of blood after Kastor’s attack and on the second night, you took a turn for the worst. Everyone kept telling me that your chances were dwindling, so I…” He takes a deep breath. “I kicked everyone out of your chambers and I held you. I cried harder than I’ve ever cried before and the next morning, you were awake and in my arms again.

Damen attempts to pull him up into a kiss, overcome with so much love and adoration, he doesn’t even know what to do with it, but Laurent presses a finger to his lips.

“Take me back to the inn first.”

Damen smiles at him and stands up, using both hands to pull Laurent up with him, heart still thrumming with the warmth of Laurent’s confessions.. “How did you sneak out with no one seeing you?”

“Guest bathroom window.”

“Of course.”

Damen leads Laurent out of the woods with a hand on the small of his back, wanting to keep him close. He still feels terrible about what he’d said to Laurent, knowing that even if Laurent logically knows Damen didn’t mean it, he’ll be insecure about it for some time regardless.

It’s a short walk out of the trees and Damen jimmies the back door open for them to re-enter the inn discretely.

It seems the men have gone to bed, which Damen is grateful for as they walk upstairs together and shut themselves back into the privacy of their room.

Laurent disappears into the bathroom first, spending a few minutes alone while Damen undresses and gets into bed.

When Laurent emerges, his face is washed and the pajama pants are gone, leaving him in just the long undershirt once again. Damen loves to see him this way, the same way Laurent had dressed for bed after the very first time they made love. It’s always so easy to slide his hands underneath, to give Laurent pleasure, or simply hold him close.

“Are you feeling better?”

“Yes.” Laurent nods, blushing a little as he pulls the covers back to slide into bed next to him. “I… didn’t think I would be so emotional this whole trip.”

“It’s fine to be emotional. I was over the line tonight and honestly, the other night too.” Damen winces a little at himself. Sure, Laurent had been a pill today, but he was just nervous. Damen had really acted like an ass twice on this trip.

“It’s alright, this is all just… a lot.” Laurent lies down and slides over to be next to Damen’s side. “Can you… Can we…?”

A smile blooms on Damen’s lips, seeing the way Laurent blushes as he tries to ask for sex. “Tell me what you want, Sweetheart.”

Laurent rolls his eyes and gives Damen a playful nudge for the nickname, then leans in to press a few kisses up Damen’s neck. “Fuck me.” He breathes against them, his mood quickly shifting into something more aroused. Damen realizes Laurent’s shirt is pulled up enough to expose his hip, the thin fabric falling right along Laurent’s tapered waist. He’s exquisite.

“Come here.” Damen grins, quickly flipping them, but being sure not to trap Laurent underneath his weight as he holds himself on his elbows above him.

Laurent smiles back up at him, his face a little flushed and his skin glowing from the recent tears and washing. He always looks so demure like this, a young bright eyed man whose never made true love with anyone but Damen. He’s almost virginal, dressed in white, his arms wrapping gently around Damen’s shoulders as his thighs part underneath him.

“Hi.” Damen laughs, leaning down to nuzzle their noses together.

“What’s so funny?”

“You’re cute.” Damen says with a kiss to the corner of Laurent’s mouth. “I love having you like this.”

“Emotional and embarrassed?”

“Sweet and open.” Damen corrects, tilting his head to give Laurent a proper kiss.

He kisses his husband like he knows he wants to be, slow and heated, letting Laurent take the lead. He feels Laurent’s hand push into his hair and sighs, inviting in Laurent’s tongue. He relishes in this part, how Laurent leans up into the kiss, holds him closer, moves one leg over Damen’s hip.

Damen pulls the covers off of them and tosses them aside, so he can more easily see and feel the man beneath him, running his hand up Laurent’s side, over the shirt as he breaks the kiss to suck on the sensitive spot above Laurent’s collar.

Laurent lets out a soft hum of pleasure and relaxes a little more into Damen’s touch. “No one will see us publicly for days.” He says, his voice breathy now. “You can leave marks.”

Damen raises his eyebrows. Leaving marks on Laurent is a rare and special privilege. The most sensitive parts of his husband’s body (other than the obvious part) are his neck, ears, and the insides of his thighs — all places Damen longs to suck on, but can rarely do so as much as Laurent would like him to.

“I’m gonna make you feel so good, Love.” Damen whispers, sliding his hand up under the shirt just to feel Laurent’s skin as he marks his intention on Laurent’s neck with a slow kick of his tongue. God, he’s going to hear Laurent tonight. Sucking on his neck always makes Laurent extra sensitive and this time proves no different.

Damen leaves a trail of hot kisses up Laurent’s neck before stopping on the sensitive spot, sucking the pale skin gently between his teeth.

“That’s… That’s good.” Laurent breathes. “Yes.”

Damen lets out a pleased hum against his skin and nips at his jaw before moving up to suck right below Laurent’s ear, something that earns him a gasp as Laurent squirms under him.

“There.” Laurent whines, canting his hips up and Damen feels the first brush of his erection. Laurent is completely hard just from being kissed.

When Damen nibbles on his ear, Laurent keens, his breathing hot and shallow as his back arches up from the bed.

“Damen.” Laurent pants. “Like that.”

Damen tongues his ear and lowers his hand, palming over the heat of his cock for the first time and Laurent lets out a whimper so heavenly, Damen fears he might not even last long enough to fuck.

“Where’s the oil, baby?” Damen whispers, kissing down Laurent’s neck again. “You have some?”

Laurent shivers in a way that’s both impossibly cute and incredibly erotic as he turns his head to cock it at the pillow beside him. “Underneath.”

“I thought you didn’t want to have sex earlier.” Damen smiles as he reaches under the spare pillow to retrieve the vial of oil.

“I was hoping you’d… I don’t know.” Laurent sighs. “I was in a bitchy mood, but I’ve been craving you inside me since the river.”

Damen’s heart thumps at the admission and he devours Laurent in another kiss, moaning into it this time and pulling away only to help Laurent out of his nightshirt.

He tosses the fabric to the floor and slides down the bed, setting the vial down for a moment to balance on his elbows.

“What are you- Damen!” Laurent cries out when Damen’s mouth descends over his cock by surprise, sucking him with hollow cheeks and a firm tongue up the underside. “Fuck, don’t make me come yet, I swear I’ll be so-“

“You’ll be so what?” Damen smirks when he pulls off, pressing a chaste kiss to the tip of Laurent’s cock as if it was the top of his head.

“Extremely aroused, but extremely pissed.” Laurent groans, spreading his legs more as a silent demand. “Please, just… fuck me.”

“Soon.” Damen makes a promise as he shifts, lying on his stomach and pushing Laurent’s thighs further apart. He takes his cock in one hand, holding but not stroking, as he leans in to kiss up the porcelain skin of Laurent’s inner thigh.

“Damen.” Laurent shivers, his toes curling as Damen sucks violet marks on to one of his most sensitive places, his back involuntarily arching further. His breathing becomes shallow as his nails scrabble at the sheets for purchase, overwhelmed.

“You’re so beautiful.” Damen says, kissing each love mark he’s left before reaching for the vial again.

“Can you…” Laurent hesitates, blushing all the way from his chest to the tips of his ears. He’s just beginning to sweat, his eyes dark with desire and his muscles betraying him as they twitch with anticipation.

“What do you want me to do?” Damen asks, stroking his hand over Laurent’s thigh, a neutral soothing touch. “Whatever you want.”

“Come kiss me while you use your fingers.” Laurent says as if he’s just asked for a filthy forbidden sex act and not the simple touch of lips, but Damen knows how precious any request from Laurent in the bedroom is. Even after two years of marriage, they’ve come far, but he knows these small admissions are difficult for Laurent. He’s determined to fill every single desire his husband voices until he learns absolutely every tiny kink and turn on that will bring him pleasure.

They continue intimately, Damen sliding easily up the bed to cup Laurent’s face in one dry hand while an oil slicked finger begins to work him open. Laurent’s lips are soft and pliant underneath his own, so pleasantly warm, the kind of kiss they would share standing on the beach or alone at the summer palace, not the type they always shared in the throws of sex. But tonight is different. Tonight, they both need reassurance.

Laurent needs, as he often does despite never admitting it, reassurance that he’s loved, that he’s safe, that he can express himself freely with Damen. Damen needs the reassurance that Laurent is comfortable with him, that he can feel all the love Damen holds in his chest and often struggles to put into adequate words.

Laurent’s walls are tight and hot around him, relaxing more as Damen kisses him slowly, moving his hand from Laurent’s jaw into his hair to stroke his scalp. It’s a simple gesture that makes Laurent let out a breath and open up to him a little more.

“I love you.” Damen whispers between kisses, over and over like a prayer until he’s positive Laurent believes him. “Talk to me, Love. Tell me how you feel, it’s just me. It’s just us here.”

“You feel so good.” Laurent pants against his lips, grinding down against the two fingers Damen has now lodged inside of him, mercilessly massaging that special spot deep inside that makes Laurent’s thighs tremble and cheeks turn pink. “I want… I want you to fuck me, but I don’t want you to stop kissing me.”

“Then I won’t.” Damen smiles, ignoring the desperation and heaviness of his own cock, almost painfully hard between his legs, to kiss Laurent again, long and sweet while he continues with his fingers.

It’s only when Laurent’s squirming becomes a constant thrust down against his fist that Damen knows he’s fully relaxed. Keeping true to his word, he slides a pillow beneath Laurent’s hips and lays over him to push inside.

Damen watches Laurent’s expression as he eases inside, forcing his eyes to stay open so he can see as Laurent’s flutter shut, his mouth hanging open in a silent moan until Damen kisses his neck and the sound comes out.

“God, Damen.” Laurent groans, his head tipping back to create the most beautiful cascade of golden hair Damen has ever seen, the purple marks from Damen’s mouth stark on his white skin, his chest pushed up and exposed to better display his pert pink nipples and the beautiful definition of his chest — the result of so many years wielding a sword.

“Laurent.” Damen murmurs in a low voice, kissing his neck once more as he starts to gently fuck him. Even if Laurent seems desperate for more, Damen knows that he’ll be most aroused if he starts slow, makes him wait for it.

Laurent slides a hand between their bodies to touch himself as he buried his face in Damen’s neck. “More.” He huffs. “Harder.”

“Yeah?” Damen gives a snap of his hips and shivers when Laurent groans under him. “Tell me what you want baby.”

Laurent takes a deep breath and puts his hands on Damen’s shoulders, summoning the strength he doesn’t often use in bed to flip them over in one fluid motion.

Damen looks up at him, stunned and grinning as he lies on his back, Laurent straddling his lap with Damen’s cock still buried deep.

Laurent looks down at him, almost as surprised as Damen when he gulps and takes each of Damen’s wrists in hand, pinning them down above his head. “This is what I want.” He murmurs, his eyes dark as he gives Damen’s wrists a squeeze.

“Then take it.” Damen breathes, heart pounding as he watches Laurent roll his hips, start to fuck himself at whatever pace he pleases.

Laurent’s face is burning red, but he leans down over Damen, kissing him deeply as he rocks back and forth. Damen moans into the kiss, not holding back on any sounds of pleasure. He wants Laurent to know how good this feels, how much Damen likes him taking charge.

“You’re mine.” Laurent breathes, hot against Damen’s ear.

“I’m yours.” Damen answers, pushing his hips up to meet with Laurent’s rhythm. Laurent usually likes to be underneath, they’ve only done it like this a few times. On each occasion, Damen had been the one to flip them into this position. “Laurent.” He pants. “Laurent, it’s so good.”

Laurent tightens his grip on Damen’s wrists and lets out a strangled sound of pleasure as he adjusts his angle and Damen knows he’s found the spot. He watches in awe, working hard to stave off his own orgasm as he lets Laurent take him, rising up and down on his cock with elegant ease while his own drips desperately at the tip. Small sounds start to fall from his mouth, hot breaths of pleasure, quiet whines that start to raise in pitch and volume. He’s going to come like this.

“Laurent.” Damen groans as he takes hold of Laurent’s cock in his fist and tugs him in slick fast strokes. It’s hard to keep his eyes open, hard to keep himself from coming first, but he has to watch as Laurent comes undone.

“Damen.” Laurent whimpers, eyes squeezed shut as his hips begin to jerk and stutter, breaking his graceful pattern. He’s caught between pressing down onto Damen’s cock and pushing forward into Damen’s fist. A few shakey rolls of his hips and Laurent is coming with a sob, bouncing helplessly in Damen’s lap as he releases over his fist, his torso. It’s more than he usually comes, a streak reaching Damen’s chest as he rides out his pleasure.

Damen barely manages to hold off until Laurent begins to come down and jerks his hips up, burying himself deep and coming with a low moan. His toes curl with it as the orgasm sends warm waves of pleasure through his body, Laurent squeezing him and continuing to ride despite being over sensitive, just to milk Damen completely.

“Laurent, you… God, Laurent.” Damen says when he can open his eyes again, taking in the sight of Laurent, still in his lap with come beginning to drip down his thighs, his hair a mess and face flushed, completely fucked out. He looks as beautiful as ever.

Laurent lets go of Damen’s wrists and winces as he slides off of him. “I don’t really know what came over me, but… you liked it?”

“I loved it.” Damen insists, pulling Laurent back down on top of him and crushing his lips in a kiss. “I love you. I’m yours, just yours, Laurent. No one could take me away from you.”

Laurent shivers at the words and kisses him again. He doesn’t need to speak, Damen knows the relief that’s washing over his husband as they kiss, still covered in the mess they’ve made, but neither one of them minding.

“You almost never do it in the bedroom, but you know I love it when you’re possessive of me, right?” Damen grins, nuzzling their noses together until he gets Laurent to smile.

“Do I do it often outside our bedroom?”

“Often is an understatement.” Damen laughs, carding his fingers through Laurent’s hair. “The way you always have a hand on my thigh under the table, how you grab my hand the moment someone makes eyes at me. You stare daggers at anyone who comes off as flirting with me.”

“Well.” Laurent tuts. “Those people should know better than to look at you then.”

“You’re so unbelievably sweet and I’m the only one who gets to see it.” Damen sighs, cupping Laurent’s cheek and watching Laurent turn to kiss his open palm. “Our baby will get to see it too.”

Laurent smiles and leans in to give Damen another kiss, chaste with closed lips, but so full of love and warmth. “Maybe I could work on… being my kinder self a little more often.”

“I’d like that.” Damen lets out a quiet laugh and presses his lips to Laurent’s neck. “Are you feeling good about tomorrow now? No staring daggers at our surrogate?”

“I’ll behave.” Laurent promises, lying back down with Damen’s arm around his shoulders. “I’m… sorry for the way I acted today.”

“And I’m sorry for what I said to you.” Damen presses a kiss to the top of Laurent’s head. “And if anything tomorrow makes you uncomfortable, talk to me.”

“Back when we were talking in the woods, I know you were being… comforting.” Laurent swallows. “But do you ever question my love for you?”

“No.” Damen says, honestly. “No one loves as intensely as you do, Laurent. Even if you’re in a bad mood or we’re fighting, I always know you’d jump in front of a sword for me. I know you’d do that for our child too without even thinking about it.”

Laurent nuzzles his cheek against Damen’s chest. “I would.”

“And so would I.” Damen says, wrapping both arms around him. “Then we have nothing in the world to be afraid of tomorrow.”

Chapter Text

When Damen wakes in the morning, it’s to an empty bed. Startled at first, he looks around until he sees the heart stopping image of his husband getting ready for the day and quickly settles again.

Unaware of Damen’s eyes, Laurent is half dressed in tight white trousers and the black riding boots that come up to his knees. His hair is brushed, but he doesn’t have a shirt on yet, let alone his neck high jacket.

Damen watches with a smile as Laurent rolls his shoulders and drops to the floor, reaching for his toes to stretch and easily folding himself in half. He stretches his arms, inadvertently showing off the lean muscle of his biceps and torso, his chest. He moves easily, every motion fluid and effortlessly flexible. His pale skin is marked with all the purple bruises of last night’s love making.

When Laurent finally stands and turns to find Damen’s eyes on him, he blushes as if he was caught in something embarrassing, not just the act of being unspeakably beautiful for a human being at six in the morning.

“Well hello there.” Damen grins. “Please, don’t stop on my account.”

Laurent rolls his eyes and walks up to the bed to kiss Damen’s forehead. “Voyeur.”

“I can’t help it.” Damen smiles, grabbing Laurent’s waist and sliding his hands up his sides. “You’re sexy half dressed.”

“Your standards are getting rather low for me, Damianos.”

“You’re sexy always.” Damen laughs, leaning in to kiss between Laurent’s pecs. “Did you sleep well?”

“Well enough. I’m a little… sore.” Laurent sighs, shifting subtly from foot to foot. “I think I may have gotten a little overexcited last night.”

Damen sticks out his lower lip in a mock pout as he slides his hands around to gently cup Laurent’s ass. “Poor Laurent… Shall I kiss it better?”

Laurent bats his hands away and chuckles as he steps out of reach, retrieving his shirt from the room’s wardrobe.

“Don’t get dressed.” Damen pouts genuinely now.

“Save your energy for tonight.” Laurent says, sliding into the linen undershirt and returning to sit on the bedside. “Paschal says the more you release, the better the chances are at conception.”

Damen crinkles his nose. He’s heard far too much from Paschal about semen lately. He is, however, looking forward to tonight. In Aikelos, there isn’t much ceremony when two men decide to have a child. They either provide sample after sample until a pregnancy takes, or one of the men has sex with the surrogate directly.

In Vere, there’s more of a defined procedure. Laurent is to dawn ceremonial garb of the revealing nature and it’s his job to coax an emission out of Damen to be immediately delivered to the awaiting surrogate in another room. Damen would be lying if he said he wasn’t excited for that part, but he doesn’t particularly like that he’s supposed to largely ignore Laurent’s pleasure until his own orgasm has been achieved.

“You can do whatever you like to me after.” Laurent says, sensing Damen’s thoughts. He leans in and presses a warm kiss against Damen’s mouth, a soft reassurance after the ups and downs of the night before. “Come get dressed. The sooner we leave, the sooner we get to Patras.”

“You’re really excited.” Damen grins.

“Of course I am.” Laurent says, his smile soft and his eyes tender. It’s a new look for him. “We’re about to be a family.”

*****
It’s the most pleasant wagon ride of the journey. Laurent is almost… jovial. He rounds up the men quickly to hit the road without his usual harsh tone or sharp jokes, more of an eagerness about him that has Jord and Nikandros exchanging subtle looks of confusion.

Damen’s chest is warm seeing it. This is the Laurent he’d expected. There are only two things besides himself that can make his husband light up — animals and children. When Laurent needs to be alone, he goes to the stables, meticulously tending to the horse Damen had gifted him after their wedding. Damen has even caught him talking to her a few times as he brushes the horse’s hair. And kids? Laurent takes on a bright softness reserved only for children.

He’s patient, happy, and playful. He’ll teach young ones magic tricks and make up elaborate games, always smiling when a child asks to feel his hair or be picked up. Damen knew that Laurent would be over the moon to be finally having a child of their own and now that his insecurities have been largely eased, his excitement is finally shining through.

“Does my devoted inseminator have any preference for tonight?” Laurent teases, sitting between Damen’s thighs and leaning back against him.

“Do not call me that.”

“The Exalted Ejaculator.”

“Laurent.”

Laurent grins, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he leans his head back on Damen’s shoulder. “Are you hoping more for a son or a daughter? I know we claim not to have preferences, but I’m curious.”

Damen shrugs his shoulders. His preference isn’t strong, but there is one reason he may prefer a boy. “I might prefer a son only so we can name him as you wish.” Damen says, pressing a kiss to the back of Laurent’s head. “I know what it means to you.”

Laurent’s face flushes slightly, but he nods. “It is… important to me, but we would still make it a middle name if we have a daughter.”

“Augustus.” Damen nods. They’d had a long talk about names. Laurent desperately wanted to pass on his brother's name, although it took a bit of strong arming to get him to admit how strongly he felt about it. He didn’t want to name the child Auguste to the letter, wanting the name to be preserved for his brother alone. But the name Augustus was a clear homage to him, honoring his memory while leaving his name all his own. Damen had agreed wholeheartedly.

“I won’t be disappointed no matter what child we have though.” Laurent says honestly. “I know that I’ll love them as much as I do you.”

Damen gives Laurent a squeeze at those words and holds him tight. It’s rare for Laurent to be so open with his feelings. He’s glad that on this journey together, his husband is opening his heart. After all, he wants this process to be celebratory, full of love, and happiness as both him and Laurent embark on this venture. With their limited company, it’ll be easier for Laurent to be more of himself out in the open as well. He doesn’t have to be as controlled in the company of Vaskians as he does in Vere and Aikelos. In fact, he’s quite comfortable and friendly amongst the women.

They sit closely for the remainder of the wagon ride, exchanging slow kisses and excitements for the evening.

When they finally arrive at the Vaskian palace, they all but stumble over each other as they rush to exit the wagon. The palace is minuscule in comparison to their own, a recent establishment, but the Vaskian women are minimalists and the palace is built more to be an elaborate training ground than anything else.

Still, the palace is equipped with adequate quarters to house the men for the duration of their stay, a luxurious bedroom for the specific purpose of their visit, rooms just for ceremonial inseminations and marathons like Damen had once been used for before the unification.

Halvik stands at the entrance to the palace, flanked by several acclaimed warrior women as she greets their party. “Your Highness. Exalted.” She greets with a smile in heavily accented Veretian. She eyes Damen up and down. “A pity that you won’t be bearing any children on our behalf this time.” She looks to Laurent. “If only your muscles were as strong as your mind, we could have bred an army the likes of Vask has never seen.”

“Pleasure as always.” Laurent grins, bowing his head to her in a brief gesture of respect.

Halvik looks over his shoulder at the men, eyeing Pallas in particular. “The dark eyed one there — he is welcome to breed if he likes.”

Pallas splutters, fluent enough in Veretian to understand the basic premise of what had been said while Jord laughs and Nikandros claps him on the back.

“Would you like to meet the woman of your choosing?” Halvik asks and Damen’s eyes light up.

“Yes!” He exclaims, a little too quickly. “I-I mean, yes of course. We’ve been looking forward to it.” Damen takes Laurent hand in his own and laces their fingers together.

“Very well.” Halvik chuckles, gesturing to the women beside her. “Ladies, please show the men to their quarters and explain to them the rules of behavior around here. Astrid, you stay behind of course.”

Damen can feel his blood thrumming in his veins as he watches the women depart and approach the men, waiting for the clear reveal of which one will be presenting herself to them.

Once the small crowd disperses, a woman steps forward and Damen’s eyes fly wide open.

She’s everything he could have asked for in a mother for their child. They had prioritized health over aesthetics, but he had requested if it was possible to have a surrogate with similar physical features to Laurent. She’s a gender bent spitting image.

The woman, Astrid, is tall and slender with a cascade of blonde hair tied into intricate braids. Her eyes are a piercing blue. She’s skinny, but muscular, clearly an accomplished warrior. Just like Laurent, her muscle is disguised, a small body packed with strength.

Damen looks at Laurent with bright eyes, seeing the surprise on his husband's expression as well. “She’s you.”

“I… suppose there is quite a resemblance.” Laurent blinks, looking from her to Damen.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Damen smiles, letting go of Laurent’s hand to stride up to her and bow his head. “We are forever indebted to you for this. Please, let us know of any additional requests beyond what we discussed.”

“Thank you, but truly, it is my honor to bear the heir of the dual kings.” She says humbly, her face a little flushed.

“If you wish, Astrid is prepared to make the first attempt tonight. Is this acceptable, or do you require rest after your journey?”

Damen looks back at Laurent, still smiling wide. “Yes, right?”

“Right.” Laurent nods, a small smile occupying his lips as well as he steps up to Damen’s side. “I assume I’ll have my own room to prepare myself, correct?”

“Your room is outfitted with various options of ceremonial garb per your request.” Halvik says as she turns her back and gestures for them to follow. “Astrid, go see to your own preparations. I will show the kings to their appropriate rooms for tonight.”

Astrid obeys, bowing once to the three of them before walking off towards her own duties.

Halvik leads them into the palace, past hordes of other women, some dressed in armor, others in nothing at all. If Damen were his younger self, before his heart had been captured by Laurent, he would consider this place quite the paradise. He senses a hint of tension in Laurent beside him and hopes it’s just a healthy dose of nerves.

Up a spiral dark wood staircase, Halvik leads them to a pair of heavy wooden doors, intricately engraved with designs of Veretian influence. “This will be your master bedroom. You will live, sleep, and make love in this room. Should we have to attempt a direct insemination with Astrid, there will be a separate room for that.” She gestures down the hall where another intricate wooden door awaits. “Your Highness, this is the room in which you may prepare yourself in private. Ring the bell on the banister of the staircase behind us when you require a servant to deliver the sample from Damen. Your physician will be awaiting it with Astrid.”

Damen takes a deep breath in and gives Laurent’s shoulder a squeeze. “Sounds good, do you have everything you need?”

“Yes, I suppose.” Laurent turns to Halvik and says something in Vaskian Damen can’t understand. She makes a gesture of understanding and leaves them with a brief bow of respect, descending back down the stairs.

“What was that?” Damen frowns. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, I just…” Laurent’s cheeks turn red. “I wanted just a moment alone with you here first. I promised you, I would… share my feelings with you.”

“What’s wrong?” Damen asks, a hand falling to Laurent’s waist just to be touching him, let him know he’s listening.

“She does look awfully like me, doesn’t she?”

“Isn’t that a good thing? The child will look more like you.”

“Yes, but…” Laurent averts his eyes, still blushing furiously. “She’s also quite… your type.”

“Laurent.” Damen says, cupping his face in his hands and placing a soft kiss on his lips. “My eyes are only for you. Don’t worry about her, I was only so excited because of the resemblance.” He reaches up and twirls a lock of Laurent’s hair around his finger. “Can you imagine a child with my skin and your hair?”

Laurent cracks a bit of a smile. “I suppose you and I would produce a bit of a hybrid.”

“Exactly, that’s all this is. She looks like you, but she isn’t you. You have nothing to worry about.” Damen presses his lips to the center of Laurent’s forehead. “It’ll be just you and me in that room right now.”

“You’re right. I know, logically, it’s just…”

“I’m yours.” Damen reminds him with another kiss. “Go ready yourself. I’ll be doing the same.”

“Alright.” Laurent nods, pulling away to go to his own room. “Don’t get started without me.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Sweetheart.” Damen teases before stepping into the master bedroom.

It’s not a bad place at all to spend a few weeks. The bed is enormous with silk sheets and velvet blankets. The bedside table already holds a goblet of Hakesh waiting for him and, of course, the Vaskian’s favorite loincloth.

Damen undresses himself, hanging his clothes in the wardrobe, and putting the loincloth on. He doesn’t have to -- it serves no purpose whatsoever, but he does think it’s a little hilarious, reminiscent of a fun, confusing night with Laurent long ago.

He explores the drawers of the nightstand, finding vials of scented oils, hand towels, and some suspicious looking pieces of rope and silk should any restraints be desired. The Vaskians were not known for their subtlety. Sniffing each of the vials, he sets aside the ones that smell like cinnamon -- Laurent’s favorite -- and takes a few sips of the Hakesh. He doesn’t dare drink the whole goblet, but a little bit will help their chances.

To the far end of the room lies a balcony beyond an ajar pair of iron doors, a beautiful view of the mountains beyond it. It’s perfect. Damen can already see the hours he’ll be spending holding Laurent in front of the view, sipping moderate amounts of wine, talking about the future they’re building.

It’s the longest few minutes of Damen’s life. He wonders what Laurent will be wearing, if the sex will feel any different with the new purpose, or if their lovemaking will be like always. Either would be fine, Damen adores the way they make love, but he’s curious as to what this will feel like.

After a brief but agonizing wait, the heavy wooden door pushes open and Laurent steps inside, quickly locking the door behind him as he looks at Damen with a hand on his hip and a metal cup in his hand.

“Is this to your liking?” Laurent asks, sauntering up to the bed and placing the cup on the table beside it.

He’s dressed in silks and lace, dark blue and gold that wraps around his hips and between his legs, showing the curves of his ass and his cock with little to the imagination. It looks almost like something Ancel would wear and looking closer, there’s a fine layer of gold dust on Laurent’s eyelids. It makes him even more seductive, his eyes dark and wanting, a smirk on his lips as Damen gapes at him. A sheer shawl of linen falls around his shoulders, his chest uncovered, allowing Damen to see the way his chest is already flushing, his nipples pebbling with desire.

“I see that it is.” Laurent says, tilting his head to the side as he looks down at where Damen’s cock has emerged from the loincloth, beginning to harden just at the sight of him.

“You look beautiful.” Is all Damen can bring himself to say as Laurent leans over him and unties the single string of the loincloth to pull it away.

“I would hope so.” Laurent smiles, a newfound confidence about him as he climbs onto the bed and sits himself easily in Damen’s lap, straddling his hips and looking down at him. “You won’t be afforded this level of privilege too often. I would take advantage if I were you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Anything you want, my Love.” Laurent says as he bends down and takes Damen’s mouth. His lips are soft, Damen melting right into the kiss as Laurent allows him to taste his tongue, purring into his mouth as Damen kisses him. “Whatever you desire, I want you to tell me.” Laurent whispers, nuzzling their noses together and pressing a kiss to Damen’s lips again. “I know you love to give me pleasure, but I need you to be selfish this time. The more aroused you are, the more you produce, the better our chances.”

Damen knows what it means to Laurent to succeed at this task early. If they accomplish a pregnancy as soon as they can, there won’t be any risk of Damen having to have intercourse with Astrid of any kind. It pains him to be demanding in bed. He truly means it when he says Laurent’s pleasure is his own. He loves to hear his husband’s moans and whimpers, watch him blush and squirm until he finally loses control. “I’ll be honest with you about my desires, but this has to be something we do together.” Damen says, reaching out to cup Laurent’s cheek. “My greatest arousal is seeing you in a state of pleasure. Let me make you feel good too.”

Laurent raises an eyebrow.

“Do you want to know my deepest desire?” Damen asks, propping himself up on his elbow and running a hand down Laurent’s side, stroking the smooth uncovered skin.

“Besides the child we’ve come so far to create?” Laurent says with his usual lighthearted snark, reaching his hand out to smooth over Damen’s chest.

“My greatest arousal is to hear you.” Damen says softly. “When you tell me how something feels, how you feel, what you want, what you like. Tonight is just us.” He brushes his thumb over one of Laurent’s nipples and watches him take a sharp breath in. “There are no servants in earshot. We have a floor to ourselves, you have no image to cultivate here. Let me pleasure you and hear how it makes you feel.”

Laurent’s face flushes bright pink as he slides his hands from Damen’s chest to his shoulders, squeezing them. “For a man of your sexual reputation, I certainly expected something a little more… kinky.” He grins. “It’s really all you wish? To hear me?”

“I know it’s hard for you to let go, but tonight… try for me?” Damen smiles at him, letting him know with the softness of his gaze that he doesn’t really expect Laurent to tear down all his remaining walls in one night. There may never come a day where Laurent of Vere howls in pleasure for all to hear and screams his name, but to hear Laurent’s words while he fucks him… Nothing arouses Damen more.

“I suppose it is a special occasion.” Laurent sighs before easing Damen back down onto the mattress and crawling over him to attach their lips.

Damen hums against him, wrapping his arms around Laurent, exploring his mouth with his tongue. He nips at Laurent’s lower lip and appreciates the gasp it elicits, turning his head to suck on his neck.

Laurent means what he promises, his mouth falling open as Damen suckles another lovemark onto his neck. Laurent will be wearing chin high collars for weeks, but he doesn’t make a snide remark about Damen’s insatiable thirst for his flesh, or the primal way in which Damen so enjoys marking him like an animal. Instead, he sighs, an honest breath of pleasure and tilts his head to provide better access. “I love when you do that.”

“Yeah?” Damen grins before swirling his tongue around the fresh mask. “What part do you like? Me kissing your neck or me marking you up?”

Laurent tenses for a moment, blushing furiously so that patches of pink appear on his chest before he answers, nearly whining. “Both. I-I like both.”

Damen’s cock twitches at the words alone and he quickly puts his mouth back to work, kissing and licking the column of Laurent’s neck, working his way up to nibble on his ear.

“I like it when you…” Laurent’s voice wavers. “I-I like it when you use your tongue there.”

Damen raises an eyebrow. He often nibbles at Laurent’s ears, knowing how sensitive they are and he’s used a flick of his tongue on rare occasion, but he always thought using it excessively would make Laurent squirm, possibly even offend him. “Like this?” He asks, kissing the shell of Laurent’s ear before giving it a hot kiss, tonguing it briefly. The response is immediate, Laurent gasping and squirming with arousal rather than disgust.

“Yes like that.” Laurent pants. “I love it.”

“What else do I do to you that you like? When we’re just starting to get intimate like this?”

“My hair.” Laurent says through his teeth, fighting off his own long cultivated embarrassment. Even on his wildest nights, his instructions don’t go beyond “fuck me” or “there,” and “harder.”

“What about it, Love?” Damen murmurs, pushing a hand into the cascade of Laurent’s golden hair and lightly running his fingernails over his scalp.

“That.” Laurent preens at the touch, his back contouring into an obscene arch as he leans into Damen’s hand. “I-I like when you touch it. I like when you take my mouth and pull on it before you…” Laurent’s embarrassment gets the best of him for a moment, his eyes squeezing shut as Damen kisses his ear once more and continues to pet his hair. “Before you come in my mouth.” Laurent finishes, his eyes dark as Damen’s ever seen them when he forces them open.

“Keep talking.” Damen breathes, taking hold of Laurent’s waist and flipping them over in one fluid motion to press him down. Immediately, he lavishes Laurent’s other ear with his mouth, listening to Laurent’s high pitched breaths of pleasure as he kisses back down his neck. He intends to work his way down. “What next?”

“I don’t know what you mean, I told you what I like.” Laurent says, breathless.

“Laurent.” Damen kisses his chest, right between his pecs. He loves this part of Laurent, the pink nipples of a young man, the hardened muscle hidden beneath, the smoothest skin. “You’re doing so good, baby.”

Laurent whines more out of frustration than pleasure this time and takes the shawl from his shoulders, tossing it aside and pushing a hand into Damen’s hair. “I hate you for it, but I like when you call me those… pet names.”

“Is that so, Love?” Damen grins, leaning up to peck his lips again. “Shall I use them more often?”

“If you dare call me one of these names outside of our bedroom-“

Damen cuts him off with a kiss and resists the urge to laugh. The image of what Laurent would do if Damen were to call him sweetheart in front of the high council is hilarious, adorable, and terrifying all at once. “Only between us.” He promises despite the tempting opportunities for mischief. Even something that seems small and innocent is still an intimate admission from Laurent and Damen won’t betray that trust. “Tell me more, baby.”

Laurent preens, his back arching a little off the bed as Damen moves back down to his chest. “I like when you use your mouth there.” He swallows.

“Here?” Damen flicks his tongue over Laurent’s nipple, enjoying the way it perks up over his tongue.

Laurent gives a weak nod. “When you touch them too.”

Damen complies, using one hand to lightly pinch, rub, and toy with one nipple while he sucks on the other. He can feel Laurent’s heartbeat like this — it’s racing. He moans against his chest to let Laurent know he enjoys this too and rolls his hips down when Laurent groans in reply, rubbing his cock against the sheets for friction.

“Instruct me.” Damen says when he lifts his head, Laurent’s nipples now puffy and dark pink with overstimulation. Laurent’s cock is absolutely straining in the silken underwear he’s wrapped in.

“Damen, I’m supposed to be getting you to come, not-“

“Laurent.” Damen lifts himself for a moment, kneeling back and running his hands down Laurent’s calves as he allows him to see. His cock is fully hard and heavy, wet with Pre-come and he hasn’t even been touched. “Instruct me.”

Laurent’s eyes linger on the erection, his cheeks hot as he unconsciously spreads his legs a little wider for him. “When you have me like this, I like when you kiss down my body.” He says, pressing his mouth into a straight line like he can’t bring himself to say the next part. But he does. “And when you use your mouth on me through… through my clothes.”

Damen’s heart pounds, quickly crawling back over Laurent and kissing between his pecs. He trails downward, one kiss at a time down Laurent’s taut abs, the barely noticeable soft spot of his belly that’s appeared over the past year without the ravages of war stressing him to skin and bones. Of course, Laurent is still lithe, thin, and strong, but Damen adores these small places of softness he finds on his husband’s body. He kisses his stomach again and follows the trail of fine golden hair from below Laurent’s belly button to his navel, carefully trimmed hair beginning at the hem of the silk.

“Laurent.” Damen groans as he presses an open mouthed kiss to the silk, right where Laurent’s cock is tenting the fabric to its limits.

Laurent whimpers, his legs folding beside Damen’s head as he cants his hips upwards.

Damen kisses along the outline of his shaft, pausing to place his parted lips over the spot where Laurent’s leaked through the fabric, a large wet stain darkening the blue fabric.

“Damen.” Laurent gasps, his thighs tensing.

“Instruct me.” Damen repeats, kissing Laurent’s navel. “Tell me what you want, my love.”

“I can’t, I’m… Damen, you need to come.”

“I’ll come when I fuck you.” Damen says in a low voice. “And I’ll fuck you when I have you completed unraveled for me.”

Laurent swears in Veretian and pushes his hand into Damen’s hair, his voice breathy and trembling as he speaks. “I want your mouth.”

“How do you want it?”

Laurent throws his free hand up in exasperation. “I want it giving a speech and reciting poetry.”

“Testy.”

Laurent huffs and rolls his eyes, but his body betrays his desperation, unable to stop squirming in the chase of Damen’s mouth — it’s so close to him. “I want your mouth on my cock.” He grits. “I-I want… I-I want you to take all of me.”

“That’s what I’m talking about.” Damen grins, lifting Laurent’s hips to carefully unwind the silk and the lace that dripped down Laurent’s thighs. It takes a bit of doing, but it’s nothing in comparison to Laurent’s every day Veretian clothing. He pulls the silk away with a flourish and abandons it beside them to gaze at his husband, finally naked for him. “Oh, Laurent.” He nearly groans as he smooths his hands up bare thighs to sharp hips, squeezing them as he looks at his lover’s cock. Laurent is hard, penis flushed pink and heavy against his stomach, begging for attention.

“Don’t stop touching my hair.” Damen says as he settles on his stomach, angling Laurent’s cock towards his lips. “I… I like it when you do that.”

Laurent smiles, relieved to finally be doing something for Damen’s pleasure as he pushes both hands into his hair and strokes it. “You really do like being touched here, don’t you?”

“No one’s touched it like you before. Servants wash it meticulously and others have run their hands through it, but you caress me.” Damen admits, bashful as he presses a kiss to the tip of Laurent’s cock. “I like it.”

Laurent strokes his scalp accordingly and wiggles his hips a little in a silent get on with it. “Speaking of what we like, are you planning on holding my cock all night, or are you going to blow me?”

“Bold words for someone with his cock in my hand.” Damen quips back before awarding Laurent what he’d asked for. He’s teased him quite a bit already, so with his hands on Laurent’s hips, he wraps his lips around the flushed head and sinks down.

Laurent lets out a strange breath and runs his hands through Damen’s hair. “Yes.”

Damen bobs his head until he’s taking the full length and swallows around it, sucking obediently as he looks up at Laurent.

Laurent’s face is contorted in pleasure, back arched, toes curling. “Damen.” He pants, petting his hair as a thank you as Damen holds his hips down to keep them from bucking. He lets out a moan, more uninhibited than usual as Damen slides his mouth up and down, licking up the underside and generously tongue the slit. Thanks to that stupid move with Ancel Laurent had made all those years ago, Damen has always known exactly how Laurent likes it.

Accordingly, Damen slows down, sinking his mouth over him one inch at a time and licking back up. Laurent tugs his hair a little at that.

“Damen.” Laurent gasps as he’s suckling at the head of his now oversensitive erection. “Damen, please, no more games. I’m not just trying to rush you into coming, but I’ll go mad if you keep doing this.”

“But I’m having such a good time.”

Laurent swears at him in Veretian and sits himself up, pushing both hands through Damen’s curls and bending down to kiss the top of his head. “Please, fuck me.” He commands, his voice tinged with desperation and arousal. He can’t keep still under Damen’s hands even as they hold him down.

“Well since you asked so nicely.”

“Damianos.” Laurent groans in exasperation, falling back onto the bed as Damen finally returns to a kneeling position. Seizing the opportunity, Laurent stretches for the nightstand and grabs the oil Damen had set out, tossing at his chest so that reflexes force him to catch it. Next, he grabs the steel cup for Paschal.

Damen expects Laurent to lay back again, legs spread in anticipation, but instead Laurent sits up once more, reaching forward to grab Damen’s cock and squeeze it at the middle.

It rips a cry from Damen’s lips, having been so heavily aroused for so long without attention. The hakesh makes him all the more sensitive.

“If you lose yourself and come inside me instead of this cup, you’re sleeping on the floor for a week.” Laurent says, dead serious as he holds up the cup for demonstration. He’s still completely flushed, his breathing hollow and cock twitching with desire. “You’ve worked me up to a point I can’t be adequately responsible, so the very moment you feel yourself about to come, you hault everything and let me collect it.” Laurent grabs Damen by the back of the neck then and yanks him forward in a hot open mouthed kiss, groaning as he pushes his tongue write into Damen’s mouth and steals the breath right from his lungs. “Am I understood?” He asks when he pulls away, his forehead against Damen’s.

Damen’s head is spinning, lost in the experience of Laurent being aroused enough he can’t control his body fully, the excitement that they’re about to make the first try for conception, and a bridling desperation worsened by the unmoving fist around his cock. “You’re understood.” Damen swallows, uncapping the oil as Laurent lays back again, his hair spread out like a halo beneath his head as he presents himself.

“I already prepared myself, the oil is for you.”

“That’s kind of sweet.” Damen smiles, pouring a generous amount into his palm and spreading it over his cock before applying a little extra to Laurent, who whimpers at the touch. “You’re so sensitive for me, baby.” Damen murmurs, pushing two fingers inside just for the fun of it. He curls them inside and strokes the sensitive spot within, making Laurent whine and fist the sheets in his hand. “I’ll fuck you, but you have to keep talking to me. Understood?”

“Fuck you.” Laurent pants, writhing on Damen’s fingers. “Understood.”

“You’re being so good for me.” Damen says and is surprised to find Laurent’s blush deepen at those words. “Do you like that?”

“Which part?”

“When I compliment you.” Damen grins. “I think you like praise.”

Laurent rolls his eyes and lets out an impatient huff. “I suppose I like it when it’s… coming from you. I do happen to enjoy pleasuring you too you know.”

“That…” Damen positions himself over Laurent and reaches down, pressing himself up against the tight ring of muscle between Laurent’s legs. “Is actually quite adorable.”

Laurent hooks his legs over Damen’s hips and glowers at him one more time for the teasing before wrapping his arms around Damen’s shoulders too. “Please, just fuck me.”

Damen obliges, giving the first push of his hips and watching as Laurent’s expression immediately softens, his head tipping back and his mouth falling open. “God, Laurent.” He breathes, forcing himself to push in slowly. “You’re so tight, baby. You feel so good.” He watches the way Laurent shivers at the praise and makes sure to continue as he bottoms out. “You take me so well.”

Laurent whines, helpless and looks up at Damen. He can’t fight his inhibitions anymore, his face is bright red and his eyes are wide and honest. “Keep talking.” He asks, quietly now, the commanding tone of his voice completely dropped as he leans up and presses a soft kiss to Damen’s closed lips. “Don’t make fun of me after.”

“Never, baby.” Damen grins, his chest swelling with pride as he hitches one of Laurent’s legs a little higher and starts to rock his hips. God, being inside Laurent is heaven. He’s always warm, his insides slick and so perfectly tight around him. “Every time you let me fuck you, it feels better.” He lets out a breathy laugh, nuzzling his nose against Laurent’s while he builds a rhythm. “I want to make you feel so good, darling. I want to make you feel as good as you make me feel, that’s why I push you to talk to me. I’ve never experienced sex like I experience it with you. I need to be able to pleasure you as much as you do me.”

“You’re awfully good at making speeches with your dick inside me.” Laurent croaks, tucking his head into the crook of Damen’s neck and tightening his muscles to punch a moan out of Damen’s throat. “You do make me feel good, I’m… I-I can’t think, you make me feel so good.”

“You’re so beautiful, Laurent.” Damen sighs, trying to keep control of himself. Laurent will need to come first, so he can focus on grabbing the cup in time for Damen’s release, which needs he really needs to stave off his own right now. “Come here.” He wraps an arm around Laurent’s torso, under his back to make him arch and fucks in at the new angle.

“Damen!” Laurent cries out, his whole body trembling as he clings harder to him. “There, there, fuck me there.” He babbles as Damen continues to pump in and out, taking care not to change the angle again, so he can keep stimulating Laurent like this. The feeling of Laurent clinging to him, so overwhelmed with pleasure that he can’t keep still or quiet is almost as good as the feeling of being inside of him. “Oh, fuck, Damen.” Laurent practically sobs, even more lost than he was when they fucked the night before. He’s out of control.

“Keep holding onto me, baby. I’m gonna make you come.” Damen murmurs, a promise as he fucks Laurent at a faster, but steady pace. It pulls at the tightness in his abdomen where Kastor’s stab wound had healed, but he ignores it in favor of continuing his onslaught. He feels every tremor of Laurent beneath and around him, relishes in the sound of his stoic husband whimpering in his ear like a slave on his First Night.

“Please.” Laurent gasps. “Don’t finish yet, please, please, keep fucking me, I-I’m right…” Laurent bites Damen’s shoulder to suppress a wail as his orgasm appears to edge closer.

It takes a great deal of will, but Damen bites his lip hard and continues. “Don’t worry about me. I won’t mess up the sample, just focus on you right now. Let me see you feel good. Come for me, Laurent.”

With the reassurance that Damen can control himself, Laurent slides one hand down between them to wrap around himself, stroking his cock in time with Damen’s rapid thrusts until his orgasm crests like a tidal wave.

“DAMEN!” Laurent wails, immediately clamping a hand over his mouth when the shout escapes him, but he can’t control the rest of himself. His hand rubs his cock through the pleasure, shooting warm ribbons of release over his stomach and fist as his hips jerk against Damen, his toes curl, and his entire body trembles.

“Laurent.” Damen groans with an urgency as soon as Laurent begins to come down. He isn’t going to be able to control himself for more than a few more seconds.

“I’m here.” Laurent pants, quickly lifting his hips and allowing Damen to pull out before he rises to his knees and grabs the steel cup. “Don’t worry about anything else, just come.” He instructs and just looking at his husband’s face, neck covered in bruises, lips sore and wet, completely fucked out with his hair frizzed all the way to the ends -- it’s enough for Damen to come with one stroke of Laurent’s hand.

It’s undoubtedly one of the most intense climaxes he’s ever had, his mouth hanging open in a pleasure so intense, sound can’t escape his throat as he keeps Laurent close and empties into the cup Laurent had raised to the tip of his cock, catching every bit of his release.

“Perfect.” Laurent whispers, pressing warm kisses to Damen’s cheeks, down his neck as he coaxes him through the climax. Only when he’s positive Damen’s finished, does he take the cup away and press his lips to Damen’s forehead. “I’ll be right back.”

Damen watches him, breathless as Laurent sets the cup down on the nightstand and hurries to the wardrobe to cover himself. There’s a silk robe hanging there for precisely this purpose, dark blue just for Laurent. He wraps himself in it, tying the sash tight around his slender waist before taking the cup and leaving the room to summon the servant.

Christ, had he really gotten Laurent to scream his name? He hadn’t thought it possible.

Damen hears the quiet ringing of a bell through the doorway and a few muttered words as he lays back down, trying to commit to memory every detail of Laurent’s lovemaking of the night.

Laurent returns, pink in the face from being seen in his state, even by a servant, but he disrobes again and takes a towel from the nightstand drawer to clean himself up a little more, then Damen. “You must feel pretty proud of yourself.”

“A little.” Damen grins. “You screamed my name.”

“I wouldn’t call it a scream.” Laurent frowns, tossing the towel to the side and laying down on the mattress next to him.

“I don’t know, I think that’s debatable.” Damen teases as he wraps Laurent in his arms and pulls him close, squeezing. “I love you so much.” He sighs, the words coming so easily as he holds Laurent like this. “I could never do this with anyone else.”

It takes Laurent a moment, but he soon snuggles in close to Damen’s touch to whisper in the dark. “I love you too.”

They lay like that a while, holding one another, touching, sharing warm kisses as Damen strokes Laurent’s hair under the guise of settling the frizz for him, but he sees how Laurent nearly purrs at the touch. He feels warm to the touch, content with the slight buzz of drunkenness the Hakesh offers. He doesn’t even notice when his cock begins to perk up again against the press of Laurent’s thigh.

“For the love of God, Damen.” Laurent groans. “What does it take to satiate you?”

“Hm?” Damen glances down and laughs a little, turning, so he can spoon Laurent from behind. “It’s just the Hakesh. Ignore it.”

“Ignore your erection against my ass as we fall asleep?”

“Mhm.” Damen hums, pressing a kiss to where Laurent’s neck meets his shoulder. “I happen to think it’s quite romantic.”

“Everything’s romantic to you.” Laurent sighs, but he pulls the silken sheets up above their shoulders and settles back comfortably into Damen’s touch, shutting his eyes and placing his hand over Damen’s where it rests on his stomach. “Insatiable.”

*****
The next week passes agonizingly slowly. As much as it seems to be a vacation, it’s twice the work to govern from a remote location, both kings out of the capital. At least, with the hot climate, Damen is thrilled to see Laurent in a chiton more often. While sifting through mountains of tax code reforms, they sit together on the balcony of their room, overlooking the mountains, enjoying the bit of solitude with one another.

Damen had intended on spending some time getting to know Astrid, but he senses Laurent’s unease when he speaks to her. He knows it will fade with time, once the baby comes especially, and they’ll get to know the mother of their child well enough, but for now, Damen wants Laurent to feel as secure as possible. With his sexual history, a history that involved far more women than men, he doesn’t want Laurent to doubt for a second that he’s the only object of Damen’s affections.

At least, Laurent seems to be making almost daily strides in his ability to express himself. Damen doesn’t know if he’s unlocked something magical after that one night, but Laurent is more… talkative about his mood. He’s more talkative when they fuck, when they lay in bed afterwards.

It’s been seven days now. Three more until Paschal can perform the first test. They can only stay away from the capital for so long, so they’re each itching to find out if they’ve succeeded in siring a child yet.

“I’m in agony awaiting these results.” Laurent huffs as they stand on the balcony, his elbows leaned on the marble banister, his head resting in his hands as he looks out over the view. “If she isn’t pregnant, we’ll have to try every day until Paschal gets a result and if we start to run out of time…”

“I know.” Damen nods, walking up behind him to smooth a hand up his back, bringing it up to rest on his shoulder. “You know, you’ve been really talkative the past few days. It’s been really nice.”

Laurent raises an eyebrow. “You enjoy my relentless prattling on about insemination?”

“I do.” Damen grins. “Whatever’s gotten into you, I love it.”

“Well.” Laurent’s cheeks pinken a little bit as he looks out over the horizon, his hair glowing in the orange of sunset. “I thought about some things on our first night here - after you went to sleep.”

Of course, Laurent had made some active choice rather than magically unlocking his communication skills. Damen had guessed as much, but he’s curious to know what’s triggered it.

“I don’t want our child to be… closed off like me.” Laurent says, serious as he shifts his gaze to the gardens below, looking from statue to statue instead of meeting Damen’s eyes. “I spent so long stifling myself that I feel like I can’t even access my true feelings at times. I can’t allow that to pass to our child.”

“Laurent.” Damen frowns. “You closed yourself off as a result of severe trauma, you won’t pass it on.”

“I might.” Laurent shrugs. “If I’m not careful. I know I’ll openly love our child, but they’ll need to see all of me. They’ll have to see me openly loving you, know that… feelings like sadness are alright to express.” He grimaces at himself and lifts his head. “So I’m working on it now. Hard.”

“Is there… something causing you sadness right now?”

Laurent cracks a small smile and nudges Damen’s arm. “No. There is not.” He steps closer and tucks himself under Damen’s arm, letting his head loll onto his shoulder as they watch the sun set behind the mountains. “Do you remember the weeks after the events at Ios?”

“I could never forget them.” Damen answers honestly. It had been one of the biggest turning points in his relationship with Laurent yet. For days, weeks where he was bedridden, Laurent was his caretaker. He’d insisted Paschal teach him everything from Damen’s medication regime to how to clean and redress his wound. He’d bathed him, read to him, never left his side. Daman had nightmares frequently during those days -- agonized by the loss of his brother, guilt ridden over being bed bound while his people needed him.

Laurent had listened to every thought that passed through Damen’s mind as he grieved. He’d told him all about the agony of his own grief when he lost Auguste, how the pain will one day pass, how Damen will be able to breathe a little easier. It was a time where even Nikandros finally grew to trust Laurent somewhat, seeing his undeniable devotion to Damen in every sense of the world.

“What about those weeks?” Damen asks, pressing a light kiss into golden hair.

“You were in so much pain.” Laurent’s voice is quieter now. “Your heart was in pieces over what had happened, but you… talked about it. We talked all night about how you felt sometimes. I’ve never done that.” He turns his head and kisses the side of Damen’s neck. “No matter what, our child will be confronted with loss at some point in their life. They’ll be faced with pain and difficulty in some form or another no matter how we protect them and I need to make sure that they follow your example -- not mine.”

“They’ll be just fine.” Damen smiles. “We’ll teach them together. They’ll follow our example and you’ll show them as much love and understanding as you showed me when I was mourning.” He leans down and presses a kiss to Laurent’s ear. “I do love it when you’re talkative anyways.”

“I suppose.” Laurent smiles a little bit too, leaning into Damen’s touch. “I should try and have a conversation with Astrid tomorrow, I feel I’ve been rather… cold to her.”

“Talking to her would be nice. We did say we wanted our child to know her as an aunt, so if she’s going to be a part of the family, you’ll need to like her.”

“It’s not easy liking a female doppelganger of myself.” Laurent squints. “I wouldn't be surprised if my birthmark is somewhere on her right thigh as well.”

“It is pretty uncanny.” Damen chuckles. “But nothing compares to the real thing. Especially since you’ve been so, ah… vocal about what you want lately.”

“That so?” Laurent smirks. “And you like hearing my desires so often?”

“I love it.”

“Well, then… Enough of my whining about emotions and whatnot, I’m aching for you to lift this chiton and fuck me.”

“Here?” Damen’s face turns bright red, his cock jumping between his legs in surprise. “It’s not yet dark.”

“And?”

“And we could be seen?”

“You have every right to say no, I’m just simply telling you that what I’m feeling right now is a desire for you to bend me over this banister.”

“You’re a special kind of evil.” Damen groans, moving Laurent in front of him, so he can reach around and feel him up through the thin linen. “Do you want me to fetch a cup from Paschal?”

Laurent shakes his head and leans on the banister again, content to watch the view while Damen has his way with him. “No. I want this one just for me.”

“Shall I at least head inside for-”

Impatient, Laurent deepens his lean and pulls the skirt of his chiton up to his waist, revealing not just the curve of his ass - which Damen can never resist - but the glistening of his inner thighs.

“You planned this?”

“When do I not plan something?”

“And you call me insatiable.” Damen smiles, sidling up happily behind him, despite the embarrassment of being possibly seen and reaches beneath his own skirt to stroke himself to a fuller hardness.

“I did mean my words though.” Laurent assures, looking over his shoulder at Damen. “I would not… fake a conversation like that to lure you into bed.”

“I know.” Damen nods, giving him a sweet kiss on the lips as he drags the tip of his cock between the cheeks of Laurent’s ass. “Now just watch the sunset. I’m gonna take care of you.” He kisses up Laurent’s neck when he pushes in, aware that there will be a bit of a stretch without having slicked himself up, but the head pushes in easily enough and Laurent’s knees wobble in response. “Just promise to be quiet.”

“Yes.” Laurent breathes, giving an enthusiastic nod of his head before Damen fucks himself in and he lets out a cry loud enough to scare the birds away.

*****

The day of the first pregnancy test comes without ease. While they’re going strong with each other, Damen is just as stressed as Laurent about the results. They’ve been having sex around the clock and if Astrid isn’t pregnant now, it’s bad news. Should they run out of time here and have to bring her back to Ios, conception will be even more difficult.

Damen isn’t quite sure how the test works, only that it has something to do with a substance Paschal put together and if that substance changes color, it means the woman is pregnant.

They’re waiting outside of Paschal’s infirmary, Damen holding Laurent’s waist from behind as they wait for either Paschal or Astrid to emerge. He’s grateful that Laurent isn’t pretending not to be incredibly stressed and anxious. It’s easier for them to experience together as Damen holds him tight and Laurent chews on the inside of his cheek — a cute habit Damen had picked up on for times when Laurent is anxious.

He wants so badly for this to work. He looks at his husband, his tight beige pants and knee high boots, a white shirt that ruffles at the neck. Damen wants to have a family with this man so badly, it hurts.

“What’s taking so long?” Laurent huffs. “Doesn’t she just have to piss in a bowl or something? This is agonizing.”

“I know, Love. I’m sure it’ll be any second.”

As if summoned by his words, Paschal pushes open the intricate wooden door to greet them. Behind him, Damen can see Astrid sitting on the side of a medical bed, looking away. This is not how good news is delivered…

“So no child.” Laurent grimaces, his tone low and gravelly to disguise his disappointment with aggravation.

“I’m… afraid not. Not yet.” Paschal sighs, looking at Damen with sympathetic eyes.

Damen feels Laurent’s shoulders sink, senses the change in his posture as he tries not to appear as devastated as Damen knows he is.

“I do have my recommendation, but I understand it is a last resort for you two.”

Damen gives a grim nod.

“It’s just that we don’t want to risk running out of time here. We need to embark back to Ios with a pregnant surrogate. I recommend you inseminate her directly, with Laurent’s assistance of course.” Paschal is careful to add, looking at Laurent with the same sympathetic eyes. The two have a relationship Damen can’t truly define, but Paschal has known Laurent since he was a child. He’s good at reading him too. “I think you should attempt tonight. Tomorrow night at the latest.”

“Very well.” Laurent swallows hard and pulls away from Damen’s touch, walking back down the hall away from the infirmary. “Make the arrangements.” He says with a dismissive wave of his hand before turning a corner out of sight, the sounds of his boots on the hard floor fading with distance.

“Exalted, if the emotional strain is too much, you don’t have to attempt this. It’s merely a recommendation.”

“I know.” Damen presses his lips into a hard line. Doing this might break Laurent’s heart, but it also might be the only way. It pains him thinking about doing anything remotely unfaithful, even though this would be an act he would be committing for Laurent. “I’ll go and find him. Hold off on any arrangements for now, tell Astrid thank you for continuing on with this.”

“It shall be done.” Paschal says, turning back to the doorway as Damen leaves in pursuit of his husband.

If they were at home, Damen knows he would find Laurent at the stable. But here, they don’t have his horse, and the grounds are unfamiliar, so he’ll be in the only place he’s ever been able to healthily express his rage.

Damen finds him in the training room, standing in the corner to watch him a bit. Laurent is scowling as he pierces the air, practicing with a heavy wooden sword from the wall. The women don’t keep real weapons in this room, saving them for true battle.

Laurent swings like a mad man, but with the poise of a long trained dancer. All strength and grace, an unstoppable force of power and beauty. Damen can see where his hair is already starting to frizz and curl with sweat.

“Do you want a partner?” Damen asks, stepping out to grab a wooden sword from the wall.

“Are you sure you want to spar with me like this?” Laurent asks, his voice dark as he catches his breath and watches Damen come up to him. “I don’t want to talk about feelings right now.”

“You don’t have to.” Damen shrugs, positioning himself in front of Laurent, sword raised. “We can just fight. Think you can take me on right now?”

“I can take you on any time.” Laurent lets out a low laugh and positions himself as well. “Try me.”

Damen does. He knows his husband well and he knows he doesn’t need to pull his punches. In the time since the war, Laurent has only gotten better with the sword while Damen had lost quite a bit of valuable practice time. He’s as quick to dodge as he is to strike, forcing Damen to spend all of his focus on parrying his attacks.

Damen gets a few good swings in, close calls for Laurent, but he loses the upper hand again. Laurent in a mood like this is a completely different force to be reckoned with. Damen gets a thrill every moment of sparring with him with the added comfort that Laurent will feel better once he exhausts himself.

Already, Damen’s muscles are getting a little tired as Laurent pushes him to the back of the room again. Damen manages to turn the tides, but Laurent strikes with a fury.

Damen knows he’s supposed to be wearing armor for this, but he isn’t worried about it until the split second when one of Laurent’s strikes lands.

Damen had healed well after his brothers attack — as well as one could. He made a full recovery, but the wound had been so rough, so jagged, that even healed, if left him with a permanent weak spot. It wasn’t a big worry for him. They amended all of his armor to protect it and the area could be touched without pain. But a strike with a heavy wooden sword right over the scar of his old wound is enough to make Damen’s vision go white with blinding pain.

He hears himself cry out as he falls to his knees and leans over, his forehead pressed to the dirt as he clutches his side with both hands. It feels like having the wind knocked out of him ten times over. Being hit there is like a direct hit to his organs, worse than a kick to the balls could even disable him.

“Damen?” Laurent’s voice comes out soft, scared as Damen hears his sword drop to the floor as well and the sound of Laurent landing on his knees beside him. “Damen, I-I… I’m so sorry, it was a complete accident.”

Damen grits his teeth, trying only to focus on not throwing up for the time being. He can’t hear Laurent’s babbling next to him.

“Damen? Damen, talk to me, let me take you to Paschal, I’m so sorry.” Laurent’s voice wavers as he strokes a hand up and down Damen’s back.

“Is that the king?” Damen hears a familiar voice enter the training grounds, but he’s not yet able to lift his head.

“Nikandros, he’s hurt, help me get him to the infirmary, o-or at least to bed so Paschal can come to him.”

“What happened?” Nikandros asks, hurrying up to kneel beside Damen as well.

Damen takes deep breaths, bringing himself back to Earth just enough to be aware of his surroundings, but unable to let go of his side just yet.

“I struck him in his weak spot, it was my fault.” Laurent’s voice is raised in a panic as he desperately runs a hand through Damen’s hair, trying to show any and all signs of affection. “Damen, please say something.”

“You did this?” Nikandros’s voice is low.

“Yes, I fucking did it!” Laurent snaps, his voice razor sharp. “I fucked up, you can tell me all about how I’m the worlds worst husband and how you’ve always known I wasn’t up to the task, but right now, go get fucking help! He’s in pain.”

“Laurent.” Damen manages to say, his voice weak. It hurts so unbelievably deep, he can’t believe it. He’s never been hit there directly since healing.

“Yes? Yes, I’m right here Damen, I’m here.” Laurent whispers, one hand still stroking his hair as the other continues on his back.

“Why did you…” Damen winces. “How did you…” He tries to push himself up, but stumbles, making his way to his knees with one hand still on the ground supporting him.

“I’ll get Paschal.” Nikandros says, darkly. Damen catches the scornful look he gives Laurent. “Don’t you dare lay a finger on him while I’m gone.”

Damen feels Laurent’s hands tremble on him. Still disoriented, did Nikandros just imply Laurent would hurt him on purpose?

As soon as Nikandros’s footsteps fade, Laurent lifts his head, looking at Damen in utter agony.

“Damen, I never meant to hit you on purpose, please believe me.” He begs, his face pale and his eyes wide. “I would never hurt you, I love you, I-I… I’m so sorry.” His breath hitches, his chest rapidly rising and falling, his body starting to visibly tremble.

Damen recognizes these rare mannerisms in Laurent — the same that Laurent had exhibited when Damen scared him weeks ago in the inn. Laurent is going into a state of panic again.

“Laurent.” Damen repeats, looking up at him. “I know. I know, my love. I know you wouldn’t hurt me on purpose.”

“I don’t know how I let myself forget your injury, I was just so upset at the thought of you and Astrid, I stopped thinking.” Laurent hugs Damen’s head to his chest. “Do you trust me to take care of you? I understand if you would… prefer someone else.”

Damen’s heart breaks at the pain in Laurent’s voice. Laurent has worked so hard for so long to prove his love and devotion to those around them who always suspected Laurent to be using him, abusing him, conspiring against him. He knows how much of that work has just been erased by one mistake and he knows how much Laurent’s heart must be breaking to suggest someone else take care of him. Ever since his injury, no one tends to him but Laurent and Paschal. “I trust you always.” Damen swallows, closing his eyes and feeling Laurent’s rapid heartbeat in his chest. “Don’t listen to Nikandros, he’s just… protective.”

“Everyone can think me a villain as long as you still trust me.” Laurent lets out a shaky breath and kisses the top of Damen’s head. “Let's get you lying down for the moment, hold on to me.”

It was just as it had been years ago when Damen was in his sick bed. Laurent’s hand comes to his lower back to support him as Damen carefully rolls himself up, cringing at the pain.

“I know. Keep going.” Laurent murmurs, bringing his other hand to Damen’s chest and easing him down onto his back as gently as possible. “Deep breaths.”

Damen obeys, shutting his eyes as he breathes in and out. He’ll have to talk with Nikandros later. He doesn’t take kindly to anyone doubting Laurent at this point in time. Damen’s made his share of mistakes and hurt Laurent. He’d made him cry, sent him into a panic. Laurent had slipped and struck him in his weak spot. It doesn’t break his trust in him.

“I’m just going to look.” Laurent says as he undoes the clasp at Damen’s shoulder and pulls the chiton down to expose Damen’s side, just above his hip. Damen can hear him wince.

“Bad?”

“It… could be better.”

“Don’t make me laugh, it’ll hurt.” Damen smiles, grateful when Laurent takes his hand and holds it with both of his own.

Nikandros returns through the double doors to the training room with Paschal in tow, a look of scorn on his face still.

“Well it was bound to happen at one time or another, knowing you two.” Paschal says, calm as he steps out into the dirt to see Damen. “Struck with a wooden sword, yes?”

“Yes.” Laurent answers, shamefully. “I want to take care of him, if you could just examine and… and tell me what to do for him.”

“Don’t worry yourself too much, it’s more painful than it is damaging.” Paschal peers down at the wound where purple bruising has blossomed. “It’ll hurt intensely for a few hours, but with some medicine, it won’t hurt more than an average bruising by morning.

“Thank goodness.” Laurent sighs. “Could you have the medicine brought to our room? I want to get him in bed.”

“I’m fine, Laurent.”

“Damen, you could be missing an arm and a leg and you would proclaim that you’re fine.” Laurent squints, but pushes the curls out of Damen’s eyes anyways before letting go of his hand and rising. “Nikandros, if you could put your incessant hatred of me aside to help him up?”

Nikandros grumbles a remark under his breath, but he knows better than to press the King more than he already has. He comes up to Damen’s other side and together, they help him to his feet.

“Thank you.” Damen sighs, slumping towards Laurent. “It was an accident, Nikandros. I’ve accidentally knocked you on your ass plenty of times before.”

“Well you and I aren’t married.”

Damen chuckles a little bit and puts an arm around Laurent’s shoulders for support. “If you’re going to put me in bed for the rest of the day, I expect to be entertained.”

“I suppose I owe you as much.” Laurent says, helping Damen walk off of the training grounds, towards the hall. “Paschal please bring up the medicine and any instructions.”

“Yes, your Highness.”

Damen is able to walk fine, but leaning on Laurent on his uninjured side makes it easier as they make their way up the staircase. He winces a little on the steps, but at least he can already feel the pain beginning to fade.

“You can be angry with me.” Laurent says when they cross the threshold, kicking the door shut behind him. “You don’t have to defend me when I’ve been… I don’t know, neglectful.” He grimaces, helping Damen over time sit on the bed.

“I’m not angry with you.” Damen assures, reaching out and squeezing Laurent’s wrist. “I mean, ow, but I know you didn’t do it on purpose. I know how upset you are about having to do things this way with Astrid.”

“It’s no excuse for hurting you like this.” Laurent kisses Damen’s forehead and moves his hands down to Damen’s hips to help him out of the unclasped chiton. “Lie down. Paschal will be by any minute.”

Damen hisses as he lies himself down, grateful for when Laurent reaches out to stroke his hair. The touch is soothing, taking away from the throbbing in his side.

“I’m sorry for losing control of myself.”

“It’s okay.” Damen says, closing his eyes and pressing his head up into Laurent’s touch. “If it’s too difficult, we don’t have to do the ceremony with Astrid, you know. We can just keep trying the other way.”

“Paschal was right about time.” Laurent sighs. “We’ll have to, just…” He closes his eyes a moment. “Promise to never stop kissing me while you fuck her. I don’t want anyone else to have that.”

“I won’t even take my eyes off of you.”

Soon, Paschal interrupts and brings some foul tasting medicine Laurent forces Damen to drink, some ice to hold on the wound. When he leaves, Laurent holds the ice there himself. As much as Damen hated being bedridden after his injury, he does love seeing this side of Laurent.

Outside the balcony, dark clouds begin to roll in, a few flashes of lightning in the distance. Damen tosses a concerned glance towards Laurent, but his expression remains unreadable, one hand icing Damen’s bruise and the other stroking absentmindedly up and down his thigh.

“It’s okay to be nervous. Been a long time since we’ve had to ride out a big thunderstorm.”

“I’m not nervous.” Laurent grimaces. “I’m not a child hiding under the bed at the sound of thunder, I just… I don’t care for storms, who does?”

“Let me up for a second.” Damen says, sitting himself up and stifling the wince.

“Don’t, Damen.” Laurent sighs. “You need to stay rested if you want to feel better by morning.”

“Just let me up a second.” Damen says, moving Laurent’s hand away from his wound and biting his lip to ignore the soreness when he gets up out of bed.

He walks out on the balcony, surrounded by black clouds, but not yet raining. He gathers the books Laurent had left there, so they won’t be ruined by water and takes in the bottle of wine as well. Back in their bedchamber, he puts the books diligently on Laurent’s shelf and puts the wine down on the table before pulling the heavy doors to the balcony closed tight. He fastens every latch on them. Flashes of lightning will still be seen through the designs of the door, but they’re small and intricate enough that water shouldn’t be able to get inside.

Back on the bed, Laurent has one knee pulled to his chest, his other leg stretched out in front of him. He looks at Damen, his head resting on his knee and his eyes soft. “Thank you.” He says quietly. “Will you come lie down now?”

“You’re free to hold me hostage all night long.” Damen resigns, carefully laying himself back down on the bed beside Laurent and hissing when Laurent holds the ice against him again. In the distance, thunder rumbles and Laurent moves a little closer, going back to stroking Damen’s hair as an excuse to be touching.

Damen doesn’t mind, shutting his eyes and nuzzling his head into the touch. He knows this may be an anxious night. His fear only really shows in the worst of storms, but Laurent doesn’t get along with this sort of weather. He hadn’t given Damen many details other than that he’d gone sailing with Auguste as a young child. They’d hit bad weather, nearly wrecked the ship, and barely made it back to shore in a typhoon.

“Come here.” Damen murmurs. “Hold me.”

“You want to be held by the man who nearly broke your rib?”

“Indeed I do.”

Laurent rolls his eyes, but it doesn’t take long for him to comply, putting the cloth of melting ice on the far end of the bedside table before snuggling in close to Damen.

“We haven’t had a storm in a long time.” Damen notes, wrapping an arm snug around Laurent’s shoulders and grinning when Laurent nestles in, hooking one leg up over Damen’s thigh to be extra close.

“The weather in Aikelos is hot, but at least it’s not constantly raining on us.”

As if in response to his words, the rain begins to fall over the balcony, a heavy downpour that fills the room with white noise. The thunder that follows is much closer than before.

“The medicine is kicking in.” Damen says, pressing a kiss to Laurent’s head. “It doesn’t hurt so much anymore.”

“I don’t believe you.” Laurent mumbles, nuzzling his cheek against Damen’s chest. He closes his eyes when lighting brightens the room. “I don’t… I don’t want you to worry about me tomorrow. We’ll treat it like what it is — something medical and it’ll be over soon enough.”

“Are you sure?” Damen frowns, running his hand down Laurent’s back, still clothed.

“I… I know that you love me.” Laurent says, earnest as he looks up at Damen.

“What changed?”

Laurent’s cheeks turned pink. “You… brought in my books.” He glances towards the shelf on the far side of the room.

A smile blooms on Damen’s lips as he hugs Laurent right against his chest, pressing a kiss to his husband’s forehead the moment another crack of thunder rumbles over them. “Sit up with me a moment.”

Laurent doesn’t argue this time, sitting himself upright and looking anxiously towards the balcony doors. Well, he looked anxious to Damen. Anyone else would think he’s perfectly fine, but Damen senses whenever he tenses.

“Come here.” Damen reaches out and undoes the laces on the front of Laurent’s shirt, pulling it off over his head. “Not trying anything, just getting you comfortable.” He teases as he moves his hands down to Laurent’s pants. He still hates to see his husband attended by anyone but him. No one does it quite right.

He undoes the laces with ease and stifles his desire when they open to reveal Laurent’s lack of underwear, pulling away to let Laurent free himself of the fabric himself.

Once naked, Damen pulls Laurent back to their previous position, Damen clutching Laurent close to him as if it will protect him from the sound of thunder.

The storm is heavy and it’s right on top of them. The room practically trembles with each clap of thunder, but Damen meets Laurent’s every tremor with a kiss or a light joke.

“I suppose we should treasure the next year or so.” Laurent sighs, half asleep with one leg thrown over Damen and his face shoved into the crook of his neck. “Soon, we’ll have a little one crawling into bed with us on stormy nights.”

“I suppose I’ll have to comfort you both.”

Laurent swats at Damen’s arm.

“I deserved that one.” Damen smiles, giving Laurent another squeeze. “Do you think you can get to sleep?”

“Your warmth is rather… tiring.” Laurent punctuates the statement with a yawn. “Wake me if you get up in the night… if you don’t mind.”

“I will.” Damen promises, stroking Laurent’s hair until he feels his breath start to even out a little.

He’ll stay up a little longer, keep himself awake to make sure Laurent is able to get to sleep before he lets himself drift off. Laurent always looks so sweet when he sleeps, it’s no wonder he’s always up first thing in the morning, never allowing anyone but Damen to wake him. Damen’s the only one who sees him like this — peaceful. No furrowed brow or filthy insults falling from his mouth, just his sweet golden haired husband, exhausted after an emotional day.

Damen won’t take his eyes off of him tomorrow. He’ll kiss Laurent every moment he has to be inside of Astrid, he’ll profess his love like a prayer. Sword related mistakes aside, Laurent deserves that much from him. Damen will do everything to put him at ease.

The more he looks at him, sees his face finally relaxed in sleep, the more upset he feels about Nikandros’s words earlier. He knows he doesn’t get to see the side of Laurent that Damen does, but how can he still be so hostile towards Laurent? They’re starting a family together. He’s considered even asking Nikandros to be the Godfather of their child, but he could never do that if this continues. He won’t grant that to someone who doesn’t see Laurent as the devoted husband that he is.

He slips out of bed, careful not to wake Laurent. He pulls the sheet over his pale shoulders, bending down to kiss his forehead before creeping out of the room.

Damen sends the guards away when he leaves the bedchamber, not wanting to disturb Laurent explaining his whereabouts to them. It’s early in the night, meaning Nikandros is probably still in the lounge, drinking with Jord or maybe Makedon.

He strolls his way there, hearing the muffled laughter and conversation behind the heavy wooden doors. Upon opening them, he finds a comfortably lit fire and plenty of his men enjoying themselves. Pallas is sitting by the fire, looking a bit uncomfortable with the Vaskian women chatting him up. Damen smiles a little about how jealous Lazar will be when Pallas returns. There’s no sign of Jord, but just as he’d thought, Nikandros is reclined on the low couch, having a glass of wine alongside Makedon in the chair behind him.

“Exalted!” Makedon declares. “He lives!”

“It’s just a bruise.” Damen says with a roll of his eyes, allowing Makedon to pour him a glass of wine as well. “Nikandros, come speak with me a minute. I want your counsel on something.” He glances back towards Pallas. “Makedon, make sure Pallas isn’t pressured into an orgy, Lazar won’t forgive me if I allow his lover to sire a dozen Vaskian children.”

“Will do.” Makedon gives a mock salute and turns his attention back to the griva.

“Balcony.” Damen says, cocking his head towards the opening of the lounge where a covered balcony awaits, an easy place for a conversation where they won’t be heard above all the voices inside. The tapestry above will protect them from the rain.

“What do you need counsel for?” Nikandros frowns, setting his wine glass on the bannister. “Is something wrong? I can ride back to Ios if need be.”

“No, I just said that to bring you out here.” Damen sighs, slouching against the marble railing beside him. His bruise aches, but not enough that he can’t ignore it. “Why are you still being so cruel to Laurent?”

Nikandros’s eyebrows raise. “Me, cruel to him?”

“Yes, you know what I’m talking about.” Damen glares. “I’m tired of it. I understood when our relationship was new, but we’ve been married for two years and you still act as if he’s going to assassinate me any moment.”

“Well…” Nikandros shrugs.

“Nikandros.”

“I just don’t trust him, Damen. I’m sorry, but I… I can’t.” Nikandros shakes his head. “Every time I see those scars on your back, I feel sick. How could you marry the man that did that to you?”

“We’ve been over this a thousand times, things were different then. I had murdered his brother in battle and he exacted revenge as anyone would. We’ve settled our debts.” Damen looks up at the stars and takes a long deep breath. “I understand that I’m the only one who sees how kind he really is in private, but… you have to have some semblance of respect for him in the least. He’s done nothing to push Vere over Aikelos since our joint ruling, he’s saved my life, he’s fought for me at every turn. He bathed me every day when I was bedridden.”

His heart sinks a little at that. Laurent has done so much for him since they decided they could be together and too many people still see him as cold and cruel. Even as Laurent laughs with the squires, walks around the palace in a chiton, he’s painted as a villain for what he did to survive, for being a strong competent ruler who doesn’t waiver.

“I do understand all he’s done for you.” Nikandros sighs. “It’s just that I also understand all he’s done to you. He hurt you just today.”

“It was a sparring accident, it happens. Did you not see him drop to his knees to attend me the moment he realized I was hurt?” Damen pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration. “Laurent has been in agony over all this, me having to inseminate Astrid directly. I can read him and he’s been acting like he’s terrified of losing me lately even though we both know how much I love him… I think it’s because he feels I’m the only person in his corner.”

“Well, aren’t you?”

“I shouldn’t be.” Damen swallows hard. “Laurent has done nothing but advocate for people’s freedom and wellbeing, he’s done nothing but care for me and that alone should be enough for my people to stand by him.” He pauses for a moment and shakes his head, remembering how fragile and hurt Laurent had been crying in the forest, how he’d shook in terror after Damen pressed him down too hard too quickly after too many drinks.

Laurent never had someone in his corner after Auguste died. He spent so much time all alone, fighting to survive, and now Damen is beside him. He deserves to have the support of Damen’s closest friends. He deserves more than one person who knows him that understands at the very least, that he’s more than Damen ever asked for in a spouse. That he’s a good person.

“Nikandros, no matter what you think of him, he’s my husband. I’d give my life for him. I’d give my life for our child too and I want you to be a part of this family, you’ve been by my side since we were stupid boys wrestling through the palace.” He bites his bottom lip, looking down at his bare feet. “Nikandros, I can’t invite you into our family if you hate the man I love. I won’t do that to Laurent.”

Nikandros gives him a long studied look, pressing his lips into a straight line. “You really consider me to be a family member?”

“You’re more of a brother to me than Kastor was. I don’t see why you wouldn’t be an important person in our child’s life, but not if you’ll constantly berate and distrust one of their fathers. If something were to happen to me and Laurent, we need someone we can trust to take care of them. You are a Kyroi close to the king after all.” Damen meets Nikandros’s eyes, hoping to find understanding in them. He knows Nikandros loves him too, just like a brother. He wants him to be a part of their family life, but Laurent is a part of that family.

“I don’t know if I can promise I’ll feel towards him how I feel towards you.” Nikandros sighs. “But I suppose I have been… a little callous.”

“A little?”

“I’m still convinced you took us to war over your blonde fetish and got lucky enough for him to love you back.” Nikandros chuckles and Damen laughs too, nudging him in the side.

“I mean… he is pretty.” Damen grins. “So can you stop being a shithead to my husband? I actually think you guys would get along well if you’d give him a shot. Get a drink in him, you’ll find how similar you are.”

“The things I do for you.”

“It’s a small favor to be nice, Nikandros.”

Nikandros pouts and takes a sip of his wine. “I suppose.”

“I’m gonna get back to him, keep an eye on Pallas.”

“I don’t know if I can fend off all the women trying to secure his seed.”

Damen laughs a little and squeezes his friend’s shoulder as he brushes past him, returning through the lounge where Makedon has graciously taken Pallas under his wing.

He closes the door to the lounge when he leaves and heads back upstairs towards their chamber.

At the final steps, he sees Laurent emerge from their doors, wrapped in a thin silk robe, his hair frizzed from the pillow.

Damen smiles as he approaches him. “What are you doing up?”

Laurent huffs and looks around. “I was just going to… I needed-“

“You were looking for me?” Damen grins, walking up and putting his hands on Laurent’s waist.

Laurent rolls his eyes, but his cheeks turn the lightest shade of pink. “The guards were gone, I was just making sure you were… around. You said you’d wake me if you left.”

Warmth blooms in Damen’s chest at Laurent’s concern and he reaches past him to reopen the door. “I just went to check in on the men for a minute, everything’s fine. Come back to bed.”

“How’s your side?”

“It’s just a little sore, nothing to worry about.” Damen says, shutting the doors behind them and pushing the robe down Laurent’s shoulders. It puddles at his feet and Damen drops his chiton in the same fashion before pulling Laurent back to bed.

“Come here.” Damen murmurs, pulling Laurent in against his chest as always and shutting his eyes. “I’m good to go to sleep now.”

“Are you? Would you like to take a stroll through the garden first?”

“I think it’s a little wet outside for that.” Damen says with a kiss to the top of Laurent’s head. “Get back to sleep, Love. I’ll be right here.”

Laurent hums a little sound and settles in, closing his eyes. In minutes, he’s fast asleep on Damen again and he holds him close, relishing in Laurent’s warmth, his smooth skin against him.

Damen reminds himself of his resolve for tomorrow before falling asleep. Tomorrow, regardless of what he has to do physically, will be about his love for Laurent and the family they’re about to create — nothing else.

Chapter Text

The next morning is anxious. Damen lets Laurent sleep in as much as he can and tries to keep him distracted until the evening, so he won’t get stuck in his head over the insemination.

It’s no easy task. Laurent is a hard man to keep occupied when there isn’t work he has to be doing, but Damen takes him on a walk through the gardens, on a short ride on borrowed horses around the Vaskian fort.

As soon as the sun begins to go down, it’s about time. Before he lets Laurent go to his private room to prepare himself, he insists they sit down with Astrid first.

They take comfortable seats in the lounge, Damen keeping a hand possessively on Laurent’s thigh as they look at Astrid.

“I just wanted to make sure before we proceed tonight… You are comfortable with what’s going to happen?” Damen asks. “I know people treat it as a given, but if this is outside of your comfort zone…”

Astrid dismisses him with a wave of her hand. “It is my honor to serve the Exalted of Aikelos this way.” She turns to Laurent. “Just as it is my honor to serve you as well by carrying the child.”

Damen feels Laurent soften a little bit next to him.

Laurent clears his throat a little, crossing his legs as he looks at her, his expression calm and controlled, his voice steady. “I imagine you can guess I’m a bit… worrisome letting someone else reap the fruits of my husband's flesh.”

Well, that’s one way to describe sex, Damen blinks.

“I understand.” Astrid nods. “I understand it must be a great sacrifice for you. It would pain me as well if I had to let my lover be with another person, even if it was just for the purpose of child rearing.”

“So we are understood about the boundaries of our arrangement?” Laurent asks, putting his hand over Damen’s. “I would… prefer if this manner of conception is kept between us and our physician. As two men, we already struggle to validate our marriage in the eyes of allies. The heir will strengthen the recognition of our union, but knowing Damen was with another would… rather defeat that purpose.”

“I won’t tell a soul.” Astrid nods. “If it puts your Highness at ease, I do much prefer the company of women. It is in part why I offered myself for this task, as I don’t plan on having child after child for the Vaskians. Some women are proud to serve our country that way and they should be, but if I’m to carry a child, I am glad that it is to be one that will grant me a new life in Aikelos.”

Laurent smiles a little, looking over at Damen. “I like her, don’t you?”

“Shut up?” Damen laughs, elbowing his husband in the side. “Thank you, Astrid. You can go meet Paschal now to prepare and we’ll see you shortly.”

Astrid stands and gives a dutiful bow to them both before exiting the lounge, leaving them alone on the low couch by the fire.

“I do feel a little better.” Laurent admits. “It’s good to know she’s not a fan of… your appendage down there.”

Damen rolls his eyes, but slings an arm around Laurent’s shoulders. “So you’re sure we can go through with this now? I won’t push you if you’re still anxious about it.”

“I’m not.” Laurent shakes his head. “I think I should go make my preparations. You’ve yet to see what clothing the Veretians have for this particular ritual. I think you may like it.”

“I’m sure I will.” Damen grins, standing first and offering Laurent his hand to pull him up too. “I’ll come meet you in the room when you’re ready. You can take as long with me as you want before we call Astrid in.”

“Oh, I’ll be taking my time.” Laurent says, squeezing Damen’s hand before he lets go to leave the lounge and make his personal preparations. Knowing him, it will be some time before he’s ready.

Damen gives Laurent some time to walk away then retreats to the bedchamber for his own preparations. There are few, but he takes the time to untangle his curls, dab on some of the perfumed oil that Laurent likes. He wears the deep red chiton often worn to banquets with honored guests or other high profiled Aikelon events, pinning it with the Lion’s crest before he sits on the bed to wait.

When the time comes, a servant will summon him and he’ll go to an untouched bedroom in the Vaskian palace where Laurent will be awaiting him. They’ll have as much time as they like with one another, so Laurent can warm Damen up however he sees fit before Astrid will be brought in.

The wait borders on agonizing. Already, he’s biting his lip trying to imagine what Laurent will be wearing and his chest is still a little tight with the discomfort of what he’s about to do. He’d been so preoccupied with making sure Laurent felt okay with all this, that he’d rather ignored how wrong it makes him feel to penetrate anyone other than his husband.

He calms himself with a deep breath, reminding himself that he’s doing this for the both of them. This is for their family, for their marriage, for their kingdom. This is to create their child.

When a fair haired servant knocks on the bedchamber to summon him, Damen blushes the whole short walk down the stairs to the other side of the palace. His heart is pounding, a mixture of dread, anxiety, and excitement all in one. At a pair of heavy wooden doors, Paschal stands to greet him.

“Laurent is well prepared for you inside. Allow him all the time he wishes and simply knock on the door when the two of you are ready. Astrid is in a room nearby, ready for when she is needed.”

“Thank you.” Damen nods. “Is Laurent…”

“He seems to be in good spirits.” Paschal nods back with a slight smile. “That young husband of yours is far more excited about starting this family than he lets on you know.”

“Oh?” Damen raises an eyebrow.

“Well, don’t breathe a word to his Highness, but he has been coming to me for quite some time with questions about fertility and Aikelon genealogy.” Paschal gives a light chuckle. “Go see to him. While uncomfortable, today should be a joyous one for you two.”

Damen’s heart warms at the thought of Laurent burying himself in research months ahead of time. He does remember how Laurent had been the one to sheepishly bring up the idea of having a baby, how he’d blushed like the admission he wanted a child with Damen was a hard kept secret. “Thank you, Paschal. I’ll take good care of him.” Damen says with a smile before he pushes open the heavy doors to step inside.

On an enormous bed at the center of a red painted room is Laurent. He’s sitting up, leaned back against a pile of scarlet pillows, one leg pulled to his chest and the other one extended outwards. He grins as soon as Damen meets his eyes.

“Is this to your liking?” Laurent gestures around at the room, everything but the furniture and flooring colored a deep red. “Vaskian folklore claims the color red is a blessing upon fertility and conception. I think that myth was made up by a merchant with too much red cloth to unload, but to each their own I suppose.”

“You look…” Damen blinks as he takes in the sight. Laurent’s hair is soft and golden as ever, falling elegantly over a gold circlet with a sapphire at its center gracing his forehead. In his ears are golden studs, a light dust of the same color on his eyelids. Fine gold bracelets on each ankle, a long loincloth around his waist. Unlike the basic leather that had been used to cover Damen’s modesty when he inseminated several of the Vaskian warriors years ago, Laurent’s is a golden silk that falls between his legs to cover him, the length going down to mid thigh. His chest is left bare, his nipples pink against milk white skin, perked and hardened from the chill air of the room.

He looks like a ray of sunshine. Radiant, indulgent, inviting, Damen doesn’t know how to find the words.

“Can I guess you’re at least going to say good?”

“I mean, I would at least, say great.” Damen beams as he walks up to the bedside, reaching out to cup Laurent’s face in his hand. “You are the most beautiful man I have ever laid my eyes on.”

“Well… Considering how many men you’ve wrestled, I suppose that’s quite the compliment.” Laurent quips, but his banter is accompanied by a soft smile and a kind teasing tone as he nuzzles his cheek into Damen’s palm. “I’ve prepared myself for you, so that… whatever you wish, it can be done before Astrid is invited in.”

“I’m all yours.” Damen assures, leaning down and over to kiss the center of Laurent’s forehead, just underneath the jewel of the circlet. “However you want me, my love. Take me.”

Laurent smiles at him, earnest and genuine as he pulls Damen into the bed on top of him and pushes his hands into his hair.

Damen hums a pleased sound as Laurent pulls him into a deep kiss, parting his lips for his husband’s tongue. He adores Laurent like this, taking what he wants, kissing Damen as deeply as he pleases.

“I don’t want you to undress.” Laurent murmurs against his lips, gracefully flipping their position, so he lies on top of Damen. “Did you wear anything underneath?” He asks, running his hand over Damen’s chest through the expensive fabric of the chiton.

Damen shakes his head and Laurent makes a sound like ‘of course’ before pressing his lips again to Damen’s forehead.

“I don’t want her to see you.” Laurent says as he sits himself up in Damen’s lap, his hair falling beautifully over one shoulder when he tilts his head. “I know you parade around naked frequent enough, but… when you’re aroused, I want that to be… just for me.” He blushes as he lifts himself up just enough to pull up Damen’s skirt underneath, revealing where his cock lies, just beginning to perk up in excitement.

“It is just for you.” Damen smiles, propping himself up on his elbows to meet Laurent easier when they begin to kiss again. He reaches one hand up, stroking his husband’s hair as they share in one another, humming in content and moaning softly when Laurent’s tongue does something especially surprising or devious. Soon, Laurent’s pulled away from his mouth and begins to kiss up his neck, nipping at his ear and nuzzling his nose into his hair like Damen often does to him.

“Laurent.” Damen sighs against him when he feels a warm hand palm over his cock.

“Let me pleasure you to the very edge.” Laurent whispers, touching their foreheads together as he wraps his hand around the length and strokes slowly, allowing Damen to gradually harden in his hand as he kisses him again and again. “I know that you are sacrificing for me too.” He says, kissing down Damen’s neck again and slowly beginning to slide down his body.

“I…” Damen squirms as Laurent continues to stroke his cock, slowly sliding lower and lower on the bed. “I didn’t want to add to your suffering with this, but I don’t want to have to do it either.”

“I know.” Laurent nods in understanding, settling himself between Damen’s legs with his mouth hovered above his cock, just beginning to glisten at the tip. “Just shut your eyes. We can both… pretend for a little. Like this is any other night.”

“Any other night.” Damen breathes, lowering his hand into Laurent’s hair. “I love you, Laurent. I promise, I’ll do anything to ensure this brings us a child and we won’t have to do it again.”

“I know you will.” Damen can hear the smile in Laurent’s voice just before he leans down and begins his work.

There are actually a few different ways in which Laurent pleasures Damen with his mouth. Occasionally, if they’re riled up or bored or desperate for any reason, Laurent will drop to his knees with little hesitation, relax his throat with ease and allow Damen to grip his hair until he comes with a shout down his throat. There’s the quick messy sucking Laurent performs when he’s just getting Damen ready quickly to fuck him and then there’s the way Laurent pleasures him when it’s more intimate.

He knows just what Damen likes. He knows to start with the smallest of touches, kissing up his shaft, dipping his tongue into the slit, one gentle hand caressing his balls and lovingly stroking his perineum until he begins to whine and squirm. This is what Laurent is giving him tonight.

Laurent holds Damen in his hand and drags his tongue slowly up the underside of his length, lapping up what he leaks from the tip before taking the head in his mouth alone and suckling.

“Laurent.” Damen sighs, his free hand gripping the bedspread.

Laurent looks up at him through his lashes as he draws a circle around the sensitive tip with his tongue and kissing back down his shaft. He kisses the insides of Damen’s thighs, suckling on the olive skin in a few choice places, leaving secret marks of his claim that only the two of them will know about. He kisses over his sac, licking the sensitive area that always makes Damen go bright red when stimulated before he brings his hands to Damen’s hips to hold him down and starts to properly take him in his mouth.

Damen keeps his eyes open for this part, his chest blossoming with warmth as he spreads his legs a little more to give Laurent room to work comfortably. He watches as perfect pink lips sink down on him, an inch at a time, taking him halfway before pulling off and sinking back down just a little bit further.

Laurent moans around him as he repeats this process, gradually taking him bit by bit until he can bob his head at a rhythm that allows nearly Damen’s entire length to fit into his mouth.

Damen gives himself to the pleasure, turning his cheek against the cool fabric of the pillow as Laurent’s thumbs massage the soft spot just above the just of his hips, keeping him in place as he sucks with an intimacy only Laurent could manage in an act as sloppy as cocksucking.

He understands fully what Laurent meant now when he said the very edge. He’s going to bring Damen so close to coming, only to stop at the very last moment, so he can finish in Astrid. He’ll have to control himself to keep from succumbing to Laurent’s ministrations too early. He always struggles to last when he gets to experience the wonders of his husband’s mouth.

“Laurent.” Damen gasps, feeling the devilish press of a tongue into his slit once again.

Laurent heeds the warning and pulls back, giving Damen’s wet cock a few strokes in his hand as he sits on his heels and catches his breath. “Just one more minute.” He asks, smoothing his hand up Damen’s thigh and back down as he clears his throat.

“Come here.” Damen beckons, holding his arms open until Laurent lies over him again. Like this, he can feel the eager press of Laurent’s cock through his loincloth, but he suppresses the urge to grind up against it, knowing Laurent wants to keep his arousal as hidden as possible to Astrid’s eyes when she enters. “I love you.” He breathes against Laurent’s lips before drawing him into one more deep kiss.

It’s a talent of theirs — to kiss when words aren’t enough to explain their true feelings. Damen cups Laurent’s face in his hands, the soft porcelain of his cheeks, and kisses him with such a tenderness that he can feel his lover melt against him. The words aren’t needed between them. The love is expressed through a gentle sliding of their tongues, the hands on Laurent's cheeks and Damen’s shoulders, the shiver Laurent gives just before they pull away.

“I’ll go fetch her.” Laurent says, pressing one more kiss to the corner of Damen’s mouth. “I love you too, Damianos.”

Damen feels himself smile at the use of his full name and he pulls his skirt down to cover where his cock is resting hard and heavy against his stomach as Laurent walks up to the heavy doors and knocks loud enough for Paschal to hear.

They had already discussed with one another what positioning would be most comfortable for them, so Damen rises accordingly to stand in front of the foot of the bed. His chest tightens a bit, still uncomfortable with the thought of being inside of another in mere minutes, but he takes a deep breath when he hears the door open. He wants Astrid to feel safe as well.

Laurent and Astrid exchange a few quiet words before he leads her to the foot of the bed as well.

She’s dressed modestly in a floor length linen dress, coming before Damen first and giving a shallow bow. “His highness has instructed me on how you will prefer I position myself. Please, let me know if my arrangements are to anything less than your satisfaction.”

“Oh.” Damen blushes. “Please, just… make sure you’re comfortable. Be vocal if you feel any pain.”

Astrid gives a demure nod and quickly moves herself onto the bed, positioning herself on all fours before Damen and lowering her chest to the mattress with her head rested on her hands.

Damen gulps and looks nervously towards Laurent.

“It’s alright. This is for both of us.” Laurent nods, giving Damen a soft kiss on the cheek and climbing onto the bed to kneel beside Astrid. “Come here.” He reaches his hand out to cup Damen’s face and pulls him into a gentle kiss. “Just close your eyes and kiss me. It will feel not much different than when we make love.”

Damen takes a deep breath and nods, shutting his eyes and pressing his lips to the soothing warmth of his husband’s as he blindly takes the fabric of Astrid’s dress in his hand and pulls the skirt upwards until he feels that she is exposed. He doesn’t open his eyes to look, focusing instead on wrapping an arm around Laurent’s waist and kissing him deeply as he takes his cock in hand.

The push inside isn’t pleasurable, much to Damen’s relief. He’d feared enjoying it too much out of sheer biology, but while it brings his erection some much needed physical relief, he doesn’t find himself turned on by anything more than Laurent’s hand in his hair and his soft lips kissing up his neck.

He stays still for a moment, wanting to ensure Astrid isn’t in pain before he wraps both arms around Laurent beside him and groans into his mouth as he begins to rock his hips back and forth.

“That’s it.” Laurent breathes against his ear. “Fuck me just like that.”

Damen gasps and finds his hips jerking forward much harder on their own. Fuck, with his eyes closed, it really can feel like he’s fucking Laurent.

Laurent breathes heavy in his ear, just like he does when Damen fucks him hard and fast, when Laurent clings to him with all four limbs and pants in sheer ecstasy.

“Damen.” Laurent moans in his ear, tightening his grip on his hair. “Fuck me, God, fuck me, Damen.”

Damen feels sweat break on his forehead as tension builds in his abdomen. Astrid is obedient and silent beneath him, of which he’s extremely grateful as Laurent continues to groan and whisper obscenities in his ear between kisses and nibbles on his neck. He was already near coming when Laurent had gone down on him minutes ago, but now with his husband’s voice in his ear, he’s truly about to slip over the edge.

“Come for me, Damianos.” Laurent begs, tilting his head and sucking on his collar with a hum of pleasure. “Let me feel you.”

“Laurent.” Damen gasps, squeezing his eyes shut as he pumps himself forward and urges his own orgasm. It isn’t anything like the way it feels to come inside Laurent, but it’s enough. He shivers and moans into Laurent’s mouth, burying himself deep like he’s supposed to and releasing.

“Just like that.” Laurent murmurs as Damen begins to come down, pushing the hair out of Damen’s eyes and kissing the side of his nose. “Are you finished?”

Damen nods, his face turning bright red as he removes himself from Astrid and allows the chiton to cover himself again. He’s thankful for Laurent’s cleverness, he’d been able to finish quickly and efficiently.

“Thank you, Astrid.” Laurent says, his voice back to its usual calm and collected tone as he helps her off the bed and leads her to the doors once more. “Hurry to put your legs up with Paschal, we’ll send to check on you soon.”

“Yes your Highness.” She bows before quickly exiting the room with her legs pressed together.

“I didn’t know you would talk to me like that in front of someone else.” Damen blushes.

“Well, we both wanted you to come as soon as possible and we both know it would have taken you some time without it.”

“And do you… feel okay?” Damen asks as he sits back on the bed.

“I do.” Laurent nods, his eyes only slightly worried as he looks over at Damen. For one fearful moment, Damen fears Laurent will ask him if he’d enjoyed it or not. Of course he hadn’t, but he hopes Laurent knows him will enough to have seen that. “Is your side okay?” He asks instead, reaching over and laying a light hand over the bruise he’d left over Damen’s scar yesterday.

Damen smiles, recognizing now that Laurent isn’t worried about his love for him, he’s just doting on him like he always does when he’s injured or unwell. “It feels fine.”

Laurent raises an eyebrow.

“Only the tiniest bit sore.” Damen relents, pushing Laurent down onto the bed to prove his fitness and pressing a series of wet loving kisses down his neck. “Even if it was killing me, you’re too beautiful to resist.”

“Maybe I should dress like a whore more often.”

“You say that as if your everyday clothes don’t show off your ass and cock.” Damen chuckles, nipping at Laurent’s ear. “You may cover up head to toe, but that tight fabric leaves nothing to the imagination, Sweetheart.”

“Shut up.” Laurent huffs, wrapping one arm around Damen’s shoulders and kissing him hard as he reaches between them and lifts the fabric of his loincloth right away. “Suck me off.” He whispers against Damen’s lips, his voice as confident and commanding as it is on the battlefield, a heart-thumping change of pace from his usual shy requests.

“Yes, your Highness.” Damen teases, grinning as he runs his hands up Laurent’s sides to his chest, squeezing his pecs there and kissing down his body. He stops only to worship his husband’s sensitive chest, sucking his nipples into his mouth one at a time and nibbling on the tender flesh.

“Damianos.” Laurent preens, his voice low and breathy as Damen makes his way down further. “Please.”

Damen couldn’t deny him if he wanted to, staring at Laurent’s beautiful cock before his lips, flushed pink and absolutely perfect. The tip already glistens with Laurent’s arousal, he doesn’t even have to play it up when he wraps his lips around it and moans.

“Yes.” Laurent breathes as he slings one leg over Damen’s shoulder, both hands sliding into his hair to tug at the dark curls. “More.”

Damen obliges, relaxing his throat as he sinks down further and begins to bob his head. He makes generous use of his tongue, massaging the underside, tracing the vein that runs along Laurent’s shaft. He hums to add vibration and swallows eagerly around Laurent whenever he squirms.

“Touch me…” Laurent blushes hard. “Touch me… lower.”

Damen suppresses the urge to smile around Laurent and brings one hand up to gently roll his balls in his hand, brushing his thumb over them, freeing his mouth momentarily to kiss them as well.

Laurent arches at the new sensation, soft ‘ah’s’ and ‘oh’s’ falling from his mouth as he rolls his hips and groans Damen’s name again.

“You’re so gorgeous.” Damen growls, sucking eagerly on the inside of Laurent’s thigh now and licking over the love mark he leaves behind. He uses two fingers to massage his lover’s perineum, watching the way it makes him whimper while he nips at the joint between Laurent’s tigh and his hip, kisses the fine curls at his navel.

“Damen, please.” Laurent groans, back arching up and head falling back. “Make me come. Please, I’m…” He shivers and bucks his hips up. Damen gets the idea.

“I’ve got you, Love.” Damen assures, pressing one more line of kisses against the smooth pearly skin of his husband’s thigh before returning his mouth to its rightful place. He keeps his eyes open as he takes Laurent in his mouth once again, savoring the beautiful way Laurent’s mouth falls open and his face flushes a whole new shade of pink.

He keeps his fingers busy, massaging the spot between Laurent’s legs that makes him twitch as he bobs his head faster, pausing only to tease the tip like Laurent likes.

“Damen, Damen.” Laurent begins to helplessly chant, throwing his second leg over Damen’s other shoulder and tightening his grip. “There, there, don’t you dare fucking stop, I swear to Gods-”

Damen pushes himself down, taking Laurent all the way in and swallows hard around him just as he feels Laurent come undone.

With a string of Veretian swears, and even a few Aikelon ones, Laurent bucks and buries his fingers in Damen’s dark hair, pulling almost enough to hurt, but not quite as he releases in warm bursts down Damen’s throat.

Taking him this deep, Damen has to control himself not to choke, swallowing each pump of his husband’s seed with diligence as he sucks him through orgasm, hands still placed lovingly on Laurent’s hips to keep him from bucking too wildly. He doesn’t take his mouth away until he hears Laurent catching his breath, feels his length begin to soften on his tongue.

“I swear to God if a child doesn’t come of this.” Laurent gives a tired laugh, one arm slung lazily over his eyes as he collects himself. “I’m dressed like Ancel.”

“I think you look pretty good.” Damen grins, crawling up the bed to kiss Laurent once more, lightly this time, allowing him to taste himself on his tongue, but the gesture between them remains sweet. “Maybe you should try roleplaying again. We can sneak off to a local inn and you can be my pet.”

“I suppose you’d like that wouldn’t you?”

“Very much so.” Damen teases, pecking him on the cheek and sitting back on his heels to pull Laurent up with him. “Let me take you to the baths.”

“At this time?” Laurent blushes slightly. “The women will be there.”

“I can ask for your privacy if you prefer it.”

“No, I… I suppose I don’t mind.” Laurent shrugs, taking one of Damen’s hands in his own and squeezing. “I no longer feel so… afraid of allowing you to be around women.”

“Were you ever truly scared I might stray from you?” Damen asks, his voice soft and concerned as he reaches up to run his hand through Laurent’s mussed up hair. He looks so adorable like this, disheveled after sex.

“Not truly, but I always feared that I just wouldn’t be able to… measure up to what a woman can offer. I feared you may grow bored with me and all my… rules and boundaries. I wouldn’t blame you if you sought simple pleasure after years of being with a man who falls into panic when you’re too rough with him.”

“Laurent, there isn’t a person on this Earth, man or woman, who could compare to the way you make love to me.” Damen assures, leaning in once more to kiss his husband’s soft lips, humming pleasantly against them to signify his content. “Come to the baths. I’ll attend you, just like the old days.”

Laurent lets out a breath of a laugh. “Will you be groping my ass like the old days as well?”

“Thoroughly.” Damen winks, sliding out of bed and offering Laurent his hand to help him up. They’re both decent enough to walk to the baths, so no changing will be necessary. “Only if you promise to grope mine too.”

“You’re such a barbarian.” Laurent sighs, but he takes Damen’s hand to pull him to the doors. “I will not have you arouse me in a room full of our naked allies.”

*****

The calendar moves by agonizingly. Each day without a positive result from Paschal is another day closer to when they’ll have no choice but to go back to the Capital. If they do that and face further negative results, they may have to find a whole new surrogate and if it doesn’t work then, they’ll have to face the fact that the problem might be Damen.

Damen’s stomach aches at the thought every day. Laurent needs this… He needs their family and if Damen can’t give it to him, Laurent will be forced to be the responsible one for insemination when he isn’t even sure he wants his line to continue.

After Auguste died, Laurent turned to the only family he had only to be raped, abused, and plotted against. Damen needs to be able to build this with him. Laurent deserves to have a family that shows him love and support, that lets him love in return. He knows what it will mean for Laurent to protect and nurture a child of their own, the opportunity to do what no one did for him. If Damen can’t give that to him…

Laurent keeps busy throughout the day, trying to avoid his anxiety. He buries his nose in the pile of requests from civilians and lords, revising tax codes, sending messages all over the kingdom addressing those in need of service or support from the kings or military.

Damen hears him train hard by himself, refusing to spar with him since his accidental injury. He watches from the balcony just to know he’s safe when Laurent rides off on his own to clear his head.

He would be worried Laurent is pulling away from him, but thankfully, each night his husband slides into bed beside him, curls up close and kisses him sweetly, especially if they’ve been apart for the day.

Damen hasn’t admitted how much he’s struggling to keep himself distracted during the day, but he’s thankful that Laurent is coping. It would break his heart to let Laurent down at this point, especially after what they did to try and guarantee a pregnancy.

A week goes by with no result. Then another day and another and Damen finds himself clinging to Laurent at night in the hopes of transferring his thoughts to him through osmosis — how sorry he’ll be if this is his fault, how bad he feels that he hasn’t succeeded yet. He buries his face in Laurent’s chest and breathes in the scent of rosewater and vanilla, listening to the gentle thumps of his heartbeat.

There’s only a few days left before they’ll have to depart again. Damen feels like he has a permanent migraine when they head to see Paschal downstairs, as is their morning ritual.

They wake up, go get the bad news from the physician, and go about their days until it’s time to hear it again the next morning.

Damen’s hardly slept a wink, his eyes sore and his heart heavy as he descends the stairs with Laurent, grateful for the gentle hand Laurent has laid on the small of his back. He’s glad Laurent reads him well enough to know he needs it and doesn’t want to talk about why.

They meet Paschal in the courtyard, waiting for them at the garden table where he usually does, but this time, Astrid sits with him. Damen’s heart skips a beat.

“Astrid.” Laurent blinks, equally surprised as he looks from her to Paschal and grabs for Damen’s hand.

“We ran the test four different times to assure Your Highness.” Paschal nods at Laurent with a smile. “I would suggest you both make haste in preparing for your return back to the Capital, now that we have confirmation of a pregnancy. I will ride with Astrid to assure her safety.”

Damen feels tears prick at his eyes as his lips split into a grin, relief washing over him as he looks over to see Laurent’s expression. His cheeks are pink, his lips parted in surprise and a beautiful look of sheer joy in his blue eyes. Damen can hardly remember a time he’s seen him look that way. He looks like he did when Damen proposed to him at the summer palace, a more exacerbated version of the sparkle in his eye when they first won Ravanel.

“And you’re… absolutely positive?” Laurent asks, putting his fingers to his lips.

Paschal gives a nod and Damen is forced to take a step back when Laurent throws his arms around him, hugging him tighter than he ever has in front of people before.

“Laurent.” Damen laughs, catching him and squeezing him back tight.

Jord and Pallas are staring at them wide eyed across the courtyard, along with all the women in the vicinity. No one but Damen has ever seen the ice cold King of Vere engage in such a public display of unbridled affection and Damen has to blink back his own happy tears.

“Hey, you with me?” Damen chuckles as he rubs Laurent’s back.

“I’m so happy.” Laurent whispers, just loud enough for Damen to hear as he buries his face in his neck. He takes a deep breath and looks up at Damen with the brightest smile imaginable. “We’re going to be…” He looks over at Astrid, then back to Damen. “Damen, we’re going to be fathers.” He puts his hand to his mouth again and Damen does the honor of bending down to pick him up, hauling his husband up and over his shoulder with an adorable help of surprise.

“Paschal, do me a favor and tell the men to begin packing. I think we need a moment to celebrate.”

“Damianos, I am not a sack of flour for you to haul-“

“Oh you’re getting carried whether you like it or not.” Damen teases as he carries Laurent easily out of the courtyard and back towards the marble stairs.

“Giant animal.” Laurent even laughs too as Damen carries him up the stairs. “This is not dignifying of two kings.”

Damen reaches the top of the stairs and sets Laurent down to yank him inside the bedchamber and press him against the doors in a deep kiss. He groans into it, clutching Laurent’s waist to hold him close, tilting his head to invite Laurent in. “I’m so in love with you.” He murmurs, pressing their foreheads together as he looks into Laurent’s happy eyes. “You’re going to be the best father a child could ask for.”

“Are you sure about that?” Laurent nuzzles their noses together. “Rumor has it, I’m a joyless witch.”

“Well I think half the rumor mill just saw you hug the life out of me.”

“I’ll kiss you a thousand times in front of Jord if it means I get to start a family with you.” Laurent smiles, bringing a hand up to cup Damen’s cheek. “Now get me out of these clothes before we’re summoned to the wagons.”

*****

Laurent is light on his feet as they pack the wagons, helping everyone and anyone get packed and smiling all the way, petting the horses and feeding them treats as a thank you for the long journey ahead to get back home. He takes Damen’s hands and kisses him well within the eyesight of the mean, lingering on his lips. He’s like a summer breeze as he moves around their entourage to help make preparations go as fast as possible.

Damen even overhears Laurent talking quietly to Astrid behind the wagon she’ll be riding in. “Please, send one of the men to fetch us if you ever feel unsafe on the journey. I talked to Helga, there’s ginger under your seat in case you get nauseous on the ride. I’ve heard how pregnancy can… affect one’s body, so we’ll be making frequent stops for everyone to bathe and relieve themselves. If there’s anything at all you need, we’re in the wagon right in front of you.”

Damen smiles at the warmth in Laurent’s voice. When Laurent cares for someone, for their wellbeing, he’s genuine. He’s doting and kind and concerned and it warms his heart hearing him treat Astrid just like he treats him when he’s sick or injured.

“Say goodbye to your Vaskian lovers, we’re off in five!” Laurent hollers, tightening the reins on one of the horses before he strolls up to Damen, dressed gorgeously in his usual tight lace up trousers with his knee high boots, a white linen shirt covering his torso. The look is completed by the sweet smile on his lips and the subtle flush on his cheeks. Laurent is so unabashedly happy right now, Damen wishes he could bottle it and save the emotion for a rainy day. “Are you ready?”

“Yes, your Highness, I have made my preparations.” Damen teases, stepping forward to plant a kiss on Laurent’s cheek. “It’s adorable to see you like this.”

“I’m just… eager.” Laurent blushes. “I want to do everything I can to make sure Astrid is healthy and comfortable. Even if she’s carrying for us, it’s our responsibility to make sure the child is healthy even before it’s born.”

“How you put on the show of a fearless stoic leader when you’re the sweetest man I know is beyond me.” Damen says with another kiss to the center of Laurent’s forehead. “We’ll do everything in our power for her. Go get settled in the wagon, I’ll be right behind you. I put all of your books in the back for you.” He glances up at the sky where dark clouds have gathered. He knows Laurent is too observant not to have noticed him, thus perhaps his overworrying for Astrid’s safety. It’ll be best if he gets settled and they get on the road, they may be able to avoid the storm entirely.

“Thank you.” Laurent says, giving Damen’s wrist a loving squeeze as he brushes past him to climb into the wagon.

Once the curtains close behind him, Damen walks up to the front wagon where Jord has just swung up on his horse.

“Do you think we may be able to outride the storm?” Damen frowns, glancing from Jord to the gray sky above them.

“I’m afraid not, it seems to be right over us already. It would take some time to get out in front of it.”

“I see.” Damen grimaces. Laurent will be beyond frightened trapped in a wagon during the storm, but no one else needs to know that. “If there is thunder and lightning, I want our party to stop immediately and bunker down until it passes. You and the men can shelter in the wagons, I prefer not to ride through.” He glances back to the wagon holding Astrid and Paschal and smiles. “We’ve uh… got some precious cargo this time around.”

“Understood.” Jord nods with a knowing smile. “I’ll see to it we head out as soon as possible. Go join his Highness, me and Nikandros will have us all on the move in just a minute.”

“Thank you.” Damen nods back before returning to his own wagon and climbing in to find his husband.

Laurent awaits him, already comfortably curled up in the back with a book in his lap, his hair tucked behind his ears to keep it out of his eyes. Damen loves to watch him read sometimes, the way Laurent gets sucked in to a text, no matter how boring it may seem, the cute way he sometimes chews his cheeks absentmindedly as he reads.

Damen settles next to him without a word and rests his head on Laurent’s shoulder, content just to be close to him as they begin the ride.

Laurent responds only with a slight shift to get comfortable with him and a wordless kiss to the top of Damen’s head, each of them perfectly happy to sit in the quiet and reflect on the joy of the day. Even with a storm looming over them, Damen can feel the flutter in his chest at the thought of a baby on the way and he can feel that Laurent is equally content and excited beside him.

They stay that way for a long time once their party starts to move, the horses pulling them along as Laurent reads and Damen shuts his eyes, lulled by the rhythm of Laurent’s breathing.

After the first hour, Laurent puts the book aside, his face slightly pale as he nestles in closer to Damen.

“You alright?”

“Just the wind picking up outside.” Laurent shrugs. “I know it’ll be storming soon, it makes me a little… motion sick.”

“You thought to stock extra water and ginger in the other wagon for Astrid, but nothing for yourself?” Damen laughs a little, putting an arm around Laurent’s shoulders and squeezing.

“I was preoccupied.” Laurent blushes. “Do you think she’ll be alright if it storms?”

“She’ll be perfectly fine, I’m more worried about you.”

“Tsk.”

“Will you be okay?”

“We’ve survived war after war, I think I’ll be alright during a thunderstorm.”

“I know, but the wagon is a bit like a boat.” Damen winces. “We’re alone in here, you don’t have to tough it out. Anything you need just let me know.”

Laurent takes a deep breath and softens a little bit, wrapping his arms around Damen’s bicep to hold. “You’ve never told anyone about this, have you? I don’t want anyone to know their king shudders at the sound of thunder.” He chews his bottom lip for a moment. “I fear that I might fall into panic again when I’m needed, it’s something I need to get over.”

“No, I’ve never told anyone.” Damen assures. “Everything you share with me is safe. If you go into a state of panic, I’ll be right there for you. No one has to know what’s going on.”

“I suppose, it’s just…” Laurent huffs. “It feels so childish. I can’t be indisposed like that, how will I comfort our child?”

“You’ll hold them close and tell them everything is okay, just as I hold you.” Damen says, pressing his lips into Laurent’s golden hair as the sound of rain against their wooden roof fills the room of the wagon. “You don’t have the constant adrenaline of war to stifle it anymore. You were put through more than any child should have been subjected to, your mind is going to betray you sometimes.”

Laurent winces a little at the notion.

“But it’s okay.” Damen assures. “Because you have me, you’re strong enough to get yourself through your fears when you’re on your own, and our child will know that it’s okay to be comforted. That’s what you’ve been working so much on, isn’t it? We want our son or daughter to know fear is okay to have.”

“I suppose.” Laurent sighs, closing his eyes as thunder rumbles above them.

“Plus, I know how you act when others need you. You’ve taken on enormous amounts of pain with a smile just to prevent violence.” Damen tilts his head and presses a slow line of warm kisses up his neck. “I met you as the cowardly charade you were putting on and then I fell in love with your strength. Our child will always feel safe with you, even if you’re frightened too.”

“Thank you.” Laurent says quietly as the rain outside shifts to a downpour and the wagons come to a stop. The storm’s become too intense to lead the horses through and Damen listens as Jord ushers the men into tying them securely and sheltering in the wagons themselves.

“Come here.” Damen says, opening his legs and patting the floor between his thighs.

Laurent moves without complaint, sitting himself in front of Damen and leaning back against his chest to be encircled by his arms.

“It will pass.” Damen says with a gentle kiss to Laurent’s ear.

Thunder cracks loud above them and Damen tightens his hold on Laurent, kissing up his neck again to settle him down, folding his legs up by Laurent’s to make him feel surrounded.

“I don’t like not knowing the mother of our child is alright.” Laurent swallows hard.

“We’ll check on her as soon as the storm passes. For now, we don’t need you running out there and getting struck by lightning.”

Laurent just glares and settles back into him, accepting the soft kisses and touches of affection Damen continues to lavish him in.

Damen can’t help but think of the times Laurent had gone into panic on this journey. Two had been Damen’s fault entirely. Now, it’s his job to hold his husband through the storm and weather it right along with him.

Laurent jerks slightly at each crack of thunder, subtle enough that Damen can feel it, but the movements aren’t very visible. He listens to the rain and he squeezes Laurent each time the wagon shakes, cooing to him, making light jokes. Each smile he eases from Laurent is a gift.

Eventually, Laurent’s breathing evens out and he shuts his eyes, only tensing a little when thunder rumbles around them. Damen feels him relax more in his arms, lets him rest his head back on his shoulder.

“Sleep. I’ll wake you if anything happens.”

“Alright.” Laurent sighs, melting against him. “Tell me when it’s time to make camp.”

“As you wish, your Highness.”

“Shut up.”

*****

Damen takes to setting up their tent on his own as he watches Laurent from afar. Once the storm passed, they found a clearing tucked away in the nearby woods to make camp for the night, still too far out from the nearest inn. As soon as the wagon had stopped, Laurent had been out like a flash to check on Astrid.

Now, as Damen finishes pitching their tent and laying out their bedrolls, he sees Laurent pressing a hand to her stomach with the brightest smile on his face. Of course, there’s nothing to feel yet, but Damen’s heart melts seeing him so excited. He can’t hear, but they’re talking passionately back and forth.

He doesn’t want to interrupt the moment, so he stalls a little longer, pretending to adjust and making Laurent’s bed roll as cozy as one can make it before reluctantly standing to fetch his husband.

“Damen, we’ll have to make arrangements for Astrid to have a traditional Vaskian childbirth, she’s been telling me all about the details.” Laurent smiles. “And as soon as we arrive to the palace in a few days, we’ll escort her to the kitchen to introduce her and the chefs to her carefully cultivated diet for the baby, I’m already mad at myself making her eat on the road for these days.”

“Yes, Laurent has told me… all about his plans.” Astrid lets out a shy laugh, one hand resting on her still flat stomach.

“We talked about this.” Damen warns, giving Laurent a playful nudge in his side. “You can’t micromanage her every move.”

“I’m not, I’m just-“

Damen raises an eyebrow.

“Alright.” Laurent sighs, turning back to Astrid. “I may be a little overbearing at times, but if it becomes too much please don’t hesitate to speak with me. I won’t bite the head off the mother of my child like I would Nikandros.”

“I find that greatly reassuring.” Astrid smiles. Her sense of humor compliments Laurent’s well and Damen’s heart warms seeing them two of them get along. “But I’m as interested in the baby’s health as anyone, so I’ll be happy to follow Laurent’s uh… fifty-two point plan.”

“Fifty-two?” Damen takes Laurent by the hand and laughs as he tugs him away. “I’m gonna give you a break from him, please go rest.”

“We were still talking.” Laurent frowns as Damen leads him towards their place in the small camp.

“I know, I know, but you come on a little strong, my love.” Damen says, turning to place a soft kiss on Laurent’s lips, warm from the sunlight. “Care to share this elaborate plan of yours?”

“It’s nothing out of the ordinary.” Laurent rolls his eyes. “I built it with Paschal, it only dictates her diet, exercise, sleep schedule, and medical appointments, along with…” He presses his lips into a straight line. “Alright, it’s quite restrictive, but we can’t allow for any risk whatsoever.” He looks back at Astrid with big eyes, his eyes fixated on her belly: “It’s our child, I can’t… I already feel so…”

“I know.” Damen reassures, pulling Laurent into a hug despite how it makes him blush in front of the men. “We’ll keep her safe, Laurent. I promise. We’ll have her meet your demands too as long as you have a little leniency now and then. We don’t want her pregnancy to be any harder than it needs to.”

“I suppose.” Laurent sighs, pulling back from the hug with a kiss to Damen’s cheek. “Did you find us a spot?”

“Only the best.” Damen teases, cocking his head in the directions of their bed rolls, hidden by a couple of towering bushes that will grant them a small semblance of privacy at night. They could sleep in the wagons, but it’s much more comfortable out here in the open and Damen enjoys watching the stars with Laurent, who knows every constellation by heart. “Go get changed for bed, it’s already getting dark.”

They all part ways for a few minutes, some of the men bathing in the nearby stream while others light a fire and prepare for a small dinner. Much to Damen’s delight, Laurent is wearing a soft cotton chiton for bed, one that covers both shoulders, but has a shirt short enough for Damen to be concerned about him bending over. They eat together, making more small talk about the baby with Astrid before everyone begins to retire and Damen is able to take his husband to their secluded alcove with its side by side bed rolls.

“Today was tiring.” Laurent sighs, lying down and groaning a little as he stretches his limbs.

“We’ll be home before you know it.” Damen smiles, laying on his side next to Laurent and reaching over to stroke one hand over his thigh, enjoying the exposed skin.

“Are you ever satiated?”

“Never.” Damen chuckles, leaning over to plant a chaste kiss on Laurent’s lips. “We can just go to sleep if you like. I won’t complain.”

“You’re not fucking me out here.” Laurent squints, whispering so no one nearby will hear.

“I didn’t say that.” Damen strokes his hand up Laurent’s thigh again, pushing the hem of his skirt up just the tiniest bit. “But you can’t look like this and expect me not to notice. I’m only human, Laurent. It’s not fair.”

Laurent rolls his eyes, but laughs a little bit, glancing at Damen’s expression, then at the stars through the trees, then at Damen again. “I wouldn’t object if you were to… kiss me for a little while.”

“You want to be kissed beneath the stars?” Damen pushes Laurent’s hair back behind his ear, sliding in closer to him and leaning down to nuzzle their noses together. “You’re quite the romantic, aren’t you?”

“Yes, the influence of the great Damianos truly molded me into the damsel you see before you.” Laurent teases, smiling a little bit now as he wraps one arm around Damen’s shoulders. “Besides, I’ve been thinking… It’s hard enough to sneak away at the palace to make love, but once the baby comes…”

“You know we’ll still make time, my love.”

“I know.” Laurent nods, looking up into Damen’s eyes. The moonlight reflects so beautifully in the blue of his irises that Damen’s playful demeanor swiftly melts into something softer. “But maybe now is the time to be intimate as often as we can.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” Damen sighs, pressing his lips to Laurent’s once again as he slides his hand up beneath the chiton to rest on Laurent’s hips. Playing with Laurent beneath these skirts is one of his favorite past times. He remembered when they’d been meeting with one of many merchants associations, a casual enough setting that Laurent attended in his rare chiton. Damen had made good use of his right hand under the high table, slipping up his husband’s skirt to play with him, all while Laurent flushed and apologized to the merchants for “being a bit feverish” that day.

Laurent lets out a quiet sound against him, his lips further parting to invite Damen in, his legs opening a little wider.

Damen is teasing as he moves his hand over to Laurent’s cock, only just beginning to harden. He runs his fingertips over the length, reaches down to lightly cup his balls, then returns to grazing the inside of Laurent’s thigh. Laurent is pliant and loose for him, tilting his head to the side to offer his neck and Damen leans in to suck on it as he palms over Laurent’s cock some more.

A sigh of pleasure escapes from Laurent’s lips, his hand sliding up the back of Damen’s neck and into his hair.

Damen kisses slowly, languid and lazy as he licks over his previous love marks, kissing his way up to Laurent’s ear. He swirls his thumb around Laurent’s slit, spreading the wetness and swiping it down the shaft to slick his grip. He’s still not quite stroking him, playing with his husband’s hardening length underneath his skirt as Laurent’s skin warms and pinkens.

“Please.” Laurent breathes. Anyone else would think he was begging to be touched properly, but Damen knows what he wants.

Damen nips at the shell of Laurent’s ear, nibbling at the lobe before lavishing it in hot kisses, a warm tongue that makes Laurent squirm and clutch him closer.

“Damen.” Laurent shivers, letting out a quiet whine, stifling the sound enough not to wake anyone nearby.

“You have no idea how beautiful you look in the moonlight.” Damen murmurs, lifting the skirt up to Laurent’s waist to expose his erection to the open air. He see how Laurent shivers again, mourning the warmth Damen had created under his clothes. Damen licks his lips at the sight, how Laurent’s cock is so pretty and pink even in the dark, his tip glistening, practically begging Damen to suck on it. Laurent is looking up at him, his golden hair spread out like a halo on the bedroll, his eyes so wide and innocent as he waits for Damen to continue.

Before moving further down, Damen kisses Laurent again, licking into his mouth gently, giving him a taste of what’s to come.

“Let me use my mouth on you.” Damen practically begs when he breaks the kiss. “Can you stay quiet?”

“You know I can.” Laurent smiles, blushing as he leans up to press a cute, almost childish, kiss to the tip of Damen’s nose, his hands still tangled in his hair. “Do it quietly.”

Damen lets out a low laugh and slides down, settling himself between Laurent’s legs and lying himself down with his elbows holding him up. He kisses up Laurent’s inner thighs, then over his cock, teasing him with long licks up the underside, warm kisses following each stroke of his tongue.

“Oh.” Laurent sighs, his legs folding up beside Damen’s head and his back arching a little bit off the bed roll, his body chasing what Damen isn’t giving him. This is exactly how Damen likes him — relaxed and loose, allowing himself to enjoy the pleasure Damen is giving him rather than overthinking it or suppressing his body’s responses. “Damen.” Laurent nearly whispers, dazed as Damen’s mouth continues to tease him.

“You’re so beautiful like this.” Damen says in a hushed voice, knowing his breath is brushing over Laurent’s increasingly sensitive erection. “Gods, Laurent.” He moans, a low rumble in his throat as he angles Laurent towards his mouth, wrapping his lips around the tip and licking up the precome with enthusiasm. He even loves how Laurent tastes and he makes it known as he sinks further down.

Laurent squirms and rolls his hips, tugging on Damen’s hair a little as he starts to suck him at an agonizingly slow pace. Damen knows just what he wants. Laurent loves being worked up, loves the slowness, even if his body becomes frustrated.

Damen takes one of Laurent’s legs and hikes it up over his shoulder as he takes him in deeper, letting Laurent nudge into his throat as he begins to bob up and down. He runs his tongue over Laurent’s member each time he goes down, humming and relishing in Laurent’s hands in his hair.

Laurent whimpers, just loud enough for Damen to hear. It’s enough encouragement for Damen to take him all in, focusing on relaxing his gag reflex until his nose touches fine blonde hair and his husband begins to pant.

Damen shuts his eyes as he moves back and forth, taking Laurent in deep each time and listening to the precious sounds that Laurent makes. They’re all desperately silenced, but Damen knows Laurent’s face is burning red at each gasp and half a moan that escapes his lips.

“Damen.” Laurent shivers, his hips pumping back and forth in small shallow thrusts, Damen allowing him to fuck his mouth as he nears completion. “I-I’m going to… Love, I’m right there.”

Damen gives Laurent’s thigh a squeeze as a green light and pulls back just a little bit as Laurent’s orgasm breaches. He listens graciously as Laurent gasps and pants, breathing hard through his nose and swallowing everything Laurent releases. He gulps it down like honey, moaning softly around Laurent, so he knows how much he genuinely enjoys this.

Laurent goes limp and pliant when the orgasm passes, taking his leg off of Damen’s shoulder and propping himself up on an elbow as he catches his breath. “Damen.” He breathes, his face completely flushed as he twitches with little aftershocks.

“Laurent.” Damen answers with a smile, leaning up and turning his head to kiss Laurent like he desires. He licks into his mouth, letting him taste his own release as he eases him back down onto the bed roll. He never wants to let him go. Each time he thinks of pulling back, he finds himself kissing Laurent again and again, bringing a hand up to cup his warm cheek, then sliding that hand into locks of golden hair.

Laurent is the one to end the kiss, placing a hand on Damen’s chest to ease him back an inch. Damen frowns at first, afraid he may have done something wrong when Laurent throws his arms around his shoulders and hugs him tight.

“What’s this?” Damen grins as he hugs him back. “That good?”

“I love you, you giant animal.” Laurent chuckles, pulling back and pushing the hair out of Damen’s eyes. He’s smiling. His expression is bright and soft at the same time, his eyes full of adoration. Damen can feel his heart swell in his chest. “I’m happy. I can’t wait to have a family with you.”

“I love you too.” Damen mimics Laurent’s smile as he leans in to peck his lips once more. He thinks his eyes might be watering a little as he strokes Laurent’s hair and nuzzles their noses together. “I’m happy too. So happy, Laurent.”

“Do you want me to…?” Laurent glances down at Damen’s lap.

“Only if you lie here and kiss me.”

“Damianos, master negotiator.” Laurent breathes out a laugh as he pushes Damen down onto his back, caressing his jaw as he gazes down at him, backed by moonlight. “I truly never had the means to defend myself against you…”

“What do you mean?”

“That you have my heart in a way I can never escape from.” Laurent twirls one of Damen’s curls around his finger. “I could defend against you as a soldier, as a slave, as a rival prince, but as a lover?” Laurent lies beside him and reaches beneath Damen’s chiton to find his cock resting hard against his stomach, stroking it as he kisses Damen’s forehead.

Damen looks up at him with what he’s sure is the stupidest, most dopey in-love grin, but Laurent’s words are like sweet ambrosia, hypnotizing him into the loving gaze of sapphire eyes. “As a lover?”

“I never stood a chance.”

Chapter Text

The journey home is joyous. Laurent’s mood hasn’t soured once, mystifying the men. He tends to Astrid and talks to her nonstop. Damen makes small talk with her, eager to get to know the woman bearing his child, but not wanting her to feel too smothered.

Each time they stop at an inn for the night, he makes passionate love to Laurent. It’s the kind of sex that leaves them truly breathless after, that has Laurent making sweet pillow talk and dragging Damen into the baths with him afterwards. Spirits are high all around and Astrid seems to strike up a casual friendship with Pallas.

Laurent is more open with his affections, giving Damen more casual kisses with witnesses, even holding his hand when they break for meals, not hesitating to undress when they bathe in streams and rivers.

He seems to be so excited and focused on the baby, his other anxieties have settled down.

When they return to the palace at the capital, civilians greet them with fanfare, even as they make quick way through the crowd to make preparations in the palace. As promised, Laurent takes Astrid right to the kitchen to talk to the chef about her diet, any allergies, and her likes and dislikes. He orders servants to prepare her room immediately and luxuriously and assigns several to be at Astrid’s beck and call should she need anything.

Eventually, Damen’s able to sense Astrid’s growing tiredness and reigns Laurent in to let her rest for a while.

A walk to the garden is a good way to hog Laurent to himself for a little while again and he gets to see his husband slip into a chiton again for the warm weather. They walk together, enjoying the shade of the apricot trees and blooming flowers. Damen plucks one and tucks it into the shoulder clasp of Laurent’s garment, knowing he can’t quite get away with putting it in his hair at the moment.

“It’s so great to see you excited.” Damen sighs, pressing his lips to Laurent’s forehead. “You’re adorable you know. You can put that front on all you want, but you’re a big softie.”

“Shut up.” Laurent presses a kiss to the corner of Damen’s mouth, seemingly leaning in for another when they hear footsteps on the garden trail behind them.

“Oh! Pardon me, am I interrupting?” Torveld asks, grinning as if he’d caught them in more than a chaste kiss.

“Not at all.” Damen shakes his head. “Feel free to pass on through, we’re just ignoring our kingly duties for one more day.”

“Yes, yes, congratulations on the child, Exalted. I’m sure you must be thrilled.”

“I am.” Damen nods, placing a hand on the small of Laurent’s back in the hopes Torveld will get the hint. He’s already felt Laurent go ice cold beside him and he knows if he were to look over, he’d find those blue eyes throwing daggers.

Laurent waits a beat, giving Torveld a chance before the silence becomes awkward and he clears his throat, his tone shifting to the authoritative and, well, bitchy demeanor he more often uses to break in new troops than talk to allied lords. “I’d like to ask, Torveld.” He tilts his head a little as he speaks, squinting a little. “Why is it you only congratulate my husband on the conception of our child?”

“Well.” Torveld stammers, blushing a little under Laurent’s harsh gaze. “It’s… his? The child will be Akielon.”

Laurent is cold as he releases Damen’s hand and steps towards Torveld, crossing his arms as he looks down at him. Oh boy. Damen hasn’t seen Laurent use his talent for creative insults in quite some time. “The child is the heir to our empire, to the land of Akielos and Vere. If you respect my authority over these kingdoms, my marriage, my kingship, you will recognize that of our child’s. Is that understood or has Erasmus sucked so much of your mind out through your cock, you’ve lost some capacity for comprehension?”

“Clear as day, your Highness.” Torveld coughs before taking an awkward step back and bowing to Laurent. “I shall take my leave. Congratulations to you both.”

“Do say hello to Erasmus, I have no spite for him.” Laurent says, still scowling as Torveld walks past them and turns the nearest corner, hurrying quickly out of sight.

“Um, that was a little…” Damen winces as he looks down the path. Torveld and Laurent are friends to an extent. He hopes things won’t be awkward the next time they run into him and Erasmus. Damen likes Erasmus too.

“A little what?” Laurent glares at him now. “Bitchy? Overdramatic? Please do tell me what you think about how I handle protecting the authenticity of our child’s right to the throne.”

“Hey, hey.” Damen holds his hands up and takes a step forward. “I’m not criticizing you, he should have been congratulating us both. I just want to know if you’re okay.”

“Of course I’m okay, I won’t break at a simple passive aggression.” Laurent huffs, arms still crossed as a strand of loose hair falls into his face. Damen takes the opportunity to come closer and tuck it back behind his ear. “I can’t believe how easily I just became that person again.”

“Oh, Laurent.” Damen frowns, looking at his husband’s expression only to find his eyes cast down. “Laurent, you’re allowed to be angry at people. Coldness isn’t who you are, but standing up, not tolerating any steps over the line are what make you such a great king.” He presses his lips to Laurent’s forehead, the skin pleasantly sun warmed. “Spitting venom is a talent of yours, you don’t have to throw it all away. There’s a difference between being cruel and having some choice words for someone who disrespected you and our family.”

“I suppose.” Laurent mumbles, seeming deep in thought. Damen hates to see him so downcast after all the joy he’d seen in Laurent the past few days.

“You know, it was pretty good to see you rip into someone with a flower in your chiton.” Damen smiles, giving Laurent’s shoulder a poke for emphasis.

“Oh Lord, I forgot that was there.” Laurent sighs, shaking his head at himself. “I’ll apologize somewhat to Torveld next time I see him. I shouldn’t be scaring off our friends and allies.”

“Do you want to go down to the beach to clear your head a bit?”

“No, there’s work I should attend to.” Laurent says, downcast as he removes the flower and lets it fall to the stone path. “I’ll see you in bed, you should see to your own pile of paperwork.”

“Alright.” Damen sighs, knowing there’s no use in trying to force Laurent back into enjoying the day. He’ll let him be on his own and work for a while and try to cheer him up a bit once he’s had time to simmer. Poor Torveld is probably running to Erasmus for comfort already.

Maybe he should see if there’s anything Charls has that could surprise Laurent later. They’d mentioned baby clothes before embarking on their journey and Charls is staying at the palace currently.

Damen plucks a plum from an overhanging tree and bites into it as he resigns to his duties for the day, heading back down the trail from the gardens to visit the study he never uses. Maybe Laurent will run into Astrid and have his spirits lifted, but Damen knows it’s more likely Laurent made a few servants cry on his way into the palace.

*****

Damen mills about for the rest of the day, taking care of a few of the more urgent requests that came in during his absence, but mostly wandering the palace, saying hi to old friends and greeting council members, receiving everyone’s congratulations. They sting a little bit, knowing that the same hasn’t been offered to Laurent, but as a king, he accepts the well wishes graciously and thanks every person.

He does find a bit of luck when he goes to see Charls who, in his everlasting enthusiasm, has already crafted the first of many infant garments for their child-to-be. It’s a mixture of red and blue, combining Damen and Laurent’s colors with a gold trim in a tiny little tunic that could tie loosely around a baby’s waist. Damen beams when he sees it, thanking Charls over and over, already trying to picture it on their future son or daughter. It makes the baby feel so much realer. With Astrid’s stomach still mostly flat, the child can still feel a bit like a fantasy, but having something to hold makes Damen’s chest warm.

It’s also the perfect thing to make his husband smile.

Damen bides his time for a little longer, waiting until dinner is served and he finishes his rounds with their guests, so he can have a servant arrange a plate for Laurent for him to deliver himself. Then he quietly makes his way to the heavy wooden doors of his husband’s study. It’s not often he would bother Laurent inside, but he’s determined to keep him in high spirits. This is a joyous time for them and he won’t let others’ ignorance about their marriage put a damper on it.

Damen gives a light knock on the door and steps back, waiting until he hears Laurent’s curt voice from behind the door.

“Is there an emergency?”

“It’s just me.” Damen says, just loud enough to be heard through the doors. He knows there’s a fair chance of Laurent sending him away, but a pair of footsteps approaching put his mind at ease.

“Do you need something?” Laurent sighs when he opens the doors, glancing down at the plate of food Damen’s carrying.

“I thought you might be hungry.” Damen offers the plate as he looks him over. Laurent has changed clothes, dressed again in his more typical Veretian style with its many laces and layers. He looks no less beautiful, but Damen does miss the carefree Laurent he sometimes gets a glimpse of in a chiton.

“A little.” Laurent admits, slumping against the doorframe and gesturing for Damen to enter. “Come keep me company a while. Every single merchant in Vere has something to say about the new tax ordinances, each one of them contradicting another.”

“You’re good at negotiating those kinds of things.” Damen steps inside and sets Laurent’s plate on his desk next to the organized pile of papers, the outfit from Charles tucked away in his pocket.

Laurent’s study is completely, well… Laurent. The walls are bookshelves, filled to the brim and alphabetized, many of the texts annotated with his husband’s scrawled cursive notes lining the margins. The floor is an expensive wood and the light is low, but enough to be able to see his work clearly and read comfortably. In the corner is a pallet covered in luxuriously soft blue pillows and silken sheets, all carefully placed and organized, but Damen’s caught Laurent a few times in softer moments, hidden away and curled up in that corner with a book.

“What are you here for?” Laurent asks, expressionless as he sits at his desk again and picks up a pen. He offers Damen a silent compromise by reaching out to take a bite of the bread he’d brought as he works.

“I just thought I’d come see you for a bit.”

“Bored already?”

“Incredibly.” Damen smiles, walking up behind Laurent’s chair and peering over his shoulder. The documents do look tedious. “It’s warm in here, you should at least take your jacket off.” Damen offers, placing his hands on Laurent’s shoulders and smoothing them up and down his biceps a few times.

“If you’ve come here to seduce me, I’m not exactly in the mood.”

“No seduction, just keeping you comfortable. You forget about yourself when you’re focused like this.”

Laurent sighs in admission and holds out one wrist, his other hand still writing and his eyes focused on his papers.

Damen walks around to his side and takes Laurent’s wrist eagerly, delighting in the now rare occasion where he attends him. They’re largely self sufficient these days and it’s not often he gets to undo the complicated lacings of Laurent’s wardrobe for anything but the purpose of fucking. This innocent act of taking care of him makes him feel like he’s doing what he should be, like he’s a good husband to this man who wears himself thin for every just cause that grabs his attention.

He pulls the laces loose one by one, tugging the sleeve open and loose before stepping around the chair to repeat the process on Laurent’s right arm. Even then, Laurent sets his pen down, but continues to read.

“Neck.” Damen instructs and Laurent obeys, leaning his head back, so Damen can reach around and undo the tie at his collar, then unhook the fastenings that go down his chest. “Here.” Damen says as he pulls the jacket free from Laurent’s torso and tosses it onto the pallet behind him. “Better?”

“A bit.” Laurent mumbles, shrugging off one more layer of clothing himself and chucking it to leave himself still in boots and complicated trousers, but only an undershirt otherwise. “Thank you. You can go now.”

“Laurent.” Damen says, his tone warning as he sets his hands back on his shoulders, squeezing. He’s tense as stone. “Love, look what you’re working yourself into. You don’t need to stress yourself so much on our first night back.”

“We have a kingdom to attend to, Damen.” Laurent sighs. “Two kingdoms.”

“And they’ll both be here in the morning.” Damen makes the choice to play a little unfairly as he presses his thumbs in beside Laurent’s shoulder blades and rubs them in small soothing circles, right where Laurent likes it.

“Damen.” Laurent huffs, but his tone isn’t truly cold or angry.

“You’re too stubborn.”

“Says you.”

“Fair enough.” Damen leans down and presses a kiss to the top of Laurent’s head as he massages his shoulders, gently working out the tension and relishing in Laurent slowly unlocking for him piece by piece.

He remembers the first time he touched Laurent this way. It had been nerve wracking and exhilarating, confusing, but so good all at once. Back then when they were at war, sharing a tent every night, Laurent’s exhaustion revealing itself only to Damen and Damen alone. The way Laurent had resisted his touch so stubbornly and then slowly succumbed to the feel of his hands. Now, when Laurent is clearly stressed or upset, but not quite in the mood for sex, Damen rubs his shoulders or his back until the knots come loose.

Tonight is no different, Laurent subtly leaning forward to give Damen easier access as he pretends to keep working. Damen can tell as Laurent’s pen keeps ghosting over the same line over and over again, tracking exactly where Laurent’s focus had dropped off. Damen rubs at the junction between his neck and shoulder and Laurent lets out a strange breath, his head tipping to the side.

“There.” He whispers, his eyes fluttered shut as Damen tends to the sore spot.

“Good?”

Laurent nods silently, gathering his hair and placing it over his left shoulder to keep it out of the way. “You’re the worst thing to have ever happened to my productivity.”

“I don’t know, I think we’re quite productive together.” Damen smiles, leaning down and planting another innocent kiss on Laurent’s cheek. “You’re tenser than the garden statues, do you want to talk about why you’re hiding yourself away in here?”

“I had forgotten about how much our own people disbelieve my claim to our child.” Laurent mutters, tensing briefly again before Damen’s hands massage him back to relaxation. Laurent’s eyes close again as Damen finds another sore spot in need of attention. The days of wagon rides have taken a bit of a toll on him as well. “It… hurts. I’m not usually sensitive to what people say at all, but seeing people congratulate you on our child as if I’m not even there…” Laurent makes a waving motion with his hand, unable to find the words. “It gives me an awful feeling.”

“I know.” Damen nods. “It’s unfair. I hate it too.” He runs his fingers through Laurent’s hair, over his scalp just to soothe him. “But don’t let it get to you. This is a happy time for us and no matter what people say, this baby is yours as much as mine. This is our family. The only thing that matters is that our child will call you ‘father’ regardless of what others think.”

“Father.” Laurent lets out a low laugh. “It feels so strange still… I can’t believe we really have a child on the way.”

“Oh.” Damen beams, remembering the gift in his pocket. “I was thinking the same thing. Look, I went to see Charls today and doesn’t this make it all seem so much more real?” He pulls the small tunic from his pocket and lays it over Laurent’s papers in front of him. “Our baby’s first clothes. Charls said he made it the instant we told him we were going to find a surrogate.”

“Damen.” Laurent blinks, his eyes wide and bright as he runs his fingers over the fabric. “I…”

“I know.” Damen nods as he gives Laurent’s shoulders another squeeze. “I felt the same way when he showed it to me.”

“This is really happening.”

“Exactly.” Damen steps around once again and cups Laurent’s face in one hand, tilting it up, so he can lean down and give him a proper kiss. “That joy you feel right now? No one can take that. Our child is on the way whether they like it or not.”

“Oh, Damen.” Laurent sighs, leaning into Damen’s touch. “You have such a way of making me terribly soft.”

“You’ve always been soft. That kindness you spent so long hiding is why I fell in love with you.”

Laurent’s cheeks pinken under Damen’s gaze.

“Come to bed early with me. We’ll be unguarded for a little longer and if you like, we can uh… make the most of our time as you suggested?”

“You did come to seduce me.” Laurent laughs, but he rises from his chair anyways and gives Damen a kiss. “Let me bathe first, but yes, I’ll retire early.” He reaches for Damen’s hand and gives it a squeeze. “You can join me in the baths if you send the guards away. I’ve grown too tired of people overhearing our conversations.”

“As you wish.”

“You’re always running after me when I’m upset, aren’t you?” Laurent sighs, reaching up and running a hand through Damen’s hair. “No wonder Nikandros is so convinced I brainwashed you.”

“You always comfort me when I’m upset.” Damen shrugs. “You’re here for me just as much.”

“You’re not quite as temperamental.”

“I think sometimes you’d say otherwise.” Damen chuckles, kissing his forehead. “I’ll clear the baths. Meet me there when you’re ready.”

“I don’t like to be kept waiting.”

“Then hurry to me.” Damen says with a wink, leaving Laurent with one more squeeze of his hand.

He leaves the study and makes his way quickly to the more private area of the palace, dismissing the guards outside their chambers and ordering them relocated to the bottom of the stairs. At the baths, Damen has the guards move far down the hall to the nearest entrance.

With so many visitors in the palace and all the fanfare in the capital in celebration of the child, security can’t be lowered much, but they can have their privacy. He’ll catch hell from the council for disappearing (and taking Laurent with him) for the evening.

He sends the servants away as well, instructing them to attend to the guests downstairs, treat them well — in part to prevent any disgruntlement about the absent kings.

Damen undresses himself first, abandoning his clothes on the expensive tile before he selects some of Laurent’s favorite scents and oils to stir into the water. The baths here are a select few tubs, each big enough to hold about five people, but he and Laurent are really it’s only users. It’s a place where they can sneak off and make love during hectic and busy times and it's the most luxurious in the palace, the water always pleasantly hot, an array of oils and elixirs available.

Damen pours in rose water, stirring it with his hand until the aroma fills the room before adding soap to the bath itself until it froths with bubbles. Laurent always says Damen is childish when he prepares a bubble bath, but Damen knows he secretly enjoys it.

His skin and hair are already damp with steam, his hair curling further as he stands to see one of the heavy metal doors creaking open.

Laurent slides in quickly and silently, shutting and holding the door behind him before turning to Damen. “Hi.” He blinks, eyes unsubtly wandering over Damen’s naked form.

Damen flashes a smile and watches Laurent breathe the air in. He’s in a silk robe, dark blue with gold trim, and his blonde hair is already curling at the ends from the humidity. “Hi.”

Laurent’s expression is soft as he approaches Damen, allowing him to untie the sash from his robe and push it down his shoulders. “I haven’t made a single appearance at dinner tonight. We’ll be in a bit of trouble tomorrow morning.”

“So be it.” Damen says, perfectly content as he turns his head to kiss his husband’s lips, feeling Laurent lean into him until he allows Damen to take his hand and lead him to the water.

“Bubbles, Damen?”

“You know you enjoy them.” Damen teases as they descend the steps into the water together. He hears Laurent sighs pleasantly next to him as he immerses himself in the hot water, no doubt enjoying the soothing effects on his recently untensed muscles. “Come here.” He says, gesturing for Laurent to come sit in his lap and Laurent does. It’s funny how no one can order his husband around in any sense of the word, but in their intimate moments, Laurent is practically at his beck and call.

“Yes, Exalted?” Laurent teases, sitting in Damen’s lap beneath the warm water so that he’s straddling Damen’s broad thighs. The bubbles are up to Laurent’s chest and the sight of him surrounded by them is almost painfully endearing. “What do you summon me for?”

“Just your beauty, my love.” Damen breathes out a laugh as he snakes his arms around Laurent’s waist and holds him, one hand sliding up to arch his back. “I’ll never grow tired of sneaking away with you.”

“When the child arrives, we may have to ride out together if we want a moment alone.” Laurent smiles. “Poor Astrid will become all too familiar with the frequency of our lovemaking if she’s made to babysit each time you come to pull me away.”

“Why is it I’m always the seducer, hm?” Damen asks with a playful kiss to Laurent’s damp cheek. “If I recall, a certain blonde haired King enjoys pulling me on to the balcony in a short skirt.”

“And whose hands are reaching under that skirt, hm?” Laurent nuzzles their noses together before kissing Damen, his lips warm and his hands gentle on Damen’s shoulders.

“Feeling better?” Damen asks against his lips when they part, smiling at the endearing way Laurent’s hair has dampened and curled from the humidity.

“I would say so.” Laurent sighs, slumping into him and relaxing in Damen’s hold. He tucks his head into the crook of his neck, kissing Damen’s collar. “Could I ask something of you?”

Damen runs his hand up and down Laurent’s back, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “Of course.”

“When you… found me in the woods those weeks ago… when I was upset.”

“What about it?” Damen frowns. He doesn’t like to remember that if he can help it. His chest aches every time he remembers how cruel he’d been in his anger, how absolutely devastated Laurent had looked.

“I know how much I’ve hurt you in the past.” Laurent says, his voice soft and his face still hidden in Damen’s shoulder. “I feel sick remembering it, but I know how you can sometimes swallow your sadness in different ways than I do.” He lifts his head to look at Damen, his blue eyes full of something that looks like concern and maybe… guilt? Damen hates to see that expression on his face. He already wants to kiss it away, but he knows whatever Laurent is about to say is important.

“After we got together, were there ever times when I… hurt you?” Laurent swallows and glances away. “I know things got so hectic towards the end.”

Damen’s heart sinks seeing his husband’s mood deflated again, but he knows better than to lie to Laurent. There were times. Damen has largely forgotten them and he certainly doesn’t dwell on them in the slightest. He’s forgiven Laurent for them and understands where he was coming from just like he has with all the other painful parts of their history together.

“Damen?” Laurent asks and his voice is vulnerable again, his eyebrows beginning to push together in worry.

“There are.” Damen nods. “But they were a long time ago. They only hurt in the moment and I forgot them entirely when I had you in my arms again. It depends on when you define the beginning of our romantic relationship I suppose.”

“What times come to mind?” Laurent is frowning now, at himself, not at Damen, but Damen hates that even more.

“There was nothing after the kingsmeet and from there on out.” Damen assures him, running his hands down Laurent’s size until he squeezes his hips beneath the water. “It was just after we started having sex, nothing after when we truly knew we loved each other.”

Laurent nods.

“After the Okton… When you found me with Nikandros and you told him how I’d…” Damen stops and clears his throat. “We don’t talk about sex like that in Aikelos and it hurt wondering if you felt the same way I did about that night.”

“God.” Laurent sighs at himself. “I completely forgot about that, I can’t believe I ever-“

“It was different then, you know that.” Damen kisses the tip of his nose. “Why are you asking me about all this? You know how much I love you now. I know how much you love me.”

“You’ve just spent so long with me and my emotions, I don’t want any wound to go untreated.” Laurent shrugs his shoulders. “Call me self punishing, but you’ve been so patient and doting with me this past month, I don’t know if I’ve done the same.”

“What? Laurent, that’s crazy.” Damen laughs, pulling him in to hug him against his chest. “You nursed me back to health from near death. You bathed me and comforted me, you kept me sane when I was stuck in bed and you’re there to let me rant and rave whenever I’ve had a bad day. Who says you don’t do enough?”

Laurent hugs him back, but his playful demeanor hasn’t returned quite yet. “What was the second time?”

“When I came to tell you who I was.” Damen says honestly. “When you said you needed a victory at Charcy, that you’d endured sex with me to secure it.” He feels Laurent deflate in his arms. “Laurent that feels like a lifetime ago. It hurt so bad in the moment because I knew you didn’t mean it. I knew you had to love me too and it was beginning to tear me apart that I truly may not be able to have you.”

“I was so cruel to you… I didn’t need to be at that point. We were a united front, I…” Laurent sighs at himself and lifts his head again. “I loved you so much since that very first night you kissed me, Damen. I was just so frightened of it.”

“I know, my love.” Damen soothes. “I know.”

“How will I ever be as comforting as you when our child needs reassurance?” Laurent starts to smile. “I’m afraid you’re going to outshine me.”

“I will not. You forget how loving a caretaker you are.” Damen reaches up to push his fingers through Laurent’s hair. “Stop thinking about what might go wrong and think about all the amazing things we have to look forward to. Think about teaching our child how to ride and hold a sword, reading to them at night.”

Laurent lets out a contented breath and nods his head, leaning in to kiss Damen’s lips. “You always know what to say when we’re alone.”

“Do I not elsewhere?”

“No, you’ve put your foot in your mouth in front of the council more times than I can count, but I do love the words you whisper behind closed doors.” Laurent pushes his hand through Damen’s curls and kisses the tip of his nose. “Sit up on the side for me, my love.”

“Why?”

Laurent cocks an eyebrow and Damen’s cheeks warm. “You know I’ve really come to enjoy giving you pleasure this way.” He climbs off of Damen’s lap to let him up. “If only the people of Akielos knew the way their king falls apart when his cock is sucked.” Laurent teases and Damen splashes him, kissing Laurent on the cheek before raising himself up.

“If only the people of Vere knew how their king whimpers and moans when he’s fucked properly.”

“I think people have already made their own assumptions about what end of our sexual relationship I’m often on.” Laurent says as he arranges himself between Damen’s open thighs, kneeling on the ledge under the water.

“Do you really enjoy doing this?” Damen asks, carding his fingers through his husband’s damp hair. “I never want you to feel like you have to just because I do it to you.”

“I do like it.” Laurent says, taking Damen’s cock in his hand and looking fondly at it as he starts to stroke him. “It took a long time to get used to it and not think about… unpleasant memories, but I like how you taste.” His face flushes as he looks up at Damen. “And I like how you sound.” He holds Damen’s gaze as he angles his cock towards himself and leans in to take the first few seductive licks of the head. “You did clear the floor now, didn’t you?”

Damen bites his lip and nods, his fingers already gripping the edge of the bath.

“Then make sure you tell me how good it is.” Laurent says before he takes Damen in his mouth properly. He keeps one hand holding him steady and strokes the other up and down Damen’s thigh in such a simple, but loving motion. He does everything Damen likes.

“Laurent.” Damen groans when a warm tongue slides up the underside and presses over his slit. Then lips around his tip, suckling on the oversensitive head and inching down just a little bit each time, teasing Damen and denying him the feeling of having more than an inch or two of his cock in Laurent’s mouth. “Baby, your fucking mouth.” He breathes, pushing a hand into Laurent’s hair and holding it.

Laurent hums his approval and begins to suck in earnest, bobbing his head up and down without any signs of gagging before he’s pulling off again, licking over Damen’s sac and kissing the insides of his thighs.

“Laurent.” Damen whines this time, rolling his hips helplessly to urge him on.

“See? This is the only time you squirm like this.” Laurent lets out a low laugh before rising up for a moment, planting his hands beside Damen’s on the tile and lifting himself to kiss Damen. It’s dirty and open mouthed, Laurent licking eagerly into Damen’s mouth and Damen greedily savoring the taste of himself on Laurent’s lips. “I’ll give you what you want, my love.” He murmurs when they part, nuzzling their noses together for a brief moment before kneeling again and taking Damen in his mouth.

Damen hears himself whimper as Laurent begins his slow descent over his cock, taking him inch by inch, moving up, then back down to take more until Damen feels that he’s nudging at the back of his husband’s throat. “You feel so good.” He breathes, both hands stroking Laurent’s hair as he tries not to buck his hips. Luckily, Laurent senses the effort and presses his forearms over him to keep him still as he picks up a rhythm.

Damen feels like he’s in heaven. Laurent is right, he knows just how to make him feel good, has known so much about what can make him cringe and what can make him cry out in pleasure since that first treacherous incident with Ancel all that time ago.

The masculine role of the king is so emphasized in Akielos that he usually struggles to let himself bend this way to Laurent sometimes. It’s why he blushes furiously when Laurent fucks him on the rare occasion and why his face is red now as helpless whimpers fall from his mouth, far from the guttural groans one would expect from a king. But Laurent is a king too and Damen sees him as no less of a man for the glorious ways he allows himself to be fucked, for the rare occasion of kneeling for Damen’s own pleasure. He supposes if he’s going to insist on Laurent not restricting himself in bed, then he shouldn’t police himself either.

So Damen lets his head tip back and makes whatever noise he pleases, lost in the sensation of his husband’s mouth, of the intimate words they exchanged just minutes ago. He whimpers and whines and begs to his heart’s desire, listening to the light splashing of water that tells him Laurent is touching himself. It feels wonderful, all encompassing, and when he comes, he cries out as he wishes, speaking Laurent’s name with pleasure in his voice as he swallows every spurt of Damen’s release.

“Oh, Laurent, Gods I forget how talented you are sometimes.”

“You… really liked that.” Laurent is grinning up at him, his eyes bright and his face flushed. “You’re not usually so…”

“I know.” Damen blushes. “But… you make me feel really good when you do that, I wanted you to know how much I was feeling.” He glances down and sees through the water and some dissipated bubbles that Laurent is still achingly hard. “Come here, my love.” He murmurs, lowering himself back into the water and pulling Laurent right into his lap again. “Don’t go quiet on me now.”

Laurent gasps when Damen’s hand grips him and arches his back, his hands coming up to hold Damen’s shoulders as he rolls into the touch. “Damen.” He breathes, eyes shut and eyebrows creased like he’s concentrating, but the trembling of his thighs and the beautiful flush of his cheeks show that he’s just overwhelmed. “Damen, please, I-I’m going to-“

“The water can be changed. Come for me.” Damen murmurs and when he turns his head and sucks onto Laurent’s neck, it nudges him right over the edge.

“Damen.” Laurent comes with a gasp, his hips twitching as he comes over Damen’s hand and into the water, breathing hard and holding tight to Damen until it passes. He goes pliant in Damen’s arms, leaning in for a long lazy kiss, slow opening and closing of lips, the gentle graze of tongues.

“Every time I think I can’t possibly be more enamored with you.” Damen smiles, sliding his hands up Laurent’s wet sides. “Let’s switch tubs and let me bathe you. I want you going to bed tonight just as relaxed as you are now.”

“That would be nice.” Laurent sighs, eyes half lidded as he yawns and slides off of Damen’s thighs. “We’re going to be in for it tomorrow.”

“We’ll suffer through it together.”

*****

Damen expected this to be the longest nine months of his life, agonizing over the wait for their child to arrive, hoping every day that Astrid will stay healthy.

Instead, it flies by. Their days are packed with meetings and negotiations, banquets, and cultural festivals aimed at further uniting Akielons and Veretians. Damen is insistent on further validating their relationship in the public eye, both as a political alliance in uniting the kingdoms, and as a romantic match. Only a few times in their long history has a king married another man, let alone another king. They both know cementing the people’s belief and support of their relationship is an essential part of establishing their child’s validity as an heir. Damen has… a little too much fun with the task.

As comfortable as Laurent is saying filthy things or being seen by servants in an obviously post-coital state, he’s a little rigid with public affection in official settings. Damen has taken to holding his hand and kissing his cheek when they ceremoniously begin the festivals, enjoying Laurent’s faint blush.

At Akielon sporting events, where it’s more favorable for Laurent to be seen as the object of Damen’s sincere affections, he’s begun the tradition of kissing Laurent properly before his wrestling matches. It is tradition for the king to wrestle last, so with each sporting event, he gets to cup Laurent’s face in his hands, nude and oiled in preparation for the event, and kiss him to the whoops and cheers of his people.

As a bonus, despite his bashfulness in public, Laurent almost always yanks him out of sight the moment after the match for some vengeful lovemaking. Poor Nikandros has nearly caught an oil-coated Laurent pinning Damen to the floor in the underground of the colosseum more than once.

The public events work in their favor, the people of Vere becoming warmer to Damen as the people of Akielos become warmer to Laurent. More people congratulate Laurent on his impending parenthood and the whole palace fawns alongside them as Astrid’s belly grows.

While they spend most of their days in the public eye, Damen gets to enjoy the soft side of Laurent in all of their private moments. The first time they feel the baby kick, sitting on Astrid’s bedside with eager hands on her stomach until the first tiny taps of the baby’s feet against their palms.

Damen had smiled so hard he thought his face might break when he looked over and saw Laurent, his eyes welling with tears as he stared down at his hand, fixated on the barely noticeable sensation of their child’s movement.

“Laurent?” Damen had taken his hand away to reach for his husband’s shoulder, afraid he might be upset or overwhelmed, but instead Laurent grinned at him. They were happy tears, a sight as rare on Laurent as tears of anguish.

“That’s our baby, Damen.”

Eventually, with Astrid frequently wandering the palace and Laurent crossing her path often enough, word had spread about this soft side of his. Enough people had seen the kind smile on the king’s face when he touched Astrid’s stomach that the jokes of him being a cold hearted bitch had subsided a tiny bit. The jokes in regards to how he treated the men persisted, but assumptions of how he may be as a father had changed.

Now as Damen holds a half asleep Laurent in his arms, he’s beyond grateful that their people are beginning to understand the kindness his strong willed husband holds underneath his armor. Even now, after an exhausting day of tedious and obnoxious negotiations and tax code decisions, Laurent is naked and resting his head on Damen’s chest. He hasn’t rushed off to the bathroom to cleanse himself of any lovemaking evidence, he only curled up happily with Damen and pulled the sheet up to their shoulders.

“How you have the energy to fuck me like that after this day is beyond me.” Laurent sighs, nuzzling his cheek tiredly against Damen’s chest. “I didn’t get a chance to visit Astrid today, did you?”

“I did.” Damen smiles, stroking a hand down Laurent’s back and kissing the top of his head. “We’re into the eighth month now, she said according to Paschal’s estimate of when we conceived. She looks ready to burst, but she says she still feels great. The baby’s kicking hard.”

“I hate to have missed her.” Laurent grimaces. “I’ll go see to her early tomorrow before our first meeting.”

“You can’t go a day without feeling the baby kick.”

“I can’t.” Laurent laughs a little at himself and glances towards the balcony. There’s a storm moving in over the ocean. “Would you mind, maybe…?”

“Of course.” Damen says with another kiss to his forehead, sliding away reluctantly from his touch to climb out of bed.

He checks briefly to make sure they’ve left nothing out before shutting the doors to the balcony and bolting them shut. He hopes Laurent falls asleep before the storm hits, but he also wouldn’t mind staying up talking to him. Every moment alone together still feels like a blessing for now.

For Laurent’s comfort, he goes to the bathroom next to wet a towel and bring it back to him.

Laurent usually protests a little bit when it comes to Damen cleaning him, but this time, he yawns and lazily parts his legs. “Thank you.” He mumbles, tired as Damen swipes between his legs and wipes him down. “I’m slipping a bit on the hygiene regimen, aren’t I?”

“You still bathe almost three times a day.” Damen smiles as he tosses the towel away and climbs back into bed. “Come here.”

Laurent happily entangles himself with Damen again and presses a line of kisses up his neck before settling again.

Damen already feels his eyes starting to grow heavy when a heavy rap on the chamber door startles them up.

Laurent glares and does Damen the courtesy of pulling the sheets up to cover them before calling. “Come in.”

It’s not their usual guards who enter the bedroom, but instead, Jord, his eyes worried.

“I gave strict orders that we were not to be disturbed, what is it?” Laurent’s eyes are narrowed, annoyed, but they both know if Jord has come then something unusual has happened in the least.

“My apologies your highness, Exalted. It’s Astrid. She’s experiencing some… pain. Paschal told me you would want to be informed.”

Laurent’s eyes blew wide. “Send the guards to the bottom of the staircase leading to her chambers and wake Paschal’s assistants. Put them on standby outside her room and we’ll go to her immediately.”

“Yes your highness.” Jord nods, quickly turning and shutting the door behind him.

Pain? Damen’s stomach turns. Jord had looked really worried, what if…?

“Hurry and throw something on, Damen. Anything.” Laurent is already up and wrapping himself in the silk robe from his wardrobe. It’s something he never wears in front of anyone but Damen, the fabric clingy and only thigh length. His hair is disheveled, but by the time Damen rushes out of bed and into the nearest chiton, Laurent is heading out the door. Damen’s never in their entire relationship seen Laurent allow himself to walk outside of their private rooms in such a state. This is bad.

Damen walks hurriedly behind Laurent, his stomach knitted with worry. Was Astrid okay? Was the baby? It had to be serious for Paschal to have been summoned and for them to be alerted.

As they turn down an extravagant hallway and down a half flight of stairs, thunder cracks outside, so loud it feels like it may shake the walls.

“Laurent?” Damen reaches out instinctively in the dim light, only candles and torches lighting the hall.

Laurent stops walking only for a moment, gritting his teeth and shaking his head. “No time. Our child needs us and so does their mother.”

They rush together to the door of Astrid’s chambers, the door ajar to allow them to enter. On the bed is Astrid, her linen dress pulled down to her waist and her skirt scrunched up her thighs. She’s sweating and pink in the face, overheating like she had a fever. Damen feels nauseous.

“What’s going on?” Laurent asks, his voice stony and controlled. He’s looking at Astrid like he looks at maps, plotting battle strategies, surmising solutions to land disputes. Damen knows how much Laurent’s heart is aching for him to have to put this front on in front of just the three of him.

“She may be going into early labor.” Paschal says, grim as he presses a cool towel to Astrid’s forehead. “We’re trying to prevent it. It may stop or it may continue to progress.”

“It’s too early.” Laurent nearly whispers, his eyebrows scrunched together in concern. “What happens if she gives birth now?”

“We don’t know. It’s not an entirely premature labor, but she should have at least another two weeks, possibly three or four if her labor delayed slightly.”

Damen feels his face pale and he looks over to find Laurent looking equally ashen, his eyes darting over Astrid as if trying to analyze a solution to all of this. Damen feels his pain, this is just… something entirely out of their control. Thunder cracks again and Damen walks up to grab Laurent’s hand, not sure if it’s more for himself or his husband, but he feels Laurent’s grip tremble.

“Astrid, I should have come to see you today.” Laurent swallows, his voice low and forcibly steady. “I… might have noticed something off, or known if you were feeling signs, I shouldn’t have-“

“Laurent, no.” Astrid shakes her head, taking a deep breath as a contraction seems to pass. Damen’s heart warms at how she’s come to always call them by their names in the palace rather than Exalted or Your Highness. “You have done everything. Damen too.” She looks over to meet his eyes. “If I did something to cause this-“

“Don’t even think of it.” Damen says, putting his hand on her knee and squeezing. “Whatever happens, happens. You’ve done nothing wrong.”

“Will you… stay until we know what’s happening?” Her eyes appear to be welling up and Damen feels an ache in his chest. Those eyes, the same icy blue as Laurent’s, her blonde hair damp with sweat. She means so much to them by now and she reminds him so much of Laurent, he can’t stand to see her in pain.

“We’ll be right here the whole night.” Laurent answers. “Stay put and don’t worry about a thing.” Letting go of Damen’s hand, he heads back to the doorway. “Paschal’s servants, in here at once. You, go fetch clean water and a pail of ice and you, go down to the kitchen and bring back some ginger root. You bring back towels, I want an armful in front of me in the next three minutes, are we all clear? Alert no one to your tasks or your purpose. No one in the palace is to know there is any distress whatsoever.”

“He’s good at that.” Astrid mumbles, shutting her eyes and wincing. “Ordering people. It’s funny how nice he is to us.”

“Yeah that’s Laurent for you.” Damen smiles, trying to ease his anxiety by sitting on her bedside even as lightning lights the room. “It’ll be alright. Plenty of babies come early and turn out just fine.”

“Auguste was early.” Laurent says, shutting the door once more before returning to stand beside Damen. “At least that’s what my father once told me. Two or three weeks. He was small and grew slowly, but… he was the greatest prince Vere ever saw.” He swallows hard and puts a hand on Damen’s shoulder. “Maybe the same will be said of our child.”

They eventually bring a bench to the bedside to sit and wait with Astrid, Paschal coming in and out of the room making preparations until the contractions become less erratic. They start getting closer together, consistent intervals of time between each one. Damen knows what Paschal is going to say and even as he clutches his husband’s hand, he feels tears sting his eyes.

“The child is coming early. There’s nothing to be done about it other than act as we would if the labor was on time.”

“Shit.” Laurent swallows, rubbing a tired hand over his face and looking over at Damen. His expression wore down the past couple hours, the worry clear on his face. Each time he needs to give an order he snaps to his more commanding demeanor, but right now, they’re both just on the edge of tears, looking at one another with their hands clasped.

“It’ll be okay.” Damen says even though he has absolutely no clue whether it will be or not. It’s still storming outside almost like the universe is trying to tell them this night is cursed. “Come here.” Paschal politely averts his gaze, attending to Astrid as Damen pulls Laurent into a hug and squeezes tight. “Whatever happens, I’m still right here.”

“Thank you.” Laurent says, his voice quiet and broken. He sounds so tired already.

Damen releases him to allow Laurent to take Astrid’s hand instead, taking some comfort in the confident affirmations Laurent murmurs to her.

“You hit a bullseye from a hundred yards on a bet by me, it’ll take more than a little labor to bring you down.” Laurent smiles at her in a way that makes Damen reminiscent of his own sick bed. Laurent is kind, nurturing, and incredibly comforting when he wants to be — even if on the inside, Laurent is losing his own shit.

Another pang hits his chest at the extra realization that Astrid has become one of Laurent’s only friends outside his casual friendliness with their men. No one in the room deserves any more loss in their life.

“Go ahead and squeeze, if I can handle Damen’s barbarian hands, I can handle yours.” Laurent teases as Astrid squeezes his hand hard and shouts through another contraction. Laurent reaches his free hand back to squeeze Damen’s arm a moment, a silent offering of comfort to him as well.

Damen cringed at the sound of Astrid’s pain, but he won’t let Laurent bear the burden of being the rock in this situation all on his own. Not when Damen can still see him wincing at each crack of thunder, the short moments where he sees Laurent’s breath go quick and shallow. Several times already he was sure Laurent was going to go into a state of panic like he had before, but each time he watches his lover wage a rapid internal war within himself and win, steadying his composure and soothing Astrid or Damen himself.

Damen rises from the bench to stand beside Laurent, an arm around his waist. “I’d like to see any of our new recruits handle even half of this pain as well as you.” He smiles when Astrid lies back on the pillows, face flushed with exhaustion.

“I appreciate the sentiment.” She sighs, chest heaving with exertion. “Tell Makedon if I make it through that he owes me multiple rematches. I’m not going anywhere having him beat me at chess our last two rounds.”

“Well, once the child is out, you’ll be free to out drink him too.” Laurent adds, smoothing his thumb over the back of his hand and leaning his head on Damen’s shoulder. “You’re giving birth to an heir, they may even name a drink after you.”

“Now that would be a legacy.” She offers a tired laugh before tensing once more, tightening her grip on Laurent’s hand. “Fuck, it’s another one.”

“Already?” Damen looks to Paschal, his heart racing again.

“Gather some more towels. It’s time to push.”

Damen obliges, leaving Laurent to whisper to Astrid and allow his hand to be clutched as he grabs more fresh towels left by the servants and carefully arranges them around Astrid, between her folded up legs. He really isn’t intending to look, in fact, he’s trying to avoid it, but in the haste of the task he catches a glance of the action beneath Astrid’s skirt and bolts upright. Dear gods, it’s a good thing he married Laurent. His taste for women may have just been… permanently dampened.

“Don’t look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Laurent says as Astrid relaxes on the bed again, the contraction having passed.

“You didn’t see what I saw.”

“As a king, I would hope you can handle the miracle of life.” Laurent gestures for him to come over. “Stay with us. We need every ounce of your painfully optimistic spirit.”

Damen wishes he was as optimistic as he had once been, but he returns to Laurent’s side anyways and uses the cool cloth to dab the sweat from Astrid’s forehead. “I can’t speak for the horrors of birth, but from what I gather, you’re doing a fine job.”

“Appreciated.” She says with a wry smile.

“Well the good news is, you’re progressing normally, there’s no reason to fear too much for your health, my dear.” Paschal says and allows them all a brief moment of relief before continuing. “Your Highness, Exalted, I am never one to sugar coat the truth to you. I am optimistic things will be alright, but the child’s life is still to be worried about. We’ll need a fair bit of luck on our side.”

Laurent presses his lips into a line and nods. Damen hears him swallow hard and moves to stand behind him, wrapping both arms around Laurent’s waist and holding him against his chest, so he can continue to hold Astrid’s hand. Damen blinks his eyes hard. He will not allow himself to cry. There is nothing to cry over, at least not… yet. Laurent has buried every feeling of fear and grief he’s ever had and Damen will be his rock tonight. He’ll swallow the lump in his throat and tell his husband that everything will be okay, that their baby will be just as perfect as he is.

Even if Laurent is keeping his kingly composure, Damen knows he’s suffering deeply inside. He feels the way his tired muscles tense and shake, how often Laurent blinks his eyes or swallows hard. He knows if they were completely alone right now, they would both be crying. But if they’re to be fathers, there’s no use sitting around lamenting.

“Whatever happens, I’m right here. It’ll be okay.” Damen whispers into Laurent’s ear, soft enough that only he can hear. “I love you.”

“I’ll be here for you too.” Laurent says, his voice quiet but sure. “Nothing can happen that would change my love.”

Damen takes comfort in Laurent’s genuity and keeps him close. No matter what happens, they have each other. Nothing will take that.

They watch together as Astrid’s bouts of pain become more and more frequent, urging her to push when prompted and comforting her, helping her breath in the brief moments of rest in between. With each push, Damen’s heart pounds, hoping any second that Paschal will say something. Can he see the baby yet? Is it in the proper position, or God forbid, breeched? Laurent’s grip on his hand is so tight, Damen might think he was the one giving birth.

It’s finally after one awful push forward and a strained cry from Astrid that Paschal looks up from between her legs. “The child is crowning. We’ll have our answer shortly.”

“Damen.” Laurent says, his voice slightly cracking and Damen is fast to hold him closer.

“I know, my love. Stay strong with me, it’ll be alright.”

Each time Astrid screams, Damen feels a horrendous pang of guilt for putting her through this, even if she had volunteered. He never truly knew how awful birth was until now. He thought it had to be exaggerated, but watching it happen in real time, it seems a miracle anyone survives it at all.

“We have a head.” Paschal announces and they both whip their heads around to face him.

“Is it alright? Can they breathe?” Laurent asks immediately. “Shouldn’t the baby be crying?”

“Not quite yet, but bear with me. Astrid you’re almost done, you’re doing wonderfully.”

Laurent’s face is pale as a ghost as Damen holds him, gripping Laurent’s hand back just as tight.

It takes two more rounds of what looks like absolute agony before Paschal pulls the child fully into the world.

The room is silent.

“What’s happening?” Laurent asks and Damen watches as his husband runs to the foot of the bed to see. Laurent, who can barely stomach a fully healed woman’s genitals, coming into full view of the scene to see the state of their child. “Why aren’t they crying, are they-“

The baby cuts him off with a wail and the weight of the room lifts, Laurent’s composure finally breaking completely. He lets out a sob of relief, reaching back for Damen.

Damen rushes to him, watching as Paschal cuts the umbilical cord, the motion moving his arm enough so that they can see the sex of the baby for the first time. His eyes are wet, but Damen feels himself grinning, hugging Laurent tightly from behind. “It’s a boy. We have a boy.”

“He’s perfect.” Laurent snivels, tears rolling down his cheeks as they watch Paschal clean their son. He’s clutching part of Damen’s skirt in his fist like a child and Damen finds himself so incredibly endeared by Laurent in that moment. How people can think him cruel today is beyond him. This man who had tended to their surrogate’s every need, held her hand through labor, and sobbed in sheer joy of the child being alive. Even now as they’re both smiling so widely, Laurent has silent tears still welling his eyes.

“Can we… Can we hold him?” Damen asks, then quickly turns his attention to Astrid. “How are we feeling over there?”

“I’ve been better.” Astrid pants, putting her forearm over her eyes. “Is he healthy?”

Damen looks to Paschal.

“He’s small, but he’s just fine.” Paschal says, bundling the child in a clean towel and looking towards them.

“Go ahead.” Damen says, nudging Laurent.

“You’re sure?”

“Absolutely.”

Laurent takes a step forward and hesitates for a moment, steadying himself and taking a deep breath before he takes their child in his arms for the first time and cradles the bundle. “Oh, Damen…” He whispers. “Damen, he’s perfect.”

The child whines and wriggles around a little in his swaddle, but they both only smile wider as Damen wraps an arm around Laurent’s waist and peers down at their son. He is perfect. His skin is on the darker side and his hair is dark too, definitely Damen’s contributions. He hopes that some traits of Laurent may emerge over time, but when the child calms enough to open his eyes, he gasps.

“Laurent.” Damen stares down in awe. “Love, he has your eyes.” Although they may technically be Astrid’s eyes, the bright blue staring back at them is almost identical to Laurent’s, a beautiful icy color that starkly contrasts his skin and hair.

“We created a hybrid after all.” Laurent lets out a wet laugh and presses a kiss to the baby’s forehead, looking down at the infant in utter adoration as he speaks in a soft voice. “Augustus, you’re named after the bravest prince who ever lived. He’ll be watching over you. He’ll keep you safe when me and Daddy aren’t there. When you’re older, I’ll tell you all about him.”

Damen’s heart pounds at the name. Daddy. He’s a father now. This little bundle in Laurent’s arms will be calling him “da da” or another close babble soon enough. Then daddy or dad, father at formal events. He wonders what Augustus will want to call him and Laurent, if they’ll both be dad or if he’ll address them differently. It’s a question that makes his chest bloom with warmth.

Paschal assists Astrid in the passing of the placenta as Damen and Laurent fawn over the child. When Damen holds him for the first time, he finds himself grinning so stupidly he’s thankful they were able to keep the birth so quiet. Outside, the storm is gone, the sun just beginning to rise on the horizon. He touches Augustus’s nose and laughs when the baby wraps his tiny little hand around his finger.

“I thought for the longest time I would never want children.” Laurent sighs, resting his head affectionately on Damen’s shoulder. “Now I think this is all I’ve ever wanted. You and our child. Our son. A family.”

“I can’t think of anything else in the world I could want right now.”

“Maybe another one?” Laurent laughs, reaching over to let the baby hold on to his finger. “We’re going to spoil him.”

“So be it.” Damen shrugs. “He’ll know honor. He’ll know responsibility and I’m sure he’ll be as cunning as you. We’ll never be able to say no.”

“I’m going to read to him every night.”

“I’ll sing him the lullabies my father once sang to me.”

Laurent looks over to Paschal, just finishing up and allowing Astrid to rest. “Will the child be able to sleep with us for a little while? I know it’s nearly morning, but I just… I can’t quite bear to part with him just yet.”

“It’s possible, yes.” Paschal nods. “As you know, we have a large reserve of a substitute for breast milk and he can feed from Astrid when you please. Have the servants set up his bassinet and bring the necessary supplies to your chambers if you’re taking him with you. Be sure to hold him close, he needs the presence of a parent at all times at this stage. He isn’t used to anyone but Astrid.”

Damen nods in understanding and hands the child back to Laurent. He’s still in condition to go out and give orders, but Laurent still needs his privacy. He’s in his robe still, his hair unbrushed and the remnants of tear tracks still on his cheeks. “Stay here with him my love. I’ll go have all the arrangements made.” He turns to Astrid then. “Astrid, I’ll have your chambers set up so that you can rest and recover. The servants will attend you and the physicians will stop by to assist. If there’s anything in the world you need, send for me.”

“Do you want to hold him?” Laurent asks her, but he clearly doesn’t want to let go any time soon.

“Not yet.” Astrid smiles. “I will come see him soon, but he is your child. Love and care for him as any mother would.”

“We will.” Damen says and he means it from the depths of his soul. What they lacked as children, they will provide for their son. They won’t let a thing touch him.

He oversees the arrangements in the bedroom, summoning all staff available to babyproof the room as best they can for now. They have a bassinet next to the bed for Augustus to lie in and bottles of the formula Paschal approved. He sets out comfortable bed clothes for Laurent and tries to wake himself up a bit, so that he can tend to Augustus while Laurent gets some much needed sleep.

He makes sure that Astrid is adequately seen to as well, with medical supervision especially, and gives her an extremely heartfelt thank you before he goes to collect his husband and child. His family.

Walking back to their chambers with their gurgling child in his arms, Laurent doesn’t seem to even think about his appearance. He has quite literally never been seen in such a state of undress and disarray by 99% of the palace, but he only allows Damen to lead him as he gazes so lovingly down at their child. Damen’s almost glad there are witnesses to this. The people will come to understand soon how full Laurent’s heart truly is.

Once inside the bedroom, Damen draws the curtains so the sun won’t wake them when it rises and takes the baby while Laurent changes clothes.

“Hi little one.” Damen whispers, bouncing Augustus lightly in his arms. He’s already so adorable, his face pink and eyes wide as he looks around the room. “This is where you’ll be sleeping, so we can watch you, make sure you’re all right.” He kisses the baby’s soft cheek and smiles so wide his face hurts when Augustus reaches for his nose.

“I read up on how much sleeping with the child should help him bond to us the way he night his mother.” Laurent says, hair now brushed and dressed impossibly elegantly in simple silk pajamas. They didn’t sleep all night and he still looks angelic as he lays down. “Come hold him with me. If he wakes, I’ll-“

“Let me take care of the first few times. I want you to rest.”

“You’ll do no such thing.” Laurent says as if stating a simple fact while he climbs into bed. “We’ll get up together. I don’t want to miss a moment.”

“We might be the first kings to ever change a diaper.”

“Cement it as part of our legacy.” Laurent yawns, reaching his arms out for the child and for Damen to come to bed.

Damen does, shifting Augustus into Laurent’s arms before sliding in next to him.

“You’re big enough for us both to sleep on.” Laurent teases, lying the baby carefully over Damen’s heart and waiting for him to settle before he presses into Damen’s side and lays his head on the other side of his chest. “Hold him close. Let him feel your heartbeat.”

“Is that what you listen to when you lie like this?”

“I do.” Laurent lets out a tired laugh, already half asleep as he unconsciously nuzzles his cheek against Damen’s chest. “It’s quite… soothing.”

Damen just lets out a happy sigh and kisses Laurent’s forehead, wishing he could somehow capture this moment forever. He never wants to forget it.

He waits until Laurent is sound asleep and finds that the baby is right behind him, syncing up with his heartbeat and Laurent’s breathing into a sleep. He’s sure it won’t last long, but for now he closes his eyes, holding them both close. He could stay here forever.

They don’t sleep long, but long enough to recover a bit from the night before. Damen nearly has a heart attack when he wakes up in bed alone, but then he catches the sight through the now opened curtains.

Laurent is standing on their balcony, overlooking what they can see of their kingdom from where he stands. In his arms is Augustus, held close to his chest, one hand stroking the infant's back.

Damen doesn’t want to interrupt such a moment, so he slides out of bed carefully, not making any noise as he quietly walks up to the opening from their bedroom to the balcony. From there, he can hear Laurent speak in a hushed sweet tone.

“All of this is going to be yours one day.” Laurent says, kissing their son’s head and looking out at the horizon. “People will look up to you. It’ll be hard and you’ll have to lead them, but if your fathers can leave anything behind, it will be a world where you’ll never have to take to the battlefield.”

Damen’s heart aches in the most confusingly sweet way. He’s never been more in love with Laurent, but he knows why he’s saying this, why they’ll work tirelessly to avoid war at all cost for the rest of time. Their child will never die the way Auguste did. Their child will never be sent charging into battle like Damen had.

“But other people can hurt you… sometimes even people you love, people that feel like family.” Laurent cradles the boy and rocks him gently, his voice still seeping with kindness even as he speaks of something Damen knows is so painful. “You will always be able to talk to me, Augustus. We will always be here.”

Damen sees Laurent take a deep breath and go still for a moment, the breeze making his hair flow back in the wind, the sun glinting beautifully off of it.

“I will never let anyone hurt you.” Laurent promises with another kiss to the baby’s small cheek. When he pulls up he’s smiling. “You will always know how much I love you.”

Damen’s eyes well up at the sentiment. It’s something they both craved desperately as boys, that assurance from their fathers that they were loved by them. Laurent, who had lost the family who loved him, who had been preyed upon by the only person he had left, is here, trusting and loving Damen enough that he brought a child into the world with him.

Damen walks forward wordlessly, coming up behind Laurent and wrapping his arms around his waist from behind. He props his chin up on Laurent’s shoulder and smiles down at where Augustus is fussing slightly in his blanket. “I love you, Laurent.”

“I love you too.” He says, his eyes still full of adoration as he cradles Augustus in one arm and reaches back with the other to take Damen’s hand. “Wherever he may be, I know Auguste can see us now. We’ll make our son feel every bit as loved as my brother made me feel.”

“We won’t even have to try.” Damen sighs, squeezing his husband’s hand as their child reaches up, likely aiming to grab Laurent’s hair or perhaps his nose. “He’s perfect. You’re perfect.”

“I would trade a kingdom and more just for this.”

Damen nods and presses a kiss to the side of Laurent’s neck, savoring the feel of his sunwarm skin.

It’s just past midday. Soon, it will be time to announce the healthy birth of their son, the heir to their kingdom. Looking down at this child, he feels nothing about bloodlines or thrones. Only pure adoration, a happiness that radiates from his chest all throughout his body as he stands here, holding his husband and child. Laurent is right.

“A kingdom and more.”