North hummed softly as if thinking about it, but Warin could feel the little wiggle he performed thanks to them being so tightly pressed together in the tiny bed. “I think I would have said ‘yes.’ What kind of date would it have been? What would we have done?”
Warin was enjoying this game. He very much would prefer to actually do all the things flitting through his mind, but snuggled close in the dark room, with the gentle rock of the train, it was like they’d slipped into their own little world away from deadly rogue mages and clans. He set his mind to creating the perfect date that would sweep North off his feet.
“I would arrive at wherever you were living and present you with a single, perfect rose with all the thorns snipped away so you don’t prick your fingers. I would take you to my favorite restaurant. Do you like Italian?”
“Love it,” North exhaled in a soft moan.
“It’s a little place with white tablecloths and candles in frosted hurricane glasses. The food is delicious, and the restaurant has the most beautiful view of the Mediterranean Sea. We would talk, and you’d tell me everything that interests you, everything you’ve ever dreamed about. Afterward, we would stroll to this little jazz club I know for a nightcap and live music. Then I would take you home.”
North sighed, his breath dancing across Warin’s neck in the most tantalizing caress. He snuggled a little bit closer and rested his head on Warin’s shoulder. “That sounds like a heavenly evening. The most perfect date ever.”
“Do you think it would be a good enough evening to be rewarded with a kiss?” Warin asked playfully.
“Hmmm…” North hummed again, seeming to think over his question. “I think…yes, I think it would be a date worthy of a kiss at the end.”
Warin sighed. “I wish we could have had that date.” He was a little surprised at the sharp slice of pain in his heart that the date might never happen. He wanted that exact night he’d painted for North, to watch all his wonder-filled expressions, hear all the stories he would tell in his excited voice.
“We still could, right?”
“Yes,” Warin replied quickly, a surge of joy shoving aside the last slivers of pain. “Of course. It just might be a while. We need to keep you safe and protected at all times. Right now, mages are not permitted away from the castle without at least two dragons accompanying them.”
“Ahh. Not exactly a private date if we’ve got company.”
“Yes.” And then there was the fact North might meet another dragon who suited him so much better. He might never get his date with North if he was swept off his feet by another.
“I’m happy to wait for a date like that, though. But…” North paused and his fingers flexed on Warin’s side, digging in just a bit, as if he was unconsciously trying to pull him closer. “But even if we can’t have the date now, I could at least show you what the kiss would be like. Do…do you want to know?”
“Yes, please,” Warin breathed. He hadn’t thought anything in this world would make him beg, but in the dark embrace of the train car with North stretched out against him, he was sure he would beg for even the faintest touch of the mage’s lips.
Drawing back, he turned his face and found North meeting him halfway. He kept the kiss gentle at first, light and questing. North’s mouth was both decadently sweet and enthusiastic as he kissed Warin with unparalleled delight. Then his hand stole into Warin’s long hair, tangling and gently tugging at the locks, and Warin’s common sense fled for some other pole.
He deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue into a hot mouth, and swallowed North’s groan of pleasure. This man tasted too good, felt too sublime; it made Warin want more. More contact, more skin to skin, something to ease this craving. His hand stole down, over a pert ass, finding North’s thigh and grasping it, hauling it over his own hip. Mmm, better. That changed the angle, let him rock a little into an equal hardness.
North kissed him like he couldn’t get enough, as if Warin were his only source of air. He loved it, the feel of him, the sweet passion. Warin wanted to turn them, put North onto his back, and take him. It would feel so sublime to slip between his legs and drive them both over that crest of pleasure.
Two things stopped him: one, there was literally no room on this bed for sex. They’d likely pull more than one muscle even trying. Two, he had no supplies for sex. No condoms, no lube, and he wouldn’t risk hurting North because his own desires drove him to some selfish impulse.
As much as it killed him, he gentled the kiss, pulling back a little. North panted, soft puffs of breath against Warin’s skin. Even in the darkness, he could see the question in those blue eyes. Warin didn’t want him to think anything negative. It was just foolhardy to dive into sex at this moment. Not to mention, if he ever took someone to bed, he wanted to court them a little first. At least.
“You are too sweet,” Warin whispered, dropping a chaste kiss onto that mouth just because he couldn’t resist the impulse. “I’m nigh losing my mind because of it.”
“You don’t have to stop,” North encouraged, thrusting his hips a little into Warin to prove his point.
Warin groaned. They were both half-hard, true. “If I do not stop now, I will want to mount you, and we’ve no room in here for that. Or supplies.”
“Oh. Uh, yeah, I didn’t think that far, I guess.” A little shyly, North admitted, “I just like kissing you.”
“I will be pleased to kiss you even more. But let’s try not to rile each other up beyond reason, ja? You are too precious. I do not want to injure you because I lost my head.”
“I’ll be happy to kiss you all night.” North tilted his head up and caught Warin’s mouth. This time the kiss was sensual but easy, affectionate in the way his lips caught Warin’s.
Warin settled into the kiss with a sigh. Indeed, he could kiss this beautiful man all night with pleasure. And he might, at that. Sleep seemed such a paltry alternative to this moment.
Turned out all those romance books and movies were on to something. It was really nice snuggling with a handsome man while you slept. North gave it two thumbs up, ten out of ten, would totally recommend.
His lips were a little tender this morning after the many, many kisses he’d exchanged with Warin the night before, and that was lovely in its own right, that little physical reminder. It was all he could do to keep from touching his lips with his fingertips, wanting that tingle to never disappear.
Kissing Warin had been like a dream. Not at all like the one fumbled make-out session he’d done back as a freshman in high school. It had been so much better, as Warin was a man who knew what he was about and completely confident in his approach.
Just remembering it gave North a shiver. He had no idea how he’d get a repeat of that, but judging from the heated looks Warin was giving him this morning, Warin was game for it. North was pretty sure from those looks that Warin was interested in kissing more than his lips, and North was so game to try that too.
They got off the train before the sun rose, found a coffee shop, and got coffee and breakfast there. European countries, for the most part, didn’t seem to really believe in lots of sugary stuff for breakfast. North was learning this with each country, as they offered breakfast sandwiches or porridge but rarely things like pastries. Germany seemed to believe in thin pancakes, at least, so North ordered Speckpfannkuchen, which Warin reliably told him meant pancakes with bacon. And who didn’t like pancakes and bacon? Not this boy.