Lust and Propriety - 14. No Knocking

When Hazeth Montcroix promised not to touch the Perazan prince the night prior, he hadn’t expected to have temptation literally draped over him the following morning. He knew fully well that none of this would help paint him in a good light despite Winter being the one to subconsciously cling to him. A part of him wanted to touch the Unicorn all over, consequences be damned. But, it was neither the way to get into Win's good graces, nor into his pants.

"My prince?" He gently called, unable to stop himself from nuzzling the top of the sleeping man's head. "It's time to get up, Winter."

"Hnngff," Winter grumbled, wriggling further on top of the warmth next to him.

The prince's hair tickled Hazeth's nose but his attention was caught by something stiff that was pressed to Hazeth's upper thigh. Winter groaned softly and shifted restlessly, rubbing himself in unconscious pleasure against the bigger man with a soft sigh.

Hazeth bit his tongue as the Unicorn’s movements spurred on the Montcroix’s own arousal. This was surely his punishment for not sending word to his parents more often while traveling. If he had been more considerate and kinder to them, karma wouldn’t be causing him such tantalizing grief. He gently caressed the side of the Perazan’s face with the back of his fingers as he tried once again.

“Come on, beautiful. If you don’t wake up, I won’t be held responsible for the mess I make of myself.”

Winter groaned softly, the sound making Hazeth grit his teeth against the desire to awaken the prince in a far naughtier way. Winter turned his face into Hazeth's touch and finally opened his eyes. His cheeks were flushed from sleep and his pale hair was escaping its braid to fall in long wisps around his face.

"Morning?" Winter said softly, voice husky with sleep as he blinked slowly.

The Nightmare forgot how to breathe for a moment at the sight. "Morning…" Hazeth downright whimpered. "Not gonna lie, I'm in a bit of pleasurable pain right now. But, I promise that the tent in my pants is staying in my pants until the day you decide otherwise."

Hazeth pressed a kiss to Winter's forehead. "That being said, I think it would be best if you used the restroom first," he added.

Winter sat upright suddenly, nearly knocking their heads together. His eyes were wide as he gaped at bedmate in shock.

“I…I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to…I’ll just…” Winter stammered and fled the bed. His long, rumpled braid sailed behind him like a silvery flag as he fled to the bathroom and quickly shut the door behind him. He leaned against the door, face hot with embarrassment.

Winter blew out a breath and straightened his spine, beginning his morning routine of brushing, flossing, and bathing. A few words of magic left his hair dry and with fewer tangles. It was a spell one of his nannies had known and taught him. Otherwise, it took ages for his hair to dry and it was very heavy when it was wet. He brushed it quickly and caught it back from his face with a pair of silver combs. Winter tightened the tie on his dressing gown and glared at the door.

He could do this. He could go out there and face Hazeth and pretend he hadn’t woken up in the handsome Nightmare’s arms, rubbing against him like a cat in heat. Winter rubbed his hands over his burning cheeks, willing himself to calm and not think about how blissful it had felt with those strong arms around him, the lips pressed against his forehead, the warm, hard body against him as he…

Winter shook his head hard and strode into the room, going directly to the dressing screen without looking at the bed or the man who would look so sexily rumpled in it.

The Nightmare in question hadn’t wasted any time in relieving himself while Winter used the restroom. Hazeth wasn’t one to waste arousal, especially not in the bedroom. That he desired the Unicorn prince so badly was both frightening and exhilarating to him. He wanted to win him over more than ever, the right way. Not the slimy and manipulative way that Rathburn wanted.

“I’ll be taking my turn,” the redhead told Winter as he avoided looking towards the prince’s direction. He grabbed a few clothes that Elder Mason had provided him and took a few long strides towards the restroom. If he caught sight of that beautiful silhouette again, he wouldn’t be able to keep his eyes off it.

Hazeth pulled his hair back into a ponytail to keep it from getting wet. While he was in the tub, he trailed his long fingers along the glamour mark that the prince had placed below his belly button. The intricate snowflake stood out against his golden skin tone. It was as beautiful and delicate as its bearer. As his thoughts drifted once again to the novice ruler who had his subjects' best interests at heart, arousal once again struck him.

"Fuck!" Hazeth hissed when he found himself in the same state as when the Perazan snuggled and shifted against him.

The Nightmare took himself in hand, closed his eyes, and leaned his head back against the tiles of the shower wall. He had been no stranger to sex during his travels. For him, only the willing and unmated with experience would do. Maidens were always off bounds. A part of Hazeth had envied his cousin Raj's confidence in joining an already mated pair without any hesitation. And there he pined for a Maiden he wasn't fully confident that he could win over, not that he'd ever admit it out loud.

As he stroked himself, Zeth's thoughts drifted to the pale prince's soft, silvery locks. The redhead had been given the privilege to help braid it. He wondered how it would feel to have that soft curtain sliding against his skin while the royal Unicorn rode him. How would those stormy eyes look in the midst of lust? Winter's voice calling out his name…

Hazeth hissed as he released into the water. He then scooted himself back up to a better sitting posture. When his golden eyes opened, he was surprised to see a red-faced prince frozen in place. "Win…?"

"M-my apologies!" Winter squeaked as he covered his face with his hands. One of them held a brush. He should have turned back right away, but he had been arrested by the sight of Hazeth. "I had forgotten the brush-"

"Winter, listen to me," Hazeth responded in as steady a voice as he could manage. "Everything in this room is yours. You've no need to apologize."

The Perazan prince slowly widened the fingers of his hand to chance a peek and almost immediately regretted it. The smile on Hazeth's face made him appear younger. But, his eyes followed the burgundy strands from the top of the ponytail to the curve of a golden throat, over a strong shoulder, all the way down to the curled tip that was perched on top of a brownish-pink nipple.

Winter licked his lips, his mouth dry. He was startled to find himself standing next to the tub, not aware of having moved closer.

“I should have knocked,” the prince whispered, unable to look away from the expanse of warm skin over Hazeth’s lithely muscled form.

“For my sake, you never have to knock.” Hazeth responded as he stood up and grabbed a towel to dry himself. “Not even when I pleasure myself while thinking about you.”

“You…you…while thinking of…” Winter’s eyes were drawn downward on Hazeth’s body. He yanked them back to the Nightmare’s face but had trouble keeping it there. His gaze trailed to the man’s chest, then his shoulders, then back to his groin. The prince felt a little shaky from fighting with himself. “I should let you dry and dress,” Winter said, but it sounded more like the words were for his own ears, almost plaintive.

The taller man was quite glad that the young Maestri seemed to like what he saw. He made a show of drying himself slowly, with a towel that was small enough to not do much of anything to conceal himself from Winter’s view. He took hold of one of the prince’s hands and brought it up to the side of his own face to nuzzle the palm.

“Are you certain that’s what you want? For me to be dressed?” He teased.

Winter pressed his touch closer to those warm lips. He felt like someone had smacked him between the eyes with a hammer, a very handsome, Hazeth-shaped hammer.

“No?” Winter said softly.

The prince wasn’t sure of much outside of the swirling inside him that seemed to be pushing him closer to Hazeth. And he didn’t want to fight it. The man stood, tall and strong and smiling, and Winter was so tired of standing alone. He felt like a tree in the heart of winter, boughs bending low from the weight of snow and ice, its trunk and branches threatening to snap under the strain of it all.

Winter hadn’t allowed himself to feel the heaviness until that moment, the pressure of caring for his kingdom and all within it without his parents by his side. He missed them so deeply, a wound inside him that he covered with duty and the innumerable daily tasks that filled his days and nights. It was deep and sharp in his chest and he felt the pain of it in a way he hadn’t allowed since the first days that he’d been without them.

The Unicorn had only allowed himself that much time. Then he’d wrapped his grief up and set it aside, only to allow it out late at night when no one was near and sleep eluded him. And there was Hazeth looking beautiful and alluring with a playful, gentle look in his eyes, and Winter felt something cracking inside him. The prince was so very weary in a way that sleep couldn’t chase away. Winter wanted to stay there with the Montcroix and bask in the warmth of the Nightmare’s warm smiles and flirting.

Hazeth's larger hand held Winter's digits in place as he pressed a kiss to the pale fingers. He then gently reached out to place his other hand along the side of the prince's face. The Nightmare had been desired by others in the past. He was no Maiden. But, to be seen and desired by the Perazan caused a fluttering of wings in his stomach. When was the last time he felt that way about anyone?

"Winter," he whispered huskily. "May I kiss you?"

"I wish you would," the prince admitted in a breathless rush.

Hazeth wrapped an arm around Winter's waist and leaned down, without any hesitation, to claim the prince's lips. He gently coaxed the soft lips into parting for him and slid his tongue inside. The Unicorn's scent and warmth invaded his senses. Before he knew it, Zeth was already hard again.

Winter moaned, throwing his arms around Hazeth as he threw himself into the kiss. Winter felt wild and off balance like he was teetering on the edge of a steep dropoff. He felt Hazeth's hardness against his belly and he moved himself closer, his own excitement evident where it pressed against Hazeth.

There was no room for coherent thought in the Nightmare’s head. His wants and needs converged into one thing…the Unicorn in his arms. The redhead made a quick dip to lift Winter’s body up by the thighs so that he could step out of the tub without breaking their contact. He then walked them both over to the bed, where he sat down and set the prince onto his lap. His hands slid up the smaller man’s outer thighs to take hold of his hips.

Winter moaned softly when Hazeth's fingers squeezed, the sensation going straight to his groin. It was like an echo of how it would feel to have the Nightmare holding on during sex, pulling Winter's body back as he plunged inside. Winter didn't fight the delicious shiver that ran through him. He plunged his fingers into Hazeth's soft, damp hair and pulled him in for a kiss, feeling desperate as he shifted on the larger man's lap.

The golden-eyed man didn't deny the prince. A gentle suck on the smaller man's tongue gave way to claiming nearly every inch of Winter's mouth. Just what was it about this pale royal that drew him in like some fierce, invisible magnet? All that Hazeth knew for certain was that he was going to make a mess if they didn't stop. The prince was already dressed, for crying out loud.

" W-wait," Hazeth gasped, using what little willpower he had left to pull back. "Don't want to soil your clothes...unless you want me to, but that would mean changing again. I mean, do you want me to?" The Nightmare found himself asking. "You can get me to do just about anything you want at this point."

"I've lost my mind," Winter said, leaning back in Hazeth's lap.

The prince grabbed his own shirt, fingers clenching the fabric as he yanked. Tiny pearl buttons flew, smacking Hazeth like tiny hailstones and pinging across the stone floor. Winter cupped Hazeth's cheeks and rested their foreheads together, a tingle of magic went through them as their crests touched.

"I'm tired," Winter whispered. "You do something to me and I'm too weary to fight anymore." The prince closed his eyes, his words spoken so softly they were barely more than a breath. "I've been alone for so long, Hazeth.”

H’d never come across a Maiden that was so hot and helpless at the same time. Hazeth gave Winter a few soft kisses, but pulled back before it got out of hand. His mind raced. He couldn’t full-out mate with the Perazan until the stormy-eyed royal asked him to with a clear head. But, that didn’t mean that he couldn’t pleasure the prince in other ways.

“Then allow me to give us both some relief, Win,” he whispered into Winter’s ear as his hands undid the prince’s pants enough to free the hardened flesh. With a bit of maneuvering, his hand wrapped around both of their shafts and gave a few gentle strokes.

Winter's body shuddered as he cried out. The pleasure of Hazeth's touch was sharp and intense, and they had just begun. His hands took hold of the Nightmare’s shoulders.

“I’ve never been so aroused and enchanted by anyone as much as I’ve been with you,” The redhead admitted as he nuzzled the crook of Winter’s neck and gave it a kiss. His hand continued its slow and steady pace. “When this mess of a charade is over, I really hope you choose me.”

Hazeth then took Winter’s lips in a kiss that was as slow and gentle as his movements. Then he gradually increased the speed as his tongue mapped the inside of the Unicorn’s mouth. His free hand slid up the side of the pale torso until he reached a pebbled nipple, which he gently rolled between his fingers.

Winter sucked in a sharp breath, the sensation of Hazeth toying with his nipple seeming to connect in a hot line with the rising ecstacy of the Nightmare's hand stroking them. The prince couldn't keep still, rocking his hips in time with the motion of Hazeth's hand. The Unicorn’s fingers tightened on Hazeth's shoulders, feeling as though without that hold he might fly apart.

"How can it feel so good?" Winter gasped. "What magic are you using to make it like this?" His words were choppy, coming out between whimpers and soft sounds of delight.

The redhead smirked against the prince’s neck, where he had left a hickey. “I’ve little control over how you feel,” He rumbled as his fingers rolled over the slicked tips of their members. “Hmm. But, I’m eager to learn what makes you feel best.”

Hazeth frowned when he noticed that the false mating mark he had placed between Winter’s collarbone was gone. On the one hand, he was pleased that the prince was so lost in pleasure that he couldn’t concentrate enough to keep the mirage up. Another part of him wanted his real marking to remain emblazened there forever.

He hissed when the pale prince moved against him sinuously. But, he didn’t stop kissing a path down to the nipple that had been neglected, taking it into his mouth and sucking it gently. His free hand slid a path up and down Winter’s back, leaving a heated trail in its wake.

"Please," Winter begged softly, the pleasure so acute it was nearly pain. He was close, so close to the edge. Tears pricked his eyes, so he closed them. His need was like a great pulsing thing inside him, like nothing he'd ever felt before. Something about Hazeth had been pulling at him from the moment they'd met. It had grown stronger when Winter had placed the false mating mark on the Nightmare. Winter's movements stuttered as he admitted to himself that when he'd put the mark against Hazeth's skin he hadn't wanted it to be false. He'd wanted it to be a true mating.

Winter, for all his protests, had thought in that moment of having this irreverent, smiling, mischievous man as his partner. Someone to salve the loneliness that burned like a wound in his heart, to give him respite from the constant demands and responsibilities that seemed to weigh on his soul. Winter's aching heart had seen what his mind wouldn't consider, then, that Hazeth could so easily be all those things for him. Winter just hadn't been able to allow himself to consider such a thing. But his heart, it had wanted Hazeth bound to him with a fierce longing as Winter had painted his false mark across Hazeth's skin.

"Please," Winter said again, uncaring at his loss of control, control that he normally wrapped around himself like armor.

Hazeth's sun crest glowed as he pressed a kiss to the snowflake on Winter’s forehead. He doubted that his magic could reach the prince enough to give him another wave of pleasure, but he couldn’t help the primal instinct to try. His hand quickened its pace as he used his other arm to tug the Unicorn into a grind. “Let go, beautiful,” he urged. “Just let go.”

Winter's head fell back on a cry, heat and pleasure rushing through him like a shaft of light. His body tightened, fingers digging into Hazeth's shoulders, nails biting into golden skin. The bliss shook him, going on until his head swam. When it finally began to recede, warm languor filled him in place of the bright pleasure. His body began to tilt backward, unable to hold himself upright.

The Nightmare tipped over the edge quite suddenly at that point. The Unicorn on his lap was the most sensual, lovely being he had ever seen during such a vulnerable state. When Winter began to drop back, Hazeth didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around the prince to gently curl him back against his chest. Their breathing was ragged as they waited for their heartbeats to settle down. If what he had just experienced was a mere handjob and make out session with Winter, then Hazeth was going to have to lock them both away with three month’s supply of food before he could even begin to have his fill of the prince.

Hazeth’s sun crest glowed on his forehead as he gently rolled a cleansing spell over both their bodies. He let out a soft chuckle when the prince merely nuzzled closer to him. The Nightmare slid one of the hands he had halfway up Winter’s back up to the base of the Unicorn’s neck to gently massage that area.

“Do you know what playing hookie means?” Hazeth asked softly. “It’s basically not doing anything you’re supposed to for a day. In your case, it would mean not attending any of your meetings. What do you say, Win? Want to come with me and the castle kids to spend some time outside just for today?”

Stormy grey eyes glanced up at the redhead. “I would have to reschedule everything...I don’t think there’s enough time on my calendar to fit it all into next week-” Winter trailed off when he felt Hazeth’s soft, full lips against his. The tension that had already begun to take over his body melted away. “Maybe half a day…”

“Your highness, Rathburn and his entourage have arrived!” Elder Mason declared as he burst through the doors. “GOODNESS!” He squeaked at the sight of the nude Hazeth and half-naked prince on the bed. His hands flew right to his reddened face and he turned around. “My deepest apologies. I should have known better! I won’t ever forget to knock from here on out.”

Winter squeaked and would have fallen to the floor in his flailing if Hazeth hadn't tightened his hold. The Nightmare carefully set Winter on his feet and made quick work of setting the prince to rights when Winter seemed unable to do more than flutter his hands in agitation. Hazeth turned Winter to face Elder Mason after pressing a kiss to his cheek with a rakish smile.

However, the pale prince’s gaze was locked on the Nightmare’s body as Hazeth began to dress himself. Winter noted that the redhead seemed to keep enough control for his fake mating mark to remain beneath his bellybutton. The Unicorn didn’t need to look down to the space just beneath his collarbones to know that he forgot to concentrate enough to keep his own fake mating mark on. He quickly remedied that.

Hazeth deliberately wore an open button-down shirt to show off the false snowflake crest. He draped an arm over Winter’s shoulders as he regarded Elder Mason. “We’re decent now...at least more than we were a moment ago.” He announced. “You said that Rath-butt’s downstairs?”

“Y-yes,” Elder Mason affirmed as he risked a glance at the two royals. “And he’s not alone.”