First Night Seduction - 9. Part 2 Chapter 2 Great minds think alike.

Three weeks later . . .

Lily had been as good as her word, the press conference hadn’t happened and suddenly the papers had been awash with stories about the ‘minor’ celebrity’s out of control behaviour in clubs around the world and Theo had been left in peace to recover; well there were a couple of reporters from local papers still hanging around the hospital but none got close to where Theo was – he’d spent the larger part of his stay in a high intensity coronary nursing ward which he didn’t strictly need but after the I.C.U. it was the most secure adult ward in the hospital. To-day Adrien was taking him home, Theo’s chopper was scheduled to arrive at the hospital at lunchtime and Adrien kept looking at his watch every few minutes whilst constantly scanning the skies for its arrival.

“It won’t get here any quicker just because you’re looking for it,” Theo said quietly from behind Adrien as he wrapped his arms around Adrien’s body and nibbled at his ear.

Adrien leaned into Theo’s embrace, tilting his head to expose more of his neck,

“I shouldn’t let you do that you know, it gets to me too easily.”

“I know,” Theo chuckled as he carried on teasing Adrien with kisses and nips up and down his neck.

“Theo we haven’t had sex in over six weeks, you’re dealing with a desperate man here and besides which our family are waiting for us at home so even if you were up to taking this further we can’t.”

“My doctor has assured me that as long as we don’t start swinging from the chandeliers for the time being I am more than capable of screwing you to the mattress young man. Which I’m sure you also know.”

“I bet that was a really comfortable conversation to have with my colleague.”

 

“Actually he was really good about it, it was him that brought up the subject, said it was the one question no-body asks but everybody wants the answer to. So tonight, my hero, you and I are picking up where we left off the night before I flew to Canada.”

“Oh god yes please,” Adrien breathed.

They’d spent hours edging each other, it was one of their favourite sexual activities and Theo was a master at it, the sex following all that teasing and orgasm denial was always phenomenal.

“It’s here,” Theo whispered, “look,” he pointed towards the horizon at a speck in the sky.

“How the hell can you tell it’s yours?”

“Because it’s bang on time and heading directly this way. Time to say goodbye to everybody.”

It was true they needed to, not just the staff but also the other twenty or so patients who Theo had spent time diligently getting to know and beyond the adult ward there was also a small children’s ward as Adrien was virtually unique in that he took on paediatric cases alongside adult ones. Theo had said repeatedly that spending time with the children playing games, reading stories to them and generally acting like everyone’s favourite uncle had saved his sanity and aided his recovery.

“I got this today,” Theo said as they rode the lift to the top floor, holding out his mobile to show Adrien a text.

“I’m so happy to know you’ve fully recovered Theo, I wish you and Adrien all the best for your future together. Li-anne x” he read.

“Wow, that’s kind of her.”

“She is.”

When they were strapped into their seats in the helicopter Theo slyly took a photo of Adrien then started typing a caption for it before launching it on the world,

“My gorgeous, clever, talented hero taking me home – at last!”

“What the hell have you just done?”

“I wanted to share this with everybody so I’ve put it on Instagram.”

“I didn’t know you had an account.”

“I didn’t until last night and I doubt I’ll ever use it again,” Theo laughed.

At home Theo’s nieces had joined their little throng and as soon as the two men had escaped the downwash from the slowing rotors they threw themselves at their uncle squealing with delight to see him.

“Hello my gorgeous girlies,” he beamed as he wrapped his arms around them.

“Is he really fully recovered?” Emily asked Adrien.

“Not quite, he’s got some more recuperating to do but he will be.”

Emily let go of her uncle and wrapped her arms around Adrien as she started crying.

“Hey, sweetie, it’s ok, sh, don’t get upset now, it’s all over,” he soothed her stroking her back.

He’d fallen in love with the two girls the first time he’d met them, they were as Theo had said irresistibly sweet.

“Thank-you Uncle Adrien, for being brave enough to save Uncle Theo for us.”

“What did you just call me?!” he asked utterly shocked at her words.

“Well you are aren’t you? If Uncle Theo was ordinary his wife would’ve been our aunt by that logic it makes you our uncle, well it does to me.”

“And me,” her sister added.

Only Theo saw the shocked look on Adrien’s face caused by their words.

Later that evening, although not that late, their family surprised them by leaving to go back to the hotel they’d used in the early days of Theo’s hospital stay.

“You need time alone love,” his mother had explained when she’d told them of the plan, “you’ve spent three weeks being surrounded by dozens and dozens of people, not bad for two men who’re used to being alone. We’ll see you tomorrow afternoon, about three probably, it may be a bit later we’re showing everybody round the university, turns out Emily wants to study history, now she’s back from her travels, so we thought we’d introduce her to a few people, let her get a feel for the place.”

“Thank-you Dorothy, that’s very considerate,” Theo smiled.

“Nonsense it’s a perfectly logical thing to do, besides which if she gets a place there her lecturers will know who she knows, always a good thing.”

“Alone at last,” Theo said as they waved off their family.

“Theo we don’t have to do anything, just having you next to me will be enough for me honestly.”

“No sentence ending with that word is ever said honestly,” Theo replied, chuckling, “not only that I distinctly remember you agreeing to a reprise of the night before my trip.”

“It’s not my preferred option I’ll admit but truly I’d be happy to just fall asleep with you.”

“Then I say we revert to our original default programme, we let the night bring what it will. Would you care to join me in having a small celebratory drink and a bath?”

“You know it’s been a while since anyone used their seduction skills on me, a person could feel neglected,” Adrien replied acting coy in a highly theatrical manner.

Theo pulled Adrien to him a hand behind Adrien’s head the other at his face,

“You want seducing all over again do you?” he asked as he looked deep into Adrien’s eyes before he spun Adrien round but kept him close, really close,

“Then I have to ask if you’re here to fuck or be fucked?”

“With that Pierce Brosnan voice you had me in that first moment I just didn’t have the guts to tell you.”

“In that case get this pert little ass,” Theo squeezed Adrien’s behind, “up those stairs” he slid a hand up over Adrien’s hip and down to his clearly swollen cock, “and get the bath water running, I’ll bring the drinks. Now, or somebody might find themselves with a smacked behind,” to emphasise his point Theo playfully spanked Adrien’s backside.

“Promises, promises,” Adrien laughed as he turned to face Theo, he kissed him then dodged away to head upstairs.

Adrien was watching the bathwater run when he heard Theo enter the master bedroom,

“Nearly done,” he called to him.

“Be there in a minute,” Theo replied.

Theo had had no difficulty in persuading Adrien to forsake the bedroom next to the master in order to create a bathroom as enticing as the one in the city apartment; Theo had even had the bath – easily as large as the one installed in the apartment – specially made to appear to be in keeping with the house.

Now Adrien had everything as it should have been for Theo’s homecoming three weeks previously, the room was awash with candlelight, as was the bedroom although so far Theo had made no comment about it and Adrien could only hope that he wouldn’t find it too much, too romantic, too feminine. Adrien had passed some of Theo’s time away choosing a playlist for that, now this, night’s reunion, and as soon as Theo joined him the music would begin, with Barber’s “Adagio for strings”.

So lost in thought was Adrien of how things should have been on Theo’s return, could have been after the accident, that he didn’t notice Theo at the partly open door and Theo, seeing his lover with such a faraway look couldn’t resist taking another picture of him although he made no move to show this one to the world.

 

“This is wonderful,” he said as opened the door wider waving a hand to indicate the room, he slid the tray he was carrying onto the vanity unit, “grapes, mascarpone and a particularly enjoyable little fizz I found in a place called Polperro.”

Adrien smiled but he was clearly struggling to stay that way, one corner of his mouth kept twitching and Theo could see the distress in his eyes. All thought of making love left him and he wrapped his arms round Adrien putting a hand between his shoulder blades the other he lay gently on the back of his head, Adrien nuzzled into the crook of Theo’s neck his eyes closed as he used the fabric of Theo’s bathrobe to pull him close.

“Don’t ever do that to me again,” he whispered and despite how quietly he spoke Theo could hear the pain in Adrien’s tone, “I have never been so absolutely fucking terrified in my life. When Maria told me it was you I almost passed out, my knees all but went from under me, ask her, all that stopped me blacking out was the thought that if anyone could save you it was me,” he stopped to take in a juddering breath clearly trying to remain calm.

“You needed me at beyond my best, I needed me to be beyond my best and Maria kept telling me I couldn’t do it and part of me couldn’t understand why she wasn’t thinking like me, that I was the only one who could. That’s not arrogance you’d been sent to me, the A&E team at The Royal Infirmary could have sent you to the Waverly but they sent you to me. Never have I been closer to believing in some greater being because it sure as hell felt like fate or something like it had had a hand in putting you on my table. And all the time I knew that if it all went wrong I’d be the one responsible for not only telling your family I’d also be the one responsible for the death I was telling them about. I was so fucking scared Theo.”

“I quite literally owe my life to the man I love, I don’t think we could be more closely bound together,” Theo spoke soothingly planting small kisses on Adrien’s hair and temple.

Adrien lifted his head to look at Theo,

“Yes we could,” he said taking a small box from the pocket of his bathrobe and holding it up for Theo to see.

Neither man moved, Theo stared at the small dark blue leather-covered box, Adrien watched Theo’s face which gave away nothing, after too many seconds for Adrien’s liking he closed his fingers round the box and started to lower his hand,

“Don’t you dare,” Theo growled and Adrien unfurled his fingers.

“If you’re wondering I don’t need the official words if you don’t, it can be just between us,” Adrien assured him.

“And why on earth would I not take the chance to marry you, if that’s what you’re offering.”

It had always struck Adrien as odd that it was in these quiet, exceedingly private, moments their differing but wholly equal roles in their relationship showed. He was no less manly or any more gay than Theo - in fact one of their gay friends had once begged “For fuck’s sake put us all out of our misery, which one of you’s top?”- to the outside world neither of them gave precedence to the other but between themselves it was Adrien who had the softer, gentler, nature yet it was him who reigned in Theo’s exuberance, his tendency to want to spoil those he loved and cared about, from the things he did – or wanted to do – for Adrien, his family and even Adrien’s parents for birthdays and such to how much he’d been prepared to spend on the refurb here at the vicarage .

Had any of those who knew them well been asked which of them was more likely to propose to the other most would have said it would be Theo doing the asking, not because he was apparently the dominant one who made all the decisions but simply because it was obvious, when you were allowed to see it, that he adored Adrien and would do anything to make him happy, besides which he was also a hopeless romantic when it came to his lover; but they both knew that Theo would have always waited for Adrien to be ready to ask first. On Adrien’s part he’d debated this with himself, his parents and, unromantically, his lawyer; whilst he knew that no-one important to Theo and himself would think it he didn’t want anyone believing he wanted to marry Theo for something as base as money although he knew there would inevitably be those who would. That was where his solicitor came in, together they’d formulated a pre-nup but for now that could wait.

“You would?”

“Dear boy nothing would make me happier.”

In the end it was Adrien who opened the box inside was a simple platinum ring with a small but flawless inset rectangular diamond.

“I’ll try it on but then it goes back in its box until the day.”

“What? Why?”

“It’s a wedding ring so if you want me to wear it you’d better marry me,” Theo laughed.

“Pick a date.”

“Yesterday if I could, soon as possible otherwise.”

“I love you.”

“Mister Theo Jepson, businessman et cetera and Professor Adrien Leadbeater outstanding human being and hero are unbelievably happy to announce their betrothal, wedding date to be decided,” Theo intoned, “think that covers it. The usual half page in The Sunday Times I think.”

“You really are crackers,” Adrien laughed.

“Crackers about you but that water’s getting cold and the fizz is getting warm so get naked.”

“Not until you’ve tried it on.”

Before Theo could take off the ring Adrien stopped him, laying his hand over Theo’s,

“Please keep it on just for tonight, it actually looks quite sexy.”

It fitted perfectly and on Theo’s large finger looked unobtrusive and stylish,

“You know I’m getting one for you don’t you?”

“That’ll do nicely, now about this getting naked business.”

“I’ve just had one present but you are a gift I wouldn’t tire of unwrapping every day,” Theo said as he released the knot at Adrien’s waist, he parted the front of the robe and then slipped it from Adrien’s body as they kissed, “you get in and I’ll bring the drinks.”

Adrien set the music going before submerging himself in the warm water, he watched Theo pop the cork on the champagne, pour it into two flutes and set the glasses on the bath rim, next he brought the dish of grapes and cheese.

“What are you scared of love?” Theo looked at Adrien questioningly as he joined Adrien in the bath.

“Not scared exactly, more like nervous, I want us to do whatever feels good but the not-a-doctor part of me’s feeling very wary of doing too much.”

“What’s the doctor in you saying?”

“No chandeliers I’m afraid but you laying back and being loved will be a good start.”

The men listened to the music Adrien had programmed into the sound system in near-silence, the two were sitting side by side and it didn’t take long for Adrien to lay his head on Theo’s shoulder; they ate the fruit and cheese with Adrien often offering grapes to Theo’s lips,

“Come on love, let’s go to bed.”

Adrien looked at Theo and nodded in agreement but his own heart raced, he now fully understood how the partners of his patients felt; beyond the fear and anxiety in the immediate aftermath of the crisis there was the need to wrap the one you love in cotton wool and protect them from everything that could harm them – including intimacy.

In the end it was Theo who spent time reassuring Adrien,

“Do you remember what I said to you our first night together?” he asked stepping close to Adrien as they dried themselves.

“Every word.”

“Good, then you’ll know you’re in charge, I mean I couldn’t have a better partner for this could I? After all I have the nations’ pre-eminent cardiac surgeon taking care of my every need, I couldn’t be in safer hands now could I?”

“Theo you have to tell me the moment you feel any pain or faintness or,”

“Adrien I can feel faint just looking at you,” Theo chuckled, “especially when you’re naked, but yes if I feel in any way off I’ll tell you I promise. Now can I please go to bed with my husband-to-be?”

Adrien’s eyes widened for a second before a smile began to lift the corners of his mouth,

“Say that again,” he told Theo, “that last bit.”

“I asked if I could go to bed with my husband to be.”

“That,” he put his lips on Theo’s, “sounds” he pressed them a little harder to Theo’s, “so,” he swept his tongue quickly over Theo’s mouth, “fucking good,” he finally allowed himself to indulge in the passion-filled kiss he’d been anticipating the day of Theo’s return and which had been on hold for three weeks.

Adrien pushed Theo against the wall pressing their bodies together, grinding his hips against him his hands holding Theo’s head his fingers moving through the hair at the nape of his neck. Theo responded immediately running his hands down Adrien’s back to grasp and maul his ass.

It didn’t take long for both of them to become fully hard, their cocks slipping and sliding together heightening their arousal and need. Adrien groaned when he felt Theo’s fingers begin to travel down the valley between the cheeks of his behind. Theo moved his mouth from Adrien’s to kiss and lick along his jaw to his ear then nibble down to and along his shoulder smiling at seeing goose-pimples break out all over Adrien’s skin,

“Oh god yes!” Adrien exclaim letting his head fall back to give Theo greater access to his neck and shoulders, “Bite, harder, please.”

Theo obliged and he felt Adrien collapse even harder against him, his breathing immediately becoming shallow and rapid in response.

“Jeez, I’ve missed you doing that,” Adrien gasped.

“No more than I’ve missed doing it love,” Theo slid a hand from Adrien’s ass to his thigh, hitching it up as high as possible given their current position then passed his hand beneath it to Adrien’s now exposed anus to tease it with a finger.

“Oh fuck!” Adrien yelled when Theo’s finger penetrated him.

“Forget the night before I left I’ve got to fuck you, I need to sink my cock so far into you it might never come out.”

Theo took hold of Adrien’s hand and led him to their bedroom,

“Thanks to you,” Theo began when he pulled Adrien into another embrace looking deep into his lover’s, now fiancé’s, eyes, “I’m alive and well and I want us to celebrate that with our family and friends sometime soon,” he kissed Adrien gently, “but right now all I want is to feel you next to me, loving me.”

“Mister Jepson, are you in the mood to be seduced?” Adrien smiled.

“You know I rather think I am.”

“Oh good,” Adrien said as he stepped away from Theo towards their bed, although he kept hold of Theo’s left hand, “because as your doctor I’m prescribing an evening of passion-fuelled, desire-driven, horizontal exercise.”

“Will you be filling that prescription yourself?” Theo grinned as he wagged his eyebrows and mimed twirling a moustache he didn’t have like some Victorian melodrama villain.

“Crackers, my man is absolutely raving bonkers!” Adrien laughed as he threw himself on top of the duvet, turning onto his left side to look at Theo.

His physique had not been marred by the scar Adrien had been forced to put there but it was still red and angry below the dressing the district nurse would come to change the following day; which coincidentally was also the day Lily would be moving in during office hours at least, she’d be sleeping at the cottage Theo had bought in the village.

When Theo had made the proposal that she do so after his hospital discharge Adrien’s gut reaction had been to say “No” but he hadn’t having quickly realised that to deny Theo this would actually be detrimental to his health although he’d told Theo he needed to give it some thought. In fact he’d put together a rest-exercise-relaxation-work schedule and asked Spence to review it,

“I’d go along with that but I’d add something to it.”

“What’ve I missed?”

“Define relaxation, from Theo’s point of view.”

“He likes to read, listen to music, mum’s got him into gardening but he’s only at the pottering stage so none of the heavy stuff, visiting historical places but for now that’d be too much walking and can you see him agreeing to using a wheelchair?”

Both men laughed at the image of Theo in one,

“Not even with all four limbs broken,” Paul added.

“So what were you getting at, oh wait he loves to cook so that’d be on his list.”

“And it’s obvious from the shape you’re both in that he knows what he’s doing, I’ve seen more fat on a cold chip compared to you two.”

“Ok so now I’ve told you what else did you mean?”

“Where in all this,” Paul picked up the print-out of Adrien’s schedule, “is there time for you to just be a couple?”

The two men were sitting in Paul’s office, Theo’s case-notes spread out on the desk.

“I’m not going to be at work all day every day.”

“You know what I mean Adrien, stop being obtuse”

“You’re having the fucking talk,” Adrien made air quotes at the last word, “with me aren’t you?”

“Someone’s got to and you aren’t asking. Appropriate double description by the way.”

“Bollocks Paul.”

“They’d be involved,” Paul retorted.

“Shut the fuck up. I am not discussing our love-life with you,” Adrien chortled.

“Adrien my friend look me in the eye and tell me you’re not worried because I know that if I was in your position and I was thinking about my wife I sure as hell would be.”

In classic style Adrien tilted his head back slid his hands up his face to his hair.

“Talk to me Adrien, be the partner of my patient you are right now. Because unfortunately I’m your best option because I was there, no-one else can truly understand how you’re feeling because no-one on the planet’s done what you did but now you’ve got to be thinking ‘what if I saved him on the table only to kill him when we’ well you know what I mean, then there’s the whole ‘what if the repair isn’t good enough’ train of thought, we both know I could go on but I won’t. What I will say is that I’ve never seen any surgeon perform the way you did that day. I don’t just mean medically, although that in itself was extraordinary, I cannot imagine a front-line army medic being under the emotional distress you were yet you never made a wrong move, you were the surgeon you know you are, the best there is.”

“I was a wreck Paul, I kept thinking that if I lost him I’d have to tell our family, I kept seeing their faces,”

“You really thought anyone would’ve let you do that? For crying out loud Adrien give yourself a break! As I would’ve been listed as Theo’s doctor I would’ve been the one doing it.”

Adrien looked at him the realisation that what Paul had said was true writ large on his face.

“See what I mean I was such a wreck I wasn’t even thinking straight.”

“That was then this is now. You can’t ignore it Adrien, Theo’s going to ask me and I’ll tell him what I tell everybody in one way or another, take it slow, if Theo listens to his body you’ll be fine, you know this you just needed somebody to tell you.”

“Ok you want me to talk here’s my real problem, he’d been overseas for three weeks before the accident, now figure that into the mix.”

“You are in big trouble,” Paul laughed uproariously, wagging a finger in Adrien’s direction, “I think you need to bring in Madam Palm and her five sweet daughters.”

Adrien’s shoulders shook with silent laughter for a few seconds before he too laughed out loud.

“I hope to god you don’t use that phrase with your bloody patients.”

“Only the ones I know will understand the medical terminology.”

“You are a sick puppy.”

“It’s been said.”

“You know he’s chomping at the bit to get home don’t you?”

“Kicking at the stable door more like.”

“Have you decided when?”

“Why don’t we go and tell him?”

Paul had taken some time with Theo alone before calling Adrien and their family back into the room,

“If and only if he can give me two successful outings on the treadmill, one today and the other tomorrow that is, I’m happy for Theo to go home the day after.”

Adrien had been holding Theo’s hand and had felt the slight squeeze he’d given his Adrien’s own at Paul’s words,

“But only if you agree to stick to this,” he took Adrien’s recuperation schedule from the sheaf of notes he carried, “if Lily or anyone tells me you’re not I’ll rescind my permission to let you work from home.”

Theo took the papers from Paul and cast an eye over them,

“This was your idea wasn’t it?” he smiled looking at Adrien.

“It was, but I’ll let him tell you what I think he missed out,” Paul chortled, “I’ll see you before you leave Theo.”

“Thanks Paul, for everything.”

The memory of that talk with Paul had flashed through Adrien’s mind frequently over the last two days and now he was confronted with the reality of being truly alone with Theo for the first time since that god-awful day three weeks ago.

“The first time,” Adrien thought to himself, that phrase bringing back the memory of how patient Theo had been with him, how slowly he’d taken things forward in small steps.

Theo crawled across the bed to him, his eyes hooded,

“What did you just call me?” he asked stopping Adrien’s train of thought,

“What?”

“Just now what did you call me?”

“Crackers.”

“No, not the comment on my state of mind.”

“Um, my man, so what’s wrong with that? I’ve called you that before.”

Theo said nothing immediately but waggled his now ringed finger at Adrien,

“We’ll have the correct terminology from now on if you don’t mind.”

“You want me to call you my fiancé all the time?” Adrien asked incredulously.

“Isn’t that what I am despite me having not actually been proposed to?”

“Well yes, but,” Adrien paused, “hey what do you mean you weren’t proposed to? You’re wearing the ring I gave you.”

“Yes, and what you actually said was ‘I don’t need the official words if you don’t’ which by the way I didn’t buy for a second.”

Theo was still on his hands and knees to Adrien’s left so Adrien quickly pulled his right arm from beneath him making Theo fall onto his side facing Adrien, at the same time Adrien moved close to Theo taking hold of his left hand.

“Theo Jepson will you marry me and make me the most ludicrously happy man I’ll ever know?”

Theo turned away from Adrien and reached to take something from the nightstand drawer,

“I could ask you the same question,” he said turning back to sit up facing Adrien setting a black velvet-covered jeweller’s box on the bed between them. the crest on top one Adrien knew well – it was the Thepson logo.

“You own a jewellery shop?!”

“Sort of, that’s not important. What is important is that we clearly had the same intent for the night I should’ve got home. Would you Adrien Edward Leadbeater wear this,” he opened the box to reveal two rings removing one, “let’s call it a commitment ring, until I can add this wedding ring to it?”

Theo picked up the second ring and Adrien noticed then that the two rings each had a small but definite flange and when Theo put them together and turned them in opposite directions they locked together becoming a single piece, the whole thing was made of rose gold. Adrien noticed words engraved on the inside just as Theo held it up to Adrien’s ring finger.

“What does it say?”

Theo flipped the ring from between his fingers to his palm then held it out for Adrien to pick up.

“I.G.T.F.U.T.I.C.T.U.C. – Forever.” Adrien read on the first ring, smiling broadly, as he read what was on the second ring, “I am the luckiest of men to call you husband. Love, Theo.

Within the confines of the golden band Theo had, for Adrien, perfectly portrayed their relationship, the raw passion and desire on one side and the deeper truly intimate connection on the other. It was a sign, not that he needed one, that they were meant to be together. Theo understood him, had always done so, knew that he, Adrien, would understand and make the connection between the two messages.

“Clever bastard,” he chuckled holding out his hand again having given the rings back for Theo to unlock.

“Thank god I remembered,” Theo muttered as he twisted the two halves apart.

“Remembered what?”

“To only move it a quarter-turn,” Theo replied as he placed the first ring on Adrien’s finger.

“Why?”

“Because on the day I can twist it further and they’ll lock together permanently.”

“Ok so you’re a really clever bastard,” Adrien laughed falling onto his back looking at his palm as he fisted then opened his left hand, he’d never even worn a signet ring before; Theo reached out to add the second ring, together they were less than half an inch across.

When Adrien again offered his hand to Theo he only removed one ring.

“You forgot one.”

“Nope, first that one then this one,” he held up the other half of the pair before putting it in the box.

“Hang on you won’t wear yours but you expect me to wear a, a,” Theo smirked knowing what Adrien couldn’t bring himself to say and that he had, for now, forgotten how Theo had described it.

“A what, love?”

“A bloody engagement ring!” Adrien exploded, “Since when did we act that gay?!”

“I believe I described it as a commitment ring and besides mine’s a wedding ring so I can’t wear it until we’re married,” Theo sounded smug.

“Bog off Theo,” Adrien chortled.

“How about this, wear it on your right hand for now.”

“I’ll get you for that, you do know that don’t you?” Adrien laughed at his own momentary discomfiture.

Theo snapped the box shut before returning it to the nightstand,

“My wonderful man you got me a long time ago,” he said laying down to face Adrien.

“Man? Man?! We just had that whole,” Adrien paused, “moment because I called you that!”

“Now you know how it feels to have your fiancé refer to you as a mere man,” Theo smirked.

“Stop being so bloody smug.”

“This is nothing to how smug I’ll be when I’ve fucked your brains out after I’ve had you begging for release.”

Theo had rolled forward and was partly covering Adrien’s body with his own, he lowered his head intending to press his lips to Adrien’s,

“I love you Adrien, I want us to marry, I think me having the rings shows I’d already planned to ask you before the accident and not because of it but I think we’ve danced around the elephant in the room for long enough. Make love with me Adrien, we both need this.”

“Do you remember how patient you were with me our first night together? Well unless you want me to finish in record time we’re going to have to take it that slow at least to begin with I really am on a hair-trigger love. Like I said earlier I think you laying back and letting me love you’s the way to go.”

Theo kissed Adrien again then rolled onto his back,

“I’m all yours,” he smiled, his eyes alight with his need for Adrien.

Adrien leaned forward and trailed his fingertips up Theo’s torso, his fingers following the lines of the toned muscles, his lips followed their path but not once did he touch Theo’s nipples. Slowly, as he let go of his worries about how what they were doing would affect Theo he began moving his body over and across Theo’s stroking, licking, nibbling, kissing every inch of Theo’s skin as if encountering it for the first time but never resting any of his weight on him only allowing the lightest of skin to skin touch. Occasionally he would lay his body full length along Theo’s but still supporting himself to keep his bulk form resting on Theo and both would move their hips slowly their hard flesh stroking together, every time each of them would feel more pre-come leak from both themself and the other; it was as he was doing this that Theo spoke again,

“If you don’t kiss me right now I’m going to pin you down and take your ass.”

“Sounds good but when I’ve snogged you half to death I’m going to suck you off because I want to taste you and I’m going to make your cock so wet I’ll be able to sit on your dick then jerk myself off until I cover you in my spunk which I will lick off your skin after you’ve filled me with yours.”

“You have a pornographic imagination,” Theo laughed, “I am very pleased to say. Now when does this snogging start?”

Adrien half lay across Theo, his right leg thrown over Theo’s hips but he kept his body propped up and away from laying any real weight on his lover.

“Oh no, you’re not cheating me out of the full experience,” Theo growled, reaching to wrap his arms around Adrien and pull him on top of him.

“Theo!” Adrien exclaimed, “you shouldn’t have done that,” he began to move away but Theo held him still although Adrien stayed holding himself up on his forearms.

“Don’t, if you value my sanity, please don’t move Adrien. I know why you’re being so fucking careful but I am not made of sodding bone china. I need you to understand this Adrien I have every faith in what you did,” he cupped his hands gently around Adrien’s face, “please have as much faith in yourself as I have in you. Can we just be us please love, I’ve been a patient long enough now I need to be me, the man who loves you.”

Adrien dropped his head so that his forehead rested on Theo’s chest,

“I’m sorry, Theo, I was so wound up I couldn’t relax enough to just enjoy being like this with you then as soon as you stopped me moving away nothing else mattered, if you had the confidence to move me it must’ve been because you’re feeling normal.”

“Does that mean I can get that blow-job now?”

“Make your mind up, do you want me to snog or blow you stupid?” Adrien asked as he lifted his head to smile at Theo.

“Both, I’m feeling greedy.”

“Good so am I,” Adrien instinctively licked his lips, “I am so going to enjoy this Mister Jepson,” he smiled as their lips touched.

He ran his tongue over Theo’s mouth then sucked his lower lip into his own, nipped it gently between his teeth and flicked his tongue over it.

“I’m going to do that to your cock,” he said quietly when he released it.

Theo didn’t reply instead he pulled Adrien’s head down hard mashing their lips together,

“And when you have,” Theo said as he broke the kiss, “you are going to ride it and I am going to do all sorts of things to your cock and balls until you cum.”

Adrien kissed Theo again then said,

“Sorry can’t wait,” before sliding down Theo’s body, again kissing and licking but mostly taking small, nipping, bites as he moved.

Knowing that Theo loved to watch him Adrien knelt between Theo’s legs then gently took hold of Theo’s hard flesh in his left hand and held it vertically from his body before reaching with a finger sliding it over the head of Theo’s cock to spread the pre-come over it, when it was slick Adrien bent forward to lick it. He heard Theo grunt with the effort of not thrusting his hips but Adrien didn’t want to deny him anything so opened his mouth to take as much of Theo’s hard-on into his mouth as he could, he slid his mouth from the column of flesh making Theo groan with frustration which lasted mere seconds,

“Fuck my face, show me, tell me what to do, be like you would have if none of it had happened.”

“Yes!” Theo hissed, immediately twisting them both onto their sides taking hold of Adrien’s head, already moving his hips back and forth, ”Suck it, lick it,” he moaned watching his cock moving in and out of Adrien’s mouth. Theo fed ever more of himself beyond Adrien’s lips, sometimes pressing his cock into his throat and holding it there for a few seconds knowing that Adrien loved feeling him do that, his groans of lust and desire vibrated along Theo’s cock every time it was thrust into his throat. But all too soon Theo was moving Adrien’s head faster, using his mouth to bring himself off until he felt Adrien squeeze the base of his cock hindering Theo’s efforts.

“Swing that delectable arse of yours up here,” Theo growled.

Without taking Theo’s hard flesh from his mouth Adrien manoeuvred himself so that his own cock was close to Theo’s face as they were still lying on their sides but Theo still wasn’t happy and again hauled Adrien on top of himself, as he twisted to lay on his back, putting Adrien’s knees either side of his shoulders. This position gave him access not only to Adrien’s cock but also his ass. Theo was soon mauling Adrien’s smooth perfect behind his fingers pulling the cheeks apart to expose his target – the pink puckered ring.

Theo smiled when he thought of all the clues to Adrien’s orientation there’d been even before their first night together – clues even Adrien himself had failed to recognise. He was meticulous in his grooming, he shaved or trimmed everywhere, he exfoliated, buffed, moisturised you name it he did it right down to keeping his nails perfectly smoothed and filed, Theo had never met a gay man who was so particular about his bodily appearance let alone a straight one, and the result was that Adrien had the smoothest, most touchable, skin Theo had ever known. The skin of his perineum was amongst the softest and smoothest of all as well as being almost the most sensitive.

Theo tapped the pad of a forefinger on the exposed ring in a regular rhythm but did no more knowing how it affected Adrien, it teased him to distraction the muscled ring clenching and relaxing in response.

“Mmm,” Adrien moaned rocking his body back trying to capture Theo’s finger.

“You know it’s been a while since this little hole’s been opened up I think I might have to stretch it with my fingers, just for the next few days until we both know it’s ready for my cock.”

“Nn, nn,” Adrien shook his head as he continued to suck on the column of flesh Theo was slowly sliding in and out of his mouth.

“No? Then what about me fucking you with the small butt-plug tonight, the not so small one tomorrow and the big one the night after, you should be ready for me by then.”

Gagged as he was by Theo’s cock Adrien’s wailing response to Theo’s words was muffled but still easy to understand.

“You want me inside you tonight is that it?”

“Mmm,” Adrien nodded as best he could.

Theo slicked the middle finger of his other hand with his saliva then surprised Adrien by sliding it all the way into him.

“Ng, mm, nnn,” Adrien’s body shook as Theo pressed on his prostate at the same time wrapping his thumb and middle finger round the base of Adrien’s erection – hard!

Before Adrien could adjust to what was being done to him Theo withdrew his finger for as long as it took for him to wet a second finger before sliding both into Adrien’s body.

“Theo please, for fuck’s sake,” Adrien panted.

“Sorry love, was that too much?” Theo chuckled taking out both fingers and releasing his hold on Adrien’s flesh.

“No!” Adrien yelled, his body bowing down then arching up his hole clenching a second too late to keep Theo’s fingers trapped.

“I thought you wanted me to stop,” he began squeezing and nipping at Adrien’s ass cheeks. Adrien was taking in big gulps of air clearly trying to calm himself,

“You are a teasing bastard Theo,” he was finally able to say.

“You want me to fill your ass again?” he asked as he started stroking Adrien’s sphincter once more.

“You know I do you bugger.”

What Adrien didn’t know was that Theo had earlier slipped a small tube of their favourite lube under his pillow which he took out after saying,

“I’d like your mouth on my dick again.”

Adrien was only too happy to oblige, and sank his head down to wrap his lips round the ridge of Theo’s cock then slid it all the way to the back of his throat when he swallowed against it he heard Theo groan and smiled as he took his mouth from his prize.

“Sorry love was that too much?” he giggled.

“Smart arse,” Theo retorted slapping Adrien’s ass.

“Ow!” Adrien exclaimed, although he moved his behind enticingly.

“Oh so that’s how it’s going to be is it?” Theo mused.

Much quicker than any man so recently at death’s door should have been able to Theo pushed himself up sliding out from under Adrien and pressed down on Adrien’s body until he was flat against Theo’s legs with his cock trapped between them. He set up a rapid tattoo on Adrien’s behind with both hands in response Adrien’s hips began slowly moving, as if thrusting his hard flesh not between Theo’s legs but into his body.

It was rare that Theo did this, if he spanked Adrien at all it would usually be a single, one-handed, light tap often due to Adrien’s flirting which was always so over-the-top it would make them both laugh; but every once in a while, mostly when they were both so het up they each needed to be both top and bottom, there would come a moment for Theo when his dominant inclinations would surface and he needed Adrien’s submissive side to follow suit – this was one of the ways he’d found to help it along.

He always knew when he was getting it right when Adrien responded as he was now but Theo wanted, needed, more; after Adrien had raised himself to his knees and began stroking Theo’s prick Theo carried on the spanking with one hand and with his other picked up the lube; there was no way Adrien didn’t know his position would part his ass-cheeks enough to expose his puckered hole. Theo blew over it, quickly smeared lube over it then blew on it again, Adrien bucked his hips down so hard Theo was sure injury could ensue,

“Fuck,” he yelled, his whole body trembling.

“Up,” Theo ordered spanking Adrien’s behind.

“For fuck’s sake please don’t do that again,” he begged as he raised himself onto his knees.

“Are you telling me what I can and can’t do?”

“No, but if you do it again I’m going to spill and I want to do that with you inside me.”

Adrien’s words altered Theo’s immediate plans, he’d intended pushing the tube’s opening into Adrien’s behind and squeezing it, he’d done it before and Adrien’s reaction always amused Theo but now he knew his lover was too close to the precipice to try it. Instead he opted to continue his dominance for a little longer,

“Head up, look round at me then close your eyes.”

As Adrien moved to comply so Theo moved his hands and the lube beneath Adrien’s body,

“Good man, now stay like that until I say otherwise.”

Theo spread the cool gel generously over his own erection knowing he too was already as close to finishing as was Adrien. When he’d capped and stashed the lube he told Adrien to spin round and straddle him.

“Pull those cheeks apart for me,” Theo held his prick away from his body ready for what came next, “get yourself on it, you know you want to.”

“So fucking much,” Adrien replied already lowering himself.

For both their sakes Adrien took things slowly, savouring every inch as he sank into Theo’s lap. He leaned into Theo kissing and licking across his right shoulder, up his neck to his ear then along his jawline and finally his lips barely touching his own to Theo’s in order to speak,

“I’m sorry Theo but I’m really not going to last long, I think I should’ve jacked off before I came to get you,” he smiled when he’d finally captured all of Theo’s cock.

“I’m glad you didn’t or I may have needed to spank you again,” when Theo laughed quietly it made his prick twitch the result was astounding,

“FUCK!” this time it was Adrien who grabbed his own prick to stop his orgasm, “Jesus H. fucking Christ!” he panted.

“My hero really is on the edge isn’t he?” Theo mused, “I’ll let you into a secret, so am I.”

He kissed Adrien, one hand at the back of his head the other splayed at his back; it was fast and passion-filled with Theo’s tongue demanding entry into Adrien’s mouth, both were panting at its end.

“If this is going to be as fast as I think it is then the least I can do is fuck you as deep as I can,” Theo growled.

He grabbed hold of Adrien’s knees and yanked them up from the bed, Adrien was so taken by surprise that he offered no resistance, but then he was also busy stopping himself from falling backwards so he flung his arms out behind himself planting his palms on the bed.

“Theo, too sooon!” Adrien wailed as his orgasm hit so fast nothing could have stopped it.

Theo bent his head forward and raised his own hips between the position they were in, Theo’s action and Adrien’s length he was able to capture the tip of Adrien’s cock just as spunk exploded from it.

“Aarrgh!” Adrien cried as his muscles clamped around Theo’s flesh when he felt Theo’s hot jism flooding his insides.

“Somebody put my frigging brain back together,” Adrien managed to say between ragged breaths.

“What a pair of frigging amateurs,” Theo chortled.

“I daren’t move, I mean that literally, every frigging part of me’s so fucking sensitive it’s untrue.”

“Do you recall what I said to you after our first time, that if you kept moving I’d have to roger you all over again? Well the same holds true now. If you so much as blink too hard I swear I’ll have to turn us both over and nail you to this mattress.”

Slowly Adrien brought his torso more upright his eyes never leaving Theo’s again tucking his legs beneath him to either side of Theo’s thighs.

“That was something else,” he said when he was close enough to link his fingers at the nape of Theo’s neck his aim was to pull him close enough to kiss.

“You are something else,” Theo told him just as their lips met.

Neither man moved, except to exchange small soft kisses, their foreheads touching.

“Welcome home,” Adrien murmured as he nuzzled into Theo’s neck.

“I swear you are sexier now than when we met,” he replied wrapping his arms around Adrien.

Eventually they moved to lay facing each other,

“How do you feel Theo?”

“On top of the world, I’m going to marry the man I love although there’s been no mention of when, where, how big or how quiet or,”

“Stop, being obtuse, you know what I meant.”

“I feel perfectly well love, I swear I never felt otherwise. And frankly if I can survive that I reckon I can survive anything.”

“Well you did better than me, I swear everything started to go black around the edges.”

“So now can I stop being a patient?” Theo smiled.

“Ok, ok, yes, in this room, unless something’s obviously troubling you, you are my lover, my partner not my patient.”

“Your what?” Theo looked smug all over again.

“My other half,” Adrien kissed Theo’s chest, “my man,” he kissed Theo’s chin, “my husband to be,” he touched his lips gently to Theo’s.

Theo smiled, raising his eyebrows in a question.

“Oh for the love of, alright my fiancé,” he said exasperatedly throwing himself onto his back.

Theo chuckled,

“What’s wrong with saying it?”

“I don’t know it’s just,”

“What?” Theo was laughing quietly now, if it was a serious issue for Adrien he’d back off but unless he saw Adrien pass his hands over his face to his hair he was going to have fun with it,

“Is it too straight for you?”

“No, yes, no.”

“Too gay?”

“It’s, oh, for, look stop laughing first then I’ll try to explain and you can’t laugh when I have but I know you’ll want to.”

Theo propped his head on his hand and waited for Adrien to collect his thoughts; Adrien sighed heavily.

“Do you remember, a few months after we came out as a couple Phil asked which one of us is top?”

“Yeah and he’s still waiting for his answer.”

“Well in my head this,” he held up his left hand then set it on the bed, “is something similar,” he paused, “that question holds a presumption that one of us is,”

Theo could see that Adrien was struggling but he genuinely couldn’t understand exactly why,

“Is less manly in character?” he offered.

“Yeah, I suppose so, something like that, well this whole fiancé thing, part of me’s thinking that some people will be wondering if the double e ending applies to one of us and trust me if they do they won’t be thinking it’s you..”

“Is that all?” Theo asked incredulously, desperately fighting off laughter.

“Look I can’t help it alright?”

“Silly bugger, I couldn’t give a hoot, what this means,” Theo lifted Adrien’s left hand,” is that one day, hopefully in the not too distant future, I’ll be calling you my husband or does that give you the jitters as well?”

“No that doesn’t I mean the word for a female spouse is wife so no confusion there.”

“You still struggle with it don’t you?” Theo asked him quietly stroking his thumb across the back of Adrien’s hand.

“On a daily basis no but once in a while something hits me that doesn’t seem to transfer so well from what was, in this case, originally straight terminology for an engaged couple i.e. a male and a female.”

“Did you not think about this before, when you were considering the whole marriage bit?”

“Honestly no, I just thought about us being married.”

“Did you actually give any thought to the other stuff I mentioned? The when, where, how big et cetera?”

“Er, not church, apart from that my mind’s pretty much blank.”

Theo shook his head as he smiled at his lover,

“The most important day of our lives and you’ve given it zero thought.”

“I think I want us to plan it all together for it to be what we want, small and quiet, big and brash or something in between. I don’t want it to be held abroad though.”

“Fair enough, our fifth anniversary’s eight months away or we could do it sooner if you’d prefer.”

“There’s something else we need to decide that has to be done sooner.”

“Family, I know, but this,” he showed his ring finger to Adrien, “will not be on here when they arrive. Tonight, between us, it feels right but after tonight it’s a no. It’s up to you what you do with yours, if you’re not ready to tell them tomorrow that’s fine.

“Let me think about it.”

“There’s something else I want you to think about.”

“What?”

“How long do you think round two will last?”

“I like your thinking Mister Jepson. How about we find out?”

Theo leaned forward to kiss Adrien while his hand stroked random patterns over his torso. Surprisingly Adrien put a hand to stop him,

“You are a devious bastard Theo Jepson.”

Theo leaned back as Adrien propped himself up on his forearms,

“What do you mean?” Theo asked in mock innocence, he’d seen the change in Adrien’s look the moment he’d put two and two together.

“Even if I wear it on my right hand I’ll have to wear it on my left hand on our wedding day so everybody will end up knowing what it really is! You really are a fucking devious bastard!”

“Good at it aren’t I?”

“I can’t win, I can’t fucking win,” Adrien flopped back onto the bed.

“You could just take it off altogether, during the ceremony I could put them on one at a time or already part locked together.”

“That’s what I mean, I want to wear it so no matter which finger I put it on at some point people will realise it was always,” he stopped.

“An engagement ring,” Theo put in chortling at Adrien’s discomfiture.

“Double e it is then,” Adrien began laughing with Theo following suit.

“Now that’s settled can we start the next round?”

“Yes please.”

Adrien pulled Theo closer to him,

“I’m all yours Mister Jepson seduce me as you will.”