A/N: so I'm playing this for the first time and Ivan is just too cute. Somehow this occurred to me and I just had to write it down so I could keep on living my life and studying for my finals. If anyone reads this, bear in mind that I had no specific town or moment of the game in mind while writing it. Also, I dislike that weird Japanese habit of making protagonists in games be mere kids, so they might feel a bit older.
Disclaimer: Golden Sun, its characters and everything you recognize belong to someone else. I make no money out of this. #NoShitSherlock
It was past seven p.m. when Isaac and his friends finally dragged their tired feet into a town. They were dusty, sweaty, hungry and tired from the road and Mia just short of cried in joy at spotting the small Inn. Stepping inside the building, they moved to take a table and slumped in the seats with groans and sighs.
"Tired lot, I see," commented a young man that approached them. He was lightly tanned and wore an apron, had a friendly (if forgettable) face and a kind voice. "What can I bring you?"
"Whatever's cooking, and lots of it," said Garet at once.
"We got a nice stew in the pot right now."
"That's perfect," said Isaac. He glanced around to catch the approval of the others and continued: "We'd like bread with it, if you have it."
"And a cold drink," pleaded Mia. There was a murmur of agreement.
"Gotcha, be right back," answered the waiter, walking away from the group.
Isaac's eyes roamed over the Inn then, assessing the place: taking in the simple and clean atmosphere of it and the relaxed demeanor of the innkeeper, who was sitting behind the counter near the entrance (which they had ignored in favor of actually filling their bellies) reading a worn-looking book, his booted feet propped on the counter. The Inn itself was pretty empty. There were no other customers to be seen on the small dining area (which consisted of merely two tables, one of which they had occupied), but footsteps could be heard upstairs, whether those of a worker or a customer it was impossible to tell.
The waiter came back carrying a tray with a glass pitcher full of clear liquid and four glasses. He quickly set them around the table and served the travelers, then left the half-full pitcher in the middle of the table and retreated once again with a curt smile. The group barely paid him any mind, too occupied swallowing the content of their glasses in desperate gulps.
All except Isaac, that is. When Ivan let down his glass to sigh, he caught the leader paying close attention to their reactions to the beverage. Making sure it was safe, he realized, making sure he was in a good enough shape to help them if it was poisoned or dangerous in any other way. He hid a smile and drank again. It tasted faintly of lemon and an herb Ivan couldn't identify. Through the corner of his eye, Ivan saw Isaac drinking his entire glass in big, long gulps.
The worst of their thirsts sated for now, they began to truly relax while the food arrived. It thankfully did just a couple of minutes later. The waiter brought four clay bowls full of a delicious-smelling stew and a small basket brimming with fist-sized buns. For several minutes they just ate, delighted in being able to get a decent fill of food after several days of walking through sand, forest and rocks. They were still tucking in when the waiter approached again to see if they needed something else. Garet asked for a refill of his bowl and Isaac asked if they had vacant rooms for the night.
"Yessir," answered the man. "We got two free rooms right now."
"We'll take them," Isaac said. "Just in case someone else comes, it isn't too late yet."
"Sure," the waiter agreed. "I'll tell Jacob."
Garet made a face at Isaac while the waiter walked (bowl empty and away from Garet in his tray) towards the man behind the counter and exchanged some words with him, then made his way through the threshold he'd been using all night, presumably to get Garet's second serving.
'Jacob' stood and walked towards their table. He was a middle aged man with graying hair and a thick mustache. His eyebrows were straight and very low, making his eyes seem small. His face had deep frown lines and he wore a plain shirt with a vest on top. Ivan thought he looked like a sailor.
"Hello, patrons," he greeted them. "Sorry I didn't approach earlier: I was engrossed in my book and you seemed to need the time to come back to life."
Isaac smiled politely at him while the waiter came back and handed Garet his once-again-full bowl of stew.
"Thank you, sir. Jacob is your name?"
"Aye, and what are yours?"
"I'm Isaac, and these are Ivan, Garet and Mia. I'm kind of the spokesman of the group."
"I can see that," commented Jacob lightly, in a tone that suggested he was a humorous man. "Well, be officially welcome to The Errand Maid, my humble inn. The kid tells me you're taking the rooms for the night."
"Yes, sir, we'd like to."
"That's fine, the only issue is, I'm afraid there might not be enough beds for the lot of you."
"What?" interjected Mia.
"One of the rooms has a single twin bed and the other has two," the innkeeper explained.
"We'll manage," Isaac assured. "We just need some water to wash off the dust and somewhere to lay. We'll depart tomorrow anyways."
"We're good then. Just wanted to let you know in case it's a problem."
"None at all, thank you, Mr. Jacob."
"Thank you, Isaac the Spokesman," the man said lightly. "If you need anything else just let me know, I'll just go back to my lecture."
Isaac nodded at him and he returned to his chair behind the counter.
"I like him," Ivan commented. "He looks like a sailor but doesn't speak like one."
Isaac nodded. "That's good reasoning," he said. "He probably was at some point."
"And went scholar? I don't think so," quipped Garet.
"You never know," reproached Mia.
"Well, I know I'm full," said Garet, leaning back in his chair and patting his belly contently. "Just need the shuteye now."
"Wash first, you're filthy."
"I'm sorry, didn't realize we were sharing a bed."
"You what!"
"Stop," commanded Isaac, and immediately they fell quiet, even if Mia was still glaring at Garet's flippant demeanor with reddened cheeks. "Mia is taking the room with the single bed for herself and we'll be in the other room."
"Well I'm not sharing a bed, that's for sure," complained Garet. "If miss princess here gets a whole room for herself then I'm at least getting a bed of my own."
"You're such a jerk," objected Mia. "Isaac has been using psynergy a lot today, I bet he's exhausted, you should leave him the bed."
"It's fine," said Isaac, which both delighted and frightened Ivan, who anticipated what was coming next. "I can either share with Ivan or sleep on the floor."
"What? No way you're sleeping on the floor!"
"He's a Venus adept, he'll survive," said Garet uncharitably.
"I can share the bed, I don't mind," Ivan hastened to appease.
"Well, at least the majority of us have some sense," Mia said, sneering at Garet, who just shrugged.
"I don't care who sleeps on the floor as long as I get not to for once. Fucking sleeping in a damn cave, really," this last part was muttered darkly, as if to himself.
"It's settled then," Isaac concluded. "Wait for me upstairs, I'll get the keys from Mr. Jacob and join you."
The group stood and groaned, their momentarily-forgotten pains coming back with a vengeance with the movements, and headed upstairs on unsteady legs but at least feeling fuller than they had in days. On the landing of the steps, Ivan and Garet waited while Mia went to 'inspect' the washroom. Isaac rejoined them before she did.
"She's probably taking a bath," said Garet. "We won't see her until next week now."
Despite himself, Ivan snorted.
"Well, I hope not," said Isaac. "I'm knackered and would love to get the filth off my hair before I collapse."
"Prissy much?"
"More like dirty. Let's leave our stuff in the room while we wait for her to come out."
The room with the two beds was simple but nice enough: there was a single window to the right, covered by white curtains. The beds were parallel to each other against the wall across from the door, a single bedside table with a lamp on top stood between them. To the left there was a small closet. There was no carpet or any other decorations, but the clear blue sheets looked clean and starched and there were enough pillows for all of them and then some.
"Great!" cheered Garet, who quickly began to strip of his clothes and leave them haphazardly strewn on the floor.
Ivan ignored him and moved to see what was in the closet. A small pile of towels, another blanket and yet another pillow. Isaac peered over his shoulder and sighed. "Oh, yes!" he said, pulling out one of the towels. "Do you mind if I use the washroom next?"
"No, go ahead," answered Ivan.
"Can you boys shut down the light? I'm tryna sleep here." It was true, Garet was already bunched amidst the sheets and pillows on the bed on the left.
"Wow, you weren't joking about going to bed without washing," noted Ivan.
"Well, duh," groaned Garet. "I can do that tomorrow, but I'm tired now."
"It's fine," said Isaac, ever the pacifist. "We'll turn on the lamp though."
"Yeah, whatever."
The leader moved to do exactly that, and the room was lit with the soft orange-ish glow of the lamp. Ivan was beginning to feel queasy. To make matters worse, Isaac began to remove his gloves and undo his belt. Ivan swallowed with an audible click. Nobody seemed to notice though, so maybe it wasn't that evident. He sat heavily on the unoccupied bed (unoccupied for now, he reminded himself, and suppressed the urge to swallow again. He ought to have drank some more of that herby lemonade.)
"Are you okay, Ivan?" questioned Isaac, who was apparently paying attention after all.
"Yeah, just… tired."
Isaac nodded at that, sympathetically. "We all are." And proceeded to shed his outer clothes. Ivan quickly looked away, feeling like a fool.
Isaac was just the most amazing person he'd ever met. He was so loyal and giving, so committed and brave. He made even the most difficult situation look doable and he was always ready, always there when you needed him, with his small smiles and his confident, imposing aura.
He always knew what to do when Ivan felt like screaming and turning tail.
He was perfect.
It was no wonder Ivan was head over heels in love with him. Hell, half the people they'd met in their journey would be mad not to be.
"Looks like you're all settled," commented Mia, peering through the open door and immediately screeching at seeing― (Ivan turned to check) Isaac mostly nude, save for the towel draped around his waist.
"Sorry, Mia, I didn't expect you to come here."
"Well I don't very well have the keys to my room!" She countered, sounding flustered. A loud snore from Garet's bed made her pause. "Did that pig really go to bed just like that?"
"Apparently."
"Don't call him that," Isaac chided gently. "He's really tired, and he has a right to be, I bet he was the hungriest of us. He let you have his last apple this morning, if you recall." Mia blushed at this and lowered her gaze. "You really are too hard on him sometimes. He's the muscle of our team, we couldn't have gotten as far as we have if it weren't for him."
"You're right," Mia muttered. "He's infuriating, though." Never one to give up without putting up a fight, that Mia.
Isaac shook his head, but he seemed more amused than anything else. "I'll go bathe now," he announced. "Here are your keys," he added, picking them up from atop his folded clothes in the closet and handing them to Mia on his way out. "Sorry you saw me naked again."
"Oh, shuddup!"
Ivan hated all of it. The way Mia stole a glance at Isaac's retreating back made his insides roll unpleasantly. He was totally not jealous. Or maybe some, but just because she was a girl and thus more likely to catch Isaac's interest. Granted, his attention had never veered from their multiple objectives when they'd encountered pretty girls the way Garet's sometimes had, but men didn't seem to do it for him either. If anything, his stony personality seemed a bit incompatible with romance, in Ivan's opinion, but still… it was equally as likely he had someone back in his home village (which Ivan had yet to set foot on), and in that case it was probably a girl. Maybe even that Jenna character they (Garet and Isaac) mentioned sometimes. Part of the whole ordeal was trying to rescue her from Saturos and Menardi. Ivan would probably spontaneously combust on his feet if they started kissing once they'd gotten her back or something.
He should probably ask him directly and stop wracking his brains with the thought of it, but he'd never been brave or upfront like the others.
"Ivan, are you listening?" it was Mia. She was still by the opened door, wearing her long, lacy sleeping gown. Her hair was wrapped up in a towel.
"Uh, no, sorry. I'm just exhausted, I can hardly think," lied Ivan.
"I just feel a bit bad about you and Isaac having to share a bed," she explained. Ivan suppressed the urge to frown. Was she trying to suggest Isaac slept with her? "I mean, It'd be a bit weird, but I wouldn't feel too uncomfortable sharing with you, and then maybe Isaac can get a better rest. I think he might need it, he healed me at least four times just yesterday in that horrible cave. You'd have to move with me to my room, though, as I can't be forced to stand Garet's snores."
Now Ivan felt bad for being jealous and angry at her. Mia was really a kind person: a healer, naturally inclined to help others. By far the most compassionate of their group. The heart of it, so to speak.
"Wait, what do you mean you wouldn't mind sharing a bed with me?"
"I would mind," she amended. "It would just be tolerable," she shrugged. "I'd manage to sleep."
"Why?"
"You aren't quite like other guys," she said sweetly. "You're more noble, I think. You wouldn't take advantage of a sleeping lady."
"And you think Isaac would?" Ivan was aghast. Isaac was far, far more noble than him.
"I don't think so," she said thoughtfully. "But he's just… I dunno, more manly or something."
Ouch.
"Right," said Ivan, trying to keep the bitterness from his tone and the voice in his head that was trying to remind him of his immense crush on another man at bay. "Well, the thing is, I don't think I'd be comfortable sleeping in the same bed as you," he was feeling vindictive now. Gods, but he truly was the worst of the group. Isaac would never be this mean.
Mia did seem taken aback, but she recovered quickly. "Okay," she said, and sounded fine enough. "It was just an idea. I do hope Isaac gets some rest though."
"Me too," Ivan said sincerely. It was true he'd been using a lot of psynergy, and his reserves seemed lower than Mia's and Ivan's. He was probably hiding how truly drained he was. He was just the type of person to do that.
Mia turned and left the room then, regally as ever, but Ivan thought he caught her muttering something under her breath that included the words "men" and "touchy".
He sighed and let himself fall back onto the bed. It was comfortable and felt like heaven for someone as tired as Ivan was. They were all at the end of their tether, really. Isaac's demeanor and disposition had kept them going and going on mere morsels of food and a few hours of uncomfortable sleep for several days. It had felt okay at the time, but now that were at an Inn again, Ivan could see just how much they'd overexerted themselves. But even when they'd complained about their pains and exhaustion, Isaac had kept optimistic and confident, assuring them they'd find psynergy stones (which felt like waking up from a restful night, bless them) and wild fruit and small animals to hunt. Thankfully they had Garet, who was as handy lighting a fire as Mia was conjuring up clean, drinkable water.
Then there were the monsters. Fortunately they always managed to find secluded areas devoid of them to camp for the night, but battles sometimes got pretty intense, and the more they advanced on their journey, the tougher the beasts seemed to get: bigger, more powerful versions that jumped at them from bushes and from behind rocks. Ivan actually squealed sometimes, never getting accustomed to their sudden appearances, but Isaac and Garet were always ready to fight.
Ivan could see it even now: the way Isaac's sword slashed through the monsters like a hot knife through butter; the way his jaw clenched and his eyes shone, and the absolute stillness of his shoulders when he brought forth his psynergy and made the ground under their feet bend to his will. He could save him from anything, Ivan knew, except now, because he wasn't here and Ivan was really scared and couldn't think. The monster was a huge, quadruped creature with two wolf-like heads full of long, sharp teeth. It looked like it could swallow Ivan whole on a single bite, and maybe that's what it wanted. Ivan was cornered by it, alone and with his back against the rocky wall of a cave. Where were the others? He didn't remember getting separated from the group. Had they purposefully left him behind? The creature snarled and reared backs its massive heads. Ivan knew he had to attack but his hands were empty and he couldn't concentrate enough to bring forth his psynergy, he was too scared. This is how I die, he realized. And I never got to tell Isaac how I feel. He had to call Isaac, maybe he was nearby. He'd come to his rescue, he'd do it for anyone, but maybe it'd mean even more to him if it was a friend. Ivan tentatively opened his mouth, and his jaw shook. His entire body was shaking and suddenly he couldn't see. He heard the growls of the monster but he couldn't see it anymore. "Isaac!" he tried calling, but his throat was closed and dry and it wouldn't cooperate. "Isaac!"
"IVAN!"
Ivan woke with a start, panting.
"Are you okay?" it was Isaac. Ivan looked around. They were at the Inn, he remembered. He'd fallen asleep.
"I'm sorry," he said quickly, feeling (oh, novelty) like a fool.
"Don't be. You looked like you were having a nightmare. Good thing I was here to wake you up. I shouldn't have taken so long in the washroom, though, Garet would have made fun of me."
Ivan concentrated on Isaac's appearance as he leaned over him in the dim light of the room and swallowed hard. He was shirtless, wearing only the flannel pajama pants he carried in his pack, the only other garment he carried besides what he usually wore. His hair was damp and messy and his skin looked golden in the orange light. Ivan was glad the nightmare served as an excuse for his short breath.
"It's barely half eight," continued Isaac, apparently oblivious to Ivan's fantasy of pulling him down on top of himself. "You can still wash, if you want, though I don't mind if you sleep like that. You―" he stopped abruptly and Ivan froze. Had he noticed something? He couldn't have read Ivan's thoughts, right? Ivan would have detected it. "Wow, your eyes are really big," he said, which was somewhat stupid to say, really, but it made Ivan's breath catch nonetheless.
"… my eyes?" he managed to say.
"Yeah, uh," Isaac cleared his throat and straightened, stepping back from the bed and crossing his arms. "I hadn't noticed, what with your fringe and all."
"Oh," said Ivan dumbly, feeling bad for Isaac, who looked like he was considering making the ground open and swallow him whole. Ivan was tempted to remind him that he was in a second floor and it would probably be a terrible idea if he tried.
"Well, are you going to wash or not?" Isaac asked at last.
"Uh, oh, yeah. Yes." Ivan stood from the bed, somewhat unsteadily, and hastened to retrieve a towel from the closet and exit the room, walking down the short hallway to the door he'd seen Mia go through earlier. Once he'd closed the door he leaned back on it and breathed deeply. What had just happened? Had anything happened at all or was that just him fantasizing again? Damn, he was tired, he better be done with the whole thing quickly and go to bed.
With Isaac. Good gods.
The washroom had a toilet, a sink, and a simple shower. Ivan used the toilet, thankful not to have to relieve himself amidst some bushes for once. Poor Mia suffered because of this the most, being a lady (why do women pee so often, anyways?) and all. He then stripped and took a quick shower. Stepping out of the shower, he toweled himself dry and pulled on his undershirt and pants again, then returned to the room, carrying his robes, boots and outer clothing in his hands. He expected to find Isaac asleep, but instead he had a towel in his hands and his gaze was locked in the wall in front of the bed at which he sat, appearing lost in thought.
"Isaac?"
"Oh, you're back," he turned to Ivan. "I was wondering which side of the bed you'd like to take."
"Oh, ehm… as far from Garet as possible."
"You and Mia are impossible," Isaac shook his head.
"He does snore pretty loud sometimes."
"Yes," Isaac chuckled a bit. "That he does. Well then," he stood and went around the bed to the other side. Ivan watched as he folded the towel and placed it on top of one of the pillows, then pushed the other two towards Ivan's side and pulled back the covers. "Is something the matter?" he asked, turning to Ivan, who realized he was just standing there, staring and panicking internally like a fool.
"Uh, no. Fine," he answered, putting up his best façade of calmness and moving to leave his clothes in the closet.
"Can you shut the door, please?" asked Isaac from the bed. Ivan had his back to him, folding his clothes and trying to silence his thoughts.
"Sure," he answered. There, that was fine. Calm, totally calm. He left the clothes and moved to close the door. It felt ominous, for whatever foolish reason Ivan's brain had come up with. It wasn't like they were completely alone or anything. Garet's soft snores every now and then made sure he didn't forget about this fact. Steeling himself for the last time, Ivan turned and walked to his side of the bed, pulling down the blankets and getting in quick so his movements seemed more natural. Isaac was already tucked in, his bright blue eyes following Ivan's movements as he got into bed beside him.
The bed really was intended for a single person, Ivan noted immediately, blushing at feeling Isaac's body under the covers. It wasn't supposed to feel intimate, he reminded himself, it was just his traitorous brain pulling tricks on him.
"Is it okay if I turn off the light now?" asked Isaac right beside Ivan's head. Ivan shivered in response. He hoped it wasn't too evident.
"Uh-huh," he managed, feeling both numb and hyper-aware at the same time. Isaac shifted a bit and the light went off. Ivan was on his back, looking straight up and feeling awkward as all hell. Isaac shifted some more. Ivan couldn't see anything, but the nerves all over his body were singing as if in anticipation. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, somewhat unsteadily.
"It's great to finally sleep in a bed again, right?" Isaac whispered. Ivan wished he'd just go to sleep already and leave him alone with his thoughts for a while. He ended up nodding, not knowing whether Isaac could tell or not, but not daring to try speech in case he didn't succeed. Silence fell, and Ivan began to relax. He was really tired, and Isaac's body was warm and solid next to his. It was very nice, he'd gladly sleep like this all the time, even if he was too nervous about it at first. He felt his eyelids begin to flutter closed. Then Isaac shifted again and he was aware in an instant. He'd turned on his side towards him, Ivan noted when he spoke. "Am I too hard on you?" Oh, gods, Ivan thought.
"No," he whispered hoarsely, and hoped it sounded like fatigue. He wasn't sure what Isaac meant by that question, in any case.
"I know I can be," he continued. Ivan closed his eyes tightly. He was getting aroused, gods help him. "I just… do you think I'm a good leader?"
"You're amazing," Ivan said, and mentally kicked himself. He should pretend to be asleep instead of making an ass of himself.
"You really think so?"
"Yes," Ivan breathed, squirming a bit. "You're very… good, and―"
"Come on, what is it?"
"Uh?"
"You're hesitating. Is there something you want to say?"
Ivan swallowed. He couldn't very well say 'you're making me hard' or 'I can't think when you whisper this close to my ear' so he didn't know what to say.
"I'm sorry, you must be very tired. I am too, I should just go to sleep," Isaac paused, then moved even closer to Ivan and placed a hand on his arm (could he see in the darkness?) "I just want you to know, I'm trying my best to be a good leader, but if I do anything wrong, you can tell me. I wouldn't mind. In fact, I'd appreciated that. I know you're very smart. You're observant, too, I see you paying attention all the time." Oh, gods.
"Okay," muttered Ivan, trying to remain as still as possible.
"Thank you."
Ivan wanted to ask what for, but felt unable to. Isaac finally took his hand from Ivan's arm and shifted some more, trying to find a comfortable position, presumably. He finally stilled and sighed softly. Ivan shivered again.
It was going to be long night. He eventually drifted off to sleep.
Garet had lit a fire and Mia was helping him cook something. Ivan was sitting with his back to a nearby tree, but he wasn't much interested in the proceedings, not even feeling all that hungry.
"Where's Isaac gone to?" Garet asked no one in particular.
"I think he went to the stream," answered Mia.
Ivan stood. "I'll look for him." He thought he heard someone answer, but didn't turn back to see who it was. He was sure the stream was just behind the tree-line and walked in that direction, pulling at the leaves of a giant fern to get through. Uh, just more trees and no water, but he could hear the murmur of it, it couldn't be far off. He kept on walking, ducking under branches and making his way through the jungle-like plant life. The noise of the water grew louder and louder as he advanced, but it was getting harder to move: the plants and trees were so close to each other he had to walk sideways between them. He was sure he'd be out any minute now. Suddenly, the trees parted as if startled and Ivan fell forward, face first into water. He heard the most beautiful, musical laughter in the world and looked up to see Isaac swimming in the middle of a large pool of water. A short but wide waterfall fed it, so that's what caused all the noise.
"What's so funny?" Ivan reproached, though he was smiling.
"Here," Isaac said, swimming towards him and helping him up. His beautiful golden skin was covered in water droplets that glistened in the sunlight. Ivan wanted to touch him, but didn't dare. "Swim with me," Isaac invited.
"I'm not much of a swimmer, can barely keep afloat."
"I have you. You trust me, don't you?"
Ivan nodded.
"Well, then," Isaac got closer and began pulling at Ivan's wet clothes.
"What are you doing?" Ivan asked, flustered. He could feel his face getting hot and knew he was probably red to the tips of his ears.
"Take these off," Isaac said, insistently pulling against Ivan's efforts to keep his garments in place. What if he got hard? What if Isaac saw? "Take them off," he repeated, close to Ivan's ear, barely a whisper. Ivan's hands fell at his sides uselessly. Isaac got easily rid of his robe. "Your pants, too," he urged. Ivan could see his bright blue eyes and small smile and nothing else. "Come then," he was taking Ivan's hand and pulling him into the water. It felt warmer the deeper it got. "Grab onto my neck," Isaac instructed, and Ivan hesitantly did. "It's gonna get deeper," Isaac explained. Ivan still couldn't look away from his eyes. Isaac's attention was solely on him and it was wonderful. "I got you." Warm water surrounded them and suddenly Ivan couldn't feel the ground at his feet. Isaac was undulating next to him. Swimming, he realized.
"I don't know how to," Ivan told Isaac, unable to hide his embarrassment.
"It's okay, I got you."
Tentatively, Ivan moved his legs a bit and felt Isaac's leg slide warmly against one his own. He sighed.
"You're doing well, that's it," Isaac was encouraging him. He moved some more. "Yes, that's good, keep on." He felt Isaac's whole body briefly and shifted closer on purpose, tightening his hold on the other's neck. "Do you like it?" Isaac's breath was warm on his face. They were very close, skin sliding against skin as they moved together.
"I love it," Ivan said, uncharacteristically bold, and thrust his hips lightly forward, then started. "You're naked!" he accused, and felt his face go warm.
Isaac smiled in a way Ivan had never seen before: it was playful with a hint of malice and unbearably sexy. Ivan was too stunned to move as Isaac leant forward, their whole bodies meeting underwater and a positively shameful sound left Ivan's lips. "As are you," Isaac whispered hoarsely in his ear.
Ivan's eyes opened. They were still at the Inn, he noted, and it was very dark, he could barely see anything. It was probably close to midnight. He was warm and aroused and ―he stilled― tangled in Isaac's arms. Which of them had shifted closer? He wondered stupidly. Should he try to wake Isaac up? No way, he decided. What if Isaac got angry? Worse still, what if he was revolted at being so close to another man?
But what should he do then?
Ivan frowned. He was sleepy. Damn his body and damn his brain and damn his insecurity all to hell. He was going to get some rest, so what if it was in the arms of the person he loved? That should be something to be happy about, not fret and overthink. Resolutely, he carefully snuggled closer to Isaac, feeling in his skin the soft scent of the soap they'd used and a bit of earthiness that was probably sweat. He closed his eyes and fell asleep with a small smile on his lips.