Worth the Wait

The past three months had been rough on Richard. It seemed as if all of Ephinea had conspired to bury every single minute of his life in work. Paperwork had somehow doubled, he had been in more diplomatic visits than he could count, and enough treaties had been arranged to change everything about Windor's international policies. But at last, it was over.

And that meant one thing: he could finally visit Asbel.

His heart pounded as the Turtlez transport drew closer to Lhant. Ever since he and Asbel had confessed their feelings to each other, they had never gone so long without being together. For the past few weeks, Richard had been daydreaming about the warmth of Asbel's hands, fantasizing about the softness of his lips, imagining falling asleep with Asbel's arms around him… Just a bit longer, and it could finally happen.

The Turtlez stopped next to Lhant Manor. Richard stepped out, and to his surprise and delight, Asbel was waiting outside for him. Heart fluttering, Richard all but ran into his arms.

He took Asbel into a tight embrace, pulling him close. "I missed you so much," he whispered, burying his face in Asbel's neck.

"I missed you too, Richard," came the reply, a bit too stiff. Asbel's arms were around Richard's waist, but his grip was loose. "Um… We have company."

Richard froze, looking towards the manor's entrance. Standing by the door, he found the people he had expected to see - Sophie, Lady Kerri, and Frederic…

…Along with Hubert, Cheria, Pascal, and Malik.

Richard broke the embrace, eyes widening. "Everyone's here?"

Asbel's gaze fell. "When you told me you would visit, I thought it would be a good idea to try and get everyone together, since it's been so long. I meant to tell them to arrive two days after you came, so we could have some time to ourselves, but… I messed up the dates, and ended up telling them to come yesterday. I'm sorry."

Richard felt a lump in his throat. "Asbel… Please, don't beat yourself over it. Even if we cannot be alone, I'm happy as long as we are together." He mustered a smile. "And I'm happy everyone's here. You were right, it's been too long since all of us were together."

Asbel managed to smile in return, but before he could speak, they were interrupted by a high-pitched yell—

"Heeey, what are you two gossiping about?" It was Pascal, waving both of her arms. "Aren't you gonna greet us, Richard? Or do you only talk to your boyfriend now?"

"Don't yell about that!" Hubert blurted, face reddening. "The entire town will hear you!"

"Oops, my bad. Didn't mean to babble about your love life, Your Majesty!"

Richard chuckled, walking towards the manor to greet his friends. Even if he and Asbel couldn't have a lot of privacy, at least it would be a lively visit. And Richard was sure they would find a few moments to themselves, at some point. They had three whole days, after all. It definitely had to happen.

Three days passed.

It didn't happen.

Richard wondered if everyone was pulling a prank on him and Asbel. They were never, ever allowed to be alone. Pascal all but chased them everywhere, making a fuss if they as much as held hands. On the rare occasions they were free from Pascal, Malik seemed to magically pop out, quipping on 'how eager today's youth is'. And if, by some miracle, they managed to disentangle themselves from him, they always ended up running into Sophie, who proposed some activity they simply couldn't bring themselves to decline.

On the afternoon of the third day of Richard's visit, the same pattern repeated itself, resulting on Sophie suggesting a trip to Lhant Hill.

"Only the three of us," she said, eyes shining, "Like back then, when we made our pact."

And so, they went to Lhant Hill.

The day was sunny and bright, a gentle breeze keeping it from being too warm. As always, the meadow flowers' were in full bloom, their sweet fragrance mingling with the salty aroma of the ocean. Sophie took Richard and Asbel's hands and ran towards the tree, dragging them along, a radiant smile on her lips.

"It's been so long," she said, stopping and kneeling by the huge trunk, running her fingers over the carved names. She paused for a moment, and then sprang up to turn towards them, blurting, "We should renew our pact!"

Her excitement was contagious. Richard and Asbel smiled, nodding in unison. In a moment, Asbel held out his hand, palm upwards, and looked into Richard's eyes. Heart fluttering, Richard quickly removed his gloves, placing his hand over Asbel's. Even that small contact was enough to instill a warmth in his chest. He would be going back to Barona in only a few hours, and they hadn't even… No, Richard had to focus on the present. Even if he couldn't be intimate with Asbel during this visit, he was happy to share this moment with him and Sophie.

He looked towards Sophie, wondering when she would join them. To his surprise, he found her frozen and wide-eyed, expression terrified.

"I forgot…" she began, tone anxious, "I forgot I promised Cheria we would bake together this afternoon!"

Asbel opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Sophie dashed away, disappearing down the path that led away from the meadow. Richard and Asbel were left behind, dumbfounded, still holding hands by the tree.

"Did she really just… leave?" Asbel blurted, staring wide-eyed at the trail, as if Sophie would come back any moment.

"I… I think so," Richard muttered, hardly believing what had happened. "We're alone."

Asbel turned towards him, eyes widening, and repeated, "We're alone."

For a moment, they only stared at each other in disbelief. Then, it sunk in. They were alone. For the first and the last time in three months, they were alone.

"Asbel, we're finally—"

Richard's voice faded as Asbel grabbed his collar and pulled him into a kiss.

It was such a sudden gesture that Richard took a moment to realize it wasn't just a dream. Asbel kissed him fervently, nibbling on his lower lip, sliding his tongue into his mouth, every action so passionate, so hungry, it made Richard's head spin. Asbel's hands went from Richard's collar to the back of his head, burying into his hair, pulling him so deep into the kiss Richard all but moaned into Asbel's mouth. Only then did Asbel suddenly pull away, gasping, lips swollen and cheeks flustered, looking at Richard as if he were his whole world.

Richard's heart pounded so fast he thought he would faint. "Asbel…"

"I-I'm sorry, I… I just missed you so much, Richard. For the last three months I couldn't stop thinking about seeing you, being with you, and…" Asbel's cheeks reddened further, but his eyes never left Richard's face. "Maybe… maybe we could…"

Richard was speechless. Was that how much Asbel wanted him? To even suggest… here, on Lhant Hill, in broad daylight… The mere idea made his head spin. He really must have been dreaming. First, for Asbel to kiss him so unexpectedly, so ardently; then, to hear such a confession from his lips. It had to be a dream. It was too much like the fantasies he had been harboring for months.

"Richard?" Asbel's voice was eager, his eyes wide in anticipation.

No. It was real. It was real, and Asbel was looking up at him, lips still red and moist from their kiss. Waiting.

Without thinking twice, Richard leaned down and took those lips in his own.

Asbel returned the kiss, even more passionately than before. He lingered on Richard's mouth for a moment, and then moved on to trail pecks over Richard's jawline, descending to the exposed part of his neck. Asbel showered his skin with kisses, while he tugged on his cravat. When it came undone, Richard threw his head back, giving Asbel more room to nibble on his neck. Richard knew his pale skin would be riddled with red marks when Asbel was done. The thought thrilled him.

Never stopping, Asbel undid Richard's vest and undershirt, letting them fall to the grass along with his coat. Richard had no time to think about dirt staining his clothes, for in a moment Asbel's tongue lapped on his nipple, wet and warm enough to make him gasp. Asbel flicked his tongue a few more times, making Richard shiver; then a hint of teeth, and a moan left Richard's mouth. Asbel did the same on his other nipple, and then stepped back, cheeks red and pupils dilated as he watched Richard's heaving chest. Richard felt his face grow warm under Asbel's stare; was that the way Asbel always looked at him? It made his heart flutter.

He didn't have long to ponder this question, for Asbel dropped down to his knees, pulling Richard's boots. Before long, both of them joined the pile of clothes as Asbel moved on to undo Richard's pants. He tugged them down and pulled them off, leaving Richard in nothing but his underwear.

Once more, Asbel paused to look at Richard's body. Asbel's gaze lingered on his groin, making Richard blush deeper, for he knew he was fully hard. Only then did Richard realize that, despite the fact he was almost completely naked, Asbel still hadn't removed a single piece of his own clothing. He would've commented on it, but before he could say a word, Asbel's mouth was on his own.

Aroused as they were, the kiss was a sloppy mess, a wet jumble of lips and tongues that made Richard weak in the knees. One of Asbel's hands trailed over his chest, descending along his stomach until it stopped over the bulge in Richard's underwear. Asbel cupped it and squeezed; if Richard hadn't been leaning against the tree, he was sure he would've lost his balance.

Asbel continued massaging Richard over his underwear, nuzzling and kissing his neck at the same time. Richard was in bliss from the amount of attention Asbel was giving him. Before long, Asbel's hand slid under the fabric, wrapping around Richard's shaft. Then, he began stroking without even bothering to pull down his underwear.

Richard moaned, feeling dangerously close to his climax. It had been too long, and Asbel was being so irresistible. As if reading his mind, Asbel increased the pace of his strokes, squeezing him tighter. Gasping, Richard had to hold his arm to make him stop.

"A-Asbel, wait…" It was hard to think, let alone speak, with Asbel's hand on him. It was so warm. "I'm… I'm too close."

"It's fine," Asbel breathed in his ear, voice low and heavy. His lips quivered against Richard's earlobe. "I-I want you to—"

Faster, even faster, Asbel stroked him, his thumb brushing over the head, his fingers squeezing the length. Richard gasped, buckling his hips, crying out as he reached his climax; Asbel held him close as he trembled, releasing on Asbel's hand and his own underwear.

When he was finished, he felt Asbel press gentle kisses to his cheek. Dazed, he opened his eyes, and found Asbel smiling softly at him.

"I missed hearing you cry out my name," Asbel whispered, blushing.

Richard blushed, as well; he hadn't realized he cried out Asbel's name. Did he do it every time without noticing? Hopefully he wasn't too loud…

Asbel shifted, taking his hand out of Richard's underwear. The fabric was completely soaked, clinging to his skin; Richard felt like a fool for not remembering to remove it before. How would he wear it on his way back to Lhant?

"Richard…"

His gaze shifted back to Asbel's face. Asbel was staring at his own hand, still covered with Richard's seed. Richard felt his face grow warm, and muttered, "I have a handkerchief, if you would like."

Asbel blinked, meeting Richard's eyes, and then looked back at his soaked hand. His cheeks suddenly reddened. He looked at Richard again, blushing deeply, bringing his wet fingers towards his own mouth and…

To Richard's shock, Asbel licked them.

Richard's heart raced as he watched Asbel's tongue trail over his fingers. With every flick of his tongue, Asbel's cheeks reddened further, but he never stopped looking into Richard's eyes. By the time he finished licking his fingers clean, Asbel's face was bright pink, and his breathing heavy. He looked into Richard's eyes, lips half-parted and wet.

This time, Richard was the one who pulled him into an ardent kiss.

Asbel returned it fervently, pressing his body against Richard's and pining him to the tree. Richard felt Asbel's arousal through his clothes, pressing on his own groin, and realize that despite his recent climax his own member was half-hard. Asbel shifted his hips, grinding against Richard until they both were gasping between their kisses.

Asbel's fingers tugged at Richard's wet underwear, and without breaking the contact between their lips, he helped him remove the soaked garment. Richard undid Asbel's pants and pulled out his arousal, pressing it against his own, making Asbel moan into his mouth. Asbel paused, breaking the kiss, and fumbled with his coat, as if looking for something. Richard watched curiously as Asbel reached inside a pocket, retrieving…

A familiar small bottle.

Richard's eyes widened. "Asbel, you've brought lube?"

Asbel blushed. "I thought it could come in handy."

"Handy? On Lhant Hill, with Sophie?"

"I didn't bring it specifically for today," he blurted, becoming even redder. "I've… I've been carrying it ever since you got here. Just in case there was an opportunity…" Asbel's voice faded, his face crimson.

Richard felt warm from hearing Asbel's words. Every reminder that Asbel had longed for him just as much as he had longed for Asbel made his heart flutter. Cupping Asbel's cheek, he whispered, "I'm glad you did, Asbel."

Still blushing, Asbel smiled, and leaned in to kiss Richard. It was a slower, softer kiss, Asbel's lips gentle against his own. Before long, he felt one of Asbel's hands on his hip, trailing over his skin and pulling on his bottom to spread him slightly. Richard shivered with anticipation as the tip of Asbel's finger, slick with oil, touched his entrance. When Asbel slowly began pushing inside, Richard felt his knees buckle, and knew that the tree wouldn't be enough to support him.

"A-Asbel, please…" The tip of Asbel's finger was already inside, and he struggled to form words. "Can we lie on the grass?"

Asbel blinked for a moment, lids heavy and pupils dilated, and then nodded. Richard had to suppress the urge to whimper when Asbel pulled his finger from his entrance.

In a moment, he was lying down, the grass cool and soft on his back, so much better than the tree's rough bark. Asbel climbed on top of him, kissing his lips and then his neck, putting more lube on his fingers…

"Asbel, wait," Richard gasped, voice breathy as Asbel still kissed his neck, "Your clothes, you still haven't—"

His words faded into a gasp as Asbel's fingers pressed against his entrance. He slipped one finger inside, and then another, going straight for where he knew was Richard's sweet spot. As he began massaging it, all Richard could do was throw his head back and moan. Asbel's fingers were slick and warm inside his body, Asbel's lips soft on his neck, everything so wonderful that Richard wondered whether he wouldn't climax a second time before Asbel even got to his first release.

He felt Asbel shift, and realized he was reaching for the bottle of lube again. "Y-Your clothes," Richard managed to mumble, "Please take them off, Asbel."

Asbel took a moment to process what Richard said, and then nodded hurriedly, trying to strip without taking his fingers from Richard's body. When he realized it wouldn't work, he finally conceded and pulled them out; this time, Richard did whimper. Dazed, he watched Asbel strip, feeling his heart beat faster with every removed garment. Whenever he saw Asbel's body, he seemed to have become even more beautiful than the previous time.

Richard would've liked a moment to admire the curves of Asbel's muscles, but as soon as his clothes were out of the way he was on top of Richard again, taking his lips into a kiss. Richard wrapped his arms around Asbel's neck, pulling him close, reveling on the warmth of Asbel's skin against his own.

Asbel reached for the small bottle once more, but Richard took it from his hands. "Let me," he whispered, putting some of its contents on his palm. Asbel was more than happy to oblige.

He gasped when Richard's slick fingers closed around his shaft. Richard moved his hand slowly, deliberately, thoroughly coating every inch of Asbel's length. He squeezed more lube on his palm to spread over the head, his thumb massaging it in circular motions. Asbel's breath was quickening, his shallow gasps punctuated by moans and mutters of Richard's name.

They were the sweetest sounds Richard had ever heard.

Unable to resist, Richard began stroking; Asbel's moans became louder, his body trembling against Richard's chest. Richard's free hand went to Asbel's back, palm tracing the curves of muscle as it descended towards his hips. When he reached Asbel's bottom, he began stroking him even faster.

"R-Richard, I-I'm—" Asbel could hardly speak between his gasps, "I'm not gonna last at all if you keep going."

For a moment, Richard considered making Asbel finish right then. He wanted to hear his moans grow even louder, to feel him quiver in his arms as he released between their chests. But more than that, he wanted to feel Asbel inside his body, to climax at the same time as him. He had waited too long for it.

Finally, he let go of Asbel's arousal, wrapping his arms around Asbel's neck. Asbel smiled, gently kissed his cheek, and positioned himself between his legs. A moment later, Richard felt Asbel press against his entrance.

So warm, warmer than Asbel's fingers, warmer than anything. Slick and smooth, it slowly pushed inside, stretching him, filling him. Richard threw his head back, gasping, his chest heaving. He felt Asbel's breath on his neck, then Asbel's lips, trailing kisses on his skin as his member pushed deeper inside his body. Richard clung to Asbel's shoulder, every inch that entered him sending a shiver down his spine. When it was all the way in, Asbel paused, burying his face in Richard's neck as he waited for his body to adapt.

Richard didn't want to wait. He wrapped his legs around Asbel's hips, urging him to move. Asbel didn't comply, and instead kissed him on the lips, as if to distract him. It did work, and for a moment Richard lost himself in the softness of Asbel's mouth, but before long he was nudging Asbel again, whispering eagerly against his lips, 'Please.'

This time, Asbel gave in. He pulled back, and then thrust, making Richard gasp. Too long Richard had gone without Asbel, and they hadn't given enough time for him to adapt to his size, but it only made it better. Asbel repeated the motion, pulling farther and thrusting deeper, and this time Richard threw his head back and moaned. Oh, he would be sore when they were done, but he was past caring. It felt too perfect for him to care.

Asbel kept moving, building a rhythm, face buried in Richard's neck. Each of Asbel's movements took Richard to heaven, each thrust somehow better than the one before. Asbel's pace increased, faster and faster, his gasps sweet in Richard's ears. Richard was close, so close. Part of him wanted to prolong this moment, make it last forever, but at the same time there was nothing he wanted more than to release along with Asbel.

Asbel's fingers closed around Richard's arousal and began stroking, fast and vigorous, the same pace as his thrusts. It drove Richard over the edge. He arched his back, clinging to Asbel's neck as he cried out his name, shivering and spilling between their chests. He heard Asbel moan at the same time, felt him release inside his body, both riding out their climax together. The thrusts slowed, eventually stopping, and Asbel fell against his chest.

For a moment, there was nothing in the world but the sound of their heartbeats, thumping, thumping in the very same rhythm.

Richard closed his eyes.

A fresh breeze blew from the sea. The air was cool, and sweet with the fragrance of flowers. In his arms, Asbel was warm. Richard opened his eyes; above them, the sky was a brilliant blue, not a single cloud in sight. Asbel shifted to lie on the grass by his side, one arm draped over Richard's chest. He pressed a kiss to Richard's cheek, and then looked up at the sky along with him.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Asbel asked, smiling.

Richard smiled back. "Yes. It is."

More beautiful than anything.