the power and status and wealth that position entailed. So very far from the man who had first arrived at the castle and changed everything. He could have anyone. Why should he settle for remaining with his first lover?
How long had Sorin willfully been ignoring the signs? He scrubbed a hand through his hair, feeling stupid that he had gone to pains to clean up, pull on a nicer set of clothes, and brush his hair out until it looked respectable for once. Whatever. There was always work to do. He would retrieve his armor and weapons and resume his duties.
Once back in his room, however, he could only stand in the middle of it feeling lost. Sorin scowled at the meal that had been laid out, which he had been looking forward to sharing with Koray. It would have been the first leisurely meal they'd had in some time. He could smell Koray's favorite mulled wine; his stomach growled at the scent of roasted meat and fresh bread. He had even managed to sneak away long enough to slip into town and obtain a box of the sweets Koray liked so much. He had worked hard to ensure this one day was theirs … and Koray had been too distracted by thoughts of something else to even kiss him properly. Someone else? The thought made him physically ill.
He tensed as the door opened—and winced when it slammed shut. "What in the name of the Goddess was that about?" Koray demanded. "You came to find me only to flounce off in a snit? Why?"
Sorin glared at the fireplace. "I sought you out because I've scarce seen you this past fortnight and I missed you. I wanted to spend the day with you, here in our room. We have everything we need to be comfortable here for hours, and I gave orders to the entire castle that we're not to be disturbed save for emergencies."
"But?" Koray prodded when he fell silent.
"But a demon would kiss me with more interest than you showed," Sorin said, misery growing as he finally voiced the problem. "I know when someone wants to kiss me, necromancer, and when they are simply doing it to have done."
"Yes," Koray said bitterly. "I am well aware how much you know about kissing. I've heard of nothing else the past few weeks. Every goddess damned lord and lady in this place loves to regale me with all that you've done to and with them."
Rage, sharp and white and hot, cut through Sorin as he imagined slicing apart every last damn interfering bastard. That they would dare convince Koray that he could do something as contemptible as behave unfaithfully. "Are you accusing me of infidelity?"
"What—no! Stop being stupid!" Koray said, fingers twitching, likely with an urge to throw something at Sorin's head. "I'm saying that all your former paramours are more than happy to ask me if I have done one thing or another with you. They love to explain in alarming detail all the things they've enjoyed with you. Things I have certainly never been approached about. Every time they bring it up I have to insist it's none of their business—which it's not—because I can hardly admit I do not even know what they're talking about! That I have never heard of the things they describe!" His anger broke like a dropped plate; he stared glumly at the floor when he said, "I finally broke down and asked Neikirk to explain what they were talking about because apparently I'm not—you don't want to do any of those things with me that you did with them. " Sorin had never seen him look so sad and lost. He wanted to kill every last bastard in the castle who had helped to put that look there. Including himself. Koray's voice was barely audible when he added, "I always want to kiss you, but all I can think anymore is how boring I must be compared to the rest of them."
Storming across the room, Sorin swept Koray up and swallowed his startled protest with a bruising kiss. He kept moving until they struck the wall, shifting so that he pinned Koray there with his body, sliding his hands down to grab Koray's thighs and spread them wide, wrapping Koray's legs
How long had Sorin willfully been ignoring the signs? He scrubbed a hand through his hair, feeling stupid that he had gone to pains to clean up, pull on a nicer set of clothes, and brush his hair out until it looked respectable for once. Whatever. There was always work to do. He would retrieve his armor and weapons and resume his duties.
Once back in his room, however, he could only stand in the middle of it feeling lost. Sorin scowled at the meal that had been laid out, which he had been looking forward to sharing with Koray. It would have been the first leisurely meal they'd had in some time. He could smell Koray's favorite mulled wine; his stomach growled at the scent of roasted meat and fresh bread. He had even managed to sneak away long enough to slip into town and obtain a box of the sweets Koray liked so much. He had worked hard to ensure this one day was theirs … and Koray had been too distracted by thoughts of something else to even kiss him properly. Someone else? The thought made him physically ill.
He tensed as the door opened—and winced when it slammed shut. "What in the name of the Goddess was that about?" Koray demanded. "You came to find me only to flounce off in a snit? Why?"
Sorin glared at the fireplace. "I sought you out because I've scarce seen you this past fortnight and I missed you. I wanted to spend the day with you, here in our room. We have everything we need to be comfortable here for hours, and I gave orders to the entire castle that we're not to be disturbed save for emergencies."
"But?" Koray prodded when he fell silent.
"But a demon would kiss me with more interest than you showed," Sorin said, misery growing as he finally voiced the problem. "I know when someone wants to kiss me, necromancer, and when they are simply doing it to have done."
"Yes," Koray said bitterly. "I am well aware how much you know about kissing. I've heard of nothing else the past few weeks. Every goddess damned lord and lady in this place loves to regale me with all that you've done to and with them."
Rage, sharp and white and hot, cut through Sorin as he imagined slicing apart every last damn interfering bastard. That they would dare convince Koray that he could do something as contemptible as behave unfaithfully. "Are you accusing me of infidelity?"
"What—no! Stop being stupid!" Koray said, fingers twitching, likely with an urge to throw something at Sorin's head. "I'm saying that all your former paramours are more than happy to ask me if I have done one thing or another with you. They love to explain in alarming detail all the things they've enjoyed with you. Things I have certainly never been approached about. Every time they bring it up I have to insist it's none of their business—which it's not—because I can hardly admit I do not even know what they're talking about! That I have never heard of the things they describe!" His anger broke like a dropped plate; he stared glumly at the floor when he said, "I finally broke down and asked Neikirk to explain what they were talking about because apparently I'm not—you don't want to do any of those things with me that you did with them. " Sorin had never seen him look so sad and lost. He wanted to kill every last bastard in the castle who had helped to put that look there. Including himself. Koray's voice was barely audible when he added, "I always want to kiss you, but all I can think anymore is how boring I must be compared to the rest of them."
Storming across the room, Sorin swept Koray up and swallowed his startled protest with a bruising kiss. He kept moving until they struck the wall, shifting so that he pinned Koray there with his body, sliding his hands down to grab Koray's thighs and spread them wide, wrapping Koray's legs
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