the night before had absolutely exhausted tiernan. between the revelation and conversation and clove and being forced into a random room until the council decided it was alright for them to leave and return home. only, tiernan hadn't returned home. or rather his former home. but no part of him wanted to leave clove's side. not after everything that had been said.
while sleep wasn't exactly necessary, it felt nice to close their eyes and have clove's body next to their own throughout the night. it had been years since they had been able to sleep more than a few hours. it was almost as if his body - nay, his heart - knew that clove was next to tiernan the whole time. after years, tiernan felt whole. a groan escaped from tiernan as the disruption, their eyes beginning to blink open before feeling clove press his lips against their own. "i have the rest of my existence to sleep. i have already lost enough time with you." tiernan's fault, of course. but that was in their past.
tiernan smiled against clove's lips, wanting nothing more than to bask in the moment. "clove, if i am beautiful, then how are we to explain you," they gushed, reaching up to pull clove's face back a bit so that they could look at each other properly. though his eyes never failed him, it had been so long since she had allowed themself to truly admire clove in the light. they had memorized his face: the lines, the curvature of their lips and they way their eyes pierced into his soul. how had tiernan gone this long depriving themself of clove's presence? was it worth it to even dwell on the question? no. they should enjoy this moment. their return back to each other.
their new beginning.
"tell me there is nothing to force us from this very spot today? we can carry on usual tomorrow but for today, i want you to myself."
"No one said I couldn't be second best to you, my love." He allows Tiernan to drink in his image, he looks back at her with love, with love, with love. He pulls them on top of him, kisses their lips, their cheeks, their jaw, their jaw, their jaw. Clove is full of need, full of want, he says it with his tongue, with his hands that search the expanse of Tiernan's skin, bare. "There is nothing, nothing keeping me away from you today. I'm barricading the doors, little prince." His mouth is at his throat, nipping, tongue peeking out to taste her, to swallow her. Clove groans against them, presses his head to their throat, hands moving down his spine, slow, slow, slow and hungry. "I have missed you." He will spend the day showing Tiernan just how much. Tomorrow he could bear the weight of the truth, of Taru, of Jude, of Jude, but for now, it's just them, It's their mouth and their thighs and their moan in his ear. He will have them all, have them whole. He will not let fear keep them apart ever again.










