(no subject)

[gallowseyes]

He wakes up slowly, in the comfortable bed and, for a moment, he doesn't know where he is. It isn't his childhood bed, for certain. It's too soft, the covers too comfortable and, more than that, someone's in it with him. At first, he thinks it must be John or Kit but, when he lifts his head, he sees tumbled dark curls and pale skin, the face turned away from him. He sits up suddenly, his hair slipping into his eyes, heart thumping in his chest.

"What the fuck is happening?" he asks, his voice trembling.
It is the strangest, most real dream.

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[atehimrightup]

George's face goes pink at the same moment his scent goes spicy sweet, settling in the back of Lee's throat like syrup, and he has to swallow hard to keep from reaching out to touch those flushed cheeks. They're rounder than he's used to, ripe with baby fat, and that reminds Lee to keep his hands to himself. Oh, but George smells good like this. He smells brand new and drives some animal part of Lee absolutely wild.

"I know you did. I know a lot about you, George." Lee gives him a sort of knowing look, letting his gaze sweep slowly up George's body and over his face, lifting his eyebrows a little. He turns away to cut off the stove and divide the eggs between two plates, then puts some bread in the toaster and opens the fridge, leaning over to peer inside. He honestly can't remember if George had strawberries back home, but Lee nabbed some big fat ones from the farmer's market so he takes those out and puts a few on the plates.

"Good. You have no reason to be frightened of me," Lee says as he turns to face George again, doing his best not to sniff the air. He wants to bury his face in George's neck so badly. "I know it's a lot to process but I--" He swallows hard and tries to breathe through his mouth. "You're safe here."

[gallowseyes]

He's not sure that anyone's ever looked at him the way that Lee looks at him before he turns away and, God, it makes him feel hot all over. He shifts on the stool and purses his lips to blow across the surface of his tea before he takes a sip. Lee bends over and George tries not to stare. He really does.

"I believe you," he says, nodding. "I feel it."

[atehimrightup]

George's scent fills the kitchen, mingling with coffee and warm bread and sunlight. He really doesn't seem scared and that's sort of confusing to Lee, at least until George speaks again and Lee nearly drops a piece of buttered toast in surprise. He can feel it, even now. He's sitting in a brand new strange place, alone in a room with an apex predator, and he feels safe. Lee makes him feel safe. It's almost enough to make him cry, but he swallows it back.

"I'm very glad," he says as he finishes up the plates and turns around to set one in front of George. "Cheesy eggs and toast, just as you like them."

Lee comes around to sit next to George at the counter, giving into the urge to briefly lay a comforting hand on his shoulder. After taking a sip of his coffee, he clears his throat softly and looks over at George again.

"Do you understand what we are to each other?" He asks eventually, feeling his own cheeks heat up. "Why we share a-- a home and why I know just how you like your tea and eggs?" He finds himself angled slightly toward George, like he's a plant and George is the sun. "Why you feel safe with me?"

[gallowseyes]

Lee places the food in front of him and George realises that he's staring. He picks up the fork and takes a bite and, God, it's delicious. He's too busy chewing and swallowing to answer immediately but, eventually, his mouth is empty, and he shakes his head.

"I don't," he admits. "I don't understand any of this, but what good would fighting it do? My mother has been threatening to send me to France. This..." He shrugs. "Seems better."

[atehimrightup]

It's temporary, he reminds himself. George only temporarily isn't in love with him. He tells himself this over and over in his head, but his ears are ringing so loud. At the mention of his mother and France, Lee lets out a quiet growl of a sound and stabs at his eggs.

"Your mother would hate me. But that's okay, because it would be mutual," he breathes out, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth before smiling softly over at George, letting himself reach out and gently brush the backs of his fingers over one of George's cheek. "Sometimes I wonder if that's part of why you fell in love with me."

[gallowseyes]

The brush of Lee's fingers against his cheek sends a shock straight through him, right to his cock. His face feels like it's on fire. He frowns.

"In love?" He's known, for a while, that he likes boys as well as girls. In the same way as he likes girls. He's just never been sure that that was a thing that was allowed. "I don't...Now I really don't understand."

[atehimrightup]

The look on George’s face is a little lost, perhaps a little hopeful, and Lee can’t help but to cup his cheek fully, thumbing at the mole next to his mouth while he tries to decide just what to say.

“Things are different here in Darrow. Where you’re from, and where I’m from, it wasn’t… well, it wasn’t safe, really.” As he understands it, plenty of people around George knew that he was into men, but since one of those men was a king, it seemed to be forgiven. “But here, it’s not a big deal. Men and women can marry other men and women. It’s fine.”

He smiles a little sadly and takes his hand away from George’s face, shifting upright. George isn’t in love with him, not right now, and Lee should probably keep reminding himself of that.

“I’m not— I don’t expect anything of you, obviously. I know you aren’t quite yourself and I would never— I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.” Phones might be a little much to spring on George right now, but there’s a photo of them stuck to the fridge with a magnet, a Polaroid taken at some party. Lee is kissing George’s cheek while he grins that beautiful, gummy smile of his. Lee walks around the counter and plucks it off the fridge, then returns to his seat and sets it down in front of George.

“This was us a few weeks ago,” he says quietly. “I just— I wanted you to know. You’re very loved, George. Just as you are.”

[gallowseyes]

George's eyes widen when Lee touches his face like that, when he almost but not quite touches the corner of his mouth.

He looks at it for a long time. If it's a painting, and he's not sure that it is, it's the most realistic that he's ever seen. He recognises Lee in profile, and the other man in the photo is as familiar as his own face. It is own face, only slightly older and happier than he thinks he's ever been in his entire life.

His eyes sting with tears and he blinks furiously. He doesn't even know why he's crying other than the fact that he absurdly, desperately wants Lee to touch him again.

[atehimrightup]

"It's called a photograph," Lee explains as George studies the picture. Explaining things to George isn't new to Lee, and he approaches this with the same gentle, non-judgmental approach that he's always used. "A little machine can capture any moment in time, and you can keep it forever. Pretty neat invention."

Lee stares at the photo for another few moments, looking down at his George, and then looks up to see the George in front of him. His big, beautiful eyes are filled with tears and Lee feels a brief moment of internal panic, wondering if he's miscalculated, but then he seems to understand. Sometimes feelings are so big that all you can do is cry. Lee knows that very well, thanks to George.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Lee assures him, hesitating only a moment before leaning in and wrapping his arms around George in a tight hug, one arm around his back while the other hand cradles the back of his neck. "You're okay."

[gallowseyes]

Lee wraps both arms around him and George only hesitates for a beat before his arms go around Lee's waist, holding him close. He's comforted by the soft words, the first pressure of arms around him. He's safe here. He believes it when Lee says he's loved.

He sniffles.

"I'm alright," he says.

[atehimrightup]

“I know you are,” Lee says in a helplessly fond voice, ruffling his hand through George’s hair. “You’re probably the strongest person I’ve ever known.”

He pulls back just enough to cradle George’s cheek in his hand again. It was easy enough for him to tell how much George had enjoyed that touch, even without the enticing scent of him.

“But it’d be okay if you weren’t,” Lee tells him, licking his lips and hesitating for only a moment before leaning in to press a sweet kiss to George’s forehead, letting the touch of his lips linger before he pulls back and lets him go.

“Now eat before it gets cold,” Lee tells him, slipping back into that tone that’s bossy and fond all at once as he lets go of him entirely and picks up his own fork. “While I try to decide how to entertain you today.”

Neither of them had anything to do today and the plan was to, well, not leave bed unless absolutely necessary. He’ll have to amend that.

[gallowseyes]

He's been called many things in a relatively short life, but he's not sure that any of them have amounted to "strong". He shifts and nods, picking up his fork and taking a bite of the eggs.

"I don't need much entertaining," he says. "As long as..." He flushes. "As long as I may stay with you."

[atehimrightup]

George’s scent is different like this. It’s fresher, and ripe teenage hormones. Lee can smell the curious lust on him, so thick in the air that it practically coats his tongue as he swallows. It’s not exactly surprising. George is a sexual creature by nature, even as young and inexperienced as he is.

Oh, that isn’t something that he needs to be thinking about. This is George before France, so he hasn’t been touched by a man yet. The thought makes Lee’s knuckles tighten around his fork and his next bite of eggs feels particularly hard to swallow.

“Of course,” Lee in a low rumble of a voice, nearly cursing himself when he looks over to see George flushed and staring right back at him. Lee’s gaze dips briefly to his obscene mouth and then back to his eyes. It’s not subtle.

“God, sorry,” Lee admits with a blush of his own. “This is strange for me. I’m not sure how to act around you.”

[gallowseyes]

"How would you act normally?" he asks, genuinely curious about this life he has apparently been living, completely beyond his understanding. Lee is beautiful, more beautiful than anyone he's ever seen in his life, and he also does feel safe here. comfortable. "What would we do?"

[atehimrightup]

The question makes Lee laugh, but not unkindly. He’s just so overwhelmed, and this whole thing is crazy, and George is so, so beautiful.

“Well—“ He chuckles again and takes a big gulp of coffee, cheeks flushed. It feels like he’s being punished and rewarded all at the same time.

“We’re a very affectionate couple,” he says with an amused smile, setting his mug down and twisting to look at George again, unevenly to keep his gaze from sweeping slowly over him. “It’s strange for me to be around you this long without kissing you, honestly. We, uh—“

He blushes again and ducks his head, looking very much like a man in love. “We kiss a lot.”

[gallowseyes]

George makes a soft, involuntary sound at that. He puts down his fork and reaches for his tea and takes a sip, setting the delicate cup down delicately.

"I think I must like that," he says. "Being kissed, I mean."
He's been kissed, but he thinks it must feel very different with someone as beautiful as Lee.

[atehimrightup]

Lee doesn’t believe in God, not really. But if he did, he’d be praying for strength.

“You do. Very much,” Lee admits, and then, because he can’t help himself: “Especially how I do it.”

He chuckles warmly and props his chin on his hand, looking at George curiously. “You haven’t kissed a boy yet, have you? Are you messing around with that servant girl yet?”

His smile grows wider, amused and warmed by the thought of this George and his innocent teenage fumbling. But then he thinks of what’s to come, this George being sent off to France, and his stomach hurts a little.

[gallowseyes]

"Jenny?" says George, and he immediately flushes darkly. He nods. "Sometimes. Mother doesn't like it." He brushes his hair back from his face and takes another little sip of his tea. "How...How do you do it?"

[atehimrightup]

"Compared to me, your mother would think Jenny was a dream," Lee drawls out, eyes darkening as George's cheeks get so pink. He can practically hear the blood rushing through George's veins, and he licks his lips at the question.

Honestly, it's getting harder and harder to remember why he was so convinced that he can't touch George like that. What's the alternative? They just deny themselves for a week and then George goes back and gets shipped off to France to be taught about sex as if it's nothing more than a weapon? It can be, and Lee has wielded it as such many times himself, but it was never like that with them.

Shouldn't he show George how good it can be first? There's no telling if George will remember any of this once things go back to normal, but Lee would want him to have something better.

"Like there is nowhere else in the world I'd rather be," Lee says in a low rumble, feeling himself drawn in closer to George, like he's slowly being reeled in.

[gallowseyes]

That voice, and the way Lee seems to lean in, makes him feel flustered and hot and like he can't quite breathe deep enough. He's kissed Jenny a lot, and he likes it a lot, but he suspects that kissing Lee would be a completely different world.

He leans in slightly.

"I don't know if I can imagine what that's like," he says.

[atehimrightup]

Yeah, Lee isn't strong enough for this.

He swallows hard and slips off of the stool so he can take a step closer, utterly captivated. George looks ethereal, and there's still such a softness to him. He hasn't learned just how terrible the world truly can be yet, hasn't been carved into something sharp. Lee loves George, his George, but he wants to protect this one so badly from what's to come.

"Do you want me to show you?" Lee asks quietly, stepping forward until his thighs are bracketed by George's knees. They're still staring at each other, nearly eye to eye, and Lee reaches up to put a hand on George's face. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't want your first real kiss to be with me."

[gallowseyes]

Lee touches his face again and George's breath hitches. Unconsciously, he licks his lips and then he nods.

"Show me," he says. "Please."

[atehimrightup]

Lee is only a man, and not even a very good one. How could he possibly be expected to resist this?

His hand slides down to cup George's chin between his thumb and forefinger and he nods, feeling almost drunk as he leans in closer. It's just a kiss. It's just going to be a kiss, he thinks. But he isn't sure he even believes it.

Lee takes a breath and nods, sliding his hand to the back of George's neck and gripping the nape to draw him in. Their mouths meet and Lee makes a quiet sound deep in his throat, immediately deepening the kiss and putting his other hand on George's waist, pressing in closer and spreading George's knees wider, twisting him until his lower back is pressed against the counter.

[gallowseyes]

George has never been kissed so thoroughly in his entire life. It's not just Lee's mouth on his...it's his hands and the way he moves him. It's the way that he feels almost like Lee would swallow him whole, if he could.

He makes a soft, involuntary sound against Lee's mouth.

[atehimrightup]

It would be so easy to get carried away. George would let him, too. Lee can tell.

His tongue sweeps into George's mouth and he tastes familiar, like tea and cinnamon, and Lee groans as his hands tighten on George's body. The kiss goes on and on until Lee has to pull back just to breathe, and he plants a few more sucking kisses along George's jaw and neck before pulling away. Or, at least he tries.

His hands stay right where they are, clutching at George as they stare at each other, chests heaving.

"That's how I do it," he says breathlessly, smiling and laughing a little as he tips their foreheads together. This George kisses more clumsily, all eagerness and so skill, and it's fucking endearing and sad all at the same time. "Better than Jenny?"