Breath held in out of trepidation, Briar wondered if it would be a crime to stare at those cobalt blue irises staring down at him as the way stars twinkled from high places forever. Ears deaf to anything other than the roaring thumping of his own heart, the young man reached up a hand to cup Castriel’s face. The hypnotic gaze flinched at the touch, but only for a bit until the sorcerer visibly relaxed into his palms with a small smile. Castriel’s fingers chased for his too, placing themselves above Briar’s hand to squeeze them gently. Licking his lips, the young master couldn’t help but respond in a teasing tone.

“It’s all right, Castriel. I know gentlemen are quite talented in masking their naughty fantasies.” With a breathy laugh, Briar pulled the sorcerer down by his nape. Lips inches away from meeting again, tasting one another, and reveling in passion. “I also know for a fact…” he whispered, long lashes fluttering. “That it isn’t good to hold back such urges.”

“Briar…” The museum curator groaned softly, leaning in to kiss the young man in his arms and embrace him for all he was worth. Eagerly, the other responded with fervor. The scent of marigolds was intoxicating and inviting as the warm light of the afternoon brought their hearts up to a joyous beat as they shared kisses. Hands tugging and pulling along with a muffled moan from Briar when Castriel bit his lower lip playfully. Drunk on the act of love he has been starving and begging for. Icarus momentarily flashed in his mind as he tasted the other’s own desire, but instead of feeling the seeping guilt and fear he had been harboring, Briar didn’t care as he wrapped his arms around the sorcerer’s neck. Not wanting to let go and clung as if his life depended on it.

Legs and clothing rustling against each other, Castriel lowered himself and parted from those luscious pink lips that emitted a whine at the loss of contact. Dipping to the crook of Briar’s neck, the sorcerer peppered open-mouthed kisses there, sucking and tasting the soft flesh. Holding back a loud moan, Briar bit into his finger to stop the melodic tune from escaping through his teeth. This merely challenged the blond man, prompting him to ravage the other’s skin and bring forth an ecstasy Briar had never experienced before. Sinful sounds of sucking on flesh caused the young master’s face to grow red while muffling his moans as his manhood grew hard and leaked liquid that furthered his embarrassment. For so long, he has abstained from pleasuring himself and dreaming that maybe someday, Icarus would love him the way he wanted to. Perhaps the lack of such activities has made him more sensitive than ever that mere kisses and skin contact would cause him to unravel before the sorcerer.

Palms cool to the touch unbuttoned his brassier, tugging the cloth down to reveal Briar’s underwear to the sun. Air hitting his bare thighs, Briar figured he would instantly stop before things escalated and regret came along. Yet here he was, still under the spell of the sorcerer who was pouring him with a searing love one would see as a delicacy. 

Castriel lifted his head to admire the vivid marks on fair skin, he then pressed a chaste kiss on the exposed collarbone before averting his attention to the young man’s arousal. Out of his hazy thoughts, Briar finally realized what the sorcerer had done. “No… Don’t.” Briar mewled, tears forming at the corner of his eyes at the overwhelming touch. Hand gripping Castriel’s that went past the cloth to his lower regions, specifically down to his unprepared hole. “Anything but there. I haven’t—ah!” He gasped at the finger poking his clenched entrance, close to penetration. Fascinated, the sorcerer continued to circle it with his index finger. Wondering how it would feel to be inside the young man. Would it be as pleasurable as some have said? Would it hurt Briar? These thoughts swirled in his head, tempting him to claim and see how it felt, especially when Briar had never taken anyone before due to his affection for a certain nephilim. But he had to entertain such ideas later for the other was already clutching his hand, disallowing him to continue his prodding. “Castriel, I haven’t cleaned myself there. Maybe… I mean, not that there is a need… I’m still wet behind the ears when it comes to those.”

Yes, perhaps another time. “I apologize… I was slightly carried away. I’ll make sure to have your consent. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.” Inhaling sharply, Castriel removed his hand and instead, enveloped Briar’s erect manhood, earning another gasp from the young man. The prick was hard and warm in the sorcerer’s hand, aching to shoot out its load. “How about I take care of this? It would be troublesome to walk back to the house in this state. Would you want that, Briar?”

“Y-you don’t have to,” Briar whispered back in response. The expression on his face was anything but disgust or rejection. The betrayal of his grinding hips made it clear to the museum curator, who stifled a grin at the reaction, that the young man wanted it albeit lying. “I-I’m sure it’ll go away on its own. Doing it out here i-in the open is kind of…” Looking away from the intense stare, he muttered. “It’s kind of dirty.”

How adorable, the sorcerer grinned.

“Really? I find it exhilarating for I haven’t done it before.” Exhaling, Castriel began stroking the young master’s manhood, squeezing it gently as liquid oozed out of its tip. Thrashing his head, Briar moaned into his hand as tears rolled down his flustered cheeks at the blissful promise of an earth-shattering release. “Besides, no one would see you nor hear your moans. No one, but me.” The blond whispered, lowering down to lick the young man’s ear, earning a gasp. “And if I don’t take care of you, who knows how your aunt might react? She might order the butler to slap me up if I don’t meet your needs, Briar.”

“C-Castriel, don’t bring her into this!” Briar hissed followed by a breathy groan as his manhood was stroked, head hitting the cloth ungracefully. He wanted it badly and here was Castriel, willing and wanting to see him come undone. What's more, doing it out in the open in what should have been a wholesome spot, would soon be an unforgettable memory filled with unholy images instead of the ones he expected to be all cheery and warm. “J-just please make haste?” Shying away from the victorious smile of the sorcerer, he grumbled. “You’re having fun teasing me, a-aren’t you?”

Shaking his head, Castriel pressed a kiss on the young man’s forehead. “No.” Hastening his stroking that made Briar choke out a moan, the blond bit his ear. “It’s fascinating to see you come undone and the fact that it is me making you moan is an honor.”

“Castriel…”

“Let me hear you, darling.”

“Castriel, more.” Briar keened, fisting the cloth around him. Wishing he had something sturdier to grip onto. The pit of his stomach tightened, back arching as he felt the climax coming to him. The blond sorcerer must have seen this through his blissful disposition, sliding down to put Briar’s prick into his mouth and bobbing his head up and down. The sudden action caused the young master’s eyes to grow huge at the sight of the gentleman sucking on his manhood with vigor. “Oh! S-Stop, I’m about to—ah!” Teeth close to tearing the surface of his lips, Briar’s hand went down to pull on blond locks smoother than silk as his manhood was squeezed out of its pearly liquid. Perspiration and semen mixed along with the sweet aroma of marigolds, dizzying the young master. Breathless and slightly exhausted, yet satisfied.

Climbing down the sudden peak of pleasure from releasing, Briar then came to terms with what just happened as he stared at Castriel’s face covered with his semen. The sorcerer had his mouth in the shape of a circle, no words would come out. Briar covered his lips in astonishment at the lewd scene in front of him. He was sure he almost passed out when the sorcerer wiped some and licked the residue on his fingers with an obvious smug smirk.

༻❈༺

Stars littered the evening sky as the moon illuminated the calm ocean, the crashing of waves on the shore soothing to the ear. Breeze swaying his hair, Briar fought back the urge to scream at the darkness for his mind was muddled with this afternoon’s unexpected conclusion. If he had known Castriel had a wild side to his usually composed and sometimes quiet demeanor, he might have mentally prepared himself for what was to come. But navigating Castriel was like going through a foggy forest with a mere lantern, not knowing what to expect or see. 

Hand rubbing his cheeks, the cold salty breeze urged Briar to come back into the house. The sorcerer didn’t seem to act differently after what he did this afternoon. In fact, it irritated the young master how he seemed calm and collected while he was left to revel in his own humiliation and sinful thoughts. Turning to the kitchen, he leaned against the wall as he watched Castriel cooking in silence. The sizzling sound of fish being fried along with the bubbling soup in a clay pot filled the space. The crackling fire and the smell of burnt wood. Another peaceful night with him. Briar couldn’t help but hum at the serene atmosphere—one he might miss the moment the month with Castriel ends and he has to face reality once more. That his life was no ordinary one and one he might lose soon.

There is also the impending dread that the sorcerer might know his secret. He almost forgot why he was here in the first place… 

“Are you starving?” Castriel’s sudden inquiry and concerned gaze melted away Briar’s doubts. In reply, the young man nodded with a beaming smile. Approaching the sorcerer, midnight blue hues scanned the meal being prepared in interest.

“Yes. That fish looks delicious.” Briar hummed in delight, minding the distance between them unless he wanted to combust on the spot. Hugging himself, he then glanced at the sorcerer. “I’m looking forward to it.”

“I’m glad.” Castriel returned the enthusiasm with a grin. He then watched the blond man flip the fish, the side appearing crispy. “In fact, I was wondering if you want to eat dinner outside. By the beach… if you want to.”

“By the beach?” Briar echoed, blinking at the suggestion. “But wouldn’t it be too dark to even see our own plates?”

At the realization, Castriel laughed. Hand over his stomach, the sorcerer appeared carefree and innocent as his head threw back in laughter. Unknowingly, Briar was smiling at him and giggling. Forgetting the awkward air they had looming around after the romantic lunch that afternoon. Even during dinner, both of them continued to talk, going back to the tempo they first had since day one—before the sharp tension brought by their argument—but even better. Relaxing in each other’s presence and exchanging words of ideas and thoughts. Icarus never came up in Briar’s mind that day, slowly dissipating from memory and heart, but still there during his lonely moments. Yet, with Castriel keeping him company, the young master might not need the nephilim anymore.

A mere distant memory—a good and a hurtful one.

“Thank you… for today.” Briar whispered to the blond once they reached the door of his bedroom. The kitchen was cleaned and the dinner table was empty other for a basket of fruits. The candlelight illuminates the dark with its comforting light. The quiet night lulled both souls to sleep early with smiles. Castriel, being the gentleman he is, took hold of the young man’s hand and pressed a kiss on the knuckles. A contrast to his unabashed behavior earlier, it brought butterflies to Briar’s stomach.

“My pleasure, Briar,” Castriel said in a hushed voice, caressing his hand. “I wish you beautiful dreams tonight.”

No words were exchanged further, eyes merely meeting one another for a few more moments before bowing to one another in a brief farewell, a promise of meeting again in the morning. Watching his guest close the door, Castriel waited until the crack was finally sealed before heading to his room. The corners of his lips curled up at the memories made today, dripping and tasting like honey—until he closed the door to his bedroom, his smile faltered. The space was dark, bare of anything personal other than his clothing and necessities. No pictures or decors to bring life to the room other than the glowing scale sitting on top of his desk—illuminating brighter than the moon playing a lullaby with the wind. He never imagined he would stumble across it yesterday evening while Briar was asleep on the shores that were as tamed as the twilight sky. 

Approaching it as if it were to burn him like fire, Castriel stood in front of the scale protected by the glass with a grim expression on his face. It was the same scale—identical to the one he had in the museum for display and found on the shores of the beach of Khervock where he first laid eyes on Briar Solentine and not on a northern land last year. He knew lying to the young man would probably arise distrust the moment he knew, but Castriel couldn’t help but do so since he was unsure. Yet, unlike a few days ago when he met him again at the museum, this time he ruled out it may not be a coincidence after all.

“Briar Solentine, are you perhaps… a merman?”