Page 55 of Under His Skin

Tracht’s other hand started to caress his scalp. Alex strained into that contact, although what he really wanted to was to see Tracht. And to breathe.

He was pretty sure Tracht wouldn’t let him drown. But the burn got worse, and it took all of Alex’s willpower not to burst out of the water.

He didn’t know how long he stayed under that time, only knowing that his limbs were so tense they hurt, and that first breath of air was divine. He sucked in the oxygen, and then he had Tracht kissing him. Alex thought he must have been breathing in Tracht’s air, filling all of himself with Tracht.

“I could tell you wanted to fight me,” Tracht said, mouthing at his lips. “But you stayed under. I wonder if I’d like it more if you were tied up? But that was lovely too.”

No, it would be worse if Alex were tied up, he was sure of it. But he didn’t say that. “Whatever… whatever you want, Tracht.” He rested his head against Tracht’s shoulder. He almost sobbed in relief when Tracht allowed it and petted his hair.

Only then Tracht murmured, “I thought I said not to get me wet?”

Alex leaned back, confused until he saw the wet spot where his head had been. Water had spread out from Alex’s hair and seeped into Tracht’s shirt. Oh, fuck.

“Sorry,” Alex mumbled. “Please, no more water.”

“One more,” Tracht responded, grinning. “I’ve been far too kind to you lately. You might get ideas, if I let these transgressions go unpunished.”

Alex didn’t bother protesting. He was too tired too, his mind caught between a weird edge of haziness and panic and a desire to just be close to Tracht.

But this third time was the worst. It went on for longer than either of the two previous rounds, he was sure, and this time Tracht didn’t even hold Alex down: he grasped Alex’s hands instead, kneading and massaging them while Alex was forced to hold his breath for longer and longer.

At first he liked the contact, he loved the way Tracht’s hands intertwined with his, but as he was forced to stay underwater for longer and longer, it was harder not to fight back. He accidentally grasped Tracht’s hand too tightly, and got a sharp nail digging into his skin in response.

If Tracht’s hand were on his throat, he’d have a reminder of where he needed to stay. But like this, it was all his own effort. Nobody kept him here but himself. Nothing stopped him from getting up, going through that door.

Nobody else would ever be able to make Alex do this kind of shit.

But he didn’t want anybody else. He only wanted Tracht.

So he stayed under, the sensation of Tracht’s hand getting duller and duller, until it almost didn’t seem so bad to let the water take him entirely.

Then Tracht pulled him right back out of the water, and Alex didn’t have the energy not to lean against him and get Tracht’s shirt all wet again. As he huffed for air, he distantly hoped this didn’t mean he’d be subjected to another round of this.

He didn’t move at all while Tracht patted his head, but he did whine when Tracht set him against the edge of the tub.

“One moment. I need to get out of these clothes.” Tracht disappeared from Alex’s view; a moment later he got into the water himself, on the other side of the tub. Unlike the one at the Sigrun, this tub was large enough to fit them both comfortably and then some.

Alex noted that Tracht was completely hard. He should have figured, but his own cock hadn’t stirred at all during the entire process.

“D’you want…” Alex slurred, reaching out with his hand. He didn’t know what he was offering. The hand fell back into the water with a loud splash.

Tracht smiled and moved to sit beside Alex, maneuvering them until Alex was resting his head against Tracht’s shoulder again.

“Just lie there and look pretty,” Tracht said. “Dazed, breathless, all because of me.”

Well, who else would have done this to Alex? But at least Alex didn’t have to do anything. He closed his eyes and listened to the soft splash of water as Tracht jerked himself off in the tub.

===

They moved to the bed, later, and Tracht used a way too huge dildo to get Alex off before caging his cock again. “I hope you didn’t do this while you were on your own?”

“No. I thought about it. But I kept imagining you…”

That answer must have pleased Tracht, because he kissed Alex soundly again before pulling the covers over them.

It should have been really easy to sleep, given how exhausted Alex was, but suddenly his thoughts were in disarray.

He’d only been apart from Tracht for a few days, and it still felt like too long. He could hear echoes of Galanis’s words swirling in his head, lying to him about Tracht.

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