Page 39 of Celestial Bodies

Arlo blinked a few times, then said, “Um…sure, but I didn’t bring anything to swim in.”

Dacias shrugged. “Undergarments it is, then! I promise you’ll love this. The water is incredible.”

Arlo nodded and began unbuttoning his tunic. “It sounds lovely. The water looks extraordinary.”

The black tunic fell to the ground, revealing Arlo’s sharp angles. The sun reflected off his skin, casting an ethereal glow.

Arlo unbuckled his boots and kicked them off. As he slid the pants down his legs, the irresistible dusting of blush on his cheeks and neck emerged, revealing the white undergarments beneath; they nearly matched the color of his skin. The freckles along his cheeks and neck intensified on his shoulders. Dacias took in the delicate edges of muscle weaving about his arms and stomach, leading to long, slender legs.

Arlo’s dark hair against his skin hypnotized Dacias. The lush foliage surrounding the glen augmented the green hue of his eyes. A necklace with a bluependant resting on his chest caught the sun and shimmered like a jewel.

Dacias’s pants bulged, and his mouth watered at the sight of Arlo before him. His head spun, and his temperature rose.

Arlo stood there, half-naked, for a bit. Dacias absorbed him for a few more moments before realizing he hadn’t disrobed at all, and Arlo looked a little awkward with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Sorry!” He cleared his throat, but it came out like he was choking. “We’ll take a swim to the fall.” Dacias’s fingers trembled as they tried to unlace his doublet.Fucking lace. Just untie…dammit…

“Here.” Arlo approached and began untying it for him. His eyes peered up at Dacias through dark lashes as he loosened the doublet. “There. I hate those damned things. Always knotting when least convenient, right?”

Dacias noticed Arlo’s hands resting on his chest. Arlo saw, too, and quickly backed up.He feels awkward. Get a grip, Dax! Stop making this weird!

He finally disrobed to his undergarments, and he motioned to the water. “Shall we?”

Arlo smiled sheepishly and nodded. They waded into the water, and the cool glen did nothing to alleviate Dacias’s hot body. Arlo looked happy as a clam as he submerged himself and came back up, strands of dark brown hair drooping into his eyes before flipping them out of the way with his hand.

“Thisislovely! Is the Rugirean Sea this warm? I imagine not since it’s an ocean, but what a marvel if it is.”

Yes. A marvel. Oh, he asked me a question.“It’s not quite as warm, but still very nice. You swim well! I imagine the water is frigid in Lapistra.”

Arlo groaned, “It’s unbearable. But we have gymnasiums with heated swimming basins. We’ve developed irrigation systems that bring water from mountain streams that pass through furnaces before pumping into the basins. Swimming is the only thing I can do that is the slightest bit athletic. Unfortunately, nobody cares about swimming in Lapistra.”

“I imagine water isn’t ideal for people who throw wind around.”

Arlo swam closer. Their eyes locked, and Dacias wrapped his arms about him, treading water with his lower half to keep them afloat.

A pained look stretched across Arlo’s face. He averted Dacias’s gaze and started biting his lower lip. “Dacias, I want to tell…”

The roar of the fall drowned out his voice. Dacias hadn’t even noticed that they had drifted across the glen.

He shouted, “I’m sorry, I can’t hear you! We’re near the fall! Shall we see the rock shelter?”

Arlo smiled and nodded, the mist of the fall forming a coat of diamonds on his hair as they drew closer.

Dacias yelled, “Follow me!”

He submerged himself, and Arlo followed. The two of them dived deep enough to avoid the force of the fall. They emerged safely in the rock shelter.

Light filtered through the cascading water, reflecting on the shelter’s green stone. Smooth stones pressed against their feet as they waded to the outcropping blanketed in moss. Dacias lowered himself onto the mossy floor and motioned Arlo to sit beside him.

The enclosure felt like a sanctuary, with the fall acting like a palisade protecting them from the harsh world of territory conflict. Dacias could see the awe on Arlo’s face as he took in the natural beauty. It filled Dacias with yearning, and he couldn’t stop himself as he brushed his fingers along Arlo’s inner wrist. Arlo turned to him, those shimmering green eyes looking right at him, and Dacias just…fell. Fell in love. Fell in lust. Fell in every way possible.

The sound of the fall subsided, overpowered by the rush of desire pumping through Dacias’s veins, and before he knew it, his lips pressed to Arlo’s. He sucked on Arlo’s lower lip, so plush and delicious, as his fingers pushed Arlos’s hair behind his ear and traced down his neck and along the curve of his shoulder.

Dacias pressed against Arlo; the friction felt glorious as he thrust against him. Arlo’s legs wrapped around Dacias’s waist, and his hands traced along Dacias’s back down to his ass, gripping and pulling Dacias in.

So much. So intense. Dacias’s mind started spinning again, and he pulled himself away and rested his head next to Arlo’s.

He whispered in Arlo’s ear, “Arlo, I don’t know what I’m doing anymore.Am I moving too fast or too slow? Is this what you want? I want…I just want…”

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