by Noah Harris
“Stop changing the subject…” as Dean gave another squeeze of his hand. “…because you know what I mean. You don’t have to buy me flowers or chocolates. You don’t have to take me for moonlit walks, or serve me lobster at candlelit dinners, okay? Those are sweet gestures, just like this one is. You took the time to try to make it as memorable as possible, and I adore that you planned it out to surprise me, which…I mean, I know you didn’t get to surprise me exactly like you wanted, but I was still surprised and touched.”
“Again, you weren’t supposed to find me stuffing my face.”
“What, were you going to hold the plant between your teeth as you lay in front of the fire?”
“Dean.”
He could only laugh, scooting closer to Mikael with that same warmth growing in his chest. “I’m serious though, Mikael. All that stuff is sweet, and I love you for putting in the effort to make this occasion meaningful, but you don’t have to do those things to prove anything to me, or to show me that you’re trying to treat me right. You do treat me right, babe. You prove your love for me every single day. Whether it’s fixing a squeaky door hinge without me saying anything, or just letting me play with my plants or books when I need a moment to myself. You show it when you bring me lunch, and in the way you make sure there’s coffee or tea ready for me when I’ve been outside for too long. You show it when you refuse to back down from your Dad, and in the way you’ve done everything you could to get yourself in a better place mentally, for us.”
Mikael’s eyes were dark in the flickering light of the fire, but Dean could see them searching his face as he spoke. It always amazed him how someone so strong and confident, in so many ways, could be so utterly fragile and sensitive when it came to the two of them. However, he’d made steady progress. He was better than he’d been in the beginning. Where Mikael had been skittish and easily cowed when it came to their relationship at first, now he simply carried on without flinching. Dean knew that, for the most part, Mikael let Dean do the fighting for them; but that was okay too. Dean would have preferred that Mikael wasn’t the one at odds with his own father anyway. That, and he personally took some small amount of pleasure from frustrating Samuel. Probably about as much as the rest of Mikael’s family secretly enjoyed him doing it.
“Probably should have had a rose between my teeth instead of a piece of pizza, huh?”
The comment was said low, but with a dryness that Dean knew wasn’t genuine. There was too much of a smartass twinkle in Mikael’s eyes for it to be anything but acceptance of what Dean had said to him. The tension that Dean sometimes picked up in Mikael’s mood, whenever something serious came up, was ebbing out of him quickly, though not completely. Mikael pushed up onto his knees and leaned forward to cup Dean’s face. Dean reached his hands up to hold Mikael steady, curling his fingers around his neck as they pressed their lips together.
Mikael scooted forward, laying himself gently on top of Dean, just enough to push him onto his back. Dean wriggled under the hardness of the other man’s body, allowing his fingers to drift down the lines of his back. Mikael’s skin was warm beneath his fingertips, and as always, Dean loved the feel of Mikael’s muscles shifting as he pressed himself down against Dean.
Dean never ceased to be thrilled with how much bigger Mikael was, compared to him. The sheer size of his body, pressed against Dean’s, sent a shiver through him, as always. Dean longed to feel the strength of him, holding him down, able to manhandle him whenever and however he wanted. His strength could be terrifying, the animal in him lurking in wait to lash out at the most inopportune time. He knew Mikael would never hurt him, but even with the fear alleviated, there was a part of him that became thrilled at the faint hint of danger.
Mikael’s mouth moved and his teeth nipped at the sensitive flesh of Dean’s neck, drawing a faint noise of pleasure from him. Mikael was being gentle, even as his hands held onto Dean and began to move him, pushing him down more firmly into the cushion of pillows beneath him. Mikael’s hardness was pressed against him, his jeans doing nothing to conceal his excitement or his size. Dean’s mind latched onto that sensation as his mouth whispered a noise of sheer need.
Strong fingers slipped down Dean’s sides, gripping the bottom of his shirt, yanking it over his head and tossing it behind the couch and out of view. Mikael’s warm mouth traveled down the length of Dean’s body, trailing kisses and soft, teasing nips. Hands wrapped around his arms, holding them in place as Mikael’s mouth reached his stomach.
Mikael freed Dean’s arms only so that his fingers could fight with the buttons and zipper of Dean’s jeans. With a low noise of triumph, Mikael successfully freed him, his mouth moving downward even as his hands shoved the jeans down to Dean’s ankles. His mouth wrapped around Dean’s cock, tongue greedily swiping back and forth as Mikael lowered his head. Dean’s hips pressed upward as he groaned, unconsciously trying to get more of the blissful sensation of Mikael’s mouth.
The noise Mikael made could only be called a growl as he moved, bobbing his head to slide Dean’s cock between his lips. Dean’s eyes flashed open, powerless to resist he lifted his head to watch, and moaned once more as he caught sight of Mikael’s hazel eyes staring intently up at him. He couldn’t look away. He was vaguely aware of Mikael’s hands shoving his jeans and underwear further down to his feet, allowing him to kick them off easily. Legs free, he writhed under Mikael’s body as the man pressed his hips down and sucked more of Dean’s cock into his throat, taking him all the way to the root.
“Mikael— I can’t…” Dean cried, with a gasp, not quite sure what he was even trying to say.
The feel of Mikael’s fingers, slicked with the cool lube that Dean hadn’t even heard him pull out and open, pressed against the entrance to his ass. His hips strained upward once more as the fingers slid into him, his body giving way as they pressed in further. His body was alive with heat, pleasure flooding through him as Mikael expertly opened him up, even as Dean continued to suck him deep. Another finger joined the others and Dean pressed his hips down eagerly, toward the fingers this time, seeking the overstimulation that came from both fingers and mouth working in harmony.
“Baby—” he breathed, “please.”
A low growl rumbled up from Mikael’s throat and vibrated around Dean’s sensitive length. Dean was dangerously close to coming, and he was desperate to avoid it. Mikael seemed to sense that he had pushed Dean far enough, pulling his mouth free of his cock. When Mikael removed his fingers, Dean groaned in protest, thrusting his hips up against Mikael’s body as Mikael focused on undoing his own jeans. If it wasn’t for the fact that he was just as desperate for Mikael to get naked as the man himself seemed to be, he would have found it amusing to watch him try to wrestle himself out of the offending article of clothing.
“This is why well-hung guys should take their pants off before getting hard,” Dean told him, finally finding the strength to sound amused. It earned him a dirty look from Mikael who managed to pull himself free without causing any harm, shoving his jeans and underwear down and off with enough force to almost launch them off the end of his legs.
“Come here,” Mikael huffed, yanking Dean up from his reclined position as if he weighed nothing. Dean’s stomach flipped as he was heaved up and Mikael maneuvered his legs into a crossed-leg position and let Dean rest in the space between, his legs curling around the larger man’s waist as Mikael’s arms clutched his back. Dean found the bottle lying next to Mikael, wondering when he had managed to perfect Dean’s magic ‘appearing lube’ trick. Shoving the thought aside, he poured a generous amount into his hand.
Mikael hissed as the cold liquid touched his sensitive cock, but Dean gave a quiet whimper as his fingers slid over Mikael’s length. It was nearly impossible to keep his focus when Mikael was looking at him as he was, his lip caught between his teeth, pupils wide with lust, a hungry look on his face. His head swam as he warmed the slick fluid between his hands and Mikael’s cock. Suddenly, Mikael was picking him u
p again and positioning Dean above him.
Dean’s knees hit the floor as Mikael held the base of his cock and aligned it with Dean’s hole. They both sighed a noise of appreciation as the head of Mikael’s cock pressed into Dean. Mikael, groaned from the pressure surrounding his sensitive flesh, and Dean let out a long moan of pleasure at the familiar sensation of being stretched open. Mikael might have started the process with his fingers, but they both loved to feel Dean open up completely with Mikael’s cock driving deep into him.
All of their previous practice allowed Dean to steadily ease himself down onto Mikael. His body was well versed in the feel of Mikael’s cock diving into him, and while it had been a couple of days, out of respect for, and not to scar Apollo, his muscles gave way easily as Mikael settled himself deep inside Dean. While the burn was faint, this was not the moment for slamming Dean into the nearest surface and fucking him until he could barely walk. The heat in Mikael’s eyes revealed his restraint, but his hands were patient as they roamed Dean’s body, letting him adjust to his size.
Then he began to move, hands curling around Dean’s hips to lift him up, pulling out nearly all the way before thrusting up again to slide back into him. Dean’s hands scrambled, fingers closing on Mikael’s shoulders as his legs wrapped around him, drawing the firm globes of his ass closer. Dean exhaled a shaky breath as Mikael took his time pushing in, then lifting Dean back up. Dean’s body followed Mikael’s established rhythm, sinking down with each of Mikael’s thrusts, their two bodies working together as one.
Mikael’s nostrils flared as he pressed his face against the crook of Dean’s neck and inhaled deeply. He breathed Dean’s scent and Dean could almost swear he felt Mikael throb inside of him. Though they had never done this before, Dean could feel how clearly it aroused Mikael. When Mikael pulled his head back, turning his face to drag his teeth along Dean’s throat and jaw, Dean immediately understood why. Mikael’s eyes had changed, they were a little more yellow and the shape of them had altered enough that Dean could see Mikael’s inner wolf coming out to play.
“Mikael?”
Dean’s voice was shaky, an instinctual tremor curling up his spine as the primitive part of his mind responded to the sight of a predator’s eyes gazing back into his own. There was a twinge in his back where Mikael’s fingers clawed against his skin, his nails suddenly sharper. Dean’s body responded to the fear in the only way it knew how when it came to Mikael, sensations heightened as Mikael’s rhythm continued steadily. His skin tingled, the pleasure in him coiling tighter and tighter in his gut as he caught sight of Mikael’s teeth now longer and far sharper than they were before.
Mikael’s body was just as taut as his own, and he knew they were both close. He locked his gaze with Mikael’s, feeling his body rushing toward its release. He held his eyes a moment longer before bowing forward, breathing in the strong earthy scent pouring off Mikael.
Without warning, Mikael pushed him down, burying himself suddenly to the hilt within Dean. Dean cried out, that final show of force enough to drive him over the edge. Mikael had always been good about timing their orgasms, and he felt Mikael’s own body grow taut against his. As Dean relished the sensation, hot breath blasted against his shoulder, followed by a sharp, piercing pain.
Mikael’s sharpened teeth bit down, drawing blood instantly. Pain flared, radiating out from his shoulder. Mikael’s arms curled almost protectively around him as he sank his teeth deeper with a guttural moan, ensuring the mate bond was complete.. Dean gave another cry, as the pain in his shoulder melded with the orgasm wracking his body, drawing out his pleasure.
Heat, as if fire itself was crawling beneath his skin, spread out from the bite. Dean’s body went rigid as the sensation from the bite curled and twisted within him, penetrating to his core. His vision blurred, and a snarl escaped his lips. For a brief moment, Dean was back in that old dream, the one he’d had when he first became friends with Mikael. The dream of running free under the moonlight, four paws propelling him forward as he dashed through the covered forest. The smell of prey was near, and the thrill of the hunt: of chasing, outsmarting, and overtaking his quarry, filled him.
The animal savagery seized him, a primal glee in the face of all else. For a moment, his awareness spread out from the wolf, and into the surroundings of the dream. He could taste the dirt beneath the paws of the wolf, smell the leaves that fell gently around him, feel the coarse yet strangely soothing bark of the trees against his skin, and he could hear the rushing water of a nearby stream. His consciousness dove into those things, and suddenly he was all of them, following the stream, running beside the wolf, driving his roots down deep into the earth. As much as he was those things, he was also the prey that ran in terror, and he was the hunger of the predator, all colliding inside of him at once.
Then the illusion was gone, fading into the background, and he was dimly aware that he had slumped against Mikael. Gradually he became aware of a sticky warmth on his shoulder, and of the desperate hold that Mikael had on him. It took a moment, but then his awareness returned and he could hear Mikael’s increasingly concerned voice asking him if he was okay.
“Yeah,” he replied groggily, “I’m okay Mikael, I’m okay.”
He barely noticed Mikael dragging him up and away from his body, his cock slipping free from within him. Their gazes locked as Mikael laid him gently back on the cushions. His face was pinched in a worried frown, flitting from Dean’s face, down to his shoulder.
“I’ve got a kit, hold on,” Mikael murmured, yanking a first aid kit out from beneath the table beside the couch. Moving quickly, but carefully, he began pulling out what he needed and cleaning up the wound in Dean’s neck. “I’m so sorry, babe. I must have bitten you too hard. I was trying to be careful, but it was so hard in the heat of the moment. I’m so sorry, Dean. I shouldn’t have timed it like that, I thought it would make it easier to do, less painful for you and easier for me to… to just bite you like that. Fuck, I think I bit too deep.”
“You’re babbling,” Dean told him with a smile, reaching up to touch Mikael’s cheek. In the flickering light of the fire, he looked so worried, but Dean didn’t think he had ever seen Mikael look as beautiful as he did in that moment. It may have been the haze of the vision or whatever he had seen, but he was pretty sure it was also the bite... well probably.
“I’m babbling cuz I’m an idiot.”
“You’re not an idiot, I just…felt it…big time.”
“I bit you with mostly wolf teeth Dean, I’m sure you did feel it. Stop trying to stop me. I need to clean it so I can patch you up. Fuck, I hope you don’t need stitches.”
“No…I mean…I felt the bite happen,” Dean explained patiently, trying not to move too much so that Mikael could assuage himself by cleaning him up. “I think I…I think I felt a piece of you go into me or something.”
Mikael paused, frowning down at Dean, “I’ve heard that can happen sometimes with people who are sensitive to spiritual stuff, but I’ve never heard of anyone passing out from it.”
“Did I pass out? Makes sense. It was more than that, Mikael; I think it was partly the druid thing.”
“Tell me while I clean you up.”
So he did, slowly, and at times haltingly, as he tried to piece together the brief but potent sensations he had experienced while lost in the moment. Mikael’s face slowly lost its heavy frown as he listened, grasping the significance of what Dean was telling him. Dean didn’t know how to express the sheer magic of the sensation, of feeling that piece of Mikael flow through him, within his core, allowing him to connect to every part of nature. For a moment, Dean had been tuned in to every natural thing in a way that was reminiscent of the showdown with Nox at the Cairn.
“Your blood tasted funny for a second there,” Mikael finally admitted, blushing a little as he said it.
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. I mean… I’ve never had crushed leaves in my mouth before, but that’s the only thing I can t
hink of to describe it. I thought I was losing my mind for a second there, because I felt something… happen. I can’t describe it, other than feeling like something was unleashed that I didn’t even know was bound inside me. But then, yeah, crushed leaves.”
“Mmm,” Dean hummed, stroking Mikael’s leg, eyeing him, “Am I all better, doctor?”
Mikael huffed, tossing everything back into the kit, “It wasn’t as bad as I thought, but it’s gonna sting. I bit deeper than I meant to, and that shoulder isn’t going to be much use for a while. It’s definitely going to be tender.”
“So my shoulder will be tender instead of my ass this time. Well, that’s a nice change of pace,” Dean joked, chuckling as Mikael gave him a dirty look. Pushing himself up, he all but threw himself into Mikael’s lap, surprising him enough that Mikael fell back against the couch. “You worry too much. I’m okay, actually I’m better than okay, I’m fantastic.”
Mikael stiffened for a moment, before letting out a breath and wrapping his arms around Dean’s chest. “You sure it was just your vision thing?”
“Yes. Now stop! You straight up just marked me, and it made me have both an amazing orgasm and an incredible vision. All in all, I’d call that a successful marking.”
“You feel any different?”
“Sleepy, but that’s not really different from any other time we’ve had sex. You?”
“Mmm, same,” Mikael nuzzled his face against Dean’s hair and slowly breathed in his scent. “Maybe it just takes time.”
“Let’s just…” Dean began, sinking back into the comfortable feeling of Mikael’s body pressed against his back, “…appreciate the fire, the house to ourselves, and the fact that we just committed to each other in a very real way. I love you, Mikael; let’s just enjoy this.”
“I love you too,” it was a soft exhalation, but it was filled with more meaning and devotion than a shout would have been, and that was all he needed.
