by Megan Derr
Alfred's gave one of his soft, gentle laughs, nothing like the brighter ones he used for other people. No, those soft chuckles were Thaddeus' alone, or so he liked to believe. "No, my lord. I know desire when I see it, especially when it is trying to remain hidden." The easy laughter abruptly faded, replaced by a grimace. "It was, after all, how I sustained myself."
"I see no reason to be ashamed of that," Thaddeus said quietly, gently stroking Alfred's cheek and cupping it. "I am more hurt that you feared I would toss you out. I am sorry that you felt that you could not trust me."
"It is hard to realize that you have no cause to fear when you have spent your entire life fearing one thing or another." He hesitated, blue eyes still filled with so much uncertainty. "Truly? You are not disgusted or reviled? Over and over again William said that you would be horrified, revolted…"
Thaddeus snorted. "You would believe that nasty little blackmailer over me? My dear, surely you do know me better than that."
"As I said, my lord, it is hard to stop being afraid. From the moment we first met, I thought you too good to be true. It seemed inevitable that I would someday be turned out."
"That will never happen," Thaddeus said quietly but firmly. "You have nothing to fear from me, I swear it. All I want is your happiness, Alfred."
Alfred nodded, a soft smile curving his far too pretty mouth. He licked his lips and Thaddeus knew he did it on purpose, and the inviting tilt of his head was no mistake either. He did not doubt for a moment that men eagerly paid their weight in gold for such looks. "Thad…"
Thaddeus stepped away before he gave in to the near-overwhelming impulse to claim the too pretty mouth that had captured his fancy right from the very first moment he had laid eyes upon Alfred's smile.
Alfred frowned, hurt flickering across his face. "You admit you want me, yet recoil from my offer?"
Thaddeus blinked. "Alfred, we have just finished discussing that you used to be a companion. I will not undermine all that I have just said by suddenly giving in to my baser urges. That aside, we are one and twenty years apart in age."
"You…" Rolling his eyes, Alfred closed the space between them and grasped Thaddeus' head between his hands, then tugged him down and kissed him soundly.
A groan tore free; Thaddeus was shocked to hear himself make such a sound, but Alfred tasted finer than he had imagined—and his imagination was quite colorful. Like white wine and strawberries, a hint of lemon, and he realized abruptly that his arms had moved wholly without his permission to wrap firmly around Alfred.
"You are the only man I have ever truly wanted, Thad," Alfred said when they at last broke apart. "That aside, you have said that I may trust you and I am attempting to prove that I do. Unless you want me to start calling you 'father', I suggest that you make clear what manner of address you prefer."
Thaddeus laughed, warmed through by the answering smile, and bent to take another kiss.
About the Author
Megan is a long time resident of LGBTQ fiction, and keeps herself busy reading, writing, and publishing it. She is often accused of fluff and nonsense. When she's not involved in writing, she likes to cook, harass her wife and cats, or watch movies. She loves to hear from readers, and can be found all over the internet.
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