Love is Always Write Anthology Bonus Volume

apart.
    "You're not trying to sell me something you don't really want to give."
    "Thank you." Daren slid down a bit, pressing his face to Sebastian's chest.
    He let Daren set the pace. Sleepy rolls of the hips against each other, both growing harder, and Sebastian struggling to keep himself under control. That line he crossed, possibly the moment he'd fallen back into his own bed, was on the verge of becoming completely obliterated. He wanted to roll Daren over, strip off his shirt, unwrap the bandages from his ribs. He wanted to run his lips over every bruise and break, soothing a body that had been enduring such pain. He wanted to show Daren all the little pleasures that a string of Kendras and Heathers had obviously never given to him. He wanted to make him forget that his body had ever been harmed in any way.
    He swept his hand gently across Daren's cotton-clad spine and felt him tremble and give a little groan. His own cock twitched at that sound. A groan of pleasure and not of pain, or fear. He stroked Daren's back again and rubbed small circles as Daren's hips began to move with more speed and regularity.
    Sebastian reached between their bodies and took Daren in his hand. Daren cried out and pressed himself into Sebastian's hand with all his strength. Sebastian gave a gentle stroke. The moan from Daren was deep and full and filled the room. Sebastian was sure he'd heard few things better. It was a sound of health and life. He stroked Daren faster and listened to the full-throated sounds of pleasure. It wasn't long though, only a couple of minutes, before Daren's hips fell out of any rhythm and just became frantic jerks. Sebastian gave a little twist of his wrist and worked his hand hard at the root of Daren's cock. Daren twitched in his hand, then poured out across it, nearly screaming out his release.
    Daren looked up at him. Sebastian's eyes had adjusted to the dark and he could make out the postcoital peace on Daren's face and the smile on his lips.
    Sebastian ached. He wiped his hand on Daren's shirt– it would have to be changed anyway– before pushing down his own shorts. Daren looked down between their bodies and chuckled.
    "Okay. That's never something any man wants to hear in bed."
    "Sorry, just never seen someone else's at this angle. Feeling a little existential about it."
    It was Sebastian's turn to chuckle a little, but it didn't lessen his own need. He closed his eyes and began to stroke himself in earnest, nuzzling his face into Daren's hair. Daren began running his fingers over Sebastian's lower back. It was probably all he could do, but the fact that he was even trying sent a soft wave of pleasure through Sebastian. He hadn't been getting much relief himself lately and knew he wouldn't be lasting long. He pulled Daren as tight against his own body as possible, took a deep breath of his scent, and allowed himself to silently cum.
    Daren was holding him tight when he managed to catch his breath and let his muscles relax. He rolled out of Daren's grip onto his back.
    "You didn't make a sound."
    "What?" Sebastian's brain wasn't quite back in gear yet.
    "When you came, you didn't make a sound."
    "E-1 seamen don't get private rooms, and no one wants to listen to their bunkmate jack off."
    Daren snickered. "Seamen."
    "Shut up." Sebastian was aware of the general stickiness now on his body. Daren was similarly sticky. He peeked at the clock; it was almost three. "I guess I should get us cleaned up. And we should both try to get a bit more sleep.
    ****
    It was a particularly aggravated-sounding songbird that finally woke Sebastian from his sleep. Daren was already awake and staring at the curtain-covered window.
    "That bird has been going ballistic for the last half hour. I don't know how you slept through it."
    "I can sleep through a lot." Sebastian mumbled into his pillow before pushing himself up and out of bed. "Breakfast first?"
    "Sure."
    "How about if we have it in here?"
    "Okay." Daren sounded a little startled. They'd gotten into the habit of eating most meals out in the kitchen.
    "Good, I'll be right back."
    Sebastian rushed into the kitchen and pulled a twin pack of Hostess Chocolate Cupcakes from the cupboard along with a couple of birthday candles from the random-stuff drawer. It wasn't exactly a twenty-tier layer cake or whatever Daren had planned, but at least it was cake.
    He stuck a candle into the middle of each cupcake and lit them before going back into the bedroom. He sat on the