Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 5

terms, argr, but that I was attracted to men rather than women. It took them a while to come to terms with it, but they accept it, accept me."
    "You actually told them?" Harald looked at him in disbelief.
    "Yes," Alex shrugged. "Over time things changed. Things got a lot worse before they got better but a thousand years in the future things are very different. It's still not perfect, a long way from it really, but definitely better."
    "You want to go back?" Harald asked.
    Alex didn't reply immediately. "I thought I did, now I'm not so sure" he admitted quietly.
    Sitting side by side in the afternoon sunshine, the two men stared out over the water, both lost in their own thoughts.
    "I'm going to bathe," Harald said suddenly, starting to remove his tunic as he rose from the fallen trunk. "Join me?" he asked simply.
    Alex had seen Harald naked earlier in the day, but that had been in the dim light of his room. Standing with the sun behind him as he slowly removed his clothes Alex suddenly found himself wanting to trace his hands down the long muscular arms, and across the smooth skin of the broad chest.
    He didn't see Harald remove his trousers, having turned his back as his body made its attraction known in a way that would be all too obvious when Alex removed his own clothing. Only once he heard the splash of water as Harald entered the loch did he strip off his on tunic and kilt. Wearing just the hated slave collar round his neck he plunged into the water as quickly as he could. The temperature of the water and the sudden sting of the cut on his shoulder more than enough to swiftly deflate his arousal.
    Harald set out with a brisk paced stroke towards the centre of the loch with Alex in pursuit, only stopping when both were breathing heavily, no longer feeling the chill of the water. For a while the floated silently in the sunlit water, before making their way back to the shore at a much slower pace. Alex's fingers were wrinkled and blue with cold as he reached the shore. Stumbling a little over the stones he flung himself face down onto the sun warmed grass to dry out before dressing.
    Alex felt the air move as Harald lowered himself onto the grass next to him. Without warning Harald's hand brushed his shoulder, close to the jagged wound that Ketil's blade had sliced into him that morning.
    "You are healing fast," Harald's fingers played lightly over Alex's still damp skin, making goose bumps rise.
    "That's good," Alex stuttered as Harald withdrew his hand, his body having decided that it would really rather like to feel Harald's hands elsewhere on it.
    Trying to decide whether to stay where he was until Harald was dressed or whether to risk making a run for his clothes, Alex turned his head towards the other man. Harald lay on his back in the grass, his eyes closed to the brightness of the sunlight. Alex's eyes wandered up and down the other man's body, admiring the pale skin which was lightly dusted with golden hair on his arms and across his chest.
    Rolling onto his side so he faced Harald, Alex's eyes followed the trail down Harald's muscled stomach, as the hair got thicker the colour became much deeper until it reached Harald's groin where it formed a nest of red hair around his erect cock.
    "Harald," he asked quietly as he sat up. "Did you ever, you know, do what you wanted to, with Edgar, or anyone?"
    "No, I never had the chance," Harald replied sadly as he pushed himself up onto his elbows and looking at Alex with curiosity.
    "So you've never done anything, with a man I mean?" Alex began to lean forward towards Harald's groin, breathing in he could smell the clean scent of the older man.
    "No." Harald shook his head
    "Just lie still," Alex suggested as he brought his mouth towards Harald's erection, tracing his tongue lazily up the thick vein that pulsed along the underside.
    "What are you doing?" Harald's eyes were wide with shock at Alex's actions.
    "Just relax, enjoy it," Alex replied before returning his tongue to trace a slow circle just below the mushroom shaped tip of his shaft.
    Harald's eyes shut as Alex continued his exploration. Lapping at the bead of pre-cum that had formed at the slit, before teasing it with short jabs of his tongue. Alex moved his hand to cup Harald's balls, rolling them gently in his fingers. Moving forwards he slowly licked up and down the shaft before taking him into the warmth of his mouth. Applying gentle pressure he bobbed his head up and down as he altered the depth to