A Heart to Trade

**revised 1/21/11

The hands that gripped Aminri’s arms were pure death; the icy coldness of the fingers that dug into his skin sunk from the boy’s flesh down to his very bones. The boy struggled for his release with a cowardly sort of valor, kicking his legs into the air in desperation while also knowing deep down his hope was all for naught. A small voice repeated the same words over and over in deep, cutting whispers at the back of Aminri’s mind all the while. The boy fought it off reluctantly, drowned by its ever louder chanting and having a paranoid feeling of eyes boring into him from behind. These visions and feelings of abuse stood looming over Aminri like a phantom, invisible to the human eye but very much there.

In the midst of the otherwise calm midnight, Aminri woke with great violence as he flung the sheets furiously around. His hazel eyes shot open to the darkly lit ceiling of the room, his skin blanketed in a thin sheet of sweat. A whimper escaped his lips as he looked around the room, panting and far too wary. He could feel those merciless nails clawing into his skin at that very moment, and even though he had healed, he could feel the tears inside of him burning with great ferocity. Aminri curled himself into a ball at the center of the bed, the mattress screeching in protest beneath him. The boy hated himself and, at that second, hated everything from the bed he sat on to the distant Parselle household. He had been so sure that everything was alright in this grand new home of his that Harold was hundreds of miles away. But it was the opposite. Instead, Harold was not as far away as Aminri would like, and in fact might as well have been standing at the foot of Aminri’s bed, watching him with gleaming eyes. Always watching him.

Aminri uncurled and stood, the air of the room having become far too thick for him to breathe in. He headed to the door and turned the knob, slowly opening it with great caution. Silently, sneakily, Aminri crept from his bedroom down the hall and towards Zane’s room. Before opening the door, Aminri inhaled deeply, and listened as a soft creak emitted from its hinges. A cascade of light entered through the darkness as the boy heard the man stir upon his bed, though not quite waking. The boy closed the door and took a place beside Zane’s bed, sighing in relief. With curious eyes, he watched the man, who slept peacefully beneath deep blue sheets with fluttering eyelids and an ethereal expression. Aminri hated to wake him, and personally fond his actions foolish. After all, he barely even knew Zane. But he figured there was no hurt in trying to get used to the man. Aminri was already quite comfortable with his presence alone, and instead sat on the very end of the bed, being careful not to sink the mattress too quickly. He began to close his eyes in an attempt to fall back asleep, but was interrupted by the abrupt placement of hands on his shoulders. Suddenly becoming fearful and not being able see in the darkness, Aminri fought them off, as if he were still dreaming. He was overtaken, though, and was shoved violently against the bed post. Zane tugged relentlessly on Aminri’s collar, to which the boy softly, but sharply said, “Zane, Zane, Zane! It’s only me!”

Recognizing the voice, Zane stopped and turned on the lamp that sat near the bed. Indeed, laying before him was his small fiancé, whose nightshirt had been lifted, revealing his slender thighs. A button of the shirt had been popped out and sat lonesome on the sheets. “Ari!” Zane gasped, alarmed.

He moved quickly towards him and wrapped him up in his arms. “My god, are you alright? Did I hurt you?”

“No,” Aminri lied, “I feel fine.”

Zane sighed and pushed him gently away. “Well, what is it that you need so badly this late at night?”

Aminri bit his lip as he felt a hotness rise in his face and looked down. “I had a nightmare,” he said quickly and quietly.

Zane was silent for a few moments, then burst out laughing. “A nightmare? What frightened you so much that you needed to come to me?”

Aminri didn’t answer and only stared. “Alright, I suppose you can stay. But only for a bit. You have to leave eventually.”

The boy nodded his agreement and laid down alongside Zane as he pulled his nightshirt down. Just like the man had said, Aminri was only allowed to stay until he had finally calmed down. Time flew all too quickly by, an hour having only felt like a few minutes for the two as they had their casual conversation. Although Zane hated to make the boy leave, he stroked Aminri’s hair and ushered him away. When he heard the words come from the man’s mouth, the boy felt much sadder than he felt was appropriate. Before going, Aminri turned back around and took Zane’s shoulders into his two hands. Gently and only lightly brushing, Aminri kissed the man on the lips. Zane’s eyes widened in surprise. “Goodnight, Zane,” Aminri whispered.

The boy left and tucked himself back into bed. Although in the back of his mind he was frightened, he slept quite well the rest of the night.
~ * ~ * ~
The next morning, Aminri was surprised to hear that Anthony had scheduled a private meeting with him in his office. Zane had told him that it wasn’t anything major, but the boy couldn’t help but be nervous. Although he had met the man before, even spoken with him, this formal of a meeting couldn’t be anything to take lightly. But, of course, this was wrong. And Aminri immediately knew why when Anthony first asked, breaking the silence between the two, “How have you been doing?”

Aminri blinked, then answered, “Fine, thank you.”

“I see your eye is getting better. That’s wonderful. Are there any concerns you have here at the estate?”

“N…no, not anything in particular, sir,” Aminri carefully replied.

“If there’s anything you’re worried about, you shouldn’t hesitate to come and speak to me, Aminri. I’m going to be taking care of you from now on, after all. Zane isn’t exactly the best person to go to in certain situations. And he certainly does lack very much needed experience.”

Aminri nodded, relaxing just a bit. But then he bit his lip and thought for a moment. “I’m…not exactly sure how this will work. My relationship with Zane, that is.”

Although Aminri hated to admit it, he still had plenty of doubts about Zane. And he still highly disliked this idea of being stuck with a stranger, no matter how much he found the man comforting. Anthony cocked his head to the side for a bit, then answered him. “Well, usually it comes naturally. But of course this situation isn’t very natural, now is it? Well, unfortunately, a bond isn’t exactly something that can be taught, only developed. Zane is a very good man, Aminri, no matter how irrational he may seem at times. He’ll be very good to you, otherwise I’ll make sure of it. If you don’t grow to love him, I know you will at least grow to be good friends with him.”

“Yes, Zane is very respectable. But nevertheless…I’m frightened, sir.”

At this Anthony showed an elegant, gentle smile. “I know how you must feel in such an unfamiliar situation. But you will get used to him.”

“May I ask how you’re so sure of so much, sir?”

Anthony’s smile widened. “I’ll just say I’ve learned from experience.”

Aminri leaned in closer, genuinely interested in the conversation now. “Experience, sir?”

“Yes, experience. Aminri, do you know of the connections the Benningtons have to the royal family?” The boy nodded. “Long ago, this family became very tightly wound into theirs, eventually leading to a pact that the Benningtons would loyally serve the royal family until the end of their reign. Of course, that won’t be ending anytime soon. I was assigned to the current king as his benefactor. I was given a very strict education, and I spent nearly every day with him. I found him irritating at first, having been arrogant and impulsive when he was younger. But as we grew older… and as we both changed…” Anthony looked downwards, as if staring back into the story of his life with great intensity. “Well, many things were different, then. You see, the boy I once resented so much had transformed into a very decent adolescent. And very handsome. And wise for his age. You could already see the king in him emerging.”

Aminri, predicting the end of this tale, softly said, “You fell in love with him.”

Anthony looked up and smiled once again, nodding slowly. “So you see, Ari, once you just let things take their course, you truly can find happiness in the end. Our situations are very different, I know, but just try your best and I’m sure things will end well.”

“Why…did you tell me this?” Aminri asked. “I-I’m just wondering, sir! I just think it’s a bit odd for you to tell me something so personal…so…quickly…”

Anthony chuckled at the boy’s reluctance. “I know, it is. I figured you would need to know eventually, though. My relationship with the king is quite well known in the family, and I figured it would work hand in hand with my talk with you. Besides, if you had heard this from someone like my sister, I’m sure the story would have gotten twisted in some bizarre way, so I figured it would be best if you heard it yourself.”

“You’re in a relationship with him now?” Aminri said, ignoring the man’s comment about Zane’s aunt.

“Yes. It took many years and hardships to get to, but yes.” The boy nodded, having a newfound respect for the much older man. “Well, I suppose it’s time I got back to work. I hope I was of help to you, Aminri.”

“Oh, yes, thank you very much, sir.” Aminri bowed slightly as he stood to leave.

Before he left, Anthony left him one final note. “And Aminri? You don’t have to call me ‘sir.’”

Aminri nodded and smiled at the man before softly closing the door behind him, now refreshed.
~ * ~ * ~
After a few more days of the family reunion, Zane and Aminri finally left the main estate and headed to Zane’s home in the next city over. The ride was only a two or three hours long, and when they had gotten there Aminri could see a group of people both tall and small waiting at the front. The wheels slowed until it had finally come to a stop before the small group, with one person reacting almost instantly. A tall, slender man with light brown hair and sparkling green eyes opened the door for them as he wore a rather serious expression. “Onnin, good to see you.”

Zane laid a hand on the man’s shoulder as if he were a good friend. Onnin? Aminri thought as he instantly recognized the name to be Mavalian.

“It’s good to you see you as well, sir.” He had the accent, as well. Aminri was slightly excited about being able to meet someone who might have come from the country itself. Onnin noticed the boy standing behind Zane and smiled at him. “I believe you’re My Lord’s fiancé?”

Aminri nodded, but was taken back when Onnin bowed and said, “It’s a pleasure to be serving you, sir. I’m the head servant at this mansion.”

Aminri thanked him and politely shook hands, his slender fingers wrapping themselves around the other man’s much longer one’s. From the side, he overheard Zane speaking with another person, whose voice was high pitched and youthful sounding. Aminri looked over to them and came upon a small boy of a miniature stature in comparison to Zane. The child was standing on his tiptoes, his large grey eyes staring questioningly at Zane. “But father,” Aminri overheard, “who is she? You went away for so long, and, and, then now she showed up.”

“I told you, Gabe, she’s your new governess,” Zane replied.

“But, but, what about Miss Sherling?”

“We’ve spoken about this before, don’t you remember? She’s going to have a baby, so she left. Where’s your sister? I’m sure she knows.”

“But, but, I asked her and she said that she didn’t know either.”

“Well then, I suppose you know now.”

Zane looked over and noticed Aminri watching them. He gave him an embarrassed smile, “Oh, I didn’t tell you, did you.”

“No, I don’t believe you did,” Aminri replied, slightly apprehensive. “How many children do you have?”

“Only two: Gabriel, whose right here, and his twin sister Vanessa. Don’t worry, I’ve already explained the situation to them. They know who you are.”

“How long are you staying?” Gabriel asked Aminri.

“I’ve told you, Gabe, Ari is going to be living with us from now on.”

Gabriel simply stared at the taller boy in front of him. “Will he be going to school with us?”

Zane laughed. “No, no, no. Aminri’s already out of school, Gabe. He’s much older than you are.”

The curious child pressed his lips together, obviously confused. Giving up his questioning, he ran back to the house to join his sister. “How old is he and Vanessa?” Aminri asked.

“They’ll be seven in a few months. Don’t mind them, though. They’re very well behaved.”

In the background, Onnin lifted the luggage out of the coach and headed towards the mansion, the cool breeze pushing back his relatively long hair. Zane followed him back inside, with Aminri quickly following close behind him as he placed a hand on the man’s back. As they walked inside, their feet tapping against the reflective granite, Aminri immediately noticed the difference between it and the main estate. Although it was still very grand, it’s scale was closer to that of the Parselle household, and was visibly more modest. “Does your father pay for all of this, Zane?”

The man laughed, his voice echoing off of the walls. “At first he did. I take care of myself now that I’m older, though. I have my own business.”

Aminri found it both surprising and unsurprising how independent his fiancé was. Sons of aristocrats often didn’t do anything with their time and simply fed off of their father’s wealth, much like what Aminri’s father still did when he went gambling. The boy wondered just how much else he didn’t know about his fiancé yet, and had to admit that he was rather curious.

When they reached their room, Zane thanked and dismissed Onnin, to which the slender man bowed. Zane’s room was just as modest as the rest of the house was; the curtains were a greyish-blue color, with the sheets on the bed matching, while the bed was a very simply carved canopy bed adorned with grey cloth. Aminri was not dazzled, but he did find the place much more homely than his original home and the main estate. “This is where you’ll be staying,” Zane said.

Aminri turned to the man and smiled faintly. “I suppose we’ll be sleeping together again?”

Zane chuckled. “Yes, we will be. Come, set your things down. Onnin will come later to put things away for us.”

Aminri wasn’t listening anymore, though. Instead, he had focused his attention to the small portrait that hung on the far wall. A beautiful woman with curled red hair and glimmering grey eyes stared eerily at him. “Who is that?” he asked Zane.

Zane looked in the same direction, then let out a heavy sigh. It was as if he was releasing a tension that had been built up inside of him for years. “That’s my late wife. My uncle insisted that we had it painted for our anniversary five years ago. After she died, I just didn’t have the heart to take it down.” Aminri softly replied “oh” and looked sadly away. “Does it bother you? I could get it stored, if you’d like.”

The boy was close to saying that it was alright, but when he thought of waking up every morning to her piercing eyes watching him, he said, “Well, I suppose it would be better that way.”

Zane nodded his understanding. “I’ll tell Onnin to take of it, then.”

At the speaking of these words, the room was swept into a stiff, awkward silence. “It was very kind of you to keep it up, though, Zane.”

Zane chuckled, rather sadly. “It was more cowardly than kind, Ari.” The man felt bad for having made the woman feel obliged to give him children, especially since he hadn’t had an ounce of love for her. He had only respect, which he knew wasn’t something his wife had wanted from him at all. Feeling far too tense, Zane quickly changed the subject. “Oh, I almost forgot, the tailor will be coming in about an hour or so.”

“A tailor? Why?”

“It’s for the wedding. And you definitely need to get a few more sets of clothes.”

“Well, what’s wrong with what I have?” Zane only looked at him. Aminri sighed. “I don’t…feel comfortable with you spending so much money on me.”

“It’s fine, Ari. She sells things at a rather cheap price, anyway.” Zane watched the boy look down at the ground, scratching his neck. He walked over to the boy a gently laid a hand on his shoulder. “You’re too timid, Ari. You need to square your shoulders every now and then, if only for a bit. And I don’t mean that to scorn you. Be bolder.”

At first Aminri was taken back, offended by the comment, but then sighed. He knew the man was right, but he couldn’t help himself. Zane gingerly swept back a strand of hair that was covering the boy’s face and smiled at him. “You’re still young, though. I’m sure you’ll learn.”

Aminri looked to the side and caught his image in the nearby mirror, then had a revelation. “Will the tailor see me with my shirt off?”

Zane realized what the boy was thinking and reassured him, “Don’t worry, it’ll only be for a few seconds while she does the measurements. I’ll tell her about your injuries beforehand, if you’d like.”

Aminri nodded his head. “Thank you, Zane.”

Zane took the boy’s hand in his. “Well, while we wait, would you like you like to meet my children?”

Aminri’s mouth curled into the faintest of a smile. “Yes, I would love to.”
~ * ~ * ~
When the tailor had finally arrived, Aminri was sitting on the floor of the twin’s room playing dolls with Vanessa as Gale watched. Aminri was already rather fond of the small boy and girl; they hardly judged him and seemed to like him back. The boy realized how strict of a parent Zane was to the two, though, when their schedule was explained to him. Early in the morning, at 6:00 the children were to wake up, get ready, and start studying. Breakfast was promptly at 7:30, and after they were finished they would resume studying with their tutor or him. At 10:30 they had an hour of free time, then they would continue with their sessions. Their end time was typically about 4:30 to 5:00. After that, he let the two run free. Aminri had just so happened to arrive when they had a weekly day off of studying, and Vanessa was more than glad to have a playmate that wasn’t her reluctant brother or overly serious father for once. Aminri was glad he had had experience with children beforehand; he couldn’t imagine what his life would end up being like without it. Before he had gone to university, he was made to change the two babies’ diapers and to stop their crying in the middle of the night, lest they wake their cranky stepmother. When the babies had grown up (into rather malevolent children who blamed him for broken vases) he had to put them to bed and help them with their studies. So the twins that he had to take care of here were a sort of fresh air for him.

Zane hated to interrupt Aminri and Vanessa’s bonding, but he had to and slowly opened the door to the room. “Ari, she’s here.”

The boy nodded and gingerly set down the doll that he was holding. He said his farewells to the children, especially a much pouty Vanessa, and followed Zane to where the tailor was waiting. As the two men entered the small guest bedroom, Aminri’s nostrils were immediately filled with a light vanilla scent. The woman was sitting with a large yellow back on a chair at the opposite side of the room, a warm smile curved on her bright red lips. Her auburn hair fell upon her shoulders in elegant curls atop a fashionable white dress. “Hello Lord Bennington, long time no see.” She shook the man’s hand and turned to look at Aminri. “So, I’m guessing you must be the lucky fiancé. Congratulations on the marriage, sirs.”

“Thank you, Miss Riley.” Zane said. “Oh, in addition to the wedding clothes, I’d also like to order a few more sets of clothing for Aminri.”

The woman nodded and handed the two men two sets catalogues filled with the various styles they could choose from. Aminri flipped through the pages of the first and found himself unsurprised at the massive amount of dark colored clothing. The tradition of the country was to wear the same styles as one would at a funeral, in order to represent the bride and groom’s matrimony until death. The boy picked out several styles that he liked from both catalogues and asked for Zane’s opinion. When the two had finally decided on the sets that each would wear, the woman swiftly recorded them in a notebook and shuffled through her bag. Aminri took a deep breath as she pulled out a long measuring tape. “As you two might already know, I’m going to need your measurements. So, if you’d please take off your shirts for me.”

“Oh, excuse me, Miss Riley,” Zane said, quickly remembering. “Aminri got in an accident a few days ago, and he still has a few bruises. Could you please be careful?”

“Certainly, sir,” the woman nodded and smiled politely.

Aminri sighed in relief and began to unbutton the front of his shirt. The boy positioned himself in front of the woman, repressing a blush as goose bumps began to line his half-recovered, lightly bruised arms. Thankfully, the tailor said and expressed nothing as she swiftly wrapped the measuring tape around the boy’s neck, chest, waist, and finally hips. The cloth was cold on his naked skin and obviously stiff, even with the tailor’s gentle touches. He also felt unusually thin in that moment, with much of the tape measure left over after the woman finished looping it around him. After she had completed measuring his arms, he felt even more so when Zane took his place. The man was muscular, and so was much wider in size, though Aminri could tell he was obviously at a healthy weight. He doubted the he himself was, though.

The woman flipped her hair back and gave the two men one final smile before leaving. Zane put his hands around Aminri’s shoulders and pulled him closer. “She’s very skilled, so I’m sure we’ll both end up looking quite good in time for the wedding.”

Aminri nodded and thanked the man for ordering him so many new clothes, smiling brightly. Zane smiled back and lightly kissed his forehead as he lead the boy out of the guest bedroom. The rest of the day was quite routine; Zane introduced his fiancé to the new house and the servants who would be working for him. He showed the boy his private library, the garden in the backyard, the exercise room, and finally the dining room, all of which the boy found oddly exciting. Unlike the larger house he had previously stayed at, this one was officially his to keep. Although he was still slightly nervous about this entirely new lifestyle, he was also more than eager to explore it.

And then there was the dinner. The chef was an excellent cook, at least in the scope of what Aminri was used to eating, and he most definitely didn’t mind the lack of meat within the meal. He was just glad to have such grand food at all. But even with all of these wonderful new things, Aminri couldn’t help but notice the change in his usual seating. Instead of being seated in his normal, lower class chair at the side of the table, he was seated directly across from Zane, which signified his rise to the second in power. “Shouldn’t I be sitting here after we’re married, Zane?” he asked.

Gabriel and Vanessa looked over at him in unison. “Usually, yes, but where else would you be sitting?” Zane replied before taking a bite of his spinach.

Aminri looked back down at his meal and left it at that, unsure of how to reply. After they had finished eating, Zane ushered the children off to bed, the twins both walking tiredly back without complaint. The boy watched from behind the doorframe as the man tucked his son and daughter in, whispering and kissing goodnight to both. He slowly closed the door behind him and motioned for Aminri to follow him back to their bedroom. Zane took the boy’s smaller hand in his and walked up the dimly lit staircase. If it wasn’t for Zane’s company, Aminri would have definitely found the trip eerie, especially with the echoes that followed each step he took. The two men’s shadows lay sprawled on the stairs, elongated and in zigzag form as they trailed behind them. Zane tugged gently on Aminri’s arm, signaling him to walk faster as he climbed the staircase with a nonchalant composure. The boy complied and skipped several steps, pressing his chest against Zane’s back.

Aminri was relieved when they finally arrived at the room, whose door was opened a few inches wide and revealed a bright yellowish light from behind. Zane closed and locked the door when Aminri entered. “Onnin should have already put our things in the appropriate place. Your nightshirt should be in the top drawer.”

The boy nodded and, just as Zane had said, the soft white piece of clothing was settled inside the wooden drawer upon a well folded pile of clothes. Of course, it wasn’t necessarily his nightshirt, since he was still wearing Zane’s hand-me-down, but the man was insistent on him using it. The boy stripped and opened the rest of the drawers, noticing the neat and oddly specific organization of each type of clothing. He also noticed the disappearance of the painting on the wall and noted that Onnin was obviously a much more experienced servant than the ones he remembered from the Parselle estate.

After he had finished dressing, Aminri moved to the side of the bed, opposite from where Zane was changing, and half-hid behind one of the posts of the canopy bed. The boy still wasn’t completely used to undressing in front of his fiancé, but he was slowly getting used to it. Before he was able to get his nightshirt on, Zane turned him around and eyed his body. “W-what is it?” Aminri asked.

“It seems they’re all going away quite nicely. Only a few major ones left.” Zane lifted his fiancé’s chin and inspected his eye. “This one, especially.”

Aminri shivered in the cold and rubbed his arm as he looked down at his torso. Indeed, many of the nasty bruises from the week before had faded, with some having disappeared completely. The man swiped his fiancé’s hair back with his hand, feeling at the boy’s soft tresses. He gazed at Aminri’s soft lips, then lower and lower until finally….

It had been forever since Zane felt these urges for the boy before him. And they didn’t just stick in his fantasies, as was evident from the hotness he felt in his groin. The man pulled the boy in closer and lifted his chin once more, pressing Aminri’s lips against his with great need. The boy’s eyes widened with surprise as he pushed the larger man away. “Zane,” he began.

“Ari,” Zane retorted, “Don’t refuse me now.”

He lifted the boy up into the air and threw him onto the bed, the mattress creaking beneath his light body. When Zane climbed on top of him, Aminri struck his face out of anger and fear. “Zane, stop it! What’s gotten into you?”

The man pulled down his fiance’s underwear, unaffected by the attack. He put his face close to Aminri’s ear and tenderly whispered, “I’ll be good to you, Ari. Relax. I won’t hurt you.”

Aminri momentarily relented at the words, but regained his senses and gently pushed the man away. “Please, Zane, I’m not ready for this yet. Can’t it wait—”

“No, it can’t.” Zane kissed the boy’s collarbone. “You have to learn not to be so afraid. I'm not a monster, Ari. I'll never hurt you, not like he did.”

Aminri took hold of the man’s head and gingerly tilted it up. He gazed into Zane’s deep blue eyes. “I respect you dearly as my husband—well, sooner or later, but Zane. It’s too soon. Please, can’t we wait? At least until tomorrow?”

Zane could feel the boy’s quivering chest against his cheek, and, by reflex it seemed, he rubbed the boy back affectionately. “What’s made you so afraid of me?” he softly said as he sat up.

He kissed the boy on the lips once again, rubbing his hand on the boy’s soft groin as he messaged Aminri’s small balls with tender fingers. The boy let out a small noise of surprise and slight pleasure, tightening the muscles in his legs all the while. The man slid his hand up the boy’s inner thigh, then moved swiftly towards Aminri’s entrance far too eagerly. The thin legs that had been only slightly opened quickly crossed themselves in rejection to Zane’s advance. Aminri found the man’s soft, swift movements across his skin oddly enticing, but he refused to give into his body’s natural reaction. His lips quivered out of frustration and fear as the boy attempted to cover himself with the pillow behind him. Zane pushed back the hair that had fallen onto Aminri’s face and smiled at him, intending to comfort. The boy slid down from his seat against the bed post and laid down, closing his eyes as he positioned his hands on his chest. After a few moments of contemplation, the boy slowly opened his eyes once more to the sight of Zane looking wondrously at him. With a heavy sigh, he finally said, “If I do this, you have to promise to be gentle. If you aren’t…” Aminri thought of what Zane had told him earlier in the day and ironed his resolve. His words were based off his many fears and anxieties. “If you aren’t, I’ll never let you touch me again.”

Zane grinned and pulled off his nightshirt and underwear as he stood. In one swift movement, he opened the drawer of the nightstand and took out a clear glass bottle. Aminri quivered from the cold and from his nerves. “That again?” he commented.

“Yes, it’s quite helpful, isn’t it?”

The boy’s eyes widened as he felt a heat rise in his body and threw the sheets over himself. “Don’t say things like that...”

The man chuckled as he climbed on top of him, unscrewing the top of the bottle. He tilted it over, spilling the slippery liquid over his fingers and then his bulging erection as he saw Aminri stare anxiously at him from the corner of his eye. With two wet hands, he spread the boy’s tightly closed legs. Slowly, gingerly, he pushed one finger inside of the boy’s entrance, Aminri squirming in response as he felt the thick thing break through his tightly closed off flesh. He whimpered, placing his arms over his head as he watched Zane’s movements very closely. When his forefinger was finally inside, Zane slowly began to retreat, then shoved it back in again and again until finally he pushed in a second. Then a third. With Zane’s increasing speed and fingers, Aminri softly grunted as he tightened himself around the digits, twitching as they occasionally brushed against a sensitive spot.

And then, when Zane could no longer control himself, he eased his cock in, the hard head of his member slowly making its way through Aminri’s now stretched entrance. The boy latched onto his shoulder and let out a small noise of discomfort, tightening himself up in response to the much larger appendage breaking through his insides. He wrapped his legs around Zane’s hips, almost as if grasping on for life, as the man advanced deeper and deeper inside of him. He could feel the anesthesia working, as he felt hotter and much more enticed. In only a few moments, he was a bit afraid that he was beginning to want Zane. And he remembered all of the moments of the past, regretting his decision to let his fiancé do this.

Zane’s cock filled the boy to the brim, having finally made its way entirely. Without a bit of control left, Zane pushed his tongue into Aminri’s mouth and massaged the soft flesh inside, a thin line of saliva dripping down the boy’s chin. The man moved his hips back, then slowly moved them forward, reinserting himself into the boy’s small ass. Zane’s initial silence was taken over by soft grunts as he thrust in and out of his husband-to-be, who lay utterly helpless below him. Ari softly grunted at first, feeling pain from Zane’s quick and sudden movements. But as the minutes past, the boy found not only comfort but pleasure from feeling the man’s cock move swiftly in and out of him. The room was filled with the sound of his mewls and moans, as well as the loud slapping of flesh against flesh. And finally, with two great thrusts, Zane released his semen inside of the boy as Aminri reached his peak as well. The small fiancé collapsed, panting as the clear liquid spurt onto his stomach. He closed his eyes, ready for sleep as his pale blonde hair laid in a frenzied halo about his head.

Aminri’s chest rose up and down, bathed by small droplets of sweat and semen. The boy lulled his head upon the pillow and slightly parted his lips as Zane removed himself from inside. His rest lasted for only as long as Zane would permit, though, and was interrupted when the muscular man above him lifted him up. Zane flipped himself over onto the bed straddled the surprised boy upon his hips, his still erect cock rubbing with need against Aminri ass.. Zane’s powerful hands gripped the boy’s hips and lifted him into the air, right on top of his cock. Aminri said nothing and only stared at the man below him, watching his every move. The man eyed him up above, then flashed a smile as he gently caressed his thigh. “Ari?”

The boy seemed to be lost in himself, as if looking back at his past with great contemplation. Zane gently shook him, bringing his smaller lover back to the world. And then, when Aminri laid eyes on him, he began to cry, the tears falling down his rosy cheeks in thin clear streams. The entire situation was overwhelming to him, and when he looked back at what had happened to him in the past, he could only wonder what had become of his old self. And he had to admit, the warmth of Zane’s caresses were oddly affectionate. Aminri had to admit to himself, he wouldn’t find it hard to come to love this man, just as Anthony had said before. Zane sat up and held the boy in his arms, rubbing his back as he allowed the boy to sob into his shoulder. The man didn’t know whether or not the boy’s tears were of happiness or of pain, but he only felt his instinctual need to comfort him. The boy, after a few moments of venting, slowly leaned out of him and leaned back in, placing a kiss on Zane’s lips. It was a passionate and deep one, much different than the usual brushes he’d give him. Zane slowly raised the boy into the air once again and, seeing no signal of rejection, he gingerly lowered the boy onto his cock. Aminri placed his hands on Zane’s as he was raised up and down, feeling the seed from before leak out of his ass and down his thighs. The boy bent over, exclaiming all the while, as a beads of sweat and tears rolled down his face onto Zane’s cheek. The man swiftly wiped it away and wrapped his arm around the boy’s back, his hips moving up and down all he while. He grunted, relishing the tightness of his fiancé’s entrance, and tightly squeezed Aminri’s ass cheek. The boy felt wonderful throughout Zane’s quick yet gentle movements and gripped Zane’s hands as he moaned. It wasn’t long until Zane could have no more and reached his orgasm yet again, filling Aminri up with semen. The boy whimpered as Zane left him and gripped the man’s hands even harder, which were still firmly grasping onto his hips. Reading the message, Zane took the boy’s still erect cock in his hand and moved quickly up and down, occasionally swiping his finger over the tip of it and spreading the small bead of pre-come that had appeared. A great pressure built up in Aminri’s balls, and soon the boy exclaimed as he covered Zane’s hand in semen, trembling. As the boy collapsed on top of his fiancé, he sighed and dug his face into Zane’s shoulder. In that moment, both of the men were at peace, with the man gently cradling Aminri in his arms as they cooled themselves down. The boy had to admit, it wasn’t as bad as he thought it would have been.

That night, the two men walked tiredly to the bathroom and washed themselves clean. Aminri unhesitatingly hopped into the bath tub with Zane and lied down in his arms, the hot water which surrounded them oddly calming to both. They washed each other’s hair and scrubbed each other’s backs, then finally dried themselves with thick white towels. When they had finally finished, Aminri followed Zane out of the bathroom and caught sight of Onnin doing his nightly checkup of the mansion. And then he realized…

The boy flushed a deep red and hid behind Zane, staring at the servant all the while. Realizing this, Onnin turned to him and smiled. “Goodnight, sir,” he said and left down the dark hall.

“You don’t think he heard us, do you?” Aminri asked.

“He most likely did,” Zane replied, rather nonchalantly. “Don’t worry, he won’t say anything to anyone. Besides, he’s quite open to these kinds of things.”

“You don’t think the children heard, do you?” Aminri panicked.

“Stop worrying so much, Ari,” Zane ruffled the boy’s hair. “They’re on the floor below us. It’s highly unlikely. And even if they did, they’d be too cranky to care.”

Aminri scratched his neck and followed the man down the hall, having to take his word for it. They returned to the bed room and turned off the lights, both of them far too exhausted for idle conversation. As Aminri climbed into bed in the dark, he groaned as he realized that Onnin had changed the sheets while they were gone. While embarrassed, he was also extremely grateful and tucked himself into the fresh blankets with a smile. The boy fell onto his pillow, welcoming the arms that were wrapped around him and snuggling into Zane’s chest. As the boy dug his face into the man, he found that he took a liking to the man’s expensive smelling cologne, which was laced on the man’s nightshirt. “Good night,” he whispered, kissing the man’s neck with soft, wet lips.

“Good night,” the man replied, stroking the boy’s hair.

The once sensually noisy room fell into stillness, and with that the two men fell asleep, comforted by one another’s warmth.
------

So late, I know ;.; The older version that was up earlier was revised, since V was pretty right. When I looked back at the scene, it just didn't seem right, so I changed it.