Page 31 of Hellfire & Tinsel
He had said he was happy.
He’d looked at Beau like he mattered.
Life had never been a friend to him. It had never offered a lot of windows of happiness. So he had learned early on to grab whatever he could and stick to it while it lasted. Kassel’s timewith him was limited, he knew, but he would make the best out of every single second he had with him. He wanted to make memories that would last him a lifetime.
Which was why, even though he was risking ultimate humiliation, he cleaned up in the bathroom with the intention of seeking Kassel out again.
He didn’t want to spend a minute apart. He’d naively pictured them sleeping in his bed together when the day ended, Beau sneaking a finger or a toe over to ‘Kassel’s side.’
He wanted it still. If Kassel didn’t mind.
Beau picked up his pillow, hugging it tight to his chest as he crept out of his room and down the dark hallway to his living room.
He located Kassel squished onto his tiny sofa under the twinkling lights of the tree, Beau’s knitted blanket draped over half of his wide torso. All of his eyes were closed and he looked relaxed, even in the uncomfortable position he was in. His neck was bent awkwardly on the high armrest, shoulders wedged against the seat cushions so as not to fall off, knees hanging over the end armrest and feet touching the floor.
Maybe he hadn’t heard him then.
It would be a small mercy.
He should probably go back to his own bed if Kassel was already sleeping. But Kassel could wake with a crick in his neck.
Beau tiptoed over, giving himself only a second before he made a decision.
Reaching out, he gripped the base of Kassel’s horn and tugged up, lifting his head off the armrest and trying to stuff the pillow under Kassel’s neck as best as he could. Kassel’s horn felt both hard and shiny under his hand, the texture entirely unique.
“What are you doing?”
Beau jumped and dropped the horn, making Kassel’s head flop down—onto the soft pillow, thankfully.
“Isn’t that better?” Beau asked, hopeful.
Kassel shifted his head around. His eyes shone in the darkness like jewels, reflecting the lights of the tree. Beau wanted to bask in how pretty they were.
“It’s not worse,” Kassel said, and Beau smiled, feeling happiness stream through him like bubbles being blown inside his chest, popping everywhere. “Are you feeling better now?”
“Yes,” he squeaked, too quickly to be normal. “Never better. Completely brand new.”
Kassel’s many eyes continued to regard him, moving up and down his body.
Beau shivered, not wanting him to read the post-orgasm haze on him. “Can I…”
“What?” Kassel asked quietly.
Beau bit his lip before deciding to just screw up all his confidence and go for it. He threw the blanket off Kassel and scrambled up and over the demon until he was wedged in the nonexistent space between him and the back of the sofa.
Which was basically just on top of the left side of Kassel’s chest.
His cheeks burned, but he didn’t move, already feeling contentment radiating through his limbs as he pulled the blanket back over both of them. Which ended up mostly just being the middle where they were touching, because the blanket was too small.
“You have a bed,” Kassel said.
“Yes,” Beau mumbled, tucking his arms in close to his chest and curling his toes up.
“I placed you in it.”
“Mm…” Beau said noncommittally. They weren’t ever going to discuss what had happened when helefthim in it. “But you decided to sleep here and I…”
Missed you.
