Page 27 of A Winter Admire
Edwin couldn’t speak as they walked through the forest, his mind too full. Sinoe kept close as if worried Edwin would collapse into the snow. Which was fair considering he felt like he was about to.
In his hand, which he had pressed against his stomach, Edwin cradled the precious little flower, the final Solstice gift from Sinoe.
Sinoe was his admirer.
They reached the village. Smoke curled from the chimneys. A few brightly painted wooden huts had been set up in the middle of the village, in preparation for the Solstice festivities. But no one was out at this time. Everyone was already at home, eating a big Solstice Eve meal with their friends and families.
“I like walking through your village at night,” Sinoe said, breaking the silence. “I like how the cabins glow from within.”
“Have you ever been inside any of them?” Edwin asked.
“No.” He shook his head. “I’ve only seen them from the outside.” He paused. “But I often imagine myself in your cabin.”
Joy trickled through him. To Edwin, it felt like he was in a dream, walking with Sinoe to his home. He was scared of waking. Reaching Edwin’s cabin, Sinoe stood behind him, waiting as Edwin opened the door and entered. It was warmer inside than out, but the air still had a chill to it. Usually, he came home before dark and had already lit the stove.
Edwin removed his damp scarf, coat, cap, and gloves and hung them by the door. He took off his boots before lighting a candle and setting it on the desk. Then he placed the flower in the vase with the others.
Sinoe still stood by the door, surveying the room.
“Please come in,” Edwin said.
Sinoe stepped forward. He touched the wooden wall, running his hand along the grain, almost like a caress. He took several steps into the cabin, stopping in the middle of the room. Slowly he turned.
Edwin fidgeted, wondering what Sinoe thought of his small, cluttered cabin.
In the corner of the room, dried herbs, flowers, twigs, roots, leaves, and berries hung in bunches from a wooden rack suspended from the ceiling. More samples were contained in bottles on shelves. Paper and books lay messily across his desk, as well as in piles on the floor. His bed had been left unmade, and blankets were strewn haphazardly. Half-drunk cups of cold tea sat on his desk and side table.
He should have cleaned. But this morning, he’d been too consumed with the nervousness of confessing his feelings to Sinoe to even think about it.
Sinoe touched the back of the brown leather chair. “Your home is lovely, Edwin,” he said. “It suits you perfectly.”
Edwin released a breath.
“I take it this is Snowflake.” Sinoe laughed.
Snowflake sat by the foot of Edwin’s bed, staring up at Sinoe as if not knowing what to make of someone in their cabin. Sinoe was their first guest after all. Without waiting for an answer, Sinoe knelt by the rabbit, reaching out a hand to pat her head. “Hello, Snowflake.” She pushed her head eagerly into Sinoe’s hand. Sinoe gave in with a chuckle. Snowflake’s tongue darted out and licked his fingers.
“Thank you, little one,” Sinoe said.
Edwin’s heart swelled at the sight of the two of them together. “She likes you. She didn’t let me pat her for months, and it was even longer before she would lick me.”
Edwin took out some fresh hay and dried herbs and placed them on the floor. He then went about starting a fire in the stove. Soon the flames licked at the wood. He let the heat warm him, chasing away any remnants of cold lingering in his bones. He closed the iron door of the oven and turned to find Sinoe watching him intently.
The air felt heavy between them, charged with possibilities. He drank in the sight of Sinoe standing before him. He kept expecting that at any moment, Sinoe would disappear and he’d be alone once again.
Sinoe stepped towards him. He reached out a finger, trailing it down the side of Edwin’s cheek. “I want to kiss you again,” Sinoe said, voice husky.
Edwin nodded, heart racing as Sinoe closed the gap between them. He cupped Edwin’s face with his hands and kissed him. Their mouths moved against each other and Sinoe’s tongue pressed inside his mouth, exploring. Sinoe tasted of berries and smelled of pine. Edwin’s hands clutched at Sinoe’s hips.
Sinoe’s fingers threaded through Edwin’s hair, and he trailed kisses down Edwin’s jaw, to his collarbone. Arousal washed through Edwin, and his cock pulsed, trapped within his pants.
“I wish to see every inch of you,” Sinoe breathed against Edwin’s skin between kisses. “Will you allow it?”
Edwin nodded.
Sinoe tugged at the hem of Edwin’s woollen jumper, and Edwin stepped back, allowing Sinoe to remove his shirt and jumper. Sinoe dropped them on the floor. Sinoe then reached behind his own neck and, with deft movements, removed the necklace of twigs, reeds, and berries. He draped it over the back of the leather chair.
Stepping forward, Sinoe wrapped his arms around Edwin and pulled him into an embrace, capturing his mouth once again. Their bare chests pressed together. Edwin moaned.
