Page 49 of Drink Up, Darling
Athens looked up through his lashes, both hands forming fists on the duvet, his raven hair spilling over and pooling around him. It wasn’t the brightest light, but Dariel thought perhaps he could see lighter roots on Athens’ scalp. It was hard to believe the jet blackness of his hair was natural, but it made Dariel smile.
“You’re not pulling out until you come inside me.” Athens strained his neck around to instruct Godwin, which Dariel found ungodly attractive. He couldn’t stop staring. Admiring. The fluttering in his lungs returned as he watched them both movefaster and sharper, until Godwin finished and collapsed on top of Athens, forcing the pair of them into the mattress.
The three of them lay alongside each other for a while, recovering. Athens remained on his front, Godwin in the middle.
“I never thought I’d be able to experience something like this again,” Godwin finally spoke, staring up at the ceiling, his broad shoulders pressing into Dariel’s.
“It’s been a while for me too,” Dariel said, trying to follow Godwin’s line of sight, analysing the patterns in the canopy of the cover atop the four-poster bed.
“Is it selfish?”
“What? Sex?”
“All of this. What I want.”
Dariel shook his head and reached for Godwin’s hand, clasping it tight. “Never. Never be ashamed of your desires.”
Do you still want to die?The unspoken question.
A mild snore sound came from Athens' side and the pair of them turned.
“He’s gone to the world,” Dariel said, peering over Godwin’s side at the peaceful form of Athens, tattooed arm up beside his face as support, eyelids fluttering with long black lashes shadowing over.
“He’s like a sleeping fairy prince, don’t you think? Like the ones our parents read to us as children,” Godwin observed, lowering his voice.
“Did your parents read to you a lot?” Was the question that came out of Dariel’s mouth, not:I thought the same. Our sleeping prince.
Godwin settled onto his back again with a low sigh. The broader man’s body covering the sight of Athens on his otherside. Dariel tucked himself closer into Godwin’s side, lifting his knees up slightly.For warmth.
“My mother did, when I was very young, then it became the nanny’s job, then as soon as I could read myself, it became my job.”
Dariel stayed silent, dragging his teeth over his lips, deep in thought.
“You miss it, don’t you? Being alive?” Godwin asked.
“A bit, but I am still alive, just not quite in the same way. Life is worth living, no matter how hard it seems. I suppose I am fortunate I get to live it forever, despite the sadness immortality brings.” Dariel tried not to disappear too deeply inside himself with his response, mind gently teasing him with images of Annette, and of who he imagined Sparrow would have grown up to be.
“I am sorry about your wife. I truly am,” Godwin said, eyes fixed straight ahead.
Did I make it that obvious?
But no shadows came this time.
“Thank you,” Dariel said softly. “I’m sorry about your life too. I wish I could have been here sooner.” He really meant it.
Godwin only nodded.
Less than five minutes had gone by before Athens stirred back awake and jolted upright, hair flopped all over his face and shoulders.
“The prince awakes,” Godwin said, his voice merrier than it had been moments before. Dariel sat up too.
Athens formed an ‘oh’ sound with his mouth then blinked a few times, squinting to make out the room.
“Back from the land of nod?” Dariel jested, sitting up fully; ignoring the ache.
Athens took in a deep breath before rubbing his temple, looking away slightly. “I didn’t fall asleep during sex, did I?” he muttered to no one in particular.
At that, Godwin grumbled a low laugh, wheezing as he did so. “No, you were perfectly awake for that. Perhaps I worked you too hard?”
