forum "I would burn the world for you" (OxO Closed)

Started December 01, 2022 by @ElderGod-yellowqueen

tune

(sorry my responses have been minimal today akdhjsk my cousins surprised me for a birthday sleepover)

Truly, Nico's caution is touching. Bel's always been treated carefully, his tutors, his coaches, his maids, his seamstresses–all of them afraid to even touch Bel. His father never even placed a finger on Bel. Gods. How long has it been since he's been properly held.

"Okay," Bel says simply because he can only manage simple words. The next thing he knows, Bel is on Nico's lap and atop the bed. With a small push and firm kiss, Bel presses Nico against the bed.

Nico found himself suddenly being pushed back in the bed. His head and shoulders almost bounced softly as they hit the mattress. His hands slipped off of Bel's back and gripped his thighs, his hips, in a firm grip. Not tight enough to be uncomfortable but firm enough to leave a small mark.

It was then that there was a shift in him. This is what they were doing. This was what Bel wanted. He was willing. So Nico took over. He kissed Bel fiercely, pulling them flush against one another. Just as he broke the kiss to press his lips to his jaw, he flipped them both so Bel was under him.

(ajfhdjjs fair)

At first, Bel tried to match Nico in the intensity, but somewhere along the way he gives in–allowing full control to the other man. Suddenly, Bel's on his back and beneath Nico. As he flips, a surprised squeak escapes him.

Breathing heavily, the situation begins to wash over Bel. As Nico presses his lips to Bel's jaw, he laughs softly and brings a hand up to run through Nico's hair. It's soft and smells of soap and Bel believes he could get quite used to this. "Never thought this would happen to me," he says quietly as his eyes slip closed.

A soft chuckle came out of Nico's lips as he heard the squeak. He grinned against his skin, pressing a soft kiss to his jaw. "Well believe it because it's happening. And it's going to keep happening." As long as you let me.

He kissed his way back up to Bel's lips, giving him a chaste kiss, before sitting up. Nico pulled his shirt off in one quick motion. He had a series of scars scattered on his chest. Some faded some more fresh. But the most noticeable ones were on his back. A mangle of scars on his back made from a whip. It was brutal, ugly. Some were raised while others still pink. The wounds were relatively fresh, happening only a year prior. It wasn't something he enjoyed remembering.

In such a short amount of time, Bel wonders what had caused Nico to become so attached to him. Surely the man's met thousands of people in his life–there has to be something that Nico sees in him–but slowly all sorts of doubt is melted from his brain as Nico kisses his lips and sits up. Bel's eyes go wide, his face reddening significantly as he takes in Nico's chest and scars.

Before he knows what he's doing, Bel's reaching out and tracing the largest ones–mapping how they curl and curve down his sides and around his abdomen and stretches across the muscle. "Why me?" He meant to say in his head, but clearly his muddled brain and tongue had other plans.

Noco shuddered at the feeling of Bel tracing a scar. His eyes fluttered shut as he took a deep breath. He never had anyone touch his scars, not like this. There had been a small few bedmates that had touched and inquired but he never indulged. Somethings were just too hard. But he found himself wanting to tell Bel. Perhaps one day. Perhaps when they made it home. There were several of them that wouldn't make sense if he didn't reveal himself, who he was. He wasn't ready for that yet.

Nico's eyes opened at the question. He looked down at him, a small smile on his lips. He reached a hand down and stroked Bel's cheek gently. "Because you are kind and gentle but strong and stubborn. You have beautiful stories and a wonderful mind. Your soul is beautiful and your heart is unique. I've never met someone like you before and I don't think I ever will again. You're one of a kind."

Bel's hand drops from Nico's chest and moves to hide his face. At the string of compliments, Bels face grows hot and his heart stutters. Never met someone like you. The words ring through his head. They'll likely be repeated in his dreams.

Bel–still hiding behind his hands–goes to speak, but is interrupted by a knock at the door. Instantly mortified, Bel sits up–nearly crashing right into Nico. It's likely one of their party members, but that doesn't make the moment any less disturbed. With slight panic in his eyes, Bel gestures to the door with his head.

While irritated at the knock, Bel's reaction made him laugh. Nico wrapped his arms around him, staining Bel. He kissed the top of his head before climbing out bed. Even though there wasn't anything to hide, he tuck Bel under the cover.

He gave Bel a heated look that said This isn't over yet. before turning to open the door. His hand twisted the know to reveal…. (idk who you want it to be)

Bel smiles at Nico's care, the blankets warm over his already flushed body. Gods, I hope this isn't over–

Behind the door was the bard from earlier. His lute is slung around his shoulder, a sheepish look in his eye. "Oh- hello," he says, clearly accented. Bel–though unable to see who's behind the door–knows exactly who it is based on accent alone. "I was uh- looking for someone else. I must have the wrong room." He clears his throat and looks up and down Nico's torso. "Sorry for interrupting."

Nico recognized the bard immediately. Bel had been speaking to the man earlier before they had gone out shopping. He looked back at Bel then back at the bard. "No, you have the right room. Bel's I'm here. Give us just a second."

Nico closed the door and stalked over to Bel. He gripped him by the back of his head and drew him in for a fierce kiss. Then it was over as soon as it started. "This isn't over." He grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head. "Now, you're going to talk to talk to your bard for as long as you like and I'm going to go downstairs with the others. I'm giving you an hour. Then I'm going to come back up here and we're going to finish. If you're not finished up here I'll kick him out. Because we are finishing this."

Noco gave him a soft kiss on the temple, strode to the door, and opened it. "He's all yours." He stepped around the bard and went down the stairs and into the heart of the tavern.

The intensity of the last kiss leaves Bel red and speechless. He can't manage words as Nico gives his instructions before pulling his shirt back on and leaving. We're finishing this, Nico said, almost a growl in Bel's mind. Bel never thought the other man to be possessive, but Bel can't say he hates it. It's nice to be wanted… Nice to be at the front of everyone's mind.

After Nico's gone, Bel scrambles out of bed and assures that he's at least presentable. He fixes his hair and re-tucks his shirt and scrubs the red away from his face. When he's satisfied, Bel goes to the door and opens it, smiling at the bard on the other side. "Ah, sorry about that. Please come in." He opens the door a little wider and nods over to where there's a singular chair tucked beneath a desk. The bard takes the chair and Bel takes the bed.

"I'm sorry for bothering you so late," the bard apologizes, "but I was on my way out of Eldra when I heard quite the news. I hoped you'd appreciate it–"

Interest piqued, Bel leans forward. "Oh?"

The bard nods. "Yes, I heard from the town crier that there's a new monarch on the throne of Blakkast. The eldest of the six children–Sella. She's the new queen." Bel's blood goes cold. "Something happened to the old king–" Bel's uncle. "I'm not one to believe rumors but one says that it's electric mages."

Bel swallows. "Oh." Sella, his beloved cousin, is now on the throne–her father and Bel's uncle slain in a similar fashion to his mother. While terrifying, Bel knows his dear cousin. She's smart and wise and a little fiery. She reminds Bel of Miran, but with the powerful and quiet aura of Valera. Either she could bring great fortune to the kingdom, or she could cause it great ruin. "What does this mean for Blakkast?"

The bard shrugs. "I'm not sure."

With a sigh, Bel rubs his temples and then his eyes. "Thank you, truly." A pause. "You've shown me great kindness, and I don't even know your name."

The bard smiles. "Sevio," he tips his head in what would be a full bow if he was standing. "Your… bedmate said your name is Bel?"

Laughing, Bel nods. There's still an hour left before Nico arrives to drag Sevio out, Bel could at least make the best of a new friend. Conversation begins to flow between them, ranging anywhere from music to writing to travelling across the continent.

Nico walked up to the bar, joining the rest if his men. They were intoxicated. Well, Kaillas wasn't but he never got drunk. He was nursing his ale, likely his first one of the night and likely his last. Kaillas didn't like to have his judgment impaired.

Cassian noticed him first. He cheered and laughed. "Someone looks a bit frustrated. Didn't get laid?" A round of laughter of the surrounding men. "Why are you down here and why is he up there?"

Nico sent the man a displeased look. Before he could jump in, Laurent was the one that spoke up. "Well obviously Nico here tired out our little friend and Nico wasn't completely satisfied, so here he is."

Perhaps Nico needed to cut them all off. He should dock their pay so they couldn't afford their drinking habits and at least Nico wouldn't be humiliated by their drunken selves. He ordered himself an ale, just one to calm the nerves. Just one wouldn't affect his performance later on.

"No, to all of that. And it's none of your business so shut your mouths. And don't talk to him about that." He narrowed his eyes at them, lifting his pint and taking a long sip.

"Ooooh, so scary." Braxton was mocking him now. "Fine, fine, we won't talk about him. We'll talk about you then. How are you holding up?"

Nico kicked his chair, sending the man sprawling to the ground. And that was the shift he needed to get the attention off of himself and his bedroom habits onto the others. He laughed and joked and drank with his friends, his men, watching as the hour ticked by. The minutes were slow and Nico was itching to go back upstairs.

As the second struck the hour, Nico was and excusing himself and bounding up towards the stairs.

Towards the end of the hour, Bel grows anxious. He glances at the small clock mounted above the door. Thank the gods Bel can feel their conversation wrapping up. Sivio finishes a story of his last time in Blakkast. It's been nearly twelve years since Bel has been, and he's thankful that at least the breathtaking waterfalls still remain, they haven't yet been touched by the war.

Frankly, Bel isn't sure what this war is being fought over. His brother has been on a dozen crusades to the front lines, his mother's kingdom has been providing aid, his father–though sick and growing frail–refuses to hand down the crown.

At the end of the tangent, Sivio stands, stretching his long legs and arms. "Well, I can tell that you're waiting for your mate," Sivio smiles. "I won't keep you any longer. I apologize for interrupting, but I knew you would appreciate the news."

"And I do," Bel claims as he stands as well. "I truly do, thank you Sivio." Bel opens the door. "Until we meet again."

The bard tips his head. "Until we meet again, Bel." He exits quickly, just as Bel catches Nico coming up the stairs.

"Good evening," Bel says quietly as Nico approaches the door.

Nico nodded at the bard and gave him a pilot smile before promptly slipping in through the door and locking it. He gave Bel a heated look but didn't approach him yet. Instead, he leaned back against the door. He gave him a smile. "How was your talk? Did you enjoy yourself?"

He would be civil first before he took his lover to bed. Make him more comfortable before they performed any act. Bel mattered more to him than anything. If he wasn't comfortable or didn't want to do it, then he would shut it all down.

"It was…" Bel pauses. "Interesting." He hardly allows himself a moment of hesitation before he continues. "My uncle was killed or… or he just died of causes–I don't know. The King of Blakkast. I wasn't close to him, so I… I'm not too upset, but my cousin took up the throne, and I'm not sure if I should be worried." He shakes his head. Taking a few steps forward to meet Nico. "I don't want to think about them. I'll think about them tomorrow or whenever but not now."

Grabbing Nico and closing the door in one quick motion, Bel smiles and drags the two of them back to the bed. "Where were we?"

Nico gave him a small look of sympathy. He knew what it was like to lose loved ones. Even if they weren't close it was still family. That look quickly vanished as Bel grabbed him and dragged him back to the bed. Nico laughed happily and sat back as the bed hit the back of his knees.

He wrapped his arms around Bel and crushed him to his chest. He kissed him almost wildly. He had been waiting patiently. Not just today but for a week. He had been biding his time. Waiting for the right opportunity and yet it wasn't even him that had made it. It had been Bel.

He had been so unsure if Bel felt that way towards, towards men in general. He had recieved Nico's affections but it could have been written off as friendly he supposed. But Bel was the one to kiss him and now they were here and he couldn't be happier.

As Nico presses them together, Bel suppresses a laugh as they fall back to the bed. Of course he knew that the other man was attractive since their first encounter (well probably after that when Bel wasn't scared shitless of potentially being killed), but Bel had never considered actually finding himself in the arms of another man. Marrying a powerful queen or countess was in the books for him, but those books have been burned and Bel's writing his own.

Half of him wants to know exactly how long Nico has been harboring these animalistic feelings. Clearly there's been quite the amount of repressed emotion, Bel's lips might as well be bruised from the sheer force Nico delivers.

"Shall we?" He whispers when he breaks away from the kiss, finding the hem of Nico's shirt as he playfully tugs on it.

(fade to black?)

(Works for me.)

Nico was quick to pull his shirt off Bel tugged on it. He only let their lips be separated for a moment before he tugging Bel back to him. He was quick to take over but gentle and firm and careful with Bel. He would make sure this was enjoyable. Bel came first to him. Nico was a second thought.

As the morning came, Nico laid on his back with Bel wrapped in his arms. His blinde hair was a mess and a tangle on the pillows. It would take him awhile to comb it out eventually. His eyes fluttered open at the beginnings of dawn. Call it a habit, but he was an early riser and a late sleeper. Most of the time, he was running on only a few hours of sleep. Not good, but, he couldn't change it.

He pulled Bel closer to him, rubbing his back so he was careful not to wake the sleeping prince in his arms. He kissed his head and smiled at the thought of last night. He wanted a hundred more nights like that.

After the events, it didn't take long for sleep to overtake Bel. He's content and full and mindless and happy. With a small candle flickering within a lantern and Nico wrapped around him, sleep comes easily, comes naturally.

His sleep is dreamless and deep, not once rousing through the night. He only begins the wake when there's a kiss pressed to the top of his head. With a small noise, he turns and presses his face into Nico's shoulder. He closes his eyes tighter, the light beginning to seep into his vision. It's warm and comfortable and Bel wants to stay here forever. Beneath the blankets and wrapped around the man he certainly has some feelings for.

(Full of what?? ;) I'm sorry that was bad haha)

Nico smiled wider as Bel made a sleepy noise and turned into his shoulder. He gave him a small squeeze, trying to not chuckle and jostle his little prince. He ran his hands up and down his back, nuzzling his face on the top of his head.

"Go back ti sleep," he murmured. "We'll leave in a few more hours. You'll get a proper breakfast this morning." Sure it would be nothing like food he likely had at the palace, but it would be good and warm and certainly not rabbit meat. It was a good reprise to the food they had been eating. They would restock on dried food before they left, maybe some bread as well. But that was a thought to think about Katerina. He had a handsome and lovely man and his arms. His focus should be wholly on Bel.

(alksdjf im hitting you with a chair)

"M already awake," Bel mutters, curling into Nico even more. They're snuggled together, beneath a few blankets and Bel is too tired to remember if he put clothes back on. Slowly, he begins to blink his eyes open, squinting at the low and bright light of the morning. He rolls slightly away from Nico to stretch, feeling the pull of his muscles and pop of his joints.

Once done, he rolls right back into Nico. "Good morning," he says quietly, blinking up at Nico with sleepy eyes. There's the sound of footsteps outside and Bel internally cringes at the thought of someone hearing. "Do your friends… know?" He asks once he finally forms a coherent thought. "About… us?"

(Hahaha well deserved)

Nico hadn't bothered to dress last night. His lover was naked so he might as well have been. He was too tired to bother, anyways, unless Bel had requested it. And he hadn't, so in the nude it was. "I'm sorry for waking you then," he murmured into his hair. And he was sorry. He hadn't meant to wake him. He knew now that Bel was a light sleeper and to tread carefully.

Nico let go of Bel while he stretched momentarily and happily took him back into his arms, tugging until Bel was fully on top of him. No funny business, no wondering hands, just comfort and affection to. "Oh my sweets, they knew about it before you even knew about it. I promise they won't say anything to you. If anything, they're going to make a few lewd jokes about me and that will be it. I'll make them stop of you're uncomfortable at any time."

"Don't worry about me," Bel says. "That's the best sleep I've gotten in weeks." And yes, that's including his bed back in the palace with the thick mattress and feather down blankets. His light sleep has been an issue in the past. When the night shift maids scuttled up and down the halls, Bel sat awake wondering when they would finally stop. The second his candles turn out, Bel's awake to relight them.

At the thought of Nico's friends knowing… well, almost everything about them, Bel groans and buries his face into Nico's chest. "Gods–wait, how long?" Bracing himself with hands on either side of Nico's shoulders, Bel lifts his torso up. "How long have you harboring feelings?" It can't have been too terribly long? They've only known each other for a little over a week–did Bel just practically sleep with a stranger? No–no. Not a stranger. This is Nico. Bel trusts Nico–He trusts Nico with his life.

Nico laughed quietly as Bel hid his face. He hadnt meant to make him embarrassed but gods did he look adorable. Nico made a small oomf noise as Bel braced himself on his shoulders. He wasn't heavy. Nico just hadn't been expecting it.

Now it was Nico's turn to blush. He turned his head to the side, embarrassment flooding him. He didn't want to answer that question. It had a crush for far too long. Almost instantly, at least after their initial day. Even so, he had found the prince attractive. "Umm, let's just say a while." He hoped Bel didn't push.

Bel won't lie, finally seeing Nico lose his collected composure is at least a little satisfying. Bel has been flushing badly the past few days, he supposes a small amount of payback is hardly the proper penance.

"How long would a while be?" Bel inquires, still holding himself above Nico. A wash of embarrassment and dread floods him as he thinks of what a while could be. Their relationship hasn't even lasted three weeks. Bel grimaces. "Please don't tell me you decided you wanted to bed me when you found me in the midst of a panic attack in a wrecked carriage."

Nico laughed then, turning his head to look at Bel who was still hovering above him. His hands moved this thigh and hips, stroking him softly. He found he liked touching Bel. Just touching. There didn't need to be anything sensual about it. He wanted Bel. Not just to bed him.

"No, that thought didn't come until later. I hadn't wanted to bed you, as you put it, until later in the week." And that was honest. Nico had never seen him as just a playmate or a quick rump. He saw Bel was someone he wanted to be with, have a relationship with. In a quick movement, he turned so Bel was beneath him and Nico hovered over him instead. "I've been thinking about how kind and adorable you are. I've been thinking that I could spend my life with a partner like you. The bedding is just an added bonus."

A brief shudder rolls down his spine as Nico begins to touch. Bel manages to recover, putting his mind back at the task of figuring exactly when and why Nico had caught feelings for Bel. However, before he can deduce so much, Bel squeaks as Nico suddenly switches their positions. Now with his back pressed against the mattress, Bel feels there's no escape from Nico's stare.

"I'm not adorable," he insists, but any force with it dies out when Nico suggests a lifelong partnership. It wasn't anything Bel had truly put into consideration. He's still young and has his responsibilities and after this whole thing runs its course, he had to return back to Araniel. His father's death is due, and Bel knows Miran needs a man at his side to cool his temper. "And–" He wants to say something, to rebuttal Nico's grand plan but… "And I'm not sure if I'd be a good candidate for a spouse."

Nico realized that didn't come out exactly how he meant it to. He wasn't declaring his love and getting down on one knee. He didn't think he would ever get to that point. His life was dangerous and anyone with him would always be at risk. People didn't hesitate to bed him but a life with him, no.

He chuckled softly. "That came out wrong. I just meant that I could see a potential partner in you. That I would like explore our relationship and feelings for one another. Whatever happens, happens. I'm not trying to rush it." He bent his head and kissed his nose gently. "And one, you are most certainly adorable. Secondly, you are a wonderful candidate for a spouse. I believe one day you make a great partner for someone. Any man or woman would be lucky to have you by their side."

His face goes red when Nico softly pecks his nose. With the words of affirmation and the touch and the gifts and… Well, all of it. Bel could likely call this a whirlwind romance of sorts. Quick and easy and convenient but the more Bel thinks of it, the more appealing spending a life by Nico's side could be. It would be a dangerous one, but perhaps when they arrive back at Nico's home, it will all settle down.

Bel wants to contradict Nico, to point out his lists of flaws but he can't. His tongue is tied and his chest is heavy and he's staring right into Nico's beautiful blue eyes. "If you say so," Bel agrees quietly as he leans up to meet Nico's lips in a brief kiss.