Title: Learning Curve
Fandom: Adventure World
Rating: NC-17
Length: 6370
Content notes: homophobia (concealing curiosity)
Summary: Aleyn likes Roth. Roth doesn't really know what he likes. Together, they figure some things out.

Roth crumpled up the letter and threw it into the fireplace. He had read it twice and felt no need to look at it ever again. Negotiations are proceeding splendidly... the Falwells seem to be in favour of the match... Idalaide is a polite and well-featured young lady... He remembered Ida Falwell from any number of boring parties and 'well-featured' wouldn't have been the words he'd have chosen - plain and pudgy, with a nose like a radish, was his recollection. She probably was dismally polite, though. He went to the bar to get another drink, wondering whether he could get away with just not answering his mother's note. He could claim he'd never received it, communication wasn't always reliable, she could hardly blame him for not making it back to Highmark as she'd demanded...

One more drink turned into four more before the bartender cut him off. Roth considered briefly going to try and find another place to drink, but he wasn't sure he knew his way around Thanatopolis well enough to find his way back here in the state of intoxication he was hoping to reach. So instead he wandered off to find a friend and see if they could help, possibly by smuggling him enough booze to make him unconscious, or failing that, a fuck might get him there instead. What he wanted most of all was not to think about his family, or the girls they kept pushing at him, or the prospect of being shackled to a deadly dull wife for the rest of his life.

He found Kielly seated cross-legged in a too-big chair in the library, reading. "Hi Roth!" she said brightly, as though it wasn't nearly midnight and he wasn't staggering drunk. "You look awful," she added, somewhat less cheerfully.

"M'fine," he muttered, leaning against the doorframe. "Do you wanna go buy me a drink?"

"I guess they cut you off," the gnome said sternly, frowning. "I don't blame them one bit, either." Her expression softened as she looked up at him. "Is something wrong?"

Roth shook his head. He didn't want to talk about what was wrong, especially not with Kielly. She was a sweet girl, but she didn't know how to keep a secret, and if he told her about what was going on with his family, by tomorrow the whole party would know. "Have you seen Xyra around?" If he couldn't get a drink, maybe he could distract himself with sex, and the rogue was the most desirable candidate for that, especially in a city where half the population was dead.

Kielly shook her head, shaking nut-brown curls. "I think she went with Saffie and Emm to see a show - something about dancing skeletons? Or maybe it was a band named The Dancing Skeletons, but who aren't actually skeletons… I'm kind of sorry I didn't go with them, actually, it might have been fun, but I was just feeling so tired after all that walking today..."

Roth nodded, not entirely listening to her. If Xyra was nowhere to be found, he might as well go back to the bar and see if there was anyone worth picking up there, but it hadn't looked too promising earlier, especially if you weren't into undead. He was resigning himself to a depressing night in his room when Kielly said something that caught his attention once more.

"...Aleyn was here a little while ago but he said he was going to bed. He seemed a little lonely too." Kielly's eyes sparkled in the firelight as she grinned, which made Roth nervous.

Aleyn was the party's sorcerer, and Aleyn was a problem. He was a nice guy, and competent in a fight, but he was a queer, which made Roth a bit uncomfortable. He knew no one else in the group had a problem with who he slept with, and there was no point making a fuss about it, so he mostly just kept his mouth shut. But he couldn't help staring sometimes when Aleyn actually managed to score, to see him sticking his tongue down some other guy's throat out in public, like it was normal or something.

Lately there hadn't been so many of those random hookups though, and for a little while Roth was grateful, until he realized why. Aleyn wasn't subtle, and Roth wasn't stupid - he could tell Aleyn was interested in him, just by a few little things he said, the way he watched Roth when he thought he wasn't looking, the way he'd step straight into combat, risking his own stupid neck, if he thought Roth was in trouble. And by the look on Kielly's face, Roth wasn't the only one who knew about Aleyn's pathetic little crush, and that was more of a problem, because if Kielly knew, then everyone knew. He felt himself blushing, and tried to hide it by looking away.

"He's a really sweet guy, but he's shy," Kielly was saying, "and I know he feels bad about how tense things are lately, and maybe if you just talked to him, so you could both explain how you feel, it would get better..."

"Uh-huh," Roth replied noncommittally, unwilling to admit he had no idea what to say to Aleyn or what his feelings were supposed to be. "Thanks, Ki. I'm going to bed too."

Upstairs at the inn, there was still a light visible from under Aleyn's door. Roth was never sure later why he went in, why he didn't just walk on by to his own room, or at least knock first, but he was drunk enough that it must have seemed like a sensible thing to do. Probably Kielly had put the idea into his head that it would be a good idea to talk with the sorcerer and get some things straightened out. And maybe he was still upset about his family trying to arrange a marriage for him and somehow wanted to prove to them that he wasn't interested. But if he'd been sober he would have almost certainly approached it in a different way than barging into Aleyn's room in the middle of the night and saying, "So, I guess you want to fuck me, huh?"

***

Aleyn had been sitting in bed reading by candlelight, and he jumped about a foot when Roth came into the room unannounced and sprang a question like that on him. "I, uh, what?" he stammered, confusion sapping his ability to communicate.

"You want me," Roth said, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed defensively, his blond hair mussed out of its usual neatness. "Don't try to pretend you don't, because we both know it's true."

His tone was a bit belligerent, a bit confused, and a lot drunk. Aleyn didn't think Roth was likely to get violent with him, but he was still beginning to worry that things might become ugly here, and started planning possible escape routes in case he wasn't able to keep the situation under control. "We can talk about this," he said, trying to keep his voice calm, but he gave another involuntary start when Roth came in and shut the door, cutting them off.

"What's there to talk about?" Roth said, coming over to the side of the bed. "You're a queer, you like to shove your dick up other guys' asses, or suck cock, or whatever it is you do, and now you want to do it with me."

Aleyn looked up at him, trying to figure out exactly what was going on here. Roth seemed unusually tense, like his careful control was on the verge of cracking, and Aleyn wasn’t sure whether he was here for a fight or a fuck. "I like you," he finally said quietly. "You’re brave, and noble, and smart, and you always seem to know exactly what to do, and you’re beautiful...” He looked aside, embarrassed, feeling like he'd said too much. “But I wasn't going to say anything because I knew you wouldn't feel the same."

A bit of the anger went out of Roth's face, his shoulders slumping. "Yeah. That's right." He sounded relieved, almost, but there was something else there that Aleyn was still picking up, some undercurrent of tension, as if he had more to say. "Because I don't like men," Roth added, as if that might still need clarification.

"Right. Okay." Aleyn put his book aside, drawing up his knees so that Roth could sit if he wanted.

He didn't sit down, just kept standing there like he was lost. "Do you want to suck my cock?" he asked eventually.

Aleyn looked up at him warily, but saw only confusion written on his face. "Do you want me to?"

"...Maybe." Roth looked away, as if unwilling to meet his eyes. His hand crept to the waist of his trousers, and Aleyn watched, mesmerized, as he flicked open the buttons there. "Go ahead," Roth told him, "here's your big chance."

Aleyn knew he wouldn't get another opportunity like this, this combination of Roth's strange mood and his drunkenness and his unexpected presence in his bedroom in the middle of the night. And while he felt, perhaps oddly considering the circumstances, a little like he was taking advantage of Roth, he couldn't say no - he’d wanted it too desperately for too long to worry if it was a terrible idea or not. So he nodded instead, sitting up to help open Roth's pants, sliding them down over his hips, finding his cock half-hard. Aleyn took it hesitantly in his hand, feeling it swell and stiffen further in his grip, and looked up at Roth, who had his eyes closed and his teeth gritted. "Are you sure..." he began, but Roth cut him off sharply.

"Come on, do it already."

So without any further encouragement, Aleyn wrapped his lips around Roth's dick, something he had never expected to get the chance to do. It wasn't how he'd envisioned it playing out in his fantasies, but it was all the better for being real. And, he had to admit, there was a certain thrill about knowing he was the first guy to do this for him, that he was breaking new ground, maybe helping Roth realize a fantasy he’d been harbouring for a long time too... Roth gave a surprised little gasp as Aleyn worked his tongue along the ridge of his head, which encouraged him to keep doing that. Soon Roth was fully hard and leaning on the bedpost for support, while Aleyn pistoned up and down along his length, gripping him tightly at the base. Every time he looked up at him, Roth’s eyes were closed, making Aleyn wonder just what he was thinking about during all of this, but he couldn’t ask, couldn’t stop.

As he sucked Roth, falling into a nice, steady rhythm, Aleyn hitched up his nightshirt, all he was wearing, so that he could stroke himself at the same time. He wasn’t sure if Roth noticed or cared, but he needed to be touched, he was aching hard. Roth gave a cry, quickly choked off, and Aleyn was pretty sure he was getting close, but he didn’t want it to end just yet, so he tried to slow down a little. Roth was having none of that, however, pushing himself harder into Aleyn’s mouth, wrapping his free hand around the back of his head to make him keep up the pace. Aleyn had to strain to give him what he wanted, but he managed. Roth kept his hand there a moment longer before his thumb brushed against stubble on Aleyn’s jaw and he suddenly snatched it away, balling it into a fist at his side instead.

Released, Aleyn lifted his head for a fraction of a second, panting for air. He thought he might say something, but when he saw the look on Roth’s face he knew this was no time for conversation. He dove back in quickly, swallowing him down as far as he could, keeping his hand moving in the same smooth rhythm, and was soon rewarded with a strangled grunt and a flood of hot come against the back of his throat, and another, and another, until the last few pulses finally dwindled away.

Roth was quiet, trembling a little as Aleyn drew off him. "Come lie down," Aleyn offered hopefully, but Roth shook his head, fumbling to pull up his trousers instead.

"I... I have to go," he muttered as he buttoned them, his cheeks flushed and eyes downcast. He looked very young all of a sudden, and very confused.

Aleyn's face fell, disappointed but not entirely surprised. To expect more would have been fooling himself - and it was clear Roth's heart wasn't really in this. It had clearly all been a mistake, and he’d foolishly let himself get caught up in it. He straightened his nightshirt, nodding. "See you tomorrow then," he said, trying to sound casual even though he could still taste Roth's come on his tongue, even though he wanted to grab him and kiss him and make him taste it too.

Roth nodded, bid him a muffled "g'night," and all but ran out the door, leaving Aleyn sitting there confused and painfully ready for some reciprocation that clearly wasn't going to be forthcoming. He sighed, lying back on the bed. At least he would have those memories, even if it never happened again, even if it made everything worse for a while, until they could both put it behind them.

***

The next week was, if anything, more awkward than before, and Roth was sure everyone must know why. He didn't think Aleyn would have told anyone, but he couldn't be certain. He found himself avoiding the sorcerer as much as he could, because just seeing him made him remember what had happened, and that made him confused. Roth hated being confused. He couldn't stay away from Aleyn entirely, not while they were working, but he spoke to him curtly when they had no choice but to talk. Then he felt like a jerk every time Aleyn looked at him with those big green eyes. If he had been a girl, it would have been easier to know what to do, but it was Aleyn, and that left Roth too unsettled to do anything except try to ignore him, at least until he had a better idea what he ought to say.

He could try to chalk it up to a mistake, to a night of being drunk and depressed and lonely, but some part of him, a part that he was trying very hard not to listen to, knew that wasn't the whole story. He'd started it. He'd wanted it. And it hadn't been disgusting - parts of it had been pretty amazing actually. He caught himself thinking about it sometimes, and, disconcertingly, even the memory was enough to make him hard. He wondered if he should go talk to Aleyn, if maybe that would help, but he worried that it would only make things more confusing. He thought about finding some girl to fuck to put it out of his mind, but by now they'd left Thanatopolis and were halfway to the middle of nowhere, and Xyra was sharing a tent with Tilma, and he could just imagine the look on the orc's face if she was asked to vacate the premises for an hour or so.

The middle of nowhere turned out to be a halfling village named Skalwood, where they'd been having some trouble with sheep thieves. Roth actually enjoyed these petty jobs, not because they paid particularly well (they didn't, usually, unless the bandits were especially successful ones) but because he liked the praise that common folk inevitably dished out afterwards, treating them like they were real heroes and not just some dumb kids from Highmark who had learned how to swing their swords without cutting themselves. It made him feel useful, doing something good for people who actually needed help, and was enough to distract him from his worries for a couple of days while they dealt with mopping up the robbers.

Afterwards, the villagers threw them a celebration. There was roast sheep (of course) and plenty of beer, and everyone seemed to be having fun. Except Aleyn, who said something about a headache and went to bed early. Roth stayed long enough to have a few more drinks, but he started thinking that this might be his best chance to get Aleyn alone so that they could talk, so that maybe he could smooth things over between them. Maybe he could make it okay again - he realized he missed the way things used to be, when their feelings weren't so confusing.

They had been given space in what wasn't so much an inn as the loft of a barn where they'd thrown up some hasty dividers to make 'rooms' that would fit the non-tiny members of the party. He made his way clumsily through the darkened space, feeling along the makeshift walls. "Aleyn?" he said quietly, wondering if the sorcerer might already be asleep.

"I'm here," came a low voice from near the wall of the barn. Roth felt his way over, pushing his way past the blanket that served as a door. "What do you want?" Aleyn asked, guarded.

"To talk," Roth said. "Can I come in?" His eyes were just beginning to adjust to the darkness enough that he could make out Aleyn's scrawny shape moving slightly, then he blinked as there was suddenly a flame. Aleyn set the candle down and nodded, allowing Roth to come join him on the bedroll that was spread out on the floor. His hair was tousled and messy, as though he’d been sleeping, but he seemed awake now.

"I screwed up," Roth told him.

"When?" said Aleyn dryly. "When you came into my room and asked me to suck your cock, or when you ignored me for the last ten days?"

Roth hoped that the faint light wouldn't show him blushing. "The second," he muttered.

Aleyn smiled faintly at that. "So the other time wasn't a mistake, then?"

"It depends what you mean," Roth prevaricated. "It might have been... poor judgment. It probably made things worse between us. But..." He trailed off, looking at Aleyn's eyes as they caught the candlelight.

"But you liked it?" supplied Aleyn.

"But I can't stop thinking about it," said Roth, exasperated. "I've only ever wanted to fuck girls before, I shouldn't have liked it!"

"Why not?" Aleyn asked. "You've never liked something you hadn't tried before?" He reached out to put his hand over Roth's. Roth tensed up, but forced himself not to pull away. "Maybe you just didn't know you liked it until now," Aleyn added, stroking his thumb along the back of Roth's hand. In the dim light he looked hopeful, and Roth found he didn't want to disappoint him a second time.

"Can we try it again?" he asked, far more nervous this time than the last, because he was less drunk, because he knew now what it would be like...

Aleyn tilted his head as if considering the question. "All right, but only if you'll give me something in return."

"What?" Roth was worried in case it turned out to be something he couldn't do, or worse, didn't know how to do.

"Start with a kiss," Aleyn suggested, leaning forward. "Maybe more after, we'll see."

A kiss wasn’t so bad, he thought he could handle that. Roth took a deep breath and nodded. He moved forward slightly, but let Aleyn take the initiative, bringing his lips to Roth’s gently, not trying anything too daring just yet. It felt weird, but not bad, and he was pretty sure most of the weirdness was inside his own head anyway. After a short while, Aleyn pulled back. “All right?” he asked, sounding nervous.

“It was... pretty good,” Roth admitted.

“Let’s try it again, then, and make it better,” Aleyn said with a sly smile. This time the kiss came with more force, and Roth felt Aleyn’s tongue trying to press into his mouth. After a moment’s hesitation he allowed it, parting his lips just enough to let him in. He was right, it was better like this. Roth’s heart was hammering in his chest, and he felt sure Aleyn must be able to feel it too, betraying his excitement.

Aleyn guided him to lie down beside him, one hand tangled in Roth’s hair, the other wrapped around his waist, and Roth didn’t resist. He was a little relieved, though, when Aleyn started working his way down his body, untucking his shirt and shoving an impatient hand down his pants. He rocked his hips up, thrusting into Aleyn’s grip, which felt surprisingly good as long as he didn’t think about it too much. Kneeling over him, Aleyn popped open the buttons of his trousers, freeing his cock so that he could bend down and start to suck it. Roth closed his eyes, trying to focus on the sensations as much as he could, and less on who was producing them, before it occurred to him that maybe that was a shitty thing to do.

He opened his eyes again, staring up at the shadows moving on the ceiling, and made himself think about Aleyn. Aleyn who was kind and shy and could make him laugh with a muttered comment at the right moment, who had hair that was always sticking up and big green eyes, Aleyn whose mouth was wrapped around his cock right now. Thinking about it that way, as fucking someone he was friends with instead of just ‘a guy’, made it both easier to grasp and, to his surprise, hotter. He gave an involuntary moan, trying to bite it back for a second before remembering they were alone here and no one would hear him - well, no one except Aleyn, who moaned back, mouth full and muffled. The sound, the faint vibration, sent a jolt up Roth’s spine.

After a little while, Roth gathered up his courage to look down and see what was going on. By the light of the candle, Aleyn’s face was half in shadow, but he could still see how his jaw was stretched open wide, unruly black hair falling forward to conceal his eyes. He looked focused, intent on his task, sucking eagerly. Roth watched, spellbound, as Aleyn lifted off him for a moment to brush his hair out of his face, licking his lower lip before engulfing his cock again. He seemed to know exactly what Roth needed - well, of course he did - and his tongue was doing something that felt unbelievable, and fuck, he was looking up at him while he did it, eyes locked onto his, full of wanting, and that was it, Roth couldn’t wait any longer. His hips jerked as he came, but he didn’t lose sight of Aleyn for longer than a few seconds when he couldn’t help it.

Aleyn slid back up to lie beside him. He seemed unsure for a moment whether he should put his arm around Roth or not, so Roth solved the problem for him by taking his hand and pulling it to his chest. It felt.. comfortable, just lying together. He could have fallen asleep there, he thought, if it hadn’t been for having to explain to everyone else in the morning, and the distracting prod of Aleyn’s erection against his side. He knew he was going to be expected to do something about that - he just wasn’t entirely sure what, and he couldn’t quite bring himself to ask. He lay there hoping that maybe Aleyn would ask instead, so he wouldn’t have to.

He didn’t ask, not outright, but he did press up against Roth more insistently and nuzzle against the back of his neck, kissing just behind his ear. Roth turned to face him, which led to more kissing, and hands doing a bit more wandering. Aleyn did at least provide the assistance of unfastening his own trousers, and Roth knew what he wanted, he wasn’t stupid, he just needed to work up the courage to actually do it. He laid his hand on Aleyn’s stomach instead, feeling the tension in those muscles. “Please,” Aleyn whispered, close to desperate, and so Roth slid his hand lower, fumbling just a little with getting shirt and pants out of the way before he managed to curl his fingers around Aleyn’s cock.

It was hard and soft at the same time, sensitive skin over rigid flesh, hot to the touch and thick enough that his fingers overlapped only a little around it. Roth realized it was certainly bigger than his, which gave him a moment’s doubt, but the way Aleyn was looking at him, the needy little sounds he was making, were more distracting by far. Roth smiled as he gave him a tentative stroke and watched his eyelids flutter shut, his mouth open in a gasp.

Just then the sound of the door opening downstairs made him freeze. Aleyn didn’t seem to have noticed, so when Roth pulled away from him he gave a strained “No, don’t stop,” before being shushed. Roth scrambled to his feet, hoping the sounds of footsteps on the creaky wooden stairs would cover his getaway. Aleyn was still trying to figure out why they’d stopped, but all Roth could do was shake his head and try to apologize without actually saying anything. There was no way in this makeshift bedroom that people wouldn’t hear, wouldn’t know, and that thought sent Roth into a panic. He managed to get his trousers up well enough that he wasn’t going to trip over them and made a quick dash for his own room, just before everyone else arrived upstairs.

He slumped back on his bedroll, breathing hard and a bit dizzy. He felt awful for having left Aleyn like that - he had a pretty good idea how frustrated he must be feeling, but there was nothing he could do about it now. He wondered if Aleyn would be mad at him, and whether there was anything he could do to make it up to him, or if it was too late for that. He’d screwed up twice now, and he knew it - having excuses didn’t make it any better, really. But he realized, somewhat to his surprise, that he hoped he’d have another chance.

***

Aleyn was cranky the rest of the trip. He knew it was a little unreasonable, but he felt justified. Roth wanted to treat him like crap, fine - Aleyn could play that game too. Except this time Roth wasn't ignoring him or snapping at him when they couldn't avoid talking, he was actually acting unusually apologetic. Well, Roth didn't really do 'sorry', but he seemed to be going out of his way to be nice to Aleyn, at least. Still, Aleyn let him stew, knowing perfectly well it was immature and not caring.

Before they arrived in Yondon, half the party had come quietly to Aleyn to ask him what was going on. Tilma and Emmeryn had accepted his curt "nothing," but Kielly had pressed him further. "I can tell something's wrong," she said quietly as they shared a watch one night. "You and Roth are both acting weird - you're being too mean and he's being too nice. It's like someone switched your personalities. …Oh my gods, did someone switch your personalities?"

Aleyn couldn't help but chuckle. "No, pretty sure that didn't happen. I guess we're just... working some things out."

"Well, I don't know how you'll ever work them out if you won't talk to him," Kielly said sensibly. "He's actually trying, Aleyn, it's not an act. You've liked him for ages, don't get all stubborn now! Give him a chance."

"If he brings me flowers, I'll consider it," he said dryly, putting an end to the conversation.

Staying at an inn again, being able to get properly clean and eat a meal that Shargh hadn't cooked over a campfire put everyone in a better mood. After dinner, Aleyn was relaxing in bed with a new book he’d just picked up when there was a knock at his door. With a sigh, he got up, expecting it might be Kielly trying to convince him to come out and be sociable. Instead, Roth was standing there with a handful of violets. He looked a bit embarrassed, but stuck his hand out to offer them to Aleyn, who just stared at them. “They were growing beside the stable,” Roth said by way of explanation.

“Uh... thank you?” Aleyn took them, puzzling over where he could put them. He went to rummage through his pack and find an empty potion bottle he was pretty sure he had saved.

Roth hovered uncertainly in the doorway. “Can I come in?” he asked eventually.

“Oh. Yes, I suppose,” said Aleyn, distracted by his search. Roth shuffled in, hands shoved in his pockets.

"I just freaked out," he said quietly. "I didn't mean to leave you like that."

"I know," Aleyn told him, retrieving the small blue bottle and sticking the bunch of violets in it. He put the improvised vase down on the windowsill, then moved to shut the door. "We should talk."

Roth nodded, looking as if he too had things to say, but he hesitated. "You start."

"Okay," said Aleyn, taking a deep breath. "I like you a lot, but if we're going to keep doing this, there need to be some ground rules." He waited until Roth looked over at him before proceeding. "First, this is for both of us, not just for you. You don't get to dictate all the terms, you don't get to just show up at my door and automatically expect sex at all hours of the night, and if we do have sex, we're both supposed to enjoy it."

"That's fair," Roth agreed, looking guilty.

"Second," Aleyn continued, knowing that this was more likely to be a sticking point, "you have to acknowledge that there's something going on between us. I mean, the group are going to figure it out soon enough anyway. I'm not asking you to make a big announcement or something, but just... don't pretend it's not happening. Don't be ashamed of me."

“What am I supposed to say?” Roth looked a bit lost. “That you’re my... what? Boyfriend?” He stumbled slightly over the word.

“You don’t have to say that if you don’t want,” Aleyn told him. “It’s probably too soon for that anyway,” he added with a smile. “Maybe, for now, if people ask we can just say that we’re seeing each other.”

“All right,” Roth agreed, surprising Aleyn slightly. “But we don’t have to say anything if they don’t ask?”

“Someone will ask,” Aleyn assured him. “But if it’s Kielly, at least she’ll take care of telling everyone else and we won’t have to worry about it.”

Roth cracked a bit of a smile at that. “She was the one who said, uh, about the flowers...”

“I figured. It was nice of you,” Aleyn said, looking over at the bouquet. “I wasn’t really expecting anything, it was kind of a joke, but... I do like them.”

“I’m glad,” said Roth. “Uh, did you have other stuff you wanted to say?”

“Just one other thing,” Aleyn said, going over to sit down on the bed. “I can imagine this is probably pretty weird for you, and I don’t want to make it even weirder, but.. if you’re going to do this, you have to be prepared to try new things. It’s okay if you decide you don’t like something after trying it a few times, and it’s also okay if you don’t know what you’re doing at first - I’m willing to teach you. Very willing,” he added with a suggestive smile, enjoying the way it made Roth blush. “Now, what were you going to say?”

Roth sat down beside him, looking pensive. He looked as though he was about to say something a couple of times, but couldn’t quite manage the words. Finally he just turned to Aleyn, taking him by the shoulders and pulling him close for a kiss. When they drew apart a little while later, both rather breathless, Roth said, “What I’m trying to say is, I want to make it up to you.”

"Good," said Aleyn, and started working on unbuttoning Roth's shirt. Roth returned the favour and within a short while both of them were naked. It wasn't the first time they'd seen each other undressed, but this was different from taking a dip in a pond or scrubbing off grime in a stream. "You're so beautiful," Aleyn told him fervently, running a hand down Roth's muscular chest, bringing it to rest on his thigh. He knew he wasn't anything like as handsome, didn't expect Roth to say it back, but he could feel how hungrily Roth was looking at him and that was good enough.

Roth put a hand on his chest in return, pushing him gently back to lie on the bed. "You should tell me if I'm doing anything wrong," he murmured, moving atop him for more kisses. His cock rubbed up against Aleyn's just for a second, making both of them gasp.

"No complaints so far," Aleyn said when he was able to speak again. "Do that again?" Roth twitched his hips gently, bringing them into contact once more, and Aleyn grabbed hold of his ass, keeping him pressed close this time. "That's better," he said, grinding harder against Roth.

Roth squirmed free after a few minutes, but Aleyn was willing to forgive that since he seemed intent on more up close and personal efforts. His heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might explode as Roth wrapped his hand around his cock, gripping it gingerly. "So big," sighed Roth, which made Aleyn's face feel all hot.

"Sorry," he muttered, "I know it's a pain if you're going to suck it..."

"What?" Roth looked up at him, startled. "Don't be stupid, it's amazing. I'm jealous," he added with a bit of a smirk.

"Wait, huh? Jealous of me? Don't be," Aleyn told him hastily, "it's kind of annoying sometimes. I like yours, it's just the right size to swallow, and... uh, this might sound weird, but it's really pretty."

Roth laughed. "No one's ever called it that, but thanks, I guess." He teased his fingers lightly over Aleyn's cock, which sent a shiver up the sorcerer's spine. "More?" Roth asked uncertainly.

"More, and harder," Aleyn said, closing his hand over Roth's to show him exactly how he wanted it. Fortunately Roth got the hang of it quickly enough, so that after a short while Aleyn let him take it on his own and just lay back to enjoy the sensations. The way Roth was looking at him was almost as hot as the feeling of getting jerked off by him, like he was evaluating Aleyn's reactions to everything he did, every time he sped up or slowed down, every twist, every flick of his thumb. He was trying so hard to figure out what worked best - it was strangely sweet, Aleyn thought. But then, Roth never did like being ignorant of anything.

Aleyn had been waiting for this for... well, months really, if you were counting from the moment he first realized he couldn’t take his eyes off Roth, and a couple of weeks since Roth had stormed into his room in the middle of the night. And those had been a couple of weeks on the road, with very limited privacy. Which was to say, Aleyn was already holding himself back from coming after only a few minutes. When Roth lowered his head to give a tentative tongue-swipe across the head of his cock, he gave a most undignified moan, back curving off the mattress like a bow.

Roth glanced up at him, hazel eyes playful. “Again?” And whatever Aleyn managed to babble (he had no idea what it might have been, except affirmative) it was evidently enough to persuade Roth to repeat his efforts, soon progressing from hesitant licks to full-fledged lapping at his head and shaft to sloppily sucking as much of Aleyn’s dick as he could into his mouth. Aleyn couldn’t stop watching his cock disappear inch by inch between Roth’s lips, couldn’t quite believe this was really happening, and finally, couldn’t hold back any longer. He must have given enough warning, though, because Roth managed to pull back just in time, letting Aleyn’s come spill over his knuckles and drip onto Aleyn’s stomach instead of trying to swallow it. At that moment, Aleyn didn’t care in the slightest.

Wiping his hand on the sheets, Roth looked a bit bemused, but mostly pleased. “You seemed to like that,” he said, the understatement of the year. He stood up, but must have noticed the anxious look on Aleyn’s face, adding “I’m not going anywhere, I promise.” Instead he helped pull back the blankets so that he could get under them, curling up alongside Aleyn.

Aleyn kissed him, running a hand through his fair hair until it was nearly as messy as his own. “You’d better not, you still owe me at least one more of those,” he said with a smile. “And next time you’re going to fuck my ass - how does that sound, honey?”

“Not too bad, sweetheart,” said Roth jokingly, earning a light smack. “I mean, I’ve never tried it before, but...”

“Not even with girls?” Aleyn asked, a little surprised.

“Oh, well, with girls,” Roth said with a shrug. “That’s different.” Aleyn wasn’t entirely convinced of that, but he let Roth believe it if it made him feel better. “You can show me exactly how you like it, and I’ll make sure it's great.”

Aleyn nodded, giving him another kiss. There were, he decided, certain advantages to inexperienced boys who also happened to be perfectionists - Roth would definitely demand plenty of opportunity to practice.