Title: Sunlight Through the Leaves
Fandom: Once Upon a Time
Rating: NC-17
Length: 643
Content notes: Includes explicit sexual content, mild kink, polyamorous situation in which not everyone is equally happy (no offense intended), longing.
Author notes: For fan-flashworks for the Jewelry challenge.
Summary: Hook/Charming, with background Charming/Snow and Snow/Ruby. Killian likes what he has with James. He wishes he didn't want more.



In the forest, it was different.

At the castle, it was well enough. James would pull him into some darkened hallway, stealing a fast kiss and a grope. Once in a while he might show up at odd hours in Killian’s bed. But at the castle, James had a kingdom to manage and a wife to dote on.

Not that Killian minded – James would probably be insufferable without her influence.

There weren’t secrets between husband and wife; James knew about Snow’s other lovers, and Snow knew about Killian (Killian wasn’t sure if James had others besides him; he didn’t think so, but hadn’t ever quite asked.) Most of Snow’s lovers seemed uninterested in anything beyond an occasional romp, but sometimes Killian saw Ruby staring at the couple the same way he did. Ruby would smile at him then, kindred, and he would smile back with half a grimace.

But sometimes the prince would need to travel through the forest, and sometimes Snow would be too busy running the realm to go with him. He would always ask Killian to come with him then.

And in the forest, everything was different.

Languid kisses, slow, luxurious, Killian’s back pressed against the trunk of a tree. Bathing in rivers, splashing James until they started wrestling on the shore. Sitting and talking as they huddled together by the fire. Sleeping, bodies pressed against each other for warmth, breathing deep in the cool moonlit air.

Opening his eyes in the morning to James whispering in his ear, hot breath, asking him to wake, sweetly and politely begging for permission to take him apart.

James pressing into him, slow, gentle, but intense, filling him up, stretching him into breathlessness and bliss. James fingers gripping Killian’s hair, pulling his head back to kiss his neck, his jaw. Low moans as James’ other hand stroked Killian’s dick.

When they were done, they would lie on their mats for a long time, letting the mist clear in the morning sun as they held each other tightly.

Once in a great while, and Killian is sure James does it to drive him mad, James notices Killian’s seed on his fingers, and makes a point to give a fingertip a little lick, smirking at Killian the whole time.

Killian is almost positive that he brings out a sadistic glee in James that no one else does. He finds this knowledge a comfort.

This last trip, when they were only two days’ away from returning to the castle, the prince decided that they should take a mid-day break.

“I am your obedient subject, sire,” Killian said with a smile.

“Yeah, you’re an obedient subject when I want to suck you off. What amazing progress we’ve made,” James said, rolling his eyes. But he pulled Killian to a warmer spot in the sun and kissed him on the mouth, moving a hand up his shirt, his fingers gliding across the skin of Killian’s torso.

Killian leaned against a tree then, and James roughly undid Killian’s belt and pants, pulling them low to the ankles. He got on his knees and smiled, then moved his hands up Killian’s thighs, teasing him.

Killian stared down at James’ hands, strong, slow motions across his flesh, a thin stripe of cold from where James’ ring met Killian’s thigh.

“What is it?” James asked, pausing.

“Take off the ring,” Killian said.

James stared at him then, and Killian knew that James was reading him, that James wouldn’t like what he found.

James didn’t smile. But he nodded, a slight flash of concern passing across his gaze, and then carefully placed his ring into his breast pocket, right next to his heart.

He moved his hands up Killian’s legs again, stopping just short of their destination.

“Ask me for it,” James said.

Killian leaned his head back and closed his eyes. “Please.”