Chapter Five:

"What large hands you have!"

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"You're late," said Leon as he opened the door. He sniffed the air and promptly added: "And you smell like wet dog..."

The Wolf chuckled. "I'm not surprised."

Opening the door wide, Leon ushered The Wolf inside the cottage and then leaned out the doorway, peeking left and right before he shut it again. The chill of the night that brushed against his naked skin caused him to shudder. He was standing in nothing but a pair of navy-colored boxer shorts, having prepared for bed when he had figured that The Wolf wasn't planning on showing up this evening.

Leon strode over to the small bathroom area, grabbed his only clean towel and tossed it at The Wolf. "Get undressed and dry yourself with that," he ordered as he proceeded over to his lantern, still slightly smoking, standing on his nightstand. There, he snapped his fingers and a thin flame was born from the tip.

The Wolf wasted no time ridding himself of his clothes, the drenched fabric clung uncomfortably to his body like a stubborn second skin. Leon remained quiet as The Wolf peeled his shirt over his head and shimmied out of his pants, but he could feel the younger man's gaze on him as he did. He dried himself with the borrowed towel the best he could and then tied it around his waist. He didn't care much for modesty – although he probably had once upon a time – but he figured that Leon might.

Their rendezvous went on as it usually did: going right down to business and talked about Leon's progress with mastering his sorcery. Wind and Water, those were the elementals that came the most natural to him, Leon told The Wolf. Fire required some concentration but was easy once he got into the right mindset of it, but Earth he couldn't even begin to figure out yet. All in all, his magic capabilities were quickly taking form. Had Matron been still alive she might have called him out on being a natural to the craft.

Once Leon finished reciting his status report, their conversation gradually dawned into silence; but a few comments here or there or a good-natured jab at each other remained. As it usually did. Neither man being much for smalltalk. There was a tacit agreement shared between them that they would remain like that until Leon fell asleep, and The Wolf was forced to return to his woods.

"... I wish to see you." Unless, The Wolf said just that.

Leon did not immediatly answer, but the soft creak in the bed told The Wolf that his request had been accepted.

"I could just close my eyes, you know," Leon said, but took the older man's hand and guided it towards his cheek none the less. The Wolf used his thumb to trace smooth cheek bones and dusty stubble. He slowly raised his hands from Leon's face, and brushed the brunet's bangs back with his fingers, running them through thick, silky locks until he reached their tips; a hairsbreadth away from a pair of broad shoulders.

He reached up again and grabbed hold of Leon's chin. "I don't know the clear-cut limitations to my curse. And I'm done taking risks," The Wolf admitted.

Leon let out a sigh. He took The Wolf's hand in his, "Then don't let me stop you," he said, and moved the hand to lay flat against his own chest. Beneath his palm, The Wolf could feel a rapid beating heart. Urging him to continue.

Behind his mask, The Wolf smiled happlessly. "Right now, you're the only one who can..."

The room subsided into silence once more as The Wolf explored the other body leisurely. A square chest blending into a lean waist and sharp hips. The concave of a broad back that caused him to naturally straighten his stance. Soft thighs and hard calves along long legs. He took everything in through the palms of his hands.

He paused for a second, when he felt a pair of hands reaching for the back of his skull. Unbuckling one of the belts keeping his mask in place, Leon lifted- and pushed it to the side, revealing a pair palish lips and a pointed nose. He hooked his arms around The Wolf's neck and pressed a tentative peck to the older man's lips. The Wolf answered to the second kiss. The third one he deepend.

Hands roamed the younger man's back and neck with newfound purpose. Pushing gently at the younger man's shoulderblades and urging him forward, closer. He let his hands slide down Leon's sides and then let them rest on either side of his hips. "... Can I see all of you?" The Wolf asked, stroking his thumb along the protruding bone there meaningfully.

Leon swore. "Don't ask me that. Just do it."

And so, The Wolf did. He pressed another kiss to Leon's lips, and inched both his hands into the garment that was Leon's underwear and pushed it down below his buttocks. Leon moaned softly in his ear when The Wolf touched him. He closed his hand around his partner's manhood and followed its length up to the tip, and then back down again. At some point, Leon had started to pant.

"Excited?" The Wolf whispered haughtily.

Leon huffed at him. "Like you're one to talk," he said and pushed his knee in between The Wolf's naked legs, where the towel bulged treacherously. The Wolf grunted in surprise, but followed it up with a crooked smile on his lips. Two could play this game.

"I have nothing to hide," he said and untied the towel around his waist, and let it fall from his hips, without hesitation.

For a moment, as he took in the whole of the man standing in front of him, Leon got the sudden impression that he had seen everything that was The Wolf. Despite there yet being many missing pieces to the man and his peculiar history, Leon felt like he knew everything about him, or, everything that he needed to know, at least. There was no secrets between them. There was nothing more to hide. And being able to share that kind of familiary with someone was comforting.

"Don't overthink this now. Or are you getting second thoughts?" The Wolf wondered, misinterpreting Leon's silence and stilling actions.

Leon's response was to take hold of each side of The Wolf's face and press a bruising kiss to his lips. It caused The Wolf to bang the back of his head against the wall, and the kiss was wet and sloppy and swift and caused a string of saliva to still connect them when Leon pulled away once more and said, his voice like gravel and out of breath: "I'm fine."

And he wasn't lying this time. His heart was racing, his arms and fingers twitched from adrenaline, and the warmth caused him to sweat and color his usually colorless face with an embarassing hue; but he understood now that all of that was fine. It was all a part of whatever this was; this kind of relationship that he had developed with The Wolf over the years.

"If you want to stop," The Wolf rasped against Leon's lips, "just give me the word."

"Right now, it's not your words that I need. So, shut up."

The Wolf chuckled. "Eager?"

"Shut up."