Who: Aidan and Victor Where: Overlook, Victor’s house When: Late night, Monday, July 16 Warning: NSFW Status: Complete, Part 1
It started out simply as notes, thoughts that Aidan wanted to convey to Victor, scribbled inside a leather notebook alongside literary quotes, spell ingredients, and liquor recipes. It was never supposed to become something more, but as Aidan delved deeper into the internet, looking for a better understanding of what he was getting into, he realized how important communication was going to be. Casual conversation had never been his strong suit and talk about sex was practically nonexistent. The notes had evolved from there, and required at least one additional trip back to confirm Victor actually owned all the books he was referencing. When he finally left them to be found, it hadn’t occurred to him how hard the waiting would be.
Aidan spent the day attempting to distract himself, all the while wondering if he’d made a fool of himself. What if Victor wasn’t as voracious a reader as he seemed to be? What if that book on his bedside went untouched for weeks? Or, worse, what if Victor found the first note, rolled his eyes, and threw it out? It wasn’t just all that work wasted, but the thought that Aidan had been wrong, that he’d poured himself into a project that wasn’t appreciated. He couldn’t stand the thought of it and hated how insecure it made him feel. He told himself he’d give it three days. If he heard nothing from Victor by then, he’d slip back in and remove the notes, leaving Victor none the wiser.
He didn’t have to wait near that long. Aidan was in bed when he got the text, re-reading The Count of Monte Cristo as he nursed a glass of bourbon. He grinned as he read Victor’s response, all his built-up anxiety snuffed out with a few simple words. The quote was unfamiliar but fitting, and Aidan read over it several times, committing it to memory. The later part, he knew, was an answer to his question. He’d read enough now that he knew the answer and hoped Victor understood that it wasn’t an act; it wasn’t something Aidan could turn on and off when he wanted, though there were definitely times when his behavior was more subdued.
His thumbs hovered over the keyboard, considering a response, before he locked the phone and set it down. Nothing he had to say would be satisfying over text. He wanted to see Victor in person, breathe him in, taste him. The man was quickly becoming an obsession that Aidan was happy to feed. While his first inclination was to jump in the car and head straight there, he knew that wouldn’t do. He forced himself to shower, dress, and finish his drink before heading out the door. Like last time, he parked down the hill, outside Overlook, and walked the rest of the way. Unlike last time, he slipped off his shoes after sneaking in the basement door.
The house was dark, but that was expected. Aidan listened for any sign that Victor was awake, aware that it was a work day and that he’d probably gone to bed when he didn’t get a response back. Was it rude to arrive so late? Maybe. But he didn’t want to seem overeager, like he’d been waiting all day for a response. Quietly, he crept up the stairs, his steps slowing as he reached the door to the master bedroom. Aidan lingered in the shadows, peering into the room. Every other time he’d had a plan, a game to guide his actions, but this time it was just him, wanting to see Victor without a premise to mask his intentions.
When Victor hadn’t gotten an immediate text back, he hadn’t been sure of what to do with himself. He wanted Aidan there now, but it was late and it was possible Aidan wouldn’t even see his response until the next day. Victor had a brief temptation to follow it up with a phone call, but he resisted the urge, going for another drink instead. If he was ever going to settle down to sleep, he needed a little help getting there.
By the time he felt the change in the air, the subtle signal that someone else had crossed the boundary of his wards, Victor was back in bed with the lights off. He’d made a point to flick off the light above the basement entrance too, the signal they’d agreed on. Aidan was especially welcome tonight. Victor laid still where he was on his side, listening hard as his heart picked up speed. He was rather impressed that he didn’t hear Aidan at all, just felt the presence of his magic hovering outside the open bedroom door. Victor let the silence linger, keeping his breathing even and steady and his eyes only cracked open, curious how Aidan would approach him just like this.
This was where Aidan’s confidence wavered, where his inclination was to fall back on tricks or games, distractions from his feelings. Though it was Victor laid out in the open, it was Aidan who felt vulnerable, and his mind scrambled with ways to turn this into something easier to manage. He should have snatched the knife before climbing the stairs, but he’d been focused on his destination, and arrived empty handed. Nerves twisted in Aidan’s gut and he finally relented, whispering so quietly that it would only reach Victor’s ears through air magic. “Are you awake?” he asked, creeping forward to stand in the doorway. “Can I join you?”
The soft words were like a tickle right behind his ear that ran straight down to his cock. There was just something delicious about his brash ‘intruder’ asking for permission to enter his bedroom. A couple of weeks ago Aidan probably would’ve swiped something off the dresser and disappeared already, but here they were, with an entirely different dynamic. Victor rolled onto his back, gazing in the shadowy direction of the door. “Get over here,” he said, quiet but firm. It felt more natural to be demanding, now that he had more of a handle on what Aidan wanted from him. “I was hoping you’d come.”
It was hard for Aidan to admit that he liked the direction, that he found himself floundering without it. He’d always thought that it was because he was bad at relationships, or inexperienced, but he was starting to think that it was more that he’d been pursuing the wrong kind to begin with. There was an underlying message in society that men should be the dominant ones in a relationship, something that Aidan had subconsciously picked up, even if he didn’t fit the mold. The alternative had never occurred to him, not until Victor presented it to him, and while he might not be a perfect fit, he found himself to be far more comfortable than he expected. He did just as Victor asked, crossing the room to the bed, then climbing onto it to kneel at Victor’s side. “You could have asked,” he said, a smile tugging at his lips. “I might have come sooner.”
Victor had been lucky to learn fairly early on that those rigid gender roles were horseshit, and that human relationships could take all kinds of forms, and the only thing that really mattered was what made him and his partners happy. He’d known for a long time that he didn’t fit into the traditional heteronormative nuclear family mold, and he loved the idea that he’d inspired Aidan to seek his own freedom from it. Victor watched him come closer, his stomach clenching pleasantly at how the mattress shifted under Aidan’s weight. “Didn’t know if you were awake or not,” he answered, smiling faintly himself. Victor studied his face for a moment, then reached for him, slipping his hand to the back of Aidan’s neck. He pulled him down closer for a kiss, with a softly murmured, “c’mere.”
“I’m a night owl,” Aidan murmured, surprised Victor hadn’t figured that part out yet. Even if he had been asleep, he’d have happily woken up for this. That felt a little too telling though, so he kept it to himself and bent to meet Victor’s kiss. Almost as soon as their lips met, Aidan felt that they were too far apart, and he shifted to lay beside Victor on the bed, himself on top of the covers while Victor was still under them. He opened his mouth, allowing Victor to kiss him deeper, as Victor’s fingers slid up into his hair, still damp from the shower. Closer, he wanted to be closer, all the thoughts and fantasies that had been running through his head since he last saw Victor finally being given an outlet. It’d only been a few days, but he’d missed him, and now that he had him back he couldn’t get enough.
Victor hadn’t missed that Aidan had most of his fun at night, but he was still feeling out the boundaries himself. So he just made a mental note that he could make those kinds of late-night calls. He was sure he would be taking advantage of Aidan’s hours in the near future. He loved the way Aidan stretched out with him, and turned a bit to press in against his body, fingers flexing in that thick wavy hair of his. He tasted and smelled so good to Victor, fresh like he’d just come from the shower and brushed his teeth ... Victor liked that he’d primped for him, that he wanted to give Victor his best. Maybe he was reading into it too much, but after his little adventure through his bookshelves, he didn’t think so. This was real and it was something, and Aidan had proven it was reciprocal. After kissing him deeply for a moment, lingering in the slow caress of their mouths, Victor gripped Aidan’s head tighter and pulled it back just enough to break the kiss. “You’ve got too many clothes on,” he murmured. “You should do something about that.”
There were so many little things that Aidan would’ve never known he liked if it weren’t for Victor, like the way he held him, by the neck or by the hair. When Victor’s grip tightened, it sent a signal straight to his cock, causing it to stir. There was no point in fighting arousal, but he was still impressed with how quickly Victor could start it. “I could do that,” he whispered, quickly pulling his shirt over his head in one easy motion. His jeans took a little more work to shimmy out of, but were soon dropped to the floor, followed by his socks. Aidan was left in his white cotton boxers and that’s where his hands slowed. His eyes searched Victor’s, his teeth scraped over his bottom lip, and he pushed them down and off, ignoring the way his heart pounded in his chest. “Better?” he asked, tugging at the blankets covering Victor. He’d be more comfortable with his nudity if he wasn’t alone in it, or if he could be pressed against Victor, their limbs intertwined.
He’d gotten out of Aidan’s way so he could strip, propping his head up on one hand while he watched the pretty, squirmy process. Aidan’s expression was cute as fuck when he bit his lip like that. It made Victor want to squeeze him, pin him down and lick him top to bottom. Victor shifted to pull and help with the covers, just as eager to get skin to skin. He’d shed his own boxers before getting into bed, so there was nothing between them as he pulled Aidan in close. “Much,” he mumbled, his lips already closing in on Aidan’s. It was almost like a dream, having him slip under the sheets in the dark like this, after Victor had been feeling so much about him tonight. Part of him wanted to stop to talk, assure Aidan that he’d read all of the notes a hundred times already, and he wanted to fulfill every desire Aidan had ... but there was a reason Aidan had stuck to notes. So instead Victor tried to convey how on board he was with his mouth, and the way he slipped one leg between Aidan’s thighs, wanting them to be as close as possible.
Aidan was sure they would talk, that they needed to, but he was hoping they could ease into it. Diving into Victor’s world had been overwhelming and he’d needed the few days since he last saw him to fully process what he was getting into and the fact that he wanted it. The notes had been necessary to communicate the basics, to prove to Victor that he’d done his homework, but he knew they were just the tip of the iceberg. Aidan had never considered himself creative, but the fantasies he’d had since starting his research would prove otherwise. It was the step between fantasy and reality that intimidated him. People fantasized all the time without ever attempting to make their desires reality. Crossing that line took a hell of a lot of trust, both on his part and Victor’s, but Aidan was willing to take the risk and let the trust build from there. This part, at least, was easy, his nerves settling as Victor’s body pressed against his, his legs parting so that Victor’s hips bumped up against his own. His cock swelled between them, harder with each second as his hands began to wander, up Victor’s chest and around his neck. His kisses were hungry, born from hours of waiting, needing more than he could give himself. The kisses, while lovely, wouldn’t be enough tonight, but they were a good place to start.
Victor had the advantage of experience -- he’d lived this lifestyle for a while now, which meant he’d gotten a lot of fantasies fulfilled. It was a little different with casual partners versus an actual relationship, but he at least knew a lot about his own likes and dislikes, where his hard limits were, all of the things Aidan was just starting to figure out. He might not have had the patience for all of that self-discovery from someone else, but Aidan had grabbed his attention so thoroughly, Victor felt eager to teach him things and give him experiences. The way Aidan’s body responded so immediately sent extra heat through Victor, his own erection rapidly growing between their bodies. He loved the way Aidan touched him, something slightly reverent in it, and Victor caressed him back, his hands passing over whatever soft skin he could reach. Finally he slipped one between them to lightly brush against Aidan’s cock, and Victor smiled into the kiss. “I love how hard you get for me,” he murmured, lips brushing against Aidan’s.
Aidan groaned softly as Victor’s fingers brushed his cock, too light to provide any real relief, just a tease of what was to come. “I can’t seem to help it,” he smiled as he kissed Victor back, teeth nipping at his bottom lip. “That first time…” He laughed softly, a gentle shake of his shoulders as he shook his head. “I could have strangled you for making me strip.” Aidan recalled how tightly he’d held onto his anger and frustration, flat out ignoring the rumblings of the confusing emotions that writhed beneath the surface. He should have known better, just in how obsessed he’d become with breaking in again, but he couldn’t ignore it the second time, when Victor put his hands on him. Now he craved it, any touch he could wrangle out of Victor, teasing or otherwise. He pressed up into Victor’s touch, a silent request for more.
“Mm, and I could’ve done the same for you breaking in,” he countered, his tone more cheeky than accusatory. Aidan had crossed a line, Victor had crossed one in return, who was even counting anymore? It had turned out like this, far beyond anything Victor would’ve guessed. He trailed his fingertips up Aidan’s torso to put his hand around his throat instead, long forefinger and thumb pressed against his jaw. “You might’ve liked how that felt too much though,” he mused softly. Victor used his grip to turn Aidan’s head to one side so he could kiss and nibble at his jawline and over to his ear. “I expected you to fight me more, the second time,” Victor whispered, rocking his hips a bit so their cocks rubbed together.
“I would’ve liked it,” Aidan whispered, so much more aware of what that hold did to him now, how it made his cock twitch. “It would’ve scared me.” If Victor had crossed the line that first time, Aidan wasn’t sure he’d have been back. It would’ve been too jolting, the humiliation mixed with the desire, so Aidan was glad he’d stopped when he had. It’d given him time to think, to let the wheels turn in the background, so that when Victor’s hands had wandered that second time, he’d been too curious to stop him. “I should have, but… it felt good,” he murmured, lips twisting up at the memory. “Forbidden.” A new kind of debauchery to engage in, one so much more enjoyable than breaking and entering. Aidan didn’t regret it in the slightest. His breath hitched at Victor’s teeth moved over a particularly sensitive part of his neck and his fingers moved up into his hair, trying to encourage more of it. His hips moved with VIctor’s seeking more friction, but it wasn’t near enough. This slow tease was driving him crazy, but he loved it.
What would Victor have done if Aidan had started fighting him that second time? He’d been kind of drunk and not at his best, obviously lacking some inhibitions ... Outside of the bedroom, Victor didn’t really have a violent bent. He could defend himself with magic if he needed to, but those situations had so rarely come up in his life. He would much rather talk his way out of trouble or use his power to get him out of harm’s way than hurt anyone. So he didn’t really know what he would’ve done if Aidan hadn’t liked it and genuinely struggled. At this point he was glad he hadn’t been in the position to find out. “And you like forbidden things, don’t you,” Victor murmured against his skin, his fingers tightening a bit around Aidan’s neck. “Places you shouldn’t be, things you shouldn’t have ...” He licked softly at the skin between his knuckles, then found another good place to bite, harder this time. Aidan had confessed he liked a little pain, after all.
Aidan inhaled as Victor’s hand tightened around his neck, the action instinctual even if he knew the air would always be there for him. The threat was enough to make his heart race, the pressure sending his adrenaline higher, and when Victor’s teeth closed down around his skin, Aidan moaned without restraint. He’d never considered himself an adrenaline junkie, always associating such a term with bungee jumpers and sky divers, people who went out of their way to defy death, but there was always a risk in his favorite pursuits, and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t chasing the high. “Yes,” he hissed, pressing back against Victor’s hold, testing his control. There were so many reasons he shouldn’t like this, societal constructs that he’d never thought to question, but his body’s reactions were undeniable. “You,” he breathed, thoughts hazy with desire. “You make me want things.”
Victor was starting to feel molten inside, his stomach pleasantly heavy and his heartbeat in his cock. He held firm against the bit of resistance Aidan flexed, his fingers digging into the sides of his neck. Victor wasn’t cutting off his air yet, but he could hear the breaths getting thinner -- it wasn’t actually dangerous to Aidan, but the sensation would still be there. Victor rolled Aidan onto his back, pushing with his hands and chest, and nudged Aidan’s legs apart with his knees until he was kneeling between them. He kept his hand on Aidan’s throat, the other one braced against the bed as he nudged their cocks together again with his hips. “I’m pleased to hear that,” he practically purred, dipping in close to hover his lips just out of reach of Aidan’s. “Because there are so many things I want to give you.”
Aidan trusted his magic would always provide him with air, that suffocation was as impossible for him as it was to burn a fire witch alive. That didn’t mean he couldn’t feel the pressure against his throat, or that his heart wouldn’t race or his lungs begin to burn if Victor’s grip on him tightened. The threat of it though, especially after Victor rolled on top of him, was almost enough to make him dizzy, as if all his blood had rushed straight to his cock. The position was far more vulnerable than he was used to and his hands rose to brace against Victor’s shoulders as his thighs squeezed around Victor’s hips. When their cocks rubbed against each other, his eyes fell shut and he cursed quietly, his own hips rocking up in response. He would have kissed Victor then, found himself lifting to close the distance between them only to find the hold on his neck steady, keeping Victor just out of reach. “Tell me,” he whispered, pressing up hard enough that he lost air just so his lips could ghost over Victor’s. It wasn’t a kiss, but it was the best he could do and it left him panting as a result.
He let Aidan take that much, it seemed earned with the way he pushed into Victor’s grip to get it. Watching him breathe heavily like that with color high in his cheeks and his eyes so hazy was such a turn on. Victor wanted a picture of just his face, dreamy and needy all at once. “So much pleasure, for one,” he answered in a soft murmur. “I want to tie you up, make you helpless and all mine ... play with you until you squirm and beg me for relief ... push you past what you think you can take ...” His lips quirked into a brief smile and he closed the gap to very lightly kiss Aidan, putting more pressure against his throat for a moment. Victor pulled back again to look at him and let him breathe a little. “I want to be inside you,” he whispered with another roll of his hips. “And show you how good it can feel to surrender to it, to me.” His cock was throbbing now, the whole thing just as much of a tease for him as it was for Aidan. Having him effectively pinned and under Victor’s control gave him such a heady sense of power.
Aidan’s eyes closed as Victor kissed him, the air burning in his lungs, and he gasped when Victor pulled back. His hips rolled with Victor’s and his ass clenched at the memory of his fingers inside him, pushing buttons he hadn’t even known existed. The juxtaposition of pain and pleasure, even at such a basic level, made Aidan tremble with need. He’d never been so wound up over so little. “So fuckin’ cocky,” Aidan grinned, though the answering color in his cheeks and neck belied his true feelings. All of his experience amounted to next to nothing compared to what Victor was offering. He’d barely dipped his toes in, getting the smallest taste, and yet it was enough that he was willing to jump in head first. He wanted all of it, as daunting as that seemed, even the parts that scared him. “You think you can make me beg?” It felt like a challenge, one he’d enjoy losing, his dignity be damned.
“I know I can,” Victor answered, a smile that was indeed cocky flashing across his face. Maybe saying so would make Aidan try harder to be stubborn about it, but that would just make it all more fun. He was showing true bratty tendencies, so Victor’s goal wasn’t to ‘break’ him as he’d heard and read some dominants liked to do. Getting Aidan to yield would be satisfying enough. The challenge of having to earn his submission each time, of learning the best ways to turn him into a melty puddle of needy goo, appealed to Victor. He had a good feeling it would stay more fresh than someone who just fell to their knees immediately every time. Victor pushed himself up and straightened, weight on his knees to free up his other hand while he kept his grip on Aidan’s neck. He caressed his chest and stomach, admiring the view he now had of his compact body. Victor traced the V-lines on his hips, just letting his wrist brush against Aidan’s cock. “Look, you’re already so eager,” he murmured. He curled his fingers around the hot shaft just to squeeze gently.
Though Aidan had no desire to psychoanalyze himself, he was self aware enough to know he was a brat. It hadn’t taken much research for him to figure that out. Why didn’t seem to matter, just that it came to him naturally. This was the most comfortable he’d ever felt in any kind of relationship, the first time he’d ever tried at just being himself and all the trouble that came with it. The best part of it was that Victor knew what he was getting into, at least on some level. He doubted most brats broke into their doms’ homes on a regular basis. Dom. Dominant. Now that he knew the term, he could see it in Victor—the flash in his eyes when he took control, a curl of his lips when he made Aidan whimper. Aidan hadn’t known what to call it before; he just knew it was fucking hot. It was there when Victor sat up, still pinning him to the bed as his hand skimmed down his body. He moaned as Victor’s hand wrapped around his cock, hips lifting, seeking more. “Make me,” Aidan murmured, aware of how his body was betraying him, yet unable to keep his tongue in line.
That was what Victor had been hoping to hear, and it showed in the subtle shift in his expression. He hadn’t been sure he had the energy at this late hour to spend a lot of time teasing and toying with Aidan, but those two little magic words made time disappear and sent a thrill through his gut. Brats were supposed to be challenging, it was in their natures to push back, and Victor already couldn’t wait to put Aidan in his place. He released Aidan’s cock for a moment to very deliberately spit into his hand, then took hold of him again. “This is going to start feeling really good,” he murmured as he started to stroke him, starting out slow. “But you do not have permission to come, understand? Not until I say you can.” Victor tightened his grips with both hands to emphasize his point, cutting off Aidan’s air and squeezing his dick hard for a few seconds. “If you come without warning me, I’ll find a way to punish you you won’t enjoy, I swear to all the gods.”
Aidan’s first instinct was to raise a brow, his smart mouth ready to say that he’d come when he fucking pleased and probably enjoy the consequences, but then Victor’s hands tightened and the words died in his throat. His eyes widened at the threat, his heart so loud he could hear it pounding in his ears, and he briefly wondered why he found that such a turn on. While he was curious what kind of punishment Victor might deliver, he didn’t really want to piss Victor off. A small part of him even wanted to please him. He held Victor’s gaze for a moment before giving a sharp nod, the best he could do with little air to voice his understanding. He’d been the one to issue the challenge; it seemed fair that Victor lay out the rules and the consequences of breaking them. Wrapped around the game like a nice little bow was Aidan’s consent–consent to be played with, strung out, and punished if necessary.
The look that crossed Aidan’s face might have been mistaken for fear by someone else, someone who wasn’t looking for the flush in his cheeks and the way his lips parted. The nod was almost unnecessary. “Tap out if it’s too much,” Victor said, his tone shifting for that brief moment. Aidan had approved using the traffic light system, but he couldn’t really say yellow or red if he couldn’t breathe. Playing more roughly with him only made that communication more important. “Fuck, you look so hot,” he breathed, gazing down hungrily at Aidan. He rocked his hips a bit, his cock nudged up against Aidan’s body, his fist still working up and down Aidan’s length. This was all an incredible tease for him too, taking all of this power and using it to edge his pretty new sub. Because this did feel like claiming Aidan as his own. Maybe it was happening fast, but it was definitely happening. “I can’t wait to watch you come all over yourself.”
Aidan hadn’t been sure what to do with his hands, which lay on the bed, gripping the sheets. He could reach out for Victor, but the last thing he wanted was for his own hands to be in the way of something he thoroughly enjoyed, and at the moment Victor’s hands were pushing him towards madness. It was perfectly balanced, the pressure on his throat making breathing difficult, making his head swim as Victor’s hand twisted around his cock, toeing the line between pain and pleasure. Each shift of Victor’s hips slid his dick lower, just teasing the possibility of more, a reminder of what Victor wanted, had vocalized and Aidan had yet to protest. It was so perfect that Aidan couldn’t explain what made his fingers reach up and tweak Victor’s nipple, pinching and twisting, other than the fact that Victor reminded him his hands were free—that and the comment about him coming all over himself. It was the sort of thing he craved, being pushed into ecstasy with no regard for his person, and yet he still lashed out, as if to remind Victor that he couldn’t defile him without a bit of a fight.
Victor hissed a sharp breath in between his teeth at the sudden pain at his chest. It wasn’t completely unwelcome, but the surprise caught him a bit off guard. It was a ballsy move, that was for sure, and a weird rush of aggressive energy shot through Victor’s body. The feeling was familiar, but only from kinky play like this, like his Dom Side really took over. The hand on Aidan’s cock halted its movement, and the one on his throat moved in a quick flash to smack his cheek. It wasn’t a hit with a lot of force behind it, but there was enough sting in Victor’s palm and fingers to let him know it got his point across. He grabbed for the offending hand and pulled it down and behind Aidan’s thigh where Victor could pin it with one of his knees. He gave Aidan a fierce sort of grin and tsk’d his tongue. “Definitely a brat,” Victor murmured. Part of him was staying cautious and aware, watching for signs that he’d crossed a line -- these early days were going to be a lot of feeling each other out, he was sure, seeing where the boundaries really were. “Now you’ve got to ask me nicely to keep going.”
Aidan knew that a move like that would not go unchecked, and yet the slap to his face still caught him off guard. His breath hitched, getting a good lung-full of air, and his eyes blew wide as the sting registered, but as the pain settled and Victor trapped his hand behind his thigh, Aidan found himself fighting off a smirk. It was the kind of thing Aidan would have never dared with another partner, certain that it would bring things to an abrupt halt, and while that happened here, there were conditions behind it. The moment wasn’t ruined; it had escalated into something else entirely. With his air back, he could speak, and he still had one hand free that he dropped to Victor’s cock, finger lightly brushing up the shaft to swipe across the tip. “Please don’t stop,” he said softly, a smile tugging at his lips as he popped his finger into his mouth. “I’ll… try to behave. Keep going. Please.” It was the best he could do, unwilling to say something that they’d both know was an outright lie.
Victor supposed that was nice enough, especially with the way Aidan tasted his precum without prompting. He looked downright delicious with his finger in his mouth and that smug little smile around it. It made Victor want to pop him a few more times, but in the best-feeling way. He loved feeling that tension within himself, the restraint he was under that had nothing to do with bondage. They would see who was smirking in a little while when Aidan was a shivering, whining mess of pleasure-pain. Victor bent and spit on Aidan’s cock, then started up the stroking again. He probably should’ve gotten the bottle of lube already, but he wasn’t keen to move yet. It felt too good between Aidan’s thighs, Victor’s cock rubbing against his hot skin with every motion of his hips. He caressed Aidan’s chest and shoulders with his free hand before it found its way back to Aidan’s throat. It was tempting to pinch him back, but Victor wanted to make him suffer in other fun ways instead. He just had to stay patient.
Aidan wasn’t used to asking nicely for anything and was glad he was able to manage it with a mostly straight face. For a moment he worried that it might not be enough, but then Victor leaned over and spit on his cock, and a fresh wave of lust raced through him. It was the sort of move that short-circuited his brain, stirring up kinks that he was only barely aware of, nameless and vague, but clearly there if the way his cock leaked was any indication. He groaned softly as Victor started stroking him again, watching him through heavy lidded eyes as his hand made its way back to his throat. His mouth opened slightly as Victor’s hand tightened, his hips lifting in an effort to fuck his fist. He knew he should slow down, that Victor would never let him come like this, that he wanted more than just his hand, but it felt so good. It was easy to get lost in it, allowing Victor to stroke him to greater heights.
Lost was what Victor wanted from Aidan, lost and helpless against the tide of pleasure Victor could see rising in him. He smiled faintly when Aidan’s hips started to move in that needy demand, and held his fist still for just a moment to let him do it. “Look at you,” he murmured, letting his gaze roam over Aidan. He was a beautiful sight like that, desperate and horny, with Victor’s hand around his throat. He shifted his grip to hold onto Aidan’s jaw instead, and slipped his forefinger into his mouth, wanting to feel Aidan suck on a part of him while all of this was happening. He added a bit more spit and doubled his efforts on Aidan’s cock, grip tight as he jerked him off with more force now. Victor watched Aidan’s face and body avidly for the signs that he was getting close to orgasm -- he was correct that Victor wasn’t going to let him come like this, not for a good long while.
Aidan groaned softly as Victor drew attention to the state he was in, aware that he was quickly unraveling and unwilling to stop it. He’d never allowed himself to let go with anyone else, always feeling like he needed to be in control, even if it didn’t feel right. When Victor took that option away from him, it was like all the pieces fell into place, allowing him to lose himself in the feeling. Victor’s grip shifted and suddenly there was air in his lungs, followed by Victor’s finger in his mouth. He nipped at the tip before sucking on it greedily, his hips beginning to jerk as the speed and pressure around his cock increased. It was too much, too fast, and his breath hitched as he felt himself reaching that peak, eyes opening with a touch of panic. He whimpered around Victor’s fingers, trying to draw his hips back into the bed, doing his best to stop, though he was at Victor’s mercy. If his hand didn’t let up, he was going to come whether Victor wanted him to or not.
It wasn’t a verbal warning, but it would be unfair to expect that with his finger in Aidan’s mouth. Victor saw that look of alarm and felt the way Aidan tried to pull away from his hand, and that was enough. Victor abruptly let go of his cock, stopping all stimulation. They hadn’t fooled around enough for Victor to know exactly where his point of no return was, so this edging session was going to be a learning experience for both of them. To give Aidan’s body something else to focus on, Victor slapped the side of his thigh with a bit of sadistic glee in his eyes, and pulled his finger out of Aidan’s mouth. “Don’t you dare,” he said, his voice low and gravelly. “Hold it ...”
Aidan gasped as Victor’s hand made contact with his thigh, his eyes wide and lit with defiance as he held his breath. He was tempted, so tempted to come, torn between his desire to please Victor and the impulse to lash out. His body made the decision for him, his focus drawn to the sting of the slap long enough that the momentum died down. It left him feeling ravenous, panting with need, and he groaned his frustration as he looked up at Victor. “Fuck,” he said, chest heaving, his cock so hard and heavy he was sure it was leaking. He was still so close his body was almost trembling with the need to do something about it. It would be so easy to grab his dick and finish himself off, yet Aidan held still, coherent enough to know it wouldn’t be worth the punishment.
An intense sense of victory and power washed over Victor, and he grinned as he drank in Aidan’s expression. He even loved the spark of defiant anger he could see there. That was Aidan’s brat side shining through, for sure. Victor hummed and gently rubbed at the spot he’d just smacked, bending over to give Aidan’s cock a soft lick and a nuzzle. “Very good,” he purred, relishing how hot it was and how it twitched at the brush of his lips. He pulled away then, leaving the lovely embrace of Aidan’s thighs to knee-shuffle away and retrieve a bottle of lube from the bedside drawer ... along with a length of silky rope. He kept a stash of fun stuff in the bottom of his nightstand for occasions such as this, and Aidan had mentioned bondage in his notes. “It’s so hard to keep your hands to yourself just from willpower alone,” he went on as he knelt at Aidan’s side this time. “And it’s only going to get harder.” Victor let the end of the rope dangle over him, dragging it oh so lightly up his stomach and heaving chest. “Put your hands above your head.”
If Aidan hadn’t known that Victor was testing him, he wasn’t sure his desire to prove himself would have won out. He wasn’t well versed in avoiding temptation—when he saw something he wanted, he took it, he went for it, he made it his. It felt like his orgasm had been stolen from him and he wasn’t sure how long he would last before he claimed it, no matter how well he was doing at the moment. The praise made it worth it to try though, creating a happy warmth inside him that had nothing to do with physical pleasure. He moaned softly as Victor’s hand brushed over his thigh, soothing away the sting, though he clenched his teeth and fists as Victor nuzzled his cock. “Tease,” he muttered, only able to relax when Victor rose from the bed. He stretched out as he tracked Victor, huffing softly in amusement when he saw the bit of rope. It was almost as if Victor could read his mind. “You’ll take care of me?” he asked, fingering the rope before raising one hand above his head. He’d give him the other when he got an answer.
Victor liked the way he phrased that, and he smiled as he took hold of Aidan’s lifted hand. “Oh I’ll take care of you, don’t worry,” he murmured, his tone velvety. Victor brought Aidan’s hand to his mouth first, giving a couple of fingertips a light suck before he pushed it into a better position near the metal bars of the headboard. Victor would watch for Aidan hitting his limit of frustration ... but he still planned to edge him for a little while before he made good on that promise. He started to wrap the silk rope around Aidan’s wrist, then held it there with one hand while he stroked at his chest with the other. “You trust me, don’t you?” he asked. He ghosted his fingers down the bicep of the arm Aidan hadn’t given him yet.
For as quiet as Aidan tended to be himself, he loved hearing Victor talk. It wasn’t just the things he said, but the tone of his voice, sensual and controlling in a way that made Aidan’s heart race. He bit into his bottom lip as Victor slipped his fingers into his mouth, biting back a moan, though it was hard to hide the effect that had on him. He would have melted if he could have and he could only think again when Victor released him to tie up his hand. “I trust you,” Aidan said softly, goose bumps rising on his skin where Victor touched. The trust was new and untested, but he wouldn’t be there without it. To prove it, Aidan offered his other arm.
Hearing that was almost as thrilling as ‘make me’ had been, and Victor got a tingle deep in his belly. Aidan really didn’t have a lot of reason to trust him, he could bind him and then trample all over his boundaries. Being witches meant that Aidan had more ways to defend himself if he needed to, but still, being given that trust was powerfully erotic to Victor. He took Aidan’s wrist and guided his hand into place, wrapping and tying it with the other one with a few practiced loops and tugs. Once Aidan was tied to the bed, Victor moved to lie down next to him, on his side. He draped his thigh over Aidan’s, propped up on one elbow as he lightly trailed his fingers across his chest and down his side, bringing them teasingly close to his cock before he veered them upward again. Victor looked him over like a delicious meal and hummed. “Gorgeous,” he murmured. “Are you comfy?” He looked at Aidan’s face as he reached for the lube and got some into his hand.
While Aidan’s trust was given freely, it was not without strings attached. If Victor abused it, especially this first time, he might not give it again. He might also freak out and shock the hell out of him. He had to imagine that Victor wanted to avoid both. The rope was strong and smooth, and Aidan watched Victor tie him up with rapt attention. He couldn’t memorize the technique that fast; it would be a bitch if he had to free himself. It made his insides squirm to find himself actually bound, unable to free himself for the first time ever. His eyes shut and his breath hitched as Victor’s fingers ran down his chest. It was one thing to refrain from touching himself; it was another thing to be unable to do so entirely. He could already tell that being at Victor’s mercy was going to push his limits beyond what he’d even thought was possible. His body was practically buzzing with anticipation and Victor wasn’t even doing anything, though from the look he was giving him, he felt a bit like a sheep tied up before a wolf. “Mostly,” he said, eyes opening to find Victor’s, a smile tugging at his lips. “You could fluff my pillow for me.”
Victor had no desire or intention to violate Aidan’s trust. He knew there were other people out there who used the lifestyle as a cover to indulge their abusive tendencies, and he despised them. It was one of the worst things you could do to someone, and he’d seen what kind of psychological and emotional damage it could leave behind. No, all he was interested in here was mutual pleasure and enjoyment, and he was fully prepared to stop and back off if it seemed he was pushing Aidan too hard. “I could, I suppose,” Victor mused with a cocky little half-smile. “But I don’t think I will.” He dipped his head to suck and nibble on Aidan’s nipple while he reached his slicked-up hand toward his cock. Victor wrapped his fingers around the burning skin and squeezed, slowly rubbing his thumb over and around the head of it. He didn’t start stroking yet, still keeping his goal in mind -- to turn Aidan into a quivering mess, to make him beg. “I’ve been daydreaming about this,” he murmured, nuzzling Aidan’s chest a bit before he gave his nipple another lick. “You being all mine to play with.”
Nipples were one of those body parts that Aidan’s partners had largely ignored in the past. He’d given theirs attention, but it had never been returned. As a result, he had no idea just how sensitive they could be, especially when he was already wound up. His back arched as Victor worked his nipple into a tight little bud, and he released a low groan as Victor’s hand wrapped around his cock. The slickness of the lube made him want to buck up into Victor’s fist, but his hand wasn’t positioned for that, instead teasing the tip in such a way that left Aidan panting. The picture Victor painted only made matters worse—he could easily imagine Victor laying in this bed, his hand wrapped around his cock as he fantasized about this. “It’s all I can think about,” Aidan admitted, squirming as Victor turned his attention to his other nipple. He’d been so distracted the past few days, overloaded with information that generated fantasy after fantasy, all of it with Victor at the center of it. Aidan didn’t know exactly what he’d like, but there was so much that he was eager to try.
Aidan’s imagination was spot on, Victor had been doing a lot more jerking off lately than he usually did, his head full of all the delightful things he wanted to do to his new lover. Aidan’s notes to him had only stoked that fire higher. He hadn’t expected to fulfill any fantasies for either of them so quickly, but here they were. Victor hummed against his chest and gave Aidan’s cock a slow stroke, his loosely-curled fist gliding easily up and down now. Real lube was so much better than spit. He shifted his hips a bit closer to press his own cock against Aidan’s hip so he could feel just how much he turned Victor on. “Driven to distraction,” Victor murmured, and started kissing his way up Aidan’s chest to his neck. It wasn’t clear if he was talking about Aidan or himself ... but honestly it was both. It had been difficult for Victor to really focus on anything but this for days now. His work wasn’t suffering yet, but he’d definitely had his head in the clouds whenever possible. Or in the bedroom. He kept slowly working his hand as he lavished attention on Aidan’s neck, hunting out those sensitive spots.
Most of Aidan’s weekend had been spent diving into Victor’s world, trying to get a better handle on what he should expect, what he might like, and how to communicate it. It was that last one that he’d gotten hung up on, flustered at the idea of just striking up conversation about sex. It’d been easy when it was pillow talk, but outside the heat of the moment Aidan found the task daunting. And so he’d devised a plan, having no idea how it would go over. He loved the idea that Victor might actually be as big a literature snob as he was, but it was a risk—one that had clearly paid off. Without the notes, he wasn’t sure his hands would be bound over his head, keeping his hands from running through Victor’s hair as he kissed his way up his chest and neck. He’d liked the idea enough in theory to find himself turned on, but in practice it was going to drive him mad. He was used to distracting himself with pleasuring his partner, but with his hands tied up he could do nothing but feel. When Victor set out to deliver pleasure, he clearly meant it. It didn’t take long before Aidan was rocking his hips, chasing Victor’s fist, needing more than the slow pace Victor set, yet it was out of his control.
That was exactly where Victor wanted him -- trapped in a place where he could only receive, only feel the full experience of being pleasured, the sole focus of attention. It might be strange and uncomfortable at first, Victor got the impression Aidan was used to doing most of the work, but after a while he was pretty certain Aidan would come to love it. He moaned softly as he kissed and nibbled at the side of Aidan’s neck, gradually picking up the pace of his hand to match the way his captive lover was thrusting, almost as if he was getting as much pleasure out of it as he was giving. It was close to true. Victor changed up the tightness of his fist, loosening up until it barely ghosted over Aidan’s straining cock, quick and fast, then flexed his grip into slower, stronger strokes. The more he changed it up to stave off Aidan’s orgasm, the longer he could tease and edge him into begging for relief. “Mm, your balls feel so full,” he whispered next to Aidan’s ear, sliding his fingers down to fondle the rest of him for a moment. “Do they ache yet? Are you ready to beg me?” Victor stroked him firmly and faster, ready to let go again as soon as Aidan got close.
As hard as Aidan tried, he couldn’t seem to get enough, nor could he keep himself from trying. If his hands hadn’t been bound, he’d most certainly tried to touch himself or made an attempt to touch Victor in return. As nice as it was to feel Victor pressed up against him, kissing and nipping at his skin, his cock hard against his thigh, he needed more stimulation. The more Victor gave him, the closer he could feel himself getting to orgasm, until suddenly Victor changed his grip, drawing a whine out of Aidan. It was never enough, it kept changing, and Aidan was left panting, trembling, almost painfully turned on with no relief. He groaned as Victor whispered in his ear and spread his legs a bit further, encouraging a touch that was almost too much for him. “Not yet,” he said softly, his voice coarse, his throat dry. He knew he should have said yes, that he should give in before he became a complete mess, and yet he couldn’t bring himself to do it. And then Victor started up again and Aidan just about lost his mind. He writhed on the bed, hands pulling tight against the rope, his voice unrecognizable to his own ears in its desperation. “Okay, yes, please! Please, I need to come. Please let me come!”
Victor’s dick throbbed against Aidan’s leg as he squirmed and pleaded, a surge of sadistic lust rolling through him. Fuck he sounded so good. Victor could feel his body straining, and he glanced up to drink in the sight of the rope digging into Aidan’s wrists, the skin around the ties white with tension. It was such a powerful feeling, he was almost dizzy with it. If he knew better how Aidan would tolerate it, now would be the perfect time to stop and leave him there for a little while, helpless and painfully aroused, squirming and whimpering ... but he’d promised he would take care of him. And he would. He was just going to torture him a little more first. Victor felt Aidan’s cock tightening up as he approached his peak again, then stopped his hand for a few seconds, moaning into his ear as he felt Aidan’s body quake. He didn’t leave him hanging for long though, the next strokes firm and tight and purposeful. “Fuck, you’re such a good boy, come for me,” he murmured, dark and velvety.
For one horrible second, Aidan thought Victor was going to stop again, that being reduced to begging wouldn’t be enough. He had no idea how much more of this he could take—as incredible as he felt, it was akin to torture. Then Victor’s hand began to stroke him with fervor and Aidan cried out, muscles tensing as he was abruptly pushed to the edge. Was it those last few strokes that did it? Or was it finally being granted permission? Aidan might’ve come no matter what Victor said with a voice like that, low and commanding, praising him. “Fuck,” Aidan whined as his orgasm tore through him, more powerful than any other he’d experienced. His balls had been so full, his need so great, that the relief felt palpable. It felt like he came for ages, though he knew it only lasted for seconds, leaving him panting. “Fuck,” he whispered again, head lulling to the side to meet eyes with Victor. “That was… intense.”
“That’s it,” Victor hummed with relish as Aidan’s orgasm began, beyond pleased. His hand slowed down, but he kept stroking Aidan through his climax, milking it for all it was worth, gazing down to watch the thick fluid pump out of him. Even though Victor wasn’t in his body experiencing it with him, he could tell it was a strong one, and he got plenty of his own kind of pleasure out of it. Finally the main event seemed to be over, and Victor’s hand slowed to a stop. He left it where it was, his thumb and wrist coated with Aidan’s cum. Victor gave him a lazy little grin when their eyes met and pressed a kiss to his jaw. “Good, it was meant to be,” he said softly. “And you were perfect.” Victor nuzzled the soft underside of Aidan’s arm and gave his cock a gentle squeeze. He rocked his hips a little just to feel the pressure and friction against Aidan’s thigh ... and maybe to remind him that they weren’t quite finished yet.
Aidan’s lips quirked up, pleased with Victor’s response and the cuddling, then groaned softly when Victor squeezed his cock. He hadn’t forgotten that they weren’t done, per se, but there was little he could do about Victor’s arousal in his current condition and the stimulation to his own dick was a little overwhelming. He wanted to squirm away and attempt to recover, but the hand gripping his overly sensitive cock and the slow rocking of Victor’s hips reminded him there was more to come. “What… what can I do for you?” he asked, still breathless but apparently capable of teasing. “I’d help you with that, but I’m a little incapacitated at the moment.”
That sensitivity was part of the fun for Victor -- he enjoyed the little tremors that ran through Aidan’s body. The question made him grin a bit, pleased that Aidan was still eager to please even after such a strong orgasm. There was no obligation in his tone either, real desire instead. It made Victor’s balls ache with need, and he sat up and reached to untie Aidan’s hands from the headboard. He left them tied together, but it allowed Aidan to relax his arms and give his shoulders a rest. “That better?” he smirked. Victor twisted to fluff up some of the pillows and then leaned back against them, settling in with a little wiggle. One of his hands wrapped loosely around his cock and gave it a slow stroke while he watched Aidan. “If you really wanna help me out, I’ll let you come suck my dick ... how’s that sound?”
“Better,” Aidan sighed as Victor untied him from the headboard and his hands dropped to his chest. He didn’t realize how tired his shoulders were until they were no longer bound. They weren’t sore, he hadn’t been tied up that long, but he could see how they could easily get there. If he hadn’t had a task around in mind, Aidan would’ve spent the next ten minutes attempting to untie himself, but there was Victor, all laid out and waiting for him. The rope could wait. “Since you’re offering,” he smirked, his eyes raking over Victor before he began to move. It took some work for him to shimmy down the bed, still feeling that post-orgasmic sluggishness and not quite having his hands to balance on, but once he got up on his knees it got easier. His hands wrapped around Victor’s cock, stroking it slowly as he leaned over him to take the head of his cock into his mouth. It wasn’t as easy as last time, not with his hands bound, but he was determined to make it work.
It filled Victor with an erotic sort of glee to watch Aidan move around with his hands still tied together. Not only was his body sexy in motion, even if some of it was awkward, but it showed a willingness to be vulnerable that really turned him on. Aidan of course sprinkled some brat on it, but that just made it better. Victor settled his hand on the back of Aidan’s neck as he came in closer, tilting his head to the side a bit to watch the tip of his cock disappear between those pretty lips. “Fuck, that’s it,” he whispered, stroking his hand down Aidan’s upper spine. He was sitting up to have an amazing view, and Victor just wanted to bask in it for a few minutes. He delved his long fingers into Aidan’s hair, pulling it back from his face so he could watch his expression. He didn’t try to control his head, content to let him do what he wanted for the moment, but it still felt good to flex his fingers in all that wavy hair.
Aidan had never sucked anyone else’s cock, so he didn’t have that to compare to, but he knew the women he’d gone down on didn’t watch him the way Victor did. It made him feel like he was putting on a show, and if Victor was anything like him, the visual was as much a turn on as the feel of it. It was the reason he would occasionally open his eyes, to look up at Victor as he took him into his mouth, or as he circled the crown with his tongue. He still didn’t know exactly what Victor liked, so he tried a little of everything, eventually kissing down the shaft to suck on his balls. Though it was still novel to him, Aidan was quickly finding he liked sucking Victor off in almost any form—hard and fast, or slow and lazy. Even with his hands tied. He liked Victor’s hands in his hair, just playing there or pulling him where he liked. Even though Victor had just showered, he could smell him as his lips wrapped around the shaft, a musky scent that could almost stir his own arousal back to life. He loved all of it, and he took his time, sure Victor would tell him when he wanted more.
Victor was as visual a creature as any other man, and Aidan was giving him a lot to stare at, angling his head so Victor could see everything, occasionally making that hot eye contact with him. It was obvious that Aidan was enjoying it almost as much as Victor was, and that was always a powerful aphrodisiac. The pleasure pooled and spiraled in Victor’s lower belly, and his head fell back when Aidan’s mouth found his balls. “Gods, Aidan,” he moaned softly, spreading his legs a bit wider. Victor continued to let him set the pace for a while, forcing his eyes open again to watch what he was doing, shudders running up his spine every time Aidan’s tongue hit a particularly good spot. “You’re just a natural cocksucker,” Victor whispered, the words warm and full of praise. “That feels so fucking good.” It felt natural to praise him, to gas him up while his mouth did fantastic things to Victor’s cock. An erotic restless feeling was growing in his core and thighs, and it was getting harder to stay still. “A little faster,” he prompted, his fingers tightening in Aidan’s hair to guide his head into a quicker rhythm over his cock.
Almost all the things Aidan was good at were illegal, which made it difficult for him to really earn praise for them. No one was impressed when he scored a good haul, and his liquor label was essentially attached to a ghost; only a select few knew what he brewed. Maybe that was why the praise hit Aidan the way it did, so rarely received and for something he actually cared about. He’d always aspired to be a good lover, but never received the kind of feedback that made him feel like he’d achieved it. And it felt so damn good to pleasure someone knowing they were enjoying it. He wasn’t sure he could return it equal to what Victor had given him, but that was a fucking high bar. Still, he tried his best, moving faster at Victor’s request, casting a little smirk his way as he began to work him towards orgasm. Sometime he’d have to tell him how much he liked it when he ran his mouth, even when Aidan’s mouth was full and response was impossible. It turned him on, but then just about everything about Victor did, which was something he was just beginning to accept.
Victor didn’t have much control over his mouth when he was really in the thick of sex. He kept lovers’ hard limits in mind, of course, but he wasn’t inclined to toss out humiliating insults or anything anyway. He had to keep so much else in tight control, his mouth was the only aspect of himself he could completely let go of. Aidan seemed to be enjoying it -- Victor didn’t know if he was comfortable enough to complain about anything yet, but he hoped they would get to that point. If he didn’t like dirty talk, that would be an incompatibility to work on, but judging by that look on Aidan’s face, Victor didn’t think it would be a problem. Not that he could think about much of anything at the moment. His eyes rolled closed of their own volition as the tension in his body ramped up and up to its breaking point. His hips were rocking to push his cock just that small bit more into Aidan’s mouth by the time he came, and he let out a strangled sort of cry as he was swept away by that wave of ecstasy. He moaned and shuddered for those blissful few moments, then settled into breathing hard as he loosened his grip in Aidan’s hair. “Fuck,” he panted with a little laugh. “You’re gonna be a life-ruiner, I swear.” Victor sounded nothing but happy about it.
Aidan was doing his best to learn Victor’s tells, to know he was about to come before he actually blew his load, but it still caught him by surprise. Maybe if he’d been an outside observer it would have been easier; there were just too many things to track while also sucking Victor off, something he found himself getting lost in. The scent, the taste, the movement of it all took over, wiping away his thoughts as soon as he had them, unable to grasp them and hold on. So while he knew Victor had to be close, it didn’t hit him until the taste of him flooded his mouth. He gagged, then swallowed instinctively, his hands pulling against the rope in an effort to steady himself, glad that Victor had a hold on his hair, otherwise he might just fall over. Aidan kept his mouth on Victor, sucking and licking until he started to go soft, then let himself collapse down beside him, his cheek resting on Victor’s thigh. “That’s high praise,” Aidan grinned as he caught his breath. “It’s good, then? I still feel like I’m winging it.”
Aidan could stay clueless for all Victor cared, there was something so filthy and delicious about making him gag. Though Victor supposed he could still get that whenever he wanted. He chuckled again and tucked one hand behind his head to gaze down at Aidan, looking fucking adorable cuddled up to his thigh. “Told you, you’re a natural,” he said with a lazy little grin. Victor had endured some bad blowjobs in the past, before he knew how to give proper feedback. Now he instructed instead of endured, only with people who were willing to take said instruction. Aidan was eager to learn what Victor liked, and it showed in the way he sucked cock, and that in itself was hot. Victor smiled down at him, hooking his fingers into the binding around Aidan’s wrists to give a little tug. “You ready to be out of these?” he murmured.