Nico let out an audible groan as Bel ate the brownie. He glanced at the clock on the wall. Technically, they had enough time. But not enough for what he wanted to do. He grabbed the back of Bel's head and pulled him in for a bruising kiss. They didn't have enough time but that didn't mean Nico couldn't steal a few kisses from him first.
Just another week or so go, and Nico and Bel would have their own room in a palace. They would privacy, which was most important. He didn't like Bel trying to staying quiet. They would have different luxuries for them to try. It would be nice for a while.
Bels eyes widen as he's unexpectedly pulled into a passionate kiss. His eyes close; his hands move from around Nico's torso, looping his arms gently around his neck. Eventually Bel has to pull away, gasping for air. His eyes are stil closed as he tips his forehead against Nico's. He already knows tonight will be an adventurous one.
"Mm." He hums softly. "As much as I enjoyed that, you have a lunch to eat and I won't be the cause of you starving." He shifts to press his lips to Nico's cheekbone before leaning back.
Nico let out a small laugh. He leaned forward to kiss his temple gently before leaning back in his chair. He grabbed a wrap and ate it. He finished the half that Bel didn't eat as well. "Thank you, my love. It was delicious." He moved his hands so they were resting in Bel's waist, his thumb softly caressing him. Despite the previous heated kiss, he was looking up at him with a soft expression. Bel was his world.
He glanced at the clock before looking back. "Do you want to stay with me during the meeting? You dint have to, it will likely be boring for you. But in case there wasn't anything else you wanted to do."
"Well, imagine what I could do with a full kitchen and a complete rack of spices," Bel smiles. The wrap was a simple thing. For their next dinner he's going to try a grand meal with an entree and sides and a desert–he won't be able to eat it, but at least Nico will be able to. Sighing, Bel rests his head on Nico's shoulder.
"I don't think your advisors would appreciate my presence," Bel says quietly. "I'm sure my brother was enough of my bloodline for them to handle." As much as he would love to sit there with Nico with their arms around each other, Bel could make himself useful and help Miran with the letters. "I think I'll go to assist Miran and ensure he doesn't use any obscene profanity in his letters." Slowly, Bel releases his hold on Nico and goes to stand.
Nico brought a hand up to gently run it through Bel's hair. "I'll buy you whatever you want. All you have to do is ask." Bel had Nico in the palm of his hand. He would give him anything. Nothing was to expensive. And when he was king, he could commission anything to be made. Perhaps an abuse of his power but he would pay well.
"They just don't know you yet." He placed a gentle hand on his cheek. "Thiw will get better in time. I wish it wasn't like this but I can't force their opinions." He would never want to control someone's free will but he wished there was a way to make them see reason and that they weren't the bad guy. Unfortunately, those things took time.
Bel doesn't doubt it. He doesn't doubt for a second that Nico wouldn't burn the world for him. Is it entirely melodramatic? Yes. Does it squeeze at Bel's heart? Also yes. Bel's never been one to accept gifts, especially when he's already had everything he's wanted, but he finds himself readily accepting anything Nico would get him.
"And I'm not asking you to," Bel responds softly. He's standing now and reaching for the tray with their leftovers. Three of the brownies went uneaten, and Bel would hate to waste them. Instead of putting them with the rest of the waste on the tray, Bel places them neatly on a napkin and sits them in front of Nico. "If you ever get hungry during your meeting," he explains. Before he leaves, Bel kisses Nico softly, allowing it to linger as he pulls away. "I'll see you later, love."
Nico mourned the loss of the feeling of Bel sitting in his lap. He wished they had more time. He would likely be stuck in meetings for the rest of the afternoon until dinner. And even then, he might take dinner jn this tent as he poured over maps and textbooks, researching ever possible beast they may encounter along the path.
He looked down at the brownies being slid to him. He smiled. He reached forward to snag Bel's hand, returning his kiss. "Thank you, love. Always thinking of me. I'll see you later."
He smiles, ducking out of the tent with their trey. It's only when he's a few steps away does he wonder where they'll meet next. The dining tent? Nico's tent? Well, those are the only two likely options. He doubts Nico would have Bel meet him in a stranger's tent. After stopping by the kitchens to clean the trey and dispose of the waste, Bel meets his siblings in their temporary tent.
"Bel," Miran greets as he looks up from his papers. There's about a hundred crumpled paper balls around him and Val looks about one more discarded draft from an act of violence. "Thank the gods, come here. I need your wordsmithing."
(timeskip to when nico and bel are together again or nah?)
(Yeah we can do a little bit of a time skip)
Nicandros' men filed into the room shortly after Bel had left. Without Miran, some of the men felt a bit more free to speak their minds, something that Nicandros quickly shut down. They were guests and friends and they were here to help. He would hear of nothing else. For several hours, they detailed everything that was going to happen. Who would be guarding and when. When the change would happen, how they would stagger it. In what order was their group going to be in. Where they would stop for the nights. And when the men left, Nicandros continued to pour himself over his maps and papers. He was anxious. He didn't like not knowing. Not when so many of people would be put at risk.
The lanterns had been lit in his tent as the sun began to set. He distantly hear people being called for dinner bur he stayed in the war tent. He had too much to do. He would join them later. Only he didn't realize how much time had passed until there was a rustling in the tent flaps.
By the time the sun sets, Bel's successfully helped his siblings write three letters. There's one to Queen Tacia in Irgeven, another to Duke Pietro of Cobrass and the last to Lord Went of Lumiere. The one sent to Sella had been taken away the night before. Bel prays that Sella's response will come quick and the rest of the receivers will serve their cause.
They had finished their drafting early and didn't take long to send their final letters. It gave the siblings time with each other. Bel braided Treya's hair, Val read one of her books and Miran paced up and down the room. He's ranting and Bel can't help but smile at the nostalgia.
Eventually, Bels siblings begin to prepare for bed. Val comes by with a tray of food for them to eat in privacy. Relizing that this means Nivo is likely done with his meetings, Bel excuses himself and into the chilled night. He quickly finds himself back at the war tent, slowly moving the tent flaps aside to see if Nico is still in there.
Nico raised his head from where he had been hunched over the maps, looking to see who was interrupting him. He half expected it to be Ambrose coming to tell him off for worrying too much. That he had to trust everything was going to work out. If the gods wanted Nico on the throne, it would all work out in the end.
Except it wasn't Ambrose peeking his head in. It was Bel. He blinked, letting his eyes adjust and notice how truly how dark it was outside. He glanced at the clock. It was well past dinner time by now. The sun had fully disappeared on the horizon. He hadn't realized so much time had passed while he had been in there. "What are you doing here?" He asked Bel in surprise. He had been expecting to go back to his tent and find Bel there. Not Bel finding Nico here.
He finds Nico sitting in front of far too many papers. Nico looks even more tired, if that's even possible. Bel's lips press together. He's going to get a sleeping tonic. He needs to. It hurts him to see Nico so exhausted.
Bel smiles and takes a few steps into the tent, allowing the flaps to close behind him. "Well, I had a feeling that you would be in here. Working away, you workaholic." He goes in close, leaning in to deliver a quick kiss to Nico's nose and then his lips. "It's late. We need to go to bed." He reaches to grab at Nico's hands, pulling him up and out of his chair.
Nico glanced back down at the papers spread across the table. It was a mess but it was his mess and he knew where everything was. Ambrose would likely throw a fit at the mess but Nico didn't care. He liked it like this.
He smiled at the small kiss, raising his eyes to look at Bel. He allowed the prince to pull him put of his seat. "If you insist." He blew out the lanterns before holding the tent flap open to allow Bel to exit first. He grabbed his hand as the both walked to their tent. Jt was quiet outside as most everyone had retired for the night. Other than the occasion sentry, there was no one out. The stars twinkled in the sky, not a cloud in sight. It was beautiful, serene.
On the other hand, Bel is trying his best to quell his nerves. He didn't have much of an issue getting to the tent, but in the short moments he was occupied with easily prying Nico from his work, they must have turned all the lanterns out. To keep himself at least somewhat sane, he squeezes Nico's hand a little tighter and stares at the bright half-moon lingering above them. Luckily, they're quick to arrive back into their tent and Bel's shoulders relax.
As soon as they're both securely in the tent and the flaps are shut and tied behind them, Bel doesn't wait to lean in and capture Nico's lips in a much more heated kiss that greatly contrasts their previous one. "I missed you today," Bel says when he pulls away.
Nici let Bel into their tent first before stepping in. He tied the flaps, securing them so they wouldn't blow with the slight breeze. As he turned back to face Bel, he was immediately greeted by a hungry kiss. He wasn't complaining about it but he certianly was surprised. Bel had rarely been the one to initiate their couplings. It was nice but a surprise all the same.
He wrapped his arms around Bel, returning the kiss with matched heat. He had been dreaming of this all day. For several days actually. It had been awhile since they had been able to be together like this. Nothing was going to stop them now. He bent down and picked Bel up in arms, starting to carrying him to the bedroom.
Bel smiles into their kiss as he's lifted from the ground. Excitement coils in his gut; it's been far too long. "No interruptions?" He inquires as he notices he's being brought into the bedroom. Remembering how their last encounter ended isn't entirely something Bel would like to remember. A witchhunter, his gruesome gang, a few revealed secrets, and an existential crisis. They're fine–for the most part–and it's really not something Bel would like to think about now.
He's set on the bed with a small oof, but it's quickly swallowed. He hums into the kiss, wrapping his arms around Nico's neck as he pulls the other man even closer.
Nico gripped Bel by his thighs as he carried him. He never broke their kiss, even as he fumbled to get into their bedroom. "No interruptions," he promised. He didn't want to think about last time. He didn't want to think about the horror that if had brought him, that gripping fear. Fear for himself but mostly fear for Bel.
He dropped Bel kn the bed before quickly climbing over him, his lips swallowing that little oof sound. Nico had a smile on his face as they kissed, causing their teeth to clash. He lowered then both down so that Bel was lying back on the bed and Nico hovering over him. He wedged one knee between Bel's thoughts, forcing them to part.
Bel's eyes are only opened for a moment before Nico takes up all of his vision. He finds himself smiling as well. It's so perfect–all of it. There's no more secrets, no more lies–only them. Only them, together and alone in this perfect bubble. Part of Bel wants to say that he doesn't deserve this, doesn't deserve to be swallowed up entirely by someone as bright and powerful as Nico.
Any sort of thought is halted with a groan as there's a sudden pressure between his legs. His head tips back and out of the kiss, eyes shut. "Well," he manages to breathe after a second. He cracks his eyes open, staring up with half-lids at Nico. "Shall we?"
As soon as the kiss was broken, Nico was trailing his lips down his neck. He couldn't stop touching Bel. He didn't want to. He never wanted to stop. This was heaven, he thought, right here with Bel. It was heaven and he didn't belong there. Not with what he had done. But he wouldn't take it for granted. He would soak up every minute of it.
He lifted his head, smirking down at him. "Raise your arms for me, love." He sat up, slowly beginning to undress Bel before himself. He was slow and methodical, as if leanring every inch of Bel all iver again. He was taking his time, he was loving Bel. He would show him his worth. Time was nothing to him. Time didn't exist. It was well into the night until they were spent.
Bel follows the order, slowly stretching his arms above his head as he allows Nico to slowly undress him. His skin is too hot and too cold all at once as he's exposed to the night air. It's almost too slow. Bel wants to squirm and tell Nico to hurry the hell up, but he keeps his mouth shut. He's going to be patient. He's going to allow Nico to take his time.
But when it's only his shirt removed and it feels like an hour has passed, Bel stares up at Nico, almost pleadingly. "You're going slow," he notes, breathless.
Nico laughed down at Bel, shaking his head. He kissed his temple gently. "Be patient, my love. Let me make everything up to you. Let me show you how much I truly love you."
He kissed his jaw, then down to his neck and his chest next. He left little kisses, little marks, soothing iver the scratches that were still present on his body. They would be nothing more than red the next few days. Not as dark as he had made them. But it was still leaving a statement as well. Bel his and should be treated with respect. Bel may as well be his consort. Nico wasn't ready for that yet. But one day.
"Can't you do it–" A hitch of his breath. "Just a little quicker?" His skin is covered in goosebumps, the cold air and the anticipation working in tandem to put every single one of Bel's nerves on fire. He finds himself titling his head, allowing Nico as much access as possible to his neck. After one particularly thrilling lovebite, Bel's arms and hands immediately find home around Nico's neck and atop of his shoulders. He mightve been told to keep them above his head, but surely thT instruction can't be valid anymore.
One of his hands curl into Nico's hair, tugging softly on the strands. Bels eyes are close again, the lids for too heavy to keep fully open.
Nico's shoulder shook as he laughed silently. So impatient. So needy. What had happened to the shy prince who hadn't even realized his sexuality? He was long gone by now. But Nico didn't mind. In fact, he loved it.
Nico dropped a gentle kiss on his belly, tilting his head as strands of his hair were tugged. Bel looked like a mess and Nico didn't want it any other way. "So impatient," he murmured, "so needy." He dropped another kiss to his stomach. "When did you get like this, my love?" He was teasing. If the sing song voice didn't give it away, surly his lips stretched into a smile against his skin was.
Bel laughs at the comment, but it's mostly without air. Just a quiet wheeze sort of thing. "You're to blame for making me like this," he explains, a smile breaking onto his face as he stares up at Nico. And it's true. He had been so timid, so shy and passive but now Bel's mostly sure of what he wants, and thats Nico on him at all times. He had no idea that he had missed this man his entire life, the perfect half to connect with his. "We've been waiting too long–" He tries, at least hoping there will be some reason that will cause Nico to hurry. "Please?" Hopefully the added plead would convince him.
Nico shook his head. Bel was trying to break his resolve. He was trying to get him to break, to give in. And it was working. Nico could never tell Bel no. Not unless it was for his safety. So he climbed back up his body until their faces were aligned. Ge wrapped his arms around him and give him a heated kiss. "Okay, alright. I give." He couldn't hold out any longer. Not with the adorable whining and pleading that was coming out of Bel. He just couldn't not give in.
