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fredbassettTitle : Rookery Hall, Part 2 of 3
Author : fredbassett
Fandom : Primeval
Rating : 18
Characters : Stephen/Ryan
Disclaimer : Not mine no money made, don’t sue.
Spoilers : None
Summary : Stephen is whisked away for some much needed recuperation.
A/N : Around 12,000 words to be posted over 3 instalments. Many thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
lukadreaming for the beta.
Stephen came awake gradually in the gigantic bed, stretching and enjoying the feel of the cotton sheets against his skin. He reached out with his arm, but the noise of running water in the bathroom was enough to tell him his quest was in vain.
He felt pleasantly refreshed after sleep for the first time since he’d fallen ill, which made a very welcome change. He’d almost forgotten what a decent night’s rest felt like. Something else he’d almost forgotten claimed his attention a moment later. The pressure on his bladder had given him a morning erection, for the first time in several weeks. He ran a hand over his stiff cock and grinned. At least everything down there still seemed to be in working order, which was a relief, in spite of his bravura of the previous night.
Sunlight slanted in through the tall balcony windows, and a light, warm breeze ruffled the gossamer-light net curtains, which Ryan had drawn the previous night to preserve the modesty of anyone walking on the lawns at the front of the hotel. The need for a pee warred with the desire to continue lounging in bed, but the various cups of tea he’d drunk the night before won, hands down. They’d stayed in the bedroom the previous evening, eating a light meal of soup and sandwiches, accompanied by a bowl of the nicest chips Stephen had ever eaten, but he was feeling strong enough this morning to fancy a trip down to the dining room for breakfast.
He slid out of bed and padded into the bathroom to answer the insistent call of nature. Afterwards, the shower looked inviting, and a naked, wet Ryan was not something he had any desire to resist. The soldier welcomed him with a warm wet hug and a kiss, ignoring Stephen’s half-hearted protestation that he’d be letting himself in for a bad dose of morning breath.
Ryan grinned. “It’ll take more than that to put me off, sweetie.”
Gentle arms slid around him, drawing him under the refreshing jets of water. Ryan’s mouth sought his and Stephen closed his eyes and let himself be thoroughly kissed. Soapy hands drifted over his body, gently kneading any knots out of his muscles, finding tension that he hadn’t even realised had been there.
Desire stirred inside him and he reached down, cradling Ryan’s already half-hard cock, enjoying the weight in his hands. A squirt of shower gel slicked his fingers and he slipped behind his lover, encircling him with his arms, and running his fingers up and down Ryan’s length, teasing him quickly to a full hard-on. The soldier gave a low moan of pleasure and, at Stephen’s urging, turned to lean against the tiled wall, resting his head on his arms, allowing him to continue with his ministrations.
Stephen’s own cock obstinately refused to come to full hardness again, but he ignored that in favour of concentrating on giving pleasure to his lover, even though he was already starting to feel more wobbly on his feet than he liked to admit, even to himself. He never ceased to revel in the responsiveness of Ryan’s body. Smooth muscles rippled down sun-bronzed shoulders, inviting the passage of one hand, while the other continued to glide over the silky skin of the soldier’s cock.
A squirt of citrus-smelling shower gel between Ryan’s shoulder blades provided more slickness, and with his right hand, Stephen continued to map the contours of the other man’s body, down a broad back, tapering to a narrow waist and the most gorgeous arse Stephen had ever had the good fortune to get up close and personal with. One soapy finger trailed down Ryan’s crack and pushed at his entrance. Ryan thrust back, impaling himself on Stephen’s finger with a soft sigh of pleasure. Stephen leant his head on Ryan’s shoulders and continued working his left hand up and down the soldier’s cock, putting the slight twist in his grip that he knew was all Ryan needed to drive him very quickly over the edge.
A second slick finger followed the first, crooking forward and rubbing against the small, hard nub inside. Ryan bucked in his grip and an undisguised whine fell from his lips. He was clearly still on a hair-trigger and moments later, Stephen was stroking him through the tremors of an intense orgasm, and watching white ropes of come sliding down the tiles, while his own legs started to tremble with the effort of remaining upright.
“Looks like I’m not the only one having a knee-trembler,” murmured Ryan, turning round and claiming Stephen’s lips in a lazy kiss. “Come on, darling, it’s back to bed for you. I’ll make you some tea then order breakfast.”
“I wanted to go downstairs for breakfast,” said Stephen, employing puppy dog eyes to reinforce the point.
Ryan grinned. “Yes, Cinderella shall go to the ball, but not until you’ve had a cup of tea and another half an hour in bed. Deal?”
“Deal.” And for the next five minutes, he submitted happily to letting Ryan rub him dry with an enormous, fluffy white towel.
The promised half hour in bed was enough to perk him up again. All Stephen needed to do to earn satisfied nods from Ryan was drink the offered tea, and eat a couple of biscuits and his lover seemed to be satisfied with his progress. When Ryan finally agreed to let him get dressed, he pulled on a pair of reasonably smart black jeans, a white shirt and a dark blue linen jacket, which he hoped was enough to pass muster in the dining room. A quick glance in the mirror told him that he still had dark shadows under his eyes, but he’d looked a lot worse recently - he knew that without needing to be told.
They were downstairs at 10 o’clock, and the smartly-dressed waiter assured them that breakfast could be served in the dining room at any time. Ryan took one look at the menu and promptly ordered the full English breakfast, but Stephen didn’t feel up to even the thought of two sausages, bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms, black pudding, potato cakes and eggs, opting instead for scrambled eggs on toast. Tea and coffee arrived quickly, along with toast, both white and brown slices nestling in a small basket, alongside several slices of freshly-made Irish soda bread.
Ryan promptly spread butter and marmalade on a couple of slices, handing one over to Stephen with a mute plea in his eyes. Stephen laughed and took it, thankful that he’d ordered scrambled eggs, rather than boiled, as he had a nasty feeling that otherwise, Ryan might have insisted on feeding him toast soldiers if his appetite had shown any signs of failing.
The bread tasted homemade, and the marmalade was delicious. Stephen suddenly realised he felt hungry for the first time in weeks. He needed no urging to devour a second slice.
The scrambled eggs when they arrived were light and fluffy, and were soon demolished as well. Under his lover’s watchful eyes, he even agreed to try some sausage and potato cake.
“I’ll know you’ve recovered when you can manage one of these by yourself,” grinned Ryan, gesturing to his own loaded plate.
Stephen laughed, and filched a mushroom, just to keep him happy.
The waiter was attentive. More tea and toast arrived without the need for them to ask and no-one seemed remotely bothered by the time they were taking over their meal. The only other people in the dining room were two ladies, in their sixties, dressed in tweeds, obviously preparing for a walk, and a couple with two young children, who were happily wrangling over the day’s activities their parents were proposing for their entertainment.
Stephen leaned back in his chair feeling pleasantly stuffed. Ryan was right. When he could put away a plateful like that, he’d know he was well along the road to recovery. Although he’d been dubious when he’d first seen Rookery Hall’s imposing frontage, the friendly acceptance they’d met from all the staff so far had done a lot to allay his concerns. Emboldened by a feel of sudden well-being, Stephen reached out and laid his hand on Ryan’s on top of the crisp, white tablecloth. Ryan smiled one of those rare smiles that was for him, and him alone, and rubbed his thumb over Stephen’s knuckles.
The two ladies at the next table stood up, favoured the pair of them with beaming smiles, and left the dining room, exchanging a cheery greeting in the corridor with a member of staff.
A final tiny knot of tension in Stephen’s stomach relaxed and faded away. He was comfortable with his sexuality, but he’d also encountered enough prejudice in his life to make him slightly wary in strange surroundings, and old habits were hard to break. Ryan squeezed his hand gently, as ever alert to Stephen’s concerns, without the need for words. Tears pricked unbidden at Stephen’s eyes. There were times when he wondered what he’d done to deserve this man’s love. They’d been together for just over a year now, working alongside each other, then living together, and Ryan’s presence in his life had brought him a sense of peace with himself that he’d never experienced before. One day, maybe, he’d finally manage to come out from under the shadow that Helen Cutter had cast over his life. And one day, he hoped, he would feel able to come clean to Nick about his youthful indiscretion. Maybe.
Another slight squeeze of Ryan’s hand brought him back to the present. Calm grey eyes regarded him thoughtfully. “Penny for them?”
“They’re not worth that much, I can assure you.”
The soldier raised his eyebrows, but let the subject drop. “An hour’s kip for you then a short walk down to the lake. How does that sound?”
“Sounds good to me. Are you going for a run?”
“If that’s OK with you?”
Stephen smiled and nodded.
Reception had a selection of newspapers and magazines available. Stephen picked up a Guardian and a copy of Private Eye, then made his way slowly up the stairs, studiously avoiding the lift, even though the walk was enough to make him feel slightly wobbly by the time they reached their room. Sunlight was streaming into the bedroom. Stephen tugged back the net curtains, opened the door to the balcony and settled himself into one of the huge armchairs.
Ryan quickly changed into running shorts and trainers, pulling on a black vest that left little or nothing to the imagination. “I wonder if they’ve got a tradesmen’s entrance I can use?”
“If you’ve got it, flaunt it,” grinned Stephen, grabbing Ryan’s hand and pulling the soldier down for a kiss. His lover’s lips opened beneath his, Ryan’s tongue slid against his own in a kiss that tasted pleasantly of orange marmalade and coffee.
“Be good,” he muttered against Stephen’s lips, before slipping out of the bedroom with a smile and a wave of his hand.
A few minutes later, he watched Ryan head at a steady pace down the immaculate lawns towards the edge of the lake. A small pang of frustration twisted in his guts, and he wished he was down there, running alongside his lover in the cool morning sun. No point in crying over spilt milk, he told himself, sternly. He would recover his strength, the doctors at the hospital had been adamant about that, and he’d had the same story from Ditzy, but it would be a slow process, and he was under strict orders not to try to rush things if he wanted to make a full recovery. The only problem was that patience was not, and never had been, one of his virtues.
As Ryan passed out of his sight amidst a grove of alder trees by the water’s edge, Stephen picked up the paper and annoyed himself reading the latest in a long line of government scandals, in which Lester’s hated Home Secretary seemed to feature quite prominently. He wondered quite what it took to bring a government minister down these days. Quite a lot, from what he could see, even with the press baying for blood.
After twenty minutes, the paper drooped in his grasp, and he allowed himself the luxury of dozing in the sun. The click of the door lock a while later roused him slightly, and the sight of Ryan’s suntanned torso, glistening with sweat roused him a bit more. The soldier promptly stripped and padded, unselfconsciously naked, over to the small fridge for a bottle of chilled water, which promptly disappeared in three long swallows.
“You feeling up to a walk when I’ve had a shower?”
Stephen stretched lazily and nodded. He followed Ryan into the bathroom and perched on the edge of the bath, watching as his lover turned on the jets and reached for the shower gel. Stephen admired the long, clean lines of his lover’s body, from the strongly-tanned arms and shoulders down to the paler skin of his hips and buttocks, and on to the muscled thighs. Amidst a tangle of dark blond curls, Ryan’s cock was already starting to swell. He caught his lover’s eye, and ran his tongue suggestively around his lips. Ryan dropped a hand to his groin, lathering gel over himself in a manner that could only be described as provocative.
“No bringing yourself off,” directed Stephen, huskily. “Breakfast was a while ago, I need a few more calories before lunch.”
Ryan’s dick twitched at the words, and the soldier quickly finished washing off the sweat from his run then stepped out of the shower into the towel Stephen held out to him. Stephen slid off the edge of the bath to kneel on a fold of the towel at Ryan’s feet, leaning forward to nuzzle with his lips and tongue at Ryan’s erect cock. He closed his eyes and inhaled the citrus scent of the shower gel mixed with Ryan’s own unique musk.
“What about you?” Ryan tilted his head back and stared down at him, gentle enquiry in his eyes.
“I told you last night, I’m not worrying. This one’s for you, soldier boy.”
“The last two were for me, remember?”
“And it’ll be my turn soon enough, but there’s no point in flogging a dead horse in the meantime. It’ll happen when it happens and not before.” To prevent further discussion, Stephen wrapped his lips around the head of Ryan’s cock and started to suck, flicking at the ridge of skin on the underside with his tongue before teasing at the slit. Ryan let out a deep sigh of contentment and ran his hands gently through Stephen’s hair.
Stephen pulled back slightly and dropped his head to lick and kiss his way around Ryan’s balls, drawing first one, then the other into his mouth and sucking gently. Their earlier encounter in the shower had served to take the edge off his lover, leaving Stephen room to play, without precipitating an early climax. Memories of their first time together, in the Mitchells’ hotel in the Forest of Dean, filled Stephen’s mind. He’d gone down on Ryan then, as well. He bent his head forward, taking Ryan as far into his throat as the angle allowed, and then swallowing around him.
Ryan gasped, and started to thrust. Stephen relaxed the muscles of his throat, switching to breathing through his nose, letting Ryan fuck his mouth. He felt strong fingers running through his hair, and heard, with satisfaction, the small grunts of pleasure that were falling from his lover’s lips. The soldier’s movements remained gentle, and Stephen knew perfectly well that Ryan was holding himself in check. He reached round with his hands, running them over Ryan’s arse, pulling his cheeks apart and dipping into the cleft to play with his hole.
He loved fingering Ryan’s tight arse, working the tip of one finger inside and feeling Ryan’s puckered hole clench around him. The soldier’s next thrust into his mouth was a little less restrained, catching the back of Stephen’s throat and forcing him to stifle his gag reflex. Ryan was starting to pant now, his hands either side of Stephen’s face, stroking his hollowed cheeks and reaching down to grip Stephen’s shoulders.
Stephen continued to run the tips of his fingers over Ryan’s entrance, feeling the shivers the movements were sending up and down his lover’s body. Ryan was close now. He pulled back slightly, the weight of Ryan’s dick heavy on his tongue as he savoured the salty taste of pre-come. He glanced up. Ryan’s blue eyes were staring intently down at him. He grinned around his mouthful of cock, then sucked hard, hollowing his cheeks with the effort. Ryan gasped, his eyes closed and his hands tightened on Stephen’s shoulders.
Pressing his index finger back into his lover’s body, Stephen continued to suckle Ryan’s cock, swirling his tongue around the head at the same time. A second finger wormed its way inside the hot, tight channel, without the benefit of any lubrication. Ryan groaned and pressed back onto the probing fingers, impaling himself. His dick jerked between Stephen’s lips and come flooded his mouth. Even swallowing rapidly, Stephen couldn’t stop a small trail escaping, but then Ryan drew his softening cock out of his mouth and sank to his knees on the bathroom floor, taking Stephen in his arms and kissing him deeply.
Stephen opened his mouth to allow his lover to share the taste of his own bodily fluids. He’d started to shake slightly with the effort of remaining on his knees, but Ryan’s strong arms encircled him, and he relaxed against the other man’s chest and enjoyed Ryan’s lazy kisses.
“Bed.” Ryan breathed the word against his mouth and pulled him up from the floor. “You’re too big to carry unless it’s an emergency, Hart.”
Stephen allowed himself to be led back into the bedroom, and he settled down on the bed, his head on Ryan’s shoulder, and his arm looped around the other man’s waist, and in less than five minutes, he’d drifted off to sleep.
It took more than half an hour, but when he finally awoke, Stephen felt ready to brave the outside world. The sun was still shining, although a light breeze prevented the air from being too hot, and together, he and Ryan made their way down to the lake. Two gardeners were busy carefully clipping a line of bushes which flanked the lawn on either side and the grass looked like someone had gone over it with a pair of nail-scissors, but for all the neatness and formality, the grounds still had a pleasantly relaxed feel to them.
The two men walked hand in hand, and even when they passed another couple returning from a morning stroll, Stephen still felt surprisingly unselfconscious for once at the open display of affection between them, and began to wonder if he was finally managing to leave Helen’s legacy behind him - a shadow which had haunted him too long. His relationship with her had come at a time when he was young and insecure, both in himself and with his sexuality. Her dislike of any public, or even private, demonstration of feeling had been obvious from the very start and she had conditioned him to obedience all too quickly. Ryan had been determined to dismantle the barriers that he had built as a defence against Helen and her all too frequent rejections and he had been glad of the soldier’s perseverance.
His fingers tightened around Ryan’s and he pressed a kiss onto the other man’s cheek. Ryan stopped and drew him into his arms for a proper kiss. Stephen sighed with pleasure and slipped his arms round Ryan’s narrow waist. The walk had left him feeling slightly shaky, but he could see some seats nestling amidst the trees beside the water’s edge. He could make it that far.
The lake glittered in the mid-day sun, the gentle breeze raising small ripples on the surface of the water, while a heron stood amongst the reeds, as still as a statue. They sat down for a little while, long enough for Stephen’s feeling of weakness to pass, then a easy stroll around the whole lake circuit took them back to the hotel in time for lunch.
The dining room was in use by four other couples and another family with young children, but the waiting staff were as efficient as ever, and both men were soon enjoying a delicious smoked salmon salad, which even managed to stir Stephen’s diminished appetite into life for the first time since his illness.
It was early afternoon before they made their way back to the bedroom, and by then Stephen was happy to sprawl out, his head resting on Ryan’s shoulder while his lover read a book. He was enjoying the lack of pressure and the relaxed attitude, which seemed to be leading to an awful lot of guilt-free sleeping, which he guessed was what Ryan had in mind when he’d made the choice of venue.
They remained in a loose tangle of limbs, trading the occasional lazy kiss and caress. Ryan seemed to know instinctively how far Stephen wanted to go, and beyond that limit, he didn’t push. Stephen wasn’t overly bothered by his body’s lack of reaction. He’d been seriously ill, and Ditzy had made no bones about the fact that it would take him several weeks to return to anything resembling full health. He’d encountered something similar after a very bad bout of glandular fever as a student, and at least the stiffie he’d had this morning had been proof of the fact that everything was still in working order on the technical side of things.
“What’s on your mind now, sweetie?” murmured Ryan, stroking his hair.
Stephen laughed. “If you must know, I was thinking about my cock.”
Ryan gave a surprised chuckle. “Makes a change from thinking with your cock, Hart.”
A light punch in the stomach provide suitable retaliation, then Stephen found himself flipped over onto his back and pressed down into the mattress while Ryan captured his lips and proceeded to kiss him very thoroughly indeed. He wound his arms around his lover’s back and returned the kisses with enthusiasm.
When Ryan finally came up for air, he rolled off Stephen and drew him back to lie half over him, with his head on Ryan’s chest, and in was in that position that Stephen fell asleep again.
He came to gradually, still cradled in Ryan’s arms, and the slow rise and fall of his lover’s chest told him that he wasn’t the only one who’d fallen asleep. He slid his hand down Ryan’s body, bringing it to rest on the bulge in his jeans. Ryan wiffled slightly in his sleep but didn’t stir when Stephen undid his belt, flipped open the top button and gently slid the zip down to enable him to slip his hand inside.
Ryan’s cock was soft under his fingers, making Stephen wonder if he could bring his lover to full hardness without waking him up. It would prove an interesting experiment. His fingers tightened their grip, and he felt a slight stirring under his hand. He smiled and started to stroke. His lover’s dick continued to swell, but Ryan’s breathing remained deep and even. Stephen managed to free him from the confines of his underwear and continued the slow, steady movements of his fingers. The soldier shifted slightly in his sleep, turning more towards Stephen, as though unconsciously seeking more contact.
Stephen watched, rapt, as a small bead of pre-come formed at the tip of Ryan’s cock, glistening in the afternoon sunlight which was slanting in through the balcony windows. He caught it on the end of his finger and rubbed it lightly around the now completely swollen head before bringing his finger to his own lips and enjoying his lover’s taste. He moistened his own finger and transferred that down to Ryan, widening the small circles each time until he was running his fingers around the whole of the head, tracing the ridge, then tracking down the taut ridge of skin and following the large vein on the underside down to his lover’s balls. Ryan made a small noise in his throat, but didn’t wake up.
Enjoying the feel of the silky smooth skin under his fingertips, Stephen continued to work Ryan’s cock with teasing gentleness, never tiring of the feel of his lover’s flesh in his hand. He could feel a faint stirring again in his own groin, and he hoped it wouldn’t be too long before he was well enough to come to full hardness. Pleasuring his lover with hands and mouth was enjoyable, but he also wanted to be able to bury more than his fingers in Ryan’s tight arse.
More fluid started to leak from Ryan’s hard cock and Stephen used it to ease the passage of his hand, each stroke become tighter and more forceful. Ryan’s breathing was shallower now, but he still wasn’t fully awake. His hips followed the movements of Stephen’s hand, and his lips opened in a low moan as his eyelids fluttered for the first time.
Stephen wriggled quickly down the bed, ready to catch the thick ropes of come which spurted from the soldier’s cock in his mouth. One more slide of his hand was all that was needed, and Ryan’s third climax of the day hit him at the moment he came fully awake.
“That was a helluva wet dream, darling,” commented Ryan, his voice husky with sleep and sex.
Stephen planted a warm kiss on his lover’s lips. “Third time pays for all, sweetheart. You can make it up to me when I’m back in working order.”
And as he cuddled up close to his lover and held him while the final tremors of orgasm ran through Ryan’s body, Stephen hoped that day wouldn’t take too long to arrive.
Author : fredbassett
Fandom : Primeval
Rating : 18
Characters : Stephen/Ryan
Disclaimer : Not mine no money made, don’t sue.
Spoilers : None
Summary : Stephen is whisked away for some much needed recuperation.
A/N : Around 12,000 words to be posted over 3 instalments. Many thanks to
lukadreaming for the beta.Stephen came awake gradually in the gigantic bed, stretching and enjoying the feel of the cotton sheets against his skin. He reached out with his arm, but the noise of running water in the bathroom was enough to tell him his quest was in vain.
He felt pleasantly refreshed after sleep for the first time since he’d fallen ill, which made a very welcome change. He’d almost forgotten what a decent night’s rest felt like. Something else he’d almost forgotten claimed his attention a moment later. The pressure on his bladder had given him a morning erection, for the first time in several weeks. He ran a hand over his stiff cock and grinned. At least everything down there still seemed to be in working order, which was a relief, in spite of his bravura of the previous night.
Sunlight slanted in through the tall balcony windows, and a light, warm breeze ruffled the gossamer-light net curtains, which Ryan had drawn the previous night to preserve the modesty of anyone walking on the lawns at the front of the hotel. The need for a pee warred with the desire to continue lounging in bed, but the various cups of tea he’d drunk the night before won, hands down. They’d stayed in the bedroom the previous evening, eating a light meal of soup and sandwiches, accompanied by a bowl of the nicest chips Stephen had ever eaten, but he was feeling strong enough this morning to fancy a trip down to the dining room for breakfast.
He slid out of bed and padded into the bathroom to answer the insistent call of nature. Afterwards, the shower looked inviting, and a naked, wet Ryan was not something he had any desire to resist. The soldier welcomed him with a warm wet hug and a kiss, ignoring Stephen’s half-hearted protestation that he’d be letting himself in for a bad dose of morning breath.
Ryan grinned. “It’ll take more than that to put me off, sweetie.”
Gentle arms slid around him, drawing him under the refreshing jets of water. Ryan’s mouth sought his and Stephen closed his eyes and let himself be thoroughly kissed. Soapy hands drifted over his body, gently kneading any knots out of his muscles, finding tension that he hadn’t even realised had been there.
Desire stirred inside him and he reached down, cradling Ryan’s already half-hard cock, enjoying the weight in his hands. A squirt of shower gel slicked his fingers and he slipped behind his lover, encircling him with his arms, and running his fingers up and down Ryan’s length, teasing him quickly to a full hard-on. The soldier gave a low moan of pleasure and, at Stephen’s urging, turned to lean against the tiled wall, resting his head on his arms, allowing him to continue with his ministrations.
Stephen’s own cock obstinately refused to come to full hardness again, but he ignored that in favour of concentrating on giving pleasure to his lover, even though he was already starting to feel more wobbly on his feet than he liked to admit, even to himself. He never ceased to revel in the responsiveness of Ryan’s body. Smooth muscles rippled down sun-bronzed shoulders, inviting the passage of one hand, while the other continued to glide over the silky skin of the soldier’s cock.
A squirt of citrus-smelling shower gel between Ryan’s shoulder blades provided more slickness, and with his right hand, Stephen continued to map the contours of the other man’s body, down a broad back, tapering to a narrow waist and the most gorgeous arse Stephen had ever had the good fortune to get up close and personal with. One soapy finger trailed down Ryan’s crack and pushed at his entrance. Ryan thrust back, impaling himself on Stephen’s finger with a soft sigh of pleasure. Stephen leant his head on Ryan’s shoulders and continued working his left hand up and down the soldier’s cock, putting the slight twist in his grip that he knew was all Ryan needed to drive him very quickly over the edge.
A second slick finger followed the first, crooking forward and rubbing against the small, hard nub inside. Ryan bucked in his grip and an undisguised whine fell from his lips. He was clearly still on a hair-trigger and moments later, Stephen was stroking him through the tremors of an intense orgasm, and watching white ropes of come sliding down the tiles, while his own legs started to tremble with the effort of remaining upright.
“Looks like I’m not the only one having a knee-trembler,” murmured Ryan, turning round and claiming Stephen’s lips in a lazy kiss. “Come on, darling, it’s back to bed for you. I’ll make you some tea then order breakfast.”
“I wanted to go downstairs for breakfast,” said Stephen, employing puppy dog eyes to reinforce the point.
Ryan grinned. “Yes, Cinderella shall go to the ball, but not until you’ve had a cup of tea and another half an hour in bed. Deal?”
“Deal.” And for the next five minutes, he submitted happily to letting Ryan rub him dry with an enormous, fluffy white towel.
The promised half hour in bed was enough to perk him up again. All Stephen needed to do to earn satisfied nods from Ryan was drink the offered tea, and eat a couple of biscuits and his lover seemed to be satisfied with his progress. When Ryan finally agreed to let him get dressed, he pulled on a pair of reasonably smart black jeans, a white shirt and a dark blue linen jacket, which he hoped was enough to pass muster in the dining room. A quick glance in the mirror told him that he still had dark shadows under his eyes, but he’d looked a lot worse recently - he knew that without needing to be told.
They were downstairs at 10 o’clock, and the smartly-dressed waiter assured them that breakfast could be served in the dining room at any time. Ryan took one look at the menu and promptly ordered the full English breakfast, but Stephen didn’t feel up to even the thought of two sausages, bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms, black pudding, potato cakes and eggs, opting instead for scrambled eggs on toast. Tea and coffee arrived quickly, along with toast, both white and brown slices nestling in a small basket, alongside several slices of freshly-made Irish soda bread.
Ryan promptly spread butter and marmalade on a couple of slices, handing one over to Stephen with a mute plea in his eyes. Stephen laughed and took it, thankful that he’d ordered scrambled eggs, rather than boiled, as he had a nasty feeling that otherwise, Ryan might have insisted on feeding him toast soldiers if his appetite had shown any signs of failing.
The bread tasted homemade, and the marmalade was delicious. Stephen suddenly realised he felt hungry for the first time in weeks. He needed no urging to devour a second slice.
The scrambled eggs when they arrived were light and fluffy, and were soon demolished as well. Under his lover’s watchful eyes, he even agreed to try some sausage and potato cake.
“I’ll know you’ve recovered when you can manage one of these by yourself,” grinned Ryan, gesturing to his own loaded plate.
Stephen laughed, and filched a mushroom, just to keep him happy.
The waiter was attentive. More tea and toast arrived without the need for them to ask and no-one seemed remotely bothered by the time they were taking over their meal. The only other people in the dining room were two ladies, in their sixties, dressed in tweeds, obviously preparing for a walk, and a couple with two young children, who were happily wrangling over the day’s activities their parents were proposing for their entertainment.
Stephen leaned back in his chair feeling pleasantly stuffed. Ryan was right. When he could put away a plateful like that, he’d know he was well along the road to recovery. Although he’d been dubious when he’d first seen Rookery Hall’s imposing frontage, the friendly acceptance they’d met from all the staff so far had done a lot to allay his concerns. Emboldened by a feel of sudden well-being, Stephen reached out and laid his hand on Ryan’s on top of the crisp, white tablecloth. Ryan smiled one of those rare smiles that was for him, and him alone, and rubbed his thumb over Stephen’s knuckles.
The two ladies at the next table stood up, favoured the pair of them with beaming smiles, and left the dining room, exchanging a cheery greeting in the corridor with a member of staff.
A final tiny knot of tension in Stephen’s stomach relaxed and faded away. He was comfortable with his sexuality, but he’d also encountered enough prejudice in his life to make him slightly wary in strange surroundings, and old habits were hard to break. Ryan squeezed his hand gently, as ever alert to Stephen’s concerns, without the need for words. Tears pricked unbidden at Stephen’s eyes. There were times when he wondered what he’d done to deserve this man’s love. They’d been together for just over a year now, working alongside each other, then living together, and Ryan’s presence in his life had brought him a sense of peace with himself that he’d never experienced before. One day, maybe, he’d finally manage to come out from under the shadow that Helen Cutter had cast over his life. And one day, he hoped, he would feel able to come clean to Nick about his youthful indiscretion. Maybe.
Another slight squeeze of Ryan’s hand brought him back to the present. Calm grey eyes regarded him thoughtfully. “Penny for them?”
“They’re not worth that much, I can assure you.”
The soldier raised his eyebrows, but let the subject drop. “An hour’s kip for you then a short walk down to the lake. How does that sound?”
“Sounds good to me. Are you going for a run?”
“If that’s OK with you?”
Stephen smiled and nodded.
Reception had a selection of newspapers and magazines available. Stephen picked up a Guardian and a copy of Private Eye, then made his way slowly up the stairs, studiously avoiding the lift, even though the walk was enough to make him feel slightly wobbly by the time they reached their room. Sunlight was streaming into the bedroom. Stephen tugged back the net curtains, opened the door to the balcony and settled himself into one of the huge armchairs.
Ryan quickly changed into running shorts and trainers, pulling on a black vest that left little or nothing to the imagination. “I wonder if they’ve got a tradesmen’s entrance I can use?”
“If you’ve got it, flaunt it,” grinned Stephen, grabbing Ryan’s hand and pulling the soldier down for a kiss. His lover’s lips opened beneath his, Ryan’s tongue slid against his own in a kiss that tasted pleasantly of orange marmalade and coffee.
“Be good,” he muttered against Stephen’s lips, before slipping out of the bedroom with a smile and a wave of his hand.
A few minutes later, he watched Ryan head at a steady pace down the immaculate lawns towards the edge of the lake. A small pang of frustration twisted in his guts, and he wished he was down there, running alongside his lover in the cool morning sun. No point in crying over spilt milk, he told himself, sternly. He would recover his strength, the doctors at the hospital had been adamant about that, and he’d had the same story from Ditzy, but it would be a slow process, and he was under strict orders not to try to rush things if he wanted to make a full recovery. The only problem was that patience was not, and never had been, one of his virtues.
As Ryan passed out of his sight amidst a grove of alder trees by the water’s edge, Stephen picked up the paper and annoyed himself reading the latest in a long line of government scandals, in which Lester’s hated Home Secretary seemed to feature quite prominently. He wondered quite what it took to bring a government minister down these days. Quite a lot, from what he could see, even with the press baying for blood.
After twenty minutes, the paper drooped in his grasp, and he allowed himself the luxury of dozing in the sun. The click of the door lock a while later roused him slightly, and the sight of Ryan’s suntanned torso, glistening with sweat roused him a bit more. The soldier promptly stripped and padded, unselfconsciously naked, over to the small fridge for a bottle of chilled water, which promptly disappeared in three long swallows.
“You feeling up to a walk when I’ve had a shower?”
Stephen stretched lazily and nodded. He followed Ryan into the bathroom and perched on the edge of the bath, watching as his lover turned on the jets and reached for the shower gel. Stephen admired the long, clean lines of his lover’s body, from the strongly-tanned arms and shoulders down to the paler skin of his hips and buttocks, and on to the muscled thighs. Amidst a tangle of dark blond curls, Ryan’s cock was already starting to swell. He caught his lover’s eye, and ran his tongue suggestively around his lips. Ryan dropped a hand to his groin, lathering gel over himself in a manner that could only be described as provocative.
“No bringing yourself off,” directed Stephen, huskily. “Breakfast was a while ago, I need a few more calories before lunch.”
Ryan’s dick twitched at the words, and the soldier quickly finished washing off the sweat from his run then stepped out of the shower into the towel Stephen held out to him. Stephen slid off the edge of the bath to kneel on a fold of the towel at Ryan’s feet, leaning forward to nuzzle with his lips and tongue at Ryan’s erect cock. He closed his eyes and inhaled the citrus scent of the shower gel mixed with Ryan’s own unique musk.
“What about you?” Ryan tilted his head back and stared down at him, gentle enquiry in his eyes.
“I told you last night, I’m not worrying. This one’s for you, soldier boy.”
“The last two were for me, remember?”
“And it’ll be my turn soon enough, but there’s no point in flogging a dead horse in the meantime. It’ll happen when it happens and not before.” To prevent further discussion, Stephen wrapped his lips around the head of Ryan’s cock and started to suck, flicking at the ridge of skin on the underside with his tongue before teasing at the slit. Ryan let out a deep sigh of contentment and ran his hands gently through Stephen’s hair.
Stephen pulled back slightly and dropped his head to lick and kiss his way around Ryan’s balls, drawing first one, then the other into his mouth and sucking gently. Their earlier encounter in the shower had served to take the edge off his lover, leaving Stephen room to play, without precipitating an early climax. Memories of their first time together, in the Mitchells’ hotel in the Forest of Dean, filled Stephen’s mind. He’d gone down on Ryan then, as well. He bent his head forward, taking Ryan as far into his throat as the angle allowed, and then swallowing around him.
Ryan gasped, and started to thrust. Stephen relaxed the muscles of his throat, switching to breathing through his nose, letting Ryan fuck his mouth. He felt strong fingers running through his hair, and heard, with satisfaction, the small grunts of pleasure that were falling from his lover’s lips. The soldier’s movements remained gentle, and Stephen knew perfectly well that Ryan was holding himself in check. He reached round with his hands, running them over Ryan’s arse, pulling his cheeks apart and dipping into the cleft to play with his hole.
He loved fingering Ryan’s tight arse, working the tip of one finger inside and feeling Ryan’s puckered hole clench around him. The soldier’s next thrust into his mouth was a little less restrained, catching the back of Stephen’s throat and forcing him to stifle his gag reflex. Ryan was starting to pant now, his hands either side of Stephen’s face, stroking his hollowed cheeks and reaching down to grip Stephen’s shoulders.
Stephen continued to run the tips of his fingers over Ryan’s entrance, feeling the shivers the movements were sending up and down his lover’s body. Ryan was close now. He pulled back slightly, the weight of Ryan’s dick heavy on his tongue as he savoured the salty taste of pre-come. He glanced up. Ryan’s blue eyes were staring intently down at him. He grinned around his mouthful of cock, then sucked hard, hollowing his cheeks with the effort. Ryan gasped, his eyes closed and his hands tightened on Stephen’s shoulders.
Pressing his index finger back into his lover’s body, Stephen continued to suckle Ryan’s cock, swirling his tongue around the head at the same time. A second finger wormed its way inside the hot, tight channel, without the benefit of any lubrication. Ryan groaned and pressed back onto the probing fingers, impaling himself. His dick jerked between Stephen’s lips and come flooded his mouth. Even swallowing rapidly, Stephen couldn’t stop a small trail escaping, but then Ryan drew his softening cock out of his mouth and sank to his knees on the bathroom floor, taking Stephen in his arms and kissing him deeply.
Stephen opened his mouth to allow his lover to share the taste of his own bodily fluids. He’d started to shake slightly with the effort of remaining on his knees, but Ryan’s strong arms encircled him, and he relaxed against the other man’s chest and enjoyed Ryan’s lazy kisses.
“Bed.” Ryan breathed the word against his mouth and pulled him up from the floor. “You’re too big to carry unless it’s an emergency, Hart.”
Stephen allowed himself to be led back into the bedroom, and he settled down on the bed, his head on Ryan’s shoulder, and his arm looped around the other man’s waist, and in less than five minutes, he’d drifted off to sleep.
It took more than half an hour, but when he finally awoke, Stephen felt ready to brave the outside world. The sun was still shining, although a light breeze prevented the air from being too hot, and together, he and Ryan made their way down to the lake. Two gardeners were busy carefully clipping a line of bushes which flanked the lawn on either side and the grass looked like someone had gone over it with a pair of nail-scissors, but for all the neatness and formality, the grounds still had a pleasantly relaxed feel to them.
The two men walked hand in hand, and even when they passed another couple returning from a morning stroll, Stephen still felt surprisingly unselfconscious for once at the open display of affection between them, and began to wonder if he was finally managing to leave Helen’s legacy behind him - a shadow which had haunted him too long. His relationship with her had come at a time when he was young and insecure, both in himself and with his sexuality. Her dislike of any public, or even private, demonstration of feeling had been obvious from the very start and she had conditioned him to obedience all too quickly. Ryan had been determined to dismantle the barriers that he had built as a defence against Helen and her all too frequent rejections and he had been glad of the soldier’s perseverance.
His fingers tightened around Ryan’s and he pressed a kiss onto the other man’s cheek. Ryan stopped and drew him into his arms for a proper kiss. Stephen sighed with pleasure and slipped his arms round Ryan’s narrow waist. The walk had left him feeling slightly shaky, but he could see some seats nestling amidst the trees beside the water’s edge. He could make it that far.
The lake glittered in the mid-day sun, the gentle breeze raising small ripples on the surface of the water, while a heron stood amongst the reeds, as still as a statue. They sat down for a little while, long enough for Stephen’s feeling of weakness to pass, then a easy stroll around the whole lake circuit took them back to the hotel in time for lunch.
The dining room was in use by four other couples and another family with young children, but the waiting staff were as efficient as ever, and both men were soon enjoying a delicious smoked salmon salad, which even managed to stir Stephen’s diminished appetite into life for the first time since his illness.
It was early afternoon before they made their way back to the bedroom, and by then Stephen was happy to sprawl out, his head resting on Ryan’s shoulder while his lover read a book. He was enjoying the lack of pressure and the relaxed attitude, which seemed to be leading to an awful lot of guilt-free sleeping, which he guessed was what Ryan had in mind when he’d made the choice of venue.
They remained in a loose tangle of limbs, trading the occasional lazy kiss and caress. Ryan seemed to know instinctively how far Stephen wanted to go, and beyond that limit, he didn’t push. Stephen wasn’t overly bothered by his body’s lack of reaction. He’d been seriously ill, and Ditzy had made no bones about the fact that it would take him several weeks to return to anything resembling full health. He’d encountered something similar after a very bad bout of glandular fever as a student, and at least the stiffie he’d had this morning had been proof of the fact that everything was still in working order on the technical side of things.
“What’s on your mind now, sweetie?” murmured Ryan, stroking his hair.
Stephen laughed. “If you must know, I was thinking about my cock.”
Ryan gave a surprised chuckle. “Makes a change from thinking with your cock, Hart.”
A light punch in the stomach provide suitable retaliation, then Stephen found himself flipped over onto his back and pressed down into the mattress while Ryan captured his lips and proceeded to kiss him very thoroughly indeed. He wound his arms around his lover’s back and returned the kisses with enthusiasm.
When Ryan finally came up for air, he rolled off Stephen and drew him back to lie half over him, with his head on Ryan’s chest, and in was in that position that Stephen fell asleep again.
He came to gradually, still cradled in Ryan’s arms, and the slow rise and fall of his lover’s chest told him that he wasn’t the only one who’d fallen asleep. He slid his hand down Ryan’s body, bringing it to rest on the bulge in his jeans. Ryan wiffled slightly in his sleep but didn’t stir when Stephen undid his belt, flipped open the top button and gently slid the zip down to enable him to slip his hand inside.
Ryan’s cock was soft under his fingers, making Stephen wonder if he could bring his lover to full hardness without waking him up. It would prove an interesting experiment. His fingers tightened their grip, and he felt a slight stirring under his hand. He smiled and started to stroke. His lover’s dick continued to swell, but Ryan’s breathing remained deep and even. Stephen managed to free him from the confines of his underwear and continued the slow, steady movements of his fingers. The soldier shifted slightly in his sleep, turning more towards Stephen, as though unconsciously seeking more contact.
Stephen watched, rapt, as a small bead of pre-come formed at the tip of Ryan’s cock, glistening in the afternoon sunlight which was slanting in through the balcony windows. He caught it on the end of his finger and rubbed it lightly around the now completely swollen head before bringing his finger to his own lips and enjoying his lover’s taste. He moistened his own finger and transferred that down to Ryan, widening the small circles each time until he was running his fingers around the whole of the head, tracing the ridge, then tracking down the taut ridge of skin and following the large vein on the underside down to his lover’s balls. Ryan made a small noise in his throat, but didn’t wake up.
Enjoying the feel of the silky smooth skin under his fingertips, Stephen continued to work Ryan’s cock with teasing gentleness, never tiring of the feel of his lover’s flesh in his hand. He could feel a faint stirring again in his own groin, and he hoped it wouldn’t be too long before he was well enough to come to full hardness. Pleasuring his lover with hands and mouth was enjoyable, but he also wanted to be able to bury more than his fingers in Ryan’s tight arse.
More fluid started to leak from Ryan’s hard cock and Stephen used it to ease the passage of his hand, each stroke become tighter and more forceful. Ryan’s breathing was shallower now, but he still wasn’t fully awake. His hips followed the movements of Stephen’s hand, and his lips opened in a low moan as his eyelids fluttered for the first time.
Stephen wriggled quickly down the bed, ready to catch the thick ropes of come which spurted from the soldier’s cock in his mouth. One more slide of his hand was all that was needed, and Ryan’s third climax of the day hit him at the moment he came fully awake.
“That was a helluva wet dream, darling,” commented Ryan, his voice husky with sleep and sex.
Stephen planted a warm kiss on his lover’s lips. “Third time pays for all, sweetheart. You can make it up to me when I’m back in working order.”
And as he cuddled up close to his lover and held him while the final tremors of orgasm ran through Ryan’s body, Stephen hoped that day wouldn’t take too long to arrive.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-09-27 03:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-28 07:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-27 04:18 pm (UTC)The scene in the restaurant where they touch fingers and hands is lovely.
And we can never have too much shower sex!
no subject
Date: 2009-09-28 07:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-27 04:21 pm (UTC)I'm sure Ryan will make it up to Stephen more than once. *bg*
no subject
Date: 2009-09-28 07:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-27 04:45 pm (UTC)And it didn't disappoint - I love your fics that deal with Stephen's intimacy issues. It's one of the things I'd love to see more of!
no subject
Date: 2009-09-28 07:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-27 05:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-28 07:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-27 06:05 pm (UTC)He wiffled!
no subject
Date: 2009-09-28 07:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-27 06:52 pm (UTC)::melts into puddle::
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Date: 2009-09-28 07:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-27 08:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-28 07:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-27 10:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-28 07:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-28 12:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-28 07:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-28 04:16 am (UTC)And I have to ask, would the ladies in the restaurant be cameos, by any chance?
Loved the shower sex... and the sleepy sex... and sweaty Ryan... *happy sigh*
no subject
Date: 2009-09-28 07:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-28 08:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-28 08:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-29 11:41 am (UTC)Gawd, this fic should come with a hot flush warning ;)
Looking forward to Tom 'repaying' Stephen, but all the cuddling and care is wonderful in the meantime. And I'd forgotten that in this AU Nick doesn't know about the affair... Ooo, how is that going to play out in this series...
////a light, warm breeze ruffled the gossamer-light net curtains, which Ryan had drawn the previous night to preserve the modesty of anyone walking on the lawns at the front of the hotel.////
Or to prevent the curious crowd of Denialists who have gathered to gawk ;)
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Date: 2009-09-29 02:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-29 06:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-29 08:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-29 06:26 pm (UTC)*melts into pile of goo*
no subject
Date: 2009-09-29 08:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-04 05:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-04 06:24 pm (UTC)