Chapter Text
The bar he sat in was dusty, quiet in an isolated sort of way; situated on a crossroads where patrons passed through, seen once then never again, leaving nothing more than an empty bottle, a handful of coins, and perhaps a gruff story of a life eked out on the inhospitable edge of the continent.
Cor had heard many such stories sitting in backwater dives like this one, sometimes recognized, mostly not. Cor the Immortal was a title not often associated with a face and even then, the vagaries of the royals and elites were background noise to the individuals living these lives, their focus wholly on thriving crops and keeping livestock safe from sabreclaws.
Cor Leonis is 38 years old and has spent more than half his life in service to the king and royal family, even the years before his induction into the Crownsguard were spent training and learning what would be expected of his life in service.
Only outside of the city in lonely little dives had Cor ever seen the reality of life beyond the city borders, the quiet desperation and loss and struggle. Only after a few drinks were people willing to spill their worries and hardships, so Cor listened and paid for another.
This small bar was no different with its dirty walls plastered with yellowing reward posters and half empty glasses smudged with fingerprints left in front of abandoned seats.
Cor sat at the corner seat of the bar facing the door and ordered a whiskey neat and a shot of tequila, watching the shadows grow on the floor as dusk fell.
The bar was surprisingly lively with small groups cloistered together at tables; Cor chalked it up to the locals having nowhere better to be on a Thursday evening. He listened half-heartedly to snippets of conversations and quiet rumors, unable to abate his constant habit of collecting information.
Cor kept to himself as he slowly worked his way through his whiskey. He noticed the woman behind the bar kept a practiced eye on the patron’s drinks while she switched between washing glasses and cooking on a grill. Cor tried not to be a nuisance and tipped her well when she automatically set another tequila in front of him after he downed his.
Cor let himself relax, leaning on his elbows and enjoying the soothing warmth of the alcohol flowing in his veins. He rather liked the atmosphere of the bar, run-down, yet it had a timeless sort of allure, rough and inviting all at once.
So Cor gestured for another whiskey and was content with the idea of having too many drinks and stumbling back to his hotel room across the street at last call.
When Cor was three drinks deep and feeling that hazy warmth in his gut, more patrons arrived at the bar. Cor couldn’t help looking over to the door when it opened; years of constant need to be aware of his surroundings left Cor with sharp eyes and a nagging inability to leave his back to the door. The bell tied to the door handle rattled and in walked three young men who parked themselves at the other end of the bar.
The first thing Cor noticed was that the three looked barely old enough to be drinking in the first place. Cor sighed, feeling his age. The second thing he noticed was that one of the three looked as though he was in entirely over his head, overwhelmed as the bartender gestured impatiently to the array of bottles and taps behind her. Eventually he pointed to a random bottle in a panic, elbowing his friends as they laughed. Cor watched for too long, cause when the kid looked up and across the bar Cor caught his eye and he gave Cor a shy smile as the bartender sat a hastily made drink in front of him.
Cor returned his attention to his drink but snuck a few more looks at the group; they were a bit loud and boisterous, but a welcome distraction from the quiet home-town melancholy radiating from the rest of the patrons. And despite himself, Cor’s eyes kept returning to the kid who’d smiled at him. Slim and blonde and a natural sort of pretty, the kid had a sort of reserved magnetism that drew Cor’s attention.
And somehow it was mutual.
The third time Cor caught the kid’s eyes on him he flagged down the bartender and sent over a shot to complement his own, figuring what the hell, what’s the worst that could happen.
The blonde looked surprised when the bartender set the shot in front of him until she pointed a tired finger at Cor then resumed washing glasses behind the bar. The blonde’s friends laughed a bit amongst themselves but the kid gave a coy smile and waited until Cor raised his own shot to take at the same time.
Cor knocked his back and when he looked over he saw the kid come up sputtering and laughing as the alcohol burned down the back of his throat, his friends losing it beside him and pounding on his back unhelpfully.
Cor lifted his whiskey, trying to hide his own grin behind his hand. When the kid finally stopped choking and fanning his face, he looked back over Cor’s way, face alarmingly red but still smiling as he mouthed ‘thanks’.
Cor nodded and raised his glass, giving one last look to the pretty blonde at the end of the bar, surprised to see the kid’s eyes were still on him, even as Cor turned back to his own business.
And Cor thought that was the end of it, a shared drink and a look across a bar and nothing more, two ships passing in the night.
But a moment later there was a warm body occupying the empty seat next to Cor.
“So do you buy drinks for just anyone in this shithole?”
Cor gave the kid a sidelong look, taking in the long lashes above bright green eyes and the pink of his cheeks as he tried to ignore the catcalls and whistles from his friends several seats down.
“Not just anyone.” Cor answered, slow and measured, liking the way the younger man bit his bottom lip before giving Cor a bright smile.
“Well then thanks for deeming me worthy. I’m Loqi, by the way.”
“Cor.”
And Loqi repeated him, testing Cor’s name on his lips. Cor liked that even more.
“So what are you drinking? It’s only fair I return the favor.” And Loqi was already waving down the bartender, gesturing to the dregs at the bottom of Cor’s glass. “Two more of whatever he’s drinking.”
The woman raised a skeptical brow as Loqi fished crumpled notes from his wallet, but she still pulled down a mostly full bottle of Blue Label, filling and setting two fresh glasses on the bar.
“You drink whiskey?” Cor asked as he swapped drinks, the glass still warm against his palm.
“Truthfully I don’t drink much of anything. So far I’ve tried a few different beers, the coconut rum in that drink over there, and whatever was in that shot you bought me.” Loqi pulled his own glass over, giving the drink a tentative sniff before crinkling his nose. Cor couldn’t help but find it endearing.
“Well that might take a little getting used to.” Cor warned before swallowing a mouthful, the warmth burning down his throat and pooling in his stomach, making the world tilt a bit as he waited for Loqi to do the same.
Loqi took too big of a gulp, shaking his head hard at the taste, the corners of his eyes watering as he swallowed it down.
“That was,” Loqi began, only to stop to clear his throat. “That wasn’t all bad, but it wasn’t all good either.” He admitted, his cheeks flushing an embarrassed pink against his pale skin.
“It grows on you.” Cor reassured, watching as Loqi tentatively reached for his glass again, fingertips light against the rim.
Cor wasn’t sure if Loqi was trying to impress him by continuing to drink something he obviously found distasteful, but he found it endearing all the same. He watched Loqi out the corner of his eye as the next swallow gave him a full body shiver.
Loqi gave a sheepish smile. “Actually I haven’t tried much because I haven’t been legal for very long. And unlike my friends,” he stressed, “I didn’t do much underage drinking. So I’m a bit behind the curve.”
And Cor had to rein in his expression at hearing that Loqi was only eighteen. He felt sucker punched and Cor thanked the six his friends weren’t here to witness him chatting up a kid twenty years younger.
But when Cor gave Loqi a sidelong look, Loqi was still looking at Cor with interest, and well, as long as Cor didn’t have any expectations it couldn’t hurt to just talk.
Cor took a deep breath. The talking, though. He’d never been particularly good at small talk, at getting to know other people. He had always been direct with his words and unintentionally intimidating, but Loqi was still sitting next to him undaunted, smiling and leaning in to hear what he had to say.
“So why are you out tonight?” Cor asked, neutral and boring, but a decent start nonetheless.
“Celebrating,” Loqi answered, brightening up and flashing a devastating smile. “My friends and I just graduated and we’ve been accepted into the military. Next week we head to the academy.”
“Impressive,” Cor answered, although secretly he wondered how Loqi would fare in the military. Loqi was slim, with soft hands and delicate features. Cor couldn’t imagine Loqi with a sword in hand in the thick of battle.
“We just wanted to get out of the city for a night, found ourselves here.”
“Not a bad place to be,” Cor said back, before bringing his drink to his lips, aware of Loqi’s eyes on him as he swallowed down the mouthful of fire. Cor set down his glass and moved his empty shot glass to the edge of the bar.
“If you’re celebrating you should do it right.” And when the bartender came over to grab his glass Cor ordered four shots of something sweet, indicating the extra two be sent over to Loqi’s friends.
Loqi looked dubiously at the cherry red drink but Cor nudged it in Loqi’s direction before grabbing his own, giving a reassuring smile.
“It’s good, I promise.”
“Then I’ll trust you.” Loqi didn’t say a toast out loud, but he still clinked their glasses together, his eyes locked on Cor’s before he tipped back his shot. This time Loqi took the drink easily, laughing and licking the corner of his lip. “You were right.”
Conversation came a little easier after that, with Loqi taking the reins by telling Cor about himself and occasionally asking Cor unobtrusive questions. And Cor replied with smiles and vague answers, loosened up by the alcohol and unable to help the self-indulgent glances he sent Loqi’s way.
Cor couldn’t deny it felt good to have Loqi’s attention on him; he had a nice voice and a nicer face, and although a bit on the younger side, exactly Cor’s type if he was being honest with himself. So he continued the small talk, watching Loqi take sips of his drink, each mouthful going down a little easier than the last.
When Loqi stood and stretched, his shirt riding up his lower belly, Cor assumed that Loqi’s interest had finally waned. Instead Loqi gestured over his shoulder at the pool table sitting unused at the back of the bar, a single light swinging over it.
“So do you know how to play?”
Cor followed his gaze. “Yeah, you could say that.”
And Loqi smiled, warm and shy and inviting. “Maybe you could show me some moves then because I am terrible.”
Cor found himself nodding, feeling as though he’d been swept up in a current, drawn to and pulled along by Loqi.
Loqi leaned against Cor’s seat and reached out for his glass. He made a pinched face as he threw back the rest of his drink, swallowing before the taste could catch up to him. He then walked a few seats down the bar; leaning over the backs of his friends’ chairs to speak with them in hushed whispers. Their responses were much more obvious, laughter and completely unsubtle glances in Cor’s direction as Loqi tried unsuccessfully to shush them.
Cor just tapped his fingers on the bar top, eyes casually averted. Ah, youth.
Finally one of Loqi’s friends dug in his pocket and pulled out a handful of change, tipping it into Loqi’s waiting hands.
Loqi flashed Cor a smile as he whisked by, only examining the pile of change once he was crouched by the pool table, making faces as he picked things that were decidedly not coins out of his hand.
Cor shook his head in amusement and then ordered a couple of light beers, deciding their game would go much easier without the addition of more whiskey. Bottles in hand, Cor walked over to where Loqi was puzzling over the rack, the eight ball at least in the center but the rest of the balls in no discernable order. Loqi shot him a sheepish look and with a shrug let Cor take over the setup as he drifted over to the jukebox, already digging in his pocket for the pilfered change.
When Cor had the rack arranged, something soft started to play over the speakers, some woman’s voice low and breathy and haunted. Cor looked over and caught Loqi swaying his hips to the sound, slow and subtle, his fingers drumming on the edge of the jukebox. Cor couldn’t help but drop his gaze, watching Loqi’s hips catch the beat.
Loqi paid for a few more songs before turning back to Cor and joining him at the pool table, picking up his drink as he leaned against the edge.
Cor took a long look at Loqi as he ran his fingers over the smooth wood of the pool cue. Loqi caught his eye and he gestured for Cor to start, so he leaned over to break, sinking a high ball. Then he sunk another before miscalculating the third. Loqi looked a bit dubious as he took the cue from Cor, giving the table a quick look before leaning down.
And Cor couldn’t help but nudge Loqi in the right direction, an innocent touch on Loqi’s arms tilting the cue in the right direction to line up his shot.
But it was useless as he scratched, missing the three ball by an embarrassing amount.
“Told you I was no good,” Loqi laughed, leaning a hip against the table as he grabbed his beer. “Even with help it’s hopeless.”
Cor set the cue ball back on the table in its original place, motioning Loqi over to his side.
Cor took a few more liberties lining up Loqi’s shot this time, standing closer, a hand nudging his side, the other pressing Loqi’s shoulder down so he’d lean over.
“Like this,” And maybe Cor was a touch too close when he spoke against Loqi’s ear, their hips brushing together, but Loqi didn’t move away, fingers instead gripping the cue too tightly, shoes scuffing against the floor as he bent over the table in front of Cor and gave him an expectant look over his shoulder.
Loqi’s shot was still terrible but at least he managed to hit the three ball this time and he straightened up with a broad grin on his face.
“Better,” Cor said, reaching to take the cue and touching Loqi’s fingers as he did. Cor didn’t miss the way Loqi swallowed a nervous lump in his throat at the touch, or the way his cheeks darkened even under the dim lights.
The game, unsurprisingly, did not last very long. Cor ran the table, only missing on purpose to have the opportunity to assist Loqi with his shots, each time his touch becoming a little bolder, daring to place a hand on Loqi’s ribs, lower back, and finally a full palm against his hip.
When Cor sunk the eight ball Loqi wasn’t even watching the shot from where he leaned his weight against the table, instead his eyes were fully on Cor, and Cor could see Loqi biting his lip when Cor stood in front of him.
Cor reached around Loqi to set the cue back on the table and when Loqi leaned forward into Cor’s space, eyes half lidded and mouth parted, gaze dropping from Cor’s eyes to his lips, Cor found himself thinking yet again ‘what’s the worst that could happen?’ and closed the distance between them.
Then Loqi’s arms were over his shoulders, his fingers buried in Cor’s hair as he kissed back frantically. Cor had Loqi pressed against the edge of the pool table, one hand on his hip the other gripping the fabric of Loqi’s shirt. Loqi mumbled something against Cor’s lips, but it was lost as Cor licked into his mouth, Loqi’s tongue hot and hesitant against his own.
Then the sound of Loqi’s friends cheering from the front of the bar made Loqi startle, laughing against Cor’s mouth; he raised a middle finger in their direction, while his other hand slid down Cor’s jaw, fingers soft against Cor’s skin.
Loqi was blushing hard at the attention, his lips already red and kiss bruised and his breath short. He followed Cor’s lips when he pulled away.
“As far as I see it we have two choices. One, the night ends here for us, I pay for your drinks and you feel free to stay here and continue your celebration,”
Loqi blinked up at Cor, owlish and confused, bottom lip stuck out in a pout before Cor boxed him in, hands on either side of Loqi’s hips as he leaned in to whisper his other idea in Loqi’s ear, low and gravelly.
“Or two, you can come back to my hotel room and we continue this as far as you’d like.”
Loqi’s breathing quickened, his fingers tightening where his hand had instinctively wrapped around Cor’s bicep, his grip making the dark leather creak.
“Take me with you,” Loqi whispered with no hesitation, staring up at Cor with clear green eyes.
Cor paid his tab as Loqi had a few quick words with his friends, the enduring blush on his face an obvious indication of his reason for abandoning them for the night. After some loud indiscreet ribbing, Loqi slipped away, pulling Cor by the hand outside the bar, the bells rattling behind them.
“After you,” Loqi said sweetly, giving Cor’s fingers a squeeze.
...
They barely made it back to Cor’s room before Cor had Loqi against the door, hands under his shirt and tongue back in his mouth. Loqi whimpered softly, arms back around Cor’s neck as he pressed their bodies closer together. Cor took the opportunity to direct Loqi in the direction of the bed, Loqi stumbling when the back of his knees hit the mattress.
Then Cor had Loqi pinned to the bed, hips wedged between his thighs, fingers ghosting along his ribs as he kissed his way down Loqi’s jaw, nipping the tender flesh as Loqi squirmed under him, breathy and responsive.
“What are you up for?” Cor licked at Loqi’s ear after he asked, Loqi shivering under him.
“I’m not sure,” Loqi answered, his voice somehow uncertain and coy at the same time. “What would you like to do with me?”
“What I want is to fuck you so hard you won’t be able to walk straight tomorrow. But I’ll take whatever you’ll give me.” And maybe it sounded a little desperate, certainly not one of Cor’s usual lines, but he wanted Loqi in a carnal, visceral way and if Loqi couldn’t tell that from his words, he could certainly tell by the achingly hard cock pressed against the curve of his ass.
“I want—yes, that.”
His voice was a hesitant whisper and Cor made some soft needy noise against Loqi’s ear before leaning back and getting to work divesting Loqi of his clothes.
When Cor had Loqi down to his underwear, the blue fabric tented and wet with precome, Loqi put a hand out on Cor’s chest, stilling him. Loqi’s cheeks were flushed a delicate red and he avoided looking directly in Cor’s eyes, his gaze lowered to the column of Cor’s neck.
“Before anything else I just need to tell you that I’ve never done this before.”
And Cor raised a brow, sitting back on his haunches to give Loqi some space. “With another man?”
“With anyone.” Loqi admitted quietly. “I just wanted to warn you in case I’m, you know, really bad at it.” Loqi then looked concerned, worrying his bottom lip. “That is if you still even want to do it with me.”
And Cor’s heart pounded behind his ribs and the feeling in his gut was warm, almost fond at Loqi’s anxious words. Then it mixed with some dark, heady, feverishly hot feeling as Loqi’s words sunk in and he realized exactly what Loqi was saying.
“That’s not even a question,” Cor responded, his hand idly dropping to squeeze his own erection through his pants. “Just are you sure?”
Loqi nodded, the blush on his cheeks refusing to fade. He didn’t offer any other reasons or explanations, but he was willing and sober enough to know what he wanted and honestly at this point, rock hard and wedged between Loqi’s legs, that was enough for Cor.
Cor took it a little slower when he leaned back down to Loqi, he kissed along his shoulder and up the column of Loqi’s neck, lips soft as he brushed over Loqi’s ear.
“You want me to be your first?”
Loqi nodded desperately and Cor felt Loqi’s cock twitch against his thigh at the question; then Loqi’s fingers were anxiously tugging at the hem of Cor’s shirt and Cor pulled it over his head, Loqi’s fingers dragging over his chest.
“Anything you want,” Cor mumbled, enjoying the feeling of Loqi’s touch soft and purposeful on his skin.
Cor shed the rest of his clothes, acutely aware of Loqi’s gaze on his cock as he pulled the fabric of his boxers down over his thighs. Cor wrapped his hand around one of Loqi’s, tugging it down gently so Loqi would touch him. Loqi took to the suggestion, fingers tentative as he slid them through the trail of hair on his lower belly, gaining confidence as he stroked Cor’s skin, Cor’s cock thrumming under Loqi’s touch.
“Can I take these off you?”
Loqi nodded as Cor’s fingers dipped below the waistband of his underwear, tugging the piece of clothing down over his hips and letting Loqi’s cock spring free.
Cor hummed in approval as he wrapped his hand around Loqi in kind, leaning forward to kiss Loqi again, lips insistent against Loqi’s slack mouth. When Loqi relaxed again under Cor’s touch, Cor pulled away, reaching over to dig in his overnight bag dropped by the side of the bed.
“Turn over.” Cor instructed, watching as Loqi slowly flipped and settled on his stomach in front of Cor. He let his fingers slide over Loqi’s spine, counting the knobs as he trailed down to Loqi’s tailbone.
“If it hurts or you want to stop, tell me.” Cor said seriously, slicking his fingers with the bottle of lube retrieved from his bag. He laid back down next to Loqi and kissed him, giving soft distracting nips along his jaw as his fingers slid down Loqi’s lower back and over his ass.
Cor’s blood pumped hot through his veins as he fingered Loqi open, each muffled noise and delicate whimper setting Cor’s insides on fire. By the time he’d worked a third finger into Loqi’s tight hole, Loqi was panting, hips instinctively fucking the mattress, and Cor’s cock was so hard it ached.
“Just try to relax, I’ll...take care of you.” Cor said at a distance, his voice coming out less reassuring than he meant to sound.
And Loqi was still nervous beneath his hands, achingly soft skin chilled and covered in goosebumps.
To say Cor was out of his element was an understatement; Cor’s touch had never been gentle in the way he needed to be for Loqi. Cor was usually self-assured when it came to his lovers, but the thought of hurting Loqi while so trusting and vulnerable left a rock in the pit of his stomach.
His hands were gentle as he pulled Loqi’s hips back, fingers spreading Loqi open again. Cor heard a muffled little gasp when he pressed his cock to Loqi’s hole, then a more forceful pant as he pushed inside the tight ring of muscle.
Cor waited a moment, listening for Loqi to plead with him to stop, but Loqi’s breathing was still steady, even as he shifted his hips uncomfortably. Once he found a better position, Loqi reached out to touch Cor’s hand, the gesture reassuringly gentle. The look in his eyes though, was anything but.
“I’m fine, don’t stop.”
And with that plea soothing his mind, Cor sunk into Loqi fully, Loqi gasping hard as Cor’s cock drove as deep as possible into his body. Loqi let out a strangled little moan as he clenched around Cor, then his voice was almost wondrous as he whispered:
“Fuck, you’re really in me,”
And a hot feeling churned in Cor’s gut, the arousal and guilt warring deep in his soul. He really shouldn’t be enjoying taking Loqi’s virginity this much, but he’d never been so turned on in his life. From the first real glance he’d had of Loqi, of his golden blonde hair, of the curve of his neck as he swallowed his shot, of the loud brassy laughter after he’d come up sputtering, Cor had been drawn to Loqi. Had wanted to look into those pretty eyes, whisper in his ear, and hear him laugh again.
And now to be the first to touch Loqi like this; some dark possessive feeling caused Cor to grip Loqi’s hips tighter, his lips finding the soft spot behind Loqi’s ear and marking him to the sound of Loqi’s breathy gasps.
Cor took Loqi achingly slow, letting Loqi adjust to the feeling of Cor’s cock moving in and out of him. Loqi’s body was tight and tense and Cor was going half mad from the reckless desire to fuck Loqi as hard and deep as possible. He only upped his pace once Loqi started moving against him on his own, his gritted teeth and breathy huffs taking on a more desperate, needy pitch.
Cor then wrapped an arm around Loqi’s chest and fucked him desperately, their skin sliding together slick and filthy, Loqi’s fingers scrabbling uselessly for purchase on the crumpled sheets below him.
Loqi couldn’t keep quiet under Cor’s body, whining and gasping as each stroke punched the air from his lungs. When Loqi moaned out what might have been Cor’s name, Cor snaked an arm under Loqi’s hips, gripping Loqi’s cock tight. A few moments later Loqi buried his face in the sheets and came over Cor’s fingers, his body tightening like a vice around Cor’s cock. With a low moan Cor pulled out, embarrassing himself by coming over Loqi’s thighs before he could control himself.
Cor rolled off of Loqi and settled next to him, his chest heaving as he fought to get air back in his lungs.
“Fuck,” Cor mumbled, pulling a hand through his sweaty hair. He couldn’t remember the last time an orgasm had left him so shaken and drained, although his body still felt electric where their skin touched.
“Are you all right?” Cor slid his fingers up Loqi’s shoulder, nudging him to turn and lay against Cor’s body. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” And Cor’s heart was starting to slow, but it felt a little hollow as he worried he’d been too rough, too needy, had taken too much from Loqi.
“I’m fine, just a little sore, but that’s normal right?”
Cor nodded, tugging Loqi a little closer to himself. Loqi took the hint, throwing an arm over Cor’s chest and curling himself against Cor’s side.
“As long as you’re all right.” And Cor felt Loqi smile against his skin.
“So what is your last name?”
There had been a few minutes of silence between them, Cor simply holding Loqi, fingers carding through his hair while Loqi fought to keep his eyes open.
“Why?”
Loqi laughed a little self-indulgently. “Only so I know what my last name will be when I marry you because this whole night has been fucking amazing.”
Cor shook his head in amusement, lips turned up despite himself.
“Leonis.”
And Loqi froze, though Cor could feel his heart jackhammering behind his ribs.
“You’re Cor the Immortal?”
And it wasn’t awe in his voice, like when other partners had discovered his fame, or humiliation that he hadn’t realized sooner; it was fear and panic in Loqi’s voice. And Cor realized all at once what that meant as Loqi rolled off of him, falling to the floor with a thud as he scrambled for his jeans.
Cor was faster. Cor was always faster. With his katana summoned and pressed against Loqi’s ribs, Loqi let the dagger he’d fished from his pants fall limply from his hand.
“I take it the military you’ve just joined is part of the Empire.”
Cor’s voice was cold, emotionless, it didn’t matter that ten minutes earlier he’d had his cock halfway up Loqi’s guts while their hands intertwined.
“Gralean born and raised.” Loqi said from the floor, unrepentant pride in his voice, those soft green eyes suddenly hard as steel.
“Well you’ll make a fine martyr for the Empire.”
Loqi scowled, eyes meeting Cor’s as the words sunk in.
“You going to kill me right here?” And Loqi’s voice was surprisingly steady for possibly facing his last moments of life.
“No,” Cor said finally, “we’re in a hotel in a neutral country and both still undressed. I think it’s best if you put your clothes back on, walk out the door and go back to Gralea tonight.”
Loqi remained where he was half slumped on the floor, brain processing Cor’s words.
“You’re just going to let me go?”
“I’m not looking for a scandal.”
Loqi frowned at Cor’s words as he stood and slowly redressed under Cor’s watchful eye.
“We’re enemies now, Cor Leonis. It wasn’t personal before, but it is now.” Loqi’s voice was low and cold, defiant, but there was a hitched distress in the way he exhaled and Cor couldn’t help but wonder exactly what was going through Loqi’s mind after discovering he’d lost his virginity to his country’s most infamous adversary.
Cor couldn’t help but nod at Loqi’s sentiment, eyes steely as he watched Loqi back toward the door. “You’re right about that.”
Then Loqi’s hand was on the doorknob, wrenching it open. “I’ll be looking for you on the battlefield, Cor.” And the door slammed shut, Loqi gone and Cor’s head left spinning.
…
That was the last Cor assumed he’d see of Loqi. An eighteen year old green recruit wasn’t likely to be sent on missions against The Immortal; Cor at least hoped that the Empire would do better than simply deliver novices for Cor to cut down.
Truthfully he hoped it wouldn’t come down to that, because even weeks later, he still found himself thinking of Loqi’s eyes and his hair and his voice. He thought of Loqi’s hesitant touch and easy smile. He thought of Loqi’s bare flawless skin and the desperate moans he’d made when Cor was on top of him, in him. Cor knew it’d be a shame to take a creature like that out of the world; thought it best they never meet again.
But life never worked exactly the way Cor thought it would.