11. Colt

Colt

Colt grunted as he fixed the last arrowhead he'd made onto the shaft he'd shaved down from wood. Using the feathers he'd gathered from Shirkh, he had been able to make three arrows during his watch through the morning. He'd used several of the tools from Bridge's set to shape the rocks into pointed arrowheads. He would use them to also shape the emberstone into a knife as soon as he worked up the nerve enough to. But judging by how well he'd shaped the arrowheads, he knew he could shape the crystal into a deadly weapon.

When everyone roused from their pallets at the break of dawn, Colt placed his arrows in his quiver and grabbed his bow.

"Do you still want to go hunting?" Owen asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Of course." Colt smiled.

"Can you start a fire first?" Brom grunted as he pulled out a small sack of oats from the guard post and a pot of water to boil them in.

"That's not wise," Elian said as he buttoned up his thick black coat.

"We have to eat, and I'm not going to waste time trying to start another fire," Brom told him. "The pot will be over it. You'll barely see the purple. "

Elian hesitated, then glanced at Colt briefly before turning away and smoothing down his shaggy brown hair.

After they gathered some kindling, Owen sparked his fire and lit it. Soon, it was big and hot enough to cook the oats in. While Brom prepared their breakfast, Colt and Owen made their way into the trees. Colt was glad to be in the wood at dawn with his bow in his hand. It had also been the second night they'd evaded any beasts, at least for the most part. A few had come up to their camp in the night, but they'd picked them off easily. Now, Colt was ready to hunt his companions some food. However, with Owen out here with him, it would be difficult, especially since Colt kept catching Owen staring at him as they walked.

"How's your arm?" Colt started. "Is it fully healed?"

Owen moved his right shoulder around. "I can move it, but it still feels sore. Sometimes, I feel a sting rush down my arm. It healed, but not completely. I don't think it ever will."

The memory of Owen being attacked by the Horgg in the graveyard flashed in Colt's mind, and he winced. He wanted to walk with Owen and think of good things, not linger on the bad. Clearing his throat, he suddenly asked, "What's the most beautiful place you've ever seen?"

"As in…"

"The ocean, maybe the mountains, something like that."

They walked slowly, and Owen looked up at the treetops. "Hmm… I loved Emberton so much. The coast there was beautiful. Probably that. Yes, for sure." He turned to Colt. "What about you?"

"When I traveled with Amias up to Harrow Grove, we stopped in a town right at the base of the Uriel Mountains. The peaks were so high, covered in snow. And they went on as far as I could see." Colt stretched out his hands to the left and right. "It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen."

"Does that mean you want to settle in the mountains?"

"No," Colt laughed softly. "Too cold. Maybe just a… visit." He smiled, and Owen stopped to lean his back against a tree.

"It makes me feel better, talking about these things." Owen crossed his arms and looked down. "My mind is just… all over the place right now." His dark eyes found Colt's gaze, and those deep pools of brown looked him up and down slowly.

"You antsy, Owen?" Colt smiled crookedly as he placed his hand against the tree and drew in close.

"For you, yes," Owen whispered, his eyes staring intently.

Colt took Owen's chin in his fingers and ran his thumb across his bottom lip, and Owen kissed it before he opened his mouth and enveloped Colt's finger.

"Mm," Colt moaned, then looked around before he said, "Well, no one can see us here. If you want to take this further."

When Owen's face lit up, Colt's heart pulled, something he was glad to see after all the chaos they'd endured.

Colt held his breath as Owen sucked his finger. Having that warm, wet mouth on him lit a fire deep in his stomach that traveled downwards and stirred him to life.

"Keep doing that, and I won't be doing any hunting at all," Colt whispered.

Pulling away, Owen drew Colt's finger out of his mouth and licked his lips. Then Owen's hands curled around Colt's belt, and he turned him around and pushed back until Colt hit the tree with a grunt.

Colt dropped his bow and quiver before he grabbed Owen and pulled him to his lips, falling into his lover's eagerness. His craving for this man would never be satisfied; he would always be hungry for him in some new way, whether it be out here handling each other in the wood or sitting together at a table reading books. Owen made him feel .

They pulled apart briefly, and when Owen gazed at him, smiling softly, Colt knew he was well enough in his mind to do this. The ache in his heart wanted more, a safe place of their own for them to do this, a place they could both call home.

After Owen undid Colt's trousers, his hand dove in and gently grabbed Colt's cock.

Colt let out a breath and leaned back against the tree as Owen stroked him. His lover's hand was just right. He was just right. This man knew all his faults, his mistakes and weaknesses. It made the bond between them even stronger. How they could both just walk out here and fall into this, knowing what the other one wanted…

"I love the way you feel," Owen said softly, near his ear. "I've always imagined a man getting hard when I touch him."

Colt let out a moan as he asked, "And what other things have you imagined?"

Owen's lips twitched. "I shouldn't say it."

Looking down, Colt smiled and moved into Owen's warm hand, groaning at the feel of his slender fingers. "I wanna hear it. I wanna know what you want me to do to you."

When Owen's face turned red, Colt grew all the more curious.

Grabbing Owen's arms, Colt moved off the tree and turned him around, so that Owen was facing the trunk now. His lover grunted as he supported himself against it.

Pressing against Owen's back, Colt lightly bit his lover's ear from behind. "Are you gonna make me guess? "

"Yes," Owen said, letting out several raspy breaths. "I don't want to say it."

Colt gave a sultry laugh as his hand snaked around Owen's waist and fumbled with his belt. "You're such a good boy, Owen. It makes me so fucking heated."

"You have a filthy mouth." Owen looked over his shoulder. "Keep using it on me."

Colt smiled as he craned his head and caught Owen's lips in a kiss. He undid Owen's trousers and pulled them halfway down, then he glanced down at his round cheeks and grabbed them. When Owen let out a gasp, Colt pulled down his own trousers.

"You want this?" he asked, pulling his cock free and pushing between Owen's cheeks.

"Colt—"

"Have you imagined a man there before?"

"I… imagine you there. I want you there."

"Shit." Colt squeezed Owen's cheeks around his cock, but he wouldn't enter him. No, he knew firsthand that it required care.

Putting an arm around Owen's chest, Colt pulled him against him and buried his face in Owen's neck. "I'm not gonna do that, not right now." He kissed his neck several times. "I don't want to hurt you."

Instead, Colt reached around with his right hand to stroke Owen's stiffening cock, warming him.

Owen's right hand gripped Colt's arm around his chest, while his left leaned up against the tree. He let out breathy moans as Colt thrust against him from behind like a wild dog. Perhaps he was, but he felt just as wild with the heat of his lover against him.

"Colt…" Owen got out, and let out a moan. "Faster, please. "

Hearing Owen beg for release sent a shiver of ecstasy through Colt, and he had to slow his thrusts as he worked his lover's cock quicker. Colt sucked the tip of Owen's ear, enjoying every second of their closeness. Enraptured in the moment, he grabbed Owen's head and pulled it back gently until he was laying against his shoulder.

"It's so good," Owen rasped, closing his eyes as he let out short, hot breaths. "I love when you touch me. When you kiss me."

Colt moaned and pressed his lips to Owen's exposed neck again, which made Owen flinch this time, but he allowed Colt to continue.

"Keep going," Owen whispered. "I'm almost there."

Another minute. That's all he lasted. As soon as Colt saw Owen's release, he lost it and grabbed his hips with his free hand. He pulled Owen tighter to him, getting lost in his lover's moans as the wave of fire rolled through him. Colt panted against Owen's neck as he pulled up Owen's shirt and spilled against his back. His hand tightened in the fabric, and he squeezed his eyes shut as his whole body shook with release. After Colt spent himself, sweat dripped down his face. When had it gotten so hot?

He rested his forehead on Owen's shoulder and took several breaths to calm himself. When he heard Owen laugh softly, Colt did too, then found Owen's hand and squeezed it.

"How desperate we are, doing this in the woods in Vanhelm," Owen said. He leaned his arm against the tree.

"I dunno, but I'm glad you don't mind." Colt kissed the space between Owen's shoulders and straightened up. "Hold on." He took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped Owen off, then they both pulled their trousers up and looked around .

"That was much better than hunting," Colt said. Smiling, he grabbed the back of Owen's neck gently and leaned in to kiss him.

He closed his eyes as he held Owen close, and a pang of sadness and joy washed over him. He swallowed against the tight feeling in his throat, savoring the affection between them. Yes, they needed this. In all the grief and danger and horrors they'd just come out of, the love between them was much needed.

Colt's heart skipped a beat.

Love.

Was that what was between them?

Do I love Owen?

He'd never uttered such words before. He'd never told anyone he loved them. Not even his mother, though he knew she must have loved him to feed him every night, even when she didn't have anything to eat herself.

Was this what love was? Wanting to spend every day with someone and take care of them? To worry for their safety and accept them no matter what happened?

When the ground shook, Colt and Owen stumbled back into the tree. Another quake was hitting, but this one was bigger than any before. It shook the ground so hard, branches snapped from the trees, and birds scattered from the treetops. Colt leaned over Owen, pressing them both against the tree, waiting for it to be over.

The ground finally stilled, and they looked up to see the sky suddenly darken with billowing black and red clouds. Something malicious hung in the air, something Colt didn't need Astran abilities to sense.

"Colt!" Owen started, pulling away .

"I see it, Owen." Colt picked up his bow and quiver, then took Owen's hand as they both raced back through the wood to the camp. They found Brom and Elian scrambling to get their bags. The wind blew ferociously around them, and Clove cowered on her haunches with her tail tucked between her legs.

"What's happening?" Elian yelled.

Owen pulled his bag onto his shoulders, then looked up at the sky, which was growing darker. Colt's heart pounded as the wind suddenly died down, and the leaves skirted around them before drifting to the ground. He glanced at Owen, whose eyes were full of something frightful.

"Mordren has passed through the Gate."