30. Colt

In the afternoon, Colt left the house with Owen to visit the hot spring. Outside, Colt took in a small shed and the fence around the house holding in a few goats. There was a chicken coop inside the goat fence, and beside that, a taller fence where a garden lay. Clumps of verdant green grasses grew in the fields around the house, but seemed to deaden once they climbed the hill towards the graveyard.

Colt glanced back at the lone tree in the distance, where Owen had nearly died. Had Bridge not seen them and rushed to their aid… he shuddered to think what could have happened.

He walked slowly, matching Owen's snail pace as his eyes traced the land that sloped gently down to the sea. Dirt trails winding through the grass gave way to driftwood and rocks littering a dark sandy beach. It was a good thing the beach wasn't far, as Owen was already winded from the walk.

Once at the shore, they walked along a wall of rocks that seemed to grow higher the more they went, until they came to the mouth of a cave where the hot spring was. Light streamed in through the cracks and gaping holes in the walls, making it easy enough to see. The spring itself bubbled up into a small pool, where steam swirled off the surface. Spongy moss grew on the rocks around the area, and water trickled down the walls. The smooth rocky ground led straight into the shallow pool.

Colt looked at it in awe. "This is nice," he said.

"Yes," Owen breathed. He sat on a rock nearby, and Colt pulled off his boots for him. Then he helped him out of his shirt and trousers. The air was damp and cool, and Owen shivered as he stepped into the water. Colt watched him ease in, and Owen let out a sigh as he turned around.

"This feels good," he said, closing his eyes.

Colt pulled off his shirt, then set his boots and trousers aside. He glanced at the entrance of the cave, making sure no one else was coming down here, then he took the sliver of soap Agnes had given him and made his way into the water, letting it engulf him up to his waist. He had never bathed in water this warm before, and it instantly soothed his tense muscles.

Colt glanced at Owen as he straightened up, and his body reacted just seeing him. He ran his eyes over those narrow shoulders and slim waist, down to the defined muscles in his arms. A few dark hairs surrounded his nipples, and he remembered feeling that line of hair that led below his waist against his tongue.

When Owen gazed at him with the same heated look, his eyes half-lidded and full of lust, a tingle scattered up the back of Colt's arms. But he knew they would have to wait until Owen was fully recovered to mess around. He watched a drop of sweat make a path from Owen's chin to his collar bone and nearly moaned.

Lucky water.

"Here." Colt held up the sliver of soap. "I'll wash your hair."

When Owen closed his eyes and turned around, Colt wetted his hands and ran them through Owen's dark-brown hair until it was all wet. Then he lathered the soap in his hands and gently massaged his fingers into his scalp. Colt wanted to kiss him, but with how much energy Owen had spent walking down here, he wasn't sure if such a kiss would lead to more, and the last thing Owen needed was to exhaust himself.

"Mm, that feels good." Owen moaned softly, and Colt's jaw tightened. His eyes drifted to Owen's wet skin again, and his cock stirred to life as he saw the chill bumps rising on his neck.

Fuck, it doesn't take long for him to get me hard.

Colt rinsed the last of the soap from Owen's hair, then he helped him wash his body, which only stirred Colt more. Afterwards, Colt dipped himself under the water before coming up and dragging the bar of soap across his own hair and body.

Owen found a submerged rock to sit on, the water coming up to his chest, and watched him from his perch, his eyes ranging across Colt's chest to his arms to his lips.

"What is it, Owen?" Colt started, dipping up to his neck to rinse the soap away.

"Just imagining what I want to do to you right now."

Colt shook his head, his insides fluttering. "I'm trying to be good here, but you saying things like that isn't helping. I know you're hurt, so I don't want you to—"

"I want you," Owen said so quickly that Colt's brows popped up. "I want your hands on me."

"You're too weak for that."

"Not if I let you do all the work."

Colt's lips turned up in one corner. Well, he had him there. After all, there was nothing wrong with Owen's cock. Still… he wasn't sure how to proceed.

Owen's cheeks went red as he said, "Or you could just… touch yourself, instead."

Dammit, he's hungry.

Colt walked forward until his cock rose out of the water. He was already hard, and he stroked himself as he stared at Owen, enjoying how his lover pressed his thighs together, how he clenched his fists in his lap. Both of them laughed softly, Owen's cheeks going red as they always did when they did something new.

"My arms hurt too much to do that to myself," Owen said. "Will you do it for me?"

Colt smirked. "You little prick, you knew I'd cave."

"Don't act as if you don't want me."

Groaning lustfully, Colt asked, "Want me to use my hand, or my mouth?"

"Your mouth," Owen breathed.

Wading through the water, Colt pulled Owen up from his perch. Their eyes met, and Colt's heart sped up. He framed Owen's face with his hands and caressed his cheeks with his thumbs, then he kissed his lover's lips, gently so as not to hurt him, and Owen tilted his head slightly.

Colt brushed their lips together before pulling Owen to the sandy area out of the water, still protected from view by the cave walls. As much as he wanted to kiss down his body, he would save it for another time, when Owen wasn't in pain. Instead, he bent to his knees as Owen continued to stand and pressed his mouth against the trail of hair below Owen's navel, and Owen let out a soft breath, his stomach muscles clenching under his touch.

Colt needed this, to taste Owen after death had nearly taken him away from him. He touched Owen's warm skin and knew that it held the vibrancy of life, an essence that went deeper than his own cursed power, and Colt couldn't help but wonder, as he kissed along Owen's thighs to that sacred place between his lover's legs, if he was truly enjoying the body of a god.

He sure felt like one to him, though he knew uttering such a thing would only gain him reprimand. No, Owen was no god, but Colt treated him as if he were, falling down before him on his knees and worshiping his body as if it was the only thing he craved in this whole damn world, taking his cock into his mouth and devouring him whole, obedient and loyal.

How can someone make me feel so alive? So worried that I might lose him if I don't hold onto him tight enough?

He didn't realize just how deeply he had taken Owen back into his throat, how tightly he gripped his hips, until Owen let out a gasp.

Letting go, Colt pulled away and looked at him. "I hurt you?"

"No." Owen panted slightly. "Put your mouth back on me."

Feeling salacious, Colt went back down on him again, his knees still in the water as he enjoyed this man's prick from bollocks to tip. The sounds it ripped from Owen's throat heated him more, and he stroked himself as he took Owen deeply.

"Colt!" Owen's fingers grabbed Colt's hair, and he gave a painful cry, but when Colt pulled away slightly, Owen's hand tensed. "No, stay there. Please keep going."

With him begging like that, how could he move away? Colt now had every intention of drawing out his lover's seed, eager to taste it. He was so full of lust, he could smell the intoxication between them. It drove him wild, and had Owen not been injured, he'd have thrown him back and crushed their bodies together.

Owen's breaths picked up, coming out faster and louder with each deep swallow Colt made to the base of his cock. And then he tried to pull Colt away.

"I'm about to come," Owen got out, but Colt held him still as he popped his mouth off his cock. He stroked Owen until the white erupted from his slit, and pumped it out with his hand into his mouth, tasting him and letting the warm liquid run down his throat.

Owen's hand tightened in his hair as he let out several hot breaths, and finally a whine, as he slowly came down from his euphoria. One last trickle ran down his shaft, and Colt licked it up before cleaning him off with his mouth. He kissed the tip and stood up.

"Colt…" Owen breathed and leaned forward until his head rested against Colt's chest. "You destroyed me."

Chuckling, Colt held Owen's head against him, smoothing back his hair. "I knew it would take your energy. I shouldn't have."

"I wanted you to. Now come here. It's your turn."

"No." Colt shook his head and pulled away. "I won't make you do that. You need to rest."

"I've been wanting to do this to you for a long time. You can just stand in front of me and use my mouth, maybe go easy on me."

"Shit, the things you say…"

To make this easier for Owen, Colt spread out one of their drying cloths over a sizable rock, then sat him down.

Owen sighed. "This is good. Now come here."

Swallowing hard, Colt moved forward until his prick was before Owen's mouth, and Owen took it between his lips. Colt closed his eyes as Owen's tongue licked up along his shaft slowly. He grit his teeth, his body tensing under the pleasure spiraling through him from his lover's mouth, and Colt realized if he wanted this any faster, he'd have to thrust his hips, but he couldn't. He wanted to make sure Owen moved as little as possible, but refraining from grabbing his head and pushing him further was hard not to do.

"Your mouth feels so good," Colt breathed out. He looked down just as those brown eyes looked up at him. There was so much in that gaze, a deep longing, something warm and peaceful and full of…

What do I feel with him? He makes me ache. He makes me a stumbling fool.

When Owen raised his left arm enough to graze Colt's fingers, Colt grabbed his hand, and his heart exploded with tenderness.

I think I might love him.

He couldn't say such a thing now, not while they were doing this, not while he had his cock in his lover's mouth, ready to spill. Such a thing was reserved for another moment, when they weren't stripped naked.

But the thought and look in Owen's eyes had him reeling, and he felt himself nearing his peak already. "I'm not gonna last, Owen," Colt said, and he moved away, trying not to spill on him, but Owen squeezed his hand, seeming eager to taste him, and he moved back.

The pleasure that rippled through him made his stomach tighten, and he gave a guttural moan as he pumped himself against Owen's face until there was nothing left.

"Fuck," Colt got out, breaths coming out ragged. He staggered back and wiped droplets of sweat from his brow, then he swiped his thumb across Owen's lip, and Owen kissed his finger before smiling tiredly at him.

Grabbing up the other cloth, Colt wet it and cleaned Owen's face for him.

"Thank you," he said, laughing softly.

"Do you want to go back in the water?" Colt asked. "I can sit and you can lean against me."

Owen nodded and went with him, both of them going deep enough so that Colt could lean up against the wall of the cave, and Owen sat in front of him. His lover's head fell back against his chest, and Colt wrapped his arms gently around him, resting his hands on his legs.

"I could get used to this," Colt muttered. "Living with you somewhere and coming to a place like this whenever we want." When silence aired between them, he peered over Owen's shoulder and said, "You're quiet."

"Just thinking. About all this. I don't want to endanger Bridge and Agnes. I know they"re giving us time but… do they know about Elian, too?" When Colt cleared his throat, Owen's brows furrowed. "Colt, did you tell them?"

Colt scratched his head. "We may have left that part out." When Owen tensed, he went on, "We were going to. But Brom and Gilda didn't mention it, and you were out cold. Agnes was trying to get you better, and I didn't want them to boot us out if they knew the Legion was tracking us."

Owen turned his head slightly to the left to try and look at him, but his injury made him wince and he turned back. "So, you were afraid if they knew we had Wielders after us too, they wouldn't help us."

"You wouldn't have made it without them."

"We have to tell them."

"I know, but you need another day here at least, before we leave."

From the beginning, Rem had been on their trail. The man was ruthless. Whatever he wanted Owen for, he seemed bent on capturing him for it, but Elian? The man only wanted to kill him. Wielders were a much greater risk to a group of people hiding out in Vanhelm than Hunters were. Colt was sure if they'd told Bridge about Elian, that he'd have asked them to leave before Owen was ready.

Maybe I'm selfish, but I need him alive.

"You angry with me?" Colt asked.

Letting out a breath, Owen said, "No. I'm just not sure if we'll be able to evade Elian or Rem any longer. Eventually, we may have to face them. I don't know where else there is for us to go, and these men will never give up. "

"What do you think we should do?"

"Maybe I could lead them in another direction and let you all get away."

Colt made a face and shook his head. "Right, not happening. That actually sounds…" He was going to say stupid, but thought better of it. "Not wise."

"I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I'm not leaving you to face Wielders and Hunters alone, Owen." Colt pressed his face against Owen's hair and sighed. "If you think I would do that after everything we've been through together, after what we have between us, you're foolish."

"Colt…" Owen leaned his head back against Colt's shoulder and closed his eyes. Whatever else he was going to say, he went quiet instead, and then he sighed and said, "I'm ready to get out. My chest is aching."

"Come on." Colt moved him gently, and they made their way slowly out of the water. As Owen made his way to his clothes, he panted, out of breath.

"I'm a mess. I'll never get back to normal."

"Yes you will, but this is why we should wait here as long as we can. You get out on the road like this and we'll have to stop more. I don't want you getting sick."

It took a while to help Owen into his clothes, but once they were on, and his boots were tied, Colt pulled on his own clothes.

When he caught Owen looking down at his hands, Colt asked, "Alright?"

"Yes. It's just… Winter's Solstice is tomorrow. I was hoping we could celebrate… I got you all gifts, but I don't want to intrude on Agnes and Bridge."

Colt couldn't help but smile. He hadn't participated in Winter's Solstice in years, but when he had before, he'd partaken in the drinking festivities more than anything else. How different their lives had been, but if Colt had the chance now, he'd give Owen whatever he wanted on the special day. Perhaps even decorate a tree with him. But all he had for Owen was the honeybee bracelet he'd picked up for him in Coopersburgh. He hoped it was enough.

The thought of spending Winter's Solstice with Owen and receiving a gift from him as well made Colt feel giddy. "I'll talk to Brom and Gilda about it. Maybe we can do something in the room before we eat."

Colt looked Owen over, and a warmth came over him, one he had to share or else the moment would be gone. "You make me happy, Owen," he said suddenly.

"I do?" Owen let out a breath, his eyes wide. "Despite everything? After running for two months with me, you're… happy?"

"Yes. I don't know how to explain it, I just… I can't ever remember the last time I was happy. I'm not sure there ever was a time in my life I was." He furrowed his brow, trying to remember, but every stage in his life had been rife with trauma in some way. "I think I tried to be happy, but truth is, I didn't know what happiness was, until you."

Owen intertwined their fingers. Colt had never been so mushy in his entire life, but he couldn't help himself around this man.

"You make me happy too," Owen said. "Thank you for staying with me."

Colt pressed his forehead against Owen's and whispered, "Always."