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鈥淗ere.鈥?

Asher startled as cool hands folded around his from behind, the cinnamony aura of Xem settling itself over him like a warm blanket and his chest brushing against Asher鈥檚 back. Xem鈥檚 pale, angular face appeared in his peripheral vision, and Asher imagined for a stupid moment that the other mage might rest his chin on his shoulder.

鈥淒id it occur to you that you鈥檙e doing it wrong?鈥?Xem asked bluntly, and Asher rolled his eyes. He probably had a pointy, uncomfortable chin anyway. Who needed that digging into them?

鈥淣o shit. How do I do it right?鈥?

He expected to be told to fuck off again.

鈥淟ike this,鈥?the mage murmured, and used his hands to guide Asher鈥檚.

Asher forgot how to breathe, so acutely aware of everywhere they touched and the way Xem鈥檚 chest rose and fell against his back.

Xem manoeuvred him into the first movement, and then the second, then the third-

Vines sprang into existence and wrapped around the lamp, throttling it so tightly that its flame was instantly extinguished.

鈥淏ut...!鈥?Asher said in wonder, pleased to know he鈥檇 done that. Albeit with help from a prickly rival-almost-enemy. He glanced down at the textbook again. 鈥淚t says to push, like you鈥檙e shoving something heavy off a table. But you just-鈥?

鈥淪lid,鈥?Xem corrected. 鈥淭hink of it as moving that heavy something across the table without letting it fall. The difference is in the wrist movement.鈥?

He backed up, releasing Asher鈥檚 hands in a bittersweet sensation of loss and freedom. Banishing the pitiful urge to beg to be touched again, Asher ran back through the somatic movements and cast a further set of vines to twist around the lamp.

鈥淕ood,鈥?praised Xem, sounding...well, almost sincere . 鈥淚鈥檒l leave you to your studies.鈥?

Asher twisted around before he could move away, catching Xem鈥檚 slender wrist and revelling in the thrill of his skin beneath his fingertips. 鈥淵ou helped the rats to escape. Why?鈥?

鈥淎nd you deliberately let yourself be paired with me,鈥?Xem shot back. 鈥淲hy would you do that?鈥?

鈥淚 asked first.鈥?

For a moment, Asher didn鈥檛 think he would respond. And then Xem gave a long, weary sigh and ran his free hand through his dark hair.

鈥淵ou were right,鈥?he said. 鈥淲hat they were going to do to those animals was cruel.鈥?

The words filled Asher鈥檚 heart. He鈥檇 felt so alone in his defiance, as though only he cared about how the rats would suffer. And he might have been the only student to speak up, but Xem had been the one to do something about it.

And then Asher remembered everything else that had happened in the classroom, and reclaimed his scowl. 鈥淚f I was right ,鈥?he demanded indignantly, 鈥渢hen why the fuck did you have to be so cruel to me?鈥?

鈥淭o buy you an alibi,鈥?Xem explained with a quirked, incredulous eyebrow like it should have been obvious. And with hindsight...

鈥淥h,鈥?Asher said, realising what Xem had said to Professor Allarie had been more than a brag. 鈥淵ou wanted everyone to see my magic had been immobilised, so I wouldn鈥檛 be blamed.鈥?

Xem was silent, clearly not bothering to respond to Asher鈥檚 incredibly slow appreciation that the mage had a hidden depth to him. Kindness to animals? Thoughtfulness?

Damn it, that shit was like catnip to Asher. He now didn鈥檛 need a magical soulmate bond to want to jump the man鈥檚 bones.

鈥淎nd the rest of it?鈥?asked Asher, trying to strum up some of the resentment he鈥檇 felt earlier. His cheeks heated as he thought of the way he鈥檇 been spread and pinned to the wall, how Xem had effortlessly toyed with his body and almost made him...

鈥淭he rest of it?鈥?Xem repeated, leaning in closer until their breaths merged. A grin spread across his face, wicked and delighted, and Asher realised he鈥檇 been wrong about him. A smile didn鈥檛 diminish his beauty at all. 鈥淲hat are you talking about?鈥?

鈥淵ou know,鈥?he offered awkwardly. 鈥淭he unnecessary shit you did. Are you going to explain that away, too?鈥?

鈥淏ut of course,鈥?Xem said smoothly, eyes dancing with violet amusement. 鈥淚 did it because I could. And because it was fun .鈥?

Asher exhaled. The world had been set to rights: Xem Whitlock was still a prick.

鈥淚鈥︹€?

鈥淵ou blush so prettily,鈥?Xem murmured, twisting his wrist so that his long fingers could stroke along Asher鈥檚. 鈥淎nd I could feel how you fought against my magic even as you surrendered to it. Did you like being at my mercy?鈥?

Asher could only stare at him.

Fuck me. No seriously, do.

He nodded once, dipping his chin low and certain.

鈥淕ood.鈥?Xem softly chuckled, slipped his hand from Asher鈥檚, and disappeared back into the shadows of the library.

鈥?A ttic?鈥?Bonnie offered when the day鈥檚 final bell had finished tolling around Gannon Academy, rocking carelessly back on her chair and stretching. The rain pounded relentlessly against the Academy鈥檚 windows with a thunderous roar that had lasted most of the day. 鈥淎pparently a second-year smuggled in some rum, and is offering swigs to anyone with a gold coin or willing to flash their tits.鈥?She shot Asher a mischievous smile. 鈥淚鈥檒l show him something else too if you want some.鈥?

He shook his head. 鈥淚鈥檓 going to get some rest.鈥?

Still unsettled from his recent encounters with Xem, Asher needed space to work through the complex array of emotions they had sparked in him. Indignation, of course. Humiliation. But as with all things Xem, it was entwined with intrigue and pleasure and a deep-seated satisfaction akin to sinking into a cool lake after a day of sweaty farm work.

If only the mage would stop making things so fucking confusing for him, perhaps Asher would be able to enjoy his evenings like the rest of the student cohort. Or better yet, pay enough attention to his studies to finally catch up to them.

Yet when Asher wandered up to the floor that housed the first-year bedrooms, it wasn鈥檛 his books or his bed that snagged his attention. It was the door at the far end of the hallway, normally closed but now slightly ajar, as though the latch hadn鈥檛 engaged properly.

Xem was in there. Asher knew it like he鈥檇 known he had magic: not by any tangible reason, but through an inexplicable certainty that went beyond the mundane.

He crept closer, footsteps muffled by the worn rug that lined the corridor, until he was three bedrooms away, and then two. It became easier to breathe with each step, the proximity to Xem and his spicily sweet aura making the air seem lighter and less suffocating. What would it be like to place high enough in the student rankings to get to sleep in one of these beds, knowing only a couple of walls separated them instead of over a dozen?

He probably wouldn鈥檛 be reduced to sneaking around like this in the hope of getting his next fix. Wouldn鈥檛 be so addicted to the man that he鈥檇 only manage to sleep tonight if he was able to catch a glimpse of Xem sitting at his desk or perusing his bookshelf...

...or getting changed out of his uniform.

Asher really should turn back. Shamelessly stalking the man from a distance was one thing, but this probably crossed a line in both Academy rules and moral etiquette.

And then he heard it.

A soft, breathy moan. The sound of flesh on flesh, fast and eager.

Asher was at the door in an instant, pressing an eye to the crack formed between it and the frame and trying to uncurl his fingers from the fists they had found themselves in.

At the sight of Xem alone, his back to the door as he stood fully dressed before a full-length mirror, Asher鈥檚 irrational fear abated. Xem wasn鈥檛 fucking anyone. Not that it was Asher鈥檚 business, of course, or that he could have done anything about it even if it was...but still.

Xem groaned again, his elbow bobbing as he pumped his arm in front of himself, and Asher鈥檚 relief gave way to sharp arousal as he realised what he was seeing.

鈥淔uck,鈥?he breathed, excitement strumming through him as he watched the mage pleasure himself. Xem shifted his weight between his feet and accidentally gifted Asher with a better view, the sliver of unobstructed mirror revealing how he was jerking himself to completion with a tight, angry grip, and how his breeches were undone just enough to allow access. That slight concession of necessity was hotter than if Xem had been completely naked.

Asher stood frozen; entranced by the movement of Xem鈥檚 hand, the tension in his shoulders, the delicate line of his neck as he threw his head back with a faint cry. He watched as the mage spilled over his fist with thick, ropey spurts of cum that made Asher鈥檚 mouth water with need. Licorice suddenly laced Xem鈥檚 cinnamon aura, infusing it into a darker and more provocative scent. And then Asher felt himself unexpectedly dragged over the edge as well, releasing untouched merely from the erotic sight before him and the heightened intoxication of Xem鈥檚 aura as he came.

Asher staggered, his hand slamming into the doorframe to catch himself from falling. The resounding slap echoed down the hallway.

Shit.

Asher lifted his head.

Caught Xem鈥檚 enraged, violet gaze in the mirror.

Ran for it.

Only he鈥檇 barely gained two steps down the corridor before he collided with an invisible, yet solid barrier. That same immense force buffeted him backwards and threw him against the bedroom door, forcing it open under his weight. Asher fell to the floor with a squeak.

A loud slam told him that the door had been shut with more air magic, sealing him in Xem鈥檚 room with the cantankerous mage himself. But when Asher raised his head from the floor, heart pounding wildly, all he could see was two neatly made beds, one on each side of the room. The thick rug he was lying on, and a collection of books on the shelves. There was no sign of-

鈥淚t seems you enjoy courting danger, recruit,鈥?Xem hissed into his ear from behind.

Asher found himself shoved roughly back down to the floor before he could push up onto his elbows. He snarled, fighting, but was securely held with no movement left to him.

Firm and uncompromising, it was impossible to tell whether the cool grip around the back of his neck was Xem鈥檚 own hand, or another of his impressive castings of air magic.

鈥淲hat were you doing outside my door?鈥?the other mage demanded, giving him a little shake.

Just passing by , the coward in Asher wanted to claim, but that would be an obvious lie for a hallway with a dead end.

You left the door open , his braver side thought, but there was no way he鈥檇 dare voice that out loud.

鈥淚鈥檓 sorry,鈥?Asher yelled into the rug instead, the fibres tickling his lips as he threw himself on Xem鈥檚 mercy like he鈥檇 previously seemed to enjoy. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 mean to, I鈥檓 sorry!鈥?

The pressure instantly eased from his neck.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 want you to be sorry, Asher,鈥?Xem said in a low voice, his tone icily provocative.

Swallowing, Asher dared to peer back over his shoulder. Xem was standing two feet behind him, between Asher and the door, and did not look like he鈥檇 just jerked himself to completion. His uniform was neatly back in place but for the sleeves folded up past his elbows, his dark hair effortlessly styled, and he raised a single contemptuous brow at the sight of Asher sprawled across his floor.

Asher wet his lips. 鈥淲hat...what do you want?鈥?

Surely Xem wasn鈥檛 fool enough to demand money from him? It wasn鈥檛 difficult to deduce from Asher鈥檚 worn clothes and meagre possessions that they were worlds apart when it came to coin, with Asher being the fourth son of a farmer and a seamstress. Xem, on the other hand, radiated wealth, from his stiff-backed posture to his tailored uniform jacket, and the snobbery he overtly engaged in.

Would he tell Asher to leave the Academy again? Would Asher have a choice, if he was going to be reported for misconduct and expelled anyway?

鈥淲hat do I want?鈥?Xem repeated, eyeing Asher like a cat that had cornered his prey. With unrestrained delight and a conniving, vicious hunger. 鈥淚 want the same from you as you had from me.鈥?

Before he could ask what that meant, Xem moved his hands in a complex and delicate cast that was too quick for Asher鈥檚 eyes to follow. Fingers flickered and twisted and bent.

The air around him seemed to shudder, and then Asher was plucked from the floor and pressed to the full-length mirror like he weighed nothing. Pinned against the glass with air magic immobilising his wrists and ankles in an unsettling reminder of what had happened in the classroom earlier with the vines, Asher was far from amused.

鈥淧owerful mage, my arse,鈥?he hissed. 鈥淚t seems you only have one trick.鈥?

He spluttered as Xem waved a hand and an invisible gag formed across Asher鈥檚 mouth.

鈥淥h, not at all,鈥?he assured. He wore a wicked smirk that Asher knew better than to trust, and yet there was a part of him that preened at earning so much of the mage鈥檚 attention. Being wrapped up in his magic, those violet eyes staring at him unblinkingly, made Asher feel like he鈥檇 won a game he hadn鈥檛 known he was playing.

鈥淚鈥檓 just picking up from where we left off last time,鈥?taunted Xem, heat lining his gaze at the way Asher strained against his bonds. 鈥淎nd seeing as you got to see me spill, I鈥檓 certainly going to be watching you get yourself off in turn.鈥?

Tendrils of air plucked nimbly at Asher鈥檚 breeches, undoing the laces. He roared ineffectually against the gag, shaking his head in violent objection. No, if Xem saw what he鈥檇 done, how he鈥檇 come untouched just from...

鈥淎re you right-handed or left?鈥?Xem asked in an almost conversational tone. He chuckled when Asher merely glared at him. 鈥淚鈥檒l free one hand for you to stroke yourself. The rest of you remains pinned to my mirror so I can see your face when you come-鈥?

His air magic finally peeled back Asher鈥檚 clothes to reveal his cock.

Xem paused, eyes widening as he stared at the mess in Asher鈥檚 breeches.

His face burned with humiliation. He waited for the mage to deliver his usual scathing mockery, but when the man finally spoke, it wasn鈥檛 anything of the sort.

鈥淲hat a beautiful fucking sight you make,鈥?Xem murmured, closing the distance between them. He dipped his hand to trail two long, pale fingers through the cooling cum. Then, seeming mesmerised, he raised them to Asher鈥檚 mouth and slid between his lips.

Asher, initially recoiling at the unexpected taste of himself, lunged forward as far as the magic allowed to take more of Xem鈥檚 fingers into his mouth. He slurped and licked, hurriedly swallowing down his own cum so that he could better enjoy the taste of Xem鈥檚 skin, his cinnamony aura, and the way the mage groaned obscenely as he sucked on his fingers.

Being near Xem was amazing. Feeling his magic had been glorious. But this, the sensation of his skin on Asher鈥檚 tongue, was exquisite .

Hands were precious in most trades, but for mages, were a necessity. Magic could only be cast by hand movement and so this, having Xem鈥檚 fingers in his mouth and getting to graze his teeth against his knuckles in playful threat, made Asher鈥檚 own physical vulnerability seem lesser. And watching how Xem鈥檚 eyes closed with sensual flutters of his long, dark eyelashes, knowing that Asher was doing that to him...

His bonds wavered and then failed as Xem lost his concentration over the casting. Yet Asher didn鈥檛 move.

鈥淚...stop that,鈥?Xem muttered as though it hadn鈥檛 been his idea, stumbling backwards and regretfully stealing from Asher the fingers he immediately needed back between his lips.

The other mage was always so composed that it was thrilling to see him like this, wrecked and helpless. Asher smiled, taking a pace forward for each one that Xem took back so the distance between them remained the same.

Maybe the smile had been a mistake.

鈥淵ou smell like cinnamon,鈥?Xem snapped, his mouth drawing back into a disapproving line.

Asher鈥檚 heart raced. So he did feel the soulmate bond between them? Was he as hopelessly drawn to Asher as Asher was to him?

But Xem鈥檚 top lip had curled in disgust. 鈥淚 hate the smell of cinnamon.鈥?

鈥淲ho the fuck hates cinnamon ?鈥?