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[bloodwords]

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[almostking]

It was a long week. One that meant the nightmares inevitably returned. A week of duty and responsibility he hadn’t wanted. But had.

Unlike Kell, however, Holland didn’t have another bedmate. He had no extra marks. He had none of that.

But when he retreated to his chamber and found the one connection he did have, he found himself leaning back for a second against the closed door. The view was beautiful.

Still—-a brow arched when he pushed away from the door and headed over to the bed, absently removing his coat on the way.

“Let me guess. Delilah didn’t want to be left out?”

[bloodwords]

"Does it bother you?" Kell asks carefully. He had thought of covering the marks but that felt like lying and he didn't want to lie to Holland or to Lila. For the second time this week he felt uncertain about if he is in the wrong for not choosing even though no one had forced the issue on him. Is he just selfish and hurting both of them and no one is saying so?

His eyes avert for a long moment as those thoughts wash over him before he returns his gaze to Holland, watching him remove his coat and he reaches out to catch his arm and drag him close enough to kiss as he got on his knees on the bed.

[almostking]

Before he can respond, Kell is already pulling him in. The coat is draped over the end of the bed and he reaches up with both hands to cradle the others face, returning the kiss.

It lingers a bit, deepening but remains slow; an I Missed You kiss.

But when they part, he hums softly and shakes his head, “No. You were hers before you were mine.” He hesitates, “Does it bother her?”

[bloodwords]

Kell relaxes as Holland kisses him like that. He has missed him too even if he is still a little mad at him for leaving the way he had. His hand smoothed over the other's bicep, squeezing as the kiss broke.

"If it did she would have used her knife instead of her mouth," Kell says simply.

[almostking]

It didn’t bother him. But he would be lying if part of him wasn’t jealous about it.

Kells words made sense, however, and he let it go. One finger moved to curl into the chain around Kells neck until he held the vile between his fingers.

“I apologize for leaving the way I did,” he murmurs and meets the others eyes. “But I worried that if I hadn’t done it the way I had, it would have been harder.”

[bloodwords]

"I was angry... I'm still angry," Kell says despite the fact that he had missed him this week. The anger hadn't dissipated completely and maybe that's part feedback loop with Rhy. He glances down at the other's hand on the vial.

"I didn't like waking up alone after falling asleep in your arms."

It sounds silly but it's true, especially that he hadn't expected it at all.

[almostking]

Holland was calm on the outside but inside he wasn’t so sure. He looked over Kells face and laid the vile back down against his chest.

“What would you have me do now, then?” He asked softly and carefully pulled away to take his coat and put it away. The rest of his clothing was removed just as carefully; one bit at a time while he waited and listened.

[bloodwords]

Kell watches him, it's almost tortuously slow how the other undress. He sits back, leaning against the headboard of the bed

"I don't know. You don't have to do anything about it. I just wish you wouldn't do it again," Kell says and there's an edge to his voice as he says it. Maybe he's given Holland a lot of power in their relationship already but he's not without his own still.

[almostking]

“Then I won’t,” Holland agreed and moved back towards the bed, crawling on top of it until he was nose to nose with the other, “I won’t slip away without saying goodbye properly, again.”

It almost sounded like a vow. A promise. And maybe it was.

“Though....I have to admit that you being angry and naked in my bed makes it at least a little hard to regret the decision.”

[bloodwords]

Kell met Holland's eyes and he smiles just slightly at the promise. He reaches up to brush his fingers through Holland's dark hair.

"Maybe so but just because I'm mad doesn't mean I don't want you, Daddy," he slips back into that title and somehow it's a little less difficult here where his guards aren't just outside his door.

[almostking]

“I gathered that from the fact that you’re naked, baby boy,” Relaxing enough to smile, even a little or chuckle was slowly becoming easier to do the more time he spent with Kell.

At least when they were alone. It was different around others still.

His nose brushed against him again and he stole a kiss, “How long can you stay?”

[bloodwords]

Kell always savored Holland’s smiles, his chuckles when he could get them. It made him feel warm that the other is happy, that it seems as if he’s opening up.

He kisses back quickly.

“Rhy will be cross about it but I was thinking 2 or 3 days.”

The kingdom is calm currently.

[almostking]

Two or three days.

Holland blinks slowly and studies Kells face. Thus far, they've only had stolen moments. A few hours here. A kiss in a hallway after a quick trip. Little things. Two or three days sounded like weeks.

He kissed him again. And then again. And then tugged him enough to get him flat on his back, nestled into his pillows for another.

"Rhy will be cross with you until you leave me," he adds after a moment. And somewhere in the back of his mind, he was preparing himself for that. For Kell to finally just choose Delilah. For Kell to listen to his brother. For Kell to get tired of crossing from one London to another just to be with him for moments at a time.

[bloodwords]

Kell is almost worried that Holland won't want him around for that long but he wanted time to not feel rushed... They had so much they wanted to explore, he knew that, so much for Holland to show him and teach him inside and outside of the bedroom.

"I'm not leaving you," Kell says as he's pulled onto his back without resistance. His hand slid through the other's hair and down the back of his neck to his shoulder. Somehow he could make Rhy get over it... Hadn't Kell let go of ...some of his animosity toward Alucard. Eventually, Rhy would understand. It could have been Kell instead of Holland. And Delilah and Holland were both like pieces of him that were missing, there's no choice in that.

His legs wrap around Holland's hips drawing him closer.

"You have all the time you want now. Let's not talk about any of that."

[almostking]

With a small smile he ducked down and stole a lingering kiss. He hasn’t realized how much he needed...this. Affection. Touch. Something that didn’t hurt all of the time.

His own London was on the mend and he wasn’t hyper focused on what needed to be done. It didn’t even matter that people still hated him. Kell didn’t.

Nipping Kells mouth, he breathes a sigh and just looked over his face, “I’m glad you’re here.” I wish you could stay.

[bloodwords]

Kell kisses him back and just holds him close, savoring the feel of their bodies against one another. There’s no rush this time. Kell bit lightly at his own lip after Holland’s kisses, meeting his eyes with a small smile.

“You don’t know how glad I am,” Kell whispers and he wishes he didn’t have to constantly part from the people he cares so deeply for.

[almostking]

They did have time, this time. Holland didn’t bother rushing anything this time, choosing instead to just lay half on top of the other.

“Mm, just talk to me for a while,” he murmured, reaching over to absently tinker with the vile. “About anything. How is Red London? Rhy?”

[bloodwords]

Kell’s fingertips traced a scar on the others shoulder and it’s comfortable and intimate like this. They hadn’t had a lot of time to just talk so he finds himself enjoying the opportunity.

“Red London is doing well... recovering still but it’s hopeful. He furrows his brow. All the politics with other kingdoms is still proving complex...” Kell really didn’t have a mind for it at all so he didn’t linger on the topic.

“Rhy is already a good king,” he says, dropping his hand from the others shoulder. “He’s tired most of the time and worried but it seems to help that Alucard is afflicting his presence on the court.”

[almostking]

Holland idly ran his finger over scars and bone, the line of Kells jaw and lightly over his bottom lip while he spoke.

Kell was beautiful.

And Holland understood the pressures ruling a kingdom held. They left little time for much else. And maybe that was why he was savoring these moments he had with Kell. They were learning each other in a different way. Without barriers and limits and secrets or contempt.

His focus strayed while Kell talked. Up and down and eventually he met his eyes again and stayed there.

“I never wanted to rule. I still don’t,” Slowly he rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. “I’ve almost always been in a cage. Ruling is just another title with bars.”

He’d always just wanted a simple life, really.

[bloodwords]

Holland touching him is a soothing and relaxing thing. He enjoys it as he talks. The other rolling onto his back has Kell shifting onto his side. He knows that Holland had never wanted to rule, had wanted nothing but for white London to recover. He reaches out to brush his fingers through his hair again.

“Maybe you can find a successor one day,” Kell says carefully. “A king doesn’t have to stay a king forever.” Not that leaving a throne is common.

“You can be free,” he leans and kisses the others shoulder lightly

[almostking]

"I've thought about that," Holland admits, brow furrowing after a moment of silence, "but I worry that if I did step down, everything would fall apart again. Everything would die all over again." And he couldn't stomach that. Not again.

It wasn't completely out of the question. He would choose who took his place and if he thought for ever a second they would run his world into the ground again he wouldn't allow it. But it was still something that worried him enough to make sleep difficult.

The kiss draws his attention and Holland just lingers, watching Kells face.

He'd wondered about this a lot as well in the past span since the ship. How would this work? White was his home. Red was Kells. Sure, they could bounce back and forth whenever they were able but...

He took a deep breath and slowly let it out, "What is this....that we're doing?"

[bloodwords]

“Then you just make sure,” Kell says because at some point it has to be possible for White London to thrive even if Holland isn’t in charge and it’s not like stepping down means abandoning anyone. He’s relaxed and feeling affectionate.

But there’s slight tense at the question.

“What do you mean?”

[almostking]

Holland doesn’t exactly respond but he does make a little sound that says he will think on it some more later.

Kell tenses just enough for Holland to feel it and he looks over his face in response, “This. What is this?”

It could be a plethora of things.

Were they friends? A little more than friends? Did they just have sex?

[bloodwords]

Kell hadn’t thought about naming it before, which is a common thread because it’s basically the same thing with Lila. He didn’t know what the answer is supposed to be.

“I don’t know, Holland. I haven’t been thinking about what to categorize it as... what do you want it to be?”

[almostking]

Holland shakes his head softly after a moment, “I’m not sure,” and then rolls onto his side so he can really see the others face.

“Whatever it is, is fine,” he murmurs, “We’ll just see each other when we can.”

No commitment...because how could they?

“I just don’t want to hear about you with anyone else.”