Helios didn't let go of Dante's hand until they were back in their shared room. As soon as the door closed behind them, he wrapped his arms around his own body and hurried to the window to lock it. The wind that had still been blowing in bit coldly at his skin. Helios swayed slightly as he moved, and Dante immediately felt the urge to rush to him and steady him.
But he forced himself to stay still.
He couldn't keep fussing over his lover all the time. He didn't want Helios to push him away for overdoing it either—though he could hardly imagine he actually would. Especially not now, when Helios was being so pleasantly clingy.
"This room's a damn icebox!" Helios complained, shivering. "I shouldn't have left the window open!"
Still trembling, he rubbed his upper arms as if trying to chase the cold from his skin. Dante gave a faint smile and stepped closer. Gently, he wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close. Helios sighed—a quiet, exhausted sound—and nestled against his chest.
"You're so warm," he murmured softly.
Dante held his lover tightly, only to realize once again how much weight Helios had lost during the few days his father had held him captive. The sweater that normally fit him perfectly now hung a bit loose. His wrists were bonier than before, and his ribs were slightly visible.
The torture had cost Helios not three days, but what looked like three months—or more.
If Helios hadn't killed his father himself, Dante would have taken revenge on that monster of a man by now.
He had never seen Helios so full of fear as in the moment he finally found him. There had been almost nothing left of the confident, unshakable young man he used to be. Vale had nearly broken him—if not already broken something inside him.
Even now, as Dante held him tightly in his arms, he could feel how frail Helios was.
It would take several meals before he regained his former weight. Dante pushed away the thoughts of that secret facility and all that had happened down there.
He still blamed himself for Helios's abduction right under his nose—and for how long it had taken to find him again. When Helios had slept like the dead for the past two days, Dante had nearly drowned in self-pity.
He hadn't been able to do anything in the moment his lover had needed him most. Nothing but sit idly by.
Anger surged through him again when he thought of the containers in which Helios's organs had floated. The image of him on that metal table wouldn't leave his mind either—how he'd lain trembling in that chair, and worst of all, how they'd stripped him of every piece of clothing. Only that thin sheet had covered his lover's bare skin.
With what Helios had told him before the meal, the gruesome picture finally came together completely.
Helios slowly pulled away from his embrace and studied him with concern.
"Where are you right now?" he whispered. "You seem… pretty far away."
Dante tried to swallow down his anger, but instead a lump formed deep in his throat. Now that they were alone again, his focus returned entirely to Helios. The images wouldn't leave his mind, but at the same time, he didn't want to ruin the moment.
His lover needed him.
Helios wanted to be close to him.
And Dante, more than anything, never wanted to let him go again.
He never wanted to give anyone another chance to take him away. Who knew what the future would bring? Not everyone would treat them kindly, and surely there would come a time when someone else would crave immortality.
Dante would utterly destroy anyone who refused to take no for an answer and dared to go to such extremes.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Sorry, I got distracted," he said quietly.
Maybe he was just angry at himself. It had taken him far too long to find Helios. If only he'd been a little faster, at least Helios wouldn't have been cut open while still alive.
Helios brushed his fingers over Dante's cheek.
"You're not to blame for what he did to me," he said softly.
Dante swallowed hard. How could someone who had suffered so much still be so gentle?
His voice was as soothing as ever, despite everything he had endured. Dante silently cursed himself for his self-pity—if anyone had a right to drown in it, it was Helios, not him. He had done nothing but sit idly by while Helios was being tortured—
Damn it!
"Dante," Helios said firmly. He placed both hands on his face, forcing him to look at him. His eyes were tired, but clear. "You saved me. It doesn't matter how long it took, okay? You did what you could. The result is what matters. Not what happened in between."
Dante exhaled heavily. His fingers brushed over Helios's face, tracing the dark shadows beneath his eyes. Helios still looked utterly exhausted.
"He hurt you," Dante whispered. "And not just physically."
"He did," Helios said quietly. "And there's nothing I want more than to forget all of it. You know there's only one thing that helps me forget."
Dante nodded—he didn't trust his voice enough to speak.
"Or… would you rather talk?" Helios asked carefully.
Dante looked at him—at the weariness, the scars, the faint trembling of his hands—and knew that talking was probably the last thing Helios needed right now.
"I… I don't know…" Dante said uncertainly. "You're still not fully recovered, and I just want you to be okay. But every time I look at you—or close my eyes—I see you chained to that metal table, all that blood, and the organs he stole from you… You still look so tired, and you've lost so much weight…"
Helios brushed his thumb across Dante's cheek—it felt damp. Was he crying? Quickly, Dante wiped his face with the back of his hand.
He reached for Helios's hand and pressed it against his own cheek.
It wasn't just Helios who needed closeness—he did too.
Helios's rescue had been so frantic that they'd had no time to talk, no time to truly feel each other's presence. Dante was relieved to have his lover back, even though the last two days—spent silently waiting for Helios to wake—had felt like an eternity.
Now, holding Helios awake in his arms, he couldn't restrain himself any longer.
"I won't forget what happened down there so easily either. It haunts me in my nightmares too," Helios said softly. He wrapped his arms around Dante's neck and gently drew him down. "Stop blaming yourself, Dante. If you hadn't done everything you could to save me, I probably would've lost my mind."
Helios closed the last bit of distance between them. Their lips met in a gentle kiss. There was no urgency in it—for a moment, they simply felt each other.
"I was so scared I'd never see you again," Dante whispered.
Helios's words brought a wave of immense relief over him. It felt as if every bit of tension drained from his body. He could feel Helios's warmth, and for the first time, it truly felt like he had him back.
"I felt the same," Helios said hoarsely. "Only the thought of you kept me from going insane."
Dante closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to Helios's.
"No one will ever hurt you like that again," he promised roughly.
"Because you'll never leave my side again?" Helios asked, a faint smile in his voice.
Dante smiled back—then kissed him again.
"Not a single second more," he murmured against Helios's lips before kissing him again.
Helios's fingers came to rest on his cheeks—warm and tender.
"Good," he whispered. "Because I don't want to be without you for a single second either."
Dante swallowed the lump in his throat. Something inside him loosened, as if a heavy weight had fallen from his shoulders. Warmth spread through his chest, stealing his breath.
Helios brushed a strand of hair from Dante's face.
"I love you, Dante," he said softly. "I've wanted to tell you so many times, but the moment was never right. We kept getting interrupted and—"
Dante pressed his lips to Helios's before he could finish. His heart leapt with joy at his words. He pulled him closer—one hand at Helios's lower back, the other tangled in his hair.
"I love you too, Lio," Dante said hoarsely, his voice trembling with emotion. "You have no idea how much."
Helios's lips curved into a faint, almost mischievous smile as he slid his fingers into Dante's hair as well.
"Shall we chase away those dark thoughts for a while?" he whispered, so close that his words brushed like warm breath against Dante's lips.
Dante nodded. "I could definitely use a distraction."
"Soon we won't think about all that crap anymore," Helios murmured. "At least, I'd really be grateful if we could get back to normal as quickly as possible."
Dante couldn't agree more. He wanted to stop thinking about the past, focus on the future—get everything settled here and then disappear with Helios so they could finally take that vacation.
He wanted to show Helios the world, maybe visit a few places he still remembered from long ago. There were more than a few restaurants that had left good memories behind. As a soldier, he had traveled everywhere—unlike Helios, who had never had the chance to see much of the world as a child or teenager.
"Are you sure you're really okay?" he finally asked, the worry still lingering in his voice.
"I'm just exhausted," Helios said with a smile. "But right now, there's nothing I'd rather do than distract myself with you. Cuddling would be fine too, of course—but only if you take your shirt off while we do."
Dante let out a soft laugh.
"For someone who hates physical training, you sure have a thing for muscles."
Helios ran his hand over Dante's chest. "Maybe I just appreciate the aesthetic of a well-trained body."
"So you think I'm beautiful?" Dante asked, one eyebrow raised.
"Yes," Helios said immediately. His finger traced the long scar across Dante's neck. "I love how every one of your scars tells its own story. I love how your body feels, I love your warmth, and your damn gorilla strength."
Dante couldn't help but laugh when Helios snorted out the words "gorilla strength."
"So you only love my looks?" he teased.
Helios gave him a crooked grin. "Of course not. I also love how you're constantly trying to give me moral lessons."
Dante rolled his eyes. "Well, not everyone can walk along the moral abyss like you."
"That's why you're here, isn't it? You keep me grounded and show me which path is right. Through you, I've learned how human relationships work. You've taught me which words cause chaos—or hurt others." He grinned, then his expression softened. "Thanks to you, I've rekindled love within myself. I can't imagine being without you anymore, Dante. You belong to me, just as I belong to you."
Instead of answering, Dante slipped his hands under Helios's hips and lifted him up. Helios gasped in surprise but instinctively wrapped his legs around Dante's waist, holding on tightly. Their lips met again—hot, demanding.
"I like that thought," Dante murmured between kisses, his voice low and rough.
With Helios in his arms, he moved slowly toward the bed, their lips refusing to part. He tried to ignore just how light Helios felt in his grasp. His hand slipped beneath Helios's sweater, caressing the smooth skin of his back and then his hips.
He really needs to eat more…
But even that thought vanished quickly in the heat of their kiss.
Soon, there was nothing but him and Helios—everything else faded away.
When they reached the bed, Dante laid him down gently.
"Take it off," Helios whispered against his lips, nipping playfully at his lower one.
Helios looked up at him, eyes glazed with desire, his lips slightly swollen. Dante wanted nothing more than to kiss him again—yet he could hardly wait to rid himself of his clothes.
He straightened up, never taking his eyes off his lover. With a teasing look, he pulled off his shirt, then leaned down toward Helios again. He kissed his neck as his hands slipped once more beneath Helios's sweater.
He gently massaged Helios's nipple with his thumb, drawing a soft moan from him. He kissed his way downward, pushed the sweater up, and ran his tongue over the exposed nipple before softly sucking on it.
Helios's hands tangled in Dante's hair. With each passing second, he relaxed more under Dante's touch. The top of his foot brushed gently over the bulge that was already pressing painfully against the fabric of Dante's pants, while one of his hands traced the contours of Dante's chest.
Dante bit softly into his nipple — another moan escaped him.
His lips wandered down Helios's torso, but he faltered when he reached the scar on his abdomen. Gently, he kissed every single scar. Each of those wounds had almost taken Helios from him. Because of each one, he had nearly died.
Helios's stomach rose and fell with every breath, his breathing quickening the closer Dante's kisses moved toward his center.
"You're far too thin," Dante murmured, close to Helios's navel.
"We can turn off the light if it bothers you… mmh!" Helios breathed. His voice trembled with arousal. He moaned again as Dante's hand opened his pants and freed his penis. Dante pulled the pants off completely — he didn't want anything left between them.
"I want to see you, Helios," Dante whispered. He leaned closer, his gaze locking with the watchful eyes of his lover. Every movement, every breath between them deepened the tension. He licked over the tip of Helios length and watched as Helios suppressed another moan, biting down on his lower lip. "You—and every one of your reactions."
He moistened his fingers and began to touch Helios entry, while drawing him closer. The way Helios whispered his name encouraged him even more. His own desire grew almost painful against his pants the longer he tried to ignore it. He wanted nothing more than to be close to Helios.
Still, he knew he would have to wait a little longer.
He lifted Helios' leg over his shoulder and focused completely on preparing his lover. Helios was relaxed and responsive. Before they had gone to Thomas, he had taken the time to shower thoroughly, as if anticipating this moment.
It was clear he had showered with the intention of making this moment possible. He pressed a finger into his lover, soon another one joined the first. His head went up and down rhythmically along Helios length. He sucked gently on the tip, when ever his lover trembled under his touch to intesify his desire. At the same time he searched for the sensitive bundle of nerves with which he could always drive Helios quickly over the abyss.
Helios was, as usual, so sensitive that just a few touches were enough to make him arch his back. His breathing came in quick bursts, and a light film of sweat formed on his skin.
Dante inserted a third finger into his lover. Ruthlessly, he massaged Helios's most sensitive spot until Helios writhed beneath Dante. His fingers dug into Dante's shoulder as he came. Helios threw his head back as he came hotly into Dante's mouth.
He slowed his pace and didn't stop until Helios's orgasm was over. His leg trembled. Dante held it steady with his hand and kissed the inner thigh.
He couldn't take it anymore. Dante pulled away from Helios and began freeing himself from his pants and underwear. Helios tore his gaze from Dante. He turned onto his stomach, searching for something in the drawer of his nightstand. His movements were slow, almost teasing — and Dante knew that he knew exactly what that did to him.
Only when Helios's hand closed around the lube did Dante grab his hips and pull him back toward him.
A surprised sound escaped his lover's lips as Dante dragged him halfway across the bed.
Dante's erection lay heavily between Helios's thighs. Wordlessly, he grabbed the lube, rubbed it generously on both of them, and didn't waste another moment. He parted Helios hole slightly and pressed himself into his lover.
He was, as always, quite tight despite the preparation. Dante had to restrain himself from filling Helios with a single thrust. He took his time, slowly pushing into him. He pushed up Helios's sweater, exposing his back, and kissed the pale nape of his lover's neck. With one hand he steadied Helios's posture, stroked his belly, and followed his own movements, which he could easily feel with his hand.
He was breathing heavily as he was buried completely inside Helios.
God, it felt unbelievably good.
Since they had begun their lovemaking, he hadn't thought about the past few days at all. He probably understood for the first time why Helios was so into sex when he wasn't feeling well.
It uplifted him. The rush of endorphins drowned out everything negative, and the only thing that mattered in that moment was the desire for closeness and making sure his partner felt good.
With small, circling motions, Helios tried to entice him. Dante gently bit into the hollow of Helios's neck and began to move inside him. Helios matched his rhythm, meeting him again and again.
He moaned incessantly, the sounds escaping his lips were so incredibly erotic…
His hole throbbed around him. It was hard to keep it together. He had built up so much inside him that it was hard to distract himself with other thoughts to keep from coming right away. He wanted to come. To color Helios's innermost being in his hue. He wanted—
"Harder, Dante…," Helios gasped in a rough needy voice.
Fuck.
He gripped Helios' hips tightly, holding him in place as he thrust his own hips forward in a hard, sudden motion. Helios let out a hoarse cry of pleasure, a visible shudder running through his slender body as his breathing grew heavy.
Dante grinned and repeated the whole thing.
With each thrust, he increased his pace — first giving Helios the fast, hard thrusts he had wanted, then adjusting his angle so that he continually massaged the sensitive knot of muscle. He didn't enter Helios completely and devoted himself entirely to the task of driving his lover out of his mind.
No matter how much Helios pleaded and begged, he maintained both the pace and the angle.
Only when Helios was pulsing wildly around him did he grant them both release. He drove Helios over the edge first, and then himself. Dante closed his eyes and surrendered completely to the feeling that Helios gave him. Dante closed his eyes and surrendered completely to the feeling Helios gave him.
Every pulse felt heavenly.
Every moan was music to his ears.
His breathing came in gasps; he was covered in sweat, and yet the desire would not leave him. He withdrew from Helios, but instead of his erection subsiding, his penis remained hard, as if the orgasm just moments before had never happened.
Helios collapsed onto the bed without Dante's support. Breathing heavily, he turned onto his back, his eyes glowing with anticipation as he took in Dante's unrelenting erection. He hooked a leg around Dante's hip, pulling him as close as possible.
He wrapped an arm around Dante's neck and kissed him passionately.
There was no need for words to express their desires.
Soon after, Dante was buried deep inside Helios once more, and they repeated their lovemaking until both were satisfied and exhausted, lying in each other's arms. There was no place in the world Dante would have rather been in that moment.
Helios rested against his chest with closed eyes, his finger lazily tracing over Dante's pectoral until, with a soft sigh, he drifted off to sleep.
Dante held him close. He inhaled the familiar scent of Helios's skin, felt the gentle weight on his chest, and let tranquility sink into him for the first time in days.
Just as it should be.
With a smile, he kissed the crown of Helios's head.
"Sleep well, Lio," he murmured softly before sleep claimed him too.