Absentmindedly, Noctis ran his fingers through Isaac's white hair. Morning had already broken, and yet he seemed intent on continuing to sleep. Dark circles lingered beneath Isaac's eyes. The past few weeks had not passed without leaving their mark on him, and if what he had said was true, he had worked for more than forty hours straight.
Not to mention their rather intense and more-than-erotic little session.
Unfortunately, Noctis had only gotten his turn once. But that was alright, because watching Isaac being pushed to the very edge of pleasure again and again had been incredibly arousing.
It might have been the first time in his life that he had enjoyed being patient—actually enjoyed it. The way Isaac had breathed his name still sent a pleasant shiver through his body. Damn it, that broken moan and the way he had writhed with desire...
...just thinking about it was enough to make him hard again.
Noctis had never experienced such delicious torment before, and to Isaac's misfortune—or perhaps pleasure—he would gladly repeat the entire thing.
A small smile played on his lips as he looked at his lover in the pale light filtering through the gaps in the blinds. Isaac lay completely relaxed in his arms. Through that little bondage game, Isaac had felt more than ever before. How could Noctis not have taken advantage of that?
He would have liked Isaac to last a little longer, but he saw neither enjoyment nor purpose in continuing once his lover had passed out. So he had stopped immediately when he realized Isaac was no longer making a sound.
Or should he say that he had panicked when Isaac stopped responding altogether? Never in his life had Noctis untied restraints as quickly as he had in that moment. He had torn off the blindfold and tried to wake Isaac, only to be met with an annoyed murmur from his lover.
Thankfully, he had merely collapsed from exhaustion. Otherwise, Noctis would have called his brother.
Which Isaac definitely would not have appreciated.
Gently, he brushed a stubborn strand of hair from Isaac's face.
What Isaac had appreciated, however, was everything Noctis had done to him. His body lied just as poorly as every attempt Isaac had ever made to tell a convincing lie.
Perhaps Noctis had gone a little overboard, but how was he supposed to help himself when his lover squirmed so adorably beneath him? When he kept asking for more and made it so obvious how much he enjoyed it?
Who would have thought that a simple blindfold, a few restraints, and a handful of toys could produce such a satisfying result?
Especially when it had managed to distract Isaac from everything else for at least a few hours.
Outside, the streets were still in chaos. Bounty hunters continued to search for Isaac even though the Boss was dead. Then there was his current living situation in the Webster Clan's hideout, despite Noctis knowing exactly how much Isaac had loved the peace and quiet of his apartment. And, of course, there was Levi.
During his own assignments, Noctis had only picked up fragments of information while crossing the first names off his list. But what he had heard afterward was enough to leave an unpleasant knot in his stomach.
The Viper Syndicate had been alarmingly active over the past few days.
The moment the death of the Leviathan Boss had created a power vacuum, they had surged into it like predators scenting blood. They had not only wiped out several smaller clans but had immediately seized control of operations that had previously escaped police attention.
The street battles had been fierce, and every single one of them had been instigated by the Viper Syndicate. Levi's name had surfaced more than once.
He really had been the one responsible for having the Boss killed, even if he hadn't carried out the act himself. That rat had hidden in the shadows and made his puppets dance for him while sipping a cup of tea—or whatever the bastard drank. Levi was not the type to dirty his own hands. At least, not to the extent he had back when it came to Isaac.
The thought alone was enough to make Noctis clench his jaw.
At least Isaac was safe here.
As long as he remained in the hideout and focused on his magical studies, Noctis could carry out his assignments without constantly looking over his shoulder. Levi was unlikely to make a move against them while he was still occupied with claiming every last remnant of the Leviathan Cartel for himself.
At least, that was what Noctis hoped.
Damn.
There was still so much left to do that he could not even begin to guess when the bloodshed would finally end. Even after they had worked through their lists, there would still be countless others who were better off dead than alive.
Absentmindedly, he brushed his thumb across Isaac's cheek.
The exhaustion had been visible long before the gunshot wound. Noctis was glad that, for once, Isaac could take things easy. After all, he had spent years leading a double life to protect Isaac and free him from the Boss's grasp so that he could finally live his own life the way he wanted.
Isaac's eye twitched. He let out an irritated groan and snuggled a little closer against Noctis.
Immediately, Noctis wrapped his arms more tightly around his lover and pulled him even closer. Unfortunately, he would have to leave again soon so he could get back to work.
But perhaps Isaac was willing to give him a proper farewell after all.
After all, they would not see each other again for another two or three days.
"Darling…" he murmured softly against Isaac's ear. "Are you planning to sleep all day?"
Isaac's only response was to pointedly turn his head away and bury his face even deeper against Noctis's chest.
"You're an idiot," he mumbled sleepily.
His voice was rough with exhaustion.
"I'm your idiot," Noctis replied with satisfaction. "Do you want to stay in bed a little longer? I have to leave soon."
Isaac yawned quietly before reluctantly pulling himself a short distance away from Noctis and shooting him a disapproving look.
"You are definitely not disappearing before I've had a chance to scold you," he muttered, his voice still hoarse.
Noctis chuckled softly.
"Have I done something wrong? Then enlighten me, Darling," he asked with feigned innocence.
Even in the dim morning light, he could see Isaac's face instantly turning red.
"Don't play dumb! You know exactly what you did!" he hissed, mortified.
Noctis pressed a kiss to his forehead.
"I'm sorry, Darling. Of course I know what I did to you, but why exactly are you so angry?" he asked innocently. "Because you woke up tied up? Because of the blindfold? Because I used the box? Oh! Or because I made you come over and over again and devoted myself entirely to your pleasure?"
For a moment, Isaac was left speechless. He stared at him in embarrassment, outrage mingling with the flustered expression on his face. Then he abruptly freed himself from Noctis's embrace, shoved him onto his back, and straddled him.
Planting himself directly on Noctis's lower abdomen.
Perhaps he would get to spend a little more time with his lover after all.
He reached for Isaac's hip, but didn't get far. Instead, Isaac caught both of his hands and pinned them above his head against the mattress.
"Forget it, Noctis!" he growled. "I'm angry because you can't take no for an answer! I begged you to pull that damn rod out of me. Instead, you just kept going! Damn it, that weird feeling is still there, and that's after I've slept!"
"But you liked it, Darling," he said in a dark voice.
He regretted that both he and Isaac had at least put their underwear back on. Otherwise, he would already have found a way to get what he wanted.
"That's not the point here!" Isaac snapped.
Noctis rubbed teasingly against his lover.
"Then what is?" he asked. "You came so hard that you even squirted, Isaac."
"I passed out," Isaac replied.
"Because it felt good. Besides, you were only unconscious for a moment before you fell asleep."
Isaac let out an exasperated sigh.
"You really don't understand what I'm getting at, do you? This isn't about how good it felt. It's about the fact that you ignored my pleading and my requests."
Noctis shot him a cheeky grin.
"So you liked it."
Isaac's face turned an even deeper shade of red.
"You need to learn how to accept 'no,'" Isaac said firmly. He climbed off Noctis and, with visible satisfaction, began straightening his disheveled hair. "No sex until I give you permission."
Noctis sat upright in an instant.
"What?!"
Isaac pulled on a shirt, covering all the marks Noctis had left on him during their lovemaking. He glanced over his shoulder in a way that made it abundantly clear he had no intention of backing down. Isaac was going to see this through and leave him hanging until he was practically begging on his knees.
Somehow, that only turned Noctis on.
Isaac noticed the look on his face, and his lips curved into a thoughtful smile.
"Darling…" Noctis began.
He was already preparing to bend Isaac's resolve to his own advantage and still get what he wanted. But Isaac simply bent down and tossed Noctis his shirt.
"Forget it," he snorted in amusement. "Get dressed. I'll make you a coffee before you leave."
Noctis stared at him in complete disbelief. His arousal sat heavily between his legs, demanding attention. He glanced down for a moment before looking back at Isaac.
His lover merely nodded toward the bathroom.
"I'm not helping you with that today. Punishment is punishment. If you want relief, take care of it in the bathroom."
"You're cruel," Noctis muttered.
Isaac raised an eyebrow.
"I'm cruel? Who was the one who pushed me until I passed out?"
Noctis got to his feet and walked toward Isaac.
"But that can happen, Isaac. There are plenty of medical reports on the subject, and it only proves how good you felt," Noctis tried to soothe him. "Come back to bed. I want to apologize to you."
"No," Isaac replied. "This time, you're not getting your way. I still have a lot to do before my next training session with your brother. If I get back into bed with you now, I won't get anything done again."
Noctis pulled him into his arms and kissed his forehead.
"But you would get something done."
"I got plenty done yesterday," Isaac snorted. "The only good thing about your ridiculous idea to use that damn box is that my hip doesn't hurt nearly as much, and I can at least sit down comfortably."
He huffed in amusement.
"Besides, I'm enjoying seeing you this desperate far too much to give in."
Noctis rested his forehead against Isaac's shoulder.
"You're mean. What if I get seriously hurt on my next assignment?"
"Save the pity act. In all the years I've known you, you've only been injured once, and it wasn't even a serious wound," Isaac replied.
Even so, there was concern in his voice.
"Go wash up. You'll need your strength."
Noctis sighed.
"I really can't talk you into it, can I?"
Isaac shook his head.
"Hm... then will you at least take your shirt off again? I want to look at you while I take care of myself."
"No," Isaac said firmly. "If I watch you, I'll want to do it again too. Forget it."
"Is that so?" Noctis murmured with satisfaction, kissing Isaac's cheek. "So you really do love it when we sleep together."
Isaac ran a hand through his hair.
"I never claimed otherwise, did I?" he said more gently than before.
"But if you enjoy it, why don't we just do it again? Just one more time, Darling. I'll be gentle," Noctis murmured close to Isaac's lips before kissing him.
Isaac allowed the kiss for a brief moment. But before Noctis could deepen it, Isaac pressed a finger against his lips, stopping him from kissing him again.
"Get dressed, Noctis. I have something for you."
Immediately, he had Noctis's full attention.
"You have something for me?"
Isaac nodded.
"What is it?"
A quiet laugh escaped his lover before he looked at him with a satisfied smile.
It won't be much longer before you're this relaxed every single day.
For this moment alone, Noctis would slaughter thousands.
"Hurry up," Isaac added. "Before I change my mind."
Noctis surrendered. He pressed one last kiss to Isaac's cheek before disappearing into the bathroom.
He took a cold shower, dried himself off, and got dressed in record time. Afterward, he fixed his hair and brushed his teeth with the toothbrush he kept at Isaac's place.
What he really wanted was to crawl back into bed with Isaac, but that would have to wait until Isaac came to him on his own. After all, games like this could be played by two people. What were a few days compared to the seventeen years he had spent waiting to finally be with Isaac?
He would make sure Isaac eventually reached a point where he could do nothing but beg Noctis to sleep with him again.
Besides, Isaac was right. If Noctis exhausted himself now, he might fail to react in time if someone attacked him out of nowhere.
Once he had rinsed his mouth, he returned to the bedroom, where Isaac was sitting at his desk, sketching something.
Noctis stepped up behind him, wrapped his arms around him, and kissed the back of his neck, which was already marked by several hickeys. His gaze drifted over the cards spread across the desk, each one decorated by Isaac.
"Did you make all of these?" he asked in surprise.
There were already eight cards lying on the desk.
Isaac nodded.
"Your brother gave me some genuinely useful advice," he replied. "He's an asshole, and I really can't stand him, but thanks to him, I'm able to use my magic more effectively."
"He'll be delighted to hear that compliment," Noctis said with a grin. "Is that why you stayed up so long?"
Isaac snorted softly and ignored the comment about Vincent.
"Maybe I just couldn't stop," he admitted. "Besides, inspiration really struck me. It's been a long time since I was able to work on something for this long."
As he spoke, he opened one of the desk drawers.
Carefully, he took out a narrow leather bracelet and studied it in silence for a moment. For an instant, it almost seemed as though he was debating whether he should really give it away.
Then he held it out to Noctis.
"I... made a talisman for you. Your brother told me what I could do to make it work without being directly connected to me."
Noctis stared at the bracelet in surprise. It looked remarkably similar to the one Isaac had once made for Noah.
"You made a talisman for me?" he asked quietly.
It was probably the greatest surprise Isaac could have given him.
He held out his arm.
"Will you tie it on for me?"
Silently, Isaac fastened it around his wrist.
"In the best-case scenario, it'll save you from being seriously injured once," he explained. "Think of it as a kind of shield that will shatter if someone hits you."
Noctis lowered his gaze to the braided leather.
Carefully, he ran his fingers over it.
"Are you worried about me?"
Isaac sighed and turned enough to meet his eyes.
"Every minute you're not with me," he answered softly. "Please be careful, okay?"
For a moment, every teasing response vanished from Noctis's mind. He simply looked at Isaac and smiled gently.
"I promise."
Only then did Isaac seem to relax a little.
Noctis leaned down and kissed him.
"When will you be back?" Isaac asked, brushing a hand along Noctis's cheek.
"In two or three days. I need enough time to get some proper sleep."
"Message me in the meantime, okay?" Isaac asked.
"I will," Noctis promised. "You need to rest more too. You look exhausted."
Isaac smiled.
"Then at least let me make a few small weapons for you so I can sleep peacefully."
"Okay."
They kissed again.
This time, Noctis found it much harder to pull away.
"I'll be quick," he said before leaving the room. Just before closing the door, he blew Isaac a kiss. "See you soon, Darling!"
Isaac watched him from his desk. Sunlight caught in his white hair.
For a moment, Noctis simply stood there.
Isaac rolled his eyes.
But then he answered anyway.
"Take care of yourself... Darling."
The instant he said the word Darling, a faint blush spread across his cheeks. The sight alone was enough to rekindle the warmth in Noctis's chest.
"Damn," Noctis muttered. "Are you sure we can't squeeze in a quick goodbye?"
"Just go already and make sure you come back soon!" Isaac snapped, thoroughly embarrassed.
"When I come back, I want you to call me that again!" Noctis demanded.
"Go! Before I regret calling you that at all!"
"Promise me."
"Go!"
"I'll take that as a yes."
"NOCTIS!"
Noctis laughed softly.
He felt strangely free. The brief respite had done him a world of good.
"You're ridiculously cute, Darling. See you later!"
Still laughing, he pulled the door shut behind him.
The last thing he heard was an irritated mutter from the bedroom.
As he walked down the hallway, his hand unconsciously came to rest on the talisman around his wrist. Isaac had woven a protective charm for him, one that might save his life when it mattered most.
Isaac was with him, even when Noctis was alone with his targets.
Even in hostile territory.
That thought alone was enough to bring a smile to his lips as he set out to cross the next names off his list.