Abyssal (ManxMan)

Impulsive Act

Thanks for reading! If you'd like to read further, consider joining my Patreon/Ko-fi for exclusive NSFW short stories, side stories and NSFW art, as well as being the first to access the latest chapters, in addition to access to all my other stories! If you like gay mature romances, give my story The Prison a try!

Impulsive Act

King Marius slammed the Astrian Prince into the tiles at the bottom of the pool, pinning him down by the shoulders. The air he'd had in his lungs escaped in a whoosh of breath. The moment Kai looked into Marius's face and saw his scowl of death, he laughed. He couldn't help himself. It was such a silly, petty thing for him to have done anyway, throwing water in his captor's face like that to spite him, but he couldn't help it. He'd wanted to do it, if only to see what face Marius would make, and so he'd simply done it. He hadn't given it more thought than that.

Marius's expression did not disappoint. His scowl was dark and twisted, and it resembled something between a frowning dragon and an upset jaguar, his large black tail swishing furiously behind him exactly like a restless jaguar's. His perfect jaw was clenched tightly, as if he was desperately trying to control himself. From beating Kai to a bloody pulp?

Kai teared up as he laughed and his tears were carried away in the water. He felt himself turning red as he laughed. His mother had once commented that he turned as red as his hair when he truly, excessively laughed.

Marius's face softened abruptly. The twisted lines disappeared as if they'd never been.

Kai's laugh slowly faded.

Why was Marius suddenly looking at him like that? He couldn't quite describe the way Marius was staring at him, and he didn't think he wanted to. It deeply unsettled him.

Suddenly, he regretted his little prank.

He became much too aware of where Marius had his hands on him. The skin underneath his palms felt heated and tingling.

"Laugh lines suit you." Marius said. An indecipherable look flashed in his blue eyes.

Kai's eyes rounded when he realized that he wasn't being mocked. He'd been expecting a slap to the face, not... this. A compliment? From Marius no less? Had Marius already drowned him and this was some strange afterworld hallucination?

And was it him, or were Marius's intense shark-like eyes looking particularly soft?

Kai's heart stuttered.

"What?" he blurted, stunned.

"You should laugh more."

"I... I haven't had much reason to lately." Kai said honestly.

"Hmm. You're right."

The hands on his shoulders disappeared.

"We must go." Marius announced abruptly and swam away. As he did, he swam over Kai who was still lying at the bottom of the pool.

Kai felt as if a great whale had glided over him, dwarfed by it

His eyes were fixated on the fearsome black tail, its scales shimmering black and silver underwater. Kai imagined that if Marius swung it hard enough, it could cause some serious internal damage. Possibly even decapitate a head.

Swallowing to wet his suddenly dry throat, Kai exited the pool five minutes later to find that Marius had already left the Royal Baths, leaving behind him wet human footprints on the tiles.

Kai looked around for a towel to dry himself but didn't find one. He was forced to resort to shaking himself off like a wet mut.

He reached down and took the wet harem pants off. In their wet state, the flimsy thing provided no coverage whatsoever, so he might as well take them off. Again, he searched for something to cover up with before he gave up and reluctantly went to join Marius in the Royal Wardrobe.