Devil's Gambit

Chapter 28

Harley stared at Lucas as his throat grew tight, pressing his parted lips together into a beaming smile.

"Te amo," he whispered back, nudging his nose against Lucas' cheek. The older man bowed his head, his left hand that lay on the mattress next to Harley's face curling into a fist. The full pain of his nails biting into the palm of his hand was almost like a reminder that this was reality, and not some wonderful dream he was having.

Lucas wanted to make sure he could never wake up from this.

Sitting up, Lucas stared down at Harley with a star struck gaze- he looked so handsome lying underneath Lucas on his bed. The bit of hair that usually laid over Harley's forehead was already making its way back into his eyes, no matter how much Lucas would brush it away.

Leaning over to reach the nightstand, Lucas opened the drawer where the folded up piece of paper had laid for weeks, grabbing it and presenting it to Harley.

Scrunching his face up with confusion, Harley propped himself up on one elbow and accepted the piece of paper. "What is this?"

"Open it," Lucas responded with a nod.

Still slightly wary, Harley carefully unfolded the paper, Lucas staring on intensely as his boyfriend's eyes danced across the contents.

"These are- lab results?" Harley questioned, gaze flicking up at Lucas to confirm.

"I went and got tested awhile back to make sure I kept us both safe. I was going to show you earlier, but you were hurt and I didn't want you to think I was trying to make you do anything while you healed. Still, I wanted you to see the paper yourself," Lucas said tightly, his lips pursed.

"Lucas, I- you know I trust you. If you said you didn't have anything I would believe you," Harley shook his head in disbelief.

"I know, which is exactly what I didn't want you to do," Lucas huffed in exasperation, shoulders slumping. "Look, it was important to me that you knew for absolute certainty that you weren't exposing yourself to anything, because I wouldn't want you to accept anything but solid proof. Just because it's me doesn't make any difference, really because it's me you should be even more careful."

Harley blinked dumbly, looking back at the panel of test results, a long column of negatives spanning down the page. He tossed the paper to the side carelessly, leaning up to wrap his arms around Lucas' neck.

"I hate it when you do shit like this," he muttered, kissing the side of Lucas' mouth.

"Do shit like what?" The other man teased.

"Treating me like I'm some god and that you're no better than a rat in a dumpster."

"Maybe I am no better than a rat in a dumpster," Lucas breathed, planting a much longer kiss on Harley's lips. "But in my eyes, you are a god. You're like. . . angelic, something I should never be able to touch with all the filth I've waded through."

"I don't think angels would do this," Harley grinned against Lucas' lips, reaching down to grab the front of his jeans. Lucas felt like he skipped a breath, closing his eyes as he met Harley's lips again in a much more passionate, hungry kiss. Their lips moved as if they would both soon disappear, and they wanted to be able to taste each other on their tongues for the rest of time. Harley began to pant with want, causing Lucas' eyes to shoot open, his pupils blown large in lust. He pushed Harley back down against the mattress, slotting himself between his legs as he nipped at the edge of Harley's jaw, before moving down to his neck. Lucas left open mouthed kisses all the way down until he reached Harley's t-shirt, where he rucked up the the bottom to under Harley's arms quickly, the other man sitting up to get his shirt off with urgency. Lucas bit the inside of his lip as his eyes grazed over the expanse of skin on Harley's chest, nothing but an empty canvas waiting to be marked in Lucas' eyes.