Dark Waters Rising

Love

I love you.

No one had ever said those words to Valentine.

He didn't think it was possible.

To love someone like him.

Wesley hadn't said anything after that, and neither of them made any move to acknowledge his words. But they lingered in the space between them all the same.

Valentine was sitting on the cot again, nimbly braided his damp hair as he watched Wesley move about the cabin. He seemed to be looking for something. It was only when the man started tugging on a pair of boots that Valentine spoke up.

"Are you going somewhere?"

Wesley looked up briefly before finishing his task and straightening to his full height.

"The market in town should be open for a few more hours. I need to go if we want to eat tonight."

A panicked chill rooted itself in Valentine's stomach. He didn't want to be left alone.

"How long will you be gone?" he asked quietly, looking at his hands and trying to stamp down the lump forming in his throat.

"A couple hours at most," Wesley said, walking toward the cot and taking a seat on the edge of it. "Will you be okay?"

"I-" Valentine tried to say that he would be but the lump was preventing him from saying anything.

"I know you don't want me to leave," Wesley said, "but we need food."

"I know," Valentine said, placing his hand atop Wesley's. "Is- is there any way I could come with you?"

Wesley looked down at the hand on his as he thought.

"I don't think you'd make the walk," he said after a while, "but I know a farmer that lives near here. I could probably convince him to let me borrow one of his horses for a few hours."

Val's eyes widened a little.

"I've never ridden a horse."

"Well before today, I'd never breathed underwater," Wesley said. "There's a first time for everything."

Valentine chewed his lip a bit before sighing and asking, "Do you have any clothes I could borrow?"

Wesley's eyes flicked down to the robe Valentine wore, particularly to the part that currently fell open around his chest.

"I can probably find you something," he said, clearing his throat.

He turned, forcing his eyes away in favor of sifting through some of the spare clothes he had stored in the trunk at the foot of the bed. There weren't many options to choose from, so Wesley pulled out what he thought would work best and tossed them toward the pirate.

"Try these on," he said, stalking toward the doorway. The door was already propped open to let in some of the breeze, so Wesley simply leaned against the frame and peered up at the clouds drifting overhead as Valentine dressed.

It wasn't long before a pair of arms snaked around his waist and a head laid on his shoulder.

"Do they fit?" Wesley asked, not moving because in all honestly he enjoyed the warmth.

Valentine hummed in content as he held his mate. "A little loose but I'll make do. Do you have any shoes?"

"Not here, sorry," Wesley said, glancing back inside, "but I can get you some when we're in town."

Valentine pouted slightly. "What am I supposed to do until then?"

Wesley rolled his eyes.

"It's not that far," he said, turning around and sweeping the pirate off of his feet. He was still pretty light, so it didn't take much effort. He knew Valentine would feel heavier the farther he carried him, but he figured they'd reach the Shure's farm before his arms got too tired.

About half an hour later, and a good five minutes of heckling with an old man named Cornelius, Wesley had Valentine sitting rigidly on top of a dappled mare.

"Just relax," Wesley encouraged him, slipping into the saddle behind him and taking hold of the reins.

"How can you trust the beast so easily?" he asked, stiff even as Wesley put an arm around his waist and nudged the horse into a walk with the back of his heels and a click of his tongue.

"I trust you don't I?" Wesley teased as they traveled down the road.

Valentine narrowed his eyes. "That's not the same."

"You're right," Wesley agreed. "I trust the horse more than you."

"Hey!" Valentine complained. Wesley only chuckled softly.

"What matters is I trust the horse and you trust me. So relax," Wesley breathed in his ear, he brushed his fingers over Valentine's hip and smirked evilly because he had an idea of the effect he was having on the other man.

"I am relaxed," he said stubbornly.

"No you're not," Wesley countered, moving his hand to splay over Valentine's cloth covered abdomen. "You're very tense."

Valentine gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes at the path ahead.

"Pay attention to the beast beneath you. Feel its movements. If you relax and match those movements with your hips, then the experience will be much more pleasurable."

"You're playing a very dangerous game, Roberts," Valentine's voice was low and strained with what Wesley could only assume was lust.

"And what if I like a little danger?" he asked, unable to keep the devious smile out of his voice. He decided he quite liked teasing the pirate when he became even more tense in his arms.

Valentine felt almost engulfed by Wesley because of their position. The man's torso was pressed to his back, his arm was over Val's stomach, and their thighs were fit snuggly against each other. As the merchant whispered uncharacteristically forward things in his ear, Valentine decided this was a new kind of torture.

"You should stop before you regret it," he managed to say.

"Why? What are you going to do about it? You can't even walk right now," Wesley taunted.

"If you keep talking like that neither of us will be able to walk."

Wesley could tell he meant it, so he reluctantly backed down.

"Fine," he sighed. "But you really should try to relax. I promise the horse won't bolt or try to throw you."

"Fine," Valentine relented. "I'll try."

He leaned back into Wesley a little bit and focused on loosening his muscles one at a time. Eventually he got to a state where he didn't feel like he was being jostled around as much and Wesley seemed to be pleased. Valentine just hoped the market wasn't much farther. As much as he enjoyed the feeling of Wesley against him, he wasn't a big fan of the horse.

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A/N

Greetings.

Quick poll: How do you guys pronounce Valentine? There's a couple different ways to and both are technically correct. I'm just curious. Val-en-tine or Val-en-teen?

Next update Thursday,
-Mora Montgomery