Trust Me | MxM | BDSM

32. Lovebirds

I awake to the stubbles of Gavrilo's beard scratching my skin while he pulls away from the kiss he apparently just stole from me. His eyes widen slightly when he notices I'm awake, and I frown, confused.

"You passed out," he explains with a pained smile, then sighs. "I think you were on the treadmill for like- what? Three hours?"

I avert my eyes, remembering feeling nauseous and faint. Yet I couldn't stop because I had still been panicking, close to tears. Weirdly enough, I had been hoping that this job might last a while, enabling me to stay with Gavrilo. After all, I'd spent so much time creating Mike - and now? Seems like it was all for nothing.

Gavrilo's fingers brushing my cheek startle me out of my thoughts. I glance up at him, again feeling the desperate need to apologize. It tears at my heart.

"I'm going to order some food now, and then we'll talk. You and me, okay? No submission, no punishments, just Gavrilo and Mike."

I gulp down the lump in my throat. He seems satisfied without getting an answer, and ordering food is done with a couple taps on his phone that don't take more than a minute. He tosses the device aside afterwards.

"How are you feeling?"

I huff a laugh. It's the only way I have to cope with his honest concern. "I'm hungry?"

"Me too. Good that we ordered food, then." He smiles heartbreakingly - and that's too much for my already broken heart. Tears prick my eyes. "Do you still feel like you have to work out?"

"Hell, yeah?"

"Why?"

The question startles me. Otherwise, I probably would've laughed again. "I can't calm down. It's like if I don't move, this tension's going to eat me up."

It's so relieving to tell him, so I find myself rambling on. "When I don't do anything and close my eyes, I just see all the shit that's happened. Today, in the past. It's always been like that. I've always hated going to sleep. I've-"

"Mike," he interrupts me softly, and I shake my head firmly.

"No, Master Kemp-" This time around, it's his finger on my lips that hushes me.

"First of all, you can call me Gavrilo. Or Gav, if you want." I feel so elated that I'm about to throw up. "And Mike, why are you crying?"

"Huh?" I make very intelligently and touch my cheek, only now realising that it's soaked. I sit up with a start, laughing uncomfortably while I rub my eyes. "It's, uh, it's just a bit much. Just a bit much. Really, it's nothing."

His fingers firmly enclose my wrists to force my hands down. "Look at me."

My gaze snaps up because of the authority in his voice. He's staring straight into my eyes.

"This is not nothing. What happened today isn't nothing. Whatever it is that happened to you in the past isn't nothing. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mas-" I break off, remembering that I'm supposed to call him by his name. He lifts his eyebrows, then grins when I can't bring myself to do it, and the way he tries to suppress this little expression by pressing his lips together is cute.

"It's good to see you smile."

"You make me smile," I whisper, feeling so fortunate and yet utterly devastated at the same time. I don't know what to do anymore. My feelings for him have grown more than they should have, and I can't bring myself to care about what a monster he might be to others.

He's the best thing that's ever happened to me.

The tips of his fingers trail up my arm before he puts his hand on the back of my neck, pulling me into a tentative kiss.

"I don't think you know how amazing you are." His lips move across mine with each syllable he voices before he leans his forehead against mine. "I heard you called me your boyfriend."

That grin he cracks makes my heart flutter with so much forbidden love that I push my doubts and fears aside - just for now, just for this moment, for this happiness that I've been wishing for since way back when Mom died.

"Yeah, well, it was Jack's idea," I admit with a grin of my own. It's beautifully unnerving to look into his eyes an inch away from mine.

Gavrilo chuckles. "Really? Guess I should thank him then."

He entwines our fingers, and we stay like this for a long moment. Then his phone vibrates, announcing that the food has arrived.

-

I never expected this story to contain so much fluff. And yeah, for me and my writing, this is some serious fluff. I took some time, but I think they've taken their place next to my favourite couples.

(If you're interested, it's Azurn and *not going to spoil* from Bloodlines and of course, Ally and Dael.)

XOXO

T.