In the Beat of a Wing {boyxboy}

Chapter Twenty

~Tuesday 26th February 2013~

Waking up cradled in a lover's arms was the best feeling in the world, Eden had figured that out years ago. But it felt so different with Malcolm. Their bodies fit together almost perfectly, as though they really were made for one another. Malcolm's arms encircled Eden's waist, holding the boy tight against his chest, making him feel safer than he had ever been before.

Eden awoke to that rich cinnamony musk that radiated from Malcolm, his eyes fluttering open to find himself curled up with his head resting in the crook of the man's neck. He could tell Malcolm was awake simply by the change in his heart rate. It had been much slower when the man had fallen asleep in the early hours of the morning, it sounded more regular in that moment.

"I've never been with an SN before, y'know?" Eden found his voice was hoarse, gravelly almost, and his throat felt scratchy yet he merely smiled at the reason that popped into his mind.

"Really?" Malcolm sounded drowsy, his emotions obviously subdued by the residual fatigue, "Lex is human then?"

"Yeah, so was my last ex-boyfriend. I actually-" Eden hesitated for a moment, nervous that Malcolm might judge him, "I only lost my virginity a couple of years ago."

"Really?" that time, Malcolm sounded a little more alert, "was that out of choice? Were you saving yourself?"

"No," Eden shook his head faintly, snuggling closer against Malcolm and bringing the blanket covering them up to his chin, "I looked nineteen for a while, guys just weren't interested in me, and any that were got scared off by Archie pretty quickly."

"How could they not be interested in you, bunny?" Malcolm tilted Eden's head back so their eyes met, a subtle frown furrowing his brow, "you're the most beautiful man I've ever met, you're funny, you're caring, I still can't figure out how I managed to deserve someone like you?"

"Everyone deserves an angel," Eden replied bashfully, heat flushing into his cheeks, "you deserve one the most, you've helped so many people," Malcolm didn't look like he was very convinced, and changed the subject pretty quickly.

"Who was your first then?" Eden reached his hand up, running his fingers through Malcolm's short beard, smiling distantly.

"Ex-con called Isaac. He was a human too, forty-nine at the time and, like I said, I was nineteen," Malcolm's eyes widened a little but he remained silent, "we met back in two thousand and six, Archie was convinced I had daddy issues, hated Isaac, more than hated him actually. Maybe that was one of the reasons I was attracted to Isaac, I was always into the taboo, and I was going through the whole rebellious stage. Archie scared Isaac off in the end, I never got to find out how or why, I haven't heard from him since either."

"Did you love him?" Eden sensed the jealousy in Malcolm's tone, giggling at the prospect. He had always been drawn to the possessive types, someone who could take control of him and reign back his sometimes overzealous personality. He had craved it for the past few years whilst he had been single and, although his time with Lex had been interesting enough, the man hadn't been enough. He knew Malcolm would be, he was sure of that.

"Back then, yeah, I loved him. I adored him, and I think there'll always be a place in my heart for him," Eden sat up when he saw a shift in Malcolm's demeanour, cupping the man's cheeks to force their eyes to meet, "but he's nothing compared to you, Mal, and even if he walked in here right now with a bouquet of flowers and an overdue apology, I would still choose you," a smile lifted Malcolm's face and the man placed a kiss to Eden's lips, a tender one that wasn't nearly as heated as the ones shared throughout their previous night.

"You hungry?" Eden's stomach rumbled in response before the boy could even open his mouth to speak, "I'll take that as a yes," Malcolm chuckled, slipping out from under Eden and scanning the floor for wherever he had scattered his items of clothing. Eden picked up Malcolm's t-shirt before him, slipping it on himself and grinning at the man.