Jealous
14
Chapter 14
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Artemis woke up to find that he was healthy again, and he still had the Crystal Shard in his pocket. Jarlaxle kept his promise, Artemis thought. He sat up, stunned, and stared at the mercenary. He was cross the tent sitting next to the horses.
Artemis felt the simultaneous urges to throw himself at the mercenary, and to stay back, lest Jarlaxle lose control because of the temptation of the Shard.
But he won't, Artemis reminded himself. He would not have bothered resisting if he did not feel some sense coming back to his mind after being separated from the Shard. He knows his own mind now.
He got up and walked over to Jarlaxle. Jarlaxle looked up at him expressionlessly. Artemis knelt down and cupped Jarlaxle's face in his hands. Jarlaxle's stunned eyes met his own. "You did not take," Artemis said. He leaned forward and kissed Jarlaxle deeply.
"Taking is wrong," he said when their lips parted. He was gasping for breath. "Asking is right." He pulled Jarlaxle close again and wormed his fingers under Jarlaxle's tight vest, kissing him once more. He didn't think he'd ever felt such ardor before. But Jarlaxle was not like other people. Jarlaxle had healed him, and Jarlaxle had not taken the Crystal Shard when he was asleep. Jarlaxle had not raped him. And he could no longer think of Jarlaxle's previous advances as rape.
Artemis pulled Jarlaxle to the floor. Jarlaxle's hat fell off. He climbed on top of the slim mercenary and began sucking his neck. Artemis' hands worked on the elf's clothing, finding buttons and clasps. He unlocked Jarlaxle's clothing, disarming them like the traps on a box. Jarlaxle's garments fell away. The nude mercenary gasped and squirmed against the canvas floor of the tent. Artemis ground his growing erection into Jarlaxle's groin.
Artemis let out a moan. He'd never had an erection before. Not like this. He felt such powerful stirrings that he didn't know what to do with himself. He disrobed with shaking hands and felt his body burning under Jarlaxle's gaze. He rubbed himself against Jarlaxle and shivered at the sensation of Jarlaxle's smooth skin against his.
He pressed himself into Jarlaxle, trying to bury himself in Jarlaxle's body in some instinctive search for comfort in this situation. He suddenly realized he'd gotten in too deep. He didn't know what to do next, and his erection was scaring him. "Jarlaxle," he said, breathing raggedly in the elf's ear. "What do I do with it? Jarlaxle, please. I don't know what to do with it."
Jarlaxle slid his hand down and gently slid it between their bodies, touching Artemis' erection. "I'll help you," Jarlaxle whispered. He stroked it. Artemis shuddered and moaned. He could feel moisture on himself and Jarlaxle's hand. He felt oddly detached from everything that was happening to him. His body was warm and tingling.
"Jarlaxle, why do you do it?" Artemis whispered, eyes closed. "Why do you help me?"
"I am not ashamed of you. I value you."
Artemis bucked, rubbing himself against Jarlaxle's hand, increasing the pressure. His breath hissed between clenched teeth. "I love you. I love you." He groaned. "Don't leave me."
"I'm not," Jarlaxle said, looking gravely into his clouded eyes. "I'm not going anywhere."