Chapter 24
Teleziel stared down at his lap and turned his hands this way and that, observing the pale line of scars up and down his forearms. “Is it because of these?” Even now, after weeks of self-denial, the urge to carve into his own flesh remained with him.
“Teleziel,” Faramir tired to keep the sharpness from his voice.
“I want to help.”
“Then do not fight with me. If necessary, I will lock you in the dungeon.” Faramir stood before Teleziel with his legs spread and his hands on his hips. “I’m not leaving you here as punishment. I’m leaving you behind because—“
“You do not expect to return.”
“We cannot retake Osgiliath. I will try, and my men, those who choose to go with me, will try. But fail we will. There are so many—too many.”
“And the Haradrim still wait until the final assault on Minas Tirith. What am I to do, then?”
Faramir squatted between Teleziel’s knees and took his fingers in his strong hands. He kissed the bruised and scraped knuckles. “Trust Mithrandir. He’s a crafty old man. He will not be taken and if he can help it, Minas Tirith will not fall. I will entrust you to his care.”
Teleziel shook his head. “You will think me a child, but
I tell you now, if you do not return, I will have no reason to worry about Minas
Tirith. This place is not my home and without you, there is nothing for me here.”
Faramir arched his brow and studied the Haradrim. “This was Damrod’s
home and Mablung’s, as well. Damrod’s father owned an inn—you
may have noticed it—where the soldiers used to go when they were off duty.
Mablung’s mother still bakes for us.”
Absently, Teleziel raked his nails over the scars on his wrist. He was embarrassed by his own petulance. “Tell me why I cannot come with you.”
“I cannot do my duty and worry about you. For pity’s sake, Teleziel, you don’t even know how to sit on a horse.” When his lover flinched, Faramir changed his tone. “I want to ride into battle tomorrow knowing the one that I love more than any other in this world is safe. I need that, Teleziel, if I am to get through this.”
Disappointment showed clearly on the Haradrim’s face, but he chided himself for adding to his lover’s burden and refused to argue any more. “Mithrandir frightens me, but I will do as you ask.”
“You need not fear him,” Faramir took Teleziel’s face in his hands and kissed the warm lips. Teleziel’s mouth opened beneath his and Faramir dipped his tongue into the sweetness.
Teleziel ran his hands through Faramir’s hair, letting the soft strands glide between his fingers. He tilted his head and nuzzled beneath Faramir’s chin and breathed in the scent of burnished armor and soap. Pulling away from Faramir, he opened his shirt with trembling fingers and then tugged the garment over his head.
Watching him, Faramir was struck once more with the beauty of his Haradrim. Despite the faint scars, there was something lovely about the delicate lines of Teleziel’s body, the way the muscles moved under the smooth skin and the long bones knitted to sinews. The dark eyes, fringed with lashes so dark they looked kohl smudge, were clear and warm and lit when they caught sight of Faramir. It was satisfying to him, to know that he could make Teleziel happy.
Standing up, Teleziel unlaced his breeches and let them slide down over his narrow hips so that his penis dangled before Faramir’s face. After stepping out of them, he touched Faramir’s cheek. “Tomorrow is a long way off.”
Faramir remained kneeling and stared up at Teleziel. He tried to keep his face from revealing his hunger, but he knew he failed when he saw an answering spark in Teleziel’s eyes. They’d not been together since that first night in the forest and Faramir was eager to explore more of Teleziel’s delights, but he’d refrained for many reasons, not the least of which was Teleziel’s own fear. Faramir placed his hands on Teleziel’s hips and pulled him forward so that his lips grazed over Teleziel’s penis. He felt his beloved shiver even as the cock shifted against his mouth. Hands tangled in his hair and opened his lips wide, taking all of Teleziel into his mouth.
“I want you to possess me,” Teleziel whispered.
Faramir continued sucking gently, even though his mind instantly formed images
that matched Teleziel’s statement. The fine dark hairs surrounding his
lover’s cock tickled his nose and chin and the shaft hardened as he ran
his tongue up and down the underside. Once Teleziel was completely hard in his
mouth and soft moans came from deep in his chest, Faramir allowed the slender
cock to slip from his lips and he looked up so that he could see Teleziel clearly.
“This is enough for me.”
Teleziel licked his dry lips. “But it is not enough for me.”
Faramir ran his hands over Teleziel’s chest as he rose to his feet. He kissed the Haradrim’s chin, nose, cheeks, and at last, captured his lips for another long kiss. When neither could breathe, he drew back. He stared into the depths of Teleziel’s eyes and then he began unbuckling his armor.
Together, they managed to strip Faramir down to his skin, laying aside armor and clothing gently, as if afraid that it would break if they were careless. Faramir used the time to allow Teleziel to reconsider and Teleziel used the time to compose himself. He wouldn’t admit to Faramir how afraid he was of this intimacy. He wouldn’t cry or shrink away from what Faramir would do to him. Before being raped, he’d only had a vague understanding, but afterwards, he’d known all to well how brutal sex between two men could be. He was afraid of it, but he also desired it greatly and he remained torn between the two. When Faramir took his hand, Teleziel realized how cold his fingers were and tried to smile despite his nervousness. He allowed his lover to lead him to the wide bed and sat on the edge, with his heart thumping loudly and his skin pebbled with goose flesh.
Faramir sat next to Teleziel and draped his arm around the narrow shoulders and nuzzled along the long jaw and around the sensitive ear. “If it becomes too much, I will stop.”
Teleziel nodded and clasped one of Faramir’s hands in his own and kissed it. “I trust you.”
“Good,” said Faramir as he pushed Teleziel back on the bed. He straddled Teleziel’s hips and leaned down to capture his lips in a long, slow kiss. Breaking away, he kissed beneath Teleziel’s jaw and nipped at his earlobe and moved his head so that he could place small bites on the long, slender throat. He sighed when Teleziel tilted his head back, exposing more for him to explore. He sucked and bit harder, scoring the Haradrim with red love-bites, marking him as owned and possessed. His hands, too, did their own exploring, roaming up and down Teleziel’s chest and pinching the dark nipples until they peaked and the Haradrim squirmed. His own erection thickened and drops of pre-cum dripped on to Teleziel’s belly so that their essences mingled on the creamy skin. Lifting his head, Faramir stared for a long moment into Teleziel’s eyes, saw them darken with passion and need, and he lowered his head once more for a lingering kiss before moving down to lick and suck at pebbled nipples, scoring them in the same manner that he’d marked the long, arched throat.
Warmth spread through Teleziel like the gentle spring sun on winter-starved skin. His world narrowed until it excluded everything that was not Faramir. His cock throbbed and lay heavily on his belly and he felt Faramir’s thickness lying against his own and he moaned softly. He grasped his lover’s hair and tugged until Faramir kissed him, branding his lips with fire. Later, when a warm tongue dipped playfully into his navel, he arched up into it with a whimper. And when the gentle probing became an outright assault, plunging in and out, he cried out for more.
Faramir kissed his way from his beloved’s navel to the cock lying heavily on the flat belly. He stroked his tongue up and down the underside and before planting a kiss on the weeping head. He allowed his tongue to follow where his hands led, kissing and tracing the small, pale scars—the grim reminder of Teleziel’s troubled past.
“No.” Teleziel jerked his knees up, catching Faramir hard in the chest. “Don’t.”
Faramir looked at Teleziel through his lashes and saw how his love suffered. “They are a part of you, my love. To deny them is to deny you.”
Hesitating, Teleziel lowered his knees and stared silently at the ceiling. His fists curled into the blankets and his knuckles whitened.
“Relax,” pleaded Faramir as he kissed Teleziel’s thighs. He ran his tongue lightly over the scars, wriggling it into the tight juncture of thigh and groin. Teleziel’s thighs parted a fraction and Faramir nuzzled his way between them, kissing and sucking and biting gently. He knew how much pain Teleziel could withstand, thought he understood where the fine line between pleasure and pain blurred, and he reacted accordingly. He grazed his fingers over the Haradrim’s swollen sac and was rewarded with a strangled whimper. And when he blew warm breath gently over the cherry-red sac, Teleziel hissed. Snaking out his tongue, he touched the tip to them, feeling the heat and tightly drawn skin, tasting salt. Seemingly, Teleziel’s legs drew up on their own, exposing him more fully to Faramir. He grasped the weeping cock lightly and stroked it, just as he’d done that night in the woods, while he continued to nuzzle and kiss the scars along Teleziel’s inner thighs. With his other hand, he moved between his lover’s nether cheeks, stroking the firm mounds gently until Teleziel whimpered and opened his legs wider.
Trembling, Faramir heaved himself from the bed and rubbed at his sweaty face. Desire coursed through him in waves and his self-control was hard pressed. Never before had he met another who made his blood boil like a vat of molten steel. Teleziel opened his eyes and stared at him and he smiled. “Trust me,” he spoke softly as he knelt slowly between Teleziel’s thighs and parted his cheeks with his hands. He listened to Teleziel’s breathing and knew his lover remained prone only through an act of will and so he moved slowly and easily, taking his time, as he lowered his head. His tongue swept over the puckered opening and Teleziel yelped and his thighs twitched against Faramir’s hands, but the Ranger held him still and plunged his tongue deeper, pushing beyond the tight muscles. He wriggled his tongue inside Teleziel until the frightened pants became soft moans and the muscles opened easily to his touch.
Once more, he rose between Teleziel’s thighs, and with one hand, he stroked his erection, smearing his essence along his cock. He watched his lover’s face, searching for signs of resistance, but he found only trust and desire and Faramir sighed with contentment. Pushing Teleziel’s legs as far open as possible, he nudged the small opening with his cock and listened to the Haradrim whimper and watched nervously as long fingers entwined with the blankets. Tears beaded on Teleziel’s lashes and his face first drained of all color and then flushed deep red and he bit down on his bottom lip until a small line of blood appeared. Taking a deep breath, Faramir penetrated Teleziel swiftly and smoothly and then held himself quite still.
Teleziel forced his dark memories to the recesses of his mind and focused only on Faramir. The body over his was one that he loved and the man holding him was not an enemy, not one bent on hurting and humiliating him. Warm kisses rained on his face and he smiled at Faramir.
“I want to give you the pleasure the others denied you,” Faramir whispered between kisses.
When Teleziel mutely nodded, Faramir pushed in deeper, grinding his cock into Teleziel’s opening, searching for the sensitive spot that would turn Teleziel’s plaintive whimpers into cries of passion. Nor did it take him long to find it and in minutes he was thrusting firmly, but gently, in and out of Teleziel’s body as the Haradrim lay beneath him and cried in delighted surprise as the pain was overwhelmed by pleasure.
At last, Teleziel untwisted his hands from the covers and clasped Faramir’s shoulders. His fingers dug deeply into the strong shoulders as he arched his back, pressing his hips against Faramir’s thrusts. No longer did he remember the brutal assault on his body; he only knew the pleasure of Faramir inside him, filling him and pleasuring him. His whole body shook as wave after wave washed over him, turning his youthful fantasies into the most satisfying reality. And just like the night in the woods, Teleziel peaked quickly under Faramir’s ministrations and he cried out loud as his semen coated his abdomen.
Faramir continued to ride Teleziel until he, too, spilled his seed and then he collapsed face down on top of his lover. They lay, sweating and panting, entwined in one another’s arms for a long while. Eventually, Teleziel squirmed and Faramir rolled away.
“How do you feel?”
Teleziel leaned over and kissed Faramir’s cheek. “You should know how I feel, but if you do not then I will tell you. I feel loved and cherished.”
Faramir smiled at that. “Maybe because you are. Come, it is time to sleep now, in each other’s arms, as I have often dreamed of doing with you.”
They straightened the bedcovers and then climbed in side by
side and Teleziel lay with his head on Faramir’s chest and ran his fingers
through the swirling hairs on his lover’s chest.