Needless to say, Canute just wanted to wrap Haru in his arms and go to bed for as many days as they could.

And so, they did. A full eighteen hours later, Canute finally rose from his sound, restful, dreamless sleep, to Haru resting in the crook of his arm, a cheek pressed right against Canute’s naked chest, and arms wrapped around his broad back.

That, and Canute could feel the stirring of a slightly protruding erection up against Haru’s thigh.

Canute didn’t care about anything more than that at the moment. He’d gone home through Lady Himiko’s powers, and left her and her people to deal with their mess. Perhaps the first, selfish thing he’d done this entire time was to ignore absolutely everyone—even himself, ironically—to bring Haru to bed and actually spend time with his Kindred.

Fuck everything else.

Haru’s eyelashes fluttered and his eyes slowly opened. When they did, he smiled.

Canute couldn’t help but smile right back.

“You’re here.” Haru’s voice was reverent and soft as a whisper.

“I am,” Canute replied. “You saved me.”

“You almost died,” Haru shot back. He frowned.

Canute chuckled. “But I didn’t.”

“But you almost did.”

“But I didn’t,” Canute answered, his voice as even as it could be in spite of the good humor he felt. “We can argue back and forth like this all evening, mon coeur, but it only matters that we both survived,” Canute whispered back, leaning in to press his nose against Haru’s in an Eskimo kiss.

“What happened to Lady Himiko?” Haru asked.

“She’s fine. Everything’s fine. Everything is okay now,” Canute whispered. “At least, that’s what I hope. But we can think about that later. We can deal with all of that later. Right now, you’re the only one that matters to me. I ache for you. I need you.”

“You have need of me?” Haru asked. He tilted his head.

“No, mon coeur,” Canute whispered, shaking his head. “I need you. There’s a difference.”

“But… you also have need of me?” Haru asked, offering a slight, mischievous smile.

The soft glow of the moon from the window made Haru look even more beautiful. The golden tint complimented porcelain skin so wonderfully that it forced Canute to follow his baser instincts, and lean down to press a kiss against his Kindred’s forehead, down to Haru’s cheeks, and finally to the crook of the kami’s neck. “I do.”

Haru let out a soft, light peal of laughter. “Your beard tickles.”

At that, Canute made an even stronger effort to gently rub his hair-grizzled cheeks and chin against Haru. The kami’s grin became even wider than ever, bigger than when they first met, and even bigger than when they first made love.

“Mon coeur, your smile is blinding,” Canute said, finally pulling away from peppering butterfly kisses all over Haru’s neck and shoulder. “I hope this means you’re happy.”

“I am,” Haru answered. “Perhaps I feel even happier now because I finally see how wide your own smile actually is. You look like you’re unfettered by any weight on your shoulders. It makes me see just how handsome you truly are.”

“I hope that doesn’t mean you didn’t find me handsome before,” Canute muttered.

Haru shrugged. “You were always handsome. I was entranced by you the moment I saw you. Besides, I like seeing how happy you are.”

Canute grinned even wider. “I suppose joy like this has to be shared.”

And all at once, Canute descended upon his Kindred. He gently caressed Haru’s cheek, down to the crook of his jaw, and finally to the middle of his chest. A thumb skimmed over one nipple and then the other. Haru’s skin turned a darker shade of soft pink at Canute’s touch.

“Gods, you’re beautiful,” Canute whispered. He moved down, pressing his lips against the lithe sinew of Haru’s body. Everywhere Canute kissed, little gooseflesh appeared on the kami’s body. Haru was so smooth and soft, and he tasted so sweet.

Haru bit down on his lower lip and shuffled his weight, wiggling in place slowly. He brought both arms above his head and let out a gasp of enjoyment, especially when Canute’s lips grazed over a nipple, and then the other. When Canute looked into his Kindred’s eyes, and noted every little reaction on his face, from the way his skin turned a shade of pink to the little quiver in his lips. It made Canute want to see how many other beautiful reactions he could bring out of his lover. Canute moved down from darting his tongue against Haru’s nipple, moving all the way downward until he could dip his tongue into Haru’s navel.

“You taste so good, mon coeur,” Canute said. “But I think I’m going to want something more substantial.” At this, he gently nuzzled into Haru’s naked crotch, pressing her nose

“Your words are so embarrassing,” Haru whispered. “But this feels so good. Please, don’t stop.”

“I don’t plan to.”

Canute smiled and brought himself down over Haru’s lower body. He licked and kissed wherever he could, even rubbing his beard up against every nook and cranny of his Kindred that he could do that to. “I love you, mon coeur.”

Gods, his cock was harder than a boulder now, he could have probably used it as a weapon.

Against Haru’s purity, even.

He wrapped his lips around the tip of Haru’s cock and hollowed out his cheeks, letting the long, resounding slurp fill the air between them. The kami gasped loudly.

Canute wondered how he was going to take his lover when he saw the little bottle of scented body oils to the side of the bed. Whoever cleaned up their room knew, obviously, what was going to happen in it.

The body oil Canute pulled toward him smelled of peppermint, and felt just the slightest bit of hot and cold against his fingertips. It was just perfect—a different first time for the both of them. But above all else, it was the perfect way for Canute to help his Kindred relax while he gently, languidly suckled on the kami’s rapidly engorging shaft.

Canute spread the oil over two of his fingertips and pressed it right against Haru’s entrance. He traced his fingertips around the little pucker before pushing against the resistance. Canute popped free from the turgid definition of Haru’s length and whispered against his navel. “Relax, mon coeur. Let me in…there. Right there.”

The slow, insistent pressure of Canute’s fingers pushed into his Kindred’s ear. Haru gasped, and arched his body upward.

“Ah!” Haru said, and Canute felt a bit of gooseflesh begin to pop out around his Kindred’s ass.

The vampire grinned. The oil was working.

Canute continued his lazy, morning lovemaking by spreading kisses and licking the tip of Haru’s shaft, down to the little indentation at the tip, right into the hole at the slit. The entire time, he watched every little reaction that came from his Kindred. Every slight gasp and every gentle bite of Haru to his lower lip let Canute know he was doing good, and when he felt that little gland inside of Haru and his little kami suddenly moaned, he knew he found the jackpot.

With an audible pop, Canute pulled free from Haru’s cock and smiled. “Did you like that?”

“Please, do it again,” Haru whispered, his voice softer than ever. “O-Oh…”

And so, Canute did. He gently pressed forward, and finally pulling away from Haru’s now-spit-glistened shaft, he sprayed more oil onto his palm and started coating his cock with it.  Canute was excited, and though he wanted to prepare Haru, he was also anxious to finally claim his lover the way he wanted, the way it was intended—so that Canute knew their bond would fully form between them.

Canute went back to gently pressing his fingers into Haru’s warmth, making little scissoring motions with his fingers and even adding a third to make sure it was stretched enough for him.

  “Are you ready for this, mon coeur?”

As soon as Haru nodded his assent, Canute felt his heart skip a beat.

It was time now. Haru was ready. Canute was ready, too. He had been reluctant in the beginning, and so had Haru. But now…they were ready.

Maybe the threat of losing each other forever was enough of a threat to make Canute want this—to make him want Haru?

No, Canute shouldn’t be thinking about that. He had a Kindred to love on.

Canute slowly retracted his fingers, bracing himself against Haru. He lifted both of the kami’s legs up and placed them on either side of his shoulders, and pressed a kiss onto both leg.

The tip of his cock pressed right up against Haru’s hole. Canute took a deep breath.

And then he pressed himself forward.

Haru’s eyes widened. “Oh… Oh.”

Canute heaved and panted, gently pressing a kiss against Haru’s ankle. His hips moved forward in slow, measured strokes, always gauging his Kindred’s reactions.

But the Gods, did this feel good.

Haru’s body was squeezing around Canute’s cock perfectly. And with every slow forward stroke, Canute moved himself further and further forward into Haru’s body, sinking into his lover’s heated tightness.

Finally, his balls pressed right up against Haru’s rear, and then he started moving in slow, languid strokes. Canute tried to be as gentle as he possibly could, even in the grips of such exquisite pleasure. His pace was even, he kept a slow, sinuous rhythm, and he made extra sure to pay attention to Haru’s face to make sure he was on the right track.

Haru’s face had become a myriad of different reactions. Parted lips, eyebrows knit together, eyes glazed—he was breathing heavily. His cock lay on top of his pelvis, pointing straight at his navel. The moans coming from his kami’s lips were light and airy. His own body moved in unison with Canute’s.

The kami was even clenching his rear a bit, and it made Canute groan and bite down on his lower lip. Gods, he wanted to let his inner self free, and just passionately rut into Haru over and over, but he couldn’t.

Canute had more self-control and respect for his lover than that. Besides, he didn’t want to scare Haru. He wanted this to be good.

When Haru finally dragged his nails over Canute’s chest, the vampire was about fifty percent sure he could move faster. It was only a moment later, underneath a hushed whisper, that Canute let go.

“More,” Haru moaned. “Please.”

The whimpers that came from Canute’s kami became louder and louder as he started to move faster and faster. If Canute concentrated, he could even here the soft squelch of his cock pushing into the warm, moist tunnel of Haru’s body.

Over, and over, Canute thrusted, and finally he lowered Haru’s legs on either side but pressed his much larger, more muscular body right up against his smooth, porcelain-like lover’s. Gods, just the slightest sensation of Haru’s smoothness was enough to make Canute’s body go haywire.

“I’m close,” Canute whispered, his breathing hitched as he could feel the pleasure course through him, making him close his eyes and lick his lips. Haru’s response was instantaneous, a gentle undulation of his hips forward, making Canute smile.

“You’re so…large,” Haru whispered. “I feel so full inside. But…good. It feels good.”

Haru was still making sense, and that meant Canute still needed to do a better job. His thrusts became just the slightest bit erratic, moving his hips around to try to find the perfect angle. The shifts were just ever so slight, but maybe they would be enough to stretch Haru a little wider and to make him feel just how big Canute actually was, and how connected the two of them actually were.

Canute grinned. “Do I make you feel good, mon coeur? Like this?” Canute slid forward as he said this, thrusting himself and letting his balls slap against the bottom of Haru’s rear.

Haru gasped and nodded. “Yes. Just like that. It’s touching something inside…Oh.”

That’s right, mon coeur. Jackpot.

Canute placed a kiss against Haru’s cheek, jubilant that he’d found that sensitive part of Haru once more. He slowly ran the sides of his fingers down the kami’s cheek, and to his chin. “I love you,” Canute whispered, rocking his hips forward and back, sliding his cock forward into Haru’s heated depths. More than once, he had to do another squirt of the oil just to help make things slide smoothly between the two of them.

Then, he continued to thrust, to claim, to master and really map out his Kindred’s body over, and over, and over.

Still, the words he uttered bared repeating. Canute leaned in to whisper against Haru’s ear. “I love you.”

Haru smiled. He pressed his hand against Canute’s chest, keeping him from moving for just the briefest moment. “You only say that now because you’ve finally had me.”

“And I’ll have you many more times, for as long as you’ll have me.”

Haru bit on his lower lip. “Then it means it’ll be forever.”

Canute smirked. “Forever it is, mon coeur.”

Canute felt his fangs begin to come out on their own volition, and he immediately pierced Haru’s neck and felt the sweet, crimson nectar of Haru’s blood trickle against his tongue. He only needed to take a bit—just the tiniest bit—but the taste of his Kindred was addictive. It was delicious. It gave Canute a strength that he didn’t know he could have.

But most of all, it made him feel Haru. Not just from where he was connected, with his cock in Haru’s ass, but also through his blood, pulsing, ebbing, echoing against Canute’s fangs.

Canute felt the tension and pressure inside his body let loose. Rope after rope of thick seed—pent up from days of not touching his Kindred, and even then, this was the first time Haru had let him do this—suddenly burst forth from his body, and in that moment, it felt as though he was one with the cosmos.

He hadn’t even realized that through the throes of passion, Haru had already painted the space between them with his seed, making their bodies stick together lewdly.

But at that moment, Canute couldn’t care less.

He finally had Haru completely, and everything was all right with the world.

Now, they could focus on what was to come…together.