"I'll be leaving the next day. Are you sure you want to stay here?" Cleven asked, his voice quiet, almost hesitant. "I can take you back to Lunathia before I travel around the continent."
Karin gave a small, wistful smile, though sadness lingered in his eyes. "Yes... I've decided to stay and be Claren's teacher, remember?" he replied softly.
Cleven looked at him for a moment, his gaze unreadable. "And what about your plan?" he asked gently. "To find someone who'll marry you…Maybe that man isn't here in Seravelle."
Karin lowered his eyes, forcing a chuckle that didn't quite reach his heart. "Maybe not.
"How about you marry me?" Karin joked, trying to sound light-hearted, masking the nervous thump in his chest. Deep inside, he
wished, just once, that Cleven would take the question seriously… that he would
see him.
Cleven laughed, shaking his head. "Man, I know you're desperate," he said with a teasing smirk, "but you know I don't swing that way."
Karin laughed too, but it was hollow. The sound barely reached his eyes. His heart ached as if a blade had silently pierced through it, his smile hiding the sting of rejection he had long expected but never stopped fearing.
"Whatever," Karin muttered, forcing a grin. "Let's just drink tonight." He took the glass Cleven handed him, their fingers brushing for a second too long for his heart to bear.
As the alcohol burned down his throat, his mind wandered. How do I make him stay? He had loved Cleven for so long..quietly, painfully. But knowing Cleven didn't like men, he had buried his feelings, pretending they didn't matter. He even tried to move on… with Craige, Cleven's brother. But
that hope shattered the moment Craige chose Luren.
Now, all Karin had left were these fleeting moments beside Cleven, laughing, hurting, pretending.
"Hey, what's with the serious face?" Cleven asked with a crooked smile, wiping the corner of his mouth where a drop of liquor had escaped.
He looked drunk, but he knew his alcohol tolerance well, he was far from losing control.
Karin stared at him, his eyes soft yet intense. Slowly, he raised his hand, cupping Cleven's face gently.
"You're so handsome," he said in a low, serious voice.
Cleven let out a laugh, brushing it off. "Well, thanks. Are you drunk, Karin? Come on, stop drinking." He reached over and took the glass from Karin's hand.
But Karin had reached his limit, not with alcohol, but with holding back. Even if Cleven would hate him afterward, he couldn't stop himself anymore.
He leaned in and pressed his lips against Cleven's.
Cleven's eyes widened in shock, frozen for a moment. Then he gently pushed Karin away.
"Hey! man, what was that?!" he said, visibly confused and stunned. His voice cracked between disbelief and discomfort.
"I like you," Karin said, his voice trembling, eyes glistening. "Please... just accept me. I promise, I'll be good to you."
Tears rolled down his cheeks, raw and unfiltered.
Cleven opened his mouth, but no words came out. He was stunned, his thoughts scattered, heart pounding from the sudden confession.
"You know I don—"
"Why don't we try?" Karin interrupted desperately. "You can think of me as one of your many women... I'll be better. I'll do anything for you."
His voice broke with the weight of longing, pain, and hope all tangled together.
Cleven hesitated. Maybe, if it was just a one-night stand, he could give it a try. But still… he wasn't sure. Could a man even make him
hard?
He glanced at Karin. He was attractive—for a man. Delicate features, expressive eyes… but Cleven couldn't help craving something softer, fuller—something he was used to. His eyes briefly dropped to Karin's chest, the
doubt still lingering in his mind.
Karin seemed to notice. Of course he did. He knew Cleven's preference for women—he used to brag about it every time they met. It was always clear.
"I'm sorry… just forget what I said," Karin muttered, bowing his head. His voice was small, shaky, his confidence shattered, and shame washed over him like a tide he couldn't hold back.
"Hey… wait," Cleven said, gently catching his hand.
A long pause.
"Alright," Cleven finally said, eyes serious. "Let's try it."
Karin's eyes widened. "Are you sure?" he asked, his voice trembling with hope.
Cleven gave a slight nod, guiding him to sit.
"But…" he leaned close, his breath brushing against Karin's ear, voice low and challenging.
"You'll have to make me hard."
Karin nodded with determination, this was his last chance to make Cleven see him, to make him feel something more.
With trembling hands, he cupped Cleven's face and leaned in, pressing his lips to his. But instead of the warmth he hoped for, Cleven suddenly let out a laugh.
"How could you make me hard when you don't even know how to kiss?" he teased.
Karin's face flushed a deep red, his confidence crumbling.
"I'm... sorry," he muttered, eyes dropping in shame. He didn't know what to do next. It was his first time. He was a prince, no one
dared to approach him romantically, let alone teach him how to love.
But Cleven's teasing shifted into something softer.
"Damn, man... you're getting cuter by the second. Come here."
He reached out, gently grabbing the back of Karin's neck and pulling him in. This time, Cleven kissed him, not with mockery, but with warmth. The kiss was tender, his lips coaxing Karin's open, his tongue
exploring the sweet, unfamiliar heat inside.
Karin gasped, his body shivering at the sensation. It spread like electricity through his skin, leaving a trail of tingles in its wake.
"Close your eyes, Karin," Cleven whispered, surprised by how much he was enjoying this...how much he was enjoying him.
Karin obeyed, letting his eyes flutter shut as he wrapped his arms around Cleven's neck. For the first time, he let go of fear and simply
melted into the pleasure Cleven was giving him, warm, sweet, and heart-shaking.
"Remove your clothes," Cleven commanded, his voice low and gentle, almost like a whisper.
Karin obeyed slowly, his hands slightly trembling as he reached for the hem of his shirt. Cleven's gaze locked onto him, intense and unwavering.
Karin was breathtaking, Cleven had to admit it. As each layer of clothing slipped away, Cleven's eyes devoured the sight before him. Karin's frame was slender but graceful, like a dancer caught mid-motion. His pale skin almost glowed under the dim light, smooth and flawless, like porcelain. His
chest was small and flat, but his nipples, hard and blushing pink, drew Cleven's
gaze with a magnetic pull, almost begging to be touched.
Cleven's eyes traveled lower, to the crescent-shaped mark etched faintly into Karin's lower abdomen. It looked like moonlight pressed into skin, delicate, mysterious, and impossibly beautiful.
Karin hesitated at his last barrier, his underwear. His fingers lingered at the waistband, uncertainty flickering in his eyes. What if he turns away after seeing all of me? he wondered. He glanced at Cleven.
But Cleven wasn't turning away. He was waiting..watching..with darkening eyes filled with something new, something hungry.
Cleven felt his breath hitch. The way Karin moved, nervous yet sensual, made his throat dry and his pants tighten unbearably.
Damn, I'm reacting, Cleven thought, stunned. I never thought, I could be turned on this easily… especially by a man.
But Karin wasn't just any man. He was soft, alluring, and unknowingly seductive in every shy glance and hesitant motion
Cleven also removed his clothes. He looked at Karin, who stood hesitantly, the last piece of clothing still clinging to him.
"Come here, Karin," Cleven said, extending his hand. He, too, was only in his underwear now.
Karin walked toward him slowly, placing his hand on Cleven's wide, solid chest.
He had dreamed of this moment, of touching him like this. So he let himself feel what he had always longed for. His hands explored Cleven's warm skin, trailing from his neck to his broad shoulders, down his firm chest,
over the muscles of his abs, and along the sculpted lines of his V. He stopped when his fingers reached the garter of Cleven's underwear. His breath hitched.
Even though Cleven wasn't hard, he was already big. Karin's eyes widened in silent awe.
"Why don't you take it off?" Cleven asked with a smirk, his voice low as he pulled Karin closer by the waist, inhaling the sweet scent that had been driving him crazy since earlier.
Karin looked up at him, his voice barely a whisper. "You're not… hard?" His tone trembled with disappointment.
It felt like a blade had cut into his chest. Did he really have no effect on Cleven at all?
"Why don't you try waking it up?" Cleven whispered, his voice laced with heat as he pressed soft kisses along Karin's cheek, down to his ear, then slowly trailed to the sensitive skin of his neck. He lingered
there, biting and sucking gently, leaving a trail of warmth and shivers behind.
At the same time, he guided Karin's hand to his growing arousal.
Karin's breath hitched as his fingers wrapped around Cleven's shaft. He began to stroke him slowly, his grip tightening slightly as
he felt it throb and swell in his hand. A shy smile curved his lips as he picked up the pace, watching Cleven's expression darken with pleasure.
"You're doing so good," Cleven murmured between shallow breaths, before capturing Karin's lips in a deep, hungry kiss, one that left no part of him unexplored, claiming him with every press of their mouths.