Helios moaned hoarsely, his body tensing under the force of pleasure as the orgasm swept over him like a wave. Every muscle trembled, every breath was a shiver. Dante held him tightly, pulling him close with one hand as if he never wanted to let him go again. The other hand slid insistently over Helios' heated skin, enclosing his shaft and mercilessly teasing him further, even though Helios had just come.
His lips once again found Helios' neck, where dark marks already bloomed—marks Dante had left behind with proud satisfaction. He gently nibbled at Helios, sending fresh shivers through his lover's body. Each time he branded this fair, flawless skin filled him with a certain pride. Even if the traces faded as if nothing had happened, he ceaselessly marked Helios as his own.
Sweat trickled in thin lines over their bodies, pressing them skin to skin. Helios' breath came in ragged, uneven bursts, as if he could barely draw enough air. His whole body quivered, fingers digging deep into Dante's forearm, desperately seeking support. They had long since passed the point where Helios could have managed even a single coherent sentence.
At least here in Dante's apartment, they could let go and be as loud as they wished. Unlike in the laboratory or the Vale estate. It was truly a shame they couldn't show their relationship openly because of Vale.
Helios' body slackened briefly in Dante's arms, panting, gasping for oxygen. Dante chuckled softly, almost tenderly.
He really has no stamina… he thought amused, holding him tighter so he wouldn't collapse completely. Likely, Helios was only able to stay upright because Dante was supporting him.
Yet Dante's hips found their relentless rhythm, driving deep again and again into that slender, so breathtakingly sensitive body. Knowing full well he was buried so deeply inside his lover that his movements might even be visible. After all, Helios was damn slim, with not an ounce of extra flesh on him. Though he certainly could have used a little more.
He rested his forehead against Helios' neck as that tingling sensation spread once more through his lower belly.
Helios wanted him to love him until he couldn't hold himself together anymore. A wish Dante was only too glad to grant.
"D-Dante…!" Helios gasped breathlessly, his voice trembling. "W-wait…! I can't...!"
But his body betrayed him. He clenched tightly around Dante's hardness again, far too responsive for someone claiming he couldn't go on. Dante kissed his skin with a smile, letting his teeth graze playfully over the red marks.
"For someone who says he can't go on, you're still talking way too much," he murmured roughly. "You've definitely got more left in you."
Helios' cry was a mix of pleasure and protest as another climax shook him. Dante had long since lost track of how many times they'd done it. In any case, long enough that Helios' insides would surely remember his shape for the coming week.
Dante was breathing hard, panting, a crooked smile spreading across his face.
"Do you regret your wish?" he teased, thrusting deeper until he felt he must have reached the very limits of endurance.
"Y-you and your damn monster stamina!" Helios cried, his voice breaking, before another wave crashed over him.
He was far too sensitive. Helios' heart pounded impossibly fast, his body pulsing tightly around Dante. Every pulse drove Dante further over the edge toward his own release.
"Earlier you said you liked it," Dante panted teasingly.
Helios didn't answer. His body still trembled in Dante's arms, so weak that Dante almost believed he had passed out—if not for that faint, broken moan escaping his throat. Dante licked at his ear, nibbled softly at the sensitive flesh, while the waves of his own climax tore through him. Helios shuddered faintly.
Tenderly, Dante lifted his chin and sealed Helios' lips in a kiss so passionate that his body immediately tried to respond again. But Helios' tongue moved only sluggishly, tiredly, like a weak flicker after a storm. A glance at the clock told Dante it was already well past two in the morning.
His hips now thrust only slowly, gently, letting their orgasms ebb away together.
It was enough. Helios had had enough—and Dante too had gotten far more than he had expected. He was glad they'd at least had the sense to lay down a towel beneath them, otherwise he'd have to change the sheets before they could sleep.
"Enough…" Helios whispered breathlessly. His voice was cracked, but full of quiet satisfaction.
"Want to take a quick shower?" Dante asked, kissing him softly on the lips.
Helios shook his head weakly and murmured: "I can't walk anymore."
Dante chuckled quietly. Gently, he withdrew from him, lowering him slowly back onto the mattress. Helios lay on his back, his face still streaked with tears the tears ecstasy had forced from him. His eyes, red and hazy with lust, fixed on Dante. In them lay exhaustion, devotion, and a lingering disbelief at how completely he had lost control over his own body. He breathed heavily, struggling to steady his rhythm.
Dante looked at him with an expression caught between tenderness and pride.
He had completely overstimulated Helios.
Maybe he had gone a little overboard, after Helios had begged him again and again to keep going. Dante's stamina was far greater than Helios', but his lover's libido easily kept up where his body gave out.
"Wait here," Dante said with a smile. "I'll run us a bath."
He stood and stretched. He felt tired and yet unbelievably refreshed at the same time. The walk to the bathroom felt almost weightless. Soon warm water was rushing into the tub, and shortly afterward he sank into it together with Helios.
The bathtub was really too small for him. With Helios inside as well, they barely had space. Helios closed his eyes and leaned wearily against Dante's chest, as if that was where he belonged. But it was precisely this closeness that made the moment so pleasantly intimate. They didn't speak. Only the trickling of the water and the steady sound of their breathing filled the room. Dante wrapped his arms around him, absently tracing his thumb over Helios' thigh, savoring this moment of silence.
Only after a while, when the warmth had almost lulled him to sleep, did Helios break the comfortable stillness between them.
"I'll tell him later that I'll continue the Sentinel Project."
Right. He had said before that he would give in to his father with the Soley Project so they could help the test subjects. But the name Sentinel Project confused him.
Dante lifted his head in surprise. "The Sentinel Project?" he asked, voicing his confusion.
Helios nodded. "That's what he called the Soley Project."
For a moment Dante was silent, his expression darkening. "Are you really sure?" he asked seriously. "I don't want to pressure you. Even though… I really do feel sorry for those people."
The whole matter had a bitter aftertaste, and his chest grew heavy when he thought about what they had found in Soley itself. Guilt washed over him. Guilt that even the heat of the water couldn't wash away.
"My opinion hasn't changed since earlier," Helios said softly. His voice was tired, yet carried by a gentle resolve. "I can see how much this is eating you up inside."
"Please, stop it if he tries to force you into more," Dante urged. His fingers unconsciously tightened on Helios' arm, as if touch alone could protect him.
Helios smiled faintly. "There's no easy way out of this for me, unless enough time passes before I can end it. I don't know how quickly I'll be able to shut down the experiments, and until then there's nothing I can do but at least ease their pain. They shouldn't have to be aware of it. Not if they're innocent."
"I'm sorry, Helios," Dante murmured. He embraced him.
He felt unbearably guilty. Dante was fully aware that Helios was only doing all of this for him. They couldn't foresee what awaited them. How long would Vale leave Helios alone—at least together with his mother? It was impossible to know.
"Don't worry. It's not a problem, even if I really don't feel like it," Helios said in a casual tone. And yet Dante couldn't help but remember how fragile Helios had seemed when he told him about his mother.
He thought of the uncertainty in Helios' eyes when he spoke of his father's request to continue the Soley experiments. The fear when he asked him if he wanted to become mortal again.
At least he could stay by Helios' side and protect him if necessary. Even if he didn't believe Vale would harm him physically. After all, he loved his son, and Thomas had confirmed exactly that—though Dante had almost stormed into the dining hall to pull Helios out.
A sudden growl interrupted his thoughts. Helios grimaced. "Guess I should've eaten more," he sighed with a hint of regret.
"Thomas gave me a lunch pack."
Helios gave a faint smile. "The old man really thinks of everything."
"He cares about you."
"I know," Helios said softly. "Even if I never quite know how much I can trust him. He still answers to Father, not me."
"The chain of command doesn't change personal feelings."
"You're probably right," Helios said quietly. He turned his head so he could look at Dante. "I'm glad I don't have to deal with this mess alone."
"I couldn't leave you alone. Not when you're only doing all this for me."
A weak kiss followed, brief but full of tenderness. Helios looked exhausted, but in his eyes flashed a trace of defiance.
"He deserves a lesson. Just imagine how furious he'll be when I start dismantling all his little side projects one after another. I'm actually starting to enjoy this," he grinned mischievously. "Maybe I'll even find a real antidote in the process. Then we could decide anytime we want when to become mortal again."
"As long as you don't put yourself in danger, that sounds pretty good."
"I'm quite good at keeping secrets. He won't learn anything about my plans," Helios promised. Then he grinned again. "And if I really am immortal, there's nothing he can do to me anyway."
"Don't say that so lightly. There are other ways he can hurt you," Dante warned.
A dull ache pierced his chest as he heard Helios' words. Helios healed faster than he did, his regeneration was almost frightening. But Helios still doubted whether he was truly immortal. That uncertainty gnawed at his own chest as well. Helios joked that he'd have to die to turn theory into fact—but neither of them wanted to put it to the test.
Even if Helios was right.
If it were up to Dante, they could just wait twenty years and see if Helios aged. There were safer methods than simply killing him.
Helios leaned back against Dante's chest with a sigh. He chuckled softly.
"Bathing together really isn't bad. I'm seriously thinking about buying a bigger tub so we both fit better. You're just too big—in more ways than one," Helios said in a teasing tone.
"Is that a complaint?" Dante asked with a smile.
"Maybe."
"Maybe you haven't had enough if you can already start getting cheeky again," Dante murmured in amusement and playfully bit his ear.
Helios laughed quietly. "No, I've had more than enough. I just want something to eat and then lie down. My legs are nothing but pudding now."
"Are you sure? I'm strong enough to hold you up."
"Tempting," Helios admitted, and Dante could hear the tired smile in his voice. "But I don't want to be late for the lab tomorrow."
"Too bad," Dante said with mock disappointment, though his gaze remained full of warmth.
Helios sighed again, this time in contentment. "We should come back here soon. Somehow I like not having to hold back. And it's nice that no one can hear us."
Dante chuckled softly. "I'm not so sure about that. Probably half the neighborhood heard you."
"If that's an attempt to embarrass me, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you," Helios replied with a laugh.
"Never," Dante whispered seriously, stroking his cheek gently. "I love every single sound you make."
A brief moment of silence. Then: "Dante?"
"Hm?"
"Thank you."
Dante blinked in surprise. "No problem, but what are you thanking me for?"
"For many things," Helios said evasively. "If I listed them all, the water would be cold. Speaking of which—didn't you just mention that Thomas gave you something to eat?"
"Yes, and it wasn't exactly a small amount," Dante agreed.
He felt so pleasantly warm with Helios that he simply savored the moment. He wanted to know exactly what Helios was thanking him for, but it wasn't really important. As long as he was by his side, everything was fine. Maybe he was becoming possessive—but wasn't that normal at the beginning of a relationship?
"He knows exactly how much you can eat," Helios chuckled. "He probably packed enough for three days."
"Probably," Dante smiled.
He kissed Helios tenderly on the crown of his head, inhaling the familiar scent of his skin. He didn't want to let him go. His slender body fit perfectly against him, as if made to rest in Dante's arms.
Dante loved this feeling more than anything else in the world.