The flush on his cheeks raced down his body, a pleasant, glowing flush diffusing his olive skin. A shiver chased after it. Thomas's soft, worried voice and the confessing words were no surprise, he was as cautious and nervous as Krem had been his first time. But the way he looked at Krem, the noise he made, was almost enough to unwind him.

"We don't have to," Krem said, but it was a careful thing, barely held together at the edges, his thoughts frayed with desire. He carded his fingers through Thomas's hair. "This is all more than I'd thought--I wasn't expecting anything. It feels amazing."

He kissed Thomas's forehead. "You feel amazing, Thomas. Your fingers... Maker."