Happy Valentine's Day, Gang Gang!

Established MikaKurda. Takes place between Call It What You Want and Endgame, AKA when they're happy. In which Roxy tries to write smut but doesn't really commit all the way. It's all pretty vague. We can have a little Valentine's Day sugar... as a treat.

There's a snippet in here that I actually wrote way back in the summer to use as a flashback scene but it never ended up fitting anywhere so I saved it... and this turned out to be the perfect occasion. I expanded on it by a few thousand words and here we are.

Song: This Charming Life by Joan Armatrading.

Enjoy!

I wanna be with you all the time
Every day
Every night
You're my deja vu

It's sounds obsessive
But I think it's fine
When you're gone all I do is to think of you

For someone with the seemingly gods-given audacity to be good at everything, Mika Ver Leth was shockingly bad at setting any semblance of boundaries between work and his personal life.

It wasn't that Kurda had any hard feelings about that - he knew exactly what he was getting into when he officially got together with Mika. That's just basic Dating A Vampire Prince 101 - they have a lot going on. Like, constantly.

Kurda knew full well it was not, and would never be Mika's intention to make him feel neglected. Mika had responsibilities that Kurda couldn't imagine, even as he hit his prime as a top General. And he knew that sometimes Mika wanted nothing more than to take a day off from all that every once in a while and just spend the whole day in the coffin - gods knew he deserved a break. But the truth of the matter was, for all the power and respect he wielded, Mika didn't feel like he had a choice in the matter.

So he tried to balance it all out. When their schedules permitted, they made sure to eat together in the Hall of Khledon Lurt. But the problem is that everywhere Mika goes, his entourage follows whether he wants them to or not. Could be guards, mountain staff asking his opinion on things, Generals trying to kiss his ass, random vampires with random questions about random shit. And most importantly, Arrow. Mika's entourage almost always includes Arrow - and not just because they're platonic boyfriends (at least, that's how Kurda refers to them). The nature of their roles requires a lot of collaboration, so for all intents and purposes Kurda is also dating Arrow by association. To his immense chagrin.

That particular month was extremely grueling. Not for any discernible reason, it wasn't even a council year. There was just a lot going on in Vampire Mountain. So by the time Mika and Kurda crawled into the coffin at the end of a typical work night, physical intimacy was the last thing on either of their minds.

And that's saying a lot, because that's historically uncharacteristic of either of them. Lately it was all they could do to sleep for a few hours before getting back at it.

Two weeks.

Fourteen days.

Three hundred and thirty six hours.

That was how long it had been since they'd gotten intimate.

So Kurda took matters into his own hands.

He had he idea while they were having a quick meal with Mika, during which Kurda spent the entire time listening to Arrow yak relentlessly about a new Trial of Initiation idea he had, which involved essentially rafting down the underground river on a plank of wood. What an idiot.

Mika nodded along as Arrow thought out loud and Kurda discreetly rolled his eyes. Then a few Generals overheard Arrow's grand plan and flocked to the table to eagerly give their support. Then their time was up, and it was back to work. Kurda and Mika got to exchange maybe a dozen words with each other. As Mika got up from the table, he caught Kurda's eye and smiled apologetically. Kurda smiled back, but it was forced and Mika knew it. He paused for a moment as Arrow and the others carried on.

"I'm sorry, babe." Said Mika ruefully. "I know it's been one of those weeks. I love you. It'll get better."

"I know." Kurda sighed. "You have nothing to apologize for. You're doing your job, as you should be."

"I'd rather be doing something else." Mika replied, rather pointedly and maybe even a little bitterly. He raised an eyebrow and Kurda smirked despite himself.

"It's okay, Mika. I promise." Said Kurda gently. "Go do your thing. I'm sure someone somewhere is waiting for you."

"Prospective Generals, to be specific." Mika clarified. "You know how it is... always have to be on the lookout for the next me."

"Why, so you can kill him?" Said Kurda with a mischievous grin. Mika laughed, and the sound made Kurda's heart and soul light up from the inside out.

"Yeah." Mika chuckled. "Exactly that. There can only be one."

"Thank the gods." Kurda teased. "This clan isn't ready for two of you."

"I'll see you at the round table meeting later tonight?" Mika asked.

"Absolutely. Now get out of here and go be Sire Ver Leth."

Mika rolled his eyes and smiled as he always did when Kurda playfully addressed him by his proper title. But his smile looked slightly strained and Kurda knew Mika was just as frustrated with the endless chaos.

"Miss you. See you later." Said Mika quietly. He kissed Kurda, and carried on his way. As Mika was halfway to the door, Kurda noticed he'd forgotten some paperwork on the table. Kurda drew breath to call Mika back for it, but then he paused. His mental gears began turning.

He glanced through the paperwork, it was all notes from Mika's earlier meetings. Kurda would make sure they got back to him later; he'd need them.

Then Kurda found the schedule. He read over it and was once again reminded exactly how much the Princes really did for the clan. Mika was right, it wasn't all power and glory.

6:00-6:30 (Hall of Princes) - Nightly briefing w/Paris & Arrow.
6:30-9:00 (Hall of Princes) - Meeting w/Gen. Purl, Irve, Fenwick re: repairs to Way Stations 500 and 515 (reported avalanche damage), also possible construction of new stations in Zones 8, 11, and 24. Note: discuss other potential locations.
9:00-10:30 (Hall of Rush Flon'x) - Meeting w/Vanez re: amendments to General training standards. (See next page for discussion points).
10:30-11:00 (Hall of Baker Wrent) - review blueprints for new bars setup w. chief carpenters and Vanez. Note: bar setup should aim for completion at least 6mo in advance of council.
11:00-11:30 (Hall of Khledon Lurt) - Eat Something.
11:30-2:00 (All Sporting Halls) - Prospective General prospect assessments. Observe & take notes. See Vanez for name list.
2:00-3:00 (Hall of Osca Velm) - Meeting w. Gen. Azerion, Warwent, Sails, Barclay re: prospect assessment reviews.
3:00-4:30 (Storage Cavern 3C) - Tour w. Seba re: potential safety hazards. Discuss/coordinate solutions as needed.
4:30-5:00 (Hall of Khledon Lurt) - Eat Something.
5:00-? (Hall of Princes) - Weekly Round Table Meeting - all Princes/all Generals currently in Vamp Mtn.
Items to review:
- Mad vampaneze sightings in Northern Ireland. (Gen Purl presenting)
- Possible amendments to flitting bylaws. (Gen Hoff presenting)
- Potential new Trials of Initiation to add? Current Trials to retire? (Sire Arrow presenting)
- Open floor to additional questions/concerns.

It was quite a list, that was certain. Kurda would have made a point of returning it to Mika immediately - but he knew for a fact that Mika had the entire thing memorized and almost certainly wouldn't miss it.

Sure enough, he heard Mika's voice in his mind within minutes.

MVL: Babe, I left my paperwork and schedule on the table.

KS: I noticed. Either you're really tired or you're getting forgetful in your old age.

MVL: Dick.

KS: Funny, I was just thinking about that.

MVL: Can you not send my mind to the gutter while I'm watching General prospects beat each other up?

KS: Sorry. I can bring your paperwork down if you want.

MVL: It's fine. I don't need it right now. If you can bring it to the meeting later that'd be great.

KS: Of course. See you then.

Kurda would return Mika's schedule, alright. But first, he'd make a slight revision.

I live and love with you
This charming life

I live and love with you
This charming life

Fast forward a few hours. Kurda arrived at the round table meeting five minutes late, hair still damp from a waterfall shower, and most importantly... wearing one of Mika's t-shirts shirts. All of this was one hundred percent on purpose.

It's important to note that, for reasons science can't explain, there's nothing in the known universe that sends Mika over the edge quite like the sight of Kurda wearing black. His normally impressive level of cool-headed restraint is reduced to what you'd expect from a kid in a candy store. A fat kid. with no parents in sight, and the candy is free. His brain more or less stops functioning, in the most endearing way possible (Kurda's opinion).

So Kurda strolled on in five minutes after the meeting had started, the silver ring Mika had given him, which he wore on a chain around his neck, standing out dazzlingly against the black shirt Kurda. Mika's shirts were all a little too big for Kurda and this one was no exception. But he remedied that by tying a little knot in the hem. So the sleeves and neckline fit loosely, but now at least the waistline was flattering. Quite flattering, in fact. Kurda wasn't one to overhype himself, but as he checked himself out in the mirror before heading up here... he had to admit he looked good.

If this didn't get him laid, there was no hope.

Mika shot Kurda a quick half-glance as he sat down, knowing better than to pay too much extra attention to his significant other in a situation when he was required to be professional. They were both on the same page in that regard - as long as the clan's eyes were on them, they had to conduct themselves with decorum to reassure their colleagues their relationship existed separately from their political careers.

"You're late, General Smahlt." Mika remarked almost boredly as he wrote something in his meeting notes. Kurda said nothing, and took a seat directly across from Mika.

"Apologies, Sire Ver Leth." Kurda replied evenly, drawing out the last three words and enjoying the way they tasted on his tongue. "Here's your paperwork." He added, sliding the small stack of sheets across the table to Mika. The schedule was at the very top, folded in half.

Mika reached over and grabbed them with an appreciative nod, made direct eye contact with Kurda and seemed to freeze for a moment, taking in the sight of blond General. Those huge blue eyes, the platinum hair Mika couldn't get enough of - seeming even brighter than usual against the backdrop of that fucking black shirt. And seeing that ring, his ring, glimmering there on Kurda's chest was the absolute cherry on top of the metaphorical ice cream sundae he was just dying to dive into - but couldn't. Not right now.

Kurda watched with pleasure as Mika mentally checked out of the meeting for a solid minute, pupils noticeably dilated. But Kurda had to give Mika credit for maintaining his usual businesslike demeanour - at least on the outside. If he didn't know Mika as well as he did, he never would've caught on to the fact that he was suddenly very distracted.

KS: Put your eyeballs back into your head, Sire. You have a meeting to run.

MVL: I could lay you down on this table right here and now.

KS: Wish you would.

MVL: Don't tempt me.

KS: Look at your schedule.

Mika narrowed his eyes almost imperceptibly at Kurda as the meeting continued obliviously around them. Then he reached for the schedule. Kurda watched in silent satisfaction as Mika's eyes roamed all the way down the page. And it was painfully apparent when he noticed the addition Kurda made, because he had to casually cover his mouth with his hand and Kurda knew how hard he was working to stifle a laugh.

10:00 - ? ( Sire Ver Leth's Coffin) - Meeting w. Gen. Smahlt re: fucking rail me already

That was the amendment Kurda made to Mika's almighty schedule.

Mika slowly looked up from the piece of paper in his hands and locked his steely, storm-grey eyes onto Kurda's from across the table. Mika's composure was admirable as ever, but Kurda could tell he was starting to unravel a bit.

MVL: I am going to do unspeakable things to you tonight.

KS: Unspeakable? Try me.

MVL: Fine.

Mika kept his eyes laser-focused on Kurda as he telepathically described every last exquisitely intimate thing he was going to do as soon as they were alone together, down to the nitty-gritty details. Kurda had to admit his pulse was racing at the prospect of it. This would more than make up for two weeks of neglect. Any man can talk a big game, but Kurda happened to know for a fact that Mika was fully capable of delivering on every last dirty promise he was making, and then some.

MVL: How's that for unspeakable?

KS: Bring it on. You should probably get your head back in the game, though.

MVL: Oh, you want to talk about head game?

KS: No, seriously. Paris is talking to you.

Watching Mika's face instantly go from "I'm going to wreck you so hard you won't be able to walk tomorrow" to "Oh gods oh fuck I'm still in a meeting" was quite possibly the best entertainment Kurda had in years. It was just that Mika was very difficult to catch unaware, much less fluster. It simply didn't happen. It was nigh impossible to throw him off his game. But Kurda managed.

"Sorry, what?" Said Mika, louder than normal, as he whipped around sharply to look at Paris. A subtle pink tinge crept into his cheeks. And that said it all; he was never one to blush.

Point to Kurda.

Paris didn't seem all that bothered but he raised one white eyebrow in light amusement. In all likelihood, the ancient Prince probably had a pretty good idea of what had been going on. Not much got past him. But everyone else seemed completely oblivious.

"I was just saying it would probably be wise to be pro-active and send a few Generals out to assess the situation." Said Paris patiently. "Do you agree?"

"Yes. Definitely." Said Mika, not skipping a beat. At least, not any more than he'd already skipped. "Let's send Purl - he's the one who reported the issue, and he knows the area well."

"As you wish, Sire." Said Gavner with an eager smile.

"Take some trainees with you too." Mika added. "Vanez can go over their individual stats with you, and you can pick whoever you want. We trust to to get this handled."

Once that was settled, Mika's eyes flicked back to Kurda.

MVL: That was close.

KS: Yikes. Try not to embarrass me, babe.

MVL: I'm going to destroy you for that.

KS: Promise?

You know you came into the room alone
But when you left
Then I found that you took my heart
It sounds so corny yes I know it does
But truth is the shade that I choose to wear

It felt like the longest meeting of either of their lives. Once it had finally adjourned, the walk from the Hall of Princes to Mika's suite somehow felt even longer. They almost made it the entire way. They were so close.

Then they rounded the corner, and finally left the rest of the mountain behind them. Access to this corridor was restricted to the Princes (and Kurda these days). Mika's door was right there, but nobody would know if they tripped at the finish line.

The silent slow-burn that simmered in the air reached a boiling point when Kurda turned to face Mika who was clearly on the exact same page. Every nerve ending in Kurda's body rejoiced as at last - at long fucking last - Mika picked him up as effortlessly as if Kurda was a bag of sand in the sporting halls and kissed him with as much intense, blazing ferocity as if he was running headlong into battle. It was all Kurda had wanted for two damn weeks.

So when Mika slammed Kurda against the wall, their tongues down each other's throats like drunk frat kids at a house party - he was just following instructions he didn't even realize Kurda was giving him. Kurda slid his arms around Mika's neck, fingers running through his jet-black hair, keeping the Prince locked in place so he couldn't have pulled back even if he wanted to - not that breaking free of the kiss was anywhere on his radar.

They made out recklessly for several minutes, quiet mutterings of semi-coherent dirty talk scattered throughout. Then Kurda let out a long, low groan of relief when he finally felt Mika's fingers slide down his waist, fumble with his belt for a minute, and slip into Kurda's pants at last. Those fingers were just one of the tools Mika knew how to expertly utilize when his goal was reducing Kurda to a complete mess in his arms. And, like just about everything else Mika did, he was really good at it.

"Gods, about damn time. Thought I was going to have to put up an 'open' sign." Said Kurda breathlessly grinded his hips into Mika's, knowing they wouldn't be separated by fabric for much longer.

"Yeah? You like that?" Mika growled into Kurda's neck as he kissed it hungrily, sending shivers of anticipation down Kurda's spine.

"Don't ask stupid questions when you know full well... ugh, don't stop!"

"Mmhmm. You're so needy, baby." Mika teased as he casually worked his magic. After a moment he relocated his mouth from Kurda's collarbone back up to his lips where they'd began.

"This is what happens when you neglect me - it's your own fault, really." Kurda replied between gasps and kisses - and honestly, he didn't think about the words before he said them. It just slipped out.

The abrupt shift in Mika's demeanour would've been comical if it wasn't so sad. He pulled back as though scalded, all thoughts of raging hard-ons - both his own and Kurda's - had clearly vanished from his mind. The intensity on his face morphed into dismay as he absorbed Kurda's throwaway comment.

"You feel like I'm neglecting you?" Mika whispered. Kurda exhaled, immediately feeling a rush of guilt.

"Mika... no." Said Kurda evenly. "Not on purpose." He held Mika's troubled gaze calmly, and kept his hands where they were - his left hand maintaining his grasp on Mika's belt loop, keeping their hips close together, and the fingertips of right hand tracing gentle circles on Mika's lower back.

"Why didn't you say something sooner?" Mika asked, worried eyes scanning Kurda's face. "I know it's been a crazy few weeks and I haven't exactly been... present. But it's not always going to be like this. You know that, right?"

"Baby, it's fine." Said Kurda. And he meant it. "Trust me. I knew what I was getting into. I signed up to be part of your chaos. I wouldn't change a thing. I'm all in. I love you."

"Love you." Mika echoed, still looking unsettled. "And I'm sorry. I know I can be too focused, sometimes on the wrong thing. I don't know, Kurda. I'm trying to find the balance in all this but it's so fucking hard. You deserve better than that."

Kurda kissed him again - slowly this time. Less sexual, more sensual. A far cry from the hot-heavy-fuck-me-already makeout from before. This was a comfort kiss, an I'm-yours-you're-mine-I'm-here-to-stay kiss.

"I have no problem giving you a wake-up call every now and then." Said Kurda. "As long as you wake up."

"Babe, I could be dead and you'd still wake me up. Fuck, you saw me lose it when you walked into the meeting today! I meant it when I said could've taken you right there on that table." Mika chuckled weakly as he leaned back in and slowly picked up where he'd left off, to Kurda's absolute relief.

"And I meant it when I said I wish you would've." Kurda shot back slyly, even as Mika's roaming hands made him gasp in pleasure and anticipation. But then Mika paused again, and Kurda glared up at him in frustration.

"Hey, don't look at me like that." Mika murmured, grinning lazily. "I have a better idea."

"If it doesn't involve you picking me up and throwing me into your coffin, your bedroom wall, or your desk, I'm out." He informed Mika, straight-faced.

"Gods, you're such a brat." Mika sighed in apparent exasperation. He tried valiantly but ultimately failed to hide his amusement.

Kurda's eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms indignantly, leaning back against the wall and hitting Mika with as much attitude as he could muster. Attitude was more Mika's specialty, but Kurda sure had learned a thing or two. (Pro tip: it's all in the eyes and the posture).

"Mika Ver Leth, you have a lot of audacity to stand there and call me a brat. Have you met yourself? I should introduce you."

"That's Sire Ver Leth to you. Brat." Mika deadpanned, before laughing, picking Kurda up and finally carrying him the rest of the way down the hall.

I live and love with you
This charming life

I live and love with you
This charming life

What followed was a drastic change of pace from the white-hot mutual desperation of their hallway hookup.

"I know I said I was going to destroy you." Said Mika as he obediently followed Kurda's instructions and kissed the blond hard against the wall once again, this time in the privacy of his - their - personal suite. "And I will, that's a promise. But first I'm going to take my time and savour every last second."

"You're the boss, Sire." Kurda muttered sardonically as he determinedly wrestled Mika's shirt off.

"It's been two weeks, Kurda." Mika reasoned, practically whining. Likewise, he was working away at removing Kurda's shirt (or more accurately, Mika's shirt that Kurda was wearing). "I don't want it to just be over in five minutes."

Kurda exhaled slowly, and smiled again. The pair of them were on different pages for many things - politics, personality, interests - but as soon as the clothes started coming off, they were right in synch.

"Okay, baby." Said Kurda as he ran his hands longingly from Mika's shoulders, down his chest, abs, hips, and finally - arrived at destination.

Mika kissed Kurda roughly again, then picked him up once more and carried him across the room to sit him on the luxurious, mahogany desk he prided himself on. And then he kissed him some more. And more, and more, and - wait a minute. Something wasn't right. Mika's brain was elsewhere, and Kurda immediately knew why.

"Yes, Mika. We can press pause so you can clean off your desk." Kurda sighed.

Mika stopped and looked up, eyeing Kurda curiously.

"Huh?"

"You're distracted because you realized didn't think this through - you dropped me on this desk and my ass is now on your paperwork. So much for being a strategic genius." Kurda clarified, eyebrows raised. "I'm giving you thirty seconds to clear it off, file it, dump it on the floor, whatever you need to do. Then it's back to business."

Mika laughed softly, and ran his hand through his hair. Torchlight glimmered in his eyes, those steely, gorgeous eyes - and he kissed Kurda on the forehead.

"You know me too well." He chuckled. Then he carefully stacked up the collection of sheets and tucked them into one of the drawers - because shoving it all to the floor would have been too much, even in the heat of the moment. Mika may have been a little wild, but he wasn't an animal.

And as promised, once that was finished they picked up where they left off. They moved slowly - as passionately as ever, but there was a deliberate sensuality that hadn't necessarily been there before. They were making good on the promise to savour this moment - a reminder of why they needed to make this time for each other, come hell or high water. Two weeks without this felt like an eternity in hindsight. Never again. While they both had a healthy appreciation for quick and dirty, there was no doubt that a long, slow burn was what they both preferred.

They started on the desk and lingered there for a few minutes before revisiting the wall once again -because who doesn't love being sandwiched between their lovrt and a nice solid wall? Not to mention the nice thing about living in a mountain of stone was that, no matter what you do, you need not worry about causing the structure to shake and inadvertently disturbing everyone else in the place.

And finally, their erratic, lust-filled tour around the room concluded in Mika's coffin. The massive, mahogany coffin that competed Mika's four-piece luxury furniture set. It really was too big for Mika, but he has a pathological need to have the best of everything - so an over-large coffin it was. It worked in his favour though. Not many coffins could comfortably hold two grown men.

Flash back an earlier stage of their relationship when - after weeks of handling Kurda with an almost wholesome level of care while in the coffin - Mika finally clued to the fact that the pacifist likes it rough and once he stopped laughing about the absurdity of it, he proceeded to pull himself together and re-focus on the task at hand: which was changing up his entire approach and giving Kurda exactly what he really wanted, and then some. They both learned something from that. Kurda learned it's easier to just ask for what you want. And Mika learned making assumptions can be counterproductive.

Flash forwards to now.

Mika was dominant by nature. Used to being in control, and he liked it that way. Never hesitant to take charge. But when it came to sex, Kurda was really the one in the driver's seat, even if it appeared otherwise. It was Kurda who set the pace. Speed, position, force, all of it. And Kurda didn't need words, or even telepathy, to tell Mika what to do. Mika took his direction from every subtle movement of Kurda's lean, lightly-muscled body. Mika fluently understood every gasp, sigh, whimper, and moan that spilled from the blond General's mouth while their bodies were entangled. Flip me over, kiss me there, my turn on top, harder, faster, little to the left, no your other left, almost there, that's the spot - he never needed to say it out loud. Sometimes he did, though. Just for fun. And Mika, always-in-charge, above-the-law, I'm-the-boss Sire Ver Leth simply did whatever Kurda wanted him to do. Without a shred of hesitation.

And here and now as they approached home stretch, it involved Kurda lying on his back. Mika was on top; he had the blond's wrists pinned above his head and was currently occupied with kissing Kurda's neck and contentedly moaning his name while Kurda breathlessly whispered his best attempt at dirty talk. He wasn't as good at that as Mika was, but he never heard Mika complain.

Kurda felt like he was on another planet, having an out-of-body experience, ascending into the damn astral realm if we're being honest. The blinding heat, the mutual worship of each other's bodies, the sounds they were pulling from each other... pure bliss. It was so needed, so overdue, and so, so good.

And then, without so much of a inkling of warning, there came a sharp knock at the door and Kurda quite literally saw red from the unfairness of the universe. The sudden noise was enough to jolt both him and Mika out of the moment. Mika didn't entirely disengage from the task at hand, but he look distracted. His eyes darted to the door, then back to Kurda.

"Mika?" Came the voice on the other side of the door. It was Arrow. Because of fucking course it was. Luckily the door was locked, Kurda was certain Arrow would've come wandering in otherwise, because that's the level of friendship him and Mika are on. See, Arrow has a brain. It works great. He just doesn't necessarily use it all the time. And both Mika and Arrow are very much still adjusting to Mika having a full-time boyfriend.

"What?" Mika called, his voice low and gravely and so gods-damned intoxicating. Too bad it wasn't directed at Kurda. Fuck you, Arrow.

"Oh good, you're in there. There's an emergency in the sporting halls! Need your help!" Arrow's voice sounded rushed, and more excited than you'd expect someone to sound in an emergency.

And Kurda would never forget the moment when the love of his life, the one and only Mika Fucking Ver Leth, had the complete audacity to just freeze mid-thrust, and shift his gaze away from the knockout-gorgeous blond writhing beneath him just top look up at the closed door, and ask matter-of-factly:

"What kind of emergency?"

As if he was pondering on the weather or something. The fucking audacity of this man. Kurda turned beet red in indignation. He could've strangled not just the attitude, but the very life out of Mika right then and there.

"One of the bar systems collapsed in the Hall of Baker Wrent! Some cub cracked a support pillar while a bunch of others were up there, and the whole thing came down!" Arrow said from the other side of the door, blissfully unaware of the massive inconvenience he was causing.

"Anyone hurt?" Mika inquired calmly.

"Nope. Everyone's fine. Seba's staff are already cleaning it up, but we have to re-configure the entire prospect assessment plan."

Mika looked far too contemplative for a moment (seeing as no one was hurt) and Kurda glared up at him viciously.

"Mika..." Kurda hissed in warning. He didn't have to elaborate further. The name alone was more than enough to stop Mika dead in his tracks and redirect his apparently coveted attention.

The dark Prince rolled his eyes but a wide grin slowly broke across his face. Kurda felt Mika's body shake gently, and he had to press his face into Kurda's chest for a second to muffle a laugh. Then Mika called out to Arrow,

"I'm done for the day. Sorry, A. Tell Vanez and Seba I'll meet with them first thing tomorrow."

"What are you doing in there? Is Kurda with you? You can bring him along! He knows he's allowed in the sporting halls, right?" Arrow pestered while Kurda glared.

"I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight!" Said Mika loudly and firmly. Kurda smiled in smug satisfaction.

Arrow grumbled something that sounded disappointed and Kurda was fairly certain he'd clued into what was going on behind the door. Eventually his footsteps faded away into the distance. Mika finally refocused his full attention on Kurda once more, a mix of adoration and exasperation on his lightly flushed face. Then he laughed out loud, and it was the most beautiful sound Kurda had ever heard. Mika leaned back in and pressed his forehead against Kurda's, but not before slowly running his lips over Kurda's collar bones, up his neck and across his face.

"Come on, babe. You really thought I'd leave you like this? I'm not even halfway through with you yet." Said Mika, in that same voice that was so low and so damn appealing that Kurda had no choice but to pull him back in for a lustful kiss. And with that, they returned to their regularly scheduled activities.

It dawned on Kurda that Mika was moving even more slowly than he'd been before, almost teasingly. Drawing every single moment out as long as he possibly could. Either he was being frustrating on purpose (wouldn't be the first time), or he was wordlessly reminding Kurda that he had all the time in the world to give him. And that there was nowhere else in the entire universe he'd rather be than right there.

The climax was always worth the buildup. They didn't always finish at the same moment - but today they did. Kurda face-down in a pillow that did nothing to muffle the noises he was making, Mika's entire body weight on top of him, fingers laced together, squeezing each other's hands so tightly it almost hurt. Mika kissing the blond's neck and shoulders hard enough to leave bruises. Kurda wouldn't have had it any other way. And that final, earth-shattering shock to the system, the fractured moans that accompanied it.

And then it was over.

Every morning when I open my eyes
You're the first thing that I see
Lady luck she really took to me

Kurda couldn't speak for Mika, but personally he felt his soul leave his body for a moment. He was left with enough strength to roll over into Mika's welcoming arms, and that was it.

"You're so good, baby." Mika whispered hoarsely. "You did so fucking good. I love you so much."

"And you kept your promise." Kurda grinned wearily, and Mika chuckled quietly in affirmation.

For a while they just lay there, completely drained but in the best way possible. Tangled and panting in the afterglow as their heartbeats slowly returned to a normal rate.

"You really thought I'd go with Arrow, didn't you?" Mika asked softly after a while. He was lying comfortably on his side, arms wrapped around Kurda, one draped over Kurda's shoulders and back, and the other supporting his neck and head. (Mika takes his role of Big Spoon very seriously, it's right up there next to Vampire Prince). Kurda half-turned over so Mika could see him rolling his eyes.

"I wouldn't have put it past you. I could clearly see you considering it." The blond General snorted indignantly. "Don't you even try to tell me it didn't cross your mind."

"Fine." Mika admitted with a rueful grin. "It crossed my mind, but only out of habit. I'm still getting used to having different priorities."

"Sorry for the inconvenience." Said Kurda with a light huff. "I appreciate you managing to fit me in your hectic schedule, Sire Ver Leth. Oh, wait! I did that myself."

Mika held Kurda tighter against his chest.

"If I had my way, you'd be my entire schedule... General Smahlt." Mika answered seriously. "You know I'm obsessed with you, right?"

"If I didn't know before, I sure did after that meeting." Said Kurda, the smug grin returning to his face.

"I'm never going to live that down, am I?" Mika sighed.

"Not a chance." Kurda confirmed, kissing him again. "You know how difficult it is to distract you while you're working? Today was a career highlight for me."

"I'm not complaining. You should do it more often." Said Mika. He seemed even more worn-out than Kurda, his eyelids were drifting shut and even his voice sounded tired.

Kurda sat up just long enough to reach for one of the thick, soft blankets they'd thrown out of the coffin earlier. He pulled it back in and carefully pulled it around Mika's well-muscled form. His skin, like Kurda's, was clammy from the recent exertion and this room was always a little chilly. In their haste they hadn't bothered to light the fireplace and there was no point now. Once Mika was tucked in, Kurda curled up against his chest once more and exhaled. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so at peace.

Mika was drifting off, Kurda could tell by the way his breathing was slowing down. Plus he usually just conked right out after sex anyway. But something else was on Kurda's mind. He gently rolled over so he was facing his other half.

"Mika?"

"Mmhm?"

"I don't say this enough. But I'm really proud of you. You know that?"

Mika opened his eyes. There was a baffled, mystified look to them. As though what Kurda said was something that never would've occurred to him.

"Why?" Mika blurted out. And he said it with such earnest confusion that Kurda couldn't help but laugh.

Mika was a funny creature. He talked a big game, and he walked it too. He was wildly successful, especially for his age. His confidence and self-assurance were rock-solid, and it reflected in everything he did. But he also had this bizarre self-deprecating layer to his personality that he only showed to those he was close to - so Arrow and Kurda, basically.

Not for the first time, Kurda wondered if Mika actually liked himself as much as he led people to believe.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Said Kurda. "Look at you. You work so hard. I mean, I read your schedule for today. I don't think you even realize how much you do - and you still try so hard for me. Even when you're exhausted, it doesn't even occur to you to take a break. You just show up in that hall every night and ask for more."

"I'm just doing my job." Said Mika quietly. He looked much more awake now, and worried again. "Kurda, I love you way more than that fucking throne. There's no competition. Please tell me you know that."

"Baby, I know. And I also know how much you love that fucking throne." Kurda told him. "Trust me, I get it. You could've had any vampire in this clan and you chose me. I don't know why, but you did. I'm so lucky."

Mika rolled his eyes again, while grinning radiantly. And what a beautiful combination it was.

"Well, we had a kid together so I didn't really have a choice." He reasoned.

"Found a kid together." Kurda corrected him swiftly. They both laughed.

After a moment, Mika moved in closer to Kurda, so there were only a few inches of space between their foreheads. Mika reached for Kurda's hand and sighed contentedly when their fingers interlaced.

"I'm going to tell you a secret but I need you to not let it go to your head." Said Mika seriously, barely louder than a whisper. "Promise?"

"Tell me what it is first, then we'll see." Said Kurda.

"Fine. Whatever." Mika sighed. "Here it is, Kurda: you're so out of my fucking league. You're smarter than me, hotter than me, have better ideas than me, probably going to be way more successful than me. You're stronger than me in every possible way - well, except physically. Which is good, because it'd be really unfair to the rest of us otherwise. I don't deserve you, not even close. But you're here anyway. I'm the lucky one. Not up for debate."

"I thought debate was your middle name." Said Kurda softly after taking a few deep, steadying breaths.

"My middle name is Fucking. You know that. Everyone knows that."

"Oh, right. How could I forget that I hear an entire room of drunk vampires screaming "Mika Fucking Ver Leth" at least once a week?" Kurda smirked. He rolled back over so he could snuggle into Mika's warm chest once again.

"Hey, I didn't choose it." Mika reasoned. The sleepy overtone had crept back into his voice, and this time Kurda intended to let him drift off. "I chose you, though."

"Yeah, well..." Kurda sighed into the dark, a smile on his face. "I chose you back."

Mika held on a little tighter, kissed his shoulder one last time, then went still. And within a minute, Kurda joined him in well-deserved slumber.

Because
I live and love with you
This charming life

I live and love with you
This charming life

Guys I deadass spent about 8 hours on this today. Writing fake smut is so hard. Please leave a comment.

- Roxy