Chapter 6: Ryu Does Not Speak

The north chamber was a small room at the end of the wing, with one narrow bed and a single candle.

Ryu was sitting on the edge of the mattress in his shirtsleeves, his blistered hand wrapped in clean linen.

He looked up when Ren came in.

Ren closed the door.

He did not say a word, as he had been told.

For a minute they only looked at each other.

Then Ryu stood and crossed the room and took Ren's face in his good hand.

His thumb moved across Ren's cheekbone, back and forth.

Ren held still and let him.

Ryu's fingers went to the collar of the prince's coat and began on the buttons.

He undid every one, slowly, and slid the coat off Ren's shoulders, and then the shirt, and let both fall.

His hand traveled down Ren's bare chest and over the faint marks Ken's teeth had left.

His mouth tightened at the sight.

Ren put a hand over his and shook his head once, to say it was all right and he had wanted every one.

Ryu's eyes flickered.

He stepped back, and with his one working hand he began to take off his own clothes.

Ren watched, and it was hard to keep silent.

Ryu's back was a ruin.

The lash had cut him again and again across the shoulders and down to the waist, and the scars had healed in thick pale ropes.

His front was clean and hard and lean, with ridged muscle over the belly, and his cock was already heavy and thick, curving up toward his navel.

Ren's mouth went dry.

Ryu stood naked and did not cover himself.

He only waited, with his chin up and the candle on his scarred shoulder, daring Ren to look away.

Ren walked around behind him instead.

He lifted his hands and laid them flat on Ryu's back.

Ryu went rigid.

Ren kept still, and let his palms stay warm against the scars, and then he leaned in and pressed his mouth to the top of the worst one.

A long, deep shudder went through Ryu.

He made a low sound, almost a growl, and his head fell forward.

Ren kissed down the line of it, one scar at a time, slowly, to the small of his back.

By the time he reached the bottom Ryu was trembling.

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