Ben reluctantly, yet with great purpose, approached the door to Michael's guarded room. He nodded to the guard, before asking, "Is he inside?"

"Yes, Sir. He just finished dinner and was reading when I last checked."

"Very good. I'm going to speak with him for a few minutes. If you would like to grab something to eat or drink while I'm inside, I'll stay until you return." Ben didn't intend to stay inside Michael's room for a long time, but he knew what it was like to be on guard duty. Sometimes breaks were very difficult to achieve.

"Thank you. I won't be very long." The guard gratefully bowed his head, and moved in the direction of the staircase, his destination undoubtedly being the kitchen.

Ben waited until he was out of sight, before he knocked lightly on the door. He knew he didn't need to wait for permission to enter; his high position in the king's security gave him special rights - however, he didn't want to force his way inside. This wasn't a security matter. It was personal. Ben knew it was time he faced his fear of being alone with his former lover - and resolved this, once and for all. He had a blank look on his face when Michael opened the door... encouraging him was the last thing he wanted to do.

An inviting smile spread across Michael's face. "Ben! I wasn't expecting to see you... at least not until I met with Brahim. Of course, I have no idea when that will be."

His eyes narrowed on Michael's statement. Michael's tone was petulant. It still sounded as if Michael didn't fully accept his correct status. He didn't doubt that Brahim would address that on his return. "May I come in?"

"Of course," Michael answered. He stepped to the side to allow Ben to enter. "It's not like I have a choice who comes or goes..." he muttered bitterly. "However, in your case, the visit is welcome."

Ben rolled his eyes as he stepped into the room. He closed the door behind him, almost flinching in rage at the hope he found in Michael's eyes. How dare he!? His former lover had no cause to hope for anything regarding their relationship. It angered him that Michael could even contemplate such an attitude, not to mention openly display it. Affixing a stern expression on his face, Ben reprimanded him, "It seems you still don't fully grasp the seriousness of your situation, Michael. Nor do you extend the proper respect to your king. For your sake, although, why I should care either way, boggles the mind - I would suggest you do NOT refer to King Brahim in such familiar terms when you meet with him."

"Why are you being like this, Ben? I've admitted my mistakes. I did everything I could to make sure Justin returned home safely. I don't know what else you expect from me!" The hope had immediately transformed into an accusation. Both men could most likely agree on one thing - this wouldn't be a good meeting. "And I was just removed from a hellish prison. I do think I'm taking this seriously!"

"Well... you could have fooled me," Ben scoffed. "I am here to relay a message... and to make something perfectly clear."

Michael belligerently folded his arms across his chest. "What is it?"

"The king will be returning in the morning. He will meet with you then to deliver his decision." Ben watched as the news wiped much of Michael's self-confidence from his face. He knew it had all been bravado. Another reason why he wanted this man gone from his life. He couldn't trust him regarding anything. Even when they were alone, he couldn't even be open with him. That meant one thing. They had nothing. In fact, he wasn't certain they had ever had a true commitment. Michael's past actions and his long-running obsession with Brahim answered that all too clearly.

"In the morning?" Michael swallowed nervously. "He isn't hurrying back because of me, is he? I-I mean, I assumed he'd spend longer with Justin."

"You'd love that... wouldn't you?" Ben hated the sneer that dominated. That person wasn't him... and yet, Michael had relegated him to such behavior. He needed this man gone from his life; never had he been more certain of that. "No, Michael. In case it has escaped your memory, the king now has two children. Justin is very attached to them, and King Brahim completely adores them. There is no doubt that they both want to return home."

Michael arched a brow in surprise. "I never thought of Brahim as a doting father; of course, I never saw him as a king either. That he settled down to this degree is the most amazing part of all."

Ben looked at Michael with cold, yet knowing eyes. "Many things have come to amaze me, Michael. Some have been good... but others very bad. I just want to put this all in the past, and move on."

Nodding in understanding, Michael needlessly observed, "You refer to me."

"Yes. I came here primarily to inform you of your audience with King Brahim in the morning, but I also wanted you to be aware that no matter what the king decides - we are over. I can't and won't be deceived by you again."

"B-Ben..." Michael took a step closer to his former lover, the man that he had hoped to reunite with again; as he looked into the resolution in Ben's eyes, he quickly realized that was a futile hope. "I never meant to hurt you. I wasn't thinking. My head is clear now... as is my heart. I-I was hoping..."

"It's over!" Ben hissed. "Don't humiliate yourself any further! You have never loved me, Michael; at least not the kind of love I need in a relationship. If you can't admit that to me - at least admit it to yourself."

Michael couldn't argue Ben's words. In every sense, he was right. He wasn't trustworthy... at least, concerning the heart. He had betrayed Ben, the man he had professed to love, not only once... but twice. There would be no going back from that. He had never loved Ben in the way his ex-partner deserved to be loved; Brahim always stood there in the shadows. His beautiful, yet unattainable prince... now the Brakanian King. He couldn't believe how much fate had changed what he had always thought he knew to be his reality. He had been wrong about so many things. And now, he was lucky to have his life. Michael knew he couldn't expect anything more.

"You're right, Ben. No matter what happens tomorrow, I won't trouble you further. You deserve peace from the chaos having me in your life has brought you." He raised his chin to stare Ben directly in the eye. "Thank you for letting me know about my meeting tomorrow..."

Ben moved toward the door. He needed to get away from Michael. No good would come from a prolonged visit. He had said what he had come to say. Now, it was time to say goodbye. This time it would be forever. His hand on the doorknob, Ben spoke without turning to face his ex-lover. "For what it's worth, I hope all goes well for you tomorrow. Your present accommodations tell me that Brahim could intend to be merciful. I pray that he is."

Michael didn't speak as Ben made his way through the door, and effectively out of his life. No matter what happened with Brahim tomorrow, Michael had the feeling that this would be the last time he would see Ben. As much as that knowledge saddened him, he also knew it was for the best.

Justin's hands clutched at the bed rails as Brian's tongue stabbed repeatedly into him. Fuck. He loved rimming. The fact that he had waited to experience this until meeting Brian made it all the better. Justin began to pant as one hand moved to begin stroking his cock, his ass clenching and moving against the fierce determination of the man eating him as if intent on devouring him. "B-Brian... please!"

Brian didn't stop or even pause in his torment of his husband. He couldn't if he'd wanted to. The special, and utterly unique taste of his husband was addictive. He had never thought to find a man he would enjoy rimming as much as he enjoyed being rimmed by - that had easily been achieved the moment he had acquired his first taste of Justin. All other men soon became non-existent. That might have disturbed him at the time, but now he reveled in it. He didn't want any other men. This man fulfilled him in every possible way. Brian knew that would always be a constant in their relationship... and it was one that he couldn't be more pleased about.

"Brian..." Justin continued to protest in breathless pants. "You've been rimming me for more than thirty minutes now. I've already come twice! Enough is enough! Fuck me already!" Justin was only half aware of what he was demanding; his mind had been driven numb by all the sensations his seductive husband had been inflicting on him.

A husky chuckle sounded from Brian's throat, as his tongue made one more sweeping pass along the crease in Justin's ass. He could eat his ass all fucking night. However, as his tongue relinquished its possession of Justin's well-deserving ass, he slid it up the center of his back... relishing the beads of sweat that fell onto his tongue. Justin's sweat always made his cock quicken. Of course, everything about his husband made his dick ache. As his eyes took in the quivering mass that was his hot little blond, Brian knew there was no need to waste time on preliminaries. His need was palpable. After the near-disaster that could have taken Justin from him today... his desire to reclaim his husband was at an all-time high.

Justin released his pulsing cock. There wasn't a doubt that he would need to maintain a firm grip with both hands on the rails when Brian rammed into him. He knew his husband's passions so well. With the thorough rim job Brian had given him, there would be no further preparations. And there wasn't a doubt - Justin didn't want them, either. When Brian's lips and teeth began nipping and kissing his back, Justin whimpered when Brian's cock slid immediately home. It felt so fucking good. Always. One of the happiest days of his life had been when it had been safe for them to start fucking raw. There was nothing like it. Justin knew without a doubt - he never wanted to see a condom on Brian's dick again.

Brian's mouth scorched over Justin's skin. Every piece of skin he could reach - his lips touched. It was always this way with them. If he had ever worried about his sexual appetite diminishing with having the same partner - night after night - that idea had been abandoned long ago. Every time they fucked, it was like the first time again. Even though it wasn't a reference he ever made, Brian knew it had evolved far beyond simple fucking. What he did in bed with Justin was easily defined as making love. He wasn't certain he would ever verbally refer to it as such... such an admission still seemed lesbianic to him. However... that seemed to be where they were now, at least when it was just the two of them.

Uneven pants fell from Justin's lips as Brian's hands smoothed down his sweat-drenched back to clasp tightly around his hips. Justin knew the process well. Brian was feeling a primitive arousal tonight... and he loved it more than anything. Nothing was hotter than Brian at a loss of control. Knowing that he evoked it in his husband gave him his own feeling of power. It was enough to make him keen and scream in unadulterated pleasure. Justin's hips moved in perfect rhythm with the jerking of Brian's hands that held them; his eyes rolled back in his head as Brian's dick rammed into him, the angles of his thrusts connecting with his prostate with each calculated stroke. "Fuck!" Justin gasped almost incoherently; he was always at a loss for words when they were like this. That had never changed.

"So fucking tight..." Brian rasped, his hips rocking relentlessly into Justin's ass. "No matter how much we fuck... always so damned tight." Brian knew he wouldn't last much longer; the prolonged rim job he'd given his husband had set the stage for this quicker than normal release. "Come with me, Justin. Right now... come with me again!"

Justin moaned as the evocative words overtook him from head to toe; in particular - his throbbing dick in between. It was incredible how Brian could send him over the edge with a few well-placed words. But he did. Time and time again. "Y-yes..." Justin grunted as his hips twitched in complete rhythm with Brian's thrusts. In an instant, he was joining his husband in sweet oblivion, his mind briefly disconnected from his body, as bliss transferred him to another place. It was never the same, but it always seemed to get better. Justin couldn't comprehend how the intensity and passion continued to accelerate in each of them. He was only glad that it did.

Brian's breathing was erratic when he rolled off of Justin; he smiled in contentment when Justin performed the familiar action of rolling toward him and resting his head on his chest. It was clinging, and in his former life, it would be far too resonant of cuddling... but truth be known, he loved this intimacy with Justin. It was just another sign of how much Justin had irrevocably changed his life... and he wouldn't go back to his emptier existence for anything. He ran his fingers through Justin's hair, another familiar practice... but one that was as natural as breathing. "That was hot. Not only that... it was perfect."

A sigh was Justin's answer. "Yeah. It was that." Only one thing could make this reunion better. He wanted to go home. Justin was afraid to ask; Brian would think it was because of the babies. In part it was... but that wasn't the real reason. He was about to speak when he heard Brian's knowing chuckle. He raised his head to look at his husband in confusion. "What's so funny?"

"You are, my love. I can hear the wheels turning..." Brian shook his head as he watched Justin's confusion turn into the appearance of irritation. This man never ceased to amuse and enchant him. Brian knew he always would succeed in doing that. "Okay. We can go home. I want to see them too."

Justin forced himself not to jump up from the bed and dance around in glee. "You mean it? Really?"

"Yes, Justin. I mean it." Brian slid his legs to the side of the bed, only pausing long enough to give Justin a slow, and thorough kiss. How he loved this man. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for him. Finally, Justin seemed to realize that as well. "Anything that means so much to you, means even more to me."

A loving smile broke out on Justin's face. His face began to glow as he looked at his husband. "I love you, Brian." He quickly read the look of tenderness on Brian's face. Brian was so incredibly beautiful. He would never come to grips with that... nor the fact that this man of immense power loved him so intensely. "I want you to understand something."

"What's that?"

"I do want to go home to be with our babies; in fact, our family in general... but that's not all of it." Justin looked at Brian intently, his heart bursting with love for this man. He motioned his hand around Brian's massive and exquisite bedroom he had possessed as Prince Brahim - the room where he had surrendered his virginity, unknowing at the time how much his life would change. This room would always hold special memories for him. His voice broke with emotion as he spoke, "This room started it all... but it's not the house that I came to know and love as my home. I just want to go home."

Brian walked around the bed, his arms reaching out to enclose Justin tightly against him. His lips quickly found Justin's neck. With a voice that was husky, and slightly cracking, Brian whispered, "Let's go home, Justin." His eyes closed as he breathed Justin in, and every tender emotion he felt for this man overwhelmed him. Home, Brian thought to himself. One simple word had never meant so much.

TBC