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“I don’t know. I think we may be staying here for the winter.” The woman widened her eyes at Credence, as though he’d announced a death in the family. “Oh my, but the weather is simply intolerable here in January, isn’t it? You’ll freeze your pretty fingers off.”Freeze his fingers off? Not quite, Credence thought, keeping his expression neutral, which was easier than arguing after so many years of not speaking his thoughts, especially about such a minor topic. He doubted the woman speaking had any idea how cold your fingers could really get, standing outside in the snow with no heavy coat or gloves to protect you. “You must convince your husband otherwise,” the woman continued, blissfully unaware of Credence’s thoughts. She waved a bejeweled hand expressively. “Go south to the coast or the islands, that’s what Charles and I always do. Grand Turk is particularly nice.”Credence smiled faintly and made some deliberately understated comment of agreement so the topic would move on. That year he had just been getting his balance in the kind of social circles accessible to the Grindelwald name, and his opinion of the experience varied from day to day. Sometimes the endless glamor of it all combined with unfamiliar company became exhausting. He repeated this snippet of conversation to Gellert in private that evening, while sitting at the dressing table and working pins out of his hair. Gellert had peered at him in the mirror with keen blue eyes. “We could travel over the winter if you like, you know,” he had said. “That won’t be necessary,” Credence said quickly. He wouldn’t know where to ask to travel even if he’d felt entirely comfortable asking for expensive things. “Do you like winter?” Gellert asked casually, walking up behind him and placing his hands on Credence’s shoulders. “I hate winter,” Credence replied, tossing his hair out of his eyes. His hair was long enough to do that now and he enjoyed the carelessness of it. Gellert had smiled and changed the topic to their summer plans.Gellert hadn’t forgotten the comment, though, Credence mused eight months later, standing on the deck of the beach house Gellert had rented for the coldest months of the winter. There was a pleasantly cool breeze and the moon was full, so bright it looked more like twilight than true night on the beach. Other than a few crabs, the silver-washed coastline remained deserted. They were so far out from town and from any other houses that they rarely ever saw another soul, even on the longest walks. Knowing that nobody would see him at this late hour, Credence had just finished bathing in the sea. He’d never been satisfied with how his bathing clothes fit him, and disliked how the fabric felt against his skin when soaking wet. Instead he had stripped out of his clothes by the waterline and swam unclothed. He scrunched his toes on the wind-smoothed boards, feeling dry sand crumble loose from his skin. He had carried his clothes back up to the outdoor shower and left them there, and now stood in only a towel, damp hair loose, back and shoulders bare to the moonlight.He stayed leaning on the deck railing and enjoying the silence long after he was dry enough to walk through the house without leaving footprints. When he’d married Gellert, he would never have expected his new life to include the luxuries of solitude and silence. Not, that is, that he wanted to be left alone completely, now that he knew Gellert enough to appreciate him. He turned toward the house and slipped quietly through the door.The interior of the house was nearly dark, as he’d left it, with only a few lamps lit, just barely enough to see by. Credence scuffed a bit more sand off his feet on the rug by the door. Gellert had gone into town that evening to meet friends about some business, so Credence expected not to see him until well past midnight at the earliest. Satisfied his feet were passably clean, he started back toward their bedroom.“My goodness.”Credence startled halfway through the living room and turned towards the voice. Gellert was home after all, lounging on the couch and nursing a glass of scotch. The way he was sprawling, he looked half asleep, or perhaps pleasantly drunk, lit gently by the golden glow of the hall light.“Good evening, sir,” Gellert drawled, “I was looking for my husband. Perhaps you’ve seen him?” Credence could feel his face warming, and confirmed he had a secure grip on the towel around his waist. He wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea of his husband seeing him naked; they hadn’t done that yet and this was unexpected, that’s all. “Good evening, Gellert,” Credence replied steadily, feeling his heart slowing back towards normal. Gellert raised his eyebrows in a comical expression of surprise, grinning. “Gracious, Credence, I scarcely recognized you. This is quite a different look from your usual.”Credence knew he meant well, which made it easier to resist the instinct to hunch in on himself. “I’m so sorry, this is so…immodest,” he said, gripping the towel. Gellert raised his eyebrows questioningly. “Don’t apologize on my account, you look like an angel. Would you like me to look away?”Credence felt a flush of heat from the brief flick of Gellert’s eyes, down and up. “Please,” he said, which wasn’t truly an answer, but Gellert interpreted it as a ‘yes.’ He looked away, a slight smile on his lips, and Credence rushed off to the bedroom, tracking sand. He hurried into his pajamas, lightweight cotton with long sleeves and long pants. He did his best to brush the rest of the sand off his feet into the bathtub. His skin still felt as though filmed with salt despite a quick rinse in the outdoor shower, so he would have to bathe properly tomorrow.It was almost too warm for long sleeves, truth be told, but he was not yet prepared to sleep half naked. Gellert usually slept that way, and Credence did like cuddling up to his warm bare chest to be held. He was still faintly flushed when he returned to the darkened living room.Credence hesitated between an armchair and the couch. “Would you like to sit with me?” Gellert asked, and Credence found that he would, so he sat. Gellert was warm and solid and smelled faintly of smoke and mint, a different smoke than his usual cigarettes perhaps. “Were you at a bar?” Credence asked. Gellert nodded and passed his scotch to his other hand so he could put an arm around Credence’s shoulders. “We met our clients at a bar, yes.”
“I wasn’t expecting you back before midnight,” Credence said.“We wrapped up in good time. Shockingly easy discussion, in fact. I’m yours to command for the rest of the week.” Gellert had not yet changed out of his clothes from the day, khaki slacks and a pale green striped shirt that would look stupid on Credence, but emphasized the bronze undertone of Gellert’s skin. His scotch smelled nice and Credence breathed it in, sighing contentedly when Gellert reached a hand up to massage his neck.“I apologize if I made you uncomfortable,” Gellert said. “You looked lovely standing there by the doorway.” Credence hummed a quiet thanks and tilted his head back into Gellert’s firm touch. Gellert said, “I would like to hear about your day, I haven’t seen you.”Credence hadn’t done much that day, just read a little and walked on the beach. He’d picked up a few shells to add to the row sitting on the edge of the deck. While he spoke he leaned his head on Gellert’s shoulder, and Gellert stroked his hair, which sent pleasant chills down his back. After Credence trailed off into silence, Gellert sat up and made a gesture with his arm as though to scoop Credence into his lap, which Credence had just begun allowing him to do. “May I?” Credence nodded, and allowed Gellert to pull him closer, turning so his legs were draped over Gellert’s lap. Then he hesitated to curl against Gellert’s chest, wrinkling his nose. “Alright, darling?”
“Smoke,” Credence explained. “It’s all on your clothes.”“My apologies.” Gellert started to adjust Credence back off his lap, but Credence leaned against his hands, resisting being moved. “If you stay like this the smoke smell is likely to rub off on you,” Gellert said mildly, one hand resting at Credence’s waist. He kept his hand there, waiting, while Credence smoothed his palms across Gellert’s chest, and entertained an idea. He considered Gellert, his husband, leaning back against the couch, mouth slightly open, hair mussed. He must have been running his hands through it. His blue eyes were half open but focused on Credence. That attention was enough for Credence to make up his mind.With lowered eyes, he started unbuttoning Gellert’s shirt. Gellert’s breathing stilled under his hands. Credence glanced up at the third button and found Gellert much more alert, faintly flushed, watching Credence’s face with a kind of hopeful fascination.Credence asked, “Do you mind?” Gellert closed his mouth and swallowed. “Are you asking permission to remove my clothing? Because frankly I can’t imagine ever saying no to that.” Credence dropped his eyes back to Gellert’s shirt, licking his lips with a small smile. “Well good. Because that’s what I’m doing.”“I noticed,” Gellert said softly. He kept his hand on Credence’s waist, grounding but not overly suggestive, except for the way he traced circles on Credence's side with his thumb. With Credence’s permission, Gellert sometimes would put his hands more intimate places, often in the hushed hours of the night such as this, when they lay in bed together in the dark. There were soft shadows now but no true darkness to hide Credence’s expression. He wondered what thoughts Gellert could read off his face: uncertainty, determination, excitement?Credence stripped off Gellert’s shirt and white cotton undershirt. Removing the undershirt might not have been necessary for the smoke smell, but Credence took it off anyway because Gellert let him, and he wanted to. Gellert tilted his head and Credence leaned up to meet him in a kiss. Credence added tongue to the kiss first, licking the potent flavor of scotch off Gellert’s lips. Gellert kissed him back lazily and massaged up and down Credence’s back.Credence quickly got tired of craning sideways. He just wanted a better angle to get at Gellert’s mouth, and to run his hands over his chest and shoulders. It was perfectly reasonable to roll over and kneel astride Gellert’s lap. He wasn’t doing it to be sexual, though he was not opposed to it being interpreted that way.The smoke smell was much less prominent with half of Gellert’s clothing on the floor, faint enough Credence could ignore it. He arched into Gellert’s hands, which never strayed below Credence's waistline, somewhat to his disappointment. He wouldn’t mind—no, he wanted Gellert to touch him, wanted to feel his skin.Credence drew back from their kisses to catch his breath. On his knees as he was, he had to look down at Gellert, whose expression was soft with pleasure. Credence leaned the whole line of his body against Gellert so his hip bones pressed against Gellert’s ribs, and the beginnings of his arousal pressed against Gellert’s stomach. Gellert tilted his head up for another kiss, which Credence gladly provided. He moved his hips almost accidentally against Gellert’s stomach, just shifting his balance, but it felt good and uncomplicated, so he did it again. “Would you keep touching me please?” Credence asked between kisses. Gellert groaned and tightened his hands on Credence’s waist. “Most definitely, how would you like to be touched?”Credence directed Gellert’s hands down to grip his ass, face flushing even further, if that were possible. Gellert resumed petting his back, but now slid his hands all the way over Credence's behind and the backs of his thighs, tracing his fingers along Credence's tailbone on each downward pass. Credence rubbed against him again, thrilling at how the thin cotton of his pants provided friction but no barrier to body heat between them. Gellert made a sound that could have been pained or delighted or both.“Gellert.”
“Yes, darling?”
“I want to do more.”
“Anything you fancy. May I take these off?”Gellert curled his fingers under the waistband of Credence’s pajamas. Credence shuddered and nodded, and let Gellert turn them until Credence was the one with his back to the couch. Gellert slid ungracefully to the floor. He laughed briefly as he dragged himself upright to kneel between Credence’s spread thighs. He stood up part way to kiss Credence on the mouth, and then on his neck. He slid back to his knees and pressed his mouth to Credence’s belly. He looked up at Credence from there for a heartbeat, and oh yes, he really was attractive like that, wasn’t he—kneeling, like Credence was someone worth kneeling for?Credence pulled up his shirt hesitantly, nerves alight with anxious desire, and then thought to hell with it and pulled his shirt off entirely. Gellert watched the revelation of his pale skin intently, and leaned forward again to kiss him on his now naked stomach. Credence shivered at the hint of tongue in that kiss.“May I kiss you here?” Gellert asked, stroking from Credence’s waist to his knee, other hand still on his waistband. “Yes?” Credence breathed, then gasped when Gellert sucked an open mouthed kiss on his hip bone. Gellert switched sides and kissed his other hip the same way, and Credence's hips juddered involuntarily. He felt like he might start to come apart at any moment, like a firework exploding in silver sparks. Gellert peeled him out of his pajama bottoms with deliberate slowness, kissing reverently down Credence's legs. He kept his eyes lowered until Credence sat fully naked before him, and he looked Credence in the eyes before looking at his body. Credence twitched with the instinct to close his legs, to hide himself and the shame of his arousal (for the very possibility of arousal was always shameful in his mother’s house).Gellert licked his lips and rested his hands on Credence's thighs. The flush on Gellert’s face was as obvious as Credence knew his own must be, which came as a relief, knowing both of them were affected. Credence expected Gellert to ask to touch, polite as always, but he was incorrect about what Gellert would ask.“May I please make you come with my mouth?”
“Your mouth?” Credence swallowed and stammered, “But how, you don’t mean your mouth on my—“ He couldn’t make himself suggest it, though he had heard vaguely of such a thing being done. Gellert confirmed, “On your cock, yes, if you’ll allow it.”“You want to?” Credence asked. “Please,” Gellert answered quickly. Gellert looked at him, and at his cock, erect and flushed. Credence barely wanted to look at himself, uneasy with the obscenity of being visible, even though nobody would question the rightness of being intimate with his husband. Gellert’s expression looking at him, on the other hand, Credence found more convincing than anything he tried to tell himself in reassurance. He looked at Credence, even his cock of all things, as though he were truly enjoyable to look at. Credence’s embarrassment mixed with flattered excitement.“Please,” Gellert repeated. “I want to give you everything you want. Only what you want, don’t let me persuade you against your will, but yes, please.” Credence wasn’t sure quite how far his own adventurousness extended, but thought he might allow this at least. “Alright,” he said. Gellert smiled. “Thank you. If you pull my hair I will stop.” And without further preamble, he took Credence's cock in his hand and licked the underside from base to tip. Credence jolted forward and grabbed at Gellert’s hair out of surprise more than anything. Gellert made to sit back but Credence said, “No, don’t stop.” It felt good. He was shocked how good it felt.The tip of Credence’s cock was wet, and Gellert licked him like licking dessert from one’s fingers. “You taste amazing,” Gellert slurred, mouthing the curve of Credence’s hip. “I do not. You’re drunk,” Credence protested.“Completely fried, what’s your point?” Gellert agreed, grinning up at Credence in a way that made him look ten years younger. “Of the two of us,” he continued, “I’m the one with my mouth down here, so I’m afraid we must agree to disagree.” Credence switched to clinging to Gellert’s shoulders and breathed in deeply as Gellert began again. He could definitely tell why people enjoyed this.Gellert went back to sucking the tip of Credence's cock and laving the underside. Credence wanted to grab Gellert's hair and hang on for dear life, or maybe force him closer. As if on cue Gellert swallowed around him. Credence clung to his shoulders so hard he was probably leaving fingernail marks. Gellert’s mouth was so much more tight and wet than a hand, and it felt incredible. Gellert swallowed until his nose pressed against Credence's pubic bone, and stayed there, petting Credence’s thighs and stroking with his tongue.After what seemed forever, Gellert pulled off, took a few deep breaths, and swallowed him down again. He started to move his head up and down and Credence found himself rocking into Gellert’s mouth. His nerves felt on fire. He could hear himself gasping on practically every breath and soft wet sounds of tongue on skin. Gellert pulled back until only the tip was in his mouth, and swirled his tongue on the underside until it was nearly overwhelming. Credence could barely think, but he knew the tightening of an impending orgasm, and wanted to last a bit longer. He took a hold of Gellert's hair and gently pulled him off. Gellert went obediently, breathing hard. He leaned his forehead on Credence’s stomach and gasped for a few seconds before looking up. He looked even more drunk than before; his hair was a mess and his lips looked very dark and wet. “Alright, darling?” he asked, and Credence got a fresh shock of arousal at how rough his voice sounded.“Just need a moment,” Credence panted. He let his head drop back against the couch and took a few deep breaths. Gellert groaned and took one of his hands away from Credence’s hips. The way he moved his arm, Credence thought he might be touching himself. If he chose to look down, he could see his husband, excited to the point of self-pleasure by putting his mouth on Credence. His husband, his Gellert, on his knees for Credence. Credence squeezed his eyes shut, struggling not to let himself think too much about the soft, tantalizing sounds of rustling cloth and skin on skin.When the throbbing in his cock receded to a manageable level, he tugged Gellert’s head back towards him. Gellert licked the crease of his hip by his balls. “You taste like the ocean,” Gellert rumbled, and once again took the head of Credence’s cock between his lips. He moved his head and tongue steadily until Credence thrust up shallowly to meet him. “I’m close, watch out,” Credence gasped. He thought to warn Gellert out of the way. Instead Gellert gripped the base of him, moved his head faster, and sucked. Credence came with a moan, his orgasm sweeping over him like an ocean wave. Gellert sucked and licked every drop from Credence’s skin while Credence clung to his shoulders, spine bowed in welcome. Gellert shakily petted his hands over Credence’s thighs until Credence returned to himself, breathing heavily. When he finally looked down, Credence found Gellert staring up at him open mouthed, eyes glassy with alcohol and desire. “Kiss me,” Credence breathed, and Gellert stood unsteadily, one hand braced heavily on Credence’s thigh for balance. They kissed sloppily, running their hands over each other’s skin. Credence fumbled for the front of Gellert’s pants, still unfamiliar with the gesture, though tonight eager to do something to return the favor. Gellert nearly collapsed on top of him when Credence palmed his cock through his slacks. Instead he flopped heavily on the couch, gasping.“May I. Would you like me to?” Credence shied away from the words, yet gathered boldness from the glow of his orgasm. He put a hand on Gellert’s naked stomach, where coarse hair trailed below his belt line. “God, yes please,” Gellert panted. He threw his head back and rolled his hips encouragingly into Credence's hand. Credence scooted closer and began to undo Gellert’s belt, kissing his neck to distract himself from the audacity of it all and to simply feel. He fumbled one-handed with the button on Gellert’s slacks and switched to using both hands for the buttons on his underwear. Gellert practically writhed under his hands; Credence had hardly known him to be so discomposed. When Credence finally pulled Gellert free of his clothes and wrapped a hand around him, Gellert made a breathy sound Credence would more have expected of himself. Credence pressed his body against Gellert’s hip while he touched him, and Gellert seemed to be fighting a losing battle for any semblance of control. He shivered and arched into Credence’s touch. He held on to Credence’s waist with one hand and the back of his neck with the other. Credence twisted the palm of his hand over the slippery head of Gellert’s cock, still unwilling to pull back from Gellert’s neck for a look, but familiar enough with the size and shape of him by feel. Gellert didn’t warn him when he came. Hot wetness rushed over Credence’s fingers and Credence was startled into looking down at his hand, in time to see milky come dripping out of Gellert’s slit. Credence had never looked at Gellert’s cock before. Gellert kept rolling up into Credence’s strokes several moments after he finished. The sight of it all seemed unbelievably shameless, and oddly captivating. Credence slowed down and Gellert arched his back one more time before going limp with another breathy sigh. Credence’s own cock twitched with interest and he rubbed against Gellert’s bare side. Gellert shivered and gathered Credence as close as he could without pulling him into his sticky lap. Credence braced his wet hand on Gellert’s belly and had the fleeting, shockingly filthy thought he wouldn’t mind getting more of the mess on himself. He kissed Gellert instead, along his jaw and under his ear, until Gellert pulled him in for a proper kiss, still faintly flavored with scotch. “Thank you,” Gellert murmured. He continued saying fragments of nice things between their kisses, like gorgeous and thank you and darling. He seemed determined to keep saying such things while Credence steered them to the bathroom to clean them both off with a damp washcloth in the half-dark. Gellert’s warm hands were surprisingly steadying even as he struggled to stay upright. He kept petting Credence’s back and sides as they walked. They were quite lucky not to fall in the shadowy hallway, with Gellert pliant and only half-wearing his slacks and still very clearly drunk. “Did I do well?” Credence asked finally, after they made it to the bed without tripping on Gellert’s clothing. “You did excellently well,” Gellert slurred, tangling his arms around Credence’s waist and nuzzling in, which ended up with his face against Credence’s belly. Credence startled a little at Gellert’s scratchy cheeks and at the reminder that he was still entirely naked. “Really so very well, couldn’t have asked better,” Gellert continued, his voice trailing off into a yawn. He kicked his pants off onto the floor--they had been closer to being off than on anyway by that point--and scooted himself up to be more evenly tangled in Credence’s legs. Credence tried to remain sitting up without twisting his back too much, or jarring Gellert, which proved to be nearly impossible with the older man’s arms firmly wrapped around him. Despite his ingrained sense of propriety struggling to take charge, Credence couldn’t help feeling a swell of delight at Gellert’s disorganized praises.“I ought to wear something,” Credence said, trying to determine exactly how to extract his legs from underneath Gellert. Gellert made a disapproving sound that might have been another yawn, and wiggled around until one of his large hands rested on the curve of Credence’s upper thigh. “Pants, at least,” Credence continued, undecided about whether he felt aroused or amused. “We just got here,” Gellert grumbled petulantly, but he loosened his grip on Credence’s waist with a sigh. Credence looked down at him and suppressed a smile. Gellert’s face was still faintly flushed and his hair was something of a disaster. He looked like a sleepy tiger, with his broad shoulders and solid body, and his long limbs tangled up in Credence. He frowned but did not open his eyes or resist when Credence turned and pulled away. Credence had intended to get clothes, like he’d said, but truth be told, it was rather warm for long sleeves or long pants, and the pajamas he’d meant to wear were on the living room floor. That seemed like an excessive amount of effort just to put a layer of clothing between himself and his dozing, entirely non-threatening husband. Instead he pulled the sheets straight on the bed, getting the tangle out from under Gellert’s legs, and crawled under them next to him. They’d left a few lamps on elsewhere, but again, turning them all off sounded so much less inviting than the bed. Credence reached over to switch off the bedside lamp. They were surrounded now by near complete darkness, broken only by a distant lamp up the hall and a faint silver glow from the moon at the window. Gellert cuddled up to Credence’s side almost immediately when Credence was back in reach, and Credence allowed him. With only the sheet to cover him, it wasn’t too warm to have another person so close. Gellert draped an arm across Credence’s stomach, not so much suggestive as for the pleasure of the contact. Credence found his hair and gently combed his fingers through it. Gellert sighed and made a small pleased sound in the back of his throat. “You did eat dinner, at least?” Credence asked in a whisper, and Gellert made another little sound that didn’t really mean anything except that he was mostly asleep. No morning walk for you then, Credence thought, and smiled to himself in the dark.