Philip/Novelty

[andrav]

Though Novelty was now less concerned about being in danger or being caught, his ears stayed peeled for understanding of what had caused Philip to switch directions. Trying not to let himself become paranoid, Novelty took in the discomfort in Philip's stance, even if there was the ghost of a smile on his lips. Novelty was going to have to be patient with Philip, he reminded himself, the man was still very much not recovered from his recent experiences.

I don't want to trap you.

Sympathetically, Novelty tilted his head and nodded, his suspicions about Philip's motives confirmed. With a light sigh, Novelty let his arms fall from Philip's neck and took a step back so they were no longer touching. A prick of frustration poked at the underside of Novelty's belly, and rather than ignore it, he tempered it and said, "No matter how good of a listener you are, Philip, there will come a point when you just have to trust me." Novelty then leaned in to kiss Philip's cheek, spending more time there than was perhaps necessary.

Pulling away, Novelty continued. "You might be a commanding officer, but I still have my agency. You won't take that from me. And I wouldn't let you." Novelty found one of Philip's hands with his own and persuaded their fingers to interlace. That done, Novelty pulled their clasped hands up to kiss the center of the bundle of fingers such that they both could feel Novelty's lips before he let their hands gently drop to their sides.

"So, what do you think, then," Novelty asked, his voice betraying him slightly with a lilt, "back to camp?"

[Emily]

With a light sigh, Novelty stepped back from Philip completely, and the lieutenant wilted a little, but contentedly settled his hands at his sides.

"No matter how good of a listener you are, Philip, there will come a point when you just have to trust me."

Philip started to draw his gaze back to Novelty, but then the soldier surprised him by leaning in again, his lips planting a languorous kiss on Philip's cheek. Philip stood still, wanting desperately to invite that kiss to linger and perhaps afraid that the slightest movement might prompt Novelty away. But of course, eventually the soldier pulled back regardless, and Philip closed his eyes a bit forcefully, swallowing down the echoes of pain that he felt in his stomach, thinking of how torturous it had been, some of the times that the goddess had pulled away from him like that.

"You might be a commanding officer," Novelty continued, "but I still have my agency. You won't take that from me. And I wouldn't let you."

Philip supposed that was good, but he couldn't help feeling a bit sheepish, like he was being scolded in some way, even though Novelty's tone seemed light. Truthfully, he could hardly wrap his mind around being a lieutenant at this point anyway, but some part of him still wasn't altogether sure that Novelty could truly stop him, if Philip genuinely let himself go. Maybe that was arrogant in a certain sense, but he honestly didn't know how his time with the goddess may have changed him. Was he even human anymore? Sometimes he didn't feel it.

Novelty reached for Philip's hand, and Philip allowed himself to be pliable. He watched quietly as Novelty twined their fingers together and drew their hands up to his lips. Philip sighed lightly, leaning into the warmth and pleasantness of the gesture.

"So, what do you think, then," Novelty asked once he let their hands drop back to their respective sides, "back to camp?"

Philip's chest tightened, a little hurt that Novelty would want to end their encounter. But, he replayed the words, and felt there was something else--like, maybe rather than wanting to go back to camp, Novelty was actually just seeing if Philip would call his bluff. Either way, Philip wasn't necessarily pleased, but he took a moment to contemplate what he wanted in light of everything the soldier had said. After a moment, Philip was able to straighten his posture again, a fresh serenity settling on his expression as he stepped forward again. His finger gently tipped Novelty's chin up and he closed the distance between their lips--or, made like he was going to, until the last moment, when he paused with their lips a hair's breadth apart, and his finger slowly started caressing across Novelty's jaw and down the side of his neck, his free hand caressing its way over Novelty's hip.

"Only if that's what you want," he breathed softly.

[andrav]

As Novelty watched Philip straighten and collect himself, he tried to prepare for this intimate meeting of theirs to end, and it didn't sit quite right with him. Perhaps he should have pushed Philip harder or perhaps he shouldn't have suggested that they return to camp--the lump in Novelty's throat certainty wasn't pleased with this turn of events.

But then Philip drew closer to Novelty, his lips tantalizingly close to Novelty's, and one of his hands caressed Novelty's face while the other drew itself gently across Novelty's hip, eliciting memories of the pressure Philip had generated there only moments ago.

Novelty exhaled, unsure what all this meant exactly and even more unsure what he himself wanted now.

Philip wasn't any help. Only if that's what you want. Novelty couldn't help a quiet scoff from blowing toward Philip's lips. No, going back to camp was absolutely not what Novelty wanted, but the alternative was this confusing push and pull of being intimate with Philip and having Philip try to remove himself when it got too heated. Was that what Novelty wanted? No, not really.

On some level, Novelty sincerely wished that Philip would just give in to whatever carnal pleasures he was afraid of since leaving the goddess. Was it possible to goad Philip into letting go?

Yes, but where would that leave Philip, then? Full of yet more guilt? No, Novelty couldn't quite bring himself to justify doing that to Philip. It would be impatient of Novelty.

So, what, then, with Philip's lips so close and Philip's hand arousing Novelty even further? Perhaps Novelty himself needed to be a little more assertive. After all, wasn't Philip concerned that Novelty wasn't enjoying himself?

Fine, then, Novelty would take the bait. He closed the distance between their lips and pushed Philip into the nearest tree. Keeping just enough pressure on the man to present mild resistance should Philip try to move, Novelty kissed Philip fast and passionately, his lips and teeth and tongue searching and hungrily caressing Philip's mouth in every place he could reasonable reach. Novelty hand met Philip's at Novelty's hip and urged it to press in further while Novelty slid himself slightly up and down the man's leg, occasionally thrusting such that Philip's body was further secured against the bark of the tree.

And then, Novelty pulled his lips away momentarily, nipping at spots down Philip's neck and kissing in a diagonal line across his chest before kneeling before Philip with a hand on either leg and looking up at the man with a question in his eyes.

[Emily]

Philip had mixed feelings about Novelty's quiet scoff, but he was pleased when Novelty closed the remaining distance between their lips--though taken utterly by surprise when the soldier pushed him, forcing him to take a step or two back until he was pressed against a tree, a quiet panic stirring in his chest. He might have pushed back against Novelty, but the passion of the soldier's kiss was too easy to fall into, even as the panic in his chest grew more pressing.

Novelty's hand found Philip's against his hip and urged it on, and Philip couldn't help following the energy, his palm cradling pressure against the bone there before caressing up beneath Novelty's shirt and then back down to dip beneath Novelty's pants, fingers pressing eagerly against the top curve of the soldier's backside. He simultaneously wanted to get free from the tree, but also didn't want to pull his attention from the kiss and Novelty's body swaying and thrusting against him, and he felt in a tug-of-war with himself, his body oscillating between Novelty and the tree, between arousal and frustration, between panic and bliss. In some ways that was familiar, for both better and for worse, reminding him of the poignant teetering he'd so often felt in the goddess' realm. He'd thought he had wanted to escape it, but in truth, he had also missed it, and some part of him was pleased that Novelty had managed to instigate it, even as consternation also seared through his body.

Eventually Novelty relinquished the kiss and instead pressed his lips and his teeth to Philip's neck and chest, and that at least allowed Philip to draw in a deep breath and settle himself at least some, though his lips nearly tingled in the cool air of twilight. He was just getting enough levelness to start thinking about what he wanted to do when confusion washed through him, cresting from his fingers as Novelty's hip seemed to sink, forcing his hand to trail up to Novelty's shoulder, while the finger that had been on Novelty's neck instead found its way into the soldier's hair. It wasn't until Novelty's hands settled on Philip's thighs that the lieutenant was able to make sense of the situation, and he exhaled deeply as he looked down to where Novelty had settled on his knees before him, curious eyes asking a breathtakingly delightful question.

Philip nodded without thinking, and then straightened himself up a bit, his hands withdrawing from Novelty to start undoing his belt. He swallowed down worries about selfishness, easily chased by frantic bodily realizations that he hadn't experienced satisfaction with the goddess, all too potently remembering the release that had been ripped away from him the moment she fully claimed him in his dream. His fingers hastily tore at his buttons before plunging into his underwear, and his whole body shuddered as he grasped himself, his free hand settling into Novelty's hair as though to find steadiness there.

He kept still there for a moment, grasping his length inside his underwear and breathing deeply to try to proceed with some patience. As badly as he wanted to feel Novelty's mouth around him, he didn't want to just crudely shove himself into the soldier's lips. With a soft, shaky breath, he caressed his fingers through Novelty's hair, and then slowly scooped his length out of his underwear, his eyes wide with hope and awe and gratitude as he watched the soldier's face.

[andrav]

Novelty did his best to be patient and was hopeful, given that Philip had been responding well at every stage of liberties Novelty had taken. Taking some deeper, albeit hurried breaths, he tried not to count the seconds before Philip's response.

Was that a nod? Novelty's heart jumped into his throat, followed quickly by a dramatic pull in his stomach as Philip's hands went straight for his belt. Novelty inhaled quickly, his mouth salivating, his eyes already threatening to roll back in his head at the very thought of what he was about to do to this man, a superior officer, no less.

Novelty's hands rubbed up and down Philip's thighs slowly and subtly, not trying to urge anything quicker--Philip was already rather eager to get through his own buttons--only trying to communicate his own interest and maintain the energy the two of them had managed to create together.

The soldier swallowed as Philip's hand hastily dipped into Philip's underwear, and Novelty shifted on his knees, wanting the ideal position for what he was about to do next. He was grateful, not for the first time today, that Philip was so tall. The lieutenant seemed to hesitate, then, and Novelty wondered if he was going to change his mind or pull back again like he had several times before.

Novelty felt the lieutenant's fingers through the curls of his hair, and finally, finally, Philip's considerable length emerged from its cloth bindings, the lieutenant's hand holding his girth at the base. Looking up out of curiosity, Novelty saw warmth and interest in Philip's face, and thus, having done his own share of listening, Novelty leaned forward such that his lips were only a moment away from Philip's tip, the foreskin already stretched and pulled down to expose Philip's arousal. Before Novelty opened his mouth to receive Philip, he raised his hand and set it gently on top of Philip's for light leverage. Then, with curiosity, Novelty's tongue reached beyond his lips and grazed the tip of Philip's cock. Novelty closed his eyes and withdrew then a moment, bringing the taste back into his mouth. He always liked to spend a moment with the taste of his partners. Although the soldiers all had the same diets essentially, Novelty was impressed at how differently each of them tasted. Philip tasted slightly astringent at first--probably due to less food and additional stress over the past few days--but beneath that, there was a soft glimmer of something unique to Philip, a pearlescent roundness of taste that urged Novelty to taste more.

His eyes opened, and he flicked his gaze up toward Philip excitedly as Novelty allowed Philip's cock to pass more thoroughly into his mouth. Having both ridges fully within his mouth, Novelty moaned, closing his eyes again and contemplating how full his mouth was already even with such a small amount of Philip's length inside him. And, yes, he could certainly see how using this length as a tool for force would, in fact, hurt. Which, counterintuitively, kicked Novelty's arousal up a notch. Novelty's tongue circled around Philip's tip with it still in his mouth, paying attention to each spot that elicited a response from Philip and noted them for later.

And then, these curiosities sated, Novelty moved Philip's length deeper into his mouth, seeking how deep it could go before it began to threaten Novelty's gag reflex. Novelty found he could only go comfortably halfway before he would need to get the back of his throat involved. But that was plenty enough to play with for now.

Novelty backed off to the very tip of Philip's cock and squeezed the very edge of it with the sides of his lips, moaning again. He loved thinking about the ways the vibrations of his voice might affect Philip, but the sound would have escaped regardless. Then, more quickly, Novelty pushed Philip's cock to that same halfway point again, and the movement back and forth became more and more fluid. Novelty savored the taste of Philip, mapping out the unique shape and feel of the man.

While one of Novelty's hands stayed on top of Philip's, the other strayed toward the underside of the seam of Philip's pants, curiously exploring the area just behind Philip's testicles and gently pressing in on the large blood vessel there with the aim of amplifying Philip's sensory experience. It was certainly amplifying Novelty's own as his length strained against his pants as he gently moved his hips from side to side to add a little friction for his own enjoyment.

[Emily]

Terror briefly washed through Philip once he’d revealed himself, the vulgarity of his haste and abrupt exposure hitting him all at once in his stomach. Novelty looked unbothered, though, his curious eyes meeting Philip’s with warmth and openness. Even so, in the wake of that terror lingered a stubborn self-consciousness; he knew his own length to be awkwardly large, and he’d understand if Novelty might change his mind about his nonverbal offer upon seeing it. But, almost as if to reassure Philip, Novelty set his hand over Philip’s hand, and Philip silently shuddered, the delight and relief of the simple gesture echoing through him as he let his grip around himself pulse with excitement, his fingers in Novelty’s hair similarly pressing lightly against the soldier’s scalp.

At long last, Novelty’s tongue reached out to caress Philip’s tip, and the lieutenant shuddered again, this time a soft “Ah,” escaping his lips. He couldn’t help thrusting forward slightly when Novelty’s tongue withdrew, though he pulled his hips back against the tree as soon as he caught himself. It was admittedly devastating, feeling his nerves light up with that touch only to be left in the cold, especially with memories of the goddess similarly withdrawing echoing through him, reminding him just how badly it had hurt each and every time. In some strange way, Philip felt grateful that it wasn’t only the goddess who could devastate him in that way, though he couldn’t for the life of him grasp the reasoning behind that sensation. Still, he was in some point glad that Novelty was taking his time—savoring Philip, it seemed—and ultimately, Philip was nothing if not patient. At least he still had the soldier’s hand over his, which was a warm and comforting sensation to sink into once he was able.

Though, no sooner had he settled into that comforting embrace than Novelty awoke his nerves all over again, this time taking Philip’s tip into his mouth. Philip couldn’t help closing his eyes, nor the soft vocalization of surprise and pleasure that briefly escaped from his lips. Novelty moaned around him, vibrating his whole being. Gods, it was good to lose himself in a sensation like that, warm and flowing and rapturous as opposed to the cold, lonely storms that had been his company of late. Novelty’s tongue swirled around him, a loving caress that both cradled and elated Philip, and almost made him want to cry. Instead all he did was breathe heavily, holding himself still while Novelty explored, though Philip couldn’t help a small jolt as Novelty took him in even further, a thrill pulsing through Philip’s gut as he grasped that Novelty was testing how deep he could go.

The soldier backed off once he’d bumped up against the entrance to his throat, and Philip’s fingers couldn’t quite help curling into Novelty’s hair as if to beckon him closer again, albeit gently. He forced his fingers to relax once he realized, and he also forced his eyes open with a careful exhale, wanting to connect with Novelty through this swell of sensual caresses. Gods it was a beautiful sight, Philip’s only lament that Novelty’s eyes weren’t open to meet his. Almost as if to beckon that, Philip trailed his hand through Novelty’s hair towards the side of his face, his thumb lightly caressing Novelty’s temple and his fingers brushing hair behind Novelty’s ear.

Novelty moaned again around him, and Philip couldn’t help his own soft hum in his throat, echoing the vibration as his length quaked between Novelty’s lips. Novelty took him farther in again, and back out, in and out, his motions picking up in pace. Philip let his eyes fall shut again, his brow furrowing with the intensity of the pleasure that Novelty pulled from him. He could—gods, he could spill over this way—and as much as that filled him with hope and excitement, there was also a tinge of dread eking into his awareness, threatening to buckle his knees. Just as he thought he might try to divert Novelty somehow, the soldier pressed his fingers into the seam of his pants between his legs, pulling a soft gasp from Philip’s lips and overflowing his body with spasms he couldn’t stave off a moment longer. His legs trembled and his fingers grasped anew at Novelty’s hair while his hips thrusted away from the tree, unable to stop themselves while pleasure pulsed through his length and spilled deep into Novelty’s mouth, his awareness bursting with a brilliant blue light.

As the spasms calmed down and Philip’s grip on Novelty’s hair loosened, the lieutenant heaved a heavy breath, rather more like a sob than he would have liked. Guilt flooded quickly into his periphery, like water spilling into a sinking ship, and Philip’s legs finally gave out, spreading slightly as he shakily lowered himself to the ground against the tree. He reached for Novelty’s hands, not entirely sure where they were but hoping to find them, and his eyes searched for Novelty’s eyes with a careful desperation. He wanted so badly to tell Novelty that what he had done had been beautiful, but he couldn’t find the words amidst the fresh storm that was brewing around him. In the end his gaze rang with fear and apology, wet with tears that might have fallen if not for the massive, impassible tightness of the knot in Philip’s throat. He hoped he could at least send warmth and gratitude through his hands somehow, with some measure of reassurance that Novelty hadn’t done anything wrong. He didn’t know what was wrong, not exactly, though he was sure that given just a few moments he’d have plenty of guesses to draw from.

[Emily]

As Novelty pressed his fingers up into that blood vessel, his mouth moving forward and back on the front half of Philip’s length, he contemplated what it would be like to have all of Philip inside him, deep into his throat. He was about to try just that—it would feel so incredibly wonderful with Philip’s fingers tightly wound in Novelty’s hair—when Philip’s cock started to pulse on its own in what Novelty knew was the beginning of ejaculation, so Novelty only doubled down on the speed and intensity of his movements instead, fingers pressing in tighter. That tightness caused an eruption when Philip thrusted hard and abruptly came, a flood of ejaculate filling much of Novelty’s mouth. What he had only a taste of before rushed in around his senses, and Novelty could not help but swallow some of it immediately, though he allowed another portion of it to linger, mixing pleasantly with his own saliva.

After a moment, Philip made motions toward the ground, which Novelty completely understood. He allowed Philip to pull out of his mouth while Novelty’s hand slid off Philip’s cock, but that left Novelty eager for contact. Philip reached out to grasp Novelty’s hands once the lieutenant was seated against the tree, and Novelty moved to one side of Philip—discretely wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and swallowing in the process—such that he could rest one arm on Philip’s knee, hold both of man’s hands, and look curiously at the lieutenant.
Novelty was surprised to find Philip afraid, eyebrows elevated and pulled together. What did the man have to be afraid of? Of Novelty? The bulge in Novelty’s pants pulsed uncomfortably, reminding him that he didn’t want this to be over. While Novelty hadn’t necessarily expected reciprocation, it certainly would be nice. Gods, thinking about Philip kneeling in front of him was potently delicious, or better yet, perhaps Philip might recover from this moment of intimacy quickly, unbuckle Novelty’s pants, and…

The soldier hadn’t realized he had closed his eyes wistfully, and when he did, they snapped open and to attention. He needed to be here with Philip emotionally now, as much as his mind and the tightness in his pants pulled him elsewhere.

Squeezing both of Philip’s hands momentarily, Novelty looked into the distance before trying to gently meet Philip’s gaze, tilting his forehead forward in the process to do so.

“Hey… it’s… I know this was all a little fast. But I… I’m grateful.” Novelty looked down at their held hands and squeezed briefly again.
Imagine Philip with his hand around my cock, squeezing like this, sliding up and down the length of it as he…

“If I was listening correctly…” …or pressed against the same tree, thrusting relentlessly into me the way he did to… “…you seemed to enjoy yourself.” Novelty wanted to pull Philip back to this present moment in the event that the man needed some help with that, but gods, it was difficult not to try to turn things back toward a sensual direction. Something inside Novelty wanted to scream or pounce the man or…

…Philip’s hand reaching around my hips to grab my length and…

“I would certainly do something like that again,” Novelty said with a soft smile and a helpless twinkle in his eye, removing one of his hands from Philip’s grip and using it to squeeze the man’s right shoulder.

[Emily]

Thankfully, Novelty settled down next to Philip comfortably, one arm draped over Philip’s knee and both hands warmly accepting contact. Novelty closed his eyes, and in some ways Philip was glad—it gave him a moment to try to collect himself, and reassured him that Novelty was in fact blissful about what had transpired. That reassurance helped clarify for Philip that his sinking sense of guilt wasn’t about Novelty at all, which he supposed was no surprise. He tried to focus on the gift that Novelty had given him, then, whether or not he felt he’d deserved such pleasure.

Novelty opened his eyes again and met Philip’s gaze, which Philip tried to lighten. He supposed some guilt about specifically Novelty was leaking in, though, in that Novelty didn’t deserve to shoulder the burdens Philip carried with him. Novelty deserved to have a good time on his own terms before offering himself to the whims of a god, which was what Philip understood they had both set out to do here. Philip wished desperately that he knew how to do such things without losing himself in this unfathomable uncertainty about whether he’d truly made good, wise, moral choices or whether he’d given into something truly vulgar.

“Hey…” Novelty spoke up, “it’s… I know this was all a little fast. But I… I’m grateful.”

Philip let his eyes shift away just slightly, something squirming uneasily inside of him at Novelty’s reassurance. He felt embarrassed, and maybe a little bit pitied, and he wasn’t sure what to do about that. He was grateful for the soldier’s warm squeezes of his hands, though. He was certainly glad he’d reached out for them.

“If I was listening correctly…” Novelty continued, “…you seemed to enjoy yourself.”

Philip exhaled something that almost sounded like a laugh, though his expression hardly moved. He did give a very faint nod, though, feeling he owed Novelty at least that much reassurance.

“I would certainly do something like that again,” Novelty added with something of a twinkle in his eye as he released one of Philip’s hands to squeeze his shoulder, and Philip finally managed a faint smile despite the weariness in his own expression.

“I did enjoy myself,” he said, allowing his shoulders to relax with some effort. “I suppose….” He lifted Novelty’s hand slightly, his eyes contemplating their entwined fingers with some comfort. “It’s just… strange… to enjoy myself.”

With a light sigh, he placed a soft kiss on Novelty’s fingers. Then, relaxing his hand back to where it naturally fell with Novelty’s against his leg, he brought his gaze back to Novelty’s face, his own expression a bit softer now. He had a notion to say something else, but then words were nowhere to be found, and so instead he contented himself with taking in the sight of the soldier instead, hoping that Novelty’s patience wasn’t wearing too thin.

Truly, the sight was beautiful. There was both a glint and a lilt to Novelty’s eyes, sparking twinkles of joy in Philip’s chest where he was able to let them bloom. Something about the soldier’s posture as he leaned subtly against Philip’s leg betrayed a continued sense of intimacy, which warmed Philip and helped him relax a bit further. The line of Novelty’s waist and his hip against the forest backdrop called to be traced over a few times in turn, something about it indescribably delectable to take in.

Though, as Philip traced and retraced that sight, he noted in his periphery the fullness of Novelty’s pants, which sparked both excitement and anxiety in Philip’s gut. He was glad the soldier was excited about everything that had transpired between them, but guilty that he didn’t feel ready to reciprocate, at least not in that direction, not yet. Still, it wouldn’t do to wallow in that, so he drew his eyes back up to Novelty’s face again, and drank in the soldier’s blissful smile.

Philip’s free hand slowly reached out to caress over Novelty’s cheek and back into his hair, his brow furrowed with some kind of earnest seriousness. In truth, he wanted to tell Novelty that he was beautiful, but the words caught in his throat, so at least for now, his gaze and his gesture would have to suffice.

[Emily]

Novelty couldn’t help a little laugh when Philip said it was strange to enjoy himself. In Novelty’s viewpoint, enjoyment was tantamount and akin to purpose in many respects. But, he understood that Philip was coming from a very cloistered place, not to mention that his encounters with the goddess weren’t far behind him. But… did Philip not enjoy anything about what happened with her? Surely that couldn’t be true. Surely he was simply not allowing himself to enjoy it?

The lieutenant planted a chaste kiss on Novelty’s hand, still entwined with Philip’s own, and Novelty’s smile grew for a moment before fading back to neutral. As he looked up to ascertain Philip’s thoughts, he found Philip gaze down near his hips, and a blush found Novelty’s cheeks.
Philip’s gaze pulled the soldier’s attention back toward his own fantasies, and Novelty idly wondered if Philip saw or perhaps guessed at Novelty’s continued state of arousal. Surely it was obvious. And yet, Novelty did not try to hide it or even change his posture. He enjoyed how thoroughly and languidly Philip looked him over, and there was no need to interrupt that. He certainly wanted Philip to appreciate him this way.
Soon afterward, Philip’s fingers found their way over toward Novelty’s cheek, lingering there for a moment before running through Novelty’s light-colored curls once more. A weight pulled at Novelty’s chest, and he remarked on how quickly he had begun to feel a sense of responsibility for this man. Responsibility, but also genuine care. And Novelty was again grateful that this would likely not be the last night he would have with Philip. Surely even the goddess couldn’t keep them apart forever.

Philip looked as though he was going to say something, and the lieutenant’s hand lingered in Novelty’s hair, but he didn’t manage to get any words out. Novelty let out a small breath, wondering where to go from here. On the one hand, he wanted what they had just done to be enough. It had been vulnerable and exciting, albeit short and full of starts, but Novelty didn’t want to press Philip. Novelty had, of course, singularly initiated their last intimate bout.

The weight in Novelty’s chest started to work its way into his throat as he thought about heading back to camp in such an aroused state. Sure, he could take care of himself, but in a lot of ways that felt like a waste, and wouldn’t it be better at that point to just save himself for the goddess? Yes, perhaps that was the way to think about all this. He needn’t seek satisfaction so hastily… right?

With a heavy sigh, Novelty rotated his body and leaned heavily with his back to Philip in a somewhat awkward but comfortable position. He looked out at the forest around them and was tempted to reach for one of Philip’s hands again but decided not to. He did, however, throw his hand over Philip’s knee casually again, hoping the man wouldn’t much mind.

It was, in spite or perhaps because of his heightened state, an utterly beautiful night. With the sun so recently disappeared, only a few stars had begun to show, and the air was hush with a surreal stillness. The nocturnal creatures had not yet emerged from their burrows, and the leaves of the trees were serenely unmoving. There was a slight chill creeping up Novelty’s back, but otherwise, the moment was little short of perfect.

“My captain’s assignments make it so I stay observant,” Novelty began, suddenly feeling like talking, “so it wasn’t long before I noticed you. You were a lieutenant, sure, but you also… set yourself apart. Kind, I suspected, but with a resoluteness few others could master. I was curious about you from the start. And hearing that you had been attacked in the night…” Novelty inhaled sharply, “I didn’t like it. I was grateful to hear you had returned, and I jumped at the excuse to speak with you, but I never thought it would lead to this.” A desire to kiss Philip welled up in Novelty’s chest and throat, but instead he only turned his head to look at Philip in his periphery.

[Emily]

Philip felt a little concerned when Novelty turned around, disentangling fingers and pulling away from Philip’s touch. But, he did at least throw his hand over Philip’s knee again. Philip let himself settle into the tether of intimacy he felt there and watched Novelty calmly, after a moment ascertaining that the soldier was taking in the sight of the woods, and so he took an earnest look himself.

He generally preferred dawn or sunset for the rich colors the light offered, but the forest in late twilight was a magical place unto itself. It seemed to have more…sparkle? Here, than in the goddess’ realm, though Philip wondered how much of that was the actual landscape, or the time or day, or just the aura that he and Novelty had created together. A chill ran through the air, though, and, with a light fluster, Philip quietly regathered his length into his underwear, realizing he felt awkward still exposed just sitting there. He didn’t bother refastening his pants just yet, though, partly because it simply didn’t feel necessary, and partly because Novelty spoke up, and Philip eagerly returned his attention to the soldier before him.

“My captain’s assignments make it so I stay observant.”

Philip felt puzzled, and a little bit nervous. Among other things, he realized he didn’t know who Novelty’s captain was, though Novelty’s comment here narrowed down the likely candidates. He wasn’t sure that it mattered; at worst, the thought flickered across his attention that it would matter if Philip himself were an ‘assignment’, but for multiple reasons, he doubted that enough to easily brush it aside, especially as Novelty kept going.

“So it wasn’t long before I noticed you.”

A surprised flutter started in Philip’s heart, but he kept it contained, waiting with bated breath to see where Novelty was taking all this.

“You were a lieutenant, sure,” the soldier continued, “but you also… set yourself apart. Kind, I suspected, but with a resoluteness few others could master. I was curious about you from the start. And hearing that you had been attacked in the night…”

Novelty inhaled sharply, and it cut right through Philip’s chest.

“I didn’t like it.”

There was something vaguely humorous about the understatement in Novelty’s words, but just beneath that thin veneer was a poignancy Philip couldn’t describe. He’d let down even more people than he’d known, though he suspected that wasn’t how Novelty would frame it. Indeed, he himself had to acknowledge that there was also something rather heartening about a soldier who hadn’t even met him, in someone else’s squadron and simply… admiring… Philip from afar, was hit so personally by his fall into the goddess’ grasp.

“I was grateful to hear you had returned,” Novelty continued, “and I jumped at the excuse to speak with you, but I never thought it would lead to this.”

Novelty turned his head to look back at Philip over his shoulder, and Philip couldn’t help his wide-eyed expression. The flutter in his chest grew to a pounding, and, lest he otherwise look a statue, he cautiously set his hand over Novelty’s on his leg, hopeful that it would be a potent initial bit of contact to acknowledge what he’d heard Novelty say while his mind spun on what in the world he could reasonably say back to it. The impulse was strong to utter something inane like, As long as you’re happy that it did. He knew Novelty was happy that it did, or at least, that there was enough happiness for it to radiate off his skin even if there were mixed feelings. Oh, it still was terrifying to allow himself what felt like dangerous arrogance to trust his read like that, but everything he’d experienced with Novelty so far pointed towards it being in fact a good thing to heed.

So, in light of that, he decided that maybe the time for words had passed again, and that the best thing he could possibly do at this juncture was to act.

Thus resolved, Philip squeezed Novelty’s hand and then released it and pushed himself up just enough to gather his legs beneath him, unfortunately pulling them away from Novelty’s touch, but that was a necessary sacrifice to position him on his knees beside Novelty, where he could caress both his hands over the soldier’s cheeks and into his hair. He met the soldier’s eyes for a moment, his expression serious and longing and weighty, while his fingers cradled the back of Novelty’s head just above his neck, and then he pulled the soldier firmly into another kiss, eager to feel his lips once more and spur them back towards the contact he felt positive they both still craved, his own friction to it disbursed by the poignant butterflies that now fluttered within him.