Changed out of his scratchy and stiff tuxedo, shirt, and cravat that hed left stacked on his dresser for Blaine to pick up, Hunter manipulated his muscles much easier in his tank top and loose jacket, a choice of fashion that Kurt resented, but Hunter had never been able to give up. He loaded the suitcases into the back of the car as Archer spoke in rapid French with his aunt, all of his words so thickly accented that they didnt sound human. Although his husbands French roots had softened with each day that he spent in America, there would always be something that seemed so inexplicably foreign in his blood. Stuffing the last of the luggage into the trunk, Hunter whipped around and dusted his hands on his sweatpants.

He adjusted the glasses on his nose, silently gazing at his fiancé, who glowed under the sun that struck the top of his head. No matter how classically beautiful Kurt was-as if hed been stolen from the pages of a fairytale, and how gruffly handsome his husband, Archer was the most striking of any of them to Hunter. His hips were round, and hands calloused, betraying the way he rubbed them into the floor when he danced. His dark hair clashed with his snowy skin, while his blue eyes and red lips stood out against the freckled canvas. As if he sensed his husband watching him, Archer flitted his gaze over to him. He wrinkled his nose in an impish look, before he turned back to his aunt and squeezed her hands, parting ways with her.

He pecked both of her cheeks, and then scampered over to Hunter, who caught his wriggling body in his long arms. "Hunter!" Archer squeaked, as he was pinned to the side of the car with a soft clunk and kissed hungrily.

Drawing back up from his panting husband, Hunter smirked as his hands fumbled around his neck. "Are you ready to go, Mr. Hummel-Anderson-Aoibhe-Beauchene?"

Archers lips fell, "Oh, what a name. We wont keep all four of those names, will we? Well never be able to sign anything."

Hunter chuckled, popping open the door to the passenger side and taking his husbands hand as he boosted himself inside. He shut the door behind him and walked around to his own side before he replied. Twisting the key, Hunter checked behind himself twice before he pressed the pedal to back out. "Of course we will, my love. And when we rent our first apartment, Ill make you sign all of the paperwork."

Archer slugged his arm, and then brought his feet up onto the seat and wrapped his arms around his knees. "The day is still at its peak. Just this morning, I was unmarried."

Hunter, who had just recently been given his license by a reluctant company that had restricted him from driving during certain hours, or under some weather circumstances, or in heavy traffic, would have reached over to pat Archers knee, had he not been petrified to remove his hand from the wheel. "And now you have me. Not the husband you expected, huh?"

Screwing up his face, Archer said, "I didnt marry you with any expectations, Hunter."

"Because I would have failed all of them?" Hunter asked, half jokingly.

It took Archer a second to come up with a reply, and then Hunter, from the corner of his eye, saw him shake his head, "No... not because of that. I dont want to set you up for failure. Youll do what you do, and if it were not what I wanted you to do, then I would be the bad husband for not loving the man I married. I would be loving a version of you that isnt you. I want you to be the husband that you can be, and surprise me every day. Its what you do best."

Lowering his lids, Hunter inclined his head toward Archer, who closed the distance between them and kissed his cheek. He kept his eyes on the road, even though he wanted to turn his head and catch his husbands mouth. "Love you, too." Hunter briefly snapped his head over to Archer, who had turned a rosy color and was fiddling with the ends of his hair. He wished that he could make his husband see why he didnt have to be shy with Hunter, but he knew that if he did, they would miss their plane. He smiled at Archer, who beamed at the affection his adoring husband was giving him. "You hungry?"

The passing of the next hour saw Archer plumped with nearly every dish at a buffet that Hunter had found inside of the lobby of the airport, which offered an assortment of fast food, a small café with hanging TVs, and a buffet-style restaurant. Archer argued that Hunter didnt have to take him anywhere that they would be waited on and sat at a table, and that he would have been just as happy at the cafeteria tables outside of the fast food places. But his husband had been adamant about pulling Archer into the nearly empty restaurant, where they were seated at a cushioned booth under dimly lit lamps.

Patiently waiting for the waiter to return for their drink orders, he checked over the menu for the signature dishes, before an odd feeling prickled up his neck. He hesitantly lifted his blue eyes, which settled onto Hunters furrowed face. Archer blushed, sinking back into his seat. "Look over the menu, mon âme. You will not find out what you want to eat by staring at me." Hunter cocked a single brow, making Archers cheeks turn fiery. He wiggled farther back into his seat. "Why do you stare like a starved man?"

Hunter shifted closer to him, his upper half laying across the table. Archer nervously licked his lips and moved back, feeling his husbands breath blow against his face. "I would tell you, you delectable, little crumpet." Archers breath filtered through his teeth when his husband wound one of his curls around his finger. "But the waiter walking toward us would expire on the spot if he overheard."

Archer bit his lip, his eyes flickering away from Hunters dark, angled face when their waiter, a young, skinny man with gelled hair, bounded over to their table. He became aware of how close Hunter had slunk to him, and how he wasnt leaning back for the sake of propriety. With his husbands face mere inches from his, Archer tried to maintain his composure in front of the grinning waiter. He was about to speak when he felt a bony hand drift over his leg, making him twitch as if hed been burned. Their waiter, a faultlessly patient man, looked between the two of them with a critical eye, and then returned his attention to Archer, who had helplessly scooted closer to his husbands hand as he scraped his finger up and down his neck. "U-Um..." Archers voice was so strangled that he had to clear his throat, "Ill take a strawberry lemonade, please."

Hunters throaty voice grumbled in his ear, "You know what I like. Tell him what I like."

Archer took a deep, shaky breath. "M-My husband...." The hand on his leg suddenly slid higher, making him jerk away. "My husband will h-have a root beer." As soon as the waiter nodded and turned around, Archer flashed an accusing gaze at Hunter, who finally crept back to his side of the table, sporting a sheepish smile. "What was that about? You know that I cant control myself when you touch me. I made a fool of myself."

 Hunters brows lowered, "I didnt like the way that guy was looking at you. Mine." Before Archer could retort that the man had only been looking at him so steadily to figure out why he might have married a crazy man, a pair of lips smacked his, so warm and painfully firm that Archer instantly forgot what hed been carrying on about. Melting into Hunters mouth, Archer whimpered as he pulled away with a quiet pop. Without missing a beat, Hunter stood from the table and went off to plate their food, something that he insisted on doing ever since he gained his vision back.

Grinning after his jealous husband, Archer shook his head and leaned back in his seat. What an unusual partner he had, one who did everything in large strides. Archer wouldnt have given him up for anyone else. All at once, Hunter returned to the table with two plates piled with foods of all kinds. Archer couldnt identify any of it, because it seemed to have mixed together as Hunter plopped it, one item on top of another, onto the plate. "You have an unusually large appetite." He commented to his usually picky husband, the smile sliding from his lips as Hunter set the platters in front of him. "What is all of this? Im not that hungry, Hunter."

"You dont have to eat every bite." Hunter informed him, "But I want to learn what you like to eat."

"I could have just told you. This is a little excessive." Archer said dryly.

Poking through the food with a fork, Hunter stabbed a triangular, fried pastry and held it up to Archers mouth. When Archer sucked his lips in, he rolled his eyes. "Archer, have you ever tried a samosa? This one has potatoes and lentils in it."

"No."

"Then how I will ever know if I should make it for you?" At the exasperated face that his husband made, Archer finally relented, cracking a smile and then opening his mouth just enough for Hunter to stick the food into it. Archer chewed and swallowed, and as if to make sure that it went down, Hunter ducked his head for a kiss to Archers salty lips.

Later that day, Archer sat beside of his husband on the plane, feeling glad that his daddy had been kind enough to buy them the first class seats. Secluded near the front of the plane in a pair of oversized, reclined chairs with a TV in front of their faces, Archer snuggled deeper into his seat, while Hunter remained pinned at the window, his eyes frantically searching the ground below them. Fascinated by Hunters antics, like a small child flying for the first time, Archer watched his husband with a pair of warm eyes, until he jumped at the feeling of someone tapping his shoulder.

Whipping around, Archer widened his eyes at a young boy who had taken piano lessons with his daddy. Hed heard about the Warblers only installment that lived in France, and had taken it upon himself to contact his daddy, who had been glad to help him fine-tune his talents on the keys. He couldnt remember the boys name, but the boy seemed to remember him, starting off in quick, French sentences that Archer had to shake his brain to keep up with. Having spent most of his day with his American husband, the clang of the different cultures hitting him all at once was jangling. When the boy stopped speaking, Archer replied in a few short words, and then twisted around to Hunter, who had taken note of the boys presence and was watching him carefully. He spoke briefly about his new husband, who the boy nodded at, and then respectfully backed away from, saying something about how he understood that Archer wanted time to be alone with his husband.

As soon as the boy flitted away, Hunter nodded at the place hed been standing, "What was that about?"

Archer shrugged, "He was a boy my daddy used to give piano lessons to. I didnt know he had come to Ohio. I didnt expect to see him again. He left so quickly... He apologized for interrupting our honeymoon." Glancing back at the curtain hed disappeared behind, Archer turned to his husband and picked up the bottle of water that hed ordered from the attendant.

Hunter pursed his lips as Archer took a swig of the drink, "Youre very fluent in French. You havent let me see this part of you before. Your accent is stronger when you speak it."

Touching his throat, Archer considered how many hours hed spent trying to lessen his accent, "I hadnt noticed that before. I suppose it is." He shrugged, "Im not... as fluent in French as you would think. Its my second language. My parents told me that I was born in Ohio. I learned English first. Before I could get the hang of one language, I was uprooted and taken to France. I had to learn a new language. I guess you could say that Im not great at either language."

Suddenly intrigued by Archers past, Hunter shuffled around until he faced Archer with his body, "Do you know other languages?"

Archer shook his head, "No... none. It seems silly, but Im not French... not by blood. And I only have a little American in me. My biological dad... and, well, my adoptive dad, too... theyre not American at all. My biological dad wasnt even born in America. Theyre half Asian, and half Filipino. Thats whats in my blood, too. Neat, huh? My roots seem to be spread over nearly every continent."

Hunter smiled at the insight he had been given into his husbands life-his husband, who had tried so hard to keep him out. Tucking a loose hair behind Archers ear, he whispered, "Whatever ethnicity you are, I think youre stunning. Ive never met anyone with eyes as blue as yours. Your lips are the color of red wine. You have hair as black as a ravens wing." Slumping over, he shook his head, as his fingers brushed beneath Archers small, round chin. "I was missing out on so much when I was a blind man."

Archers cheeks colored pink, but he couldnt help the whimper that crawled through his lips as Hunter scraped his nail over the side of his face. "You think so much of me, when what I have is really very little. My pére is the beauty of the family. Everybody makes a fuss over him. Ive always been his shadow... and Im okay with that."

Cocking a brow, Hunter leaned closer to him and nosed at his cheek, "How many other men in the world are blind, that they didnt snap up a little treat like you as soon as you came of age? Your pére is one of the most attractive creatures Ive ever laid eyes on, yes... but..." his dark eyes flickered over Archers rosy face, "what a pretty shadow you are, sweetheart.

Archer, reclining against his husbands thin shoulder, idly slid his fingers through Hunters. He watched him rub his thumb in circles over Archers knuckles. "But... my hair could be a little less frizzy. And I could be a little taller."

"And I could be a little shorter, but Im not." Hunter smoothed a tender hand over his hair, drawing the strands away from his crumpled face. "I love you exactly the way you are, button... with every curl on your head. I like your dark hair. It makes your eyes glow like sapphires." Helplessly giggling as Hunter hooked his arms under his thighs and scooped him from his chair, Archer fidgeted and laid his hands on his shoulders when he plopped him onto his muscular thighs. "And your size is perfect... you fit nicely against my chest." He playfully squeezed Archers rump, making him rise up to avoid his exploring hands. "And you have this round, cushioned tush thats comfortable for me to hold on my lap."

Turning his head away from Hunter so he didnt see his reddened face, Archer grumbled, "You think Im all that and a bag of chips, dont you?"

Hunter sounded satisfied with himself, "Something like that. Give me a kiss, babe. I dont want to forget what you taste like."

Whipping his head back up, Archer glared at Hunter, who was wearing a big, amused grin that he wanted to slap off of his face. "Its been ten minutes since Ive kissed you, you big goof." Hunter pointed at his mouth, making Archer roll his eyes as he moved closer to him and rubbed their mouths against each others. Instantly dissolving into the kiss as Hunter parted his lips with a swipe of his tongue, Archer faintly smiled and nudged deeper, closing the distance between them. "Love you, my cumbersomely tall husband."

Hunter grinned into the kiss, "I love you, too, my sharp-tongued, little one." Shutting his eyes and extending his neck so he could bow more deeply over Archer, Hunter shuddered as Archer pawed at his face, dragging him down. Without each other, they were lonely creatures whose strengths and weaknesses flabbergasted anyone who came near. But somehow, the two of them, with their equally matched tempers and stubborn personalities, made a perfectly imperfect couple.

Archer snuffled at the feeling of something hard jabbing his shoulder. Wriggling deeper into the warm cloth that his face was smushed against, he swatted away the hand that firmly rubbed his arm. "Mm..." He turned his head to the side, smelling his husbands heady cologne at the hollow of his throat. "Hunter, what is it? Have we landed?" He blinked open his eyes, finding himself submerged in the darkness of the plane. The couple in front of them had clicked on the light above them, giving him a small sliver of brightness so he could make out the edges of Hunters face. He tilted his head up at Hunter, who was staring out the window with a pair of widened eyes, his lips slightly parted. "Hunter? What is it?"

Sliding across his husbands chest, he felt his hand wind around his arm, holding him against his body. He peered out the window at the alit city below them, like tiny torches glimmering from the streets. Archer smiled at the indiscernible blurs below them, his eyes flitting over to the one thing that stood above the clouds. "Thats the Eiffel Tower. You took me to Paris?" It was his husbands awestruck silence that gave Archer a cold feeling. It sank in that when his parents had flown him across the world, Hunter hadnt come with them. "Youve never seen the Eiffel Tower, have you?"

Hunter slowly shook his head, "Its beautiful. Ive never seen anything like it. This city is so large. Its still lit up."

Tucking his hair behind his ear, Archer whispered, "Yes... its a city that never sleeps. It isnt like Lima. With every step that you take here, youre walking across a masterpiece. I think youll like it. Youll fit in here, as an artist." He leaned heavily against his husband, who nearly pressed his nose to the window. His breath fogged the glass. Archer grinned warmly at his actions, but the smile drifted away once more as he realized that Hunter had never had many beautiful things in his life. "I love Paris. This is my home. Thank you for taking me back here."

Suddenly turning away from the window, Hunter gave him a wide smirk, his lips stretching from ear to ear. "Youre welcome." His eyes darkened, and he reached back to rub his nape, "Im sorry that I woke you like that. I was just... eager. Ive never been to a place like this."

"Its okay." Archer tilted his face up so he could peck a kiss onto Hunters jaw. "Im eager to show you my home."

Hunters brows ruffled. He twisted around again, gazing at the ground that the plane cautiously drifted closer to. "Our home?" He murmured, his voice lilting at the end as if he wasnt certain of what he was saying. "Our home. I want this to be our home. I want to move here as soon as possible."

Touching his husbands back, Archer felt him tremble with excitement, "Really?" He rested his chin on Hunters shoulder, his crusty face softening, "Then thats what well do. Well make a place for ourselves in Paris."

In the dead of night, Archer was curled into his husbands chest in the back of a taxicab. His sleepy eyes gazed out the window as the taxi rolled over the bumpy, brick roads. With the side of his face squished to Hunters chest, Archer flicked his eyes up to Hunters solemn face, which was pointed at one of the windows. He couldnt have seen anything, with having to strain his vision through the darkness, but he seemed invested in whatever he was watching. Hunters knuckles idly rubbed Archers cheek, his fingers twined through Archers messy curls. Yawning, Archer burrowed like a tiny chipmunk into Hunters warmth, hearing Hunters clothes crinkle as he turned his head down to see Archer squirming around. "You okay?" His cool voice sounded loud within the silent taxi, except for the buzzing of the heater. Archer looked back up at him and nodded, making him smile softly. "Youre tired, little one. I know that look in your eyes."

Archer sniffed as Hunter dragged his head onto his shoulder, his hand cupping his nape. He vibrated underneath Archer, tickling his face, when he opened his mouth and hummed, "Sleepy kitten. Close your eyes." A large, comforting hand smoothed over Archers stiff back. "Not another peep. Hush, and rest your head on my heart. Listen to the thump, thump, thump."

Suddenly, as Archer nestled into his husbands solid form, Hunter shifted forward, making Archers body curve and mold with his. "U-Uh... excuse me?" He asked the taxi driver, whose bored face, cut in half by the thin image Archer had of it in the rearview mirror, changed into an expression of questioning. "Do you speak English?" The man shrugged, so Hunter muttered, "Um... how much farther until we arrive? My husband is feeling fatigued."

Archer felt a moment of alarm at being referred to as that in front of a complete stranger. The man mumbled through a thick accent, "Five minute."

Hunter nodded, and then collapsed once more against the back of the seat, "Thank you. Hear that, baby? Just a few more minutes." Sliding his arms around Archers waist, he folded him back into his chest, where Archer rested happily. He kneaded the front of Hunters shirt like a small cat, but his eyes popped open once more and he raised up, alert, when the car rolled over a bump. He heard Hunter take in a sharp breath, "Your parents and uncle live here? They loaned us their house for a couple of days. Your dad never told me that it looked like this."

Archer twisted around so he could see what Hunter was talking about. He squinted through the fog at his white home, which towered nearly twice as tall as the trees, and was so wide that he had to turn his head from side to side to see either end. "Uh huh." He murmured, drawing up from Hunters chest when he briefly pulled his eyes away from the home to pay the taxi driver. "Daddy wanted my pére to live in luxury, so he bought this home after they took their honeymoon here. All of these gardens are ours, too. And we own a plot of land several miles from here. Ill take you there, if youd like."

Hunter opened the door, letting in a chilly breeze that carried with it the chirping of crickets and the rustle of leaves. Archer embraced the fresh air, having been stuffed up in a plane all day. "This is a little overwhelming." Hunter climbed from the taxi, cracking his shoulders and back before he bent for Archer and helped him off of his seat. Following his husband to the trunk, where he unloaded the clunky suitcases, Archer tried to grab one, but Hunter snatched both of his wrists with a large hand and lowered them to his sides. "Blaine told me that your family was sitting on a considerable amount of wealth... but to have a house like this..." His voice trailed off as he stared up at the pillars that were suspended from the roof. "What I wouldnt do to be able to provide for you the way that Blaine can for Kurt."

Archer blushed, crunching the grass after Hunter hooked the suitcases onto his arms and started hiking. "Dont make a big deal out of it. My daddy treats it like its nothing. His job affords us a lot of nice things, but my daddy doesnt keep very much of the money. Lately, hes been investing it into charities... you know, hospitals and homeless shelters. He recently put large sums into a rehabilitation center for abused children. Hes a good man, you know."

"I do know." Hunter said, his voice wry as he plunked the luggage down in the doorway. Turning to Archer, who was waiting for him to make the next move, Hunter suddenly lunged at him and knocked his legs out from under him. Archer made a surprised noise, his hands latching at the nape of Hunters neck. "And now is the time..." Grunting as he pushed Archer up higher and tried to fumble with the key, Hunter finally managed to snap the lock. Unceremoniously, he kicked the door open, inviting the smell of a freshly cleaned house to his nostrils. "Now is the time, sweetheart, that I start spoiling you. Youll never lift another finger again."

Archer rolled his eyes, simply accepting this ridiculous treatment because was too tired to fight it. His sore feet didnt mind the lift upstairs. As Hunter moved from room to room, he flipped a few lights on, acquainting himself with the new place. Finally, Hunter arrived at a white door, which he pushed through, revealing a neat room with its walls painted blue. The bedspread on the large bed was also blue, while the carpet beneath them was pristinely white, not a stain on it. The only thing that sat on the tan dresser was an old music box that his pére had given him, after telling him that he had to be careful with it because it was one of the few trinkets they had left of Archers grandma. On the bed, lopsided stuffed animals rested against the flat pillows, while on the bedside table, there sat a thin vase that held flowers that Archer had been determined to keep alive for all these years. Wilting paper, smudged in scribbles, plastered the walls.

Slowly, Hunter carried Archer over to the bed, where he set him down as his eyes continued to flash around the room. "This is your room." He muttered, his voice becoming softer when he bent and touched one of the petals of the flowers, scooping it up on the tips of his fingers.

Digging his fingers into the mattress, Archer tilted his head, his hair sliding across his forehead, "Mm hm. Do you... like it?"

Hunter turned in a circle, trying to absorb his room, "Its beautiful, Archer. Of course I do. Its very... you." When he faced Archer again, he chuckled as he noticed him prying his shoes off. He immediately squatted, grabbing one of Archers feet and carefully untying the laces. "I take it you like blue?"

Archer gave him a sheepish smile, wiggling his toes as Hunter tugged at the end of his sock. "A little too much. If you havent noticed, it appears somewhere in every outfit that I wear. Im a lucky boy to not have been kicked out by my patient and affectionate pére." Hunter chuckled at that last, knowing that Kurt could forget that he was a parent if he was disappointed with Archers outfit. Hearing his shoes thump the floor, Archer lowered his feet and pressed them against Hunters groin. He flexed his toes, feeling Hunter shudder as he slid Archers legs apart. "I like brown, too." His sentence was nearly interrupted by Hunters lips, which narrowly avoided smashing into his while he was still speaking. Gasping, Archer placed his hands on Hunters shoulders and flopped onto his back at the first push of Hunters hands. "I t-think your brown eyes are gorgeous. A-Are you going to make love to me, Hunter? Its our wedding night, after all."

Falling between Archers legs, Hunter placed his hands on either side of his face, his brown eyes twitching from side to side. Archer gulped, sliding his hands down the grooves of his back. "Is that what you want?" Hunter breathed, a strand of his hair tumbling over his forehead as he propped himself on his elbows, his face hovering just above Archers. At the quick bob of Archers head, Hunter suddenly rolled them over, letting Archers body spill from his arms. Archer found himself facing away from his husband, who flopped beside of him, his hands creeping around to Archers front. "Ill be gentle about it. Youve had a long day. You need your rest."

Hunter slipped his hands under Archers shirt, making his stomach retract from the cool brush of his fingertips. Smiling, Archer huddled his face into the pillows, as Hunter slowly peeled the shirt off of his clammy skin. "I only married you. That wasnt as exhausting of a task as you think it was. Ive been through worse."

Hunters lips rubbed the prickling hairs at the nape of Archers neck. Archer felt his mouth curve against his skin, before he pulled it away. "Dont put out your fire, okay? I dont want you to change. I want you to frustrate me, you headstrong kitten."

Drawing his knees up when his husbands hand snuck around to his crotch, Archer started to lower his hand, but kept it suspended in the air when he realized that Hunter had stopped moving. He immediately withdrew it, trapping it in a pile of blankets. "I-Its okay. Please... touch me. Youre my husband. You have the right."

Hunters body shifted against Archer, the blankets crinkling as he extended his arm and rested on his elbow. Archer turned his head and peered at Hunter through the corner of his eyes. The dim, yellowish light that shone down from the ceiling, which had strands of tiny lanterns hanging from it, cast a hazy glow onto the side of Hunters dark face. Hunter sucked his lips in, his eyes unreadable. Finally, he spoke, "As your husband, I dont have a right to anything but to keep you as mine. Archer, your body isnt mine for the taking. That wasnt what I wanted for myself, as a child, and thats not what I want for you." Archer messed his face up, not understanding, so Hunter shook his head, "Sweetheart, I love you more than anything else. Just because I wont always take you to bed doesnt mean Im not attracted to you. I am... always. I always want you. But, what Im saying is that... I want you to come to me for affection. If youre not in the mood to have sex with me, then thats that. I wont force you to do anything. I want you to feel safe with me, and if I ever make you uncomfortable, that would make me sick with myself. Your body is beautiful, and thats because youve made the choices of what you want to do with it. If I start making those choices for you, then you might start resenting it... like I did with mine. And something thats very important to me is making you understand how lovely you are."

Dropping his head back onto the pillows, Archer sunk into his husbands grip, feeling closer to him than hed ever felt to anyone. Archer blinked when Hunter pressed a warm kiss to the side of his head. "I dont know what you need." He whispered, suddenly feeling very shy as Hunter pushed his hand into Archers pants, sliding it down one of his chubby legs.

"Yes, you do." Hunter muttered, "I want you to open your eyes. Acknowledge the fact that youve forever changed my life. Youre not just a shadow, baby. Youre my everything now. What I need is in my arms. Lay still... Im going to pull these off." Archer pressed himself flat to the mattress, trying not to twitch as Hunter ran his hands over his legs. When his pants reached his ankles, Archer kicked them the rest of the way off, and then floundered out of his briefs. He recoiled from Hunter when his large hand cupped one of his butt cheeks. "Shh... youre okay. You know my touch. I would never hurt you. Do you need me to stop?"

Archer, knowing what those words had cost Hunter, closed his eyes. "No. I want you inside of me... but, please go slow. Im trying to get used to this. Something feels different now."

"Anything you want, beautiful." Hunter shed his own pants, and carelessly threw his tank top to the side. Even he had to take a moment to pause as he collapsed once more behind Archer, whose trembling body did feel like something new against his warm skin. Knowing that Archer was too timid to do anything but lay in tense silence, Hunter licked his fingers and lowered them to Archers bottom, where he pressed the tips of them into the tight ring of muscle. Archer stiffened, his back becoming straighter, before Hunter swirled his fingers, pushing them a knuckle deeper. "Does that feel good, honey? Tell me what you want."

Archer tilted his head, glassy, blue eyes peeking at Hunter over his shoulder, "You... i-inside. Please." These three words shook as Archer churned them out. Hunter popped his fingers out, his hips thrusting forward as he aligned his aching cock.

"You sure? Do you want me to open you up a little more?" Archer shook his head, his face flushing when Hunter peeled his ass cheeks apart. With a stutter of his hips, Hunter drove into Archer, one long push that buried him inside. Archer flung his head back, a cry of agony, and the most brutal kind of gratification, breaking from his lips. Hunter snapped his hips, angling them higher so the tip of his penis rammed into Archers prostrate. Archer curled up like a small shrimp, his body shaking as he pressed back on Hunters cock.

He incoherently mumbled about how much more he wanted, a low moan cutting off his words when Hunter swiveled his hips. Wrapping his arms around Archer, he plunked his head onto Archers back, breaths puffing from his lips as he massaged his most sensitive part on Archers hot, wet walls. When he bumped an especially good spot inside of Archer, he growled at the way that Archer clamped around him, shooting unbearable pain and pleasure through his crackling nerves. Braiding Archers hair around his knuckles, Hunter grit his teeth and stared at the freckles on Archers shimmering skin, thinking of how much he had missed out on the first time they had made love.

Pounding his cock into Archers most secretive place, he yelped when Archer abruptly twisted his upper half around and kissed Hunter, hungrily sucking, devouring him. In between fierce smacks of their lips, Hunter panted, "Archer... I love you. Kitten. Let go. Let go." He wasnt sure if he rambled this last at himself, or at Archer, but when his raspy husband wheezed that he loved Hunter, his lower half exploded, and his vision went white.

Archer snoozed peacefully in his husbands limp arms, Hunters soft snores lulling Archer into a calmness that eventually drifted into a deep sleep. After Hunter cleaned them off and dumped the stickiest blanket on the floor, hed laid back down, sliding his arms around Archer, who snuggled back until his rump hit Hunters lower stomach. It was in this quiet, still state that Archer was startled by a rude awakening. Archer, who knew that neither of them had set an alarm so that they would have time to relax in bed when they roused at whatever time their bodies felt rested enough, jerked upright at the blaring sound of something ringing. Blinking frantically, Archer shoved his hair off of his face, his eyes searching the dark room. Behind him, his husband rumbled lowly, shifting slightly on his side, his arm around Archer tightening, as he also came to.

Checking over Hunters bare shoulder, Archer furrowed his brows at the sight of his husbands phone buzzing against the dresser. Because he couldnt reach it, he rubbed Hunters chest, making him snort as he started up, his eyes slowly opening. "Hunt. Your phone. Its going off."

"Hm?" Hunter, rubbing the stubbly half of his face, turned over and grabbed his phone, keeping it out of Archers sight. "Oh. I have to take this." Suddenly sitting upright, Hunter threw his legs off of the bed, the rapid movement jostling Archer. He started to hold the phone up to his ear, but then he twisted back to Archer, who had lowered his gaze when hed been given an unobstructed view of Hunters flat ass. "Im sorry. Go back to sleep. Ill be back in a few minutes." Bending over Archer, he kissed his rumpled forehead, and then vanished from the room. He shut the door behind himself.

Agitatedly staring after Hunter, Archer crossed his arms, unable to force himself to go back to sleep, no matter how tired he was. He wondered who had the nerve to call his husband in the middle of the night. His stomach knotted with dread as the minutes passed, and Hunter still didnt return. Fidgeting, Archer sank back into the bed, about to give up and try to go back to sleep-anything to stifle this sickening feeling of worry-when the door cracked open again, and Hunter padded back in. Archer couldnt read the expression on his face, eyes wide and lips pursed. He stared up at Hunter, who realized that he was still awake and hurried back to the bed. The look on his face must have been unpleasant, because Hunter cupped his cheeks, "Whats wrong? Are you okay? Im here now."

Archer licked his lips, unsure of how to express his worry without sounding like he expected the worst from Hunter. "Who called you? Why didnt you answer it in here?"

Hunters face became very stoic, and he lowered onto the edge of the bed. He pulled the blankets over his middle so that he was decently covered. "Honey, it was my publisher. He didnt know that I had gone to France... He apologized for calling so late after I told him. Im sorry that the call woke you. I didnt answer it in here because I didnt want to bother you." At the sound of relief that Archer made, Hunter tugged him closer and pinned him to his chest. Archer smelled the saltiness of his skin, felt the heat of it, and gripped him tighter. "Sweetheart, you know that I would never give you anything to worry about. Im rotten at being a husband in other areas, but Ill always be loyal. Trust me?"

Archer immediately nodded, his face softening as he pulled back up. "What did your publisher have to say?"

Turning his head away, Hunter smiled at some unknown thought. His glimmering eyes looked back at Archer, and he reached out and stroked his hand across his cheek. "My book sold." At those three words, Archers mouth fell open, an action that made Hunters smile widen. "My publisher wants to make a deal with me when we return from our honeymoon. Hes willing to print three hundred books. He told me that he has an inclination that my book will do very well."

Archer stared blankly at his husband, the words slowly processing through his muddled brain. For the past two years, Hunter had worked relentlessly to finish his book, which turned out to be four hundred pages. It had taken five months to complete the rough draft, followed by many more months of throwing away entire chapters, restarting over and over, until their bedroom was distended with crumpled papers. To Archers surprise, Hunter wasnt as private about his writing as Archer had expected him to be. The process, instead, was a series of intimate moments that the two of them shared, when Hunter would call him over and hold him in his lap, letting him read over the freshest pages, and then smoothing his hair as he asked how Archer would change the scenes to make them better.

Sometimes, Hunter would leap out of bed in the middle of the night and open his laptop, flinging broken phrases and random words onto a clean page, so that he could thread them seamlessly through a scene. Even more than he did for his painting, Hunter had a passion for the written word, and gobbled up nearly any book that was placed in front of him. Within a few months, he had read their homes extensive library, and had since been searching for new books. Knowing how much this meant to Hunter, Archer held a hand up to his chiseled face, his eyes becoming moist. "Im so happy for you, Hunter. I knew that you could do it."

Hunters own eyes became wet as the truth hit him, and he embraced Archer so tightly that his ribs hurt. "Thank you, kitten. I couldnt have done it without you."

Closing his eyes, Archer pressed his face into Hunters neck, "Im so proud of you. Youve overcome so much."

"Again, because of you." Hunter whispered into his tangles of hair, and Archer breathed a heavy sigh, his fingers digging into Hunters muscular back, when he kissed the top of his head. "I love you so much." Archer said it back to him, and then he felt himself falling onto the bed, his body colliding with Hunters. The friction of his body rubbing against Hunters sent prickles of electricity through his skin, and he felt Hunter start thrusting his hips.