Sunset Valley and leave you like they left me here

his words brought aditya's gaze sharply onto him, lit with surprise. didn't mean it? "no, alarian, i meant it," adi murmured, taking a deep inhale to collect himself. "i went about it the complete wrong way. . .but i meant it. just because i used you, just because i did you wrong, doesn't mean you were a mistake, to me."

he'd thought about it, since. his body underneath, the feeling of his hips pressed against the scrawny thighs. it had left him breathless, and feeling guilty all the same--but not for alarian's sake, no. in other circumstances, in better circumstances, he'd have stayed with the man for hours--forever, even--curled up in drowsy post-coital bliss by his side.

"i want you to know that," aditya said firmly, staring at alarian. "to know that i meant it, that i care about you. that the shame i feel is not for you, but only for myself." indeed, the shame was rooted deep within him, but alarian was the cause of none of it. he would not allow the young man to think otherwise.