Chapter Text
“Can’t you stay?” Aemond asked, tugging the Egyptian cotton sheet up to his chin. Not for modesty, but to enjoy the softness against his bare skin, still warm and flushed pink from their lovemaking. His lover’s scent lingered on the fabric as Aemond pulled it close.
The sheets were one of the many luxuries the five-star hotel room provided. If he were to go into the bathroom, he would find gold veined marble, a whirlpool tub, and a dozen other lavish touches. Outside the door was the room service trolley that had brought them the most delicious wagyu steaks that Aemond had ever eaten. Even a bottle of wine, though Aemond was only eighteen and not legally allowed to drink it yet.
He always books us the most beautiful hotel rooms, Aemond thought with a smile. Not that Daemon ever stayed long enough to enjoy them.
Perhaps the sheet pulled up to his chin was done out of modesty: a thin fabric shield between himself and the pain he knew was coming. The pain that always came.
“I wish I could,” Daemon promised as he tugged on his shoes, leaning over the bed to kiss Aemond sweetly on the cheek. “But you understand why I can’t.”
He did. It was the same reason Daemon was allowed to mark up Aemond’s ivory skin with as many hickeys and love bites as he wished, but Aemond was never allowed to give Daemon a hickey in return. The reason they had to slink off to hotel rooms in the first place, even though Aemond would have much preferred a cozier domestic setting. The reason that he and Daemon had to hide their love from everyone, like a dirty secret rather than a beautiful romance.
Rhaenyra. If Daemon were to spend the night, Rhaenyra would grow suspicious that he was not merely working late.
I don’t like it when you leave after we make love, Aemond mourned, grabbing a pillow and hugging it to his chest. I want you to stay. I don’t want a quick cuddle, I want to fall asleep in your arms. I don’t want a quick rinse in the shower, I want to laze with you in the whirlpool tub with glasses of wine. I don’t want to wake up alone tomorrow, my hickeys the only sign that you were ever here. I want to wake up next to you, so we can kiss and smile and laugh and maybe make love again…
The same longing that Aemond had after every single time they’d made love for the past two years.
Daemon frowned, climbed into the bed, and gently tugged the pillow from Aemond’s grip, cupping his face and staring into his eye. “You know I love you, right?”
Aemond didn’t answer, not until Daemon leaned in and kissed his lips, threading his fingers through his long silver hair.
“Aemond?” he repeated. “You know I love you, right?”
“I love you too,” he responded, kissing Daemon back. “Tell me again? Tell me again when you’re going to leave her?”
Daemon sighed, pressing his forehead to Aemond’s. “Soon, kiddo,” he promised. “I swear, as soon as I can. But little Viserys is only four.”
And too young to speak at a divorce hearing.
After Daemon’s first wife, Laena, died, Daemon inherited her assets and was left independently wealthy, so he’d still be a multi-millionaire even if he and Rhaenyra got divorced. The problem wasn’t money or houses or cars or boats or planes or any other material possessions that couples bitch about. The problem was their two children, little Aegon and Viserys.
“If I leave her now, kiddo, she’ll take my children away from me,” Daemon said sadly, kissing him again. “If I see them at all, it’ll be…what do dads usually get? One weekend a month? If that?”
The courts always favor the mother…
“But if we wait a few more years, the court will be able to ask him what he wants. And he’ll say he wants equal time with both parents. And then I’ll be free to do whatever I want.” He smiled, stroking back a lock of Aemond’s hair. “I’ll be free to be with the man I love.”
The idea of spending years like this made Aemond’s chest hurt. Years of only carving out a sliver of time (a hotel if they had a few hours, a quick romp in a private corner if they didn’t). Years of going to sleep and waking up alone. Years of longing. Years of crying.
But it was better than the alternative: the rest of his life without Daemon. A life without the man who set every nerve in his body aflame. A life without pleasure beyond his wildest dreams. A life without the man he loved.
It wasn’t enough to stop the stray tear that leaked from his eye.
“Hey, hey,” Daemon whispered, leaning in to kiss away his tear. “None of that. I’m coming to your house tomorrow night, remember? Rhaenyra takes Ambien; I’ll be able to come and see you for a few hours.”
A few hours. A few hours when Aemond would steal him from Rhaenyra. No more. Never more.
“Ok,” Aemond said, forcing himself to smile. It would be a few hours of pleasure. A few hours of being held. A few hours of hearing Daemon whisper, “I love you,” into his ear.
A few hours of Aemond pretending he would stay for good this time.
“Enjoy the room,” Daemon urged, giving him one last kiss on the forehead. “You told your mom you’re staying at a friend’s house, so it’s yours for the rest of the night. Take your time in the morning. Order room service breakfast.”
His forced smile grew wider. “I will, Uncle. Thank you.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Aemond waited just long enough for Daemon to leave before picking up the pillow again, curling up into a ball, and giving in to a long, good cry.
*********
“Come on…” Aegon teased, hooking a finger around Aemond’s turtleneck and trying to tug it down. “Tell me who she is!”
He elbowed Aegon in the ribs. “Knock it off!”
“Pfft,” Aegon rolled his eyes. “Relax, I’m not going to tell mom and dad, even though you’re eighteen now. I just want to know who this sex-crazed love goddess is. Whenever you sneak off to see her, you come back chewed to hell.”
I hate that we share a bathroom, Aemond growled.
He used to love it back when they were children. His bedroom connected with Aegon’s via a jack-and-jill bathroom, and to compensate for the lack of privacy, it was one of the largest and nicest in the house, complete with a separate tub and shower. But unfortunately, because the toilet was in its own separate closet, he and Aegon fell into the habit of not bothering to lock the door when one of them was showering.
A habit Aemond came to regret six months ago, when Aegon walked in on him with a towel around his waist, his neck, chest, stomach, and hipbones covered in hickeys. The towel, mercifully, prevented Aegon from seeing the ones on his inner thighs, but it was a small consolation.
“Come on,” Aegon laughed as he parked the car. “I’m proud of you. I used to think you were this tight-ass prude with no sex drive. But apparently you’re having wilder sex than I am! Respect!”
You have no idea… But while Aegon was certainly right about the ‘wild’ part, it was worthy of neither pride nor respect. Aemond certainly didn’t have any for himself. Not in some time.
But I have Daemon, he thought with a sad smile. Maybe for only a few hours a few times a month, but I have him. He loves me, and I love him.
“I can’t say, Aegon,” he said, fiddling with his seatbelt. “Yes, I’m eighteen, but mom and dad wouldn’t approve.”
Aegon stopped laughing, narrowing his eyes. “Why? She married or something?”
Yes, to dad’s beloved golden child. “No.”
“Kids?”
Yes. Four. Two of them are my nephews. “No.”
“Drug addict?”
“No!”
Aegon’s frown deepened. “Sex worker, ex-con, gold-digger…”
“No! Ugh, nothing like that! She’s…” Wonderful. Amazing. Everything I ever dreamed of… “Not Valyrian.”
Aegon snorted. “Mom’s not Valyrian, you dingus!” Realization flickered in Aegon’s eyes. “Oh, I get it. You think if you marry some girl who’s not Valyrian, it will hurt your chances of being dad’s heir.”
Their father, Viserys, was the head of the Targaryen family and CEO of their company, and he had come up with a unique solution to prevent squabbling over who would take his place when he retired in fifteen years: the company’s board of directors would vote from all qualified/interested candidates. Company bylaws required them to consider merit, education, work ethic, leadership skills, etc. But a factor would also be Valyrian blood.
Aemond stood a good chance of winning the board’s vote. At eighteen, he’d already finished his Freshman year at Columbia, having graduated high school a year early. Summer was just starting, and he would be spending it interning at the company, the way he had every summer since his fourteenth birthday. The same way he would spend every summer until he got his MBA.
But Rhaenyra had him beat on blood purity. She was seventy-five percent Valyrian, whereas he was only fifty. And thanks to her second marriage with Daemon, she had two children with almost 90% Valyrian blood.
Unless Aemond married a Valyrian woman, it could potentially hurt his chances depending on how heavily the Board weighted blood purity in their vote.
“Ok, look,” Aegon grunted, elbowing him. “I don’t go in for all this sappy brother shit, so I’m only going to say this once. You’re going to be dad’s heir because you deserve to be dad’s heir. God knows I don’t; dad just keeps me around because I’m good at charming new clients by being their drinking buddy. Jace tries his best but you know he doesn’t like the corporate world. Baela and Rhaena are creators, not leaders. Helaena doesn’t even work for the company. Luke and Daeron just started high school, and Joffrey will still be in college when dad retires. Daemon’s no good; he’s only four years younger than dad.”
Aemond’s throat squeezed when he mentioned Daemon’s name.
“So it’s either going to be you, or it’s going to be Rhaenyra. And yeah, Rhae’s awesome, but she’s not a natural at it like you are. And she rubbed a lot of Board members the wrong way over the years because she was kinda bitchy when she was younger.” Aegon looked thoughtful. “If I’m being honest, she’s still kinda bitchy, even if she does it in a badass way. Point is, the Board will look at you, and they’ll see their profit margins tripling.”
It was, without a doubt, the nicest thing Aegon had ever said to him, and he couldn’t help but smile as he looked at his brother. Aegon loved to bust balls, to tease, to irritate, and while Aegon loved their family deeply, he virtually never said any “sappy brother shit”.
“If you hug me, or dare tell anyone I said that, I swear on Sunfyre, I’ll put another dog turd in your briefcase.”
Aemond’s eye widened. “THAT WAS YOU?!?” Thank god Aemond had smelled it and threw the briefcase away before going into the office, but it had ruined all the documents he meticulously prepared, forcing him to rush to print new ones.
“You ratted me out for drinking!” Aegon countered. He was twenty-one now, but he wasn’t when he’d gotten caught, and thus he’d suffered Alicent’s wrath.
“No, I didn’t!” Aemond defended.
Aegon blinked. “You…didn’t?”
“NO!”
“Oh…” he said sheepishly. “Oops.”
Groaning. Aemond rubbed his temples. “You couldn’t have asked me before you ruined my briefcase?”
“I’ll buy you a new one,” Aegon promised. “The point is, you’re the best candidate to take over the company after dad, so you don’t need to hide your illicit non-Valyrian girlfriend from our parents.” He gave him a nudge. “You deserve to be happy, and she deserves better than to be treated like a secret. If you’re still with her after all this time, you must like her.”
Aemond considered making a snappy comment about how Aegon had no right to offer dating advice. His older brother didn’t date; he hooked up. Often. Very often. With more women (and sometimes men) than Aemond could count…and probably more than Aegon himself could count. Granted, he was always safe about it (Aegon had bulk-ordered condoms from the manufacturer and got tested regularly), but it still earned him more than a few disapproving glares from their parents.
So instead, Aemond silently thanked him for the advice with a nod. “I…” He swallowed. “I really hope things will get serious with her…”
But he’s married to our sister, and he can’t divorce her for at least a few more years, and if anyone finds out he and I have been together, it will ruin his entire life, and he’ll hate me.
“…but she’s not ready for a serious commitment yet. If that changes, then I’ll bring her home to meet mom and dad.”
When Daemon finally leaves Rhaenyra and we start dating openly, there are going to be some ruffled feathers. Massively ruffled feathers. And Rhae might never speak to me again for dating her ex. But it won’t matter. We’ll be together. We’ll never have to hide again.
Aegon shrugged. “Whatever…” Side-eying him with a smirk, he added, “Can I at least meet her in the meantime?”
No one can know yet. It’s our secret.
“No,” Aemond said, reaching for the car door. “I don’t want to scare her off.”
“Scare her off?” Aegon scoffed, getting out himself. “Women love me!”
“Yes, but you’ll say something stupid or embarrassing about me, and then she’ll run for the hills!”
“Oh, come on! I’m your big brother! It’s my sacred duty to aggravate you to within an inch of your life!”
And you’re very, VERY, good at it.
*************
Thank god it rained, Aemond thought with a smile as the family surrounded the table for dinner. The food had been barbequed in the outdoor kitchen, exactly as planned, but the foul weather chased the Targaryens inside to their dining room. And as he always did, Daemon had picked the seat right next to Aemond.
He was so close, Aemond could smell his scent: the pine and sandalwood soap that Aemond loved so much. The scent of his warm skin after a shower. He could feel the heat from his body, see his lithe muscles moving beneath his dress shirt. He could watch his fingers as Daemon picked up his fork or stroked the stem of his wine glass in a way Aemond knew was meant to be suggestive.
It was enough to make Aemond halfway hard, even before Daemon took advantage of every sneaky opportunity to rub his hand along Aemond’s thigh, squeezing, a silent promise of what was to come later that night.
It made it impossible to focus on his food, and Aemond barely managed to swallow a few mouthfuls of the grilled chicken, having no idea if it was tasty or bland, juicy or dry.
To hell with dinner. I want you to hold me. I want you to kiss me. I want you to fuck me…
But it was barely seven o’clock. Rhaenyra would not be ready to retire until eleven at the earliest. And even then, it would take time for her to be fully asleep, out like a light under the influence of Ambien. Daemon would likely not be able to sneak into Aemond’s room until one or even two in the morning.
Six hours, he told himself, drawing a deep breath. Just six hours. I can do this. He’s coming to see me. He promised. And then I’ll get to touch and taste him as much as I want. I mustn’t be selfish. I get to see him two days in a row.
And so after dinner was finished, he turned on the espresso maker and asked if anyone would like a cappuccino. I’m certainly going to need at least two of them…
The minutes crawled. Minutes of the family sitting around talking. Minutes of some stupid family-friendly games that Luke and Daeron wanted them all to play on the Switch. Minutes watching some cheesy horror movie after the younger kids went to bed. Normally, his parents never stayed up this late, only when Daemon and Rhaenyra came to visit. Alicent wanted to enjoy her time with her best friend, and Viserys wanted to enjoy his time with his brother.
If only they lived here, like dad wanted them to… The house was certainly big enough, but Rhaenyra insisted that with her five children, even the Targaryen mansion would be overcrowded. Even if she was right, Aemond cursed the decision. I could see him every night…
Mercifully, at least tonight’s wait was not as long as he feared. By eleven, the adults were ready to retire for the night, and Aemond slipped away to his bedroom, stripping off his clothes and making a beeline for the bathroom. He had maybe an hour to wait before Rhaenyra’s Ambien kicked in and Daemon could slip away, and he wanted to spend every second making himself ready.
He’d already showered, but he did so again now, letting the hot water boil away any trace of sweat or dead skin, lathering up with the lavender soap that he knew Daemon loved. He washed his long hair and blew it dry, leaving it exquisitely silver, gleaming, and feather-soft, just the way Daemon liked it. He checked for any signs of pimples or blemishes, relieved that he found none. The only marks on his skin were the ones that Daemon had left the night before. He even dressed in the sapphire-blue silk robe and boxer set that Daemon had given him. One of the many gifts his lover liked to shower him with.
“You deserve to be wrapped in the finest silk money can buy,” Daemon said as he gave him the set. “And this shade of blue is absolutely breathtaking against your skin.”
Now, the cool fabric flowed against his skin like water as he slid into his bed, rested comfortably against the pillows, and waited for his lover to come to him. Shouldn’t be long; it was nearly midnight.
If it had been later, Aemond would have grabbed some of the lube from his nightstand and gotten to work fingering himself open. He liked it better when Daemon did it, slipping in one finger, then two, scissoring them and crooking them against that spot deep inside of him that made Aemond moan. Sometimes, that alone was enough to make Aemond want to cum. But on nights when his time with Daemon was limited, Aemond didn’t like to waste what little time they had on prep, so he’d do it in advance.
Not tonight. Tonight, they would have a good few hours together. And when they had time, Daemon liked to take his time.
Maybe he’ll want to tie me up, Aemond thought with a smile, his mind flickering to the locked box he’d hidden in the back of his closet. A box filled with ropes and many fun toys (and some not-so-fun-but-still-exhilarating toys for when Aemond was naughty and Daemon decided he needed to be disciplined).
Maybe he’ll want to use the vibrator, Aemond thought, sliding his palm over his silk-covered cock. Or he’ll make me wear that dog collar and the other leathers. Or…
Or maybe Daemon would decide he was feeling romantic, like he was last night. Maybe he would light the candles Aemond kept all over his room. Kiss every inch of Aemond’s body. Tell him how beautiful he was. How much he loved him…
Before long, Aemond was fully hard, his cock leaking, hips snapping forward as he rutted up into his own hand, but he forced himself to wait. He could jerk off whenever he wanted to, and most nights, jerking off to memories of Daemon was all he had. Tonight, Daemon would be joining him. The pleasure would be so much sharper. It would leave him gasping and moaning and begging. Tonight, they would make some more wonderful memories to carry him through until the next time Daemon shared his bed.
But…where is he? Aemond frowned, grabbing hold of his phone to check the time. 12:25. Daemon and Rhaenyra didn’t visit often, but Aemond knew it never took his sister this much time to take her Ambien and go to sleep.
He scolded himself, reminding himself to be patient. After all, it was still earlier than he’d been expecting. Daemon would be here any second.
Minutes ticked by, quickly at first, then more slowly. Almost guiltily, Aemond began to play with his phone, just to have something to take his mind off the waiting. He started reading a rather lengthy article, bookmarking it so he could finish it later…and then ended up reading the entire article. One AM. Still no Daemon.
He’s coming, Aemond promised himself, opening his nightstand to reach for the lube. He said he was coming. He promised. He always keeps his promises.
One finger, then two, then three, Aemond took his time fingering himself open, making sure he was slick and ready to go for when Daemon got here. His fingers were long enough to stroke that spot deep inside, but he forced himself not to. He didn’t want to cum yet. He wanted to savor every second of pleasure he and Daemon got to share together.
Even taking his time, it was fast work, and he was hard, wet, and ready for his lover within minutes…still no Daemon.
He’s coming. He promised. He said he was coming. He always keeps his promises…
Two AM came and went. Still no Daemon. Aemond grabbed hold of his pillow and hugged it close to his chest, curling up on his side.
He’s coming. He promised. He said he was coming. He always keeps his promises, he told himself, even as he began to cry. Tears and his own exhaustion lulled him into sleep, his mind fading away into the blissful abyss, too defeated to even wipe his cheeks.
Some time later, even asleep, he heard the faintest creaking of a door, then felt his bed dip, warm hands stroking his face and scratching his scalp. Calloused fingers traced his cheeks, finding the residue of his tears and rubbing them away. Then came the soft feeling of lips pressed against his own, which finally had him fluttering his eye open. Daemon’s scent surrounded him, and Aemond surrendered to the warm, chaste kiss.
“My poor sweet boy,” Daemon mumbled into the kiss. His fingers traced the silken robe set that Aemond had worn just for him. “I’m so sorry.”
“What time is it?” Aemond whispered sleepily, brushing their noses together and bringing up a hand to rub Daemon’s shoulder.
“It’s late, after four,” Daemon winced, kissing him again.
After four. Aemond’s belly seized. Viserys and Alicent were up by five every morning to go jogging together. If it was after four, that meant Daemon couldn’t stay for more than a few stolen minutes. There would be no toys. No dress up or bondage. No games of any kind.
No romance.
Aemond’s gaze dropped, but Daemon cupped his face, stroking his scarred cheek.
“I’m so sorry, Aemond. I wanted to come earlier, but…” He hesitated. “She wouldn’t take her Ambien. She wouldn’t let me leave…”
Aemond squeezed his eye closed. She wanted sex. Daemon hadn’t come to him because Rhaenyra wanted sex. It shouldn’t feel like a betrayal. Rhaenyra was Daemon’s wife; Aemond was technically the mistress. But it did.
Two years ago, when Aemond was sixteen, he’d been reluctant to start the relationship with Daemon, no matter how drawn he was to him. No matter how much he loved the sweet, stolen kisses. But Daemon had told him that the relationship with Rhaenyra was little more than a farce anymore. A dead bedroom. She’d be willing maybe once every six months if Daemon was lucky, and even then, she’d act like she was doing him a favor.
If you were mine, truly mine, we would please each other every single day.
“She gets to have you every night,” Aemond said bitterly, pulling away from Daemon’s touch. “But you chose her over me tonight?”
“Honey, no,” Daemon said, looping an arm around Aemond’s waist and pulling him in closer, trying to kiss his lips but settling for his cheek when Aemond turned his head. “I wanted you, but she never lets me touch her. If I said no on one of the rare times she offered, it would have made her suspicious.”
“If you’re so miserable, then leave her.”
Daemon sighed but didn’t let Aemond go, cuddling in closer and pressing soft, wet kisses against his neck instead. The room was lit only by moonlight, but even so, Daemon could see the marks he left on Aemond’s neck, and he kissed each one in turn, darkening the light red one by sucking on it some more.
Aemond would be lying if he said the feeling didn’t make him shiver, his cock twitching with interest. He was getting what he wanted, wrapped in Daemon’s arms, warm and safe, his lover marking him as his own. And the kisses on his neck felt so good…
“If I had my way, I would whisk you off on a private jet,” he said, kissing the flesh beneath Aemond’s ear. “To our own private island. Just you and me. Or maybe to Paris. Rome. Some land far from here where no one knows us. A place where I could put a ring on your finger and make you my husband. And if not for my children, I’d steal you away tomorrow.”
“Then fight for them,” Aemond urged, groaning as Daemon kissed one of his favorite spots. “Get the best divorce lawyer in New York and fight for them.”
“I will,” he promised. “I will, but I need them old enough to speak for themselves. Two more years, maybe four. The judge will listen to Viserys when he’s eight.”
Two more years. Two more years like this. Maybe four. Fresh tears began to roll down Aemond’s cheeks…
But then Daemon’s talented mouth found Aemond’s favorite spot on his collarbone, sucking just hard enough to make him moan, fingers peeling back the silken robe to reveal one of Aemond’s nipples, tweaking and pinching it.
“I know we only have a few minutes, but let me take care of you,” Daemon urged, rolling the peaked bud between his thumb and forefinger while Aemond gasped. “Let me make you feel good.”
As if I could refuse…
And so Aemond said nothing as Daemon straddled his hips, kissing him for real this time while Aemond enthusiastically kissed him back, letting his tongue wander into Daemon’s mouth. There was no time for slow or soft or sweet, and so with one more chaste kiss against his lips, Daemon worked his way lower until he reached Aemond’s cock, laving it with his tongue until it was slick before bringing it into his mouth.
And Aemond had to bite the pillow to keep from screaming.
Fuck…fuck, his uncle’s tongue was masterful, swirling around the head of his cock, sliding down the sensitive underside of his shaft, teasing his slit with tiny little flickers. All the while, Daemon cupped his balls, massaging them exactly the way Aemond loved; pressure just a hair shy of painful.
Once, in one of their hotels, his uncle had bound his hands to the headboard and sucked his cock for over an hour. Edging him again and again, then denying him release. Then, once he finally came, Daemon would continue sucking, licking, rubbing, even when Aemond cried out, over-sensitized, until he came again, and again, multiple orgasms which he thought were impossible for men.
But tonight (or rather, this morning) they did not have that kind of time. Daemon didn’t tease him by slowly coaxing out his pleasure. Instead, he gave it to him hot, wet, and fast, swallowing and humming, making Aemond see stars within minutes.
“D-Daemon…” he cried out, gripping his hair to try to give him a warning before he came, but Daemon didn’t pull away. He swallowed again, tight throat gripping Aemond’s cock and sending him over the edge with a moan and a brilliant flash of white behind his eye. And then, Daemon was actually swallowing. Something he did often. Often enough that Aemond started drinking pineapple smoothies a few times a week, nervous the experience would be unpleasant for his uncle.
Daemon not only never complained, but he smirked at Aemond devilishly and licked away a stray drop of cum that lingered on his lips.
“Five minutes,” Daemon promised, inching back up next to Aemond and pulling him into his arms to hold him. “This weekend, too. I’ll get us a room. And now that it’s summer and you’re off school, we can slip away during the day sometimes.”
Your dirty secret…
“I know it’s not ideal, Aem,” he said, kissing Aemond’s forehead while he cuddled him. “But it’s only two more years. Two more years, and then we have all the rest of our lives to be together. I swear, I’ll make it worth the wait. And I promise, as soon as the ink on my divorce is dry…” He grabbed Aemond’s hand, brought it up to his lips, and kissed his ring finger. “I’m giving you a ring. Any style you want. I’ll even let you pick the style for mine. And when it’s time for us to marry…”
Aemond snuggled in tightly while Daemon told him about all the different things they could do for their wedding. A private yacht at sunset. A garden of roses. Central Park…promise after sweet promise that left Aemond with a smile on his face, his chest aglow with warmth and the hope of a beautiful future. A future with Daemon as his husband…
He was so happy, he almost didn’t cry when Daemon slipped out of his arms a few minutes later to return to Rhaenyra’s bed.
Almost.