Liam tugged at the front of Arik's coat, and the man bent immediately to meet his kiss.
Arik's hand slid from Liam's waist to the back of his neck, fingers spreading beneath his hair as he deepened the kiss. For several seconds, the exhaustion Liam had felt through their bond disappeared beneath familiar heat. Arik tasted faintly of the bitter tea served during council sessions, his mouth warm against Liam's, his body solid beneath layers of dark formal clothing.
Then his grip loosened.
Not because he wanted to stop.
Liam felt the difference.
Arik rested his forehead against his, breathing slowly, golden eyes half-lidded. Up close, the evidence was impossible to ignore. Fine tension remained around his eyes, his skin was paler than usual, and the sovereign mark beneath his cuff pulsed with the same slow rhythm Liam had begun noticing whenever the Core drew particularly strongly on him.
Liam smoothed the front of Arik's coat where he had wrinkled it.
"You're taking a break."
