Caomhnóir - 22

“I think,” Keegan started to say, laughing when Thom responded with, ‘therefore you are’.  “Yes I am, but that is not what I was going to say. I think that we need to talk now that we’ve gotten the most important things out of the way.”

Thom looked up at his lover, tracing a finger over his lips. “I guess we should, but not like this. I won’t be able to keep my mind on what we’re talking about.”

“Then I’ll move.” Keegan kissed him once more, quite thoroughly, before rolling off onto his back and sitting up.

Thom grumbled that he wasn’t quite sure that was an improvement as he sat up as well, leaning back into the curve of Keegan’s arm as it circled his shoulders. “Ask away,” he said.

“You know what I need to know. Exactly what did Darius say to you?”

“I saw him twice, at the club, which you probably already know.” Thom turned his head to shoot Keegan a rather disgusted look. “The first time he went out of his way to make it clear that ‘faithful’ was not your middle name in any way, shape or form.”

“He’s right.” Keegan tightened his hold on Thom when he tried to pull away. “Let me finish. He is correct; I’ve never before been faithful to anyone. I never saw the need for it, as I rarely if ever returned once I’d left a place or time. But then, until six years ago, I had never met someone who affected me so deeply.” He smiled when Thom turned to look at him. “Truth time, here. In my nine centuries as a Caomhnóir I’ve been all over the world and have visited more places and times than you could ever imagine. You know that. And during all that time I was hardly a saint when it came to my physical needs.”

“I suppose that would have been impossible.”

“Unless I was a eunuch, definitely. There is one thing I can say though in my defense, never once have I told someone that I loved them until I met you.”

“Truly?” Thom studied Keegan’s face, looking for something in it that said he wasn’t just trying to placate him.  

Instead of replying to the affirmative, Keegan frowned. “Do Darius’ words mean more to you than mine?”

“No!’ Thom protested. “No, never. I just—Damn it Keegan.”

Keegan’s frown deepened. “Tell me exactly what he said.” 

“He implied that you had been unfaithful to me whenever you were gone. Any bed in a storm was the way he put it. And of course he caught me on a really bad day when he said that.”

“Bad day how?”

Thom winced, not certain he should admit what he’d been feeling. He didn’t have to as Keegan instantly picked up on his memory.

“Mo ghrá, you will always be beautiful to me. Even when you’re old and gray, to me you will be the man I met and fell in love with oh so many years ago. How many times do I have to tell you that before you believe it?”

“Until the day I die? And maybe beyond?”

“I can do that. I’ll say it so often you’ll get tired of hearing it.”

Thom touched his cheek, smiling. “You don’t have to be quite that insistent, once a week would be fine.”

“Done.” Keegan kissed him gently, saying, “Mo fear álainn, is breá liom tú.”

“Is breá liom tú,” Thom murmured against his lips.

“I know. I can feel it, see it, and read it in that wild and untamed mind of yours.”

“Stay out of my mind, Keegan,” Thom growled. And then he laughed. “As if, right?”

“Right. Now, tell me about your second run-in with Darius.”

* * * * * * 

Mo fear álainn, is breá liom tú - My beautiful man, I love you

Is breá liom tú - I love you