Annihilation - Book Three

Chapter 23 (M)

I leave our friends to sneak off after him. Only to find him in the bathroom, lathering his jaw to shave and wrap my arms around him from behind. "Maybe you should leave it?" I ask, distracted. 

"Since when do you like facial hair?" Though I can tell it's a baited question by his tone. Marcus has facial hair, the whole time I've known this man he's not been one to be bothered by the state of his beard. 

He'd gone through changes of being smooth-shaven to stubbled though I don't recall ever seeing him allow it to get to a full beard. I peek around him to look in the mirror, his hair has almost grown out past his ears again and it makes me smile. The extra length is always more inviting than when he shortens the sides. 

"Penelope calls it a sex sponge," I say with a yawn, pressing my cheek against his back. 

"That's vile." He sounds amused, I seem to have finalized his decision as he shaves it off with a straight razor. "Do you even grow facial hair? I don't think I ever see you shave."

 I resist the urge to bite him for being witty but I don't have the energy, I'm exhausted. "Not really. I'm not a very hairy person. Unlike you." I tug playfully on the trail of hair leading down his abdomen. Though he's not the hairest man I've been with, "Thankfully most of your hair is on your head. A daddy complex is enough, I don't think I'm into all the hair that comes with it."

 He rolls his eyes at me and I relish in the small moments I get with him. Before, he was always running off. He was constantly tailed by a barrage of generals and upper ranks giving him reports and asking for commands, I remember walking with him in a sea of conversation and wondering how he could possibly keep up with it all.

 There were times when it was all I could do to feed him a single meal before he was off again. 

The more I'm with him, the more I find I like him. Of course, he's always had his redeeming qualities but it never ceases to surprise me how funny and charming he can be when I got past his angry, outter exterior.

 "What're you thinking about?" He asks me casually as he dries off with a towel. 

"That I really like you." I close my eyes, listening to him breathe. 

"Did you not like me before?" 

I shrug. "I did and I do. It's complicated." I don't want to put it into words just yet. I don't have the proper vocabulary or the comprehension to describe what it is he does to me, I'm still trying to figure it out myself. I decide to free him from the weight of our conversation and palpate his shoulder.

 He wriggles out of my grasp and I sigh at him. "Is it already hurting again?"

"Shower  with me?" He offers, avoiding my question like the plague. 

"Servants shower, you know. Royalty bathes." I mock my breeding, using my best 'Haryek' impression as I wave my hand dismissively. 

"Well, then it's perfect for you." I don't know how I feel about that and narrow my eyes at him. "Don't be a brat, I use to enjoy when we would bathe together. It pleased me."

 I purse my lips, mulling it over.

 "It wasn't a suggestion, I was just allowing you to make the right choice." He raises a brow and it brings a small smirk to my face.  

"I suppose." I allow and he turns the shower on while I undress. 

The running water in this place never ceases to amaze me, I really do need to update Dezna when I get home. He distracts me as his lips brush over my neck and I shiver at the feeling, pressing my back into his chest. His hand comes around to run his fingers up and down my chest before teasing one of my nipples