Faolan didn't know what he was expecting Lucien to say in response to this torrent of words and emotions that had just escaped him. He was so used to controlling his emotions, his anger and his fears, that he never realized that this control had extended to his positive feelings as well. He had kept them all locked away, to in turn imprison the beast that lived inside of him. With Lucien, he thought maybe that beast was being freed...that it would be dangerous for him to express himself when he felt so strongly. But it had had the opposite effect on him.

As Lucien returned his feelings, confirmed that he felt the same...Faolan felt nothing but a wave of pure relief. He didn't know that he had been hoping for the Frenchman to say these words until he had heard them spoken from his lips, in his voice. Every bit of it was a soothing balm that comforted him.

He felt his hands began to shake as Lucien approached him and almost started as the Frenchman touched his cheek. He knew that he had longed for Lucien's touch, but didn't know how he craved it. It was, in this moment, like air to him. He never wanted to go back to a place that Lucien felt he could not touch him like this. He stared into Lucien's eyes, golden pools of warm light that pulled him in. Like a moth to a flame, he was entranced. He moved forward, not realizing that he was reaching for Lucien until his fingers touched the cloth of his shirt. 

He wanted to say something in answer to Lucien's warning, his request, but in this moment Faolan could think of only one thing to do with his mouth. He leaned forward and kissed Lucien again, slowly and softly, afraid of moving too roughly or being too aggressive. As soon as their lips touched, that flame that had been dormant in him since the day he'd left was awakened once more. It burned in his chest like the engine of a ship, pumping steam-like adrenaline into his veins. He left one hand on Lucien's hip, and the other moved behind Lucien's ear, caressing the soft tips of his raven hair. Although Faolan wanted to do so much more, he kept all of his movements soft and slow, as gentle as he had ever been, to avoid the avalanche of desire that would surely break on them if he allowed it to.