Aaron breathed hard, and felt another jolt when Eliot came and tightened. He leaned over and kissed him - still full of need, though a little more lazily. "I love you." The words were out of his mouth before he even realized.

He blamed Alcuin, who had put the thought in his head.

"I'm sorry," he said, quickly. "I don't know why I said that."

Because he meant it. Stupidly.