𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚!

there's something about the way hwan speaks so freely that catches minchae off guard. he's so direct, but soft in a way that it doesn't feel confrontational. it always feels certain. there's no room for doubt, no room for overthinking or panic to settle in their bones. there's just a clear picture of what he wants. of what he thinks about. and, so, the admission makes them preen a little. minchae's confidence isn't in short supply, but the soft reminders that they are wanted fuel the warmth in their stomach. and as hwan leans in, presses soft kisses to the corner of their mouth, minchae's head easily tips back.

"since the beginning?" they repeat, a soft surprise in their tone. "wow -- you've really been holding yourself back, then, huh? poor thing." it's not said condescendingly, rather.. it's said with a hint of amusement. like knowing that hwan had been sitting opposite them for all this time, wanting the same thing minchae did does something to them. and it does. as hwan descends the length of their neck, minchae feels shivers rise on their skin. their fingers still card through hwan's hair, flexing and curling against his scalp just so. their grip is a little looser as he works against him, and his words send another chill down minchae's spine. because the thought that they could get what they want is sinking it. and it makes them arch into hwan, makes their other hand wrap around his midsection to press them closer together, eager and unashamed.

swallowing, their head lolls to the side, tries to catch hwan's gaze as they speak. "you should," they encourage, tone a little less clear and a little more breathless. to prove their point, minchae's leg moves up slightly, wrapping around the back of hwan's thighs with interest. they don't push any further -- they simply make their interest known. make it clear that they want the same thing. for good measure, they press a soft kiss at hwan's temple, eyes bright and wanting. "take me out. be with me. touch me." pausing, their teeth worry their lower lip as they try to stifle a giggle. "maybe not necessarily in that order, but --," their hand cups the back of hwan's neck, "you know what i mean." urging them face to face, minchae reaches down, takes hwan's hand off the counter and presses it to the center of their chest. "touch me -- it's okay. i want you to."

The  "poor  thing"  lands  with  enough  lightness  that  Hwan  doesn't  take  offense  —  if  anything,  the  corner  of  his  mouth  curves  against  Minchae's  skin.  They're  not  wrong.  He  had  been  patient.  More  patient  than  he'd  expected  of  himself,  honestly,  and  hearing  them  say  it  out  loud  does  something  he  isn't  entirely  prepared  for.  More  like  the  specific  satisfaction  of  having  something  confirmed.  He  stays  at  their  neck  a  moment  longer,  unhurried,  before  lifting  his  head  to  find  their  gaze  when  they  speak  again.  "You're  right."  he  says,  simply.  No  qualification.  He  meets  their  eyes  steadily,  the  same  way  he  does  most  things,  like  there's  no  reason  to  look  anywhere  else.  "So,  let  me  touch  you."

The  leg  curling  behind  his  thigh  doesn't  go  unnoticed.  Neither  does  the  kiss  at  his  temple,  or  the  brightness  in  their  expression  when  they  pull  back  just  enough  to  look  at  him.  Minchae  has  never  been  subtle  about  what  they  want,  and  Hwan  finds  that  he  appreciates  it  more  than  he  expected  —  not  because  it  makes  things  easier,  though  it  does,  but  because  it  matches  something  in  him.  He  doesn't  want  to  guess.  He  doesn't  want  to  be  careful  in  a  way  that  borders  on  withholding.  He  takes  the  hand  they  press  to  their  chest  and  lets  it  rest  there,  feels  the  steadiness  of  it,  and  when  he  speaks  again  his  voice  drops  just  slightly.

this part of the evening is the part jay likes the most, he thinks. when there's no more worrying. no looking over his shoulder to make sure no one's watching them a little too intently. they can just exist, be free in the moment. ( and jay can stop overthinking his every move, his every reaction to what his boyfriend does. because, try as he might, it's very hard for him to control his face. oh well. ) fingers press into his palm, and jay exhales softly through his nose when hwan turns, gives him what he wants. what they both want, he thinks, with how easy they move together. how practiced it is. not in a way that makes them tired, but in a way that's comfortable. routine. every night ends like this, and jay's so, so lucky that it does.

smiling against him, jay pulls back just enough to sneak, teeth worrying into his lower lip once again. "i missed you, too." which seems silly to say, when he was there all night. watched the performance with his own eyes, but -- he missed this. ( one day, he thinks, he won't have to. ) his head tilts, and jay presses another soft kiss to the corner his mouth before he's leaning down, resting his head comfortably on hwan's shoulder. he lets the silence settle for a moment, lets himself sink into the casual, intimate comfort of being able to exist like this. his thumb idly runs over hwan's knuckles, his eyes flutter closed as he enjoys the sounds of the city, of the way things feel a little safer when there's nothing to worry about. he can just be.

with a squeeze, he lolls his head to the side, eyes round and focused as he studies hwan's side profile. "thank you," he states, almost seemingly out of nowhere. "for going along with my idea. and i know -- i know i don't have to thank you," he starts, eyes narrowed playfully, "but -- i really do appreciate it. on top of being able to dance with you," he fiddles with his lip ring, "it'll... give me a bigger platform. depending on where we go, or what the performance ends up looking like," he tilts his head, lips pursed into a thoughtful pout as his cheeks puff out, "it might be one of the biggest stages i'll perform on. just -- notoriety wise, anyways." the thought almost makes him nervous, but he tries to swallow that part down. putting himself in that position -- of picturing a litany of mistakes he could make before they've even started -- is no way to begin something like this. "so, when i say i won't let you down," he presses his nose into the collar of hwan's jacket, "i mean it. i won't waste this opportunity. i promise."

The  city  moves  around  them,  indifferent,  and  Hwan  finds  it  easier  to  breathe  out  here.  No  one  is  clocking  the  particular  way  Jay  leans  into  him.  No  one  is  measuring  the  distance  between  them  and  finding  it  too  small.  His  arm  stays  where  it  is,  solid  at  Jay's  back,  and  he  doesn't  think  about  it  the  way  he  would  have  two  years  ago  —  doesn't  calculate  the  angle  or  the  visibility  or  what  it  might  read  as.  Jay  missed  him.  He  can  feel  it  in  the  way  his  weight  settles,  boneless  and  trusting,  and  Hwan  lets  him  have  the  silence  for  a  moment,  watches  the  streetlights  catch  the  city's  ordinary  late-night  rhythm.  "You  saw  the  whole  thing,"  he  says  finally,  quiet.  Not  a  complaint.  There's  something  almost  fond  in  the  way  he  says  it , like  he  knows,  like  he's  spent  enough  time  with  Jay  to  understand  the  difference  between  watching  someone  perform  and  being  there  for  it. 

His  chin  tilts  down,  brief,  acknowledging.  "But  I  know  what  you  mean."  He  does. There's  a  version  of  Jay  he  gets  in  dressing  rooms  and  in  cars  and  out  here  on  half-empty  streets  that  no  one  else  gets,  and  the  knowing  of  that  sits  somewhere  low  and  settled  in  his  chest.  Jay's  thumb  moves  across  his  knuckles,  and  Hwan  turns  his  hand  over  without  thinking,  slow,  fingers  finding  the  loose  space  between  Jay's.  He  listens  to  him  talk,  the  collaboration,  the  platform,  the  careful  way  he  frames  the  scale  of  it  like  he's  trying  not  to  get  caught  hoping  too  hard.  Hwan  knows  that  too.  The  puffed  cheeks,  the  lip  ring  caught  between  teeth,  the  way  his  voice  drops  half  a  register  when  something  actually  matters  to  him.  He  tracks  all  of  it.

there's very little resistance in him after hwan's coaxed another orgasm from his body. he can't help it -- can't help the way he's melting into the other man, the way he can feel his resolve cracking with every passing second. something about this doesn't feel casual, and jay is intent to see it through for as long as he possibly can. because the way that hwan makes him feel -- the way he gently holds him, doesn't hold back in chasing his own pleasure with the way his hips still snap up against him -- makes him feel like maybe this is the best thing that's ever happened to him. incredible sex aside, there's something impossibly magnetic about the way hwan talks to him. tells him how good he is. constantly reassures him that whatever he wants to do, it's okay, because hwan will be there to help him through it.

it makes tiny, choked sobs leave his lips as hwan comes undone, buries himself inside of him again without restraint. he can feel the way he's full, the way hwan's hips still stay flush against him as he tugs them face to face, seals their lips together in a kiss that has jay melting in his arms. the water gets into his eyes, flops his hair against his head, and jay has to give himself a soft shake to meet hwan's gaze properly. ( and, he might be imagining it, but... his eyes. they're brighter. the green is always gorgeous, always breathtaking, but -- right now? they're piercing. a deep emerald that makes him gasp softy, taken aback with how beautiful he is. does hwan know? surely he must, but... jay can't help himself. )

his fingers curl against the nape of his neck, and jay's smile is wide, sated as he presses kisses along the side of hwan's face. "you're beautiful, too," he offers, unable to hold back. "you -- god, i can't believe i... did that," he breathes softly. his eyes drop between them, eyeing the way his body is a little ruined, surely in need of an actual shower now. no side activities included. "i... i came so much." it's a comment made mostly under his breath, though he knows hwan will hear it. and he knows hwan won't care. mostly, it's.. an observation. because no one's ever made him feel like this before, and he's still not sure where to put these feelings. how to channel these emotions without... scaring hwan off. so, sighing, his teeth worry the piercing nestled in his bottom lip, and jay squeezes around hwan's waist with his legs. "are you -- okay?" he asks, nosing along his cheekbone.

The  orgasm  pulls  out  of  Jay  in  pieces,  each  one  drawn  carefully,  inevitably,  until  there's  nothing  left  to  take.  Hwan  feels  it  in  the  way  Jay's  body  finally  stops  fighting  him,  stops  bracing,  just  gives.  The  resistance  that  was  there  at  the  start  of  the  night  has  been  coaxed  out  of  him  so  thoroughly  that  all  Hwan  can  feel  now  is  the  way  Jay  melts  against  his  chest,  legs  still  locked  around  his  waist  like  instinct.  He  doesn't  rush  him.  He  lets  him  have  the  weight  of  it,  the  stillness,  one  hand  settling  at  the  small  of  his  back  while  the  shower  runs  warm  over  both  of  them.  "Yeah,"  he  says,  low,  pressed  close  to  Jay's  temple.  "I'm  okay."  The  question  had  been  soft,  uncertain,  Jay's  nose  tracing  along  his  cheekbone  like  he  was  checking  for  something,  and  Hwan  turns  his  head  just  enough  to  look  at  him  properly.  "Are  you?"

His  thumb  moves  in  a  slow  arc  against  Jay's  spine,  and  he  watches  his  face  the  way  he  watches  most  things  —  quietly,  without  making  a  performance  of  it.  You're  beautiful,  too.  The  words  had  landed  somewhere  he  wasn't  expecting  them  to.  He  files  it  away.  "You  did  ."  he  says  plainly,  because  Jay's  voice  had  gone  small  when  he  said  it,  like  he  needed  someone  to  confirm  it  wasn't  something  to  be  ashamed  of.  Hwan's  hand  comes  up  to  push  the  wet  hair  out  of  his  face,  and  he  holds  his  jaw  for  a  moment,  tilting  it  toward  him.  "You  look  good."  Not  reassurance  for  the  sake  of  it.  Just  fact.  The  flush  high  on  his  cheeks,  the  dazed  quality  in  his  eyes,  the  way  his  mouth  is  still  a  little  swollen  —  Hwan  means  it,  and  he  doesn't  dress  it  up.

it takes zero effort to do as he's told. jay thrives in moments like this -- where he can turn his brain off and simply let hwan take the lead. he knows his boyfriend prefers it this way, too. he always has jay's best interests in mind, and there's no hesitation in following his requests. nodding, jay's hand slides down, cups the back of his thigh as hwan encouraged. it's easier to hold himself open, he thinks, than it is to stop himself from going overboard. he wants this to last, after all -- he can't take any more teasing. right now, he just wants hwan, in whatever way his boyfriend wants to give it to him. his body arches as hwan leans down, mouths at his neck with intent, and jay doesn't stop the loud whine that rips from his throat as he nods his head. "y-yeah," he agrees, voice high pitched and breathy as he speaks. "can feel you -- fuck, everywhere like this, aegiya. it's -- fuck, so good."

his words ring through his head, the want and the need to take things slow. to let hwan use him, fuck into him at his own, unhurried pace. it makes his body arching into the gentle touches, the way hwan wants him to let go. and it's all too easy to do so, he thinks, when he talks to him like that. encourages him to sink into the moment. he mouths over the mark he left behind, and jay feels his head go fuzzy with blind want. "ahh -- shit," he starts, whine loud when it rips from his chest. the offer isn't lost on him, and before he can answer, jay finds himself nodding his approval. his vigorous consent to let hwan treat him how he knows he wants to be treated. ( there's always something to be said about the way his boyfriend can anticipate his needs before he vocalizes them, and jay feels himself clench around hwan's cock at the thought of him being rough. of not holding back. )

"please, baby," he pleads, eyes lidded but passionate, shiny in the way he feels like he could burst. "y-you can be rough. i want you to --," he pauses, rolls his hips down gently, "really give it to me. you don't need to h-hold back," he whines. to ensure he's ready, his hands adjust, hold his legs back a little higher, a little further apart, to give hwan the space he needs. "i love you," he breathes, simply because he can. "just -- just kiss me, please. want you -- close." his nose nudges at hwan's temple, and he urges his boyfriend to turn, to meet him halfway so he can lean up and seal their lips together in a soft, passionate kiss. jay offers the noises directly into his mouth, then -- the soft whimpers, the breathless moans that escape his throat as he nips at his lower lip. "i'll be okay, baby," he reassures. "give it to me."

The  words  land  soft  but  certain,  and  something  in  Hwan's  chest  pulls  tight  at  the  sound  of  them.  I  love  you.  Jay  says  it  like  breathing,  easy  and  unguarded,  and  Hwan  doesn't  let  it  pass  without  acknowledgment  —  he  turns  his  head  at  the  nudge  of  Jay's  nose,  meets  him  halfway,  and  kisses  him  with  the  kind  of  pressure  that  leaves  no  room  for  misunderstanding.  Slow  at  first.  His  hand  comes  up  to  cup  Jay's  jaw  as  he  does  it,  thumb  dragging  along  the  line  of  his  cheekbone,  feeling  the  warmth  that's  gathered  there.  Jay  makes  noise  against  his  mouth  and  Hwan  swallows  it  without  pulling  away.  He  takes  his  time.  "You're  so  good,"  he  murmurs  when  he  finally  draws  back,  just  enough  to  speak,  lips  still  brushing  Jay's  as  he  does.  His  voice  comes  out  lower  than  usual,  rougher  at  the  edges.  "Holding  yourself  open  for  me  like  that,  you  look  beautiful.  So  pretty  for  me."  His  gaze  drops,  takes  inventory  of  what's  in  front  of  him  with  an  expression  that  sits  somewhere  between  focused  and  reverent.

Jay  is  flushed  and  pliant  and  asking  so  nicely,  and  Hwan  would  be  a  fool  to  make  him  wait  much  longer.  He  rolls  his  hips  forward,  one  slow,  testing  push  that  goes  deeper  than  before,  and  watches  Jay's  reaction  with  the  particular  attentiveness  of  someone  who  has  studied  him.  The  patience  doesn't  last.  Jay  asked,  and  Hwan  isn't  the  kind  of  man  to  ignore  a  clear  request.  His  grip  shifts,  one  hand  finding  the  back  of  Jay's  thigh  to  push  it  further  back,  angling  things  the  way  he  wants  them,  and  he  sets  a  new  pace,  something  with  actual  force  behind  it.  The  kind  of  movement  that  makes  itself  known.  "Feel  that?"  he  asks,  not  rhetorical,  watching  Jay's  face.  "That's  what  you  wanted,  baby.  You  always  take  my  cock  so  well."  His  praise  comes  out  between  breaths,  punctuating  the  rhythm  he's  set.  Good.  You're  doing  well.  Taking  it  perfectly.  "Where  do  you  want  to  come,  yeobo?  My  mouth?  My  hand?  Or  make  a  mess?  You  look  so  pent  up,  baby."

it might be entirely possible that hwan is inside their head. either that, or the look on their face is far less forgiving than minchae thinks. usually so calm and cool under pressure, there's something horrifying about showing cracks in their makeshift armor. ( and their brain wants to remind them that hwan is one of the best people to show those insecurities to. because he understands. there's no need to pretend to be brave and strong in a moment like this when they're, quiet frankly, scared out of their mind. ) it takes a swallowing breath, a ground moment of hands on hwan's shoulders to try and steady themselves in the moment. it's embarrassing, they think, but... they have to remember that there's nothing to be embarrassed about. what, are they supposed to feel shame for feeling?

at the very least, minchae can say that hwan handles sudden declarations of love much better than they ever would. and maybe, after the fact, they'll laugh about it. poke fun at their over eager attitude and simply move on. but the way hwan kisses them after they've asked, the gentle hold he has on their face as his hips begin a slow, steady roll, implies that perhaps... this is a conversation. and, perhaps, they're already having it. with their bodies. because the shift in the air is palpable, and the way hwan moves is different than before. they were never in a rush beforehand, but now -- the drag of his hips is softer, a little deeper as he bottoms out within them. it makes minchae wonder if they truly made a mistake, after all.

so, they keep going. the moans continue to fall from their lips in soft, whiny whispers. their legs wrap around hwan's center, their smaller height allowing them to cling a little tighter when their arms wrap around hwan's shoulders. and, their mouth is eager, willing under hwan's as they part their lips, lick into his mouth with less worry than before. if they can focus on how it feels, they find the knot in their stomach doesn't hurt as much. sometimes, simply existing in the space is more than enough. back arched, their hips roll down, sink hwan even further, if possible, inside of them. noses nudging, minchae presses soft, fleeting kisses along his cheeks, fingers tracing idly against the warmth of his face with a soft, content smile. "feels good," they offer, tone a little breathless. "keep going, please. it's --," they pause, exhale, "i'm okay. i promise."

Hwan  pulls  back  just  enough  to  look  at  them  —  really  look,  the  kind  that  doesn't  flinch  or  glance  away  out  of  politeness.  Minchae's  hands  are  on  his  shoulders  and  he  can  feel  the  slight  tremor  in  them,  the  way  they're  trying  to  hold  themselves  steady  through  sheer  force  of  will.  He  knows  that  look.  The  one  that's  trying  very  hard  to  appear  unbothered.  He's  worn  it  himself,  in  different  rooms,  under  different  circumstances,  and  the  recognition  settles  something  in  him  rather  than  unsettling  it.  Somehow,  he  manages  to  lean  to  the  side,  pressing  a  kiss  to  the  underside  of  Minchae's  wrist,  eyes  never  closing  or  leaving  theirs.

His  thumb  traces  the  line  of  their  cheekbone  instead,  slow  and  deliberate,  and  his  hips  don't  still,  they  find  a  rhythm  that's  unhurried,  that  asks  nothing  and  takes  nothing  that  isn't  being  offered.  Deeper  now,  with  purpose.  If  the  declaration  is  sitting  somewhere  between  them,  unresolved  and  a  little  raw,  then  this  is  how  he  meets  it.  Not  with  words  that  might  come  out  wrong  or  land  too  heavy.  With  the  press  of  his  body  saying  what  he  can't  at  the  moment.  But  he  doesn't  let  Minchae  focus  on  anything  else,  his  body  adjusting  to  their  warmth  and  heat,  adjusting  his  legs  swiftly  to  find  himself  fully  seated  and  welcomed.  When  he  finally  speaks,  his  voice  is  low  and  close  to  their  ear.  "Tell  me  how  you  fell."  His  forehead  tips  forward  to  rest  against  theirs  for  a  beat  before  he  angles  back,  catches  their  mouth  again  when  they  lick  into  his  —  and  he  lets  them  lead  it,  follows  the  pace  they  set,  matches  the  softness  they're  offering.

HBO'S HOUSE OF THE DRAGON SEASON THREE EPISODE TWO: QUEEN'S LANDING BASE ICONS.

A comprehensive list of base icons by character from hbo's house of the dragon season three episode two. All links take you to the posts here on tumblr that eventually leads you to the base icons packs on payhip. All packs are on a pay what you want basis. You can download for free but if you appreciate my work and the time it took to make them, you can leave a tip, from 1 usd to 5 usd, it truly helps me a lot. All icons are 200x150 in dimensions, sharpened and colored and brightened.

emma darcy as rhaenyra targaryen

matt smith as daemon targaryen

olivia cooke as alicent hightower

phia saban as helaena targaryen

clinton liberty as addam velaryon

abubakar salim as alyn velaryon

bethany antonia as baela targaryen

phoebe campbell as rhaena targaryen

tom cullen as luther largent

steve toussaint as corlys velaryon

tom glynn carney as aegon ii targaryen

ewan mitchell as aemond targaryen

rhys ifans as otto hightower

gayle rankin as alys rivers

sonoya mizuno as mysaria of lys

matthew needham as larys strong

tom bennett as ulf the white

kieran bew as hugh hammer

fabian frankel as criston cole

freddy fox as gwayne hightower

amanda collin as jeyne arryn