<span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-family:Open Sans">In Marcus' eyes, he'd hardly done anything at all to Luca. He caught himself, reined himself back in because he cared for the young man. With most people, Marcus didn't possess the ability to stop when strong emotions took over in that way.<br/>
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“You made me angry, Luca. You lied to me. You betrayed me.” You're lucky I stopped. Marcus didn't say the last bit out loud, not wanting to frighten Luca any further, but it was the truth. He thought about continuing and going on to start fresh with a new boy. Maybe Luca wasn't the perfect young man he expected him to be, but he realized it would be unfair for him not to give him the chance to correct his ways. Luca was sweet. He just didn't fully understand yet, and perhaps before Marcus had scared him.<br/>
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“I don't want to kill you, Luca. I want you to enjoy our time together.” If he'd wanted to, he would have killed him already, another thing Marcus was not very forthcoming about. When Marcus turned Luca, he could see the expression on his face, how alarmed the whole event had made him. His eyes were red and his heart was still hammering away, like a rabbit who'd just run a straight mile. Marcus was looking for a way for the young man to redeem himself. It was harder looking at him to imagine him planning what he'd done, and Marcus thought less and less that was the case. Luca had just reacted, without much thought or his plan would have been formulated. He simply spooked and bolted.<br/>
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“You don't know me yet, but you won't disappoint me. Not if you're honest with me. You can tell me when you're uncomfortable, but you can't react in that way again, do you understand me, Luca? It's not safe for you out there. I'm not going to hurt you here.” Marcus displayed his trust that Luca wouldn't tonight by untying him.<br/>
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“I won't push you further than what I know you're ready for. You're going to have to trust me, Luca. This will be good. You just have to let me make it that way,” Marcus decided, probably not comprehending what he was asking for. He thought he could still reason with the young man; that there could still genuinely be affection between the two of them. He'd calmed down, forcing himself to so as to not frighten Luca further.<br/>
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“I didn't mean to choke you. I just wanted to catch you, and I wanted you to be still. I was so angry, Luca. You hurt me too when you ran from me.” It made Luca seem like all the rest who'd rejected him in the past, and it was one of Marcus' hot button issues. “I lost control. I'm sorry. I'm not mad anymore. We'll start over again.” Marcus thought it was that simple, his emotions coming and going easy enough. He reached for Luca's face, kissing his face before pulling him close, arms coming to wrap around him regardless if Luca returned the embrace. Marcus let out a heavy sigh and with it his remaining tension. Luca felt so good. He wanted this to work. He didn't want to have to be forced to give up on this young man. He'd learn over time, and once he realized Marcus wasn't actually a bad man, he'd come around. Or at least that was what Marcus thought. He'd felt that through the cleansing of his body that Luca had responded to his touches at least partially. That had to mean something.<br/>
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“Do you like showering together?” Marcus inquired, wondering about his body, tracing the line down his back. He wanted to feel more of him, and get better acquainted with how it all operated, but he was aware he could be pushing Luca again. Already how he originally envisioned things had been ruined, considering the roughness and haste he used to strip Luca of his clothing.<br/>
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“I thought before that I'd take my time unclothing you, and touching you for the first time. This hadn't been my intention,” Marcus admitted, but now, touching him as he was, he didn't want to stop.</span></span>