Erotic Spice - An Ongoing Story Blog

“You’re just messin’ around right?” Sebastian asked hesitantly. “You’re not, like, serious and shit.”

“Serious as a heart attack, bro,” Dave insisted. “Look, it’s not like it’s a free ride. You’re gonna pay the rent. You’re gonna be the one signing the new lease in six months. And you’re the one whose gonna keep Attila’s base nice and neat so Vic doesn’t have a fit when he’s over here twice a week, yeah?”

“Yeah, OK.” Sebastian mulled it over. He’d always liked Dave’s place but it would be a little weird living there by himself, without Dave. “And what about you guys?”

Dave chuckled. “Xav’s been bugging me for a bigger place. So we found one a couple blocks over from Vince’s so I can, y’know, keep him in the style he’s accustomed to.”

Across the room Xavier stuck his tongue out and Sebastian laughed.

That settled, the move soon began, the sorting of what would go and what would stay for Sebastian so the place wasn’t stripped bare. The old sofa would stay, the wiring and equipment for Attila’s operation and some of the kitchen items. The bed went with Dave. He just thought it would be too bizarre to leave it for his little brother, this piece of furniture that had seen so much inventive sex.

Somewhere along the line it occurred to Xavier that this was the first time he would be moving into a place that was actually his. Sure he’d lived alone a few times, but renting a pay-by-the-week room wasn’t exactly the same thing, and although he was still sharing the condo with Dave, obviously, it wasn’t like he was just moving into someone else’s place. This move suddenly felt very…grown up.

There was stuff he could pick out that was his, not just someone else’s stuff that he was using. Buying furniture beyond just a nightstand or a chair was something totally new. They had plenty of offers for help with decorating and shopping, Cody and Jonathan topping the list of volunteers. Xavier had at first thought he would just hand over the cash and let them do whatever they wanted, certainly they’d have the place looking showroom perfect far better than he would.

When it came down to it though, he decided he wanted to furnish and decorate the place himself. Dave wasn’t all that into it and he gave Xav minimal input but otherwise left it up to him. One thing was for sure, years of living with other people’s stuff, regardless of whether it was Josh’s alley finds or Katya’s ultra-refined taste, hadn’t inured him to his own sense of style…and that style tended to run to the expensive.

Heavy Italian leather sofas in a dark brushed mahogany with oversize chairs and ottomans were among the first things he purchased. Then he decided they looked too comfortable to be sitting on bare hardwood floors and so the next day an oriental rug showed up, the reds and golds against the dark brown of the furniture made the whole room feel rich and sensual.

Xav was so please with the way the living room turned out he decided their bedroom needed a makeover and their old bed ended up going into the guest room to be replaced by something bigger. The theme of heavy, well-built furniture, dark woods, rich colors, and plush fabric continued in the master bedroom. He worried at first that the stuff he picked might be too dark and heavy, but the rooms were large enough and when everything was in place, it looked really good. Masculine, no doubt, but elegant, too. Just the right balance of style and comfort. Xav was inordinately pleased with himself

Dave came home after a day of classes to some pretty ritzy looking rooms and he nearly walked back out, thinking he had the wrong place. Used to Goodwill castoffs and thrift store furnishings, all the rich, new things were overwhelming. He was a little afraid to sit down.

“Sweets…” he said in a small voice. “Can we afford all this?”

“No…we can’t, but I can. Don’t worry about it, hon. I took it out of what I had saved, and there’s still a nice chunk of change in the bank. I just didn’t have a reason to spend it before.” Xav said. “You can buy us the new plasma TV when you go back to work.” He grinned.

“Um…OK.” Dave managed a shy smile. “I kinda feel like the kid in that story…the Prince and the…whatever the word is. The poor kid. This the only room so far?”

“Nope. I got the swing hung from the ceiling in the bedroom. Wanna see?”

“Oh, hell, yeah,” Dave said on a strained chuckle, not entirely sure Xav was kidding.

He followed Xavier to the bedroom, letting him play host. No swing hung from the ceiling but Dave couldn’t have been more stunned if there’d been a full suspension rig and trapeze bars.

“Christ on freaking crackers,” he breathed out, his eyes huge. The carved four-poster was big enough for an entire men’s choir. “Do I have to wear silk pj’s and all now, too?”

Xavier had come up behind Dave and put his arms around him. He laughed about the silk pajamas. “If you want to, but I prefer skinnn…” He drew the last word out as he breathed over Dave’s ear and nipped the top.

Dave’s hands came up to cover Xav’s, but he was still uncertain. “Xav, are you sure…”

“Yeah. I said, don’t worry. It’s alright…unless you don’t like it?”

“No, it’s not that.”

Xav gave a little shrug with his arms still wrapped around Dave and he nuzzled at the back of his neck. “I never got to buy anything like this for myself before. I never bought a bed before. Or a couch or…anything. So, I got what I liked.”

Dave nodded and relaxed back against Xavier. “Oh, well, since it’s like that. I was just worried by the size of the bed.” He kept his voice deadpan with effort. “That you were gonna start keeping a harem in here.”

Xavier grinned, kissed the tender spot just behind his ear and then stepped back. With a running leap and a twist that was much more like Xavier than the mature person who picked the bed out, he bounced once and landed flat on his back in the middle of the bed with arms and legs sprawled.

“Oh…now I get it.” Dave nodded sagely. He stalked to the bed, his eyes devouring Xavier. “You want to be my harem boy.”

He crawled up from the foot of the bed between Xavier’s legs, growling as he came.

“Aren’t harems usually full of women and eunuchs?” Xavier asked. He let his hand slither down his body from the top of his chest to between his legs. Cupping his package, he lifted his hips in a little wriggle. “No eunuchs here, thank god.”

Dave took the hem of his t-shirt in his teeth and pulled it up to Xav’s armpits. “See, there were other kinds of harems once, too, I hear…” He lapped at a nipple then sucked hard on it. “Harems with beautiful dancing boys…just waiting anxiously for the Sultan to come and pick one of them…”

Xavier snorted. “I think somebody just wants to play Sultan.”

Dave grinned at him and tickled under his ribs, turning him into a squirming, laughing mass under his hands.

“Stop! Stop it!” Xavier laughed and shoved at his hands.

Playtime was interrupted by the doorbell, much to their disappointment. “We could ignore it,” Xavier suggested, grinding his crotch up between Dave’s thighs, making them both groan.

The doorbell rang again and they both sighed. It was their new place, they had a lot of friends, it was to be expected, and there was always later. Dave got up and pulled a reluctant Xavier to his feet as well.

Once they saw who it was and what they had, Xavier cheered right up. Vic and Cody had come, and Cody who was ever the thoughtful friend knew they would probably be too busy to cook and had brought them dinner.

Cody bounded down the hall, as excited as if it were his own new place. “Oooo, hon, this is epic!” he enthused when he reached the living room. “All butch and sexy…oh, man, you did such a good job. Maybe I’ll have you redecorate our place.”

“You just had the living room redone, little man,” Victor said in a pained voice that implied such changes were about as fun for him as a root canal.

“Just saying it looks perfect, baby. And a perfect spot for making out. Have you tried it yet, Xav?” Cody shoved the casserole at Vic so he could grab Xavier’s hand and pull him to the sofa. He sprawled on his back and yanked Xavier down on top of him for a slow, leisurely kiss.

Xav might have just given him a kiss and then laughed, but Dave had already got him wound up and it didn’t take much to stoke the flame into fire. He caught Cody’s hands and brought them up over his head, pinning them there while he devoured his mouth and ground his hips into him.

“See, now, that’s just so wrong,” Dave said on a melodramatic sigh.

“Hmm?” Victor barely heard him, his eyes glued to the scene on the sofa.

“I just get home and my harem boy gets stolen.”

“Ah.” Victor nodded. “Well, think of it as gaining an extra harem boy instead.” He strode over to the sofa, switched the casserole to one hand, slid an arm under Xav’s waist and hoisted him over his shoulder. “Dinner first, sweets, play later.”

“That’s the second time you’ve interrupted, you know,” Xav said a tad sullenly. “I think you’re gonna have to make it up to me.”

“More than happy to oblige,” Vic rumbled softly. He put the dish in its thermal container down on the kitchen table and shifted Xavier into his arms for a tender kiss. “But we can’t have your bottomless stomach growling, now, can we? Quite distracting.”

“You could give me an appetizer.” Xav suggested, nibbling along Vic’s jaw.

“One track mind.” Dave snorted. “Sit and eat.”

Vic set Xavier down and he gave up with semi good grace once the smell of food hit him. Cody did make good stuff.

They ate and chatted, everyone in good spirits. Cody had just landed a commission with a wealthy, eccentric elderly lady who wanted pieces of “sculptural surprise” built into her house and garden and Vic’s business had never been better.

Finally, when everyone felt satisfied, Victor pushed back from the table. “All right, David, why don’t you show us where you intend to keep your harem boys.”

With a wink and a grin, Dave rose and led the way to the master suite. He still had to get used to the idea of two full bathrooms and a closet big enough to set a cot up in.

“Oh, it’s gorgeous,” Cody breathed when he caught sight of the bed.

“Xav picked it out, too,” Dave said on a soft chuckle.

“Certainly adequate for a harem.” Victor nodded, all seriousness. “I think our boys should undress each other and show us how it works.”

“Finally!” Xavier said, snagging Cody around the waist and reeling him in for a hot hungry kiss. His hands slid under the edge of Cody’s shirt, caressing up his sides as he pulled it up and off over his head. Burying his nose at the side of Cody’s throat, he inhaled deeply, letting his scent fill him and make his head spin while he worked on the button and zipper of his jeans.

Cody tipped his head back on a soft moan, trying to recall for a moment what he was supposed to be doing with his hands. Oh, right, undressing Xav. He slid Xav’s t-shirt up slowly, revealing his lean, perfectly ripped body. He wriggled his hips to help Xavier get his tight jeans down even as he undid the button fly on his impromptu dance partner’s.

Xav slid Cody’s pants down his hips and then stopped for a second when he got a look at what was underneath. A little scrap of satin and lace that was barely holding him in clung to his hips. Xavier dropped to his knees, taking Cody’s jeans down with him. “Bring me to my knees why don’t you,” Xavier breathed out, brushing his cheek over the satin covered bulge of Cody’s crotch and nuzzling at him.

“Glad you like it,” Cody got out in a breathless whisper, fingers combing through Xav’s hair.

The view from the back was just a breathtaking, Cody’s sweet ass not-quite-covered in the green satin and lace confection.

“I want that to stay on for now,” Victor demanded in a husky rumble. His eyes ran over Xavier next. “And are you wearing anything underneath today, my sweet?”

Xav shook his head, incapable of speech at the moment as he ran his hands up and down Cody’s legs. He reached down and shoved his jeans down to his knees so Vic could see just how naked he was under them, his cock already rising from the proximity of Cody’s delicious sent under his nose and beautiful body under his hands.

“Very nice,” Vic said with a grin and then he frowned. “But I think I’m in danger of running roughshod over you, David. This is your harem, after all.”

Dave laughed and slid behind Vic to press up against him and unbutton his shirt. “No problem. You’re our guest, yeah? So we gotta take care of you.” He ran a hand over the ridges of that hard-packed abdomen. “We like taking care of you, big guy. Xav, why don’t you get our Cody warmed up?”

Xavier had no objection to that, he was already working on it. His hand cupped Cody’s adorable cheeks and he took the lacy edge of his panties between his teeth to pull the front of them down. He nuzzled the soft orbs of his balls and slid his tongue up the underside of his stiffening cock. Kissing and licking over the silken head while his hands squeezed lightly at those tender cheeks Xavier made little sounds of delight and opened to take Cody in his mouth.

“Mmm, yummy,” Dave murmured as he slid the shirt from Vic’s arms and licked a wet line over his shoulder. “Aren’t they?”

“Delicious,” Vic agreed in a whisper, trying his best not to drool. With a sudden turn and lunge, he snagged Dave and lifted him, hands cupped under his butt. He nuzzled at Dave’s chest. “And so are you.”

Xavier’s hot mouth slid further down on Cody’s hard cock, although he had one eye on events transpiring over with Vic and Dave.

“What do you feel like, Vic?” Dave cupped Victor’s face between his hands and curled in for a heated kiss while Cody tipped back his head on a long groan.

“Hmm, let’s see…” Vic turned things over for a moment but he couldn’t help notice how Dave’s eyes kept wandering to Cody. Hard to resist when he was turned on like a thousand watt lamp. “Since I am your guest, and you are my host, I think it only polite if we exchange harem boys.”

“Genius,” Dave said with a little grin. “But you gotta put me down for that, big guy.”

Victor obliged and moved over to pepper soft kisses on Cody’s throat. “Would you like to stay here, little man, or do you want to ravish David in private?”

“Oh…ohgod…” Cody moaned as Xavier sucked hard on the head of his cock. “Here… Somewhere else…someone better take me soon…Xav…you want Vic all to yourself?”

Xavier pulled back and let Cody’s cock spring up to smack wetly against his belly. “I didn’t buy a bed big enough for six to use it by myself,” he said with a little grin.

“Well.” Vic spread his hands. “There you have it.”

He pounced, hauled Xavier up into his arms, strode three steps and spilled him onto the bed even as he yanked his jeans the rest of the way off. The t-shirt he left. Nothing was more adorable than Xav half-dressed. Vic toed off his sneakers, stripped completely, and slid onto the bed to seize Xav’s lips in a hard, searing kiss.

Xavier kissed him back with a hungry intensity, a little thrill of pleasure zipping into him as he was stripped and laid out so aggressively and that big body pressed him down into the mattress. He tried to remember the last time he and Vic had been together and was a little startled to realize it had been the ski trip. That long ago. Well, they would just have to make up for lost time, he thought, and hitched his legs over Vic’s hips invitingly.

“You are such a hot little beauty,” Vic growled against his lips, grinding into Xavier, rubbing the undersides of their erections together in a way that sent sparks through him.

Dave took Cody’s jeans off the rest of the way and put him back in his panties before he picked him up more gently. “Hey, cutie.”

“Hi.” Cody murmured, running a finger over Dave’s chest. “Are you staying dressed?”

“We’ll take care of that, don’t worry.” Dave’s kiss was heated but tender.

He could roughhouse with Xav but Cody always made him feel protective and careful. Maybe that wasn’t fair, Cody was a tough little dude, but he couldn’t help it. He brought Cody to the bed and laid him down before stripping out of his clothes and stretching out between his legs to nuzzle at the satin as Xavier had been doing.

Vic’s mouth closed over Xavier’s nipple in a hard suck and his back arched, fingers tangling in the thick mass of his dark hair. “Mmm… you give the nicest housewarming gifts.” Xavier purred.

“So glad you’re pleased,” Vic murmured against his skin. He took both Xavier’s wrists in one hand and pinned them above his head, a wave of heat rushing through him as Xav squirmed. He wanted, oh, so many things, but he wanted to please Xavier most of all.

“Hold that thought for just a moment,” He kissed Xavier’s nose and slid off the bed to rummage around in the closet. When he returned it was with rope and the silk tie from a bathrobe. The silk fastened Xavier’s wrists together, tied off to the bedpost nearest his head. The ropes Vic tied around his ankles, which he lifted into the air, just about even with his head and fastened them to the headboard, leaving Xav with his legs spread wide and his body almost bent double.

Xavier tugged experimentally on the tie around his wrists but he already knew there was no getting out of it. Vic was very good at making sure the circulation wasn’t cut off and yet still tying the bonds very tight. Xavier breathed deeply, his skin tingling and heat chasing around in him. He squirmed a little bit, making his cock throb with need and a little moan escape at the way the ties pulled at him.

Cody licked his lips, unaware of how large his deep blue eyes had grown. His hand tightened in Dave’s hair on a rush of desire. With Xav’s legs up in the air and spread wide, he just looked so…bad and so delicious.

“Dave, hon, oh, please,” he got out in a hoarse murmur.

“Hmm?” Dave lifted his head to lean his chin in his hand.

“Me, too, please, please, please,” Cody said on a desperate squirm.

Dave laughed softly and flipped Cody over onto his stomach. He knew what the little beauty wanted and he’d been getting to it but to hear him plead made it that much sweeter. He stripped Cody’s undies off and used them to tie his hands behind his back.

Cody moaned and spread his legs wide.

“Tsk, lie still hot stuff,” Dave whispered to him. He pressed those perfect ankles back together and wound a pair of bootlaces around Cody legs from knees to feet.

Across the bed Victor watched while his large hands roamed Xavier’s skin, not quite ready to start yet since he enjoyed the view, both of them, so much.

“Vic…” Xavier murmured his name and when he turned his head toward him, Xav lifted his head as far as he could to catch his lips in a kiss full of tender fire.

The flames in Vic’s midsection leaped immediately to titanium melting point. His hand groped for the tube on the nightstand while he devoured Xavier’s soft lips. Then he gave that perfect, sexy ass a little swat.

“Don’t rush me, my sweet,” he growled softly. Though he smiled, he meant it. His huge size gave him no choice but to take his time with his lovers. His smile grew softer when he eased one finger inside Xavier’s tight passage and received a sinfully sweet moan.

Xavier’s wrists rotated in the confines of the silk tie. Not that he truly wanted out, but the denial of being able to pull free was a powerful aphrodisiac. Almost as much as the powerful body leaned over him getting him all hot.

A second finger joined the first and Vic no longer stole glances over at Cody and David. His attention lay riveted on the lovely body squirming beneath him. “I want you,” he whispered in Xav’s ear. “So bad my heart’s about to burst.”

“MMmmm-me too.” Xavier said with a breathless groan, although the way he wriggled on Vic’s probing fingers suggested something lower might burst first.

Vic laughed softly, fingers caressing through Xavier’s hair. He took a good grip to hold his head still and lowered his mouth to devour the soft skin of Xav’s throat. A third finger joined the other two and he growled in delight at the way Xav opened for him, relaxed and ready.

Xavier closed his eyes, his neck stretched in a graceful line where Vic caressed with his lips. He made a small pleading sound, heeding Vic’s warning not to rush him, but wanting more.

“So hot,” Cody whispered and then cried out as Dave’s tongue breached his opening. “Ohgod…oh…Dave…hon…take me…” He squirmed in desperation, trying in vain to spread his bound legs and lift his butt all at once. “Don’t tease me so…”

“All right, beautiful, easy, easy.” Dave slid an arm under his waist and lifted so Cody ended up on his bound knees, ass in the air, head and shoulders on the mattress. “I’ll take care of you, don’t worry.”

He snagged the lube and slid a good blob over his rock hard cock. With a little wink, he caught Xavier’s gaze, pumped his fist over his cock a few times just to see Xav’s eyes glaze over, and then straddled Cody. A gasp leapt from him as he pushed his head past the tight, puckered ring.

Vic’s mouth recaptured Xavier’s in a ferocious kiss as he shifted up and angled himself at Xavier’s wonderfully exposed entrance. “Are you ready for me, my sweet?” he murmured against Xav’s lips. “Is this what you want?”

“Uhh…yeah…” Xavier breathed, his body practically vibrating with anticipation.

Vic clicked his tongue in exasperation. “Dreadful manners for a harem boy. David, what have you been teaching him?” He rubbed the leaking head of his cock over Xavier’s backdoor, teasing mercilessly.

A small frustrated whimper came from Xavier’s throat. “Vic…please…” he whispered. “Please…I want you so much…”

“Much better, such a good boy.” Vic leaned in for a tender, reassuring kiss as he eased his head inside Xavier’s tight heat. “Oh…such a sweet boy,” he got out in a heated whisper before he sank halfway in and lost the power of speech on a hard groan.

Xavier sucked in his breath as he was breached by that magnificent rod, his hands flexing spasmodically around the tie holding him to the bedpost and his lean body undulating slowly.

In small movements, Victor began to work his way inside. He savored every inch gained, every wriggle and soft pleasured sound from beneath him. Arms wrapped around Xavier he held him tight and let his weight down, rolling his hips on heated, grunting growls.

Dave unconsciously matched his rhythm, buried deep inside Cody, that sweet, beautiful ass squirming and pressing into his crotch. He peppered kisses over the smooth skin of Cody’s shoulders and reached a hand around to fist his ramrod straight erection.

“Dave…oh…harder…please…just a little…”

He obliged and the sounds he got…christ…enough to make a man’s brain melt.

Xavier licked his lips, moving as much as he was able with Vic. His erection lay hard and throbbing between his legs as Vic impaled him slowly and then began to thrust steadily. He tightened his muscles inside, gripping Vic’s invading member and sending jolts of pleasure through them both.

A large hand slid between them to wrap around Xav’s cock. “Xavier…” Vic moaned as he thrust a little faster. He didn’t often have to fight his control so hard but Xav was so beautiful, so willing and eager, he blood sang with raging desire.

A whisper came from the other side of the bed. “Dave…tell me what to do…say the words…please…”

“You want to come, beautiful?” Dave husked out, his hips pumping hard.

“Oh, yes…yes, please, please.” Cody writhed and whimpered, a microcosm of overwhelming sexual need.

Dave punctuated his words with long, hard thrusts. “Come for me, Cody. Now.”

The little whimpers turned to escalating cries of pleasure. Cody bucked and jerked under Dave as much as his bonds allowed. “OhgodohDave…sodamngood…ohmyfreakinggod…”

When Cody came like a runaway tanker truck, Vic’s brain did melt and he thrust into Xavier with a hoarse bellow as his climax shot up from his balls.

Xavier was panting through his teeth as Vic pounded into him and stroked his leaking cock faster. The feel of him shoving all the way in, as deep as he could go, and filling him with liquid heat made his head spin and his cock twitch. It was almost too much, almost more than he could take with Vic’s weight pressing into him, and then the coil unwound deep inside and he nearly screamed with the pleasure of the relief as he came in spasmodic spurts.

A deep, hoarse groan shuddered from Vic as Xavier’s body gripped him hard, the aftershocks as intense as the climax. His vision tunneled with night-dark patches. Dave’s bellows as he came sounded a hundred miles distant. He buried his face against Xavier’s shoulder, trying to recall how to breathe as Xav bucked and heaved beneath him in tsunami-force ecstasy.

The sudden stillness, the abrupt silence except for several sets of gasping pants, startled him. Shaking and dizzy, he made himself move, freed Xavier with a few swift, sharp tugs and rolled to put that beautiful, lean body on top, Vic’s softening cock nestled inside him. Still Xavier didn’t move on his own.

“Xavier? Sweetheart?” he murmured softly as his fingers caressed through honey-blond hair.

“Mmrph.” Xav murmured against his shoulder, not moving or even opening his eyes. “I think I like this bed.”

Victor chuckled, relieved. “Yes. A fine piece of workmanship. Not even a creak.”

Xavier turned his head and smiled at where Dave and Cody sprawled together.

Dave turned them so they faced Xavier, Cody spooned up against his front.

“It’s so comfy,” Cody purred, eyes half-shut. “And you could wrestle on it without worrying about somebody falling off.”

“Hrmph,” Dave grunted as he kissed Cody’s shoulder. “I might have to go sleep in the guestroom when Xav’s working, though. I’m gonna feel lost all alone in this monster.”

Xavier slid to Vic’s side so he and Cody lay between the two of them and he leaned over him to kiss Dave. “You’ll get used to it.” He said, and gave Cody a soft kiss too as they lay snuggled together.

“I like it like this,” Dave said with a soft smile as he caressed Cody’s hip. “Nice to have a place for…company.”

“I think Dave’s really thinking about keeping a harem in here,” Cody stage-whispered to Xavier. “You better make sure you pick the boys for him or who knows what you’ll end up with.”

Xavier’s smile curled in a wicked little grin. “We could hold auditions…”

“Oooo, that would be wicked fun.”

Xavier lifted his eyes to Dave’s with a coy look. “Want me to start bringing boys from the club home for you to test out?”

Dave snorted. “Um, thanks but no.” He nuzzled at Cody’s ear. “I think we got us everything we need already, yeah?”

“Are you sure?” Xavier teased. “I could get the costumes and everything…” They both knew he wanted to do no such thing, but he couldn’t resist teasing Dave a little bit.

“Hmm, maybe.” Dave rolled over onto his back, one arm behind his head. “I’d wanna have a selection, though. Little bit of everything. Though they’d all need to know how to say ‘yes, sir’ and ‘no, sir’ and how to grovel and beg and–”

The phone interrupted his little teasing reverie. He reached over to snag the receiver and his scowl instantly transformed to a soft smile. “Hey, Deej.”

“Hi sweetheart. Whatcha doing?”

Dave winked at Xavier. “Right now? I’m sprawled out bare-ass naked in bed.”

DJ put one hand behind his head, kicked back on the couch in an almost identical sprawl as Dave, except he was wearing clothes and didn’t have a delectable assortment of companions next to him. “Had to break the new place in, huh?” He chuckled. “Are you just getting started or just finishing up, and if it’s the former can I get a play by play? Hold the phone up so I can hear Xav moan at least?”

Dave held the phone up, speaking loudly enough to be heard through the receiver. “Xav, Deej wants to hear you moan.”

Xavier grinned, stretching languidly, which rubbed his backside up against Vic and his front along Cody and brought a husky moan to his lips that didn’t have to be feigned.

Dave brought the phone back to his ear in time to hear DJ moan softly in return. “So, are you going to invite me over, or just torture me?” He chuckled, then added. “Really, it’s ok if you two need time alone.”

“Um, well.” Dave cleared his throat, a little pink tinge tipping his ears. “I wouldn’t say we’re alone.”

“Oh…” Was all DJ managed to say with a long awkward pause following. “Um… well, I suppose I should let you go then?”

Dave’s voice grew soft, halfway between persuasion and hesitation. “You maybe wanna swing by and see the new place?”

DJ hesitated only because he wasn’t sure if Dave was just being polite, but he figured if he really didn’t want him over, he would have invited him later or something. “Ok, see you in a little bit.”

“DJ’s coming over,” Dave told them, his smile uncertain as he hung up the phone. What was he playing at, anyway? He wasn’t too sure, except that he had sort of kept DJ in a separate drawer from all his other friends and lovers for too long. Sure, some of them had met him but only casually.

“Guess we should get dressed, huh?” Cody said with a wistful sigh even as he snuggled up against Xavier’s naked body.

Xavier’s hand slid sensuously down Cody’s side and hip to his thigh as he kissed and sucked at the tender skin of his throat. “If you really want to…” He said in a pouty whisper, blowing lightly over his ear in a way he knew would make Cody shiver.

“No, I don’t want to,” Cody said on a little moan. “But won’t DJ be kinda, um, shocked?”

“Shocked? No…” Xav said as he nibbled his way down Cody’s chest and circled around his nipple with the tip of his tongue. He blew a cool breath across the wetness and watched the little bud stiffen. “More like turned on.” He said before he closed his mouth over his nipple and sucked hard.

“Oh, Xav…” Cody buried his fingers in the thick silk of Xavier’s hair and writhed against him, his cock already expanding again.

Victor sat up against the headboard, not at all sure how he felt about this. Yes, he had met DJ. Yes, he seemed like a good person. But he hardly knew him and to have a near-stranger see his Cody naked and squirming on the bed, it gave him an odd turn.

He slid out of bed and into his jeans. “Perhaps we shouldn’t confront him with everything all at once,” he murmured and gave Cody a little kiss to give him permission to stay in Xavier’s arms before he wandered out to the living room.

Xavier lifted his eyes to Dave and tilted his head a little toward the door, silently suggesting he go and talk to Vic. DJ coming over didn’t mean he had to be ushered directly to the bedroom. Since Dave was the one who invited him over he could get out of bed and be the one to greet him, Xav thought. Meanwhile, all he wanted was to devour Cody. If Vic warmed up to DJ then they could join them later.

Dave mirrored the big man’s actions with a little kiss for Xav before he slid out of bed and into his jeans as well. He found Vic in the living room trying out the new sofa.

“Almost as if Xavier had someone my size in mind when he bought it.” He looked up at Dave with a little smile.

“He might have. I mean, you’re not the only big man we might have over.” Dave plunked down next to him and patted his thigh. “We can stay out here if you want, big guy. I sure as hell wouldn’t force anyone on you and Cody.”

“I know,” Vic rumbled and leaned in for a little kiss. A soft moan floated out from the bedroom. “And I also know I’m a lot more threatening than Cody. Might not have been the best thing to have me on display first thing.”

Dave ducked his head on a chuckle. “Fair enough.”

Their new place was closer to DJ’s and it only took him about ten minutes to get there. He smiled when Dave opened the door and kissed the corner of his mouth. “Hi handsome.” He grinned.

Dave pressed up against him and wrapped his arms around DJ’s neck for a more thorough kiss. “Hey, hon. Hope you don’t mind me half-dressed.”

“I mind terribly.” DJ said with a feigned sniff of disdain. “I thought you’d meet me at the door in the all together.” He winked and then smiled warmly at Dave, sliding his arms tenderly around him. “You didn’t have to get dressed just for me, love.”

Dave nuzzled at his jaw. “Well, it was more for Victor. He’s in the living room.” A pleasure soaked cry reached them from down the hall and Dave chuckled. “And our beautiful Cody’s in the bedroom with Xav.”

DJ couldn’t help the little tingle down his spine that image created, but tried to set it aside for the moment. He followed Dave into the living room and tried not to look too shocked. “Wow, who’d you guys get to do the decorating?” he asked, and smiled at Vic. “Hi, Vic.”

“Hello, there,” Victor said with a nod and a too serious expression. He seemed quite comfortable lounging shirtless on the dark leather. “Apparently they hired a new firm. Gavrilov Decorators. Cody’s thinking of using them now, too.”

DJ blinked, clearly surprised. “Really? Xav did this? How come your old place didn’t look like this?”

“Because my old place was decorated by a broken down retired marine who barely had two nickels to rub together,” Dave said on a snort. “Times change.”

“Da-yam.” DJ said with a low whistle. “He does a good job.”

And to underscore just how good a job he could do another set of passion soaked cries came drifting to their ears. DJ had to chuckle at the unintended double meaning.

“That he does,” Vic said softly as he tugged on the leg of his jeans. “So, come sit. Tell me how class has been going, you two.”

While the three of them sat and talked of mundane things, each to varying degrees distracted by the occasional soft moan or sharp cry that they pretended not to hear, Cody and Xavier made up for not really having seen much of each other lately.

Having both been taken care of once already, neither was in a rush the second time around. Xavier being in the mood to lavish Cody with special attention and tease him to distraction was also keeping things on a slow simmer rather then jumping to a rapid boil. He had kissed him breathless, teased his nipples mercilessly, laved his tongue over his cock and balls in slow wet strokes, and kissed and tasted nearly every inch of him from head to toe, and that was just before turning him over.

Xavier’s hands caressed Cody’s arms and shoulders, taking his time to massage his back from the base of his skull down. He kissed and hummed into each vertebra of his spine as his hands slowly kneaded their way down. When he finally got to the perfect globes of his ass, he cupped and squeezed them, gently parting them before running his tongue between. The musky flavor here made Xav’s head swim and his cock throb with need. He moaned into those firm cheeks, nipping lightly at the top of one globe. He kissed the tiny mark he’d made as if in apology. “Ohhh Cody… I love you, hon.” He murmured softly before his tongue delved back between to lap eagerly at his ring.

Cody’s head shot up and his legs slid farther apart. “Xav…god…I love you, too. Oh, that feels so incredible.”

No way to ignore that; Cody had said it loud enough to carry to the front door.

In the living room, Vic was forced to reach down and adjust the bend of his erection. Dave chuckled and slid closer to him on the sofa to rub a hand over those hard abs. “Hard to stay polite and all that, yeah? With all that going on.” He nodded towards DJ. “Whaddya think of him, big guy? Isn’t he a hot side of beef?”

Vic cleared his throat, a bit surprised at the mischievous gleam in Dave’s eyes. Though he was right, DJ was gorgeous. “He is that. I’ll grant you. Though he seems to have a problem with clothes.”

“Yeah?”

“Altogether too many.”

DJ was hot and hard in his jeans, no denying it. He couldn’t help picturing what Xavier was doing behind that closed door, and having Dave half-dressed and looking mischievous in front of him was only heating him up further. Still, he was a little hesitant. He’d always been a one partner kind of guy. He’d adjusted when he fell in love with Dave to include Xav in his bed as well, and he’d not been sorry. Their arrangement was not perfect, but it seemed to be working for the three of them. He also knew that Dave and Xav both had other lovers, but DJ didn’t. He hadn’t been with anyone else except Dave and Xavier since they’d worked things out.

Not that he couldn’t… He felt a little awkward, but he wasn’t a prude, and as long as Dave was here, it didn’t feel wrong. “It is getting a little warm in here.” He murmured as he stood and pulled his shirt over his head. He took the couple steps to the couch and sat on Dave’s other side, pulling his chin around to deliver a scorching kiss.

No one knew better than Victor that strange step sideways from thinking sex had to be a single partner arrangement to having friends with delicious benefits. So he didn’t push, didn’t reach for DJ, and didn’t ogle as he would have liked. This was a dear friend of David’s, who obviously loved him. Vic was willing to build another addition onto his heart’s rooms for such a caring, considerate soul.

He waited until Dave had turned towards DJ, then ran his hands around Dave’s waist and undid his jeans.

DJ’s hand slid down Dave’s side as if it had the same thought as Vic. His fingers brushed Vic’s hand, but he didn’t pull back. He might have been hesitant at first, but once committed to a course DJ usually jumped in with both feet. He let Dave’s lips go for a moment, kissing along the side of his throat while he helped Vic get his jeans off.

“David, you have the most gorgeous ass,” Vic rumbled as one large hand slid over a firm, muscular cheek.

Free of his jeans, Dave came up on his hands and knees, still kissing DJ feverishly, offering the ass in question invitingly.

Dave was not the only one offering up a very inviting ass. Cody had just about all the teasing he could take and was just about ready to beg Xav to take him.

Xav shifted around on the bed, moving up beside Cody and pulling him over on top of him as he lay back. He wanted to watch that beautiful body astride him. He took Cody’s rigid cock in one hand, stroking lightly up and down. “Wanna ride me, sweetness?” He asked, rubbing his erection up the cleft of his cheeks.

“Ooo, I do love ponies,” Cody purred on a little chuckle. He lifted up and caught Xav’s cock between his cheeks for a squeeze. “Yes. I want you - want to ride your pole - so damn bad.”

Xav curled his hips upward, nudging gently at Cody. He was slick and Cody had plenty of prep and the head of his cock popped easily past his tight ring. Xavier hissed in a breath, biting his bottom lip. “mmm-uh…fuck, Cody… your so hot and tight…” He whimpered with the pleasure of being inside him.

Cody’s head arched back on a long groan. He held himself up for a moment, relishing that just-entered feel, and then sank down on Xav, his hard-packed thighs flexing as he began to ride up and down his beautiful shaft.

He ran his hands up his own torso and back down to take his own cock in his fist and pump in time to his hips.

Out in the living room, Vic lowered his head to lick at Dave’s crack, tonguing him in unconscious imitation of Xavier’s actions in the bedroom. Dave moaned and pushed his butt higher while his hands fumbled with DJ’s zipper.

DJ hooked his thumbs in the top of his jeans and lifted his hips, helping Dave pull them off as well as his boxers. He was more than just a little eager to have Dave’s lips and tongue caressing him.

“Mmm, all hard and ready for me,” Dave murmured as he lowered his head to lick at DJ’s slit.

With his head and shoulders lowered, Dave’s backside was deliciously exposed, the position unconsciously submissive. Victor forced himself to start with a finger while his free hand undid his fly. True, Dave would have delighted in the pain of being taken without further prep but Victor would never forgive himself for the damage that would cause.

DJ’s fingers combed through Dave’s thick hair. He could feel Dave’s warm breath huff across his erection, lying thick and long on his sun-bronzed belly, and groaned softly with anticipation.

In the bedroom Xavier dug his heels into the mattress and bent his knees as he arrowed up into Cody’s receptive body again and again. Sweat glistened on both their bodies as they each sunk down into the hard driving rhythm. “Are you almost there Cody?” Xavier panted urgently. “I wanna come inside you so bad…”

“Xav…oh, yes…so…” Cody took one of Xavier’s hands to place around his throbbing erection. When Xav had a firm hold, he lifted both hands to lock them behind his head, riding on the strength of his legs alone. “Ohgodyes…Xav!”

That cry of pure orgasmic bliss caused a rush of testosterone in the living room. Dave’s mouth sank down DJ’s cock on a hard groan, DJ’s fingers tightened hard in Dave’s hair and Vic angled his huge member down to replace his fingers, driving into Dave in a swift, forceful thrust that made Dave buck and cry out and then push back with a heated moan.

DJ moaned as well with the hum of Dave’s lips wrapped tightly around his shaft. The sight of Vic’s strong hands gripping Dave’s hips and his very impressive cock driving into Dave’s bucking body was enough to make DJ weak with desire. “Mmm baby, that feels so good,” he murmured as Dave went down on him again. DJ’s head tipped back, his hips rising fractionally to push his hard length into Dave’s mouth.

Dave whimpered with need and spread his knees wider, taking DJ in to bump against the back of his throat and sucking hard. A rumbling growl reached his ears and he knew Vic was having trouble keeping himself under control. Good. He pushed back harder, rolling his hips, chuckling at the tortured groan he received.

DJ’s fingers tightened in Dave’s hair. He was usually a gentle lover, but he knew Dave liked…less than gentle. The way he moaned as both Vic and DJ sank into him simultaneously told DJ he was in the mood to just be taken, and DJ was fine with that. He bucked deeper into Dave’s mouth, the head of his cock butting against the back of his throat as he tugged him down a bit.

The response was immediate and furnace hot. Dave writhed between them, devouring DJ with such desperation, it might have been the last time he would be allowed to ever use his mouth, and shoving back hard against Vic, meeting each of his long, forceful thrusts with enough impetus to shake the couch.

“David…god…” Vic panted out as he lost his battle entirely and let his hips drive in hard and fast.

In the bedroom, Cody snuggled atop Xavier’s chest and snickered. “I think Dave’s managed to get Vic and DJ to play nice together.”

Xavier’s eyelids twitched and a soft sound that could have been agreement or just a moan came from his throat. Cody chuckled again and shifted slightly, and Xav’s softening cock finally slipped from him, making him groan louder. Xav opened his eyes and then suddenly wrapped around Cody tightly, rolling over to pin him and kissing him with tender passion before grinning down at him. “Wanna go watch?”

“You’re so bad,” Cody whispered. His eyes slid half-shut when Vic’s deep moan reached them. “Oh, hell, yes.”

They both got up and made a dash for the door, but managed to go down the hall at a more sedate pace. Xavier slowed further as they came into the living room, taking his time to enjoy the view. Seeing Dave between the two of them like that was hot as hell.

DJ’s eyes were closed, his body tensed and his breath coming fast. Xavier strolled over to him and bent to lay a scorching kiss on his lips just as Dave’s warm wet mouth sent him crashing over the edge. DJ’s lips locked onto Xav’s as his hips pumped hard twice more and he filled Dave’s mouth with a muffled cry of pleasure.

“Mmm, what a feast of beefcake,” Cody purred. He slid up onto the couch behind Vic and pressed his naked body up against that broad back. God, he loved Vic’s back. It always looked like he could have carried the entire world and not have complained. His teeth found Vic’s earlobe and he smiled around it as his big, handsome spouse came with a hoarse cry.

The whole tableau made him ache, even though he’d come twice already, and Dave writhing between them, coming like a geyser, nearly made him faint.

Xavier waited until the three of them had steadied a bit, floating down from their orgasmic peaks. He kissed Dave’s temple sweetly. “You get to clean the come off the new couch, sweetheart.”

“Mmm…” Dave murmured in a dazed way as Vic eased from him. Then his eyes flew open and he shot up. “Shit…oh, shit, Xav, I’m sorry…” He dashed to the kitchen for towels, giving everyone else a lovely view of that athletic butt.

Xavier chuckled softly. “I didn’t mean you had to run… but thanks.” He grinned.

DJ reached up and pulled Xavier down into his lap, kissing him tenderly and nuzzling up under his chin. “Hi there, beautiful.”

Xav gave him a soft kiss and a smile in return.

“The place looks really nice.” DJ said.

“Wait til you see the swing in the bedroom.”

Cody snickered and buried his face against Vic’s shoulder.

Dave returned to clean the leavings of their passion off the new leather. “Deej needs a tour. He didn’t even make it past the couch. Wait’ll you see the kitchen, too. Even you’ll be satisfied.”

Xavier wriggled in DJ’s lap, making him moan softly. “Hmm, we’ve tried out the bed and the couch, haven’t got to the table yet.”

“Come on,” Dave said, laughing as he pulled them both up. “You can bend him over the table, take a sexual tour of each room if you want, but I want you to see the place.”

DJ let Dave pull him up and lead him around to show him the condo. He restrained himself from bending anyone over the table for the time being though. He had to admit, it was a nice place they’d got. Certainly a bit more roomy than the apartment. He chuckled a little at the state the bed was in already.

“Very nice.” He said as they came back into the living room.

Victor gave Cody’s ass a little smack and got a yelp of surprise. “Time we got going, little man. You have an early appointment in the morning and I have to work.”

Cody shot him a rebellious glare, but Vic’s little nod towards DJ said this had more to do with getting out of the way than getting them home for an early bedtime. It had been a good introduction, but he didn’t want to push things.

After kisses were exchanged all around, Dave was left alone with his two favorite guys.

“Now there’s a man I bet never bottoms,” DJ said in a too-light tone.

Xav grinned. “You’d be surprised.”

“Really? He seems so…”

“Aggressive? Butch? Uber-alpha wolf?” Dave supplied from where he sprawled across Xav’s lap.

“All of the above.”

Dave shrugged. “Vic’s all that, but he’s…an explorer, too. Likes to try new stuff.”

Xav snickered and said something crude about where Vic liked to explore.

“You boys up for some exploring?” Dave said with half-hooded eyes.

The walk to the bedroom quickly became a sexual stampede.

“He forgot,” Sebastian muttered sullenly, staring at his salad.

“He’ll come. Something must have delayed him.” Victor patted his shoulder and tried to sound reassuring.

The dinner out had been Vincent’s idea for Sebastian’s eighteenth birthday, and while Bastian didn’t want a crowd of people there, the most important person hadn’t shown up.

“Between school and…other things, he sometimes loses track of time,” Vincent offered gently.

“Other things?” Sebastian snorted. “You mean Xav. They can’t keep their clothes on around each other and he forgets anybody else exists.” Jonathan opened his mouth to say something and Sebastian glared at him. “He never forgot before. Ever. Even when he was getting shot at every day, even when he was at his craziest, he always remembered my birthday.”

David had always made it a point since he knew no one else would. Their father’s idea of a good birthday present was handing over a little cash and giving a lecture on how little the birthday child had accomplished. Their mother’s was making promises she conveniently forgot and never carried out.

“Birthdays are fucking stupid anyway,” he muttered.

#

The big brother in question had not forgotten, though he had been delayed.

He had stopped by the house to leave Bastian’s present in his room, the new printer he had needed, too large a present to drag to a restaurant. When he got there, he found his father piling boxes on the front porch.

“Um…Dad?” he asked hesitantly. “What’s all this?”

His father didn’t answer at first, jaw clamped tight, anger radiating from his every movement.

“Dad? What’s going on?”

Edward Brooks whirled on his now-eldest son. “He wanted to move out the moment he turned eighteen, that ungrateful brat. He’s said so often enough. If he wants to go so badly, I won’t stop him.”

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me…” Dave’s voice choked on his rising anger. “You’ve boxed up Bastian’s shit and you’re kicking him out?”

“Don’t you take that tone with me, you little shit,” Edward Brooks straightened and poked a finger at his chest. “He wants to go, let him. See if that slacker can make his own way. I’m done with him.”

The slowly escalating volume of his voice, the tight tension in his face, Dave recognized himself there, the problems with anger, with depression. But it didn’t stop him from mirroring his father’s mounting rage.

“You fucking bastard! What kind of a fucked up father are you, anyway? Kicking out a kid on his goddamn birthday?”

Hard to tell who swung first but Edward’s fist connected with Dave’s jaw at the same time Dave’s connected with the side of his head. They half fell, half rolled off the front porch in a snarling, swinging tangle, years of built up resentment coming to a head.

Xavier avoided Dave’s parental units like the plague. Mostly because Dave’s dad was a total fucking asshole, but also because he knew his very presence antagonized the man. The couple of times he’d seen Xavier, he hadn’t been able to look at him without curling his upper lip in disgust, like Xav had contaminated Dave or something, and he hadn’t liked his son that much to begin with. Xavier didn’t care, and he could ignore it, but it sent Dave into a rage and so Xav just thought it was better to make himself scarce whenever they had to deal with his family. Thankfully, that wasn’t often.

He was sitting in the car while Dave delivered his present. When Dave and his dad started swinging at each other, he strangely didn’t get that overwhelming protective urge to rush in and help his guy out. It didn’t have anything to do with it being family either…well, maybe a tiny bit. It had more to do with the fact that this had been coming a long, long time, and he had no doubts about who would come out on top here.

Only a few minutes into it and just as Xavier predicted Dave had his old man pinned on the patch of lawn next to the front porch. Xavier decided he better do something now. Beating the crap out of the bastard was one thing, but if Dave seriously hurt him, he was going to feel guilty later. Xavier didn’t feel a whit of guilt himself as he strolled over to them and let Dave land a few more punishing blows.

“Dave…Dave! C’mon…let him go.” Okay, so he wasn’t trying very hard. Dammit, he didn’t want to get blood and grass all over his new jeans, especially when it wasn’t even Dave’s blood. He sighed and grabbed Dave around the waist, hoping that he realized who he was before he turned on him, too. That was really going to piss him off if he got punched trying to keep the fucking bastard from a hospital bed he so richly deserved.

“Dave! Stop!” Xavier yelled at him, trying to get hold of his arms.

With a heated snarl, Dave twisted to rid himself of the impediment, still in full, red-washed rage, and an odd thing happened. With his fist raised to beat off this new threat, the bright blue gaze meeting his so fearlessly pierced the berserker haze and stopped him cold.

He whimpered and sagged in Xav’s arms, buried his head on Xav’s shoulder, and burst into tears.

“Oh, perfect,” Edward panted from where he lay on the lawn. “Not only does my son turn into a queer, now he cries like a little girl, too.”

A strangled cry caught in Dave’s throat and he turned back to deliver a series of vicious kicks to his father’s ribs. It wasn’t fair, it wasn’t right, kicking a man when he was down, but he truly couldn’t have cared less.

Was it so very, very horrible of Xavier to feel a sort of malicious glee watching the man getting the shit kicked out of him? After all, he had been curled in that fetal ball position trying to protect vital places as someone just like Dave’s dad had mercilessly kicked the shit out of him, more than once. Xavier grabbed Dave’s arm though and pulled him back before he broke something.

“Dave, leave off… c’mon. Let’s put Sebastian’s stuff in the car,” he coaxed.

When Dave backed off a few steps, Edward sneered up at him despite his split lip. “Coward. Never could finish anything you started.”

The rush of anger nearly had him again, no one could push his buttons like his own parents, but a sudden chill stopped him. Christ. His father’s goading had a purpose. He wanted Dave to kill him. Bitterness and disgust lay in those dark eyes but behind that was a terrible well of despair.

He turned away to help Xav with the boxes before the nausea got too bad.

They picked up quickly. Xavier did not once look at or speak to Edward Brooks, like he was a piece of shit beneath his notice, which as far as Xav was concerned, was exactly what he was. He knew Dave still thought of him as his ‘father’, but Xavier had never known his own father and it didn’t really matter to him. That this guy had contributed a load of sperm some twenty-four odd years ago in order to mix the right combination of cells to make Dave didn’t mean a damn thing to him. It could have been anybody, and Dave might have been better off if it had been some anonymous donor.

He let Dave take the last box, took the keys from him, and gave him a little nudge toward the car while he turned back to the man still huddled on the ground. He should just go, not waste his time or breath, but Xav wouldn’t be Xav if he didn’t say something.

He looked down at Edward Brooks with nearly the same expression of disgust on his face that he usually gave Xavier. He was sure Dave was out of earshot but he kept his voice low anyway, and it dripped with disdain, “I don’t get why your sons ever tried hard to please you or impress you, but they did, and you treated them like they weren’t good enough for you. That couldn’t be farther from the truth, but you made them believe it. Hopefully they’ll spend the rest of their lives realizing how ridiculous it was to ever think of you as a father.” He smiled his most beatific smile. “And when you’re old and alone and pissing in your diaper at some state run home, I really hope there will be some sick-o orderlies with nice big cocks to take care of you, and your memory stays crystal clear of this day.”

He curled his fingers over to wave bye-bye and stalked off to join Dave at the car and drive them to meet his brother and their friends waiting on them. He would have liked to take the time to hold Dave and comfort him, but he wanted to get him out of there and away first.

By the time they got to the restaurant, Dave was curled over his knees sobbing again. They sure as hell couldn’t go into a birthday party like that.

Xavier put his arms around Dave and soothed him as best he could while digging around in the glove box for some tissues. Dave was a mess, and not just emotionally. “Sh, love… you gotta pull yourself together, hon,” Xav said gently. “Bastian’s waiting for you, and this isn’t going to be the best day for him as it is, right? Sweetheart…?” Dave was trying, but he wasn’t very responsive and Xav held him a while longer, trying to clean the tears off his cheeks and the blood off his knuckles.

Finally, he started to hear Xav again and calm down. Xavier wished he could have got him into the bathroom first so he could wash his face maybe, but the bathrooms were at the back and it wasn’t really going to make much difference anyway. Sebastian was going to know something was up as soon as he saw him.

He wasn’t wrong either. As soon as they walked up to the table and Dave tried for a brave smile that looked rather sickly, Sebastian stood up, his concerned expression turning accusatory as he glanced darkly in Xavier’s direction. “You had to upset him today?”

Xav had just about enough shit from the Brooks family today, but he bit his tongue because he couldn’t really blame Sebastian for thinking he’d done something to set Dave off.

“Wasn’t Xav, little bro,” Dave got out on a hitched breath. “Later…promise, I’ll explain. Dinner first, yeah?”

“We ordered for you, hon, hope you don’t mind,” Jonathan offered, taking in the split knuckles, the darkening bruise along his jaw. “You go wash up, we’ll pour you some wine. The cops aren’t coming, are they?”

Dave snorted and wandered off to the bathroom, shaking his head.

“Sorry, Xav.” Bastian settled again to stare at his salad. “Never really liked birthdays… Sorry.”

Xavier was watching Dave’s retreating back but he waved a dismissive hand. “S’ok. Nine times outta ten you would’ve been right.” He sighed and sat next to Sebastian, finally taking his eyes off Dave. He thought for a second, and then decided he couldn’t really make matters that much worse, it felt more like a wake than a birthday party, anyway. “Hey, Bastian… how about you come stay with us for a little while? Now that your eighteen and can move out…” He silently prayed that God would give him one little break today.

“Oh…thanks. That’d be cool.” Sebastian picked up his fork and actually took a bite. “I’ve been kinda looking around for a place. You know, for when I could. But it’d probably be easier to do from your place in town. Maybe next week when I can get all my shit packed up and…”

He trailed off at the too-casual look on Xav’s face, the way he was suddenly way too interested in buttering a piece of bread. “What? What the hell’s happened, Xav?”

Xav knew Dave had wanted to wait until later, but he knew if he were in Sebastian’s place, he wouldn’t be able to relax until he knew what the hell was going on. If they got it out of the way now maybe they could put if behind them and salvage something of the day. With a quick glance toward the still closed bathroom door, he started to explain. “We went to your house first, that’s why we were late. Dave was going to drop off your present there, but we ended up picking your stuff up for you instead. We, uh, got everything in the car.”

“Uh-huh.” Sebastian wasn’t buying the half-assed explanation. “So you just kinda decided to pack up everything and put it in the car? For no reason? And, what? Dave had a fight with the front door or something?”

Xavier lifted one shoulder in a little shrug. “Or something.” He pointed at Sebastian’s plate, “You gonna eat that? It looks damn good…” He trailed off when he got a look at the boy’s face and slung an arm around him in what he hoped was a comforting squeeze. “Look, what do you want me to say? Your dad’s a retarded fuckwit and it was long overdue for your brother to kick the shit bag to the curb. Happy birthday?”

“Um…thanks.” Ever practical, years of dealing with emotional volcanoes having given him the ability to tuck things under the carpet, Sebastian pieced it all together. “So Dad packed my shit up. He was kicking me out. Just couldn’t wait another fucking second, could he? Hope he packed my laptop.”

He took another bite of salad and glanced sideways at Xav. “Hope he doesn’t call the cops.” He nudged Xav with his elbow. “Dave beat the shit out of him?”

“Your laptop’s in there, I checked,” Xav said, taking a bite of the bread he’d slathered in butter. “He’s not going to call the cops, just trust me on that one. And yeah. He didn’t put him in the hospital, but he’s not going to be moving so good for a while.” He chewed and took another huge bite. “You ordered? What’d you get me?”

“Biggest motherfucking steak on the menu, you bottomless freak,” Sebastian said on a little snort, but there was a hint of a smile with the name-calling, so Xav knew he’d played it just right.

Xavier grinned. “Who’re you calling a freak? You got like two bags of clothes in the trunk and the rest of the boxes are all porn. Seriously dude, you ever update? There’s gotta be shit in there from three years ago, all cemented together. Ew.”

Sebastian looked slightly horrified and Xavier laughed. “I’m kidding. Geez. I didn’t have time to look through you porn.”

“Oh, good.” Sebastian recovered a little. “Wouldn’t want you to get things out of order. And you wouldn’t like it. Not enough beef.”

By the time Dave returned to them, still shaky and hollow eyed but clean, at least, people had managed to reach the point of normal conversation. He settled next to Xav with a soft kiss on his cheek and knocked back the glass of wine Jonathan had poured for him.

“David, you don’t get any more if you’re going to treat good sauvignon with such disrespect,” Vic growled.

“Sorry. Just that first one.” Just to have the warmth slide down and fill his belly, steady his hands.

“Bastian’s gonna come stay with us until he finds his own place.” Xavier told Dave in a quiet aside. “And they ordered you an Asian chicken salad.”

Dave nodded on a little sigh. “Made you tell him, didn’t he?”

“S’OK, bro,” Sebastian said. “You’ve given me weirder birthday presents. And it’s probably better this way than me going home and finding the locks changed or some shit.”

“Hey, I got you a real present,” Dave protested. “It’s in the car.”

“I know.” Sebastian looked around the table. “See? Told you he wouldn’t forget.”

From his other side, Jonathan swatted him.

After dinner, Vince drove Sebastian over to Dave and Xav’s because there wasn’t enough room for him in the packed Mustang. Between Dave, Xav, Sebastian, Drew, and Jonathan it only took one trip to get all the boxes and stuff taken up to the apartment. Sebastian was happy with his birthday present, and Xav got him set up with blankets and pillows on the couch. This turn of events had got him thinking though, and later when he was alone with Dave he brought it up.

“You know… there’s another six months on this lease. We could let Sebastian take it over…find a bigger place maybe?”

“A bigger place?” Dave blinked. Not that he would mind knowing his little brother was safe and in a decent place but … “Why do we need a bigger place?”

Xavier shrugged as he pulled off his tee shirt and threw it in the general direction of the hamper. “I dunno, I guess it would be nice to have an extra bedroom if someone wanted to stay over. And DJ bitches about the kitchen being too small to turn around in. It’s alright if you don’t want to though, was just an idea.” He said, sliding his jeans off to join the pile of clothes.

“And maybe some space just for you to make a mess,” Dave said with a morose look at the growing pile of laundry next to the hamper. “It’s not that I don’t want to, sweets. My brain’s just not working too good and I got confused.”

He realized belatedly that Xavier was including DJ in their future, actually thinking of him in considering a new place, and he pulled Xav close for a tender kiss. “It’s a genius idea, love. Won’t have to worry about where Bastian’s gonna land and maybe we get a place with a better practice space for you, yeah?”

Xav wrapped his arms loosely around Dave’s neck and kissed him. “That’s me. Genius.” He chuckled when Dave swatted him on the ass. “Oo… now you’re just teasing.”

With a growl, Dave grabbed him and hauled him facedown across his lap. He paddled that sweet ass with the flat of his hand, nothing serious, just a few playful swats, but that beautiful butt squirming in his lap got him all sorts of hot.

He leaned in to kiss one slightly pink cheek, then the other, and then ran his tongue down the crack of Xav’s ass.

He got a soft moan from Xavier in response and another little squirm. Xav hadn’t meant to start anything but he wasn’t one to pass up an opportunity either. He shifted around and slipped off of Dave’s lap, sliding to his knees between Dave’s legs. With a little grin, he tugged Dave’s jeans down, caressing over his hips and thighs as he bent his head to kiss and lick along his stiffening member.

He took him in his mouth before he was fully hard, sucking him in all the way down to the base and letting his tongue swirled around him as his jaws were forced wider apart by his expanding shaft.

Dave flopped back on the bed with a moan. “God. Xav…love your sweet mouth…” Parts of him hurt like hell and he was damn tired but he wasn’t going to let a few aches ruin things right now. Especially not when Xav sucked harder.

Xavier’s palms slid up the inside of Dave’s thighs and pushed his legs father apart. He worked his mouth skillfully up and down the rigid pole between his lips, hungry little moans and sounds of pleasure emanating from him. He loved this, loved the taste, the feel, and smell of Dave, loved the way his hips rolled to push deeper and his fingers tangled in his hair.

Oh, the things Xav did to him…fireworks were flying off all along Dave’s nerves. He planted his feet flat on the floor to lift his hips off the bed, letting Xav slide a hand under his butt.

“Sweets,” he panted out. “I’m not gonna last long this way…just so you know…”

Xavier debated for a half second whether he should back off and climb astride him, but he thought after the stressful events of the day that Dave needed this more. Besides, he could always get himself off later. His hot wet mouth slid back down on Dave as his finger teased and tickled over the puckered ring between his cheeks. Dave’s back arched and Xavier slid the single digit slowly inside him, never easing off his steady pace on his pulsing cock.

“So…damn…good…” Dave’s head tossed, his hips thrusting up to meet Xav’s attentions, his fingers tangling harder in his hair. His tangled nerves all relaxed at once and Xav pushed two fingers deep inside him. Between the lips and tongue on his overheated cock and the sweet invasion tapping on his prostate, his head spun.

“Ohgodohgodohchrist,” he whispered and bit down on his own knuckle as the pressure built to a full boil. His eyes squeezed shut on a hard groan when the first pulse flung him over.

“Mmmmmhhh…” Xav hummed happily around Dave’s spurting cock, swallowing his salty ejaculate as he filled his mouth and shuddered hard under him. Not until he’d coaxed every last twitch and spasm from him did he slowly lift his mouth and ease his fingers back out. He moved up on the bed next to Dave’s panting, heaving chest and kissed him lightly, careful of his swollen lip. “Feel better, sweetheart?” he asked in a husky murmur.

“Mmmmyeah,” Dave got out in a hoarse murmur. “But I feel bad not taking care of you.”

“Oh, well…” Xavier patted his chest and rolled over, scooting up on the bed and getting comfortable. “Not like I don’t know how to take care of things myself.” He grinned and reached for the lube. He smiled seductively as Dave watched him with sleepy, appreciative eyes and squeezed a dollop of slippery goo out to rub over his rock hard shaft.

Dave contented himself with watching for a few minutes, basking in the lovely sight of Xav’s pleasure-soaked expression as his fingers slid up and down his slippery shaft. But he wasn’t all that good at sitting back and watching.

He rolled over onto his stomach, pulling off his shirt as he went. He lifted his butt a bit in a slow grind. “You sure I can’t help you out, babe?”

Xav sucked air through his teeth in a little hiss of pleasure as his fingers tightened around his cock and slowly stroked. “How could I resist an invitation like that?” He moaned softly and moved to press up against Dave’s side, stroking a hand over his back and buttocks. “You’re not too tired?” He asked, even as he got more lube and massaged it in between Dave’s cheeks.

“Too tired?” Dave said with a husky little chuckle. “You’re the one who’s gonna do all the work. I’m just gonna lie here and take it.”

The way he said it, like the prospect was the one thing he wanted more than anything else at that moment, made the simple comment sound dirty and erotic all at once. “Give it to me, baby,” he whispered.

Xav felt what was left of the blood in his head rush to parts further south and he moaned in Dave’s ear as he rolled onto him. Instead of pushing Dave’s legs apart Xav straddled him, rubbing his aching cock into the slippery cleft on his butt. He was more than a little excited, but he took it slow and eased into his lover bit by bit.

“Mmm, nice.” In no rush now with the edge off, Dave rolled his hips into the intrusions but didn’t shove back or lift up as he might have otherwise. Xavier had decided he needed looking after today; he was more than happy to be looked after.

The feel of Xav filling him, covering him, his scent, his little sounds, all were getting him hot awful quick again.

Xav sank into him, his knees digging into the mattress on either side of his hips as he leaned forward and rocked, pushing in and pulling out in a slow rhythm. He slid his hands up Dave’s back, kneading and caressing along his muscles until his fingers curled over his shoulders. He pulled back as his hips came forward in a hard thrust. The deep moan that huffed from Dave’s lips made him do it again, and again, picking up a faster, deeper rhythm that had him gritting his teeth against an impending orgasm in no time.

“Dave…baby, I’m gonna come…” He panted in his ear, rubbing his cheek into the slightly sweat damp silk of Dave’s hair. “Uhhh…oh, god!” The muscles of his abs tightened hard and he buried himself as deep as he could go as the explosion took him.

Dave reached a hand underneath and took his own cock in a firm grip, pumping hard and fast to meet Xav at the tail end of his climax. He buried his face in his pillow to muffle the cries as he came a second time, hard on the heels of the first.

He lay limp and exhausted afterwards, dizzy and reeling like he’d been tossed in a rock tumbler for a couple of days. But the warm, blissful feeling overrode it all and he smiled even if he couldn’t bring the room into focus.

Xav peppered little kisses along Dave’s shoulders as he slowly disengaged and then rolled over with a contented sigh. That had been what they both needed. He hoped Sebastian had found his mp3 player, he thought with a grin. That pillow didn’t really do much to muffle his Dave.

In the living room, Sebastian moved one of his earbuds aside. Quiet now, good. He couldn’t help a little smile. Xav was so good for his big brother. He didn’t think anyone else could have brought him down so fast and got him to relax so soon after a fistfight. Without him, Dave would have been pacing the floor for hours, shivering and muttering, hitting the bottle finally to calm his shaking.

He did wish everyone could find someone so perfect. His own parents…well, it couldn’t have been a worse match if they’d gone out looking with the intent of making themselves miserable. Someday, they’d have to talk about their dad. There were things Dave should know. But not now.

The spirits were restless. Lilly had not lied when she spoke those words to Elric, although she knew they would not trouble those within Ethan and Quinn’s home. Not tonight anyway, she had made sure they would have peace tonight.

She herself was not at ease though as she drove to her small house on the outskirts of the city. It took so much of her energy to be around so many people, and even more to weave the necessary protections that evening. She was exhausted, and shouldn’t be driving, but the thought of the comfort and privacy of her home called to her and she did not stop. Not until she had pulled up the mostly obscured driveway and parked beside the place she called her own.

Even then, her work was not yet done.

First thing was first though. She went inside and set tea to brew while she washed up and collected the things she would need in her basket. She took a moment to settle herself and drink the strong brew she had made, then she headed out into the trees that grew along the hills behind her home, following a well worn path.

At a clearing that had obviously been used for such purposes before, she stopped and built a small fire in the stone lined pit at the center of the rough circle. The wind had picked up here as if it had followed her, and she thought that perhaps it had. It danced around her, whipping her hair one way and then another as she undressed.

She spread a blanket on the ground and sat in nothing but the necklace she always wore. From the basket she withdrew her flute and a bundle of white sage, which she threw on the fire. Her gaze rested on the flames as she began to play softly. The notes seemed to blend with the song of the wind and time slipped away into meaninglessness. Within the depth of the dancing flames she saw shapes and sometimes faces or words, some of them had meaning, and some she did not know but she remembered all of the messages given to her.

When she finally stopped playing the fire was nothing but a few embers and she was stiff with cold.

Lilly returned the flute to bottom of the basket and took out a small pouch. She used her teeth to get the knot out of the leather because her fingers were numb and clumsy. She tapped out a small amount of tobacco into her palm, transferred that to a flat piece of bark so it wouldn’t burn too quickly and set the bark with the tobacco onto what remained of the fire. Then she took a pin and pricked her cold finger, waiting until a drop of blood welled up before tipping the droplet onto the tobacco. She said a short prayer, asking Wakhán Thánka to accept her offering as she thought of Orion, Elric, and Keit very clearly in her mind and sent her protection to them.

As the last of the fire burned away and died she finally stood and dressed. She knew that the three of them still had trials ahead, still had healing to be done, but her part in it was finished. She had given all the guidance and protection she could. Their own guides would help them now.

She made her slow way back to the house, made more tea to warm her, and then she slept deeply and soundly until the sun was up and bright outside her window and all the darkness of the night had been chased away.

#

Chrysalis ducked another plate as it whizzed by and smashed against the far wall. “Dammit, damn, damn, damn.”

The phone call had been frantic. Poltergeists the man said. If they hadn’t been the aunt and uncle of a good friend, it would have been easy to say no. Syren’s admonishment to be careful suddenly didn’t seem like warning enough.

With shaking hands, fumbling with the cell phone, Chrys dialed a number recently added to the list while crouched under the table. “Lilly? Gods…” A chair crashed over. “Please pick up, please…it’s Chrys…I think I need some help here.”

Lilly’s voice suddenly came on the other end of the line. “Chrys? What’s wrong?” She sounded a little fuzzy, confused. Her softly melodic tone instantly brought to mind a picture of her still in bed, or perhaps standing with her eyes still half closed and sleepy, the edge of her bathrobe slipped down to reveal one bare shoulder, very sexy.

“Hi, Lilly.” Chrys couldn’t help a distracted smile thinking of Lilly in her bedroom. Another crash shoved reality back to the forefront. “Shit…sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you, that is, I’m sorry I did. I’m in over my head here. I had a call–”

A mirror leaping from the wall sent Chrys farther under the table. “–about a haunting. It’s not that sort of energy, though…gods, Lilly, this is bad. It’s probably more in your realm but I’m not sure you should be here either.”

The cobwebs were rapidly clearing from Lilly’s head. The hint of worried fear in Chrys’s voice crystallized her attention. “Chrys…are you afraid? Of course…never mind. Go outside. You’ll only feed it. Go outside, and tell me everything.” This she said while she held the phone between her ear and shoulder, twisting her hair quickly behind her so she could get dressed and start to get ready to go.

Scurrying between flying objects, swearing when a large book connected, Chrys hurried outside. “OK, all right…” The top porch step was as good a place as any. “The man called me. He said they had poltergeists. I’ve never met an actual one. It’s almost always something else. So I got here and started to talk to people. Met the children. And when the younger one took the older one’s book and ran off with it, that’s when the energy in the room got heavy and ugly. I almost couldn’t breathe, it was so thick. The parents don’t see it - I don’t know why. It’s that child. Something’s happened to her. There’s too much anger for her body to contain. And stuff flies everywhere. I need hazard pay.”

“Alright…” Lilly said, finding a stray pen and random piece of paper on her desk, the only cluttered object in the whole house. “Give me directions… mm-hm, yes…yes. Ok, I think it should take me about a half hour to get there…make that forty five minutes, I need to eat something first. Chrys, don’t tell the parents. They won’t believe you. Just wait outside and tell them I’m coming, ok?” She waited until he agreed, and then said goodbye and hung up.

It was closer to an hour before she arrived. She had taken a quick shower first, because it was important she wash any residual energy off before she went. Then she dressed in jeans and a plain white tee shirt, and ate her toast and drank her coffee on the way. At least she didn’t need to pack, she usually didn’t bring anything with her on an initial visit, but if she did have need she always kept a few things in the trunk.

As she got out of the car, she took a moment to breathe and compose herself before walking toward the house where Chrys was waiting on the front porch.

Chrys ran an agitated hand through spikes of bright blue hair. “Good morning.” The smile was equally bright, if a bit shaky. “Not really how I wanted to see you again. But I’ll take it.”

Lilly smiled. “Good morning.” She turned her head a little as she looked at him. “Calm, Chrys. Be easy.” She took his hands in her own for a moment and the bit of tremor through his shoulders stopped. “Why don’t you introduce me to the parents. I’ll talk to the children separately.”

She got a little nod and Chrys kept one of her hands to lead her inside. Things had quieted, for the moment. Both parents cowered at the top of the stairs.

“I think it’s all right for now, folks,” Chrys called up. “Maybe you can come down?”

Hesitant, clinging together, they came. Blind, ridiculously blind. Chrys had to force a bland expression. “Lilly, this is Paul and Lacy. Folks, this is Lillana Willows. She has a lot of experience in…this sort of thing.”

“You know how to get rid of poltergeists?” Lacy asked.

“mm…” Lilly said without really commenting. “I may be able to help your family. Should we sit down? I’d like you to tell me when this started, and what has happened.”

Lacy and Paul led the way into the dining room when the four of them sat and Lilly listened to them tell her all about how strange things had started happening in the house a few months ago, and they thought they were going crazy at first, and now they didn’t know what to do.

“Do you think the house is… on an Indian burial ground, or something?” Paul asked and then laughed uneasily.

Lilly gave a small reassuring smile. “No. It isn’t. I’d like to talk to each of your children if I could? Together, then one at a time. Would that be alright?”

Amazingly enough, they agreed. Lilly used to think it was strange that total strangers would trust her with something so precious as their children after only just meeting her, but now she accepted it.

She asked Chrysalis to keep Paul and Lacy company while she went to talk to the kids. The moment she saw them she knew what it was Chrys had felt, and she agreed. The older girl was the source of this ‘haunting.’

Sitting cross-legged on the floor, she talked to them both for a while. They had dolls, and a dollhouse and she asked if they minded if she played with them for a while. Neither girl thought it strange at all that a grown up they’d never met before wanted to play dolls with them, although Shannon, the older girl, was more reserved than her sister, April. It took a while this time. For one thing, Shannon had just had one fit and that took a lot of energy. She needed time to build again. For another, Lilly had a calming effect and the girls were having fun playing.

It was some time before something piqued Shannon’s temper. She thought Lilly was paying too much attention to April and not enough to her. The dollhouse began to shake, and a toy flipped though the air suddenly. April began to cry and tiny toy dishes flung themselves onto the floor, the dollhouse rose off the floor and slammed back down.

Without hesitation, Lilly reached out a hand and gripped Shannon’s shoulder, hard. Hard enough to make the girl gasp and cry out at the sudden sharp pain. She held her finger an inch from the girl’s nose and looked directly into her eyes. “That may be uncomfortable, I’m sorry.” She murmured, and then pushed on the girl’s energy field, forcing it out and down, grounding it into the earth.

The room went still and quiet, Shannon gasped again, and then suddenly burst into tears. Lilly pulled her close. “Sh, sh…” she kissed the top of her head and held her close as she sobbed. Humming quietly she rubbed her back soothingly. When she finally quieted, Lilly said, “I can teach you how to do that for yourself, sweetling. Would you like that?”

Shannon nodded, looking exhausted and bewildered.

“Alright, I’ll teach you, but not today. You need to get some rest first. Go ahead and lay down, I’ll tell your mom and dad you’re taking a nap, ok?”

“Ok,” came the shaky reply and off she went to her room.

Lilly took a breath and let it out. She picked up April, not wanting to leave her there alone and carried her on her hip back into the dining room where she set her down. April went running to her mother’s arms, laughing. “Lilly made the ghost go away!” She squealed.

Both Paul and Lacy looked at her, not knowing if they should believe this news or not.

Lilly nodded. “For now.”

“What? What happened? How…?”

Lilly held up a hand, forestalling Lacy’s questions. “It’s not a spirit you have. Your daughter Shannon…she’s…powerful. She doesn’t know what to do with all that power, and it spills out.”

“You’re saying Shannon’s doing this?” Paul demanded.

“No. I’m saying the energy creating your…disturbance is drawn to her.” She ignored Chrys’s look, he knew she was lying, but she couldn’t explain to him why right now. “I’ve promised to come back and teach her a few things. Once she understands what to do, the energy will not bother her, or you any more. She’s exhausted right now though, so she went to lie down. I’ll come back tomorrow, if that’s alright with you?”

“Yes…yes, of course…”

They sounded relieved. Lilly barely heard them. She needed to leave. Now. She managed to keep the little reassuring smile on her face and not stumble until she was back outside and the door closed behind them. She almost missed the bottom step, her face leeched of all color. This was too much, too soon. She was working too hard and she knew it, but how could she say no when a little girl needed her?

Chrys had both arms around her immediately. “Lilly…let me drive you home. Sy dropped me off, so it’s not like I’ll be leaving a car here.”

She nodded, feeling a well of gratitude. She pulled the keys from her front pocket and handed them over. “Thank you,” she said as they got in. “I’ve been…doing too much lately. I’ve stretched myself a bit thin.”

“Only spiritually.” Chrys couldn’t help the shy smile. “The rest of you still looks perfect.”

Ah, that glorious laugh. It was enough to make a person’s heart melt. Chrys drove carefully enough not to distress her but with efficiency, intent on getting her home. All sorts of protective instincts kicked in around Lilly. Yes, it was definitely a testosterone inducing day.

Back home, Lilly was left in peace to wash up, change and climb back into bed while Chrys made her lunch. Nothing fancy, grilled cheese and soup, which was what she had requested, on a footed tray.

“All right.” Chrys settled in the chair next to the bed. “Now, I can stay if you want someone in the house, or I can call a cab and leave you in peace. Whatever you need.”

Lilly had taken a few bites of the sandwich and then curled on her side. Her dark silky lashes lay fanned over her cheeks and her hands were tucked up under her chin making her look very young and vulnerable. “Stay.” She said with a sleepy yawn. “You need the rest. It’s quiet here…”

Chrys managed to hold back a wistful sigh. Sweet mother…she looked so beautiful like that. She looked so beautiful no matter what. The urge to crawl in beside her was almost overwhelming or at the very least to lean down and kiss her soft, red lips.

Ah, well. Maybe someday. The house was quiet, in many ways, the emotional peace was wonderful, and there were so many things to look at. In the living room, ocarinas of various shapes and sizes itched to be played. Herb bundles and jars of seeds and powders festooned the kitchen, creating a feast for the eyes and nose. Books — of course she had beautiful books. So many of them.

With a large, illustrated tome of wildflowers, Chrys finally settled in the large wingchair by the window and promptly fell asleep.

Lilly woke a few hours later, the hint of late afternoon sunlight streaming through the window. She listened for a moment, heard not a sound, and wondered if perhaps Chrys had left after all. She sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. No, he was still here. She wandered out into the living room and confirmed it, sound asleep in the chair.

Detouring to the kitchen, she made tea, adding a few things that would both soothe and give energy. Chrys came in just as she was getting ready to pour into two mugs. “How do you feel?” she asked.

“Well rested.”

Lilly nodded. “This place has natural protections. You don’t have to work so hard to shield.”

“More importantly…” Chrys took the mugs and set them on the table. “How are you feeling? We didn’t go to Orion’s ceremony last night, partly because he’s never really attached to either of us and partly because I knew there’d be too many folks there already for you. All those strong, willful personalities in one place. It can get a little…draining.”

Lilly settled into the chair next to Chrys, there were only two at the small kitchen table. She didn’t have company here often, so she didn’t need much room. “I’m feeling better. And it went very well last night. I think Orion has found his path now. I’ve done all I can for him. As a healer anyway, as a friend he knows he can always call.” She sipped carefully at the hot tea. “The spirits were very close last night, and attended to his ceremony well. The people were the least of what had drained me,” she added quietly.

“Ah.” Chrys leaned an elbow on the table, unconsciously seeking to get closer. “Orion calls to them. He always has. And he has no clue that he does.” The tea steam danced between them. “He might have been a shaman. Or a ghost whisperer. If things had been different for him. But I’m glad it went well. Our Prince was always steady but never happy before Orion came into his life. That he’s let the ice crack far enough to allow pain in…well, I think the happy part can come, too, now.”

Babbling, dammit. Like Lilly didn’t know all this.

Lilly set the mug down on the table, her delicate fingers wrapped around it for warmth. “Like you have done?” She said quietly, although it was more a comment than actual question. “Allowed happiness to finally find you.”

“Yes.” A flush rose up Chrys’ throat. “It wasn’t always easy. For someone like me. Lilly…” The soft voice became a thread of a whisper. “I think you know what I am.”

“Yes…a rarity. You contain both energies in one body,” she said in such a way that made him sound precious and special, instead of an oddity.

Chrys managed a sad little smile and reached across to cover her hand, his fingers long and delicate. “But only to…a certain degree. Everything works, as far as it goes. But that extra chromosome…I’m completely sterile.”

Lilly nodded solemnly, her fingers tracing light soothing circles at the edge of Chrys’s wrist. “The elders say that when a person is unable to have children it is because Wakhán Thánka has other plans for them. Sometimes they are given gifts, and sometimes challenges…or both.”

The smile turned impish. “Well, lucky for me I get to fall in the ‘both’ category. Keeps me busy.” Chrys shrugged one shoulder. “Doctors have offered to ‘fix’ things but this is the way the Mother made me. I can’t bear the thought of mutilation and hormone therapy, losing half of me in the process.”

Compassion and understanding shone from those bright blue eyes and Chrys lowered his gaze back to their hands. “I know you’ve heard this a million times, but you’re so breathtakingly beautiful.”

Lilly looked away, a tinge of pink staining her cheeks. Yes, she had heard that before, and she had learned how to graciously say thank you and then simply moved on with a conversation without feeling too horribly awkward, but coming from Chrys it felt…different. The shyness she had worked so hard to overcome came back and paralyzed her. She couldn’t have lifted her eyes from the table to save her life.

Out of nowhere a picture formed in her head of Chrys pulling her hands closer and leaning in to kiss her. She could suddenly feel the way her heart beat on the inside of her ribs and her breath caught in her throat. But…Chrys had someone. She had met Syren and knew they were a couple. He wasn’t going to kiss her. Instead of the relief she expected she was surprised by the sudden disappointment she felt.

“I’m sorry,” Chrys murmured and took back his hands. “I’ve made you uncomfortable. Sy’s always pushing me to tell someone if I like them. But it…I’m so sorry.”

Lilly lifted her eyes finally and blinked, looking adorably confused. “She does?”

He nodded, unable to look away, snared by those incredible eyes again. “She says I… haven’t…that I spent too much of my life celibate. And as long as I’m honest and let her know so she doesn’t worry…and I’ve told her the same…”

Oh, that expression, those lips… Chrys didn’t possess much in the way of aggression but the little he had screamed for him to make a move. Maybe she had just been surprised. Maybe it wasn’t discomfort. He leaned forward, hands on his knees and gently kissed the corner of her mouth, a gesture that could be taken as friendly if she wasn’t interested.

Lilly turned her head slightly, almost as if by accident. Her soft lips brushed against Chrys’s ever so lightly. Neither moved, their lips so close only a breath separated them. Lilly didn’t know if she moved first or Chrys, she only knew the next moment their lips were pressed together in a tender kiss that nonetheless sent little sparks all through her.

“Well…that was nice,” Chrys whispered, pulled back a spare half inch. “Any chance I might have some more?”

Lilly brought her hands up slowly and cupped Chrys’s smooth cheeks in her delicate hands. She pulled back a little farther, but only enough so she could look into his eyes searchingly.

It was a brief moment, but whatever she had been looking for she must have found because she brought her lips back to his for a longer, more leisurely kiss.

Emboldened by her interest, Chrys leaned closer, exploring in soft, tender forays. At the gentle urging of his tongue, she opened to him, and he moaned as her sweetness pulled all the heat to his core.

One hand rose to caress fingertips along her arm, her skin so soft, he had the unreasonable fear that he might bruise her with such a light touch. But she apparently felt no discomfort as she slid across into his lap.

“Beautiful… you’re so beautiful, Chrys.” Lilly whispered along his skin between sweet kisses. “You’ve no idea.”

“Oh…dear gods,” he got out in a breathless gasp when her fingers caressed the pulse point of his throat. A wave of heat flooded up from between his legs and he guessed he was probably as pink as Syren’s hair. Lilly found him beautiful. He was going to dissolve into a puddle on the floor.

A hint of a smile stole into his kisses. All those gorgeous, manly males competing for her attention at the Prince’s house, and who did she end up kissing? Little Chrysalis, who had to stand on tiptoe to kiss Derelict’s cheek.

It did seem rather unexpected, but not so much to Lilly. Yes, all of her would-be suitors were very attractive, but Chrysalis had a decided edge. He shone brightly among them, with an inner light that only one or two others came close to.

His arms circled her, one hand stroking her back. He nuzzled under her chin to tip her head back so he could kiss the smooth, soft skin of her throat. “Lilly,” he whispered. “I’ll never push you. Anytime you want me to stop, I’m good. But I won’t lie to you. I want you. Burning hot as the sun for you.”

“I don’t want you to stop,” she whispered.

“Oh, good.” Chrys shifted and slid his arms under her, surprisingly strong for such a slender body. With a little grunt, he stood and carried her to the bedroom, snatching tender kisses along the way.

Nervous butterflies swirled into her middle as Chrys laid her down carefully on the bed. It had been a long time since she’d last had a lover. A long time since she’d let anyone get this close. The reasons didn’t seem to matter as much right now as the simple fact that she almost didn’t remember what it was like to have someone kiss her and caress her like this. She was afraid he would notice her nervousness and that was not helping any.

An exclusively male lover might have missed it but Chrys certainly didn’t. He toed off his slip-on shoes and stretched out beside her, keeping his hand on her hip and the kisses sweet. He had never encountered anyone like her before, such a mix of sure strength on the one hand and such shy reticence on the other. The chances of her pouncing on him and ravishing him, though, were about on par with getting hit by lightning while being attacked by a shark and simultaneously hitting the lottery.

He was just going to have to swallow his own anxieties and be the one to move things along.

“Lilly?” He lay on his side, propped on one elbow while his fingers combed through her glorious fall of raven hair. “Would you like to undress me?”

Lilly smiled softly as her fingers trailed lightly down the center of Chrys’s chest. She leaned in to place a kiss at the corner of his mouth as she pulled the edge of his shirt free and her hands glided back up his skin taking the material with it. He helpfully lifted his arms and Lilly pulled it free.

His chest was smooth, hairless by nature rather than any artificial means, and while no swell of breasts interrupted the lean muscle, his nipples were slightly more prominent than most males had.

A shivering moan escaped when she ran her thumbs over the hardening buds. Then he took her hand gently and moved it down to tug free the ties of his loose, drawstring pants.

Her fingers tugged the tie free slowly, and then she stopped. She knew this was a vulnerable moment for Chrys, could feel the subtle shifts in aura that told her he was anxious. Wanting to make him feel a little less exposed she sat up and lifted the hem of her own tee shirt and pulled it off, letting the dark fall of her hair cascade around her bare skin. Yes, she was a strange mix. She was shy, but not terribly body modest.

She shed her clothes first, and then returned to his, taking hold of the edge of his pants and easing them down slim hips.

His cock stood erect, nothing huge, but a nice size for his body, thick and straight. The hair down there was light, hinting at the ash blond of his natural coloring. She slid the pants down and off, along with the little boy-shorts he wore that day. Underwear had always been an issue. Boxers or panties? And neither was quite right.

Still on his side, he bent one knee up, letting her see all of him if she wished. Behind his sac, instead of the smooth patch of sensitive skin most males had, lay a full set of labia and a definitely un-masculine entrance.

She slid back beside him, trailing her fingers lightly over his skin, up the top of his thigh and the smooth plane of his stomach. Her fingers slowly caressed back downwards, although her hesitancy seemed to stem more from uncertainty in herself rather than any hesitancy to touch him.

Slender graceful fingers traced lightly over his erection, and then continued downward to touch delicately along silken lower lips.

Chrys sucked in a breath, his knees twitching together a bit at the sudden overload of sensation. He lay back to let her explore and lifted a hand to cup one of her perfect breasts, his thumb brushing and stroking the nipple.

Her skin was softer than lambskin, softer than eider, so incredible, and her scent filled his head, the light spice of her arousal, cinnamon and honey.

Although Lilly had known Chrys held both male and female energies within him, she had not exactly pictured how that would correlate in the physical sense. She supposed some people, some doctors, would see him as a problem that should be fixed, but Lilly saw him as beautiful. The way his body was put together, the way both male and female attributes were blended so well…seemed perfect to her, an artist’s creation. On some level, she knew that there were those that would have been repulsed, or merely curious, but she couldn’t imagine not being able to see how beautiful he was.

Her fingers continued to trail over his soft skin, delicately exploring every crease and ridge, of both of his male and female parts. As she did, she got the sense that this was unusual, especially for a lover seeing him for the first time, that those he had been with in the past tended to focus on one or the other.

He leaned up to nuzzle at her breast and lick at one peaked nipple. “I’m not supposed to be possible, you know,” he breathed against her skin. “Intersex people are supposed to be mixed, not both. Something about an inhibitor on the Y chromosome. They say I don’t exist.”

“That’s alright…neither do I.” She said, her lips curling into a little smile just before she kissed him. The sweetness of the kiss was quickly eclipsed by a wash of heat, and she pressed closer to him, twining her slender arms around his neck, her fingers sliding into the cool blue silk that she liked so much on him.

“Unicorns and mermaids,” he whispered against her lips with a wink before he rolled her over on top of him. A soft moan rose from him to have that beautiful body pressed close.

Her hips rolled in a slow undulation, pressing against the hard length of him invitingly. A small mewl of pleasure rose from her throat as her kisses became hungrier on his lips.

He slid a hand down behind her, taking the time to stroke her perfect cheeks before his fingers slid between her thighs. A rush of heat flooded him to feel how wet she was already. It must have been awhile for her.

With shaft in hand, he shifted the angle of his hips and slid the head of his aching cock inside.

Tight, tight heat like a velvet vise gripped him. Lilly’s soft cry of pleasure was lost against his lips. She teetered on the edge of panic for just a moment and then sank back down into the enfolding arms of warm wet pleasure. “Chrys…Chrys…” she whispered his name as she rubbed her cheek along his, the soft plush of her lips kissed and nibbled along the edge of his jaw and down his throat as she clung tightly to him.

His head spun with the surfeit of sensations. He moved slowly inside her, rolling up into her by small degrees, unwilling to rush either of them. She reached a hand down between them and slid dainty fingers inside him and he cried out, back arching with the flood of pleasure. “Lilly…oh…gods…”

His pleasure fueled her own, like a circuit had been completed between them, one feeding the other as they spiraled higher and higher. She moved with him, almost seeming to know how hard, how fast, how much more, before he did, and every bit added another layer of pleasure to drown in. She gave every bit of herself, so completely it was almost a surprise when her walls finally tightened around him and her head tipped back, soft cries of pleasure lifting from her at the sudden blissful release pulsing through her body.

Relief washed over him with the sudden explosion of delight. Anxiety had nagged at him that he wouldn’t be able to hold out for her. His sac drew up tight and the pulses shot up his shaft at the same moment his own walls clamped hard around her invading fingers.

He gripped her hips, eyes closed against the onslaught of pleasure, his entire being concentrated on the complex collision of climaxes, everything, all at once, it stole his breath. Syren often did this for him, these everything climaxes, but until now, she had been the only one. Other female lovers had fixated on his male anatomy and poor Anthony had simply been puzzled by the female parts.

Lilly lay with her face turned into the crook of Chrys’s shoulder until she caught her breath, enjoying the feel of being so close and the way his hands caressed her. After a little while, she slipped to his side, curling contentedly close.

“Thank you,” he whispered and kissed the top of her head.

They lay quietly together, comfortable with each other as lovers normally wouldn’t be until after long acquaintance. Her scent calmed him and intoxicated him at the same time and he smiled into her hair, wondering if she would want more. Either way, Chrys was content.

“Lilly,” he asked after awhile, his hands still stroking her back. “Have you ever had to deal with a truly malevolent spirit?”

She did not go stiff, but she stilled in his arms. “Yes,” she said simply. Ordinarily she would have left it at that, but for whatever reason she felt compelled to give a little more. “It was a long time ago, I was still learning. It was… it changed me. Made me stronger.” She paused for a moment, and then shifted so she could look into his eyes. “Have you?”

“I…” He pulled her closer, needing her warmth, and swallowed hard. Well, you brought it up, you ninny. “Once. Yes. It still…bothers me. They had to pull me out of the house. I couldn’t help. And the family moved away. And the house was demolished.”

“We can only help those who allow us to help them, Chrys. Living or dead.” Lilly said, snuggling closer into the crook of his arm.

He nodded against the top of her head. “Still…there’s always that feeling. If I were stronger. If I knew more.”

Lilly pulled a little away, but only so she could look up into his eyes. “Do you want to learn more?”

“I didn’t mean…” He blinked in surprise. The offer shone in her eyes, though, of sharing this as well. “Yes,” he got out on a soft exhalation of breath. “Yes, I would.”

She brought her hand to cup his cheek and kissed him lightly. “You are strong already, did you know? You are gentle, but only because you choose to be, not because that’s the only way for you. You understand?”

“Am I?” His pale brows knit together. “I mean, I know you’re not talking about the physical. Certainly can’t bench press a truck like some people I could name. But I guess I’ve always thought of myself as a…conduit, rather than in terms of strength.”

Lilly tucked one hand under her head and smiled at him. “M-hm…and a conduit does what? Directs the energy it’s given, right? And, if you pump a whole lot of energy down one thin, frayed, bare wire, what happens? Could be the energy doesn’t get all the way to where its supposed to go, or maybe even creates an unexpected fire… whereas if you sent the same energy down a big, strong well-insulated cable, you can power whole cities. Yes?”

A laugh surprised Chrys. “Yes, I suppose so. If that’s the case, you’re one heck of a fiber optic bundle.”

She laughed and snuggled close again. Without further words, they both knew that Lillana Willows had acquired a new apprentice.

It was a much smaller crowd gathered on the beach behind Ethan’s house than there had been for the Prince’s requiem, consisting only of the Fairy Princess and people Orion had given animal names, people with whom he felt comfortable - Otter and his own Eagle Prince, the Dragon with his Butterfly, Wolf with his mate, Mistress Lioness and her pride, Panther with his Minnow and his Blue Jay, and Brown Bear and Black Bear, both with their beautiful mates as well. He knew all their names now, of course, knew the Brown Bear was Ethan and the Black was Victor, but he still saw them both ways.

Coyote arrived last with a long box from his flower shop. “I hope it’s what you wanted, big guy,” he said as he handed the box to Orion. “You weren’t real specific.”

Orion opened the lid to a profusion of white lilies and oleander. “Yes. Thank you. It’s perfect.”

He put the box down to open the crate beside him and lifted out the dragon-prow longboat he had made. Larger than his first, this one was nearly five feet long, with a red and white sail and brightly painted wooden shields lining the sides. It was heavy but he shook his head at the offers of help as he carried it to the water’s edge.

Coyote helped him arrange the flowers on the ship’s deck along with a picture of Jake and a lock of his hair. Orion’s parents had managed to salvage some things from the apartment when he disappeared, things they thought he might want again someday, mementos and letters, bits and pieces of a shared life.

When he stood, it was to strip down to his boxer briefs, and then he faced the people gathered on the sand. He stood with his feet slightly apart and his arms crossed over his chest, perhaps not the most open posture but what he had to say wouldn’t be easy.

“Jacob Sterling Moyers was the love of my life,” he began, the words coming smoothly since he had recited them in his head repeatedly over the past week. “And I killed him. I knew his weaknesses and his fears and I ignored them to further my own ambitions, to feed an ever-hungry pride.

“Jake was not a particularly brave man, nor was he very strong. He needed someone to make decisions for him and he loved strong, decisive men, even though they tended to take advantage of him, to break his heart again and again. Through it all, though, he was never bitter. He loved the world and all its wonders, found humor in most things and remained always optimistic.”

He went on to describe how they had met, how Jake’s brilliant mathematical insights had furthered his research until it only made sense for them to work together, how they had begun to see each other and finally married. Through it all he looked from one face to another, as if hoping somehow by the earnestness of his gaze to convey the true sense of who this man had been so that someone besides himself would know, would remember.

The words stuck in his throat when he reached the part about working on the Cerberus Project and what had happened there, but he held up his hand to stop Keit’s progress across the sand when he tried to come to him. He could accept no comfort now or he would break down and never finish.

“In the end, Jake couldn’t face conflict, couldn’t take a stand when he knew something was wrong, and so he died because I failed to protect him when he needed me most. This compassionate, loving, brilliant man has gone on before me and I am left to remember. And since I was not there to send him on his way, I send what I have of him into the West, as my ancestors did before me, in the hope that if he lingers still, we may help speed his journey.”

With that, he lifted the now-laden boat in his arms and waded out past the breakers. He stopped and held up a hand, a pre-arranged signal, and Sasha tossed him a lighter. The deck of the boat, lined with straw, caught first, and soon the little vessel shone brightly against the gathering dusk. The scent of pitch mingled with the scent of burning flowers, an odd and not unpleasant combination. Orion took the dragon’s tail and pushed the little boat out to sea, standing in chest deep water until the flames faded to the brightness of a single candle.

“Goodbye, Jake, love,” he murmured. “I’ll miss you. Until I find you again.”

Walking backwards so he could keep the boat in sight, he returned to the beach where he collapsed to his knees with his head buried in his hands.

Keit broke away first, unable to hold back any longer from those heartbreaking sobs. He knelt next to Orion in the sand and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, giving what comfort he could.

Lilly watched with a hint of shimmer in her blue eyes. She was a little concerned with how much emphasis Orion had placed on taking the blame for Jake’s death, but she still felt this was a step in the right direction. He was no longer numb. The scar had been ripped off so the poison underneath could be let out. It left a new wound, but this one would heal cleanly, with time.

Even without the leather glove, Orion would have known the weight and shape of the hand that fell on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around the Otter to pull him in to his chest and curled the other arm around his Prince’s waist so he could bury his face against his hard-packed stomach. Not alone, those two warm bodies said, you need never face these things alone.

The gathering stood in reverential silence until the flames faded from sight along with the last edge of sun as it sank into the waves. Victor shook himself and moved to crouch in front of Orion.

“Come on up,” he said, a gentle hand on Orion‘s arm. “I’ll help you. Let’s get you inside and dried off before you catch a chill.”

Keit let go reluctantly as Orion rose, shaking from head to foot. It was only sense, though, since Victor was the only person on the beach who could really support the big man if he faltered.

The rest of the company began to move behind them, with Der sweeping Vincent up into his arms so he wouldn’t have to struggle on the sand. Anthony, still on crutches with his leg still in its brace, only got two steps before Jerrett took the crutches, handed them to Sasha and lifted Anthony to cradle him gently against his chest. More than one eyebrow rose at this display of tender concern but if Jerrett noticed, he pointedly ignored it all.

Ethan was probably the most surprised, although he said nothing. He didn’t think he would ever really ‘like’ Jerrett, but the tension between them had lessened since the day they had beat the crap out of each other.

He strode ahead and had a blanket ready by the time Victor brought Orion up on the back deck. Molly wove her way between the many unfamiliar legs, wagging her tail so hard she was in danger of falling over trying to garner attention. She came up and sniffed at Orion as Vic settled him into a chair. Apparently deciding she’d found who she was looking for, she sat and put her head in Orion’s lap with a soft chuff.

“Hello, little one,” he whispered and placed a huge hand on her head. It was soothing, scratching furry ears, and his breathing soon quieted to the occasional hitch. Heavy exhaustion wrapped around him. He knew he should get dressed but couldn’t get his body to move.

Ethan wrapped the blanket around Orion’s shoulders and went to start a fire in the outdoor fireplace on the corner of the deck. The beach house was pretty small, but with the sliding doors open, the living room and the deck held everyone. They did however have a guest room and the couch pulled out. Ethan had already offered to let Elric, Orion, and Keit all stay if they wanted.

“Ve may need to take you up on your offer,” Elric said, suddenly at Ethan’s elbow. He stripped off his gloves and broad-brimmed hat now that the sun had set, and nodded to Orion slumped in the patio chair. “He is…difficult to move far vhen he feels poorly.”

Ethan nodded. “I imagine so. The guest room is set for you, if you need anything else, just ask,” he said, and looking over at Orion, added softly, “Molly is good company for him, I think. She’s a therapy dog, she’ll happily sit there for hours.”

“Good, good…thenk you,” Elric patted his shoulder in a distracted way and then wandered back to Orion. He took the big man’s face between his hands and kissed his forehead. “It vas beautifully done, liebchen. I’m sure he vould hef thought so, too.”

Orion heaved a soft sigh and closed his eyes. “I’m so tired, mein herr. As if I’d swum for miles.”

“To be expected. In a vay, you hef traveled very far this evening. Rest, liebchen. You need do no more today.”

Orion nodded and pulled the blanket closer around him. One by one, the little ones - Sasha, Drew, Quinn, Jonathan, and finally Keit, all came to tell him how beautiful the ceremony had been. Though his heart ached for his love, Elric still found a moment’s spare amusement at how they all wanted to coddle and mother the giant who would have frightened them not so long ago.

In the living room, Anthony protested being fussed over as well when Jerrett put him on the couch and wrapped him in another blanket. “Really, sir, I’m fine. It was just a little chill, standing by the water, breeze coming in. I’m good, really, truly, see? Breathing fine and everything…”

“If you get sick, Sasha will want to take care of you and I will have to share him even more than I do now. So be quiet and get warm.”

Brandon watched the exchange from where he stood on the far side of the room. He didn’t say anything, but he thought Jerrett was just that sort of high-handed asshole he couldn’t tolerate for long. He hoped either he would go soon or Der would want to.

“Yessir,” Anthony said with a soft smile. He knew enough to read between the lines by now. ‘Shut up and do as I say’ from Jerrett was as close to ‘I love you and I worry about you’ as he would get in front of others. Funny how such an imperious order could give him the warm fuzzies.

Then Sasha was there, bending over him to give him a tender kiss, and the fuzzies turned to butterflies with flame-tipped wings. “You OK, hon? Should we get you home? You‘re so pale.”

Home. Of course Sasha meant Jerrett’s house, not Anthony’s empty, lonely apartment. He had to swallow a sudden lump in his throat before he could answer. “It’s not like I’m ever much darker. I’m good, sweetie, for as long as his lordship wants to stay.”

Jerrett didn’t acknowledge the comment, although privately he thought they wouldn’t stay long. Just enough for Anthony to warm up some. The evening had turned surprisingly cool and it was damp this close to the water. Leaving his boys (funny how as soon as he realized he loved Anthony he starting thinking of him as ‘his’, well, no he supposed it wasn’t that surprising really) he walked down the hall toward the bathroom only to find it occupied. The door opened though before he’d turned away and Der stepped out.

Jerrett gave him a charming smile, and glanced over his shoulder at the empty hallway. “If you step back inside quick I’m sure no one will see us,” he suggested with a grin.

Der cocked an eyebrow at him. Once he would have jumped at the chance. Now he wasn’t as sure. Jerrett confused the hell out of him. The image of him beating Anthony with vicious zeal still haunted him but now it was overlaid with acts of tender concern.

“Perhaps another time, Monsieur Hawthorn,” he said with a little bow. “Funerals aren’t the best thing for my libido, I’m afraid.”

Jerrett chuckled softly and brushed past him. “Perhaps another time,” he said before closing the door.

Shaking his head, Der returned to the living room, unaware that his forehead was still creased in confusion.

Brandon was not the jealous type. Really, he wasn’t. He wasn’t one of those guys that got all bent out of shape if someone flirted with his guy, or danced with him at the club. Hell, he’d even learned he could share his bed, for Der. But that look on Der’s face, after seeing Hawthorn walk down the hall just a few moments before… he had to restrain a wild urge to rush down there and plant his fist in that smug bastard’s face, and he probably hadn’t done anything. He controlled both the urge and his own expression with effort.

“I think–” Der stopped himself and shook his head again. “Bran, I think I need you to hold me a minute.”

Unfortunately, Der was not a mind reader, or he would have known that was just about the worst thing he could have said at that particular moment. The prickle of protectiveness Brandon had felt went instantly into super overdrive, and the likelihood of doing something decidedly violent to Jerrett Hawthorn went from a mild urge to a definite probability.

He came to Der’s side first though, and drew him into his embrace, steering him into the kitchen. He stroked a soothing hand over his back. “What happened? Did that asshole say something to you?” His voice was low, but there was a fierceness there that the easy going Brandon rarely showed.

Der cleared his throat before he could muster an answer, caught off guard by this side of his gentle Brandon. “Ah, well…it sort of sounded like a proposition for a quickie in the bathroom. But I think he was kidding. Probably. Gods…” He scrubbed his hands over his face. “It’s just so hard to tell with that man.”

Brandon again had to put forth a monumental effort not to follow his impulse to go charging off to tear Hawthorn’s head off. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He hadn’t said anything cruel to Der then, just slimy. Still, he didn’t know if he could contain himself much longer if he had to suffer the man’s presence. This was out of character for him and he knew it, but there was just something about the man he did not like at all. “Der, would you mind if we left soon?”

“Um…hmm…I hate to leave Ethan with a houseful of people,” Der began but something felt decidedly off here, the sudden crackle of potential mayhem, so he changed direction. “But I am a little tired today. Maybe a little under the weather.”

Now it was Brandon’s turn to look a little sheepish. “That’s total bullshit, but thank you, love,” he said, and kissed Der lightly, pulling him in close again.

Der wrapped his long arms tight around him and pulled in one slow breath, then another, then buried his face against Brandon’s throat so he could surround himself with his scent. He immediately felt steadier, cleaner, less jumbled. “All right, let’s get you out of here before something bad happens.”

Der and Brandon were the first to say their goodbyes, but others soon followed. Katya and her boys gave Orion their soothing words and took their leave shortly after Der, and Victor and Cody were next to follow. With the crowd thinning and Anthony no longer shivering, Jerrett took his boys home. Vincent, Jonathan, and Drew stayed a while longer and then it was time for them to go as well.

Lilly stayed until last. She settled next to Orion after the others had gone and took his large hand in her own. “You did very well today, Orion,” she said softly. The deepening indigo of night was falling around them, and the sky was clear and bright with stars. The steady sound of the waves coming in down on the beach was soothing and peaceful. “You have done all you can to send Jake on his journey, my dear. Now it’s time for you to rejoin the land of the living in truth, the shadow world is no place for you.”

“And how does one do that, princess?” he asked softly as he gazed out over the ocean. Keit had helped him dress again but he still felt cold and achingly tired. “I’ve lived in the shadows for so long. I can’t go back to what I did before. My brain can’t hold onto the same things anymore.”

Lilly smiled warmly at him. “No, you can’t go back, none of us can. But, perhaps you can find reasons now to go forward. Let Jake go on his journey, and you find yours.”

He stood, his hand still in hers and recited softly, “‘Only in silence the word, only in dark the light, only in dying life: bright the hawk’s flight on the empty sky.’”

The wind picked up and blew against them, lifting Lilly’s long dark hair all about. She squeezed his hand and they both turned to go inside. She got Orion to the guest room and had him lay down, then kissed his temple. She whispered a few soft words into his ear and he closed his eyes. She brought the blanket up around him and turned to see Elric and Keit both in the doorway. They accompanied her back into the living room.

“What did you say to him?” Keit asked.

Lilly gave him a wink and tweaked his nose, but didn’t answer the question. “He should sleep very soundly until morning. I need to be going.”

Keit kissed the back of her hand, the gesture never felt weird to him when it was Lilly. He bid her goodnight and got out of the way so Elric could do the same.

Elric tucked her hand into the crook of his arm so he could escort her to her car. “Thenk you, Prinzessin, for all you hef done for us.” He felt an odd twinge of sorrow when he turned to face her. “Though I do hope ve hef the privilege of seeing you again.”

They had reached her car and she turned as he opened the door for her. “Oh, I think we shall.” She said. The wind was driving in harder now, blowing a chill air all around them. Still she took a moment, reached her hand up to cup the side of his face, and lifted up on tiptoe to kiss him ever so lightly. “The spirits are restless tonight. Go back inside and be with your loves. Good night, my Prince,” she said, and left him watching after her as she got in and drove away.

He stood a moment longer, staring into the dark, and then an odd feeling of dread drove him inside. Restless, yes. He forced himself not to run to the door, like a child frightened of the basement stairs, though his heart trembled until he had the door shut against the night.

“More things in heaven and earth,” he murmured.

“Sir? Are you alright?” Keit had come at the sound of the door closing, and although he could not say Elric looked any paler than he usually did, he certainly did not look entirely well.

The Prince managed a wan smile. “Yes, herzchen. Now I am.” The bad things are all outside. He snagged Keit by the waist and pulled him close, feeling better by the moment as that lovely, compact body pressed against him. “Much better. Let’s go to bed.”

Keit was taken a bit by surprise at the fierce, passionate kiss Elric gave him, but it only took a moment for him to respond, melting against his body, arm sliding around his lean waist. He supposed it was just relief and release, but it still left his head spinning and a bemused smiled on his face as Elric broke the kiss and took his hand to lead him to the bedroom.

Ethan and Quinn said goodnight on their way past. Ethan swept Quinn up in his arms just because he felt like it, felt like holding him close, and carried him to their own bedroom.

“My love,” Quinn whispered in his ear. “If I promise to be real quiet, will you hold me down and fuck me hard?”

Ethan mock stumbled and fell across the bed with Quinn. “Bring a man to his knees with words like that, sweetheart.” Ethan chuckled low in his throat as his lips closed over Quinn’s.

Barely contained hunger leaped up in Quinn and he answered Ethan’s kiss with ferocious need, his hands whipping through Ethan’s shirt buttons to get at his hard-packed chest.

Ethan’s fingers were less sure in the dark, but just as quick to pull Quinn out of his clothes. He didn’t question the sudden passion that swept through them both, although he thought it might have something to do with the way the wind howled around the eaves. They were both naked and spread across the blanket in no time. Ethan slowed then, despite Quinn’s urgency. He pressed his lean body down, holding his slim wrists in his hand as he kissed him lovingly.

“Want you…so bad,” Quinn whispered between tender kisses. “Want that big, thick pole buried inside me.” He rolled under Ethan as much as he could, loving the hard weight pressing him down. His lips caressed along the strong line of Ethan’s jaw as he spread his thighs and let Ethan settle between.

Quinn was always passionate, always fully into the moment, but tonight there was something more… His kisses and the way he stroked Ethan’s skin sent fires lighting all through him. It had never been harder for Ethan to take his time, make sure Quinn was completely ready for him before he eased his slippery member inside him. Even then, Quinn would not be denied and he thrust his hips up, forcing Ethan deeper, quicker than he would have.

Ethan would never ever be less than careful, but he sensed Quinn was more than ready, and he sank inside him all the way with a hard thrust that made Quinn gasp and brought a moan to his own lips.

“Ethan, babe…I’m burning up,” Quinn gasped out. He lifted his legs to lock them around Ethan’s waist, squirming against the firm grip pinning his arms to the mattress. “Harder… fuck me harder…fuck me like you wanna put me through the mattress…make me come like freaking bottle rockets.”

Somewhere in the back of his mind as he writhed and pleaded, he knew something was weird. He usually encouraged Ethan but he left most of the dirty talk at the door, afraid of conjuring scenes he didn’t want to remember. Tonight, though, tonight a phoenix pyre of desire roared through his whole body and he hardly knew what he said.

Caught in the whirlwind of Quinn’s heat and desire Ethan could only do as he requested. His hands slid down Quinn’s arms and behind him, locking tightly around his body and pulling him close as he buried his face at the side of his throat. He spread his knees farther apart, digging into the mattress as his powerful thighs and hips bucked into Quinn hard and fast, his breath coming quick as he felt Quinn’s fingers dig into the muscles of his back and his teeth fasten onto his shoulder. His head was spinning as he pounded his full length into Quinn’s yielding body. Beads of sweat rolled down his sides, and he was holding on by his fingernails from tipping over the edge. “uhh, oh, baby…baby please come for me…” he groaned huskily.

Those words husked in his ear were the last tug Quinn needed. The heavy, heated pressure leaped to a point near pain and then hurled him over. “Yes! Oh, fuck, yes!” he cried out, completely forgetting his promise to keep quiet.

He bucked underneath Ethan, feeling as if he were flying into a thousand pieces with each hard, pleasure-soaked pulse.

Keeping quiet was the furthest thing from Ethan’s mind. The way Quinn tightened and squeezed around him sent a jolt of pure pleasure racing through his over heated body. He drove as deep as he could go and held there as the shudders on an intense orgasm pulsed through him, his own cries of delight muffled where he nuzzled at Quinn’s throat. When the last few spasms were spent he couldn’t even move, collapsed in a haze of warm bliss.

Quinn lay dizzy and panting, stroking Ethan’s back to encourage him to stay where he was, the warm bulk comforting atop him.

When he could breathe again, he kissed Ethan softly. “Love…would you do that for me?”

“Hmm?”

“If I died? Give me, you know, that kind of a sendoff? I don’t think I wanna be buried.”

Ethan’s breath caught. “Quinn… don’t say that. Please. I’ll do whatever you like, but don’t talk about it right now.”

Quinn frowned, though Ethan couldn’t see it in the dark. “Sorry, babe. I’m sorry.” He held him tight since he seemed to need it. “Not like I’m planning on it anytime soon. But we might, you know, be together a long time and stuff.”

“We will be together a long time,” Ethan said, in his no nonsense it-will-be-as-I-say tone. “We’ll have time to plan for…things, later. But not tonight, love. Not tonight.”

Quinn kissed him over and over, trying to erase Ethan’s momentary anguish, and realized Ethan had almost said ‘forever’. The thought made him smile.

In the guest room, Elric raised his head, still panting from where he and Keit had made wild, madly passionate love on the floor. Most of his hair had come loose from its braid, trailing down to frame Keit’s lovely face.

“I hope he still sleeps,” he whispered, with a nod to the bed.

Keit tried to catch his own galloping breath. He swallowed hard and listened for a moment. Nothing but deep even breathing came from the bed above. He didn’t know how they hadn’t woken Orion, but whatever Lilly had done had really put him out. He slept as sound as a stone and peaceful as a lamb.

He smiled up at Elric, bringing his hands up to cup his handsome face tenderly. “I think he’s sleeping well,” he whispered back.

Elric eased carefully out of Keit’s body, much more slowly than he had entered him, and lifted him from the carpet. He laid him on the bed on Orion’s right side and then climbed in on his left.

Lilly had said to stay with his loves tonight and while he didn’t know why this was so important, every fiber of his being said it was. Unlike most nights, he nestled close and draped an arm over Orion’s chest before he closed his eyes to sleep.

That was pretty much the end of Jerrett’s half-formed revelations, though. At least for the time being, while they settled into a routine for Anthony’s recovery. When Sasha was home he took care of Anthony. When he wasn’t, Jerrett kept Ant company, read to him, or they talked and played games. That was all. He certainly didn’t reveal his carefully hedged around discovery on that first morning of Anthony’s stay.

For one thing, there was Sasha to consider. They had been through a rocky beginning, and Jerrett wasn’t keen on doing anything to upset the applecart now that things were running smoothly. Admitting anything had changed in their relationship would mean having to deal with what those changes might mean.

But that assumed, of course, that Sasha was blind. Far from it, Sasha saw more than most people. He simply chose not to act on or speak out about the majority of things he saw. What people felt was their business, to reveal or not.

Jerrett and his happiness, though, was Sasha’s business. It left him confused and a little quieter than usual.

One night about a week into the convalescence, Sasha had tucked Anthony in for the night and sat with Jerrett on the couch, both of them reading. Little things had been worked out to avoid the first day’s near disaster. Anthony now had a grab bar to snag things out of reach and a bell to summon help. He still refused the pain meds during the day but Sasha coaxed him into taking them at night so he could sleep.

At about nine o’clock, Sasha suddenly looked up from his book and said, “You’ve never offered to read to me.”

Jerrett quirked a brow at him. “You’ve never been laid up with a broken leg since I’ve known you either. You’re not jealous, are you, sweetheart?”

The look Sasha gave him and the quick automatic denial would have made him think he was indeed jealous if it had been anyone else but Sasha. Jerrett chuckled and shushed him to put him back at ease. “I was only teasing, Sasha. Would you like me to read to you?”

“I…Anthony says you have such a good reading voice. Yes…I’d like that, sir.”

“Alright. Go pick something from the bookcase in the bedroom.” That one held nothing but erotica, and if Jerrett was going to read to Sasha, he might as well make it fun.

Sasha chewed on his bottom lip while he tried to choose. So many delicious looking stories stared at him, most of them with inviting covers. He considered one with a buff fireman with a naked man kneeling at his feet and one with two young men in the act of tearing each other’s clothes off, one of them blindfolded, but then a title caught his eye.

The Knight’s Tale - oh, that sounded like just the thing. The cover had a sword and armor carefully stacked at the foot of a huge canopied bed with a tangle of nakedness tantalizingly almost-visible through the gauzy bed curtains. Close examination showed three bodies, all male…very nice. He practically skipped back to Jerrett with his find.

Jerrett couldn’t help grinning at his enthusiasm and pulled Sasha into his lap. He opened the book and started to read to him, but he didn’t just read. He murmured the words into Sasha ear in a husky timbre, his hand gliding here and there, stroking down his arm, up his thigh, sliding along the skin under his shirt while he read some hot scenes to him.

Little squirms were unavoidable and since Jerrett liked him squirming in his lap, Sasha didn’t try too hard to hold still. He already had a raging hard-on. Jerrett’s deep voice was perfect for reading erotic scenes, the constant vibration against his back only adding to his excitement.

They had just reached the part where the hero had caught his squire in the stable with his friend. He took them both to his bedroom to ‘punish’ them, first with a leather strop and then by taking them one after the other. He thrust hard into his squire’s lean, hard body, demanding with every stroke that he tell him to whom he belonged…

Jerrett’s thumb brushed over Sasha’s nipple and his head fell back on a hard groan.

Jerrett smiled and continued to read, his lips occasionally brushing over the curves of Sasha’s ear. His hand drifted down from playing with his nipples to the swell of his crotch, the palm of his hand rubbing firmly over his erection and sliding between his thighs to cup his balls and back up again to rub along the length of his shaft and press against the head of his cock.

Concentrating on the story became ridiculously difficult. Sasha’s hips lifted into Jerrett’s touch as a little whimper escaped. The eager young squire in the story had his knight in his mouth now, fellating like his life depended on it, and Sasha’s mouth watered, wanting the same.

“Sir…oh…” he gasped out as Jerrett caressed his shaft through his jeans. “Could I… undress…please?”

Jerrett paused his narrative just long enough to say, “No…Although, you may come anytime you’re ready.” And continued both the story, and his teasing.

In an absolute heaven of erotic frustration, Sasha writhed in Jerrett’s lap, grinding his butt back against his crotch in an obvious effort to get Jerrett more involved. But Jerrett remained in complete control, the steady rise and fall of his voice never faltering as he read.

They went from heated scenes to tender and back to scorching, Sasha feeling as if he were some sort of exotic dish being prepared over a slow fire. He reached his arms back to wrap around Jerrett’s neck, planted his feet on the floor and lifted in a graceful arch to press harder against Jerrett’s hand.

Jerrett was finding it harder and harder to concentrate on the book, but he was not one to give up easily. He’d got it in his head that he wanted to make Sasha come in his pants and he wasn’t going to let up until he got what he wanted. Judging by the little sounds coming from his love, he wouldn’t have to wait too much longer. He curved his fingers lightly over the bulge pressed so urgently into his hand and stroked a little faster.

“Ohgod…love…that’s so…” Sasha got out on tortured breaths. He arched a little higher, his hips thrusting into Jerrett’s touch. The little whimpers escalated to full-throated cries and his body tightened, his muscles hardened to steel bands. The first jolt of his orgasm came on a cry that echoed through the house, so keyed up, so deliciously caught between elation and embarrassment.

Jerrett waited until the last shuddering thrust coursed through his lovely partner and tossed the book down on the couch so he could turn him in his arms and hold him close. The wet spot on the front of his jeans sent a hot jolt to his own cock that he hadn’t quite expected but couldn’t deny. His lips closed over Sasha’s in a heated hungry kiss.

Sasha returned the kiss with unexpected fire. He was always a participant but never the aggressor, nor was he now, but there was a definite touch of starved ferocity. “Sir,” he whispered against Jerrett’s jaw. “Let me suck you.”

With nothing more than a smile as permission, Jerrett let Sasha slide off his lap to his knees and hastily unzipped.

The scent of Jerrett’s arousal hit Sasha in a dizzy wave. He eased the denim down Jerrett’s hips and slid his briefs along with them. So beautiful, that thick, columnar shaft, all hard and ready just for him.

He moaned as he licked up the underside, his mouth watering. His tongue lapped at the head, a delicious Jerrett-cone, before he wrapped his lips around, sucking gently.

Jerrett’s fingers sunk into Sasha’s hair, a soft groan on his lips as he flexed and pushed a little deeper into the warm well of his mouth. “Oh, baby…” He murmured as the pleasure hit him hard.

It should have taken longer, but Jerrett’s excitement had Sasha edging back towards full arousal. With the product of his climax still trapped in his briefs, the bit of lubrication on his hardening cock didn’t slow things down one bit.

He relaxed and plunged down Jerrett’s shaft to take the head past his throat and swallow his member whole.

Jerrett’s fingers tightened in Sasha’s hair and his head dropped back, a moan deep in his throat. His hips lifted at bit harder, one hand sliding to the back of Sasha’s head as he slid past the ring of his throat again and again. That was one thing he loved about his beautiful boy, he could take him all without a whimper.

Right now Jerrett was the one whimpering, his breath coming faster as Sasha’s sweet mouth worked on him, bringing him closer and closer. At the last moment Jerrett tugged Sasha’s head back, pulling his swollen cock from his juicy mouth. He growled through clenched teeth, the muscles of his abs standing out hard as he pumped twice on his long cock and spurted all over Sasha’s pretty face.

A little hum of pleasure rose from Sasha as he moved his head to catch the rest on his tongue. He swallowed what he had, licked off what his tongue could reach and rubbed his face cat-wise against Jerrett’s softening shaft so he could lick the remainder from Jerrett’s skin.

He hoped Jerrett wasn’t done for the night. The taste and scent, the deep panther growls, the hard hand in his hair had him achingly ready to go again.

Jerrett pulled Sasha up and back into his lap, although he did have more in mind this evening it was going to take him a moment or two to recover. Of course, caressing and kissing Sasha with his dirty face and wet jeans meant they were not going to have to wait long.

Very slowly Jerrett unbuttoned and unzipped Sasha’s pants, like he was unwrapping a present. He slid them down to the tops of Sasha’s thighs and took his time peeling down his sticky, wet underwear. “Such a mess you made, sweetheart.” He said in such a husky voice there was no doubt how hot it had gotten him.

“Yes, sir,” Sasha answered in a breathy murmur. “So bad…” He squirmed as the cooler air hit his wet erection, keyed up enough again to gasp when Jerrett stroked a finger over the tip.

A dark fire once more leapt up into Jerrett’s eyes and he picked Sasha up and carried him to the bedroom. He tossed Sasha on the bed, and with his pants still around his knees, he flipped him over onto his hands and knees. Jerrett slid his own pants off and kicked them aside, squirted a good dollop of lube between Sasha’s cheeks and over his rapidly expanding erection. A few quick strokes of his finger was all the prep Sasha got before Jerrett knelt behind him, impatiently slid the slippery head of his cock over his exposed little hole and pushed into him.

Sasha tensed and cried out, delight and pain mixed in equal measure for one exquisite moment. Then he relaxed and pushed back with a soft moan. He lowered his head and shoulders to the bed, inviting Jerrett to drive in as hard as he pleased.

Jerrett was more than happy to accept that invitation, taking Sasha by the hips and plunging into his depths again and again. He curled over his back, running his hands over his body as his hips pumped and bucked delightedly. “My sweet, sweet Sasha…” He murmured in his ear. “I love you, love the way you feel under me,” he breathed.

“Jerrett…oh…” Sasha moaned and moved under his weight, undulating and pushing back hard against his lovely, thick cock. “I love you so…the way you fill me…ohgod…you‘re so wonderful…”

He gasped and panted when Jerrett’s hand closed over his shaft, his hips bucking of their own accord. “Sir…I’m…I won’t hold out like this.”

“Ready again already?” Jerrett purred, nipping at the back of his neck. “Tonight I won’t make you wait, love. Come for me when you wish.”

“You make me so hot…god, those hands,” Sasha whispered and writhed as Jerrett’s fist pumped harder. Although Jerrett loved teasing him, torturing him and making him wait, he knew it was one of Jerrett’s greatest pleasures to make him come.

Jerrett spread his knees farther and drove in, the force of his thrusts scooting Sasha farther up on the bed. He spread his arms out over his head, pushed his butt up higher and gave himself completely to the incredible waves of pleasure washing over him. Small moans grew to louder ones, his climax slamming into him on a sudden, sharp cry.

The feel of Sasha clenching around him, the way he surrendered so completely, sent a hot bolt straight through Jerrett and his cry of pleasure echoed Sasha’s as he was dragged over the edge with him. He pushed Sasha flat down to the mattress as his weight settled on top of him and he nuzzled into the side of his throat.

“Mmm, thank you, sir,” Sasha murmured with a soft smile. “It was a wonderful story.”

“Had I know how much you would enjoy it, I would have read to you sooner,” Jerrett said. He was in no hurry to get up, and he knew Sasha liked to have his weight on him for a while.

Sasha lifted his head to nuzzle at Jerrett with a happy chuckle. “If I’d known how much I’d like it, I would’ve asked for it sooner.” He kissed Jerrett’s jaw. “Though I hope we didn’t wake Anthony.”

#

Eventually Anthony became more mobile, the heavy restrictive wrappings around his ribs replaced by lighter elastic. He could lever himself in and out of his wheelchair unassisted and spent a good deal of time rolling from room to room upstairs to ease his restlessness. He liked the room at the end of the hall especially well, with its big bow window and its view of the street.

This was where he took to reading the mail his landlady forwarded and this was where Jerrett found him staring morosely out the window one day at lunchtime, a thick sheaf of papers in his lap.

He handed them over with a little sigh when Jerrett frowned at him. “Why do people have to be like this?” he asked in a small, weary voice.

Legal jargon filled the pages but Jerrett was well-versed in the convoluted dialect of lawyers. The papers described a lawsuit, to be brought against the company that ran the Faire by the parents of the little girl. It went on to inquire whether Mr. Dupree, whose injuries were serious and could have been life threatening, would like to be named as a claimant as well or, if not, he would be called to testify at least.

“Because, my dear, most people only appear human on the surface. Given the opportunity, they show what greedy, vapid whores they truly are,” Jerrett said dryly, with his typical cynicism as he flipped back and forth through the papers once more. “I’m actually surprised they’re not trying to sue you for the emotional damage caused by flipping the horse over instead of letting it stomp on her little head.” With a glance at the top of the page for the name of the attorney, he tossed the sheaf of papers aside.

“Hillman and Rogers. Class C ambulance chasers. They must be getting desperate to take on this one. They have no case against the Faire itself, they might be able to squeeze a few bucks out of their insurance, but even that’s doubtful, especially since the girl wasn‘t actually injured.” Jerrett mused. He stopped, noting how dejected Anthony looked. “They can’t come after you personally, Anthony, you know that? Even if they tried it would still revert to the insurance company.”

“I know, I mean, I was pretty sure…” Anthony’s normal verbal barrage ground to a halt. “It’s not like I expected a thank you. But it’s…wrong. And…and…” He gave a vague wave, at a loss to explain how ill the whole thing made him.

Jerrett leaned against the wall, arms crossed comfortably, his fingers drumming on his arm and his expression thoughtful. “Well… if you’re really that upset about it, I could probably get them to drop the case entirely.”

“How?”

A little smile curled Jerrett’s lips. “I’d represent you as your attorney, pro bono of course. It would probably only take a phone call or two, possibly a letter if they get stubborn, and they’ll drop it.”

“Jerrett, isn’t that… you can’t practice law without a license.” Anthony blinked.

The little smile on Jerrett’s lips turned into a flash of a grin that was both handsome and arrogant. “Well, then, it’s a good thing I have one, isn’t it? Now, sometimes it takes a little nastiness to fight nastiness. I’ll call their attorney first, and let them know you’ve retained your own attorney, and also let slip that our intention is to file suit against the girl’s parents. Since the child is under eighteen, they are responsible for her actions to the extent the law allows. If they’d brought a dog and the dog ran out and spooked the horse causing your accident, they would be completely responsible. In the eyes of the law, a kid isn’t all that different from a dog.

“It’s a sound case, and if we were actually going to do it, you’d win. Their attorneys have to know that, which is why they’re trying to butter you up and get you on their side, hoping this hasn’t already occurred to you. I’ll offer to drop the case if they drop theirs. I’ve no doubt they’ll agree. If they don’t, I’ll tell them we’re also suing for negligence, which will get the state involved. Social workers will have to investigate the parents… basically I’ll threaten to tear their life apart if they don’t back down, but I’m pretty sure it won’t come to that.”

Huge, gray eyes stared up at him as if he had sprouted purple polka-dot ram’s horns. Anthony swallowed hard and choked out, “Hawthorn, you’re an evil, arrogant bastard. And I think I love you.”

Jerrett blinked once, his expression unchanged, although perhaps just a tad frozen. He answered smoothly though. “Of course you do. Hard to resist evil genius.”

“Especially when they’re easy on the eyes.” Anthony gave him a crooked grin. Oh, he was a colossal idiot for letting that slip out. Good thing Jerrett hadn’t taken him seriously. “Like, say, Magneto and stuff, rather than Dr. Octopus.”

Jerrett smiled now that Anthony sounded more like himself. Without giving it much thought he reached to take Anthony’s chin and tipped his head back to kiss him.

A little sound caught in Anthony’s chest as heat pooled in his groin. He had meant to simply caress Jerrett’s lips with his own in answer but his mouth, as usual, got away from him, hunger and too-long thwarted desire leaping up.

He pulled back, breathing hard. “Now, see, that’s not fair at all. Taking advantage of a captive audience like that. And one who’s been mortally injured, at that. Near death’s door. And completely celibate for, oh, weeks, now.”

“I don’t have to be fair. It’s in the Evil Genius Handbook,” Jerrett said, and kissed him again just to draw another little moan from him. He hadn’t meant to get carried away either, but Anthony’s lips were so soft and hungry against his own, he could feel his need spiraling upward. One hand cupping the back of Anthony’s neck, he slid the other down his chest and over the growing bulge between his legs where he massaged gently. “I thought Sasha was helping you with your baths? You mean you haven’t even tried taking advantage of your nurse?”

“I…ohdeargod…” Anthony whispered, his hands gripped white-knuckled on the arms of his wheelchair. “I’ve been a good boy…I know I’m not supposed to have Sasha without you there…it’s been…hard…” He nearly choked on a laugh at the unintended double entendre. “But I’ve behaved…”

“Ah…you’ve been a good boy, have you? And I suppose that deserves a reward?” He chuckled. “Would you like a reward for good behavior, Ant?” he murmured as he nibbled along his ear and squeezed the erection under the thin cloth of his pants.

Anthony’s initial response was an incoherent, breathless moan. He managed to pull himself together enough to answer, “Yessir…oh, yes…I’d like that very much.”

To Anthony’s consternation, Jerrett straightened and stopped touching him, but it was only so he could step behind and take the handles of the wheelchair. The wheels rolled silently across the rug and down the hall to his bedroom where Jerrett lifted him and placed him on the center of the bed.

Stretching out beside him, Jerrett got comfortable and took up where he left off, his hand slipping behind his neck and his lips claiming Anthony’s in a searing kiss. This time his other hand pulled Anthony’s pajama bottoms down with a few economical tugs. His long fingers teased over his straining erection, but did not grip or stroke him, just glided over sensitive nerve bundles in feather light touches.

“That feels so good,” Anthony whispered against his lips. He tried to roll his hips into the touch, realized it was a bad idea when pain shot up his leg, and lay still, panting. His hand slid into Jerrett’s hair, caressing, stroking, the simple contact making his cock jump in desire.

It felt wonderful, the kisses, the caresses, but it was excruciatingly frustrating as well. He wanted to run his hands all over Jerrett’s gorgeous body; he wanted to move, to roll, to drape his leg over, to please him. Jerrett could have hogtied him and he would have felt less helpless.

“Now, now, you just lie still.” Jerrett breathed over his ear. “I know it’s hard…” He snickered. “But if you try to move too much I’ll leave you like this, and you wouldn’t want that, now would you?” A quick shake of Anthony’s head and a dismayed sound made Jerrett chuckle.

He pulled Anthony’s shirt up so he could lick and nibble on his nipples. “Did you know that this…” He held up his index finger, “…is a magic finger? Yep. Part of my superpower arsenal.” He grinned. “I’m gonna make you come with just this.” He ran the tip of his finger from the base of Anthony’s cock up to the tip where he rubbed over the little drop of liquid forming at his slit and back down to just under the flare of his head. His touch was not as light now, but still maddeningly concentrated on the most sensitive bundles of nerves and his lips mercilessly attacked the buds of his nipples.

“Mmm, oh hell yes…magic…” Anthony panted out. He contented himself with tangling his fingers in the thick mass of Jerrett’s hair, concentrating on not tightening his grip, letting that single, skilled finger take him higher, much faster than he had thought possible.

He whimpered as the finger toyed with his slit and then slid down the center of his shaft to that ultra-sensitive spot behind his balls. “Jerrett…you’re so wonderful…” And I love you and I can’t tell you because I’m such a coward…

Jerrett pressed rhythmically into that spot he knew would bring so much pleasure. He had intended to edge Anthony up slowly, play with him for good while, but he looked so delicious lying there, trying to be as still as he could, in an agony of rising pleasure and frustration. The tip of his tongue trailed down Anthony’s sternum, dipped into his navel, and then his warm breath blew over the leaking head of his cock. Lips that could look so hard and cruel were actually super soft as they caressed the silken head of Anthony’s cock. He took him into the heated interior of his mouth as he pressed up into that smooth stretch of skin behind his balls.

So much for the single finger… Anthony’s brain skittered from that half-amused thought to a sudden white-hot rush of pleasure as Jerrett’s lips closed harder around him. The sheer surprise of it was nearly enough to send him over. Jerrett loved oral pleasures but he was usually the one on the receiving end. He was, of course, exceptionally skilled, as he was with everything he did.

A sharp gasp leaped from Anthony as Jerrett plunged down in a hard suctioned bid to take all of him in. “That’s it…I surrender…” he whispered. “Completely helpless…to resist…overwhelmed…completely in your power…”

The sudden, sharp tightening in his groin warned him, the pressure reaching the boiling point. “Jerrett…ohgod…I’m coming…”

Jerrett let the first salty jet burst across his tongue and then lifted his head so he could watch as his hand seamlessly replaced the tight ring of his lips to slide up and down and milk the next few powerful jets as they released in spurts across Anthony’s tummy. With a pleased rumble in his chest, he bent his head once more so he could lick a creamy line off Anthony’s soft skin. He came up to kiss Anthony, letting him taste himself off his lips and tongue.

The world spun and the bed pitched. Anthony moaned and twitched as the aftershocks accompanied Jerrett’s gentle kisses. Dizzy and dazed by the exertion and the slight difficulty he still had breathing, Anthony gazed up at the handsome face above him and, to his utter horror, found himself blurting out, “Thank you…Jerrett…I love you so…”

If that had been the first time Anthony had said it, Jerrett would have chalked it up to letting something slip out he didn’t mean, just as he had in the study. He was leaning on his elbow and had gone very still to look at Anthony and Anthony in turn had nearly frozen with panic, his gray eyes wide.

“Anthony…” Jerrett said cautiously. “Do you mean that?”

“Yes.”

Jerrett kissed his lips softly. “Get some rest, Ant,” he said, and got up, quietly leaving the room.

Well, at least he didn’t laugh in your face. Anthony let the silent tears fall as he stared at the closed door. He was so stupid, so utterly, hopelessly idiotic. There was a good chance he had just ruined everything and an even better chance that Jerrett would be back in a bit to tell him it was time someone else took care of him.

Here he’d had the perfect balance of everything, Sasha, tender and gentle, and Jerrett, commanding and passionate, and he loved them both, and he had to screw it all up. If he could have curled into a ball, he would have done so to sob miserably. As it was, he could only lie there with the tears falling and try to keep breathing.

Jerrett paced restlessly back and forth across the floor. He knew he’d hurt Anthony, and this time he hadn’t meant to, but what was he supposed to have done? To fall in love with Anthony felt like he was betraying Sasha. That Sasha loved Anthony was different. He had loved Anthony before he’d even known Jerrett.

Yes, Jerrett had already suspected that his feelings for Anthony were starting to run deeper, but he wouldn’t have acknowledged those feelings. And now here he was pacing and he didn’t know what to do, a fairly rare occurrence. He wanted to talk to Sasha, but he didn’t know if he should ask him to come home early, he would worry himself into a tizzy on the way. But, if he waited until he got home… that was hours away yet and he’d left Anthony all by himself. How would he have felt if when he’d told Sasha he loved him, Sasha had gotten up and walked out on him?

Jerrett picked up the phone and called Sasha.

“Can you ask Keit to take over for you today, love? I need you to come home…No, nothing overly serious… I mean, yes it is serious, but not in an emergency bad kind of way. I just need you. I need to talk to you. Now.”

Sasha hesitated for half a breath, caught off guard. “All right, love, I’m on my way.”

The uncertainty, the hint of confusion in Jerrett’s voice had said it all. Sasha let Keit know something had come up at home and hurried out. Worried, yes, he was worried, but not for himself.

At the house, he drew in a slow breath to steady himself. Here it was, then. Jerrett only became uncertain like this in matters of the heart and now…well, he would have to see where things stood and how far Jerrett had come in his conclusions first.

Sasha rushed inside and flung himself into Jerrett’s arms. “I’m here,” he murmured.

Jerrett did nothing but wrap his arms tightly around Sasha and bury his nose into the fragrant softness of his hair and the side of his throat for a few long moments. When he finally let him go, he took him by the hand and led him to their bedroom, sat down and pulled him into his lap. He took a deep breath and sighed. “Anthony says he loves me.”

Sasha’s forehead creased as he searched Jerrett’s face. Could it truly have been a surprise? Hadn’t Jerrett seen the adoration in those big gray eyes? Maybe not…

He stroked a hand softly through Jerrett’s hair. “And what did you say to him when he told you?”

“I’m not sure. I think I asked him if he meant it and then ran out of the room.” He flopped back on the bed with a huge sigh of regret and covered his face with his hands.

Sasha lay down beside him, one hand stroking his chest. He had never scolded Jerrett. Chided him gently, perhaps, if he didn’t get enough sleep or didn’t eat right, but the temptation to lay into him at that moment was enormous.

“Jerrett…love…” Sasha chewed on his bottom lip and then went on, “I knew things had changed between you since…the accident. I just couldn’t figure out how much.” He leaned in to kiss Jerrett’s forehead. “Do you love him?”

For the first time in a very, very long time Jerrett felt he was on a slippery slope. He knew the answer to that, or thought he did, but he wouldn’t…couldn’t admit to that if it was going to change things between him and Sasha. The fact that Sasha was keeping his tone of voice so well under control wasn’t fooling Jerrett either. He was at the very least annoyed with him. He turned to his side and propped his head on his hand, looking at Sasha, and for once not hiding any of the worry he felt. “Does it matter to you, Sasha?”

Sasha shook his head in disbelief. “Jerrett Hawthorn, you’re one of the most brilliant men I’ve ever met but that has to be the dumbest question anyone’s ever asked me.”

He sat up cross-legged, scrubbing his hands over his face when Jerrett simply stared at him in shock. “Of course it matters to me. I love you both. I want you to be happy.”

Jerrett sat up so quickly he almost mirrored Sasha’s movement. He took Sasha’s chin and made him look at him again. “It didn’t matter to you that we didn’t love each other. You were happy with our arrangement. If that arrangement changes, I want to know how you would feel about it. Not how you think I would feel, or how you think Anthony would feel, I want to know how you feel. I don’t want hurt feelings and jealousy to creep into things.”

For a moment, Sasha closed his eyes to escape the intensity of that dark gaze. His feelings were always difficult to talk about, often difficult to put into words. But this…this he had thought about for a long time.

“It did matter to me,” he finally said softly. “That you didn’t love each other. But you’d let him into our life and you could stand the sight of him. It was better than him trying to slice your head off and you wanting him locked up.” He wrapped both hands around Jerrett’s to lower the fingers gripping his chin. “I hoped…I prayed…that someday you might see him differently. That you might feel something for him. And you still haven’t answered the question.”

Instead of answering, he leaned in and kissed Sasha lightly, then got up, not looking behind to see if Sasha followed. He went straight to Anthony’s room, where he was still lying on the bed. Where else would he be?

Despite a hastily raised arm and swipe over his face, Jerrett didn’t miss the tear tracks on his cheeks, nor the hollow look in his eyes. His own eyes softened, and he wished he could have done things differently, talked to Sasha first. His own fault. “Ant…I’m sorry.” There were those words again, so rare from his lips, but he meant them. “I didn’t want to hurt you like that, but I had to talk to Sasha first.” He sat down on the edge of the bed and cupped Anthony’s face in his palm. “I love you, too.”

Anthony stared, his mouth working without any sound. The apology had been shocking enough and now he was certain he was having some bizarre hallucination. Or maybe it was a joke. Yes, that was it.

But Jerrett’s hand remained on his face, gentle…tender. His gaze stayed fixed and determined and…hells…was it possible? With a strangled cry, he flung his arms around Jerrett’s neck, not giving a damn how much the sudden movement hurt, and there he clung, speechless and trembling.

Jerrett slid his arms around Anthony, supporting him as much as holding him. He eased him back down and kissed the tip of his nose.

“Sorry, sorry…” Anthony murmured as he tried to stroke Jerrett’s face and couldn’t stop his shaking. “I thought…” Thought you were coming to kick me out “…never mind.”

Sasha padded in with water and aspirin to scold him gently. “Sh, easy, we don’t want you to hurt yourself now. Not with your cast coming off on Friday and all.” He eased down on Anthony’s other side to stroke his stomach, trying to calm him. “How long have you known, hon?”

“I’m not sure. Well, maybe I am. I mean when it stopped being just a crush, anyway,” Anthony said with a half-smile. “When Thunder fell on me and there his lordship was, hovering over me and telling me in that voice you can’t help but believe that everything would be all right.”

Jerrett snorted. “He has to fall off a horse to get sense knocked into him.”

“Mama always did say I was hard-headed,” Anthony answered. “Though, I’d like to point out that I did not fall off a horse, I fell with one. By all accounts, I was still smack in the saddle when we hit the ground.”

A man could involve himself with someone more dominant, but that didn’t mean he lost all his pride.

Sunlight gleamed off the brightly colored tents, lending them jewel-like hues. Everything seemed brighter today. The spark of light on a sword, the elderly matron’s eyes as she turned to him, the spun gold of the strawberry vendor’s hair. Anthony smiled for the dance partner he had chosen from the twenty-first century audience and got a girlish giggle in response. Even that sounded sweet. Jerrett was bringing Sasha to the Faire that afternoon. Life was grand.

He kissed the woman’s hand at the end of the pavan, sent her back to her family and bowed to the other dancers before he scampered off to his next scripted piece at the ‘tavern’. This faire operated on a scripted theme, though the actors had plenty of room for improv, and this year the director had chosen the point in Henry VIII’s life where he had begun making accusations of adultery against Anne Boleyn.

Anthony, chosen to play the Queen’s champion, Sir Francis Weston, couldn’t have been more pleased. Playing the bad guy was great fun; playing the hero was even better when your lover and your…ah…what was he to Jerrett, anyway? Sex toy? Conquered rival? Friend?

He shook his head. Not a time for puzzles. He had to concentrate on work.

He spotted them while he was walking Thunder, getting him warmed up for the jousts. It gave him a chance to show the Friesian stallion off to the children, talk to them about war horses and let the big guy bask shamelessly in all the attention. He didn’t have more than a chance to wave to Sasha and Jerrett but it was enough to know they were there.

Jerrett was in a mellow, indulgent mood. He wouldn’t have picked this particular outing for himself, but it made Sasha happy. So odd, he didn’t know when he’d started caring about making his lover happy…no, that was a lie. He knew when. It was the moment he knew he wanted Sasha for more than just a casual fuck, the moment he realized he would take a beating to have him back if that’s what it took, the moment he realized he loved him.

He looked at Sasha’s smiling face as he waved at Anthony and wished there was some private spot he could take him in this throng of people and make him moan and beg. He shook his head at himself. Yep, Hawthorn, you got it sooo bad, he thought with a little chuckle. He waved at Anthony, too, and then led Sasha toward a shady spot where they could sit and people watch while they waited for the real reason they were here, to see Anthony perform.

Anthony asked one of the children the time and pretended horror at the late hour. He must be off, he told the gathered crowd as he lifted a little girl down from Thunder’s back. Taking great care to walk Thunder clear of all those gathered, he ignored the stirrups and vaulted to the stallion’s back, giving Thunder the click signal for a little bit of careful rearing and pawing before he rode off.

Grandstanding? But of course. In this venue it wasn’t merely acceptable, it was expected.

The first set of jousts was a series of formal games where the knights had no need of plate and helm. Targets and rings to spear with the lances, practice dummies to behead on galloping ride-bys, it was more a set up for the main event than serious competition. This venue also acted as the dramatic set up, where Henry finally made public accusations and Anthony, in the guise of Sir Francis, protested the Queen’s innocence and declared he would defend her honor on the field.

Renaissance soap opera, a real bit of melodrama, but it was fun. The preliminaries ended with Sir Francis accepting his Queen’s favor in the form of a bunch of blue and yellow ribbons on the end of his lance.

Sasha watched it all with bright, sparkling eyes. He loved this stuff, all this chivalry and honor business. “He’s not too shabby, is he, sir?” he said as he looked up at Jerrett.

“He’s quite a good actor,” Jerrett said, and he meant it. Anthony had the crowd enthralled. Jerrett smiled, and he was damn cute in his tights, too.

Sasha ducked his head on a little grin, catching the predatory gleam in that smile. He wondered if all the knights had problems with people checking out their…assets. Probably.

Half an hour and a lemon ice that Jerrett bought him later, Sasha settled with his Dom onto a bench for the best view of the jousting, directly mid-field. This was the real thing, no acting. While the actors tried for a certain outcome, (the hero was supposed to win) anything could and frequently did happen.

Anthony was damn good, though, and it didn’t take any acting for him to unhorse his first three opponents. Even though all the knights were in full plate now, he was still easy to spot and follow with his bright gold shield, bear rampant, and Thunder caparisoned in gold and red.

In Sasha’s opinion, Thunder was by far the most beautiful horse there, with his feathered fetlocks and his glorious black tail. He didn’t belong to Anthony - it was more of a jockey sort of relationship, a partnership developed over the years without the expense of boarding and feeding such a massive beast.

With the field whittled down to the final two combatants, Anthony rode out to the lists again. Jerry, who played his squire, handed up his shield, wished him good luck and waited for him to get settled before he handed up the lance. Turned away from the crowd, he failed to see the danger before it was too late.

The little girl who had sat astride Thunder, in some sudden, fey wish to bestow her own favor on her new favorite horse, ducked under the barrier and dashed into the lists. She had no way of knowing that the chanfron Thunder wore severely restricted his vision. The unexpected footsteps startled him. The ribbons suddenly waved under his nose panicked him. He shied and reared with a piercing whinny, the little one directly under his dinner-plate sized hooves.

“Hells!” Anthony swore.

In an adrenaline-driven feat of strength, he yanked Thunder’s head around to the left, away from the child. Good for the kid, bad for him. Thunder backed a step, overbalanced, and began to topple. Time slowed to an agonizing crawl. Anthony had time to think that he should probably kick free of his stirrups and jump clear, time to realize the plate had caught on the damned things, and time to think, oh, damn, of all the times for this to happen…

The clatter and thud of their fall brought people to their feet, shrieking. Jerry yanked the little girl to safety and Thunder floundered on his side with Anthony trapped beneath him. The horse regained his feet, stamping and snorting, the knight, with one foot still snagged in the stirrup, lay still in the dust.

Jerrett was completely unused to the sensation of utter fear and panic that gripped him. That did not, however, slow him down. He jumped over the rail and down onto the sandy soil and was halfway to Anthony when he realized Sasha was right beside him. He had no idea how bad Anthony was, and he didn’t want Sasha to see if it was really bad. He grabbed Sasha’s arm and pulled him to a halt. “Sweetheart, stay here.” He didn’t wait to see if Sasha would comply or not, he ran to the figure sprawled in the dirt.

Jerrett, fortunately, did not make the same mistake the little girl had. He stopped running a few paces before he actually reached Anthony and tried for a hurried, yet less startling walk the last few paces. The last thing he wanted was for the spooked animal to take off dragging Anthony behind him.

The horse blew through his nostrils but did not shy and Jerrett quickly got around to his other side. “Anthony? Anthony…?” he called, heart thudding in his chest as he got his foot un-wedged from the stirrup and carefully lowered his leg. That was one less worry at least. He dropped to his knees, the weird gut gripping fear still twisting inside him. “Anthony? Can you talk?” Fuck fuck fuck!

There were people shouting all around, he heard more people running now. Probably people who knew what they were doing, he hoped. He shouldn’t touch him, shouldn’t move him, just in case… oh, fuck it, they would have to take the damn helmet off anyway. Gently, disturbing him as little as possible he removed it and tossed it aside. Anthony’s face was ghostly white, with a stark line of red at his lips dribbling from the corner of his mouth.

Oh, god… “Anthony, if you can hear me don’t try and move, ok?” he said, although he had a feeling Anthony couldn’t hear him at all, it was better than doing nothing. He put his hand gently on his forehead. “Just hang on, help’s coming.” Which they were, official looking guys running across to them now.

“Sir, you a friend?” the one in charge asked. When Jerrett nodded, he went on. “You can stay right there, just don’t get in the way.”

Security had appeared as if by magic and began to herd the crowd out. Sasha, tearful and pointing, was adamant enough that they let him stay at the edge of the field where Jerrett had put him.

“Jerry? How much of this damn sardine can is removable without jostling him?” the medic called out.

Jerry had secured Thunder to the pickets and hurried back. “Most of it. The breastplate, probably not.”

“It’ll have to do. Get started. Careful with the left leg. Probably broken.”

While they worked on easing the armor off as much as possible, Anthony’s eyes fluttered open. He blinked up at Jerrett, struggling to focus. “Sir? Did I sleep through the alarm?” he rasped out.

“Shh…” Jerrett stroked his fingers over his hair gently. “No, just lie still. Don’t try and move,” he repeated now that Anthony was awake. “You had an accident, help’s here though, and you’re going to be ok. Just lie still.” He managed to make it all sound very calm and reasonable, not even a hint of a tremor in his voice. What he was thinking was, please let that be true, let him be ok.

A little hiss came from Jerry as he removed the sabatons and greaves. White bone protruded from Anthony’s left shin, blood dripping from the tear. “Oh, damn, that can’t be good.”

One of the medics moved quickly to secure the broken leg while the other shone a light into Anthony’s eyes and tried to ask him questions. Puzzled and drifting, Anthony asked why all these people were in the bedroom before his eyes slid shut again.

“Concussed,” the older medic muttered. He pulled out a little walkie-talkie and began to speak rapid-fire, “Bring the wagon out here, Fran. We’re not moving him on foot. Pulse is rapid, respirations steady but shallow, hard to say about lung sounds with that damn armor. Get a move on.”

He turned to Jerrett again. “Coming with him or you want to follow?”

Jerrett almost said he was going with them, almost. He wanted to stay with Anthony, but there was no way he could leave Sasha to follow on his own. “We’ll follow,” he said, his voice still steady but lower, almost hoarse. He leaned down low toward Anthony’s ear as the ambulance rolled across the sand toward them. “Ant, you’re hurt, but you’re going to be fine. You do what these guys say to do, hear me? Sasha and I are going to be right behind you, you won’t be alone but a few minutes.”

The ambulance had pulled to a stop and Jerrett had to move back so they could get him on the stretcher. He kissed Anthony’s forehead and got up, moving to let the pros do their job. He immediately looked for Sasha and made a beckoning gesture as he walked back toward him.

Sasha came at a run, a hasty wipe of his sleeve drying his tears. A muscle twitched at Jerrett’s jaw and Sasha wasn’t about to add to his stress with hysterics. No questions, no demands, he simply slid his hand into Jerrett’s and hurried along beside him.

He fought to control his shaking as they drove behind the ambulance. Anthony would be all right. He had to be. Silently, Sasha prayed.

In the ER, they were soon separated from Anthony again and ordered out to the waiting room. The plate had been cut off and the gurney whisked away to radiology first, then to the OR.

Now, with everything at a halt for them and nothing to do but wait, Sasha allowed himself the luxury of turning to bury his head against Jerrett’s chest and cry.

“Sh…sweetheart.” Jerrett murmured into his soft hair and held him close. “He’ll be alright.”

In his head, he kept seeing the horse going over backward, all that weight landing on Anthony’s slim body, Anthony’s pale face and that bright red line of blood at his mouth. Jerrett shook his head. He was going to be fine. He was at the hospital, they would fix him up, and he would be fine. His hand stroked Sasha’s back and his arms clutched him tight. He had better be fine. He wanted to storm past those swinging doors and demand they make him fine. For Sasha’s sake. Because he was so upset, and he would be even more upset if…

“He’s going to be fine, Sasha.” Jerrett said, a firmness in his tone that said no arguments would be allowed. Still holding Sasha with one arm, he reached into his pocket for his cell phone. He needed a distraction. He scrolled through the contacts and called Elric, Keit answered.

“Keit, there was an accident today. Anthony was hurt. We’re at the hospital now, no word yet on how bad.” He voice was steady as he relayed the information. Keit said he would let the Prince know, and make some calls.

Elric blew out a slow breath when Keit relayed the news. “I shall call Derelict. He vill be…distressed. If you could call Vincent. Ve shall start there. I hesitate to call Anthony’s mother until ve know more.”

Bright lights shone in Anthony’s eyes. He wished someone would turn them off. From murmured conversation nearby he gathered where he was and that he was in trouble. The phrase ‘have to intubate if his respiration doesn’t stabilize’ disturbed him the most.

Through a red haze of pain, he followed events distantly as the anesthetist sat down beside him and spoke to him softly about putting him under and how he might wake up with a breathing tube. He wanted to say he understood, that they should go ahead, but what came out sounded more like, “String and watchmakers.”

Lovely. His mouth had come disconnected from his brain. Maybe he had landed on his head. Must have since he had the oddest memories of Jerrett, gentle and concerned. Stroking his hair and calling him Ant. That couldn’t be right.

Der showed up first, and Sasha pulled himself together long enough to tell him everything that had happened and then cry all over him. Keit showed up about ten minutes later, and the scene was pretty much a repeat. Jerrett let Sasha do the talking, it gave him something to do for one thing, and he wasn’t much in the mood for talking himself. He stood with his shoulders leaned against a wall and his arms and ankles crossed, a casual pose but his vibe definitely didn’t invite anyone near.

Vincent showed up a while later, the little knot of friends comforting each other as they waited. Jerrett left them alone and stayed where he was.

As the hours went by each of them took turns going for coffee, soda, or snacks. Jerrett stayed right where he was, unmoving. Sasha came and asked him once if he needed anything, Jerrett told him no, he was fine, and Sasha went back and sat with Keit and Vince.

Finally, a doctor with a clipboard came out and said, “Is there someone here for Anthony Dupree?”

Jerrett pushed himself from the wall like a statue suddenly come to life. “Yes,” he said, before anyone else moved.

“And you are?”

“Jerrett Hawthorn.”

The doctor flipped through his papers and nodded. “Good, yes, he indicated we could speak with you.” He tucked the chart under his arm and spoke in a low, clipped voice, “He’s out of surgery. In recovery. A lot’s going to depend on how well his body tends to fight off infection. He’ll be in considerable pain when he wakes up and once the lung stabilizes and we start talking about releasing him, he’s going to need considerable support.”

Jerrett waved that off. “No problem. How is his leg?” The sight of white bone and blood kept replaying in Jerrett’s head. It had been a really bad break, he knew that.

“We’ve inserted surgical pins. He’ll need therapy, but he should regain full use in time.”

Jerrett nodded. “When can we see him?”

“He’ll be out of recovery shortly, and they’ll bring him to his room. You can go up as soon as you want.”

Jerrett gave another little nod and thanked the doctor. He told everyone else the news, even though they had probably heard most of it. He gave the room number and let them all go up, saying it was probably a bit much for five to go at once. He waited until the little troupe had made their way to the elevators and then sunk down into a chair. His shoulders slumped and he ran a tired hand over his face, taking a single deep shuddering breath and blowing out.

Not twenty minutes later, Sasha returned, chalk white but with a determined set to his jaw. He eased into the chair beside Jerrett and wrapped his arms around him.

“I sent everybody else home. Ant’s not awake and Der just kept bawling. I thought maybe it would be better for everybody if it was just us.” He nuzzled at Jerrett’s throat. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine, sweetheart. Let’s go home then, if he’s not awake.” Jerrett said, and stood, tucking Sasha under his arm as he did.

Sasha nearly balked. He wanted to stay…but he understood Jerrett well enough by now. “Yessir,” he said softly, nestling close.

#

Anthony woke in the middle of the night, still intubated, and panicked. Alarms shrieked, staff pelted into his room, and the tube was pulled out, an incredibly unpleasant sensation. Then, since he never had reacted well to anesthesia, he took some time to heave into the basin one of the nurses held for him.

“Fuck,” he whispered when he could lie back again, panting. Hells…his chest hurt so bad, his head pounded and somewhere lower down the pain became a tangle of agony. He wasn’t sure exactly where.

“Now, now, none of that,” the nurse murmured while she mopped the sweat from his face.

“Sorry.”

“At least you’re saying what you mean again.” She smiled and gave his shoulder an encouraging pat.

A resident arrived a few minutes later and replaced the tube with an oxygen mask so Anthony wouldn’t feel as if he struggled so hard to breathe. She sat down with him and explained where the damage was, none of which truly surprised him. A couple tons of draft horse had fallen on him, after all. The armor had probably saved him from worse.

Alone again in the two a.m. hush of the hospital, he tried to rest, a futile effort with all the pain. They didn’t want to pump him full of happy meds, concerned about depressing his respiration rate too far. All he could do was lie there and think, a dangerous exercise for a hyperactive man.

He kept returning to Jerrett’s hand on his forehead, wrestling with how much he might have imagined. Not that he really cared how Jerrett felt about him, as long as it meant he could see Sasha. The man wasn’t his type at all, so arrogant, high-handed, and full of himself. He didn’t feel any real attachment to Jerrett, why would…

Of course, there was that gorgeous body. The fire in those dark eyes right before he closed in for a kiss. Gods…those kisses. An ache settled in Anthony’s groin despite all the pain. The memory of Jerrett’s soft laugh washed over him, the way he saw through everything. No. Ridiculous. He couldn’t be falling for Jerrett. It was just silly. And even if he did…was…had…damn. Even so, he could never expect the feelings to be returned.

He sighed, wished he hadn’t, and prayed for morning to come.

Over the next few days Jerrett made sure the necessities were taken care of, Anthony’s car picked up, his employers and insurance people dealt with, although he didn’t officially have any power to do so. It was just one of those things that was very ‘Jerrett’. He simply acted as if he had all the authority to do whatever he wished and people didn’t question it. He did not go to visit, but he made sure he had an update from Sasha, and privately from Anthony’s doctor, every day.

By the time Anthony was released from the hospital, he had nothing to worry about or to take care of; it had all been neatly done without any bother.

Jerrett drove with Sasha to the hospital to pick Anthony up. In typical Jerrett fashion, he hadn’t bothered to ask Anthony if he wanted to stay with them while he recovered. He simply sent Sasha to collect whatever he thought Anthony would want or need and set up one of the guest rooms for him.

Naturally, Sasha had filled in the courtesy gap and let Anthony know so there wouldn’t be any surprise. For his part, Anthony was grateful. He harbored no illusions about staying alone in his apartment, in a wheelchair, barely able to hold a spoon steady to feed himself. The Prince had offered, Vincent had offered, but the thought of having Sasha look out for him, even part time, felt much more soothing than anyone else.

He pestered the nurses until they helped him get washed up and as dressed as he could in a good pair of pj‘s, and into the hospital wheelchair which would transport him to the car. Cheerful, cooperative, no trouble at all, that was the face he wanted to put on for Jerrett. But gods, he hurt by the time they were done and he felt woozy and tired.

Sasha came into the room only a moment or two later, nearly bouncing on the balls of his feet. Jerrett came at a more sedate pace just behind him.

It was the first Jerrett had seen Anthony since the day of the accident on the faire grounds. He looked at him now with that touch of a smile on his lips as if the world was his playground and he was simply indulging the people around him with his presence. “Well… all the king’s horses and all the king’s men seem to have put you back in one piece at least. Ready to go?”

Anthony looked down at himself, pretending surprise and rasped out, “Well, so they have.” He gulped a breath, still finding the whole breathing thing difficult. “Yes, please. Get me out of here before they decide to keep me.”

So they took Anthony home.

With Anthony carried between them, his broken leg in its cast sticking out like some strange, sculpted appendage, they got him in and out of the wheelchair as gently as possible. He kept a smile frozen in place but his gray-green pallor told them it was a brave lie, every movement excruciating.

That first night, Sasha slept beside him in the guest room. Rested, rather, since sleep would have been a misnomer. Anthony’s struggles to breathe terrified him and though the doctors assured them he was much improved, he lay awake listening to the quality of each breath, like a mother terrified of SIDS.

As long as Anthony lay quietly and experienced no spikes in pain, his torn lung and broken ribs behaved well enough. Only when he gasped or began to pant in pain the whole respiration thing became a challenge.

When Sasha had to go to work the next day, he made sure both his loves were fed and that Anthony was comfortably propped up for the day with everything he might want within easy reach. That way, Jerrett wouldn’t have to play nursemaid too much.

Anthony channel surfed for a while, amazed at the incredible wasteland of daytime TV. He settled on a show about tigers and lay there, immobile and dejected. Nothing worse than being stuck in bed, alone, with his own thoughts. He sniffed and realized his nose had started to run.

Dammit.

The one thing that was on the far side of the nightstand- the tissue box. Couldn’t very well wipe his nose on his sleeve, though. He edged over an inch, hissing at the pain in his leg, then decided to simply reach over and…

Flame arced through his side. He snatched his arm back with a sharp cry. “Fuck…oh, fuck.” With his arm clamped in hard, he tried desperately to keep the tears of pain back and slow his shallow panting. He couldn’t even sit back up to reach the oxygen and now his vision tunneled since he couldn’t slow down.

Jerrett had been puttering in his office, distracted and a bit surly for no real reason. He heard Anthony’s cry of pain and was out the door and down the hall without even knowing he moved.

“Anthony? What happened?” he asked as he came to the side of the bed. He had a sudden vivid picture in his head of Anthony lying in the dirt, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He thought for sure that image was going to haunt him for a long time. He was almost surprised he didn’t see any blood now.

The voice registered from a few thousand miles away. Half-curled over at the side of the bed, a high pitched whine in his ears telling him he was on his way out, Anthony managed a vague wave and a whimper.

“Shit…” Jerrett murmured under his breath. He snatched the little oxygen mask thing up, although his hands were very gentle as they moved Anthony to his back and placed it over his face. “Relax. Lie still. Take a deep breath,” he ordered. “I know it’s gonna hurt, but take just one good breath, Ant, or you’re gonna pass out.”

The gentle hand on his hair, the concern in that deep voice…there it was again. Though it was hard to tell how much was real and how much was oxygen deprivation. He managed a shuddering gulp of air on another soft whimper, Jerrett’s voice commanding and soothing all at once.

Eventually he calmed and managed a slow, careful breath, then another. “Sorry,” he whispered. “Jerrett…” Dammit, he wasn’t going to cry. Hells bells, what was wrong with him?

Jerrett saw the shimmer of tears in his eyes and reached one long arm over for the box of tissues that had flummoxed Anthony to begin with. “Did you take your pain meds?”

Anthony shut his eyes and shook his head. He didn’t have the breath to explain that he hated the dull, listless state they left him in and he couldn’t have gotten the words past the lump in his throat anyway.

“If you’re in this much pain I think you should take one,” Jerrett said reasonably, thinking the pain was where his tears stemmed from.

Anthony shook his head that he didn’t want to and Jerrett sighed. “Alright.” He picked the remote off the blanket and hit mute on the TV. “So… would you like to tell me what’s wrong?” he asked, his tone even and for once not impatient.

“It’s…” Anthony took the mask down. His chest still hurt like hell but he could control the rate of his breaths again. “It’s so hard. Not being able…to do the simplest things. Being a…” He hitched a breath and looked up at Jerrett. “A burden.”

He slid his hand down to touch Jerrett’s fingers. “On you. Being weak…and helpless…this isn’t how…I want…you to see me.”

Jerrett snorted. “What does it matter how I see you?” But before Anthony could answer, he shook his head and went on. “You let a ton of horseflesh flip over on top of you rather than let the animal crush a little girl’s skull… I think that gives you a pass on being a ‘burden’ for a while, sweetheart.”

Sweetheart? No…he didn’t mean it. He was just trying to be nice. Still, Anthony dared to grip his fingers, in a touch so much more intimate than all the hours of sex that had passed between them. “Thank you,” he said in a shaky whisper.

Jerrett leaned forward, it seemed only natural to kiss him now, and Jerrett being Jerrett rarely denied himself any urge he had. He brushed his lips over Anthony’s in a feather light touch, not even thinking about the impulse, much less where it came from.

A soft sound came from Anthony and he lifted his head a fraction to meet those firm lips more fully. Not that he had the energy for anything more at the moment but he had so missed those kisses. Of course it mattered to him how Jerrett saw him. He’d fallen in love with the arrogant, self-serving man, this man who had supplanted him and humiliated him.

Who now called him sweetheart and kissed him tenderly.

Jerrett leaned back again. He glanced over his shoulder at the TV. “Are you really into this show?” he asked, with obvious disdain.

Anthony shook his head, and Jerrett told him he’d be right back. He returned a few minutes later with a book and, of all things, a game. Battleship. He set the game down and propped himself up against the headboard next to Anthony with some pillows. There seemed to be at least a dozen that Sasha had left in there for him.

“I just got this one.” Jerrett said, indicating the book. “I know Stephen King’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but it has to be better than anything on daytime television. Want me to read some to you?”

Anthony’s big gray eyes had gone huge in shock. He recovered quickly, though, not one to miss such an opportunity, and snuggled back under his blankets. “I like his stuff,” he whispered. He wanted to go on about this book and that but had to edit his normally hyper-vocal speech to conserve his breath. “Yes, please. Thank you, sir.”

As it turned out, Jerrett was pretty good at reading aloud. They got through several chapters and Anthony was right there with him, being drawn into the story before he started to drift, exhaustion tugging at him.

Jerrett paused at the end of a sentence when he noticed his boy had fallen asleep… and as soon as he thought it, all further mental or physical function froze solid for a few seconds. Wait. Back up, his brain demanded. What was that? When did you start thinking of him as yours? He’s just here on your sufferance, remember? Because Sasha likes him and you don’t mind fucking him. Remember?

He looked down at the pale blond head on the pillow and he saw him lying on the ground again, his skin so pale and blood trickling down his chin. His heart had been hammering in panic. He had managed to shut the panic down to get the things that needed doing done, but the whole time they had been at the hospital he had to keep a tight lid on it, not that anyone would have been able to even guess at the mess going on inside while they had waited.

He tried to tell himself he would have reacted the same for anyone, but one thing Jerrett was not was a good liar, even to himself. If it had been a stranger, he probably would have stayed in the crowd and let the pros handle it as most everyone else did. If it had been someone he knew… a friend? Say, Robbie? He would have been upset, annoyed, he would have done what needed doing, yes. But would his heart have been hammering like that? Would a large part of his head been involved in the futile begging and pleading with whatever unknown entities might be listening to spare him? To let him keep him awhile longer? Maybe…maybe not as much.

His fingers caressed across Ant’s forehead, brushing a stray lock of silky hair back. He might have done the same for Sasha… and then his brain tried to put Sasha in Ant’s place that day the horse flipped over and everything in him rebelled at the very thought… but it showed him one thing. The horrible feeling of losing Sasha like that might be stronger, but it was the same feeling as when he thought he might lose Anthony.

When Sasha returned home in the early afternoon, he went to Anthony’s sick room first to check on him and…stopped. Jerrett sat next to him on the bed, an arm draped over the top of Anthony’s pillow-nest so the blond head rested against Jerrett’s chest.

Sasha blinked, shook himself mentally and whispered, “Is he all right?”

Jerrett yawned and slowly stood up to stretch. “He’s fine, love.” He crossed over to Sasha and lifted his chin with his fingers to kiss him. “But you can check him for claw and tooth marks if you’d like.” He chuckled softly and slipped out of the room to let Sasha fuss, or go make dinner, or whatever he wanted to do.

Sasha shook his head on a little sigh. “That wasn’t what I meant.” But, of course, Jerrett was gone by the time he got it out.

He went to the bed, though, to check the wrappings around Anthony’s ribs. His patient stirred and his eyes cracked open.

“Hey, sweet thistle pie,” Anthony whispered on a little smile.

“Hi.” Sasha leaned in for a soft kiss. “How’re you feeling?”

“Not so bad.” Anthony’s eyes shone as he went on. “His lordship sat here and read to me.”

“Did he?” Sasha felt as if his brain might have a short. “That was nice of him.” And whatever was going on in Jerrett’s head, Sasha thought it best to let him chew it over on his own for now.

Xavier teased Dave all the way home, despite him insisting he keep the seatbelt on. They made it only halfway up the stairs before they were so distracted they stopped and ended up sprawled on the stair rungs making out. Xavier, for a change, was the one who suggested they actually try and make it in the apartment as they were getting inside each other’s clothes. Stairway sex was only fun while it lasted, then it was just damn inconvenient.

Once they were inside they left a trail of hurriedly abandoned clothes leading from the door, down the hall, and into the bedroom.

“Kneel on the bed.” Xavier said in a soft but firm tone as they broke off a kiss.

Without a word, Dave complied, his cock jutting straight out in front of him. A little shiver ran up his back even though heat radiated from him in waves. Xav didn’t often want to lead like this but once he got it into his head, he did it right.

Xavier went and got some things out. He was definitely aroused, but still in a playful mood. The first item was a thick black collar with a sliver ring, which he fastened around Dave’s neck so the ring was in the back. Next, he clipped a leash to the ring and ran it down the center of Dave back.

“Put your hands back here…” Xav said. He smiled a little as Dave complied, but slowly. Xav pushed his arms up a little and secured them with the other end of the leash. He left just enough room so that if he kept his arms up he wouldn’t have to bend his head back, but holding his arms up like that would not stay comfortable long. That was all right, though, it wasn’t meant to be comfortable.

Next he picked up a phallus shaped gag. Smiling he said, “Open up.”

“A little gag, he says,” Dave murmured on a chuckle. He opened and took the latex cock, caressing it with his lips and tongue as Xavier slowly pushed it in.

That accomplished he had Dave lay on his front and attached a spreader bar to his ankles. Then he stood for a moment with hands on his hips and looked him over with a satisfied little smirk. “Perfect,” he cooed, running his hand over Dave’s butt. Such a gorgeous ass his man had. He just had to smack it a few times and warm him up.

Dave rolled his hips on a soft moan. Christ, he was so hard already and now he couldn’t even beg, could barely squirm, and it was wonderful.

“Now, now…” Xavier said with another not so soft slap to Dave’s upturned rear end. “If you keep that up you’ll come in no time. Here, let me give you a little lift.” Xavier moved, stood on the bed and straddled Dave. He took hold of his hips and lifted them up so he was on his knees, shoulders pressed down, unable to grind his cock into the mattress. “That’s better.”

He hopped down and went back to the drawer. He returned with a wooden paddle, shaped like a rowing oar only smaller and shorter. He got a good stance, made like he was winding up to hit a ball outta the park, and barely tapped Dave. The little groan of frustration that accompanied the look Dave shot him was priceless. “What? Does my baby want harder?”

Dave whimpered and nodded his head desperately, hoping if he was pitiful enough, Xav would leave off playing and go at it. He pulled at his leash in frustration, which made spots dance in front of his eyes. All right. Bad idea. He didn’t want to pass out before they even started. Finally, he settled for spreading his knees wider and pushing his butt up farther in offering.

A surge of heat spiked into Xav at the way he offered that sweet ass up so willingly. Dave made him want to give him everything he wanted so easily…but, if he took his time it would be better. He might pay dearly for it later when Dave had him in such a position, but right now, he was the one trussed and helpless so…

“I’ll give you what you want honey, but first we need to get you a little more ready.” He reached over as he spoke and picked up the lube. He didn’t warm it up like he normally would, just tipped it over so a good drizzle ran down his crack. Watching the way he twitched and his little hole fluttered defensively nearly melted Xavier’s brain. “Cold, hmm…?” He pressed his fingertip and circled around the rim. “Don’t worry, I’ll get you warmed up.” His tone was husky as he slid a finger inside, then two, pushing in and out slowly. He rubbed his fingertips over the gland inside like he was giving a massage and more heat pooled into him at the way Dave squirmed and moaned behind the gag.

He poured a little more lube in his hand and reached between his legs to caress and stroke his balls and then his very, very hard cock. Not too long… or he was going to get distracted entirely. He picked the paddle back up and this time he delivered a resounding thwap! Another swiftly followed, and another. He did not swing as hard as he could, even though Dave so clearly wanted it… he kept the strokes to medium hard for one reason. He could keep going at this pace a lot longer.

Dave closed his eyes and let the spreading heat wash over him. It wasn’t enough to send him into his own personal twilight zone but he enjoyed it, every smack. He moaned appreciatively at some of the harder smacks and kept his butt lifted high to give Xav the best target.

Xavier hadn’t bothered counting. He just kept going until his arm felt tired and Dave’s bottom was a nice shade of flame red. Only then did he stop and drop the paddle. Usually that would have been about it for him. This was about as far as his comfort level went, but tonight he wanted to do something special, something would really get Dave going. He checked to make sure Dave was ok, got a nod, and brought out his next toy.

Xav slicked a good sized dildo with a generous amount of lube and pressed the tip between Dave’s cheeks, he did not exactly ram it home, but he wasn’t slow or gentle about it either. Dave was at a point where he could tolerate being shoved to a higher level of pain, and Xav planned on taking him higher than he had before. A grunt and a low groan told him his efforts were not going unnoticed.

He ran a hand over a cheek, heat coming off it in a slow simmer. He patted him affectionately. “You just do your best to hold on to that.” He said, giving the end a wiggle and getting another moan from Dave.

From the drawer Xav withdrew two more objects, neither of which he’d used before…well, not on this end anyway. The first was a small white ping-pong ball, which he placed in Dave’s hand. The few times Xav and Dave had switched like this they hadn’t bothered with any kind of signal because Xav never took it that far and they didn’t need it. The other was a braided leather flogger.

Xav ran the tails lightly over Dave’s back and over the swell of his buttocks and down his legs. He gave a few experimental strokes, and then landed a hard one, and another in the same place, and the next came just shy of drawing blood.

By the fifth blow, Dave cried out behind his gag. This was what he so craved. Real pain. Oh, yeah, he was a pain whore and he knew it. He squirmed to bump the dildo against his gland, torturing himself further, his soft cries taking him higher as he surrendered completely, offering his body to Xav in a way he had never before.

A deeper groan issued from his chest as he abruptly dropped out of reality, aware of each stroke, each sensation, but drifting on a heated stream of pain far removed from the bedroom.

Xavier had to imagine it wasn’t Dave. Kind of a dangerous thing to do, but it was the only way he could hit hard enough and keep going. This was not his kink, but he knew Dave got so much pleasure from this… He kept his eye on the hand holding the ping-pong ball, even though he knew Dave wouldn’t drop it. The level it would take for Dave to call a halt was one Xav wouldn’t take him to.

Xavier was the one who stopped, but not until they both were panting and had a sheen of perspiration on them. Dave’s backside and thighs glowed the brick red he’d promised him earlier. He came around to the side and took the gag out of Dave’s mouth, bending to kiss him before he moved back around and removed the dildo, only to replace it with his own hard cock. “ohhh, baby…I’m gonna fuck you so hard…”

Too far gone for speech, Dave could only moan and push back in invitation. Fire licked over his butt and thighs, the invasion at his backdoor promising more. Yes, oh, yes, he wanted to be taken hard. He pulled back on his leash to lift his head up, making his position as uncomfortable as possible.

Xavier drove into him, his own desire starting to spiral out of control. His hips pistoned against him and he reached around his hip to take Dave’s cock in his hand with quick firm strokes he knew would get him there in moments. “Baby… you feel so good, come for me sweetheart…”

Panting, cutting off his own air with the collar, Dave jerked in Xavier’s grip. The pounding into his tender channel and against tender skin had him primed to the point of agony. Such sweet agony.

He let out short, barking cries as the pressure climbed to critical and then a deep bellow as he climaxed, his seed shooting harder from him than he ever remembered, his sight darkening as he pulled harder and harder on the leash.

The leash was the furthest thing from Xavier’s mind as Dave’s tight channel squeezed him hard and his own orgasm shot up from his balls to flood him. Dumb luck and timing were the only things that saved Dave from passing out. When Xav came he slumped over Dave’s back, pushing his arms back up and releasing some of the tension of the lead. He lay there panting himself for several long moments before he slowly pulled back, unclipped the leash, and unknotted it from his wrists. He got the spreader bar off too and then flopped down on the bed next to Dave, feeling drained and slightly giddy.

Dave hadn’t moved other than to slide forward so he was lying flat. Xav reached over and smoothed his hair back from his forehead, kissing his temple. Those dark eyes fluttered open but still looked out onto distant landscapes.

Floating in the warm, bright envelopment of the after haze, Dave knew Xav was there, knew he would worry, but was unable to come back far enough for speech yet.

Xav was calling to him. It sounded so far away. He managed to roll to his side and nuzzle up against Xav’s shoulder, needing the anchor and the comfort of his arms.

That was enough for Xav for now. He held Dave cradled in his arms and kissed the top of his head with a contented sigh. He stroked his back and arms lightly and tried not to look down at the welts he’d left on his lover’s body. Yes, he knew Dave liked it…more than liked it, but he didn’t think he could ever do it more than on a rare occasion. He wasn’t even sure what had gotten him into it this time, other than he’d wanted to do something special for him. He kissed him and murmured soothingly how much he loved him.

“Sweets…” The voice was barely recognizable as Dave’s, hoarse and muted. “That was amazing. You’re amazing.” He wrapped Xavier tight in his arms. “Thank you.”

“mmm…” Xav purred contentedly and snuggled into his embrace. Then he thought to ask, “Are you ok though? You want me to put some of the numbing stuff on you?”

“No, I’m good,” Dave said and when Xavier gave him a skeptical look he added, “Maybe if I’m stiff in the morning.” He wanted to feel everything, let the burn lull him to sleep. He’d spent too much of his life numb.

(Note from Angel: This one’s a little longer, folks, but it seemed important to keep it together.)

“Is it possible? To do vell?”

“Yes, sir, it’s not tough to do with the right equipment.” Cody tamped down on his curiosity. Elric had handed him this marvelous photo of himself as a younger man wrapped in the arms of two gorgeous people who obviously adored him. He asked for a reprint since it was torn but his tone implied he was in no mood for questions.

Cody closed the portfolio and placed it on the table. “Tomorrow afternoon. I’ll bring it by.” He dared to reach out to stroke the white hand lying on the back of the chair. “Are you OK, sir?”

“Soon, my dear,” the Prince answered softly. “Soon I think I shall be.”

Elric arrived home to the quiet of his house and the storm inside him. Something wild brewed in his heart which he didn’t understand and wasn’t entirely sure he trusted. Before he could banish the disorienting turmoil, though, Keit appeared to greet him.

He seized the boy by the upper arms and backed him up to the wall where he captured his lips in a frenzied, searing kiss.

Keit was so shocked he didn’t respond at first. He had no idea what had come over his usually steady, composed Dom. He did not waste much time wondering though, before he let himself melt into the tight hold Elric had on him, his eyes sliding closed and his lips and tongue caressing back against his heated assault. Whatever it was, Keit was putty in Elric’s hands, caught up and willing to flow with his passionate demands.

“Downstairs.” Elric broke off to growl in Keit’s ear. “Strip and present.” He eased his hold and kissed Keit’s forehead gently, the message clear: I need you.

Keit slipped from his embrace with half-closed, smoldering eyes. “Yes, sir,” he breathed out. He managed to keep to an even pace until he was out of sight, then took the stairs two at a time, pulling his clothes off as he went. By the time he stood naked and ready for Elric, he was already standing at attention in more ways than one.

A few slow breaths later, Elric followed. Girded in the armor of his icy calm again, he found the steady center necessary to proceed. To approach Keit with anything less was madness. Passion, yes, that could be shared but uncontrolled ferocity would bring disaster. The boy would push and plead and believe himself in heaven while he drove his Dom to acts of brutality.

He descended the steps and walked slowly around Keit, his fingertips trailing along his skin as he circled. “Mein herz, my beautiful boy,” he murmured. “I give you the choice, as ve used to, vhen you came for sessions.” He leaned in close to Keit’s ear. “Vertical or horizontal?”

Keit shivered as the tip of Elric’s finger traced slowly down his spine. Unfortunately his brain had a short circuit to his mouth at that moment. His breath caught in his throat as a fingertip touched the little dimple at the very top of his ass. Denial definitely was a potent aphrodisiac, he couldn’t even form coherent speech he was so keyed up. “I-I’ll stay standing, sir,” he finally got out in a hoarse whisper.

“I said nothing about stending.” Elric nipped at the top of Keit’s ear. “But vertical it shall be.”

He stripped off his shirt and hung it on one of the hooks, then strolled up and down his equipment wall with slow, deliberate steps. The ritual steadied him, pulled him into the rhythm of the session. He made his selections just as deliberately and placed them on the table while Keit fought his shivers of anticipation.

When he approached again, he held only two items, both intimately familiar. No need for commands. Keit held out his hands for him to buckle on the padded suspension cuffs and spread his feet farther to ease the fastening of the leather cock and ball harness.

Everything proceeded as it would have during one of their client sessions with a few notable exceptions. Elric did not pull on his gloves as he would have then, his bare fingers caressing and petting where he would have refrained before. His lips touched down here and there as well, teasing and leaving trails of heat and when Keit was in harness, he took him into a tender embrace.

Keit trembled with anticipation. He had held things together during Orion’s discovery of who he was and the subsequent traumas and anxieties they had all faced. Even such upsetting, potentially life altering events rarely ruffled him beyond immediate emergencies. He was steady, he was a rock, he didn’t let the stress show…until he was allowed to. The build up behind his emotional walls had been almost at critical mass, and even the simple act of preparation had him shaky with need and giddy with relief. He moaned softly as Elric brushed his lips with his own and his body swayed into his.

“Steady, herzchen,” the Prince murmured gently before he bent to slide an arm under Keit’s knees and sweep him up in his arms. With a soft smile, he repeated the words he had spoken so often, “You are safe vith me. I shall not let you fall.”

He carried Keit over to the suspension rig and held him tight with one arm while he pulled the chains into reach. When the chains had Keit’s weight, he finally let go. Most subs would have needed a warm-up, a slow build to the more serious implements. Keit needed more and his desperation signaled a need to dispense with the preliminaries. Elric reached first for the bamboo switch and laid the first stripe across Keit’s left hip.

Upstairs, Orion wandered in from his workshop. He had finished the second frame as the Prince had requested, this one more suited to something one would find in a child’s room with little horses, sheep and rabbits carved all around. The open basement door stopped him, though, and the sounds…

He thought maybe he should start dinner instead. The frame could wait. Not that he was a gifted, instinctive cook like Sasha or Keit but Sasha had said anyone with a little patience who was able to read could learn to cook. Patience, at least with everyone but himself, he had in abundance now, something he had never had in his previous life. The doctors said it was due to ‘changes in the brain’. They hesitated to say brain damage but he knew they meant it.

Elric switched to a heavy cat. The variety in the pain was almost as important to Keit as the pain itself.

Keit lost track of how many times the flogger fell across his skin. His shoulders were in agony, the skin across his back and buttocks licked in flames. He could have so easily slipped into the calming ecstatic trance that came with this level of pain. He fought it though. He wanted to stay right here, experience every swish and stroke of the cane and the whip.

For the most part he was quiet, only a soft moan occasionally parting his lips. When the flogger wrapped around his thigh from behind and the very tips of two of the braids landed neatly on his balls though he couldn’t help the quick indrawn yelp. His head lolled back and the movement sent ice and fire through his shoulders. He cried out when the flogger landed again and sent more shards though him. He was in such agony and his gently curved cock stood like a flagpole from his body.

He cried out again with the next stroke, like a dam that once broken could not be stopped.

The Prince switched again, to his whip, the final implement he would only use to top off the sensations. He let it flick and kiss across Keit’s skin, starbursts of sharp pain, but he would never truly lay into him with it.

He sensed when Keit had reached the limit of safety and sanity, even though the boy would have begged for more, and he lowered the chains until Keit’s feet touched the floor. The chains still kept him standing as he lowered them a bit more and nudged Keit’s feet more than shoulder-width apart with his boot.

“Mein herz,” he whispered as he eased lubed fingers inside Keit’s back door. His harnessed cock twitched and the boy moaned “You vill beg me for release. Plead for it prettily enough and I may grant it.”

Although his feet now touched the floor Keit doubted his ability to stand if the chain had not held him up. His legs trembled and he let out a heated moan as Elric’s fingers breached him. He murmured sweet encouraging things, letting his Dom know how much he enjoyed every touch and stroke, but he did not beg. Not yet.

He waited until Elric was pressed up behind him, his fly opened, the smooth head of his cock pressing into him. He begged for more, and he got it. His lithe body was slicked in sweat, he regained the use of his legs enough to push back and roll his hips, little whimpers and cries of ecstasy wrung from his lips as he built higher and higher.

“Uhh…oh, please sir… please, I’m so close now…please let me come,” he finally panted out.

Elric reached around to unsnap the harness in three swift tugs. The desperate groan he received when the blood rushed back in fully sent shivers of delight through him. He drove in for a few more strokes, letting Keit’s soft pleas wash over him like a cleansing rain.

He wrapped his arms around Keit and rested his head on his shoulder, his own climax imminent. “Now, herzchen,” he whispered. “Now. Give me vhat is mine.”

Keit’s body arched and shuddered on the last word Elric spoke. Molten streaks seemed to flow in his veins he came so hard and the release was so intense black spots danced behind his eyes.

The hard clench and release of Keit’s orgasm hurled Elric over the edge as well. He fastened his teeth onto Keit’s shoulder and clung tight, his soft moans muffled by skin as he rode out the heavy pulses of ecstasy.

He waited until he could draw a full, steady breath again before he eased out, took Keit’s weight more firmly against him, and released the cuffs. Keit slumped, deadweight, and he wondered if the boy had fainted. Ah, well, not the first time.

With a tenderness most people were never allowed to see, he carried Keit to the bed in the little room off the main one and slid in beside him, curling his body around him protectively.

Keit’s breathing slowly returned to normal, yet he did not stir, blissfully content to remain in Elric’s arms. The ache of soreness was starting to set in. Not the same as the sharp bite of pain that stirred his lust, but he would savor it nonetheless for the memory it would bring of this session. He was so happy, feeling absolutely loved and protected.

“Herzchen…” Elric paused and lifted his head to sniff. “Ah. Pork chops, I think. Somevone is making us dinner. Do you think you can sit at table, my love, or vould you like to take dinner in bed tonight?”

Keit smiled lazily but said, “If Orion’s gone to the trouble to make dinner for us the least I can do is sit at the table, sir.”

They relaxed a little while longer and then Keit rose to go take a quick shower and dress before heading to the kitchen to see if Orion needed any help with dinner preparations.

Orion’s answer was to take him into a gentle embrace and kiss the top of his head. “It’s almost ready, little one. Is he coming?”

Keit nodded against his chest.

“Was it wonderful?” Orion whispered.

Keit gave a weak little chuckle. “Oh yes, more than wonderful.” He sighed happily and snuggled into Orion’s arms.

Five minutes later, their Dom appeared, showered, perfectly coiffed and pressed, and completely composed, the storm quelled. He settled in one of the kitchen chairs and rested his chin in his hand, watching his boys plate dinner.

“This Saturday,” he said softly. “I need them all here.”

Keit helped Orion carry the plates over and sat gingerly. “All, sir?” he asked, guessing that Elric meant their friends and already mentally creating the guest list and preparations that needed to be completed for such a large gathering on short notice.

“Ja, alle,” Elric confirmed. “I shall make the calls myself. I esk only that ve hef enough food and drink on hend. A semi-formal occasion, I think, for vhich I expect you to make yourselves presentable. I shall do the rest.” He glanced over at Orion. “It is ready for me, liebchen?”

“Yes, mein herr.” Orion pointed over to the shelf by the door. “I brought it in to show you.”

Elric rose slowly to examine the picture frame, his fingers running over the little carved animals. “It is lovely. Marvelous. You hef such talent…thenk you.”

Throughout the city and farther up the coast, schedules were shuffled and reshuffled to accommodate the Prince’s request. Some of the invitees owed him, debts that could never be repaid, but all of them felt some strong connection to him and could not resist the call out of love or curiosity.

Leather and lycra left at home, a small horde of well-dressed, beautiful people descended on the house, Vincent a vision in velvet and silk, his boys in their best suits, Katya in a lovely green dress, cut scandalously low in the back, Der in his antique dress uniform jacket and so on. Even Anthony had opted for a suit and tie, things he normally wrinkled his nose at.

They milled about, waiting and speculating, no one quite sure what the occasion meant. Der leaned against the wall outside the dining room, a hand on Brandon’s shoulder. Bran looked so delicious in his double-breasted suit. Too delicious for words. Der pulled him close for a deep, languid kiss, his cock stirring at the barely leashed heat between them, his hand stealing down to…

“There’s my sweet pea!” An all too familiar voice called out beside him. “You could have come to say hello. But I see you’re busy. I suppose this is Brandon.”

“Um… hi, Mom,” Der got out in a sheepish murmur.

Brandon smiled bemusedly at the lovely lady scolding Der. He felt a bit like scolding Der himself for not telling him that his mother might be there. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Schiller, and yes, I’m Brandon,” he introduced himself.

Elisabet shook his hand while she looked him up and down. “Very nice. Much more handsome than some of your choices and much more polite.”

Der hid his face in his hands with a groan and looked like he wanted to sink into the floor.

She stood nearly nose to nose with Brandon, taller than any other woman in the room. “And what are your intentions regarding my son, young man?”

Brandon’s lips twitched. He adored her already. “Is it too cliché to say that I intend to keep him so happy he won’t think about going to find someone else?”

“That…” She smiled at him, her gray eyes twinkling. “Is the wisest answer I have ever gotten to that question.” With a pat to Brandon’s chest, she turned back to Der. “You hang onto this one, sweet pea. Someone with sense.” Then she was off again to greet Vincent and fuss over Drew and Jonathan.

Der raised his eyes to the ceiling. “Someone shoot me now. I’m sorry, Bran. I’d no idea she’d be here, too.”

Brandon smiled, slipped his arms around his waist and tugged him closer. “It’s alright, I’ll let it slide this time…sweet pea.”

“Please don’t call me that,” Der said in a pained voice. “I really don’t want to start thinking of you as my mother.”

Brandon laughed. “No, we wouldn’t want that,” he agreed and kissed him.

Upstairs, Elric knotted his tie for the fourth time. Lillana sat in the chair by the window, patient, silent for the moment, waiting, it seemed to him.

“I don’t seem able to do this today,” he said to her reflection as he undid the knot yet again. “My hends…wie sagt mann? I am entirely thumbs.”

Lilly stood and moved to his side, moving his hands gently out of the way when he turned to her. She deftly tied a crisp Half Windsor knot and smoothed the collar of his shirt. “You tied it perfectly the first time,” she said in her softly musical voice.

He let out a slow breath. “I go to strip the veil from things long hidden. To rip down the shutters and let the light in.” He caught her hand and pressed it to his heart. “And I delay…and think of changing my mind.”

She lifted her eyes to his and held them for a moment, then leaned up on tiptoe and kissed the tip of his nose. “I know, my dear Prince. I know. You shall be ready, when you are ready.”

He chuckled softly at her indulgence and the corner of her lips lifted in a little smile. “Now… should I go announce that you’re very sorry and have changed your mind?”

His forehead wrinkled and it was her turn to chuckle softly. “No? Then, perhaps you should make an appearance?”

“So. Yes.” He settled his jacket, smoothed back an imaginary stray hair, and tucked her dainty hand into the crook of his elbow. “If you valk on my arm, beautiful fairy princess. To give me courage.”

“I would be delighted, sir,” she said, and let him lead her out and down the stairs into the hall below.

Lilly had known, by the low murmur of voices, that there must be many people gathered, but she wasn’t quite prepared for the actual number that greeted them. The Prince’s ‘small gathering’ was a rather large crowd and she was actually glad for the firm arm she held onto now.

They did make quite a stunning entrance, even for such a sober affair. Him with his snow white locks pulled back into a neat single plait and her raven dark tresses floating about her like an inky curtain. Her habit of keeping her eyes lowered when first entering a room made the attention of their arrival fall upon Elric, until she looked up at him as well.

“Oh, dear gods,” Der whispered as he rose from his chair. “He’s reached up and plucked a star from the heavens.”

Several of the young men had followed suit out of instinctive respect for this vision.

“My dear friends,” Elric began in a voice pitched perfectly for the gathering. “This is Lillanna Willows, our counselor and friend who has been assisting in the household’s… recovery.”

Lilly hadn’t expected him to do that either, but she supposed she should have. She only knew Keit and Orion here; it would be easier to introduce her to everyone this way. Elric would have no way of knowing she was painfully shy in crowds and even more so with public speaking. Of course, the fact that her peaches and cream skin suddenly bloomed with pink roses and a whispered “Hello” barely made it past her parted lips only made her more endearing to many in the room at that moment.

Brandon poked Der gently in the ribs. “Wipe the drool off your chin, hon,” he whispered.

In an automatic gesture, Der lifted his hand to do just that and then shot Brandon an amused look. “Sorry.”

Richard leaned close to Katya’s ear. “Where, oh where, do you suppose he found that little gem?”

Kat smiled and patted his cheek. Where, indeed? She was certain the beauty on Elric’s arm had the attention of even the most determinedly ‘male only’ worshipers in the room. She glanced over at Jonathan and hid a small smile. Yes, that expression was just a shade too deliberately cool, even with his eyes transfixed. Not that he was likely to be interested, but certainly he could appreciate the aesthetic beauty. She chuckled as Vincent reached over without looking and closed Drew’s mouth.

Elric leaned in to whisper in Lilly’s ear, “I shall make proper introductions later, vhen all eyes are not cemented to you.” In a gallant gesture, he handed her into the empty chair next to Keit before he strode to the front of the room.

Once there, he swept the cloth off the little table to reveal the picture frames Orion had made. The ornate, inlaid one held the repaired photo of Elric with his Kurt and Annalise. The photo with the children occupied the newer frame with the little animal carvings. Between them sat a bowl full of rose petals and a black pillar candle, which Elric now lit.

“Es war einmal ein mann,” he began, his voice steady and calm. “This is how all German fairytales begin. ‘There once was a man.’ But the stories from the Bleck Forest are often gruesome and the endings are not alvays heppy.”

He straightened and stood with one hand resting on the table as if he needed the contact. “In my previous life, I vas Joachim Wilhelm Sebastian Hohenzollern, the last Baron of Edelwald. The last because there are no more kings in Bavaria to name a successor and vhen I left, there vas no male relative remaining to take the title.”

He went on to describe his privileged childhood on the rambling estate, a strictly scheduled childhood filled with tutors and lessons, one which would have been unbearably lonely had it not been for Kurt. It was Kurt who comforted him when his father had been cruel and Kurt who had been there when his parents died, his lifelong friend whose love had blossomed into something more in their teenage years. He described their search for a Baroness, their first enchanted meeting with Annalise, the beautiful bride she had made, how happy the three of them had been.

He told them of his joy at the birth of his son, Johannes, and then the doubling of that joy when his daughter, Kara had been born. He had been a nervous father, afraid he would make mistakes, but his spouses were there to reassure him and calm him, both of them loving, instinctive parents.

“And then the day came vhen it all vas ripped avay,” he said softly, one finger running over the children’s picture frame. His words faltered and slipped now as he came to the day when he had lost them all, the fear, the horror, the numbing grief all crashing back in on him again. When he had finished, he leaned on the table with both hands, eyes shut tight, as if any movement might cause him to shatter.

Lilly noticed that all the people gathered held expressions of sympathy, some looking as if they wanted to go and comfort Elric, especially Keit and Orion, but none moved to do so. Perhaps they simply did not want to intrude on the careful walls he put around himself, or perhaps they were cautious since he was more than likely to lash out rather than accept any ‘coddling’. Well, emotional walls had never been a barrier to her, and she was not afraid of backlash if it helped him. She moved to his side and placed a delicate hand over his.

The curled lip, the beginnings of a snarl, came automatically, but someone began to sob softly. Elric heaved a ragged breath. He turned his hand to take Lilly’s fingers in a gentle grip as he faced his audience again.

“I hef kept them hidden all this time. Denied who they vere and all they meant to me. This vas not right.” He waved his free hand at the pictures, his voice cracking as he went on, “I give them beck. To the vorld, to the light. For all to see, for all to share in the joy there vas. For my new family, the vones who took a foreign stranger to their hearts, I share this, so you vill know. So you might help me remember.”

Keit finally broke, and moved forward. He wrapped his arms around Elric in a fierce hug that let him know he was not only moved by what he said and proud of him for it, but that he was there for him as well. A moment later Orion’s large arms enfolded them both.

It was a near thing. The Prince nearly wept in front of all those gathered. He wrapped an arm around Keit, leaned back against Orion and battled his errant emotions long enough to say, “Please, stay, everyone. Enjoy the night. Enjoy each other. I shall rejoin you soon.”

When he moved to leave the room, head held high, the three people who had dared to touch him went, too, Lilly’s hand tucked back in the crook of his arm, Keit’s hand gripped firmly in his, Orion’s on his shoulder. In the den at the back of the house, he broke and cried in their arms but no one else was there to see.

Drew sank down into Vince’s lap. He needed a bit of holding after that. He felt so bad for Elric; even if it was so long ago, the pain was obviously still raw.

For a moment, Vincent had his hands full. Drew rarely cried in public but he trembled against Vincent’s chest and Jonathan sobbed beside him. He wasn’t the only one, of course. Sasha had climbed into Jerrett’s lap, face hidden against his neck while Anthony knelt at their feet with his head on Jerrett’s thigh. Brandon did his best to comfort Der, though the tears crept down his own cheeks, and Victor rocked Cody in his arms.

“Here now, poor boy.” Elisabet moved her chair beside Jonathan to take him in her arms. Poor motherless boys. She half expected to be pushed away but Jonathan collapsed against her, heaving with wrenching sobs. “Sh, sh…such pretty eyes shouldn’t shed so many tears. Hush, dear.”

Amazingly, Jonathan quieted for her and let her dry his tears.

“Now,” she said more crisply. “Der Prinz has put this evening together for his friends to celebrate the ones he loved, not to have them flood his house and ruin his carpets. Come help me, dear. People need drinks, they need to get up, to talk to each other.”

There was perhaps no better way to pull Jonathan out of hysteria. He got up, kissed Vincent and Drew and followed Elisabet around the room playing host.

Drew pulled in a deep breath to steady himself. “I like Der’s mom,” he said softly in Vince’s ear.

Nearby, Brandon silently concurred although he hadn’t heard Drew’s whispered sentiment. He got Der to dry his eyes and he stood sniffling with Bran’s arm around him.

Katya and Richard joined Elisabet and Jonathan to help get everyone settled.

In the den things were settling as well. Lilly soothed and comforted all three of the men gathered. She stood next to where Elric sat and kissed the top of his head, smoothing her hand over the white silk of his hair. “You did very well, my Prince.”

There was no sarcasm, no irony in his voice when he answered softly, “So, ja, I am glad you approve.” He leaned his head against the back of the sofa. “I feel so…drained. But so light. As if I am not connected properly. Perheps I am coming down vith something…”

Lilly sat down next to him, a smile lighting her face. “That would be what it feels like when you are healing, sir.”

“Is it?” The corner of his mouth twitched as he took her hand. “It feels rather more like being turned inside out.” With his free hand, he reached down to where Orion knelt at his feet to stroke through his hair. “Are you all right, liebchen? Perheps I should hef prepared you better.”

“I’m all right.” The big man nuzzled Elric’s Armani-clad thigh. “I was worried for you, my Prince. It…it’s hard to see you hurt.” They sat in silence for a few moments and then Orion lifted his head to look up at Lilly. “I think I know what I need to do now, though.”

“I thought you might,” she said, leaving it up to him whether he wanted to share what he wanted to do or not.

“Mein herr, I’d like to…think things through first.” Orion came up on his knees to kiss his Dom’s cheek. “Before I say anything.”

“As you vish, my love,” Elric reassured him softly. “Vhatever you need, you shell hef.”

Orion thanked him and was pulled in for a soft, searching kiss, which might have caught fire if footsteps hadn’t sounded in the hall.

“Sir? I don’t want to intrude, I mean, I know I am, but I wanted to make sure you’re OK. Not that you need me, not with all the help you have, and it’s not–” Anthony broke off with a foolish, crooked smile when Lilly looked at him. “Um, hello…”

Elric tamped down on a chuckle. “I’m recovering, thenk you, my dear. You look so hendsome tonight. Even a tie. This is an occasion.”

Anthony ducked his head on a grin. “Jerrett likes it. I think he likes having a leash built into the outfit as much as he likes the look but, well, you know…” He trailed off again, blushing furiously.

Lilly watched the exchange quietly. Privately she was a little surprised. Had she met Anthony on his own she wouldn’t have thought he was a submissive, but then, he wasn’t ultra dominant either. Not with the way he blushed when he looked at her.

After a moment they all rose and left the den to rejoin the rest of the gathering. As they walked down the hall, Lilly braced herself. She avoided crowds usually. Not out of any kind of phobia, but because all the emotions one found in large groups played havoc with her own balance.

A steady, rhythmic thump came from ahead of them and Elric stopped as they rounded the corner to avoid running into Vincent.

“Ah, there you are,” Vincent said softly with a little shake of his head. “Sweet spirits, the things you never told me. You may as well prepare yourself. They will swarm you when you walk back in.”

“I am prepared, brüderlein, never fear.” Elric patted his shoulder and turned to Lilly. “My apologies, my dear. The young gallant to your left is Anthony Dupree, affectionately known to his friends as ‘Mad Anthony’ and this handsome vision is Vincent Lastrada, of whom you have heard me speak so often.”

Lilly inclined her head politely to Vincent in greeting. Anthony took her hand and brushed his lips across the back of her fingers in a courtly gesture.

Vincent’s expression remained unreadable as he studied her. Finally he murmured, “You are hataa’lii. A healer. Which Way do you follow?”

Unblinking blue eyes regarded him steadily, studying him just as he had studied her. A small smile touched her lips. “My training was not the most traditional, but would be considered the red path. My father was Lakota, I learned from him when I was very young.” This small bit of information she knew would actually tell Vincent a lot. The path of the red meant she was an herbalist and spiritualist. The Lakota were one of the eastern nations, so she was probably not from this area originally

Vincent’s smile transformed his face. “Welcome to California, elder sister. I haven’t spoken to one of the People, of any nation, in so long.”

“Thank you.” Lilly said graciously. She glanced at Elric and he inclined his head slightly as if to say she was free to go off if she wished. She walked beside Vincent as he returned to his comfortable high backed chair, talking amiably as they went. Vince had not missed the subtle byplay between them.

He had to wonder how it was that she reached the Prince, made him see that he needed to release this long held grief. He hesitated to ask, it seemed vaguely improper, but his curiosity was stirred and he finally did ask.

“I didn’t reach him. Orion did.” She said simply.

“Oh?” Vincent’s brow creased and then smoothed as realization hit. “Ah. I see. It’s always been one of his favorite teaching points. Never ask those who belong to you to do what you would not.”

He gazed across the room to where Sasha flung himself into Elric’s arms, more open about offering his condolences than some. “How are they doing, the three of them? That first day…oh, sweet gods…I thought my heart would break.”

“They are…healing.” She answered, her head tilted slightly in contemplation as she watched Elric, Orion, and Keit together. She turned her gaze to Vince, cerulean blue eyes seeming to peer right into him, past every shield and barrier he so carefully kept between himself and the world. “And how are you, and your loves doing? Are you better now?”

An automatic evasion was on Vincent’s lips when he stopped himself with a little sigh. “We are…healing,” he echoed softly. One hand rubbed his chest absently, recent memories constricting his lungs. “So many disasters heaped one atop the next. It feels as if we can finally catch our breath again.”

“Mmhm…” Lilly said, and averted her gaze, knowing she had disquieted him. “If you like, I have something that might help you breathe easier… literally, that is. Something that won’t make you jittery and tense and keep you up at night like the inhalers can.”

The long fingered hand stopped its restless motion and he let out a soft laugh. “That obvious, is it? Yes, gods, yes, if you have something that will ease these tight bands around my chest, I’d be eternally grateful.”

She nodded, the silk of her hair falling forward a bit. She lifted a hand to push it back.

“Do you plan on keeping the Prince’s lovely guest to yourself all evening, Vincent?” A deep rich voice with hints of amusement asked. Having been abandoned for the moment by both Anthony and Sasha, Jerrett had wandered over to meet the lovely girl that had more than half the room wondering how long a wait would be polite before making their move.

“It had occurred to me, yes, but I suppose that would be selfish,” Vincent answered softly. “Lilly, this is Jerrett Hawthorn.”

Lilly looked up, and up, at the man standing over them. He was not ‘looming’, or at least she didn’t think he was trying to, but she supposed the impression was from the way he sort of stood so straight and regal and looked down on nearly everyone. “Pleased to meet you, Mr. Hawthorn,” she said softly.

“The pleasure is mine, and please call me Jerrett.” he said, smiling his most winning smile. Despite the innate arrogance, he was still breathtakingly handsome and charming when he chose to be.

“Hey, handsome, you feeling all right?” A deep voice of a different timbre issued from Vincent’s opposite side. Der crouched by the chair to take Vincent’s hand in his. “I saw you rubbing.”

“I’m quite well, dearheart,” Vincent smiled and kissed his fingers. “And this, Lilly, is the dashing Derelict Schiller.”

Der looked up to meet those incredible eyes. “Hi,” he said eloquently.

A little smile lifted her lips, “Hello.” She replied, and couldn’t help thinking that for all Jerrett Hawthorn’s carefully exuded charm Der, as she’d already heard his friends calling him, was twice as endearing.

Drew came up behind Jonathan as he handed out a last glass of champagne he’d been circulating with. He slid his arms around him and kissed the nape of his neck, smiling as he turned around to put his own arms around him. “Are you alright?” he asked softly.

Jonathan nodded, “Much better. How ‘bout you, sweetie?”

Drew gave a little shrug, but he nodded reassuringly. “You know, I was thinking… do you remember that episode of South Park, when all the boys started acting like grunting animals beating up on each other because one of the girls in their class had sprouted boobs?” He tilted his head slightly to where Vince, Jerrett, and Der were clustered around Lilly and David and Xavier were making their way over. “I keep having flashes of that every time I glance over there.” He snickered.

Jonathan laughed, causing several people to glance over. He didn’t care. “You’re not gonna get involved in the testosterone rush to piss on her beautiful leg?”

Drew looked almost startled by the question. “Are you kidding me? No way!” He said just a little too vehemently.

A little sound caught in Jonathan’s throat, then another, and he nearly choked on trying to swallow the guffaw that wanted out. He took Drew’s face between his hands and kissed him tenderly. “Christ, I love you. You’ve got to be the sweetest thing on earth.”

Drew unexpectedly felt a flush of heat at the tender kiss and Jonathan’s words. He melted inside and pressed closer, completely forgetting the roomful of people around them. Jonathan just had that effect on him. He kissed him back, just as tender and sweet, but the kiss lingered a bit longer.

A light feminine laugh drifted over to them and Drew glanced at the growing circle again. Lilly had laughed at something Xavier had said, which was not all that unusual. If the dark scowl on Jerrett’s face was any indication it was something at his expense. Drew shook his head, amused. “Do you want to take bets on which one she picks?” he whispered in Jonathan’s ear.

“We should get two choices, since it’s such a broad field,” Jonathan said with a too-serious look of concentration. “Now, if she has any taste at all, she’ll pick Vincent. But he’ll gracefully and regretfully decline, so I have to count him out of the running. Hmm…there’s beauty over there and brains and drop dead, charming dominance, grace and wit and…I bet she picks the goofball.”

Drew was just as carefully going over the selection although silently. Xavier had made her laugh, that tinkling bells sound that was so sweet he nearly heard a collective sigh from the group of admirers. And Xav looked exceedingly hot this evening… ok, stop checking him out. Was Jon right maybe? Der was just as good at coaxing a laugh, but he was more mature than Xav. She was so quiet she might appreciate that. Or was he just being biased because it was Der and Drew couldn’t see anyone resisting Der?

His eyes went to Jerrett and then back to Lilly. She had politely cut her laugh short and she was looking at him, those bright, bright blue eyes still sparkling. The dangerous, arrogant prick? “She’s gonna pick the most dominant, if any of them. I say Jerrett.” Drew said in a hushed voice to Jonathan.

“She’s a fool if she does,” Jonathan growled and then shrugged. “But there’s no accounting for taste, I guess.” They watched a moment longer, Drew’s head nestled on Jonathan’s shoulder, until Jonathan chuckled. “Oh, now, there’s a wrench in the works for you.”

In a black kilt, leggings and dress boots, Chrysalis slid through the larger bodies to claim the chair next to Lilly since all the admirers were standing. Chrys took her hand, obviously making introductions, and lifted Lilly’s fingers to kiss them.

“Shame on you both. Putting bets on a girl like that.” A voice scolded from behind Jonathan and Drew, making them jump a little, although his voice had been as low as their own. “And you’re both wrong.” Keit said, the scolding tone giving way to amusement. “Now, Drew if you would be so kind, go wrap yourself around Der and get him back to Brandon. He’s looking a little bewildered over there. And Jonathan, please go and distract Xavier before Jerrett decides he’d rather have him and we have an all out brawl. I’ll go get Jerrett.”

“Um, ok. But why?” Drew asked.

“Because, honey. She’s going to want to talk to Chrysalis and the others are just going to frustrate her.”

Jonathan’s forehead crinkled in an endearing way. “So the boys are making all that fuss over her and she’s gay? Um, or maybe not…since I still don’t know about Chrys.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Dammit, I’m confused.”

“No, as far as I can tell she prefers men, at least I’ve never seen her with a woman, but then I’ve never asked.” Keit gave a little wave of his hand. “I just think she’ll be interested in Chrys, that’s all. Now scoot.” Keit headed off to gather Jerrett up, which was a bit of a task, but as soon as he discreetly got his attention over to Sasha and Anthony, who were looking awfully cuddly together, it was easier to move him off in that direction.

Drew moved toward Der and got him talking about music, although he definitely seemed distracted during the conversation.

Another silvery sound caressed over the gathering and Drew nudged Der gently, nodding to how Lilly laughed at something Chrys whispered in her ear.

“Oh…um…” he cleared his throat and swept Lilly a courtly bow. “Such a joy meeting you, Ms. Lilly. But I do need to steal Vincent away to hash through some graphics questions.”

Vincent arched a brow. “Now?”

“Yes, now. You know how my sieve brain works. If I don’t talk to you when I’m thinking of it, I’ll forget.”

Then Vincent caught the hint as well and rose to follow Der to a quiet corner across the room while Jonathan wrapped his arms around Xavier and distracted him quite thoroughly.

Lilly noted the tactical scattering of the circle that had formed and silently thanked Keit. She smiled at Chrysalis. “Keit must think highly of you, you’re the only one he didn’t chase away.”

Chrys chuckled. “The Prince is the undisputed master of his house but Keit is what keeps the household running.”

Lilly’s eyes found Keit for a moment and then came back to Chrysalis. “He’s happier now.” Her lovely heart shaped face tilted slight, regarding Chrys intently for a moment. “You have…unusual energy.” She said softly. “You are sensitive to… things, no?”

Chrys looked at their joined hands, then back up with a little smile and a wink, whispering, “I see dead people.”

Lilly smiled softly as if something had just clicked into place. “Ah, you are a Spiritwalker.” She searched her eyes for a moment, trying to determine something else. “One foot in this world, one in another. Neither one or the other…” She blinked and took a breath, looking down as if embarrassed that she might have intruded where she was not welcome. “Do the spirits trouble you?” she asked quietly, hoping she hadn’t offended him.

A long pause followed where Chrys regarded her carefully, that brittle, fragile look Syren knew so well creeping in. The smile returned on a little sigh. “Not…usually. I know they’re there. Most of the time they go about their business and I go about mine. It’s only when there’s a terrible concentration of negative energy. Those frighten me sometimes, when there’s hate and rage and violent intentions. They tell me I’ve had…seizures…”

Across the room, Syren wrapped an arm around Keit. “You’re such a little manipulator, you know that?”

Keit gave her an apologetic look and nodded towards Lilly. “Does this bother you?”

“Watching Chrys courting? Gods, no. It’s not something I get to see often. Lilly’s the first person Chrys has approached in, oh, I can’t even tell you how long.”

Lilly’s brows pulled together in a tiny frown. “You can keep them out, if you want. Do you know how?”

“I do.” Chrys nodded. “But sometimes people come to me. They need help. I…try not to say yes anymore but they can be so desperate, so frightened. It’s hard to turn them away.”

Lilly’s small smile turned rueful. “I know just what you mean.”

Warmth lit up Chrys’ gray-green eyes. “Somehow I knew you would.”

~*~

Xavier followed Jonathan off a ways from the mingling group of people gathered. A glance told him Dave had wandered over to talk to Vic and Cody. When he looked back Jonathan was leaning close and Xavier gave him a soft smile. “You didn’t stay long enough for me to say good morning the other night.”

“You,” Jonathan tapped the end of his nose. “Sleep way too late for me. And besides, I had to go get myself in trouble at home.”

“I do not sleep too late, you just get up way too early.” Xavier said. “I’m almost afraid to ask… what did you get in trouble for?”

Jonathan tried to look serious and contrite. It almost worked. “I surprised the lord of the manor in bed with another lover. I was…caught off guard and he was very annoyed with me. So he gave me to his new lover and forgave me because I’m so beautiful.”

One arm looped lightly around Jonathan’s waist Xav gave him a knowing look. “Mm, so you pitched a hissy fit and Vince figured the best way to shut your mouth was to put a dick in it. Such a smart guy, that Vince.”

Jonathan poked him in the ribs. “So crude.” He tsked.

Xavier grinned and leaned closer to his ear. “You like it, don’t try and pretend.”

“Doesn’t mean you’re not crude. And it wasn’t in my mouth, anyway, so there.” His green eyes danced with amusement, wondering why Xav didn’t ask the obvious question about who it had been.

The answer to that of course was that Xav had already guessed who it must be. Vince wasn’t likely just to pick up a total stranger, and the only one close to them right now that wasn’t already sharing their bed was Der’s new dreamboat.

“Well, I owe you breakfast sometime anyway,” Xav said. “I didn’t want you to have to sleep on the couch.” Which was his way of also saying he was sorry things hadn’t exactly gone as planned with Dave coming home early.

“I know that, babe,” Jonathan said softly. “Don’t worry about it.” He gave Xav a little kiss before he moved off to talk to Elric.

Drew stepped out into the hall and looked down toward the end where he saw Xavier step into the bathroom. He walked down the hall and leaned up against the opposite wall, arms crossed and hands cupping his elbows while he waited for Xavier to emerge. A few moments later when the door opened and Xav looked up and smiled at him he almost lost his nerve. He took a deep breath. “Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?”

Xavier took in Drew’s stance, noted the slightly nervous tone and determined expression and thought, uh-oh. His smile didn’t fade but his eyes took on a slightly more guarded cast. “Sure, sweetheart. What’s on your mind?”

Drew tilted his head, indicating they should move somewhere more private and Xavier followed him down the hall a ways further. They stepped through an open door into the now empty den.

“Please don’t tell me you’re secretly in love with me and want to run away. That might complicate things,” Xavier joked.

Drew didn’t even crack a smile, and Xavier had to wonder how bad this was going to be.

“Xav…I don’t want to stir up any shit, but can you… couldn’t you just leave Jonathan alone?” There, he said it.

Xavier blinked at him, for once no immediate response coming to mind. Then the surprise settled into confusion. “Um…ok. Drew, what’s this about?”

“Nothing. I just…just don’t want you taking him home again, ok?”

Xavier’s expression softened a bit. It probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do, because he could tell Drew was a little upset, but he couldn’t resist teasing him a little. “Well honey, if you’re jealous I could ask Vince if you can come with us, too.”

Drew rolled his eyes. “I’m not jealous.”

Xav grinned. “Sounds like it to me.”

“I’m not.” Drew said, exasperated. “Look, just don’t, ok? Leave him alone. Don’t you have enough to choose from?”

Xavier arched a brow at him. While he was perfectly willing to grant his request if it was bothering him, now he felt like being contrary. “Drew, what’s the problem? You didn’t mind before.”

Drew stared at him for a moment, wishing now that he hadn’t gotten into this. He sighed. “He came home after being with you and was so upset he started snapping at everyone and was just an emotional mess. I don’t want him upset like that, and I don’t want you to use him like that.”

Xavier went very still, his expression frozen and for a moment they just stared at each other. Drew finally looked away, feeling uneasy. “Xav…”

“Fine.” Xavier cut him off tersely. “I’ll stay away from him. Happy?”

“Xav, I didn’t mean…”

“I said fine.” Xav snapped. “Get lost, Drew.”

Drew looked at him again, thought about saying something more and thought better of it looking at his shuttered eyes and hard expression. “Okay…thanks,” he murmured and turned quickly to leave. He hurried back down the hall.

“Yeah, sure. No fuckin problem,” Xavier muttered to the empty room. Instead of going back out to rejoin the others, he crossed the room to the window and looked out over the back garden. He crossed his arms and leaned against the window enclosure. He hadn’t used Jonathan. Not anymore than Jonathan had used him. They both wanted each other and went off to go fuck like mad and then return to their normally scheduled lives. What was the big deal?

Sitting in the corner with Der and Brandon, Vincent hadn’t missed all the comings and goings. When Drew reappeared, looking fetching in his suit but as if someone had just slipped ice down his back, Vincent waved him over.

“My kestrel.” He waited until Drew’s hand settled in his. “Someone has upset you.”

Not for the first time, not even the hundredth, Drew cursed his inability to keep whatever he was feeling off his face. No matter how hard he tried, if he was angry, or upset, or horny it was like a beacon turned on to broadcast exactly what he was feeling. He leaned close to Vince’s ear, knowing already that saying ‘nothing’ was wrong would not be accepted as an answer. “Can we talk about it later? It’s not a big deal.”

“All right, my love. As you wish.” Vincent pulled Drew into his lap and wrapped his arms around him.

Victor had already had enough of socializing. True, he was fond of almost everyone there but after Elric’s memoriam, he felt raw and emotionally drained. Not really the right state for him to be in to engage people in light conversation. He left Cody chatting with Quinn and wandered down the hall for a few minutes of quiet…

…and came upon a too familiar scene. Xav with his arms wrapped tight around himself, staring out the window.

“Xav? Sweets? What’s wrong?”

“Huh? Oh, hi Vic.” Xavier said, looking up, obviously coming back from somewhere distant. “What’s up?”

“What’s the matter?”

Xav lifted one slender shoulder in a shrug. “Nothing. Just thinking.”

“Mm, yes, I see that much.” Vic stepped over to stand beside him and share the view of the garden.

This time both shoulders went up, the shrug a little more defensive and his arms still wrapped around him tightly. “Really, Vic. It’s nothing. I don’t want to… I don’t want any kinda problems stirred up, especially not here and not today. Anything like that happens and you know everyone will think it’s all my fault, right?”

“Well, it generally is,” Vice answered deadpan. He turned to Xavier and opened his arms when his teasing fell flat. “Come here, sweets. God. Telling me what’s wrong isn’t ‘stirring up’ anything. There’s no one else here. Just you and me.”

Xav hesitated only a moment, and then leaned closer, letting Vic’s strong arms close around him. It felt so good he relaxed a little more against him, turning his face to lay his cheek against his chest and suddenly he felt his throat close up like he was about to cry or something. It was ridiculous. There was nothing to cry about.

“Drew asked me to stay away from Jonathan, that’s all.” He murmured, feeling like he was six years old tattling on the class bully, which was even more ridiculous because it was Drew, who couldn’t bully his way out of a paper bag if he had to. “He thinks I used him. Dave did, too. And since Drew said he was upset when he went home, Jonathan thinks so, too.”

“There now, that wasn’t so hard,” Vic murmured into the top of his head as he held that lean body tight. “Though I do think you’re jumping to conclusions. Evidently so did Drew. Jonathan gets upset about a lot of things. Most of them having to do with things he doesn’t want to remember. It may or may not have had anything to do with you.”

He stroked Xavier’s hair. “And this whole ‘using people’ nonsense you keep getting so hung up on…everyone uses other people. To greater or lesser degrees. I think what upsets you is that you’re not always quite sure why.”

Xavier frowned slightly but he didn’t pull away. Even if Jonathan hadn’t gotten upset because of him, and even if Drew was making assumptions, that didn’t explain why Dave had questioned his motives for bringing Jonathan home. He remembered Dave quite venomously accusing him of using that guy they’d ended up picking up on the ski trip. He’d pretty much accused him of the same thing again, albeit more gently this time.

He lifted his head and looked up at Vic. “Well then why are they all acting like I did something wrong? I didn’t do anything wrong, I followed all the rules, and I still get treated like a fuck up.”

Victor took his face between his hands, his dark eyes sad and tired. “Has Jonathan said you upset him?”

Xavier shook his head.

“And has David implied, said, or acted in any way that makes you think he is anything but concerned for you?”

“That’s just it, Vic. He’s concerned.” Xav blinked and the teardrops clinging to his lashes finally fell. He took a ragged breath. “He goes out and finds someone else and it’s a mistake, he just let his libido get in the way. I bring home someone he knows, someone he’s ok with, and it’s gotta be because there something wrong with me. Like I wanna get back at him, or I wanna drown everything out with sex.”

“Xav…” Vic pulled him close again and let him cry. The problem was that with Xavier, both of those things were probably true on some level. But that was an issue for his therapist, not for a well-meaning friend. “You might recall that he tried to kill himself over his ‘mistake’, my sweet. It’s not as if he just shrugged it off. And if he worries over your motives, it’s partly because his own can get pretty tangled.”

~*~

Drew put his head on Vince’s shoulder. He was silent for a while, watching the room. As the minutes started to slip by and Xavier didn’t reappear he thought about getting up and going to find him. He kept thinking about how he looked, eyes slightly hooded, a blank stare. He’d thought Xav had been pissed, but…maybe he’d been hurt. The more he thought about it the more he fidgeted and chewed on his bottom lip and fidgeted some more. Finally, he couldn’t stand it anymore and heaved a sigh. “I think I hurt Xavier’s feelings,” he blurted out to Vince.

“Ah.” Vincent’s hand stroked his back in soothing circles. “And why would you do such a thing, my love?”

“I-I didn’t mean to.” Drew said, his cheeks heating now with shame. “I just…I asked him to leave Jonathan alone.” He said so softly even Vince had to strain to hear.

“Drew, my darling, my own…” Vincent kissed his cheek with a little sigh. “If such a thing were necessary, who do you think would be the most appropriate person to say it?”

“I know…I know. But, I wanted him to leave him alone. Jonathan doesn’t think he did anything wrong, and you don’t think he did anything wrong, but I know something wasn’t right, I know Jonathan came home upset and he felt like Xav used him or something. I just didn’t want him to see him upset again.”

Vincent wondered if another Dom would have been angry at such a breach of authority. Probably. Most likely. He simply felt…what? A little sad, a bit tired, perhaps. He smoothed a curl out of Drew’s eyes. “I love you,” he murmured. “I love that you want to slay dragons for Jonathan. To protect him and keep his heart safe. But perhaps if Jonathan was hurt by what Xavier did, it should be Jonathan who says so.”

Drew slid his arms around Vince’s neck and buried his face at the side of his throat. “I’m sorry, Vince.”

“My love, I’m not angry with you. And you’ve done nothing to hurt me.”

Drew pulled back to look at him. “Should I go… should I say something to him?”

Vincent kissed him softly. “I suppose that depends on what you say.”

“I’m sorry? I didn’t mean it? Please don’t be a bitch and snap my head off?” Drew cleared his throat. “Well, not that last part.”

“Not a bad start.” Vincent gave him a little smile and a nudge. “Though, the last I looked, I’m not Xavier.”

“Thank god,” Drew said under his breath. “Or we’d be in big trouble.” He kissed Vince and rose, taking a deep breath as if girding himself, and headed back out and down the hall where he’d last seen Xav.

The door to the den was still open and Drew stepped in, at first only seeing Vic’s broad back and just as he thought he’d ask him if he’d seen Xav, he turned slightly and saw that he had him in his arms. He also saw that Xav had his hand up over his face and his shoulders were hunched and… oh, god, Drew felt about as low as he could get. Damn.

His face crumpled and drained of color as he moved closer. Both Vic and Xav heard him and turned at the same time. “Xav… I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it.”

Xavier swiped an arm over his eyes and glared back at him. “I told you it was fine, Drew. Just go away.”

“No, it’s not fine. I didn’t have any right to speak for Jonathan. I’m really sorry.”

“Oh, so the first time you weren’t really sorry?” Xavier said, just to be spiteful.

Drew took it in stride, though. “I meant it both times. Please Xav, it was a stupid, shitty thing to say. I was a total jerk to even bring it up. I know you wouldn’t hurt Jonathan on purpose.”

There was a tense few moments and then Xavier sighed. “Yeah. You’re a stupid jerk. Aren’t we all.” He lifted his arm and made a beckoning gesture until Drew came over and he put his arm around his shoulders, bringing him into the circle of Vic’s arms as well.

Victor heaved a shaky sigh as he wrapped them both close. This better be the end of the drama tonight. I can’t take any more. “Stupid jerks or not, our hearts are in the right place.” He kissed the top of Xavier’s head and then Drew’s. “You’re good boys. There are reasons why people love you that have nothing to do with the physical.”

He gave them a few minutes since they both clung to him fiercely. “Now, then. I know several people who might get worried and come looking for the two of you. And here I am with you snuggled in my arms. From a territorial standpoint, how do you think that would look?”

“Dave would want to know if anything was going on, then watch, or join.” Xavier said without batting an eye.

Drew nodded. “Yep. Jonathan too.”

“Hm, four beautiful boys, all for me,” Vic said with a wistful sigh. “Nice thought, maybe another night.” He gave them each a little smack on the butt and sent them on their way.

Drew and Xavier walked back in together, but separated almost immediately. Xav, because he wanted to go see Dave, and Drew because he saw Vince and Jonathan talking and walked over to them.

Neither one asked if everything was settled since the entrance together said it all. Jonathan wrapped his arms around Drew and pulled him close, though he murmured to Vincent, “Look, Vince, my own knight in shining. Can we keep him?”

Dave turned from where he was talking with Ethan. “Hey, sweets! What’s–” He broke off and took Xavier’s face between his hands. “Love? You’ve been…” His eyes hardened as he asked, “Who made you cry?”

“Nearly everyone here’s been crying. It was a sad thing.” Xavier evaded.

Dave’s eyes told him a storm was brewing and he wasn’t buying it. Xavier sighed. “Not the time or the place, hon. And I’m alright, so please, later. OK?”

“I don’t much fucking care about time and place,” Dave growled, so low no one else could hear. “Someone’s hurt you and he’s gonna pay for it.”

“Christ, Dave,” Xav muttered under his breath. He looked around at the room full of people. “C’mon then.” He took Dave’s hand and led him out. He headed toward the conservatory where at least it would be private and quiet. They walked and he told him about what Drew had said, and that he’d already apologized.

Drew…well, that put a damper on Dave’s fire. He listened, wide-eyed, and slid swiftly from ferocity to pensiveness. He stopped at a bench and sank down, staring at his hands.

“Well, I guess I can’t really slug the little guy. I mean, not again.” He looked up at Xavier who still stood, arms wrapped around himself. “Especially since…it wasn’t just Drew who made you cry, was it?”

Xav sank down next to him and pulled his heels up onto the edge of the bench, wrapping his arms around his legs so he could rest his chin on his knees. “No. I guess not,” he finally said.

“And here I was all set to go after that Hawthorn creep. I was so sure it was him.” Dave rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “And it’s me instead.”

He let out a hollow bark of laughter that made Xav wince, surged up and started pacing, his hands scrubbing through his hair. “Fuck, fuck, fuck…dammit, Xav, even when I’m trying to do the right things, I hurt you.”

Xavier closed his eyes, suddenly very tired. “Yeah, and you’ll probably do it again. And I’ll probably do something to hurt you again. It’s just how things go.” He opened his eyes again. “It’s not your fault, Dave. Maybe Vic is right. Maybe I get so upset ‘cause you hit too close to the truth and I just don’t see it right away. Or don’t want to see it.” He stayed just as he was, arms wrapped tightly around his up drawn legs. For a moment or two he felt like he was going to cry again but he swallowed it down and blinked any tears back. He didn’t want to upset Dave anymore than he was.

“Xav…don’t…” Dave got out in a choked voice and flung himself back onto the bench to wrap Xavier in a fierce embrace. “Don’t shut down, swallow everything whole. I’m here… I’m here… I love you so. I worry…I’m sorry…I can’t help it. I’ve spent most of my life worrying. And sometimes the stuff you do is gonna mean something and sometimes… sometimes a banana is just, you know, a banana.”

Xavier put his head on Dave’s shoulder, his face pressed against the side of his throat. He made a strangled sound, half chuckle, half sob, at what Dave said. He took a shuddering breath. When he lifted his head, he brought a hand to Dave’s cheek, fingers caressing lightly. He touched his lips to Dave’s in a tender kiss, and another, softly seeking more.

A little moan, as much relief as desire, rose from Dave’s chest. He cupped the back of Xav’s head and tilted for a better angle, tongue caressing Xavier’s lips in a silent plea. Xav opened for him, their tongues caressing slowly. There was no desperation, no guilty, hurried spark of lust. Instead, the tender heat grew slowly, building on soft touches and sweet murmurs.

“I love you…” Xav murmured between breathless, heated kisses.

Dave pulled back, his eyes wandering over the beauty of Xavier’s face. “And I love you, sweets.” He combed through Xav’s hair. “But you were right about time and place. It does seem kinda…disrespectful to take you here, in his orchid garden, after his eulogy and everything. Maybe we should make it an early evening, though, yeah? And when we get home, you can do whatever you want with me.”

“Anything I want, huh?” Xav said, his voice taking on that husky edge that Dave knew so well. He kissed a soft line of kisses down his jaw until his lips touched the base of Dave’s ear. “How about if I strip you naked, tie you down to the bed…” He breathed in a soft whisper. “And then paddle you until you’re brick red with a plug deep inside you…would you like that?”

Dave’s head fell back on a dizzy moan as all the blood rushed from his head. “Christ… yes…oh, yes.”

Xav took his earlobe between his teeth and nipped him, hard. “Let’s go back then, have to be polite and stay for a while, no?”

“Yeah,” Dave managed on a gulped breath and straightened his tie. When he stood, he held out both hands for Xav with that heartbreaking little-boy smile. “Do I get to have the gag, too?”

Xavier slow smile was full of seduction and heat as he slipped his hands in Dave’s and stood, but he shook his head slowly from side to side. “Oh, no… I want to hear you scream.”

“”K.” Dave laughed. “But you’ll have to explain things to the cops when the neighbors call them.”

Xav chuckled. “Well, maybe just a little gag.”

“Oh, good,” Dave stage-whispered to the nearest orchid. “He does love me.”

Back in the massive dining room, Orion kissed his Dom’s cheek and left his side to wander across the room. Ethan stood talking to Cody, with Quinn tucked under his arm, Cricket lying at their feet. Orion crouched down to pet the pretty dog. He did love dogs, though he knew the Prince would never allow one to live with them. Too messy.

Cricket thumped his tail but otherwise stayed where he was, giving Orion’s hand a little nuzzle and a lick of greeting.

“Keit told me you hand-carved the frames for the pictures of the Prince’s family, Orion. They are really beautifully done,” Ethan said with the warm appreciation of someone who understood working with their hands and the genuine craftsmanship involved.

Orion raised his head, a hint of anxiety lurking in his bright blue eyes. “Thank you, sir. Could I…speak to you a moment?”

Ethan’s smile was kindness itself. “Of course. Here, or is it private?”

“I…suppose it doesn’t make much difference.” Orion shifted to one knee, his gaze returning to Cricket as he went on, unaware how much the supplicant he looked. “Your house, sir…it has beach access, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, it does.”

“I’d like to….to use it as a staging point. For…” He heaved a breath. “For Jake’s farewell.”

“Sure you can, Orion. Is there anything Quinn and I can do to help?”

Orion shook his head, struggling. Just saying Jake’s name still caused him to break down. Dear God, would it always be that way? “Not until then,” he finally forced out. “I may need help…carrying something.”

“Alright.” Ethan said. “You just let us know when.”

The little gathering began to break up around ten. Dave and Xavier had left first, which was a little surprising, but Der had seen the embers smoldering in Dave’s eyes and decided it wasn’t surprising after all.

Now he stood in the front hall with his mother, just the two of them, wishing her a good night.

“Do you really like him, Mutti?” he asked softly, feeling twelve years old again.

“Oh, he’ll do, I suppose,” she said with that too-serious face. When he rolled his eyes, she laughed. “Yes, yes, I like him. He’s able to laugh at himself. And he adores you. Much better than that T–”

“Don’t, Mom, please,” Der interrupted softly. “No comparisons.”

She leaned in to kiss his cheek. “I’m sorry, sweetpea. If this is more than just a fling, I’m very pleased.”

“You think Papa would have liked him?” Der couldn’t help the question.

“I think he would have preferred you pick the nice, handsome vet.” She smiled at his exasperated sound. “He would have teased you and grumbled about this and that, but, yes, I think he would have liked Brandon very much.”

Der stood at the door and waved as she drove off, a warm glow around his heart.

Lilly had perched upon a stool near Orion’s workbench as he showed her his latest project. The frame was made from teak wood with black walnut inlays, painstakingly carved with intricate knot work. It was a small piece, but probably the most difficult thing he had made yet. It was beautiful, the frame itself a work of art, and she told him as much.

It had been a month since they’d first met, and most of their time together had been spent in the garage workshop, and on a few occasions in the rose garden. They did not speak of Jake since that first day. In fact they talked of very little that could have been construed as ‘counseling’ or ‘therapy’. They talked of average, everyday things, things any pair of friends might discuss. Orion had asked her once why this was so, and she had answered that she wasn’t a doctor. She could not make him well. The only thing she could do was to be a friend, and perhaps that might help him to make himself well.

When Lilly visited she often spent time with Elric as well. They had tea together in his study, or walked in the observatory. She loved the orchids there.

The day that Orion finished the picture frame, they all had lunch together, and while Orion and Keit were cleaning up, she and Elric took a leisurely stroll along the lush stone lined paths of his indoor jungle.

“You have not seen any clients since discovering Orion’s identity,” she observed.

“I hef seen clients. A few. To counsel and discuss progress,” he answered softly.

“But not the usual number. And not in the usual setting.”

“No. I suppose not.” He stopped, hands clasped behind his back as he studied a stunning cream and burgundy bloom. A muscle twitched in his jaw and he found it hard to look at her. “It hes been…difficult to return to vork.”

“I imagine it would be, when you’ve no desire to return,” she said softly, stopping to admire a cascade of deepest purple blooms with red throats. She turned toward Elric, and for some reason the vibrant beauty of the colorful blooms suddenly looked lurid next to her flawless cream skin and rich ebony hair. “Would you show me downstairs?”

He squeezed his eyes shut and swallowed hard, first to quell the automatic protest and then to quiet the terrible unease crawling up his spine. Attempt to quiet, at any rate. No, he wanted to say, absolutely not. Such sights are not for a fairy princess.

But he knew it would be a lie, to her, to himself. He was afraid. I fear no man, he had snarled at Jonathan. But Lilly was as far from man as possible.

“As you vish,” he said softly and tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow to lead her there.

The heels of Lilly’s sandals sounded in light counterpoint to Elric’s heavier tread on the stairs as they descended. When they reached the bottom, she looked around the room. Her tiny frame dressed in an airy silk dress was as out of place amid the leather, chains, and rough hewn wood as the proverbial rose, or perhaps a lily, amid the daisies.

She walked slowly in front of the wall of well-cleaned and cared for implements, looking over the whips, floggers, and paddles as she had looked over the orchid blooms in the observatory a few moments ago. “Why have you not asked Orion to come here with you?” she asked, probably the most direct question she’d ever asked of him.

“He needs time, my dear.” Elric leaned against the rack’s frame, arms crossed over his chest.

Lilly paused before the large frame that had been built for Orion, although she couldn’t possibly have known it was his. Here, in this setting, the delicate fae like quality she exuded seemed to shimmer around her. “And how long will you make him wait?”

“I shall not force myself on him. He hes made no move, no indication of interest, neither in myself nor in the things I could give him here.”

Lilly looked up toward the ceiling where the chains for suspension were looped and ready. “So, you expect him to get over his grief and shame and come to you. I thought you were the dominant partner?”

“You presume far too much, meine dame,” Elric said in that too-soft voice his subs knew heralded his temper boiling over. “You do not understend all he hes suffered at the hends of cruel, evil men. You do not know all I hef lost…”

He caught himself on that odd slip and turned away from her with a strangled sound, hands gripping the wood.

Lilly stood at his side, not the least bit intimidated or cowed by his chill outburst. “I do not need someone to tell me when they have suffered, sir. I see it on their souls as easily as I see the expression on their faces,” she said gently. “Both of you have suffered greatly, but he is not the stronger one, not in this.”

“Orion is ready to say goodbye now, to his beloved Jake. Ready to move on. But he will not, because he has found a new use for his grief, he holds on to it to punish himself…” She laid her small, delicately boned hand feather-light on his right arm. “…for hurting you. Sometimes, to hear the words of forgiveness is not enough.”

For a single, heart-stopping moment, he glared at her, teeth bared, before his eyes closed and he had to turn away so she couldn’t witness his expression crumbling.

“My strength is a sham, a lie,” he forced out past the ball of flame blocking his throat. “I am a coward and a fraud. I ran from all I vas, from centuries-old obligations, from those I hed loved more than life. How do I justify the audacity, the ego, by vhich I tell other people how to fix their lives? How do I tell him to be brave and face vhat he hes done vhen I hef not been able to?”

“Hm, all the people that you’ve helped then must be very disappointed. The fact that their lives have been made better is completely invalid now because at a time of great despair you needed to find yourself rather than face duties that others had no right to place on you to begin with. How terrible of you,” Lilly said in her softly musical voice.

He turned his back to her, his face buried in his hands. Anyone else he would have told they didn’t understand, couldn’t understand. But Lilly did. Instinctively, he realized that.

“Please leave me in peace a moment,” he got out in a choked whisper. “I cannot hef you see me this vay.”

Lilly ignored his request and stepped around him. “I know pain, Elric. Even if I were to leave now I have seen it and felt it in you. There is no shame before me,” she said, her voice now softly soothing. “Please, sir. Let me help you.” Her hands came up to cover his ever so gently as she moved close to him.

Had she made demands, he would have been able to muster enough anger to order her out. The soft touch, the soft plea, were his undoing. He flung his arms around her and buried his face against her neck, giving in to the ragged, broken sobs.

Lilly felt the shudder run through her as his emotions poured out at last. He was so careful, always so very careful never to let anyone see the least vulnerability, never to let anyone too close. Even those two he had let near his heart once more he had kept at arms’ length when he needed them most. And he thought himself weak…

His sorrow and pain finally released were nearly overwhelming, they ran over her nerves and flayed them raw, she could not even gasp, and still she held him, soothed him, hummed comfortingly near his ear as he clutched her to him like a lifeline, and perhaps she was.

His sobs were broken by snatches of incoherent speech, mixed German and English and French, as if he could no longer separate languages. When the torrent began to recede, he felt foolish and exhausted.

“Please forgive me, feenhafte Prinzessin,” he whispered close to her ear. “I am so sorry.”

Lilly lifted her eyes, jewel bright and shimmering with emotion. Her gentle fingers caressed his cheek. “You have no need to apologize, my sweet prince. I pushed you, because no one else close to you would.”

“Such is the burden of command.” His breath still hitched, though he managed a twitch of an ironic smile for her. “No vone tells you vhen you are being stupid.”

He leaned in to kiss her forehead. “You are a rare gem, Lillanna. Of such clarity and brilliance, it is sometimes blinding.” He pulled back, produced a handkerchief and dried his face. “Did you vish to be here, to supervise, vhen I call him down?”

Lilly’s eyes widened slightly. She hadn’t expected that question, and now it was her turn to look a little discomfited. She had to drop her eyes. “I-I’m not sure if Orion would be comfortable with me here.”

“Most likely not,” he said with a twitch of a smile. “Please forgive me, my dear. I hef been told my sense of humor could cause a drought in the Amazon. In any case, I need to compose myself a bit before I undertake such things.”

Lilly wasn’t sure if she was embarrassed or relieved he had been joking.

He kissed her cheek and offered his arm again for the return trip upstairs. Tempting, to offer Lilly all sorts of things in his dungeon which might bring that lovely blush to her cheeks, but he knew he wasn’t ready for that and certainly not for the rejection he suspected he might receive.

After Lilly had driven off, Elric took Keit aside. “Mein herz, I hef something I must do this evening. I must not put it off any longer. I vill be taking Orion downstairs. Though I vould like him to hef his privacy, I vould like you to remain in…shouting distance, so to speak.”

“Of course, sir.” Keit said, a little smile gracing his lips. There was a sort of nervous excitement in his belly, both that this might be the step needed to put their household back to ‘normal’ again, and that this might mean his Prince would want to invite him downstairs again soon as well.

“My good boy.” Elric took him by the upper arms and surprised him with a fierce kiss. “Vone for courage.” Then a second. “And vone for luck.”

He strode off, leaving a bemused and aroused Keit in his wake. The workshop stood empty, so his highness went hunting and found Orion out in the garden filling the bird feeders. His fascination with birds had never diminished, a sign that it had always been so.

Elric watched from the patio until he had finished and then called out to him in a voice that left no room for doubt. The summons was not a request. Orion came to him hesitantly, an anxious light in his earnest blue eyes. “Sir?”

“You vill go down to the basement and vait for me there.”

“Have I done something wrong, sir? If it’s about–”

“Basement. Now. Move, boy.”

Orion stared at him, rebellion and distress warring in his expression. He swallowed hard and went inside without another word.

A slow count to thirty and Elric went after him. If this didn’t go as it should, if Orion became angry or refused him…he wasn’t certain yet what he would do. The thought that he had a stranger in the house still nagged at him. No, he had to proceed on the assumption that Orion was still Orion.

He stood at parade rest when Elric came down. Kneeling would have been better but it was a start and a good point to begin with. “You hef not vorn your collar since you came home,” the Prince began, his voice soft and chill. “You do not kneel vhen it is appropriate. Tell me vhy this is?”

Orion blinked at him, stunned. “Sir, I…I don’t…” He looked up at the ceiling, over at the rack, then down at the floor.

“You refuse to answer questions, you cannot even look at me vhen I esk them.” Elric stalked to the wall and snatched a crop from its hook. “Vhy is this?”

“Sir, please…” Orion whispered, eyes still on his feet. “I don’t…I don’t know.”

The crop whistled and cracked against Orion’s thigh. His head jerked up, anger in his eyes. It couldn’t have done more than startle him since he still had his jeans on but the point was made.

“Try again. Try harder. I vill not accept these ongoing evasion any longer.”

“I don’t–”

Again the crop struck, this time on the other side.

“Sir, please!”

“Vhy. Don’t. You. Put. Your. Collar. On.”

Orion stared at him, mouth open, choking on his words. He shook his head, spread his hands and finally fell to his knees crying out in anguish, “I can’t put it back on! It feels wrong! I don’t deserve it!”

“Better.” Elric tapped the crop against his boot. “And you feel this vay because…”

“Sir, please. You know why. Please don’t torture me this way.”

The huge body trembled now and Elric would have given all he owned simply to take him in his arms and hold him tight. For all their sakes, he couldn’t. They had to finish this. He raised the crop and brought it down across Orion’s shoulders. “You vill pay attention and you vill answer me, my boy. Vhat makes you think this?”

“I hurt you! All right! I hurt you and I killed Jake and I’m a damned walking time bomb who isn’t fit to be around anyone!”

“Better. Strip and stand at your frame. You know how this is done.”

There was reluctance and resentment but Orion obeyed and let Elric fasten him into the four corners of the wood frame at his wrists and ankles. He released a long, shuddering sigh and at least seemed less frantic.

Elric began with the crop and then moved to a knotted flogger, mercilessly driving Orion to list his crimes, to name every guilty moment he clung to so hard. From talking Jake into leaving MIT to work for the government, to ignoring his warnings that the project was badly run, to abandoning him when he died, to screaming insults in Elric’s face, he pulled it all out, one strike at a time.

“And then, my boy, vhat is it you did then?”

“I hit you!” Orion bellowed as the metal-weighted flogger lashed across his back. “Again and again! I left you bleeding and unconscious and you could have died! And I left you there! Lying in your own blood! Oh, god…”

He wept, huge, wracking sobs that shook his frame. Elric had a bad moment, wondering if the wood would hold. It did. Orion’s back, buttocks and thighs glowed red. A few thin trails of blood even showed here and there. Normally, he would never have gone so far but his gut told him that Orion needed blood for blood, that nothing less would be enough.

“And for this you refuse to forgive yourself.” Elric walked around front, standing chest to chest with him.

“Oh, sir…how could I?” Orion wailed. “You saved my life. You took me in, took care of me and pulled me back from the dark. You gave me everything and I love you. And this is what I do to you?”

Elric reached out a gloved hand and seized Orion’s chin to keep his thrashing head still, to keep him focused. “I promised long ago never to strike you in anger. I hef not done that even today. I hef beaten you bleck and blue because I still love you. And I vant you beck. In my life, in my arms, in my bed. Te absolvo. I forgive you. And if I can do so, there is no reason you should not.”

He patted the massive chest, still heaving with sobs, and called for Keit.

Keit quietly came out of the green room where he’d been waiting unobtrusively. Listening. Whether he wanted to or not. He completely understood the necessity of what had just occurred. He knew it was not punishment, but release. He knew this might possibly be the only way Orion could heal. That hadn’t made it any easier to hear his anguish.

That he was also aroused by the intensity of the session made him uncomfortable, probably for the first time, with his desire. There would be time later to think on that though, right now he needed to be fully in the present for his Dom and Orion.

The Prince was still breathing hard and looking uncharacteristically disheveled, tendrils of damp hair stuck to his face, his braid in shambles. He would never have admitted it but his exhaustion matched Orion’s breath for heaving breath.

“Herzchen.” He gulped for air. “If you could unfetter his feet first and then let him lean towards me vhen you do the wrists. I am not certain he vill stand on his own right now.”

Keit came up on the dais, got Orion’s ankles unfastened, and helped Elric ease him down from the frame. He might not have been as tall as Elric, but his lean, compact body was every bit as strong. They both took his weight on their shoulders and got him down and into the bedroom when they laid him face down on the bed. Keit quickly went to fetch washcloths and warm towels and was back in a blink.

His hands were the only thing that gave away his nerves, trembling slightly as he carefully washed the blood from Orion’s back.

Elric slid onto the mattress to lean against the headboard and patted his thigh. Still sobbing softly, Orion hitched his way up until he could lay his head in his lap. No suggestions to hush came from Elric, he simply stroked Orion’s hair and let him go for as long as he needed.

When the sobs quieted to little hitches and sighs, he looked up at Keit. “Mein herz, there is a certain item on my dresser. I think you know the vone. Could you bring it here, please?”

Keit did as Elric asked, hurrying up the flights of stairs quickly and returning just as quickly with Orion’s collar in hand.

“Thenk you.” Elric took his hand to kiss his fingers as he took the collar. He tangled his fingers in Orion’s hair and gently tugged his head up. “Vonce you took this collar from my hends. Fully villing and vithout reservations. I am not certain you understood fully vhat you did then. So I am compelled to esk again–do you vish to belong to me? Mine to do vith as I see fit? Mine to shelter and protect? You vere an Alpha vonce, a man of commanding presence and the need to rule. Perheps this is no longer right for you?”

Orion wrapped his arms around Elric’s waist and buried his head against his stomach. “I’m not that man anymore, sir. I…can’t be. My brain doesn’t work the same way it used to. Shadows will always follow me. I’m yours, sir, blood and bone, if you’ll still have me.”

“Lift you head, liebchen,” Elric whispered, a suspicious crack in his voice. When Orion did, he fastened the leather back around his neck. Though he lay completely naked otherwise, somehow he looked clothed again. He took Orion’s face between his hands and kissed him softly. “So. It is done.”

“Thank you, mein herr.” Orion sniffed and dove back down into Elric’s lap, his shuddering breaths both relief and an overflow of emotion.

Keit bent to kiss Elric’s cheek. “Would you like me to make some tea, sir?” he asked quietly, his way of seeing if perhaps he’d like some time alone with Orion, or if he wanted him to stay.

Elric nudged Orion over so there was room at the edge of the bed. “Perheps later, herzchen.”

A little grunt came from Orion as he burrowed inwards towards Elric’s crotch, snuffling at the leather.

“Are you hungry, my love?” the Prince said with a soft smile.

“Please, mein herr, you smell so wonderful. I want to taste you…”

“So. How could I deny a man obviously on the brink of starvation?’ Elric undid the buttons of his leathers while his gaze caught Keit’s. “Süsselein, boots, if you please.”

Keit knelt beside the bed and untied the laces of Elric’s boots, pulling off one after the other along with his socks. He couldn’t resist rubbing his cheek along the inside of his foot, kissing the swell of his anklebone.

“My heart,” Elric’s voice had descended to a soft purr. “You may do as you vish. Stay on the floor. Climb on the bed betveen Orion’s thighs…”

Keit kissed Elric’s instep and let out a shaky breath. He still held the back of his ankle with one hand and with the other he reached down to rub over the outline of his cock pressing hard behind his zipper. He closed his eyes with a soft moan, planting soft kisses over the ball of Elric’s foot and the underside of his big toe. He squeezed his erection a little harder and got his pants undone.

The Prince’s brow arched up. Keit would insist on surprising him still. He shifted as Orion peeled the leather down from his hips to free his erection and leaned back against the headboard, his one foot still on the floor. While he wasn’t altogether fond of having his feet touched, this gentle, passionate adoration sent heat flooding to his groin.

Orion licked up the underside of his cock at the same moment Keit sucked his big toe into his mouth, pulling a moan from him that he normally wouldn’t have allowed.

Elric’s heated moan sent shivers down Keit’s back. He used his thumb to knead gently into the arch of his foot, the thumb of his other hand almost mirroring the action over the slick head of his cock.

Orion ground his hips against the sheets, more than willing to please himself while he serviced his gorgeous Dom. He slid his lips around the frost-pale head and slid down the shaft, savoring every inch, moaning as Elric’s fingers tangled harder in his hair.

Keit kissed and licked his way over each toe and up the top of Elric’s foot in a reverent manner. His cock was so hard he was shaking with desire. His slowly stroking hand caressed over his erection. Another soft moan escaped him and he lowered Elric’s foot to his lap, his hips arching up to rub against the underside of his foot.

“Süsselein, you vill hold out until Orion comes,” Elric purred. He curled his toes to tease at Keit’s stiff cock. “Orion, liebchen, you may use vone of your hends for yourself if you like.”

With a hard groan around Elric’s erection, Orion slid a hand underneath his body and fisted his own member, pumping in time to the movements of his mouth.

Keit watched them from the floor, the way Orion moved, the way Elric tipped his head back with a look of pure pleasure on his handsome face. Orion’s skin glistened in the soft light, the lines crisscrossing his back testimony to the work of the flogger. Oh, god… it had been so long since he’d felt that kiss on his skin. A surge of desire coursed through him, his cock throbbed with the need for release. He bit his bottom lip and held back the tide that wanted to build and crash over him.

The bed shook with Orion’s thrusts into his fist. Desperate sounds vibrated around Elric’s member and he smiled, tangling his fingers hard in Orion’s honey-gold mane. “It’s all right, liebchen. Let go.”

Orion’s answer was to plunge his mouth all the way down, sucking hard, while his body bucked and jerked through a much-needed climax. Elric’s head fell back against the wall, little gasps escaping as his balls tightened in a sudden rush and his orgasm exploded up through him.

Keit waited until they had both slumped, breathing hard, and then rose gracefully from the floor, sliding up on the bed to curl to their side. His blood was pounding and his cock ached for relief but he didn’t want to come. He wanted this to be for them, which was partly why he hadn’t joined them on the bed until now. The torment of waiting could also be quite delicious.

A little needle of guilt stabbed through the haze of Elric’s afterglow. He had neglected Keit in his depression. The boy had behaved, never once trying to injure himself, but that he denied himself indicated that he yearned to be disciplined. It would be done properly but later, when Elric had the energy again.

He covered them with a blanket and gave them each a soft kiss. “Rest, my darlings. I hef things to see to.” So many things. He needed to call Caroline and get his clients back on schedule. He needed to call Anthony and apologize for neglecting their fencing, Lilly for a sounding board, Cody for a matter of delicacy…

So very much to do.

Elric had his hand in the crook of Orion’s elbow as they came up the walk. “He hes missed you terribly. I know it may be somevhat…different. At least in the beginning. But he hes vaited so anxiously for your return.”

He opened the door and switched on the lights. It was late. Keit might have gone to bed.

*

Keit had changed for bed but had not been sleeping. He had been sitting in bed reading. Trying to read. Pretending to read?

When he finally gave up, he went down to the kitchen and made himself tea. He drank it, washed and dried his cup and put it away. He was coming down the hall when the front door opened and stood in nothing but pajama bottoms and a hopeful smile when Elric and Orion came in.

“Herzchen, I hef brought somevone home. I hope you do not mind,” Elric said with a little pat to Orion’s arm.

He turned his head as a matter of habit to prompt Orion into a response but the big man spoke on his own.

“Keit? I’m…so sorry.” Orion ducked his head, swallowed hard, and raised his face again to meet Keit’s eyes. Odd. It was as if he saw double. Otter, yes, he saw that, and superimposed on the old way of seeing was a new one. Keit was breathtakingly beautiful. “I’ve hurt you…”

Keit moved closer, and for once greeted Orion first instead of his Dom, sliding his arms around that massive frame and pressing his cheek to his chest. “I’m just glad you came back,” he said softly.

A breath hitched in Orion’s chest, his arms hovering over Keit before they settled gently around him. “I’m not quite…the same, you know.”

Keit only nodded against his chest, his warmth seeping through Orion’s shirt to his aching heart. He didn’t have any illusions about the pain disappearing but at least he had a place to stand, a place he belonged. He hoped he still belonged here.

“So. It hes been a difficult few days for us all,” Elric said. “Time for bed. Orion, do you need company?”

He stroked Keit’s back absently, the skin comforting under his hand. “I…don’t sleep well these days. I’d rather not keep anyone else up.”

“Well, that make three of us, then,” Keit said, his softly cheerful voice at odds with his words. “If you change your mind, let me know.”

Orion winced at the reminder of the anxiety he had caused and made his way up to his room. His ship. The scents were right; the soft moonlight through his bay window was soothing. He still woke throughout the night but he did sleep a bit, more than he had the previous few nights.

Over the next few days, they circled around each other. Sniffing, the Prince called it, a normal male response. No one slept together, no one did much more than offer an embrace or a chaste kiss. Certainly, no one uttered the words ‘basement’ or ‘play’. Orion was careful and respectful of Elric, but he didn’t kneel to him and made no move to put his collar back on. It seemed more a product of uncertainty rather than pride, though.

This new Orion still had some of the odd, pensive qualities of the old one. But where the old Orion could sit stone-still and watch or think, often for an hour at a time, the new one had lost the ability to sit still altogether. He had to be doing. Something. Anything. He begged the Prince for tools and commandeered half the garage as a workshop, careful always to cover the Mercedes to protect it from sawdust, and there he built. And built and built. Small things at first, simple things, that became more ornate and elaborate as he read and learned and discovered forgotten skills.

Throughout his working, cleaning, and weightlifting, though, he never smiled. The rare barking laughs that escaped sounded more like exhalations of bitter irony than mirth. Most often, he was simply quiet, serious, intense, with short bouts of severe depression where he would suddenly sink to the floor and weep.

*

“Well, perhaps you should ask him, my Prince,” Keit suggested.

Elric sat behind his desk, scrolling through pages on his computer while Keit sat in a cozy chair reading, keeping him company. They had been discussing Orion’s progress, or lack thereof. He seemed better than he had been the first few days after the shattering news that had sent him into a blind rage and staggering out the door, but other than being more aware of his surroundings, the healing process seemed to have stuck right where it was.

Katya had sent an email suggesting it was time to seek professional help for Orion. Elric had asked Keit’s opinion.

“Perheps so,” Elric said softly. He had always been so careful to keep Orion out of the hands of doctors, except his own personal physician. The fear of the courts stepping in to take him away had been real and ever present. Now though…

Orion had talked to his parents in Minnesota, had recovered documents, and had obtained a driver’s license. The men in black from the government might still try to find him someday, to ask him questions, but he was a real, legal entity again. To keep him sequestered out of fear of discovery no longer made sense.

Elric rose and kissed Keit softly. He went out to the garage and leaned against the doorframe, waiting for a break in the noise from the circular saw. Orion’s current project lay in various pieces, difficult to tell what it would be. There was something right in the way he worked with the wood, as if his hands had been made for it, his every muscle involved in the process. Elric did begin to despair that his house would soon become a storage shed for Orion’s projects, though.

“Liebchen, could you stop a moment?” he called out when he could.

Orion looked up, startled, and lifted his safety goggles up to blink at Elric. “I’m sorry, sir. Is the noise bothering you?”

“No, no. I don’t hear much of it from the house.” Elric strode in, running a hand over a finely sanded piece. Table leg? Perhaps. “No, I vished to speak to you. I know this hes all been terrible for you and I knew from the start you vould need time. But I grow… concerned for you.”

“Oh.” Orion looked down at his hands. “I’m sorry. I…I’ll try harder.”

Elric sighed. “Liebchen, I do not mean to say you are at fault or lacking in some vay. I simply vonder if maybe you need somevone to talk to. A person who is better qvalified than myself.”

“If you think I should, sir.”

A white hand slammed down on the workbench. Orion flinched.

“No. Not vhat I think. You are a man of vast intellect and experience. You do not strike me as somevone who spent his life as a dishrag. Yes. Or. No.”

Orion took the goggles off his head, turned towards the wall, turned back, spread his hands, and turned away again. His breath hitched. He buried his head in his hands. “Yes. I…I feel like things are broken inside.”

Keit cleared his throat softly to get their attention. “I’m sorry to interrupt, sir. But I thought of something after you had left. I know someone who might help. She’s not exactly a therapist in the traditional sense. She’s a healer.” He looked toward Orion. “I could call and see if she would meet with you.”

“Not vone of those pretentious, New Age…” Elric waved a hand, unable to come up with the right word for the type of person he meant.

“No, sir. Older traditions.”

Elric put a hand on Orion’s back and waited for him to turn. “Perheps it vould help?”

“Yes. Please…if you could call her for me.” Orion leaned his head against the top of Elric’s, as if he needed the support to stay upright. “I wouldn’t know what to say.”

*

Lillanna pulled up to the handsome Victorian and parked in the drive. Ordinarily she did not make house calls, nor did she really have room in her schedule right now to see someone else, but Keit was a friend, and he was rather special, so she had made the exception.

Keit greeted her at the door with a kiss to her cheek and led her inside. “The Prince and Orion are waiting in the sitting room. I’m so glad you could come.”

Lilly smiled fondly and followed him. “I hope I will be able to help your friend,” she said in her softly musical voice.

Keit smiled to himself at the fluttery feeling her gentle words caused in his middle. He had a very short list of women for whom he might be able to go straight. Angelina Jolie, Sandra Bullock, and Lillanna Willows. He’d take Lilly before Angie or Sandy, too. She had the kind of beauty that transcended place and time, like a perfect porcelain doll come to life. As he opened the door to the sitting room for her the thought crossed his mind that perhaps he should have said something to Elric about what she looked like. He didn’t want him to dismiss her ability because at first glance, she seemed more ethereal than substantial, but he’d never known his Prince to judge a book by its cover before and would just have to trust he wouldn’t now.

“Sir, I’d like you to meet Lillanna Willows.” Keit said. “Lilly, this is Elric von Melnibone and this…” He gestured toward the huge man beside Elric. “Is Orion.”

Lilly came forward, her tiny frame and delicate features dwarfed by the men in the room. In reality, she was probably close to Katya in stature and size, but Katya carried such presence about her, she always seemed taller. Lilly, at first glance, seemed demurely shy, a mouse in a lion’s den who called no real attention to herself. Except perhaps for the glorious waterfall of inky dark tresses that tumbled down her back in soft waves. And then she lifted her chin and let her eyes come up to meet theirs and the illusion of ordinariness shattered.

Eyes so intensely blue they glowed from some inner light gazed at them from a lovely heart shaped face with softly sculpted feminine features so delicate she seemed almost unreal. When people said someone was ‘breathtaking’ they described this kind of beauty.

“Hello,” she said.

Orion’s throat worked and he dropped his gaze with a single whispered word, “Eventyr…”

“Guten tag, Lillanna,” Elric took her hand with a soft smile and kissed the backs of her fingers. “It vas good of you to come. Please sit and tell us how you vish to proceed.”

Lilly took the seat between Orion and Elric, seeming somehow to float there. Watching her sit Keit thought of a feather alighting. Everything about her seemed soft and delicate. He wondered if he should warn them of the steel that lay beneath that beautiful soft surface. Later he would.

“We’ve already begun, I think,” she said. “Healing a bone or a scrape is more obvious than when things are broken on the inside.” She echoed Orion’s words eerily. She turned her attention to him. “Keit has told me you like to make things.”

His gaze still on the floor, he nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I…guess I always have. My father showed me how to make boats when I was little. Ones that could sail on the pond and floated even when it was windy.” He ducked his head further, a little color climbing his throat, “He said Vikings should know how to make boats.”

“And so they should,” she said gently. “Would you show me the things you make?”

He blinked. Why would you want me to do that? But he kept the thought locked away and nodded as he rose, a trembling in his middle he didn‘t understand. “It’s all out in the garage.”

Elric watched them go and motioned for Keit to stay where he was. He recognized power when he encountered it and knew Lillanna had no need of their help. Oh, merciful heavens, she was enchanting. A sudden vision struck him of that graceful form disrobing for him, bending over one of his spanking benches, perfect globes offered to him…

He let out a little snort and shook off the thought. Incredible, that she could distract him so.

*
Orion led her out the side door and to the detached garage where the Mercedes crouched in its isolated splendor. He had built a shelf on the far side of the garage where all of his smaller pieces now sat lined up. His first attempts had been little boats, just as he had carved with his father, small enough to fit in his palm. The boats grew successively larger to the dragon-prow longboat, as long as Keit’s arm, complete with mast and little oars.

Dala horses in various sizes followed and then little bits of miniature furniture as he experimented with shapes and joining. A footstool with clawed feet sat on the bottom shelf, though it lacked a cushion for its top. A simple ladder-back chair sat next to the shelf and beside it a more elaborate one with a carved back and cabriole legs. With Lilly looking over his work, it struck him that he had never finished a single piece. Most of the construction had been completed, but all of the wood stood bare, not a single piece painted, lacquered or stained.

For some reason, with her there, a flush of shame crept up his chest. “I should at least paint the dala horses,” he murmured, staring at his shoes. “They look naked.”

“Sometimes I leave things undone, meaning to go back and finish later, and months later I’ll remember that I still haven’t gotten to it.” She laughed lightly, a laugh that brought to mind fairies dancing around bluebells. “These must have taken a lot of work.” She commented as she looked at the different woodcarvings. “What will you do with them when they are finished?”

~*~

“What do you think of her, my Prince?” Keit asked when he was sure they were out of earshot.

A hundred answers came to mind, some Elric knew would shock even Keit. He leaned back against the sofa as he gazed out the window. “She is exquvisite. And impressive.”

“That she is.” Keit agreed. “I’m sorry, I forgot the effect she has on people.”

“No apologies, mein herz,” the Prince said with a soft smile. “I vould not hef traded the moment of first seeing her for all the vorld.”

*

“Do?” Orion echoed, feeling incredibly stupid. Do with them. The thought had never occurred to him. He shrugged and leaned against the workbench, arms crossed over his massive chest, eyes on the floor. “What does one do with such things? They’re just a way to pass the time.”

Lilly picked up one of the dala horses, her slender fingers tracing lightly over the smoothly sanded wood. “Is that all you are doing? Passing time?” she asked. “For what are you waiting, then?”

The question rattled him. His head snapped up. He met those incredible eyes and felt as if he fell into a summer sky. What was he waiting for?

“For the pain to lessen,” he whispered. “For Jake to come back. But he’s not coming back. And the pain sits under my heart…” He clutched a fist to his chest, his face crumpling.

Lilly set the little horse down and placed a warm hand over Orion’s much larger one comfortingly. She did not say things like ‘it will be alright’ or ‘time will make the pain less’. What she did say was, “You are right, Orion. He’s not going to come back. Nor does the pain seem easier to bear.”

He looked at her, the pain shimmering in his earnest eyes. “Tears and time are nature’s healers, but sometimes they are not enough.” She said softly. “Sometimes, we don’t let them be enough. Do you want to live, Orion?”

He heaved a shuddering breath. “Sometimes…sometimes I think it would be easier to lie down and die. He was part of me. Like a limb ripped away. Easier to join him than to live without him.” He waved his free hand towards the house. “But there are those who love me. I can’t do that to them, force this anguish on them if I take the coward’s way out.”

Lilly nodded, her delicate hand steady and soothing where she touched him. “Then, we will have to find a way for you to say goodbye, and go on living.”

A tear crept down his cheek. “We promised forever. On the green of Boston Commons, we were married and vowed forever. How do you say goodbye to something like that?”

Instead of answering she asked, “If you had been the one that died, and Jake had lived, would you have wanted him to lie down and die, or be miserably unhappy and alone for the rest of his life?”

“No. Of course not.”

“Then why should you want it that way for yourself?” Her fingers tightened for a moment on his hand. “Let’s go inside now.”

He wiped the tears from his face and nodded, following as meek as a newborn lamb.

“I’d like to see what one of the dala horses looks like when you’ve finished it. Will you call me when you have?” she asked as they walked down the hall together.

“Yes, ma’am.”

They entered the sitting room, where Keit and Elric were still in conversation. Keit looked up and smiled. “That didn’t take long.”

Lilly smiled with a little nod. “I think we’ve said enough, for today,” she said simply. “I will see you soon Orion,” She looked to Keit. “Thank you for inviting me.”

“Thank you for coming,” he said.

Lillanna’s eyes lifted to Elric’s. “Good day, sir.”

The little twitch at the corner of his mouth was the only reaction. He favored her with a genteel bow, his expression calm and serene. “Good day, schöne Dame. Ve hope to see you again soon.”

They all watched her walk to her car, two pairs of eyes with a certain wistfulness and one deep in thought.

After she had driven away, Elric leaned against the doorframe, one white brow cocked up at Orion.

“Sir?”

“Is it necessary for me to interrogate? Or vas it simply a social visit efter all?”

Orion dropped his gaze, fighting with words again. Strange how hard they came sometimes still. “She says…she suggests…that I should think of how to say goodbye to Jake.”

The Prince’s expression softened. “Vhatever you need. You vill let me know, please. Anything at all.”

“Thank you, sir.” Orion rubbed the back of his neck, stiff and tense. His whole body hurt. Actually it hurt most of the time these days, he just didn’t notice when he kept busy. “I don’t…don’t have any idea yet.” His fingers stole up to rub his temples. “God. I don’t feel well.”

Keit came forward. “Do you want to go lay down?”

Orion nodded and Keit glanced at Elric, who gave him a slight nod. He took Orion’s hand, led him out, and walked with him up the stairs to his room. It wasn’t necessary for him to go, of course, but Keit felt better if he knew Orion was tucked in.

“Do you need anything? Water? Aspirin?” Keit asked once Orion had lain down and he had covered him. Orion shook his head no. “Okay… Orion… would you like me to lay down with you? Not to do anything, just for company? If you don’t want me to, it’s OK. I just thought I’d ask…”

The automatic negative was nearly on his lips before Orion stopped himself. The physical misery fed the emotional and back around again, he was astute enough to realize that. He had heard it said often enough that physical contact, of the right sort, was as important to healing as any medicine. Maybe…

He lifted a corner of the blankets and waited for Keit to slide in with him. He’d stripped to his boxers, Keit was still in his t-shirt and sweats, but the warmth from that graceful little body soaked through the cotton to his knotted muscles like a hot water bottle. Keit slid an arm around him, fingers kneading the overstressed points in his neck as if he knew exactly where the worst places were.

A soft sobbing moan escaped Orion, the relief nearly bringing him to tears. He rolled over onto his stomach, moving slowly so he wouldn’t startle his bed partner. “Please? Would you? Just the shoulders?”

Keit moved to put his hands on those broad shoulders, but it was a little awkward to work from beside him so he slid a leg over to straddle his hips as he usually did, and began to knead his way down Orion’s broad back.

He was not an expert, but he knew how to give a damn good massage, using his thumbs on pressure points and paying attention to both the feel under his hands and the sounds Orion made to tell him which places needed the most attention, how hard, and how much, until the tension began to unknot.

He kept it just a massage, nothing more, but by its very nature it was a sensual experience. It had been so long since he’d been able to touch Orion in any but the most chaste of ways. He couldn’t help the beginnings of a hard-on that wanted to grow.

Keit’s hands moved lower along his spine and Orion didn’t protest. He hadn’t realized how bad it was until that moment. No wonder his head ached all the time. His head jerked up on a little cry as Keit’s thumb hit a particularly sore knot but those wonderful fingers soothed and coaxed until he relaxed again.

If felt so good to be touched. The weight of that lovely body on his butt began to distract him in rather pleasant ways. He’d kept them at a distance for so long. He knew he hurt them.

Without dislodging Keit, he rolled beneath him onto his back and reached up to cup his face. “Little one, would you like more?”

Keit swallowed hard, his laughing eyes serious for once. “I-I don’t want to push you, Orion. I don’t want you to do anything you’re not ready for,” he said, and then couldn’t resist turning his face into the palm of his hand. He had missed him, missed his touch, more than he thought possible before the Prince had made him his and he had moved here.

Orion made an odd sound in his chest, his thumb stroking along Keit’s cheek. “You haven’t pushed. Not at all. Neither one of you. You’ve been perfect gentlemen and maybe shouldn’t have been so polite.”

He held out his arms and whispered, “Come here, little otter.”

Keit slid into Orion’s welcome embrace with a profound sense of relief and gratitude. His arms wrapped around Orion’s neck and he kissed him with a lightly seeking brush of lips.

A breath caught in Orion’s chest, emotion and desire rushing through him in concurrent waves. He slid his hand to the back of Keit’s head to hold him still and rose up to meet those lips in a tender assault, his tongue pleading for entry. The thinking part of his brain shut down, the remainder not much more than a bundle of overstressed nerves and raging hormones.

Keit moaned softly as his lips parted and he kissed Orion with a sudden passion that was like releasing a floodgate. His hips ground slowly against Orion’s, rubbing his stiff cock against Orion’s hard bulge. “Oh, I want you… want you so much,” he murmured between heated kisses.

In answer, Orion snagged the bottom hem of Keit’s t-shirt and tugged it off over his head. His hands stroked over that perfect, compact torso, the feel of bare skin under his fingers sending electric currents up his arms. “Tell me what you want.” His heated whisper caressed Keit’s ear. “Anything you please.”

“Let me taste you.” Keit said as he kissed the side of his throat and slowly kissed and nibbled his way down his chest, stopping to lip and suck the hard nub of his nipple.

Keit slid down between Orion’s thighs. When he got to the waistband of his boxers, he slowly pulled them down, nuzzling into the crinkly patch of dark blond hair around his impressive member and inhaling his musky scent. His mouth watered and he could hardly wait as he licked a warm wet line up the underside of his shaft. His lips and tongue caressed lovingly over every inch of him.

“So sweet,” Orion whispered, his hands stroking over Keit’s head and shoulders, encouraging him.

In the hallway, Elric paused, his foot poised over the first step up to Orion’s room. A deep-chested moan rolled down to him, sending a spear of want through his core. His chest constricted, desire and lonely need rising up.

No. He would let them have their time. The reconnection was important and he wouldn’t interrupt with his selfish wants. He turned and made his way silently back downstairs.

Keit let his jaw relax and took Orion deeper, inching his lips down his turgid pole and gliding back up. His hand wrapped around his base and stroked the flesh that he couldn’t fit inside, his other hand cupping and fondling the heavy sac below. He hummed with pleasure around the thickness stretching his mouth wide, and wriggled his own hard length against the mattress.

Even from behind his haze of pleasure, Orion caught the movement and it had him wanting more. “Turn for me, little one,” he gasped out as Keit tongued his slit. “Let me taste you, too.”

Keit managed the maneuver without lifting his head from Orion’s cock. With his knees straddling Orion’s head, the spice of his arousal seemed everywhere. Orion pulled sweats and briefs down far enough to free his erection. His huge hands cupped Keit’s firm cheeks while he licked at the pearl drops on his tip.

Keit’s thighs quivered, straining to keep his hips from driving forward. The little flicks of Orion’s tongue and brush of his lips over his sensitive head were making him crazy, drove him to take Orion deeper in his mouth, sucking harder and bobbing his head up and down faster as his desire grew.

“Mmm…” Orion hummed his pleasure and lifted his head to take Keit’s lovely erection in his mouth. His hips rolled, caught in the otter’s rhythm. His body tightened, though with a growing, desperate need rather than stress. He took all of Keit’s length, sucking greedily to pull the sweet moans from him that vibrated so deliciously against his aching cock.

Keit’s hips bucked eagerly, his own moans growing more heated and desperate with each stroke of Orion’s mouth on him. It had been a long time, too long, and it wasn’t going to take much to set him off. Having the hard length of Orion’s cock butting up against the ring of his throat while being so skillfully sucked was doing a marvelous job of racing him up to the edge and over. His lithe little body suddenly tightened and stilled a second before the dam burst. His hips jerked and the hard cock in his mouth muffled his delighted cries of release and pleasure.

Salt and bittersweet, Keit’s essence hit Orion’s tongue and sent a hard jolt through him. He fought to keep himself still since Keit had him as far as he could take him already. Bucking up into that wonderful mouth might hurt him. He pulled out an inch to give Keit room to swallow and let go, his orgasm washing over him in pounding waves.

They both lay panting a moment, Keit’s body draped over his. Then Orion lifted and turned him to take him in his arms. He buried his head against Keit’s chest and wept softly, release rather than despair. Keit seemed to understand since he didn’t ask what was wrong.

He wrapped Keit close in his arms and whispered when he could speak again, “I still love you, you do know that?”

Keit blinked back the tears stinging his own eyes. “I wasn’t sure, I didn’t know if you remembered,” he murmured, kissing his cheeks and clinging to him. “I love you, too.”

“That’s just the problem, little one,” Orion answered with one of those odd chuffs that weren’t quite laughs. “I remember everything.” He kissed Keit’s eyelids and wiped away the single tear that escaped. “It was hard that first day, when everything crashed back in on me. Hard to tell when from when and who intended what. But I have it all now. I remember everything.”

Keit snuggled closer, hard to say who held who now. The release and reconnection was good for them both, though, and they relaxed, both soon fading into sleep.

A while later Keit woke. Orion was still asleep. Probably the first really good, deep sleep he’d had in weeks. Very carefully he slid to the edge of the bed, and ever so slowly got up. He breathed a sigh that he hadn’t woken him only when he managed to slip out and close the door. He took the steps quickly, dashing for the bathroom at the end of the hall. He wouldn’t have risked waking Orion at all if he hadn’t had to pee so bad.

When that was taken care of he decided it was probably better not to go back and risk waking him again, so he went to find the Prince to tell him what had happened.

He didn’t have to go far. Elric’s bedroom door stood half-open. The light was on. He sat on his bed, still dressed, staring at something on the bedspread in front of him. Elric looked up with a little smile and no one but Keit would have been able to see the pain lurking in his eyes.

“Did things go vell, herzchen? You do look better.”

Keit came into the room and knelt before him. Ordinarily he wouldn’t have touched without permission or invitation first, but his emotions were still roiling and he needed the contact. He leaned forward, put his head on Elric’s lap and his arms around his waist. “He needed me, my Prince.” Which he already knew Elric knew, but felt he must say anyway

Elric stroked his hair. “I think you needed him as vell, my dear. And I am pleased he acknowledged his need finally. It is a good step.”

He was silent a moment, then swept a hand towards the box on the bed, the box that now contained the photographs from the broken music box. “I shall feel like a hypocrite telling him he must say goodbye. Vhen I hef been unable to all these years.”

Keit lifted his head to look up at him, his face in profile, expression very much turned inward. He rose slowly, sliding to sit next to him on the bed and hugged him from behind, offering his quiet comfort and support.

“Perheps…” Elric’s forefinger traced the edge of the box, frost against ebony. “Perheps if I made some effort, some step of my own, it vould come easier for him.”

Keit ran his fingers lightly down the back of his arm and placed a soft kiss behind his ear. “Perhaps, mein herr. Perhaps.”

With a tender kiss, Elric sent Keit to bed. He knew he had wanted to stay and the Prince felt a bit guilty, but he needed to think.

The next morning, Orion looked healthier at least. He ate breakfast with something close to his old appetite and afterwards announced he was going to the hardware store. When he returned, he went right to the garage and stayed there the remainder of the day.

“You think he’s all right out there, sir?” Sasha asked after the last appointment left after two. “It’s been awful quiet. No saws, no hammers…”

Elric patted his shoulder. “I shall go check. So you vill not expire from concern.”

Orion had drawn up a stool to his workbench and sat hunched over something. Boots announcing his presence on the cement floor, Elric walked around to where he could see. All the dala horses stood in a neat row on the workbench, each having received at least a first coat of paint, some in the traditional orange-red, some dark blue and some yellow. Orion’s forehead creased in concentration as he painted the colorful geometric designs for the saddle and bridal on one of the smaller orange ones, the tiny brush lilliputian in his huge fingers.

“Is it all right that I am here?” Elric asked softly.

“Of course, sir. It’s your house,” Orion murmured without looking up from his work.

“I meant rather if you mind that I see the vork before it is finished.”

“Oh.” Orion put the little horse down. “I don’t mind.”

“If I esked you to make something for me, vould you?”

“What sort of something, sir?”

Elric’s hands described a rectangle in the air. “Picture frames. Eight by ten or so, ja? Two of them,”

“I haven’t…” Orion looked down and then up into those ice blue eyes. “I can try, sir.”

“Good. Thenk you.” He came to kiss Orion’s forehead before he left him, wishing he could ask for more.

Orion watched that handsome, graceful body glide across the floor. Perfect. Flawless. A lump rose in his throat. He nearly called him back but the specter of that perfect form sprawled facedown on the floor, bleeding, rose up again and his voice caught in his throat.

How could he ever touch him again, except in the most discreet, careful ways, after doing something like that? The Prince said he forgave him, said he understood, but it wasn’t so simple. He longed for the easy companionship they had before and found it impossible to reach for. He longed for those beautiful, white hands on his body…

He closed his eyes on a long sigh when the Prince shut the door behind him.