Madrigalian

Chp 29

Saturday morning saw Matt and some of the other football players, along with a horde of girls. And a horde of guys watching the girls watching them.

They were on their way up to the Lockwood watering hole where they went swimming every summer.

"So where is Tyler at?" Sean asked, "I haven't really seen him around at all since the finals."

"I heard Damon was ill," Alicia offered, "I saw them at the hospital a few days ago."

Matt shook his head, "I talked to Stefan earlier. He said they were both loved up on could nine," he said with a smirk.

"More like 'loved down'-" Ryan said and pointed down towards the water. "Are they -"

"No-" Matt hurried to say. But they were. Plastered together, flushed and glistening it was hard not to suspect.

"Oh shit," Damon muttered as he heard the engines. "Why didn't you say anything?" he hissed.

"Didn't notice," Tyler replied, nibbling happily at Damon's salty skin. Damon just sighed into Tyler's neck and let the water and his lover hold him up.

Why had they thought sex in the lake was a good idea? They should have remembered it was Saturday and that people were going to go swimming at the Lockwood property. And now they were stuck, literally. In a fit of pique, he bit Tyler's shoulder, hard.

"Ow-" Tyler winced. Damon really did have sharp teeth. "It'll loosen in a minute," he said.

"Hmph -" Damon tightened his legs around his waist, trying to get more comfortable. Tyler caught his lips in a deep kiss, pointedly ignoring their audience. Damon sighed in relief as he felt his boyfriend start to slip out of him. He giggled at Tyler made a face at the drastic change in temperature as he slid from Damon's warm body, into the cold water.

"See, all good," Tyler hummed and pulled his shorts up and tied them under the water. Damon snatched his own from Tyler's pocket where they had been for safe keeping and easily slipped them on.

"Hey guys - if you're done, we've set the grill up!" Matt called from land.

"We'll be right there," Tyler yelled back.

"Last one back is a mongrel-" Damon grinned and dived under the surface.

"Damn," Tyler cursed and followed in hot pursuit.

Damon was a great swimmer. There days it seemed to be the only talent he had left. His healing, his strength, his speed and not having to eat or breathe was all gone. Essentially, he was human, but he could still swim. His slim body cut through the water easily, as opposed to Tyler's bulky frame. While Tyler was faster on land these days, Damon was delighted when his hand hit the grass and he hoisted himself out of the water. He turned around and stuck out his tongue at Tyler who was still in the water.

Tyler leaped up and onto the grass. With a smirk he shook his head, sending water flying in every direction.

"Urgh," Damon wiped his face, "You're such a dog..."

Tyler growled playfully, making Damon laugh. "Here," he said and gave him his sweater, "Wear this so you don't get cold."

"It's bright sunshine," he pointed out.

"Humor me," Tyler replied deadpanned. Damon gave him a half-hearted glare, thinking the werewolf was being overbearing, but dried off quickly and pulled on the cashmere sweater he was sure Tyler had brought just to make him wear it.

He'd never admit it, but while he wasn't cold, walking around with a bare upper body when he was thirteen, nearly fourteen weeks along was not something he was entirely comfortable with. Self-consciousness was an entirely new concept for Damon. He'd always been very fit, having been a football player at university and a soldier, then his body had been immortalised while he was in his prime; muscles still rippling from the battle field, but with a month or so of being well fed to rid him of the gaunt look the sleepless nights and poor food of the trenches.

So for the first time in his very long life, he was putting on weight- as he should, but his expanding waistline was not doing wonders for his confidence.

"Damn Damon, you seem to be shrinking very time I see you, Tyler not feeding you?" Ryan teased, "Here man, have a burger, otherwise the wind will fly away with you." Damon accepted the burger with a tense smile.

"He's right, y'know," Jeremy said from beside him. Damon just gave him a sarcastic glare, as sarcastic as a look could be. "Don't give me that look," Jeremy sighed, "I know you're-" he gestured to his stomach, "But you're barely showing. The only reason I can tell is because I already know. But you are losing weight Damon," he said, "you're much slimmer than you used to be."

"Saying I was fat?" Damon sniped back, staring gloomily at his burger. But Jeremy's words did make him feel slightly better.

"I'm saying you were pretty ripped. You're still toned, but you're losing mass. Probably cause your testosterone levels are plummeting..."

"And what do you know of my testosterone level -"

"Well, given the circumstances," Jeremy started, "It's only logical. Point is, you need to eat more. A glass of O-Neg a day was probably fine before, but you need proper food now, in proper amounts."

"I couldn't agree more," Stefan said as he came over, "Chow it down big-brother," he smiled.

Damon glanced over at Tyler who had a girl hanging off his shoulder. With a sigh he nodded. The 'Damon' Tyler had fallen for, claimed, conquered had been fierce, strong and independent. He didn't feel like any of those things anymore. He'd tried and failed at being his old self the evening of the celebration for their win in the finals. Tyler had seemed to love his temper, but Damon still felt like he'd failed.

Tyler was... he reeked of testosterone, and the girls noticed. It was like they could actually smell it, like he could. The only thing that kept Damon from... doing something stupid, was Tyler subtly shifting away when they leaned closer and from their questing hands.