Pandora: Liminal Space Book 2

Chapter 41

"That's more'n a little dangerous though, isn't it?" Jonah commented as Garrett stopped for breath. He and Tamara both made faint noises of surprise.

"Homemade antigrav units are always dangerous," Garrett said after a moment, "but that doesn't mean they can't be useful sometimes. I made this one when I was fifteen. I threw it off of a building and it hovered for more than three minutes before the motor gave out."

"Were you shootin' for a three minute trial?"

"Five," Garrett confessed with a smile.

"Lucky you weren't wearing it, then," Jonah said, coming over and sitting down on Garrett's bed. "I got permission from Rickie to spring you a little early, if you want to head home now."

Garrett paused, hearing Tamara sigh. "Yes, I do want to head home. Tamara, let me know when you have your next shift here, okay? I'll tell you five different ways to build a flamethrower."

"Cool. Um, so, bye." Overly tall boots clomped away quickly.

Jonah chuckled and ran his hands down Garrett's arms. "You're kinda a bad influence on her, you know."

"I'm a creative influence," Garrett corrected, standing up and leaning into Jonah's embrace. "She needs an outlet for her intelligence and creativity or she's going to go crazy cooped up here."

"Sensin' a kindred spirit?" Jonah suggested lightly, but Garrett could feel him tense up. Garrett chose to change the subject.

"How long before I can rejoin the ranks of the sighted?"

"'Nother half an hour or so," Jonah said. "It'll be just us tonight, though. Cody's stayin' over at a friend's house. Our new neighbors have a kid in his class."

Garrett suddenly felt chilled. "You found a place you want to take, then."

"It's a nice little berth. Three bedroom, two bathrooms, all hooked into Pandora's grid...it's really close to the park, and the playground."

"Oh, the playground." That was one place that Garrett had visited, although he'd been blind for all of it. He'd pushed Cody on the swing for a while before Jonah had convinced him to take a turn. It was old fashioned equipment, deliberately squeaky and quaint. "I'm sure Cody loves that." Shit, shit, shit.

"Yeah." After a moment Jonah placed a kiss on Garrett's temple, then backed away. "C'mon, let's make our way back home. I'll make you dinner."

"I'll be able to see in half an hour, I might make you dinner instead."

"After all the warnin's you've given me about your cookin'? Thanks but no thanks, darlin', I'd rather do the honors tonight."

"Probably smart," Garrett agreed.

They walked slowly back to Jonah's apartment. It was nice not having to use the wheelchair in public, and Garrett never felt insecure when he was holding on to Jonah's arm. Once they were in the apartment Garrett took over their motion and started pulling Jonah towards the bedroom.

"I thought you were hungry," his lover protested with a laugh.

"I am, but not for food. How long until the bandage comes off?" Garrett asked eagerly.

"Twenty minutes."

"I can make twenty minutes fly by if I'm giving you a blowjob."

"Fuck, Garrett," Jonah muttered, grabbing him and pulling him back so that their chests were flush. "You..."

"Don't you want me not to fret?' Garrett offered, running one of his agile hands down Jonah's chest and over the crotch of his jeans, cupping the growing hardness there. "Don't you want me nice and relaxed?"

"More likely to be relaxin' for me than for you, darlin'."

"I can come from blowing you," Garrett promised him. "I want to come that way. I want you to lie down and let me play with you and jerk you and suck you and make you feel perfect."

"It's always perfect with you," Jonah confessed. "Never felt anything like it."

Garrett pulled his mind away from the obvious love in Jonah's voice, from the dangerous commitment it hinted of, and back to sex. "We haven't christened this hall yet, have we..."

"Not in the hall," Jonah replied firmly, keeping Garrett from going to his knees. "With my luck I'll fall over and hit my head, or Cody will suddenly come home or somethin'."

"How about the couch, then?" Garrett said. For some reason he wasn't anxious to go back to the intimacy that was Jonah's—their—bed, not yet.

"It is closer," Jonah mused.

"A valid consideration, so the couch wins." A few seconds later he had Jonah sitting, and a second after that he was sinking down, sliding his body over his lover's as he dropped to his knees. Jonah moved restlessly, his fingers working their way again and again through Garrett's short hair as Garrett pushed Jonah's legs apart. He undid Jonah's fly and freed his erection, leaned forward and hovered over the tip for a long moment, unmoving, just breathing moist, hot breaths over the head. God, Jonah smelled so good, like musk and sweat and warmth. Pursing his lips, Garrett placed a gentle kiss on the head, then trailed his mouth down the shaft until his lips brushed Jonah's sac.

"You have no idea what lookin' at you like this does to me," Jonah husked. "Garrett, you look..." He trailed off into a groan of frustration as Garrett took him in one warm hand and stroked him, softly at first, gradually quickening. "Take me in," he whispered.

Garrett didn't reply, just smiled and flicked his tongue out, tasting his lover, lapping up the wetness that gathered at the tip of Jonah's cock. Just before Jonah started to beg Garrett opened his mouth and inched down Jonah's length, cataloguing every millimeter of it with lips and tongue. When he couldn't see what he was doing, he relied on every other sense so much. Garrett had played around with sensory deprivation, of course, but it was different knowing that you couldn't look. Knowing that he had no recourse was an incredible turn on, even though technically he probably could use his new eyes now.

Garrett sucked Jonah slowly, opening his throat on the down strokes to take him all the way in and licking his way back up before his lips crested at the head. He fondled Jonah's balls, rolling and tugging and pulling them down when Jonah got too close, and the whole time he didn't lay a hand on himself. The only touch Garrett got was Jonah's knees pressed against his shoulders and his hands, his big, warm hands, tracing over the curves of Garrett's head, moving with him, not forcing him down or deeper or faster but just taking everything he had to offer and cherishing it. It felt amazing, being held like that, and that was why when Garrett felt Jonah's breathing really pick up the pace and felt the fluttering that meant his lover was coming start in his abdomen, he let his own iron control go and tightened his abdomen and groin and came, without touching himself, right into the scrubs he'd been forced to put on in the infirmary. A second later Jonah followed, filling Garrett's mouth with his seed. Garrett heard his name as a long, drawn-out groan, and he swallowed and smiled and pulled away just far enough to lay his head against Jonah's thigh.

"Holy shit."

"I like being able to provoke that reaction," Garrett informed Jonah a little muzzily.

"Did you—"

"Yes."

"How?"

Garrett shrugged. "Practice. Motivation. You being you. Take your pick."

"You're a man of many talents."

"I am," Garrett agreed with a smile. "Hey, has it been twenty minutes?"

"Nearly," Jonah replied after a moment. "Get up here." He pulled Garrett up onto his lap and it didn't matter that he was sticky and probably smelly and soon to be uncomfortable, at the moment it was absolutely perfect.

The video com beeped. "New message," Jonah commented as he stroked up and down Garrett's back.

"For you or for me?" They had started routing all of Garrett's incoming calls over here a week ago.

"Looks like it's for you. From Paradise."

Garrett snuggled closer. "Does it say from who?"

"From Miles."

"From my dad?" Garrett pulled back a little. "That's strange. He never sends me messages. They either come through Claudia or we talk directly."

"Want me to play it?"

"Sure." Jonah shifted, and a moment later the message began.

"Hey, Gare." It was Miles, and he sounded tired but also really, really...god, what was that? "I want to get back to Claudia before she wakes up so I only have time for a short message. Claudia went into labor last night, and an hour ago we delivered your new little sister. This is Renee," and there was that tone again, and now Garrett recognized it. It was the tone that meant love. "Renee Emmanuelle. She's seven pounds two ounces, eighteen inches long and cries fit to wake the dead, and she's the newest member of our family that can't wait to see you in person. We're looking forward to your return, son. Claudia sends her love. I'll call again once I can get all the family together." The beep indicated that the message was over.

"Oh," Garrett whispered. "Oh." He turned towards Jonah. "Is she beautiful?"

"You can look for yourself," Jonah said, and his voice was very soft. "It's been twenty minutes." He reached behind Garrett's head and pull the mask's adhesions loose, then slowly withdrew it away from Garrett's face. The lights were low but Garrett was still cautious opening his eyes all the way. Blurriness slowly resolved as he blinked. The first face Garrett sought out was Jonah's, seeking reassurance even though he wasn't sure why.

"Do they look all right?"

"They're violet," Jonah murmured, framing Garrett's face with his hands. "Like a newborn's eyes." He kissed Garrett gently. "You're perfect. Incredible."

"I missed seeing you," Garrett confessed.

"Missed seein' you too, darlin'." Jonah kissed him again, then turned towards the vid screen. "Go on and take a look at your family."

Garrett turned and saw the final still frame of his father's message. Miles looked tired, but he was smiling down at the baby cradled in his arms. The baby's eyes were turned towards the camera though, and Garrett could see that they were violet too, wide open and staring in that blankly curious way that babies had. Renee had black hair that stuck up in every direction, and apart from that she was pink and chubby and very much an infant. His little sister.

"She is beautiful," Garrett said. He stared a little longer at the still. "He looks happy, doesn't he?"

"Your dad? Yeah, darlin'. Why wouldn't he be?"

"Were you happy?" Garrett asked, turning to look at his lover. "When you got to hold Cody, despite everything?"

"The first time I picked him up changed me," Jonah said seriously. "I knew what he was, knew the problems, but holdin' him...there's no better feeling in the world than holding your child for the first time, knowin' they're yours. It's scary as hell, but it's amazing too."

"It must be," Garrett said, glancing back at the picture. There was so much possibility in a baby, all future and hope and nothing to look back on with regret. He shuddered, suddenly getting a taste of that fear Jonah had mentioned, and that his father had to be feeling even now. So much opportunity that could go in so many different ways...amazing, but scary as hell.

"It must be."