The Velvet Shadow [slash]

Chapter 14

Note:

Our dear Xenobia, creater of the Wyndrah world, wrote a little scene for this chapter in which one of her characters, Glaive, makes a guest appearance. Since it'll be confusing if you haven't read her story "Mirage", I highly advise you to read it now.
It can be found here: http://www.freewebs.com/ninthwave/mirage.htm

If personal matters hadn't driven Elain to give up drinking, the hangovers surely would have done so eventually. He woke up the next morning to a pounding head, but he recovered with the aid of a nasty concoction that Marithia forced him to drink.

The remainder of his week was uneventful, and Elain began to see signs that his life truly was returning to normal.

Late the next Monday morning, Conroy came into his office carrying a small stack of daily mail for him. The secretary silently left it on the corner of his desk like usual.

Elain opened them one after another, pleased to find no membership cancellations or complaints. It seemed the crisis was finally over. Furthermore, since last Tuesday, an independent surveyor had begun looking through all the accounts and financial transactions of the Velvet Shadow. Of course he wouldn't find anything out of the ordinary, but the mere act of having someone looking into the business matters established a significant amount of trustworthiness. After all, if Elain had something to hide, he wouldn't have ordered the search in the first place.

Underneath the pile of letters lay a small parcel with no sender address. Elain turned it in his hands, finding no sign of who had sent it. Even the club's address was neatly printed. Very carefully, Elain began to open it. He knew that all his mail went through a special scanner to detect anything harmful, but this was indeed strange.

It turned out to be a CD. No label, no cover, and the disc itself was blank without any indication of its content. Elain highly doubted that anyone would send him a blank disc, but he wouldn't just put it into his computer to find out. Maybe someone was sending him a virus? But then there were far more effective ways.

Elain put the disc aside for the time being and continued to work, but it nagged at the back of his mind for the rest of the morning. When he was about to take a lunch break, Elain took the disk with him to his apartment and, after a moment of hesitation, put it into his hi-fi system. The disc whirred, then track numbers appeared, before a haunting, familiar sound filled the air.

It was "Century of Steel" by Bowzer.

Lost in this time
Lost in this world
We stumble our paths
Hoping to find
The end of the rainbow

Elain wanted to reach out and turn off the hi-fi system, but he couldn't move. Like a tsunami deluging the coast, memories of that fateful evening returned with full force. He couldn't shut them out.

"I'm Tyrallin Alwick. My friends call me Tyra." A brilliant, open smile that was burned into the back of his mind like an afterimage of the sun itself.

The remembrance of a cutely blushing face, of laughing, of sweet, perfect kisses. Comfort and passion, happiness and warmth.

But the sun dried
Away all rain
Leaving no more gold
Just this cold thing
This Century of Steel

Deception.

Tales of iron
Pictures of bronze
Daydreams of brimstone
Hopes of glass

"Game? You have to believe me, this wasn't a game! I'm serious, Elain. I'm serious about you!"

As hard as he tried, Elain was neither able to shut out the memory of Tyra's desperate face nor Jaydin's sad voice singing the last verse.

Hands of copper
Voices of stone
Eyes of quicksilver
Hearts of steel

Just this cold thing
This Century of Steel

As the last chord faded into silence, Elain realized that his face was wet with tears. All the newly won resolve was crumbling again, leaving nothing but doubts.

Had he been wrong? Did this perfect little dream deserve a second chance, although it now had a visible crack? Or was it better so stay like this, alone and with a heart of steel forever, a heart that couldn't be hurt but wasn't truly alive either?

Elain had never felt so lost.



At the end of the day, Elain still hadn't found a way to solve his dilemma. All attempts to distract himself with work had failed, and he couldn't concentrate on a book or a workout session. Not even Velvet's usually comforting presence helped him relax. So he finally gave up and decided to take up Marithia's offer of bartending on the first floor. Maybe it would help hearing other peoples' stories again, their problems and mishaps, so he didn't have to mull over his own situation the whole time.

Elain still had a bartender uniform in his closet, and wearing it again brought back another set of memories. It had been a different life without responsibility and a public image. He had just been one of many anonymous good souls keeping the club running and the guests happy. However, Elain's life was different now, and he didn't want to provoke another round of speculations, so he took off his glasses and styled his hair in a different way, some strands still covering is ears. Since his first date with Tyrallin, he knew he was almost unrecognizable like this.

Firmly shoving those memories away, Elain took the elevator to the first floor. It was still early, and neither the bar nor the disco floor were completely filled with guests. Marithia, who was behind the counter as usual, did a double take when she saw Elain.

"Wow, boss, what's the occasion?" she asked in surprise.

"I just wanted to be here for a while," he answered.

Marithia nodded. "Okay. Have fun!"

Elain felt instantly at home again behind the counter. Soon a customer ordered a drink, and he began the mixing. Another order came in, and after a while Elain had almost forgotten anything besides his work.

~*~

Glaive was having another rough night. He'd brought in the perp for a smaller side case he was working on, and the paperwork somehow got misplaced. Because of the error, the perpetrator had to be let go. Glaive strongly suspected sabotage, but he had no solid proof of that. He'd considered speaking to his partner about it, but Haden was so busy with the larger assignment at the studio that Glaive was loathe to trouble him.

"He works too fucking hard," Glaive muttered as he set his parking break and got out of his car. He needed a drink and a bit of winding-down time. The Velvet Shadow offered the perfect opportunity. The music and lights could provide the perfect distraction for him, coupled with a few drinks. If only there weren't a line to get in.

Glaive considered going elsewhere as he stood in the queue, but it moved quickly and before long he was at the front. He dug out his most commonly used civilian ID and showed it to the bouncer before proceeding inside. Once he was in, he looked around for an ideal spot to sit and unwind before choosing to sit at the ground floor bar. It was a weeknight and most of the activity seemed to be going on upstairs and on the dance floor — which suited Glaive just fine.

He walked to the bar and dug his wallet out of his leather jacket before taking a seat. The bartender was a lashran with shoulder-length, dark hair. Upon closer inspection, Glaive realized it was an auburn shade. At first, he wasn't certain whether the bartender was a sire or a lifebearer, but then he turned to ask him what he'd have to drink and Glaive saw that his blue-violet eyes had round pupils.

"I'll have a Bloody Mary, thanks." Glaive had to holler a bit to be heard over the noise of the music.

The bartender nodded, his face hardly changing expression. Without meaning to, Glaive began to read the man. There was a sense of disquiet in him... a sense of wrongness. Long years of specialty training made it almost basic instinct for Glaive to examine and evaluate people when their behavior seemed a bit off. He couldn't help but do it, even though he was off-duty and the chance that the bartender was any sort of public menace was slim.

His spirit wasn't that easy to read. Glaive frowned in concentration. He doubted the lifebearer was even consciously aware of it, but he was fighting the intrusion. "Interesting," Glaive murmured, tilting his head. He nicknamed the bartender "Red" for the time being, imprinting his face in his mind just in case.

Red finished mixing the drink and set the glass before Glaive as he dropped a stick of celery into it. His eyes met the lishere's and for a moment, Glaive saw confusion in them. He understood what provoked that confusion, of course. He had his long, silvery-white hair pulled back into a ponytail, which exposed his pointed ears to view. The reaction to the sight of a pointy-eared lashran with round pupils was delayed, but not unexpected. What Glaive didn't expect was the way the bartender shrugged as if saying; "not my business."

Glaive paid for his drink and watched covertly as the bartender moved around behind the bar, taking drink orders as people placed them and cleaning up. There was definitely tension in the lean body, and it only increased when the bartender's cell phone went off and he peered at the number on the ID screen. A frown marred the elegant features as Red silenced his phone and put it away.

"You make a fine drink," Glaive complimented after taking a sip of the spicy tomato juice mixture. "Most people fail at making these zesty enough to suit me, or they add too much vodka."

"I aim to please." The bartender favored him with a brief, dry smile before wiping down the surface of the bar.

"This place is much fancier on the inside than I expected," Glaive went on, trying to keep the man talking. He wasn't in a particularly chatty mood at all, but striking up a conversation was the best way to get those barriers to give a little and see what was behind them. He didn't intend to probe too deeply and invade the lifebearer's privacy, unless he sensed something dark to look for.

"It isn't too bad," agreed the bartender evasively.

Glaive took another drink and grunted in frustration. The man wasn't cooperating. Weren't bartenders meant to be chatty and accommodating? This one was doing a poor job of it, for certain. He rolled his coral eyes and tried again, annoyed that Red was making him work for a conversation. "So, how long has this place been open? I usually only pass through this part of town, and I decided to drop in for a drink."

The bartender paused in the action of wiping down a freshly cleaned glass and he looked at Glaive with a dry smirk. "You stood in line just to come in for a quick drink? A tavern would have been more convenient, you know. Cheaper, as well."

"Fair enough," agreed the lishere, thinking quickly, "but a tavern full of drunken frat boys doesn't scream of class to me. I also prefer spending my money where the bartender knows how to do more than pour lager and the liquor isn't watered down. For that, it's worth the wait in line and a couple dollars extra."

Red seemed to relax a bit under the casual flattery. "You're a man of taste, I see." His eyes scanned Glaive with veiled curiosity and the agent could guess what question lurked behind his lips. Evidently, the bartender was too well-bred to ask the question out loud, though.

"Yes, I'm a lishere," Glaive answered him with a wink. "You can stop wondering."

"I...didn't say anything," the other man said, looking slightly embarrassed.

"You didn't need to. I've lived on Wyndrah long enough to recognize the question before people even open their mouths." Glaive kept his tone friendly. At least this lashran had the good manners not to make a big deal out of it.

"I see," answered the bartender. "I hadn't realized I was that transparent."

Glaive shrugged. "I'm simply more observant than most. No harm done."

Glaive's cell phone went off at that moment and he frowned with annoyance at the interruption. He'd just started softening those barriers, too. He dug the object out of his jacket with the intention of turning it off, but he changed his mind when he saw the number that was calling him. With a little grin, he put the pushed the button and put the phone to his ear.

"Well hello, Mr. Wolfe. Fancy hearing from you on my fabulous day off."

"Quit bragging," Haden said. "I got chewed out by Mel for leaving the camera lens covered by accident today and then I got a flat on my way back to the apartment."

"That sounds rough," Glaive replied. He took another swallow of his drink. "You should throw some salt over your shoulder for luck, Haden."

"Hey, are you in a nightclub or something? I'm having trouble hearing you over the music."

"Yes, I'm at the Velvet Shadow," answered Glaive. "You should come and have a few drinks with me."

"No can do," Haden sighed. "I've got profile updating to do, and as soon as I finish that, I'm hitting the shower and crashing."

"Hmm, pity." Glaive shot a look at the bartender, who had his back to him. "I'm doing a bit of profiling myself," he finished, cupping his hand over his mouth to keep his voice from carrying.

"What?" Haden sounded confused.

"It's nothing serious," Glaive assured him, "Just following up on a vibe to be safe."

"Heh, and you accuse me of working too hard. Why don't you spend your night off...you know...off?"

Glaive smiled. "I will, as soon as I finish. If you're already in bed when I get home, I'll see you in the morning."

"Okay. Take it easy, Glaive."

The call ended and Glaive put the phone away. "My roommate," he explained when the bartender looked at him. He finished his drink and pushed his glass forward. "I think I'll have another, thanks."

Red nodded and took the glass. Glaive silently probed him as he got a fresh one and started mixing a new cocktail for him. This time, he was able to figure out the gist of what was causing the disquiet and frustration in the lifebearer's aura, and he barely refrained from rolling his eyes. The man was lovesick. Wonderful. Glaive had hoped for something a bit more interesting. He began to withdraw but just as he did, he sensed something beneath the surface that exasperated him. Was anybody in this town capable of admitting their feelings for each other?

When the bartender set his new drink before him, Glaive counted out some bills and set them on the bar. As the lashran reached for it, Glaive grabbed his wrist smoothly and looked into his startled eyes.

"Whatever it is, get over it," he said in a stern tone.

"I...excuse me?" Red looked as though he couldn't decide whether to be offended or shocked.

"As I said before, I'm observant," Glaive said. "Perhaps it isn't my business, but when someone has a hair up their ass as big as yours it can lead to stupidity."

The bartender pulled his wrist away and stared at him. "I think you've had enough to drink."

"I'll take my leave as soon as I finish this one," Glaive answered calmly. He downed the cocktail quickly and sighed with satisfaction before standing up. "If my observation offends you, then it must be accurate. I'll say it one more time before I go: get over it. Your issue — whatever it is — isn't worth spoiling your chance to get what you want. Have a good evening, friend."

Glaive turned and walked away without bothering to listen for a reply. He felt the bartender's eyes boring into his back, and he sensed Red's frustrated confusion. Good. He'd done his good duty of the week and given the fool something to think about. He frowned as he walked to the exit and the thought of his own similar "issue" buzzed in his head. Maybe he didn't have any room to talk, when it came to denying one's true feelings.

~*~

Elain continued to work at the bar for the next few hours, but his mind was in much more disarray. Since the strange lishere had appeared and practically given him an earful and a pep talk in one package, his thoughts kept drifting back to Tyrallin even more than before.

Around one a.m., Elain returned to his apartment, took a shower, and then settled down on the couch next to a sleeping Velvet. As he had suspected, he wasn't able to sit still and not think about Tyra again.

It couldn't go on this way. Either he put the whole thing out of his mind for good — or he tried to get it right this time. Since the first was of the question, it had to be the latter.

Elain got up from the couch and went to the desk with his private laptop, booting it. A few clicks opened his email program, a few more unlocked the address he had given Tyra for receiving emails.

With a deep, shaky breath, Elain started to type a message.

~*~

When Tyra and Feadri came home on Friday after school, their sire called Tyra into the living room.

Tyra kicked off his shoes and dropped his backpack at the foot of the stairs and then went to the living room, where his sire was sitting on the couch. Detrallin put aside the newspaper he'd been reading and looked up at his son.

"You needed something, sire?" Tyra asked.

His sire waited to reply just long enough to make Tyra squirm. "We've decided to lift the grounding restrictions with one caveat," Detrallin announced. "You have an eleven o'clock curfew. That's all."

"But I thought I was grounded until college," Tyra said in confusion.

Detrallin looked at his son with a slightly worried expression. "Your father and I think you've been suffered enough because of all this. And we want to see you smile again, son. Go and have fun with your friends like you used to."

Tyra understood his sire's motives, but he couldn't very well explain that all he wanted right now was to be left alone. He cared about his friends and classmates, but he was fed up with their sympathetic and curious looks.

People were just being so careful with him, and he hated it. The grounding had actually been a perfect excuse to hide away.

"Sure. Thanks, sire," Tyra replied.

Detrallin nodded. "And about that meeting with the head dean of Dalling yesterday... don't worry too much. I'm sure everything will work out fine, and if not, we'll think of something."

The meeting hadn't gone very well, since the head dean had been very evasive and almost afraid to say anything concrete. All they had learned was that the reviewing process usually took the university's board of advisers a full month until a definite decision was made.

"Oh, it's going to get worked out. I'm going to Dalling." Tyra shook his head in frustration. "I'd love to get my hands on the guy that pushed the issue. You know they're going to look more closely at my high school records now. They're probably going through them and finding out how much grief I gave the teachers."

Detrallin snorted. "You may have given them hell, but you never did anything wrong, so they won't be able to make any of that stick. Like I said, don't worry too much." Detrallin picked up his paper and opened it again.

"What's for dinner?" Tyra asked.

"Your dad's fixing vegetarian pasta casserole and chicken salad." Detrallin looked over the top of his newspaper with a lopsided smile. "Actually, the chicken was supposed to go in the casserole, but he forgot until it was too late."

"Huh, sounds like dad," Tyra said.

He went and picked up his backpack and headed upstairs to his room. Once he was there, he fired up his computer and opened his email program. He was completely unprepared for what he found.

There was an email from Elain.

He hesitated for several minutes, simply stared at the screen. At last, he gathered his resolve and opened it to see what Elain had to say. The contents were even more surprising than the fact that he'd gotten the email at all.

Dear Tyrallin,

I know you must be mad at me for not answering your calls and emails and even madder that you now have so much trouble on my behalf. But if you'd be willing, I'd like a chance to talk to you again. Can you come to the Velvet Shadow tomorrow evening if your parents allow? Your card's still working.

Elain

Tyra had to read the email three times before it truly sank in. He was so stunned that he had no idea how to react; anger, hope, frustration, relief, they all swirled madly inside of him until he felt lightheaded. But besides those emotions, there was another unexpected feeling: fear. It was fear that if he got his hopes up now, they'd be dashed to the ground.

What exactly did Elain want? His message gave no clues.

Quickly, Tyra closed his email and walked away from it, intending to read a book on his bed, but after just five minutes, he was back in front of his computer rereading the email. And this time he opened a window to reply to it before making any conscious decision to do so.

Yeah, you could say I was kind of mad, and not just that you wouldn't reply. I read the article in the Wyndrah Celebrity, too.

I want to see you because I never got the chance to apologize properly. However, I'm not sure what you want to talk about. I know it's over. I got that. If you just want to tell me how badly I screwed up, you don't have to, okay? Everyone on my end has been very clear about that with me. So I'll apologize, and you can say whatever it is that you want to say, and I'll be on my way.

What time tomorrow evening? And where exactly should I meet you?

Tyra

Tyra tapped at the edge of the desk for a few moments as he read through it. Then he clicked the Send button.

Now he just had to see whether his parents would be reasonable about his trip to the Velvet Shadow tomorrow.

When Tyra asked them about it, he earned a set of raised eyebrows from his sire and a round of warnings from his father.

"You really want to go back there? Tyra, honey, I know I said that you should apologize earlier, but after I met this person myself, I doubt that it would be a good idea. What could he possibly want from you besides pulling you down even further?"

"Wait, you met Elain? Other than at the charity party?" Tyra asked, completely taken aback. "When was this? Why?"

"I went to meet him after the letter from the university came since I suspected him being behind all this," Lissem answered. "Forests, I doubt that I've ever met anyone colder. He said he regretted that you now had trouble and promised that he didn't have anything to do with it, but I didn't believe him. He admitted that several department deans of Dalling are members of his club."

"Oh gods, dad!" Tyra exclaimed. "I can't believe you did that. I just can't believe it." Tyra shook his head as all of his father's words gradually sank in. "You thought he was behind the scholarship problem? No way. There's just no way he'd do that. He just wouldn't. Forests, this is such a mess. I'm going to meet him tomorrow, and then everything will be cleared up, and it'll be over, okay?"

Lissem didn't look happy, but he nodded. "I won't keep you from going. But I'm sure..."

"Love, that's something they have to clear up between themselves," Detrallin butted in. "You might have made it even worse although you meant well."

"Thanks, sire. Can I, er, set the table or anything?" he asked, hoping his parents would leave it at that.

"Of course. Or better, Feadri can do that. Tyra, why don't you take a look into the fridge if the pudding is ready for dessert." Detrallin winked at him while he gently shoved Lissem out of the kitchen into the dining room.

"Sure, no problem," Tyra responded.

He proceeded to help get dinner together and then he sat down with his family to eat, and for a little while, it took his mind off of his worries about what would come of tomorrow. But later that night, as he lay in bed staring out his window, he couldn't help but wonder what he would feel and think when he saw Elain for the first time since that party weeks ago.

~*~

Elain was equally impatient and anxious. The whole next day he wasn't able to concentrate properly and finally gave up and went to spend some energy at the gym. He had asked Tyra to come at seven o'clock, but the hours and minutes until then seemed endless.

At quarter to seven, he finally went down to the first floor. Luckily, Marithia had her day off, or he would have gotten an earful from her. But as sound as her advice usually was, this time he had to listen to his heart and not his reason.

The problem was that he had no idea what to tell the young sire. Apologize, of course, but other than that he could only try to explain his behavior.

Tyrallin wasn't there when Elain arrived on the first floor, so he took his customary seat at the bar. He didn't have long to wait. At five minutes until seven, Elain saw a familiar spiky blond figure appear in the main doorway.

Tyra spotted Elain almost instantly, and he slowly approached the lifebearer.

It was an awkward moment, looking at each other and not really knowing what to say. But then Elain pulled himself together. He was supposed to be the sensible adult here, although at the moment he felt really childish having been afraid to face the young sire. And fear it had been, fear of looking into those eyes and losing all reason again.

He slowly got up from his bar stool. "Thanks for coming here."

Tyra gave a small shrug. "Thanks for asking me," he replied. He shifted his weight and looked at the people milling about the bar, trying not to stare at Elain too hard. He looked so put together, so composed. Now that Elain knew the truth about him, he felt the disadvantage of his youth much more keenly. "I know it might be a bit uncomfortable, but is there any chance we could talk someplace private?"

"Of course. I just wanted to wait for you here," Elain answered. "Let's go upstairs."

To his eyes, Tyrallin looked only a bit nervous, so maybe the sire dealt far better with the whole situation than it seemed. That thought gave Elain hope that this meeting would turn out better than he had feared.

Tyrallin followed Elain to the elevators, and once they were alone and sealed off from the music of the bar, Tyra crossed his arms and leaned against the elevator wall.

I should say something, he thought to himself. But no appropriate words came to him.

Elain was quiet as well and felt relieved when they finally reached the tenth floor. He had debated with himself about whether he really should allow Tyrallin up to his apartment again, but anything else seemed too impersonal, too businesslike. And Elain had done enough in that direction.

He unlocked the door and gently shooed Velvet out of the way lest she bang her nose against the opening door, and then he invited Tyra in.

Tyra followed Elain into his apartment and then shoved his hands back into his pockets.

"Ever since the party, I thought a lot about what I would say to you when I finally got to see you in person again," Tyra finally said. "I thought about it over and over. Came up with some really good stuff, too. But all I can really say is that I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

Elain took some deep breaths. "I can understand why you didn't tell me. I mean, I was practically no better by not telling you that I'm the owner of the Velvet Shadow. Then I wanted you to get to know me without that knowledge influencing you, and I guess you wanted the same, too. Tyrallin, I'm very sorry for all the trouble you had because of me. I hope you can believe me that I didn't want that. I was mad at you, yes, but I would never wish you any harm."

Tyra groaned and winced at the reminder. "Oh, damn, that's right. I forgot about that. I found out from my dad last night that he came to see you, and he told me why. He shouldn't have done that, and I told him so. I know you wouldn't have done that about my scholarship, and the idea never even occurred to me."

"But I was at fault nevertheless since I wasn't able to keep this from getting to the press, and then the gossip about the charity money started. I'm quite sure that someone used the situation to discredit me and my club, and you got caught up in it. I can only hope that now that the dust has settled, everything will turn out well for you."

Tyra gave a small snort. "After the fight we had, it would have taken an act of the gods to keep the press out of it." Tyra shifted awkwardly and took a few more steps into the room, stopping to lean against one of the chairs. Finally, he looked up and met Elain's eyes. "Did you...did you really mean what you said in the Wyndrah Celebrity? That it wasn't even a relationship to you?"

Somehow, he managed to ask it without choking on the words. They still sounded bitter to his ears, though.

Elain slowly shook his head. "No, I lied as cold-blooded as I've never done before in my life. It was the only way to shut up the rumors, and there were times when I wished that I could believe my own words. But ever since I got your CD..."

Tyra felt some of the tension he'd been carrying around for the past week finally ease from his mind at Elain's words. However, then he blinked a couple of times and shook his head. "What CD?"

"The Bowzer CD that was sent to me," Elain explained, frowning. "That wasn't your doing? But who else knows that we met when Bowzer was playing 'Century of Steel'?"

"Someone sent you a Bowzer CD?" Tyra asked. "Well, that's a little creepy. I really can't think of anyone who would know that. Actually, I suppose the friends who came with me that night might know, but there's no way they'd know that particular song was special. Hey, if you don't mind, can I see the disc?"

"Of course." Elain crossed his living room to fetch the CD from his hi-fi system, then he came back to give it to Tyra. "There was no sender address or note attached."

Tyra turned the disc over in his hands a couple of times. There was absolutely nothing on it except the manufacturer's imprint. After he looked at it, he offered it back to Elain. "That's really weird, and I don't know what to tell you."

As he passed the disc back, their fingertips brushed warmly against each other.

It was like a tiny electric spark that raced through their veins, letting their bodies remember what their minds had tried to forget. Hastily and purely on reflex, Elain pulled back his hand.

"That's strange. But I'm still trying to decide if I'm grateful for this little reminder or not. It's... it's not easy for me to do this, Tyra." Without realizing, Elain had slipped back into the informal way of addressing the sire. "But I'm done being the coward who just runs away and shuts out any attempt for an explanation. It's a reflex that's hard to overcome, I guess."

"I'd never call you a coward," Tyra said. "And it's not easy for me, either, Elain." Tyra held is breath for a second and then let it out slowly. "I'm not sure what more explanation I can give, though. What is it you want, Elain? I'm still not sure. But if you let me know, I can try to give it to you, and then maybe we'll both get some closure out of it."

There it was, the moment of truth. And Elain was still torn between his rational side telling him to make that closure in peace and his once again wildly racing heart that seemed adamant to reach out again although it had been broken so many times.

Elain briefly closed his eyes, then he answered softly, "I'm not sure... I want that closure at all. I know I hurt you, and you hurt me, and maybe too much has happened already, but..." He stopped, unable to say anything else that made sense.

Tyra froze, and he felt his heartbeat start to kick into high gear. Hope reared its head in a sudden and almost painful movement in his chest.

He took a small step toward the lifebearer. "What do you want, Elain?" he asked softly. "Anything you want, just ask. Just tell me what you want."

Elain felt once again helpless while looking in Tyra's open, handsome face, seeing the hope shining in the sire's eyes.

He couldn't turn away, couldn't deny the fragile, warm feeling deep inside him though reason still told him very firmly that he couldn't trust Tyra again, that the sire was far too young, that everything Elain did here was a terrible mistake they both would soon regret.

It didn't matter anymore.

"I want... a chance for us to do things right this time," Elain whispered.

Tyra felt a big smile slowly stretch its way across his face. He took another step toward Elain and slowly brought up his hand to cup Elain's cheek the way he normally liked to do.

"Okay, no problem, but ask me something difficult next time, okay?" Tyra said. "'Cause that's something I want, too."

"I thought that was pretty difficult," Elain answered, feeling as if a heavy weight had been lifted from him. He leaned into the tender touch like a cat. "You could have said no. I mean, I said some very nasty things."

"Hmm," Tyra murmured thoughtfully. "Well, yeah, you chewed me a new one at the party. And you were pretty nasty in the Wyndrah Celebrity, to tell you the truth." He smiled wider as Elain squirmed a bit, and he wrapped his arms around Elain's shoulders and drew him into an embrace. "But, hey, we can use that to our advantage if you want. If it'd cause problems for you, we don't have to be officially seeing each other. I may be eighteen, but that'll fix itself if you give it enough time."

"Actually, that's one of the two conditions I have to set," Elain said, putting his arms around Tyra's waist. "We must keep this a secret from the public until you're old enough that we don't cause a scandal again."

Tyra briefly nuzzled at Elain's hair and then pulled his head back just far enough so that he could met Elain's eyes. "That sounds fine to me. There kind of isn't any way around that except time." Tyra sobered a bit then. "What's the other condition?"

"That you never keep anything from me again." Elain looked up at him with a solemn expression. "That's the main reason why I reacted this way when I learned the truth. I had some severe trusting issues to begin with, and you managed to make the one mistake that gets me completely hostile."

"Yeah, I found that one out the hard way," Tyra said wryly. "But just to clarify, that's particularly about important stuff, right? I mean, I can't tell you every single little thing, and I don't want you getting mad at me because I didn't tell you something I thought wasn't a big deal. But honestly, you now know all of the important stuff. Hi, I'm Tyra, and I'm eighteen, and I'm graduating from high school in two weeks."

"Yes, I know, and that will make me feel like an old pervert for those two weeks," Elain muttered. "Honestly, it's about the important things. Certain people in the past thought that loving another or not being serious with me were minor details that I didn't need to be aware of, so forgive me for being paranoid."

Tyra reached up and tucked Elain's soft red hair behind his ears, gently touching their rounded tips. "You know, I really don't like that anyone hurt you like that, but if you think about it, there was a good reason it didn't work out with those guys. You're supposed to be with me. Sorry I made you wait." Tyra kissed Elain's nose.

Elain was torn between laughter and tears. That was the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to him, and for a moment he doubted once again that this could be really true. But Tyra's smiling face, so close to his own, was real.

"Let's just say it wasn't a moment too early." Elain got up on his tiptoes and gave Tyra a soft kiss on the lips.

Tyra mumbled even though their mouths were touching now, and each word he spoke caressed his lips against Elain's. "Although it might have been easier on both of us if this had happened a couple of years frommmpph!" He lost his ability to speak as Elain put a hand at the back of his head and sealed their kiss completely.

It still tasted perfect and sweet, with a hint of saltiness, but neither of them cared. Like two puzzle pieces clicking together, they fitted perfectly against each other.

Finally Elain pulled back, feeling light-headed and a little out of breath. Gently he stroked through the hair at the back of Tyra's head. "I missed you," he said softly.

Tyra took another quick kiss. "Missed you, too," he said. Then a stray thought occurred to him and he groaned and put his forehead on Elain's shoulder. "Shit, my parents are going to flip out on me when I tell them we're back together." Lissem especially, but he didn't really need to point that out to Elain.

"But you have to tell them," Elain pointed out, soothingly stroking Tyra's hair. "I know your father has a justified grudge against me, but I'm going to try my best to make amends. Do you have any idea what could work?"

"Let me talk to them first, okay? And the way I see it, dad also needs to apologize for accusing you about the scholarship problem without any sort of evidence," Tyra said. Then he sighed and pulled back to meet Elain's eyes. "He's not going to like it, though. Neither of them are. I told them I was coming here to wrap things up and that'd be the end of it. I didn't...didn't really think I could get you back again."

Tyra, unable to help himself, leaned in for another kiss, this one harder, more demanding.

Elain hungrily returned kiss. It grew more passionate and heated by the moment, and soon Elain realized that both their hands were trying to get under each other's clothes. And with that realization also came the reminder that Tyra was still in school, and immediately Elain felt guilty again. With regret, he pulled his hands back.

"I think we'd better take it slow," he breathed.

A bit dazed, Tyra half-opened his eyes. "Hmm, what?" he asked. Then he realized that his hands had gone sneaking up Elain's shirt. "Oh, sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to do that." He slowly pulled his hands away and with some effort managed to pry his body out of their embrace, although he kept hold of one of Elain's hands. "Ah, you're right. My parents are going to expect me home soon. I should probably go and start explaining, but I don't really want to leave yet."

A big part of him was afraid to leave. They'd only just barely gotten back together. Hell, they hadn't even been talking all that long. Tyra glanced at his watch and realized that it hadn't even been a full hour since he arrived. He didn't want to turn around and leave and then realize later that Elain had changed his mind.

"I was hoping you could stay just a bit longer," Elain said, allaying Tyra's fears. "But I don't want to get your parents worried. Can we meet tomorrow or are you still grounded?"

Tyra gave Elain a small smile and gently squeezed his hand. "Grounding's over except that I have a curfew to worry about now." Tyra felt his ear tips heat. "Damn, I didn't realize how embarrassing it could be to tell my centenarian boyfriend that I have a curfew. Hey, let me see how things go with my parents, and then I'll let you know what the plan is for tomorrow, okay?"

"Of course. Forests, now I feel positively ancient. Are you still sure about this?" Elain's lopsided smile indicated that he was at least half joking.

Tyra grinned and made a show of thinking it over. "Hmm, let me see here. Older boyfriend who's dead sexy, extremely smart, and leaves me feeling weak in the knees when he kisses me. So, what exactly am I supposed to be unsure about?" Tyra leaned forward and gave Elain a playful quick kiss.

Elain smiled, feeling his cheeks grow warm. "So you think boosting my ego like this will help? You'd better go now, or I'll decide to not let you leave at all."

Tyra actually pouted. "Aww, man, you say stuff like that, and I...ooh, okay, okay, I'm going," he said, and he let Elain's hand go and backed away. "I'll see you tomorrow, Elain." He leaned in and stole another kiss before backing farther away, out of reach.

"Goodnight, Tyra," Elain said, still smiling. "I wish you luck with your parents."

Tyra nodded and finally managed to turn around and leave the apartment.

With a relieved and happy sigh, Elain flopped down on his couch. Velvet crawled on his lap, purring, as if she knew exactly how her master felt.

"Seems we've finally done something right," Elain whispered to her, stroking the cat behind her ears. Now everything depended on how Tyra's parents would react.

~*~

"You what?"

Tyra cringed at his father's indignant squawk. He was sitting on the love seat in the living room, and both of his parents sat on the couch across from him.

"Yeah, that's pretty much what I thought you'd say," Tyra mumbled.

"But why? Tyra, darling, I'm sorry to say that, but do you have a fever or something? After all that has happened, you can't be serious!" Lissem shouted.

"After all that happened, I thought there was no way we could ever get back together again, and I couldn't stand that. But he said he wants to give it another try, and I'm not letting it get away," Tyra responded.

"But..." Lissem was about to start another tirade when Detrallin gently lay a hand on his mate's shoulder.

"Love, it's no use," he said patiently. "Remember the time when we dated? And how your parents didn't like me at all at first? It didn't matter to us."

Tyra relaxed just a bit, letting his shoulders drop. He hadn't realized how tightly strung he'd been until the tension began to leave him. "Look, I know it seems crazy. This was a huge nightmare, with that fight and the press and everything. But, the thing is, Elain and I just sort of fit really well, and I know I was miserable without him, and I'm pretty sure he felt the same way. I know why he did the things he did, and I think if I'd been in his position, I might have done the exact same things. But we both want to make it work."

Detrallin seemed to take his words into consideration before he replied. "I hear what you're saying, Tyra, but you realize it's going to be difficult, don't you?"

"Yeah, but easy's no fun," Tyra joked.

"Tyra, this is serious!" Lissem chided. "How can you be sure that this whole mess won't start all over again? And there's still the problem with your scholarship. Not to mention that there are thousands of intelligent, pretty, and nice young lifebearers out there who would fit you even better!"

Tyra frowned. "That's right, I almost forgot about that. You really should apologize to Elain for accusing him like that, dad. You didn't have any proof, so why would you go to him like that and point a finger? That wasn't his doing, and you shouldn't have done that without talking to me about it first."

Lissem crossed his arms in front of his chest and shot his son a dark look. "It's my duty as parent to protect my children! And I wanted to see for myself what he would say to my accusations. I might be wrong about him and your scholarship but I still don't like him at all for seducing you and then making you this miserable!"

Tyra rolled his eyes and then fixed his father with a firm stare. "No, you wanted a chance to vent your spleen on him. And you know what? You're jumping to conclusions again. He didn't do any seducing. After we met the first time, I went back there chasing after him."

"Nevertheless, it's just..." Lissem stopped after Detrallin shot him a meaningful look. "What? Don't tell me you are happy about this!"

His mate sighed. "Love, this isn't about us. It's Tyra's decision. And if he loves Elain, no force on Wyndrah will stop him." Detrallin looked at his son. "You have made up your mind, haven't you?"

If someone had pulled the chair out from under Tyra, he wouldn't have been more stunned. "Made up...my mind...that...um, what?"

"I mean if you're serious about continuing this relationship despite all misgivings?" his sire asked. "Tyra, are you okay?"

Love. He'd known it, thought it, felt it, tasted it. But having someone else say the word still surprised him somehow. It was such a short little word. How did it manage to hold so much strength even though it was so small?

"Um, yeah, I'm fine," Tyra said as he shook his head to clear it. "And yes, I'm really serious about Elain. As long as he'll have me, and he says he will, so that's that."

"Good. All I want to say is that you have to be careful," Detrallin said.

"You can't be serious!? Beloved, I'm starting to think you have a fever, too!" Lissem complained. "What do you expect? Should I bake a cake and invite him over for coffee to have a nice little chat as if nothing happened?"

Tyra shrugged and held up his hands. "All I expect is that you give him a chance and not bite his head off the next time you see him!"

Forests help him if his father couldn't let go of this grudge. Tyra decided then and there that he'd better make sure the next time his father and Elain met that it was under perfect circumstances...and preferably with his supervision.

"All right. It seems that I'm outvoted here." Lissem held up his hands in defeat. "But I guess I still need to come to terms with that fact that my little boy is now an adult and has someone who's important for him." His face grew softer again as he continued, "All I want is to see you happy, Tyra. I solemnly promise I try to behave the next time I meet your Elain, okay?"

Tyra nodded contently. "That's fine. That's all I ask. So you'll be okay with it if I go spend some more time with Elain tomorrow? We have a lot to talk about. We kind of didn't have much time tonight because I knew you both were expecting me back home."

"Yes, it's okay. But don't forget your curfew," his father reminded him, getting up from the couch. "I'm going to bed now for some beauty sleep, or I'll get wrinkles from all this stress." He affectionately patted Tyra's shoulder on his way out.

Detrallin looked at his son and smiled. "I'll get your father to invite your boyfriend over, don't worry. I mean, I'm curious, too."

Tyra winced as he rose from the chair. "I'm not sure I want them meeting right away. Maybe we should give dad a chance to cool off a bit more."

"Well, you know your father. He's unable to hold a serious grudge for long." Detrallin got up as well. "Good night, Tyra. Oh, and one more thing: Be careful. I don't want you to give your father a heart attack by making us grandparents too soon."

Tyra for a moment couldn't process what his sire was saying, but when it finally sank in, his face quickly flushed. "Uh, right. No problem. We don't have to talk any more about that, do we? Please say we don't."

Detrallin looked uncomfortable as well. "No, we don't. I've said what I wanted to say. Sleep well, son." Then he left Tyra alone in the living room.

Tyra sighed in relief, both at the escape of another lecture and the fact that the conversation was over. He went into the kitchen and fixed himself a large chicken sandwich, and he took it upstairs with him. When he reached his room, he turned on the lights and was sure to close the door. Then he sat on his bed with his sandwich, his cell phone, and a book.

He proceeded to trade text messages with Elain for the next two hours before finally going to sleep that night.

~*~

Tyra and Elain had agreed to meet on Saturday afternoon to have plenty of time until Tyra had to get home. For the time being, they had to stick to meeting at the club where they could be sure nobody saw them together, but that would be over as soon as the press had completely forgotten about the scandal.

Tyra used his card on the scanner of the side entrance, like Elain had told him, and entered the Velvet Shadow. Just as he headed for the elevator, a familiar voice stopped him.

"Hey handsome!" It was Marithia. She had obviously spotted him from her place at the bar and now headed toward him. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Tyra looked at the elevator across the room, wishing that he could simply go straight to Elain's side. However, he looked back to Marithia and said, "Sure, what did you want to talk about?"

The female lashran crossed her arms in front of her chest and sized him up. "So, you and Elain are back together again, right? Although I have no idea why he's giving you a second chance, I wanted to warn you: If you ever hurt him again, even the gods won't save you from my wrath. Understood?"

Tyra sighed inwardly, but he somehow managed to keep his disgust to himself. As if he needed another round of chastising. "I'm not going to hurt him again, and I wasn't even trying to in the first place. Okay?"

Marithia's sharp green eyed seemed to look deep into his soul for a moment. Then she heaved a sigh. "I believe you. No offence meant, handsome, but I wanted to be sure since Elain really cares for you. Now go and don't let him wait any longer," she said, a smile tugging at the edge of her mouth.

Tyra gave her a crooked grin. "Sure thing. Later!"

Tyra went to the elevator and made his way up to Elain's apartment, and once he was there, he straightened his clothes just a bit before knocking on the door.

Elain had been waiting for him for the last ten minutes and almost dashed to the door, but then he felt silly and took a few seconds longer to open it.

"Hello, Tyra. Please come in," he greeted the sire with a smile. A kiss would have to wait a bit longer since Elain needed to grab Velvet before she could dash through Tyra's legs and out of the door.

"Woah, kitty!" Tyra said as the cat came running toward him. However, before he could even react, Elain had scooped her up in his arms. "I suppose it's lucky you don't live where she can really run away and disappear onto the streets. At least she'd be trapped in the hall. Does she do that often?"

"No. She has this bad habit since you came here the first time. I guess she missed you, too."

Velvet meowed as if to say that he was absolutely right and tried to climb over to Tyra's arms as Elain leaned in for a kiss.

Tyra petted Velvet's furry head even as he kissed Elain. "Mm, unless there's anything specific you want to talk about, I think we should just spend the whole day snuggling and watching movies together."

"Sounds good to me." Elain closed the door and finally let go of the cat who hopped down and followed Tyra. "May I ask what your parents said?"

Tyra made his way over to the couch, and he took off his shoes and put them to the side before he sat down and made himself comfortable. He patted the cushion next to him, and Elain sat down beside him. "Sire is being really reasonable about it, but dad's still upset about everything. I realized this morning when he was feeling nauseous that he's also still very pregnant. I'm sure he'll calm down eventually, though." At least Tyra hoped so.

"I'm sorry. Your father seemed like a very nice person to me the first time I spoke to him, and I'd rather be in his good graces. Maybe it'll just take more time. And speaking of good graces... I take it Marithia was on the look-out for you? I don't keep any secret from her, so I told her we're back together." Elain asked. "I hope she didn't chew you out."

Tyra shrugged. "Just a little," he replied. "But on to more important things: What sort of movies do you have?"

"Do you remember when we talked about that historical pirate movie that we both missed when it was in the cinemas? I got it on DVD and haven't watched it myself yet. Does that sound good?" Elain asked.

"That sounds great," Tyra replied. Elain loaded the DVD into the player and fiddled with the menu options until he got the movie started. Then Tyra pulled Elain close so that he could make good on his plan to snuggle during the movie.

They watched the movie in comfortable silence except for some laughing at the funny scenes. Elain leaned against Tyra and relished the simple joy of just being together like this. He now realized how much he had missed this.

When the movie came to a scene where the two lead characters, both lashran, were engaged in a passionate kiss, Tyra looked down and eyed the tempting place where Elain's neck met his shoulder. He bent his head down and captured that spot with his mouth and began to suck on it and worry at it.

Elain made a small, delighted noise and pulled Tyra a bit closer. "Seems I have a dashing rogue of my own, too," he said teasingly.

Tyra paused in his ministrations just long enough to say, "Arrr," to Elain, and then he readjusted himself on the couch so that he could pull Elain even closer. After being apart for so many weeks, it was a relief to be able to touch like this again. He looked down in admiration on the little mark he'd left. It would probably be covered when Elain donned his suits again and went back to work, but there was a chance that it might peek through, and that pleased Tyra to no end.

But Elain wasn't about to let himself be overwhelmed again. He gave Tyra a little kiss on the lips, then on the chin, then a few down to the neck. He decided on Tyra's pointed ear as the next target and gave it a little nip.

The sensation from the nip shot straight down Tyra's spine, and he inhaled a sharp gasp of pleasure which ended in a whimper. Gods that felt wonderful. He clutched a handful of Elain's shirt in his fist as he tried to recover his senses.

Now that's interesting, Elain thought with no small amount of satisfaction. It seemed he had found a particularly sensitive spot. To prove his theory, Elain kissed the ear tip and then licked down the outer shell.

"Oh, Forests!" Tyra exclaimed. The sensations were making his whole body grow hot and eager. He'd always known that his ear tips were slightly longer than a normal sire's, but apparently they were extra sensitive as well. His cock hardened eagerly in his pants, and he groaned as Elain bit at his earlobe. "That...that feels so good," he said between shivers.

"Really?" Elain whispered teasingly, breathing against the wet skin. He gently pushed Tyra back into the couch and crawled on his lap to have better access. "Do you want me to stop?"

Tyra felt as though he was drowning in his own arousal, and he could feel that Elain was equally aroused where he was sitting on Tyra's lap and their groins pressed together. But at the same time, he wasn't sure how to answer the lifebearer's question. Where they going to...did Elain want...?

Elain gave Tyra's ear one last nip before he pulled back to look into his lover's face. Tyra looked absolutely delectable with his glazed eyes and slightly ruddy cheeks, and Elain's former doubts whether this was right or not vanished completely. Tyra was mature enough to know what he was doing, so there was no reason for them to delay any longer what they both wanted.

"Tyra?" he asked softly. "Should we continue?"

"Um, I uh," Tyra stumbled as he tried to think logically about this. But logic flew completely out the window when Elain shifted and gave a small thrust of his hips against Tyra. Tyra gasped and grabbed Elain's hips to keep him still. "Do...do we need any sort of...do we need to use protection?" he finally managed to ask.

"I don't like to take any chances," Elain replied. "Don't you normally use protection?"

He was hopelessly aroused...and also hopelessly trapped. His face was beginning to feel like it was on fire. He gripped the fabric of Elain's clothes at his waist. "I don't normally... that is, I haven't... ummm..."

Elain leaned closer to him. "You haven't done this before?" he guessed.

Tyra shook his head and eased his grip on Elain's clothing. "No I... I haven't," he replied quietly. But dear gods, did he want to now. It had never seemed that important to him before. So many of the other males his own age seemed obsessed with losing their virginity as quickly as they possibly could, but the idea of it for Tyra had always been "it'll happen when it happens." And he'd never found any lifebearer who had seemed more than of passing interest to him.

Elain was different. He needed Elain.

Elain tried to hide his surprise to no avail. But now some things finally made sense: Tyra's sweet bashfulness, his excuses not to go any further, his concentration on Elain's pleasure instead of his own... all that to hide his inexperience. For a moment Elain wasn't sure if he was flattered or shocked at this revelation.

"I guess that's something else you didn't want me to know?" he asked.

"No!" Tyra blurted, panicking. "I didn't mean... that is, aaargg, no, I didn't want you to know that. But, dammit, what guy wants to tell his lover he's a complete novice at sex?" Tyra groaned helplessly and tried to hide his face in a couch cushion.

"Tyra, look at me." Elain mercilessly pulled away the cushion. "That's nothing to be ashamed of. And do you really think that practice always makes perfect? What I said about mixing drinks applies to sex as well: It's the level of dedication that matters, not the experience."

"Thanks," Tyra replied with a wry smile. "That almost makes me feel better." Hesitantly, he caressed his thumbs against Elain's hips.

Elain smiled at him, climbing from Tyra's lap and settling down next to him on the couch. "Then let's not rush things. By the way, I didn't lose my virginity until I was twenty-two."

Tyra didn't know whether to scream in frustration or sigh in relief. He struggled to get into a sitting position — although it was extremely uncomfortable with his erection straining in his jeans. "And I didn't give my first blow job until about a month ago," he said jokingly. But he eyed Elain hungrily as he remembered the incident.

"Then you're indeed a natural, and I insist that you don't change your methods," Elain answered. He was as frustrated as Tyra, but the decades of practicing self-control were paying off now. "And I think I still owe you something," he remarked, unbuckling Tyra's belt and unzipping his jeans.

Tyra gasped in surprise and then sighed with great relief as Elain successfully unbuckled him and then opened his pants. "Elain, you don't have to...!" His words were cut off as Elain's hand burrowed into his open pants and palmed him through his underwear. Utterly helpless, Tyra clutched at a pillow and moaned as he rolled his hips. He was at Elain's mercy now.

Elain didn't tease Tyra too long until he made direct skin contact. Tyra's erection felt hot under his fingertips, satin skin over hard flesh, and after a few light touches, he stroked harder. Elain wasn't a fan of giving blow jobs since it reminded him of demanding lovers and a bad aftertaste on his tongue and in his mind. But Tyra was different, and Elain wanted this to be a fresh start without having the ghosts of former disappointments in his bed. Now, however, he just concentrated on his hand. After all, they had all the time in the world.

"Oh, oh, oh gods," Tyra cursed as he struggled to contain the overwhelming lust. He began rolling his hips in time with Elain's hand motions, eager to increase the speed and contact. As he did so, he put his hand in Elain's hair and pulled his face forward so he could give him a passionate kiss, pouring his gratitude for the pleasure into the kiss.

Elain eagerly returned the kiss as he continued to pleasure Tyra. With his free hand he sneaked up Tyra's neck and then started to caress the formerly neglected ear.

Tyra moaned loudly and leaned into the touch, unintentionally reminding Elain of a cat leaning into scratches on its head.

"I'm not..." Tyra gasped as Elain caressed his ear more firmly and gave the base of his shaft a brief squeeze. "Oooh, I'm not going to last very long!"

This statement made Elain slow down the movement of his hands. He wasn't about to tease Tyra — not today — but he could prolong the pleasure a bit. His fingers moved a bit away from Tyra's ear to caress the neck and the outlines of the sire's face.

Tyra moaned in frustration and gave Elain a pleading and questioning look, but the lifebearer smiled at him and shook his head. "Savor it a bit more," Elain told him quietly. Tyra didn't know if he could, though, but thinking back to the instructional book he'd read last month, he nodded and decided to try. He tried to calm his breathing, and after a while the pleasure seemed less urgent, but still incredibly sweet.

"Mm, okay, you're right," Tyra said. "Savoring is good." He leaned into Elain's touches and tried to keep the movements of his hips to a steady rhythm now instead of the erratic motions he'd been making earlier.

They continued like this for a few more minutes until Elain picked up the pace again. He leaned down to kiss and nibble at Tyra's ear while his hand, now slick with precum, squeezed Tyra's cock after each firm stroke.

Tyra put one arm around Elain's shoulders, holding on to his steadying presence as the world got swept away from him in a wash of delight. He moaned loudly when Elain bit on his ear tip, and he began gasping.

"Elain! Elain, can I? Please, oh gods, let me come!" he begged. He was thrusting his hips eagerly now, and some logical part hidden at the back of his brain was telling him that he was dislodging the couch cushions with his frantic motions.

Tyra's desperate pleas almost drove Elain over the edge himself, but he took a deep breath and tried to focus only on his lover. "Come," he whispered into the sire's oversensitive ear and gave it another lick.

Tyra cried out harshly and did just as Elain demanded of him. He came with joy and delight, releasing his seed on himself and on Elain's hand. Tyra pressed his face into the crook of Elain's neck and moaned harshly as the orgasm played itself out. His body trembled with the force of it.

"Oh, Forests, thank you," Tyra managed to hiss out between his teeth. His body gradually began to calm down, leaving an incredible languor in the wake of the ecstasy. "Mmm."

Elain held him, stroking soothingly through his hair with his free hand. "Feeling better?" he asked softly. Although they both had gotten pretty sticky from Tyra's release, Elain didn't want to move yet either.

Tyra nuzzled Elain's neck and his sweet-smelling hair happily. "Much better," he declared. However, even as he relaxed, he realized Elain's body was still tense. "Do you want me to do anything for you? I could..." the thought of getting the opportunity to do to Elain what he'd done before made his body squirm in eagerness despite the orgasm he'd just had. "I could suck you off again."

That thought was tempting indeed, but Elain shook his head. "Thanks, but then I might try to keep you here for the night, and we agreed on taking it slow." He gave Tyra a gentle kiss before he removed his hand from the sire's pants and got off the couch. "I'll fetch you something to get cleaned up."

Tyra let out a small sigh of disappointment, but he nodded. "Thanks, I'd appreciate that." As Elain walked away, he noticed the television, which was running the closing credits to the movie. He shouted out to Elain. "Hey, do you want to back the movie up to where we left off? We missed the whole ending."

Elain came back few moments later with a wet wash rag and a towel.

"I guess we totally forgot about it," he admitted with a laugh. "Let's watch the rest and hope there are no more hot kissing scenes or we'll never see the end of the movie."

Tyra accepted the wash rag from Elain and paused a moment to close his eyes and fervently pray, "More kissing scenes, more kissing scenes, more kissing scenes!"

The next moment the towel flew against his head.

"Tyrallin Alwick, your innocent act is really getting out of hand," Elain stated sternly before he started to smile again. He grabbed the remote for the DVD player to find the scene where they had left of and then sat down again beside Tyra.

This time they managed to watch the movie until the its happy end.

To be concluded...