Collapsed World [MxM, Non-Con, Mpreg]

Part 20 [Taj]

Taj felt his mind go a little blank and his heart race as Julez held him. He had little choice but to be pressed against his chest, listening to his heart beat. He was suppose to be the one comforting Julez, but it seemed like Taj was the one being comforted, though for what he wasn't sure. But Taj didn't complain, deciding that if holding him was what pleased Julez then he would let him do so. Of course, that decision wasn't completely self-less. As Julez wrapped his wings around him, Taj felt his heart race a little and was a bit glad that Julez was too distracted by his grief to notice. This was the first time Taj had been so close to Julez physically. As Julez stroked his hair and he listened to Julez's heartbeat, Taj found that he couldn't do it again. Being this close made Taj feel guilt, not about being a double agent, but about his feelings for Julez. Having spent at least a quarter of his life around Julez, Taj couldn't help but come to feel something for him. The feeling had grown slowly over the years, born from admiration of Julez's skills and also his mind. Julez' skills were matched only by his ruthless passion to save his people. What Taj found he liked about Julez was the fact that he didn't shirk from the hard decisions needed to keep his people safe. Even if it meant being hard towards them within a certain reason.


In that Julez reminded Taj of his father. But Julez had belonged to another until now. Taj had been able to maintain his perspective because of it, to keep his distance. Some part of him had hoped Julez would never find his mate. Hoped that his mate would quietly disappear and Julez would forget about him. Taj knew that wouldn't happen, but he had hoped for it on some level. So now, he was conflicted. His wish had come true. More violently than he had imagined perhaps, but it had come true. Julez was no longer bound. But the part that wanted to see Julez as he was, see him happy, debated giving him hope.

Taj debated with himself all the way to the front door, pausing there and turning. Indecision warred in his eyes before he pushed it down. "You're wrong." Taj said quietly, making the hard decision to prioritize Julez's happiness over his own.


"There are Corvines who purposefully remove the marks. I know there are. I also heard in the brothel today that a teal-eyed winged Avaen was taken by the brother of someone called Micah." Taj paused. If Julez's mate was lucky he had ended up with Lykaios. That was the only Corvine Taj knew that surgically removed the marks, but if there was one there might be others.


"I'll ask around, find out for you. Just to be sure. What was his name, your mate?" Taj asked. Of course, if Lykaios did have Julez's mate, then while he was technically alive, he would be dead to Julez. In a way it would be better if Julez thought his mate dead. He wouldn't have ended up with Lykaios, if it weren't better for him to be away from Julez. Taj wasn't sure what he was wishing for. He knew he wanted Julez, and wanted Julez to be free to care for him in turn. Taj felt that if he was to learn about love, he wanted to learn from Julez. He would ask his father's advice, and if he did have Julez' mate, that he make him forget about Julez completely.