Chasing the Light [slash]

Chapter 3

Although it was way past his usual work time, Elain was still in his office when Tyra came to visit him a few days later. He was striding back and forth in front of his desk, shuffling papers and talking to someone on the phone. When Tyra peeked in, he only heard the end of the conversation.

"I do hope that you'll have some results by the end of the week," Elain said, sounding irritated. "This has gone far enough. You can call me day and night when you have found a solid lead."

Tyra raised his eyebrows as he approached the desk. When Elain turned off the phone and put it down, he asked, "Something serious going on, Elain?"

The lifebearer whirled around, alarm on his face. "Forests, Tyra, you startled me!" Then he sighed and rubbed over his eyes; his glasses lay forgotten on the desk. "What a day. I do hope that yours was better."

Tyra smiled gently. "Hey, you've got little marks on your nose from where your glasses were resting. Maybe it's time to consider getting some contacts?" he suggested.

"I tried different types of contacts once, but the ones with slit pupils look absolutely fake, and tinted ones just darken my vision too much. So it has to be the glasses." Elain reshuffled another stack of paper and then turned around to Tyra. "Let's go upstairs."

Together they started heading for the elevator. "Slit pupils? You mean fake contacts, not prescription ones? And why slit pupils? That'd just make you look a little sire-ish."

"Yes, that was the intention, but as I said, the glasses work better. I thought you had noticed already that they're not prescription glasses. There's nothing wrong with my eyesight." Elain slid his key card into the scanner to call the elevator.

"No, I hadn't noticed," Tyra admitted. He followed Elain into the elevator and leaned against a wall as the doors slid closed. "If they're not prescription, why do you use them?"

Elain hesitated. It was a bit strange to explain habits that had been become his second nature during the years. But then he said, "To hide my eyes. Tell me, when did you realize that I was a lifebearer?"

Tyra was flabbergasted and couldn't respond at first. The elevator dinged open, and as they stepped out onto the tenth floor, Elain gave him an arched brow. "Um, I think it was when we were mixing drinks that first time. When I kissed you."

"Quite a long time, don't you think? But it really does speak for you that you kissed me nevertheless." Elain opened the door and caught Velvet before she could sink her claws into Tyra's jeans. The cat had taken a real fancy to using the sire as her climbing tree.

"Well, I decided you looked too delicious to pass up no matter what," Tyra said with an appreciative look at Elain. "So, why exactly do you feel you need to hide those pretty violet eyes?"

This compliment elicited a little smile from Elain. He sat down on the couch with Velvet, stroking her fur. "This is a world of sires and men, Tyra, especially in my business. I realized very early on that if I wanted to compete with them, I... well, I had to be one of them. Of course they realize sooner or later that I'm a lifebearer, but by then I've had the chance to establish enough respect already. And it was a good method to keep unwanted attention away, too."

Tyra thought about this for a few moments, and then a slow grin spread across his face. "It didn't keep me away, though."

"No, and for that I'm grateful. " Elain patted the cushion next to him invitingly. "So, no comments about how strange I am?" he asked, only half joking.

Tyra sauntered over to the couch and sat down next to Elain and put an arm around his shoulders. "You're the strangest person I've ever met. You're so strange that you've cornered the market on strange. I think, in fact, you might be the strangest person to ever--"