My Beloved Shadow

They spent the next couple days like that, Nick keeping his distance from Michael and Michael respecting that distance. It isn’t until Friday, after school, that Michael convinces Nick to go out with him. Michael had noticed that Nick hadn’t brought many clothes with him and wanted to get him some more. This part he conveniently forgets to mention when he asks Nick to go out.

Nick starts to get suspicious, though, when they walk into the mall. It’s not a mall on the grand scale, like you’d find in cities like St. Louis, or Chicago. It’s one level and contains the more reasonably priced stores.

“What are we doing here? I thought we were going ‘out’?

Michael smiles and lays a hand on Nick’s arm, the latter is too busy being irritated to notice. Nick knows that Michael’s idea of ‘going out’ involves getting a couple movies, pizza, and staying up most of the night watching said movies. Michael has an obsession with tv.

“We are. I just thought we could stop by here and get a few things for you. Your starting to wear the same things, meili, and it hasn’t been that long.”

Nick’s eyes narrow as his irritation grows, “I can buy my own things. I’ve been looking for a job and when I do get one I can afford to buy new clothes.”

He spent all evening the day before looking through wanted ads, trying to find a job that he can do. To his despair, there aren’t many jobs available at the moment.

“Please, meili, let me do this. Think of it as a gift. I haven’t bought you a gift, yet.”

“No.” Nick turns to walk away but Michael’s grip on his arm is suddenly noticeable and he turns back around. Fear tries to push itself up, through Nick, but he quickly and forcefully pushes it back down.

“I’ll make a scene if you don’t say yes. I’ll get down, right here and now, and beg.”

Michael tilts his head to one side, his expression serious, though Nick thinks he notices a glint of humor. Nick sighs in defeat, knowing that he’s lost. It’s not like it would be so bad, letting Michael buy him a few things. It would just be a gift, nothing more. But, Nick is smarter than that and knows that anything given to him by Michael will be more than just a gift. He’ll expect something in return.

“All right, you win…”

“Great!”

Michael’s face lights up and he loosens his grip. He had known Nick would fight it, had stayed up most of the night thinking up ways to convince him to say yes. Actually threatening him, like he had, hadn’t been part of the plan. Michael has known too much savagery to be very good at kind words, or actions. He has only the memory of his mother, and what his father had been like when she was alive, to draw from his kind acts. Those days happened so long ago that the memories are like an old book where the pages have crumbled with age.

Michael drags Nick to a clothing store and tells him to find a few things to wear. Nick, still a little mad at himself for agreeing, looking through the clothes without really seeing anything. He pulls out a few pairs of pants and is going to try them on when Michael suddenly stiffens, looking behind Nick.

Nick turns around to see a man standing several feet away from them, staring at them. The man is tall, though whether it’s because of the way he is standing, or simply because he is. His hair touches his shoulder, straight as a board, and is jet black with dark red streaks. His eyes are a startling bright blue against darkly tanned skin. He is wearing casual, white cotton t-shirt and worn jeans, even his sneakers are worn.

The man makes his way towards them and Nick moves closer to Michael, not certain what is going on. Nick risks a glance at Michael and finds his expression open and friendly, though he knows that it is a mask. Through their connection he can tell that Michael is on guard.

“Lance, what a surprise to see you here.”

Michael speaks first, drawing a smile from the other as he comes to stand three feet in front of them.

“A pleasure to meet you, as well. I’ve been sent here to investigate some strange goings on. You haven’t noticed anything odd lately, have you?”

Michael shakes his head but he becomes suddenly very nervous. Who is this man, Nick wonders.

“What should I call you? You’ve called me by name but I’m not certain what I should call you.”

So much seemed to be implied in those few words, as if Lance knows exactly what Michael is up to but doesn’t have enough to prove it. The fact that the other man asks what he should call Michael tells Nick that it’s not his real name. That fact irritates him. Michael is the one that’s always going on about how they are zorey and shouldn’t have secrets.

“Michael will do fine. It’s been a few years since we’ve seen each other, how has life been treating you?”

“A few years?.” Lance laughs and slaps Michael’s shoulder like an old friend.

“It’s been nearly a century since I last saw you, and if I recall correctly, you were the one who severed all contact with your friends. But I have been doing just fine. The three of us are thinking about having a child.”

This perks Michaels interest and gives him a good excuse to ignore the first part.

“A child? That should prove interesting. No doubt it would be spoiled. How are Zane and Jaden doing?”

“She’s still as feisty as always. Zane lost his title as Don, but we’ve moved to another planet. He went from ruling a small portion of a planet by himself to ruling a whole planet and sharing it with two other’s.”

Michael shakes his head, though he’s smiling. He can remember when they had first gotten together. Zane and Lance had been Don’s, each ruling a section of a planet. Jaden had been Zane’s slave. Somehow she had managed to tame Lance, and even Zane, down enough, and they her, to become a couple. The fact that the three of them are thinking of having a child is funny to Michael. Lance had one said, during the Great War, that he would not want to bring a child into the world.

“You haven’t introduced me to your friend.”

Lance said, glancing over at Nick who has become more irritated at Michael with every word spoken between the two. Finally, someone has noticed him there, but it wasn’t Michael.

“Oh, sorry. I guess I’m still in shock after seeing you. It has been a long time.

This is Nick.”

Lance gives him a good look, a million thoughts going through his mind. He can tell that Nick isn’t human, though what he cannot say. Which means that Michael isn’t breaking any laws here. Yet, why would Michael suddenly pick up on a relationship? Lance knows that he is very dedicated to his people.

Lance is suddenly standing directly in front of Michael, their bodies intimately close. His hand comes out to cup the side of Michael’s face.

“You’ve always liked playing on the dangerous side.”

Michael’s face stays blank but irritation can be seen in Nick’s eyes, he’s unable to hold it back now that Lance is actually touching Michael. Another emotion, as well, passing across his eyes. He is unable to identify it at first, the emotion so foreign to him. Jealousy. Nick doesn’t like it that Lance is touching Michael.

Lance and Michael notice the expression on Nick’s face suddenly change and Lance steps back.

“Ah, I didn’t know. I’m sorry. You two are zorey?”

Michael nods his head, keeping an eye on Nick. He rather likes that Nick had become jealous and wonders if having a really good reason to be jealous wouldn’t bring Nick out a little more.

“We are.”

Lance looks a little closer at both of him, finding the mark on Nick and noting that Michael doesn’t carry one.

“You aren’t marked yet, Michael. Oh, that’s just too funny. I can’t wait to tell everyone. Keilic will enjoy that piece of news. Oh, speaking of the devil. He’s throwing a big party on the island. Vaea isn’t sure about having so many people on her island, but they cannot say no to each other.

He would be very upset if I didn’t invite you. And he would be even more upset if you didn’t show.”

Lance gives him a hard look, one that tells him he has no options on whether to come or not.

“Keilic is always upset where I’m concerned. When is it to be?”

“The end of next month. They are celebrating the beginning of summer and the planting season. He’s trying to convince her to throw a big harvesting party, but I think she’ll win out on that one. At least, I’m hoping she will.

Well, I’d better get going. I’ve all ready taken too much time out on my investigation. I’ll see the two of you at the party. And if you run across anything odd, or out of the normal, contact me.”

“Will do.”

The moment Lance is out of sight Michael drops his guard and he relaxes. That is until he looks over at Nick, who’s glaring at him as if it would make him drop dead.

“You never told me that Michael wasn’t your real name.”

“I had meant to, honestly, the opportunity just hadn’t presented itself.”

“Well, consider this the *perfect* opportunity. I’m in the mood to talk today. You’re the one who‘s always going on about how we are zorey and should have no secrets.”

That isn’t completely true. Nick is in a mood, but his mood leans more towards cutting Lance’s hands off and grounding them into so much meat. The feelings of jealously are new and foreign to him, confusing him more than anything. But he does know that he didn’t like Lance touching him.

“All right. Lets purchase the clothes and return to the house. I promise I’ll explain it to you when we get there.”
Nick isn’t certain he believes Michael, but he’s going to give him the benefit of a doubt. Nick has learned that Michael can’t always be trusted.

They quickly pay for the clothes and get back out to the car. The ride back to the house is silent, each one thinking. Michael feels a little panicked after seeing Lance. He knows that the bastard is looking for him, knows that Lance knows it. Michael will have to pull everyone out, tonight, before Lance discovers the truth.

Nick is compiling together all the questions he plans to ask. Who is Lance? Keilic? But, most importantly, what is Michael’s real name and who is he…



** All this information and still nothing solid. *smile*
Who is Lance and the others that they spoke of. Michael has friends? Though, it seems that his name isn\'t really Michael. What is \'Michael\' doing that he shouldn\'t be? lol I think that part is fairly clear.
Hope everyone enjoys!