Danger Grounds

 

Chapter Four:

 

 

For the next few days, Lace stayed curled up in Onyx’s soft bed, pillows stained with tears. He would sleep most of the time, dreaming of James and sometimes Carla. He missed them both more than ever. It had simply never occurred to him that they’d get killed in this world or any other. The thought had never entered his head, because he’d never thought it possible for his friends to die so suddenly.

When he wasn’t sleeping, he would gaze at the pictures of James for hours on end, wondering over and over if there had been a chance he’d missed, some way he could’ve of helped them. He was grateful for Onyx being so patient and gentle, speaking to him to give him company, though Lace never said a word in return.

It wasn’t until on the fifth day, that he was visited by Shayla. With her usual elegance, she glided into the room, and took hold of his hands, pulling him away from the drawings scattered across the floor. “I am sorry to hear about your friends little one, but you need to eat and take care of yourself. Come, you need a nice soak in the tub, come along now” she said softly, leading him into the bathroom and sitting him on the toilet seat while the bath filled with hot water. Bubbles swirled in the steaming water when she poured some lavender-scented oils in. “These are specially made to sooth troubled minds and hearts, as well as the muscles” she informed him with a sympathetic smile. He just watched the bubbles churn until she turned off the taps. She managed to get him undressed and then helped him into the tub, and slowly sit down.

She then sat on the edge to wash his hair, fingers gentle and soothing on his scalp. At first he just sat in silence, feeling a little giddy and tired from the treatment and the sadness aching in his chest. Then it began to fade away, peace finally claiming him. “I loved him. James, I mean. I truly loved him, but he found Carla. I always wanted her out of the way, but never, ever wanted her to get hurt” he found himself murmuring, feeling better with each word he spoke.

“Its strange though, since I got here, I thought about him in that way less and less…I thought about him because I was worried, but not once did I…feel for him, like I used to before all this happened. Its like the love and obsession I had for him faded out. Is that really horrible of me? Maybe some twist of fate was trying to lessen the blow for when I found out huh?” Lace continued, peering down at the bubbly water.

“No, its not horrible. You were just moving on, accepting the fact that he wasn’t yours to have anymore. It just took being away from him for a while to let that happen” Shayla replied, warmth in her eyes as she gestured for him to climb out of the tub now that he was washed. She rubbed him down with a big, soft towel and left it wrapped around him like a blanket. “I’m glad you and Onyx have been getting along, I really wanted you to make a friend in my absence” she commented with a slight smirk, making Lace blush. “Yeah, Onyx is very kind to me” he said quietly, looking down at his toes. Shayla handed him some fresh clothes she’d grabbed on the way in. “Get dressed, I’ll go get you some snacks” she leaned forwards and kissed his forehead, and then walked out. He found himself smiling, finally feeling more like his old self again, as if waking up from a bad dream that he couldn’t control.

He was still thinking of James and Carla, but his thoughts seemed less clouded now, and the ache in his chest had eased for the time being. When he was dressed he went back into the bedroom, finding Onyx sitting on the edge of his bed, flicking through a book. “How are you feeling?” he asked, chucking the book aside to hurry over to him. Lace smiled and slipped into Onyx’s arms, burying his face in his toned chest and smiling at the husky scent of the man.

“I’ll be alright” he replied, closing his eyes and enjoying the warmth and security Onyx’s arms brought to him. “Are you sure?” Onyx asked, hoping the boy wouldn’t notice the way his heart was hammering faster as he held him close.

“Yeah, Shayla made me see things a little more clearly” Lace insisted softly, and pulled back to look up at Onyx’s beautiful face, his sharp red eyes and cruel, tempting mouth. The urge to kiss the man was so strong it made Lace blush and bury his face in Onyx’s chest again. “Thanks for looking after me” he murmured, small hands clutching fistfuls of the man’s shirt. Lace was glad that Shayla had started ordering clothes specially made for him, now he didn’t have shirts with zips or buttons along the back, a large hole where wings were meant to be. As he was thinking this, he realised he’d been running his fingers up and down the zip on the back of Onyx’s shirt, and quickly stepped away in embarrassment. He turned to the drawings on the floor, missing the smug look on Onyx’s face.

He knelt down and picked them up, making them into a tidy pile that he set aside on the windowsill. If they stayed out in the open for him to keep looking at, he’d never be able to move on with his life. “I need to go do some training, when I’m finished I’ll bring some food up alright?” Onyx said to break the awkward silence, feeling the need to get away before he did something that he’d end up regretting.

“Okay, see you later” Lace said, picking up his pad of paper and pencil, taking a seat on the couch, putting Onyx’s blankets around his shoulders, finding he liked the scent lingering on them of the man. Onyx smiled and walked out, making his way downstairs and outside to train with the others. Phoenix was already there, a rare thing considering he was usually the one to be late. “What kept you?” he asked slyly as he began doing some stretches. Onyx shrugged and replied casually, “Oh, just got caught up talking to someone”.

“That someone wouldn’t happen to be a little guy with big brown eyes would it?” Phoenix grinned, playfully shoving his friend when he shook his head with a defensive scowl and protested loudly. “We’re just good friends, Phoenix” Onyx pointed out, picking up a long, heavy sword and practicing some moves.

“Oh of course, is that why you glare at any guy that shows Lace some attention? Nearly everyone here has learnt not to let their eyes linger” Phoenix chuckled, and dodged out of range when Onyx swung the sword his way. “I do not do that”. His friend raised an eyebrow and heaved a dramatic sigh. “I can see I’m going to have to interfere here”.

“Don’t you say anything to him” Onyx warned, giving him a sharp look. Phoenix shrugged and picked out a sword, swinging it at his friend, “Who said I’d tell him anything?”

*

A few days later, Onyx was surprised to find Lace had left the bedroom. He’d gotten so used to walking in and finding him there, drawing or just lying on the bed, it was a bit of a shock to find him suddenly gone. He turned back and headed to the dining hall, finding Lace there, sitting with Phoenix, who was leaning close and touching his arm every now and then, while Lace blushed and looked anywhere but at him.

Rage boiled up, and it took all of his willpower not to dive on his friend and throttle him to death with his own tail. Instead, Onyx calmly walked over after grabbing some random food, and sat on Lace’s other side, giving him a stiff, forced smile.

Lace was relieved to see him, feeling very uncomfortable being alone with Phoenix, who was really nice and all, but very flirtatious. “Good afternoon Onyx” he said warmly, glancing up at him from beneath his long thick lashes. The rage instantly evaporated, and Onyx found himself genuinely smiling back, his heart melting. “Good afternoon to you too, Lace” he replied, barely noticing Phoenix standing up and creeping away.

“Are you okay? He wasn’t pestering you was he?” Onyx asked when they were alone, and Lace just laughed nervously, shaking his head and finishing off the last of his food. “He was just being nice, he came up to our room and asked me to join him for lunch, I was gonna head down here anyway so I thought, why not?”

Onyx threw a dark look at his friend lingering in the doorway, who gave him a thumbs-up and hurried away. “That was…good of him” Onyx muttered, turning back to Lace, who was watching him closely.

“I have a present for you” Lace said, standing up. Onyx followed him up to their shared room,  and waited as Lace rummaged through his papers. He then came over and handed him a drawing. It was a picture of him, every detail perfect, even more detailed than the other portraits Lace had done of people he had known or met. He’d drawn Onyx with warm eyes, a slight curve to his mouth to suggest a smirk about to break across his handsomely drawn face. “Thank you Lace, this is so amazing. You’re such a great, talented artist” he said quietly, smiling as he gazed at the drawing. Lace blushed and shrugged, looking down at his feet, “Thanks, you deserve it. After all, you helped me through so much, and you did everything you could to try and help my friends, I wish I could do more to thank you, but this is all I can do”.

“I wouldn’t want anything else from you, this is a gift to cherish for all time” Onyx replied gently, walking over to pull him into a warm hug. He took the chance to do what he’d always wanted to do, and buried his face in Lace’s neck, inhaling his sweet scent and feeling the warmth radiating from his soft skin. He placed a light kiss there before pulling away, finding the boy had turned bright red and was still staring at his feet, hands clasped behind his back.

“I…I need to do some training, I’ll be back in an hour” he said quietly, and then turned to hurry out the room. Lace let out the breath he’d been holding, knees feeling a little weak, his neck tingling where Onyx’s soft lips had brushed his sensitive skin. He giggled as happiness burst inside of him, and ran over out and down the hallway to the far window, peering out to see Onyx striding out onto the field, picking up a sword. Lace watched in fascination, never realising that he was leaning over, head resting in his hand, elbow on the windowsill, eyes glazed over. He squeaked and jumped away when Onyx turned and looked up at him, and then jumped when a hand touched his shoulder.

“Hello there Lace, how are you feeling?” Shayla asked, smirking at him as she noticed his flushed cheeks. He smiled back and replied, “Ummm…I’m good thanks…just…looking at the training field, I need some new things to draw you see”. Shayla nodded slowly, glancing out the window and fighting back another smirk when she spotted Onyx. “Of course, well, I’ll see you later at dinner” she then walked away, turning her head to give him one last knowing look, and then disappeared down the stairs. Lace sighed heavily and peeked back out the window, frowning when he couldn’t find Onyx anywhere.

“Looking for someone?” Onyx asked from behind him. He jumped and spun around, fumbling for words. “Just…ummm…I was just looking for new things to draw!” Onyx’s face was deadly serious, a kind of predatory look in his red eyes that made Lace step back and bump into the wall behind him.

Onyx stepped up close, one hand running lightly through Lace’s silky hair, his other hand resting on Lace’s small waist. He slowly leaned down and placed his lips upon the small teen’s, loving how soft and pliant they felt.

He was soon delving his tongue into Lace’s sweet-tasting mouth, who moaned and pressed closer up against him, needing the contact. Onyx lifted him up, the teen’s legs wrapping around him as their kiss got more heated and desperate. They pulled away when they heard footsteps coming round the corner, and Onyx opened his wings a little to give the flushed boy some cover from the passing, curious eyes. He sighed when the woman had gone, and turned back to find Lace leaning against the wall, cheeks pink, eyes half-closed as he panted for breath. It was sight that made Onyx’s already hard dick throb with need.  Lace giggled nervously and ran a hand through his tussled hair, attempting to smooth it down, and Onyx didn’t miss the glance he tried to sneak at the bedroom door at the opposite end of the long hallway.

Onyx grinned and picked him up, carrying him into their bedroom, lips already locked in more sweet kisses, barely able to pull away from one another to undress. Onyx groaned at the sight of Lace’s petite, smooth body, naked and waiting for his attentions, when the boy lay back on the bed. He knelt between the teen’s spread legs, lips brushing from tip to base of Lace’s hardness, making him shudder and give a little desperate whimper.

He moved lower, tongue trailing circles around Lace’s hole, and then he slid saliva-coated fingers into his body. When he was sure Lace was ready, he lifted the boy upwards so he could wrap his wings around him, tucking him into a cocoon of privacy and warmth.

Onyx then coated his dick, so hard that it was bordering on painful, and then very slowly pushed his way into Lace’s entrance, stopping to let him adjust whenever he whimpered in pain or discomfort.

Lace gasped when Onyx slid all the way in, feeling a cross between aroused and worried at how big the man felt inside of him. He loved lying there cushioned by Onyx’s smooth, cool wings, feeling safe in his embrace. It helped him relax just that little more. He nodded when he was ready, big brown eyes staring up into slanted red ones that had a look of lust and concern in their depths.

A slow, deliberate withdrawal, and then Onyx thrust back into him hard, hitting his sweet spot dead on so Lace cried out with a mixture of intense pleasure and shock. Onyx smirked and withdrew slowly again so only the tip of his member was still inside the warm body beneath him, and then thrust back into him again, drawing out another sharp cry of ecstasy. He continued with this pace for a while, teasing Lace’s body to the point of orgasm but stopping for a minute so it ebbed away before Lace could find release.

Lace panted and moved his hips in an attempt to keep going, moaning in frustration when Onyx kept his slim hips still. He traced soft kisses down Lace’s neck and bare shoulder, down to his chest, licking his pink nipples into hard little nubs. Onyx then moved back up to kiss his lips and explore his mouth, beginning to move in and out of the tight body once more, enjoying the way Lace moaned loudly, sending vibrations down his throat as they continued to clash tongues. He picked up speed a little, thrusting into Lace a little faster, harder. When the pleasure had built up to the point where he was moaning his lover’s name and Lace was screaming and begging for release, he moved his hips faster and faster until he came hard and intense, the feel of his hot stickiness and one last hard thrust making Lace come soon after, crying out Onyx’s name and holding him close and tight as they rocked together in the aftershocks of orgasm. They eventually lay still, Onyx rolling onto his back, wings still locked securely around them, Lace lying across his chest in his arms, slight body heaving for breath.