Rose Colored Blindfold

Chapter Four Rose Colored Blindfold   By Amanda and Tenchi Kaze   Chapter Four   It was well past nightfall before Itiel and Raquel made it back to the manor. Both were breathing hard by the time they reached Itiel's room, Itiel from having carried Raquel the whole way, and Raquel from his earlier injuries.   "You can set me down now," the boy said, worried. "Your arms must be tired, and you sound exhausted."   "Thank you," said Itiel, gratefully setting the blind boy down on the bed. "For someone who looks so light, you get heavy after having carried you so far."   "Sorry," Raquel replied sheepishly. "I wish I could have done something about walking, but... it seems like my entire body is hurting. My legs, my back, and--" He stopped just short of mentioning his first terrible encounter with Gavin. "You know...everything."   Itiel was silent for a few moments before saying, "Yes, everything..." Quickly, he went over to the cabinet and grabbed the jar of comfrey from days earlier and brought it back over to Raquel. "I don't know if this will do you much good, but it might at least do something."   "Comfrey?" Raquel asked, the sharp scent of it immediately recognizable. "My master... he used to keep some around for cuts and things. At least it should work for the small wounds..."   "I can ask Caroline soon if we have anything for the larger ones," said Itiel, opening the jar and sitting down on the mattress next to Raquel.   "She should know what to use," Raquel agreed, lightly touching his chafed wrists.   "I trust her judgement better than I trust my own. I'm not exactly the best at medicinal practices." Taking some of the herb oil onto his fingers, he searched for a wound that might be of suitable size to use it on.   "That's all right. Can you at least tell me how bad it looks?" Raquel bowed his head. "It's all going to scar up, isn't it?"   "Looks that way..." Itiel reluctantly admitted, rubbing some of the oil into a small wound on Raquel's shoulder. "Does that sting at all?"   "No." Raquel sighed, twisting his hands in the bedsheets. "But it does hurt to think that every time I touch my back or where my wounds were, I'll remember everything. I remember everything by feel."   "Oh, Raquel..." said Itiel, hesitating for a moment in his rubbing in of the herb. "I just hate to think that you're hurting so much right now, especially mentally. I didn't want this to happen to you at all."   "It wasn't your fault," came the gentle reply. "If anything, it was mine for running away in the first place. You can't predict these kinds of things, and you didn't know."   Itiel sighed, tending to a few other wounds. "...You know, it's probably pointless to blame one or the other out of us. We're both partially to blame in some way, you for running away, and me for acting like I didn't want you around anyway half the time."   "...It was stupid of me to just leave. But I felt so empty when I learned that you weren't my master..." Raquel took a sharp breath as Itiel rubbed the comfrey over his cuts. "I felt like I didn't belong, and I'm sure at the time you must've felt the same. I don't blame you for being annoyed with me... but I don't know how you got used to me, or what it is that made you change all of a sudden." A smile crossed his lips. "But I'm glad you did."   Itiel was not quite smiling yet, but there was a look on his face that showed he at least wasn't sad anymore. "It was just... you, I guess. You were just you, being honest, caring, loyal, determined..." Itiel paused in his speech as he continued to work on a particularly bad cut on the back of Raquel's left calf. "It just wasn't that hard to get used to and enjoy your company."   "I was surprised by you, too. You were so cold at first. But when you and I were in the library that day, reading, it was strange... your entire demeanor changed. That was the side of you that I liked," Raquel remarked. "And I've only experienced it twice. Then... and today."   "I haven't been like this at all since I was a child," said Itiel quietly, finishing with the small wounds and putting the jar of comfrey down on the nightstand. He was silent for over five minutes, staring at the wall and deliberating something in his head. Finally, he spoke again. "...I inherited this piece of land from my father when he died. I was about twelve, and it was hard to adapt to being in charge as well as having to deal with the fact that my only parent was gone. I guess that's really when I stopped being warm."   "You were all alone?" Raquel looked over his shoulder, almost as if he could see Its exs expression. "I thought when Mira died that my world would end... but at least I had my master. You..." He paused, biting his lip. "You closed yourself up. You might have had the land and your manor, but you didn't have anyone. And... I take it that at some point you went to Machiavellia for companionship."   Itiel nodded, forgetting that Raquel could not see it. "Yes, that's right. She came about four years later, though. Sometimes the servants would offer to play with me, or to read to me like I read to you. But it wasn't quite the same as when my father would do it, so I usually just endp pup pushing them away. I don't even remember how Machiavellia managed to get past my defenses when she came."   "You were feeling so lonely... she must have observed that and helped you with it, and you let her because you needed her to." He thought for a moment. "Everyone needs... someone, I suppose. Everyone needs a way to relate, to make thlveslves happy. That was your way."   "I suppose so. It was so long ago that I don't remember very well. Sometimes it's like she's always been there, so I don't think about it often." Itiel looked to Raquel, an indecipherable look upon his face. "But even she still wasn't quite... right. Even though I let her get closer to me than anyone ever did, and I lost my virginity to her, she still didn't really feel like she belonged by my side. I ignored that feeling though, because I still didn't want to be alone."   "And now what do you feel?" Raquel asked softly. "Have you been ignoring it even now? Even if you were alone... you shouldn't have lied to yourself about that kind of thing." He shook his head. "You can't go on and kid yourself like I've been doing until now..."   Itiel shook his head to himself, unsure. "I don't know. I know I have felt less like being close to her in the past few days, but still... If I don't have her, then whom do I have? You I could imagine wanting to become my close friend and confidant, but I doubt you would want to be more than—" At that, Itiel quickly put a hand over his mouth, having realized what he had just said. He flushed red all over, feeling more than a little embarrassed.   Raquel shifted on the bed, turning until he was facing Itiel. He reached out with cool fingers, reading the expression on the man's face with his hands. "How can you doubt that when you haven't even asked me?" he asked. "What if I said, for instance, that I wanted you to be my master, for real this time? And that I would put everything into your hands-- my body, my possessions, and my life-- if you said you would let me?"   Itiel looked into Raquel's filmy violet in surprise, turning a shade redder than he already was. He felt rather stuck for words at that moment, only managing to get out, "If you... said... that?..."   "You're all I have now," the boy admitted, his eyes misting up for a moment. He wiped away a tear as he continued. "If I said, 'I want to stay with you and serve you... and I want to heal that emptiness inside you,' what would you say?"   "I..." Itiel started, heart throbbing in his chest. "I would say..." He bit his bottom lip, thinking. Finally, a tiny smile budded in the corner of his mouth. "...I think that I would like that."   Raquel smiled tremulously, dropping his hands and folding them over his heart. His voice shook when he spoke, but it was sincere. "There's one more thing..."   "And what is that?..." asked Itiel, moving forward slightly to hear Raquel, as the boy's voice had gotten softer.   "I think... I think that--" The boy leaned in close to Itiel's ear, his blind eyes wide and honest. His voice was just slightly above a whisper. "...I love you... Master."   All was quiet for an almost eternal ten seconds, the two of them practically suspended in the moment in time. At last, Itiel broke the silence, putting a hand gently on Raquel's shoulder and letting he boy lean against his chest. "Just Itiel, please..." he said, smiling softly against Raquel's hair. "...And I think I love you as well, Raquel."   Raquel smiled, reaching up to weave the fingers of one hand into Itiel's hair. "See, now neither of us can be alone. We have each other."   Itiel nodded, inhaling the scent of Raquel's hair. It still smelled faintly of sweat and blood, but at the moment, Itiel did not care. "I think that is the most reassuring thing I've heard since my father was alive."   Raquel moved closer, almost touching noses with Itiel. His purple eyes were bright with happiness. "Hearing you say that... it makes me feel like I've done my first real task for you as my master. I've made you feel better."   Itiel was about to reply when suddenly, a thought came to him, and his face fell slightly. "Though, we will have to keep this secret. The consequences will be dire if anyone were to find out about this new relationship..." He shuddered, trying to shove away the thoughts of some of the terrible things that were done to homosexuals.   "I know what happens. My master took Mira and me to a few burnings during our stay with him," Raquel replied calmly. "It was horrible... the sound of the screams, and the crackling of the flames... I won't tell a soul about this. I would never want to put us both at risk for something like that."   "Neither do I. I want to make sure that this is never discovered by another soul, so I am not telling anyone either, not even my most trusted servants," Itiel said in agreement, holding Raquel closer. "What we've talked about here... should probably never go beyond this room, as far as anyone else knows."   "I promise, I'll keep the secret," Raquel replied. "I'll keep it until I return to this room each day... and then we can at least be open with each other, if with no one else."   "I don't know what I'm going to do about Machiavellia yet, though. She would need an explanation for why I've suddenly decided that I don't need her anymore," said Itiel. He grinned slightly. "I'll figure that out later, though. Right now, I just want to focus on making sure you heal soon."   "I'll be fine once I've rested. What about you?" Raquel's fingers touched the back of Itiel's hand, gently wandering over the burn mark on it. "You got hurt when you were fighting Master Gavin..."   "I'll be fine," Itiel reassured him, though he winced slightly when Raquel touched it. "You've got much worse than I do. I really should get George to come in here and take a look at you. He knows more about treating things like this than I do."   Raquel shook his head, uncomfortable. "I don't think he could do much more than you already have..." he said quickly. "And besides, then I would have to show him--" He immediately silenced himself, hoping Itiel hadn't caught that last sentence.   "Hm? Show him what?" asked Itiel, blinking. Then he realized what Raquel was talking about, and with a widening of eyes and an understanding said, "Oh..." He nodded. "Did he really...?" he asked worriedly.   "...Yes. I couldn't tell where he was. I was so afraid, and I couldn't stop shaking..." Raquel shuddered. "By the time he announced his presence... by the time I knew where he was, he was pushing inside of me..." He sniffled, swiping at his eyes. "It hurt so much... he didn't make any effort to ease the pain. He was so much bigger than me... he barely fit."   "I should have expected that," said Itiel, stroking the unmarred parts of Raquel's back soothingly. "But still, it's quite a shock to hear. I could never imagine that happening to me, or to someone close to me, even if I had seen it with my own eyes. It's too terrible..."   "That wasn't the worst part," Raquel said quietly. "The whole time, he kept talking to me...'Your old master never did this, did he? You're still virgin, but that's the kind of thing I like.'" He shuddered involuntarily. "He just kept saying, 'This is nice... so tight...'"   "Oh dear God..." Itiel said, horrified. He couldn't think of much else to say, scrunching his eyes shut and trying not to think about the pain Raquel must have endured. "I don't want to imagine that..."   "Then don't," Raquel replied. "Let's both try to push it out of our minds. You know, do something other than think about everything that's happened."   "Thank you. That seems the best right now." Itiel sighed with slight relief, still rubbing Raquel's back. He thought for a moment, then asked, "Why don't we try reading from that book again and see what other sorts of stories are in it?"   "That's a wonderful idea, Itiel," the boy said, instantly brightening. "The story you read to me last time was magnificent. I'm sure the rest are just as good!"   "I'll flip through it a little on the way back from fetching it, just to make sure we don't pick out any stories with bad endings, okay?" said Itiel, standing, but not letting go of Raquel just yet.   "Even if you do find a few bad ones, I'll listen," Raquel replied. "I think I'd like them anyway."   "All right, then. I'll try to hurry back with the book, since I don't want to leave you alone here for long," said Itiel.   "Okay," the boy said cheerfully. "I'll be waiting for you."   Itiel smiled at Raquel's cheerful face, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before laying him back down on the bed. "I'll be back in no time," he said, starting to walk toward the door.   Raquel touched his cheek, not saying anything in reply. A faint blush spread over his face, his fingers remaining on his cheek as Itiel walked away.   ******   True to his word, Itiel was back very soon. He told Raquel that he had not had much time to look the book over, but had found some stories that at least looked promising. He sat down on the bed next to the blind boy, and began reading. Some of the tales included the stories of Orpheus, Icarus, and Hercules. Late into the evening they read, neither of them ever growing bored.   Eventually, though, as Itiel was reading the story of Apollo and Hyacinth, he yawned, showing his tiredness. "And so, weeping over the body of Hyacinth and the bloodied discus, Apollo began to create something beautiful. Using the..." Yawn, "...blood of his lover, he began to shape a gorgeous..." Yawn, "...flower. When he was finished, he named it the hyacinth, in honor of the man he loved..." Yawn.   "Oh, that's so beautiful," Raquel murmured, delighted. "Imagine what a powerful love Apollo must have had for Hyacinth, to do something like that. He could remember him as something so pretty!"   "Yes, it's quite a beautiful, yet tragic story," said Itiel, covering his mouth to stifle another tired yawn. "Though, I think that's the last story for tonight. I really must sleep."   "Thank you for reading to me again, even though you were tired," Raquel said with a laugh. "I always love those stories."   "And we haven't even read half the stories in the book yet," said Itiel, softly smiling. "There's a lot more in here that will keep us reading for a few more days at least."   "I'm glad," the boy replied. "I want to have times like these, where we just sit and read, for as long as we can."   "Me too. I really like reading aloud to you, because I feel like I'm helping you see more of what you can't see, even if only in your imagination," said Itiel, closing the book and setting it on the nightstand.   "I can imagine everything. The way you tell the story, the way you pronounce the words... you take your time on the details, and when I imagine it that way, it feels like I have my sight back." Raquel turned onto his side, smiling. "And those images are what I see at night instead of nightmares about my brother..."   "I am glad to be of help in that way as well," Itiel said. He reached up to the buttons on the front of his shirt, beginning to undo them. "I'm going to get some pajamas on and come to join you on the bed again, all right?"   "All right," the boy said. "If you need any help, like if you have a pesky hook or sash that you can't get done... tell me." He grinned, eyes shining in the dim chamber. "I can fix it in no time, like I did before."   "I believe you." True enough, the sash around Itiel's waist was in a rather tight knot, and he could not seem to get it undone. "Could you help me with this?" he asked, taking Raquel's hand and guiding it to his waist. "The knot is rather tricky."   "I think so," Raquel replied, sitting up and picking at the knot with expert fingers. "I've gotten to be fairly good with knots, because Mira always used to have a horrid time tying on his sash without it getting all tangled..." After a moment of pulling, he managed to untangle the knot, gently pulling the sash loose. "I've got it. Is there anything else?"   "I don't think so. The rest is pretty easy," Itiel said, letting his pants and undergarments fall to the floor after the sash. Then he walked the short distance to the closet, pulled out a pair of pajamas, and began to slip them on.   "All right." Raquel picked up the sash in his hands, looping it around his wrists. "It's silk, isn't it? No wonder it gets so knotted... it's so delicate and thin." He rubbed the silk between his fingers. "Mmm, but it's so soft!"   Finishing with the pajamas, Itiel walked over to the bed again. "I know silk is expensive, but I love collecting things made of it. It feels so good against my skin."   "It must be like... wearing a cloud," Raquel said in wonder, stroking his hands along the length of the sash. "I can see why you like it enough to have a lot of it!"   "I'll have to let you wear some in here when you're feeling better." Itiel smiled, slipping under the covers and letting the boy curl up against him. He wrapped his arms around Raquel, continuing. "You would really like it, especially considering you have a better sense of touch than most people."   Raquel let the sash fall from his hands, embracing Itiel with a smile. "I'd like that. My cloak is the only thing I have like that, and it's nowhere near the quality of your sash. Hm...You know... I just realized it, but you're almost as soft as the silk!" he giggled.   "Mm, I never considered that analogy before. But I'll take your word for it," Itiel laughed, resting his head against Raquel's.   "Mm... sleep well, Itiel," Raquel said, closing his eyes and cuddling up to the man, the warmth of his body lulling him to sleep.   "Sweet dreams..." yawned Itiel, his eyes drooping closed as well. Soon, the two of them were both sleeping peacefully, dreaming within the warmth of each other's bodies.   ******   Raquel's sleep was free of his usual night scares; his mind was full of colorful images; images of gods and goddesses shining with light, lounging in multicolored robes. An especially vibrant one played in hin his head, one of Apollo creating a blooming flower in his hands, a budding hyacinth.   ******   Meanwhiinsiinside Itiel's head, the same dream from before had come back: the mysterious person in the dark kissing him. However, something was different this time. Not everything was pitch-black, and Itiel could actually make out a silhouette in front of him. It was faint, but he could tell that it was another man in front of him, massaging Itiel's lips with his own.   ******   At about the same time, Raquel's image of Apollo suddenly changed. He could still see a man's figure, a beautiful one at that, but there was no face to the body. He could feel soft kisses being lavished on his lips, but could not connect any face to the mysterious lover. The phantom form embraced him, the kisses continuing down his neck. 'Who are you?' he wondered.   ******   'Seems familiar...' thought Itiel, letting the man kiss him. Tentatively, he reached up, running his fingers through the man's hair. It was silky and soft, like his sash, but softer. For a brief moment, he caught a glimpse of creamy blond in the man's hair, the recognition inside Itiel growing stronger. 'It's Raquel...'   ******   Raquel leaned against the figure in his dream, touching soft flesh that was somehow well known to him. The scent of sweat and musty silk that assailed him with each kiss intrigued him even more. "...Could it be that you are...?" he began, pressing his own lips to the figure's. "It feels just like you..."   ******   'So I have bdreadreaming about him the whole time. Almost like a prophecy of sorts...' thought Itiel, though another thought nagged at the back of his mind. He remembered the first nightmare, and how a phantom heat had consumed the two of them. 'Don't want to think about that...' Itiel, shook his head, sighing as the two of them pulled apart and lay down on the ground, Raquel atop him and straddling his hips.   ******   "Itiel--" In a matter of seconds, Raquel's focus changed. Suddenly, he found himself pulled down; just as quickly he was sitting again, realizing with surprise that he was on top of Itiel, supported by the smooth curves of his hips beneath him. He almost toppled over at first, placing his hands on the man's chest to steady himself. "...Itiel? It's really you?"   ******   Itiel's heartbeats quickened in his chest as the boy's hands were placed firmly on his chest. He reached up to gently pull the blonde down, their twin erections brushing against each other and causing Itiel to gasp from the sudden wave of pleasure. 'This is almost like... being a virgin again.'   ******   "Itiel..." Raquel whispered, inches away from the face that he could not see. He tensed against the body beneath him, finding pleasing heat wherever their bodies touched. "...I don't know what to do," he admitted shyly. "At least not how to do it properly. Do you...?"   ******   Itiel could tell the boy was trying to say something, but the words in the dream seemed misty, and unclear. However, from the tone of voiItieItiel could tell that the boy was unsure, and was asking him a question. Going with what felt right, Itiel replied, "Whatever happens, it'll be good..."   ******   "Then, take me," Raquel said softly, leaning forward to kiss Itiel passionately on the lips. However, as soon as he got close, Itiel vanished underneath him, and he found himself falling into nothingness. Soon he was floating alone in the dark. He snapped awake in that instant, his last words still ringing in his head as he sat up and blinked, trying to clear his mind.   At the same moment, Itiel's eyes snapped open, his dream having ended much the same way. He blinked, looking up at Raquel. "Are you okay? You look more pale than usual."   "Oh, I... It's nothing, I just had a strange dream, that's all," the boy replied, trying to get his bearings. Part of him wanted to go back to the dream, back to before Itiel vanished. He had to admit to himself that he had enjoyed everything before that.   "Oh? What sort of dream?" Itiel asked, a bit worried. "It wasn't another nightmare, was it?"   "No, nothing like that. It was... the best way I can think of to describe it is like that myth, the one about Eros and Psyche..." He looked wide-eyed at Itiel. "It wasn't a nightmare at all."   Itiel breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. I don't want you to have anymore bad dreams," he said, sitting up as well. "Actually, I just had a dream as well. I've been having a similar one for the longest time, but tonight was the furthest I ever got in it."   "You've had it before? What was yours about?" Raquel asked, his curiosity piqued.   Itiel's cheeks flushed pink, wondering if he should say. "Well, it's sort of... well, strange, I guess. In the dream, it always starts out pitch black, and I can't see anything. Then someone I cannot see begins to kiss me, and I kiss back. For the past two times, it just went on like that, but tonight I could somewhat make out who was kissing me, loving me..." Itiel decided to leave out the part about the first dream and the invisible flames, not wanting to upset Raquel.   "That's what mine was like!" Raquel replied, astonished. "But I knew right away who it was in my dream." He stopped, wondering if he should say anything further.   Itiel debated to himself about whether he should tell Raquel. However, he soon made his decision. "...It was you Raquel. I've been dreaming about you even before I knew I loved you."   The blind boy was stunned into silence, blinking rapidly for a moment. Then he said in a barely audible murmur: "The person I was dreaming about was you. Even though I couldn't see your face, I knew the rest of you. And I... wanted the rest of you."   "Raquel..." Itiel was likewise stunned, partially because they had dreamed practically the same thing, and partially for the fact that Raquel had said "wanted the rest of you." In a voice barely above a whisper, Itiel said, "...I would be lying if I told you I didn't want you too, and badly. But... are you sure you'd be ready for something like that? Especially after…"   "It should be okay, as long as we're careful," Raquel replied. "I was more than ready to hand myself over to you in my dream. I don't know if you could hear it, but I asked you to take me..." He flushed, holding out his hands. "If you were to allow it, I would let you."  el tel took Raquel's hands softly in his own, holding them as he spoke. "...I am allowing it. I would be honored to be your first consensual partner."   "My first and my only," Raquel said, freeing one of his hands to tilt Itiel's face towards him. He leaned forward and kissed him, the real sensation of mouth on mouth a thousand times greater than the kisses he had experienced in dreams. Itiel's mouth was sweet, as if it were dripping with honey, making the kiss taste all the more exotic.   "Mmm..." Itiel reached up, putting a hand around the back of Raquel's neck as they deepened the kiss.   Raquel nipped at Itiel's lips, his mouth opening slightly in a sigh before catching the other man's mouth in another deep kiss. His arms were around Itiel's neck, fingers digging into the fabric of his pajamas.   Parting his lips, Itiel poked out his tongue and touched it to the tip of Raquel's, inviting the boy's tongue into his mouth. The man couldn't help but moan when their tongues touched, fingers twining with locks of Raquel's hair.   Their tongues danced as they licked and bit at each other through the kiss, causing Raquel to groan in pleasure. He pulled away at last, hands moving to cup Itiel's face. "Please, before we go any farther, I want to know," he said. "Tell me what you look like, what everything looks like as we go. I want to be able to see you in my head."   "Gladly," replied Itiel, taking one of Raquel's hands and guiding it along as he spoke. "My hair you know is short, and it's dark brown. You might think it is black from a distance, but it's just a very dark shade of brown. My eyes, they're green. They aren't really a special shade of green, just green," he explained, letting Raquel's fingers trace around the sides of his eyes to memorize the shape.   "I can visualize your hair. But your eyes... Green..." Raquel went back in his mind, trying to recall that color in particular. "Oh! The way I see them, they're the color of new leaves. That kind of green, the kind that means life." He continued to trail his fingers along Itiel's face. "Everything about your face seems sculpted, but at the same time, it's soft."   Itiel listened to Raquel intently, amazed at how well he had pinned down the color of his eyes. As Raquel's fingertips trailed over his throat, he began to speak again, letting the boy feel his Adam's apple vibrate. "I'm not all that tall, though you probably know that already. I only have a few inches over you. My skin is a bit paler than most people's, since I don't tend to go outside that often."   "It just makes your eyes stand out more," Raquel remarked with a chuckle. "At least, it does in the image I have of you." He dropped his hands to his lap. "That's all I needed to know for now. I would ask more about your body... but I want that to be something I have to find out for myself. Something that I have to touch to be able to understand."   "And that's what you're best at," said Itiel, smiling softly at the blind boy. "Though there is one thing we have to worry about first before we begin."   "What is it?" came the reply.   "Well, you don't want it to hurt like it did with Gavin, right?" asked Itiel, quite certain of the response he was going to get.   "Oh no, of course not!" Raquel made a face. "Especially when it's with you!"   "Then we need something that we can ease the act with, then. The only problem is that..." Itiel blushed, "...Machiavellia keeps the stuff like that. We need to figure out an alternative."   "Gavin was telling me about everything he was going to do after the first time," Raquel said softly. "I know I wasn't going to mention him again, but... he did mention that he always liked to have someone else help him 'ease the act', as you say. He said something about using tongues next time..." Raquel turned bright red. "But I can think of something else if you don't like that! Really!"   "If it's the only thing, we might as well try it. As much as I hate to say it, he probably has had more experience with these kind of things than we have." Itiel shuddered as he thought about Gavin, pulling Raquel closer on instinct.   "Then that particular action can wait until we absolutely need it," Raquel reassured Itiel, his fingers moving to the buttons on his pajamas, carefully undoing them one by one. "Right now, I just want to love you this way..."   "Mm," Itiel agreed, allowing the boy to finish with the buttons and slide the top off his shoulders to the floor. "That sounds good. Just because the touches are softer and in different places won't make it any less of an experience before we get into it more."   Raquel slid his arms around Itiel's waist, running his hands up and down his body, tickling his ribs and running around to his buttocks. "Mmm... so smooth and soft..." he murmured, rubbing his cheek against the man's shoulder. "I can see your form in my mind just by feeling it..."   Itiel purred low in his throat, pulling Raquel close to his bare chest and letting the boy's cheek caress the skin. "I admire your power of imagination. You seem to be able to form a perfect picture of whatever you discover, either by a description or by touch. I doubt I could do something like that."   "I can't do that with everyone," Raquel replied. "But with you, it's easy. The image might not be true to life, but it's what I want to see." He smiled up at Itiel, eyes shimmering with wonder. "In my mind, you're so beautiful... but at the same time, it's an unfair image. It makes me want to really see you, Itiel."   "If only that were possible..." Itiel sighed, kissing the top of Raquel's head. "We would have to hope for another Jesus Christ for your vision to be healed, though. I've not heard of any who are blind that could see again that wasn't written in the Bible." He smiled, though, his tone soft, "But it's always nice to dream, hm?"   "Still," the boy replied, clutching Itiel tighter. "It's torture, knowing that someone loves you, feeling their arms around you, but not seeing anything. Like Eros and Psyche, remember? How she suffered..." He sniffled a little. "Even if I could just see your face for a second!--"   Itiel shushed Raquel gently. "I know how you feel about it, but there's just nothing that we can do." He stroked Raquel's hair, words soothing. "The only thing we could try would be to seek out a psychic that could project an image of me into your mind, but true mediums like that are few, far between, and even more expensive than silk at times."   "For now... just describe it all to me, Itiel. I want to be able to better see what I'm touching." He pressed his lips to Itiel's throat. "Just... love me..."   Nodding, Itiel leaned into Raquel's light kiss. "All right..." he whispered, responding with a kiss of his own to Raquel's lips. However, the kiss wasn't as long as their first, and as Itiel pulled back, a playful grin spread across his face. The man backed up and slid off the bed, out of the range Raquel could find him in.   Raquel's fingers reached out into thin air, a puzzled look on his face. "Itiel? Where did you go?..." He slowly moved his arms around, trying to locate the man. "Itiel?"   Itiel chuckled, letting Raquel hear him. "I'm over here," he said, leaning over the bed and kissing him on the nose. Again, he pulled back quickly, and this time moved to the other side of the bed without Raquel knowing it. "Or perhaps here," he laughed, placing another light kiss to Raquel's shoulder.   "That's not fair at all!" Raquel said with a laugh, turning his head this way and that. "You won't stay in one place long enough for me to kiss you back!"   Pulling back after kissing just below one of Raquel's wounds, Itiel replied, "You have to admit, though, this is rather a good bit of fun." He moved to Raquel's left side, and bent down to the level of the mattress.   "For you, maybe..." the boy replied, hands still wandering. He finally managed to get a hand on top of Itiel's head. "There you are!" he crowed happily, quickly turning and reaching for Itiel in hopes that he could wrap his arms around him. "Maybe if I just hold on really tight, you won't get away...!"   The man laughed again, ducking down and away from Raquel's reach. Quickly, he hopped around to the other side of the bed and slipped onto the mattress, behind Raquel. The boy's bare buttocks were in the air as he bent over to search for Itiel. "I think you will appreciate this more, though," Itiel said, leaning forward and licking around the rim of the blind boy's hole with the tip of his tongue.   "Itiel!" Raquel gasped, surprised by the sudden wet warmth on his backside. It was nowhere near unpleasant, but it was definitely something he had not been expecting. "Wh...what exactly are you trying to do?!"   Itiel pulled back for a brief moment to say, "Trying to make you feel good." Then he leaned back in this times sliding his tongue around the tight flesh a little harder.   Raquel moaned, scrabbling at the sheets as he tried to push back onto his lover's tongue. "...Uhn... It's working."   'Thought so,' Itiel thought with a smile, jabbing the tip of his tongue at the hole several times.   Raquel bit his lip, impatience starting to rise inside him. How long was Itiel going to tease him? This couldn't be all he wanted to do... he couldn't do everything by himself. Raquel had to fight the urge to make him stop, to pull away and demand that Itiel let him do something for him. Itiel's tongue felt wonderful, but it was also forcing the boy into fierce arousal. "Itiel... Itiel, please," he murmured, half wanting him to continue, half wanting to take over.   Itiel blinked upon hearing Raquel's pleading tone of voice. "'Please' what? 'Please stop'? 'Please don't stop'? Am I making you feel uneasy?"   "No, of course you aren't," came the reply. "I love everything that you're doing to me, but... but it makes me want to taste you, too, you know." Raquel looked back over his shoulder. "So if you would let me..."   "Oh, is that it?" said Itiel, smiling. He pulled himself forward, face to face with Raquel. "Of course I'd let you. Do you think I would deny you now?"   "I thought you would say that," Raquel said quietly, a blush spreading over his cheeks. "When I was talking about taste, there's something I've been curious about, really..." His hands caught the waistband of Itiel's pajama bottoms, gently tugging them down.   "What might that be?" wondered Itiel, helping Raquel with the pajama bottoms. He brushed his fingers against the boy's pushing the waistband down his hips and legs and helping him memorize the curves of his lower body.   After pulling off the last of Itiel's clothing, Raquel lingered on his hips for a moment before hesitantly curling his fingers around Itiel's length. First one hand, then both wrapped around him, moving up and down, memorizing the feel of it. "...It's exactly like it was in my dream," he said, amazed.   Itiel blushed, letting the boy do his exploring. Without fail, the man's length began to rise more than it already had, making him blush even more. "You must have had a detailed dream, then..."   "It felt the same..." Raquel let go for a moment, blinking in surprise. "But... it didn't move in my dream!"   Itiel chuckled in embarrassment. "It means that I want you to do more, if it ghardhard like that..."   "Oh..." Raquel thought quickly, recalling something Gavin had mentioned during their time together. Though it had not sounded pleasant at the time, it seemed like it might be appropriate for this situation. "Is this okay?" Raquel closed his eyes and leaned down, slowly dragging his tongue up the shaft until he was licking the head of Itiel's length.   Itiel took in a sharp breath of pleasure, leaning his head back slightly. He had remembered Machiavellia doing similar things to him in the past, but they had never felt like how Raquel was performing the same actions now. "Oh yes, Raquel..."   The boy continued to lick, one hand in place to hold onto Itiel, the other settled on the man's knee. He lapped hungrily at the hard rod, base to tip, the taste of it exotic and leaving him craving more.   Groaning, Itiel arched his back and thrust upward at Raquel, wanting more of the boy's gentle tongue. "So good!" he cried out.   ******   Meanwhile, Machiavellia was sitting angrily in the library, flipping through Itiel's books in an attempt to keep herself busy. She was startled by a sudden cry of ecstasy, one that sounded very much like Itiel. "What?" she asked aloud. "What could he be... there's no one else in there, though. I must be hearing things..." She made a mental note to listen again, and if she heard something, to go to Itiel's room herself to see what the racket was.   ******   Caroline grumbled in her sleep, pulling a pillow over her head. "Nugh, I wish that woman would keep Master Itiel quieter. Looks like another night of bad sleep for me..." she mumbled, closing her eyes again and trying to drift back off.   ******   The sudden thrusting of Itiel's hips forced his hardness into Raquel's mouth, the boy's lips closing around him. He didn't miss a beat, sucking Itiel's cock with the same urgency, pausing only to lick the pre-cum from the tip. It reminded Raquel of drinking the nectar from a flower, salty-sweet on the back of his tongue.   Softly, Itiel repeated Raquel's name under his breath as he dug his elbows into the mattress. Again, he thrust, unable to help himself although he knew he might choke the boy. "...This is like Heaven," he whispered heavily.   The blind boy removed his mouth after what seemed like an eternity, a smile on his face. He pulled himself up, straddling Itiel as he had done in his dream, his hands again settled on his chest. "You can't go too far yet," he said quietly, slightly scolding. "Pl, I , I want it like this. Just like in the dream."   "And you've done a good job preparing us for it being like that," said Itiel, referring to the saliva that now coated his length. "I want it to be like this I w I want you so much."   "And I want to feel you inside me while you're telling me everything... what it all looks like," Raquel whispered, guiding Itiel's hands to his hips.   "Just ask for what you want to hear, and I'll tell you," Itiel replied in just as soft a whisper, grasping Raquel's hips and moving into position.   "I want you to tell me what my face looks like when you put it in," Raquel said, his grin growing wider. "And how it all makes you feel when we start." He fell silent for a moment, moving closer until their faces were mere inches apart. "I'm giving you my permission. So, take me," he whispered, his eyes half-closed and the smile growing ever bigger.   Itiel nodded underneath the boy, though it was more for himself than for Raquel. "I'll use as much detail as I can," he said, positioning the tip of his cock right underneath the blind boy's waiting hole. "Here we go..." With that, Itiel reached up and started to pull Raquel down onto his length, expression brightening as the boy's expression changed from one of plain happiness to one of pure ecstasy. And that's exactly what he told Raquel. "Just a moment ago… your smile was soft and expectant… and you looked like you could see me even though you couldn't. Then it changed… and now it looks as though you've become the happiest man alive… or at least the most pleasured. Just looking at your face..." He groaned loudly as he thrust upward, grabbing onto Raquel's back, "...is just adding to the feelings I'm experiencing right now!"   ******   "What the hell was that?!" Machiavellia snapped, dropping the book she had been leafing through. She stood and started quickly down the hall towards Itiel's room, standing outside and pressing her ear to the door. "Waiiiit a minute. Those noises..." Machiavellia knelt, slowly turning the door handle and pushing the door open just a crack. With a slight sense of dread inside, she peeked through the crack and her eyes instantly widened. 'Oh my God!...' she thought.   ******   Raquel threw his arms around his master, digging his fingers into Itiel's back. He had never felt anything like it before -- the intense, hot pleasure that traveled through him as Itiel's length filled him up, like a heated pipe forcing itself deeper. He cried out, overwhelmed by emotion. "Itiel!! Oh!... Oh, it feels so good in me...Uhn..."   "There's no... ugh, hurt at all?" asked Itiel, thrusting again with more intensity and passion. "I have to admit... there is a little pain. Saliva... isn't the best lubricant, but the pain is nothing, uhn... compared to the pleasure I'm getting out of this," he breathed to Raquel, taking breaks every now and then to take in deep gulps of air.   "You're... not hurting me," Raquel replied, riding Itiel's cock hard as his lover's hips rose and fell against him. "I couldn't imagine...uh!... anything feeling better than this."   "This is... like nothing I've ever... felt before," Itiel said, voice like soft puffs of wind. "Not even Machiavellia could... ah! ...match what I'm feeling from you right now!" he cried, his length practically throbbing with warmth.   ******   "That bastard!" Machiavellia hissed to herself, clenching her hands into fists. "He never told me! Itiel and that boy of his... both of them, both of them together!--" She fumed quietly to herself. "Sodomites, the two of them... I'll make sure that they both get their turn in Hell!"   ******   Raquel threw his head back, droplets of sweat flying from his hair. "It's getting so hot inside me," he said, their bodies moving together, completely in sync with one another. "Don't you feel it, Itiel? Your length..."   "I... I feel it, Raquel," Itiel said, thrusting again and again. The heat only intensified as he did so, and he tossed his head from side to side, his entire body coursing with ecstasy. "It's so warm, and getting hotter by the second... I don't want this to be over so fast, but I feel like I'm going to burst at any moment."   "We'll end it together," the boy gasped, opening his eyes just long enough to give Itiel a clear look at them, the violet irises bright with happiness. Then his body stiffened, a whimper escaping his throat as he whispered, "Itiel, I'm going to..."   "I know..." Again, Itiel breathed in sharply, the combination of the heat and the friction of his movements inside of Raquel causing him to come to almost a complete stop. However, after five seconds, he gave a long moan, his seed spurting into the blind boy without restraint. He bit his lip to keep himself from screaming Raquel's name at the top of his lungs, not wanting to wake every single person in the house. It was hard to do so. Instead, he settled for a shaky, "O-oh God, Raquel!" as soon as he had finished.   Raquel was not too far after him, arching his hips as he came, his seed painting streaks across Itiel's stomach. He collapsed on top of Itiel, smelling sweat and thn's n's own intoxicating fragrance. He ignored the stickiness between their bodies, concentrating on how smoothly Itiel's length slid out of him, leaving a glistening white trail. "Thank you," he said, nuzzling Itiel fondly.   Itiel sighed blissfully, hugging Raquel close. "You're welcome," he replied, leaning his forehead against the boy's. "And also, thank you for more than just this. Thank you... for opening me up again. I don't think I ever want to go back to being how I'd been acting ever again."   "You won't," Raquel reassured him, kissing his lips one more time. "I'd never have chosen you as a master if I knew you were going to go back. Or as a lover." He smiled fondly at Itiel. "You've thanked me enough as it is."   "I can't help it. You've done so much for me that I can't help but thank you for all of it," said Itiel, smiling and ruffling Raquel's hair. "I plan to be as good a lover as I can to you, even it it's only within the confines of this room."   "Oh, Itiel... that's what I've been waiting to hear you say since I got here," Raquel replied, his face brighter than it had ever been.   ******   Machiavellia drew away from the door in disgust, turning on her heel. "I'll see to it that Itiel gets what he deserves," she snarled, heading for the manor doors. "And that little brat of his!"