Sequel

Hopefully I get it in the next one, but the trio are back because Rel missed them and Paw felt that he did, so Paw sent them back.

Anyway. This was like the opposite of the last one.

While my projects are done... it's that special time of year when I beat my head with a frying pan and try to do math.

Read, Review and Enjoy (and hopefully I can updated later today)





Muan finally quieted down, nearly an hour later. Rel found the entire thing exhausting, the Sidhe’s emotions had been battering against him and the effort to keep those emotions from actually affecting him, from consuming him entirely, had drained him. He hadn’t had much energy to begin with.

Rel was still recovering from Muan’s healing and there Muan had been, acting the fool and just breaking down in front of him.

The thought sounded so much like his own that Rel was startled when Muan stood, picking Rel up in his arms, and pressed his nose against the man’s temple. Muan carried Rel to the bathroom and set him on the floor under the laundry shoot very carefully. Rel blinked, too shocked by Muan’s sudden centering to realise he could, and should, get up and leave.

Run a bath, take a bath. Muan plugged the tub and opened the bath cupboard, sniffing this and that bath salt and fizzy, wondering what would smell good on both of them. Rel liked this one, but Muan would smell like a wet dog. That one was nice but… Muan looked over his shoulder at Rel, huffed and shook his head, Rel wasn’t effeminate.

Muan liked that about Rel.

“Stop grinning, you doof,” Rel grumbled when he felt Muan smile, even though the Sidhe’s back was to him, even though he couldn’t actually see it.

Muan chose jasmine and lavender and the bubbles that didn’t sting his eyes. Adding these to the water, the Sidhe retrieved some purple flowers from the plant. The last of the flowers, they had begun to wilt, and he might as well make do with them while…. Muan looked at Rel, frowned and very carefully shut his mind.

Leaving Rel in complete silence. The running of the tub, the plop of each flower being dropped into the water. The hum of lights or venting or the world in general. The taps squeaked as Muan shut them off and looked at Rel again. Slowly, Muan stripped and gave Rel a look that he was expected to do the same. Rel grimaced, thinking loudly on how he didn’t want to have sex, he didn’t have the energy, but stripped all the same. For all he knew it was some kind of Sidhe tradition. Say ayata and then get ass raped in the tub.

Or a massage. A massage would have been nice, Rel thought with a grimace.

Muan stepped into the tub and sat down, stretching out and making a face, like he didn’t like baths and didn’t trust the water not to bite him. The Sidhe motioned to Rel and the man stepped in carefully, sitting between Muan’s legs. He was pulled against a warm chest and the purple flowers made everything seem to tingle as he listened to thousands of bubbles pop.

Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop.

It was weird, actually listening to the world. Even stranger was the fact that a few days of power use and he found the sounds of the world strange.

Rel sighed out as Muan wrapped long arms around him, as lips found his neck. The briefest of kisses. And his skin tingled at the contact. Like electricity moving through him.

Power.

Rel looked over his shoulder, startled. Muan had a small smirk on his face, the Sidhe tried to hide his pride, that a people so ignorant could know so quickly what was power and what was the flower talking.

“Why are you…”

Lots of power. Rel caught a glimpse of it, of Muan trying to gather it up so that Rel could see he had plenty to spare. It was like trying to empty the ocean with a teaspoon. Power was in Muan’s blood, in his bones, in his mind and his soul.

The realisation made Rel feel inadequate. He was smaller than Muan, stupider than Muan, weaker than Muan and now the Sidhe had more power than he did.

Stupid Sidhe.

Rel looked at the taps of the bathtub and put his head back on Muan’s shoulder. He closed his eyes for a moment and got rid of all that negative emotion, all that bad stuff that he had towards Muan. Mainly jealousy. He wished he could be that good looking, strong, smart and nice. What the hell would be the downside of having Muan as his lover?

Besides the whole. If he cheated or pissed the Sidhe off he could lose an life or limb.

Meh, that didn’t matter. Rel shrugged, to which Muan made an upset sound that seemed to imply ‘what do you mean?’

The tingle in his lips told Rel what Muan had done. A moment later the Sidhe caught Rel’s lips with his own once more. Lips pressed together was not real kissing, but neither of them really knew how to kiss. Rel opened his mouth as he had seen in -of all places- pornos. Muan’s tongue darted into his mouth and Rel tensed a moment before pushing the Sidhe away.

Think un-sexy thoughts. Think un-sexy thoughts.

Ashun walked into the bathroom like she owned the place. Raoh and Osht trailing behind her. That was quite un-sexy and Rel was so very glad to see her, even if he didn’t really like her. Ashun looked from Rel to Muan, to Rel again and frowned.

“I didn’t realise people took baths together,” She said, turning to look at the two males behind her for confirmation. Raoh and Osht suddenly found the ceiling very interesting, “well yes, one isn’t people, but Mik won’t bathe with me.”

And Raoh started going red. Osht looked like he was desperately trying not to laugh.

“Probably because it is inappropriate for people to bathe with those who are not their mates, lovers or somehow inclined,” Rel responded, “I won’t bathe with you either.”

“You’re my son.”

“Uhhuh. I also won’t bathe with those two. Muan … kind of…”

Muan said something in Sidhe, a few words Rel didn’t recognise and all of a sudden Raoh was dragging Ashun out of the bathroom. Osht flopped down on the toilet, gave the tub a look with his one eye and huffed out as if satisfied that nothing was biting anything else.

Or hard.

Thank the gods, Rel thought, leaning towards the front of the tub to snatch up the washcloth. Muan took the cloth from him almost immediately and dipped it in the water. Rubbing a bit of soap on it, the Sidhe very gently washed Rel’s arms, torso and back. When Muan set the wash cloth on the rim, Rel glanced about, wondering what-

Osht looked pointedly from Rel, to the cloth, to Muan’s arm on the rim of the tub.

Like. Checking for ticks, except for the upgraded civilization? Muan hadn’t come close to any private places, but the washing did seem more about the special attention than about the actual cleaning. Rel took the washcloth from the rim and dipped it into the water, washing away the soap from his own wash, before he folded it into quarters and gave it a rub with soap, as Muan had done.

Rel took Muan’s left wrist and brought it over his shoulder, giving it a light and thorough rub. He glanced at Osht and the Sidhe seemed to imply that Rel should pay close attention to the skin. Perhaps Sidhe eyes could see things besides smooth skin, but all Rel saw was skin. And a freckle.

“Freckle.” When Osht didn’t seem worried, Rel bent and kissed the freckle. Muan’s chest, against Rel’s back, rumbled.

Around the arm and Rel had to turn in the tub. Oddly the tub was wide enough for Rel to turn easily. He faced Muan and began washing the Sidhe’s chest. Bubbles flowed into the void where Rel’s torso had been in the water and he tried not to look down. The large mark that had been across Muan’s chest was all but gone, a light mark against clean, healthy skin. Rel bent close, inspecting the skin. Muan’s chest was smooth, no hair, he was, with his clothing off, even more the manly male warrior/godlike model of…

Hot.

“Freckle,” Rel pointed at the spot and bent, kissing it, this time skimming his tongue over it briefly.

“Lel, ‘ehve.”

Leave, heave, have or behave? Rel glanced over his shoulder and saw the dark look and decided it was behave. The tongue was obviously too much, as he had been allowed to kiss the other freckle. Rel continued washing and over to the other arm, around and down and Rel spotted a light spot and pointed at it.

“Light spot.” Freckles, even people had freckles, but light spots like that were usually a sign of skin cancer.

Muan seemed quite pleased that Rel had found a light spot. The Sidhe took the washcloth from Rel and dropped it in the water, swirling it around just under the surface of the water before wringing it out and setting it on the rim of the tub. And then Muan stood and Rel was dangerously close to. To.

Rel bit his bottom lip and slid backward as the Sidhe stepped out of the tub. Muan wrapped a towel around his waist before holding a towel out for Rel. He swallowed and stood, stepping into the towel and thus into Muan’s arms.

Around his waist and all but touching his butt.

Think un-sexy thoughts. Think un-sexy thoughts.

“Uhm. Hi,” Rel said as Muan pulled him close.

“Lw’uan,” Osht muttered.

Was that like combining Rel and Muan’s names? Muan let out his breath, seeming mildly upset as he stepped away from Rel, gave Osht a little bow and left. Rel swallowed and looked at Osht.

Osht smiled at Rel, patted him on the head and said, “ne’ss time, spot here,” and tapped just above Rel’s lip.

“Those were actual freckles, I wasn’t-”

His adoptive father walked out of the bathroom, shooting Rel a grin before he closed the door. Rel stared at the door, not quite understanding.

Because if he was right, he had just been told how to cheat by the guy who was supposed to keep things… er… legal.


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