Hey gaiz. :D So the plot bunnies once again attacked me during American History (that happens frequently 0.o ) so I has a ficcy for joo. w

Plot Bunny Helpers:

- Automatic by Tokio Hotel

- If You Only Knew by Shinedown

Enjoy! R&R PWEASE! Feed the plot bunnies. O3o

WARNING: CONTAINS BxB, meaning boys loving boys! Don't like? Don't read!!!

It never ceased to amaze him. Mo watched out the window as Dustfinger put on a show for Meggie. The fire danced around him like seductive orange nymphs; following every shift of his body, obeying every flick of his wrist. Mo smiled at the look of awe on his daughter's face. Dustfinger formed the fire into long streamlined shapes and twisted them together like a rope.

Mo raised an eyebrow as Dustfinger began to twirl the rope into unimaginable and exotic designs. The flashes of orange, red, and yellow lit up the backyard brighter than the fireflies did. Good thing they weren't jealous creatures. Lost embers floated up into the night sky like white souls, and disappeared just as mysteriously.

Mo quietly opened the squeaky back door and continued to watch the show. Dustfinger let the rope loose and watched as it crackled and went out like a light. For a moment, there was no trace of light outside, save for a few red coals struggling to survive in the fire pit in front of Meggie. There was a short pause before Dustfinger's hands started to glow red and little flames licked up from his palms.

With a soft smile at Meggie, he took a deep breath and created a giant dragon, better known as Dragon's Breath, Meggie's favorite. It lit up the backyard brighter than ever and Mo couldn't help but smile. Dragon's Breath was his favorite too. Then, just as it had begun, it ended, all too quickly.

A few embers fell into the fire pit, igniting the few fading coals, drawing more light into the dark space. Meggie was clapping enthusiastically as Dustfinger took a small bow, still smiling. Mo observed the way Dustfinger's chest rose and fell a little faster than usual; the way his ginger hair hung slightly in his face; the slight shine to his skin from sweat. Mo chuckled to himself. He always went all-out for Meggie.

"Brilliant, as usual!" Mo finally spoke. Dustfinger turned slightly, his pale blue eyes looking white in the coals' dim light. "Ah. I didn't know you were there, Silvertongue." He said with a smile. He brushed the hair out of his eyes. Meggie stood and stretched, yawning shortly after. "Of course he was. He always watches your performances." She commented casually.

Dustfinger's gaze shifted to Mo once again. "Oh?" He mused, a Cheshire cat grin splitting his face. Mo felt his face heat up as he lied. "Well. Sometimes. Your dances are… captivating." He cursed himself mentally for his inability to lie to the fire-eater. A subtle lift of Dustfinger's eyebrow told Mo that he saw right through his fib.

Meggie broke the silence again with another yawn. "Amazing, as always, Dustfinger. Truly. But I'm going to bed now. Good night you two!" She chirped. She gave Dustfinger a quick hug and kissed Mo's cheek before walking into the house and closing the door, leaving Mo and Dustfinger outside alone in the fading light.

Dustfinger retrieved his discarded shirt from the garden bench and turned to face Mo once again. "So, Silvertongue." He put the shirt on and brushed his hair from his face for the second time. "Do you really watch me every time?" He asked plainly. Mo put his hands in his pockets and avoided Dustfinger's piercing stare. "Usually." He mumbled.

Dustfinger fought the urge to smile and began to walk towards Mo. Mo looked up in time to catch the ghost of a smile on Dustfinger's lips. "Really." He said slowly. With each step Dustfinger took, Mo forced himself not to take one back. Within a few seconds, Mo found himself standing mere inches from the fire-dancer.

For a moment, all he could do was stare into the pale blue eyes that, in turn, stared back. Mo crashed back to Earth when Dustfinger spoke gently. "Do you trust me, Silvertongue?" He searched Mo's face as he waited for his answer. Mo thought carefully before answering. "Yes." He said with confidence.

He jumped when he found himself and Dustfinger surrounded by a ring of fire that was growing by the second. He took a step closer to Dustfinger unintentionally, and found himself so close to him that their noses touched. He felt the blood in his face rise to the surface, and both he and Dustfinger knew it wasn't because of the heat from the fire.

Dustfinger's breath caressed Mo's lips as he whispered. "Trust me…" Mo swallowed and kept quiet. He willed the butterflies in his stomach to stop. They slowed but did not cease as Dustfinger continued to look at him with such intensity that Mo almost wanted to look away. "Silvertongue. Look up." Dustfinger's soft voice sent Mo's stomach flopping again.

He did as Dustfinger instructed and his eyes widened. Dustfinger had created a swirling vortex of flames around them, leaving a small window at the top of funnel for the star-lit sky to peek through. Mo stared up in wonder for what seemed like forever, and Dustfinger kept the tornado inferno spinning.

When Mo finally looked at Dustfinger again, there was no longer any uncertainty in his eyes. When their noses touched again, he didn't pull back or blush. He simply stared into the fire-eater's eyes. Mo didn't move when he felt Dustfinger's hands ghost up his arms and shoulders to his face. Dustfinger's eyes were soft as he gently rubbed Mo's cheek with his thumb.

Mo knew what was coming next, and half of him wanted to stop it, but the other half, the more dominant half, mind you, relished the gesture and just smiled. Mo half-heard the phone ringing in the house, and he hoped Meggie would answer it.

His heart beat sped up when Dustfinger moved so close that their bodies and foreheads touched. He let his eyes flutter shut and just listened to the sounds of the night and Dustfinger's breathing. He took in all the smells; fresh cut grass, smoke and fire, all sorts of flowers, and a sharp spice that he knew had no name, because he knew it was genuinely Dustfinger.

Dustfinger slowly let the funnel die as he pressed his lips to Mo's. His heart skipped and Dustfinger hoped Mo didn't get mad. To his surprise, Mo reached up and gently curled his fingers in Dustfinger's finger. Dustfinger's tongue flicked out and licked Mo's bottom lip, earning a quick breath from Mo.

His grip on his hair tightened, and Dustfinger's hands went to Mo's hips, pressing him closer. In the back of his mind, Mo hoped none of his neighbors decided to come outside, despite the fact that the trees in the garden provided some cover. He pressed his hips closer to the fire-dancer, and he heard Dustfinger take a deep breath. Dustfinger licked Mo's lip again, and Mo opened his mouth more to allow Dustfinger's tongue to enter and explore.

He twisted his tongue around Dustfinger's, and he tasted the delicious foreign spice again, which seemed to permeate Dustfinger's entire being. Dustfinger began stepping back; pulling Mo with him until he felt his knees hit the bench. He sat down and gently tugged Mo into his lap, their mouths never separating.

Dustfinger held Mo tightly. He never thought he'd be where he was right now; not just because he had Roxanne, or because he wasn't supposed to be in this world in the first place; no, not at all. He had always thought Silvertongue hated him. Silvertongue had always reacted in anger or irritation when Dustfinger even brought up Inkheart. He got even more upset when Dustfinger pleaded with him to send him home.

Dustfinger slipped into a moment of reminiscence as he remembered one particular incident. It came flooding back to him like it was yesterday.

"Send me home, Silvertongue!" Dustfinger pleaded. Silvertongue shook his head. "I told you! I don't know how! This was all an accident to begin with!" It had been raining all day and Dustfinger had, once again, like so many times before, shown up on Silvertongue's doorstep soaked and cold, begging to go back into Inkworld.

Dustfinger's hair was still dripping as he stood up off the couch, towel wrapped around his shoulders. "Send. Me. HOME!" He repeated. Silvertongue was beginning to lose his patience. He didn't know how many times they had had this conversation. He only hoped their yelling didn't wake Meggie. He pinched the bridge of his nose, telling himself to remain calm.

"Dustfinger, please. I don't know how to help you." With each word, he felt his frustration growing. "I have no idea how I read you out, so how do you expect me to read you back in?!" He put his hands on his hips and stared into Dustfinger's face. There was anger and desperation in Dustfinger's eyes. "I… I don't believe you! You are a magician! You have to!!" He almost shrieked. Silvertongue got a strange look on his face.

Neither of them saw 7-year old Meggie sitting on the stairs. They didn't see her confusion. They didn't see her eyes widen when Silvertongue raised his hand and struck Dustfinger fully across the face. Droplets of water flew in a rainbow halo as Dustfinger's head snapped to the side. Dustfinger could do nothing but blink at the man who was standing in front of him, seething with anger, and hold his stinging cheek in shock. He couldn't believe Silvertongue had hit him.

Silvertongue stood with his hands in fists at his sides, his jaw tight, staring hard at the fire-eater. "Get out." He hissed. Dustfinger's face fell as he placed the towel around his shoulders on the couch and walked to the door. He picked up his backpack and turned to Silvertongue. Silvertongue softened his expression after Dustfinger turned and walked out the front door, his shoulders slumped forward. The rain hit his face like ice shards as he walked away from the house.

Dustfinger broke the kiss with a smile. "What?" Mo asked. Dustfinger kissed him chastely and chuckled. "Nothing." Meggie stood in the window smiling, and once again, neither man saw her. "I'm sorry, Aunt Elinor. I've told you five times already." Her smile widened as Mo pulled Dustfinger close for another kiss. She sighed and shook her head. "He's kind of busy right now."

Elinor's voice sounded irritated. "Fine. Have him call me when he's not." Meggie took another look out the window to find that Dustfinger and Mo had disappeared. She looked around, confused, until she heard the squeaky back door open and close. She scurried to her room and left her door cracked.

She peeked out and blushed scarlet when she saw Mo and Dustfinger coming up the stairs, connected at the mouth, and taking off their clothes hastily. She giggled and closed the door quietly. She spoke quietly into the phone. "I'll do that, Elinor. Good bye." She hung up and settled down on her floor with a book. She smiled and blushed again when she heard Mo's bedroom door shut.