"Are you sure this is how we do it?"
"Yes, I watched them enough times in the market. Hot first, then cold, then push it through. Easy."
Light flares behind a stack of boxes in the back of the storage room.
"Where's the needle?" A tiny flame dances in Karl's palm.
"Here." Anders hands it over. "It needs to be red hot."
Anders has that feeling that he only gets when he's about to break the rules, the thrilling rush of rebellion that feels so much like freedom it's intoxicating. He doesn't notice the way their shoulders press together as they hunch over the flame. Karl does.
The end of the needle glows orange, then red.
"Ow!" Karl almost drops it, flame flickering. "Ice, quick!"
Anders raises a finger to the needle and it hisses and steams as ice forms on the tip. He touches the same finger to his ear.
"I'm ready." Leaning over, he lays his head in Karl's lap, eyes closed, trusting.
"Hold still now." A gentle hand pushes his hair back from his face, traces the edge of his ear, making him shiver. Fingers grasp the lobe, then a sudden sharp pain and he grits his teeth and wills his head to stay still.
"Done." Karl breathes. "Now what?" The gold earring is still in Anders' pocket.
He points. "In there. Fire, ice, then pull the needle out and put that in."
The hand moves into his pocket like a caress, and he gasps. When the flame warms his face again, he opens his eyes. Karl's brows are drawn down, and the tip of his tongue is just visible as he concentrates. Anders wonders what it would feel like on his skin.
Placing the earring hurts more than he expected. He is silent while Karl works, keeping the pain secret or Karl will stop and he wants this too much to sacrifice it.
"Does it hurt?" Karl asks when he is done.
"Not really." Anders lies. He draws a wisp of mana and lifts a hand to his ear. A jolt runs through him as he encounters Karl's healing magic reaching out at the same time. The thrill this time is not rebellion but something new, something that compels him to stroke the fingers once before dropping his hand. He meets Karl's eyes and looks away, suddenly very aware of the heat of the body under his head.
"I should go." He doesn't move.