Word Count: chapter: 3,178||story: 12,622||chapter count: 4/4

No one said very much until they were all in the bathing facilities. Alit muttered under his breath something under his breath that no one could quite hear clearly, but he didn't sound very pleased in general. Gilag took a long look at the facilities and sighed as he got ready to clean up. He likely would've preferred a lake of some kind to these, Ryouga mused, getting himself ready as well.

As far as he was concerned, and he suspected Durbe as well, given their shared past, this reminded him just a fraction too much of home. Enough so he could appreciate it, enough so that he wished they weren't here and he wasn't thinking about it.

He could imagine Rio felt the same way on her side, where they weren't allowed to go. Very strict in some ways, this place was.

But sooner or later they all settled in to wash, and once the aches and pains of riding began to soak out of them, they relaxed. And it was Alit who said what hovered in the back of everyone's mind to some extent.

"Are we supposed to be trusting Vector with this? How do we know he's not going to… I don't know, do something?" He waved one hand in the air to convey everything that his words couldn't.

Durbe scrubbed at his shoulders thoughtfully. "He hasn't done anything to hurt any of us before. I don't think he's going to start now. And if he does, I think Mizael can manage him."

"If he doesn't have plans to manage Mizael first," Alit muttered, sinking until only his head remained out of the water. "That's kind what I'm worried about."

"I don't blame you," Ryouga agreed, through the noise of busily washing his hair. Alit couldn't help the occasional peek; not only was Ryouga a generally attractive specimen of humanity, but Alit hadn't ever seen him with his hair absolutely soaked. It was kind of an interesting look, really. But then the bard kept talking. "But Mizael's good at what he does, and he has a good head on his shoulders."

Durbe chuckled, a soft, amused sound. "He also has a dragon. If he gets into anything that he can't handle, Jinlong will help him."

Ponta splashed through the water, floating on his back in the next moment. "He wants the ranger very much. But he hasn't taken what he wanted until the ranger agreed to it."

True enough words. Whatever other plans Vector had – and none of them were so foolish to think that Vector, connected in some way to their employer that none of them fully knew – didn't have plans of some kind, they didn't involve assault of that kind.

Seduction, more than likely, but not assault.

Ryouga ducked his head under long enough to wash the shampoo out of his hair and resurfaced with a loud noise that Alit couldn't help but laugh at. He laughed even more when Ryouga gave him a very annoyed look about it.

"What kind of a sea creature sound was that?" The ex-gladiator wanted to know. Ryouga grinned, his teeth flashing in the magically created lights.

"When I was a child, my nickname was Shark."

Alit blinked. "What's a shark?"

"May I touch your hair?" Vector despised asking. He wanted to take what he wanted and have it as long as he desired it, but when dealing with five skilled fighters of various disciplines, a winged horse, a creature that just was magic and could do too much for his personal comfort, and a dragon – perhaps especially the dragon – then he had to ask.

But as he'd observed before, it made getting his desires that much more satisfying, and even better, people wouldn't try to take what he craved away from him when he'd been given it freely. For a small sacrifice, he got much, much bigger rewards.

Mizael considered him for a few moments before he nodded, and Vector lost no more time. He ran his hands carefully over Mizael's hair, still damp from the bath, and shivered.

"That fool was right about one thing," Vector murmured, stroking over and over, slowly sliding his fingers deeper into the strands of living gold. "Your hair is like silk. Only better."

Mizael leaned further into Vector's touch, making a somewhat contented noise. Vector kept on stroking, and with his other hand, turned Mizael's face toward him, moving forward to kiss him.

He'd kissed Mizael many times since that incident at the tavern, savoring each one. Kisses when they woke up. Kisses before sleep or going on watch. Random kisses throughout the day. Not all of those kisses were on the lips: only those that others might see. When it was just the two of them, Vector indulged them both by finding new places to rest his lips.

Now he pressed Mizael closer to him, neither of them with a stitch on, the long length of the elf's body so warm against him. Dinner would be there soon, but he wanted an appetizer first.

His kisses wandered downward to Mizael's chest, then up again, hands beginning to roam away from Mizael's hair to play with his strong shoulders, then tease at his hips and legs.

Vector found himself a little surprised at Mizael's own actions a brief moment later. The ranger not only returned the heady, intoxicating kisses, but slipped his lips downward to rest at the hollow of Vector's throat, his tongue flicking out to caress there repeatedly.

No one had ever tried anything like that with him before. All of his other trysts focused on him enjoying himself with the use of whoever shared his bed. Very seldom had they tried anything new with him, but only obeyed whatever orders he gave them.

Mizael wasn't much of one to take orders, he'd learned, and part of his anticipation had been to train that out of him.

Now, as Mizael teased and nibbled there, and pleasure Vector hadn't experienced before stirred, he considered a different approach.

He didn't consider it for long, mostly because Mizael started working his lips and tongue and a bit of tooth on his neck, and Vector didn't find himself able to think about anything very clearly for quite some time.

When he got his thoughts working again, he stared into one of the mirrors in the bathing area, touching the part of his neck where Mizael did his work.

"What is that?" It was like a bruise and it would stay there for a while. Mizael shrugged.

"It's like something dragons do. It's similar to a mating bite, but it doesn't mean permanence." His teeth flashed in a sudden smile. "I'd have to draw blood for it to be permanent."

Vector wondered for a few moments if he should've done research on how dragon relationships worked, as well as what checking he'd done for elven ones. Mizael was an odd mixture of the two, and somehow different from both of them at the same time.

He couldn't say that he didn't like it. What was rare as well as beautiful appealed to him, and Mizael fit that category easily enough.

He touched the mark again. He would have to return this favor, something that told all who looked at Mizael that he belonged to Vector, be it now or be it forever.

He would think about it. It would have to be just right.

A quiet tap on the door interrupted his thoughts. He knew what that was: the alert that dinner had arrived. Pulling a robe on, he went to get it, pleased now that he could take more control of the situation. Having Mizael willingly join in was a fresh thrill he appreciated, but he'd planned this once he realized their first tryst would take place here in the Gryphon. He wanted Mizael to enjoy this as much as he did.

It was a quick trip up to the suite they'd occupy for their time here and he kept one arm around Mizael the whole time, releasing him only when they arrived in the main room, where a delicious set of aromas arose from the covered tray awaiting them on a low table. A single lounge rested on one side of the table and he guided Mizael there, both of them settling down on it. The lounge, like everything in this suite, had been arranged to be perfect for two people to entwine around one another on it.

And like that, the dinner was exactly what he'd ordered: the lovers' meal, everything cut into small pieces, suitable for sharing between two, and arranged so that one could feed the other, every bit of it designed to please and tempt the diners.

Not that Vector needed tempting very much. But he picked up a cut of meat he knew Mizael enjoyed and offered it to him. Seeing the ranger accept it, eating from his hands, sent a jolt of raw pleasure through Vector. He couldn't wait to see it again and reached for another.

Mizael beat him to a piece, however, setting it against Vector's lips. Vector had somewhat expected this, after Mizael's earlier actions, and licked it before taking in his mouth, making sure his tongue brushed over Mizael's lips when he did.

Piece by piece they fed each other dinner, stealing kisses and touches in between, and sipping from the shared cup of wine – imported from Kuragari, and not often seen outside of the royal household.

Vector had many privileges.

Mizael wasn't at all inexperienced in acts such as this. He'd never met someone that he wanted to stay with for longer than a handful of years, and to one of his blood, that meant nothing at all.

Vector wouldn't be any different. A handful of years, if even that – the meat of their bargain was more or less that they'd continue in this vein either until one of them chose to end it or until they both agreed that the debt Mizael owed to Vector was paid in full. That, of course, was something only Vector could decide though Mizael had his own thoughts on what would constitute full payment.

Given that in effect, Vector saved him from what could've been an entire lifetime by elven standards of enslavement, then it could indeed be that handful of years.

Only time would tell that. And now time had nothing else to say, leaving Mizael and Vector to soft touches with a hint of an edge to them, and the slow removal of robes to reveal more and more skin that could be and was peppered with teasing kisses and the brush of fingers and tongues, pleasure mounting between them with the friction of flesh against flesh.

Mizael found himself at one point hoping that there was either some kind of silence spell such as the others had discussed, or enough space between here and there that no one could hear anything anyway. He wasn't always noisy with his lovers, but Vector wasn't inexperienced either, and soon enough the first waves of sensual delight hit their peak for both of them.

Once everything eased enough so they could talk, Mizael cupped himself around Vector and stared into those so mischievous eyes.

"It was worth waiting for," Vector said before Mizael formed a question. He played one hand through Mizael's sweat-streaked hair. "And to think it's only just begun."

Mizael slid his own hands through Vector's orange-red locks. He didn't hunger for the human like Vector so clearly hungered for him, but it had been a long time since he'd sated those desires. Long before he'd met Ryouga and Rio and Durbe, in fact.

"How long did you plan to stay here?" While no one had said, they were clearly here on Vector's schedule, even with the mission they had ahead of them. They'd lost one day's worth of travel but they weren't on much of a schedule.

Vector closed one eye and twisted the side of his mouth. Mizael didn't help his looks all that much. "I'd rather like to stay a couple of months, but I think dear Ryouga -" He said it as if the name offended him, a taste to it that Mizael had never heard him use before, "would probably want to be on the trail again at dawn."

Mizael couldn't argue that point. But he didn't think he'd be up to riding after the night Vector clearly had in mind. "Three days," he offered. "Long enough for all of us to rest from everything."

Vector smiled a slow, sensual smile and then slipped out from the couch, rising to his feet and offering Mizael one hand. "I think in three days, I might be ready to leave."

Mizael took the hand and was pulled to his own feet. Vector turned them both toward the bedroom, one arm again pulling Mizael close. They stayed that way until Vector lowered Mizael to the bed and joined him, hungry lips taking kiss after kiss, on Mizael's lips and everywhere else that Vector could find that would bring any sort of enjoyment whatsoever.

Vector knew very well how to please a lover, and how to show his lover what he enjoyed as well. All through the night he and Mizael learned more and more about one another, with the seemingly infinite resources of the Golden Gryphon at their disposal. Vector found him a quick study and their evening rolled onward.

Vector let his thoughts drift, Mizael resting in his arms. He'd seldom felt this sated, even on other occasions when he'd brought a new lover to the Gryphon and enjoyed all it offered him. Perhaps it was because of how much effort he'd put into winning Mizael here in the first place. Or perhaps it was because Mizael was the first elven lover he'd ever had.

As for that, if all elves were like Mizael when it came to wanton pleasures, Vector knew a few places he'd recommend to recruit among the fae people. The Pearl Whistle came to mind. Nearly as fine as the Golden Gryphon it was, though it focused on matters other than simply lodging guests in royal splendor.

Once he grew bored with Mizael, and he and his father had their other plans brought to fruition, perhaps he'd have him installed at the Pearl as well. He could still visit him on occasion if he desired, and Mizael could hardly complain about the luxurious food or the splendid accommodations or the work he'd do. The Pearl's employees weren't common harlots at all, but serviced the highest ranking folk in the land, and infrequently at that. Great generals and even some heroes – carefully chosen so they would not be offended by being granted time at the Pearl – were sent there at Don Thousand's command only. In between times, the king himself sometimes would call one to his quarters. Vector's own mother still lived at the Pearl, forever honored for having given Don Thousand a son and his only heir. She wasn't high enough in birth to be his official bride, but he favored her with his attentions still.

I won't send him there for a long, long time, though. It would take years for the plans to all be accomplished, and maybe even more for him to grow weary of Mizael. The ranger proved very inventive and possessed of even more stamina than Vector imagined.

And until that day did come, he could enjoy himself with Mizael whenever he desired. He rested now. Dawn would come soon, and he looked forward to a full day of Mizael's undivided attention.

Ryouga, Rio, Durbe, Alit, and Gilag waited outside of the Golden Gryphon's doors. Early morning sunlight already gleamed off dew-dampened grass. They'd been awake since before the sun crested the horizon and all of them wanted to get moving.

"Aren't they done yet?" Alit grumbled. None of them had seen or heard a thing from Mizael or Vector since they'd arrived here and Vector swept Mizael off to what they'd later been told was the finest suite in the entire hotel. They'd received one message alone, stating today would be the day they left, and after that, nothing at all.

They all knew what the two were doing, and once or twice, they'd heard hotel servants whispering about it, about how beautiful Mizael was and how lucky he was that Vector – though they never called him that without prefacing it with m'lord - chose him.

Alit hadn't been able to keep a straight face around most of the servants after hearing that.

Other bits and drips of news concerning Vector and his previous visits here made them all a little wary for how long this 'tryst' might last and what Vector might do when it was over, but aside from warning Mizael when they had some time to do so, there wasn't much else that they could do.

Finally a door opened and Mizael stepped out, every inch well rested and relaxed, and wearing his usual riding gear. Vector was only a step behind, every bit as relaxed, and with the most satisfied smile on his face any of them had ever seen. Alit kind of wished he wouldn't smile like that. It creeped him out.

"Good to see you," Durbe said, nodding toward both of them. "I trust matters went well?" He was the soul of discretion, Durbe was.

Vector flashed a grin at him, one that spoke of mischief as always. "Absolutely perfectly. We're going to stop in here on our way back, of course."

Ryouga just rolled his eyes. "Come on, let's get going. The more time we can make, the better."

Soon enough the small group headed down the road that led away from here and on to their mission. No one wanted to ask any more details from either of them. Especially not after Vector rode close to Mizael, entwined an arm around Mizael's waist, and pulled him in for a deep kiss that Mizael returned. Perhaps not with as much enthusiasm, but returned all the same.

They also didn't ask about the fresh love-bites on both of them. Alit really didn't want to know about that. It was all Gilag could do to keep Ponta from asking questions that he didn't want to know: the questions or the answers.

For long days after they left the Golden Gryphon, whenever they stopped at an inn of any size, Vector always made certain to get a private room for himself and Mizael, and the next morning, he always had the same smug, satisfied smile on his face.

But no one heard anything, because by then they'd perfected a spell of silence, and no one complained about it at all. Least of all Vector.

He had so many plans, and he needed the occasional tryst with Mizael to relax himself. The future was right in his grasp and he would need someone to share it with. Mizael, he considered, might be a good choice.

The End

Notes: Someday soon (uh, maybe in 2017?), there will be another story in this world, involving what Yuuma and some of the non-Barian people are doing. Until then...