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"Neroon!!!" Marcus wailed in exasperation, "You did it again! Can't you ever stop it?"
But that didn't hinder Neroon in the slightest. He continued his eager ministrations and let his hand roam over his beloved's bare chest. Following the path his hands had taken, he bit and nibbled a trail of red, wet marks along the delicious morsel that was his mate. He knew Marcus enjoyed the alteration of soft caressing fingers and the sharp pain of teeth on his body. He slid back up and kissed Marcus first tenderly on his lips, teasing lightly with his tongue and then took the smaller man's lower lip between his teeth and bit again.
He wasn't prepared for the reaction this got him. The instant his teeth sunk into the sweet, soft flesh he flew ungraciously from the bed and landed painfully on his butt. His human looked at him, with seething blue eyes.
"Obviously I need to remind you that 'stop' means 'stop'. I thought to say it once was enough."
"What did I do?" Neroon asked totally bewildered, still sitting on the floor.
"Oh greatness! You don't even know what I'm talking about? It seems you didn't listen when I told you, you can bite me everywhere as long as you leave out my lips! Obviously you didn't listen at all!!!"
Neroon could tell that his mate really was angry with him, but he honestly couldn't recall Marcus telling him not to bite his lips.
"I'm sorry, Marcus. I really don't remember you telling me. Otherwise I wouldn't have done it, you know that. …And I think I will remember this time! For quite a while," he added rubbing his aching coccyx.
"Come back up. I hadn't wanted to push you that hard." Marcus held out his hand with a grin. "As it seems I didn't make myself clear enough when I asked you the last time not to bite me. Then I will tell you once more. Don't ever bite me in the lip again!"
"I think I've got that by now!" A little annoyed, "But why? And why only the lips?"
"You are so impatient! I was about to tell you why," the human rolled his eyes. "Have you ever heard about aphthosis?"
Neroon shook his head.
"I thought so. Your physician didn't either. It's probably something solely human, and not even all humans know about it. – Well, I get aphthosis after you have bitten me or, strangely enough, when I eat Nerra-fruit and sometimes just without cause. Then there'll develop white specks all over in my mouth, which are really quite painful. And they last for weeks. It makes it hard to eat and very hard to kiss you, although I would like to be able to enjoy both. Sometimes even swallowing is bothersome. And the really great thing is: you can do nothing about it! Absolutely nothing! Don't worry, it isn't contagious, it's more like an allergic reaction. I thought maybe your advanced Minbari medicine might find a cure, but up till now…your physician could only give me vile concoctions, which sometimes made it worse. That means no more nibbling or biting on my lips, and never any Nerra-fruit!" Marcus stated firmly thrusting a finger in Neroon's face.
"Sure, I will tell the kitchen not to serve any dishes with Nerra-fruit," the Minbari deadpanned, trying hard to suppress an evil smile.
"Nerooon!" Marcus nudged him in the ribs with his elbow, but they both grinned that time.
"Why do you only tell me now? Why did you suffer it for the last few years without giving even a hint of discomfort? You must have hidden it pretty well, because I've never noticed anything," Neroon inquired, being serious again.
"I hid it because I liked you biting and nibbling me far too much. …And I still do," Marcus admitted with a wistful smile and slumped back into the cushions on the meanwhile constantly rigged platform. They had left it that way when Neroon realized it was far more convenient to leave it like this for lovemaking and sleeping than constantly shifting between rigged and tilted. And when the warrior woke after the first night he confessed it hadn't been too bad.
"But the aphthosis has worsened over the last six months," the Ranger continued. "Because of the stress we were both going through. Then when we were apart this month, I missed you dearly but on the other hand, I was almost in bliss because I was able to eat and speak without pain. I'm not sure you can imagine!"
"I'm sorry for that, my love," Neroon answered and placed a soft kiss to his mate's lips. "To be honest, I can imagine at least a bit. Because Humans and Minbari have slightly different hearing ranges, whenever you listen to one of your operas, most of the arias sung by females give me a headache and my ears tingle for hours afterwards."
"You never said anything!" Marcus interrupted him. "I could have played them when you weren't at home, or have listened to them with headphones."
"Some of the pieces you hear are beautiful, and I want you to share them with me. I have gotten used to wear ear plugs. But it is not as satisfying, because I actually would like to hear it, well most of it."
"Then you tell me what you might like to listen to and what makes you uneasy and we can put together some crystals we both can enjoy together." The dark haired man beamed and snuggled up to the broader frame of his mate. "You know, we make a fine couple! We better should talk to each other some more often about what is acceptable and what is not acceptable in our relationship. This is really ridiculous, two grown men who don't know how to tell each other what they want. I'm surprised that we ever got together!" Marcus could feel Neroon's rumbling laughter with his hand resting on the Minbari's chest, "I think once we were less restrained with each other."
"Think we've gone soft?"
"No, your shove from earlier told me that it was quite the contrary. But maybe we're a little too tolerant with each other. – Do you want to continue where we left off?"
"Sure as hell!" the human said jumping at his lover -as well as you can while lying down.
END
Isisisatis, July 2003
A/N: Dedicated to those who know what aphthosis is like. The others, just be glad you don't know. I think with aphthosis it is like with the cold: they will never find a cure for either one in the future.