The complete version of the story is now up on my website.
He had come here as always, loaded with sweets and toys and comic books.
Dee smiled as the children flocked toward him, crying happily, their individual
voices coming together into a cheerful choir. He grinned, smiled and laughed,
handed out the gifts and less-than-nourishing food groups, then was immediately
pulled into the first games. He was asked to tell stories, to look at projects
the little ones had completed, and to generally partake in their lives
around the orphanage.
Old but very alert eyes watched the gathering, noted Dee's smiles,
but a mild frown appeared on the otherwise still smooth forehead when those
attentive eyes took in what lay beneath the happiness. Mother had known
her child since his baby years. She had seen him grow up, from a rambunctious
teen to a wild teenager to a thoughtful young man and finally into the
Dee Latener of today. Dee had gone through so much, had fought the world
and never really won, until he had met Randy McLane. Mother was glad her
'son' had found this special person in his life, this soul that was so
much like his own without him even knowing it.
She knew of the vulnerability underneath Dee's hard shields. She knew
of the longing and the yearning, and the dreams. Ryo had fulfilled so many
of them, had given him stability, an anchor. He had given him a steady
life, someone who matched him, who could stand up to him, who could hold
him and who loved him for nothing else but the fact that he was Dee.
It was two hours after his arrival that Dee finally got away from the
kids, leaving them playing amongst themselves, and walked into the new
orphanage. It was still an old building, but no longer a church, and it
was a lot roomier, more modern, and the area had a nicer touch.
Dee loved the children, saw so much of himself in them, saw his past
and their future. He didn't want them to end up on the streets, as drug
addicts or worse. He did what he could, supported Mother, came by often,
and he tried to make a difference. If he even made a little one, it was
enough. He knew what he could have become, how far he could have fallen,
and he was grateful to so many people for pushing him onto the right path.
The path to Ryo.
He smiled a little as he thought of his partner and lover. Ryo had
declined when he had invited him to come along.
'It's something you have to do, Dee' had been his words.
Well, yes, it was something he had to do himself.
Climbing the single flight of stairs he finally stood in the large
kitchen area, which was currently deserted – except for one person. Mother
smiled at him, her eyes filled with warmth, welcoming… motherly. There
was a cup of tea steaming in front of her and Dee found that another cup
had been placed on the counter next to the coffee machine. He approached
the woman who had done so much in his life, had been there for him every
single step of the way, had listened without judgment, had supported him
where she could.
Dee wrapped his arms around her, hugging the smaller woman, feeling
part of the weight on his shoulders lessen.
"Dee," she said softly.
He tightened the embrace for a moment, feeling something inside of
him rise. "Mother."
Her eyes held a serious note, detecting his pain, his need to talk,
and she took him by the arm.
"Let's go to my place," she offered.
Yes, her place. The small apartment within these very walls, the comfortable
living room… a place where he could relax.
He sank into the couch cushions, leaned back, and felt himself slide
away from the world outside. This was his other safe haven.
"Dee?"
The soft voice made him smile and he looked at Mother, saw the knowledge
in her eyes. She knew he had come here to talk.
And so he did.
Not about everything, not about his powers or Ryo, but about himself,
the orphan, about his family, about his brother… and about his emotions.
Mother just listened.
Dee took another sip of his tea and leaned back against the chest of
his lover. After all that had happened within the last few months both
men needed a little quality time with each other, and if that meant sitting
here snuggled into each other and doing nothing except for watching a horror
movie – what a cliché, Dee mused – fine with him. Ryo wrapped his
arms around his waist again, and Dee closed his eyes at the warm sensation
of having the one he loved close, surrounded - and shielded – by his warmth
and love.
Since they had become a bonded Shaman Pair, things had become much
clearer between them. Being a bonded Pair included the blessing of being
able to sense each other emotions sometimes, and Dee now not only suspected
that Ryo loved him, he knew. Right now something tingled at his mind, and
he opened up, letting the other man in.
Tenderness, happiness, a little laziness and… whoa! What was that?
Dee opened his eyes in surprise, only to close them the next second
when a pair of hot lips nuzzled at his neck. Nimble fingers had slipped
unnoticed under his shirt, unbuttoning it in the process and were now dancing
lightly over his skin, tickling his stomach and wandering higher until
they reached his chest. Letting his head fall back on his lover's shoulder
Dee sighed, spreading his legs as he felt himself react to both the physical
and emotional touches. One cool hand slid down his stomach, caressing his
thigh, and then glided up a bit.
Dee couldn't suppress the moan that escaped his throat as Ryo tenderly
suckled on his neck and teethed his earlobe. He had experienced Ryo in
the past as rather shy and reserved when it had come to physically express
his feelings, do more than just cuddle, and he hadn't even once seen Ryo
openly display lust. Sure, he had responded, but usually it had to be him
to initiate an encounter. And even then he had to expect Ryo pulling back.
But this was so unlike the Ryo he knew and so much of a turn-on – he felt
Ryo chuckle against his ear and knew he had let his emotions slip.
The next second Dee gripped the cushions.
"Dee," his lover purred into his ear, "want you…"
Dee almost felt his jaw drop at this plainly articulated desire – but
he had no doubt Ryo meant it.
"God, Ryo … "
Turning in his lover's arms he finally captured the beloved lips in
a fervent kiss, feeling hands run up and down his back, and then between
their bodies.
"If you keep this up we'll never make it to the bedroom."
"Who needs a bed … "
Now Dee did pull back, looking down into his lover's dark eyes,
almost black now with desire.
"Who are you and where are you hiding the body?"
Ryo grinned and slid his hand even deeper.
Dee moaned and forgot everything except for the lithe body in his arms,
concentrating only on the soft sounds Ryo was making as he caressed him
in turn, sliding his clothes from the slender but well-build form until
his lover was lying under him in all his glory. Ryo's hands had been busy
too, undressing him completely as well, and now he let Dee know unmistakably
what he wanted, pulling him down onto him.
"Want you, Dee … "
Who was he to deny his lover such a request? Dee's eyes widened in
shock as he felt sensations rush through him in a way he had never felt
before, as if something had been torn down and he was sensing everything
doubled, tripled.
And then he realized – since his powers had broken through they hadn't
had the time to be together properly – he indeed was feeling Ryo's emotions.
There was wonder and awe about the depths of his feelings, about the ability
to love like he did, joy about simply being together, a deep need. Ryo
opened his very being to Dee and pulled him with him into an all-encompassing
whirlpool of bliss.
Ryo looked at the man sharing a bed with him, the man he loved so much,
the man he was now bonded to in so many ways. Dee was sleeping, his features
relaxed, breath even, black hair completely tousled. Ryo smiled gently
and finger-combed the wild strands out of the smooth features.
Love you, he thought, so many emotions rising inside him. Love you
so much.
He hoped their future would be easier than the last months had been.
Dee was slowly starting to accept Barclay, but he would never show it.
The talk with Mother had helped him psychologically, though he hadn't told
Ryo all the details of their talk. Ryo didn't need to know them all anyway;
he could read Dee's moods quite well.
But Dee and Barclay weren't the only things going through his mind.
There was also the fact that so far, no shaman had been found who could
advise Dee with his abilities. Latener was still learning on his own and
except for emotionally charged situations he hadn't been able to master
a lot. It would come in time, Ryo knew from his ally work, but Dee was
unconsciously pushing himself. He had talked to Buck and Vin, even to one
of the allies in Salt Lake to advise on their unique status, but trying
to contact other Shaman Pairs had been met with silence.
Time. It would need time. They had all their lives to learn and a few
months wouldn't change a thing.
The bigger problem was Bikky. Ryo had the niggling suspicion that his
adopted son knew more than he let on. The boy had been unusually quiet
lately, observing them more than intervening, even easing up around Dee
more often than not. Sure, he had accepted their status as a couple, he
was annoying Dee now and then, but something was different.
He had heard, Ryo thought again and again. Bikky had heard what he
had said to Dee, but unless Bikky came right up and asked or demanded answers,
Ryo had no idea how to address the topic.
Time. Again they had time.
Sighing silently, McLane lay back, looking at the ceiling, feeling
the reassuring warm presence of his lover close by. Dee was still sleeping
and so should he, but too many thoughts were going through his head and
he knew sleep would be hard to come by any time soon. Still he refused
to leave the safe haven of their shared bed.
Tomorrow would be another day. Tomorrow they would be at work, everything
would be as it was on the outside, and only three people knew that something
had changed forever.
Was still changing.
For the better, Ryo thought, closing his eyes, willing his mind to
ease, to relax. For the better.
continued in 'Loyalty', which is currently in the last stages of writing....