ZEDD - THE NEXT MORNING

I open my eyes and find myself looking directly into the eyes of my mate. He lies next to me, propped up on one elbow, watching me intently as his hand strokes lightly over my chest. He smiles at me. "Morning."

Taken by slight surprise, I try and focus on what I'm seeing and feeling. "Morning. Been awake long?"

Light shrug. "Not sure."

"What you been doing?"

Giving me another smile and shrug, his response is casual. "Just been enjoying the view."

"Well, I am something to look at," I agree around a yawn. "Fortunately, not unlike my mate, who is a pleasure to view as well."

"Hmm. I'll have to meet him someday," he teases. Before I can say anything, he leans over and kisses me. Not fully awake, I roll on top of him, pressing him into the mattress as I return his kisses. The skin on skin contact all the way down heats my blood very quickly and I thrust against him as I once more work on his neck. "Oh god. Easy, Zedd." I thrust against him again and - oh hells - I'm right there and I press forward slightly and when he speaks again there is thinly veiled panic in his voice. "Zedd, wait, not ready remember."

Tone not registering fully at first, I move back to his mouth, giving him a reassuring and heated kiss. "Feel ready" I murmur against his mouth, his own arousal clearly evident.

"Not like that. Zedd no, not yet. Please not yet."

I freeze as understanding crashes down on me, bringing me fully awake. Reining myself in, I drop my head onto his shoulder. I take a couple of deep breaths. "Thomas, love, I am so sorry. I wasn't completely awake and-"

His hands run over my shoulders and back. "It's all right, Zedd. No harm done. I'm okay." He continues to soothe me, which I really don't deserve right now. "I wish we were already there. I kind of like the idea that you want me that much, but like you said last night, I'm not exactly designed internally like you are, and need a bit of help to ease things along. I wish it wasn't like that, but it is nice to know you really want to be with me."

"So much so that I nearly forced you to do something you aren't ready for - something that I swore I wouldn't do." I can hear the bitterness and self-loathing in my own voice. "I can't apologize enough, Thomas."

There's an odd tone to his response. "I'm not quite sure what you're apologizing for, Zedd. Wanting me? Stopping? Stopping because I asked you to? Because I'm not ready?" He pauses for a moment. "Zedd, nothing happened. You got a little carried away, yes, but you stopped when I needed you to. Just like you stopped me yesterday when I was getting a little carried away. Believe me, I really do wish my species was like yours and we didn't need to stop last night. Unfortunately, being just a human, it doesn't work like that."

My head snaps up at this last statement. "Thomas, you aren't 'just a human' - not to me. You are my mate and I told you that I could wait until you're ready. Really it's nobody's fault and had I actually thought about how quickly you're getting better about things, I would have taken care of the supplies oversight already." An oversight I'm planning to correct as soon as possible. Suddenly, I realize that he's done it again. This time he's manipulated me away from blaming myself to reassuring him. He sees the realization dawn on me and we grin at each other. "You devious, manipulative little brat."

His eyes sparkle at me, tiny flecks of gold shining in the brown. "Zedd, you were heading somewhere emotionally you didn't need to go. I do that often enough - I could see it coming. Andros said that the bond strengthening would make us more emotional and we had to learn to deal with it. Everything's okay and I'm not afraid of you."

"I love you, Thomas." I'm surprised when his eyes flicker away from mine. What's wrong? He said it last night so why not now? Abruptly, I grasp what's happened. When he said it last night, he was nearly asleep, so he responded subconsciously. His waking mind hasn't caught up with the program, so to speak, and so isn't ready to say it yet. "It's all right, Thomas," I hasten to assure him. "You can say it if and when you're ready. I'd much rather you mean it when you say it than for you just to parrot it back because you think that's what I want to hear."

"You do want to hear it though."

"Not if it isn't true. I never want you to lie to me, Thomas, especially just to make me feel better. I don't want a relationship built on lies and deception."

I can see the relief in his eyes, even if it is absent from his voice. "I don't want that either, but I don't like being hung up on this. I'm not sure why I'm having trouble saying it. Thank you for understanding, though."

"As you humans say, actions speak louder than words. I know you care for me, even if you don't know what to call it. I can see it in your behavior when we're together and feel it through the bond, especially now that you're thankfully no longer blocking me."

"I do" he agrees. He kisses me, which I return wholeheartedly. "So - do we want to try and get the mood back or let it go for now and come back to it later?"

Tempting as it is to try, I don't think it'll go nearly as well as he'd like to believe - particularly since both of our passions have subsided. "As the mood has gone, I don't really want to try and force it to return. I'm afraid if we try too hard-"

He nods. "I know what you mean. In that case, get off of me. You're getting heavy."

I'm pleased at the playful tone and respond in kind as I roll off of him. "Not everyone can get away with having your strength and slender build, Thomas. Some of us actually have muscle mass."

His response is given dryly. "Zedd, I'm not nearly as strong as you are. You could probably bench press my Jeep."

"I highly doubt that, Thomas. You're just trying to flatter me, but it won't work."

We both get out of bed as he answers back. "I doubt I could come up with compliments large enough to boost your enormous ego."

"Well, when you're as wonderful as I am, it is difficult to find something appropriate."

He rolls his eyes. "Sparring and then breakfast, right?"

"Right." It's not long before we're in the yard, working off the unspent sexual energy. I'm not sure why, but somehow I get the feeling that he's holding back. I know that I am as I'm well aware that my greater strength must be kept in check, but why he feels the need to is really beyond me. I'm about to ask him about it, when Dar calls from the castle signaling breakfast is ready.

We end our session and head in. Once inside, with Thomas preoccupied with his meal Dar addresses me. "I think I've figured out what the problem is with the client."

I slide into my seat and take a drink of my waiting coffee before I respond. "That's good. At least we have something to go on."

"Maybe - maybe not," he answers. He shoots a pointed look at Thomas, who is currently talking to Pina about their impending excursion. I frown. What does the client have to do with Thomas? Dar switches to Eltarian, which surprises me. "Apparently, they've found out that you have him and they think that you may be too distracted by your-" His lip curls in disgust before he continues "newfound toy to finish the job on time."

Reflexively, I respond in our native language as well. "How in all the hells did they find out about him? Not that it matters really as my personal life is none of their business anyway, nor does it have anything to do with our business."

He shrugs. "I'm still working on that."

"I hope you already straightened him out on the fact that he is not a toy." As he suddenly avoids my gaze, I grab my fork, needing something to destroy before I direct my anger at him. "Goldar I know you dislike him but-"

"This has nothing to do with disliking him" Goldar shoots back, before heaving a sigh. "Actually I don't dislike him…much, anymore, and I also don't want to see him and you by connection hurt. As long as they think that he is a toy right now, and not someone who is a threat they'll be less reluctant to work with us. However throw a threat of a dangerous, power wielding Ranger into the mix of what we do and what the people we associate with do for a living and you get nervous and reluctant clients, or worse…"

"People who want to challenge or have a go at him."

"Right, never mind the fact he doesn't yet have the power to protect himself, he would be in more danger by me changing their idea of why he's here right now than just letting it be, as much as it honestly does grate on even my nerves now."

"Fine, I don't like it, but let them continue to think him a pet for now. At least until we know exactly what we're going to do about all this or he at least regains his access to his power."

"That's what I figured."

I mull over the situation for a minute more. "So that's why my informant was so nervous. They've already approached him for it and have probably offered him more than his usual cut, but he knows that I'm far more dangerous to cross."

Dar nods in agreement. I'm drawn out of my thoughts at Thomas' touch on my arm. "Zedd, eat your breakfast before you deal with whatever is giving you that look. Pina and I are going to head out now, okay? I'll see you at lunch."

I give him a quick kiss and a promise to eat. Pina already has her pack slung across her back, along with her sword. She hands him another pack and, once he has it on, his staff. I raise an eyebrow at the fact that she's taking her weapon with her. "We don't know when we'll get called again, Zedd, and I really don't want to be without it. Just in case."

I sigh. "Be careful - both of you."

A few minutes later and they are gone and I turn my attention back to my plate and the problem at hand. Not even awake three hours and the morning is already blown to hell and back.