[Week 54: 10-16-11]

Pen Name: BronxWench

Story link: A King's Promise

Review Replies:

Type of fic: Flashfic

Rating: Adult+

Fandom: Games > Dragon Age: Origins

Warnings: AFFO, ChallengeFic, M/M, NoSex

[What is so wrong or difficult with using the Shift key?]

Augh, commas, periods, and question marks! How can simple punctuation be such a mystery?

[Sandcastles and Fireworks]

"Haedrith," Erion murmured, feeling the older elf's strong arms around him. "Sorry about being late. It seems my presence was requested elsewhere for a bit."

Haedrith's eyes widened a little as he took in Erion's condition. Erion's back was purple and bruised, with thick welts crisscrossing it, and his wrists were raw and caked in dried blood.

"Requested or demanded?" Haedrith muttered. "What in the Abyss happened to you?"

Erion let himself lean into the comforting warmth of Haedrith. "It's not entirely clear to me, but right now, what I mostly want is a bath, and a healing potion."

Haedrith felt his cheeks grow warm. "Healing potions, Seldarine, yes," he muttered, and carefully released Erion. "Are you alright? On your own for a moment? I think I have some potions."

"I'm good, love," Erion replied, his smile warm. "Really, just being here is exactly what I need."

It was true. Having made it safely from the Tower to Haedrith's quiet little house was more than enough for Erion. His ankles ached and he dreaded pulling off his boots, his wrists were oozing fresh blood in places, and his back was only marginally better without the rough robe chafing it.

Still, Erion's heart soared as he realized that he had managed to escape a magetower on his own, unarmed. Even though he had given up a few small bits of information, Erion was sure Santhiel would be proud of him for managing to get out with as little injury as he had. And there was one less Luskan in the world, which was never a bad thing.

Erion took a deep breath and tugged on his boots, the soft doeskin sliding over the abused skin of his ankles. The flesh was a deep and vivid purple, and immediately began to swell once it was released from the confines of the boots, and Erion hissed a little as the pain increased as well. He could see darker lines where the edges of the leg restraints had dug in each time he had slammed his ankle against the stone wall, and he was sure that some of the damage was from frostbite as well. The boots had not been that warm.

Haedrith came back into the living room, holding a couple of blue vials in his hands, his beautiful features filled with worry. "Here, drink these. I don't know if they'll heal you fully, but I can get more in the morning when the markets are open."

Haedrith sank to his knees with easy grace, opening a vial and handing it to Erion to drink. The potion was slightly spicy, and Erion looked at Haedrith with a mischievous grin.

"These are way better than Sand's potions. I have to find out what your alchemist uses to flavor them." Erion drank the second potion, the warm magic washing over him. "Oh, that's so much better, Haedrith."

Haedrith watched in relief as most of the awful bruising faded on Erion's back, the welts subsiding for the most part to reveal that his gorgeous tattoo was undamaged. Erion's ankles were only a little purple now, and his wrists were merely bruised, only pink lines marking where the flesh had been cut open. Erion wriggled happily, delighted not to ache all over anymore, his eyes bright as he looked up at Haedrith.

Haedrith still looked worried, and Erion tugged him down for a kiss, lingering over the sweet mouth of his elven lover. Haedrith seemed to resist for a moment, and then let himself open into the kiss, one hand sliding into Erion's silver mane. Erion held the kiss until they were both breathless, and when he finally released Haedrith, his lover's turquoise eyes were dark with desire.

"I've missed you, my sweet Haedrith," Erion murmured, moving with sinuous grace to press his bare skin against the older elf. "Seldarine, you're so beautiful." Erion's lips brushed along the sweep of Haedrith's elegant ear, trailing up to the delicate tip and suckling it as Haedrith moaned in helpless need.

Somewhere in the haze of desire, Haedrith recalled a bath, and he cupped Erion's face in slim hands. "Bath," he managed, as Erion's fingers slid under his tunic to tease his warm flesh. "You wanted a bath."

"Oh, that sounds lovely," Erion purred, slowly drawing Haedrith's tunic up and away over his head to reveal pale golden skin and peach nipples, already beginning to pebble. Erion leaned in to tongue one nipple, his teeth scraping lightly over the tight little nub, and Haedrith moaned again. Erion looked up at the sweetly flushed face of the sun elf. "Bathe with me?"

Haedrith made a small strangled sound that might have been yes, and got to his feet, graceful despite being utterly lost in a pair of heated silver eyes that all but devoured him. Erion rose as well, a bit less gracefully, but managing to slide along Haedrith's bared chest until they were face to face. Erion nibbled another kiss and then slipped his hand into Haedrith's hand, letting the slightly dazed sun elf lead them into the bathing chamber.

Erion skinned out of his breeches, feeling Haedrith's eyes on him as he made sure to sway his hips a little. It was more than obvious that Kansas had spent time here, since Haedrith had put in a lovely shower, and Erion purred again as Haedrith turned on the water for the shower to scrub off Erion's grime. Erion writhed and purred most distractingly the entire time, but Haedrith managed to get him clean enough for the bath, which he had filled while they showered.

Once Haedrith had managed to get the little elf into the bath, he found himself quickly pinned under Erion, who straddled Haedrith and leaned forward to slide along Haedrith's chest. Haedrith gasped as Erion's hard little nipples rubbed against his own peach nubs, and then Erion's lips found his. Erion kissed Haedrith as though his very life depended on it, hungry and fervent, slim fingers tangling in Haedrith's damp hair as his hard cock ground against Haedrith's belly.

Haedrith's own cock was achingly hard, and the round globes of Erion's ass slid along the shaft, coaxing another moan from Haedrith. Erion chuckled wickedly, sliding up a little further and then lining his pucker up with Haedrith's cock. Haedrith opened his mouth to protest, knowing Erion had not prepared himself nor had Haedrith, but Erion claimed Haedrith's mouth again as he pressed down, and Haedrith found himself breaching that tight little ass.

"Oh, Seldarine," Haedrith gasped, and Erion slid down, taking all of Haedrith's cock in a smooth motion, his face radiant as he was thoroughly filled.

"Haedrith," Erion whispered, leaning forward to nibble at Haedrith's kiss-swollen lips. "Oh, I am so glad to be back here with you." Erion ground down, his back arching a little, and Haedrith bucked his hips into that inviting heat. "I missed you, I missed making love with you, my sweet elven lover."

Erion shifted, and Haedrith watched as Erion's back arched further. The older elf moved then, riding Erion's sweet spot with abandon, watching as Erion grew rosy with his arousal. Erion's eyes fluttered closed in sheer bliss, his cock bobbing between them, and Haedrith reached down to wrap his fingers around Erion's cock, stroking it as he thrust into the younger elf.

"Erion, lisse'melindoamin, my sweet lover," Haedrith breathed, watching Erion's face as the younger elf arched backward. "Let go for me, Erion."

Erion moaned, thrusting his cock against Haedrith's hand as Haedrith rode Erion's tight ass. Erion could feel the heaviness in his balls, and when Haedrith lifted his free hand and teased one tight little nipple, tweaking it sharply, Erion's moan escalated into a howl as he came, spurt after spurt pulsing out as his ass clamped down on Haedrith's cock spasmodically.

Haedrith watched the silver-haired elf come undone, and the sight of Erion's wanton bliss pushed Haedrith past the brink, his own cum molten as he filled Erion's ass. Erion mewled, grinding down as he rode out his orgasm, and Haedrith pulled Erion into his arms and held the younger elf tightly, breathing in the scent of his little lover and sobbing with relief. Haedrith had not realized, until that very moment, just how worried he had been about Erion.

They clung together for several minutes, hearts calming as Erion nuzzled into Haedrith happily. The water grew cooler, until both elves shivered a little as they held each other close. Erion shifted, untangling himself from Haedrith, and they managed to climb out of the bath and wrap themselves in thick towels. Erion let Haedrith brush out his hair and then he did the same for Haedrith, running the burnished gold waves through his fingers lovingly as he brushed.

Haedrith led Erion back into the living room and settled him in a pile of cushions, pouring wine for them both before curling in next to Erion. The food had been refreshed several times over the course of the evening and into the night, Haedrith at a loss for any better way to occupy his time while waiting, and he was able to offer Erion all sorts of luscious nibbles. Erion especially savored the shellfish, the delicate taste perfect after their lovemaking, and he managed to wrangle tender little kisses between bites of fruit and tidbits of roasted fowl. Little balls of rice were filled with savory vegetables, an elven take on sushi that made Erion groan, since his sushi had been left on the ship when he was taken.

Erion was content, clean and loved and sated, and he was very nearly in reverie when Haedrith's door chimed again, and Erion's eyes flew open as he felt his Kansas nearby. Haedrith was quicker, hurrying to the door and opening it with a beautiful smile as he wrapped his arms around Kansas and tugged him in.

"He's here, my love. Erion's here," Haedrith said, his eyes shining as he tugged Kansas toward the living room.

Kansas sobbed as Erion raced across the living room, towel quite forgotten as he launched himself into Kansas and Haedrith with a scream of pure joy.

Kansas caught his little elf in his arms, and held him tightly, breathing deeply of his soft skin, their bond again fully open and their soul lights wrapping around each other as always. "Fuck, baby, I've been so worried. What happened? Are you alright?" Kansas spoke calmly, but his tone was one of great anxiety, and his hands felt cold as he eased Erion out of the embrace and cupped his face, gently forcing the elf to look up into his eyes.

Kansas stared deep into the silvery depths of Erion's eyes, and dark blue tendrils snaked the surface of his own slate grey eyes, Tatsuya reaching out to his own beloved through the bond. "Are you alright?" Kansas asked again, and Erion could tell by his tone, that Kansas did not mean physically, but mentally.

"I'm fine, 'lokiamin, really," Erion said, his own bond completely open and all thought of reverie banished as he reached up to touch Kansas's face. "Well, one or two minor bruises, and I might have a little scar on my arm, but the bastards never got close to hurting me."

Haedrith's eyebrow arched at that statement, his expression utterly dubious.

Erion looked into Kansas's eyes, his own eyes shifting slightly as Yuki reached out to Tatsuya to reassure his loved that the little vessel was alright.

Kansas ran a gentle hand through the silver hair, his brow furrowing ever so slightly, and his voice deepened a little bit. "Isilmeamin, don't bullshit with me. What happened? I can tell you've been hurt physically, but I'm more worried about this." Kansas lay his flat palm against Erion's chest above his heart and pressed a little. "I know you're tough physically, and mentally, but you can get hurt. So, tell me the truth. Tell me what happened," Kansas pleaded, leading Erion over to the cushions again and sinking down, with Erion in his arms.

Erion sighed a little, Haedrith curling up behind him as he snuggled into Kansas's embrace. "I'm still not completely sure how, but I was on the ship one moment, and in Tower Reilloch the next. There was a mage, and he wanted to know about atar." Erion looked up at Kansas, and then at Haedrith. "The questioning got a little rough, partially because I did tell him to go fuck himself, several times."

Haedrith shuddered a little. "Did he mention a name?"

"No," Erion replied. "I sort of thought of him as the speaker. He was the one who questioned me. There were two who left when they found out I was related to Sand. The other two that stayed..." Erion's voice trailed off and he bit his lip before continuing. "One was a balor, wearing an elven appearance. The other was human, a Luskan. He's not a problem anymore."

Kansas' arms tightened a little around Erion for a moment when he mentioned the balor, and then again when he said that the Luskan was not a problem anymore. Kansas' voice was tainted with some darkness that Erion had not heard before, when he asked, "How so, Erion? Don't hold back from me, baby. You know you can trust Haedrith, so don't hold back now."

"I killed the Luskan. It's how I escaped." Erion shrugged a little and snuggled closer to Kansas. "The speaker was questioning me about star elves, and about atar. He read the records from when atar was there, and refused to share any of the secrets of Sildëyuir with them. I drew out the questioning as long as I could, and when they left me for the night, I let them think I was unconscious. I tried to get out of my chains, but they caught me at it, and the speaker told the Luskan to cane me."

"Seldarine," Haedrith breathed. "This was in the Tower? You're sure?"

Erion nodded. "I wasn't sure at first myself, but the Luskan waited until the speaker left, and proposed a trade of sorts. He figured I'd believe that he'd let me go if I let him fuck me." Erion snorted. "I didn't exactly correct that impression. He took me out of the chains and took me to his room, and I called my shadows."

Both elves heard the tiny sound of despair that escaped from Kansas' chest, the imp hardly aware of it himself as he tightened his arms around Erion and kissed his neck hard. "Baby..." he whispered, with all the love that he possessed, and a small surge of fear ran through his bond with Erion and the bonds he had with Vale and Sand. Erion immediately recognized that surge as Kansas' old fears of revenge.

"It's okay, baby. He was Luskan, and the only reason he was even here is that most self-respecting elves would have run screaming from the speaker in horror at what he proposed." Erion nuzzled Kansas. "It's different here, baby. He would have killed me after he used me, and the toys he had waiting would have made me glad to die. What I did? No one could fault me. I didn't let the shadows take him, though."

Erion looked at Kansas, his eyes deadly serious, begging Kansas to understand. "I just let them drain him until he lost consciousness. I was going to leave him alive, to explain to the speaker and the balor how I got away, but he started to wake up. He was the one using magic to punish me, these dark spells that burned along my nerves. If I left him alive, he'd had come after me with those spells, and I wouldn't have been able to defend myself. So, I broke his neck."

"Did you see this speaker?" Haedrith's quiet voice was grim.

"No, he never lifted his hood enough," Erion said. "I never saw anything that could identify him. But he did teach his Luskan accomplice high magic. I can tell you that much, and that was another reason to kill that bastard."

Kansas stared into Erion's eyes, that penetrating stare that he sometimes used that made it clear that he was looking into Erion's soul, deeper than any human should be able to. He nodded slowly as Erion spoke, and then leaned in to kiss Erion softly. "I understand, isilmeamin. There was no other way. I am glad that you escaped without serious injury. But now I am worried about you, Haedrith. You work with these bastards. I will worry about your safety, and Herenith's as well. Also, who did you tell about us? Who knew that Erion was coming here?" Kansas's voice was calm, no accusation in his tone, only concern and worry.

Haedrith looked over Erion's shoulder into Kansas's eyes. "My safety is not so much an issue, since the mage who did this will know that I have no knowledge of Erion's father. I'm a librarian, dealing with tomes and scrolls, not ancient Feywild lore. But the other matter is more relevant. I spoke of Erion's visit with a few friends at the Tower, a casual mention that Erion was coming to see me. The friends I spoke with would not be directly involved, but who knows who could have overheard us?"

Haedrith looked perfectly miserable at the thought that he had indirectly helped Erion's attackers, and Erion turned his head to look at Haedrith.

"They'd have found a way. Atar warned me to be careful here, and I intended to be careful. I just didn't think they'd go that far to pull me off the ship like that." Erion looked back at Kansas. "I don't think he'll try again, not now. I'm warned, and I'm going nowhere without weapons. What I want, more than anything, is this, being held by you both and knowing that I'm safe and loved and home."

Kansas stroked Erion's hair with one hand and reached out to Haedrith with the other, his eyes burning with love for both elves. "I do not lay any blame at all on you, Haedrith. Like Erion says, they would have found a way, any way to get their hands on him. But now, Erion, what do you want to do? Do you want to stay here with Haedrith tonight, or do you want to leave right away? I have a ship, manned with Cloaktower guards, waiting in the harbor. We can slip away in the night, unnoticed. Or we can sleep here tonight and leave tomorrow evening in secret. And I think I am inclined to agree with you. From now on we do not enter Evermeet unarmed."

Erion's eyes widened at the mention of the ship. "I can't just leave, 'lokiamin, not just like that. Can we stay, tonight, and love each other properly? You and I can slip out tomorrow night, and take the ship home." Erion turned to look at Haedrith again. "I can't just leave you, not like this. That bastard won't try anything. In fact, I'll bet he'll be working on his own escape plans in case I go to the Palace tomorrow. Couple of high elven mages and a truth spell, and he'd be found fast."

"Is that what you want to do? Will you take this to the Queen herself?" Haedrith tightened his hold around both his lovers.

"No." Erion's voice was flat. "There's enough controversy over Evermeet's decision to remain apart. I'm not adding to that, to setting elf against elf. We had enough with the Crown Wars, and we're still paying for that." Erion shifted a little, managing to arrange himself between his two lovers in such a way that he looked wanton and available. "What I want is right here, right now, and one of you is far too dressed."

Kansas chuckled at the last comment, and nodding his head he quickly unbuckled his belt, letting it fall to the floor. "I am not going to even pretend like I understand your elven politics, so whatever you say, Erion. I think we should tell Sand and Vale, though, when we get home, as well as Yuji and Satoshi. They have a right to know, if nothing else, especially now that you wear Satoshi's ring. But I agree. We'll stay here tonight."

Kansas purred and leaned over Erion to pull Haedrith into a kiss, teasing the younger elf's ear tip with one hand, the other fisting in Haedrith's hair.

[Plagiarist]

Thank you for the report, and we will look into it. We do take plagiarism very seriously here at AFF.

[What is so wrong or difficult with using the Shift key?]

It's part and parcel of the generally sloppy attitude towards all things that are not tweeted. Honestly, my inner Grammar Bitch has hissies daily.

[Deleted stories]

Can you give us the names of the stories and the subdomains they were published in? Thanks!

[Sandcastles and Fireworks]

Vale looked at Yuji and just barely managed to suppress a scream as he took in the sight of his gorgeous husband, slim and blond. If anything, Yuji looked even more delicious than he did in the old photos at Satoru's house, and Vale's eyes lit up as he held himself to a slow and wicked saunter, letting his hips sway as he walked up to Yuji.

Yuji licked his lips as Vale walked up, his perfect eyes full of heat under the slightly lighter brows, and Vale shivered a little. He looked at the phone in his hand, tapped an icon, and leaned in close to Yuji to murmur in his ear.

"There's a love hotel about five minutes' walk from here. If we hurry, I might even be able to keep myself from dragging you into that dark little alley over there." Vale's breath tickled Yuji's sensitive ear, and the blatant desire in Vale's green eyes took Yuji's breath away for a moment.

"That dark alley?" Yuji nodded his head and pushed himself off the wall of the station with heedless grace, making Vale's cock press even more against his jeans. "Do you really have an app that tells you where the nearest love hotel is?"

"Do you really think I'd leave anything to chance?" Vale fell into step alongside Yuji as Yuji steered them on a course that would pass in front of the alley. "I have no idea what made you decide to do this now, but I promise you, I intend to show you exactly what I think about your new look."

As they neared the alley, Vale casually hip-bumped Yuji, turned, and spun Yuji into the alley, sliding his hands into the gorgeous blond hair as he pressed his lips to Yuji's lips with a wanton little moan. Yuji let Vale press him against the wall of the alley, the elf plundering Yuji's mouth thoroughly until both of them were completely breathless, Yuji's hands wrapped around the denim-clad globes of Vale's ass.

"Fuck, Yuji, I can't believe how hot you look," Vale managed to rasp out when he had caught his breath again. "Kai's a fucking genius."

Yuji gave Vale's ass a squeeze. "Love hotel, now." His voice was thick with desire as he grinned at his elf.

Yuji and Vale were utterly oblivious of the admiring looks directed their way as they strolled out of the station and down a busy street, turning off onto a slightly quieter street and towards the hotel. Vale managed to get his wallet out first, handing over the yen and taking the key, entirely focused on the heat radiating from Yuji's body, so close to him in the small lobby.

The door to the room had barely closed behind them when Vale was peeling off his own blazer, his lips pressed to Yuji's lips in a passionate kiss as he ground his aching cock against Yuji's hip. Yuji chuckled a little, but he was already unbuttoning his shirt, his blazer discarded. Vale broke the kiss long enough to pull his t-shirt over his head, and then the elf's slim fingers were busy opening Yuji's belt. Yuji brushed Vale's fingers away, opening his jeans and pushing them down as Vale mirrored him, tossing a small tube of lube onto the bed.

Yuji tumbled Vale onto the bed, the elf moaning as he wrapped his arms around Yuji so that he could grind his needy cock against Yuji's cock, the two of them straining against their boxers. Yuji growled a little, his mouth latching onto the wonderful dark mark on Vale's throat, working the tender skin above Vale's pulse point and making Vale howl a little. Vale's hand slipped down to palm Yuji's cock, and Yuji growled again as Vale flipped Yuji onto his stomach unceremoniously, yanking down Yuji's boxers and tugging on his hips until Yuji got his knees under himself.

Vale looked at the pale golden globes of Yuji's ass, so perfectly presented, and he moaned a little as he gripped the smooth flesh and exposed Yuji's eager pucker. Vale bent his head forward, circling the tight ring of muscle with his tongue, teasing Yuji with the stud he wore until Yuji was writhing. Vale let the tip of his tongue press a little on the pucker, feeling it give just a bit, and he pressed harder until the ring opened to allow Vale's tongue entry.

Yuji howled as Vale's tongue plundered him, the stud making it all the more enjoyable as Vale took the occasional swipe across Yuji's pucker before plunging back in. Vale grabbed the lube and slicked his cock, and when Yuji was loose enough in Vale's estimation, the elf rose and pressed the head of his cock against Yuji's ass, breaching Yuji and burying himself balls deep in the velvet heat.

"Fuck, Yuji, you're always so tight," Vale moaned, his slim fingers wrapping around Yuji's hips as the ring in his cock dragged across Yuji's prostate in the most maddeningly wonderful way. White lights exploded behind Yuji's eyes and he howled as Vale set a furious pace, flesh slapping against flesh as Vale's howls mingled with Yuji's. Vale leaned forward, his silky skin sliding across Yuji's back, the gold rings in his nipples scraping lightly as Vale licked and sucked a rosy mark on the back of Yuji's neck. One slim hand slipped around Yuji to wrap around Yuji's cock, and Yuji howled again as strong, slender fingers stroked in time with powerful thrusts.

Yuji could feel the heat building in his belly, and he ground back against Vale as his balls tightened. Only Vale could bring him to orgasm like this, without Yuji actually penetrating anyone. Yuji howled as his cock jumped in Vale's hand and his balls emptied, painting the bed and Vale's hand with his cum. Yuji's ass clamped down on Vale's cock, muscles rippling around Vale, and the elf screamed as his hot cum filled Yuji's ass, the velvet heat milking Vale dry as Yuji ground back.

Vale eased out of Yuji's ass, his green eyes bright with love and desire as he collapsed to the bed next to Yuji, lips seeking Yuji's lips. "I can't believe you went and did this," Vale said, his smile radiant. "You're so fucking gorgeous like this."

Yuji chuckled, his long fingers toying with the golden rings in Vale's nipples and making Vale's back arch a little. "You said you liked the blond hair, and I felt like doing something different."

"It's like having an affair with my own husband," Vale laughed. He ran his fingers through Yuji's hair admiringly. "I love it, a'maelamin. I really do."

"Really?" Yuji purred, and his long fingers dropped lower, stroking Vale's cock which was already beginning to harden again. "What time did you tell Sand we'd be back?"

Vale's answering chuckle was wicked indeed. "I didn't say."

Yuji's perfect eyes lit up as he pulled Vale close, cutting off any further conversation with a searing kiss.

Beredir looked at Erion fondly as the young elf strolled into The Greymist, his eyes bright. "It's been a while, Erion. All alone today?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," Erion replied, sliding into a seat at a table as Beredir joined him. An elven server brought over wine for them both, and Erion grinned at her and handed her some coin. "And before you ask, I'm single for a tenday. Momo and I broke up, and Kansas thought it would do me some good to clear my head. So, for the next ten days, I'm supposed to laugh and flirt and have a few dalliances. Actually, I'm heading to Evermeet in six days, but I'll be back by end of the tenday."

Beredir arched an eyebrow. "And then?"

Erion's answering grin was irresistibly cheeky. "And then, Kansas is going to woo me, sweep me off my feet, and propose to me so perfectly that I'll be dancing on air itself. We'll get married in Japan, and it will last forever."

Beredir poured wine for them both and lifted his glass in a toast. "Well then, here's to a tenday of being unattached. I take it you intend to use my poor inn for your exploits?" Beredir's eyes danced with affection as he looked at Erion.

"If you'd rather I went to The Greenleaf," Erion began, his tone teasing, and Beredir laughed.

"Not a chance, you little terror. You'll frolic here, where I can keep an eye on you." Beredir sipped his wine and sighed with pleasure. "This was a perfect year for the Berdruskan Dark, I think."

Erion sipped as well, and his smile widened. "I'll trust you on that, oh wise innkeeper. Now, tell me everything that's news in Neverwinter."

Erion boarded the ship to Evermeet, his heart racing a bit with excitement at the thought of seeing Haedrith again. He grinned happily, the wind blowing his silver hair back from his face. Erion had thoroughly enjoyed his time alone in Neverwinter, managing to find a new lover for each night. Yet, each morning, as he rose to worship the dawn, Erion's heart grew lighter knowing he was a day closer to being reunited with Kansas. Even now, on his way to see Haedrith, it was another step closer since he and Kansas generally shared their graceful elven lover.

Unlike the other passengers, Erion stayed on deck after the ship had slipped between Planes, the wind disappearing as magic took over. He could feel the arcane energies running along his skin, and he watched the sails billow to mark the passage of the ship, the featureless grey that surrounded it giving no clue as to its location. The crew ignored him, not from any malice but simply because they had duties to attend to, and the young elf was not part of them. There were times when Erion was utterly alone on the deck, and therefore no one noticed that he simply was not there any longer, the flash of light that marked his disappearance unseen by any living thing.

Erion stumbled a little as the rolling deck of the elven ship was replaced with stone, hard and unyielding beneath his boots. As he regained his balance, Erion looked around quickly, his silver eyes narrowing. The room was windowless, the air dry and cool, and there was a single glow globe lighting the space. The walls were curved on one side, and a chain ending in manacles hung from that wall. Several robed figures, their hoods obscuring their features, stood between Erion and the heavy wooden door.

"What in the hells is going on?" Erion demanded, his muscles tensing. "Where am I?" Silently he cursed the fact that he had chosen to travel unarmed, without so much as a dagger on his person.

One hooded figure stepped forward. "Silence, child. You are not the one asking questions here."

Erion growled low in his throat. "Fuck this. I don't know who you all are, but you can go fuck yourselves." Erion started toward the door, and one of the people near the door flung out a hand, energy erupting in a dark arc.

Erion crumpled to the ground, every nerve in his body aflame. It was agony, but Erion bit back his screams, not wanting to give the bastards the satisfaction of hearing him cry out. Two of the robed figures came forward to haul Erion to his feet, dragging him over to the curved wall and locking his wrists into the manacles, his back against the wall, his wrists over his head.

"You will tell us what we want to know." The speaker tilted his head slightly. "It is your choice how hard this will be. Start with your name."

"Hayashi Yuki," Erion retorted, his silver eyes molten with fury. Another bolt of that dark energy washed over the young elf, and he sucked in a harsh breath.

"I see. You prefer to fight. I regret what must be done." The speaker's voice held no regret whatsoever, and in fact, he sounded almost pleased. "Shall we try that again? Tell me your name."

Erion glared at the speaker. "That's my name on the Plane where I usually reside, you bastard. Try asking the right fucking question."

Instead of the bolt of dark energy, the speaker moved forward swiftly, backhanding Erion and splitting the young elf's lips open, blood flowing immediately.

"Such insolence, child. I will only ask once more. How are you known here?" The speaker tilted his head again expectantly.

Erion raised his chin, the blood dripping off. "Erion en Nosse Iradil."

Two of the cloaked mages shifted slightly, the ones who had dragged Erion to the wall and chained him. "The one who defeated Haran en' Daer, the King of Shadows, was also Iradil," one mage said, and the other nodded.

The speaker turned. "If you do not have the stomach for this, leave now, but know that you will be watched. No one must know of this."

The two mages slipped away, closing the door behind them, leaving Erion with the speaker, the dark energy wielder, and one other figure who had not moved. He was certain now that he was in Tower Reilloch, which meant he was in Leuthilspar, at least. If Erion could figure out a way to escape the Tower, Haedrith was nearby, and sanctuary.

"Your second House?" the speaker said, his tone bored.

Erion spat a mouthful of blood to the stone floor. "I told you my name, you bastard."

"The name you gave is that of a moon elven House, and you are not entirely of moon elven blood." The speaker waited expectantly.

"Fuck you. Why would I cooperate with fucking dhaerow like you?" Erion radiated defiance. "Name my crime."

"You should be careful who you name a traitor, child," the speaker replied. "What is your second House?"

"Nosse Hayashi," Erion snapped.

The dark energy flared and Erion hissed as his nerves burned. Erion's legs were trembling with the effort required to hold him up, and the look he leveled at the speaker was nothing short of murderous. The speaker gestured again and a second arc washed over Erion, dragging a howl from the young elf as his nerves burned anew, far too soon for Erion to have recovered sufficiently to hold back his screams. This second arc did not stop, and Erion's head snapped back, slamming against the stone of the wall as his back arched in agony. His slim hands wrapped around the chains of his manacles, the cold metal of the bracelets cutting into his flesh, but Erion was oblivious to the blood that trickled down his arms.

The speaker gestured again, and the energy faded. Erion slumped forward with a choked sob, his legs all but useless and his fingers locked around the chains. The speaker walked over to Erion and lifted the young elf's chin, looking into Erion's eyes.

"Your willpower is admirable, but it would be much easier if you would tell me what I want to know. If you fight me this hard over just your name, what will it be like when I begin to ask harder questions? Do you wish death that much?" The speaker released Erion's chin, and Erion let his head fall forward. "I can always reanimate your corpse and question it, and learn all that I need to know."

Erion sucked in a harsh breath. This threat carried more weight with him than he cared to let his tormentor know. Erion's death spelled death for Kansas as well, and that he could not allow. The choice was clear. Erion needed to pretend to cooperate, just a little, enough to buy him some time to think of a way out.

"Sulandorn," Erion croaked, his heart aching as he let the name fall from his lips. It felt like the worst kind of betrayal, to name his father's House.

"That was harder than it needed to be, child." The speaker paused. "Let us try the next question, and see if you have learned your lesson. Tell me the name of your parent that hails from Sildëyuir."

Erion's mind raced. It was likely none of his captors were old enough to remember his father when he had last been in Evermeet. Still, these were mages, and they would have access to all the records of that time. Santhiel's name would have been noted, though Erion was sure that the natural longevity of star elves was not commonly known. It was a small secret, however, and one that had been speculated about enough already. Erion made his decision, his heart heavy.

"Santhiel," Erion said, his voice still ragged. "My father's name is Santhiel, you bastard."

The figure that had not yet moved stirred. "It cannot be telling the truth. Ask it if the name was handed down."

Erion's eyes narrowed, hidden by his hair as it fell forward. That voice was not elven, the accent too harsh. Erion breathed in through his nose as silently as he could, and faint though it was, he picked up a scent he had only smelled once before in his young life. His blood turned to ice in his veins as he recalculated his chances of survival, the taint of the Abyss stinging his nostrils. If these fools were dealing with a balor, Erion would not be allowed to walk away, no matter how willingly he gave up the secrets of his father's people. They would strip him of his secrets and give him to the balor for a plaything.

"Answer the question." The speaker's voice was flat.

Erion had already resolved to give up this small thing, and now more than ever he needed a reprieve, time to think and figure out a way to escape. Once alone, there was a chance he could free himself from the manacles. His legs were still free, and if he managed to behave as though he were subdued, they might remain free. It would be painful and bloody, but that was also a small thing if freedom was the reward. The young elf gritted his teeth, lifting his head with an effort that was not entirely feigned.

"The name was not handed down." Erion let his head fall forward, his silver hair swinging to hide his face.

The speaker seemed surprised, falling back a step to confer with his two colleagues in a thick tongue that Erion recognized from listening to his uncles as Abyssal. Erion wondered if they would notice if he acquired that language, but decided that the risk of revealing that particular gift of his star elf heritage was not worth the reward. Besides, he was reasonably certain they were discussing his father's longevity, since Santhiel had not set foot in Evermeet in well over a thousand years. His assumption was proved correct by the next question leveled at him.

"How old is Santhiel?" The speaker sounded oddly excited.

Erion coughed weakly, spitting a clot of congealed blood onto the floor. "He is two thousand four hundred and eleven years old as of Alturiak just past."

The admission triggered a round of questioning regarding the lifespan of star elves, questioning Erion resisted as he endured more arcane punishment. Erion pretended to pass out once or twice, earning himself a couple more hard slaps, but the speaker's excitement was palpable as he dragged out an admission from Erion that star elves were extraordinarily long-lived, and perhaps even as immortal as their eldarin ancestors.

The discussion raged as Erion let himself hang limply, ignoring the pain from his already damaged wrists. It was such a heated discussion that the parties forgot themselves and spoke in the common tongue, the balor expressing misgivings about the entire plan while the speaker threatened the demon with permanent binding to his service. Erion lost all track of time as they argued, the speaker determined to pry the secrets of the star elves from Erion at all costs. The balor argued that it was knowledge the speaker could not use, since he would have to reveal how he had obtained it, and the Queen would execute him by her own hand.

The speaker finally turned away in disgust, looking at the young elf hanging limp in his chains. "Secure his ankles. We will question him again in the morning."

Erion was careful to remain utterly limp and relaxed, as though he were unconscious, while the dark energy wielder fastened restraints around his ankles, the chains securely fastened to the floor itself but leaving some play. Erion felt a small wave of despair rise up, his plans to free himself hampered, but his natural resilience returned after the door was closed and locked behind his tormentors. He would find a way out, no matter what it took.

The one advantage Erion had noticed in dealing with mages was that they tended to think only of magical solutions to their problems. More mundane methods were largely ignored, and Erion decided to test that theory. Still keeping his head down, he summoned his shadows, directing them to remain around his ankles and to wrap around the restraints. Erion had noticed that the shadows tended to leech warmth from whatever they touched even when they were not actively siphoning off life force. It was a gamble, but if the metal of the restraints was old enough, the intense cold might make it brittle enough to shatter.

Erion waited until he could no longer feel his feet before he called off the shadows. Taking a deep breath, Erion lifted one foot off the ground, and slammed his ankle against the wall as hard as he could. It sounded impossibly loud in the still room, and Erion's ankle ached from the impact, but he drew his foot forward as far as the chain would allow and then slammed the wall a second time. His keen ears picked up a faint metallic scream as the metal began to give. Encouraged, Erion bashed the wall a third time and felt the restraint fall away.

It hurt to put weight on his thawing foot, but Erion gritted his teeth and repeated the process with the other restraint, slamming his ankle against the wall until that restraint too fell away. His soft doeskin boots had protected him somewhat, but the young elf knew he would be horribly bruised at best, if not limping outright. Still, his legs were free, and Erion took a moment to breathe deeply before he began the next step.

Erion tugged sharply on his manacles, reopening the wounds on his wrists, and this time he twisted his wrists to slick the manacles with his own blood. Muttering a prayer to Corellon, Erion turned and braced his feet against the wall and tugged down as hard as he could, still twisting his wrists and trying to compress his hands enough for them to slip free. He could feel his skin tearing as it caught on the manacles, and he tugged even harder. Erion had nearly freed his right hand when he heard the door open.

The speaker advanced, Erion watching him with molten silver eyes as the speaker's hand snaked out of the sleeve of his robe and fisted in Erion's hair. The speaker slammed Erion's head forward, bouncing the young elf off the wall hard enough to make Erion growl low in his throat. The mage was not strong, however, and Erion shook off the blow more easily than he let show.

"Idiot child," the speaker hissed. "Cane him."

Erion snarled and yanked hard on his right hand, hoping to free it before the other two, the balor and the dark energy wielder could reach him. The balor was too fast, however, and caught Erion's arm in a crushing grip. With brutal indifference, the balor shoved Erion's wrist back up into the manacle, tearing his skin even more, and then the balor casually ripped the young elf's tunic away.

It was the dark energy wielder who raised the supple wooden rod, and began to methodically crisscross Erion's back with agonizing blows meant to bruise and raise welts while not breaking the skin. It was a Luskan punishment Erion had heard about from Sand, one his uncle had endured long ago. Erion turned his head to look over his shoulder, his expression one of pure hatred, refusing to cry out in pain.

"Spent some time in the Hosttower, did you, you fucking worm? You stink like a Luskan, you Houseless bastard," Erion managed to snarl, and to his surprise, the speaker chuckled darkly.

"Do not break skin or bone," the speaker said, and gesturing for the balor to follow him, he left, still chuckling.

The mage laid a few more blows across Erion's already welted back, but they were far less painful, and Erion managed a grim smile.

"Weakening already? You should try flogging your cock more often. It might improve your strength," Erion sneered. His eyes flashed with defiance, the young elf determined not to give in to despair.

The mage moved closer, letting the rod drop from his hand. He got close enough for his hot breath to make Erion's muscles shiver involuntarily, and he stripped off the thin leather glove he wore to touch the young elf's back lightly.

"Such a pretty thing," the mage whispered. His hand was broad, far too broad to be an elven hand, and Erion growled low in his throat at the touch. "It would be a pity to ruin such a lovely elf as you. But you were right, pretty one. I am from the Hosttower, and I find myself in something of a conundrum."

"Don't mind me if I say I'm fucking delighted to hear that," Erion growled.

"I came here to learn magic that I could not learn in Luskan, and I have already learned things to make my return to the Hosttower a triumph, things that were old when the cities of Netheril still flew above the Anauroch." The mage paused. "If I stay here and help this temporary master of mine, though, I stand to lose my head if your Queen Amlauril gets wind of this little incident."

"What a pity that would be," Erion snarled. "One less Luskan piece of shit."

"Hush, pretty one," the mage said, his voice thick. "I can offer you a way out. I can take you to my rooms, and if you please me, I can let you leave. You know he will have to kill you. He cannot risk your telling anyone what he has done to you."

Erion's eyes narrowed as he considered the Luskan's words. The mage he thought of as the speaker did not yet have enough leverage to compel Erion's silence. If he held Erion prisoner long enough, though, the speaker might learn of Kansas, and Erion's lifebond with his beloved imp, and that would be the leverage the speaker needed. Erion could not choose to die, not with Kansas's life connected to his own.

Erion did not think the Luskan meant to keep his promise, either. The man stank of fear and lust, and he stood to lose as much as the speaker if Erion was free. On the other hand, he would have to unchain Erion's hands to take him to his room, and the Luskan might be foolish enough to think Erion far weaker than he was. The Luskan had been dealing with mages, not trained warriors like Erion. An easy capitulation would not be believed, however, and so Erion glared at the Luskan with distaste.

"You think I'd play the whore for you?" Erion spat. "Why should I let you fucking touch me? Why should I be foolish enough to trust a piece of shit like you?"

The Luskan grated out a rough laugh. "You do not have much choice, pretty one. You are dead if you do not leave, and to be honest, I do not require my whores to be all that willing."

Erion pretended to consider this, his eyes narrowed. "Bastard. You know I have no choice, but I warn you, if you betray me, I'll return as a fucking baelnorn and haunt you to your fucking grave and beyond."

The mage laughed again, and muttered the words to release the manacles. Erion let himself fall forward as though his legs could not hold him up, and the mage staggered as the young elf fell heavily into his arms. The very touch of the Luskan made Erion's skin crawl, but he continued to feign weakness as the Luskan wrapped an arm around Erion's waist. He muttered again, and Erion recognized the spell as one of concealment rather than outright invisibility.

"Be silent," the Luskan warned, and Erion managed a nod as the Luskan guided him out of the room and into a dim corridor.

The Luskan knew his way in the warren of corridors, taking quick turnings with the ease of familiarity as he guided Erion up a forgotten stair that wound upward into darkness. Erion could see faint glimmerings of light from above, streaming in from underneath a door, and he let his head sag forward a bit as the Luskan was forced to half-carry Erion up the narrow stairs. The door led to another back passage, and the Luskan stopped in front of what looked like a marble wall, breathing heavily from his exertions. More murmuring, and a doorway appeared, the Luskan pushing Erion inside as the young elf stumbled and collapsed on the floor.

The Luskan watched, but Erion merely sagged, his breath coming in harsh pants, and the Luskan turned away to fiddle with a nasty-looking wooden frame, leather restraints unbuckled and waiting. A table holding whips and what appeared to be spiked dildoes was near the frame, and Erion nearly shuddered as he thought about what those would feel like. As Erion had suspected, he was not meant to survive the night, and the Luskan would flee back home with his elven secrets. That could not be allowed.

The Luskan never had a chance to so much as cry out before the shadows were upon him, feeding from him as Erion grinned savagely. One shadow covered the Luskan's mouth, stealing his breath away, while other shadows rose and slid along the Luskan's body, caressing him like dark lovers. Erion pulled himself to his feet, watching impassively as the shadows drained the life energy from the Luskan until the Luskan was too weak to remain conscious.

Erion waved the shadows off the Luskan before they had completely drained him, looking at the unconscious human with pure hatred in his silver eyes. Erion turned away, finding a small basin of water and washing off the worst of the crusted blood from his face and arms. Cleaner, Erion returned to prowling the room, yanking open the wardrobe door and finding several hooded robes. The young elf grabbed one, slipping it on with a wince as it slid over the abused skin of his back, and he flipped the hood up to hide his silver hair and eyes. A minor healing potion was in a pocket of the robe, and Erion drank it down eagerly, feeling some of the pain recede. There was a keystone on a shelf, and Erion snatched that as well, turning to leave. The Luskan moaned a little, and Erion froze in his tracks.

Erion considered his options. The Luskan was stirring, and Erion had no desire to face a mage, unarmed as he was. Those dark energy spells were brutally effective and Erion was far from healed. Erion narrowed his eyes again, and crossed back to the Luskan, silent and grim.

The Luskan's eyes opened in time to see Erion stoop, and then those slim hands grabbed the Luskan by the ears as the young elf gave a sharp sideways twist, the crack of the Luskan's neck loud enough to drown out the pounding of Erion's heart. Erion watched the life fade from the Luskan's eyes, and then he was gone, his steps light and graceful despite the throbbing in his ankles as he hurried down the main stairs and out of the Tower, and into the nighttime streets of Leuthilspar.

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Erion walked up to the front door of the Mori house, his stomach fluttering nervously. He ran a slim hand through his hair nervously, licking his lips a little to moisten them before he reached out to ring the bell. His hand fell, fluttering for a moment at the waistband of his slim faded jeans, his nervously shifting feet encased in narrow black sneakers. Erion tugged a little at the collar of his white Egyptian cotton shirt, open at the throat, and he checked to make sure his sleeves were rolled neatly, the dozens of thin silver bangles chiming a little but not quite hiding the slender silver chain of fleur de lis with its little skull on one end, the ruby eye winking in the sunlight.

Satoru opened the door, his face lighting up in a smile as he held his arms out to Erion. "Yuki-kun, it's so good to see you."

Erion fell into the welcoming embrace, his eyes shining with a sudden rush of tears. "Oh, sofu, I'm sorry. I missed my connecting train, and it took forever for another to come."

"Don't worry about it at all," Satoru replied, holding Erion tightly. "I've missed you so much, Yuki-kun. I'm glad you came today, though. I think this is really the best thing."

Erion was in no hurry to end the embrace, his own arms wrapped around Satoru as he felt small pieces inside him fall back into their proper places. "I hope so," he whispered, his voice trembling very slightly. "How is he?"

Satoru finally let go, blushing a little. "Come into the house, please. How silly of me, keeping you here at the door."

Erion came into the foyer, sitting on the low bench to remove his sneakers and slip his feet into his slippers. Just the sight of those familiar slippers made his breath hitch a little, and he looked up to see Eryn standing there.

"He's been in his room, waiting." Satoru patted Erion's shoulder gently. "Go give your grandmother her hug, and then go up to him. He needs to see you."

Erion nodded, and then hurried over to hug Eryn, his head resting on her shoulder as Eryn cuddled him gently. "Atararim," Erion began, and then his voice trailed off.

"I know, utinu'ai. I know," Eryn soothed. "Momo was happy to get your text, and he's waiting. We'll be down here if you need us, but right now, he needs to see you."

Erion took a shaky breath, willing back the tears and standing up straight. He managed a little smile, and then he turned to head up the stairs to Momo's room, his heart pounding furiously in his chest. He raised his hand to knock on the door, his pearly teeth nibbling on his lower lip, and froze, eyes wide, looking for all the world like a silver deer caught in the headlights of a car.

Momo sat up on the armchair as the soft footfall stopped outside his door, every muscle in his body shivering, and his heart hammering so hard in his throat he was sure it would break out at any moment. But nothing happened. Erion did not come in, and he did not knock. The seconds ticked by, feeling like hours, and then with a trembling voice Momo said very quietly, "Yuki no...?"

Erion took a deep breath and opened the door, slightly disoriented by the rearranged furniture, but spotting Momo by the open window. "Momo..." He stepped into the room, closing the door behind himself gently, wanting nothing more than to fling himself into Momo's arms.

Momo licked his lips nervously, his hands shaking as he drew a deep drag of the cigarette, his voice trembling with emotion when he nodded, "Yuki-san."

Momo sat up on the armchair, straightening his back, fighting the urge to run and grab the slender elf into his arms, and hold him until time ended.

"Oh, Momo, I'm so sorry I'm late. I missed a connection, and then the train didn't come, and I'm sorry, this is just incredibly awkward and strange, but I'm so glad to see you." The words spilled out of Erion in a rush, and he crossed the room in a few swift strides, stopping just before he reached Momo. He looked around, slightly frantic, and then sat on the bed, his knees trembling too much to hold him up. "Oh, fuck. I had this all straight in my head, and it's all gone. Just... forgive me, please?"

Erion's hand flew up to slide into his own hair and fist there, the thin silver bracelets sliding back and revealing the chain of fleur de lis.

Momo twitched on his seat, as if he meant to stand up when Erion strode into the room, but his knees refused to carry him, and he licked his lips again as Erion sank down on the bed, asking his forgiveness. Momo twitched again, strangely disoriented and unsure of himself for a moment, and then he twisted around to stub out his cigarette, before he turned back to Erion. Reaching out he lay a calming hand on Erion's knee, his eyes straying to the silver chain around Erion's wrist before he looked back into Erion's eyes, and said in a deep calm tone, "I forgive you, Yuki no erufu. Can you forgive me?"

Erion made a small sound, somewhere between a gasp and a sob, and his hand dropped from his hair to rest lightly on Momo's hand, where it lay on his knee. "I forgive you, watashi no Momo. There's nothing I couldn't forgive, you know that." Erion took a deep shuddering breath, his cheeks pinking slightly. "I can't believe I'm shaking like a fucking leaf. I just...shit, this is crazy!" Erion shook his head, grinning ruefully.

Momo stroked Erion's knee softly, the touch purely one of comfort, no sexual suggestion in it at all, and his eyes were bright with his love for Erion as he nodded slowly. "I feel the same way. The last time I was this nervous... it doesn't matter. I'm really nervous. I've been so scared that I had killed you. Your hands were so cold when you left. And I've been trying to figure out what it is exactly that you needed my forgiveness for. There is nothing that I would not forgive you either. I love you too much to lose this friendship that we have. I want to be your friend, Yuki-san. You are my best friend. You know me better than anyone now. I have no secrets from you now, and I never will again. If you still want my friendship now."

Momo leaned forwards a little to grasp Erion's hand tightly and the mithral chain around his neck moved slightly, the silver ring catching the light from the lamp beside them. Erion's eyes widened a little when he saw the ring, and he looked back up at Momo, his silver eyes warm with a gentle love.

"I walked out on you, and you screamed. I thought I broke you, Momo-san. I thought I had really torn your heart out and broken you, and I was almost sick to my stomach with fear." Erion never looked away from Momo. "I can't think of anyone I'd want more for my friend than you. You will always be my friend, as far as I'm concerned. I can't imagine losing that, and I'm glad you want my friendship."

Momo bowed his head a little, drawing a deep breath, and he moved a little on the chair to get more comfortable, his eyes serious when he looked up again, but his hand was tight around Erion's hand, and Erion could sense nothing but love from him. "You did break me. You did tear out my heart and break it, hard. But it was what I needed. Don't ever feel bad for what you did, because you were right. If you had stayed, we would have ended up ruining each other. It was your time to leave me, and it was time for me to learn what it feels like to have my heart broken. It still hurts a little bit, but honestly, I am healing already. Knowing that you want to be my friend still is healing me so much. Because I thought I had lost that, too. I was sure I had, actually. I still am afraid I'll lose it, because I have to tell you something."

Momo stopped and licked his lips nervously, his eyes straying down to the floor for a few moments before he turned back to Erion and he said, his voice a little shaky, "I went on a bender for two days. Then on Sunday, after you left, I dug up Sadao's address through the phone directory, and I went to see him. I've been seeing him since. I am falling in love with him, Yuki-kun. But I can't let myself fall for him completely unless you are alright with it. I don't want to lose your friendship because I want to be with him, but I can't sacrifice my love for him, for your friendship." Momo stopped, and releasing Erion's hand slowly, he removed the mithral chain from his neck, and slipped the ring off it. Then he held them both out to Erion, his eyes a little sad but still full of love. "I want to offer you this ring back. As a symbol of our deep friendship. If you don't want it, I'll have to give you the pendant back. But if you take that, I'll see it as the end of our friendship. I'm sorry, Yuki-kun, but I need to know which it will be."

Erion looked at Momo for a long moment, and then his lips curved in a beautiful smile as he reached out and took the ring from Momo. "I thought you were going to ask me something hard, Momo. You'll always have my friendship, and my love as a friend. Part of my heart will always be yours, and that's how it should be. I needed to learn what heartbreak felt like myself, and I needed to learn that I could stand up and do what needed to be done even if it hurt. So, you taught me something I needed to know as well, and now you're helping me heal. So, please, keep the pendant, as a symbol of our friendship, and then please tell me that you're happy with Sadao. I think you two are meant to be together, and if you need me to say it, then you have my blessing and my love, both of you."

Momo's beautiful smile spread over his lips, and his whole face brightened, and he reached the hand holding his pendant towards Erion, asking, "Will you put it on me again? And let me put your ring on you again."

Erion took the pendant and handed Momo the ring, and then as Momo leaned forward, he carefully fastened the pendant around Momo's neck. Momo sat back and Erion held out his left hand so that Momo could slide the silver ring back onto his left forefinger where it belonged.

Momo slid the ring onto the long slender finger and then he pulled Erion off the bed and into his embrace, burying his face in Erion's hair, breathing deeply. "I love you, Yuki-kun. I always will." He paused for a moment, breathing deeply from the fragrant hair again, and his voice was stronger and more confident when he continued, "I am happy with Sadao. I just need to know that I would still have you as my friend, and that you would want to be his friend too, before I could let go completely and love him. It's is so perfect, Yuki. It's like all the feelings I have for Kageoshi, and the feelings I have for you have been concentrated into the feelings I have for Sadao, and now everything is as it should be."

"And I want you to be happy with Kansas. He is the one you belong with. He can give you what I could not, and you complete him in ways that I often feared he would never be completed in. So, you have all of my best wishes for you and Kansas, and I know he will make you endlessly happy."

Erion returned the embrace, his heart soaring as he listened to Momo. "Thank you, thank you so much, and yes, Kansas and I complete each other in ways that I can't even begin to describe. So, we're both where we belong now, and Eru's arse, Momo, I'm so fucking glad!"

Erion turned his head without even thinking, his lips just naturally seeking Momo's lips, and for a brief moment, Momo responded just like he always had, all heat and passion as he started to plunder Erion's mouth. Then Momo stopped, and Erion's hand slowed on its way up to slide through Momo's thick raven hair, and they broke the kiss, eyes wide as they stared at each other.

Momo looked at Erion's silver eyes, all wide and bright, and he felt a laugh boiling up from deep down inside. He tried to hold it back, but it bubbled up and poured out, and Momo's beautiful laugh filled the room. Erion burst out laughing a second later, a wonderful and cleansing laughter that brought healing with it, and the two youngsters roared until the tears ran down their cheeks and they were gasping for air.

"Oh, Yuki-kun. What the fuck was that? I've missed your laughter." Momo gasped and wiped his tears off his cheek, more tears rolling as he realized these were happy tears and not the bitter pain that he had been shedding for the past week. He grabbed Erion tightly again and nuzzled his neck lovingly, the touch no longer sexual, only comforting and loving. "I noticed that you were shocked seeing the room like this. I couldn't stand being in here, after I came back, so okaasan helped me switch it around. I have some of my best and worst memories in this room, and I wanted to change it around, so I could create new happy memories in here. And it's just perfect that the first one is with you. It sort of depletes the power of my worst memory. Thank you for this memory, Yuki-kun. My friend."

"It feels so good to laugh with you, Momo-san. I missed your laughter, too." Erion hugged Momo tightly, realizing that this felt exactly right, like hugging his dearest friend should feel, and another ache was washed away. "I know what you mean, though, and I like it like this. At least you won't have the sun in your eyes first thing now." Erion grinned mischievously. "Although Masato-otooji says Sadao picks him up right after dawn for his Tuesday sessions, so I don't know how much sleeping in you'll be doing."

Momo groaned and rolled his eyes, his voice filled with love as he griped, "Oh, fuck you, he's worse than you. He wakes up at fucking five in the morning, every fucking day, and he thinks sleeping till seven is sleeping in. And he can't swear to save his fucking life."

Erion started to laugh all over again. "He can't swear? Oh, shit, you're kidding! I mean, we don't exactly swear at the dojo, except for in the shower when I see how many fucking bruises I have, but I figured he could muster up a few good swears. Even Masato swears in the shower, only he does it in a language he thinks I don't understand."

Momo laughed loudly, and shook his head, small tears running down his lashes, and he gasped as he tried to get the words out, "Nope. The worst he can muster is damn and butt. He says it's because of Ichirou. I say it's because he's a prude. But then he fucks me so hard I go cross eyed."

Momo's laughter died on his lips and his face went contrite suddenly. "Oh, fuck, sorry. I didn't mean to say that."

Erion looked at Momo, his silver eyes warm and gentle. "Don't, Momo. Don't apologize because he makes you happy. I'm glad he can fuck you cross eyed, and make you smile like that. You should see your face when you talk about him. You light up and it makes me feel so good, because all I want is for you to be happy."

Momo chuckled a little and pressed his lips against Erion's shoulder for a moment, his voice husky when he nodded, "I do think I could love him so easily. As easily as I love you and Kageoshi. Do I light up the way you light up when you talk about Kansas?"

"You know how it looks when you sit up on the mountain and watch Tokyo light up? You're brighter," Erion grinned.

Momo stuck his tongue out and blew a raspberry at Erion. "So are you when you talk about Kansas." Erion laughed in delight, feeling utterly at peace for the first time in over a week.

Momo wrapped his arms tightly around Erion and laced his fingers with Erion's, his smile rivaling the sun. "Sadao is wonderful. He's so mature, and yet he can goof around with Ichirou like a little kid. He loves goofing around with me even. And we have so much in common. And he doesn't care about anything that happened before, and yet he would like to know it all, some day. And he's in no rush. He just wants to be with me." Momo squeezed Erion's hand a little bit, and then looked down at the slender fingers with a slight surprise in his eyes. "What's this? You've got a new ring? It's like the one that Satoshi and them all wear."

Erion's eyes widened a little. "Yeah, Satoshi gave me his ring. I told you that he and I were lovers, before, and we're lovers again, now. It's his promise to me, that one day we'll stand in the temple in my homeland, and be married. Elves don't have a problem with having more than one spouse, and when I'm old enough in elven terms, I'll marry Kansas, Satoshi and Yuji properly on Toril."

Momo stared up at Erion for a moment, blinking slowly. Then he asked, "And Kansas is fine with this?"

"Yes," Erion replied calmly. "Kansas is always going to be my first husband, but yes."

Momo hummed a little, staring blankly into thin air for a few moments as he mulled Erion's words over. Then he shrugged his shoulders a little and said, "Oh, well. Who am I to judge? I've fucked my way through half a prefecture already. If you guys are happy together, then I'm all for it. Just take good care of Satoshi. I love him beyond measure, and I really want to see him happy and healthy."

Momo chuckled to himself suddenly, his eyes going distant for a moment and then he continued, "I had a crush on him once. Before I knew he was my brother. When I lived with them, there were nights where I jerked off to the thought that Yuji was sleeping a couple of rooms down, but then after I moved into the loft, I started seeing something dead sexy about Satoshi. I think it's all those piercings."

"So, you are one lucky little bitch."

"I'd do anything for Satoshi, so you have my word," Erion said. "And I am pretty lucky, aren't I?" Erion grinned cheekily. "That, or I'm just a complete nympho slut."

"Oh, there's no doubt that you're a nympho, but not a slut. You're faithful to those you love. But I'm a bit of nympho myself, so I guess we're a good fit." Momo grinned just as cheekily, and then he gave Erion a small shove. "Now, get up, you're squashing my balls. I think we should go downstairs and let tousan and okaasan know that we've made up. Or is there anything else you need to talk about?"

Erion gave Momo a quick hug before he stood up. "Just that I'm so fucking glad to have my best friend back. Oh, hey! I saw Ryo and Takahiro the other day. They came by and we went and saw this movie down in Shinjuku, and then messed around a bit afterward. Poor Ryo, the summer is taking forever to pass for him."

Momo stood up and arched his back to make it pop, his shirt riding up to reveal his taut stomach, and he nodded, "I know. They came around on Wednesday and dragged me out to play pool. They tore me a new one for cheating on you, and then told me they wanted to remain friends, and that they would not take sides in this. That they would both be mine and your friends. No matter what. It helped me, honestly. Knowing that they would not take sides or chose one over the other. It would have killed me if they had chosen me over you."

"Takahiro was honestly about ready to knock me down for cheating on you. But then they listened to me talk about Sadao, until Ryo begged me to stop because I was giving him cavities." Momo laughed brightly and he scratched his head, his cheeks a little flushed. "I guess I am pretty smitten, huh?"

Erion nodded. "They pretty much told me that they weren't going to take sides, either." He cocked a grin at Momo. "But, you, smitten? Well, let's just say that if I see it plastered on the side of the Fuji blimp, I won't be surprised." Erion let out a scream of laughter and dodged as Momo feinted a playful punch at him. "Hey, are those cookies I smell? Oh, please tell me those are fucking cookies." He looked up at Momo, his face growing momentarily serious. "I would have understood, you know, if they chose you over me. You've been friends with them a lot longer, and I just showed up on Kansas's arm one day. And honestly, I wouldn't have blamed them for thinking I was just trying to fuck my way through the posse. It could have been interpreted that way. But they're smarter than I am, thankfully, and I'm grateful that I didn't lose any of my friends."

Momo grabbed Erion around the neck and tweaked the tip of his ear, laughing a little bit. "Nah, you never would have made your way through the posse. First of all I think you wouldn't have even wanted to touch Taka with a fifty foot pole, and Kage-chan never seemed interested in anyone that way. And you've got too much junk between your legs for the rest of them. And you don't have any boobs."

Momo slapped Erion on his ass hard and darted out of the room with a laugh, holding the door open for Erion.

"Wait," Erion laughed, dashing after Momo. "I don't have boobs? Well, fuck me sideways!"

Eryn and Satoru looked up at the sound of laughter coming from the second floor, and then they reached out to hold each others hand, their smiles radiant as they listened to the cheerful banter from the youngsters.

Momo grabbed Erion from behind and squeezed his chest hard, laughing still, "Well, even for a Japanese girl this would be tiny," he said as he penguin walked the little elf down the stairs, Erion giggling loudly and trying to get Momo's hands off his pecs.

Eryn had indeed made cookies, and they all wound up in the garden, drinking cold sweet tea and munching the warm treats. Satoru offered to drive Erion home, but Erion laughed and begged Satoru not to bother.

Once Erion was on the train, he whipped out his cell phone, and fired off a text to Kansas, and then another one to Vale, letting them both know that he and Momo had not broken their friendship after all, and that he was bringing home cookies from Eryn. Then Erion popped in his earphones and cranked up his music, feeling all the little shattered pieces of his heart sliding back where they belonged.

[Sandcastles and Fireworks]

Eryn looked at her adopted son, this young man who had claimed a piece of her heart as surely as the children she had borne, feeling his warm callused hand resting in her hand in perfect trust.

"When he's ready to meet us, I would love to meet this man who makes you smile so beautifully, musukosan." Eryn smiled back at Momo, her dark blue eyes shining. "I think you'll have no trouble loving Sadao with your whole heart, and I have a feeling he'll love you just as fiercely. But you just let us know when he's ready to visit."

"I will, okaasan." Momo's beautiful smile lit his dark eyes, and he ducked his head a little shyly. "It feels good, actually, to have told you everything. And I know, otousan, that my past will probably come back to haunt me when I'm ready to become a lawyer. I'm prepared to face that, and deal with it head on."

"You won't be alone," Satoru said, his voice full of love and pride. "We'll all work together to resolve any issues that arise. We're a family, and we support each other fully."

Satoru's expression saddened a little, and he reached out to pull Momo close to him, his hand creeping up to stroke Momo's hair the way he always stroked Satoshi's hair. "What I do regret is that your life was so hard, and that you had to discover your sexuality the way you did, in such brutality and then in unfeeling encounters. I think I'll always wish that I could have been there for you then, even if only to hold you and listen."

Momo choked back a tiny sob, leaning into the embrace and letting Satoru's love comfort him. "That's in the past, otousan, and you're here now. You're here when I need you the most, and you've been here for the past two years. I couldn't have done any of this without you being here, and I'm so grateful to have your love and support."

Eryn watched her husband and her son as they held each other, and she smiled at the beautiful love between them. As trying as the past few days had been, this was a time for healing now, and she was so happy to see Momo reaching out for the support he needed, support Satoru had waited a lifetime to give him.

Momo finally sat back, Satoru reaching out to brush a stray tear away from Momo's cheek, the two men smiling at each other. She cleared her throat gently, her own eyes shining with tears of love and joy.

"Are you staying for dinner, Momo-kun?" Eryn asked. "Please say yes." She smiled at Momo, slightly impish. "We bought all this food, and someone has to help us eat it. Which reminds me, have you met Sadao's son yet? It will be quite different from any of your other relationships, you know, although I do think you'll be a marvelous father."

Momo opened his mouth to say that he would indeed be staying for dinner, but when Eryn continued his face paled a little bit, and he sank back on his chair, his voice a little full of wonder, "Oh, fuck. I hadn't even thought of that." He looked up at Eryn with wide eyes, his voice shaking, "You really think that I'd make a good father? I saw him with Sadao, but I haven't met him. Oh, fuck this is never going to work."

Eryn looked at Momo, and reached out to pat his hand. "Don't mind me. I tend to say what's on my mind sometimes, but honestly, I think it will all work out fine, and I really do think you'd be a wonderful father. After all, you know exactly what not to do, thanks to that bastard who raised you."

Momo shivered slightly, and stared blankly up at her, his eyes slowly moving over to Satoru, who nodded his head in agreement with Eryn's words. "You're right," Momo said, his voice suddenly husky, "I do know exactly what not to do. And I am sure that Sadao would never be with me if he didn't think I could handle it. I will do my best to be a good father."

"Of course you will, and you'll be perfect." Eryn stood and gathered the empty beer bottles, leaning over to kiss Momo's cheek lovingly. "Now, about dinner, anything special you'd like?"

Momo blushed as he reached out to pick up his share of the bottles and the ashtray, and shook his head, "I don't want to be a bother. Just whatever you had planned."

"I have a few options, actually. Are you sure there's nothing you've been wanting to have?" Eryn smiled as Satoru opened the door for them, carrying the unopened beers and the cigarettes. "No cravings I can indulge for you?"

"Are you sure? I don't want to be putting you out. But I really would like to try that chicken curry again. I didn't really eat much on Friday. If it's not too much trouble." Momo ducked his head to hide the faint blush in his cheeks, his eyes sparkling with something akin to shame for not having enjoyed the meal more on Friday.

"Oh, sweetheart, I don't think any of us tasted a thing on Friday." Eryn hugged Momo hard. "Chicken curry it is, then, and it's not a speck of trouble."

Momo smiled as Eryn hugged him, then suddenly he hugged her back just as hard and laughed. "I am sorry for hurting you both. But now, I think everything will be better. I'll make you both proud of me. And if you dare to let me into the kitchen, I can try to help. Kageoshi usually chased me out of the kitchen with a broom if I tried to help, but I can set a nice enough table."

Eryn laughed as well, delighted. "I'll take you up on that, then. I love help in the kitchen."

Erion picked up his cell phone and turned it over in his hands a few times before sighing deeply and putting it back down. It was not the first time he had reached for it, and Erion gave himself a mental shake for his indecision.

Although Kansas had wanted to stay home, Erion had persuaded him to go to work. Kansas was new enough in his position that attendance was important, and Erion did not want Kansas to lose this job simply because Erion was feeling a little shaky. Willow was home, as well as Sand, and Vale and Yuji were home for the summer break. It was not as if Erion would be alone, and Kansas reluctantly agreed, kissing Erion and making him promise to call if he needed to talk.

Erion had managed to keep busy for most of the morning, the children eager to drag Erion into their games, and Erion as eager to join them. There was something restorative in their bright laughter and sweet hugs, and Erion was able to forget all his heartache while he was pounced and tickled. Lunch had been just as merry, with Hikaru getting Erion to join him in mixing all three of the family's languages liberally, while Aika observed to her mother that boys just got bigger and not smarter, an observation her chichi and tousan agreed with enthusiastically.

After lunch, though, the children settled in for naps, and Yuji and Vale went off for a walk. Willow was writing, and Sand was at his desk, poking through exceedingly dusty tomes and making purring sounds as he scribbled notes in his elegant espruar.

Erion thought about napping himself, but he had retreated into both reverie and true sleep far too often over the past few days, and he was more restless than tired. He found an amethyst glass flagon of tui in the back of the refrigerator, and he took that and his cigarettes out to the deck, curling up to smoke and drink the light elven beer. His cell phone shifted uncomfortably against his hip, and Erion pulled it out of the pocket of his loose shorts, the beautiful little omamori from Ryuu swinging from the corner and making Erion smile a little to himself.

Erion tucked his slim bare feet up on the chair, turning the cell phone over in his hands as he smoked a cigarette between sips of tui. His thumb slid over the icon to open his phone book, and at the top of the list was Koibito, the number engraved on his memory as clearly as in the cell phone's memory.

Erion choked back a sob and closed the phone book, closing his silver-grey eyes and trying to fight back the hot tears that threatened. His ears rang with the memory of a scream, so bereft and broken that even in the warmth of the garden, Erion shivered. He could not help but wonder if he had broken Momo completely, and even though everyone had been reassuring Erion that Momo would be fine, he knew he would never believe it until he could see for himself.

Erion opened his eyes and flipped open his cell phone, quickly typing a text in the window. He read the text over, sighed, deleted it, and started over, pausing to take another drink of tui. By the fifth deletion, Erion could no longer see the screen anyway because of the tears in his eyes, and he laid the phone down, pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapped his arms around his legs, and let his head fall forward onto his knees as he sobbed quietly.

Eryn laughed as she watched Momo set three places for dinner, laying everything out quite neatly, his hips swaying a bit to the music playing in the background. Eryn's taste in music was quite eclectic, and she found that she quite enjoyed Kohaku's music, so she had purchased all of his albums and a small but powerful cd player for the kitchen. The music inspired her cooking, or so she claimed, and Momo was not about to argue.

"That looks perfect," Eryn told Momo when he finished with the table. She opened a cabinet and frowned a little at the bowl she wanted that was just out of reach.

Momo noticed Eryn's little frown of exasperation, and grinned as he reached over to take the bowl down for her. "This one, okaasan?"

"Thank you, sweetheart. I'm telling you, it's a trial to be this short sometimes." Eryn laughed at herself and turned back to chopping vegetables for dinner, her knife flashing with rapid-fire precision. Momo had to admire her skill with a knife, the petite elf barely paying attention as she sliced mushrooms and scallions as fast as any chef.

"You have to teach me how you do that," Momo said, shaking his head a little.

Eryn shrugged lightly. "It's just slicing things, and nothing special." She smiled up at Momo. "And I'm sure you'd tell me the same thing about the way you can just listen to your father's car and tell him what it needs. We learned by doing, didn't we?"

Momo grinned. "I guess we did."

"Now, can you hand me that spoon? I want to stir the curry a bit." Eryn lifted the lid on the curry pot, and Momo inhaled happily as he brought over the spoon she wanted.

Satoru stood in the doorway of the kitchen, his heart so full he thought it would burst as he watched his beloved youngest son and his wife laughing as they worked. This was what Satoru had always wanted in his life, a home full of love and laughter, and although it had taken a while, he had it at last, and it was as wonderful as he had dreamed it would be. Satoru found himself looking ahead to meeting Sadao properly, and Eryn looked up at that moment, her eyes bright with happiness as she looked at Satoru.

"I have to tell you, whatever you two are up to, it smells wonderful," Satoru said, coming into the kitchen and breathing in appreciatively. He looked at the table, already laid for dinner, and grinned. "I've been put out of a job," he teased.

"Oh, we'll find you some work to do," Eryn laughed. "You can dish out the rice into its serving bowl, since I think we are just about ready."

It was a simple dinner, just a clear soup with finely sliced mushrooms and scallions, steamed vegetables with a light ginger dressing, rice and chicken curry, but as the small family sat down to eat, the love they shared made it feel like a feast. This time, Momo ate with enthusiasm, praising Eryn's curry and assuring her that it was almost exactly like Murai-san's curry.

Dessert was tea and sliced fresh fruit, light and perfect for a summer evening, and the conversation was comfortably lighthearted as well. Momo was sharing a story about a professor in one of his classes, and Satoru was laughing until he cried as Momo imitated the man, managing to perfectly capture an elderly law school professor with almost no insight into the way things worked outside a classroom. Eryn was even giggling, seeing one of the more hidebound older priests of her own temple in Momo's description.

Momo's cell phone rang, the tone one he had reserved for text messages, and he pulled out his phone eagerly, expecting to see Sadao's number on the screen. Much to his surprise, it was Erion's number on the screen, and he read the few words that comprised the text: Can we meet to talk, in a week? I think it will help. You choose the time and place.

Momo's smile died on his lips when he saw Erion's number on the screen and he coughed a little when he read the short message. "Excuse me," he mumbled with a sad voice as he stood abruptly and hurried to the back porch, his hands shaking as he re-read the message over and over.

He hit the button to reply and then stared at the blank screen, his vision blurring with tears, and sinking down on a chair on the porch he pulled his cigarettes out of his pocket, lighting up between sobs.

Satoru jumped up from the table and hurried out onto the back porch, his expression crumbling a little when he saw Momo's tears. "What is it, Momo? What's happened? Please, tell me and let me try to help." He sank into a chair next to Momo, and wrapped his arms around the sobbing young man.

Eryn watched from the doorway to the porch, her eyes dark with worry as she watched Satoru cradle Momo, but she hung back until Satoru would need her.

Momo sank into Satoru's embrace and Satoru could barely understand him, as Momo pointed shakily at his phone. "It's Yuki. He wants to meet. In a week. I don't know what to say. I can't find the words. I miss him."

Satoru stroked Momo's hair, reaching for the cell phone to read the text message from Erion. "Hush, my sweet boy. He thinks it would help if you meet and talk. What do you want to do, Momo-kun? Do you want to remain friends with him? Or do you want to end your friendship, too?"

Momo's head jerked up, and his eyes were filled with despair when he shook his head. "No. No. No, I want to be his friend. I can't lose that, too. I need to be his friend. I need him to be my friend. I just don't know if it will ever stop hurting."

Sadao cupped Momo's cheek, handing him the cell phone and easing him back into the embrace, his voice warm. "Then send him a text back, and tell him that you want to meet. Where do you think it would be best? Here at the house, or in public?"

Momo wiped his nose on the back of his hand and nodded against Satoru's shoulder, his fingers dancing over the keypad as he wrote his response, mumbling as he did, "Here at the house. In one week. That way you and okaasan can be here if we need you."

Satoru stroked the thick raven hair and nodded, his cheek resting against Momo's head. "Yes, that sounds perfect. We'll be here for you both. And this way you both have a few days to gather your thoughts and heal a little."

Momo nodded a little, a small sob escaping him as he hit send, and then he glanced up at Eryn, where she stood in the door, his voice terribly small when he said, "Maybe I should change his number in my phone. He isn't my Yuki no erufu, anymore, is he?"

Eryn's eyes filled with tears as she hurried over to Momo, dropping to her knees and putting her arms around him. "Oh, my sweetheart, I think a part of him will always be your snow elf. The love you had between you isn't gone, my dear Momo. It's just become something else, something quieter, the love between two friends who know each other better than most."

Momo leaned into the embrace, burying his face in Eryn's shoulder and with a small wail he let go of his sorrow and cried brokenly, as he told her, "I just miss him so much. I don't even want to go to my room, because there is so much of him there. I love him so much, but I know I can't keep him. And I want to love Sadao the same way. I miss him, okaasan. I miss needing to fight him for space in the bed, and that stupid dawn worship. I miss him."

"Oh, my sweet boy, I know," Eryn crooned, holding Momo as he sobbed. "I don't know if it will help at all, but Yuki misses you as well. When I saw him on Sunday, he told me that he wanted to stay friends with you, and he hoped you could forgive him. He was so very worried about you, we all were."

"Is he alright? Did his hands warm up? He was so cold," Momo sobbed, clinging to Eryn tightly as she stroked his hair lovingly.

"He's very sad, and he's trying to find his way to healing, just like you, musukosan. But yes, his hands did warm up, and he isn't going to fade away. He's just afraid that he can't be forgiven, although I know you have too large a heart not to forgive him." Eryn pressed a kiss to Momo's head.

Momo nodded slowly, his sobs growing softer. "I don't know what he needs me to forgive him for. I'm the one who cheated on him and broke his heart, and yet, I refused to let go. He only did what we both needed to do. He was stronger and could let go. But I will forgive him, if he needs me to. I hope he can forgive me, too. It scared me so bad, to feel his hands so cold. I was so afraid I had killed him. But I can forgive him and I will. I love him too much to lose his friendship."

"Then you'll meet with him, and you'll talk, and we'll be here in case you need us, and then the both of you can heal and move ahead with your lives." Eryn rested her cheek against Momo's thick raven hair. "You are both so very dear to me, and I know you will both get through this, and become friends. I have faith in you both."

Momo nuzzled into Eryn's shoulder and sighed as the last of his sobs hurt his chest, and his tears slowly stopped, and his voice sounded a little bit stronger when he whispered, "Thank you, okaasan. I want to become someone you can be proud of. For the first time I have someone who has expectations of me, and I want to make proud of me, and I'm not going to disappoint you, or tousan. I love you."

"And I love you, musukosan, eternally, and I'm already so proud of you. We'll get through this, my sweet boy." Eryn looked up at Satoru, her eyes filled with love and pride as she stroked her son's hair. "Now, why don't we clear up from dinner, and then maybe we can watch a movie, hm? Are you staying here tonight, or is Sadao expecting you?"

Momo sniffled hard as he sat up. "I was going to stay here tonight, if that's alright with you. But maybe I can stay in the guest room?"

Eryn felt a tiny pang as she realized that Momo would find it hard to be in his room without Erion, but she smiled and kissed his cheek. "Of course you can. The sheets are fresh, so it's all ready."

Later that night, as Eryn came back from making sure that there were plenty of clean towels in the big bathroom, she paused as she passed the guest room. She could hear Momo's voice, sultry and purring, as he talked to someone on the phone, and then she heard his laugh. Eryn's heart soared as she realized Momo had to be talking to Sadao, and she was still smiling as she slid into bed next to Satoru.

The next day, Momo asked Eryn very quietly after breakfast if she could help him rearrange things in his room. It was hard for him to go into the room at all, and Momo hesitated in the doorway for several minutes, until Eryn came back over to take his hand.

"It's alright, Momo. I know this is hard, but it's part of healing, my sweet boy. We'll do this together." Eryn smiled gently at Momo, stroking his hand with love.

Momo took a deep breath, and nodded. "It's just that everything reminds me of him, and the worst part is the empty places where his things were."

Eryn looked at him with great sympathy. "I understand. Why don't you think about where you'd like to put the bigger pieces of furniture, and I'll tend to the dresser and the like?"

Eryn quickly rearranged the clothing in the closet and in the dresser to fill up the empty spaces and lessen the impact of Erion's absence, before she hurried into the bathroom to do the same thing. When she came back into the bedroom, Momo was sitting on the bed, looking at the wall. His cheeks were wet, but he had a small smile on his face as he turned to look at Eryn.

"He took it," Momo said. "He took Kageoshi's omamori, the one I gave him so he would be just like the rest of the posse. He kept it."

Eryn nodded, crossing over to put her arms around Momo. "He kept the bracelet you gave him as well. He only left the ring because he didn't know if you wanted to remain friends. I know he did want to keep it, but I think he needs to know that you're alright with that." She pressed a kiss to Momo's temple. "Now, let's see. How about if we move the bed over there?"

By the time they were done, Momo was satisfied that the room was different enough to keep the bad memories at bay. Now all he needed was to create some new memories to take their place.

[Sandcastles and Fireworks]

Eryn stood in the kitchen, looking at the note written in Momo's unruly handwriting. A small sob caught in her throat as she realized how hard he had tried to make it neater, and she reread the note yet again to make sure she was getting it right.

Satoru slipped his arms around Eryn from behind, reading the note over her shoulder, and he too fought back a sob. Eryn turned around to put her arms around Satoru's waist, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Where do you think he would have gone?" Eryn asked. "Do you think maybe he went to the Murai house? Kokoro-chan keeps the room for the boys if they need a place."

Satoru turned his head a little to rest his cheek against Eryn's raven hair. "I almost don't want to call her, in case he isn't there. I don't want to get everyone who knows him in an uproar."

"The way he was weeping yesterday," Eryn said, her voice heavy with sorrow. "I wanted to cry right along with him. I can't believe that he thought I could hate him, or that I would choose Yuki over him. I love them both too much to ever choose."

Satoru stiffened suddenly. "Did he take the car?" He looked at Eryn, growing pale, before hurrying to the foyer to check the table where they all left their keys.

Momo's keys were gone, and Satoru opened the front door to check the garage, Eryn right behind him. They looked at each other, matching worry in their eyes as they saw the empty space where Baby Boy was usually parked.

"His driving license has his proper name," Eryn said quickly, laying a slim hand on Satoru's arm. "It has this address. If anything had happened, we would know by now."

"Of course, you're right," Satoru breathed, putting his arm around Eryn for a moment and just holding her.

They walked back into the house, closing the door quietly, and Eryn went through the motions of making tea and breakfast. She and Satoru were nearly done putting the dishes in the dishwasher when Eryn realized that she could not even remember what she had made, let alone how it had tasted. She looked over at Satoru, and the look in his eyes told her that he had fared no better. When Satoru's cell phone rang, he jumped as badly as Eryn.

"Moshi-moshi," Satoru said quickly, his heart pounding.

"Satoru-san? It's Akira." Vale's calm voice came through the phone, and Eryn saw Satoru's shoulders sag a bit. "I wanted to let you know that Yuki's here, and he's alright. He's hurting, but he's fine. Please tell Eryn that for me."

"I will, and I'm glad to hear that," Satoru said, but he could not hide the pain and grief in his voice.

"How is Momo?" Vale continued. "Judging by the state Yuki was in, I've been very worried about him. We all have, actually."

Satoru sighed painfully. "He spent most of yesterday crying like his world had ended. He kept telling us that he broke Yuki's heart and that he was afraid he had killed Yuki."

Eryn gasped a little when she heard Satoru say that, one slim hand flying up to cover her mouth as her blue eyes filled with tears. Satoru reached out to pull her to him, his free arm wrapping around her.

"Tell Eryn there's no danger of Yuki fading, please," Vale said, and there was urgency in his calm voice.

Satoru turned to Eryn. "It's Akira. Yuki's at the estate, and Akira says he's in no danger of fading."

Eryn nodded, her eyes filling with relief. "Tell him to give Yuki my love," she whispered.

"How is Momo now?" Vale asked.

Satoru sighed again. "He's gone. He left a note sometime in the night, telling us he needed time to think and clear his head, and not to worry about him."

It was Vale's turn to sigh deeply. "Please don't hesitate to call us, any of us, if you need us." Vale did not have to tell Satoru that none of the family had forgotten Momo's grief and despair after Kageoshi's death, and how he had nearly drank himself to death after disappearing. "We love Momo as dearly as we do Yuki, and honestly, we're all hoping they'll be able to remain friends."

The genuine love and concern in Vale's voice warmed a small cold place in Satoru's heart, a fear he had not even realized he had being wiped away. "Thank you, Akira-san. That means the world to us, and we promise we'll call the minute we hear from him. Tell Yuki-kun that we love him, and let's hope our youngsters do remain friends."

Satoru ended the call and pulled Eryn into his arms, his eyes wet with tears. "At least we know that Yuki-kun is safe," he murmured. "Now we just have to hope our Momo-kun is safe as well."

Momo did not call that day or that night, and Eryn and Satoru found themselves checking their cell phones for no reason, just to make sure that they had not missed a text or call. Saturday passed just as slowly, neither Eryn nor Satoru having much appetite for lunch, and not a great deal more interest in supper. The only highlight was Satoshi's call, and he and Sand did their best to reassure the worried pair that Momo would not do anything too foolish. Satoshi repeated Vale's assurances that the family was there for whatever they might need, any time they needed.

The worried couple sat up until far too late, Satoru nursing a sake in case he needed to drive while Eryn polished off a bottle of wine. It was past midnight before they went up to their bedroom, their cell phones in hand and placed on their night tables.

Eryn found herself unable to reach reverie, and judging by the way he was tossing and turning, Satoru was not getting any sleep either. She finally sat up just before dawn, and Satoru sighed and sat up as well.

"I can't sit here again all day," Eryn said, leaning into Satoru. "My mind just dwells on how devastated Momo was, and I can't think about anything other than wanting to hear his voice."

Satoru choked back a sob. "I know, Eri-chan. If he would just call, or text. I can't lose him. I can't."

They held each other for a few minutes, both of them holding back their tears. Eryn did not even suggest breakfast when they finally got out of bed, although she made tea and brought out some sweet rolls for them to crumble.

Satoru reached over and stilled Eryn's fingers as she reduced the last of her sweet roll to fragments without actually eating any of it. "Maybe we should take a drive to the estate. We can at least see Yuki, and let him know we're thinking about him as well."

Eryn managed a smile. "I'd like that, melamin, my love. But why don't you try to call Momo now, before we go?" She handed Satoru his cell phone as she got up to clear away the remains of her roll.

Satoru pressed the key to dial Momo's cell phone, listening to it ring a few times before it abruptly cut off. "That's odd," Satoru muttered, pressing the key again.

"What's odd?" Eryn asked, turning a little.

Satoru listened to the phone ring again, and once again, it was abruptly cut off. "Maybe his battery is low," Satoru said. He put the cell phone down and got up to rinse his tea cup and put it in the dishwasher, and then wiped the table for Eryn.

"Try one more time," Eryn suggested.

Satoru picked up his cell phone, and the result was the same yet again. Frustrated, he opened a text window and typed a brief message: Are you alright?

As they were getting ready to go to the car, Satoru's cell phone chimed to signal a new message, and he opened the text with trembling fingers. He read it aloud to Eryn.

"Am fine. Home soon, maybe tomorrow. That's all it says, but it's from Momo's phone." Satoru looked at Eryn with naked relief on his face.

Eryn smiled, her first genuine smile since Momo had left, and her blue eyes regained some of their customary sparkle. "At least he says he's fine. Oh, Seldarine be praised, I was going mad, melamin." Eryn slipped her arms around Satoru's waist and leaned her head into his shoulder, tears of relief beading in her thick lashes.

Satoru held Eryn tightly, his own eyes damp. "Do we ever stop worrying about them?"

Eryn managed a small giggle. "Never, and we wouldn't have it any other way."

Satoru and Eryn arrived at the estate to a warm greeting. Satoshi held Satoru tightly, trembling with relief when he heard about Momo's text message. Erion had hung back at first, his fingers laced tightly with Kansas's fingers as he watched his grandmother hugging Satoshi and Sand. Finally, Eryn turned around and saw Erion, half behind Kansas and watching her warily. His expression tore at her already fragile heart, and Eryn felt the burn of tears in her eyes.

Eryn sighed deeply and held out her arms. "Aiya, utinu'ai, leneema'amin kwaralle, let me hold you."

Erion looked at Kansas, who smiled reassuringly, and then the young elf flung himself into his grandmother's arms, his eyes welling with tears.

"I'm sorry, atararim. I'm so sorry," Erion sobbed. "This is all my fault. I know I hurt him. Please let him be okay, I can't bear it if he's not."

Satoru hurried over to put his arms around the distraught young elf as well. "It's alright, Yuki-kun. Please don't cry. No one is angry with you, I promise you."

Erion wriggled around until he was in Satoru's arms, Eryn stroking his back tenderly. "Sofu, I never wanted it to be like this. The way he screamed when I left..." Erion's voice trailed off and he clung to Satoru desperately. "Please forgive me, even though I don't deserve it."

Satoru tightened his arms around Erion, pressing a kiss to the young elf's temple. "You're not at fault, sweet Yuki. No one's at fault. It was simply time for your love to end, that's all, but if you need me to say it, then I forgive you."

Erion relaxed in Satoru's arms, his sobs calming as Satoru stroked his hair. Satoru looked up at Eryn, and saw the flicker of grief in her eyes as she stroked Erion's back. He gently eased Erion into his grandmother's arms, and Erion turned again to nuzzle into Eryn's shoulder, his head falling forward.

"Utinu'ai, I could never be angry at you for something like this. Hearts take us where they will, and sometimes we wind up finding heartache. I just wish I could ease this for you both, but that's something you need to do for yourselves." Eryn kissed the silver head on her shoulder. "We can only be here to love you and tell you that you will eventually heal."

"I left my ring. I didn't know if he'd want to stay friends with me," Erion said, his voice soft and sad. "I wanted to keep it, so I'd have something. I kept the omamori he gave me, and the bracelet, and I'll always have my little peach on my wrist. I'd rather have his friendship, though, if he can forgive me."

"Give it time," Eryn advised, her tone loving and gentle. "Give it time, my Erion."

Satoru and Eryn wound up staying for dinner, and Erion relaxed enough to tease that it was Sand's night, so it was certainly no trouble for the cook. Sand merely arched his brow as he called his favorite restaurant and placed an extravagant order, warning Erion that such teasing might make him forget to order the wasabi ice cream. Erion yelped and groaned, as Kansas laughed at him, and the dinner passed with a great deal of pleasant banter, something Satoru and Eryn sorely needed.

By the time they got back to their house, both Satoru and Eryn were ready to call it a night, and they headed up to their room to wash for bed and brush their teeth. Satoru read the text message again, smiling a little as he looked at the words on the screen, and Eryn kissed him tenderly as she slid into bed beside him, her own cell phone on her night table. Satoru put his phone down, his hand sliding into Eryn's raven hair, and he deepened the kiss, the two of them finding the comfort they needed in each other's arms until, sated, they fell asleep still entwined.

[Sandcastles and Fireworks]

Erion returned Yuji's kiss, his silvery eyes filled with love as he snuggled into Yuji's embrace. "Thank you for reminding me that I can't lose my home, and thank you for helping me to learn. There's so much to learn sometimes, and I feel lost, but I'm glad I can talk to you."

Yuji chuckled into Erion's feathery little kisses. "I might not always have the answers, my love, but we can always try to find them together." He patted Erion's pert little ass. "Now, why don't we get back to the house and shower before dinner? I'm pretty sure it's Vale's night in the kitchen, and if I know him, he'll have some treats in store."

Erion looked at Yuji curiously as he reached for his discarded sleep pants. "Vale's night?"

Yuji started to laugh. "That's right, you missed that one. Vale, Satoshi and Willow have worked out some sort of cooking schedule so that no one person gets stuck with cooking dinner all the time. Even Sand is in the rotation, although he doesn't cook. He just orders takeout."

Erion started to giggle. "I guess I'd better get my name in on the rotation, too."

"Don't worry," Yuji laughed, his goofy giggle like music to Erion. "You'll get a couple of weeks to get settled back in, and our queen will give you your orders."

They walked back to the house, Yuji's arm around Erion, and Kansas was waiting on the deck when they arrived. Yuji gave Erion another pat on the ass, chuckling as he watched Erion race the rest of the way to the deck and fling himself into Kansas's arms, the imp's eyes a beautiful dark grey as he caught his elf in a tight hug. They kissed with such wonderful passion that Yuji's heart soared to see them together, Kansas finally truly happy once again. He knew that Erion would still have a great deal of pain to work through, but healing had begun, and with all the love they could offer the little elf, it would come.

Vale was waiting when Yuji walked into the house, his green eyes filled with love as he kissed Yuji tenderly. "It's good to see them together again, isn't it?"

"It is," Yuji agreed, nibbling Vale's lips until he coaxed a little moan from his blond elf. "I'm going to shower, a'maelamin."

"I have just enough time to wash your back," Vale murmured, and Yuji's grin was answer enough as they hurried up to their room.

Dinner felt so right to Erion, although he was still a bit quieter than usual. Vale had gone all out, making perfectly grilled red snapper with herbs he had grown himself from cuttings he brought back from the garden in Neverwinter. The vegetables were all of Erion's favorites, and Vale had even made a wasabi and ginger dipping sauce for the fish, to Erion's great delight. Takara insisted that she sit with oniisan, and Erion was close to tears of joy as he helped her with her dinner.

Erion let out a shriek of joy when Vale brought out the custard tarts for dessert, topped with different fruits so that everyone would find a favorite. Erion moaned as he helped himself to a ram berry tart, and Kansas reached for the yuzu tart. Hikaru gave the strawberry topped tarts a longing look, but ate his raspberry tart with enthusiasm. Vale also had a platter of sliced fruit, and dainty little chocolates from a shop that had opened recently in the neighborhood.

Sand and Satoshi took over the cleaning up as was their habit, and Yuji and Vale gathered up the children for baths while Willow curled up to snuggle Michi and give her a bottle. Erion cuddled up next to Kansas, his eyes bright, but he looked a little tired and drawn, and Kansas leaned down to kiss Erion gently.

"Are you alright, my love?" Kansas asked softly. "You look a little worn out. It's been a long day for you."

Erion smiled wanly at Kansas as he nodded. "I think I might want to go to our room."

Kansas took Erion upstairs after they both kissed Willow and Michi, and Erion immediately went out onto their balcony to light a cigarette. Kansas followed, pulling Erion down onto the loveseat and wrapping his arms around Erion.

"I actually forget for a little bit, because everyone is being so wonderful, and then it just fucking slaps me in the face again," Erion said, and his voice was shaded with grief. "I hurt him so much. Even when Kageoshi died, I don't think I heard him scream like that. I can't even call him to find out how he is, because it's too fucking soon. I'll only hurt him more if I do that." Tears slid down Erion's cheeks, silvery in the moonlight.

Kansas pressed a kiss to Erion's silvery hair. "And what about you? What about how much you hurt, isilmeamin? It doesn't go away because you ignore it."

Erion made a small noise of distress. "How can I do this? How can I turn to you to help me feel better because I'm mourning the end of things with Momo? Isn't that the most fucked up thing in the multiverse?"

"The most fucked up thing in the multiverse is expecting to be rejected because you loved someone. We don't do things like most families, my love. You weren't out to hurt anyone, least of all me." Kansas cupped Erion's face between his hands, looking into the silver and blue eyes of his lover. "I want you to lean on me, and let me help you heal your heart. All of us will help you, because we love you."

"I don't want to hurt you any more, 'lokiamin. I've hurt you enough," Erion said, his slim fingers covering Kansas's hands. "I love you, more than I can ever begin to tell you. All I can promise you is that I will never, ever do anything like this again. I'll die if I leave you again."

Kansas sobbed a little as he pressed a kiss to Erion's plump lips. "I won't let you leave again. I love you, and we'll never be apart again. I promise you that. And we'll heal together from this. My hurt's only a little thing, but I want you to lean on me now, and let me help you with your pain."

Erion leaned his forehead against Kansas's forehead. "I asked Vale to check on Momo. I can't help worrying about him, even here with you. What does that mean? What does that say about me?"

"It says you have a beautiful heart," Kansas replied gently. "It says that you loved him with all that you are, and that's the only way you should ever love, with all your passion. That's how you love me, and I feel it every day. That's how you love Yuji, and Satoshi, and Haedrith. It's what makes you so perfectly you." Kansas nibbled another kiss. "You wouldn't be my Erion if you didn't worry about Momo, but you're right. You both need time to learn how to deal with being apart before you can talk to each other. Vale was a good choice. He'll know how to reach out to Momo."

Erion nodded, tilting his face for more kisses. "Take me to bed, 'lokiamin. Love me until I can't think about anything else except your touch, and the way you feel against me, and in me. Let me sleep in your arms where I belong, and we can wake up and greet the sun together."

Kansas's radiant smile warmed Erion's heart thoroughly, and he followed Kansas eagerly into their room, the two of them already peeling off their clothing as they tumbled into their bed.

Erion wrapped himself around Kansas as the first rays of sunlight burst over the horizon, his cock pressed against Kansas's ass as he felt the tingling begin, stronger because of his nearness to Kansas. Erion's own ass was that pleasant sort of sore that spoke of being well loved the day before, and he slid his warm hands up Kansas's silky chest, purring a little as Kansas pressed back into Erion's cock. There were no words necessary, the young lovers shining with power in the sunlight while in the back of their minds, two young gods loved as a tiger roared.

Erion wound up flat on his back on the bed, Kansas straddling him as Erion slipped his lubed fingers past the tight ring of Kansas's ass, watching Kansas's cock jump as Erion's fingers brushed over Kansas's prostate. It did not take long to loosen Kansas, and Erion moaned a little as Kansas reared up a bit to line up his ass with Erion's cock, his head falling back in bliss as Erion breached his tight ass. Kansas pressed down until Erion's balls were snug against his ass, his gorgeous stormy grey eyes filled with love and desire for the elf beneath him.

Erion wrapped slim hands around Kansas's hips as Kansas rode Erion's cock, the elf moaning happily as he shifted his angle a little to glide over Kansas's prostate. Kansas howled as white light exploded behind his eyes, his thick cock jumping a little and precum dripping onto Erion's taut stomach. Kansas set a hard pace, and Erion's slim fingers wrapped around Kansas's cock, stroking it eagerly as Erion felt his balls growing heavy. Erion was riding Kansas's prostate mercilessly, and Kansas was moaning almost non-stop, the thick vein underneath his cock throbbing as Erion stroked it.

"Isilmeamin, baby, I can't hold on," Kansas gasped, and with a scream he came, his balls emptying. Erion lifted his head and opened his mouth, catching some of Kansas's thick cum in his mouth as Kansas's tight ass clenched almost painfully around Erion's cock. Kansas ground himself down on Erion's cock, howling in pleasure, and Erion let out a scream of his own as he came, his release almost painful as he spilled into the heat of Kansas's sweet ass.

Kansas slumped forward, trembling with the intensity of his orgasm, and his lips found Erion's lips. Kansas could taste his own cum as he plundered Erion's mouth, the young elf returning the kiss with feverish intensity and wrapping his arms around Kansas. They kissed until they were both breathless, and then Kansas eased himself off Erion's softened cock, rolling onto his back and gathering Erion close. Erion's head was a familiar heavy weight on Kansas's shoulder, and the elf flung one long leg over Kansas's thigh as they drifted back to sleep, sated and content.

Later that morning, after a long and loving shower and a belated breakfast, Erion went wandering in search of Satoshi. He had not had a chance to talk to the slender pierced man the day before, and Erion did not want to wait much longer to clear the air with Satoshi. He found Satoshi in the living room, his eyes slightly unfocused behind his glasses and his fingers moving through the chords of a song he was hearing in his head. Erion watched him quietly, lost in admiration for this strong and gentle man, this incredible lover of his, until Satoshi's eyes closed for a moment and his fingers stilled, a tiny smile playing across his lips.

"Satoshi?" Erion stood poised in the doorway between the dining room and the living room, his eyes slightly dark. "Do you have a minute to talk to me?"

Satoshi looked up, his gorgeous eyes warm behind his glasses, and he held out his arms for Erion to join him on the couch. "Of course I do, Yuki-kun." His smile was bright and inviting, and Erion hurried over to curl up next to Satoshi. "It's so good to have you home again."

"It's good to be home," Erion said, ducking his head a little, suddenly feeling a bit shy. "I just wanted to tell you, well, to ask your forgiveness, actually."

"What did you do that needs my forgiveness?" Satoshi asked, wrapping his arm around Erion.

Erion looked directly at Satoshi in surprise. "I was sleeping with your brother. For over a year. And I hurt Kansas, too." Erion did not look away, although his cheeks were flaming.

Satoshi made a little surprised sound, and then his own cheeks flamed pink, and he mumbled, "Oh, that's right. You were sleeping with my brother." He chuckled a little bit, and then smiled a little shyly at Erion. "I never even thought about it like that. I mean, I see Momo as my brother now, but I never thought about the whole sleeping with him bit."

"I suppose I can understand that," Erion said, blinking a little as he considered Satoshi's words. "But I still hurt Kansas, and I know that you hurt when he hurts. So, I wanted to apologize, and ask your forgiveness."

Satoshi looked into Erion's silver eyes for a long moment and then reached up to cup his cheek gently and his voice was low when he spoke. "Yuki-kun. You did not hurt Kansas so bad that I would be angry with you. Kansas spoke to me after you left, and again when you accepted Momo's ring, and he explained to me what was going on. I will admit that I was angry whenever I saw that Kansas ached to see you with Momo, but he was very open with me about this whole thing, so I had no reason to be angry."

"So, I forgive you, a thousand times over. You were only doing what we have all done, following your heart. So I forgive you. And I thank you for loving not only my Kansas, but also my brother, who I know needed your love more than anyone."

Erion's eyes welled with tears of gratitude as he snuggled in closer to Satoshi. "Thank you, Satoshi. Thank you for understanding and for forgiving me. I'm a silly elf, and not always the best at doing what I should, but I do love them both, more than I can say, and I do love you."

"I love you too, Yuki-kun. You love Kansas so much, and for that alone I love you beyond measure, but I also love you just for myself. You have such a wonderful heart, and you're not too silly, you're just young and being silly does sort of go with the territory. And I forgive you. I trust Kansas to know his own mind and heart, and since he was fine with this and even urged you to pursue this then I have no right to object."

Satoshi stroked Erion's hair softly and traced the line of his jaw with one finger, leaning his head closer, but not going in for a kiss, even though the offer was obvious. "I do want to ask you though, Yuki-kun. Do you still want to be with me? Because I do want to be with you again. I've missed you. And it is a little fun when you and Kansas both pounce on me and wear me out."

Erion's face lit up with a radiant smile, and he nibbled a kiss with sweet tenderness. "I do want to be with you, Satoshi-san, my sweet lover, and I've missed you so much that it hurts. I love you, and I'll always love you. Ten'oio, melamin. Forever, my love."

Satoshi moaned softly into the kiss, and his hand fisted in Erion's silver hair as he whispered back, "Ten'oio, melamin." Satoshi leaned in and pressed in for another deeper kiss, plundering Erion's mouth with a great passion, but not the possessive assertiveness that Yuji always showed.

Satoshi broke the kiss a little breathless and his eyes sparkled a little, his cheeks once again faintly pink. He reached under the neckline of his t-shirt and pulled out one of the many chains that he wore around his neck, deftly separating the chain that held the house pendant of Iradil from the rest of them and removing it from his neck. Erion caught the glint of red gold as Satoshi slipped something off the chain and fastened it around his neck again, and then he lifted a slender red gold band to show it to Erion.

"I bought this last year, just before christmas, and I've been wearing it since. I don't know why I did all of a sudden, but I bought it for you. I want to offer you this ring, as a symbol of our union, and as a promise that when you turn one hundred, I will stand with you in the temple in Evereska and marry you in the eyes of all elf kind. Will you accept this ring, and my promise?"

Erion looked at Satoshi, his eyes filled with love and joy, and Satoshi could feel the love radiating outward from the young elf. He placed his hand in Satoshi's hand, his lips curved in a glorious smile. "I accept your ring and your promise, Mori Satoshi, my beloved betrothed, and I will be so proud to marry you on the occasion of my one hundredth birthday, in the eyes of all our family and friends." Erion watched as Satoshi slid the ring onto his right hand, onto the ring finger, and Erion slipped his arms around Satoshi's neck and kissed him passionately.

Satoshi smiled as he slipped the ring onto Erion's slender finger, and laughed when he suddenly had an armful of little elf. He answered the kiss with equal passion, moaning softly when Erion tugged on his pierced lip.

"Oh, fuck, baby, I want you so bad right now." Satoshi moaned as he smashed their lips together in an even deeper kiss, his cock stirring in his pants.

Erion mewled hungrily, his own cock hardening as he fell into the kiss, his tongue teasing across Satoshi's lower lip as Satoshi plundered his mouth. Erion slid off the couch, leaning forward so that he did not have to break the kiss, and Satoshi stood as well, reaching for Erion's hand. They managed to nibble kisses all the way up the stairs, Satoshi leading them to his room and sliding the door closed behind himself as Erion peeled off his clothing with indecent haste. Erion's cock was hard and eager, jutting out from its silvery nest, and Satoshi moaned a little at the sight of the slender young elf.

Erion's deft fingers helped Satoshi get undressed, and the young elf tugged Satoshi to the side of the bed, guiding Satoshi into a sitting position on the futon as Erion sank to his knees. Satoshi gasped a little as Erion's hot little tongue swirled around the head of his cock, teasing the cleft underneath and swiping across the slit to taste Satoshi's precum.

Satoshi groaned as his fingers slid into Erion's hair, tightening involuntarily as that wicked little mouth slid lower down his cock, Erion's tongue caressing the underside of Satoshi's cock firmly. Erion kept going until Satoshi's cock hit the back of his throat, and then he drew back, slowly and lasciviously, his tongue moving in graceful swirls until only the head of Satoshi's cock remained in Erion's mouth.

Erion paused for a second or two, and then engulfed Satoshi's cock again, repeating the plunge and slow withdrawal several more times until Satoshi's head fell back as he moaned loudly. Erion plunged his mouth again, and this time he tilted his head and took Satoshi's cock to the root, humming a little as he buried his nose in the soft raven curls at the base. Satoshi howled, the vibrations traveling straight up his spine, and his hands tightened again in Erion's hair.

"Fuck, baby, if you do that again, I'll fucking explode," Satoshi growled, but he made no move to tug Erion off his cock, and the young elf purred and swallowed hard. Satoshi's back arched as he screamed, and Erion pulled back slightly as Satoshi's balls emptied, Erion drinking down Satoshi's cum eagerly, saving only the last mouthful. Erion slid up Satoshi, lithe and graceful, his lips pressed to Satoshi's lips as he shared his last mouthful of cum with Satoshi, and Satoshi moaned happily as he wrapped his arms around the slender elf.

Satoshi's hands slid lower, cupping the round globes of Erion's ass, and Erion mewled and pressed into the caress, wanton and eager. Satoshi guided Erion onto the tatami bed, on his knees with his chest pressed down, and Erion purred again as Satoshi caressed Erion's sweet ass, his thumbs slipping between the cheeks to tease the tight little pucker. Erion moaned happily, the muscle relaxing quickly, and Satoshi growled a little at the sight, his cock already hard again.

Satoshi slicked his cock quickly with lube, and stroked his thumbs over the eager pucker. Erion writhed a little, looking over his shoulder with lust-filled eyes as Satoshi lined the head of his cock up with Erion's ass, his fingers wrapping around the elf's slender hips.

"Oh, please, yes," Erion moaned, licking his lips as he tried to press back onto Satoshi's cock. Satoshi chuckled a little at the young elf's wriggling, but his grip was firm enough to keep Erion in place. "Please, Satoshi, I need you in me, baby."

Satoshi could not resist the sweet pleading, and he pressed forward until he had just breached Erion's ass, watching the little elf's back arch in bliss. Erion let out a small scream of delight as Satoshi pressed forward, filling Erion's ass in a single smooth thrust. Erion's back arched even more, and Satoshi settled back on his heels, his muscular thighs parting Erion's thighs as he pulled the elf upright.

The new angle let Satoshi work Erion's prostate, and Satoshi slid one hand up Erion's chest until he was teasing a dark brown nipple, Erion's cock jumping as the sensitive little nub grew hard as a pebble. Erion mewled, rising and falling on Satoshi's cock, his head turned to let Satoshi nip at his already kiss-swollen lips. Satoshi's hand slid down Erion until it reached the eager cock that jutted out so proudly, and Satoshi wrapped long musician's fingers around the little elf's cock and began to stroke it firmly.

Between the generous cock filling his tight little ass, the hand playing so deftly with his nipples and his cock being stroked firmly, Erion was moaning non-stop. Satoshi nipped at one rosy ear tip, and Erion's moans increased in volume, his little ass clenching around Satoshi's cock reflexively. Satoshi chuckled again and shifted his hips just a fraction, and Erion screamed as Satoshi hit his prostate dead on, sending fireworks exploding behind Erion's eyes and making the young elf grind himself down as hard as he could.

Having found Erion's prostate, Satoshi assaulted it mercilessly, feeling Erion's arousal increase to fever pitch as Satoshi flexed those powerful thighs to encourage the elf to move. Erion could feel his balls tightening and he let his head fall back as he screamed until his voice gave out, his cum arching out in a powerful jet as his ass clamped tightly around Satoshi's cock. Satoshi managed another thrust or two before he moaned and bit down on the back of Erion's shoulder, working a rosy mark into the golden skin as he filled the tight little ass with a surprisingly large load of cum.

Exhausted and more than content, Satoshi eased Erion forward onto the bed, once they had shivered their way through the last of their orgasms. Satoshi withdrew carefully, and Erion mewled again, but his lips were curved in such a blissful smile, and Satoshi chuckled as he lay down next to the little elf, pulling him close to nibble sweet kisses as they cuddled.

After lunch, Erion wandered into the library and perched on the corner of Sand's desk, ignoring the book pressing against the cheek of his ass. Sand looked up, arching an elegant brow at the younger elf.

"I've pretty much talked to everyone else," Erion began. "I know you were less than enthusiastic when I started my relationship with Momo, and I suppose that's because you already knew that Momo and Satoshi were brothers. Well, half brothers, but I don't think that distinction matters."

"Do you think that was why I hesitated to endorse your relationship?" Sand asked. His blue eyes were warm, though, no anger or disapproval in them.

"I don't know. I was too busy falling head over heels in love with Momo to care at the time. I wasn't thinking about consequences, or who I'd hurt." Erion met Sand's gaze levelly. "I've apologized to the rest of the family, and asked forgiveness."

"Do you want me to forgive you for being a normal young elf?" Sand held out his arms, turning his chair so that Erion could curl up in Sand's lap. "Erion, ai'er, you only did what so many of us did at your age. You are in many ways so much older than you should be, and certainly to have found your lifemate just as you turned forty is simply astounding. But hearts do not understand limits, and even a heart so deeply bound as yours is to Kansas can yearn for more."

Erion leaned into Sand, resting his head on his uncle's shoulder. "You mean how I feel about Yuji and Satoshi?"

"That is part of it, Erion, but also how you feel about Haedrith, and how you feel about Momo." Sand stroked his nephew's silky hair tenderly. "Your uncle Hawk, your mother and I all had so many affairs like what you had with Momo. We fell in love, passionately and intensely, and most of the time, wound up remaining friends when the passion had burned itself out. We learned that hearts are surprisingly resilient, and will heal even when we think they will never do so."

Erion nodded a little as he thought about what Sand had said. Sand's long fingers continued to stroke Erion's hair as the older elf continued.

"But there is more to it, Erion. Just as our hearts are resilient, they are also sometimes vaster than we expect. Satoshi is my lifemate, the partner of my soul, but I am also wed to Willow, and to Vale, and to Yuji, and to Kansas. My love for them is as strong and as eternal as my love for Satoshi, and while losing one of them would not make me fade, I would be greatly diminished." Sand cupped Erion's chin in his faintly scarred fingers. "You are bound to Kansas as I am to Satoshi, but I know that you love Yuji and Satoshi with the same intensity and passion with which you love Kansas."

Erion smiled, and Sand reached out to lift Erion's right hand, smiling at the thin rose gold band that graced his ring finger. Sand's expression changed to one of great pleasure as he ran his thumb over the ring he knew Satoshi had placed there.

"You accepted. I cannot tell you how pleased I am," Sand said, and his smile was radiant. "I know that the love you have for each other will only grow, and you will make each other very happy."

Erion ducked his head and grinned shyly. "You could at least be a little jealous, you know."

"Oh, there is no need," Sand replied, his own smile beautiful. "Satoshi's heart has room for all of us, and I would be a sorry husband if I did not let him love as freely as he does."

Sand pressed a gentle kiss to Erion's forehead. "Now, my sweet nephew, I have a daughter who needs her nap, and I do believe you will be asked to play some baseball in the garden. But let me just say that it is more than good to have you home. It feels like our balance has been restored."

[Sandcastles and Fireworks]

Erion looked up at Willow, and he nodded, a beautiful small smile lighting up his face. "I am where I belong now," he repeated, seeming to savor the words. "You're very wise, Willow, maybe because you were brave enough to follow your heart. And if I'm being as brave as you, then I need to follow my heart as well, and my heart wants Kansas now." He leaned into her arms and Willow felt a tiny shiver run through Erion.

"So how do you feel, sweets? You think you want to come downstairs and throw yourself back into the thick of things, or would you rather I sent Kansas back up to you?" Willow asked. "You must be starving by now."

Erion was about to say something, but his stomach growled, and his cheeks grew pink. "Okay, I think I've been overruled. Maybe I can eat something, and find Kansas? I'm just not sure I'm ready to jump in all at once. I think I need to kind of get things straight a bit first."

Willow kissed Erion's silky hair and smiled. "Sounds good, sweets. I'll head down and run a little interference with the hordes, and see if Kansas left anything to eat in the kitchen."

Erion actually giggled a little, as Willow climbed off the bed. "I love you, Willow."

When Willow left, Erion slipped off the bed and found his brush, pulling it through his hair. He padded down the stairs almost silently, heading straight for the kitchen. Erion slipped into the kitchen, watching Vale as he cut and arranged a platter of fruit for after dinner. Vale turned his head and smiled at the younger elf, and held out a succulent bite of melon. Erion sidled closer, a little shy and skittish. Still, Erion let Vale feed him the melon and then wrapped his arms around Vale's waist with a sudden desperation that tugged at Vale's heart.

Vale hugged Erion close, pressing a kiss to Erion's silver hair. "I'm glad you're home, ai'edhel, little elf. I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too, otooji." Erion snuggled into the embrace, his whole body tingling with the contact that he craved like air itself. Even more than any other gesture, the simple comfort of touch reassured Erion that he was home.

Vale stroked Erion's back for a moment or two, humming a little bit under his breath. It was something he did with Hikaru when the little half elf needed comfort, and Vale's smile widened when he noticed that Erion nuzzled into Vale's shoulder in the exact same way that Hikaru did.

"How are you holding up?" Vale asked. He let his long fingers drift through Erion's hair and was rewarded with a small wriggle and a sigh.

"I really thought that I'd handle it better," Erion admitted. "I knew it was only for a little while, just a breath, really. But it hurt so badly, Vale. Eru's arse, I really thought I was ready to fade for a little bit."

"It doesn't take long to fall so deeply in love," Vale said. "I fell in love with Sand the day I met him."

Erion pulled back a little, looking at Vale curiously. "You never told me that before."

Vale kissed Erion's head and released the younger elf. "Let me put this away and get us some cold beers. We'll go have a beer and a smoke in the garden."

Vale tucked away the platter of fruit and grabbed two cold bottles of beer and a plate of sandwiches, and he and Erion went into the garden to curl up on a wide chaise together. Erion snuggled under Vale's arm, choosing a sandwich and waiting for Vale to begin.

"You know how we met, the ship that brought him from Luskan and all that," Vale said, lighting a cigarette. "I got Sand back to the Cloaktower, to my rooms, and I was starting to clean him up. I'd sent someone for healing potions, but in the meantime I figured it was a good idea to see the extent of the damage. I was talking to myself since I thought he was still unconscious, just rambling, really. He woke, and looked at me and begged me not to leave. That's the exact moment that I fell in love with Sand." Vale took a deep drag on his cigarette and let out a luxuriant plume of smoke, a tiny smile playing around his lips.

"You just knew? Right then?" Erion wriggled so that he could look up at Vale, his sandwich all but forgotten, and Vale was struck again by how much Erion reminded him of Hikaru, young and vulnerable.

Vale nodded, his green eyes bright with the memory. "It took him about a year before he decided to drag me into bed. It was magnificent, very much like him, actually." Vale's eyes dimmed slightly. "That was in Tarsakh, and we loved each other until Eleint arrived. Not even six months, and he was torn from me, and I wanted to fade."

Erion made a small noise of distress, and Vale turned his head to press a gentle kiss to Erion's forehead.

"You got him back, though, and then you went to Yuji," Erion said, his face showing his confusion, and the tiniest glimmer of hope.

Vale's heart sank a little as he realized he would need to crush that spark of hope. "My soul belongs to Yuji, like your soul belongs to Kansas. Sand and I were reunited, yes, and we loved each other all over again. We still do love each other, but we know now that it wouldn't have been forever for us, not the two of us like we were. You'll always love Momo, but that love will change. It won't be a passion like it was. You won't burn for him, and you won't want to, because you'll be so perfectly completed by Kansas."

"So was it worth it?" Erion asked, the hope fading in his eyes.

It was hard for Vale to speak around the tightness in his throat. "I can't answer that for you, ai'edhel. Only you know how much it's cost, and if the price was too steep."

"Was it worth it for you?" Erion insisted, and his eyes were filled with tears. "Please, Vale."

Vale sighed a little. "When I lost Sand the first time, I learned that I could survive heartbreak. I hadn't learned that when I was young. The only person I loved before that was Anadan, and he was killed. I was subjected to having my memories reshaped, so I never really got to mourn him properly." Vale stroked Erion's cheek very gently. "When Sand and I were reunited, I learned to open my heart again, to allow myself to love. I don't think I would have been able to love Yuji if I hadn't learned those lessons, as painful as they were, so was it worth it to me? Yes, it was, even if it was a thousand times more painful, because in the end, my soul is home in Yuji's hands."

Erion nodded, and turned his face to bury it against Vale's chest, shivering a little despite the warmth of the garden. Vale stroked Erion's back tenderly, nuzzling his face against Erion's silvery hair.

"I love Kansas with everything that I am. He's my whole reason for being, and I had to work hard to put my feelings for him to one side to love Momo properly. I'm just afraid that he's always going to wonder if I'd do that to him again, leave him for a while to love someone else." Erion's voice was muffled, but Vale still heard him clearly, the young elf drawing a shaky breath. "I'll never do this again. I can't. I'd never survive it a second time."

"You need to tell him that, Erion. Yuji tells me all the time that I hold things back when I shouldn't, that I need to lean on him and let him be my strength, and he's right. None of us can be strong all the time, and Kansas will be strong for you while you heal your heart, together. You just have to trust him and tell him what frightens you, ai'edhel." Vale rested his cheek against Erion's head.

"Vale?" Erion's voice was small. "Will you... Please make sure Momo's okay, too. I know he has atararim, and Satoru sofu, and Satoshi, but he's not good at asking for help when he needs it."

"Of course I will," Vale replied, and he smiled into Erion's silver hair as he felt the young elf relax a fraction. "I know how much this hurts, ai'edhel. I told you once that you weren't alone, and I meant that. I'm not one of your lovers, but I'm an elf, and I understand the comfort of touch. I can hold you and give you shelter in my arms whenever you need it."

Erion looked at Vale, nodding a little. "Thank you. And thank you, too, for being here for me, and for not hating me. Sometimes I think the harder I try to get things right, the more I fuck them up."

Vale chuckled softly and nudged Erion's sandwich. "Oh, we've all thought that at one time or another." Vale drained his beer and sat up. "I'm making grilled fish for dinner, by the way. I got some lovely snapper today, and my herbs are growing perfectly. And if you're up for it, I have custard tarts for dessert."

Erion grinned around a nibble of sandwich as Vale walked back into the house. Each conversation brought new revelations, and a renewed sense that he was the luckiest elf alive to be a part of a family like this one. There were still some hard conversations ahead, but Erion was beginning to feel like he could get through the pain and the grief, and maybe even come out stronger for it all.

[Sandcastles and Fireworks]

Erion slipped his arms around Kansas's neck, nuzzling into Kansas and trembling a little as he tried to gather his thoughts. The house was curiously quiet, and Erion peered over Kansas's shoulder, his eyes wide.

"The kids needed to get out for a bit, so it's just Vale and me right now," Kansas said gently, his fingers sliding into Erion's hair. "Just tell me what you feel like doing, my love."

Kansas could feel Erion's relief through their bond, Erion opening up and reaching out to let Kansas's love wash over him. "I thought maybe... but that's silly. I think I want to go upstairs for a bit."

"What did you think, my love?" Kansas asked, his voice loving and soft.

Erion sighed a little. "I sort of wish we were in Evereska, so we could go to the Pond."

Kansas caught Vale's eyes and raised his eyebrow in an unspoken question. Vale's eyes widened briefly, and he nodded, a smile curving his lips. He pantomimed the sun rising and setting, and Kansas nodded imperceptibly at the setting option, mouthing a single word to Vale, whose smile widened.

"Let's get you upstairs, then," Kansas said, his arm firmly around Erion's slim waist. Kansas guided Erion up the stairs and to their room, the freshly made bed looking inviting. Kansas dropped Erion's duffel bag in the corner, and pulled Erion into another embrace.

"'Lokiamin," Erion whispered, his arms around Kansas and his lips brushing against Kansas's cheek. "I'm home. I'm really home."

"Yes, you are, my love," Kansas murmured, turning his head slightly as Erion angled for a kiss.

"I'm sorry, Kansas. I'm so sorry. Can you forgive me?" Erion whispered, tears slipping down his cheeks. His slender fingers slid up Kansas's back, his eyes dark with sorrow and pain.

"Of course you're forgiven, isilmeamin." Kansas covered Erion's lips with his own, kissing the young elf tenderly, his love flowing over Erion in a gentle torrent. "Whatever it is you think you've done, it's alright. You were forgiven instantly, my love."

Erion gave a small gasp, and some of the pain in his eyes faded away as he relaxed into Kansas's arms. "Thank you, 'lokiamin, thank you. I never meant for you to get hurt. I never meant to leave you for so long." His long fingers slid down to tug at Kansas's tunic. "Please, I need to feel you. I need to be touching you."

Kansas deepened the kiss as he began to unbutton Erion's shirt, the young elf moaning as he felt Kansas's fingers slide down his chest. Kansas undid the last button and slid the shirt off, Erion's skin silky beneath his hands as he reached for the waistband of Erion's slim jeans. Erion was tugging at Kansas's tunic again, and Kansas broke the kiss long enough to pull the tunic over his head. Erion was in his arms the moment the tunic fell to the floor, his skin warm against Kansas and his lips parting to allow Kansas to plunder his mouth.

Kansas could feel the slow and steady pulse of Erion's love as it flowed out from the elf through their bond. Kansas finished opening Erion's jeans and pushed them past Erion's slim hips, the elf kicking them away almost frantically as he ground his hard cock against Kansas's groin.

"Love me, 'lokiamin," Erion murmured between kisses, his breathing coming in soft pants. His deft fingers were busy divesting Kansas of his harem pants. "I need you in me. Please, please..."

Kansas moaned, Erion's soft begging tearing at his heart. "Always, my love, I'll always love you. Let me show you," Kansas murmured, easing Erion down onto the bed, the dark blue silk of the sheets the perfect backdrop for his little elf. Kansas skinned off his boxers and tossed them aside, but left Erion's on for the moment as he knelt over Erion to taste the elf's taut brown nipples. Erion let out a wanton little moan as Kansas tongued the sensitive nubs, his pearly teeth just scraping lightly over them as Erion's cock strained his tight little boxers.

Kansas teased his way down Erion's quivering stomach, pausing to toy with Erion's belly ring and getting the most delicious growl from his elf when Kansas poked his tongue into Erion's navel. Kansas snagged the lube before sliding down further and finally divesting Erion of his boxers, the elf's cock springing free as his hips bucked. Kansas could not resist swiping his tongue over the head of Erion's cock, tasting the precum that was already dribbling out, before he slipped lubed fingers into his lover's tight little ass and watched Erion's ear tips grow rosy.

It did not take long for Kansas to loosen Erion, and he rose up to position the head of his generous cock at Erion's pucker, looking down at the elf spread beneath him. Erion's silver hair was fanned out across the deep blue silk, and his silver eyes were bright with love and desire as he looked up at Kansas, the blue ring around the iris practically glowing. Erion's thighs were parted and his slender hands reached up for Kansas.

"I love you, isilmeamin, my Erion," Kansas said, his stormy grey eyes filled with passion. He pressed forward, the head of his cock breaching Erion's tight little ass as Erion wrapped his legs around Kansas's hips with a soft howl. Erion's hips rose up to meet Kansas's thrust as Erion's moans grew louder until Kansas's balls were snug against the perfect globes of Erion's ass. Kansas watched as Erion's cheeks flushed to match his ear tips, and his smile was radiant as he leaned down to nibble at Erion's kiss-swollen lips.

Kansas took his time, slow deep thrusts that dragged across Erion's prostate and coaxed forth the most abandoned howls from the young elf. Erion's cock was dripping precum steadily, the slick fluid collecting on Erion's tight stomach as Kansas slowly plundered his beloved elf. The love that flowed between them was all but visible, the young lovers knowing each other so perfectly that they moved in flawless harmony. Erion could sense when Kansas grew close, and he wrapped slim fingers around his own cock as Kansas moaned appreciatively. Erion stroked his cock in time with Kansas's thrusts, and then Kansas lifted Erion's hip just the right way, and Erion screamed as his balls emptied all at once.

Some of Erion's cum splattered across the elf's lips and Erion stuck out his pink tongue and licked the cum away. Kansas howled, and felt his cock throb along with his balls as he spilled himself in Erion's tight ass, the sight of his lover savoring his own cum unbearably erotic. Kansas let himself ease down, plundering Erion's mouth, and Erion wrapped his arms around Kansas's neck, tears trickling from the corners of his eyes and his bond throbbing with pleasure.

Kansas eased himself over onto his side, Erion rolling with him because he had kept his legs wrapped tightly around Kansas's hips. As Erion tilted his face in a wordless plea, Kansas obliged, feathering sweet kisses to Erion's plump lips. Something sparkled at the very edges of his vision, and Kansas turned his head, his eyes widening in delight.

"Look, my love," Kansas whispered, and Erion turned his head to see the silver moonbeam of his soul light wrapped so tightly around the spiraling royal blue of Kansas's soul light that it was impossible to know where one left off and the other began. Erion gasped a little at the beautiful sight, Kansas's arms sliding around Erion to hold the young elf close.

Kansas cradled Erion tenderly, the two of them watching their soul lights dance, until Kansas felt a gentle tug from Vale through their bond. Kansas pressed a kiss to Erion's forehead.

"Let's take a shower, my love." Kansas stroked Erion's silver hair, brushing it back from Erion's face and looking into the silvery-grey eyes of his lover.

Erion nodded slowly, and carefully unwrapped his long legs from Kansas's hips, moaning when Kansas's flaccid cock slipped out of his ass. It wrenched as Kansas's heart to see Erion this quiet, so unlike his usual exuberance and unrestrained joy. Deep within their bond, Kansas could feel the low throb of pain that was Erion's grief over breaking up with Momo, and his own heart ached in sympathy.

Kansas helped Erion to stand, and they showered together, Erion running his hands over every inch of Kansas as though seeing his beloved imp for the first time. Kansas had to bite back a sob of his own when Erion began to cry as Kansas washed his arm, the small peach on his wrist showing through the thick lather. It was such a forlorn and lost sort of crying, and Kansas could only pull Erion close and hold him tenderly, offering him all his love as the young elf mourned.

They dried off and dressed, Kansas putting his harem pants and tunic back on, and Erion retrieving a pair of sleep pants and a tank top from his duffel bag. Erion let Kansas brush his damp hair, the gentle strokes of the brush soothing, and Erion relaxed a little more under Kansas's careful touch. Kansas noticed Erion's right hand covering his left hand, slim fingers stroking his left forefinger, and Kansas realized with a pang that Erion was not wearing the ring Momo had given him. That settled the imp's mind, and he took Erion's hand with a sweet smile.

"Come with me, isilmeamin." Kansas looked at Erion with such complete love that Erion simply followed, letting Kansas lead him down the stairs and over to the pool room.

The pool room had been transformed, the windows dimmed to make it feel like twilight inside the room. The ceiling was replaced by an illusion of the night sky, stars twinkling against the indigo. Erion's eyes widened, and he turned to look at Kansas with an expression of wonder.

"It's like being at Dawnsglory Pond," Erion breathed, and he threw his arms around Kansas with a small sob. "Thank you, 'lokiamin. I don't deserve you."

Kansas hugged Erion tightly. "Never say that, my love. I'm the one who's lucky to be loved by you." He kissed Erion sweetly, and helped Erion slip out of his clothing. "And Vale helped with this." Kansas stripped as well, and he offered Erion his hand. Together, they slipped into the water, Erion's sweet sigh of pleasure making Kansas's heart jump a little.

Vale had left a small tray with cold bottles of water near the pool as well, but Erion wanted to float with Kansas and watch the stars above them. It was utterly peaceful, and they drifted on the water with their fingers laced loosely for a few minutes as they enjoyed the illusion.

It was Erion who broke the silence, his voice hesitant. "How will I know if I got it right?"

Kansas looked over at Erion, and they both turned over and began to swim for the side of the pool. Once they were there, Kansas grabbed water for them both and looked into Erion's eyes, the pain and grief in those silvery depths making him want to sob.

"I think you must have gotten it right, my love. I think I'd know if you didn't." Kansas watched as Erion thought about it for a moment before nodding.

"I have to believe I got it right," Erion said, his voice still tentative. "Otherwise, this was all for nothing, and I can't accept that."

Kansas made a small noise, a tiny sound of distress, and Erion managed a tiny smile.

"Do you want to talk about it, isilmeamin?" Kansas offered, letting his love surround his beloved elf.

"Do you mind if I do?" Erion asked. "I feel like I'm hurting you even more."

Kansas leaned back against the edge of the pool and gathered Erion in one arm, the other stretched out along the side of the pool. "If it helps you to talk, that's what's important. I'm fine, my love. You won't hurt me by talking to me."

Erion curled into Kansas's embrace with a tiny sigh. "He cheated on me, a while back. We got past it, and we were really happy for a while. But every now and then, he'd get a text and he'd be a little funny, sort of hiding it. I knew. I knew it meant things were getting close to the end, but I didn't want to think about it."

Erion paused to look up at the stars, his cheeks wet with tears even though his voice was still steady. "Two days ago, he took his last final, and he was so excited when he came home. I thought it was about the end of the semester, and the way we both thought we'd done well on our finals. We went out for dinner and some drinks last night, and when we got home, he was playing with his phone and was really frustrated. I asked him if he was okay, and he just broke down and told me he'd run into the man he'd cheated with again."

Kansas tightened his arm around Erion, and Erion snuggled in as closely as was possible. "I'm so sorry, baby. I can only imagine how much that must have hurt."

Erion was quiet again for a few minutes before he resumed his tale. "I knew who it was, funnily enough. I'd had a pissy day at the dojo, and I was sparring with Sadao-sempai. I was really pouring it on, and he stopped our sparring and sent me to meditate. We talked afterward, and it came out." Erion made a small noise that could have been a sigh or a sob, Kansas could not tell. "I forgave Sadao instantly, of course, and I'd already forgiven Momo. How could I be mad? I knew this wasn't forever."

"It doesn't make it hurt less," Kansas said, feathering a kiss to Erion's temple. "You don't know how to love with less than your whole heart."

Erion looked up, gratitude in his eyes. "Thank you, 'lokiamin. It helps that you understand me." He took a shaky little breath. "He couldn't choose. He wanted to see Sadao, and explore his feelings, and at the same time he didn't want to lose me. But having us both was never an option, and so I had to be the one to end things. I just didn't know how hard it would be, and how much it would hurt to do that to him. The look in his eyes, the way he begged me not to go. He screamed when I left, like someone had torn his heart out. I left the ring he gave me. I didn't know if he'd want it back or not." Erion's voice crumbled, and he began to sob, his face buried in Kansas's shoulder.

"Oh, Erion, isilmeamin, I'm so sorry," Kansas soothed, pressing kisses to Erion's head as the young elf wept. "I'm so sorry it had to hurt you like this, but you did what Kageoshi asked, my love. You taught Momo to love again, and now you're teaching him the rest of it, that he can lose one love and find another."

"Promise me," Erion sobbed. "Promise me that I got it right. I can deal with this if I know that I got it right."

"You did, my love, I promise," Kansas said, and the utter certainty in his voice washed over Erion like a cool blue wave. Kansas felt Erion relax in his arms, the sobbing starting to slow. "And now you're home, and we're together again, isilmeamin. It's over, Erion, and I have you. I won't let you fall."

Kansas cuddled Erion until the sobbing had stopped altogether, feathering kisses to Erion's damp cheeks and lips. Kansas let go of the side of the pool, still holding Erion, and they drifted a bit in that water as Erion regained a bit of composure, dunking his head to wash away the tears. They swam slowly for a bit, Erion staying close to Kansas, until Erion lifted his head.

"I hear them coming," Erion said, and looked at Kansas nervously.

"They love you, isilmeamin, and they're all glad to have you home. Let's dry off and go say hello, and then maybe you can nap for a bit. How does that sound?" Kansas swam to the side of the pool and got out, reaching for one of the thick towels Vale had left for them.

Erion's eyes brightened a bit at the thought of being able to retreat to their room after greeting the family, still unsure of his welcome, and he got out and took the other towel and dried off hastily, pulling on his sleep pants and tank top. Kansas dressed as well, and helped Erion towel his hair mostly dry, the young elf running his fingers through the damp strands self-consciously.

Erion looked at Kansas with mute pleading in his eyes, and Kansas pulled him into a tender hug, stroking his back. "I'll be right beside you, I promise," Kansas murmured, nibbling a quick kiss.

Erion took a deep breath and let Kansas lead him into the living room. The family was in the entryway, the children taking off their shoes and giggling together. Yuji was the first to spot Kansas and Erion, and his face lit up with a beautiful smile as he hurried over to gather Erion into a tight hug.

"Welcome home, my love," Yuji murmured, his arms wrapped firmly around Erion. "I'm so glad to have you home again, Erion. I've missed you so much."

"Yuji," Erion breathed, his voice full of love as he hugged Yuji back. Aika tugged on Erion's tank top, and Yuji laughed and stepped back to let Aika throw her arms around Erion with her own bright smile.

"Oniisan! You're back!" Aika giggled and kissed Erion's cheek sweetly. "I'm happy now. I have my knight back."

Erion's smile was shy but bright as he kissed Aika's cheek in return, hugging her sweetly. "Yes, you do, my princess."

Willow was the next, Michi in her arms as she gathered Erion close, kissing his cheek and looking at him with pure love in her eyes.

"It's so good to know you're back, sweets. I've got a bunch of princesses to boss you around, you know." Willow laughed as Erion nuzzled her hair a little, and then stroked Michi's cheek in wonder as the little half elf looked at him with wide eyes.

"I missed you, Willow," Erion said softly. "She got so big already! When did that happen?"

"Overnight," Willow teased dryly. "We put them to bed and they wake up bigger."

Erion felt something wrap around his knees and he looked down to see Takara beaming up at him. She stretched her arms up, and Erion smiled, it coming easier this time, as he scooped the little girl up in his arms. Takara looked at Erion and then giggled as he kissed her cheek, his silvery eyes brighter.

"Hi, oniisan." Takara held up one small hand and opened it, revealing a small piece of mochi candy. "I saveded you some." She offered the candy to Erion, who took it with a tiny sob of happiness. Takara beamed again as Erion put the candy in his mouth and she patted his cheek like a grandmother.

"It's very nice, Takara, thank you," Erion assured her, and kissed one velvety cheek again before putting her back down.

Satoshi was waiting to hug Erion next, kissing his cheek lightly, his gorgeous eyes full of love. "Welcome home, Yuki-chan. It's so good to have you here."

Sand gathered Erion into a hug as soon as Satoshi released him, hugging his nephew tightly. "Cormamin lindua ele lle, ai'er. My heart sings to see you."

Erion looked at Sand and Satoshi, small tears of happiness and relief beading in his lashes. "Diola lle, thank you. I'm so glad to be home."

Hikaru looked at Ryuu, who nodded, and the half elf flung himself at Erion, jumping at the last moment to be caught in midair. "Toror'alta!" Hikaru said happily. "Anikisan said you were coming home, oniisan."

Erion smiled at the enthusiastic little blond, still cheerfully jumbling three languages together indiscriminately. "Anikisan?"

Hikaru waved at Kansas. "Ryuu says so, too." He gave Erion another hug and a quick nuzzle, and then wiggled to be put down.

Ryuu walked over to Erion, his perfect little face solemn as he tugged Erion down until Erion was kneeling, eye level with Ryuu. Ryuu threw his arms around Erion and hugged him very tightly, holding on like he was afraid Erion would slip away. Ryuu held Erion like that for over a minute, Erion delighting in the embrace. Ryuu finally loosened his hold and looked into Erion's eyes, his dark eyes exactly like Satoshi's gorgeous eyes.

"Chichi and tousan didn't say anything why we were going out so suddenly, but I knew in my heart that you were hurting. So, chichi took me to the temple, and I prayed that you'll be alright. And then I bought you this." Ryuu held out his hand and Erion opened his, his eyes widening as Ryuu placed a small omamori in the young elf's palm. It had a small prayer for good luck in love and marriage on it, and was meant to be hung on a cell phone, and Erion looked up at Ryuu.

"Thank you, my precious dragon," Erion said softly, his eyes shining.

Ryuu leaned in to kiss Erion's cheek, his lips soft and gentle. "I'm so happy that you're home, onii-san. I've missed you, and we'll make you all better. I promise."

"I feel better already, otoutosan," Erion told Ryuu, feeling a sense of relief wash over him as he realized that this was still his home, and would always be his home, and that there was nothing he could do to lose that. He bowed his head for a moment, and then Erion stood, looking at his family with tears in his eyes.

"Thank you, all of you, so much. I've missed you all, and missed this." Erion gestured around himself. "I love you all so much. I don't think I'll ever have the right words to tell you all how much I love you."

Kansas reached out as Erion swayed a little, slightly overcome by his emotions. "Are you alright, my love?"

Erion nodded. "I think I just need to lay down for a little bit." He leaned into Kansas. "Is that okay?"

"Of course it is," Kansas reassured Erion. "Come on, I'll walk with you." He felt Erion's slim fingers lace with his own, and he took his beloved elf up to their room.

[Sesshōmaru/Kagome story]

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[Sandcastles and Fireworks]

Erion took a shaky breath, and then a second, deeper breath. He steeled himself for what he needed to do. It was clear to the stricken young elf that Sadao was the one Momo was meant to find, the one Erion had prepared him to love. Now Erion had to break Momo's heart, and his own in the process, to finish what he had begun.

"Back home, there's a tower, the highest point in Evereska." Erion's voice was husky. "I used to love to go up there when I was an elfling. I wouldn't tell my parents. It was my secret place. Sometimes I would go out on the roof, and climb on the parapet wall and hold my arms out and pretend I was flying." He paused, wiping his cheeks and looking at the wetness on his fingers with a puzzled expression. "I never realized my father had one of his eagle riders stationed down below, to catch me if I fell." Erion took a shaky breath. "I'm not an elfling anymore, and there's no one to catch me."

Momo tightened his arms around Erion, and kissed the back of his neck, his lashes wet. "I'll catch you," he whispered. "Whenever you need me to, I'll catch you."

Erion turned his head to look at Momo over his shoulder, his eyes dark with pain. "I just didn't think it would hurt this much when it was time to hit the ground. I'm sorry." Erion managed a strangled laugh that sounded closer to a sob. "I say that a lot, don't I? I'm always sorry, but it's never enough."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. You left everything that you know, and the one you love for me. You threw yourself into this with all of your being and I'm the one who's fucking it up. I'm the one who hurt you, again and again. You have nothing to be sorry for. It's always more than enough when you say you're sorry, because you mean it every time. Please, Yuki-chan. Don't hit the ground. Lets just not hit the ground. Please?" Momo's voice was wet with the tears that streamed from his eyes.

"Amin hiraetha." Erion's voice broke as he repeated the words in Japanese. "I'm sorry, I think I want to sleep now."

Momo wrapped Erion into his embrace and whispered, "Yes. Lets sleep and all will be well in the morning. I love you, watashi no yuki no erufu."

Erion curled in on himself as he stared blindly at the wall, trying to will himself not to cry. Momo tightened his arms around Erion, and Erion gave in to the sobs at last, his body shaking with his grief.

Momo clung to Erion until the elf had sobbed himself into an uneasy sleep. Momo tried to stay awake, to watch Erion, but he slipped into a light doze after a while, his own grief and hurt taking its toll.

Momo dozed until the sky began to lighten, but Erion never stirred, his silver eyes closed fully. Momo unwrapped himself from the young elf and opened the shades, pulling down the covers so that Erion would be bathed in the first rays of the sun. Momo curled up on the floor next to the bed, his cheeks wet as he watched Erion lie there, pale and cold. Momo was barely aware of his own fingers as they stroked Erion's arm tenderly, one finger tracing the delicate peach tattooed on his wrist. Finally, utterly exhausted, Momo let his head fall forward onto the edge of the bed, and he fell deeply asleep.

Momo did not stir when Erion finally roused, slipping out of bed silently and padding down the hall to the bathroom. Erion showered with as much haste as he could manage, the water never quite getting hot enough to banish the chill from his bones, careful to avoid looking at his reflection in the mirror above the sink as he brushed his teeth.

When Momo woke, stiff and sore, Erion was closing a duffel bag. He was already dressed in slim jeans and one of his chambray shirts, his silver hair loose around his shoulders. Erion was singing under his breath, not having noticed that Momo was awake. Momo listened, not understanding the words that Erion sang, but hearing the heavy sorrow in the young elf's voice.

"E' dae amin naa waite,

e' eresse amin naa fane.

Amin rana e' marde an dome,

amin feitha ten' lisse' seere.

Ilya nat'ea quelluva yallume."

Erion's voice faded, and he took a deep breath, his head bowed. Momo gripped the bed and stood, aching from the uncomfortable position he had been in for far too long. Erion watched him as Momo reached out a hand, and the young elf stepped backward a half step, his eyes a dull grey.

"I didn't mean to wake you, Momo-san," Erion said, his voice slightly ragged.

Momo felt his heart fall at the careful formality. "You're leaving?" Momo asked, looking at the duffel bag and then at Erion. "Just like that? Just disappearing? Were you even going to wake me up to say goodbye?"

"It seemed the easiest way," Erion said. "I don't know what else to say to you right now. Please forgive me."

Momo felt his eyes well with tears. "Don't shut me out now, Yuki, please."

"We were only living on borrowed time, but it was so sweet while it lasted, wasn't it?" Erion drew a shaky breath. "I want you to be happy, Momo-san."

"Yuki-chan, don't go like this, please," Momo said, but Erion just shook his head with a sad smile.

"I promised 'for as long as our love shall last' and I think we've pushed things as far as they can go. But if we can, I want us to stay friends. I don't want to lose you altogether. I can't bear to lose you altogether. I just need some time to learn how to live without you." Erion stroked the ring on his forefinger, and looked up at Momo.

"No, I can't live without you. I don't want to," Momo said, his voice sharp, and then his voice softened. "Yuki-chan..."

There was the sound of a car pulling up, and Erion glanced out the window and reached for the duffel bag. "That's the taxi now. I'll call you, I promise."

"Don't go like this," Momo said. "Please."

Erion paused, and reached out to touch Momo's cheek very gently, his fingers icy, as Momo's tears began to fall again. "As much as it hurts to leave, it would hurt more if I stayed. We both know that, and it's better if we do it like this, before we start to forget how much we did love each other."

Momo stared with tears streaming down his cheeks as Erion turned and walked out of the room, and as he heard the soft click of the bedroom door closing, he closed his eyes and screamed at the top of his voice until his lungs ran out of air. Then Momo sank to the floor, his sobs nearly silent in the stillness of the room.

Erion threw the duffel bag over his shoulder and hurried down the stairs, Momo's scream ringing in his ears and tearing at his heart. He pulled his doeskin boots on quickly and went to leave his key on the small table in the foyer. Erion paused, and then slipped his silver ring off his forefinger, and laid it down next to the key before closing the door gently behind himself.

Erion stared out the window of the taxi without really seeing anything that went past, until the taxi pulled up at the gates of the estate. Erion paid the driver and added a tip, and got out, shouldering his duffel bag as he entered the code to open the gate. He got as far as the garden, and dropped his bag on a bench before digging out his cigarettes and lighting one with a shaking hand as he looked up at the house.

Erion pulled out his cell phone and pressed a number, listening to the ring until his call was answered. "I want to come home, 'lokiamin." His voice broke, and he sank down onto the bench, forlorn. "I'm in the garden. I can't go any further, not alone. I didn't know it would hurt so bad. Please come and take me home, my dragon."

Erion's song:

In shadow I am wrapped,

in solitude I am veiled.

I wander in night's hall,

I wait for sweet repose.

All things shall fade at last.

[Sandcastles and Fireworks]

Nathe frowned slightly as he watched Vale go through the stack of parchment on his desk. Unless he had other plans with Yuji, Vale had been trying to spend time at the Cloaktower every seven days, corresponding to the week used in Tokyo as opposed to the tenday Nathe observed. The odd pattern of Vale's visits served to keep the rest of the governing Council on their toes, which afforded Nathe some amusement as well.

Today, however, Vale seemed oddly distracted. He was reading methodically through the stack, which was unusual in and of itself, and though Vale was near the end of the pile, only one sheet had been crumpled and tossed at the brazier. Even then, there had been no accompanying growl about the varied uses of balors and their propensity for buggering mortals. The absolute point of no return had been reached for Nathe when Vale stood, stretched to pop his back, and went over to make tea for them both.

"Right," Nathe said briskly. "Whoever you are, nice try, but I think I'd rather have Vale back, if it's all the same to you."

Vale looked up, startled. "What in the Nine Hells are you talking about?"

"We've worked together for what, a little more than two hundred years?" Nathe asked. "In all that time, I don't think I've ever seen you make a cup of tea for yourself, let alone make tea for me. Not to mention that you've nearly finished the paperwork without a single tantrum, and you haven't threatened my life, Nevalle's life, or anyone's life, for that matter."

Vale chuckled ruefully. "I suppose you have a point." He let Nathe push him away from the tea kettle, perching on the edge of his desk instead.

"So, what is it?" Nathe reached for a flagon of dwarven whiskey and added a generous measure to both mugs of tea before handing one to Vale. "I know we've all teased you about being calmer these days, but you're practically moribund. I've been debating calling in a cleric to see if you need resurrecting. When's the last time you went on a hunt?"

Vale took a healthy drink of the whiskey-laced tea. "I suppose it's a side effect of settling down. I'm a married elf, several times over, and we have children. I help with the music academy, and try to help out at home as well." Vale shrugged a little. "Or maybe it's just me being overly paranoid."

Nathe chuckled. "As you've taught me, there's no such thing as overly paranoid."

Vale smiled faintly, but his green eyes were solemn. "How would you say I compare to Sand, in terms of arcane skills?"

Nathe's own eyes widened slightly. "That's an interesting question. Before Sand did his little trick in the Weave, though, I'd have said you two were remarkably close in terms of your respective ability to create mass mayhem. He always dabbled in high magic, and you didn't, which gave him a slight edge, but not a huge one."

Vale nodded slightly. "And now?"

"Why is this important?" Nathe asked, and then waved off Vale's response. "We've been friends for too long for me to question you. Sand has become something I don't think I can even define. How many of us could survive walking in the heart of the Weave?"

"And if you needed help of an arcane nature, who would you ask?" Vale took another drink of tea, his eyes locked on Nathe.

Nathe drained his mug, and reached for the flagon of whiskey, ignoring the kettle. "I see." He filled his mug, and then filled Vale's mug as well. "I suppose part of it is not fully grasping the nature of arcane magic. It's not really used on the Plane you live on now. But using Sand for most things is like using a fire giant's war hammer to deal with a mosquito. You might as well ask Mystra herself to help."

Vale knocked back a deep swallow of whiskey. "I love Yuji, and the rest of the family, and I'd do anything for them. But since I tripped the false memories, since I broke so spectacularly, it's felt different. I think everyone is still worried that I'll fall apart again, that I'm somehow fragile and need to be sheltered."

Nathe looked at Vale shrewdly. "That's not all, is it?" He added more whiskey to Vale's mug.

Vale shrugged again. "It's not like I can sit down and talk to anyone about it, except for you, and I haven't wanted to dump this on you."

"Dumping the day to day management of the Cloaktower on me did rather use up your quota of assistant abuse," Nathe retorted dryly. "But asking a friend to listen hardly counts as dumping things on me, and it's not like you could talk to too many people about this. I will say I'm surprised you didn't talk to Yuji, though."

"What do I say to him?" Vale asked plaintively. "Yuji tries to protect me, like he does with everyone else in the family. I'm afraid I'd sound ungrateful or worse if I talked to him about this."

"It would help, just a little, if I had a better idea what 'this' actually encompassed," Nathe said. His tone was gentle, and Vale managed a half smile.

"I know I'm not entirely over what was done to me back in Evermeet, on a purely personal level," Vale began, running a slim hand through his hair. "I don't doubt my abilities as a sorcerer of the Guild. I never have. Magic's never failed me. I also know I can manage the details of keeping the Cloaktower and the music academy running smoothly, and do them both perfectly. But there are days when I have no idea why Yuji even loves me, although I will say that I never doubt that he does love me. Or I look at Hikaru, and I'm terrified that I'll screw him up somehow, that I'll be distracted at the exact wrong moment and something horrible will happen. Some days, even making the morning tea is hard. So, old friend, with all that going on in my head, why does it still hurt so much when everyone turns to Sand for arcane help?"

Nathe took a deep breath. "In the over two hundred years that I've worked with you, I've never seen you take foolish risks, not with us. We're not children, Vale. We know this isn't a tea party, and danger is part of the job. But every time something's been really dangerous, you've been out front. First one to walk in, with that gleam in your eyes that makes us all pretty sure we're walking back out again. We'd follow you into the Abyss because you're that good at what you do."

Nathe paused to take a deep drink from his mug. "But this, this is your personal life, and because we're old friends, I'll be blunt. Until Sand came along, you didn't have a personal life. Until Yuji came along, you still used the Cloaktower to define who you were. This is the first time in your life that you're Vale first, and everything else second. I'd say your reactions were pretty normal, and the kind of thing most of us learn before we reach one hundred. You just never had that chance to be a normal young elf."

"Never say that you aren't a master of understatement," Vale said dryly. "Normal young elves are outside my experience. Hells, even Erion's barely in the same Plane as 'normal.' He's growing up far too fast as well, and I don't know how to help him."

"Yes, you do," Nathe said, arching a brow. "You're just afraid to offer."

Vale opened his mouth to reply, and then shook his head ruefully. "You're right. I'm afraid because if he rejects my help, I'll never quite know why. Is it because I'm too screwed up to help, or is he being stubborn, or does he really get it? Does he understand how these things work, while I'm still floundering around?"

"And even worse, if he accepts your help, what if you can't fix everything before dinner?" Nathe looked at Vale, shaking his head slightly. "You're so hard on yourself, Vale. No one should demand this much from themselves. Sand makes mistakes all the time, and he moves on. You have to learn not to be afraid to make a mistake." Nathe reached out to grasp Vale's shoulder firmly. "I know how much you love them. Let them love you back, and try letting yourself believe that you deserve to be loved."

Vale knocked back his whiskey with a sigh. "I'd rather hunt balor lords. It's easier."

"Well, I can't offer balor lords, but stick around for the hunt today. We can't actually go, but we can live vicariously." Nathe grinned. "It should be interesting, at any rate."

"Is this the raid that Nevalle's new Captain of the Nine planned out?" Vale groaned.

"The very same," Nathe agreed. "Felton's little pet project."

Vale ran his hands through his hair. "I planned on staying for this one anyway. Seldarine, it's got the potential to go horribly wrong. How are we set up?"

"We've supplied a team of four to the Nine, to perform the actual raid on the Luskan safe house in the Docks District, along with whoever the Nine sends. Probably Greycloak troops," Nathe said. "We have another mage standing by with Lord Nevalle. Nevalle should have the Luskan ambassador with him in the throne room at Castle Never. Once the raid is complete, the mage in the throne room will feed details to Nevalle, so he can confront the ambassador."

"Stupid," Vale said dryly.

"You don't need to tell me," Nathe agreed. "I'm not entirely happy with the intelligence gathered by the Nine, either. The safe house is one of the older houses on the Docks, and most likely has cellars with private access to the water. That area was full of smugglers until we cleared them out, do you remember?"

Vale nodded thoughtfully. "That was well before Nevalle's time, or Nasher's, for the most part. In fact, Nasher's friend Vengaul was trading on the old stories to enhance his reputation. Fucking Bloodsailors."

The obscenity made Nathe grin as he finished off the flagon of whiskey, sharing it out between their cups. "I'm still not happy about the fact that we can't go, but Felton says we're too recognizable."

Vale ran a hand through his emerald and gold hair. "Well, I suppose I am, but I can still use a glamor." He shot Nathe a quick look. "You, on the other hand, are completely unremarkable."

Nathe threw his head back and laughed. "Go bugger a balor."

Vale could feel some of the tension that had become an almost constant companion bleed away as he gave his assistant a wry grin.

"I might as well finish the fucking paperwork," Vale said, and reached around to grab the much diminished pile of parchment, scrawling his name as needed and dropping the sheets on the appropriate piles.

Nathe checked each sheet as Vale finished with it, slipping one or two sheets onto different piles and arching a brow at Vale when he appeared about to object. Vale bit back his remarks and just chuckled, returning to his own stack, content in the easy silence.

Vale was nearly down to the last sheet when the door flew open, and Antha burst in, her face pale. She handed a small mirror to Nathe wordlessly, and hovered in the doorway. Vale watched Nathe's face, alarmed when Nathe paled as well.

"What?" Vale demanded.

Nathe looked up at him, fury warring with grief in his eyes. "It was a trap. It was a buggering trap, Vale. The Greycloaks never showed, but Felton went ahead with it anyway. We lost the whole team."

Vale turned to Antha. "I want Felton here, now. Let him cool his heels in my office. If he gives you any shit, tell him this is not a request."

Nathe sucked in a harsh breath, and Vale turned to look at his assistant.

"Shall we show these Luskan bastards what we can do when we're in the mood for mass fucking mayhem?" Vale asked, his grin feral and cold. Nathe returned the grin and put his hand on Vale's shoulder, and Antha watched them wink out before heading off on her errand.

Yuji looked at his watch, frowning slightly. Vale was usually back from the Cloaktower long before dinner, but here it was, nearly time to eat, and Vale had not returned or sent word. To make it worse, Yuji felt their bond suddenly grow muted, Vale pulling up his shields and retreating, and Yuji felt his heart skip a beat as his anxiety grew. Erion and Momo had drifted into the living room, still damp from the pool, and toweling each others hair and wrestling a bit. Sand, Satoshi and Willow were still in the pool with the children, and Yuji could hear Takara and Hikaru shrieking with glee, almost in competition to see who could be loudest. Aika's sweet voice rang out in a demand for peace, seconded by Ryuu, and for a brief moment, silence reigned, until Michi let out a little shriek of her own.

Yuji was debating stepping through the portal himself, already halfway down the hall when Vale emerged from the portal. Vale walked into the living room, brushing past Yuji gently and heading straight for the drinks cabinet to grab a full bottle of whiskey. He was still in his Cloaktower robes, smeared with ash and spattered with blood, and Yuji's eyes widened in shock and dismay. Erion reached for Momo's hand as Vale deftly snagged Erion's cigarettes as he passed, and the blond elf stalked out into the garden without saying a word.

Yuji hastened to follow Vale, and Erion tugged Momo into the garden as well, towels and horseplay forgotten, staying back a bit from Vale and Yuji. Momo watched Vale, wide-eyed, completely unaccustomed to seeing the blond elf in such a state. Vale had always felt like the calm center of the family to Momo, until now.

Vale had opened the whiskey, taking a generous swallow straight from the bottle before lighting a cigarette. He turned his head as Yuji came out, and Yuji could see the glitter of grief in Vale's green eyes.

"I lost a team today," Vale said. His voice was quiet, but the pain in it made Yuji gasp a little. "It was supposed to be a raid on a Luskan safe house, no more than six men. That's what we were told. Nevalle's new pet Felton set it up." Vale paused to take another long drink of whiskey. "Do you remember Nestus and Kersta? From the troll hunt?"

Yuji pulled Vale into a hug, not caring about the state of Vale's robes. "Oh, no, my love, I'm so sorry." Yuji could feel the tension in Vale's muscles, the elf holding himself firmly in check. Yuji held Vale like that for a few minutes, until Vale was ready to talk again.

"Nathe and I went in hard. We took out nearly twenty Luskans and a couple of Hosttower mages, recovered our people, and razed the safe house to the ground." Vale sank down onto the bench, still wrapped in Yuji's arms. "The fucking bastards made sure we wouldn't be able to resurrect our people. I left Felton for Nathe to handle, because I swear to you, Yuji, I wanted to kill him with my bare hands. What they did to my mages, my friends..." Vale let his head fall forward onto Yuji's shoulder. "I have to write to their families. Will you help me find the words?"

"I'll help, my love. Are you alright?" Yuji asked, cupping Vale's face gently.

Vale managed a wan smile. "I'm not going to break, a'maelamin. It's not the first time I've lost people, and it won't be the last time. We all know the risks." Vale kissed Yuji gently.

Yuji held Vale's face firmly, his gorgeous eyes looking into Vale's green eyes. "I'm not afraid you'll break. I just want to know if you're alright. And that you know I'm here, if and when you need me. I'm your strength, like you are mine."

"I know, my love, and thank you for always being here, and for being my strength," Vale replied, and Yuji could feel the tension draining away from Vale. "I'm alright, I promise. I'm going to go nuzzle our children and change for dinner, and then kiss our wife and apologize for not being here to help her."

"You might want to clean up a bit," Yuji suggested. "Willow will have your head for soup if the kids see you like this."

Vale sat back a bit and looked down at his bloodied robes. "Well, fuck," he muttered and added a few words in elven.

Momo watched as the blood and soot disappeared from Vale's robes and Yuji's clothing as well, and his hand tightened around Erion's hand. Erion shot Momo a sympathetic look, knowing that the cantrip had unsettled Momo. For the most part, Vale and Sand used very little magic around the house, in deference to Willow's request, so even that small display was unusual.

"Amin mela lle, Yuji, ten'oio." Vale offered Yuji a soft and loving kiss, one slim hand sliding into Yuji's silky hair.

"I love you, my perfect Vale, forever," Yuji replied, returning the soft kiss with infinite tenderness.

Vale stood and took another long pull from the bottle of whiskey before capping it and tucking it under a bench. He paused to drop Erion's cigarettes back in the younger elf's lap.

"Being asked to grow up all at once sucks, ai'er." Vale looked at Erion. "I'd tell you that it gets better, or that it's worth it, but that's just bullshit. Sometimes it doesn't get better, and I never thought it was fucking worth it. I still don't, as a matter of fact." Erion's eyes widened, and Vale smiled slightly. "What's true is that you're not alone. None of us in this family are alone. Don't be afraid to reach out if you need us. Both of you."

Vale walked away, his back straight and just the slightest sway in his hips, pausing to scoop up Hikaru and Takara as he headed for the stairs. Ryuu and Aika followed and chattered happily as Vale's sweet laugh rang out, the blond elf letting the love of his family ease his heart as it always did. At the top of the stairs, Vale put Hikaru and Takara down, dropping to his knees as Ryuu pulled him into a long hug while Aika petted her tousan's hair lovingly.

It was the end of the semester, and Momo had taken his last final. Erion had finished up a few days earlier but had spent the rest of the week shepherding anxious first year students through their first finals. Erion took his duties as a class representative very seriously, and as a result, his assigned class tended to follow him around campus.

It had been a slightly rocky start for Erion as a class representative. Despite his consistently high grades and his participation on the track team, Erion was still so obviously not Japanese. One boy had actually gone to Yoshida Chie to protest his assignment to a foreigner, asking to be reassigned to someone else. Chie had fixed him with her stern gaze, and told him that if he was refusing assignment to the class representative with the best academic record, he was obviously not serious about his studies at Nihon University. Flustered, the boy had asked if that would be noted on his record, and Chie had assured him that it would indeed be added to his permanent record, right after his parents were notified. Chie was not very surprised when the boy came back to her a couple of weeks later to apologize and thank Chie for convincing him to remain with Erion.

Erion found himself enjoying the class he was assigned, and he quickly became comfortable with the group. At least two of the girls regularly brought him treats and goodies from home, even though Erion had managed to casually mention his boyfriend in conversation several times. Momo thought it was actually adorable, especially when Erion would turn bright red as Momo teased him about his new girlfriends. When Momo showed up one day to pick Erion up, though, the boys all drooled over Baby Boy while the girls agreed that Yuki-san's boyfriend was just as handsome, and the number of home-baked cookies doubled.

But for now summer beckoned, and Erion was ready to relax and enjoy himself with Momo, without the pressure of exams and non-stop studying looming over both their heads. They had gone out to celebrate that evening, a casual dinner and some drinks, one of those nights where they had both laughed and joked non-stop. In fact, the past couple of months had been like that, happy and loving, and Erion could not remember ever feeling this relaxed and peaceful with Momo. It was idyllic and utterly perfect, and Erion wanted it to last. They had even been tossing around a few ideas for a getaway together, debating spending the money on a hotel or just going for day trips from home. Erion did not care either way, as long as he was with Momo.

Erion wandered into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, reaching for a cold beer. "Hey, koibito, you want a beer?"

Momo made a frustrated little noise, and Erion peered around the refrigerator door in time to see Momo bang his cell phone against his forehead with an irritated growl.

"Baby, what's the matter?" Erion's silvery-grey eyes were wide, and filled with nothing but love and concern, and Momo just let himself get lost in them for a long moment, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Yeah, okay, grab me a beer," Momo said, swallowing thickly. "Let's go upstairs, Yuki." He looked at the concern in Erion's eyes, and he bit back a sob as he led Erion up to their room.

[RECAPTCHA Adventures]

Now I feel much better about Recaptcha's frequent forays into kanji with me. Couldn't do espruar, could it?

[Sandcastles and Fireworks]

::checks notes, clears throat nervously::

Just thought I'd let our faithful readers (yes, we know you're out there, both of you, and we love you!) know that sadly, we are out to lunch for a while. I'm not quite sure when we'll be back, but I certainly hope we will be back!

::rattles papers, sniffles and shuffles off::

[Found a story with the wrong disclaimer]

Actually, the disclaimer on this story is fine. It disclaims the fandoms by name, and clearly states that no profit is made...

[Week 52: 10-2-11]

Pen Name: BronxWench

Story link: Ritual

Review Replies: Review Replies

Type of fic: Flashfic

Rating: Adult+

Fandom: Games > Dragon Age: Origins

Warnings: Anal, AFFO, ChallengeFic, Fingering, HJ, M/M

[Ratings Spam]

I'm really sorry that you're experiencing this sort of thing. Our admin staff are the ones who can really look into this properly, but I'd urge you not to take the ratings to heart too much. For me, at least, ratings don't affect whether or not I choose to read a story for enjoyment. I've clicked on some with many high ratings, and been completely disappointed. Others that may have no ratings have been gems. But yes, it does sting to see those low ratings, and I do understand. When it happens to me, I tend to view it as part of being a site moderator. That's what I tell myself, and I go right on writing.

[Are stories without adult content allowed on the site? [ADDED]]

And we now have a FAQ!

[Are stories without adult content allowed on the site? [ADDED]]

There is no requirement for a story to have adult content for it to be published on AFF. And yes, that is exactly why we have the "NoSex" tag. If a reader simply must have sex, then they should not read stories with a NoSex tag. Pretty simple!

[RECAPTCHA Adventures]

Lambda, isn't it? (Which sets off whole new chains of flashbacks...)