[Sandcastles and Fireworks]

Vale looked at Yuji and began to laugh. "Oh, a'maelamin, that makes us both perverts, then. I would love to put on a high school uniform and get disciplined by my headmaster." Vale gave Yuji such a wicked grin that Yuji pulled him in for a kiss, chuckling at his wanton elf.

They snuggled for a few more minutes, and then Vale groaned a little. "The cleaning crew will be here at eight, my love. We'd better get moving." Vale winced as he went to sit up, his welts tender and still hot under Yuji's hand.

"Are you going to be alright? Should I call Kansas?" Yuji asked quickly, looking concerned.

"Oh, no," Vale said hastily. "No cars, thank you, love. I can walk, really." Vale reached for his tight little boxers and winced again.

"Wait, my love." Yuji got up and grabbed a gym bag from the corner of his office, pulling out a pair of soft sweat pants. "These might feel a little better."

"Perfect," Vale agreed, slipping them on without bothering with his boxers. He sighed happily, the touch of the fabric not nearly as painful as the boxers would have been. Yuji handed him a sweatshirt and a pair of sneakers as well, and Vale chuckled. He carefully folded up his suit and shirt and tie, and tucked them into a plastic carry bag along with his dress shoes.

Vale murmured a quick cleaning cantrip while Yuji dressed, and together they replaced all of the usual items on Yuji's desk and tucked away the restraints and toys. Vale patted the desk fondly, and Yuji could not help but snicker.

"You planned this from the minute you saw the desk, didn't you?" Vale asked, grinning widely.

Yuji pulled Vale into his arms and kissed him lovingly. "Of course. How could I forget how delicious you looked spread over your own desk?"

Vale whooped with laughter, and they left the school together, hands linked firmly all the way home to the estate.

Yuji and Vale arrived home just in time for dinner, the children mobbing them at the door with enthusiastic hugs and kisses. Vale managed to sit through dinner, although he did pale slightly when Hikaru bounced into his lap for dessert. Ryuu was full of excited chatter about his playdate with Fuji the following day, and the plans they were making for a treehouse, complete with a climbing rope and a trap door. Sand and Satoshi winced a little at that, but Kansas offered a few suggestions of his own, and Ryuu gave his fathers such pleading looks that they melted on the spot. Willow, however, insisted that the treehouse be far lower than the sixty-five feet that Ryuu claimed was necessary, despite some wobbly-chinned looks from Ryuu, and it was quickly agreed that eight feet off the ground was very high indeed.

After dinner, Ryuu and Aika showed their fathers their completed homework, and Hikaru brought over a drawing he had done as his homework from Aika, based on the story she was reading to him. The homework was duly admired and tucked away, all of the adults quite impressed with the neatness of Ryuu's kanji. Aika was learning her name in kanji and romaji, and her practice page was equally neat.

As a reward, Sand took them all into the garden for the bedtime story, spreading a blanket out for all of them to curl up on and lighting some paper lanterns. Hikaru was fast asleep by the end of the story, and Vale carried the little half elf off to his room to tuck him in while Yuji and Satoshi took Aika and Ryuu up to bed. Sand hurried inside to attend to Willow, his smile radiant as he brought her a glass of an alcohol-free wine that she particularly liked, and he curled up beside her on the couch to brush her thick auburn hair. When Yuji came down, he got out the whiskey for the rest of them, as they all settled in to relax a bit in the living room.

It was Vale who sat up first, slightly more comfortable after applying a cooling salve to his welts. "The portal is opening. I wonder who that could be?"

Sand looked up as well, his arm tightening slightly around Willow. He knew it had to be someone they all trusted, since no one else had access to portal keys, but he was instinctively protective, and Willow muffled a giggle in his shoulder.

Santhiel came down the hall, his silver eyes bright as he spotted the family. "I came as soon as I could. Sora and Hawk are parents, a sweet little girl with raven hair and beautiful dark eyes like her mother."

Yuji jumped up, his eyes welling with tears of happiness. "Sora had the baby? When?"

Falon came down the hall, uncharacteristically sedate for all of a moment until he saw Kansas and threw himself into Kansas's arm with a shout. "Toror'amin!"

Santhiel gave his younger son a fond look. "Two days ago, but I couldn't leave until today. Mist is with her, and both Sora and the baby are perfect, and gorgeous." Santhiel hugged Yuji and then Satoshi. "She sends her love to you all, and says you should visit once Willow is up to it."

Kansas hugged Falon with enthusiasm, delighted to have the young elf there in Tokyo. Falon finally released Kansas and looked around, a bit confused. "Erion's not here?"

Kansas gave Falon one of his beautiful smiles. "He's with Momo, remember? Tell you what, we can call him, though. Wait until he hears your voice on the cellphone."

Falon had no idea what Kansas was talking about, but the opportunity to puzzle his brother was not to be passed up, and the two youngsters hurried into the dining room to surprise Erion.

"What's her name?" Willow asked, wondering why all men, human and elven, were so thick when it came to the important details.

"Oh!" Santhiel actually blushed slightly. "I'm sorry, I thought I told you. Sora named her Vanyadulin, and she calls her dulin'ai."

Sand laughed, delighted. "It means Fair Bird, and the nickname is Little Bird," he told Willow.

"Yes, Sora said she has her faralin and her dulin'ai, and judging by the besotted look on Hawk's face, she's her father's little bird, all right." Santhiel accepted a tumbler of whiskey from Yuji and curled up on one of the couches.

Kansas and Falon came back in, giggling and hanging on each other, delighted by Erion's reaction to hearing Falon's voice over Kansas's cellphone. Santhiel arched an eyebrow at them, which only made Falon giggle harder.

"I thought he would explode, atar, he was sputtering so much," Falon snickered, before managing to sober up slightly. "He says he's coming over with Momo. Atararim is coming, too, with her new betrothed."

Satoshi looked delighted at the prospect of seeing his father, who was still walking on a cloud since Eryn had accepted his proposal. Eryn, too, had been glowing, and she and Willow spent a great deal of time talking together quietly, their eyes bright.

"But you've got a new little one on the way as well," Santhiel said, smiling at Willow. "You look absolutely radiant, seler'amin, my sister."

"I feel like an elephant," Willow retorted, but she returned Santhiel's smile and snuggled closer into Sand's arm.

"I'll get some sweets ready for the onslaught," Vale offered, and Satoshi jumped up to help him, the two walking into the kitchen together.

Yuji sighed a little. "We need to figure out a way to get pictures from Evereska. I'd love to see Sora and the baby."

"We'll have a break soon, won't we, love?" Vale asked, coming back in with a tray of small cakes, pastries and fruit. "We can try to pop over then, if Willow is up to it."

"Don't count on it, sweets," Willow said dryly. "I'll be a hippopotamus by then."

Sand kissed her forehead lovingly. "Then we will convince them to come here, vanimaer. We all miss Sora and Hawk anyway."

Satoshi brought in tea and it was not ten minutes later that Erion raced in the door, flinging himself at his father with a brilliant smile.

"Atar!" Erion hugged Santhiel tightly, burying his face in his father's shoulder as Santhiel stroked Erion's silver hair.

"It's good to see you as well, utinuamin." Santhiel looked up and smiled at Satoru and Eryn from over Erion's head. "Mori-san, it's so wonderful to see you. I haven't been able to offer my congratulations in person yet. And you know how delighted I am for you both, Eryn." Santhiel released Erion and walked over to hug Eryn and to take Satoru's hand and clasp it firmly. "And you must be Momo-san. I've heard a great deal about you, all of it glowing. I'm Santhiel en Nosse Sulandorn, Erion's father."

Momo was slightly surprised by Santhiel's excellent Japanese, but he bowed with great respect. "I'm honored to meet you, Santhiel-sama." His heart was pounding just a little bit at meeting Erion's father, but Erion hurried over to slip his hand in Momo's hand as Momo straightened, the young elf looking at Momo with great love in his eyes.

Santhiel noticed Momo's nervousness, and reached out to lay a slim hand on Momo's shoulder. "You make my son happy, and Kansas has no objections, and therefore neither do I. " His voice was quiet but warm, and his silver eyes were friendly as he looked at Momo.

Falon came over, oddly shy, and bowed to Momo. "I'm Falon, Erion's brother. Yuki's brother." His Japanese was as good as Santhiel's and Momo looked at him with a little surprise. "I know my name's hard to say, so you can call me otouto if it's easier." Falon's grin was so much like Erion's that Momo had to grin in return.

Erion laughed and pulled Falon into a tight hug. "I've missed you, toror'ai. I'm so glad you're here in Tokyo. But tell me all about our new cousin! Is she gorgeous? How is Uncle Hawk handling fatherhood?"

Falon's eyes brightened immediately. "Oh, Vanyadulin is amazing! She's just so tiny and perfect, and Aunt Sora is glowing like anything. Atara is watching over them both, of course, but she says it was a perfect birth, and Uncle Hawk didn't even faint once." Falon stopped to snicker. "He wanted to take the baby and show her to the rest of the Graycloaks but Aunt Sora threatened to make soup with his head."

Erion burst out laughing and Willow looked up and snorted. Eryn reached out to pull Falon into a hug, kissing his forehead and introducing him to Satoru, laughing as the young elf bowed again very deeply, and then greeted Satoru as sofu with enormous respect in his voice.

They all made their way to the living room and Vale served tea and whiskey and wine, offering around the sweets and fruits. Momo was slightly surprised when Vale poured a glass of wine for Falon, but Erion murmured in his ear that it was an elven wine, and a mild one at that. They chatted until it was getting late, and Satoru rose to say his goodbyes, Eryn leaving with him. Erion persuaded Momo to stay at the estate with him, and Yuji insisted that Santhiel stay as well, offering him Hawk and Sora's rooms for the night. Falon asked if he could creep quietly into Ryuu's room and snuggle with his little brother, and Willow took one look at his eager expression and agreed, as long as he did not wake Ryuu.

As they all settled in for the night, Vale turned to Yuji, his green eyes sparkling as his looked at his beloved husband. "I think I figured out my treat, my love."

"Oh, really?" Yuji's perfect eyes were filled with love as he leaned in to nibble Vale's lips.

"Would you be willing to use kinbaku on me?" Vale watched as Yuji's eyes widened slightly, his nostrils flaring a little in arousal.

"That's what you'd like for your treat?" Yuji asked. Vale nodded, and Yuji pulled him into a searing kiss. "You are so perfect, Vale."

In the guest room, Erion nuzzled up to Momo, his slim fingers already exploring languidly and making Momo moan a little. "Want to take a bike ride up to the mountains tomorrow? Satoshi showed me this place with the most fucking incredible view."

"Oh? What does it overlook?" Momo said between nibbles of Erion's tanned skin.

"Oh, trees, mostly. But I was talking about the view of me bent over the gas tank, baby," Erion purred, stroking Momo's cock almost lazily, his silver eyes darkening with pleasure as Momo choked a little and grinned.

[Sandcastles and Fireworks]

Vale took the vibrator from Yuji, his green eyes closing for a brief moment. When he opened his eyes again, Yuji bit back a gasp at the utter wanton gleam in those emerald depths.

Vale took the vibrator in his slim fingers and turned it a little, examining it before bringing it to his mouth and licking it, a long, lascivious lick, his pink tongue curling slightly around the cool vibrator. Vale licked it again, and then slid his lips over it, slicking it with his saliva, drawing it out of his mouth slowly and curling his tongue around the tip of it almost lovingly.

Vale turned his head slightly, looking over his shoulder as he reached back with his free hand, cupping one cheek of his ass and stroking it with the same languid sensuality as he brought the vibrator down to slide it along the cleft of his ass. As Vale began to circle his tight little pucker with the tip of the vibrator, Yuji palmed the remote and pressed it once, a gentle hum the only sound in the room.

Vale let his eyes flutter closed again as he teased his pucker with the vibrator, and then he slipped it past the tight muscle, the saliva working with the lube he had inserted earlier as he pressed the vibrator into himself, his neck arching to lift his head off the desk. The hand gripping his ass cheek spread him open a little more, and Vale seated the vibrator in fully as Yuji hit the remote a second time.

Vale's pink tongue flicked out to moisten his upper lip as he withdrew the vibrator almost all the way and pressed it back within his tight ass, his lips parting in an utterly silent gasp of pleasure. Vale kept his chest pressed firmly on the desk, only allowing his head to arch up, his gold and green hair spilling down over his shoulders and over his back.

Yuji stood and moved around the desk until he was sitting behind Vale, the elf's parted thighs giving him a perfect view as the vibrator slid in and out of the quivering ring of muscle. Vale released his grip on his ass cheek and began to idly trace the red welts Yuji had laid on his pale ass, his long fingers delicately following the stripes as he moved the small vibrator in and out.

Yuji bit back a moan at the sheer wantonness of Vale's movements. "Akira. Use this one now." Yuji took the smaller vibrator from Vale and handed him the larger one, watching as Vale pressed it against his eager pucker. Yuji pressed the remote three times in quick succession, watching as Vale's head arched up again, his hair spilling across his shoulder blades as his shoulders lifted from the desk. Vale's nipples remained pressed against the wood, however, and Yuji purred slightly in approval.

"Seat it fully, Akira, and move your hands away." Yuji's voice was slightly husky as he stood, watching Vale slide the larger vibrator into his ass all the way, until his tight little pucker was clenched around the base.

Yuji lifted the whip, trailing it over the already reddened skin of Vale's pale ass as Vale stretched his arms out again. Yuji quickly laid a strike on each cheek of Vale's ass, watching as Vale's cheeks clenched around the vibrator. Vale's head arched back again, his lips parting in another silent gasp, and Yuji placed a stroke of the whip across Vale's entire ass.

Vale gripped the edge of the desk, his slim fingers white knuckled as he held on, tears pearling in his golden lashes already. The vibrator was pressing against Vale's prostate, and every strike made his ass clench so tightly around it that fireworks were going off behind his eyes. The pain and pleasure were already deeply entwined, and Vale took the opportunity to take a quick breath and center himself before the next blows.

Yuji pressed the remote one more time, and Vale's eyes fluttered shut again as the vibrations increased. He managed one more breath before the whip descended again, one strike more on each cheek of his ass. The tears were trailing down Vale's cheeks now, and his head sank forward until his forehead was resting on the wood of the desk, a shiver running through him.

Yuji trailed his fingers over the dark welts crisscrossing Vale's ass, admiring the contrast with the pale skin alongside the welts. Yuji could feel the heat rising off the abused flesh already, and he stroked the round globes lovingly as Vale's ass quivered a little beneath the touch.

Yuji ran a finger along the cleft of Vale's ass, pressing a little on the vibrator as he passed over it, and Vale's head arched up again, the golden hair tumbling back down Vale's back. Yuji watched as Vale steadied himself, his breathing slightly ragged, and then he laid the last two strokes across Vale's ass in quick succession. Vale opened his mouth in a silent scream, letting out the breath he had taken before letting his head fall onto the desk, his thighs trembling and his fingers wrapped tightly around the edge of the desk.

[Sandcastles and Fireworks]

Vale shivered when he felt Yuji's long warm fingers stroke his permanent collar, Yuji's other hand still fisted in his hair, and then Yuji's breath was hot against Vale's ear, making the elf shiver once again.

Vale listened to Yuji's instructions, allowing Yuji to turn him around under the desk, and a soft moan escaped him as he lowered his lips to Yuji's generous cock. As instructed, his slim hands rested on Yuji's knees, and although his own cock was hard and begging to be touched, Vale focused on pleasing Yuji with his perfect submission. He ran the stud in his tongue over the slit of Yuji's cock, savoring the taste of the precum already beginning to ooze out, and then he moved his tongue to lave at the tender cleft underneath the head, feeling Yuji shiver under his hands.

Vale dipped his head forward, slowly engulfing Yuji's cock as Yuji's hand tightened in his thick hair. Vale sank forward slowly until Yuji's cock was hitting the back of his throat, and then he withdrew just as slowly, Yuji's soft moan sending another shiver down Vale's spine. Vale shifted his knees slightly, parting his thighs a little more to ease the friction as he rose and fell on Yuji's cock, not quite swallowing Yuji's cock to the root just yet.

A knock of the door registered vaguely as Vale lowered his head and then Yuji was sitting up straighter, shoving Vale unceremoniously under the desk and out of sight as Yuji ordered him to continue in perfect silence. Vale's eyes widened slightly, but Yuji did not see, and Vale drew in a slow and careful breath through his nostrils as he sank forward again. As Vale pulled back, his hair brushed against the underside of the desk, and the elf stopped before his head could bang the desk and make a noise.

It was only a minor hesitation, and Vale dipped forward on Yuji's cock again, listening as Kouda-san came in with the purchase orders for the new school books and other supplies. Vale had known about the paperwork that was needed, and had expected Kouda-san, and Yuji greeted Kouda-san cheerfully as he asked for the papers that needed his signature.

Fortunately for Vale, Yuji kept his signature stamp in the side drawer of his desk, and not the center drawer, and Vale continued to rise and fall over Yuji's cock slowly, his tongue pressing along the underside carefully. Breathing was mildly difficult, but Vale did not mind that at all. Rising to challenges and performing perfectly was his goal as a submissive, and this new challenge was no exception.

Vale lowered his head, and this time, because of the angle as Yuji sat forward to read and sign the papers, Yuji's cock slipped into Vale's throat. Vale managed to only swallow lightly, but even so, he felt Yuji shiver a little as Vale's throat muscles contracted around his eager cock. Vale pulled back again as much as he was able to, hoping he was not going to make Yuji come before he was given leave to do so, and drew another carefully silent breath through his nostrils.

The crinkle of papers went on for a while, Yuji chatting with Kouda-san as Vale continued to suck on Yuji's cock. The small thunk of the signature stamp and the scratching of Yuji's pen as he signed each page marked the rise and fall of Vale's head as the elf wound up taking Yuji to the root, trying not to swallow hard and invoke Yuji's ire. Vale listened as Kouda-san gathered the signed papers up and stacked them neatly, and settled back to chat with Yuji for a moment.

Yuji leaned forward onto the desk, listening to Kouda-san's assessment of several of their students, nodding and taking in his friend's opinions. Vale's cock was straining against his tight boxers almost painfully by now, and his lips were tingling from being stretched around Yuji's thick cock. Vale's hands tightened slightly on Yuji's thighs, the strain of keeping his breathing utterly silent increasing as Yuji's cock filled his throat again. It was with a small shudder of relief that Vale heard Kouda-san's chair slide backward, and listened as Yuji said good night to his friend. The door opened, and closed again, and Yuji slid his chair back a bit, Vale rising slightly out from the deskwell as he continued to suck Yuji's cock.

Yuji watched Vale for a moment, slim hands resting on Yuji's thighs and plump lips stretched around Yuji's cock as the golden head rose and fell. Vale's wicked tongue slid up and down the underside of Yuji's cock with practiced ease, the stud in it teasing Yuji unmercifully. Yuji could feel his balls already beginning to tighten, the wonderful tension of keeping a friendly and bland expression while talking to Kouda-san taking its toll on Yuji's ability to hold back.

Vale shifted slightly, adjusting his knees to keep his cock from rubbing too much against his tight boxers, never faltering in his attention to Yuji's thick cock as he pulled back far enough to swipe his tongue across the head again. Yuji bit back a moan, his thigh muscles jumping under Vale's hands, and his fingers slid back into that thick golden mane and clenched tightly.

"Akira. Make me come, but not a sound from you," Yuji ordered quietly, his voice just a little husky.

Vale slid his lips down, taking Yuji in to the root and swallowing hard before he slid his mouth up slightly so that he could draw in a breath through his nostrils. Vale lowered his head again, once again taking Yuji's cock into his throat and swallowing hard, and Yuji's hands tightened as he groaned, his balls painful as they drew up sharply. Vale pulled back slightly, Yuji's thick cum filling his mouth as he swallowed repeatedly, drinking down every drop eagerly until he had milked Yuji dry.

Vale slid his mouth back slowly and released Yuji's cock, and he carefully licked Yuji clean before sitting back on his heels, silent and patient as he waited for his instructions. Yuji watched Vale for a few moments, his perfect eyes glazed with pleasure as he looked at the golden elf crouched at his feet, cheeks flushed and ear tips rosy with arousal. Vale's hands still rested on Yuji's knees, and Yuji smiled as he reached down to lift Vale's chin with one hand.

"Akira. That was perfect." Yuji watched as Vale's green eyes brightened with pleasure at Yuji's praise. "Now, go back to your desk and finish your work until I call you again. And, Akira, no touching yourself."

Yuji slid his chair back so that Vale could rise, silent and utterly graceful, gathering up his jacket and slipping it back on before returning to his own desk, the bulge in his trousers unmistakable. The small smile playing across Vale's lips reassured Yuji that his elf was enjoying this game just as much as he was, and he broke into a smile of his own as Vale closed the door quietly behind himself.

[Sandcastles and Fireworks]

Eryn gasped a little as she saw the ring, her face lighting up with the most impossibly radiant smile, and as she looked up at Satoru, he could see the shine of tears in her dark blue eyes.

"Oh, Saroru-san, a thousand times yes," Eryn said, tears of joy sparkling on her raven lashes. She reached across the table to touch Satoru's hand, sliding her slim fingers into his palm. "Please, would you do me the honor of putting the ring on my finger?"

Satoru's smile was no less radiant as he took the ring from the box and placed it with infinite care on the ring finger of Eryn's left hand. She wore no rings besides that glittering sapphire and diamond band, and it shone nearly as brightly as her eyes.

"You've made me the happiest man on Earth, Eryn-chan," Satoru said, his own eyes welling with tears of joy. "I can't believe that I found you, and that I've found love again after all these years."

Eryn laid her left hand over Satoru's hand. "I always thought, after Anessath died, that I would not find such love again, but you've changed all that, Satoru-san. You've filled all the empty places in my heart, and I've never been so happy. For all the years that we'll have together, I know that our love will grow every day."

The waiters were all smiling so brightly that Eryn had to laugh a little, the sound infectiously merry. They all looked as happy as if it were they who had just gotten engaged, and Eryn realized that they probably knew Satoru, and were happy to see him find someone to love. And really, Satoru was so very easy to love. He was kind, and gentle, and his intelligence and wit made him more than delightful company, but there was so much more. Eryn could feel the passion in his soul, a fire that needed just the smallest breath to fan it, and it woke an equal passion in her own soul. Theirs was a true love match, just as her son had found with Satoshi, and Vale had found with Yuji, and it was a gift Eryn would not squander. She intended to make sure that Satoru knew how deeply he was loved, every day for the rest of his life.

Satoru handed Eryn a fork, and they fed each other small bites of the rich and delicious cake, their eyes never leaving each other. It was so perfectly romantic, the ideal finish to a night that had begun wonderfully and had only grown more magical. Eryn felt as giddy as an elfling by the time they had finished their dessert, and when they stood to leave, the three young waiters bowed respectfully and then clapped their hands happily as the newly engaged couple left, their hands linked together. For once in his life, Satoru did not care about propriety or appearances, content to feel that slim hand in his as he led Eryn back to the car.

"I'll drive you back to the estate?" Satoru asked, his voice trembling just a little as he fastened his seat belt carefully.

Eryn reached out to touch his cheek very gently. "Satoru-san, a'maelamin, I am a widow, and not a blushing maiden. Would you think me dreadfully forward if I said I'd rather spend the night in your arms?"

Satoru's smile could have lit all of Tokyo. "I'd never think you were anything but perfect, Eryn-chan, and I can't imagine anything more perfect than waking next to you." He sighed a little. "I just wouldn't want to worry Masato-san. Do you think maybe we should call him?"

Eryn laughed merrily. "Masato-kun will appreciate that, I'm sure. He does tend to be a bit of a busybody, but he means well." She gave Satoru a decidedly impish look. "Of course, now I have to introduce you to my other two children, don't I?"

Satoru froze briefly and then gave Eryn a rueful grin. "Hopefully, Masato-san will convince them that I have only the best intentions."

"They'll love you, Satoru-san, just as much as I do," Eryn assured him, and Satoru felt the most delightful tingle when Eryn repeated that simple declaration. "I love you, Satoru, with my whole heart and soul, and I'm so proud to wear your ring and to one day share your family name."

Sand looked at Satoshi, the two of them curled up in their room. Despite his teasing and nuzzling, Satoshi was still a little distracted, his tongue darting out to tease the piercings in his lip, and Sand finally caught Satoshi's chin in one hand, turning the imp to face him.

"What is it, saiai? Tell me what is bothering you," Sand said, his voice warm with love for his husband.

Satoshi heaved a sigh. "It's Vale. Or rather, the way you two acted when we returned from seeing Adalon. You all but bit his head off, and he's been avoiding you ever since."

It was Sand's turn to sigh. "Have I mentioned to you that I am often stubborn and ridiculously thick headed? When Ryuu-kun came through the portal asking about foes, my blood ran cold in my veins, and I immediately lashed out at Vale." Sand's eyes darkened a little. "I know Adalon is a seer, and I know she is ancient beyond reckoning. She is a silver dragon, and in all my years, and in all I have ever read, I have never heard of a silver dragon being anything other than a force of good."

"Then why were you so upset, if you're not afraid of her?" The anxiety in Satoshi's voice was reflected in his gorgeous eyes, and Sand let go of Satoshi's chin in favor of stroking the beautiful cherry red hair of his husband.

"We both know that the visions granted to a seer can be dark at times. We have seen that with our Kansas, and it has made both our hearts ache that he must endure knowing such painful things while being unable to change them." Sand sighed again. "I feared that Adalon had seen some darkness ahead for Ryuu-kun. That he would ask about foes tore at my heart, because I love him as fiercely as I love you, and I would do anything to protect him."

"I know, poldoramin," Satoshi said, stroking Sand's cheek lovingly. "Honestly, it makes me feel better knowing that you;re always there to help me protect Ryuu-kun."

"But that is exactly it, saiai. I should have asked to go with you to see Adalon. Seldarine, I should have insisted. You, and Ryuu-kun, and Kansas, all of you are so dear to me that I simply cannot bear to think of anything happening to any of you. I should have been beside you." Sand looked at Satoshi gravely. "Can you forgive me for not being there?"

Satoshi looked at Sand, his heart aching. "Is that what's been bothering you, Masato-san? That you didn't come with us?"

"In part, yes." Sand made a helpless gesture with his hands. "There is also the matter of my making it rather plain to Vale that I did not trust him to care for Ryuu-kun properly, and that was a grave insult. I know, as absolutely as I know that I love you with all that I am, that Vale would protect Ryuu with his life. I know this beyond any doubt. And yet, I insulted him by insinuating that he put Ryuu-kun in danger."

Satoshi's eyes widened. "This is my fault, poldoramin. I should have told you to come with us. I should have insisted that we take you."

"No, saiai, there is no reason for you to shoulder any blame. I am simply overreacting to my own foolishness, and I was cruel to Vale without cause. He is quite right to be angry with me, and I will make my apologies to him in the morning." Sand smiled, and pulled Satoshi closer to him, nibbling a kiss and nuzzling Satoshi's hair. "Please do not look for reasons to blame yourself, cormamin. You did nothing wrong, and I should have also known that you would not have been so calm had Adalon spoken of any danger to our son. None of you would have been calm. But I am foolish and hot headed."

"Adalon said something to me right before we left," Satoshi said softly. "I can't stop thinking about it. She told me my gift has not been kind to me."

Sand looked at Satoshi curiously. "Did she explain?"

"I asked her what she meant. She said it hurts me to see others in pain, which is true, but she also said my gift opens me up to darker things that want to harm me." Satoshi leaned a little closer into Sand's embrace. "She also told me that I know my inner self better than I think I do, and that I resist the darkness because my soul is so bright."

"It is a beacon, saiai," Sand agreed. "That bright light that is your soul guided me home once, when I was somewhere no mortal should ever walk. Your love shielded me and let me save my brother's soul from being destroyed. I know how bright your soul is."

"She also told me that accepting love that was offered to me would make me stronger. She said love would be my shield." Satoshi looked at Sand. "I'm not sure what she meant by that, but I think it might have something to do with Ryuu-kun. She said he has my gift as an empath and Kansas's gift as a seer."

Sand's eyes widened slightly, but he merely stroked Satoshi's hair, encouraging him to continue.

"I just don't know how love is going to help me protect him. I already love him more than life," Satoshi sighed. "She said she would come here, and help him learn about his gifts."

"That is good, for no one would know more than a noble silver dragon about such things." Sand pressed a kiss to Satoshi's temple. "But there is more, is there not?

Satoshi shivered a little. "She talked about you. She said you finished your journey to wisdom, and that I helped you. I think she was talking about when you destroyed the telkiira and went into the Weave." The words sounded strange coming from Satoshi. "She said my love helped guide you into making the right choice."

Sand's voice was warm as he answered. "I do not know if I have truly found my way to wisdom. Perhaps it is merely that I am often too quick to anger, and I allow that to cloud my wisdom. But one thing is very true. You led me home, you and the bright love that you have for one very foolish elf. You saved me then, and I know that you will always be there to save me, saiai. I never doubt that."

Satoshi sobbed a little, clinging to Sand as Sand kissed him tenderly. Sand could feel a fragile peace descend on Satoshi, and he kissed his beloved husband until Satoshi began to respond with heat to Sand's gentle kisses. Sand made tender love to Satoshi, taking his time and bringing Satoshi to an intense and healing orgasm before cradling Satoshi close and watching his face relax into sleep.

Satoshi woke early the next morning, creeping downstairs to start the tea and running into Vale in the kitchen. Satoshi startled a little, wondering how the blond elf would react, but Vale turned around with one of his radiant smiles and pressed a kiss to Satoshi's lips tenderly.

"Good morning, mela en' coiamin," Vale said, his voice full of love. "You're up early. Is anything wrong?"

Satoshi took a deep breath. Despite his conversation with Sand the night before, Satoshi still felt guilty about the apparent rift between Sand and Vale. Although Vale did not seem at all upset this morning, Satoshi still needed to know that his elven husbands would get past the angry words they had exchanged. "Yes and no," Satoshi said finally, after a long pause. "I'm worried about the way you and Masato blew up at each other."

"Ah." Vale poured a mug of tea and handed it to Satoshi, pouring another for himself. "We need a cigarette for this, I think."

Satoshi followed Vale into the garden, and the two husbands lit their cigarettes, taking deep drags and exhaling plumes of smoke, and Vale grinned suddenly.

"Dragon sneezes," Vale said, his green eyes bright, and Satoshi snickered a little.

"Masato said he should have come with us," Satoshi said, looking at the blond elf.

Vale's green eyes narrowed slightly. "Do you know what set me off first? His idiotic assumption that I would ever do anything to put Ryuu at risk. Or Kansas or you, for that matter. Seldarine, I'm nearly a century older than him. He acts like I'm completely witless sometimes."

Satoshi looked at Vale in dismay. Vale seemed just as upset as he had been, and Satoshi's heart sank. "This was my fault. I should have told him to come with us."

Vale reached out quickly, cupping Satoshi's cheek in one slim hand. "Don't, Satoshi. Don't take this on yourself. It's old history between Sand and me, rearing its head again. Sometimes I think his mother picked exactly the right name for him. He can be as irritating as sand in your shoes, really, and he knows exactly how to get under my skin and make me furious." Vale smiled, his green eyes full of love as he looked at Satoshi.

"I'm just afraid that this has broken something between you two," Satoshi said, and the misery in his voice made Vale stub out his cigarette quickly and pull Satoshi into his arms for a loving kiss.

"You've seen inside me, deeper than Sand ever has, when I broke. You were there for me to take away the pain, so that I could hang on until Yuji got me to Evermeet to be healed." Vale looked into Satoshi's gorgeous eyes. "From the moment I arrived here, you've welcomed me and loved me. I trust you completely, mela en' coiamin. That's why I feel comfortable telling you this. What Sand did, growling at me like that, made me feel as worthless and despicable as I did before I was healed. There's a part of me that's still healing, and it's hard for me to think that I'm anything more than what I was told I was, an abomination who caused his parents' death."

"That's not true!" Satoshi exclaimed, the fierce love in his voice making Vale smile.

"Part of me knows that, but there's that little voice, deep inside, that sometimes wonders if I'm just fooling myself into thinking I'm worthy of love. Then I remember how you just opened your heart to me, and stepped aside to let me fall in love with Yuji, and I'm just awed." Vale kissed Satoshi again, tender and sweet. "I'm sexually submissive, and I'm not ashamed of that. I'm proud to be Yuji's submissive, but I'll be buggered by a balor before I let Sand push me around. I'm strong enough now to stand up for myself, and not let myself be treated like his whipping boy when he gets pissy. The way you and Yuji love me, and the way you both cared for me so tenderly when I broke gave me that strength."

"And Masato didn't?" Satoshi asked carefully.

Vale smiled again. "Sand tried, but Sand never quite knew how to help me. I really was a broken thing, and even now there are fragile bits, but I'm healing more every day. I see the same strength in you now, and I'm glad Sand was able to help you."

"I know he loves you," Satoshi said, his eyes still troubled. "Please don't hate him. Please forgive him."

Vale nodded. "I know he loves me, Satoshi, and I certainly don't hate him. Sand and I have weathered worse than this, and we'll get past this argument as well, I promise. Hells, I've already forgiven him. I just don't see the need to let him know that just yet. Let him think about where he's gotten himself with that sharp tongue of his, and maybe next time he'll think before he opens his mouth."

"So you two are going to be okay?" Satoshi asked. "You promise me that?"

"I swear it, my love. I'll forgive my idiot moon elf, and if he's suitably apologetic, I might even relent and sleep with him again before he turns five hundred." Vale grinned at Satoshi, his eyes bright. "Then again, he's pretty persuasive and, oh hells, he's just pretty."

Satoshi was surprised into a snicker. "And he knows how to use that, too."

Vale began to laugh. "Doesn't he just? Sweet Seldarine, moon elves. They'll be the end of us both."

Satoshi started to laugh as well, feeling himself relax for the first time since they had returned from seeing Adalon.

"Now, I'm going to sashay myself inside and warm up a bottle of breast milk for Takara," Vale said, his green eyes bright with love. "You want to feed our little treasure?"

Satoshi's grin was wide. "I'll go get her."

[Funny Typos]

My own best typo was years ago, when I was just starting out as a volunteer chat host online. I was actually hosting a chat, with the head host supervising, and someone new popped into the room and asked the topic. It was a general chat, so I promptly typed, and sent, "Welcome, XXX! No topic, just a little shit-chat today."

Did I mention this was supposed to be a G-rated moms website?

["Novelist Has Whole Shitty World Plotted Out" from The Onion]

I was positively sniggering reading that...

[Sandcastles and Fireworks]

Adalon bowed her head in acknowledgment of Tatsuya's pain, her silver eyes darkened with an emotion that only Tatsuya recognized. "Oth vur gix, tooth and claw. They wronged you greatly, kosjurathear, young god. I recall hearing of this, a very long time ago, when the eldarin were just beginning to challenge the dominion of Tiamat's children."

Vale's eyes went slightly wide at that, and Satoshi looked briefly worried until Vale turned to him and smiled, stroking his husband's arm lovingly. "It's alright, mela en' coiamin. I just forget sometimes exactly how ancient Adalon really is."

Adalon looked over at Vale for a moment, and then returned her gaze to Tatsuya. "I will tell you this, young god. Support Kansas in his journey, for it is your journey as well. It has brought your this far, to where you can remember what was done to you and your beloved, and knowing your history will guide you as you carve out your future. It is given to me to see what may come to be, a gift Kansas shares, and the purity of his soul aligns him with me, and those of us who follow Bahamut. He is precious, and he holds the virtues that you set aside when your beloved was torn from you, and it is he who will return your beloved to you."

Tatsuya bowed his head slightly as he acknowledged Adalon's words. "I share my strength with him, because he protects and defends my Yuki, whose soul is bound up in his lover. Yuki has not awoken yet, but I will help Kansas while Yuki slumbers."

"Tell me of this lover," Adalon said, and Tatsuya's chin lifted slightly as his eyes shifted color. When he remained stubbornly mute, Adalon gusted a small sigh. "I will respect your silence, Tatsuya. But know this, I will give you my vow that I will add my aid to yours should you need it. It is not a thing I offer lightly. Kansas's purity demands that I guard him well, and to do that, I require knowledge."

Vale leaned forward, his green eyes unusually serious. "Then let me tell you about him, Adalon." When Adalon nodded, Vale took a deep breath. "Kansas's lover is Erion, nephew of Mori Masato, whom you know as Sand en Nosse Iradil. They met in Evereska, and the bond between them was instant. Erion is young, just past his fortieth year, but his soul is far older and he is bound to Kansas by a recognized lifebond, blessed by Hanali Celanil. His heritage is interesting, to say the least. His father carries the blood of Sildëyuir."

Adalon snorted softly. "Is that what he is saying these days? Santhiel en Nosse Sulandorn is all iskvaecaesin, all star elf, that one, as fey as they come. He turned his back on his people and left their shadowy realm to walk once again in the light. But this explains much, vorastrix. This lover of Kansas carries both the blood of those who remain closest to their eldarin ancestors, and the blood of the levethix Sand, although he is hardly that anymore, is he?"

"He would tell you that he is no more than that," Vale replied, his tone mild.

Adalon lifted her head slightly. "The Weave still ripples from his passage, but I will grant you that he possesses the wisdom to reject the folly that was offered."

Satoshi sat up straighter, his heart pounding a little as he spoke up, his voice clear. "Masato chose his family. Power means nothing to him."

Adalon's gaze was very warm as she turned to Satoshi. "His love for you, and for your children, has given him the strength he needed. Whether or not you believe this, beautiful man, his choice was the final step in his journey to wisdom, but he could not have taken that step without the beacon of your love to guide him. This is also your gift, Mori Satoshi. You are powerful in your own right." Adalon's eyes narrowed slightly. "So much power, concentrated together. It is as it was meant to be, for the goodness of your souls shines as brightly as the power you all hold."

Adalon turned back to Tatsuya. "Go in peace, young god. We may meet again, if that is your will. It will be by your choice, and in a place of your choosing if it is to be."

Tatsuya stood and gave another shallow bow, and then his eyes faded to Kansas's beautiful grey. Kansas slumped back onto the couch, and Vale put his arm around him, pressing a kiss to his forehead and getting him a glass of orange juice.

"Drink this, alasse'amin. You'll feel better for the sweetness," Vale urged.

Adalon looked at Ryuu, her wise eyes watching as he curled up in Satoshi's lap, completely unafraid. "Come, my bronze dragon. Will you come and sit by me a moment?"

Ryuu looked at Satoshi for permission, his eyes shining at the prospect of being allowed to sit next to a real dragon. Satoshi looked over at Vale, reaching out through their bond for reassurance, and Vale gave Satoshi one of his radiant smiles.

"Adalon is a force of utter goodness, mela en' coiamin. I'd never have brought any of you here otherwise." Vale sent a wave of love and reassurance through their bond.

"Are you alright with going over there and sitting with Lady Adalon by yourself, watashi no ryu?" Satoshi smoothed Ryuu's unruly black hair as Ryuu beamed up at him.

"Of course, chichi," Ryuu said with his most wonderful smile as he stroked Satoshi's cheek with a small hand. "She's a very nice dragon and buronzudoragon says we should sit with her. She misses her babies sometimes."

Satoshi opened his mouth, and then closed it with a small snap, and nodded, his eyes full of wonder and love as he looked at Ryuu. "Then who am I to meddle in the affairs of dragons?"

Adalon brought herself down to the floor, resting her head on one foreleg and stretching the other out to make a comfortable perch for Ryuu, her silver eyes luminous as Ryuu skipped over to climb up on her leg, delighted by the smooth feel of her gleaming scales.

"Your scales are warm!" Ryuu exclaimed, looking at Adalon in delight.

"They are, my bronze dragon," Adalon agreed.

"Where are your babies now?" Ryuu wanted to know, his beautiful dark eyes shining as he curled up and made himself at home on Adalon's leg.

"Oh, my children are all grown, and have taken up their own duties where they are needed. We silvers protect, you see, and there are always places that need our protection. Some of my children are healers, and have gone to serve their grandmother as her priests." Adalon looked pleased as Ryuu smiled happily. "I do sometimes miss them, and the bustle of having a lair full of young dragons, but I am proud of how they have grown."

"Do dragons sneeze?" Ryuu asked.

Adalon looked momentarily disconcerted, provoking a small grin from Vale. "We do sometimes sneeze, of course. I remember some of my children sneezing quite loudly."

"Did they set anything on fire?" Ryuu looked at Adalon. "There's not a lot of water around here."

Adalon looked even more puzzled, and Vale had to bite his lip. Satoshi blushed furiously and Kansas did giggle into Vale's shoulder.

"You breathe fire, don't you? So when you sneeze, do you sneeze fire?" Ryuu continued.

Adalon chuckled, understanding dawning. "Oh, my dear bronze dragon, we do not all breathe fire. Mostly it is red dragons who do that. We silvers breathe a cloud that can paralyze our foes, or we can breathe very cold air."

"I hope you don't sneeze, then. I don't think I want to be an icicle." Ryuu looked up at Adalon with a giggle.

Adalon chuckled again. "I shall try very hard not to sneeze, of course." Adalon looked over at Satoshi, her delight evident. "I do not think your father would be very happy if I turned you into an icicle, and I would not want to upset him. But I think perhaps I will need to come and visit you sometimes, not in my dragon form, though. There might not be enough room in your house."

Ryuu nodded. "We'd have to go into the garden for that."

"There are some things that I might be able to show you, things that a bronze dragon should know." Adalon moved her head slightly, bringing her snout closer to Ryuu who leaned over and gave her a kiss before sliding off her leg and skipping back to Satoshi. Adalon looked immensely pleased as Satoshi scooped his son up and hugged him tightly.

"If there is nothing else you need of me, my dear friends, I will open the portal for you once again. You are welcome to return whenever you have need, of course. Simply contact me, and I will open the way." Adalon rose up again to sit on her haunches, waiting to see if anyone had anything further to ask.

[Sandcastles and Fireworks]

Adalon's amused laugh rang off the crystal walls like delicate wind chimes, but when she spoke, great power thrummed in her voice. "Well met, vorastrix. And well met to you, ulhardarastrix, whose power and wisdom both have grown since last we met." Adalon turned her gaze on Satoshi and Ryuu, and Vale stepped forward.

"This is my husband, Mori Satoshi, and his son, Mori Ryuu." Vale gestured gracefully. "My loves, may I introduce my lady Adalon, a most noble silver dragon?"

Satoshi bowed deeply, the faintest of tremors in his hands as he held on tightly to Ryuu. "I am honored, Lady Adalon."

Adalon's laugh rang out again. "It has been a long time since I have been greeted with such courtesy, vorelsthyr, beautiful man. Be welcome in my home, for I would like to call you a friend."

Ryuu was watching Adalon with great interest from his perch in Satoshi's arms. "Your hair is all silvery like my oniisan, but I still think you must be a very tiny dragon."

Satoshi's eyes widened just a little, but Adalon looked at Ryuu with warmth in those shimmering eyes. "I am most happy to meet you, aujirdarastrix, bronze dragon. We are kin of a sort, you and I, but I think perhaps your father would appreciate some tea."

Adalon escorted them to the couches, and gestured for them to have tea and refreshments. On small tables by the couches were pots of steaming tea, a pitcher of iced orange juice, and small sweet pastries and cookies. "I am never sure of the time of day on your Planes, but I find tea to be refreshing no matter the time."

Vale laughed as he poured tea for Satoshi and Kansas, and then juice for Ryuu. "Tea is definitely welcome. It's early morning by our reckoning." Vale offered a cup of tea to Adalon, who waved it off gracefully with a smile. "I'm glad you could see us with so little notice."

"I am always pleased to entertain friends," Adalon said, and there was the tiniest note of admonition in her voice. "You do not visit as often, my dear vorastrix."

Vale smiled back, utterly at ease to Satoshi's amazement. "You know things have been busy, and I do manage to keep in touch. Really, vorelorndarastrix, it's not entirely one-sided, either." The draconic rolled off Vale's tongue easily.

Kansas was sitting very still, and observing Adalon with great interest, his eyes still that dark grey with a faint shimmer of blue. Adalon returned his look just as intently.

"You are not the one who came before, but I am glad you are here, kosjurathear, young god. It is as much your journey as the young blue dragon's journey, after all," Adalon said calmly, and Kansas drew in a quick breath.

Adalon nodded, and turned back to Ryuu, who was nibbling a cookie. "Now, before you burst, my bronze dragon, I should address your concerns. I am not a very tiny dragon, I assure you. In fact, that is why I chose to meet you like this. Some people are foolish enough to think that all dragons are to be feared, and the larger the dragon, the more fearful they are. I do not believe you are foolish, though."

Ryuu looked up at Adalon with his bright smile. "No, I am not foolish at all, although my hibaba sometimes says I'm foolhardy, but I don't know if being a hardy fool is a bad thing or not. And I'm not scared. Even if you are bigger than my house, I'm not scared because you're a very nice lady dragon." Ryuu's smiled widened. "But thank you very much for not wanting to scare me."

"Would it please you to see my true form?" Adalon asked, and Satoshi grew slightly pale as Ryuu nodded enthusiastically. She rose from the couch and moved to the back of the chamber, and there was a shimmer as she began to shift, growing much larger as her dragon shape emerged. Adalon spread her vast wings slightly, pleased to be in her own form again. "Ah, this is more like it," she said, her voice still the same.

Ryuu's eyes grew wide, and he looked at the large silver dragon as she settled herself comfortably on her haunches and folded her shining wings back.

"Wow," Ryuu whispered, leaning a little into Kansas. "She ain't no tiny dragon. She's huger than Gorija!"

Vale smothered a laugh, and Adalon dipped her elegant head in the draconic equivalent of Vale's gesture. "I am glad my form pleases you, my bronze dragon."

Satoshi found himself unable to catch his breath for a moment as he looked at the silver dragon seated behind the couches. One moment, Adalon had been a woman, slightly unusual, but still a woman, and now she was... a very large dragon. Vale was completely unconcerned, and Kansas seemed no more surprised than Vale. Ryuu was positively bursting with excitement. But all Satoshi could feel was a rising panic, which got worse when Adalon looked at him with concern in her beautiful voice.

"Are you unwell? I do not wish to cause you distress, erthurirl, my friend." Adalon looked at Satoshi, and he could feel a sudden wash of friendship and reassurance from the dragon, a gentle concern that eased the tightness in his chest and let him breathe again.

"It is my role to act as a guardian," Adalon said, still looking at Satoshi. "I protect and defend that which is pure and good. Please know that I would defend your son with my very life, for he is both pure and good, and he carries a gift my people revere. He is a seer, and an empath as you are. He is very powerful, and his gift will do much good."

The utter sincerity of Adalon's words settled Satoshi down, and he managed a sip of tea, his fingers only trembling a little as he lifted the cup. "Thank you, Lady Adalon, for those kind words."

"I do not know if they are kind, erthurirl. Your gift has not been kind to you, and neither has the gift the young blue dragon bears. He will carry both, and if you will permit me, I will seek to help him learn to carry them with less difficulty." Adalon chose her words with care, not wishing to alarm Ryuu, but wishing to reassure Satoshi. "We will talk later on this, but it needed to be said now. However, this is not the reason you have come today."

Adalon's impressive head turned, and her eyes locked on Kansas's eyes. "Tell me what is is you wish to know, be you the blue dragon or the young god, for you are both entwined."

[Sandcastles and Fireworks]

"I came back, koibito." Erion looked at Momo, his silvery eyes bright and clear and a smile on his face. "I promised that I would."

Erion curled up on the bed, and slipped a breath mint between Momo's lips. Momo pulled himself up into a sitting position, his heart pounding. Erion looked young and beautiful and utterly radiant as he leaned in to feather a kiss across Momo's lips, his hair swinging forward to brush against Momo's bare shoulder. Momo breathed in, smelling the scent of his little lover, and he smiled as Erion sat back, looking calm.

"You talked to Kansas?" Momo asked, and then winced a little inwardly. He had barely greeted Erion, and he was already asking if he had talked to his other lover. "I'm sorry, yuki no erufu. You just get back and I'm interrogating you. Come here, baby, and let me hold you."

Erion laughed, a joyous sound, and he moved to slide himself into Momo's embrace, tilting his face up for a kiss as he wrapped his arms around Momo's neck. "Don't apologize, Momo-san."

The warmth of Erion's greeting send a flutter through Momo's stomach, and he kissed the young elf deeply, letting his fingers slide through Erion's silver hair. He looked down at Erion's left hand when they broke apart, and his heart sank as he realized Erion was not wearing the ring.

Erion caught the change in Momo's expression, and saw where Momo's eyes were focused, and he put a slim hand under Momo's chin to lift his head. His other hand dipped into his pocket, and he fumbled around for a moment until he came up with the ring, which he held up.

"I want to do this right, koibito." Erion looked directly into Momo's dark eyes, his own eyes filled with love. "So, maybe you should take this ring back for just a few minutes, until you hear what I have to say."

"Just tell me quick, Yuki-chan," Momo begged, his voice trembling a little.

Erion nodded. "What you asked me, to be yours? I love you, Momo, and I have no problem giving you my heart. What I won't do is lie to you and promise you forever. I am yours for as long as our love shall last, and if that can be enough, then I'll wear your ring proudly, and I will love you with all that I am, my heart, my soul, my body, everything." Erion held out the ring to Momo, and Momo took it carefully, his eyes never leaving Erion's eyes.

"I talked with tousan last night. We polished off the rest of a bottle of whiskey together, and he told me pretty much the same thing." Momo reached out to touch Erion's cheek, marveling at the velvety warmth under his hand. "So, Yuki-chan, watashi no yuki no erufu, I promise to love you with everything that I am, for as long as our love shall last. And when we both agree that our love has faded, we will give each other one last kiss, and then we will part as friends, and we will never let go of that friendship. That much I can promise to you forever, my friendship."

Very carefully, Momo slid the silver ring onto Erion's left forefinger, trembling slightly as he did so, and Erion's face lit up with a radiant smile.

"Oh, koibito, it's so beautiful," Erion breathed, admiring the gleam of the ring on his finger, his eyes wide with joy. He threw his arms around Momo and kissed him passionately, laughing and sobbing with happiness as he straddled Momo. "I love you, Mori Mamoru. I love you so much, and I'm going to make you so happy."

"You already have, baby," Momo said, a crushing weight lifting off his heart as he held Erion tightly, nibbling kisses from those plump lips. "I love you, Hayashi Yuki, my Yuki-chan, and I promise to make you happy."

Momo's fingers were already plucking at Erion's tight little t-shirt, rolling it up over his flat belly, and Erion raised his arms to allow Momo to pull it off altogether, his sensitive little nipples already hard and pebbled as his eyes darkened with arousal. Momo worked open the buckle of Erion's belt, and then the waistband of his jeans, and he rolled Erion over onto his back on the bed as he slid the jeans over the elf's slim hips.

Erion's cock was straining his tight boxers, and Momo peeled those down with a moan of pure lust as Erion's cock sprang free. Momo could not resist lapping at the slit, tasting the first drops of precum as Erion gasped a little at the feeling of Momo's tongue on his cock. Momo chuckled wickedly, taking Erion's cock into his mouth, teasing the young elf with his tongue until Erion's back was arched like a bow and his slim hands were fisted in Momo's hair. Momo dipped his head lower, swallowing Erion down to the root, and Erion howled as Momo swallowed hard and then drew back slowly.

Momo released Erion's cock, looking down at the young elf he he writhed, his cheeks flushed and his ear tips rosy with arousal. Momo reached out and stroked one gracefully pointed ear, pinching the tip lightly, and Erion moaned wantonly, his cock jumping as a dribble of precum slid down the head to drip on his taut belly. Momo chuckled again as he peeled off his tank top, and Erion watched him with fevered eyes, his pink tongue peeking out as he licked his lips as Momo's muscled chest was bared.

Momo rose up on his knees, teasing his sleep pants over his hips slowly as Erion moaned again, his thighs parting to reveal his little pucker. Momo's cock was hard, the head already glistening with precum, and he reached for the lube on the nightstand, dribbling some on his fingers and slicking his cock before wiping the rest off on Erion's twitching ass. Erion moaned loudly, his hips lifting a little in anticipation, and Momo moved between those long tanned thighs, his cock pressing against Erion's pucker.

Momo pressed forward, breaching Erion's ass and pushing in past the tight muscle as Erion gasped and reached for Momo's hips, urging him onward as Momo filled his little lover with his generous cock. Momo's eyes were locked on Erion's eyes as he set a steady pace, his cock riding Erion's prostate and sending fireworks exploding behind Erion's eyes. Erion's hands fell away from Momo's hips, his long legs wrapping around Momo as the young elf bucked to meet each thrust, his silver hair fanned out beneath him.

"Oh, fuck, Momo, right there... yes!" Erion cried out, arching into Momo's thrusts, his hands fisting in the covers as his cock jumped a little.

Momo knew Erion was close, and he picked up the pace, lifting Erion's hips just right, and Erion bit back a scream as his cock jumped again, his flat belly slick with precum from his leaking cock. Momo braced himself carefully, and ran one finger along Erion's cock, from the base to the cleft under the head, teasing the small dip lightly, and this time Erion did scream as his balls emptied and he painted Momo's chest and his own with thick white ropes of cum. The sight of that, and the way Erion's tight little ass molded itself around Momo's cock, was enough to push Momo over the edge, and with a howl of his own, he thrust in to the root one last time, his cum searing as he filled Erion's ass.

Shuddering, Momo eased himself down as Erion's arms wrapped around him and pulled him down on top of the little elf, Erion's lips seeking Momo's lips as Erion moaned sweetly.

"Yuki-chan, baby, I love you so much," Momo murmured into Erion's silver hair, nuzzling in to nibble a pointed ear.

Erion shivered in delight beneath Momo, his voice deliciously husky. "I love you, Momo-chan. Amin mela lle, melindoamin."

The lilting elven made Momo smile and he rolled to one side a little, taking Erion with him. They were sweaty and sticky, and Momo thought he had never been so gloriously content in his life. He cradled Erion in his arms, nibbling kisses and watching as the flush slowly faded from Erion's cheeks, the young elf's smile radiant. The silver ring gleamed on Erion's left forefinger, and Momo took Erion's hand and stroked it, running his finger over the ring.

Erion looked at Momo, his eyes filled with love. "It's so beautiful, baby. I love it." Erion grinned a little. "Whatever gave you the idea to get me a ring for my forefinger, though?"

Momo blushed a little. "I noticed that Masato-san wears one on his right forefinger, a gold band. I liked the way it looked." Momo gave Erion a quick wide-eyed look. "It's okay, right?"

Erion grinned even more. "Masato-san's ring is his wedding ring with Akira-san. Elves wear their wedding rings on the right forefinger."

Momo's eyes widened a bit more. "So, the left forefinger is what?"

Erion started to giggle, nuzzling in closer to Momo. "Betrothal." Momo gasped a little, and Erion nibbled a kiss. "It's perfect, koibito. It can also mean belonging, and I'm certainly yours."

Momo's heart skipped a beat as Erion said that, and he leaned in to plunder his little elf's mouth, feeling like everything had just fallen perfectly into place in his life as Erion returned the kiss eagerly.

[Sandcastles and Fireworks]

Erion looked at Momo, his heart aching. It would have been so easy to just say yes, to throw his arms around Momo's neck and tell him that he would be Momo's. The rational part of Erion knew better, though, and so he looked at Momo, his eyes filled with tears.

"Can you take me to the train?" Erion managed a deep breath, willing himself not to start crying. "I may not make it back tonight, but I'll be home tomorrow. I promise, Momo. I promise." The pain in Momo's eyes tore at Erion's heart, and the young elf had to look away to keep his composure.

Momo led Erion to the station, and he watched with sad eyes as Erion touched his arm lightly and then turned to go to the platform. Erion looked back as he went, hesitating as if he wanted to run back to Momo, but he turned away again, his shoulders hunched in misery. Momo watched until Erion had boarded his train, and he went to catch a train back to Satoru's house, his heart heavy.

By the time Erion reached the estate, he was trembling with the effort not to cry. He managed to punch in the gate code, and then gave up the struggle, letting his tears out as he ran down the path. He did not stop running until he was almost to the door, and digging in his pocket for his keys, he let himself in and kicked off his shoes in the entryway. Kansas came flying down the stairs and crashed into the sobbing elf, wrapping his arms around Erion and guiding him out into the garden.

"Shh, isilmeamin, I'm here. Whatever it is, you're safe, baby." Kansas held Erion, stroking his silver hair and trying to sort out the flood of emotions that poured out of the distraught elf.

It took a while, but Erion finally calmed down enough to fumble in his pockets for his cigarettes, lighting one with a shaking hand. He dug deeper in his pocket, and pulled something out, holding it tightly in his fist. Erion lifted his head and looked at Kansas, his silvery eyes red rimmed from his tears.

"Momo asked me something the other day, and I never answered. He asked me to be his. He told me that he loved me, and that he gave himself to me completely. His heart, his soul, his body, everything. And then he asked me to be his." Erion took a drag on his cigarette. "I didn't answer him then, and so he asked me again tonight. He gave me this."

Erion put something into Kansas's hand, and Kansas looked at it, turning the silver ring around in his fingers.

"I fell apart, 'lokiamin. I didn't know what to say to him. Momo put it on my finger, and I was so confused. Part of me wanted to say yes." Erion hunched his shoulders, drawing in on himself. "But that would have been a lie, wouldn't it? And it would ruin everything, in this lifetime and when he's reborn as well. I can't be his lover the way he's asking."

Kansas pulled Erion close and held the young elf tenderly, kissing his silver hair with all the love in his heart. "Then say yes, but not for forever." Kansas could feel Erion stiffen in surprise. "Forever is ours, my loved. Forever is what happens after we've had eight hundred years of loving each other. I think, with all that ahead of us, that I can wait a little bit while you love Momo with all your heart right now."

Erion looked up, his eyes wide with surprise. Kansas kissed him gently, with such tenderness and love in his beautiful storm-grey eyes that Erion gasped a little.

"Don't deny what you feel for Momo because you're afraid you're hurting me. I was the one who encouraged you to explore this. If you were home, in Evereska, if we had never met, you would be throwing yourself into love affairs with reckless abandon, and then falling out of love and learning about endings, and falling in love again." Kansas stroked Erion's cheek, wiping away the tears with gentle fingers. "Embrace this love you have for Momo. Throw yourself into it with your whole heart, with everything you are, and enjoy this time you have with him. And when it ends, I'll be here waiting for you. I'll always be here, isilmeamin."

"I can't promise him what he wants, though." Erion touched Kansas's cheek just as softly. "I can't give him the forever that he wants."

"Then tell him that you are his for as long as your love shall last," Kansas replied calmly, his smile so achingly beautiful that Erion felt something inside him heal. "That's not a lie. And when it ends, you can let him go with no regrets for not having loved him with all your heart. Be happy with him, my loved, and I'll be happy for you."

"How did you get so wise, 'lokiamin?" Erion asked, taking a deep breath.

"I don't know if it's that I'm wise, or if it's just because I know that we have forever ahead of us." Kansas took Erion's hand and opened it, and placed the silver ring on it. "It's a beautiful ring. It's big, though."

Erion nodded. "It fits on my left forefinger." He looked at the ring and then looked back up at Kansas.

"That's sweet that he chose the forefinger instead of the ring finger," Kansas said. "Take it back to him, and ask him to put it back on your finger when you give him your promise."

Erion smiled, a crooked little grin. "Do you know what it means to put a ring on an elf's forefinger?"

Kansas smiled back. "No, but I suspect it means you're married."

"On the right hand, it means you're married. On the left, it means you're betrothed." Erion closed his hand around the ring. "I wonder if I should tell Momo that."

"I think you should," Kansas said. "It's funny, how he chose the left forefinger. I wonder what made him think of it?"

Erion shook his head a little. "I have no idea." He leaned forward, resting against Kansas and linking his arms behind Kansas's head. "Sometimes, 'lokiamin, you're a better elf than I am."

Kansas laughed, his arms slipping around Erion's waist. "You have a human lover, and you're spending most of your time living as a human. It's easy to let yourself react like a human. I've been embracing the elven lifestyle, and immersing myself in my path to wisdom. But in the end, it won't matter. We'll always be us."

Erion relaxed in Kansas's arms, finally letting himself admit what he had been denying. He loved Momo, with all the fierce passion in his young heart, just as he loved Kansas. But Momo was a gift he would only have for a short time, an instant compared to the time he would have with his Kansas, and it was only right that Erion make the most of this brief and precious time. The admission brought a sense of peace to Erion that surprised him a little, but the love that washed over him through his bond with Kansas reassured him that this was right.

"It's late, isilmeamin. There won't be any more trains." Kansas stroked Erion's back. "Stay here tonight with me, and tomorrow you can go to Momo and give him your answer."

Erion followed Kansas into the house, shoving the ring from Momo deep into his pocket as he took Kansas's hand. Upstairs, in Kansas's room, their room, Erion reminded himself forcefully, the young elf undressed without haste and watched Kansas's eyes as his lover did the same. Kansas held out his arms, and Erion walked into the embrace, his lips seeking Kansas's lips in a sweet and lingering kiss.

When they broke for air, Erion moved over to the bed and laid back, his thighs parted in invitation as he watched Kansas. Kansas's smile was radiant as he moved onto the bed with sinuous grace, already reaching for the lube as he leaned forward to kiss Erion again. Erion moaned in delight as Kansas nipped the tips of his pointed ears, and stroked his sensitive nipples until the young elf was writhing beneath him.

Erion could not help the moan that escaped him as Kansas's mouth sank down over his cock, while Kansas's lubed fingers breached the elf, loosening him easily. Kansas released Erion's cock with a soft pop, his eyes beautiful in the moonlight, and he moved up to press his own aching cock against Erion's pucker. Erion cried out with pleasure as Kansas breached him, sinking into his ass fully in a single fluid thrust, and Erion wrapped his long legs around Kansas's hips as his hands fisted in the bed covers.

Kansas set a slow and loving pace, withdrawing almost fully before sliding back into the tight heat of Erion's ass, striking his prostate with every thrust and making Erion arch beneath his as the young elf moaned with pleasure. Erion's cock was weeping precum freely, and Kansas opened his bond with Erion to share the feeling of being buried in that tight ass. Erion mewled as he let Kansas feel the sensation of being plundered by every thrust, filled perfectly and brought to new heights of pleasure as Kansas assaulted his prostate.

Erion wrapped one hand around his own cock, stroking it languidly in time with Kansas's slow thrusts, the pleasure heightening for them both as they made love. Erion's balls were full and heavy, his eyes dark with his arousal, and he was mewling non-stop as Kansas lifted Erion's left hip just the right way. Kansas increased the pace of his thrusts until Erion spilled with a scream of ecstasy, his cum painting them both as his ass clenched around Kansas's cock. Kansas thrust a few more times, setting off fireworks behind Erion's eyes as the elf arched his back to grind himself down on that impressive cock, and then Kansas came with a howl of his own, filling Erion with an endless stream of cum.

Erion pulled Kansas down, his lips seeking Kansas's plump lips as he mewled through the last waves of pleasure, shivers running through him. Kansas was moaning himself as he plundered Erion's mouth, his cock pressed firmly into Erion's tight little ass as the elf milked him dry. They clung together, letting their hearts slow down as they kissed, until Kansas's cock finally slipped out of Erion's ass.

"I love you, 'lokiamin," Erion murmured between kisses. "Ten'oio, forever."

"And I love you endlessly, isilmeamin," Kansas replied, pulling Erion onto his shoulder as the elf let one long leg fall over Kansas's thigh. "I'll always be here for you. Never think that I won't."

Erion sighed a little, his entire body limp with sated pleasure, and he nuzzled closer into Kansas's shoulder as he let reverie steal over him, utterly at peace. Kansas watched his beloved little elf for a few minutes, stroking the sweat-damp silver locks back from Erion's peaceful face, and then he fell asleep with the familiar heat of his lover in his arms.

Dawn found them wrapped around each other, their bodies painted with the first rays of sunlight as they stood on the balcony as they embraced the gift of power granted by the light. Neither Erion nor Kansas needed words as they turned to each other, lips crashing together as they tumbled back onto the bed, completing their worship as Erion sank into the heat of Kansas with a howl and plundered his lover eagerly. When Erion had come, his aching cock filling Kansas's ass with powerful spurts of cum, Kansas flipped his elf onto his knees and breached Erion's ass with a scream of joy, claiming Erion with fierce joy as Erion pressed back onto Kansas's generous cock with wanton glee until Kansas came with a howl, his cum even hotter than the tight ass that surrounded him.

[I corrected my disclaimer]

Can you let us know in which subdomain it is?

[Sandcastles and Fireworks]

Sand could not help but smile at Ryuu as the boy got ready for the concert, putting on his favorites cargoes and choosing a t-shirt and hoodie with great concentration. Sand was wearing slim faded jeans that hugged him deliciously, with a sleek leather belt, and a skin-tight t-shirt that almost exactly matched his eyes. A casual linen blazer in soft cream was tossed over the back of the chair while Sand contemplated his rather large assortment of shoes, all neatly tucked in clear boxes.

Ryuu looked over his shoulder at Sand, and tapped a box containing a pair of ankle boots. "Wear those, tousan. They'll look nice for chichi."

"Very well, sochi-chan, the boots it is." Sand pulled that box from its shelf and set it on the dresser to bring downstairs with him. "Now, let me look at you."

Ryuu spun around, trying an air guitar move, and Sand laughed in delight.

"You look so much like your chichi, my dragon," Sand told Ryuu, and Ryuu grinned.

"I know. I'm gorgeous, too." Ryuu looked up at Sand with such a perfect replica of Satoshi's cheekiest grin that Sand had to lean down and kiss Ryuu's cheek.

"Well, then, my gorgeous one, let us go see if everyone else is ready." Sand grabbed his box and held out his free hand to Ryuu.

The rest of the family was gathered downstairs already, in varying stages of readiness. Vale was in deep discussion with Hikaru, who looked like a very small version of Vale in his tiny jeans and denim shirt. Yuji was laughing at them both, and Aika was hiding a giggle behind her hand as her tousan explained why her otouto needed to keep his shoes on tonight. Aika had a lovely little dress on, looking summery and perfect with her hair brushing her shoulders.

Willow was laughing with Satoru and Eryn, Eryn's hand tucked firmly in Satoru's hand. Momo and Erion were talking with Kansas, the three youngsters laughing about something or other, their faces bright. Erion was cradling Takara, and crooning something to her in between fits of giggles.

Satoshi had told Sand that Kohaku had sent tickets to the rest of the posse, as well as to Kenji and Yori, and Sand was looking forward to seeing them all as well. Kohaku had also arranged for special headsets for the children to protect their ears from the volume of the music, since they would all be right up front and near the amplifiers, which Sand thought was a terribly kind thing to do. Sand and Vale were both going to use a minor cantrip to reduce the sensitivity of their own hearing, and Vale was prepared to do the same for Hikaru if the headsets were insufficient for the little half elf.

"Are we all ready?" Yuji asked, beaming happily as he looked at his family. There was a chorus of agreement, and they headed out to the cars, since both Momo and Satoru were driving as well as Yuji. Maela stood in the doorway with Takara, waving as they all climbed into vehicles, Kansas jumping in with Momo and Erion.

When they arrived at the venue, a staff member was waiting to escort them to their seats at the very front, heads swiveling as the other fans tried to guess who they were. Kenji and Yori were there already, sitting next to Emiko-chan and her daughters. Kaede gave Emiko a pleading look, and when Emiko nodded, she hurried over to Aika to hug her best friend. Willow curled up next to Emiko, the two women chatting happily as Emiko exclaimed over Willow's radiantly pregnant state. Momo and Erion followed Kansas over to greet Eric, Ryo and Takahiro, the friends sitting together. It took a few moments for everyone to settle into a seat, but finally they were all sorted out, even Hikaru having the privilege of his very own seat which impressed the little half elf enough to keep him in it, with his green eyes wide as he looked up at the stage. Vale relented and took Hikaru's shoes off so his seat would not get dirtied, and Hikaru sighed happily as he wiggled his sock-covered toes.

It was not long before the house lights dimmed and the stage lights came up, and then it was a flurry of excitement as Kohaku and Satoshi took the stage, both of them performing better than they had ever before. Ryuu stared up at Satoshi for a moment, with his cherry red hair and contacts, his makeup playing up his gorgeous eyes and his piercings making him look both completely familiar and at the same time mysterious and a little dangerous. Then Ryuu broke into the most radiant smile, his whole body practically quivering with excitement as he let out a cheer.

Aika shrieked with joy when she saw Satoshi, recognizing him readily and giggling with Kaede over their silly parents. Even Hikaru let out a shriek as he saw Satoshi, shouting, "Gifu!" in his sweet little voice, which was fortunately drowned out by the voices of the rest of the audience, although Vale had to wonder when Satoshi winked in Hikaru's direction.

Around the middle of the set, there was a break while Kohaku strutted around a bit and did his MC portion, his raunchy one-liners aimed at the band making the audience roar with laughter. Then Kohaku turned to look at Satoshi with the most wicked leer, and Satoshi mimed boredom, rolling his eyes at the audience, and turned his back. Kohaku slid up behind Satoshi, and looked at the audience.

"Talk to me, Phoenix. Tell me how to ruffle your feathers," Kohaku purred, using Satoshi's stage name, and Satoshi pretended to look around, as though he might have heard a tiny noise. "Oh, you weren't that cold to me in bed last night." Kohaku's supple voice managed to be both sultry and silly at the same time.

The audience began to giggle, waiting for Satoshi to chase Kohaku with the big foam bat that was propped up next to Satoshi, but the cherry-haired man just turned around and fired back, "How can I be cold to you when it's the only time I can ever get a word in? It's the only time I can make you shut up, after all, when you've got your mouth full."

There was a brief moment when Kohaku was completely speechless as he stared at Satoshi, and then Kohaku began to roar with laughter, doubling over and collapsing on the stage in helpless mirth. The audience cheered Satoshi wildly, their laughter making Satoshi grin and he prodded the prone singer with his foot, to a renewed wave of laughter.

Near the end of the second half of the set, Kohaku and Satoshi performed Kageoshi's song, and the entire house was filled with small lights during the moment of silence, the posse clinging to each other with tears in their eyes. The end of the set came soon after, and there was such a roar of applause that Kohaku and Satoshi bounded back out onto the stage for another five songs. They left again, but the audience did not stop cheering and applauding until they returned, and this time it was Satoshi who took the center of the stage as the band began to play the song he had written for Ryuu.

Ryuu's eyes went round as he heard Satoshi begin to sing, Kohaku joining in as a back-up singer, and he slid forward to the edge of his seat, grabbing Sand's hand tightly as tears of joy ran down his cheeks. Satoshi's face was filled with love, and the audience listened as raptly as Ryuu until the song was over. Almost without a pause, Satoshi started in on the song he had written the first night he had spent with Sand in their treehouse, and it was Sand's turn to slide forward on his seat, his face radiant with his love for his husband as Satoshi's beautiful voice filled the entire room. For a moment, there was no one else there, just Sand and Satoshi as Satoshi looked out to where he knew Sand was sitting.

The concert ended after that song, and the applause was thunderous as Kohaku and Satoshi left the stage for the last time, the names "Kohaku" and "Phoenix" equally on the lips of the audience members. Some of the staff came over to the families, and escorted them back stage to a large dressing room to wait for the the pair of stars to shower and join them. There was tea, both hot and cold sweet tea, and fruit juices for the children, and fruit and chocolates and cookies to nibble, and everyone cold not stop talking about how amazing the show had been.

Emiko said she had never seen Kohaku this good before, totally at the top of his game and his energy boundless throughout the show, and Sand offered the opinion that perhaps Kohaku and Satoshi simply brought out the best in each other, because Satoshi's confidence and joy had just shone like a beacon. Kansas was literally in tears from pride, and Yuji was wiping his eyes a bit behind Vale's shoulder. Vale was beaming and sniffling without any shame, so proud of Satoshi that he could have burst. Erion and Momo were hugging Satoru, who was simply glowing with pride in his son, and Eryn rubbed his back gently as they waited for Satoshi.

When Satoshi and Kohaku finally arrived, Ryuu launched himself across the room and into Satoshi's arms, crying with happiness as he was scooped up and hugged breathless by his chichi. Sand joined them, wrapping his arms around his husband and their son, and pressing a soft kiss to Satoshi's forehead, his face radiant with love. Kohaku took Emiko in his arms, and he held her for a moment and looked into her eyes, his face bright with his love for her, and then he stooped to hug his daughters with his loud and silly laugh ringing out.

Sometime during all the congratulations and happy talk, Hikaru tugged on Kohaku's hand gently, and then held his arms up when Kohaku looked down in surprise. With a grin, the singer lifted the little half elf, who reached up to touch Kohaku's rainbow hair very gently before bursting into his engaging little smile.

"Bright hair," Hikaru observed, and then gave Kohaku a hug before wiggling a bit to be put down. Vale blushed a little, but his eyes were full of love as he apprehended his little son and nuzzled his dark blond curls. Hikaru giggled, and then snuggled into Vale's neck and relaxed, his green eyes closing as he fell asleep. That was the signal for everyone to say goodbye, with many hugs and kisses and happy tears as Emiko and Kohaku promised to bring the girls to the estate soon for a visit. Satoshi's smile was especially bright as he gave Kohaku a hug, the friendship between them deeper than ever and the crush they had both harbored for each other finally laid to rest.

Satoshi turned to Sand and looked into the elf's dark blue eyes, seeing nothing but love. "Let's go home, poldoramin."

Willow looked at Sand, slightly exasperated. "Where were you?" She held out her hand to the elf. "Help me up, I feel like a fucking elephant."

"My apologies, vanimaer. I was actually at the market." Sand gave Willow a gentle smile. "Do you remember those little tarts that you liked so much? I picked up some of those for dessert tonight, and some ram berries for the children."

"We have markets in Tokyo," Willow said dryly, but she leaned a little into Sand, letting her hip bump against him. "You go through that portal so much lately that you'll wear it out."

"Ah, but I forgot to mention that I also picked up a small gift for you." Sand held out a small inlaid box, and Willow opened it to find a ring set with the birthstones of all her children. The gems winked up at her, peridot for Ryuu, amethyst for Aika, yellow topaz for Hikaru and aquamarine for Takara. "My jeweler will add to the ring as needed."

Willow looked up at Sand and shook her head. Sand had showered her with gifts of jewelry and had been more than helpful since they had found out that she was pregnant, and she had actually forgiven him almost immediately afterward although she had not told him that. As impetuous and mercurial as Sand could be, he was also passionate and utterly in love with Willow and with their baby, and his happiness was infectious. He had also proved to be excellent with Takara, caring for her with gentle devotion, in love with the tiny girl who had his Satoshi's eyes.

In fact, Willow was slightly bored. Sand had become a whirlwind of domesticity, mastering the washer and dryer and the vacuum cleaner without a single hitch. In fact, the only chore he used magic for was cleaning the bathrooms. The rest of the time, he was completely content to adhere to Willow's proscription against the gratuitous use of magic. True to his word, he avoided cooking anything more complicated than tea, but he was delighted to order lunch from wherever Willow wanted. It was ideal, and Willow was about ready to scream.

"Still trying to buy your way back into my good graces?" Willow asked, her tone slightly sharp.

Sand chuckled. "Of course not. I have been back in your good graces for some time now, roughly since the first night you dragged me into your lair to spend the night with you. Not that I struggled, mind you. In fact, I do believe I carried you."

Willow smacked Sand's arm, still feeling out of sorts but a small smile on her face nonetheless. "So? Why all the fucking jewelry?"

Sand spun Willow lightly into his arms, and danced a few steps with her as she started to giggle. "Because, my beautiful one, they are things I saw that reminded me of you and suited you, and because I can indulge my whims and buy you such things, and because I thought it was traditional for a husband to shower his wife with such things, especially when she is carrying his child."

"We only know it's a half-elven baby. The baby could be a blond, you know." Willow peeked at Sand sidelong.

"I refuse to even consider the possibility," Sand said with a laugh. He leaned down to nibble a kiss from Willow, his blue eyes shining with love. As he did, his keen ears picked out the sound of Takara beginning to stir in her crib. Hikaru skipped out of the playroom as well, looking up the forbidden stairs. "I do believe our treasure is awake. Shall I change her and bring her down to you, or do you want to go upstairs and rest after you feed her?"

Willow gave Sand a slightly skeptical look. Sand had been encouraging her to nap lately, and Willow had been anxious enough that she had grabbed Eryn for a chat, since Sand had actually meant a nap, and not a cuddle and quick romp. Eryn had been quick to reassure Willow that nothing was wrong with her or the baby, although she was not quite sure about her son.

Willow had to admit that the pregnancy had been quite easy, despite being far too soon after Takara's birth. Sand had made the potions to settle Willow's stomach and ease her morning sickness, and they had worked perfectly. Willow had actually sniffled a little when Sand brought her some slices of kaki, and she was able to enjoy every bite without a single bit of nausea. Eryn checked weekly to make sure that Willow was getting enough vitamins and minerals, and checked the baby as well, reassuring Willow each time that the baby was growing well and was healthy.

"I think I'll stay down here," Willow said, ridiculously pleased when Sand looked disappointed. "I'm not tired, and it'll just piss me off to lay in bed wide awake." She gave Sand a bright smile that bordered on a smirk.

Hikaru skipped over, laying a small hand on Willow's stomach as he stood on tiptoe. "Hello, baby," Hikaru said happily, and then turned to Sand. "Takara waked up."

"Yes, she has. Do you want to help me? We will freshen her up and bring her to mama," Sand said, offering his hand to Hikaru.

"Yes, keifu," Hikaru agreed amiably, and took Sand's hand. Willow settled herself in the nursing rocker that Sand had bought for the living room and waited as she listened to Sand cooing at Takara. Hikaru's giggles were interrupted by a small and indignant shriek, and Willow could not help but smile a little, knowing exactly what had happened. Takara was as fascinated by Hikaru's dark golden curls as Hikaru had been by Vale's long gold and emerald mane, and her grip was just as fierce.

Willow turned her head, watching as Sand came back downstairs, graceful and managing to look elegant in faded jeans and a crisp white shirt that was left untucked. Takara was cradled against his chest, and he held Hikaru's hand as the little half elf bounced down the stairs. Sand brought Takara over to Willow while Hikaru closed the baby gate at the bottom of the stairs with a tiny sigh.

"Here we are, vanimaer," Sand said. "Our treasure is awake, and quite hungry, I do believe." He helped Willow to arrange the shawl over her shoulder, and then went into the kitchen to bring back a large glass of iced water for Willow to sip as Takara nursed contentedly.

Eryn breezed in, her eyes bright and her cheeks a little pink, and Hikaru skipped over to her happily.

"Sobo!" Hikaru cried, holding up his arms until Eryn scooped him up and kissed his cheek.

"Satoru sends his love to you both," Eryn said, bending over to kiss Willow's cheek and smile at Takara. "And to you as well, utinuamin." Eryn kissed Sand's cheek as well, giving her son a loving smile.

"And how was lunch, atara?" Sand asked, looking at Eryn with an arched brow. "This is the fourth day in a row, I believe."

Eryn laughed and patted Sand's cheek. "Such a busybody you are. Lunch was wonderful. Satoru is wonderful. And I'm wonderful." She laughed again. "Now, I'm going to make some tea, and when our sweet little girl is done having her meal, I'm going to take her out for a bit of air and walk off that wonderful lunch of mine."

Willow was smiling as she bent her head to kiss Takara's raven fuzz. When she looked up, Sand was looking at her curiously.

"So, when do you think Satoru's going to call and ask you for her hand?" Willow asked, and she grinned as Sand paled a little, the normally unflappable elf looking distinctly unsettled.

"Do you think he will?" Sand responded. "I do not object, of course, but it is hardly my place to decide anything for my mother."

"Relax, sweets. He'll just ask for your blessing, to make sure you don't object. He's like Satoshi. It's traditional, and tradition matters to him," Willow explained.

Sand nodded, and was looking more relaxed, when his cell phone rang abruptly and Willow began to laugh out loud as he snatched it with a definite look of dread.

[Alien Abduction of brothers (M/M)]

I believe this is the one you're referring to: Inversion by Fallen

http://original.adult-fanfiction.org/story.php?no=600102340

[Sandcastles and Fireworks]

Sand looked at his suddenly dead cell phone, and frantically pushed the button to dial Satoshi, his heart pounding in fear. When Sand received an automated message that the caller he was trying to reach was unavailable, he jumped up, the words of a teleportation spell already on his lips.

Sand arrived in the hotel room rather abruptly, barefoot and with tousled hair, his dark blue eyes searching the room urgently until he saw Satoshi curled up on the bed in a ball of pure misery, frantically punching at his cell phone and sobbing.

"Saiai," Sand breathed, and sat on the bed next to Satoshi, laying one hand on Satoshi's shoulder. "Oh, cormamin, I am here."

Satoshi let out a wail and Sand gathered Satoshi into his arms, holding Satoshi close. He stroked Satoshi's gorgeous red and black hair with infinite tenderness, feeling Satoshi tremble a little in his arms, his bond shut down tight and his face wet with tears.

"It shut off, and I can't remember my password," Satoshi howled as Sand eased the phone from his shaking hands.

"Whatever this is, saiai, whatever has happened, we will weather this. My love for you is not so shallow that one small misstep will harm us, do you not know this?" Sand cradled Satoshi carefully, but when he tried to press a kiss to Satoshi's temple, Satoshi mewled and twisted out of Sand's arms, stumbling into the bathroom and turning on the shower as he sobbed even harder.

Sand jumped off the bed, and followed Satoshi into the bathroom. Sand had smelled the sex on Satoshi, the scent of another man's semen clear to his sensitive nostrils, but Satoshi had managed to get that much out before his phone had disconnected. Sand could also smell beer, and alcohol, and that certainly explained a great deal of how Satoshi's normal inhibitions had been lowered. Satoshi was deliciously open when he had been drinking, and Sand was sure his beloved husband had no idea how powerfully attractive he was.

Satoshi's clothes littered the floor, and he was already in the shower stall. Sand could hear choked sobs and smell the rich scent of the soap provided by the hotel. He decided to try one more time, to see if he could get Satoshi to speak to him.

"Please, saiai, will you not at least speak to me? There is nothing that happened here that will make me love you any less. You are my husband, and my heart, my very life is yours for all the years that I shall live." Sand began to peel off his polo shirt, letting it fall to the floor.

"How can you say that?" Satoshi sobbed. "You don't know what I did."

Sand opened his jeans and slid them off, stepping into the shower as Satoshi tried to cringe away. "I know what you think you have done, and I assure you that you have not broken us. Satoshi, saiai, there is nothing that can make me love you less. Each day, I love you more, and each day I will love you more. You said on the phone that you cheated, but my sweet love, I do not believe that." Sand took the soap from Satoshi and began to lather Satoshi's back thickly.

"I slept with him, Masato. I didn't mean to, it wasn't something I planned, but it happened." Satoshi's tear-streaked face was turned away, and Sand turned Satoshi to look at him.

"Oh, my poor sweet love, this is as much my fault as anything." Sand smiled at Satoshi, and there was nothing but love in his eyes and in his voice. "I forget, saiai, that you are not an elf, and do not look at things in the same way that I do. We have five hundred years or more ahead of us, and in all those years, it is not such a terrible thing if you have let your love for a beautiful and dear friend become something more for a night. I will assume that your love and desire was reciprocated fully, and that this was something both you felt for each other, because I know you too well to think that you would have done this without an equal desire from him."

Satoshi shook his head, reaching for the soap, but Sand simply began to lather Satoshi's chest instead, and his shoulders and arms. There was a desperation in Satoshi's eyes that tore at Sand's heart.

"You did not set out to hurt anyone, saiai, and it would take a cold and heartless person to judge you harshly for being simply who you are. You have a soul that is so beautiful and generous and loving that it takes my breath away. I am humbled by the fact that you have chosen to take me as your husband." Sand handed the soap to Satoshi to wash his lower body, stilling Satoshi's hands when he began to scrub roughly. "Do not try to wash away a stain that does not exist. I love you, saiai, with all that I am, and if it needs saying, then let me say it. You were forgiven instantly, and you have done nothing to make me love you less."

Sand took the shampoo and lathered Satoshi's hair thickly, massaging his scalp gently, the touch soothing. His bond was wide open, not pushing at Satoshi, but as Satoshi reached out to push Sand away, trying to close down their bond completely, he was met with a gentle love and reassurance. Frustrated, Satoshi turned to his bond with Vale, the bond that was a link of sorts to all of Satoshi's bonds with his spouses, and he pushed that away, or tried to. Once again, Satoshi was met with pure love and acceptance, and he growled a little in frustration.

"I don't deserve to be loved," Satoshi said, his voice breaking a little. "I don't deserve to be forgiven like this. I took everything and threw it away."

"What have you thrown away, saiai?" Sand asked. "I love you, and I will always love you. I do not understand why you are so harsh with yourself. It was Kohaku, was it not?"

Satoshi looked away, his cheeks red in his pale face. "I always had this tiny crush on him, since the day we first met. You know what he's like. He's larger than life, and he's so confident, and the way he moves and uses his body."

Sand nodded encouragingly. "He is very beautiful, almost as beautiful as you, and I can see how you would find him attractive. He is also a kind man, with a large and generous heart, and it is obvious that your friendship means a great deal to him."

"I don't even know how it happened." Satoshi sniffled, miserable. "One of the staff, Toshiki-san, it was his birthday, and there was a party, and we were drinking. We got back here late, and we were going to have some sake, and then we were kissing." Satoshi's voice cracked, his tears falling anew. "I enjoyed it, Masato. I liked sleeping with him, but when I woke up, and he was there, all I could think of was you, and how I'd betrayed you."

"And I will tell you again that I love you, and would forgive you a thousand times, and another thousand times." Sand cupped Satoshi's face between his hands. "This is nothing, just one night against all the many thousands of nights ahead of us. It is past and what lies ahead is what we choose to make of it. Do you know what I choose, saiai? I choose a life with you beside me, to share my life until the very end. You are all I desire, and with you beside me, I am complete."

Satoshi began to sob even harder, leaning forward a little to rest his forehead against Sand's arm, his left arm, the tattoo of the two koi swimming under the moon and stars in front of Satoshi. He reached out and touched the tattoo tentatively.

"How can you forgive me?" Satoshi asked plaintively.

Sand smiled, his eyes filled with love. "How can I not? I had a very good example to follow, you know. There is a certain man, you see, who forgave a very foolish elf for trifling with his heart and walking away, an elf who was too blind to see the beauty that loved him."

Satoshi looked at Sand, something slowly clearing in the depths of his gorgeous eyes.

"I took the gift you offered me, and I gave no thought to how precious it was, and yet you still found it within yourself to forgive me and to love me. Saiai, I would be a wretched creature indeed if I did not learn from your vast compassion. You have not wronged me, and you have not diminished my love for you. If anything, I love you more, my sweet Satoshi, my most beloved husband, my life." Sand held Satoshi tightly for a moment, the water washing over them.

Satoshi had stiffened when Sand held him, his whole body rigid as he listened to Sand's words, and then he went almost limp. Sand caught Satoshi, and carefully held him as the elf turned off the water and guided Satoshi out of the shower. The hotel had provided thick towels, and Sand dried Satoshi with great care before wrapping Satoshi in a dry towel and offering him a toothbrush and toothpaste.

While Satoshi scrubbed his teeth, Sand dried himself quickly, and wrapped his towel around his slim hips before gathering up their discarded clothing. He folded everything neatly and left it on the bench in the large bathroom, and then brushed his teeth as well.

"Come, saiai, I think a nap would do us both good." Sand led Satoshi to the bed and turned down the covers, easing Satoshi down. "I know this bed is rather soft, but it will do for a nap, I think."

Sand slid onto the bed as well, pulling Satoshi into a gentle embrace, simply allowing Satoshi to feel the warmth of Sand's skin against his own. Satoshi sighed a little, his body relaxing as the warmth sank in, along with the knowledge that Sand's love was as strong as ever, the elf utterly content to hold Satoshi without asking more of him. Tentatively, Satoshi snuggled in closer, one hand stealing up to touch Sand's cheek, and Sand smiled at him lovingly.

"You really still love me? You forgive me?" Satoshi asked in a small and trembling voice.

"I will always love you, saiai, for as long as the moon shines in the sky," Sand said softly. "And there is nothing I will not forgive, my Satoshi."

Satoshi fell asleep almost immediately, tears of still beading his lashes as Sand held him close, simply radiating his love as he pressed a kiss to the cherry-red head nestled on his shoulder. Not wanting to move, and deciding that he had already teleported to Satoshi and a little more magic could not hurt, Sand used a cantrip to float his cell phone over. He pressed the number for Vale's phone, and waited until the blond elf answered.

"Anoramin, I need a favor. Please look after Ryuu for me, and make my apologies to everyone. Satoshi had need of me, and I have gone to him." Sand kept his voice whisper-soft, knowing Vale would hear him clearly.

"Of course, ithilamin," Vale replied. "I'll take care of Ryuu. When do you think you'll be home?"

"Tomorrow, I should think. If otherwise, I will let you know." Sand ended the call, letting himself drift into a light reverie as he held Satoshi tightly.

It was not quite an hour later when there was a knocking at the door, and Satoshi sat bolt upright, startling Sand. A voice called through the door.

"Mori-sama? We have a press interview in half an hour." It was one of the staff, and Satoshi glared at the door.

"Just leave me the fuck alone!" Satoshi screamed. "Do the fucking interview without me. They don't want to talk to me anyway, and I don't fucking want to talk to them."

Sand had sat up as well, and he laid a gentle hand on Satoshi's shoulder. Satoshi turned a little, burying his face in Sand's chest and letting Sand hold him.

"Just leave him alone." The new voice sounded like Kohaku, but more subdued than Sand remembered the singer as being. "Don't bother him."

The murmur of voices faded, and Sand eased Satoshi down again, stroking his back and letting Satoshi press against him, seeking the feel of Sand's skin against his own. They spent the afternoon like that, Satoshi just wanting to be held and Sand obliging, letting his love just radiate outward and asking nothing of Satoshi. By evening, Sand was able to convince Satoshi to order some food from room service, and he coaxed Satoshi into eating a light meal.

After they had eaten, Satoshi curled up into Sand's embrace again.

"You really have forgiven me, haven't you?" Satoshi asked, daring to look into Sand's dark blue eyes.

"Oh, saiai, of course I have," Sand replied and his smile was radiant. "I love you, Satoshi, and we will come through this stronger than ever, I promise you."

"Show me," Satoshi said, and the spark of hope and love in his gorgeous eyes was all that Sand needed for encouragement.

Slowly, Sand kissed Satoshi, a gentle and loving kiss that deepened gradually as Satoshi began to return the kiss. Sand let his hands caress Satoshi's shoulders and back, the soft touches relaxing Satoshi even more, until Satoshi was mewling into the ever deepening kisses. Sand took his time, using his lips and hands and tongue to explore every inch of Satoshi, rediscovering his beloved husband inch by inch until Satoshi relaxed completely, welcoming Sand as the elf made tender love to Satoshi. When Satoshi finally came, he sobbed with joy as Sand came almost immediately after, their lips meeting in a loving kiss as Sand spilled into his treasured imp.

They slept for a time, and then there was a knock on the door, and Kohaku's voice carried through.

"Satoshi-san? Are you there?" Kohaku sounded very subdued, even more so than earlier.

Satoshi got out of bed and crossed to the door, but did not open it. Instead, Satoshi sat down with his back against the door, not saying a word.

Kohaku must have heard Satoshi leaning against the door, or perhaps he simply needed to hear the words himself, but he began to speak again after a short pause.

"Satoshi-san, I'm so sorry. There aren't enough words to tell you how sorry I am. This was all my fault, and I just wanted to tell you that I'll explain everything to Masato-san and Emiko-chan, and I'll take all the blame. However you want me to do this, that's how it'll be. You just tell me." Kohaku sighed heavily. "And I'll understand completely if you never want to work with me again. I'm just so sorry, Satoshi-san. You've been a friend and I betrayed that friendship, and I'm just so sorry."

Satoshi still did not say a word, and Sand could hear Kohaku making his way back to his own room. Satoshi just sat with his back against the door, so still that Sand began to worry, and then Satoshi stood abruptly and walked back over to the bed, crawling in to burrow back into Sand's embrace. Sand just held Satoshi, rubbing his back soothingly as he felt Satoshi's hot tears against his skin.

It was shortly after dawn when Satoshi sat up in bed, looking at Sand almost apologetically.

"What is it, saiai?" Sand asked, his eyes still a little out of focus as he came out of reverie.

Satoshi reached out to cup Sand's cheek gently. "I need to finish this tour, poldoramin. It's not right to disappoint people who bought tickets already."

"Of course, my heart," Sand agreed. He stretched a little before sitting up.

"I'll take the train with the rest of the band, and I'll see you in Tokyo for the last show?" Satoshi asked.

Sand smiled radiantly. "I will be there, saiai, in the very first row, and I will cheer louder than anyone else," Sand promised. "I love you, Satoshi, and I am so very proud of you, and to be your husband. Never doubt that." His grin grew slightly impish. "Go shower, and get ready, and I will see myself home."

Satoshi turned to go into the bathroom, and then turned back. "I'm still going to work with him. If you can forgive me, then I suppose I need to forgive myself, and Kohaku. The truth is, he can't work with anyone else anymore. Everyone else either agrees with him blindly or just sucks up to him just so they can pretend to be close to the great Kohaku. I'm the only one who calls him on his shit."

Sand nodded. "I am glad, saiai, for both of you." Sand pulled on his clothing, and giving Satoshi a last tender kiss, he teleported to his room, to find Ryuu curled up alone in the tatami bed, looking very small as he lay wrapped in the covers.

[Funny Typos]

Schrodinger's Lube, perhaps?

[Sandcastles and Fireworks]

Sand's eyes widened slightly as Kansas pulled him down and kissed him deeply, but the profound love he had for his imp took over. Sand leaned into the kiss as he felt a wave of calming reassurance and love wash over him like balm for his aching heart.

"Thank you, my love," Sand murmured, and his smile for Kansas was radiant, his dark blue eyes regaining their customary sparkle.

Sand walked into the living room, crossing to stand in front of Willow. "I am a cad, an unspeakable menace, and I have been thoughtless and utterly irresponsible. But, vanimaer, my most beautiful and cherished wife, I love you, and I love this child we have made together with my whole heart. There is nothing for it, my Willow. I am simply in awe of this gift, and of how utterly perfect my world is at this moment."

Sand dropped to his knees, graceful and elegant, his eyes shining with love as he reached out to touch Willow's belly in awe. "I will do everything in my power to make this up to you, but I will also do everything I can to care for you and our child, and to make this as easy as possible for you. Name whatever task, and I shall do it."

"Idiot fucking elf," Willow muttered, but there was no heat in it, and she held out her arms for Sand to sit next to her. "You're not forgiven yet, you know." Willow settled herself in the curve of Sand's arm, leaning against him as he tenderly stroked her hair. "Not until I get my kaki. I just wanted kaki."

"I know, my love, and I will go when you tell me, and I will make the potions as my mother has instructed. Is there a flavor you would prefer?" Sand pressed a kiss to Willow's silky hair. "Shall I make them taste like sunshine and laughter, or would you prefer moonbeams and sweet kisses?"

"Isn't that how we got in this fucking mess in the first place?" Willow asked, and there was a hint of a giggle in her voice.

"Life is a glorious mess, is it not?" Sand agreed. "But I tell you truly, Willow, there is nothing that I would not do for you. I had not hoped for such a miracle as this, and yet here we are, and I am humbled by the power of this tiny life. I have you, and Satoshi, and our wonderful children, and now this? I am blessed beyond reckoning."

Sand tilted Willow's chin up, looking directly into her lovely eyes. "I am sorry that it is so soon after Takara, but I swear to you that I will do anything to make this up to you. I could not live with the thought of having harmed you in any way, and once our child is safely born, I will have a chest of potions ready to prevent another such mishap. But please, vanimaer, do not ask me to regret this precious child that we have made."

Willow pulled Sand down and kissed him softly. "I don't want you to regret this. I won't lie to you and tell you that I'm not fucking scared, and I really wanted some time to enjoy Takara without worrying about a new baby on the way, but I'm already in love with this baby, and Eryn's promised to stay the entire time, and you're going to work your delectable ass off while I'm pregnant."

"I am entirely at your disposal, my love," Sand replied, his dark blue eyes full of love. "Just do not ask me to cook. I love you far too much to subject you to that, but I will promise to have tea ready for you each morning, and I will order lunch from whatever place you desire."

"At least you didn't offer to learn to use the microwave, again," Willow said dryly. "But it's a start, and I might possibly be willing to forgive you, you smug bastard."

"Then I can ask for no more than that," Sand said with a radiant smile, and bent his head to kiss Willow with infinite love.

Erion held Momo tightly, wishing he had a way to convey his love other than a simple embrace and words, which seemed to fail him utterly of late. Still, words were all he had, and Erion had promised Kageoshi's spirit that he would help Momo to heal, to open himself up to love again. It occurred to Erion that he was only finishing what Kageoshi had begun, since it was the slender teen who had breached Momo's defenses and opened his heart first. With that thought in the back of his mind, Erion reached inside himself for the words he needed.

"Don't, Momo-chan," Erion murmured, stroking Momo with all the love in his heart. "You're not that same person you were then, koibito. You've learned from that awful pain, and you've grown. Being young is about being selfish, and thoughtless, and not thinking about the consequences of our actions and our words, and it's how we learn. Seldarine, I've been guilty of the same thing myself, and I'm still learning. How many times have I said the wrong thing, or behaved like a spoiled little shit? But you always forgive me, and you still love me in spite of it. You've helped me to grow, and you've healed so much of the hurt I carried inside me, and that's not the act of a heartless person."

Momo clung to Erion tightly, his tears hot against Erion's skin. "You don't think I'm a terrible person? You don't think I'm fucking heartless, and cold, and selfish?"

"Oh, koibito, never," Erion said, his voice tender. "If you need proof, then all you have to do is remember Kageoshi, and how easy it was for you to be gentle with him, and to love him with all your heart. How long did you love him, and not say anything because you didn't want to scare him off? And when he was attacked, that last time, you took care of him so well, and made him want to live again."

"But it was easy with him," Momo protested. "Kage-chan was just..."

"I know," Erion replied gently. "He was a butterfly, beautiful and fragile, and you coaxed him into showing us all how beautiful he was. You were the one he ran to, because he knew he could trust you with his broken wings, and you gave them back to him. You gave him the courage to make love with you, and to love being your lover. You were gentle and sweet and you made him happier than he had ever been. Would a cold and heartless person have taken him up to the mountains, to watch the lights turning on, and then married him on that spot? You knew how he loved it there, and you gave him everything he loved most, all at once. He couldn't stop talking about it, you know."

Momo looked at Erion, his dark eyes full of surprise.

"Is that really how you see me?" Momo asked softly, his voice still ragged with tears.

Erion put his slim hands on either side of Momo's face, looking at him with complete sincerity. "That is exactly how I see you, watashi no koibito. You love with everything that you are, when you love. I know this, because that's how you love me. I see it in your eyes when we make love, every time, and it makes me feel like I'm the only person in the world for those sweet moments. You've taught me not to be afraid of what I feel, even when I'm not sure what it is I'm feeling."

Erion leaned in and kissed Momo very softly, his silvery eyes filled with love. "Minoda-san was right about one thing. Love is the stuff of madness, but it's the madness that makes life worth living. When we let go and fall into that madness, we're truly alive."

Momo nodded slowly, nibbling a very soft kiss as some of the awful tension left his shoulders. "It was easy to love Kageoshi, and you're right. It's the good kind of madness." He looked at Erion seriously. "It's easy to love you, too, yuki no erufu. And you're not nearly as rash or naïve as you think you are, either."

"Then do one thing for me, and it's not an easy thing. I don't ask for easy things." Erion stroked Momo's face tenderly. "Forgive yourself. I think he forgave you long ago, baby. Now you have to forgive yourself for being human, and making mistakes, because you learned from that mistake and you've grown into someone worthy of love."

Momo sighed. "Have I? Am I, really, worthy of love? I have never been able to forgive myself, I feel guilty all the time, always. I think that was one of the reasons I was so afraid of loving Kageoshi. One of the reasons I pushed you away... one of the reasons I didn't speak to you, was that I was afraid of loving you, I was so afraid that I would kill you too. Would you be able to forgive me for what I did? If you could forgive me, maybe I can forgive myself. It is time for me to move on, and forgive myself."

"I forgive you, Momo-chan, a thousand times," Erion said, his eyes shining as he looked at Momo. "I always will, no matter what happens."

[Sandcastles and Fireworks]

Vale looked over at Sand, his green eyes widening. "Ithilamin, how could you? Willow just got done giving birth to Takara. She needs time to recover, you idiot."

Sand murmured a cantrip to deal with the fruit debris that littered the house and his person, and arched an elegant brow at Vale. "I did not set out to get our wife pregnant, but I will not regret a child."

Eryn hurried downstairs, having heard the screaming and commotion, and she went to Willow's side, glaring at Sand as she passed him. Vale took one look at her expression, scooped Aika up in his arms, and fled upstairs to help Aika change out of her school uniform.

"Willow, oh, my sweet," Eryn crooned, putting her arm around the sobbing woman. "Come and sit a moment, away from this pack of husbands you have. Let's see what's going on, and then we can string that son of mine up by the points of his ears."

Willow sniffled and smiled weakly, letting Eryn lead her off to a quiet corner of the living room, while Sand looked at Yuji and Satoshi with growing dismay as they glared at him.

Ryuu looked up at his tousan, peering from around Satoshi's legs. "Mama's having another baby?" he asked in a small voice.

Sand nodded. "It appears that way, sochi-chan, and I do believe that she may be right, and this may be my child." He looked at Ryuu with a small smile and held out his hand, and Ryuu hurried over to take Sand's hand in his own small one. "Mama might be quite upset with me for a time, I fear."

"But this means another brother or sister for me," Ryuu said, his face breaking into a radiant smile. "Sugoi! Don't worry, tousan, mama won't be angry forever. Maybe only for ninty-two days."

Sand paled a little, but he kept his smile for Ryuu. "Let us hope she forgives me even sooner than that, shall we?"

"It is a little soon, poldoramin," Satoshi said, his expression less than happy. "Being pregnant takes a lot out of her."

"In all fairness, we were all spending time with Willow," Yuji pointed out, taking pity on the crestfallen elf. "If she is pregnant, then we should try to make this as easy as possible for her, and be happy."

Satoshi could feel Sand's growing distress through their bond, and he reached out to put an arm around his husband. "It'll be alright, really. Eryn's here, and she'll watch over Willow, and make sure everything is fine." Satoshi tried his best to reassure Sand through their bond, wondering if this was going to make the elf miss the joy of impending fatherhood.

In the living room, Eryn guided Willow over to the couch, guiding her down and sitting beside her. She smoothed Willow's thick auburn hair with one hand, and smiled at her beloved daughter in law gently.

"Now, I'm just going to see what we can find out, shall I?" Eryn said. "I can sense a great deal without needing to do more than open my healer's ability."

"Can you tell me if that fucking idiot moon elf is the father?" Willow sniffled, taking the tissue Eryn offered her.

"Yes, I can sense if the child has elven blood. I can also tell you the gender, if that's something you want to know," Eryn replied.

"No, not the gender," Willow said quickly. "I don't want him to know, if this baby's his."

Eryn nodded, letting Willow's body fill her senses. There was indeed a baby, and Eryn could feel the elven blood quite clearly. The baby was developing well, and Eryn could sense nothing amiss, except for Willow's emotional state.

Eryn looked up at Willow, her smile still gentle. "Well, my sweet, you are about six weeks pregnant, with a very healthy little half elf." She pulled Willow into a hug, rubbing her back gently. "I'm going to be here for this whole pregnancy, Willow. I will make sure that you and this baby are fine. You have my word on it."

"It's too fucking soon," Willow sobbed, her arms around her mother in law. "I can't go through the whole thing again so soon. I just started to feel normal again after Takara."

"And we'll make sure my son is kept busy taking care of things around here so you can rest and relax," Eryn said. "The first order of business is to get you something for that morning sickness, yes? There's nothing worse than feeling queasy half the day. I'll write out a formula for Sand, and we'll put my idiot son to work."

Willow giggled a little at that, hiccuping a bit as she sat up and scrubbed at her tears. "Does this mean I get kaki?"

"Oh, yes, sweet," Eryn said, her smile widening. "You'll have it whenever you want."

Willow looked slightly mollified. "Then maybe his fucking head can stay on for a while longer, at least until I get my potions."

Vale came down the stairs warily, Aika hurrying past him to head to the playroom with Ryuu right behind her. The blond elf looked at the somber group of husbands still hovering cautiously near the entryway, and he jerked his head in the direction of the garden, slipping out as quietly as he could.

"So, ithilamin, how dead are you?" Vale asked, lighting a cigarette. "Your atara looked really pissed off."

Sand sighed and slumped onto a bench, and Satoshi sat next to him, lighting his cigarette and wrapping an arm around Sand. Yuji sat near Vale, snagging Vale's cigarettes and taking one.

"It is my own fault, really. I should have asked our wife if she needed a potion to prevent a pregnancy." Sand's shoulders sagged a bit. "I should have been thinking more clearly."

"Don't," Satoshi said. "Don't do this to yourself. If you're going to be a father, it should be a happy time. Yuji's right. Willow will calm down, eventually."

Yuji snorted a little. "She's madder than a dragon right now, though."

"How do I make this right?" Sand asked plaintively.

"Grovel," Yuji suggested. "And jewelry. She loves the jewelry you buy her, and it'll make her feel pampered and loved."

"Make sure you're staying on top of Hikaru, and help as much as you can with Takara," Vale added. "Hikaru's a handful, and he'll wear her out if she has to chase him around. Takara's little enough where she'll sleep a lot, but you can bathe her and change her, and Willow will appreciate the extra rest if you let her nap and give Takara a bottle of breastmilk."

Sand looked toward the house, his expression unusually subdued. "I do not know if it is safe yet to begin trying to make amends. Perhaps I might need to make myself scarce for a time?"

"Only if you're making these potions for me," Eryn said, appearing behind Vale with a stealth that would have done a drow credit.

Vale let out a small whimper and nearly fell off the bench, reaching out to grab Yuji's hand.

Sand took the paper from Eryn, scanning the espruar quickly and nodding with evident relief. "I shall get started on these right away."

"Oh, no, utinuamin, not so fast. First you will go inside and reassure your lovely wife that everything will be fine, and that you will adore her every moment while she's carrying your child." Eryn folded her arms and fixed her son with a stern look. "She's upset, and confused, and very worried, and you aren't going anywhere until she is feeling better."

"Of course, atara." Sand stood gracefully enough, but his eyes were dark with sorrow.

Erion shifted nervously from foot to foot, smoothing his tan chinos one more time as he waited for Momo to come downstairs. He wore a white button-down shirt open at the collar and a black blazer over that, and black slip-on sneakers. Today was the day that Momo had promised to take Erion to the temple, and the young elf had hurried home after classes to change into something more appropriate than jeans and a tank top with a chambray shirt over it all.

Momo finally came down, smirking a little at Erion's outfit, still in his jeans and t-shirt that he had worn to class, and Erion felt his cheeks get warm. He was starting to regret ever asking about going to the temple, since he had only aggravated Momo when he had pressed for a date, and now he had obviously overdressed.

Momo threw an arm around Erion and pulled the young elf into a kiss. "You look nice, sexy." His eyes were warm, and Erion relaxed a little and grinned.

"I figured better to be safe than sorry," Erion said, gesturing at his clothes. "Should I change back?"

"No, don't worry about it," Momo said lightly, but Erion pulled off the blazer anyway and left it in the entryway as they went out to get into Momo's car. Erion had a small bag, and inside, wrapped carefully in tissue, were three perfect, unblemished plums that he meant to leave as an offering. Momo had smiled at that as well, but said nothing further as they drove to the temple.

Inside, the smell of incense tickled Erion's nose a little, but he followed Momo, and bowed reverently to the statue of Buddha before kneeling gracefully at an altar. He carefully unwrapped his plums and placed them on the offering plate, and then stood and bowed his head to offer a silent prayer of thanks that justice had finally prevailed, and that they could all move forward with their lives without the spectre of Taka hanging over their heads.

Momo had moved over to a wall, and had placed a square of fine paper on the wall before he lit some incense and bowed his head in prayer, his hands pressed together, palm to palm. Momo then placed the sticks of incense in an urn and prayed a little longer before bowing deeply and turning to leave.

Erion bowed before the altar, low and reverent, and followed Momo out, but not before his keen eyesight had picked out the kanji on the paper Momo had left on the wall. It read simply, "I'm sorry, Minoda-kun." Erion quickly looked away, feeling like he had intruded on something private, and he was still slightly subdued as they emerged into the sunlight.

"Do you feel any better?" Momo asked, waiting until they were off the temple grounds to light a cigarette.

Erion fished his own cigarettes out of his pocket and lit one, thinking hard before he answered.

"I don't know," Erion said finally. "I feel like it's all finally over, but I still don't feel closure, if that makes any sense at all." Frustrated, Erion ran a slim hand through his hair. "Maybe I'm still clinging to things. I've never lost anyone close to me before, not that close, anyway. How are you supposed to feel?"

[Sandcastles and Fireworks]

Sand nodded when Satoshi insisted on coming with him to the Cloaktower. "Do not feel any need to rush, saiai. This will not take terribly long, and it is not as if Mephasm keeps regular hours."

The wry humor made Satoshi raise an eyebrow at Sand, but he contented himself with merely hurrying off to get Ryuu up and ready for the day. On his way, Satoshi stuck his head into his bedroom, smiling a little when he saw Kansas still resting peacefully, Eryn curled up on the bed and leaning back on the headboard as she watched her beloved son sleep.

Comforted that Kansas was being watched over so well, Satoshi woke a slightly fussy Ryuu, and kissed him lovingly before taking Ryuu into the shower with him. While they showered, Satoshi asked Ryuu to help his mama with Takara while Satoshi ran a quick errand with tousan, and Ryuu puffed up a bit with pride at being asked to help. He was so pleased by being treated like a big boy that he even forgot to get wobbly-chinned at not going with his chichi, and Satoshi was utterly grateful for that small mercy.

Once they were dried off and dressed, Satoshi brought Ryuu downstairs for breakfast, and Ryuu ate happily, chattering to Satoshi and Sand about all the ways he could help mama with Takara. Vale was helping Hikaru eat, and he beamed at Ryuu and complimented him on how grown up he was, which made Aika pout until Ryuu graciously told her that she could help as well.

The children fed and content, Satoshi brought them into the playroom, kissing them all and telling them that if they wanted to nap, they could snuggle in with mama if they were quiet and did not wake Takara. Ryuu assured Satoshi that he would handle everything, and Satoshi managed not to giggle although he did give Ryuu an extra kiss and a big smile of pride.

When Satoshi returned to the kitchen, Vale was leaning against a counter, his green eyes solemn.

"I'm coming with you two," Vale announced, his voice soft. "Give me a few minutes to talk to Yuji, and we'll go." Vale left to find Yuji, and Satoshi leaned into Sand, wrapping his arms around his husband.

"You have met Mephasm before," Sand said, and Satoshi nodded. "Then I will trust that Vale explained what he is. He is an ancient evil, a devil of great power and status among his kind, and he serves as the right hand of Prince Levistus, the Still Lord. He is also, as far as any of his kind can be said to be, possessed of honor. While it is in his nature to seek power, and a hold over any mortal who encounters him, he will not break his word once it is given."

Satoshi nodded. "I know that, Masato-san."

"Promise him nothing, and accept no offer he makes you," Sand cautioned. "I have a certain history with Mephasm. He aided me in the past, and it was he who gave me the telkiira I used to save Hawk. We have come to have a grudging respect for one another, this lord among devils and I."

"I'll be careful, I promise," Satoshi said, and Sand kissed him tenderly.

"I know you will, saiai. I am mostly reassuring myself that I am not putting you in harm's way." Sand smiled at Satoshi, his dark blue eyes filled with love for his husband.

In the meantime, Vale went out into the garden, finding Yuji enjoying a quiet cigarette.

"Did you come to tell me what the hell you were talking about earlier?" Yuji asked, looking up at Vale.

Vale nodded, sitting next to Yuji and pulling out his own cigarettes. He lit one and took a deep drag. "I'm not sure how much you want to know," Vale admitted. "So, let me start by saying that I'm going to the Cloaktower with Sand and Satoshi."

Yuji nodded a little. "Is this the same thing you did to Takeshi? I don't want details. Just a yes or a no."

Vale looked at Yuji, his green eyes clear and direct. "It's both yes and no. The same devil is involved."

Yuji held up his hand. "Stop. That's enough. I don't need to know that you can call up devils like you're ordering takeout. Just promise me that it will never harm the family."

"I promise you that, Yuji, without reservation," Vale replied, leaning in to steal a kiss. "I'll never do anything that would harm our family, or put us in any danger. It's just... housekeeping, I guess."

Yuji snorted a little, but his lips twitched into a small smile. "Only you could refer to dealing with devils as housekeeping. Go on, hurry up and do your housekeeping, and get your gorgeous ass back here."

Vale gave Yuji a radiant smile, and stubbed out his cigarette before hurrying back to the kitchen where Sand and Satoshi were waiting.

"Are we ready, anoramin?" Sand asked.

Vale nodded. "Let's get this done, ithilamin. You set, mela en' coiamin?"

"All set, my love." Satoshi looked at Vale, his gorgeous eyes calm.

The three husbands stepped through the portal and emerged in their Neverwinter house, not stopping to look for Maela but instead hurrying out to walk to the Cloaktower. When they got there, Nathe was waiting for them, and they followed Nathe into the basement of the Tower.

Satoshi looked around with great interest as they descended a long flight of stairs that wrapped around the walls of the Tower. A thick wooden door was at the base, and Nathe opened it by murmuring something in a harsh and sibilant language. They emerged in a large foyer, with three doors, and Nathe again took the lead, opening the center door.

The chamber beyond was large, the stone walls unadorned except for the ever-present glow globes that lit the room. On the floor, inlaid into the stone, was a pattern in what looked to be pure silver, and Satoshi looked at Vale in astonishment. The symbols were unlike the espruar Satoshi had seen in some of Sand's books that he left around the bedroom, but they looked somehow familiar, and Sand caught Satoshi's interest.

"The metal is alchemical silver, and has been heavily enchanted with powerful spells of protection from evil," Sand told Satoshi. "The symbols themselves are the ancient runes used by dragons, runes that were being written before man ever existed on Toril. Much of our magic has come down to us from dragonkind, although they are jealous and do not share without demanding repayment."

Nathe looked up from a small table, where he had laid out several small boxes and pouches. "This is our most powerful summoning circle," he told Satoshi. "I'll leave you all to it. I have a feeling I know who's coming, and I'll pass, thank you."

"Vale didn't tell you?" Satoshi asked, a little surprised by Nathe's air of reluctance.

"Vale tends to be closemouthed when he's doing something so incredibly stupid as to take my breath away," Nathe replied, looking at Vale directly and lifting his chin a little.

"I've dealt with this one before, Nathe," Vale replied, unruffled. "It's not beyond my capabilities, believe it or not."

"It's one thing to play with balor lords and ordinary pit fiends," Nathe said stubbornly. "You don't need to invite devils of this magnitude over for tea."

"Remind me why I haven't fired you?" Vale asked.

"Because you specifically prohibited yourself from firing me so that you wouldn't have to come back here full time," Nathe retorted. "You also refuse to let me quit."

"Were you planning to quit?" Vale asked sweetly.

Nathe snorted. "Now where else would I find a job with an absentee supervisor who appreciates sarcasm and insubordination?" He gestured at the table. "Have fun." With that, Nathe sauntered out as Vale chuckled.

"I'd hate this job without him." Vale looked over the supplies Nathe had left. "I summon, you negotiate?"

Sand chuckled. "Be my guest, anoramin."

Vale spoke in a language that sounded all wrong to Satoshi's ears, a sharp and harsh tongue that sent a shiver up his spine. Something shimmered inside the silver circle of runes, and then Mephasm was standing there, elegant and handsome in his half elven guise.

"Greetings, Vale of Neverwinter," Mephasm said, his rich voice cultured and urbane. "Or should I say Vale of Tokyo these days?"

Vale smiled thinly, refusing to rise to the bait. "I'm not the one you're dealing with this time, Mephasm."

Sand stepped forward, and Mephasm smiled, sending a chill up Satoshi's spine. "I am the one you will deal with, Mephasm."

"It has been a long time, old friend," Mephasm said. "But you no longer wear my gift to you?"

"It was unmade, and remade again, as you well know," Sand replied, equally urbane. "There is little that passes the notice of your master."

Mephasm stiffened slightly as Sand's use of the word. "My Lord notices much, this is true, and the ripples in the Weave were felt even in Stygia. Tell me, old friend, why did you walk away from godhood?"

Satoshi's breath hitched, his gorgeous eyes widening slightly. He waited to hear Sand's response, his heart pounding as he remembered that terrible moment when Sand was simply gone.

Sand chuckled slightly. "Godhood is vastly overrated. There are certain aspects to a mortal life that I would prefer not to surrender."

"Ah, yes, such as this beautiful human that you love so well." Mephasm turned his gaze to Satoshi. "It is good to see you again as well, mortal." He paused, and Satoshi felt the icy wave of evil that emanated from the pit fiend. "I am pleased that you have sought my company once again. Tell me, do you have another task for me?"

Satoshi felt a strange calm descend over himself, and he lifted his chin and met the gaze of the ancient devil without flinching. "You're not dealing with me this time, either."

Mephasm chuckled. "In that case, let me just say that I am most curiously pleased to see that you have heeded my advice. You have managed to rule your hatred and keep it from blinding you. I understand much better the appeal you have for my old friend, this one who chooses to hide behind the guise of a mere wizard."

"You would do well not to try my patience," Sand remarked with utter nonchalance. "If I were to think you were seeking to bait my husband, I might be displeased enough to let my guise slip. It was only godhood that I walked away from, after all."

Mephasm turned back to Sand, his demeanor altered slightly. "Then tell me, old friend, why I have been summoned. What task do you set before me?"

"It is a task you will relish. Consider it repayment for the assistance you gave to my husbands a short while ago." Sand looked at Mephasm with a small smile, the skin below the hollow of his throat giving off a glow that shifted subtly, changing colors from blue to amethyst to green, and settling down to a silvery radiance. "There is a soul newly arrived on the Fugue Plane, a human who hails from the world on which I currently reside. You will know this human by a mark on his cheek." Sand sketched the kanji in the air, the symbol shining as it hung there. "His soul is yours, to do with as you will."

"Such a gift," Mephasm said slowly. "Tell me, old friend, why I should accept this gift."

Sand arched an elegant eyebrow. "It is enough for me to tell you that his evil has offended me beyond endurance."

Mephasm closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them again, looking directly at Sand. "I will be once again in your debt if I accept this gift."

"That is not a cause for concern." Sand shrugged lightly. "It is the way of things for the Baatezu to seek souls, and I am offering one. The choice is yours."

"Would that a choice existed," Mephasm replied dryly. "I accept your gift, old friend. I trust you will not object if this one becomes a lemure?"

"I will object to nothing, since what you do with your gift is entirely up to you," Sand replied. He looked over at Vale, who remained near the small table.

Vale nodded, and murmured again in that strange language that hurt Satoshi's ears, and Mephasm faded away. Satoshi shivered, and Vale looked at him sharply.

"What's wrong, mela en' coiamin?" Vale asked.

Satoshi shook his head slowly. "That was strange. I didn't understand the half of what going on, but I got the feeling that devil wanted me to command him."

"He did," Vale said shortly. "Once you got a taste for the kinds of things he could do for you, he'd have a way to slowly leech all the goodness from you. That's how they work."

"What's a lemure?" Satoshi asked.

Sand walked over and put his arms around Satoshi. "It is what a truly evil soul can become in the Hells, a tortured lump of burning flesh that will serve the whim of its master blindly. Most lemures die in battle in the Blood Wars, and when a lemure dies, the soul is utterly destroyed."

Satoshi nodded grimly. "That sounds like a proper reward for that bastard." He leaned into Sand a little. "Are we done here? I'd like to go home, and shower for about an hour."

[Sandcastles and Fireworks]

Erion held Momo's phone in one slim hand, the other fisted in the covers as he watched the slideshow with wide eyes. He could hear Momo in the bathroom, and he shook his head a little and hit the button to close the text, placing the phone on the nightstand as he slid out of the bed. Erion hurried into the bathroom and knelt beside Momo, rubbing his back gently as Momo purged himself, gooseflesh prickling his skin under Erion's hand.

"That's it, koibito," Erion murmured. "It's over now, it's finished."

Momo retched miserably a few last times, and then sat back on his heels, trembling, as Erion handed him a clean wet washcloth for his face.

"Fuck," Momo moaned. "I've seen a lot of shit, but that..." His voice trailed off, and Erion put an arm around Momo and helped the taller youth to stand.

"It was bad," Erion agreed, as Momo reached for his toothbrush and the toothpaste, his hands still shaking a bit. "I'm not going to pretend that part of me isn't fucking thrilled about that bastard being dead."

Momo scrubbed his teeth furiously and rinsed before turning to look at Erion. "I'm not going to fucking mourn, either, but you didn't even turn a hair."

Erion sighed a little, and for a moment Momo was reminded that Erion was in fact older than he was, and from a world he had not begun to comprehend. He watched as Erion ran a slim hand through his sleep-tangled hair, obviously trying to decide what to say.

"Let's just say I've seen bodies as badly mangled before, and leave it at that." Erion reached behind the bathroom door and grabbed a thick terrycloth robe, wrapping it around Momo, but it did little to dispel the chill that Erion's flat voice sent up Momo's spine.

"What the fuck kind of life have you had?" Momo murmured, but he let Erion lead him out of the bathroom and back over to the bed. He watched Erion fish his own cellphone out, pressing a button and waiting for a few short moments.

"Otooji? It's Erion. Do me a favor? Check on Kansas, and make sure he's with Sand and Satoshi," Erion said, his voice somber. "Momo just got a video message, about Taka, and I'll bet Sand's treasury that Kansas got one, too." Erion paused, listening. "It was pretty bad. By the end, it looked like ghouls had been at him. Taka, I mean, not Momo." Erion nodded as he listened. "Yeah, we need to pull ourselves together, and we'll come by. By then, maybe you'll have a better idea of what's going on, with the official end of things, anyway." Erion sighed a little. "I'm fine, Vale, just a little bit shaken up. I'm not quite used to this here, but Shevarash's arrows fly far, eh? See you soon."

Erion ended the call and sat down next to Momo, leaning into his lover, his cellphone held loosely in his slim hand, and Momo lifted it and looked at it, scrolling down to see the messages. There was an unviewed video message waiting, and Momo looked at Erion, his dark eyes bleak.

"Takahiro and Ryo and Eric probably got this, too," Momo said, handing the cellphone back to Erion. "Fuck, just... fuck."

There was a gentle knock on the door, and Erion snatched up his sleep pants and yanked them on quickly as Momo opened the door. Satoru stepped into the room and pulled Momo into his arms, holding him tightly.

"Are you alright, Momo-kun?" Satoru asked, his voice full of love. He stroked Momo's back, looking at Erion quickly over Momo's shoulder.

"I've been better, otousan," Momo said quietly. "That's not the kind of thing to wake up to."

"Yuki-kun, did you get it also?" Satoru asked, releasing Momo as Erion nodded.

"I called Akira and asked him to check on Kansas," Erion said softly. "I didn't look at mine. Seeing Momo's was enough."

Satoru nodded. "I called Chief Kitamura as soon as I saw that on my phone, and he got it as well. He's checking with Ogawa's other victims, and the Murai family now. I'll assume the rest of your friends got this, and I'm sure Kitamura-san will call them as well."

"Oh, fuck," Momo whispered, his eyes welling a little. "I hope Murai-sama didn't get one. It'd kill Murai-san to see that. She'd die."

"Let's hope whoever sent this wasn't that callous," Satoru agreed. "Kitamura-san said he'd check with Katsurou-san first." Satoru sighed heavily. "I think we should head to the estate. I'll get coffee and tea going and then we can all shower."

The three men headed down to the kitchen, and Satoru started the tea maker and the coffee maker. They waited in silence for the beverages to brew, Erion leaning into Momo with his arms wrapped around Momo's waist. When the tea and coffee was finally ready, they each prepared their mugs.

"Not a way to start a day," Satoru sighed, sipping his tea gratefully.

"Oh, I don't know," Erion said without thinking. "Taka got everything he deserved. In fact, hearing that he was raped every day in prison was icing on the cake. But at least it feels like he got the justice he deserved to get."

Momo looked at Erion in shock. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

Satoru winced a little, both at Erion's words and Momo's reaction, but he never got a chance to speak.

Erion shrugged a little. "Taka dying like that was justice, at least as far as I'm concerned. On my world, we don't coddle criminals, and he didn't suffer nearly enough for what he did."

"Just shut up, Yuki. You don't know what the fuck you're talking about. How can you stand here and say such horrible things?" Momo stormed off, heading upstairs, and Erion looked at Satoru in surprise before following Momo to their room.

Erion closed the door a little sharply, his silvery eyes darkening with temper as he set his tea down and began to rummage for clothing. "Justice isn't supposed to be a pretty thing, Momo-san. You don't dress it up and make it nice. Taka deserved to be brutalized every fucking day, and he deserved to be torn apart like that. What he didn't deserve was to be allowed to keep breathing, and to plot his nasty little revenge. I've had a fucking bodyguard following me around on campus like a fucking shadow, and half the kids in my classes are scared shitless to be anywhere near me."

Momo turned and grabbed Erion by the shoulders, hard, and slammed him into the wall, his face a mask of fury. "Nobody fucking deserves that, do you fucking hear me? Nobody deserves to be that powerless and to be in that kind of fucking pain! Just shut the fuck up, Yuki, because you don't know shit!" He took a shuddering breath. "I fucking hated Taka, but I wouldn't wish what happened to him on my worst fucking enemy. But you don't have a fucking clue, do you? You've never been raped. How the fuck could you understand what it's like?"

"Don't fucking tell me what I can or can't understand, and don't fucking condescend to me like I'm some fucking elfling," Erion snarled, his hands flat against Momo's chest. "Back the fuck off."

Momo snarled, and spun Erion around, slamming the elf against the bed and pushing him down ruthlessly. "You want to fucking try it? You want to see what it feels like to be fucking raped? You want to find out what it felt like for Kageoshi, or for Kansas, or for me, for fuck's sake?" Momo's hand wrapped around Erion's neck, and held the elf down while Momo used his leverage to shove Erion's thighs apart roughly.

"It's not the same," Erion rasped out, his eyes blazing. "Taka was an evil piece of shit, who got what was coming to him! Don't you dare put him in the same category as Kageoshi or Kansas or you!" Erion struggled a little under Momo's grip, but Momo only tightened his hold. "Get the fuck off me!"

"You think I should do it? Should I rape you, right here and now, and then you can tell me how you fucking feel when I'm done? Just say the fucking word, Yuki," Momo growled. "I can do it, right now, and there's not a fucking thing you can do to stop me."

Erion froze, his eyes widening as he looked up at the furious Momo, seeing the absolute truth of it in Momo's eyes for a heartstopping moment. Momo would do exactly what he said, and Erion gripped Momo's wrist with both hands, his eyes growing pale.

Suddenly Momo released Erion, his eyes welling with tears as he straightened up. "What the fuck am I doing? Yuki-chan, I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry, baby." Momo backed away, his expression full of anguish. "I can't. I could never do that again. I'm so sorry."

Erion rubbed his throat and sat up, his voice a little husky. "Momo-chan, it's okay, koibito. Don't apologize. It was my fault. I wasn't thinking about what I was saying."

Momo turned around, grabbing his cigarettes and standing by the window, lighting up and staring blindly out the window as he smoked, his hand trembling. Erion stood up, his legs shaky from the adrenaline of Momo's threat, and he scooped up his own cigarettes as he walked over to Momo slowly.

"Momo-chan? I'm so sorry. Please forgive me, and my stupid temper, and my big mouth," Erion said, lighting up his own cigarette and daring to move within arm's reach of Momo.

"He kept saying no, and that he was scared, but I didn't listen." Momo's voice was soft and ragged, and tears ran down his cheeks unnoticed as he took a deep drag on his cigarette. "I just kept pushing him and pushing him, and told him it would be so good and so much fun. He trusted me, and gave in, but he didn't like it. When I was done, I threw him away like garbage." Momo's voice shook a little. "It was rape, no matter how many times he said it wasn't."

"I'm so sorry," Erion said, and his own tears welled and spilled down his pale cheeks. "If I could take it all back, I would. I just let my hatred talk, and seeing those pictures brought back memories." Erion stopped talking abruptly, and shook his head a little. "But that's no excuse. You kept telling me to shut up, and I didn't listen."

Erion stubbed out his half-smoked cigarette and turned to walk away, but Momo reached out and put a hand on Erion's shoulder. "I wouldn't have done it, not to you. I can't. I can't do that to anyone. I know sometimes I can be rough enough in bed that it might feel like rape, and if I ever make you feel that way, I'm sorry for that, too."

Erion turned around and wrapped his arms around Momo, choking back a sob. "I forgive you, koibito, even if you didn't do anything I didn't deserve. I was a complete asshole, baby. And you're never too rough for me in bed. I'm not exactly a delicate little flower myself."

The feeble attempt at humor won a ghost of a smile from Momo. "You're not?" He put his free arm around Erion and rested his cheek against Erion's silver hair. "But what could you have seen that those pictures brought back? I mean, everyone acts like your world is some kind of paradise. You don't even lock the damned house, according to your sobo."

Erion leaned into Momo, breathing in the scent of his lover. "I don't know how to explain it. We deal with threats, and one of the races that threatens my homeland is the orc race. If they get their hands on a female warrior, they take turns raping her. For fun, they chew on her flesh while they're raping her. What they leave behind for us to find looks a lot like what was left of Taka."

"So what do your people do?" Momo asked, wondering if he really wanted to know. He stubbed out his own cigarette.

Erion sighed again. "There's really only one penalty for that. We hunt the orcs and kill them. My father is a captain in our Vale Guard, and he took me on a hunt once."

Momo looked at Erion, startled. "He took you?"

"I trained with the Vale Guard for almost twenty-five years, Momo-chan." Erion sighed again. "If I hadn't met Kansas, I'd be training with them still, and I'd have gotten my first patrol command when I reached my majority. A squad, four of us altogether, and only if I didn't fuck it up. My father doesn't play favorites."

"So he took you to hunt orcs?" Momo still found most of this so hard to believe, but then again, he had seen a dwarf with his own eyes, and drank with elves in a bar that looked like nothing he had ever seen before.

Erion nodded, his head leaning on Momo's shoulder. "Two squads, and I was junior in his squad. We tracked them easily enough, and we found their lair. There were only a dozen of them, and we took them down fast and hard. By my father's orders, we didn't kill them. We hamstrung them, or incapacitated them, but we left them alive. My father wanted to issue a warning." Erion let go of Momo and reached for his cigarettes, and lit one with steady hands. "My father ordered that we scoop out the left eye from each orc, which we did. Then we took their own spears, these long, nasty black steel things, and we shoved the spears up their asses and piked them. They were all wounded already, and some died faster than others, but we watched and waited until the last one was dead. My father took out a bundle of black arrows, and shoved one in each orc's empty eye socket. The arrow was a reminder of Shevarash, our god of vengeance, and his black arrows that never miss. We're not gentle with rapists and killers. If you take the life of an elf, you pay, and pay dearly."

Momo was silent for a moment as he thought about what Erion had just said. His elven lover was very still next to him, as he waited for Momo's reaction. "Killing them, I can see that. I can. They deserved to die, and so did Taka. But raping Taka every day in prison? I still can't see that as justice, ever."

"I understand, baby, and I was wrong. I know my views on justice are harsher than what's allowed here, and I'll respect the laws here, and live by them. I don't have to like them to obey them." Erion looked up at Momo, his eyes more grey than silver. "I need to know if you can forgive me for being an asshole, and saying those things."

Momo looked at the contrite elf, his dark eyes unreadable as Erion returned his look steadily. "I was raped, when I was thirteen. It was someone from another pit crew. I'd gone with Ken and Kenta, and I was wandering around, and he grabbed me. He raped me, and there was nothing I could do about it. The worst part was that I tried to ask what someone would do, a boy, if they were raped. Ken and Kenta just laughed at me and told me boys don't get raped unless they're faggots who are begging for it anyway." Momo lit a cigarette, his movements slow and deliberate. "I think about how it felt, and how Kageoshi and Takahiro and all those other boys must have felt, and what it did to them, and I still can't bring myself to say that Taka deserved that. I just can't, Yuki-chan."

Erion bowed his head, his voice heavy with grief. "You're right, and I don't know how I can apologize enough. If you can't forgive me, I understand."

"I forgive you, yuki no erufu." Momo reached out and pulled Erion back into his arms, holding Erion very tightly. "I forgive you."

Erion sobbed in relief, wrapping his arms around Momo and clinging to him desperately for a long minute, his shoulders shaking with the effort to fight back his tears. Finally, Momo guided Erion to the bathroom, so they could shower and meet Satoru downstairs for the ride to the estate.

~XX~

Kansas looked at his cellphone in disbelief, tears blurring his vision, but not enough to block the images. The final picture of the slideshow vanished, and the black screen read only, "Rest in peace, Murai Kageoshi."

Kansas moaned loudly, and slid out of bed, tearing out of his room and down the hall into Sand and Satoshi's room, trying not to keen in the hallway. He slid the door closed and flung himself onto the tatami bed, crawling up to burrow between Sand and Satoshi, whimpering and burying himself in the covers as best he could. Sand sat up, alarmed, and Satoshi reached out to grab Kansas and pull him close, letting the sobbing, shivering imp bury his face in Satoshi's chest as the husbands exchanged worried looks.

"Kansas, my love, what is the matter?" Sand asked, his voice soft and loving as he shook of the remnants of his reverie.

Kansas just sobbed and clung tightly to Satoshi, letting go only long enough to drop his cellphone in Sand's lap. Sand examined it quickly, his vision allowing him to see that a video message had been played, and remained open on the screen. He handed Satoshi his glasses with a delicately arched eyebrow, pressing a tender kiss to Kansas's head as he leaned over.

"Shh, it's okay, Kansas. It's okay, baby, we have you," Satoshi murmured, stroking Kansas's sleep-tousled hair. Kansas's only response was a wail as he clung even harder, as if he were trying to crawl inside Satoshi, something he had not done in so very long.

Sand tapped the screen to replay the video, and Taka's opening sobs hung in the room. Sand shifted so that Satoshi could see the screen as well, his dark blue eyes narrowed as he took in the bruised and bloody face and noted the date on the newspaper. Kansas's hands flew up to cover his ears, and Satoshi began to stroke Kansas's back, pressing soft kisses to the imp's hair.

Satoshi's soft crooning to Kansas did not quite drown out Taka's words, and Satoshi watched Taka's confession in growing horror, Sand's hand steady as he held the phone for them both. Satoshi flinched when Taka was dragged back by the leather strap, and when the slideshow began, Satoshi paled visibly, watching until the knives began to go to work on Taka, carving him open.

Satoshi made a small noise, a sound of utter distress, the tears falling from his gorgeous eyes to land on Kansas's thick hair, and Sand turned the phone away from Satoshi, watching the last pictures in utter silence. He did not turn the phone back to Satoshi until the final message was displayed, his face unreadable to Satoshi in the dim room, but Satoshi could still feel Sand's concern for Kansas and the posse and underneath that a quickly suppressed surge of joy that Taka was finally dead.

"Kansas, my love, we are here with you. Nothing will happen to you, or to anyone. You are safe now, my sweet imp." Sand wrapped his own arms around both Kansas and Satoshi, holding them tightly as Kansas continued to shiver. Sand tugged the covers up around Kansas, wrapping him tightly in them before adding his own body's heat to the embrace again.

The door slid open a crack, and Vale looked in, nodding when he saw Kansas in the bed with Sand and Satoshi, and the blond elf slipped away again, closing the door silently and hurrying back to his own room to wake Yuji.

[Sandcastles and Fireworks]

"I thought it was beautiful in the dream, but this is..." Vale's voice trailed off as he looked at the garden in wonder, leaning into Yuji's arm. "Oh, Yuji, this is magical."

Yuji led Vale down the steps, his arm still firmly around Vale's slim waist, down the three tiers of steps until they were standing at the edge of the garden. Vale held out his hands, letting the falling petals settle on them and he turned to Yuji with a delighted grin.

"Do you want to walk around the garden?" Yuji asked, giving Vale a tender smile.

Vale's green eyes sparkled in the faint light of the moon. "Can we? I'd love that, a'maelamin."

Yuji took Vale's hand, and they walked into the middle of the garden, deep enough into the trees that they could no longer see the gate around the garden. Yuji looked at Vale, petals drifting down around the elf as he looked up at the trees. Under their feet, the petals formed a thick, soft carpet, and Yuji's perfect eyes shone with desire as he turned Vale to face him, pulling his elf into a loving kiss. A few petals had caught in Vale's hair, and they tumbled free as Yuji deepened the kiss, feeling Vale respond eagerly.

Yuji pushed Vale down, the elf complying with his usual grace, and Yuji leaned in to kiss Vale again as he began to undress his husband. Vale made a small sound, very quiet, and Yuji smiled at him with such love in his eyes that Vale shivered a little.

"As long as we're quiet, we can do this," Yuji murmured, stroking the pale golden skin of Vale's chest with his long fingers. "I want to see you on a bed of sakura petals, naked and ready for me, and as beautiful as any dream."

Vale's green eyes widened slightly as he nodded, and when he was undressed, he lay back on the fragrant carpet of petals, one knee raised and his thighs parted slightly. Vale looked up at Yuji, a radiant smile curving his lips, and he held his arms out in silent invitation as petals drifted down to fall on his pale skin.

Yuji's breath caught a little as he looked at his beloved elf, and he stripped quickly and quietly, easing himself down between Vale's thighs, Yuji's cock glistening with the lube he had slicked over it. Vale's eyes shone with his endless love for Yuji as Yuji pressed into Vale's ass until his cock was buried to the root in the tight heat. Vale's back arched just a little, the golden rings in his erect nipples winking in the dim light that filtered through the trees.

Yuji set a slow and tender pace for them, his bond opening to allow Vale to feel his limitless love, and Vale responded by opening his own bond, his utter adoration of Yuji pouring forth as he sighed almost silently with pleasure. Despite the slow pace, their lovemaking was intense, and as Yuji lazily plundered Vale's mouth, he could feel the elf's heart beating against his chest.

They both lost all track of time as they moved together with familiar ease that was nonetheless as intoxicating as the first time they had made love. Vale's slim fingers were buried in Yuji's hair as Yuji continued to kiss his elf, the feel of Vale's lips against his own lips making Yuji's head spin just a little. They could each sense how close the other was, and Yuji changed his angle just enough to make Vale gust another soft sigh as his back arched, his ass grinding down on Yuji's cock. The emerald circle was resting in the hollow of Vale's throat, and as it glittered for a moment, Yuji gasped a little at that reminder of how Vale had offered himself, fully and completely, holding nothing back.

"A'maelamin," Yuji whispered, his voice husky with desire. "Let go for me, my love. Let me feel you come."

Vale's voice was barely a whisper. "Watashi no ai, my love." Vale's breath hitched a little, and his ass tightened around Yuji's thick cock as his own cock jumped against his belly and spilled, his cum hot against their cool skin.

Yuji bit back a moan as his balls emptied, and he ground himself against Vale's ass as he filled Vale with his cum, looking at the pleasure-flushed face of his beloved husband beneath him. As Vale shivered delightfully, Yuji caught Vale's lips in a searing kiss. Through their bond, Yuji felt the elf's eternal love and gentle wonder at his good fortune to be so loved by Yuji, and he returned that love endlessly.

Yuji sank down and held Vale tightly as they both shuddered through the last of their orgasms, their lips stealing soft kisses, no need for any words between them. There was a small chill in the night air, though, and when Yuji shivered a little from the cold, Vale gently untangled himself and began to gather Yuji's clothing. Vale himself did not feel the chill yet, but he dressed as quickly as Yuji did, and then hand in hand they made their way back out of the garden, pausing at the top of the path to kiss one more time before they left to make their way back to the hotel. By the time they got there, the drifting blossoms had already erased all signs of their lovemaking.

Back in the hotel room, Vale started to strip with the intention of showering again, but Yuji came up behind the blond elf and wrapped his arms around him, his lips teasing the back of Vale's neck and dragging a wanton little moan from Vale. A few cherry blossom petals floated free from Vale's thick golden mane, and Yuji turned Vale around to face him, his perfect eyes warm and tender as he looked at his husband.

"My beautiful Vale," Yuji murmured, his lips seeking the pulse point under Vale's jaw, and the lovely dark mark that Yuji proceeded to deepen. Yuji could feel Vale's cock, already hard and eager, pressed against his thigh, and Yuji ground his own cock against Vale slowly and suggestively. Vale ground back, and Yuji chuckled a little at Vale's insatiable appetite, making Vale chuckle as well.

"I can't help myself," Vale smiled, his lips ghosting over Yuji's sensitive ear and making Yuji shiver a little. "I can't resist you. You look at me sometimes, and it's all I can do not to bend over and beg you to take me."

"Even at the academy?" Yuji teased, his long fingers buried in Vale's hair.

Vale laughed, his green eyes sparkling with mischief. "Especially at the academy," he confirmed. "One of these days, I'm going to lock the door when you do that, and throw myself across your desk."

"Oh, I don't know about that." Yuji's grin was wicked. "I might make you wait until after the school lets out."

Vale's eyes widened, and he moaned a little as he thought about how the anticipation would drive him wild all day. "The things you do," Vale said, his voice husky with desire.

Yuji laughed, and pulled Vale closer, his fingers tightening in Vale's hair as he plundered his elf's willing mouth. "You could show me what else that mouth of yours can do," Yuji suggested, his eyes locked with Vale's eyes as Vale's hands dropped to the belt around Yuji's slim waist.

Once Vale had Yuji's pants and boxers off, Yuji sat on the foot of the bed, watching as Vale sank to his knees gracefully, twisting his hair back over his shoulders as he bent over Yuji's cock, his breath hot as he feathered dainty licks over the slit. Yuji reached out to tease Vale's ears, watching them as they grew flushed and rosy with Vale's own arousal. Vale mewled very softly as his mouth dropped over the head of Yuji's cock, his tongue stud dancing over the tender cleft on the underside.

Yuji bit back a gasp as Vale's mouth sank over the length of his cock, the elf's tongue flat against the underside to let his tongue stud tease its way down the thick vein, until Yuji's cock was bumping against the back of Vale's throat. Vale eased his way back up Yuji's cock, slow and lascivious, making Yuji groan a little as that clever tongue swirled around the head of his cock. Yuji fisted one hand in Vale's hair, urging the elf down again, and this time Vale did not stop when Yuji's cock reaching the back of his throat, tilting his head instead to engulf Yuji fully. Vale hummed a little, the vibrations shooting right up Yuji's spine as he pressed himself deeper into that wanton mouth. Vale's slim hands slid up the length of Yuji's golden thighs, one hand cupping Yuji's balls delicately as Vale stretched out a finger to massage Yuji's prostate from the outside.

"Oh, fuck," Yuji moaned. "You're too fucking good at this. Get your pants off, now."

Vale eased his mouth off Yuji's cock, taking one last swipe across the slit with his tongue, and then stood as gracefully as he had knelt, hands busy opening his pants and sliding them past his hips until he could step out of them. His boxers followed as quickly, and Yuji moaned as Vale stood naked before him, his cock proudly erect.

Yuji stood up and pressed Vale forward so that his chest was resting on the bed, his ass perfectly presented. Yuji ran his hands over the round globes of Vale's ass, watching Vale's pucker twitch with anticipation, and he reached for the lube he had left on the nightstand, coating Vale's pucker and slipping a finger in to spread the lube. Yuji wiped the rest over his cock, and pressed the head against Vale's ass, knowing that his elf could take his generous cock even unprepared.

Vale let out a very soft but very wanton moan, and Yuji pressed the head of his cock into Vale's ass, watching the elf's back arch slightly as Vale struggled to keep quiet and hold still.

"You're so perfect, my Vale," Yuji murmured, and he gripped Vale's hips tightly to hold Vale in place. Yuji pressed himself forward, burying his cock in Vale's tight ass in a single thrust as Vale hid his face in the covers to muffle his howl of pleasure at being taken.

Yuji set a hard pace, finding Vale's prostate and plundering his elf relentless as Vale bucked back as best as he could. Vale's ass was reddening nicely as Yuji slapped into it with each thrust, and Yuji leaned forward to wrap his arm around Vale and pull his elf upright, pulling his cock out of Vale's ass abruptly as he turned the elf to face him. Vale looked briefly bewildered until Yuji tugged him into a searing kiss.

Yuji tumbled Vale back onto the bed, sliding up onto the bed as well. Yuji lay on his back, his thighs spread, and he held out his arms to Vale, welcoming his elf. Vale reached for the lube, slicking his cock quickly, but when he went to prepare Yuji, Yuji shook his head a bit.

"Just take me, my love." Yuji's perfect eyes were filled with desire, and Vale gave a small eager whimper as he pressed his cock against Yuji's pucker, the tight muscle relaxing with surprising ease as Vale pressed himself past it and into Yuji's tight ass.

Vale moaned a little as he buried his cock in that sweet heat, his gold and emerald hair tumbling forward around his face as Yuji's legs wrapped around the elf's hips. Yuji's cock was ground between their tight bellies, precum dribbling freely as Vale thrust. Vale's cheeks were as pink as Yuji's, the two of them flushed with arousal, their skins glistening with a light coating of sweat as Vale made love to Yuji. Vale could feel himself on the edge, already close when Yuji had switched, and he opened his bond to let Yuji feel his growing heat.

"I'm so close, a'maelamin," Vale gasped, his balls feeling heavy and hot.

Yuji managed a nod, gasping, "I'm there, just a little more, love."

It was just another thrust or two, and Yuji stiffened, biting back a scream as his cock jumped and his cum painted both of them with thick white ropes. Vale managed to catch some in his mouth, savoring the flavor of Yuji as Yuji's ass molded itself firmly around Vale's cock, pushing the elf over the edge. Vale sucked in a ragged breath as he barely managed to stifle his own scream, filling Yuji's ass with cum as he thrust a final time, his balls almost painful as they emptied.

Vale sank forward, shivering a little, and Yuji wrapped his arms around his elf, tears of pleasure pearling in his lashes as he nuzzled the golden hair of his husband. They lay like that for a few minutes, their hearts finally slowing down to a more normal beat and their breathing evening out, and then Vale eased his flaccid cock out of Yuji's ass with a tiny whimper of loss.

"Now, how about that shower?" Yuji suggested. "And after that, I have just enough whiskey left for a nightcap for us both."

Vale chuckled, his green eyes glowing with contentment. "That sounds perfect."

"I don't know about you, but I'm going to rest well tonight," Yuji laughed as Vale stood up and held out a slim hand to Yuji. "Are you alright? Do you need a potion?"

Vale leaned in and kissed Yuji sweetly. "I'm more than alright, and I don't need a potion. I feel wonderful, actually. This weekend was amazing. Thank you for sharing this with me."

"I just wish it could be ours," Yuji admitted. "It'd be nice to have our own special getaway, like Masato and Satoshi have." Yuji's eyes were warm as he looked at Vale. "No one else has ever enjoyed this as much as you have. That makes me happier than you know."

"It's a part of who you are," Vale said, as he let Yuji run the water in the shower. "I'd love it for that reason alone, but it's so beautiful. I've never seen anything like that view, and the stars were the most amazing sight."

"Even the alien?" Yuji teased, and Vale laughed as Yuji pushed him under the water.

"Especially the alien," Vale retorted, slicking back his wet hair and reaching for the shampoo.

They kissed and nuzzled and caressed each other throughout the shower, and then took turns at the sink to brush their teeth. Yuji brushed Vale's hair lovingly as Vale all but purred, and then they curled up and sipped their whiskeys, Vale tucked under Yuji's arm as they relaxed, both pleasantly tired and ready to sleep.

[Sandcastles and Fireworks]

Vale moaned right back into the kiss, grinding against Yuji with equal heat. They finally broke, both of them breathless, and Vale's eyes were bright with joy as he began to laugh.

"We won't get much tent pitching done if we keep this up," Vale grinned. He looked at Yuji, his eyes full of love for his perfect husband, here in this sanctuary of his. Yuji was completely relaxed and happy, without a care in the world, and Vale loved to see Yuji like this. "I love you, a'maelamin. This is truly perfect, and I'm so glad to share it with you."

Yuji was in no hurry to release Vale, however, and he pulled his elf in for another kiss, Vale entirely happy to be so sweetly plundered. They spent another minute or two kissing, just enjoying the solitude and the beautiful surroundings and each other until Yuji finally pulled away and gave Vale a playful swat on his ass.

"Let's get the tent up," Yuji said, his dark brown eyes filled with happiness. "Then we can explore the area a bit, maybe go up and see if we can find whatever it is that twinkles up there. And when we get back, we'll have a campfire, and eat, and see what else we can get up to." He gave Vale a deliciously wicked look, and Vale threw his head back and laughed.

"This is what I love so much about you. You know exactly how to motivate me," Vale replied, and reached for the rolled up tent.

Thanks to Sand's habit of dragging Vale to assorted ruins and out of the way places, Vale was adept at making camp, and he and Yuji got the tent set up quickly. Vale unrolled the waterproof ground tarpaulin while Yuji pulled out a double sleeping bag, which he left tightly rolled to prevent any unwanted guests using it while they explored.

While they worked, Vale kept looking up at the peak, his keen eyes picking out the twinkling easily. There was something about it that felt familiar to Vale, a sensation that skittered along his nerves but not unpleasantly so. In fact, it was almost comforting, much like the rest of the ruins, and Vale turned to Yuji.

"Have you ever gone looking for whatever it is that's twinkling up there?" Vale asked. He reached up and gathered his thick hair into a tidy ponytail, wrapping a wide elastic ring around it, a few unruly tendrils falling loose to frame his face.

"Lots of times," Yuji replied. "Pretty much every time I come here, but I've never been able to find it. Once I start climbing, I lose track of it. I think it's the angle of the sun from right here."

Vale nodded, looking thoughtful. "Maybe I'm crazy, but I want to look for it today. Can we?" His green eyes were bright as he turned to Yuji.

Yuji chuckled, pleased that Vale was enjoying this outing so much. Between the music academy, the new baby and Vale's work at the Cloaktower, there had not been much time for them to get away, and now with spring upon them, it had seemed like the perfect time to bring Vale to the old homestead.

"Of course we can," Yuji agreed, his happiness shining in his perfect eyes.

"This is just an amazing place," Vale said, looking back out over the valley below. "It's funny, but I love to be up high like this. It feels peaceful and safe, being up here." Vale picked up his backpack and smiled radiantly. "Lead the way, my love."

Yuji grabbed his own pack, and led Vale along another small trail that wound higher up toward the peak. As they climbed, the odd sensation of familiarity grew stronger, and Vale found himself looking up and trying to find that twinkling again. Yuji stopped when they reached a split in the trail.

"I've gone that way in the past," Yuji said, gesturing to his right side. "No joy finding anything that way, but I always wonder if I'm just missing it because the sun isn't on it just right."

"Would you think I'm totally insane if I told you that the other way feels right?" Vale's green eyes were wide as he looked toward the left, where the trail wound a bit higher through the trees. "I don't know why I think it's the right way, but I do."

Yuji chuckled a little, looking at his eager husband. Vale's cheeks were faintly pink from the climb, and his eyes were sparkling like emeralds, and Yuji thought Vale had never looked quite so gorgeous as he did right then and there.

"I don't think you're insane," Yuji reassured his elf. "Let's try it."

Yuji let Vale take the lead, following the elf as he climbed higher, pausing every now and then to crane his neck and look upward. Yuji did think he could see a quick twinkling once or twice, but he was reluctant to think it was more than wishful thinking as they climbed higher.

Vale paused again, reaching for his water bottle and taking a long drink as he considered the trail. Yuji slipped his arm around Vale's slim waist as he took a drink of his own water.

"What is it that you're feeling?" Yuji asked.

Vale looked briefly startled by the question, and then shrugged. "It's impossible, I know, but it feels like the Weave." His green eyes were wide. "You said that your great-grandfather found Sora up here?"

"That's what Yuichi told everyone," Yuji replied. "He used to come up here often. I think he found it as much of a sanctuary as I do. Why?"

"Because it makes a weird sort of sense," Vale said. "For whatever reason, someone opened a portal between Toril and Earth, and Sora came through it. That's something we know for sure. But what if the portal never closed?"

Yuji looked at Vale, his own eyes widening. "Our portal, the one at home, it would twinkle in the sunlight, wouldn't it?"

Vale nodded. "It shimmers even in the house, and it would explain what I'm feeling. Every open portal is drawing on the Weave. If the portal wasn't open, I wouldn't feel it."

"It does make sense, my love," Yuji said. "If you can feel it, can you lead us to it?"

"I think so," Vale said, a small smile forming. "I'm pretty sure I can get us to it."

"Then let's see if we can put one family mystery to rest," Yuji answered, his own smile bright.

Vale put his water away, and set off again, following whatever it was that he could sense, and Yuji followed, admiring his graceful husband as he climbed the increasingly steep trail through the trees. They finally emerged in a small clearing, and Yuji gasped a little as he saw a faint shimmering. It seemed to be surrounding a tree that had fallen, a very long time ago judging by the state of it.

"Is that what I think it is?" Yuji asked.

Vale nodded, his eyes bright. "It's a portal, a very old one. It's still open, and I'll bet you it opens somewhere on the slopes of Evereska."

"So this is how Sora came through, and Yuichi found her," Yuji marveled, walking around the portal and examining it from every angle. As the sun struck it just right, it twinkled, and Yuji let out a small hoot of victory. "I've been using this as a landmark all these years, and never knew just how important it was to my family."

"I can't believe it's been open all this time," Vale said, stretching his hand out but not quite touching the portal. "It's old, Yuji, much older than I thought. Whoever opened this either forgot about it or was killed before they could use it."

Yuji's eyes widened a little in surprise. "But why didn't it close?"

"My best guess is that tree. Maybe when the portal opened originally, it felled that tree, and the tree's kept the portal open all this time." Vale looked at Yuji.

Yuji looked thoughtfully at the tree. "If we move the tree, the portal should close, right?"

"Yes, that's right," Vale said, brightening.

"And there shouldn't be any problems when it closes?" Yuji asked.

Vale thought for a moment. "I can't remember ever hearing of a problem in closing a portal this old. It's not all that uncommon to find old portals that still work, but most aren't being held open. Still, the magic should be nearly exhausted by now."

Yuji nodded. "Then let's move this tree and close this portal, before someone else stumbles through it, either direction."

Vale and Yuji both stood at opposite ends of the tree, and when Yuji nodded again, he and Vale rolled the ancient trunk until it was no longer touching the shimmering portal. The portal held for a moment, and then faded away, and Yuji smiled a little and shook his head.

"What is it, a'maelamin?" Vale asked.

Yuji chuckled. "I'll miss my mysterious twinkling, but I'm glad no one else will get caught unawares and tossed into another world." He looked at Vale, his face glowing with contentment. "Let's head back to the tent. I don't know about you, but all this hiking's given me an appetite."

They headed back down the trail to the tent, the late sun painting everything ruddy as they arrived back at the homestead site. Vale gasped a little at the sheer beauty, and hurried to look out over the valley, his green eyes sparkling with wonder.

"Pretty, isn't it?" Yuji asked as he joined Vale, his arm sliding around Vale's waist, and Vale leaned into the touch.

"It's incredible," Vale replied. "What a gift, to be able to see this every night. Your ancestor was a wise man."

Yuji nodded, his contentment radiating through their bond. "Whenever I camp here, this is one of my favorite times, when the sun is setting. And wait until you see the stars here." Yuji looked at Vale with a happy laugh. "There's so many stars. It's too bright in Tokyo, but here, the stars are everywhere."

Vale leaned into Yuji, equally relaxed and happy. "I love the stars."

"I remember," Yuji said, and the love in his voice made Vale turn his head in time for Yuji to capture his lips in a fierce kiss. "I remember a night on a hill in Evereska, and you under the stars."

Vale sighed as Yuji slid the elastic out of the elf's hair, fisting his hands in the thick gold and emerald mane as Vale returned Yuji's kiss with equal heat. Yuji ground himself against Vale, and Vale moaned softly into the kiss, his canvas trousers tenting as he responded immediately to Yuji's touch.

Yuji's deft fingers had Vale's jacket open and he was tugging Vale's shirt free of the waistband of his canvas trousers, sliding his hands up to feel the warm skin of his elf as Vale shrugged his jacket off, another soft moan escaping him. Vale ground into Yuji, his cock hard and aching already, and the elf opened Yuji's jacket and slid it off, his need driving him as they broke the kiss long enough to shed the rest of their clothing.

Yuji grabbed the bedroll from the tent, opening it and laying it out on the stone foundation, wanting to see Vale painted with the last rays of the sun as he took his elf. They sank to their knees, kissing again, and Vale mewled as Yuji guided Vale down, his chest against the bedroll as Yuji slid his fingers into Vale's mouth for the elf to wet them. Yuji loosened Vale's tight pucker quickly, the elf pushing back against Yuji's fingers as he thrust into that sweet ass, his other hand kneading one round globe.

Yuji moaned a little as he spat into his hand, lubricating his cock with the spit mixed with his own precum, and he pressed the head of his cock against Vale's pucker. Vale turned his head, his green eyes dark with desire and his smile radiant, and Yuji breached that tight ass in a single thrust, burying his cock to the root in his husband and tearing a soft moan from Vale.

It was simply perfect, the peaceful mountainside and the ruddy sun combining to gild the two husbands with red-gold light. Yuji set a steady pace, finding Vale's prostate unerringly and coaxing wanton gasps from Vale as Yuji plundered him. Yuji fisted one hand in Vale's hair, pulling the elf upright and wrapping an arm around Vale, Yuji's long fingers finding one golden nipple ring and teasing it as Vale ground himself down on Yuji's cock. The other hand found Vale's cock, stroking it firmly and making Vale writhe in Yuji's arms. Yuji could feel how close Vale was, and his own balls were heavy and full.

"Come for me, my love," Yuji whispered, his breath hot against Vale's sensitive ear, and with a sweet wanton groan, Vale did just that, his cum arching out to paint the stone of the foundation as his tight ass clamped around Yuji's cock.

Yuji managed a last thrust before his own balls drew up, and he filled Vale's ass with spurt after spurt of hot cum, his moans muffled against Vale's shoulder as Vale milked him dry of every last drop. Yuji eased Vale off his softening cock, and turned the elf to face him, pulling Vale into a searing kiss as they sank down onto the bedroll, the sun slipping past the horizon as they wrapped themselves in each others arms.

[Sandcastles and Fireworks]

Sand nodded a little as Sadao spoke. "I do understand the pressure that could make you struggle to live a life that was unfulfilling. To be honest, the experience of being a parent that I have had with Ryuu makes me understand even more how you would want to stay close to your son, and to stay with your wife for so long to make his life happy. But in the end, remember that you are beginning your life as you want to live it, and you must believe that you will meet the person who completes you."

"Do you really believe that? That there's someone out there for everyone?" Sadao asked, his smile small and sad.

"I did not meet my husband until a little more than two years ago, and even then I was blind enough to let him go for almost a year before I understood that Satoshi was my soul's partner. And I do believe that you will find someone, and your happiness will bring happiness to your son as well." Sand smiled and gave Sadao's shoulder a light squeeze before he released it. "Then again, I am told that I am an incurable optimist. After all, I remain convinced that I will master my lessons with you."

Sadao laughed, his eyes brighter now. "Well, that means I've been taking it too easy on you, Masato-san. It looks like I'll have to start getting tough."

"So long as getting tough does not mean picking me up any earlier, I think I am up for the challenge," Sand retorted, laughing as well. "Now, with any luck, Tatsuya-san is here to meet me. He is starting his new job, and he is humoring me by allowing me to help him shop for appropriate clothing."

Sadao started to laugh all over again. "I get the feeling you'll get your way in the end."

Sand's eyes had a wicked twinkle. "I generally do."

Kansas was waiting for Sand, his new glasses making the imp look somehow more serious even in his shorts and hoodie.

"Shall we get you outfitted for work?" Sand asked as he tossed his dojo bag into the trunk of the car. "I have been thinking."

Kansas hooted with laughter. "Satoshi says no getting crazy. It's not a place where really expensive suits will go over well. I want the kids I work with to trust me, okay?"

Sand nodded. "I do understand, and I think I know just the shops."

It was a whirlwind shopping trip, and despite Kansas's occasional protests, by the time they returned to the estate, the back of the car was filled with shopping bags. Satoshi moaned when he saw the sheer number of bags being pulled out, but Sand shrugged lightly.

"I did pick up a few other things while we were shopping," Sand declared. "And not a single item from Armani, as instructed."

Satoshi shook his head as they went inside to show off the plunder. Kansas had several pairs of very nice khaki and chino dress pants, button down shirts, and some casual blazers, along with an assortment of ties and a pile of dress socks. The imp had talked Sand into two pairs of shoes from New Rock that he loved, a leather sneaker and a pair of ankle boots that Sand had loved enough to purchase for Satoshi as well. In return, Kansas had consented to two nice suits and a pair of lace-up shoes from Gucci for meetings with his supervisors and other more important business functions.

Sand also had bought some clothing for Takara, delighted by the tiny dresses and dainty little spring sweaters, and he had found some lovely silk blouses that he thought would suit Willow. Eryn raised her eyebrow at Sand as she looked at the dresses he had bought for her, but Sand merely kissed her cheek and dove back into the pile of shopping bags.

Erion was delighted to get some new jeans and a pair of slip-on sneakers similar to the ones Sand had bought for himself. Even Momo was handed a shopping bag, opening it to find a leather jacket that make his eyes go wide. Satoshi got an admiral's coat that he had admired once before, and Kansas grinned wickedly as he showed Satoshi his own coat.

Ryuu loved his new cargoes and hoodies, and hugged his tousan tightly, and Aika was bursting with happiness when she saw three new princess dresses in her shopping bag. Hikaru got some adorably tiny jeans and button down shirts, so much like what Vale tended to wear that he squeaked with happiness. Vale yelped happily at his new Nocona western boots, and Yuji got a buttery-soft black leather blazer that fit like it had been tailored just for him.

Kansas was beginning his internship at the CPS offices in Setagaya-ku the next morning, and he was both excited and a little nervous. This was exactly the position he had been hoping to get, and he was eager to begin his training as a social worker, and Erion was nearly as excited as Kansas. Dinner was lively and full of chatter as the family encouraged Kansas, proud of all he had achieved by his hard work.

After dinner, Momo decided he was going back to Satoru's house, but Erion pulled him to the side.

"Do you mind if I stay here tonight, koibito?" Erion asked, nuzzling in for a kiss from Momo. "I'm really excited about Kansas's new job, and I want to ride with him on the train. One day, when I graduate, this is what I want to do as well. I want us to work together, to give kids that no one else cares about a chance at a good life, so this is kind of special for me."

Momo smiled and kissed Erion tenderly, lingering a bit over that sweet little mouth. "It's okay, baby. I understand. I'll see you after classes tomorrow, right?"

"Of course," Erion said, nibbling a last kiss before Momo left.

Kansas changed his mind several times about what he was going to wear the next day, but he finally settled on black dress pants, a light blue shirt with a darker blue tie, and a blazer the color of the tie, with his New Rock sneakers. Erion was curled up on the bed watching Kansas, his silvery-grey eyes filled with love.

Kansas turned around, laughing a little at Erion's expression. "What, isilmeamin?"

"You look different, 'lokiamin," Erion said, sitting up. "You look older, more grown up and confident. It's sexy."

Kansas laughed even harder. "Baby, not to be rude, but you think everything's sexy."

Erion grinned back, taking no offense. "When it comes to you? Sure, I do." Erion's eyes glittered a little bit. "Put on your glasses for me."

"What?" Kansas laughed. "They're just for distance. I don't need them right now, and I don't want to wear them when I don't need them." He grinned at Erion's playful pout. "You'll see them tomorrow, when we ride the train together."

"I'm not going to be able to keep my hands off you tomorrow," Erion warned. "I have this thing for older men all dressed for work."

"You do, huh?" Kansas advanced on the bed, grinning at his little elf. "Maybe I'd better tire you out tonight so I'm safe tomorrow."

Erion peeled off his tight t-shirt and tossed it aside, shaking his silver hair back over his shoulders. "You can try," he teased.

Kansas pounced, and Erion gave a small shriek as Kansas tumbled him backwards, his hands already tugging at Erion's shorts and sliding them past slim hips as Erion tugged Kansas's t-shirt up to stroke Kansas's pale skin. Kansas raised his arms long enough for Erion to tug off his shirt, and then he dug in his pocket for his tube of lube and yanked his own shorts and boxers off, growling a little as Erion wriggled beneath him.

Kansas pulled Erion's tight little boxers off, and Erion spread his thighs, letting Kansas smear his pucker with lube. Kansas started to slip a finger in, to loosen Erion up, and Erion whined a bit as he bucked into the intrusion.

"Please, 'lokiamin, just do it. I can take it," Erion begged, and Kansas slicked his cock before pressing into Erion's ass, burying himself in a swift plunge until his balls were snug against his little elf's ass. Erion moaned happily and bucked his hips, letting Kansas know he was ready, and Kansas withdrew and slammed back into Erion's ass, setting a hard pace as Erion keened with pleasure. Kansas's cock was riding Erion's prostate hard, and the young elf wrapped his long legs around Kansas's hips, trying to grind himself down on Kansas's thick cock.

"Touch yourself for me, baby," Kansas urged, and Erion wrapped slim fingers around his own cock, tugging roughly in time with Kansas's eager thrusts. "Come for me."

Erion moaned, Kansas's cock sending fireworks exploding behind the elf's eyes, and Erion could feel the heat building in his belly as his balls tightened. Erion keened again as the pleasure increased, until he could no longer hold on, and he let out a scream as he painted his chest and Kansas's with thick ropes of cum, his ass clamping down hard on Kansas's cock. Kansas howled as he gave in to his own orgasm, filling Erion's tight ass with what felt like an endless load of cum.

Erion pulled Kansas down on top of him, plundering Kansas's mouth as they shivered through the last of their orgasms together, his arms wrapped around Kansas's neck.

"I love you, 'lokiamin," Erion mumbled into the kisses. "I love you so much." A tear slid out of the corner of Erion's eye and down his temple as he clung to Kansas, and when he finally fell into reverie, he was wrapped tightly around his beloved imp.

Kansas slipped his glasses on as he and Erion left the house to head to the train station, and Erion made a tiny whimpering noise as he felt his cock begin to harden. He took a deep breath, trying to will his cock to behave, but there was something about Kansas heading off to a real job, confident and ready, that drove Erion to distraction. Kansas gave Erion a sidelong look and grinned a little, feeling Erion's wild surge of desire through their bond, even as tamped down as it was. Kansas felt a tiny twinge of pity for Momo, who would no doubt have his hands and everything else full of a very wanton elf later on, but then again Momo was just as libidinous as Erion and would probably welcome it.

Erion felt a little underdressed next to Kansas as they rode the train together, and he sat uncharacteristically still and quiet next to his imp, trying to act a little more adult than he looked in his shorts and hoodie. Erion bit his lip, tightening his shields so that Kansas would not pick up on his sudden fear that Kansas was growing away from him, that he was just a silly youngster whose appeal would fade. Erion chided himself, trying to remind himself that he was Kansas's lifemate, his bonded soulmate, and that it would not be long before he too was working and proving himself like Kansas had. The only bright side was that his worries had the side effect of squashing Erion's semi-arousal quite nicely.

Friday night, when they were settling down to sleep, sated and relaxed, Yuji pulled Vale close and nibbled on his ear tenderly.

"Tomorrow morning, dress in something comfortable, and wear whatever shoes you think are most comfortable for a hike," Yuji murmured.

Vale looked at Yuji, his green eyes widening. "A hike?"

Yuji nodded, settling Vale more comfortably next to him. "There's something I want to show you, and we'll need to walk and climb to get there."

"And you're not going to tell me, are you?" Vale laughed. "I love you, a'maelamin." He relaxed into the warmth of Yuji's arms and let himself drift off into reverie, feeling Yuji's perfect eyes watching him until he was safely at rest.

[Sandcastles and Fireworks]

Eryn looked at Satoru, her blue eyes sparkling as she smiled radiantly. "I would be delighted to accompany you to dinner and the theatre tomorrow night. I love theatre, and I would especially love being in your company." Eryn held Satoru's arm just a little tighter. "I was trying to think of a polite way to let you know that I find you very attractive and very easy to be with, and I would love to get to know you better, Mori Satoru-san."

Satoru's cheeks went a little pinker, but his smile was utterly gorgeous as he looked at Eryn. "Then we have a date. I'll come by the estate and pick you up."

"It's such a lovely night," Eryn said, looking up. "Do you see our moon, there? She is called Selûne, after one of the goddesses of the moon, and we call the stars that follow her the Tears of Selûne. There are many stories about the Tears, and how they came to be."

"Really?" Satoru asked, enjoying listening to Eryn's sweet voice. Her raven hair was streaked with silver in the moonlight, and she looked young and lovely. "Will you tell me some of the stories?"

Eryn laughed. "We can take a walk to the park nearby, and watch the moon from the banks of the river, and I'll tell you a story on the way."

Satoru and Eryn went back into the house, and Sand handed Satoru a small basket with a smile. Eryn led Satoru through the streets, past stone houses and quiet gardens, her voice like music as she told Satoru the story of the goddess Selûne and her tragic love for a handsome adventurer, who turned out to be an evil creature. Selûne imprisoned him and his followers, and her bitter tears became the stars that followed the moon that bore her name.

"Is that true?" Satoru asked, smiling.

Eryn laughed again. "Oh, of course not, but it's a lovely story and suitably romantic. The truth isn't so pretty, and therefore I'm not telling you the true story tonight. I want to enjoy the magic of this night."

They walked a bit further until they reached a park.

"This is Neverwinter Park. Ryuu loves to play here," Eryn said, smiling at Satoru. "Come on, I'll show you where we like to sit."

Eryn led Satoru to a small grassy spot near the river, the moonlight on the water dazzling. Satoru sat next to Eryn, and looked into the basket Sand had given him, finding a bottle of something, two goblets, and a linen napkins filled with fruit and tiny pastries.

"Oh, quefirre!" Eryn exclaimed. "You'll like this, Satoru-san. It's an elven rice wine, and quite a bit like sake."

Satoru chuckled as he opened the wine. "Elves make a version of sake, do they? Hmm, maybe there's a reason that Yuji-san and Satoshi-kun have fallen so in love with Masato-san and Akira-san."

Eryn took the glass from Satoru, her eyes bright with laughter. "I always have to think twice when I hear Vale called Akira. For some reason, the name Masato suits my Sand, and it's easy to think of him as Masato."

"Is Sand a translation of his name in your language?" Satoru asked. He was surprised when Eryn began to laugh.

"Oh, Seldarine, no," Eryn giggled. "I always liked poetry, very maudlin poetry in English, which we use as the common tongue here. When I was pregnant with my first child, he poked and prodded at me unmercifully, and I decided to name him Hawk. Then I had my daughter, and I think I cried for no reason the entire time I was pregnant. I named her Mist."

Satoru started to laugh with Eryn. "I'm almost afraid to ask."

Eryn's eyes were shining. "Sand irritated me like, well, like sand in my boot. I have to admit, the moment he was born, though, I forgot all about that and just loved him. Maybe that's why it's so easy for me to call him Masato now. It really does fit him better."

Eryn leaned into Satoru as he put an arm around her, and they watched the moon as they sipped wine and nibbled sweets, their laughter mingling sweetly as they started to get to know each other.

Erion grabbed Momo and slid his arm around Momo's waist. "Do you want to go grab a beer?"

Momo looked at Erion with a mixture of relief and apprehension. "Can we do that here?"

"Sure," Erion said blithely. "We'll go down the street a bit to The Greymist. The owner, Beredir, is a friend of Masato's from back home in Evereska. You'll like it there."

Momo let Erion lead him to the front door, and he stopped dead in his tracks when Erion reached into a box by the front door and grabbed a large handful of gold coins.

"What the fuck?" Momo asked, staring at the gold in amazement. He reached out and took one, feeling the weight of it, and then put it back, his fingers trembling slightly.

Erion looked at Momo, his expression one of concern. "I'm sorry, baby. I keep forgetting that this is all new. I'm just excited to have you here." He shoved his handful of coins into his pocket. "We use coins here, gold, silver and copper, mostly. That's the pocket money box. We just take what we need from that when we're going somewhere."

Momo still looked doubtful, his eyes a little wide. "Those coins are solid gold?"

"Yes," Erion said, still looking concerned. "Momo-chan, koibito, it's not a problem. This is just how we do it, and Masato doesn't worry about who takes how much." Erion bit his lip, not sure how to explain it to Momo without sounding even crazier than he was sure Momo thought he was already. He was saved when Sand came over.

"Are you going out?" Sand asked. "If so, be sure and take some coin." He looked at Momo. "Erion can explain how our currency works, I am sure. But whenever you are here, please do not hesitate to take what you need from that box. You are part of the family, and that is how we do things. I consider what I have to be the family's to use as needed."

"Thank you," Momo said, a bit stiffly. "That's very generous."

Sand made a rude noise, and Momo looked surprised. "Do not even dare to insult me by offering to repay me. This is how I take care of the family, and it is my pleasure to do so. Make me happy and go enjoy a drink with Yuki-kun."

Erion tugged Momo out the door and slipped his arm back around Momo's waist. Momo stiffened a bit, and Erion sighed a little.

"Here on Toril, which is the name of this world, being gay is considered as normal as being straight," Erion explained. "It's legal for two men to marry here. Unfortunately, I have to wait before I can marry Kansas, since I'm not considered old enough yet, but it's not a big deal. We can touch each other in public. We could even kiss, and no one will even pay any attention to us."

"Yuki-chan, this is a lot to get used to," Momo said quietly, moving Erion's arm from around his waist. "Give me a little time, baby. I love you, and you know I'm not ashamed of being gay. I'm just not sure I'm ready to be that public."

Erion bit his lip a little and nodded. "I understand, koibito." He let his arm fall to his side, his hands slipping into the pockets of his shorts and fisting there. "It's down this way. The inn."

Erion set off, and Momo hurried to catch up, the cobblestone of the streets feeling strange. The streets were lit with glowing globes hanging from poles, but Momo couldn't see any power source or way that they were connected to anything, and the light was too steady to be a flame.

"Hey, Yuki-chan," Momo said, and he reached out and grabbed Erion by the arm when the little elf did not answer. "Yuki no erufu, don't. Don't be upset. I just need time to get my head around all this."

Erion turned his head away but not before Momo saw the glitter of tears beading Erion's lashes. "I'm not upset with you. I'm upset with myself. I keep forgetting that you still don't really believe any of this. I don't know how to make you believe, so I'm just barreling along, and probably making it worse."

Momo pulled Erion into his arms, pressing a kiss to Erion's temple as the elf stood there, stiff and forlorn. "Does it matter? I'm here, and you're here, and I fucking love you, Yuki-chan. I don't care if we're both batshit crazy. Just give me some time to get used to this. I spent all week not thinking about it, but it's a little harder to ignore this." Momo gestured at the street around them. "Like the lights. How the fuck do they work?"

Erion sniffled and giggled at the same time. "Magic," he said quietly. "They're glow globes. Mages enchant them, and they shine. It's our version of technology. Just think of it like that. It's how I dealt with it when I moved to Tokyo."

Momo blinked, his arms tightening reflexively around Erion. He realized he had not even stopped to think of how Tokyo must have seemed to Erion when he first arrived there, not knowing the language and surrounded by people who did not believe he could even exist.

Momo tilted Erion's chin upward, looking into those bewitching silvery-grey eyes, and he leaned forward and kissed Erion, plundering his sweet mouth thoroughly. "Let's go get that beer." Momo laced his fingers through Erion's fingers, relaxing a bit as Erion smiled up at him a little, and Momo let Erion lead him down the street.

As they walked along, a short bearded man, stout and barrel shaped, strode past heading in the opposite direction. He grunted a little and nodded at Erion and Momo, as Momo just gawked a little.

"Was he... a dwarf?" Momo mumbled.

Erion nodded. "Neverwinter's a port city. We get dwarves, elves, humans, and a bunch of other races through here. We get half-orc sailors, but they tend to stay in the Docks district, which is a good thing. They're nasty drunks." Erion paused in front of a stone building. "This is The Greymist."

There was a sign in the same sort of odd, graceful symbols that Erion sometimes jotted in the margins of his notebooks, and Momo looked at Erion with a lifted eyebrow.

"That's elven script," Erion explained. "It says Windehisie in elven, which translates as The Greymist. It's mostly an elven hangout, but there are some humans that come here."

They walked in, and Momo looked around in amazement. Almost all of the patrons had graceful pointed ears like Erion, and they were speaking in that lilting language that Erion sometimes spoke with Sand and Vale. The décor made the place look like a grotto, with small fountains in the walls, and lots of green plants. The tables scattered about were made of wood, inlaid with intricate patterns, and the chairs were padded and comfortable. Even the bar itself was made of inlaid wood, and the brass taps gleamed in the soft light.

An elf was behind the bar, and he came out to embrace Erion fondly. "Erion, it's been a while. How are your studies going?"

Erion hugged the elf back. "I'm good, Beredir, and studying hard. I want you to meet someone. This is my boyfriend, Mori Mamoru. Momo-san, this is Beredir. He owns The Greymist."

Momo bowed politely, and Beredir smiled and bowed back. "I'm glad to meet you," Beredir said in his clear English.

Momo groaned inwardly, but replied in his accented English. "It is my pleasure."

Beredir looked at Erion, and nodded as he responded in surprisingly good Japanese. "I'm always happy to meet new friends of the family." He grinned at Momo's expression of surprise. "I'm getting a lot of custom from your part of the multiverse, and it makes good sense to be able to speak to your customers. Now, what would you like?"

Momo sat on a barstool, relaxing a bit as Erion sat next to him. "Do you have beer?"

"We've got an elven beer, called tui, but that might be a little light for your taste. I do have an ale you might like, though," Beredir suggested, and when Erion nodded enthusiastically, he tapped two tankards of ale and set them down. Erion fished out a couple of gold coins and put them down on the bar, and waited for Momo to take a drink.

The ale was smooth and cold, and Momo took another drink, enjoying the rich flavor. "Now if you only had a sake to go with this," Momo moaned a little, his expression of delight making Beredir grin.

"Sake? No, but we elves make a rice wine of our own." Beredir grabbed a couple of small glasses and poured a pale wine into them, pushing them over to the youngsters.

"It's a little stronger than sake," Erion warned, lifting his glass. He watched as Momo tossed the quefirre back, his eyes widening. "Satoshi-san says elves must be part Japanese." He grinned a little, still a bit hesitant.

"How is Satoshi-san?" Beredir asked. "I haven't seen anyone except Vale in a while."

"We've been a little crazy with things," Erion said. "But Satoshi and Willow have a new daughter, Takara."

Beredir's face lit up. "That's wonderful news. Tell everyone that Lirwen and I send our love, and maybe we'll get to see the new baby this summer."

Momo relaxed a bit, the quefirre making a nice warmth in his belly, and Beredir's warm chatter sounding like any other bartender talking to a regular patron. No one in the inn seemed at all surprised by Momo, and in fact, most of the elves there nodded and smiled as Momo looked around. One elf rose from one of the tables and walked over to Erion with a broad grin.

"Nathe," Erion laughed, and slid off his barstool to hug the elf. "How are you? How's everything at the Cloaktower?"

"I'm good," Nathe replied. "And the Cloaktower's still standing, which is pure good fortune since Lord Nevalle insists on trying Vale's patience at least once a tenday."

Erion blushed a little, and turned to Momo. "I'm sorry, koibito. This is Nathe, a senior mage of the Guild of Many Starred Cloaks, and Vale's assistant. Nathe, this is my boyfriend, Mori Mamoru."

Nathe bowed happily. "I've heard a great deal about you from Vale. I'm glad to get a chance to meet you."

Momo bowed politely. "I'm glad to meet you."

Nathe arched an eyebrow, and switched to Japanese. "Is this more comfortable, Mamoru-san?" He smiled at Momo. "Trust me, I learned your language in self-defense. Vale switches languages randomly on his good days, and thanks to Lord Nevalle, our esteemed ruler, he has very few good days. I've even learned to read and write kanji, for when Vale forgets where he is."

"Does every elf in Neverwinter speak Japanese?" Momo blurted out, and then blushed.

Nathe just laughed, delighted. "Not all of us, honestly. Only the very smart elves, who prefer to know what our illustrious Council member and Captain of the Cloaktower Guard is frothing at the mouth about."

Momo shook his head a little, casting a sidelong glance at Erion. Nathe sat with them at the bar, and they had another couple of ales as they talked, Momo relaxing as the elves welcomed him with warmth and trust. Satoshi's advice was actually quite good. Once Momo stopped worrying about Erion and the others being elves, it was really quite easy to enjoy himself. When Erion announced that they should get back to the house, Momo was quite surprised to find that he was slightly disappointed that the evening was ending so soon. They said their goodbyes, and Momo slipped his arm around Erion's waist as they left, enjoying the feeling of that lithe body against him as they strolled back to the house.

[Sandcastles and Fireworks]

It was Saturday afternoon, and Erion was waiting for Momo and Satoru to get ready to go to the estate for dinner. Erion was slightly nervous and excited at the same time, since Sand had called him and told him that the plan was to have dinner at the estate, and dessert at the Neverwinter house. Momo knew that the plan was to show him at least a part of the world Erion came from, but Satoru was still in the dark, and Erion was nervous about that.

Momo frowned a little as he came out of the shower, rummaging in his closet, and Erion slid up behind him, caressing Momo's golden skin as he wrapped his arms around his lover. "What the fuck do I wear for this?" Momo asked, looking over his shoulder at his silver-haired lover, his yuki no erufu.

Momo had been taking Satoshi's advice diligently, and trying hard not to think about Erion being an elf, and for the most part, it was working. Or, it had been, up until now.

Erion nuzzled Momo's shoulder. "Just wear what you'd usually wear, baby. We're having dinner at the estate, and then, if you feel up to it, Masato and Satoshi and Kansas and I will take you to the house in Neverwinter for dessert, and we can take a quick walk around afterward. It's no big deal. I've worn jeans, and shorts, and whatever there. It's a port city, and they've seen a lot stranger than us."

"And this is where you're from?" Momo asked, reaching for a pair of tight jeans.

"Well, no, but it's where Masato and Akira have a house. Akira works in Neverwinter, and it's a good starting point for us when we want to visit that world." Erion untangled himself from Momo before he worked himself up enough to undress Momo as fast as Momo was trying to dress. "Neverwinter was founded by elves and humans, although the past few Lords have been human. Where I was born, and where I met Kansas, is an elven city called Evereska."

Momo shook his head a little, still wondering why he was going along with this. Satoshi and Kansas had been so matter of fact when they talked about elves and other worlds, and no matter how good that pot was that Tsutomo had given Momo, it wasn't good enough to make Satoshi and Kansas both turn completely delusional while remaining on the same page in terms of the content of their delusions. Still, neither Satoshi nor Kansas had ever lied to Momo, and Erion answered every question Momo had for him in such an open manner that Momo could not help but believe his little firecracker of a lover.

Dinner at the estate was so completely normal that Momo was able to forget about the impending trip for dessert, and between filling everyone in on how classes were going and catching up on the family's news for the week, it was a lively meal. Satoru had managed to sit next to Eryn again, and they chatted happily about Takara and how much she had grown in a week, and all the new things she had done. Ryuu had managed to claim the other side of Satoru, wanting to be next to his sofu, and Satoru paid a great deal of attention to Ryuu as well, making Ryuu beam with pride.

After dinner, Momo went out into the garden with Kansas and Erion for a cigarette, and Sand and Satoshi headed into the kitchen to do the dishes. Yuji and Vale helped Willow with the children, Hikaru full of giggles and trying his best to make Takara pay attention to him, and Eryn curled up with Ryuu and Aika as Ryuu proudly read a story to them both.

In the middle of washing the dishes, Satoru suddenly appeared in the kitchen, looking like a shy teenager, and mumbling into his chest, and scratching the side of his head. His eyes kept dancing between Sand and Satoshi, and the floor.

"Uhm, I don't really know how to say this, I feel so silly doing this. But I can't really... not without asking you... It's so silly."

"Otousan? What's the matter with you? You're acting weird." Satoshi said, his eyes wide behind his glasses and Satoru laughed nervously, as he blushed a deep crimson which reminded Sand of Satoshi.

"I need to ask you... both of you... Masato-san. I would very much like to ask your mother out... on a date... but I can't do it unless I know that you are alright with it. And you too, Satoshi-kun. I can't do it unless I know that you two are fine with it."

Sand smothered his giggle in the dish towel, while Satoshi let out a surprised hoot, his eyes wide. Then he started smiling and with laughter on his voice he said, "Otousan, are you telling me you've got a crush on Eryn-san?"

"Don't say it like that, Satoshi-kun." Satoru exclaimed, but then blushed an even deeper crimson, and with a shy smile continued, "Well, maybe you could call it that. I don't know, it's been over thirty years since I felt anything even remotely similar to this. I just want to get to know her, Satoshi-kun. Masato-san, I do apologize if I am making you uncomfortable. It's just that I think she is a remarkable woman and I would so much like to explore these feelings further. Of course I will never pursue this if either of you have any objections."

Satoshi smiled wide as he turned to Sand and said, "I don't know. I know that at least one bronze dragon would love it if he had a set of sofu and sobo. Even if they come from either side of the family."

Sand smiled just as wide as he looked at Satoru. "I would be delighted if you asked my mother out on a date, Satoru-san. In fact, I cannot think of anyone I would welcome more as a suitor for my mother."

Satoru looked so relieved that Satoshi and Sand had to look away for a moment, not wanting to break out in giggles at the way Satoru looked like a nervous schoolboy.

"By the way, otousan, there's something we do need to talk to you about," Satoshi said, giving Sand a quick look. "It's a little outlandish, but it's something you do need to know." Satoshi took a deep breath.

Sand took over. "Saiai, perhaps I should be the one." Satoshi shot Sand a grateful look. "Satoru-san, you are a profoundly intelligent man, and I am quite sure that you have arrived at your own conclusions about whether or not I truly hail from Cornwall. The truth of the matter is perhaps even harder to believe." Sand reached up and tucked his hair behind one gracefully pointed ear. "I am, to put it plainly, an elf. So is Yuki-chan, and Akira-san, and that would make Eryn-san an elf as well."

Satoru looked at Sand for a long moment, and then nodded. "So if not Cornwall, where are you from?"

Sand and Satoshi exchanged another look.

"Actually, otousan, it might be easier to show you," Satoshi said. "We're going to take Momo-san there in a bit, when we're done with the dishes."

"I will be happy to answer any of your questions when we are there," Sand added. "I owe you a great deal, Satoru-san, and between our friendship and your being my father in law, my shuuto-san, I am glad that this is finally out in the open."

When Sand and Satoshi were done with the dishes, Sand caught Yuji's eye and nodded. Erion saw the look and grabbed Momo's hand, tugging Momo to his feet, and Kansas wandered over casually. Ryuu saw Satoru walk over to Sand and Satoshi, and promptly ran over to take his sofu by the hand.

"Are you leaving already, sofu?" Ryuu asked, his chin looking close to wobbly.

Satoshi crouched down and looked at Ryuu. "We're taking sofu to the other house for a little bit, watashi no ryu. We'll bring him back."

Now Ryuu's chin did wobble a little, and Sand shot Satoshi a pleading look from behind Ryuu, which Satoru caught as well.

"Do you want to come with us?" Satoshi asked, and Ryuu nodded, blinking back the tears that had wanted to come. "Alright, then, but we're coming back here before bedtime."

"Okay, chichi," Ryuu agreed quickly. "Do you think Maela will have any dessert for us?"

Sand started to laugh. "Maela always has dessert, my dragon." He turned to Satoru. "Maela is our housekeeper there. We spend most of our time here in Tokyo, and it is helpful to have someone there to look after things. She makes marvelous desserts."

Sand led the way to the back hallway where the portal would open, and pulled out the portal key from his pocket. Satoru was surprised to see that it appeared to be a largish semi-precious gemstone, with a few graceful markings on it. Sand ran his thumb over the stone, and a glowing oval appeared in front of them.

Momo tightened his grip on Erion's hand, his eyes widening, but Satoru simply looked at Satoshi.

"We just step through, otousan," Satoshi explained, holding out his hand.

Momo found the portal a little disorienting, and he stumbled just a little as he emerged on the other side of the oval into a comfortable looking room, with a fire burning merrily in a huge fireplace. Erion held tightly to Momo's hand as the youngster looked around, blinking in the soft light of the glow globes on the walls.

Erion looked at Momo, his eyes darkening a little with apprehension. "Welcome to Neverwinter, koibito."

Erion led Momo into the living room as a slender woman came in, her face lighting up as she saw Ryuu.

"Maela!" Ryuu said happily. "Come and meet my sofu, my atarrim."

Maela tucked her hair behind her pointed ears and smiled as she accepted a big hug from Ryuu. Then she bowed politely to Satoru. "I'm very pleased to meet you, Mori-sama." Her English was excellent, with a slight lilt to it. Maela turned and bowed to Momo as well. "You must be Mori Mamoru-san, Erion's friend."

[Sandcastles and Fireworks]

Eryn smoothed the fabric of her new dress, surprisingly nervous as she looked at herself in the mirror. The fashions of this world suited her slender frame, and the royal blue dress brought out her dark blue eyes and added a sheen to her glossy raven hair. Her suede high heeled pumps matched her dress, and a black suede belt circled her tiny waist. Sand had given her a lovely strand of pearls, and she stroked them gently as she asked herself for the hundredth time why her heart was beating so fast.

The family had been invited to Satoru's house for a dinner to celebrate Momo's becoming a member of the Mori family, all the paperwork having been filed and accepted. Eryn had gone shopping with Willow for something appropriate to wear, and the two women had gleefully plundered the shops, buying everything from lingerie to shoes. Eryn even purchased a long wool coat to go over her dress since Sand had mentioned that her warm jacket might not look quite so nice.

A tap on the door startled Eryn out of her contemplation, and she called out, "Come in."

Sand walked in, his face lighting up when he saw Eryn. "You look lovely, atara." Sand leaned in to kiss his mother's cheek. He was wearing one of his more casual suits, paired with an amethyst shirt and a darker amethyst silk tie, his hair loose and silky. "That color suits you so well."

"Thank you, utinuamin, and thank you as well for the shopping spree. Willow and I enjoyed ourselves immensely." Eryn laughed. "You're spoiling me."

"You deserve it." Sand offered Eryn his arm. "Now, let us find the rest of our family, and go and celebrate our newest member."

"You like Momo, don't you?" Eryn asked.

"I do," Sand said. "He is a remarkable young man, and I am honored to call him my gikei. He is very good for Erion as well, and I have seen Erion mature greatly over the past few months."

"My Kansas is handling this all so well," Eryn remarked. "I have to admit, I was very surprised to hear that Erion was with Momo, but I agree. Momo is a wonderful young man. I think I scare him a bit, though, rather like poor Vale." Eryn laughed again, amused at the effect she had on both Momo and Vale.

Sand laughed as well. "My poor anor is merely intimidated by the fact that you disregard propriety with such glee."

The drive to Satoru's house was merry, Ryuu especially excited about seeing him. Ryuu was more than happy to have a sofu of his own, and Satoru was equally happy to have four grandchildren to dote on, treating Aika and Hikaru with the same love and warmth that he did Ryuu and Takara. It did Sand's heart a world of good as well, since he genuinely loved and respected his father in law, and seeing Satoshi back together with Satoru, another wound healed, made Sand ecstatic.

Satoru was waiting for them when they arrived, his face bright with anticipation as Ryuu raced into his arms, eager to be scooped up and hugged and kissed soundly. Everyone piled into the entryway, shedding coats and shoes and chattering all at once as Erion and Momo joined in to hug and kiss everyone as well. As the family began to move into the living room, Satoru looked around, and then turned to Sand, a little crestfallen.

"Didn't? Oh, she..." Satoru's voice trailed off and he shook his head a little in dismissal. A happy yelp caught Satoru's attention, and he turned back to the door to see Eryn coming from the garden with Hikaru, her face bright with laughter as she waved a little.

"I'm sorry," Eryn laughed. "Hikaru saw something, and he was off like the wind to the garden."

"Saw choo," Hikaru insisted, giggling as he held his arms out to Satoru. "Sofu, chu?"

Eryn laughed again. "My Japanese is still not good enough for me to figure out if he saw a butterfly or a kiss in the garden," she admitted, her cheeks slightly pink.

Satoru smiled, his face warm and gentle as he helped Eryn get Hikaru's coat and shoes off, and then he scooped Hikaru up and offered Eryn his arm. Hikaru squeaked a little as he was soundly hugged and kissed, giggling and hugging Satoru back, and Eryn slid her arm through Satoru's arm and let him escort her to the living room. Vale looked over at Sand and widened his green eyes very slightly, and Sand gave the barest of nods in return, both elves silently agreeing that Satoru looked like a young elf going courting while Eryn seemed as young as springtime.

The house looked wonderful, warm and inviting, with pictures everywhere, Satoshi and Ryuu and Yuji, at all ages and stages. The aroma of a wonderful meal had everyone's appetites whetted, and Satoru ushered everyone into the dining room, making sure that Eryn sat next to him. As they began to eat, Eryn noticed that Momo still had his hand wrapped, and he was having some difficulty with his chopsticks, and she caught Erion's eye and lifted an eyebrow fractionally. Erion widened his eyes a little and nodded, looking concerned, and Eryn resolved to take Momo on the side and check his hand later on.

Dinner was marvelously festive, and there was wine and sake for the adults so that they could properly toast Momo when he showed them all his new identification papers, in his proper name of Mori Mamoru. Satoshi had tears in his eyes as he hugged Momo tightly, whispering that he was granted his wish to have an otouto at long last. Sand hugged Momo as well, and told Momo he was delighted that Momo was now officially his gikei, which made Momo blush and duck his head a little. The three older children were excited to have a new otooji, and Ryuu hugged Momo extra hard, which made Momo tear up a little.

After dinner, everyone spread out a bit, Vale curling up on the couch with Willow and Takara while Yuji and Satoshi wandered around and looked at some of the many pictures Satoru had placed on the walls and tables. The children were delighted with the toys and other amusements Satoru had placed in a corner of the living room, and played happily. Sand was chatting with Momo about his classes, and Erion and Kansas were still sitting at the dining table, nibbling a few last sweets and talking about Kansas's job prospects now that he had graduated. Kansas had graduated with such outstanding grades and honors that he already had several offers to consider, and Erion was overjoyed by Kansas's excitement.

Eryn was looking at some older pictures of children when Satoru came up beside her.

"Those are my other children," Satoru said quietly. "We lost them when they were quite young, all of them."

"I'm so sorry," Eryn said, laying a slim hand on his arm in dismay. "I saw the resemblance to the early pictures of Satoshi, but I thought they might have been relatives." Eryn shook her head a little. "It's hard for me to judge photographs sometimes."

Satoru looked at her, his smile gentle. "It's been a long time, and I've come to terms with the losses." He touched one photograph of a small boy.

"What was his name?" Eryn asked, and there was such tender concern in her voice that Satoru found himself not minding talking about the children.

"This is Kiyoshi. He was our first. We lost him when he was three." Satoru sighed a little. "We were at my mother's house, in a small country village outside Tokyo. She wanted to see Satoshi, who was just about a week old, and we drove there. There was a small pond on the property, and we left Kiyoshi to play outside. My wife was on the grass watching Kiyoshi, and I was in the house with the baby, Satoshi, with the door open. We heard a splash, but we didn't think anything of it, until I realized I couldn't hear Kiyoshi's laughter anymore. I went outside, and saw my wife pulling Kiyoshi from the pond." Satoru rubbed his forehead a little. "Kiyoshi must have gotten too close to the pond when my wife dozed off for a bit. He was so small."

Eryn looked heartbroken. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have asked. This is so painful for you."

The gentle empathy in Eryn's voice made Satoru smile a bit. "Honestly, it's almost a relief to be able to talk about them. My wife never wanted to speak about them. She acted like they never existed, which hurt more."

Eryn slipped her arm through Satoru's arm as he pointed to another picture. "This is Yuki. He was born just about a year before Kiyoshi died. He was about three and a half when we lost him. I was at work, and my wife called me, absolutely frantic. She kept saying that Yuki had drowned, and I thought for a moment that she was confused, or had made a horrible mistake. I rushed home, and the police were there, and an ambulance, and my wife was telling them that Satoshi had done it." Satoru sighed heavily. "Satoshi was just two, and he had no idea what was happening. The coroner said that Yuki must have fainted or something, even though the water in the bathtub was fine, not too hot at all. He just slipped under the water and drowned."

"Why would she have thought Satoshi did something like that?" Eryn asked, bewildered and dismayed. She knew Satoshi's soul, and knew that such a thing would have been impossible.

Satoru shook his head. "The best I could ever figure out was that Satoshi was trying to get Yuki to wake up. She said she found him in the bathroom holding Yuki's head under the water, but he told me that he wanted Yuki to come up and that his game wasn't funny anymore. I put it down to the horrible strain of losing another child so soon, and the worries over Satoshi's health." Satoru looked at Eryn solemnly. "The doctors had been telling us since Satoshi was born that he was too weak and wouldn't survive. The day he was born, they said he wouldn't make it through the night. He did, and then they said he'd never last the week. He survived that, but even when he was six months old, the doctors were still telling us not to get our hopes up. But Satoshi was stronger than any of us thought. He's my survivor, my precious son."

Eryn smiled as she looked over at Satoshi, laughing with Yuji over an older picture of the two of them, teasing Yuji about his blond hair in the picture. Vale had joined them, his bright laughter mingling with theirs, and Eryn smiled as she saw Sand look over at the three men with such love in his eyes. Eryn looked back at Satoru with a sweet smile.

"Satoshi is very precious to all of us," Eryn said, and watched Satoru's eyes light up.

"This was our princess, Amaterasu." Satoru showed Eryn a picture of a tiny infant. "She was terribly weak when she was born, and we lost her when she was about seven weeks old, not long before Yuki died. After her, my wife refused to even consider having more children, and threw herself into her work, and shut Satoshi and me out as much as she could."

"Oh, Satoru, she was a foolish woman to have done that," Eryn said, and there was something in her voice that made Satoru's heart skip a beat. He looked at the slender woman, the color of her gently tilted eyes making her look like an exotically blue-eyed Japanese woman. The warmth and concern in those eyes made Satoru smile gently.

"As I said, it was a long time ago, and I've come to terms with the pain. You never really forget it, but you learn how to live with it, and it makes me cherish the two sons I do have all the more." Satoru smiled again. "Would you like more wine?"

Eryn let Satoru lead her to the couch, and accepted a glass of wine, and she took Takara for a bit to give Willow a break, cooing over her newest grandchild with delight. Satoshi and Yuji came over as well, and Sand wandered back in to refresh his wine, and it was several minutes later that Eryn noticed that Satoru was slipping quietly out the door, onto the deck outside the house.

Eryn handed Takara to Satoshi, who nuzzled his daughter tenderly, and she slipped outside herself a few minutes later. Satoru was in a corner where he would not be seen from inside the house, and he appeared to be praying. Eryn remained where she was, watching quietly as he finished his prayers, somehow not at all surprised that he would be so reverent.

When Satoru finished his prayer, he reached out his hand, almost as if he was touching the cheek of someone only he could see, and Eryn heard him whisper, "Thank you." That was when Satoru noticed Eryn, and smiled a bit apologetically as he held out a hand to her.

Eryn walked over to stand near Satoru, looking out at the peaceful night garden. "Is everything alright?" she asked softly.

"Yes, it is. I'm sorry if I worried you. It was just that I suddenly felt a little overwhelmed with happiness at having everyone here, and having both my sons back in my life." Satoru smiled his gentle smile, and then he blushed a little as he continued. "So, your husband didn't come with you? He didn't mind you just traveling halfway across the world by yourself? Was he busy with his work?"

Eryn smiled a little at the sudden rush of questions, and the entirely sweet blush that darkened Satoru's cheeks. He reminded her so much of Satoshi at that moment, and she slipped her arm through Satoru's arm in a gesture that was becoming increasingly comfortable.

"I'm a widow, Satoru-san." Eryn's voice was gentle and warm. "I rattle around and only have to answer to myself these days."

"I'm very sorry," Satoru said, his dark eyes fixed on Eryn's blue eyes.

"It was a long time ago, right after Masato was born. Anessath was, well, I suppose the equivalent would be national security. He was on an assignment and was killed." Eryn smiled at Satoru. "Like you, I've come to terms with it, and I'm at peace with it. I raised my three children myself, although Masato is the only one who doesn't remember his father."

"Three children?" Satoru muttered in disbelief. "I still say you don't even look old enough to be Masato-san's mother."

Eryn laughed at that, her sweet laugh making Satoru smile. "Oh, dear, I can't imagine what you would say if you saw me with my older son. Or with my daughter, for that matter." Eryn looked up at Satoru, her eyes full of warmth. "May I ask you who you were talking to when I came out?"

Satoru looked a little disconcerted, but then he nodded slightly. "You heard that, eh? I have a gift, or a curse, whatever you'd like to call it. My daughter lingers around here the most. She worries about me being alone."

Eryn nodded. "I would call it a gift, most of the time," she said calmly, accepting what Satoru said as if it were perfectly ordinary, to his surprise. "I'm a healer, and the one thing I've learned over the years is that there is a great deal that goes on that can't be explained away with logic, but it doesn't make it any less real."

Satoru looked at the slender woman at his side, her easy acceptance both puzzling and encouraging. "It's a bit chilly. We should probably go back inside."

Eryn nodded, and let Satoru lead her back into the house, and back to the merry gathering. As she walked into the living room, she saw Erion fussing over Momo's hand a little, and Momo trying to wave him off. Eryn walked over to the two youngsters, beckoning them into the dining room.

"Is that still bothering you, Momo-san?" Eryn asked, taking Momo's hand in hers and turning it very gently. "It should have been better by now. Let me take a look."

"It's nothing," Momo insisted, but he did not pull his hand away as Eryn began to unwrap the neat gauze.

"That's why you come home with your hand aching from taking notes all day," Erion muttered, sitting next to Momo and draping himself over Momo's shoulder as he watched Eryn.

Eryn ran her fingers lightly over Momo's hand, feeling the swelling and irritation where the bone had not knit properly, and was chafing the surrounding tissue. The conventional method would involve rebreaking the bone and setting it anew, and Eryn discarded that without a second thought. First and foremost, she was a healer, and in the business of relieving pain, not causing it.

"This will feel a bit odd for a moment, and you may feel some warmth," Eryn said, and she gathered her magic and cradled Momo's hand between her hands, visualizing the bone straightening and the swelling subsiding. "You should have told me sooner that it was still bothering you. There's no need to suffer over something like this." Eryn's voice was kind and full of love as she ran her fingers over Momo's hand again. "Now, how does that feel?"