It was a relatively quiet day at the Five Lamps. There was still a heavy beat in the upper levels, but instead of loud bass underscoring music, it was a softer drumbeat, and it lay under no strings, voices, or obviously synthesized tones, but a mix of wind instruments \u2013 sometimes cheerful, others almost plaintive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That fit the mood of Founders Day. Yes, it had been a triumphant moment when the first colony ships touched down on Hematite, the first colony to be jointly settled by humans and tavarri since the two races had made peace after the tense, if not quite violent, days of first contact; but not everyone who had embarked survived the journey, and not all those who landed lived to see the colony become prosperous in its own right. Those had been uncertain days, and Founders Day was set aside both to celebrate and to solemnly remember.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Arverik hadn\u2019t been one of the first wave of colonists \u2013 he was much too young for that. But the colony had still been shorthanded when he\u2019d left his clan behind, and the biosphere had been young and rudimentary. There was more growth outside the cities now, entire functioning food chains \u2013 they\u2019d been carefully designed to form a whole that was compatible with both races of colonists. That design had definitely been done with an eye towards biological fitness, not just visual appeal, and it showed good signs that it would continue spreading across the planet even without further intervention on the colonists\u2019 parts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He\u2019d done some work as a construction hand, back in those early days; no master builder he, but there\u2019d been plenty of grunt work that needed to be done, and that simple labour had been his way of quietly snubbing the clan that had raised him only to turn him out for being just a little bit different; tasks less proper for a well-reared clan scion would be hard to name. When the rush of construction had slowed, he\u2019d sought other humble work \u2013 not so much by inclination anymore as for a lack of special skill. He\u2019d been a few years at the cannery now, and he remembered the frustration of feeling like everyone around him knew more than he did, while he was too unsure of himself to even push for education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now he was a maintenance supervisor for a facility in a town that hadn\u2019t even existed back in those unconfident days, and he had a mechanic\u2019s certification what would allow him to seek work elsewhere if he so chose \u2013 on his own<\/em> terms, as a tradesman rather than a labourer, if not a particularly expert one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He knew who he had to thank for that change in his status, and he raised a glass of iceberry wine now at the thought of them. He\u2019d taken his leave-time back here in part to pay them a visit, as he had from time to time since that memorable first encounter. Dani and Ian had met him in this very building, still a virgin if not exactly an innocent, and while relieving him of that<\/em> condition was the most obvious thing they\u2019d done for him, it had been the first step on the path to true confidence, not only in his personal life, but in other areas too. They\u2019d pushed him towards getting his certification, helped him choose a school, and helped him wind down (in ways both salacious and otherwise) when the combined stresses of work and school threatened to overwhelm him. In a very real sense, he owed them a great deal, even though they\u2019d not given him anything more in the way of material<\/em> aid than the gifts friends and sometime lovers might give one another \u2013 and those<\/em> he\u2019d reciprocated in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No, what he owed them was nothing so measurable as monetary wealth. But they\u2019d also made plain that whatever debt he might feel, it was one that he ought to pay forward to others who might be in need, not back to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He drained his glass, set it gently on the bar top, and closed his eyes, letting the beat wash over him, the rhythms of his body settling into the same meter. Ethanol didn\u2019t affect tavarri nearly as strongly as it did humans, not kilo for kilo, and he was fairly big for a tavar in breadth if not height, significantly more massive than most male humans; but a chemical intoxicant was almost redundant anyway, next to the synaesthetic effects such a pervasive beat had on many tavarri that immersed themselves in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Arverik knew by now that he was more susceptible to it than most. He surrendered to that beat now, the drums and flutes and reeds sending a whirl of colour, motion, taste, and even ghostly touch over him. It was the touch that made him snap out of it, a trailing chord like fingers down his spine \u2013 a sensation that reminded him entirely too much of a lover\u2019s touch for his comfort in a public place. In places like this one that only consenting adults were permitted to enter, Hematite had relaxed decency laws compared to what he\u2019d known in his former clan (and much<\/em> more relaxed than what he\u2019d heard of pre-space human societies), but Arverik himself liked to maintain a demeanour of at least some self-control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Which made it a bit awkward when, in the process of reacquainting himself with his surroundings, he noticed that he was being closely watched from a booth some distance away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Arverik had cultivated a striking appearance since his earliest days at the Five Lamps: ink-black fur marked with fine crosswise white stripes on his torso, a white band along his snout, head, and down his spine to the base of his tail, seven white bands along that tail and a white tail-tuft, all those natural contrasts amplified and brought into slightly neater-than-natural lines by the careful application of dye and gloss; black enamel and gold caps on his outer, curling horns (back in the earlier days he\u2019d used silver, but he was doing well enough for himself these days to afford a bit fancier ornamentation), polish and pearl inlay on the inner, lyre-shaped pair that proclaimed him as physically male, both pairs carefully polished as near to perfect symmetry as he could manage; broad and muscular, he might have been the picture of Clan Shukarat if he\u2019d been born with green eyes instead of his own anomalous amber. (Those eyes weren\u2019t why he\u2019d parted ways from the clan \u2013 that had come later \u2013 but they\u2019d drawn him enough negative attention that, once on his own, he\u2019d not even considered trying to mask them with coloured contact lenses.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dani had helped break him of the mental habit of assuming people weren\u2019t looking at him \u2013 while he was still careful not to assume any given bystander was<\/em> observing him, or even if they were, that they liked what they saw, he had enough experience by now to really know, deep down, that yes, he was<\/em> striking and eye-catching; and at that point, he\u2019d been better able to notice when people were<\/em> looking at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And if this male tavar wasn\u2019t looking at him and<\/em> appreciating him, he was a sweetmelon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The other male had a more humble look about him. His fur was a somewhat dusty-looking grey-brown with darker mottling; he was on the slim side rather than Arverik\u2019s heavyset, but so far as Arverik could tell while he was sitting down and some distance off, was comparable in height. He lacked the well-defined markings that were the hallmark of the tavarri clans, but he looked healthy and fit, and if his cargo vest and short trousers were simpler than Arverik\u2019s kilt and fancier, less pocket-strewn vest, his clothes looked clean and well-kept. His eyes were wide, ears focused intently forward, mouth slightly open as he drew in a deep breath \u2013 yes, he was definitely intent on what he saw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His right ear was pierced, twice by silver studs, one set with a red stone and one with yellow, and again with a bronze hoop that bore two more stones of the same colours. The colonists of Hematite \u2013 especially the tavarri, though some of the humans had adopted the same code \u2013 had come up with a fairly extensive language of such earrings to announce their overall relationship status and predilections. Arverik was no expert in that particular sort of expression, but those two needed no explanation, because he wore signals drawn from the same set. A silver stud like those declared his availability for casual sex, with the setting saying who he\u2019d be interested in; Arverik\u2019s own singular stud carried a fire opal, as neither race nor gender was all that much of a barrier to him on that score. The bronze hoop signalled that he was also open to exploring a longer-term relationship. Clear stones signalled an interest in males \u2013 red for humans, yellow for tavarri; Arverik\u2019s own ring bore a garnet and topaz. Opaque stones of blue and green would mark female humans and tavarri respectively, and there were some less common combinations for gender-flavours that didn\u2019t quite fit into the neat binaries. There were also different cuts \u2013 the people who\u2019d put that code together had<\/em> considered colour-blindness when devising it \u2013 but Arverik\u2019s eyes weren\u2019t quite good enough to make out that detail in dim light from across the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In all, this other fellow was pleasing enough to look at for his attention to be flattering, and the basic markers, at least, pointed to some overall compatibility; so Arverik let his eyes narrow a bit and his ears, also aimed forward, splay out and down a little, curling his tail towards the stool beside him. The unfamiliar male stiffened \u2013 visible even at a distance \u2013 and his eyes got even wider, ears furling back \u2013 not in dismay, Arverik didn\u2019t think, but in disbelief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, not so many moons back, Arverik had been the sort who found it hard to believe that an attractive person would be interested in him. While it wouldn\u2019t do to open a conversation on the assumption that the stranger did<\/em> find him physically attractive, it might still be best to make the first move. Fortunately, his bout of synaesthetic pleasure hadn\u2019t gone so far into the erotic as to make for a potentially-embarrassing appearance that he was<\/em> assuming such attraction, at least not with the loose fit and heavy fabric of his kilt; if it did<\/em> show, hopefully the fellow would draw the correct conclusion that Arverik found him<\/em> appealing, not that he thought the other already his for the taking. One last glance at the bartop revealed that his empty glass had already been taken away while he was distracted. He slid off his stool and started across the sparsely-populated room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fellow was definitely getting excited now \u2013 and that look of disbelief was waning as it became that much clearer that Arverik\u2019s attention couldn\u2019t possibly have been focused on anyone else. He drew a breath and sat up straighter, metal-capped clawtips drumming on the tabletop, from the outside in, once each; his tail, Arverik noticed, was curled around a leg of his stool \u2013 this particular stretch of booths was built to accommodate tavarri tails better than would human-style benches \u2013 and even that wasn\u2019t enough to keep its tufted tip from twitching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Suddenly reminded of how he\u2019d<\/em> felt when Dani and Ian had first appeared by his<\/em> table, a few floors down at this very place, Arverik felt a fair bit of sympathy for the man. \u201cShalaa,\u201d he greeted, bowing his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShalaa,\u201d the other man responded, his voice a bit lighter than Arverik\u2019s own, with a bit of a burr to it that seemed to run right down Arverik\u2019s spine. \u201cSorry for staring \u2013 I can tell you\u2019ve taken some pains to look impressive, and it\u2019s working, but I usually try<\/em> to be more subtle.\u201d His ears splayed out to the sides \u2013 still embarrassed, maybe, but with a definite note of good humour under it. \u201cHave a seat, if you\u2019d like.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That was one invitation Arverik didn\u2019t need to hear twice; he slid into place on the other side of the table. He took a breath to offer a drink, only for the other fellow to beat him to it; he couldn\u2019t help but chuckle. When the stranger fell silent again to let him speak, he took the chance. \u201cI\u2019ll have an iceberry wine if you\u2019ll permit me to get the round after.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDeal.\u201d The dappled male pushed partway out of his seat, waving to catch the attention of one of the servers, then settled back in. \u201cClanborn, are you? Shukarat, if I remember right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh. This fellow had to be a mixblood himself, but if he knew the clans and their usual tells in that<\/em> much detail, this might get\u2026 awkward. Best to know the full extent of the damage right away, he supposed. \u201cBorn, yes. Arverik vir Shukarat. But I don\u2019t run in those circles anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFine by me,\u201d the other fellow assured him, then paused for a moment to give his order to the tavarri woman who\u2019d answered his wave. Once she\u2019d gone about her business, he went on, \u201cSorry. I\u2019m normally a bit more\u2026 composed than this, but I have to admit that if I were to make a list of things I found most physically appealing, without including anything mutually exclusive, you\u2019d match pretty much the whole list.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, Arverik was aware that he was striking, but that<\/em> was praise on a whole different level; his ears flicked back, flushed and hot. \u201cGoodness. You should know you\u2019re quite appealing in turn!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, now!\u201d The stranger let out a rumble, interrupted by something that might reasonably be described as chittering; the tavarri equivalent of a chuckle. \u201cIf I\u2019d known you would say that,<\/em> I might have met you halfway across the floor.\u201d He leaned forward, adding in a lower, breathier voice, \u201cTo ask if I could ride you then and there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The shiver that chased down Arverik\u2019s spine had nothing to do with the beat this time. \u201cI\u2019m normally too, well\u2026 shy, I suppose, for that sort of thing. But I will admit to sometimes thinking, before some kind people made me truly appreciate that I do<\/em> tend to catch the eye for better or worse, that if I ran into myself on the dance floor, I\u2019d make an exception.\u201d His ears splayed. \u201cThe clan was unkind, and I was a bit of a mess by the time I got away from them. I like to think I\u2019m doing better these days, though.\u201d A grin stole across his muzzle. \u201cMaybe I should<\/em> consider loosening up a bit more. When you put it that way, I admit you make it sound appealing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll have to remember that,\u201d the stranger said with another chuckle, \u201cif I see you around here again. I know I haven\u2019t seen you around here before, and as far as I\u2019m concerned, that<\/em> is regrettable, but do you think it\u2019s enough to your taste that you\u2019ll be back?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, it\u2019s plenty to my taste,\u201d Arverik assured him. \u201cI used to be here fairly frequently \u2013 sometimes to eat, more often just to see and be seen \u2013 but I live over in Three Forks these days. Came back to visit a friend for Founders\u2019 Day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The other male\u2019s ears perked. \u201cOh, that\u2019s not too far,\u201d he mused, sounding hopeful. \u201cBut I can see why you wouldn\u2019t just drop in here for a drink more often.\u201d He paused again as their drinks were delivered, started to reach for his, and then paused, blinking. \u201cOh. Sorry, all blood seems to have left that part of my brain that handles manners. I\u2019m Kenvar Tal\u2019Kranshir,\u201d he offered, holding up his right hand, palm forward, fingers pointed up and splayed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kranshir \u2013 the word meant, simply, \u201cforest\u201d in one tavarri language \u2013 was the nearest major tavarri world; probably half if not more of Hematite\u2019s tavarri settlers were from there, though some of them would probably use a clan name instead of the world\u2019s. Automatically Arverik extended his left hand to meet Kenvar\u2019s right, palm towards palm, but the last hand\u2019s breadth of movement was on autopilot. Kenvar\u2026 why did he know that name?<\/p>\n\n\n\n It hit him just as their palms met. \u201cDo you\u2026 happen to know a human man named Ian?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now he had Kenvar\u2019s full attention. \u201cYou could say that,\u201d he said carefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Arverik couldn\u2019t help but grin again. \u201cIntimately?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n A chittering laugh. \u201cI didn\u2019t think it was my<\/em> place to reveal that detail if he hadn\u2019t, but yes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo do I,\u201d said Arverik. \u201cIn fact, he\u2019s who I was here to meet. He and his partner\u2026 they helped me come to terms with myself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, that explains why he told me<\/em> he was busy last night,\u201d Kenvar observed. \u201cAnd if he<\/em> wanted to keep a friendship going \u2013 or whatever else \u2013 that tells me you\u2019re probably good people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It dawned on Arverik that Kenvar hadn\u2019t made a move to pull his hand away. He thought<\/em> it was just a matter of getting distracted by this diversion about their mutual friend-and-lover; but when Arverik tilted his hand just a bit and let his fingers slip between the other male\u2019s, Kenvar met the clasp in kind. It was a good, comfortable feeling; Arverik let out a low, contented rumble. \u201cI do trust his judgement about people. Of course, it was<\/em> to my benefit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kenvar squeezed his hand a little more. Still gently, nowhere near enough to be uncomfortable. \u201cDo you have arrangements for tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI hadn\u2019t yet,<\/em>\u201d Arverik stressed, daring to presume where that was leading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have a home up in Greystone Tower,\u201d his new companion said. \u201cOnce we\u2019ve had our drinks, think I could tempt you into staying the night? I\u2019d like to get properly \u2013 and thoroughly \u2013<\/em> acquainted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat sounds quite fine indeed,\u201d Arverik replied, wondering if Kenvar\u2019s apartment was high enough to have a good view; the residential tower was the biggest single building in town by quite a margin, a symbol of the colony\u2019s growing industrial base and access to better building technology. But starting with a few drinks might still be in order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, maybe they could get a bit<\/em> of a head start. \u201cMeanwhile,\u201d he offered, \u201cperhaps you might join me on this side?\u201d The booth was built to seat two on each side, after all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In answer Kenvar drew a breath, paused just a moment \u2013 to unwind his tail, maybe \u2013 and then, grabbing his drink, slipped out and around the table. Arverik shifted over to make room; their fingers disentangled, but their hands did not break contact. Instead, they slid past each other, up one another\u2019s arms. There was a pleasing, wiry strength in Kenvar\u2019s arm; whatever it was he did for a living, he plainly didn\u2019t neglect his body. And there was not, in fact, any significant amount of actual dust on his fur; it was just the light tips that gave him that look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kenvar\u2019s whiskers splayed. \u201cIan\u2019s probably mentioned that I can be\u2026 pretty forward\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In point of fact, Ian had related that Kenvar had offered to give him head at first sight, but Arverik saw no reason to belabour the point that the other male was already conceding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026but I am<\/em> trying to keep that in check these days. I\u2019ll be glad to follow your invitation, but please<\/em> tell me if I push too hard at some point; I try<\/em> not to, but I can get\u2026 caught up in things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n What the hell. Like he\u2019d already said, maybe he should<\/em> lighten up a little. He leaned in a bit closer, nudging his snout against the other male\u2019s, giving a light lick over his muzzle. His left hand had worked its way over to Kenvar\u2019s left shoulder, and now gave a squeeze there; he turned inward, right hand slipping down and under the tablecloth, and found a hefty ridge in the other male\u2019s shorts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kenvar shivered against him, breath slipping out in a groan over Arverik\u2019s jaw. \u201cThis is a bit convenient,\u201d he murmured, turning towards the ex-Clanner in turn. \u201cMy left is<\/em> my dominant hand.\u201d And, indeed, he was quite deft, loosening Arverik\u2019s kilt by touch alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They didn\u2019t actually do much; once he\u2019d loosened his partner\u2019s belt and gotten his hand under<\/em> those trousers, Arverik was quite content to just feel the other male warm and hard in his grasp, and so, it seemed, was Kenvar in turn. Their breaths mingled, both settling into the rhythm of the music but in opposite phase; somehow, drawing a wisp of the other male\u2019s breath into his own lungs felt very right.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n It was easily one of the most comfortable<\/em> moments of intimacy he\u2019d ever shared. And that boded well for what might happen when they didn\u2019t<\/em> have Arverik\u2019s long habits of discretion hampering him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Arverik closed his eyes and drew a deep breath, laden with his new acquaintance\u2019s scent – clean male, nicely accented by whatever he used to keep his fur thus clean, and very, very pleasingly accented by a whiff of sex. But he made himself mentally step back from that brink, his breath wafting out in a long sigh. \u201cIf we\u2019re to have those drinks first,\u201d he mused, \u201cperhaps we should be about it. Put that step behind us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCan\u2019t argue with that<\/em> plan.\u201d Kenvar\u2019s hand gave Arverik\u2019s shaft a firm squeeze, then slipped up and away, fingertips trailing along its very underside in the process. The touch sent a shiver through him, and it felt only right to give voice to a deep groan; Kenvar muffled his answering rumble against the side of Arverik\u2019s neck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite his own words, making himself let go of the other male\u2019s firm warmth was far from easy. He couldn\u2019t help but let his touch linger, fingertips gliding up and down Kenvar\u2019s healthy length a couple times, and the way the slimmer male trembled, not-quite-stifling a whimper, was as much an encouragement to continue in that vein as was the slick moisture that met his fingers. It would be so easy to keep going, to take a preview of Kenvar\u2019s release, and at this point he doubted the man would complain; but neither of them were well-positioned to avoid making a mess in the process, and in the end, discretion won out. He brought his hand away with a wistful sigh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It would have been similarly easy to gulp down his drink, but even if both of them knew they found each other appealing and were eager to move to a more comfortable venue, it would seem a shame to waste a good drink that way. So he took a mental step back from the brink, sat up a bit straighter, and lifted his wineglass in a human-style toast; to what, exactly, didn\u2019t seem to need specifying. It was good wine, sweet and tart and other, subtler flavours mingling with the alcohol, none of them so strong as to drown the others out; and while some measure of his attention stayed firmly upon the pleasing bulk and warmth of the man in the curve of his arm and the music commanded a measure more, he let the wine dominate his senses otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So it was that by the time he finished his glass, he was in a fit state to refasten his kilt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI did<\/em> promise you the next round,\u201d he mused as he set the glass down. Part of him knew it was a silly thing to be quibbling about, but he had<\/em> made the offer, and honesty was an ideal he strove towards; how could he expect others to be trustworthy if he was not himself? It\u2019d be nice to just get out of here in favour of somewhere more private, but he\u2019d promised.<\/em> Well, he\u2019d said,<\/em> anyway, but he shouldn\u2019t say things he didn\u2019t intend to follow up on, however informally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kenvar took a breath, but then paused, giving him a quizzical look. \u201cI was going to say it\u2019s not a big deal, but\u2026 hrrr. Instead of just letting go of that offer, how about fulfilling it somewhere or sometime else?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was such a simple solution, Arverik was actually a little embarrassed that it hadn\u2019t occurred to him already, but it solved that dilemma neatly. And in truth, if he didn\u2019t need to arrange for lodgings tonight, that freed up a chunk of the budget he\u2019d allowed for this trip. The evening wasn\u2019t yet so far along that all<\/em> the shops would be closed. \u201cPerhaps I could pick up something on the way!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf it\u2019ll soothe your conscience, I\u2019ll be glad to make a bit of a detour.\u201d Kenvar\u2019s snout nudged Arverik\u2019s jaw. \u201cYour bill here already settled?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPaid up front,\u201d Arverik confirmed, relieved that the other man wasn\u2019t going to make things awkward by actually<\/em> brushing the offer aside. Oh, to be sure, he\u2019d mentioned that the thought had crossed his mind, but a mention<\/em> wasn\u2019t the same as an invocation;<\/em> that distinction was just as – he admitted, at least to himself – weirdly important in Arverik\u2019s mind as was his own fulfillment of that off-the-cuff promise. He was working with Arverik\u2019s foibles, not dismissing them as silly (even if they were).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Which didn\u2019t in the least lessen Arverik\u2019s eagerness to be somewhere private with him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll just be a few seconds, then\u2026\u201d Kenvar leaned over a bit to peer at the little console built into the outward edge of the table and tap in a few instructions, then waved his left hand – not a card or device, just his empty hand – over the reader; the console chirped softly in response. \u201cThere,\u201d he said, slipping off his seat and tugging his belt a bit tighter as he did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Following, Arverik glanced from the reader to Kenvar\u2019s hand. \u201cI admit, convenient as that seems like it could be, I\u2019ve never quite dared offer my financial information to any device I happen to handle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t,\u201d Kenvar replied. \u201cComputers, and data security in particular, are my specialty – so, on the one hand, I know exactly how much work goes into even the basic chip implants to keep them from being read on the sly, and on the other, I don\u2019t have<\/em> just a basic chip; I\u2019ve got haptic feedback rigs in both hands, and the banking chip\u2019s out of the circuit unless I specifically turn it on, and then only for a few seconds.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Arverik felt his ears furling back and forced them upright again. His own technical expertise, however hard-won, was quite limited, and he knew it; here was someone who lived and breathed it – and quite enjoyed it, if the enthusiasm as he\u2019d gone into those details was anything to judge by. It was hard not to feel a bit intimidated by it. Oh, it was hardly the first time he\u2019d run into someone with advanced training – Ian and Dani came to mind, and a handful of other partners since – but Kenvar\u2019s particular brand of expertise was that much closer to what Arverik did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not for the first time, he reminded himself that his job skills weren\u2019t what had caught his prospective new partner\u2019s attention. He thought back to the stunned disbelief on Kenvar\u2019s face as he realised Arverik was approaching him. If Arverik found Kenvar\u2019s technical credentials intimidating, it seemed that Kenvar found him<\/em> daunting on a much deeper level, and he\u2019d be well-served to remember that – to avoid running roughshod over the other man over some foolish conceit that if he took the time to ask<\/em> what was appropriate, Kenvar would see his inexperience and lose interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His feet had stalled as those thoughts ran through his head, and a few steps ahead of him, Kenvar had paused and was giving him a quizzical look; Arverik took a breath and hustled forward those few steps to catch up, then settled into an easy stride at the other man\u2019s side. \u201cApologies. I mentioned that the clan had left me in an unpleasant state, and part of that is an impression that anyone<\/em> who demonstrates technical competence is more fit than I am for, well, pretty much anything I might try to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is a young colony world,\u201d Kenvar pointed out. \u201cEven jobs that\u2019d be handled by robots and computers on more developed worlds need living hands behind them here, and they\u2019re vital to keeping the place running and developing. Last I checked the news, we’re still having a labour shortage.\u201d He slowed a bit, pressing his hand against Arverik\u2019s cheek. \u201cThough if you want<\/em> to train up, I can respect that, too. I\u2019m always learning, myself, and wouldn\u2019t mind a bit more company in that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n A starker contrast to the clan’s mindset that they knew everything worth knowing would be hard to find.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They parted slightly, by necessity, at the stairs; humans might be able to comfortably use them two abreast, but it’d be an uncomfortable squeeze at best for adult tavarri. Kenvar was lean for a tavar, but he wasn’t that<\/em> small, and Arverik himself was quite a bit heavier-set. Arverik let him, as the host, take the lead; a few steps down, Kenvar said over his shoulder, “If you don’t mind telling, what do<\/em> you do for a living?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Maintenance shift supervisor at ECS’s North Point plant,” Arverik replied. It was a thing he knew he ought to be proud of – had<\/em> been proud of, not only when he landed the promotion to supervisor but most of the time since, and as recently as a quarter hour ago. He couldn’t help but wonder, now, if Kenvar heard the shame in that admission as clearly as he himself did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Perhaps he did, because he paused on the landing, turning around. “Hey, now – that doesn’t sound like an unqualified, menial sort of job.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “And I do know that,” Arverik insisted \u2014 for whose benefit? Hard to say.<\/em> “Apologies; apparently I hadn’t silenced that part of myself that thought I wasn’t truly<\/em> qualified for it quite as thoroughly as I’d thought.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n The look Kenvar gave him was inscrutable, but after a moment the dappled male just started moving again. He offered no more comment on the subject – an acknowledgement, perhaps, that it wasn\u2019t the sort of thing that could<\/em> be reasoned through. Instead, he said, \u201cNot that you\u2019ve given me the impression you\u2019re set on luxury, but I hope you won\u2019t mind my place being a bit\u2026 sparse. I\u2019ve pretty much always been guest, not host, since I moved in there – which isn\u2019t as often as you might think from how I was when I met Ian, anyway – so I haven\u2019t had much call to dress the place up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat should be fine. You\u2019ve probably got more room, at least, than I do,\u201d Arverik mused. Greystone Tower was big;<\/em> modern construction materials and methods made it easy to build upwards, and Hematite wasn\u2019t very populous yet. Now that they\u2019d got their industrial base this far, it would\u2019ve been easy to build far more homes in towers like that than there were people who needed them – and that without<\/em> considering the more well-to-do who\u2019d rather have a separate house all their own. They had no particular reason to make their units small and cramped. \u201cAs long as there\u2019s enough room to move, it won\u2019t be a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat,\u201d said Kenvar as he pushed the door open to the evening air, \u201cI definitely have.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It would\u2019ve been hard to get lost even without a guide; Greystone Tower loomed over the city, and nothing but the very thickest of fog could possibly obscure it from the streets. In time, as more such buildings rose alongside it, that might change, but for now letting his host lead was little more than a polite formality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Little more, but not nothing<\/em> more: Kenvar did know where one could find intoxicants even at this hour on Founders\u2019 Day. Arverik\u2019s eye was drawn to a bottle of iceberry wine from a particular vintner he knew to be quite good; Kenvar at first tried to demur, claiming it to be too dear a treat to spend on him,<\/em> but let himself be talked into it without much difficulty. Though he did<\/em> insist that Arverik take with him whatever they didn\u2019t get through before they parted ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Back on the street, Kenvar glanced up at the ascending bulk of the tower, then paused, reaching up to put his palm against Arverik\u2019s cheek. It was a casual sort of intimacy – the sort even passing friends might use with one another – but with what they\u2019d already discussed doing and after the way he\u2019d reacted to the mere sight<\/em> of Arverik, that light touch was nonetheless electrifying; his breath caught, ears tilting forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nor was his tense anticipation in any way lessened when Kenvar breathed, \u201cDo you have any idea<\/em> how hard it\u2019s been to not<\/em> just pull you into a side alley for an early taste?\u201d His tongue, slipping forth to dab at his lips, lent some quiet emphasis to the query – as well as suggesting just how literally he meant the word \u2018taste.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n Arverik shivered. For one moment, on pure reflex, he was about to stifle the groan that threatened to slip out of him; he throttled that impulse and let the sound loose unashamed. By way of reply, he murmured back, \u201cIf you keep talking like that, the first portion\u2019s going to go entirely to waste.\u201d It was an exaggeration; while he had, on one memorable occasion, been brought to climax without a single touch to what would normally be classified as an erogenous zone, he had not<\/em> ever been sent over the edge by words alone. But that question had awakened such a rush of seething need that he almost felt it could happen anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By the look on Kenvar\u2019s face, Arverik\u2019s response hadn\u2019t made that temptation any easier to resist. A warm breath whuffed over Arverik\u2019s whiskers, his host\u2019s eyes slipping shut, an answering shiver chasing through him. Kenvar\u2019s other hand alit on Arverik\u2019s belt, and for a moment Arverik thought he was going to let temptation become reality; then, with a soft whimper, the dappled male took a step back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019re almost there,\u201d Kenvar said. \u201cMight as well get some real privacy so we can do this right.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Once upon a time, Arverik might have pointed out – if he\u2019d been able to summon the nerve to speak at all – that the course Kenvar was shying away from felt plenty \u201cright\u201d to him; now he confined himself to a small smile that he\u2019d simply trust would get the point across. If he\u2019d have been happy to have Kenvar pull him aside and blow him, he was also quite eager to see just what, in his host\u2019s mind, did<\/em> qualify as \u201cright.\u201d He nosed at the departing fingers, then stood straight, or at least as straight as tavarri ever did with their slight natural stoop, and let Kenvar take the lead again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was neither surprising nor unwelcome that Kenvar led him the rest of the way at a hustle verging on a lope; the better to get properly ensconced sooner rather than later. Part of his mind did<\/em> note, with some anticipation, that once past the security door, Kenvar took him to the express elevators and slapped the button for floor 120; that<\/em> promised to be quite the view indeed\u2026 once he had any interest in seeing the scenery rather than his host. They had the car to themselves; while they rode, they settled against one another, and Arverik felt the swell of Kenvar\u2019s erection under his fingers before he was quite aware of his hand moving. He almost<\/em> tried to worm his hand in for a direct touch, pads against skin rather than a layer or two of cloth in the way, and the moan in the other male\u2019s throat pushed him even closer to doing so; but the elevator was already slowing. With a somewhat regretful sigh, he shifted his hand over to his host\u2019s hip instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That was just as well, because it turned out to not be a simple matter of stumbling down the hall to a particular door; Kenvar\u2019s apartment was a floor down and then three turnings away from the descending stairwell. The lock clicked in response to Kenvar\u2019s hand waving over the pad, and it was hard to say which of them pulled the other through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There was just enough time for the door to close and latch behind them and for Arverik to note an exterior window before Kenvar\u2019s hands settled on his guest\u2019s belt. \u201cSo\u2026\u201d His head was ducked down a bit, snout aimed at Arverik\u2019s collarbone. \u201cIntellectually, I know a lot of the old-style clan mentality is, well\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Perhaps he was struggling for a way to say it politely, not quite knowing for sure just how<\/em> far from the typical \u201cold-style clan mentality\u201d Arverik actually was, his earlier remarks notwithstanding. \u201cBullshit?\u201d he supplied with a grin, hands settling on his host\u2019s shoulders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A whuff of a laugh. \u201cThat works. But there\u2019s some part of me that still has this\u2026 I don’t know, silly fantasy about being, well\u2026 owned.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n For a moment it didn’t parse – why in the world, in any<\/em> world, would anyone want<\/em> to live under the clans? It had been bad enough for Arverik, and he<\/em> had been certifiably pure-blooded, just unlucky enough to be born with a minor mutation in his eye colour!<\/p>\n\n\n\n But before he could put words to his confusion, it melted away under the realisation that living<\/em> in that system wasn\u2019t what Kenvar wanted. No, he didn\u2019t want Arverik to treat him like a true clansman would – not least because no self-respecting clanner would be caught dead socializing<\/em> with a mixblood, never mind being intimate with one! No, he didn\u2019t want the real thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What he wanted was a semblance <\/em>of it – a fantasy, as he\u2019d said. It needn\u2019t have much to do with reality; in fact, the real thing would probably kill his<\/em> libido about as fast as it would Arverik\u2019s. He wanted to feel subservient for a time – just for a time, before they both got back to their normal lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What Arverik finally said out loud was, \u201cYou want me to play the part of an imperious master.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n They way Kenvar ducked his head, ears furled back, could<\/em> have been jumping right into the role, but the stiffness of his shoulders under Arverik\u2019s fingers suggested it had more to do with shame. \u201cWell\u2026 yeah. If you\u2019re okay with that. I mean,\u201d the words started to spill out faster and faster, \u201cI know<\/em> you said the clan wasn\u2019t very good to you, so I\u2019d understand if it\u2019s uncomfortable, and even without that I know not everyone\u2019s comfortable in that sort of role anyway, but it\u2019s this thing that\u2019s been bouncing around my head for so long I guess I thought\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Arverik was somewhat bemused, but also strangely heartened, by this demonstration that he didn\u2019t have a monopoly on anxiety. Not that he wanted<\/em> his host to suffer through it, but\u2026 well. A touch to Kenvar\u2019s nose brought this torrent of words to a stammering halt, but on his own Kenvar didn\u2019t seem much inclined to lift his head, so Arverik tucked fingers under his jaw. He didn\u2019t forcibly pull the other man\u2019s chin up, but he didn\u2019t have to; hesitantly, Kenvar lifted his head, eyes wide and uncertain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s all right,\u201d he said softly. \u201cI think I know what you\u2019re after. Hearing it new, it may sound a bit silly to me, but one thing I\u2019ve learned lately is that sometimes, sex is<\/em> a bit silly. It\u2019s not something I\u2019ve done before, but if that\u2019s all right with you, I think I could give it a try. For a little.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor a little,\u201d Kenvar echoed, ears lifting a bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo long as I get some<\/em> time to just be me,\u201d Arverik went on with a smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDefinitely. That\u2019s<\/em> what I got interested in in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn that case\u2026\u201d Arverik took a deep breath – for courage?<\/em> – and lifted his hand away, brushing it over Kenvar\u2019s jaw. In what he might once have thought of as his finest Shukarat pureblood tones, he went on, \u201cWhat can one such as you<\/em> do for me?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Under his other hand, Kenvar quivered. \u201cAh, Master, he breathed, \u201cplease, let me please you. Let me taste you\u2026\u201d Even as the whisper slipped out of him, he sank to his knees, pressing forward as he did. His snout pressed up against Arverik\u2019s collarbone, fingers busily working his \u201cmaster\u2019s\u201d vest open so he could nuzzle and lick at the bare chest beneath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was, for Arverik, a very new way of dealing with a lover, but the excitement driving Kenvar\u2019s laboured breaths was infectious. Arverik had at first thought to stay aloof, but the other male\u2019s touch just felt too good<\/em> for him to stay any less responsive than \u201crestrained;\u201d a low, throaty rumble was slipping out of him before Kenvar\u2019s snout got past his ribs. By the time his host-cum-\u201dservant\u2019s\u201d hands got down to his belt, his kilt was feeling more than a little uncomfortable, but nimble fingers loosening the restrictive cloth brought a blessed end to that;<\/em> his breath wafted out of him in a sigh of relief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Without further ado, Kenvar took the tip of Arverik\u2019s cock in his mouth \u2013 Arverik grunted, firmly reminding himself that he didn\u2019t need to hold back quite as much as he usually would \u2013 and started to slide down it. That was just as well, really, because Arverik probably wouldn\u2019t have lasted long under less direct attentions; as it was, he took hold of the other male\u2019s skull, mindful of the ears but otherwise making himself grip quite a bit harder than his usual, and shoved himself in to the hilt. There was no artifice whatsoever in the half-groan, half-growl that slipped out of him as he shot over the other male\u2019s tongue and down his gullet. Kenvar was trembling under him \u2013 at least he didn\u2019t think<\/em> that was all on him \u2013 and his rough tongue was doing things to Arverik\u2019s taper that he\u2019d never<\/em> felt anyone do with their mouth already full.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kenvar kept him riding that high of pleasure for the best part of a minute. He tried to say in role \u2014 to accept this pleasure as his due, the one providing it merely a means to an end; when normally he would pull back and give his partner a chance to breathe, now he glanced down through slitted eyes to see that Kenvar didn\u2019t seem to be in actual distress and just tightened his grip a bit further, shoving in as deep as he could. How much of that actually showed through – or even if it was the \u201cright\u201d thing to do – was far, far beyond his orgasm-addled ability to judge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eventually, despite Kenvar\u2019s excellent efforts, the sensations ebbed \u2014 he rather doubted Kenvar was being any easier on him, but its impact on him was waning; his long-ago comparative xenology classes had explained that part of tavarri sexual response as giving opportunity and incentive to find another partner rather than spending more time and sperm on a single partner than they could possibly need to conceive. Whatever the case, it was time to change things up a little, to give that part of his brain some time to forget that particular stimulus. He pulled himself back and out with a groan of pleasure that hardly needed exaggeration or embellishment, tugged a bit on the other male\u2019s horns, and let his erection rest atop Kenvar\u2019s snout for a moment, gazing down at him and drawing a deep breath \u2014 slowly, to give his scrambled mind precious time to get in order. What would a \u201cproper\u201d Clanner say to a servant who\u2019d shown distinction? Faint praise at best if he acknowledged them at all, honestly; that didn\u2019t seem much fun to either party at a moment like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More like how he would treat a lower-ranking Clanner, perhaps. And that<\/em> was something Arverik had plenty of experience with; he\u2019d never thought he could turn it into a good<\/em> thing, but sometimes the universe was a silly place. That thought let some wry humour creep into his voice. \u201cWell, it seems you might have some uses after all.\u201d Wait, was that going too far? He hadn\u2019t meant it to sound like\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apparently it was fine; Kenvar shivered, stifling a whimper. \u201cIs\u2026 is the Master pleased, then?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHrrr\u2026\u201d He tried to make it sound like he was considering the question; what he was actually<\/em> considering was his phrasing, because his pleasure was self-evident. The man was good <\/em>with his tongue, so good that Arverik rather hoped he\u2019d be willing to offer some tips later on. He ran out of breath for his dithering purr, and had to take a new breath in; that seemed as good a time as any to say something.<\/em> \u201cThat was\u2026 an acceptable start. Come; I want to get a good look at you.\u201d He couldn\u2019t say which of the doors out of the main room led to the bedroom with much confidence, and if he was trying to appear in control he didn\u2019t want to guess only to be wrong and need to turn around, but he did<\/em> see a comfortable-looking chair farther in. He slipped out of his sandals and left them there by the door. A few strides in, he slowed down a bit to unwind his kilt the rest of the way. He shrugged out of his vest, and just when he was contemplating whether it\u2019d be better to drop his clothes aside with casual unconcern or to hang them somewhere with at least some dignity, felt a tug on them; that solved that<\/em> handily. He let go and sauntered the last few steps across the room, gazing out through the window at the city far, far below, a scattering of lights that glimmered as though to mimic the starry sky above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Landfall, as the capital was called, was far and away the biggest city on Hematite \u2014 but that wasn\u2019t really saying much. Its population was still in the low hundreds of thousands, and while there were a few other big towers being built, Greystone was the only one that was inhabited; the others had only a few navigation lights at their summits. Light pollution was kept as low as feasible. There were a lot<\/em> more stars in that sky than Arverik had grown up with, and he never tired of the sight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Leaning on the back of the chair, he took in the view for a few moments, hearing Kenvar move about. Fabric rustling, then just fur and footsteps; then breathing, soft and slightly irregular, maybe a bit anxious. He resisted the urge to turn right back towards his host, to apologize for letting himself be distracted; instead, he spent a few more idle moments wondering how much of that anxiety was affected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When he figured his persona would be good and ready to get that \u201cgood look\u201d he\u2019d demanded, he took a step back, turning and sinking into the chair in a single smooth motion. Kenvar stood squarely in front of the chair, a couple steps away – enough to give his \u201cmaster\u201d the appropriate amount of personal space; he looked down at Kenvar\u2019s feet and nodded slowly, hoping that would be enough cue to suggest that it was the respectful distance he approved of, and let his gaze track up from there. Especially for someone in an intellectual field of work, Kenvar was in excellent tone, and not just in his arms; he obviously didn\u2019t slouch his exercise. With legs like that, despite being on the lean side, he could probably carry another full-grown tavar for a good distance. Or hold one up long enough to make for a similar exertion, which suggested some nice possibilities for later, when Arverik could break character and just worry about being himself instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Plainly, whatever anxiety the other male might be feeling wasn\u2019t enough to kill his libido, for he still stood proudly erect, a bit of moisture gleaming on his bare teal skin. Arverik started to lick his lips, but stopped himself with his jaws just slightly parted. \u201cEager to please, I see,\u201d he said instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAlways,\u201d Kenvar breathed. Oh, yes; anxious he might be, but it was definitely in the \u201canxious to do more\u201d sense. His excitement was almost palpable, even before he went on, slightly louder, “Please, Master, let me please you.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n The rest of his body lived up to the promise his arms and legs had offered; under the dappled fur, lush and well-cared-for in itself, he was a fine example of tavarri health. He stood with his hands clasped behind him, tail-tuft flicking about his heels. His mouth was slightly parted, eyes wide and dark. Arverik wanted little more than to shove him into the chair and ride him, but even if he might still be in control that way, it didn\u2019t quite feel in keeping with the image he was cultivating; hopefully there\u2019d be time for something like that before they parted ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the time being, he\u2019d just have to settle for the reverse. \u201cWell,\u201d he mused, leaning back in his seat and letting his tail settle in its channel, \u201cI\u2019ve seen what one end of you can do.\u201d He almost went on with How about we<\/em> but deleted that equitable start before it passed his lips. \u201cWork down from there. I would know what your other end is like, and the more capable your hands are, the easier it\u2019ll be for you.\u201d It might or might not have had evolutionary value, but the slipperiness of tavarri semen was something Arverik had had plenty of cause to appreciate in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs you wish,\u201d Kenvar whispered, taking a few steps forward and kneeling before his guests. He was true to his word, or perhaps more precisely, to Arverik\u2019s; though his tongue dabbed at his lips and his head dipped close enough for his breaths to wash over Arverik\u2019s wet flesh, he did not, in fact, put his mouth back in play. He started with no more intimate contact than those breaths, his hands instead running along his \u201cmaster\u2019s\u201d legs as though that contact alone was what kept him alive. Soon enough, though – before Arverik could issue more than a few appreciative rumbles, before he could even consider<\/em> feigning impatience – his hands shifted. One went upwards, exploring Arverik\u2019s stomach and chest, but the other cupped under the striped male\u2019s balls, cradled them a moment, then slid upwards, fingertips passing over the sheath that had been irrelevant by the time the pair got in the door, and then gliding along the underside of his tapering length to its peak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It went on from there. The caress turned into a stroke, then a squeeze, then a few moments of vigorous pumping before easing back again. Kenvar adapted with aplomb to Arverik bucking up into his grip, twisting under his touch, and kept right on stroking, with enough force behind his touch that it was all Arverik could do to keep from outright squirming, yet never so much that it was uncomfortable.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n It got quite a bit easier, of course, when a fresh rush of orgasm sent more slick semen flowing over cock and stroking fingers alike, the latter shifting, twisting, to get the stuff all over. And again<\/em> he was doing enough different things to keep Arverik spurting for a good while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If it went on as long as the first<\/em> bout, he probably wouldn\u2019t be able to avoid some rather out-of-character squirming; when he was good and slick and plenty of the surplus was dampening his fur, he reached down \u2014 a bid to touch Kenvar\u2019s wrist turned mid-gesture to seizing it, and his free hand tucked under the mixblood\u2019s jaw, forcing his gaze upwards. \u201cI should think that will suffice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, sir,\u201d came the husky reply. Kenvar rose mostly-upright, with Arverik\u2019s hand following his jaw as it went; where he\u2019d been kneeling between his guest\u2019s knees, in a few moments he stood astride Arverik\u2019s hips. Arverik shifted his grip instead to the other male\u2019s rump, free hand on his own length.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most of his experience in this particular pose had been with humans – a way to give his smaller lovers some measure of extra control – but he\u2019d had enough time with tavarri by now to still be confident, and Kenvar knew what he was about, too. They acted almost as one, slipping together without a single false step, as though they\u2019d been rehearsing for ages. It was glorious.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n For the next minute or two, staying in character was pretty far from Arverik\u2019s mind; the other man just felt too good, on and around and against him. The most he could do on that score was keep his tail from trying to twine with his partner\u2019s as they bucked against one another, as his spunk pulsed into his partner, as Kenvar\u2019s length rubbed against his stomach and left a damp furrow in turn. It was only as that stimulus, too, started to get a bit muted that he was able to even think<\/em> of what he\u2019d do next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He started by leaning around Kenvar\u2019s horns for a nip at one ear. \u201cNow that you\u2019ve got me thoroughly<\/em> prepared,\u201d he hissed into it, \u201cI think it\u2019s time I had a bit more leverage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kenvar shuddered atop him. \u201cI-if my bed would p-p-please you,\u201d he paused to swallow, \u201cit\u2019s through the nearer door on your left.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n An explanation instead of any move to lead the way? Maybe he didn\u2019t want to pull apart. Well, that was something Arverik could agree with and indulge, at least for the moment. It did<\/em> take some care – \u201cmaster by blood right\u201d or no, he was not <\/em>going to risk doing either of them a harm by being clumsy now. He put one hand firmly at the base of Kenvar\u2019s spine, just far enough up to give him something to lean back against as much as to press down on; with Kenvar\u2019s hands already planting themselves against the seat back past Arverik\u2019s shoulders (plainly this wasn\u2019t his <\/em>first time doing this particular stunt, either!), Arverik used his left hand to push up from the seat, slowly and carefully. Kenvar\u2019s arms wrapped around his shoulders about halfway through the motion, and the arm he\u2019d been pushing up with instead shifted to wrap under Kenvar\u2019s shoulders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It might not be an approved carry for any great distance, but it\u2019d get the job done, and it let them stay together as Arverik carried his lover to the door in question, every step sending a fresh surge of pleasure through him – through both of them, if Kenvar\u2019s whimpering was any indication. The door was ajar; a nudge with his shoulder got it open enough to pass through, and there was enough light coming in from the main room for a tavar\u2019s keen night vision to make out the bed – and the absence of any impediment between it and the door. That\u2019d have to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He was starting to run low on stamina, but he should still have enough in him for a dramatic finish. He dumped Kenvar onto the bed crosswise, pulling out in the process and groaning as a result, but he forced that groan to turn into a growl and flipped the other man over. He found his place and shoved back in with a haste that had only a little to do with his role, putting his weight behind the motion and winding up with his head up by Kenvar\u2019s nape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, that presented a pretty obvious possibility, didn\u2019t it? He tilted his head and, after a few nips \u2013 it not being terribly easy to aim when he was already thrusting \u2013 got a good grip on his \u201cservant\u2019s\u201d scruff, and at that point his growl rose to a snarl and he cut loose. With so much spunk already between them, there wasn\u2019t much friction to speak of, and while Kenvar cried out under him, it didn\u2019t sound like actual distress, so he kept at it. Again and again he came, each spurt shoved deep in by the next thrust, and there was still enough spilling out at the back of his strokes to dribble down and dampen his sheath a bit further. In the darkness, it was so easy to lose himself to the rhythm of his thrusts, to let it take the world away until all that was left was the warm body under him, his lover\u2019s cries ringing in his ears, his own grunts and growls more heard than felt undercutting them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He couldn\u2019t possibly sustain that intensity for long, but this time, his legs gave out before his lust did, and he slumped atop his lover, shuddering as his orgasm kept raging on in full force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some time later, Kenvar\u2019s hand squirmed up to touch his cheek. \u201cThat was glorious. Thank you. But you sound like you need some water.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Was that his<\/em> breath that was sounding so rough? He tried to assent and coughed; with the endorphins ebbing, it quickly became apparent that his throat felt like someone had taken a rasp to it. \u201cPlease,\u201d he managed. At some point in the intervening time, he\u2019d slipped out and gone soft, in what order he couldn\u2019t possibly say; just flopping over and letting Kenvar free felt like a major exertion all of a sudden. Kenvar\u2019s nose nudged his own, and then he heard the other man moving away. A cupboard opening and closing, then the heavier, mag-sealed door of a refrigerator; liquid pouring, twice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By the time Kenvar came back into the room, Arverik was at least feeling up to sitting up on the edge of the bed, though he was feeling rather wobbly even for that; his host pressed a cool glass into his hand. \u201cCrimfruit juice,\u201d he said. \u201cShould help replenish and<\/em> ease the sting a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The yellow-skinned, red-pulped fruit was the nearest equivalent to Earth citrus on the tavar homeworld of Dawn; slightly astringent and more than slightly tart, it also served tavarri as a mild topical anaesthetic. Arverik didn\u2019t keep it in stock all that much, because a number of his lovers were human and it was not<\/em> safe for human consumption, but he was certainly glad to have it available now; he gulped down a few well-chilled swallows before he felt up to speaking again. \u201cBeen in this situation before, have you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n A laugh. \u201cOverexerted in bed, yes. Not so much the specifics.\u201d Kenvar shifted, an arm slipping around Arverik just under the shoulders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He leaned back, draping an arm in turn over<\/em> his new lover\u2019s shoulders. \u201cIt was\u2026 a bit outside my usual,\u201d he confessed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fingers touched his cheek. \u201cI could tell. Hopefully you won\u2019t read this as criticism \u2013 I\u2019m more satisfied than I think I could possibly say \u2013 but I could feel you holding back from some things, pushing yourself to others. Unaccustomed or no, though, you were magnificent.<\/em> Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Getting off was very fine, but companionable moments like this were what Arverik really<\/em> treasured. \u201cHappy to oblige. Sometimes it\u2019s good to step outside your usual, no?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kenvar\u2019s whiskers splayed; so did his ears. \u201cSo I hear. And if there\u2019s any particular hankerings I can help you<\/em> satisfy, I hope I\u2019ll have plenty of opportunity to repay the favour.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI certainly hope this won\u2019t be my only visit,\u201d Arverik replied, nudging his nose against his host\u2019s. \u201cAnd while my own home is quite a bit smaller, I think it could still be nice to be host in turn, if you find yourself in Three Forks at some point.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI hear the Manifold Falls are a sight to see,\u201d Kenvar said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That was where the Slate River spilled over Drummer\u2019s Ridge, immediately after the forks that gave the town its name. \u201cThey are that,\u201d Arverik replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kenvar\u2019s hand shifted and gave a pat to his shoulder. \u201cBut we\u2019ve still got tomorrow, hmm? Meanwhile, I think both of us could use a wash – and as you were working harder than I was, how about you get the first go at it while I change the sheets?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that he mentioned it, the smell of semen was<\/em> pretty strong on the air. Odds were good that even beyond whatever Arverik had contributed, Kenvar had made a pretty conspicuous mess on the sheets. Arverik laughed. \u201cYou might find me asleep by the time you finish yours, in that case.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll be careful joining you, then.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It really did sound like a wonderful <\/em>end to the day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It was a relatively quiet day at the Five Lamps. There was still a heavy beat in the upper levels, but instead of loud bass underscoring music, it was a softer drumbeat, and it lay under no strings, voices, or obviously synthesized tones, but a mix of wind instruments \u2013 sometimes cheerful, others almost plaintive. 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