Spinning Fate's Threads

Tazzy: So glad to have inspired some Nano madness in you. Working on that myself. Glad someone still likes my work. I was beginning to feel a little unloved here. Anyway, thanks. I'm flattered, truly.

DarkCrusnikMagician: Thanks so much for the review. I've come to the conclusion that allowing the mind to wander to things is usually far more interesting than anything I could put into words.



To everyone still reading, I hope you enjoy.



*****





Abel nodded a little stiffly and tried to look anywhere but at Gun as the other man undressed. Tried being the operative word because bathwater gets rather boring to look at in just a few seconds. Especially when there was pale flesh being uncovered a few feet away from him. He glanced up through lowered lashes and nearly forgot to breathe. Gun was facing away from him and had folded his clothes and set them aside. Abel had looked up just in time to see him take the clips from his hair, watching in fascination as the entire glorious mass fell down Gun’s back to the tops of his thighs. He made himself busy fussing with the soap as Gun got into the tub and let out a heartfelt sigh as the hot water instantly relaxed him.



“Are you okay, Abel?” he asked, looking at him oddly.



“Fine,” Abel nearly squeaked.



“Calm down, Abel. It doesn’t need to be anything other than a bath.”



“I wasn’t worried,” he said. Taking great pride in the fact that he hadn’t stammered. He cast around wildly for something to talk about instead of gawking at the beautiful, wet, naked man across from him. “The brùnaidh …”



“What of them?”



“Er . . . they aren’t slaves or anything, are they?”



Gun chuckled a little. “Of course not. They’re free to come and go just as they please. Some actually live in the household they help with, some don’t. Why do you ask?”



Abel shrugged. “No reason.”



“And you wanted to talk about something rather than leering at me,” Gun said with a half smile. “I think I’m insulted.”



“No. That isn’t what . . . I mean, I don’t . . . I’m making a big mess of this,” Abel said, running his hands through his wet hair. “I think you're wonderful, Gun. I really do. I’m just not . . . I guess I don’t really feel like I’m worthy of that kind of attention. Plus you just scare me out of my mind.”



Gun tilted his head a little and looked at his bathing companion curiously. “How so? You know I would never hurt you for any reason.”



Abel swallowed hard and ran a shaking hand over his eyes. “I know that. I’m more afraid for you than anything else. Look what happened the last time I got close to someone,” he said miserably.



“Ah. I think I understand a little better now. You’re worried that something will happen to me when we become lovers.”



Abel blinked a little as it registered Gun had said when and not if. “I know it’s ridiculous, Gun. I understand that I’m seriously damaged. I just really don’t understand why you’d want to be with me when I still need so much work in here,” he said, lightly touching his temple.



Gun smiled a little and wandered over to him through the water. He put one arm around him and tugged until they were both half reclining on the curved seats of the tub. Abel started to protest for a moment before reluctantly letting Gun pull him so his back was flush against the other man’s chest. He found himself relaxing as the feel of Gun’s arms around him and the heartbeat against the flesh of his back seemed to lull any worries of what might one day be away. Gun pressed soft kisses to his cheek and temple, combing one hand through silver hair while the other rested across Abel’s waist.



“Relax, Abel. It doesn’t have to be anything other than what it is.”



*****



Jormun sat on the edge of Circe’s bed as she finished packing, his look completely unreadable to anyone who didn’t know him well.



“Want to tell me about it?” he asked.



She paused in folding a shirt. “Tell you what?”



“About what’s going on with you. You know you never kiss me like that, especially not in front of others and you feel very off. What’s wrong?”



“Damn it, Jory, I hate it when you do this,” she said. She started to talk even though she was annoyed and knew it was because she had always told him everything. All of it came spilling out, the words nearly tripping over themselves in an effort to get out. The weird sense of loneliness now that Taka had found another mate or the same one as the case was, how bizarre it was that her long time crush was in love with her brother, that she was developing this “thing” for Hugue and the odd dream about Cain.



He listened until she paused for breath, nearly panting from the effort to give so much detail to the things happening in her life.



“I think I’m having a nervous breakdown,” she said honestly.



“You aren’t. Though I would imagine it must feel like it for you,” he said, standing up and coming to the other side of the bed to hug her. “The only advice I have is: Be happy for Taka, love Gun like you always have and prepare for the fact that Abel might be your brother in law one day, enjoy the “thing” you’re developing for and with Hugue. As for the dream about Cain, well, that worries me a little but considering your past history with him it isn’t terribly surprising. Did it feel pre-cog?”



“Not really. It felt more immediate. As though it were happening right then.”



“Hmmm. Let’s not worry about it just now. I’ll see if I can arrange some time with the Sisters for you if you’d like. Though they may or may not tell you anything useful.”



“Thank you. I know I can always count on you, Jory. Now, about this,” she said, tugging at a strand of his hair. “Mind telling me how Hel convinced you that you needed to be a blond?”





****



“So?” Dietrich said, leaning against the wall of the room he and Isaak shared.



“So, what?” the other man asked, barely glancing up from his writing.



“I know you’re feeling it too even though it can’t really come through all the guards put on this place. There’s still that mental pressure that’s unmistakable.”



“I hardly think this is the time to discuss things of that nature.”



“I’m just curious to see what we’ll pick up after we leave here. I wonder what he wants.”



“It doesn’t affect us anymore. He tried to have us killed. We’re no longer his property.”



“I think he would protest that.”



“Be that as it may.”



“Don’t you think it’s damn odd that he’s been so wrapped up in destroying his brother for ages and now all of a sudden there’s this massive shift away from that?”



“Maybe he’s trying a different tactic since nothing else has worked in securing Abel’s body,” Isaak said thoughtfully, running one of his long fingers across his bottom lip in thought.



“How so?”



“The witch is a consummate healer from what I can gather both energy wise and via reputation. He may be hoping to use her to pull his body back together. That way he would be at his own full power rather than needing to learn the use of someone else’s.”



“That would not make her fathers happy.”



“I would imagine not.”



“I also wonder why Mastermind hasn’t done a more in depth scan of either one of us. You’d think that would be something important to them.”



“Do you want to have your neuropathways rearranged by force?”



“Not especially. But you have to admit it’s really strange.”