Silver and Gold Ch. 07

"Unless you think your transportation magic is too weak to get me wherever I want to go," Daniella said. Mal's eyes darkened and his smile grew sharp.

"By all means, love," he said, kissing her temple. "I'm happy to transport you wherever you want to go. I did promise you that I would always bring you to the human realm whenever you want, did I not?" Daniella pecked Mal's cheek and turned back to Silver. Just as she was about to say something Mal cut in, "As long as you do not take her for six months." He gave Silver a hard look and the message was clear. Daniella was his, and Silver would be a dead man if anything happened to her on his watch.

Daniella rolled her eyes and smacked his shoulder. "Mal! Don't be like that," she scolded. "I lived on my own and traveled just fine way before you ever knew me."

Daniella began grilling him about the places he'd traveled. She was voracious for information on everything from the climate and geography to the history and his personal contacts among faery folk and humans alike. He found himself liking the woman, despite everything. She was nerdy and unpretentious, just as easily flitting from travel plans to trashy TV to her latest research into how the faeries managed the Wood's delicate ecosystem. It turned out that she had also been hoping to make contacts with European faeries to learn more of how they'd managed relations with human leaders. Though she was short on details, he got the feeling she was trying to convince Mal to make contact with the American government. Talking to her was so easy that all the love triangle awkwardness he had braced for melted away, and he found himself enjoying making a new friend.

Midway through dinner Silver looked over and found Feldspar still deep in conversation with Nephrite. He laughed softly, and Silver's breath caught at the joy lighting up the other man's face. He was so beautiful when he was happy, like he had a well of golden sunshine inside him bursting to get out. Silver slid his hand into Feldspar's under the table, intertwining their fingers. Feldspar glanced at him, his face incandescent with happiness. Silver's smile reflected that joy. Feldspar leaned over and pecked Silver's cheek and turned back to his conversation, leaving Silver feeling lovestruck because he'd just kissed him in front of his friends like it was nothing.

Silver turned back toward Daniella to continue their conversation. He started to pull his hand back and Feldspar squeezed his hand, refusing to relinquish it. Daniella's expression was soft, her eyes warm.

"I'm so glad," she said quietly, her voice filled with feeling. She didn't finish her thought, but Silver knew what she meant. It struck him how deeply Feldspar was loved in this place and by these people. He might not always have felt that love and his friends weren't the best at expressing themselves. But as Silver looked around the table it was so evident that Feldspar's friends adored him and wanted him to be happy. Even Daniella. Maybe especially Daniella.

At the end of the night Daniella insisted on staying to wash up. As soon as she was elbow-deep in dishes Mal magically snapped everything clean, laughing at the look of irritation and gratitude on his lover's face. She scolded him -- what for wasn't totally clear -- and the others looked on in amusement at their playful power struggle. Even Feldspar seemed relaxed as he leaned lightly into Silver's shoulder. Mal and Daniella left shortly afterward, Mal's handsyness getting progressively more deliberate and obvious as they made their goodbyes.

With the kitchen and dining table clean, Gneiss and Nephrite started making motions toward heading to bed. Silver suddenly felt awkward without an excuse to stay. "Well, I guess I should be going," he said, voice falsely bright. Feldspar helped him gather his kitchen tools, carefully checking to make sure nothing was left behind.

He wished Feldspar would invite him to stay instead. Feldspar kept finding reasons to touch him: a hand against his side to guide him, a brush against his backside as he passed, a love tap on his stomach to punctuate a joke. He wanted more. He could be patient, take things at Feldspar's pace. At the pace, he reminded himself, that would also protect his own heart.

It had been a perfect night, as good an introduction to Feldspar's chosen family as he could have hoped for. He lingered in the doorframe as Feldspar drew him in for a kiss, completely uncaring that Gneiss and Nephrite were still chatting in the living room. Feldspar's tongue caressed his softly and Silver leaned deeper into him. He longed to pull Feldspar into him, to grind against him and hold every hard inch of his body close. Feldspar pulled away breathing heavily for moment, and then kissed him again, unable to resist the magnetic pull of Silver's soft lips.

Eventually Silver pulled himself away, afraid he'd end up with a mess in his pants if he didn't stop. They kissed softly once, twice, and then parted reluctantly. Silver opened his mouth, unsure what he wanted to say. He wanted Feldspar badly, and he wanted Feldspar to be ready for the next move just as badly. He had no idea how to put his maelstrom of desires and fears into words. So instead of saying anything, he kissed Feldspar lightly one last time, and turned to go home, letting the afterglow of Feldspar's kiss soothe the ache of want in his heart.