Silver and Gold Ch. 09

"Sil? I'm sorry if I crossed a line. I cannot abide how some faeries seem to think you have no place in the Wood."

Silver's head jerked toward him. "You didn't cross a line, man. Chef's been a dick to me ever since I got back." He sighed deeply and slid his hand into Feldspar's as they hiked up the trail. "It sucks. The chef and I used to be friends. Like, real use-each-other's-names friends. Now he can barely stand to be in the same room as me... says I'm the same as the barbarians who ran us out of our homes. I get it. I know all the faeries who are old enough to remember those times are a little traumatized. I don't know, maybe I think I get it and I really don't. All I know is that humans are just like faeries. Some are awesome, some are shitty. He acts like just because I spend time among them and I don't see them as the enemy, I don't belong here anymore."

"He's an ass. You belong here as much as anyone. Your adventurousness and curiosity make you no less a faery. Nor does your love of humans. Before you disregard me, I would point to the Lord and Lady. He invited a human to stay here, fell in love with her, and elevated her to Lady of the Wood. Do you see any faeries questioning whether he has a place here?"

Silver shook his head but grimaced. "I'm not the Lord, though. He might love a human but he's so magical he makes up for it. It's not like she's going to rub off on him. If anything, he'll probably turn her into a faery someday. Me on the other hand... I pretty much use what magic I have on my cooking and I could easily pass for human. I do pass for human all the time, not because I look human -- you know I don't. No human has silver hair, eyes, and skin. I pass because I act so human that most humans don't question it. Besides I'm not exactly indispensable. Every time I leave others step in to take my place and chef's not alone in thinking I don't belong when I come back. Seems like everywhere I go these days my old friends are giving me the cold shoulder."

"Someday I am certain they will reconsider. If they don't, they were never true friends. You are funny and kind. You're brilliant in the kitchen and full of good stories. They are fools for not wanting you for a friend. I honestly cannot understand it."

"Thanks. You're biased, but it's good to hear."

Feldspar harumphed and elbowed Silver playfully. "I am not biased. I know you quite well, which means I've had ample time to study your faults as well. If that's not enough, my roommates also love you."

Silver darted a glance at him out of the corner of his eye, blushing at Silver's casual use of the L word. Feldspar caught his eye and smiled broadly, without an ounce of self-consciousness. Silver knocked his shoulder into Feldspar. The pleased, embarrassed grin he got in return made his stomach flip. In the blink of an eye all the morning's drama meant nothing to him. "All right, fine. You and me against the bitches of the world," he said, giving Feldspar a small smile as he took his hand and pulled him up the trail.

When Silver led Feldspar away from the the track he usually followed to get to the lake, he followed trustingly. He was in no hurry, fully enjoying the feeling of Silver's hand around his. The sun was warm on his back and the woods were abloom with life that beckoned to him to slow down and savor every step. As Silver led him toward the south face of the mountain the high alpine landscape began to change, pine trees and granite giving way to lush ferns and douglas firs. The humid, cool air was a refreshing respite from the exposed heat of the mountain track they'd come from.

"Where are we?" Feldspar asked as Silver's steps slowed.

"A piece of Oregon, I think?" Silver said. Feldspar looked at him blankly. "That's the human name of the place this section of the Wood is pulled in from. I found it a few years ago, and don't you dare tell anyone it's here."

Feldspar looked around them, curious why Silver was so secretive. It looked like fairly standard forest to him, not so different from the redwood grove where the faeries made their home. The Wood had a strange way of existing on top, or perhaps alongside the human world. Patches of what had been human territory were pulled in seemingly at random, and there were quite a few places that were more exotic than this. "Why?" he asked, seeing nothing remarkable around them.

Silver smiled. He crouched down by the roots of a nearby tree and raked the dirt away. From the roots he plucked several blackish lumps that he held up to Feldspar. Feldspar wrinkled his nose in distaste. He was about to complain about Silver waving scat in his face when the rich scent of truffles hit his nose. His face broke into delighted surprise. "Are you sharing a secret truffle hunting spot with me?"

Silver grinned at him. "Open your bag. We'll just take these for now and we can come back when we need to for more."

"That's fascinating. Will you show me how you found them?"

Silver dropped the mushrooms into Feldspar's bag and gestured for him to squat down in the dirt. The two faeries inhaled deeply, following their noses to another cache of ripe truffles and Silver showed Feldspar how to harvest them without damaging the tree roots.

"This is amazing!" Feldspar said as he pulled a truffle from the ground. Silver grinned and held out the bag to him. He dropped the truffle in and took the bag from Silver's hands. Without breaking eye contact he set the bag on the ground to the side.

Silver's smile morphed from innocent joy into a knowing smirk. Feldspar returned his leer and tackled Silver. Silver grunted as Feldspar's bulk pushed the air from his lungs.

"You're fucking hot," he muttered between kisses. "I love it when you get so... so..." Feldspar trailed off, lost in the taste of Silver's lips. Silver's hands were in his hair, brushing against his sensitive ear tips. Feldspar wanted to eat him whole.

Silver pulled away, half panting, half laughing. "Nerdy?"

Feldspar drew back, completely lost. "Beg pardon?"

Silver laughed harder. "You were mumbling something about how much you love it when I get... and I was offering a suggestion."

Feldspar cocked his head. Silver could only laugh harder as he realized Feldspar had no idea what the human slang meant. "Never mind. Not important," he murmured when he'd finally caught his breath. He pulled Feldspar back down to him and captured his mouth in a bruising kiss. Feldspar's entire body pressed against his. His hips lifted to rub against Feldspar involuntarily, igniting a plume of warmth that suffused his body.

"Wait," Silver said breathlessly. "We should wait and do this at the lake."

"Mmmm, so good," Feldspar murmured. His hands were everywhere and his lips were on Silver's neck. "We do this now, and we do something else at the lake."

"Fuck... okay," Silver panted. He bared his neck and moaned at Feldspar's assault on his sensitive skin.

"Such a good boy," Feldspar muttered before continuing to nibble at Silver's neck. Silver hissed and arched up, desperate for more. Feldspar hushed him and murmured, "I'll take good care of you, sweetheart."

He rolled Silver onto his knees and slid his pants down in one motion, revealing his straining cock. Silver groaned at the manhandling and arched his back, exposing himself. Feldspar sat back on his haunches, admiring the view for a moment. It melted his brain a bit to see Silver, pants around his knees, shirt bunched up to his armpits, bent over for him. Silver's puckered hole winked at him and Feldspar's mouth watered. It called to him as he wondered what sounds Silver would make if he licked him there.

He ran feather-light fingers down Silver's spine, raising goosebumps on the other faery. Silver's hips swayed gently. Feldspar kissed the base of Silver's spine and swirled his tongue over the sensitive nerve endings there, savoring the breathy gasp it elicited. Silver arched his back even more, begging with every fiber of his being. Feldspar swiped his tongue down Silver's secret place. Silver let out a desperate, keening moan that drew on and on as Feldspar continued licking. He devoured Silver, driven onward by his sounds of mindless pleasure.

"Please," Silver sobbed, his face pressed against forest floor. Feldspar considered making him beg more. He wondered if he could push Silver from begging to crying, maybe even incompressible babbling. He desperately wanted to know how high he could push Silver's need, but his lack of sleep was catching up to him and he stifled a yawn. Maybe another time.

Feldspar slid his tongue just inside Silver's hole. He didn't want to make him wait. He wanted to blow his mind and then curl up for a nap together in the sunshine. Feldspar braced his weight on one elbow and snaked the other around Silver's hip. He gripped the head of Silver's cock loosely, making Silver buck instinctively into his spit-slicked fist. Silver whined. Every thrust brought exquisite pleasure to his aching cock but deprived him of Feldspar's tongue. Feldspar savored Silver's frustration. He hadn't planned to tease him too much, but it was deeply satisfying watching the faery lose his mind trying to get pleasured from both ends.

Feldspar tightened his grip on Silver's cock and sank his tongue deeper into his ass. He began jerking Silver firmly while thrusting his tongue inside. "Oh fuck. Oh fuck, fucking..." Silver cried out. "God, please don't stop."

Feldspar had no intention of stopping. He loved every gasp and twitch of Silver's hips as he rode him hard to orgasm. "Can't..." Silver panted. Feldspar didn't break contact from licking to give him permission. He buried his tongue deeper and squeezed Silver's cock in time with the driving rhythm his tongue set. He was rewarded with a cry of ecstasy as Silver shot his load onto the forest floor.

Silver's hips continued pumping for a minute after coming. Feldspar softened his tongue, licking the outside of his hole and up to the sensitive skin of his lower back gently. When Silver's hips stilled Feldspar gave his backside one final kiss and then he slid his pants back up and tucked him in.

Silver let Feldspar take care of him. He felt like he'd been blown to pieces, and only Feldspar's steady hands could put him back together. Feldspar guided him to standing, steadying him as the darkness of a head rush overtook him momentarily. Solid hands smoothed his shirt back down over his exposed stomach and fastened his pants. Feldspar kissed his cheek as he plucked pine needles and leaves from Silver's pale hair. He brushed dirt off of the cheek that been pressed into the ground, still leering at the memory of what they'd just done.

"Shall we hike down to the lake?" Feldspar said brightly, as if Silver could respond in his current state. He kissed Silver's cheek again. "Hello? Sweetheart? You in there?"

"Nope," Silver said, drawing the single syllable out. He met Feldspar's eyes and gave him a crooked smile. "Silver's not home right now, you'll have to call back later."

"Oh what a bother... perhaps if I throw you into the lake it will wake you up?" Feldspar stepped closer to Silver with a wicked gleam in his eye.

"You wouldn't dare." Silver took a big step backward and Feldspar's mischievous grin spread across his face.

"Are you certain?"

"Shit."

Silver turned to run just as Feldspar pounced. The two faeries shrieked with laughter as Silver shrugged off his boyfriend and sprinted for the trail that led to the lake, terrifying birds and squirrels alike with their wild antics all the way there.

*****

Silver and Feldspar lay panting on a large, sun-heated slab of rock at the edge of the lake. Feldspar had chased Silver all the way to the water's edge, so confident of his victory that he had been totally unprepared for Silver to duck, grab him around the waist, and throw him fully clothed into the frigid water. Reflexes honed over decades hadn't managed to save him from the shocking dunking. He'd emerged from the water shivering, laughing, and bent on revenge, which he got when he successfully wrestled Silver into the water.

They had grappled and laughed until they were shivering with cold, and then had stripped to let their clothes dry and their bodies warm up on the rock. Feldspar lay on his stomach, savoring the way the sun's rays soothed his muscles and lulled him into a half-sleep. Silver lay next to him on his back, their bodies close without touching.

Feldspar sighed. He had given his word and there was no time like the present. "I must ask a favor of you."

Silver didn't respond immediately. Feldspar propped himself up onto his elbows so he could see Silver's face. Silver squinted an eye open. "Anything, babe." Then he grimaced briefly. "Okay, almost anything. I have a few limits."

"The lord requests your presence during a formal visit of European faeries. He intends for you to advise him on culture and language. I told him I would ask, but the choice is yours."

Silver frowned. "Doesn't he have anyone more qualified? I mean, I'm not like an expert. I've just picked stuff up here and there from my friends, but we hang out in dive bars, not palaces. It's not like I've learned official diplomatic protocols."

"Don't fret, sweetheart. Mal will appreciate any help you can offer. Ultimately he and Dani are responsible for receiving the delegation as Lord and Lady. He only wants you there to act as advisor and help where you can. Gneiss, Neph and I have done the same countless times and will be required to attend as well."

"Required, huh?"

Feldspar pursed his lips. "I suppose I will not be held at knifepoint, but we are always stand at Mal's side on occasions like these. There have been times in the past when my sword was needed, either as a reminder of who we were before we retired to the Wood, or because our visitors had ill intent."

"You know, you can say no to him once in a while."

"I know that," Feldspar said, a bit too quickly. He shifted onto his back, suddenly unable to meet Silver's piercing gaze. Silver rolled onto his stomach and scooted up against Feldspar's side. He lift Feldspar's arm so he could nestle in, and deliberately put it around himself. Feldspar smiled at his boyfriend's refusal to let him put distance between them and pulled him close obligingly.

"Sorry, not trying to push you. I know your relationship with them is weird right now. I just needed to say it, at least once. Gneiss and Mal will always love you, even if you tell them no. Even if you get really honest about how shitty this year has been and cuss them out. You guys have the kind of friendship that could last, but it should only last if it's good for you, too."

Feldspar nodded against Silver's head, his throat suddenly tight. Neither of them spoke for a long while, each lost in their own thoughts. "Anyway, if you're really okay with doing this for him, then of course I'll go too. There's no way I'd make you go to a bunch of awkward diplomatic events alone. Just promise me you won't leave me to play ambassador alone with some crusty douche."

Feldspar chuckled and cleared his throat, willing himself to set aside the momentary wave of emotion that had threatened to take him. "I promise. We can even agree upon a secret word for when you need to escape."

"A code word, huh? I like it. Very James Bond."

Feldspar frowned at him. He was beginning to suspect Silver enjoyed making references to human things just to tease him. "Yes, exactly like James Bond," he said, refusing to give Silver the satisfaction of asking who James Bond was and what their relationship was.

"Okay, let's think. If I say 'cupcake' that means I need to be rescued."

Feldspar laughed. "What are the chances there will actually be cupcakes at every dinner and reception?"

"Probably ninety percent."

Feldspar snorted and rolled his eyes. "What are the chances that if there are cupcakes, you will need to comment on their flavor profile, texture, and ratio of frosting to cake?"

Silver laughed. "Point taken. What do you think the code word should be?"

"How about Twinkie?"

"There's no way you can work 'Twinkie' into a conversation without being obvious. Twink maybe..." He blushed awkwardly and covered his mouth as he realized that Feldspar probably had no idea what that meant. Feldspar lifted an eyebrow. Silver could almost see him trying to commit the word to memory so he could ask Daniella later. Whenever Feldspar finally met his friends from the human realm he had some serious payback coming to him.

"How about this: when you are ready to go, just turn to me and say, 'Feldspar, darling, I need you to take me home and make me come until I can't remember my own name.'"

Silver blushed deeper red and part of him instantly stiffened. "Yeah, I think I can make that sound convincing," he said, rolling his body on top of his lover's. "Speaking of which, I owe you one from before," he murmured, and proceeded to pay Feldspar back. Twice.

******

Thanks for reading, rating and commenting! It keeps me going :-) There's still a bit of road to go before these two reach their Happily Ever After. Silver's looking for where he fits in, and Feldspar's got a few confrontations brewing, namely with a certain Mr. Bossy. Can they support each other through it? Let me know what you think!