Complex
The big spring cleaning isn't going to happen, but at least little things are getting done. And I finished the side story, so there's that.
Title: Complex
Chapter: 8
Length: 2867 words
Summary: Hezekiel doesn't like other people in his business, even if they think it's their business. But maybe he'll like the result.
Master list: lj DW
Hezekiel was asked question after question by two of the experts, but the third only sniffed him.
After the hearing convened again, the first expert insisted that Hezekiel was Mated only to Doll, but that Doll was no longer bonded with him, something she'd never experienced before. The second expert said that since the bonding failed, at least on Doll's side, there was no true bonding. But that Hezekiel was bonded with Penelope.
The third expert, the sniffer, claimed Hezekiel was still bonded to both, and fairly equally. Although Doll's bond had been stronger due to its age, it had grown weak now that Hezekiel was no longer being fed.
Then it was Doll's turn to say anything he hadn't been asked, but that he thought needed telling. He was happily married and thrilled about the babies and glad Hezekiel had allowed him to find happiness elsewhere.
Hezekiel hadn't allowed any of it. Doll was his, would always be his. Those babies should be his.
Lope spoke about being happy with Hezekiel and glad the 'other man' was her friend and that Doll was super cute.
The Hezekiel took the stand. He'd meant to stay strong, but Professor Onesimus asked leading questions and Hezekiel was forced to give honest answers. He tried to keep from crying as he spoke of the emptiness in his heart, but the hard faces of the audience sapped his strength. The bailiff had to help him back to the witness box.
A few more people spoke about the implications of each way of ruling. No one was really going to have Hezekiel killed for his foolishness? Were they?
Finally Onesimus called another break. Why was Salathiel talking so animatedly to Doll. And why were they putting their hand on Doll's stomach? Hezekiel made himself calm down. If those kittens were Hezekiel's, Salathiel would have done the same thing.
The dinner break was a short one. Before Hezekiel was more than half full, Onesimus called them back to order. He decided, first that Hezekiel hadn't lied to Doll, but neither had he been mistaken. Doll had been Hezekiel's Mate just as much as Lope was now, and if Hezekiel had been a little quicker in thinking or slower in acting, he might now be the first double mated demon in recorded history.
He spoke some more, but Hezekiel didn't hear it. Two Mates. Two. He might have had both Doll and Penelope in his life. In his bed. He was an idiot.
The hearing was adjourned for all except a select few. Professor Onesimus was now going to tell them how to live their lives.
Onesimus, Steele, Doll, Hezekiel's parents, Hezekiel, and Penelope sat in a circle of desks, none more grand than the others. Maybe a classroom. The professor had a stuffed bear. The person who held it got to speak. The bailiff moved it person to person.
Doll chose to speak first. "I have been hurt badly, in a way that was uniquely painful to me. I cannot see myself being able to be friendly with him, let alone be bound to him for my happiness. Although I respect the sacred idea of Mates, but I do not chose to be one with Hezekiel."
Ouch. Doll was his, though, like it or not.
"Never?" asked Onesimus.
Doll rubbed his growing belly. "I might be willing to give it a try in a decade or two. For now I wish to concentrate on my new family."
"Understandable."
No, it wasn't.
"But, will you demand no interactions, or will not having to be civil be enough?"
Doll thought about that one. Seeing him lost in thought, holding the bear over his bulging belly, made the ache in Hezekiel stronger. Those should be his young and the bear a gift from him.
"I have made friend with Pen," Doll nodded her way, "and as she's Mated with Hezekiel, I'll be seeing him at times, but I do not wish to act like his husband. I already have one, which is enough for me."
He passed the bear back to the bailiff. Penelope took the bear only long enough to say that she planned to live Mated with Hezekiel-as she should-and that she wanted to hear from the other people before she had her final say.
What was she up to?
Salathiel asked for the bear and spoke directly to Doll. "I'll do what I can for your parents…"
What was that about?
"But although I will never give up until there is no hope left, do you think… we might…"
Cunobelinus took the bear from Salathiel's grasp. "What they mean is: we'll stand in for grandparents' duties until your parents can take their rightful place."
Doll nodded, his eyes full of tears. Steele passed him a tissue.
Where were Doll's parents? Why did his parents know and he didn't? Doll was his Mate. And most important, why was Salathiel, who minced no words telling Hezekiel just how much they hated being a parent, want to be anyone's grandparent? Especially the grandparent of children who weren't even Hezekiel's?
Although, since Doll was still his Mate, the children were his, blood or no blood.
When Steele took the bear, Onesimus asked leading questions, but leading where?
"And what is the direct effect of this on you?"
Steele level his gaze at Onesimus, the highly respected professor and expert in his field, as if he were just another of the idiot's friends acting dumb. "What you're asking is whether I feel I owe Hezekiel anything because I married one who had been, or still is, his Mate?
Onesimus grinned. "And your answer?"
Steele took a long look at Doll then Hezekiel and turned back to Onesimus. "I have thought Doll was beautiful from the moment I saw him. We weren't paired up in dance class because he was the shortest and I was the tallest student, but during the times we could pair up ourselves, he was always the first on my list."
Doll blushed.
"But when I couldn't have him, I was known for clubbing and most of the men I had sex with look more like Hezekiel. If I have to make amends for quote stealing his Mate, and my husband agrees, I am willing to have sex with him. I heard he has feathered wings. I'm partial to feathers, and wings gives men such great chests."
Hezekiel sunk in his chair and wrapped his arms around himself. He should have exercised his wings. Penelope grinned at him and tittered. She knew what his sorry chest looked like. She also been hoping the wings would have put muscles on him too. Such superficial people.
Onesimus pointed the bailiff to Doll. "And will you agree to this?"
Steele refused to give up the bear. "I will not allow you to pressure him into a decision in front of an audience or as a requirement to go home. We're all tired. A forced concession is not one I'll honor."
Onesimus nodded as if backtalk was allowed. "Your point is well made. We should wrap this up and come back… in a week."
But nothing was set. Although he didn't want anyone running his life or making choices for him, he still needed to know what Onesimus decided for everyone else.
Penelope held out her hand for the bear.
"If Hezekiel gets to have sex with Steele, I should too."
Steele sighed and stared up at the ceiling. "I am not having sex with you."
Penelope laughed. "I knew you'd say that, but I had to try. What I really want is your baby."
Hezekiel shot to his feet. She was his Mate, his acknowledge Mate and here she was asking for another man's child.
A hand on his shoulder motioned him back into his seat. He shrugged it off and sat. That wasn't going to happen. That wouldn't happen if the idiot was the last man in all the realms and children with Penelope was the only way to revive existence!
Penelope grinned at Hezekiel as if she hadn't just scooped his heart out with a fork. "I love you, Hez, but I've wanted a child with Steele as long as I can remember. Just one. The rest will be yours. I promise."
Hezekiel wiped his face. "We'll discuss this after you graduate."
He could talk her out of it in the next three years.
"We all have a lot to discuss." Onesimus took back the bear. "Anything else need to be said today? Then we will adjourn until next Saturday."
He stood up.
Steele hopped over to Doll and helped him to his feet. "If I'd known we had time to discuss things, I would have brought up the fuck buddy thing with you first."
Doll looked the idiot over. Steele got down on his knees. "I owe you for this. And I'm sorry. But if this will keep his hands off you, him out of your life…"
Cunobelinus stepped up behind Hezekiel. "That's the way to do it. Apologize before they can get properly angry. That one's an expert."
Hezekiel couldn't stand this room anymore, these people, his life. He turned and marched out. Was Steele telling the truth about the sex, or did he want some variety and this way he was doing it for Doll? Hezekiel could use that. And what was Penelope thinking? She wasn't having anyone's babies but his.
Hezekiel got caught in the corridor behind several old demons, who were all super slow and clogging the path. One said in an old scratchy voice, "But does that mean the young Steele special?"
"It means the bonds were weak," put in a bald one.
"Why not both," answered a third. "He's got to be a wizard at least, even though he denies it."
"Wizards are everywhere," said the bald one. "If he is just a wizard, he isn't special."
"But he can't be compelled by Demon magic," said the first. "That makes him unusual at least."
"And if young Steele isn't special, could other," the fourth demon cleared his throat, "wizards, familiars, and the like steal our Mates. Could my son always be alone because someone has seduced away his Mate before they had a chance to meet?"
"No. Young Hezekiel's bonds must be weak."
"Because he has two?"
"Do we all have two? And just never meet the second?"
"If we all have two, we all might have more. Then our Mates are not special, neither to us individually or to demon kind as a whole."
The others gasped. That was sacred ground. Mates were one of the things that made Demons superior. Demons were breed though the perfect choice of a higher power or the justice of the universe, depending on one's theology, but everyone knew that their Mate was perfect for them no matter how many lovers they had before, or kept after their Mating. If they needed other lovers, their Mate would be good with that.
Which Penelope was, even if she wanted a piece of the idiot too.
Now if these great respected gossips wouldn't spread word of his humiliation far and wide, he might learn to stop hating what he'd made of his life, but neither was likely to happen.
~~~~~~
Hezekiel strode up to Steele dorm, striving to hide his nervousness. Doll was in the lobby, his hand on Steele's arm. "I expect you to have him home by seven."
"Seven? That's hardly time for-"
Doll cut Hezekiel off. Steel grinned down at Doll, but hid it when Doll turned to him and straightened his shirt collar.
"I want you to have a good time."
"Yes, dear."
"Condoms are a must."
"Of course." Steele pulled out a string of them. How many did he think they'd need? Hezekiel got hard just thinking about it.
"And be back by seven."
"Seven on the dot."
"Not a moment after."
"Yes, dear."
"And take a shower as soon as you're home."
"Your wish, my love."
"And remember who here is your husband."
"As ever, husband mine."
"And… And I love you."
Steele kissed Doll's hand. "You are the one I love."
Doll stood on tiptoes to reach Steele's mouth. Then he patted Steele on the back. Steele grinned as he led Hezekiel to the door. "He's so cute and possessive."
"Are you sure he's okay with this?"
Steele scratched his chin. "I got the idea from him in the first place. He was wondering what I'd think of your skills."
Yet another punch to the gut. Hezekiel hadn't had that many lovers. Two to be exact. He'd wanted to save it for his Mate. Steele was known far and wide for his superior skills. People had stopped him many times in the last weeks, a few to taunt him for his inability to keep two Mates, or his luck to have two in the first place, but most of them to say that they would give anything to take his place on these copulation visits.
His count was now at twenty-two men who thought Hezekiel was the luckiest man alive and almost forty more who had just called him lucky.
Hezekiel didn't feel lucky.
Steele stopped in the quad. "What first? I normally have something in common with men I have sex with. We play video games, drink together, dance together, that sort of thing. I've never just fallen into bed-or against the wall-with a guy before."
"I'd hoped to go to dinner."
The idiot laughed. "Get to know each other?"
"What's wrong with that?" Hezekiel crossed his arms. "Doll doesn't want us to be friends?"
The idiot looked him over. "Let's grab some take out and go to your place. We can get to know each other there."
Whatever. He let the idiot pick the food then made him carry it to Hezekiel's apartment. As they ate, the idiot tried to find a book, game, or movie they had enjoyed, then one they both read, played, or seen. He sat back with a sigh. "Your turn."
"I don't see that we have anything in common."
Steele licked his lips. He had no right to be this handsome. He was fat. Fat. And muscular, and his eyes shown out bright against his dark skin and the striped tips of his hair were hypnotizing. They hadn't changed since Hezekiel first saw him, so they maybe they were natural.
"We both care about Dal."
Hezekiel wiped his face. He couldn't take this. He didn't want to be vulnerable, but he was so weak, so lost. "I ache without him."
"But you care that he's happy?"
"I want him to be happy with me," Hezekiel struggled to keep his voice calm, "but since that can't be, I'm glad he's happy with you."
That was a total lie.
Steele brushed a tear from Hezekiel's cheek. "I can work with that."
Steele leaned across the table and kissed Hezekiel. He wasn't needy like Doll or hesitant like Penelope. Steele knew what he was about and was letting Hezekiel set the pace because Hezekiel was the inexperienced one.
Hezekiel pulled away. He didn't want to be condescended to.
Steel grinned at him. "Not ready for that yet?"
"You've had sex with people against a wall?"
"Outside against a wall, inside against a door, in a hallway on the way to an apartment. I'm versatile."
Hezekiel shot to his feet. He'd just had the worst thought. "You expect to top me."
The idiot laughed. "Like I said. I'm versatile. And no dick needs to go inside anyone to have sex."
"You don't let Doll top you."
The idiot snorted. "You don't know what Dal and I get up to."
"He only ever wanted to bottom."
"For you. You kept him trapped, a prisoner. He was born into the house of the man who first imprisoned him. He gave you what he thought you wanted. What that man had wanted from him. What the men who 'rescued' him wanted."
What was Doll's life before Hezekiel? He'd never realized… He'd known Doll wasn't a virgin, but he'd been so young. How many men had taken his Mate? Born into imprisonment… Hezekiel might never have met him.
Steele got down on his knees. "It's okay." He petted Hezekiel's hair. "He's safe now."
Hezekiel sniffed. "And my parents are trying to find his?"
Steele nodded. He pulled out a tissue. Hezekiel took it and mopped up his face. Steele kissed him again and this time he didn't pull away. Kissing Steele was almost like kissing Doll if he ignored his physical senses. Steele's soul was so bound to Doll's that magically one was like the other.
He let the spirit flow between them and only came back to himself on the cold kitchen floor with Steele skin to skin beside him. Steele kissed Hezekiel's shoulder and gently squeezed his privates. "May I?"
"What?" Had Hezekiel missed something?
"May I take you to the other side?"
Hezekiel nodded and wrapped his arms around Steele. And Steele sent him over: higher, faster, better than he'd ever gone.
No wonder so many people called Hezekiel lucky.
Title: Complex
Chapter: 8
Length: 2867 words
Summary: Hezekiel doesn't like other people in his business, even if they think it's their business. But maybe he'll like the result.
Master list: lj DW
Hezekiel was asked question after question by two of the experts, but the third only sniffed him.
After the hearing convened again, the first expert insisted that Hezekiel was Mated only to Doll, but that Doll was no longer bonded with him, something she'd never experienced before. The second expert said that since the bonding failed, at least on Doll's side, there was no true bonding. But that Hezekiel was bonded with Penelope.
The third expert, the sniffer, claimed Hezekiel was still bonded to both, and fairly equally. Although Doll's bond had been stronger due to its age, it had grown weak now that Hezekiel was no longer being fed.
Then it was Doll's turn to say anything he hadn't been asked, but that he thought needed telling. He was happily married and thrilled about the babies and glad Hezekiel had allowed him to find happiness elsewhere.
Hezekiel hadn't allowed any of it. Doll was his, would always be his. Those babies should be his.
Lope spoke about being happy with Hezekiel and glad the 'other man' was her friend and that Doll was super cute.
The Hezekiel took the stand. He'd meant to stay strong, but Professor Onesimus asked leading questions and Hezekiel was forced to give honest answers. He tried to keep from crying as he spoke of the emptiness in his heart, but the hard faces of the audience sapped his strength. The bailiff had to help him back to the witness box.
A few more people spoke about the implications of each way of ruling. No one was really going to have Hezekiel killed for his foolishness? Were they?
Finally Onesimus called another break. Why was Salathiel talking so animatedly to Doll. And why were they putting their hand on Doll's stomach? Hezekiel made himself calm down. If those kittens were Hezekiel's, Salathiel would have done the same thing.
The dinner break was a short one. Before Hezekiel was more than half full, Onesimus called them back to order. He decided, first that Hezekiel hadn't lied to Doll, but neither had he been mistaken. Doll had been Hezekiel's Mate just as much as Lope was now, and if Hezekiel had been a little quicker in thinking or slower in acting, he might now be the first double mated demon in recorded history.
He spoke some more, but Hezekiel didn't hear it. Two Mates. Two. He might have had both Doll and Penelope in his life. In his bed. He was an idiot.
The hearing was adjourned for all except a select few. Professor Onesimus was now going to tell them how to live their lives.
Onesimus, Steele, Doll, Hezekiel's parents, Hezekiel, and Penelope sat in a circle of desks, none more grand than the others. Maybe a classroom. The professor had a stuffed bear. The person who held it got to speak. The bailiff moved it person to person.
Doll chose to speak first. "I have been hurt badly, in a way that was uniquely painful to me. I cannot see myself being able to be friendly with him, let alone be bound to him for my happiness. Although I respect the sacred idea of Mates, but I do not chose to be one with Hezekiel."
Ouch. Doll was his, though, like it or not.
"Never?" asked Onesimus.
Doll rubbed his growing belly. "I might be willing to give it a try in a decade or two. For now I wish to concentrate on my new family."
"Understandable."
No, it wasn't.
"But, will you demand no interactions, or will not having to be civil be enough?"
Doll thought about that one. Seeing him lost in thought, holding the bear over his bulging belly, made the ache in Hezekiel stronger. Those should be his young and the bear a gift from him.
"I have made friend with Pen," Doll nodded her way, "and as she's Mated with Hezekiel, I'll be seeing him at times, but I do not wish to act like his husband. I already have one, which is enough for me."
He passed the bear back to the bailiff. Penelope took the bear only long enough to say that she planned to live Mated with Hezekiel-as she should-and that she wanted to hear from the other people before she had her final say.
What was she up to?
Salathiel asked for the bear and spoke directly to Doll. "I'll do what I can for your parents…"
What was that about?
"But although I will never give up until there is no hope left, do you think… we might…"
Cunobelinus took the bear from Salathiel's grasp. "What they mean is: we'll stand in for grandparents' duties until your parents can take their rightful place."
Doll nodded, his eyes full of tears. Steele passed him a tissue.
Where were Doll's parents? Why did his parents know and he didn't? Doll was his Mate. And most important, why was Salathiel, who minced no words telling Hezekiel just how much they hated being a parent, want to be anyone's grandparent? Especially the grandparent of children who weren't even Hezekiel's?
Although, since Doll was still his Mate, the children were his, blood or no blood.
When Steele took the bear, Onesimus asked leading questions, but leading where?
"And what is the direct effect of this on you?"
Steele level his gaze at Onesimus, the highly respected professor and expert in his field, as if he were just another of the idiot's friends acting dumb. "What you're asking is whether I feel I owe Hezekiel anything because I married one who had been, or still is, his Mate?
Onesimus grinned. "And your answer?"
Steele took a long look at Doll then Hezekiel and turned back to Onesimus. "I have thought Doll was beautiful from the moment I saw him. We weren't paired up in dance class because he was the shortest and I was the tallest student, but during the times we could pair up ourselves, he was always the first on my list."
Doll blushed.
"But when I couldn't have him, I was known for clubbing and most of the men I had sex with look more like Hezekiel. If I have to make amends for quote stealing his Mate, and my husband agrees, I am willing to have sex with him. I heard he has feathered wings. I'm partial to feathers, and wings gives men such great chests."
Hezekiel sunk in his chair and wrapped his arms around himself. He should have exercised his wings. Penelope grinned at him and tittered. She knew what his sorry chest looked like. She also been hoping the wings would have put muscles on him too. Such superficial people.
Onesimus pointed the bailiff to Doll. "And will you agree to this?"
Steele refused to give up the bear. "I will not allow you to pressure him into a decision in front of an audience or as a requirement to go home. We're all tired. A forced concession is not one I'll honor."
Onesimus nodded as if backtalk was allowed. "Your point is well made. We should wrap this up and come back… in a week."
But nothing was set. Although he didn't want anyone running his life or making choices for him, he still needed to know what Onesimus decided for everyone else.
Penelope held out her hand for the bear.
"If Hezekiel gets to have sex with Steele, I should too."
Steele sighed and stared up at the ceiling. "I am not having sex with you."
Penelope laughed. "I knew you'd say that, but I had to try. What I really want is your baby."
Hezekiel shot to his feet. She was his Mate, his acknowledge Mate and here she was asking for another man's child.
A hand on his shoulder motioned him back into his seat. He shrugged it off and sat. That wasn't going to happen. That wouldn't happen if the idiot was the last man in all the realms and children with Penelope was the only way to revive existence!
Penelope grinned at Hezekiel as if she hadn't just scooped his heart out with a fork. "I love you, Hez, but I've wanted a child with Steele as long as I can remember. Just one. The rest will be yours. I promise."
Hezekiel wiped his face. "We'll discuss this after you graduate."
He could talk her out of it in the next three years.
"We all have a lot to discuss." Onesimus took back the bear. "Anything else need to be said today? Then we will adjourn until next Saturday."
He stood up.
Steele hopped over to Doll and helped him to his feet. "If I'd known we had time to discuss things, I would have brought up the fuck buddy thing with you first."
Doll looked the idiot over. Steele got down on his knees. "I owe you for this. And I'm sorry. But if this will keep his hands off you, him out of your life…"
Cunobelinus stepped up behind Hezekiel. "That's the way to do it. Apologize before they can get properly angry. That one's an expert."
Hezekiel couldn't stand this room anymore, these people, his life. He turned and marched out. Was Steele telling the truth about the sex, or did he want some variety and this way he was doing it for Doll? Hezekiel could use that. And what was Penelope thinking? She wasn't having anyone's babies but his.
Hezekiel got caught in the corridor behind several old demons, who were all super slow and clogging the path. One said in an old scratchy voice, "But does that mean the young Steele special?"
"It means the bonds were weak," put in a bald one.
"Why not both," answered a third. "He's got to be a wizard at least, even though he denies it."
"Wizards are everywhere," said the bald one. "If he is just a wizard, he isn't special."
"But he can't be compelled by Demon magic," said the first. "That makes him unusual at least."
"And if young Steele isn't special, could other," the fourth demon cleared his throat, "wizards, familiars, and the like steal our Mates. Could my son always be alone because someone has seduced away his Mate before they had a chance to meet?"
"No. Young Hezekiel's bonds must be weak."
"Because he has two?"
"Do we all have two? And just never meet the second?"
"If we all have two, we all might have more. Then our Mates are not special, neither to us individually or to demon kind as a whole."
The others gasped. That was sacred ground. Mates were one of the things that made Demons superior. Demons were breed though the perfect choice of a higher power or the justice of the universe, depending on one's theology, but everyone knew that their Mate was perfect for them no matter how many lovers they had before, or kept after their Mating. If they needed other lovers, their Mate would be good with that.
Which Penelope was, even if she wanted a piece of the idiot too.
Now if these great respected gossips wouldn't spread word of his humiliation far and wide, he might learn to stop hating what he'd made of his life, but neither was likely to happen.
~~~~~~
Hezekiel strode up to Steele dorm, striving to hide his nervousness. Doll was in the lobby, his hand on Steele's arm. "I expect you to have him home by seven."
"Seven? That's hardly time for-"
Doll cut Hezekiel off. Steel grinned down at Doll, but hid it when Doll turned to him and straightened his shirt collar.
"I want you to have a good time."
"Yes, dear."
"Condoms are a must."
"Of course." Steele pulled out a string of them. How many did he think they'd need? Hezekiel got hard just thinking about it.
"And be back by seven."
"Seven on the dot."
"Not a moment after."
"Yes, dear."
"And take a shower as soon as you're home."
"Your wish, my love."
"And remember who here is your husband."
"As ever, husband mine."
"And… And I love you."
Steele kissed Doll's hand. "You are the one I love."
Doll stood on tiptoes to reach Steele's mouth. Then he patted Steele on the back. Steele grinned as he led Hezekiel to the door. "He's so cute and possessive."
"Are you sure he's okay with this?"
Steele scratched his chin. "I got the idea from him in the first place. He was wondering what I'd think of your skills."
Yet another punch to the gut. Hezekiel hadn't had that many lovers. Two to be exact. He'd wanted to save it for his Mate. Steele was known far and wide for his superior skills. People had stopped him many times in the last weeks, a few to taunt him for his inability to keep two Mates, or his luck to have two in the first place, but most of them to say that they would give anything to take his place on these copulation visits.
His count was now at twenty-two men who thought Hezekiel was the luckiest man alive and almost forty more who had just called him lucky.
Hezekiel didn't feel lucky.
Steele stopped in the quad. "What first? I normally have something in common with men I have sex with. We play video games, drink together, dance together, that sort of thing. I've never just fallen into bed-or against the wall-with a guy before."
"I'd hoped to go to dinner."
The idiot laughed. "Get to know each other?"
"What's wrong with that?" Hezekiel crossed his arms. "Doll doesn't want us to be friends?"
The idiot looked him over. "Let's grab some take out and go to your place. We can get to know each other there."
Whatever. He let the idiot pick the food then made him carry it to Hezekiel's apartment. As they ate, the idiot tried to find a book, game, or movie they had enjoyed, then one they both read, played, or seen. He sat back with a sigh. "Your turn."
"I don't see that we have anything in common."
Steele licked his lips. He had no right to be this handsome. He was fat. Fat. And muscular, and his eyes shown out bright against his dark skin and the striped tips of his hair were hypnotizing. They hadn't changed since Hezekiel first saw him, so they maybe they were natural.
"We both care about Dal."
Hezekiel wiped his face. He couldn't take this. He didn't want to be vulnerable, but he was so weak, so lost. "I ache without him."
"But you care that he's happy?"
"I want him to be happy with me," Hezekiel struggled to keep his voice calm, "but since that can't be, I'm glad he's happy with you."
That was a total lie.
Steele brushed a tear from Hezekiel's cheek. "I can work with that."
Steele leaned across the table and kissed Hezekiel. He wasn't needy like Doll or hesitant like Penelope. Steele knew what he was about and was letting Hezekiel set the pace because Hezekiel was the inexperienced one.
Hezekiel pulled away. He didn't want to be condescended to.
Steel grinned at him. "Not ready for that yet?"
"You've had sex with people against a wall?"
"Outside against a wall, inside against a door, in a hallway on the way to an apartment. I'm versatile."
Hezekiel shot to his feet. He'd just had the worst thought. "You expect to top me."
The idiot laughed. "Like I said. I'm versatile. And no dick needs to go inside anyone to have sex."
"You don't let Doll top you."
The idiot snorted. "You don't know what Dal and I get up to."
"He only ever wanted to bottom."
"For you. You kept him trapped, a prisoner. He was born into the house of the man who first imprisoned him. He gave you what he thought you wanted. What that man had wanted from him. What the men who 'rescued' him wanted."
What was Doll's life before Hezekiel? He'd never realized… He'd known Doll wasn't a virgin, but he'd been so young. How many men had taken his Mate? Born into imprisonment… Hezekiel might never have met him.
Steele got down on his knees. "It's okay." He petted Hezekiel's hair. "He's safe now."
Hezekiel sniffed. "And my parents are trying to find his?"
Steele nodded. He pulled out a tissue. Hezekiel took it and mopped up his face. Steele kissed him again and this time he didn't pull away. Kissing Steele was almost like kissing Doll if he ignored his physical senses. Steele's soul was so bound to Doll's that magically one was like the other.
He let the spirit flow between them and only came back to himself on the cold kitchen floor with Steele skin to skin beside him. Steele kissed Hezekiel's shoulder and gently squeezed his privates. "May I?"
"What?" Had Hezekiel missed something?
"May I take you to the other side?"
Hezekiel nodded and wrapped his arms around Steele. And Steele sent him over: higher, faster, better than he'd ever gone.
No wonder so many people called Hezekiel lucky.