jamjar

Interlude: What Aerael got up to on his summer holidays. A little gapfill.

"Fen, relax, s'just Aerael," Stone said, still looking sleep dazed. He rubbed his eyes, yawned and started to stretch. It took a while, and Aerael was reminded of a documentary he'd seen on the movement of tectonic plates. It had that feel to it- gradual, inevitable building up and release of tension as Stone stretched every muscle in turn. It took so long that at the end Stone seemed to have forgotten what he was stretching for, and started to snuggle back into the blankets and go to sleep.

"Stone!" Aerael snapped. He looked at the redhead, who, while he wasn't actually strangling Aerael any more, still had him pinned to the wall in a way Aerael would probably have enjoyed if he wasn't so distracted. "Stone, don't let your lover pin strange men up against the wall if he's not going to follow through on it."

"Wha!" Stone said, waking up a bit more. He shook his head and sat up in bed. "Fen, stand down. Aerael, uh, stand down as well." He stared at Aerael, still very much naked, still very obviously aroused. "You could poke someone's eye out with that."

"Yeah, but only if their head was about here," Aerael said, holding a hand up at waist height. He smiled at the bodyguard. "You've had me against a wall, what do you say…" Fen the bodyguard back away, standing between Aerael and the bed. "Tease," Aerael said, pouting. He'd never met Stone's new bodyguard before, although he'd heard things from mutual friends.

"Dude, why are you here?" Stone looked around in a panicky way. "Is this Mark's idea of a joke, drop you in here naked and horny? Is he..."

"Relax, it's not Mark." Aerael started to laugh. "Panic, it's Bonnie." This whole situation was starting to appeal to his sense of the ridiculous. Mark was at home, naked, female, human, just waiting for him to take advantage of the situation, and he'd been dropped into the bed of the erstwhile Crown Prince of the North and his Fenwraith bodyguard-slash-lover, and he had a sneaking suspicion that if he'd arrived half an hour earlier, he'd at least got a meal out of the pair. "I really need to get back to New York as quickly as possible."

"O-kay," Stone said, giving him a strange look. "Uh, d'you wanna get some clothes on first? Fen probably has something that'll fit ya. Uh, I think we have some clean stuff." He sounded a little doubtful.

"Thanks."

"I will see what I can find," Fen said, still staring suspiciously at Aerael. Aerael wondered if that was general bodyguard distrust of strangers, or the normal dislike of anyone leaving their lover, still in bed, with a naked and horny incubus in the room.

"Don't worry, I'll stay here and look at Stone," Aerael said, with his best so-deliberately-harmless-it-was-instantly-suspicious smile.

"Look after, dude," Stone said looking like he wanted to crawl back under the warm covers, but he knew he'd just fall asleep if he did.

"That too," Aerael said. the bodyguard didn't move. Aerael pouted. "Aw, Stone, I don't think your bodyguard trusts me." He switched genders. "But I wouldn't hurt a fly," she said, pouting just a little more, hands on her heart in a gesture that Marilyn Monroe would have been proud of.

There was a low, but noticeable growl from the bodyguard. "I will be in the next room," he said, obvious warning in his voice. He left, leaving the door as open as it could go so he had a clear view of the bedroom

"'Kay dude," Stone said, seemingly oblivious to Fen's tension. He started to inch back down under the covers until he was securely wrapped up, ears tucked under a corner of the sheet and only his face exposed. "So, why'd Bonnie zap you here anyway?"

"Something Mark did," Aerael said, sitting on a cupboard and kicking he heels against the shelve. "You're not going to ask what?"

Stone snorted. "Why, 'cause I'd want to know? Your boyfriend is fucking scary, Aerael, and it's probably which thing he did, not what. You find something?" he asked Fen, who'd just come back with a small pile of clothing.

Fen nodded and handed the clothes to Aerael. "Yes, although I believe they will fit best if you are male."

"No problem," Aerael said, switching form and taking the clothes.

"These jeans I wear for sword practice," Fen said. "They are a trifle worn, but they are clean. The shirt is more difficult, but you should cut the back, perhaps."

Aerael took the jeans. "Nah, I'll go topless. It's a good look on me." he held the jeans out at arms length to look at them. They were old, gone soft and pale with repeated washings, and with long rips that looked like someone had taken a Stanley knife to it, though Aerael guessed they'd been done with a sword. He tried them on. Not a bad fit, loose enough to be comfortable flying in, even if the rips were a bit much.

"Phone?" Stone gave a vague wave at the beside table. in response.

He'd try his own number first. Ring ring. Ring ring. Someone picked up. "Mark, this is Aerael, and you are not to leave or get dressed or anything until I…" he rushed out.

"I'm sorry, this number has been blocked by the almighty Bonnie," a perky voice said on the other end. "If you wish to make another fruitless, frustrating attempt, press one. If you wish to plead for mercy before the vengeful one, press two. If you want to..." He slammed the phone down.

"Wrong number?" Stone said, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Something like that." There was just voice-mail one Markkas's cell-phone and home number, and Iolanthe would still be at work. He had no way of contacting Mark then, and he strongly suspected Mark was going to do something Aerael wouldn't approve of before he got there. Like get dressed maybe, or rub his previous experience in Davy and Iolanthe's face or… He had to get back home, now.

"Are you still in Philly?" he asked. Stone nodded. Aerael rubbed around the base of his horns. "Well, it could be worse," he muttered, more to himself. "Okay, which way's north-east?"

end interlude. return to main fic.