by Amy Crook
"So you can just invent an amulet, if you know how?" asked Jacques.
"Well, you can, though with most things there's no sense bothering. I mean, why go through the trouble to figure out the perfect quit-smoking charm when there's a well-tested formula already?" Alex tapped his notes. "Even these, I'll be using other people's designs and adding my own twist to them, and of course your personal contributions."
James chuckled. "Have you figured out if you need anything but blood?" he asked.
"Oh! Should we get his blood now?" asked Jacques, touching the spot under his shirt where his Guard-Knife hid.
"When he visits the Temple next week," said James, shaking his head. "He's too depleted now."
Alex nodded. "I'll come by for lunch and we'll make plans for the rest, I'll be seeing Dr. Chesterfield tomorrow for another round of lectures and treatment."
"Better tired than dead," said James philosophically.
"Too true," said Alex. "And no, I haven't, though blood and breath might be enough for what I'm thinking of. I don't know, semen might really help, since it's a symbol of the Guardian's virility given in service to the Temple, but on the other hand having you spill it for me might spoil the symbolism, so..."
Jacques giggled. "I'm sure we'll work something out," he said fondly, followed by a triumphant laying down of cards. "Gin."
Alex was about to say something when the doorbell rang. "I really hope that's not a relative," said Alex, levering himself up with his cane. His leg actually ached less today, one small blessing among the rest.
"Did you miss me?" said Julian, as Alex swung open the door.
Alex's face lit up in a grin. "Julian! I did in fact miss you so much I let Jacques beat me at gin," he said, swinging Julian up and into the flat and kissing him sweetly. "What brings you here?"
"I have good news," said Julian, snuggling up to Alex's side. "Well, sort of good."
"Come have a cup of tea and share, then," said Alex, pulling Julian over to the sofa. "Is there any left in the pot?"
Jacques swirled it and shook his head. "I'll make a fresh one," he said with a chuckle. "One last service."
"I'm pretty sure that was always just a favour for friends," said Alex, "but thank you."
"Not to mention self-interest," said James. "Bring sweets, please?"
"Ooh, speaking of sweets, you really do give the best gifts," said Julian with a giggle and another kiss.
Alex cuddled close, cane set aside while they sat. "You're very welcome... Now, what's the news?"
Kettle on, Jacques leaned in the kitchen doorway and looked on just as James was with undisguised curiosity.
Julian sighed. "After you all suggested it, I talked to my lawyers, and just today they got the whole Courtship nullified on the basis of magical coercion," he said, biting his lip. "That's good, right?"
"Yes," said Alex, sincerely glad that Julian had finally found a way out of the velvet trap. "That's very good... As long as you'll still date me?"
They all laughed at that, and Julian giggled and kissed him. "I will, and I talked to Emmy and she said she thinks if she marries someone with the proper, you know, training and stuff, that we can transfer all the titles and some of the other stuff over to him."
"And you can come live in my grotty little flat with me?" asked Alex, feeling a weird mix of relief and disbelief.
Julian giggled. "Well, as long as we can visit home a lot," he said, "then, yes, I'd hoped you'd want me to move in here and see if we're really meant to be married."
"If you can live with me when I'm not on my best behaviour, you mean," said Alex, amused. "Yes, of course you can, you can even just stay here a few nights at a time at first."
"Good," said Julian. "Perhaps I'll start with tonight," he added, sly and just a little sensual.
James laughed. "We'll be gone soon, so you'll have your man all to yourself," he said with a wink.
Jacques came out with the teapot and set it down on the tray to brew, along with a clean cup for Julian. "Actually," he said, "we have a favour to ask you."
Alex cocked his head; they hadn't told him they wanted to talk to Julian, and now he was curious.
"Oh, yes?" asked Julian, looking from one to the other. "What is it?"
"We wanted to know if you'd anoint our Guard Knives with your blood, since you were as much our charge as Alex, last night," said James, reaching under his shirt to pull out the little blade. He pointed to the rough diamond on the pommel. "Just a drop of blood, here."
Julian's face went all proud and happy. "I'd love to, if you think I deserve to," he said.
"We do, very much. We can't get Alex's donation until he's recovered a little more, though," said Jacques, pulling out his own blade. "So it'd just be you, today."
"That's fine," said Julian. "Do I need something, a pin or something?"
"This very sharp knife I'm holding will do just fine," said James, amused. "Just give me your hand," he said, holding out his own.
Julian laid his hand in James' trustingly, palm up, and James used the very tip of the blade to prick the pad of Julian's thumb.
"Repeat after me: By your service, I live," said James, "then press your thumb on the crystal."
"By your service, I live," said Julian, his voice ringing with sincerity at the words, full of the knowledge that he might be dead or worse if it wasn't for the Guardians' help. He smeared blood over the crystal, which flared and absorbed it, leaving his thumb healed and clean, every drop of blood gone.
"Thank you," said James, kissing the stone before putting the knife away.
"I should be thanking you, this is nothing," said Julian, waving his hand. "Emmy says I'm to make a donation to the Temple, she's finding out what's appropriate."
"Your sister's a smart one," said Alex, kissing his hair.
Without being asked this time, Julian gave his hand to Jacques for a repeat of the little ritual. Although Alex himself still had loose ends, it did give him a sense of closure for the strange experience of being Guarded, engaged and now once again single and living alone, though perhaps not for long.
"Now, let's play that Guardian game you showed us until your ride gets here," said Alex, pouring their tea.
Everyone agreed, and for a while they were just four friends playing cards and sharing an afternoon.
~ ~ ~
After awkward farewell hugs for both the Guardians, Julian pointedly locked Alex's door and pushed him up against it.
"You have been playing the maiden all through my Courtship," said Julian, pulling Alex down for a kiss.
Alex laughed into the kiss, but wrapped his arms around Julian anyway, trapping him for another that was long and slow and so very good. "Why, Mr. St. Albans, are you suggesting I should surrender my virtue to your ravishment?"
Julian giggled. "No, I'm saying you should hurry up and ravish me," he said, kissing Alex again. "Though I suppose if your leg's not up to it, I can always be on top."
Alex kissed him again, hot and hungry, feeling his body respond, a little sluggish but enough that he was pretty sure he'd manage a decent performance. "I think we can manage," said Alex, pulling Julian along toward the bedroom, finding him pliant and eager now that he was getting his way.
"I certainly hope so," said Julian, pushing Alex down onto the bed. "Oh, Horace!" He climbed over Alex to go sit by the little bird on its pillow. "You promise he'll be okay?"
"I promise," said Alex. "Though we should probably move him to the bedside table for now." Alex scooped the bird up gently, listening as he moved him to the table. "He's stronger already, by the time I'm allowed to do complex magic again, he'll be ready for me to fix him."
Julian's expression melted into a different sort of concern. "You wore yourself out protecting me last night," he said, pushing Alex back onto the bed and climbing on top of him. He'd already shed his shoes earlier, so Alex toed off his house slippers and let himself be laid out on top of the covers. "I should take care of you today."
Al
ex wrapped his arms around Julian and pulled him close, kissing him. "We should take care of each other, love."
That was all either of them said for a long time, just kissing and touching, slowly shedding their clothes one piece at a time. Julian's warm sweater went first, and then he laughingly shed his socks one at a time. Alex rolled them over for more kisses and felt a surge of possessiveness as he lay on top of Julian for the first time, looking down at him with his hair spread out over Alex's pillows. Julian's hands roamed over Alex's body, shoving his dressing gown off while Alex kissed him again and again, his mouth and throat and down his chest, getting the buttons of his shirt open one by one.
Alex nuzzled at Julian's warm belly, and there was a little giggling and tickling as they got Julian's shirt off, and Alex's as well.
"Cold," said Julian, stealing another kiss. "I'll trade you the rest of my clothes for getting under the covers."
Alex grinned. "It's a deal, and I'll throw in my own clothes as well," he said, and they both got naked and into the bed with alacrity. Alex pulled Julian to him, unable to hold in a low groan at the feel of Julian's lithe, naked body against his own, Julian's cock hard and hot against Alex's belly.
"I'll have to see your creamy mounds later," said Julian with a giggle, hands squeezing the anatomy in question.
"I know you get cold easily," said Alex with a kiss. "We'll have a bath so you can see all of me." His hands slipped down Julian's back, the skin soft and warm, and gave Julian's bottom a squeeze of its own. "You want me in you today?" he asked, just to be certain.
Julian laughed, low and sexy and just a little bit wry. "I've wanted you in me for ages," he said, rolling them so he was again beneath Alex's body, this time with his legs spread invitingly.
Alex rocked his hips forward, kissing Julian again, feeling their cocks kiss and rub, the tips both slick with need. "I'm all yours," he whispered, then he had to move away to find the lubricating potion. He laughed as he fumbled in the drawer for it, feeling like an idiot for being so ill-prepared.
Julian giggled with him. "It's good to know you weren't ready to just go seducing boys at the drop of a hat," he teased.
Alex finally found the little bottle and pulled it out. "I've been saving myself for you," he said with a grin. "Especially since James and Jacques wouldn't come across."
Julian laughed and smacked Alex's shoulder lightly, then tugged the bottle out of Alex's grip and dripped a bit onto his own fingers. "Mm, good stuff. Did you make it?"
Alex blushed, words stuttering as Julian spread it onto Alex's cock. "I-I, yes, I, fuck, make it." He was having trouble matching the bold, sensual creature in his bed with the shy, sad boy he'd first met, but then, he'd been shown again and again during the Courtship that there was more to Julian than met the eye.
"Good," said Julian, giving Alex's cock a squeeze. "Now you get me ready."
Alex held his hand up for Julian to pour potion onto it, then reached down to rub his fingers over Julian's entrance. The warmth of Julian's body was doubled here, and when Alex pressed one finger inside the heat there lured him deeper.
"Oh, yes," said Julian, arching up, body opening readily. "Yes, more."
Alex gave him all that he asked, working in first one finger, then two and three, careful with Julian's pleasure and the body that felt like a huge trust, after everything. Their conversation became nothing but pleasure and love and wanting, and Alex drank Julian's moans in greedy kisses. When Julian was open and nearly begging, Alex pulled his fingers out and positioned himself over Julian, with Julian's legs over his shoulders.
Julian cried out as Alex pushed in, and Alex had to bite his lip and count backwards in three different ancient languages before he could trust himself to move. "Beautiful," he said, looking down at Julian's face, and Julian folded himself in half to pull Alex down for a kiss.
"You, too, now have me," said Julian, playfully needy, squeezing himself around Alex's cock.
Alex gasped and kissed back, hard, then shifted for better leverage and started thrusting. He took his time, going slow and angling up for Julian's prostate at first, watching as Julian came apart beneath him one stroke at a time. Alex couldn't spare a hand for Julian's cock, but Julian didn't look like he needed it, his belly wet with precome and face showing nothing but mounting pleasure.
When he couldn't hold back any longer, Alex let himself speed up, thrusting more roughly, his focus narrowing to getting them both to the pinnacle. He couldn't seem to say anything but Julian's name or do much more than kiss him, his mind on just those two points, Julian's orgasm and his own. He leaned forward more so Julian's cock was trapped between their bellies, rubbed in the slick sweat and precome there. It didn't take long before Julian stiffened, fingers gripping Alex's shoulders as he came. He made little whimpering noises, body growing tighter than ever as he spilled hot fluid between them, and that was all Alex could manage.
With a low cry of his own he let go, coming inside Julian's heated body. He threw his head back and thrust forward as deeply as he could go with each wave of pleasure, and then collapsed with his forehead pressed against Julian's as the tide receded.
"That was," said Alex, breathless, unable to find the right word to describe how it felt. Julian was his new lover and ex-fiancé, and Alex had every intention of repeating this particular experiment as many times as it took to find the words to describe how very good he felt.
"Yeah," said Julian with a little, happy laugh. "It really, really was."
CHAPTER 31
In Which We Find Ourselves at the End
After an impromptu nap, Alex and Julian spent the afternoon leisurely exploring each other. They took a bath in Alex's big tub, which he sheepishly admitted was one of the reasons he'd taken the flat. Julian raided the fridge and made sure they ate, and Alex rewarded him by sucking him off under the kitchen table. They had tea and made love and generally acted like a newly-formed couple, and Alex loved every minute of it.
He even took his potions as directed, and avoided doing any magic at all.
At some point, Julian remembered to get his overnight bag and send his driver home, and when Alex finally fell asleep at night with Julian in his arms, he understood perfectly why his heart had urged him all along to fight for this young man. It was as though he'd never been able to see how lonely he was until Julian came along.
Alex woke first, feeling warm and a bit sweaty, but finding it well worth it to have Julian still wrapped around him like a sleepy limpet. A check of his phone showed it was late enough they'd need to get up soon if he was going to make his doctor's appointment, but early enough for a bit of fun before then. He kissed Julian's hair, then extricated himself and slid down under the covers. Julian made adorable little noises of protest that turned to sounds of pleasure as Alex started mouthing at his cock and balls.
Julian relaxed into the bed, spreading wide, and murmuring softly in his sleep. Alex worked his mouth up and onto Julian's cock, sucking gently while his hands cupped and stroked Julian's hips. Julian's moans got louder and his words more coherent, and if Cecil's name showed up a time or two along with Alex's, well, Alex wasn't one to feel jealous of someone beyond rivalry. Alex sucked harder, using some of his favourite tongue-tricks, and it was Alex's name that Julian cried out as he spilled into Alex's mouth.
Alex swallowed and moved up, pulling his sleepily blinking lover into a sweet kiss. "Good morning, love," he said, grinning.
Julian grinned right back and cuddled up. "A very good morning," he replied. His hand drifted down to Alex's cock, which had enjoyed the proceedings as much as Alex had and was now hoping for its turn, the shaft hard and head wet with precome. "What shall we do about this?"
Alex kissed Julian again. "I thought perhaps we might take care of it in the shower?"
Julian grinned. "You've got the best ideas," he said, slipping out of bed and luring Alex into the bathroom.
Soon enough they were clean and dressed, and Alex elected to eat out for breakfast
rather than mourn his own inability to repeat Jacques' masterpieces. They did leave sufficient treats for the butterfly fairy, including milk and honey and a shot glass of sweet, milky tea, but then Jones arrived and they were off. They chatted amiably about amulets while they went, Jones still in possession of Alex's old one for now, but all of them agreeing that he ought to have one of his own.
"This is a bit much for me, usually," said Jones with a chuckle. "Though the car's never been cleaner or run better."
Alex laughed. "I'll make sure to put that in the new one, perhaps I'll do a pair of them, one specific to you and one for whatever vehicle you drive." Alex felt a little burst of protest as though the car itself objected to the idea that Jones might drive anything else, which just made him laugh more.
They all three enjoyed breakfast together at a little cafe near the hospital, one that was full of doctors and police and few other people. Alex enjoyed that no one gave them a second glance, and he didn't have to look up or down or anywhere, wondering whether he'd get attacked mid-omelette.
But he especially enjoyed Julian's penchant for kissing between bites.
Jones elected to go sit with the car and his takeaway coffee when they went up to the hospital, but Julian came along on Alex's arm, making him feel very dapper indeed. He used his cane, but it felt less necessary today, as though he'd turned some sort of corner by using his leg normally so much for the past two days.
"Mr. Benedict, good to see you haven't killed yourself yet," said the nurse, as they walked into the little reception area. "Dr. Chesterfield will be with you in just a moment."
"Thank you, Ana, this is Julian St. Albans, my..." Alex paused, cocking his head at Julian.
Julian giggled. "Boyfriend," he said firmly, shaking the nurse's hand. "For now."
"Oh! But weren't you two engaged just last night?" asked Ana, curious as always about the gossip.
Alex chuckled and made a melodramatic face. "Julian has had his Courtship nullified for magical interference, and so I must now win him merely with my wit and charm."