The Courtship of Julian St. Albans

by Crook, Amy

  Now that the danger was past, Alex left the cage door open, though he warned the fairy not to try to leave the flat, because it wouldn’t be able to return. “We’ll figure out what to do about you permanently later,” he told it, and it made a shooing gesture as it hunkered down to its plate, full of pear sauce, honey, whipped cream, clotted cream, and even a bit of soft, melty cheese.

  James chuckled, his own plate piled high. “Once it figures out how you normally eat, it’ll be willing to go back to Julian’s estate with him,” he said.

  Alex laughed. “It’s true, once Jacques leaves me, I’ll be back to being in danger of never seeing a fresh fruit again.” There was, in fact, fresh fruit juice for them, a rich red blood orange juice that reminded Alex of the Courtship dinner. Alex took a little of everything and started to eat, making ecstatic little noises over all of it.

  “You’ll live,” said Jacques, sitting and serving himself. “And besides, soon enough you’ll be living with Julian and his chef.”

  “Mm, that’s true, his chef is magnificent,” said Alex. Then he sighed. “If only that didn’t mean learning to run the whole damned estate.”

  “You’ll figure it out, and you’ll hire people to help,” said James, his expression serious. “You’ve never hesitated to ask others when you’re out of your depth.”

  Alex chuckled wryly and then ate another bite of deliciousness. “I suppose that’s true, I’m just used to living on my own. I don’t even have a proper pet.”

  “How is Horace, anyway?” asked Jacques.

  “He’ll be okay, he’s got a bit of damage but he doesn’t feel it the same way people do. Once I repair him, he’ll be himself again.” Alex had slept with the bird on its own pillow next to him, and already he could hear Horace’s music more strongly. The bird’s hollow structure had actually worked for it in this case, the space where letters would go providing a place for metal to bend into rather than breaking off at impact. He’d have to painstakingly construct a few more feathers and possibly a new beak, but the heart of Horace, the complex interweaving of spells that made up his personality, that was still intact.

  “Julian’s very fond of him,” said James. “Perhaps he’s just marrying you for your bird.”

  Alex chuckled. “He’s marrying me as the best of bad choices,” he said with a sigh. “But I’ll take it, because I’m selfish and in love with him.”

  “He’s in love with you,” said Jacques pointedly.

  “There is that,” said Alex, a grin playing around his mouth. “It’ll be worth it, and maybe Emmeline will help, too.”

  “Speaking of help,” said James, “Father Stephen wishes me to remind you that you offered to help at the Temple.”

  Alex chuckled. “Not until I’m fully recovered from magical exhaustion and I’ve made Con’s bauble. Not to mention your two amulets, something for Jones, and a new one for myself as well.”

  “How will you sustain yourself in the meantime?” asked Jacques, looking worried.

  Alex chuckled. “On the giant check I’ll get from the Agency, once I’ve added up all my hours and expenses. I did solve several of their cases, after all, including the Mandeville murder I was originally hired for.”

  The Guardians laughed. “I’d forgotten you were under contract,” said Jacques sheepishly.

  “Well, it’s not as if you ever need to worry about making up billable hours,” said Alex fondly. “While I’m in the work room doing a lot of artefact construction, I’ll probably take some more commissions as well. Satyr’s Gift fertility charms are a ton of work, but I have all of the expensive equipment now, so if I can find three buyers I can do them in a batch.”

  They chatted on about what was in store for the future as they ate, and Jacques assured Alex that he’d spent the morning making sure there was food in the fridge that was within Alex’s ability to heat up. They ended up back in the living room, playing gin and talking about the various Guardian magics while Alex noodled around with some notes on possible amulets.

  “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.”

  Alex 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 n
early 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.