Alright, I've been patient this whole time and I'm tired of waiting.

Wren thought at Lilly, “I hope that you can hear this but I'm having my night with Little Gray Right here. I don't know how much Little Sprite can understand what's going on but if you would please be so kind as to hide the psychic eyes and ears of the innocent I'd greatly appreciate it.”

A few leaves curled protectively around Little Sprite's blossom as Wren reached through the ring with power and brought a canopy bed into existence, complete with the works as Wren looked at Grimalkin.

Wren said hoarsely, “Little gray, if there's anything you need to get done in the next few hours, you better get them done now.”

To Wren's surprise Grimalkin took off like a shot. He sat down on the bed a little disappointed.

Was I so intense I scared him off?

Wren got undressed and cleaned himself with a little power before climbing into bed. He reached out to Jaden to let him know he'd be blocking the emotional outflow on the bond but he'd keep the inflow open. A feeling of lonely but amused understanding flowed back. He'd lightly dozed off by the time Little Gray had returned, waking to the subtle sound of rustling as Grimalkin crawled into bed.

***

As Grimalkin made his shaky way over, Wren asked, “What did you do that took so long, Little Gray?”

Blushing furiously, Grimalkin said, “I asked my father for advice and c-cleaned myself. The line was really long for the shower and the people who were in the pools looked too interested in other things.”

Wren sighed heavily before he said, “Little Gray, I could have done that for you. You didn't need to wait in a line.”

In a small voice Grimalkin said, “I-I cleaned myself i-inside too. Rhaul gave me a special drink to, you know. Father said it was safe.”

Huskily Wren said, “Little Gray, you made me wait for over an hour, doing really sweet but completely unnecessary things. I could have done that for you too.”

A little watery eyed, Grimalkin replied, “B-but I was dirty...”

Wren drew Grimalkin under him before leaning into the slightly smaller man and resting his forehead on Grimalkin's.

Wren whispered to his bonded, “It's dark sky now. Are you sure the reason you didn't delay was because you were embarrassed it was a little light out still?”

Grimalkin's heart was beating hard and fast enough that Wren could feel a small vibration coming through to him, causing his own pulse to quicken as well.

Grimalkin whispered back, “Maybe just a little.”

Wren said, “Would it make you feel better that this is the first time I'm going to be connected to a bonded fully and I don't know what that'll be like so it has me a little nervous too? I'm even scared to start by kissing you because I'm afraid that I'll become drunk off the sensation and not do the right things.”

In a voice that was so small it was almost inaudible, Grimalkin said, “I-I prepared myself in the shower. I-I kn-now how big you are.”

Wren sighed again before he said, “Little Gray, what if I wanted to do that?”

Grimalkin responded almost in tears, “It's dirty...”

Wren chuckled as he said, “Little Gray, my void can eat curses. I can handle dirty. It's touching you've tried to make this about me so much but I wanted it, just as much, to be about you but I can understand if you were scared a little.”

Wren slid down low, coming eye to eye with Grimalkin's dick. It surprised him that it didn't bother him in the slightest. He actually thought it was cute. Back on Earth Grimalkin's 'little brother' would be pretty average but it probably didn't stand well among his peers. After seeing what Glaucous did to his call mark, Wren was more than fine with that.

Wren nibbled and sucked a little on Grimalkin's tightly drawn pair of almonds before peeling back the foreskin to reveal his lovers dark cherry. Not really experienced in this area, Wren just thought of what he would like and flicked his tongue around the underside of the exposed glans as the first teasing amount of condensed spiritual essence unwound into both of them. It was enough to fully awaken the hunger in Wren but for Grimalkin who inexperienced in an other's attentions, much less the additional pleasures of sharing with a bonded, it proved his undoing. Grimalkin let out a gasp and unloaded in Wren's face.

Wren took an experimental taste of his lover's only faintly augmented juices to find it stimulating but not overly appealing beyond a vague sense of nourishment. Apparently the uncoiling spiritual essence hadn't had much chance to respond to Wren. After the short lived pleasure burned through Grimalkin's veins, an agonizing humiliated embarrassment shot through their connection at Wren.

Grimalkin's eyes started tearing up as he said, “I'm so sorry Wren!” He put his hands over his burning face.

The little guy can face torture and death with a clear, calm face but when it comes to me he can cry at the drop of a hat. I don't know whether to be flattered or scared. Having that kind of power over him is equal parts thrilling and terrifying.

Wren slid back up to pull Grimalkin's hands away before he said, “Little Gray, watch me.”

Wren wiped a little of Grimalkin's semen off his face with a finger before dismissing the rest away with void power. He sucked his finger clean and leaned in to kiss Grimalkin, licking the inside of his lover's lips to get Grimalkin to open his mouth. Wren kept at the task of showing Grimalkin how to kiss until the taste of condensed spirit started lacing their mouths. The sensations had Grimalkin chasing after Wren a little as he pulled back.

Lust thickened his voice as Wren said, “There is no need to be embarrassed that I have brought you pleasure so easily. It makes me feel good. Time and experience will take some of the edge off your sensitivity. As far as I know, we all go through that. First times are usually filled with all kinds of embarrassing moments but I want you to know that these moments will become hyacinths to feed our soul, even the embarrassment will become fond memory with time,” Wren's eyes took on a mischievous glint. “By the way, what do you think of your own flavor?”

Grimalkin looked confused before sudden enlightenment hit him while he said, “I don't kn-Oh, I couldn't say for sure. It was mingled with your own tastes which are very pleasing.”

One and One, the game is far from determined...

Grimalkin continued, “But I ache for you again. M-maybe you would like to take me now?”

In a surprise play from team Little Gray, a three point score has been added to the board. I don't think team Birdy's coming back from this one folks.

With the last bit of restraint he had left, Wren slid back down to admire Grimalkin's slightly red and puffy rose bud, caused by his lover's awkward and over eager preparations. A strong and heady floral scent came from an oil that had already been applied. He withdrew a small stone jar of mineral oil he had made for the occasion and slicked his shaft and two fingers that he used to ensure that Grimalkin was sufficiently readied. As he felt his need starting to cloud his reason, Wren almost frantically searched for Grimalkin's sweet spot before levering them both into position.

Wren's voice cracked a little before he finally got out, “Take a deep breath and hold it for me. Let it out slowly as I enter. You can tense anywhere else but keep relaxed down here.” He circled Grimalkin's entrance with the head of his dick to illustrate before pushing against it.

The air rushed out of Grimalkin's lungs in surprise. He quickly took another quick deep breath in which caused him to let out a wet little toot below. The sudden change in resistance had Wren sinking to the quarter mark before he stopped himself. Instead of easing his lover's discomfort, Wren was laughing as Grimalkin grabbed a pillow to hide his face again.

Wren held himself in check as he coaxed, “Little Gray~ Let me see your face.” The pillow shook back and forth a couple of times in the first request that he had ever denied Wren. After a couple seconds Grimalkin tossed the pillow towards Wren's face as he pushed against the headboard, impaling himself fully.

As Wren gasped in pleasant surprise, Grimalkin hissed through his teeth, “You play too much.”

As Wren remained petrified in his half sitting position, Grimalkin started rocking his hips, his modest member waiving in the air like a surrender flag. Eagerness to increase friction inside the hot silk squeezing him had finally unfrozen Wren as he bucked in to meet his lover's rocking motion. The core of uncoiling spirit essence struck against them both harshly as if to chastise them for confusing it earlier causing Wren to release a convulsive volley into Grimalkin, his lover's own release spurting in two wildly different directions. Before the intense sharing had a chance to fully rob him of reason, Wren disentangled long enough to position himself on his side and pulled Grimalkin's back to him before easing his stiffening cock back into the warm sheath of his lover.

A last struggle against the pull of seductive power allowed Wren to say, “I love you Little Gray,” before losing the fight as he nuzzled his face into the crook of Grimalkin's neck.

Between the animal grunts that issued from him every time he thrust, attempting to fuse his very being with the warm body in his arms, Wren heard an echo of his sincere confession return to him before he remembered no more.

An innocent, slender tree branch blown by some mysterious wind had tangled with the corner of the canopy curtain, drawing it back to the full view of the young but sturdy tree it belonged to...

Wren wasn't sure how long he had been in the thrall of spirit intoxication but as he came to he was still engaged in the act. He quickly stopped himself and withdrew. His unconscious lover's dick twitched in a half-hearted effort to respond. A quick check assured Wren that no serious harm had been done. Seeing the ridiculous amount of slick wetness everywhere Wren realized that once he and his lover had ran dry, Wren's instincts had supplied them with more in an effort to keep them from harming one another. And even though there was plenty of minor harms to be found in the bite marks, scratches and finger bruises, Grimalkin's swollen and angry looking hole nor Wren's friction abraded little soldier had any signs of blood.

A convulsive twitch of his sleeping lover revealed another volume of proof against Wren's unwitting crime, leaking out to join the rest on the ruined mattress. This spurred Wren into healing enough of his muscle fatigue and weariness away to engage in the act of cleaning them and the bed up. Noticing he had a few more hours before it would be time to leave the realm to recharge spectral transport, he rejoined his lover on the bed. Facing them both the other way, he gathered Grimalkin back into his arms and slipped his member back into the warmth of his lover before adding a little starch to their empty balls and healing Grimalkin into wakefulness.

Wren said tenderly, “Are you well, Little Gray?”

Grimalkin said muzzily, “Are you not yet satisfied? Ah! S-so I gather that is no-ot the case. How can this still feel so good after so long?”

Wren nipped Grimalkin's ear as he whispered, “Because, magic. Did I ever mention how cute I think your ears are.”

Wren gave several long gentle thrusts into Grimalkin's sweet spot. Grimalkin's body seemed just as eager to please as it's owner, his little slugger twitching and releasing a little more clear fluid with every stroke. Grimalkin's moan's gave way to short breathy exhalations with every tender, full slide to home.

Wren knew he didn't need to touch Grimalkin in any way. The boy was so sensitive to pleasure that Wren's insistent embrace, hot breath on the underside of his ears and the hitting and sliding past of Wren's rigid heat on his vaguely sore but receptive spot would be enough. Wren reached for his lover's joystick anyway. He stroked it, ran his thumb across and around the tender top. He brought him to the edge over and over only to grab the base at the very last moment to hold Grimalkin back until their gentle lovemaking and Grimalkin's breathless begging for release had him join his little lover in one final conjoined spurt.

Once Wren had softened enough but before he had a chance to rise to the occasion again, Grimalkin squeezed Wren's member out in a fashion that had it instantly hard underneath him. In a panic Grimalkin used the last bit of strength in his weary limbs to turn around and latch on to Wren like a drowning cat.

Grimalkin weakly whimpered, “No more please! Just hold me alright?”

Wren felt a twinge of guilt as he held Grimalkin to him. The little guy's weak shaking relaxed after a bit as Grimalkin slipped back into sleep. As he held the completely exhausted Grimalkin, Wren undid the one way psychic shielding and sent a message to Jaden that he'd come out at the seven hour mark this time. After which he lost himself to his own lingering fatigue and joined Grimalkin for a few hours in rest, waking to an unskilled blowjob. Apparently Grimalkin was afraid of being attacked again so he executed a preemptive strike.

***

“I could feel it faltering as it landed, Wren,” Jaden huffed in slightly amused annoyance before continuing, “Are you afraid your new bonded is going to be scared away so you decided to fit a whole lifetime of union in all at once!? I fear you have put Lilly and I's record to shame...And at that time I felt that I had wronged her terribly, she agreed. Dark sky to early mid-light, truly a monster's deed.”

Wren felt his face burning as he said, “Enough alright, I get it. The sharing was roughly three times the amount of ours, Jaden. We were both out of our minds.”

Jaden shook his head a bit as the intense communication style of Jaden took hold again, He locked onto Wren as thoughts whirled behind his glacier blue eyes. It made Wren glad for the umpteenth time that he wasn't full on telepath.

As Jaden continued to stare at Wren he said, “There's a secondary river that runs parallel to our path for a half days journey. It's swollen and quick moving. It would add little time to our journey if you could make of this craft a boat.”

Wren chuckled before he said, “Has the thrill of flying already lost it's appeal?”

Jaden replied in all seriousness, “It holds little appeal at all without someone to enjoy it with.”

Do you believe it to be safe to float down a river at the end of the monsoon? I thought this was the tail end of prime breeding season. Lots of hungry predators will be looking to replenish themselves and feed their mates.”

Jaden nodded and said, “The strength of the river's flow will make it safe enough. Anything that could reach me there would likely reach me in the sky as well. I may have other powers yet unknown to me but I can keep myself safer on water than in the sky in any event.”

“Then consider it a done deal,” Wren said cheerily, happy to be able to oblige his friend.

Jaden grew silent for a moment before he asked, “Would you join me? It need not be for the whole of the time but would you join me for company?”

Wren dithered.

Jaden's face grew a bit sadder and a little lonelier as he said, “There was a time when you sought me out for company. You seemed to enjoy our talks. I understand your desire to return though. It was only a passing thought. Think nothing of it.”

If you were a person who possessed a little more guile I could accuse you of a lame attempt to garner sympathy.

Wren thought at Grimalkin, “Would it upset you if I spent some time cheering Jaden back up? I think being out here by himself is starting to eat at him a little.”

A feeling of eager agreement came back through the line, followed by a slight but poorly hidden guilt.

Damn, did I traumatize him? No, Little Gray. It's not my fault~ * sigh *

Wren plastered a smile on his face as he turned to Jaden and said, “Looks like my day just got freed up. Still wanting some company?”

A little more desperate sounding than he likely meant to, Jaden responded, “I would be grateful, Brother Wren. I know you were living in a slower time but I'm sure you can appreciate how empty a side can feel once you've grown accustomed to it being filled.”

Wren said, “I've always been a loner by choice but I guess I can start to see now.”

The walk to the river wasn't a long one but when Jaden caught sight of animal tracks it turned into a silent one as Jaden went into hunter mode. Wren didn't feel any danger but decided to activate his suit to help him stealth a bit better. He was rewarded a look of vague jealousy from Jaden who was still wearing the TSSR suit. To assuage that a little he let Jaden use Silent Mind, a dagger balanced for throwing whose handle could extend to spear-like proportions. His gift for helping Hiidan and one of the three implements he cleansed of curses. It was greatly diminished but it still had a fairly strong interruption enchantment activated on cutting or a strike from either business end.

With suits that hid their scent and the noisy birds overhead Jaden managed to nick one deer-like creature and take another down with a single javelin throw though the heart. He rushed up to finish off the collapsed one as Wren's eldritch construct drug one back with it's ever changing appendages and a ghostly bear brought back a dug up blackberry bush, showing how loosely it had interpreted 'chase food and bring it back.'

Jaden joked, “I doubt I can successfully skin that, even with my skills, heart-brother.”

“Har, har... I'll have you know that it's a perfect shrubbery to test the strength of my realm's light and the richness of it's soil content on. If it survives, then that means I can start putting some greenery in. It's desolate as hell in there but it's already the size of your realm. That's what, half a mile in diameter?” Wren said.

Jaden looked at Wren a bit puzzled as he bent to his grizzly task and said, “I don't understand, with your vast wealth of essence, why you do not simply craft what you need and be done.”

Wren struggled to put the vague hints and intuitive urges into words before he said, “It's hard to explain it. Everything within, at the moment, has come from the breaking down of rare materials, powerful curses and it's own natural growth. Aside from living things, I don't feel it's a good idea on filling it with regular water and huge mounds of mundane dirt. Processing such things through void power results in very little gain as well. It feels like I'd be tying it to this world or making it less than what it could be by just simply filling it with stuff from here or crafting it whole sale with essence.”

“Perhaps your inner voice is guiding you through the process of making a domain? My father once mentioned that great-grandfather had one. I know that upon his death great-grandfather's domain split into three separate but complete realms. One was given to his wives to share, one Lilly and I now possess and the last belongs to my father which was given to him by uncle Malkanthor. What difference lies between realm and domain I do not know, perhaps father may be able to enlighten you further,” Jaden offered.

Not long after they found themselves Floating down the river in relative comfort. It was the first time Wren had combined water into spectral transport but it's effect on actual water was very impressive. It could hold nearly double it's standard rate which was a far cry from the scant third of standard that it had in flight mode. It's maximum size, shape and potential accommodations were nothing to sneeze at either.

They spent time sharing thought on random things as Jaden, unable to sit still for vast lengths of time, unless there was need, randomly trolled the water with a fish net Wren had made him. He randomly tossed his earnings to the processing bin that had been set up by Bress, at some point, while the people inside his realm took turns looking for and handling the goods. At one point, when Jaden felt he'd worked out a good sweat worth of trolling, he asked Wren to clean him off before joining him in a beanbag-like jelly couch at the rear of the transport.

“Brother Wren I don't suppose you have a malted or brewed grain beverage among your stockpile do you? After meaningful labor I find wine and harder alcohols don't quite suit to taste,” Jaden said, looking hopeful.

“Believe it or not, I've been working on that. At the edge of my void I have a brewery set up. The natural entropy speeds up processes like fermentation and whatnot. The equipment upkeep is a bit of a bitch since I have to check on it every few days but I've actually managed to produce a batch of green beer that doesn't give you the shits. It's a bit strong for a normal brew, I blame it on essence cheating, but it satisfies the craving just fine.” Wren pulled out a six pack of reusable cork topped bottles filled with a slightly green tinted, light amber brew.

Two bottles apiece and some mellow conversation later saw both of them laying on the deck of the transport looking up into the twilight sky. An arm supported the back of his head as he was pulled into Jaden's side. Wren tensed for a moment before he realized that although it was a bit more 'chummy' than he planned on getting it wasn't the prelude to anything else. For a time, all that could be heard was the occasional swigging of a bottle or lapping of wave under the transport before Jaden broke the silence.

Jaden said, “I never really felt like the under city ever held my future home. I relished the times eldest Rohn would take me with his runners top-side. When I was trapped for weeks on end during the monsoon season I'd take refuge in the archive, looking up any lore I could find about the outside world. That's how I became the Grand Teacher's disciple. That old man was never kind enough for me to feel him a father figure but I now begin to guess that it was on purpose, so that I would not feel tied to him when I was ready to leave. I think even he knew that I'd one day go top-side to not return.

“Now here I am, floating on an unknown river with a heart-brother I still feel more mystery than understanding of, a wife who is currently a tree and children yet to be that unmistakably are. So many twists so quickly has left me feeling stranger in my own life. Do you find your own life strange at all?”

I've never found myself in a stronger 'What the hell do you think?' moment before.

Wren said, “Before I came to this world, my life was so simple it was painful. Find the most loner, anti-social brown sash in the settlement we just left and I think you'd have this world's version of me. Humans barely live as long as your average brown sash and I was a man three years from forty. I felt like my life was over, or at least the parts worth living. Even then, I knew that was wrong but that's how I felt. Instead of feeling like my life has turned strange, I think it's more accurate to say I feel I have a new life entirely. Everything is strange when it's new. Hell, the man who made me what I am now, quite literally told me I can just chuck out everything I think I know because I'm an infant. So scared? Yes. Lonely in ways I don't think anyone can touch? Yes. Strange? Fucking obviously!”

Jaden briefly tightened his arm around Wren before relaxing it, then said, “Some fear of the unknown is unavoidable, I think. And though you may not believe me when I say I get what you mean about lonely in an untouchable way but I do. I know it much better than I'd like to. I focus on Lilly and being productive but I fear being truly alone. I would pine to death I think.”

Wren thought about Jaden's words and admitted, “Perhaps that's what I was doing back home. I didn't fear it but I think my soul was slowly withering away. Eventually, without the desire to live, I might have killed myself or neglected my well being to the point that it amounts to the same thing. In fact, I think I perilously came close to doing just that. Perhaps there is something more wholesome in you that allowed you that fear to help you survive, something I lack.”

Jaden said, “It is a kindness for you to say so. I cannot be certain but I believe it more this. As there is love and companionship in many forms so too is there different types of loneliness. What one person provides fills one while another fills a different one. Perhaps those who desire many have many holes of loneliness or have given up on finding the one who can. Lilly fills my loneliness for love completely but I think she notices this other loneliness from time to time. She said we had common ground, you and I. I wonder if that is what she meant. I hadn't noticed it before but when we talk in such ways as we are now, I feel that other, untouchable loneliness fill by small degrees.”

Wren did a bit of introspection. It did seem that when he found someone to have a satisfying deep conversation with, that untouchable loneliness didn't ache as much, in fact. And though he felt it was a bit misleading to tie it to a statement that made it sound like they filled a need for each other which might be only temporary or coincidental he did admit it. Jaden heard Wren's admittance and a mellow kind of happiness drifted through their connection. It was an infectious kind of feeling.

Some more comfortable silence went by before Jaden broke it again with, “I think whatever this natural thing that lays between us, outside of bonds and instincts, is makes it all bearable. It's that way for me, at least. In spite or perhaps in accordance with what fate has twisted to make this situation occur, even without bonds or my accursed instinct drawing me to you, if we had met as ordinary people we would have likely been good friends if not heart brothers in the end. I'd like to believe that, even if it's only a comforting lie.

Wren mulled it over before he said, “ Yeah, brother. I can drink to that!” before clinking Jaden's bottle and downing the remainder of his quickly followed suit by Jaden before each turned and walked to different sides of the transport to help pay the local water bill. As they finished and turned to one another, both knew this was the perfect point for Wren to say goodnight and return in four hours. Four hours for Jaden to sit alone and drift down the river illuminated by a bare sliver of moonlight. Twelve hours Wren could spend in the arms of Grimalkin.

Wren sent a thought to Grimalkin asking if it would be alright to stay world side for awhile. There was no eagerness greeting the request but there was a calm and only slightly disappointed understanding. Wren sent his love and received the warm feeling in return.

“I suppose there's no need for me to hurry off only to return in four hours. I got another six pack of the same ready and I doubt either of us will be that much worse off for making it disappear.” Wren said, affecting a casualness he wasn't quite feeling.

Jaden's slow emotional downward slip started climbing again. “A whole dozen of such brews would not dull my prowess overly much I think. Battle prowess I mean.”

Bit of a Freudian slip but I can let it slide.

Three more bottles and a piss break later, Wren felt pleasant but it was obvious that Jaden felt a bit drowsy and buzzed as he slightly staggered back into Wren.

“How about you get a little rest in. I'm still good for awhile,” Wren offered.

Jaden's slightly off focus eyes locked on to Wren as he said, “Think we could do it, stargazing some more?”

“Yeah. I don't think I'll be dozing off on accident or anything,” Wren said, noting the slightest mush to his own words.

After listening to Jaden drawl off some of the more colorful and prominent constellations, Wren noticed a lull of silence before Jaden's breathing became more even. Wren laid a little longer just staring off into the distant night sky before he was going to get up but before he could Jaden rolled over on to his side and threw an arm and leg over him.

Not having the heart to wake Jaden up, Wren just continued to lay there as Jaden slowly curled around him and was startled by a swift peck to his neck just under the jawline as Jaden mumbled out a 'g'night'. Wren had no clue if the shiver that the kiss sent down him was aversion or anticipation but one thing was for sure. There was no chance he was going to fall asleep now.