Judging by how long it was taking, Wren realized that Glaucous' destination wasn't the pavilion. It was difficult for Wren to make out much, as he was part of some mystical current at the moment, but he could occasionally make out words that Glaucous was saying to another part of the current. It sounded as if Glaucous was instructing someone on some fae heritage insights in water. Then as time dragged on, the instructions turned towards bits and pieces of understandings towards the power of life and handed down information on the flames of purity.

Since Wren couldn't really understand enough to make anything useful out of it, he just relaxed and started tuning it out. Wren didn't notice a sudden change of topic till he heard his name mentioned but by the time he was focusing back on the conversation they had arrived. The sea cave before construction was a desolate looking place. Wren realized he had his work cut out for him.

While gazing at his son intently, Glaucous said, “Now I'd like for you to try the merging of water...”

Wren wasn't overly interested in the processes that Glaucous was explaining so he made his way over to the dilapidated structure that covered the entrance to the underwater palace. Drafodil had struggled getting Wren to break the habit of relying on his rings for architectural conjuring but she had succeeded enough, that with his study time on Earth, he could do a pretty good job of restoration without taking much more time than what a fresh ring construct would take with raw materials. It helped immensely that he had clear mental images of Glaucous' work stowed away.

By the time that he had finished the main structure and had cleared the debris away from the shattered underwater tunnel, Glaucous and Jaden had joined him. Holding the water back long enough for Wren to repair the tunnel would have been a cakewalk for Glaucous but he insisted his son do it instead. It took quite a few tries before Wren and Jaden could coordinate enough to restore it in sections. By the time that they had connected the tunnel to the underwater palace, Wren was seeing black dots in his vision and Jaden appeared winded as well. After a short moment of hesitation, Jaden moved to help prop Wren up as they made their way into the reception room.

Jaden said, “There wasn't a need to push yourself so hard. It would have been wiser to hold some power back in reserve for emergencies.”

Despite its quarrelsome tone, Wren could tell Jaden said it out of concern so he let it slide with an only mildly irritated, “I'll keep it under advisement.”

Glaucous made their hard work seem like a joke as he sent a surge of faith condensed SE into the formation on the floor of the palace, waking enchantments in its passing. Air, water, heat and light moved throughout the palace and within moments it was looking as opulent as it did in Wren's memory.

Glaucous turned to Jaden and said, “Jaden, my son, I want you to remember what I've shared with you on the way here, especially the last part.”

“I will father,” Jaden replied, blushing a little.

Glaucous turned to Wren and said, “Remember Wren, this is their home, not ours. I never wanted to... You once showed me the harder road. I now know what it means to walk it. In defiance of the cost, I still desire to.” Glaucous unloaded a familiar piece of wood with a chest of cursed items before he continued, “I know what you need in order to utilize these well and if in two days you are still without a bonded, when I return with Sable and the aid you requested, you will languish for lack of one no longer.”

Wren stood up angrily and said, “Glaucous, this is too much.” Wren picked up the sliver of heartwood and attempted to pass it back, finishing with, “I know what this was being saved for. You shou-”

In a move that was too fast to follow, Glaucous reversed Wren's hand and used it to pierce the smaller man's chest with the sliver and as Wren stood dumbfounded, Glaucous said, “Whether it is in celebration of my son's happiness or a token of courtship for my own will be his decision but either way it is yours.”

I don't know if you're trying to pressure your son out of his mind or if you're simply stating how it's going to be. Knowing you, I wouldn't be surprised if it was both. Even after everything we've been through, you're still a pushy and arrogant asshole... That shit eating grin on your face, ugh. Even if you can't directly read my mind anymore, you still know what I'm thinki-

Jaden interrupted Wren's thoughts with, “If you want him, father, why would he want someone like me? I see how he looks at you and-” Without finishing his thoughts, Jaden turned and ran out.

Glaucous' smile was exchanged with a slightly sorrowful one as he said, “It seems I have meddled too much. Perhaps it is better for you to follow after, Wren.”

Ya think!? But I'm dead ti... Oh, void just sucked in a good chunk of that curse. I'm feeling much better.

With a jet of water, Glaucous was nowhere to be found, leaving Wren little option but to walk after Jaden. It felt strange to lean on his intuition to find Jaden but after he did, it was no difficulty sensing the blue man's trail. As he walked on, Wren contemplated that before, by the time he and Jaden had become 'involved', the man had a couple more years of maturity under his belt due to that weird realm's time dilation. Right now Jaden was a jittery post teen virgin with self-esteem issues and far from the first time, Wren wished Glaucous had a little more EQ.

And this is why I stopped seeing the allure of romantically pursuing 18 to early 20 somethings after I hit thirty in my first life. I just hope that after enough time goes by I can leave this 'forever seventeen' hormone ridden mess of a body behind.

Once he hit the sea, Wren started to panic a little. His inner self couldn't easily lock onto Jaden anymore and Wren knew that Jaden was already worn out.

BZ chimed in, “I've finished cataloging the items that you have received from Glaucous. Only interrupt your situation now to inform you that there is a necklace of drowning, a monocle of blinding and a bracelet of healing that are powered by water, light and wood sprites respectively. Having more tools at your disposal can only help.”

Wren muttered to himself, “Alright Buzz, how do I get them to merge with me like before?”

BZ replied, “I'm not certain. I would say throw them into your void and think strongly about making them a part of you instead of consuming them but if it were that simple, all void denizens would be the most powerful average existence and they are not.”

Carefully picking out the items in question, Wren consulted his intuition. What answered was his manifestation, however. Chains wrapped the items in question and after the demon rolled the necklace and monocle around in his mouth, he spit out a shimmery blue and bright whitish-yellow mote of light. Ribbons curled gently around the motes and and pulled a greenish brown one from the bracelet before the angel collected them with his free hand and moved them to his chest. The sudden additions to Wren not only unlocked their imbuements but also unlocked evocation.

Wren wasted no time summoning the boat version of spectral transport as he followed the faint trail. It took nearly two hours of tracking, with a few false leads and double backs before Wren finally saw an utterly exhausted Jaden weakly floating on the water, staring up at the sky. After fishing Jaden out of the water, getting some fluids in him and using a bit of healing on Jaden's overused muscles to keep them from cramping, He stared down at the 'blue' man.

With harsh words but soft voice, Wren said, “What the hell were you thinking? Laying out here, depleted of essence and strength, you're no different than a drowning kitten. I saw two sharks, and something large that I don't even know what it was, on the way here. Would you have just frowned them away, sulked them from attacking you!?”

Jaden said, “Creatures of water won't attack me unless directed by another.”

Wren said irritably, “Oh, then that's fine. Because of your heritage, maybe one of Ephyra's descendants would have whisked you away to fuck you before she ate you.”

With a weak smile, Jaden said, “I actually thought of that. Of all the disastrous possibilities, I chose that one.”

Wren's anger flared for a moment before he broke out into a nerve loosening bout of laughter and joined Jaden on the floor of the boat to look at the sky as he said, “I was out of my mind, thinking that something might happen to you, and you were floating without a care in the world while fantasizing about being raped by mermaids.”

Jaden said, “You have to admit, as ways to die go, it's far from the worst.”

Wren pulled out some of the Suncave specialty wheat beer he snagged from the party and handed Jaden one. Jaden looked at it oddly for a moment before he pulled the cork out and took a deep swig.

As he propped himself up on one elbow, Jaden looked at Wren and said, “This is going to sound crazy but it feels like I've done this with you before.”

With a small exercise of power, Wren raised two lounges under them and said, “You're right. How much sea water did you accidentally drink?”

Jaden punched Wren on the arm before Wren said, “No, I don't think it's crazy. In fact, I'd say it's likely we have. Many different versions of the same reality with the same people doing different things, it'd be more crazy to say we haven't.”

Jaden smiled a little more heartily as he said, “Now it's my turn to ask how much sea water you've drank?”

Wren replied, “In this reality or another one?”

After pointing the Spectral boat towards Seaside, Wren left it to lazily drift. They spent the day drinking and talking about whatever popped into their heads as Wren reaffirmed that despite being nearly twice as old and raised on a much different world, he and Jaden truly were kindred spirits. Drifting slow circles within Seaside's hidden cove, the sun set and Jaden turned towards his hopes and fears, a conversation he and Wren had before. It was a good sign, in Wren's mind, as it meant that Jaden was finally opening up to him again.

“Wren, once I've grieved my courtship of you, do you think we'll be able to give being friends a chance?” Jaden said as his cheerful countenance took a sudden morose turn.

Wren almost choked on the summoned import he was sipping on as he looked at Jaden and said confusedly, “Why would you need to grieve?”

Jaden looked at the gradually starry turning sky and said, “When father told me that you had turned the suit of brother Rohn and his wife down, I was surprised but after the look you shared with my father and his statement before I, you know... Or is it that you do not know of imprinting? I have this condi-”

Wren got up on his wobbly legs and barely managed to stumble over to Jaden, choosing to straddle Jaden's lounge than risk tipping over and out of the boat, before he said, “I kn-know what imprinting is... Hold on, I let myself go to far.” Wren took a moment to process enough alcohol out to focus then continued, “What I'm asking is, why do you have to grieve?”

Jaden looked up at Wren still morose but with a small spark of hope flaring up in his eyes as he said, “Aren't you and my father...”

Wren said, “Almost but no. We've made peace with that. Don't ask much more about it though, it only gets more confusing.”

Jaden voice roughed a bit as he said, “But you didn't follow me into the washroom this morning.”

Wren couldn't help but look at Jaden like he was dumb when he said, “I don't know what you sounded like to yourself but it sounded more like you were going to kick my ass if I followed you in there. Besides, even if you didn't I still wouldn't have. I want you to actually want to be with me. Who the hell wants a 'I guess I have no choice', fuck to start a relationship on.

“Let me lay it out for you. There was a person, a long time ago in my mind, that I was madly in love with but we were separated and they moved on. I love them enough to let them go and only hope that my kiddo stays safe with em. Now humor me for a second. Ask me who I love the most on this whole world.”

Jaden's eyes grew wide as he said, “You ha- bu- All right. Who do you love most on this whole world?”

Wren stared right into Jaden's intense eyes and said, “You! Now ask me who I'd be willing to give up, romantically, to be with you. ”

Jaden went ridged for a moment as if he'd been hit with a lightning strike before he said, “We've only known each other for so little time how am I-”

Wren lightly and comically karate chopped the top of Jaden's head and belligerently said, “Ask me. Ask me who I'd give up to be with you!”

Jaden sighed and said, “Who would you give up to-”

Wren interrupted with, “You! Damn it, I mean everyone else. I'd give up being with everyone else for you.”

Not being able to help himself, Jaden chuckled a little before he said, “You are still under the spell of the drink.”

Wren said, “Yes but that doesn't mean I'm lying. People are more honest when they're drunk from my experience anyway.”

Jaden said, “Perhaps but they are prone to forget that honesty later when they are not... drunk.”

Wren, as if possessed, stripped off his borrowed clothes and dove into the water. After struggling back up to the surface he spluttered and gasped for a bit. After he collected himself, he started swimming toward the underwater entrance to Seaside.

Jaden shouted out half worried, half amused, “What are you doing?”

Between gasps of air, Wren answered, “I'm swimming out to sea to mourn you.”

Jaden was stunned silent for a moment before he burst out laughing and said, “The sea is that way,” as he pointed in the opposite direction.

Wren's ears started burning fiercely as he paddled a semi-circle and started going the other way. Since he wasn't much of a swimmer he hadn't actually made it far from the boat and his embarrassment was fully on display to Jaden above.

Now I actually feel like doing it. How could I confuse the crab claw formation for the cliffside!? Not logical...

A few seconds later, Wren heard a splash quickly followed by a strong arm securely latching around his chest as he was being dragged back towards the boat. Jaden heaved him back in before climbing up himself. And as Jaden collapsed down beside him in laughter, Wren was shivering a bit from the cold water.

I had forgotten what Glaucous told me about the underground river dumping out into the cove. During the monsoon season, the cove's water hovers around the same temperature as deep caves.

***

As Wren exercised a bit of power to clean the salt water off of them, Jaden drew Wren into his arms to help him warm up. As the feeling in his skin quickly returned to normal, Wren noticed that Jaden had taken off his weird underwear-shorts before diving in after him. It quickly became apparent that Jaden was more than just a little happy to help Wren warm up.

Jaden nuzzled his chin into the crook of Wren's neck as he said softly, “If what you say is true then I suppose neither of us need grieve but... If this is only a parting fancy of yours please tell me before it's too late. Unlike most, if you left me after, it would kill me.

Wren said so quietly Jaden almost didn't hear, “The only way I'll leave you, in the way you mean, is if one of us die. And that's only so I can find you in the next life.”

As Jaden's grip grew tighter and his need more urgent, he raggedly breathed, “And you will not grow to resent me for stealing you away from other joys, for jealously hoarding your affection.”

Wren replied teasingly, “I hope that in this life, we live long enough for you to see how many different kinds of joy exist, how many kinds of affection. You'd run yourself ragged trying to steal and hoard them all!” Feeling Jaden's muscles stiffen in displeasure, he quickly added, “As long as you keep your heart and mind open to me, there will be no reason to resent you. Will you resent me for making you wait to have children?”

Jaden's encircling arms slackened a little as he said, “In the moment I had forgotten this. What do you mean by 'wait' to have children? I believe you capable of many things but how can two men have children.”

Wren twisted in Jaden's hold to face him and while staring him in the eye he said, “Trust me in this if nothing else. When we are safely out of danger, if we survive and we find a time and place of safety, you will have your child. Jaden, even if I have to give it to you myself, I would not deny you something that I know is so important to you. Never mind the hows for now, just know it can be done. Your father can assure you the truth of what I say. I know of two off the top of my head that even your picky imprinting would be able to accept without a shred of strange and arcane methods. Now I ask again. Will you resent me for making you wait to have children?”

Jaden lay there holding Wren stunned for a time before he said in wonder, “Truly? Then no. Just knowing that such a thing is possible brings me peace but I wonder if I could get you to promise me that it will be you that gives my child to me, for making me wait. It's not just the wanting of a child that drives me so. It's the desire to hold in my arms the living proof of the love I share with my mate. Can you understand such a deep desire?”

Wren was tempted to parry the request but seeing how intent and desperate Jaden was for him to agree, his heart softened as he said, “Alright. If the time comes and you still feel the same then I promise. But if you take it into your head that you want another, it will be your turn then!

Jaden's excitement and insistence rose up as he said shakily, “I vow to place you above all others save our children which will be placed next to you. Will you vow the same to bring me peace?”

Wren mulled it over in his mind before his intuition prompted him to say, “I vow to place no other before you, that our children will be equal to you in my heart till they are grown. Till the love in the core of me is reduced to dust along with my soul, all this I vow to the Eternal Circle.”

Both of them shivered as the oath settled into place and not to be outdone, as if it were an unspoken agreement between them, Jaden discarded his first vow to repeated Wren's.

As ethereal ribbons and chains briefly appeared around Wren and Jaden, chilling dual voices quietly said, “Old vows spoken with new voices. Yea souls wander to great unknowns.”

Guided by intuition and bolstered by his eerie manifestation, Wren empowered a bond between himself and Jaden. Still reeling from the foundation shaking vows and haunting voices, Jaden's inner self opened the door to his soul wide for his mate. As the bond began to solidify and strengthen, sensing it was the right time, Wren rose to straddle the lap of his lover and after a small exercise of power to slick Jaden's rigid member, brutally impaled himself.

The searing pain was lost in a writhing mass of barbed chains spurting licks of soul flensing black flame throughout Wren's mindscape, followed by silk scroll ribbons bathed in cold and judgmental silver flames threatening to incinerate all it found ugly and unwholesome. Yet behind the harsh and unforgiving warnings of annihilation was a deep respect and reverent love of life and the act of creation. Over Wren's heart, an intricate and nature shaped bagua of fulgin and silver, carved itself into being. It was as if creation itself fashioned a talisman to shield him against harm, a sentiment reflected in the dizzying knot-work of barbed chain and scroll ribbon over Jaden's own heart.

All secrets were laid bare to each other. Every noble and petty act was exposed as they saw through the lens of the other's life. Their inner selves stood bared to one another as well. A proud mythical bird painted in abstracts of darkness and light stood before a small and unremarkable yet defiant songbird.

As they appraised each other, the small songbird brazenly approached the large bird of prey and eyed it, as if daring it to attack or condemn. It did neither. Instead, the large bird crooned it's loneliness and pain as it lifted a great yet weakened wing to make room for the songbird at it's side. Moved, the little bird flitted there and worked it's way into the warm down as the large wing furled gently over it.

Pleased with it's mate and joyous to it's mate's affectionate gesture, the little bird began singing. It sang the songs of the earth and sky, the songs of the rivers and fire of life. It sang a song of union between itself and the waking one known as Wren. It's heart overflowed with pride and affection as the large bird, hesitating at first but steadily more confident if subdued, sang the songs back.

Unsatisfied to end this sharing, It struggled deep within itself for more songs, only to find one. It was a song with only one note. It had only heard it once and all it could recall was this single note, a song it had heard when it became aware that it was, but the little songbird wasn't confident it could sing it. The large bird, sensing the songbird's hesitance, urged it on.

The small bird put all that it was behind the effort and produced a single clarion note. The ripples produced were immense, too much for their fragile vessels to contain. As the small bird panicked, the large bird had no choice but to release the note it too carried, one it knew better than to ever utter but now must.

If the songbird's note could be said to contain the cataclysmic beginning of all things then the large bird's note could be said to contain it final sighing end. As the two notes clashed, a strange harmony sounded out and formed the ghostly visage of a circle, a circle so perfect it superseded existence and naturally formed the border of it.

In that moment they were both transformed. They had become reflections of their outer forms with the symbols of their existence to mark their origins. Inner Wren wore a delicate gold crown and a mantle of myriad feathers while inner Jaden wielded a black and silver spear one moment or wore a mantle of smoke and vapor while producing an alternating nimbus the next.

Not wanting to waste this opportunity, inner Wren motioned for inner Jaden to join him in laying upon his feathered mantle. As the stronger man complied, inner Wren took advantage of inner Jaden's lack of understanding on the ways of their outer selves to coax inner Jaden onto his back and seated himself upon his mate's breeding staff as he guided it within him. A slow hiss and and hitched gasp mingled between them as inner Wren placed a hand upon his mate's chest, softly demanding that he wait to move in harmony with their outer selves.

As they came back to themselves, Jaden's eyes danced with confusion and a myriad of questions but even he knew this was a time reserved for other things. They had symbolically claimed each other but not in deed. As Jaden's cock twitched inside Wren a hunger overtook all concerns in Jaden's eyes.

Wren knew what was about to happen as Jaden's strong and calloused hands locked on to his hips. To forestall the impatient desire for release that would see their lovemaking reduced to bestial and straightforward rutting, Wren lowered down even as Jaden rose. As they met, Wren grabbed Jaden's head and locked him into a passionate kiss. Keeping Jaden in that half risen position, Wren began working the top third of Jaden's hard length with rolling hips.

After gently but insistently pushing Jaden back down, Wren returned upright, sliding fully over Jaden's silken steel as he leaned back. Soft claps of dampened flesh echoed in their ears in time to Wren's rhythmic rise and fall. He gasped in surprise as Jaden reached out and grabbed his bobbing member and rubbed his thumb over the head to catch a clear drop off it. Under Wren's shocked gaze, Jaden lifted the smear of clear fluid to his mouth and licked it off.

Wren unconsciously tightened himself around Jaden's engorged heat at the sight, eliciting a groan from Jaden. With a wet pop, Wren lifted off Jaden and moved over to a lounge. On his knees, Wren scooted up until his chest rested against the elevated head rest as he Wrapped his arms around it.

“Come over her and enter me from behind...No rush! Take your time to feel what you do, to enjoy it.” Wren said as Jaden scrambled to enter Wren.

Jaden almost whined as he said, “But I ache for release!”

Wren reached behind him to grab onto Jaden's slippery tool and guided the angrily swollen head past into his tight ring. Jaden's insistent thrust was stopped at two thirds by Wren's fist.

Help me, inner self. Show him what I need to feel good with him.

Jaden received a mental flash of a slow, deep grind against a special place within his lover.

“A-alright, I understand. Just... please release me!” Jaden almost sobbed.

Wren relented as Jaden withdrew. Jaden lined himself up and watched in fascination as his hard length was swallowed into Wren's twitching hole. He leaned in and buried his nose into Wren's hair while wrapping his arms around the slender man, grinding into Wren as deeply as the pliant flesh beneath him would allow. At one point, when Jaden raised up slightly, Jaden and Wren both felt the invading heat pass a tightness deeper inside Wren. After three times of that band snapping around Jaden's flared head, Wren let out a wounded animal sound and as much as Jaden wanted to, he simply couldn't hold back any longer.

Latching on to the bend of Wren's thighs, Jaden straightened upright and began driving himself into Wren with hard and quick thrusts. Wren panted as he held onto the headrest for dear life as their sweat dampened skin slapped together. Two slower bruising thrusts wrung another choked cry from Wren that pushed Jaden over the edge as he spilled years of pent up loneliness deep within Wren. Collapsing on to Wren's back with laughing sobs, he started panting to catch his breath. After letting him stay like that till he calmed back down, Wren slid Jaden out of him and into the lounge.

Wren noticed the blue rapidly draining from Jaden's skin and said, “I've heard of blue balls but you were so sexually frustrated your whole body turned blue?”

Jaden weakly chuckled before he said, “I can only find that humorous because I know what is happening. Could you imagine my distress if I did not?”

Wren said, “Well, you mostly know. Instead of your false inheritance dissipating with time, I've taken it in along with quite a bit of faith power your father invested in you. I should have guessed that underneath it all, your father was a big tsundere.”

Jaden looked at Wren with inscrutable eyes for a moment before he said, “Then I should anticipate the return? In my weakened state, you should be able to overpower me quite easily.” Despite trying to couch it playfully, Wren could tell that Jaden was quite nervous and a little fearful.

Wren widened the lounge before burrowing under Jaden's arm and said, “As impatient as I am to empower us both, unlike the me that was actually there, that Jaden you saw through my eyes is not the you that is now. I will not take all that I know of that Jaden and take it for granted that you are the same or that I can just pick up where I left off. I played those games with him to keep our romantic entanglement distant and our friendship closer. He had other priorities I didn't want to edge myself into.”

Jaden interrupted a little bitterly, “He had a wife and a child, maybe as many as three. Sorry, I know you have said I am not truly denied such a thing but it is still a soreness I worry at.”

I don't get it. It's not like it was all roses with Lilly. The other two children betrayed his wife to live.

BZ replied, “You may be under a false understanding. The memory sharing that occurred does not indicate that he knows what you know. You have an inner mind that allows you to capture all sensory information and helps you retain it, he does not have such a thing. Most of what he witnessed was lost aside from a handful of key points that grabbed his attention. Another important piece I should share is that enough natal spirit essence still resides within your earthly desires point, your sacral chakra, for me to attach a connection to it. If you release that essence into Jaden, I can give him access to my functions.”

Wren rolled that information around in his mind before he said, “This situation is different. We are different. I want to share fully with you but I'm willing to wait until you are ready. Unlike that forceful and competitive sharing in the past, I want something a little more for us both... Not that we couldn't do it for fun but that's not what I want our first time to be like.”

Jaden pulled Wren tightly against him as he said, “This isn't simply a matter of my comfort, is it? This is a needful thing. Need lies over want but it does give me peace that you wish to take me in gentleness, even after I was unable to do so for you. I-I did try but it ached so.”

In fake thoughtfulness, Wren said, “ Well, I don't actually have much concern or need for condensing my spiritual essence until I am Tier IV. By then, I could bond another for the purpose. Your fath-”

Jaden interrupted, “No!... No, even in jest do not say it. It may become needful to save your life some day and such thoughts and words would plague me whether my imprint sees such a person as a threat or not.” Jaden sighed heavily before he continued, “Come then. Show me this gentle union. It seems I am in need of learning it anyway. You don't think that I would come to enjoy receiving attentions more than giving them, do you?”

Wren heard the note of foolish fear towards the end of Jaden's declaration, so he said, “Even though that other you came to enjoy the occasional reversal of roles, he never stopped enjoying stirring the pot more, so to speak. It does bother me that there seems to be some sort of internal idea that being on the receiving end somehow lessens your self-image.”

Jaden quickly responded, “I-it's not as if I see you as being less than what you are or anything. At the same time, I cannot help how I feel. Could you please just do what needs to be done before I lose my resolve!”

Ugh... That's probably the best I'm going to get before I show him that it's not some sort of pain ritual he has to endure. All of these misconceptions from one incident of playing with a 'toy' he found once when he was twelve. Well, that and all those stories he heard from the Suncave running band, sitting around objectifying their conquests. His head is full of ridiculous alpha and beta male bullshit.

Wren looked up at Jaden and said, “Then you better kiss me now because in a minute you may not want to.”

Jaden complied then asked as Wren started trailing kisses down the hard ridges of his stomach, “And why is that?”

Wren looked up mischievously and said, “Because even though you'll like what I'm about to do, it's a common aversion.”

As Wren exercised some power to clean and prepare Jaden, eliciting mixed reactions, Jaden said, “I don't think I'll have any aversion to kissing you if you keep doing that. Wh-what!?”

While Jaden spoke, Wren worked kisses and nibbles around the base of Jaden's cock to his velvety sack before dipping under as he levered Jaden's legs up to expose the dark man's shockingly pink pucker. Giving an experimental sniff, Wren found that his precision cleaning had been exactly as he liked it. The smell of fresh sweat and Jaden's stronger musk came through with no other unpleasantness mixed in.

Wren worked his face and tongue into the muscular butt as he licked and tongue fucked the shy hole. He hadn't realized how much he missed the power of a bond until that moment as Jaden's shocked and pleasant surprise skittered within Wren's mind. Wren reveled in Jaden's enjoyment as he tossed all the cursed items and accrued miscellaneous jewelry, aside from a decorated jewelry box that had yet to be sifted through. He kept at it, giving the occasional lick up Jaden's perineum and nuzzling his nose into Jaden's smooth sack to better smell the dark man's musk, until he started feeling uncomfortably full.

Understanding that playtime was over, Wren worked a slick digit into Jaden and started digging for the sweet spot as he raised a little to rest Jaden's toned thighs on his shoulders. He brought Jaden's rousing member to his mouth and began slurping on the exposed glans, slowly working a second finger in. It made him feel better about needing to push this experience upon Jaden as he began seeing how worked up Jaden was getting despite not expecting to.

Between grunts, in time with Wren's finger digs, Jaden said, “Why... all this... Just take me and be done already.”

Wren grinned saucily and said, “As you wish but what I'm doing is to make it feel better. Just shoving yourself into someone isn't pleasant for them. Not a big deal for me because I have healing but on a normal person, you could hurt them badly. No worries though, your first time pain is going to be nearly non existent.”

Wren narrowed down the lounge so he could comfortably straddle it and after slicking himself and Jaden's blushing ring, he worked himself in with delicious slowness while releasing enough LE to cause Jaden a moment of blankness.

Is it wrong that I'm thinking 'like father, like son' in such a time? Lucky for him, he won't actually remember that cute little breathy moan he just did. That's going into the special memory folder...

As Wren slid home, feeling the bottom of Jaden's nuts brush against his lower abdomen, he shuddered a little trying to keep from an embarrassing quick finish.

Damn it! I forgot I have the first time sensitivity thing going on right now too. Troy was so close to helping me out with that but I suppose I should be grateful. Because I kept the cork on the bottle, Jaden's going to get his own personal connection with Buzz too. I bet there's other ways though... Hurry up and snap out of the LE kick, Jaden! The way you're grunting and pushing against me's gonna make me shoot any second!

Wren pulled himself out just enough to squeeze the base of his cock. He wanted this to last a bit longer than his body was wanting to let him. Wren grimaced against the sudden ache inside that had nothing to do with his lack of control. He suddenly understood what Jaden had been talking about earlier.

Jaden's eyes came into focus and locked onto Wren's. They were icy and hard in their intensity but Wren didn't feel threatened. Jaden was waiting for Wren to finish because that jolt had kick started Jaden's libido and he was primed to do some brutal claiming again. In that moment, Wren realized that he was looking at inner Jaden, at the moment, and inner Jaden wanted inner Wren. Wren was going to give the impatient instinct what it wanted but first he was going to pleasurably teach it some manners.

Now that he had settled down a bit, Wren gave a slow experimental thrust that was laden with just a wisp of LE. Inner Jaden moaned and looked at Wren with confusion. After two more, that confusion was mixed with anticipation. Wren felt no need to hold back, since what he was giving he'd be getting back with interest a little later, so he infused every single slow, grinding slide with a little wisp of essence.

Inner Jaden had finally been pushed to the edge of what he could endure as he leaked drop after drop of clear fluid after every drive home but he wasn't the only one. The ache within Wren threatened to transform into sharp pain if he would not relent soon. Since it was time for Wren to give way, he threw a little extra essence into his thrust as he built up intensity to hard and eager gut churning. As Wren looked down to where he was joined with his lover, he saw that all his hard won persistence had won him a thick foamy ring of pre-spilt excitement and came undone as he jerked and slammed his love as deep into Jaden as he could get it.

He had to admire inner Jaden's persistence. Despite the clear trails of fluid down his angrily engorged tool, he held it in. It left Wren feeling disappointed that he hadn't gotten Jaden off with just a thorough ass breeding but to get a little revenge against inner Jaden, he reluctantly withdrew from the silky heat to drop down and slurp all the glistening nectar off Jaden's rod before he could react, causing the inexperienced instinct to break control and spill in Wren's mouth. As the first thick lash of condensed SE began pleasurably lashing his consciousness to oblivion, he gave inner Jaden a trollish smirk and let inner Wren take over.

***

As the first hints of dawn pierced the fog around them, Wren realized they were laying on the beach with Jaden protectively curled around him. He belatedly realized that shoveling all those cursed items into his void all at once may have been a little rash. As he began untangling himself, Jaden woke up as well. Looking at each other a little confusedly, Wren unpacked the memories of when inner Wren had the wheel and blushed furiously as he realized that inner Wren had been so into it own enjoyment that it had forgotten about the boat but even after it had disappeared the two instincts had just kept up their fun in the water until they were so worn out that if it wasn't for Jaden's aquakinetics they likely would have drowned. He almost got angry over the recklessness until it dawned on him that it was due to inner Wren's trust in Jaden that it had held no concerns.

Wren said, “It seems our other sides moved the party to the water in our absence. Here, let me get all this sand and salt off of us.”

Jaden looked at Wren a little frightened as he said, “I hope this isn't a common event. It makes our union seem dangerous.”

Wren said, “Our inner selves were just having fun and got a little carried away. Believe me, they are better equipped for survival than even we are. How do you feel?”

Jaden moved around a bit and said, “I feel amazing actually. I almost feel as if I've reached the end of what I can reach without some understanding to push me further.”

Wren nodded and said, “You've reached the apex of Tier III as you are currently. You need to form a manifestation.”

BZ chimed in, “That is correct. Communing with your holy beast spirit should grant you insight on how to proceed. Not much resides in the database that Origin has granted me on Outsider bloodlines but the fae portion of your heritage is malleable in nature and will harmonize with whatever direction you grow in.”

“What was that?” Jaden said, startled.

Wren replied evenly, “That's Buzz. We don't talk about Buzz with our outside voices though. He's our little secret.” Wren winked at Jaden before conjuring up a sumptuous breakfast.

“That's interesting. I love hearing about other's secrets,” said a familiar and, to Wren, despised voice.