Sui Generis – 18

 

Mag eyed Brand warily when Antton told him that, before saying, "And then you came home."

"Yep. It took a while to track you down but at least you had sense enough to let some of the people we knew know where you were."

"Well, duh. I told you I got this place so that… well…" Mag looked away, chewing his lip.

"So I'd have a home, even though you didn't have a clue what had happened to me. For all you knew, I could have moved on to a new city or something."

"True, but I thought if you'd done that, you would have let me know and… hell, we've been over this before. I'm sure Antton doesn't want to hear us rehash it."

Antton chuckled. "Not really. I'm more than glad you did escape, Brand. I just wish you knew from where. Still we have one thing on our side; Fedor wants you back and seems to want you terrorized into submission when he finally decides to capture you again."

"Well, that's not working. He's just pissing me off big time."

"Good. Now I have a question for you—an important one," Antton said seriously. "How often have you shifted?"

"Once, when I finally realized what was happening. I waited until the middle of the day when I knew Fedor and the others were sleeping." He grimaced. "I'm not too certain I want to try it again. It ain't fun."

Antton came over, clapping him on the shoulder. "It gets better with practice, I promise. I think you need to try it a few times, with me. I can help ease the pain until you get the hang of it and teach you a couple of tricks, like coming back quickly and fully dressed."

"Do you have to teach him that?" Mag said, before turning a bright shade of red.

Brand actually laughed, and realized it was the first time since he began telling his story that he had. "Come on. You've seen me naked before."

"Yeah, well…"

Antton arched an eyebrow. "So the two of you are more than just friends?"

"No," they both replied, almost as one.

"We've messed around a bit but that's it," Mag added, sounding regretful that was all there was to it. "We're only human." He managed a bit of a smirk. "Well, I am. Brand seems to have other things going on I had no clue about."

After studying each of them, Antton nodded. "Not to be accused of giving romantic advice, but I'd say it's time the two of you explored your feelings, now that Brand has opened up. I suspect, if I'm not way off base, his emotions have been under tight wraps because he was afraid of what might happen if he let them out."

"Maybe," Brand said, almost under his breath. He smiled at Mag. "God only knows you tried to get me to talk and I fought that tooth and nail, which meant I had to keep everything else held tightly inside as well."

"That, plus what Fedor put you through, would be cause enough to be stoic and silent," Antton told him.

Brand just nodded, still smiling at Mag.

*****

Mag tried to return his smile, but he was afraid—afraid Brand would take it the wrong way—or the right way and not want what he was willing to give him.

That he'd had feelings for Brand almost from the first was a given, as far as he was concerned. That he'd tried to keep them to himself was also a given. He wasn't big on rejection. Sure, they'd played around some. As he told Antton, they were only human and spent most of their time together before Brand had been kidnapped—and all of their time together after he'd come back.

At least all of it when we were both awake and I wasn't off at work. But we told each other we were just friends, nothing more. Even living together the way we are, we kept it to that, claiming it was friendship. Damned frustrating, as far as I'm concerned, but I wasn't about to push it and have him walk away. Still, he must have some idea of how I feel. Or not.