"It's not pity," I murmured, shifting my mouth so that I could kiss the soft skin just beneath one ear, so that I could scrape my teeth down his neck as he shuddered against me."It'spossession."
The startled, heated sound that tore from him was like a lance of fire, straight through my mouth, my chest, my cock.His fingers dug hard divots into me; his mouth was open against the skin of my neck, his breaths coming in heated gasps.I licked at the skin of his neck, and realized, distantly, that he was trembling against me – there in the kitchen, with the forgotten tray of tea next to us.I curled forward against him, nuzzling into the juncture of his neck and shoulder where he'd marked me before, mouthing the skin there, kissing and sucking – and when my teeth scraped his white skin, a ragged sound caught in his throat – my name, gasped."Sashen," he repeated, all heat and want and buzzing with an unfamiliar subvocal, electric beneath my lips, and –
The door to the kitchen slid open with a violent clatter and Araxis jerked away, so hard and sudden that I nearly fell from the counter.He stood, his back against a bank of cupboards, flushed so pink he was nearly red, his skin absolutelygleaming– luminous – although his eyes were wide, frantic.
"Araxis –" Vivith's familiar voice cut off, a precipitous drop into complete silence.
A moment later, a rapid set of footsteps sounded from the hall."Sashen, I must tell you –"
I slid from the counter, turning to look and pretending that I hadn't just taken Araxis from looking perfectly composed to utterly debauched over the span of one heated kiss.Vivith and Elethenn both stood, staring into the kitchen.For the first time since I'd met them, Vivith had also gone a peculiar, sickly looking silver.Their stare barely flicked to me, seemingly caught on Araxis, and they lookedshocked.Which didn't make a huge amount of sense: after all, they knew Araxis and I were involved.Or that we had been.I didn't know why it would be such a surprise to find us making out.
Behind me, Araxis shifted.He cleared his throat, but seemed unable to speak.
So I did."Welcome back, Vivith.I see you've met our Elethenn.Did you need something?"I asked, taking in Vivith's tight posture, Elethenn's expression – stricken.My own skin was flushed, and I could feel my pulse against the surface of my throat, in my lips, in the depths of my belly.I shook it off a little, concern cutting through the heady haze of desire.
Vivith didn't even look at me, stepping into the room, their black eyespinnedon Araxis, who was still unmoving behind me."You – Araxis, you must not listen to the lies you're about to be told.You know that I have always been a loyal member of Creche Thiel –"
Elethenn still hovered in the doorway, shoulders tight, his mismatched eyes narrowed with what looked like pain.He was shaking as he stood there, his hands trembling.Any lingering lust evaporated at the sight of his misery, the flames entirely doused."If that is true," he said, voice quivering, distress a sharp note underneath, "then you need to know, Sashen.And if – If what I've seen –"
"What he'sseen," hissed Vivith, whirling on Elethenn, nearly growling."He was rejected from Creche Hanalthi, no?I am certain he is well-trained in sowingdiscord.How could weevertrust anything he has to say?"
Elethenn jerked back as if struck, his face matte white.
"Okay, okay," I said as I took in the two of them, baffled."Alright, why don't we – We'll just talk it out.Everyone can have a chance to say what they need to say and –"
"Oh, I'm certain you would like that," sneered Vivith."The longer you can prattle on, the easier it is for you to worm your way in and –"
"Enough."Araxis pushed off the back wall of cupboards, taking a long, hard inhale.Vivith fell to silence, hands twisting hard in front of their dark robes – although their chin remained up, their posture proud, mouth a hard, flat line."Elethenn, what did you wish to say?You can come in, if you like."It was gentle, considering it could be a command, but Elethenn took a couple of careful steps into the room, hugging the outside wall.His head was bowed; he folded his hands behind his back.
Elethenn stared at the floor, jaw working."I – Sashen, you know that I saw an unfamiliar abaya leaving your apartment building on the day of the break-in.I think – I – No, Iknowit was your Vivith.I recognize them, now that we have met."He looked up, his eyes wet with tears as he trembled, his stare darting between me and Araxis."If – Araxis, if you knew, if you lied to Sashen about this, I could not – I could notstay–"
I felt as if I'd been punched, right in the centre of my chest."It's alright, Elethenn," I said distantly."He didn't know."Because he couldn't have: he'd told Vivith to leave me alone.That must have been after –
Although.
"That's when we were at the art gallery," I said carefully, not bothering to look at Vivith, instead turning to stare at Araxis, who had gone pale, all the colour drained from his skin, his posture suddenly stiff."When we were both busy.But Vivith was with that shuttle manufacturer, Ai'lun Industries, and –"
HadAraxis been a part of this?Had he arranged to take me away so that Vivith could –
"The meeting was done via call," said Araxis distantly."I had to travel to Central later in the week to sign the papers.Vivith," he wrenched his stare from mine, and suddenly the air was bright with fury."You weretoldto stay away.It wasa command."The abayan word sounded like ash and fire as he said it.
And if I'd been uncertain, even then, whether Araxis had anything to do with the break-in, the way Vivith reacted made it clear.
"Your new antali is making up stories to ingratiate himself to you," Vivith said, flat."Or else he is soblind–" My fingers spasmed on the counter where they were resting, and Elethenn flinched, "that he does not know one face from another.You told me to leave your Sashen alone, Araxis, and I did.Youknowme.I do what is best for the creche."
Araxis's chest hitched as he stared at his hatch-mate."I have a number of concerns with what you have just said, Vivith.Elethenn is sinnenthi; you will refer to him as such.You will not disparage his skills nor will you be so careless with your word choice in his presence or in mine."His jaw worked, his stare growing darker and sharper, like the edge of a vicious blade."You may do what you believe is best for the creche, true, but whatyoubelieve can differ from what your head of house directs you to do.And I did not simply tell you to leave Sashen alone, Vivith: I told you todrop this, which includesbreaking into his private spaces."
The subvocal that was tearing from Araxis's pale throat was nearly a growl, one that made my skin prickle with danger, but Vivith's chin remained tipped up."So," Araxis continued in simmering, furious abayan, "you will tell me now, did you do this despite your directive?"
Vivith exhaled, sharp, as they studied Araxis down the length of their nose."You surround yourself with dangerous people, Araxis," they murmured, staring at him.And then, with a pointed glance my way, they switched into Standard."You surround yourself with liars and pedants whose aim is toweakenyou.Who will show you the way, if you only have broken things around you who will spit out whatever rote phrase you ask them to when you pull their strings?Little shards of glass who only ever reflect back what you wish to see: do you imagine yourself beloved and adored?There is nothing real in this creche if I am not here.There is only the void at the centre of the earth.Endanaan, afraid and thrashing."
To his credit, Araxis didn't react beyond the flicker of his eyelids."So it is true, then."
"Truth is whatever you believe it to be, apparently," said Vivith.
"Truth is what I will find on the security feed," he snapped."And that will be?"
Vivith shook their head, taking a step back, and then they hissed something in abayan so quietly and so quickly – all sibilant sounds, a sharp song that made the hair rise on the back of my neck – that I couldn't make it resolve into words in my head.And then Vivith turned on their heel and stormed from the kitchen.
