The Brotherhood - Single White Fang Part 8

"Yet you force us both into it."

David perked up. "Did you say both? As in, the two of us?"

Jory rolled his eyes, then grinned. "Yes, you and I, and Amour Magique makes three. But we leave early. Deal?"

"Deal." Excited as a young boy, David picked Jory up and swung him around in a half-circle. When he stopped, both were laughing.

"You can't just do that," Jory protested, although he didn't seem in a hurry to let David go. "I'm as tall as you are. And I am so not the girl in this relationship." He tilted his head to a side. "What? I said something, didn't I?"

David turned his head to kiss Jory's arm. "Relationship," he said softly. He rolled the word around on his tongue and, to his surprise, decided he liked the way it tasted. He hadn't thought after Tommy that he'd ever want this kind of entanglement again.

But with Jory ... anything was possible. He just felt it, deep down in his gut.

"Yeah." Jory caressed David's face. "Meant it, too."

David's heart swelled. G.o.d. Could he ask for anything more? He didn't think so. "Dance with me?" he asked, wrapping his arms tightly around Jory. "Right here, in the kitchen. Then the bedroom."

"Now you're talking." Jory did a little shimmy against David. "What do you have in mind?"

Kissing him, David reached out blindly to the counter. He broke off the kiss to triumphantly hold up a key. "We're opening the trunk. I finally got all that rust off, and I found one that should work. There's no way I was going to open the trunk without you here with me."

Jory looked surprised. His mouth opened and closed a few times. After a moment, he spoke, but all he said was, "Oh, s.h.i.t."

Chapter Eight

David stared at Jory. "What's wrong?" He knew he sounded like a little kid, and he could have kicked himself for it, but ...

he'd thought Jory would be as happy as he had been at finding a key that fit the trunk. Jory always ran his hands over the old thing when they went into David's bedroom. Rubbed it like a lucky charm or something he'd invested a lot of emotion in.

Getting this kind of reaction was more than a surprise.

David could tell Jory was thinking at ninety miles an hour.

"It's nothing," he said, his grin definitely half-hearted. "Just had someone walking over my grave, is all."

"Hey. No graves for you, okay?" David cradled Jory's a.s.s in both hands. He gave the cheeks a light squeeze. "I don't plan on losing you to a coffin any time soon."

"Yeah. Me neither." Jory brushed David's cheek with a kiss. Then he shifted his weight from foot to foot. "Are you sure you want to spend time on an old box? There are other things we could be doing." He tucked his hand into the front of David's jeans and gave a playful tug. "People that each of us could be doing, people who happen to be conveniently standing in the same room with the other."

David almost weakened. "You really don't want to know what's inside the trunk?"

Jory made a face. "I don't know. It's kind of like a ..." He struggled for words. "A Pandora's Box. Does that make any sense? I get the feeling that if we open it up, anything could come flying out."

"Worst thing I can think of is a moth or two." David squeezed again, kneading rhythmically. Jory gave him such courage; it felt so easy to touch the man. "Come on. Do this with me, and ..." He still blushed when he said what he wanted so openly. "You can do whatever you want with me."

That got Jory's attention. He glanced up, hazel eyes suddenly sparkling. "Anything? You would go on top?"

"Anything you want, you've got, you know that." David pressed against Jory, chest to chest. "But yeah, I could take a turn in the driver's seat."

"Won't Sweet Rose get jealous if you're accelerating me around?" Jory got his own handful of a.s.s, but simply cupped David instead of pushing him a little further. "She's one tough lady. I don't want to get on her bad side."

"I think she'll be all right with the idea. Or," David lowered his mouth to Jory's ear, "we just won't tell her."

He bit at Jory's earlobe, loving the way his lover's breath hitched when he sucked the soft tissue into his mouth and flicked it with his tongue. "Humor me," he coaxed. "Open the trunk, and then you get to look beneath the hood."

Jory laughed and shook his head. "Okay, David. You win." He stared at David, seeming somehow wistful. "Let's go open that trunk. And if you still feel like it afterward, we can get on with some grown-up playtime."

"I'm pretty sure I will." David gave Jory a light spank before pulling them apart. He caught Jory's hand in one of his, picking up the key with the other. "Let's go see what's there."

David tried to ignore Jory's lagging behind as they made their way to his bedroom. It wasn't a big place, but then again, his whole apartment didn't have much in the way of square footage. The room had just enough s.p.a.ce for a double bed, extra long, a nightstand, his closet, and the trunk.

David had stacked his nighttime reading across the old wood and metal -- antique books that were too worn to be worth anything at the Antique Barn, but that he found fascinating for all that. Seventeenth-century zoology texts were his latest kick. He loved the whole, "Here There Be Dragons" feel of the ma.n.u.scripts. It'd been medical journals the previous month. Who knew what would come next? Maybe history.

Maybe whatever lay in the trunk.

David pulled them to a halt at the foot of his bed and knelt in front of the piece. Carefully, he lifted off the old books and put them on top of his comforter.

"Mmm," Jory said behind him, surrounding him with cool arms. "A man on his knees. I just might enjoy myself."

"Insatiable," David shot back, although he didn't push Jory away. He smoothed his hands over the top of the trunk. "I can refinish this, you know. Make the wood gleam again and get the bra.s.s all shiny. It could look as nice as it did before, almost brand new."

"Wouldn't that be something." Jory had moved on to nuzzling David's neck. He nibbled the sensitive skin where his neck joined his shoulder. David gave a heavy sigh and leaned back, raising his hand to tangle all five fingers through Jory's curls.

"Keep on doing that, and I'll forget what I'm working on here." David thought uncomfortably that that might be exactly what Jory had in mind. "Come on, quit it." And who ever thought I'd be saying that to a s.e.xy man in my own bedroom? He brandished the key. "It's just like Christmas," he said. "Let's see what's under the tree."

Jory exhaled heavily. "Fine, David." He sat down cross-legged, but for all his curt words, gave David a light scratch on the back.

"Ohh, do that again." David almost forgot the key in his hand. He arched back. "Harder, and to the left." When Jory's nimble fingers obliged, he almost began purring. "That. In my opinion, that is one of the best parts of being in a relationship."

"What's that they say?" Jory murmured, sounding amused. He didn't stop moving his hand, although he was drifting downwards. "I scratch your back, you scratch mine?"

"Keep on doing that, and I'll do anything you want."

"Including keeping that trunk closed?"

David stiffened.

Jory stopped plying his short fingernails. "G.o.d, I'm sorry. Forget I said anything, okay?"

"No." David shook his head. Anything was possible, but not if Jory kept throwing up roadblocks. It wouldn't have mattered if he hadn't been interested in the trunk, but this almost felt like he was keeping a secret. "What's in there that you don't want me to see?"

Jory went deadly still. Even his breathing stopped for a few seconds. Then, with a deep inhale, he shook his head. "I have a bad feeling, that's all. Whatever's in that trunk hasn't seen the light of day in a hun-- probably a hundred years. What if there's bad luck inside?"

"Oh, come on!" David elbowed backward. "I didn't figure you for the superst.i.tious type." He turned to look at Jory. "Are you serious?"

Jory looked serious. "No." He moved in to kiss David's temple, then ruffled his fingers through the longish hairs curling down over his neck. "Go on, babe. Even if there's a boggart in there, I think we can take him. You and me, together. We're a team, right?" He reached for David's hand and pressed down on it. "Open the trunk."

David examined Jory's face for a long moment. Finally, he nodded. He still wasn't sure what was going on behind those hazel eyes, but he had to trust that what he'd found with Jory was good. This just happened to be a speed b.u.mp in the road.

They'd get past it.

He lowered the key to the polished lock on the trunk. "It might not work," he offered. Jory made a noncommittal noise. All the same, his grip tightened as David carefully inserted the key.

It fit.

Taking a deep breath, David turned the thing ... then whooped with delighted laughter as the tumblers clicked. He pumped one fist in the air. "It worked! How cool is that, Jory?"

Despite his previous reluctance, Jory was leaning in. He stared intently at the turned key. "I changed my mind," he said abruptly. But before David had time to react, he held up his hand. "Open it up. I do want to see what's in there."

David shifted uneasily, pa.s.sing his weight from knee to knee. "You're sure?"

"As I ever am, of anything." Jory kissed the edge of David's cheekbone. His eyelashes tickled. "b.u.t.terfly kisses," he said softly. "Go on, David. Open Sesame."

David gripped the sides of the trunk lid. "Here goes nothing," he joked, lifting carefully. Old wood and metal creaked in protest, but it came open, sure enough. And inside? A wealth of riches. He stared in reverence, hardly daring to touch.

"Wow," he breathed. "Look at all of this!"

Jory angled for a better view. He reached inside. "It's a whole soldier's kit," he said, sounding awed. He made a face.

"Phew. Smells like I was right about that mildew."

David was still too caught up in the trunk's contents to worry about the odor. He gazed at them with the love of the true collector and reached in with his big hands, knowing that at times like these he could be wonderfully deft. "Wood compartments,"

he said with reverence. "I think this tray lifts out."

"What all is in there?"

"Sundries, looks like. That was probably a needle -- all corroded now. And thread. A whole bobbin of it." David handled the items respectfully, not taking them out of their boxes. "Oh, wow, look. A pair of stripes. Lieutenant's, I think. This guy must have been going to sew them on."

"Except he didn't," Jory said softly. "I wonder what stopped him? A bullet, maybe?"

David frowned, looking at Jory, who gave a shrug, looking uncomfortable."I'm just saying. This is why I never tried to open it. This is part of a real person's past, not just something to go through and be all excited about. Everything in there meant something to a soldier a long time ago."

David nodded slowly. "I get what you mean. Why didn't you just say?"

"It sounded girly." Jory rubbed the back of his neck. "I can't help wondering what that soldier would think about strangers going through his things. It might make him uncomfortable, if a piece of him was still around."

"Like a ghost?"

"Or something."

David stroked his thumb along the tray's edges. "We can stop now, if you want," he said quietly. "Leave all this to rest."

Jory hesitated. "You do what you want," he said at last. "I can't stop you. The trunk is your property now."

David didn't like the way that sounded. "Listen." He gave Jory a light shake. "What's mine is yours, understand? Maybe I bought this from you, but it was yours all your life. If it means that much to you, I'll shut the lid and leave the past to take care of itself."

"Yeah." Jory gave him a half-fond, half-annoyed look. "And you, the soul of antiquities, would be going insane every spare second you had, wondering." He shivered. "Just pick a couple of things to look at. Then close the trunk."

David examined his lover. "You're sure?" When Jory nodded, a strange sadness in his eyes, David bowed his head in agreement. He could sort of understand Jory's point. Even though he spent his time among the relics of times gone past, examining bric-a-brac that had been precious to someone once upon a time, even sold it on a day-to-day basis, he could see why Jory wouldn't want anyone stirring up the dust of his family's past. It was good of him to let David have a peek.

And who needed a trunk when they had a lover to keep happy? David leaned over and kissed the tip of Jory's nose.

Jory laughed, then sneezed. "Hey, not playing fair!"

"Gotcha." David winked. It felt good to be giving Jory his way. Suited his nature. He liked to give, and he didn't want to cause trouble or make waves. On the spur of the moment, he decided he'd give Jory the key after they'd locked this up. No temptation. The past could stay in the past, except for -- "Two things?"

"Two." Jory was grinning now. "Off the top. Deal 'em straight."

David gave the genuine-looking dress uniform he could see toward the bottom a wistful glance, then reached in and extracted an old, leather-bound book. It was remarkably intact, although the cover bore a dark stain. Blood? Mud? With a soldier, it could have been either.

"A journal," he said, hushed. "Is this okay?"

Jory nodded. "What's that underneath it? Make that your second thing."

David was willing enough to give in. He reached in, grinning as he pulled the object out. "Spectacles! Old wire rims." They were almost perfect, with just a bit of rust here and there. "Didn't you say you needed a pair of these?" Playful, he unfolded the gla.s.ses and pushed them gently onto Jory's face. He laughed to see the expression on Jory, first cross-eyed, then startled.

Jory blinked at him. "Wow," he said after a moment. "I didn't realize."

"Realize what?"

"How handsome you are." Jory turned so that he faced David completely. The gla.s.ses looked like a perfect fit, his eyes sparkling beneath. "There are these amber lights in your irises. I thought they were plain brown, but now I see the difference. You have tiger eyes. Anyone ever tell you that?"

Delighted fingers explored David's face. "I didn't realize things were so blurry. I can see so much of you now. The way the lamp reflects off your hair. Your smile -- yeah, keep on grinning."

"They work?" David was amazed.

"As if they were made for me." Jory adjusted the earpieces. "Although those could use a tune-up." He touched David's arm.

"Can I keep them?"

David's eyebrows drew together. "What about all of that leaving the past to the past?"

Jory looked guilty. "Well ... that was before I found the gla.s.ses. Okay, you got me. Christmas time, presents under the tree and everything." Despite his words, he reached up and pulled the trunk lid shut. "But that's all. You have the journal, I have the gla.s.ses. That's all we need."

David didn't understand. His lover, so simple and straightforward at first, was turning into a mystery on him, and he wasn't sure he liked it. "I don't get you sometimes, Jory."

The other man sighed. "I wish I could explain. Sometimes I don't understand myself." The very thought hurt, but David had to know. "Are you hiding something from me?"

"David ..." Jory bit his lip, then rushed in to kiss David, throwing all his body weight behind the move, knocking David down onto his hip.

"Don't," Jory said into David's neck. "Just don't, okay? Let me love you. That's all we need. Just us and love. Please?" He stroked David's c.o.c.k. "Let me in."