Alchemy and Songcraft

Concordium Chapter 48 - Alchemy and Songcraft Chapter 5

Alonzo

Fridays I had two long classes, my Music Practicum from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and my Physics Lab from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Jason was going to drive me out to the house he was using as an alchemy lab as soon after 11:30 a.m. as we could arrange it. He was going to check on whatever he was concocting there, and on the people who were brewing it, and I was going to start working on dinner. I'd promised to make enchiladas for us tonight. By going there during my break I could get them prepared and in the refrigerator so I could pop them in the oven after Physics Lab.

Jason had picked up a couple of instant pots, some cookware, and some dishes for us to use. The kitchen wasn’t completely stocked but we had all the essentials. He told us that the plan was for us to use the house as a getaway from the dorm from time to time. So long as we didn’t spend weeknights there, we wouldn’t break the rule that required freshmen to live in the dorm.

All four of us had classes at 9:00 a.m. so we had a little time for breakfast before going. We went to the dining hall in the dorm because they had an omelet station on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. We all had omelets, although Erik had one and three quarters because he ate half of Kieran's and a quarter of mine in addition to his own. Jason and Kieran had mushroom, green onion, and tomatoes. I had bell peppers, jalapenos, onions, and salsa. (Still no green chilis, but at least they had jalapenos.) Erik had sausage, mushrooms, and onions. He also ate two side orders of bacon. Erik and I had coffee, while Jason brought his own tea bags for him and Kieran (the kind you fill yourself from loose leaf tea) and used the hot water from the dining room.

After breakfast, we went our separate ways. I didn't want to be late for practicum because I was anxious to make a good impression. I'd worn a pair of tight jeans and a purple and gold western style shirt with pearl buttons that I wore open in the front to show off my plain teal tee shirt. I wanted everyone to see the gold necklace Erik had bought for me. I also wore my cowboy hat.

It looked like everyone else in the band had the same idea. They were there even earlier than I was. There was a makeshift paper banner that said Dreaming Dragons hanging over the stage. Mariah Tovey, the keyboardist and second lead vocalist, came running over to me and threw her arm around my shoulder. "I'm so happy to see you Alonzo," she said with a broad smile that let me know she was telling the truth.

I really liked Mariah. She was Billy's girlfriend and she teased me a lot about being young (she acted like I was a lot younger than I was), but she was always smiling when she did it. Billy McAndrews was the lead guitarist and the leader of the band. He wrapped his arm around me, squeezed me tight and kissed my temple. He liked to hug me and kiss me, more like I was a younger brother than anything sexual. George Marley was the drummer. He had the least to say to me, but what he did say was complementary. He often gave me encouragement over my perfect pitch and excellent timing. Jill Black was the other member of the band. She played bass guitar and sometimes did backup vocals along with Billy.

Billy had somehow gotten us on the list for the big performance at the mall during Family Weekend, which was great. But it was also just a couple of weeks away. The band had decided to play only songs they knew already. We would get the opportunity to do five. I already knew the lyrics to three of the ones they'd chosen, including Bailando. I was about to jump for joy because Enrique Iglesias was one of my favorite musicians. I'd have to learn the other two as soon as possible. Sometimes I’d forget everyday things, but I had never forgotten a lyric.

There were a few fumbles, but none of them were mine. I'd messed up six notes during our practice, so I decided to admit to it before the whole group. They were all looking at me like I was from another planet. Finally, Mariah smiled and said, "I caught three of the six you mentioned, but they were so minor I wasn't going to bring it up. You are too sweet and innocent for this business, Alonzo."

"The only mistake you made I noticed was that you stood in front of me the whole time," George said with a scowl.

"I'm sorry, George. I didn't mean to block you. I'm not very good at either standing still or standing where I'm supposed to," I admitted with a sigh.

George came over to me, picked me up in a bear hug and said, "Don't worry none about that, boy. I'm not much to look at. Bands always put the pretty out front and keep the talent in the back. But watching you stand in front of me the whole show is distracting as hell because I can't help but see the way you move that little ass of yours."

He grinned at me then winked as he put me down. "I'm just kidding, kid. Not about your butt being a distraction. That part's true. But that's a me problem, not a you problem. Keep up the good work."

Everyone agreed that we were on track, but we had to work hard to get ready for the upcoming concert on the mall. Mariah hugged me and kissed my forehead when I was getting packed up and said, "You sing like an angel, Alonzo, and your range is amazing."

Jill came up and joined the hug. It had been this way all through high school. Lots of girls treat gay boys like me as if we were pets or mascots. I had to admit that I liked it. I'd also liked it when George had picked me up and hugged me, but that one had been sexually arousing as well. Back in high school I never would have looked twice at a bearded guy with a twenty-something dad bod, but I thought my tastes were maturing a little.

I helped the band pack up their instruments quickly and then danced off to the dorms to find Jason. While crossing the quad, I bumped into a heavyset guy in basketball shorts and an oversized tee shirt while I wasn't paying attention. I didn't hit him hard, but he shoved me back so hard I went tripping over a bench and sprawled on the grass, landing face first.

"Watch what you're doing, faggot!" he yelled.

I was picking myself up from the ground when I heard Jason and Kieran shout my name from some distance away. I jumped on the guy who'd punched me and started hitting him with my fists because I was not about to take this shit lying down. I wasn't a fighter by any means, but I didn't think he expected me to fight back at all. He stepped back at first, then he held me at arm’s length, swung his fist and hit me in the face. The next thing I knew, I was lying on the ground and Kieran was holding my head.

"Are you okay, Alonzo?" he asked with a worried tone in his voice.

"I heard Jason's voice before I saw him. He was saying, "What the hell do you think you're doing? That boy is half your size!"

I looked over and saw Jason with his hands raised in a fighting stance. The guy who'd shoved me had a split lip. He was trying to grab Jason, who deftly moved aside and gave him a desultory slap along the back of his head, like he wasn't worth the effort of punching him out.

Kieran sat down next to me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders as we watched the fight. I should have been watching where I was going. I shouldn't have been so caught up in dance steps that I didn't see the guy, but he shouldn't have shoved me either. A foot to one side and I would have hit my head on the stone bench instead of the grass.

"The faggot ran right into me," the guy yelled. "He should look where he's going."

Jason slapped him hard in the face four times. "He's. Half. Your. Size."

The guy made another lunge at Jason, who sidestepped him again, grabbed his arm, and redirected him onto the grass. I didn't hear what Jason said when he knelt next to the guy and whispered into his ear, but the guy crawled over and knelt on the ground next to me and mumbled an apology.

"Now get out of here before this little guy's boyfriend sees us because he isn't nice like me," Jason ordered. The guy stumbled to his feet, grabbed his backpack, and walked off as fast as he could.

Jason examined my face and said, "I can fix you up once we get back to the dorms, Alonzo. Nothing broken or displaced, so we don't need to bother Marvin."

Jason picked me up, like he often does to Kieran, and carried me across the mall towards Baylor Hall. Kieran had his arms wrapped around Jason’s waist and my legs, which I’m sure didn’t make carrying me any easier. When we got to the dorm, Kieran let go, ran up to open the door and then walked ahead of us telling people to get out of the way. It was the most forceful I’d ever seen him. I was touched.

Jason put me gently onto the bed and Kieran snuggled up next to me, holding me tight and comforting me with both his physical presence and his empathy. I could feel him through the bond that had been slowly growing stronger between us every time we hugged and kissed. I could feel his love for me and I knew that he could feel my love for him. It was like my feelings were reflected and amplified by his own. I only really felt it when we were in close proximity, but Kieran sometimes came to my room and gave me a hug when I was feeling frustrated or annoyed. I suspected he could feel it over greater distances.

Jason pulled a chair up next to me and dipped his fingers in a jar of rose-colored unguent that smelled faintly of honey and thyme. He carefully spread it on the wound to my mouth and I could feel it tingling as it was absorbed into my skin. “This will heal your lip instantly, carino.”

I didn’t know if Jason spoke Spanish or just knew a few words, but he’d called me dear. It wasn’t really a romantic word; it was the same thing my aunt called me. It warmed my heart a little. He was very sweet with me and I appreciated it.

Once the unguent had been completely absorbed into my skin, he mixed up some tea and held it out for me. “This will heal all your bruises and leave your skin pretty as new.”

“Thank you, sir.” For some reason I felt compelled to call Jason sir. He was just so authoritative.

Kieran kept holding on to me until Jason sat on my other side and pulled me into his lap. By then all the pain had receded. Jason said, "He shouldn't have pushed you, little guy, and I've already punished him for it. But you need to watch where you're going. He overreacted, but you caused the incident. I'm going to tell Erik and he is going to have to punish you. I don't want you to give him a hard time over it. Take what’s coming to you like a good boy."

With Erik, I always pushed back and teased him, but Jason made me feel like a naughty little boy who'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He'd never chastised me before and all I could do was say, "Yes, sir."

Jason kissed my temple and then put me down. He told me to get anything I needed because we had to go. So I grabbed the box my tia had sent me while he was giving instructions to Kieran. “You can leave your clothes on for your two study sessions today, Sweet Prince. And I’ll see you later.”

He didn’t give Kieran a kiss on the temple. He gave him a very passionate kiss on the mouth that made his boy melt in arms. A momentary pang of jealousy washed over me and I immediately felt guilty. I didn’t really want Jason to kiss me like that, did I? That would be a betrayal of both Kieran and Jason.

I gave Kieran a smile. I knew that Sally Minh was coming over to help him with his algebra and then he was going to Darren's room to work on his paper. That meant it was just Jason and me this afternoon. I'd never spent any time alone with him before, but now I was looking forward to it. He walked me out to his SUV and opened the door. I didn't even resist him when he put his hand on my back and helped me into my seat, or when he belted me in.

This guy was unbelievable. He was turning me into a submissive boy child, and for some reason I had no desire to fight back. When he pulled into the drive at the house, I sat there submissively and waited for him to open the door and help me out. He put his arm around me and led me into the house. The place was really nice. The living room was set up as a lounge with comfortable chairs and couches arranged to facilitate a lot of people holding conversations.

Gwendolyn and Seth Gray were sitting in the room when we came in. They were twins and both were juniors. The Grays belonged to one of the fifty families. They were scattered across the country, but Gwendolyn and Seth were from Santa Fe, New Mexico. They both had long brown hair and light gray eyes. Both were tall and slender, but not overly thin.

I'd been asking around about other mages, so I'd heard about them, but Jason introduced us formally. He'd been two years behind them at the Academy. They said they were pleased to meet another mage from the southwest and promised we'd talk later.

They wanted to talk to Jason about the alchemy lab in the basement, but he told them to wait while he showed me the kitchen and got me started. I had to work quickly because I had a class at 3:00 p.m. I set the chicken breasts to braise in some chicken broth, chopped onions and the green chilis my tia had sent me. They were from Hatch, and she'd smoked them herself before shipping them on dry ice. She’d also sent me fresh Mexican oregano, garlic, and cumin from her garden. So, I added those to the braise in the precise amounts she'd given in the recipe she’d sent me. She'd already adjusted the recipe for chicken breasts, since she usually used the more flavorful thighs.

While that was cooking, I made the enchilada sauce with fresh ancho chili powder, tomato paste, flour, and chicken broth. I'd helped my tia make enchilada sauce before. I included the dash of cinnamon she'd marked as optional, because she’d always used it and her sauce was so good. Tia sent me good Mexican cheeses, queso quesadilla and anejo enchilado for the filling, and queso blanco and cotija for the top. I put the spice blend together for the rice, but I'd decided to use canned refried beans. I barely had time to shred the chicken, fill the enchiladas and put them all together before I had to go. I covered the dish in foil and put it in the refrigerator.

Because Jason was already gone, I invited the twins to have dinner with us in exchange for Gwendolyn translocating me to college. She'd already been asked to do it by Jason, but she accepted the invitation anyway. I hadn't been aware that there was a hidden arcane circle in Severan House, but there was. It was in the basement behind a secret panel. Gwendolyn told me that, apparently, the college was originally founded by mages and Severan House had belonged to the founder. I wondered if there were any of the Severans left.

 

Jason

Kieran had awakened me in the middle of the night, whimpering and crying. I was afraid to disturb him, so I held him tight against me and crooned soothing words in his ear. I'd stopped giving him the elixir of dreamless sleep because it was interfering with the development of his astral body, and this was the result. I knew that he was caught in another nightmare where he was tormented by Kyle Mason. I didn't know what to do to help him. When he began whining, "No! Leave me alone. I don't want you. I only want Jason," my eyes grew tearful.

Eventually he calmed down and slept fitfully, but quieter than before. I too fell back asleep but didn't rest well.

 

Kieran

I woke up feeling exhausted. In my dream, I'd found myself in that bathroom again. He came in. This time I heard him, and I tried to run, but he grabbed me with his big hands. I screamed and fought, but he overpowered me and wrestled me to the floor. He fell on top of me and slapped my face until I saw stars. He ripped my clothes off me and left me naked and shivering on the tile floor. I was screaming, but he didn't care. He ripped the plug out of my butt with a savage yank and thrust his big cock inside me.

Suddenly he was grabbed from behind and thrown off me. He slammed into the sinks, and I rolled into a ball and cried.

Then I was alone in the hallway of the dorm. I was wearing my short robe with the dinosaurs on it. I could hear someone behind me breathing heavily. I couldn't turn around because I was too afraid to face my pursuer. I started to run. I pounded on doors, but no one answered. Then he pounced on me from behind. He tore my robe off and pushed me onto the floor. With a snarl, he fell on my back and knocked the air out of my lungs. He grabbed the plug in my butt and ripped it out. As he thrust inside me, I yelled, "No! Leave me alone. I don't want you. I only want Jason."

There were more scenes, in more places on campus. I was attacked in all my safe spaces, including my room and the art studio. In each place, he violated me. Tears were streaming down my cheeks when I awoke, but I was held in Jason's strong arms and that made me feel safe.

"I'm sorry, Little Prince," he said. "I don't know how I can help you, but I will figure it out."

We lay there until it was time to get up, our bodies pressed tight, Jason's arms surrounding me. We didn't have sex, but eventually we got up and went to the shower before Jason prepared our tea and medicinals. I was determined not to let my bad dreams get the better of me, so I put on a happy face and joined the others.

Despite everything, Fridays were a fun day for me. The only class I had was my art studio and that was my favorite. All four of us went to breakfast in the dining hall before class. Jason ordered me an omelet with mushrooms, green onions, and tomatoes. I gave half of it to Erik because Jason wanted me to eat some whole grain toast with avocado as well.

After breakfast, Jason walked me to the art studio and left me in the capable hands of Sally Minh. She showed me pictures she'd drawn of guys she'd seen around campus she thought were hot. I noticed one common thread in all these guys she liked.

"Sally?" I asked. "Are all these guys gay?"

She laughed and gave me a hug. "I'm not looking for a boyfriend, Kieran. Stan here (she pointed to a sexy blond with a goatee) and Kiet (she pointed to a really cute Asian guy) both like to kiss, and they don’t mind kissing girls, although Stan says that he has to close his eyes and pretend I’m a boy.."

I must have looked surprised, because Sally laughed and then said, "Can I kiss you and show you, Kieran? Or would Jason object?"

I didn't know if Jason would object or not. He let me kiss Alonzo. Would kissing a girl be the same thing? I felt naughty, and that was a little exciting. It's not like I hadn't kissed girls before in high school. She was looking at me expectantly, so I nodded my head and said, "I don't think he'd mind."

Sally leaned in and kissed my lips. It was like kissing Alonzo, except his lips were fuller and softer. She put her hands behind my head and pulled me close. We kissed for a minute or so. She didn't use any tongue and because Jason had taught me to be passive in a kiss and to accept his tongue in my mouth, I didn't use any either.

"Your lips are nice, Kieran, really soft," she said. "I like kissing gay boys because I like kissing and I'm not looking for anything more and neither are they."

"It was nice kissing you too," I replied. "It was like kissing my best friend Alonzo."

"Do you two kiss a lot?" she asked with a twinkle in her eyes.

I nodded and replied, "We do. Our men like to watch us. Erik says it's like when two straight guys watch lesbian's kiss."

Her laugh turned to an evil chuckle at that thought and I was sure she was going to try and draw something like that and show me later. I loved Sally. I'd never had a female friend before, and I really liked it. She and I worked together in the studio again. Professor Gordan walked around the room and assessed our pictures from last week. We were working on another set piece, this time involving a trio of monkey figurines playing musical instruments. Once he'd made notes in his iPad on every picture, he had us put them in numbered frames so we could display them in the hallway outside the studio. He invited us all to make comments on each of them before next Friday.

Then we spent the rest of the period sketching out the monkeys. I decided to include some people who were caught in the middle of transforming into monkeys. It was a pretty dark theme. The people didn't seem to be enjoying their shapeshifting. There was a shadowy image in the background, lurking in the darkness and radiating menace. I didn't realize at the time that the figure resembled him. Not how he was now, clean shaven and well-groomed, but the shaggy and slovenly look from the beginning of the year.

Sally looked over and put her hand on my shoulder. "That's dark, Kieran. Who's the man in the shadows?" she asked.

"It's him," I whispered. "He's been in my dreams this week."

"He looks sad to me," she said.

I looked at the picture. He had a look of threatening menace, but she was right. He did look sad. It didn't make me fear him less, but now I also felt sorry for him. What was my brain trying to tell me?

I didn't want to think about it right then, so I looked over at Sally's sketch. She'd included the monkey figurines but had surrounded them with dancing animal boys and girls in her clean manga inspired style. It was like a furry dance party. The funny thing was that I could recognize some of the figures. I was the bunny boy dancing with a dragon guy, who had to be Jason. Alonzo was there too, with fox ears and a tail. Most of the guys from her sketchbook were there. She was one of only a handful of girls in the picture.

"That's great!" I exclaimed. "You made me a bunny."

"You are a cute little bunny, Kieran, and your friend Alonzo is a little fox," she said.

"You're the cat girl singing with the band," I pointed out. "I didn't know that you could sing."

"I can't, thank you very much for reminding me," she laughed. "That's why art is fantasy!"

We kept working and watching and glancing over at each other's sketches. I loved working with Sally. She made me feel comfortable, safe, and loved. And I really did love her art. My own sketch was different from my normal style. I was pushing my boundaries on this one and I was more than a little bit uncomfortable because of it.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Damn that's good, Kieran. You're very talented."

It was David Campos. He had a friendly smile on his face, but it made me nervous. I didn't know what to do. Jason and Sally had both told me to stay away from him, but he seemed earnest and kind. "Thank you, sir," I said.

David inhaled sharply and said, "You are a polite little thing; and you smell nice, too. Don't worry. I won't touch, but… damn!"

He seemed earnest and his tone was lighthearted, but he was making me uncomfortable. I didn't know what to do so I smiled at him. When he turned away and went back to his seat, Sally punched my arms and said, "Stop smiling at him when he comes over here. He's not supposed to talk to you."

I had to talk her down from texting Jason right then and there and letting him know about David. I didn't want Jason to hurt him; I just wanted him to leave me alone. The two of us continued to chat while we finished the preliminary work on our sketches.

As soon as the doors opened and other students began leaving the studio, Jason worked his way through the crowd to join me and Sally. He wrapped his arms around me from behind and held me tight while he kissed my neck.

"Has my boy been behaving himself?" Jason asked Sally.

"He's been good," she replied, "but David Campos was literally sniffing around him during class."

Jason turned me around and looked into my eyes. "Did he scare you, Little Prince?" he asked.

I shook my head, "No, Sir, he just made me feel a little bit uncomfortable."

"Pack up your stuff," he said, with a determined look on his face. "I've got to get you back to the room so I can take Alonzo to the A House. You have some study sessions before dinner."

We parted ways with Sally because she needed to stop off at her own dorm room before coming over. On the way back across campus, we saw a heavyset guy pushing Alonzo. We both ran as fast as we could. I ran over to Alonzo to check and see if he was okay, while Jason ran up on the guy who'd pushed him. I was too busy worrying about Alonzo's wounds, especially the bump on his forehead, to care about whatever Jason was doing to the other guy.

Afterwards, Jason and I helped Alonzo back to our room. I was really worried about him. He had a split lip and some bad bruising. Jason picked him up to carry him back to the room and I held on to give him comfort as we walked. I was happy to see Jason be so gentle with Alonzo, but I was a little jealous, too. I hadn't had to share him with anyone since we'd been together, except for that one kiss between him and Erik. I felt guilty about it. Alonzo was my friend and so was Erik. It made sense for Jason to take care of Alonzo when Erik was away.

While Jason was tending to Alonzo, I held onto my best friend as tight as I could trying to make him feel better. He relaxed in my embrace and I could feel our minds mirroring that physical connection. I let him feel my love as best I could with my limited experience. The two of us had been growing closer every time we kissed or hugged. It was like we were building an empathic bond completely different, and yet in some ways deeper and more open, than I had with Jason. My zhangfu was so hard to read!

When the two of them left together, I felt sadness and an unworthy jolt of jealousy. I set that aside. I was actually happy that Jason was being so sweet to Alonzo. I wanted him to love Alonzo as much as I did. I was just upset because I couldn't go with them, despite not having a class. I had two study sessions this afternoon.

My first session was with Sally. She came to my room to help me with my algebra and to look at my art in the sketchbooks I never took to class. Jason had told me to keep my clothes on while she was there, so I was still dressed. We didn't really get a lot of work done, and she insisted I join her for lunch at the Student Union. I decided to be a good boy and eat a healthy meal. I had a small salad with cashews, gouda cheese, and dried cherries.

Sally kept pointing out hot guys in the food court and we chatted about them. The funny thing was that I didn’t usually notice how good looking other guys were, but I could definitely see it when Sally pointed it out. I guess I just had eyes for Jason. And Erik, of course. He was the only other guy who made me hard just by talking to me. Even Alonzo had to touch me or kiss me, but Erik was handsome and he smelled so sexy.

At one point the subject of sex came up. Sally said, “So, Kieran, I am going to go out on a limb and assume that you’re a bottom.”

I laughed and turned red. Then I answered quietly, “Oh yeah. I was a virgin when I met Jason, but… um… yeah… I am exclusively a bottom. But I don’t mind. I don’t think of myself as the kind of guy who tops. I’m Jason’s boy and bottoming is… well, it’s what I do in our relationship. It’s what I want to do.”

She put a hand on my arm. “And you enjoy that? Just bottoming, I mean.”

I nodded and sighed. “You have no idea, Sally. When Jason makes love to me, it’s the best thing in the world. It’s almost like my penis doesn’t matter. My whole world seems to be concentrated in my ass. My orgasms start there and they spread through my whole body. My dick is just part of it. I can feel it in my butt, my stomach, my chest, and even in my fingers and toes.”

She asked, “Is it okay if I keep asking you some questions, just to satisfy my own curiosity? I’d ask Stan, but he’s cagey and sarcastic. And Google just seems too impersonal. I want information from someone I can trust, someone with firsthand experience who won’t try to turn it into a joke.”

I nodded and took another sip of my iced tea. “Go ahead. I’m not an expert. I’ve only been with one guy in my life.”

She asked bluntly, “Do you eat salad all the time because you want to keep things clean down there?”

I almost choked on my tea. “Wow! You went straight to the heart of the matter! I eat salad because Jason wants me to eat healthy food. I don’t need to worry about keeping clean because Jason gives me this special tea that makes sure that I am. But I did read that a high fiber diet helps. And anal douching.” I whispered that last phrase.

Just as we finished our lunch, the blond guy I’d seen earlier in Sally’s art came over to our table. Now that I was paying attention, I could tell that he was a handsome man with short, almost spiky hair and bright blue eyes. “Do you mind if I join you for a moment?”

Sally gave me a look that said she was deferring the decision to me. I nodded and gestured toward the empty chair. “Go ahead.”

He gave me an appraising look, but I felt no danger from him at all. A little lust, but no threat. “Well, hello, cutie. My name is Stanley Nowak, or just Stan. And I am very pleased to make your acquaintance.”

He held out his hand and I shook it. “I’m Kieran Morgan. Pleased to meet you, too.”

Stan shook his hand out with exaggerated motions. “You’re very strong for a… um… will it insult you if I call you a short guy?”

I shook my head and smiled. I was blushing and normally I was uncomfortable talking to people I didn’t know, but he was giving off nothing but friendly vibes. Sally, however, was always looking out for me. She jumped in and said, “Don’t let his size fool you. Kieran is quite a jock. You should see him diving. He’s all muscle.”

Stan gave me a mock leer. “Oooh, I can see that in his biceps. Let me see them, you tiny little swim stud.”

I flexed my muscles in an exaggerated manner and made what I hoped was a funny macho face. Stan wasted no time in feeling my biceps. “Mm-mm-mm. You’ll have to let me know next time you’re diving so that I can come watch you.”

I gave him a look of exaggerated severity. “My boyfriend doesn’t mind other guys looking, but no one touches without his permission.”

Of course the only one Jason ever let touch me in a sexual way was Alonzo. He loved watching the two of us touch as much as we loved touching each other. But I couldn’t help playing along with Stan’s teasing. We chatted about inconsequential things until he came to the point that had brought him here. “That new club is opening this evening and I was thinking that you should come, and we can go dancing!”

He was looking at Sally, but he kept eyeing me. Finally he turned to me and added, “Both of you should come.”

I smiled and replied, “It sounds… interesting. But my boyfriend has already made plans at a house he owns in town.”

Sally looked at Stan and shook her head. “Kieran’s boyfriend is bigger than you, and he’s extremely overprotective. I suggest you stop thinking what you’re thinking right now.”

Stan sighed, “Oh well, a boy can dream.”

I glanced at my phone to check the time. “I’ve got to get back to my room and get some more work done, so I’ll see you later.”

“Do you want me to walk you back?” Sally asked.

I gave her a determined look and shook my head. “No matter what Jason thinks, I can walk a few yards back to my dorm without an escort. I’ll see you later.”

I left and walked back to the dorm by myself. I felt nervous, but also excited. I knew I was breaking Jason's rules. I wasn't supposed to go anywhere without him or one of my babysitters. I was proud of myself that I didn't need anyone. I was almost back to the dorm when I ran into Simon Carter. I didn't know him, but I knew who he was. He was a very handsome black guy. I thought he was tall, but I remembered that he used to be shorter than me before I'd taken the Biantai elixir.

"Kieran," he said, walking up and putting a hand on my shoulder. "I've been meaning to come talk to you. Do you think you can stop by my room for a few minutes?"

"Sure," I replied. I'd heard that he was a player, but never that he'd forced himself on anyone, so what did I have to lose? I knew that he was rooming with Drew, the werewolf pack leader, and I trusted him as well.

Once we were inside his room he motioned for me to sit in one of the chairs. He seemed distracted and nervous. He sat in another chair and pulled it closer to me. He took several deep breaths and let them out. Finally, he spoke.

"I want to ask you something big, something you may be reluctant to do. Hell, I'm reluctant even to ask, and Jason may kill me for even suggesting it," he said.

I just looked at him. I had a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach, like there was a dark cloud hanging over me. I didn't even want to listen. The way he was beating around the bush, there could be only one thing he wanted. I started shaking my head almost imperceptibly.

"Please, Kieran, just talk with him. I'll be here and I can control him if I must, but I won't have to," he said.

"Why?" I cried. "Why do you want me to talk to him?"

Simon stood up and wrapped his arms around me. He said, "You two need to talk. You're in his nightmares and he doesn't know how to get you out."

"His nightmares!" I yelled. I was on the verge of hyperventilation. "He's the one raping me! He does it repeatedly! I can't get away from him!"

"Raping you is his nightmare," Simon said. "It's been his nightmare for two weeks, but now you're in it somehow and that's making it real for him and for you."

He hugged me tighter and stroked my hair. "Will you please talk to him? He can't hurt you."

"Okay," I whispered. I didn't want to see him, but I did want to know why he was stalking me in my dreams. "I'll do it, but it's not going to be easy for me."

For some reason, Simon had a deep need for me to talk with his… friend? I could feel his need radiating out like an overwhelming force, almost bowling me over. He also seemed to be telling the truth that he could help me by keeping him from hurting me. And Simon's feelings for him were hard to read. They were powerful and complex.

Someone knocked on the door and Simon said, "Stay seated. I'll get that. Don't move."

When Simon opened the door, he came in. He looked… good. It was so different from a few weeks ago. He was clean shaven, and I could see his strong jaw with the cleft in it. And he was tall, taller than Jason, but shorter than Erik. He still had a little bit of a gut around his middle, but I could see the powerful muscles in his arms and legs because his shorts were so short, and his tee shirt had no sleeves. When he moved, I could see that he was still a little too soft in the abdomen. Shaved and sporting a nice modern haircut, I could see that he was a very handsome guy.

None of that stopped me from getting a little light-headed and breaking out in a cold sweat when he came into the room. I wanted to hide, to withdraw inside myself, but I had to know if he was dangerous. I opened my mind, just like Rakesh had been teaching me, and I was overwhelmed. This big, handsome jock guy was afraid, and guilty and so incredibly sad that I had to raise my barriers a little.

"I don't know if I can do this, Simon." I thought it was me speaking aloud the thoughts that were in my mind, but it was him.

"Come here, Kyle. Come sit on this bed so you two can talk," Simon said, leading the bigger guy over to sit down.

We sat in silence for a while, until Simon said, "Silence is golden, but you two aren't going to solve anything if you don't talk. Kyle, start by telling Simon what you've been wanting to say."

He looked at me. His skin was a little darker than mine, but right then it looked paler. He started to say something, then stopped, then started again, then stopped. Finally, he said, "I'm sorry, Kieran. I… I didn't… I wasn't… Fuck it! I'm not going to make any excuses. I was a horrible piece of shit. I never should have put my hands on you, and…”

None of his words had any effect on me. I was still hating him, and I was raising my barriers to keep him out. I managed to keep hating him all the way up to the point when his eyes welled up with tears and he started to quietly sob. Simon had to kneel on the bed to put his arm around him.

"I don't deserve it, Kieran. All I deserve is your hatred, but maybe one day you'll be able to forgive me. I'm not that person anymore. That person was full of hate and I'm not like that anymore. I promise. I'm… I accept who I am now. I'm gay and… I couldn't accept it before. I hated myself and it made me hate others who didn't hate themselves like I did. I…”

He seemed to be unable to stop his mouth from talking. I interrupted him and said, "I don't know if I can forgive you right now, but I'm not curling up into a ball of anxiety and that's a good sign. I need to… I need to know more, but I don't trust your words. Can I…?"

I let my barriers down a little and reached toward his mind. He recoiled for a moment then forced himself to relax. The surface of his mind was so full of shame and self-hatred that I couldn't read anything else. The feelings were so intense that I could feel them eroding his control. I wasn't an expert, but I thought he might be on the verge of trying to hurt himself.

I took a deep breath and stood up. "I can't see what I need to see, unless I can touch you," I said.

He stretched out his hand, but I shook my head. "No! I can't have you touch me right now. It must be me touching you and your hands have to be away from me," I said.

He put his hands behind his back and stretched out his foot. It was almost sweet the way he was trying not to startle me, how he was trying to accommodate my needs. But I was a beginner at this, and I needed to touch his ajna chakra. I moved onto the bed and knelt near him so I could touch his forehead.

"If he touches me, Simon, I'll have a panic attack. I'm counting on you," I explained.

Then I opened my mind and touched him lightly on the forehead. I could feel the energy flowing through me. I let my other hand lightly touch his vishuddha chakra on the throat. My own vishuddha chakra became energized and I felt my ajna chakra open like a third eye. Now I saw him as a pattern of energy, and I let my mind enter his.

I needed to get past the surface thoughts and get to the truth. He resisted, but I needed to know, and I forced myself past his feeble barriers and entered his subconscious thoughts. And that's when I saw everything. I recoiled in horror at the memories of all the attacks he'd made on gay guys and even on the girls who didn't excite him – and none of them had excited him because he was gay. In an instant I relived all his attacks including the one against me. These memories were close to the surface because they were preying on his conscience. I wanted to leave and tell him to go to hell, but I couldn't. He was feeling such powerful shame and guilt. He wasn't sure he could live with it. He had thoughts of suicide, but he couldn't express them. Something was acting as a limiter on his will. I could almost feel it. And I thought that I could remove it if I could get my metaphysical hands on it, but it kept slipping out of my grasp.

But there was something else, something hidden beneath those memories. I had to see it. I had to know what he was hiding from me. He resisted with all his might, but I was driven by a need to know the truth. He erected a powerful barrier, much more powerful than he should be able to muster. I lashed at it with my mind, wearing it away. And then, when he was distracted fighting off these surface attacks, I thrust forward with a lance of mental energy and shattered the barrier.

What I saw made me want to throw up. I saw Kyle. Kyle alternated between the form of a child and an adult. There were other men. From Kyle's memories I knew that they were Kyle’s brothers and father. The things they said to Kyle. The things they made Kyle do. They forced Kyle into acts of cruelty, both physical and verbal. They warped and shaped Kyle into their own depraved images. And I saw the image of Kyle’s oldest brother, and I saw what he did to Kyle when Kyle was just a child, and then what he did to Kyle in high school. I saw how he'd attacked Kyle in the hotel room, beat Kyle, raped Kyle and may even have tried to kill Kyle.

And then everything went dark. I could hear loud sobbing. I felt around in the pitch blackness, and I felt a door with a locked handle. My mind was powerful enough to shatter that door. I focused my will and concentrated on the fact that I was going to get past the barrier. The door burst open. Inside, Kyle lay curled into a ball. He was shaking and weak. He was small like a child. Even I towered over him. I wrapped my arms around him and comforted him.

I could hear the voices of the brother and father calling him out and urging him to join their fun. I didn't know what they were doing, and I didn't care. I whispered into Kyle's ear, "You're not little and you're not weak. You can send them away."

Kyle's dream image stood up and seemed to grow to his full seventy-four inches. Then he was holding me. I helped him force the dream images of his father and his brother into small rooms and lock them in. There was a third figure. It was the most frightening of the three, but it stood still and watched, a shadowy figure that radiated dark malevolence. A door opened, and the figure started toward it, but Kyle's dream image reached out and stopped it. He reached up and pulled the mask from the creature's face.

Behind the mask stood the third brother's image. And that image came in to join our embrace. He was only a few inches taller than me. It was like the mask he'd been wearing had completely obscured who he was inside. He was only a little taller than me. He wasn't quite as thin, but he wasn't muscular like Kyle.

"You did it, Kyle," I said. "You got rid of them."

He shook his head and replied, "They'll come back. They always come back."

I patted his arm and said, "But now you know how to get rid of them, and you know that you can do it."

And suddenly I was kneeling on the bed, touching Kyle's forehead and throat. He looked at me with an expression of awe. He swallowed hard and then grabbed me and pulled me in for a tight hug. Simon tried to stop him, but he wasn't strong enough. He was shouting, “Kyle, stop! Simon says…”

I didn't want him to finish that phrase. I didn't know why, but I didn't. I reached out and touched his mind. I brushed aside the image of a snarling wolf pup and touched his vishuddha chakra with my thoughts. His voice froze and he couldn't speak.

"It's okay," I said. "You'll be able to talk in a minute or so, but… I don't want to ruin this moment."

It would have seemed too fast for anyone but a mind mage to understand, but in a moment of instant rapport I had seen everything Kyle had been hiding, right down to the core of his being. His words may never have convinced me, but I'd seen beneath his words, beneath his surface thoughts to the deeper levels of his consciousness. I knew that I didn't need to fear him, and I knew that the dreams we'd been sharing were gone. They wouldn't torment either of us again.

"I'm sorry for forcing myself inside your hidden thoughts, Kyle," I said in apology. "I was caught up in the moment and couldn't bring myself to stop."

"It's okay, Kieran," he said. "We shared something deep there. I've never felt like that before. It was like our minds were one for a moment. And I don't think I'll ever be the same."

I could tell that he was right. His mental barriers were slowly beginning to reform. He shouldn't even have mental barriers. Something was different with Kyle. When I forced myself inside his mind, I somehow awakened something inside him. He was so lonely that it hurt me to feel it. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him. I could feel that he was overwhelmed by fear of what Jason would do to him, but that gave way to a feeling of peace. It didn't last. I could feel his loneliness coming back almost as soon as I withdrew.

"There's an external force restraining your mind and your energy body," I said. "I'd almost been able to touch it, and I know that I could remove it if I could just grasp it."

"Don't!" Kyle exclaimed. "I don't know what he'd do then. I can't risk it."

He was terrified. I wanted to know more, but I didn’t want to pry further than I already had today and… well, I was completely overwhelmed by everything I’d just seen and experienced. The strange parallels between his life and mine and the different steps we’d taken had left both of us with serious trauma. I saw him in a completely different light now.

Kyle kissed my forehead and then drew back in alarm, unhanding me. "I'm sorry," he said. "Given my record, I shouldn't even be touching you, even if you did touch me first."

I stood up and got off the bed. I said, "It's alright, Kyle. You aren't threatening me anymore. I forgive you."

As I was leaving I said, "I mean that Kyle. I forgive you. You aren't the same person you were when you attacked me. I see that now."

He was smiling and Simon seemed confused as I left the room. The weight that had been on my soul was gone, and my anxiety was lessened. I was even breathing easier than I had been. Nonetheless, I felt weak and nauseous, and really hungry. I went to my room to eat one of the protein bars Jason’s family made before going to study with Darren. I decided not to tell Darren that I'd met with Kyle, and I wasn't sure what to say to Jason. I didn't think I could lie to him, but he was going to be angry that I met with Kyle without him being present.

 

Erik

Kieran came back from his last study session, and I was the only one in the suite. I was finishing some homework when he came through the bathroom into our room. He seldom came over if Alonzo wasn't here, so I suspected something was up. He seemed nervous. I scooted my chair back and motioned for him to come forward.

"Come here, sweetie, and tell me what's wrong," I said.

I never got to call Alonzo cutesy little names and baby him the way Jason did Kieran, so I pulled him onto my lap when he came over. He was gentle and gave off an aura that invited me to pet him and cuddle him. I knew that Jason didn't mind because he and I had discussed the boys and how we were going to interact with them. Cuddling was okay and so was friendly, but not romantic, kissing.

"I wanted to tell you about Alonzo, sir," he said. "A bigger guy pushed him around and was yelling at him. He hit his head and split his lip open. We ran over and Jason stopped the guy. He already beat him up and made him apologize."

"Is Alonzo okay?" I asked. My boy was the same size as Kieran, and he could get hurt easily by some of the guys on this campus.

Kieran nodded. "Jason healed him up and then he took him to do his prep work for dinner, sir."

I took a deep breath and held Kieran tight in my arms. "Thank you, little guy. I really appreciate you keeping me informed."

He made no move to get up. Instead, he leaned his head against my chest and stared at the door. I asked him, "Are you okay?"

He turned and pulled his legs up across my lap as well and said, "I did something, sir, and it was the right thing to do, but I think Jason is going to be mad at me, and I don't want to spoil the weekend coming up. But I think I have to tell him."

Jason's boy always seemed so vulnerable, mentally and emotionally, even more than physically. I felt that it was more than a little manipulative, but there was something else to it. He seemed to be perpetually anxious about not doing what was expected of him, of not being a "good boy". His heart was beating a little fast and I thought he might be trembling slightly.

I rubbed his back with my hand and said, "You're right. You do have to tell him. What could you have possibly done that was so terrible?"

Kieran looked up at me with those sapphire eyes of his and said, "I met up with Kyle Mason to find out why he's been in my dreams, sir."

Shit! I thought. Jason is going to blow his stack. Of all the things Kieran could have done, this may have been the one thing that would push Jason over the edge. I couldn't solve this one for the boy. He had to do it himself, but I vowed to be there with him unless Jason asked me to leave.

Aloud I said, "You know he's going to be angry, but it will be because you put yourself in harm's way, Little Guy."

I let him sit there on my lap, encircled by my arms until Jason came into the room, looking for him. It felt good to hold him this way, to comfort him. I thought Alonzo was prettier, but Kieran was the second prettiest boy on campus and that included that little Latino werewolf.

"There you are, Little Prince," Jason said. "I wondered where you'd gone. You had me a little worried."

Kieran stood up, ran over to Jason, threw his arms around him, and squeezed him tight. Jason soothed him as best he could and said, "Tell me what's wrong."

Kieran said, "I don't want you to be mad at me, Sir, but I went over to Simon and Drew's room and met with Kyle Mason because Simon said I needed to talk to him."

Jason sat down on my bed and pulled Kieran down with him. "Don't you know how dangerous that was, Kieran?" he scolded. "This is the man who started all this trouble. He raped you and now he's stalking you in your dreams. You could have been hurt. He could have attacked you again. What could you possibly have hoped to get out of that?"

I saw Kieran look up at his lover. His eyes were teary and full of anxiety. Jason was so much bigger and more powerfully built than Kieran, but his eyes were full of fear, not anger. Kieran finally answered Jason by saying, "I wanted to find out why he was in my dreams, Sir. I wanted to make him stop."

Jason pulled his boy close and demanded, "Did he hurt you? Did he even touch you?"

Kieran shook his head and said, "No, Sir. He was a perfect gentleman, and he kept his hands to himself."

Jason started to say something, but Kieran interrupted him and insisted, "Please let me finish, Sir. Kyle wasn't in my dreams; I was in his. And he wasn't having lustful dreams about me. Attacking me was his nightmare as much as it was mine. He was trapped in the dream and forced to keep attacking me and it was the greatest shame he ever knew. He needed my help to stop the nightmare. I helped him to stop the ones who were abusing him. He's not the same person he was before."

"And you believed that asshole? He was probably trying to manipulate you, Little Prince," he said, stroking Kieran's hair gently.

Watching the interplay between the two of them was fascinating and educational. Jason was clearly in charge, but he was listening to Kieran attentively while retaining all the authority for himself. I had no doubt that Jason was going to punish Kieran for breaking his rules, but he was being gentle.

"He can't lie to me, Sir. I'm an empath and I can tell. He's sorry and he won't do it again," Kieran said.

The look on Jason's face said it all. He was torn between wanting to praise Kieran for being brave and kind and wanting to blister his butt for being so reckless. In the end, he chose to hug him tight and gently chastise him.

"You are too good a person, Little Prince. You're too kind which could have gotten you hurt. I'm proud of you for wanting to help someone you thought needed it, but what's the rule about going off to meet people without my permission?" Jason asked.

"You told me not to do it," Kieran replied, resting his head against Jason's shoulder.

"If you'd asked, I could have gone with you to protect you," Jason explained. "We have a fun Friday and Saturday planned, but on Sunday I will have to punish you for breaking this rule. It's too important."

"Yes, Sir," Kieran said. "But Kyle wasn't dangerous… "

Jason smacked his butt harder than I expected him to and spoke firmly. "But you didn't know that when you went into that room! He could have been dangerous. And then you would have been vulnerable. We're going to our room to pack, and then we're going to forget about this until Sunday. And on Sunday, I'm going to punish you for breaking the rule, and I'm going to punish you for arguing with me."

"Yes, Sir," Kieran said, as he allowed Jason to lead him gently to their room.

I looked around and tried to figure out what I would need for tonight. I threw a change of underwear and a spare set of clothes into my gym bag, along with my laptop and my tablet computer. I wore my collapsible batons on my belt. No one knew what they were until I used them. I remembered to throw my kali uniform in my bag, just in case. I still had time to practice some moves before Alonzo got back.

***********

I didn't see when Alonzo came into the room. I had just finished practicing one of the forms used in kali when I turned and saw him standing just inside the door watching me. He was leaning against the frame and smiling. When he saw me looking at him he licked his lips sensually. My dick responded immediately, but there wasn't enough time for what he was thinking. We had to have dinner first and then… well, after dinner entertainment.

I ran over and grabbed Alonzo, lifting him up for a kiss. His cherry flavored lips were moist and inviting. He ran his hands along my jaw. I could see that he was wearing clear nail polish on his well-manicured hands, and he smelled of chilis, probably because he's been cooking before his last class.

"Te quiero a ti dentro de mi, papi," he said, “but there’s no time.”

I didn't know exactly what he was saying, but it had something to do with loving me and… My vestigial Spanish was coming back. Dentro meant ‘inside’. I want you inside… Now I had it. He wanted me inside him.

"There's no place I'd rather be than inside your hot little butt, mi puto maricon," I said. "But you're right. There's not time."

"You could take me like a bitch before we go," he teased. He was brushing against my lips and squeezing my waist with his legs.

I smacked his butt and bounced him a little against my body. "I'm a big guy, Alonzo. You need to feed me soon, or I'll be too weak to give you what you need," I whispered.

He pouted at me, and I kissed his neck. He smelled good. It wasn't just the chilis; even his sweat smelled good. "And you promised to give me enchiladas," I said.

He whispered in my ear, "Only if you promise to give me your chile grande afterward."

I squeezed his sexy butt cheek and said, "I promise to give you my tranca after we eat." I was finding time to do an online Spanish course so I could relearn what two years of high school Spanish was supposed to have taught me. But I needed to look up the dirty words so I could keep up with my lover boy.

We kissed for a few minutes longer. I found it sexy as hell that my boyfriend was thirteen inches shorter than me and light enough to carry around. But, eventually, I had to put him down and order him to start packing for an overnight stay at the Alchemy House. Alonzo had a band session at 9:00 a.m. so he needed to have clothes to change into. I always teased him about taking forever to get ready, but he was really pretty fast when the occasion called for it. Jason took longer, but I knew that he would have started earlier today, or even yesterday.

It was less than half an hour before we were ready to go.

 

Alonzo

Erik followed Jason's lead and took my bags as well as his own. Then he walked me out to Jason's car with his arm around my shoulder. He allowed the other two to pull ahead a little so he could talk to me in private.

"You weren't paying attention earlier and you ran into someone. He never should have touched you, and he wouldn't have if it were known more commonly around campus that you were mine. Do you think he would have dared to touch Kieran the way he did you?" he asked.

"Everybody knows we're together, Erik," I insisted. But I knew that wasn't what he was saying. I wasn't sure I liked where this conversation was going.

"That's not the same thing," Erik insisted. "Jason thinks I need to take a firmer hand with you, and I think he's right."

I started to object, but he held up his hand and continued, "I'm going to make it clear that you're mine and people need to keep their hands off. Expect me to show up and take you under my hand a little more in public."

"I'm not Kieran, Erik. You can't expect me to do everything you say without question," I said.

Erik smiled at me and said, "I hope you do question me. And I hope you stay just as feisty as you are now. Object all you want, but in the end, you need to do what I tell you. Concentrate on your music and your magic, and you let me worry about all those things you're not paying attention to."

"And if I don't?" I asked with my hands on my hips.

Erik threw our bags into the trunk, then bent me over in the parking lot and spanked my butt. He didn't hurt me, not really, but it was embarrassing. And the humiliation made my dick hard. When he was done, he said, "That's what. Do you understand me?"

I nodded, but that wasn't enough for Erik this afternoon. "Yes!" I agreed. "A ver si tu me tocas el culo esta noche, maton!"

Erik was looking at his phone and smiling. He read something and replied, "Call me a thug all you want, chico, but you know as well as I do that you'll be begging me to touch your culo before the night is out."

His smile was infuriating because he was right. I was addicted to his big dick. I wanted to beg for it right then in the parking lot. He kept smiling at me until I punched him in the chest. It didn't hurt him in the slightest. He laughed at me and then picked me up from behind and nibbled my earlobe until I started laughing too.

"Fine!" I yelled. "I give up. You're too strong for me and I can't stop you from brutalizing me at will. I guess I have no choice but to do what you tell me to do."

"That's right, puto delicado," he agreed. "You have no choice, and that means you're going to let me put you in the backseat and strap you in, and you're going to be a good boy and smile about it."

And I was indeed smiling. Which was making me mad because I shouldn’t enjoy being treated like a child! Erik opened the back passenger door of the SUV and helped me inside. He didn't pick me up or lift me like Jason did with Kieran; he put his hand on my butt and guided me inside like an attentive lover did to his girlfriend. When I sat down, I blew him a kiss. I didn't mind being treated like a princess.

Erik strapped me in next to Kieran who was kissing Jason passionately. I looked over at Erik and gave him my best pouty lips and puppy dog eyes. He laughed at me and then kissed me with just as much passion. When he broke the kiss he whispered in my ear, "You're going to be my novio delicado in public and my puto maricon in bed, my sweet little thing and my faggot bitch."

I whispered back, "I can play your sweet little thing so long as you don't forget that second part, stud."

Then Jason and Erik got in the front seats and Jason drove off. Kieran was excited. He'd never been to the Alchemy House before. Neither had Erik, but he wasn't as excitable as Kieran. I took hold of Kieran's hand and squeezed it. "Do you like enchiladas, Kieran?"

He gave me an apologetic look. "I've never had any Mexican food that you can't get at Taco Bell, but I really want to try it."

I knew Kieran was a ridiculously picky eater. "Do you like lasagna?" I asked.

He nodded his head and said, "Yes. I love lasagna."

"Well, enchiladas are kind of like Mexican lasagna. It has corn tortillas instead of noodles. It has Mexican cheese, chicken, and enchilada sauce, which is a mild red sauce made of chilis."

Kieran replied, "I used to think I loved hot food until Jason fed me a Sichuan shrimp dish with a lot of peppers."

I leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I made it very mild because I love you too much to burn your tongue."

"Thank you," he said. "I love you too."

I undid my seatbelt and slid next to Kieran. Jason looked back at me and ordered me to put my seatbelt back on. I smiled at him, flounced my hair and then fastened the lap belt. "If you don't want me moving around back here, you need to let me sit next to Kieran."

"You're so bad, Alonzo," Kieran said with a smile. And then we chatted a lot about nothing until we reached the house. I spent the entire time cuddling my best friend, our heads pressed together.

When Jason opened the door to help Kieran out of the car, Erik opened my door and dragged me toward him. I was giggling at the absurdity, but when Erik pulled me to the door, I put my arms up like a little kid and said, "Pick me up, daddy."

He pulled me out of the car and tossed me over his shoulder. That was more like it. I was never going to be Erik's little boy, but I didn't mind being his prey. Jason walked into the house with his arm around Kieran's waist, and Erik walked in with me over one shoulder and all our bags in his other hand. My man was strong and getting stronger every day. I loved the fact that he could cart me around like a caveman carrying his little gay lover.

In the house, he put me down and swatted my butt. "Your man is hungry, chico. Go fix me some dinner!"

"Ay de mi! My boyfriend is a maton who wants to keep me naked and barefoot in the kitchen!" I cried.

"That sounds good, but you should probably wear clothes since we're not alone in the house," Erik said. "I'll get you naked in the bedroom later when it's just the four of us."

I ran into the kitchen to get started.

 

Kieran

Alonzo was always pushing back against Erik and Jason instead of doing what he was told to do. I shouldn't enjoy it as much as I did, but I thought Alonzo was a lot of fun. He seemed to love it when Erik had to chase him down and grab him. I wouldn't do that to Jason, but I always laughed when Alonzo did it to Erik. He was naughty enough for both of us.

When Alonzo went off into the kitchen, I asked Jason, "Should I go help Alonzo with dinner?"

He replied, "I was about to show you around the house, but I think that can wait. Go see what help Alonzo needs."

He kissed me and patted my butt, then I ran off into the kitchen as well. Alonzo was turning the oven on when I came in. He'd already set a big glass baking dish on the counter. It had foil on top of it. I asked him what I could do to help, and he had me start opening cans of beans to put on the stove at medium-low heat. Then he had me cut some tomatoes and avocado. When I was done with those, he added chili powder and lime juice and stirred it gently. I helped him cook the rice while the enchiladas were baking. He used the instant pot and added tomato bullion, garlic, cumin, and chili powder. When everything was done, we put the beans and rice in big shallow bowls, sprinkled crumbly cheese over the beans and then carried everything into the dining room.

"Set the table for six. We need plates, spoons, and forks. We also need six tall glasses. I bought some fruit punch for you and me, and beer for everyone else," he said.

I knew that Alonzo sometimes drank wine and beer, but I didn't really like it. He was probably joining me with the kiddie drinks so I wouldn't feel left out. We’d set the table and made everything look good, then we called everyone to dinner. In addition to the four of us there were Gwendolyn and Seth Gray, the two mages who helped keep an eye on the Alchemy House. They were twins from New Mexico. Other mages came and went for various shifts, but the Grays were here overnight, every night. Jason had mentioned that they were the best alchemists at Severan, except for him.

I had decided to eat Alonzo's cooking no matter what, even if the texture or anything triggered one of my many food issues. But I didn't have to worry. The enchiladas were delicious. I made sure not to let the rice, beans, or the tomatoes and avocados touch each other, or my enchiladas, so nothing would get in the way of me enjoying them. Alonzo was right; there was nothing in this meal I didn't like. I had been skeptical of the enchilada sauce until I tasted it. It wasn't even very spicy.

During dinner, the Grays and Alonzo shared stories about New Mexico and west Texas. Jason chimed in sometimes. He’d known their younger brother Maximilian back at the Academy and had met them through him. Erik and I were kind of left out of the conversation, but soon everything turned to Severan and the hunters who seemed to be lurking around in the shadows.

When Jason said that the team was producing alchemical fire and oblivion elixir, I grew interested. The first was a fire that couldn't be immediately extinguished without an alchemical antidote, although it burned out in a minute. The second had to be administered orally, but it erased the last hour’s worth of memories. According to the Grays, they had already produced several dozen vials of invisibility elixir and an equal number of healing elixirs. They were waiting on supplies to make more of these latter two. It sounded like the committee was preparing for war.

After dinner, the Grays volunteered to do the cleanup, and Jason led us on a tour of the house. The basement was the alchemical lab, complete with ventilation hoods that led to the roof. The main floor had the living room, dining room, kitchen, a bathroom, and an office. The second floor contained a master bedroom (complete with its own ensuite) and three other bedrooms, along with another bathroom. There was a third floor that was almost its own apartment. It was narrower than the other floors because it was nestled under the sloping roof, which made it feel longer. It had two rooms that could be used as bedrooms along with a sitting room and a fourth bathroom.

The backyard was enclosed. It had a detached garage accessible from the alley behind the house with a shed that was built right against the back. There was a rusty old swing set and an overgrown garden as well. An area paved with flagstones lay just outside the back door. It was open on the sides but had a roof. Inside was an old grill and a picnic table.

"Do you like it?" Jason asked.

"I love it. It's too bad that we can't live here instead of on campus," I said.

"Even if we weren't freshmen, this place belongs to the Conclave doesn't it?" Erik asked.

Jason shook his head and replied, "The Conclave is notoriously slow to act when it would have to spend money. My dad bought this place. I was trying to decide whether to let him sell it to the Conclave when they got around to authorizing it, or whether I should buy it from him for us to use next year."

"Keep it, Jason," Alonzo exclaimed. "You and Kieran could live here and fill all those rooms with little magelings of your own. This is a pretty town and I get the feeling the mages have plans for it. It could be a really nice place for the magical community in a few years."

Jason nodded and gave Alonzo a look of appreciation. "You're perceptive, Alonzo. The mages do have plans for this place. They're establishing a full mage healing clinic and an office of the custodes," he said. "I was thinking that this would be a nice place to settle down. I can give up the beaches of L.A. if Kieran can give up the cornfields of Indiana, Erik can give up the frozen wilderness of the Upper Peninsula and you can give up the desert."

I looked up at Jason and asked, "Are you planning on all four of us living together?"

Jason hugged me tight and said, "Erik and I have discussed it. Would you like that?" he asked, looking at both me and Alonzo.

"Yes," I exclaimed happily. "I would love that."

Alonzo nodded his head and said, "We can't do it until next year, but I think I'd like it too."

Erik said, "We can stay here on the weekends if we want. We use the dorms during the week and sleep here on Friday and Saturday night."

Jason said, "Well, we are planning on staying here tonight at least. Although I've only bought a bed and linens for the master bedroom and the two rooms the Grays are using, so we'll all have to share tonight."

A big smile spread across Alonzo's face, and I was about ready to burst. Of course I wanted to spend the night together. We'd been together twice before, and I'd loved it both times. I didn't know exactly what our relationship with Alonzo and Erik was, but in that beautiful moment when Jason and I had joined together and had become one, I’d known that they would be with us, in some capacity, in the future.

The idea that I could live with Jason and still keep Alonzo close by was the most tempting future I could imagine. Then I had a flashback to that vision I’d had of the four of us together. I was suddenly certain that it was this house I’d seen. And I’d seen all four of us in that big bed, together.

We went back in through the kitchen door in time to see the Grays finishing the cleanup. They were using their wands and all the clean dishes were putting themselves away. We chatted with them for an hour or so in the living room before going upstairs. Since Jason was here, they were going to take the opportunity to have a night out and be back much later.

The master bedroom was huge, and it would have to be. It was dominated by a square bed, nine feet on a side. There was three feet of space on one side of the bed and six on the other, so it was roomy enough. The larger side contained a massive double sized chest of drawers, a vanity with a mirror, the door to the bathroom and another door to a big walk-in closet, which was the same size.

"None of the other bedrooms are this big," Jason said, "but they're big enough."

"Too big," Erik announced. "Given the width of the exterior of the house, that bathroom and walk-in closet, this room is too wide. The door to this room is only three feet from the door to the room next to it and yet there's about six feet of space inside. Plus, I think this room is at least three feet too deep for the available space at the back of the house."

Alonzo and I looked confused, but Jason was nodding at Erik. "You're good, Erik," he said. "This house used to belong to Octavia Severan, but she was willing to sell it to my father because her own had squandered the family wealth. She needed the money to reestablish her three nieces and nephews in business so they could regain their family's position. Several rooms in this house are bigger than they should be. That's why it could only be sold to a mage."

Jason readied our teas and medicinals so we could get ready for the evening's fun. Once we were done, Alonzo and I sat on the bed and kissed while Jason used the master bathroom and Erik the second-floor bathroom. Alonzo's lips were soft and inviting, and so was his skin. We were both naked because our men hadn't told us what to wear. Both our little cocks were hard as iron and ready to explode.

Erik was first to return. He didn't say anything, but he took off his robe and tossed it across one of the armless sofas against the wall. Then he climbed onto the bed and watched us. I could see his massive eleven-inch cock swelling. It was impressive. I had no idea how Alonzo took the whole thing inside him. Better him than me, I thought, better him than me.

When Jason came out of the ensuite, he took off his robe and, unlike Erik, he hung it nearly on a hook before climbing into bed. He also watched Alonzo and I as we kissed one another and stroked each other's bodies. We knew better than to touch our cocks, but everything else was fair game. Alonzo's soft hands felt good on my skin, not better than Jason's rougher hands, but equally good in their own way. I kept glancing at Jason. His golden-brown body was stretched out, his lean muscles visible and his own impressive cock lying hard on his abdomen. He looked small next to Erik, but he was the most handsome man in the world, and I felt so lucky to have him.

I didn't see the look Erik and Jason exchanged, but I heard Erik's loud voice when he said, "That's enough boys. Any more of that and we're going to explode without being touched. Come on up here and let us kiss you."

I crawled up and snuggled next to Jason, and Alonzo did the same with Erik. Our backsides were touching, despite the width of the bed. Jason pulled me in close and devoured my mouth with his. "You are too beautiful for words, Little Prince. You and Alonzo together could turn every so-called straight man in the state," he said. "Now suck my cock while I eat your butt, Luantong."

"I'm going to make you cum before I do this time, Sir," I whispered.

"You can try, Little Prince, but I have a lot of self-control," he said.

I turned around and faced his cock. It was beautiful, powerful, and manly, more than eight inches long and five and half inches in girth, about one and three-quarter inches in width. I wasn’t usually so fixated on math, but I was obsessed with Jason’s cock. I kissed it with passion that came from my heart. I loved him and I loved this powerful symbol of his masculinity, of his mastery over me. I kissed my way slowly down one side and then up the other. I peeled back the foreskin revealing the glistening head. I licked it and tasted his precum.

I tried to concentrate on Jason's cock, but the feeling of his lips on my hole was more than a distraction. Whenever he touched my butt, it was like it became the center of my entire being. He began, as he always did, by teasing me gently with his touch, slowly circling the ring.

Then he kissed it and said, "Your little rosebud is so pretty and so tasty. It quivers at my touch, like it knows it's lover and is longing to feel him inside it."

I went back to working on his cock. I was able to take the head inside and massage it with my tongue before I felt Jason's tongue pressing inside me. Even if I wanted to resist, I knew that my butt wouldn't listen to me. It was Jason's to command, and it wanted him so badly that it had already relaxed and was completely open to him. I still couldn't get his entire cock into my mouth, so I concentrated mostly on the head.

Jason continued to tongue me and then to probe me with his fingers until I was moaning and drooling uncontrollably on his dick. I knew he was waiting for Erik's signal because it always took him longer to prepare Alonzo than it did for Jason to ready me. My lover's cock was huge, but Erik's was gigantic. I was always surprised he didn't rip the poor boy in half.

 

Alonzo

I was excited that everyone had liked dinner. I didn't consider myself to be a great cook, but I'd helped my tia in the kitchen a lot last summer. And the best part was that the Grays had used magic to clean up. There was no doubt that I was going to need to learn that spell.

Afterwards, when we'd retired to that massive master bedroom, I was especially overjoyed when I saw the size of that bed. I loved it when the four of us had sex in the same bed (or lying next to each other on the floor). I loved Jason and Kieran, not in the same way I loved Erik, but it was still love. We were all a part of one another. Even though I knew we had to be somewhat restrained because Kieran was a gentler, more sensitive guy than I was, I enjoyed our group sessions.

Kieran and I had gotten the evening started, making out like two submissive little bottom bitches getting warmed up for our men. One of the greatest things about making out with Kieran was that he was an empath. Because of the empathic connection that had been slowly growing between the two of us, I could feel my own pleasure, but I could also feel his. I could even feel the echoes of my own pleasure echoing in his mind. It was like a chorus of emotions. Of course, his soft lips and soft hands felt amazing. They were so different from Erik's rough and calloused hands. I preferred the roughness, of course, but Kieran's softness was a fabulous change of pace.

We were distracted in our make out session when Erik returned to the room, and then again when Jason came in. I chuckled inwardly at the fact that Jason carefully hung his robe on a hook and Erik had thrown his onto the furniture. He was a slob, but, on some level, I was attracted to that. I bitched about it, but I actually liked cleaning up after Erik.

When Erik called for us, I crawled up toward him, waggling my eyebrows and licking my lips. It wasn't an exaggeration. My mouth was watering at the thought of tasting him. He kissed me roughly and whispered, "Be a good boy, Alonzo. Kieran's not as wild as you are, and I don't want to have to blister your butt for going too far."

"Do you promise to beat my butt if I misbehave, Papi?" I whispered back to him.

He smacked my ass hard enough to echo around the room then kissed my neck. He took the opportunity to whisper directly into my ear, "I'm not playing around, Alonzo. If you push me, I'll use a belt instead of my hand and you won't enjoy it."

I didn't like the sound of that threat, but my traitorous cock did. It twitched and drooled precum onto Erik's body. I shouldn't be excited by threats of real pain, but I was. Erik was being serious. He took my chin in his hand and looked deep into my eyes. "Tell me you understand what I'm saying."

I sighed. Erik was so cute when he was being forceful. It still didn't come naturally to him, like it did to Jason. "Entiendo muy bien, papi," I said, giving him sad eyes.

He sighed and replied, "You'd better. Now get down there and suck my cock, you sexy twink."

I wiggled my butt at him as I turned to face his enormous cock. It amazed me. When I first met Erik, his cock was a little over five inches, but I’d accidentally used my magic to transform it into the enormous tranca I saw before me, about as big as it was possible for a human to possess. It was 11 inches long and about three inches wide. I didn't know if it was the magic of my wishcraft or of Jason's alchemy, but I was pretty sure that my little hole couldn't have stretched that much without help and I didn’t want to try!

There was no way I could take the whole thing down my throat without gagging and choking, so I concentrated on the head. I could feel Erik slipping one of those magic lube spheres inside me. Despite the fact that my hole had become more resilient, Erik still didn’t believe that he could get inside me without the alchemical lube. There was always pain when he entered me, but it was the kind of pain I loved, those intense sensations that come from feeling stretched and filled completely. And frankly the little sphere did nothing to lessen any discomfort but I was always glad for the extra slickness once he was fucking me. Erik let it do its magic, while he started licking my hole. He wasn't as romantic as Jason, but I appreciated it when he said things like, "This is the prettiest little boy hole I've ever seen, baby."

I knew that I was opening for him. I thought the lube probably helped with that as well. Still, he took the time to eat my ass like a hungry man at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Meanwhile I was opening my mouth as wide as I could so I could swallow as much of his cock as possible. It wasn't that I wasn't trying to take him. He was physically too big for my mouth. No matter how wide I opened my jaws, my throat could not take him past my tonsils.

"Come up here and give me a kiss, sexy boy," Erik growled.

I wasted no time. I climbed up next to him and cuddled in his arms. He moved me to the middle of the bed. Jason had done the same with Kieran, so we were next to each other. Both of us collapsed into the arms of our men, and they kissed our faces while their hands explored our bodies.  Erik and Jason seemed to be following the same script. Most likely they’d discussed how this would work ahead of time.

 

Kieran

Jason was nibbling my neck and I was whimpering with pleasure. "Let me know if I push you too far, too fast, Little Prince, but we're going to try something new tonight," he whispered.

Then he turned me over so that I was on my side facing Alonzo. Jason was behind me, with his arms around me, kissing my neck. Erik had positioned Alonzo similarly. We were so close that our noses were almost touching.

Jason explained his plan to us. "Erik and I are going to take you both from behind. We're going to make love to your beautiful little bottoms while the two of you kiss. Just give in to it and let us take charge. We're going to try and all climax at the same time."

The scene he described seemed so hot to me. It made me feel naughty, but naughty with permission from my lover. Jason lifted my left leg and positioned the head of his cock at my hole. I saw that Erik was doing the same thing with Alonzo. Jason applied gentle force and the head of his cock slid inside me. My mouth opened in pleasure. Alonzo looked at me and smiled.

"Besame, Kieran," he said.

Then he grabbed my face and kissed me gently. He was moaning in my mouth, so I knew that Erik had pushed into him as well. Our kisses were gentle because both of us were used to having an aggressive lover take control, but we discovered our own way. Our tongues pressed gently against one another, softly caressing the other, neither trying to dominate.

While we kissed and hugged, our men pushed deeper inside us. I could feel Jason sliding inside all the way to my inner door. It was like I was so excited by this scene that I was more relaxed and more ready than ever. I reveled in the feeling of Alonzo's smooth and graceful body on my front, and Jason's hairier and stronger body on my back, at the same time. When Jason pushed into my inner chamber, I felt completely full. His pubic hairs were pressed against my smooth butt.

I saw the look on Alonzo's face, and I felt the power of Erik's thrust pass through Alonzo's body into mine when he slammed his massive cock home to the root in his lover's body. Alonzo gasped and crushed me with his arms. But when our men started fucking us, we moved against one another and kissed. Jason was nibbling my neck and I could see Erik's head on Alonzo's neck.

The empathic bond I shared with Alonzo immediately brought the two of us into rapport. Jason was still closed off mentally, as he always was. Our tantric bond connected our energy bodies, but Jason’s natural reserve made it hard to read his thoughts, and I only felt his surface emotions unless we were being intimate, which made it hard to initiate rapport with him. But, because Alonzo and I were more open to one another, it made connecting with him as an empath seem effortless in comparison. I was hesitant to become too close to Erik because I felt guilty about the fact that he aroused me in ways only Jason should. Still, I found comfort in the love Alonzo and I shared. And in this moment of passion, we just drew closer.

"I love you this way, my luantong," Jason said. "You are the sexiest boy in the world."

I heard Erik say, "Your ass is the sweetest thing, baby."

I felt like every nerve in my body had come alive. My mind opened and I felt Jason, not only inside my body, but also inside my thoughts. He seemed surprised and tried to push me out but caught himself in time. I could tell that he didn't want to reject me, even in this way. It surprised me when he allowed us to slip into rapport. Our minds were still our own, but on one level they were connected. I could feel what he felt, and he could feel what I felt. It was like I was being fucked and doing the fucking at the same time.

My rapport with Jason was separate from my rapport with Alonzo, but not for long. I blended the two connections and folded Jason, Alonzo and me into a threefold rapport. Jason and I could feel his emotions and senses, and he could feel ours. There was only one part missing. I swallowed and did my best to bury my illicit feelings for Erik, then I reached out with my senses and grasped for him.

Mental barriers sprang up and repelled my beckoning. It was strange because he was mundane and shouldn't even have barriers. Only mind mages had them naturally. Even other mages had to use a spell to establish them. I didn't try to break the protections. I allowed my mind to surround them and gently stroke his shields until he let them go. Then we were four separate beings sharing a fourfold rapport, each of us inside the other's mind.

We could all feel the sensations of the others. Alonzo and I could feel the massive cocks thrusting inside us, stroking our gay buttons, but so could Erik and Jason. Both Erik and Jason felt our butts gripping their dicks, coaxing them into higher levels of pleasure. And Alonzo and I could feel these same sensations. But it was more than physical pleasure we shared. We were also sharing the love we each felt for one another. The deep passion and desire between Jason and I, and between Erik and Alonzo as well. The amiable friendship bordering on love between me and Alonzo. And the hard edged, respect, esteem and even brotherly love between Erik and Jason.

We were four, but we were also one. It wasn't the pure blending I'd felt that time with Jason, but it was a deep rapport. We met on the physical, mental, and spiritual levels all at once. And when we came, we came together.

 

Jason

Kieran's powers had grown rapidly. I wasn't a mind mage, but my Uncle Kamon had told me about the power of rapport. I was impressed by my little prince. As new as he was to his art, he'd managed to bring four people into a deep rapport. I was more in love with him than ever. And what a gift he'd given me!

I felt the shame and insecurity that Kieran had felt being a young gay teen, growing up in a house with a hate mongering aunt and uncle who'd never shown him any love or even acceptance, no matter how much he achieved. I felt the fear of discovery that had prompted him to withdraw inside himself and turn off his sexual responses, but I also felt his relief and joy when I had opened them for him.

I understood Alonzo on a level I could never have achieved without the rapport. I saw him as he was; outwardly confident, but insecure over the fact that his mother didn't accept him. Appreciating how his own magical heritage had been hidden from him for so long. I could hear the music in his soul, resonating with the universal flow of numina.

And I felt Erik, the dominant man buried inside him, afraid to come out because he was unsure how much Alonzo loved him. He feared losing him. I could feel his love for Alonzo, and his deep friendship with me and his semi-platonic love for Kieran. His joy at being a part of our group. Underneath it all was his unhappiness that his parents tolerated him but didn't respect or accept him for who he was.

 

Erik

I felt what each of the others were feeling, and I understood them so much more than I had. I was accepted and loved by this group. Even the normally reserved Kieran loved me, like a big brother. And Jason and I were like brothers as well. But most importantly, Alonzo loved me! I'd never been able to tell because of his coy flirtatiousness. Sebastian had assured me that Alonzo's feelings were real, but I hadn't believed him. Now I could.

 

Alonzo

I didn't think that anyone had ever loved me more than Erik. He was enamored with me and now I didn't have to risk being hurt by telling him about my own love for him. He already knew. And Kieran. If we weren't both bottoms we would have been perfect for one another. I'd never known whether Jason even liked me, but now I saw that he loved me like his best friend's lover, but, even more, he loved me like a little brother; he loved me for me.

 

Kieran

We had all come to know one another on a deep level thanks to the rapport. I didn't even know what I was doing when I'd done it, but somehow I'd brought us all together. Somehow, I knew we'd needed it. I hadn't felt real love since my parents had died, not until Jason. And now I knew that I had three men who loved me and accepted me. I was deliriously happy.

We made love twice more that night, but I was too tired to attempt rapport again. I'd feared that the amazing feeling of sexual union would spoil me for regular sex. It didn't. I enjoyed each of the other two times just as much as I had before. And then we slept together, happy, safe, and loved, in that big bed.

---

You can read each story in The Concordium Cycle independently, or you can follow the author's preferred reading order that will blend the stories together. The next chapter in the author's preferred reading order is Magery 5. It will be out soon.

Special Thanks to my editor [email protected].