FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 89: Nova Scotian Hiatus

Nathanial woke up in Geoff's bed, alone. He could smell food cooking so he knew it must be close to a meal time, even though he wasn't sure which one. He glanced around for a clock, but Geoff's was covered by some construction paper; he said it was too bright. Nathanial could see...through? Under? Around? Whatever. Even with the paper in the way he could see it was almost half-past four, so afternoon tea. 'Tea. I could use a cup right now; these guys are turning me into a tea addict. We never did get any this afternoon. What happened after Geoff and Faelen started fighting?'

He didn't have time to ponder the blank spot -- the new blank spot -- in his memory, because the door clicked open and Liam walked in. Nathanial stared at him in concern; the Rottie looked awful. His eyes were puffy and red, his nose was dry and raw, and his breathing was laboured.

Liam sneezed and blew his nose in a handkerchief. "You have woken. That is good."

Nathanial winced at the sound of Liam's voice. He wasn't sure how much of it was from a cold or from grief, but Liam sounded terrible. "Are you okay? You sound...rough."

Liam stared at him flatly. "Indeed? I would never have thought that one's voice or appearance could be an indicator of their wellbeing. What a marvellous insight you have stumbled upon." Liam shook his head and smiled at Nathanial after his snarky response.

Nathanial had started to feel really hurt by the harsh sarcasm, but smiled timorously back at Liam. It was obviously meant as a joke, but it was still mean.

Liam continued, "I am unwell; I have caught my first 'bug' of this life since awakening as an Ancient One. Having control of one's chi, and thus greater ability to fight off viruses, is useless if one does not have any chi to control. I have a small store of cold-fighting medication at home; it sells quite well upon the arrival of late October. I normally have more but...this year has not been conducive to such enterprises. I will fetch some as we retrieve our suits."

Nathanial cocked his head and patted the bed beside him. Liam started walking over as Nathanial spoke. "I never took you for a...merchant. Selling cold remedies seems, I dunno, kinda beneath you. I, um, wasn't sure if you had a cold or if you finally started crying, over, you know. Geoff was really worried about you; I was too." Liam sat on the bed next to him, and Nathanial curled up into his chest, wrapping Liam's arm around him like a blanket. The Akita sighed in contentment. "Tea's almost ready?"

"Yes, tea is almost ready. Yes, I have shed my tears. Yes, I am aware Geoff was worried and unable to express it in a constructive manner. No, I am not a merchant, as such. I have merely had a large number of requests yearly for this remedy and many of my patients are vulnerable to things such as pneumonia, so I keep a stock on paw for my colleagues to prescribe when needed. It saves me from making frequent small batches. The profit margin is negligible, so I do resent the 'merchant' appellation."

Nathanial flinched a little. "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. But, um, why do you resent it? Dad sells stuff; he's the VP of sales for his company."

Liam nuzzled Nathanial's ears. "I am aware of that. I just find the term 'merchant'...unpleasant. The merchants were often the first wave of imperial conquest, or at least domination, in the east. Even though I had several shops and an import business in my previous life, I know well the damage caused by those who care only for profits." Liam shifted a little in discomfort. "I have some good news, of a fashion." Liam didn't sound like he was passing on good news. "Geoff has agreed to sire a pup for my..." Liam's breath caught in his throat momentarily. "...my daughter. It is now singular. Aoife, my only..." He wiped his eyes with the back of his paw.

Ah. Now Nathanial knew why Liam didn't sound all that joyous. He rubbed Liam's chest and pushed his muzzle under Liam's broad one. "Hey, the news about Geoff is good, but I can hear about it later if you just need some more time to cry. I'm here for you, Liam, like you've been there for me all month."

"There is a bit more..." Liam cleared his throat. He still sounded choked up as he continued, "...a bit more I should mention. Faelen convinced Geoff to go through with this, but I deemed it prudent to initiate it immediately, before Geoff could change his mind. You were asleep and were not to be disturbed, and I was unfit to aid, so I asked Faelen to assist Geoff. Geoff was greatly stressed by the thought of becoming a father, even if he knew, logically, that he needed to in order to be able to be with you. This stress prevented him from ejaculating without assistance."

Nathanial felt himself tensing up in anger and a feeling of betrayal. Geoff cheated on him? Liam told Geoff to cheat on him and Faelen went along with it? The only friends he had in the world all conspired together to betray him? "What?! You--!"

Liam shushed him. "This is no different than your receiving Conor's help." Liam nipped Nathanial's ear when the Akita was about to protest.

Nathanial stayed quiet; he should let Liam talk and then sleep. The Ancient One was sick and needed to rest, not argue about this. Besides, Nathanial knew this would happen eventually, just not so soon. There really was no way that Geoff could stay in love with him very long, not once he started to see who Nathanial really was.

But...maybe nothing really happened, just a quick pawjob. No matter how stressed Geoff was, having Faelen there and rubbing him would be enough. Maybe kissing, too. Faelen really was hot and a great kisser.

Although, with Faelen going that far, would Geoff be able to resist going further? Once Geoff got going, he didn't think about anything else; he wouldn't realize that what he was doing would hurt Nathanial. Would he care though? Nathanial was just a substitute for Faelen, picked up because Geoff thought Faelen was straight. A very flawed and inferior substitute. No, Geoff wouldn't be able to resist Faelen, not once things got going.

I-It was over; the best thing that happened to him since Micah was born was over. He was back to where he was a month ago, alone and unloved, but with so many more enemies, ones that wanted to kill him...as if that mattered, now. What was left for him? At least if they killed him Geoff wouldn't have to go through the hassle of breaking up with him anymore.

Liam snapped Nathanial out of his morbid thoughts by scratching under the Akita's chin and then leaning in to lick Nathanial's nose. Liam stopped just before his tongue touched. "No, that would be unwise. I do not wish to give you this cold, however much you look like you need the affection. Perhaps words will suffice. I love you, my friend. I care very deeply about your wellbeing and future happiness. I hope you understand that Geoff needed to do this if he was to get Luke's blessing to be with you. It is an easy..." He paused momentarily before continuing, "Correction: This is a safe way for Geoff to be able to openly proclaim his sexuality and love for you, one that is less likely to produce violent confrontation upon receipt of such news. Geoff is a Dark Spirit, which is a quality greatly valued by itself, but that may not save him if he comes out right now. It would cause many to rally in support of him and many in opposition, likely sparking a civil war. However, if he shows that he can be gay and still produce pups, the greatest 'rationale' behind the opposition to homosexuality will vanish. That will cause most of the opposition to remain silent when he comes out. The remainder can be dealt with by changing the laws." Liam sniffled and rubbed away some tears again. "Once he does, then it opens the door for more to follow. This was done so he can openly proclaim his love for you, Nathanial, and to allow all of the other gay Spirits that are out there to do so for their own loves, like Faelen for me. Faelen was doing his duty in helping his master do what needed to be done. I was looking out for the health of my friend; you needed rest and you need more. I care for you Nathanial; please believe me when I say I would not hurt you willingly." Liam smiled down at the distraught Mage through his tears. "You should have seen how tense and frightened Geoff was. The thought of having the responsibility for a pup terrifies him, yet he went through with this for you."

Nathanial turned his face away to stare at the door; what could he say after that? Liam gave a shuddering breath and Nathanial felt a tear drop onto his ear. No, there was nothing Nathanial could say, except, "It's...It's okay, I guess. But I'm sorry this happened, Liam. Um, about Muireann. I'm so sorry." He sat up and hugged Liam tightly, letting him cry.

He felt a bit calmer; Liam really was good at soothing him and calming him down. He owed Liam a lot. There was no point in drawing him into any problems Geoff and Nathanial had. Liam had more than enough to deal with right now. However, Nathanial was still torn. What exactly happened between Geoff and Faelen? Did Faelen just paw Geoff off? That wasn't a big deal. Did Faelen top Geoff and fill that role Geoff seemed to want him to: the big brother, the mentor, the dad, and...and stuff? It was ironic actually, since that was basically what Nathanial needed in Geoff. If that was the case, then it was a very big deal. But what could he do about it?

How did he feel about it? It hurt, a lot; there was no way to deny that, but was he angry? Yes. Sad? Also, yes. Did he want to break up with Geoff? Nathanial found himself blanking on that. He honestly couldn't say yes...but...he felt like he should. He needed Geoff. Without him, without everything Geoff had done for him over the last month, he wouldn't be here. If nothing else, the stress would've killed him. Even... Even if Geoff fell back in love with Faelen, could Nathanial hate him for it, either 'him'? No, not Faelen. This wasn't Faelen's fault; he probably thought it was his duty or that he had to obey some order or something. But what about Geoff?

Nathanial stifled a sigh and licked Liam's ears soothingly. The young Mage knew the answer; he knew he didn't have it in him to hate anyone for very long. Even now he could feel the last traces of anger bleeding out of him, leaving him merely confused and hurt. 'What did I do to deserve this?' His own tears began to fall alongside Liam's, and he let them until the sound of the house intercom roused him from his misery.

He clutched at his head as sharp pain suddenly lanced through it for a split-second, his vision whiting out momentarily.

The intercom buzzed again and his mother's voice echoed through the basement; Mom sounded angry. "Nathanial. I want to see you in my office, now."

The eight year-old Akita pup put his crayon down and rubbed Micah's ears; he was teaching his baby brother the alphabet. He knew what was going to happen when he went upstairs, but it was a small price to pay to keep Nick and little Mikey safe. He quickly ran up the stairs and up to the second floor.

The door was open a crack, and his mother called for him to enter on the first tap. She was standing there beside her desk with her arms crossed over her dark blue blouse and a stern expression on her delicate features. Her gold eyes pierced him, sending the familiar shiver of fear through his small body. She waited for him to stand in front of the desk; the blood stains on the carpet showed him where he was supposed to stand. "Explain yourself."

Explain what? He had to ask, and it'd make her angry. "I'm not sure what you mean, Mom. What did I do wrong?"

She slapped him across the face, hard enough to send him sprawling on the carpet. "You thought you were good enough for Geoff! That's what!"

Oh. He had no excuse for that. "I-I'm sorry, Mom!" He climbed to his hindpaws; it was always worse when he stayed down. "He said he loved me."

She moved to stand in front of him and hit him across the other cheek, knocking him down again. "He's a prince! He can say whatever he wants to bed whomever he wants! Don't mistake that for anything but lust." She kicked him in the stomach as he tried to stand. "Who could ever want you when Faelen is right there?" Before he could haul himself up she grabbed her rod, a two centimetre-thick length of bamboo, and struck him on the back, just below his neck, splitting the skin and sending a fresh spray of blood onto the carpet. "You're worthless! A coward!" She hit him at random points with each insult. "Stupid piece of shit! No one could love you! You can't even look people in the eye or talk without stuttering, and you think you can love the heir to the richest Spirit clan in the world? Arrogant fuck! Geoff is too good for you! You make trouble for everyone!"

The truth of everything she said hurt far more than the beating. His tears trailed down his face, following the paths laid out by so many of the ones which came before.

Nathanial nearly jumped out of his fur when the next strike suddenly turned into the gentle kneading of his back muscles. His mind flickered through several bizarre scenarios -- like Lily in her blood-soaked dress massaging him as he lay on the kitchen floor with Hunters' corpses all around them -- before he figured out what was actually going on.

Liam had flipped Nathanial over onto his stomach, and the Rottweiler was sitting on his rump while giving him a massage. Liam calmly asked, "You are back with us, Nathanial?"

"I... What? Huh?" His mind eventually became coherent enough to answer, but only just. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, I'm here. I-I didn't mean to interrupt your grieving, I'm sorry. P-Please forgive me. Don't h-hurt me."

Liam's paws froze. "Hurt you? Why would I do such a thing? What were you seeing?" Liam stretched out on Nathanial's back to hug him and nibble on his ears. "Please, be at peace."

Nathanial shivered when he thought back to that horrible dream, but the soothing warmth of Liam worked its way through his fur and deep into his muscles. His breath caught, but he managed to choke out, "M-Mom was beating me again; I-I disappointed her by thinking I was good enough...g-good enough for Geoff."

Liam sighed and rubbed the side of his muzzle over Nathanial's ear. "Silly pup. I am certain that not even the gods could have pleased that woman if you could not. She was dissatisfied with her own life and sought to take that frustration out on you. You are worthy; you are worthy of Geoff's love, worthy of my friendship, worthy of a caring family, and worthy of your own love. You are a wonderful person, Nathanial Marks. Never think you are unworthy of someone's love. The only people who would be disappointed in you are those who hope to see you fail, for you can and will succeed at whatever you set your mind to." He sat up and began kneading Nathanial's back again. "Please, put it out of your mind and just concentrate on the feeling of my paws, and how they are transferring my affection for you to you."

Nathanial still had trouble shaking the terrible waking nightmare and his mother's words; even in death she still seemed to hold terrible power over him. "Y-You aren't just saying that? You actually care for me? L-Love me?"

Liam chuckled. "Indeed. I was quite serious on my first trip to your house; if Geoff did not ask you out, I would have. I do not know how that would have altered future events, but I do care for you. Yes, I love you, if not in the same way Geoff does or the way I love Faelen. Few who get to know you at all do not. Agent Ella is most fond of you, as are Agent Jay, Principal Davis, Ms. Paul, all our parents; even Alpha McDougal and that aggravating Sergeant Heimdolf seem to care. The ones who do not care are far outnumbered by those who do. You are worthy, and you are loved."

It was three hours later when the four went back to Halifax. After Liam had interrupted Nathanial's waking nightmare and calmed him down, they went downstairs to have afternoon tea. Nathanial and Liam had spent the next two hours afterwards going through the things Nathanial had found out about the teleporter. Geoff had been very physically affectionate -- and distracting -- the whole time, until Liam firmly told him to go away.

From what Liam and Nathanial had worked out...

Nathanial shook his head, pushed that from his mind, and concentrated on the task at paw. The portal opened in his basement, against the wall between the doors into his room and Nick's room. He cast his senses out into his house but found nothing unusual. "Seems clear. No one is home and I don't sense anything out of place." Faelen stepped through, followed by Liam, and lastly, by Geoff and Nathanial. Nathanial shrugged. "Make yourselves comfortable. I need to check the answering machine, make sure my brothers are alright, and grab my suit." His friends nodded and went to sit on the couch, though Geoff stared at him hungrily as he went.

Nathanial found himself worrying again when he pulled out his phone and turned it on. Mobile phones used different protocols in Europe; his phone wouldn't work there, so he just kept it off. Unfortunately, that meant he fretted almost constantly over his father and brothers. He wondered over and over if something had happened to them, and even though he told himself it was unlikely, he just couldn't help it. He'd made Geoff give Garret the phone number for the McDougals in Ireland, so he should have heard if there were any problems, but still.

While he waited for it to power on he hit the 'play' button on the house phone. Naomi McKay's -- his aunt's -- voice came through the speaker. "Hi, Nathanial. This is Naomi; you asked me to call to arrange a visit, I guess. You're not home, heh heh, obviously, so...call me back, eh? I just, well, thanks. We're all very grateful for what you and those other people did. 'We' being my co-workers and me. Sooo_...yeah, um, my number is 883-0000. Bye."_ The phone clicked as she hung up.

Nathanial added her number to his contact list. He checked and noticed that he had two text messages. The first was from Micah: "Nats So fun wish u were here Nick super horny Dad mad lol had sex in washroom at park rofl like bad movie miss u" Nathanial really wished Micah would use proper grammar and punctuation when texting; it would make them so much easier to read.

Nathanial sent out a quick response: "Hi, Mike. Glad you're having fun, but be careful. You could cause a lot of trouble if you two get caught. Try to go easy on Dad, too. I'm just home for a few minutes to get my suit; hope it still fits. Love you; pass it on to Nick and Dad."

The second one was from Garret: "HERA HELP ME! How the hells do you handle these two?! Gods, Nats, save me please!!"

Great. This one sounded like it needed a bit more than a text in response. He dialled his father's number, and Garret picked up almost immediately. Garret was standing in line for some sort of...contraption. It looked like a bunch of netting leading up to a zip line. It must be the 'adventure park' portion of Upper Clements Park. Micah began waving animatedly at their father's phone as soon as he found out who it was, his whole body wriggling in excitement, before Garret grabbed his paw and pushed it down.

Nick tipped his muzzle up briefly in his 'I'm too cool to show how happy I am to see you' gesture. Nathanial smiled at the phone and quickly sent a thought to Nick. *Hey, Nick. I hope you're having fun. It sounds like Dad needs to talk to me, but I'll talk a bit more before he hangs up. Okay?*

*Yeah, sure. Whatever.* Nick's mental tone betrayed how happy he was, as did his tail.

Garret sounded close to his wits' end. "Praise Zeus, Nathanial. Please, make them..." Garret's relieved and aggravated voice suddenly switched to concern. "Why are you home? You weren't supposed to be back until tomorrow. Is everything alright?"

Nathanial grabbed his suit and began putting it in the suit bag. "Uh, no, it's not okay. Well, it is, but it isn't, too. I'm just home picking up my suit for a funeral." He cut his dad off before he could ask. "No, I didn't cause it. It has nothing to do with me. It's... It was Liam's daughter. She, well..." Nathanial hated lying, but Liam had asked him to. "She overdosed on pain medication. Liam and Liam's son, Ciaran... They found her. The funeral is tomorrow."

Garret's face was a mix of horror and sympathy. "Oh, shit. Tell him I'm so sorry." Micah and Nicholas were completely still as they stared at Garret in concern. Garret held the phone away from his mouth as he addressed them. "Faelen's...aunt?" Nathanial quickly confirmed it. "Died. Nathanial is just home picking up his suit for the funeral." Their faces fell. Garret tapped the side of his head as he said, "Well I should be letting you get to it." *Nathanial?*

*Yes, Dad. Don't hang up.*

"Talk to you later." Garret took the phone away from his face, but didn't hit the 'end call' button. He rubbed his muzzle as they shuffled a little closer to the front of the line. They were the next group to go, after the one in front of them; the lines seemed pretty short thanks to the low overcast skies. *I feel like I shouldn't complain after the weekend it sounds like you're having, but gods! They don't stop! Sex, eating, running, jumping, more sex! It's... It's...* There was a wordless mental shout of aggravation. *I had to make a few stops on the drive up because they were getting too restless and I could feel Nick's sexual tension growing. Fortunately, both times were by a forest and not a populated area so they just went and fucked a few times in the trees. I'm glad we got a suite in the basement and I don't have to share the room with them at the bed and breakfast. It's like as soon as the door closes I can hear the clothes flying off and the butt-fuckery beginning!*

*Not 'like,' Dad, it is_. Try being home when Nick gets home from school. He walks home now because he can't sit still on the bus and he causes too much...ah,_ ruckus amongst the other students. It's why I asked your parents for help. Are Nick and Mike actually causing problems or misbehaving? I mean other than Micah being hyperactive and Nick pretending to be sullen?* He decided not to bring up his brothers having sex in the washrooms in the park. Garret was probably trying to pretend that wasn't going to happen.

Micah was getting animated as he talked about the log ride in the theme park to Nick, to the great amusement of the other people in the line nearby. Garret rubbed Micah's head and tried to keep his own features appropriate, not the expressions he'd have if he were talking to Nathanial face-to-face. He sighed heavily in his mind. *No-o, not as such. It's just... They're such a pawful! They'd try the patience of...of... We don't all that many patient gods or goddesses, do we? Hestia works. They'd try the patience of Hestia!*

*Micah will be active no matter what. He just can't sit still very long. Nick does better, but this really is his thing, if he didn't have to wait in those lines. He's been wanting me to take him camping or hiking for years. I'm really glad you could take him to something like this, Dad; he's loving it. I can tell he's really happy that it's with you, too.* Nathanial smiled fondly as he walked out of his room with his suit.

He spoke out loud to his friends, "I'm still talking to Dad, but we can head out to Liam's house while I finish talking to him." They went out back and into the grey, drizzly morning.

Garret grumbled slightly. *Yeah, I know. I'm enjoying myself too, when they aren't running me ragged. I just wish they'd slow down every once in a while.*

Nathanial tried not to laugh. *You should have tried taking Micah shopping for clothes when he was five, if you think this is tough. Or when he was six...seven, or eight. Even when he was four, or three. Hmm, I think it wasn't just clothes.* He stopped when Garret began looking guilty. *I'm not trying to guilt you, Dad. Just remember, he's still a pup. This is a whole new experience for him; he's bound to be excited. I'm not just talking about the park, but spending a weekend with you -- his father -- is still very novel. The trip to Tokyo was different; it may sound strange, but it's the normal family stuff that we really want to experience. This, a car trip to a local park is..._family. A dream come true for us.*_

Garret looked down, ashamed. *Sorry. Well, I am feeling guilty, even more since you aren't here with us. You should've had us go next weekend so you could be here. I could've just gone hiking with them and hung around the house. Oh, we're up in a minute. I should let you go.*

Nathanial involuntarily called out loud, "Wait!" Garret paused with his thumb over the button. His friends stopped, too. "Just Dad. We can keep running." They resumed running through the forest. *I need to talk to Nick. I'll talk to you later, Dad.* Garret nodded, so Nathanial switched over. *You're up soon, Nick, so I'll be quick. Try to make it easy on Dad, okay? He's finding it hard to keep up with Micah. Can you keep Micah in check a bit? Maybe let Dad sit out on a ride or two, if he wants.*

Nick shrugged, but he sounded a little disappointed. *Yeah, sure. No problem.*

Nathanial smiled. *He's really enjoying himself. He's glad he brought you, though he's feeling a little guilty that I'm not there, and that he wasn't here for us earlier. He loves you two and so do I. Just... Micah is hard to keep up with, you know that.* Both of them looked at Micah fondly, though Nick had to stifle some laughter. Micah was bouncing in anticipation as they waited to get permission to climb the rope netting. *I love you, and have fun. I'll see you tomorrow. Let me say 'hi' to Mike; I'll make it quick.*

*Yeah, yeah. See ya.*

*Hey, Sprite. You're up in a second, so I'll just say I love you. I'll see you tomorrow.*

Micah wriggled in glee, though it looked like he was just excited to get going. *Yeah! See you soon, Nats! Love you, too. You got my text? Getting Nick in me in the washroom was so fun and naughty!*

*Hey, hey! You're up! Let Dad put his phone away!*

Nathanial pulled his mind back to Halifax while Micah relayed the message to Garret. He noticed that Geoff was running right behind him and watching him closely. He wriggled his hips a little and smiled when Geoff's head snapped down to stare at his ass. Well, at least Geoff still liked his ass, even if he was falling back in love with Faelen and -- by extension -- out of love with him.

Liam glanced back momentarily. "Geoff, if I may have a word in private?" He smiled at Faelen. "We will remain in sight and I shall take care of him, my love." Geoff ran up to Liam and they sped on ahead into the forest. They ran side by side, heads close together as they talked earnestly about something.

Nathanial was certain they were talking about him, so he made a point of not listening. He wondered if Liam was telling Geoff how to break up with an undesired boyfriend gently.

Faelen glanced at Liam and Geoff and then to Nathanial before his eyes continued scanning around the terrain, looking for trouble. He seemed uncomfortable for some reason. "You remember when I said I felt like you were the first friend I could call my friend, right? Not one of Geoff's friends that I was friendly with?" He waited until Nathanial nodded before continuing. "I meant that. You're my friend, Nathanial. I care about you, and I'm glad that you seem to count me as a friend in return."

Nathanial blushed and ducked his head self-consciously. "I-I do, um, th-thanks." Nathanial and Faelen ran on in silence, following their two friends, who were deep in conversation.

They picked up Geoff's and Faelen's suits and continued on to Liam's home. Liam opened the door and led them in. "I will retrieve my suit and be down shortly." He raised his voice. "Dad! I am home for a short time. I am retrieving my suit and departing again." He sneezed and then, at his normal volume, said, "Once I have my suit I will go downstairs and retrieve my medication."

Walter walked around the corner into the kitchen from upstairs. "Did you just sneeze?" He saw them and dropped his paws in front of his groin. "Oh, uh, hi." He was naked like Liam said he usually was. He saw it was just the four of them and shook his head before moving his paws away from his groin. He walked toward Liam. "I know you don't care about nudity, Liam, and that we've all been skinny-dipping together, but I'd really appreciate it if you tell me when you have people with you." Walter stopped by the entrance before he scratched his chubby belly and stretched. "Ugh, I've been working too long." He hugged Liam. "Hi, Son. Hi, guys." He motioned them to follow him into the rec room.

After an exchange of greetings, everyone sat down, with Geoff peering around at everything in curiosity. Nathanial noticed there were four framed paintings of Faelen on the wall. He exclaimed, "Those are the paintings I heard you guys mention? Wow. They're...great!" He was rather stunned at how good they were; he was pretty sure the paintings in Liam's room were his. Before this he thought they may have been from a professional painter...which Liam kind of was.

"Those are the ones, yes. I have painted no other portraits, so it is logical to assume these are they. The framer has done another splendid--" He broke off in a coughing fit.

Walter jumped up in alarm and went over to kneel by his son. "Liam! What happened? You... You sound like you have a cold. You haven't had a cold since you were two!"

Liam waved his paw dismissively. "Yes, it is a mere cold. You look as if it were life-threatening. I have just been using so much of my chi that my immune system is compromised. Apparently the energy I receive from Spirits is easily converted to an energy very much like my chi, yet it is not identical. I cannot use it quite as efficiently or as effectively. The difference took some time to notice. The balance of my chi has also been varying widely and has very rarely been truly in balance. Thus, my weakened state." He stood up, followed by Walter. He reached up and put his paw on his father's shoulder. "Worry not, Dad. I shall take some medication and attempt to rest. Faelen will take good care of me until I return tomorrow."

Walter asked, "Why did you need to get your suit?" A sudden look of shock and horror spread across his face when Liam's face fell and the pup looked away. "Muireann. She's been executed." The shock turned to rage. "Jesus fucking Christ! That goddamned clan of yours...of your previous life has murdered an innocent person for potentially exposing some embarrassing information. Fuck that, Liam. You aren't going back there! I may be the father of an Ancient One, but I'm still your father!"

Liam turned away and blew his nose. Everyone remained quiet, including Faelen, until Liam answered. "She overdosed on pain medication, Dad. She committed suicide. Sh-She had to be f-forced to see me; I tried to help her. She-- I could not get her to say she loved me, nor that she was glad I was back. She resented my return as she could not spend the afterlife with me as Lowell. I-I want to..." He was cut off when Walter crushed him in a tight hug.

"I'm sorry, Liam. I'm so sorry. I should've heard the reason before getting angry. Please, go to the funeral. I-I'm sorry." Walter pulled back a bit and licked Liam's muzzle before hugging him tightly again. "I just, well, sorry."

Guilt and pain visibly painted Liam's face before he controlled his features; he obviously felt terrible for lying to his father. "Please, Dad. Do not fret; it was an unsurprising conclusion to jump to. I also apologize; this whole situation must be difficult on you, coming on the heels of your divorce with Mom. I love you; you are still my father and will always be my father in my mind. That is something I can safely promise, as I know it from experience. I love my previous fathers no less for loving you; I love you no less for loving my children." He rubbed the side of his muzzle against his father's ear. "Please, I beg you to be at ease in this matter. It greatly troubles me to think that you resent my children."

Nathanial and the two Wolves relaxed as the argument and apologies looked to be over.

Walter let his son go. "Don't worry, Son. You know surprises take a while to sink in; I'll adjust. I just spent the last seven years thinking I'd never have grandkids and now I have a whole, uh, sort-of family, including however many steps away Faelen is. You have to admit it's hard to wrap your head around. Now, go get ready. Don't forget your medicine, and be home for supper tomorrow."

"Yes, Dad. I will not forget my medication, and I promise to be home for supper -- barring things beyond my control." Liam's tail wagged as he smiled up at his father. "As for you..." He rubbed his father's tan belly while he went on to say, "Have you been exercising? I have often spoken of the health benefits of regular exercise, even though I do enjoy the sight of you with a bit of a paunch. You must take time for your health; I do not wish to lose you to an early and preventable death."

Walter looked down, embarrassed. "Ah, no. Sorry. I keep forgetting or putting it off. I need a workout partner or something to get me going, one who doesn't exercise at some ungodly hour of the morning."

Liam smiled at his father and shook his head before turning and trotting over to the stairs.

Nathanial hid a sigh as he stopped examining the paintings. Faelen really was handsome; the way Liam painted him made all of his great qualities stand out, and not just the physical ones, either. He was super-kind, considerate, gentle, protective without being all in your face about it, he had a good sense of humour, a great singing voice... Nathanial broke off his train of thought. He was everything Nathanial was and more. He was brave where Nathanial wasn't, strong where he was weak, um, not crazy. The 'not crazy' was probably a big point. No wonder Geoff was falling for him again now that he'd gotten to know Nathanial better and knew Faelen was gay.

Geoff interrupted Nathanial's morose thoughts by pulling him close. "Hey, boyfriend. You look a little gloomy." He nipped Nathanial's ear, then turned Nathanial's head to kiss him. Geoff's ears perked up and his tail wagged a bit when Nathanial smiled. He growled softly and held Nathanial's head, kissing him more deeply and passionately.

Faelen chuckled. "Mr. Smith, sir, perhaps we should remind them that there are other people in the room. While I'm used to this, I'm not sure if it's appropriate for them to be that affectionate in front of you."

Walter cleared his throat; he seemed a little embarrassed. "Uh, well, it's a bit surprising to see, but I don't mind. It's actually nice to see that they're comfortable enough with their sexuality to be so open. It took me a lot longer to figure out who I was."

Nathanial noticed Walter was sitting in his chair, blushing as he kept glancing at them. He was also partially erect, which was probably why he was blushing. He had his legs crossed in an attempt to subtly hide his arousal.

Nathanial pulled away from Geoff and started blushing, too. "U-Um, sorry." He took Geoff's paw in his own and glanced over at the white Wolf. "I, well... He's a good kisser. He kinda makes me forget what's going on sometimes." Geoff growled a little hungrily when Nathanial looked back over at him. Nathanial ducked his head, his ears pinned back, and he half-turned away with his tail wagging hopefully. Maybe he had a chance at keeping Geoff after all.

Geoff growled a little louder and pulled Nathanial back over. "Come here, you." He pushed Nathanial down so the pup was lying on Geoff's lap, looking up. "So maybe I shouldn't be kissing you in front of Mr. Smith, but that doesn't mean I can't hold you or cuddle you while we wait for Liam. He's gay, too; seeing two guys in love won't bother him. Uh, will it, sir?"

Walter shook his head and smiled a little uncomfortably but still warmly. "Oh, no, it doesn't bother me at all. I just wish I'd known you were coming over; I don't like being the only naked guy. Carry on; I'll just go see if my son needs anything." As soon as Geoff looked back down at Nathanial, Walter slipped out of his chair with his paws over his groin and dashed upstairs. He muttered, "Damn that was hot," once he was halfway upstairs.

Nathanial blushed a little more deeply and Geoff growled again. Nathanial gently grabbed the tuft of fur on Geoff's chin and pulled him down. "Walter was right; it was hot. You look really hungry when you look at me. It makes me feel wanted." He lifted his head up and quickly kissed Geoff. "I love you; you know that, right?"

"I do." Geoff's blue eyes bored into Nathanial's. The comforting dark swirl of power still lingered invisibly behind them. "And I love you. I love you and I've chosen you. Liam...talked to you?" He seemed to read the answer in Nathanial's expression. "I won't lie, I did enjoy it, much like you do when you have sex with Faelen, but I chose you. I love you in a completely different way than Faelen. He's my childhood best friend and big brother; you're my boyfriend. I want you to know that." His voice dropped to a whisper. "And I also want you to know that I really want to fuck you right now. You've been turning me on so much all evening, especially right now. Can we go back to your home for a bit before we head over to Ireland? I feel more comfortable at your house where I don't have to worry about people hearing us. Please? Maybe I can fuck you in the gym showers again. I liked that."

Nathanial could feel Geoff's erection pressing into the back of his neck. He turned his head and rubbed his muzzle over it, breathing in deeply to get a good whiff of Geoff's musk and precum. Hearing Geoff talk like that was really turning him on, too.

He smiled when Geoff moaned. "I have a better idea. I want to have sex with you in the forest. Dad was saying that he had to stop the car a few times to let Micah and Nick release some tension in the woods beside the highway, and I thought it sounded pretty exciting. We'll take the back way to my house and stop in one of the clearings, strip naked, and you can take me right there in the open."

Faelen coughed in surprise. "That's a little risky, guys. There are a lot of houses nearby and the Hunters probably know we take that way when travelling between our houses. I'd really prefer if you did it in the shower. I could use a bit of steam, too. We could leave all the lights off and just use some of your firefly lights for illumination, Nathanial."

Liam walked upstairs to join them and sneezed. "You would have to phone Dirk and Conor to inform them we will be a little delayed. They are expecting us to be no longer than a half-hour and will worry if we are longer than that."

Walter followed Liam up. He wore a pair of loose shorts now, but there was still a bit of a bulge visible. He looked confused. "If you're leaving here now, why would you be delayed?"

Liam openly displayed an evil grin. "It appears Geoff and Nathanial are highly aroused and wish to have sex. We are planning on going to Nathanial's and having sex in the shower, as I also agree having sex in the forest is too risky at this time. It seems Geoff has developed a fondness for pinning Nathanial to the wall while driving his hard, thick cock into his ass. I know I enjoy sex in a steamy shower, as it increases Faelen's stamina to incredible levels and allows him..."

Walter cut him off. "Okay! I don't need the details, Liam!" He was more than half-hard now, which was undoubtedly Liam's intention. "I know you've seen my porn and that I like gym and shower scenes, but I don't need to hear about your antics there."

"No? Even about how incredibly dominant Faelen was when he fucked Nicholas there the other day? The only thing lacking from your fantasies was the leather. It was most aggressive from the sounds of it." Liam's grin widened when his father blushed and put his paws in front of his groin to hide a growing wet spot.

Walter growled, "Go if you're going, Liam. Stop teasing me, okay?" He leaned over and kissed Liam, then whispered, "But if, uh, there's another party or something at Nathanial's, could you see if Dirk, would, um...?" He trailed off and blushed more fiercely when he saw the growing smiles on Nathanial's and Faelen's faces. "Just go. I'll see you tomorrow."

The four of them said their farewells and left Liam's house, heading back to Nathanial's.