“It’s happening right now,” Pyxlevir crowed.
“Your little elf body is possessed by an evil spirit,” Gramlithyn accused while secretly loving Pyxlevir’s mischievousside. Nothing was ever boring with Pyxlevir around, and if the cost of being around him was a few blushes, then Gramlithyn was happy to suffer.
“You made me your best friend the day we met, so the real question is if you know I’m possessed, what’s wrong with you that you wanted to hang around me constantly?”
“I think we could both make a list of all the things wrong with me pretty easily.”
Pyxlevir poked Gramlithyn’s knee. “Be nice to yourself. It’s my job to tease you. Do you know why? Because I can do it without hurting your feelings. You can’t. You’re shitty to yourself, and you worry too much.”
“My brain doesn’t have an off switch, Pyx. It never has.”
“You probably worry even when you’re jerking off.”
A wave of heat that had nothing to do with embarrassment warmed Gramlithyn as an image of Pyxlevir with his hand wrapped around his own lovely blue cock filled his mind. “Nope, all brain function goes right out the fucking window,” Gramlithyn muttered.
“The thought of sex grossed me out until my eighteenth birthday.”
“That’s because you’re an elf and lacked sexuality until you met your mate.”
“You’re an elf hybrid; you lacked it until you figured out we were paired by Fate.”
Gramlithyn chuckled. “Yeah, I’m aware.”
“Well, you made it sound like we weren’t both elves.”
“Being a zebra is easier.”
“Do you think so?” Pyxlevir asked. “Because I’ve wondered about that. I don’t have to worry about protein, and I don’t share my soul with a beast. I know it’s this wonderful, peaceful thing, but I worry about what it must be like if man and beast aren’t aligned. Like how shifters can die of heartbreak andstuff. I’m just an elf. Although we were once Fae, our magic was stripped away fifteen thousand years ago. I’m basically a cute dude with pointy ears.”
“With thousands of years of tradition you must obey, and sexuality tied to a single person who Fate decides. Having a beast comes with risks, but there are advantages too. Also, for the record, you’re a hell of a lot more than cute.”
Pyxlevir bit his lip, and his gaze drifted to his lap. “So, you wish you could have sex with other people?”
“At eighteen, I wanted simplicity and to get far from here. It occurred to me that if I wasn’t an elf, I could pretend mates didn’t exist. As a shifter, I could have relationships with other people and somehow convince myself Fate had no impact on my life. But do I want to be with someone else? No, I’m too much of an elf to contemplate that. My sexuality is tied to Fate’s choice.”
“Your sexuality is tied to me. Is that a problem for our future? Is it too difficult to imagine having a sexual relationship with me?”
Gramlithyn’s zebra whinnied a protest at the doubt their mate was expressing. Desperate to reassure his beast and Pyxlevir, Gramlithyn went with his gut and reached out to gently caress his other half’s cheek. Pyxlevir’s gaze immediately darted over to clash with Gramlithyn’s as the hybrid dropped his hand to his lap.
“No, Pyx. I have no issue imagining any kind of relationship with you,” Gramlithyn assured him quietly.
For several seconds, they stared at each other. Gramlithyn desperately tried to gauge Pyxlevir’s mood. Shock was apparent, but there was something softer there he couldn’t define. As for himself, Gramlithyn was pleased Pyxlevir hadn’t slapped his arm away. A heartbeat later, he sucked in a stunned breath when Pyxlevir cupped Gramlithyn’s face in his small blue hands.
Gramlithyn scrambled to recover, but his gray matter skidded to a halt as Pyxlevir softly pressed his mouth to Gramlithyn’s trembling lips. The kiss was brief but lovely.
“Good, because I think about you every time I jerk off,” Pyxlevir whispered.
“Dangerous. You’re both dangerous and evil.”
Pyxlevir smiled knowingly. “I think you like those things about me.”
“Stop reading my mind. I need another beer, want me to grab one for you too?” Gramlithyn asked. Truthfully, he needed a moment to calm his libido more than he needed a drink.
Pyxlevir dropped his hands, and his grin remained as he scooted back to allow Gramlithyn to stand. “Sure, I could use another one.”
“Should we start that movie?”
“Afraid of what we’ll do if we don’t watch it?”
