Soul Bond: Part 10

Happy August!  Where the heck have the last seven months gone? I'm not entirely sure.  But it's August now, known in my world as "the month of a million birthdays" so I thought we'd celebrate with an early episode of Soul Bond.  We haven't had any extra episodes of this season yet, so I thought we'd have one today.  The next one will still go up on Monday.

It's a bit of a long one, folks.  Hope you enjoy. Label on the side bar if you need to catch up, right?  Hope you enjoy.

And hey, tune in tomorrow for some pics and discussion of my current yarn WIPs!

10

            Three days later, Jared was no closer to making a decision on whether or not he would allow Liam to attempt to unlock his memories.  As much as he trusted the other man, the thought of anyone digging around in his mind terrified him.  What if there was some other trap in there that was triggered by Liam’s actions, causing him to lose more memories?  What if it wasn’t a trap at all and something went drastically wrong?  They’d spent long hours weighing the pros and cons.  After Liam got home from work, they’d eat dinner together and talk.  After the dishes were done, they would cuddle on the couch and talk.  It seemed like the only time they weren’t conversing about it was when they were in bed and had better uses for their time.

            A warm front had moved through the area, raising the temperature and melting most of the snow.  Jared knew it wouldn’t last, it never did in March in Colorado, but for the moment, he was enjoying not having to wrap up in multiple layers just to get his daily vanilla chai at Any Beans Necessary.  Mary was a wonderful sounding board and she had taken it upon herself to mother Jared.  He didn’t mind.  They would talk between lulls in business.  Jared found he could voice his concerns to her without fear and she in turn told him all about the new guy she was seeing.  It sounded pretty serious.  The man, Scott, wasn’t a practitioner himself but he’d been raised by a family of them and was very understanding when it came to the magic and the bond she had with her familiar.  Jared had yet to meet him in person but Mary had informed him that Kelly had met him and approved.  When everything else in his life seemed like it was on the edge of collapsing, it was nice to just sit and talk.  The normalcy of the conversation, discussing his friend’s love life, went a long way to settling Jared. 

            But nothing gave Jared as much peace as being in Liam’s presence.  He hated that Liam had been called back into work; he’d grown accustomed to having the man around all the time.  He knew Liam loved his job and couldn’t afford not to work, but he still would have preferred that they spend all their time closed up together in Liam’s cozy home. 

            When Jared turned the corner and saw that Liam’s truck was parked in the driveway, his first emotion was complete elation that he would see the man, followed swiftly by panic as Liam shouldn’t have been home for a couple of more hours.  Marvin gave a squawk of annoyance when Jared slammed on the brakes, threw the car into park, and grabbed him up.  He ran into the house, heart pounding in his chest, certain that he was about to hear some horrible news.  He feared the worst. 

            What he saw nearly made him cry.

            The living room was in disarray, the furniture pushed around and the TV stand shoved into the far corner.  Liam stood in the middle of the room, sopping wet but grinning.  Against the wall, where the TV had once stood, was a five foot long rectangular tank on a carved wooden stand.  From the sand in the bottom, the coral decorations, and the empty boxes of seawater, Jared knew without a doubt what he was looking at.

            “Liam,” he breathed, completely awestruck.  Gently, he set Marvin on the ground.  The duck quickly waddled away, probably off to the sunroom and his pond, but Jared really didn’t care.  He’d thought the accommodations Liam had made to his home for his and Marvin’s comfort had been amazing.  But this?  This was beyond anything Jared could have imagined. 

            “Did I get it right?” Liam asked softly.

            “It’s perfect.  Just exactly what I had envisioned,” Jared had to choke back the emotion that threatened to overwhelm him.  “But, Liam, this is…its kind of permanent, isn’t it?”

            Liam shrugged and Jared didn’t miss the way his cheeks darkened a bit before the man looked away.  “It’s something you wanted that I could do for you.  We can figure everything out if—when—if—“

            Jared sprinted across the room and cut off Liam by yanking his head down and kissing him hard, putting all his gratitude and emotion into it.  Liam was quick to respond, pulling Jared tight and thrusting his tongue into Jared’s mouth.  Jared opened and let himself be devoured.  They broke a part, panting and leaning on each other.

            “I got this stuff, this live bacteria stuff, that says when you pour it in, it makes the water instantly ready for fish.  And the water is already perfectly balanced for pH and everything.  I wanted you to pick out your own fish, so we can do that later…”

            Liam kept talking but Jared couldn’t absorb the words.  This was the most caring, wonderful thing anyone had ever done for him.  Liam had listened to him, really listened, when Jared had spoken of his desire to own this kind of tank.  It might not seem like that big of a deal, but Jared knew how much money and time it took, and he was floored that Liam did it anyway.  In the back of his mind, Jared had been worried that Liam’s actions and words were solely a result of the bond they shared.  Not that he thought Liam didn’t care, only that this relationship had been thrust upon him and was not one he would have chosen.  But now Jared knew, without a doubt, that Liam was committed to this.  Maybe the bond had brought them together and moved things along faster than either one of them would normally have done, but Liam was in it for real.  Jared had been denying his own feelings in that regard, not wanting to be more invested in this than his partner.  Liam was showing him that he had no worries.

            “I want you to try to unlock my memories,” Jared whispered.

            Liam went completely still.  For a long moment, he neither moved nor spoke.  Jared swallowed hard.  Had he said the wrong thing?  Despite all their discussion, he got the feeling that Liam would agree to whichever option he chose.  But now, as Liam stared down at him with something like disbelief in his eyes, Jared thought perhaps that Liam hadn’t wanted to do it at all.

            “Are you sure, angel?” Liam asked carefully, his voice low.

            Jared nodded and took a shaky breath as he tried to find the words to convey exactly what he was thinking.  And then he realized that he didn’t have to.  Liam could feel his emotions.  With a little bit of concentration, Jared gathered everything he was feeling and pushed them at Liam the same way he would send thoughts and emotions to Marvin.  He’d never actively tried to communicate with Liam this way, not at such an intense level, and he wasn’t sure if he was successful.  But Liam gasped, his eyes widening in surprise, and Jared thought that he’d managed to accurately express himself. 

            “All right, angel, we’ll try.  Just let me get this mess cleaned up,” Liam agreed.  His voice was a little shaky and Jared wanted to ask him why, but the man gave him a smile and quickly set about clearing out the debris.  Jared jumped in to help and between the two of them, they got the boxes broken down and in the recycle bin and the trash thrown away within a matter of minutes.  It took another twenty or so to get the furniture back into some semblance of order.  When Liam spent an inordinate amount of time fussing with the position of the couch, Jared suddenly realized that he was stalling.  Jared gave a puzzled frown and he watched Liam move the couch another scant half inch to the left.  Why would Liam be trying to put this off?  He searched their bond as he studied the man.  There was a faint something there, an emotion Jared couldn’t quite put his finger on.

            “Liam?” Jared asked quietly, surprised when Liam jumped a little.  The man gave a shaky laugh and ran a hand through his hair.  His smile was tentative and a little wobbly.  It hit Jared then that Liam was nervous.

            “We don’t have to do this,” Jared offered in a quiet voice.  Liam shook his head, reached out to snag Jared close, and pull him down to sit on the couch.  Once they were arranged in what had become their customary position, Jared tucked in close to Liam’s side, Liam gave him a squeeze.

            “I’m fine.  I’m just…I don’t,” Liam paused for a moment and blew out a breath.  “I know the theory behind this kind of thing. I’ve just never done it myself before.  I don’t think it will be a problem but this is you we’re talking about.  The thought of hurting or upsetting you in any way—“

            Jared crawled into his lap and cut him off with a hand over his mouth.  “I trust you, Liam,” Jared said gently.  “If anything bad happens it won’t be because you wanted it to.  I know that.”

            When he had Liam’s nod of agreement, he removed his hand and instantly replaced it with his mouth.  The kisses were soft and sweet, not meant to arouse but to comfort instead.  Jared loved this side of Liam and he thought not many others got to see it, not when Liam usually covered it up with snarky smartass remarks.  He felt privileged to be one of the few.  Liam's tension leeched from his shoulders with every kiss until the man was relaxed beneath him.  Only then did Jared drop one last kiss one Liam’s mouth and slide to sit beside him again.

            “All right,” Liam said purposefully.  “I want you to close your eyes, angel.  Blank your mind.  Relax.”

            Jared followed Liam’s instructions, breathing deep when Liam instructed him to and letting go of all the thoughts in his head. It was a hard thing to do, thinking about nothing.  But eventually, lulled by Liam’s voice and his warmth, Jared sank into a blank headspace.  He focused solely on the feel of Liam’s body where it touched his and let everything else go.

            Blinding pain seared his brain, and Jared gasped as his stomach rolled, lurched, and crawled up his throat.  He didn’t even have time to lunge for the wastebasket.  He made it as far as hunching over before he vomited all over the floor.  Each heave brought another wave of pain in his head.  Long after his stomach was empty, the muscles kept retracting, trying to force more out.  It felt like hours passed before he was done.  The moment he was sure he wasn’t going to heave anymore, embarrassment washed through him, turning his face dark red.  He closed his eyes and pressed a shaking hand to his mouth.  Marvin was quacking loudly, his worry pushing at Jared.  He tried to soothe his familiar, to let the duck know he was okay, but Marvin wasn’t having any of it.  Jared would have normally found that funny, but there wasn’t anything amusing about this situation.  He was insistent though, that he was all right, and finally Marvin subsided though he wasn’t exactly content.

            Liam’s strong hands had been supporting him as he lost his stomach contents and now, he tried to pull away in mortification.  Liam wouldn’t let him.  Jared couldn’t understand how the man could stand to be near him.  He’d just gotten sick all over the floor, for Christ’s sake!

            When Liam lifted him into his arms, Jared tried to protest.  Liam just ignored him and carried him into the bathroom.  He was still blazing red and he couldn’t make himself look at the other man.  Liam said nothing as he turned on the shower, helped Jared strip out of his clothes and gently nudged him into the stall.  Jared went gladly, desperate to wash away the sweat and stench.  He just wanted to feel clean.  He soaped quickly, determined to get himself under control.  He had to clean the floor.  Just the thought of it caused the blush to rise again.  Jared wasn’t sure how he’d ever be able to look Liam in the face again.

            He’d just stepped out and was standing there dripping on the bathmat while he brushed his teeth when he heard Liam’s tentative knock.

            “You all right, angel?”

            Jared squeezed his eyes shut.  After everything that just happened, Liam could still call him angel?  He shook his head, not sure he could believe it.  He spit and rinsed, then took a deep breath before he managed to force out, “Y-yes.  I’ll be out in a minute to clean up the floor.”

            “Already done,” Liam answered back. 

            And he’d thought things couldn’t get anymore embarrassing.  Not only had Liam watched him puke up his guts, but the man had cleaned it up, too.  Jared thunked his head against the mirror and let out a groan.

            Instantly, the door pushed open and Liam was inside the small space.  Jared tried to turn away from him but Liam wasn’t having it.  He pulled Jared into his arms, rubbing circles on his back.

            “Stop feeling embarrassed,” Liam said firmly and, because there was a little bit of will behind the command, Jared did.  He frowned, but couldn’t make himself look at Liam.  He managed to keep his eyes fixed on the vanity until Liam’s blunt fingers tucked under his chin and raised his face.

            “I mean it, angel.  You didn’t do it on purpose.  It wouldn’t have happened at all if I hadn’t hurt you.”

            The statement was accompanied by a stab of guilt that had Jared’s eyes fixing on Liam’s.  It was the strongest emotion he’d ever felt from the man and he knew that Liam had to be swamped with guilt if Jared could feel it at all.  Instantly, his own feelings didn’t matter and he wrapped his arms tightly around Liam’s middle. 

            “It’s.  Not. Your.  Fault.”

            Liam gave him a wan smile and it was clear he didn’t believe Jared’s words.  Jared opened his mouth to dispute the man but Liam shook his head.  “It’s true.  I didn’t do it on purpose, but it is my fault.”

            Jared gave him a little glare, feeling his stubbornness rise.  “It’s not.  Whoever spelled me is at fault.”

            A few beats of silence, then Liam nodded once.  At least that was something they could agree on.  Liam reached for the towel hanging on the rack and thoroughly wiped the remaining water from Jared’s body, before lifting the smaller man into his arms and carrying him to bed.

            “I’m not sick, Liam—“

            “Hush.”  Liam sat on the bed next to him, their hips touching, and reached out a hand to smooth a finger over Jared’s brow.  “What happened?”

            “Pain.  I was just sitting there and then there was this intense, blinding pain in my head.  It was so bad it made me…” Jared trailed off, feeling embarrassed again and he shook his head.  “What did you feel?”

            Liam scrunched up his eyebrows.  “There was nothing and then there was a block. It was like a wall.  I reached out to touch it with my mind and you just doubled over and puked every damn where.”

            The smile and the tone were meant to be teasing and Jared managed a shaky laugh.  There was no disputing that fact.  If Liam was laughing about it already, maybe Jared could let it go as well.  It was still as embarrassing as all hell, but at least Liam didn’t think any worse of him for it.  In fact, Jared could see worry in Liam’s eyes.  He reached out and snagged the bigger man’s wrist, giving it a tug.

            “Get undressed and lay down with me,” Jared insisted.  He put all the pleading he could into his eyes and, with a small huff of mock irritation, Liam removed his clothes and slid under the covers, spooning his body around Jared’s.

            “Maybe we don’t go poking around in my brain anymore, okay?” Jared asked softly when Liam was settled. 

            “Yeah. I think that’s a good idea,” Liam said quietly, then nuzzled his nose against Jared’s throat.  “I’m so sorry I hurt you, angel.”

            “If I don’t get to be embarrassed about getting sick all over your floor, then you don’t get to feel guilty about it either.”  Jared’s voice was firm and he started to turn his head to show Liam that he meant business, but the man didn’t allow him that much movement.

            “Okay, fine.  But only because you have nothing to be embarrassed about.”

            Jared opened his mouth to tell Liam that he had nothing to feel guilty about, but Liam must have seen it coming because he cut him off with a kiss.  Jared jerked his mouth away.

            “I just threw up and you’re going to kiss me?” Jared asked incredulously.

            Liam gave a half shrug and a playful grin.  “You brushed your teeth.”

            “Gross.”

            Liam laughed and Jared joined in, snuggling tighter against the man at his back.  He loved lying in bed with Liam like this.  It didn’t happen often, usually they had other things to do once they got horizontal, but Jared cherished the moments when it did happen.

            “You’ll tell Kelly what happened.” Jared had meant for it to be a question but it didn’t come out like that.  Which was fine.  Because there was no way he’d be able to recount the details of what happened to a man he didn’t know that well.  Not that he didn’t think the coven leader was a good man, Jared just couldn’t have brought himself to explain what had happened. 

            “Yeah, I’ll tell Kelly.  But tomorrow is soon enough for that.  Just close your eyes now, angel.  Get some rest.  Tomorrow when I get home from the site, we’ll go pick out some fish for your tank.”

            That sounded like an excellent plan to Jared.  He checked in with Marvin quickly, assuring his familiar once again that he was fine, then let Liam’s warmth lull him to sleep.

 

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