Welcome to Gaia! ::

Title: Finding Balance
Author: Heather (my real name)
Warnings: no warnings
Notes: This story is a later story in a larger series I'm writing. The universe is a fantasy one - magic and the like is real, but the general population is unaware it truly exists. Two island nations: Chloral and Eiri send all their mages to a single school known as Hollman's Conservatory (where they pretend the students learn music).
Feedback?: Yes, please!

***

“Balance,” Cain said, his voice soft enough that his students had to lean forward to hear him. He turned around and wrote the word on the slateboard behind him in large letters. Then he turned back to face the young people once more. A smile ghosted across his lips when he thought about the similar lecture he’d received when he was the age his students currently were.

Shaking the thought away, he continued. “More than skill or power or anything you learn in one of your classes,” he said, “balance is the thing you need in order to ground your soul in this world and prevent you from becoming lost in you magic.”

The students copied his words into their notes and then one student raised her hand. Cain’s scanned from the outstretched hand to its owner’s face. The girl’s soft brown hair was loose around her shoulders, the differently colored eyes blinking at him with curiosity.

“Yes, Ophelia?” he said, tilting his head to one side.

“Master Twilight,” she asked, “How do we… find balance then?” Several of the other students nodded and murmured.

Cain smiled faintly and shook his head. “The answer to that question is unique to everyone,” he said, thinking back to the day he’d found it for himself.

**

It was late afternoon as Cain strode briskly and with single-minded determination down the walk, not looking to either his right or his left. His thoughts whirled around as he tried to find the answer to the question his teacher had posed them that morning. Where would he find his balance?

He paid no attention to the vendors that were scattered around the market square. He dodged deftly around the children who played tag in the crowd and ducked under reaching arms to make his way to the person he sought.

Finally, he slowed to a stop and frowned. His gaze was fixed on a young man, possibly a year or two older than he was. The other was smiling warmly as he spoke to the young women that were flocked around his stall. Gabriel Walker was his name. Cain knew it only because he had been persistent in his questioning of others.

For the past several weeks, nearly two months, he had been coming to the market and watching Walker as he worked. Initially, it had been because the young vendor had chosen a location in the shade of a tree that provided him with the best sort of shadows to watch. Only after the first two weeks had Cain noticed the young man himself.

Only the previous day had Cain determined to speak to the taller young man. Now that he was standing just a few feet away, however, his resolve seemed to be crumbling. “Stupid,” Cain grumbled, clenching his fists at his sided and staring at his feet. The sciomancer took a few deep breathes and then straightened.

The young women had moved away and Walker was tidying the jewels they had examined and failed to return to their proper locations. Seeing the opportunity, Cain started forward. An older woman approached the stall and his steps faltered. As the woman engaged Walker in conversation, Cain realized he’d moved close enough to hear them and moved to stand at the stall.

He listened as he pretended to examine a tiepin. “I’m not certain what sort of things your daughter would like, ma’am,” Walker was saying. His voice was warm and firm, with a hint of a lilting accent of some sort.

Cain glanced up surreptitiously and saw the gentle smile Walker was giving the woman. It was the same one he gave all of his customers. A breeze ruffled his red-brown hair and Walker turned his head slightly to avoid it. His eyes locked briefly on Cain, who looked away quickly and then he spoke to the woman once more.

“I can say that most of the young woman are more interested in brooches this season than rings, however,” he said, waving towards a selection of large pins.

The woman murmured something and turned her attention to the brooches. Gabriel looked at the small man who had appeared at the stall. His eyes were fixed on a tiepin, but he didn’t really seem interested in the jewel. He was oblivious to the wind pushing his already untidy dark hair into greater disarray.

He’d seen the man quite often over the past month or so. He seemed determined to hide in the crowds, walking with his head somewhat bowed. The sleeves of his great cloak fell down over his hands and Gabriel couldn’t help but wonder if he’d hoped to grow into it when he’d first purchased it.

“Can I help you, sir?” he said politely.

The dark head raised just enough for a pair of dark eyes to become visible. The young man’s cheeks stained a faint red and the head dropped once more. “I’m… not interested in jewelry,” a faint voice said. His voice was higher than most men’s and Gabriel wondered just how old he was.

His brow knit together and he looked away to help the woman with her purchase. When he turned back, the young man was looking at him and fidgeting with the sleeves of his oversized coat. Smiling, Gabriel said, “If you’re not interested in my wares, what are you here for?”

“I’m… Cain Peterson,” he said in the same soft, high voice in which he’d first spoken. His eyes shifted away and he asked, “I… wondered if you would like… to go to… opera with me.”

Gabriel blinked in surprise and Cain blushed once more, brighter this time. His head shook from side to side and he said something quickly and so quietly that Gabriel couldn’t hear it. As he turned to walk away, Gabriel said, “Wait.” He caught the sleeve of the coat and Cain turned to face him.

“I’m sorry,” Gabriel said, shaking his head. He dropped his hand and fidgeted with his own coat. “I… just wasn’t expecting that.” He blushed and shrugged, smiling faintly. “I don’t… have the right sort of clothes for the opera.”

“N-neither do I,” Cain murmured, looking down. The corners of his mouth turned up briefly, in what, Gabriel assumed, was his version of a smile and he added, “I… didn’t mean at the opera house. I meant at the Conservatory.”

Blinking Gabriel considered the other’s words. “The… Conservatory,” he said slowly. “I’d heard they put on performances there, but… aren’t they only open to students?”

The dark head bobbed up and down and Cain added, “We’re allowed to invite people… as – as guests, though.”

“You’re a student at the Conservatory?” Gabriel said, blinking in surprise. When Cain looked up, his hands going to the buttons at the top of his coat, he noticed the collar of a black shirt and the top of a red necktie peeking out. Both nodded at the same time and Gabriel said, “I only just noticed you’ve the uniform.”

“Where… are you from?” Cain asked suddenly, tilting his head to one side. Again, the ghost of a smile appeared at his lips. However, the smile remained this time, rather than vanishing quickly, as it had before.

“Here,” Gabriel said, waving his arms to indicate the city. He grinned and added, “My mother was from Eiri, however.”

“You have a touch of their lilt,” Cain said, nodding. He inclined his head and started to walk away, but stopped when Gabriel called his name.

When the small man had turned to face him, he said, “Where…”

“Here,” the other said quickly. “Meet me here at… seven this evening? We can… have dinner?” When Gabriel had nodded, Cain’s eyes closed in a prolonged blink and then he turned and walked away, disappearing into the crowd.

**

Gabriel returned to the place where he always set up his stall. Looking up at the clock tower, he could see that he was ten minutes early. He fidgeted uncomfortably in the starched shirt and suit. He rarely had need to wear such fine clothes, but he thought he should look his best, even if the show was an amateur production at Hollman’s Conservatory.

As he paced back and forth over the darkened walkway, he felt like butterflies were having a party in his belly. “Is this a… date?” he murmured, sounding nervous and uncertain. What did Peterson expect in return for dinner and the show?

Shaking the thoughts away, Gabriel looked up at the clock tower once more. As it began to chime the hour, he frowned. Perhaps Peterson had reconsidered taking him on… whatever he meant this to be?

“Master Walker?” a soft, high voice said and Gabriel whirled around to face the speaker. Cain gave him the same faint smile and added, “I was afraid you wouldn’t come.”

“I… was just afraid,” Gabriel admitted, chuckling softly. Cain’s eyes closed briefly and he gave a short, soft sound that may have been a chuckle. Smiling in amusement, Gabriel asked, “Are you always so… contained?”

Cain nodded and his eyes closed again. “If… if you get to know me better, you’ll be able to tell on your own,” he murmured. “I’m… very excited and… pleased that you’re here.”

Gabriel chuckled and nodded. “Excited, are you?” he said, stepping closer to the small man. “Well, I couldn’t pass up a free meal and… the company certainly isn’t dull.”

The dark eyes widened and then squeezed closed briefly. “Dinner?” Cain asked, tilting his head to one side and holding up a hand. “Do… do you trust me?”

Taking the hand, Gabriel nodded. He was shocked at how tiny the hand was and also at how firm the grip was in spite of the small size. “Where are we going?” he asked as Cain led him towards the large tree that shaded his stall during the day.

It seemed to Gabriel that he blinked and suddenly the scenery changed. He looked around at the trees that surrounded them and said, “Master Peterson? Where are we?”

“The Conservatory grounds,” Cain said, releasing his hand. He turned and gave him a faint smile, adding, “I… I’m called Twilight here, but you… you can call me Cain.” By the time he’d finished speaking his voice had dropped to a faint whisper.

“You – You’re a mage!” Gabriel said, his eyes brightening. When Cain nodded, he brought his hands together and laughed brightly. “Any time I’d mention magic to my father he’d tell me I was… imagining things.”

Cain shook his head. “It… doesn’t frighten you?” he murmured, looking serious and nervous. “I’m… I walk through shadows. That… doesn’t scare you?”

“I’d say it would come in terribly handy if you can go anywhere in an instant just by walking into a shadow,” Gabriel said, shaking his head. “I’m… I’m not scared at all. I think it’s marvelous.” Even as he said the worlds, he felt certain they were the absolute truth.

“I’m glad to hear it,” Cain said. He turned and pointed towards a group of buildings. “That’s were I was planning to eat,” he said. Looking back up, he added, “We have… a picnic in the courtyard before we have the show.”

Gabriel nodded and followed as Cain started down the hill towards the buildings. “Cain,” he said, his tone carefully neutral, “can I ask how… how old are you?”

Cain stopped and his head dropped. A moment later, his shoulders were shaking and soft, choked back sounds emerged from his small frame. Gabriel bit his lip, worried that he’d upset the smaller man. It was until he peered around his shoulder that he realized Cain was laughing.

As Gabriel chuckled softly, Cain looked up and said, “I’m twenty years old. Mantics – mages of my kind – are always… shorter than average.”

“You speak so… quietly,” Gabriel said, smoothing dark locks of hair from Cain’s face. He blushed when the dark eyes looked on his hand and he folded his fingers together in front of his chest. “Are you… shy or just soft-spoken?”

“A little of both,” Cain replied, giving him a sidelong glance. The eyes squeezed shut in what Gabriel was beginning to recognize as Cain’s version of a bright, cheerful grin.

They walked for a few more moments before they emerged into a group of buildings. Other students, some in uniform, others in clothing similar to what Gabriel was wearing, were already gathered. No one was wearing the proper evening dress expected at an opera. Gabriel looked at Cain and smiled when the smaller man pulled off his great cloak to show a suit similar to his own.

“Cain!” an enthusiastic voice called. Both young men looked up to see another approaching them. Like Cain, he had dark hair that fell to his shoulders. However, his eyes were a startling shade of blue, almost purple. He skidded to a stop in front of them and grinned excitedly. “My goodness, Cain, you’re so happy!” he said, chuckling brightly.

Cain rolled his eyes and looked up at Gabriel. “This is Phoenix, a classmate,” he said, waving at the exuberant youth.

“Felix Ramsey, at your service,” he added, extending his hand.

Taking the offered hand, he said, “A pleasure. My name is Gabriel Walker.” He was surprised once more to realize that Felix was even smaller than Cain and the grip decidedly more delicate. As he released the small hand, he said, “I feel like a giant oak among willows.”

“Mantics are short,” Felix said, shrugging. He grinned and chuckled again, adding, “Some more so than others.” He gave them a polite bow and said, “I’ll let you get back to your evening.” He turned to Cain and said, “If you’re of a mind, you and Gabriel can sit with Melody and me.”

“Thank you,” Cain said, grinning again in his subtle way. As Felix scampered across the courtyard to another group of students, Cain waved towards a large table, set with trays of food. “It’s buffet style,” he murmured. “You fill your plate and then sit… wherever.”

Gabriel nodded and glanced around, following his smaller companion towards the table. There were students sitting on stone benches and the steps of some of the buildings. A few were settled on blankets that were spread out in the grass at the center of the courtyard. “What about the blankets?”

“Master Lyric sets them out,” Cain said, handing him an empty plate. He smiled and added, “We can sit there… if you like.”

“Why’d you invite me?” Gabriel asked, nodding slightly. Sitting down on the ground to eat felt like a good idea. Maybe, then, he wouldn’t feel so tall compared to everyone else.

Cain blushed and then looked up at him. In a faint whisper, he said, “I… You’re very handsome and… you seemed kind and intelligent.” He stopped and shrugged, then added, “I wanted to get to know you.”

Gabriel nodded and smiled at the compliment, then he murmured, “But… surely, as a student here… would your parents approve?”

“Mantics come from all levels but we’re automatically considered upper class,” Cain said, looking up at him. “Even though most people don’t know of us, those in power are aware and, because of that, grant us certain privileges that are generally withheld from ‘commoners’.”

“I gathered that much,” Gabriel said, blushing faintly. He didn’t want people would think that Cain was lowering himself by associating with him.

“My father keeps a dry goods store,” Cain replied, fixing him with a sly look. “Yours is a jeweler. You’re running the stall until you can afford to buy an actual storefront of your own, right?”

“Did you do research about me?” Gabriel asked, chuckling softly.

Shrugging, Cain said, “I asked around.” Having filled his plate, Cain waited until Gabriel moved away from the table and followed him over to the blankets on the grass.

Once Gabriel let himself relax, he found that Cain was playful and teasing, behind his shy, soft-spoken exterior. He was also a terrible gossip, so Gabriel got to hear about all the secrets the students he pointed out had thought they’d hidden.

“All right,” an older man said, getting everyone’s attention. “I hope you enjoyed you dinner, because it’s time to head inside and watch the performance.”

“That was Master Lyric,” Cain said, nodding at the man, as he disappeared through a side door of the theater building. “He teaches melomancy and concert band. It’s his students who are in the pit for the opera.”

“What’s melomancy?” Gabriel asked, moving towards the front of the theater. He’d already learned that mantics manipulated different elements or blends of elements to work spells and divine the future or the truth. Cain was a sciomancer, who worked with fire and air to manipulate shadows.

“Air and, in his case, earth, to manipulate sound,” Cain murmured. He touched Gabriel’s arm and pulled him into a shadow, from which they emerged inside the theater itself. “I hate crowds.”

“Like I said, very useful power, that,” Gabriel murmured. They’d been able to by pass the throng of students and find a decent group of empty seats. Cain sent him a cheerful smile, or what passed for one where he was concerned, and then sat down beside him. “Are we going to save a couple seats for Felix and… Melody, was it?”

Cain nodded and pointed as Felix scampered down the aisle to sit beside them with a young lady, who approached more sedately. “Hello, Melody,” he greeted.

“Hello,” she replied. She grinned at Gabriel and said, “I’m Melody Comstock and you are very tall.”

Gabriel choked back a laugh and nodded. “Gabriel Walker,” he said, taking her hand and kissing it gently. “It’s an honor to meet you, Miss Comstock.”

“Oh, dear lord,” Felix stated, grinning viciously, “don’t tell her things like that. She’ll start to expect me to treat her in the same way!”

“You,” Melody said, swatting him playfully. She grinned at Gabriel and said, “A pleasure to meet you, Master Walker.” She turned to Cain and asked, “Is this who you keep running off to watch?”

“I was doing… homework,” Cain replied, blushing hotly.

Melody quirked an eyebrow, but Cain was saved from further embarrassment when a small man with bright red hair stumbled down the aisle. “Cain!” he chirped, flopping down beside Felix. “How are you?”

“Reverie,” Cain said, nodding at the other. He looked up at Gabriel and said, “Reverie’s in our class as well.”

“Gabriel Walker,” he said, extending his hand. “Please to meet you, Master Reverie. How do you do?”

“Oh,” the redhead said, taking offered the hand. He shook it and released it and said, “It’s wonderful meeting you, but you can call me Elliot. Elliot Moore is my name, Reverie’s just how they call me here.”

“They’re trade-names,” Felix said, nodding slightly. He poked the taller boy and added, “Show’s about to start.”

Elliot squeaked and turned to the stage, murmuring, “We can talk later, Master Gabriel.”

“Elliot’s mother was from Shynia,” Cain explained. “They use first names more often than we typically have, although we’re starting to do the same thing.”

Gabriel nodded in understanding and then fell silent as the lights dimmed and the orchestra began to play. Cain looked over at the young man seated beside him as the curtains opened on the first scene.

Unaware of the scrutiny, Gabriel sat forward in his seat, his eyes wide with excitement. The actors moved through the narrative, telling the story of a young woman seduced by a ghostly suitor. The young man seemed drawn into the tale, his whole world dominated by the music and motion on the stage. By the time they had reached the intermission, Cain had realized something that had nothing to do with the story unfolding on the before them.

Gabriel Walker, with his vibrant spirit, was the very thing that his professor had told him he needed. In order to be truly balanced in life, to not lose himself in his magic, he need this bright, intense soul to ground him to the physical world, to give him a reason to return each time from the shadows.

At that moment, his companion finally turned his gaze away from the stage. “What?” Gabriel said, blushing faintly, even as he chuckled.

Cain simply shook his head and gave the taller man a rare smile. “Time will tell,” he said, setting his hand over Gabriel’s.

End…

Please don't tell me that's the end! TT-TT I think that may be the one yaoi fic I've ever read without kissing or any sexual involvement that I enjoyed.

God I'm such a perv xD

Continue!!! D< Please? @o@

Not exactly the next part, but it is the next part that continues their romance. The previous part (which I skipped) just has Cain at school with his little students.

"Shining Memories"

Gabriel smiled as he paged through the scrapbook he’d begun five years ago. Back then, his main goal had been to raise enough money that he could purchase a shop in which to sell his jewelry. So much had happened in the ensuing years.

It had been nearly a week since Cain had invited him to see an opera at Hollman’s Conservatory, where he went to school. With that simple, hesitant, invitation, Gabriel had been introduced to a world that common people didn’t even realize existed.

As he attended to the ladies and gentlemen who came to his stall, he was distracted. Had Cain decided that the date hadn’t gone well? Would he never see the dark-haired young man again?

“Thank you,” Gabriel said, not really paying attention to the young lady who had just purchased… What had she bought?

“Are you all right?” a soft voice asked, startling him out of his reverie.

Whirling away from the stall, he saw that the very person he’d been thinking of had appeared. “I just – Where did you come from?” he asked, glancing around quickly.

Cain’s eyes closed briefly in a prolonged blink and his shoulders shook in a stifled chuckle. “Do you mean to say that you’ve forgotten?” he asked, tilting his head to one side.

“You…” Gabriel started. He remembered now that Cain’s magic let him travel through shadows. However, at this time of the day, his stall was in full sunlight. He frowned at the small man and then blinked in surprise as Cain silently pointed to a shaded area under the table his wares rested on.

“You can’t keep a sciomancer out,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “There are always shadows around, especially at night.”

“Are you hinting at something, Master Peterson?” Gabriel asked, a bright blush staining his cheeks.

Cain stepped closer, standing on his toes so that they were eye-to-eye. “What could I be hinting at, Master Walker?” he asked, his dark eyes twinkling mischievously.

Gabriel’s breath caught in his throat. He’d always heard that a person’s eyes were the window to their soul. If that were true, then Cain Peterson was there simply to lead him into temptation. Suddenly, he felt unbearably hot and a little dizzy.

“My,” Cain murmured, his breath hot on Gabriel’s neck, “how you blush.” He dropped to flatfoot and stepped away. Tilting his head to one side, he asked, “Do you have time for lunch?”

“I have…” Gabriel started. Then he remembered why he was out there on such a lovely summer day and whirled back to his wares. “I have to keep the stall.”

Cain sighed and stepped close to peer around his shoulder at the scattered jewels. “Then I’ll just have to feed you, won’t I,” he said, his voice so faint that Gabriel doubted anyone could hear him.

A moment later, Cain had settled himself on the tabletop and was opening a small basket. Swinging his feet rhythmically, he removed a sandwich from the basket and pulled back the paper wrapper. “Open,” he said, holding the morsel in front of Gabriel’s face.

“Cain,” Gabriel started, then he laughed as the other shoved the sandwich into his mouth. He bit into it and took the sandwich from the mischievous young man. “Don’t you… have class, or something?” he asked, looking away.

“Indeed not,” Cain replied, giving a woman who had approached the stall a gentle smile. The dark eyes darted away from her to Gabriel and he said, “Classes are done for the semester and I’ll be graduating – at long last.”

Gabriel blinked in surprise and turned his attention to the customer. As soon as she was walking away from the stall, with her purchase tucked into the shopping basket that hung from her arm, he looked back at Cain. “Graduating?”

Cain nodded, blinking in pleasure. “My magic didn’t fully emerge until a year later than most and it takes three years to master, so now I’m graduating,” he said. “It took me nine years, instead of the normal seven.”

“So then… Elliot and Melody and Felix… they’re younger than you?” Gabriel asked, frowning slightly.

“Melody and Elliot are,” Cain said, nodding in agreement. “Felix, however, is the same age as I am. His magic still hasn’t fully emerged, but they’ve taught all they can until it does, so he’s being granted a provisional degree.” His nose crinkled and he added, “Elliot’s only sixteen; he started earlier than most do.”

Gabriel blinked, suddenly realizing just how little he still knew about mantics and Cain in particular. “When do most students start at the Conservatory?” he asked, biting his lip.

“You can start classes the moment you show any sort of gift,” Cain explained. “It comes with puberty, so the ages for first year students range from nine to twelve years, but twelve is the last year you can start at the school.”

“What if your… magic hasn’t come out yet?” Gabriel asked, leaning back against the table and giving Cain his undivided attention. “Is that possible?”

“I was about eight months away from turning thirteen when my powers finally had to be woken up,” Cain said, grimacing slightly. “I turned twenty-one just yesterday, if they hadn’t woken my powers, I wouldn’t have been allowed to enter the Conservatory at all.”

“Is that why it took you longer to graduate?” Gabriel asked, tilting his head to one side. “I mean, they made your… power come out before you were ready, maybe it’s just… maybe you can’t rush it?”

“That’s what Master Lyric said,” Cain replied. He gave Gabriel a faint smile and shook his head. “Sciomancy takes longer to emerge than most forms of manticism do anyway and… I was a late bloomer.”

Gabriel nodded and then looked away briefly to attend a few more customers that had arrived while Cain had been speaking. He finished with them and turned back to Cain to find that the smaller man was standing beside him now. “So,” he began, “You said your father kept a dry-goods store. What about your mother? Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

“Why are you suddenly so curious about me?” Cain asked, giving him an inquiring look.

“I…” Gabriel started. He faltered and looked away, blushing. “I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind since that night at the Conservatory,” he admitted.

When he looked up, a faint blush was also coloring Cain’s cheeks. He licked his lips before saying, “My mother helps my father at the shop. As for siblings, I’ve a younger sister. She’ll be graduating as well.”

“I’m an only child,” Gabriel said, grinning. He looked into Cain’s eyes and said, “I’ve always wondered what it would have been like to have a little sister.”

“Lilith can be a bother,” Cain said, rolling his eyes. Then his expression softened and he added, “But I wouldn’t trade our time together for anything in the world. For a long time, she was my only friend.”

Gabriel nodded slightly. As shy and contained as Cain was, it made sense that he wouldn’t have too many friends. “Did you… was there a reason you came to visit me today?” he asked, setting his hands tentatively on Cain’s waist, “or did you just think I needed lunch?”

“Well, there is the lunch, of course,” Cain said, looking serious for a moment. He blushed and averted his eyes before speaking again. “I wanted to know if you would… come… see me graduate?” he said, looking into Gabriel’s eyes as he finished the request.

“I’d love to!” Gabriel said, grinning and nodding. He stopped and said, “I… um, would need to know when and where to meet you.”

“This weekend, at mid-morning,” Cain said, blinking rapidly. “It’s being held at the Moore Theater. Do you know the place?”

Gabriel nodded. “I’ll see you there, then,” he agreed.

Cain bit his lip at the words and then fidgeted with his sleeve, the faint blush growing as he said, “If I… were to kiss you now, would you… protest?”

Gabriel chuckled softly and stepped closer once more, cupping the smaller man’s cheek in his own. “I think I’d protest if you didn’t kiss me, Cain,” he breathed. A moment later, he pressed his lips to Cain’s, pulling the smaller man against his body as he did so. In that moment, something stirred inside him.

When they finally broke the kiss, Cain’s eyes were wide with wonder and he was flushed and panting. “My… my, my,” he said breathlessly. “We’ll have to… do that far more… often.”

“That,” Gabriel added, “and far more.”

“What are you doing?” a soft voice asked, breaking Gabriel out of his memories. He looked away from the scrapbook to find the object of his imaginings standing before him.

He closed the book and set it aside; then reached out to pull Cain into his lap. “Remembering how all this started,” he said, nuzzling into Cain’s dark hair and sliding his hands between the other’s legs.

Cain gasped and squirmed at the unexpected attention. “Gabriel,” he squeaked, his tone uncharacteristically emotional. “What would Mary say?”

“That we should conduct such business in private,” Gabriel said, then he pressed his lips against Cain’s briefly. He was chuckling as he pulled away and stood, lifting his smaller lover up with him. “And she’d be quite correct.”

“Gabriel, we have company coming in only three hours,” Cain protested. He struggled briefly, but stopped when they reached the staircase. “What am I going to do with you?” he said, sounding exasperated.

“Oh, this has more to do with what I will do with you, my dear,” Gabriel purred.

End…

I like it very much, you should defiently do more.

WARNING!!!! This part has graphic violence (graphic for me, anyway) and intense moments. If you are easily upset, I would advise that you skip this part. I'd like feedback on it, but I don't want to upset anyone.

**

Discovering Strength

Cain looked over at where Gabriel was sleeping and sighed. It felt like he always watched the other man sleep. He wondered when that had started and then looked down at the portrait of his sister as he realized the answer to that question.

“So,” Lilith said, grinning impishly at her brother, “how are things going with you and Gabriel?”

His eyes widened and he felt his cheeks warm at the question. “Whatever sort of thing is that to ask?” he said, pushing the hair from his eyes in an attempt to hide the blush.

Melody chuckled softly and then gasped. “Daniel?” she said, her voice faint. The other students gathered turned to follow her gaze.

Daniel Emerson, a fellow classmate of theirs, was standing in the doorway. His face was terribly pale and, as Cain moved towards him, the younger boy pitched forward and fell. Even as he reached his side, Cain knew that Daniel was dead. He could see now that his throat had been slit.

There was a scream and Cain looked away from the corpse, just in time to be grabbed by the arm and pulled to his feet. “What do you want?” he demanded, struggling against his captor.

The person holding his arm was shrouded in a dark hooded robe. Rather than answering, he tightened his grip and turned to his comrades. “Get them secured,” his captor said, shoving Cain against a wall and pulling arms back. As he bound the struggling boy’s wrists, he said, “Remember, we need the rest alive.”

They brought the students into the nearby forest. Cain was dimly aware that the three girls who had been with them were crying. It was possible that Andrew was as well, but he wasn’t. Whether from the shock of seeing Daniel die before their eyes or fear of what would happen next, he couldn’t say. However, he felt strangely detached, as though the whole thing was happening to someone else and he was merely watching.

The hooded captors bound the students, while one set to work flaying Daniel’s corpse. “What are you doing to him?” Elizabeth asked, as she was dragged across the clearing and pushed back onto a large stone slab.

Moments later, the figures surrounded her. A few were murmuring in a strange, arcane language, while the rest converged on the struggling girl. In moments, they had stripped her of her clothes and were assaulting her. As she screamed in pain and fear, Cain’s ears began to ring. It took him a moment to realize what was happening.

“D-dark manticism,” he whispered, looking over at Andrew, who was kneeling beside him. Now tears welled in his eyes. “I – I don’t know what they’re trying to divine, but that’s what they’re doing.”

As Andrew’s eyes widened in realization, Elizabeth’s screams died off abruptly. The boys looked up and Andrew choked back a sob. The cloaked figures were spreading her entrails out to read them and her eyes were glazed over in death. “They’re going to kill us,” he said, beginning to tremble.

Cain shifted his gaze to his sister. “Lilith,” he said, also beginning to shake. As she met his gaze, he said, “I – I love you.”

“I love you too,” she whispered in reply. “I – I’m sorry I teased you, Cain, about Gabriel, I mean. I didn’t mean any of it!”

“I know,” Cain said, nodding once. He drew back as figures approached them. Andrew and Lilith were dragged forward. Andrew began sobbing as he was chained to a tall wooden post. Two more threw torches down onto brush piled around the post. Andrew screamed in fear and then pain and Cain turned away, quickly locking eyes with his sister.

Lilith was trembling violently as she was dragged over to a post beside the one where Andrew was currently dying. Cain stared in horror as the dark cloaked men chained the struggling girl against it. When two of them brought forth torches and the girl screamed, he tugged futilely against the chains that bound him as well. “Lilith!” he screamed, tears stinging his eyes and blurring his vision.

One of the men began to chant in an arcane tongue and Cain’s ears rang at the sound. He knew enough about the forbidden arts by now to recognize what they were trying to do. “Stop it, please!” he begged, “Haven’t you learned enough? Please, please stop!”

Ignoring him, the cloaked figures threw their torches onto the branches that surrounded the girl’s feet. As she screamed in terror and pain, Cain also screamed. “No!”

“Charles?” Melody said, drawing Cain’s attention away from where his sister was dying. As one of the cloaked men pulled her up, his face was illuminated by the firelight. In that moment, Cain could see that she was right. One of the men that had so casually killed four of them was a member of their graduating class.

Someone grabbed Cain around the shoulders and pulled him up. “Please,” he whimpered, straining as he was dragged over to the same bloody stone where they’d killed Elizabeth.

“Relax, little one,” the man holding him whispered, “try to enjoy your last moments, at least until we kill you.”

“What do you want?” he asked, shaking his head vigorously. He fought helplessly as they pushed him back on the stone. As two of them began to chant softly, he moaned and covered his ears. “Stop it, please,” he begged, hardly aware that others were stripping him of his clothes.

“He can hear the magic,” one of them murmured, caressing his backside. “Amazing.” Cain gasped and moaned as his attackers began the actual assault. Somewhere, seemingly far away, he heard Melody scream and forced his eyes open.

He was just in time to see one of his attackers raising a large curved blade over his head, ready to slice his belly open. He screamed and tensed, ready for the killing blow; then he blinked in surprise when the blow never came.

“Twilight,” a soft, familiar voice said, as his wrists were freed of their bindings. “Are you all right, lad?”

Cain turned to look over at the speaker and stared for a moment. The clearing was filled with government agents, who were taking the dark cloaked men into custody. “M-Master Lyric?” Cain whispered, his voice cracking.

He looked at the teacher a moment longer and then his eyes darted to the post where Lilith had been bound. “Lilith,” he started, but Lyric covered his eyes and turned his gaze away.

“I’m so sorry, little one,” he said gently. He shook his head and added, “I’m sorry we didn’t get here sooner. The only reason we knew – that we got here in time to save you, was because Phoenix saw it.”

“Felix!” Cain gasped, pushing away from the older man. He looked over at the place where he’d heard Melody scream and saw the other boy kneeling beside her body. The smaller young man was sobbing and rocking back and forth, holding something that was wrapped in a blanket.

Tears welled in Cain’s eyes and he shook his head. “No,” he said, choking back a sob. “No, I – I can’t… I’m… the only…” he trailed off, unable to complete the thought.

“Not exactly,” Lyric said, cupping his cheek. He sighed and said, “Melody was pregnant. The baby… survived and it’s Phoenix’s.” A moment later, Cain had crumpled against the older man’s chest, sobbing softly. For a long time, Lyric simply held the young man, rocking him gently and murmuring nonsense into his hair.

Finally, Cain calmed enough that he could speak. “I – I want… I need Gabriel,” he choked out, shaking his head. “I can’t – I need him.”

“I know,” Lyric said. He stood and carefully drew the boy up with him. After wrapping a blanket around his shoulders, he helped Cain settle down on a stretcher. Looking at the agents, he said, “Bring him to the Conservatory hospital wing.”

Cain sighed and snuggled deeper into the blanket. Suddenly, he was cold and the night seemed darker. Soon, it felt as though he were drifting in the darkness. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t escape from the shadows that enveloped him. He moaned in fear and then he noticed a faint light. As he moved towards it, he felt warmer.

He woke with a start and sat immediately. “Cain?” a soft voice called, drawing his gaze. “I – I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner. They… had trouble finding me.”

“Gabe!” he gasped, throwing his arms around the other. “I – I…” he stammered, shaking his head. “Lilith and Melody and – and Daniel and Andrew and Elizabeth, they’re all dead, Gabe! It – it…”

“I know,” Gabriel said, rubbing his back with one hand, while he tangled the fingers of his other hand in Cain’s hair. “Master Lyric told me what happened.” He sighed, but didn’t loosen his grip. “You’re parents will be here soon. You – you had us all scared for a bit.”

“Why?”

“You fell asleep,” Gabriel whispered, finally loosening the embrace and sitting back to look into Cain’s eyes. “The… attack was three nights ago and… this is the first time you’ve been awake since then.” He shook his head and said, “Master Kearney was afraid that it might have… been too much for you to handle. That you wouldn’t wake up at all, you’d just… die.”

“Cain?”

The two young men looked up and Gabriel started to move away, but stopped as Cain caught his hand. “Mama,” he said, tears coming to his eyes. “I – I’m sorry I couldn’t stop them. They… killed Lilith.”

Cain’s mother sighed and walked across the room. Even as she pulled him into an embrace, he didn’t release Gabriel’s hand. Gabriel shifted uncomfortably when Cain’s father sent him a curious look.

“You’re Gabriel Walker?” the man said.

Gabriel nodded. Lilith had looked so much like the older man that it was clear he was their father. “We… didn’t get to meet at the… graduation ceremony,” he said. He sent Cain a wan smile and then bit his lip. Looking back at the older man, he bowed politely and said, “How do you do, Master Peterson?”

“Pleased to finally meet the young man my son is so taken with,” the other replied. His brow furrowed and he said, “Although, the circumstances…” He looked over at Cain and said, “You have to let his hand go eventually, son.”

Cain whimpered and pulled Gabriel closer, shaking his head. “Lilith’s dead,” he said, “I – I need Gabriel.”

“Gabriel is the source of your son’s balance,” someone said.

“Hello, Master Kearney,” Gabriel murmured, feeling a bit self-conscious.

Smiling faintly, an elderly man pushed past Cain’s father and looked at Gabriel. “It’s thanks to your presence that he woke. You drew him back to the physical world.”

“I did?” Gabriel asked, blinking in surprise. He looked at Cain and tilted his head to one side. “I did that?”

Cain shrugged and shook his head. “All I know,” he said, loosening his grip on Gabriel’s hand, but not releasing it, “is that it was dark and then, there was this… light and it was so… warm…”

“That was Master Walker, little one,” Kearney said. He settled on the edge of the bed and began checking Cain’s pulse and breathing. Looking at the young man’s parents, he said, “He should be fine now, but he’ll need Master Walker to stay nearby for the next few weeks.”

That night, Cain and Gabriel slept together for the first time. Cain dozed peacefully, his fingers tangled in the front of Gabriel’s nightshirt, their legs tangled together. When he woke, early the next morning, their nightshirts were tangled up around their waists and their members were pressed together.

Cain watched the other for a moment. In sleep, the other seemed so innocent and peaceful. He set a gentle kiss on Gabriel’s cheek and then shifted, intending to get up. Gabriel moaned softly and Cain knew he’d woken him. “Sorry,” he whispered, when the other’s soft brown eyes opened. A faint smile came to his lips as Gabriel blushed.

“You… don’t have to apologize,” he said, his voice soft. He wrapped his arms around Cain and kissed him on the neck. “It was just… but, maybe we shouldn’t…”

“I… want to,” Cain breathed, resting his cheek on Gabriel’s chest. He squeezed his eyes shut and sighed. “What they did to me, that had nothing to do with my feelings or even theirs. That was all about power and magic.” He sat up a bit and said, “I… want to feel what love is.”

“Not yet,” Gabriel said, blushing faintly. He kissed Cain again, on the mouth this time, and added, “When they let you… leave here, would you like to come… to my home? Would you… like to live together?”

“I would,” Cain said, relaxing into Gabriel’s embrace. He chuckled softly and said, “It’d probably be bad if my mother saw us like this.”

The two young men shifted around in the bed, until their nightshirts were straightened and they were lying side-by-side. Then they both drifted back to sleep. When Cain’s parents arrived a short while later, his mother smiled at them.

“Gabriel seems like a fine young man,” she said, keeping her voice soft, so that she didn’t wake them.

Her husband nodded in agreement and added, “Cain will never forget Lilith, any more than we will, but at least he won’t have to go through this alone.” He sighed and took her hand, kissing it gently. Then they settled down in chairs to watch the boys sleep.

As the boys slept, Cain’s brow furrowed and he murmured softly, as though he were dreaming. Peterson smiled as Gabriel wrapped an arm around Cain’s shoulder, drawing him closer. When his son’s murmurs ceased, he realized that Gabriel wasn’t only a source of balance for Cain. He was also a source of strength.

I LOVE YOU WORK!!! I'M SOOO YOUR FAN!!! heart

Thank you for the critique. I appreciate them just as much as I do praise. After all, without critiques I cannot improve as an author and without praise, I am too discouraged to write.

I'll see if I can think of a better transition between the present day and the memory. I'll also see about posting more with these two characters.