Although it was way past his usual work time, Elain was still in his office when Tyra came to visit him a few days later. He was striding back and forth in front of his desk, shuffling papers and talking to someone on the phone. When Tyra peeked in, he only heard the end of the conversation.

"I do hope that you'll have some results by the end of the week," Elain said, sounding irritated. "This has gone far enough. You can call me day and night when you have found a solid lead."

Tyra raised his eyebrows as he approached the desk. When Elain turned off the phone and put it down, he asked, "Something serious going on, Elain?"

The lifebearer whirled around, alarm on his face. "Forests, Tyra, you startled me!" Then he sighed and rubbed over his eyes; his glasses lay forgotten on the desk. "What a day. I do hope that yours was better."

Tyra smiled gently. "Hey, you've got little marks on your nose from where your glasses were resting. Maybe it's time to consider getting some contacts?" he suggested.

"I tried different types of contacts once, but the ones with slit pupils look absolutely fake, and tinted ones just darken my vision too much. So it has to be the glasses." Elain reshuffled another stack of paper and then turned around to Tyra. "Let's go upstairs."

Together they started heading for the elevator. "Slit pupils? You mean fake contacts, not prescription ones? And why slit pupils? That'd just make you look a little sire-ish."

"Yes, that was the intention, but as I said, the glasses work better. I thought you had noticed already that they're not prescription glasses. There's nothing wrong with my eyesight." Elain slid his key card into the scanner to call the elevator.

"No, I hadn't noticed," Tyra admitted. He followed Elain into the elevator and leaned against a wall as the doors slid closed. "If they're not prescription, why do you use them?"

Elain hesitated. It was a bit strange to explain habits that had been become his second nature during the years. But then he said, "To hide my eyes. Tell me, when did you realize that I was a lifebearer?"

Tyra was flabbergasted and couldn't respond at first. The elevator dinged open, and as they stepped out onto the tenth floor, Elain gave him an arched brow. "Um, I think it was when we were mixing drinks that first time. When I kissed you."

"Quite a long time, don't you think? But it really does speak for you that you kissed me nevertheless." Elain opened the door and caught Velvet before she could sink her claws into Tyra's jeans. The cat had taken a real fancy to using the sire as her climbing tree.

"Well, I decided you looked too delicious to pass up no matter what," Tyra said with an appreciative look at Elain. "So, why exactly do you feel you need to hide those pretty violet eyes?"

This compliment elicited a little smile from Elain. He sat down on the couch with Velvet, stroking her fur. "This is a world of sires and men, Tyra, especially in my business. I realized very early on that if I wanted to compete with them, I... well, I had to be one of them. Of course they realize sooner or later that I'm a lifebearer, but by then I've had the chance to establish enough respect already. And it was a good method to keep unwanted attention away, too."

Tyra thought about this for a few moments, and then a slow grin spread across his face. "It didn't keep me away, though."

"No, and for that I'm grateful. " Elain patted the cushion next to him invitingly. "So, no comments about how strange I am?" he asked, only half joking.

Tyra sauntered over to the couch and sat down next to Elain and put an arm around his shoulders. "You're the strangest person I've ever met. You're so strange that you've cornered the market on strange. I think, in fact, you might be the strangest person to ever--"

Elain put a hand across Tyra's mouth to shut him up.

"And you are the most brazen person I've ever met," Elain retorted dryly. "So I guess we fit." He pulled away his hand, giving Tyra a teasingly short kiss on the lips.

Tyra gave a little pleased hum at the kiss, but when Elain pulled back, he didn't follow for more like he normally would. Instead, he tucked a strand of hair behind Elain's ear and asked, "So, what happened today? Why was it a bad day, lovely?"

Elain sighed. "You remember the rumors about my business embezzling charity money? The rumors stopped, but I could never find out who spread them in the first place. And today I found bad news again; the tabloids claim that drug dealers are selling their merchandise in the open at the Velvet Shadow. It's a ludicrous claim since my security is perfect and such a thing has never happened here since I've owned the club, but it's damaging to my reputation."

Tyra frowned. "That is pretty serious. Do you think there's a connection between the two incidents?"

"I can only guess, but I won't wait to see if it's getting worse, so I hired a private investigator to find out who's behind this. I still think that some vengeful person is to blame, and this time I want to find out who it is," Elain answered grimly.

Tyra couldn't help but grin. "Really? A PI. That's pretty cool. I used to read stories about PIs when I was a kid. They always fascinated me. "

"Well, this one is one of the most highly acclaimed investigators in Valkyrie Falls, and I hope he does his job." Elain stroked Velvet, and the cat purred contentedly. "I'm so fed up with this. Nobody ever held such a grudge, and if they did, they fought on fair terms, not this dirty way."

Tyra leaned in to nuzzle Elain's cheek. "Well, when he finds the culprit, 'cause he definitely will, I'll treat you to something nice to celebrate, your choice."

"Thanks. But my biggest reward will be finding and putting down the culprit." Elain sighed again, then he managed a smile. "Let's talk about something nicer."

"Sex?" Tyra said with a big smile. "That's something nicer."

"And there I thought sex is something we do, not something we talk about," Elain remarked dryly, although is eyes glittered with humor. "Or do you have new things from your fascinating manual you want to share?"

"Hmm, the manual says that talking about sex can be very revealing," Tyra said, and as he spoke he leaned in to kiss along the side of Elain's face, "because you can find out all sorts of things about your partner's likes and dislikes. And you can get revved up in the process. Mmm." Tyra shifted to nibble on the tip of Elain's ear.

Although it wasn't as nearly as sensitive as Tyra's ear, Elain couldn't suppress a little purring noise. "If just mentioning it gets you so excited, what will happen if we ever tried real dirty talk?" he whispered.

Tyra paused briefly and gave Elain a very serious, earnest look. "You'd have to finally make good on your promise to tie me to the bed and have your wicked way with me, most likely."

"Well, I still have the fur-padded handcuffs that Marithia gave to me..." Elain grew serious again, too. "If you really want to try it, alright. But not today. I'd prefer a hot bath, and not necessarily alone."

Tyra smiled. "I think I'd like to try just about anything with you, but we've got a lot of time to explore, so there's no need to do anything right away."

"Yes, you're right." Elain leaned against Tyra. "So, how was your day?"

"Pretty normal. Class, homework, the usual," Tyra said. "But, oh, I almost forgot. Keep November twenty-ninth available. My parents are having a welcoming party for Selvyn, and we're both invited."

For a moment, Elain didn't quite trust his ears. "Did you say we both? Your father really wants to invite me?"

Tyra opted not to mention that his father had to be pressured into inviting Elain. "Yes, and I think it'll help you both to get to meet each other under more normal circumstances. We need to put that whole mess from this past spring behind us for good."

Elain nodded. "I'll try my best to finally get on his good side. But what should I bring as a present? I have absolutely no idea what would be appropriate for a baby."

"Well, I know it's hard to keep babies cleaned up, so fresh clothes and fresh blankies are always in demand," Tyra mused. "I don't know much beyond that. Baby room decorations? Toys? I'd better look into this. I need to get Selvyn a present, too."

"I guess I have to ask some of my employee who have children, then," Elain decided. "I just hope nobody gets the idea of shoving the child into my arms at the party. I only know how to carry a cat."

Tyra chuckled. "Aww, come on, it's not that much different, really. You should try it. It's kind of warm and cosy, really, and Selvyn's so cute right now."

"Well, a brother of yours has to be cute, of course. But I never found children that adorable, to be honest. Luckily I don't have to deal with them usually." Elain hesitated. "You love children, don't you?"

"Absolutely," Tyra said. "Lots of fun to play with, and you just never know what they're going to say. In my junior year of high school, we had a project where we had to help teach a grade school class some lessons. Made me think about being a teacher for a while. I decided against it, though. I knew I needed something with more problem solving."

Elain nodded. "Although I could imagine you teaching. Maybe you'll get a chance for it someday."

"You think so?" Tyra smiled at the thought. "Yeah, you're right. It's nice that we have such long lives, isn't it? Maybe someday I'll teach a class on architecture at a university."

"Sounds good."

Elain could readily imagine Tyra in front of a class, telling a bunch of bright-eyed kids animatedly about a subject he loved. And given how he talked about his new little baby brother, he'd also make a good parent himself someday.

That train of thought came to an abrupt halt as Elain realized what exactly he was thinking. He wasn't a parent person at all and was most likely too old already to bear any children, so if Tyra wanted some of his own... he had to look elsewhere. Strangely enough, that thought stung more that Elain wanted to admit to himself.

Tyra abruptly stood up from the couch and offered a hand to Elain. "How about we continue this conversation while soaking in the tub, lovely?"

Elain gently scooped up Velvet from his lap and placed her on the now free cushion next to him, then he took Tyra's hand. "Dare I hope for a back rub?" he asked, smiling.

Tyra pulled Elain to his feet and then slid an arm around his waist. "I think there's a pretty reasonable chance of you getting a back rub. Touchy feely baths are my favorite," he said with a lascivious grin.

Elain didn't argue on that at all and let himself be led into the bathroom where his decadently huge jacuzzi waited.

~*~

A few weeks later it was Tyra's nineteenth birthday. Elain had tried clearing his appointments for that day, but everything seemed to conspire against him to pile more work on his desk and remind him of more important people he had to meet. Luckily, Tyra had dinner with his parents, but when Elain finally managed to leave his office, it was half past ten already. He rushed to the elevator, hoping that Tyra hadn't been waiting too long already.

However, when he reached his apartment, he found that Tyra had arrived only a few moments before him and hadn't even taken off his shoes yet. He was standing in the kitchen with an over-sized, over-frosted cupcake in his hand.

"Hi, welcome home," Tyra said with a smile. He had a tiny blob of white frosting on his chin, and the effect made him look very young.

"Hello Tyra. Sorry I'm late." Elain quickly pulled off his shoes and jacket and came over to Tyra, giving in to the urge to lick off the bit of frosting. "Happy birthday to you."

Tyra hummed appreciatively and kissed Elain. Tyra tasted like the sweet cupcake he'd been eating. When Tyra pulled back, he asked, "Since it's my birthday, can I unwrap you now?" and reached to start loosening Elain's tie.

"I have another present for you first. Don't you want to see it?" Elain asked, smiling.

Tyra paused. "I suppose I can behave for a few minutes," he said with a sigh.

Elain went to the cupboard and pulled out a little wrapped box, then he gave it to Tyra. When he unwrapped and opened it, he found a silver wrist watch with a lid. Tiny silver pearls rolled loosely around under the glass, and like a game of skill for children, there were some indentations that those pearls could fall into with careful moving. Under the lid was a digital display which promised a dozen functions.

"Take a look at the underside of the lid," Elain said, smiling.

There Tyra found an engraving.

"For Tyra from Elain with eternal love," it said.

Tyra felt something warm and wonderful settle in his chest when he read those words. He looked at Elain briefly and then at the watch again, and he wordlessly placed it on his wrist.

He reached up to cup Elain's face with one hand. "I love it. Thank you so much, Elain," he said earnestly.

"I'm glad you like it. I must admit it took me a while to find it," Elain admitted, leaning into the touch.

Tyra grazed his thumb across Elain's cheekbone. The words of advice he had received from his sire came to his mind unbidden. Tyra was young. This was his first love. Relationships don't necessarily last, especially the first.

Fuck that, Tyra thought, we belong together.

He sealed his silent vow with a kiss.

Elain eagerly replied the kiss, and soon they found themselves in an almost desperate embrace. Somehow they managed to stumble to the couch and fell on it with an 'oompf'.

Tyra quickly went to work unwrapping his favorite present of all, and once Elain was naked, Tyra shucked his own clothes and set about demonstrating the strength of his passion and love for Elain.

In return, Elain set out to pleasure Tyra as much as he could, even giving him a blowjob, something he wasn't too fond of and therefore rarely did. But seeing Tyra helpless with passion as a reward was more than enough.

Eventually they migrated to the bed, where they continued on long into the night. At some point, they both fell asleep, lying entwined with their bodies still joined.

Elain awoke first in the morning. A glance at the clock told him that he still had plenty of time, so he contented himself with gazing down at his lover's relaxed face. Nineteen was still pretty young, but step by step Tyra was moving toward a point where their relationship didn't seem indecent for the public anymore. Elain didn't have a problem with keeping their relationship secret, but on the other hand he admitted he looked forward to meeting Tyra's family and friends. It was such a normal, simple world, a world he had never really known, but since he had met Tyra, Elain realized that his life was lacking this kind of peace. Sure, it might be difficult dealing with all those people, but Elain was set on it.

Elain's thoughts were interrupted when Tyra rolled over and mumbled in his sleep. "Blueberry jam, please," he said.

Elain laughed softly. "What about breakfast in bed?", he whispered into the sire's ear.

Tyra's eyes slowly blinked open and he glared at Elain. "Leave me alone," he grumbled and pulled a pillow over his head. "You overworked me. I need more sleep."

"I overworked you? Where's your youthful vigor when an old man like me can wear you out?" Elain tickled Tyra a bit.

Tyra peeked out from under the pillow. "How can you be so perky? Go back to sleep." Tyra rolled over and manhandled Elain back to the bed, wrapping his arms and legs around the lifebearer as though he were a long body pillow.

"Alright, I guess breakfast can wait." Elain wrapped his arms around Tyra and closed his eyes again. As perfect as their sex was, quiet moments like this were heaven.

~*~

"Tyra, could you get the mini quiches out of the oven, please?" Lissem asked him quietly as he passed next to Tyra as he moved about the crowded living room.

The welcoming party for little Selvyn was in full swing. Tyra had helped to rearrange the furniture this morning, and the whole Alwick family had been busily making treats since then. No sooner was one set of baked goods done than another had to be put in. Meanwhile, little Selvyn was oblivious to his immediate family's tasks as hosts. He simply sat in his father's arms and was carried around the room like a tiny prince.

"I'll get it," Tyra said.

He managed to get from the living room to the kitchen where Feadri and Lissem's father stood, animatedly talking about science. The mini quiches were overdue already, but both lifebearers were too deeply in conversation to notice.

Tyra quickly pulled them out and put them on a tray, venturing out again in the living room. Meanwhile the door bell had run, and he spotted Elain standing at the entrance, talking with Detrallin.

Tyra hurriedly darted back into the kitchen and handled the tray of quiches to his grandfather.

"Grandpa, could you take these out to the living room please? There's something I have to take care of," he pleaded.

"Of course," his grandfather agreed and took the tray.

Feadri looked at his brother curiously. "Is everything okay? Can I help you?"

"Sort of, but not just yet. Give me a minute," Tyra said. Without hesitating, he turned around and went back to the front hallway.

"Hi Elain," Tyra said a little awkwardly. He wasn't at all sure how to greet his lover in front of his sire. "Is it too late for me to make the introductions?"

"No, of course not. Your sire just let me in, so he's the only one I've met yet," Elain answered with a smile that was definitely a bit on the awkward side. He was looking more casual than Tyra had ever seen him outside of the apartment: sweater, slacks, a thin jacket, no glasses, hair put behind the ears.

"Okay, well then," Tyra said, and he cleared his throat. "Sire, this is Elain. Elain, Detrallin Alwick." He watched as the two shook hands.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Elain," his sire said. "If it'd been up to me, we would have met sooner, so I apologize for the delay."

"No, I understand completely. And I'm very grateful that you and your bondmate invited me, Mr. Alwick," Elain answered.

"Would you like to come in and have something to eat?" Tyra asked.

However, before Elain even had a chance to respond, Tyra heard a gasp from the kitchen doorway, and suddenly Feadri was at his side, clutching at his arm.

"It's him, right? Come on, introduce me!" Feadri urged Tyra. Since Elain hadn't been able to come to Feadri's science contest celebration, they hadn't met yet.

"Geez, you little spaz," Tyra said affectionately. "Fine. As you already guessed, this is my boyfriend Elain. Elain, my not-so-new little brother, Feadri. We wish he were still small and helpless so he wouldn't be able to cause so much trouble."

"Tyra!" Feadri griped.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Feadri," Elain said with a much less strained smile, offering his hand. "And don't believe a word Tyra says. He adores you just the way you are."

"Oh, I know that," Feadri said with complete confidence as he shook Elain's hand. "He opens his mouth to start complaining about me and all I hear is blah blah blah." Feadri turned a smug smile to Tyra at this, but Tyra only rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I'm so glad to finally meet you. Can I come see your club sometime?"

"I'm afraid you have to be a legal adult to visit my club. However, if your parents allow, you can come visit me and I'll show you around the club during daytime," Elain offered. "Normally, only VIPs get such a tour."

"Oh, wow, can I, sire?" Feadri pleaded.

"We could have him come for a tour and then lunch some weekend," Tyra suggested.

"I guess it would be alright," Detrallin agreed. "Well, as long as your father agrees, Feadri."

The young lifebearer's face fell. "He'll never allow it."

Detrallin smiled. "We'll see. Now, Tyra, why don't you introduce Elain to our little Selvyn?"

Tyra looked at his sire for a moment. Introducing him to Selvyn also meant introducing him to Lissem. This would be interesting.

"Of course." Tyra said. "Come on in, Elain. It's a little bit crowded, but it's nothing compared to the club on a busy night." Tyra held out a hand toward Elain and belatedly remembered that Elain wasn't one for public displays of any kind.

Nevertheless, Elain took the offered hand after a moment of hesitation and let himself be led through the crowd. He could feel the other guests look at him, but they just seemed to be curious. Elain just hoped that none of them recognized him.

They came to a corner of the room, where Lissem stood with his back to them, talking with Tyra's uncle and cousins and Mrs. Kendrick. As soon as there was a slight lull in the conversation, Tyra broke in.

"Dad? Do you have a minute?"

Lissem turned around, his smile fading as he recognized Elain. "Mr. Silvestri," he greeted Elain with an indifferent voice.

"Mr. Alwick, thank you very much for your invitation and congratulations to your new family member. I wish you all the best." Inwardly, Elain had never felt this nervous before. He really wanted to make peace with Lissem Alwick, and this would most likely be the only chance he would ever get.

"Here's a little present for the baby," he added, holding out a colorful, wrapped box. After a long time conversing with his employees who had children, Elain had decided on a music box that played an old and very beautiful lullaby.

"Thank you," Lissem said as graciously as he could manage. "Here, Tyra, take Selvy." Lissem handed the baby over to Tyra, who readily took him and immediately started babbling little inanities at the baby. Lissem then took the gift from Elain and turned it over in his hands a couple of times thoughtfully before unwrapping it.

Elain caught himself holding his breath while Lissem was unwrapping the present. If he didn't like it...

But his worries were unfounded. As much as Lissem tried to hide his delight, it was obvious on his face as he wound up the music box. It was decorated with the figures of a little dog and a little cat who started to chase each other as the music began to play.

Selvyn also seemed to approve. He waved his arms in the air and smiled when the music began to play. Tyra laughed and bounced the baby in his arms.

"Well, this is... very delightful," Lissem admitted with a cautious smile toward Elain. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome," Elain answered with a relieved smile of his own. "I have to admit I never had to choose a present for a child, so I was very doubtful whether it was the right one."

Lissem smiled and gave a small shrug. "Well, honestly, it's very hard to go wrong when they're this young. All right, Tyra, here, give me Selvy back." Lissem said, holding out his arms.

Tyra, however, moved out of reach, holding his little brother close. "Nope. You've had him for the past half hour. I'll take him around for just a bit and then give him back. Or more likely one of the grandparents will get a hold of him first."

Lissem gave mock sigh. "Alright, alright. Let the grandparents have their fun as long as they're here." Then he turned to Elain again. "Maybe you'd like to try some of my quiches or have something to drink?"

"Of course. Tyra told me you're an excellent cook," Elain agreed.

Lissem looked at him for a moment, clearly trying to assess whether he was just being flattered, but then he decided to take it as a real compliment.

When Elain turned a questioning eye toward Tyra, he quickly said, "You go on and do the taste testing. I'll escort Selvy around for a bit, and I'll come find you after he gets stolen from me."

Elain nodded agreeably and followed Lissem. Tyra expected to be caught by one of the grandparents any moment, but it was Sally instead who came toward him. "Hey, you got the little bundle of joy! Did I already mention that a baby looks good on you?" Then she peered over his shoulder. "Was that Elain? I almost didn't recognize him."

Tyra smiled smugly. "Looks nice today, doesn't he?" In his arms, Selvyn waved chubby little arms at Sally. "Hey, did you meet my two college friends yet? I left them talking to Atsayal and Jamie, but that was just before you arrived."

"No, I didn't. C'mon, introduce me to them! One of them is in your freshman class and the other in senior year, right?" Sally asked.

"Yeah, Max and Rhaval," Tyra said. "They're both really cool. Rhaval's been a huge help to me already this semester."

"Yeah, you told me about it. Wasn't he the student you met on your first visit to Dalling?" Sally asked. "Although it's somehow strange that you need help with anything - except for finding the restrooms, if I recall correctly." She grinned.

"Geez, I really can't believe you're still going on about that one," Tyra said. Meanwhile, he led Sally through the house to the sun room at the back, where more visitors were lounging and sipping at cups of tea and punch. Rhaval, Max, Jamie, and Atsayal were here, and the group suddenly burst into laughter at something Max had said.

"Hey! Look who managed to get hold of the baby!" Tyra announced to the room in general. No sooner had he said it than his cousin's bondmate swooped down upon him and scooped up the little one out of Tyra's arms.

"Not for long!" the lifebearer said. "Who's a little darling?" he said to little Selvyn.

"Well, that sure didn't last long," Tyra said with a chuckle.

"What did you expect? As long as your cousin doesn't have a kid of his own, he's bound to snatch others," Atsayal remarked with only a hint of sarcasm in his voice, but he was smiling. "By the way, Max just told us about your first field trip some weeks ago."

"Come on, Max, not that again," Tyra groaned while his friends snickered. "Although I guess you and Sally would get along greatly since she just dug up some old stories, too. Sally, meet Max and Rhaval."

Max, a human with short brown hair and a playful grin, held out his hand to Sally. "Nice to meet you," he said. Sally shook his hand and said "hello" in return.

Next was Rhaval, a sire with a much more reserved air than the human Max, although he also seemed very friendly. He was tall and had very striking light red hair. "Any friend of Tyra's is a friend of mine," he said easily as he shook Sally's hand.

"Tyra already told me that he'd be lost without you at the university," Sally said. Then she looked at him more closely. "By the way, did we meet before? You look familiar somehow."

"Sally-snuggles, I thought that cheap pick-up line has been outdated for decades now," Atsayal remarked, causing another round of good-natured laughing.

"No, I mean it," the girl insisted.

Rhaval smiled. "No, we haven't met before. Tyra should invite you all over for a student union movie sometime. Then we can really hang out and talk."

"I'd love to," Sally answered, still looking at the young sire in a way Tyra already knew as her assessing artist mode. Something was clearly distracting her from the further conversation, and for a moment Tyra thought that Rhaval was simply Sally's type.

But his assumption proved to be wrong when Sally finally nudged his ribs and quietly told him, "Now I know why Rhaval seems so familiar. He looks a bit like Elain. Didn't you notice?"

Tyra frowned and gave Rhaval a considering look. "I hadn't really thought of it. I suppose so. Kind of around the nose and chin." Tyra shrugged. "Elain's prettier."

Sally grinned. "I won't argue, loverboy. But it's a really funny coincidence."

"Hey, what are you guys whispering about?" Max asked curiously. "More embarrassing stories? You have to share them, Sally."

"Yeah, I was just going to tell her about the incident with the half-finished pizza box last week, Max," Tyra said with a smug grin.

"Ew, I don't think we want to hear that." Atsayal made a face. " But speaking of food, shouldn't we try to get some more of those wonderful quiches Tyra's father made?"

That suggestion met everyone's approval.

The group wandered together into the living room where the buffet was set up on a long table against one of the walls. When they entered the room, Tyra's immediately and unconsciously started scanning the faces in the room to find where Elain had gotten to. However, he didn't see his lover immediately. Nor did he see his father. Perhaps the two were in the kitchen.

At least no loud voices or crashing dishes could be heard, so he decided that it was a good thing.

To be continued...