Page 25 of Dark Stars
The newer crates and moving boxes from ahardware store were filled with more modern items, from lanternslike those hanging from the ceiling, to caving equipment, divingequipment, candles, pamphlets, and plastic bags filled with whatlooked like a shit ton of herbs or something.
"Well, it's definitely not cocaine," Alejosaid with a snort as he turned one of the bags over and over in hishands. "On the other hand, this is really good plastic, because Ican't get a whiff of anything."
Bobby held out his hand, and Alejo handedover the bag he was holding. Flicking his finger to produce clawinstead of nail, Bobby slit the package open and breathed in thescent that poured out. "These are not from earth, not even fromthis or any nearby galaxy. This blend of herbs is favored by only ahandful of my relatives, and of those, only three would deign toplay around on Earth." He set the bag aside and brushed his handsoff. "I already had my suspicions, but this definitely narrows itto three."
"Who?"
"Strictly speaking, I guess it's four, butthe twins are one entity in all the ways that matter. As you humanswould say them: Nug and Yeb, the Twin Blasphemies; Rhan-Tegoth,They of the Ivory Throne; and Gol-goroth, the Forgotten Old One,God of the Black Stone."
Alejo wrinkled his nose in a way that wasentirely too adorable, especially given the subject matter. "Idon't like the sound of any of those." Then his face brightened,filling with that open curiosity that Bobby already loved so much."Do you have a fancy title like that?"
"No," Bobby said with a soft snort. "Notunless you count 'the Weak and Tainted One' as my relatives love tocall me. Such titles are accrued from mortals and other 'lesser'beings as we muck around and corrupt them to our own ends. That'snot really my style, though. They Who Reads a Whole Lot of Books ismy only claim to fame."
"They?" Alejo asked. "I'm sorry, have I beenmisgendering you this whole time? You should have yelled atme."
Bobby abandoned the crate he was poking andprodding at to wrap his arms around Alejo's waist and reel him inclose. Kissing his nose, and then that lovely mouth, Bobby thensaid, "I'm not really anything at all, so I don't particularly carewhat pronouns are used. He works as well as anything else, and if Iever feel like something different, I'll say."
"So your mother…"
"Mother, grandfather, all of us. Primordialbeings don't have gender or sex, as such. We are everything andnothing, a mass of infinite dark that can be molded as per ourwhims. Easier to just be Bobby."
Alejo's fingers stroked absently through hishair, tugging and twisting and combing. "Have you ever wantedchildren of your own?"
"I'm way too young to be worried about thatright now," Bobby said with a laugh. "Someday, though,certainly."
"You're like thousands of years old. How areyoutoo youngfor children?"
"I am my mother's only child in the manybillions of years she's been alive, and if she has another, it willbe long after Earth is nothing but dust and distant memory."
"My head is spinning," Alejo said, restinghis head against Bobby's shoulder. "I don't even understand how youfind me interesting, let alone worthy of being your lover. I'm likea baby dust mite in your worldview."
Bobby cupped his face, stroking Alejo'scheeks with his thumbs, and kissed him softly, deepening it slowly,letting it linger, absorbing the taste and scent and warmth of thisman the dark stars crafted just for him. "When time is so extensiveit cannot be properly measured, it ceases to matter. You are very,very young, that's true, but if you are here in this place at thistime, then all is as it should be."
"My mom is going to freak," Alejo mutteredagainst his lips before he happily acquiesced to another kiss, andBobby relished every shiver and whimper and moan he extractedbefore finally forcing himself to let go and step away. "No, don'tstop."
Grinning, Bobby grabbed his hand and kissedthe back of it. "We'll have more fun later, little hunter. For now,though, we must hunt."
Alejo heaved a loud and dramatic sigh."Fine, but let it be stated for the record this is the first timesince I was five that I wanted to do something other than huntmonsters. Oh, god, my siblings are going to start calling me amonster-fucker. You're never meeting my family, that's it. My dirtysecret for the next five million years."
Bobby reeled him in again, muffling hislaughter against Alejo's shoulder, and kissing his throat as heslowly calmed down. "We don't have to tell them what I really am.We can just go with whatever they assume. I've been everything froma vampire to a faerie."
Alejo frowned, reaching up to brush a strandof hair from Bobby's eyes. "I'm not going to lie about theperson—being—I'm in a relationship with." He flushed. "I mean, ifthat's what this is, or will be, I don't want to just presume—" Hisfrown turned into a scowl at the fingers placed over his lips.
"You're mine now, the wording doesn'tmatter," Bobby replied. "Neither do lies about my true nature. Myego isn't that fragile. We'll work this out later, becauseseriously, this is enemy territory, and we're not paying nearlyenough attention."
"Point," Alejo said with a sigh. "Take thelead, then, let's see what we find next. Snagged a couple ofpamphlets. Can't wait to read about all the perks that come withjoining a bloodthirsty cult."
Muffling a snort of laughter, Bobby drawledas they resumed walking, "Sunday picnics with the High Priest!Learn how to properly sharpen your sacrificial dagger! What incenseis best for sacrificing children?"
Alejo snickered. "I think I did seesomething about 'what the rich and powerful don't want you toknow'."
"Naturally."
Their chatter faded off as they went furtherdown the latest tunnel, and now the scent of water wasstrengthening. The voices had faded off, but he had no doubt they'dbe back, or he and Alejo would catch up to them.
After a few more minutes, the noise came,and Alejo murmured, "That's the river."
Just minutes later they spilled out into afamiliar cavern. Well, familiar-ish. It wasn't exactly the onethey'd been in before, but he'd be willing to bet they were on theother end of the tunnel they hadn't been able to boat throughbefore. That would match up with what little information the maphad provided.
