Glimpses by Lynn Flewelling

that warmed even the
coldest, most shadowed reaches of Seregil’s battered heart.
    “Talí.” It was the only thing Seregil could
think of that encompassed everything he felt right now.
    Alec smiled. “You called me that by accident
the first time, remember?”
    “Unthinking, perhaps, but no accident.”
    Alec’s cheeks went crimson as he declared
softly, “You’re my talí, too.”
     
    ***
     
    Something was going to happen tonight, Alec
knew; something that would probably change the way they looked at
each other forever. Seregil was his friend. Alec didn’t want that
to change, and yet he did.
    They stood there for a moment in each other’s
arms. “What now?”
    Seregil’s chuckle sent a tickling vibration
through his chest. “There’s nothing to be scared of.”
    “I’m not scared!” It didn’t sound very
convincing, though, and he felt his face go red.
    “You’re my friend, Alec, and my talí. You and
no other. If you don’t want this, it doesn’t change anything for
me.”
    Alec tightened his arms around Seregil’s
waist. He could feel Seregil’s heart beating hard against his own.
Warm fingers caressed the back of his neck. Warm lips kissed his
forehead. Seregil said nothing but Alec knew he was waiting for an
answer.
    He kissed Seregil and murmured, “What do we
do now?”
    “Bed.” Seregil released him, then shucked off
his clothes. He was thinner than usual, thanks to his summer of
mourning, but still as beautiful in Alec’s eyes as ever. Then he
noticed with a pang of embarrassment that Seregil’s cock wasn’t
stiff in that patch of dark hair. Neither was his, for that matter.
“Something’s wrong.”
    Seregil smile. “No, it’s not.”
    Blushing furiously, Alec looked away and
began to undress, but when he was down to his long shirt Seregil
caught his hand and stopped him. “Lie down.”
    Alec’s heart beat against his ribs as he
pulled back the quilts and slipped between the clean, sun freshened
sheets. It beat a little harder as Seregil climbed in beside
him.
    Lifting Alec’s right arm out of the way,
Seregil slid under it to settle close beside him with his head on
Alec’s chest and his arm snug around Alec’s waist. Then he yawned
and Alec felt the tension leave his friend—his talí’s—body.
Something of the feeling of their morning embrace came back to him;
this felt easy and right. Heat settled in Alec’s belly as he
stroked Seregil’s silky brown hair and watched the shifting shadows
above the rafters, enjoying the soft rhythm of Seregil’s breath
against his chest through the thin material of his shirt. He’d
slept beside Seregil many times, but never like this.
    After a few minutes Seregil looked up at him.
“I still see questions in your eyes.”
    Alec hesitated, screwing up his courage to
finally voice his main concern. “Remember when I found you at that
green lantern brothel?”
    Seregil grinned. “It was quite the memorable
moment.”
    “Well—” This was as difficult as trying to
make himself jump from the tower of Kassarie’s keep! But this time
he managed it without being thrown. “It’s just—I’ve been thinking
of those murals.”
    Seregil raised an amused eyebrow. “You want a
tavern board to choose from?”
    “No! I just—I’m not so sure I want to do some
of those things. A lot of those things!”
    “Forget all that.” Seregil smoothed a stray
strand of blond hair away from Alec’s cheek. “I think I know what
you’ll like tonight. And you can always say so when you don’t.”
    Alec paused, then shifted away just enough to
pull off his shirt without elbowing Seregil in the face. Then he
kicked back the covers.
    Seregil’s eyes widened, no doubt surprised at
this breach of Alec’s usual modesty. Then he leaned forward and
kissed Alec, sliding the tip of his tongue lightly across Alec’s
closed lips. Strange thing to do, but it felt surprisingly good, so
Alec did it back. This won him a hum of approval. He could feel