Gneiss sucked her teeth. "I have tried -- I cannot just produce a new lover for him out of thin air." Nephrite clicked her tongue dismissively in response. Shame and frustration warred within Gneiss. Nephrite wasn't wrong. She needed to find a way to make it up to Feldspar, and so did Mal.
*****
Silver blinked in the multicolored lights of the Meeting Tree and paused in the doorway taking in the scene. The wild faery music pulsed through him, fiddles, pipes and drums calling to him to join the mass of wild joy on the dance floor.
He scanned the room for the green-haired faeries who tended the orchards and gardens. He had brought back some seeds he wanted them to help him grow for a kitchen garden. His black thumb was legendary, but they could get anything to thrive. The tree was packed wall to wall and the party had already reached a feverish pitch. He silently cursed himself for getting carried away making cheesecake, even though the extra time had resulted in flawless, creamy texture. Now it was late and everyone he had wanted to talk to was probably smashed, high out of their mind, or screwing on the dance floor.
He spotted a few shocks of green hair in the mass of bodies on the dance floor and sighed. He was tempted to just go back to his place, which only made him feel more like an out-of-place loser. He would take a quiet beer with friends over a gigantic rave any day.
Just as he was about to go, a peal of loud laughter caught his attention. Silver looked toward the sound and froze. Feldspar was a few dozen paces off to his right, with a group of faeries hanging on his every word. Feldspar ran a hand through his golden hair, pushing the slightly sweat-dampened curls back from his face as he talked, his other hand still gesturing wildly. Silver couldn't help but take in the perfect lines of Feldspar's body. His shirt was tight over his honey skin and every time he moved it revealed a strip of taut skin at his waist. Silver wanted to grab Feldspar by the hand, find a dark corner, and rip his shirt off. The tantalizing glimpses of skin weren't nearly enough.
Silver shook his head and cursed silently. He was losing it. He glanced back at the door. He could leave and Feldspar would never know he'd been there. He wanted to get to know Feldspar, but not here. Not now. Not at this party. He felt off-balance and out of his element. The idea of Feldspar realizing that he didn't fit in at all was unsettling.
Silver had spent more than his fair share of time thinking about the faery man. He'd obsessed over the way Feldspar had lit his body on fire in their one night together months before. Little snatches of Feldspar had taken over his brain: Feldspar laughing with his friends; Feldspar sparring with the Lord of the Wood, sweat dripping down his smooth chest; Feldspar moaning in delight over a banquet; Feldspar floating serenely in the crater lake, Feldspar, Feldspar, Feldspar. All those little Feldspar snippets had coalesced into a full-blown, teenage-obsession-level crush. All he was missing was a Feldspar poster above his bed.
It was mortifying. If he left quickly he'd be spared the risk of humiliating himself. He reminded himself again why he needed to get his feelings for Feldspar under control. One: Feldspar was the Lord's Sword. He lived in a completely different world from Silver that was all high magic and dire consequences and fated lovers. Two: Feldspar seemed different since Silver had returned. He still laughed and joked, but there was a deep undercurrent of sadness that worried Silver. He wasn't sure Feldspar was in the right headspace for a relationship. Three, last but definitely not least: Feldspar was a flirt who slept with people all the time. Their one night together had meant everything to Silver, and probably nothing to Feldspar.
As Silver debated, the group of faeries broke into laughter again. Feldspar's laugh was coming out in choked barks and there was tightness around his eyes. Silver frowned. That had to be the fakest imitation of Feldspar's real laugh he'd ever seen, though nobody else seemed to notice. They were still laughing and slapping Feldspar on the back. Silver moved toward the group without thinking. All he could think was that he needed to rescue Feldspar. Whatever was happening, he clearly wasn't enjoying it.
"Hey guys," he called out as he approached. His heart hammered in his chest. This was the worst part of any party: the moment right before finding out if you fit in. He knew there were a fair number of the faeries in the Wood who didn't trust him. In their view any faery who spent half the year among humans was hardly a faery at all. The faeries with Feldspar watched his approach, their faces ranging from disinterested to disdainful.
None of that mattered when Silver locked eyes with Feldspar. Feldspar's strained laugh stopped and his face broke into a beautiful grin. He was looking at Silver like he was the only life preserver on a sinking ship. It was adorable and embarrassing at once. Silver felt himself smiling back as he shouldered his way to Feldspar's side.
Feldspar made introductions and effortlessly included Silver in the group, bringing every conversation around to Silver's travels or cooking. Silver felt himself relaxing and actually enjoying himself, even though the other faeries were still a bit aloof. All that mattered was that his stories had Feldspar guffawing with real laughter and wiping away tears. He was hyperaware of how close he was to Feldspar. The air between their bodies seemed to vibrate like an open current. Every time Silver spoked, Feldspar leaned slightly closer to him, making the air crackle between them. He kept catching Silver's eye and giving him the dopiest smile. Silver liked this version of Feldspar. He knew it wasn't smart, but he loved being the one who brought out this happy, relaxed Feldspar.
At a lull in the conversation one of the other faeries pulled out a vial of white powder. "Shall we take our trip?" he said. He held it out to Feldspar, belatedly shifting his gaze to invite Silver as well. Silver stiffened but he said nothing. He felt all the faeries' eyes on him as all his awkwardness and nerves came back to him tenfold. He didn't dare look at Feldspar. The last thing he wanted was to be a wet blanket if Feldspar had been planning to party with these guys.
Feldspar leaned even closer to Silver and the back of his hand brushed against Silver's, feather light. "A generous offer, but none for me tonight," Feldspar said.
The faery holding the vial laughed in a way that made Silver want to punch him. He was looking at Feldspar like he couldn't believe what he was saying. "Tomorrow then," the faery said knowingly. He barely looked at Silver, taking his mute head shake as a foregone conclusion. The other faeries snorted the powder and drifted off, lost in their own world. Silver watched them blend into the writhing, wild crowd of the party. He hated the way they had made him feel, and hated even more that he let them affect him. He had never felt like he fit in, and now seeing the way that they treated the Lord's literal golden boy he wondered if it had more to do with some faeries just being assholes than who either of them were.
"Would you like to join me for a drink?" Feldspar asked, gesturing toward a partially enclosed sitting area nearby. A low divan had been set against the wall of the tree and piled with embroidering silk cushions, surrounded on either side by a silk canopy. Silver nodded and Feldspar took his hand, guiding him through the crowd. Silver moved a low table carved from a tree stump over and Feldspar set two glasses of wine down on the table. They settled on the divan, their sides close but not touching.
As soon as they got comfortable Silver felt Feldspar tense. He glanced at him and saw a flash of irritation flit across his face. "Are you okay?" he asked.
Feldspar glanced at him guiltily and took a huge sip of his wine. "Of course," he said. Silver watched him for a second and then let it drop. He saw a faery passing with a platter of his mushroom appetizers and waved her over, glad for something that he knew would put Feldspar in a good mood.
"These. Are. The best," Feldspar exclaimed as he grabbed one off the considerable platter and popped it in his mouth. He moaned theatrically. "Leave the plate," he said, his voice suddenly the voice of one who had commanded legions. The other faery's eyes widened and she nearly dropped the plate onto their table in her haste to obey.
Silver choked on his wine, half laughing, half flustered. He couldn't help but flash back to the time they'd fucked. Feldspar had started out so soft and subby, all doe eyes looking up at him as he knelt to suck Silver's cock like a pro. By the end of the night he'd taken control, grabbing Silver by the hair and taking him roughly from behind. Both versions of Feldspar had been perfect and it drive Silver to distraction thinking about the possibilities they could explore. Apparently the next time he wanted to unleash Feldspar's latent dominant side all he needed was a plate stuffed mushrooms.
"Those are magic," Feldspar said, pointing at the plate he'd already emptied.
