The Bohemians (10 page)

“Oh...” Topaz shuddered, cock throbbing as he nodded. “Yeah.”

“So I was thinking. We need to get tested. You and me and Stephan and Leo. ‘Cause... you know if you’re fucking them, I basically am as well -- you know that’s how it works and don’t be upset, okay? It’s only prudent. I’ve been with a lot of guys, I get tested regularly, but I think it needs to be a recent test. To be sure. Okay?”

Topaz hated that -- he wasn’t just fucking Ku and Daisy. He wasn’t. “I’ll talk to them. There shouldn’t be a problem. We’ve been together for a long time, but we could test again.”

“That’d be great.” Quincy reached out and stroked his cheek. “I really want to bareback with you, Topaz, I want it all.”

Topaz dropped a kiss in Quincy’s palm. “I’ll get Daisy to call Tuesday. He’s okay at appointments and keeps track of the schedule stuff. Sorta.” Topaz offered Quincy a wry grin. “There’s none of us good at it.”

“You need a secretary,” Quincy told him with a grin, hand sliding back along his cheek, into his hair.

“I’m not sure any one person is up to the job of organizing two nutty artists and a... A...” He bit at his bottom lip. “A Stephan.”

That made Quincy laugh and then his Gemini sobered again, fingers still stroking his face. “Thank you, Topaz.””I love you, Quincy.” He gave his Gemini a smile. “I just love you.”

Quincy nodded, eyes happy. “I love you, too.”

Topaz took another bite of muffin and nodded. He knew.

Chapter Fourteen

Stephan sighed and took all the flowers out of the vase, beginning the arrangement again. “I’m still worried about him, Leo.”

“Hmm?” Leo looked up from a catalogue where he was ordering supplies for the shop. His lover looked rumpled and distracted and edible. “Worried about what, lover?””Topaz and his ‘soul mate’.”

Stephan glared at the flowers that would not come together, the irises refusing to sit with the daisies and the tulips. The only thing that settled happily with all of them was the baby’s breath. “Did you see his eyes when he told us about the tests? Quincy still does not trust him.”

“Quincy doesn’t trust us, love.” Leo shook his head and sighed. “We’re going to have to wait it out, Stephan. He’ll either learn to accept us or leave.”

“That would break Sunshine’s heart!” The stem of the iris he was holding snapped beneath his fingers. “Oh no! Look what I’ve done!”

“Stephan.” Leo stood, rumbling softly, cupping his face in those huge hands. “Topaz loves us and we love him. He would not stay forever with someone who couldn’t understand that. He couldn’t believe in that. You know our Sunshine.”

“I know if Quincy can’t understand that it is going to hurt Topaz dreadfully -- why do you think I’m worried about him. Quincy is so...” He bit his lip, searching for the right word. “Straight.”

Leo chuckled and nodded. “And still Topaz wants him. We have to trust in that, trust in Topaz.” A soft sigh sounded. “Trust in us to put him back together after, if we have to.”

“You know -- no one’s even asked us if we like Quincy,” he noted with a sniff. “Maybe we don’t want him.”

“Oh.” Stephan saw Leo pale at the single word, saw the reflection of Topaz’s beet red face in the dark eyes.

Stephan turned around, holding his hands out to Topaz. “Oh, Sunshine, lover, I didn’t mean it! I didn’t, truly!”Topaz stepped back, shaking his head. “I... I’ve been terrible about all this, haven’t I? I’m sorry, Daisy. I didn’t mean to. I...” One tear fell on the dark cheek. “I’m so sorry.”Then Topaz opened the screen door, tiny and huddled into himself. “I came to tell you Rosa called and wants to see the new yarns. I’ll bring home dinner for us.””Oh, Sunshine, don’t go away upset.” Stephan went to the doorway, stroking Topaz’ cheek, wiping away the wet track. “Please.” He was near to crying himself and he wanted to just kick Quincy -- so much trouble and heartache for the sake of a single man.

“I’m okay, Daisy. I...” Topaz took a deep breath. “I’ve been just horrid, messing with everybody’s life. Yours and Leo’s, Quincy’s -- all I’ve seen is my own stupid self.” A soft kiss fell into his palm. “I need to do some meditating, more praying and less fucking, yeah?” The coarse word sounded false in their Sunshine’s voice.

“You’ve never fucked anyone in your life, Sunshine.” He pulled his lover in for a hug, holding Topaz tight. “I love you, Topaz. I just want you to be happy and healthy. Wait before you go!” Stephan went back to his vase and picked up one of each of the flowers and a handful of baby’s breath, wrapping the broken stem around them to hold them all together. “Here. To brighten your way.”

Stephan got a smile, slow and tired, but real. “Always, Daisy. You two are my home. I love you.”

Then Topaz was gone, thin body winding the bright purple basket down the road.

He watched until Topaz rounded the corner then Stephan turned back to Leo with tears in his eyes. “Oh, lover, I am a terrible person.”

“Bah. You just have lousy timing.” Leo held his arms open, eyes warm, loving. “No matter what, this, you and me, we won’t change.”

He went to his lover, pressing close, letting the warmth and acceptance and love he found there soothe him. “Never, my love, never.”

“No, beautiful lover. Never.” Hands stroked his hair, loved him, eased him.

Stephan tilted his head back, looking up into beautiful eyes that were rich like dark chocolate. “Make love to me, Leo? Make me forget everything but the power of your body, of your love.”

“Yes.” The door was locked and he was led upstairs into their soft, warm bed, until long after supper.

Chapter Fifteen

He was frowning when he opened the back door, looking for Stephan. “Lover? You home? You checked the messages?”

Nine days. Nine days since he’d seen Topaz -- here or at work. Just a note -- feed the cats. Love you. T.

Leo had seen that Topaz had been hurt by Stephan’s comment. Well, and the fact that they were in bed making love when Topaz brought food and left it still wrapped up in the refrigerator...

Still.

Nine days was a long time not to be at the loom, even for Topaz, and if he was going to move in with Quincy, he should just say so.

Stephan came in from the back, hands black with earth. “Leo! No news from Sunshine yet. I don’t suppose he called in at work?”

“No. Maybe we should call Quincy’s house?” Leo leaned in for a kiss.

“I don’t know. I hurt him worse than he let on.” Stephan gave him his kiss and then leaned against him. “It’s not like him to punish us like this though, to run to Quincy and not say a word for nine days!”

Before he could answer, the garage doorbell sounded. They both went to the door, both looked out. He frowned deeply when they saw Quincy there.

Leo stepped out. “Quincy? Why are you ringing the bell? Where’s Topaz?”

Now Quincy was frowning. “What do you mean ‘where’s Topaz?’ Isn’t he here?”

“No. He’s not with you? He hasn’t been with you?”Oh, shit.

Quincy paled. “I take it that means he’s not here. Please don’t tell me he hasn’t been here for the last nine days. Oh, I assumed he was upset with me over the whole testing thing and was staying here with you both!”

Leo shook his head. “Stephan, go call Rosa. Find out if she sent him on some weird assed religious thing to cleanse himself, yeah?”

As soon as Quincy was in and the door shut, Leo shook his head. “We agreed to the testing, Quincy. We went already. Stephan and Topaz had a little misunderstanding last Wednesday. We thought he was with you.”

“Oh dear. Oh no.” Quincy looked stricken. “That’s over a week ago!”

“This is all my fault,” Stephan said. “I’ll call Rosa.” His flower bustled off, still talking to himself, blaming himself.”No, it’s Rosa’s fault. She gets him all worried and then he’s off to cleanse this or discover that and it’ll take three weeks before we get him to eat right again.” Leo growled and rolled his eyes. “Come in. We’ll ferret out where he is and then kick his ass.”

“Does he do this a lot?” Quincy asked.

“Not for a long time, no.” Leo sighed. “He’s stressed out and worried about hurting all of us.” He gave Quincy a wry grin. “For being the most loving man on earth? He’s a bit of a dingbat.”

Quincy chuckled and then sighed. “For being someone who claims to love him, I’ve not made his life easy, have I? I’m just... Well, not used to the way the three of you live your lives and I’m afraid I’ve been very judgmental.””And we’ve been scared to lose him. Jealous as hell.” Leo nodded. “Let’s see if we can’t find him, then we’ll beat on him, yeah?”

“Sounds like we should let him beat us a little too, for putting him through it.”

“Yeah, but that comes after.” Leo dug out two beers, handing one over and herding Quincy to the kitchen table. “Have you met Rosa yet?”

Quincy shook his head. “We’ve been kind of ah... focused on the, you know, bed part.” The man took a swig of the beer and tilted the bottle toward him. “Thanks.””She’s his grandmother. Looney and lovely and utterly convinced that spirits tell her what to do.” Leo lowered his voice. “She’s right more often than she’s wrong, too, but she gives Topaz the weirdest advice about sweat lodges and crystal healers and psychic horses...”

“Psychic horses?” Quincy blinked and started getting that uptight look again.

Leo grinned. “Don’t ask me. It apparently told Topaz to only work in earth tones for a year. Topaz is... special.”That got another smile out of Quincy. “Yeah, he is.”Stephan came in then, fussing and muttering.

Leo looked over, arching an eyebrow. “Does Rosa have him?”

Stephan nodded, grabbing himself a beer. “He’s in the woods at Dali somebody or other Lama’s voodoo camp. I think he’s trying to be a leaf. She figures he won’t come back until he can photosynthesize.” Those sweet brown eyes looked over at him. “It doesn’t sound like they’re even feeding him, lover. We need to go rescue him. And then deprogram him.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Photosynthesize. Topaz. Christ, he’s tiny enough. Did she say where?”

“Yeah, just outside of town off Highway One. Apparently we can’t miss the sixty foot high paper mache Dali whosit.”

“Sixty foot...” He sighed and finished his beer. “You see, Quincy? This is why we kick his ass.”

Quincy shook his head. “You’ve got to be making that up.”

Stephan shook his head. “I wish I was, Bluebell, but knowing Rosa and Topaz, it’s going to be even worse than we imagine.”

“Let’s get in the car. Somebody grab the aloe vera, somebody grab some hummus. Quincy, go get something to wrap him up in.” It was almost funny. Almost.

“We’re going to go up there and... well, kidnap him?” Quincy looked like he was about to protest, but then the man nodded and got up. “I’ll get one of the blankets from his bed.”

“Think of it as rescuing. Topaz wants to come home six times out of ten.” He got a bowl of hummus and some grapes.

“Six times out of...” Quincy laughed sharply and hurried off.

Stephan got the aloe vera, in case of sunburn, plus a thermos of green tea and a toothbrush, liquid soap and big towels. Right, the last time -- in his ‘man is a compost heap’ workshop -- the stench had been terrifying.

Quincy came back with a couple of blankets. “He’ll be all right, won’t he?”

“He will. Between all of us? He’ll be just fine.” Leo offered Quincy an honest smile. Hell, this was the most fun they’d had together in days.

“All right then. Let’s go rescue our man.”

Oh, yeah. The Dali Somebody or Other had nothing on the florist, the glassblower and the super secretary. Nothing at all.

Chapter Sixteen

The car ride back from the Center For Meditation and Natural Study was quiet. Leo was driving, Stephan sitting next to Leo, craning his neck around his seat every few minutes to check on Topaz. Who was fast asleep, curled up in his lap.

Quincy breathed a sigh of relief as they pulled into the driveway.

He’d honestly been imagining all sorts of Ticket To Heaven type scenarios and when they were able to just walk in, ask where Topaz was and waltz back out with him it threw him and he’d been convinced the entire way home a van full of Dali Pashi Lama crazies was going to start chasing them.

“What do we do now?” he asked. “Bed? Shower? Food?”

“Shower, first, then food and water. He looks dehydrated.” Leo stood and opened the door. “Can you manage the shower part? I’ll cook and Stephan can bring you towels.”

Quince nodded, passing Topaz up to Leo and then taking his lover back into his own arms once he was out of the car. “We’ll be good.”

“Come on into the main house. The bathroom’s bigger and easier to deal with.”

He nodded. “Lead the way.”

Between Leo and Stephan, he got them both into the tub, Topaz still mostly asleep and snugly.

The bathroom was filled with plants, green and beautiful, hanging from every available surface. He had Topaz soaped up quickly and then backed them both up into the spray, holding Topaz upright.

A soft giggle sounded. “Mmm... my Gemini.”

He grinned and hugged Topaz tight. “My Starchild.””We home?” Soft lips brushed his neck. “Missed you.””Yeah, love, we’re home.” He bent to kiss Topaz. “I missed you, too,” he whispered against his lover’s lips.Topaz was melted against him, skinny frame light in his arms. The kiss lingered until the door opened, Stephan bringing towels.