Chapter Text
“And then, Trey told us to add oyster sauce. And Ace actually believed him!”
On its own, it was an amusing anecdote, and a rare one that included a less savvy, more gullible Ace Trappola. It was difficult to enjoy it, though, since Deuce had apparently decided that he and Sebek were the best of friends—or at least, something very near that—now, ever since their partnership in alchemy had led Deuce’s vastly improved grades.
Silver had mentioned how much Riddle appreciated Sebek’s efforts, but the words had meant more coming from Riddle himself, as they had just the other day during equestrian club. Since Sebek’s last class of the day was later than the juniors’ classes, Riddle and Silver had been at the stables by the time Sebek got there. They’d been discussing where they were applying for their internships, and Silver had decided to apply to several, to increase his odds of being accepted. He’d thanked Riddle for tutoring him—the extra help meant that Silver’s grades wouldn’t negatively impact his chances of being accepted anywhere. And Silver has been rightly concerned about poor grades reflecting poorly on the dorm!—and when Riddle noticed Sebek, he’d said that the reason he’d had the time to help Silver was thanks to Sebek tutoring Deuce!
Even though Silver had already known from the number of times Sebek had complained about it that Sebek was doing his best to drill information into Deuce’s skull, he’d still smiled warmly at Sebek, obviously proud of his underclassman’s efforts to help his peers. That stupid smile had done funny things to Sebek’s insides, and he’d sharply reminded Silver that Night Raven College would never come out ahead of Royal Sword Academy if one of their vice housewardens did poorly on his exams!
It had been obvious that Silver hadn’t believed that was Sebek’s sole motivation, but Silver was convinced—was ludicrously pleased at the idea—that Sebek was friends with the other second years.
Silver had his own unique view of friendship, though. He hadn’t always; before coming to Night Raven College, the closest he’d had to a friend had been Sebek himself, and they’d never been friends.
Not exactly. Or had they? Unlike Silver, Sebek had gone to school, but he hadn’t exactly had much personal experience with the concept himself.
Once Silver had started at Night Raven College, he’d been thrust into a world where he interacted with others and not just Lilia and Sebek. And Malleus, whose company had been less frequent but was worth far more than anyone at school!
If Sebek counted infrequent interactions, then he could probably include his own family in that short list, but he wasn’t going to.
With that background, Silver could almost be forgiven for not understanding friendship, for his continued confusion regarding the relationship—or lack thereof—between Malleus and Leona Kingscholar. The worst part about that was how it hadn’t been just Silver, it had been Lilia, too. He’d found the idea quite amusing! He’d even encouraged Malleus to spend time with his friends.
Malleus had seemed surprised by the idea that he might be friends with some of the humans who attended NRC, but he’d also been rather pleased when other students included Malleus among their friends—most notably, Silver’s friend Kalim, the housewarden of Scarabia.
Still, when Malleus had eventually started referring to some of the other students as his friends—unprompted—Leona Kingscholar’s name had been conspicuously omitted from the list!
The name that had taken Sebek most by surprise was Jade Leech. Jade had dared to extend an invitation to Malleus in the first place, but, since that invitation had made Malleus very happy, Sebek was willing to overlook Leech’s numerous flaws. It had been an invitation to Malleus personally, unlike that time when Malleus had been invited as a “plus one,” Lilia had said, when Kalim had invited the Pop Music Club to some event in the Scalding Sands. Nor had Leech’s invitation hadn’t been a ruse simply to get Malleus to the Coral Sea for nefarious reasons.
Silver had been more upset with Rollo Flamme for hurting Malleus’ feelings than for the attempts he’d made on Malleus’ life, but then, it wasn’t as if Rollo had ever really stood a chance against Malleus. Still, Sebek and Silver had done their best to protect him anyway.
Malleus had been so happy about the invitation to the Sunshine Lands, he’d neglected to tell anyone where he’d gone. There had been a frantic couple of days when Silver and Sebek realized Malleus had simply disappeared from campus. When Malleus had returned to the campus, he’d received a brief scolding from Lilia, followed by a dozen questions about what it had been like and if they’d actually gone beneath the ocean.
Silver had simply said he was glad that Malleus got to spend time with his friends—as if Sebek wasn’t also happy that his liege had enjoyed himself!
And why wouldn’t Jade have invited Malleus? He, as well as the bride and groom hopefully appreciated that Malleus had deigned to attend this ceremony between strangers that Malleus had never met. Even countrymen of Briar Valley weren’t as blessed as those from the Coral Sea!
Fortunately, Malleus had enjoyed himself immensely. Apparently, one of the Coral Sea wedding traditions involved tipping over a rowboat. It was a celebration of the newlyweds, one that harkened back to an underwater princess who’d married a human prince from the Sunshine Lands. Sebek wasn’t sure what turning the boat upside down had to do with a marriage between a mermaid and a human, but he and Silver had enjoyed Malleus’ description of the event, one that only Malleus had accomplished without getting wet himself! It was obviously a demonstration of physical strength, but there was also something rather romantic about it, in reminding everyone that the newlyweds would face all sorts of obstacles throughout their lives, but that they would do so together.
(As far as Sebek knew, there had been no such celebration of strength when his mother had married a human, but neither his father nor his father’s family hailed from the Sunshine Lands.)
Deuce’s hand waved in front of his face, pulling Sebek from his musing.
“You okay, dude? You’re not usually this distracted.”
“I am not distracted!”
Deuce folded his arms across his chest. “Okay, then, what did I just say?”
“You said Ace was going to put oyster sauce in the tart!”
“But what did I say after that?”
“Nothing of note!”
“Okay, you really weren’t listening, because I know you would have found it ‘of note’ that Riddle actually did put oyster sauce in the tart he made.”
Sebek hated that Deuce was right. And not just about what he would have considered noteworthy.
“I apologize,” Sebek said stiffly. “I should have listened more closely.”
“Are you okay?” Deuce asked. “I’ve been here complaining about Ace this whole time—including how he’d made fun of Riddle for the oyster sauce even though he’d nearly done the same thing—but maybe there’s something you’d like to talk to me about. I mean, I know you probably talk to Silver all the time, but I’m here right now, if you need to get anything off your chest.”
It was a ridiculous suggestion. Sebek was more than capable of dealing with things on his own, without the help of any humans. But…Silver was a human, and he was the one who’d been more of a help to Malleus than anyone.
None of the other humans could even hope to compare to Silver, but he supposed Deuce wasn’t the worst person he could talk to, especially since he definitely couldn’t talk to Silver about this.
Not yet, at least.
“Fine,” Sebek said. He ignored the shocked look on Deuce’s face and barreled ahead, before he got second thoughts. “These dreams of yours… the ones with Ace. Did you have them before…before…”
“Before Malleus’ overblot?” Deuce prompted.
Sebek nodded, his throat tight. No matter how things had turned out, it was still difficult to accept that he had been blind to the turmoil Malleus had been in. Thinking about Malleus’ tears, the absolute heartbreak they’d all felt from Lilia’s passing…
Even though Lilia’s death had been temporary, it still got Sebek choked up, even now. He could only imagine what it had been like for Silver, losing the only father he’d ever known.
Silver…
“Yes,” Sebek said. “Since then.”
Deuce nodded. “Yeah. At least, I think so. If I had dreams like this before, I definitely don’t remember, but it feels like ever since Silver brought everyone into my dream, he created, um, save points, I guess. You know, like in a video game?”
Sebek might not have known what those terms meant last year, but he knew now. Idia and Ortho had used a lot of gamer vernacular during their journey through everyone’s dreams, and Lilia had on occasion used similar terms.
(Gaming and gamer terminology was yet another area where Silver was ahead of Sebek.)
“Do you suspect that Silver’s unique magic is—"
“What? No! No, no no.” Deuce waved his hands frantically. “I don’t think that at all! Silver isn’t even in my dreams. If he were using his unique magic, even accidentally, wouldn’t he like. Be there?”
Sebek honestly didn’t know. Silver had admitted that even he wasn’t sure about the extent of his unique magic, even after having used it on pretty much everyone. But then, that hardly counted when Ortho and his brother had been controlling the joystick, so to speak.
It was still an odd sort of intimacy that Silver had shared with everyone, though, and Sebek wasn’t exactly sure how he felt about that.
(At least he had been there with Silver, as they’d traipsed through everyone’s dreams, even before the Shroud brothers had gotten involved. He wasn’t exactly sure how he felt about that, either.)
Sebek’s fingers curled, his fingernails digging into his palms. He was feeling restless, on edge, and he needed the release that…
“Train with me,” he blurted out.
Deuce blinked at him. “What?”
“You heard me,” Sebek snarled. “Train with me.”
“Isn’t that like…yours and Silver’s thing?”
“Silver isn’t here right now, is he?” Sebek snapped.
“I guess…as long as no magic is involved…”
“I would never do something that would bring shame upon Diasomnia!”
“Okay,” Deuce said, smacking his fist into his palm. “Since this is an agreed upon sparring match, and not a brawl…and uh… no magic is involved! Right. So, then, it’s something that an honor student would take part in.”
Sebek’s fingers itched to claw at something, anything, but as Deuce pointed out, this was to be a sparring match, not a petty scuffle over a stolen tart.
(As much as Sebek understood the gravity of Riddle’s overblot situation, he would very much love to see someone plant their fist in Ace’s face. It had been, in large part, Ace’s fault that Riddle had been pushed over the edge in the first place. And, in general, Ace surely had it coming, with that cocky attitude of his.
How or why Deuce wanted to kiss that fool was none of Sebek’s business. And yet, here Sebek was. Ostensibly, to hear him out.
Right after he let out some of his own frustration in the best way he knew how.
But not until after school. Deuce was already on thin ice with Professor Crewel. The last thing either of them needed was Deuce dragging Sebek down with him.)
“I was beginning to think you weren’t coming,” Silver said when Sebek set his tray on the table across from Silver.
“I told you I would see you at lunch.”
“Yes, but you seemed...” Silver hesitated. “Angry.”
“Deuce needed my assistance. Again.”
“I meant, even before he texted you.” Silver leaned forward, just a fraction, and stared into Sebek’s eyes. “Sebek, we need to talk.”
Sebek and Deuce were both panting. After their last class, they’d met in the woods behind the school to spar. Sebek had channeled all of his frustration with the Silver situation into his training with Deuce.
“Damn,” Deuce said, grabbing his arm and stretching it across his body. “I mean, uh, fiddlesticks!”
Sebek felt the same way, but not for the same reasons.
Deuce wiped at his bleeding lip with the back of his hand. “I knew you were strong, but you’re like. Really strong.”
“Of course I am!”
That didn’t mean that Deuce hadn’t managed to catch him off guard with an accidental leg sweep. Just once, but he’d done it.
It just showed how very on edge Sebek had been lately, especially since that dream.
(That dream. The one that had felt so very, very real. The one that had left him frustrated upon waking, even though he’d very obviously climaxed in his sleep. The dream where he and Silver had done things Sebek had only read about. The dream where Silver had boldly stated that he was Sebek’s, but that Sebek’s was his, too.
The dream that he’d wished had been more than just a dream.)
“You and Silver do this a lot, huh?”
The question caught Sebek off guard at first, but he recovered quickly.
“We train regularly, yes.”
“Damn,” Deuce repeated. “Uh, dang. That’s…actually impressive.”
Sebek chose to accept the compliment in the spirit in which it was intended. Deuce had managed to land a solid punch to Sebek’s midsection. Sebek’s first mistake had been assuming that someone with no formal training in the martial arts would fight Sebek the way Silver did, but Deuce was much stronger than he looked.
And it wasn’t the first time Sebek had engaged in fisticuffs with another. Through the years, he and Silver had their share of scuffles, and they hadn’t always been the most elegant.
Deuce removed a towel from his duffel bag and wiped his face with it before draping it around his neck.
“Is this how you two resolve your differences?”
“We train in order to protect our liege! It is our first priority, to be ready as his guards, even in his absence!”
Sebek used his own towel to wipe the sweat from his face. It was, unfortunately, a little too late. The saltiness of his perspiration was stinging his eyes, and it was all Silver’s fault.
Silver’s, and this idiot’s, the one frowning at him.
“Sometimes,” Sebek admitted.
“Does it help?”
Sebek toweled the sweat from his neck next. “Yes.”
“Wow,” Deuce said. “I thought for sure you were going to go on this whole speech about how it was irrelevant whether it helped or not, as long as you were ready to guard Malleus, or something like that.”
The fact that it was exactly the sort of thing Sebek had been tempted to do was a little unsettling. How had Deuce come to know him so well? Not as well as Silver knew him, of course, but more than most others had.
“Maybe I should challenge Ace, then,” Deuce said.
It was hard to tell if he was joking. His expression was a little pained, and he was biting his bottom lip in a clear demonstration of indecision.
“Or you could kiss him,” Sebek said.
Of all the things Sebek could have said, why, in the name of all of the Great Seven, had those words come out of his mouth?
“Or I could kiss him,” Deuce repeated slowly. “Do you think I should?”
“Why are you asking me?”
“You’re the one who suggested it! And it’s not like I can ask Epel; he’s not exactly the kind of guy who reads romance novels.”
“I do not read romance novels!”
He read historical fiction. Historical fiction that, on occasion, contained a bit of romance threaded throughout, but that wasn’t the same thing!
“I didn’t mean that you did! I mean that…it’s just…from what you said last year… remember that time you were talking about how you would uh, I guess, woo someone? If someone caught your attention, I mean.”
Of course Sebek remembered! “What about it?”
“It was just, um, well. I know that Ace teased you for being an old man and all—”
“You were just as dismissive, I’ll remind you.”
“Okay, okay, yeah, I didn’t know why you wouldn’t just, like, send someone a text. But you said that a fountain pen and stationery were tools for romance or something flowery like that.”
“Flowery?!”
“That’s not an insult!” Deuce hurried to say. “It’s just that…well, I mean. You’re strong, and you’re smart—smarter than me, for sure, and just as smart if not smarter than Ace—and you don’t look like a typical romantic. It’s just… the way you talked about what you’d do … it was romantic. And I mean, isn’t that what you want?”
“This isn’t about what I want!”
“Yeah, but is it what Silver would want?”
“This has nothing to do with Silver! We are discussing your inexplicable desire to plant your mouth on that cretin’s!”
“Ace, a cretin? He’s a lot of things—trust me, I know—but he’s not stupid.”
“He is when it comes to your feelings.”
Deuce gave a half-hearted laugh. “You got me there. But I guess, I’m kinda glad he doesn’t know. Because I’m pretty sure he doesn’t feel the same. Hel—heck, I’m not even sure exactly what it is that I feel, other than wanting to kiss him silly.”
“Then do it,” Sebek said. “Whining accomplishes nothing.”
“You know, when Ortho suggested talking to you about this—”
“Ortho suggested talking to me?”
“He was really impressed by your little speech about the coming of spring last year, when we were all at Ramshackle before that fairy gala. I didn’t exactly get it, but you were right.”
“Of course I was right! You humans know so little about the fae and fairy traditions!”
“And this is why Jack suggested I not talk to you.”
“You talked to Jack?”
“Not about you and Silver! Just about maybe getting your advice on this whole Ace situation.”
“There is nothing between me and Silver!” Sebek set him straight on that right away. “And does everyone in the sophomore class know about your little crush on Ace except the obnoxious little man himself?”
“What? No! No, of course not! I only talk to you guys, really. And the students in my dorm, of course, since I’m still learning all of their names. And uh, the guys on the track team. But I don’t like... talk to them, talk to them.”
Sebek massaged his head, just above his eyebrows, with his thumb and middle finger. This entire conversation was going in circles at this point. This was more headache-inducing than trying to tutor Silver in Literature Through the Ages. Silver enjoyed a good tale, but nuance had never been his strong suit. If the author hadn’t spelled something out in black and white, Silver completely missed it.
He also had a terrible habit of assuming the best of people, even fictional characters. Silver was more interested in what had caused them such pain in their past. Ironically, it was this character flaw that had him so close to actually getting the metaphor, too, to understanding the story beneath the prose. Silver got so frustrated by his own inability to glean a deeper meaning from a story, but he was aware enough to point out that the entire debacle could have been resolved in the first chapter if the characters had simply talked.
In reality, it was a good philosophy. It’s what made him a respected housewarden. Silver wanted things out in the open when there was a conflict.
It certainly worked for the two of them. Silver wasn’t the most tactful person, but one never wondered where they stood with Silver.
Or at least, anyone with a working set of eyes never wondered. Sebek still bristled at the thought of those idiot classmates of Silver’s, thinking he was expressionless. How anyone could look at Silver’s face and miss the intensity of his gaze when he was passionate about something or the soft curve of his lips when he was amused, or the way his entire face lit up when he was happy…
It had been an easy problem to address. After some ridiculous facial exercises with Scarabia’s housewarden and vice housewarden, Silver had explained the source of his distress to Sebek. Sebek had rolled his eyes at that, but there had been an easy enough solution. And Sebek’s method of proving those blind humans wrong had worked. Anyone who watched Silver train couldn’t help but see exactly how expressive he was!
Silver had never needed to practice smiling. He simply smiled when there was something to smile about!
“You’re thinking about him, aren’t you?”
“I’m not thinking about Silver!”
“I could point out that I never said Silver’s name, but… it’s just… you have that look on your face.”
Sebek frowned. “What look?”
“It what my mom would call ‘dreamy.’ She’s a big fan of romantic comedies.”
As if that explained anything.
Deuce sighed. “Look, Sebek. I’m not trying to be a jerk. And I’m not making fun of you. I think you and Silver make—would make—a great couple. You two are like, perfect for one another. I’ve never seen two people who look more like a couple than you two. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“I am not embarrassed!”
“I’m just saying…maybe think about it? No point in both of us being miserable, right?”
If not for the fact that this conversation had gotten Sebek out of talking to Silver this morning...
I’ve been meaning to talk to you.
Had it really only been this morning? And then, again, at lunch, Silver had said that they needed to talk. Sebek was afraid that he might know exactly what Silver wanted to talk about, otherwise, he would have just launched into another of his lectures about Sebek’s attitude.
Which meant it was something that Silver wanted to discuss in private.
Perhaps in his room, where it would be just the two of them. Where Sebek could pull Silver to him, and cover Silver’s mouth with his own, and devour him the way he’d wanted to since the dreams had started.
Even before then.
Where he could unfasten Silver’s jacket, one button at a time, and then his shirt. Where he could slide the sleeve down, revealing Silver’s neck and shoulder. He could trail his tongue along Silver’s skin, causing Silver’s breath to hitch…
“There you go again,” Deuce said, frowning. “You’re not usually this distractible. Is, uh, everything okay between you two?”
Sebek pressed the towel against his forehead.
I don’t know.
But he wasn’t about to tell Deuce that.
It was becoming almost predictable at this point—not that Sebek was complaining. There was something about the feel of Silver’s skin against his own, slick with sweat and hot, hot, hot. There was something about the way Silver’s fingers would grip Sebek’s arms, or his shoulders, or his hips—wherever his hands happened to be in the moment.
There was something about the way Silver always seemed to have his riding crop with him, as if his sole reason for carrying it was to taunt Sebek. Silver would trail it over Sebek’s skin, his eyes watching as Sebek shuddered. Sometimes the tip of the crop would travel over Silver’s skin instead, Sebek’s gaze transfixed as the tip glided along Silver’s jaw.
And when he kissed Sebek, it was with all the aggression he showed when they sparred. Sometimes he would grab Sebek’s face with one hand, sometimes he would tilt Sebek’s chin up using the crop. Sometimes he would grab Sebek’s hair and tug his head back before covering Sebek’s mouth with his own. His tongue was relentless when it explored Sebek’s mouth, and when Sebek’s tongue moved against Silver’s, he could feel Silver’s length against him, as hard and unyielding as the rest of him.
And then, Silver’s tongue retreated, allowing Sebek to thrust his own tongue into Silver’s mouth. Silver sucked on it, hard, and Sebek couldn’t help but think of what that would feel like if Silver applied that kind of suction to other parts of his body.
Silver’s tongue eventually pushed at Sebek’s, forcing it back into Sebek’s mouth. When he finally lifted his head, a string of saliva still joined them, and Silver sucked it into his mouth in a way that made Sebek feel like he’d consumed more of Sebek than just his spit.
By the Sevens, he wanted Silver.
Silver slid down Sebek’s body, his lips mapping a path down Sebek’s torso as his hands released their grip on Sebek’s shoulders. He wasn’t seriously going to…to put his mouth on Sebek’s… was he?
He was.
Sebek couldn’t help himself. His hips bucked, forcing his shaft into Silver’s mouth. Drool spilled out of Silver’s mouth, running down Sebek’s length, and he was close, so close.
And then Silver’s fingers cupped Sebek’s balls, and that was all it took to send him over the edge, filling Silver's mouth to overflowing with his seed.
Silver sat up and rubbed his hand over his mouth. He’d drooled in his sleep before, but not like that.
He’d orgasmed in his sleep before, but not like that.
He’d wanted Sebek, awake and now, apparently, in his dreams, but never the way he wanted him now. In the dream, Sebek had been the one who’d climaxed, but in reality, it had been Silver. Had Sebek experienced a wet dream, too? If not this time, then any of the others?
Silver threw the blankets off, slid out of bed, and began pacing his room. He needed to talk to Sebek. He needed to talk to him about the dreams. He needed to know if Sebek’s dreams meant anything, or if the sex meant something else entirely.
Did Sebek know that’s what Silver wanted to discuss with him? Was that why Sebek always seemed to have some reason he was unable to just talk to Silver?
It was too late to drag Sebek out of bed, so it would have to wait until morning.
He raked his fingers through his hair. No, morning was no good. If the conversation went poorly, it would likely affect Sebek the rest of the day. Tomorrow, though. In the training yard.
Silver used his sweatpants to clean himself up the best he could and then rummaged through his dresser for a clean pair of shorts.
He pulled the shorts on and reached for his baton, assuming a proper stance in front of the mirror.
He couldn’t sleep, and he couldn’t talk to Sebek, so there was only one thing left he could do in the meantime.
Train.