who could ever learn to love a...

[weavers]

39 Excelsior Place was the oldest house on the road.

In fact, 39 Excelsior Place was the oldest house in the neighborhood. Through the years Henrietta, Virginia had mostly kept up with the times. Old, decrepit homes were replaced with bright white houses and wooden fences. The convenience store went from locally owned to a chain. The schools got better. Wifi was available in almost every pubic place.

39 Excelsior Place did not keep up with the times. Crouching darkly at the end of the road, squatting fiercely in its dead end, the house was every bit the past it came from. Tall with gothic architecture, unwelcoming pointed gates, and black bricks the hollow eyes on its gray and white face. Huge windows were long covered with sheets, as had been most of the furniture. Once upon a time the house had been beautiful. Once upon a time, however, was a long time ago. In 2016, most people stayed away from 39 Excelsior Place. Smartly so. Its resident monster hated everyone.

Everyone except for its sole resident, elderly Mr. Greerish. Greerish said he had a family. Nobody ever game to visit so the monster called him a liar. Greerish placidly made excuses, such as They’re very busy and It’s been a while since we’ve caught up. Apparently Greerish had a favorite nephew: a baby when they last met. It had smiled at him once. No one else in the family smiled at him.

The monster called him an idiot. Greerish laughed and returned to his books. That was how they found the old man dead. With a pleasant smile and a book in his lap.

Fine. The monster didn’t care about Greerish anyway. It had only just begun to tolerate him. With his death, 39 Excelsior Place would be free of pests and the monster could hide away from the rest of the world until it eventually died. That was what happened to monsters. He’d read the old books Greerish kept so neat in the bookcase. They all ended the same. The monster was killed, burned, staked. The handsome prince got the princess. Or, in the monster’s personal interests, prince. Not that it mattered.

What the monster did not know was that there was a Will. A thing that had been executed by the local priest out of pity for old man Greerish. There was only one stipulation.

Everything I own, including 39 Excelsior Place, will be so inherited by my nephew, Adam Parrish.

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[weavers]

Chainsaw offered another caw, this one soft and confused, like she couldn't quite understand why Adam wanted her to leave. Ronan snorted, wrapping his arms around Adam so he could pull the boy against his body as they kissed.

"You may as well get used to it," he murmured against Adam's lips once the kiss finally broke, "because she'll be watching a lot." Not that he necessarily approved, but Chainsaw didn't particularly care for being alone. If the house's other two residents were holed up in a room? Of course she'd want to be there. And she doubtless was pleased that Ronan had finally found himself a nice mate. For a long time he looked like a hopeless case.

Ronan was used to it. Nuzzling, he pressed his face against Adam's shoulder.

"I dreamed."

[tenebrarius]

Adam grunted, blushing a little at the idea of being regularly watched during sex by their half-sentient magic dream bird. Trying not to think about it, he nuzzled Ronan in return, happy to be distracted by the much more immediate pleasure of Ronan holding him close. "Yeah?" he murmured, catching Ronan's earlobe between his teeth and giving it a tug as he breathed out through his nose, tickling the skin behind Ronan's ear. "Anything good?"

[weavers]

Ronan laughed, tickled by the feeling of Adam's breath, "Yeah."

Feeling for where he'd let the bottle roll, Ronan rolled onto his back and held it up in the light. It sparkled still, just as it had in the dream and when he'd woken up, shimmering with purples and blues now.

"Not really sure what exactly it'll do," he admitted, "because I sort of just... asked for it." It was hard to explain—or maybe not hard, just weird—that he'd asked the trees for something that would make Adam feel good. Did trees know what was up with anal sex? Did trees even have butts?

"But it should work."

[tenebrarius]

Setting his head back on Ronan's shoulder, Adam traced his fingertips over Ronan's chest as he admired the bottle. "It's pretty. And magic."

Grinning, he gave Ronan's nipple a flick. "Like you."

Letting go and laughing, Adam settled back on his elbows, bending one knee slightly. He was comfortable in his nudity with Ronan. "So you gonna fuck me, Charlotte, or just tease me about it all day?"

[weavers]

"Shit, Adam. Are you really human?" Grinning at how insatiable Adam was, Ronan rolled, throwing his arm across the other man's chest. It was fine; Ronan was just as ready, eager to try, even if he still only had a vague idea of what he was doing. The pictures had helped give him an idea, a general direction.

Biting Adam's shoulder, he growled and Chainsaw cawed again, flapping and landing on the lamp beside the bed.

"You wanna stay on your back?"

[tenebrarius]

Adam groaned happily at the bite, shuddering at that exquisite growl. "Dunno," he breathed, hips grinding against the bed, instantly half aroused just from that growl. "I... probably? To start with? Maybe just while you're fingering me. I don't know. So I can see your face."

Blushing at his own awkwardness but unable to stop grinning, Adam nuzzled at him, kissing Ronan's eyebrow. "As long as it involves you inside me I'm pretty sure it's going to be amazing."

[weavers]

Ronan kissed Adam's forehead in return, "Okay. Try to stay relaxed." That was one thing everything seemed to agree on; the receiving partner should relax as much as possible, or else it may hurt.

Cracking the bottle open with his thumbnail, Ronan spilled the lube over his fingers. The smell was heavenly—light scents of lavender and white tea, comforting smells that Ronan could pin almost at once. Had the trees known that...? Deciding not to think about that, he considered the way the lube warmed at his touch instead. A pleasant warmth, like it knew just what temperature to be to feel good.

Ronan kept on his side and pressed close, sliding his free arm underneath the back of Adam's head. It might not be the best position but he wanted to see Adam's face, too, and be close enough to kiss him as he worked his fingers. He'd move into a better one when they got more into it, if he had to.

Once he was comfortable enough Ronan eased his hand between Adam's legs with a, "Lift your leg a little," and beginning by rubbing the pad one finger against his lover so he could get used to the feeling.

[tenebrarius]

Adam nestled against him, deeply comforted by the position and the warmth of Ronan against him. Eyes locked on Ronan's, too entranced to look away, Adam parted his legs, wiggling a little so that he could give Ronan the best access possible.

"Oh," he moaned, shuddering at the touch. It was warm, warmer than Ronan's skin, and deeply soothing, tingling exquisitely at his sensitive skin. He lifted his hips into it, grinning and nipping briefly at Ronan's lips. "Go on," he said, pleased by the care that Ronan took but deeply impatient to be ravished.

[weavers]

Ronan laughed. Adam was ready, but he was worried if he went too fast, he'd lose control again. The last thing he wanted to do was have his fingers turn back into claws while he was fingering his boyfriend, even if Adam was likely to take it like a champ.

Without saying anything else, Ronan covered his boyfriend's lips with his own, demanding his attention with that kiss. Making it deep right off the bat and dirty, sucking and chewing when he wasn't rolling his tongue while exploring Adam's mouth.

The wet noise of their mouths encouraged him to press forward, pushing his finger in to the first joint with the help of the lube. It wasn't difficult, though he still took his time—half to tease Adam after the initial push. To the second joint. Then, moving his finger in and out, curling it, trying to figure out what Adam seemed to respond best to.

[tenebrarius]

Moaning shamelessly into the kiss, Adam curled his arms around Ronan's neck, holding possessively to him. He returned the kiss hungrily, whining and nipping at Ronan, giving all of himself and wanting Ronan to take more and more.

Trembling with desire, Adam tugged at him, nails digging into Ronan's shoulders. It felt incredible, warm and tingling inside him, and Adam was desperate for more, pushing his hips up to try and get Ronan's finger deeper inside him.