got good ears

[temporal_affairs]

The neighbors don't complain. Much. (They do occasionally ask that things be kept down, but they don't complain about there being noise at all. They understand about mates.)

The room isn't designed for long-term human occupation. There is no bathroom, no food, no bed, no climate control - though this is Florida, so climate control is not such a concern - no plumbing.

But there's lots of magic. It's such fun to make, after all.

(Nathan had been worried he'd have to ask one of the succubi, or Joham, for lessons on what might whimsically be called "safe sex". He likes not having to bother with this better.)

Comments

[temporal_affairs]

"Well, that's good then. It's never fun when the new mate and the old friends don't like each other."

[manofmyword]

Grinning, the Joker kisses him.

[temporal_affairs]

Mmm kisses. There are some trees next to this here highway...

[manofmyword]

Ooh. Trees. They should go have sex against one!

[temporal_affairs]

Why, that's exactly what Nathan was thinking!

[manofmyword]

Well, isn't that lucky.

He is definitely in a squishable mood right now. Getting fucked against a tree sounds like just the thing.

[temporal_affairs]

The tree may be somewhat the worse for wear after all this.

[manofmyword]

To be honest, the Joker is a little surprised when all is said and done (well, mostly done) and the tree is still standing.

[temporal_affairs]

"Didn't want to knock it onto the highway and cut off a lane of traffic," Nathan says when he sees the surprise on his mate's face. "Besides, it was serving as cover from prying eyes."

[manofmyword]

"You're so thoughtful," he giggles.

[temporal_affairs]

"Always, babe."

[manofmyword]

He fixes their clothes with a square, and they're on the road again.

[temporal_affairs]

It's just two weeks later when Nathan gets a brainphone call. Apparently Bella has been expanding the network. He conferences in the Joker right away. [Hi to you too, Emmett. Congratulations on the baby! I've conferenced my new mate in - babe, this is Emmett.]

[Hi,] says Emmett. [Rose can't pay attention to anything but little Henry, so I get birth announcement duty. Little Henry: exists!]

[manofmyword]

[Hi, Emmett!] he says brightly. [Awwwwww, congrats to all three of ya.]

[temporal_affairs]

[Hey, as long as I have you on the sort-of-a-phone, Nathan's New Mate, have you got an actual name? Bella just keeps calling you "the joker", like it's your title or something,] Emmett says.

[manofmyword]

[Nope,] he says serenely. [You can call me the Joker too if you want. Or you can call me something else.]

[temporal_affairs]

[Wait, so everyone just calls you that? Your mate calls you that?]

[He hasn't turned,] says Nathan, [so he's my mate, I'm not his. I mostly call him "babe", anyway.]

[I'm not gonna call him babe,] says Emmett.

[Good, me and your wife wouldn't like if it you did,] replies Nathan.

[manofmyword]

The Joker laughs.

"I like it when you call me 'babe'," he murmurs to Nathan.

[temporal_affairs]

"Good," Nathan murmurs back.

[Anyway, Henry exists, he's adorable, me and Rose are arguing between having another right away and having another in six months and whether the end number should look more like ten or more like a hundred, and if you meet up with the capital next time we move or whatever you should totally drop by and pick him up, Nate.]

[Next time we're in the right place at the right time,] Nathan agrees.

[manofmyword]

[We'll put it on the list,] he says, grinning.

[temporal_affairs]

The call ends.

"List?" Nathan asks.

[manofmyword]

"Of all the stuff we're gonna do sometime," he says. "Like ask to get into Ireland, and see Castletown and Jaipur. That list."

[temporal_affairs]

"I should be asking the timer about those, shouldn't I?"

[manofmyword]

"If you wanna," he says serenely. "No rush."

[temporal_affairs]

"Mm." (Nuzzle nuzzle.) "Even on a scale of years, though, turns out the best time to go meet little Henry for the first time is in four days."