Brandywine Investigations Read online

  "Oops. Damn. Sorry." Dio's words came half muffled from the crook of Leander's neck. "Sorry, sofa."

  Perhaps he would be annoyed about the sofa later. In that moment, he was content to sit on the drunkenly leaning piece of furniture, stroking Dio's back. "That was wonderful," he whispered. "Thank you."

  "Mmm, thank you. Holy moley. Don't think I've ever had anything to compare with that." Dio lifted his head to stroke the sweat-damp hair back from Leander's eyes. "Look at you. Eyes all heavy. Relaxed like someone ran off with your bones. Beautiful bull. Taurean. Taurine. Tarantella opposite."

  Leander managed a sleepy chuckle. "Why didn't you ever come to the library before? No, I know why. It's simply a wishful thought. That we could have done this sooner."

  "Yeah, funny thing about timeline stuff. You wouldn't have been ready, or I wouldn't have been. Or something would've kept us apart. Or you would've hated me. Well, you still kinda did."

  "Never." Leander yawned. "Pardon me. I don't know if I can hate. I was wary of you. Frightened, because I'm frightened of everything. But not hate."

  Dio planted a soft kiss on his jaw. "Hey. You can't fall asleep on a broken couch. Your back will hate you. C'mon, sit up. Finish your dinner, and I'll help you clean up." He swallowed audibly and suddenly looked away. "And then I guess you'll need to get to bed, huh? I know you don't like anyone sleeping with you."

  There was the hurt again, the automatic conclusion Dio seemed to reach that he would be rejected on one level or another. It puzzled Leander, but he thought he understood the immediate cause. The previous evening, Dio had slept on the sofa, and Leander had brought him blankets and pillows while he retired to his inner sanctum, his inviolate space where no one but he had been since the room had been built.

  He couldn't bring himself to allow even Dio in that room, though he had another idea. "You can't sleep on the sofa either. I think maybe… what I could do is bring the mattress out here, and we'll sleep on the floor."

  "Out here? But then where will you sleep?" Dio blinked at him. "Oh. Out here. Together? We'll sleep together?"

  "Would you like that?"

  The lovely, blinding smile returned. "Yeah. I think I would." Still stark naked, Dio knelt on the floor and held up Leander's untouched salad bowl. "Dinner first. I'm gonna sit here and bully you into eating."

  Making certain he had enough clearance for his horns, Leander gave him a shy smile in return and sat next to him on the floor to eat. He was hungry. Truly hungry for the first time in days.

  "I think you don't get out enough," Dio said as he stretched out on the floor with his head on Leander's thigh.

  "I don't get out at all, you know. Where would I go? With this monstrous appearance?"

  "Okay, stop with the monster bit. You're not a monster. You're awesome sauce with a garnish of gorgeous." Dio waved a hand, describing arabesques in the air. "But it's all, like, a matter of venue. I have fauns at concerts. And Herm brings a dragon, for earth's sake."

  "A dragon in human form, as I understand things," Leander said between bites.

  "Yeah. Still. Fauns! And the occasional dryad and stuff. Gods of all kinds, some who don't look all the way human. People cosplay all sorts of stuff at our concerts too. It's kind of a thing. People'll just think you're another dude with a really amazing costume."

  "In… You're quite serious about this, aren't you?"

  "Serious as a whole case of heart attacks. I know it's not like you can walk around shopping in Manhattan. I get that. But you should be able to leave this place sometimes, don't you think? If you want to? This should be a home for you, and people who have homes instead of prisons get to leave sometimes."

  "I'm safe here. I choose not to leave because it's safe."

  Dio fell silent, and the terrible, stupid thing he had said hit Leander. He set his now-empty bowl down and stroked Dio's shoulder. "It was safe. Before Meghan was murdered. I'm sorry."

  "S'okay. I knew what you meant. Just thought it would be nice to take you somewhere."

  "It's a lovely thought. I… Would it offend you if I think about it?"

  "No. Oh fuck no." Dio wriggled closer to wrap his arms around Leander's waist. "You think all you want. It's a big step, and it's scary. But, yeah. Think about it for me. I'd be there, and Herm. And all the Maenads who're old enough to go to club concerts. And Faffy, if we can pull him away from his work. Plenty of people to look out for you. Help you if you need to escape back home."

  Leander fed his bodyguard lover a strawberry and resolved to think later. It occurred to him that perhaps he had done far too much thinking in the past few hundred years.

  With the dishes washed and put away, the leavings of panda dinner cleared, and the makeshift mattress bed made with fresh sheets and blankets in front of the television, Leander finally peeled out of his unbuttoned cardigan and shirt. Silly to keep them on. Some of Dio's things lay scattered about, some of his as well, to be honest. But as Dio curled up beside him with a contented sigh, Leander forced his thoughts away from straightening every little thing. He had a god sleeping in his arms. Everything else could wait until morning.

  Unsettling Truths

  Chapter Ten

  Dio checked the mirror for the seventy-thousandth time that evening. Yep, eyeliner was on right, not too much, no mascara clumping, all the earrings where they belonged.

  "You're smoking hot, as always." Hermes cuffed his shoulder as he went by, pulling his I'm Not A Goth But My Brother Is T-shirt on. "Can't recall ever seeing you this nervous."

  "This has to go right. He has to have a good time, or he'll never wanna leave his library again."

  "Uh-huh. Could I ask why this is so important to you?"

  Dio spun, his black duster nearly taking out the vase in Herm's front hall. Speedy was there to catch it one-handed, so no harm, no foul. "You have any idea what he went through as a kid? Held prisoner in his own fucking home? Living alone and scared shitless every day for years? And now he just lives in a different kind of prison 'cause no one thinks about him. He's just The Librarian. Like he's a thing, like a lamp or something!"

  "Whoa, whoa! Settle down there, Sparky." Hermes held both hands up in a gesture of surrender. "It was a question. Haven't seen you wound so tight about anything since that vintner tried to get away with stealing cuttings off your vines."

  "Yeah, well, just because there's self-inflicted aloneness involved doesn't mean there should be."

  "It worries me that I understood that." Hermes leaned to shout down the hallway. "Hey, gorgeous! You ready to go?"

  The dragon's canyon deep, rumbling voice drifted from the bedroom. "Hold your wings, god-boy. I'm coming."

  "You are? Sort of rude, not waiting for me."

  A little curl of smoke preceded Fafnir as he strode out of the bedroom, pulling on a tan calfskin jacket. "Not that kind of coming, smartass. What's the rush? The minotaur's not even here yet."

  "Minotaur has a name," Dio growled.

  Fafnir stopped mid-stride to stare at him. "Huh. Herm, did the pod people replace your brother? This serious, angry person can't be him." He stalked forward, poking a finger into Dio's chest. "Look, you. I've already got a headache from dealing with contracts today. The only reason I'm coming tonight is to watch over your new groupie."

  Dio pulled himself straight, which only got him to Fafnir's shoulder. "He's my friend."

  "Kinda more than a friend, isn't he, Boss?" George joined them from the kitchen, where he'd been polishing his horns.

  "That was a really judgey voice. Where the hell did that come from?"

  George's frown was more than his usual pre-concert grumpiness. "I am being judgey. Can't help it. A virgin? Who's lived pretty much alone for how long? Not something I thought you'd stoop to."

  Dio flailed both arms in agitation. "I'm so not taking advantage of some helpless virgin! Dear sweet mother of us all! This is what you all think of me? That I'm some evil, selfish sexagetarian?"

  "Guessing here. Pretty sure you me
ant predator." Herm closed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing tight. "Settle. Nobody thinks that. But it is a little worrisome. If he's gotten too attached to you and sees you in orgy mode, don't you think that might hurt him? Just a little?"

  It might. Wind and stars, I hope not, but it might. "I've explained everything to him. He understands he's been sleeping with the god of orgies and that I can't change who I am."

  "Fair enough. If you've been up front and he says he gets it, the rest is on him," Hermes said with a final squeeze. "Leander's an adult, Georgie. Guess it's time people started treating him like one."

  "Yeah, yeah." George indicated Herm's extra bedroom with his chin. "Your room is knocking, oh god of lead guitar. Probably him."

  "All right." Herm patted Fafnir's chest on the way past. "Try to be nice to him, okay? He's only big and scary on the outside."

  "I'm always nice-ish," Fafnir grumbled.

  Dio was about to disagree when Herm's boot steps and the clop of large hooves came around the corner. All his annoyance scattered like dandelion seeds, and he tugged on his Tacocat (I'm a Palindrome) T-shirt, suddenly feeling underdressed by a few million degrees. Leander stood behind Herm, hands clasped in front of him, in a black wool kilt and white linen shirt with a black bowtie and cutaway. A freaking cutaway with shiny gold buttons that made Leander look like the minotaur version of a Jane Austen hero.

  "Gah," he managed to force out, certain his jaw was somewhere underfoot.

  "Nice, Boss." George put a finger under Dio's chin and closed his mouth for him. "Very eloquent."

  Leander stared at the floor and backed a step. "I… It's too much," he murmured. "Lady Hestia… but I…"

  The return of the ultra shyness jolted Dio back into his body. He rushed forward and flung his arms around Leander. "Freaking holy chocolate-dipped balls. You're the hottest thing on hooves, feet, or wheels."

  "Ah… thank you?"

  "It's a fabulous look for you, Leander," Herm said. "People dress however they please at these things. You're perfect. Dio, don't smudge your makeup. I'm not waiting another twenty minutes while you fix it. Grab your bass, wild thing. Let's go."

  The van was parked in the garage below Herm's condo, so Leander didn't have to step foot outside, but his eyes remained glued to the scenery as they drove to the club. Dio sat beside him with a firm hold on his hand, explaining things when Leander startled or asked soft questions. It wasn't that he was unfamiliar with the modern world. He had a TV, after all. But seeing motorcycles hurtling past and skyscrapers looming above in person were different experiences from movie watching.

  "Okay, so you remember all the things, right?" Dio still held his hand as they entered the club, a bit anxious about letting go.

  "I certainly hope so," Leander said as he found a seat in the deepest shadow by the back wall. The place was mostly empty still, with an hour to go before they got onstage, but there were enough strangers wandering around that Leander was probably nervous.

  "I have to go help set up, but I'll let Fafnir know where you are, right? And familiar faces only if it's too much and you have to leave early. The kids'll be here soon, and I'll introduce you. Jack's spotter tonight, but he can switch with one of the others if you need him. Don't wander outside alone and don't worry. It's gonna be fine."

  "I think maybe you're more worried than I am." Leander managed a little smile and lifted his head so Dio could duck under his horns for a kiss. "Go join your band. I'm looking forward to watching you."

  Fortified with that kiss, Dio bounded off toward his band mates, ignoring the raised eyebrow Orpheus gave him. "Is that a—"

  "Yep. He is."

  "Is that the mino—"

  "Yes." Dio put on a snooty expression. "That's the Eternal Library's librarian. Haven't you ever been to the Eternal Library?"

  Hermes nearly choked on his water, then had a coughing fit brought on by trying to laugh and drink simultaneously.

  "Oh fuck you both," Orpheus muttered. "Demigod, like you forgot. We don't get to have private doors to the Eternal Flipping Library."

  Hermes gasped and wheezed out, "Neither does Dio. He still has to borrow someone else's door."

  "And still managed to pick up the librarian? You can't go anywhere without scoring a new hookup, can you?"

  "He's not a hookup." Dio bent to plug in an amp so he could take a breath and stop snarling. Where was this coming from? He never cared what people thought of his sex life. Except Leander wasn't his sex life. "He's a friend. A very dear friend."

  And why do I keep telling people that? And why does it feel wrong?

  "Boss, you're not in love, are you?" George asked from where he was unpacking his drums.

  He shrugged, not bothering to check if George was looking. The question made him a dozen different sorts of uncomfortable, mostly since he didn't know the answer. Am I in love? There are lots of feels and wants. Protective stuff. Can't-wait-to-see-you stuff. But it can't be love. I don't do that anymore, right?

  Setup distracted him for a bit, since one of his strings broke during tuning and Herm's amp had a bad channel that needed some fiddling to get it to behave. Then Jack came with the Maenads, and there were hugs and intros and asking after the younger kids. There wasn't any time left for questions he couldn't answer. It was time to climb onstage.

  The crowd energy started sluggish, the regular crowd and the usual curious first-timers trickling in. After a whispered, heads-together confab, they decided to start the set with a cover just to get the place humming.

  "Count us in, George," Orpheus said, close enough to the mic for the audience to pick it up.

  Sticks up, George gave them tempo, and Dio let loose with one of his favorite bass intros. Just the bass thrumming the first two measures, Herm's guitar following on the third, then George's drums on the next. Finally, Orpheus took up the melody on the keyboard, and a good part of the crowd squealed as they recognized Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart."

  The crowd ate it up, the atmosphere going from Meh. We'll see what happens to Instant nuts. Just add water by the time Orpheus hit the first vocal line. Just like that, everything clicked, and they were on. Dio threw himself into performance, head down, bouncing around his corner of the stage. By the second song, one of Orpheus's own that the fans always screamed for, Dio was sweating. He flung off his coat with a shit-eating grin for the shrieking groupies who had just been waiting for the reveal of tight black T-shirt and tighter jeans. Some nights, he'd tie his hair back to keep it off his neck, but tonight he left it loose and wild, letting it fly as they slid from one song to the next, each more amped up than the last.

  Perfect, oh, this was perfect. He felt like he was floating, then he caught sight of Leander standing at the back with Fafnir. He snagged Leander's gaze, got a wave and a smile, and suddenly he was flying. Invincible. Unstoppable. A being of light and perpetual motion.

  Holy stars and grape seeds. This is love, isn't it?

  Fafnir had handed Leander a pair of what looked like tiny sponges, when the dragon came to stand beside him.

  "Ah, thank you. But what—"

  "Earplugs." Fafnir opened his palm to show him an identical set. "Several of us here tonight, our ears are too sensitive for this racket. Herm makes sure there's a supply for whoever needs them. You, me—" He pointed out into the audience where a wiry little man in huge sunglasses was bouncing on his toes. "Some of the gods who come, like Azeban over there, the raccoon god. Some of the dryads. It's not that I don't enjoy the songs. But the volume is earth rattling."

  He showed Leander how to put them in, and when the music started, Leander was grateful. The vibrations under his hooves let him know just how astoundingly loud the music was. How did anyone leave with their hearing whole after these concerts? Or perhaps they didn't.

  Watching the concert, however, made him smile. Dio was so alive, so vibrant and compelling onstage. He played his bass well, but he played the crowd expertly, and they reacted to him as if he had them on marion
ette strings. Not in an evil, controlling sort of way. No, he coaxed them, teased them, and they adored him. Orpheus had an astounding voice, true, a voice that could bring people to the brink of ecstasy or to tears, and there were obviously people who had come just to see him. But Dio didn't need a magical voice. He moved and the crowd moved with him.

  Leander was growing tired, both of the constant vibrations and the need to keep his horns up far enough for safety, when the concert finally ended. The band had played a last song, left the stage and had been called back twice more, but this was obviously a sort of ritual, and now the crowd milled about, talking and laughing. There didn't seem to be a need for the band to come back onstage yet another time.

  Young people were helping to pick up equipment and move things about. Something new was about to happen. While Leander's attention was fixed on the activity onstage, someone bounded up to him and latched onto his arm.

  He glanced down to find Dio beside him, smiling and chattering away.

  "I can't hear you." Leander leaned closer and realized his earplugs were still in place. "Ah. Sorry. What was that now?"

  Dio laughed. "Oh man, Faffy gave you those, didn't he?" The laugh faded. "Are your ears okay? I didn't even think about that."

  "They're fine. A bit… odd after the earplugs, but fine." Leander lifted his arm to let Dio wrap him in a bone-creaking hug. "What's happening now?"

  "Now the DJ sets up. Just dancing and drinking from here on out."

  Leander had been about to ask if they might go home, but Dio's eyes shone so brightly when he said dancing. He couldn't deny Dio something he obviously enjoyed so much. "I think… think I'll stay right here, if that's all right."

  "Sure. Whatever you want. Though if you're gonna say you don't dance, you don't really have to know how. It's just moving to the beat, with everyone sliding and bumping and grinding.… Oh yeah. Um. That might be a little not comfy for you."