Page 55 of Jared

“Yes. Now, to the north, we have an area of mountains, and a dragon flight of tatsu live there. Some lands have ice dragons if they have areas cold enough.”

“Ice dragons? You mean they don't need to be warm? And wouldn't their fire, I dunno, kinda melt stuff around them?”

“Ah, ice dragons are different from regular dragons,” Toby interjected. “You know how you can get so cold, the very air almost burns?”

James frowned. “Yeah, I've been in cold like that when the Polar Vortex has shared it's shitty weather with us.”

“Well, that's what the fire of an ice dragon is like. Not fire as we usually think of it, but a cold flame so frigid that the cold itself burns with a consuming disregard for anything in its path.”

“Jesus. I'll pass, thanks,” James said.

Silas was quick to reassure him. “You have nothing to fear. They have a pact with the three lands, having been here before it all was. They were in the Veil, and some say that it was their piercing it that created this world and whose magic was blessed so that our kind came into being.”

They reached the top of the stairs. “Wow, that's incredible. So, they are sentient.”

“Very,” Toby nodded. “And even longer lived than we. But even they do not recall the truth of how we all came to be here in this world, it was so long ago.”

“No, but I've heard they might know more about how we came to be here in our lands. This land is much newer than many of the others.”

James listened to the two men in fascination. Incredible. So the carvings on the side of the...what are they..balusters? Yeah, balusters. Kind of tells about the races living here, the bats on the newel posts is obviously because this house belongs to the vampires, and the treads...they must refer to the importance of the dragons in the creating of the entire world. Annnnnnnd that sounds completely bonkers if I stop to think too much about it, so I won't.

Toby stepped in front of the first door they came to. It was a shorter doorway than what James would have normally expected, and the walls on either side bulged out towards the bottom.

Huh. I'd heard people were shorter way back when...

“If you gentlemen go through here, you'll find an ensuite bathroom. It'll have everything you should require. As for clothes, I'll see what I can find.” leaving the other two men standing in the midst of an ornate bedroom dominated by a heavily carved and draped four poster bed, Toby took his leave.

Silence stretched awkwardly between the two men. Silas chewed his lip and began looking about the room nervously until he ran out of things to casually gaze at without having to move from where he stood. “So, uh, I reckon it's through there,” he jerked his thumb towards the only other door in the room. “How about's I go run a bath and you can find the towels and stuff.”

“Hopefully, those are also in there,” James said dryly.

Silas ran a nervous hand over his head. “Uh, yeah. Good point. I'll uh, run it and you can relax until it's ready, then” Silas fled the room, in an obvious hurry to distance himself from the awkwardness he felt while alone in the room with James

A bath, some clean clothes, and food sounds good. I just hope there isn't much more delay in my getting home. Now to figure out what I'm gonna tell the Bureau and hopefully find out what this mate business is about, though I have a feeling I already know. James sighed. He's hot, but rather squirelly. Still, there's just something about him, and I don't mean anything about his being a fairy. James smirked. Though that is rather awesome.

22

None of my clothes fit, my feet hurt, not that I can see as much of them as I used to, and it's hard to get comfortable in bed so I can't sleep for shit. Not to mention that I can't really go out anywhere looking like this. It's all out in front so there's no mistaking what's going on. Jared picked at his lunch. I even have to watch what I eat. Man, I'd kill for some sushi right now. And cookie dough. Saliva pooled in his mouth at the thought. Sugar cookie dough. Ohhh, and hot dogs straight outta the package, cold. Have to the ones with the sides though, not all round. MMMMmmmmmm...Soon as this kid is out, I am so going to pig out.

“Earth to Jared, come in, Jared,” quipped Desmond.

“Huh?” Jared's cheeks reddened as he realized he'd zoned out and ignored his friend. Desmond had the day off and had come to spend the day with him until Steve returned home. “I'm sorry. I was just daydreaming about food I miss and how much my feet hurt and stuff. Plus none of my clothes fit.”

Desmond gave a slight frown. “Yeah, that must suck. Still, it's almost over and you'll have a little bubba at the end of it. And those are words I never thought I'd be saying to another guy in this context.” Desmond's face brightened. “We can do something about the clothes though. Let's measure your waist and hip-”

“Let's not. I already know I'm a whale.” Tears pricked the corners of Jared's eyes.

“No you're not,” Desmond soothed. “Just taking the measurements so we can match to the sizes in the store. We can buy you some of those stretchy jeans and pants, yeah? But they'll be listed in ladies' sizes, so we'll have to use the size guide. You fire up your laptop and I'll be right back after I find a tape measure, okay?”

“Alice has one. She used it last week to measure me for my suit.”

“Alrighty then. I'll go see if she's in. I bet she'll be glad to help us find a good store online, and maybe go to pick up stuff for you while you wait.”

Jared brightened. Having some jeans that fit, even if they did have a big stretchy panel in the front, would be nice. Now if only he could actually go somewhere. And eat hot dogs, sushi, and cookie dough. He pushed away his plate. Let's see what there is that'll fit me and is able to be delivered Next Day.He eyed the remains of his sandwich and sighed. As soon as I finish eating. Steve won't be happy if I don't eat and it won't do my blood sugar any good either if I skip meals.

He'd just opened a third tab, hoping this search result was as promising as it sounded from its Google description entry, when Desmond returned with Alice in tow.

“Oh, sweetie, you should have said something! You need clothes, you can't just sit around all day in sweatpants bunched up under your belly!” She brandished her tape measure like a talisman. “Let's get you sorted! I should have kept the measurements we did last week, but I didn't think.”