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Chris pouted as he watched Alex and Jack. Chris could’ve kept Jack company, not the elf and it didn’t seem right that now Jack was feeling better he was off with pretty men. He scolded himself. Jack was free to talk to who he liked; he wasn’t Chris’s to control or keep locked away. In the past, when there’d been times he’d got annoyed, he would eat his feelings, but Jack had been his only food source for the last week or so as they spent time together and grew closer. Alex supplied Jack with reading material and brought him sweet treats.

Maybe Alex liked Jack.

Chris scowled, he did not like that thought at all. He wasn’t used to feeling anything of this sort and felt one of his echoes go off on the other side of the hall. Harry Redbourn, Ben’s younger sired sibling was entertaining, and since Harry had never minded Chris having a nibble, he thought a snack might cheer him up. He headed to the east wing and through the floorboards straight under Harry’s bed.

She was a wild one, the bed rocking, and a bit of a screamer. Her sexual energy was spicy, and Chris was going to be stuffed. Harry was providing good service, the Redbourn men had a well-deserved reputation based on her reaction. By the time she was thanking the Almighty for her orgasm and Harry proclaiming he was seeing Jesus Christ, Chris was full to the gills and feeling a lot less bitchy about Jack having Alex as a friend.

He burped as he slid into his jar to digest, kind of wishing he’d not absorbed dinner quite so quickly as he was going to get indigestion if he wasn’t careful, but at least he’d get to sleep fast.

The young soldier was full of vim and vigour, and he would be a great fuck for the night. Usually, he would at least try to remember his company’s name but tonight he wanted to rut, loosen the strategies from the upcoming campaign and not think about the skirmishes going on to the north.

“Take your clothes off and get on the bed, all fours, arse high, and wings down,” he ordered. The lad was a lovely specimen and had no issue in following orders, and his arse was true perfection. He would enjoy sinking into him and, with a muttered spell, he coated his fingers with lube and slid them inside, delicious, hot, he couldn’t wait for his cock to be in there instead.

Chris jolted awake, he had never had a dream so explicit before, he was about to have sex with a hot soldier, and he didn’t even know his name. He would’ve thought if he were going to get sex dreams he’d have had them before now. He spent a lot of time around people getting their rocks off. It wasn’t as if being overly full before his nap could explain it because this was not the first time he’d overindulged before having a kip. Maybe it was his interactions with Jack, but then he would’ve thought the guy starring in his dream would look like his favourite dark-haired warlock and not a blond hottie.

“Chris?” His hot warlock was calling his name.

He peered over the rim of his jar to see Jack leaning around the door. “Yes?”

“Are you free? I thought we could do the sudoku together.”

He liked the numbers in squares game, its simplicity appealed to him on several layers, but he was still a little too pent-up over his dream to concentrate. “Maybe later?”

Jack’s brown rumpled. “Is everything okay?”

“Er… yes… another weird dream. I think I overate, that’s all.”

He saw Jack bite his lip. “You’ve eaten already?”

Chris couldn’t interpret Jack’s expression. “Yes, I was hungry and rather grumpy over something. My echo told me Harry was getting amorous, so I went and had a snack. His lady was rather bountiful, and I overate.”

“You could have come to me if you were hungry. But I guess eating the same thing might get monotonous.”

Was Jack hurt? He was only eating, and Jack was the one enjoying the company of others. “You were busy with the elf. I didn’t want to disturb you.”

“Alex was bringing me some books to read, he didn’t stay long.”

“Long enough,” he muttered.

Jack cocked his head to one side. “Alex is just helping.”

“And I was just eating.”

“Are we both annoyed at each other over nothing then?” Jack asked. “I felt a bit jealous that you fed from someone else’s sexual energy, but I shouldn’t have because you have to eat, and it doesn’t mean anything more to you than food. Not to mention, we’ve never spoken about you not feeding elsewhere. And you’re a bit… unhappy… that I’m spending time with Alex.”

Chris didn’t like being silly over things like this, but he couldn’t help it. “What’s he got that I haven’t? Apart from a solid body.”

“Alex is a friend.” Jack peered at him and reached out to the side of his head. “It seems you both have pointy ears; how did I not notice that?”

Chris’s hand went to his ear, it was not the same shape as it had been before. “I didn’t have pointy ears earlier!”

There wasn’t a mirror in the room, and he tried to see his reflection in the window, it wasn’t clear but there was no mistaking his ears had changed.

“Has any other part of you changed? You’re not corporeal, maybe you can shift your ears about.” He coughed. “If you were a bit preoccupied with Alex, maybe your subconscious gave you elf ears.”

He shook his head. “Never. In my dream, there was an elf soldier…”

“Were you an elf in your dream too?”

He hadn’t seen himself, but he was definitely the soldier’s commanding officer. “I can’t say for sure.”

“Elf soldiers? Were you in a battle or giving orders?”

Chris supposed he’d been giving orders after a fashion and hesitated before answering, but thought there would be no harm telling Jack the truth. “I think I was his commanding officer, but it wasn’t a battle situation. I was telling him to get naked and present himself on all fours for my pleasure.”

Jack smirked, and Chris wished he could wipe it off with a kiss. “I see. And did you take your pleasure?”

“I woke before I had the chance. But he was a lovely-looking fellow.”

“With pointy ears?” Jack said, grinning.

He hadn’t considered that as a reason, but it was as plausible as anything else. “Maybe I was thinking elves get all the fun?”

“Not sure about that.”

The lull in conversation was a bit awkward and Chris realised he didn’t know why Jack was here. “Did you want something? Apart from help with the sudoku?”

Jack grinned and Chris had to stop himself from sighing. “I wondered if you were free for a session. I’m hoping to try and push my magic into doing a few simple spells. Nothing too taxing but I think I’m in a good place if I get a little boost.”

Jack must be feeling better, and Chris was so pleased for him. “Yes, let's go cuddle.”

Jack laughed and Chris followed him back to his room. “I’ve been trying to figure out if there’s a way to see what it is you’re doing when you help me,” Jack said, settling onto his pillows.

Chris curled up at his side. “Did you find anything?”

“Not yet. I have an idea that there might be a way, once my magic is a bit more stable, to try. We’ve established an outside source can’t trace it, so maybe I could, since I’m directly involved.”

Jack smelt good, and Chris was a bit distracted. He was still on edge thanks to his dream and being close to Jack made him happy. “Maybe.”

“Are you even listening?”

“Sorry, did you change your cologne? You smell different, in a nice way.”

“That suggests I ponged a bit before.”

Chris tutted. “No, you’ve not stunk, but it’s different. Richer, like a fancy cake. Or a really good wine.”

It was strange he’d thought of real food to describe Jack, as neither of those were things that fuelled him. He’d never eaten anything solid or had the desire to, and while he liked the smell of things, he’d never used them as a way of describing someone in a positive, or negative, way.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been called a fancy cake before, but maybe it’s a good sign. I’m improving and maybe you’re picking up on that.”

Chris thought it a decent explanation. “I suppose that’s possible.”

Lots of strange things were happening around Jack. Chris now had pointy ears and a taste for cake and wine. He was dreaming about meadows and pretty elves. None of this had happened before. Jack picked up a book, a novel Chris didn’t recognise, and Chris watched him read, enjoying the warmth of Jack’s body and the beating of his heart. Chris had a horrible feeling he was falling in love, not that the love part was horrible, but Jack could never be his. Jack would get better, would be able to do things with people with bodies, and Chris was going to end up a sad, lonely thing in a jar.