"Don't do that, please!" Gage yelped as he slammed the window shut again. He pressed his back against it, running his hands over his face and pulling at his hair. He could feel a tremble go through him and he knew it wasn't from the chill of the glass. Davir really needed to go away of he would fall apart and it would be all over. Gage didn't want his mind changed on this matter, but he couldn't help the tightening in his chest and the joy and fear and every emotion that came just from hearing Davir's voice. "Just go away! I'll get in trouble and...and just...I don't want to see you!" he yelled loud enough to be heard through the closed window. His words were truth for all the wrong reasons.

Davir heard him say in a panic what had become out of the outcome of the conversation. He felt his heart drop, this time a second time, but it wouldn't change his thoughts. "Gage...I know you can hear me and all I want is for you to listen. I don't know whats going on, I wish i did, but within time I'll find a way to win you back. If that means turning out like my bloodline ancestors to achieve that goal, then so be it" Davir was about to leave, but for a moment he stopped turning back slightly to face the window leaving a bracelet on the window seal made of metal, but not magnetic.

"This was for you, I made it...and I'm sorry to say I won't be seeing you for awhile, I have to leave town...but I'll never stop loving you. Goodbye, Gage" and with that he flew off back home, he was leaving for a bit, but he wouldn't be that far away. Davir figured he wasn't strong enough to protect Gage or be able to be with him, so he had to get more power, to be more known...if that happened...maybe Gage would accept him again. Maybe he would be cared about by him again. He didn't know, but he had to try something right now. Anything.

The only thing that kept Gage from throwing the window open and yelling for Davir to come back was the lump that formed in his throat. He choked on silent words. His body was frozen, unable to move his smallest finger toward the window latch. By the time he could move again, Davir was already long gone. He slid to the floor and dropped his head into his hands. This was for the best. Davir would leave and even if he said he wouldn't, he would forget about Gage eventually. If he left before the next two days, there would be no chance for the other boy to see him in the company of another. That was the one thing he wanted to avoid most. Gage's heart would forever be for Davir, even if he couldn't say that aloud.

Davir stayed up above the town turning himself with his carpet invisible, he was in deep thought about Gage and feared something bad was going to happen. Call it magically intuition or lovers feelings, but he knew something was going to appear. It took him some time, but as he wasn't leaving for a few days, he figured it was best to walk around the town a bit each day to get some exercise and work on his memory skills. He could still remember the lake they saw together and was quite glad for that moment, there probably wasn't anything that could bring him down right now.

If time had passed sluggishly for the the first half of the week, it flew by for the second. Saturday morning was suddenly before him and Gage wasn't ready at all. Even though Davir had left, he still thought about him every day. Almost every second he considered turning his back on his family and running to the other boy's side, but he was nothing if not stubborn. Early morning sunshine warmed his face from where he sat at the piano by the window. Of course, the keys were covered and his hands were in his lap. He appeared to be watching the window or perhaps the door, but in reality he was listening. Soon a young man would knock on the door and Gage would be polite and they would walk to the cafe together, get a cup of tea like they actually cared about each other.

The knock came. Gage's mother opened the door and let the person inside. Gage could picture the scene. His mother motioned dramatically in his direction, smiling. "Gage, this is Maurice," she said. "Come here and shake his hand. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time getting to know each other." Gage did as he was told. A minute later, they were walking in tense silence along the street, holding hands against Gage's wishes because Maurice didn't understand his dislike of help walking. The most unfortunate part? If this meet and greet didn't work out, another one would just be arranged.

Davir was hanging out with his friends doing a few last minute things saying his goodbyes until he walked into his uncle he had been asking for help with. Davir and his uncle went to the cafe to have some coffee before having to leave the next morning in order to get started on his training. He was determined to start right that minute, but his uncle "Ray" didn't think it was time yet, so he had to wait no matter how impatient he felt. Sitting down at a booth talking silently using magic whenever someone would walk near them in order to hide the fact they were magic users since most didn't like anyone ... well non-human. "So your father was a great man" Ray started taking the lead on the story as Davir listened since they weren't using magic right now. "He loved the one he had fallen for, your mother, and would do anything for her. There was a time the hunters returned to take him out, she was supposed to kill him since she was one of them, but she had refused to hunt down any of our kind no matter what they would say. In fact she was out-casted and they believed because of that she had gotten with your father" their drinks came and Davir just nodded taking a sip of chamomile tea not saying a word yet. He wanted to hear more of the story.

Maurice led the way to the cafe. It hurt Gage's pride to know he couldn't have made it there without the other considering it wasn't a place he had been without Davir. The older male opened the door and encouraged Gage inside. He was older by five years and Gage could tell by the voice, taller too. His hand was very cold and he took Gage's again to guide him around the cluttered layout of the cafe to a table near the middle. Up until now, they had spoken very little and Gage was very sure he wasn't the only one that thought this was awkward and tense.

"So Gage..." Maurice finally started once they were seated. "I guess we should start getting to know each other?" Gage stared off into the distance with his chin propped up on his hand, not offering more than a hum in answer.

The waitress whom had served Gage and Davir before stepped over to their table "Ah hello again, what can I get you today boys?" she asked wondering why Davir was at a different table rather than over here with the two boys. She had her pen and paper in her hands waiting with a kind smile "Maybe something to drink to start off with?" she suggested.

Davir listened for a few more minutes not realizing Gage was in the cafe with them "So we was a great mage?" Davir asked sounding interested and curious in the fact that his father was almost like a great sorcerer. Ray shook his head "No, you're father was more of...well an alchemist who loved magic to no ends. We haven't seen him in forever, but we do believe he is still around somewhere trying to keep you safe, and locate Anna. Though I think the last we heard word of him was in...another country off to the east" Davir thought for a moment "Oh does that mean he traveled and got to see the world?"

The noise in the cafe was a little over a pleasant din. The average person probably wouldn't have found it troublesome, but it irritated Gage. He was in the mood to find things to irritate him and just about everything was now, though he tried to keep it from showing too much on his face when he knew he should be polite. They ordered tea, but even this did not improve Gage's mood. Finally he turned his attention fully to Maurice. Without bothering to answer any of the questions that had been thrown his way, Gage asked one of his own.

"How do you feel about me being blind?" he asked. Gage cared about the answer to this more than any other question he could ask. The little chit chat, the useless getting to know each other, meant nothing against this one question. Davir had accepted this part of Gage without question. If Maurice couldn't, then Gage would walk away right then.

Maurice choked on his tea, splattering drops of it onto Gage's arm. A waitress stopped by, asking if he was alright and Maurice waved her away. Apparently they'd garnered some attention and Gage's face twisted at the thought of that. "I know you can't see it to tell, but I've got my own problem. I'm melanistic and probably the blackest thing in this room. And to think, my fur should be red. Your family had been away from our homeland for a while so you wouldn't know, but a long of our generation is a bit...off."

Davir heard a familiar voice when there was chatting on the side catching his attention, the one voice he loved, and longed to hear stood out amongst his uncle's voice. "Davir are you listening to me?" Ray asked gaining his nephew's attention finally after a long moment "Hm?" he responded as Ray added "I'm going to use the rest room, I'll be right back alright" and then he got up to leave as he took notice of the smaller boy on the other side of the room sitting with someone else obviously they were different like them in a way.

Ray didn't get it at first, but when Davir looked agitated, he understood this was a tough time to be in love, even at their age. Sighing he went to the rest room, when he came out a few minutes later Davir looked about the same, and so he sat down asking "Who is he?" Davir shook his head not answer "Davir, don't make me ask again" Ray sighed, was he really going to get frustrated this soon. "His name is Gage, I met him awhile back, we were really good friends" he didn't say more than that because they didn't get to get that far.

Feeling confused, hurt, and a bit betrayed not knowing the full story except that Gage didn't look like he wanted to be here with the other boy. Davir didn't know what to make of the moment "So you like him, does he like you?" Ray asked trying to get Davir to tell him what he could or at least something "Guess not, let's just go" "We haven't ordered our food yet, Davir" Ray responded then shrugged "At least let us finish our tea in peace" Davir stayed quiet drinking his tea, he wanted to see Gage smile, but right now he also was furious that the boy wanted to spend his time with another.

"Finished now? At least you drank most of it" seeing more than half of it gone as Ray left the money on the table standing up saying goodbye to the waitresses thanking them for their time and serving them. When they walked by the boy's table, Davir leaned close so only Gage could hear as Ray used magic to keep the other from hearing him just as a precaution "Goodbye Gage" he didn't add the 'I'll miss you' part even though he really wanted to. Their was hurt in his voice as well as confusion. The magic faded as Davir walked away with his uncle "Come on, Uncle, let's go" he said at the last moment walking out of the cafe for the last time. The notepad Gage had would be the only way to get in contact with Davir as soon as they left the limits of the town and he kept it with him always. Even if he wanted to toss it in the trash.

Gage's opinion of Maurice started to change. He came here determined to hate the older male, but the emotion in Maurice's voice sounded too real. It was the sound Gage knew from his own voice. He might not ever have been able to like Maurice like he did Davir, but he did not think he could dislike him anymore. Gage reached forward, finding Maurice's hand and laying his over it, trying his best at comforting. Before he could say anything though, a familiar voice whispered near him. Good bye .

"Davir?!" Gage yelped as he spun around in his chair. He could physically feel his heart dropped out of his chest at those words. How long had Davir been watching him? How much had he seen and surely misinterpreted? Gage snatched his way again and pushed back his chair to search for a person he couldn't see. He made it out the front door before Maurice grabbed his arm to stop him from walking into the street.

"He's already gone."

Davir felt so stupid thinking the other could like him surely after all the events they went through as friends and being really good friends. He probably wasn't even liked my Gage, spur of the moment everything was, and that made things difficult for him as his heart began to ache. Davir and Ray had left to gather their things, the twins said they wanted letters written everyday, and even said they would visit Gage's sister from time to time when they would be able to. They were home schooled because of what they were, not like they cared, they didn't need to bother with those they believed lower than themselves. Davir ignored his heart until he made it clear to himself that he would continue his goal to doing anything to make things right with so many things. Once they let, they were gone, and even the house would stay with his family in it.

Gage and Maurice left without finishing their drinks. Maurice went back to pay for the tea, then took Gage home. Gage was too upset to stick around. They talked as they walked. Gage explained who Davir was and how he felt about him. Maurice sounded surprised, but not angry. Turned out he wasn't interested in getting together with a boy so many years younger than him. They agreed to be friends and possibly co-conspirators. Something was going on with the shape shifter families. Gage couldn't research on his own, but with Maurice's help, they could uncover some secrets. If they needed to pose as a couple in order to do that, then so be it. Davir was obviously not coming back. As much as that hurt Gage, he knew he needed to stop dwelling in his depression.

For months Davir had lived with his uncle training in many ways determined never to stop or give up. He had his own secret goal whether or not his uncle could see it. Ray probably just hoped that Davir would get stronger, not many mages in their family were strong, and those that were wound up disappearing for so many different reasons unknown. After awhile he finished his training and even lived on the beach in which they had trained by for so long. Davir had started sulking again, he never did once forget about Gage, and his uncle didn't know a spell strong enough to make him forget even for a small time.

Ray shook his head, he had been like this even after all his training, and walked over sitting next to Davir on the boardwalk. No one was around with how late at night it was. "You want to go back right? Then go back" Ray told Davir whom didn't even look at him even the slightest bit until Ray caught him off guard hugging him. His uncle was a lot nicer than probably his own father if he ever did meet him and so it only threw him off a bit. "Wake up" he said pulling away slapping him upside the head, but not to hurt him.

"You are stronger now, you are braver, and probably even more stupid" Ray chuckled gaining a scowl from Davir. "But, you were dedicated to do what you needed to in order to return back to that town, so now you have to go, if you stay here they will only come after you even more now that they can find you. I know you can win, but you need to go fix things between you two. Now as much as I love you as my nephew, go" and he stood up walking away. Davir stayed there for another ten to fifteen minutes, it had been so long, his hair stayed short in order to fight easier, and his eyes as well as his aura shined more brightly than ever before.

Standing up he smiled stepping off the boardwalk and into the water landing on his dragon pet he had gained which could change it's size and go invisible as well as shoot ice crystals instead of fire at it's prey. Normally he would have taken in the view, but he was too focused on getting to his destination as fast as he could. Only because he missed the place, not for any other reason.

As far as anyone was concerned, Maurice and Gage were dating. Everyone was happy even if they were both men and could have no children. Because of Maurice, Gage got to spend a lot of time with his family as well, though they lived with the main family in the Colorado mountains. It was here that Gage learned many of the nuances of the family rules. Marriage was not quite the same thing among them as it was among normal humans. It seemed the shifters remained partly true to their animal heritage and had a certain amount of openness to allow male couples to have relations outside for the purpose of children. Not that he intended to continue to that point with Maurice.

Traveling back and forth between the two homes allowed Gage a level of freedom he never experienced before. He learned to trust the people around him. In the span of a few months, he felt himself grow up a little in a way he never had the chance to after high school with his parents always around. Sneaking around to the family libraries, the family crypts, anywhere they could--Gage found himself having fun with Maurice. They had help from other children each with their own oddities, but no one else was brave enough or stupid enough to break the rules to the level that he and Maurice did.

"I think these diaries are the last of the books from before the changes started happening. I can sneak them out in my fox form and take them with us," Maurice said at the end of a very long night of reading. Normally they would stay longer, but they were needed back at Gage's home for some kind of meeting. Neither knew what it was for, but they would be there in the morning after having been in the mountains for the last two weeks. Gage didn't feel worried over this, just tired. If not for Maurice, he was pretty sure he would have died traveling by now.

"I'll meet you back at the main house." With that, Gage took his bat for and Maurice his fox and they traveled their separate ways to their rooms in different buildings as they weren't allowed to stay together until properly united. Going home tomorrow would certainly be a change. Gage needed the familiar voices. Memories of Davir flashed unbidden in his mind, as strong as if they were formed yesterday. Gage couldn't help the pang in his heart. Even at the times he was home, he heard no signs of the other boy. He had no reason to believe it would be different this time, but a part of him hoped helplessly.

Davir had flown through to the town not caring if anyone saw him. Dragons aged as their magic users become more knowledgeable in magic, and other areas. So the larger the dragon, the more powerful the spell caster. Walking the rest of the way he realized not much had changed "Come on, Drao, let's go find a place to rest while we look up some things" Davir spoke talking normally looking up at the night sky wondering why it was so quiet, was it always so quiet, or did he just think everything was loud with where ever he would go. Davir wanted to see Gage now, but it was probably too late to run into him. Flying by something so small and dark he wondered for a minute saying "Gage?" in a confused voice looking back to see if it was him. Shaking his head he thought it was silly "No, it can't be, come on let's go to the graveyard, Gaio" Davir assumed Gage would be with his new boyfriend by now, he had forgotten about that, but it wouldn't stop him in his actions.

They made it back early evening. The meeting would take place after dinner so Gage decided to go for a fly to get used to the city again. After being in the mountains, home always felt enormous and loud. Maurice stayed behind, intent to finish reading the last of the diaries in the secrecy of Gage's room. Gage flew as high as his bat form would allow as he moved with the wind. He had nowhere he wanted to be so he circled the whole town. Finally, he settled on a tree branch. He realized after a minute that it sat in the graveyard. Gage had no idea why he had been drawn here again, just like every time he went for a fly in the past months. Only this time was different.

The strong smell of magic filled the air, both familiar and not. Davir? Gage dropped down from the tree branch and chased the smell if only to prove to himself that it wasn't there, but it was. When he found the other boy, he fluttered around his head, unsure of what to do. What if Davir didn't want to see him? He was the one that left after all.

Davir waved the creature away at first, but realized it was a bat and instantly was confused. He was up so high in the sky, what would a bad be doing out here so high up in the air; even if it was the end of summer now a bat would get colder than it would in the shadows or down below. It was always warmer closer to the ground than in the air, that was proven in so many ways, and yet the bat was up here. It had to be him, it had to be... "Gage?" he asked not taking note of what he was doing until he reached up taking the bat gently in his magically warm hands "What are you doing up here?" he asked confused seeing how small he was, yet something about him in bat form seemed different. "Gaio, fly a bit lower, less wind" Davir instructed the dragon to do so.

Gage was insistent even if he was waved away at first. He told himself that the motion didn't mean Davir didn't want to see him. It meant he didn't know it was Gage. Still, it hurt a little and when Davir did catch him in his hands, Gage didn't immediately relax. He rested for a few seconds. He had been so intent on finding Davir that he didn't realize just where he flew. Now he felt the cold air which was bothersome even to someone like him who liked the cold. When they flew lower, he flitted out of Davir's hands again and around his head. He wasn't prepared to take him human form here, but he hoped he could convince the other boy of who he was and get him to follow. Gage captured a bit of Davir's hair in his mouth and pulled on it. He flew toward his home to lead Davir back there.

Davir felt the tug saying "Alright, alright" and followed Gage back to where he was being led to. Luckily his dragon was invisible and so was he right now, otherwise a lot of people would be freaking out right about now. Glad he decided to do what his uncle had told him to do, Davir waited hovering above the lawn, and realized he was at Gage's house. He raised a brow wondering what Gage was up to, but figured if he was in bat form maybe he wanted some clothes to wear. He couldn't see why Gage wanted to talk to him at all, because all Davir remembered was another boy sitting with Gage in the cafe they had one of their meetings at, and it hurt him.

The window was left open and Gage flew right in. He dropped to the floor and took his human form. Maurice lay on the bed reading, kicking his legs back and forth in the air. Without a shred of shame, Gage easily moved through the room and picked a pair of clothes to slip on. He turned back to the window as Davir seemed not to have followed him inside. "You're welcome to come through the window too, Davir. I..." That was where Gage's confidence evaporated. Why had he brought Davir back here? He desperately wanted to see the other boy and talk with him. He really wanted to talk. Would Davir want to talk though?

Davir hesitated seeing that the other boy was in there and he remembered him. That was the one who sat with Gage in the cafe they originally had as he knew they were on a 'date' something he could never do with Gage. Though he had other things in mind "Gaio" he said to his dragon as he hovered off of the dragon's back while it changed into a smaller version to go around his neck and shoulders. He didn't care at this moment what the other boy wanted to talk about, but his curiosity was stronger than his mind itself. Stepping into the room he found the wall and stood against it "Why did you want me to follow you?" his voice sounded a bit icy probably from the fact he was being serious at the moment.

Gage found himself hesitating. What should he say? A minute lapsed with Gage floundering in silence before it was broken. "I don't know," he said eventually. He dropped onto the bed, resting his back against Maurice's legs. The older male patted his hand and Gage received a certain amount of comfort from that. "I missed you Davir. I thought that maybe...or I hoped...that you might have missed me too." The brutal honesty of these words hurt physically to say. Gage twisted his hands in his lap as if they were the most interesting thing in the room. His ability to speak had died and he wasn't sure how long it would be until he got it back. Being here like this with Davir after so much time was harder than he thought it would be even if his every waking and sleeping thought yearned for this moment.

Maurice felt bad for the awkward reunion and decided to step in to give Gage the time to compose himself. He closed the diary and offered his hand to Davir. "So you're Davir? I've heard a lot about you. I'm Maurice."

Davir listened to Gage for what he had to say and turned his head facing towards the window or staring at another wall not facing Gage.
"I doubt you'd want to know about that" technically Davir missed Gage every single day, there wasn't a moment he didn't think about the boy, and most of the time he got scolded for staring out in space at random times. Especially during dinner in which he would try to eat the first month they got out there, but it took him awhile.

Glancing over at Maurice, Davir's dragon, Gaio snapped at the hand as Davir silently scolded him not to. "I don't shake hands with the boy who was seen in the same cafe I was in with Gage" technically he meant that as, 'I don't like you and won't accept you taking Gage from me'

Gage's head snapped up at Davir's words. Just like he feared, Davir had misinterpreted things between him and Maurice. Gage knew this was as much his fault as anyone's, considering he never stopped to try and explain. He was the one that refused to contact Davir after his parents revealed the family rules.

"I'm not--" Maurice didn't have a chance to finish saying that he wasn't Gage's boyfriend. He knew as much about the situation as Gage did and he didn't like the tone that was taken with him. Before he could say what he wanted though, the pillow he was laying against was snatched out from under him.

"You have no right to speak to him like that!" Gage snapped as he hurled the pillow at Davir. With strange and unbelievable accuracy, he hit his mark and glared daggers. "You're both very important to me and I want you to get along!"