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Daeghun followed his half brother outside. He had walked out to the split log fence and was leaning on the Farlong Farm sign that Shayla had made so long ago and staring off into the darkness of the swamp. His normally expressive face was still, tightly under control. It had been that way since he had realized what was going on between the ranger and the Elven wizard Sand. Daeghun had been watching as he and Sand argued like two children over something pointless. Then Sand had made a cutting comparison between the brothers, one beyond what a casual friend would know. He had seen confusion for a moment on his brother’s mobile face then it had gone still. He had let Sand win and then excused himself. Daeghun moved as silently as a leaf on the wind blending in with the shadows. His hunter’s instincts were too much a part of him to drop even in the safety of his own yard.
“How long?”
Duncan started and swung around to look at him. “Make some noise will you? You’re going to scare someone to death.”
He met his brother’s jade green eyes ignoring the rebuke and waiting for an answer.
“How long what?” Duncan finally asked turning back to the swamp and his former posture.
“How long have you been in love with Sand?” The long silence told him as much as the resigned sigh that broke it.
“It doesn’t matter. You two are together, I take it.”
“It matters, Duncan. Talk to me.”
“We haven’t talked in what seventy, eighty years? It’s kind of late to start now.”
“It is not too late.” He chewed his lower lip a moment then took a deep breath. “I know I pushed you away until you finally left me alone, the same way I pushed my only child away. I burned my bridges so no one could reach me. I was wrong, and I regret it.”
Duncan turned to look at him again. His face had never hidden anything and he could read the love and the forgiveness there. He reached out and laid his hand on Duncan’s shoulder squeezing it. “I’m sorry, Duncan, sorry for hurting you, sorry for sending you away.”
Duncan took a step forward and caught his brother pulling him into a hug. “I love you, Dae. I understood when you sent me away, didn’t like it mind you, but I understood why.”
Daeghun relaxed into the embrace noticing how thin Duncan had grown. There were other physical signs of his long dance with the bottle, hollows under his eyes, a gauntness to his face, and a careworn look. It was hard to reconcile him with the laughing child or the bright eyed young man who had played and lived and loved so passionately. He realized how much he had missed. He took a step back so he could look him in the eyes and asked him again about Sand.
“You know when you sent me to Neverwinter with the shard and he scryed them and said they were nothing? It wasn’t long after that until you sent me away and I went back to the city and opened the Flagon. I found out Sand was my neighbor. At first he would push me until I blew up at him every time we met. It was a long time before I realized that was just his way. I got to where I liked to argue with him, liked to just be around him.
For the record, the quickest way to piss him off is to act all meek, show belly and agree with everything he says.” He scratched his chin and frowned a little as he pulled out the old memories. “He came to the inn a lot to begin with, but then I started drinking more and more. I guess he lost all respect for me if he had any to start with.”
“Or he couldn’t stand seeing someone he liked drinking himself to death,” Daeghun interjected softly.
“Yeah, you may be right. You know, whenever I was close to that Sal would go and bring him back and he’d pour some awful potion down my throat and put me to bed. Then sit on the edge of my bed and lecture and insult me until I fell asleep.”
“You were that bad? You didn’t call me?”
“I didn’t want help and I didn’t want you to see me like that.”
Daeghun started to protest then closed his eyes and nodded. He had built the wall between them not Duncan. “So, you started to feel for Sand but you never told him.”
“How could I? I was nothing worth having. He deserved better. I’m glad he found someone I know won’t hurt him.”
“Never willingly, but people I love end up dead way too often.”
“Coincidence, it’s pure coincidence.”
“You haven’t had a drink since you arrived.”
“I haven’t had a drink since the Kalach-Cha walked into my Inn and called me Uncle Duncan.”
Daeghun blinked, “but that has been over a year.”
“Yeah. Strange huh?”
“Not so strange, you were always stronger than you believed.”
“Maybe, maybe not. I still want a drink so bad I can taste it sometimes. I wake up soaked in sweat and shaking.”
“That will pass in time. Look how long it took you to get in that condition, you can’t expect to heal overnight.”
Duncan laughed softly, “I suppose not. Now let’s get inside and I’ll flirt shamelessly with your lover. You’ll think dad’s come for a visit.”
“Sand would knock you both out cold for getting on his nerves.”
“He’s great isn’t he?”
“Yes, he is.”
“Would you consider sharing him?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Come on, it would be fun and a lovely gesture on your part.”
“Keep your perversions to yourself.”
“One day an orc, an ogre, and a wood elf walked into a bar-“
“Stop right there.”
****
Daeghun ran his fingers through Sand’s fine dark hair. The moon elf was laying on his chest completely spent. The moonlight streaming through the window made his pale back glow and his hand could not resist sliding slowly along the moonlit expanse.
“Mm, that feels good.” His voice was a low purr that made his skin tingle.
He looked up at the ceiling weighing his feelings, “Sand, did you know that Duncan loves you too?”
“Hm? What?”
He told the wizard what he had learned from his sibling. He told it simply without holding anything back, except the part about making Sand angry, that would probably not be a good thing to point out when you were lying naked and defenseless within elbow distance. When he finished Sand was silent for a long time, long enough to make him worry.
“I never realized that he cared for me.” Sand exhaled then drew in a deep calming breath. “The only thing he ever said that was even slightly suggestive was once when I was dragging his rear off the floor and he whispered in my ear that I was beautiful. I thought it was just drunken babbling. Then it hurt him tonight when I was talking about you. That’s why he went outside?”
“Yes,” he stroked his back soothingly.
“He asked if I wanted to share you.”
“And you said?” his voice was a sharp hiss that told Daeghun that he was on dangerous ground.
“No.”
“Good answer.”
“I thought so.” The low chuckle told him that he had navigated the traps without incident.