The Empty World | The Empty World Sequence [complete | rewriting]

Eighteen

Shade promised he'd pay Morpheus later.

As soon as the table was clear, Julien brought a plate to Morpheus. It was fragile looking china, fork balanced at one side, and a fluffy omelet center.  He set a second plate in front of Steven, with cheese ravioli in marinara sauce. 

Morpheus picked up the fork and cautiously cut away a bit of the omelet.  He took some into his mouth, tasted fluffy eggs, yolk and white swirled together. There was something very sweet, sugary, and crispy, like bits of candy inside the egg. Finally, something faintly bitter and soft against his tongue.  He tore it between tongue and teeth, swallowed.  A flower petal?

He tried another bite.  The omelet was light, as were the petals, which slid strangely down his throat.  But in between, there was candy that melted on his tongue.

"What's it taste like?" Julien asked.  Morpheus glanced up and saw him sitting across the table, so serious.  "Even Human I'd given up sugar...."

"It tastes good," Morpheus said, "bitter and sweet. Like a special dessert omelet." 

Julien looked at Shade then, sort of leaned across the table.  "Thené fed me rose petals the night I married him the first time."  Julien actually wore two gold bands on his left ringfinger.  The first marriage hadn't included exchanging rings, but he did have a gold locket that he always wore, alongside his cross.

"At'en treating you all right?" Shade asked. "I'll talk to him if he's not."

Julien raised one shoulder slightly.  "It's just he's got lots of people around that I know are lovers, and if I even have one friend he gets jealous."  Julien looked across the table at Morpheus.  "I don't even understand. It's not like Thené hasn't seen me make out with, like, everyone!" Morpheus didn't know, but he suspected "everyone" really meant "pretty guys Athen and I are about to kill".

"He likes being dramatic and obtuse," Morpheus said, "It doesn't bother me."  He took another bite of the omelet into his mouth.

Julien laughed.  "I would never have thought of the word obtuse."

"I thought of blatant but it didn't seem to fit perfectly."

Julien nodded slowly.

"At'en may perhaps view your friendships as emotional cheating," Shade said then.

Julien screwed-up his face as he looked toward Shade. "He said something like that in an argument, but I don't get it."

"I do not believe it matters to Athen that you may be physical with others, so long as he believes you like him best."

"That's what I mean! Love isn't something you use up, even if you give someone all you have. He's the one I married three times! But, sex? Doing that irresponsibly is how people get sick. Right?"

"That's one way," Steven said.

"Forgot. Gawd! Sorry." Julien bowed to the table and buried his face in his arms. His voice was muffled as he continued, "I didn't mean to bring it up."

Morpheus wasn't sure he followed. "You don't mean Joey?" He asked in whisper.

Steven shivered, or winced, Morpheus wasn't sure which. "My mother," he said finally, "also died after AIDS complications. How do you know Joey?"

"I don't, exactly. I more know of him." Morpheus shrugged, feeling awkward that Steven continued to look toward him so intently.

"Come here."

Morpheus shook his head. "What...?"

Steven smiled widely and gestured with his left hand. "C'mere, you!"