Master, my Master | boyxboy | [alternate happy ending]

*NEW* XVIII - Everlasting

It was getting later in the night, and with every minute that went by, all Eli really wanted to do was go home. Not that he minded visiting Silas, besides, despite everything - them not being lovers anymore - they'd become rather good friends over the months. But, Eli still felt this was a night he'd have much rather spent at home. He wanted to be with Jasper on his birthday. Currently, they were no longer at the house. Instead, him, Silas, and Curtis were at a place Silas had discovered called Reynold's Parlor, and apparently it was a sort of underground location created just for people like them.

The interior looked just as any other pub would, with separate tables, several chairs, a bar with dozens upon dozens of choices in drinks, there was a piano that Eli was sure had been a hassle to get down there, zero windows since they were located beneath a furniture shop, and the entry door was tucked within a dark alleyway.

In the beginning, Eli hadn't much wanted to attend, especially with the thought of getting caught in his mind, but after Silas had assured him everything would be alright, he'd gone ahead and didn't regret it.

It had been a little strange to be in such a place, but the experience as a whole had been quite entertaining. Laughter and high-spirits were all around, the drinks only making everyone's mood even lighter. The music was cheerful, the people so very kind, and there'd even been some men - to Eli's surprise - who took pleasure in dressing up as women and referred to themselves with feminine terms. Molly Houses were nothing new to Eli, but instead of an upper class of patrons, the prospect of finding partners to engage in sexual acts with, or even going through with marriage ceremonies, Reynold's Parlor was a place more for those already in committed relationships who merely wanted to have a good time out together.

At first, Eli had wondered who the person was that created the parlor, but it was said no one had heard from him since selling it and his above-ground furniture shop some years ago.

Seated beside Silas at a table nearest the set of narrow stairs that led down into the parlor, Eli sat back in his chair as Curtis went to get more drinks for them all. With his arms folded over his chest, the red-haired boy smiled toward Silas as he watched his lover leave for the bar counter.

"It is nice to see you this way," Eli said.

"Oh, hush," Silas sounded embarrassed.

"I am serious," Eli laughed, "I know you and I are no longer together, we had our downtime, and have ultimately moved on with other people, but I can still recall how wonderful you were long ago when we were in love. Back then, I found who I was because of you, and I don't regret a thing we went through together, and I still love you as my friend."

Completely red in the face, Silas held his breath for a moment, not wanting to show just how much he was blushing. "I am happy for you, too," he said, glancing away a little. "When I came back, I can't lie and say I wasn't jealous of Jasper. However, over time, I have been able to see that he is in fact the person you were meant to be with, and I certainly feel as though I have found my other half in Curtis. I don't ever want to imagine life without him. I love him."

Not having seen that Curtis had come back and was standing over his shoulder, Silas furrowed his brow when Eli glanced behind him.

Wielding a toothy smile, Curtis took his seat beside his lover and set all their drinks down. "I'm touched," he said, "I love you, too."

Taking his drink, Eli watched the two share a kiss. He almost thought he'd been able to see actual love-birds flying over the tops of their heads, and seeing them so happy together only made him want to go home even more. It was late and he was missing the one he loved.

With a sigh, Eli tossed his drink back and hissed a little at the slight burn. "Thank you for the company," he said then, standing from his seat. "I should be returning home now. Would you two like for me to take you home first?"