Discovering Aether

by Emily James Taylor

  After it was over, I hugged them all bye and even gave Kevin and Nolan each a kiss on the cheek before heading to bed.

  Now, laying here, my thoughts keep trailing to the conversation with Nolan earlier. Well, more what we did together. It was a magnificent kiss. Why did I kiss him so quickly? I know we’re supposed to be soulmates but I don’t want to hitch a ride to their tailcoats too quickly. I came out here to make friends but I also wanted to have some sense of independence and prove that I don’t need anybody. Now, I don’t know if I can stop myself from kissing both of them. Am I making a mistake by being here?

  My thoughts about the party and the sublime kiss I received are interrupted when I hear male whispers outside my door. I think they’re trying to decide if they should knock or not. Sitting up, I cross my legs and yell towards the door, “If you both are just going to stand outside my door all night trying to figure out if you want to bother me, you might want to talk louder so I can help you decide.”

  Nolan’s voice raises to a normal tone outside the door. “I guess she's still awake.”

  “Come on in, boys,” I call out. The door swings open instantly and all I see are boxer shorts. Maybe training isn’t such a bad idea after all, I realize. They’re each displaying some killer six packs. I can’t believe how attracted I am to both of them. Not only because I just met them yesterday, but the fact that they’re complete opposites. Personality wise and physically.

  Kevin is a red haired boy with freckles and pale skin and Nolan has a natural tan with deep dark brown hair but they both send goosebumps skittering along my skin. I’m in deep shit.

  Kevin reminds me of the boy next door, the one good at sports that all the moms love. The quarterback that the head cheerleader always got. While Nolan is the player at school that breaks everyone’s hearts and yet the girls still try to land him, hoping that one of them will be the one that makes him settle into a relationship. To think, I actually get both of them.

  “So what’s going on?” I ask.

  They both look at each other nervously before Kevin decides to speak up.

  “Well, we were wondering if you would be up to us hanging out in here and maybe we can talk before you fall asleep. We didn’t get much time alone with you today.” I personally feel like I’ve been around them both too much today, especially Nolan. Nevermind that I woke up in Kevin’s arms this morning.

  I guess I was with Naomi most of the day, I think it’s just been too long since I’ve had this much social interaction. I’m not used to talking to people anymore, thanks to the wall I put up for the past few years. But maybe I can fall asleep while they talk to me. Last night was the first restful night I’ve had in ages.

  “That’s fine, if you don’t mind if I lay down while you’re in here. It might actually help me fall asleep,” I tell them with a yawn.

  Nolan bounds to the bed like a little boy and almost lands on top of me, but I move out of the way just in time. Kevin decides to sit down on the other side and leans against the headboard. He gives me his killer grin, which displays a set of dimples. Even dimples are sexy, well as long as he’s the one wearing them. Kevin puts two pillows in the middle of the bed and shifts to pull the comforter up so I can get under it. I bunch one of the pillows up so I can lay my head sideways on it as well as wrap my hands around one end of it. Hopefully that will keep me from running my fingers through Kevin’s soft strands of scarlet hair. As I get comfortable, I notice they’ve both laid back but thankfully, are still on top of the covers.

  “So, uh, thanks again for this evening. I was excited to meet all of Naomi’s boys. They seem to make her really happy. Honestly, I can’t believe how much I like her. I’ve never had a close girlfriend before.” The words fall from my mouth and I can’t stop them. Kevin brushes the hair away from my face and pulls it behind my ears.

  “Nao is an amazing sister to me, she asked Lincoln and them to move in here with us instead of moving to New York where our parents live. She always showed an interest in becoming more involved with Horus, even being on the council someday. New York is the place to do that. But she told me that she had forever to accomplish that and she wanted to be here when I found my Nucleus. I don’t know where I would be without Nao and Nolan here for me.” Nolan shakes his head at Kevin and bends his arm to place his chin on his palm, laying on his side facing us.

  “Seriously, Kevin, I have been nothing but a pain in the ass for you these past few years,” Nolan grinds out.

  “Yes, but these past few years has let me be there for you, like you were there for me in school. Hey, when was the last time we slept in a bed together?” Kevin asks Nolan cheerfully.

  That piques my curiosity. “When have you two shared a bed?” I ask incredulously.

  Nolan gets a frustrated look on his face, I get the impression he doesn’t want to explain that to anyone.

  Nolan sighs, but explains. “It’s not what you think. I would just comfort Kevin whenever he was having a rough day.” He lowers his head to stare at the bottom of the bed at our feet. Why does he sound ashamed?

  I try not to smile at him but seriously, why do guys care so much about coming across gay? You’re either gay or you’re not. Well they could be both. Oh wow, I kind of enjoy that thought.

  “Oh darn, you don’t kiss each other? That’s going to mess up my day dreams I have of us together,” I giggle. Both the guys look at each other in that moment. Wait, would they consider it? I try to shake those thoughts out of my head and focus on what I want to say. “I think it’s great that you did that for him. I slept so amazing last night having Kevin hold me. It shows that you care, okay? There’s no judgement here. Plus, if the bed was this size you obviously had enough room to share. I have never had a king size bed before.” I tell them, sprawling out to show just how much I enjoy the size.

  “A California King,” Kevin corrects me. “Actually, our dorms had twin beds.” He busts out laughing, even serious Nolan can’t seem to hold back a smirk while he’s blushing. This is so amusing. I think them caring for each other is a real turn on.

  “Hey Kev, maybe we should tell her about the time you tried to kiss Josephine Nitsche because you thought she still hadn’t met her quad.” I listen and readjust my body as they recount the story to me. I can’t seem to keep my eyelids open. I fall asleep listening to them quarrel about whether Josephine had actually come on to Kevin first or if he was just reading too far into it.

  “You weren’t reading too far into it Kevin, she was flirting with you. She had even asked you if you were free to go to the movies that weekend. Even if she didn’t mean it that way, it sure seemed like it. Don’t you agree Adaline?” When she doesn’t respond, I look over at her and find her sleeping. Kevin’s eyelids droop, taking longer and longer to open. I whisper over to him. “Kev, do you think we should leave?”

  “I think if Adi didn't want us here, she would have said something. She seems to speak her mind. Plus, I miss having someone around when I sleep.” He rolls onto his stomach and closes his eyes again.

  I’m glad we joked around tonight. I want to be the carefree guy I used to be. After years of being disheartened from the lack of a Nucleus, I lost myself. Even though I’m amazed by this beautiful woman, I can’t depend on her to fix me. I need to do better for myself first, then I can be who Adaline and Kevin need. These two are the most important people in my life. I need to prove to them I am capable, especially since we still need to find the other members of our quint. We can only be stronger when we are complete. We need to protect Adaline. An Aether is so rare, they bring out all kinds of interest from different sorts of Alchemists, the good and the bad. I don’t know when she will be ready for that. Or if I ever will be ready for that.

  Kevin and Naomi are ready to introduce her to our parents. They would be so enthralled with our situation. None of them are hopeful for us because we really have no standing, Alchemists without a complete group receive nothing in our society. The fact that we now have Adaline means t
here is a chance, and with her power, my parents will be chomping at the bit. I don’t want her to be used. At least the twins’ parents will be happy for us and will be glad more opportunities will be open to us.

  Adaline lets out a delicate snore that causes me to smile, at least it’s not loud. When Kevin is in a deep sleep, he can shake the walls of the room. I’m surprised Adaline didn’t notice it last night. Unless she was just being polite. I watch them both sleep for a while, my mind doesn’t seem to want to rest. Maybe after she starts training, I’ll be okay with introducing her to everyone. We’ll need to get out in public so she can start to make the other connections. My dad will want to take us under his wing. After all, he does have the same power as her. He will be so pleased with an Aether as his daughter in law.

  I told Naomi not to tell Adaline. I don’t want her to be overwhelmed yet with that knowledge. My mothers will be excited as well, but Dawn, the one who birthed me, will be the only one truly happy just because I am. The others still seek more power and I’m so sick of it. They are already in charge of our government what more could they hope to accomplish.

  Still trying to squash my racing thoughts, I feel an arm brush across my stomach. Adaline has scooted closer in her sleep, and I can’t help the smile that takes me over. I move my arm under her neck and slowly pull her in to me. Now she can use my chest as her pillow. She sighs deeply in her sleep, obviously content. I didn’t think she would enjoy being cuddled.

  I brush my fingers through her curls. She’s finally let her hair down from her bun and the strands almost meet her butt. She’s wearing a ratty old red t-shirt and orange sweat shorts and yet she still takes my breath away. I can’t believe she’s my Nucleus, I’m the luckiest man alive. I will never let her be harmed and she will only know happiness, this I swear.

  The past week has been amazing. I have yet to kiss either one of them, at least not again. They’re letting me set the pace but I still get to fall asleep between them each night. I’ve woken up each morning sprawled out on one or the other of them. My bladder wakes me up before either of the guys do. I slowly extract myself and run in to the bathroom every time, and the one I ended up cuddling never notices when I slip out.

  One morning, though, I failed. Kevin, the one I slept on that night, was completely under me. I had somehow ended up with my head in the middle of his chest, my arms wrapped around his sides and under his back, and my legs on top of his. I was so startled to wake up like that I jerked my arms out quickly and fell back onto Nolan. Amazingly, that didn’t wake him up, but as soon as he felt me, his arms wrapped around me and pulled me in to the curve of his body. I swear I even heard him smell my hair.

  I guess Kevin felt my absence, because I saw his hands reach out. He ended up scooting towards us and wrapping his arms around both me and Nolan, so I was sandwiched in between them. It probably took me about thirty minutes before I realized there was no way I could get out without waking them up. Kevin’s nose was the one I tapped my fingers on. When I finally got his eyes to open, I mumbled a ‘help me’ and he got me out of Nolan’s grasp. Nolan continued to sleep through all of that, but Kevin got up and made us some food while I was finally able to relieve myself.

  The last few days have been relaxing, though. Once I got used to having them around all the time. Kevin would make breakfast every morning while Nolan and I sat around the bar. The first morning of that week, getting to know them, he scooted my chair closer to him, I didn’t know how to react especially when he started playing with a strand of my curls that had fallen out of my messy bun. But after a few days, I began to lean against Nolan and embrace his caresses while I watched Kevin’s toned back as he moved around the kitchen. I can’t help but think how nice it would be to get used to this.

  Kevin and I would sit around in the afternoons, watching old sitcoms and laughing together as Nolan cleaned up the kitchen. When I offered to help, Nolan would lightly push me out. I told him soon we would be having a schedule since I was going to carry my own weight eventually. Kevin just laughed, draped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me towards the couch. There were a couple of times where Naomi would pop in the apartment and we would head to my room and simply talk without her boys or mine hovering. I enjoyed getting to know her better, I think I can honestly say that I knew I had made a friend in her. A bubbly, shopaholic, girly friend, but a friend nonetheless.

  One of my favorite things is laying in bed with Nolan and Kevin, talking before we fall asleep. Most of the time the conversation is random and silly. But it’s easy, which is freeing for me. They don’t mind sharing embarrassing stories about themselves or just arbitrary thoughts that pop in their heads. I feel like I can tell them anything. Their reactions for everything I say and do seem authentic. I missed out on making friends it turns out, especially confidants. They’ve made me recognize all the things I’ve missed, by giving me attention I didn’t know I needed.

  After only a week of this, I’m falling for both of them, hard, and I don’t care anymore. It feels right. I thought I couldn’t do this at first but now after spending time with them, I can’t imagine my life without them. I need to make a move, and I will today with Kevin since I have yet to try those magnificent lips of his. Maybe after training. They said it was important for us to take some time together, to get to really know one another, that we need to build some trust between us before we started. That’s why they wanted to wait a week. It feels like ages to me, though. I was thrumming with excitement all day yesterday. I’m so ready to try out my power.

  I was thinking if I can at least make something happen with it and try to learn all I can about Alchemy, I won’t be just relying on them anymore. I can make this work. I don’t want to be someone they have to watch constantly, I want to be someone they can have at their backs, to be able to protect them too. I want to be an equal. If I can’t do that, then I’m going to have to rethink everything. I’m not going to be a prized jewel that they keep locked away, I want to fight and prove myself. If they won’t let me, then there will never be an us, a threesome, whatever the correct terminology is.

  Making my way down to the gym on the first level, I try to take in the splendor of the grandiose building I’ve been living in. The floors are made up of dark cherry wood and the walls are light green that makes the cherry in the floors pop. There are statues everywhere in an onyx black color that seem to represent different Egyptian Gods. Before I can investigate further I hear a loud thud and turn towards the glass walls of the gym.

  Naomi is sparring with Cooper on a mat in the middle of the gym and Lincoln and Parker are hanging back, cheering them on. Even though Cooper is larger than her, I don’t see him throwing that many punches. Naomi is quick and landing more, I know that sparring is not supposed to be heavy hits but those blows look harsh.

  If that’s Naomi going easy, I don’t think I want to ever spar with her. As I watch, Cooper falls on his back, and a tan arm reaches around my waist. I still feel anxious whenever Nolan or Kevin touch me, even with the comfort of the tingly sparks that course through me. It’s not because I’m self-conscious. I have a hard time having anyone touch me. Yes, comfort is great when I’m the one reaching out for it, but after not receiving a loving touch for years, it still feels strange to receive it now. Even though it’s not the same comfort I would receive from my father, it still makes me miss him. I wish he was here to help me; with these new powers, give me advice on my new life, and also these handsome guys.

  I shake my head to clear my thoughts, and glance up at Nolan. “So, where do we begin?” I ask on a small voice.

  He points his right index finger towards a row of treadmills and exercise bikes off to the side. Now that I’m not concentrating on the sparring, I get a really good look at this spacious room. It has to take up most of this floor, not even the Planet Fitness I went to could take up half of this place. There’s strength training equipment and even a room that has glass walls concealing the swimming pool beyond them. On the opposite
wall, there’s a room off to the side with a grey metallic door, I’m guessing some sort of steel. I make my way over to see what was behind it since there’s no window to see into the room.

  My hand gets tugged back. “You can check that room out when we are ready to test your powers. Right now, we need to get you running for at least thirty minutes on the treadmill,” Nolan says cautiously.

  I frown but follow behind him. I’ve been dreading this part. The only exercise I got back home was when I wanted to escape the house… or rather, needed to escape Brenda..

  Kevin joins us after we ran for an hour on the treadmill. When we hit the thirty minute mark, I got excited and went to turn it off, but Nolan stopped me with a grin and a shake of his head.

  "I want to push you just a little harder," he said smoothly. His breathing wasn't even labored. Ugh.

  For the last ten minutes, I've been cursing him under my breath. Finally, Kevin calls, "Enough running for now."

  My legs are jelly when the treadmill finally stops moving. Kevin leads me to a hanging punching bag that I hadn't noticed earlier, near the mats.

  Kevin demonstrates some punches and kicks that leaves my knees weak for a better reason.

  "Have at it," he encourages, dragging me from my daydream. Reluctantly, and honestly, a little awkwardly, I throw a few punches. Kevin corrects my stance and encourages me to try again.