his lips. Waves of heat massaged his scalp. After a few moments John lifted his head back up into the cool air.
“Well, it’s getting late.” Pirr’tu stood and waded across the tub.
“Time for a little snack in the kitchen?” Fenn asked.
Pirr’tu smiled and stepped out of the tub.
“Don’t wait up for me,” Pirr’tu replied.
He dried himself and dressed in one of the robes that hung on the far wall. John signed him good luck as he left.
Fenn drifted closer, brushed against John’s shoulder, and smiled. John moved aside slightly, but he wasn’t paying that much attention to Fenn. There was something odd about Saimura’s expression. He looked suddenly too alert.
“How can you be so forward?” Saimura asked Fenn.
Fenn frowned at him.
“What do you care?”
“You don’t even know if Jath’ibaye is…” Saimura flushed a little and John knew it wasn’t just because of the warm water.
“Yes, I do,” Fenn replied. “The entire Warren was talking about him and his lover. And I’m the same way. So, why shouldn’t we keep each other company?”
Saimura didn’t respond to Fenn’s question. Instead he asked another of his own.
“How do you know you’re the same?” Saimura asked. “How do you know that you feel that way?”
“Do you mean, how do we know that we prefer men?” John asked.
Saimura nodded.
“Well, even if I hadn’t heard from every single cook and stableman that Jath’ibaye slept with men, I would have known when I saw Jath’ibaye nearly kiss his lover at battle practice.” Fenn stretched his lean arms out almost as if he were striking a pose. “And he’s probably heard about me from one of the stablemen.” Fenn shrugged. “Even if he hadn’t, I think I’ve been pretty obvious.”
“Yes, you have,” John commented.
“That’s not what I meant,” Saimura said. He splashed a little water over his face and wiped it away from his eyes. “I meant, how did you realize that you felt the way you do?”
“Oh, I see.” Fenn paused a moment to think. “I don’t know. I’ve always been more at ease with men—always liked their company better. That’s why I went to the stables. Lots of men there are better with each other than with women. Some just don’t want to support babies, but lots of them like boys better.”
Saimura glanced to John. John’s first instinct was to keep silent. The subject was so personal. But then John thought he owed Saimura some honesty and it seemed important to Saimura.
“It’s different for everyone,” John said. “Some people just know from early on. Others realize it later.”
Saimura leaned back against the side of the tub. He gazed up at the ceiling.
“So, when did you know, Jath’ibaye?” Saimura asked quietly.
“The first time I kissed another boy I was eight years old,” John admitted. “But I didn’t really know that I wasn’t interested in girls until later. Fifteen or sixteen, I suppose. It wasn’t that I hated them. I just wasn’t attracted to them the way I was attracted to men.”
“Why are you asking all this?” Fenn asked.
“Just curious,” Saimura responded.
“Oh?” Fenn raised his eyebrows and grinned wickedly. “How curious?”
Saimura’s cheeks darkened to nearly scarlet. Fenn drifted through the water to his side. John opened his mouth to tell Fenn to leave Saimura alone. But then Saimura reached out and hesitantly touched Fenn’s chest. He ran his fingers over Fenn’s slim ribs and up to Fenn’s nipple. Fenn smiled and Saimura pulled his hand back.
“It’s all right.” Fenn spoke with the same soft tone that he used to calm John’s surly tahldi. “You have a nice touch. There’s nothing wrong with something feeling good.”
Fenn leaned forward and kissed Saimura’s chest. Saimura shivered as Fenn kissed each of his nipples and then his neck. Fenn lifted Saimura’s hand back to his chest.
“You see, no harm done,” Fenn whispered. “It’s nice.”
Fenn pulled
“Well, it’s getting late.” Pirr’tu stood and waded across the tub.
“Time for a little snack in the kitchen?” Fenn asked.
Pirr’tu smiled and stepped out of the tub.
“Don’t wait up for me,” Pirr’tu replied.
He dried himself and dressed in one of the robes that hung on the far wall. John signed him good luck as he left.
Fenn drifted closer, brushed against John’s shoulder, and smiled. John moved aside slightly, but he wasn’t paying that much attention to Fenn. There was something odd about Saimura’s expression. He looked suddenly too alert.
“How can you be so forward?” Saimura asked Fenn.
Fenn frowned at him.
“What do you care?”
“You don’t even know if Jath’ibaye is…” Saimura flushed a little and John knew it wasn’t just because of the warm water.
“Yes, I do,” Fenn replied. “The entire Warren was talking about him and his lover. And I’m the same way. So, why shouldn’t we keep each other company?”
Saimura didn’t respond to Fenn’s question. Instead he asked another of his own.
“How do you know you’re the same?” Saimura asked. “How do you know that you feel that way?”
“Do you mean, how do we know that we prefer men?” John asked.
Saimura nodded.
“Well, even if I hadn’t heard from every single cook and stableman that Jath’ibaye slept with men, I would have known when I saw Jath’ibaye nearly kiss his lover at battle practice.” Fenn stretched his lean arms out almost as if he were striking a pose. “And he’s probably heard about me from one of the stablemen.” Fenn shrugged. “Even if he hadn’t, I think I’ve been pretty obvious.”
“Yes, you have,” John commented.
“That’s not what I meant,” Saimura said. He splashed a little water over his face and wiped it away from his eyes. “I meant, how did you realize that you felt the way you do?”
“Oh, I see.” Fenn paused a moment to think. “I don’t know. I’ve always been more at ease with men—always liked their company better. That’s why I went to the stables. Lots of men there are better with each other than with women. Some just don’t want to support babies, but lots of them like boys better.”
Saimura glanced to John. John’s first instinct was to keep silent. The subject was so personal. But then John thought he owed Saimura some honesty and it seemed important to Saimura.
“It’s different for everyone,” John said. “Some people just know from early on. Others realize it later.”
Saimura leaned back against the side of the tub. He gazed up at the ceiling.
“So, when did you know, Jath’ibaye?” Saimura asked quietly.
“The first time I kissed another boy I was eight years old,” John admitted. “But I didn’t really know that I wasn’t interested in girls until later. Fifteen or sixteen, I suppose. It wasn’t that I hated them. I just wasn’t attracted to them the way I was attracted to men.”
“Why are you asking all this?” Fenn asked.
“Just curious,” Saimura responded.
“Oh?” Fenn raised his eyebrows and grinned wickedly. “How curious?”
Saimura’s cheeks darkened to nearly scarlet. Fenn drifted through the water to his side. John opened his mouth to tell Fenn to leave Saimura alone. But then Saimura reached out and hesitantly touched Fenn’s chest. He ran his fingers over Fenn’s slim ribs and up to Fenn’s nipple. Fenn smiled and Saimura pulled his hand back.
“It’s all right.” Fenn spoke with the same soft tone that he used to calm John’s surly tahldi. “You have a nice touch. There’s nothing wrong with something feeling good.”
Fenn leaned forward and kissed Saimura’s chest. Saimura shivered as Fenn kissed each of his nipples and then his neck. Fenn lifted Saimura’s hand back to his chest.
“You see, no harm done,” Fenn whispered. “It’s nice.”
Fenn pulled
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