Next Day She woke slowly, her head tilted and resting on soft hair, a faint woody scent in her nostrils. She smiled sleepily and nuzzled the soft silkiness: Devon was still asleep, his head resting on her shoulder, hands cupping her breasts. She pulled him a little closer - then froze.
Hang on…
His left hand was cupping her breast: his right hand was between their bodies, tucked under her thigh, fingertips just touching her labia.
What the…?
Someone else's hand was draped over her right breast. A much larger, heavier hand. So if Devon was in front of her, who the fuck was behind her?!
Devon stirred, sighing and flexing his fingers, tickling the sensitive flesh between her legs and teasing her tit-ring as he kissed her breast. And god damn it, didn't that just start her feeling randy all over again…
Whoever was behind her shifted closer, pressing a large, hard cock against her buttocks and nibbling gently at her shoulder and the side of her neck. She wriggled - then stared past Devon as a pale face with high cheekbones and big, dark eyes appeared from behind him, resting its cheek on a fist.
"'ello…"
"Uh…"
Devon roused a little, pressing his erection against her hip and kissing her jaw, then stilling as the man behind him obviously did something, though Cloudie couldn't see what it was. The psi's eyes opened, fully alert, and he chuckled and glanced over his shoulder.
"Mornin', Stephan."
"Bonjour, mon cher… c'est Cloudie? Elle est jolie. Pour femme…"
Devon reached back to cup the Frenchman's buttock, pulling him closer, then gently tangling his fingers in Cloudie's mane.
"Fancy breakfast?"
She grinned.
"Rather have you…"
But the big cock rubbing against her arse had given her an idea. She kissed Devon's nose.
"Got any lube?"
He blinked at her, then smirked.
"What a fuckin' stupid question!"
She grinned.
"Hand it over then."
Devon glanced at Stephan, who obligingly grabbed the tube from the bedside cabinet. Cloudie turned over and squeezed a large dollop onto her fingers then reached for Devon's cock. He frowned.
"Uh, why?"
She grinned at him.
"Well, your friend here," she jerked her head towards Hans, who was watching with great interest, "is a little bigger than I'm used to, up the arse I mean, so I thought perhaps you might like to…?"
His eyes widened as his lips parted.
"You want me to bugger you…"
"While he fucks me, yes. That a problem?"
She was in earnest, too. Devon stared, nonplussed - then frowned.
"You sure? You'd like that?"
"Uhuh."
Stephan's eyes were bright as he nuzzled Devon's ear, taking the tube from the psi's nerveless fingers.
"Can I… buggair you at the same time, cheri?"
"Uh… yeah, I guess…"
Cloudie grinned and rolled over, raising her leg and pushing her backside towards Devon.
"Just go slow, OK?"And he did, very slow, tantalisingly slow, inching his way into her body, pausing frequently to let her accustom herself to his girth. She smiled to herself: he was tense, his hands shaking slightly where he held her hips still. She guessed this was a new thing for him, arse-fucking a woman, and the sheer novelty was exquisitely arousing…
Once he was, finally, fully seated within her he held still, hands cupping her breasts and toying with the tit-rings while Stephan slid into him, then moving with her as Hans manoeuvred himself into her cunt…
Devon gasped, and Cloudie glanced over her shoulder.
"What's wrong?"
His eyes were huge and wondering, his voice hushed.
"I… I can feel him moving. Against me. Inside you…"
Hans grinned and obligingly jerked back and forth a few times: Devon groaned, hands automatically tightening on Cloudie's breasts. She winced and caught his wrists, then chuckled.
"They don't come off, y'know."
"S… sorry…" he whispered, letting go and grabbing for Hans' shoulders instead. She covered his hands with her own and gently pulled them back to her breasts, twining her fingers with his.
"I'd rather you stayed here…"
"K…"
She sighed happily, wrapping her legs around Han's waist and then holding still as the big German began to move. Behind her, Devon also held still, partly because Stephan was pounding into him, brushing over his prostate with every firm stroke and he was afraid of getting carried away, moving too fast or too far and hurting her - and partly because if he did move, even a fraction, he'd come. He was buried in a lovely woman's arse, Stephan behind him driving him mad with every thrust, while Hans was ramming into Cloudie - and Devon could feel the German's cock, sliding against his own on the other side of the flesh and muscle separating them… It had to be one of the most intensely erotic and arousing things he'd ever experienced.
And he couldn't hold out for long. Thumbs rubbing over Cloudie's nipples, moving back and forth very slightly with Stephan's movements, as Hans and Stephan slammed into their respective orifices one last time and both came, as Cloudie's muscles clenched in orgasm, Devon buried his head in Cloudie's hair and climaxed, hips flexing against her buttocks as he emptied himself into her body.
It took long moments for the white lights behind his eyelids to fade. Stephan had pulled out of his body and was stroking his back gently: Hans had likewise pulled out of Cloudie, kissing her gently: Devon slowly eased himself from the woman's warmth and rolled onto his back, half on top of Stephan.
"Oh fuck…"Cloudie gave Hans a final, affectionate kiss, nuzzling his mouth and whispering 'thank you' before slowly, a little gingerly and with trembling muscles, she turned herself over to face Devon, cuddling into the young psi, stroking her palm slowly over his thin chest. Hans shifted to lie close behind her, his lips moving lightly over her shoulder, a big hand cupping a round buttock.
Moving depleted what little energy Cloudie had left after her powerful climax, and it was a couple of minutes before she could speak.
"Damn. Good." she said thickly, nuzzling Devon's neck.
"Uhuh." Devon sounded as shattered as she felt. Cloudie fought the delicious urge to close her eyes and drift off to sleep. Nope, she couldn't do that, too much to do... She reluctantly pushed herself to a sitting position.
"Can I use your shower, sweetie?"The warm spray revived her, enough so that the thought of crawling, exhausted, back into bed wasn't an overwhelming temptation. Cloudie soaped herself with a shower gel that lathered luxuriantly, enjoying the soft suds against her skin, surprised at the spark of arousal as she washed between her thighs. She leant her forehead against the cool tiles of the cubicle, closing her eyes while she toyed with her clit ring. It felt lovely but she was too enervated to really want to expend the energy on another climax so soon. Later, however... Cloudie knew herself well enough to recognise the slow burn of desire; no doubt in a few hours time she'd be sneaking off somewhere quiet to masturbate while she teased herself with memories of last night and this morning.
She rinsed off thoroughly, quickly soaking her hair but not washing it, then appropriated one of the large, fluffy towels hanging up in the bathroom to dry herself. The tinkerer rinsed her mouth, combed her fingers quickly through her curls then wandered, naked, out of the bathroom, to stop dead at the sight of Hans buried in Devon's body, the young psi on his front, pillows under his hips, legs spread wide, arms stretched forwards, hands gripping the covers, head arched back, eyes closed, lips parted, panting, whimpering...
She licked her lips; god Devon looked gorgeous - and vulnerable. Cloudie stood rooted to the spot, breath coming fast as she wondered what it would be like to be in Hans' position.Stephan hovered in the doorway of the kitchen alcove, smiling fondly as he watched the activity in the main room. He had no interest in women himself, often wondered what all the fuss was about, but he had an aesthete's appreciation of beauty, no matter what form it took. And watching Cloudie - no, Nuage, much prettier - watching Devon and Hans…
She was lovely, soft and creamy-gold, responsive - the faint rose-gold flush over her throat and chest and her large, be-ringed, hardening nipples as she watched le petit being fucked told him that much - and she was very fond of Devon. Even if she didn't realise it yet.
Stephan sighed as Hans grunted and thrust hard, wringing a hoarse cry from the young psi under him as both came again. The Frenchman sighed and firmly told himself to behave - he'd have to take care of his own erection later: everyone would be late unless they stopped this delightful activity now - and danced into the room, placing the tray with coffee and croissants on the bedside cabinet. Smirking to himself as Nuage stopped surreptitiously stroking herself and moved to sit on the bed, happily accepting a mug of coffee… so barbaric, but Devon insisted on mugs instead of proper cups…The coffee and croissants were very welcome and Cloudie savoured her breakfast, happy to sit in comfortable silence with the three men while they ate. Her gaze kept going back to Devon though, and she was unaware of the almost wondering look on her face as her eyes lingered on his face.
The tinkerer gulped the last of her coffee and stood up, placing the mug back on the tray.
"Better go." Cloudie reached over to give Hans a peck on the cheek then grinned at Stephan, "thanks for the coffee, mon ami." On all fours she prowled the short distance to reach Devon where he was sitting propped up against the bed-head.
"Thanks, Dev," she brushed her lips over his mouth, "I'll see you 'round?"
"Yeah," Devon grinned and flicked a nipple ring between two fingers. Cloudie laughed.
"Don't do that, I'll never leave!"
Devon smirked but left the ring alone, gently cupping and kneading her breast instead as he leaned forward and kissed her.
"Thanks for dinner."
Cloudie slid off the bed, quickly found her clothes and got dressed. She threw a casual wave over her shoulder at the men as she walked out of the suite with her customary bounce.Devon watched her leave, smiling fondly - then sighed and stretched, arching his back.
"Shower."
Stephan grinned.
"You want I should wash your… back, cheri?"
The psi chuckled and shook his head.
"Maybe later." He smiled at Hans sprawled on the end of the bed, then shook himself slightly and tried to scowl at his companions.
"OK, so why the fuck were you two here anyway? You knew I had a date, you knew there was a chance we'd end up here…"
Stephan leaned forwards, silencing the psi with his lips, then stroked his cheek.
"We are sorry, cheri. It was… 'abit, I suppose."
Devon stared, disbelievingly, then sighed and hauled himself off the bed, glancing back over his shoulder and smiling wryly.
"Fucking check it's OK next time, right?"In the shower he soaped himself quickly, rubbing shampoo through his hair, frowning slightly. If he closed his eyes he could feel Cloud's fingers on his skin, could still smell her, that half sweet, half herby fragrance she wore…
It was nice. So was she.
He grinned to himself. They hadn't managed to find the time to actually talk, last night or this morning, they were either fucking or there were too many people around. But he could do something about that…
That restaurant John had taken him to. He'd liked it there, not too many people, no-one staring at him, trying to attract his attention, flirting, making it so fucking obvious they wanted him…
Yeah. He'd invite her to dinner - and they'd go there."Oh for pity's sake!"
Cloudie growled irritably, having caught herself gazing into space for the umpteenth time that morning. The tinkerer was cross with herself, mooning over Devon like some bloody… She'd only met him yesterday, for god's sake!
She hadn't done anything like that since she was thirteen and fallen in love with a boy from the Ivy clan during the summer gathering. Cloudie smiled sadly to herself as the memories flooded back momentarily pushing images of Devon to one side. Tyrone had been something special, descended from genuine Romanies, with his inky black hair and dusky skin and eyes, and at sixteen he'd seemed ever so mature. Damn, she'd had their life together all planned out! Their joining witnessed by their clans, their journeys, their tribe of beautiful children with her hair and his eyes, or vice-versa. But the wonderful dream had been shattered by an attack and life was never the same again…
Cloudie shook off the images of pain and destruction, wiping her eyes with the back of an oil-stained hand. Past was past, you couldn't let it cloud the future. She glanced at the old fashioned clock on the wall - just enough time to wash up before meeting John for lunch."Hello Cloudie, how are you doing?"
John's cheerful voice jerked her out of her reverie; damn, she'd been dreaming again.
"Hey, John my friend," Cloudie smiled up at him, "I'm doing fine."
"Are you sure? You were a million miles away just then." The path sat down next to her.
"Yeah," she sighed, pushing the chips around on her plate, "it's just - " she sighed again, "it's Devon. It sounds corny, but I can't get him out of my mind."
"Good date then?" John grinned at her, Cloudie grinned back.
"It was fun, you know, but now - " another sigh, "What was the old phrase? 'Under my skin'? Yeah, that's it, Devon's under my skin."
"I'd heard he's pretty, um, talented."
"Oh, John!" Cloudie sighed and touched his wrist, her eyes shining, "He fucks like a dream, but it's not just that. I've had fantastic fucks before but none of them left me this distracted! And there's something else," her face clouded with uneasiness, "we spent the night at his place and when we woke up Hans and Stephan were there with us…"
"Oh?" John gently prompted Cloudie when she paused, looking uncomfortable.
"For a couple of seconds I was really pissed off they were there."
"Why was that?" John hid his surprise behind a casual interest.
"Well," Cloudie studied her plate, "I'm hardly a poster child for monogamy, but I felt this completely irrational irritation at them for intruding." She looked worriedly at her friend. "I've never objected before to sharing my lovers, and they had as much right to be there as me. More, really, they've been with Devon nearly all week."
"How do you feel about it now?"
Cloudie shrugged.
"Fine; the feeling only lasted for a couple of seconds anyway and once we'd all started screwing it disappeared." She giggled, squirming a little as the heat began pooling in her groin. "Now that was fun." Then she sobered. "But what if it happens again?" Cloudie said unhappily. "I don't want to get territorial about him, John."
"I don't think you will," the path assured her, "it's just not you."
"Hope so. I really like him, I don't want to scare him off by getting all thingy."
John smiled.
"When are you going to see him again? I assume you're planning to?"
"Yes, and dunno," Cloudie's expression became dreamy and she squirmed again, "soon, I hope.""Again, please."
Devon focussed tightly, feeling that strange tautness within him that the use of his talent always produced, and lifted the pint glass, filled to the brim with ink, slowly straight up from the table.
"Good. Now, do you think you…"
The harsh crack of the gunshot was deafeningly loud in the small room. Devon flinched - but managed to maintain control, holding the glass motionless and not spilling a drop. Dr Peters grinned widely and applauded.
"Well done! That was excellent…"
The screeching whine of a siren ripped through the room, startling both men. The glass wobbled dangerously, and a drop of ink spilled over the top and trickled down the side. Devon grabbed a tissue from the box on the desk, placed it on the table, then lowered the glass to sit on it. Then flung himself backwards into an armchair and scowled furiously at the table. Peters sighed.
"Devon, that really showed excellent fine control…"
"I fucking spilt it."
"One little drop! Most other talents would have dropped the glass!"
The young psi glowered at the flatscan, eyes narrowed and lips pouting.
"That's them, not me. That wasn't fuckin' good enough!"
Peters closed his eyes briefly. Once he'd accepted his talent and started learning how to use it, Devon had become obsessed with the notion that he had to have perfect control of his TK. At all times, and in all circumstances. Peters couldn't understand why he was so driven, and was working hard - with Pamela's encouragement - to try to persuade him to be a little easier on himself. In vain so far.
This compulsion worried Pamela. When it first came to light, she'd had a deep-scan path (Greg, tall and muscular with smouldering dark grey eyes) spend the night with him: after languidly and slowly making love to the young psi, Greg had held him while he slept - and slipped deep into his mind, relaying what he found to the supervisor.
It hadn't been pretty - Devon's life had been very unpleasant, almost from the time of his birth. For most of it he'd been under the control of other people - pimps, a thief-master, one particularly nasty individual who liked playing with electricity - and it wasn't until he'd escaped and made his way to London, three years ago, that he'd gained any control at all over his own life. He had a desperately held belief that if he could learn to control his abilities, no-one would be able to own him again. Which (the Agency excepted) was quite true - but he was taking it to extremes.
He needed to learn to relax. Truly relax. To learn to let himself be cared for. To trust others. To know he was in no danger now. And that was where Cloudie and Ox came in.
Ox was already smitten, feeling a warm, protective affection for the little psi. Oh, not in a sexual sense - Ox was almost entirely lacking in libido. But the big blocker was aware that there was something wrong with his 'l'il guy' and wanted to make it better. And Cloudie…? Well, she obviously felt quite strongly about the young man: Pamela hadn't needed John's report to be aware of that. But it needed to be more than just sex.
Well, there was time. The supervisor would just have to see how things went, for the moment. She'd rather not nudge anyone if she didn't have to…
Peters lay his datapad down on the desk and folded his arms, smiling ruefully at the sulking psi.
"Why don't we take a break - I know I need a breather! We can carry on this afternoon, if you like."
For a moment he thought Devon would insist on continuing now, but the psi's face suddenly softened into a smile.
"Yeah. Yeah, that's a good idea. There's something I have to do…"He made his way to the machine shops, smiling at the people who greeted him in passing. Some he remembered Cloud introducing to him, others he'd met in the course of his training or his tour - he even knew some of their names! And most of them were friendly and polite, as opposed to lecherous and leering, though he knew that was to a large extent a public façade: the Agency didn't want any of its members feeling awkward or embarrassed as they went about their work. But it was nice anyway, to be able to walk down a hall and not be gawped at.
Cloud.
He'd never met a female like her. He'd met a lot in his time, from rich spoilt bitches who thought if they paid him to fuck them he owed them, to one particular dyke who'd got off on handcuffing him to her bed, belabouring his arse with a riding crop then strapping on the biggest dildo he'd ever seen and fucking him for two hours, hands teasing her clit and tits all the while. (It had been interesting. Very painful and it had been two weeks before he been able to take a cock - and another three days before he wanted to - but definitely an interesting experience…) But no matter who or what the female, they always seemed to think they owned him.
But not Cloud. Going by her free and easy attitude yesterday evening, she was as promiscuous as he was. And she hadn't minded Hans and Stephan being there this morning. She wasn't… she wasn't possessive.
He smiled. Just as fucking well! NO-one was going to try to own him, ever again.
But it would be fucking great to spend more time with her. She was fun to be with. And there was a lot she could teach him.Cloudie sat on the cold floor of the workshop, eyes closed in concentration as she manipulated the molecules of the car tyre propped up between her thighs. She knew Devon was there before he spoke.
"Hi, Dev," she said, still with her eyes closed, then looked up at the surprised psi and grinned.
"How did you know it was me? You not a 'path too - are you?"
"Nah," she laughed, "it was your shampoo. It's very distinctive." She smiled shyly. "I like it." They grinned at each other for a couple of seconds then Dev squatted down in front of her.
"Whatcha doing?"
"I'm reinforcing this tyre." Cloudie picked up a piece of old tyre rubber from the pile beside her and laid it across the top of the tyre she was working on. "Pushing the molecules closer together to make it tougher, denser, so it'll last longer, be harder to puncture."
Devon looked suitably impressed.
"What are you doing with that?" He pointed at the extra piece she was pressing against the tyre.
"When I push the molecules closer together it makes the tyre wall thinner, so I push scrap rubber into it to help bulk it out." She concentrated and to Devon's astonishment the loose piece of scrap melted into the tyre without trace. "I used to use metals to reinforce the tyres," Cloudie said, "but they tended to go brittle in the cold and crack." She grinned at him, "I'm glad you're here, I could do with a hand."
"Sure," Devon shrugged, then held out his hand to her, helping her stand.
"Thanks." Cloudie stood close to him for a second, relishing his nearness, then grabbed his hand and led him over to what had been a car at some stage, but now only looked like so much discarded metal.
"I'm taking this car apart for parts," Cloudie caressed the bonnet, smiling gently, "the car doesn't mind. It knows it's too far gone to be fixed, and nothing will be wasted." She chuckled at the young male's open scepticism. "Hey, there are weirder things to be empathic with!"
"Like what?"
"Corpses." Cloudie shuddered.
"You're fucking joking!"
"Nope," Cloudie shook her head, "I've never met her, but one of the agents can read corpses." She shuddered again. "Poor bitch. Anyway, can you stay and help me for a bit?"
It took just over an hour for the two TK's to dismember the car. Devon wasn't able to cut the metal like Cloudie could, but he could easily shift the heavy panels - and the engine block. Cloudie cheered when he effortlessly hoisted the hefty, cumbersome piece of metal out of the engine bay and set it down in the area she designated.
"Brilliant! Wow, that was great, Dev!" She touched his elbow, smiling into his eyes. Devon shrugged nonchalantly but was obviously pleased with the praise.
"Fuckin' easy."
"For you!" Cloudie laughed, "I could probably have moved that engine block a foot, then I would've had to have had a lie down! My TK's nowhere near as strong as that."
"But your fine control is fuckin' good."
"It's mostly just practise, sweetie," Cloudie grinned, and touched his elbow again. "It's time for a break. Like to come for a walk?"Cloudie stripped out of her work gear and into another brightly patterned sarong before taking Devon out of the workshop. They stopped off at one of the caffs where a woman, a normal, handed the tinkerer a plastic bag full of food scraps.
"A snack?" Devon smirked.
"No," Cloudie laughed, "we're going to feed the ducks."It was cold and drizzling outside the enclosed park, but under the glass it was comfortably warm. The two TK's sat on the bank of the large pond, attended by the dozen or so ducks that lived in the gardens. Cloudie looked at Devon's face as he threw bits of bread to the noisy birds - he looked relaxed, happy almost.
"That pudgy one over there - " Cloudie pointed to one of the ducks, " - is Gertrude."
"You're fucking nuts." Devon grinned at her.
"What? You don't think she looks like a Gertrude?" Cloudie teased.
"How should I know? I've never met a fucking Gertrude!" The young psi smirked. "No, you're fucking nuts giving them names. They're just birds."
"They're birds, but they've all got personalities," Cloudie smiled. "That one there," she tossed a piece of bread to a rather large, particularly noisy drake, "is Elvis. He thinks he's god's gift to - well, to girl ducks, and that one there at the back is Norman, he's a bit of a nancy…" Devon couldn't help laughing as Cloudie named all the ducks, describing their personalities – and character flaws – to him.
Devon looked so different when he laughed, Cloudie thought, her heart flipping over in her chest when his pale-green eyes met and held hers for a second.
The bread had all gone, and knowing this, the ducks dispersed back to the water with much quacking and tail shaking.
"They're not going to hang around now the food's gone?" Devon growled.
"'Course not," Cloudie smiled, "Ducks is practical creatures." She stood up, unfolding smoothly off of the ground, and stretched with her whole body. "I'll take you for a walk 'round the park." She smirked at him. "It's very pretty in the daylight."
Devon didn't object to Cloudie holding his hand as they walked around, following the landscaped path beside the pond and over the small stone bridge. Cloudie was glad he didn't seem to mind, it felt - nice.They'd been at the park for half an hour.
"S'pose we should get back," Cloudie knew she didn't sound as regretful as she felt.
"Yeah." Devon was quiet for a few moments. "Cloud, I came round to ask if you wanted to have dinner with me tonight."
Cloudie was fervently glad she wasn't the type to blush.
"Love to, thanks!"
"And cos I'm asking, I'll fucking choose where we go, OK?"
"Sure."
"John took me to a restaurant yesterday. It was nice, quiet - a bit posh. I want us to go there."
"A bit posh, eh?" Cloudie grinned, glancing down at her bare feet. "Shall I wear shoes then?"
"Wear whatever you fucking like," Devon briefly brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers, "doesn't matter what it is, it'll look good anyway."They'd arranged for Devon to come and pick her up about seven o'clock from her place and Cloudie was ready in plenty of time. She studied her reflection in the full-length mirror, pleased with what she saw, ridiculously nervous about what Devon would think. She was wearing her 'princess' outfit, as she called it, a soft, loose dress in a vivid sapphire-blue cotton, with mid-length sleeves that fitted closely to her arms and a neck-line that teetered on off-the-shoulder. The smoky blue-purple corselet laced firmly from beneath her breasts to just above her waist, gave her torso some shape and defined her breasts nicely, while the rest of the dress hung in flowing folds halfway down her shins. Cloudie liked this dress, it made her feel soft and pretty.
Devon liked it too, apparently, his eyes widening in open appreciation when he arrived to pick her up.
"Shoes too?" the young psi smirked, looking at the strappy silver sandals on her feet. Cloudie laughed and took his hand, twining her fingers with his.
"Let's eat."The atmosphere in the restaurant was restful, the food was excellent, and the company...? Well, Cloudie was very happy with the company. Maybe taking Devon to the caff last night was a mistake, it was wonderful having his attention all to herself. The tinkerer felt herself fairly sparkling under his gaze.
"Why the fuck did your parents call you Cloudburst?" Devon asked her after they'd ordered their meals.
"Ah," Cloudie smiled, "I drew my first breath just as there was a spring shower, apparently."
"What about 'Golden'?"
"For my hair, and 'Brigantia' – " she anticipated his question, " – was the goddess traditionally associated with the place I was born." Cloudie smiled softly at him, unsure what reaction she'd get to her question; she'd already figured out that Devon didn't like talking about his past.
"Why are you called Devon?"
The psi shrugged.
"Dunno."
"Have you ever been to Devon?" Cloudie asked. Devon shook his head. "It's still a lovely place."
"Did you travel a lot with your folks?"
"Yeah," Cloudie's smile was softly reminiscent, "all over the place. Even been to Ireland a couple of times."
Devon fiddled with the cutlery.
"Do you miss it? Do you miss your folks?"
"Yeah," she chuckled, "but I love what I'm doing now, and when I get some time off I track them down and go visit."
Devon may not be happy to talk about his past but he wasn't so reluctant to speak about the present. Over dinner Cloudie listened attentively, the perfect appreciative audience, as with a little encouragement the young psi told her about his training. He sounded positive about it all and Cloudie's heart beat a little faster - maybe he'd stay with the Agency? Be nice, that.
Over by the windows in the restaurant there was a lounge area, with a few large comfortable armchairs and sofas that made for a cosy, intimate little nook. After the meal – succulent roast beef and sweet, crunchy roast vegetables for her, chicken in a cream and hazelnut sauce on saffron rice for Devon, with a fruit and cheese platter to share afterwards - Cloudie sat, legs curled up underneath her, on one of the couches with Devon. The psis faced each other, relaxed and at ease, sipping their coffees and just… talking. Devon was sex on legs but he was also surprisingly easy to talk to and Cloudie basked in the warm glow of companionship.
"How long have you known you were a freak - uh, talent?" Devon asked her.
Cloudie puffed out her cheeks as she exhaled.
"Blimey, all my life I guess." She laughed. "One of my earliest memories is the look on Jim's face when I put my hand on the dashboard of his truck - the truck he'd spent all day trying to get going - and it started. I would've been three? Four?"
"What did your folks think about it?"
"They were proud of me, you know," she smiled fondly, "The whole clan was. Course it helped that it was a useful talent. I pretty much kept the vehicles going for years!"
"How did you avoid being picked up by the Agency? Or any one else?"
"I never used my talent in front of outsiders. It was pure luck the seeker spotted me. Glad they did though." Cloudie's voiced dropped to a low murmur. "It'd been a bad year. I was very down - I needed a new direction."
"What happened?" Devon added hastily, "You don't have to tell me."
Cloudie shrugged, and gave him a small, sadly rueful smile.
"The camp was attacked by a bunch of yobs. I lost some - friends." She shrugged, "No big deal in the scheme of things, Travellers don't have the easiest of lives. We're not welcome a lot of the places we go."
Devon's fingers touched the back of her hand.
"Did they hurt you?"
"Yeah." Cloudie avoided his eyes. "Took me a while to get over it." She glanced up at him and grinned. "So how did you hook up with Hans and Stephan?"
An unidentifiable look clouded the young psi's eyes for a moment before Devon accepted the change of subject.
"Well, it was the first time I'd been let out of the fucking containment suite…"The evening had simply melted away, and Cloudie was caught completely off-guard at how long they'd been at the restaurant.
"Oh shit, look at the time! Sorry, Dev, I've got to go," she looked regretfully at the psi, "got some tricky things to do tomorrow and I need all my concentration."
"Oh, right." Devon looked a bit put out, then he grinned. "Can I walk you home?"
Cloudie laughed and leaned forward to brush a kiss over his lips.
"'Course you can."Standing outside Cloudie's room, the tinkerer faced Devon holding both his hands in her own.
"I had a great time tonight, Dev." Cloudie smiled then laughed, "god, that sounds so lame!"
Devon grinned.
"I know what you mean, though. Thanks for the company, Cloud."
"Anytime." Cloudie insinuated her arms around his waist, cuddling close, lying her head on his shoulder. "I mean that, Devon. Anytime you want someone to talk to, or just to hang out with..." She lifted her head and kissed his cheek. "I'd love to invite you in but…"
"You've got to get some sleep." Devon smirked. "I understand. 'Nother time?"
"Yes, please." Cloudie grinned, quickly kissing his mouth before stepping away from acute temptation. "See you 'round."Devon made his way back to his suite, walking slowly, expression pensive. It had been a very enjoyable evening. Cloud was - restful - to be with, easy to talk to, undemanding - he grinned to himself, well, undemanding when she wasn't fucking him, anyway! And easy on the eye, too. And responsible: he'd been surprised not to be invited in, and for a moment he'd felt almost insulted that she hadn't wanted him to stay, but she'd been in earnest when she'd said she had an early start, he could tell, and she'd already said she loved her work here...
They'd made no arrangement to meet again. But he knew where to find her - and she'd said he was welcome any time…
He suddenly realised he had a friend. It was a novel feeling. He rather liked it.Greg was waiting for him back at the suite, eyes soft and welcoming, and Devon relaxed into his embrace with a sigh. Greg was a gentle and considerate lover, warm and loving, bringing the younger psi to a slow, swelling, shattering climax that had him dropping into a contented sleep almost immediately, wrapped in the 'path's arms. Greg snuggled against him, holding him tenderly as he scanned the TK again. The 'path was fond of Devon, and very sympathetic: they had a lot in common…
And Pamela was satisfied with the results of the scan. Very satisfied. Devon was shaping up nicely.
© 2003 February 5th Joules and Lutra
Darkside