“Jason and Ferrin turned. Aram, face shiny with sweat, pulled a small pair of pants over his skinny legs. His shrunken hands trembled.Ferrin struggled not to smile. He was unsuccessful.Ferrin's involuntary grin forced Jason to bite his lip to keep from laughing. Ferrin noticed and began to shake, eyes watering.Aram hastily pulled on a shirt. Then he folded his arms, glaring grumpily up at the others. "Go ahead, let it out, have a good laugh."They did.Feeding off each other, magnified by the knowledge that their laughter was so inappropriate, their mirth was uncontrollable. Ferrin buried his face, attempting to compose himself. Jason stared at the ground, trying to summon sober thoughts."We need to go," Aram said indignantly, clambering up onto his suddenly oversized horse. Atop the huge stallion, he looked like a little jockey.Jason coughed out a final laugh.Ferrin shook quietly, wiping tears from flushed cheeks."Finished?" Aram asked. "You two are ruthless." He looked down at himself. "I guess it's quite a contrast.""We don't mean to rub it in," Jason apologized. "We've already seen you both ways. It isn't that big of a deal.""It doesn't help that you're so shy about it," Ferrin tried to explain. "It was more your expression than anything.""Let's leave it behind us," Aram said, nudging his horse with his heels. The stallion didn't respond.Ferrin buried his face in the crook of his arm. Jason ground his teeth.”

“If we can expect another journey tomorrow, we should secure horses," Ferrin went on. "And if the sun will be shining, perhaps a goat for Aram.""Keep it up," Aram dared him through clenched teeth."Is a goat too large and unruly?" Ferrin asked? "Maybe we should saddle a raccoon.""Odd how these taunts tend to fade after sundown," Aram growled, taking a large bite of bread."But a new day always dawns," Ferrin replied. "And we can all use some entertainment."Aram glowered. "Then perhaps tonight I should pull you apart and let the others puzzle you back together.""That's the spirit!" Ferrin applauded. "Taunt back! I get the sense you've seldom had to deal with ridicule."Aram appeared to be resisting a pleased little smile.”

“Jules sidled over to Jason and, without warning, slipped a single finger under the waistband of Jason’s pants. “I like the clothes,” he said as he looked up at Jason with a challenge in his eyes. Jason calmly extricated Jules’s hand, bringing it up between the two of them.“You don’t quit, do you?” Jason chuckled, realizing that he’d not only gotten used to the kid’s flirting, but that he was beginning to find it a little bit flattering. His face grew warm with the thought, and he hoped that Jules hadn’t noticed. “Nah. Quitting’s not my style.”

“Do they still hurt?" she whispered in anguished surprise."No," Jason said tautly. Shame washed over him in sickening waves as he waited helplessly for her inevitable reaction to the stark evidence of his humiliation.To his utter disbelief he felt her arms encircle him from behind and the touch of her lips on his back. "How brave you must have been to endure this," she whispered achingly, "how strong to survive it and go on living..." When she began kissing each scar, Jason rolled to his side and jerked her into his arms. "I love you," he whispered agonizedly, plunging his hands into her luxuriant hair and turning her face up to his. "I love you so much...”

“Jason had to bury his face against her shoulder to keep from laughing out loud. She was just so damn cute. “Stop laughing at me! I’m a threat, damn it!” Jason pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. “No, you’re my sweet little grasshopper.”

“Jules rested the violin and bow on the case and sat down next to Jason. He hesitated for a moment, watching the older man with uncomfortable intensity, then reached for Jason and brushed a single tear from his cheek. For Jason, the touch was electric, and his physical response unexpected.“Bach always touches my soul,” Jules half whispered. His fingers still rested against Jason’s cheek. “He must have known great love, and great pain, to write something so powerful.” Jason realized that his own pain must be showing on his face, because Jules, too, looked sad."I’ve never been religious,” Jules said, his eyes never leaving Jason’s, “but I played this piece in a tiny church once. It was like God was there with me, speaking through me.”When Jason remained silent, Jules leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips. At a loss to explain the intense emotional and sexual response of his own body and equally unable to stop himself, Jasonreached for Jules and returned the kiss. The younger man’s lips tasted of wine and musk, and Jason realized that he was hungry for more.”