When among Dragons... Chapter 11 Discoveries

by Machara and Chryos Stormwing

Special thanks to
my love Chryos who creates this with me,
Gabe as my editor and friend

Garrus hummed, still focused on each other’s ministrations.

“As much as I’d love to, I’m not sure either of us can lift the other, at the moment.“

A hint of sarcasm shone through Garrus’ humor.

“I'm afraid I’ve got to ask you to…“ he harrumphed “… step down.“

He gently nudged Drew to let him loose and hurried to the fireplace after having garnered his freedom. Grabbing a few pieces of wood, he put them on the remaining embers. He paused however as he held his hand above the flames that were lapping up again after a few moments.

“What's going on?“ Drew wondered.

Startled, Garrus got up and then returned to Drew. As the first flames started blazing again he sat down next to him and gently touched Drew’s cheek with his hand.

It was smolderingly hot, but to his surprise, it didn’t actually hurt and felt rather calming. The sensation of warmth quickly spread and Drew’s whole face felt heated up after a moment as if the whole room had been heated for a good while.

“It doesn't burn.“ Garrus goggled. “Errr I mean… it doesn't hurt.“

Having watched Garrus at the fire, Drew looked at his half-brother’s hand in astonishment. It didn’t look burned at all.

“Uh… how are you doing that? Why are you not hurt?“

At first Drew retreated back, slightly flinching, but then he just closed his eyes, letting Garrus’ hand touch him again and he found he enjoyed the warmth.

“I’m not doing anything.“ Garrus exclaimed. “I just put some wood in the furnace and noticed that it didn't hurt in the slightest. Normally, when you put your hand in areas of such immense heat it'd be at least uncomfortable. That wasn’t the case here… at least not at those levels of temperature. I’m not going to test the limits though… still… cool find! Maybe later, when we know more, though. If we're going to be mutants then there might as well be some boons to it.“

Garrus sat back on the sofa with Drew.

Drew eagerly nodded at Garrus.

“But it's more than that, I think. I had the feeling that the heat did not harm you because at least part of it traversed it unhindered and you might have absorbed another part of it. I mean that it did not just warm up your body but that some of the warmth was converted into energy. Maybe inadvertently you even amplified or controlled it. The heat emanating from your hand felt similar to as if I was standing close to the fire itself.

Normally if a person exposes a limb to a different temperature it changes its temperature slowly to a degree - aside from possibly damaging tissue. It did not feel like your body was conducting the heat - for instance like metal does - and giving off the heat that way. Rather it felt like your hand was the heat source. My head felt warm just like that, and not just the front where your hand was. I felt it radiating through and down my body. But it felt a little different than if I just stood before the fireplace. Or at least it felt different to how it did before our changes.

I wish we had some way to really test this out. I hear the PAX and some private people have test facilities to determine mutant powers.“

Drew yawned.

“This warmth makes me sleepy.“

He grabbed and pulled Garrus towards him onto the couch so his whole body lay alongside his, comfortably on the cushions…

“Why do I feel so… “ yawn “… sleepy?“

He cuddled his head to Garrus’ neck.

As quickly as he had dozed off, Garrus was left with a sleeping Drew in his arms. Not feeling tired in the slightest though, Garrus remained with him in that manner for only about an hour before he got up and took care of some stuff around the house, checking in with Drew occasionally to make sure he was alright. Around noon, Garrus’ mother returned from her trip and he caught her at the door so as not to wake his half-sibling. Being the motherly figure in the room, she found him adorable sleeping there and agreed to let Drew rest. Garrus took her to the kitchen to talk about the things they had experienced so far.

Hera sat at the small kitchen table, taking a freshly brewed pot of tea and poured the liquid into her own and then her son’s cup. Feeling more at ease now, she sighed.

“I've been driving around the place like a maniac. Two stores and three offices may not sound like many, but it felt like it to me. I only got a few tips, unfortunately. It's difficult to find a place to work. I don't have an education in the local law, so I can't get a higher job - yet, at least - but people also tend to say that I’d be overqualified for a secretarial job.

So, I'm afraid I have to continue to search and look to improve my education.“

She paused, looked at her still full cup, frowned at it, drank a few sips and put it down again. Then she faced her son with a smile.

“You look like your day has not been entirely devoid of action, either?“

Garrus smiled as she poured him that cup of tea. Closing his eyes, he curiously sniffed to determine the flavor.

“Mh. Vanilla… good one.
Let’s remain in our mother tongue, I don’t want to play lost in translation with this.
I’m sorry that you did not find anything yet. But hey, this is just the first day. It will take me a while until I can have my first day too. Anyway So… consider yourself lucky.“

He took a sip and sighed, unwinding. The tea was scaldingly hot, but it did not seem to bother him. Garrus then explained in short extracts what he and Drew did in the living room, including the experience with the ember and heat.

“I hope you understand why I did not want to translate this in my head, first. On the other hand, considering what our father ‘demonstrated’ to us yesterday, it would be foolish to assume we would just get off with barely noticeable changes.“

Garrus paused and sighed.

“I would have preferred to be able to perform some kind of police service. Well, we will see…“

Hera chuckled.

“Your days in the hospital must have seemed like out of another life to you. Stagnant, somehow?
Our life did not stand still. I have experienced quite a bit in the last month here, and have gotten used to talking English so much that I did not even consider speaking German, now. Unfortunately, this is not my first day looking for a job, but it’s not all black. Beside my anxiousness concerning you two and some other frustrations, I have learned a few things and had fun with it, besides savoring the time with Marian, of course…“

She grinned across both ears.

“Yesterday evening was a revelation. Everything makes so much more sense, now. I have to confess that we did not sleep half of the night. After the first shock was over and we sorted our emotions somewhat, we talked extensively about your father. For a long time, I have had the feeling that there was more to him. And I’m not talking about another woman… I really hated him. But yesterday… it changed something. He felt more human again after he had seemed like this monster, to me. Ironic, somehow, considering how he looked…“

She rolled her eyes and then stared into her half-empty cup, remembering Horst’s alien look that had grown to be a bit more normal to her considering the changes her son underwent. She took another sip and continued.

“Maybe I cannot yet forgive him, but I can face him, now. It helped appease some emotions.

I think you need him, to learn to handle your changes. You are more alike than you think, and I’m not talking about your… abilities. I’m not even sure I’m surprised about your experience with the fire from what you described to me… Just look at your hand…“

Hera gave a short laugh and gestured to it. Looking at it, the hand that Garrus had in the fire now seemed more claw-like.

“Maybe he can even help you to find a place in life. Maybe you can ask him?“

Garrus eventually looked at her, questioningly.

“You mean…“

He stopped his sentence as he was not sure what he actually wanted to say, the concept Hera had introduced him to felt alien.

“Why should I want a job under him? Sure, I can try…“

He still looked rather skeptically.

“But I don’t like it. He just steps into our lives again and just like that, I should find work through him? Let’s just wait and see what happens this evening, ok?“

Garrus looked at her again, gently. With his changed features, this seemed more predator-like.

Hera smirked.

“I did not mean a job with or through him… But he might be able to give you some pointers. As to how much you want to allow him back into your life… that's your decision.

Suddenly she looked surprised.

“Oh. I switched back to English. I guess I got more used to it than I thought… To be honest it feels better like this… a new chance, new … lover… Wow, that sounds so cheesy.

She held her hand in front of her mouth.

After a moment, she relaxed again and looked at Garrus, at first just like that, but then more closely to study him. She carefully put a hand on his… his claw, felt it, and stroked his arm. Slipping closer towards him, she looked at his face.

“You look so different. It's still a bit strange.“

Garrus looked at her bemusedly as he noticed her switching languages and chuckled for a moment.

“It is, though, isn't it? And weird as well. It feels like I’m less sensitive to the heat but more so to the airflow… I noticed that earlier when I felt a draft of air flowing towards the fireplace after I had lit it. I don’t know if that is a direct result of the changes to our bodies or some other indirect change caused by our mutations.“

He hummed in thought and grinned at her.

Hera returned his grin and hugged him. At first, it was tighter than he had expected, and then it changed and she snuggled more. In a flash, he remembered the last evening where Drew had snuggled up to him and the similarities confused him.

“Maybe not all of it is because of your changes. I'm excited but also scared about what is happening to you and what you experience. I wonder how it all fits together. It's like watching a crime movie where you try to puzzle together the whole story before it unfolds.

I always wondered how it would be… you know… That question is now more relevant than ever to me. If it weren’t for all the problems that come with it, I wouldn’t mind having a bit of what you… got.“

She had talked with fascination and empathy, looking at Garrus’ claw-like hands with a smile. She then turned more serious.

“How do you feel about it all? Do you have any idea how to approach your new life?“

Garrus held Hera for a little while longer but drew back again as soon as she loosened the hug because of his confused feelings.

“I… guess not, huh.“ Garrus answered somewhat forlornly.

“I don't have a plan… though I was taught to always have one.“ He chuckled.

“Guess there are situations in life where your … education and upbringing fails you. I think we have to take it day by day.“

He paused and then noticed a detail in what Hera had said.

“‘Have what I got?’“ Garrus quoted, questioningly.

“You mean… the changes? I could say ‘trust me, you don’t want to’, but… honestly? No idea.“

Garrus was surprised Hera was so open to the idea and felt a hint of eagerness in her.

“We may have yet to see the full extent of them.“

“Relax dear.“

Hera smiled.

“You don't need to know exactly what to do. It's also about attitude.“

With conviction, she continued.

“Maybe what happened to you isn’t bad. I'm sure there are a lot of good sides to it that make you want to take the bad ones in stride. I've read up on impressions from affected people. Some were very inspiring.“

Hera suddenly seemed more awake and stood up.

“Now, how about you help me make dinner? You even get to choose what we make.“

“Make dinner?“

Garrus looked up at his mother. Infected by her eagerness, he thought and had an idea.

“Oh, I know. There was this smoked pork I’ve been wanting to try. We've had it in the fridge for two days now. Should be ready to be cooked, right?“

Garrus grin looked a slight bit toothier than what she had been used to but it was friendly, nonetheless.

“Sure, dear. Since you seem to know the recipe, why don't you lead?“

They moved to the kitchen workspace and Hera followed his directions. That felt odd to Garrus since it had previously always been the other way around and it was such a long time since they had both worked in the kitchen together.

After having done most of the work and the pork had been put in the oven, Hera asked.

“I wonder how this evening is going to play out. Horst feels almost like a stranger to me now and I can't anticipate him. I don't know whether to feel scared, angry or apprehensive.“

For the most time, Garrus was focused on the work at hand. As she spoke to him again, he paused scrubbing a cutting board and looked thoughtful. Before responding he put it in the dishwasher.

“Well if he's a stranger to you, you can imagine I’m no better off than that. I have no idea what to expect of him, of course. I guess… 'uncertain' would fit the bill. He is - put as plainly as I can think of - an unknown quantity in this whole thing. For all we know, he could've had something to do with our manifestations themselves, after all… Though I guess that's a too far-fetched possibility. I just hope he doesn't want to bunch me in with other mutants, or something. As interesting as it would be to get to know those people - assuming he knows any - I don't think it's for me to be in that kind of 'organization'.“

Hera turned to Garrus, contemplating the possibilities of his suggestions.

“I think we should just keep an open mind and see what he has to say. Were it not for your changes, however, I would not want him in this house.“

After wiping the work surface that she had used clean and dry, she turned her back to it, leaned against it, and looked through the door into the living room.

“I think dinner is almost ready now and just has to simmer and rest. I'll prepare the table. Why don’t you go and look for Drew?

I hope Marian is not delayed this time, she should be on her way back from work, by now.“

“I guess… I think as far as reasons are concerned for going undercover, his seem to be a pretty solid one. Though that's not to say his having two relationships at the same time - and without consent… “

Garrus trailed off.

“You get what I’m saying…“ he implied.

Abruptly he stopped his babbling and nodded to her in agreement, putting the plates and cutlery on the table.

As he entered the living room to look for Drew, he heard keys turning the lock of the house-door. He turned to see Marian enter, hang up a coat and set down her bag on a small table in the hall. While she seemed casual enough initially she remained rather taciturn - only offering simple greetings - and focused on getting a bottle of white wine and some glasses. She sat at the living room table and only glanced at the others. She poured herself a glass and took a few sips. She sighed with some frustration and deflated into her seat, waiting for the others to join her. It was mostly Drew that kept up a conversation once he joined the others at the table. Marian remained rather passive and only gave short answers and that soon affected Hera. Garrus focused on serving dinner and was rather vocal about how well dinner turned out and that it was “fit for the gods“, digging in with gusto. While Drew noticed the somber mood he tried not to be deterred and attempted to rouse the others into conversation with some cheerfulness, however, he steered clear of the difficult topic of the previous evening. While Garrus managed a neutral attitude he too remained rather passive when it came to day-to-day conversation. After dinner was finished with a second empty bottle of wine remaining, the two mothers went out on the patio for some fresh air.
Garrus returned the dishes to the kitchen. He was in a pensive mood and had preferred to just observe the others, the good food being a respite from the general atmosphere. He then realized he had felt oddly disconnected from Drew since his time with him on the couch by the fireplace in the afternoon and thought it was high time that they spent some more of it together and so the half-siblings headed up to their rooms.

As they arrived at the landing of the stairs of the upper floor, Drew halted when they stood between his and Garrus’ room. He turned to Garrus and studied his expression.

“You barely said anything at dinner… other than enthusing over the admittedly wonderful food. I couldn’t stand the rain clouds that seemed to have been hanging over our mothers… I can't stand this gloom.“

He stepped closer to him, looked up, and smiled.

“You need to cheer up, as well. Come with me…“

Drew grabbed him by his collar and pulled him after himself. Garrus found himself sitting on Drew’s bed and being cuddled by him, energetically.

Garrus let himself be drawn in.

“Awwwrrr.“ he purred.

Grabbing Drew in turn, right then and there on the bed, Garrus pulled Drew on to himself, caressing his sides. After a while, he pulled him down against his own body, his arms tightly locked around Drew, and Garrus enjoyed the warmth and closeness with closed eyes.

“If there was any gloom about me then it was because I was longing for this…“

Caressing his head now, Garrus looked into Drew’s eyes.

“This is all so strange to me, still… and yet it feels like I’ve missed it, for so long.“

Drew smiled as he looked back, putting a hand behind Garrus’ neck to pull him even closer, giving him a slow kiss. Pulling back, Drew smirked.

“Aren't you the charmer? Seems like you're head over heels in love.

Not that um…“

Drew’s light lilac cheeks turned to a darker more intense shade.

“… I don't feel something similar.

I don't feel strange, it’s just new. I've heard a bird telling me that your feelings of strangeness will fade, soon enough.“

Garrus let out a sigh and watched his half-sibling with a sheepish grin. He sat upright once Drew started explaining, though.

“I… guess? Strangeness? What kind of bird have you been talking to?“

He grinned.

“I mean… it's no secret, especially to you, how strange this …. transition is, by itself.

I would very much agree though, that what I'm feeling for you is kind of head over heels.“

He turned more serious, still smiling.

“Not that I’m complaining, what with your beautiful heels and such.“

“Heels?“

Drew looked down, wondering what Garrus meant.

“Hmph. Well… your… heels.“

Garrus looked down, ogling Drew’s feet, gently grabbing one of his now more paw-like appendages that Drew had laid on the bed in some angled fashion. He began to caress them gently, one after another.

“I’m just being silly… hon. But you have noticed their changes?“

Gently nudging his nose with his own, as Garrus returned Drew’s previous kiss.

Drew looked at his feet more closely and raised his eyebrows as he saw the differences. Aside from the scaled pattern he had gotten used to, even if it was more pronounced now, the toe pads were bigger and broader as they now hosted claws but the rest of the shape had gotten more slender and thinner, being pronounced by the longer bridge. If the changes continued like this, he doubted his heels would remain touching the floor for much longer.

“Hm. Interesting. I did not notice those changes before. I assume they'll look like our dads, soon enough.“

Drew hummed in thought but soon turned to Garrus again, smiling with mischief.

“Relax your lips, dear, don't force your kisses so much…“

He moved his head closer to Garrus and held both sides of his face, tenderly.

“Let me try…“

He returned the kiss after a moment, having given Garrus time to react. Drew pulled him closer, one hand now holding his back, and touched his lips to Garrus’, very softly, just playing with them for a bit…

“Uhhh… better.“

Drew pulled a pillow from Garrus’ back to cause him to flop back onto the bed. He rolled on to him, sitting on his lap, smiling down at Garrus.