Shelf-Made Man

Chapter 14

Chapter

Fourteen

“ A bsolutely not.”

That was Alfie speaking, although Aunt Virginia had said pretty much the same thing. Tobias had outlined his plan and the two of them had instantly vetoed it.

Except he was a grown man, dammit—grown troll, whatever—and capable of making his own decisions. Neither of them could stop him. And neither had any alternative suggestions. Unless you counted Alfie’s demand that Tobias dump him in Snjokarl’s lap and then skedaddle back to his bungalow, his laptop, and his nuked Trader Joe’s meals.

“I’m going,” Tobias said stubbornly. “I won’t drag you with me against your will, Alfie, but if I need to, I’ll go alone.”

“You’ll be killed—or worse! I told you what Snjokarl is like, and he has a host of trolls to help him. They guard him always. You can’t beat him by yourself, and I would be of little help.”

Tobias knew all that. He was also aware, at some level, that his insistence was foolish. But he also knew that if he didn’t at least try, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself. He shrugged. “Today is a good day to die.”

Aunt Virginia huffed, and Alfie said, “That’s a terrible thing to say. You’re young. You have so much life to live.”

“I was quoting someone else. I don’t really want to die. But I get the sentiment. And Aunt Virginia, you’re the one who told me to stop locking myself away.”

“I meant you should date, not go on suicide missions.”

“It’s not a—” Tobias rubbed his forehead instead of trying to finish the sentence.

“I don’t understand your intentions,” said Alfie. “You could be free of me and all the dangers I expose you to. Instead, you choose to singlehandedly confront a sadistic elf who has a large retinue of brutal guards and who will not be dissuaded from persecuting me.”

Tobias twitched one shoulder. “That’s a reasonable summary.”

After a moment, Alfie stood and, light-footed, crossed to where Tobias sat. He spoke quietly. “Is this because you are a troll? Are you trying to prove that you’re not beastly like the others?”

Tobias was more fatigued than angry. “I’m not trying to prove anything. Look, I might not have known my true identity until today, but I do know I’m not a murderous asshole. My mother raised me better than that. In fact….”

He stood, which made Alfie retreat a few steps. Tobias wasn’t trying to intimidate him, but he was going to make a little speech and felt he ought to do so on his feet instead of slouched in the torture chair.

“My mother marched for women’s rights and gay rights. She volunteered with community organizations to mentor young people of color. When she saw injustice, she spoke up. She wrote letters, cornered politicians in their offices, donated money, posted signs, gave lectures…. She made her voice heard. And as a single parent, she took in a baby troll and made sure he always knew he was loved. She taught me that nobody should abuse their power, and that it was worth making personal sacrifices for important causes. She also taught me that if a battle is important enough, sometimes you need to fight it even if you know you’re going to lose. Especially when nobody else is going to rise to the challenge.”

For a moment, his little audience simply stared. Then Aunt Virginia stood, came to him, and wrapped him in a gardenia-scented embrace. “I am so proud of you, Toby. Your mother would be too.”

He hugged her back—gently, because she felt frail—and they both sniffled a bit. Then she pinched his cheek and returned to her chair.

That left Alfie, standing like a statue of an elf in poorly fitting clothing, his eyes as bright as flames. He came closer to Tobias—and then dropped to his knees and bowed his head. “Please forgive me,” he said, his gaze trained on the floor.

It took a moment for Tobias to recover enough to answer. “For what?”

“I have behaved abominably. Your behavior on my behalf has been nothing less than heroic—I acknowledged this myself—and I have distrusted you, maligned you. I have treated you poorly, Tobias, and for that I am deeply sorry.”

“You’ve had terrible experiences with trolls. I’m a troll.”

“And I have judged you by that rather than by your actions, which was a terrible thing to do. And I knew better! I saw your beauty from the very beginning, and yet I stupidly turned away from that.”

Kneeling must be uncomfortable for a guy who was still recovering from torture. Tobias held out a hand and helped Alfie to his feet. “I think I’m a pretty decent person, but I’m not beautiful. You don’t have to?—”

“But you are!” Alfie grasped Tobias’s hands with his own. “Don’t you understand? Just as trolls have particular talents, so do elves. One of those is that when we look upon a person, we see past their skin and faces and bodies. We see their true selves. That is how we judge beauty. And you, Tobias, are gorgeous.”

That wasn’t an adjective Tobias had ever expected to be applied to him, but Alfie seemed sincere. Deciding that this was one of those situations where actions spoke louder than words, Tobias grabbed Alfie’s shoulders, bent a bit, and gave him a kiss. He wasn’t sure whether Alfie wanted this, so it was a tentative kiss at first. Just the gentlest connection of lips. But Alfie immediately made a desperate sort of moan and threw himself into the activity wholeheartedly. As Tobias had noted before, he tasted like mint.

It was the type of kiss that made you momentarily forget that ill-behaved trolls were trying to kill you and that you were standing in the middle of your godmother’s parlor. For a brief time, nothing in two worlds mattered except that kiss. It was monumental.

But kisses cannot go on forever, unfortunately. Alfie and Tobias separated, both of them breathless and wide-eyed. Aunt Virginia, meanwhile, was watching with an expression of satisfaction. “That, Toby, is the way to carpe your diem. Well done.” She stood and brushed imaginary crumbs from her clothing.

“Sorry, Aunt Virginia. I’m being rude. I’ll just?—”

“You’ll do nothing at this moment. You two are going to stay—no arguing, boy—where you’ll be safe from attack.”

Alfie argued for him, which was a nice change. “My lady, you are exceedingly generous. But we cannot stay here like caged birds.”

“Nobody knows that better than I do. Sometimes a prison is mistaken for a refuge. But you can spend tonight, at least, and face your difficulties in the morning, refreshed. My spare bedroom hasn’t been used in decades, and I haven’t had the opportunity to entertain since… well, it’s been far too long. Besides, it’s the holidays. I will provide a festive meal for all of us today, the pair of you will get a nice night’s sleep, and you’ll be ready in the morning to conquer your demons.”

While Tobias was set on facing Snjokarl, he wasn’t in any hurry to do so this exact second. He’d experienced a series of trying days, and a little break would be nice. Besides, since this would likely be the last time he’d see Aunt Virginia, it would be nice to spend a little extra time with her.

“How can we help, my lady?” Alfie looked eager.

“Please get the spare room ready. You’ll find cleaning supplies and fresh linens in the closet. Feel free to get some rest as well. I’m just going to change and then I’ll go out for provisions.” She clapped her hands. “I find myself so looking forward to a holiday meal!”

Tobias glanced outside, where the sun shone brightly. “Um… I could go pick up groceries.”

“And risk getting attacked? I think not. I won’t order a delivery either.”

“But—”

“But I’m a recluse?” She smiled at him. “Yes, I honestly can’t remember the last time I went out in daylight except to a doctor appointment. But that, my dear, is because I am a great fool. I’m still alive, and I ought to act like it. If you can face an evil elf, I can most certainly do a bit of shopping.”

He thought he’d lost that cinnamon-roll feeling, but now it came back. He’d inspired Aunt Virginia to be brave.

Alfie, however, looked concerned. “Will you be safe, my lady? The trolls?—”

“They can’t harm me. Nor you, as long as you stay within this apartment. And I must get moving before the day grows later. I estimate that my errands will take approximately two hours.” She winked at Tobias before sweeping out of the room.

That meant Tobias and Alfie were alone, which was a bit awkward. A lot of emotions had passed between them today. Tobias knew what he wanted to do—grab Alfie and make out until they were unconscious from lack of oxygen—but he didn’t know what he ought to do. Or what Alfie wanted.

Luckily Alfie saved him. “Shall we go prepare the room, as she suggested?” He smiled.

“Okay.”

Tobias hadn’t actually been in this room since he was a young boy. He and his mother used to sleep there during their visits—she on the bed and he in a nest of cushions and blankets on the floor. It had changed very little since then, with an ornate four-poster still dominating the space. There was also a shelf stuffed with books and a dresser that matched the bed. Although the furniture was made of dark wood, the room was far from gloomy, thanks to the large windows with views of the bay. One of the windows had a built-in seat, and as a child Tobias had loved sitting there and watching the activity on land and water below .

“The photos are of you.” Alfie turned slowly as he took in the decorations on the walls.

“And Mom, yeah.” School pictures of each of them from every year, along with high school and university graduation shots. But also a few photos of the two of them together—at the beach, at Disneyland, in the desert—with Mom looking radiant. None of it had the feeling of a shrine, but he had the sense that these photos were important to Aunt Virginia.

“Your mother was stunning. Such a beautiful family!”

They were, weren’t they? Tobias had thought he lacked Alfie’s elfin skills to see inner beauty, but it turned out that wasn’t true.

As promised, the closet contained a set of lavender-scented sheets, along with a broom and dustpan, a dusting cloth, and a few other odds and ends. More than enough, since aside from a bedding change, the room didn’t need more than a quick tidy. Tobias wondered whether Aunt Virginia had a maid service or managed the cleaning herself.

“Oh, look at that!” exclaimed Alfie, pointing at a large box made of clear plastic.

“Holiday decorations. Aunt Virginia used to let me put them out.”

Alfie’s eyes sparkled. “Do you think she’d mind if we did that now? I don’t want to upset her, but some holiday cheer wouldn’t go amiss.”

No, Tobias decided, it wouldn’t. “Why don’t you go decorate the dining room while I tackle this room? There’s not much to do in here.”

In answer, Alfie danced close, tugged Tobias down for a kiss on the cheek, and then grabbed the box and danced away. The entire time that Tobias swept, dusted, and made the bed, his skin tingled where Alfie had touched him.

His task was soon complete, and when he went to check on Alfie, Tobias gasped at what he found. In a short time period and with only a box of simple ornaments, Alfie had transformed the dining room into a holiday marvel. Glass ornaments in gold, silver, red, and green hung from the chandelier and were scattered artfully on the large table. Artificial tree boughs that looked real were twisted around the curtain rods, helping to frame another lovely bay view. Electric candles flickered on the tabletop, the sideboard, and the windowsills. And in the center of the table, several small porcelain elves were perched on skis with wrapped gifts in their hands.

“Not bad, yes?” Alfie looked very pleased with himself.

Tobias pointed at the elves. “They’re not enchanted too, are they?”

“I don’t believe so. They say Made in China on the bottom.”

That was a relief. Tobias was thrilled to have met Alfie, but a single elf had certainly brought a sleighful of problems. He didn’t want to think what half a dozen could do. Besides, he couldn’t wish from the bottom of his heart for all of them to be real.

“When will the countess return?” Alfie asked. There was a certain sparkle in his eyes.

Tobias glanced at his watch. “Hour and a half, I guess.”

“Time enough.”

“For wha?—”

Before Tobias could complete the question, Alfie had grabbed his hand and was dragging him toward the bedroom. He was fairly strong. But Tobias was a lot bigger and hadn’t been tortured or turned into a doll, so in theory he could have resisted.

He didn’t.

As soon as they were inside the spare room, Alfie shoved the door closed and threw himself into Tobias’s arms. It felt wonderful to Tobias, just holding him, feeling his solid body and the warm tickle of his breath. His pointed ears flushed rose-pink.

“I behaved like an ass and treated you atrociously. If you are too angry or hurt to want me, I understand. I’ll?—”

Tobias kissed him.

Yes, he had been upset, but he also understood why Alfie had behaved as he had, and Alfie had admitted he was wrong and apologized. Tobias wasn’t prone to holding grudges. And he felt deeply for this creature who had brought literal magic into his mundane life and had helped him understand himself. Not just the part about being a troll, but the rest as well. Because of Alfie, Tobias considered himself brave and capable and, well, heroic.

Also, Alfie felt lovely and smelled like candy.

Tobias would have guessed that making out with Alfie would be a bit uncomfortable due to their height difference, but bending down a little was no hardship, and Alfie sort of half climbed him anyway.

“May I undress you?” Alfie panted.

“Gods, yes, please.”

“I’m afraid we shall have to be rather rushed due to the countess’s imminent return. Which is a shame—I should prefer to savor you. But I doubt I’d last long anyway. You overwhelm me, Tobias.”

Fast, slow… Tobias was eager for Alfie any way he could have him. But he stopped Alfie’s roaming hands for a moment. “Are you sure you feel up to it? You’re injured.”

“The only pain I feel now is the burning of my desire.”

Tobias, who wasn’t capable of matching Alfie’s fancy talk, decided that actions spoke louder than words. Laughing, he scooped Alfie into his arms, carried him across the room as if he were a bride, and set him down on the newly made bed. Alfie gazed up at him, seemingly delighted. “A man who takes charge! Delightful!”

“I’m not really….” Tobias felt himself blush.

“Tell me what you want from me, please. It would bring me great joy to give you exactly what you wish for. ”

That was a dizzying offer. “Well… you could start with more skin.”

“Of course!”

As Tobias fumbled with his own buttons and zipper, Alfie stripped out of his clothing so quickly it must have been magic. And there he was, naked: pale and sleek and perfect despite the few lingering bruises and healing wound. His tattoos sparkled and spun hypnotically.

Tobias, on the other hand, was chunky and hairy and decidedly imperfect. But still Alfie stared at him bright-eyed and grinning, cock hard, one hand reaching for Tobias. If he was faking desire, well, he was a damned good actor.

“What next, my Tobias? Please tell me it involves touch. I so very much want to touch you.”

Tobias responded by joining him on the bed.

A lot of touching happened after that—with fingers but also with lips and tongues. Tobias took care to avoid Alfie’s sore spots, but that still left plenty of elf to explore, and of course Alfie had veritable acres of troll to play with. Play being the operative word, because while their connection was intense enough to make them gasp and moan, to make Tobias’s blood roar through his body, it was also joyous and fun. They laughed together as each discovered delightful things about the other. Sex for Tobias was not only rare; it had also been destination-oriented. This time was all about the journey.

And what a journey it was !

By the time he and Alfie collapsed onto the mattress together, sweaty and sated, their time was nearly up. But neither was in a hurry to get up and dressed. Tobias liked the natural feel of Alfie snuggled against him, as if they’d been created to be together, as if they’d been doing this for years.

“Imagine,” Alfie said after a gentle kiss to Tobias’s shoulder. “If we are this good on our first try, imagine what we could manage with a bit of practice.”

“We could win medals.”

“I had thought I’d want to adventure with you, given the opportunity. And I would. But if we were granted more time, I’d want to spend much of it in bed with you. Making love, yes, but also talking. Simply being —together.”

They sighed in unison, knowing it was nothing but a fantasy.