They cleaned up their mess and headed for their separate bedrooms.

Now it would come, Larry thought as he settled into bed. There was no point in pacing or sitting at the desk now that he knew DeVere could drop him with a thought. Better to get comfortable before it happened than to wake up with his neck in knots.

Larry lay with his hands behind his head and waited. Nothing happened.

He turned on one side, then the other. Still nothing happened.

By the time 11:30 rolled around, his anxiety had faded into boredom. At home he’d have watched some TV, but that wasn’t an option here. Okay, well, DeVere might let him get away with it tonight; you never knew what kind of mood he’d be in. Larry just didn’t want to test him.

Well, then, what else could he do to distract himself? That was easy. Jimmy hadn’t bothered to mindfuck him tonight, but Larry was more than capable of taking care of himself. He slid his boxers down and took his dick in his hand. Then He thought back to the belly dancers jiggling their hips, making him wish he was the one moving them that way. He began to stroke. Belly dancers. Chains of coins. Jingling. Laughter. Flirty smiles as they danced toward him.

Larry wasn’t even a little bit hard.

It was all right, he told himself. DeVere had made him too nervous; he just had to relax a little more. Try again. Belly dancers flipping their hips as they wriggled around his table. Glimpses of flesh beneath their veils. Red lips and gleaming smiles. Larry laughing. Jimmy laughing.

Now we’re getting somewhere. Keep it going.

Jingling coins, graceful movements. Candlelight flashing off gold chains, off glistening lips, off shining teeth. Scarlet veils sliding back from smooth, pale flesh.

Getting closer now, so strong and fast. Like he hadn’t come in years.

Soft lips. Flashing teeth. Jimmy’s laughter. Coins glittering. Silver now instead of gold. Jimmy’s chest. Moonlight. Jimmy dancing across the ice. The arc of Jimmy’s arms and the sweep of his legs and the bulge in between them-

Larry came, groaning, growling, ecstatic, defeated.

Relieved.

He couldn’t make any excuses this time. He hadn’t been dreaming or sleep deprived or under direct control, but he’d come just as hard as he ever had for Jimmy. In fact, now that he thought about it, he’d come harder for Jimmy than he ever had for anyone else. The realization made his cock stiffen all over again.

This was his reward for giving in. Larry was surprised at how happy the thought made him.

Why had he held out so long, anyway? He’d never stood a chance against DeVere, but for some reason he’d insisted on fighting. It didn’t make sense. He’d been like a man banging his head against a brick wall while another guy stood by offering aspirin and a neck rub. The best neck rub of Larry’s life.

Deep down inside, Larry heard a tiny voice still screaming resistance; but he didn’t want to listen anymore. All he wanted now was to be swept up into the strongest pair of arms he’d ever known.

Larry told the voice to shut up, and it did. Then he came even harder.

Trying to predict Jimmy’s reactions was useless, but Larry had the right to expect something after last night, didn’t he? There was no way the vampire could have missed what happened. Even if he’d been asleep, Larry had made enough noise to wake the dead. Hah.

No, DeVere had heard him, all right. Maybe he’d even watched somehow. Anyway, he definitely knew what Larry had done, and that meant he had to feel something about it. So why was he hiding his reaction?

Larry couldn’t hide anything anymore. He was scared, but less so than he had been—and he could admit now just how scared he’d actually been. He was embarrassed, but only a little, even when he imagined what his teammates would think. And he lusted after Jimmy even more today than he had last night. He couldn’t bury it or smother it or pretend it wasn’t jutting plain as day through the fabric of his skating pants.

He was a slave, all right. DeVere owned him body; mind; and yes, even heart. Larry hadn’t realized how much he enjoyed Jimmy’s teasing, his androgyny, his general...Jimmy-ness...until it was gone. Some of it had been an act, he knew; but the new, more distant Jimmy was even more of an act. Larry would have begged him to stop, but he couldn’t form the words.

Desperate now, he started trying to make Jimmy notice him, handling him more gently during the lifts and throws, executing his own moves with more flourish. It didn’t work. Jimmy gave him no commands, no rewards, nothing but an occasional “good, good” or an encouraging clap. It was like he was pretending to be human. A boring human.

Finally Larry tried saying “I love you” right to Jimmy’s face, but he couldn’t get the words out. Jimmy never even looked at him; he just clamped Larry’s lips together with a thought and kept right on practicing.

Larry wasn’t deterred. It was a puzzle, he told himself. He was missing an important piece, but he would find it. Then Jimmy would take him further, deeper. He’d take him all the way.

Okay, Larry told himself, think about it strategically. Jimmy didn’t want to hear that Larry loved him; that was obvious. But then again, Jimmy already knew how Larry felt. Hmm, maybe he wanted someone else to know. Maybe he wanted everybody to know.

That evening in the Confession Closet, Larry folded his hands between his knees and leaned in toward the camera. “I have a real confession to make tonight,” he said. “I didn’t say anything about it before because it was too embarrassing, too...scary. But I’m not embarrassed or scared any more; I’m just lonely. Jimmy’s been acting cold to me these last few days, and...I want him to warm up to me again.”

He swallowed, looked side to side, and took a deep breath. “I want him to like me. To love me. Because I love him.”

There, it was out. Larry shuddered with relief. “I know this recording is encrypted and no one will see it until later, but that doesn’t matter. Jimmy knows what I’m thinking, and he knows what I’m about to say.” Larry looked straight into the camera lens. “Jimmy DeVere, I love you. I want you. And I’m ready for the next step.”

He stood up and walked proudly out of the closet.

Larry tossed Jimmy with more fury than he’d felt since Detroit. He’d done everything Jimmy could possibly want, and still there’d been no dream, no revelation, no change in his beloved’s attitude. Even worse, tomorrow was their final day together. What would happen after the exhibition? Would that be the end of their relationship?

For a moment Larry wondered if Jimmy was a cocktease. Maybe he’d only wanted to humiliate Larry all along. Well, if that was what he’d been after, he’d more than succeeded. Larry couldn’t take his confession back, and no editor in his right mind would leave it out of the broadcast. The old Larry Szymanski was dead, and the new one was too vulnerable to survive without help. Jimmy’s help.

In spite of everything, Larry still loved the little twerp. He’d confess it all over again, too, if he thought it would make a difference. He’d only been allowed to say those words once, but he’d enjoyed thinking about them ever since.

“Jimmy DeVere, I love you”—those words felt so true to him now, even though he knew they weren’t. Jimmy had twisted his brain like a Rubik’s cube; Larry knew that. But Larry liked the new configuration. He felt happier than he ever had before...or at least, he would once Jimmy warmed up to him again.

Larry felt sure that would happen. At the start of their relationship, Jimmy had delighted in frustrating him; but now that Larry was more frustrated than ever, Jimmy just seemed bored. Like he was marking time.

Jimmy DeVere wasn’t a cocktease, Larry told himself. He was waiting for something.

Confessing his love in the Confession Closet had been a piece of the puzzle, Larry thought, but he was still missing something. There was something he had to do, to please Jimmy; and he only had one day to figure it out.

What if he failed?

Stop worrying and just think. Flourishes in the rink weren’t enough, telling Jimmy he loved him wasn’t allowed, and the Confession Closet was allowed but wasn’t enough. What else was there, then?

Larry gnawed it over all day until Jimmy put an end to their practice. He patted Larry’s back as they headed out, and it was all Larry could do not to rub his shoulder against Jimmy’s hand.

“Nice job today,” said Jimmy. “You’re just about ready for the exhibition. How does that make you feel?”

Larry glanced at Jimmy sidelong and caught a flicker of affection in his eyes. After all the useless brainstorming, it was enough to give him a ray of hope. So, would Jimmy be willing to give him anything else? The guy was in a better mood than he’d been all day; maybe he’d be drop a few hints if Larry asked in just the right way.

He couldn’t speak too openly because Jimmy wouldn’t allow it, but maybe he could get away with a coded plea. Larry thought for a moment, then said, “I’m pretty happy, Jimmy, but I have this nagging feeling I’m missing something. I’ve been trying all day to figure it out, but so far I haven’t got shit. Can you give me any advice?”

Jimmy’s eyes twinkled. He seemed to approve of the request, but all he said aloud was, “You’re doing great, Larry. You don’t need any more advice.”

That didn’t tell him anything, but Larry refused to give up. He was in too deep now; he couldn’t survive without this bizarre, wonderful little creature in his life. “No, listen, I really think I do. I’m not the brightest bulb in the pack, you know.”

A grin flashed across Jimmy’s face and was gone. “Nice to hear you finally admit that, Szymanski.”

Larry laughed. There was the old DeVere again, just for a second!

Jimmy tilted his head as if in agreement. Then he smiled again, letting it linger this time. “Okay, tell you what. I’ll let you have the evening to yourself. Go somewhere quiet, where you won’t be distracted. Then just spend some time thinking about everything that’s happened in Boston. Lay it all out like a line of dominos, like a puzzle. You’ll get it in the end.”

Somehow Larry knew that was all the help he’d get. He nodded and tried to be grateful. “So where will you be?”

“Well,” said Jimmy, “since I’m off the hosting hook tonight, I guess I’ll just turn in early. See you later!”

In the end, Larry decided to stay at the practice rink. He found some leftovers in the break room and took them to his bench, then munched in silence as he stared across the ice. It was easy to ignore the cameras by now.

His thoughts turned back to the last two weeks—not four weeks, since Jimmy had only told him to think about Boston. He remembered Jimmy putting him through the wringer, then comforting him and saying his body had to learn a new way of moving. He thought about Jimmy’s unnatural strength, the way he read Larry’s mind and inserted himself into it. He thought about the many dreams where Jimmy had come to him in bed and the one dream where he’d come to Jimmy.

That was the important one, wasn’t it? Yeah, it was! Larry focused on the memory, replaying it in as much detail as he could. The moonlight. The silver. Jimmy looking at him, not through him. Jimmy’s surprise and happiness turning to disappointment. “You’re not ready yet.”

Not ready...not ready...Okay, giving in hadn’t made Larry ready, nor had confessing his love; so what would do the trick? And why had Jimmy’s expression changed right before he said Larry wasn’t ready?

Just like that, it came to him.

Larry almost ran over the Life Swappers on his way out the door. “I’m going back to Jimmy’s apartment,” he said, then belatedly tried to play down his excitement. He couldn’t have the cameramen sticking around all night; even Jimmy would want a little privacy this time around. “Don’t worry,” he told them. “Nothing’s going to happen that the stationary cameras can’t handle.”

Unfortunately, Larry lacked Jimmy’s powers of persuasion. The Life Swappers followed him up to the apartment and stuck around even though Jimmy’s bedroom light was off and his door closed. They refused to give up until Larry faked sleepiness and started undressing. Then at last they said good-night.

Larry hid his excitement as he ushered them out the door. Ohh, yes. It was going to be a very good night.

He finished undressing and slipped back into the hall, knowing Jimmy wouldn’t stop him this time. He didn’t welcome Larry into his bedroom either, but Larry wasn’t expecting him to. The point was that Larry had to come to Jimmy of his own volition, more or less. He had to drop the final veil and present himself nude, in the flesh. Ready.

Slowly, quietly, Larry opened the bedroom door.

Jimmy lay on his back as before, with one hand across his chest and the other upturned on the pillow. But he was awake this time, and he smiled to see Larry in the doorway. “I knew you’d figure it out,” he said.

Larry was too relieved—and too awed—to respond.

Jimmy beckoned and Larry approached, his cock stiffening a little further with every step. By the time he knelt beside the bed, he was fully erect.

He could just see the red recording light in the corner of his vision, but he ignored it. All that mattered now was Jimmy, raising himself on one elbow and letting the sheet slide back from his hips.

Larry gasped. He’d seen every inch of Jimmy’s body—and touched and tasted it—in dreams, but they really had been dreams. He knew that now, seeing Jimmy in the flesh. The falling sheets made him look like a sculpture newly revealed: a god, perhaps, or the world’s most perfect man. But this sculpture lived and breathed and smiled at him, inviting him closer.

Larry reached out one trembling hand, and Jimmy nodded.

It wouldn’t do to be bold, not now. Larry traced his fingers along Jimmy’s hip and lightly stroked his ass. His muscles were long and lean, not bulky like Larry’s, but harder and more defined. The angle of his hip bone was completely ordinary, but at the same time it was utterly irresistible. Helpless, Larry leaned in to explore the indentation with his tongue.

Jimmy chuckled and rolled on his back.

Larry pulled away, afraid he’d gone too far; but he accidentally brushed Jimmy’s cock in the process. It felt even stronger than his thighs. Larry’s own cocked leaped at the thought of taking it into his mouth; dreams couldn’t possibly have done it justice. He raised himself higher on his knees, anticipating the next command.

Jimmy turned again and sat up, placing his feet on the floor and opening his legs in invitation. Larry crawled between them and laid his hands on Jimmy’s inner thighs. They were so warm, so firm, and that glorious cock jutted inches from his face. Was it time? Did he dare?

Jimmy took Larry’s face in his hands and pulled him up, kissing him harder and more passionately than Larry had ever been kissed before. Their tongues whirled around each other, fighting, exploring, demanding. They panted into each other’s mouths, mixing their breath and their groans. Larry’s hands crept forward on their own.

In response, Jimmy’s fingers slid up the side of Larry’s face, then raked into his hair and thrust Larry’s head back down between his legs. Larry took him in eagerly, trying his best to remember all he’d learned in dreams. He had to please his owner. Larry did belong to DeVere; maybe he’d belonged to him from the beginning.

But he wasn’t a slave at all. He realized that now. Larry was a prized possession, a trophy Jimmy had won in competition.

It pleased Larry to think of himself that way. He imagined himself in Jimmy’s cabinet, right next to the Olympic medals. Maybe he’d be plated gold, too: a mindless testament to his owner’s power. If that was what Jimmy wanted, then that was what Larry would be. Gladly.

His balls were so heavy now, his cock throbbing; but he knew without question that Jimmy’s needs came first. Larry concentrated harder. Wordless commands flowed through his mind and he obeyed them, learning to read Jimmy’s cock like a map, finding the surest routes to pleasure.

Yes, there! And there! And there! Jimmy’s fingers twisted in Larry’s hair and he clenched those wonderful thighs, rocking his prize back and forth. Larry’s cheeks puffed around his cock as he fought to stay focused. He still couldn’t come yet; Jimmy didn’t want him to.

A burst of sweet/salty fluid filled Larry’s mouth and he swallowed, joyfully taking more of his owner into himself. But still Jimmy wouldn’t let him come, even when he leaned forward and rested his sweaty torso against Larry’s head. What was he waiting for?

“Come up here,” he said at last, and Larry crawled onto the bed. It seemed wrong to put himself on the same level as his owner, but Larry thought he understood. This was something else he’d longed to experience, and after all this time, he finally had the chance. He turned his back to Jimmy and bent over.

Jimmy laughed. “That’s sweet, Szymanski, but it’s not what I want. I’ve already penetrated you to the core; tonight I want to surround you.”

It took Larry a few seconds to work that out. When he did, he was slightly shocked and more than a little disappointed; but what could be more obedient than giving Jimmy exactly what he wanted? It didn’t matter who was on top, Larry realized; Jimmy would control him, no matter what.

Larry clasped his lover’s hips in his hands and slid into him, nervously at first. He’d never done this before or even dreamed it, and he wanted desperately to perform well. Jimmy’s sighs and his clenching muscles reassured him on that front. And, God, it all just so tight, so firm, so unbelievably right.

Then the commands came back and taught Larry how to make it even righter.

His head swam, feeling Jimmy’s thoughts thrust into his mind even as he thrust himself into Jimmy’s body. It was like making love on a Mobius strip—or maybe with a Mobius strip. The ride was endless, looping on long past the point of Larry’s orgasm.

It was the best sex he’d ever had, and what pleased him most about it was knowing he’d pleased Jimmy more.

Larry woke the next morning with his head in the crook of Jimmy’s neck. His lover was awake and watching him tenderly. “Morning, Szymanski,” he grinned, going from soft to impish in a blink.

Larry sighed happily. “Morning, DeVere,” he said. He studied the other man’s face, replaying the events of last night and amazing himself all over again. He wouldn’t take anything back, not even with that red recording light still gleaming in the corner. Joy burst like sunrise in his mind.

But hold on. There was something about DeVere’s smile, something Larry had forgotten last night in the midst of everything else.

Jimmy waited as he puzzled it out. “You didn’t bite me,” Larry finally realized.

“No, I did not.”

“Why not?”

Jimmy gave him the look that used to piss Larry off no end. Now it just made him feel silly. “Why would I?”

“But you’re a....Wait, aren’t you? A vampire?”

Jimmy feigned offence. “God no, those horrible pests? They breed like flies and then die like them. I’d never even speak to one.”

“Ooo-kay.” Once Larry’s mind had righted itself, he had a dozen new questions. Only one was really important, though: “What are you, then?”

DeVere smiled again. “What was that word on Ronnie’s list, the one you always struggled not to call me?”

“F-faggot?” Damn, Larry hated even remembering that now.

Jimmy was unfazed. “No, but you’re on the right track. Ffff-” he prompted.

Larry thought a moment, then gaped. “Wait, you guys really exist?”

Jimmy looked down at himself wryly. “Well, obviously.”

Once again, he’d completely, wonderfully defied Larry expectations. But speaking of those- “You let me think you were a vampire, though. You read my mind, and you played along.”

“Yeah,” Jimmy shrugged happily. “I did.”

“Why? Because it was funny?” Larry was grinning even before he finished the question. Of course that was why Jimmy had done it.

They laughed together; then Larry gestured tentatively at Jimmy’s mouth. “So why the, um, the teeth? You can look however you want, right?”

“I’ve always been the iconoclast in the family. Besides, even perfection gets boring if you stick with it long enough. Eccentricity is much more fun.” Jimmy tousled his hair. “But enough with the questions; we have to get moving. Today’s our exhibition!”

The Life Swap team showed up while Jimmy was fixing breakfast. Larry let them in and walked them to the kitchen, then wrapped his arms around Jimmy and dipped him into a passionate kiss.

The Life Swappers looked on calmly.

“Damn,” Larry muttered, standing Jimmy on his feet again, “these guys are more hardcore than I thought.”

Jimmy reached behind himself and cupped Larry’s cock in one hand. “Not really. They’re just seeing an altered version of reality at the moment. As far as they can tell, we’re standing here chatting about coffee.”

Larry turned in his arms, reluctant to move Jimmy’s hand but needing to see his face. “So...wait. This isn’t being recorded? I hoped everyone would get to see what you’ve done to me.”

“Don’t worry.” Jimmy tapped Larry’s lips, silencing him and demanding his full attention. “Everything that can be explained in human terms will end up on air. I gained certain...permissions...when the Life Swap producers let me customize our contract.” He gestured at the slightly-bored team. “I can make them witness one thing and record another, then change their memories after the show airs so they never know they’ve been manipulated.”

Jimmy squeezed Larry’s hands. “And just think: I have ten times the control over you that I have over them. They never agreed to put themselves in my hands, but you did.”

Larry shuddered at the idea, then frowned in confusion.

“Yes, you did,” Jimmy told him. “It was at the end of our first practice session. Of course, you didn’t know what you were doing at the time, but now that you do, I don’t think you’re sorry.”

He winked, then grew serious. “But here’s the rub, Larry. Without permission, I can’t use more than a little glamour to influence human beings. I could make your teammates like me, but I couldn’t actually control them.” Larry would have shuddered again, but Jimmy’s expression stopped him.

“You see what this means, don’t you?” his owner asked. “We don’t want to spoil the surprise for our Life Swap viewers, but I can’t alter the thoughts of everyone who might see us together. So, Larry, we can’t be seen together until after the show airs.”

Larry’s face crumbled. He’d made so many plans for them, just since he woke up this morning.

“It’s okay,” Jimmy murmured. He laid a hand on Larry’s cheek. “We’ll only be apart for a few weeks; I’ll put a rush on our episodes. Besides, you don’t get to be my age without learning how to appreciate delayed gratification. It helps the centuries pass. And, baby, we could pass a lot of centuries together.”

Larry smiled.

They’re playing our song, Larry told himself as he swept across the ice with Jimmy. He’d hated this music when he thought it was taunting him, but now it had become the story of his life.

Unfortunately, the chorus had a bittersweet resonance right now. “Our time is running out,” he sang silently, knowing Jimmy could hear him even though no one else could. “You can’t push it underground, you can’t stop it screaming out!” Not forever, anyway.

Larry tried to pour every ounce of his love and devotion into the routine, but he wasn’t allowed to show much to the crowd. To them he just looked dedicated and, hopefully, like he was having fun.

Larry wondered what the Life Swap viewers would think when they saw this scene on TV. They’d have watched the pair make love by then, so they should understand a little of what Larry was going through right now. Some of them might even notice the song lyrics.

He and Jimmy completed their side-by-side triple toe loops, then came together in a final spin that ended with Larry dipping Jimmy into an almost-kiss. Unfortunately, they couldn’t complete this one.

The crowd erupted, cheering and jumping like they’d just seen the Stanley Cup final.

Larry grinned around the arena, then back down at his lover. He would have given anything to finish their kiss, but it was impossible. Instead he pulled Jimmy to his feet and gave him a huge bear hug. Then, as they separated to pick up the thrown bouquets, he snuck in a manly pat on the ass.

Jimmy laughed.

“Okay, there’s one thing I have to know,” Larry said. He stood on the steps outside Jimmy’s apartment building. Pedestrians passed by them on the sidewalk, and the Life Swap bus idled at the curb.

“All right,” said Jimmy. He swung his hip toward Larry’s, teasing and tempting.

Larry pretended not to notice. It was Jimmy’s game, testing Larry’s own control for a change. “What if you’d been paired with some other hockey player or, hell, a football player or something? Would he be your boy toy now, and not me?” Larry dropped his head and looked at Jimmy’s hands, wishing he could hold them. “Did I just get lucky?”

Jimmy gave him a mental caress. “Well, you did get lucky....But no, I wouldn’t have taken anyone besides you. I wouldn’t even have applied to Life Swap if you weren’t on board already. I’d have found some other way to get what I wanted.”

“And you wanted...me?” A month ago, Larry would never have questioned anyone wanting him, but he’d learned a lot since then.

Jimmy put his hands on his hips. “Yeah, Szymanski, you. You were pretty rough around the edges, but I thought you’d polish up nicely.”

Larry laughed, then sobered as he met his owner’s eyes. “I wish we didn’t have to wait so long to be together.”

“Trust me, honey: this is less than a blink in the grand scheme of things. Besides, we can still hook up in dreams. And see, I have something to help you pass the time.” Jimmy pulled out an mp3 player adorned with the Wolverines logo.

“Did you make that yourself?” Larry joked, but only half-heartedly. He was still too miserable about leaving.

Jimmy beamed. “Had it custom painted. Then I chose some more songs for you to think about. You can start listening on the drive to the airport.”

Larry sighed and nodded. He imagined leaving Jimmy with a long, lingering kiss; and Jimmy fed the image back to him with such intensity that for a moment it might have been real.

The sensation faded, and at last Larry climbed aboard the Life Swap bus and waved goodbye. In moments, Jimmy had disappeared from his view.

Larry sighed and plugged in his earbuds. Then he turned on the mp3 player and laughed as the first song came up. He hadn’t heard it before, but the band was the same one he’d been listening to for the last couple of weeks. He banged his head along with the bass guitar, then sobered as the lyrics kicked in:

It’s bugging me, grating me

And twisting me around

Yeah I’m endlessly caving in

And turning inside out

’cause I want it now

I want it now

Give me your heart and your soul

And I’m breaking out

I’m breaking out

Last chance to lose control

Looking up at the Life Swap team, Larry realized they were still living in Jimmy’s dream world; they wouldn’t notice anything he said or did right now. It really was his last chance to lose control.

Larry Szymanski burst into tears.