" "I can understand that," I said." "I can understand that," I said. "I've done that." "Then we get to the part you have trouble with." "Sex." "Right," he said. "Ken, when you were thirteen... were you ever thirteen?" "A long time ago. Yes, Aaden, I was thirteen years old once. I came up the old fashioned way. I remember it vaguely." "Just checking," Aaden said. "When you were thirteen, were you interested in sex?" "Gods, Aaden!" I replied, laughing softly. "Was I interested in sex? Of course I was! I wanted 'it,' and I didn't even know what 'it' was!" "The same is true of Khai. The same thing is true of all of them. The hormones hit at this age too, Ken, as puberty sets in. That's all I really am, is the person who wants to guide them through adolescence." "But do you have to have sex with them?" I asked, wincing slightly just to think about it. In the back of my mind I remembered my own, recent attraction to Priss, and remembering how hard it had been for me to deal with that. "I don't 'have' to do anything, Ken," he said, correcting me. "I'm not going to lie to you. I never have, and I never will. I love sleeping with Khai; I love the feeling of trust, of love, that I get from touching him, holding him close, and yes... fucking him." He watched me shudder as I turned my head away. "And when we have sex, he fucks me as well, Ken. Fair is fair." "Why, Aaden? Why?" "Because it's what he wants." He finally did reach out, placing his hand on my knee. I looked up suddenly, right into those soft brown eyes. "Listen, he could get these three things... Acceptance, teaching, and sex... from three different people. But he doesn't. He gets them from me." "But you're so. |