Chain Male by Naomi Brooks Angelia Sparrow Page A

three and then grabbed a handful of carrots and celery.
    "You need the Porta-John before I take off?" Chad asked as they cleaned up.
    "Yeah, thanks." Jace made a quick dash and came back in a couple minutes. He settled himself on his chair. "You should go watch the fighting. A field battle is always fun to watch."
    Chad got up and kissed him. "You're okay?"
    Jace gestured to the fine chain he'd been linking before lunch. "Getting a lot done. I always do at events."
    "Not mad I'm gone?"
    "Would I be sending you out if I was? Go, see everything you want to. I get you all night." Jace pulled him down for another kiss. "It's pretty sweet being out of the closet in a relatively safe space, isn't it?"
    Chad nodded. "I think I can do this. Maybe even in real life."
    Jace smiled, then turned his head at a loud blatting noise. "That's the horn for the field battle. Go have some fun."
    Chad wandered off in the direction of the noise.

    * * * *
    The massed armies charged at each other, archers laying down a covering fire. The sound of wooden swords clanging off of metal shields made Chad's ears hurt. He watched as the men with blue tape on their helmets battled their way to the castle of hay bales. More archers in the castle thinned their ranks even more. The dead warriors made their way to penalty boxes off to the side.
    "What are they trying to get?" he asked the lady who sat watching and knitting a sock on three needles.
    "See the chest in the castle? That's the prize."
    A horn sounded again. The woman with the staff who was keeping the fighters in the penalty box shouted, "I am the resurrection and the life, time in!" They thundered past her to rejoin their sides.
    The castle beseigers' ranks swelled, but more archers came in from the back of the castle. Finally, a small group holding very big shields did an old Roman maneuver and broke the defenders' ranks.
    Chad wandered off to the shelter house not far away. All sorts of objects, leather and mail, clothing and calligraphy, wooden trinkets and paintings lay on the tables. He browsed along looking at everything. A group of women sat spinning and he watched that for a few minutes. One couldn't get the rhythm of it and kept winding and dropping and nearly tangling herself in it. He grinned and walked on when she let out a string of antiquated oaths.

    * * * *
    Chad finished the stew and settled back in the chair with a sigh. "You are such a good cook."
    Jace gave him a grin. "I like having an audience. It inspires me." He washed the dishes silently, throwing little smiles at Chad. As he hung the mesh bag up to dry, he said, "Speaking of inspired, wait 'til you see what I have for you tonight."
    Chad looked up sleepily. "Tonight?"
    "Yeah. The private household sale. We are still on, right?"
    "That's where I wear your sexy stuff? Can I have a blindfold?"
    "You can have anything you want, babe." Jace bent in and kissed him. "Except an orgasm. Gotta have you hard for that show. They have a big tent set up and there will be some heaters under it. I've got a little portable, just in case. Don't want you catching cold."
    Chad swallowed hard. He hoped he wasn't in over his head. This was really more than he was sure he could deal with on his first day of no longer being unicorn bait. Jace would be with him the whole time. Jace would make sure he was all right.
    He watched Jace close the booth. He loaded a single chair, the moneybox, one of the torch-holders, a single table and Jace's walking staff into the little wagon. Jace set a couple small totes on it and the axles creaked. He dropped the big black cloak, some black cloth and a batch of rope into the wagon as well.
    "Now, if things get too intense for you, and they might, just say apples. Can you remember that?" Jace said as he took one of the wagon ropes and gestured for Chad to take the other.
    "My safeword is apples?" Chad quoted disbelievingly. "Jace, you don't even own a TV. How the hell can you be watching Castle ?"
    "Streaming