Gender Bender in a Blue Blender - 5. Chapter 5- Cousin-Meet

The four days that followed were a blur of exams, keeping appearances, and a flurry of family e-mails. Talon minimized the physical contact between him and Adain during the daytime to only appear intimate on campus. But, he'd kept even more distant at night. He knew that this was driving Adain insane. The blond could almost see the imp's gears turning in his head regarding him and his supposed crush. But they seriously had bigger things to worry about. If he was honest with himself, Talon would admit that he was scared about these new developments between them. For all he knew, Adain could be leading himself astray due to the added confusion of gender-swapping.

Did he enjoy the affection he received from Adain earlier that week? Yes. Aid had surprised him twice with determined kisses that nearly made him lose himself. But what if his fears carried a thread of truth? What if they broke the curse and Adain's feelings were only brought upon by his female form? After all, Adain could break his heart not just once but twice. He could come out uncursed and with zero romantic feelings for him. He could also ultimately end their friendship of two decades completely.

Talon found it incredibly difficult to forcibly distance himself from Adain, especially with the imp trying to break down his defenses in both forms over the last few days. He was never more grateful than when the Warlock's family members distracted him with more theories about their curses. The blond tried not to think too hard about the possibility of Adain being stuck in his state. The mood swings alone could lead his best friend to suicide.

"This is unbelievable," Adain said as he checked his e-mails. "Avery said the other Warlock-descendant families in their neighborhood are experiencing the same symptoms." He paused, reading to send Talon a look of utmost desperation. "Tal, what if this is some kind of disease going around?"

"A disease doesn't cause the same exact symptoms in every person, not to mention it would affect Witches, too, wouldn't it? If it were a magic-related disease, that is."

"Rosie and the other girls are convinced it's a curse and that at least one or more people are behind it."

"Have they made any headway in figuring out the conductor?"

"No. But the girls are studying those affected to see if they can narrow down anything specific. Avery thinks the memories might be tied to strong emotions, but there's no real way of knowing yet."

"And no one's any closer to anything regarding your curse?"

Adain pouted and turned off his phone's screen. The shorter man's reaction made the answer clear as day to the blond. His cousins prioritized the 'forgetful' curse since it affected the larger group of people, including their immediate family members. Because of it, Talon and Adain visited the Calistro men every day. The hope of his father or grandfather recalling anything regarding Aid's mother was gone by then.

Regardless, they revisited Adam and Alexander that day for any helpful information. That time, Talon talked to Adain's father while the shorter man hunted for his grandfather. "Adam, is there nothing you can tell me about Shay's sense of humor? What kind of pranks did she pull when you were younger?" Talon asked.

"She once performed a spell that replaced the black ink of all the pens in the house with a bright purple color," Adam recalled with a smile. "Alexander couldn't write checks to pay the bills until we found him another pack of black pens. Her jokes were generally harmless, and-" A frown formed on Adam's face as he couldn't remember any further. He then yawned and rubbed his face. "Would you like some coffee, Talon?"

"No thanks," the blond replied. "I'm fine." Knowing that he couldn't coax any more out of Adam Calistro that afternoon, Talon began to search for Adain to see if the imp had any better luck with his grandfather. As he walked down the hallway that led to Shay's room, he heard Aid's voice and paused.

"Mom, I don't know what was going through your head…but a genderbending curse that's permanent in two weeks isn't my idea of 'funny.' Though, it would have been fine if it was only a few days before dispelling, instead. I'd have surely laughed then."

Talon's hand curled into a fist when he heard the sadness in his friend's voice. He didn't know what more they could do going forward. Everything seemed to keep leading to a dead end. He instinctively flattened his back against the wall in an attempt to hide as he continued to listen in.

"Sometimes it feels like I'm the only one who wants to remember you. I can still recall when Uncle Terrence caught me braiding your dolls-around-the-world collection. He called me a sissy, and you kicked him out of the house. But, what he'd yelled that day always made me wonder if his words were true… that you'd had your heart set on having a girl, but I was born a boy instead. Even if you were here right now, I don't think I'd have the guts to ask you if it was true or not…."

The blond down the corner of the hall dropped his head back against the wall. He hadn't known that Adain had practiced braiding on his mom's dolls and that his uncle had disapproved. When they were kids, Talon was the one who had taught him how to weave in the first place. Unlike Aid's uncle, Talon's uncle was an openly gay and proud hairdresser with his own business. The blond enjoyed working with hair, too, and aspired to follow in his footsteps. So, to hear that Terrence Kelly had thrown that in his face made Talon angry on Adain's behalf.

"Eavesdropping isn't a very polite thing to do."

The whispered words made Talon gasp. He turned to see Alexander Calistro standing beside him. The aged man had silver hair, but his blue eyes and facial features were the closest to Adain's. Talon always likened the glint in the elder's eyes to the imp's. "I hadn't intended to, at first." He whispered back.

"My grandson-turned-granddaughter seems to be in quite the pickle," Alexander agreed. "My memory's not what it used to be. I feel ashamed that I can't help him more than I've already tried. But I'm glad he has you, Talon. Whether he can break his curse isn't as important as whether you can stay by his side during the process."

"I am… that is, I will," Talon stammered. "For as long as he wants me there."

The older man patted Talon's shoulder. "I'm relieved to hear it."

Talon wondered just what Adain had talked to his grandfather about regarding him. But, he hoped his actions proved his sincerity. The blond tried to push any correlation to anything beyond friendship from his mind. Surely, Alexander hadn't meant anything romantic in nature.

"What are you guys doing out here?" Adain asked when he turned the corner.

"I was merely offering my grandson-turned-granddaughter's hand in marriage to this fine young fellow," the elder teased.

Adain's face turned red faster than the flick of a lightbulb. "What?" He squawked as he grabbed Talon's arm and tugged him toward the living room. "Don't listen to any of his crazy plots! Anyway, the girls e-mailed that they're on their way."

Several minutes later, the imp's cousins arrived and joined them in the living room. That time, they brought snacks themselves. The room became tense when it was verified that the Warlock community might be cursed.

"I don't understand how us Witches are fine," Avery commented. "Not to take your situation lightly, but I think this was the best time for you to have a female form, Aid."

"Indeed," Rosie agreed. "You haven't been craving coffee at night, have you?"

"Not really," Adain replied. "But, fuck, you're right. I'm a male Warlock, too. I would have been affected."

"I think this is getting too big for us to handle," Avery pointed out. "We should take this to the council…the Laeramen need to know about this."

Talon raised a brow. Being part of the non-magical humans living in their town, he had completely forgotten that the magic community had a council and elders. Laeramen were similar to Warlock politicians. They helped shelter families discovered to be magic users. They helped keep humans like himself from knowing too much about their society. The Calistros had welcomed Talon over the years to the point that he even helped them remain concealed. But he definitely wouldn't be privy to any of that information otherwise.

"I'll set up an appointment with one of them," Rosie decided.

"Yeah, we can't just walk right in and demand to talk to them," Avery recalled. "Those old farts are traditional and generally obtuse." Her red-haired cousin glanced over at her just then. "What?"

"Nothing, it's just that I've never heard you use that word before," Rosie responded.

"How many times do I have to tell you I only use dumb talk with the popular group at school," Avery chided with a roll of her eyes.

"Are you running with the popular crowd now, Aid?" Rosie questioned as she motioned towards his outfit. "Those clothes do look good on you."

"I don't want to talk about that," Adain dismissed before turning towards Talon. "So, the current plan is to go to the lyceum and talk to Laeramen. We must return before dark, so let's head back already."

Talon acquiesced, and they ended up back at their apartment earlier than usual. The sun hadn't even set yet. Adain rushed to his room, likely to change out of his clothes. So, Talon took the opportunity to shower first. They crossed paths when the blond was on his way out. He was still towel-drying his hair and only had a pair of boxers on. At first, the expression on Adain's face was funny. But then, the way the shorter man looked at him changed. Talon couldn't remember the last time Aid's gaze raked him from head to toe so salaciously. He didn't think the imp had ever looked at him that way.

Adain held his change of clothes in one hand, and his towel was tossed over his shoulder. It was a damn miracle that his clothes hadn't fallen down like his jaw did just then. He'd seen Talon in many states of undress ever since they were kids. But something was different, and once again, he couldn't tell if it was the curse or just him. Were Talon's nipples always so pinkish-red?

"My bad," Adain finally spoke aloud. "I was going to shower, too."

"It's all yours," Talon admitted as he stepped into the hallway and gestured for Aid to head in.

"Right," Aid replied as he craned his neck to keep Talon in his field of vision.

"Aid."

"Hmm?"

Talon leaned down until their noses nearly brushed. "If you take a picture, it will last longer."

A blush bloomed on Adain's face, but he was instantly riled up. "You're looking for an ass kissing- kicking!"

"Need me to bend over?" The blond replied with a smirk.

"Ha-freaking-ha!" Adain contested as he shut the bathroom door.

The smile remained on Talon's face until he remembered that their interaction could be due to the curse rather than Adain himself. With a sigh, he walked over to his room to pull on his pajama pants and a sleeveless shirt before sitting on the edge of his bed and checking his phone. Sometime later, he heard a knock on his door.

"I'm fully dressed this time," Talon teased as Adain walked in. He was still in his female form, so his pajamas were a bit big on top and tight on the bottom. But, to the blond, it wasn't any less alluring.

"The sun hasn't set yet, and I want to affirm something," Adain explained as he walked over and sat beside Talon on his bed.

"About what?"

"Tch!" Adain hissed. "Just don't get mad and hold still."

Talon's eyes widened when the shorter man took hold of his face and gently kissed his lips. He did as instructed and did nothing to further the kiss, but the blond was still confused. Where was the imp going with all of this?

"And now we wait," Aid said as he let him go.

Talon witnessed the transformation right before his eyes for the first time since Aid was cursed. Adain's blue hair darkened back to black simultaneously as his black eyes lightened to the blue shade he knew from childhood. The Warlock's jaw, neck, shoulders, and torso widened until Adain Calistro sat before him. Talon didn't know what Aid wanted to affirm, but he was as confident as ever that his best friend was enticing to him no matter what form he took. He was still the gutsy, persistent, and energetic person he had fallen for.

"One more time," Adain warned as he again took hold of Talon's face and kissed him.

Talon closed his eyes, feeling better prepared that time, and tried his best to memorize how the soft peck felt. The difference between the kisses wasn't even noticeable to him. Any kiss from Adain made his heart race.

"When all of this is over, we seriously are going to have to talk," Aid stated. "Whoever your crush is…" Frowning, he rushed to the door and paused as he turned the handle. Without looking back, he declared. "I'll just have to consider them my rival!"

Talon looked on as Adain scampered off again. He covered his face with both hands and flopped backward onto his bed before laughing. That Adain considered himself his own rival was something that the blond had never thought would happen.

"What the hell just happened?" He asked aloud in the empty room.