this one took long enough... but hey, I do have a life... sorta... when I don't have to study Latin...

Sorry for no updates for so long but better this way than if I fed you some half baked shit, nah? You all expected some big sex scene, and I was tempted to do that, but- it's my story! Things go the way I say they go! Also, I'm fucking insecure (when it comes to writing a lemon) and I chew half my nails waiting for the reviews... my point being- all your support (reviews, favs, follows) is very appreciated :)

Reminder: this is 7th of 8 chapters! 8th is more like an epilogue, conclusion etc.

Enjoy?

What once was precious

Chapter 7

I didn't waste my time on some roaring entrance or stunning appearance, I was Ptolemy again, in normal nowdays teen clothes. Maybe I should've taken some other form (no-Ptolemy politics around Mandrake, remember?) yet I couldn't quite focus on any guise from my wide library of those. Couldn't quite focus on anything exactly.

Maybe it was this heavy air around me. Or smell of desinfection alcohol that hung onto people dressed in all-white who were running around the person in the other pentacle. May be the shaky way the bounding spell was being placed over me.

And just maybe all my attention was on the magician who summoned me. He was finishing the spell under his breath, pretending that he wasn't surrounded by lot of some medics who were chripping at the same time. They were taking care of Prime minister! Big peak in their career! So no one really cared about Mandrake as they all tried to treat him at once. I know little of medicine but somehow I doubt that it took ten of them, minus three that were busy staring at me, to clean the bloody gash on the right side of his forehead. Even if there was a lot of blood- some still trickling from the wound, some already caked in his hair. But, hey, every injury in the head produces lots of blood, doesn't mean he's badly hurt, right? I mean, he was able to summon me.

If you didn't guess already, I was growing restless in my pentacle. Summoned and then just plain ignored- is that how you treat great ancient spirits? What happened that he needed me? Why wasn't he saying anything? Was he mute because of the hit? What else would prevent him from stomping around and cursing whoever destroyed his hair and face?

My legs took me, half conciously, the furthest the pentacle would let me, trying to find an angle that would allow me to study the pale boy better. Hell, I had this itch all over me to just jump out and shoo all stupid doctors away then finally get the order to go after the attacker. (Funny how it never crossed my mind that it could be an accident, guess I didn't find Mandrake clumsy/stupid enough to bang his head into something.)

I mean- that's why I was here, right?

Mandrake, even paler than usually, seemed to have the same wish as I (the shooing-doctors-away part). His long fingers were clutching armrests of his noble chair and somehow I knew it wasn't the pain from the injury. His feet were tapping on the floor, out of others' sight, rather nervously. Well, looking from his perspective I guess there was a reason. None teenager should ever worry about being attacked, yet there he was- boy of barely nineteen, the Prime minister of United Kingdom, probably the richest youngster here- getting his head fixed up. Now, when you sum up everything- it wasn't too surprising. It was to be expected, for a man, a boy, on his position. Hell, I helped to organise his guards, I was his bodyguard at times, just to prevent this so expected event.

I had that saying 'history repeating' ringing like some mantra in my head. So true. I've seen many great kings, bold leaders, selfless heroes (not saying that he's any of that) get assasinated, I've seen Ptolemy pass away because he possed too large threat.

Why was I still so stunned then?

Trying to catch his gaze, I crouched in my pentacle resting arms on knees, now in level with his eyes. Attentive black gaze followed my movement and locked with my eyes. It was hard to tell, but his pupils were eerily large at the moment. Best guessing- he was afraid.

'' Tripped over your feet or your ego, Mandrake?'', I asked none too sympathetic, loud enough for him to hear me over the doctors' preaching.

'' Guess you'd know from expirience?'', he answered, ignoring the docs. He was really out of it, level of his witty responses was falling.

'' Gapping head and sarcasm don't get along.''

Our conversation, one of great importance, was interrupted by a security guard's, human one, entrance.

'' Mr. Mandrake, the house is secured.'', he stated in that emotionless tone they all use. Something between 'stick is shoved up my ass' and 'stick is shoved down my throat'.

'' Didn't you tell me the same right when we arrived to the Parlament an hour ago? Should I remind you what happened then?'', my master asked pointedly, killing with his glare so efficiently that even those doctor-fleas stepped back.. Well I guess he had every right to do that since it was the guard's fault.

'' My apologies, but-''

'' I don't need excuses but results. Bartimaeus, make sure they do their job right. Also, I've summoned ten more jinni- organise them. Abbey,'', he spoke to the guard, '' show doctors the way out.''

Eleven jinni? Kid was exhausting himself! And now sending doctors away? Not good, nah-ah.

Unwillingly, they departed, advicing Mandrake to rest and blah, blah,. He nodded his way through, probably rembering as much as I did.

Not until the door was closed for sure and all of them led downstairs by Mandrake's guard, did I dare to speak.

'' What happened?''

He rubbed his face tiredly and finally moved from the pondering pose. Since he walked pretty straight and didn't trip over carpet I had to conclude that he was more or less fine. Magician paid me no glance when I stood up and joined him by window from where we could see an ambulance driving away, journalists and reporters still piling around his house.

Soooo... he definately didn't trip over.

'' Mind sharing those deep, dark, important thoughts with me?''

I got a quick, side look and a shrug. Hey, at least we were talking, ehm- communicating, after a month of: ignoring from mine or his side/me teasing him, he smart-talking back/having that usual silent sex.

'' Right, so this must be one of those cases when human brain 'deletes' memory because it is too disturbing for the person-''

'' Shut up. It's nothing.'', Mandrake interrupted my diagnosis, eye twiching in annoyance.

Ha! It always worked! I congradulated to myself at the same time asking- fucking why did I try? Why was it important for me that he spoke up? But then again, I'm more of a jump-then-look-for-a-landing-place person so I just went along with sudden mother-hen impulse.

'' Mhm. Listen buddy, you were born with many fuck-ups and kinks yet open skull isn't one of them.'', I tried to cheer him up, point out bright sides, but for him glaring at the neighbour building had higher priority than me, ''It was an attempt on your life, wasn't it?'', I reached my hand to his forehead in an innocent (mark my words) try to see how bad he got hit.

Mandrake's eyes flickered to me faster than I thought possible, his hand caught mine like an attacking cobra and pulled me closer by it. Is sooo saw it coming! Sooo did!

Nevertheless, I was surprised like a fucking school girl when he did kiss me, hard and clumsy, our teeth meeting, but it didn't seem to matter to him as long as he got to plunge his tongue in my mouth. Force of this mouth-rape left me desperately caught in his arms, one still clutching my whirst, the other on my back, pulling me closer. He was so warm, hot even, when his arms locked around me, sliding over my lower back.

Part of me wanted to melt away right here, like last night, go with the flow and let myself enjoy.

Thanks god that there was also a rational part of me, the one wanting to jump out of my skin to avoid Mandrake's lips. And this time, joined with caring mother hen instinct, it was the stronger part.

'' What the fuck?!'', I stepped away from him, '' You're gonna just glue yourself to me every time your day doesn't go perfectly? Dude, let me clarify something for you- you just got hit in the head! Having sex isn't the first thing an injured person does!'', he tryed to look away through the window and pretend I don't exist, like so many times before. But this time he at least had decency to blush a little. Still- no response.

'' Great! Ignore me! That's all you do, after all, exept fucking me whenever you have a hole in your schedule!'', my voice picked up in it's frequency and I could fucking see myself standing in the middle of the room, yelling at his back, acting like a total hurt human she-man. Yet it felt good. I got in lots of arguments with Nathaniel before, but this was Mandrake, not ol' Nat, and I didn't get the... well- courage to go against him very often. But now? The twigy wanted to die from fucking after a head trauma? As if I'd let that happen! I didn't keep his sorry ass safe for years to see that happening! That would be like pissing on all my work through last decade!

My shouts finally got to him. Something, some dam holding everything behind finally broke.

'' Don't act like a pissy bitch!'', he even cursed when he faced me, all furious, his eyes bottomless. If I weren't even angrier than him I would step back and reconsider. Thanks to heavens that I weren't.

'' Me? A pissy bitch? Oh please, I wouldn't want to take your title.''

'' Just shut up! What am I supposed to do? Sit and cry that not all people like me?'', his voice was getting coarse as he picked up in volume, hands rising and falling forcefully.

'' Yes! You are a stupid human! And they tried to kill you! Crying! Shock! Fear! That's expected!''

'' Don't make me laugh. It already happened two times before! There are some anarchists after me- I'm a priminister, it is to be expected!'', he practically repeated my earlier thoughts. How cruel they sounded when said out loud...

Wait.

Two other times?!

'' And you were going to tell me that when!?''

'' I'm your master! Why would I tell you? You don't get to complain-''

'' Of course, my master.'', I started sarcasticly, but trying to calm the atmosphere with reasoning, if we continued like this he just won't hear me,'' But in your condition-''

A sudden smirk and scoff stopped me in tracks.

'' If you continue talking like that I might get an impression that you care, Bartimaeus.'', he teased, crossing his arms and tilting head, cruel smile tugging one side of his lips

But his eyes were off. They didn't fit in the whole careless stance.

I wanted to shout back some rather vulgar curse, maybe one of those Aztec which include much raping and bloodshed, but for anger that was shaking my body right now, it wouldn't be enough. I was angry that he didn't want to listen to me. I was furious that he was so careless about his own life. I wanted to jump out of my skin because he was so closed in his tiny shell! And above all, I was raging because I cared for his well-being more than he did, probably more than anyone else did.

Shouts weren't enough to experess it. Tears? Fuck those, even if I were able to cry. Sarcasm? Insults? Comments? None good enough crossed my mind.

'' Know what?'', I barely heard myself saying, ''Use that hole in your head, not me. Call this caring or whatever else you want, but I'm not fucking you into your grave.'', my voice was probably shaking like jelly, of fear or anger? Fear and anger?, but I paid no mind to anything other than his face. From snarling grimase it went into blank surprise, mouth gaping, trying to come up with a good retort, blinking, hardly comprehending those three sentences.

Can't blame him, I didn't understand myself either. At first I just wanted to prove my point but ended up, as I oftenly did, saying too much, right now I couldn't decide what I wanted more- deny all that I just said with some cruel joke or simply stay standing there, like someone pressed a pause when movie became too tense.

Frankly, in this pregnant silence, I felt more at piece than ever in last months. Relief, that was the strongest emotion on Nathaniel's face too. Maybe we were both just catching breath for further yelling.

And maybe not.

Only god knows who initiated it this time. It was enough counting. Like it even mattered when my lips met his, Nathaniel's hands reclaiming their spots on my waist, never having gone far. Our tongues slid along one another more gentle this time and our unconcious movements, as we leaned closer in other's embrace, were more fluid, surer than before. Skin of his cheeks was silky smooth under my thumbs, I realised now that I got the time to caress his face while he contined exploring with tongue through my mouth.

I would be ready to give up part of my eternity only for this, and similar actions, had my fingers not felt the edge of bandage on his head... which reminded me that there are more urgent things to do.

Picking up parts of my mushy brain together, I managed to say:

'' I'm gonna see now what kind of rubbish guards you found me to organise... stay alive til I return, 'kay?'', reluctantly I parted from him, glancing back on my way out.

One dumbfounded nod was all I needed.

Hmm. What to say? It turned out much different than it was originally planned... still good I hope... it's fucking difficult to write a touching scene and confesion with those two... -.-'