We agreed to meet an hour later in the lobby, which allowed me to return to my residence to change. It was then that Helmin spoke up. 

"You do not need to wear your charms. They itch. Wear better."

"You've never complained about my clothing choices before." The exchange from last night seemed to have a marked difference on Helmin. It made me wonder what else my Mateo do to change us. 

"We were not with our treasure. I was not as aware. Dress better."

I settled on black slacks, comfortable dress shoes, and a dark blue silk shirt. I braided the sides of my hair and twisted them together at the back of my head so it would stay out of my face and show off my pointed ears. 

When it was time to meet Mateo, I used the employee passages to reach the front of the resort. The hallways were quiet this late into the evening. When I exited the employee door near the lobby, the only one present was Felven. They rarely slept, and from what I understood, they were very particular about their work schedule as well. 

Felven's eyes widened, and their tentacles seemed to shiver slightly upon seeing me. "Greetings, Quinn. You look very appealing this evening."

"My thanks, friend." I was reminded of Felven's initial call when Mateo arrived. "In regards to my services for Mr. Valentino, there will be no fee."

"That's highly unusual. May I ask why?"

I smiled as Mateo arrived in the lobby. He was dressed for an evening out in slacks, a purple cotton button-down shirt, with a black tie that matched the evening jacket he wore along with the dress shoes. 

"No, Felven, not tonight." I left Felven's side as they made an interesting sound and joined Mateo as we walked out the front entrance to the waiting vehicle. 

We entered the vehicle, and the automated driver pulled away, heading for whatever destination Mateo had arranged. We occupied the back seat together, and as the vehicle left the resort behind, Mateo reached for my hand. I enjoyed the feel of his hand in mine. Helmin practically purred. When the vehicle arrived at its location, I smiled. 

"A museum?"

"Well, yes, but that's not why we are here. This museum has a planetarium. I remembered one of our sessions where you pointed out the stars by their fae names. This planetarium does a presentation entirely based on fae stories."

"How did you manage to have it open this late?"

"Ah, well, Felven is a bit of a miracle worker."

Well, I suppose I wouldn't need to answer Felven's question after all. Once we left the vehicle, an attendant met us at the front of the building and escorted us to the planetarium. We chose our seats in the upper middle of the elevated area. As the show began, Mateo took my hand and held it while the holo presentation, along with a hologram of a fae dressed in traditional garb, presented our stories. Many of them I had not heard since I was a child. 

When we returned to the resort, I escorted Mateo to his room. "Would you like to come in for a nightcap?"

"You're being very formal considering everything from the night before."

"I am trying very hard to make up for the night before. You should have been treated with more respect and grace. My desperation made a mess of it."

"I don't think Helmin would agree."

"Helmin is still learning. Give it time," said Mateo with a smile.

The worm was still quiet. Except for my clothing choices, it had remained that way the entire evening. Maybe Mateo was right.

Mateo held out his hand, and once again, I took it. He led me into his room and then to the couch. There I was deposited while he hung his dress jacket then poured two single measures of fae spice whiskey. I had not seen or tasted it in a long time.

"Are you trying to make me drunk?" I took the glass from him as he sat next to me.

He shook his head. "I know the whiskey is potent, but mostly I wanted to make sure you were welcomed here. Not as my pseudo-therapist, not as hotel emergency management, but as my friend, and someone I care about."

That was a marked difference. The whole night had been actually, but to hear Mateo state it was something of a surprise. I took a sip of whiskey and was reminded of my youth. Bonfires and celebrations. Ceremonies and life. I looked at Mateo, and his lifeforce was strong, his aura peaceful. He was more stable than I'd ever seen him in all the years he'd visited me for help. 

I drank a little more and set down the glass. "Maybe, before anything else happens, we should take a moment to observe."

"A reality check?" He chuckled, "Fine, with me. What is it you observe?"

"While last night was somewhat of a necessity, and tonight has been pleasant enough so far, expectations of more seem like so much false hope."

"Why would you say that?" Mateo drank, and I took a deep breath. 

"My life is here. You also have companions and others you are concerned about. Anything that happens here is temporary."

"I see." Mateo set down his glass. "You want to know my intentions."

I thought about that for a moment. "Yes. Please. I think that would be best."

He smiled. "I do not know what the future holds for me, but I do know that I would enjoy it less if you were not in it, in whatever way you wish. I would like to be your friend. Yours and Helmin's. I would like to be more, but that is for the both of you to decide. 

"My companions and others are safe. I do know that much. But they are kept at a distance by the compulsion spell. If I could remove it, I would. But it would not make a difference in my feelings for you. 

"As for tonight, my wish is to spend time with you. To show you that I can, in fact, behave civilly and maybe charm you a bit." He grinned. "I would not mind taking you to bed either."

That made me smile. "I would not mind that myself. It has been a while." I noticed my skin color shift to a deep rose. Mateo leaned forward and kissed me. While some have called me reserved, I felt more myself than I'd been in a very long time. Each kiss opened another hole in the dam of emotions that I'd walled away after my brush with death and transformation into Helmin's host. 

Mateo unbuttoned my shirt as I undid his tie. He pressed kisses to my flesh and Helmin's as I worked at his shirt. Then, a gentle nip from his fang at my ear made me gasp.

"Was that a good sound or a bad one?"

"Good. Very good." 

"Excellent."

I sighed as I worked his shirt off his arms. He paused at his nibbling to do the same with mine. He nipped more, and I did not hold back the noises that my throat made in response. 

"Shall we move this to a more comfortable location?" I made some noise in the affirmative. Mateo pulled away, which caused me to follow. We kissed and danced in circles until we found ourselves inside the bedroom. Shoes were discarded next, and then slacks as we sought out kiss after kiss. I fell back onto the bed, and Mateo followed. Each movement that brought us to the center of the bed pressed us closer together. 

Mateo smiled as he kissed me a few more times and slid his hands along my torso and along Helmin, who was still quiet, much to my surprise. His hands slid further down and caressed the side of my asscheek. As our tongues tasted and caressed lips and teeth, I moaned into his mouth. He moved on from my lips and began to work his way down my torso. 

When he licked Helmin's first ring of segments, the worm made some kind of squeak. Then, as Mateo reached my navel, Helmin squeaked more. I don't think I ever heard a sound quite like it, and I laughed. 

"Am I tickling you?"

I chuckled and shook my head. "Not directly. Helmin is making odd squeaking noises every time you lick part of it. It's quite amusing." 

Mateo grinned. "I like making you laugh. You have a beautiful laugh." He gazed up at me with his brown, sultry eyes, and I took a deep breath while Helmin writhed around my midsection. "But let's see if I can have you make odd noises, hmm?" Mateo shifted lower and kissed a patch of skin above my groin. "Your cock is magnificent. The red of your skin makes it look practically sinful."

"Most fae appear like this when aroused," I said, panting with anticipation. 

"Ah, now what you said yesterday makes more sense. It really wasn't you, or you would have been this glorious color of red."

"Yes. Exactly."

He took my cock in his hand. "Would you like me to see if we can make it a darker shade?"

"You're welcome to tryyyy, oh goddess." He put most of my length in his mouth and swallowed around me. I was not prepared. My breathing was erratic, and Mateo was too talented. I reached for his head and smoothed my hand over his silky black hair while gasping and bucking each time his mouth enveloped me. When I sank my fist in his hair, he took it as some kind of signal and pulled off, only to work me over with his hand. A bright blue substance left my body and splashed across my skin, which was so darkly red one might mistake it for black in a particular light. 

Mateo had his face pressed to the inside of my thigh as my arousal subsided. "You are lovely. I could spend eternity gazing at your body and making love to you." He kissed his way along the body he proposed to worship, and I remained in my bliss. His cock rubbed gently along my torso as he kissed and caressed his way around my body. Each time, Helmin made noises. It gave me an idea. 

"Mateo, would you be willing to try something?" His nod and sly smile were encouraging. "Oh, and we'll need lube." His smile brightened even more.  

At my direction, Helmin loosened around my body. I adjusted the segments so that there would be two groups of two. I was testing the worm's creativity by giving it a challenge. I used the lube, and my own spend to slick up Helmin's segments. Mateo understood. 

He sat on my midsection as we carefully coordinated between Helmin's looped segments and Mateo's cock. The effect was startling. 

"It's like nothing I've ever experienced before. Fuck, Helmin. Quinn, this feels wonderful." I wrapped my hands around his ass as he thrust between the segments. Two on top, two on the bottom as Helmin made any number of movements. I admired the view. 

"Our Treasure is making love to me. To us, Quinn." Its happiness was nearly overwhelming, along with the satisfaction and pride it felt. 

Mateo's powerful legs and ass flexed with each thrust. He was not a Grecian beauty, but his acceptance and understanding made him the most beautiful being in my eyes. I should have trusted the worm to have good taste. 

"I'm close. Fuck, I'm close." He reached for my hands, and I held them to his back while his hips thrust forward. His whole body seized as he came across my chest and nearly broke my hands with his grip.

When I let go of him, he moved slightly then collapsed next to me. I glanced out at the windows and noticed how late it was. The morning was about to steal him away. "Helmin's right. You are a treasure."

Mateo's gaze met mine. "I can see it in your shining hazel eyes, the way they dance when you look at me." He sighed softly. "I'm your treasure." Mateo smiled, reached for my hand, and kissed its knuckles. "Helmin's and yours." He kissed me with his last moments, and then he was gone. Inert for the next twelve hours at least. 

Helmin hung slack around my midsection, as inert as Mateo. "Are you alright, Helmin?"

"I am…. content."

I smiled. "That makes two of us." My skin flushed with colors that matched the sunrise as I went about first cleaning up Mateo and tucking him into bed.

Before I retired for the day, I made another call. 

"Quinn."

"Felven."

"Same order as yesterday?" 

"Yes, please. And, could you…."

"I've already canceled your appointments for the week and put you on leave for the same amount of time."

"Felven," I said softly. They were indeed a friend. One I hadn't known I had until now. 

"If anyone deserves some measure of happiness, it is you, Quinn." Their melodic tones were a soft, happy song. "You believe we do not see you, but many of us do, and we all hope for the best."

"That is my hope as well." 

"Be well, my friend."

"The same to you, Felven." 

I went to my rest as content as Helmin, next to a man I seemed to be growing fond of in such a short amount of time.