Author's Notes:

'Mything You' is my story for Literotica's 2019 Geek Pride event.

All characters engaging in sexual relationships or activities are 18 years old or older.

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Mything You

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Chapter 1

"Christie! Your EpiPen! Where is it?!?" Sam asked his girlfriend desperately as he frantically dug through her enormous shoulder bag. He had no idea why she needed such a large bag as it seemed cavernous even with all the crap she stuffed in it.

There was a sewing kit to make repairs to their costumes should a wardrobe malfunction occur, not that it ever had. He found her makeup kit which would put most Hollywood cosmeticians to shame. A paperback, two packs of tissues, Christie's cell phone, keys, and other items he couldn't identify getting in his way in his panic-driven search.

At the bottom of the bag was a carefully packed lunch to protect her from her severe allergies.

Just no EpiPen!

The small, plump woman was sucking in smaller and smaller amounts of air as her body went into severe anaphylactic shock.

Sam looked into her eyes and saw her shake her head slightly.

She'd left it at home. Again.

Sam habitually carried her spare, but today they were in full costume for the Fan Expo. His ratty charcoal grey robes, skin-tight black full-body leotard, and plate-mail gloves made him look like one of the Ringwraiths from Lord of the Rings, but it had the drawback of having no pockets. Christie's huge purse also contained his wallet, keys, and his cell he'd used to call for help but NO GOD DAMNED EPIPEN!!!

"Where are the paramedics?!?" he screamed at the crowd gathered around him. They glanced around, but none answered his desperate question. He surged to his feet, and his 6' 4" height let him see over most the surrounding group. The convention center was packed with people, many in costume and the aisles were clogged.

He sank back down to his knees and dropped her purse next to him. He took Christie's cool small hands in his larger ones. She looked into his eyes, and he could see she was slipping away from him.

"No! No! Christie! Stay with me!" he begged, looking into her soft brown eyes. Those eyes, only this morning, looked at him with so much love it warmed his entire body. Now, icy cold fear hooked its fingers into Sam. He was losing her. He didn't know what to do!

Once more, he scanned the crowd around him, looking for someone to rescue his love from this cruel fate.

Then it was too late.

Sam knelt on the floor of the vast convention center, surrounded by hundreds but feeling utterly alone, silent tears running down his cheeks.

His beautiful Christie was gone.

Chapter 2

"I smite thee verily! Consider yourself smote, Anesh!"

Dice rolled across the table, and when they stopped, a burst of laughter rang out from the gathered players, drowning out the single voice of outrage.

"Three! You rolled a three. You smite nothing with a three!" Anesh crowed.

"Rick, I told you the Gods of Chance would not favor you playing your Paladin as Chaotic Evil!" Shelina chastised the man. Her D&D character was a Neutral Good Elvish princess and the petite beauty from Mumbai, India stayed in character throughout the game.

She'd begun attending the twice-weekly game nights in costume. It started with a tiara and slowly, as the weeks and months passed, she added jewelry, then a fancier blouse, then a dress, until she was in full royal attire for each game.

Other members of their little group began wearing some bits of their character's costumes too, nothing as complete as Shelina but definitely in the spirit.

Sam was the only one who refrained from joining in on the cosplay. He was aware of his friend's attempts to bring him back to his former level of involvement in the hobby, but his heart wasn't in it.

He hosted the games at his apartment as it was the largest and had a dining room table which sat eight people. Their group had seven, now that Christie was gone.

Sam stood abruptly and walked into the kitchen to get the pitcher of ice water from the fridge. He returned to the table and refilled glasses. As he did, he glanced at his friends.

Anesh and Shelina Roonaboonsingh both had petite statures, worked as a Realtor team, and were the only married couple in the group. Anesh was originally from Delhi, India and came to the states twelve years ago. He met Shelina at a Fan Expo two years later, and to the delight of both of their families who were convinced it would never happen for either of them, they fell in love and got married.

Rick Campbell was Network SysAdmin and a self-proclaimed lone wolf when he was between girlfriends. In truth, he had a sharp tongue, a sarcastic wit, and minimal control over both. A broad-shouldered hairy brute, Shelina suggested a visit to a hair removal clinic. Not that his rampant body hair stopped him from dating. He had plenty of confidence. It was keeping a girlfriend that was his challenge.

David Nguyen was their Dungeon Master, guiding them on their adventures of imagination. He was also a social media technologist who dragged stone-age companies into present-day levels of technology. Soft-spoken but intensely creative, his adventures kept the group coming back for more. David's boyfriend, who was also in the social media field, traveled frequently and never attended the get-togethers. That was David's excuse for him at least.

Jasmine 'Jaz' Zhang, was a petite woman of Chinese descent and third generation American. She was the last addition to their group and a huge fan of cosplay. She'd even paid an extraordinary sum to get breast augmentation surgery to make her costumed personas more eye-catching. Her daytime job as a forensic accountant earned her a good salary to pay for her hobbies. She and Christie used to work on costume designs for hours. Sam got the impression that she'd had a bit of a crush on his girlfriend.

Sam's final guest was Ben Achebe. The software developer from Ethiopia moved to the states seven years ago and discovered a passion for D&D at a local comic shop where their group shopped. He and Rick became good friends, so he joined their game nights.

Glasses filled, Sam settled back into his seat, and the game continued.

The laughter and genuine regard this group held for each other was a balm on Sam's heart, and he looked forward to their visits. Often he spoke only when necessary and just soaked in the positive mood of the others. Tonight had been a good night for that.

David ensured the storyline moved them forward and kept them out of the quicksand, for the most part. While it was Friday night and they could all sleep in tomorrow, the hour was growing late, and David took his cue from Jaz's yawn. He put a bookmark in their game and told them they'd pick up their adventure from there next week.

Everyone leaned back with smiles. It'd been a spirited and challenging evening, yet their D&D party was still alive. They were doing something right, even with Rick's Chaotic Evil Paladin in the mix.

David packed up his dungeon master equipment, and everyone packed their dice away.

"No way I'm playing with these dice next game. Shelina put a hex on them!" Rick said with a sly grin.

"I did no such thing! I'm not a spellcaster!" she blustered in outrage.

Anish rolled his eyes. "Don't fall for Rick's trolling."

Rick started chuckling evilly.

Shelina's chin came up as she looked down her nose at the prankster. "Chaotic Evil is an appropriate alignment for you!"

Rick put his hand to his heart as if physically wounded by her words, but the glee never left his eyes.

His friends helped clean up then made their way to the door. With hugs and handshakes, each took their leave until Sam was alone in his apartment once more.

He looked around and sighed. It was time for his purging ritual. After each game night, he'd collect the bags from the garbage cans in his place then pick one item that belonged to Christie he'd dispose of as well. He knew he would always remember her and always love her, but he was surrounded by things that painfully reminded him of his loss. The grief counselor he's spoken to showed him this method of letting go. He'd set his own pace, and he had to admit, at only twice a week, he was moving far slower than the counselor recommended.

Most weeks, the items were small and unsubstantial, but today he was going to make a significant break. This morning, something he gazed upon daily almost brought him to tears for the last time. He'd had too many mornings filled with tears. He knew Christie would want him to smile, so it had to go. When he had the trash bags ready by the front door, he walked into the bedroom again and stood before the sliding mirrored doors.

He was a little shocked to see how thin he'd become. He knew his appetite was low and he'd always been a tall beanpole, but now he looked... gaunt. He looked at his hands. Even there, his long fingers were showing their muscles and tendons with minimal padding. Now he understood the looks of concern Shelina and Jaz had given him when they arrived tonight. Once he completed the ritual, he'd order a pizza and force himself to eat all of it or most of it at least.

With a sigh, he opened the closet door.

The polished chain mail shirt he'd made by hand for Christie hung inside, gleaming faintly. The hours he's spent shining each tiny links showed in how it reflected even this minimal light.

It hung there in the dark day after day. Every morning and every night, he caught a glimpse of it waiting to be used again. But it never would be.

Christie hadn't been tall, but she'd had meat on her bones, so the shirt had many, many links, each one handcrafted. As a jewelry maker, Sam had the talent for making beautiful things from metal. His lightweight fantasy plate mail armor was highly sought after in the cosplay community, and he'd even had one of his pieces purchased and used in a Hollywood film for all of fifteen minutes of screen time.

These days he stuck to crafting whatever his employer asked for, as his creativity was on hiatus.

He felt a tear roll down his cheek. He wiped it away roughly. Before he could change his mind, he plucked the shirt from the hanger and marched back to the front door. While he had some trouble seeing them clearly through his tears, he picked up the garbage bags in his other hand and surged out into the hall.

"EEEP!"

Sam collided with a tall woman passing by and dropped the bags and the shirt as he bounced back against the door jamb.

The woman hit the opposite wall, dropped her duffle bag, purse, and keys. Then she slid down the wall crying as she leaned against it, her face in her hands.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry! I should have looked where I was going!" he gasped.

"No, it's just the perfect way to end a shitty day in a shittier week," she cried from behind her hands.

"Hang on!" he said before he ducked back into his apartment to grab a box of tissues. He returned to see she was now sitting on the floor with her long toned legs sticking out before her as she rested back against the wall. Her eyes were closed, but he could see she'd been crying, probably for a while, as they were puffy and red like the tip of her cute nose. She had full sensual lips currently turned down in a frown.

Her hair was platinum white in a short tousled cut, and she was wearing a tan trench coat which hid her body but suggested lush curves. She had long slim fingers with gleaming silver glamor nails and a few rings on each hand.

Sam tore his eyes away from admiring her features and held out the box of tissues. "Here."

Green eyes opened and climbed up his body to lock on his blue eyes. She seemed confused at first, then her eyes flicked down to the tissues.

"Are these for me or you?" she asked as she pulled a few from the box to dab her eyes and her nose.

Sam took some to wipe his eyes as well.

The woman looked deeply into his eyes, and he felt it like a physical shock. "I know why I'm crying. Why are you?" she asked the silent man.

He frowned and shook his head as he wasn't able to talk about it with a stranger. She just nodded and gave a defeated shrug. She glanced at the plastic bags on the floor. "What were you in such a hurry for?"

His face heated up as he knew the rush had been due to his upset. "I was just throwing out the garbage," he muttered as he dropped the tissue box next to her and collected the bags once more. Her eyes flashed wide when he picked up the shirt.

Her hand shot forward to take hold of the delicate but strong links.

"What- you weren't going to throw this out, were you?" she gasped, running her thumb over the links in awe.

Sam tugged, and she pulled back. "Yes! It's mine! I can do with it what I want!"

She looked closer and pulled a little harder. "This is beautiful work! It's- it's art! It'd be a crime to throw it in the trash!"

Sam's eyes began to tear once more as the woman unconsciously used Christie's words against him. He felt himself begin to lose control over his emotions, so he grit his teeth and released his hold on the shirt. She quickly pulled it close to cling to it.

"Fine! Keep it!" he snapped and stepped back in his apartment to close and lock the door. He dropped the garbage bags on the floor and stiffly walked into the bedroom to fall face first onto the bed. He buried his face in the pillow so he wouldn't feel the tears on his cheeks anymore.

Chapter 3

Taylor gaped at the closed door. The man seemed far more upset than she'd been. She noticed he'd left the box of tissues as well. Even angry, he'd been courteous. She stood and picked up her dropped items. She paused for a moment, thinking she might leave the tissues but decided to take them too.

Her apartment was at the end of the hall, so she let herself in and locked up. Her small one bedroom unit was as empty and dark as it had been when she left on her business trip five days ago. If she broke even on the trip, she'd be surprised.

What had initially been promised to be a well-paying job, turned into a struggle to survive. She'd traveled to Las Vegas to be a model for a trade show. The organizers turned out to be complete sleaze bags, and many of the models didn't get paid or were put into booths selling questionable products which led to some being harassed and molested. She'd had several close calls herself.

On the first day, Taylor met another model she'd worked with before, so they split the cost of a hotel room. It was only last night that she discovered the other woman had been bringing convention attendees back to their hotel room to have sex for money.

The convention continued for two more days, but Taylor calculated that she'd actually lose money if she stayed.

Home at last, she walked into her living room, dropped her duffle on the floor, and her purse and keys on the coffee table. She then turned on the lamp next to the couch and plunked herself down on the worn cushions. Her place was kind of a dump, but she was carrying the rent on her own, and she had a limited income. She was going to have to go back to waitressing next week to make enough to cover the rent this month.

Around and around her mind went as she relaxed back on the couch. Her modeling career was in a death spiral. If she didn't do something new, something that captured people's attention soon, she was done.

She wasn't going to pose for naked photos or turn to porn. Some of the girls she originally worked with now worked at cam sites shaking their money makers for the online coin. She wasn't willing to do that. The closest she'd come to that was a lingerie shoot, and the photographer hadn't made her feel very comfortable.

As she rested back against the couch, she found her eyes trapped by the way the lamp's light glittered off the chain mail. She ran her fingers over the smooth links and smiled. A sudden frown appeared on her face. What made that guy want to throw this in the garbage? She couldn't imagine it.

She used both hands to hold up the shirt before her and marveled at the craftsmanship. Due to some slight irregularities amongst the links, she could tell this was not the product of some machine. Someone hand made this garment, poured their blood, sweat, and tear- her head turned towards the door. Could it have been him? She thought about that, but if he had put so much effort into making it, it made even less sense that he'd be willing to throw it out.

She pushed those thoughts aside as she was clearly missing information and outside of a confrontation with the upset man, she wasn't getting it.

She stood and walked into the bedroom to flip on the light. Her full-length mirror was in here, and she wanted to see how the shirt looked on her. She took off her trench coat and her blouse but left on her bra. She pulled the mail shirt on over her head and shivered slightly at the cool feel of the links against her smooth skin. The sleeves were a little short, but the shoulders and chest fit well. Considering the width of her shoulders and the size of her breast implants, she was relieved the shirt was large enough to contain them. The hem was perhaps a little loose, but it left her tight belly muscles exposed

Fuck! She looked really hot!

She wondered if other models were wearing such beautiful chain mail. Maybe this could give her that edge, that unique catch that would set her apart.

She walked over to her old laptop on her desk by the window and pressed the power button. Holding her breath for a moment, she released it when the device began its startup process. One day soon, this piece of crap wasn't going to wake, and she couldn't afford to replace it. She'd be relegated to waiting for a turn on the computers at the public library.

She pulled her mind back from that dark thought and took a seat before the laptop. She opened a browser and typed chain mail fashion and did a search for pictures. The sheer quantity of results that came back was dazzling! The variety of costumes seemed endless!

She did a little research to see if there was any money in this costume wearing modeling and found it was called cosplay and it could be very lucrative indeed!

Going back to the pictures, she was a little daunted by the beauties working the costumes to draw an audience. What could she bring to this game that distinguished her from the others?

She had a rockin' body that she put a lot of effort and money into keeping that way. Other female models were wearing these costumes who were almost as fit, but due to her height, she knew she had a edge here.

Taylor knew she was beautiful, and she understood how egotistical it sounded to call herself that, but as a model, her face and her body were her business. She was also aware that ego and attitude could poison a modeling career, so she was vigilant for signs of acting like an entitled prima donna.

As she did for her fitness, she worked hard to maintain her smooth, blemish and tattoo-free skin.

Genetics blessed her with almond-shaped green eyes with naturally long lashes, a slim and straight nose, and full luscious lips with a slight upturn at the corners. Her features were also highly symmetrical, which enhanced their appeal.

Her full, round breasts were not a gift of genetics, but she'd spent significant money on an excellent surgeon who minimized the scarring. She might have gone a little larger than she should have, but with her larger frame, they seemed proportional at the time.

The braces she had when she was young and her diligent oral healthcare gave her straight white teeth for a truly dazzling smile.

Looking at the website images closer, some of the other models were truly lovely so she might say she was on par with them.

She left the computer and moved back to the mirror. As she admired how amazing the chain mail shirt looked on her, she realized this was her differentiator; the costume and how her body shape accentuated it! If she could get her hands on more pieces at this level of quality, her body would enhance the costume as much as it enhanced her.

She needed more!

She could speak with the man to ask him where he bought it, but his attitude put her off. Shit! He was going to throw it away!

Putting that course of action aside, she did some research on local shops that specialized in costumes and medieval designs. Not surprisingly, there were few, and they were relatively close to each other, in an area of the city she'd never traveled. She'd have to visit tomorrow.

She wrote a note on her cell with the addresses to visit and shut her laptop down.

She carefully removed the shirt and held it out before her and smiled to herself. If her lost week in Las Vegas did nothing else but ensured she prevented this piece of wearable art from being lost, then it was all worth it.

Hugging it to her chest with a happy smile, she walked over to her closet and placed her new possession on a hanger.

With a final glance at it, she walked into the bathroom to begin preparing for bed. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day!

Chapter 4

Sam woke with a pounding headache. He stumbled into the bathroom and took some painkillers. He flipped on the light then splashed water on his face before looking in the mirror. The man looking back at him was a mess. Skinny, pale, ragged beard and a mop of unruly hair. Fuck.

He did notice one positive aspect of the morning. He found himself feeling almost desperately relieved about not throwing the chain mail shirt down the trash chute last night. He also felt a tiny bit of hope that the garment would be worn again. It deserved to be.

He owed that pretty lady a debt of gratitude. At least she'd been thinking straight.

Her image resurfaced in his mind, and he paused to appreciate how lovely she'd looked. His eyes went to the wreck in the mirror once more, and he shuddered. Maybe it was time to freshen up his look.

He dragged himself into the shower and cleaned himself. Then he dried off and got dressed. He grabbed his wallet, cell, and keys, put on his boots, and out he went. He took the subway downtown and grabbed a hearty breakfast at a small restaurant he'd regularly frequent years ago. He realized he hadn't been there since Christie moved in with him as most of the food there was fattening.

After his delicious food, he walked a few blocks west to a salon he used to visit. Christie had taken over the task of cutting his hair.

As he stepped inside, he saw not much had changed.

"HUSBAAAAAANNDD!!!"

Sam smiled at the excited cheer as a tall slim man with lovely milk chocolate colored skin and the features of a Paris runway model rushed from the back of the salon to throw his arms around him.

"Hello Billy," he said as he returned the hug.

The salon owner held him out at arm's length as he examined him with a critical eye. "I've seen this look before, but it's usually on the hobos in the back alley. Hmmph! At least you smell good."

Sam grinned at the man's assessment. "Think you might be able to bring a civilized man out of this mess?"

Billy smiled widely. "Baby, I'm a miracle worker! Come!" He tugged on Sam's hand to bring him back to the hair washing stations in a little side room. He wrapped a gown around Sam and protected his collar with a small towel. Once Sam was seated and resting his head on the sink's lip, Billy smiled as he removed a large intricately carved silver ring from his left ring finger. He paused to admire it.

"Still wearing it I see," Sam said with a smile.

"Since the day you slipped it on my finger," Billy said with a dreamy sigh. "Of course, I take it off when I wash hair, deal with chemicals, or cook. It gleams like it did on day one." He tucked it into the pocket in his tight slacks.

Sam noticed another man peering around the corner at Billy, listening in with a hurt expression on his face. Sam gestured with his head, and Billy turned to face the smaller Hispanic man wearing a blue silk shirt and tight black jeans. The man suddenly moved around the corner to confront Billy.

"So I finally meet your secret love!" he blustered.

Billy smiled tenderly and put an arm around the man. "Oh, it's a far more tragic story than that, Philip. It was a love that was never to be. It's true that Sam captured my heart so many years ago, but the poor man is afflicted with a terrible and terminal case of Heterosexuality. There isn't a gay bone in his body. To ease my heartache, Sam made the ring I continue to wear to this day. Now put away that silly pout and say hello to a wonderfully artistic, yet sadly straight man."

Sam sat up, and Philip shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Philip."

The man's frown finally disappeared, and he gave Sam a warm smile. "Nice to meet you as well!"

Billy gasped as his eyes went wide. His lover looked to him nervously, but he was staring at Sam. "Are you still making these exquisite custom rings?"

Sam looked at him curiously and nodded hesitantly.

Billy grabbed Sam's hand between his and looked beseechingly into his eyes. "Could you make our wedding bands?"

Philip squeaked in surprise as he stared at Billy in shock with his hands over his mouth.

Billy spun to look at Philip in dismay. "Oh my God! I did that backward!" He dropped to one knee before Philip. "My love, will you marry me?"

"Yes! Yes, oh yes!" Philip gasped happily.

Billy popped back up to his feet and kissed his partner. When they were done, Billy turned to face Sam. Philip watched Sam's expression cautiously but relaxed when he saw him smiling.

Billy looked hopefully at Sam again. "Would you make our wedding bands?"

Sam nodded. "I'd be honored. You need to give me some idea of the design you want and the sizes."

Philip squeaked in excitement again.

"We'll work on that this weekend and get in touch with you on Monday, ok?" Billy said.

Sam nodded and took out his cell to share his contact details with Billy.

With a final wave, Philip rounded the corner into the main room, and a cheer went up from the three other staff members listening in. They all came back around the corner and gave Billy and Philip hugs.

"Ok, shoo! I have to discover the real man under this shaggy beast, and you have work to do!" Billy scolded his staff gently. With grins and waves, they all went back around the corner.

Billy wasted no further time and washed Sam's hair. Wrapping it in a towel, he led him back out to his station and situated him in the chair.

Standing behind Sam, Billy looked him in the eye via the mirror. "Are you going to trust me to give you the makeover you need?" Sam nodded solemnly, and Billy smiled with satisfaction. "Good! Now I haven't seen you in a long time, and I can tell you have a tale of heartbreak." At Sam's surprised glance, Billy just nodded. "I can see it so spill it. Tell me all about where you've been and what brought you back to my door in such a desperate state!"

Sam settled back and told Billy about the magical first days of courting a woman who was small in stature but enormous in her capacity to love. Sam spoke of those early days when the future seemed to glow with promise. He related the days when unexpected conflict arose and seemed insurmountable until they realized how insignificant they were, compared to their love for each other. He had wonder in his voice as he described his epiphany at discovering that compromise was not a loss of self-determination but an acceptance of personal growth. He spoke of the laughter and tears they'd shared and how significant that sharing had felt for both of them.

Billy was an excellent listener. When Sam seemed to be losing steam or getting stuck within a memory, he'd offer a simple word or gesture and Sam would slip free of the obstruction and continue. While he listened, he slowly worked on snipping away the excess hair from Sam's head and face.

Finally, Sam spoke of the final day and how he'd failed her when it mattered most. His tears were flowing freely, and outside of offering a tissue to Sam, Billy simply listened until Sam could speak no more.

"It sounds like you two were pretty excited about attending the convention that day," the stylist offered quietly.

Sam nodded as he wiped his eyes. "We'd spent so much time on our costumes. I have to admit we looked pretty damn good."

Billy smiled at his friend in the mirror. "And in that excitement and hurry to join your friends, a mistake was made. One shared between you and your lady."

Sam's eyes lifted to see Billy watching with a compassionate expression. He couldn't speak, so he just nodded.

"A mistake which only became tragic due to a happenstance encounter with something the lady was allergic to," Billy said gently.

Sam sighed as his shoulders dropped. He nodded again.

"You're right. It was a tragic event, but the weight of your guilt is an undue burden. You need to let that go first. Once you realize that, you'll be able to say goodbye properly."

Sam's tears burst forth, and Billy wrapped his arms around Sam from behind to give his friend support.

There wasn't a dry eye in the shop as the morning was slow and they'd all been listening to Sam pour his heart out.

When the tears ran dry, Billy looked to Philip. "A hot towel, please." His partner rushed off to get one and returned with it promptly. He kissed Billy's cheek, then moved back.

Billy eased the seat back and expertly wrapped the towel around Sam's face. He leaned closer to speak quietly into Sam's ear. "Rest now. I'll be back in a moment to finish."

Billy gestured for Philip to join him in the side room. Once alone, he pulled his partner into a firm hug, and they stood like that for a long moment. Finally, Billy pulled back and smiled at Philip, touching his cheek. "Thank you." His partner just nodded in return with love in his eyes.

Billy returned to Sam's side and made preparations for shaving the remainder of Sam's beard.

When he removed the towel, he smiled as Sam looked far more at peace than he had when he entered. He still looked undernourished, but the pain and tension seemed to have left his brow.

Billy lathered up his face and carefully ran the blade over his friend's skin to bring it back to a clean, hair-free state.

When done, he brought the chair back upright, and Sam saw himself in the mirror for the first time since he sat down. His eyes flew wide in shock as the man looking back at him was significantly changed! He hadn't paid attention to the cut at all, and with his ratty beard gone, he looked...

"You look gorgeous! It's ok; you can say it out loud. It won't go to my head to hear justly deserved praise," Billy sighed happily.

Sam took in the short, almost shaved length on the sides and the slightly longer length on top which still preserved his natural waves and the small curl over his forehead. His Superman curl, as his friends liked to tease.

He found Billy's eyes in the mirror. "You said it. You're a miracle worker! It's brilliant!"

Billy's smile showed his pleasure. "Yes, it is." He held up a mirror for Sam to see the back and soaked up Sam's appreciation. He put the mirror away and removed the gown, whisking the loose hairs from his neck.

Sam stood and reached for his wallet, but Billy stopped his hand.

"No. This one was on me as long as you promise not to be a stranger! No one else can make you look this good!" he said earnestly, holding Sam's eyes with his.

Sam smiled and pulled Billy into a hug. "I promise! This place is as good for my soul as it is for my style!"

"I'm adding that to our sign and business cards!" Philip exclaimed and clapped his hands!

Billy smiled at his partner and nodded, then looked at Sam. "I'll contact you on Monday about the rings."

Philip grinned excitedly and rushed forward to give Sam a hug which he returned. Philip looked back at Billy. "I think I'm falling in love with Sam too!"

Billy pulled his lover into his arms. "I'll save you from that inevitable heartache."

Sam smiled at the couple. "Thank you so much, Billy! I haven't felt this good in a long time."

"Go get a meal in you!" Billy said with a grin.

Sam nodded and with a final wave, left the shop.

As he made his way back to the subway, he realized he felt lighter. Billy was right; he'd been carrying the guilt from that day. He still felt sad, but the guilt no longer sunk its claws into him. He decided he'd head over to the comic shop then grab lunch from a restaurant in that neighborhood.

Making plans felt good too.

Chapter 5

Taylor glared at the store manager across the counter. He wasn't being helpful in the least and almost seemed to be purposefully delaying her. His clerk had been far more excited when she pulled the chain mail shirt from her purse than the manager now seemed.

She'd already visited a costume shop where they'd marveled over the construction of the shirt but had no clue as to its origin. Then she went to a Medieval Faire shop where the clerk tried to pick her up but finally admitted they had nothing comparable to the shirt and he didn't know who made it. Now she was in the last shop in town that could know, and this man was acting like he did know something, but he'd been clicking on his mouse and staring at the computer screen for, she glanced at the wall clock, seventeen minutes!

"Look, if you don't know-" she began, and the bell on the front door jingled. She saw the man's expression change to relief then he looked to her. "I do know, but I needed a second opinion from someone very familiar with the piece." Taylor turned to see a very petite and pretty Chinese woman approaching with a cautious expression on her face.

"Jasmine, thank you for coming on such short notice. I'm hoping you can confirm the origin of a piece this young woman brought in," the manager said quickly. He held up the chain mail shirt.

The new arrival looked closer then gasped. Pretty eyes went to the manager then to Taylor. "Yes, this was Christie's."

"And now it's mine," Taylor said, beginning to feel ambushed. "All I asked for was how I might go about getting more items of this quality!"

"How did you come to possess it?" Jasmine asked carefully.

Taylor gave her an equally cautious look. "A man in my apartment building gave it to me last night."

"100 Pacific Drive?" she asked, and Taylor's eyebrow rose as she nodded.

"What did he look like?" the petite woman asked.

Taylor was getting annoyed. If she didn't need answers so badly she would have walked away. "He was a little taller than me but slim... maybe a little too slim, with messy long black hair and an untrimmed beard. He had nice blue eyes except he was crying."

Jasmine's eyes showed her concern. "That's Sam! He made this shirt for Christie!"

Taylor frowned. "Did they break up? He was on his way to the trash chute last night to throw it away when I stopped him. I told him he couldn't throw it out and he gave it to me instead."

"Christie died last year. Sam took it very hard and hasn't recovered yet. We're all worried about him," Jasmine told her then looked to the manager. "Thanks, Gary. I have to go check on Sam."

"I'll go with you. The man lives on my floor, after all," Taylor insisted. She held out her hand to the manager, and he reluctantly handed the shirt back to her. Taylor folded it and slipped it back into her purse. She held out a hand to the woman. "Taylor Anderson."

"Jasmine Zhang," she responded with a smile as she shook the hand.

Taylor followed Jasmine outside. The smaller woman pulled her cell out and made several brief calls as they walked to the subway. When she finished, she looked back at Taylor. "Our group had a talk after our game night with Sam last night. We were going to have an intervention with him. Now it sounds like he's worse off than we thought."

Taylor nodded as she recalled the man's tears and gruff attitude the previous night. "I'm sorry your friend is hurting so much." She thought of the chain mail. "Is he an artist?"

Jasmine smiled at her. "Sam makes custom jewelry. Truly gorgeous and unique pieces! He works with all kinds of metals." She held up her hand to display the delicate silver ring on her finger. Two snakes intertwined and wrapping themselves around a leafy vine. Taylor gaped in amazement.

"Oh my God! That's exquisite!!!" the tall blond gushed, and Jasmine glowed happily.

"I like sneks!" she giggled.

Taylor blinked at her. "Sneks?"

Jasmine grinned. "Just a fun name for snakes."

Taylor nodded as her mind spun with the possibilities. "So, Sam does jewelry and chain mail-"

"Plate mail and scale mail too!" Jasmine exclaimed. "It's lightweight, yet it looks like the real thing, only prettier!"

Taylor was vibrating with her need to speak with Sam to beg him to make her a costume. She looked closer at the young woman. She was rather developed up top for such a petite woman. She'd had some work done too. "You've known Sam for a long time?"

"For years, but I met Christie first. She was so much fun and loved cosplay as much as I do. We would design costumes and work on props. When she met Sam, I was a little jealous. I wanted Christie all to myself, but I could see she was in love. They were a beautiful couple. I mean, physically they were so different, but they cared so deeply for each other. Then she died in his arms. She had a severe allergic reaction to... something. We never found out what. Her death devastated Sam for so long. We thought he might be coming out of it, but to throw away such a beautiful piece of art..."

They rode the subway back to Taylor's neighborhood, and she felt like she'd gone full circle searching for the origin of the beautiful chain mail. All along, it'd been the man who gave it to her.

As they approached the building, they heard someone calling out to them.

"Jaz!"

They turned around and saw a couple running towards them. The two were a little out of breath when they caught up. They both looked up at Taylor curiously.

Jasmine made the introductions. "Anesh, Shelina, this is Taylor. Sam gave her the chain mail shirt he made for Christie last night, and he was crying at the time."

"You're very pretty!" Shelina blurted, staring at the tall beauty with wide eyes.

Taylor smiled in surprise. "Thank you! So are you!"

"Yes, she is, but our friend needs our help, so let's go!" Anesh said impatiently.

"Guys!"

They turned around again and saw two men hustling towards them. One was bearded, and the other was very dark skinned.

Jaz stepped forward again. "Rick, Ben, this is Taylor. She told us Sam was in emotional distress last night."

Rick immediately stepped closer. He had to look up a little to look her in the eye, but his eyes took their time getting past her tits. "Hey, I'm Rick."

"Yes, Jasmine just told me," Taylor sighed as Jaz snorted. The women traded weary looks.

"If you're not busy later-"

"I think I will be," Taylor interrupted with a smile. She nodded to Ben, who just waved with a smile.

Rick shrugged and was about to move when they saw David walking towards them.

"I see I'm the last to arrive," he sighed.

"David, this is Taylor. She told me Sam was in distress last night. He gave her Christie's chain mail shirt which he was about to throw out."

David's eyes widened. "That's significant. Has anyone spoken with him today?"

"I tried calling after I called you guys but it went to voicemail immediately," Jaz said.

Shelina nodded. "I tried as well, same thing."

"Can we stop talking about it and just go?" Rick asked.

"We're wasting time!" Ben asserted.

Jasmine gestured for them to go, and the group continued up the street towards the apartment building.

Taylor used her key to get them into the lobby, and they took the elevator up to her floor. As they walked down the hall, Taylor looked to the group of friends. She was very impressed and touched by how much they cared for Sam. They were obviously very close. She wished she had such good friends. "Which of you has the spare key to Sam's apartment?" They paused and looked at each other, then back to Taylor. "None of you has a key?" she asked in surprise.

Jasmine moved to the door and knocked firmly. Everyone waited in silence. She knocked again — still nothing.

"He might have gone out," Taylor suggested.

David looked doubtful. "Outside of work, he's become a bit of a shut-in lately." He moved forward and banged his fist on the door. "Sam?" he called out. Everyone held their breath, but no sound came from inside.

"Listen, there's no need to jump to conclusions. Sam has no pills in his medicine cabinet that he could take to do himself harm," Rick insisted, and the group burst into sounds of protest.

"For Heaven's sake, Rick! Why did your mind take you there?" Ben complained.

"You went poking around in his medicine cabinet?" Shelina gasped.

Rick immediately became defensive. "Hey! These days he's looking like Tom Hanks in Castaway. I got worried, so I checked his cabinet."

They went a little quiet as that sunk in.

"I don't know if I should feel offended or touched."

They spun to see Sam walking towards them, from the elevators. Then they froze as he no longer looked like the Castaway. Jaz rushed forward and threw her arms around him and in a tight hug. He grinned down at her and hugged her in return. His other friends all moved closer and gave him pats on the shoulder or shook his hand. They needed to touch him to make sure it was real.

"What are all you guys doing here?" Sam asked.

"It was Taylor," Jaz said indicating the tall platinum-haired beauty standing awkwardly by his door. She gave him a timid smile, and his eyes locked on hers.

"She went to Gary's shop to ask about the chain mail, and he called me. When I got there, she told me you were trying to throw it out last night, and she convinced you to give it to her. She said you were upset. I knew you had to be in a bad place to discard something so important, so I called the rest of the group to come here." She reached up and touched his clean-shaven chin. "We were going to have an intervention, but you seemed to have reached that before us."

He found himself nodding. "I did. Last night, I almost did an incredibly stupid and selfish thing. It was pure luck I crashed into her in the hallway and dropped the shirt. I was a mess, and I just wanted the pain to stop." He looked to the beauty, and she looked back at him hopefully.

"She stopped me from throwing it out. This morning I felt so much better knowing she did and that it was going to be worn again." He paused as he recalled what Jaz said about Gary's shop. "Were you at Gary's shop to sell the chain mail?"

Taylor surged closer then stopped hesitantly. "No! I was asking where I could get more. I want to make a costume with the chain mail as the centerpiece."

His expression relaxed, and he smiled at her again. "Good!"

"Do- do you have any more?" she asked hopefully.

Jasmine and Shelina were also looking at him with anticipation. He spotted this and chuckled. "Yes. I do. Would you like to see?" His friends all exhaled in relief as Shelina and Jasmine bounced up and down, clapping.

Ben put his hand over Rick's eyes as the man was enjoying Jasmine's bouncing bits a little too much. "Jaz, remember who your audience is," Ben said to the woman who glared at Rick.

"Dude! Way to spoil a Bro's fun!" Rick grumbled.

Sam moved forward until he stood before Taylor. She had the most incredible green eyes. He found himself getting lost in them. He pulled back slightly. "Let me formally introduce myself. I'm Sam McClann. I want to thank you for what you did last night."

She snorted slightly in surprise as she shook his hand. "Taylor Anderson, and it was hardly a selfless act."

He nodded in acknowledgment as he marveled at how well their hands fit. "Still, it helped me. It made me realize I needed a change."

She gave him a brilliant smile, and his eyes widened unconsciously. "Then I'm thrilled I could help," she said.

Sam nodded as his face warmed up. He moved to unlock his door and missed the grins passing between Shelina, Jaz, and Taylor.

They entered his living room, and his friends made themselves comfortable on the couches, and a few turned dining room chairs around to face them.

Taylor looked around in surprise. "What the- This place is so much larger than mine! I didn't know the building had apartments with this much space. It's a two bedroom?!?"

Sam smiled. "Yes, there are a few in the building, and they're not on every floor. I lucked into this unit eight years ago. We use- we used the second bedroom as the crafting room." His smile dimmed a little, but the pain wasn't raw anymore. He caught Jasmine's concerned look, so he smiled at her and saw relief in her eyes. "Can you guys stick around for dinner? We can order in take-out."

"Finally, someone addresses the elephant in the room! I'm starving!" Rick exclaimed.

Shelina rushed off to the kitchen and returned with menus from several restaurants.

Sam looked at Taylor and saw she was looking a little uncomfortable. "Will you join us for dinner, my treat!" he asked hopefully.

"Yay! Sam's buying!" Rick exclaimed.

Sam looked at him. "Just for Taylor! You can pay for your own!"

"Boo, Sam!" Rick pouted, and Shelina swatted his head with a menu.

Sam suddenly turned to Taylor, and his expression became a little stiff. "Any allergies?" he asked.

She smiled gently. "None at all. Thank you; I will join you."

He nodded and returned her smile. Her unease was gone so it must have been the expense. He filed that away.

They poured over the menus, and in the end, they had orders coming from three separate places.

"While we wait, let me show you what I have costume-wise," Sam said to Taylor, and she grinned excitedly.

He led her and the others who rarely got to see the crafting room. Sam rarely went into the room, and the door was always closed during their game nights.

In the middle of the room was an adjustable tailor's dummy. On the model was Sam's last work in progress project.

"Oh my god! You were working on the Archangel armor!" Jaz blurted then froze as she turned her face to Sam. She'd been aware that the couple had been planning a grand entrance at the previous year's convention. Christie and Sam would have been wearing matching plate mail and scale mail armor. Sam's was finished, but due to time demands at the shop he worked at, Christie's costume hadn't been completed in time. They'd worn their previous year's costumes instead.

The dummy was wearing what looked like a complete set of armor. The interlinked metal plates were covered with tiny scale-like layered plates which gleamed dully in the late afternoon sun pouring in the west facing windows.

"Archangel?" Taylor asked, looking to Jasmine.

With another glance at Sam, Jaz explained. "It's from an Anime Series that's very popular at the moment. The show has these Archangels, warriors sent from Heaven, who join up with medieval knights on Earth to fight off an invasion of Demons during the Dark Ages. It doesn't accurately follow the historical periods; it's more of a 'what if' scenario..." Her voice slowly died off as she saw she'd lost Taylor somewhere along the way.

Taylor smiled and nodded to her, then stepped forward to get a closer look at the wearable art. "It's beautiful!" she said in awe.

Sam moved forward, looking embarrassed. "It would look better if I dusted in here more often." He grabbed a piece of cloth from the workbench and buffed the armor slightly to remove the dust.

The difference was immediately visible in the sharp gleam reflected by the cleaned scales.

"Wow, that's gorgeous!" David exclaimed.

"Will it fit me?" Taylor asked quietly.

Rick stepped forward and adjusted the dials on the dummy. Taylor stared at the dials then looked to Rick. "How do you know my measurements?"

Rick smiled with pride and shrugged. "It's a skill."

"It's creepy!" Shelina asserted, getting a scowl from Rick.

Sam looked at the measurements, and his eyebrows rose. 40-24-34. He looked at Taylor, who smiled shyly at him. Then he checked the armor's movement on the adjusted mannequin. There was no binding or tightness. "Yeah, most of it should fit you but your torso is much taller than Christie's, so your tummy would be exposed. I'd have to add a bunch of extra plates to cover that."

"That's ok. I think it'll look better that way," she gushed.

Sam blinked at her. "Ok... well, then it looks like it might fit."

"May I try it on?" she asked.

He nodded slowly then looked to Jaz. "Can you help her put this on?" He looked to the confused expression on Taylor's face. "Armor takes two people to get the fasteners done as you can't reach them while wearing it."

She nodded and looked to Jaz, who was smiling at her. Then she recalled Jaz's comment about wanting Christie all to herself. She wondered if that indicated a sexual preference.

Sam got everyone else to clear out and closed the door behind him. He walked them out to the living room again.

"So Taylor seems to want to be a Cosplay model," Shelina said to the group.

Rick and Ben frowned at her. "There is nothing wrong with sexy women in costumes showing off their bodies! I can't think of anything more American?" Rick gushed.

"Apple pie?" David offered.

"Baseball and Cracker Jack?" Ben said.

"A fondness for litigation?" Shelina suggested.

Rick nodded but raised his finger to include his point. "And beautiful women in various states of undress shaking their ta-tas. American!"

Sam rolled his eyes but ended up looking down the hall towards the closed door.

-=-

Taylor pulled her blouse up and off and dropped her skirt, leaving herself in only bra and panties. Jaz squeaked in surprise, making the tall blonde look over at her. "What's wrong?"

"Sorry, I wasn't expecting you to undress so quickly," Jaz blurted.

Taylor smiled. "I'm a model. We get used to undressing and dressing quickly for shows, and we do it in a room of strangers so we can parade ourselves before another group of strangers."

Jasmine's face was heating up as she took in the tight muscles of Taylor's tummy. Hell, all of her muscles were very well toned. "I can see why you have no inhibitions about displaying your body. It's perfect!"

Taylor's grin widened. "I wouldn't say perfect. Mother Nature had some help, and the rest takes so much effort to maintain!"

"Effort that paid off! You look incredible!" Jaz sighed.

"Ok, now you're making me blush," Taylor said over her shoulder as she approached the costume. "How does this unfasten?"

Jaz gave herself a shake and moved to help while ignoring her tingling.

She assisted Taylor with donning her chain mail and transferred the plate mail components from the tailor's dummy to the tall woman.

The pauldrons which protected her shoulders and armpits were intricately covered with small plates that looked like silver scales. This same design was used on the breastplate which barely contained Taylor's bounty. She gave herself a little shake and the scales moved freely with the most exquisite hiss sound.

"You might ask Sam to adjust this, so it isn't squeezing your breasts so much," Jaz suggested.

Taylor smirked. "This is nothing compared to some of the fashions I've been asked to walk down a runway wearing. I swear some designers hate women and tits most of all!"

Jaz burst into giggles bringing a cheeky smile to Taylor's lips.

Under the breastplate was a section of interconnected bands but as Sam had predicted, the shorter plate mail left Taylor's stomach muscles bare. Jaz admired the smooth skin and tight muscles before catching herself and moving on. God, she had the sexiest innie belly button!

The strips of plates that made up the skirt would need alteration to make it fit Taylor's narrower waist and hips. Jaz did what she could to make it look snug. As she overlapped the back, she tried her best not to stare too much at the smooth skin of her ass exposed by the g-string panties.

The stylish pieces that protected her thighs would also need adjusting as Christie's legs had been much thicker. They had to leave her upper legs bare as these pieces wouldn't fit.

Jaz was able to get the greaves on to protect Taylor from knee to ankle. She also found forearm vambraces and upper arm rerebraces and strapped these on Taylor's strong arms. She bit her lip and squeezed her thighs together to calm the tingles as she looked for the gauntlets for her hands.

"I think Sam had been working on her sabatons to cover the shoes when he stopped. I don't see gauntlets either. The armor hadn't been fitted to Christie yet as well," she said, looking away from the gorgeous blonde. Jaz's body was tingling madly.

She heard a sound and turned to find the armor-plated beauty standing close to her.

"Thank you for everything. For assisting me with this armor and especially for being so inclusive with me in front of the others," Taylor said with sincerity as she looked into the wide eyes of the smaller woman.

"That's... fine. My pleasure," Jaz breathed, focusing on Taylor's lips which began to smile.

Then the blonde's mouth was on Jaz's, and pleasure exploded through the petite woman's body. Taylor had a grip on the hair on the back of her head while her other hand was on her lower back, pulling her tight against her armored body. Jaz thought she might float away to Heaven.

When Taylor eventually pulled back from the kiss, Jaz whimpered slightly; then her eyes flew wide as she looked into the blonde's stunning green eyes. "I- I didn't know you were gay!"

The smile widened. "I'm not, but then I've never been too hung up on labels. I have a rather hectic life schedule so I find pleasure where I can."

"I got the impression you were attracted to Sam," Jaz continued.

Taylor nodded. "Oh, I am. He looks so much better today than he did last night. He also seems very sweet now that he's getting past his grief. I want to get to know him better. It'd also be nice to date a man taller than me for once."

Jaz grinned widely and took her hand, pulling her towards the door. "No time like the present to get started!"

-=-

Sam looked up quickly when he heard the crafting room's door open and was on his feet when Jaz came into the living room, pulling Taylor by the hand. Everyone went silent as they stared at the beauty wearing the armor Sam made for Christie.

"Oh my god, you're beautiful!"

All eyes turned to stare at Sam as his words slipped out to fill the silence.

Taylor's face lit up with a thousand-watt smile as she held his gaze.

Sam's face felt like it might burst into flames as his treacherous tongue betrayed his inner thoughts so boldly.

He glanced to his friends, who were still staring at him. "What? I'm not taking it back! It's true!" he blurted.

Laughter exploded from them as they saw how embarrassed he was. They were also thrilled he was showing such promising signs of coming out of his grief. Acknowledging beauty so expressively was a behavior they hadn't seen from him since Christie died. He was definitely on the road to recovery. They smiled at Taylor for being the source of that recovery.

She caught their looks of gratitude and felt a warmth rushing through her.

Sam walked closer and smiled at Jaz as the smaller woman beamed a smile up at him. Speaking of high beams, Jasmine's tight blouse was giving an impression that she was more than a little excited. Were her lips a little swollen as well?

"Your armor is beautiful! You're a master artisan," Taylor said, pulling his attention back to her.

"You look incredible in it," he said boldly. Hell, he'd already told her how he felt — no point in being coy now.

It was Taylor's turn to blush, so she looked down at the armor. "It's an almost perfect fit."

Jaz felt the need to contribute to that. "The skirt needs some of the panels removed to fit her waist and hips more snuggly. The cuisses are too large to fit her svelte thighs. I also couldn't find gauntlets or sabatons."

"I never finished the sabatons but... stay here for a moment?" Sam asked and caught the eyes of both women before hustling away.

"Damn, you look amazing!" Rick offered.

"Yes, you look very lovely in the armor," Shelina said as she gave the woman an evaluating look. She turned to look at Jaz. "Can you imagine how good the two of them would look next to each other wearing this armor?"

Jaz's smile stretched across her face and was picked up by the others. Taylor was caught up in their excitement.

When Sam returned, he saw everyone was watching him with knowing smiles. "What?"

Jaz spoke first as she saw him carrying a lovely wooden box. It looked like it was for silverware. "Later. What's that?"

Sam shook his head then turned to face Taylor with the box facing her. "I made these for a customer, two years ago but he never picked them up. He stiffed me $1500 for the work as well. These days, I get payment up front, so lesson learned."

With a glance at his face, she reached forward and lifted the lid. She gasped as inside on a dark blue velvet lined tray was a pair of beautiful silver plate gloves. The fingers had articulated joints, and each fingertip ended with a curved claw.

She lifted one out and pulled it on. It was just a little loose.

"Pull that string," Sam offered, pointing to the beaded string near the opening. She did, and the gloves snugged tight, losing the feeling that they'd fall off.

She donned and tightened the other glove then held them up to admire them. Once more, she saw the metal was beautifully worked with intricate designs etched into each joint and hinge. She curled her fingers, and the gloves followed her motions without any pinching or discomfort. The hooked fingertips did seem a little dangerous.

Seeing the late afternoon sun splash off of the mirrored surface suddenly made her realize just how much work had gone into their creation. These were quality at a level she'd never experienced before. None of the costumes she'd seen in the pictures last night were this beautiful!

Reality bitch-slapped her plan to outfit herself with beautiful armor for a career in cosplay. She couldn't afford $1500 for the gloves much less whatever the rest of the beautiful armor cost. She'd gotten too excited when Sam gave her the chain mail. Her ambition far outpaced her financial situation.

Sam was shocked to see tears begin to drop from her lovely green eyes. "What? Hey! Where are these tears coming from?" he asked gently.

She shook her head and glancing at the fingertip hooks, realized she couldn't wipe her eyes without potentially losing one. Jaz came to her rescue with a tissue she dabbed against the blonde's eyes. She nodded gratefully to the smaller woman then looked to Sam once more. "I'm sorry. I just realized how unrealistic my new plan was. My modeling career is so difficult as there are too many models competing for the same jobs. The industry is damn fickle about body shapes too. I can't afford to downsize my implants to match the current preferred look, so I get fewer jobs. I thought a costume at this quality level, combined with my larger frame, would be enough of a differentiator for me to stand out in the cosplay modeling world."

"It would! You look freaking hot! Screw fashion! Stick with cosplay!" Rick exclaimed, and Ben nodded with a grin.

She smiled at their enthusiasm as it was exactly what she'd hoped the reaction would be, but once more reality slapped her down.

"I can't afford dinner tonight. How could I afford this costume? The gloves alone are beyond my budget!" she cried and gently pulled the gloves off and put them back in the box, reverently closing the lid so she wouldn't have to look at them. "And you can't do this with just one costume! I don't know what I was thinking!" She dropped herself down on the couch, putting her face in her hands.

The lobby door buzzer went off, and Sam hesitated before he was dragged away protesting to go downstairs with Rick and Ben to pay for the food. Shelina plunked herself down on one side of Taylor and Jaz dropped down on her other side and handed her some tissues.

After a moment to let her catch her breath, David knelt in front of her and knocked on the metal plating covering her knees. Taylor dabbed her eyes and looked at David in surprise. He smiled at her, and she smiled tentatively back.

"There's nothing wrong with desiring a career in cosplay. It can be very lucrative if done correctly. I think you have what it takes to make it big. One thing you're doing wrong though is that your plan isn't big enough!" David said. Taylor's eyes widened. "There's a huge social networking component you're missing. A website with e-commerce capabilities for selling exclusive members-only content. There are tour schedules and paid guest appearances, and sponsors and advertisers."

"Did- didn't you hear the part about me not being able to afford dinner?" Taylor gasped.

"That's the second thing you're doing wrong. You think you have to do it alone. You're facing a group of highly skilled people who love and support each other. We love Sam, and we think you could be very good for him. You've already proven you can. What if you didn't buy the armor but instead borrowed it when you went to these events with him? Did you know he has his own set of armor? He would look incredible as your backdrop."

"Are you guys making life plans for me?" Sam asked, standing in the doorway with his arms loaded down with bags of delivery food.

Rick and Ben stood behind him with more bags. They'd come in when David was explaining her second mistake and were grinning widely at his suggestion.

"Yes!" Shelina exclaimed, and Jaz grinned at him as she jumped up to her feet. Anesh took the bags from his hands and carried them to the dining room table as Jaz guided Sam to the couch.

Taylor looked up at him and caught an admiring look which he tried to hide by looking away, but he looked back. She felt a zing rush through her. There was great chemistry between them.

David stood and faced Sam. "I'd like to assist Taylor with her social media requirements." He looked over at Ben. "Ben can assist with the coding on her site," he got a smile and a nod from the man. "Rick is a surprisingly excellent photographer."

"Hey! What was that surprisingly crack?" Rick growled back, but Taylor could see he was smiling.

David ignored the comment and continued. "Shelina and Anesh can assist with Marketing as they know the organizers for all the Fan Expos." Shelina nodded with a grin.

"For me, I want to participate in the cosplay. I can be the slave girl she rescues!" Jaz blurted excitedly.

"Fuck me! That would be hot!" Rick exclaimed.

David grinned. "Ok, that's clearly got buy-in with a member of the target audience." He looked to Sam as everyone else went silent in anticipation. "The final and most important member we have yet to hear from is Sam. Would you be willing to work with Taylor on her cosplay modeling career by providing her with the costumes she needs to succeed?"

Sam looked into Taylor's eyes, and he could see her hope. It was glowing like a beacon, guiding his life back on track. Guiding him... back to life.

He couldn't get over how quickly this had all happened. Last night's collision in the hallway was his first encounter with the beautiful woman and now his friends, his breathtakingly awesome friends, were all coming to his rescue as well. They wanted him back. They wanted him whole again. They saw Taylor could do that for him. Maybe they were right.

"I'd be honored."

Taylor leapt to her feet and threw her arms around Sam in a big hug. He hugged her too, which felt odd because of the armor. He chuckled, and she burst into giggles.

"I'm- I'm going to go change into my regular clothes again," she said but paused to take David's hands. "Thank you. I can't begin to tell you what this means to me!"

David smiled. "You want to be a star? We expect you to shine like one!"

She grinned as tears of joy began to drop. Jasmine was there with tissues immediately.

Rick leaned closer to Ben. "Damn, I think Jaz is already getting into her roleplay. Hot!"

Taylor giggled and grabbed Jaz's hand as she rushed off to the crafting room to change.

Sam turned to his friends, and tears were beginning to show in his eyes. "What did I do to deserve amazing friends like you?"

"You'll say yes to me being your official and exclusive photographer!" Rick asserted. Sam nodded to him with a grin. "I wish I'd brought my camera today to catch the goings on in that room now!"

"Hey! Keep it classy!" David scolded. "No nudes and no sex or you'll kill off any chance of us obtaining higher paying sponsors. We are aiming for the upper bracket fan base, not the bottom feeders."

Rick sighed. "Fine! But what goes on in my head is my business alone!"

"Ewww!" Shelina groaned.

Anesh patted his wife's hand to calm her. "Isn't there a Fan Expo coming up in a few months?"

"Biggest one of the year," Ben said with a nod.

"We should contact the organizers. We'll ask Patrick if he'd be willing to let us make a presentation on opening day," Anesh suggested. Shelina's eyes widened with delight as she nodded.

David looked at the couple in surprise. "You can do that?"

Shelina nodded as a determined look came to her eye. She remembered how upset Patrick was that Christie died at his show because the paramedics were led in the wrong direction and couldn't get to her in time. "He owes us, and he's also aware of how brilliant Sam's designs are."

"That would be incredible!" David exclaimed, who was getting more and more excited about this project. He was already working on the backstory of the characters they would be portraying. He knew, to truly capture their audience, he had to give them a good story.

He hoped Taylor could work with that.

-=-

Jaz quickly and carefully undid the fasteners and replaced the armor to where they'd found it.

Once it was all back, she found herself in the arms of the tall blonde getting a very delightful hug. Her tits were being squeezed against Taylor's larger one, and that sent sparks throughout her body.

"If we weren't expected out there soon I'd be having my way with you right here on the floor!" Taylor sighed.

Jaz moaned with need. She wanted that very much, but she understood the timing was wrong. Besides, there was also Sam's feelings to consider.

"I think Sam really likes you. As much as I'd love to be with you, I wouldn't do anything to hurt him," she said.

Taylor leaned back to smile at the smaller woman. "You love him, don't you! All of you do!"

"We do. He's kind of the soul of our group. Christie was the heart."

Taylor shook her head. "When she was gone, I think the role of the heart went to all of you. I've never experienced this before. It makes me feel so grateful to be included in any way."

Before Jaz could move, Taylor dipped forward and kissed her. She pulled back as Jaz wobbled on her feet, Taylor holding her steady. "Thank you," she said to the smaller woman.

Jaz didn't trust her voice and nodded.

Glancing down Taylor saw Jaz's nipples clearly against her blouse. "Oh! Hello!" With a mischievous grin, she gave them both a firm squeeze.

"FUCK!" Jaz cried as her legs gave out. Taylor caught her before she landed, but it took some time for Jaz to get her leg's muscle tone back so she could stand unaided.

"You're so naughty!" Jaz said with a trembling voice.

"Sorry," Taylor said contritely then smiled. "I couldn't help myself when they were right there. You have delightfully sensitive nipples."

A tremor ran through Jaz's body again. "Ok, we have to get out there. Calm down. Deep breaths."

Taylor smiled, and when Jaz looked ready, she got them moving once more.

-=-

Dinner was lively as everyone was excited about the new plan as David now called it. As they ate, he went over the importance of story and how they would create a backstory for each costume set they would present. The upcoming show would be about the Archangel and the Knight, both in their armor.

David was relieved when Taylor demonstrated that she was capable of emoting on command. She likened it to the themed fashion shows she'd worked or when the designer was a moody bitch and wanted his models to present that throughout the show. David explained the character's background and current emotional state, and she fell into her role. Everyone clapped when she finished, and she glowed happily.

"My God! I think we're witnessing the birth of an actor!" Sam said with an exaggerated expression of wonder. Taylor stuck her tongue out at him as her happiness could not be dimmed.

The table burst into laughter. Shelina shared a joyful look with her husband at seeing Sam's humor returning. She caught Jaz's happy smile too.

"Well this has been a slice of Heaven, but Ben and I have to go as we're going to scout some locations tomorrow morning for the armor shoot," Rick announced as he stood up.

Ben blinked at him. "We are?"

"Yes! You get to carry the equipment and hold the reflector when we get some ladies to pose for us for test shots," Rick explained slowly.

Ben frowned at him then relaxed with a shrug. "I've nothing better planned."

Sam stood and walked them to the door. He surprised them with hugs, and they left with smiles.

He walked back to the dining room to see the rest preparing to go as well. Anesh and Shelina gave him hugs as did David, and he walked them to the door. When he returned, he spotted Jaz speaking quietly to Taylor. Both had mischievous smiles on their lips.

Jaz made Sam bend down so she could kiss his cheek then hugged him. He walked her out, then returned to see Taylor smiling at him as she sat on the couch. She patted the cushion next to her.

When he was seated, she turned to him and took his hand in hers. "Your friends are the most amazing people I've ever met in my life. I've traveled a fair amount and met a lot of people along the way, but I've never met such giving and open group of people. They love you very much, and today they allowed me into their group. That's the first time I've ever experienced that. I'm usually not that comfortable around strangers but... it was like they weren't allowing me to be a stranger."

Sam smiled and nodded. He knew they were good people. Even Rick proved he had empathy when he confessed to inspecting the medicine cabinet for dangerous meds. "I love them too."

"David said they thought I could be good for you. I'd like to find out if we could be good for each other," Taylor said, looking into his eyes.

Sam felt his world shift as he looked into her green eyes. "I'd like that," he sighed.

She smiled and bit her lush lower lip. Sam felt that trigger a hunger he hadn't felt for some time. She touched his leg to get his attention. "Full disclosure. I like ladies too."

Dots connected for Sam and his eyes widened. "Jasmine. That's what you were talking about when I came back into the room."

She nodded and watched him cautiously. "She said she likes me, but she loves you and won't do anything that might hurt you."

Sam nodded as that sank in. That caused a thought to percolate up. "Are you asking if I'm ok with you having multiple partners?" he asked quietly.

She shook her head. "I've never had more than one partner at a time — either a man or a woman. I've never had a long term partner as modeling means a lot of travel, and I never invested as much into the relationships. For the first time, I've found myself in a situation where I really like a man and want to get to know him better while at the same time he has an excellent female friend I've clicked with. That said, if you aren't comfortable with it, Jasmine and I won't act on our mutual interest."

Sam thought about that. Would he feel jealous if she had sex with and maybe came to love Jasmine? He imagined it might be awkward if she and he broke up and they couldn't be adults about it. But that wasn't how he behaved, and he was willing to bet it wasn't her either, so he set that aside. So, no. He wouldn't have an issue with Taylor having sex with Jaz or even falling in love with her.

He smiled at Taylor. "I'm fine with you and her acting on your mutual interest. I think I'd have an issue if it was another man though. I guess I'm not as enlightened as I thought."

Taylor smiled in relief. "You're more enlightened than most and plenty enough for me."

She moved closer, and Sam found himself holding his breath. She looked into his eyes, and she brought her lips against his. The kiss was soft and sweet, and Sam felt a pain in his chest. He realized he was still holding his breath, and he turned away with a grin as he exhaled.

"My kiss amuses you?" she asked with a raised brow.

"No! I was just so nervous I forgot to breathe," he confessed, and her smile lit up her face. Then it became mischievous.

"I make you nervous? Interesting!" she purred as she swung a leg over his legs and sat on his lap. He smiled up at her, then her mouth was on his again, but this time, her tongue was slipping into his mouth. He moaned with need and his arms wrapped around her.

She fit him so well! He wasn't arching his back to reach her lips. He dropped his hands to squeeze her ass, and she moaned into his mouth this time. Her kiss became aggressive, and she began to twist and rub back and forth across his lap. That was supercharging his need for her, so he leaned forward and surged to his feet with his hands under her ass to support her. She gasped when he squeezed her ass and kissed him more aggressively.

Sam carried her down the hall to his bedroom, never breaking their kiss, and knee walked onto the bed.

When he gently lowered Taylor to the bed, she pulled him down on top of her and smiled as the kiss finally ended. She wiggled her hips as Sam pressed himself against her.

"Mmm, that feels promising!" she purred.

He looked into her green eyes in awe. "You're so incredibly lovely!"

Taylor grinned at him and rolled them over, so Sam was under her. Then she pushed herself up to sit upright. She felt a hard shape pressing against her, and tingles ran down her spine. She pulled her blouse up and off then reached back to unclasp her bra. With a mischievous look, she slowly let it slide forward until it dropped away.

Sam gasped lightly as her breasts were released from their prison. She had beautiful tits!

Taylor pouted cutely. "You don't think they're too big?"

"Perfect. They're absolutely perfect," Sam said reverently as he lifted his hands and cupped them in his palms. He gently caressed and squeezed her pink nipples and felt them stiffen.

"Mmm, fuck!" she sighed as his big hands squeezed and kneaded her tits just as she craved.

He sat up and brought his mouth to one of her nipples, and she gasped, seizing his head and holding it against her breast. She began to chant quietly as her hips rocked, grinding herself against his hard cock.

Finally, Sam couldn't take the pressure anymore, and he pulled his mouth away from her tit. "I have to get out of these pants. They're strangling me down there."

Taylor giggled as she moved off of him to undo his belt, button, and zipper on his jeans. She helped tug them down, and his underwear went down with them. She stopped to stare in appreciation as Sam tugged the pants free of his ankles. He pulled his shirt up and off, and she smiled. It was true that he was skinny, but he had a large frame that would look even better once she helped him put some meat on it.

Speaking of meat, she reached out to grasp his cock in her hands, enjoying its heat and hardness. She was delighted. It was a decent size, and she couldn't wait to feel it inside her.

She released him then shimmied out of her skirt and slipped her panties off. His eyes immediately went to her shaven pussy then she saw him look up into her eyes as he realized they were doing this. She guessed his question as he was clearly not prepared.

"I'm on the pill," she assured him. From the relief on his face, she saw she'd guessed right.

She swooped down and ran her tongue along the underside of his cock, and he fell back on the bed with a gasp. She wondered if he was going to last as he was this sensitive. She grinned impishly and turned her body as she straddled his body once more. This time though, her face was above his wonderful cock while her pussy was above his face. She gasped as his lips pressed against her inner thigh. She gasped again as he kissed and nibbled his way up both thighs. She smiled as he definitely knew what he was doing.

Taylor turned her attention back to the cock before her. She had a few tricks of her own.

Sam struggled to concentrate on pleasuring Taylor as she did wonderfully distracting things for him. He was getting closer quickly. It had been a very long time since, well, it had been a long time. He let that thought pass as he began to lick and suck more aggressively.

Taylor struggled to keep her mind on delivering the most incredible blowjob Sam had ever experienced. She was surprised to realize she was close as his attentions were exceptionally good. This man knew how to deliver, but she would not be outdone! She upped her game.

Sam's release struck suddenly, and he gasped as he rapidly stroked her clit with his tongue and squeezed her ass cheeks in his hands. He had no time to cry a warning as he came.

Taylor's body clenched as she crashed through her orgasm. She felt his heat firing into her mouth, but all she could do was swallow as her bliss flooded through her senses.

She finally relaxed atop his body as they both caught their breath. The intensity had been through the roof, but it had been so quick!

Once she caught her breath, Taylor eased herself off and stretched out next to him on the bed. She smiled at him as he smiled back.

"Best ever," he sighed.

She burst into giggles as she'd achieved her goal.

Sam smiled as he loved seeing her smile.

"You were pretty amazing too! I wasn't expecting to cum so quickly," she sighed happily.

They lay side by side holding hands and wondered at the peace this gave them. It felt so natural to intertwine their fingers.

Sam lifted her hand to his lips, and sensually kissed each finger pad until she was squirming. Her eyes flared with desire as she pulled him on top of her.

He gasped as his cock found its way home and slid deeply inside as she went still.

"Oh fuck, that feels good!" she sighed.

He kissed her slowly as his hips began to move. She made a series of soft gasps and sighs as she rolled her hips to ensure she felt all of him inside.

They began slowly, with sensual strokes and Sam kissed her deeply as they gazed into each other's eyes. Their passions built until they could no longer control their need for each other. Taylor pulled at his body as he hammered her against the mattress relentlessly.

"OH! FUCK YES! DO IT! FUCK ME!" Taylor cried out in abandon.

Sam was beginning to see spots as his hips moved automatically, rapidly slapping their bodies together with an almost bruising force. He was worried he might be hurting her, but she wasn't pushing him away -- just the opposite!

Taylor hit her peak first and screamed as she suddenly clung to him while her hips went into overdrive, rocking and twisting on his cock.

That was too much for Sam, and he held her close as he fired stream after stream into her depths.

They in each other's arms for long minutes, gasping and sighing until Sam eased himself out and rolled onto his side next to her. His hand found hers again, and she slipped her fingers between his.

It was so easy and good and right. Sam felt a little of the pain he'd been carrying for so long ease.

He smiled gratefully at the woman watching his expression with hope in her eyes again. He leaned over and kissed her tenderly.

That felt right too.

Chapter 6

The auditorium was packed with excited convention goers, and the energy they were throwing off was intense. Backstage, Sam had a few bad moments as his mind returned him to this convention center not that long ago when the crowd prevented- no, he had to let that go.

"Game faces, people! You've got your character motivations in mind, and you know their backstory. Reach deep and connect now. On stage in three minutes!" David concluded his pep talk and moved off towards the podium to begin prepping their audience. He'd be telling them the story, getting their attention, and heightening their anticipation.

Sam smiled behind his visor. His role was the easiest to follow as he had no lines to memorize. David realized early on that Sam was no actor, so the visor stayed closed and he was the mute guardian for Taylor's character.

He turned his head and paused to take in how incredibly beautiful she was in the armor he'd made for her. He knew the original armor had been created for Christie, but over the past three months, he'd spent hours customizing it for Taylor's spectacular figure, so it followed the contours of her body perfectly.

David wanted it to look like she'd fought her way through Hell so, while the scales still gleamed insanely bright, there were areas of 'damage' and blood splatter. The result made her look completely badass! Aside from a few artistically placed streaks of blood, Taylor remained untouched by the violence and shone with an inner light.

She turned to face him, and he could see how excited she was. Better than that, he could see her love for him in those amazing green eyes!

Jaz rushed in from the dressing room where she'd had some last minute make-up applied to make her appear to have survived a blood bath. She beamed a smile at Sam and Taylor and trembled with excitement.

Sam was amazed that everything had come together so quickly. He acknowledged it was David's drive that made it work. He had more time to dedicate to his project, now that he'd dumped his boyfriend. He'd said anyone who didn't love his friends or at least liked them, wasn't worthy of love.

He got the nod from the stage manager, so he moved to get into position as the hall lights dimmed. He could feel the anticipation from the audience. He picked up the spear he'd left leaning against the wall and waited for his cue from David's narration. Eventually, he heard the words he was waiting for and stepped out onto the stage, his heavy steps sending booms rolling out over the audience. He gripped the spear and walked across the stage, staring out over the crowd. The stage lights were bouncing off his armor, dazzling the front rows of the audience. He spotted Billy and Philip waving at him, each happily wearing their custom wedding bands, so he nodded to them and moved on, staying in character as he was told to do.

Rick was in a prime location, getting pictures to add to their content repository for the website.

When Sam reached the other side of the stage, he spun the spear in several loops around his body then slammed its butt end into the wood surface with a mighty boom. He stood at parade rest, gripping the shaft in both hands. The crowd went nuts!

They didn't know the fitness regimen that made it possible for him to wield the heavy wooden shaft like it was nothing. Taylor had him on a special diet and exercise routine that hardened and added mass to his muscles, so he no longer looked like a walking skeleton. He'd put on weight, but it was a healthy weight.

When the final echoes of the boom died away, Taylor boldly strode out onto the stage as if she owned the place. Stage lights painted her armored body in a spectacular glow. She was holding her sword one handed and marched to the center of the stage, moving to the front edge to slam the sword point into the wood pad they'd taped down for this. She was breathing deep like she'd been fighting moments before. This had the effect of moving her chest dramatically, which shifted the sparkling armor casting the gleaming lights in various directions and emphasizing her body's proportions. The audience was eating it up and looked like they wanted to eat her up.

He caught a signal from David. It was time to move the show along. He took two strides closer to the front on the stage and thumped his spear shaft against the stage with another boom. He scanned his head back and forth like he was looking for a target.

The audience quieted down, and Taylor gestured for him to be calm. All part of the show.

Taylor began to speak, her voice loud and clear as she described the hell of the Demon war and what lay ahead for them. That was Jasmine's cue, and she rushed on stage to fall on her knees at Taylor's feet.

"What's this?" Taylor's voice boomed out as she glanced to Sam. "You rescued a slave girl?"

Jasmine looked up hopefully at Taylor.

Sam held up a single finger then gestured with his finger and thumb.

"Yes, I see it's just one, and she's small!" Taylor said, and the audience laughed. She gestured for Jaz to stand. Then she looked offstage. "We can't send you back as a tender one like you would just get eaten alive." More laughs and whistles from the ravenous audience who were obviously enthralled by Jasmine's barely there slave outfit over her newly toned muscles. Taylor had her on her exercise regimen as well.

Taylor pointed her sword at Sam. "For not asking for permission, you get first watch!" She smiled down at Jaz. "Come little one. Let's get you cleaned up. Then I'll make a warm bed for you."

Linked arm in arm Taylor led Jaz off stage. The crowd went nuts. After a pause, Sam followed slowly, thumping his spear against the stage with each grim step.

They gradually turned the lights down and cranked the spotlights up, pointing at him. Light flared and bounced everywhere as he crossed the stage. With a final loud thump, the spots cut out, and Sam ducked backstage. The audience was seeing spots when the overheads slowly came back on.

Then the applause exploded, and the people were on their feet clapping and cheering.

After a pause, Sam marched back out onto the stage without his helmet and bowed. The volume went up.

When Jaz pranced out on stage, the volume ratcheted up by a factor of twenty. Her eyes went wide as she looked to Sam with an excited smile.

Then Taylor joined them, and the noise became deafening. It felt like a wall of sound pressing on them.

David joined them, and they took a group bow. David's expression was priceless. He looked both overwhelmed and excited, and Sam pulled him into a hug. He hugged Jaz and Taylor too, the latter looking like she wanted to jump his bones right there on stage.

The show organizers were delighted, but they were also eager to free up the room for the next event, so Sam and his group were waved off of the stage. They collected their gear and headed out through the back access hallway to avoid walking through the crowds.

One of the organizers called out to catch their attention, so they waited for him to arrive with someone at his elbow.

Their expressions froze as they got closer, and the identity of the bearded guest suddenly registered.

The famous Hollywood producer-director grinned at the group of young people before him. "That was brilliant! Really great show!" His smile froze as he peered closer at the intricate etching on the armor plates. "Oh my god! That armor just gets more beautiful the closer you get!" He grinned broadly. "And so do the ladies!"

Taylor and Jasmine were a little star struck but managed to thank him.

"I didn't see your name on the list of celebrities attending the Fan Expo," Sam said curiously, not at all phased by the man's fame.

"Yeah, I'm just in town visiting my sister and my nephew is a follower of this lady's website." He pointed his thumb at Taylor. "He told me she was going to be here, so I tagged along. Glad I did! Have you thought about taking your characters to a larger screen?"

Sam pulled David forward with an arm around his shoulder. "You'll need to speak with David here. The story is his. Taylor and Jasmine bring it to life. I just dress them."

The director fixed an eye on Sam. "Somehow I think you're more than that."

Taylor and Jasmine wrapped their arms around Sam as David looked back at him with a fond smile.

"He most certainly is more. He's the soul of our merry band of misfits," David replied.

The Director handed David a business card. "Call me tomorrow and let's talk business."

David nodded and pocketed the card. Everyone shook hands, then the organizer led his VIP guest away.

Taylor looked like she might scream with glee. Sam held up his hands. "Let's all take a breath. It's early days and too soon to get too excited. That was a lot of fun, and I think it went very well. David's story really hooked them, and you two knocked it out of the park! You had them eating out of your hand! This backstage visit is an excellent sign that we're doing something right!"

Taylor shook her head and screamed excitedly anyway. He chuckled as he pulled her into a hug then kissed her. She was hungry for more and kissed him harder, thrusting her tongue into his mouth. When she pulled back, Sam was wobbling on his feet.

Jaz was watching her with hungry eyes too. Taylor hooked a finger through the loop on the slave collar and roughly pulled her close to kiss her fiercely, her other hand cupping the back of Jasmin's head. The petite woman made needful little sounds

David watched this with wide eyes. Then looked to Sam who seemed to have come back to earth. "So, uh, this is a thing?"

Sam smiled at the passionate kiss Taylor was sharing with Jasmine. He looked at David. "Yes, it's a thing."

"And you're-"

"Not standing in its way," Sam finished. "I love Taylor. Jasmine loves Taylor. She loves us. We'll see where it takes us."

David nodded and seemed to file that away. "Ok, don't forget you have a table to autograph Rick's photos between four and six PM." He glanced at the ladies who seemed to be moving into a less intense kissing phase. "When they're done, you should go out and mingle with the people. Let them see you and get pictures with you. Rick will be waiting. Build your social media exposure. Stay in character, if you can."

"Thanks, David! For everything!" Sam said and hugged him.

"Hey! Your armor is cold!" David scolded gently, but he had a smile on his face as he waved and headed down the hall.

When Sam turned back to look at the ladies, Taylor and Jaz were smiling mischievously. "What?" he asked cautiously.

"Have you put any more thought into that rental property Shelina found for us?" Taylor asked as Jaz clung to her arm.

"It means a longer commute for all of us," he said.

"True, but look at the space it gives us for the crafting room, storage, and living quarters -- three full bathrooms!" she gushed.

"It's expensi-"

"But less than our three rents combined!"

Sam looked to Jaz and saw her mischievous smile. When she bit her lip, his resistance collapsed, and he could see her delight in knowing her effect on him. "Ok, fine! I'll tell Shelina we'll take it."

The crash of armor plate slamming together filled the hall as Taylor leapt into Sam's arms.

"Careful! We still have the rest of the day to get through!" Sam complained as he set Taylor down and examined their armor. Nothing was damaged this time. He sighed in relief and gave the pretty and contrite blonde a stern look. "Let's go rub elbows with the fans." He put his helmet hack on and followed them down the hall to put on a show. They pushed through the doors and entered the main hall.

It was extremely crowded. Probably the same capacity as it'd been on that day. Squeezing himself through the packed aisles was raising the hairs on his arms, and his breath was coming in gulps. He was grateful he was wearing the helmet as Taylor wouldn't be able to see his sick panic.

Then he felt a small hand take his. He looked down and saw Jasmine was next to him, holding his hand. From her sympathetic expression, he could tell she knew he was struggling. She was there for him. He nodded to her and gently squeezed her hand as he felt himself begin to relax. His breathing settled down, and he rolled his tense shoulder muscles. The pressure was easing.

They continued through the aisles and finally made it to the doors leading to the cosplay area.

Just outside the main hall was a large open area before the escalators leading down to street level. This was the unofficial meeting area for anyone who arrived in costume. This was where you went to see and be seen.

Their arrival drew a lot of attention, and Taylor was eating it up. She grinned back at Sam, and he nodded to her.

Showtime.

Chapter 7

Sam laid the bouquet of wildflowers on the gravestone. Each time he glanced at the dates carved into the surface, he felt a sense of outrage at the cruel abbreviation of Christie's promising life. She had so much to offer and never got the chance. He stopped looking.

He stood and cast his eyes down to the flowers at the base of the grey monument. He knew Christie wasn't there. This was just a prop in a ceremony. It was all symbolic but the grief counselor he'd spoken to back when it happened- no, when Christie died, told him that people needed rituals and symbol in their lives to make sense of when unexplainable shit happens. It was just a way to find closure. He sighed and began.

"Hi, Christie. This is the first time I've been here. Sorry it took me so long, but I've been messed up for a while. I'm getting better." He felt stupid talking to the stone, but he pushed on and took a deep breath. "If you can hear me, I wanted you to know I'm sorry you died in such a tragic way. It shouldn't have happened, but it did, and it's past, so I can't do anything about it. I blamed myself for so long, but that wasn't healthy or reasonable. I finally got my head on straight. It took all of our friends, and a new one to make that happen but... I'm getting better."

He looked out over the rolling hills with all of the stones marking the memory of someone lost. Symbols. He continued. "I want you to know you'll always be in my heart. Losing you almost killed me, but love saved me again."

He thought of the two women waiting for him back at their new home. That thought filled his heart with joy. As his new neighborhood was on the other side of the city, he knew how unlikely it was that he'd ever come back this way. No, this was the last time. Still, the counselor said it was necessary, so he thought he'd better do it before he left.

He touched the cold stone. "I'm saying goodbye. I hope wherever you are, if you are somewhere, it's a good place as you deserve it." That felt right.

He turned to go then looked back as there was only one thing left to say.

"I miss you."

Surprisingly, he did feel a little lighter as he walked through the cemetery pathways towards the main gate. He'd catch a taxi home from there.

Sam thought about the strange and exciting new direction his life was taking. He was a little nervous about it, but he knew he had the support of his friends and the love of the women at home.

He wouldn't be alone on his journey, and he couldn't ask for more.