Rumor's Confirmed

          He shot up in bed, sweat covering his face, his chest around the bandage that covered the still-healing wound after he had applied the healing gel.  His breathing was fast and harsh, the cry of utter terror locked in his throat.  Raising a shaking hand, he wiped at the sweat, realizing the memory of the dream was, as always, already rapidly fading away with his return to consciousness.

          : Roark? : the voice that came into his mind was worried, tinged with the heaviness of sleep.  : What the HELL was that? :

          : What indeed?  Your guess would probably be as good as mine would be.  It's been...yahrens since I had that particular dream. :  He gave a deep sigh.  : Rodolphus, what is this between us?  How can you possibly know what I just dreamed? :

          : I don't know EXACTLY what you dreamed, darling, just the impressions of it, and I think...to some extent, I may have dreamed something that is close, : he sounded almost as confused as he was.

          "But...HOW?  I mean, I know you're from one of the ancient Houses of Kobol, like the Peverell Potters, the Durins, the Prince family, of which Severus is the last...or was, until Sasha and Grace were born, and the Weasleys.  These gifts...I just didn't realize they were this prevalent. :

          : That's because they're not.  No one really knows when someone will be born with psychic gifts, nor why some have certain gifts, while others don't have them. :  A pause, then, : Meet with me, Rory  We really need to talk, and not just about us. :

          Pushing the sheet and light blanket aside, he reached for his sleep pants to pull them on, then reached for his robe lying across the bottom of his bed.  Pulling it on as he stood, he secured it with the tie as he headed for the door of his room.

          : Roark? :

          : I'm here.  Sorry, Rodolphus," he said as he keyed the lock on the front door.  The pressurized door slid open silently and he stepped out onto the porch, the humidity of the night like a wet blanket around him.  : I was thinking. :

          : Just so you are aware, babe, : he told him, : I'm just as surprised by all of this as you are, including this bonding we seem to have developed between us. :

          A smile curved his lips.  : I know, : came softly as he moved across the porch.  : I can feel your surprise, your confusion, " he lay his hand on the wooden rail that surrounded the porch.  : The telepathy I've had since I was very small.  In fact, Harry and I spent nearly as much time talking in each other's heads as we did out loud.  The empathy...my being able to feel all these emotions of others around me...it's very disconcerting, to say the least, but that too I can accept.  But the rest of this?  Out being able to share dreams?  My being able to sense when you're upset, sensing that you're withdrawing from me.  Hiding things that you think will worry, or upset me? : 

          Sensing his surprise at that last spoken part, he said, : It was on Aquaria, just before we went into that warehouse.  I knew that something was bothering both you and Rabastan, was seriously upsetting both of you.  I knew you were pulling away from me because of it, then there was the fact that you both knew immediately when I tried to look for whatever it was.  Why, Rodolphus?  Why are we so connected?  This goes way beyond our just being lovers. :

          : I know, : came softly.  : Do you remember how your laser just seemed to fly into your hand when you needed it the most? :

          : Vaguely.  Just what the HELL was that? :

          : THAT, my love, would be the gift of telekinesis.  It's the ability to move or to call objects to you with your mind.  It is also one of the rarer gifts.  It hasn't been seen in several generations. :

          : Telekinesis?  Can you do that?  Rabastan? :

          : Only if we're under extreme stress, but it isn't a sure thing for either of us, and it always gives us a very nasty headache if we DO manage to pull it off. :

          He could only shake his head, was about to say something else when he sensed someone approaching behind him.  "Rory?" came the soft, slightly worried call.

          "Uncle Apollo?" he asked, turning to face him.

          Apollo was tying his robe as he stepped outside, crossing the porch to his nephew's side.  "What, may I ask, are you doing up this early?"

          "I woke up.  What about you?  Why are you up?"

          "Hum...I woke up when I heard you leaving your room," he gave him a half smile.  "I really do need to talk to father about these doors.  They squeak when they open or close.  Of course, that could very well have been the plan.  That way, when we were young if we left our rooms when we weren't supposed to..."

          Roark chuckled softly at that.  "Knowing grandfather as I do, that would be entirely possible."

          "Are you alright, my nephew?" he asked, his tone completely serious, lifting a hand to run his fingers through silky midnight hair  "You seem to be troubled by something."

          "Hum...do I?" he murmured, looking back out over the dark lawn.

          He turned to lean against the rail.  "Ro...ark," he said, drawing out his name.