I know Valentines day was ages ago, but this idea popped into my head and I couldn't get rid of it. Bryan helps Tala move into his new house on Valentines day and ends up being pleasantly surprised by something Tala has to say...
"Tala?"
"What, Bryan?"
"Um. I... Um."
"Yes, you um. Whatever." Tala said, head and shoulders still stuck in the kitchen cupboard.
"I... Doyouwanttocomeoutwithmeonlyit'svalentinesdayandIreallylike you..." Burst out Bryan all in a rush. From inside the cupboard, there was a thunk and a curse. Tala emerged, rubbing his head.
"What did you say? I didn't hear you...stupid cupboard..." Tala slammed the door shut only for it to fly back out, heading for his face.
Bryan pulled him out of the way and he fumed. "That does it!" He grabbed his hammer, ripped the door from its rusty, barely working hinges, and flung it to the floor. "I'm sick of fixing crappy cupboards!" He stamped on the door and then seemed to remember Bryan had been talking to him. "What did you want again?"
"Oh. Nothing..."
"Nothing? Then you can help me move all this junk in the hall." Bryan followed Tala out into the passage and stood waiting. Tala picked up a few small boxes and stacked them in his arms. "Can you take them up to my room? It's on your right as you go up..." Bryan obliged, struggling up the steep stairs with his array of assorted rubbish. He dumped it on the bed in Tala's room, and one of the boxes came open. An envelope fell out onto the bed.
Absently, he picked it up, failing to notice the 'Happy Valentines' on the front, or the red heart on the card inside. He read only the message, and that left him horrified:
To the one I love,
Happy Valentines Day!
Yours forever,
Tala
The sight of that written in Tala's neat handwriting was enough to make Bryan's mouth go dry. It was written in Russian, so...that could only mean...Tala was in love with...well it couldn't be Spencer, he was with a Moroccan barmaid...and it couldn't be Ian because he was dating a pool attendant...so...Tala was in love with...KAI? Or...or someone else Russian...
Bryan put the card back into the envolope and stuffed it back into the box, just as Tala walked in behind him, humming. "Why are you just standing there, you? I need help! I can't carry all my crap up those stairs, not unless I want to celebrate my first day in my new house in hospital with broken legs, anyway!"
Bryan shrugged and trudged down the stairs behind Tala, feeling crushed. Tala, his beautiful wolf, his little redheaded angel was in love with someone else... He accepted another load of boxes and took those up, putting them on the floor this time. Tala knelt and dropped his armfuls of clothes beside them. "So are you having a nice valentines day, Bryan?"
"Hm? Oh." Bryan shrugged and grunted noncomittally, missing the slightly disappointed look on Tala's face as he did so. "What about you? Did you get seven million cards like you usually do?"
"No! You make me sound like a slut! It's not my fault women won't accept that I'm gay!" He shoved Bryan playfully. "And I don't get seven million. Seven if I'm lucky, and considering Rei sends all his friends one and so does Max, it's not all that many."
"I didn't get one off Max or Rei..."
"They sent them to 'The Demolition Boys'. So I, as the captain of our so wonderful team, have the job of accepting team valentines." Tala sighed and opened a few of the buttons on his dusty shirt, pulling it open at the top. Bryan tried not to stare at the smooth chest that was revealed. He would never be able to touch it...it was someone else's...someone that Tala was in love with...someone meaning not him...
"It's boiling in here...I'll have to sort out the central heating...after I've sorted everything else..."
A few more loads later and Bryan was biting his lip with tension. Tala had now opted to go entirely shirtless and was currently wiping sweat from his forehead. "Bryan, aren't you absolutely roasting in that jacket?" Bryan shrugged, but Tala wouldn't accept that as an answer. He slipped behind Bryan and yanked off his jacket, hands lingering over Bryan's chest. Bryan bit back a gasp and turned, taking his jacket from Tala, who was smiling enigmatically. One more trip up and down the stairs of death and Tala's stuff was all moved into his bedroom. He collapsed onto the floor and breathed out.
"I never realised I owned so much trash..." He said wonderingly. He patted the only other empty square of floor beside himself and Bryan sat down. "So now I'll have to sort it...but that can wait. He ran a hand through his hair and smiled. "Thanks for helping. It would have taken me all day otherwise. Hey, if you're still not busy, we could go for a drink..." He looked down at himself and grimaced. "Maybe not. I look like a tramp."
"You don't."
Tala smirked. "Was that the smallest little hint of a compliment there, Bryan?" Bryan, much to his own disgust, blushed heavily. Tala pretended not to notice, and stood up, wading through boxes and piles of clothes to his bed. He picked up the box that Bryan had carried up earlier and opened it. Bryan's heart froze as he took out the red envelope. Tala smiled to himself, almost shyly, and hopped back over his belongings. He held out the card to Bryan.
"What? Do you want me to deliver it to Kai or something?" Bryan could have cried. Postal boy for the card that confirmed his suspicions. Tala frowned.
"Why would it be for Kai? It's for you, stupid!" With a pounding heart, Bryan took the envolope. He looked at the front, and in that same sloping, tiny scrawl that had been in the card earlier, was the word 'Bryan'. But it was probably a different card, the 'one I love' replaced with 'stupid friend'... He opened the card and gasped. It was the same card...but it had been adressed to him...did that mean-!
"For...me?" Tala nodded, blushing slightly.
"I...I'm sorry Bryan. I thought you liked me too...I..." He hung his head sadly. Bryan stood up and touched his shoulder, hating to see his little wolf upset.
"I do like you...I came to ask you if you wanted to come out with me tonight...I just wasn't brave enough to ask you twice..."
"You did?" Tala looked up, a joyful smile gracing his lips. Bryan nodded and Tala leapt towards him, winding his arms around Bryan's neck and practically throttling him. Tala kissed both of his cheeks then his nose, then his lips and his ears and his closed eyelids. "I love you." Bryan opened his eyes and smiled.
"I love you too." He wrapped his arms around Tala's waist tightly. "I didn't think you liked me...I thought you liked Kai..." Tala pulled a face.
"He's an idiot. And between you and me..." Tala grinned. "I've seen him in the shower, and he's nothing special. You, on the other hand..."
"You've watched me in the shower!" Tala bit his lip, smiling mischievously, and nodded. "Pervert."
"Would it make it better if I told you that you have a nice arse?" He said flirtatiously
"Do I?"
Tala's arms left Bryan's neck and his hands squeezed Bryan's backside. "And you just said arse." The lavender haired Russian said, amused.
"I did..." Tala smirked. "And you do..." He leaned in close and kissed Bryan demandingly, forcing Bryan to respond. And respond Bryan did. However, as they were still surrounded by a sea of junk, pinning Tala against the wall wasn't a viable option. Neither was pulling him down onto the bed. In the end Bryan settled for grabbing Tala under his thighs and lifting him up. Tala shifted closer to him and moaned, wrapping his legs around Bryan's back.
"That's another thing. I like -proper- men." He nibbled at Bryan's ear and struggled down. He shoved boxes off the bed every which way and yanked Bryan down, sitting on top of him and kissing him forcefully. "Happy valentines day, koi..."
"I'm not your koi...yet..." Tala licked his lips and smiled down at Bryan predatorially.
"You soon will be."
"Morning koi..." Said Tala quietly, snuggling deeper into Bryan's embrace. Bryan grunted. "Koi, wake up."
"M'wake..." Tala smiled evilly. He knew how to make Bryan wake up properly...
He pushed Bryan onto his back and sat on top of him. Bryan squinted up at him and sighed. "What?" Tala didn't reply, only leaned down and licked Bryan's neck. "It's not nice to ignore your boyfriend, koi."
"What if I do?"
"Then I'll have to think up some kind of punishment for you..."
"Well you could always beat me to death with..." Bryan looked down over the side of the bed for inspiration and saw an incriminating glitter of silver. "A pair of handcuffs!"
"They're for a friend."
"If the word 'boy' precedes 'friend', you can forget it."
"Please? I want to try them out..."
"I want never gets."
"Oh no Bryan. I -always- get what I want..."
Bryan smirked. Who knew? Perhaps it would turn out to be fun... But he'd have to tease Tala a bit more about it first. "I can't believe you have handcuffs...you kinky little freak..."
"But you love me!"
"I do. But that doesn't mean I'm going to let you anywhere near me with those handcuffs."
"But Bry-an!" Whined Tala. "I promise I won't bite...much..."
"Beg a bit more and I'll think about it." Tala grinned.
"I can beg..." He traced his fingers down Bryan's chest lightly. "I'm really good at begging..."
Bryan lay back and smiled. He had a feeling he was going to enjoy this...
fin
