Notes: This was a birthday present for my friend Mada! It was posted on AO3 in February. Only took me almost 4 months to mirror it to FFN, lol. Thank you to June who came up with the whole scenario!
First Time
After pushing past the third group of ladies and dandies who didn't have the manners to stand off to a side while chatting, Ikki was at the end of his tether. Just because Athena had specifically requested his presence at this fancy function didn't mean that he liked it.
As a Bronze Saint, Ikki's role was to fight and lay his life on the line for her. But he much preferred doing it the normal way. Rushing their enemies… fighting them one-on-one, like men… preferably with a time limit. Not this bodyguarding and… waiting! Here he was, in a stuffy suit he was sure would only impede his movement if something did happen, awkwardly taking up space, a barely touched orange mimosa in one hand. Athena was at the far end of the room, regaling partygoers in three different languages (none of which he spoke). Shiryu stood near her, his gaze sweeping across the room every few seconds. Just as Ikki was in charge here, Shiryu was, there.
By his count, it had been about twenty-five minutes since this all started. Only twenty-five minutes. When would the assassins reveal themselves and end it?
The main door opened and more people streamed in. More people, while undoubtedly the point of this function, meant more complications. More noise. Empty speech and clinking glasses, as far as the eye could see, and Athena in the middle of it all. Ikki liked to think that he had mellowed out past his teens, but sometimes these things really made him wish he could go back to when he had been 15 and went off by himself every other week.
Someone jostled him, and he turned to shoot them a smouldering glare. Twenty-six minutes into this bodyguard-slash-stakeout assignment and Ikki's PR pants were fully off. No more Mr. Nice Ikki, but really, had there ever been?
But it was a familiar face, and it cooled Ikki's chops, just a little bit. Seiya had that effect on people, one that made you want to slap him on the back while punching him with your other hand.
Seiya did a double take when he saw him.
"If it isn't Ikki!" he said. "How rare to see you here!" He was just as talk first, think later as always. Not that Ikki was great with words, either, so he supposed he couldn't say anything.
"Seiya," Ikki acknowledged. He didn't bother to mask his irritation because he knew he would fail. Besides, Seiya wasn't the type to take offence, or even notice at all.
"It's a total Bronze Saint reunion, isn't it?" Seiya was already happily munching away on some deep fried spring rolls. "Me, you, Shiryu over there—how long has it been? Must be at least half a year. Hyoga and Shun will be excited to see you. Even if you're on duty." Seiya gave Ikki a once-over, from his shiny gelled head to his pointy shoes, leaving him feeling oddly exposed. He was never, ever, agreeing to anything with him in black tie ever again, even if Athena asked.
Then the woman in question turned towards another approaching guest, catching Ikki's eye as she did so and giving him a warm, glittering smile. Oh, who was he kidding?
"Where's Shun?" Ikki asked, to shake off that moment.
"Oh, Hyoga said they were coming later."
It seemed like Seiya hadn't noticed. Which Ikki had expected, but was also pleased to confirm.
Wait a minute.
"Together?"
"Yeah." Seiya quirked up an eyebrow. "They've been hanging out a lot. They always have, but lately they've been going places together. Wait, that's them I think. Hey Hyoga! Shun!"
Seiya's hand shot up to get their attention, but Ikki had already foisted off his mimosa onto a roaming waiter and was on his way there. Athena would be fine. Seiya might have negative tact, but he was every bit as good at fighting and every bit as devoted to Athena as Ikki was.
It was indeed them, his little brother's rich, green locks, and the blond mop next to him. They moved in sync in a way that grated at Ikki's nerves. He kept moving, and got close enough to hear their conversation.
"How was it?" Shun sounded worried, and the idea that his brother had anything to prove to Hyoga made Ikki want to hurl. "Can we do it again tomorrow?"
Wait, what? What was this punk doing with his brother?
"You did good," Hyoga replied. "But we should take it slow. Shouldn't rush these things."
Ikki wanted to melt back into the shadows to spy further, but before he could do that, Shun saw him. His face blossomed out into a wide smile and he waved. "Nii-san!"
Hyoga's gaze found his, and it was all Ikki could do to keep down the urge to grab him as they exchanged nods. "Hi, Ikki."
"Shun." Ikki allowed him a brief smile before it hardened again. "And Hyoga. What were you talking about?"
And that was the exact moment the chandelier above them all shattered and the knives started to fly.
It was a good thing Cygnus had been there, because honestly, Ikki had been so out of it that he'd missed Shiryu's frantic signals. Well, that was why there were five of them. They were a team. Even if Ikki really felt like bashing Hyoga's head in at this moment. Or at least taking him out through the back door to the alley and truly getting to the bottom of whether he was sleeping with his little brother.
It was hours later, and the clean-up was finally done. Ikki had returned late, having maybe taken a little bit longer than usual to dispatch a fleeing enemy. He totally hadn't been letting off some pent-up pressure at all, nope.
By the time he arrived at the Kido mansion, Athena had already retired to rest for the night. Seiya and Shiryu, both bandaged, were nursing drinks in the sitting room.
"Where's Hyoga?" Ikki asked, wary. Oddly, some part of him was dreading the answer.
This wouldn't do. He had to sort this out right now.
Shiryu gave him a strange look. "They're in the kitchen."
Ikki gave them both a nod before making his way there. But this time, it was with the intent to eavesdrop.
Sure enough, they were both in the kitchen. Hyoga was fixing himself what looked to be an incredibly strong drink while Shun waited.
"Are you sure I was okay?" Shun's worry was back in full force, like he hadn't slapped the first few blades out of the air with his Andromeda Chains and showed all the laughing attackers what he was made of just hours before.
"You were fine!" Hyoga said, not looking up from his drink. The vodka kept pouring… and pouring… and pouring. "It's what could be expected from your first time."
"Hyoga." Shun's voice was firm, and it made Hyoga put the bottle down and properly look at him. "Be truthful. I can handle it."
Hyoga snorted. "Well… honestly, there wasn't anything major to complain about. I suppose one minor thing is that you grab it too gently." He brought his arm out in front of the both of them. "It's gotta be like this."
Hyoga closed his fingers in a fist around thin air before performing a smooth jerking motion that had Ikki's blood running cold in his veins. As Hyoga pumped, his cufflinks glinted in the light, making the act all the more vulgar.
And that was it. Ikki was done. He had all the information he needed.
Stepping out from behind the doorway, he made sure to plant his stance right between his brother and Hyoga.
"Shun," he said, if a bit absently. "Hyoga."
"Nii-san!" The former couldn't contain his delight. "I wasn't expecting to see you again."
Was that why he had been clinging to Hyoga so strongly this whole night? Hit him where it hurt, little brother!
Meanwhile, Hyoga's gaze swept across him, unimpressed. "Ikki. Hi again."
As usual, there was the bare minimum of goodwill between them. Fine then. Ikki wouldn't beat around the bush.
"Hyoga. What are you doing with Shun?"
Hyoga threw Shun a questioning glance, before receiving some sort of message and looking insolently back at Ikki. "Right now? Waiting for you. Sure took your time, didn't you?"
"Don't play with me." Ikki took one more step forward, into Hyoga's space. (To his credit, Hyoga didn't move.) "I heard what you were saying. Not to rush things? To be gentle? On his first time?"
Hyoga was looking exasperated now. "Well, yeah. It's dangerous to go too fast, accidents could happen. But I'm a good teacher. I've got lots of experience. You'd know."
Ikki had been clamping down on his rage ever since Hyoga's flippant first sentence. It had been harder and harder as the seconds went by.
"Take this seriously!" he growled. "How would I know about your so-called experiences?"
Hyoga threw both arms up. "Do you really not remember? I drove you to the airport after we heard that Shun and the others' plane had gone missing?"
"You did that?" Shun asked, incredulous. "But that was when we were 14!"
"Yes, well," Hyoga said, "I did say I had been driving for a long time."
A frown appeared on Shun's face. "I'm starting to rethink our driving lessons."
"Wait." Ikki couldn't process this quickly enough. He never used to miss this much when he was away, he was sure of it. "You're learning how to drive from this guy?"
"Ikki," Hyoga gritted out. "That's what we've been talking about the entire time!"
Pause.
It was probably the fifth or so time Ikki had expressed the desire for the whole world to wait just a moment as he got his head around the situation. At last, his brain was willing to oblige.
"Let me get this straight," he said. "Shun, you're learning how to drive from Hyoga? You just had your first lesson?"
"That's right," Shun said. "Although I'm no longer sure if I should continue."
"I'm a good driver, just ask anyone," Hyoga interjected, but Ikki cut him off.
"You're right to think that," he said. "If I remember right, he wasn't even wearing a seatbelt that time we went to the airport."
Shun's frown deepened. Hyoga suddenly developed an interest in the picture hanging on the wall next to Ikki. A good mood swept through Ikki, making him feel suddenly buoyant, like the world was right again. Hyoga was not having untoward relations with his brother.
"You got me, though," he said. He even chuckled. "I'm glad it's just driving lessons. The way you were talking, I thought you two were sleeping together."
Hyoga choked. Shun's expression suddenly turned sly. Ikki was plunged back into the icy cold water again.
"Nii-san," Shun finally said. He took the potent cocktail from the counter and drank, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Whoever said we weren't?"