Cool songs for this chapter:
Spring Sonata First Movement - Beethoven
Home - Tablo ( Feat. Lee Sora )
Spring Sonata Second Movement - Beethoven
They Are Coming - Wheesung ( Feat. Ailee)
CHAPTER 2
The car ride to the secluded countryside mansion was far, and Ivan settled in the leather seats. He rested his chin in his hand, looking out the window. They were holding a dinner party, where he would mingle with other clients and wealthy business owners. He was to meet his fiance tonight He was extremely stressed, he had only met her once as a child. Ivan shuddered at the memory, he had not been a good one. It didn't help that Yao was being so distant.
He glanced at the sullen Yao, who sat as close as possible by the car window. He looked prepared to jump if the large Russian man tried to go a little bit closer than him. Ivan sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose with his hand. "Yao, are you going to be like this for the entire week we're here?" He asked with exasperation as if tired of trying to communicate with a grumpy child.
Yao didn't answer, instead his bottom lip stuck out even more into a pout, and he turned his face towards the window. In the reflection of the window, Ivan could see Yao's displeasure. If he was a cat, his fur would be bristled, for he was on edge. Who wouldn't be, after being treated so roughly. Yao was always a bit cautious of others to begin with.
Ivan sighed heavily and muttered a Russian curse under his breath. The car was silently racing throughout the scenic Russian countryside. There was only the sound of the hum of machinery.
When they arrived to the driveway of the country estate, there was a large wrought iron gate, with acres of land stretching about. The trees lines the pathway, and the car drove a couple more miles before finally reaching the huge mansion.
Servants were lined by the unwound carpet, bowing their heads deeply. Men in uniforms hurried to unload the luggage and open the door.
"Welcome home Mr. Braginski." They echoed.
"Natalia Alfroskaya is here to see you." A groomed butler introduced to an anxious Ivan. The butler opened the wooden doors, and Ivan raked his hair back out of his eyes.
An attractive young woman stepped into the private drawing room, wearing a sapphire designer dress that was had ruffles at the top, falling off her shoulders. The dress had a voluminous skirt of some expensive material. A shiny diamond necklace graced her neck, her ashen blonde hair cascading past her shoulders. She had a matching sapphire bow in her hair, her crystal clear blue eyes looked back expectantly at the man across from her.
Ivan had a strained smile on his face. He felt suffocating in his stuffy suit. He knelt on one knee and pressed a kiss to her gloved hand. "Ivan, you are doing well, da?" She asked softly.
"Yes, I am Natalia." He answered. The butler had opened the glass doors to the garden, so that the breeze carried the scent of gardenias. "Would you like to talk on the terrace?" He asked politely, gesturing outside. There was a impeccable garden outside, with bright green shrubbery and pretty flowers that were in bloom. Strings of light were strung about, with the fountain lights on.
"That would be lovely," She said and let the tall Russian man lead her outside.
Politely, Ivan pulled back the chair for Natalia. On the table were small white candles that contribute to the romantic atmosphere. Smiling, she took her seat, her skirt flowing around her like endless waves. "It has been such a long time. We were children when we last saw each other."
"We were. So I'd like to discuss -" He was silenced by Natalia's finger, her nails were painted a navy blue.
"We have all night for that." Her lips curled into a smile. "Why don't we attend the party?"
Ivan nodded, and escorted Natalia to the party, even though he wanted to see his grumpy little kitten.
The party was very refined, with an orchestra playing classical music. The chandeliers were lit, and the tall windows were open out onto the various balconies. Scents from the flowers carried into the ballroom from the night breeze.
Ivan looked around nervously, and sighed a breath of relief when he did not see his mother. It was always such a pain to deal with her.
There was polite chatter between important dignitaries, and business men all around the world. Women hung on the men's arms like candy, glittering from all their shiny jewelry. However, the one that outshone them all was the oriental beauty who drank in solitude.
He was dressed like a female, dolled up in a way that Ivan so enjoyed. His silky hair fell around his shoulders, he wore a European dress this time, which was a bright berry red. His lips were painted the same color, and string of pearls hung around his neck. The pearls were given to him by Ivan. He tugged on the pearls unhappily, and tipped a sweet martini to his lips.
Why was he forced to attend the party? He wanted to sleep in his room, not attend this stuffy party. His heart sunk to the bottom of his stomach when he saw the smiling couple greeting others. The woman was named Natalia, and was Ivan's fiance.
See, that's great. Be normal and go out with her. Yao thought to himself. Yao glumly rested his hand on his cheek. He once had dreams too.
He was pulled from his thoughts when a hand knocked over his martini. Annoyed, he looked up to find himself face to face with Natalia. "Sorry." She said mockingly, not sounding sorry at all. Ivan stepped from behind Natalia, looking refined and attractive in his expensive tailored suit.
"How degenerate." Natalia said haughtily, her nose upturned in the air as she looked down upon Yao. Yao's hands balled up into fists at his sides, his slender frame shaking slightly. Ivan shifted, preparing to stand up and defend his beloved Yao. "You truly ruin the atmosphere with your presence."
Yao grinned. "You're looking very uptight yourself." He answered jokingly, with coldness laced behind his voice.
Ivan had a had a glare in his eyes, as he grasped Natalia's wrist tightly. "Let's talk in private," He stated with a set jaw. Natalia smiled coyly in return, her blue eyes glinting underneath her long lashes.
"Very well." The picture perfect pair left the ballroom, leaving Yao feeling unwanted and awkward. He sighed and returned to his private corner, resuming his drinks.
"Hello there doll," A very drunk man took the seat next to Yao. Yao inwardly sighed, here came a trouble maker. "Let me get yooouuu a drink." He slurred, his eyes unfocusing a bit.
"No thank you." Yao declined as politely as he could manage.
"Now, now don't be like that." When the man's meaty, sweaty palm reached for Yao's butt, Yao cleverly ducked and slapped him. A red hand print formed on the man's cheek.
Perhaps because he was drunk off his mind, the man simply laughed. "Feisty huh? You're Ivan's treasured mistress huh?"
"Mistress? No!" Yao was offended and enraged.
"You must be lonely now that Ivan is marrying Natalia. Will he have time to pamper you, little mistress? I can take care of your needs." He winked.
Dismissing the last remark, his ears perked at a certain word. "Marrying? Ivan is getting engaged?" Yao asked softly. He remembered thinking that they would make a cute couple, but the prospect of them actually getting married made him feel uneasy and strange. Ivan used to be such an adorable, darling child that would follow him everywhere like a duckling. Yao would dote on the once innocent Ivan, what the hell happened?
"... I didn't know." Yao stated, raking the hair out of his eyes.
The man guffawed and laughed so hard he almost fell off the tall stool. "That's one of the main reasons for this gathering. Everyone's talking about it." He said.
"Hm. I see, excuse me." Yao stood up, and picked up the rest of the colorful martini from the shiny, wooden bar top table. He knocked it down, and then went off to search for Ivan. He suddenly wanted to see Ivan.
A velvet curtain hung around them in the richly decorated private room, a tray of refreshments and drinks on the table. The small chandelier in the space lit up the room, the two people were sitting quite close together. They sat facing each other at a small, round table in upright chairs. This tiny room overlooked the ballroom, dancing people twirling and spinning.
"I understand that you don't like me. That you don't like this arrangement." She gracefully picked up a flute of sparkling champagne and brought it to her glossy lips. She drank from it, leaving behind a print of her lip gloss color on the glass.
"However, what do you take me for? A fool? You thought I would run away just because you're in love with a Chinese transvestite who doesn't love you back?" She asked with sarcasm dripping thick in her voice.
Ivan's hand tightened on the arm rest he was gripping, yet he retained his poise. "No, I was planning on tricking you into thinking Yao was a girl. Unfortunately, you saw through his guise. The very first, I might add."
"Honestly Ivan, think about this. This marriage is beneficial to both of our families. It's just for appearances anyway, no one else will know if we have our own lovers, as long as we attend those boring functions together, and bear a son for them, they could care less. You can the rest of your time with that ... she-male." Natalia's nose wrinkled in distaste again.
"Ivan, what do you see in him? Someone like you ... oh it's such a waste." She shook her head with disappointment, and stared intensely at him with her blue eyes. With a beguiling smile, her pearly whites flashing, her clever little hand ran up Ivan's thigh. Stiffening uncomfortably, Ivan cleared his throat.
When the hand traveled even further, he stood up abruptly. The chair fell to the floor, and Natalia simply grinned. "That's enough. Let's return for dinner -" Natalia also got up from her chair, and with her skirts rustling, she kissed Ivan. Surprised, Ivan's reflex was to push her away, but she held him firm.
"If you don't comply, I'll scream so loudly, that it'll ruin your family, your image." She threatened calmly. Ivan grit his teeth, and he aggressively grabbed Natalia's long, ashen blonde locks roughly. He smashed their lips together, kissing her so coldly, that their teeth clinked against one another.
Natalia returned the roughness, her hands wounding up around the taller man, as they continued their make out session. Her lips trailed down his neck, and her hand reached to grasp his staff. Taking a sharp inhale of breath, he fought the urge to throw Natalia across the room. She quickly unzipped Ivan's pants and pulled his impressive staff out.
Using her long fingernails, she got him half way erect. She gave a test lick, and Ivan hated his body for betraying him this way.
Unknown to the two people who were currently having a dominance power play and screwing with each other mind's, Yao was searching through the second floors for Ivan. For one, he was worried ( not that he'd ever admit this to himself) and two, his was curious. Would Ivan yell at Natalia? What were they discussing?
When he pulled aside the velvet curtain, he was so shocked, he was silent. His mouth hung agape and his eyes bugged out slightly. He clamped his hand over his mouth. Ivan had his back on the wall, his face titled up to the ceiling with his eyes screwed shut. He was breathing heavily, and all he could see was the back of an ashen blonde head dutifully sucking on something.
He backed away, and ran from the party, his berry colored full skirts swishing around him as he escaped like a broken princess. The clock had struck midnight, it made him realize, he was just a guy in a dress. He was someone's whore, and his dreams of meeting his prince would not come true. His happy ending seemed nonexistent, and shelter from this storm seemed far away.
A tall, strong man with blonde hair slicked back ducked away from the party. He had on glasses, with charming blue eyes, and a bright million watt smile. In his hand he had a hamburger, and he had slipped away from his annoyingly uptight older brother.
He was glad he had escaped from that stuffy atmosphere. Not only was it a meeting of sorts, but it was also going to announced at the week end party, that Natalia and Ivan would be engaged. Everyone knew already though.
The man was spacing out, when he heard the sound of harsh breathing. His eyes widened, when he saw the figure of a gorgeous beauty with dark hair flash by, with her red skirts fluttering around her.
His mouth hung agape, and lettuce and tomatoes started to fall on his shirt. "Shit!" He exclaimed, taking off the expensive black blazer, and trying to get rid of the stain in his crumple white button up shirt.
"Who was that?" A faint blush dusted across his cheeks.
Yao ran to god who knows where, the twisting and turning passages led him to a unfamiliar place. He slowed down, and leaned against the wall, sliding onto the floor. He had no idea where he was. There were large, grand portraits of the Braginski family. They came from some royal blood of some sort, their ancestors seemed so wealthy.
He saw that there was a door slightly open. Curious, he got up and investigated. Inside, was a large room with a grand piano sitting in the middle of the room, set across a background of tall, floor length windows. Outside, was a quiet serene garden, with the faint sound of night birds. On the other wall, was a huge wall covered in books and music sheets. There was a small table with a lamp, and two chairs seated next to the small table.
An impish grin spread across his face, and he quickly seated himself across the bench. Yao gave a tiny test with his finger, for it had been a while since he last played. Arthur had taught him a long time ago. When it gave a satisfying ring, he played a scale. Exhilarated by the familiarity, he played many scales, his hands remembering the motions.
He found a stack of music scores beside the piano bench, and a few supporting the wobbly grand piano leg. He found it ironic, that even though this mansion was so large and luxurious, they had neglected this poor piano.
Yao picked one up, and after flipping through the music pieces, he settled on one that seemed simple enough for him to play. So, slowly, he delved deeply into the piano playing, which settled his fraying nerves. However, the more he played, he started to remember.
The image of Natalia and Ivan flashed through his mind unwelcomingly. "Ughh!" The pleasant sounds ended abruptly with the crashing of multiple keys. His fingers were spread out across the keys, he stood up, and the bench had been pushed back.
A large pale hand snatched up the piano book. He saw that the hand was connected to an arm, and a shoulder... there was the face of an amused Ivan. "What did the piano ever do to you?" He asked.
"You've already taken so much from me!" He shouted as threw the music sheets carelessly away, they fluttered to the ground. His silky hair blew back from his face and his amber eyes were enraged. "Will you also take away the time I get to play piano?! Such a simple thing, yet you'd rob me of this simple pleasure."
"Stop overreacting. Are you drunk?" Ivan teased as he reached touch Yao. Yao smacked his hand away.
"No. You're always interupting me, and sucking away all the fun!" He exclaimed in anger, his cheeks bright red. Ivan was a little confused as to why Yao put so much emphasis on the word, suck. He didn't understand why Yao was lashing out at him so much!
Oh wait. A little light bulb went off in his head. Was Yao angry about him marrying Natalia? If so, then Ivan would be extremely happy that Yao was jealous. What other reason could there be, Ivan thought to himself.
"Hold on a minute. This isn't about the damn piano, is it? Yao! What the hell is up with you?!" Ivan demanded, expecting an answer.
"Everything bothers you! You don't even really care!" Yao continued to shout.
What bothers me is that the only thing that goes on in your brain is that opium bastard! But you know what? If you're so pissed off about what I think, then why do you care if I marry Natalia or not?" Ivan shouted back.
"I don't! It's annoys me how you'd lie to yourself! You don't even love Natalia!"
"No I don't! I love you!" Ivan replied with vexation.
"I hate you!" Yao continued to shout, tears of frustration and anger dripping down, he threw objects at Ivan in an attempt to blow off all the pent up anger.
"That's too bad ... because I really like you." He said as he dodged all the incoming flying books. They each crashed against the wall, and one knocked over the lamp. Yao had a frenzied look in his eyes, as he was very confused and upset.
"STOP IT!" Yao shouted angrily, his face flushed as he pushed away the arms that reached for him. He turned his sorrowful face to the side, his eyes closing to calm himself.
"I like you," He pressed a kiss to Yao's forehead.
"Liar," Yao's chest shuddered.
"I like you," Ivan placed a kiss each on Yao's closed eyelids.
"Liar," Yao's composure was slipping even further from his control. Like a vessel that was bursting forth with multiple holes, causing it to overflow with leaks.
"I like you," Ivan repeated, placing a kiss on the tip of Yao's perfect nose.
"Ivan, I don't want your damn pearls." Yao stated suddenly, tugging on the necklace, and placing it in Ivan's hands.
"Eh? What's wrong with them? They're much better than the ones you had before. They're to replace the ones I broke." Ivan's brow furrowed together.
"That's not the point. If it's not from him then ..." He trailed off, his eyes lowering to the floor. "Then it's no good."
Ivan angrily punched the window behind Yao, and gritted his teeth. "Damn it Yao," He said and left the room quickly. He didn't want a repeat of last time, so he left.
The next morning, Yao was like a deflated balloon at breakfast. He picked at his toast, looking listlessly off into the distance.
Ivan was worried, but he had no time to intervene. For he was literally buried in negotiations, setting up business contracts, talking about future plans. Every single second of his time here was planned, and Ivan had no time alone. If he wasn't talking with clients or business partners, then Natalia was with him, with her bright smile that fooled everyone.
Somehow this was all worse than seeing Yao lash out at him. For days, Yao had stayed in his room passively, staring out into empty space. He had refused to eat, laying on his side in the bed everyday.
Deep on the inside, Yao knew the reason why he had become so irritated at Ivan's presence. It was because Ivan reminded him so much of himself when he was young. He used to be the same way, cold and detached. A man of power to the core, relentlessly chasing after something he desired.
He didn't want Ivan to turn out the way he did. He cringed at the memory of him shouting at Ivan. He had sounded like a jealous girlfriend or something! He hid his face underneath the pillow in shame.
Deciding he couldn't mope around in his room forever, he decided to explore. After getting bored, he found himself back at the piano room. The grand piano had been fixed and tuned, restoring it to it's former glory.
So, for the rest of the afternoon, Yao lost himself again in that wonderful thing called music.
Yawning, the man from the previous night stretched his arms. He had already helped himself to the breakfast buffet, and was taking a walk to help his food digest. Afterwards, he'd go back to his computer, and stayed glued there.
A pleasant sound emanated down the sunny hall, drawn like a moth to a flame, the tall blonde man with glasses went towards the music.
Oh, what a lovely sight. He lingered by the doorway, admiring the beauty. Dark hair was gently tousled by the breeze that flowed through the open windows. The white sheer curtains billowed in the background. In the spacious, lavish room, there was only a grand piano at it's center. Seated at the bench, with delicate long fingers flying across the keys, was a foreign Eastern beauty.
His honey, liquid eyes seemed to look faraway, as if reliving memories. The stranger in the doorway, held his hand to his heart, holding his breath. It was the same person he saw running in the hall last night!
There was so emotion flooding with each note. It was alive, the sounds full and rounded, filling the room warmly. He gasped as he noticed clear tears dripping onto the keys. Yao whispered a word longingly, his pink soft lips forming a word. It was so quiet that the man listening could not decipher what the word was. The music ceased, and the beauty buried his face into his slender hands. The small shoulders shook.
Without thinking it through, he entered the room.
"Oh, that's so beautiful." The man complimented, taken away the sheer beauty that played the music. Yao looked up curiously, and his breath was taken away. "Arthur?" He tilted his head to the side. A heart breakingly bright, grand smile lit up his face as he stood up from the piano bench. He ran towards the figure, his arms wrapping around the man's neck.
The person was surprised, but wrapped his arms back around the smaller porcelain doll. When Yao pulled away, he was crest fallen. No, it wasn't Arthur. Those eyes weren't green, but blue. "Oh, I'm sorry." Embarrassed, he pulled away. The man was disappointed for he enjoyed the soft feeling of Yao's body.
Why hadn't he seen the differences before? It was so obvious they weren't the same person. This man obviously didn't have a British accent. Arthur was paler, he was tanner.
He was a bit taller, and more broad, with more muscles. While Arthur shared the same slender physique as Yao, it was clear that this man did not.
"No, it's okay." He reassured with a friendly smile. "I'm Arthur's younger brother. Pleased to meet you, I'm Alfred. Who are you?" He extended his hand for a handshake.
"Yao," He replied to shake hands with the amiable person.
"I'm from an American business, my family sent here to mingle and make connections." He sighed dramatically. "It's really hard work, they're all so uptight."
"Oh? Is that so? By any chance ... " Yao trailed off when he heard a distant voice, that was becoming louder with every footstep.
"ALFRED! Bloody hell, where've you gone?" The flustered British man that Yao had been longing for had appeared, out of breath, even more so when he spotted the Oriental beauty. Familiar feelings washed over the both of them. They were so many things they wanted to do and say.
However, at the moment they were dumbfounded.
The wind blew through strongly, the curtains billowed in the wind, with flower petals from the gardens outside falling around them. Yao's golden amber eyes widened in surprise, as he met those pale green eyes that caught the sun that he loved so much.
"Yao ..."
"Arthur..."
They said at the same time. At that very moment, it was as if they were the only two people which existed in the world, safely tucked away in that gentle atmosphere of their's. It was not easy to intrude upon their meeting, and was very obvious it was intimate even just by glancing at them.
