Chapter 4

Phew... I'm finally done.

Wiping the accumulated sweat from my brow, I look out to the now crisp, clean yard that I have just spent the entirety of the afternoon grooming.

Heh, I might not be that good at cooking, but I sure can clean up a yard. The only thing that would make this better would be is if Finny was here with me...oh...Finny...

*Flashback*

"*Hick* Please Bard *hick* please... Let me go! I-I don't want to talk about this right now!

"No bard! Don't worry; it's all my falt anyways. So don't feel bad, see look I'm okay now. I'm fine, I'm even smiling..."

*sigh* What came over me...? Why was I acting like, like, his guardian or something. Why didn't I just wait and tell hi-

"Bard."

With a jump, I swiftly shift my body around so that I'm now looking at the sun-bleached stairs. A lone figure clad in black attire slowly waltzes down the stairs, the heat making the person appear as if they are floating, as if they are above or better than us.

Oh great, just what I need now. The devil himself...

Taking a few more steps before coming to a halt, the shady butler stands with his hands on his hips glaring down at me like a prosecutor passing judgment on a criminal.

"Bard, I came to talk to you about a private matter, the likes of which should not be discussed out here. So if you'd please..."

The butler Sebastian looks intently at me before twisting around and making his way back up the steps towards the grand entrance of the mansion, entering it sleekly like a snake.

Uggghhhhh... Now what is it? What did I get myself into now?!

Throwing off my work gloves with a huff, I slowly trod up the steps like a child who is just about to be scolded. Taking the stairs two at a time, I quickly come upon the wooden doorway and throw it open, ready for the horrors that were sure to ensue...

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"Now that we are somewhere more, how should I say, private? Appropriate? We can talk about the matter at hand freely, without the worry of interruptions."

The sarcastic butler quietly shuts the door, twisting the lock until a click sounds, a feeble way of agreeing to comply.

"Please, won't you take a seat?"

Sebastian turns away from the door and motions me towards a hard, redwood chair placed in the middle of the room pointed towards a desk adorned with important looking documents and paraphernalia.

Turning sharply as the desk comes to an end, the butler falls backwards into a leather backed chair overlooking the desk, swinging his legs onto its surface in one deft movement.

"Now, the matter that I want to converse with you about is one of importance."

Sebastian readjusts his feet before continuing on with his speech.

"I was informed by one of the maids that as they were strolling past your room earlier this afternoon, they could have sworn they heard sobbing or whimpering of some sort. They proceeded to tell me that seeing as how they thought they were just hearing things, and because it wasn't their business, they went along with their daily tasks not thinking much more about it...Well, until they felt that I should know."

Heh, now I wonder who that maid is... Heh, Mey-Rin you crazy girl, just for once can you be at the wrong place at the wrong time... Ah well, it's not her fault...

"So Bard, we now come to my favorite part; the interrogation."

He deviously flashes me a pearly grin while throwing his hands behind his head and stretching back in his chair.

"So you are left with two options. We can either do this the hard way or the easy way."

The stoic man flings himself forward and places his elbows on the printout calendar sprawled across the desk, and cradles his face in his hands as he peers at me awaiting my decision.

"*gulp* Uh... the easy way..." I reply in a weary yet confused tone.

Sebastian sits back upright in his chair and smiles at me with a toothy grin.

"Ah, what a shame. I thought this was going to be harder. Oh well, it's probably better this way. I don't want to waste any more time than I already have on such a trivial matter. "

The butler waves for me to come closer and I immediately do so.

"I want to be able to hear you and the tale you are about to spin." The butler concludes with a grin.

Gahh! Something about this guy is off, but there's no way out of this one. The doors locked and the windows are barred shut. I guess I really will have to answer this man's questions... As much as I don't want to!

"Okay now that all the necessities are in order, let's begin. Just answer me this one simple question... What were you two doing behind the door Bardroy... you and Finny?"

"W-what d-did you say?"

Shit! How in the hell did he know Finny was with me?!

"*snicker* Don't look so confused Bardroy," the butler says in a lighthearted tone, his eyes shut happily and a hand to his mouth, "of course I would know it was Finny with you. Remember? I was the one who told you to take him to your room and await for further assistance."

That's right! How could I be so stupid? How else would he know that?

"Oh, uh yeah right. I forgot."

"Ha ha of course you did. Although..." Suddenly the butler lunges at my head and pulls it close to him, almost yanking me over the desk altogether.

Trying my best to break free, I grab at the man's strong arms, desperately trying to make them release me from their grip.

H-hey! Cut it out! Let me g-"

A seductive voice suddenly begins to breath out words into my ear, the warmth and tone sending shivers through my body...

"Although... Even if you hadn't told me... I still would have known...I know everything that goes in..." I feel a wet, hot tongue pierce my ear and begin to explore my canal deeper, coating its entirety in hot, sticky saliva, "and around," his tongue retreats and begins to circle the outline of my ear, stopping at my earlobe to twirl it around with the tip of his tongue, twisting it about as if it were a toy, "this house... So never forget that..."

Sebastian releases his grasp on my head and slowly pushes me away from him. I stagger backward and stare at him with confused, awestruck, wide-open eyes, feeling as if I'm in a trance. I abruptly feel the door touch my back, and am immediately brought back to reality. I quickly blink and turn down towards the doorknob, frantically fiddling with the lock, begging it to defy its master orders and open.

Oh God! W-what was that just now?! Why was his tongue in my ear?! I-I think I'm going to hurl... For real this time!

Focusing on the task put forth before me, I fail to notice the man approaching me slowly from behind until it's to late. I feel the man's hands slowly slip over my own and begin to tinker with the lock as well.

"Gaahh!" I scream as I jump backwards, propelling my self away from Sebastian, as well as the door.

The butler stops and looks up at me with a devilish grin plastered to his face.

"Oh don't be scared now Bardroy, I don't bite or anything... Well, not hard..." He says with a wink.

W-what the hell?! A wink?! Oh Lord! Just please let me out!

I hear a distant clink and my attention is immediately drawn to the door. I find Sebastian standing in front of the knob, key in hand, watching me curiously, his lips pursed in a smile.

"Well Bardroy, it looks like we're done here. So your free to go about

your business."

He steps away from the door and motions me toward it.

Not wanting to stay in this place any longer, I race towards it and fumble nervously with the nob.

*SLAM!*

Just as I get the door open, a long, thin arm slams it closed again. I cautiously turn around, terror-stricken as to what I am to see. Sebastian inches closer to me and comes down to my ear for a second time. I close my eyes and cover the opening with the open palm of my hand.

"Bard, move your hand now!"

I slowly open my eyes only to find myself staring straight into Sebastian's crimson irises, irises that would consume your entire being if you were to let your guard down.

"Remember Bard... I know everything that goes on in this house... Everything..."

With that, Sebastian stands back up and lowers his arm to his side before turning back around and making his way back towards the leather bound chair.

Not wanting to be here another moment, I fling open the door in one quick motion and throw myself through it before taking off in a sprint back down the hallway towards my own room. A sanctuary of sorts. In my rush, I fail to shut the door, leaving it barely hanging on by the hinges; failing to notice the wry grin consuming Sebastian's face...

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"Hey Bard, let's hear that message you took down. Okay?"

"Yeah sure, okay here it goe-"

"Actually Bard, there's no need to tell me who called, just tell them yes I'll go or do whatever it is they want."

Dumbfounded, I look straight at Finny, who's now gotten up off the bed and is currently making his way over to the door.

"W-what do you mean 'yes'?! I haven't even told you what they want from you?! "

The blond stops and turns at me with a blank expression, one that could kill.

"So...what does it matter?"

He slowly retreats back towards the bed before stopping short of it to glare at me.

"W-what does it matter?! The hell it matters! Of course it matters! What if they took you away and did horrible things to you like, like-"

"Like what Bard" the young man asks while coming ever closer to me, his face mere inches from my own.

"Go ahead Bard, tell me. Tell me what it is they could do to me..."

"..."

"Heh, so you aren't even competent enough to defend yourself or your friends... Heh, Figures."

Finny jerks back up and begins strolling back towards the wooden door, clearly done speaking about the subject. Lunging forward, I latch on to his hand and turn him around to face me, his stare an unworldly odd one, as if there is no life behind those crystal blue eyes.

"They could beat you up! Or even rape you! That's what they could do to you!"

Suddenly, the blond bursts into laughter and throws his head back, ripping his hand from mine.

"Hahahaha you think I care if that happens?! Haha did you ever think that I might actually like that?! Hahaha of course you didn't! Haha!"

The blond begins walking towards me, forcing me backwards until I'm forced to lay down on the bed, his figure of malice resting above mine.

"But how much can we actually expect from one who can't even performed the job that he was hired to do?! Hahah! Do you know what you are?! Worthless, incompetent, junk! That's what you are and always will be Haha!"

Standing back up, he makes his way to the door, leaving me terrified and defeated on the bed. I hear the door click close as a single tear rolls down my cheek from the left eye, followed by another one; an unstoppable drip like a damaged, broken faucet.

"*hick* W-why... Did he talk like that? That's not how Finny usually acts is it? *hick* But what he said was true... I-I'm...I-I'm... Worthless! Gaaahhhhhh!"

Suddenly, I throw my self up from my resting spot, sweat pooled around my neck and hair, soaking it to the brim in a wet, tangled mess of disgust.

"W-where am I? W-what's going on?"

I look around expecting to find some sort of evidence of my previous encounter with Finny, but the only thing left from that encounter are the horrible images and thoughts burned into my brain.

"Worthless! That's what you are!"

I throw my head into my hands and try my hardest to forget those words...

Gaaaahhh! It must have just been a nightmare, Finny would never act like that... B-but it was so real...

*click*

Abruptly, I hear a click coming from the direction of the door, rousing me from my thoughts. Just then, it opens and Finny walks in, backwards, wheeling a cart with silver trays on it with lids.

"Hey Bard, you missed the guest, and sub sequentially dinner as well, so I brought you some food to eat as you tell me about that phone call."

The youth finishes pulling the cart in and shuts the door before turning around and looking me dead in the eye.

"B-bard? Your completely soaked with sweat...I think? Are you okay?"

He approaches me cautiously with slow, methodical steps, careful not to startle me.

"Hey Bard, are you okay?"

He begins to reach his hand out towards my shoulder, but I miss it entirely. I fly out from my spot on the bed and throw myself at Finny, squeezing him a hug that could kill.

B-bard?! W-what are you doin- Wait... Bard are you... Crying?"

And indeed I was. My tears flowing out from my eyes like an overflown river, running down my face before falling and landing on Finny's white shirt, forming a pool of tears and hurt.

"B-bard?! Are you okay?!"

Hearing the alarm in his voice, I decide to speak to calm his worries.

"*hick* Y-yeah I *sniffle* am. I-I just *hick* had a h-horrible, horrible *sniffle* nightmare. A-and I felt that *hick* seeing as your my-my best friend *sniffle* I could turn to you..."

*sigh* Just calm down Bard, calm down. Reclaim yourself, and regain control. *sigh*

Slowly, my hitching breath returns to normal and my heartbeat quits racing. I detach myself from Finny, still looking down unable to meet his gaze, and wipe the tears and sweat from my face with my arm. After what seems like eternity, I look up and smile at Finny.

"See... All better! Heh... I'm even smiling."

Finny looks at me with his mouth open, his jaw practically on the floor.

"W-well if you say so."

Still though, the gardener continues to look at me with skepticism written across his face.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. Now about your message... You better take a seat for this one. I begin to push Finny's shoulder down, forcing him to sit, but meeting resistance.

"Bard hold on! At least tell me what your nightmare was about!"

I stop pushing and look down at him, eyes wide in amazement...

"Y-you actually care?"

The blond looks up at me with evident, sincere, worry in his eyes.

"Yes! Your one of my best friends! One of my only friends! Of course I care!"

My heart lurches.

So... someone does care about me. W-why do I feel this way about him. Almost, protective...

"Okay, I will... But only after you hear me out about your message. Then I will tell you. But before that, I want to eat something..."

I leave Finny sitting there, staring at my backside, as I make my way over to the tray pulling it up to the bed before sitting down and beginning to piece through it. I look up momentarily to see Finny staring at me, his eyes filled with relief.

Heh... He really does care about me. But... Why do I feel that it's more than in just a friendly way, more like-

Shaking my head, I push that thought to the back of my head.

W-woah, calm down Bard, Finny might be gay, but that doesn't mean he's into to you. No, he's probably into men more like himself... Wait! What am I thinking about this for! Finny hasn't even told me if he actually is gay! And what does it matter! It's his business, not mine! I like women! Not men! Yeah that's right! This moment of weakness, I just needed someone and Finny's my best friend so who better! It doesn't mean anything more!

Getting lost in my thoughts, I fail to hear to young man talking to me until he has to shout.

"Bard!"

In the middle of a mouthful, I look up and stare at him like an ogre.

"Huh? Oh sorry!"

I place the knife and fork down as reach for a napkin as Finny continues to talk.

"Okay Bard, lets get this over with... Who called and what did they say?"

I put the napkin down onto the empty plate and look across the tray at a man whose secret is just about to be revealed, his insides put on display for all to see.

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Hey all, here is chapter 4 of this Amazing story (if I may say so myself ;). I know i said that I would have it done by next week, but SURPRISE! :) This story is practically writing itself Haha. I Really, Really, I mean Really, love how this chapter came out. I just feel that things are actually starting to get really good haha ;) Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter and continue to read this story. Reviews are always welcome :) Happy Reading ! ~Sincerely, StarFire32

Next Update: Hopefully By Next Friday XD I will try my best haha