AN: Where are you Mikki? And no one else is reviewing here on Fanfiction... I wonder why... I know people are reading... sigh.
Warnings: Sexual activity! Don't read if you're under 18, please. Full Chapter.
Summary: Nico and Aether meet...again, but are interrupted with interesting news.
Chapter 6 of.... The Beginning of the End
While Riki told some secrets of Amoi to his Master, with said Master's heartbeat thudding faster and faster as time wore on, Nico Tathens and Aether Illini were having the most romantic tryst of their lives.
It was the largest known secret- if one could call it that- that Nico and Aether had a thing for each other. They picked up on one another, though in different class sets all throughout the schools, joining the two unique circles of Iason's friends and Nico's friends. Together the group became the 'popular crowd'.
In the Upper Academy, the chemistry between Nico and Aether became all the rage. It died down after multiple public canings between the two for pranks they pulled together and other things, like holding hands, but as the canings continued, they became the tragic couple. When it was apparent Nico was interested in business and Aether into the military, all thought all was lost. Yet, the last year, Nico changed his apprenticeship to government, and eventually became Treasurer of Amoi. It helped that he had the most advanced math skills of any Blondie that has ever lived. His ability to apply solutions to the real world from math wasn't too bad either. Amoi has never had a deficit under him.
Aether became Sky Captain, in charge of the military skyships and shuttles and owned several cruise lines for tourists of the Continent. The charismatic Blondie even had a small hand in local traffic, able to pause all transportation if the need arose. His and Nico's private businesses often overlapped. With Amoi technically in peacetime and financially successful, the two had plenty of time for each other.
No one knew how much time they really spent with one another, not even the spying Non-smells. Aether had acquired a pair of high-level, highly illegal, warp mirrors the year before. Though they looked like regular mirrors, they had all the warping abilities of the mirrors of the Eos Tower. By using them, they realized that the harming effects of warp were just myths- who started the rumor, who knows.
Also by using them, they realized how much they wanted each other.
It wasn't that easy. Both were instilled from birth, supposedly, to reject strong feelings for anyone other than Jupiter. Society pressured them to behave normally. Most of all, they didn't want to be filed and have their brains rewired or worse, rewired and banished, or even worse, executed.
Yet, they loved each other. Like Heiku did Yousi, Nico and Aether loved each other so much they often planned their escape and how they would stay hidden. These were serious conversations that worried them but became a failsafe in the worst possible scenario.
Aether arrived through the mirror into Nico's house earlier that evening. He brought wine and fruits Nico liked; he abhorred sweets, even the sweeter fruits, but he loved green grapes and apples, and lemons and limes. Aether himself had a strong sweet tooth, brushed his teeth three times a day, and knew Nico would hold up his end of the night with a box of chocolates.
"Aether! We haven't done this in weeks!" Nico greeted, holding a box of nougat-filled white chocolates, Aether's favorites.
They set their gifts down and embraced each other, meeting together with a frantic kiss filled with longing and passion. Before, each was silently too afraid to go all the way. Aether readied himself that night. He's had sex, plenty on his cruise ships and foreign trips as Sky Captain, but Nico he felt had to be special. Also, he had to tell himself over and over that he was worth losing absolutely everything for.
The kiss became heavy making-out: Aether boldly caressed Nico's hot erection, cupping it entirely while firmly stroking. Nico pulled away the confines of Aether's trousers so that he could feel his length completely. Aether sucked in his tongue in a gasp of pleasure before doing the same act for Nico.
Little did Aether know that Nico had psyched himself up as well. Among his past one-night visitors, Omaki and a Dragon from Alpha Zen taught him quite a few tricks. One was whispering in the ear, breathing heavily.
"My room," he said. "Let's do it tonight."
Aether was only too happy to oblige. He walked and fell on his back on the extra, extra firm bed, bringing Nico atop him and his shirt over his head. They quickly rid themselves of the rest of their clothes between kisses and gropes.
I can't believe this is finally happening! Both thought over and over. It was a thought bathed in fear and excitement.
"Which way, Nico?"
"Bottom. I like to be bottom."
Aether didn't care for this comment very much at all, but he couldn't be a hypocrite about it. Nico was his now. He slid down his beloved's torso, licking both his nipples alternatively, biting one roughly, making Nico squeal in pleasure. He sucked in the pierced navel when he got down to it, knowing the project was a drunken one.
Blondies were all well-endowed, and not even the rather effeminate Nico Tathens was an exception. Aether did the best he could, stroking the base deftly while taking in the glans before going further.
"Bring yourself around, Aether. I want to… I want to do it, too."
Again, Aether accommodated the request; he brought himself so that Nico's head was even with his swollen member. Almost immediately, Nico swallowed him.
"N-Nico! How can you do that?"
Nico pushed him away while pulling back. "Practice," he replied, and then pushed his head up, moving his throat quickly.
"W-with whoooom?" Aether asked jealously, moaning and hardly attending the thick cock in his hand. He could never do what Nico was doing.
Aether's new lover pressed his hand over his, showing him how he wanted the attention he deserved. Nico talked with his lips still against his weeping member, "Let's leave that behind Aether. We have each other, don't we?"
Aether had unknowingly screwed his eyebrows together and now they loosened. Instead he brought in his lover into his mouth again, and he reached one saliva-slicked finger down to the puckered prize below. He gave his balls a firm roll once, then pushed the finger inside. It turned out to be already wet.
"You really were ready, weren't you?" Aether whispered, Nico nodded around his member.
"Do it still."
And so Aether tested the muscle with two fingers, then three, feeling a bit of tension. He spread his fingers out, shuddering as Nico let loose a choked cry which settled down to groans and Aether continued to move inside him, firm and steady. He tried to pull out.
"No!" Nico commanded. "Another."
"You're going to-"
"Perhaps, but it's better than you tearing me up inside, and not in the good way. I'm not a girl, as much as people might think so."
"I don't think so," Aether said with a smile, yanking his member playfully. He added a fourth finger. As Nico had stopped servicing him for fear of biting, he turned his body upright between the Treasurer's twitching legs. The Captain sunk his fingers incredibly deep, making Nico scream over and over as he spread his fingers.
"Enough, Aether! I'm going to come!" Aether stopped, the sweat dripping off his face and onto Nico's. The pretty Blondie brought his hands up around Aether's neck, pulling him down, and he whispered in his ear, "Come on in, Aether, my beautiful Aether."
Aether did, falling in slowly. The whole while he stared into Nico's bright blue eyes, sparkling sapphires Nico called them. A coil of love tightened in his heart, his blood boiled, and nothing in the world could be better than this moment.
Nico began to cry. Biologically impossible it should be, as Blondies shouldn't have tear ducts, but so should their love have been impossible, but it all was there. The tears came harder and harder with each thrust.
"Aether!"
"I love you, Nico," he answered.
"I'm a mess… C-c-crying like this. It feels so good, Aether."
"Me too." He whipped his hips, moaning, and slipped into his orgasm so easily it surprised him. He froze, unable to handle both the sensations and trying to move. But Nico moved himself, squeezing his insides, and came quickly.
They rested together in Nico's hard bed, panting. Aether was still shaking.
Minutes later, his closed Dimension mirror began to buzz in his jacket. It was sort of a private frequency phone and only a few friends knew about it. Among them was Iason Mink.
And that's exactly who it was.
"Aether?" Iason greeted.
The hastily dressed Aether nodded in acknowledgment.
"You're in Nico's house." At Aether shocked look, Iason added, "The feline clock."
Aether turned around and saw the clock, an orange cat's green eyes ticked with the second hand, mouth the clock's face, and tail wrapped around and under. It laughed at him with its glowing mouth.
"Oh."
"You two had a… little get together, I gather."
"You've gathered correctly. We had sex," Aether spat. He wasn't very good at keeping secrets up front and center, and neither could Nico.
"It was just fantastic!" Nico appeared over Aether's shoulders, grinning. Then his face fell. "You're not going to tell Jupiter, are you? I mean, you don't seem the type."
"The type that files?"
"Yea…"
Riki jumped into view. "He ain't, or else he might as well turn himself in for fucking me."
"Pet!" Iason chided.
"You was gonna tell 'em anyway."
"Not in that fashion, Riki. Now apologize."
Riki glared petulantly before mumbling, "I'm sorry."
"No problem. But is that what you called me for?"
"No. Actually, I called to share some information with you about some Blondies and you and Nico's relationship."
"Ben?" Nico guessed. "That guy and his friends give me the creeps. I don't think they like me."
"Yes, them. Apparently, Riki has a friend who can go invisible and has been following them, who has been following you two, among others."
"Invisible friend?" Nico cried, excited.
Aether figured the 'following' part a tad bit more important. "Why are they following us?"
"They are onto your relationship, and they will file you once they have enough evidence. Do you remember Ace Vaughn?"
"He got filed earlier this year."
"Correct. They filed them. Mono Creises?"
"New Year's."
"Them. Porch, Larkinson, Neanos, and many others, they do it all. But for us, they think we are special."
"Who are they?" Nico asked.
"And who counts as us?" Aether added.
"Riki, Ima, and their friend, 'Cousin' all refer to them as the no-smell Blondies, because they do not have a scent."
"And a guy with no scent has a secret, as the saying goes," Riki explained. "They know about Cousin, but don't know he can go invisible."
"With no scent, you can't track them."
"Unless it's a trap," Riki muttered, remembering when he got caught by the skinners.
"Other than their smell, they have a tattoo on their right hands, an intricate incantation circle with a number in the middle. Cousin has surmised that the numbers determines rank."
"Lower tha' number, higher tha' rank."
Nico and Aether watched the couple: Riki leaned onto Iason's chair, chainless and wearing only a pair of stylish shorts that Nico had given to him for their Birthday, a Blondie holiday celebrating the birth of a specific generation of Blondies, since they were figured to be born on the same day. All Blondies gave gifts to one another, but it wasn't uncommon to reward Pets and Furniture, or spoil them.
Iason, in his expensive silk nightclothes, and Riki made a very interesting pair. Looking at them like this, it didn't seem like it mattered who was the Master and who was the Pet, they both looked intimidating, which really brought home their words.
"So far," Iason went on, "we have concluded that 'us' is the four of us, Heiku and Ima, Daryl and Katze- Furniture, Aki and Suuki- wards of Omaki and Eadni, respectively, Raoul and Yui, Vaessi with Kyle and Enil, Headmaster Konami and Aertis Jin, and Eadni."
"Why did you say all the names in pairs?" Aether asked.
"Konami! With Aertis Jin!" Nico exclaimed. He already understood. "I bet this Cousin is really with Eadni! Wait, is he a mongrel?"
"Yea."
"How many tails does he have?"
"Five."
"Five! Five? Are you playing around with me?"
Riki's face was dead serious.
"So all the people they are following are lovers? How do you figure that?" Aether couldn't believe this; this was much bigger than he thought it was going to be.
Iason rearranged his legs, crossing them as he usually did when preparing to talk at length with someone. "Not exactly. According to Ima, who happens to truly be a mongrel from Ceres, they were following Xian and Juthian before the Pet aged out, and we all know how they were… close." Both Aether and Nico nodded. "And I spoke with Xian to confirm that he was in fact deeply in love with him."
"Oh, how romantic!"
"But Xian also noticed some Blondies following Heiku and Yousi, when he was alive, even before they became a couple. Xian has noticed them all, but failed to realize the extremity of the matter, partly because we have all believed we were safe from temptation."
"But it doesn't make sense, then. Do they follow anyone else?"
"Not that we know of, and Cousin has been doing this surveillance for over three years. I think that is the extent so far."
"Why are they following people before they hook up? I've spoken to Katze just last month." Nico pushed out his upper lip. "He didn't seem to be in love."
"I sent Daryl to look for new Furniture two weeks ago. He was distracted by Katze, and they have been following them only since then."
Aether told them, "But plenty of Furniture get together. Some Blondies even cover the costs of weddings! Why are they special?"
"And Konami wouldn't ever go for a student. He's too uptight," Nico agreed.
Riki said, "Well, from what Cousin says, Jin is Konami's favorite, at least."
"They must have a list. This isn't just random." Nico nodded with Aether's statement. "It's just too exact. And what about the hundreds of other Blondie and illegal couples? Travok Haynes and Meiru Siles? None of them? Why all of us friends?"
"Maybe because you guys are all friends?" Riki offered.
"But Aki and Suuki, Daryl and that Katze, Konami and Aertis? When it comes right down to it, we hardly know them!"
"Perhaps it's because Iason is Sovereign," Nico said.
Iason answered this time, "That doesn't cover the fact that there are some of us who aren't followed. Why not Omaki, or Xian anymore? Why Aki or Aertis? And why Eadni by himself?"
They all pondered this. There was something shaky going on and and no one quite knew what to do about it, for they didn't know where to start.
"Let's have a meeting with all those involved, except Konami," Aether nodded to himself, a habit. "I don't think he will care much, and his appearance may do more harm than good."
"Headmaster Konami-" Iason sounded condemning. "-will care. Blondies are acting like a secret service."
"Did it cross your mind that Jupiter may be commanding these services?"
The surprise on Iason's face said it all. It hadn't even entered his mind. Yes, Jupiter has reprimanded him several times, angrily, about his Pet and the three years he has kept him, told him that his friends are less than worthy of his presence, and said she disliked his relationship with Eadni, but Iason was used to being her Golden Boy. He just might have been spoiled by the title, blinded by it.
"Why? And why wouldn't she tell me?"
"Because, you are in the middle of it. Who knows, you may even be the biggest part?"
"Nah, I think that role goes to Eadni." He grimaced at Aether's face, which was scrunched up at being corrected by a mongrel. "They don't need another person to spy on 'im. He's all good by himself."
"Riki has a point, Aether," came Nico's voice in his ear. It had the expected effect of making him slightly uncomfortable.
"I do believe that your route of thinking is the way Konami will go," Iason murmured. "I think the meeting will be a good idea. However, there is the fact that, by following us most of the day, the Non-Smells will make it difficult for everyone to meet in one place at any given time, not without arousing suspicion."
"We can have it over closed mirrors. A mirror meeting!" Nico clapped his hands, for himself. "I know Eadni gave Aertis and Suuki ones, Heiku has one, Omaki has one for Aki to use, I can call Kyle or Enil to give Vaessi one, and you can cover the Furniture and Raoul."
Plannning meetings were like planning parties for Nico, both of which he was a professional. It came as no surprise to Aether or Iason that he figured out a mirror meeting.
"We should give this about a month to all plan out so that everyone will be ready. I mean, like, it will be equally suspicious if we all stayed home- oh, wait! Eadni's birthday is in four weeks. We'll all plan a big bash and get totally trashed and all the spies will know why we stayed in for the next day."
"The next day would be a work day, Nico," Aether remarked.
"It would be a weekend, then, so let's have his party the night before, so it seems we are going to rest the night before workday. Yes?"
"We did that before, didn't we?"
"Oh, yes. We did." Nico puckered his lips in his usual way.
"I agree with the plan."
"I as well," Iason smiled in agreement, pleased with the way things turned out, "I'm planning a trip tomorrow and will be able to tell Heiku and Raoul this information."
"Where are you going?" Nico asked nosily.
"Evidently, Monik of the mines also has an underground fight club," Iason explained. "Katze thinks that perhaps Juthian is one of the fighters, under the name Julian, or Ju."
"He isn't sure?"
"It seems he would have to have had a drastic makeover."
"He cut his hair?!"
"As in, he has plastic surgery all over his body."
"But," Aether interrupted, "What do expect to do with him once you affirm that he is in fact Juthian? Is Xian trying to make him his Pet?"
Iason answered, smiling a bit more broadly, "No, he will be my Furniture."