Better Learn French
Quincey's home rose from the bustling street side with that impossibly perfect dissonance of London mansions. What seemed at first glance to be a row of elegant iron-wrought windows covering an expanse only an administrative building could justify morphed into a ludicrous "single family home" when the front door burst open to reveal the beaming Lord Quincemeat himself.
Setsu's grip on her brother's waist tightened as they mounted the stairs. Quincey waved eagerly, calling out their names and beckoning them inside. Setsu looked up at her brother. His face was fierce, calculating, already scanning the crowd inside. Somehow the two of them had found themselves at a private dinner arranged by bona fide British crime lords. Setsu's inner Kyoko refused to let the truth penetrate her consciousness, preferring to pretend everything was an elaborate act staged by President Takarada. She was starting to understand why he and the Hizuris were bosom friends.
Music and light swept over them as they entered the spacious foyer. Shimmers from a two-story chandelier speckled Setsu's bare skin, highlighting the fact that her clothing edged heavily towards skin in the skin-to-cloth ratio. Cain's palm felt feverishly hot where it rested on her exposed midriff, his fingers gently rubbing tiny circles to the rhythm of their footsteps.
Quincey waved at them again, from across the room. He had apparently already found the acquaintance he'd been so eager to introduce them to and wanted no time to go to waste before his goals were accomplished. Setsu stopped; her brother immediately followed suit, their intimate embrace making him sensitive to the smallest shifts in her movement. She turned to face him, twining her arms up around his neck to pull his face down to meet hers. Her tiny pink tongue flicked out to run across her dry lips, drawing a hard swallow and a smile from her nii-san. She leaned in to whisper in his ear, letting her lips graze his neck before pulling back enough to see his face.
"I love you," she'd said. His eyes gleamed darkly, shifting from her face to purposefully look over her and stare down Quincey, daring him to react. She saw Cain's eyes widen almost imperceptibly. He'd found a reaction he wasn't expecting. Setsu turned, keeping her movements casual, unconcerned. Quincey was watching them, a massive grin on his face. His bit his lip and blushed, turning to fully face his conversation partners.
Setsu twined her fingers through Cain's, pausing a moment longer before squeezing his hand and walking together to join Quincey. Halfway across the room her brother stopped, frozen in his tracks, his hand suddenly rigid as it wrapped around hers. She glanced at him, concern flickering across her features. He was staring at the bar. A lone man leaned against it, smoke swirling up from a lit cigarette clenched between his teeth. His eyes were downcast, studying the carpet.
He shifted his weight. His eyes raised -- shocking gold, a rich brightness in the dim light of the bar startlingly similar to Kyoko's own. But instead of brimming with life, these golden eyes foreshadowed pain.
Setsu smiled. She reveled in the promise of sadism.
"Tora," she breathed.
Tora's eyes swept over her, lingering at the leather tie barely holding her top together before continuing leisurely upwards and locking with her brother's. She could feel the electric shock of adrenaline coursing through her body as the men's gazes meshed. Her heart was racing, blood pumping wildly through her veins. She desperately wanted to turn and look at Cain's face, to see what expression he was using to hold Tora's attention captive but was afraid one movement would break the spell and throw the entire room into chaos. One wrong movement and these waves would crash into violence. Cain's hand reached up and slid down over her shoulder, covering her chest, the tips of his fingers pressing just under the hem of her top. Her breath hitched. Tora's mouth crooked, his fierce gaze momentarily focusing on her -- God, she felt like the floor was going to dissolve beneath her -- before he finally blinked, turning to snuff out his cigarette on the bar's surface.
Quincey's voice rang out clear as a bell in her ears, like a summons back to reality. "Tora! Damnitall, we have ashtrays!"
She wasn't sure she wanted to be back. Cain caressed her breastbone, then slowly withdrew his hand to linger at her side once more. Quincey kept shooting them brief glances, his face blushing pink and then cooling repeatedly.
She took a deep, shaky breath, convincing herself she could walk. Cain led her over to his father, deep in discussion of the merits of various Singaporean soccer teams with an equally tall and elegantly dressed blonde man.
"My darling children!" Kuu exploded. "Pardon me, Lord Balthuman-- my son, Cain; my daughter, Setsuka. Children, Lord Balthuman. Did you know he's been to 28 games at the National Stadium? Why, that's four more than me! Setsu, join daddy on a trip, won't you, we can't be outdone like this."
"Daaaad," Setsu said, injecting her voice with a heavy layer of whine. "I am not flying halfway around the world to watch a game I can see more clearly on the telly."
"Oh, sweetling, but think of the shaved ice! And satay! The open air markets around the stadium!"
Setsu crosses her arms, shaking her head at her dad. "If you make me fly 20-odd hours, it better be for a tropical beach with nii-san. Not street food and sports."
Lord Balthuman laughed, the sound rich and deep. "A sensible one, your daughter."
Kuu beamed, drawing her in for a side-hug. Setsu indulged him briefly before gently pushing off to cradle herself under Cain's arm once more. Balthuman cocked an eyebrow, scanning the pair before turning back to Kuu. "Since your father-daughter plans have been rejected, perhaps I could offer a trip? Our private jet is always reserved for a quick jaunt to watch Home United. I have a home game box on reserve." Kuu grinned broadly.
Setsu tuned out their discussion of various player's merits, looking longingly at the hors d'oeuvres. Cain would typically notice and stroll away to fetch her a mountain's worth of cheese and spanakopita, but tonight he unreasonably refused to stray so much as an inch from her side. Their father's emotion deepened, arguing animatedly with the elder Lord about tactics used by a team she didn't even know existed. It made her wonder momentarily whether they were actually discussing soccer at all, or if the entire conversation were a euphemism for more illicit activities in East Asia. Their father and Quincey's wandered off, Lord Balthuman requesting his servants to ready the theater room for them to watch the latest game.
Quincey appeared at her side, handing her a plate brimming with shrimp cocktail and miniature cheese souffles. Cain took it from him instead, picking up one of the biggest souffles and taking a bite before offering her the other half, holding it out for her to eat from his fingers. Setsu obliged, wrapping her lips around his fingers with a devilish gleam in her eyes. She could hear Quincey's gulp behind them and felt herself flush with victory. He tapped Cain on the shoulder. Her brother growled, refusing to turn and risk breaking his gaze away from her face.
Quincey cleared his throat, stepping around to face them both, smiling brightly. "I know the engagement has been rather sudden, but I did want to make it clear…" He wet his lips as Cain licked his fingers before grabbing another appetizer to feed her. "If during the duration you would ever desire to engage in a menage a trois, I would be more than amicable."
Cain's form went death-still beside her. She could hear a low, dangerous rumble beginning in his chest.
"Manage a Troy?" She asked, cocking her head to the side. The French was unfamiliar to her.
Her brother's hand clenched around hers, tugging her away as he stalked off. Quincey followed them, his gait spritely.
"Threesome," he said innocently. "Could be quite fun."
Setsu blanched, unable to keep Kyoko from breaking through. English was not her first language and yet even she could deduce the connotations of his invitation. She whipped her head around, desperately avoiding eye contact with Quincey. This was not how the man was supposed to react to their displays. Kyoko stumbled, her knees weak.
Quincey continued, reaching his hand out to steady her by the shoulder. "I've noticed a rather electric connection between you two. While certainly not my first affair, it would be my first threesome. However, I'm sure--"
Cain turned suddenly, his teeth bared in a rictus snarl. He lunged at Quincey, batting his hand away. "Leave my sister alone."
Kyoko's inner demons could feel the rage radiating off of Cain as he confronted Quincey, popping out to taste the air in delight. The darkness suddenly thickened, multiplying exponentially. Her head darted up; searching for the cause. Cain had never produced this much evil before.
Tora loomed behind Quincey, his mouth set in a firm line. His voice was low, threatening. "Don't. Touch. Him."
Cain bit off his retort, his body shaking with the effort of keeping himself in check. "Don't let him touch her." He wrapped both arms around Setsu, holding her tight. His muscles were like cords, almost painfully taut against her chest. "Or I'll kill you both."
Tora's eyes locked with Cain's. Setsu felt like she was watching two wolves facing off, ready to leap for one another's jugulars in a death match for alpha. Her inner demons had stopped celebrating; they'd all passed out, black-out drunk from the sheer volume of evil rays consumed already.
"I say," Quincey interjected, his voice gratingly bright. A slight tremble beneath betrayed his easy calm. "Haven't you two met? Tora, Cain. Cain, Tora. Quincey, Setsu; Setsu, Quincey." The two larger men ignored him, staring at one another in wordless challenge.
Kyoko summoned Setsu by sheer force of will. She had to break the tension before Cain snapped and attacked him. For the first time she wasn't sure he would emerge completely unscathed. Tora projected as every bit as bloodthirsty as B.J.
She tapped Cain's arm, requesting release. He tensed, minutely shaking his head in rejection. She stroked his cheek, asking him to trust her. Slowly, unwillingly, his hand relaxed just enough to let her step forward.
She held out her arm towards Tora, fingers draped gracefully, inviting a handshake. "Setsuka Heel," she said, then gestured back at Cain. "This one's mine."
Tora stared at her silently. Quincey laughed giddily. "Quinceton Balthuman," he said, stepping out in front of Tora to meet her. "That one's mine!" Setsu looked at him in disbelief, but Tora stayed quiet, accepting the position. She felt Cain relax behind her and glanced over her shoulder at him. Her eyes went wide in surprise. He was actually smiling. Then he started… to laugh.
Had he lost his mind?
"Each…" he paused to let a chuckle escape, gesturing at Tora. "Owned by a little blonde." He doubled over in laughter, gripping his stomach. Tora cracked a grin.
"Mine's cuter," Tora said, his eyes full of a wicked tease.
"F* off," Cain retorted. "Yours is a pussy."
At that, Tora threw his own head back in wild laughter. "Dead on," he muttered. He cocked his head at the bar. "Whisky?"
"Highland?"
"Mmmm," Tora grunted in acknowledgment. The two wandered over to the bar, leaving their little blonde owners staring after them in astonishment. Setsu gaped at Quincey. He smirked, shrugging his shoulders.
"Perhaps a foursome is more in order?" He offered sheepishly. She smacked him.
~*~
A/N: Thoroughly enjoying the guilty pleasure of these cameos from Lilydusk's webtoon Midnight Poppy Land!
Happy Valentine's Day everyone!
