TW: Mentions of abuse.
This chapter contains a lemon. The narrative won't specifically tell you how the sex happens because I've never actually written a true lemon and male-on-male sex is still a mystery to me. (If I did write about the details, the rating would go up to M.) But the feelings are there. If that makes you uncomfortable, just stop when you see this asterix (*) and scroll until you see the next gray horizontal line/divider/whatever it's called. Although this exact relationship is not ideal, I still believe sex is an intimate act of love and requires total consent.
With that in mind, I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 10: Acts of Love
Dimentio narrowed his eyes. That act was convincing. It was moments like these that he had to remind himself it was just that: an act. Recently, he skimmed through some entries in the Count's journal and he hadn't mentioned his parents once.
However, he knew the issue of Timpani quite well. The Count just couldn't let her go. Then again, he didn't know that she was still alive. Of course, Dimentio wouldn't tell him the truth. (Not that he wanted to at this point.)
Soon, Mr. L caught up. Dimentio wasn't sure how to address him at first. Should he ignore him? Pretend to sympathize with the Count? No, he wanted to tell what he really thought for once. "What a joke. He talked to us as if we were children."
Mr. L frowned. "Dimentio, why don't you ever just shut up and listen?"
The jester turned. "That's hypocritical, coming from you. You backtalk anyone who isn't wearing a top hat." Mr. L rolled his eyes. Dimentio placed his hands behind his head and fell back, as if resting a bed. "So...the Count wants us to trust one another."
His look softened. Mr. L nodded. "Yeah."
"He told us to protect each other with our very lives."
"Uh-huh...but that shouldn't be too hard! I mean, I already trust you."
That caught him off guard. Dimentio turned. "You do?"
"Of course."
The magician floated upright again. Time to head into experimental territory. "I trust you as well. But...I don't know. Is there anything we could do?" He quickly added, "In order to prove our commitment for one another?"
The man in green paused, stroking his chin. "Hmm..." Suddenly, his eyes widened. His cheeks turned bright pink. "Um...I thought of something."
"What is it?"
Mr. L gulped. Why was he so nervous all of a sudden? "T-There is one thing we can do...but it's very intimate and private!"
"Alright. What is it?"
He frowned. "A lot of people think they can sell it to you, but I say that's bullshit. It's very personal and special."
Dimentio smiled. "Oh! I see!"
Mr. L nodded quickly, still blushing. The magician let gravity take hold of him, crashing into Mr. L's arms. The man in green cried out before he got a hold of Dimentio. The child-sized magician asked, "A trust fall! Right?"
"No!" He sighed. "Look...you don't just give it to anyone, and especially not by surprise!"
Dimentio sighed and floated again. He didn't get to use that spell often. He gestured for Mr. L to go on. He took a deep breath and spoke slowly. "First, two people have to establish a friendship..."
"Check."
"Then a romantic relationship."
"Check."
"Then, before doing anything, they have to make sure they have the other partner's full consent! No Idon'tknows involved! And then-"
"Mr. L, what is it? Just spit it out," Dimentio said, getting bored.
"IT'S SEX, ALRIGHT?"
There was a moment of silence. Everything snapped into place. "Oh! Of course! It's so simple!" After a few more seconds of silence, he asked, "What's sex?"
"UGH! You're hopeless!" Mr. L began to storm off.
Dimentio laughed, grabbing his arm. "Mr. L, I'm joking! I'm an adult. I know what sex is."
Mr. L paused. "Oh. Right." He laughed nervously.
Dimentio loved that sound. He chuckled with him. "So, I assume you've never done it before?" The man in green shook his head. "But you don't remember if that's really true or not."
He frowned. "I feel like it is! What about you?"
"I've never done it either."
Mr. L raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that?"
"Quite sure. Unlike some people around here, I despise the idea of being intimate with a woman."
Mr. L didn't seem to know how to respond to that. "Oh...well, okay." There was another moment of silence. "So...should we do it? I mean, I wouldn't mind trying it. The world is about to end soon anyway."
Dimentio shrugged. "Why not? There's just one problem. How do we do it as two men?"
The man in green stared at the floor, muttering, "I've heard of a few ways..."
Dimentio smiled and changed positions in the air. He got on his stomach and set his elbows down, supporting his head with his hands. "I'm listening." (*)
They went to Dimentio's bedroom. Once they were there, Dimentio told Mr. L to lock the door and hide the key anywhere in the room. The only catch was that he couldn't tell him where he left the key. Mr. L furrowed his brows. "Is that really necessary?"
"No turning back," Dimentio replied. "This door locks from the inside. You see, whenever I need to get something done, I make a deal with Nastasia. She takes my key and I make the room spell-proof for the time being. Once I'm done with my work, she slips the key under the door. It's difficult to work that way, but sometimes, it's the only way to get anything done."
"Uh-huh." Mr. L didn't sound convinced, but he hid the key anyway.
Dimentio appeared calm, but on the inside, he felt more nervous with each passing second. Was he really going to do this? All for the sake of the plan?
That was when the truth came crashing down on him like a ton of bricks. He didn't just like Mr. L anymore. He didn't even want him for the plan at this point. He wanted him for who he was. The skilled mechanic who held a wrench like a child would a crayon. The charming, charismatic man with an endless sense of humor. The one who told him his honest opinions. No. He had fallen in love with him.
Dimentio wanted only the best for this mirror image of himself. The magician couldn't help but lie, even when he should tell the truth. The man in green didn't hesitate to tell it like it was, even when he should lie or simply hold his tongue. Dimentio wanted to forget his past and Mr. L wanted to remember it. Dimentio gave him bits and pieces, but he couldn't do the puzzle for him. He couldn't tell him who he really was...
"Hey, Dimentio?" He jumped and turned. Mr. L smiled softly. "If you don't want to do this tonight, I completely understand."
"No!" He cried. Mr. L flinched. The magician lowered his voice. "N-No, please. Don't worry about me. I want to do this."
"Are you sure? You're shaking pretty bad."
Dimentio stared at his trembling hands. "I-I didn't realize I was sh-shaking..."
"Hey." Mr. L put his hand on his shoulder. "Deep breaths, okay?" His tone was so soft and understanding. He had Dimentio take a few deep breaths. The magician resisted at first, but soon, he was able to get his breathing back to normal. The mechanic grinned. "Better?"
"I think so. How did you learn to do this?"
"Nastasia taught me."
Dimentio laughed. This time, it was out of nervousness rather than pure defiance. "Why would you go to Nastasia for anything?"
The man in green shrugged. "She's good at calming me down. One time, I nearly had a panic attack because I felt so much pressure. The Count's vision rests in my hands. But I'm a dreamer and she's a realist, so she dragged me back down to Earth."
"You've had panic attacks?"
"Almost."
"But you're never nervous!"
Mr. L chuckled. "Looks can be deceiving."
Dimentio hesitated. The magician knew that better than anyone. He spent so long fooling the Count and Nastasia. In fact, he fed everyone lies and they believed them for the most part. This man was the only one who allowed him to tell the truth. "Mr. L..."
"Yeah?"
"I love you." Dimentio glanced at the floor. "And I'm not just saying that! I admit it. It was a complete accident. I never meant to fall for you, but it just happened! And I want you to stay with me. Like this. For the rest of our lives, if we can help it."
Silence. He felt embarrassed, but none of it was a lie. Not anymore.
Dimentio looked up. Mr. L stared at him with a surprised expression. "I...uh..."
Suddenly, the magician grabbed his hands and stared straight into his eyes. Mr. L let out a small gasp. "Please answer this question and be honest. Do you feel the same or are you only doing this so you can remember your past?"
Mr. L blinked. Then he smiled. "Oh. I see." He laughed for a few seconds. When he was done, he smiled brightly. "I don't care about that." He hesitated. "I mean, I still want to meet my family one day, but...I'm doing this because I want to do it. Not because I feel like I have to."
Dimentio felt his heart race. He could hear the pounding in his ears. He never felt this way about anyone before. He could no longer control himself. "Oh, I know I'm supposed to ask permission, but I can't take this anymore!"
With that, he kissed him on the mouth. Mr. L seemed surprised at first, but he quickly relaxed and returned the favor with vigor. The two kept going for a few minutes. At one point, Dimentio tried something new: he slipped his tongue in the other man's mouth.
When Dimentio stopped to test his reaction, Mr. L chuckled. "Look at you. Just diving right in!" The jester grinned and kept giving his love these new kisses. After stopping to take a breath, Mr. L muttered, "In my world, you'd call that a French kiss..."
"Really now? In that case...I love French kisses..."
Mr. L chuckled. "I bet I can do that even better."
"Is that right? Well, why don't you show me?"
That was all it took. Suddenly, they did it again and again, melting into one, only stopping to take breaths. Dimentio massaged the other's man tongue in his, excitement building inside of him as he pulled Mr. L even closer to him. The man in green seemed to treat their mingling of tongues like some kind of effort for dominance, but that was alright because this was him. Dimentio decided this made up for every awful moment in his life. Everything built up to this.
The rest of it happened too slow and too fast at the same time. Soon, they were down to their boxers. Later in the evening, they wore nothing at all. The pain that Mr. L gave him was nothing. The sharp intensity didn't even begin to compare to the sorrow that Dimentio wrestled with each and every day. Soon, it melted into that warm, dark pleasure all over again.
Right then, Dimentio decided he wouldn't kill Mr. L after all. No, he wanted him in the New World, ruling by his side. He had this thought one starry night in Dimension D, but he wasn't sure before. Now, he knew that he needed this man and he wouldn't give him up without a fight.
At the end of the night, when both men were completely exhausted, Mr. L whispered, "Dimentio?"
"Yes, my dear Mr. L?"
The man in green smiled. His smile never looked more sweet and genuine. So innocently giddy and happy. He muttered the words, "Ti amo anche." I love you too. That was all it took to melt the magician's heart. With that, the night ended and for the first time in years, Dimentio fell into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.
The next morning, Dimentio opened his eyes. He sat up and stretched before glancing at the clock. It was 10 AM. The smallest hand moved slowly across the clock. Tick. Tick. Tick. His eyes landed on Mr. L. The man in green had his back to him.
Dimentio sighed and ran a hand through his hair. The previous night's ecstasy was gone. Now, Dimentio felt wave after wave of shame and regret. How could he have done that? Why had he done that? He knew it was wrong, but he did it anyway. There really was no going back now. He looked at Mr. L again and flinched. This time, he had his eyes open.
Mr. L smiled and muttered, "Look who's surprising you now."
His soft voice made it worse. Dimentio sighed. "Yes, ha-ha. Very funny."
A long silence. Mr. L broke it. "Did we really just do that?"
"We did."
The man in green sat up. He rubbed his eyes and stretched before turning to Dimentio. He eyed him up and down, paying careful attention to him. Dimentio remembered that time he compared Mr. L to an artist. Now, he looked like a cynical critic, just waiting to tear him apart. Instead, he said, "That human form of yours..."
"Yes?"
"It's really realistic."
The magician scrunched his nose. "What do you think I am?"
Mr. L yawned. "I don't know. A pure ball of dark magic and persuasiveness? Plus...I don't know. You always sounded kinda British or something..."
The jester tried to think of something witty to say, but nothing came to mind. He settled for one simple word. "What?"
The man in green chuckled. At first, it was quiet, but soon he was roaring with laughter. He clutched his chest, happy tears gleaming from his eyes. Dimentio stared. "Um...are you feeling well?"
He turned. "Dimentio! Do you know what we just did?"
"I don't know. You told me that I sound British or something. What exactly is British?"
Mr. L shook his head, wearing a huge smile. "No, silly! We actually did it! Literally!"
"Yes. We did. What are you so giddy about?"
"Because I've just found the man of my dreams!" He fell back against the bed with both arms spread out, laughing.
Dimentio had never seen anyone this happy. He wasn't sure what to do. "...Have you been drinking?"
The mechanic stopped laughing. He sat back up with a frown on his face. "What? You don't think I'm serious? What we did last night is very intimate and personal, you know."
"Of course."
"So...why do you seem so boring about it?"
Dimentio turned away. He muttered, "I'm starting to regret it, actually."
Mr. L laughed for a few short seconds. Dryly, he added, "Funny."
The magician stared at his lap, fixated with his blanket. The man in green went on. "Anyway...I got some good wine the other day. Or was it two days ago?" For a split second, he hesitated. He quickly shifted gears. "Oh, it doesn't matter! All that matters is that I have it! We should split it! Right here, right now!"
Dimentio's eyes widened. "Oh no! That can get you sick. Killed, even. All that alcohol in one sitting?"
"I wasn't going to drink it in one sitting, but if you insist on being boring, maybe we can have a toast over coffee." Mr. L turned away. "I need to get dressed." He stood and headed towards the closet. Completely naked. At the last second, he turned back to Dimentio. "Oh, by the way, do you mind if I borrow your clothes?"
The jester turned away, cheeks burning. "That's fine! Just put some clothes on!"
He tilted his head. "What's wrong?"
"Have you forgotten that neither of us are wearing clothes!?"
Mr. L shrugged. "Nothing you haven't already seen." Next, he went into the closet and shut the door. From the inside, he shouted, "Wow! You actually have stuff in here! I was imagining the same outfit over and over like in those cartoons!"
"You spend too much time with Mimi!"
Mr. L didn't respond. Dimentio sighed and went to his dresser. He pulled out a pair of boxers and pants, then went to the closet. "You'll need these. And pass me a shirt!"
"What color?"
"I don't care! Any color!"
Mr. L laughed, but took a purple shirt off its hanger and gave it to Dimentio. The magician shut the door and let out a long sigh. He grabbed a pair of pants and boxers for himself and changed clothing. It felt odd. He never stayed this way for so long. Even more awkward, Mr. L thought his other form was real and this one was the illusion. He distracted himself by putting all the dirty clothes in the hamper. Once that was done, Dimentio sat on his bed and sighed, burying his face in his hands.
Now what should he do? He couldn't possibly keep going as before. He didn't want Mr. L to die. It was time to tell him the truth. But what if he went straight to the Count? Then everything would be ruined. Or maybe he would keep quiet...
At that moment, Dimentio realized it was time to face the facts. He was sabotaging the Count's entire plan from the inside, yet he fell in love with one of his devout servants. There was no telling how he would react to the truth.
Dimentio didn't care for the man Mr. L was. He didn't even know him. Besides, even if he did change back, Nastasia could easily hypnotize him again. If that happened, Mr. L would go back to being distant and narcissistic. He might not even remember anything they did together. But he was willing to take that risk for the man he loved. He finally came to a decision.
The man in green came out in a black shirt and jeans. He stopped short when he noticed Dimentio. He tilted his head. "Something wrong?"
Softly, Dimentio spoke his name. "Mr. L, come here."
He sat on the bed next to him. "What's up?"
"I haven't been completely honest with you about some things..."
His smile faltered. "Like what? You haven't been lying about my past, have you?"
Dimentio shook his head. "No. Nothing like that. However, we did have a deal. Remember what that was?"
"Of course. I give you romantic gestures in exchange for information."
"Well...last night, you gave me the most intimate act of love. For that, I think it's time you know who you truly are."
His eyes widened and he let out a quick gasp. Dimentio smiled sadly. It was time for the hard part. "Of course, it's only fair you know my past as well. I was reluctant to tell you because I've experienced a lot of pain in those days. Please listen carefully." The man in green nodded.
Dimentio took a deep breath. When he spoke, his voice lost its sing-song quality. Instead, it sounded sorrowful and almost flat. "Since the time I was five years old, I had disturbing dreams. I believe they may have been from a past life. In those dreams, I was being murdered."
Mr. L was silent. Dimentio went on. "I can't remember much about it. I don't recall the face of my murderer, but I remember it was a man. I believe I knew him personally. I begged him to let me live, but he wouldn't listen. In fact...he laughed in the face of my suffering. My heart was heavy and everything was painful. It was the worst feeling I had ever known."
The man in green stared with wide eyes. Softly, he whispered, "Dimentio?"
His throat felt raw and closed. His vision was getting blurry. Wiping his tears, he went on, "This gave me a lot of trouble in my present life. I tried to talk with my parents about it...but they wouldn't listen. My father wrote them off as bad dreams, nothing more." His voice grew bitter when he spoke next. "My mother, if you could call the slithering snake who birthed me that...I still hear her voice to this day." He gave a pained laugh. "Stop crying, Dimentio! You're not a slobbering infant!"
"Your dad didn't stop it?"
"He didn't care," Dimentio said with disgust. "He was always studying magic and, of course, the Light Prognosticus. You see, its counterpart-the Dark Prognosticus-was written long ago by his ancestors, but his nephew went mad and used the prophecies in it to destroy his entire home dimension. My father was the only survivor. He had been cut off from his family for quite some time, but according to him, they were still family. He wanted to prevent another tragedy like that from ever happening again. Unfortunately...since he failed to intervene on my behalf, he only helped the dark prophecy. One day, it was set to destroy his new dimension too. All dimensions."
Mr. L gasped. Dimentio recalled how guilty he felt, watching those refugees in the marketplace. He suspected those feelings were returning. Good.
Dimentio went on. "I was a gifted student at school...until my ninth year. By that time, I was fourteen. You see, I come from a tribe of humans who mastered the art of magic and it is my passion to this day. So, you can only imagine how burnt out I was. How sick I was of performing the same basic spells."
"I also became so tired of my parents giving me no attention. Mother thought if she beat me hard enough, I would be her obedient little son again, but that was not going to happen. So I left both the school and my home. I even left my girlfriend at the time. Told her it wouldn't work. She was so hurt, but I couldn't keep up that happy facade any longer. It was tearing me apart."
The man in green took both of his hands. The jester turned to face him and his boyfriend was radiating warmth and kindness, as usual. "Hey. It's okay. So, when you ran away...did you go to the Count?"
The magician shook his head and some of the musical rhythm in his voice returned. "No, not at first. I became what was known as...how do you put it? Homeless? A street urchin? An adolescent just waiting for Grambi to pick him up and discard him into the recycling bin, like a piece of worn down paper?"
Mr. L frowned. There was sympathy in his eyes. "Oh no..."
"Oh, yes. That was me. I spent four years on the streets. At first, I stole food, but eventually I realized that if I kept going that route, I would wound up both depressed and imprisoned. So, I stole magic books and brushed up on the art. Finally, for once in my life, I felt like I was learning something."
"Then, at some one point, I reunited with Diana, my former girlfriend. I spent one year living comfortably with her and her family. And after years of chaos, it felt strange to finally have people who treated me nicely, without any judgement. But when I was 19, Diana gave me one last chance for a normal life. She confessed her love for me and asked for my hand."
Mr. L ginned. "A bit of role reversal." His smile quickly faded and he let out a sad sigh. "But you turned her down. You didn't like her."
"Oh no. I liked her plenty. She was very sweet and intelligent."
"But you didn't love her."
Dimentio sighed. "No, I didn't. For so long, I couldn't figure out why a life with her wouldn't make me happy. But now, thanks to you, I finally have my answer. I'm only interested in other men."
"If only Diana had been a man."
"But she wasn't, so I rejected her affections. I felt awful for breaking her heart, but I couldn't pretend to love someone that I had no interest in. Even so, she still showed me kindness. She told me there was an empty castle on top of the hill of the village where we stayed. It was unknown what happened to the previous residents. I agreed to investigate, for her above all else."
The jester thought of his current position and his voice became cold. "But it wasn't empty. Instead, I found a broken man and his pretty little assistant. Even though the woman clearly had feelings for him, the man either didn't notice or didn't care. Right away, he gave me a bad feeling. They already claimed the castle as theirs, but I made a deal with the man that if he allowed me to live with them, I'd be his servant for the rest of my days."
With that, Dimentio was silent, confirming the end of his story. Mr. L grinned. "And you still are. Both of us are the Count's loyal servants."
Dimentio glared. Did Mr. L really think he was only telling him this story to make him even more devoted to the Count? "No, you idiot! I'm not his servant! No matter what oath I made six years ago. It doesn't matter. It's obsolete!"
Mr. L stared at Dimentio with shock. The jester groaned. "Oh, I might as well get to the point! I've already spilled my heart out to you. Mr. L, I'm going to tell you the truth right here and now and you're going to listen. Count Bleck is nothing but a liar and he needs to be stopped! Will you help me overthrow him?"
You can thank my ex for the "trust fall" line. I told her about the conversation that I was imaging for Mr. L and Dimentio while we were talking on the phone. She thought of the joke. She said she wasn't trying to change the script, but I put it in the fic anyway.
Once again, I read through this quickly. It took FOREVER to read through, so feel free to correct any errors. Also, next week is Finals Week, so the next chapter will have to wait until then. Once that's done, I can enjoy a month of Winter Break.
Next Time: For the first time since his change in personality, the man in green has a choice. Either side with Dimentio, the man claiming to be his true love, or follow the words of the Count and aid in his plans for destruction. Whichever choice he makes, he still walks along a path of lies.
-Colorful and Free (Free)
