Keywords/Pairings: its YouKen ^^ though
hints of Ranken as well
looks at
the part she just typed>I suck at really AU fics…sigh>a well, I really
want to try a lime or a lemon and this seems to be the perfect venue so
I'm gonna slog along with it. And kind lovely people will still read ne?
glomps you all>
And tschubi-chan
this is for you. I'm still waiting for your art. Whee! Whee!
On with the
ficcie!
Ruby Red Cacophony
Part 2
Bright tinkling laughter, blazing candles,
opulent costumes, the ballroom was filled to the brim with the nobility
that gathered for another drawn-out celebration of pointlessness…or at
least to this watcher's eye.
He skimmed the room with exasperation
on his face. It had never been his wont to attend fetes such as this but
tonight, Omi had prevailed on him. The blond had been required to attend
since his uncle, Shuuichi Takatori, sponsored this fete. And he had dragged
both Ran and Ken, much to their undisguised disgust.
Parties such as this, to Ken's opinion,
were just thinly veiled attempts to curry favor, each of the nobles in
front of him donned an unseen mask of smiling ambition. Every piquant turned
up face, every flirtatious slap of the fan, every tinkling laugh was another
step to the dance for power.
And Ken had never been one for power
or flirtations. That was the reason he was standing in an obscure corner
trying his level best to appear invisible.
A few meters to his right, he could
see Ran searching for him, fending off the various beauties that were drawn
to the brooding mysterious air he had. Ken frowned a little as he stepped
even closer to the shadows thrown by the thousands of candles scattered
around the ballroom. Not now. He had no patience for the aloof redhead
and his possessiveness these past few days.
Ran had odd notions of ownership when
it came to Ken. Ken had a feeling that if he could, Ran would attach a
collar over Ken with his name on it. He was damn jealous of everyone that
even came near Ken which exasperated Ken to no end.
Ken's exasperation further increased
after their last sortie. Ken didn't mean to stare at the golden stranger,
beautiful though the stranger had been. But he couldn't help it. Those
cat eyes had been hypnotic in their intensity, caressing and…hot. Ken had
been unable to look away. Ran had been furious at him, dressing him down
with bristling anger lighting up his purple eyes. Like Ken had intentionally
asked the stranger to lick the blood off his wound.
Ken shivered at the thought. The feel
of the sensual tongue on his skin and the cat eyes caressing his face had
a very powerful effect, sending a rush of *need* in Ken's body that he
had never experienced before. One that rooted him to the spot. If the stranger
had asked Ken to do his bidding, he would have done it right then. Such
was the power of the attraction he felt.
And Ran had noticed…which accounted
for the You-are-mine attitude he was currently exhibiting.
Ken sighed. He hadn't even wanted Ran's
attention to begin with. He hadn't asked the redhead to pursue him or stay
by his side. Therefore, he didn't have any right to Ken's person. Ken belonged
to no one, least of all to Ran, he belonged to himself and that would remain
true even if Ken did choose someone as a lover or anything else. Now if
Ken could only convince Ran of that.
/Might as well show myself. He'll
just be furious at me for hiding from him./
Ken grimaced, straightening out his
cravat and coat before stepping into the throng of people, pasting a smile
on his lips.
Maybe he hadn't really been paying
attention to the milling crowd but he would have wagered that the chest
that materialized in front of him hadn't been there a while ago. Ken quickly
stepped back to avoid crashing into the chest and ruining what was, Ken
observed, a perfectly expensively embroidered coat. He would have averted
disaster perfectly, if he hadn't lost his balance.
To Ken's relief, quick hands gracefully
took hold of his arm and hauled him back. He wouldn't have survived the
mortification of drawing attention to himself by falling on his behind.
He really ought to thank the noble
for helping him though so he looked up to do just that only to stare incredulously
at the vision before him.
Standing resplendent in black formal
evening wear with his blond hair spilling out in artful disarray was the
stranger from 3 days before…the very same noble they had held up. Ken's
heart thudded loudly in his chest. He really should have been thinking
of the impending danger of being recognized by the stranger but all he
could think about were the stroking sensual eyes that had held him immobile
that night…that held him immobile now as the stranger looked at him in
much the same way he had looked at him that fateful night.
An indolent smile danced on Youji's
lips as he let his gaze roam over the sweet form. He had been "hunting"
this one since the time he had accosted Youji on the road that night. The
faint thrumming of this one's blood had led him a merry chase until tonight.
As soon as Youji saw Velvet Eyes in the corner, the faint thrumming had
escalated to a burst of melodious chorus that sang sweetly in Youji's veins.
He had stealthily gone up to the lad
without him noticing, ignoring the lures of various ladies and a smattering
of gentlemen who were casting come-hither looks at him and managed to position
himself in front of Velvet Eyes at just the right time for the boy to bump
into him.
And when he did, Youji took the opportunity
to haul the boy upright when he fell, relishing the feel of the petal soft
skin on his hand as well as the pulse beat of life's blood he now knew
so familiarly.
He had waited for the boy to look up
and when he did, Youji used his unnatural magnetism to draw the boy in.
He was, even now, staring at Youji
with an expression of mesmerized preoccupation.
/It is too easy…as always./
Youji was a little disappointed to
find the game so easily won. After all, the excitement of the chase was
as sweet as the prize itself. He had hoped that Velvet Eyes would put up
more of a fight…but it didn't really matter. He wanted this one enough
to ignore the details.
The thought of this slender body writhing
beneath his own as Youji pleasured him, calling out his name in the voice
that enveloped Youji's being with warmth, and looking at Youji with velvet
brown eyes filled with desire…
/Tonight, Little One, you will be
mine./
Youji chuckled, a low light thing of
air, and spoke to the entranced lad. " Find something you like, My Lord?"
His last two words were spoken in a deeper voice, meant to sound more intimate.
The memories of that night came rushing
back as the voice that reminded Ken of woodsmoke, low, light and husky,
uttered the same words it had before. Even the words "My Lord" were, to
Ken, evocative of the endearment he had called Ken… it sounded like "Little
One"…
Ken blushed, crimson fire spreading
in the delicate cheekbones of his face…the rush of blood a sweet crescendo
to the melody that only Youji could hear.
/Entrancing./
Youji looked on in fascinated amusement
as the boy lowered his head and mumbled an apology as well as words of
gratitude. The words falling all over themselves in the sweet rush in which
they were said.
"I…I apologize for staring my Lord.
And I thank you for helping me up."
Youji quirked an eyebrow at Velvet
Eyes and smiled a slow lazy smile as he hooked his fingers under the boy's
chin and lifted it up to meet his. "It is usual, I would think, to look
at the person you are apologizing to when you do it?"
"Y…yes…" Ken stammered, blushing even
more furiously than before as his skin tingled at the contact.
It was on this exact moment that a
very incensed, low voice intruded. "I apologize for the interruption, but
I believe he is with me."
Ken swung his head to find a very furious
Ran glaring at the stranger who only smiled nonchalantly at the redhead.
"Ran! I was just on my way to find
you when I happened to run into His Lordship. He was kind enough to help
me up when I almost fell over. Dreadfully clumsy of me I'm sure." Ken knew
he was blabbering but he couldn't help it, he needed to distract Ran who
was even now showing signs of jealous rage. Ken did not want to cause a
scene, especially when it involved gentlemen.
Society might accept similar sex relationships
even in this day and age but all such relationships were conducted discreetly.
To have something like this aired in the open was bad form ill-befitting
gentlemen of their stature. And Ran was a Duke, public censure would certainly
damage such a lofty position.
Ken tugged Ran in the opposite direction
while throwing the tall blonde an apologetic look. "My grateful thanks
again, Lord…er…"
Youji swept him a graceful bow, one
that showed off the fine build accentuated by the intricately tied cravat
and well-fitting coat draped upon his frame. It was only then that Ken
noticed how tall the stranger was. He was even taller than Ran.
"Grand Duke Youji Kudou. I am visiting
in your quaint country." Youji used the title his family had used long
ago, in a time and place so far lost in memory that only those of the Kindred
remembered.
He ran languid a hand through his hair
as he threw back his head, allowing the silken gold locks to gracefully
fall in artless waves around his face. As he tipped his head back to the
side to look at Velvet Eyes again, he could see the boy arch his body slightly
towards him. Just the reaction Youji had been looking for, he thought confidently
and ignored the tightening of the redhead's features, choosing to focus
on his delectable quarry. "And the gentlemen's names?"
Youji had trained his attention at
Velvet Eyes, addressing the question at the youth with silky brown unsure
eyes but it was the redhead who replied curtly. "It is a pleasure, Your
Grace. I am the Duke of Lor and my companion is the Lord of Roshtar. My
apologies for cutting this little tete a tete short but our host, His Grace,
Shuuichi Takatori, has expressed a desire to talk with His Lordship and
I."
And with that, Ran took hold of Ken
in a death grip and half-dragged him in the opposite direction, possessive
jealousy in every movement. Of course, Youji noticed the redhead's vain
attempt to deprive Youji of Velvet Eyes' name but he did not press the
issue. Sooner or later, Youji would find out.
/No matter what you do, foolish
mortal, I will get what I want in the end./ Youji sneered at the retreating
back of the "Duke". Once he would have put more weight on such a title,
but the centuries of being Kindred had worn away the deference, like that
of a rock left too long in the water.
Youji faded off into the crowd silently,
following the two figures. In truth, he didn't even have to follow them
for the siren song of the brown-haired youth's blood would always unerringly
lead Youji to him.
/I do not give up so easily, Duke
Ran of Lor. Velvet Eyes is mine./
***
"That was bad form, Ran. You should
have at least allowed me to take my leave." Ken glared up at Ran as he
violently took his arm back from the redhead noble's grip. They had advanced
into the hallway leading to Persia's Sanctum and no one was around to see
Ken pull away from Ran, which was why Ken chose that time to do so.
The rich opulent Hallway was studded
with the ancestral portraits common to a noble's house. Dozens of lofty
high-browed aristocrats staring down at Ken and Ran silently. Normally,
it set Ken on edge but he was too incensed to even notice.
"Ran Fujimiya, you do not own me. And
as such, you cannot bloody well drag me around like one of your lackeys.
Especially on such a pretense just to lure me away from someone."
And with that Ken stalked off towards
the Library, leaving a disgruntled Ran behind. Ran knew better than to
talk to Ken when Ken was in this mood, to do so would be to anger the boy
further, enough for the boy to bar Ran from his presence. And this Ran
would not have.
/I will stay here then, to make
sure that no one gets close to Ken without my awareness. Especially foreign
nobles too bold for their own good./
Ran *had* recognized the blond noble
as the one they had held up 3 nights pass. Who wouldn't have? The figure
was engraved in his mind for the utter audacity the stranger had, trying
to seduce *his* Ken.
Normally, Ran felt twinges of guilt
at robbing people but in this instance, he was fiercely glad that they
had taken this Grand Duke's possessions from him and left him without transport.
No one poached on his property. And
Ken was his.
Not that the slender brunette ever
acknowledged him as such. Ken treated him as a friend and as his leader,
nothing more. But Ran knew that sooner or later, Ken would eventually give
in to Ran's indomitable will. Persistence always paid off. And until such
time that Ken accepted the fact that he was Ran's, Ran would be there to
frighten away the others who even dared to come near Ken.
Intent in his own thoughts, Ran did
not even see the almost-shadow that slipped past him at an unnatural speed.
He only felt a slight stirring of the wind as he thought about Ken.
***
Ken looked out the casement window
in the library, noting the full moon and scattering of stars. It was a
clear night out and he wished he was in his estate instead of here, then
he could take out Godolphin and ride across the countryside unrestrained.
A night ride would certainly rid him of this irritation he felt for Ran
and this feeling he had of being trapped by the redhead. When he was with
Godolphin, all he needed to think about was the joyful exuberance of being
free, of having nothing restraining him.
But he was here and Godolphin was miles
away. He traced the swirling pattern carved on the casement as he continued
to stare out at the landscape, his mind lost in thoughts of his horse and
the open countryside.
Ken sighed, as he removed his cravat
and loosened his silk shirt. He had no intention of going back out to the
stuffy ballroom and decided not to leave this inviting quietness under
pain of death.
Ken didn't notice the figure that appeared
in the darkened library, didn't hear the silent approach of booted feet
and certainly didn't see the glowing hungry eyes fixed on his outlined
figure…
Youji had successfully evaded the jealous
"guard" in the hallway with ease. Nothing was impossible for the Kindred
who reigned in the quiet Night and shadows.
He had followed the erratic thrumming,
the songbeat of his quarry's blood to this room and here, standing in the
pool of silver light, was the one he sought.
In the lambent light of the moon, he
was even more desirable than Youji had thought possible. His skin was flushed
(Youji assumed he had fought with the redhead) and his blood sang in time
with his racing pulse. Youji noted that the youth had divested himself
of his cravat and loosened his shirt. The open silk shirt allowed Youji
the chance to glimpse the smooth chest beneath.
/Lovely. All laid out for me already,
Little One./
He didn't waste any time. Within the
space of a blink, he was behind Velvet Eyes where he immediately started
kissing the agitated ticking pulse on his neck, licking the sweet column
slowly.
/You will be mine./
The reaction he got was not the one
he had expected as the figure before him immediately doubled up his hands
to strike him. Only quick Kindred reflexes prevented him from being hit
as the boy swung around shouting.
"Damnit Ran! I told you I am not yours…you
cannot take such liberties with m…."
Ah, the boy had thought he was the
obnoxious redhead. He stepped out into the silver pool of moonbeam to let
his quarry see who he was.
Almost immediately the expression of
anger changed to a different one. Youji smirked as Ken blushed yet again
in startled embarrassment.
"I..I'm sorry, I thought you were someone
else. Your Grace." The reddish-brown locks dipped in apology but straightened
again when his little one frowned at him. "Still, Your Grace, you cannot
take such liberties with my person. The traditions of your land may allow
you such freedom in you country but here in ours it…It is…its'" The blush
deepened. "…unseemly."
Ken looked up to the foreign man who
had gone strangely silent and was quickly trapped by the enigmatic eyes
which glowed with a hunger he could not, did not want to understand. But
he felt himself respond to it as he slowly walked towards Youji.
His eyes could not look away and all
he could see was the golden brilliance of the man who stood waiting for
Ken to come to him.
TBC ^_~ Make me happy. Ahohoho! Comments
onegai?
Is it going the way you think it is?
Tell me if I really suck at it…honestly! ^^ Because this is the first time
I ever did something like this.
