Chapter 5: Ji (In verb form to have or hold)
(For the unwashed amongst you (Just kidding! Don't stone me to death!) there was a lemon-flavored interlude, but I could get used to this entire PG-13 thing, so ity was only posted on the Shades and Echoes yahoo group. It's also available on special request, feel free to e-mail. Or just writhe in the agony of the implied. Either way, enjoy!)
(Lyrics: System of a Down, Steal This Album Track 10: Pictures)
Duo woke cold and alone on the outside, but rather warm and fuzzy, and not without company, on the inside.
He stared up at the ceiling with it's tasteful swirls of plaster, and thought. Sitting and considering was not something he often indulged in, being a more live-in-the-moment kinda guy, but his life was changing rather dramatically. And for once he had time.
Q-manwho woulda thought? The devil of the streets and the angel of the mansion? And all of it was HIM last night! Jesus
This is far to good to be true. I'm gonna have to hold him back from something he's not ready for, something he doesn't wanteven IF he's a little moreDOMINANT than I am he's obviously being rash and impulsive, and I need to stop him!
The thoughts were sour in his mind, so he decided to clear it with some breakfast.
The smells wafting from downstairs were truly beautiful, so he stood at the head of the staircase and simply sniffed for a while, tasting the wonder of a reasonably early morning after his first real sexual encounter
Until arms suddenly wrapped themselves around him and pulled him to the wall before their owner brutally assulted him. With small, pink tongue, and then sharp white teeth. Quatre's good-morning kiss left a nearly GLOWING mark on Duo's jawline, and he grinned at his handiwork as he pulled away from his gasping victim.
"Good morning, lover!" If he had been radiant before, Duo thought, he was now actively on fire. Flaming? Heh heh
"And a fine morning it was," Duo got out between deep, surprised breaths, "until of course I was cruelly ravaged on my way to that nice smelling feast. Speaking of which, why aren't YOU down there? It SMELLS like your cooking"
Quatre grinned in a positively evil way that was totally counter to his otherwise angelic appearances. "I was waiting to ambush and force myself on you! I hope you don't mind, I was going to make it a tradition"
Shaking his head firmly, Duo returned the grin with a slightly maniacal tint to it. "Not at all, Q-man, but at this rate it's a tradition that will get YOU ravished in a hurry if you keep it up" He lunged.
His victim was ready though. Quatre grabbed one arm and spun inside Duo's guard, wrapping the arm around him as he went, then tilted his head backwards and planted another hickey on the braided boy's throat.
"Bastard!" Duo's free hand slipped between his boyfriend's legs and ran a single finger sloooooowly up and down the crotch all the way up to the small of the back. This slowly elevated into a massive contest that ended with Quatre on top on the third step of the second flight of stairs when the oven timer went off.
"Sheeeit!" The Arabian millionaire/cook dove down the remainder of the stairs for his precious omlets, which Duo was later forced to admit were NEARLY worth being interrupted for. Having wolfed his breakfast and confirmed that more making out was out of the question until Quatre finished meeting with some visiting shareholders, he wandered out.
"More music, more trouble!" He yelled when his boyfriend shouted after him.
"Get brought back by the police again or buy another one of those speakers and you'll be playing with yourself for a week!"
Duo stuck out his tongue, but felt very much so afraid. Halfway through revising his mental plans, he remembered his vow to stop Quatre from doing anything stupid with him and cursed himself, vocally, for several minutes.
Much to the confusion of the security guard.
*
"And so you can see that historically the biggest markets after a war are those for rebuilding and replenishing basic supplies, even in areas unaffected by the fighting. People seek reassurement in traditional and necessary goods, instead of newer and fancier technology."
Quatre was playing towards a pair of venture capitalists in the back of the meeting, most of the shareholders had already heard this pitch. They were listening intently anyway. It was undeniable that the boy was a master businessman.
"In addition to adding to production in these areas for sale, I'm hoping to be able to produce a large surplus for philanthropy. Not only because it's the right thing to do, but also it's likely those who our gifts help will recognize Winner Industries as their benefactor and look to us for goods in the future. Advertising, publicity, and charity in one fel swoop, and because of the low cost of bulk-manufacturing such products"
Although he was continuing the speech on automatic, Quatre's attention was mostly focused on the strange thumping he had been hearing for several minutes.
Is one of them tapping his foot? Is that my pulse? Is there construction down the road? Cars going by? Am I going insane?
Then he recognized the pattern of sound, and where he had heard it before. DUO'S BACK!!
His arousal, slightly miffed by the swift termination of it's last shot at glory, was back in a flash.
He broke off at the end of the next paragraph. "Well, I have some company business to attend to briefly, so why don't we break for lunch? The maid should have set up a buffet downstairs, please just help yourself I'll be back in half an hour." He finished this last in a rush and then ducked out of the door with impressive speed.
Halfway down the hallway he stopped, turned back, and ducked through the door halfway again.
"Make that forty-five minutes."
*
Luckily the door was open, and Quatre flashed his teeth in a predatory smile as he began his run-up.
Flaunt your will at every wheel!
Parachute your chocolate soul!
You can't tell me that I'm REAL!
I've got pictures on my mind,
I've got pictures on my mind,
I've got pictures on my mind,
I'VE GOT PICTURES ON MY MIND!
His prey was shirtless and head-banging to the massive notes coming from the equally massive speakers behind him, and therefore completely unprepared for being pounced on and tackled, after a short struggle to the bed, where he uncomfortably snarfed his pillow.
"Q-man" He said, muffled rather badly by the sheets he was chewing, "In about three seconds I'm gonna turn around and-AH!"
Quatre, who had pinned his victim's arms and legs with his own, was now nibbling on earlobes and licking at exposed bits of neck that the braid left clear. "Tell me, sexy, are you half as horny as I am at the moment?" He asked, taking a quick break from his ravishing.
"Mmmm"
"Good."
Duo wasn't totally sure what his lover had in mind, but despite his rather frightening premonitions he was up for it. So to speak.
Fear waits (FEAR WAITS!)
For us (FOR US!)
Till the moment is revealed (REVEALED!)
Then turns (THEN TURNS!)
To rust (TO RUST!)
For the mighty conquered meal
*
Fifty-five minutes later the shareholders waited patiently , gazing through the still-open door. Soon there was a strange thumping that got closer and closer and closer until-
WHUMP. Quatre Winner, owner of 51% percent of all stock in Winner Enterprises and one of the most powerful people on the planet fell into view underneath an unidentified braided boy.
"Bastard! I can outrun you even when I can't WALK RIGHT ANYMORE!" The braided youth yelled.
Quatre was laughing to hard to retaliate or respond to the accusations.
"Ooh, I'll get you for that! I've got a good mind to drag you right back to my room and make sure that you have to STAND UP in your godamn meetings for the REST OF YOUR-"
Duo looked up and cut off his threat.
The arrayed shareholders and venture capitalists stared back.
Quatre was still laughing to hard to open his eyes.
Duo thought fast and hard. "HA! Yeah, I'll show you for, umm, kicking me like that! I'll tell Aunt, umm, Cathy on you! Ha ha! What with us being cousins"
The businesspeople looked skeptical.
"Not gonna fly, huh?"
They shook their heads.
"Half-cousins?"
Quatre finally opened his eyesand opened themand opened themand OPENED THEM
"Eep?"
At this point someone mercifully shut the door.
Several minutes later the young Arabian entered, hair still a little tousled, eyes still a little to wide, and faint red marks showing half-above his collar, and calmly finished his speech.
He concluded with a slightly worried-sounding "And to protect Winner Enterprises interests I would ask you not to speak or write of anything you've heard or seen here today." The shareholders and venture capitalists nodded as one.
"Alright, are there any questions?"
A senior citizen looking woman in the back stood up and asked straight to the point, "Who's the braided boy?" Her colleagues chuckled at the boy's troubled look.
"Duo Maxwell," He replied, reasoning that the name wouldn't do them any good, Duo was gone from official records. "A good friend of mine."
The younger venture capitalist excused himself, they could all hear him burst into tears of laughter. He eventually returned, and his slightly more stoic partner asked the next question.
"Do you think it would be fair to say that you areMORE than just friends?" The vast majority of the table smiled or bit lower lips to hold in hysterics.
Quatre attempted to stay cool and delayed with a long pull from the water bottle at his side. "I don't think," He said eventually, "That it would be appropriate for me to share Duo's private affairs," He fumbled for words "Without his permission."
The assemblage , or course, took this as a polite way of saying yes'.
*
"In business news, Winner Enterprises stock rose three points today on the rumor that Winner fortune heir Quatre has taken a lover. Speculation is that a new vice president will help update traditionally conservative company policy"
Face down across Quatre's lap, Duo sniggered sleepily. "Wow, they know me"
"They've definitely got your number, babe," Replied his Arabian chair "Now be quiet so I can listen to the rest of this."
"Shareholders who started the rumor refer exclusively to the new love interest as either lover' or partner', which gives support to the widely believed theory that Mr. Winner is in fact a homosexual, although we won't speculate."
"You just did, morons!" Snarled Quatre, showing teeth.
"Your own damn fault," Mumbled the braided boy from his lap. "My ass STILL hurts, although that might have SOMETHING to do with that OTHER little encounter before dinner"
Quatre's bad humor evaporated, giving way to a self-satisfied smirk. "Well you seemed to beenjoying yourselfso I decided you couldn't be hurting THAT bad. Besides, isn't it worth it?"
Duo sighed. "Of course, but if you could just reign in your hormones" He sighed again, deeper. "Besides, I'm worried about allall this."
The blond boy looked down, concerned. "You meanus?"
"WellI'm justI meanYou're a friggin millionaire! You should go marry yourself a princess or something, not gutter trash like me" Duo's heart clenched, but he was set in his course. "I'm notnot WORTHY of you, as much as I-"
He was cut off suddenly by Quatre's hand. "Stop there before I spank you senseless, sore ass or not!" Quatre was deadly serious. "You're starting," He hissed, "to sound like my father. Love is more important to me than any fortune, all the damn company. That's something the old man couldn't understand."
Wrapping Duo in his arms, he squeezed tight for several minutes. He didn't really ever intend to let go, although he eventually became aware of his boyfriend's snoring. He has had a BIG day.
The Arabian grinned in a particularly evil manner, reminiscing.
"Let's get you to bed"
The braided boy slept like a baby.
(Nothing is HALF that easy, folks. I've been recalled to a previous project, and I bought another PS2, so sorry if stuff is going slowoh yeah, plus I'm still grounded. Not that THAT has ever stopped me! I promised more characters, didn't I? Well I lied. I can do that you know. Or rather, you can't stop me. Anyway, I really will have Trowa show up eventually to explain his behavior, and there's also plans for angst, a spat, and a Japanese schoolgirl outfit. Now aren't you eager for the next one? Oh yeah, plus in that one the author's notes should be shorter. Always a plus. Thanks for all the kind reviews to all the kind reviewers. L8r, love ya Koishii!)