A/U. Kharl, successful business CEO, lives peacefully with his, er, housekeeper Garfakcy. However, when he is seduced by a local highschooler named Rath, their life takes a sickening turn for the worse.
Notes: Edited cuz I typed so fast I didn't have a chance to proofread. .O; Blah...
^_^ Well, I never knew there was another Kharl/Rath fan out there. xD Everyone pairs him with Gar...no one will believe the intense angstiness of Kharl-sama around Rath...;_; xD Though believe me, Kharl/Garfakcy fans...*backs away from the pitchforks*...there will be muchlies Kharl/Gar, both implied and physical, courtesy of this shounen-ai freak. x3 Signing out.
Everlasting
Chapter Two: Power
He was late.
Garfakcy turned over, glanced at the glowing face of the clock, sighed, and kept his ears tuned for the sound of a key in the lock—all for the millionth time that night. He hesitated, and then rolled over again, hoping his eyes had deceived him. But the glowing neon numbers flashed back stubbornly: 4 am.
The boy bit his lip, fisted a tight wad of bed sheet. Kharl was late sometimes, forgetful always...but not this late. Shifting nervously, Garfakcy at last decided sleep was impossible. He hopped out of bed, straightened the covers from force of habit, and grabbed at some clothes. He was in the middle of tying his shoelaces when the rectangle of moonlight in the doorway was suddenly cut off.
"Garfakcy." Kharl was watching him with an odd expression. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"
Garfakcy flushed a little; bit his tongue to keep from asking his master the same question. He pulled a shoe off. "4 am."
"Yes..." Kharl lingered in the doorway, waiting for an explanation. Garfakcy did the same.
A small sigh escaped from the man's lips, filling the expectant silence of the room. The air humidifier droned softly in the background. "Go to bed, Garfakcy."
Garfakcy waited until Kharl's footsteps were long gone from his hearing, then lay down, fully clothed. He couldn't sleep.
*****
"So where were you last night?"
The pleasant background chinking of cutlery stopped. Garfakcy poured tea carefully into his master's cup, eyes downcast. He knew he shouldn't have asked, but the question had been worrying at his mind for the whole day.
"I was..." Kharl paused to picked up his napkin. Garfakcy watched as he folded it carefully, then put it down again. "...walking."
Tiny frown lines bunched at Garfakcy's forehead. "Walking? All the way from the corporation building?"
His master smiled sheepishly. "Well...er...yes."
Garfakcy eyed him dubiously, not sure what to believe. It sounded like Kharl, all right...doing something that stupid on the spur of the moment. And yet...was that pause just embarrassment?
Kharl's hiding something.
The tiny animal that had been gnawing on his stomach since last night suddenly tripled in size.
He swallowed. "I see." The fingers on the teapot trembled, and a warm pool of liquid grew on the antique rosewood table. Garfakcy fumbled with the teapot, grabbed an expensive silk napkin, and reached over to mop up the mess. Long fingers met his own, closing over the napkin, and the boy looked into Kharl's warm silvery eyes. "I'll do it, Garfakcy."
Was that pity in his gaze?
Wordless, Garfakcy nodded and fled.
*****
"...And we are exceedingly excited to have with us the CEO of Renkin Corporation with us here today. I am sure that all you young students will find yourselves inspired by his outstanding achievements in the medical field." The principal gazed impressively down at his audience—his audience of slack-jawed, dozing high school students—then cleared his throat loudly. "And now, here he is to make a speech to you...Mr. Renkin?"
A low drone of giggling as the audience straightened. The man fiddled nervously with his tie. "Mr. Renkin?"
"Yes? Ah!" Kharl snapped out of his daydreaming and stepped forward onto the podium. He cast a quick glance over the students, already beginning to fall into a stupor now that the fun was ending.
Another school, another pep talk, another round of ceaseless advertising for the company. Stifling a sigh, the CEO pasted a fake smile on his face and read from his prepared notes. His eyes drifted aimlessly around the crowded gym as he spoke, finding nothing of particular interest in the dull, repetitive blacks and reds of the mass of students.
"...because in order to succeed—" Kharl's hands clenched suddenly on the note cards, and his voice broke off. A small ripple of interest moved through the audience as the tall man stared fixedly to the back of the auditorium.
Him.
Rath glared back, sullen, discontent. A dull fire flickered in his hooded eyes. His lips moved, mouthed the words, What the hell are you looking at? Kharl wondered absentmindedly if the youth remembered their brief meeting of eyes the previous night.
Small titters were breaking out once again, and Kharl shook himself, found his place, and went on. Kharl didn't look up again as he spoke. He didn't trust his body's reactions when his eyes met those red ones.
At last, the painfully long speech ended and the students were herded back into their classrooms by harassed-looking teachers. Rath hung back, not particularly eager to get back to class. He hesitated by the doors, wondering if anyone would notice if he simply cut now.
There was a tap on his shoulder, and he whirled angrily.
The same tall, white-haired man stood looking at him with an odd expression of apprehension. What was his name...Kharl, right? Renkin Kharl. The big, important CEO. Who gave a fuck. Annoyance twisted suddenly in his gut.
"What is your problem?!" Rath snarled angrily. He jerked the hand away from his shoulder. "What is it, huh? What the hell are you doing staring at me like that all the time? Think you're better than me? Want to lecture the poor little deliquent?"
Kharl took half a step back, surprised. "No, no. Simply that..."
"Will you spit it out??"
The man seemed at a loss for words. Then his face changed, his expression became assertive, sure. "You. You have power."
Odd. Rath surveyed the man more carefully. "Power, eh?" He cocked his head and smiled faintly, the same smile from the night before. Kharl wondered absentmindedly if the boy had any idea of the strange trickling of emotions that smile elicited.
"Really. You sound like you know something about me."
"Yes, I believe I do...Rath." It was the first time he'd said it aloud, and the sound left a peculiar feeling on his tongue.
"You know my name." He didn't sound surprised.
"A classmate of yours told me." Remembering the incident, Kharl added, "A classmate of yours named Viaresu."
The smile dropped off Rath's face with shocking speed. His eyes glowed, narrowed, and his fists clenched until Kharl could see a faint tracery of veins around whitened knuckles. "Viaresu told you, did he? That bastard."
Interesting. The change was a bit disturbing, yes...but it intrigued Kharl even more. He'd sensed something of a power from Rath, and now it had flared up once again, brought along by the sudden wave of anger. Pure, raw energy, uncontained. It had such potential, such purity of strength. Kharl's breath caught slightly. Here, at last, was something that could become what he had been searching for for so long now.
"Rath." Kharl offered his hand. "I have an appointment now, but I would be honored to talk more thoroughly with you at a more convenient time and place. Would you like to meet me at my apartment?" A slim business card was held out.
Rath eyed the hand. He grinned suddenly, relaxing, his casual attitude returning as quickly as it had departed. He glanced at the card, pocketed it, and shook the proferred hand. "Hell, I've never been in a big important CEO's house before. Sure I'll come."
"Thank you," Kharl replied formally, then headed for the exit. He couldn't stop himself from looking back, where Rath still stood with a bemused expression and the half-smile on his face.
*****
I'm definitely cutting now.
There were no teachers or students around. He cast a quick glance around, and walked slowly and inconspicuously out of the gym. He knew from hard-earned experience that teachers only paid attention if you walked too quickly, tried too hard. Once out of sight from the windows, Rath vaulted with practiced ease over the wire fence.
Easy as...hell, whatever.
Ducking his head, Rath ran, hard and fast. After a few blocks his lungs cried for air, but he paid them no heed, moving for the pure joy of the wind tearing at his hair and the slap of cloth against his flesh. Faster, harder, breath sobbing in his throat...he clenched his fists unconsciously, the sharp bite of nail into flesh a welcoming stimulant.
At last Rath reached his destination. He slowed, breathing hard. The Servants' Guild building loomed large before him, a monstrous matriarch standing over its children, the shabby houses and weed-grown yards of the slums. Rath walked more sedately now, with measured steps toward his own little lot. His property, as legal as if done with lawyers and deeds—he'd fought to keep it, and no one here disputed the claim.
Beneath the thin folds of his drab school jacket, Rath absentmindedly fingered a small knife. Flipping it out, he held it in his hand, steady.
Ssssssssssssthok.
Perfect. With a satisfied smile, he pulled the blade out from the cracked stone wall. Rath leaned against the structure, playing the knife back and forth between his hands.
Power.
He had it; he had it and didn't deny it. Oftentimes he would feel it thumping through his veins, misting his eyes with a fine red veil till the feeling overtook him and he had to do something to get rid of it. Occasionally the thing was quenched with hard exercise, but most often it required a solution a little more...drastic.
Ssssssssssssthok.
He hated the school. He hated his dead parents. Damn them but if they didn't leave him money—money, as much as he needed, but completely untouchable. Damn lawyers told him they had left in their will that he was to use it for a proper education.
Ssssssssssssthok.
Proper education my ass. The knife had gone in a little deeper this time, and Rath gave a hard little twist to pull it out. Stupid teachers, stupid school, stupid kids, they all piss me off. Sure, they pretend to be nice—don't play rough with the poor little servant orphan boy. But they all hate me I know it—either that or they pity me, which is worse.
Ssssssssssssthok.
All but one. Viaresu was the one exception to the rule. He wasn't nice, he didn't try to be friends. The orange-haired boy had regarded Rath with a cool look of suspicion from day one, a suspicion which had only deepened as the year progressed. Rath had the uneasy feeling that Viaresu knew, knew about him, knew about those strange and sudden impulses as the power came and took over. He saw right through Rath, and if there was one thing he hated, it was people knowing about him.
He lifted the knife, saw cold green eyes filled with that knowing look, and aimed.
Ssssssssssssthok.
Rath grunted as he gripped the knife handle. It finally gave, freeing itself with a jarring force that sent him stumbling back a few steps.
But now there was someone else who knew. That Kharl, that CEO, that man who had looked into Rath's eyes and seen. But unlike Viaresu, this fact didn't disgust him...rather, Kharl had seemed excited, jumpy. He'd seen that power, and he liked it.
Ssssssssssssthok.
Rath inspected the crack he'd been using for target practice. The little divot in the solid stone was deeper, and a tiny pinpoint of light glimmered from the other side. He smiled again, humorlessly.
Kharl had been interested...and so was Rath.
End Chapter Two
*Snerk* OBSESSION! I SENSE RATH OBSESSION! ...Poor Garfakcy...:\