Power, Courage, and Wisdom: A Story of a Love Triangle

Authoress's Note

I was greatly upset about the recent event at Gaia and made the mistake of expressing this to one of my rping friends. The result was a threesome-male-NPC droolfest. And so, to break my curse of writer's block, I took our piece of Heaven and made it into a story. BTW, I don't own any Gaian npcs. Duh. And this is just for entertainment. This story was deleted from Gaia due to the fact it broke ToS, so here it is now.

Pairings: Gino/Ian, Gino/Liam, Ian/Liam

Rating: I'm giving the entire story an R smackdown. Mainly because, on average, it would be an R fanfic.

Chapter 1: The Broken Phoenix

Ian sighed sadly as he stood over the smoking rubble of Gambino mansion. He had been there all night; watching helplessly as it reduced itself to nothing but smoldering debris, watching emotionlessly as the people of Gaia came to gawk and left him alone when the had seen enough to know the Gambino legacy was again gone, watching thoughtlessly as coldness swept over him and weariness became a stranger. He wasn't tired or hungry, just...empty.

Gino, the young man Ian was going to "destroy", was gone. Gone in the burning glory of his family's sins. Gone as a self-sacrifice to wash away those sins. Gone in the place of Sasha, who would have been crushed if it weren't for Gino.

The storekeeper finally tore his gaze off the charred, destroyed building and bowed his head. He felt guilty as if he were the one who started the fire in the lab. He had been selfish, had been envious...Had been a jerk...Ian thought bitterly. I only cared about myself...Sasha is my friend, and I didn't trust her or Gino...I didn't trust our friendship...

"Horrible..." Ian muttered to himself, fists clenched at his side. "I...I'm a horrible person..."

A cough sounded from the rubble, followed by a weak voice, "You're...not horrible...just cough stupid..."

Ian's wide eyes become full of tears as he raced to the rubble and struggled to remove debris. He gasped and let the tears flow down his cheeks at the sight of Gino's dirty face and soot-covered golden hair. His skin was burnt here and there and a bit of blood dribble ddown from past his lips. Gino's golden eyes were partially oepn and looked Ian in the eye.

"Is...Sasha okay?" Gino wheezed.

"She's...she's just fine." Ian struggled to speak, his tears choking him. "Worried about you...cried all night..." He shook his head and resumed trying to unbury Gino. "Keep talking," Ian told the blonde as he worked. "Please..." Keep telling me you're alive...

"Any...any idea why?" The blonde coughed violently, then spoke through the dried blood, ash, and mucus from his lungs. "Why the fire started?"

"Grunnies escaped from the lab," Ian explained, the need to save Gino overcoming his joy that the teen was alive in the first place. "A small portion of the populus are now zombies...an antidote has been distributed amongst them, but many choose to be as they are..."

"Damn it..." Gino cursed. He winced as Ian pushed a beam off the blonde's chest. "This is all my fault..."

"No, it's not!" Gino gave him a confused look and saw a similar expression on Ian's face. Ian shook his head and continued to work in silence. Most of Gino's body was crushed or charred, and Ian was amazed at how the teen could have survived. When the blonde was uncovered, Ian knelt beside him. "How badly are you hurt?"

Gino closed his eyes and winced as he tried moving. He opened his eyes weakly and tried to smile. "I...can't move my legs...I think they're broken..."

"Would it hurt you if I carried you?"

"...No..."

Ian nodded and gently picked up the teen, cradling his limp, broken body. He felt Gino wince against him, and knew the teen lied about his condition. He was worse than he had admitted. Holding Gino close, Ian ran; ran to the closest place he knew Gino would be welcome and safe. Ian kicked the door of the house and shouted with all the might he could muster, his strength starting to leave him.

"Sasha!" Ian hollered. "Sasha help!"

He could hear her running to the door and even slide into it with a thud. The girl nearly tore the door from its hinges. By her expression, Sasha was going to yell at Ian about kicking her door, but her expression quickly softened at the sight of Gino in Ian's arms. "Take him upstairs," Sasha ordered. "I'll go get a medic."

Ian nodded and carried the blonde upstairs, to the room he had been in when Ian and Sasha found him on the beach. Carefully, Ian laid him down in the bed. Gino groaned a bit and opened his eyes halfway.

"So...who...who gave me mouth-to-mouth...this time?" Gino asked with a weak smile. "You...or Sasha...?"

The shopkeeper chuckled. "Just rest...Sasha's bringing a medic. You'll be in good hands soon..."

"Stupid..." Gino muttered, obviously near losing conciousness. "Was...good hands...with...you..." At that, he passed out.

Ian smiled a bit and touched a lock of Gino's bangs, moving them from the teen's sleeping face. He let Sasha drag him out when the medic came, and, finally suddenly exhausted, Ian collapsed on the girl's couch. Sasha brought him some water and sipped her own cup. For the longest time, they sat in silence before Sasha spoke.

"Do you think...he'll be okay?"

He answered truthfully. "I don't know...but...I have a feeling he'll live..." Ian chuckled weakly. "It's like the legend of the phoenix...He rose from the ashes of his father's burning mansion. When the populous hears he's alive, his supporters will only love him more."

Sasha smiled a bit. "So I take it you like him now?"

Ian smiled at his water. "I was a jerk to him for no reason...I feel like I've been given a second chance..."

"I'm glad to hear that." Both winced at the scream of Gino above them, knowing now he was awake and his bones were being reset. Sasha sighed and stood, going to the ktichen. Ian sighed as well and set aside his cup. Laying down on the couch, Ian tipped his hat over his closed eyes and let sleep take him away.

"Ian," something nudged his arm. "Ian, wake up."

"Ugh..." The shopkeeper groaned as he woke. His body ached all over, even in places he didn't realize he had or used. Ian looked up at Sasha tiredly. "Yeah?"

"Could you take Gino his dinner?" She asked. "I'm going to my shop and Liam's for some clothes for Gino. And since you'll be staying for a while it seems, I'll be stopping by your place to feed Rufus and bring clothes for you."

"Alright..." Ian sighed. He winced as he stood. "I feel like shit."

Sasha's nose wrinkled as she waved a hand in front of her face. "You smell like it too. Take a shower before you feed Gino, okay? You might make him sick." Ian stuck his tongue out at her. The girl left giggling.

A sigh escaped him. Tiredly, Ian trudged to the bathroom and stripped. Hat tossed aside, he turned on the hot water and showered as ordered. The shopkeeper leaned his forehead on the wall as the water washed over him and cleansed the past few days off of him. Gino's blood, ashes, his own sweat, and tears swirled down the drain. Ian didn't feel relieved, though. His mind was on Gino.

Maybe...I should apologize to him about being a jerk in the past. Ian thought. I really don't deserve his forgiveness...but I suppose...it won't hurt to ask... The young man sighed again. But...what do I say to him? Especially since all I'll be wearing is a towel since my clothes are nasty.

Ian stepped out of the shower and dried off. Towel around his waist and a second on his shoulder, he went to the kitchen and got the tray of dinner. He smiled at the smell and carried it upstairs. The door to Gino's room was closed, and Ian could assume the medic had gone long ago. He knocked on the door. "Gino? Are you awake?"

"You can come in," Gino's voice answered. Ian entered and smiled at Gino. The blonde was sitting up in bed, legs in casts under the blankets and shirtless torso wrapped in bandages. Gino smiled, and Ian swore he saw a bit of blush on his face.

"Sasha asked that I bring you dinner," Ian said, taking the bed tray to Gino. He set it on the blonde's lap. "Are you comfy?"

"I'm fine, thank you." Gino sighed. "Sasha's cooking smells good...I feel terrible about what happened to her..." His face saddened. "None of this would have happened if I hadn't asked Sasha to join me for dinner..."

Ian sat down beside him. "I'm actually kind of glad it happened." Gino gave Ian a distrusting look, but the brunette lifted his hands defensively. "I mean..." He sighed. "I feel bad about what happened to you and what I've done, but at the same time I'm glad it happened because it made you who you are." Ian shook his head. "I'm not making sense..."

Gino chuckled after a moment of thought. "I think I know what you're going for." He nodded. "Thank you, Ian...for being there for me."

"No prob-wah!"

The shopkeeper's arm slipped on the cloth of the covers, and Ian found himself half-laying, half-leaning over Gino's body. Their faces were so close, Ian could feel Gino's breath escaping those perfectly parted lips. Most of Ian's weight was on his supporting arm; the blonde not feeling the other's body against his. A bright blush covered both their faces. Ian's eyes stared deeply into Gino's, seeing in them the power and strength of a Gambino plus a fire-like warmth that gave the amber orbs their warmth.

Ian lifted a hand to touch Gino's cheek and the warmth of his life. Gino didn't flinch as cool fingers grazed his skin, leaving behind ghosts that made his heart flutter and breath quicken. The shopkeeper leaned forward slowly, watching Gino's eyes begin to close in anticipation. This is it... Ian thought. No turning back after this moment. No regrets, no hard feelings, no worries. Just happily ever after, right?

Their eyes flew open at the sound of Sasha entering the house. "Ian! Gino! You guys still here?" She shouted.

"Damn it..." Ian muttered, pulling back. He sighed, facing the door. "I'll be right down!"

Gino looked disappointed for a moment, quickly covering it with a weak smile. "You better go..." He told Ian sadly. "Though I doubt she would, Sasha might suspect something if you don't go."

"Yeah, yeah..." Ian stood and started to leave.

"Hey..." The shopkeeper faced Gino. A bright and true smile was on Gino's blush-painted face. "Maybe when I'm not in so much pain, I can make a minute ago up to you."

Ian smiled. "I'll be looking forward to it." Gino nodded, and Ian left the room. The door closed behind him, the shopkeeper did a little happy dance before going downstairs to get his clothes from Sasha. Quickly, he dressed in the bathroom and went home for the night.