Pairings: BernardoXGian, IvanXGian, LuchinoXGian, GiulioXGian, AobaXClear, AobaXVirusXTrip, AobaXRen, AobaXKoujaku, AobaXNoiz, AobaXBakshi, VirusXTripXGian, AobaXGian
Warning: Contains minor hints of rape, violence, extreme swearing and heavy scenes of smut.
Disclaimer: I do not own Dramatical Murder or Lucky Dog 1. All rights go to the respectful owners
Chapter 4 - The Last Card
Some moments passed before either Mink, Clear or Aoba said anything to each other. Clear had always been on the nervous side and normally did not come in contact with people except for Aoba who he proclaimed was his 'master' since he recognized him as such. Mink on the other hand had only been in on the group wagon for bringing Toue down. But now that he ad achieved his goal, he found a different purpose to life. He felt that he was still needed for something else to come since he found out that the boy had gone missing 3 years ago.
It was nothing compared to being something like a father as he felt a much deeper bond than that and saw Aoba to be intriguing. But so far, Aoba himself had been oblivious to most of the group's flirting attempts such as his best friend's so called 'over-protectiveness'. The man was constantly coming to Aoba's rescue but would generally stare at the boy's hair. Mink knew Koujaku was a hairdresser but also knew the reason why he couldn't ask Aoba to do his hair.
Then there was Noiz whom he referred to him as a 'maniac' mainly because of his sudden outbursts of talking back to anyone he didn't agree with. In Mink's mind there was as he could see, three other competitors for gaining Aoba's affection but there was another person whom he did not think would matter since he had not been found yet. Not that he would wish for something like that, but his thoughts were now always dwelling on what should happen if Aoba's allmate-turned-human were to be found. Would Aoba fall in love with the man later down the road?
Mink had been watching the atmosphere between Clear and Aoba ever since he choked on his food from seeing Clear kissing the boy. The man, Gian Carlo, had also witnessed the surprising event and was now going in and out of the room with the phones. "Mink?" Aoba's voice sounded of concern and worry and he had a hard time feeling agitated upon hearing it.
"Hm? What, you want me to do that too?" Mink smiled devilishly, leaning back against the sofa with a cup in his hand. Aoba didn't say anything back but looked over at Clear as if he were asking for permission using just his expressions.
Clear merely looked back and forth from both Aoba to Mink with a smile wondering what the two of them had been talking about. "Completely oblivious to my intentions...Well, not that I mind." Mink took a sip from the cup while watching Aoba's next reaction. He had fun in confusing the boy and often did it to see what his friends would do in such situations.
"What do you mean?" Aoba gave Mink his full attention, his face full of eagerness. Mink set the cup down, resting his hand on his lap. "I mean, you're an idiot who hasn't chosen someone's feelings yet. This guy and the other two probably feel the same way, right, Mr. robot?" He looked to Clear who had obviously known what he meant and yet showed no sign of wanting to respond to the question. He was trying to play it off innocently.
Aoba looked at Clear, furrowing his brows and soon asked Clear something that would shift their world as friends. "Does he...mean you like me, Clear?" Mink watched in fascination as the man could only sit and stare back at Aoba. It was not like Mink only wanted to come to the city to take Aoba for himself, he too was concerned about the boy's situation with Virus and Trip and was all for protecting him from them even if it meant playing well with the other kids. But should it come to Aoba's heart and feelings, well, he was not about to let that slip past his fingers.
Clear nodded but did not say anything. Instead, he placed another kiss on the other man's lips. Mink frowned at this but didn't say anything and only stared at the two. Aoba was starting to panic again and tried to break away from the man. 'This is pitiful. Don't even know why I brought it up...' Mink declared to himself and soon got up from the couch, walking toward the elevator door.
He pressed the button and waited all while staring back at the two of them. "If you're going to do 'it' ,I'll be on my way for a bit." The elevator doors opened and he walked through them.
"Wait, Mink!" Aoba quickly got up from the couch and was about to chase after him when a gloved hand grabbed onto the back of his shirt. Clear made it abundantly apparent that he did not want the other man to leave.
'Is this what he meant...everyone and their feelings?' Aoba thought as he watched the elevator doors closed, one side meeting the other. The older man was now gone from the room and Aoba suddenly became nervous of the current atmosphere. He knew that it was not uncommon for two men to do things with one another but he also did not have any kind of answer since escaping his 'prison'.
Clear broke the quiet air without so much as a tremble in his voice. "I'm sorry, Aoba-san. But I wanted master to hear my confession just this once. All of us including Ren-san must have the same feelings for you. I...love you, Aoba-san." The confession caused Aoba's face to grow red and he had to turn around to hide his embarrassment.
This was the same sort of confession he had gotten from both Trip and Virus back at the island before they took him to their remote location.
Streets were bustling with random groups of people walking in all directions everyone busy with minding their own business. A pair of men dressed in crisscrossed suits, particularly the one on the left while the other wore a plain black suite and a crisscross patterned tie that matched with the other man's suit.
Aoba had been on his way to go home for the day after working a bit of overtime at the shop. He stopped when he saw the two men, a smile slowly spreading on his face. Virus and Trip had been his friends since Koujaku had left the island for a bit and it was during some of Aoba's worse times. His other self, Desire, or as fellow Rhyme fighters called him, Sly Blue, had been active quite a lot.
Sly did not care about anyone or anything as long as something fun was around 24/7, he was happy but also bored. Boredom came frequently after he found more and more interesting things to do during the game of Rhyme but soon enough he was growing tired of all the weaker players. That was when he met the two men who looked like twins at the time yet claimed they were not. Back then, they looked out for him and claimed to be his number one fans.
He greeted the two of the men with a smile. "Well would you look at that, it's our dear friend, Aoba-san. What brings you by our area, Aoba?" Virus asked. He was a man with no known weaknesses and his intellectual pride masked his real intentions making him an ideal person for political or under cover situations.
Then there was Trip; a man who had met Virus as a child and had taken it upon himself to copy the man with everything, from what he wore down to his eye color and his hair color. Thus causing confusion for some when they told people they were not twins. The only difference between the two was Trip's height and Virus's glasses as well as their voices.
Both Virus and Trip put an arm around Aoba' s back, inching closer to the man's face. "I was on my way home but, what are you two doing out this late?" He asked as they began to drag his feet forward to walk alongside them.
"The Tripster and I were just about to come pick you up. You see, we have an agreement with each other that had to do with you." Virus stopped walking for a bit and Trip stopped as though he read his mind. Aoba looked from Trip to Virus. "So what is it?"
They both smiled in unison and replied to his question. "It's a sort of personal attachment we have toward you, Aoba-san. I know we said we were your number one fans but this goes beyond our fan club." Trip then picked up where Virus left off.
"In short, we admire more than just your strength, Aoba." He was confused as to what exactly could be more beyond than that of a fan club of him.
Then they both let out a sigh together, realizing that their target did not pick up on their confession. "We're saying...we love you, Aoba." The two men both pecked him on the cheek; one on his right cheek while Trip took his left. It was quick and brief but still left their impression on Aoba.
Rather than continue with anything more embarrassing, the two of them walked Aoba to his house, walking arm-in-arm. Aoba had not said anything since the kisses he received and had been staring blankly at the ground as they walked. "So, then. We'll see you sometime soon, Aoba-san." Virus explained and he and Trip begun to go on their way.
Aoba could only stare at their backs as they walked away. 'What...was that about...?' He thought and quickly rushed into his grandmother's house.
He shook his head to empty his thoughts of the flashback he just had. Clear had remained quiet since his declaration of love and was now fidgeting with his gloved hands nervously. Aoba did not know what he could say in return so instead, he sat back down next to Clear and put his hands to his face, leaning forward so that his face was hidden between his hands and knees.
'Something like this shouldn't be happening right now. Ren is missing and I still have to face Mink and Koujaku still. Was Mink right? Do they really have feelings for me?' He gripped his hair and endured the small jolt he got from doing so.
Mink did say that all of them had feelings for him and Clear's confession made it apparent that it could be true. But now was not the time for romantic feelings. Ren was gone and still M.I.A. while Koujaku and Noiz still had two days to get to them and during then, he would no doubt, run into Trip and Virus at some point.
The man next to him shifted on the couch and soon Aoba was being hugged. "Master, I'll protect you." Aoba looked up quickly to look at Clear. His face didn't look like it was lying. He didn't deny the man's power but he also did not want anything to happen to Clear's body in the process of protecting him.
Clear let go after the quick hug and got up from the couch, walking over to the elevator. Aoba didn't stop him. They were meant to protect him and to provide at least a bit of help to the people who had found him and taken him and his friends in. So it felt unnatural for him to have these confusing feelings just after being kept hostage within Virus and Trip's hideout.
'Damn it...!' Aoba clutched at his head without grabbing his hair too roughly. His headaches were also a problem since the whole thing began. Thinking of going back to his room, he left the lobby still trying to hold the pain off from taking over his head.
A sudden thought came to his mind as he walked down the hall toward the guest room. 'If he is trying to come back out...does this mean I have some sort of desire for something?' Desire only usually came out when something proved too impossible for Aoba himself to handle.
During times of hardship, the other half of him would see to the problem most times and get him out of it but also would most likely cause a new one later. He used to hate that side of himself and tried to shut him off from being apart of his daily life. But since the time with his twin brother, Sei, he realized that the other side of him just wanted to be a apart of his life as well and did not mean any harm. Or so his brother had told him.
But then, what was his desire and what was it that proved too difficult for him to handle? His feelings? The current situation with the twin duo? He didn't know and deep down, did not want to know. He just wanted to be able to sleep without all the burdens that he knew would be coming for him soon enough.
The sound of a door slamming shut and quick footsteps caught Aoba off guard. He turned his head slightly so that he could see from the corner of his eyes. Gian Carlo, the man with blonde, spiky hair and a cool composure that went well with his black suit, striped shirt and black tie. He was whistling happily with his hands in his pockets.
Aoba held his head with his right hand while using his left hand to walk along the wall. The man saw the other man's slumped figure and quickened his pace, taking his hands out of his pockets. "Hey! Ah...you shouldn't be moving if you're not feeling that great yet." He smiled down at Aoba after taking the young man into his arms, holding him up so he wouldn't fall over backwards.
"I'm Sorry." Aoba apologized and tried to steady his feet but felt really tired after the day he had. The sun wasn't even down yet but he still felt tired. His other half made him feel like he was about to lose his sanity from the pressure of Trip and Virus coming to see him.
Gian took a deep breath in before lifting Aoba to his feet. He then got under one of Aoba's arms and helped him back to his bed. After he saw that the man was settled in, he plopped himself down onto the bed and started up a conversation. "What happened with your friendly reunion, I'm sure that guy must be heart broken by now if you sent him away."
He didn't answer. What could he answer with that could tell the man that it was a misunderstanding in some way. But then it would be rude of him to say something after someone poured their heart into a confession so boldly. Aoba averted his eyes to look elsewhere as anywhere was better to look at and focus on if it meant not having to talk about the scene from earlier.
He simply shrugged his shoulders but another pain shot through his head again. 'I can't think anymore...' Aoba thought and let his body fall to the bed underneath him, not knowing all that the other man was now saying to him. What was it that he was saying? The image of the man slowly distorted from his vision and he felt a wave of uneasiness wash over him as his body allowed the darkness to take over.
Gian stopped calling for the man and smiled. He was happy to know at the very least that sleep could help the boy with his painful headaches since they had no idea what sort of medicine helped with his special case. He took a glance at the window that was still left open. The night was slowly taking over the starless sky and Gian took it upon himself to close the window so that the draft stayed out. It would be worse for Aoba later if they left it open and the chilly breeze might bring about a fever.
His eyes scanned the front of the building. There had been guards set up at different doors, all wearing their black sunglasses. For a brief moment he felt a pair of eyes watching him. Looking around, he found the source of the feeling and saw Giulio standing outside a black limo. Curious, he continued to watch the tall man from inside. 'That was really quick...' Gian thought and soon the tall man was looking up at the window that he had been staring out from. The man's eyes met with his own. Giulio smiled at him. His eyes were gentle and the blank face he had before had vanished.
He and Giulio had never been friends exactly but rather a sort of understanding between them and both held great respect for what the other was capable of doing. However, Giulio's case was that of obsession and he occasionally acted out when it involved Gian. He mouthed something to Gian and then turned to talk to a few men standing around him.
Giulio's men looked to be startled by something as though their boss had done something ridiculous and were left there standing while the boss in question walked up to the hotel's front door. The corners of Gian's mouth turned upward and he quickly walked out of the room after checking that the boy was still asleep and dashed out to the elevator.
Upon reaching the elevator, Gian took his black tie off and rested it on the back of the sofa in the room. It was no secret. He had an interest for Giulio and his odd obsession with him. One could even say he admired the man for being so bold in liking someone that far.
A minute passed and soon the elevator's doors opened wide, revealing the tall man he saw from outside. Giulio Di Bondone, the grandson of a well known mafia family and rightful heir to the business. But his interests were mostly that of killing and being around Gian Carlo.
"Giulio! Welcome home." Gian smiled at the man as he stepped off the elevator. Giulio's gaze went from Gian's face to the opening of his business shirt.
The man quickly averted his eyes with a painful expression on his face and pretended not to notice by pulling out his knife and fiddling with the handle making it look like he was inspecting it. Gian laughed silently to himself and walked up closer to the man. They were not best buddies or even the awkward friend, they were just close. They had been together since the day they were younger and met one another by chance at the church where Gian was raised. And now they were side-by-side and taking out the G.D. gang like crime stoppers despite them causing a bit themselves.
"Good work, Giulio." Gian smiled at Giulio and patted him on the shoulder. The man closed the distance all the way and caught Gian off guard by kissing him on the lips.
Gian did not turn away from it and accepted it without fear. He used to be afraid of the man because of the very air that surrounded him but he soon grew to like him being around. He had an obsession surely but it did not get in the way of working. He felt somewhat safe knowing he could be there for him if he were in trouble.
The taller man stepped back and gave Gian a confused look as though wondering what he would say from him doing that. "Giulio...you..." Gian was clearly flustered at the gesture and began to turn red with embarrassment. He had just finished witnessing the other two men doing it previously before putting Aoba to bed but he never thought that he would get one as well in the same day.
As though a light bulb went on in his head, Gian quickly retreated back to the bedroom that he left Aoba in and hinted for Giulio to follow him. They stopped in front of the door as Gian had ordered him to stop before opening the door. He was gesturing for him not to make any noises as to not wake their sleeping guest. Giulio nodded and followed Gian inside the quiet room. They sat down quietly at the table in the room. Gian did not have any goal in mind when the thought came to him, he had automatically begun walking and only just now realized that he did not have anything to do while he waited.
They sat in silence for some time and it was certain that Giulio was getting antsy. He kept pretending to flick a knife in his hand the same way he had always done whenever he got embarrassed or agitated. Gian then remembered he still had one stick of gum left in his pocket and he quickly handed half of it to Giulio. "Sorry, Giulio. I only have this on me." He whispered. The man took the half he was offering and stuck it in his mouth, biting down and taking a chunk out of the stick. Gian did the same and together they chewed the gum in silence.
A/n: That's it for this chapter and soon there will be a lot more. Currently working on real stories and not just this fanfic but I seem to have lots of ideas these days.