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The Portrait
Part 21
Fully concentrated on what he was doing, Treize didn't even look up when Milliardo walked from the patio into the kitchen followed by the aromatic smell of smoking wood and spices. While the younger man was watching over a brisket that was slowly cooking on the BBQ and preparing the steaks and sausages that would go on later, it was his housemate's duty to put together the side dishes, specifically a potato salad and a pot of baked beans. Alright, so the beans came from the can and only needed to be heated. But he was making the salad from scratch following an old family recipe.
Milliardo looked into the fridge then around the kitchen, causing the professor to finally raise his head. "Looking for something?"
"Didn't we buy two bottles of BBQ sauce?"
"No just one. They didn't have that brand you wanted at the market, remember, so you said you would pick up a bottle somewhere else."
"Ah, right. Darn. I totally forgot." Milliardo checked his watch. "I might have to run to the market."
"Do you need it right now?"
"No, I have enough to brush the brisket with, but we will need some more to put on the table later."
"Well I'm almost done. I'm going to toss the spices, bacon, pickles and onions with the potatoes and then it needs to sit for at least an hour for the flavors to merge. During that time I can drive to the store and get whatever we need."
"Great, thanks. Maybe grab some more beer too. I used a few bottles to soak the bratwursts in."
"Alright," thee older man nodded. "If you need anything else make me a list."
###
It was about a quarter after five by the time Treize returned from the market. As far as he knew Wufei and Duo were expected to arrive around six. But when he unlocked the door and stepped into the house he could hear Milliardo talk to someone in the kitchen.
"Could you hand me those bowls? No, the others, the one that match the plates we are using tonight; four of them, no actually five."
The guests arrived early, I suppose. Putting on his most charming smile the professor walked toward the kitchen, only to stop dead in his tracks as soon as he reached the door.
There to his left stood Milliardo reaching for a couple of dinner plates in the cabinet above the sink, and above his head, suspended in mid air hovered a matching set of soup bowls.
His yaw nearly hit the floor but he somehow managed a rather lame sounding. "I'm…back."
Startled Milliardo's head snapped around and he nearly dropped his plates as he noticed his roommate in the door staring at him with wide eyes.
"Welcome home!"
Treize watched in utter disbelieve as the stack of bowls slowly moved downward then stopped on top of the counter next to the sink.
"What…?"
Meanwhile Milliardo had managed to pull himself together. "Looks like we really need to talk," He put down his plates and took the shopping bag the professor was carrying. "Let's go into the living room," he suggested as he set the bag down on the table.
"Alright." Even as he followed the younger man Treize couldn't stop himself from looking back over his shoulder several times.
"I didn't…just imagine that, did I?" he finally asked as he settled down on the couch.
The blond shook his head. "You didn't."
"Good, for a moment there I thought I was losing my mind."
"Alexander, would you mind joining us?" Milliardo asked. Moments later he could feel the ghost's presence. It might seem strange, but somehow it just felt rude to talk about him 'behind his back'.
"Alexander?" the older man echoed. "As in Alexander Khushrenada, my great-grandfather?"
"That's right."
Impossible. This is absolutely ridiculous. But I saw what I saw, didn't I? "How…?"
"I suppose," Milliardo rubbed his chin as he searched for the best and easiest explanation, "to make a long story short you could say when he died his house was willed to Octavian, but Alexander wasn't quite ready to move out… or on, yet."
"So he has been here…," Treize gestured around the house, "ever since? Since when did you know?"
"My family probably knew for a long time, maybe from the very beginning. I remember my grandmother telling us as children about the ghost in the attic, but of course I never believed in her stories until…"
"Until?!"
"…I met him. It was a few months ago, while cleaning out the attic. Remember I told you about finding my great-grandfather's diary. After that Alexander started to …um… make his presence known. It was one of the reasons why I decided that the house should stay in my family's possession." Over the next ten minutes or so the young man told Treize the whole story about his ghostly house mate, their connection and the strange dreams he, Milliardo, was having ever since he had met Alexander.
"Forgive me for saying so, but all of this sounds very… unbelievable."
"I know. It took me a while to wrap my brain around it, too. So maybe you can understand why I didn't tell you before," Milliardo appologized. "I wanted to, really. But I wasn't sure how you might react. Most people would probably think I'm crazy when I told them I'm living together with a ghost."
"Indeed, I might have reacted the same way," Treize admitted. "It seems though; the two of you have figured that living together part quite nicely."
"Yes," Milliardo smiled as he looked into the general direction of where he could feel Alexander's presence. "He can be quite useful around the house…if he wants to," he added with a smirk.
"So, all the lost car keys, cold showers and missing newspapers I assume were also his doing?"
The younger man fought hard not to chuckle. "He is right here and can hear you, you know. You don't have to ask a question in the third person. But yes, he has a bit of a mischievous side. Isn't that right, Alexander? I'm sorry."
"Shouldn't he be the one apologizing?"
"He is right, Alexander," Milliardo agreed. But as he turned his head to the left he could feel the ghost retreat.
Treize huffed. "And there he goes."
Milliardo gave the professor a surprised look. "You can sense him?"
"I think I could from the very beginning." The older man confirmed with a nod. "I just didn't realize it. Starting that day you invited me in for coffee I kept having the strange feeling that someone was watching me. Over time it became clear to me that something wasn't right in this house. I thought you felt it too, and that you invited me to live with me because you didn't want to stay here alone."
"Why didn't you ever tell me?"
Treize shrugged. "I guess, didn't want to come across like a nutcase, either."
Suddenly the professor could feel Alexander approaching again, and he looked up, just in time to see a slightly filled cognac snifter floating into the room and toward him. The glass stopped directly in front of him and after a short moment of hesitation Treize reached for it.
"… Thank you." He politely inclined his head before taking a small sip from the drink. "Apology accepted."
In the armchair to his left, Milliardo gave an amused snort. Somehow he had the feeling those two would get along just fine. "Well then, should we get back to preparing dinner? Wufei and Duo should be here any minute and…"
The young man was still trying to finish his sentence when, like on cue, the doorbell rung.
"That's probably them."
#
"Alexander, do you mind opening the door?" Milliardo asked. "But make sure it's really Wufei and Duo first."
"Wait a second," Treize looked at the younger man in surprise. "They know?"
"Yes."
"You told your friends but you couldn't tell me?" The slightly offended tone in the professor's voice was hard to miss.
"It's not like that," Milliardo quickly assured him. "Those two were with me, helping to clean the attic when… umm… Alexander chose to make himself known, if you will. But let's talk about that later."
"Talk about what later?" Duo Maxwell wanted to know.
"Ah guys, hi there," Milliardo greeted his friends with a grin. "Nothing really. We were just talking about our 'third housemate'."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah." The blond looked around. "We don't need any big introductions, do we?"
"I don't think so." Treize agreed as he exchanged handshakes with the two young men. "Please call me Treize."
"Okay, Treize it is. I'm Duo," the braided youth smirked. "Did anyone ever tell you how much you look like that history teacher at Marymount?"
"Yes, I get that all the time. I've heard he is quite the guy, handsome, intelligent and…"
"Full of himself," Milliardo finished the sentence, pleased that the ice had been broken so quickly. "What's that?" he then asked, gesturing at the six-pack in Duo's hand. "I thought I said not to bring anything."
"I told him."Wufei defended himself.
"He did," the other youth confirmed. "But it didn't feel right to come empty handed. Besides, you can never have enough beer, right?"
"Alright, you know where the fridge is, don't you? I'd better check on that brisket. It would be a shame if I let it burn now."
"Yes," Treize agreed. "I'd better get back into the kitchen too. I still have to finish the salad and heat the beans. But…," he looked at Duo then Wufei. "Can I get you something to drink first?"
"Thanks I'm fine for now," Wufei replied and his friend nodded.
"Yes me too."
"Very well." While the professor pulled a sauce pan from the cabinet beneath the stove to heat the beans in, Duo put his beer into the refrigerator.
"So, Milliardo finally decided to tell you about Alexander, huh?" the young man asked.
"Well, it wasn't so much by choice as that I happen to walk in on the two of them."
"Walk in on them," Duo echoed. "Do I even want to know what the two of you were doing, Milliardo?"
Through the open door to the patio they could hear the blond snort. "Get your head out of the gutter, Maxwell, will you? Alexander was helping me set the table. Alexander, feel free to smack him for me."
"Ouch!" Duo protested when he felt a slap against the back of his head. "That's no fair, you know."
Shaking his head in amusement Treize turned toward Wufei. "Are they always like that?"
"I'm afraid so," the young man confirmed with a grin.
#
"Oh man, I don't think I can eat another bite." Duo Maxwell groaned as he leaned back in his chair on the patio.
Wufei huffed. "Now that's something I thought I'd never hear," he teased.
"You do realize you'll have to take home a doggy bag, Maxwell. There are way too much leftovers for Treize and me to eat." Milliardo told him.
"No complains here," the young man grinned. "Hey, Alexander, any chance you can get me another beer."
"He isn't here anymore. Besides, Maxwell, he is not your personal butler, so cut it out. If you want a beer get off your butt and get one. And while you are at it bring me one too."
The braided youth snorted playfully and mumbled something about not being anyone's butler either, as he got up and shuffled into the kitchen. "Where did he go anyway?" he asked as he returned a few moments later with two bottles of dark ale for Milliardo and himself.
"What time is it?"
"Shortly after eight."
"Probably watching TV, he never misses the Mystery Theater."
"Is that why you make me change channels every Tuesday and Thursday night?" Treize asked. "I wasn't complaining because I thought YOU liked that show. But I really don't know how I feel about playing second fiddle to a ghost."
"Little respect for your elders, please." Milliardo grinned. "He IS your great-grandfather after all. But relax, once we have electricity in the attic he'll get his own TV and he won't have to bother us anymore."
"Which reminds me… the electrician called," the professor told him. "They will be here first thing Monday morning for the installation. I asked them to also check out the bathroom while they are here, to make sure there won't be any problems when we get the hot-tub put in. Last thing we need is for all the fuses to blow every time we turn on the Jacuzzi."
Milliardo laughed. "No most definitely not."
"You are getting a hot tub?" Duo asked a trace of envy in his voice. "Seems to me like things are progressing quite nicely… umm… with the reconstruction of the house I mean."
"Of course you did," the blond replied with a smirk, before turning toward the professor. "The electrician coming Monday morning, that means we will have to clean out and move that huge wardrobe this weekend." He really wasn't looking forward to that. Not only was the piece made from solid wood and heavy on its own, it was also stuffed with all kinds of clutter and small boxes that they would have to remove and later put back in. But there was no way around it; the wardrobe blocked the spot the workers needed to drill through to get to the only electrical outlet in reach.
"Is that the huge wooden closet with all those ornaments on the doors?" Wufei asked. He remembered seeing it when they were up in the attic before.
"Yeah," Milliardo confirmed.
"You think the four of us would be able to move it without having to clear it out?"
"Hmm…" Treize exchanged a look with Milliardo. "It might definitely be worth a try, don't you think."
#
"Hold on guys." Duo huffed running up the stairs to the attic. "Wait for me."
"Where did you disappear to anyway?" His friend asked.
"Went to… my truck… to get… these," he panted breathlessly as he held up a set of what looked like little round disks with foam on the inside.
"What are those?" Treize wanted to know.
"Furniture sliders. No respectable mover leaves home without them." Duo explained with a grin. "Okay, help me here. Tilt the dresser just far enough that I can slip one of those under each leg."
It was easier said than done but with a lot of effort and a few tries they managed to put the wardrobe onto the sliders. Treize and Milliardo had already cleared a path for the dresser; now it was simply a matter of moving 500 pound of wood and junk from point A to point B.
"Let me and Treize move our side away from the wall first," Duo suggested. "That will make it a little easier to turn."
Once there was some room between the furniture and the wall, the braided young man tried to get his hand around the back edge. There was a little ledge, only an inch or so wide, but just enough for him to get a better grip.
"Ready?" Treize asked.
"No, hold on, there is something back here."
"Like what," Milliardo wanted to know. "Spider webs?"
Duo rolled his eyes. "That probably too; thanks for reminding me.. But I can feel something else under my fingertips, like cloth or canvas."
"Can you see what it is?"
"No, let's move the dresser just a bit more."
A few moments later there was enough room between the wall and the back of the wardrobe for Duo to look behind it. Milliardo tossed him one of the flashlights he had brought along.
"So, what it is?"
"Hmm… weird." Duo shined the light into the gap. "Looks like… Paintings. Two of them, no three."
"Paintings?" Wufei echoed.
"Yeah." Indeed, someone had put two nails into the backboard of the wardrobe, with twine stretched between them, which kept the paintings in place and prevented them from falling over. "Looks like someone was trying to hide them or so?"
"Who would want to hide paintings behind a dresser?"
"I don't know," Duo shrugged as he carefully removed first one then the other two pictures. They were covered in cobwebs and a layer of dust so thick that they could hardly make out the drawings. The young man reached for the edge of a tablecloth that was covering one of the overstuffed armchairs to wipe off the dust but Treize stopped him.
"Let me. Milliardo can you hand me one of those paintbrushes from the bucket by the door; the softest one you can find." he asked.
"You think these might be valuable?"
"Not sure, but there has to be a reason why they were hidden, right?" The tawny-haired man carefully cleaned one of the pictures. His brows narrowed slightly as he studied it.
"Something wrong?"
"No, but I think I know the house in this painting. Wufei could I have a little more light?"
The young man pointed the large flash light directly onto the canvas, and the professor nodded.
"Indeed, it is as I thought. This house used to belong to the Khushrenada family. It's located just outside of Petersburg. Of course it was confiscated during the revolution, but before that my family used it as a vacation retreat. As a child Alexander probably spent his summers there, together with his brothers."
"So the picture would defiantly have sentimental value for him, but other than that…" Milliardo mused.
"I agree."
"But that still doesn't explain why they were hidden," Wufei remarked. "What about the other pictures. Do you know them as well?"
Treize shook his head. "No, and I don't recognize the artist either. But then again, I'm not much of an expert. But perhaps the real question isn't why they were hidden, but who hid them."
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T.B.C.
Author's Note: And the plot thickens a little more ;)