Hey there! Thanks for reading this far. I know it couldn't have been easy. Here's a new update, hopefully they will be coming a little more often, and again, thanks for reading. You don't know how much this means to me. Any reviews or comments you have, feel free to leave them! I love reading what people have to say about my writing. :)
"Duke?"
"Hide! Out the back!" Erik hissed, before turning back to the door as it opened once more. Stryker stumbled in just as Charles ducked down behind Erik's legs in a desperate and painfully stupid attempt to hide from view.
"Are you decent for the Duke?" Stryker asked airily. "Where were you?"
"I was…waiting," Erik grinned forcefully as he slowly edged to the champagne cart in an effort to hide Charles better. This man was going to be a nightmare.
"Dearest Duke, allow me to introduce Monsieur Erik."
A snub nosed man with an ill look about him stood in the doorway, twisting his bowler in his hands. A smirk crossed his face that Charles couldn't help but shudder at.
"Monsieur, how wonderful of you to take time out of your busy schedule to visit."
His smirk just grew more crooked and his eyes roved over Erik in a way that his mental projections made Charles reel in his mind faster than he thought possible.
"The pleasure, I fear, will be entirely mine."
The Duke bent forward to place a kiss on the back of Erik's hand, who was still tensed up with Charles cowering not two feet away behind the dinner cart.
"I'll leave you two squirrels to get better acquainted, ta ta," Stryker called merrily from the door as he left.
"A kiss on the hand may be quite continental," the Duke murmured in his nasally voice, as Erik regained his composure and smirked at the man, backing away.
He took the Duke's hat and cane with a provocative jerk and landed on the bed.
"Well, after tonight's peaty exertions on the stage, you must surely be in need of refreshment," the Duke grinned as he reached for the champagne bucket on the dinner cart. The cart where Charles was still crouched, heart pounding and eyes wide as he ducked back down to avoid being seen.
"Don't!" Erik leaped up, a slight panicked tone creeping into his voice, before he caught himself.
"Don't … you … just …love the view," he said breathlessly, waving towards the balcony as he tried to cover his small outburst. The Duke stared at him for a moment with raised eyebrows and a confused look crossing his face, glancing out the balcony as well.
"Charming."
He reached again for the champagne, and Erik did the first thing that came to mind.
Gyrating slightly, Erik sauntered back and forth over the rug while making small sounds.
"I feel like dancing," he announced, adding in a small spin that caught both the Duke's and Charles' attentions. The dancing grew more frantic as Erik strove to keep the Duke's eyes on him. It took all of Charles' willpower to not pop out completely so he could watch, or to touch the man's mind to watch through his eyes.
But he did peek over the top of the cart.
The Duke watched for a small time, growing more and more confused while making small noises to try and interrupt Erik's tirade.
"I should like a glass of champagne," he finally managed to choke out, turning towards the cart once more. Charles ducked back down as Erik immediately stopped dancing and reached out for the bucket but stopped as the Duke's hand grabbed the bottle. No sense in accidentally ripping off his customer's hand. Erik also made a noise that sounded like a small shout that he quickly swallowed and covered with words.
"It's a little bit funny—"
"What is?"
Charles poked his head back up over the cart to stare at Erik questioningly.
"This—"
Charles mouthed the words, not even thinking to use his telepathy at a time like this.
"—feeling inside," Erik breathed, his eyes wide and on the Duke.
"I'm not one of those who can easily …hide," he continued, eyes straying back over to Charles to watch for the lyrics he had just been serenaded with earlier that evening. In his motions, Charles knocked over the candle stick and Erik reached out to catch it with his powers.
The Duke made to turn at the noise while Charles ducked once more, and Erik's reach propelled him to the Duke's feet; there he clung to the pants legs of his tuxedo.
"I don't have much money," he growled, kneeling to look up into the Duke's eyes.
"But if I did, oh, I'd buy a big house where we both could live." He snaked his way up the length of the Duke's body, touching everywhere and making the Duke quiver slightly. Then Erik grabbed at the Duke's knees and yanked them apart, much to the Duke's surprise, and glared at Charles from between.
"Out, the door," he mouthed wordlessly as he furiously pointed towards the front entrance to his room. Charles glanced back at the door before giving Erik one last look. Then the legs closed, and Charles slowly rose as Erik began singing the last few lines of the song.
"~I hope you don't mind …I hope you don't mind… that I put down in words,~" he murmured as he too drifted up, his hands gliding over the Duke's chest and wrapping around his shoulders.
"~How wonderful life is, now you're in the world~"
Erik's eyes flicked over the Duke's shoulders to meet Charles' as he sang the last few words, and Charles shivered as he backed away towards the door. The Duke was busy staring at Erik, mouth gaping and eyes shining.
"That is very beautiful," the Duke breathed, his eyes completely fixed on Erik. The feeling of want washed over Charles again, the same as before in the dance hall. He winced a little, finally making it to the door.
"It's from Spectacular Spectacular," Erik whispered, moving his hands up to cradle the Duke's neck.
"Suddenly with you here I finally understand the true meanings of those words. How wonderful life is now you're in the world."
Erik's voice was barely audible, his words brushing into the Duke's ear as their jawlines grazed each other. But his eyes watched Charles, who had finally made it to the door and was proceeding to open it gently. His own attentions were fixed on Erik, not on the Duke's manservant who was standing outside.
"What meaning is that, my dear?" the Duke asked, equally quiet.
Charles shut the door, accidentally slamming it and creating yet another disturbance. Erik threw himself away from the Duke with a cry, landing on the bed as Charles scuttled off to hide once again. He settled for ducking the top half of his head beneath a tapestry and burying himself in a corner.
"Don't toy with my emotions," Erik growled, sitting up to stare at the Duke.
"You must know the effect you have on men," Erik tapered off, his voice growing thick with faked emotion.
"Let's make love," the growl grew more fierce as Erik grabbed hold the Duke's jacket and pulled him down to the bed. The Duke went careening down and landed on top of Erik.
"You want to make love, don't you?" Erik said throatily as he smashed their lips together, silencing any words the Duke might have said. Glancing up to Charles who had slowly inched his way out of his hiding spot, Erik motioned wildly to head to the balcony.
"I knew you would feel the same way," he replied to the Duke's garbled sounds as Erik bucked his hips up and dragged his knee up the inside of the Duke's legs. Charles paused at the sounds he heard, and turned to glance at the bed.
Erik shot him the sharpest look he could muster, and silently screamed at Charles to get out. Charles could only stare knowingly, as the Duke made increasingly inhuman sounds and Erik's eyes nearly stabbed him a thousand times over. He sent out the smallest of thoughts, just a hint of a suggestion to Erik, who caught it immediately.
"You're right, we should wait. Until opening night," Erik choked out, pushing the Duke away slightly. Charles flashed a small grin before he hurried out the balcony to hide while Erik tried to rid himself of the Duke.
"Wait? Wait?" the Duke stammered, scrambling to balance himself above Erik's heaving chest.
"There's a power in you that scares me…you should go," Erik pushed him off and they both stood precariously, stumbling slightly to the door.
"Go? But I just got here," he protested.
"Why, we'll see each other every day during rehearsal. We must wait…we must wait, wait until opening night. Get out," Erik rambled hoarsely as he lead the Duke to the door and slammed it shut behind him.
Whirling around, he found Charles slinking out from his hiding place on the balcony.
"Do you have any idea…any idea what would have happened if you were found?" Erik hissed through clenched teeth, before losing his breath suddenly and shuddering as he struggled to take in air. Gasping, he fell forward into Charles arms, unconscious.
Charles staggered under the weight of the taller man, unsure of what had happened.
"Oh. Oh no. Erik?" Charles asked fearfully, shaking him a little to try and rouse him.
Erik stayed limp, and Charles glanced around as he adjusted Erik in his arms to move easier. His gaze landed on the bed, and he shuffled over to it, struggling to move Erik's lean but muscular frame with his own, not so athletic, body. A slight panic was creeping up in the back of his mind, but he pushed it away as he neared the bed.
As he made to set Erik down, the momentum carried them both to the bed, Charles landing atop Erik's prone frame. He clambered to his knees to check his vitals.
Then the door opened.
"Forgot my hat," the Duke grinned as he stepped in, before his eyes snapped to Charles. Who was currently straddling Erik. On the bed.
"Foul play?" the Duke asked, startled.
"He, ah, I, uh," Charles stammered with an explanation as Erik slowly came to and grew aware of the situation.
"Oh, Duke…" he began quietly.
"It's a little bit funny, this feeling inside."
Now the Duke was beginning to shake with anger, his face contorting in his rage while it washed over Charles in searing waves he could hardly stand. He shook his head frantically, wanting to clear up the misunderstanding.
"Beautifully spoken, Duke," Erik chimed in, before motioning to Charles. Who still had not moved from his position. Atop Erik. On the bed.
"Yes, let me introduce you to the writer."
"The writer?!"
"Yes."
Erik shoved Charles to the side as he struggled to sit up.
"Oh yes, we were ..we were rehearsing—"
"HAHAHA," the Duke cut his explanation off with a disbelieving laugh.
"You expect me to believe, scantily clad in the arms of another man, in the middle of the night, inside an elephant, you were rehearsing?!" he exclaimed furiously.
"HOW IS THE REHEARSAL GOING?" Beaubier suddenly appeared on the balcony, beaming at everyone while the rest of the group clambered after him.
"Shall we take it from the top, eh, my queen?"
"I hope the piano's in tune!"
"Sorry! Must be done!"
"Can I offer you a drink?"
The Duke was staring at everyone who was acting in a flurry of motion to appear busy. Erik caught his attention again, waving his hands as he explained. Sort of. A little bit. Not really.
"When I spoke those words to you, before you, you filled me with such inspiration…yes, I realized how much work he had to do before tomorrow, so I called everyone together for an emergency rehearsal."
He and the Duke stared each other down for a moment, before the Duke cleared his throat.
"If you're rehearsing, where's Stryker?"
The door burst open once again that evening, Stryker barreling through as he tried to intervene on what he thought to be a catastrophic meeting.
"My dearest Duke, I'm most terribly sorry—"
"Stryker, you made it! It's all right, the Duke knows all about the EMERGENCY REHEARSAL."
Erik's eyes bore holes into Stryker's as he tried to convey the charade they had begun.
"Emergency rehearsal?"
"Yes, to incorporate the Duke's artistic ideas."
The Duke bowed, still not entirely convinced but Charles nudged him towards accepting their ploy.
"Yes, well, I'm sure Audrey will be willing to delight—"
"Audrey has already left," Beaubier interrupted Stryker, and was quickly cut off by Erik.
"Well, William, the cat's out of the bag. Yes, the Duke's already a big fan of our new writer's work. That is why he is so keen to invest." Erik's smile was so forced Charles feared it would snap his face.
"Invest? INVEST! Invest, yes invest. Well, you can hardly blame me for trying hide…("Charles," Beaubier muttered) …Charles away," Stryker called out excitedly, catching on finally.
"I'm way ahead of you, Stryker," the Duke drawled.
"My dear Duke, why don't you and I go up to my office to peruse the paperwork?"
"What's the story?" he asked suddenly.
"Story?" Stryker asked, confused.
"Well, if I'm to invest I need to know the story."
"Ah yes. Well the story is about….Beaubier."
All the heads in the room swivel to him. He chuckles nervously, trying to figure out what to say.
"The story, it's uh, it's about, hah, it's—"
"It's about love!" Charles jumps in. He knows where he wants this to go. But how to get there?
"Love?" the Duke asks, unconvinced.
"It's about love, overcoming all obstacles." He gave a small smile to Erik, who locked eyes with him.
"And it's set in Switzerland!" Beaubier exclaimed excitedly.
"Switzerland?" Another tone of discontent.
"Exotic Switzerland!" Stryker tried to push the locale.
"Arabia. ARABIA. IT'S SET IN ARABIA," Charles nearly screamed to be heard. Everyone looked at him, and he knew he had their attention. His voice dropped to a softer decibel.
"And there's a prince. The most handsome and kingly prince in all the world." An even bigger smile started to blossom on Charles' face as the story poured forth, and Erik listened, his eyes betraying his interest in the personal aspect of their story.
"But his kingdom is invaded by an evil neighboring Shah."
Charles turns to the Duke as he spits out the words, his eyebrows knitting in a glare.
"Now, in order to save his kingdom, the prince must obey the Shah while the Shah takes him and molds him into the perfect heir, a monster and a lover. But on the night of the agreed upon meeting, he mistakes a penniless wr-" he glances around for inspiration "-a penniless gypsy dressed like a Shah and he falls in love with him!"
Now Erik is just smirking, waiting to see how Charles will explain that part of their evening together.
"He wasn't trying to trick the Prince or anything, but he was dressed as a Shah because he was appearing in a performance in the town bazaar—"
"I WILL PLAY THE PENNILESS GYPSY!" Marko called out, rushing forward to grab the Tarot cards Charles had been holding while explaining the gypsy.
"Yes, well, then, then what happens next?" the Duke asked, starting to become intrigued by this story he had just barely missed earlier in the evening.
"The penniless gypsy and the Prince have to hide their love from the evil Shah—"
"And the gypsy's talking tarot cards can only reveal the truth!" Cassidy chimes in.
"And I will be the tarot cards," Beaubier offers, circling the room with his honest observations.
"They give the game away, eh?" the Duke offers for his input.
Everyone seems excited by this proposition, clapping and hopping in glee. Then the can can is mentioned, but before Charles can try and explain it into the story, Stryker shoves him away.
"It's an erotic spectacular scene the captures the thrusting, violent, vibrant, wild, Bohemian spirit that this whole production embodies, Duke."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean the show will be a magnificent, opulent, tremendous, stupendous, gargantuan bedazzlement, a sensual ravishment, it will beeeeeeee…Spectacular, Spectacular."
He circled the Duke, a song starting to ripple through the room.
"~No words in the vernacular, can describe this great event, you'll be dumb with wonderment.~"
The rest of the group suddenly began scrambling around for props to create a makeshift stage, and play, as best they could, the story Charles had woven for them. Sitting in front of the curtain, Charles watches as Marko and Erik play the parts he crafted, but he's the one who controls their lives.
"~The kingly prince and gypsy man, Are pulled apart by an evil plan. But in the end he hears their song, And their love is just too strooooooong.~"
At this tender moment, Erik and Charles exchange a glance, Charles hoping that Erik can feel what he's feeling in that instant, that he isn't the only one whose emotions are a boiling pot of confusion in his stomach.
And then the Duke adds his own contribution.
"~It's a little bit funny, this feeling inside….~" he sings in a sickly tune with waggling eyebrows.
Charles continues with the story.
"Gypsy man's future song, Helps them flee the evil one. Though the tyrant rants and rails, it is all to no avail.~"
"I AM THE EVIL SHAH!" Stryker cries, a scarf hastily wrapped about his head like a turban.
"Oh, Stryker, no one could play him like you could!" Erik notes, and Stryker heartily agrees.
"~So delighting—!"
"And in the end, should someone die?" the Duke asks suddenly.
They all look at each other and go in for the finale, singing at the stop of their lungs as they swarm the Duke, lifting his chair and spinning before landing in the final pose.
"Generally, I like it," the Duke nods, and everyone cheers ecstatically.
Stryker had an investor, and the Bohemians had a show.
There were parties up and down the halls of the building, and try as he might, Charles could not bring himself to type a single word of the play.
All he could think about was his prince.