The Wheel - Part Two concluded!
Aug. 22nd, 2005 04:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
new_kateTitle: The Wheel
Author: Newkate
Fandom: Saiyuki
Rating: NC-17. Violence, bit of smut, sap like woah ^_^
Notes and warnings: Reincarnation fic. Multiple pairings. Completed, in four parts.
Betaed by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
hibem.
Part One: Shift
Part Two: Dance (Ch. 7-9)
Ch. 1, Ch. 2, Ch. 3-4, Ch. 5-6
“And now – presents!” declared Lydia after showering a squirming Gene with kisses, hugging me to her ample bosom and pinching Rishi’s cheeks till his eyes watered. She hauled several bags on the restaurant table.
“Why is he here again?” I asked, wrestling Rishi for the last breadstick. Between him and Lydia free snacks didn’t last a minute.
“He whined,” explained Gene. “What, you got a problem with that?”
“If I knew we could bring dates…”
“Have you met someone new, Todd?” asked Kassandra, stunning as usual in blue and orange, her brown hair pulled in long silky ponytail. “Tell me more. I never know anything about your love life.”
“Um,” I said, embarrassed. “That’s probably because it consists of cheating on your nephew. I didn’t even know you knew.”
“Cheating would imply commitment, secrecy and me giving a fuck,” said Gene. “Love would suggest he’s able to feel anything above the waist. Just helping you out with the word choice.”
“Well, I always felt you guys needed something else to complete you,” continued Kassandra, cheerfully ignoring his mood. “I must say, I like what this boy’s energy does here. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an aura quite like this.”
Rishi beamed as if she complimented him on some real achievement and ordered two main courses at once.
“For Todd we brought PORN!” said Lydia, handing me a bag full of magazines and videos. I hugged it, unable to contain squeaks of delight. “And also some accessories in nice Italian leather.”
Intrigued, I started unwrapping the package she gave me, but she and Dave shrieked in unison and told me to wait till I’m home, because we would be definitely kicked out of a classy place like Herman’s for waving “those things” around.
“For Eugene – cashmere sweaters, designer coat, and oh, here, what you asked for.”
“No!” protested Dave, trying to pry the Rubic’s cube from her fingers. “Don’t give this cursed thing to him! It will consume his soul!”
“I already have one,” said Gene, catching the toy when she tossed it to him. “But I needed a different model. Look, Todd, the plastic itself is coloured, it’s not just stickers here. Now you can’t peel them off and glue them on in the right order and claim to have solved it while I slept. Ha!”
“Big deal,” whispered Rishi in my ear. “I know how to break it into blocks with a screwdriver and then put together. We’ll do it tonight. It’ll drive him crazy.”
We broke into giggles, and Gene frowned suspiciously and swatted us both with a heavy leather-bound restaurant menu, just because. Lydia handed Kassandra several tightly-wrapped packages.
“And some girl stuff for you. Well, you really only need this one, because wow, but it eats batteries like crazy, so I got it some backups. Now, where is the food, I’m staaarving!”
“Speaking of tasty things,” said Kassandra, poking me with the elbow. “Check out that guy in the corner, yes, that one pretending not to stare at you.”
I turned around just in time to see a pair of bright green eyes guiltily darting away and hiding behind an open menu.
“Isn’t that Mr York?” asked Rishi.
“Told you he was trouble,” scowled Gene. “Look, Todd’s got a stalker. What is it with you and abusive psychotic weirdoes?”
“You tell me, Gene,” I answered automatically, watching Holden squirm in his seat under our stares. “Damn, now I wish I called him right away. I didn’t think he’d miss me that soon, you know?”
“Well, come on, Todd, be polite, invite your stalker to our table,” urged Kassandra, and I near damn ran across the restaurant to where he sat, all alone, pale and uncomfortable, looking at me almost pleadingly now that he’d finally stopped hiding.
“I’m so sorry,” he said. “I just couldn’t wait any more, and didn’t want to appear clingy. I overheard you making plans that morning, and… God, this must look awful.”
“It’s fine, Holden. Man, I’m so glad to see you. Let’s go, I’ll introduce you to the gang.”
I took his hand and dragged him across the room, while he stumbled and muttered apologetic protests.
“Kassandra, Gene’s auntie, owner of the club.”
“I heard so many wonderful things about you, ma’am” said Holden, smiling miserably. “I wish I could have made a better first impression.”
“Dave, my buddy, works the bar at the club, you probably seen him there, Lydia, his friend, who he and his boyfriend totally stole from me since I met her first through work…”
“Your work?” he asked pointedly. “This lady works at the construction site?”
Everybody but him and Rishi burst into annoying, unnecessary snigger. Apparently it was my turn to want to fall through the floorboards.
“Well,” she said, winking at him, tossing her glossy ginger curls, making her faint Russian accent heavier and spicier on purpose, “I probably would if they let me drive the big crane. But no, I just humbly teach karate at YMCA.”
“I don’t know why you’re so ashamed of it, Todd,” said Dave. “Nothing wrong with being an aerobics instructor.”
Rishi laughed and laughed until I put a bread bowl over his head and gave him a wedgie.
“Shut up!” I screamed. “It’s not as fey and stupid as it sounds, lots of men do it!”
“I must say, I am relieved,” said Holden. “When you lied to me about your job, I thought… I was worried. That was another reason for following you like this, although it still does not justify it, I agree. Do you wear legwarmers at work?”
“Of course not!”
“Hm. What about a leotard?” he asked, looking at me like the big bad wolf at Red Riding Hood.
I moaned and dropped my head on the table.
“It’s a man’s leotard, okay? It’s a biketard, actually, thank you very much, wrestlers wear them, it’s this long and dark navy!”
“But it’s spandex, right? Todd, can I join your class? I need to be more physically active.”
“Sickening,” said Gene. “You – why don’t you go stalk someone genuinely interesting, John Lennon, maybe? Todd’s an idiot, he really doesn’t know any better.”
“Ah, so sweet, Eugene,” murmured Kassandra. “Remember I told you that freedom is the most demanding mistress of them all?”
“Kassandra,” he looked at her, in that usual gloomy way that was all too obvious. “You’re not quite leading by example here, let’s face it.”
“Well, I’m obviously too old for romance,” she said with all hypocrisy of a blossoming babe in her forties, “But I’m thinking of adopting a child. There is a boy in the orphanage I volunteer at, so bright, has a silly puppy crush on me, but that’ll pass, of course. He reminds me of you when you were little.”
Gene choked on his wine, and Rishi comfortingly patted his back.
“Because he’s blond, right?” he rasped. “Look, Todd…”
“Lay off him already,” said Dave softly. “If you don’t want…”
“You,” said Gene, pointing a finger at his face, “Should be the last person on earth to encourage this.”
“Me? Why?” Dave shrugged. “I’ve nothing to regret. I had six years with Colin. And even if it all was only so he had someone to be with him for those last months and hold his hand while he died, it was still worth it.”
“Cancer?” quietly asked Holden.
“We don’t know. They never figured out what it was. All those doctors poking him for months didn’t have any clue…”
“Aw, crap, shut up, not again,” said Lydia. “Where the fuck is my food? Dave, we decided not to do this any more, okay? Look, I’m not sad, so you should cheer up too.”
“Now look what you did,” said Rishi to Gene and got smacked on the head again. “What was he like?”
“He was so handsome,” said Lydia, “Great friend. Reminded me a lot of my big brother: he was a cop, got shot by some gangsters when I was twelve, but from what I remember of him, I think they’d get on really well. Colin was just as smart and kind and brave, only shorter. And gay.”
“Always sticking up for what he believed in,” nodded Dave. “He went to that march last year in Washington DC, even sick as he was, told all his family about me right at the start, didn’t care what they said. Wasn’t easy, not everyone is like you, Kassandra. Your nephew is so lucky.”
“I never said I wasn’t,” said Gene. He and Kassandra shared a look, pulled out their cigarettes and lit up, vigorously poisoning the air around them. Rishi stifled a cough and pressed closer against Gene’s side with a stupid happy grin.
“Do you think they are…” whispered Holden to me, eyeing the two of them.
“Y’know, I’m still not sure, and really – who gives a fuck? Hey, Holden. Wanna go on a date?”
*-*-*
Adult classes were always easier: it took a lot of stamina just to get the bouncy boys of YMCA break a sweat and put a healthy blush on their cheeks, but with adults I could go four hours in a row no problem, with hardly a break in between. Not that having a bunch of strapping young men do jumping jacks at my command wasn’t fun. No, I often thought I should be paying them, really. But a roomful of swaying boobies and soft naked thighs gleaming with sweat had its own charm. From time to time I got some guys in those classes too, generally easily beddable college graduates, an occasional straight man trying to drop some weight, but mainly women, mostly single, none too married. I didn’t indulge much though, because it turned out girls didn’t appreciate me playing favourites, and, as I had to admit pretty fast, there just wasn’t enough of Todd for everybody. Ah well, I was still getting my girls panting and breathless and coming back for more twice a week, so as relationships went, that one was pretty satisfying.
“Come on, ladies, let’s pick up the pace a little, that’s right, even higher, oh yeah this looks good. And left, and right, and once more, don’t give up, I know you can do it, and three, and four, and – breathe. And streeetch. Feels good, yeah? And doooown. Feel that stretch, feel how it warms you up. Yes, I’m totally checking out your asses right now. Looking good, ladies, looking daaaamn good. And up, up, don’t let yourself cool down, we aren’t done yet, let’s really get those buttocks working, I want you to think of me every time you sit down tomorrow. Aaand… What, what’re we looking at?”
They all slowed down, giggling, murmuring and pointing fingers at the glass panel wall behind my back. I turned around, about to scare away idiot gawkers disrupting my class, and stopped dead. Holden was standing behind the glass not two feet from me, grinning, hands shoved deep in his pants pockets, openly leering at me over the rim of his glasses.
Fucking spandex. No privacy whatsoever. I looked away before he made me unfit to carry on with the workout. Some of the girls were preening, but most were giving me these naughty knowing looks – well, sure, Holden wasn’t being overly subtle there.
“Okay, ladies, yes, this is my friend, and yes, I know some really hot people. Can we move on already? Let’s go, one, two…” I could absolutely feel his eyes on my back and on my leotarded ass, but I wasn’t going to let him make me all flustered. Honour was at stake. “Higher, really reach for it, keep your shoulders straight, come on, cute guy is watching, and faster, left, right, left…”
We were almost done – I was marking time by my tape, and the theme from Rocky was minutes from the end, slower than the rest of the mix since that was already the beginning of cool-down, but still great to push everybody just that tiny bit harder, get the girls glow with sense of accomplishment. After that there was some trippy new-age tune Kassandra picked for me, good for breathing and stretching. And then a bit of Queen to end on a happy note, and I bid my ladies farewell till Sunday.
Thankfully, Holden didn’t wait for me at the door as the girls obviously hoped he would. He was lurking around the men’s locker room, which would worry me if he didn’t grab me as soon as he saw me, stinky sweat and all, and I missed him so much I even let him kiss me right there, next to the drinking fountain, and tasted the salt of my sweat on his lips.
“You’re early, you pervert,” I said, pulling off my damp headband and trying to smooth the hair a little, even though I knew well from experience that only the shower could help the way I looked after several long hours of jumping up and down.
“Oh, did you say quarter past eight? I was so sure it was quarter to eight,” he shrugged innocently and slid a finger under the hem of my leotard shorts where they clung to my thigh. “You look amazing in this. Are you wearing anything underneath? If you do, it must be one of those string things…”
“Okay, okay,” I said, stepping away, trying to put safe distance between us, except the room wasn’t big enough for that. “I’ll just take a shower, and then… Actually, forget the dancing and dining and all that shit, let’s go back to my place and fuck. Please?”
“I don’t see why not,” he said with a happy bright smile. “We can always go on a date after sex, if you feel like it.”
He kept glancing at me when we were walking to the bus stop, looking like he was already planning some fun activities to try. I was pretty tired, my arms and legs felt tingly and numb, and the gym bag slung over my shoulder seemed twice as heavy after the workout, but the way his lips curved in a little private smirk in response to his thoughts was the best pick-me-up ever. I knew by the time we get home I’d be good to go for as long as he could keep up. I only hoped he wouldn’t make me put on the leotard – well, the one I wore today was safe what with being in desperate need of a wash, but a smart guy like him would figure out that I had a spare.
“You could probably use a full-body massage right now, something to relax and invigorate. I’ve been told I’m good with my hands. I’ve brought some massage oil,” he took a small flacon out of his inner pocket, shown me the label. Sandalwood, patchouli, some other girly shit like those incenses Kassandra used to burn.
“Holden,” I said, imagining his hands on me, all slippery, pressing and gliding and – slipping into places, yeah, “You don’t have to seduce me in devious ways. I’m ready for action.”
“Ah, good. Well, I was also going to use the oil to innocuously broach the subject of penetrative sex. Could we have some?”
“As in – wait, you want… Do you want to…?”
“Yes. I’ve been thinking – a lot - what it would feel like, to have you inside my body. I’d like to experience that,” he looked at me searchingly, face and voice calm as could be, but I could see a tiny blush creeping up his cheeks. “Oh, and I have some condoms and water-based lubricant as well. Oil is just a conversation piece, really.”
“Right,” I said, head swimmy and hot, dick screaming in agony in the jeans that were entirely too tight for a hard-on. “C’mere a moment.”
I led him off the sidewalk, around piles of garbage under the windows, into a narrow alley between the houses. Prayed nobody would look inside, and if they did, they’d get confused by my hair and think I’m a freakishly tall girl. Took his impossibly pretty face in my hands, kissed him hard on the lips: wouldn't be enough, but it would have to tide me over till we got home. Tugged him on the wrist to head back out, but he wouldn’t budge. He grabbed my ass, pulled me closer, kissed me again, hot and wet and needy, sucked on my tongue, slipped a hand inside my fly – I hadn’t even noticed when he’d opened it – squeezed just right, just so, just there, aaahh…
“No, no,” I mumbled, trying to push his hands away. That was hard – he was doing some really clever stuff with his fingers. “Holden, get off me. Can’t do this here.”
“Why not?” he bit down on my lip, and somehow the feeling shot right down to my dick and completely took over. I clutched at his shoulders, let him back me against the wall, let him press flush against me, mouth to mouth and hard cock to hard cock. It was so gloriously hot and wrong and dangerous to feel him like that, to do this here, practically in the open, like fucking under crossfire, and I wouldn’t stop even if I had to die for it.
Which, given those four bulky guys who suddenly appeared at the alley opening and were staring right at us with enthusiastic disgust, might not have been too much of an exaggeration.
*-*-*
“Intolerable,” barked Gene, sounding even more pissed off that usual. That was probably nicotine craving talking – even he couldn’t get away with smoking in the hospital. “Something must be done.”
“It’s all my fault,” said Holden. His voice was quivering as if he was stifling sobs, which made me want to reach over and shake some sense into him. “If I didn’t… God, this is all…”
“Shut up,” said Gene. “I don’t give a shit whose fault it is or why this happened. Anyone who does this to me must be obliterated.”
“Yeah!” falsely chirped Rishi. The kid was visibly shaken by the whole thing, so I must have looked really gross. “Do they think we’re some bunch of weaklings? Let’s find them and kick their asses into the next century!”
When nobody burst into cheer at that, he fidgeted and headed for the exit: “Hey, is anybody hungry? I’m going to get some food. Todd, you want anything?”
“He can’t eat OR speak, dumbass. I’ll have black coffee. Holden?”
“No, thank you,” Holden’s fingers touched my arm, and I almost winced at how cold they were. “Todd, I’m so sorry.”
“Naaaghaah,” I said, meaning there was nothing he had to apologise for. He had single-handedly pounded those three huge jerks to a pulp. I only managed to take down one, didn’t duck the knife in time and was just standing there uselessly afterwards, bleeding and freaking out. Holden dragged me to the emergency room, called Gene, held my hand through the whole thing. There were a lot of things I wanted to say to him right now, but none of them were about blame or anything stupid like that.
“Oh no, his mouth is beginning to move,” sighed Gene. “We need another shot of local anaesthetic.”
“Fuuukhuyoou.”
“Or maybe some duct tape.”
“Eugene, Todd needs your support right now,” said Holden firmly. “He was very worried that this might affect your relationship.”
“Ieekheelaiiaaas!” I protested, because that wasn’t exactly true. Having my face cut open would terminally screw up my whole life, not just whatever I had with Gene. I – almost – believed Holden when he said scars wouldn’t matter to him, but Gene was a vain bastard. Also, since he pretty much hated everything about my personality, it had to be my looks he liked. Well, used to like.
“I know, it’s awful,” agreed Gene. “It will be at least a fortnight before he’s up to sucking cock again.”
“Eugene, please,” admonished Holden.
“What? Like you’re not thinking it. This whole thing is getting on my nerves now. Not only my sex life suffers, I lose money over it.”
“Pardon?”
“You think people feel like clubbing if they can be killed for what they are? Well, enough. We’re striking back.”
“Violence is not the answer,” said Holden, raising a finger. Since it was in a splint, the gesture looked extra meaningful. “It’s too easy, it’s a half-measure, and it’s not right. That would make you no better than them.”
“I don’t want to be better. I want to be the last one standing.”
“In any case, we need to address the problem on a larger scale. The general public isn’t even aware of this! We must make ourselves heard.”
“You’ve only been gay for five days…”
“Well, I feel strongly about this. We need to unite. We need a voice, and a name. Hmm… Homosexual Anti-Violence Endeavour? HAVE!”
“Holden. You’re never naming anything, ever. Where are your X-rays? I’m sick of waiting.”
Rishi came back into the waiting lounge with an armful of junk food and dropped it all on a chair next to Gene after handing the sourpuss his coffee.
“Look, Todd, I got you a bendy straw! You can drink through the straw, right? Here, milkshake, it’s kinda filling if you’re hungry.”
“Aaankssh,” I tried, but my numbed tongue wouldn’t wrap around the straw yet. My face was starting to get some feeling back into it, and that feeling was mostly itchy. I reached to scratch at the bandages and Holden caught my hand.
“Please try to bear with it. The stitches are raw, give them a chance to heal. You know, Todd, I actually think the scar will be rather striking. It will accentuate your cheekbones.”
“Ooolsheeed.”
“No, that’s true,” said Gene. “It’s just the right angle. It will be a massive improvement on your peasant face, will make it at least interesting.”
“Scars are cool,” nodded Rishi. “You’ll be like Harrison Ford! Hey guys, wanna go see The Empire Strikes Back? It rocks! I’ve seen it twice so far. You won’t believe what happens in the end!”
“You told us already,” reminded Gene, looking at his pack of Marlboros with longing.
“Oh.”
The doctor came back with Holden’s X-rays – just several hairline fractures in his fingers, nothing bad. We gathered the pills, listened to instructions, ambled out of the hospital into the stuffy, hot night. The sky was laden with dark, low hanging clouds, the air was suspiciously thick, like the night was holding its breath before hitting us with a storm.
“It will rain soon,” said Holden, gracefully bumming a cigarette from Gene. “I wish I had brought an umbrella.”
“I wish I brought a car,” nodded Gene. “We’ll never get a taxi at this time.”
“Oi,” I said, pointing at the nearby cinema theatre. “Uh?”
“Yeah! We can sit the rain out in there, please guys, you need to see this movie! You’ll love it! And then we can eat out, and call for taxi from the restaurant, Todd’s stupid face will unfreeze probably by then…”
We all turned to Gene. He stood there on the sidewalk for a while, smoking and looking at the sky, letting the wind billow his poserish long beige coat.
“Ah, what the hell,” he said finally. “But you losers are treating me.”
We ran across the road to join the queue. It was fun to glare at people who pretended not to stare at my bandaged face, and the idea of watching Luke and Han male-bonding for another two hours didn’t seem bad at all.
“You know what we should do one day, weather permitting? A road trip!” excitedly declared Holden.
“Yeea, ee shood!”
“Oh, cool! We could go to Atlantic City, or all the way to Niagara Falls! Can we, Gene? Geeeene?”
“No freaking way I’m going on any kind of road trip with a bunch of morons like you…” started Gene, rolling his eyes, but Rishi didn’t look discouraged in the slightest.
“I’m sleeping over at your place tonight,” said Holden quietly, sounding like he wasn’t going to listen to objections, if for some weird reason I had any. “I want to make sure you are taking your pills and not disturbing the dressings on you wound.”
“…But no way I’m driving!” screamed Gene over Rishi’s whining. “And forget about the West Coast…”
It hurt to smile, but what the hell. Not like I could help it.
End of part two.
Part Three
Author: Newkate
Fandom: Saiyuki
Rating: NC-17. Violence, bit of smut, sap like woah ^_^
Notes and warnings: Reincarnation fic. Multiple pairings. Completed, in four parts.
Betaed by
hibem.Part One: Shift
Part Two: Dance (Ch. 7-9)
Ch. 1, Ch. 2, Ch. 3-4, Ch. 5-6
“And now – presents!” declared Lydia after showering a squirming Gene with kisses, hugging me to her ample bosom and pinching Rishi’s cheeks till his eyes watered. She hauled several bags on the restaurant table.
“Why is he here again?” I asked, wrestling Rishi for the last breadstick. Between him and Lydia free snacks didn’t last a minute.
“He whined,” explained Gene. “What, you got a problem with that?”
“If I knew we could bring dates…”
“Have you met someone new, Todd?” asked Kassandra, stunning as usual in blue and orange, her brown hair pulled in long silky ponytail. “Tell me more. I never know anything about your love life.”
“Um,” I said, embarrassed. “That’s probably because it consists of cheating on your nephew. I didn’t even know you knew.”
“Cheating would imply commitment, secrecy and me giving a fuck,” said Gene. “Love would suggest he’s able to feel anything above the waist. Just helping you out with the word choice.”
“Well, I always felt you guys needed something else to complete you,” continued Kassandra, cheerfully ignoring his mood. “I must say, I like what this boy’s energy does here. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an aura quite like this.”
Rishi beamed as if she complimented him on some real achievement and ordered two main courses at once.
“For Todd we brought PORN!” said Lydia, handing me a bag full of magazines and videos. I hugged it, unable to contain squeaks of delight. “And also some accessories in nice Italian leather.”
Intrigued, I started unwrapping the package she gave me, but she and Dave shrieked in unison and told me to wait till I’m home, because we would be definitely kicked out of a classy place like Herman’s for waving “those things” around.
“For Eugene – cashmere sweaters, designer coat, and oh, here, what you asked for.”
“No!” protested Dave, trying to pry the Rubic’s cube from her fingers. “Don’t give this cursed thing to him! It will consume his soul!”
“I already have one,” said Gene, catching the toy when she tossed it to him. “But I needed a different model. Look, Todd, the plastic itself is coloured, it’s not just stickers here. Now you can’t peel them off and glue them on in the right order and claim to have solved it while I slept. Ha!”
“Big deal,” whispered Rishi in my ear. “I know how to break it into blocks with a screwdriver and then put together. We’ll do it tonight. It’ll drive him crazy.”
We broke into giggles, and Gene frowned suspiciously and swatted us both with a heavy leather-bound restaurant menu, just because. Lydia handed Kassandra several tightly-wrapped packages.
“And some girl stuff for you. Well, you really only need this one, because wow, but it eats batteries like crazy, so I got it some backups. Now, where is the food, I’m staaarving!”
“Speaking of tasty things,” said Kassandra, poking me with the elbow. “Check out that guy in the corner, yes, that one pretending not to stare at you.”
I turned around just in time to see a pair of bright green eyes guiltily darting away and hiding behind an open menu.
“Isn’t that Mr York?” asked Rishi.
“Told you he was trouble,” scowled Gene. “Look, Todd’s got a stalker. What is it with you and abusive psychotic weirdoes?”
“You tell me, Gene,” I answered automatically, watching Holden squirm in his seat under our stares. “Damn, now I wish I called him right away. I didn’t think he’d miss me that soon, you know?”
“Well, come on, Todd, be polite, invite your stalker to our table,” urged Kassandra, and I near damn ran across the restaurant to where he sat, all alone, pale and uncomfortable, looking at me almost pleadingly now that he’d finally stopped hiding.
“I’m so sorry,” he said. “I just couldn’t wait any more, and didn’t want to appear clingy. I overheard you making plans that morning, and… God, this must look awful.”
“It’s fine, Holden. Man, I’m so glad to see you. Let’s go, I’ll introduce you to the gang.”
I took his hand and dragged him across the room, while he stumbled and muttered apologetic protests.
“Kassandra, Gene’s auntie, owner of the club.”
“I heard so many wonderful things about you, ma’am” said Holden, smiling miserably. “I wish I could have made a better first impression.”
“Dave, my buddy, works the bar at the club, you probably seen him there, Lydia, his friend, who he and his boyfriend totally stole from me since I met her first through work…”
“Your work?” he asked pointedly. “This lady works at the construction site?”
Everybody but him and Rishi burst into annoying, unnecessary snigger. Apparently it was my turn to want to fall through the floorboards.
“Well,” she said, winking at him, tossing her glossy ginger curls, making her faint Russian accent heavier and spicier on purpose, “I probably would if they let me drive the big crane. But no, I just humbly teach karate at YMCA.”
“I don’t know why you’re so ashamed of it, Todd,” said Dave. “Nothing wrong with being an aerobics instructor.”
Rishi laughed and laughed until I put a bread bowl over his head and gave him a wedgie.
“Shut up!” I screamed. “It’s not as fey and stupid as it sounds, lots of men do it!”
“I must say, I am relieved,” said Holden. “When you lied to me about your job, I thought… I was worried. That was another reason for following you like this, although it still does not justify it, I agree. Do you wear legwarmers at work?”
“Of course not!”
“Hm. What about a leotard?” he asked, looking at me like the big bad wolf at Red Riding Hood.
I moaned and dropped my head on the table.
“It’s a man’s leotard, okay? It’s a biketard, actually, thank you very much, wrestlers wear them, it’s this long and dark navy!”
“But it’s spandex, right? Todd, can I join your class? I need to be more physically active.”
“Sickening,” said Gene. “You – why don’t you go stalk someone genuinely interesting, John Lennon, maybe? Todd’s an idiot, he really doesn’t know any better.”
“Ah, so sweet, Eugene,” murmured Kassandra. “Remember I told you that freedom is the most demanding mistress of them all?”
“Kassandra,” he looked at her, in that usual gloomy way that was all too obvious. “You’re not quite leading by example here, let’s face it.”
“Well, I’m obviously too old for romance,” she said with all hypocrisy of a blossoming babe in her forties, “But I’m thinking of adopting a child. There is a boy in the orphanage I volunteer at, so bright, has a silly puppy crush on me, but that’ll pass, of course. He reminds me of you when you were little.”
Gene choked on his wine, and Rishi comfortingly patted his back.
“Because he’s blond, right?” he rasped. “Look, Todd…”
“Lay off him already,” said Dave softly. “If you don’t want…”
“You,” said Gene, pointing a finger at his face, “Should be the last person on earth to encourage this.”
“Me? Why?” Dave shrugged. “I’ve nothing to regret. I had six years with Colin. And even if it all was only so he had someone to be with him for those last months and hold his hand while he died, it was still worth it.”
“Cancer?” quietly asked Holden.
“We don’t know. They never figured out what it was. All those doctors poking him for months didn’t have any clue…”
“Aw, crap, shut up, not again,” said Lydia. “Where the fuck is my food? Dave, we decided not to do this any more, okay? Look, I’m not sad, so you should cheer up too.”
“Now look what you did,” said Rishi to Gene and got smacked on the head again. “What was he like?”
“He was so handsome,” said Lydia, “Great friend. Reminded me a lot of my big brother: he was a cop, got shot by some gangsters when I was twelve, but from what I remember of him, I think they’d get on really well. Colin was just as smart and kind and brave, only shorter. And gay.”
“Always sticking up for what he believed in,” nodded Dave. “He went to that march last year in Washington DC, even sick as he was, told all his family about me right at the start, didn’t care what they said. Wasn’t easy, not everyone is like you, Kassandra. Your nephew is so lucky.”
“I never said I wasn’t,” said Gene. He and Kassandra shared a look, pulled out their cigarettes and lit up, vigorously poisoning the air around them. Rishi stifled a cough and pressed closer against Gene’s side with a stupid happy grin.
“Do you think they are…” whispered Holden to me, eyeing the two of them.
“Y’know, I’m still not sure, and really – who gives a fuck? Hey, Holden. Wanna go on a date?”
*-*-*
Adult classes were always easier: it took a lot of stamina just to get the bouncy boys of YMCA break a sweat and put a healthy blush on their cheeks, but with adults I could go four hours in a row no problem, with hardly a break in between. Not that having a bunch of strapping young men do jumping jacks at my command wasn’t fun. No, I often thought I should be paying them, really. But a roomful of swaying boobies and soft naked thighs gleaming with sweat had its own charm. From time to time I got some guys in those classes too, generally easily beddable college graduates, an occasional straight man trying to drop some weight, but mainly women, mostly single, none too married. I didn’t indulge much though, because it turned out girls didn’t appreciate me playing favourites, and, as I had to admit pretty fast, there just wasn’t enough of Todd for everybody. Ah well, I was still getting my girls panting and breathless and coming back for more twice a week, so as relationships went, that one was pretty satisfying.
“Come on, ladies, let’s pick up the pace a little, that’s right, even higher, oh yeah this looks good. And left, and right, and once more, don’t give up, I know you can do it, and three, and four, and – breathe. And streeetch. Feels good, yeah? And doooown. Feel that stretch, feel how it warms you up. Yes, I’m totally checking out your asses right now. Looking good, ladies, looking daaaamn good. And up, up, don’t let yourself cool down, we aren’t done yet, let’s really get those buttocks working, I want you to think of me every time you sit down tomorrow. Aaand… What, what’re we looking at?”
They all slowed down, giggling, murmuring and pointing fingers at the glass panel wall behind my back. I turned around, about to scare away idiot gawkers disrupting my class, and stopped dead. Holden was standing behind the glass not two feet from me, grinning, hands shoved deep in his pants pockets, openly leering at me over the rim of his glasses.
Fucking spandex. No privacy whatsoever. I looked away before he made me unfit to carry on with the workout. Some of the girls were preening, but most were giving me these naughty knowing looks – well, sure, Holden wasn’t being overly subtle there.
“Okay, ladies, yes, this is my friend, and yes, I know some really hot people. Can we move on already? Let’s go, one, two…” I could absolutely feel his eyes on my back and on my leotarded ass, but I wasn’t going to let him make me all flustered. Honour was at stake. “Higher, really reach for it, keep your shoulders straight, come on, cute guy is watching, and faster, left, right, left…”
We were almost done – I was marking time by my tape, and the theme from Rocky was minutes from the end, slower than the rest of the mix since that was already the beginning of cool-down, but still great to push everybody just that tiny bit harder, get the girls glow with sense of accomplishment. After that there was some trippy new-age tune Kassandra picked for me, good for breathing and stretching. And then a bit of Queen to end on a happy note, and I bid my ladies farewell till Sunday.
Thankfully, Holden didn’t wait for me at the door as the girls obviously hoped he would. He was lurking around the men’s locker room, which would worry me if he didn’t grab me as soon as he saw me, stinky sweat and all, and I missed him so much I even let him kiss me right there, next to the drinking fountain, and tasted the salt of my sweat on his lips.
“You’re early, you pervert,” I said, pulling off my damp headband and trying to smooth the hair a little, even though I knew well from experience that only the shower could help the way I looked after several long hours of jumping up and down.
“Oh, did you say quarter past eight? I was so sure it was quarter to eight,” he shrugged innocently and slid a finger under the hem of my leotard shorts where they clung to my thigh. “You look amazing in this. Are you wearing anything underneath? If you do, it must be one of those string things…”
“Okay, okay,” I said, stepping away, trying to put safe distance between us, except the room wasn’t big enough for that. “I’ll just take a shower, and then… Actually, forget the dancing and dining and all that shit, let’s go back to my place and fuck. Please?”
“I don’t see why not,” he said with a happy bright smile. “We can always go on a date after sex, if you feel like it.”
He kept glancing at me when we were walking to the bus stop, looking like he was already planning some fun activities to try. I was pretty tired, my arms and legs felt tingly and numb, and the gym bag slung over my shoulder seemed twice as heavy after the workout, but the way his lips curved in a little private smirk in response to his thoughts was the best pick-me-up ever. I knew by the time we get home I’d be good to go for as long as he could keep up. I only hoped he wouldn’t make me put on the leotard – well, the one I wore today was safe what with being in desperate need of a wash, but a smart guy like him would figure out that I had a spare.
“You could probably use a full-body massage right now, something to relax and invigorate. I’ve been told I’m good with my hands. I’ve brought some massage oil,” he took a small flacon out of his inner pocket, shown me the label. Sandalwood, patchouli, some other girly shit like those incenses Kassandra used to burn.
“Holden,” I said, imagining his hands on me, all slippery, pressing and gliding and – slipping into places, yeah, “You don’t have to seduce me in devious ways. I’m ready for action.”
“Ah, good. Well, I was also going to use the oil to innocuously broach the subject of penetrative sex. Could we have some?”
“As in – wait, you want… Do you want to…?”
“Yes. I’ve been thinking – a lot - what it would feel like, to have you inside my body. I’d like to experience that,” he looked at me searchingly, face and voice calm as could be, but I could see a tiny blush creeping up his cheeks. “Oh, and I have some condoms and water-based lubricant as well. Oil is just a conversation piece, really.”
“Right,” I said, head swimmy and hot, dick screaming in agony in the jeans that were entirely too tight for a hard-on. “C’mere a moment.”
I led him off the sidewalk, around piles of garbage under the windows, into a narrow alley between the houses. Prayed nobody would look inside, and if they did, they’d get confused by my hair and think I’m a freakishly tall girl. Took his impossibly pretty face in my hands, kissed him hard on the lips: wouldn't be enough, but it would have to tide me over till we got home. Tugged him on the wrist to head back out, but he wouldn’t budge. He grabbed my ass, pulled me closer, kissed me again, hot and wet and needy, sucked on my tongue, slipped a hand inside my fly – I hadn’t even noticed when he’d opened it – squeezed just right, just so, just there, aaahh…
“No, no,” I mumbled, trying to push his hands away. That was hard – he was doing some really clever stuff with his fingers. “Holden, get off me. Can’t do this here.”
“Why not?” he bit down on my lip, and somehow the feeling shot right down to my dick and completely took over. I clutched at his shoulders, let him back me against the wall, let him press flush against me, mouth to mouth and hard cock to hard cock. It was so gloriously hot and wrong and dangerous to feel him like that, to do this here, practically in the open, like fucking under crossfire, and I wouldn’t stop even if I had to die for it.
Which, given those four bulky guys who suddenly appeared at the alley opening and were staring right at us with enthusiastic disgust, might not have been too much of an exaggeration.
*-*-*
“Intolerable,” barked Gene, sounding even more pissed off that usual. That was probably nicotine craving talking – even he couldn’t get away with smoking in the hospital. “Something must be done.”
“It’s all my fault,” said Holden. His voice was quivering as if he was stifling sobs, which made me want to reach over and shake some sense into him. “If I didn’t… God, this is all…”
“Shut up,” said Gene. “I don’t give a shit whose fault it is or why this happened. Anyone who does this to me must be obliterated.”
“Yeah!” falsely chirped Rishi. The kid was visibly shaken by the whole thing, so I must have looked really gross. “Do they think we’re some bunch of weaklings? Let’s find them and kick their asses into the next century!”
When nobody burst into cheer at that, he fidgeted and headed for the exit: “Hey, is anybody hungry? I’m going to get some food. Todd, you want anything?”
“He can’t eat OR speak, dumbass. I’ll have black coffee. Holden?”
“No, thank you,” Holden’s fingers touched my arm, and I almost winced at how cold they were. “Todd, I’m so sorry.”
“Naaaghaah,” I said, meaning there was nothing he had to apologise for. He had single-handedly pounded those three huge jerks to a pulp. I only managed to take down one, didn’t duck the knife in time and was just standing there uselessly afterwards, bleeding and freaking out. Holden dragged me to the emergency room, called Gene, held my hand through the whole thing. There were a lot of things I wanted to say to him right now, but none of them were about blame or anything stupid like that.
“Oh no, his mouth is beginning to move,” sighed Gene. “We need another shot of local anaesthetic.”
“Fuuukhuyoou.”
“Or maybe some duct tape.”
“Eugene, Todd needs your support right now,” said Holden firmly. “He was very worried that this might affect your relationship.”
“Ieekheelaiiaaas!” I protested, because that wasn’t exactly true. Having my face cut open would terminally screw up my whole life, not just whatever I had with Gene. I – almost – believed Holden when he said scars wouldn’t matter to him, but Gene was a vain bastard. Also, since he pretty much hated everything about my personality, it had to be my looks he liked. Well, used to like.
“I know, it’s awful,” agreed Gene. “It will be at least a fortnight before he’s up to sucking cock again.”
“Eugene, please,” admonished Holden.
“What? Like you’re not thinking it. This whole thing is getting on my nerves now. Not only my sex life suffers, I lose money over it.”
“Pardon?”
“You think people feel like clubbing if they can be killed for what they are? Well, enough. We’re striking back.”
“Violence is not the answer,” said Holden, raising a finger. Since it was in a splint, the gesture looked extra meaningful. “It’s too easy, it’s a half-measure, and it’s not right. That would make you no better than them.”
“I don’t want to be better. I want to be the last one standing.”
“In any case, we need to address the problem on a larger scale. The general public isn’t even aware of this! We must make ourselves heard.”
“You’ve only been gay for five days…”
“Well, I feel strongly about this. We need to unite. We need a voice, and a name. Hmm… Homosexual Anti-Violence Endeavour? HAVE!”
“Holden. You’re never naming anything, ever. Where are your X-rays? I’m sick of waiting.”
Rishi came back into the waiting lounge with an armful of junk food and dropped it all on a chair next to Gene after handing the sourpuss his coffee.
“Look, Todd, I got you a bendy straw! You can drink through the straw, right? Here, milkshake, it’s kinda filling if you’re hungry.”
“Aaankssh,” I tried, but my numbed tongue wouldn’t wrap around the straw yet. My face was starting to get some feeling back into it, and that feeling was mostly itchy. I reached to scratch at the bandages and Holden caught my hand.
“Please try to bear with it. The stitches are raw, give them a chance to heal. You know, Todd, I actually think the scar will be rather striking. It will accentuate your cheekbones.”
“Ooolsheeed.”
“No, that’s true,” said Gene. “It’s just the right angle. It will be a massive improvement on your peasant face, will make it at least interesting.”
“Scars are cool,” nodded Rishi. “You’ll be like Harrison Ford! Hey guys, wanna go see The Empire Strikes Back? It rocks! I’ve seen it twice so far. You won’t believe what happens in the end!”
“You told us already,” reminded Gene, looking at his pack of Marlboros with longing.
“Oh.”
The doctor came back with Holden’s X-rays – just several hairline fractures in his fingers, nothing bad. We gathered the pills, listened to instructions, ambled out of the hospital into the stuffy, hot night. The sky was laden with dark, low hanging clouds, the air was suspiciously thick, like the night was holding its breath before hitting us with a storm.
“It will rain soon,” said Holden, gracefully bumming a cigarette from Gene. “I wish I had brought an umbrella.”
“I wish I brought a car,” nodded Gene. “We’ll never get a taxi at this time.”
“Oi,” I said, pointing at the nearby cinema theatre. “Uh?”
“Yeah! We can sit the rain out in there, please guys, you need to see this movie! You’ll love it! And then we can eat out, and call for taxi from the restaurant, Todd’s stupid face will unfreeze probably by then…”
We all turned to Gene. He stood there on the sidewalk for a while, smoking and looking at the sky, letting the wind billow his poserish long beige coat.
“Ah, what the hell,” he said finally. “But you losers are treating me.”
We ran across the road to join the queue. It was fun to glare at people who pretended not to stare at my bandaged face, and the idea of watching Luke and Han male-bonding for another two hours didn’t seem bad at all.
“You know what we should do one day, weather permitting? A road trip!” excitedly declared Holden.
“Yeea, ee shood!”
“Oh, cool! We could go to Atlantic City, or all the way to Niagara Falls! Can we, Gene? Geeeene?”
“No freaking way I’m going on any kind of road trip with a bunch of morons like you…” started Gene, rolling his eyes, but Rishi didn’t look discouraged in the slightest.
“I’m sleeping over at your place tonight,” said Holden quietly, sounding like he wasn’t going to listen to objections, if for some weird reason I had any. “I want to make sure you are taking your pills and not disturbing the dressings on you wound.”
“…But no way I’m driving!” screamed Gene over Rishi’s whining. “And forget about the West Coast…”
It hurt to smile, but what the hell. Not like I could help it.
End of part two.
Part Three
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 12:28 pm (UTC)Весёлое и грустное так замечательно переплетены между собой. Это здорово само по себе и очень в духе канона.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-24 07:22 am (UTC)Спасибо огромное, я так рада, что тебе понравилось!
(Дальше наконец наступит некоторое 58, хотя я и там заукеила Годжо разочек ^_^)
no subject
Date: 2005-08-24 12:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-24 08:06 am (UTC)(And the SEX between Gene and Todd was really, really, really, hot!)
no subject
Date: 2005-08-25 01:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-24 10:45 pm (UTC)...I should be offering proper feedback. I know I should. But-- Wah, I want more!
no subject
Date: 2005-08-25 01:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-29 09:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-11-22 09:58 pm (UTC)“Well, I feel strongly about this. We need to unite. We need a voice, and a name. Hmm… Homosexual Anti-Violence Endeavour? HAVE!”
“Holden. You’re never naming anything, ever.
Aha. Ha. AHAHAHAAHAAAAAA!!!!! XDDDDDDD
Where is Jeep/White Dragon anyway, hmm??? :O
(This is amazingly awesome, yes. Minor point here. :D;;)
no subject
Date: 2005-12-14 05:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-02-04 10:51 pm (UTC)Oh hell, everybody dies from AIDS don't they? Is that why Todd was strangely tired after his YMCA class?
no subject
Date: 2007-07-26 01:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-20 07:13 am (UTC)I adore it. I adore them all, and how different they are while still being the same. Kassandra is still my favorite hoochie mama, Gene's such a prissy bitch, and Rishi is adorably bouncy.
Todd exhorting his ladies to work harder was so incredibly eighties it was fantastic and delightful. XD As were Lydia's presents in the restaurant.