Ai No Kusabi Fan Fiction ❯ Breaking Raoul ❯ One-Shot

Breaking Raoul

<Ai no Kusabi>

NC-17, explicit yaoi

Iason x Raoul (flashback)

by Kira Takenouchi

***The Ai no Kusabi world and its characters were created by Reiko Yoshihara. This fanfic was written by Kira Takenouchi and is offered free to fans of Ai no Kusabi.***

Someone was groaning-loudly. Eyes fluttering open, the Blondie stared in confusion at his own arm, his skin covered with bleeding lashmarks. He became aware that he was lying facedown and that his chest and arms burned from the contact with the surface beneath him. His entire body ached and throbbed. And that awful groaning….

With horror, Raoul realized the one who was groaning…was him. He discovered that he was restrained-his arms above his head, and his legs spread-eagled. From the feathery light sensation of air on his bare flesh, the Blondie knew he was naked. Someone had moved into his line of vision, but stood so close to him that he could only make out the bottom half of his body. Even so, he immediately recognized from his graceful movements and ivory-blonde, silky hair that it was Iason.

"Finally coming around? What a fuss. You've been whimpering like a child for nearly an hour." Not true exactly-his awakening had been punctuated with the erratic miserable groan-but Iason knew such an assertion would wound Raoul's Blondie pride.

"Iason," Raoul whispered. "Forgive me."

"Why should I forgive you? If I had not found you when I did, you would have castrated my Riki and tortured him to death, from what he tells me."

Raoul did not try to deny this assertion, although in his heart he had never been sure he would actually carry out the threats he had made to Iason's pet. He had been leaning toward torturing him for awhile-certainly ravishing him thoroughly-and then offering to return him to Iason on the condition of immunity from retribution. But he doubted Iason would believe this now.

"I was…consumed with jealousy…when you said you loved him," he answered. "I had gone to see you, to talk with you. Then I saw the painting…and I just went out of my mind, Iason."

Riki, who had been watching this exchange from the sofa where Iason had situated him as comfortably as he could, facedown to keep pressure off his punished flesh, listened to these words with surprise. Iason had told Raoul he loved him?

Iason remained silent, not wanting to concede that Riki's destruction of Raoul's masterpiece would probably have driven any artist to rage. But Riki was his pet-not Raoul's-and Iason had dealt with him firmly and appropriately for that transgression. There was simply no excuse for Riki's abduction and subsequent torment.

"How dare you touch MY pet, Raoul," he said, sharply. Now he leaned closer, to whisper in the Blondie's ear, "How dare you harm him, taking what is not yours to take."

"If you kill me, it will mean your own destruction. You're not entirely above the law, Iason."

Iason knew this was true, but for Riki, this was the first time it had occurred to him that his master could not do whatever he pleased to Raoul.

"Iason!" he called out, weakly.

The Blondie turned and immediately went to his pet, crouching down to regard him with concern. "What is it, love?" he whispered.

"Is that true, what he says? What would happen to you if you killed him?"

Iason smiled, pleased with his pet's worries for his well-being. "That would be up to Jupiter."

Riki closed his eyes, then opened them with resolve. "Don't kill him. I don't want…to lose you. Let's just do…everything else we discussed."

"You…don't want to lose me," Iason repeated, slowly, savoring his pet's words.

"Of course not," Riki shot back, teasing. "I might get stuck with a master who's even worse than you."

Laughing softly, Iason did not seem to mind his pet's stubbornly refusing to engage in further romantic banter. He had picked up on something the mongrel had not even noticed himself-Riki saw himself as a pet who belonged to a master, if not Iason, then someone else.

After well over two years of taming Riki…some progress at last.

Iason rose to his feet and returned to Raoul, enjoying the sight of the Blondie restrained and exposed so humiliatingly. He bent down close to his face so he could look in his old lover's eyes.

"Lucky for you, Raoul, Riki is more magnanimous than you. I'll spare your life at his request. But don't think it's out of love for you-he only cares about what happens to me."

"Thank you," Raoul whispered.

"Don't thank me yet. This is all on one condition, Raoul. You will, from this day forward, serve me, almost as a slave serves his master. You will defer to me on every issue, and you will do my bidding, when I bid it. Although no one else will know of our unique relationship, you and I will know-as will Riki-and so that you do not forget it, I am going to brand you in the same way you branded my pet-but with my initials. And if you fail to do your duty in any way," now Iason held up the Interceptor, "I will alert Jupiter that you have an illegal import. You know what Jupiter does to Blondies who defy her import technology laws."

With this, Iason went to the table and retrieved the branding iron, as Raoul contemplated his situation with horror.

"Don't do this," he pleaded, as the Blondie turned on the unit and approached him, the tip growing red-hot.

"Why should I show you any mercy? You gave none to Riki."

"But he's…he's a mongrel," Raoul protested.

"Even so. He's MY mongrel, but you stamped him as your own, isn't that so?"

Delighting in the sight of Raoul begging to be excused from his punishment, Riki giggled, his mirth infuriating the Blondie, who struggled fruitlessly against his restraints.

"Iason. Please. You loved me…once. Have you forgotten?"

Now Iason leaned close to his old lover to whisper coldly in his ear. "Yes. I have."

With that, he straightened, then applied the hot iron to the Blondie's lower back, just above his glute in the precise place Raoul had branded Riki. Out of pride, Raoul tried not to scream, gritting his teeth and uttering a low growl, but as the branding continued, his vocalizations became louder, more anguished.

"Do you see now how you made my Riki suffer?" Iason hissed, finding that Raoul's cries only angered him, suggesting the extent of the pain his pet had gone through.

Unable to answer, Raoul squeezed his eyes shut, his whole body shaking, as Iason completed the branding.

Iason had disappeared for a moment, and then Raoul realized he was at the table, examining the display of instruments with an affected air of indecision.

The Blondie chuckled. "How did you ever decide where to begin? I really can't make up my mind."

"The paddle!" Riki suggested enthusiastically from across the room.

"Ah, yes." Iason picked up the paddle, noting its weight with anger. No wonder Riki's bottom was so blackened. He turned it over in his hands. "This is going to hurt, I think."

"I'm not a pet to be paddled," Raoul snapped. "Whip me if you must. But I'm still a Blondie. I'm entitled to some respect."

"Silence!" Iason answered, sharply. "You're hardly in a position to be dictating how you'll be punished. If I think you need a good paddling, you'll get one. And…as it happens, I do."

Now Iason walked slowly toward him, paddle in hand, smiling at Raoul's obvious alarm.

"What's this? You can give it but you can't take it, isn't that the phrase?"

"You wouldn't dare," Raoul breathed, eyeing the paddle with disbelief.

"Wouldn't I?" Now Iason stood before him, and with an impressive flourish, spun the paddle around in the air, catching it easily before bringing it down, wickedly hard, on Raoul's bare ass, a move that was celebrated by his mongrel pet with a delighted laugh.

Whack! Raoul groaned, clenching his eyes shut.

"It's not as fun on the receiving end, I think?" Whack!

Surprised and dismayed with how much the paddle hurt, Raoul moaned, instinctively struggling against his restraints.

Whack!

"For Jupiter's sake, Iason!" Raoul cried. "Have mercy!"

"Stop begging. Have you no pride? Take your punishment like a man." Whack!

His groans were now outright cries, but Iason's comment had shamed him, and he offered no more pleas for leniency.

Whack!

Raoul's begging had put Riki into a sort of delirious state, and he giggled incessantly from the sofa, almost forgetting his own pain.

Strike after strike hit the Blondie's exposed skin, tormenting flesh that had rarely known punishment. When at last the paddling stopped, he was trembling, a sight that was new to Iason. He had endured Raoul's arm on several occasions-never with a paddle, however-and he was feeling a deep sense of vindication to see the Blondie so painfully humiliated, so thoroughly paddled, like a recalcitrant pet or unruly child.

This was a turning point in the strange, twisted relationship of Raoul Am and Iason Mink.

Iason had retrieved his whip and now approached Raoul with it, snapping his wrist to produce an intimidating crack that Raoul would have appreciated, had it not been his own body that was to provide reception for its fury.

"Please, Iason. You wouldn't scar me?" Not begging. Just a horrified question from a subdued Blondie.

"I've set it to Accelerator, which should lessen any scarring," Iason answered, smiling, "although it will hurt more."

Before Raoul could really object to this, he felt the searing pain of the whip across his back, burning into this flesh. To the Blondie who was known throughout Eos as the Master of Pain and Punishment, an expert with the whip, being forced to endure the other end of a whipping was yet another humiliation. For the first time, Raoul understood the extent of the pain he delivered to disobedient pets. The pain was inconceivable, and as lash after lash tore into him, he began losing a sense of the present moment, drifting backward in time to other times and places, to childhood shames and adolescent dreams.

* * *

Raoul lost consciousness, then drifted back into cognizance. Eventually he became aware that Iason had retreated to attend to Riki, giving him a much needed hiatus from his punishment. Raoul was overcome with pain and mortification, his mind continuing to drift from one thought to another, seemingly without logical progression, the only thing linking them being Iason. He had never undergone discipline in his life, save on two other occasions-once in his childhood when he had fondled a classmate and had been whipped, pants down, with the schoolmaster's rod in front of the entire section. The experience had been so painful-on multiple levels-that he had never again engaged in forbidden behaviors…at least until he had met Iason Mink.

Once Iason had come into his life, he found it impossible to resist the beautiful Blondie's charms; he had pursued him unrelentingly until at last he had cornered him, one fateful day, alone in the planetarium after day session, and amazingly had managed to steal a kiss, then slip a hand down the lovely Blondie's pants, finding an impressively engorged erection rewarding his efforts. Iason had done the unthinkable; he had allowed-even encouraged-his advances, mouth opening to accept Raoul's tongue, his own hand seeking his ready organ, stroking him with hurried, trembling fingers, both of them so aroused by their forbidden rendezvous that they reached orgasm rather abruptly, ejaculating clumsily onto one another's clothes.

And, of course, there was the day he finally managed to take the young Mink. He had come upon Iason in the laboratory one afternoon-seeking him out, as usual. They began fondling one another and kissing as they had now done on numerous occasions, despite how severe their punishment would be if they were discovered. Raoul turned him around, placing his hands palms down on a table, then slid his hands deftly down his body, quickly tugging down the pants of his uniform and spreading his legs with his knees before Iason could really respond. The Blondie resisted, trying to escape his design, but Raoul reached around to stroke him suggestively, whispering seductively into his ear that he would perform fellatio on him if Iason would admit him. His hardened cock twitched between Iason's legs as he began prodding him with gentle thrusts, spreading his firm cheeks and brushing up against his portal enticingly. He wanted so desperately to plunge into him that he moaned, hands rubbing anxiously down Iason's hips as he bumped more purposefully against the guarded entrance.

"This is forbidden," Iason whispered, voice shaking.

"Everything we've done together is forbidden," Raoul protested. "This is just the next step. If we're going to take the risk of being together at all, why not go all the way?"

Uncertain, but tempted, Iason hesitated as Raoul took advantage of the moment and penetrated uninvited, covering the young Blondie's mouth with his hand when Iason cried out.

"Ohhh…Iason," Raoul breathed, thrusting fully into the tight, resisting embrace. "You're…magnificent."

Iason answered that with an anguished cry that Raoul was careful to stifle with his hand.

"I'm sorry, my love," Raoul whispered. "I'll make it up to you, I promise. Try to be a little quieter."

Once he was inside, Iason decided there was no use resisting further and had endured Raoul's conquest, although he felt a little bitter with him for making his acquisition without unequivocal consent-a dynamic that would be repeated between the two Blondies time and again. Despite his initial reluctance, Iason began to enjoy the feeling of another Blondie inside him, and when Raoul sensed that he no longer resisted him, he removed his hand from his mouth and pulled back on his hips with both hands, thrusting with abandon.

"What are you doing?" Raoul suddenly gasped, widening his stance to plunge more deeply, marveling over Iason's twitching embrace, which gripped and squeezed him erotically. "Ohh…that feels so good."

"I don't know," Iason replied, closing his eyes. The experience was new for both of them, and neither of them knew the secrets of Blondie physiology. All they knew was that the forbidden things they did together brought them both pleasure.

"Keep doing that…that's brilliant, squeezing me like that."

"I don't know…what I'm doing," Iason protested, gasping with every movement, now thoroughly enjoying being fucked, and arching back to invite deeper penetration.

"Ohhh…Iason…that's it…bend over a little more….yes, exactly so." Now Raoul grunted with each thrust, plundering the young Mink as deeply and fully as he was able.

After Raoul had spent his seed that first time, he had honored his promise and explored Iason with his mouth and tongue, a project that the young Blondie welcomed with widely spread legs and glowing eyes, biting his lip and gasping until finally-hands gripping Raoul's hair urgently and thrusting his pelvis forward sensually-he ejaculated into his kneeling partner's mouth. That day the young lovers realized they would not be able to easily stop what they had started together.

While they were certainly not the only ones who disobeyed Jupiter's prohibition against Blondie coitus, at the time it felt as though they alone dared defy the law, which only fueled their desire for one another further and made the forbidden encounters all the more salacious.

And then, once, they had been caught. Raoul was taking Iason in his room and the dorm leader happened to pass by his door, demanding entry on hearing the suspicious sounds within. That was the second time in his life Raoul was punished-this time side by side with Iason-as the two of them received a wickedly thorough thrashing by the headmaster, pants pulled humiliatingly down to their knees, though thankfully in the headmaster's private chambers. They had both opted for the most severe punishment-physical discipline-rather than have their transgression listed in the school record where Jupiter would have access.

The afternoon in the headmaster's chambers had cooled their passion for a time, not only because of the pain but because each of them was embarrassed to have cried out so pathetically. Raoul had fully intended to impress his young lover with his stoic silence in the face of pain, fantasizing how Iason would admire his virility and strength, but all this had evaporated once the headmaster's belt burned into his tender Blondie flesh. He was mortified for Iason to hear him yelp and cry out, and Iason felt similarly about Raoul, biting his lip until he drew blood in a futile attempt to avoid vocalizing his anguish. Headmaster Konami alternated strikes between the two Blondies and put the weight of his entire body behind his arm, feeling that nothing but the most brutal correction would persuade the young lovers to abandon their illicit union. He saw the way they looked at one another and he worried for them; Iason, in particular, was a favorite at the school, brilliant, soft-spoken, charismatic, and a natural leader-a great future was predicted for the young and handsome Mink. Konami was sure that upon graduation Jupiter would select Iason as an apprentice, and he was relieved when Iason chose to take physical punishment in lieu of reporting his transgression on his record. Raoul, on the other hand, he had never cared for, although it was difficult to say exactly why. Perhaps it was his mocking smile, his air of superiority, the way he challenged the professors in nearly every subject-or maybe because, infuriatingly, the young Am was nearly always right. But he was an undeniably gifted artist, and Konami believed he was slated for an apprenticeship, too.

After their punishment session, Headmaster Konami was reassured to see that Iason and Raoul seemed to be avoiding each other, and it was true-for several weeks the thwarted lovers found it extraordinarily embarrassing to even look at one another. But all that eventually changed as the shame of their discipline faded; Raoul began to pursue Iason once again, although he found his former lover more resistant to his advances, spurning him time and again.

Finally Raoul resorted to stalking, following Iason as he went on one of his daily walks by the campus lake. He came up behind him, startling him when he pressed his body against his back. Iason, immediately recognizing Raoul's distinctive manner, had not been amused.

"Release me, Raoul," he said, impatiently.

"No. I'm not letting you go until I've ravished you."

"I mean it," Iason said, sharply.

"As do I." With that, Raoul put a hand over his mouth, dragging him over to small stretch of grass shielded by a hedge, then threw him roughly to the ground.

Iason laughed. "You wouldn't dare."

"Wouldn't I?" Raoul revealed his enormous erection to the gaping Iason, then pounced on him, kissing him furiously. Iason found himself responding without even meaning to. Within a matter of minutes he had Iason pinned facedown on the soft grass, tugging urgently at his pants, which he pulled down almost violently.

The sight of faint belt marks on Iason's bottom had the unexpected effect of increasing his arousal. Spreading him apart with both hands, Raoul moaned at the sight of the tiny, pink, spiral-like portal, tantalizingly inviting entry. He bent down and tasted him tentatively, eliciting a sharp gasp from the prostrate Blondie.

"What are you doing?" Iason cried, alarmed, moving as if to escape him. Raoul easily restrained him by grabbing hold of his hips, taking advantage of Iason's elevated hip position to spread him wider for deeper exploration.

"Don't you like it?" he whispered, excited.

Raoul tried again, this time sliding his tongue inside him. Iason struggled only initially; once Raoul became more confident and forceful in his technique, the Blondie relaxed and began moaning, something Iason rarely did. When the young Mink wiggled back, eagerly pressing his ass up against his face to solicit more stimulation, Raoul was unable to contain himself.

Without further prelude, Raoul repositioned himself and slid into his aroused lover, groaning and shivering from Iason's vice-like grip. "I've missed you," he whispered into Iason's ear.

Shuddering, Iason didn't reply, but Raoul could tell he was responding to him. He smiled, anxious to make his lover gasp and moan with his lingual arts, which he did upon securing his own release, completion that was so intensely pleasurable Raoul had groaned perhaps a little too loudly. But they had not been discovered, and afterwards Raoul had loved Iason so beautifully with his mouth and tongue that the young Mink found himself unable to resist Raoul's advances from that point on…at least until Anori came along.

Once Iason had discovered Raoul's infidelity with Anori and declared their relationship over, things had never been the same between the two Blondies. He had been pursuing Iason unsuccessfully ever since. Now, to be disciplined so savagely and mortifyingly by Iason, seemed to Raoul almost fitting, somehow, as though solidifying physically what the Blondie had felt for some time. Their roles had reversed; Iason had finally taken control. Though he was in too much pain to feel aroused by Iason's actions, the Blondie's authoritarian demeanor while administering the discipline was decidedly erotic-something that Raoul would revisit at a later, more private, less physically trying moment.

I.M. The initials were now burned into the Blondie's skin. And as Raoul lay there, writhing in misery, it occurred to him that Iason had only formalized what had been true for a long, long time. Raoul was a slave to Iason…and now both of them knew it.

* * *

Riki had summoned his master with a plea for some pain relief, and Iason had decided he needed to finish tending to his pet's wounds before continuing with Raoul. He contacted Medical Services to request opiates and first aid supplies.

"Would you like a medical team?" the receptionist asked, in a bored, uninterested voice.

"No. Just send me pharmaceuticals and supplies."

"In order to serve you best, we must first ascertain the nature of injuries requiring attention," she droned. "Do you have bruising, welts, or swelling?"

"Yes."

"Broken skin, lash marks, or open wounds?"

"Yes."

"Burning or branding?"

"Yes."

"Broken bones?"

"No."

"Castration, amputation or deocularization?"

"No."

"Complaints of unbearable pain?"

Here Iason smiled, certain that this humorous addition had been at the urging of Omaki Ghan.

"Yes. Be sure you bring an Opiate-6."

"Any injuries not reported here?"

"No."

"Please be advised that should your pet expire, the Taming Tower can in no way be held accountable. We urge you to admit our medical team or seek admission at Midas Medical if you believe your pet has sustained injuries. Would you care for any additionals, such as smokes, oils, or wine?"

"Smokes," Riki managed to whisper, though he was starting to drift in and out of consciousness again.

"All three. Dark Baccalias and White Moon. Any oil is fine."

"Anything else, Sir?"

"No."

"Your service comes to 10,500 credits. Please punch in your code and place your chin on the rest for retinal scan."

Iason did so, after which the transmission unceremoniously cut off, with the Taming Tower graphic whirling on the screen and a confirmation message estimating time of order arrival in 4:58 minutes. Iason was about to move away when Omaki Ghan suddenly flickered onto the screen.

"Good afternoon, Iason," Omaki said, smiling. "Just wanted to be sure you didn't require anything else-a body bag, perhaps?"

"Not at this time," Iason answered, wryly.

"Perhaps then, I could interest you in an additional service, namely, the destruction of digital footage depicting your lovely afternoon here at the Taming Tower?"

Iason turned and looked behind him, searching for the camera.

Omaki laughed, softly. "Surely you didn't think I would miss the opportunity of watching what went on behind closed doors at the Tower? As you know, I'm unapologetic about my penchant for punishment. Speaking of which, I'm simply beside myself here with what I've just witnessed. Sorry for the delay in contacting you, but I had to clean up first. I think I stained my favorite tunic."

Iason sighed. "What do you want?"

"100,000 credits."

"How do I know you'll destroy them without making copies?"

"You don't trust people, and that's a sign of intelligence," Omaki answered. "Everyone in Midas knows I have my faults. But of all people, YOU should know that my word, at least, can be trusted."

"Very well."

"Excellent decision. I know how embarrassing things can get when such footage turns up before the wrong eyes…Jupiter's, especially. I'll code your purchase as a line of customized punishment instruments and ship you a box of toys in a few days as a decoy-I'll be sure to put some goodies in there I think you'll especially enjoy."

"You won't be in business long if you start blackmailing your clients."

Omaki laughed. "Iason. You're quite amusing sometimes. What do you think my little empire here is really based on? Are you really so out of touch that you don't know what I do? My specialty is all that is forbidden. Have you any idea how many senators, ambassadors and consulate members have appetites for that? Or have you forgotten that you came to me to have a taste of your first-"

"That's enough," Iason hissed. "Get on with it."

Chuckling softly, Omaki turned suddenly turned all business. "Please punch in your code and place your chin on the-"

"You don't have to repeat all that again." Iason keyed in his code, and with a wink Omaki flickered off the screen, just as the door buzzed with the wanted medical supplies.

After retrieving these, Iason hurried over to Riki, who was now moaning with increasing urgency.

"I wanna go home," he whispered.

"What about Raoul? Don't you-"

"I don't care anymore. Take me home."

Now that Iason knew they were being watched, he was a little relieved that Riki had lost his desire for disciplining Raoul. He was anxious to get home, as well. He gave Riki an Opiate-6 and then decided to call Yui, Raoul's Furniture.

Yui answered, looking surprised to see Iason.

"I am sorry, Sir Iason, but Master Raoul is not here at the present." In fact, Yui was a little concerned. It was late and Raoul still had not returned home.

"He's here with me. We're at the Taming Tower. Floor 89, room Z542. He's…going to require a little first aid. Can you come for him?"

"Of course, Sir," Yui said, without hesitation, although privately he wondered how well he would do on the Tanagura and Midas freeways. He knew how to drive, of course, but was rarely asked to do so.

"Put your vehicle on automatic, and punch in M-EZ556 to pull up the screen for the Taming Tower," Iason said, as if reading the anxious youth's thoughts. "I'll enter clearance for you to leave Tanagura. Do not contact the police or a medical unit. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Sir." Yui was worried about these odd instructions, and wondered why his master would need first aid. He tried not to, but he began to feel a little angry at Iason Mink. What did Iason have to do with Raoul's injuries, and why was he circumventing the medical system? Yui had training in first aid, of course, but he wasn't a medical technician. What if his master needed professional treatment? He immediately left the apartment and located his master's reserve vehicle, nervously punching in the instructions for an automation sequence to Midas.

After hanging up with Yui, Iason turned his attention to Riki, who was begging him for a smoke.

"You're too weak to hold it up."

"You can put it up to my lips, though. Please."

Iason honored his pet's request, helping him enjoy one of his favorite pleasures even before he poured himself some wine, of which he was in desperate need. Then he began cleaning the blood from Riki's body and tending his wounds, a project that his pet found quite objectionable, at one point grabbing Iason's hand in a feeble attempt to stop his ministrations.

"Come now," Iason scolded. "You know you've got to be disinfected."

Riki pouted at this, which caused his master to smile, relieved to see his pet acting normally.

"Can't we finish this at home?"

"I'm waiting for Yui to arrive. Then we'll go."

At this, Raoul, who had been lying as if asleep, roused a bit. "Yui is coming?" he asked.

"Yes, he's coming to tend you."

"Untie me-take off these manacles," Raoul pleaded. "Don't let him see me like this. Iason. You must know that I'll never have his respect if he sees me this way."

Iason knew this was true, and so he complied, releasing him from his restraints. Raoul was so weak that he simply remained lying on the bed.

Yui arrived and took in the scene, his eyes moving back and forth between his master and Iason's pet. He looked at Iason with confusion, but the Blondie offered no explanation. He couldn't piece together what had gone on there, but he also knew it wasn't his place to ask. Walking quickly without seeming to rush to his master's side, he knelt down on one knee.

"Can I bring you anything-a drink, perhaps, Master Raoul?" he asked in a soothing voice that told his master immediately he made no judgments about what he had seen there.

"Water, Yui."

As Yui went to retrieve the wanted potable, Iason pointed out the first aid supplies he was leaving. "You should have everything you need here. I'm taking the rest with me."

"Yes, Sir Iason," Yui said, bowing to show his respect, though in his heart he found it difficult to bow before him.

Nodding, Iason dumped the supplies he wanted in a container left by the medical unit, then picked Riki up-with a yelp of pain from his pet-and carried him from the room without another word to Raoul or Yui. He draped his cloak over his naked pet and took him to the rooftop to his hovercraft.

"Hey," Riki said, perking up a bit, "is this your car?"

"Don't you recognize it?" Iason smiled.

"But…it's a hovercraft, too?"

"Sometimes."

"Cool!" The mongrel's approbation of the car's hovering capabilities were thus established, much to his master's amusement.

Riki's mood quickly soured when Iason tried to situate him in the car, the pressure of the car seat excruciating on the mongrel's sore backside.

"Why can't I lay down in the back on my stomach?" he wailed.

"Because there would be no way to properly restrain you. The last thing I need is for you to go flying through the windshield."

"But what are the chances of that? You're a good driver, right?"

"The issue is not open for debate, Riki," Iason said, firmly. "Now, just try to relax. We'll be home in a few minutes."

"You're mean," Riki sulked.

Iason smiled. "I'm only being firm because I care about you and don't want to see you hurt."

"I already AM hurt," the mongrel muttered.

"Hush."

Iason put the hovercraft in motion and took off; he had not gone far when he suddenly cursed, surprising Riki, who had never heard his master swear.

"What is it?" Riki asked.

"I'm sorry, Riki. We have to make a quick stop before we go home."

"What!" his pet cried.

"It can't be avoided. Jupiter's orders."

"Well that's just fucking great. I'm about ready to die over here and you're running around doing that stupid-ass computer's bidding."

Iason smiled at Riki's fearlessly brazen depiction of Jupiter. "You should be starting to feel the full effect of that opiate soon, pet," he said, and then stated, nonchalantly, "I take it you wouldn't have any compunctions about overthrowing Jupiter."

"Hell no," Riki replied, then seemed to startle, looking at him. "Iason. Is that more than a joke?"

"If either of us were discovered discussing such matters, do you know what would happen to us?"

"Yes," he admitted, quietly.

"Then be silent," Iason warned, giving him a look that suggested there was more to the subject than the Blondie cared to discuss at the moment.

"Where are we going?"

Iason sighed. "The Dark Horse. I have something to pick up there."

"From Jupiter?"

"Yes."

"Is it true what people say, that Jupiter's in love with you?"

"I'm not sure…she is capable of love," Iason replied, softly.

"Well, she's sure capable of fucking everyone's lives up."

Iason smiled at this, but said nothing. He was approaching the Dark Horse from above, its dark purple, neon holographic stallion kicking dramatically on the rooftop, one of the icons of Midas. Only as he lowered onto the roof did the same thought occur to master and pet: the Dark Horse was a pet brothel.

Why had Jupiter instructed him to go there?

Upon landing, he was immediately greeted by an attendant; only VIPs landed on the rooftop of the Dark Horse.

"Iason-sama," the attendant said, bowing slightly. "We have been expecting you."

"I can't stay. I've come to pick up something that was left for me."

"Of course. Right away." The attendant spoke into his handheld, asking for Jupiter's gift to be relayed to the rooftop. Within moments, the door to the brothel hummed open and several attendants appeared, leading a young pet on a leash toward him.

Iason blinked. "Don't tell me it's a pet."

The young boy looked directly at Iason with large, light green eyes. He was an intoxicatingly pretty pet, no question-with fine features and beautiful, shoulder-length blondish-brown hair that was somewhat affectedly tousled and stylishly unkempt. The boy looked disconcertingly pleased to see Iason, smiling demurely.

"Master Iason," he said, bowing his head. "I am honored."

The Blondie nodded curtly, annoyed, refusing to acknowledge the pet's beauty.

"His name is Enyu. Jupiter has said you are to have him as a special token of her favor."

Sighing, Iason took the leash from the handler, pulling the young pet a little roughly toward the hovercraft. He had no choice but to accept Jupiter's gift; to do otherwise would be inconceivable. But he knew the new pet would probably not sit well with Riki, who was accustomed to having his complete attention at the penthouse. Perhaps he should situate the pet in different quarters; but that would only cause jealousy when he went to visit Enyu.

"In the back," he said, with a little push to the pet from behind. As Enyu gracefully boarded the vehicle, Iason noticed how pleasant he smelled-his hair, and some sort of faint, alluring scent. Without exactly meaning to-or perhaps for only a moment, he allowed his hand to slide down and briefly touch the youth's firm bottom, feeling an unexpected surge of carnal desire. He pulled his hand away as if burned. The last thing he needed was to become sexually infatuated with another pet.

As soon as he got into the vehicle, he could see that Riki was decidedly displeased.

"Who the fuck is this?" he demanded.

"Jupiter has given me this pet. His name is Enyu. I am counting on you, Riki, to show him the proper courtesy."

Riki and Enyu evaluated each other for a long moment. Enyu studied Riki with amazement; this was the infamous Riki the Dark, Iason's mongrel pet, who it was rumored Iason paired with, and who was known to be frequently disobedient, and just as frequently punished for it. Iason must have just finished with him, from the looks of the mongrel-his face was covered with bruises and cuts, and from what he could tell the pet was naked, wrapped in the Blondie's cloak. He wondered what Riki had done to require such violent correction. And he wondered if Iason would take him, the same way he took Riki; he certainly hoped so, and he would do everything he could to encourage the Blondie toward that end. He felt sure that, at the very least, Iason would find that he was quite obedient.

Riki was fuming with jealousy. He looked back and forth between the beautiful pet in the back seat and his master, furious when Iason refused to meet his gaze.

"You're not seriously keeping him are you?" he whispered.

"I don't have a choice," Iason replied. Then, softer, "don't tell me you're jealous?"

Riki snorted at this. "At that piece of pet trash?" He turned and glared at Enyu.

The new pet simply smiled back, amused. He was thrilled to be joining the household of Iason Mink and his mongrel pet and did not mind Riki's insults. He felt confident that he could win him over, as he always did.

As for Riki, he was in an extremely foul mood. The entrance of Enyu had ruined his intimate moment with Iason. He had loved that his master had come to rescue him and was looking forward to an evening together while Iason nursed his wounds. And then perhaps they would do…other things. With this new pet in the picture, he didn't know what to expect. And this Enyu…he was far too attractive. Yes, Riki was most assuredly jealous of him. And he was also…becoming extraordinarily…sleepy.

Riki yawned, resting his head back on the chair. He felt the seat tip back as Iason adjusted it via the control panel to a more comfortable, reclining position.

"That's it," Iason said, gently. "Close your eyes and go to sleep."

Enyu watched this exchange with wonderment. What Blondie talked to his pet in such a manner? Almost as if…he loved him. Then…perhaps it was true what people said about Iason and Riki.

The mongrel groaned, muttering a few unintelligible words, and then seemed to have fallen fast asleep.

Enyu looked up and realized Iason was watching him through the rear-view mirror. His heart missed a beat or two as he gazed into his sapphire-blue Blondie eyes, which appraised him with such intensity.

"Are you Amoian?" Iason asked, finally.

"No. I'm from Xeron."

"I thought so."

Then, much to Enyu's astonishment, he began speaking to him in the Xeronian common tongue.

"Where did you…learn my language?" he asked, excited.

"I have a fondness for languages. They come easily to me."

"But I've heard it's quite difficult to learn."

"I did not find it especially so."

"How did you know I was from Xeron?"

"Because of your eyes, of course. Your pupils are elliptical."

"Most people don't notice so quickly." Enyu raised an eyebrow, intrigued with his master's perceptiveness, as well as his ability to speak his language-words he had not heard since leaving Xeron.

"Then…you were raised at Hiroshi's palace? You have no inbred controls?"

Now Enyu smiled. "You need not worry. I assure you, I will obey your every command, Master Iason." Now he lowered his voice. "Your…EVERY command."

Iason's lip curled up a little with this suggestive remark, and he found his heart beating a little faster. So, Jupiter had no problem with sending him a sex-pet from Xeron, but he resented his keeping a mongrel? He shook his head, mystified. Perhaps this was her compromise-she would provide him with a toy of her choosing, but she would expect him to give up his mongrel pet.

But Iason knew that was never going to happen. He would never give up Riki. However, there was no reason he could not enjoy this new pet, especially if it would please Jupiter. However, he was not altogether sure if he was perhaps reading too much in Enyu's manner.

"Have you been shown?" he asked, boldly.

"Only at the palace, at a private show for visiting dignitaries."

"And how came you to Amoi?"

"I was purchased on Xeron for the length of a voyage and sold here on arrival."

"I see." Iason smiled, then paused before asking his next question. "And did your master copulate with you?"

Enyu averted his eyes. "Forgive me, Master Iason, but I am compelled to keep in confidence any matters regarding my former master."

"Well said," the Blondie answered softly, with a nod.

"However," Enyu continued, his eyes now meeting Iason's in the mirror, "I can tell you that, should you desire sexual gratification, Master Iason, I would strive to please you however I could."

"Is that so," Iason breathed. Not a question…just a statement. He adjusted himself, spreading his legs a little wider. "And what if it pleases me to watch you with Riki?"

Surprised, Enyu collected his thoughts before answering. "I am ready to do your bidding, whatever it might be." Privately he hoped this bidding would be alone with the beautiful Blondie, not with the dark-eyed mongrel who clearly had already taken a strong dislike to him.

Pleased with the beautiful young pet's seductive and fawning manner, Iason fell silent, looking away. He was thinking about Xeronians; from what he remembered, the males actually cycled, rutting on the new moon. He wondered how their cycle would react to the twin moons of Amoi. He had always wanted to see a Xeronian in heat and had heard they were quite irresistible and insatiable; Xeronian pets had to be chained up during the five-day rutting period. Now he began looking forward to having Enyu at the penthouse. Riki's jealousy might be amusing. At the very least, the Blondie wouldn't be bored any time soon.

* * *

"Daryl. Open your eyes, love. Please." Katze continued pleading with his lover, tears falling from his face onto Daryl's.

With a groan, Daryl stirred.

Excited, Katze leaned close to him. "That's it. Wake up, darling."

Daryl's eyes fluttered open. Squinting, he stared at Katze in surprise. "Katze?"

"Yes! Oh…yes, sweetheart. I'm here." Thrilled that Daryl had finally regained consciousness, Katze was overjoyed, pressing kisses all over his face.

Daryl smiled. "What…happened?"

"Don't you remember?"

The grey-eyed youth considered, the images of Raoul and Riki suddenly flooding his mind. "Riki! He took Riki!" he cried, trying to sit up.

"Don't move! Iason knows; he went to get Riki. He'll find him." Katze was not at all sure the Blondie would be able to find his pet without the tracer, but he didn't want Daryl to worry about it.

"Raoul…threw me," Daryl remembered.

"So it appears," Katze said, then muttered, "that fucking bastard."

"My…chest hurts."

"That's why you can't move. Help is coming. They should be here soon, I promise."

"Does this mean…the punishment's off for tonight?"

Katze laughed softly at Daryl's sense of humor, although he couldn't deny he was glad for a postponement of the whipping. He certainly hadn't been looking forward to it.

"No, because I'll punish you if you move again. I told you to stay still," Katze scolded, after Daryl tried to squirm into a sitting position.

"Is that a promise?" Daryl smiled, then closed his eyes.

"Don't close your eyes. Stay awake, love."

Daryl sighed, ignoring him.

"Daryl! Mind me, or I'll turn you over my knee and spank you-and this time it won't be for fun."

Opening his eyes, Daryl smiled mischievously. "I love it when you threaten to spank me."

"Daryl. I was so scared," Katze said, his voice wavering with emotion.

"I'll be okay. It's…good to see you again, Katze."

Sighing, Katze answered by leaning down to offer a gentle kiss to his blood-stained lips. At that moment the medical team finally arrived, immediately determining that Daryl needed to go to Tanagura Medical. Katze went with them, holding Daryl's hand the entire time. Although he had been crying over Daryl the entire evening, for the first time the unthinkable had really occurred to him.

He could lose Daryl.

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