Sorcerer Hunters Fan Fiction ❯ Perpetual Thoughts ❯ Always Watching ( Chapter 9 )

"Somehow, it's always YOU I end up watching, isn't it?"

 

"You don't have to... you don't have to watch me..."

 

"Don't be stupid, of course I do."

 

"Why...? Why do you have to...? Why even bother...?"

 

"I can't stop it, but I... I..."

 

The sun shone into the bedroom, bright and warm. Everything about the room seemed so very white... the walls, the bed and it's covers, Marron's robe, anything that was light seemed to be enhanced by the sunlight. Even the soft beige floor seemed to have a warmth to it it didn't usually possess... nobody usually really noticed the floors or carpets in Eden, though. A floor was a floor and a carpet was a carpet, unless it was purposefully different it was considered the same as anything else.

 

The window was open and a gentle breeze blew into the room. The curtains were occasionally disturbed by this, billowing gently... outside, the day seemed a lovely one. Just the kind of day to go down to the city, to go for a walk, to just go outside... even if it was only to stand on the balcony, it seemed a crime for anybody to not go outside.

 

Carrot's eyes were cold, though. Cold and always watching. He watched Marron with such cold eyes, displeased, unable to stop watching. Marron could see him, Marron knew he was there... he was the only one. The place reflected in Carrot's eyes was somewhere a lot different than the light and breezy inside of the room... Marron occasionally looked up to look into Carrot's eyes, then would look away again quickly. Not actually in the room, but still there... as if he were on the other side of the wall of the bedroom, but it was as if that wall was transparent... and Carrot leant against the wall, just watching.

 

"I don't ask you to watch me like this..."

 

"Stupid... you don't ask me to watch you but you don't ask me to do these things, do you...?"

 

Marron's eyes flickered up momentarily, "I need your permission...?"

 

"No, no, but... you... why... you never even have a REASON..."

 

"They're willing, niisan... they're willing, and I... I wouldn't say no to them, either..."

 

Anybody was willing, it seemed. What was it about Marron that made him so attractive to them all? Oh, it didn't take long to think about that. Marron was beautiful, after all. Graceful and elegant and good-mannered, almost sylph-like in his beauty... not a girl, but beautiful enough to be one. No, more beautiful than that... girls had a beauty to them, that was undoubtable, but Marron's beauty was more than that... his was a beauty that was more than just beauty, it was... just everything about him...

 

He could play the innocent so well. That was likely part of the appeal, he knew just how to bat his eyelids and bite his finger and stare with such doe-eyed innocence that nobody should really be able to resist him... of course, nobody ever did.

 

It wasn't daily, but it was near-so. Any time Marron had the time, it seemed he'd head off around Eden in such a way. No real order to the people he'd visit, it was more of a first-come first-served basis. Or vice versa, the first to be served would be the first to come... it seemed that, to start off with, it was the turn of Kahlua and Shiffon. The three of them had barely bothered to discard their clothes, obviously doing that would take too much time, would disturb Marron's schedule too greatly. It was all too obvious what they were doing, of course. Kahlua sat on the edge of the bed, Marron's head in his lap... Marron's robe was pulled up and his trousers pulled down just enough for Shiffon to be able to enter him, and he was, again and again and again. They were not aware of the person watching them... as far as they were concerned, the bedroom wall was the bedroom wall, and that was satisfactory. Marron felt all too aware of the person watching him... how shameful. He didn't let Carrot know he was noticed unless he really had to.

 

Marron's movements were so soft and gentle. Licking slowly up and down Kahlua's enlarged cock, nuzzling against it, kissing it... soon it would be inside him, but the two of them would wait for Shiffon to finish first. However long that took. He was being agonizingly slow, but that didn't seem to be any fault of his own... holding Marron's hips, Shiffon thrust a little harder, and was admonished by Kahlua.

 

"Shiffon, please conduct yourself with restraint..."

 

"Yes, I apologize... I'm sorry. It's just difficult, as you know..."

 

Kahlua looked down to Marron, "I'm sure to be taken quickly is what he would want, what he is used to... I think it should prolong his feelings to act slowly. Don't you agree, Marron?"

 

Marron looked up, being addressed directly, slightly startled to hear a voice that spoke to his ears rather than to his mind. He wrapped his hand around Kahlua's erection as he spoke, stroking it to continue the stimulation... Kahlua could go for quite some time without coming, somehow he seemed more able to control himself; for that, Shiffon always went first.

 

"Hm? Ah... oh, yes, Kahlua-san."

 

"Tell us how it feels, Marron. Are you close?"

 

"I... in a way... you're right, though... I wish... I wish for Shiffon-san to move quickly, it's... it's driving me mad, moving so slowly like this...! Kahlua-san, you won't... will you be just as slow...?"

 

"We'll see, once Shiffon is finished. Please, continue as you are."

 

"... Yes, Kahlua-san."

 

Being their slave for the moment, Marron could only do the things they requested him to do. If Kahlua wanted Shiffon to take Marron slowly, then that was all Shiffon could do; it was all Marron could do to sit back and take it... if he wanted to be taken quickly, that wasn't his decision. He did whatever others wanted him to do, if other did what he wanted, well, then that was a bonus.

 

It was frustrating, though. Shiffon's cock felt so deep within him, and it moved so slowly... Shiffon moved his hips in a constant fashion, moving just a little deeper, then pulling away, just slightly... the movement was gentle but it was always there, it was enough to drive Marron to distraction. He couldn't allow himself to be distracted, though - if he allowed himself that, then he was likely to allow himself opportunity to be punished by the two Haz Knights... not that that was undesirable, just not today. Marron had other things to do, other people to do; if there was going to be punishment, then that could come later. Perhaps.

 

Feeling Shiffon inside him, having Kahlua in front of him... it was so hard not to give in to his feelings and become a shivering orgasmic beast, concerned only with his own orgasm... his own erection pressed against his trousers, the movements from Shiffon meant the fabric rubbed against him constantly, just softly, but again... sometimes moving softly was even more powerful than harsh movements.

 

Marron wondered when Shiffon might finish. Not that he didn't like it when Shiffon did that to him, Marron just wanted the time when he'd be with Kahlua to be closer, to be there... Shiffon usually did what Kahlua told him in these situations, it was rare for Shiffon to let his hair down and take matters into his own hands. Marron especially loved those times, but unfortunately they were rare; Kahlua was somebody rarely questioned about such things, and it wasn't Marron's place to question.

 

Keeping a level head while Shiffon just didn't stop was difficult. Marron didn't know how the two could be so restrained, Kahlua just sitting there while having his cock stroked and licked and sucked, didn't know how Shiffon could subdue the desire to push Marron to the floor and fuck him so hard... Shiffon wasn't always so restrained, Marron knew this, why did he have to be now?! The slowness was so much more frustrating, Marron didn't know how much longer he could last, he didn't know how much longer the two others would want him to last... he moaned against Kahlua's stiff arousal, wanting to feel it inside him, wanting to feel Shiffon's climax, wanting just something to happen... he tried to keep himself composed as he continued to stroke Kahlua, knowing he wouldn't come just yet, knowing he was waiting for Shiffon...

 

"Shiffon-san... please..."

 

Kahlua's voice seemed to hold a note of amusement, "Why, I think our young friend is starting to feel frustrated... Shiffon, you may touch him."

 

"Yes, Kahlua."

 

Marron closed his eyes and shivered powerfully as he felt Shiffon's fingers play at the front of his trousers. Not actually reaching inside them, but just rubbing against where Shiffon knew Marron's erection to be... Marron thrust his hips a little, encouraged by the stimulation inside and in front of him; he felt Shiffon's fingers press a little harder, just teasing him... a long moan against Kahlua's cock, trying to occupy himself by sucking on it once more... he couldn't last for too much longer... he squeezed down on Shiffon's cock, wanting Shiffon to just come already. Shiffon seemed to sense Marron's frustration, one hand slipping inside Marron's trousers, gently stroking him; his other hand went from Marron's hip to under Marron's trousers also, one hand tickling and the other stroking... just a little harder... a little lower... Marron let out a slight yelp as he felt his balls be caressed, he was always so sensitive there, both Kahlua and Shiffon knew that... Shiffon knew it all too well, and was going to use such knowledge to his advantage. He pumped Marron's erection with one hand and stroked and rubbed over his balls with the other... Marron gripped the bed on either side of Kahlua's legs. No matter how much his two captors might have wanted him to last just a little longer, he was suddenly incapable. Marron pulled away from Kahlua's erection as his body shook in climax, he didn't want to accidentally bite down, or anything.

 

"HYN-... NN... NNHA..."

 

Kahlua nodded at Shiffon, "Alright, you may finish him now."

 

Carrot called across to the three of them, "I think it's a little late for that, isn't it?"

 

Marron's ears twitched to hear Carrot's voice addressing all of them like that... but as always, Shiffon and Kahlua didn't notice. They couldn't notice. Carrot's presence was only for his benefit, Carrot's speech was only for his ears... Carrot was his own without belonging, and that frustrated Marron more than anything else. Carrot could see and hear all the things that went on in Eden's bedrooms, but yet... he was never one for joining in...

 

There wasn't any time to think about that. Shiffon delivered several hard, stabbing thrusts to Marron, each one making him cry out louder, his pitch higher... Marron just held the bed tightly as he felt Shiffon press deeply inside him, as he came at last. His heart pounded, his breath was heavy... Shiffon could be so quiet, even during orgasm he was still so quiet... but sometimes he could be loud. Marron just shivered as he felt Shiffon pull out of him and move away.

 

"Haa... haa... thank.... thank you, Shiffon-... Shiffon-san..."

 

Closing his eyes as he felt a nipping kiss against his neck, Marron allowed himself to momentarily sink to the floor. Both Kahlua and Shiffon watched him, Shiffon joining Kahlua on the bed.

 

"It seems we tired him out..."

 

Kahlua nudged Marron with one foot, "Are you still conscious?"

 

"Yes... yes, Kahlua-... san..."

 

"You wished for me to have you also, did you not?"

 

"A-ah..."

 

Again, still addressing the group but unheard of by two of them, Carrot interrupted.

 

"Jeez, come on, give him a break! He's all exhausted now, surely even you can see that?!"

 

Marron helped himself into a sitting position against the bed, using Kahlua as a handhold. Glaring over his shoulder at Carrot, hoping that his glare wouldn't be noticed by his companions, Marron turned his back to Carrot and pressed himself to Kahlua's chest.

 

"Go away... go away... I want you to go away..."

 

"Why?"

 

"I don't want you to be watching this..."

 

"Why not? I don't have anything else to be doing."

 

"You're not supposed to see me like this, unless-"

 

"Unless...?"

 

Marron shook his head, physically ending the mental conversation. He still clung against Kahlua, he looked up at the quiet mage. There was nothing to say, and little Marron could bring himself to say, but it was so embarrassing with Carrot always there... always, always there... but Kahlua and Shiffon couldn't know, couldn't realise. What kind of thing would it be to tell them, in any case? They would only think Marron mad for mentioning something like that.

 

Kahlua stroked Marron's hair without realising the mental torment going on, "Take deep breaths. If you can regulate your breathing then we can move on..."

 

"Y-yes..."

 

"Do you wish to continue?"

 

"Why don't you just tell him 'no', Marron?"

 

"I don't want you here..."

 

"Well, tough, you're stuck with me here. Why don't you just quit it?"

 

"... don't want to..."

 

Pulling himself laboriously onto the bed, Marron looped his arms around Kahlua's neck and kissed at his jawline. While he was still so stoic it'd be difficult to garner much affection from him... still, if he did such actions then perhaps it'd tell Carrot that his movements were genuine. Carrot didn't seem to realise what it was like... he didn't understand things at all... it was difficult but he couldn't be dissuaded. Marron felt that Carrot shouldn't have to know of the things that went on behind closed doors in Eden, Marron had never wished for Carrot to know... he'd just stand there, so quiet and still, just watching. It made Marron feel uneasy, and nothing made him go away... then Marron'd mind would be momentarily preoccupied, and it was easier to forget his embarrassment.

 

Marron nodded silently at Kahlua. If it was time to carry on, then Marron wasn't one to argue. It didn't matter what Carrot thought, he wasn't the one in the current situation...

 

"Alright... Shiffon, please remove his trousers."

 

Shiffon did so; Kahlua took hold of Marron by his hips, easily lifting him to an upright position. He turned Marron around, so his back was to Kahlua's chest, and hooked his head over Marron's shoulder. The way Marron was held, he could feel Kahlua's cock against him, but he was being held just a little too firmly, just that bit too much to press down and be penetrated... he let out a soft whimper.

 

"Kahlua-san, please..."

 

Kahlua seemed to ignore him just for the time being, "Shiffon, please kneel in front of our young friend. I wish for you to stimulate him."

 

Marron leant his head back against Kahlua's shoulder as he felt Shiffon lick and nuzzle against him; the two of them seemed to work so well together, and Marron could only sit back and feel what the two Haz Knights bid him feel... and it always felt so wonderful, if not shameless and brazen at the same time. That was why Marron didn't like it when Carrot watched, more or less. Such things were private... Marron didn't know how he felt about being watched like that, but he didn't know if it counted when the person watching wasn't visible to anybody else at that time... even so... he was acting in a way people only behaved in when they were in a private situation. The situation was private, why couldn't Carrot respect that...?

 

"Having fun, yet?"

 

"Niisan... niisan..."

 

Suddenly, Kahlua pulled Marron down while pushing up; Marron let out a cry as he felt Kahlua enter him, it hurt... once inside, Shiffon's seed provided enough lubrication for Kahlua to be able to move a little easier, but it had still hurt. Marron reached between his legs to where Kahlua was embedded within him, pressed his fingers to his skin and cast a minor healing spell. Kahlua likely wouldn't mind.

 

"Mmn... did I say you could use magic...?"

 

"Ah... n-no, Kahlua-san... just, it hurt, so I thought I could- AH!"

 

One arm across Marron's chest, Kahlua pushed the other against the bed and himself inside Marron; Marron let out a cry, it seemed that no time was to be wasted, that he'd be taken as he'd wished to be before... and the healing spell had at least allowed him to relax, under Shiffon's ministrations, he eventually became hard again.

 

At that point, Carrot turned his back to the activities on the other side of his wall. Marron didn't want him to watch? Maybe he didn't want to watch. Besides, even without looking it was quite obvious from the sounds at least Marron was making to know what was happening...

 

"Niisan, niisan... nii... san...!"

 

Kahlua stroked Marron's cheek, "You look so desperate. That look suits you."

 

"Ah- ah... th-thank you..."

 

"You really ARE shameless, aren't you?"

 

"Nii... san?"

 

"Do you think I really want to watch you fucking around like this? It's disgusting, you should at least be able to contain yourself just a little bit..."

 

"They want me to let myself go, niisan... I only do what they tell me to do, I know it's how they want me, so... I grant that for them..."

 

"So you enjoy being their little slave?"

 

"There's... a certain amount of satisfaction..."

 

"Hmph."

 

Once they'd settled into their positions, Kahlua moved further so his back pressed against the wall beside the bed. He could use that to propel him against and into Marron with that bit more force... Shiffon was just as gentle as he'd been before, his movements almost seeming out-of-place with the situation; Marron just stared at the ceiling through eyes that couldn't quite focus, his hands gripping against Kahlua's robe.

 

"Nnnn.. NNN... mmMMN... oh.. AH... Kahlua-san... KAHLUA-...san!"

 

Sounding only a little more breathless than he usually would, Kahlua whispered strongly into Marron's ear.

 

"Even now... you're still so tight...!"

 

"Because it pleases you... you like that... I know you like that... I like to please you... AHN..."

 

Lips curling into a faint smile, Kahlua leant close and nipped against Marron's neck. Marron let out a drawn-out moan, it always made him shiver to feel such things from Kahlua, of all people. Only rarely, only in this situation... he squeezed down against Kahlua, knowing he relished the tightness. He could only please them, after all... so much he wanted to please them... he looked down to where Shiffon was, working so softly and with such a demure manner. Marron looked back up at the ceiling. How was he supposed to last long when he had two such masters working in and against his body? Surely they realised how good they were making Marron feel...!

 

There was that, but somehow... even though the physical feelings were escalating quickly, Marron could only pay attention to Carrot, who was still standing with his back against that wall. He didn't want Carrot to look at him. He wanted Carrot to look at him. He didn't want Carrot to see him doing such embarrassing things. He wanted Carrot to look at him and only at him. Even if it was embarrassing. Especially if it was embarrassing... he wanted to tell Carrot to look at him, but then... how was he even supposed to say that? Carrot couldn't look at him the way he wanted him to. He'd only look him over with that mixture of disgust and disapproval... couldn't his eyes hold something different...?

 

Physical feeling overtook Marron's body and he couldn't think of his brother at that moment. He could look at him, though. Marron didn't take his eyes off of Carrot, even as orgasm made his mind and body freeze, and his vision became hazy in front of him... the image of Carrot standing there swam in front of him, but remained.

 

"Nii... SAN..."

 

"It's bad enough hearing you make those sounds without you saying my name afterwards... are you done yet?"

 

"N-not just yet..."

 

Feeling Shiffon and Kahlua move around him, Marron managed to snap himself back to the situation inside the room; both had finished, Kahlua still remaining inside of Marron... Shiffon pulled away from Marron, and stood up. He smiled down at him, "Did that please you?"

 

Marron glanced to the side, "I should be the one asking that ofé you, Shiffon-san..."

 

A laugh, "Then yes, I feel you pleased us."

 

Looking up again, Marron saw that Shiffon was smiling kindly... he had such a nice, kind smile. How different he was now to other times... but still. Those times were not now. Marron let out a small cry as he felt Kahlua hold his hips and also pull away from him, pulling out of him... he lay on the bed, heart still hammering in his chest.

 

"Ka... hlua-san...?"

 

"Indeed, I was pleased also. You do not have to remain here, Marron... though you may, if you wish. For the remainder of the afternoon, Shiffon and I felt we might spend some time on the grounds..."

 

Shiffon nodded, "It's lovely to have afternoon tea outside when it's so sunny... Cinnamon was going to prepare us some baking for it, it should be quite splendid... do you wish to join us?"

 

Marron was replacing the various items of clothes he'd lost during his session with Shiffon and Kahlua; it was nice for them to invite him to spend time with them like that, and the thought of afternoon tea on the grounds of Eden on such a sunny day did seem nice, but... there were other matters Marron had to attend to.

 

"Usually I'd love to, but... I'm afraid I have some other things I had to do... I'd like to, though. Tomorrow, maybe?"

 

"Whenever you're free and we're free, we'll likely be outside. Just come and find us."

 

"Alright."

 

Marron smiled, still feeling a little exhausted from what had just happened, but recovering slightly. He directed his smile at Kahlua then Shiffon, then exited the room. Carrot was, of course, there waiting for Marron.

 

"It's weird."

 

éMarron closed the door behind him and leant back on it, realising after a moment that there was somebody standing next to him; he'd been in the middle of running his hand through his hair. He paused in mid-movement, just staring at Carrot, questioning him... Carrot just stared back at him.

 

"Well, it is! Hearing you like that... jeez, I mean, you're usually so quiet and stuff, you're really... you... you get like that...? You never normally scream...! Even when you get hurt you don't get like that..."

 

"I don't ask you to remain there, niisan. If it's so uncomfortable just to listen, then I'm not forcing you to do so... perhaps Tira and Chocolat have gone out for the afternoon, maybe you should like to go with them?"

 

"You don't even look that tired out..."

 

Without answering Marron's question, Carrot just continued to stare at Marron. Was there disgust, in that stare? Disbelief? Worry? Whatever there was that was there, it wasn't being said in words. Carrot just sighed, a deep sigh, and stared ahead of him, to the empty corridor. Marron kept his eyes on his brother for a little longer than Carrot kept his eyes on him, then followed Carrot's gaze... was there anything to say? What was there to say?

 

"So... you're finished there, huh?"

 

"... yes, niisan."

 

"Was... it good?"

 

Marron's brow twitched eversoslightly at Carrot's line of questioning, but he had no reason to lie, so he didn't.

 

"It was intense... yes, it could be described as such."

 

"So is that your activity for the day over, then? Ready to go back to normal things, or what? I thought you needed to go shopping or something..."

 

Turning to look at Carrot again, Marron shook his head.

 

"No... I didn't have anything else to do today..."

 

"Oh ho, so you only do that because you're bored? Because it's just something to do?"

 

On that, Marron started to walk off down the corridor, not willing to remain with Carrot for any longer if it meant Carrot was going to ask him things like that. He called back down the corridor, "You've asked me that before, and I've told you why... there is no reason..."

 

A few moments, then Marron heard the tappering sound of Carrot's boots running along the hallway behind him. He rolled his eyes, wasn't he allowed any peace whatsoever...?

 

"Can't you do normal things like everyone else does on a sunny afternoon like this? The things people'd think you'd normally do... go out shopping for a bit, do some meditation, or something... you know? Some of the magic studies you're always doing. Perfect kinda day for that, isn't it? Instead, you're off around Eden acting like, like a little slut or something...!"

 

At that, Marron stopped in his tracks and turned to address Carrot directly; he scowled, "Niisan-! As I've said before, I don't ask you to continue following me around like this! If it really displeases you, then you don't have to take any notice of it... you don't have to follow me and you don't have to keep watching me...! If it's really so tiresome to you, why don't you follow your own advice, and visit Facade for the afternoon? I'm sure it would be that bit more peaceful..."

 

Marron had reached the door of his next destination. Carrot's hand briefly grabbed at his arm, but the hold wasn't steady and Marron pulled away easily.

 

"Niisan?"

 

"I... I can't just let you do all these things...!"

 

"Why? Why not?"

 

Carrot was silent for a few moments; he didn't seem to have an answer to that. Marron just glared at Carrot, and let himself in to the next bedroom, leaving Carrot to debate what he would.

 

Wherever Dota was, it wasn't with Sirius. Perhaps she was with Big Mama, tending to the kinds of things that Dota would tend to when with Big Mama. Or perhaps she was with the Misu sisters, or Eclair... maybe all of the girls had gone off on a shopping trip? That sometimes happened, the girls seemed to love their shopping trips. Maybe she was in the gardens, tending to some flowers, doing a bit of gardening... perhaps she'd felt like going off for a little fly, while it was such a nice day, and everything... whatever she was doing, she wasn't doing it with Sirius. Sirius, currently, was in the bathroom of he and Dota's bedroom, trying and failing to find some kind of hold against the wall of the shower, which Marron was currently pinning him against.

 

"HNN-.... AH-..."

 

Marron hooked his head over Sirius' left shoulder, pressing aside one wing.

 

"Are you trying to say something there?"

 

His voice punctuated by a strong thrust left Sirius unable to speak. He just shook his head, his hands still clawing against the smooth tiles of the wall... Marron watched in amusement, there wasn't anything to hold on to there. Probably the only things that kept Sirius upright were his feet, pressed against the opposite wall of the shower, and Marron himself, holding and pushing Sirius constantly upward. Sirius' wings, to either side of Marron's arms, flittered and twitched on occasion, but not enough to keep Sirius balanced. In any case, the feathers were becoming wet, and wet feathers were not ideal for flight and especially not for balance.

 

"UHN-NNN..."

 

Some situations, such as that with Shiffon and Kahlua, called for innocence, doe-eyed stares, a demure manner, soft cries... others, such as this with Sirius, called for little warning and less in the way of gentle touches. After this long, Marron knew that it was what Sirius wanted to just be pounced upon in such a way, and as long as Sirius was willing, Marron was also. After all, if Sirius really didn't want Marron to do that kind of thing, he was easily capable of stopping the young mage from doing so.

 

"Umnn... nn... NNHAA..."

 

Sirius was often quite loud, but rarely ever in words. Perhaps things were different with Dota, but at least with Marron, rarely was anything coherent uttered from his lips.

 

Glancing to one side, Marron was aware that the wall to his right... it was different. Like the wall had been during his encounter with Shiffon and Kahlua... he growled in annoyance, that could only mean that Carrot was watching him again... Marron held Sirius over his shoulders a little tighter, feeling glad for his wings. They managed to form a little private space for Marron, one covering the area of the shower curtain (and often knocking against it), and the other pressing to the righthand wall, the drenched feathers sticking to the smooth surface easily. Therefore hopefully blocking out Carrot's view.

 

"I can still hear you, otouto..."

 

"I know, I KNOW... ah, but this time... this time it's definitely not myself making the noise...!"

 

"Wouldn'ta thought Sirius was the kind to let himself be overpowered like that... he's not like that with Dota, is he? Though I guess he couldn't be like that with her, she's so gentle and stuff already, so... I guess he has to be like this with other people, huh? With YOU?"

 

Marron didn't reply to that, just placing his hands flat against the upper wall of the shower, feeling the cool water raining down upon him. It felt so nice, like that... he felt like he was burning up, he was half-convinced that Sirius was burning up, but the water was just on the other side of 'warm', and so quite refreshing... his hair clung to him and a little against Sirius' body too, Sirius' hair also. Marron reached down and gathered it between one hand, pressing it down against his latest lover's shoulder; it stuck there, helped by the shower's water.

 

Moving his hands from the wall to around Sirius' body, underneath where his wet wings joined his body, Marron doubled his efforts; it took some concentration to even stay balanced on such a slippery surface, but that was half the fun of it... sometimes they had fallen, and then it had turned from 'fuck Sirius in the shower' to 'fuck Sirius on the floor of the shower', either was good. For the moment they were able to remain as they were, Marron's movements quick and brutal, Sirius' moans continual.

 

Carrot changed his position; it was enough to know what was going on without having to watch it, but being blocked from view by Sirius' wing meant that Marron couldn't see him either; he moved so that his transparent wall was the one Sirius was leaning against. Marron let out a slight gasp of shock to see his brother there like that... Carrot glared down at Marron, Marron leant his head against Sirius' neck and glared back.

 

"What IS it, niisan?"

 

Carrot said nothing, just staring disdainfully down at his brother.

 

They made an interesting image, the two of them together, not that Carrot was willing to admit that. Warrior of the winged people, being dominated so by such a comparative youth... Sirius was larger in body than Marron, more muscled, but somehow he could just let that happen to him...! He was gasping and panting now, Marron had paused from his movements while Carrot stared, this obviously wasn't pleasing to Sirius. Squirming against the wall and Marron's body, Sirius moaned loudly... this distracted Marron, he turned back to Sirius with a sudden ignorance towards Carrot. They seemed to be a mass of wet hair and drenched wings, still moving constantly...

 

"What if Dota were to walk in?"

 

"She won't."

 

"Who says she won't? It's entirely possible... she could come back, looking for her darling Sirius... tries to find him... walks into the bathroom, sees THIS... even if the shower curtain's covering you there, his wing still keeps knocking against it, doesn't it? It'd make anyone curious..."

 

"She won't come back, niisan."

 

"I could go tell her, if I wanted... say that her boyfriend was getting it from another man in the shower right now, come see..."

 

"You wouldn't dare..."

 

That was true. Carrot became silent, but still stared at Marron, feeling quite angry.

 

"Hn, wouldn't want to prevent your little FUN now, would I..."

 

Marron's breathing was louder now, more laboured. Leaning against the wall, all the sounds Marron and Sirius made seemed to be painfully loud... the cries and gasps they made, the sound of Sirius' wings hitting against the shower curtain, strange wet sounds that made both Sirius and Marron blush deeply... how much longer would they be able to last? Surely they'd been going at it for quite some time now...

 

Marron's ears pricked as he heard Sirius cry a little louder, his moan become just that bit more high-pitched... his tone changed and his moan became low and throaty as he lost the ability to hold back any longer, as he eventually came... at that, Marron couldn't hold back his own feelings, and he quietly gasped Sirius' name as he pushed himself to release. The shower drowned out a lot of their noises, and after a few moments, there didn't seem to be any sounds for the shower to drown out, the room fell silent.

 

Aware of Carrot still watching, Marron glanced up at his brother. There wasn't anything to say, and the wall faded back to it's usual cream colour. Marron frowned at the wall, then looked back down to Sirius, who was still gasping and panting. Marron helped him back to a standing position, and grabbed the soap from it's little holder; he smiled gently, "I thought the original purpose of a shower was to clean yourself..."

 

"I... I was... until you..."

 

"Ahaha, when I know you're taking a shower, I can't help but join you..."

 

The next few moments were quiet as Marron helped Sirius wash himself, then turned his attentions to his own body. No point in wasting a shower while it was there, after all... and he wanted to at least be presentable for his next visit. Rinsing soap from his own body, Marron brushed Sirius' wing aside from the shower curtain.

 

"... for now... I'll leave you to your shower."

 

Marron stepped from the shower, soaked and radiant and cool and collected as only he could be. He didn't realise that Carrot was still staring at him until he walked to find a towel... so, he was still around, was he? How many times did Marron have to say it to Carrot, that he just didn't want him around to watch those sorts of things... he glared at Carrot, that glare containing enough venom to make Carrot squirm. In a vague attempt to please, Carrot passed Marron a towel. Marron accepted it but didn't smile... Carrot was not supposed to be there.

 

Still, he just stood there as Marron towelled himself down. Seemed to be staring, that made Marron uncomfortable... just why was Carrot staring like that?

 

Of course, he had a body to be enviable of. If everybody in Eden did want him, then Carrot didn't blame them. Even being so young compared to those he went with, that didn't matter... he had the experience if not the physical years, it seemed. Even after having sex in the shower with somebody else's boyfriend, Marron managed to walk out of it generally calm and relaxed... even just stand there and dry himself as his brother watched him...

 

As his body became dryer, Marron ignored Carrot to walk through to Sirius and Dota's bedroom. A bathrobe lay on the bed, ready for Marron to wear... Marron put the robe on, then went outside to the corridor, ready to go on to the next person. Carrot had let himself out of the room, it seemed, when Marron hadn't been aware... he was waiting on the other side of the corridor, and looked up when he realised he was in Marron's presence once more.

 

"Marron, why do you DO things like that? You don't have to... I, I mean, maybe you just enjoy that kinda thing, maybe it's just what you do for fun, but... even you gotta admit it's a bit strange, isn't it?! I like girls a lot, but you don't see me humping my way across Eden...! Hell, if I even suggested that to anyone but Tira and Chocolat, they'd probably slap me away for it..."

 

Marron gazed evenly at Carrot, "They do not hit me away for requesting such things."

 

"No, that's probably 'cause you got the sultry-seductive thing going on there..."

 

Carrot trailed off, Marron was already walking away down the corridor; obviously he didn't have the time for Carrot. Carrot let out a noise of annoyance and chased Marron down the corridor, coming up to speed to where he was, grabbing his arm as he caught up with him. Marron shook away Carrot's hand in annoyance, "Niisan, please!"

 

"Marron, just wait a sec! Where are you going now?!"

 

"... Somebody's waiting for me."

 

"Them and the rest of Eden. Look, just-"

 

"I don't ask you to follow me around like this, niisan. If such things make you uncomfortable, then you don't need to pay attention to them. Surely you have other things to do...?"

 

"Probably, but... Marron, why the hell do you keep doing this?! Going around Eden all the time like that, I don't know how you can even look anybody in the eye afterwards, it's hard enough for me to do that and I'm not even the one fucking them!"

 

Marron came to a halt in the corridor, stopping but not turning to face Carrot.

 

"Why do I do this...?"

 

Carrot nodded, "I want a reason...! I mean, maybe you just wanna, but... I mean... you..."

 

"You have your reason in that perhaps I don't have a reason. Enough in this life is ordered and ordained without everything being so..."

 

"Yeah, but... but... I know you don't like me following you and all, but... come on, I'm concerned, okay? Sex is sex is good, I admit that, I mean, not that I've done anything like that but still, maybe you're just more horny than anyone woulda thought, but... does it make you happy to run around and be the whore of Eden?"

 

Marron didn't even stay around to admonish Carrot for that remark; before Carrot was even allowed to realise, Marron was gone.

 

Reaching the next targeted area before Carrot could catch up with him, Marron knocked on the door in a certain way and then entered. This room was darker than the others had been, Milphey obviously liked to create a kind of mood, even when it was daytime and so sunny... the curtains were drawn and the room was dark, but light enough just to make out the shape of Milphey sitting on the bed opposite. Marron smirked to himself, knowing he was expected... he leant against the door and slipped the lock shut with two fingers; best not to be disturbed, after all. With Milphey, he'd be just as likely to ask Carrot to join in as he was to send him away, and that... that, was not possible.

 

Milphey's voice was soft and sneaky, "You're late, Marron-chan."

 

Carefully undoing the cord that bound his robe together, Marron let the bathrobe fall to the floor as he advanced over to where Milphey sat. They could be a little more comfortable with each other like this, Milphey was just the kind to be laid-back...

 

Marron reached the bed, and where Milphey was sat. Wasting no time, he pressed himself against Milphey and kissed him deeply; Milphey slipped his legs around Marron, pulling him close... Milphey's weight shifting against him caused Marron to fall over onto the bed, Milphey beneath him; that had likely been Milphey's plan, and neither complained.

 

Lying over Milphey like that, Marron couldn't help but notice... he pulled away from the kiss, "You're already hard, Milphey..."

 

Milphey reached up to stroke Marron's cheek, "As I said, you were late...! I thought you might not be coming, so I couldn't help but fall to my own entertainment..."

 

Rolling off to the side slightly, Marron was making quick work of Milphey's clothes. Another bathrobe, another cord... both of those lay undone at Marron's hands. He pulled the cord away from around Milphey, trailing it over his body just momentarily... Milphey leant up and allowed the robe to be pulled from his arms. Marron pushed him down again, shaking his head.

 

"That's not acceptable, Milphey. You should know me by now, you should know..."

 

Interspersing his speech with sucking kisses to Milphey's jaw and neck, Marron marked a trail along Milphey's body.

 

"... perhaps I may be late... maybe something may detain me... however... when I say I'll be here, I... I'll always be here... you know that..."

 

Marron's kisses were sudden and Milphey was pushed back against the bed. Perhaps he'd angered Marron somewhat? That only made him more passionate... he couldn't prevent a smile as he leant one arm back against the bed, "I know, I know... but I also know, I like it when you're like this..."

 

Hands and fingers playing over Milphey's lean stomach, Marron looked up.

 

"You tease me intentionally, don't you..."

 

"Oh, of course, Marron-chan...! After all, you're so much fun to tease..."

 

Shifting down on the bed slightly, Marron leant over Milphey's navel, threatening to go just a little further... but not quite... Milphey liked to tease? Perhaps he also liked to be the one being teased... Marron smirked, stroking down Milphey's torso with the back of his hand, nudging against his erection with his knuckles.

 

"So... what were you thinking of before I came here, to already be hard like this...?"

 

"I thought of you of course, Marron-chan!"

 

Marron shook his head, "Milphey, I wish to know a little more than that...! If you were thinking about things so intently, surely you might want me to do them, and how am I supposed to know about them if you don't even let me know what they are...?"

 

A slight laugh, "If Marron-chan wanted me to talk dirty to him then he doesn't need to ask. Hmn, alright, let's see. Well, I imagined you walking in here, like you did... naked, like you are... you came over to me and pressed me against the bed - I must say, you are doing well so far, Marron-chan!"

 

Marron growled as he moved on the bed, leaning so he was between Milphey's legs; still being so frivolous, couldn't he lie back and plead for mercy just once? Too much the joker, sometimes.

 

Milphey loved to anger Marron though, just slightly. To annoy him into doing what he did... when he was riled and passionate, Milphey loved it when Marron was like that. Oh, what was he doing now? Ah, the time for talking was likely over. Marron was knelt between Milphey's legs, his hands moving beneath them, stroking the backs of Milphey's thighs.

 

"... what are you doing now, Marron-chan?"

 

"If you're not going to tell me seriously, then I should subject you to whatever I feel like. I should like you to be quiet, Milphey."

 

He spoke so quietly, it brought a shiver down Milphey's spine. Oh, but Marron-chan was so irresistible... he felt his legs being lifted, he leant back on his arms to accommodate that. Marron shifted forward, hooking Milphey's legs over his shoulders. Milphey could feel Marron's breath against his skin... he shuddered, "Ma-Marron-chan, what...?"

 

"You waited for me... I'm here now."

 

Milphey's eyes flickered to a close as he felt Marron's breath against his balls, then more than that... Marron's tongue, soft and warm... he'd lick against them then breathe on them, the air against the moisture making them cold just for a moment. Marron would relish Milphey's shudder, then repeat the motion.

 

"Ah--... ahhnn... Ma-... Marron... -chan..."

 

One hand reached around Milphey's leg to touch against his hard erection, just softly, teasingly. Marron ran a finger up the length, then wrapped his others around it, such gentle strokes... such actions were obviously frustrating Milphey, who's hips shuddered repeatedly against Marron's upper chest.

 

"NN-... nnnh... oh, Marron.... Marron-chan...!"

 

Marron ran his teeth along Milphey's skin, "Was this what you were thinking about, perhaps...?"

 

"Umn.. nn... maybe... maybe something along these lines, yes... unnn, Marron-chan, you're being so gentle..."

 

Marron moved down slightly, teasing the skin between Milphey's balls and his opening with his tongue; Milphey squirmed at that, his breath coming more quickly and his fingers gripping against the sheeting of the bed. Gentle was rapidly becoming just not enough...

 

"... too gentle..."

 

Marron's tongue teasing lower, Milphey let out a moan as he felt wet muscle push against him, into him, out once more...

 

"NNNH-!!"

 

Pulling back and smirking, Marron continued to stroke on Milphey's cock; Milphey's breathing was heavy now, perhaps it was time to move on...

 

"Is this enough for you, or might you like more...?"

 

"More... more, oh please... oh god, Marron-chan... please..."

 

Nibbling at the skin of Milphey's inner thighs, Marron feigned innocence.

 

"More of what...?"

 

"More... what you were just doing... but more..."

 

"Perhaps you should like me within you..."

 

Milphey nodded quickly; that idea did seem quite desirable, all of a sudden. Even if it hurt, he didn't mind... he was past minding, beyond caring. The frustration was enough for rational thought to have been discarded, and Milphey just couldn't think of anything else... the thought of Marron overpowering him occurred and he couldn't even speak, only nod to show his agreement with Marron's suggestion. On that nod, Marron moved backward on the bed, letting Milphey fall back against the bed.

 

Looking up, eyes unsure, Milphey gazed at Marron, "Ma-... Marron-chan...?"

 

"Or I could just leave you like this, either way..."

 

"N-no, no..."

 

Milphey let himself be taken easily enough, but somehow Marron couldn't keep his mind on the situation, on the near-orgasmic man beneath him... of course, Carrot wasn't going to be in the room. Carrot wasn't going to be hawking over Marron this time, the door was locked so Carrot couldn't get in that way, the room was dark so Marron could distract himself from anywhere Carrot might appear... for once, Marron had his privacy to do what he would with Milphey. Milphey called out Marron's name over and over, laid back with his legs around Marron's lower waist... Marron moved slowly and rhythmically. His hands held Milphey's hips, and Milphey kept trying to make eye contact of any kind, but Marron's hair fell in front of his eyes and he still seemed so distant...

 

"Ma-... Marron-chan...?"

 

Marron didn't reply.

 

"Marron-chan, Marron-chan... Marron-chan, please..."

 

The request drifted over Marron's mind, he snapped out of whatever little thought-induced haze he'd been in, shaking his hair away from his face. He looked down at Milphey, looking remarkably unruffled, considering the situation.

 

"What is it?"

 

One of Milphey's hands clenched the bedsheets, the other leant behind his head. His eyes had been closed, he opened them slowly... how could Marron still look so distant in that kind of situation?! How could he not be moved, how could he not feel...

 

"You just keep moving like that, over and over... driving me insane... can't you be a little harder...?"

 

Not even gracing that with a reply, Marron moved how he supposed Milphey was asking. His thrusts redoubled and his hands holding harder, Milphey let out shrill cries with each movement. He had asked for it, but now Marron was being so brutal...! It was almost creepy in a way, though... Marron moved so hard and so quickly, but still his face was impassive and his eyes devoid of feeling... Milphey closed his eyes and turned his head to the side. Couldn't Marron-chan at least pull a sexy face, or something?

 

Eventually the both of them reached their respective climax, though Milphey couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with Marron's manner... physically, he came, but had it not been for the whole erection/semen thing, Milphey felt he wouldn't have been able to notice Marron's orgasm at all... his own was powerful enough and he'd moaned so uncontrollably when he'd felt it, but Marron had been silent...

 

Afterward, they lay on the bed. Marron was to Milphey's side, head leant on his arms, not looking at Milphey at all. Milphey regained his breath, just staring at Marron... how strangely he behaved.

 

"Marron-chan...?"

 

No reply.

 

"Hey Marron-chan, I'm all messed up now...! Maybe we could take a shower?"

 

"Do what you will."

 

Milphey sat up, feeling clammy and sticky in various places but ignoring that to talk to Marron, "I meant, we could take a shower...! Like, you and me? Marron-chan, you seem strangely quiet all of a sudden..."

 

Without looking at Milphey, Marron was already standing up and replacing the bathrobe over his shoulders. Pulling it tight around him and tying to cord around his waist, Marron made his way over to the door. Milphey heard the click of the lock being undone before Marron opened the door and left without a word.

 

"... How strange. I suppose I have to take a shower on my own, then..."

 

Marron walked through Eden's corridors once more. Where was Carrot? He hadn't even been waiting outside for Marron... usually he was, usually he was waiting with his words of disapproval... where was he? Why was he not around?

 

"Niisan... niisan...!"

 

Walking past his own bedroom, Marron paused. Perhaps his brother was in there? He went to open the door, but before he could, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He relaxed; who's hand would that be, but Carrot's hand? He turned around, indeed it was Carrot, looking at him with that angry glare.

 

"Niisan..."

 

"You thought you'd come back and rest for a bit, or what? Did you finish for the day?"

 

Letting his hand fall away from the door, Marron turned around and leant against it. If Carrot was going to go into the bedroom... Marron wasn't going to allow the conversation be split by a locked door.

 

"Not... quite yet, niisan."

 

"Jeeez... Marron, just... Marron, can't you just go to sleep, or something? There are better things you could be doing with your time! If it's something you do because you don't even have a reason for it, you might as well be arranging flowers or doing a jigsaw puzzle or something...! Isn't it just gonna hurt people if you keep doing what you're doing? Especially if you're not doing it for a reason...!"

 

Marron stepped away from the door, "There is a reason, niisan..."

 

Carrot stopped in the middle of his rant. That was different. There was a reason after all...? What kind of reason could there have been for Marron's promiscuous tendencies...?

 

"Marron...? If... if there is a reason... can't you just... can't you just tell me the reason? I... I want to know..."

 

Just a shaking of the head, "I can't tell you, niisan..."

 

Realizing the conversation was one lost, Carrot just sighed and let himself into the bedroom. No point in dragging something out that wasn't going to go anywhere... best save himself and Marron the headache. Marron would come back to the bedroom when he was ready, after all.

 

Marron pressed his hand against the door, and bowed his head. He knew Carrot couldn't hear him, but the sentiment was still there...

 

"Nii... san..."

 

Silence in the hallway.

 

"Why do I do these things...?"

 

Fist clenched against the door.

 

"... It's... it's because you won't..."

 

Of course, Carrot had no answer to that, being as he was not even aware of such a reason. Oh, why couldn't he realise...? Marron's behaviour seemed to anger Carrot so. Didn't Carrot know that if he just raised a hand to Marron in concentrated desire, that kind of thing would stop totally...? If Carrot really wanted Marron to stop, if he really wanted him to stop for that reason, then... then Marron would...

 

He couldn't realise, though.

 

He could never realise.

 

Therefore, it would continue.

 

Being taken was very different to taking, as Marron had experience of. There had been what had happened earlier with Kahlua and Shiffon, of course... then there had been Sirius and Milphey, and as the situations had happened, Marron had been the one to take them... that was what it was always like with Sirius, with Milphey it tended to depend on what the two of them felt like at the time. Sometimes Milphey would be the one on top, sometimes Marron would be. It depended. When it came to Gateau though, Marron was always the one beneath him. Well, of course. Otherwise would be physically quite difficult, and somehow Marron felt more comfortable submitting himself against Gateau's strength... oh, and what strength.

 

Ignoring anything that would have said that this wasn't Marron's first sexual encounter of the day, Gateau fucked Marron hard and deeply against the bed. Marron held tightly to the rails of the bedpost, constantly driven down against the bed... oh yes, this was good. Milphey had thought Marron quiet? Gateau wouldn't presume such a thing. It was hard to be quiet when impaled on something so large... and Gateau liked it when Marron cried out.

 

"Nnn... NNN-... GATEAU..."

 

A laugh, "You sound so desperate..."

 

"I am... I am... oh, oh gods... please...!"

 

This would be the last time for today, Marron had decided. He'd made his rounds quite well for the day, after all... Shiffon, Kahlua, Sirius, Milphey, now Gateau... that would do. Carrot had wondered why Marron wouldn't just sleep? Sleep could come after this. Gateau would certainly tire him out enough, at any rate.

 

Even so, Marron still thought of Carrot, wondered where he might be, what he might be doing... Marron had last seen him in their bedroom, therefore he was probably still there. Probably asleep by now. Marron was starting to realise his own fatigue; by this point he was feeling quite exhausted... yes, he'd let Gateau finish him, and that would be enough for the day. Tomorrow was a new day, after all.

 

Marron wondered what it'd be like if Carrot were in the room at that moment. If, like with how it'd been with Kahlua and Shiffon, Carrot had been watching, so quietly... that time, Marron had wanted Carrot to go away, he hadn't wanted to be seen like that, but... while Carrot definitely wasn't around, it was nice to entertain thoughts of what it'd be like if he were.

 

If Carrot were watching...

 

Maybe he'd be entranced by the sight. His lithe, slender, delicate little brother being twisted and manipulated in such ways... did Carrot even realise the many different ways the human body could move? Marron wished to show him. Marron wanted to show Carrot the way his body could arch, the ways his arms could pull, the way his legs could wrap and capture... Carrot wasn't there, but Gateau was. So Marron entertained such thoughts with Gateau's body, and allowed himself to be taken as he imagined he would be. It didn't feel wholly terrible, and while Gateau wasn't Carrot, Marron's imagination was enough to imagine the reverse was so.

 

Gateau's hands were tightly around Marron's waist, so... what was that hand Marron could feel on his brow? Yes, there was definitely someone stroking his hair. Without trying to rouse Gateau's curiosity, Marron looked up to the side.

 

"Ni-niisan!"

 

Marron managed to catch his tongue before he said anything out loud, but his eyes widened in the shock. Gateau caught that look but misunderstood, "Did that feel good?"

 

"Niisan... what are you doing here...?"

"Hmn, I thought you wanted me to watch. Weren't you just thinking about how you'd like it if I was here, and stuff? Well, I'm here, now."

 

"I never meant for you to-... I... I didn't WANT you to..."

 

"You didn't really want me to be here? I can leave, if you want me to. I've got other things I wanted to do before I slept, I don't gotta be here if I'm not wanted..."

 

Marron leant back on his hands, "N-no... don't go... I... y-yes.. watch me... watch me, niisan..."

 

Carrot stood up, and watched Marron with an impassive eye. Gateau was absolutely unaware of who Marron was really moving for, but he seemed impressed by Marron's movements. He was so lithe and he moved so wonderfully... Gateau shifted to a kneel and held Marron's legs either side of him, driving deeper, deeper. Marron cried out, his whole body seeming to shift with each movement... Carrot's eyes were on him, he wanted to keep them like that, he wanted Carrot to be impressed, he wanted Carrot to realize, to know... Marron opened his eyes and looked up to were Carrot was stood, his arms folded and his eyes still cold.

 

"Niisan...?"

 

"I'm not gonna stay here, Marron... you really think I wanna stand and watch you with him like that?! I've got better things to watch, and I never had any desire to see Gateau naked in the FIRST place..."

 

Carrot was heading towards the door now; Marron arched up against Gateau, watching the door intently.

 

"Niisan... NIISAN..."

 

His cries weren't enough to stop Carrot, who quietly left the room.

 

Any encouragement or reason gone, Marron lost his energetic movements and just lay back and let himself be taken; either way, Gateau didn't mind, he just liked being able to do things like that with Marron in the first place. Gateau didn't even mind that Marron cried no name at climax - he didn't dare risk it. Gateau didn't have to know, after all. There wasn't any easy way to explain it, and Gateau was content enough to hear Marron's orgasmic cries, he didn't seem to mind that his name wasn't said. Or that Marron had barely said his name for the entire encounter. Perhaps he hadn't even noticed... Marron didn't care. Let Gateau be in the dark for as long as possible... only Carrot could be Carrot, anybody else... anybody else was just an outlet for sexual frustration. It didn't mean anything with those people.

 

By the time the end of the day was reached and it was time to go back to his own bedroom, Marron had usually lost coherent thought, usually just had only enough strength to fall back onto his bed. Occasionally have a shower beforehand, but most of the time showers were had the morning following. Sometimes there would be a mission, sometimes it would all begin again.

 

It was the end of the day again. Marron walked down the corridor, hugging himself tightly, feeling worn-out as he advanced along to where his and Carrot's bedroom was. He always liked to leave Gateau until last for that reason... Gateau's bedroom was so close to his own, it meant he didn't have to walk too far... and Gateau always seemed to like to tire him out, so that was a good thing. If he had to walk from where Shiffon and Kahlua had been to his bedroom after a day of such strenuous activity, he might have fallen over halfway there and not bothered to get back up again... sleeping in the hallway didn't seem such an unattractive prospect at that moment in time.

 

Outside, it was already dark. Marron quietly marvelled at that; he'd really spent so long with the others? It didn't seem like that, but... well, any amount of time could have passed, it was all the same eventually. So now it was night-time? Just an excuse to sleep. Marron wondered if there'd be any missions the next day... perhaps... missions were less exhausting, it should be a nice break if that were true.

 

Carrot, Marron supposed, would probably be asleep by the time he returned to the bedroom. Whatever. So he hadn't even wanted to watch that with Gateau...? Of course, to Carrot, Gateau being naked and all just there would probably be off-putting, but... that wasn't the point, Carrot wasn't supposed to have been paying attention to Gateau... Gateau just happened to be there, hadn't Carrot's eyes been attracted at all to Marron...?

 

Marron let out a deep sigh. Probably not. It was a stupid thing to wish for, to hope that Carrot might notice him... notice him doing what? Sleeping with other people? He noticed that sure enough.

 

It wasn't that, though... Carrot always wanted to know why Marron did things like that, but... he wouldn't be able to cope with the answer...! If that was the truth though, Marron didn't know why he kept up with it in the first place... if Carrot couldn't guess and Marron wouldn't tell him, what was the point?!

 

Ah, here was his and Carrot's bedroom. Time to switch off those kinds of thoughts and go to sleep... Carrot wouldn't mention anything in the morning, he never did.

 

His mind slowly going over those thoughts, Marron was prepared to walk into the room, take off his robes, get into bed, go to sleep. The usual. He wasn't prepared for the sight that actually met him when he walked into the room...

 

On Carrot's bed... well, Carrot was there, but not alone. That was... Chocolat and Tira, was it not? They were naked, too. Oh, Carrot was also... and the way Chocolat was sitting on Carrot... that was right on his lap, surely... and Carrot's hand was... just what was he doing to Tira, there?

 

Marron just blinked. It was as if he hadn't even been noticed, as if everything was moving in slow motion... or maybe that was just how they were all moving in the first place. The soft movement of Carrot's hips made Chocolat moan, and Tira trembled and pressed herself against Carrot... Marron just stood there.

 

"Ni- niisan?!"

 

Carrot didn't look up, but Marron could feel his voice; he had a nasty feeling inside him as he realised, Chocolat and Tira couldn't see him... and Carrot wasn't looking at him...

 

"I thought you were gonna be in Gateau's room for the rest of the night...!"

 

"N-no, you KNOW I always come back here afterward... ah... niisan... what are you... what are you... doing...?"

 

Marron had been advancing on the trio as he'd spoken. He glanced over Chocolat and Tira, then Carrot... he saw Carrot's eyes flicker towards him momentarily, but that was all... Carrot didn't say anything.

 

Somehow, perhaps still in some kind of denial, Marron walked forward, walked to Carrot's bed, to stand beside it. Just what were they doing...? Chocolat, Tira and Carrot didn't stop moving as Marron folded his arms to take a closer look... they were all naked, they were all on Carrot's bed... Tira was pressed against Carrot's arm, his hand between her legs shone with moisture... Chocolat's legs were splayed over Carrot's own, and his cock appeared to be deep within her... she let out a soft moan as she shifted against him.

 

"Darling, you slowed down...! C'mon, go a little faster, okay?"

 

Chocolat put her hands to Carrot's shoulders, Tira leant her head against her sister's hand. She nodded alongside Chocolat, "I'm sure that I'll be able to outlast my sister... and then, I'll just have to see how long you can last... hmm...? So you should hurry up, Carrot..."

 

Without being noticed, Marron stood up again. It seemed... it seemed... well, it all seemed to suddenly slot into place as Marron continued to stare at the scene.

 

It seemed, that they were having a threesome.

 

Ah.

 

Stepping back from the bed, finding it hard to comprehend, Marron frowned.

 

"Niisan... niisan... wh-... why...?!"

 

Perhaps it was just something to say, but Marron didn't seem to want to stick around to hear any particular reason why Carrot might have been doing such a thing. Was it really so unexpected...? Carrot had walked around Eden for most of the day to see Marron doing things like that, why did it bring such a tremor to Marron's insides to see Carrot doing almost exactly what he'd spent the whole day doing...?

 

No, but that... that wasn't how it was supposed to be... Carrot was supposed to eventually tell Marron about his dislike of Marron's actions... ask just what it'd take to get Marron to stop... Marron'd say it'd take Carrot to stop, and from there, it-...

 

Marron just ran from the room, unable to say anything else.

 

Once he was gone, Carrot bowed his head. Chocolat and Tira were still with him, but somehow they were forgotten... Marron had been upset, and Carrot hadn't meant to cause that.

 

"Why, otouto...?"

 

Perhaps Carrot had reason of his own...?

 

"... Because... because you wouldn't..."

 

****

 

Marron's eyes snapped open.

 

It appeared to be morning, or at least daytime. Where was h-... Marron looked to the side, saw Milphey's sleeping face. Thoughts of what had happened before he slept occurred to him. What had happened with Gateau... oh, not again... and it was the morning now, wasn't it...? So... Gateau would probably be angry, probably want to say something...

 

Stretching a little, Marron felt the sheet around him from where he'd wrapped it before he slept. It was still around him, so Milphey obviously hadn't tried anything while Marron slept... not that Marron thought he would or anythi-

 

Marron froze.

 

The sheet was still around him, but... down there, was he not... somewhat... sticky?

 

Flushing to his ears, Marron quickly eyed Milphey once more. Still asleep. He probably hadn't noticed, but... what had caused such a thing...? Even what had happened with Gateau last night, even that hadn't enabled anything to happen...! The only thing that seemed to work, these days... had it been another dream? What kind of dream... had it been a dream like that in the past...?

 

Staring at the sleeping Milphey, Marron felt some kind of familiar feeling. Had Marron dreamt of Milphey, of all people? It seemed strange that just a dream of Milphey would be enough to trigger such feelings, Marron hadn't ever really considered Milphey in that way, but...

 

No, it hadn't just been Milphey, had it...? Milphey... Milphey... Milphey and... other people? Maybe Carrot? No, not Carrot... Carrot... hadn't he been there with...-

 

The last part of the dream, Marron could remember. Suddenly the image in his mind seemed clear, he sat up in his surprise. Carrot, Tira, Chocolat... the three of them in that kind of position... that hadn't been a dream, that'd been a nightmare, surely! Even despite that, Marron had had an orgasm while he slept? Had that been due to thoughts of his brother and the Misu sisters?

 

Just that thought made Marron fall back onto the bed.

 

What time was it? The sun was shining, so it had to be at least the morning, if not the early afternoon... Marron had likely slept for quite some time. After all, he hadn't had that much sleep last night...

 

At Marron's movement, Milphey was also stirred to wake up. He mumbled something incoherent and tried to cuddle up to Marron; on realising that Marron had changed positions slightly, Milphey's eyes flickered open, saw the sunlight. That line of thought caught in his mind, he yawned and stretched as he pulled away from Marron.

 

"Goo-oood morning, Marron-chan! How are you this fine morning?"

 

Marron's voice was flat, "I had a nightmare."

 

"Oh. That's a shame. Well, I slept well, and I didn't feel you moving around too much in your sleep, so it can't have been that disturbing. Aanyway... so... do you want to stay in here for a bit, or did you want to go out and get some breakfast, or... well, whatever you want to do, do you want to do it with me? If I'm not mistaken, Gateau-chan probably won't be so happy to see you this morning... perhaps we can try and hide from him for the day. It can be like hide-and-seek! Oh, I haven't played that for so long..."

 

"I should like to shower first, Milphey..."

 

"Okay, okay. Hm. I don't think there's a shower in here. There's the one in your room though, isn't there? You can go there and come back if you want. As for me... I think I'll have another little nap before anything happens. I still feel kinda tired, don't know why... guess it's just one of those lazy days!"

 

Milphey fell back onto the bed and pulled the cover over his face, "Have a nice shower."

 

Marron carefully slipped from the bed, peeling the sheet from where it stuck to him. He folded it neatly and decided to take it with him, put it in for washing himself. Milphey didn't have to know the depth of his dreams. As for a shower... he was determined to take a shower, but to get to his and his brother's room, that meant walking past Gateau's room... Marron sighed as he pulled the nightshirt he'd discarded previously over his shoulders. Milphey had sounded so excited about avoiding Gateau for the day, but practically, the idea wasn't without it's flaws. Gateau could only be avoided for so long, after all... and surely he was entitled to some kind of explanation, even if it wasn't the truth he needed to be told something...

 

The outside corridor seemed quiet. Marron stepped into the corridor, and shut the door behind him carefully. He felt vulnerable, as if he was trying to return from someplace he shouldn't have been, someplace he didn't want to be caught... it was almost true, though. Explaining to Gateau why he'd run away to Milphey's room in the middle of the night wouldn't be easy. Put like that, it was the kind of thing that could be taken entirely the wrong way...

 

Sighing in relief as Marron reached his bedroom door without incident, he quickly let himself inside and shut the door after him. He couldn't help but feel a kind of safety for being in there...

 

"Marron!"

 

Marron looked up to see Carrot sitting on his bed. He wore his trousers and his tanktop, his boots were kicked off to the side... perhaps Carrot had been somewhere then come back? Still, it seemed strange for Carrot still to be in bed at this time of the day.

 

"Oh?! Ah, nii... niisan... you're still in bed?"

 

"I woke up late, thought I'd just stay in here for a while. Where were you?"

 

"Ah, that is..."

 

It was hard to explain. Marron just smiled and hoped that said smile didn't come across as being too false as he walked over to the bathroom door.

 

"... I was with Gateau last night, niisan."

 

Carrot followed Marron into the bathroom. Marron had been in the middle of taking his nightshirt off when Carrot opened the door suddenly, he threw the shirt to the floor and glanced up at Carrot. Carrot was leant against the door, glaring at him... Marron stood up straight and stepped over to the shower, feeling unsure.

 

"Niisan...?"

 

"You weren't with Gateau, were you?"

 

Marron had been making his way inside the shower when Carrot had said that. The curtain pulled, Marron's voice couldn't hide his surprise. How did Carrot know...?

 

"Ni-... niisan?!"

 

The shower started to run, there was silence in the room for a few moments. Marron quickly went for the soap and created a lather with his hands, he washed it quickly down his arms. Soap and water dripped and cascaded down his body, his hair stuck to his back... Carrot wasn't saying anything.

 

"Niisan, how did you...?"

 

"Ah, so you weren't... I got woken up a while back by Gateau, y'see. He wanted to know if I'd seen you or anything, so I said no... Gateau said he'd go out lookin' for you, I said I'd stay in the bedroom to see if you came back... and you did, so at least you didn't go and get into trouble or anything. Gateau was pretty worried, though... he said you and him had at least seen each other last night, then you'd kinda randomly disappeared..."

 

Carrot pulled the shower curtain back and stared at Marron, who'd been soaping his legs over. Marron looked up at Carrot, slightly wide-eyed... why did Carrot have to bring up such conversations while Marron was trying to shower? Standing in front of his brother, naked like that... Marron couldn't help but blush slightly, but he didn't want to blush at all... he didn't want Carrot to suspect anything...!

 

Face falling into a concerned frown, Carrot sighed deeply and folded his arms.

 

"Marron, I keep asking but I keep not getting an answer. Just what is going on...? I mean... I get that you don't love Gateau and all, but you just keep making him worried, then he comes running to me about it... why ca-"

 

"OI, CARROT?"

 

Marron froze and Carrot looked over his shoulder. That voice was unmistakably Gateau's voice... Marron hoped fervently that Carrot might somehow understand that he didn't want to be seen and especially not by Gateau, but Carrot just went over to the door, "What is it?"

 

"I've looked all over for him, I can't fi-"

 

"It's okay, he's here. He's just taking a shower right now."

 

"I see... well, um... can you tell him for when he gets out that I want a word with him?"

 

Carrot's slight laugh, "He's about two meters behind me, Gateau. He can probably hear you. Anyway, sure, I'll tell him. You wanna wait here, or go to your room, or...?"

 

A moment of deliberation, "I'll wait here. If he's only in the shower it means he can't run off again. Though, I'd kinda rather it was private, though..."

 

"Oh sure, I won't stick around, don't worry about that... he won't be long, just wait a bit."

 

Carrot closed the bathroom door again.

 

Marron had been listening to the conversation from behind the shower curtain. Inwardly, he cursed himself. He really had backed himself into a corner, hadn't he? Gateau had done so literally, but figuratively... and he couldn't help but dread whatever word it was Gateau wanted to have with Marron. One word? Probably more than that. 'I hate you', perhaps? 'You're a conniving little bastard', maybe. Or then there was 'I'm sick of you manipulating me like I'm just some toy to you', there could be that as well... Marron swept water from his face with one hand, clenching his fingers around his forehead. How the hell did he get into these situations?

 

There wasn't any way to come out of the situation without at least someone's thoughts or feelings being hurt or brought to light. What was there to say, anyway? Thinking about it, Marron couldn't really think of much he wanted to say to Gateau, much he could say... perhaps he could apologize, but for what? Well, for his cruel actions, but... they were justified...! Even if only in Marron's mind, they were justified...

 

To justify them to Gateau would be to destroy the delicate balance, though. For Gateau to know Marron's reasons would be to destroy everything Marron had worked to create... even Milphey now knew of Marron's strange obsession with his brother. Milphey knew, Milphey would be the only one. Marron was determined to keep it that way.

 

"I guess you heard that...?"

 

Carrot spoke; Marron, disturbed from his thoughts, looked up. He pulled the shower curtain to the side a little to look at Carrot, and feigned innocence.

 

"Niisan?"

 

"Gateau's waiting in the bedroom, he wants a word with you..."

 

Marron let the shower curtain fall again, "... oh."

 

"Look, um... Marron?"

 

"Mm?"

 

Carrot's voice fell to a whisper, aware that Gateau was only a door away; he edged closer to the shower curtain, whispering urgently against it, hoping that only Marron would hear him.

 

"I think that Gateau's, uh... you and him, um..."

 

"Niisan?"

 

"Just what happened last night? I, I mean, that's obviously between you and him, but he looks real preoccupied through there. I know there was that time last when something happened and that was when I thought he'd tried doing something bad to you so I went after him, and then it just turned out he'd said he'd loved you... what happened this time? When he's even asking me where you are I can't help but get curious! Can't you at least tell us something?!"

 

Marron's voice was almost inaudible against the constant rush of the shower, but Carrot heard him.

 

"Niisan, last night... Gateau and I, we... we almost... h-he and I... we came close to h-having intercourse..."

 

Carrot's facial expression softened slightly, though Marron couldn't see it.

 

"Oh, it's another sex thing, is it?"

 

"Y-yes."

 

"... Well...?"

 

"Niisan... if I were to tell you what happened, I... I would rather it were not in this situation... I... at least can it wait until Gateau isn't waiting for me..."

"Sure, sure. Look, um... whatever happens, I'll be there for you, okay? If you wanna bitch and whine and rant about how much of a bastard Gateau is or was or whatever, I'll listen. Gateau's still... I'm still his friend, but I'm your brother before that. Just, if you're gonna split up with him, try and do it as nicely as possible. Even if you hate each other's guts you're still gonna haveta fight together whenever the next mission comes through."

 

"I- I know."

 

Carrot nodded, "I know you know, just wanted to make sure. You almost done in there? I'm gonna go now, maybe gonna go out to Facade for a bit... I'll leave you two to it. Don't end up throwing any spells or anything at him though, I kinda want a bedroom to come back to...!"

 

"Y-yes, niisan."

 

"Okay. See ya later. Good luck."

 

"Mmn."

 

Marron turned the shower off as he heard Carrot leave the bathroom. He could hear muffled conversation between Carrot and Gateau, then the farther-off sound of the main bedroom door shutting... so, Carrot was gone, and it was left down to Marron and Gateau. The things that Carrot had just talked about... splitting up with Gateau? Was that a possibility?

 

Really thinking about it, Marron supposed it would be even more surprising if Gateau actually wanted to stay with Marron after all that had happened, or failed to happen. Still... breaking up...? That seemed so harsh...

 

"It's only what I deserve..."

 

The plan to achieve orgasm had been tried, and it had failed. Marron had supposed that Gateau would be able to bring him to his climax... in the end, it seemed that whatever Gateau attempted, it just made Marron even more determined not to... there were the dreams, but those were all that Marron could feel. What was there to say? Gateau couldn't know the truth, or at least, not all of it. The plan had failed, and unfortunately Gateau's feelings had been hurt in the process. Marron hadn't meant for that to happen, but he supposed it was unavoidable, really...

 

Marron pulled a towel from the rail to dry his hair with, and supposed he could grab a robe from the bedroom. It didn't really matter if Gateau saw him naked, after all... it wasn't anything he hadn't seen before. Sighing deeply and steeling his resolve, Marron rubbed his body down with the towel before ruffling his hair with it; he was more or less dry, that was enough. He took the towel with him as he walked into the bedroom, aware that he had Gateau's eyes on him from the moment the door opened, but not quite looking at him, not just yet. He didn't want Gateau to mistake Marron's nudity for any kind of sensual come-on... Marron just hadn't had a chance to get dressed yet, that was all.

 

There was silence in the room as Marron went over to the drawers for a bathrobe - why didn't they keep them in the bathroom, that would have been so much simpler - and a hairbrush. The atmosphere felt so tense Marron just wanted to turn around and yell randomly at Gateau just to break the silence, but... Gateau was probably waiting for Marron to be ready, Marron respected that. He pulled the robe over his shoulders and bound it at the waist, it covered enough. Turning around to really look at Gateau for the first time, Marron approached his own bed... Gateau was sitting on Carrot's bed. Marron sat down, and pulled his hair to the side as he ran the hairbrush through it. His eyes flickered to Gateau, "You... wanted to speak to me?"

 

"...Yeah. Um..."

 

Whatever it was Gateau wanted to say, it seemed to be difficult. Marron maintained a respective silence, his hair straightening under the force of the hairbrush. He managed to finish brushing his hair before Gateau spoke again, placing the brush down on the bed and sweeping his wet hair behind him. Perhaps Gateau needed to be prompted.

 

"... Gateau?"

 

"It's just, uh... what the hell happened last night...?"

 

Gateau's first question and already it was one Marron found difficult to answer. He looked from Gateau to the floor, studying the soft fronds in sudden detail. That was a difficult one. What the hell had happened last night...?

 

"... You weren't prepared to listen to me. I... I couldn't consent to that which you were implying..."

 

"And you think I wanted to consent to the things you were outright saying!? Marron-... you... you always make it out like it's some big power trip or something... you wanna be tied down, you wanna be overpowered, all that crap... where the hell does that come from?! Why can't you just be like 'oh, sex, cool' or anything...? I like you because you're you, okay? I find you sexy because you just are, I don't get any thrills from thinking 'oh wow, wouldn't it be cool to fuck him with little consent until he can barely speak' or anything... I don't see you as any kind of lesser person or anything, you know? You're my friend and my team-mate, we're both equal, aren't we? I just can't get excited over the sorts of things you were saying..."

 

Gateau trailed off, the room fell into silence again. Marron thought over what had been said, then Gateau continued.

 

"I... I just kinda figured that, if you ever did want to actually go for a relationship or anything, it'd be different to how things were before, you know? Like, where I'd flirt with you and you'd blast me or whatever. You don't do that anymore and I'm glad, but... you're still so shy... I can understand that, but then... when it comes to, y'know, sex, you just go so weird..."

 

"It's not something I can prevent."

 

"Maybe or maybe not, but it just feels like you're leading me on all the time! Baiting me by saying you'd have a relationship with me, gettin' my hopes up and all... then you go all shy on me, and I'm like, okay, it's probably just 'cause he hasn't done anything like that before, it's understandable... then you end up crawling into my bed while I'm sleeping and, as I said, you just get so weird... you swing from being shy to being dominant quicker than Tira does on the battlefield, but then whenever we ever get close, you just clam up on me..."

 

"I... for what it's worth, I'm sorry, Gateau. Honestly. I... I can't deny the things you say. Leading you on like that... I can't say I ever purposely meant for that to happen, but I... I also can't deny I at least had some kind of plan in my mind before I pursued you."

 

Gateau leant back on his arms, glancing over at Marron.

 

"Mm?"

 

"I... I thought that, perhaps, if I were to cultivate a relationship with you, it may help me with... that which I already feel."

 

"Meaning?"

 

"You... you know that you are not the person whom I love... I certainly feel something for you, I couldn't say what, but I do. I just know that I cannot have that who I want, so I... I hoped that I could give myself to somebody who was not him, perhaps I could cultivate my thoughts... perhaps I would be allowed to feel my own climax, that which it feels I have not experienced for so long... I thought that perhaps you could help me with that, but it seems that... it seems that reality couldn't follow my thoughts..."

 

Realising something, Gateau nodded and sat up straight again. He swung his legs over the corner of the bed and sat on the longer edge of the bed, facing Marron.

 

"Yeah, that reminds me... just what is up with that? You got so tense last night about not being able to come or whatever... how come? Why can't you, uh...?"

 

"Some time ago, I came to the conclusion that feeling such things were a weakness to my body. I felt things I knew would never be able to be returned... my meditation... I managed to dissuade my body from feeling aroused. It seemed so much better that way; my feelings seemed only pointless... then, by the time I realised I might want those feelings, it was too late... I couldn't feel them. That's why... do you remember, that first time...? That time when you found me in that other room, that hot night we had not long ago..."

 

"How could I forget..."

 

"That time where I was unconscious... that... that was because I was nervous, because I... before I could even stop myself, I'd cast a spell to attack you... it was almost subconscious, the part of myself knowing that those thoughts had to be ignored realising that I was too close... you see... that's why I wish for you to tie me down, Gateau... if you were to do that, I wouldn't be able to cast any spells... I wouldn't be able to push you away. You could do what you wanted to me... I wouldn't be able to fight back."

 

Gateau watched Marron with a mixture of trepidation and concern. He shook his head, "Marron, it... that's not how it's supposed to be...! It's not supposed to be just something that happens because it's what I want to do it... it's not something where you're either fightin' back or trapped... it's supposed to be a relaxin' kinda thing...! You do that with somebody 'cause you're comfortable enough to do it... or that's how I see it, anyway. I don't want to tie you down, or anything... I want us to be relaxed enough..."

 

"My body won't let me relax."

 

Marron looked up as Gateau moved; he was standing up now, pacing along the carpet in front of the two beds. While he did that, he didn't look at Marron. He kept his arms tightly folded, and he looked deeply in thought... he came to a halt, still not looking at Marron.

 

"I just... I... look, um..."

 

"Yes?"

 

"I can't... I can cope with the whole you not loving me. I mean, okay, it sucks, but sure. For ages there I thought you'd never even return any of my feelings at all, and that was back when I was just like 'I wanna have sex with him'... if I'm not the person you're in love with then I can't help that. It's just... I don't like this whole idea of you only wanting to do sexual things because of this mysterious person you're in love with and can't have. It's all because of that person, isn't it?"

 

"Ga-Gateau..."

 

"I could do casual sex, really I could. It could be a serious thing or it could just be a fun thing, I wouldn't mind. But, for fuck's sake, just would you make up your MIND?!"

 

Marron looked up when Gateau raised his voice; he hadn't quite been expecting that, and from the look on Gateau's face, Gateau might not have been expecting it either. He stared at Marron, disbelieving... he closed his eyes and looked away.

 

"Sorry. I'm sorry. Oh, for-... why am I even apologizing... Marron, what exactly is it I've done wrong here?! I want to get mad. Something in me is saying, I should get mad with you. But no, I can't get mad with you! Why the hell is that?! You do weird things and you never explain yourself, you're always so mysterious, but you admit that you're leading me on, that you're using me... and in my mind, I'm even standing here going 'well, okay, that's alright'... is that even any way to live?! Being willing to provide for the whims of others even when they're totally unreasonable?!"

 

Marron just stared at Gateau, speechless. What was he supposed to say to that...?

 

"If there's somebody you love... if there's somebody who really does affect you so much, then why don't you just tell them so?!"

 

"They... they wouldn't-... they couldn't react to my feelings the way I would want... they wouldn't be able to accept that which I feel for them, Gateau... they... they..."

 

"They'd say no to you? I don't think anybody would be able to say no to you if you asked. God knows, I have enough problems with that..."

 

Gateau frowned disdainfully at Marron.

 

"Tell me who it is."

 

Marron just shook his head, "I can't..."

 

"Marron, I'm not giving you a choice, here. Don't you think I'm at least entitled to know?! This mysterious person who prevents you from doing so much... the person you... the person this is all about... this relationship has three people in it and I don't even know who that other person is. Just tell me. Then maybe we can go to them and tell them about all the trouble they've caused."

 

"I'm not going to tell you, Gateau...!"

 

There was a moment of silence. Gateau closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. He'd been pacing once more, he'd come to a halt in front of where Marron was sat. He looked up again, then lunged forward onto the bed, surprising Marron and pinning him down onto the bed; Marron let out an 'unph-!' before realising the situation.

 

"A-... Ga-... Gateau...?"

 

Gateau moved on the bed so that he still pinned Marron down, but had him less crushed under Gateau's weight than previously. Gateau held Marron down at the wrists and stared into his eyes with a piercing gaze.

 

"I want to know. I want you to tell me. I want to know who this ohso amazing person is that means that you can't do anything because of them. This amazing love you've got... is that just some lust-related thing, or is it really love? Do you even know what that is?! You're like some kind of demon... don't you always get those in myths and such? Beautiful people who hide wicked interiors behind their pretty faces... tempting people into doing things for them for their own ends... you're just like that..."

 

Somehow, what Gateau said only compounded some of Marron's past thoughts. He knew he was terrible for the way he'd acted with Gateau, he didn't need to be told things like that. Somehow it just seemed worse when he was being accused of things like that... any will to fight back left Marron's body. He knew he was terrible, Gateau knew so too. He didn't seem under any illusions anymore.

 

Marron let his head fall to the side, feeling pathetic. He deserved Gateau's anger, didn't he...

 

"I can't deny what you're saying."

 

"So tell me, that mysterious other person... do you love them? Or do you just want them to satisfy your own lust? Would you use that person just like you intended to use me?!"

 

"N-no! No, I-"

 

"Yeah, I gathered as much. What makes that person so different from me, then? What is it about that person that's so holy we can't even speak their name? That means that all your feelings have to be directed towards him while you're pretending I'm him or whatever?! What's different about me that makes you think you can use me and use me and have me not mind!? Do I really look that stupid? Am I your pet, or something? Always wagging my tail for my abusive master because I don't know any different, still pawing for attention after being kicked down again and again and again... idiot. You can't just use people like that, Marron! You're just as bad as the Sorcerers we fight... manipulating one person is only a step away from the things that they do, isn't it?!"

 

"... Ga... teau..."

 

"Was I supposed to not mind? Just go along all the time, oh yes, I'll let Marron do what he wants because I love him and I don't care about anything else...? Yeah. That's the stupid thing about it. Even though you're a manipulative bastard who doesn't seem to care at all if it's not about your special precious person, I still fucking love you. I don't know why."

 

That last sentence was spoken begrudgingly, as if Gateau didn't quite want Marron to know that. Still, there didn't seem to be anything to say to that... what was there to say? Marron couldn't think of a thing. Every word seemed to make him out to being worse and worse, and it felt worse than that that he couldn't deny any of what Gateau said at all...

 

Gateau leant in close, his nose hovering close to Marron's own, staring right into Marron's eyes.

 

"So what were you planning, huh?"

 

"N-nn?"

 

"In this big plan of yours I was gonna be helping you with without realising, with the whole 'I can't have orgasms' or whatever. Say it had all worked, and I'd been able to make you come your brains out; what then? Were you just going to toss me aside, or what?"

"N-no..."

 

"What, then? I'm curious here."

 

"A-ah... that is..."

"TELL ME!"

 

Marron stared back up at Gateau, unsure of what to say. Gateau had raised his voice again... he really did seem to be getting angry now, and it was all perfectly justified. Marron supposed he had little to lose... he was determined not to tell Gateau that it was in fact Carrot that he loved, but apart from that...

 

"I... I... I suppose I... I wouldn't have told you of what I thought... you and I, we... we would have had a relationship... I wouldn't have been able to be with my- with the person who I love, but... to be with you, to be able to do the things that people do... to have a comparatively normal relationship... I would have been happy with that...! I wouldn't have minded... then at least I would have had somebody to-..."

 

"To what?"

 

Marron couldn't maintain his stare at Gateau, he dropped his head to the side again and closed his eyes. He cursed himself for feeling tearful... Gateau wouldn't respect his tears.

 

"... at least there would have been somebody who I... who I could always return to... somebody I could always be with, even if I had to watch him go off with other people... perhaps the despair would feel less if I could pretend... if I had my own relationship to be in, then perhaps his affairs would become less important to my mind... or at least... that's what I told myself..."

 

Gateau nodded, glaring at Marron.

 

"Hn, I see. So even if it'd all gone okay, you still woulda been pining for someone else, wouldn't you... there's nothing I can do, is there?! Anything I do, it's just going to be 'I'm not him' or whatever, isn't it? Even if we did manage to have sex, you'd only be thinking of him... I don't even want to know if I want to know who he is, anymore."

 

"I wouldn't tell you. I can't."

 

"So I gathered."

 

"Nobody... nobody can know."

 

Gateau didn't reply to that, there didn't seem to be any point in fighting about it anymore. What was there left to say? Nothing seemed to change the situation. Marron, enchanting as he'd been, couldn't be changed. Gateau stood up from the bed, staring down at Marron, half-circling the bed around him for a moment before coming to a halt.

 

"Earlier, I was looking for you. Me and that brother of yours were."

 

Marron said nothing.

 

"Me and him just got talking, you know, as you do. Carrot asked me if I was planning to break up with you... I was amazed he'd even suggest such a thing...! Didn't know how he could even ask such a thing. I said I only wanted to know why you'd run off last night, just wanted to know what the hell was going on in that head of yours... Carrot was just like 'oh' to that. 'Why, you think I should or something?'... 'No, I don't think you should, it'd be kinda a shame, but... stuff like this is always happening, isn't it?'... we went on like that for a while. Wasn't quite sure what he meant, but... he's right, isn't he? Stuff like this is always happening. You and me, stuff almost happens. You freak out and run off giving no reason whatsoever... then I come bounding back, oh, next time it'll be different...!"

 

Marron still said nothing. Gateau's eyes narrowed, "Marron, sit up and look at me a moment. At least pretend like you care."

 

Silently, Marron sat up.

 

"Every time, that's what I think. Next time, it'll be different...! Next time, he won't freak out. Next time, he won't go off on one about how he wants to be dominated. Next time, next time, next time... you know what? I'm sick of it. Every time I hope for a next time it just gets worse... I give up. Don't tell Carrot I actually listened to something he said, but... let's forget about the next times, okay? I'll leave you the fuck alone, if that's what you're most scared of. After all, I don't appreciate being used like this... so why should you get what you want, either...?"

 

With that, Gateau made towards the door. Marron watched him wordlessly for the short while it took Gateau to reach the door... when his hand was on the doorhandle, Marron spoke up.

 

"Gateau, WAIT-"

 

Gateau's hand turned the doorhandle, but didn't open the door. He spoke without facing Marron.

 

"What is it?"

 

"If you walk out of this room-..."

 

"So what if I do? You won't have to worry anymore. Find somebody else to use for your perverted sex games, I won't put up with this."

 

"... You said you loved me..."

 

"What's that got to do with anything!? Yes, I said I loved you. I said that because I meant it. Because you're the most beautiful person I've seen, and that's saying something. Because you're calm and cool and powerful and strong and sexy and all of that... somehow, yes, I loved you. Love you. However, you're also self-centred, selfish, malicious, spiteful and perverted. Besides, whoever loves whoever else, it doesn't matter, does it? You love whoever the hell it is you love, you think they can't love you back. I love you, you can't love me back. What the hell are we supposed to do? We might as well just forget it. Go back to before all this happened, or something."

 

The door began to open; Marron leapt up off the bed, and hit Gateau's hand away.

 

"I won't let you leave this room."

 

Gateau looked down at Marron, disgusted and surprised both at once.

 

"Marron, what the fuck?!"

 

"I won't let you leave."

 

"Why? What reason have you got to keep me here...? It's only going to keep getting worse, so we might as well quit while we're ahead."

 

Marron leant up and looped his arms around Gateau's neck, holding onto him from behind. If Gateau left the room, it was all over; Marron wouldn't let Gateau leave. True, Gateau was not the person Marron loved, but... it still hurt when Gateau accused him of all those things, even more so that they were all true. Just, in the past... all the romantic things Gateau had done... hadn't he enjoyed those things? When he'd said he loved Marron, had that been a lie? Marron's driving force was his love for Carrot, and it seemed that he wouldn't accept anything less than that.

 

Surely, if Gateau's love was any kind of love at all, he fell under the same mindset...? If he really loved Marron, surely he wouldn't just walk out like that... if he really loved Marron, would he so easily say it was over, would he so readily accept that perhaps going to the arms of somebody else was a better solution?

 

Gateau stopped still with Marron's arms around him. Marron realised he had little argument to back himself up with; Gateau obviously thought it the best thing to leave. Arguably, it did seem quite a sensible solution, but Marron's pride wouldn't let Gateau leave... love or not, Gateau had been the first person to kiss Marron in such ways, touch him, the whole being naked with each other thing... if Gateau left, who else was there? Carrot couldn't be Marron's. Reasons rose and fell in Marron's mind, the base reason he could fathom was that, if Gateau did walk out at that moment... if Gateau did leave him... would there ever be anybody else? Could there be anybody else? There was Milphey... he even knew of the situation, but... Gateau had been after Marron for as long as anybody could remember, since their first meeting... even if it was only for the sake of the past, Marron wasn't willing to give that up. He'd fight, if necessary. He wouldn't let Gateau leave.

 

Marron pressed against Gateau's neck and whispered, "You said I was like a demon... you said you loved me... if you walk out of that door, if you leave me... if you leave me, who you love... will anybody else love you...?"

 

"Marron, what are you talking about?"

 

"Is there anybody else out there you'll think more beautiful than me...? Is that my being self-centred...? You... always said that I was beautiful, and acted derisive when I argued that I wasn't. You said you admired me, my attitude, my power... do you still admire me, or was that a lie? You always wanted me to look at you, flouncing around in little more than a thong... was that a lie, too? Were you just pretending you wanted me to look? Gateau, you're not losing anything by remaining with me. It's not your problem. Even without having sex, do I not please you...? I've had you writhing beneath me as I kiss and stroke you to your climax... even if I don't love you, why should you care? You love me, and I'm willing to do those things. I could carry on doing those things. Every night, if you wanted me to. We could have sex, too... just as long as you held me down, I'd let you. If I'm so spiteful and malicious, if you really find me so hateful, you wouldn't care, would you? Why can't you do what it seems I've been doing, taking my pleasure where I can find it...? After all... at least you can feel your climax..."

 

"You're a demon of sexual frustration, aren't you... there's more to a relationship than just sex, Marron."

 

Gateau opened the door and shook Marron from his shoulders, only to be met by Milphey's smiling face on the other side of the door. Marron watched from slightly behind Gateau, silently thankful for Milphey's presence. While Milphey stood in the doorway, it meant that Gateau couldn't leave, didn't it...?

 

Milphey looked slightly surprised, but retained his smile.

 

"Ah, Gateau-chan, Marron-chan, hello. I hope I wasn't disturbing anything..."

 

Gateau and Marron just stared at Milphey.

 

"... well, anyway. Marron-chan, do you - oh, this'll probably sound strange, but... I don't suppose you have that sheet from my bed you wrapped yourself in last night, do you? I was looking around after I woke up and realised it wasn't there, I was just curious. Mama gets angry sometimes when things like that go missing."

 

Slightly taken aback by the change in mood from the private conversation to Milphey's smile, Gateau stepped to the side to let Marron address Milphey.

 

"Oh, ah... yes, I have it. I brought it back to put in the laundry, I-"

 

"Is that it there? I don't have anything else to do at the moment, I can take it down now. Did it get too warm last night, then? Or wa-... oh, I see. Well, I'll take this down to the laundry, in any case. Toodles! Sorry if I disturbed anything!"

 

As Milphey had been talking, he'd held the sheet up, let it unfold in front of him, and inspected it. The stain from the night before had dried, but was still visible on the otherwise perfectly white bedsheet... Milphey had blushed when he'd realised, and scrunched the sheet up into his arms before leaving the room. He closed the door behind him, leaving the two surprised Sorcerer Hunters in his wake. Marron and Gateau just stood there.

 

Marron didn't have anything to say to that, just embarrassed that Milphey had found that sheet, had realised what was on it... how mortifying. Oh well, the sheet had been taken off to be washed now, there was nothing that could be done about it now.

 

Gateau looked down at Marron, brow furrowed in confusion. Marron looked up at him, feeling slightly displaced, and a little curious. Gateau still had something to say after all of that...?

 

"That sheet..."

 

"Mm?"

 

"On it... that was... that was from Milphey's bed... and you were in that sheet... from Milphey's bed, last night... and that had on it..."

 

"Gateau?"

 

Gateau seemed to have come to a conclusion all of a sudden. Thoughts of leaving the room seemed forgotten suddenly; Gateau turned his back on the door, turned to face Marron. Marron looked up at Gateau still, his curious mood remaining... what was Gateau thinking now? The look on Gateau's face worried Marron slightly; Gateau had been disbelieving previously, he'd spoken with anger, things like that... however, now... Gateau looked angry, and there was nothing to dilute it. What had made him so angry suddenly...?

 

"Gateau, what's the matter...?"

 

"You little hypocrite... you... you... "

 

Marron was walking backwards from where Gateau appeared to be advancing on him; he glanced over his shoulder, the wall next to the window seemed altogether too close... it seemed as if Gateau was searching for another word to call Marron, but couldn't think of one.

 

"Gateau, what's..."

 

"You slept with him, didn't you?"

 

"Hmn?"

 

Gateau was holding Marron by his shoulders against the wall now; his voice was altogether too quiet, and it un-nerved Marron that that was so. It was almost as if Gateau was about to snap... Marron wasn't sure what would happen in that eventuality, but...

 

"With Milphey...! I didn't know where you went last night, Carrot didn't know where you went... where else would you have gone? You didn't come back to your own bedroom and you sure as hell didn't stick around to stay with me... you went off to Milphey, didn't you...! When you can't go to me, you run straight to him, do you...?"

 

"Ga-Gateau, you're misinterpreting the situation. Indeed, I went to his room last night, and I needed to talk to somebody, so I talked to him... he listened to me, and we slept together that night, but i-"

 

The rest of Marron's sentence, explaining how Milphey and Marron had slept together in the more innocent, platonic sense of the phrase, was lost. This was due to the fact that, as soon as Marron had said that last part of his sentence, he'd suddenly found Gateau's lips crushed to his in a sudden bruising kiss.

 

For a few moments, Marron was shocked. Hadn't Gateau spoken, just a short while ago, of the two of them breaking up? About how they should just leave it alone, about how there wouldn't be any more 'next time's...? If so, then just what was Gateau up to now...?

 

He wasn't being gentle. The kiss was heavy and claiming, and Gateau still had Marron held against the wall. Marron moaned against the kiss, moaned his confusion, moaned his protest... he pushed a little with his shoulders, but was held back by Gateau's hands. It seemed that Gateau really wouldn't accept Marron's protests now... Marron shivered. He'd been pushing and pushing at Gateau almost constantly for the past month or so... had Gateau been pushed just that little too far, now...?

 

Eventually, Marron managed to wrest his head away from Gateau, if not his body. His breathing was quick, now... Gateau kept himself busy, nosing Marron's hair aside and laying biting kisses against Marron's neck. Marron shivered more strongly this time, "GA- Ga.. Gateau... wha-.... what are you... you... what are you doing...?"

 

Grazing his teeth along Marron's jawline, Gateau wrapped one arm behind Marron's shoulders and the other underneath his rear. With a noise of exertion, Gateau was able to pick Marron up for long enough to carry him over to the closest bed and land him down on that. He pinned Marron down once more, chasing up until Marron leant against the headboard of the bed; Carrot's bed, he noticed. Gateau didn't seem to be in a mood to be argued with, though.

 

"All that, going on about the person you love and not being able to have sex with people and all that crap... it was all a lie, wasn't it? You thought you'd fuck with me then run off and get your thrills from somebody else...! You're nothing more than a little slut, aren't you? Me, Milphey... is there anybody else you wanna go after while you're at it? I bet you'd even fuck Carrot if he just asked you to..."

 

That had of course been meant as an insult, but Marron couldn't help his ears twitching when Gateau said that. Yes, that was the truth.

 

"... so really, all of that... it doesn't matter, does it? Maybe you really don't care. Maybe I should just do the things you ask."

 

Gateau went for Marron's hands, lifting them up against the edge of the headboard; he held Marron's wrists to the board with one outstretched hand. He took hold of one and brought it back down to the bed, holding it tightly in his hand. Marron couldn't cast a spell without the use of both of his hands, could he? That would be enough. Gateau's other hand went to the parting of Marron's bathrobe, brushing it apart, delving between Marron's legs... Marron gave a slight jump when he felt Gateau's hand roughly fondle beneath his robes. Oh gods... after all of that, was Gateau finally going to give in to what Marron had been asking for for all that time? Was Gateau finally going to take him without consent nor question? In that case, let him believe what he wanted. If the thought of Marron sleeping with Milphey was enough to make him so angry, then let him believe that that had happened. Finally... Marron's will was being followed...

 

Kissing Marron while he touched, Gateau's own breath was becoming harried. Marron watched him constantly, wondered just what would happen next... what an unexpected yet desirable conclusion...! Even if it wasn't Carrot... this was what he'd wanted... wasn't it...? After not too long, Gateau found himself stroking at Marron's hard erection, then he stopped. Gateau smirked triumphantly at Marron.

 

"So, you say you can't come, right? Let's see what happens if you don't run away."

 

"A-aah..."

 

Gateau pushed Marron's legs apart, and shuffled down on the bed so he was in a better position. Still holding Marron's wrist with one hand and against Marron's thigh with the other, Gateau dragged Marron's robe away from his crotch with his teeth, then engulfed Marron's arousal with his mouth; Marron let out a sharp cry, his mind quickly trying to get used to the mindset. Gateau sucked with vigour, making Marron let out a cry with each inward breath. Gateau's tongue, also... it licked rapidly up and down Marron's shaft, occasionally Marron felt the brush of teeth there also... his heart pounded in his chest. Maybe this would take him to his climax... perhaps it was time to start thinking of Carrot, of what it'd be like if it were Carrot doing such things...

 

Before Marron could get used to that, Gateau pulled away, and moved his head closer to the bed, nuzzling at the point between Marron's legs, licking and mock-biting at Marron's balls. Unused to such things, Marron trembled powerfully, his fists clenching. For the sake of movement he tried to pull the hand Gateau had held away, but Gateau wouldn't let him... the other hand went to Gateau's shoulder, pushed against it... his whole body gave a start when he felt Gateau's tongue go lower.

 

"Ga-GATEAU... n-no... not... not there..."

 

Gateau took the words of protest as encouragement, and kissed against Marron's thigh before moving to penetrate him with his tongue; he did so, only lightly... Marron cried out a little louder, feeling strange as he felt Gateau's tongue dart in and out of him, teasing him... his tongue would be soft then hard, teasing and ticking... Marron writhed against Gateau's hold, knowing it was useless. This was certainly different.

 

"Hnnn... nnn... NNN... AHN..."

 

Looking up from between Marron's legs, Gateau smirked still. Marron looked quite breathless. He raised the hand that had been on Marron's thigh, and waved it at Marron... he licked along his index finger.

 

"I guess this is just where Milphey went last night, huh? I wonder how far I'll be able to take you... how far I'll be able to go... let's see..."

 

Marron just watched as Gateau licked and sucked quite eagerly on two of his fingers. Gateau's head descended once more, and Marron felt something pressing against him... felt different to Gateau's tongue... they pushed harder, pushed inside... ah, his fingers...?

 

"Damn, you're tight. Relax a bit, don't cut off my blood supply..."

 

"Ahnn nnn... nn... nn... hh..."

 

Somehow, coherent speech seemed difficult by this point. It was hard to relax the way Gateau wanted Marron to; every time Marron tried it, he'd feel Gateau's fingers move deeper, and this encouraged him to just clench his muscles more. Gateau was determined though, and he didn't stop.

 

"Ahghn... Ga... Gate- Gateau... AHHNN..."

 

While making a light stroking motion with his fingers, Gateau had gone back to sucking against Marron's erection. Surely the combined stimulation would make something happen... were his fingers reaching the right places? Gateau pushed a little deeper, deeper still... he was down to his knuckle, that was as far as he could go. He changed the stroking to a flickering movement, and relished the change in Marron's gasps and cries... Gateau interspersed his licking and sucking with talking.

 

"So... maybe, like this... if you really are so loose... maybe you wouldn't mind telling me... who it is you have such an... amazing love for...? If... you're going to sleep with just anybody... that's interesting... that you want something more from someone in particular... who... might that person be...?"

 

"Hnn... nn... nnn-hhh..."

 

"It's not me... and it's not Milphey... I presume. So... perhaps... well. Why... why don't you tell me...? I can't... think of who it might be..."

 

"... NII- NIISAN-!"

 

Gateau stopped abruptly and looked up at Marron, "What the hell?!"

 

In that moment of shock, Marron managed to pull his wrist away from Gateau enough to point at the doorway, "Niisan, niisan... ahhn... hahnn..."

 

Indeed, Carrot was standing in the doorway, eyeing the scene in front of him with undisguised shock. He raised his eyebrow, "Um... I... I disturbed something, didn't I...?"

 

Mind not quite functioning, Gateau looked over his shoulder to where Marron was pointing, and saw Carrot there. Whatever haze had overtaken his mind was broken, "FUCK... um... um... uh..."

 

Gateau leapt away from Marron was quick as was humanely possible, unsure quite how to conduct himself in front of Carrot. Carrot just shook his head, "You didn't need to stop on my account..."

 

"N-no, it, it's quite okay, um, uh, that is, I... I'll be going now."

 

Before either Carrot or Marron could stop him, Gateau left the room, perhaps to think about what had just happened. He closed the door behind him, leaving Carrot and Marron alone in the room.

 

Marron leant back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, his breathing rapid. He didn't try to cover himself up or hide his erection from his brother, not even looking at where Carrot was. As for Carrot himself, he felt quite uncomfortable. He'd worried about coming back to disturb something, but he thought he'd be more likely to disturb an argument or something as opposed to... to... to whatever it was he had disturbed... he gulped, and approached Marron on the bed. His bed.

 

"Um... Marron?"

 

Marron's eyes were closed until he heard Carrot address him. He opened his eyes slowly, his vision hazy... he blinked a few times until the image of Carrot in front of him became clear. Carrot was sitting on the edge of the bed, back towards Marron, looking purposefully away.

 

Somehow Marron couldn't help but smile, just softly.

 

"Niisan..."

 

"Marron, um... what just happened there...? I thought you and Gateau were gonna talk...!"

 

"We... we talked. Some other things... happened. I... I can't quite think at the moment... mhmhm, Gateau touched me in places I've literally never been touched before..."

 

Carrot turned around for a moment and just stared at Marron, unsure of what to say. Marron saw the confusion there, and felt a little regret for saying something like that. He didn't want to alienate Carrot, did he? Didn't want to confuse him with things he didn't want to realise... poor unknowing older brother, he never could realise, could he? There wasn't much to say, so Marron outstretched his arms instead.

 

"Uh?"

 

Marron feigned a childish voice, "Hug?"

 

Carrot faltered, "Um, um, sure."

 

He leant down and hugged Marron. He let out a noise of surprise as he felt Marron's arms close in over his back, he fell over onto the bed, on top of Marron.

 

"Um, Marron? You feelin' okay? You're actin' kinda weird..."

 

"Thank you..."

 

"Eh?"

 

"Thank you... for coming back just then..."

 

"Oh, uh, no problem... I didn't plan it, or anything... just kinda... came back in... why?"

 

"I don't think it counts as something bad if it's what you said you wanted all along, if it's what you think you want... and it felt... different, but... if you hadn't appeared just then... perhaps I might have done something I wasn't quite certain about... so... thank you, niisan..."

 

Carrot stared at the wall opposite him.

 

"Ah, maybe you should take a nap, or something... tell me all about it when you wake up... okay? This is your niisan, telling you to sleep...!"

 

"Only if you stay with me..."

 

"Uh... sure, I don't have anything else to do, I guess..."

 

Marron smiled and shifted his legs closer to Carrot, closing his eyes as he tried to reach a contented sleep. Carrot was still trapped by Marron's arms, and was entirely unsure what to make of the whole situation. Just what had Marron and Gateau talked about, just then? And what the hell had he walked in on? Whatever it'd been, it'd made Marron act so strangely suddenly... well. Marron was napping, now. When he awoke, he'd be able to tell Carrot about it...

 

Carrot continued staring at the wall. It was alright for Marron, but he just wasn't tired... Carrot sighed. He had a feeling this would be a long afternoon.