Shousan
By: Silver Rayne
An incredibly boisterous, festive mood was on the rise as the people involved drank to their hearts content. They were celebrating the upcoming summer season along the horizon. It promised warmer weather, shorter travel time between villages and more sorcerers to banish. The first two results were highly desirable although the last...one could do with a lot less sorcerers. They poked their scheming heads out of the sand, casting forbidden magic carelessly. Not giving much thought to who might be adversely affected by their puttering. That was where the sorcerer hunters entered the picture, a band of five members whose sworn duties involved ridding the planet of the troublemakers.
On several occasions, while fighting of course, the hunters happened to draw the attention of many a damsel in distress. The lovely ladies would come very close to throwing themselves at their rescuers. Now, as voluntary as their status may have been, they still had the right to be choosy. Which was why poor Carrot, the sex-crazed pervert of the group, never succeeded in wooing any of them. The women along their traveling route may have been susceptible to magic but not to Carrot Glace. Anyone with half a brain could see through his drooling facade to the even less composed menace within. If he continued to behave so shamefully, the two women shadowing him would also give him the boot.
Although Chocolate and Tira were smitten with a hormonally driven teen named Carrot, they would drop him sooner or later for his scandalous behavior. Being beautiful and full of spirit, either of the two could surely attract someone with a bit more brains. That lucky man would definitely give them the attention they deserved. As for Carrot, he would rather chase a runaway rabbit than Chocolate throwing herself into his lap. Maybe he was dense when it came to understanding what interested and available meant.
Besides the trio of Chocolate, Tira and Carrot (all of whom never ceased to argue amongst themselves) there were two other hunters. A muscular bound man with hair the color of straw and a body built for observation. Of course, he abused his good looks and toned physique by displaying himself like a work of art. Gateau had been brought up to admire himself and have enough to share with onlookers to gape at. Who was he to pretend to be modest? His motto was that if a person looked good and felt even better about themselves, then bring it on.
The last hunter prided himself on detaching himself from his older brother, Carrot. Most of their missions forced Marron to come to Carrot's aid more often than not. Their childhood together had reversed roles so Marron felt as if he owed his brother. But, to watch Carrot flaunting his groping hands and overeager libido...it was embarrassing. They looked nothing alike either except for maybe the hair color and slim framework. Marron resembled a graceful swan with pale, creamy skin, long raven-dark hair and near golden brown eyes. His sibling was all thumbs when it came to balance and etiquette, being lucky if he could stand up straight without falling over. If he would only stop being distracted so easily. Women! They had that effect on poor, defenseless Carrot.
"Guys! I'd like you to meet a friend of mine."
Tira tipped her sunglasses ever so slightly to see Gateau through the glint of sunshine which rippled her vision. Was it ever a hot, summer-on-the-verge-of-arriving, spring day. She couldn't even be accused of exaggerating while wearing a string bikini and basking to darken her complexion. The winter had left her skin an ugly, dull tone which just didn't do it for her. Even her sister, Chocolate, had somehow evaded the grasp of dried lips and pale legs. Probably because she hogged all of the moisturizing lotion for herself. They had acquired (translation =stolen) a container of the most wonderful beautifying agents available to the cosmetics field. There could be a minor discrepancy considering that it had been pocketed at one of their last sorcerer busts. But, what Mamu didn't know about couldn't kill her, right?
"Gateau!" Chocolate flipped over onto her back, not too keen on rushing the process of tanning. "You're blocking my lovely rays of light. Could you please...yes, a little more to the left." She lay back down, only to rocket back up with her eyes wide open. "Who is she?"
At the mention of a new person joining their little gathering, Marron glanced up from his reading material. A nice, cozy book of spells and a tall glass of lemonade was all he required to pass the day by. When he noticed that a short, perky brunette was fluttering around Gateau, he could only stare. Not out of any interest for her, his brother could explain his sexual orientation to her later on. He wouldn't put it past Carrot to poke at his subtle attraction to males for this newcomer.
However, Carrot was too busy being presumptuous as to the reasons of the girl being there. He ran up to her, literally falling over his own feet, and took her hand into his own. "Allow me to occupy you with this," he spoke in a deep, serious voice. Then, he turned his head sideways and burst out into a giddy, obnoxious laughter. "You've come to thank me for saving you from some awful, awful monsters. How...romantic."
"Actually..." Gateau swatted Carrot away and gave the girl a possessive hug. "This is Caramel, she's my new girlfriend."
All of the memories of previous spring days came bubbling into Marron's eyes. Spring which had inevitably rotated into Summer, Fall...Winter even. Each of those days had been spent avoiding the advances of one persistent man. One that had not known what 'no' meant and had kept striving with countless flirtatious attempts. Gateau would not be deterred on those days, insisting that he and Marron were fated to be lovers. At the time, that word had given Marron the jitters. What a method at flattery! Telling him how good he would be to wake up to in the morning. That hadn't scored any points with him. Now, to suddenly have Gateau a reserved man...with a woman no less, it was hard to accept.
"Where did you meet her?"
None of them were accustomed to hearing Marron speak without being spoken to. He liked to remain a quiet presence and only respond if his information could be valuable. Social familiarities usually didn't excite him.
Gateau looked at Marron, casually planting a kiss on Caramel's forehead. "Nowhere special. You don't hang out in the local taverns so...you wouldn't have heard of it."
Marron was stunned. Why was Gateau giving him the cold shoulder? Maybe there was a lesson to be learned. He had been offered a position at the man's side for an outstanding period of time. Even someone as love-struck as Gateau had been must have carried on without him. Was it selfish of him to now feel a twinge of jealousy? Most likely since he had never returned any of the affection granted to him. Served him right for spending more time with the books than his friends. It didn't make him feel any less deflated though.
Everyone had a grand conversation with Caramel, intrigued on her relation to Gateau. They wanted to know it all. The circumstances revolving around their meeting, how far they had gotten. All of the questions and prying which were customary when anyone found themselves the center of Chocolate or Carrot's attention. Nothing was too obscene or rude to inquire about. Once, Carrot had the nerve to toss in a 'have you slept with her yet?' type of question. That one got him dunked in the lake but didn't quench his thirst for prohibited knowledge.
Towards the end of the day, being left out had taken its toll on Marron. He could only tolerate having his sexual preferences made fun of every once in a while. And even then, Carrot was singularly responsible for those remarks. When Gateau brought the subject up three times, laughing at Marron loudly, Marron decided that he would call it a night. His feelings were hurt, crushed rose petals which had been too fragile to withstand the older man's weight. So he had given Gateau the red light for years, it gave him no leeway with the insults. The highlight of the day was when Carrot's breaking point snapped, causing him to threaten Gateau to shut up. Carrot couldn't bear to hear his brother spoken of unkindly. But, Marron quietly objected to violence, choosing to leave before more bickering ensued.
From his tent, Marron could still hear the faint whisperings from the campfire atop the hill. His only solace was knowing that Chocolate and Carrot were still awake and participating in the marshmallow roasting. If Gateau and Caramel were to be left alone...the thought made him shudder. Gateau with a woman? How did that ever become possible?
"Marron?" Tira crept into his tent, being careful not to bump her burnt shoulders on the flaps above. "Are you sleeping?"
"Not yet," he answered truthfully. He waited until she parted the waving nylon of the tent to allow some firefly light to enter. "Why aren't you with the others?"
"I can't stand to see Chocolate make a fool of herself." She grinned slyly. "Especially when it tears me apart to see her flirting with your brother. Luckily for her she's my sister." Her eyes caught the shape of a thin piece of paper in Marron's hands which he had been reading. "What's that?"
"N...nothing." The contradiction became evident when he tried to jam the crumpled paper under his pillow. But Tira was quicker, plucking it out of his grasp without so much as a paper cut.
"'Dearest Marron'," she quoted, giggling slightly. "You have a secret admirer? I'm envious!" But, as she read on, the humor vacated from her expression. "Oh...gosh, this is..." She sniffed, wiping her eyes absently. "I never knew Gateau was so poetic. When did he give you this?"
He sighed, shoulders slumping, making it appear that it was an effort to recall the exact time.
"Yesterday."
Tira's jaw gaped open in disbelief. "No way!"
"Yes. He handed it to me as we were setting up camp in the afternoon. At first, I presumed that it would be another invitation into his bed. When I read it..." Marron found a thick barrier denouncing any emotions which he longed to voice. Before Gateau, he couldn't have fathomed the notion of revealing anything which wasn't impartial about his personal affairs. That kind of thinking now brought forth repercussions which he had never considered. Denying his feelings for Gateau had driven him away, perhaps for good. "I must have done a splendid job of pushing him away."
"Marron, a man can't alter his convictions over the course of one day. Trust me, I know. Just look at Carrot. He keeps saying that he'll change and act like any decent guy but...does he do it? No. Because he won't be faithful to his inner self, as much as I hate to admit he has one. If Gateau gave you this yesterday, he likes Caramel as much as he likes Carrot. As in, not at all."
"But..."
"Uh uh! You can't argue with me. I'm a woman and I sense things. Call it a seventh sense, since I already have the full six. Do you want some advice?"
With information and support as loyal as Tira's, who wouldn't want advice from her? Marron leaned forward and took back the letter, folding it neatly into a crisp square. "If you don't mind."
"We've been friends for a long time. Would I ever steer you wrong?"
"Tira, you're what I would consider to be my best friend. And the only person that I would trust with this...situation."
"Okay, now here's what you do. You take that letter, go right on up to Gateau and tell him that you're ready to discuss it. His mind will be so blown over with opportunities that what's-her-name won't even have a chance. Um...on second thought, try to avoid Caramel, we don't want anymore rampant vengeance schemes on our hands."
"Thank you, Tira. I don't know how I would cope with Gateau without you."
"Remember to tell Carrot how sexy I looked today and we'll call it even." She winked when Marron was about to object. "Just kidding. I wouldn't want to spoil Chocolate's fun. G'night!"
Bright and early the next morning, before the robins or sparrows were able to peep, Marron was rushing to where Gateau had gone to buff up his body. Well, not really rushing, more of a mild pace which would not reveal his anxiety. And there, stretched out on the damp grass, was Gateau. He was preoccupied with his stern regiment of push-ups, jogging and a variety of other tortures. But, when Marron held the letter in front of his face, hand trembling, Gateau stopped.
"Marron," he exclaimed. "What are you doing up at this time?" In actuality, that could be deemed as a lame question. Marron woke before dawn to enjoy the serenity of the nature he found himself engulfed in. He did so quietly so the only person who noticed him missing happened to be Gateau. How coincidental.
"I...I wanted to..." Why were dreams so simple to navigate through while the real world provided mental blocks? "Here." He passed Gateau the letter, covered in a fancy script which had taken hours to perfect. Not for the sake of gaining another talent either. It had been solely for aesthetic purposes. To demonstrate to Marron that he could be more than a pile of walking muscles. "Can we talk?"
"Oh, now you want to talk. It's a little late now, don't you think? Where were you yesterday when I really needed you? I don't want you now, Marron. Caramel is everything to me. This...," he squashed the letter inside of his clenched fist, "...meant nothing. Now, you'd better run along back to your books in case Caramel sees what kind of nuisance you are."
Marron blinked once, then wondered if he had heard correctly. When had anyone ever spoken to him with such condescension? Never! "Gateau...?"
"GO!" Gateau swung his arm, making Marron jump backwards to avoid being hit. "I don't want my Caramel to see you."
That did it. He didn't need to be told three times. Marron fled back the way he had come, errant locks of hair streaming into his face, drying what could have been tears. He bumped straight into Tira and was tempted to keep running. But, her arms locked onto him, holding him close until he sagged against her. She led him to the lake where they loitered past the clouding of the sky. Neither of them said a word. Marron closed his eyes, seeing the love letter shredded by the same man who had created it. Destroying any hope he had clung to for having a future with Gateau. Listening to a harsh voice saying he wasn't wanted, that it had all been a joke. And he held tighter to Tira, resting his head on her shoulder, hearing her words of sympathy. For him, it was the thought that counted. But none of her reassurances sank into where it really hurt. Only Gateau could rectify the damages done to his heart but he was unwilling to. Had it all been a lie?
"I know what you're thinking," Tira said gently.
"That is only part of my grief." He felt the water splash onto his feet and glanced at her to see that she was trying to get his attention.
"Cut Gateau some slack, Marron. Do you really think that he would treat you like this? Normally, he would be licking your shoes obediently to catch your eye. That show he put on was nothing more than that. An act."
"I deserved it. All those times where he was spilling his heart out to me...I plugged my ears and hoped he would stop. Now that he has, the silence of his affections is unbearable." He was on the verge of recklessly allowing his emotions to spring free from where they were bottled up but Tira prevented that from happening. She knew how much it cost Marron to keel over from his sensitivity.
Uprooting a blade of grass, Tira began to tug it from finger to finger. Each time it passed from her right grip to her left, the thin stem would rip a little. "Isn't it convenient how Caramel pops up just when Gateau decides to move on? A day after he pours his guts out to you, leaving concrete evidence that his heart knows how to communicate with his pen. Well, I have this sneaking suspicion that Caramel may practice more than hair styling in her free time. She has Gateau wrapped around her little finger..." For emphasis, the blade of grass around Tira's finger broke off. "She has him too tight around the neck, makes it obvious to people like me. Sorcerer hunters like us. If her hold on Gateau had been more lax, I might not have noticed his odd behavior."
"She's manipulating him?" Marron now looked hopeful. Any explanation had to be better than Gateau hating him. It didn't erase the anger he had seen in Gateau's face though. The glare of hard, blue eyes would not leave him alone. "What are we going to do?"
"Get my sister and your horny brother to help us out. I should have known from the start. She's probably wearing contacts...and you have to know that her nose isn't real."
"Does this have anything to do with Gateau?"
"No, I'm just stating some oversights concerning her appearance. Nothing personal. Chocolate would say the exact same thing." And Chocolate did when she was beckoned to a very private meeting excluding Gateau. Carrot had to be convinced because his major weakness was a woman's body. He didn't like to think that Caramel, his new infatuation, was nothing more than another magic wielder.
Even after relenting that Gateau had his mind twisted, Carrot found the matter to be perplexing. If Gateau remained in Caramel's grasp, their team would be one member short. But...his absence would deprive Marron of what Carrot identified as a correctable perversion. Without Gateau, there would be no other morons to corrupt his innocent brother. Maybe they could even find Marron a pretty lady while they were ditching Gateau to his fate. "I just don't understand why we have to ruin that spell he's under," Carrot yawned. Their debate was boring him. "Look at the improvement in both their lives." Thankfully, their small circle did not consist of the younger Glace brother. Marron was keeping Gateau under close scrutiny.
"Darling, you can't stop two people from loving each other," Chocolate drawled. She was manhandling Carrot while Tira ordered her to stop acting so unprofessional.
Carrot shoved Chocolate away and brushed his skin afterwards, feeling like creepy-crawlers had been picking away at his flesh. If he paused to reflect on that reaction, he might have been able to understand why females shied away from him in the same fashion. "That isn't love! It's gross. I want my brother to grow out of his sick habit, not encourage him on it. Chocolate, how would you like it if Tira wanted to go out with Caramel."
"Hey!" Tira whacked Carrot alongside the head.
"It was only an example. Although...seeing two girls together..." He clapped his hands together and warmed them furiously. Already, Carrot was having difficulty keeping his tongue from lolling out of his mouth.
"You're so one sided." Chocolate rolled her eyes and slapped Carrot while Tira gave him a good kick in the ribs. They both grinned maliciously when he bowed before them to do their bidding. Sometimes, the sisters could be hell to work with, especially when the whips came out. "Now, let's hear it again, Carrot. What are you going to do about Caramel?"
"Mess up her pretty face," he answered feebly. What a shame it would be to put a dent in that body.
"Very good," Tira congratulated him. "And if you dare think of chickening out, you are going to personally tell Marron why."
That idea planted a hollowness inside of him. He didn't like to see Marron upset, even if it was over someone as pointless as Gateau. Fine. If being with a deranged muscle man made Marron happy, Carrot would do it. He promised himself that Marron would never hear the end of this debt but knew that his teasing was reaching an end. His meddling was as much to blame for Marron's sorrow as Caramel's was. Once Gateau got off of his sorry ass to swoon Marron, Carrot would blindly avoid them. Sure, it would make him ill to his stomach seeing them in any compromising positions but he would get over it. How many times had Marron accidentally been a witness to his hobby of looking up girls' skirts?
So, off Carrot went to battle the forces of evil. A more politically correct way of looking at it would be to say that he was going to turn a gorgeous sorcerer into a puff of smoke. This would be an easy fight seeing as how he held a grudge towards Caramel. For hurting Marron's feelings, Carrot was going to make her suffer.
"Niisan?"
"Eh?" Carrot ducked down so that Gateau and Caramel would not see him approaching. He crouched beside Marron who was watching the couple skinny dipping in the lake. Each time that Gateau surfaced beyond his waist, Marron would modestly avert his gaze. When Carrot caught onto what the two were doing, he covered Marron's eyes with his hands. "Don't look! You shouldn't be looking at naked men. Maybe when you're older...no, not even then."
"I wasn't looking. It's impolite to stare." He turned his head and gave Carrot a disapproving glance. "Niisan? You shouldn't be fantasizing over our enemies."
The moonlight played tricks on Carrot's mind, almost convinced him that Caramel's body was a silvery mass of scales. But, when he looked again, she was a normal woman with regular body parts. And a lot of cleavage. "Wow! What a woman!"
"I knew that you shouldn't be involved. Why should you care when I disgust you." Marron looked forlornly out across the lake, tracing the sparkling water to Gateau's back, then to the powerful musculature of his chest. As the man turned, Marron found another location which interested him.
Carrot sat in front of Marron, looking serious for a change. He hadn't given Marron that kind of attention since their childhood. When Marron had been viciously bullied for his visible appearance. How Carrot had exploded upon finding out that his brother's beauty, something which he would never admit to being jealous of, was bringing Marron pain. He had taught those bullies a thing or two about character when he'd beaten them up one by one. Back then, it had been to protect his brother from any harm which might befall him. This was not the same. Now he would be the one who summoned the danger into Marron's life. By renewing the attraction between Marron and Gateau, he was dooming his brother to a life with another man. The emotional turmoil which Marron was looking forward to was one thing. For that, he could prepare himself. But, if he chose to become Gateau's lover... Carrot bristled, pushing the vivid imagery out of his mind.
"That's too severe," Carrot mumbled. "You don't disgust me. Okay, on several occasions, I have been grossed out by Gateau making kissy faces at you. That doesn't mean that I hold it against you. I'd like to kill him but that has nothing to do with you. If you need my help, I'll always be here for you because you're my brother. And we shall never speak of this sentimental crap I just said ever again." The stunned look on Marron's face made Carrot cave in. "Alright, alright." He hugged Marron, searching the area for spies. A man of his stature had a reputation to uphold. "Now, you sit here and let your big brother do his job."
"Niisan...arigato," he managed to reply.
"Yeah, yeah. I know, I'm a sap." Then, Carrot was creeping through the large expanse of weeds to get closer to Caramel. A couple of dandelions scattered under his nose, threatening to make him sneeze. But, he held it in and kept worming his way along the dirt. The things he would do for his brother!
From Marron's vantage point, he could see Carrot mocking the slinking caterpillar's wriggling across the ground. He almost looked like one. The resemblance brought a smile to Marron's face. His brother could be humorous when he wasn't groping underneath women's shirts.
"Oh, Gateau," Caramel squealed. "Isn't this lake so divine?" She grabbed onto his arm and stroked one hand down his hard abdomen.
Marron couldn't watch. He lowered his gaze to see beads of moisture dripping from his eyelashes. This was how much he wanted Gateau? Enough to make him resort to weeping? Why had he tortured himself by separating his feelings from his body? It made him feel horrible now that everything was overflowing. And where was Caramel touching Gateau now? From the sounds of their moaning, Marron truly did not want to know.
Even as Carrot was getting ready to strike at Caramel, Chocolate and Tira were snooping around inside of her tent. They were looking for any sign or symbol of voodoo mysticism. Something which might indicate what kind of claim she had over Gateau. They weren't having much success until Chocolate took a fit and wrecked everything from the mattress to the tin underneath it. Inside the tin were a collection of caramel coated candies. Each one was carved like a man but they were not identical. One of them matched Gateau, proving that there was sorcerer blood involved.
"Now what?," Tira asked.
"The options are limitless," her sister complained. "Do we destroy the candies? Feed them back to their original replicas or have Caramel tell us what to do?"
"Beat Caramel senseless," they said in unison.
Caramel was having the time of her life pawing at the sculpture that she owned. She would never let go of his soul, at least not until he was drained of his good looks. All of her men reverted to a puddle of wrinkled, boneless fillets. Not that it was her fault. They couldn't please her by feeding their life force over so they turned to mush. One day, she would find a man who could survive her youth sucking fangs. For now, she had all the man that she would need.
"Hello, gorgeous," Carrot announced as he surfaced from underneath the water directly behind Caramel. He wrapped his arms around her and giggled. "You must be tired of this idiot by now. Why not take on a real man?"
"And that would be you?" She laughed hysterically. "You're an amusement but I don't appreciate my private time being invaded. Now shoo, go back to your playpen."
"Playpen?" Carrot put her into a strangle hold and dunked her head underwater. "Who do you think you're talking to? I'm a full grown man who can get any number of women he wants. And...when you're finished being evil, I'm available Friday night."
When Caramel struggled up for air, she practically screamed at Gateau. "Kill him, my faithful automaton. Scatter his remains in the garbage for all I care. Just GET HIM OFF OF ME!!"
Then, much to Carrot's horror, Gateau started to splash towards him, ready to pummel him into carrot juice. "Oh crap! Oh crap! Help! Monster!" He hauled Caramel up again to take the first punch that Gateau threw. Then swung her to the right for a nice kick to her nose. The unstoppable Gateau kept coming, one of his punches was capable of fracturing a good number of Carrot's bones. "TIRA! CHOCOLATE!" Where were those sadistic girls when he needed them?
"Gateau! Don't!" Marron waded into the lake, his long sleeved robe becoming heavy as it became a sponge to the water. His movement was restricted and slow but he kept going to where only Gateau was tall enough to stand. He swam the rest of the way just as Carrot was about to receive a very black eye. And then, Marron sprang out of the water and onto Gateau's back. He held on, desperately attempting to restrain him or give Carrot a few valuable seconds to shake some information out of Caramel. "You don't have to do anything she tells you," he shouted into Gateau's ear.
As Carrot was prying Caramel's nails out of his scalp, he heard Marron scream. His head snapped up to see Gateau grab onto Marron's collar, pitching him further out into the lake. For a split second, Marron was flying, but he hit the water rigidly, sinking faster than a rock.
"Marron!" Carrot's eyes widened, his whole body alert and tense. His brother didn't come back up for air. "Gateau, you asshole!"
That seemed to shake the man into looking in the direction where he'd thrown Marron. Gradually, a dreadful feeling began to erupt in his soul, temporarily breaking the magic leash which was wrapped around his throat. Gateau dove deep into the lake, frantically reaching with his hands for fabric or long hair. He found neither and came back up gasping. Then, he went in again, panicking to the point where he couldn't even think. If he had lost Marron... The sounds from above didn't deter him from his search, even when he knew they meant business. On the third try, his eyes opened up to visually comb the area below him. It was with great difficulty that he located Marron, floating unconscious, being choked by his own hair. Gateau towed him to the bank with one arm, removing the black tresses from Marron's mouth.
"Is he okay?," Tira shouted from far away. She was in the process of grinding her high heeled shoes into Caramel's spine. The woman was saying something but Gateau wasn't interested in it.
He lay Marron on the ground and took hold of his wrist to find a pulse. But, no breath escaped the lips which were turning blue. Gateau fumbled inside his brain to figure out what to do. The others were busy but his mind was so fuzzy with commands that it was confusing. Somewhere deeper in the water, a woman transformed into a sea creature that coiled Carrot, Tira and Chocolate up in slimy tentacles. They began to crush the trio while forcing them underwater.
Gateau knelt by Marron's head and pinched his nose, covering the blue lips with his own. He shared his oxygen with Marron, taking hold of a cold hand in his bigger one. Between his long exhalations, he paused for three seconds, anticipating some response from Marron. When the seconds dragged onto minutes, he tried again, sealing Marron's mouth with his own. During his resuscitation attempts, the people he acquainted as his friends were fighting Caramel.
The stunning brunette had ceased to be some flimsy woman to gape at, much to Carrot's dismay. Now, her hair was nothing more than a mass of coils on top of her head, each limb branching off into two separate tentacles. They flailed about, crushing Tira, Chocolate and Carrot. Now that Caramel was covered in a thick layer of scales, she seemed to be impervious to any of their physical attacks. Tiny fins kept her gliding smoothly over the lake while her captured victims were towed beneath it.
"She used to be so...beautiful," Carrot wailed as he launched himself upwards to gather some air into his lungs. "Now...she's ugly!"
Next, Chocolate rose up, stabbing at the slimy appendage which refused to release her waist. She was making progress, her sharp weapon drawing greenish blood. "I agree with Carrot. Ugly."
"Water Nymph," Tira added. "They have plenty of them in the next town over." Under she went again, coughing up water on her second submergence. "I bet she doesn't like fire much."
"How are we going to start a fire when we're soaking wet?" Chocolate growled when her hair slapped over her face, mascara dripping everywhere. "I'm going to KILL her!"
Over by the shore, Gateau had finally revived Marron, helping him sit up as he choked up water. After his friend was relatively okay, Gateau's mind switched back to what he had been ordered to do. To rip Carrot into itsy bitsy pieces for his mistress to savor. She might want to reconsider the last part seeing as how Carrot was bound to taste pretty bland. But, the moment Gateau started to move from Marron, the coughing got worse. His friend was trembling, bunched up in his drenched clothing, sneezing occasionally. So Gateau carefully wrapped an arm around him, trying to warm him up.
"What are you waiting for, my faithful pet?" Caramel had to yell to be heard over Carrot's howling. He wasn't even worth the effort of extinguishing for all the fight that he put up. "Throw him back in! You love ME! ME!"
Not being sure which way to go really disoriented Gateau. Was he supposed to do what the screaming banshee was telling him to do? Or stay with the boy who needed his aid more? There was only one way to deal with his confusion and that meant remaining at Marron's side. Whenever he had felt lost or uncertain in the past, accompanying Marron to his favorite reading spot always clarified things. All of the positive aspects of his life were as a direct result of pestering Marron. Even if he hadn't been very lucky with the overwhelming rejection he'd received, it had never made Gateau give up on him.
All of a sudden, Tira was straining against her bonds and flinging a solid weight to the back of Gateau's head. "Eat it you idiot!"
That voice. It was one that he could trust. If she told him to eat... "a candy?," then he would do it. Gateau raised the little soldier to his mouth, opened wide and popped it in.
"Nooo!!!" Caramel pushed Tira extra deep into the water this time, sending one of her other limbs to keep the girl down there. "You've ruined everything!"
As the caramel candy dissolved inside of Gateau's mouth, a mass of restrained thoughts and hidden emotions began to cascade into him. Instantly, his hand found Marron's face, turning it upwards to look for the golden brown eyes which had always enchanted him. But, the pale eyelids kept them from reassuring Gateau that it had been all a dream. This was real. He had nearly killed his beloved Marron. "Marron! Marron, please speak to me."
Then, to really rub it in, Caramel began to gloat. "I've won! Your love for Marron has been vanquished. He will never want to see your brutish face again." A water nymph's primary mission in that part of the land was to drain handsome men of their vitality. Some of the older ones liked to mix in a drop of hatred with their chores. They despised love and would sooner create abhorrence than allow the weak emotion to flourish. Caramel had nearly been repelled upon realizing how madly in love Gateau was with Marron. Destroying that love was a treasure which she would relish after her troublesome foes became deep fried fish.
Much to Caramel's horror, the bluish lips moved as Marron whispered to Gateau. The man's eyes clouded before he placed him onto the ground. Marron kept uttering a string of words which sounded like an incantation. They were too soft for Caramel to make any sense out of them. She was so close to removing the threat of Carrot to the world. He was the closest to bursting ten feet below from holding his breath for so long. Too bad for Carrot that water nymphs didn't need to use magical energy to fight. Gateau had informed her on how Carrot absorbed magical powers to transform into enormous beasts. All she needed to use was her own natural form which would soon eliminate Tira, Chocolate and Carrot.
"I don't care if he still loves you." But her tentacles shook all three victims as she vented her fury. "You can't defeat me. No one can stand up to my beauty."
"And no one can ever convince me that they are even half as beautiful as my Marron." Gateau's right hand whipped to the side, between two of his fingers sat a simple magic card with strange symbols. One of Marron's collection that summoned the fire element to combat any of the other three. His hands performed a complicated formation of movements, mimicking the lightning fast way that he had seen Marron do it. Still, semi conscious on the ground, Marron kept whispering while Gateau followed his instructions.
"What are you doing?" Her grip on Carrot loosened, enabling him to climb to the surface, breaking it and worshipping his freedom. Next, he plowed right back down again to save Tira and Chocolate. "Stop that!" Caramel became edgy. "I'm warning you..."
"Too late." Gateau flung the card at Caramel, watching it attach itself to her forehead. An immense heat exploded inside of her, emitting flames straight down all eight of her tentacles. They licked at her scales, scorching them, making her voice roar above the noise. Already, her captives were halfway to the shore, complaining bitterly as Carrot pulled their disheveled figures with him.
Carrot dropped Tira on her butt and accidentally fell on top of Chocolate as he collapsed from exhaustion. "Boy, was that ever one mean bitch."
"Argh! You're messing up my hair!"
Tira glanced over at Chocolate to make sure everyone was still land dwellers. She was relieved to see that Gateau had not turned into a dolphin after ingesting the candy. Her intuition had been correct. It would be best if Gateau never found out about her gamble with his life. With nothing better to do, she joined her sister and Carrot to witness a very rare barbecue. Okay, so they had been desensitized by death many times over. Roasting fish over a cackling water nymph didn't impede on their morals much.
"I never knew that you could channel magic into people." Gateau was babbling on and on while Marron could only listen. And sneeze. He had caught a nasty cold from his experience in the frigid depths of the lake. What a way to spend the evening! "Maybe I could pick up a few tricks from you."
"Maybe." The shivers hadn't subsided as of yet so Gateau had been kind enough to prepare a hot bath for him. Their living conditions were currently desolate so the bath was nothing more than a wooden tub full of boiled camp water.
Gateau experimented by placing his finger into the tub. "Okay, you can hop in now." He turned the other way, allowing Marron some privacy to undress. The sounds of damp clothing slopping off did things for Gateau that Marron would never learn of. It wasn't easy to shirk off the clinging material after the robes had become pasted to human flesh. Marron managed somehow, nervously sinking into the tub to his neck. The benefits of a nice, hot, bubble bath were numerous. He sighed and closed his eyes, forgetting that he was not alone. "Um...can I turn around now?"
"Oh! Yes...I think."
He was greeted with the overanxious grin of Gateau who tried to peer past the bubbles. "That Caramel was out of her mind to think I would ever go out with her," he boasted. "A man like me has standards, you know. Can't be running around with demented girls that hide candies under their beds."
"Indeed." Marron sneezed again, thankful that there were curtains circling the area to keep out the wind. "Where are the others?"
"If I told you, Carrot might get a lecture. Since the little pervert did save my life, I have to stop pounding on him for a bit." He crept closer, identifying the swirling strands of black as Marron's hair. It was so long that it blanketed past his waist, keeping Gateau's x-ray vision in check. "Did I ever tell you how beautiful you are," he murmured.
"Every single day," came the reply.
"Have I mentioned that your hair is like fine silk?"
"Many times."
"And your lips are soft and pliant?"
"What?!!" Marron bolted upright in the bath to catch Gateau laughing.
"Don't worry, I know how to be decent. I didn't kiss you if that's what you're worrying about." Although he was lured to the edge of the tub by the aroma of scented oils and a dash of mint. The humor of his concoction was lost on Marron whose mind was as clean as a whistle. One day, Gateau would have to seduce him and then he would be sent on a one way trip to litigation hell by Carrot. How hazardous dating had become for him. "Marron...I want to apologize...for what happened."
But Marron would hear nothing of it. "You weren't in control, I don't hold grudges for silly reasons."
"You don't hold grudges at all," he muttered. "That isn't why I'm apologizing. When I said those cruel things to you...that was me speaking, not Caramel."
"Oh." Wasn't there a lighter topic which they could discuss? Anything but returning to what had severely depressed Marron. He didn't want to open up old wounds which were in the process of healing. To think that Gateau did feel some bit of hostility towards him was not pleasing. It made his stomach clench to hold back even more suppressed emotions.
"But, I didn't mean them."
"I don't know what you're trying to say." Marron sighed and looked anywhere but into Gateau's vulnerable gaping eyes. The same ones which had the sweetest, grayish glint to them when the man got excited. How he missed being the object of Gateau's affection.
"I wanted to make you jealous...to hurt you for the way that you rejected me. All those times when you pretended not to see me...not even giving me a response to my letters. That made me feel like shit, Marron." Now his true colors were finally streaming to the foreground. The bitterness, the resentment and pain that went along with being scorned by a lover. But, he hadn't been scorned and Marron was never his lover. It was worse that way, not ever able to know how it could have been because he hadn't been given a chance. And his voice shook with those guarded thorns which he had protected Marron from in the past. No more. He couldn't go on like this, acting like it was all a game. Pursuing Marron had always been about love, not just for mere flirting purposes. "How could you let me go on dropping my heart into your lap when you wanted nothing to do with me? Why not just say 'go away Gateau' or, 'I'm straight'? Or did you get a kick out of watching me get down on all fours for you?"
Marron refused to look at Gateau, even with him leaning over the rim of the tub, his hands creating splinters in the wood. If Marron knew how to respond, he still couldn't have for he was too upset. His knuckles were pressed into his mouth, teeth biting into them to remain silent. Not to give away his grief. Having Gateau pick him apart so callously had his shiny tears sliding over his high cheekbones and slender wrist. They accumulated, sprinkling misery over the rest of his body.
"Come now, Marron. Don't you have anything to say? You keep on whining about how nobody treats you like the mature adult that you really are. Well, I'm not padding down any of this for your comfort. We're both adults so I think you're old enough to handle this. The real world is not as complex as your magic spells but believe me, it's a lot harsher."
"You have made that all too clear," his soft voice replied. "Thank you for shedding some light on your attraction to me. Now that I realize I'm nothing but a child to you, I have reconsidered my original decision." He glared at Gateau, the innocence of his tears disappearing down his neck. "I was going to ask you if we could try to make something work...a relationship perhaps. I'm eternally grateful for seeing this side of you before I opened my mouth. As of now, I have no desire to be anywhere near you. In fact, I would suggest that you leave."
"Marron...you...you actually wanted to...?"
"Go away!" Marron elevated his tone to a few degrees close to threatening. "I've taken too much of your superiority attitude already."
"Please...I didn't mean to..."
Marron would not listen to anything else. "Get out of here before I call my brother to remove you by force. And if he can't do it, then Tira will." He busied himself with washing the salty streaks from his skin until Gateau was gone. The night would not relieve him of the new ones which flowed freely, too stubborn to dry up.
Late into the next afternoon, the Glace brothers were at odds with each other. Normally, they had nothing to talk about and so no arguments could be started. This was one day where Marron was not in the greatest of moods.
"How many times are you going to bring this up?" Marron tagged along after Carrot who was chasing a group of girls that would not speak with him. They found him to be arrogant, annoying and downright rude. By far, the nicest definition of Carrot in quite a long time. "Why do you keep making fun of me?"
"I wasn't making fun of you. I'm just glad that you came to your senses." He leapt off of his feet when one of the girls looked at him. "Oh pretty girl!" She increased her pace to catch up with her friends. "Damn!" Back to Marron. "Gateau is no good for you, trust me. I'm your brother."
"A brother who comes precariously close to assaulting the women he intends to go out with."
"Crap! That was a low blow, Marron. Ouch! I can feel it now." He bent over and giggled. "Did you see that? She's looking at me," he snickered rudely.
"Only because they think you're weird. Stop changing the subject. You promised not to criticize who I choose to look at. Are you not a man of your word?"
"Yeah, but I'm also your brother. Those two things contradict one another. And...well, it looks like you're going to be getting some rough looking company. Bye now!" Carrot raced off after his troupe of frightened prey just as Gateau came stomping down the path.
Now what? Wasn't there a rock that he could crawl under? Marron did not want to get into any sort of unfriendly misunderstanding with the man. He wanted more time to be alone so that he could get over Gateau and move on.
"Marron, there's a rock over there," the man shouted from a few feet away. He chuckled when Marron actually considered diving under it. "Before you avoid me as part of our daily routine, could you do me a favor?"
"Carrot is...over there." He pointed and then froze when his brother did not align himself with his finger. Where had he gone? Usually, the jerk could not pass up the opportunity to disrupt Gateau's romantic escapades. Could this be Carrot's way of begging for forgiveness? By setting him up with Gateau, not comprehending that Marron would not appreciate it? "Gateau...I don't want to speak with you." It was time for a gracious exit. When he attempted to flee, Gateau caught his arm and tugged.
Disappointment was evident in his eyes when Marron kept his gaze flat at their feet. Not trusting himself to make eye contact. So Gateau kept staring at him, holding his wrists securely to prevent him from escaping. He never failed to notice that Marron was small compared to him, so easy to damage. Marron's internal self was just as fragile and Gateau had ruthlessly sought to destroy him. To crush Marron if he would not be his to love. How selfish a quest that had become. "I'm really sorry."
"You said that yesterday...right before you took it back again and stabbed me in the back."
"Back stabbing is if I say it when you're not present." He watched Marron flinch at his correction. "It was a joke." One more joke and he sensed that Marron would incapacitate him with one of his magic cards. "This is not what I planned."
"Do all of your plans work out for you? Or am I one of the failures?"
"It isn't like that at all. I wanted to be all romantic but everything I thought of would offend you,...I can't screw up again. Everything I say is wrong. Whatever I do doesn't turn out right. Tell me how I can make it up to you. I'll do anything. We can go back to you ignoring me. Don't ask me to stop complimenting you though, I can't do that."
"I don't know what I want you to do. I want to be angry with you but..." He slowly took a step closer to Gateau, trying to look up but not having the courage. "...I don't have it in me."
For Gateau, that one step was all the excuse he needed to sweep Marron off of his feet and into a powerful embrace. From there, he buried his face into the sweet smelling, ebony mane before him. Inhaling the rich fragrance of Marron's smooth, flawless skin. His hands began to map their way over the silk folds of the cloth separating him from touching that skin. "Oh God, how I dreamt of this day," he sighed.
Marron made a sound of protest, pulling back to gather some of his nerve to speak. "Weren't you supposed to ask me first?"
"In the past, that was what I would have done. Now that I know better...the same mistakes won't be made twice. You just need to be nudged in the right direction." He squished Marron once more, cuddling him like a porcelain doll. "Can you ever forgive me for the awful way I treated you?"
"Only if you will forgive me for being...shy."
"It's a deal." Then, Gateau was pressing his lips to Marron's, guiding him in a kiss which took them both by surprise. For Marron, it was his first kiss ever so it made a unique impression in his heart. What really shocked Gateau was when Marron surrendered himself by beckoning Gateau's tongue into his mouth. The man needed no prodding because he went straight to work. Exploring what was offered to him, dominating anything that wasn't.
Then Gateau moved forward, wanting to meld his body to Marron's. He tripped over his big feet, the momentum sending them both tumbling down the hill. When they stopped, neither of them could do anything but laugh. Grass trimmings covered them from head to foot. If anyone had seen them... "Idiot," Marron exclaimed lightly.
"Beautiful," Gateau countered.
Marron blushed. He lay on top of Gateau, gazing up at the birds which were flocking their way. A smile and a kiss touched his lips when Gateau returned to smothering him with love. "How many times have you said that you love me?," he pondered aloud.
"Too many." From his vantage point, Gateau could peer down the unclasped collar of Marron's robes to see the ivory flesh awaiting him inside. Smooth shoulders which he gently clasped. A slender neck to be kissed and caressed. And if he stretched the collar just enough, his arm could reach down to the small of Marron's back.
"Have I ever told you that I love you?"
Gateau hesitated, in the middle of tracing the slim angular lines of Marron's hips. It truly bothered him that he could easily slide his hand up and down the body before him. There were no gates to prevent him from taking what he pleased. "Not that I can recall."
"Well, I do."
"You what?" It was too distracting to listen to Marron while touching him so intimately. If he could just get him to lie on his back so that there would be more access between his thighs. He could reverse their positions so that he took the top but that would leave Marron flat as a pancake. "Can you...?"
"I love you."
Gateau withdrew his hand quickly, shutting his mouth before he could reveal to Marron what his intentions had been. "Can you repeat that?" But it had been too hard to say it once. Twice was pushing it. "Never mind." He busied his hands with petting Marron's hair, anywhere but inside of his clothing. "You've made me a very, very happy man." And to prove it, he kissed Marron, unwilling to budge until Carrot came after them later that day. Gateau received the scolding of his life but Marron was well worth it. His love would not go unrequited.
THE END