Warning- Contains Mild BoyxBoy Scenes esp. in the last few pages.

(This scene is the afternoon after Alina gave Dmitrius and Zachery the ‘challenge’ in Chapter 21. Technically it takes place during Chapter 22 where neither D nor Z were in the story)

::ZACHERY::

“No I’m not, Father,” I insisted for the third time, my words still fluent even in my impatience, “I’m not going to stay in that city for Christmas. I promised someone very special that I would come with her to Bordeaux.”

“You’re bringing a date to the main house without talking to me about it first?” King Damon’s tone was lethal over the phone.

“No of course not,” I replied, “Uncle Damien is bringing her. But she’s a very good friend of mine.”

“I suppose it’s good that my brother is finally opening up more with people,” he simmered down, “I’ll see you and Dame in a few weeks then?”

“Yes. Goodb—,” the call was cut off before I could finish.

I lowered the phone and took a steadying breath. It had been a long time since I had last spoken in my first language, but the foreign words still rolled off my tongue with ease. Ironically, it had been a shorter time since I had last spoken to my father and yet he was even more difficult to hold a conversation with than usual. Absently I twirled the phone between carefree fingers, not afraid of letting it fall.

I stopped and shoved my Braille Note into my bag. After my less than pleasant conversation with my father, homework was the last thing that I wanted to do. To be honest, homework wasn’t something that I ever wanted to do. My tutors at home had done their jobs far better than the teachers at this school ever could. Sending me here was really just a reason to rid me of my father’s sight for months at a time. It was really a waste of my time but I had found many ways to…entertain myself.

Leaning back into the seat, I was the picture of cool, calm and collected on the outside. It was a charade but I wore it well. I felt many eyes on me; gazing, longing, wanting. For some reason they craved my company but were intimidated. They didn’t seem to realize that I sensed it all, but why bother their free consciences with details. All the while I let my eyes rove around me, free of the sunglasses that frequently held them prisoner. Everything was a colorless blur before me except the shadows of the people who passed directly in front of me. None of them paid me much attention, but attention wasn’t something that I usually looked for. I sat alone in the cafeteria while everyone else was with their friends eating lunch. I wasn’t hungry, but I needed to be anywhere but my dorm room. It was empty, silent and boring; three things that I personally didn’t like much.

It wasn’t as though I didn’t have friends; it was just that I didn’t like them. There were irritating. All of them. I took this rare time alone to sip on my soda and avoid them altogether. Their high pitched titters, gossip and the shameless plotting against each other was enough to aggravate anyone. Every one of them was fake. Talking to one was like talking to all of them. They all thought the same. None of them would know an original thought if it climbed into their ear and took a shit in their mind. That was the downfall to choosing friends based on pedigree instead of personality. My father didn’t seem to get that. So yeah, my friends were the people he had chosen for me.

The boys would always want to talk about the latest game in some sport that I obviously had never seen or this ‘gorgeous girl’ that I didn’t know. They would go on for hours, not noticing the look of boredom on my face. Then again, I was so used to being bored by dignitaries and guests back at home that a look of polite interest would find its way on my face reflexively. The boys probably got the impression that I cared about what they were talking about.

The girls were by far worse though. They had the excitable voices that gave me instant headaches and they didn’t seem to know the meaning of ‘inside voice’. My hearing was slightly above average and they let out frequencies similar to a broken, 1970s radio. They spent half of the conversations squeaking, squealing, shrieking and screeching at each other. It sent constant shots of pain through my sensitive ears.

I preferred to talk to Alina, Raine, Tara and Zara. Raine, Tara and Zara didn’t like me much but they were fun to tease and Alina was such a sweetheart that she was impossible to dislike. With the other girls it was always boys, clothes, shopping, parties, alcohol and, when they thought I was out of earshot, me.

A slow smirk crawled onto my face at the thought. I had truly gotten a reputation here at school and I wasn’t ashamed of it. I was what I was and anything less was not living to my potential. That’s what dad always said. He was the best womanizer I knew and though he scolded me on mom’s behalf, I caught the amusement in his tone. A part of him was proud. I couldn’t get him to show that pride at any other time so it was something to savor.

I had captured the minds, hearts and bodies of a lot of females in this school. My practiced talent for touch was a hot topic on the school social network page on Twitter. For some reason, people had gotten it into their heads that a blind man couldn’t use the internet. As much as I could enlighten them, it was too much fun reading the things that they thought I would never know.

Unfortunately the girls at this school were one and the same. It had reached the point where the games were getting monotonous and predictable.

There were only two girls who would never fall prey to my antics. One was Raine and the other was my Lina. As much as I loved Lina, I couldn’t date her. At one point, I thought that maybe it would work but that was far from the truth. She was just too innocent for someone with a mind and heart as dark as my own. There was no way that I could avoid hurting her. It was best just to have her as my friend. Raine on the other hand was an evil, power-hungry and vindictive one. Hurting her would be dangerous and damn near impossible. How could I break the heart of someone who couldn’t find it? I knew that she liked me, but she would never admit it; not even on my deathbed. I had liked her too at a point, but it was hard to stay interested in a woman who was arranged to marry my uncle and couldn’t wait for it.

I was arranged to marry a woman too. She was probably very pretty, but that didn’t mean much to me in a marriage. The problem was that she was incredibly plain and boring. She talked about her city and her horses up north and after that the conversations went dead. That was it. The entire conversation.

Maybe it was just the fact that I couldn’t see myself tied down to one person for the rest of my life. I had experimented and done so many things with so many different people that someone as simple as my future wife would never satisfy me. I was, at the moment, impossible to please.

I had tried to change, honestly I had. I had failed though and it was a constant cycle. Every time I made another attempt to give up on the part of my personality that almost defined me, my attempts came back and bitch slapped me across the face with the power of a pimp. It had reached the point where even Cookie, my darling little Cookie, didn’t believe me anymore. Sure I didn’t believe me either. It just hurt to see her scoff at my attempts.

What I had done yesterday had been a perfect cocktail of brave and stupid. Lina again. The things I do for that girl. She had challenged me to date a guy. An actual guy. Testicles and everthing.

I had never ventured into that arena before…but I hadn’t avoided it either. I wasn’t what I would call homosexual or even bi-sexual. To be honest, gender didn’t really play a role in dating for me. If I thought a person was worth dating, then I was all up for it. I suppose I was pansexual really. Though I didn’t have a preference, I still had never dared to go against the Monarchy Laws. This was a dare too good for even me to pass up though. The rush of secretly being with another heir brought goosebumps on my arms and I grinned to myself. It was exactly the kind of stupid, reckless and dangerous thing that I would do.

I honestly would try almost anything once and this wasn’t any different. The long list of faceless girls had been getting boring for me. I needed something new, something exciting, something worth exploring. Nessa had been another phase of good-friend-turned-girlfriend. It really was not going to last and we both knew that. The breakup had been all a matter of time.

Dmitrius.

He was something different altogether. He was new territory.

He was a strong heir. I knew how much people feared him and he has the respect of his city long before it’s time for him to rule it. There was no doubt that he would be a great king someday. His anger was something that I had witnessed only once before. It was fierce, raw and kinda frightening and it had left me in awe up to this day. If I was to experiment with a man – something I have no experience with – I was glad that it would be with him. I admit he has my respect and not many people could get me to say that. I would gladly bow to him when the day came for it.

Last night was the first time that I had actually spent with him, talking like good friends would. We didn’t used to talk much when we were younger. Whenever I was around he’d avoid me as much as possible. But last night I found out he was actually a nice guy. Odd, but nice. We got along better than I had expected at least. When he broke the news to Raine this morning, I felt her fury in the air. If she had stabbed him right then and there, I wouldn’t have been surprised.

She took the Monarchy Laws as seriously as Jesus takes the Ten Commandments.

He had no reason to tell her unless we were serious and let’s face it we did it on a dare. It was just for fun. The most that it might last is a week. We were playing the ass as my nurse would say. At first I wondered why he told her. We all knew she wouldn’t take it well. Dmitri coming out to her must have put her in a shitty position.

It was then that I had realized that this was more than just a spur-of-the-moment-sleepover-challenge to him. No straight man would cause all those problems for himself for a dare. He had to have been in the closet all this time. I laughed to myself. Who on earth would have pegged Dmitrius Richmond for a gay guy? He was Prince Dmitrius. All other heirs feared him. Well almost all. When I had suggested that we tell Raine and Nessa, I meant tell them that it was a dare. Before we had joked and acted like we were going to tell them as if it were serious but I thought he understood that we weren’t really going to do that.

When Raine walked out of the dorm, he was a bottled up wreck. As an heir I knew a thing or two about bottling up feelings and he was doing it. Very well. One of the best I’ve seen since Uncle Damien.

He was suddenly distant and quiet. His face was wiped clean of any emotion. That was the sign that something was wrong. I had tried to comfort him but he refused to have it. Just like a Richmond. Bloody stubborn. They would never admit they need help even if a crazed piranha was attached to their leg. They were too self reliant and Raine pissed me off every time she got like that.

After Lina had woken up and left us to go to class, I left him to sleep and went to the cafeteria where my father called me.

The sounds of rustling trees surrounded me and I raised my face up to the sun. The walk outside had been a nice one. Warm beams flooded my face. The forest in this school was so alive at this time of year. The rain had done the plants some good. I could smell the freshness in the air and it relaxed me. Locking my cane into place, I used it to maneuver my way through the path way. I knew this trail well and my feet took me to my destination without me thinking about it. I was content with just walking in silence here.

I heard every sound around me and my senses were all very aware and alert. Without my sight to distract me, my mind used all its energy to pinpoint every rustle, snap and crack in the forest. I counted my steps as I went along until I came to the tiny stream that ran there. It was all a grey haze but I knew that it would be beautiful if I could see it. I could hear the very liquid sounds of water rushing over the rocks.

Slow, careful steps came up behind me. I heard it as the owner tried to tread lightly on the grass. Tried and failed. Someone with average hearing wouldn’t have noticed but I did. The person clearly didn’t want their presence to be noticed. I never stirred, waiting for the right time to burst their bubble. My lips pursed at the person’s obvious failure at stealth.

As the stranger neared me, I sat down beside the bubbling brook and dipped my fingers into the cool waters. “It’s impolite to stare,” I said calmly as I felt the heat of the person’s eyes burning into the back my head. The footsteps stopped, but I could smell the person now. It was like light nectar and hazelnut with a distinct masculine undertone. It was a familiar smell and I smiled to myself. I knew this person.

“Sit, Dmitrius,” I said jerking my head to the space beside me.

“How did you know it was me?” he asked taking a seat.

“I smelt you.”

“I smell?” he said in alarm and I had to laugh. The boy was about as cute as Lina sometimes.

“No, you don’t,” I said laughing still, “You smell fine. I have your natural scent committed to memory though. I knew it was you the moment you were close enough.”

“I was really far away though…” he trailed off in his deep and slithering voice. It reminded me too much of a snake, but I didn’t say anything about it.

“I’m not blinded by sight. Your eyes may work, but your sense of taste, smell, touch and hearing isn’t nearly as strong. It’s the other way around for me. You’ll be surprised at what I can smell and hear.”

“You are one of the weirdest guys that I’ve ever met,” he replied.

“And you’re my boyfriend, so what does that say about you?” I smirked reminding him of the dare.

“I meant weird in a good way. You’re different. It’s good,” he said softly.

“Thank you,” I replied.

No one had ever called me different before. At least, not the way he had. Whenever people said that, there was always that negativity that hovered over the word. His version of ‘different’ wasn’t insulting. It made you feel special almost. If it was anyone else, it wouldn’t have mattered but royalty didn’t give out compliments easily. Or at all if we could help it. We were often arrogant and refused to pay compliments unless there was a hidden agenda behind it. I ruled out the latter. There was nothing hidden or spiteful in the other boy’s tone and I could say that without doubt. It was hard to hide that sort of thing from me.

“So why were you sneaking around behind me?” I asked.

“I didn’t want to disturb you,” he muttered.

The air felt suddenly tense around me and I smiled to myself. I had never seen a boy so afraid of his own thoughts and feelings which were apparently not as platonic as I had first assumed. Admittedly I thought it was nice. He was easily ruffled and oddly enough, it excited me a bit to know that I had that effect on him. It was flattering to know that I had this effect on a Richmond of all heirs.

Pulling a lollipop out of my pocket I took my time to unwrap it. My movements weren’t hesitated or unsure. I made it my business to make sure that people were forced to look past my sightlessness. No one would dare tale my throne from me because of my impairment. I was independent and I refused to let anyone pity me.

That was one thing I had never gotten from Dmitrius. Not once had I ever gotten pity from him. Even now it felt like I had more power than him judging by his stiffness. I hadn’t head the rustle of grass or any kind of movement as I stuck the candy in my mouth.

“Do I make you shy?” I asked turning to him, willing his eyes to meet mine.

There was the heat of tension in the air moments after. I could tell that he was looking at me. His body radiated a mild warmth that was slightly unnerving and yet intoxicating at the same time. He was making me sense things that I had never gotten from another person, much less a man. I was used to feeling changes in the air around me. It helped me to guess what was going on and what reactions people had but this…this was all new. He was about five or six feet away but I was able to pinpoint every action and reaction he had.

“Dmitrius, are you still with me here?” I asked in amusement when he didn’t reply.

“Yes…” he said softly.

He had a beautiful voice. It was frightening, but something about the lacing of innocence in its undertone made it seem beautiful to me. I noticed that he still hadn’t answered my question, but I had expected it. We were from the same world, and in that world admitting weakness was not practiced. I didn’t care though. I wanted to hear him say it despite the fact that I already knew. I wanted to hear the words actually leave his mouth if not for the joy of teasing him, it would boost my ego more.

“I asked you a question. Are you planning on answering me?” I tried again.

“I really didn’t expect anyone to be here,” he muttered changing the subject.

“You don’t want me here?” I asked curiously.

“No, to be honest. I came here to think and you’re,” a pause, “distracting.”

“How so? How do I distract you?” I said flashing my most alluring smile, moving closer slightly.

“Good question,” he stuttered and the heat of his gaze left.

What was it about this guy that was so different? I mean other than him being a guy and another heir. He was so strong and powerful yet so innocent and sweet. The last two qualities were those that I was now seeing for the first time. He was usually never like this. The Dmitrius that I knew was like a male version of Raine. Always cold, always regal, always emotionless. It made me wonder how long his crush on me had lasted for. There was something definitely sexy about the old Dmitrius turning into the new one because of me. Arrogant. Yes I know I am. There was no one who liked me more than me.

The urge to touch…to feel…was rampant, but I held back. For me to not be able to touch him was like a sighted person talking to someone while keeping their eyes closed. I didn’t want to scare him off though. He may be my new boyfriend but there were still boundaries. Boundaries we were born into. Where touching wasn’t allowed. Where flirting with another man was forbidden explicitly.

He was as new to this as I was and I sensed that his experience with girls was lacking more than mine was. I had the upper hand. Although to be fair most men’s experience with girls lacked more than mine.

“What color is your hair?” I asked.

“Blonde, why?” he said and the familiar heat of his gaze returned but with the heaviness of suspicion this time.

“No reason…I just want to paint a mental picture. Is it the same shade as Raine’s?”

“Yeah, more or less.”

“And – er – your eyes. What color are they?” I asked, tensing slightly for his answer.

“It’s blue. Is that the only reason, Zachery?” he asked, “To paint a mental picture?”

“Yes. Do you know how frustrating it is to talk to a faceless person? My intentions are innocent,” I chuckled, “and call me Zac.”

I had always liked blue eyes. They were my favorite on a man. On the rare occasions where my vision cleared, I had taken in as many sights as I could and nothing could compare to blue eyes on a man or emerald green eyes on a woman. At the moment, my curiosity was getting the best of me. I was itching to see what he looked like. The suspense was killing me, but I didn’t want to come across as pushy. I chewed on my tongue, deep in thought. Should I ask him? It was only fair after all. He knew what I looked like. It was only natural that I would want to see who I was dating too. I deserved to know that much. My mind needed to put a face to the voice and smell that I had already etched into my memory. Curiosity was my greatest weakness and it almost always got me into trouble.

“Can I see you?” I asked finally as I stood and walked closer to him. Almost instantly, I sensed his guards going up one by one. Clearly I had invaded his personal space and he was uncomfortable. I took a step back, “I just want to see what you look like…can I?” I asked in a more gentle tone. He was naturally defensive. I could see that.

“How can you see me when you’re…” he trailed off uncomfortably.

“Blind. You can say it,” I said hoping he wasn’t one of those who would pity me. I couldn’t take that from him. There was not much that I hated more than pity. Except maybe the sound of opera.

“Blind,” he repeated.

“I’ll use another sense of course,” I answered him.

“Which one? Oh,” he said nervously, figuring it out on his own, “I suppose that’s your way of seeing right? Touch?”

“Yes,” I said kneeling before his voice, “It’s the most valuable sense to me.”

“So you have to – er – touch me to know what I look like?” he asked.

“Yes Dmitri,” I said patiently, “Nothing to make you feel uncomfortable, I swear.”

“Fine then…go ahead,” he said and the grass rustled as he shifted himself.

I smiled down at the other boy. He was so powerful and in control all of the time yet intimidated by being alone with me. Again, it was flattering.

Slowly I reached out and my fingers brushed against the smooth skin of his neck. His breath caught on the air and I felt his pulse quicken. I touched the irregular beat and smiled. It was a delicious feeling against my fingertips. Lowering my eyes to his face I saw a simple shadow outline, but I knew that he was far more complex than just that.

My hands moved along his neck and met a pair of small ears, earning another chuckle from me. “Cute ears. They’re so little,” I said and felt his skin heat up in a blush.

“Shut up, Zac,” he grumbled touching an ear self-consciously.

“Don’t worry. I like them,” I added in a low voice with a shake of my head.

His skin warmed up even more at these words. The smell of hazelnut was strong on his skin, but not overpowering. It drew me in and I found myself leaning in a bit closer. My mouth watered slightly over the tantalizing aroma. It smelled similar to warm chocolate. A strong jaw filled my palms and I traced my fingers along the length of each side. He was strangely symmetrical for the average human being. I brushed his hair from his forehead, lightly running my fingers over the hot flesh above his brows. His breathing was uneven and full of forced control as my fingers taunted his nerves. Classic, high cheekbones caught my attention; the tell-tale sign of high class French breeding. A perfectly straight nose jutted out from the center of his face and a chin with slight stubble entertained my fingertips with the feel of short, coarse bristles. A small cut on his cheek caught my attention. I ran my fingers over it with a frown.

“Training exercises,” he whispered simply, voice sounding hoarse with want but I ignored that.

“You were hurt,” I scowled, shocking even myself over my tone.

“We all were. You went through them too,” he said shivering away from my hands’ careful exploration.

“Yes, I know,” I mumbled, “But never on my face. As for your face, it’s oddly perfect.”

He didn’t say a word but I felt another one of those blushes heat his skin. I didn’t lie though. I had never met anyone so aesthetically pleasing in my life. Other than Raine maybe. But she was his twin so it was no surprise. With every plane of his face that my fingers brushed, I mapped it out in my mind. The man took handsome to a new level. Touching him like this had raised a quiet tension between us that was nothing short of intimate. I brushed his lips lightly with my fingertips and they parted with a small, silent gasp. Really it took a lot of resistance not to lean in and kiss him. It was amazing that all of these feelings were coming from me. I never got like this over anyone.

The nervous fluttering in my stomach took me off guard. Maybe I had seen enough of him today. As I thought this, my hands didn’t stop exploring the body before me. They trailed down a firm chest and a slender frame that I could easily imagine beneath me doing unspeakable things. There was no denying it. This beautiful creature hadn’t aroused only my senses.

I felt a similar heat radiating from him and it was tormenting me. I resisted the temptation to take him right here in this secluded clearing and I chose that moment to back away. The farther away I was from that heat, the better. It was tampering with my thoughts.

“So?” he prodded in a slightly huskily baritone.

“You’re beautiful,” I replied simply with a feathery peck on his cheek, lingering there.

“I’d prefer a different word. You’re really stripping me of my masculinity there, Zac,” he chuckled anxiously.

“Gorgeous?” I tried again, my breath warming his ear.

“That can work for now,” he said blushing slightly, “but you really need to stop making my face heat up.”

“Why? It’s cute,” I said with a touch to his cheek.

A slightly smaller hand covered mine and removed it from his face, but it didn’t release its grip. I wasn’t sure how I felt about this. I didn’t dislike it, but something about the situation felt wrong. It was something other than me holding the hand of my uncle’s fiancée’s twin brother. I think it was the sense of doing something that was forbidden by people with a lot of power over us. It was dangerous waters to play in, but it was exhilarating too.

The faceless and nameless others that I had been with before were just that; faceless and nameless. They served no purpose but to give one night pleasures and to let me warm their beds until morning. Dmitri wasn’t anything like them. That’s what drew me to him. Gender aside I was playing with a fire I didn’t know a thing about. He was unique, he was obviously different territory, he was shy and innocent in the strangest sense of the word. I couldn’t hurt him. No, not this one. I couldn’t explain why, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. For that reason, I was going to get to know him first before I gave in to the obvious physical chemistry we had.

A smooth hand cupped my face without warning and I got hit with the full aroma of nectar, hazelnut and musk with a hint of fresh pine. He had clearly been in the forest long before meeting me today. “What are you thinking?” I asked with a teasing smile. He didn’t answer, but his finger stroked my cheek gently as though I were fragile. I sensed his movement and tensed instinctively as his warmth grew closer. “Dmitri? What are you doing?” I whispered against his lips. A heat built up in my face instantly. I had not realized how close he was to me. Honestly I hadn’t ever kissed another man before and I wasn’t sure that I was ready to do it yet. It was all nice in theory, but I had never actually planned on doing it so soon.

“Shhh,” he breathed.

Soft lips covered mine easily as if they had been created to fit there. They were full and careful. The melding of his different smells and tastes blinded my senses themselves. My eyes shut on instinct and I moved in closer to him. I needed to feel closer to the owner of those talented lips. They rubbed against mine seductively and I found it hard to breathe. My heart was beating faster than it was ever designed to and I breathed in a sharp breath as he moved to kiss my neck. My fingers became entangled in silky locks as I pulled him closer. He fell onto my body easily. I had to say, I found that his dominance was surprising and kind of sexy on him.

Lust and need engulfed his entire frame and it was like a swirling inferno around us. It was impossible to ignore and it was barely contained. It was a simple kiss, no tongue included, but the effect was astonishing. Scared, I pulled back. This was getting a bit heated for a first kiss.

“What’s wrong?” he asked with worry in his voice.

“Nothing,” I said lightly stroking his hair out of his face, “It’s just…I mean this is getting a bit far don’t you think? We only got together last night.”

“Oh. True. I suppose you’re right,” he let out a breath, “well clearly there’s spark. That’s good.”

“That’s what you call spark? There was almost a forest fire in here, Dmitri,” I chuckled, “At least we know that physical attraction isn’t going to be a problem in this relationship.”

“Or sexual tension,” he joked.

I laughed and he moved off of me. A soft thud came beside me on the grass. “Could you imagine Lina’s face if she saw us?” I asked him. He raised his hand to his face and I could feel his embarrassment emanate in waves around me.

“Oh God, she would run away screaming. My poor Alina,” he murmured.

“Our Lina. We have to share her,” I said firmly, “I happen to care about that little girl and I’m not letting you take her away.”

“Of course not. She’s our Alina. No one will look out for her like we will,” he nodded.

“No one,” I agreed, “I think this relationship will work...as more than just a challenge I mean. I’d rather it be more than that.”

“It was always more than just a challenge to me,” he admitted in that alluring hybrid accent of English and French before lightly brushing my lips with his. I had suspected that much by now.

 ************************************************* 

So - uh - *scratches neck* that was that. Never did full boyxboy before so I'm a bit of a novice. I'm used to having gay characters for the sake of diversity but I've never had them do anything much. So.....yeah. First timer. I suppose it's good practice for the boyxboy book that I'll be doing next (The Chosen) and maybe by that time I'll be ready for playing with the big boys in the boyxboy world lol. the Amyscence and XxWhoAteMyCookiexX of the bunch. hehe 

Oh well vote, comment and fan. 

Gimme a break and don't bash too much. I warned the homophobes in the first line so if you still read and it was a problem then private message me so I can tell you to haul your mother's *bleep* in private. :D yay.