Pleasantries - Chapter 5 - Faking It - Part 3

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Chapter 4 Part 2 Part 3

Chapter 5 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 interlude Part 6

 

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Continued from Part 2

Advisories from Part 1 remain in effect. Specifically Language Angst and (Implied) Adult Situations containing those who shouldn't be in adult situations with the added bonus of incredibly cheesy.

No bad!Anto yet though (It is coming! See notes at end.)


Pleasantries - Chapter 5 - Faking It - Part 3


12:30 PM Monday, May 12

Anto flopped down into the chair, “So anything else you can think of that will be a complete waste of time but we need to look into anyway?” he asked.

Cal snorted dropping into the chair beside him, “Nope.”

Taneli passed by both of them heading to the white board mounted on the wall where he took up a pen and made a giant red ‘X’ through a number of items on the list.

“We need those other girl’s names,” he muttered.

“Because the name we do have has been so helpful,” Cal snapped.

Taneli gave him a pat on the shoulder, making his way to a third chair.

“Sorry,” Cal sighed.

Taneli shook his head, “I think if any of us are allowed to be upset about this it’s you. Not the best plan, but understandable.”

Cal grimaced staring down at the floor, “That last one …” His voice faded off, unable to finish the sentence.

He didn’t need to, Anto could guess at what he was thinking, “Did Fen know her?”

“No,” Caliban shook his head, “Might have been helpful if he did.”

Taneli shot them both a curious glance, “Who is Fen?”

Rising to his feet Caliban turned toward the coffee pot in the corner, “My niece’s boyfriend.”

Taneli watched him stalk across the room with a puzzled frown, “What am I missing.”

Anto chuckled dryly, “Fen is an alien.”

Taneli arched his brows, “Same genetics as our last girl?”

Anto nodded silently.

“Shit,” Taneli let out a long sigh, “They are just making this all kinds of personal for him aren’t they? You think he can do it? If he needs to be removed from the case it should be now before …”

“Before the next one is his sister.” Anto finished the sentence.

“You think there will be another one?”

Anto thought for a moment, “I’d be surprised as hell if there wasn’t.”

Taneli nodded getting to his feet, “So we keep looking. Somewhere someone knows something. Chances are though that someone is not just going to fall into our laps.”

Leaning back in his chair Anto watched as Taneli joined Cal by the coffee machine. Twenty years of friendship told him all he needed to know in a glance. Caliban was not staying detached from this investigation.

Not that Anto expected their Lieutenant would remove the alien even if it was necessary. That article in the newspaper the day before had almost guaranteed Caliban would be staying on the case in some form or another. Public image depended on it.

Politics. He hated politics.

The thought reminded him of his dinner appointment with his mother coming up in a few days. The invitation had been extended under the guise of family, in reality it was just more politics. In reality his mother wanted to find out for herself how her ‘little boy’ knew someone like Nate. The woman was too damn observant.

Nate didn’t seem to have realized that yet and Anto wasn’t sure he should tell him. Having a second, unwitting target for his mother’s scrutiny during what would otherwise be a painfully long meal might provide at least some entertainment.

He glanced back across the room. Caliban was leaning against the table, jaw set in barely contained frustration, shoulders tense. He should bring Cal with him. Caliban was always a welcome distraction for his mother’s attention. She treated him like her own son and just might be too occupied fussing over Cal to pay him much attention.

She had always fussed over Cal. Her maternal instincts had kicked in the moment she met the gangly, awkward, green teenager. His alien heritage made it abundantly clear he had no mother to start with and once she’d learned Caliban’s father had never married she had latched onto him as if he was her own child.

Anto mused over the possibility of taking Cal with him. It was a good plan and might help Cal relax except Nate would be there. That could be awkward to explain. The idea of a family dinner maybe wasn’t so bad though.

Reaching into his pocket he pulled out his phone, a small smile curling his lips as he punched in the number.

A moment later his smile widened as the call was answered, “Hey Rythe.”

He paused for a minute listening before he chuckled, “You’re welcome, but I wasn’t really calling to get you out of the meeting from hell. When was the last time your brother was over for dinner?”

Another pause, “Do you guys have plans tonight? Good. How about I drag him over and he does the cooking for a change?”

* * *

4:00 PM Monday, May 12

“I swear I know you from somewhere,” Caelan commented as he approached the front counter.

Tybalt furled his brows, “I’m forgettable?”

Caelan grinned, “Not really with the mask, I just can’t place where I saw you.”

“Let me know if you figure it out,” Tybalt shrugged turning back to sorting through the loose photographs on the counter before him.

Stepping around behind the counter, Caelan looked over his shoulder, “So what’s Malcolm got you doing? Besides making a mess.”

“Looking.”

“Looking?”

Tybalt nodded, “Looking for an interest … and answering the phone”

Caelan shot him a sideways glance, “While I’m thankful that someone else is on phonage duty; interest?”

“Yeah, you know, landscapes, nature, portraits … that sort of thing.”

Caelan turned his head toward the studio, “Fetish?”

Tybalt glanced over to where one of the photographers was working with a model, “Isn’t that more Fashion?”

Caelan smirked, “He’s shooting the shoes.”

Tybalt looked away, “I see your point.”

“It’s Bourk. That’s what he does,” Caelan shrugged, “Worse the client will love it. His private work isn’t bad though. I got a preview of his new exhibit opening at the gallery next week. Stockings are not really my thing, but he made it interesting.”

“Better than bondage I suppose,” Tybalt murmured.

Caelan laughed, “Depends on your perspective, but he does that too. Just not the subject of this exhibit.”

“Right,” Tybalt frowned, “So which are the normal photographers?”

“They’re all normal,” Caelan grinned at him, “A picture is a picture, right? Even if you hate it, it still spoke to you.”

Tybalt scowled, “Too bad none of these are speaking to me. I seriously need some inspiration.”

Caelan sniggered.

“What?” Tybalt asked glowering at him.

“You,” Caelan chuckled as he turned to walk away, “have a lot to learn.”

Tybalt stared after him. How fucking annoying.

* * *

4:20 Pm Monday, May 12

Watching a movie or something turned out to involve almost no watching and a lot of ‘or something’. Ripp was not complaining. Whimpering? Yes. Gasping when Telesto’s teeth nipped playfully at his ear? Most definitely. But not complaining.

Telesto let out a wicked little chuckle. Tangling his fingers in Ripp’s hair he pulled Ripp’s head back, teeth and lips and tongue exploring the newly exposed arch of neck.

“Tel. Shit,” Ripp gasped trying to pull away slightly, “Tel, we need to stop.” He still wasn’t complaining. So very much not a complaint, but they did need to stop.

Desperately.

Telesto stopped only long enough to shake his head, “We really don’t.”

Ripp groaned as Telesto’s lips latched on to a particularly sensitive patch of skin beneath his ear. Tel was right stopping would be bad.

Lowering Telesto back onto the couch, Ripp followed him down. This was so much a better idea than stopping. What had he been thinking?

All thoughts of anything Ripp may have had good, bad or otherwise, vanished a few seconds later at the sound of a throat being cleared from the direction of the door.

“Anto?” Cal turned to Anto standing beside him looking amused, “Does that look like something you’d do with a ‘friend from school’?”

“Not any school I’ve ever been to,” Anto mused, “Or maybe I just had the wrong friends.”

Ripp leapt to his feet, shoulders tensed, hands clasped behind his back, his eyes fixed firmly on the floor.

Telesto hardly moved at all.

“I hate you both,” he scowled, finally turning his head to look at the new arrivals, “Seriously. You have no idea.”

“Yeah,” Cal nodded, unfazed, “I do. But since your dad will be here any minute I figure we just saved you about an hour worth of lecturing so you’ll get over it.”

“Go take a cold shower or something,” he suggested heading through to the kitchen.

He paused in the hallway to turn back grinning, “Separately.”

“Between you and me,” Anto whispered conspiratorially, leaning over the back of the couch, “cold showers never work.”

Telesto made a rude gesture at him.

Anto grinned and followed Cal into the kitchen.

Sitting up Telesto’s eyes flicked to Ripp. The way the other boy was standing, frozen, barely blinking made his stomach clench with something he couldn’t quite identify. He almost wanted to name it dread.

He reached out placing a hand on Ripp’s arm, “Hey?”

Ripp flinched slightly before he registered the source of the contact. It was Tel. Tel’s hand. Touching. That was all.

He closed his eyes taking a deep, calming breath.

“What was that about?” Telesto asked.

Ripp shook his head, there was really no way he could explain to Telesto what had flashed through his mind at the sound of Caliban’s voice. He wasn’t sure he could explain it to himself. He’d simply reacted, “Just startled me I guess.”

“You sure?” Telesto had his doubts. The expression Ripp had worn; the stiff posture didn’t suggest simply being startled. It had all felt somehow more sinister than merely being startled.

Ripp forced a smile, “Yeah.”

Telesto stepped closer brushing a stray strand of hair out of Ripp’s eyes, smiling as it fell right back again, “I am thinking maybe no more foreplay in the living room though.”

Ripp’s eyes went wide, “Wow.”

Telesto cocked his head, “That’s not really the reaction I was aiming for.”

“Sorry,” Ripp slumped down on the couch staring down at his hands, “I’m just …”

Telesto sat quietly waiting for him to find the words he was obviously searching for.

“I know I kind of started it,” Ripp said at last, “I just didn’t realize that was a sure thing. I mean I guess I was expecting you to stop me or me to stop me or something. I don’t know. It feels wrong.”

Telesto leaned back needing to put some space between them, “Being with me feels wrong?” he asked trying to keep the hurt and confusion out of his voice.

Ripp shook his head, “No. Not wrong more like not allowed and breakable.”

That was an answer Telesto was much more comfortable with. It didn’t lessen his confusion any though, “Breakable?”

Heaving a sigh Ripp slumped back in the corner of the couch, “I don’t know how to explain without making a bigger mess that will need explaining too.”

“Try?” Telesto suggested.

Ripp frowned for a moment, thinking. Twisting his hands in his lap he nodded. “When we were little Mom bought this huge bag of lollipops for something, I don’t even remember what but we weren’t supposed to eat them right then, but Tank has always been an asshole and he snuck into the cabinet and stole them. By the time I found him there were only about three left. I loved lollipops and I wanted one too but Tank was going to eat them all. So I took one and hid under the back stairs.”

“It was awesome,” Ripp went on, “Sour-Lime flavour but the whole time I was eating it I was scared someone was going to find me and take it away. Worse, they were going to find me and take it away and tell my dad.”

“I had this lollipop I should have been allowed anyway but I wasn’t supposed to have right then and I sort of stole it because someone else was going to eat it on me if I didn’t. I wanted to just enjoy it, but I couldn’t because if I did I might get caught and then I would be in a lot of trouble. I ended up just biting the whole thing in half and eating it as fast as I could. Then I felt bad because I didn’t have it anymore and if I had just hid it somewhere until later I could have eaten it slower like I wanted to.”

Telesto’s brows had knitted themselves together in confusion while he listened to the story, “I am still not sure I understand.”

Ripp curled in on himself fidgeting with his hands, “You are kind of like that lollipop. I want but I keep thinking I shouldn’t be allowed and I am going to get in trouble. I’m also sort of afraid of going too fast and then not having anything left.”

Telesto sat in stunned silence.

Ripp stared miserably down at the floor. He shouldn’t have tried to explain. He should have just kept his mouth shut to begin with because now he just seemed like a pathetic idiot.

A quiet chuckle from beside him only confirmed how stupid his explanation had been.

A moment later Telesto was laughing in earnest.

Ripp’s head snapped up, “Sorry. I know it sounds stupid …”

“Princess,” Telesto smiled at him shifting closer, fighting down the rest of his laughter, “Shut-up.”

Ripp closed his mouth a worried frown creasing his brow.

“It sounds,” Telesto went on moving closer still, “like you and I will happily be your lollipop anytime you want me.”

Ripp blanched, “Oh gods, that sounds so wrong.”

Telesto couldn’t hold back a second burst of laughter, “It does and you didn’t even notice.”

Ripp ducked his head. Someday he would probably find this as funny as Tel seemed to. Right now though, he was mortified.

Getting his laughter back under control Telesto reached out a hand, “Look at me.”

Ripp looked up. Their eyes locked.

“No one,” Telesto insisted, “Is going to take me away. I am not going anywhere. You can’t go too fast and I don’t break easily. Okay?”

Ripp nodded, “Okay.”

“Now,” Telesto settled himself over Ripp’s lap, “About this lollipop gig. Are we talking sucking, licking or nibbling?”

“Oh my gods,” Ripp laughed, shaking his head he reached up to pull Telesto head down, “You’ll just have to wait to find out.”

“Aww,” Telesto pouted, “Do I have to wait? You could show me instead. Now would be …”

Ripp didn’t let him finish.

“Oh, for fuck sake!” Caliban sighed from the hallway, “Break it up already! Ripp? Are you here for dinner that does not include my little brother?”

Ripp jumped muffling a startled yelp with a finger clenched firmly between his teeth.

“Cal,” Telesto sighed resting his head against Ripp’s shoulder, “I really do hate you.”

Caliban simply smiled and turned back into the kitchen snagging the beer Anto held out for him.

“We should probably go help in there,” Telesto said sitting back.

Ripp nodded, still attempting to calm his racing heartbeat. Tel’s family could be hard on the nerves.

“You are staying for dinner?” Telesto asked getting to his feet.

“If you want,” Ripp agreed, “My dad is home today, it is probably better if I’m not.”

Telesto frowned, “He really doesn’t like you does he?”

“No,” Ripp stared down at his hands resting on his lap, “He really doesn’t.”

“Come on,” Telesto held out a hand, “Let’s go see if they need any help.”

Ripp stared at the hand extended toward him marvelling that just two days ago that same hand had scared him into running.

This time he wasn’t afraid at all.

“What time does your sister get finished work?” Caliban asked over his shoulder as Ripp and Telesto made their way into the kitchen.

“Five thirty, I think,” Telesto replied.

“Dinner for six o’clock then?” Cal asked.

“That should work,” Telesto agreed.

“Hey, Ripp?” Cal shot him a smile, “Can you cook?”

“A bit yeah …”

“Wanna come and give me a hand with this?”

Ripp hesitated.

Telesto smiled reassuringly, “He wants to get to know you, that’s all.’

“Yeah, okay,” Ripp nodded taking a step toward where Caliban was busy adding ingredients to a mixing bowl.

Telesto pulled him back, “Sour-Lime flavour, huh?”

Ripp nodded, puzzled, “Yeah. Why?”

“It was green.”

* * *

On to Part 4.

This was NOT where I wanted to cut this. There were supposed to be three more scenes before the break :( My computer is not a happy camper though.

BUT! Sitting beside me, in a shiny, pretty green box is one sparkly new, just arrived today, Micro ATX Motherboard! Oh yeah! It has been dying for over a year now and I finally gave in and got a new one. Downside, I can't install it yet. Well I could, but I am not going to because when I do I am going to reformat my hard drive and do a complete hood rebuild. I would kind of like to get at least the rest of this chapter out first, and possibly chapter 6. I am not sure I have the patience for chapter 6 though. The poor computer crashes every time someone breathes near it recently so getting the images is a wee bit frustrating.

In other news, as soon as I get my brain in a slightly less scattered state, someone who is very awesome and helpful and wonderful has volunteered to go back through EVERYTHING that I have posted so far and all future updates and fix my atrocious punctuation! Possibly grammar as well. How cool is that? I would totally have delayed this update as well until it was fixed up except for the whole "I want to get this chapter done so I can save my computer" thing.

Oh and yes, bad!Anto is still forthcoming. Though (and this might have been obvious by now) you can be sure he will be around a lot more in general since this chapter was the point where what is going on with him and Cal starts picking up and tangling in with everything else.

So, my computer is getting saved, Chapter 5 will now have five parts *sigh*, we will be seeing a lot more of Anto (really, a LOT more) and soon the whole story will be much more readable! WEE!