As they walked, Cardin worked up the courage to ask Nigel more questions. He discovered that Nigel's family lived nearby, he had known Keary for about six or seven years now, and he was currently employed as an investment specialist in an exclusive, private hedge fund.
"Wait…" A thought occurred to Cardin. "What does Keary do for work? Is he in finance as well?" Cardin couldn't recall him leaving the house in the last couple of weeks… he was somehow just always there.
He remembered how Keary had bought things without second thought when they had gone shopping the other day, but it was clear that Keary himself lived minimalistically. Cardin felt a sense of guilt rise up at the idea that his host might have been spending hard-earned savings on him.
"Uh…" Nigel hesitated, scratching his head. "That's a bit complicated. He's probably the best person to explain it to you, really." He caught Cardin's expression and rushed to add, "You don't have to worry about him in terms of money though! He's doing just fine for himself. He's got more than enough to do whatever he wants. Besides…"
Nigel paused, words trailing off as he contemplated the path. Cardin waited for him to continue, but it was only when they were stepping up to the front door of the house that Nigel finished the thought.
"Besides, it's been awhile since I've seen him like this. Some light in his eyes." Nigel rang the doorbell, then turned to Cardin. "I know it's only been a short time, but I think you could be really good for him. He cares about you, which is extremely rare for him. Just remember that."
Before Cardin could reply, the door opened, and he heard Keary's low, melodious voice greeting them.
"Welcome back."
...
Perhaps it was the caffeine in the frappucino, or the situation with the man in black, or the memories he had tried to dredge up while standing in line at the store. Whatever it was, Cardin ended up having a nightmare when he went to bed that night.
He was back in the cold, struggling to put distance between an unknown, unseen pursuer. Blood streaked the white snow landscape around him, and voices cried out to him from the shadows.
Run!
Run!!
Run!!!
He sprinted desperately to the point that his breathing was ragged, picking himself up and staggering on each time he fell, until eventually, as it had been in reality, he was unable to get back on his feet, heaving limply into a field of snow.
They'll kill me if they catch me… but I'm tired… so tired… Maybe I should just stop running… I wouldn't have to struggle anymore…
He heard footsteps approaching him, but he didn't have strength to move. He simply lay there, hoping that peace would come quickly. Someone tugged at his arm, pulling him so that he rolled onto his back.
It was Keary.
Are you alright?
Even in the dream, relief immediately flooded through Cardin at the sight of the now-familiar face.
Keary…
The dark-haired boy leaned in close, his breath and hands warm against Cardin's face. Cardin took in his scent, the same smell that was on all of his clothes, and relaxed.
It's alright. You're safe now.
Keary…
Keary pressed his lips to Cardin's forehead, and the dream shifted. Hot kisses began marking a trail from his brow to his eyes, down his cheek to his ear, tracing his lips, chin and jaw before reaching his neck.
Keary…!
Cardin arched up into the touch that engulfed him, making its way down his body, which now felt like it was on fire, burning, burning…
He woke up panting in the moonlit midnight. The air in the bedroom seemed sweltering, and he was covered in sweat under the thick blankets. In a semi-conscious frenzy, he looked around to make sure he was alone in the room. Sure enough, no Keary in sight. It truly had been just a dream.
He checked under the blankets, and was relieved to find the sheets dry, save for his perspiration. Thank god for that. It would have been more than humiliating to have to explain if he'd made a mess. He sat up, covering his face with shaking hands.
Putain... What was that??
As he tried to steady his racing heart, moments from the times they had spent together in the last few days surfaced in his mind. Keary playing the piano with grace… Keary leaning in close with a mischievous wink… Keary sneaking brief touches to his hair, his face… Keary stalking around the house topless and glistening after one of his extensive attic workouts, lean muscles rippling… Keary reclining on the couch, dark hair tousled from sleep, his arm slung over his eyes to shield from the morning rays… Moments like these had made Cardin extremely aware of his own body and how it reacted to the other boy, but he had managed to push it away.
Until now.
He got up from the bed, went into the en-suite bathroom, and turned on the shower. But even after standing for some time under the running water, the pent-up tension still lingered, a knot in his belly that wasn't going to go away with a simple bath. There was only one way that he would be able to get back to sleep.
Hesitantly, Cardin reached down to touch the hard, tense muscle between his legs, and shuddered at the immediate pleasure that coursed through his body as he stroked himself slowly. This feeling, this desire, had been building inside him, although he hadn't wanted to admit it.
But he didn't have to act on his desire. He could just relieve himself of this tension right now, go back to bed, wake up tomorrow, and carry on as usual. Nobody had to know.
He closed his eyes and relaxed into the soothing flow of water that flowed over him and down his naked body. With one hand resting on the bathroom wall and the other going to work, he let his mind drift back to the scene in his dream, where this time, he gave in to Keary, and let him devour his mouth, his neck, his body, as he urged him on with hungry and increasingly desperate moans.
Nobody has to know. Nobody has to know.
Nobody has to know…
...
"What happened?" Keary had asked, right after Cardin had left them to put away the snow rake.
Nigel had put on an innocent face, eyes wide and lips pouted. "Who said anything happened?" He had laughed as Keary merely swept him a dark look. "Alright, alright. He had a tail. One other than me, I mean. The kid was surprisingly sharp, he caught on pretty fast. Most people wouldn't have been paying enough attention until it was too late. I decided to step in when I saw he was getting ready to confront the guy. I'm guessing that's the line where your command for secrecy would end?"
"Hmm," had been the only acknowledgement. "Any notes on the guy?"
"Dressed for discretion, bushy beard. Small for a Westerner but tough build. No weapons that I saw, but I didn't think it was worth the risk. What's going on? Something I should warn the rest about?"
"No idea. Shouldn't be a problem."
"Could be big trouble," Nigel had said doubtfully.
Expression unfathomable, Keary had turned to him. "What haven't we taken on before?"
Thinking back on the conversation now as he lay in the dark, Keary decided that he would have to keep a closer watch on Cardin over the next few days. Although the boy had been hidden safely within the house during his convalescence over the last few days, it was still too soon to let their guard down. Whoever had been pursuing him was clearly still searching for him. It was a good thing the new mattress had finally been delivered just this morning, so Keary could sleep in the room right beside Cardin's. If anything happened, he would be able to react quickly to protect him.
That's when he first heard the sound.
He sat up, instantly alert. The sound came again, undoubtedly from the master bedroom. Keary moved then, swift and silent as the shadows, out from his room to pause in the corridor at the door to listen. There was no movement inside the room. Still, criminals could be quiet. He would know. Carefully, he opened the door to check, and sighed to himself in relief when he confirmed that the room was empty, with only the sound of running water coming from the bathroom.
He was about to return to his room when he heard it again. It was definitely coming from the bathroom, and sounded like Cardin's voice.
Another nightmare? The episode earlier today could have triggered him…
He stepped up to the door of the bathroom, then suddenly recoiled as he realised what those sounds were: far from being groans of pain, they were moans of pleasure. Somebody was having a good time inside there. A very good time.
As the cries intensified, Keary felt desire wake and curl in his gut. He forced himself to step away, telling himself that it only natural for a red-blooded young man to need to release such energy. God knows he's not the only one in this house who's been taking extra-long showers, he thought wryly.
Rallying his resolve, Keary was halfway out the door when he heard Cardin's finishing cry, a cry which froze him mid-stride and shattered through that very same fragile resolve.
It was his name.
...