The Hardest Path

A/N: Er....It feels so awkward if I don't say something beforehand. So.....Congrats to Breet, for being promoted from reader to almost co-writer! Yay! Let's all give her a round of applause. -Clap.- Alright, moving on.

The rest of the morning was spent with Nic either watching the others practice with each other, or exercising himself. He ran laps around the yard, did pushups, situps, crunches, jumping jacks, and lifted weights until Rhett told him it was time to go to visit Laurel. Dropping the ten pound weight on the ground, Nic nodded to Rhett and walked away toward the main house.

Rhett smiled after him, impressed by the way that the boy had followed instructions without complaint. Any number of men would have buckled under the challenge of that first day, and been out of the house by evening. It was a testament to Nic's inner strength that he hadn't even flinched.

Nic entered the brothel by the back door, creeping down the hallway on his way to the lobby in the front. As he passed by an open door, a voice called to him. "Nicholas, do come in." Laurel looked up from her desk as he entered, nervous smile on his face. "Normally, one would enter by the front door and wait to be shown into my office, but you couldn't have known that."

Unlike the other times he'd seen her, Laurel had her hair up in a simple bun, a pair of delicate glasses in silver frames perched upon the bridge of her nose. There was a stack of papers on her desk, and she pulled one off the top of the stack and slid it toward him. "This whole stack is your contract, but I'll only have you sign this part. Normally, your mother would have to sign, but obviously she isn't able to do so."

Before Nic could even open his mouth to ask, Laurel held up a slender white hand. "She's fine. Our therapists are working with her daily. She's not making significant progress yet, but they are hopeful." She handed him a pen. "This contract basically states that you'll be living either at the Guard house or the brothel, training for both professions. You will not be attending sexually based classes until after your fifteenth birthday." At this, he coughed quietly, cheeks mottling with color.

Ignoring him, Laurel continued. "Up until that point, you'll learn anything and everything else I choose to teach you. I reserve the right to ask you and your mother to leave at any time, for any reason. Rhett has the same right. Each week, you'll receive an allowance in accordance with your skills at the time. The more you learn, the more money you can make. If you have any problems or questions, come to me or to Rhett." Nodding his understanding, Nic signed his name on the contract.

The contract was snatched away from him with the ease and speed of long practice, placed atop the rest of the stack and filed away in a cabinet before Nicholas could draw two breaths. "Do I get a copy?" Nic seemed to remember that it was always smart to get a copy of anything you'd signed. For legal reasons, not that he really understood that.

Laurel arched a delicate brow, steepling her fingers. "Why would you need one, young Nicholas? Do you believe I will cheat you?"

"N-no! Of course not!" Nic stammered, taking a step away from the desk.

Those calm blue eyes stayed fixed on him for a long moment. Nic felt as if his every reaction was being stored away for further examination. Finally, she spoke. "I will teach you to mask your feelings, young Nicholas. And to be less awkward with your words, as well as your actions." Laurel opened a drawer on her desk and began going through it. "That is not today's lesson, however. You may go."

Grateful to be dismissed, Nic almost ran for the door, bumping into the wall in his haste. He didn't pause to look and see if Laurel was watching, since he was already certain she was. The open air outside was a blessing to Nic's frazzled nerves, and he jogged back to the Guard house just to better feel the wind on his face.

"I'm back!" The excited child couldn't resist calling out as soon as he walked in the door. As expected, there was no answer. Nic was already feeling the soreness of the busy morning in his muscles, so instead of going out to the yard, he trudged upstairs, fully intending to drop into his bed and sleep like a rock.

Andrei's door was open, the man himself bent over, top half of him in the closet looking for something. He turned and smiled when Nic stopped in his doorway. "How's the muscles, junior?" Andrei said as he beckoned Nic closer. "Sore as hell yet?"

Nic winced as he moved toward the man, the look on his face answer enough. "Getting there. Fast."

Wincing in sympathy, Andrei grabbed a small glass jar from his bedside table and shooed Nic out of the room. "I'll help you," he said as they reached Nic's door. Andrei shook his hair away from his eye and gave the boy a small smile. It was the first time Nic could remember seeing both of Andrei's eyes at the same time. They were beautiful. Nic might have wanted to compare the color to amethyst, but it was deeper, richer somehow. Alive.

Andrei put the container down on Nic's table, reaching for the hem of the boy's borrowed shirt. Slender hands grasped the fabric, slowly drawing it up and over his head, Nic obediently raising his arms to help. Free of the shirt, the youth's chest practically glowed in the sunlight from the window, milk-pale and smooth. Andrei sighed dreamily and reached out, stroking the boy from his navel to his throat. Only then did Nic fidget, a flush spreading up his chest even while color filled his cheeks.

"Lie down on your tummy." Andrei's soft voice broke the silence, but made no dent in the tension that had filled the room. The atmosphere was suddenly thick, tangible as water and twice as hard to breathe in. After a moment's hesitation, Nic lowered himself to the bed, pillowing his head on his arms and trying to relax. The boy's back was flushed pink as well, Andrei noted with amusement.

Unscrewing the lid of the jar, Andrei scooped out a small amount of cloudy white goop and rubbed it between his hands. Nic, who had seen the stuff and been unimpressed, began to wiggle toward the other side of the bed. "What's that junk?"

"Ointment," the assassin answered as he reached for the boy. "It will make you feel better, I promise."

Trusting the experiencenced guard at his word, Nic held still and let Andrei begin rubbing the ointment in. It smelled sharply of herbs he couldn't identify, but it was a fresh, clean scent that Nic quickly found he enjoyed. Andrei's touch grew steady and firm as he realized the boy wasn't still bent on escape, and he started to massage every tense little muscle he encountered.

Unbeknownst to Nic, soft coos and sighs of pleasure were dragging themselves from his lips and parading around the room. The more noise that came from the boy, the more difficult Andrei found it to keep his hands in appropriate places. What was it about this kid that messed with his control so much? Andrei damn sure couldn't figure it out. He found himself wondering what sort of noises Nic would make if Andrei decided to flip his slender body over, and-

"It's my birthday tomorrow." Nic's sleepy voice cut through the lustful fantasies that had been filling Andrei's head. As it was, he barely managed a low grunt to show he'd heard.

"I'll be thirteen," continued the child, oblivious to his companion's struggle with lust. Another grunt was his only answer, and the rest of the massage was conducted in silence. It wasn't long before Nic slipped into a heavy doze, a tiny smile curling his lips.

Rather than soothing the need in Andrei, the fact that Nic had fallen asleep made everything worse. Andrei had to take a step away from the bed, fighting to keep his hands to himself. The sight of this boy sleeping peacefully sent arousal rocketing through Andrei's body, pulling a quiet groan of agony from his throat. It was one urge he almost couldn't resist, the desire to snuggle up beside a sleeping lover and slowly, tenderly coax their body into feverish need, teasing them into a sweet, hard climax before they opened their eyes.

"I am such a freak." The harsh whisper sounded loud in the otherwise silent room. Backing toward the door, Andrei abandoned his jar of ointment for the moment. He was down the hall and hidden away in his room in a flash, locking the door to ensure his privacy. Staring down at the bulge of his erection, straining against his pants in its ever-so-hopeful way, Andrei sighed.

"No time for play, boyo," he said sternly to his penis. "I've got plans to make. What would a birthday be without a little celebration?" Lying down on his bed, Andrei smirked up at the ceiling. If all went well, Nic would have a very happy birthday indeed.



A/N: Well. It seems Andrei's a bit of a pervert. Nifty crackers! Sorry I haven't updated in so long. I've been very sick with a lung infection. D= For anyone who wants to know more about Andrei, check out this link.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somnophilia


On to the reviews!

violetstorm: Telin is pretty much a really cool, really laid back, almost hippie-ish pervert. I would hang out with him. Liam is the kind of guy who would totally spaz out if he found out about his other son and all the stuff he's been through. Don't worry, though, they'll be united properly soon enough.

cfweber1b: Things will get better! Then worse. Much, much worse.

Breet: Shut the hell up, you spazzoid. Yeesh. No talking about the Pinn! You know too much. I might have to kill you if you can't keep your mouth shut. No. Seriously. Lol, internet death threat! Yar!