Tweak

After party in full swing but himself dismissed, thankfully, Shin stepped into his room and closed the door. He leaned his weight against the wood for a long moment then turned and locked it for good measure. Moonlight trickled in through his window along with the chitter of the folks still in the garden. Shin crossed the room and closed the blinds. Facing towards the bathroom, Shin looked over the room.

He was by himself. Garden full of people down below and there he was, by himself. He could have picked a tweaker and returned to his bedroom and. Had company. Truth was, though, he didn’t want company. Especially when the company that he would be able to attain would not be the broad male that had been tormenting his thoughts all night.

That Ash fellow was odd. Shin didn’t understand why he hadn’t seen Ash before, or at the very least, why he hadn’t noticed the male. Ash and Layaent seemed close, but Shin didn’t have much to do with Layaent’s life. They were brothers but not in the sense that commoners had brothers and sisters. Children were raised by nannies and nursemaid. Siblings had a closer bond than cousins, had more interaction, but Shin didn’t know Layaents friends, or companions, just as he didn’t know Taya’s favourite nanny.

The more Shin thought about it, the more familiar Ash’s face seemed to become. Ash must have been there, in the background. A blurred face standing beside Layaent at a ball or someone having tea with the oldest. People he hadn’t been introduced to didn’t really register in his memory properly. Sometimes he noticed people and gave them nicknames in his memories. But Ash’s face, while well built and attractive, was not the type of face that Shin would notice in a crowd.

Shin noticed those who made faces at his presence. He noticed the scarred ones, the ones who were forced, for the rest of their lives, to carry the scars on their faces. Genetics would replace fingers, limbs, organs, all kinds of things, but they would not perform plastic surgery.

Of course, for the most part plastic surgery was for the vain, in the world of the genetics. Skin did not scar so easily any longer, the bodies were, for the most part, perfectly created. But if a case of nature came about and a woman didn’t grow as chesty as her genetic material stated, the genetic families would refuse her right to go under the knife.

Everyone had the rights of freedoms, but genetics and tweakers, they had these rights as more of a lip service. Shin had the right to go in and… he glanced down… adjust his size, but if he did so, he knew full well that he would be seen as a disgrace.

The last case of gender confusion, a genetic being born into a body that was the opposite gender of the mind, had been argued so long that the genetic in question had died of old age before an answer was found.

Shin sighed out and ran his hands through his hair. Gender was a slippery subject, it was the center of debate for genetic and tweaker families a like. The theories of gender varied as widely as the theories of psychoanalysis.

His night off and there he was, thinking about work.

Shin stretched upward and back, his back cracked as he bent over backward. Contorting over himself, he managed to almost touch his head to the backs of his feet. The idea that he had done that instinctually, for Shin had never seen a genetic bend like that, he straightened and shuddered. It was as if his tendons were lengthening. The pull of his muscles barely registered as he bent one way and then another.

He had never heard of this part of second growth. Shin knew that his body was preparing for the changes it would be making. The second growth would happen faster than puberty itself and so his body had been prepared, before birth, for the second growth. His skin would never had stretch marks, growing pains were all but a thing of the past. Shin’s shirts didn’t fit around the chest any longer, his ribcage had expanded. Lungs and heart, the organs needed to provide the other changes, altered first. If his body grew but his heart stayed small, there wouldn’t be enough oxygen and blood to keep his body alive.

He couldn’t raise his heart rate, no matter how hard he tried. He had run from one side of the gardens to the other, put the gym to use for the first time ever and still nothing. It was like his body settled into a rhythm when he worked out. Because his body was too small, at the moment, for his heart and lungs, he could run all day.

At least. It seemed that way.

There was one way to raise his heartbeat that he hadn’t tried yet. Shin glanced at his nightstand and swallowed. In the drawer were several toys. He gulped and glanced about the room, as if expecting someone to appear out of the shadows.

He skittered to the door and checked the lock. It was safe and sound. Shin went to the bathroom and checked the cupboards, the tub, the places that Taya liked to hide when she wanted to scare him. Under the bed, even. Even though there wasn’t enough room under the bed for anyone to hide, child or adult, tweaker or genetic.

Satisfied that no one was about, Shin opened the nightstand and peered at the selection. Purple, blue and green. One was a length for when he wanted to feel… penetrated. One was just the right length and had a vibrator at one spot and only one spot, meant to buzz against the prostrate and nothing else. The other was a good length, vibrated all the way up and down.

Just thinking about it made him hard. That and the thought of Ash’s almost naked form at the after party. Muscles rippling, hair all mussed up like he didn’t care what genetics thought about him.

Shin pulled out the blue one and wondered if he would have to replace the toy shortly. After all, there was rarely a part of the body that didn’t alter during second growth. Biting his lip, he decided on that one, it was his favourite, after all. He set it on the nightstand and folded back the covers of his bed, smoothing out each blanket and sheet.

Sliding under the blankets, Shin pulled them up to cover his body. He reached under the blankets and stripped off his only article of clothing, his boxers, and dropped them unceremoniously beside the bed.

He pulled a lubrication out of the drawer and popped the cap for it. With a small amount in his hand, he covered the toy. With his clean hand, he positioned the toy between his legs. The hand with lubrication, he wrapped around his hard, hot shaft. Shin worked his hand up and down a few times. He wondered what it would be like to have someone else do this to him, to actually be with another man. The longing for another’s flesh against his own sent a shudder through him.

Shin adjusted his hips, spreading his legs further, as he pushed the silicone toy into himself slowly. It had been a while since the last time the toy did not slide in easily, but all the better. Shivering, Shin pushed steadily until the toy grazed over his prostrate. Rocking the toy in time to the movements of his hips. His hand worked his shaft.

The thought of Ash, over him, breathing heavily, pushed him on. Shin didn’t bother with the vibrator. He bit his bottom lip as heat swelled in his belly. Ash was just so-

“Ah,” Shin stumbled into release by accident. The waft of pleasure was only momentarily and his shock at his release so sneaking up on him was such a surprise that that was all the pleasure was. Momentarily.

It was kind of sad. That Shin could have poor sex with himself. Shin sighed and pulled the toy out of himself. He slid out from under the blankets and went to the bathroom, taking the toy with him. Setting the blue object in the sink of the bathroom, Shin moved to the shower and washed thoroughly. Cleaned, Shin walked back to the sink and turned on the hot water. He let it run so long that it was steaming, just coming out of the tap. Shin washed the toy and returned it to its drawer before he slid back into bed, on the opposite side of the bed.

He didn’t like sleeping in a wet spot.

Shin sighed and tapped the top of the covers. He stared up at the ceiling of his bedroom. Just lay there. He just wasn’t tired.

Shin wondered what Ash was up to…

***

Ash knocked on the door and listened for the gruff order to enter the room. As he closed the door behind him, Ash realised his mistake. He had forgotten to ask Layaent if his breeding partner was going to be in the room.

Layaent was laying on the bed in a pair of briefs, legs crossed at the ankles and a book in hand. The man was cleaned up and looked ruffled as could be.

“Uhm…” Ash cleared his throat.

“Bri get home safely?” Layaent asked, turning the page of his book.

Ash swallowed and stepped up beside the bed, “yes, she’s home safe and sound. Where is-”

“Mer has decided to spend some time with her mother. I think that is for the best, considering the fact that her mother is dieing and she will be unable to travel very shortly.”

“Pity, losing such a fine woman.”

“Her mother?” Layaent asked, closing his book and looking over at Ash, “Ash, why are you still dressed?”

Because he was skittish. He and Layaent had coupled before but not in several years. Not since Layaent had taken on Mer as a breeding partner. Layaent still insisted on being close, insisted he be able to touch Ash skin to skin. It wasn’t that Ash had a problem with skin to skin contact. It was how tweakers interacted in the privacy of their own rooms.

“You said you promised Mer.”

“I did,” Layaent said, setting his book on the nightstand, “I promised that I wouldn’t take a lover from the male tweakers. I think we can both agree that a companion is not a lover.”

“Nor is it a friend,” Ash muttered.

“I like looking at your form, Ash, come, take the shirt off at the very least.”

Ash sighed and unbuttoned his shirt, loosened his tie and pulled it off. Shirt fell to Ash’s feet as Layaent stood from the bed and stepped up to him. Hands splayed over Ash’s chest, a touch that was threatening even as it was meant to be reassuring.

“Good,” Layaent’s hands moved up Ash’s chest and settled on his shoulders, “you’ve grown since the last we did this. Then again. So have I.”

He managed not to squeak at the suggestion.

“A companion,” Layaent murmured, “is a friend with benefits after all, so why not take advantage of the benefits once in a while?”

“If Mer finds out, she’ll make us both eunuchs.”

“I’ll worry about Mer. Take off your pants.”

Ash glanced about the room. There were personal touches across the room. Mer’s items and Layaents, the pair had finally seen eye to eye and had moved into the same room. With Mer’s items in the room, she would no doubt smell Ash all over them, she would know that Ash had been there. So either Layaent was making a serious mistake.

Or Mer had given permission for this to happen. Given Mer’s tendency to be violent when she was in a mood, and Layaent’s inherent inability to fight back against a woman, Ash could only assume that it was with Mer’s blessing.

“Fine,” Ash said, unbuckling his pants, “but I get to. You know.”

“Be the receiver.”

“I was the receiver last time,” Ash snapped.

Layaent reached, pushing Ash’s pant’s down, “I don’t receive.”

“When we started-”

“I. Don’t.” Layaent’s tone made Ash shiver, “receive. Now. I am going to ride you and have you until you beg me to stop and then I am going to have you some more. Because I am dominant and I am above you and I stronger than you, damn it.”

“Who bit your ass?”

Layaent hissed out a breath, “Meita head of house. I could gut him, I could rend him limb from limb. You don’t know how frustrating it is, Ash, to be a top dog when no one will let you lead. Even my own breeding partner tells me what to do.”

“Alright, my pants are off.” Ash said quickly, stopping Layaent’s rant, “but frankly, I’m not much interested in se-”

Ash’s back hit the floor, his breath whooshed out of him. Layaent came down on top of Ash. The struggle that ensued used muscles that Ash had honed through his training as an officer of the law. Layaent was stronger than Ash, by far, but he was under trained and had little muscle. While the man eventually gained the upper hand, Ash made him work for it.

They rolled across the floor, Layaent ending up on top, pinning Ash to the floor with his hands. Breathing hard, the man leaned down and captured Ash’s lips in his own. Remembering how the events always happened, Ash reacted, pushing his tongue into Layaent’s mouth. His body reacted too eagerly to Layaent’s touch.

Layaent hadn’t been Ash’s only lover, not by far, but Layaent was the only one who still spoke to Ash, still interacted with the male. The others, all genetics, had had their time with Ash, gotten bored of him and then moved on.

“Please,” Ash grit his teeth a moment later, as Layaent reached for his underwear. He didn’t want to seem too eager but he couldn’t help it, his body was reacting to the possibility of pleasure.

Layaent growled and snatched Ash’s hand away from his shoulder, “stop that.”

“Stop what?” blood trickled over Layaent’s shoulder, “oh. Ah!” Ash tensed, arching upward as Layaent bit the crook of his neck, “Layaent, stop it. Stop, oh, I give in, I give in. Ah.”

Layaent’s loosened just slightly. The man slid between Ash’s legs and wrapped an big hand around one of Ash’s hips, pulling the hip upward. The penetration was rough, but the moment Layaent had speared Ash, he seemed to recall who was beneath him. Layaent let Ash’s shoulder go and kissed the sore skin there.

The moment Ash’s arms were free, he wrapped them around Layaent. One around the man’s neck, the other under his arm and over his back. He dug in his heels and pushed his hips toward Layaent when he was ready. Each pause made Layaent growl in annoyance. Anticipation riddled Ash’s system.

Heat rolled off Layaent’s skin, muscles rippled under Ash’s fingers as the man all but withdrew and then thrust into the willing form beneath him. Ash made a startled sound, shuddered and tried to adjust under Layaent. In response, Layaent thrust fast and deep, eliciting a moan from Ash with each motion.

Locking a leg around Layaent’s hips, Ash rolled, spearing himself in a highly uncomfortable fashion. He ended up on top with Layaent pressed against the floor, a startled look on his face.

“What… are you doing Ash?” Layaent asked, looking down, “oh my, have you ever grown.”

“You’ve seen me naked.” Ash growled, bringing himself up and then pushing back down. A shudder rolled through his body, desire clawed at his belly.

Layaent moaned, “but never hard. And I’ve been-” Ash gasped as Layaent wrapped two hands around his shaft, “neglecting this? There we go. Come on Ash.”

Ash shivered, holding onto his sanity just barely as Layaent stroked him. He struggled with himself momentarily before he let it all go. Panting, Ash shuddered to a stop, hips against Layaent’s, head bent. Layaent’s hands moved to Ash’s hips and caressed them gently.

“That was…”

Ash huffed out a breath and climbed off of Layaent, wincing, “like our first time.”

“Oh, God,” Layaent groaned, a chuckle turning to a cough, “remember when Joral caught us?”

“Remember?” Ash cringed, rolling onto his side and thusly facing Layaent, “how could I forget? He threatened to contract you out to my family because you had taken my virginity. Some arcane law.”

Layaent sighed out and sat up, “it’s how breeding contracts started though. Some genetic was caught taking the virginity of another genetic and so the families bound them together. Virgins, before science did everything outside of the womb and before the implanting of the foetus, were prized possessions. No way to tell if it’s yours unless you take her virginity.”

“Bullshit. And how does that even apply to two males?”

Silence met his question, “well,” Layaent said finally, “Joral thought it was my. Nature. Acting up. That I did it to dominate you and thus had to repay my debt. Or. Something. He also thought we were a good pair.”

“What? Us? We fight as much as we are friendly!”

“Reminds me, that bitch comes to my estate again, I’ll be paying you a visit, not that cock of a steward of hers.”

Ash sighed, “suppose you’ve got some made up reason for this?”

“You know, you and Shin would make a good pair,” Layaent said, changing the subject quickly.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“I’m just saying. Two males can have a breeding contract with one another.”

“What would even make you think that?”

“Well, you’ve got a way with him.”

“I’ve met him once,” Ash growled, standing as he searched the room for his underwear. Layaent had, apparently, thrown them atop the couch. However that happened, Ash didn’t know.

“But he spoke with you. Everyone else it’s short sentences. It’s like talking to an idiot and I know Shin’s not an idiot.”

“So I can talk to him, that doesn’t mean we’d make a good pair, and stop trying to partner me off with your family,” Ash growled, pulling on his underwear, “if Shin ever found out that you and I have had sex, he would go four shades of red and want nothing more to do with me. Not that he finds me attractive in the first place.”

“Does that mean you find him attractive?”

“For a runt, he’s not bad looking. Must be a family thing,” Ash muttered, crossing the room and snatching up his pants.

“Give it a chance.”

“A chance, fine, I’ll give it a chance and when everything explodes and he throws a fit, as the over emotional ones do, you’ll be the one who cleans up the mess. Then. Well. Then I’ll get to laugh at you.”

“It’s not going to explode. We’ll go to the wilds, I’ll seduce Bri and you’ll make eyes at Shin and we’ll have tea and then sleep with them. It’s all good fun.”

“Taking a runt who is wearing national property, into the wilds is not a good idea. It’s a national treasure Layaent. Most powerful relic our people have and he’s wearing it. If that doesn’t spell trouble as it is-”

“But he’s been wearing it several days now and nothing bad has happened. Besides the breeding contract and that woman trespassing to try to steal the ring back from him. But those were pure coincidences.”

“That woman, the thief, is going to want the ring back,” Ash picked up his shirt and tried to figure out which way was up or front or back of the damned thing, “she’s powerful.”

“A power user is useless in the wilds.”

“Unless they’re a fighter,” Ash reminded Layaent, pulling the sleeve of his shirt out properly, “in which case they can walk through the wilds relatively unharmed.”

“Until they meet a power using animal.”

“Myth and legend.”

“I’ve seen them. Everything goes quiet and calm. Like when a predator is about. Except nothing about you can figure out why it’s quiet. All you can do is smell a void, hear a void. Then, bam, up comes four rows of teeth and a creature large enough to use you as a toothpick. She’s not going to get through the wilds. God knows where she came from, but if she’s smart, she’ll go back there.”

“If she was smart, she wouldn’t have sent a power user an ancient relic with a mysterious past.”

“To be fair,” Layaent muttered, “if she was actually smart, she never would have stolen the ring in the first place.”

“True,” Ash said quietly, “well. The worst is behind us. We know where it is and we can watch it, and Shin.”

“He’s got a nice ass.”

“He’s your brother.”

“Yes, but he’s still got a nice ass. It’s like commenting on a horse’s flank.”

“Except. He’s your brother.”

“Apparently he’s got all the bits for sex as well.”

“See,” Ash said, buttoning up his shirt, “you can’t even say he’s got a decent sized penis. Not that that matters all too much to me.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that he has a nice ass, like that one you used to watch, that walked like,” Layaent made a hand motion, meant to indicate how the hips on a young man had moved, “firm, probably about a handful. Seems like your kind of thing.”

“Stop trying to sell me your brother.”

“Fine. I’ll sell him to your head of house.”

Ash blinked at Layaent, “now I don’t know if I should take you seriously or not.”

“Do. Don’t. Doesn’t really matter which way you do it. Anywho. Curfew starts in three minutes and the front door is a five minute walk. So…”

Ash muttered a curse and bolted from the room. Damn Layaent and his needless chattering. 

.