Paint Me a Picture

All right, here is a new story brought to you by my mind! Now this is my first time coming out of my comfort zone of the ‘Paranormal section’ to test the waters of the ‘Slash Section’. So please be gentle with me ^-^’ And enjoy!
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A beautiful, sleek black car parked along the sidewalk, in front of a large house. Once it came to a stop the passenger door opened and a young man stepped out. Lush, forest green eyes looked over the house and a sigh passed through pink lips.

“Here we go again,” the young man muttered, ruffling up his short, wavy chocolate brown hair.

The driver’s door opened and he turned to watch his father step out. He was a tall, proud looking man. Short black hair, cold brown eyes, and dressed in a dark blue business suit.

He was Rufus Darlent, head of a major computer company and successful businessman. One could tell he was someone of importance just by looking at him. The man walked to the trunk and, once opened, pulled out two suitcases.

“I’m sorry this is so sudden, Lan,” Mr. Darlent apologized as he approached his son and handed over the bags.

“No, no. No reason to apologize,” Lan insisted for the hundredth time. “You’re a busy man, Dad. I know that. You know that. I’ve learned to live with it,” he told him, setting the cases down on the sidewalk and stuffing his hands in his jacket pockets. “How long will you be gone this time?” Lan then asked as he turned to his father.

Rufus sighed. His son always acted so calm, cool, and collected. Like nothing bothered him. He wondered just how much Lan actually wanted to sock him in the face.

“A week at the most, but you know Mr. Tolbert,” he answered.

Lan rolled his eyes as he recalled his father’s business partner.

“Yeah, likes to drag everything out for about a thousand years,” he muttered. “Just promise you’ll bring me back something from London,” Lan said with a little smirk.

“Of course, I’ll make sure to surprise you this time,” Rufus chuckled.

“You? Surprise me? Yeah, right,” the young man scoffed.

“I can always try,” his father said before drawing closer. “Now be good and behave yourself while I’m gone,” Rufus told him before bending down slightly to kiss his son’s forehead.

“Ew! Dad! That’s gross! I’m too old for that!” Lan protested, pushing the bigger man away and wiping at his skin.

Rufus simply chuckled and ruffled up his son’s hair.

“You’re never too old to get a kiss from your old man,” he said casually as he walked around the car.

“Says you,” Lan muttered, making a face. His father’s laughter was his only reply.

“Now, if you’re good maybe when I come back we can go to a ball game together or something,” Rufus suggested as he opened the door. “And you will be good, right?” he asked, a stern tone creeping in.

“Of course, aren’t I always?” Lan said with a little salute.

“All right, have a good stay and try to enjoy yourself,” was the last thing Rufus said before getting back into the car.

Lan returned a wave his father gave and watched as the black beast was started then rolled down the street. He stared after it until it was lost in the morning traffic. Lan sighed and ran his fingers through his hair to bring it back to messy order.

“Too bad I hate baseball,” he murmured before bending down to grab his suitcases. He then turned and began walking up to the big house. “Why is he only like that when he’s going off to some random country?” he growled to himself.

Lan Darlent was a normal, eighteen year old young man. Well, as normal as an isolated rich boy could be. His father raked in thousands of millions of dollars a year with his computer company, giving them a stable way of life of the finer things. Though one couldn’t tell that by looking at Lan. He was far from dressing in fancy clothes. Jeans, a ratty t-shirt, and a baggy jacket were all he really liked to wear, making him look like any average teenager.

His social life was practically non-existent. He had never set foot in a public or private school. He’d been home schooled since he could remember. And he didn’t get out much to seek friends, plus Lan wouldn’t know how even if he wanted too.

For a bigger part of his life Lan had been carted off to one family friends house to another when his father was away. Well, they were less family friends than they were coworkers’ families. Rufus could always rely on one of his business partners’ or underlings to take in his son. Lan had stayed with so many different people he couldn’t even count them anymore, let alone remember all of them. He often wondered if it was how foster kids felt.

He couldn’t wait to be just a bit older so he could finally stay home alone. Lan thought becoming eighteen would be old enough, but noooo, not in the eyes of Daddy. Rufus said he’d have to be at least nineteen for that to happen, what with the worry of vexed enemies seeking out ways to hurt the businessman and the such.

Of course, by that time, Lan was planning on getting into some college and getting out of the damn repetitive cycle of these drop off’s. He didn’t care which school, just any one that would take him.

“Tup, tup, tup, tup.” Lan made his own sound effect as he went up the stairs two at a time. When he got to the door he sighed. He always told himself that maybe this would be the last time. But, of course, there was no hope behind it. Lan set down the cases and rang the doorbell. He could hear the chime faintly chorus throughout the house, signaling his arrival.

Lan tapped his foot along to a random song going through his head as he waited. Suddenly he heard footsteps nearing the door before it opened.

“Oh! Master Lan! You’ve finally arrived!” exclaimed a very cheerful maid. Strings of dark red hair that hadn’t been caught up into a bun framed her face and her hazel eyes formed wrinkles at the sides as she smiled.

A smile dared to make an appearance on Lan’s face. He always liked this woman. It was like she ran on happy gas or something.

“Hey, Milly, long time no see,” he said, giving a small wave.

“You’ve got that right and look at you, you sure are growing like a weed,” the woman said as she stepped closer to get a better look at him. “Though it still looks like you have no meat on your bones,” she chided, giving a pat to his stomach.

Lan had always been lean and thin since he hit puberty. He couldn’t seem to put on weight or muscle. The latter irked him to no end.

“Again that is not my fault,” Lan said defensively. “My body just hates me like that,” he told her.

Milly simply laughed and opened the door wider.

“Well, come in, come in,” she said.

Lan smiled as he picked up his bags, but made no move to go inside.

“Actually can up just put these in whatever room they’re sticking me in?” he requested as he handed the suitcases over to her.

Milly was quite perplexed and gave a start when the young man turned and started going down the stairs.

“Er, Lan, where are you going?” she asked, sounding a bit flustered.

“I’m just going to go wander a little,” he answered, stopping at the bottom of the stairs and turning to her. “Stretch my legs out and all that.”

“What should I tell Mrs. Jolark? She’s expecting you,” Milly told him.

Lan thought it over then shrugged his shoulders.

“I dunno. Tell her I wanted to be a little active before settling in,” he said as he started to walk away once more. “I should be back by dinner!” he called and gave a wave in goodbye as he headed down the sidewalk without a backwards glance.

Milly stared after him, wanting to call him back, but she knew he would just keep going. She sighed as she hefted the bags up.

“Boys will be boys,” she muttered as she went inside and kicked the door close.

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

“Come on, come on. Come ooooooonnnnn,” Lan muttered. Every fiber of his body was tense and his concentration focused as he willed the kart to move faster. “Damn it!!!” he yelled, getting the attention of a few passing people, but he hardly noticed. “Stupid God damn red shell! Come on, Luigi, can we at least try and step up our A game?” he asked the digital character zooming around on the screen of his DS.

Lan growled lowly as the points were totaled up and revealed he came in second place. First place being taken by The Monkey…again.

“Stupid, freakin’, monkey. You laugh now, but victory will be mine next time,” he vowed before hitting the switch and turning off his game of Mario Kart.

Lan sighed as he closed the DS with a snap. He would get his mortal enemy next time, he would see to that. He put the small game consol back in its protective case that was clipped to the belt loop of his pants.

“Ow,” Lan muttered, realizing that the pad of his thumb was pulsing slightly. He looked at it and chuckled when he saw a perfect little circle embedded in his skin. “Gotta love that intense gameage,” he said to himself as he stuck the digit in his mouth and began sucking on it, trying to coax the skin to go back to normal.

Lan looked around as he did this. People ranging from kids to adults were milling around, focused on their own lives and their own business, not paying him any mind. The young man felt like an invisible interloper as he sat on the steps leading up to the city’s art museum. He liked to go there from time to time. The area was nice to look at and it was quiet for the most part.

Laughter suddenly got Lan’s attention and he turned his head to see where it was coming from. Near the other side of the stone stairs he saw two people running around, laughing as one tried to catch the other. Three more were walking behind the first duo and laughing at their antics. They looked about Lan’s age and he could tell they were just wandering about the city with no destination planned, most likely enjoying their summer vacation.

Lan scowled as he took his thumb out of his mouth with a wet pop. He hated seeing people so-so happy. Laughing and having fun while enjoying each other’s company. It made him seethe inside since he rarely got to experience it himself. Later he would tell himself that he was being an idiot and could have at least tried to go over to them and make friends, see if he could somehow join them. But for now, he stuck to his prissy little tantrum and mentally threw every cussword he knew at them as they passed by.

When they were gone Lan stood up and dusted off his clothes. In his mind he felt it was his will alone that got them to go away, banishing them from his presence. He hummed out some victory music as he turned and headed the rest of the way up the stairs.

Lan could hear his footsteps echo and bounce of the walls as he walked through one of the many halls of the art museum. Curious eyes looked from one painting to another, trying to see if there were any new ones today.

While the outside of the art museum served as a nice hang out spot to observe people, the inside served as a getaway from those same people. While gazing at the paintings Lan could pretend that he was in a different place and it always worked to calm him a bit.

“Halt you scoundrel!!!” a voiced suddenly yelled behind him.

“Huh?” Before Lan could even turn around strong arms surrounded him, restraining him. “Hey-what? What the hell do you think you’re doing!? Let me go!” the young man demanded as he struggled to get free, but the person was too strong. When he pushed the arm up it was in reach for him to sink his teeth into, and he did just that. He felt the muscles in the arm contract and the hold on him loosened.

“Ow! Jeeze, Lan, I was just messing with you,” the person said.

Lan blinked and took his hold off the offending arm. He turned to look back at the person that still had their arms around him loosely.

“Al?” he said curiously when he registered who the man was. “Freakin’ A! You scared the crap out of me, asshole!” he then exclaimed as he pulled away and punched the guy in the arm.

The man known as Al laughed as he rubbed his throbbing arm.

“And that, my dear Lan, was the point,” he said teasingly as he smirked at the other.

“Thanks a lot you lousy son of a….wait, what’s with the getup?” the young man asked when he actually got a good look at the older man. He looked over Al to see the man was wearing a security guard uniform. Cute little hat and all.

“You like?” Al asked, tugging on the short sleeves and turning so Lan could see all of it. “I like it for the fact most people can’t resist a man in uniform,” he said with a naughty grin.

Lan laughed and shook his head.

“So you were finally able to get out of the front desk, huh? Sure took long enough,” he said.

“Ugh, don’t I know it?” Al sighed dramatically. “I think I was about to snap soon, but I got this job, so the meltdown was avoided,” he said with a big grin. “So, how are things going with you?” Al asked as the two started walking through the gallery. “I haven’t seen you in awhile.”

“Eh, could be worse, could be better,” Lan said with a shrug.

“Big Daddy dropped you off with another family again, huh?”

“Yep, why else would I be here?” the young man quipped.

“Well, maybe you came to seek the company of a drop dead gorgeous security guard,” Al said playfully and Lan felt the man’s hand brush against his waist.

Lan fell into the role easily enough and brushed against Al’s side.

“Yes, ravish me and take all my troubles away, security man,” he all but purred.

The two then erupted into laughter that was carried throughout the gallery and made more than one head perk up.

Al was one of the only people Lan could really consider a friend. He had been working at the art museum for only God knows how long and after a few of Lan’s visits they couldn’t help but keep running into each other. Al, of course, was the first to initiate any sort of friendship, what with Lan having some built in wall from him doing so. It first started with a few exchanged words at the front desk when Lan would buy his ticket to get in. The few words soon changed into conversations then Lan found himself spending all his time at the front desk talking to the other man.

Then it grew to them spending Al’s breaks together, walking around the museum or simply sitting some place while the other man ate lunch. Lan was even invited into the break room once or twice and introduced to some of the other employees. In all Lan felt closer to Al than he did anyone else, and was the only reason he kept visiting the museum.

Al wasn’t too bad to look at either. He was tall and even through the security outfit one could tell he was built well and strong. The man also moved with the grace of a predator. Lan liked to compare him to a big cat like a lion or a cheetah. Golden blonde hair was pulled back into a small ponytail at the base of his neck and Al had the most gorgeous blue eyes the young man had ever seen. They were a deep blue that made Lan think he was looking into the depths of the ocean.

“Ow, you have had your shots, right? I think it’s infected,” Al muttered as he examined the bite mark in his arm.

“Well, that’s what you get for trying to scare me,” Lan said, crossing his arms and sticking out his tongue.

“Oh, but it was oh so much fun hearing you squeal,” the other said with a smirk.

“I did not squeal,” Lan growled as his face turned a bit red.

“Squealed like a little piggy,” Al cooed as he teased the skin of Lan’s ear with his finger. The young man smacked the hand away and scowled at him.

“You keep that up and I’m going to bite you agai…” Lan trailed off as he spotted something behind Al and he came to a stop.

The older man walked on a bit before realizing his young friend wasn’t following him anymore.

“Lan? What’s up?” he asked, turning back to face the other.

“I’ve never seen this picture before,” the young man said softly, walking up to one of the walls and tilting his head to the side.

It was a large painting of a lagoon. Lush plants surrounded the landscape and the water sparkled with the light from the moon. In the center of the painting, sitting on the shore, was a man and Lan thought he was the most beautiful man he’d ever seen.

Long, pale green hair flowed down to the ground, strands falling gently over pale limbs. His skin looked like it was made of the moonlight itself. Soft and light. He was garbed in loose, white robes that hung from his long and sinewy body. But what drew Lan in were his eyes. They were a shimmering blue that looked like they were close to being silver.

“Oh, that one,” Al said, breaking the young man’s thoughts as he stood beside him. “Yeah, that’s been in the back collecting dust for ages. The boss man finally decided to dig it out and put it up,” he explained.

“It’s really nice, but he looks so…sad,” Lan muttered, looking over the solemn, heartbreaking look in the mans features.

“Yeah, well you’d be sad too with this guy’s history,” Al retorted, scratching his cheek lightly.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you see there’s a story behind this particular painting. A myth if you will,” the older man told him.

“Of what?” Lan asked, his interest being peeked.

“Well, and mind you I’ve only heard this second hand so I don’t know how accurate I’m going to tell this,” Al quickly warned before going into the story. “What I heard is that a long time ago, and I’m talkin’ about way long ago, there was a powerful wizard. It was said he was so powerful he could control the very matter around him. One day he happened upon a lagoon, the very one in this picture, and in the lagoon he came across the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on-”

“Wait, creature?” Lan interrupted.

“Yeah, you don’t think there’s normal humans’ walking around with ears like these, do you?” Al asked, pointing at two long pointed ears coming from the man’s head.

“Yikes, I didn’t even see those,” the young man muttered.

“Heh, maybe you need to get your eyes checked,” Al teased and tapped him right between the eyes. After receiving a good smack he continued. “Well, after seeing the creature the wizard immediately claimed him and made him his lover.”

“Did the creature get any say in this?” Lan asked and received a shrug.

“How should I know? Now hush and let me continue,” Al told him. “Well, the two were happy together for many, many years, but after a time the creature started to grow restless. You see, the wizard kept the creature locked up in his castle and would leave him periodically to go do some wizard-like-business…I dunno he kept leaving to go do something. Growing lonely the creature sought out companionship from anyone he could find. That means servants, guests of the wizard, anyone within the immediate area,” Al explained.

“When the wizard learned his lover was seeking out the beds of others he grew furious. In a fit of rage the wizard banished the creature back to the lagoon that he found the creature in. Then the wizard cast a spell that locked the creature inside the lagoon, trapping him there for all eternity. And that is where the creature has remained. Forsaken by the man he thought loved him and alone,” Al finished. “Pretty sad story, huh?” he asked and looked over to his young friend. He quirked an eyebrow when he saw anger flaring in the youth’s eyes.

“But-But that’s so unfair!” Lan exclaimed. “It wasn’t the creature’s fault it got lonely. It was that pricks fault for leaving him alone. Sure maybe the creature shouldn’t have been sleeping with other people, but still that-that’s just so…” he trailed off, not knowing how to put it into words.

Al put his hand on Lan’s shoulder and gave a light squeeze.

“Whoa, Lan, take a chill pill, will ya?” the older man said. “It’s just a story, nothing to get worked up about.”

Lan flushed, feeling embarrassed about his outburst.

“I-I know, but still. That seems so unfair,” he muttered, averting his eyes to the ground.

Al chuckled softly and ruffled his hair.

“Yeah, I know, but that’s just the way life and love is. Unfair and cruel,” he said. He was about to say something else profound when his radio crackled to life. “Oh, hold on a second.”

Lan watched as the older man walked away and began talking into his walkie talkie. His eyes flickered up to the painting again and he tilted his head as he studied it. The story ran through his head again and again and he found himself becoming angry once more.

How could the wizard blame the creature for getting lonely? And now, since he had tried to quench that loneliness, the creature was stuck in the lagoon. Lan wondered what it would be like if he was in the creature’s place. The loneliness he had felt before must have felt like nothing to being trapped in one place for the rest of your life.

He turned his head when he heard Al coming back. Lan saw he looked less than happy and the man huffed when he reached his young friend.

“Sorry, Lan, some punks are making a ruckus in the East wing and I have to go put a stop to it. If you’re still here by the time I’ve got it settled we can continue our talk,” Al told him before walking the way the two had come.

“All right, good luck and give ‘em hell!” Lan called after him. When he was gone the young man looked back up at the painting. He just couldn’t stop staring at it. Lan looked around to make sure the hallway was deserted before looking back to the painting.

“Ya know, I know exactly how you feel,” he told it, feeling a little weird talking to a painting. “Not the whole ‘getting trapped in a lagoon’ thing. But I know what its like being left behind while the one who’s supposed to be caring for you goes off to God knows where,” the young man muttered. He stuck his hands in his pockets and kicked his sneaker against the tiled floor so a squeak sounded. He cautiously looked around once more before continuing.

“My dad always goes off for business meetings and stuff and leaves me in strange peoples houses. Some of the time I’ve never even heard of them until I’m standing outside their doorway. It get’s really annoying, you know?” he said, looking up at the creature. “And even when he’s home it’s like he’s not there. He’ll lock himself up in his study as he goes over possible clients and projects and all that bullshit,” Lan grumbled. “The most we’ll say to each other is a ‘hey’ and ‘how was your day?’ and that’ll be about it.”

Lan strolled over to the wall and sat down so he was under the painting. He rested his arms on his knees as he leaned back against the wall.

“Sometimes I get so angry I want to scream and hit him, but I never do. I know he’s working hard to make a good life for us, but what good is it if we don’t share it?” Lan asked. “It didn’t always used to be like this,” he then muttered, tilting his head back. “He used to be around all the time and he would actually laugh and smile…but then Mom died and I think a part of him died with her,” Lan said softly.

“He became cold and distant. More and more he would leave and his laughs and smiles became hollow and empty. The only time I ever get a glimpse of my old dad is when he’s leaving me at someone’s house. I think he does it as a sort of apology, to make up for leaving me behind. But really it just makes me have false hope that he’ll revert back to himself someday…”

Lan crossed his legs and leaned forward to look up at the painting.

“I wonder if your lover ever did that. Say or do something right before he left as a sort of apology for going,” he said thoughtfully. “It doesn’t help though, does it? No matter what they say or do or promise, it still hurts the same.”

And it continued on from there. Lan sat bellow the painting, pouring out all his pent up feelings and anger. He was happy no one ever came along the deserted hallway or else he would have felt like a right fool for talking to a painting. But it was soothing, in a way, getting it all out there and off his chest. And the creature was a very good listener, he didn’t interrupt once.

Lan didn’t know how long he had been sitting there when he heard footsteps approaching. He looked up to see Al coming back. The man looked tired as he pulled his hat off and wiped his arm across his forehead. When he spotted the young man he stopped and blinked.

“Lan? You’re still here? Jeeze, I thought you would have left ages ago,” he said, waltzing up to stand in front of the youth.

“Why? It hasn’t been that long,” Lan said in confusion.

“Not that long?” Al repeated with a raised brow. “Only if you count over three hours as not that long.”

“Three hours!?” Lan exclaimed in shock. “What do you mean it’s been three hours?”

“What three hours usually means. It’s been three hours,” Al chuckled as he took the others hand and helped him up. “Have you been here the whole time?” he then asked as he helped dust Lan off.

“Um, yeah, I guess I must have been really spacing out,” he muttered then had a thought. “Where have you been? It took you three hours to deal with some punks?” he asked curiously.

“Of course not. I do have other responsibilities around here,” Al said haughtily as he flicked the younger man’s nose.

“You? Having actual responsibilities? Now there’s a stretch,” Lan taunted and dodged a playful hit.

“Watch it, kid, before I show you who’s boss,” Al said before looking at his watch. “And I’d like to show you all night, if you catch my meaning,” he teased with a wiggle of his eyebrows, “but we are about to close. So, I must ask you to please leave our humble establishment,” Al told his friend in a serious tone and pointed to the closest exit.

Lan blinked at him then shivered.

“Never try to act professional again. That was extremely creepy,” the young man said, making a face.

“Yeah, I know. I think I threw up a little,” Al chuckled, making the same expression. “But I really do have to ask you to leave,” he said a bit more seriously. “Maybe if you come back tomorrow I can let you play with my nightstick,” the man purred playfully.

“I dunno,” Lan said, pretending to look thoughtful. “I’m not sure how many people you’ve already used your nightstick on. I don’t want to catch anything,” he told Al and ducked as the man took a swipe at him.

“All right, get out of here then. I don’t need you,” Al said in mock hurt as Lan went around him to head towards the exit.

“See you later, Al. Have a good night!” the young man called to him.

“You too and don’t get too down about your temporary home!” Al called back. He watched him go before laughing and shaking his head. “God I love that kid. He’s so fun to tease,” he chuckled. But all amusement left his features as he happened to glance up at the paintings of the creature.

Al’s eyes widened and he blinked repeatedly, trying to tell if what he was seeing was real. In the painting, the silver blue eyes of the creature were glowing faintly. If one wasn’t looking directly at it they wouldn’t have noticed.

The security guard looked from the departing young man back to the picture then to the other again and watched him round the corner.

“Him? No way. Him? The guy that just left, him?” Al asked and the eyes shined just a bit brighter. “You’ve gotta be kidding me, he’s just a kid,” the man said as he ran his fingers through his bangs, tilting his hat back in the process. Al then laughed and shook his head. “Well, this ought to be interesting then. You two do seem to have some common ground to share and I’m not one to question your tastes,” he said as he tugged his hat back over his eyes. “Personally I’d like nothing more than to jump the kid myself,” he said with a leer. “Well, I’ll leave you to it then.”

Al then turned and began heading the opposite way Lan had gone. He put his hands behind his head as he continued to chuckle.

“I knew it was a good idea to convince the boss man to finally hang that up. Got results far quicker than I would have thought,” Al said to himself with one last chuckle.

The security guard began to whistle a happy tune as he walked away. It echoed and reverberated against the walls as the eyes of the creature shimmered and now a small, mischievous smile played across its delicate face.

===========================Ch. 1 End

Well, what did you think of it? Hehe I love Al, he’s so cute! Lan is a bit more whiny than I originally planned, but I’ll beat that out of him soon enough XD Please R&R and tell me what you think!