Roses Wilt, Bites Scar [boyxboy]

Chapter IX

~Sunday 15th March 2011~

"Em?" Rourke peeked his head around the door to Emeri's office, catching the man's attention, "Ke and I are taking Mali up to Superficiem Mundi for the night, we shouldn't be back until tomorrow evening at the latest," Emeri frowned, turning away from the window he had been staring absently out of, facing his youngest brother head-on.

"I'd prefer it if you didn't stay out all night," Emeri was all too aware of Rourke's obvious intentions for the night. Whether he hid his ulterior motives with fraternal care or not, Emeri knew Rourke wouldn't remain with Mali and Keanu all night.

"Well, you're having friends over so I thought I'd get soppy and grumpy out of your hair," Rourke grinned impishly, managing to make the corners of Emeri's mouth twitch. Interesting terms for their brothers, interesting, but mostly definitely accurate.

"They might not stay, you don't have to leave just because-"

"Em, I know Steele, he'll get you all wasted," Emeri didn't bother to protest, Rourke was completely right with the observation, "honestly, it's not a big deal, I've been wanting to go get Mali laid for a little while now. He needs it."

"He might need it, but he won't agree. You know how he is, it's been over a century since he even looked at another man, he's far too loyal," Emeri turned back to look out of the large window once again, watching the white flames of the fires that scorched the land dancing and flicker in the distance, "be safe, Ro, don't do anything foolish and get yourself killed, father wouldn't be pleased."

"Have fun with your friends," Rourke left with a brief laugh, and Emeri was once again alone. He didn't mind it, the silence helped him think, and he always had something to be dwelling on with the career he led. It didn't last, not before he heard the door open once again, with Steele's pretty laugh the first to grace his ears.

"God, you look like some aristocrat, Emeri," the man turned, finding his three closest friends already settling on the couch he kept in his office for more informal meetings, "can't you ever just wear jeans and a t-shirt?" Steele teased, sitting upon his fiance, Nakul's, lap. He was a small boy, even more so in comparison with his giant of a lover. Nakul stood at six foot three, and Steele was only a measly five two, it was almost comical to see the two of them together.

"If I did, you would simply find a way to tease me about that too," Emeri walked around his desk, collecting four tumblers and setting them on the coffee table between the two opposing couches, "should I bother asking how you are or will you just give me an unnecessarily detailed and vulgar answer?" Emeri wandered over to his liquor cupboard, taking out two bottles of whiskey and returning to sit with his friends.

"Likely the latter," Nakul chimed in, resting a hand on his lover's petite thigh whilst the boy settled against him, "we're fine, as always, thank you," Emeri nodded curtly, his gaze lingering on the two men for a moment as a very foolish and almost frightening thought crossed his mind. He actually wondered what it was like to be so close with another man like that, how it felt to hold a lover, how it felt to even introduce someone as a lover. A companion, not a pet, not a toy, not a...

"And, you, Sioux?" Emeri looked toward the man next to him, noting the constant blank expression still present on his face as usual, "how is your sight?" Sioux had been blind since birth, hence the lack of colour settled in his eyes, and had never been bothered by it. Witches with the ability of precognition tended to sacrifice their natural sense for the sight, it was just the way mother nature worked.

"Same as always," Sioux was staring straight ahead, his colourless eyes set on the wall opposite, a few curls of his ebony hair drooping down to brush over the flesh just above them, "I saw something different last night though," Steele and Nakul immediately ceased the conversation they had been holding in hushed tones, both looking toward Sioux with the same intensity as Emeri. It wasn't often that Sioux witnessed a change in the future, and sometimes that could be quite concerning.