After the rain

The Day after

( The story begins the day after Van x Ian's steamy night. )
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My god, what have I done?!...why did I drink alcohol?!...I'm scared...

That's what Ian said to himself as he tried to escape from Van's arms who were hugging him tenderly.
It was a stroke of luck that Van had a sound sleep because of his days of hard work and especially because of that night when he made intense love to Ian.
He managed to free himself from Van's sleeping body. He then rushed to get dressed but stopped short to look at Van sleeping. He was amazed by his beauty and his body worthy of a Greek God.
Ian began to fantasize about Van but his reason and especially his fear called him to order, he had to leave this room and especially before Hozer arrived.

A few minutes later Ian found himself downstairs in the bar kitchen peeling potatoes. He heard Hozer enter and quickly wiped his eyes.

- "Hello Ian, how are you?!

- "Hello...Hozer..."

Hozer was intrigued by the trembling voice of Ian who was not looking at him, still facing away, continuing to peel his potatoes. The grandfather slowly approached Ian and slowly brushed his shoulder so that he turned around but Ian jumped.
Ian then turned around despite himself and started to rush out of the kitchen but Hozer stopped him and saw his loving employee crying.

-"Ian... why are you crying?" Hozer asked him tenderly.

- "It...it's...nothing" Ian replied, his voice still trembling.

- "Did you talk to Van yesterday?...But wait!”

Hozer began to turn red with anger and began to shout while clenching his legendary fist :

- "Is that stupid bastard the one who made you cry?! You're going to see what this little bastard will do for hurting you!"

Hozer was determined to go and hit Van without him really knowing who was in his old room upstairs but Ian stopped him and said feverishly :

-" Don't worry Hozer...everything...is fine..... I have to go buy potatoes before noon, there won't be...enough...."

And Ian rushed out of the bar leaving a Hozer upset by the behavior of his dear employee.
Looking at the pounds of half-peeled potatoes, he wondered what his stupid grandson had done to Ian.

Hozer returned to the bar to begin welcoming the first customers who were enjoying his coffee but was surprised when he saw Van dressed hastily, with his pants unbuttoned, his shirt open, his hair disheveled and large beads of sweat on his forehead .
He looked at his grandfather with a completely panicked look and started shouting:

- “Hozer where is Ian?!!!”

Still in his bar, Hozer was starting to panic when he saw Van distraught and out of breath. He remembers seeing bite marks on Ian's neck. He feared the worst, that is to say that Van would abuse Ian with violence and without his consent. Imagining this, he walked towards Van and slapped him. Oddly, Van came to his senses.

Van had put his hand on his red and swollen cheek while staring at his equally red but angry grandfather.

- “Why did you hit me?” Van asked him in a falsely calm manner.

Hozer replied coldly :

- “Van tell me honestly what you did to Ian!”

Van did not understand Hozer's question because the day before Ian and he had spent the night making love in an intense but tender way at the same time. It was the first time Ian had responded favorably to his advances, kissing him, hugging him and making love to him.
Hozer kept repeating his question coldly. They continued to stare at each other and then suddenly, Van understood the meaning of his grandfather's question. He began to shout to him:

- “What, what are you insinuating?” Do you think I raped Ian?!

Van was mad with anger, he who was used to managing his emotions better. This time, Hozer believed his sincerity and tried to calm him down.

- “Van, calm down... I was just trying to understand! I saw Ian crying and shaking this morning! What happened?! "

- “Ian was crying?!...but why?” Van replied in shock.

- “I don’t know, I’m just trying to understand it…”.

Hozer paused and understood Ian's behavior.

- "Van, you know, I think I know Ian better than you...but you should know that Ian hasn't had an easy life like you or even me..."

- “Grandfather, I know his…” Van tried to say but Hozer interrupted him."

- "Stop Van, listen to me. I don't know what Ian told you about his past but it's not my place to tell you anything..."

He always pursues firmly .

- "Ian wanted to adorn you yesterday, he wanted to be with you and obviously he has feelings for you..."

Van felt happy at these words.

- “...But Van you must understand something that only Ian understood and that I just admitted it.”

- "What ?!" Van asked impatiently."

- “Ian understood that he is a gray, a non-citizen and you are a citizen of Luna” continues Hozer, still in a solemn tone.

- 'But, I don't care about these fucking tattoos!' Van shouted.

- “Shut up Van!”

Van didn't expect this anger. He didn't understand his reaction.

- “Van, stop bringing everything to yourself and listen! You are not only a citizen of Luna, you are currently the right hand man of Alex, the leader of Luna!”

Van had not thought about his social and political status. He realized that loving a runaway gray was going to be even more difficult then he started thinking about Victor and Yohan and a glimmer of hope came to his mind.

- "Oh but grandfather, look at Victor who loves Yohan, a gray! Yet Victor is Alex's brother" said Van in a falsely cheerful voice like that of a child trying to convince himself that monsters don't exist not.

Hozer looked at him sadly this time and said:

- "Van, you know Yohan's role better than me, you recruited him as a bodyguard and sexual object to calm Yohan's passions. You would never have proposed that to a citizen! And love that Victor has for Yohan is also very problematic for Alex."

Van was upset because he knows his grandfather is right. He even knows better how Luna works, the districts and how cruel Alex can be. Hozer continues:

- "Van, you must protect Ian and for that, you must not lie to yourself... You know when I saw you harassing Ian, I didn't just hit you because you were bothering him but I was also worried that you would fall in love with him."

Van stared at his grandfather with a blank look. He tells himself that even if Ian is right, he can't leave Ian.
Hozer continued:

- “Yesterday, I encouraged Ian to talk to you but seeing him crying and scared this morning, I had the impression that this was the Ian I saved some time ago, a weak and broken person ...I don't want to see him like that anymore!."

Faced with the violence of his grandfather's words, Van slumped into a chair. He began to think about the discussion he had with Ian the day before, about his injury to his the eye. He felt great sadness when he remembered Ian's story. Still in his thoughts, he hoped to no longer see Ian afraid of him but one thing is certain and that Van did not suspect, that at the same time, Ian was really terrorized, terrified somewhere in Liveta.