Cye, We're Standing in Butter Sauce

Then Happy I, a slashfic in four parts

Rating: NC-17 for graphic male-male sex

Pairings: Anubis/Cye, Dais/Sehkmet, Kale/Ryo, Kento/Sage, Rowen/Yuli

Disclaimer: "The Ronin Warriors," with its related characters and themes, does not belong to me. I make no money from this venture.

Dedication: This slashfic is for Mink and Ewan McGregor and Laura.

Wherein Kento makes an inspirational speech; Dais quotes Shakespeare; and Sehkmet's sort of weird, isn't he?

"Then Happy I" Part Three: Cye, We're Standing in Butter Sauce

"Ryo!" Yuli exclaimed. "What happened?"

"I set the punching bag on fire and beat up Kale," Ryo said.

"Again?" Cye asked, disappointed.

"The punching bag part," Rowen assured Sehkmet. "What'd he do to you, Ryo?"

"He deserved it. Anubis knows."

"Did he hurt you?" Cye asked, coming closer.

"I'm okay," Ryo said. "I want him to stay away from me. And the five of you." Yuli loved it when he was included.

"He wouldn't really do anything," Cye said, looking to Sehkmet for confirmation.

"I don't want him talking that way, or touching me, or looking at me," Ryo said. "I don't want him to act like that with any of us. You guys don't deserve that."

"Neither do you," Cye said. "Anubis will stop him. And if he keeps doing it, we'll stop him."

"You'd better warn Kale," Rowen told Sehkmet. "Cye's on the warpath."

Sehkmet chuckled and left them.

"You're sure you're all right?" Cye asked, smoothing Ryo's hair. Yuli really liked it when they touched each other.

"I'm fine, Cye," Ryo said. "He just made me so mad."

"What'd ya do to 'im?" Rowen asked, grinning.

Ryo blushed.

"You kicked him in the balls, didn't you?" Rowen asked, and laughed. "Way to go, Ryo!"

Meanwhile, outside, Anubis left Kale to lie there in misery. Dais happened upon Kale, but left, deciding to postpone his attack until Kale was recovered; there was no triumph in beating a beaten man. Thus Kale remained there, flat on his back, watching the fire overhead. He was a Dark Warlord, so he had atypical recovery patterns; therefore the pain receded. Yet he remained, thinking, planning. He could picture Ryo as a wildcat and a hedonistic sensualist in bed. He wasn't sure which he preferred. Both could be fun, he was sure. Ryo was temperamental, exotic, and charismatic for no reason that Kale could decipher. People flocked to Ryo, and Kale wasn't sure why, but he was flocking right along with them. Logically, he would have preferred one of the other Ronins. But Ryo was the one who drew him. It was oddly frustrating and amusing to like someone against all reason.

He heard voices from the front yard and decided to go see what was happening. He rose and wandered in that direction. White Blaze was racing around the front yard while Ryo and Yuli chased and dodged. Kento was washing the cars. Cye was cleaning the insides of the cars. Sage was leaning against a tree watching in that typical Sage posture, one knee bent, arms crossed over the chest. Rowen was flitting around annoying everybody. Finally Rowen tackled Ryo, knocking Ryo to the ground. White Blaze bounded over, growling. Yuli tried to pull off White Blaze. There was a flurry of fur and shouts, and finally Ryo emerged, laughing. White Blaze was lying on the ground, Yuli leaning against him looking exhausted from trying to budge the huge tiger. Rowen was lying on the ground laughing. Ryo brushed himself off and went to go visit the car cleaners. Rowen relaxed against White Blaze too, petting and scratching to let White Blaze know that they were still friends. Eventually his fingers worked their way from White Blaze's fur and into Yuli's hair. Yuli pretended, like Kento with Sage, not to notice in hopes that it would keep happening.

Kento was washing Sage's car first. He always did, once he'd realized that he was allowed to touch it. Sage had a very dark green convertible, sporty and sleek and very expensive. Kento was very careful with it. He loved his own car, of course, but one had to be very careful with Sage's things and treat them gently.

Ryo came over. "Kale's here."

"Where?"

"Behind you, near the bushes."

"He's spying on you?" Kento had heard from Yuli all about Kale and Ryo, and he was not happy.

"I don't know."

"Did Anubis talk to him?"

"I don't know."

"Want me to talk to him?"

"I can take of myself, Kento."

"You shouldn't have to. You should be safe and comfortable in your own front yard. Let me go beat him up for you."

"What's wrong?" Sage's voice, in both of their minds. "You noticed Kale?"

"How do you know something's wrong?" Ryo.

"Kento's frowning like he wants to kill somebody."

"No one's killing anybody," Ryo said.

"I don't like him," Kento said.

"Speaking of people you don't like..." Sage's voice trailed off and Kento glanced up and turned to see Dais coming from the front door. Dais was heading straight for Kale.

Cye slipped out of the sedan and ran into the house quickly and quietly.

Kale came forward, looking at Dais, frowning, puzzled. Dais walked right up and kicked him right in the stomach, leg straight. Dais kept coming, right until he grabbed Kale's shoulders and jammed his knee to Dais' groin, then slamming his fist to Kale's temple. Kale fell. Ryo wanted to applaud.

"Dais!" Anubis was coming out of the house, angry, striding toward Dais as Dais had come for Kale. Sehkmet was exiting behind Anubis, Cye coming last and closing the door. Sehkmet paused just off the front porch. Cye waited on the front porch, watching. Dais disregarded Anubis entirely and walked to Sehkmet. Sehkmet was smug. Dais was revenged. Dais kissed Sehkmet full on the mouth, and even Yuli on the lawn could see the flash of pink as their tongues came forth. Sehkmet's fingers tangled in Dais' hair, dragging Dais closer, and Dais' hand came underneath Sehkmet's shirt to rest on the small of Sehkmet's back.

Kento turned the hose on them.

Dais turned, sputtering. "Hardrock!" he shouted.

Cye pointed to Kale. Kento obliged, turning it on full power. Of course he drenched Anubis in the process, but so be it. Anubis looked too shocked to be outraged, and Dais was laughing. Kale moaned and rolled onto his stomach.

"Kento!" Ryo exclaimed, trying not to laugh. Kento turned down the power and blasted Ryo. Ryo shouted and ran out of aim, coincidentally running toward where Rowen, Yuli, and White Blaze were, all of whom just happened to get soaked in the process. Cye was coming over, trying to look stern, saying, "Kento," so he turned on Cye next. Cye really was a good friend, and managed to point behind him to warn of another attack; he turned and hosed Rowen, who was coming up behind him to pounce. Which turned out to be a mistake on his part, because in drowning Rowen a second time he also drowned Sage. While he took a moment to register the fact that he'd just turned a water hose on Sage of the Halo, Cye's hands came over his and ripped the hose from him, turning it off and smacking him in the back of the head with an open palm, but gently.

"Kento!" Ryo said again.

Kale moaned.

Dais was still laughing.

Anubis was staring down at himself, still absolutely thrown.

Sehkmet was glaring at Kento.

White Blaze shook himself all over Yuli, who shrieked under the assault.

Ryo was laughing.

Rowen was laughing harder than Ryo or Dais, mostly at Sage.

Sage hadn't moved.

Cye said, "Kento, really, you shouldn't have." Kento was thinking the same thing, but for a different reason. Cye went to the Dark Warlords. "Are you all right? You'd better run in and change - - jeans take forever to dry."

"Control yourself," Sehkmet told Dais.

"The mighty Kento of Hardwork, warrior of strength, gets his revenge!" Dais cried, and grabbed Sehkmet's shoulder to keep from falling over from laughter. "There's justice for you!" he hooted.

"Dais," Sehkmet said sharply. Cye really didn't want to laugh, really he didn't, but it was sort of funny. Dais fell down, laughing. Sehkmet, giving up, wrung water from Dais' hair. He removed his own sneakers, socks, and T-shirt, then bared Dais' feet. Dais fell onto his back, knees bent, chuckling and snorting. Sehkmet straddled Dais and pulled off Dais' soaked T-shirt. "Really, Sehkmet, in front of the children," Dais said.

"So don't let them watch," Sehkmet said, and leaned down for a kiss. All of a sudden Dais and Sehkmet weren't there anymore.

Anubis seemed to have recovered and was standing over Kale. Cye assumed that a little telepathic discussion was going on and left them alone.

"What're they doing?" Ryo asked, watching where Dais and Sehkmet had been.

"Guess," Rowen said, grinning.

"Right now?" Yuli asked, awed.

"They are not," Cye said, casting Rowen a look. "Kento, if you're going to wash cars, please keep it to yourself."

"But he messed up Sage's hair," Rowen said. "You can't yell at him for the accomplishment of the century."

Sage, with great dignity, walked over to Rowen. Rowen kept grinning, relishing the danger. Sage stopped right before Rowen and, with two hands, twisted Rowen's nipples until Rowen screamed bloody murder. Then Sage straightened his jeans, stripped off his shoes and shirt, tossed back his sopping hair, and walked straight to Kento. Kento swallowed. "I'm sorry, Sage." Sage actually looked really good half-naked and wet. So did Sehkmet, but Kento wasn't prepared to admit that. Sage's eyes looked into Kento's eyes calmly, regarding him with cool distance. Sage reached out a hand. Kento didn't know why. Then Cye handed Sage the hose. Kento had one long second of utter disbelief before Sage turned the hose on him. He stood there in shock while Sage drenched him completely, head to toe, calmly concentrating the water on one part of him after another. Finally Sage, satisfied, turned off the hose and dropped it on the grass. Rowen was having a laughing fit, choking and applauding. Sage turned neatly and walked with graceful dignity into the house, closing the door firmly. Anubis followed soon thereafter.

"Cye, I can't believe you let him do it," Rowen said. "That was classic! Score one for Sage!"

"Look," Yuli said in a stage whisper. They all noticed that Sehkmet and Dais were flickering back into existence. Dais finished an erotic lick of Sehkmet's neck and moved back with easy grace, tossing back his hair, sitting up. Sehkmet stretched and stood, grasping Dais' hand on the way and pulling Dais to his feet as well. Kento got his first good look at a half-naked Dais, and swallowed. Maybe more people than Sage looked really good half-naked and wet. Dais was drier than Sage, and more muscular, bared to the waist, pale skin exposed in tight musculature, wet jeans clinging to strong thighs. It was pretty disturbing to feel a tingle of sexual attraction for one's mortal enemy. Kento decided that he really needed to get back to washing the cars and stop ogling all of these people. No matter what they looked like.

Sehkmet and Dais went into the house. Rowen and Yuli went soon after. Cye went back to the sedan, and Kento went back to Sage's car. That left Ryo to walk over to Kale, who was still lying prone, facedown on the grass.

"Dead?" Ryo asked.

"No," Kale said, not lifting his head. White Blaze walked around Kale, studying him closely.

"Are you going to leave me and my friends alone?"

"No."

Ryo reached down and grabbed Kale's shoulders; he rolled Kale over and grabbed Kale's shirt collar, leaning down, yanking Kale's shoulders from the grass. "Leave me alone. Leave my friends alone."

In response, Kale's hand curved around his ribs. Ryo jerked away, backing off quickly in disgust. Kale chortled and Ryo, resisting the impulse to kick Kale in that laughing face, ran into the house followed closely by White Blaze.

Yuli changed into dry clothes faster than Rowen, who kept being distracted by the hilarity of the recent minutes and by emergency hair care difficulties. That meant that he got to sit on the bed and watch Rowen strip down to nothing. Then he got to watch Rowen cover up all of that slender, pale body again. What a delight.

Yuli knew that he wasn't a Ronin warrior. He hadn't fought the Dark Warlords, he didn't have any armor, he didn't have any psychic link. But they'd accepted him into their group. At first he'd been a sort of bratty mascot or cheerleader. Then he'd been a young friend. At some point he'd gone from tag-along to being an actual friend; in some ways he was an equal as much as he was also, at times, excluded. For instance, he hadn't gotten a say in whether the Dark Warlords stayed, but had he chosen to express an opinion it would have been weighed as carefully as their arguments. When they said "we," usually he was included automatically, but sometimes he wasn't. He knew full well that there were limits to how included he could be; not because of a personal prejudice on their part, but because of their awesome bond. He felt sort of like White Blaze. Although White Blaze had armor, too, and fought in the battles.

He knew that he was totally in love with them. It was sort of hard not to love all of them at once. He'd settled on Rowen, though, as his primary fantasy. At first he'd been utterly taken with Ryo. Then he'd bounced from one to the other until he couldn't help but drive himself crazy with five potent obsessions. He knew that he couldn't keep it up, because he was going out of his mind with lust. So he sorted through his emotions and kept himself tightly controlled until he found himself naturally gravitating to Rowen. So, while he still loved and admired all five, he limited himself primarily to Rowen, which worked out well after all, since Rowen could easily take up all of his energies.

He didn't feel bad that, deep inside, he wanted to be with all of them. It was hard to like one and not another. Maybe it was because of their bond.

At any rate, he was sure that they knew of his interest. No one had said a word to him about it, and probably not among themselves, either. But even though he never made a move, and he was careful to limit his ogling, they were highly intelligent people who couldn't have failed to notice his crushes and infatuations. Whether Rowen knew of his latest turn of heart, he didn't know.

Although maybe it had escaped them entirely. For all he knew, they thought that he was straight.

Rowen collapsed across the bed, half-dressed, only in boxers and unfastened jeans, on his stomach. "Dais and Sehkmet. Anubis and Cye. Kale and Ryo. That leaves us, Sage, and Kento." He propped his chin on his palm and tapped his fingers thoughtfully beneath his nose. "Whaddya think?"

"You forgot White Blaze," Yuli said. He was trying very hard to remind himself that Rowen couldn't possibly be talking about what he thought that Rowen was talking about, not possibly.

Rowen laughed, rolling to his back. "You're right, I did." He turned his head to one side and looked at Yuli. "Hell, we're in bed together already. You think Sage would rather take Kento or White Blaze? Sort of hard to tell with Sage." He brushed back his bangs and held out his hand to Yuli. Yuli took it, wondering what was happening. He squeezed Yuli's hand.

"Rowen?" Ryo was in the doorway.

"Hey, Ryo," Rowen said easily, turning his head to the other side, still holding onto Yuli's hand.

Ryo entered and sat on the bed on Rowen's other side. "Kale isn't giving up. I want you guys to be careful, okay?"

"Did he try something?" Rowen asked.

"He touched me again. I know that you can defend yourself, and if he does anything you can call for me - - us - - immediately, and we'll be right there, but still, I don't want you getting into any situations with him."

"Sure, Ryo," Rowen said easily, but taking it seriously.

"Yuli, you stick close to us, okay?" Ryo asked. "I don't want anything happening to you."

Rowen scratched his stomach, lean fingers brushing right beneath his navel, drawing attention to his opened jeans.

"I'll be okay, Ryo," Yuli said.

"Can't say as much for Sage's hair," Rowen said.

"Or yours," Ryo teased. Rowen took objection to that and pulled Ryo's hair. The two of them grappled across the bed, and the sight of the two of them, in a bed, Rowen already looking ready to be ravished, made Yuli's head swim. Then Ryo took refuge behind him, squeezing between Yuli and the headboard. Rowen tried to reach Ryo, which ended up making Yuli nicely squashed between them. Then they both ganged up on him, tickling him mercilessly until he almost wriggled himself right off of the bed. He begged them to stop, and finally they did, and he collapsed on his back, panting, Ryo lying to his left and Rowen to his right. It crossed his mind that even the most loving and affectionate straight men didn't touch each other as much as these guys. They were always touching each other, sometimes without even the pretense of an excuse. They didn't try to hide their natural affection. Well, maybe Sage. And touching Cye or Kento was different from touching Rowen and Ryo. Maybe Kale was right, to some extent, but not directly. He tried to think about it, but why bother puzzling through that mess when he could just lie here and enjoy his present situation?

Rowen sighed and closed his jeans. "You think Sage'll exact his revenge on me first or Kento?"

"But he already did," Yuli said.

"No, that was just letting us know that he'd registered our insults," Rowen said. "Sage doesn't considered himself properly revenged until you've suffered more than he has. Right now we're about equal. He has to make us pay."

"Kento didn't mean to spray him," Ryo said.

"But I sure did mean to laugh at him," Rowen said. "The cool distinguished Sage soaked by a garden hose. It was too much."

"What's he going to do to you?" Yuli asked.

"Oh, some proper public humiliation," Rowen said. "I can't do anything to stop him, so I shouldn't worry about it."

"You won't retaliate, will you?" Ryo asked.

"You don't want me to," Rowen said. "I'll control myself this once, just for you."

"You guys are as bad as the Dark Warlords," Yuli said. "Fighting among yourselves, in fun and for revenge."

"Except we don't actually hurt each other," Ryo said. "We couldn't. They do it on purpose."

"Well of course we don't hurt each other," Rowen said, rolling to one side, propped on an elbow. "I don't want to damage my friends." Ryo imitated his position on Yuli's side. Yuli was in a happy little heaven. "I wouldn't want to hurt my little Yuli," he tickled Yuli just a little, "or my little Ryo," and he tweaked Ryo's nose.

"Thanks, Rowen," Ryo said with fond exasperation. Rowen grinned at him. Yuli saw, once and officially, that they knew exactly what they were doing. They were as completely in love with each other as he was with them, and they were completely aware that they were, and they wanted each other, and they knew it, and it was some unspoken, understood bond. He was sure that they all felt it, all five of them, just the same as between Rowen and Ryo. He didn't know how he'd missed it. How had it escaped him? Had he been so lost in his own infatuation that he'd missed the silent drama unfolding before him? When had they first known? Had it possibly been there all along? They loved each other, yes, he'd known that, but also they were in love with each other, they were attracted to each other. He knew the strength of their bond, knew that it was too deep for words, so their love and lust must run as strong and as deep.

He swore to himself that he'd keep his eyes open, that he'd watch them closely. He wanted to see the flicker of desire when Sage looked at Cye, when Ryo spoke to Kento; he wanted to observe their implicit romances.

Yet he didn't understand. Surely if they were all in love with each other as he now suspected them to be, then they should act on this love. Why didn't they? Were they repressed by the taboo against open relationships? Did they imagine that they were under obligation to pair off? Surely he could understand that impulse in anyone else, but for the five of them it seemed ridiculously restrictive. After all, they were all bonded equally, they were-

Or wasn't it as he understood it to be? Rowen and Ryo were, in Kale's estimation, easy. He didn't deem them easy himself, but he knew in a sense what Kale meant. Maybe it was easier for the two of them to acknowledge, however tacitly, how deep and true their bond was. Maybe the others hadn't discovered it yet, or weren't prepared to acknowledge it or act on it. What a shame that would be! Maybe Ryo and Rowen were waiting for the others to realize the truth. Yuli refused to believe that all five didn't share this love and attraction. Surely it was inevitable that they feel it. The question remained, would they all give in to it? If they didn't, what a crime.

He imagined himself out of this scene, leaving Ryo and Rowen lounging on the bed, Rowen half-naked. How easily and naturally they could turn to each other, kiss, caress, and then-

"Hey, Yuli," Ryo said. "You with us, dude?"

Oh, that would be nice, too. A threesome with Ryo and Rowen. Who would refuse?

"I think he's daydreaming," Rowen said. "We're boring him." Rowen shifted entirely, lying on his stomach now, feet at the foot of the bed, facing the headboard which was to Yuli's left and Ryo's back. Rowen crossed his arms over Yuli's torso and rested his chin there. Ryo's fingers feathered through Rowen's hair. "We'll be on the lookout for Kale," Rowen said, returning to the discarded topic. "And no one's gonna let Kale near Yuli."

"I don't know what he wants from me," Ryo said.

"You know exactly what he wants from you," Rowen said. "And he's not getting it." Ryo's fingers ran down to stroke the back of Rowen's neck.

Cye finished cleaning out the cars and went inside to do laundry before starting supper. Down in the basement, he found Dais and Anubis in silent council on a bench among the weights. He moved over to the other side of the staircase to the basement's second half where the washer and dryer were. When he finished and headed for the stairs, Anubis said, "Cye." He set the laundry basket on the stairs and went over to sit on another bench, facing them. Anubis was straddling the bench, Dais sitting facing Anubis, legs up. Anubis said, "Perhaps this would go better alone."

"Sehkmet and Kale would kill me if I didn't furnish them with a full report of Cye's responses."

So now he was Cye to everyone? He decided to like the change.

"Dais."

"Pretend I'm not here," Dais said.

Anubis proceeded to do so, turning his full attention to Cye. "Cye. You've heard from Rowen and, Dais tells me, from Sehkmet about my interest in you."

"Yes." Wow. They were just going to be up front about it?

"I wanted you to hear it first from myself. Circumstances have prevented me from doing so."

Dais snorted.

"I was a coward," Anubis said. "I put off my admission. I was afraid of your rejection."

"Rejection?" As if such a thing had crossed his mind.

"Before I can plead my case, you need to understand the situation. You need to understand why I haven't spoken."

What was it? Didn't he already all of Anubis' negative qualities, such as they were? What could be worse than knowing that Anubis was a Dark Warlord?

"First, tell me simply yes or no, are you interested in pursuing a relationship with me?"

"Yes." Cye of the Torrent was not a coward.

"Then you must know all of the facts before you commit yourself. I cannot allow you to enter into a relationship with me under false assumptions."

"Get on with it, Anubis," Dais said impatiently. "You're only scaring him."

Well, he supposed that he was a little scared. He couldn't imagine what horrible thing Anubis was about to tell him.

"There has been an understanding among the Dark Warlords," Anubis said. "The four of us are a team. Whatever we enter into, we enter into it as one." Oh my no, he can't really mean that, what about Dais and Sehkmet? "Dais and Sehkmet have chosen to be together. I have never entered into an intimacy with either one, nor has Kale; nor will we until... When I have taken a lover, a permanent lover, and Kale has as well, then the four of us will enter into a more open relationship. We will share lovers. I will have use of Dais' lover as he will be permitted intimacies with mine. Likewise-"

"He understands you, Anubis," Dais said.

"Do you?" Anubis asked.

"Are you asking me to be your 'permanent lover'?" Cye asked. "With the understanding that I'll be shared among your friends?"

"Yes."

"And you'll sleep with Dais, and Sehkmet, and Kale, and Kale's lover?"

"Yes."

"Is this supposed to be an equal relationship, or am I your pet?"

"You and I would be equals, Cye."

"Am I allowed to refuse them?"

"You won't be subjected to rape or unwanted attentions," Anubis said. "They won't wish that. But if you won't allow them near you at all, if you aren't willing to be with them, then I can't be with you, either." He wasn't threatening, he was just laying out the situation.

"Why aren't you together now, the four of you?" Cye asked.

"As long as Kale and I don't have lovers of our own, the situation would be unequal, and we wouldn't necessarily pay proper respect to Dais and Sehkmet's relationship."

"I'd be your lover, your boyfriend, your partner."

"Yes."

"Like Dais and Sehkmet."

"Yes."

"You wouldn't get jealous of each other?"

"No. I hope that you wouldn't, either."

Cye knew that he was in love with Anubis. He'd been staggered by Anubis' power and strength. He'd seen Anubis' courage, self-sacrifice, true integrity. He saw how terribly attractive Anubis was, and what a leader. He saw, more recently, how human Anubis was, and how truly loyal and beloved. If he could overcome his shyness he'd have no qualms about committing himself to Anubis for life, the entire rest of his life, and sticking to that commitment. He could admit that freely even taking into account his own friends. The true question was, what about Anubis' friends? He'd worried about them before, but now, knowing that he'd be expected to be their lovers as well in a sense, what was he to do? He carefully kept his eyes on Anubis, not daring to glance toward Dais. He swallowed. "You deserve an answer now."

"You need time to consider," Anubis said. "If I rush you into a response, you'll tell me no. At least if you take time to think on it, you'll be able to give me a no that satisfies me."

"I will think about it," Cye said. "Most likely, I'll think of nothing else." He rose and took the laundry upstairs. Then he ran downstairs again, with the basket. "You're in love with me?" he asked anxiously.

"Yes, Cye," Anubis said. "I'm in love with you."

He ran upstairs again. Now what was he supposed to do?

Kento knew Sage as well as Rowen did, if anyone could. He knew that Sage would exact some revenge. He waited for it tensely. Being on Sage's bad side meant emotional agony; Sage could hold a grudge forever, silently, letting you feel each second of it through cool silence. Kento preferred Ryo in this regard; Ryo felt the anger and let go of it. Sage nurtured it and hung on to it and let you know all about it without a word.

He came into the house after finishing Sage's car. He had more work to do, but he wanted to get this over with now. He went through the hallway, passing the bathroom and Ryo's room to the den. Sage was sitting there reading. This felt familiar. Sage looked up after a moment. "Sage? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get you wet."

"I know."

"You aren't mad?" He hadn't meant to ask that, but Sage's face and tone had been absent of all animosity, had been placid dismissal of his sin, and he was so astonished that he'd spoken.

"I'm not mad."

"But I got you all wet, I ruined your hair-" Oops, shouldn't've said that. Stupid stupid.

Sage raised his head as though to prove that his hair wasn't permanently damaged. In fact, it looked as impeccable as ever. Kento still didn't get why Sage and Rowen had to have their hair in their faces all of the time, but he had to admit that the look had really grown on him. In fact, he had a hard time picturing Sage's entire face. The part that he could see was more than enough anyway.

"I'm not mad, Kento, Would you like me to be?"

Sage was teasing him. He smiled. Sage smiled back, amused.

"Your car's all clean."

"Thank you. You didn't have to."

"I wanted to. Can't have you driving around in a dirty car." He made his escape. His brain was singing something along the lines of "Sage smiled at me, la la la la, Sage smiled at me, la la la." He burst into the kitchen and saw Cye sitting at the table, chin in hand, staring at the tabletop. "What's wrong?"

"You look cheerful."

"Sage smiled at me. What's wrong?"

"I have a terrible decision to make, Kento. It seems very clear that I have to say yes, and that I have to say no."

"Say yes and no to what? And why do you have to say both?"

"As soon as I decide what to say, I'll tell you all about it. But I want to make this decision on my own, without your influence."

"Okay. It's really important?"

"Yes. Why is Sage smiling at you?"

"He's not mad at me."

"Of course he's not, Kento. He's mad at Rowen."

"He's mad at Rowen but not me?" That couldn't be right.

"Yes," Cye said. "I'd better start cooking. Would you like spaghetti?"

If he and Cye were best friends, so were Sage and Rowen. How could Sage be angry with Rowen and not with him? Of course Rowen fell under Sage's dark moods, too, but why had Rowen offended Sage and not himself? How perplexing.

Cye was quiet all through dinner and stayed apart from the others. They couldn't all fit at the table, so they ate in shifts. Cye ate alone, after everyone else had gone. Then he sought out Kale, whom he found in Kento's room alone.

"May I speak with you?"

"I thought that I was the household outcast."

"You deserve to be, but I need to speak with you."

"Speak away."

He entered and closed the door. Kale stood; they faced each other. "Has Anubis told you what he's told me?"

"He told you about our understanding."

"Yes. Kale, are you honestly going to want to have sex with me?"

"Yes."

Cye frowned. "Of course I can understand why you'd want your own partner. I can understand if you'd want to fulfill your relationship with Anubis, Dais, and Sehkmet through sexual union. But if you plan to sleep with me, then it's beginning to sound like you're just looking for an excuse for multiple sexual partners."

"The Dark Warlords are a closed society. The four of us are almost everything to each other. You understand; you have your own little group. But they aren't fulfilling your every need, if you're looking elsewhere - - to Anubis - - for another sort of relationship. However, we do have a very unique and close connection. If you're to be by Anubis' side, if you're going to be his one true love for the rest of his life, then eventually the rest of us are going to start falling in love with you, too. Why else do you think that all four of us chose you as our favorite Ronin Warrior? Not simply because Anubis likes you, not only because you made chocolate chip cookies, but because whatever's in him that's connected to something in you, the other three of us caught a flash of it, too. Maybe it's because of the psychic link, or because we've spent way too much time with Anubis. I'm not saying that you're my one true love. There are many kinds and shades of love, as you must realize. There's Anubis' love for you, and his love for the three of us, and I'm sure that when I find my own life partner that Anubis will love him, as well."

Cye tried to sort out how he felt about what Kale had said. Was it the truth or utter fabrication and propaganda? Should he allow himself to be convinced, or should he tell Kale to take a hike?

"Cye. Right now you resent me for disrupting your happy home, for tormenting poor Wildfire. I believe that you understand how Anubis can be in love with you and be in love with the Dark Warlords. I know that you can see how he could love us and not be satisfied on a personal level. You'll be entering into a relationship and commitment with Anubis. You'll be friends with the Dark Warlords. Anubis won't be loaning you out to his friends for the use of your body. We're closely connected with Anubis, and he's closely connected with us, and it's only likely that whoever attracts his attentions will be intriguing to us as well. Likewise, it's only likely that someone attracted to Anubis will, to a certain extent, be attracted to us. On some level. We've understood this about ourselves. You only need to understand it before you commit yourself. Entering into a relationship with Anubis means entering into another relationship with the Dark Warlords as a whole."

When Cye left Kale, he felt as though he should go lie down with a cold compress. So of course he ran right into Dais. "Dais."

"Cye. You've been speaking to Kale?" Dais asked, seeing that Cye was coming from Kento's room.

"He didn't help at all," Cye said, wanting to pout in his frustration.

"I doubt whether I'll be much better."

"Could you try?" Cye pleaded.

Dais relented. "All right, come here," and they walked into Yuli's room. Sehkmet was there, rummaging through their new CD collection. Dais told Sehkmet to remain in the room and the three of them sat on the floor together. "What troubles you?" Dais asked.

"I'm puzzling through the relationships. There will be six of us. The four of you, and myself, and Kale's consort. We'll be in three pairs: the two of you, Anubis and myself, and Kale and his partner. Those will be solid, committed relationships, monogamous in a way. Then the four of you will sleep together to complete your already complex relationships. All Dark Warlords will have general permission to sleep with each other's partners, should both parties be in the mood. Now, will Kale's partner and myself be free to sleep together?"

"Yes," Dais said. "Should you feel the pull towards him, it is understood that you will be allowed to consummate your unique relationship as well."

Cye nibbled on his lower lip. "Wouldn't this be easier if Anubis and Kale simply paired off together?"

"Yes," Dais said.

"I understand all of the concepts involved, but I'm not certain whether I'm will to put myself through it. It seems like it would be terribly disastrous. I can see people neglected, jealous, oversexed, manipulative - - it would be a mess! But I am in love with Anubis. I can't possibly say no to him. But how can I say yes to the rest of it?"

"That's up to you."

"You want to sleep with Anubis?"

"Yes."

"And...you'd...want to...have sex with me?" Cye asked, saying the last words very quickly.

"Yes." Dais raised his chin slightly, one blue eye meeting Cye without fear, silken white hair falling back. "Do you want to have sex with Anubis?"

"Of course I do."

"Do you want to have sex with me?"

Cye's breath caught in his throat.

"Stop pretending to be Kale," Sehkmet told Dais. "Intimidating him like that. Either seduce him outright or leave him alone."

"And you?" Dais asked Sehkmet.

Sehkmet made a dismissive gesture with one hand. "I'm not deluded, Dais. Cye and I have progressed from terrible enemies to friends of a sort. I don't imagine that it'll ever go further."

"Why not?" Dais asked Cye's very question.

"I'm arrogant, Dais, but not blind to my own faults. There's very little about me that would attract anyone. I still haven't figured out what you're doing with me." Sehkmet rose and walked to the wall, leaning against it to put distance between himself and the two on the floor.

Dais turned back to Cye. "Back to my question. Do you want me?"

"I...I..."

Dais waited.

"I do," Cye confessed softly. He felt terribly guilty.

"Once you've settled into your relationship with Anubis, you'd be inclined to further your relationship with me, understanding of course that your first alliance is with him and that mine is here?"

"Yes."

"Good. And of course you're going to avoid Sehkmet?"

"No, I..." Cye cast Sehkmet a glance. "I like Sehkmet very much."

"But you don't want him."

It didn't seem fair to sit here talking like Sehkmet wasn't present, so Cye stood as well and walked over to address Sehkmet personally. Once he was face-to-face with Sehkmet, he had no idea what he wanted to say. Dais rose, too, but remained apart, leaving them to themselves. Cye met Sehkmet's eyes. He remembered the words that had just left his mouth. "I like you very much," he said.

Sehkmet continued to look back at him without response.

"But I... You've been my most hated, horrid enemy. I didn't see you as human. Now you've come to my home and eaten at my table, I've seen you with your friends, I've spoken with you myself. You're a person, a friend, a lover. I want you to be my friend, too." He didn't let himself pause. "I want you to be my lover, too. I wouldn't dream of taking you from Dais, and in my heart I'm pledged to Anubis, but I..." He was leaning closer, and closer, and he realized what he was doing and didn't stop himself, only leaned in, lashes dropping.

Dais' hand came between them to Cye's chest, guiding Cye away again. "Not yet," Dais said, amused but firm. "Save that for Anubis first."

Cye blushed. "I'm sorry." He hastened from the room.

Dais looked at Sehkmet. "Very little about you would attract anyone?" he asked.

"He was going to kiss me."

"Yes, he was. Anubis would have killed you for taking that boy's first kiss."

"What's he thinking?"

"He's thinking that he likes you, and he's attracted to you. It happens, Sehkmet. He's not the first to want you. Cye wants you, Kale wants you, Anubis wants you, I want you. You'll have to get used to it."

"I don't want Cye, or Kale, or Anubis, to feel obligated to-"

"Obligated? You think that Anubis and Kale and I are lusting after each other and are only planning to include you out of pity or duty? Do you really think so little of us, never mind of yourself? And do you really think that we're the sort of people to do that? If we didn't want you, we'd tell you. You know that. Compassion isn't in our vocabulary. The problem here is that you don't like yourself, and you don't think that I really want you. Sehkmet, I've known you, disregarding the first nineteen years, for your entire life. That's a fairly long time. I know you better than anyone ever has, except for Anubis and Kale, and maybe, just maybe, I know you better than they do. Because I love you. That love is not blind. I know exactly what's wrong with you. I know exactly who you are, if anyone can. I know you and I've chosen to commit myself to you. That commitment is not for a set number of years, it isn't until someone else catches my eye, it isn't conditional in any way - - I have committed myself to you. Do you comprehend how long we'll be together? Do you think that I'd be with you if I didn't absolutely want to be? And yes, I have plenty of my own faults. I've been through what you've been through in the Dynasty. If you're a monster, so am I. So perhaps my judgment is flawed. Cye of the Torrent, he is pure, he is here to combat monsters like us. If he, Cye of the Torrent, sees something in you worth loving, maybe there's something in you worth loving."

"You are not a monster."

"I'm not a monster. And I am in love with you. So start accepting it. Shall we tell Anubis and the Ronin Rodents that I had to defend your honor from their beloved Cye?"

"We'd better not."

"Cye's sure to accept Anubis now."

"You're certain?" Sehkmet asked.

"Why wouldn't he? He's ridiculously in love with Anubis, who loves him back."

"He'll accept the idea of being with the three of us?"

"Kale hasn't made himself very attractive lately. That could be a problem. Cye can't like how Kale's been treating Wildfire."

"Kale is a blundering fool."

"Who do you think you are, Halo?"

Sehkmet chuckled.

"We'll have to get Kale under control. We can't have Anubis pining for Cye for the rest of his life."

The question arose: how to make Kale presentable? In order to please Cye, would they have to please Ryo first? Would Kale cooperate?

Dais spoke very firmly to Kale, which resulted in a flurry of such harsh exchanges that Sehkmet and Anubis felt the psychic sizzle. Anubis interrupted, banished Dais, and spoke with Kale himself. Dais concentrated on how their conversation progressed through their psychic link. He felt Kale's anger, Anubis' arrogance, the dissipation of Kale's anger, then sexual heat elicited from Kale by Anubis. He knew that Anubis wouldn't touch Kale until each had his own lover, so he could only guess that Anubis was talking up an erotic storm. At any rate, when he next saw them, Kale was the picture of submission.

Through this time, Yuli was working on his theory of Ronin desire. He was convinced that their bond included a sexual urge. Rowen and Ryo were well aware of it but weren't acting on it. He wanted to see for himself where everyone else stood on the situation. To that end, he took to a closer observation than usual. He was dismayed to find Cye living in innocent ignorance. Kento was entirely oblivious. In their interactions with each other and with the others, they were blind to the true meanings in Rowen and Ryo's eyes. When Ryo and Rowen flirted with them - - Rowen being entirely open about it, Ryo actually coy and shy in a way that only Ryo could manage - - Cye and Kento didn't see what was being said. Of course no one could be blind to Rowen's flirting, but Cye and Kento seemed to take it as a matter of course that Rowen couldn't really mean anything by it, that it was just Rowen's way.

Then there was Sage. Yuli watched Sage very closely, because Sage was harder to read than the others. Ryo and Kento wore their hearts on their sleeves, and Cye and Rowen had the capacity to be more subtle but didn't feel good about doing so. Sage, meanwhile, was a very private person.

Yuli was in the living room playing video games. Rowen was there reading the Shakespeare book that Dais had bought. Whether Dais knew that Rowen had it or not, Yuli wasn't sure. Kento had just come in from washing the cars and was dry but half-naked, to Yuli's delight. Yuli also noticed Rowen's eyes running over Kento's body when Kento wasn't looking. Yuli was sitting on the floor before the TV; Rowen was sitting on the loveseat; Kento was sprawled on the couch, eyes half-closed. Kento, relaxed and naked to the waist, looked every inch masculine perfection and unconscious sex appeal. Rowen's sex appeal, while perfectly natural, was quite well-known to Rowen; Kento was unaware of his.

Sage strolled into the room. Yuli knew that Sage didn't approve of video games, so he let Qui-Gon die and turned off the machine. He wanted to exert all of his attention on the ensuing encounter anyway; he needed to determine Sage's level of awareness of the Ronin desire.

Sage paused, standing over Rowen. He didn't move; he didn't speak; he simply stood there, still and silent.

"Shall I read you a sonnet, Sage?" Rowen asked.

"You could write one for me," Sage said.

"The traditional sonneteer never got to possess the object of his affections, you know," Rowen said. "It was courtly love, unrequited. The muse always had a man already."

Sage moved then, and seated himself at Kento's right side, sitting so that Kento was between himself and Rowen. "Write me a sonnet, Rowen," he said. He turned slightly, facing Rowen, his left elbow on the back of the sofa, his temple resting on his palm, looking right at Rowen, perfectly composed. He wasn't touching Kento but was definitely sitting closer than was necessary. And Rowen got the hint. Yuli watched Rowen's eyes widen in what could only be termed pain and extreme jealousy.

Rowen wanted Sage.

Sage had his revenge: Rowen wouldn't get Sage.

Sage's right hand, slender and elegant, stroked Kento's thigh through denim. "Kento, are you asleep?"

"No," Kento said, eyes still closed.

Rowen was dying of jealousy. It hurt Yuli to see one Ronin jealous of another.

Sage's hand left Kento's thigh and flipped golden hair out of his face. Of course it fell back immediately; it always did. But if served to give Rowen, for a split second, a sight of Sage's beautiful face unobscured. Here's what you're missing.

Kento said, "How much time before dinner?"

"Doesn't your internal clock tell you how long between meals?" Rowen asked. Yuli saw that Rowen immediately regretted saying it. Rowen hadn't said it to hurt Kento, only to remind Sage of Kento's excesses, of which Sage disapproved. Rowen looked away, ashamed.

"An hour and a half," Sage said. "Why?"

Kento's eyes opened. "I have time to work out first."

"Would you like a partner?" Sage asked. Less subtle words couldn't have been used.

Kento looked pleasantly surprised. "Sure, Sage." The two left the room together. Yuli's heart ached: for Rowen's pain, for Kento's ignorance, for Sage's heartlessness, and for himself, who wasn't a player in this game.

Rowen slipped from the loveseat and settled beside Yuli. "It shouldn't be like this," Rowen said.

"It shouldn't," Yuli agreed. He didn't care if Rowen knew exactly what he was talking about.

Kale came to dinner's second shift with the other Dark Warlords. Cye was very shy and skittish until Dais rested a hand at the small of his back and said softly, "Calm down, Cye." He took a few relaxing breaths and calmed himself, centering himself on Dais' touch. He got up the courage to look into Anubis' eyes and couldn't look away, which caused Sehkmet to become impatient and start eating even though Cye hadn't yet put all of the food on the table.

"He's so cute," Kale said. "It's like lusting after a rabbit. I'll bet he never tops."

Anubis reached over the table and smacked Kale across the face. This startled Cye into loosing his grip; the bowl of asparagus slipped through his fingers and smashed on the floor. Kale smacked Anubis in return as Ryo came skidding through the doorway and Cye took a moment to collect himself. Anubis swiftly stood and turned to Cye. "Are you all right?"

"Are you hurt?" Cye asked anxiously, one hand reaching for Anubis' face. The rest of Cye followed that hand, and a moment later Cye was in Anubis' arms, held to Anubis' chest, as the two of them kissed. Anubis leaned back against the table's edge, and Cye rested against his torso naturally, Cye's arms around Anubis' neck, Cye's trusting cute face turned up to Anubis.

"Uh, guys?" Ryo asked.

"Ssh," Kale said. "If we don't disturb them, maybe they'll forget that they have an audience."

"Cye," Anubis said. Cye sighed softly into Anubis' mouth, still kissing. Anubis tried again. "We're standing in butter sauce."

"How romantic, Anubis," Kale muttered. "Way to work the seductive atmosphere."

Cye giggled and removed himself from Anubis. "Go ahead and sit down again; I'll clean this up and get the rest of the food. It's all right, Ryo, I just dropped the asparagus. And no more fisticuffs at the dinner table, please?" he asked, looking from Anubis to Kale.

"Is this like a continuing thing?" Ryo asked. "Kissing Anubis?"

"It's the first time, but I'd like to try it again," Cye said. "I just have one question," he told Anubis. "About what Kale said. I will get to top sometimes, won't I?" he asked.

"Yes," Anubis said.

"Then I'd be very happy to become your lover, with the conditions already discussed." Anubis kissed him again.

"Conditions?" Ryo asked.

"Oh dear," Cye said, breaking away from Anubis and turning all red. "I suppose I'd better tell you and others what's transpired. Let me feed them first and then I'll tell you."

"Don't forget the part about me having to save Sehkmet's honor from you lecherous ways," Dais said.

"Dais!" Cye protested, scandalized. "It wasn't like that at all."

"He tried to kiss Sehkmet," Dais told Anubis. "You'd better keep an eye on him."

"You tried to kiss Sehkmet?" Ryo asked, horrified. "Cye, you didn't!"

"Just once, just a little," Cye said. He blushed and said, "Well, just once, anyway." He scurried away to find cloths to clean the floor. Dais laughed; Sehkmet put his face in his hands; Kale and Anubis didn't know whether to laugh or not; Ryo left the room.

Cye cleaned up the floor without meeting anyone's eyes. When the bowl had been disposed of carefully, the asparagus thrown away, and the water and sauce wiped up, he stood and glanced around the table. "Everything all right?"

Anubis's arm came around Cye's waist and drew Cye close to his chair; Anubis kissed Cye. "No kissing Sehkmet until later."

"I know," Cye said. "I'll try to stop kissing your friends if you'll try to stop hitting them."

"I vote that every time Anubis hits one of us, Cye gets to kiss one of us," Dais said.

"Sounds good," Kale agreed.

"Good," Cye agreed, smiling, and left the kitchen. Anubis couldn't believe it. He was very pleased; he'd made a wonderful move in falling for Cye.

Cye walked into the living room and faced five grim friends. "Hello."

"You kissed Anubis?" Kento asked.

"What are these conditions?" Rowen asked.

"Is this the decision you had to make?" Kento asked. "The yes or no thing?"

"Yes," Cye said. "I chose yes."

"What happened to the no part?" Kento asked. "You said they were both the obvious choice."

"I'm in love with Anubis," Cye said. "I want to be with him."

"What are the conditions?" Ryo asked.

"I don't know how to explain it so that you'll understand. I love Anubis. He loves me. He loves them, too."

"You mean the two of you are in love with each other," Kento said, "and he's in love with them like friends."

"He's in love with them, too," Cye said softly. "Just as much as he loves me, only in a different way. He and I are going to be partners, together, lovers. And sometimes, to cement or fulfill his relationship with the Dark Warlords, he'll make love with them, too."

"You're okay with that?" Rowen asked. "You don't care that he's leaving his bed for theirs, that he's sleeping around?"

"It's not just Anubis," Cye said. "They're going to make love with me, too."

"You're going to be the fuckboy of the Dark Warlords?" Rowen shouted.

"Rowen!" Ryo shouted. "Cye, what do you mean?"

"I mean what I said," Cye said. "I love Anubis, he loves me. He loves them and they love him. My love for him necessarily includes them to some degree, and their-"

"If you want to be with Anubis, I get it," Ryo said, "but how can you do this? How can you even think of letting them touch you?"

"You don't know them," Cye said.

"Do you?" Sage asked.

"I love them," Cye said. "I don't know how to tell you. I don't know how to make you understand. I love Anubis, surely you can see that I do, you must know why. Can you accept that I know what I'm doing? Can you believe that I know myself? Can you trust me?"

"Cye, please don't," Kento begged. "Please."

Cye came over and hugged Kento. He was crying. Kento hugged him tightly.

"How can you do this to yourself?" Ryo asked.

"What are you going to do?" Rowen asked. "Leave us for them?"

"No!" Cye said, appalled, stepping back from Kento. "Never! Rowen, how can you ask me that? Of course I would never leave the Ronin Warriors, I wouldn't leave you."

Yuli saw that Rowen felt betrayed and abandoned and rejected at every turn.

"I don't know quite how it will work yet," Cye said. "Of course they'll move out eventually, even sometime soon. You know that I won't leave you. Anubis knows it as well. If I were the sort of person who'd turn my back without another thought, he wouldn't care for me."

"He did it," Rowen accused.

"That's not fair," Ryo said.

"Oh, now you're on their side?" Rowen asked. "What happened to-"

"I'm not on their side!" Ryo shouted. "Why are you making this worse than it has to be?"

"Please," Cye said, "please don't fight. This is awful. I never meant to hurt anyone. I didn't mean to fall in love with him. But how could I not? He's so much-"

"Don't start telling us the glory of Anubis," Rowen said sharply.

"Oh, Rowen, if you could just understand," Cye said. "I love Anubis. I love the Dark Warlords. But I love the Ronin Warriors, I love you, I always will, you're a part of me, the five of us are just one person."

"If that were true," Rowen said, "we'd all be in love with them."

Cye paused. He became very still. The entire room was quiet. Yuli's mind started spinning in circles.

"Maybe the armor-"

"No!"

"But it links-"

"That's a cop-out. If you want to fuck Anubis, accept the responsibility for it yourself."

"I just-"

"You need to-"

"I don't-"

"Nobody-"

"Quiet," Cye said, standing between them suddenly. The four other Roin Warriors had gotten to their feet to argue vehemently; now Cye joined them. "Please," Cye said, miserable. And then Anubis was there, guiding Cye from the others, bringing him out of the circle and out of the room.

Cye and Anubis went upstairs, hands joining somewhere along the way. They went to Cye's bedroom and closed the door, turning to each other.

Ryo didn't know what to do, as Cye's friend or as Cye's leader. Did he have a right to interfere from his position as Wildfire? Wasn't that an abuse of power? And as Cye's friend, he didn't know what to tell Cye. He didn't even know whether he thought that Cye being Anubis' lover was a good idea or not. Anubis had taken the Ancient's role, had defended them, had battled on their side, had even led them in a sense. Had they given Anubis the chance, had they believed in Anubis, how different it could have been, how the war might have gone. But Ryo wasn't even sure how he felt about Anubis as a person. There was much to admire in Anubis' strength. Anubis had left Talpa and the Dark Warlords and the Dynasty to fight alongside an enemy; now Anubis had come to them for help. How courageous Anubis was, and how able to be humble despite arrogance and pride.

Ryo knew that he had the hideous tendency to underestimate Cye. Cye was as much a Ronin Warrior as any of them, just as strong and capable. But Cye tended to be just a guy, doing his part to save the world, working steadily and bravely without all of the flash and flare of the rest of them. Cye didn't have Kento's crises of faith or Ryo's own histrionics. Cye just got the job done, and damned well, without demanding applause or credit. How many times had Mia and Yuli called to Ryo for help, when in fact someone else, like Cye, rescued them?

He laid down on the den floor beside White Blaze, Yuli sitting on the sofa, and wondered what he should tell Cye. He knew that Cye would come to him again, one-to-one, to seek Ryo's blessing. What would he say? Really, he should go to Anubis and get Anubis' personal words on the subject, before he made any decision. He rolled to his back and wondered whether he should do it tonight or wait until tomorrow.

And then he felt it. It felt like an ice pick - - no, an axe, splitting his skull, driving his brain open, followed by a rush of word and color, yellowpurplebluegreen LoyaltySerenityObediencePiety, and then he was invaded entirely, violated, raped.

"Ryo?" Yuli asked, anxious, on his hands and knees beside his fallen hero. Ryo could only stare up at him, horrorstruck, unable to do so much as gasp.

Then it started to settle, carefully. It wouldn't leave, he wanted it gone, he wanted it to leave, please, get out of me, the violation, the contamination, but it was rooted in him, it was deep in his soul now, it would never leave him. He could feel it, distinguish it, could separate it from the rest of him, could almost tell where it ended and he began, but not quite, like the hazy feeling he got when he tried to think of himself without the Ronin Warriors. And it was settled for good now, embedded, implanted, and he knew what it was. What they were, really. Four of them. Anubis. Dais. Kale. Sehkmet. Inside him. He could feel them, the pulse of their existence, the hum of their life, resting inside him right alongside his beloved warriors.

He drew a great shuddering breath. He couldn't panic, no, he had to stay calm, he had to figure out what was happening, this swift, killing attack.

"Ryo," Yuli begged. "Ryo, what is it? Should I get Cye or Rowen or Sa-"

Ryo gripped Yuli's hand. "Help me up," he panted. Yuli, wide-eyed, did so, helping him to stand. Each with an arm around the other's waist, they moved down the hallway followed by White Blaze. They got to Rowen first; Rowen was sitting on the floor outside of the bathroom. They sank to the floor heavily, beside Rowen. "Are you okay?" Ryo asked.

"Get it out," Rowen begged, and there were tears in his eyes. "Make it stop."

"Yuli, stay here," Ryo said, and stood more steadily this time, alone. Yuli put his arms around Rowen and watched Ryo leave. Rowen leaned against Yuli in silence.

Ryo progressed to the living room. Kento was on the sofa, head in his hands; Kale and Sage were in the middle of the room having a staring contest; Sage's left hand was on the top of Kento's head, resting there to possess or protect. "Guys?" Ryo asked.

"Psychic link," Sage said. "Anubis fucked Cye." Kale's hand rose slowly to Sage's face; Sage knocked Kale's hand away before Kale got close. "Don't touch me," he said clearly and firmly, voice low, leaving no doubt in Kale's mind. Ryo could have told Kale that touching Sage was something to be undertaken carefully. Sage inhaled, head tilting back, a slight tremor running through his fine body. "Not fucking," he corrected himself, and looked Kale right in the eyes. "Making love." It was cruel, for Sage to talk about fucking and lovemaking to someone not allowed to touch him. Ryo and Kale were made terribly conscious of Sage's hand on Kento.

"Kento, you okay?" Ryo asked.

"It feels so right," Kento mumbled to the carpet. "Having them inside of me like you are. Feels like it's where they belong."

Ryo figured that Kento would be okay, and that Sage was handling it. "Did you get this too, or does Cye have to..."

"I've been defiled by your virtue," Kale replied. "Sehkmet's upstairs vomiting, trying to purge you from his system."

Ryo hurried upstairs. He wanted to see Cye, but figured that Cye might need a little time to recover from being twice-fucked by Anubis, so he stuck his head into Kento, Yuli, and Cye's bathroom. Dais was there, stroking Sehkmet's hair. Sehkmet was sitting on the floor, resting against the side of the toilet bowl. They looked over at his entrance. "Hi," he said, for lack of anything better. "You guys okay?"

"I haven't vomited since I entered the Dynasty," Sehkmet said. "I don't think that Halo agrees with me."

Dais looked over Ryo's shoulder to the hallway. "Anubis is asking for me." He pressed a kiss to Sehkmet's hair and moved to go; Ryo stepped aside to let him pass. "You might as well come with me," he told Ryo.

Ryo felt as though he were engaging in criminal behavior as he followed Dais. Neither Anubis nor Cye had invited him, yet here he was knowingly entering the room where they'd just consummated their relationship. Dais opened the door to Cye's room and the two of them entered. Ryo closed the door to delay the moment, but finally turned and raised his eyes.

Cye was standing by the bed, barefoot in jeans and a T-shirt, looking well-tumbled. Anubis was lying on the bed, on his back, naked, the sheets draped over his legs and hips, broad muscular torso exposed down past the navel, long crimson hair loose on the pillow, looking well-sated and asleep. Except he sighed, and his green eyes opened, and he sat up. Ryo realized that he was about to leave the bed. Cye realized it too, and literally jumped to kneel on the bed, hands shoving Anubis back down and tugging at the sheets.

"All right, Cye, all right," Anubis said patiently. "But if you'll let me get dressed we can all be at ease. Ryo, close your eyes." Ryo did, feeling a flash of pleasure - - He called me Ryo. There were rustles and an impatient sigh from Dais before Cye touched Ryo's arm and Ryo opened his eyes again. Anubis was dressed now, in jeans and a shirt, running a hand through that crimson hair. "Sehkmet and Rowen aren't taking the change very well, but the rest seem to be adjusting fairly well."

"It's permanent?" Ryo asked.

"We can only assume," Anubis said. "Unless you kill all four of us."

"But that would do damage," Dais said. "The armors create a whole. We need all parts."

"Cye, you're okay?" Ryo asked.

Cye blushed. "I'm okay," he said.

"That's flattering," Anubis said. "I need to speak with Kale and see to Sehkmet. We'll reconvene later?"

"Ryo, I don't want anyone to be...mad at me," Cye said softly. "I didn't know that this would happen, that somehow when Anubis and I joined that the two sides would join as well. But it is for the best, isn't it? Like Dais said, the armors create a whole."

"Nobody's mad," Ryo said, "you know that."

"I want to go see for myself how they're doing," Cye said. "What's wrong with Rowen, and is Sehkmet all right? How are Kento and Sage?"

"I'll take care of Sehkmet, you go see your friends," Anubis said.

Now that the new presences in his mind were settled, and he was becoming accustomed to their buzz, Ryo could sense characteristics. There was a subtle overlapping of Dais and Sehkmet, a fuzzy patch where they didn't quite distinguish themselves, and he couldn't make them separate no matter how he poked at them. And he no longer needed to speak to Anubis about Anubis' feelings for Cye. It was all too clear: just as he'd discovered the pulse of Cye's love for Anubis earlier, just as steady and strong came Anubis' love for Cye. Now that he was examining the various people in his head and the timbre of their presences, he noted a change among the long-present people. Something was different about Sage.

Cye shyly kissed Anubis and went downstairs with Ryo. The two of them went to see Rowen in the hallway first. Rowen and Yuli were relaxed together, holding onto each other, and Rowen was telling Yuli about the people in his head. "Cye!" Yuli said.

"How was he?" Rowen asked.

"Rowen," Cye protested, scandalized, but pleased that Rowen felt good enough to tease. "You're all right?"

"Ah, just took a little getting used to, is all. Is Anubis hung like a-"

"Rowen!" Cye exclaimed.

Rowen stood and rested an arm on Yuli casually. "Let's go visit Sage and Kento."

Yuli felt a flutter of apprehension. Sage had staked out Kento and rebuffed Rowen. Now Rowen was going to latch onto him, even slightly? He didn't want to be Rowen's rebound guy. Not that Rowen would hurt him on purpose. And why wouldn't Rowen turn to Ryo? Why come to him? But Rowen's arm remained on his shoulder as they went to the living room.

Sage, Kale, and Kento hadn't moved.

"Cye," Kale said. "Congratulations. How was he?"

"Kale," Rowen said, a sparkle in his eyes. "Is Anubis hung like a-"

"Rowen!" Cye exclaimed. "That's enough. Kento, are you all right?"

Sage's hand slipped away from Kento as Cye sat at Kento's side.

"Kento likes it," Ryo said.

"Do you?" Cye asked eagerly as Kento sat back to rest his broad shoulders against the sofa back. "You don't mind it?"

"It just exploded inside me and I was really confused for a minute," Kento said. "But then it just settled into place like everybody had his own little niche right inside my head where he belonged."

"I'm glad," Cye said, stroking Kento's forearm. "I like it, too."

"Are you okay?" Kento asked. "He didn't hurt you?"

"Oh, no, he didn't hurt me," Cye said.

"I guess he loves you," Kento said. "I feel it now."

"He does," Cye agreed gently. There was something a little sad, Yuli noticed, in the look that they shared. A moment of mourning for a missed opportunity. Maybe, just maybe, they realized too late what might have been; they could have shared a great love. Now it was too late: Cye was with Anubis. Yuli grieved; if only they'd seen it earlier, if only they'd recognized their affection and love for what it truly was!

Kale left the Ronins to Yuli and went upstairs to Yuli's room. Sehkmet was lying facedown on the bed; he took a moment to enjoy the sight of Sehkmet's thick hair, vulnerable nape, strong shoulders, long back, tight round ass, long legs, and naked arched feet. Too bad Sehkmet was still clothed. He stared a moment too long and Dais noticed; he was jolted form his reverie by a slap to his jaw. He shook his head briefly and turned his attention to Dais and Anubis, who were standing between him and the bed. "The Ronins are okay," he said. "Kento and Cye are actually happy about it." He took a moment to send a flicker out to Sehkmet, who returned it sedately. Satisfied that Sehkmet was fine, he said to Anubis, "Must have been some orgasm." Of course Anubis punched him and slammed him and roughed him up generally. He collapsed on the far side of the bed, and Anubis left him there to confer with Dais on the other side of the room, nearer the door. After waiting a moment to be certain that they were distracted with their conversation, he raised his eyes to the bed. Sehkmet shifted, face turning to him, regarding him with cynical calm. Sehkmet was quiet, cynical, sedate, and suspicious. Not by nature, Kale knew, but thanks to the perversion of the Dynasty. Kale liked both the Sehkmet that he knew and the Sehkmet that once had existed, long ago. He moved quietly, not wanting to disturb Anubis or Dais - - certainly not Dais - - and shifted closer to Sehkmet. He reached out one hand and put it carefully to Sehkmet's waist. Slowly he slipped his hand beneath Sehkmet's sweatshirt and onto taut warm skin. He moved his hand up a little, on Sehkmet's back, keeping his eyes on Sehkmet's eyes.

"Hands off," Dais snarled from across the room. Kale reluctantly withdrew his hand and Sehkmet smirked, reminding Kale of Sage. Was he destined to have no one? Once he had someone, he could have that someone, and Sehkmet, and Dais, and Anubis, and even Cye. And who would that someone be? Why, Ryo of the Wildfire, of course, who else? That untamed exotic spirited vixen. So many words could describe Ryo, but not one could sum up the boy's spirit. He closed his eyes and leaned against the bed, thinking of Ryo, summoning up all that he could. He needed to establish for himself how he truly felt, what he truly wanted, so that he could go after Ryo most effectively.

"Kale?" Anubis asked, and Anubis sounded like someone trying not to be surprised.

"Hm?" Kale asked, still lost in Ryo's eyes. Those eyes. Blue, and determined, and full of-

"You're projecting," Anubis said.

That didn't quite mean anything to him, until he caught Anubis' deeper meaning - - if Anubis was feeling what he felt, then quite likely the Ronins did, too, now that all of them were linked. He opened his eyes warily. "Projecting what?"

Anubis didn't get a chance to answer, because Cye burst through the open doorway and came straight to Kale. Cye knelt down right in front of Kale and hugged him, overjoyed. "I'm so happy," Cye said unnecessarily, cheek pressed to Kale's. "I didn't know. Why didn't you tell me? Everything you're feeling, everything you're thinking, you're so right, he is like that, he's just-"

"I'll thank you not to hug Kale and sing Ryo's praises," Anubis said, tugging Cye back. Cye rose and embraced Anubis next. Of course they got distracted with kissing, and then they got really distracted, and the other three left the room in disgust.

matthew@matthewtime.com
"Then Happy I" Part Four: It's a Mystic Monk Thing
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