CHAPTER 07

New Year�s Eve in a local club in Vancouver was a treat for the Mendego twins who were used to the big New York festivities they had attended all their lives. Dressed to kill, ebony locks braided in places, the top layer pulled into a sloppy bun that only added to the look they were going for. Clad in ripped jeans and black tank tops that clung to their every curve, it wasn�t too surprising when people flocked to them. Many asked for their number, while others just prayed for a chance to dance with the East Coast gods.

Politely, they declined every request with a fluttering their chartreuse eyes lined in kohl, pink embarrassment dusting their cheeks. Avoiding the bar seemed to be the easiest way to dodge the Canadians and even quite a few Americans that wanted to dance and oh so much more with the twins.

Hand-in-hand, Hiro led his favorite dance partner out onto the floor, having to weave his way through the throng of souls that had the same idea as the writer. Finding a bit of a break in the swarm, the pair paused for a moment, adjusting to the music immediately once they caught the beat. Dancing apart or grinding close, it didn't matter to the New York teens, as long as no one tried to interrupt them in the process.

Midnight came crawling in a few hours later, finding the brothers curled up in a booth, virgin margaritas gracing the table in front of them. Conversation was useless as everyone got to his or her feet, searching eagerly for someone to ring in the New Year with. The chanting began at 10 seconds �til, the crowd having a pulse all its' own. The clock struck twelve, and the club burst into action. Couples kissed, as did strangers how happened to be next to one another when the chimes rang out. Balls of confetti hung from the ceiling emptied onto clubbers; the DJ was already putting on another track to keep everything going strong.

Hiro and Kane shared a kiss that held a promise of something more intimate when they were alone in their hotel room. They had another day in Vancouver before they had to head home to beat the new semester. A phone call from Lillian earlier had reminded them of the fact, and they decided they would probably spend their final day in Canada enjoying each other's company in their 4th floor room.

Rammstein's "Du Hast" radiated from the speakers that were set up in every corner of the club. Nothing said Happy New Year like the guttural growls that made up the German tongue accompanied with a pulsating beat that called out to the dancer inside of everyone. Rising to their feet after polishing off their margaritas, the twins made their way back out to the floor. The sea of sweaty bodies seemed to have multiplied, and everyone was dancing with everyone else, grinding shamelessly against complete strangers and dear friends.

When Kane discovered a spot momentarily free of other people, he pulled Hiro close to his stomach, rocking his hips against his twin's jean-clad ass. A groan may have escaped those slightly parted lips, but one would never know because the sound was swallowed up immediately by Mindless Self Indulgence's "Faggot". The beat was hard and fast, reminding the brothers of other events as they danced close, desperately grinding their hips against the others'.

They let the music engulf them, taking them to another world entirely as they danced well into the morning. Dawn found the pair staggering up to the room they had called home for the past two weeks, and collapsing on the bed the moment the door was locked and closed. Morpheous pounced on the writer and the artist in a heartbeat, pulling them deep into the world of dreams.

Leaving Vancouver was difficult for the teens that had become addicted to their Canadian freedom. Not that their New York lives were terribly restricting, since they did live on their own; but their AP classes were a total drag. It was too bad that those classes were their scholarship tickets; this fact didn't make a whole hell of a lot of sense due to their artistic leanings.

Lillian had told the twins that she would meet them at the airport with a surprise, but ended up calling their cell 30 minutes later to inform them that she was swamped at work and couldn't get away. Hiro took the call, rolling his eyes at their aunt's excuse - it wasn't anything new, she was always busy with her job. They tried to be understanding, but half the time her nephews why she even bothered to make the promises if she couldn't keep them.

Kane retrieved their pickup that had been left in a reserved parking spot while his younger brother gathered up their luggage, which seemed to have doubled since Christmas. Stashing their bags in the bed of the truck, Hiro took the wheel. British Columbia had been a wicked trip, but sleeping in their own bed in their townhouse would be a nice change.

Besides not being nagged about homework or chores, another advantage to living on their own was not having to dance around the laundry - especially the sheets. The hotel maids hid their giggles and scarlet blushes behind their hands, knowing that something had been going on in room 56 during those 2 weeks.

"Okay, I'm going to start charging you money for being vague," Yuusuke said, staring incredulously at his emerald-eyed friend, Kurama.

Hiro and Kane looked at each other, laughing. Nothing put them in a better mood then a night of anime accompanied with cuddling on their plush queen-sized bed. Ah yes, this was the life. The ending theme of Yuu Yuu Hakusho came to a close, followed by a brief silence entwined with a low moan and soft suckling.

Their rendezvous on New Year's Eve, or shall we say New Year's Day, didn't exactly work out due to the exhausted state their bodies had claimed, leading to 13 hours of dreamless sleep. After the young men had shaken off the blankets and slid out of bed, they had just enough time to pack and a cat nap before the front desk called, informing them that a cab was waiting to take them back to the airport. The announcement had been met with dejected sighs and longing looks, but they obediently grabbed their stuff, making their way to the elevator where only a quick, yet heated, kiss was exchanged.

Kane�s head was thrown back; pale neck arched and completely exposed, his citrine eyes full of indescribable emotions that swirled like a stormy sea. Though it was the middle of winter, the twins had been dressed in simple sweats, their room plenty warm thanks to the heater they had invested in, among other things. And now the artist�s sweats were tossed into a corner, his younger brother kneeling between spread legs. His face was hidden by midnight silk that tickled the sensitive skin of Kane�s inner thighs, causing him to shudder more noticeably.

There wasn�t one who was more dominant or submissive in the relationship, they played each role equally. And they filled those shoes all too well. Elegant hands gripped at the satin sheets, their owner�s breathing already ragged from the ministrations of a certain writer�s pink tongue. Hiro was a master tease, especially when it came to using his mouth on his brother�s hard length.

At first, the writer just barely grazed the tip with his tongue, reveling in how his twin writhed beneath him. He was beautiful when caught in the feverish grip of ecstasy. Kane�s control was faltering though as the younger teen�s teasing became insistent, that warm mouth sucking hard, tongue swirling and dipping into his leaking slit, while those slightly calloused hands fondled his balls. Hiro�s actions were almost frantic as he silently willed his brother to let go, to fall into the darkness that always caught them after a mind-shattering orgasm.

Any grasp on his emotions that the writhing young man might have had disappeared as the teen between his legs squeezed the base of erection hard. His spine arched impossibly high, his nerves on fire as his hips rocked, thrusting himself deep into his twin�s mouth, hot seed spilling down that welcoming throat. Hiro�s name was torn from the other�s lips, ending in a deep groan, stars bursting across closed eyelids in a dizzying dance.

Lead replaced the boiling blood that ran through Kane�s veins, causing the elbows that had held up his lithe body to give out, sagging into the satin and down adorning the bed. Hiro lifted his head, licking his lips like a cat that had gotten not only the canary but a few mice as well. Sliding up his brother�s nude form, he kissed him deeply, sharing the bittersweet taste of Kane�s essence that lingered on his tongue. A soft moan of appreciation was swallowed by Hiro�s eager mouth, lips upturned in a predatory grin even through the kiss.

In the background, sounds of heated battle from Dragonball GT filled the room, occasional moans and gasps mixed in as the twins continued a battle of their own. Hot pink tongues took part in an ancient duel, breaking apart only so those who wielded them could catch a breath or two before returning to each other.

Faintly, Kane heard the little announcer droid, spokesman of Toonami, announce Rurouni Kenshin � the show they had stayed up to watch � was on next. Poking Hiro gently in the shoulder, he tore himself out of the kiss reluctantly, gesturing to the TV as he attempted to pull desperately needed oxygen into his straining lungs. He felt a bit light-headed as he squirmed, moving so his head was supported by one of the many pillows scattered throughout the room. His twin slid off his own sweats, leaving both eighteen-year-old boys as naked as Halloween night they were born.

Together, they cuddled, sliding under the sheets to keep warm as they watched their two favorite characters, Himura Kenshin and Sanosuke Sagara, fight viciously for their beliefs. All too soon, the show was over, leaving nothing to do but go to sleep, which was the plan. Except they hadn�t expected for their softened lengths to brush as they shifted restlessly, which only added fuel to the fire that had been started earlier.

And so, they made love between those silky sheets on that cold winter night, various shows and commercials becoming nothing more than static to their ears. When they woke up well into the morning the next day, they would discover fresh ivory powder covering everything in sight, awakening a childish urge to run outside and play in the young men. Unable to resist, Hiro and Kane ran outside, pegging each other with snowballs and tackling each other in a few particularly deep drifts further down the street.

School would be dragging teens all across the city back to the lackluster classrooms kicking and screaming come Monday. In the minds of the young Mendego men, that justified their elementary school behavior, as they ran down the streets, laughing loudly and tumbling like puppies in the snow. The cold tinged their cheeks a bright pink, and it seemed their noses wouldn�t stop dripping to save their lives, but the liberation they experienced overrode the numb extremities Hiro and Kane suffered from that evening.

Winter melted into spring, and spring flowed straight into summer towards the end of their senior year, May. Two weeks preceding finals were consumed with incessant studying, with little time for anything else, such as eating and sleeping. The hours that should have been spent in the land of dreams found Hiro and Kane on opposite ends of the roomy living room couch, their noses shoved deep into textbooks. Papers were scattered on the table and the floor around them, every available inch filled with hastily scribbled notes, equations, names, dates, and anything else that would prove useful for their AP exams.

Both young men had 7 classes a day at their high school, yet only one of these was an elective. Kane had Still Life I while his brother took on Creative Writing II; the only classes that didn�t have atrocious exams that were chock full of questions about the material they had covered throughout the year. In not too long, high school would be a memory of the past, another four years of their life to be put behind them in favor of the new lives that awaited them at the University at Albany, New York�s State University.

Hiro had decided to try for English as his major, with Literature as his minor. On the other hand, Kane made it his goal to obtain a Master of the Fine Arts degree, no minor included. He wanted to throw himself into his work entirely, to let his painting, sketching, and everything else become his life. The best part, they would be attending the uptown campus together, granting the ability to share a dorm room.

Their summer would be devoured with moving up to Albany, and all the other �fun� activities that were involved with uprooting an old life, casting it aside for a newer, shinier life that held so much promise. Registering for classes, getting situated, helping Lillian clean up the townhouse so it could be put on the market� so much to do, and it seemed like the time they needed was slipping through their fingers like grains of sand in an hourglass.

Slamming his book closed with a deep sigh laced with exhaustion, Kane spared a wary glance at the wall clock. �Just as I thought � we�ve past the wow-it�s-late stage and gone straight to oh-my-god-why-am-I-still-awake? Fantastic,� the Mendego teen thought, rubbing wearily at his sleep deprived eyes. Using the sock-covered toes of his right foot, he nudged his brother�s leg.

At first, he got no response, which was unusual since a Hiro who hadn�t slept due to studying was a very peevish Hiro who would snap at anyone who dared to interrupt him. Setting his textbook aside, the artist leaned forward, shaking his twin�s knee. Once again, no reaction; save for the book slipping out of his lap and landing with a dull thump on the floor. The younger boy�s head was tilted back, eyes closed in peaceful slumber. A thin string of drool had even escaped slightly parted lips, clinging stubbornly to Hiro�s jaw line. Kane�s face split into a comical grin as he watched his brother doze on, completely oblivious that he had been caught in the act.

With a lazy hand, he leaned forward, wiping the saliva from his brother�s chin, citrine orbs bright with laughter as Hiro scrunched up his already closed eyes, a tiny whine of protest coming from his throat. Opening an eye, he was all too ready to throw a glare at the person who had jerked him from a rather pleasant dream, but stopped as he saw his reflection�s mirthful expression.

�Damn it,� he swore, realizing he had drifted off instead of studiously taking notes for their AP History class. And worse of all, his brother had caught him red-handed.

�Don�t sweat it, Hiro-chan,� Kane said, surprising his twin. �It�s really late, or should I say early?� he continued, gesturing absently at the clock that was seconds away from reading 2 in the morning. �We�ve been working ourselves much too hard; I mean, look at us!�

Hiro knew his brother had a point; dark mauve bruised the delicate skin under chartreuse eyes while clothes hung off dangerously thin frames. �I�ll just be glad when high school�s over,� he conceded, running a fatigued hand through tangled jet-black tresses.

�Yeah, I�m right there with you, trust me,� the artist replied, mimicking his brother�s actions while attempting to stifle a yawn with his other hand.

They stared at each other for a moment, realizing how absolutely horrendous they must have looked. Leaving their books and notes as they were, the Mendego twins rose on unsteady feet slowly making their way to the stairs. Using each other as support, they made it to their bedroom with only a few stumbles. Not even bothering with pajamas, they stripped out of their restrictive clothing, tossing the articles in the general direction of the hamper. As if they were one instead of two, Kane and Hiro fell into bed, shuffling briefly to get under the covers before passing out from hunger and sheer exhaustion.

That night, scratch that, morning, the young men slept in a sleep so deep that only a night nearly a year ago could possibly rival it. When the greedy fingers of dawn finally broke through the veils of unconsciousness the teens had been so tightly wrapped in, they felt considerably better. One hot shower and an all-star breakfast later, and they were sure they could take on anything life had to throw their way.