Um. Yes. Sorry! ^^ Suddenly, I have become, like, insanely popular on AIM and email,
hence my veeeery long time without an update! I'm weak, and chatty! Two very
dangerous things, yes! >.> Also, I had this killer statistics project to do, buuuut it's done
now, so school is no longer an excuse. Yessss. Sidetracked, much? Absolutely. But! I
have now been in contact with several of my idols! This makes me happy! :D Even
though I'm such a huge chicken, I'll probably never talk to them again, but... if you're
reading this, idol-ish people, IM me! ;_; I'm a terribly wussy thing. Anyway... if you
want a blow-by-blow account of exactly *why* I wasn't updating, jusssst go check out my
DeadJournal, the link to which can be found on my author page. Indeed.
I'm really... not quite sure just what made this chapter take me almost a month to complete
-- I mean, it's not genius and brilliant or anything, it's just... kinda... here. For whatever
reason, I had the damnedest time trying to get the poor boys outta the closet -- literally.
>.> Also -- I decided against doing a Blockbuster scene where they actually rent crap
there, because every time I started it, the thing became the exact one from another ficcy
that I absolutely *adore* and I refuse to copy that awesome author! So, this is gonna be
half-assed. -_- (Now, *that* wasn't too spoiler-filled, was it?)
(Shameless self-advertisement here...) WOW! Apparently, if you want *tons* of hits, but
not so many reviews, all you have to do it write in big, blinky letters "PORN!" in your fic
summary! Nifty-keen! ::sigh:: Wellll... go read my latest batE-inspired Evietro, "Cruel
To Be Kind" and freaking review it! I feel all bad because I slaved my ass off making that
fucker sound right, and it has only thirteen reviews! THIRTEEN! And one was a flame!
(A bad, ill-written one at that... >.>) Argh! Read and review the porn, goddammit!! >.O
OH! And go read the ficcy I posted with DarkFire... it's a Lance/Wanda smutfic named
"Culmination"... and it's nifty. You can tell what I did to it, I think -- it was originally the
cop-out for the slash I dared her to do (wussy! You bailed out on the slash! ::points::)
and I let her off the hook with smut, then I hinted at a general storyline, then... I wrote it
from the smut to the end and retweaked the parts already there. I'm the beta-master! It
was originally just sent to me, partway done, for betaing and smut assistance, buuuut I...
uhh... I kinda took it over, because I'm a freak like that! >:D So! Go read it!
Gogogogo! Well, when you're done here, naturally. >.> And REVIEW IT, for
chrissakes! C'mon, you *know* you wanna see my very first attempts at hetero porn!
XD
"DAY OF RECKONING" RANTING (A little late, but hey...) -- 5/11/02: Eeeeehehehee!
Pietro-licious! Wanda-licious, too! ::squeals:: BUT! Bad, naughty, must-be-punished
Pie-Pie!!! I cannot believe I have to wait until the next season to see what happens! Evil
Xavier? And Mystique? And my precious Pie-baby who apparently got blown
up/squashed by the building! Along with his father! And everything! ::freaks out:: If you
want to delve further into my intricately laid-out psyche and discuss this, juuuust IM me,
or email, or... yeah. Too tired to rewrite all my ranting now. Sleepy. -_-
And response to... (don't bother reading unless you've reviewed/read the reviews recently)
NOTE: This is, uhh, gonna be pretty out-of-date now, considering most of these were left
and replied to almost a month ago, so... yes. Just so you know. Carry on. >.O
*Aiko: ::cowers:: Please don't kill me! I can be good! Honest! And see? Here's
another chapter, so there's no reason to... um, hey... put down that-- ::Psycho B is
currently experiencing technical difficulties. Please try back soon.::
*DarkFire: Ack! You *know* I meant my *slash* idols! When you write me a slashfic,
your name shall go up in big, blinky letters on the slash-board, but till then... be satisfied
with being on faves. ^_~
*Taiorami: Todd's a bitch. *Your* bitch! XD ::hugs Toddles:: Anywho... Sarah
McLachlan rules! ^_^ I wanna listen now! So I shall. And put yer damn glasses on, Tai!
You're gonna hurt yourself! What else was I gonna say... oh! Join us! Be an Evo-clique
member! :D And don't worry, I'm not going to force you to repeat yourself -- I got the
message loud and clear! ^_~
*R: Random hysteria, eh? I guess that's about right... random insanity also works,
though, can't forget that! XD Anyway, I'm glad that was just what the doctor ordered.
^_^ I hope this one follows suit! ::wanders off, thinking about cookies::
*SailorWade: Yes, go to bed. Bed is good. Bed is very, very nice... can you tell I'm
running on very little sleep? O.o I hate seeing Pie-baby effed up just as much as you, but
the angst makes the fluff all that much sweeter. You know what I mean. ^_~
*batE: Um, now I don't know what to say; we've already discussed everything! Your
reviews always make me feel all happy-squishy! :D Yayness! I guess I'll be chatting with
ya later, so... bye bye for now! ^_^
*Medusa171: God, am I glad we got that mess straightened out! Little sis! ::hugs::
And now, I even have a nifty new buddy! Special! Can never remember anything to say...
::kicks self:: Uhh, I guess I'll be chatting with you later, too, so, till then! Ta ta! :D
::coughJTHMcoughcough::
*Cherry Drop: Darlin', you're becoming a delinquent reviewer! Don't let it happen to
you! :D I know school sucks big time, but it'll all be over soon enough! Unless you have
summer school, in which case you're mighty screwed, babe. Anyways... I have an equally
abnormal fear of Adam's apples! But, I had to use it, for the scene to work, I guess. Plus,
it's clear in the animation that almost every male character has one, so it's all good. ^_~
*CV: I like your little quote, there... very cool. And uh, here's some continuation for ya!
:D
*Scoz: Um. I'm not sure just what to say. >.> On one hand, you did compliment me,
and for that I thank you, but what the Hell were you babbling about in the other part? I
don't make you print out anything, and if you do choose to print this story out for
whatever reason, just highlight the actual story part, and print the "selection" option in the
print box. A little late now, but for future reference, I guess. O.o I mean, I'm totally
getting longer chapters going now, so I don't wanna hear any complaints about my early
work, when I was a little baby fic writer, just starting out. I know it was short! I don't
like it either! >.O Also for future reference, you may want to watch your wording in
reviews -- your tone put me almost immediately on the defensive, and I'm sure you weren't
meaning to come off sounding snobby or mean. ^_^
*Lady Eternal: That was, um... that's... just... wow. That's the best review I've ever
gotten! :D I really appreciate you taking the time to write such a detailed critique of my
work! And also, I *love* what I saw of your work, too! Heehee, Zoicite! ::hugs:: You
are a very fluent writer yourself, and I'm always open to people like that! ^_^ But, you
already know this, because I emailed you back, and we chatted on AIM, so yesss... yay!
:D
*OutlawedStarsDragons: I agree! Forever annnnd ever! XD
*Crys Clous: How did you ever miss it? ^_~ It's, like... here! Uhh, yeah... yes. Dude.
Lance/Todd? Really? Wow... um, wow. God, I sound incoherent. O.o
*Leonardo Sharp: If emoticons bother you, I suggest you find your slash fix somewhere
else. I always have, and most likely always will, pepper my writings with the spiffy little
things. ::shrugs:: Sorry. I do, however, thank you for the compliment.
*ruby red: Me? Ramble? Never! >:D Just kidding; I *know* I do, but I can't seem to
shut up, soooo... yes. I'm glad my email helped you...? Did it? Anyway... don't let your
reviews/reviewers dictate your writing -- many people out there, unfortunately, are mean,
spiteful, and short-sighted. Thus, they make cruel remarks. Others are simply lazy, and
won't review. ::shrugs:: It's a cold, hard world out there in fanfiction land. >.>
Disclaimer: As if! No, really, if you actually believe I own any of this (makes grand
sweeping gesture) then I have some prime swamp land down in Florida you may be
interested in... No, seriously. I don't own anything. (Duh?)
*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter twenty-seven: Nuances
Lance closed his eyes and leaned back between parted thighs, fully at peace as the skilled
fingers massaged the sweet-smelling shampoo onto his scalp. 'Damn,' he thought as he
readjusted his arms on the tops of Pietro's legs, 'I haven't been shampooed by someone
else since... ever. Wow.' The slender mutant was perched on the back edge of the back of
the sunken black marble tub, with his hands tangled in Lance's sudsy, wet hair. Life was
good.
The bubble bath Pietro had come across while snooping through the bathroom's
well-stocked closet made for a reasonably modest circumstance -- Pietro couldn't see
Lance's, well, anything, save the stuff from the chest up, and that was making a great deal
more comfortable with the situation, despite Lance's "repositioning" every few minutes,
and brushing against some parts of him he'd rather be left alone. But, aside from that,
Lance was an angel.
But alas, the moment, it would appear, was too perfect -- upon reaching to turn on the
faucet to fill a small container with fresh water for Lance's head-rinsing, Pietro slipped into
the dip. Lance was bumped forward as Pietro, with a small shriek, slid into the tub behind
him, still clothed in the short, black silk robe he'd liberated from one of Mystique's closets.
For a split second, neither boy moved, then suddenly each began moving quickly and
awkwardly; Pietro scrambling to get enough traction to haul himself out of the tub, and
Lance, trying to scoot far away from Pietro's mad attempts at freedom. Eventually, Pietro
managed to dump himself onto the plush bathmat laid out on the floor before the marble
tub, and just stared at Lance in shock. The entire episode took, perhaps, twenty seconds,
but for Pietro, those twenty or so seconds had been pure Hell; not knowing what was
going on, not being able to free himself and escape. And now, he was sprawled out on the
bathmat, wet, cold and shivering. And looking utterly ridiculous, he surmised bitterly.
"Fuck," he mumbled in irritation, as Lance peeked over the edge of the tub cautiously.
"Are you okay?" Lance asked the annoyed mutant, trying to suppress the laughter waiting
to erupt from his lips. Pietro sulked, not quite catching the absolute hilarity of the
situation.
"Fuck," he repeated, getting up off the floor ungracefully and wobbling on his legs for a
moment before steadying himself and fixing the sopping wet robe primly, retying the sash
with a sharp yank.
"Pietro," Lance started in a warning voice, "You're gonna get sick if you stay in that wet
robe."
Pietro sniffed indignantly. "Do I *look* like I care?" he asked in an offhand way, turning
to the fogged mirror and trying in vain to see himself clearly enough to fix his hair. With a
small sigh, he gave up, simply smoothing his palms over the slick white locks and closing
his eyes for a moment. When the icy blue orbs reopened, they slid in Lance's direction,
noting vaguely that the older boy wasn't all that covered by the foamy bubble bath
anymore.
"Pietro..."
"Yessss?" Pietro drawled in a hiss, his head swiveling again towards the brunette.
"Go put some dry clothes on." Not a statement so much as a command.
"Duh, I was just going to," the pale boy remarked casually, and began walking -- yes,
walking -- toward the doorway that would lead him back to "their" suite. Lance watched
the suggestive sway in Pietro's hips as he made his exit with eyes unable to tear themselves
away. What a bundle of contradictions that kid was!
Lifting himself carefully out of the rapidly cooling water, Lance swathed a towel around
his hips and started after the humbled teen.
***
*Smack!* "Sorry, not that yet."
"Aww..."
Lance had cornered the speedster in one of Mystique's closets, changing into yet another
stolen ensemble. They really needed to go shopping, Lance realized, if Pietro felt more
comfortable wearing women's clothing than the outfits he owned himself. That was just
sad. And Lance still couldn't quite understand why Mystique owned so much clothing in
the first place, given that she could just change shape into whatever clothing she felt
necessary at any time. He shook his head, and rubbed absently at the back of his hand,
which had just been slapped by Pietro for questing too far beyond his current personal
space limits. It annoyed Lance that, only a short time ago, his boyfriend had been a
perfectly normal, touchy-feely person, and was now apprehensive of every attempted
touch, every seeking caress, every time he tried to get anywhere near the petite youth. It
saddened him.
Pietro snagged a bright blue sweater off a hanger, then, deciding it was too womanly,
tossed it onto the growing pile in the corner. At the current rate, this could take a while.
"What about this one?" Lance asked yanking a simple white top off a brass hanger. Pietro
looked insulted.
"Lance! That is *so* a woman's sweater!" he exclaimed, grabbing the ivory frock out of
Lance's hands quickly and inspecting it. "Oh my God... it even has *ruffles*! And you
want me to *wear* this? ... and why does Mystique own ruffly things, anyway?"
"Sorry," Lance muttered, slumping against the doorframe and crossing his arms over his
chest in a disinterested pout as his lover continued his tirade on "ruffly things". Too bad
for him Pietro was paying him no attention whatsoever. Aside from his ruffle-related
ranting, he had just discovered the "kinky corner" of the closet...
***
"Um, I like it?" Lance offered as Pietro tottered out of the walk-in on shiny black stiletto
heels, wearing some kind of naughty negligee. Lance wondered briefly why Pietro seemed
so eager to don fluttery lingerie and heels after voicing loud complaints against shirts with
ruffles that were too "womanish" for his tastes. Pietro pouted, his head turned to the side
and his hands on his hips, making for a somewhat peculiar, prissy pose.
"You don't," he confirmed, as Lance shrugged weakly.
"Maybe that's just not your color," Lance supplied helpfully, but Pietro was already
irritated.
"Are you kidding? Everything is my color," he proclaimed hotly, stopping to admire
himself in the full-length mirror attached to the inside of the closet door. "Besides, I--
wait -- you don't think this is my color?" Naturally, Lance backpedaled.
"Of course it is! I was just, uhh, teasing you! Yes! And I'm sorry, I'll never do it again,"
Lance promised quickly, hoping that Pietro didn't get all weird on him. Oddly enough,
Pietro looked... not upset. Lance couldn't quite think of the word for it, but "upset" was
nowhere close.
"Aw, but Lance! Don't you like the teasing?" he asked, and the word for Pietro's queer
expression popped into his brain -- "come hither". He hoped. The taller boy got up off
the bed and started for the white-haired teen, who immediately tried to back up and, given
that his feet were crammed into a pair of Mystique's black stiletto high heels, he was not
successful. Pietro fell awkwardly against the door before sliding into a disgruntled heap of
lingerie and attitude. Lance was giggling like a schoolgirl again, and Pietro didn't much
care to be the brunt of his joke. "Aren't you gonna help me up?"
When the peeved speedster was standing once again, Lance pulled him close. "You know,
I could really get used to this height difference," he said with a soft smile, making Pietro
blush.
"I thought you liked being the man," Pietro responded uneasily, but at least making an
effort to be playful and seductive.
"I am... you're the one wearing women's clothing," Lance reminded, fingering the light,
filmy fabric. He looked at the slender mutant, and saw his pupils dilate. He looked at
Lance, now at eye-level due to his footwear, and didn't move one inch. Just looking, his
lips slightly parted, his breath coming in short, spasmodic gasps.
"And you're the one in... not a whole lotta clothing..." Pietro said, looking down. "I-- I
saw something else you might like better, in the closet..." Pietro tried, but Lance wasn't
quite ready to let the psyched-out speed demon out of his grasp just yet. A hand stroked
the shock of still-damp white hair tenderly, easily. Lance's own eyes were closed, savoring
the moment. Had Pietro's arms not been crossed over his chest (which was looking
strangely deflated because Pietro had no breasts to fill out the sheer fabric) he would have
hugged back... yes, he would, he assured himself. Lance kissed his temple and released
him to rifle through the closet once more. Pietro's expression was one of mixed relief and
reluctance to leave the relative safety of Lance's embrace. Lance carefully noted and
catalogued that information, planning already just how to use it to his advantage later on.
Pietro reemerged from the small room, holding a black garment out to Lance. "She has...
men's clothes, too," Pietro said in a rush, almost tripping on his words. Lance accepted
the top and examined it as Pietro waited impatiently for approval. He smiled at the pale
teen as he noticed the embroidered flames snaking up the sleeves.
"I think we could work with this," Lance confirmed, checking the label at the back of the
neck for the size. "This'll do. This'll do nicely. Good job, cutie pie!"
Pietro beamed. "Okay! Um, she also has... oh, lemme just show you!" he blurted, darting
back into the closet. He reemerged quickly, holding a shiny, black bundle in one hand.
"Vinyl pants?" Lance asked, looking thoroughly disturbed. He backed up a pace or two as
Pietro and the vinyl pants of doom advanced on him.
***
"YAAAAAAARRGH!"
"Didja hear that, yo?" Todd asked Freddy, who was busy battling Bowser's ghost house.
'Super Nintendo is nifty,' Todd thought as he was distracted for a moment by the blinking
in-and-out ghosts.
"Huh?" Fred mumbled intelligently. Todd rolled his eyes.
"Yo, didn't ya hear that scream?"
"Scream?" Fred repeated, still focused on the game. Todd gave up.
"I'll be right back, yo," he told Fred, who wasn't really listening anyway. He'd gotten to
the bottom of the staircase before he saw the strange scene -- Pietro was tugging Lance
down the staircase, and Lance was wearing... vinyl pants? "Fuckin' A," Todd muttered as
Lance was ruthlessly yanked down the steps by the speed demon. Todd noted that
Lance's shirt was bitchin' (he'd have to "borrow" it sometime, for sure) but that the pants
were a bit much. He, at the same time, both respected and pitied the rock-tumbler. He
admired his will to please Pietro, but felt sorry that Pietro was taking such obvious
advantage of him. Vinyl pants, indeed.
"Uhh, where yous two goin' dressed like that, yo?" Todd inquired, now noticing that
Pietro was also wearing new clothing.
"The video store!" Pietro bubbled, not relinquishing his grip on Lance's (poor,
unfortunate) hand.
"Blockbuster...?" Todd's hopeful expression was almost enough to bring a tear to Lance's
eye... almost.
"Naah, just the movie department in the grocery store. They're half the price, anyway. Do
you want anything? A game, or something?" Lance asked Todd, and called out to Freddy
as well. Fred was in deep concentration (Bowser waits for no man) and didn't grace the
earth-shaker with a response.
"I want Frogger!"
Lance rolled his eyes. "Why don't you just *buy* it already! It's all you ever rent!"
Todd considered this carefully. "Are you offering?" he asked, peering at the older mutant
skeptically. Lance didn't get a chance to reply, because Pietro's whine cut him off.
"Laa-aance! Now I have to think of something creative for his Christmas gift!" *Smack!*
"I'm sure you can think of something else, Pietro," Lance said easily, enjoying aggravating
the boy who was responsible for his wearing of vinyl pants. He smirked sadistically, until
Pietro grabbed his ass and made him squeak like a little girl (as did the pants, strangely
enough). The tables can turn mighty quickly in the Brotherhood of Bayville Boarding
House.
Todd was still unsure about whether Lance had offered to buy him his favorite video game
or not, so he asked again. Lance promised to "look into the matter" -- which basically
meant Pietro was getting it for him for Christmas. Which in turn meant that Todd had to
somehow afford Pietro a similarly-priced item. And Christmas was sneaking up on them
quicker than he liked. Monday at school would involve a nice, relaxing stroll through the
boys locker room to liberate random jocks of their cash during class. Matthews,
especially. Todd smiled at the thought. Lance and Pietro were getting ready to go. He
hopped to the door to close and lock it behind them.
"Have fun, yo," Todd called out as the interestingly-dressed duo headed toward the Jeep.
"Don't forget my Frogger!"
***
"Ohhh, yes!" Lance whispered as he rounded the corner into the usual section of the video
department at King Soopers. He hated the store with a passion, but food, and cheap
movies, were a necessity. The candy aisle was also fun. He'd have to slip away from
Pietro and grab a few things for later, he thought, as he snatched the empty box from the
shelf. He hated the way the actual tapes were kept behind the counter now -- Todd's
stealing sprees, he believed, had seen to that. Lance gazed lovingly at the title in his hands
-- "The Fast and the Furious". A pretty dumb movie with relatively little plot, but! There
were fast cars, nifty explosions, and... hot chicks. He, naturally, would leave that
particular reason for renting the film out when he explained it to his lover. Pietro didn't
like the fact that there was technically twice the competition for Lance's affections, given
that he was bisexual. Pietro was working on that (as best he could, at any rate). Or, more
accurately, *had been* working on it, until he had been...
Lance's head snapped up, grasping the small, white plastic bag containing his
newly-purchased video, his eyes narrowing into small slits as he scanned the suddenly
empty video department. Where was Pietro, anyway?
***
"Squeeee!"
'Oh, God,' Lance thought as he heard the familiar squeal of happiness from elsewhere in
the store. Apparently, Pietro had made it to the candy before he did. Consarn it. Lance
abandoned the film department in favor of scampering off after Pietro.
Lance's eyes widened in terror as he saw the slender youth -- he had just finished checking
out, and had a large plastic bag stuffed full of something lumpy and colorful. Candy. And
from the looks of it, quite a lot of candy. Lance couldn't move for several seconds;
plastered to the floor in fear of a Sugar-HypedPietro (TM). "Gahhh," he murmured, eyes
following Pietro's path back toward the movie rental department -- most likely to look for
*him*. 'Well, at least he's willing to admit what he's done,' Lance thought optimistically,
finally able to resume moving to catch the speedy little punk. The vinyl pants of doom
protested loudly at the movement, and Lance winced at the horrid squeaking sound as he
sprinted off to fetch Pietro.
He had no sooner stepped through the theft-detection poles when Pietro shoved the bag of
assorted sugary byproducts in his arms so he could keep searching for his choice video.
Seeing as he was being somewhat prudent about using his powers in public for a change, it
was a good thirty seconds before he returned to Lance, complaining that they didn't have
his movie, and looking quite pouty and adorable, Lance noted. He wanted to kiss him.
"Maybe you just missed it, Pie," Lance reassured him, shifting the candy bag's weight to
his other hand. "What are you looking for?" Pietro scowled.
"I do not miss things, ever," he stated firmly, yanking his candy out of the brunette's
hands. "Let's go to Blockbuster."
"Pietro, they're, like, twice the price! Just go pick something out, already!"
Naturally, Pietro did not enjoy taking orders from the older teen, and showed this by
turning away and walking out. "I'll see you at Blockbuster," he called over his shoulder,
leaving Lance, still clad in his flaming shirt and vinyl pants, standing alone again in the
deserted movie room.
"Damn it. I am such a wussy."
Lance grabbed his own movie and followed.
***
Thankfully, there was a Blockbuster in the same shopping strip as the King Soopers. The
space between the free-standing shop and the rest of the strip made a lovely little alcove
for young Avalanche and his speedy consort.
"Mm, I didn't mean what I said in there... oh!" ::giggles:: "Lance!!" ::gasp:: "You know
I wouldn't just leave you in there all alone! Mmm, right there... mm--"
The bag containing "The Fast and the Furious" and now "PeeWee's Big Adventure" and
several Disney flicks was dropped to the ground, as well as the candy bag. It had been so
long, but Lance was hoping that maybe, just maybe, he could get into Pietro's pants. No
sooner had he thought it, however, and Pietro was pushing him away, although looking
flushed and thoroughly aroused.
"Lance, not here," he panted in a breathy whisper, peeking past the rock-tumbler's
shoulder to make sure no one had spotted them fooling around in the alley.
"Why not?" Lance returned expertly, capturing Pietro's lips in a series of quick kisses, his
hands heading ever downward, fondling any and everything the came into contact with.
God, it felt so wrong... but at the same time, it felt so goddamned right... Pietro savored
the feel, pushing back against Lance's body, his tongue battling almost ferociously with the
rock-tumbler's. Pietro knew he had to put a stop to this, before he ended up fucking his
boyfriend in an alleyway between an optometrist's office and a Blockbuster. Even if the
possibility *did* somewhat arouse him... no. He wasn't even sure if he could let Lance do
that at all, not just yet. Oh, but he wished he would.
"Beeeecause," Pietro responded the best he could between kisses, "You still need to get
Todd's video game."
"Damn it!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Gahhh -- wasn't that horribly bad? Ehehehe. I feel sick. -_- At least it's over, so you can
be happy! :D Oh, and the make-up scene/chapter is already done and should be up...
eventually. But! It may or may not be the *next* chapter... you'll just have to wait! And,
considering how long *this* one took, well... let's just say you're all good at waiting by
now. ::smirks:: Mwahahaaa! ::coughs:: Yeah. What she said.
....Okay, fine! It's not the next chapter. So, no real smut yet. Poo. >.>
REVIEW! Because vinyl pants are fun! XD