Wow. How's that for a recap? On with the story!
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Secrets
by Ebonhawk

Rowen sauntered down the street, dressed to kill in tight black denim and flowing cobalt silk. Pulling his jacket closer against the wind, he realized that he was definitely in the mood for a little fooling around with Sage. When the gorgeous blond had grabbed his ass that morning (or at least Rowen's version of morning) and whispered something very naughty in his ear, Rowen had nearly jumped on him right then and there. But, that was not to be. Both of them actually had had busy schedules that day that neither could get out of without causing a major hassle.

Now, though, he was meeting Sage for dinner. Sage seemed to enjoy wining and dining him before taking him home to screw like mad rabbits until the sun came up. Not that he minded... Rowen actually liked having Sage parade him around, showing him off to everyone like a prized possession that he wouldn't ever let anyone else even *think* of touching. Sage was just as much HIS prized possession as he was Sage's. Of course, they didn't do that in front of the guys...not yet. Rowen wasn't sure he was ready to let Ryo and Kento know what was up. Maybe Mia but *not* the guys. Or Yuli, he thought with a wince. *That* wasn't *ever* going to happen.

Rowen glanced at his watch and cursed when he saw how late it was. He had ten minutes to get to the restaurant that was at best twenty minutes away. He waved down a taxi and hopped inside, quickly imparting the directions and sinking back into the seat.

When the cab reached the restaurant, Rowen shoved the money into the cabby's waiting hand and shut the car door behind him. The taxi was soon lost from view in the traffic and around a corner as Rowen stood on the sidewalk.

The restaurant was one of those fancy places that Sage favored (just like his mother). He looked down at his jeans and, although they were brand new and thus were nice enough (he guessed), he felt out of place. He sighed and pulled the door open, then walked inside. The place was doing fairly brisk business at the moment but the atmosphere was relaxed and, catching sight of more than one other person also wearing denim, he felt a bit better about his own. He couldn't find the one blond head he was looking for, though.

Well, he'd just have to ask then.

Cye watched Mia and Ryo. The movie had been a great idea. Getting there right before it had started had been even better. They'd found that only a few seats were left open, and no more than two side by side. He and Kento had taken a pair a few rows behind where he'd stuffed Mia and Ryo.

He sighed happily and nodded in satisfaction when Mia leaned closer to Ryo as the dark music conjured up fearfully pounding hearts in those watching. Cye was paying no attention to the flick, bent more on keeping a close eye on his friends, which was all right. He wasn't the world's biggest fan of gory, slasher shows.

At least Kento was enjoying it. If he noticed what was happening outside the movie, he sure wasn't showing it. Cye, with a cheerful pat high on Kento's thigh, doubted that he even realized he'd almost finished mowing down his large bucket of popcorn.

The scene broke on the screen and several startled cries sounded throughout the theater. Cye grinned when he saw Mia's arms clasp tightly at Ryo. Things were going well, so far.

He didn't need to look at the time. Rowen was always late. It was a fact of life and he'd gotten used to it well before they'd gotten together. Sage smiled a little. No one knew other than Cye and Kento yet and, for now, he preferred to keep it that way. What he and Rowen had was special...not something that needed to be shared just yet. Besides, what would it do to the "Sage Date, Girl Magnet" image Ryo, Mia, and Yuli had of him?

Gazing down on his menu, he felt a presence walk up to the table. He didn't look up. He didn't need to.

"Hey, Blondie." Rowen.

"Sit," he bade his lover, holding out his hand and feeling his body fill with heat when Rowen's slender fingers, chilled slightly from the autumn weather, slipped into his own. Rowen always had this effect on him - his heart beating strongly with absolute joy, his silvery eyes glistening, his mind free of any darkness, his flesh tingling. Finally, he looked up and found himself trapped in the wide, indigo gaze of his beloved. He took in the shimmering, dark, silk shirt and, smiling softly, he said, "You wore it. I knew it would suit you. You look wonderful."

Rowen blushed prettily, and lowered his eyes, as he always did when he received a compliment from Sage. He was unused to such treatment and became easily embarrassed. "Thank you," he whispered, barely audible.

Sage heard him, though.

"I mean it."

"I know," Rowen said, flushing even deeper. He felt Sage squeeze his fingers a little and looked up at him shyly through his thick lashes, his blue hair hanging over his face.

Watching this, Sage smirked. He wasn't sure if Rowen knew it or not, but it was the most adorable, most emotionally devastating expression he'd ever seen. Rowen could easily get ANYTHING he wanted from anyone...*if* he knew. Sage wasn't about to tell him, though. Rowen got his way more often than Sage really wanted to admit. "Shall I order for us?"

Rowen nodded; Sage knew what he liked. The evening passed by quickly as they shared their tales of the day.

"But I wanna go on the rollercoaster!" Kento complained loudly. He'd been going on about it since they'd gotten to the amusement park.

Once again, Cye frowned at him and said, "No. It's not romantic and we're here on business."

"*What* business?"

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes in disbelief, the Brit turned on his lover and quietly reminded him, "How many times do I have to tell you? This is for Ryo and Mia. Besides, it's too cold to go on that thing now. Your face would fall off...and I like your face right where it is." To emphasis this, Cye snuggled close and scattered tiny kisses over his jaw. "Let's go find those two before I miss anything."

"But I *wanna* go on the ROLLERCOASTER!" Kento whined.

Sighing and shaking his head against the one-track mind, Cye muttered, "I should have known better than to bring you here."

Closing the front door behind them, Rowen jumped and let out a little squeak when Sage stuck his cold hands under his shirt against the bare skin of his lower back. "Get your hands off me, you fiend!"

Sage chuckled and leaned in close, slipping his arms tight around Rowen's middle. "You won't be saying that when I get you in bed..." he trailed off suggestively, crushing his hips close against Rowen's denim-clad behind, letting him know exactly what he had in mind.

"Is that so?" Rowen asked playfully. The exchange of quips and groaner jokes had begun. They would only get worse as the night progressed.

"Mm-hmm. Actually, you won't be able to say much more than my name and maybe a few other choice words," Sage intoned, wriggling his fingers under the waist of Rowen's jeans and swaying him slowly away from the front door.

"Such as?"

"Oh, I don't know...maybe... 'more,' 'don't stop,' 'harder,' 'faster-'" He accentuated each time-honored example with the undoing of a button on Rowen's jeans.

"I haven't locked the door yet, you horn-dog."

Sage laughed into his shoulder, laying a cheek on Rowen's nape. "Horn-dog???"

"Exactly. And I'll call you worse if you don't let me lock the door," Rowen retaliated, luxuriating in the feel of Sage's soft hair against his skin. "Mia would kill us if we left it open, you *know* that."

"Mia and the guys aren't home yet, let them do it. I wanna do something else..." Sage illustrated this by swiftly shoving his hand down, under Rowen's boxers, and grasping his lover firmly.

Struggling to think around the sensations created by Sage's molding hand, Rowen glanced at the clock. It was ten thirty... Mia liked the doors locked by nine - and it was one of the few rules she strictly enforced. "Sa-Sage!" he gasped out as the blond performed an interesting little trick with his fingers that usually left him a moaning puddle of mush. "Just let me-"

The other hand clamped down over his mouth. "Shhhh. Lock the door and let's go."

Watching from the living room as they ascended the stairs (groping each other freely and letting pieces of clothing flutter to the carpet as soon as they were removed) White Blaze eyed the two with a large yawn. Damn, his humans were weird.

Ryo shoved his key in the lock and twisted it. It clicked and he opened the door, pausing to gesture his companions inside before him.

With a tired laugh at a stupid joke of Kento's, he thought on Sage and Rowen. He'd found himself doing that a lot lately. They were trying to hide what had grown strong between them from everyone but it was pretty obvious, actually. There were the constant, small, knowing smiles and lingering touches were quite commonplace. Ryo'd even spotted them kissing once when they'd thought no one else was around. And it hadn't been any little peck, either. No, he'd caught them locked together, deliciously passionate, in a fierce grope-your-clothes-off game of tonsil hockey in the woods out back.

He couldn't remember the last time *he'd* kissed someone like that...if ever. Ryo shed his jacket, feeling strangely warm. Just thinking about the incident was doing things to him!

He flipped on a lamp and grinned when he saw articles of clothing strewn wildly about the entry hall and an errant trail leading up the stairs.

"Well now," he commented simply.

"What happened here?" Mia asked. She raised an eyebrow when she realized that the clothes belonged to Sage AND Rowen. "Do I want to know?"

"Sage and Rowen are having a good night," he guessed, keeping his meaning a bit cryptic.

"I would say so," Cye agreed, hanging his coat in the closet.

Ryo stared at him. "You know about them?"

"Who do you think got them together?" Kento explained proudly.

"Huh." Ryo nodded a little. "Good work, Cye."

"Are you guys saying what I think you're saying?" Mia asked suddenly.

"Yes, we are," Ryo leered.

"Oh." Mia let it sink in for a moment. "Eeeeeee! That's *two* happy couples in the house! Yay!" She disappeared upstairs, happy as a little girl, and they soon heard the door to her room close.

"*Two* couples?" Ryo was confused at the comment.

Kento was suddenly gone up the stairs, as well, and Cye paused long enough to say, "Good night, Ryo." Then, *he* was gone.

Wildfire blinked. He gazed at the trail of clothes, wondering if he should gather them up. "Nah. Better leave the evidence so I can make them explain themselves tomorrow."

Then, Ryo slowly climbed the stairs himself, pondering Mia's happy exuberance, trying to figure out what she'd been talking about. *Two* couples? It *wasn't* himself and Mia (like that would ever really happen)...and Yuli's girlfriend didn't live with them. Eesh! Her parents would probably have a psychotic fit if the idea was brought up! So who...? Cye and Kento?! No way!

He walked over to Cye's door and knocked. No answer. Ryo cracked the door open and saw a darkened, empty room. Where...? Closing the door quietly so as to avoid detection, he crept over to Kento's door and laid his ear against the wood.

"I had a feeling she knew. That doesn't bother me. Do you think *he'll* figure it out?" Kento's voice was muffled by the door.

"We are talking about Ryo, Ken. He's not stupid. I *know* he'll figure it out," Cye's voice replied.

Grinning, Ryo shoved the door open and startled them both. Kento sat crosslegged on his bed with Cye cradled comfortably in his lap. "Damn right, I'll figure it out," he told them. "G'night, guys. Oh, and try to keep the noise down." He politely closed the door on their shocked faces and started toward his own room with a satisfied smirk.

As he passed Mia's room, Ryo paused to consider. Sage and Rowen had each other... Kento and Cye were together... Hell, even *Yuli* had someone! No, he thought, I can't do that. We're too much like brother and sister for me to even *try* approaching her. Besides...she's older than me. Heh. Sage'd knock me for that one. Oh well. Guess it's another night alone for the heroic leader.

"You are incredible," Sage drawled, breathless as he held Rowen's naked body close to his, spooning behind him. "Have I ever mentioned that I love you?"

"Yes, but you can say it as many times as you feel like. I won't mind." Rowen wiggled his hips provocatively against Sage's groin and sighed happily. Oh, how he liked being right where he was. There was nothing better. "You realize we left a rather obvious trail of clothing up to my room, don't you?"

"Mm-hmm. I think we may have let the cat out of the proverbial bag. Too late now, I suppose. I wouldn't change this night for anything, though." Sage rubbed a cheek against his lover's nape, tossing in a wide scattering of tiny kisses across the warm and sweat-dampened skin while he was at it. He inhaled deeply of Rowen's scent and smiled contentedly.

"Guys?! I'm home!" Yuli called out. Then, catching a glimpse at a clock, winced. It was three in the morning. He was dead if he'd woken anyone up.

"Is it safe to come in?" asked a low voice behind him.

Reaching back to grab one of the slender hands, Yuli pulled the man inside after him. "They should all be in bed. It's safe."

"Good," Dais grinned as the eighteen-year-old Yuli wrapped strong arms around his slender waist. "They are so going to hate us for this."

"Especially since they think I'm out with Shiho. Still, you're used to them hating you."

"True," Dais said thoughtfully, "So, your bedroom or the couch?"

Yuli paused and considered which would cause the most havoc. "Um, my room."

"I would think the couch would be more visible..."

"Yeah, but Mia always comes in to check on me in the mornings like I'm still a little kid. Can you imagine what it'll do to her to find you there with me?" Yuli revealed with a sly grin.

Dais gazed down into Yuli's face and told him, "You're a devious little devil and I like it."

"C'mon, this way." Yuli dragged the former Dynasty Warlord up the stairs.

END PART ONE