Hey y'all!!! I do hope you've missed me, I like being missed. AND that you've missed Something Else, 'cos it's my favourite story! :) I know it's been ages since I last updated it, but that's only due to lack of inspiration. But I've already started chapter nine, so there is hope for me yet! Don't forget to send all that lovely feedback! :) The address is: jack_kea@hotmail.com Enjoy!
But before we get down to business I want to say a big HIYA!! to the following ppl: Amber (when do we get to see more of Daz and co?? Hurry up, girl!), Erica (hope you haven't given up on me! write to me soon!), Kelly (I know you're probably not reading this, but HI anyway....), Mich (I'm afraid I deleted the last chapters you sent me from your story! sorry! you have to send them again!), Jay (don't keep us waiting...what's with the rose pedals?) and Diana (haven't heard from you in ages! write to me!) I think that's everyone. If somebody thinks that he or she is missing, just kick me. Love ya!
Disclaimer: My disclaimer was inadequate last time, so here's a proper
one: The author does not imply anything about the sexual
preferences of Ronan Keating, Nicholas Byrne and Shane
Filan, or that Mrs. Yvonne Keating is a prostitute. All
other characters are fictional andany resemblence to actual
people, living or dead, is purly coincidental. This story
is not meant for persons under the age of 18. So there.
Something Else by Irda Majere
Part VIII
When Ronan woke up the next morning, he opened his eyes and saw his own face staring back at him. Being so newly awakened, the boy was confused at first, but soon remembered his boss's strangely situated mirrors. But he also noted that he was alone in the bed; Areq was nowhere to be seen. The youth sat up and stretched. Wondering where the big man might have gone, Ronan stood up and started looking for his clothes. Then he remembered that he'd only been wearing his boxers when he'd come to his boss' room, so he put on the discarded underwear and went to his own bedroom to get dressed.
Once fully clothed, Ronan made his way downstairs in order to get some breakfast, and on his way to the kitchen he heard splashing noises coming from the room where his boss had a large, very deep swimming pool. He entered the huge room and discovered that the sounds came from his boss who was having an early morning swim. Even though he'd seen it before, the sight of the black man's naked body still amazed Ronan as he watched Areq glide smoothly through the water. It was a while before the big man noticed his audience, and Ronan's eyes were transfixed on the beautiful form the whole time before Areq finally looked up.
"Good morning," Areq greeted, bringing Ronan out of his trance-like state.
"Good morning," Ronan replied, feeling a bit embarrassed about being caught staring. He just prayed the older man hadn't noticed.
"Would you like to join me?" Areq asked. Ronan froze when he heard the words. He would have liked to, but he would rather die than admit that he couldn't swim. Areq would probably laugh at him.
"Nah," he replied as indifferently as he could, "but thanks anyway." Areq swam to the brink of the pool so that he was right by Ronan's bare feet.
"Are you sure? The water's great, just the right temperature," Areq pushed, making Ronan search frantically for an excuse to tell his boss.
"Nah, I'm just going to have some breakfast, I'm kinda hungry." With that, Ronan prepared to leave but before he could turn around Areq jumped up, grabbed the front of Ronan's trousers and pulled him into the pool.
The sight of the boy splashing around in the pool made Areq laugh, but when he realized Ronan wasn't swimming he soon seized his laughter. He quickly grabbed the boy and held him up in his strong arms. Ronan tightly wrapped his arms around Areq's neck, and fought to catch his breath. When he was breathing normally, he glared at his boss angrily.
"Get me out of this damn pool right now, Areq!" he yelled angrily. Areq had never seen Ronan angry before, and the sight amused him more than worried him. He smiled broadly.
"I'm sorry, " he said with a laugh, "I had no idea you couldn't swim." Ronan only hardened his not-so-threatening glare.
"This is not funny, Areq!" the boy exclaimed dramatically, "I almost drowned!"
"No you didn't!" Areq laughed. "I was right here, I would never have let you drown!" Ronan had to admit that was true, Areq wouldn't have just stood there and watched him drown in his own pool. But he was still angry with him.
"Whatever, just get me out of this goddamn pool!"
"No."
Ronan stared at the black man in amazement. "What do you mean, no!"
"No, I won't let you out," Areq replied, barely containing his laughter but keeping a straight face.
Ronan just stared at him. "Why not?" he sputtered.
"Because I want you in here with me," Areq replied as serious as ever.
Now Ronan was getting furious. "Let me go!" he yelled as he tried in vain to loosen the grip Areq had on his small body. Then suddenly, without warning, Areq planted his lips on Ronan's and slid his tongue inside the younger man's mouth. Ronan stopped thrashing around, and the crease in his brow slowly faded as the kiss deepened.
The kiss reminded Areq of last night, the short but sweet sexual encounter with the young boy, and the memories aroused him. Bringing them both to the edge of the pool, Areq lifted Ronan up on the ledge before getting out himself. Ronan didn't object as Areq removed his soaked clothing, and when Areq felt Ronan's naked body next to his he became more and more excited. He lay the boy down on his back and lay himself on top; his hands moving down to spread Ronan's legs. But when Ronan realized Areq's intentions, he yelled for him to stop.
"What?!" Areq exclaimed irritably.
"I-I don't want you to," Ronan said, trying not to show how terrified he was of the overpowering man. For a moment, Areq said nothing; he just stared at the boy beneath him with an angry look in his eyes. Ronan was sure he was going to do it, in spite of his objections, and he closed his eyes and prepared for the worst. But the next thing he knew, he felt Areq move away from him and heard his bare feet as they slapped against the wet floor. When Ronan opened his eyes he saw Areq walking out of the room without even glancing back at him.
The boy sat up and drew a shuddering breath. 'That was close,' he thought as he got up to his feet and started gathering his soaking clothes. 'I really thought he would do it, though, and he still might. Just because I stopped him now, doesn't mean it'll work again.' He scolded himself for trusting the big man too much, and promised himself he wouldn't be so stupid anymore. He was a criminal, after all.
Ronan made his way up to his room to shower and get into some clean clothes. As he sat on the bed and thought about what had happened-or almost happened-by the swimming pool, he felt tears start to sting his eyes. But he didn't let them fall. 'This is it, Ronan,' he thought to himself, a new determination rising in him. 'You've done enough crying for a lifetime. From now on, you're not going to bawl like some spoiled brat every time something goes wrong. You ran away from mommy and daddy and it's time you started taking responsibility for your actions!' Ronan almost smiled. Add a 'young man!' and he'd sound exactly like an accusing parent. He took a deep breath and let it out.
"And now you're going to go down there and face that bloody pervert," he said out loud. "What's he doing, anyway, screwing around with a fifteen-year-old?" He stood up and made his way downstairs.
Areq was sitting in the living room, wearing only a pair of loose fitting trousers and holding a glass of whiskey. His head was resting on the back of the couch, his eyes closed, making Ronan wonder if maybe he was asleep. He went over to the couch and stood beside him, the big man never moving or acknowledging his presence.
Ronan crossed his arms and said: "Isn't it a bit early in the day for that?" Areq's eyes opened and he looked up at the boy standing over him.
"Hey," he said in a low voice, smiling. "I didn't think you were talking to me." Ronan just shrugged. "I'm sorry about what happened by the pool," Areq said as he sat up and lifted his arm as if to gesture for Ronan to sit with him. Ronan, remembering that he was supposed to be grown up now, took the offer and placed himself on the big man's lap.
"I forgive you," Ronan replied in a voice that suggested it was a great honour for Areq to have been forgiven.
Areq smiled again and kissed Ronan on the cheek affectionately. Burying his face in the boy's neck, he said: "Thank you."
Ronan wrapped his arms around the bare shoulders. "Just don't do it again," he said sternly, and quite uncharacteristically, making Areq laugh inwardly. The boy was so cute when he was being serious.
After that, things started going much better for Ronan; the following six weeks or so were great. It didn't take Ronan long to learn all about picking the kids up in the mornings, and he was actually starting to get along with them quite well. And, most importantly, he was getting along fine with his boss. Which was good, 'cause he spent a lot of time with the big man. He went with him everywhere, sometimes feeling like a loyal dog; the way he was at his side at all times. Old Trusty, he was.
And, Ronan had to admit, he was starting to fancy Areq something bad. The way the older man adored him was incredibly flattering and exciting, and their sexual encounters continued, though they were all alike to their first one. Ronan wasn't ready to go any further, and he was sure Areq understood.
But one day when Ronan, Areq and the kids were lounging around the house, something happened that made Ronan change his mind about his boss.
The boy was walking past Seth's bedroom door when he heard grunts and moans coming from the room within. Too curious to walk away and his heart beating at record speed, Ronan pushed the door open a crack and peered inside. The sound of his young heart breaking could probably be heard in the whole house. On the bed was Seth going down on Nicky and Areq was behind the lithe black-haired boy, plowing away like there was no tomorrow.
Nic happened to open his eyes at that moment as he was shooting his load in Seth's throat, so he saw the broken youth standing in the door. But before he could say a word, Ronan was gone. Nic waited for Areq to finish, and when Seth had licked his boss' shaft clean of the juice, Nic spoke up. "Areq," he said as Seth moved his lips up to the black man's pierced nipple.
"Not now," Areq said, rapidly regaining his impressive erection as Seth serviced his chest and neck before eagerly lowering himself downwards.
Nic ignored his boss' reply and went on. "Ronan was here, watching."
"So?" Areq replied irritably as Seth took most of his hard member down his throat.
"He seemed quite upset," Nicky pressed.
"Then go talk to him!" Areq snapped as Seth moved his head up and down rapidly, assisted by Areq's big hands which had their fingers entwined in the black hair.
Nic rolled his eyes and got up and got dressed. He went over to Ronan's room and knocked. No reply. "Ronan?" he called through the closed door. "You in there?" Still no reply. Nic tried the door handle and discovered it was unlocked. He gently pushed it open and stepped into the dark room. Reaching over and turning on the lights, Nicky looked around the room but Ronan wasn't there. He decided to search the rest of the house. 'He must be somewhere,' he thought as he made his way down the corridor.
Nic was really starting to worry now. He couldn't find the kid anywhere; he'd looked in each and every room of the house but to no avail. Hurrying up to Seth's room, he burst in without knocking. Areq was now going down on the smaller man from behind, but Nic ignored their actions and announced: "Ronan has run away. I can't find him anywhere."
Areq's head snapped up. "What?!" he exclaimed.
"Something must have upset him, 'cos he's gone."
Areq pushed Seth away, the latter pouting disappointingly. The black man threw his clothes on in a hurry and threw Seth's clothes onto the bed. "Get dressed," he ordered, "you're going to help us look." Seth didn't seem happy, but he didn't object and quickly got dressed.
The trio searched the whole of Dublin, but there was no sign of the blonde anywhere. It was as if he'd vanished into thin air, and as far as Nic and especially Seth were concerned, they didn't care anymore. They were hungry, tired, and sick of Areq snapping at them every time they dared speak a word.
Eventually, Nic couldn't take it anymore. "Areq, have you considered that maybe he went home to his family?" Areq didn't reply, but the blonde could tell that he had considered that possibility. "And if he has, " Nic continued, "you know it's for the best. Our life is not suitable for a kid like Ronan." Still no reply, but Nic knew Areq agreed with him, even if he didn't like it. He was crazy about the kid. They all liked him, but Areq was smitten. The way he looked at the blonde boy sometimes was amazing, the admiration was so strong. 'It isn't going to be easy finding a replacement for that one,' Nic sighed as Areq finally headed homewards.
Nic had no idea at the time how true that statement was. Ten days passed, and Areq rejected every single potential escort Shaqur and the rest brought to see him, saying things like, "He talks too much," or "His teeth are too big." Nobody seemed to fit the job, and Areq's brother was getting desperate.
One time when Areq had just turned down another guy, saying that his eyes were too far apart, Shaq burst. "This is it!" he exclaimed. "You can't turn down every single guy we bring you, just because they aren't all Rowan!"
"Ronan," Seth and Everlyn both corrected.
"Whatever," Shaq replied.
They all looked at Areq, waiting for this reply. Finally, he sighed. "You're right," he said as he stood up and put on his overcoat. "This can't go on."
"So you're gonna take Felix?" Everlyn asked hopefully as Seth turned to run after the boy Areq had just rejected.
"No," Areq replied, making Everlyn lose her hopeful look. "I'm going to find Ronan." They all groaned as the big man exited the room in a flurry of black leather.
Areq had driven around for hours in the pouring rain, and it was getting darker and darker, but he was nowhere near quitting. 'Ronan could freeze to death in this weather,' he thought as he parked his car and went to look in the park. Ronan had said once that there was where he'd slept when he'd been on the street.
The big man had searched almost the whole park when he saw a shadowed form sitting beneath a big tree, absoloutely still. "Ronan!" Areq called as he ran towards the hunched form. It was he. He had his eyes closed and he didn't reply as Areq repeatedly called his name. Areq picked him up in his arm after slinging the blonde's backpack over one shoulder and carried the comatose boy to his car. He placed him in the backseat, secured his seat belt and sped home.
Nic and Filan were sitting in the living room when Areq burst through the door, dripping wet and carrying something that looked like a person.
"Get some towels and some blankets, now!" he yelled at the two surprised youths as he carried Ronan up to his own bedroom. Shane and Nic dared not but obey and quickly gathered the requested objects before following their boss into his bedroom.
They saw the big man sitting on the bed next to the naked figure of a young man, whom they immediately recognized to be Ronan. Nic cried his friend's name as they both ran to the bed.
"Is he gonna be okay?" Shane asked shakily as he handed Areq the towels, watching as the black man dried the small form of the blond boy. Areq didn't reply, he just covered the whole of Ronan's body in the blankets before pulling his big, silky duvet over him, a grim but worried expression on his face.
"Leave us," Areq ordered without even glancing at the twosome who were standing behind him, looking anxiously over his shoulder at the still form of their young friend. Even though they both longed to stay, Filan and Nic left the room without objection.
After they had left, Areq picked up the phone and called a friend of his who was a doctor. Because of his occupation, he didn't dare take the boy to a hospital. But he trusted Katarina, he always called on her when one of his employees needed medical care.
While he waited for her to arrive, Areq noticed some marks on Ronan's face. His lip was cut and he had a fading black eye on his right eye. As he wondered what (or who) could have caused this, the doctor walked in. Areq stood up to greet her, relieved to see his good friend.
Katarina was in her early thirties. She had long, brown hair and blue eyes that sparkled almost mischievously, but she also had a look of sharp intelligence about her. She was a tall woman at about 5'11", but she seemed even taller somehow because of her chin-up posture and no-bullshit manner.
After examining the boy, she told Areq her diagnosis. "He's undernourished, that's the main reason for him being unconscious. And, of course, due to the fact that he's been sleeping outside in this damn wet weather we've been having." Then, pointing to the bruises on Ronan's face, she added, "And I may not be an expert but I'd say he's been attacked."
Areq's brows furrowed. "Attacked?"
The doctor nodded. "Yep." Then, a bit hesitantly, she added, "Want me to see if he was raped?" Areq glanced at her with an expression of both discomfort and nearly unattainable fury; and gave a small, almost imperceptible nod.
He turned away as Katarina studied the boy's rectum, and when she announced that she was finished he turned around, half-afraid to hear her conclusion. He held his breath as she spoke.
"He wasn't raped, thank God," she said and smiled as relief flooded Areq's face. "This kid means a lot to you, doesn't he?" she inquired. She'd never known anyone to mean anything to Areq, except maybe a handful of people who had known him for a long time, herself included.
"Yes," Areq replied in a low voice, his eyes on Ronan. For a split second Areq's hard features softened into an expression of care and worry, but were soon back to their grim selves. "Thanks for coming," he said as he turned away from the boy and stood up. "Do you think he'll wake up soon?"
"It shouldn't be long," Katarina replied as she put on her rain-soaked coat. "And when he does, be sure to feed him something light, like soup. He probably hasn't eaten for days so his system wouldn't be able to take anything heavier." Areq nodded, but suddenly Katarina walked over to him and hugged him. When she'd let go she said, "You looked like you needed that." Areq gave a small smile, but didn't say anything. "Don't worry, big guy. He'll be okay," Katarina said encouragingly before making her way to the door. As she exited, Areq finally spoke.
"Kat," he called to her. She turned around. "Thanks," he said, and she smiled and blew him a kiss before closing the door behind her. Areq looked at the door for a while, a bemused look on his face, then turned back to the unconscious boy. Afraid he might be getting too warm, Areq removed the duvet and then climbed into the bed beside Ronan. Before long, the big man fell asleep, Ronan's small, unmoving hand clutched in his own.