The Book of Firsts

Fifty

Since Bran’s operation wasn’t until the next week, it was pointless for me to fret about him during this one, but I still managed to think about him a great deal over the next couple of days. In part it was simple curiosity, wondering what his voice would be like after the operation, and remembering how clear and perfect it had been in the video Rin had shown me. Even climbing the wall on Friday, I had at the back of my mind to ask how Bran was going, which was perfectly stupid since he was at school. Reaching the top of the wall, I spotted Kyou standing by the café table, and dropped down with a smile.

I had a wry remark ready as he turned to me, but forgot those casual words as he immediately pulled me close and sealed his mouth to mine.

Kyou likes ceremony, and it was unusual for him to depart from the little ritual of sharing tea that had opened almost all of our time in the garden. But I didn’t object to him mixing it up, and I appreciated a little impatience now and then. Shrugging off my backpack, I wound my arms around his neck, ready to settle in for a solid session of kissing. Kyou was more urgent, hands already beneath my tunic, hooking into the waistband of my tights and pulling down. He groped exposed flesh, fumbled with his fly, then pushed me against the bricks of the wall I’d just climbed over.

Surprised, I turned my head just enough to avoid thumping my skull, and then gasped as Kyou thrust into me. Fortunately, I’m usually already a little warmed up when I climb into the garden, so it wasn’t painful, though I would have preferred more time. He didn’t pause, pounding me against the wall.

This wasn’t at all how I’d expected Kyou to approach the standing up challenge, but surprise didn’t mean I couldn’t enjoy it. With my underwear and tights at half-mast, I couldn’t hook my legs around him, but I did what I could, and he responded emphatically. He didn’t rush to the finish, instead seemingly determined to increase pace and strength while keeping me pinned against the wall. I found this unexpectedly exciting, and shifted experimentally, then bit back a second gasp as he shoved me harder into the wall and slammed so emphatically I could feel it through the whole of my body.

I was all over tingles when he finally sagged, and we were lucky to have the wall for support because our legs weren’t helping. I took two deep breaths, then chuckled softly, pecked him on the cheek, and said:

"I thought rough was next month."

He went still, then straightened, expression dismayed. "Oh, damn, Cheshire, did I hurt you?"

"If you’d hurt me, I would have thumped you," I said, studying the blue shadows beneath his eyes. "How about we clean ourselves up, and you tell me why you’re acting like you lost something important."

"Not something—everything," he said, then grimaced. "That sounds over-dramatic, but it’s close to true. I keep trying to put it in proportion, tell myself it’s only money, but—" He stopped, perhaps aware that pantless and somewhat messy wasn’t the best setting for explanations. "I’ll go make some tea."

He let me go, and I took the opportunity to slip off my shoes, and then strip my underwear. Because I’d once again sent the boy to use the sink, I went around and cleaned myself at the tap. At least the water wasn’t quite so cold this time.

Kyou looked more himself by the time I got inside, sitting on the couch, fiddling with the handle of the teapot. I sat beside him, stretched my legs under the coffee table and said: "I never thought I’d see you losing your head."

He made a sound not quite a laugh. "No. I’ve been half-mad today. The only thing that got me through the morning was anticipating this challenge. Just, for a little, being able to forget how badly I’ve fucked up."

"But what happened?"

"I fell into a trap. Followed my ego and jumped right in."

"Who set the trap?"

"My father and aunt. The usual."

"What, traps are a family tradition?"

He waved a hand. "It’s, oh, a recent escalation. I’m too valuable, you see." He gave me a sketch of a smile. "Too good at making money. And I haven’t been discreet enough, have been too clearly disinterested in the company, too obviously drifting out of their control. Too arrogant."

"Everyone needs a defining flaw," I said, taking the teapot from him. "But what was the trap?"

"An opportunity to make a lot of money. A company about to announce a significant software development. I threw everything I could into it and its subsidiary."

"Turned out the be vapourware?"

"Oh, the software is solid. But then a tax evasion investigation and a rights dispute came along, and before murmurs about that had even begun to spread, a hostile takeover developed at the precise, perfect moment to send the stock price through the floor. The acquiring company is known for stripping assets and abandoning the shell, and while the rights dispute is hot air—a clear setup designed to gain money for nothing—it’s not possible to make that clear in time to prevent the takeover."

"And this was somehow all a setup for you?"

"Let’s just say my family has some close ties with the acquirer. I knew how stupid I’d been even before the ultimatum came along."

I poured tea, and handed him a cup. "So, making you lose money wasn’t just spite?"

Kyou took the cup, but put it down on the coffee table, turning it restlessly.

"If it was just my money, I could stand the loss. But I can’t do this to Rin and Bran. They’ve been handing me eighty percent of everything they have since we were ten. It’s not just the funds for our company. It’s our university fees and living expenses. We’re not only going to have to give up on our ideal office, we’ll lose the deposit. Multiple deposits, since we were already working with a designer, not to mention ordering all the most fiendishly expensive equipment. And the timing—Bran about to go into surgery, and Rin practically choking on preparation for a career he couldn’t be less interested in."

"But what does your family actually want you to do?" I asked, a touch plaintively.

"Sign a ridiculous employment contract that would tie me down for the next decade. Sell myself to cancel the takeover."

"Wouldn’t it be possible to sign and then walk away?"

"If I did that, my father would bog Kybirn down in endless legal hassle and attacks, and might even win the penalty damages in that contract, which are so formidable that even my ego doesn’t think they’re warranted." He let out a long breath. "I need to put this into perspective. The employment terms they want me to agree to aren’t even full-time. I like finance, and could still work with Rin and Bran. Going along with them isn’t the end of the world."

Having reached this point, he picked up his teacup and drank, full of shaky resolve.

"Ultimatums are always enlightening," I said, slowly. "I’ve not met your family, but I don’t think they’d be great people to work for."

"I’m not going to sacrifice my friends because of a part-time inconvenience."

He’d gone so quickly from meltdown to arguing for servitude that I almost laughed. "You three are so close you’ve signed powers of attorney for each other, but you keep doing this not telling thing. Have you forgotten the year you spent trying to stop Bran from tearing himself apart, all because of an ultimatum you didn’t know existed? If only you’d give these life-changing decisions the same amount of discussion time you apparently do the sounds I make during orgasm."

"But the sounds are so cute," Kyou said, with a fractured hint of a smile. "Really, I can’t do it, Cheshire. I can’t make Rin and Bran give up on their dreams to pay for my mistake. You wouldn’t either."

"Who said anything about giving up dreams? Yeah, your development plans will have a bit of a delay, you’ll have to let go of this dance studio, and you probably won’t be able to live so close to the university. But if you three weren’t smart enough to find a way to afford your courses, a commute, and enough ramen to get you through the first semester, you’d never qualify for those courses in the first place. After that, Rin and Bran will sell a couple more songs, you’ll do whatever it is that supposedly makes you a financial genius, and your game development plans will be back on track."

"Very logical. You have a knack for turning mountains into molehills, Cheshire. Would you really be so sensible if someone took your bridges away from you?"

"No. If someone tried to break my dreams, I’d find whatever they cared about most, and raze it to the ground. Otherwise, how would they know never to try again?"

Kyou managed a brief laugh. "Crude and direct. I like it."

I finished my tea, and took the cup to the sink. "When’s Bran’s operation?"

"Tomorrow."

"Then you haven’t a lot of time for heartfelt discussion. I’ll leave. You call Rin and Bran over."

"Simon Says was last week," he said.

"Bonus round."

Kyou sat looking at me, jaw tight.

"I’m not saying don’t go down fighting, mind you," I added. "Even if there’s no way to stop this takeover, by all means make it as rough as possible. Smash a few things. Make them regret every penny they cost you."

He shook his head, but then paused. "I admit, ramen would taste much better served by a bonfire. I wonder what kind of mess I could make…"

He reached for his phone.