Dawn

The ride to Casa de Akamatseru wasn't too long. The building where Aleera and Gabriel lived was just around the corner, after all. Julian hadn't been in the place much, although it was actually he who purchased the flat. Gabriel mostly crashed at his place, never vice versa. So he was looking forward to see what they had done with his investment. And he was looking forward to warming his toes on carpet.

But be he the fool. After Aleera opened the door and turned on the entrance light, he realized he had mistrusted the twins. The walls were still brick and visibly dusty. The floor was still stone, cold and covered in what he suspected was dried alcohol. The inside itself was so...cluttered! He tutted under his breath. Gabriel was the neater of the two twins, that was obvious. But why was he letting his living space become so cluttered with art work, plants and furniture? Julian just stood at the doorway as Aleera entered, waiting for her to make a path through piles of empty bottles. "There we go...C'mon. Gabe's asleep so we'll have to be quiet. The guest bedroom's just past his room."
"Asleep already? Here I thought he'd be out still..."
"Yeah...but he actually came home right when I got back from your brother's place. I offered to make him dinner but he went straight to bed. Little prick probably just didn't want left over tuna casserole. Ah, well....work's been getting busy for him, y'know. Anyway, let's get you settled in so I can go back to bed."

Aleera led him down the hall and stopped at a door. As she messed with the lock, Julian looked back at the slightly open door. Watching Aleera disappear into the guest bedroom, he took a moment and walked backwards, stopping at the cracked door. It was dark but soft glow of the streetlights pouring in outlined a rising and falling figure. "Pssst!" Julian looked back sheepishly, returning to Aleera's side. "Kinda creepy...watching him sleep..."
"A bit, I suppose. Just making sure he's still breathing. You know, some people stop breathing in their sleep."
"...Creepy."



"Well, here we are. Sorry it isn't glamorous...I'm sure you've noticed, we haven't installed carpet or wallpaper just yet..."
"Yes, and it's been what? Two years?"
"Don't be a smartass or I'll make you sleep on the floor."
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. It's fine...thank you."
"S'nothing. The bathroom's to the left, and the kitchen is behind the door we passed coming down the hall. My room's behind the door in the living room. But I don't suggest you even think about bothering me while I'm asleep...Unless you want to become a woman the old fashion way."
"I'll keep that in mind..."
"Alright...night. Sleep tight. Don't let the bed bugs bite. If they do...well...I'ma fuck up the exterminator. Night!"



Julian stared as the door closed, remarking to himself how strange Aleera was. He peered around the room. It was pretty empty. There was a small cabinet, a dresser, the bed, a mirror and a few paintings. Strange paintings too. Undoubtly, Gabriel must've been the ones to add them to the room, being the art collector he was. "Wonder where he got those..." He'd have to ask in the morning. The morning...

What was he going to say? Gabe was a naive boy but his memory wasn't that bad. Surely, he'd remember the day before and the oh-so-lovely proclamation of "I love you." He'd bring it up, wouldn't he? What would he say? 'Haha, I was kidding!' Like hell he'd buy that. Julian was a lousy persuader. He sighed. "Ah, well....if it comes up, it comes up."

Morning came quickly and even without his precious alarm clock (god, he'd miss it), Julian rose to meet the day. He didn't leave the guest bedroom, however. He suddenly felt awkward in this place. He just laid in the bed, staring at the ceiling until he heard footsteps. He cracked open the door. Gabriel's door was still cracked. Was he the one awake? Julian tip-toed out into the hallway and approached the door, only to find the dark-haired boy still in his bed. So Aleera was the one who had to be up. Julian was far more relieved and decided to find her. Maybe she'd be nice and get him some clothes. His nipples were starting to freeze.



He found his way into the kitchen, the smell of whiskey heavy in the air. "Starting already?" Aleera spun around to look at him, a piece of bread in her mouth leaving her speechless. But her eyes clearly said 'Fuck You' as she turned back around. Julian trotted up to the counter, propping himself upon the bar stool. "I didn't expect you to be up so early..."
"I wouldn't be if it weren't for that douchebag...."
"Shin?"
"Yes! Frickin' calling me at this ungodly hour..."
"Aleera...it's 9AM..."
"EXACTLY! So, you want breakfast?"
"If it isn't too much trouble...I'd also like...um...some clothes."
"Eh? I'll see what Gabe has for you to wear..."
"...that sounds promising..." Oh yes. He could see it now. They'd probably put him in some frilly blouse with a built in bra and a micro miniskirt with heels. Oh joy.
"Jules?" The two spun around to see a very tired little Gabriel standing at the doorway. Julian waved gently while Aleera cocked a brow before turning back to the fridge.
"Morning, sunshine. Want some eggs?"
"Are you putting Jack Daniels into it?"
"....No...."
"Then yes."



Julian tried not to stare as Gabriel sat on the stool next to him. He looked around the boy instead, admiring the wall scroll behind him. Gabriel stretched a bit, wiping his eyes before looking at Julian. "So...why are you here? ...and topless?" He looked strangely at Julian and then at Aleera. Then frowned. "Did you two have a slumber party without me!?" Both Julian and Aleera snorted.
"Like hell."
"Yes....actually, Gabe...the apartment caught on fire last night."
"Oh! That's awful! Did everyone get out alright?"
"Yes, yes...no one got hurt. But, obviously...kinda homeless now. Aleera was nice enough to let me spend the night. Uh...don't worry. I won't be here long. I'll probably either sleep in my office or ask my mom if I can move back home until I find a new place..."



"Nonsense!" Gabriel smacked Julian lightly, "You're gonna stay here, okay?"
"I don't want to impose..." Aleera spun around, arms full of eggs. As she laid them on the counter in front of the boys, she gave Julian a glare as she cracked them into a bowl.
"You're not imposin'. You own this place so you can crash here whenever ya want. S'yer second home."
"Yeah! And your office isn't too comfortable...and you know how your dad feels about you being...you know...within a 10 mile radius of him..."
"True...It'll only be a few days. I'll try to stay out of your way. Now...Gabe...did you fall asleep with make up...again?"
"Hm? Oh! ...Yeah..." Gabriel giggled as he tried to wipe off the left over lipgloss. "I was so tired when I got home, I must've forgotten to take it off...oh well!" From the looks of things, Gabe didn't seem to remember yesterdays conversation. That or he didn't take Julian seriously. Either way, it was nice to know nothing had changed.



"Mkay, kiddies...breakfast's almost done. Oh and you...after breakfast, I want you to find Jules some clothes to wear."
"Mkay."
"Uh..."
"Don't worry, Jules. I'm not going to put you in some dress. I do, believe it or not, still own male clothing."
"Oh good. I was frightened there, for a minute."
"GAH!"
"What?"
"...burned myself..."
"....Gabe, you two do have a fire extinguisher, yes?"
"Oh yeah."

Sixth Sense

Surprisingly, given the circumstances surrounding him, Julian found himself in a cheerful mood. His friends were all on board with helping him get his man. He got his feelings off his chest. And moreso, Dafne made his favorite desert. Schwowebredle! With that in his belly, there was no chance of a crappy evening. And it wasn't. Julian found himself laughing so hard, his chest began to hurt. As the evening grew longer, Julian finally chose to leave. Dafne was kind enough to drive him back to his apartment. Before allowing him to leave her presence, she said what she always did. "It will all turn out, you'll see." And she hadn't yet been proven wrong.



Julian tidied up before bed. Somehow, living alone still meant having a huge mess to clean up. But Julian suspected that in his absence, his sister would regularly come mooch off his free cable. After his shower and enjoying a nice warm cup of cocoa, Julian retired to his bed. Tomorrow, he knew, he'd have to probably either ignore Gabriel like the plague and hope the boy's short term memory kicked in or find the words to explain it. It wasn't something to look forward to, so he wanted to make sure he had enough sleep. But even as he drift off, something kept bothering him....

He was dreaming of nothing. That wasn't it. He regularly had dreamless nights. There wasn't much noise, just the occasional drip from the bathroom. Ah, yes. He had to remember to get that sink fixed. So what was it? Hum...well, had he left the bathroom light on again? He felt a warmth on his eyes. Opening them slightly, he realized it wasn't the bathroom. From his open door, he did see light, though. Rising, he slowly approached the doorway when he recoiled as smoke slid into his throat, causing him to cough. Fire. That's all that registered.



Julian ran past the kitchen on his way to the front door. The stove had erupted in fire. He wasn't sure how, he wasn't sure why. But he didn't stay to find out. Along the way to the stairs, he did manage to pull the apartment's fire alarm. He was the cause for the fire, yes? He wasn't going to cause anyone else harm. In seconds, the various residents all hurried out of the building, standing across the street as they stared at their home being burned. The fire spread quickly, Julian gulped, as he stood among them. One floor devoured...Two....Three...



Julian must've zoned out, sitting there on the cold concrete. He looked up, surprised to see there were already firefighters on the scene. The fire was diminishing but what was left was obvious: nothing. Everything he owned was probably a big pile of ash now. "Geez, you have crappy luck, huh?" Julian looked up, but quickly looked away when his eyes met a pair of breasts poking through a satin gown.
"Aleera, why are you hear?"
"I was asleep, you know...but I kept havin' this badgering feeling. You know, the kind where it feels like someone is poking you in the neck every three seconds? Yeah...Wow...think anything survived?"
"Probably not...Fate must hate me."
"Mmm. Maybe. I guess it is because you fuck with destiny on a day-to-day basis, what with making people what they want to be and not what destiny intended them to be."
"True."
"Alright, le'ts go. It's cold."
"Hm?"



"You deaf? I said let's go."
"Go...where?"
"To my place, stupid! What? Do you think I'm that cold hearted, I'd make you sleep out here on the sidewalk?"
"Oh, but Aleera, I couldn't impose..."
"Nonsense. You paid for the place, it might as well be yours."
"But what about Gabe?"
"What about him? You think he'd mind? Psssh. You're his best friend. What kind of friend wouldn't give their best friend a place to stay?"
"If you say so, then..."
"Alright, then. Let's get goin'. To Casa de Akamatseru we go!"

Choice

"Aleera..." Julian started. He rose off the couch, walking up to Aleera. The woman stopped back, eyebrow arched.
"Tch...yeah?" She asked roughly. Julian knew she probably was uncomfortable with his closeness. Her personal space bubble was slightly larger than most people's. Still, he had to let her see his agony for herself.
"You have to help us...help Gabe. Please."
"What exactly do you want me to do, first of all?" She asked, looking pass the desperate man.



"I have an idea. Childish, I will admit it is...but we are not dealing with an adult. This entire situation is grade school-level," Antoine grumbled lowly as he rested his arms on his calves. "Now...all of us here are aware Julian is, for some strange reason, deeply in love...love, I say, not lust...with Gabriel. Now, unforunately, Gabriel is infatuated with Zackariah. Aleera, I am quite sure you are aware that Zackariah has a strange lust for you." Aleera rolled her eyes.
"Ugh...yeah....yeah..."
"Yes, well....He has informed Julian, threats aside, that he plans on getting you to himself. His way of doing this? Apparently, he will sleep with your brother until the opportunity arises for him to advance onto you. I suppose he believes that Gabe is the link to you...being your twin, you are undoubtly close to him. So anyone close to him is, therefore, close to you...understand?"
"He seriously told you that?" Aleera asked as she looked back at Julian. Julian nodded. Antoine continued.
"Of course, you do not wish to become Mrs. Dimartino....Gabe unfortunately does. Frankly, I could care less what the little one does to himself but you and Julian are caught in this web as well so the only solution is to convince Gabe to move on from his silly fantasies and leave Zack nothing to go on. Words will not work, we have already tried. Action is called for, then."
"Get to the point, would you?"
"I suggest you use the man's infatuation for you to lure him into a trap. A trap that will expose him to Gabe. Gabe was a spatial learner in school, yes? So by seeing, he will believe."



Julian thought about it as his brother explained it. The idea was good, simple and childish as he said but good. Gabe wouldn't be able to turn down proof he'd seen himself, right?
"Wait, wait wait..." Aleera wagged her finger, "Hold on....are you actually sugges-"
"Yes. I am. Use what God gave you, woman. Seduce the man in the presence of your brother."
"What the fuck!?" She cursed angrily. Her expression clearly told Julian she wasn't on board. "I am not giving that creep anymore reason to stalk me. Thanks to frickin' dumbass, he knows where I live now! I'm just waiting for the day he sneaks in and waits for me, naked on my bed. Ugh! Forget it! I'm sorry, Jules, but no."



"Aleera..." Faye spoke up as she turned her head towards her friend. Aleera growled at her.
"What?"
"Think about it. If you do this, Suicide will have no more ways to get to you. With Gabe finally in on it all, he'll add more protection for you. Besides...you owe them both, Gabe and Julian. They both deserve happiness and you deserve peace. With Gabe dating Suicide, he is going to always be around you...right?"
"...That's true..."
"But if Gabe starts dating Julian, you will only have to worry about the two of them stealing your curtains."
"HEY!"
"That's true..."
"So...will you help?" Julian asked her again. Aleera looked at all those in the room for a moment. Then a large sigh left her chest.
"When you do bed my brother, try to keep it down, okay?"




The group, which Faye affectionally dubbed the STTA (Save The Tranny Association), then began perfecting the plan. They would have Aleera approach Zack, proclaiming her love. Then, she'd suggest they go consumate their newfound relationship at her abode. Just as she was getting the target in place, the others would push Gabe to return home from his job at the same time, with promises of make overs and candy. Then the inevitable discovery...yes. The plan was sure to work, they were convinced. But what if it didn't? Julian wondered.
"Can I use your phone, Antoine?"
"Hm? Sure, it's in the kitchen....who're you calling?"
"Uh, Heather. My secratary. I want to make sure she called and confirmed tomorrow's appointments."
"Ah, yes. In the kitchen, then."



Julian knew what he was going to say. He didn't like what he was going to say. He didn't want to say what he was going to say. But he had to say it. What if the plan failed? He'd have to go another three years without saying it. And that was killing him.



"Helloooo?"
"Gabe? It's me."
"Juuuulian! Hey, haven't talked to you in a while. How've you been?"
"Good, good. You?"
"Fantastic. I got a compliment today! Granted, not sure the guy knew I was a man but...compliments are always nice. What're you up to?"
"Not much...not much...I love you."
"Hm?"
"I...I love you."
"Aw, I love you too."



"No, I don't think you understand. I'm in love with you."
"Julian, did you forget to wear your mask again?"
"I'm not high, Gabriel. I've wanted to tell you this since I first met you three years, six months, and two hours ago. I love you. More than someone should love someone else, I'm sure."
"...Um...okay...."
"...Yeah...."
"Um....I think I'll talk to you later then..."
"Ah...right. Good bye then...be safe."
"Uuuuh...yeah. Buh bye, Jules."



"I'm going to start dinner now."
"Oh oh! I'll help!"
"Just don't make my microwave implode again, okay?"
"Whatever, that only happened one time an-...Julian?"
"Julian, dear? You okay?"
"I am offically a loser."
But a loser with a free concious.

Friends

Empty stomach and heavy mind, Julian was still reluctant to go to his brother's house. Dafne had suggested it, hoping a brother-to-brother talk could somehow help the heartbroken boy. While Julian knew Antoine would probably have some sage advice, he didn't look forward to being called a pansy. Still, Dafne was adamant and even offered to make him dinner once they got there. It was hard to pass up a free meal.



Dafne looked over at Julian, his silence indicating he was still torn up about the situation at hand. She felt for the boy. Here he was, desperately fighting for the affection of a man he's known for quite a while but being unable to move past the 'just friends' phase, and now the very man he loved was in danger of having his heart broken. Dafne wondered what she'd do in that situation. Sighing as she pulled up into the drive way, she only hoped her beloved had some plan.



The two entered the large estate, the white noise of a billowing air conditioning welcoming them. Julian always felt so strange in his brother's house. It was so prim, so elegant. His brother always had a chic taste, it seemed. Dafne looked around a bit before calling out, "Ant? You home? Sweetie?" There was no answer but Julian thought it was only because the house was so big. Antoine was probably in a room where her soft voice couldn't reach. Dafne put her hands on her hips, her head tilting from side to side. "Hum...maybe he's in the entertainment room...." Julian shrugged, simply following her lead.



Her thought was right for just as they walked through the archway seperating one of the kitchens and the entertainment room, Julian spotted his brother lounging on the couch. The dark-haired man lazily looked up as the two entered his field of vision. "Finally home, I see..." He spoke in that low voice that always made Julian feel like he had done something wrong. So he found focus on something else, not wanting to have his core shook by a simple greeting. Dafne smiled, though it was obvious she too found Antoine's voice tremble-inducing.
"Ah...yes. Sorry I'm so late. But...there was an incident..."
"Incident?"
"With that Zackariah fellow." Antoine leaned forward slightly. The creak of the couch caused Julian to look back, only to look away when he saw his brother's scowl.



"What? Did he give you trouble, Dafne? Do I need to get my walking stick an-"
"No! No...no...he didn't do much to me. Just a bit of sass. It's your brother he harassed." As if on cue, Julian turned around and sheepishly grinned as he gave a weak wave. Antoine narrowed his eyes, leaning back.
"I see....Boy! ...Come here."
"Uh..."
"Don't 'uh' me. Here. Now." Julian scurried over to his brother's side, slipping uncomfortably in the open space next to him. Antoine then looked back at Dafne. "Now, what exactly happened?"



"Well, I wasn't there the entire time...I just saw that fellow threatening poor Julian. Julian, dear...why don't you explain?" Julian shook his head, as if pleading for her to take back her request. But a hard nudge made him reconsider.
"Tell me, boy. What happened?"
"Ah...yes, then..." Julian mumbled as he twiddled his fingers. "I...uh...."
"Louder, boy. I'm getting old, you know."
"Yes! Um...I was with Dafne at her pottery class and we were talking about the things going on. One of the women overheard and informed me Zack was in the gym next door so I decided to go talk to him, since I didn't get much of an actual conversation the last time we talked...so he took me down the street to this cafe so we could talk. He asked me how I knew Gabe...so I told him the whole story...then I asked him about his intentions and he..."
"He? He what, boy? What did he say?"
"Well...my fears were given reason. He's just using Gabriel to get to Aleera. He's hoping that by manipulating Gabe's affection for him, he'll have to get closer to Aleera and when the opportunity arrives...he'll dump Gabe and snatch Al." Julian looked towards his brother with a lost, confused expression. "Ant...what am I going to do? I can't let Gabe get hurt." His brother rubbed his chin.
"Gabe dug his own grave. There's nothing you can do. The only way he'll learn is by being hurt."
"Ant!"
"But..." Antoine continued, "I worry for Aleera. She already knows of this man's infatuation for her. Yet...she is powerless to do anything to prevent his advances, other than reject him and wait for him to come back. What will happen when he gets bold and does something criminal to her? She has already proven she alone is no match...No...I think the two of them, together, need to work to get rid of this fool. Yes...Dafne!"
"Y-yes, dear?"
"Phone Fayette. Tell her to bring Aleera. We have to plot."
"Right away!"
"...plot?"



Nothing more was said as they waited for Faye and Aleera to arrive. Julian tried but Antoine remained silent. Only when the two girls were before him did he break his silence. "Ah...glad you came."
"Any opportunity to visit your lovely home, dear brother! Oooh, is that leather?"
"What's this about?" The brunette growled as she placed a hand on her hip.
"Aleera, dear...We have a proposal for you."

Paranoia

Julian waited for the man to answer. Zackariah, visibly irritated, looked around as if purposing avoiding eye contact. Julian followed his field of vision. Apparently, a piece of mulch on the tiled floor was more interesting than answering a question. "Mr. Dimartino?" Julian tried to veer his eyes in his direction. The man gave him a quick glance, rolled his eyes and shrugged.
"Eh...I don't know yet. I mean...just met the kid. He's cute, I'll give him that. Not too smart, though. He's...he's like a puppy."
"A puppy?"
"Yeah...cute, cuddly, eager to please...but sometimes, they just get under your foot and try to trip you. They don't mean it, we suspect but...if they don't grow out of it, they get sent to the pound." Julian lifted his fingers, trying to sort out the meaning behind Zack's metaphor. Zack waited for a few moments before seemingly giving up on letting Julian figure it out for himself. "What I mean is he's cute and fun to play with now but he He has to grow up some more. At this present time...he's just something to do."

"That's...messed up."
"A bit, yes."
"Why are you so interested in Aleera? And why not just go for her head on? Why use Gabe?"
"Aleera is a difficult woman. You know that, right? She's tough...the tsundere of my heart, you see." Zackariah sighed lovingly, a mannerism Julian associated with his own love for Gabe. "She's the most beautiful woman I've seen. So different from those other floozies I've been with...she has more to her than just a great pair of tits. She has brains, brawn...killer thighs. God, what I wouldn't do...or rather, who I wouldn't do to get her."

"So you see," Zackariah chuckled, "Gabe is my ticket into the Akamatseru clan. I'll keep him around, you know...give me someone to keep myself warm on those cold nights...take me to family functions where I will then cuddle up to an undoubtly drunken Aleera while the little one is...I dunno...finding some lipstick to go with his shoes." Julian's jaw dropped slightly, the plan before him shocking. Zack had put alot of thought into this conquest of Aleera. He probably thought of many ways to try and win her over, all of them probably failing. But by having Gabe in his grasp, he could easily get to his prize. But what would become of poor Gabe once his purpose was fufilled?

Julian shook his head, "No...that's...that's horrible." He glared at Zack, pointing accusingly. "You're using Gabriel! You're using him as a fuck buddy and as a bridge to Aleera! You don't care about him one bit. And he...he loves you."
"He loves the image of me, I think. Which is still fine."
"How can you live with knowing you are manipulating a poor, innocent boy?!"
"You act like I don't feel bad. I do. But it isn't my fault he is oblivious. I think I've given him enough signs to let him know that what we have is just superficial."
Julian fumbled, rising out of his seat. Zack raised a brow, "Where you going?"
"Home."
"You aren't going to let them know about this, are you?"
"What do you think!?"

Just as Julian slid his chair in, he came face to face with the dark-haired man. "Ah!"
"You will not screw this up for me, boy. I've tried to be nice to you. But if you mess this chance up for me...I'll show you what growing up in the ghetto can do to someone's mind...makes them oh-so numb to things such as assault and manslaughter..."
"Are you seriously threatening me?" Julian's voice trembled. They were in a public area, so he looked around at the other patrons. But they simply seemed enticed by the violence, like wild animals waiting for the pack leader to make the first strike. He was in their territory. Help for him was null.
"If you continue to get in my way, yes. So do yourself a favor and keep this between us. Or so help me, I'll make you and your little boyfriend's lives a living hell. Got it?"
"Julian?"

The two men looked over, noticing a young woman approaching them hesitantly.
"Dafne, what are you doing here?" Julian asked, his voice pleading for assistance. The woman stopped for a moment, her mind registering the scene.
"I...I went to the gym, to see if you were okay...but the trainers there said you left and came here and...what's going on?" Zackariah backed away from Julian, grinning at Dafne.
"Nothin', cutie. Just talking to your friend Julian here...and you are Dafne? Nice to meet you. I'm Za-"
"I don't care who you are. Were you bothering Julian?"

"Rude, aren't you?"
"What did you say to him?"
"Nothing, my dear. I was just telling him I'd...see him later. Right, Julian?"
"Mm...."
"Now, if we're done accusing me of wrong doing, I better be going. The air in here suddenly got...stuffy. I shall see you around, Julian...was...good meeting you, Dafne."

Dafne huffed as the man went out of sight, turning to Julian. "You okay?" The man let out a huge breath, all the pent up fear finally able to escape. "He really shook you up, huh?"
"He's using Gabe to get to Aleera. And there's nothing I can do. Gabe won't believe me..."
"Maybe not...but you can't just let him get his heart broken..."
"What am I going to do?" Julian asked desperately. Dafne bit her lip before giving him a nice pat. Instantly, he felt soothed.
"There there...we'll think of something...you'll see. Come on. Why don't you come home with me? I'll make some tea and once Antoine gets home, we'll think of something..."

"We'll think of a way to protect those two from him. Promise."