Beyond fate, there is always choice

Title: Beyond fate, there is always choice
Author: Ainzfern
Genre: Ai no Kusabi – Post OVA
Code: Raoul/Katze - Iason/Riki (Chey, Tahna)
Story edits and Beta – Lena
Rating: R/NC-17
Parts: WIP – 1/?

(Current day…)


Raoul Am, renowned Amoian scientist and second in command of the Tanagura Syndicate had to admit, as he stared up with dazed green eyes through the soft morning light that filtered through the curtains of his main bedroom in his Eos Tower apartment, that waking up these days was certainly far more pleasant than it used to be.

Just one of the myriad of advantages, his all-bemused mind told him, of finally getting his willful little mongrel to move into the apartment as Eos Tower permanently.

Above him, sleekly muscled and smooth chest glistening with sweat, his registered Companion, Katze, was utterly lost in his own pleasure as he sat astride Raoul’s hips, the Blondie’s cock buried deeply inside his body. Lean strong thighs flexed and strained, finding and settling into a slow sullen rhythm as he rode them both closer to completion. Soft deep red hair, damp with sweat, fell across a smooth brow. Sultry golden eyes, dazed with pleasure, luminous with affection, gazed down at Raoul through the gentle light.

Lying supine and beautiful in his clear abandonment under Katze, his mane of golden hair spread out across the pillows of their bed, and his powerful chest heaving as his body race towards fulfillment, Raoul groaned, panting harshly, arching his pelvis up into the silky tight heat that gripped him, his elegant and deceptively strong hands grasping Katze’s lean undulating hips, helping him move, guiding his pace. As the pleasure splintered through his flesh, white hot and indescribably sweet, Raoul fought to keep his eyes open, to enhance the depth of the purely physical experience of fucking with the intense emotional gratification that he never failed to feel by simply watching Katze achieve sexual release.

Perhaps, Raoul’s few remaining functioning brain cells noted, it was because his mongrel, so human and flawed and perfect, so lost in making love to him right now, was utterly beautiful to him. Raoul honestly thought so. He knew he always would. Katze’s beauty was in more than just the pleasing lines of his well-formed limbs or the pale and finely wrought features of his face. It was in his limitless heart, his forgiving soul. It was in his strength and vulnerability, his loyalty and his courage.

Raoul groaned again, a deep sound torn from low in his throat, as Katze shifted on him, leaning forward to brace himself with slender hands on powerful smooth skinned shoulders. He re-positioned his hold on Katze’s hips as his lover began to move faster, harder, plunging himself down onto the Blondie’s aching erection with wild abandon. Katze’s head fell back helplessly as he rode towards his own climax, the slender smooth line of his neck glistening in the low light. Releasing his hold of one lean angular hip, Raoul reached up and pressed his hand to Katze’s sweat-soaked breastbone, feeling the beat of that precious heart hammering against his palm.

Now, as the pitch and intensity of Katze’s husky cries signaled his impending orgasm, Raoul stroked his hand slowly down the length of the red-head’s chest, drifting across the tautening skin of his flat stomach, and lower, to curl around the gorgeous length of Katze’s twitching erection. He stroked firmly, his thumb pressing delicately against the weeping slit, spreading the slick moisture that had formed there and using it to smooth his caress.

He kept his eyes pinned to Katze’s face, meeting that hot golden-eyed gaze and feeling himself simply fall into it. He watched as Katze stiffened and froze for an instant, his face twisting helplessly into a transparent expression of almost agonized need as he reached the cusp of climax. As always the very sight of him completely undid Raoul, stripping away any semblance of control he might have still held. He felt his own flesh seized with the sharp clenching spasms that preceded his release, that incredible moment of almost-pain that stilled his body fleetingly before, with a low soft moan of bliss and completion he thrust upwards into Katze’s trembling flesh, shooting his essence in powerful pulses into the delightful warmth of Katze’s body.

Even in the midst of his orgasm, Raoul felt the sullen pulsing contractions of Katze’s body around his cock as his mongrel arched back and came with exquisite force. One of Katze’s shaking hands shifted to cover Raoul’s around his cock, gripping and guiding the Blondie’s fist, milking the heated shaft firmly as his semen, hot and slick, spilled in copious spurts over the satin smooth skin of Raoul’s flat belly.

For a long moment, there was nothing but warmth and completion, the sweet sound of ragged breathing slowly calming and the thick and heady scent of their releases lingering in the air. Then Katze lunged forwards, his hands sinking into Raoul’s sweat dampened hair, gripping tightly while he kissed the Blondie to within an inch of his life, sucking firmly on his tongue, nipping lightly at his full lips before once more slanting his mouth firmly across Raoul’s, drinking deeply from him, expressing in silence the depths of his affection and desire.

Raoul pulled him close and rolled to one side, gently withdrawing before lifting one hand the smooth back a few sweat darkened strands of hair from Katze’s face. He pulled back a little, still holding Katze tightly, and smiled at the flushed face before him.

“Good morning,” he murmured, one elegant brow arching sardonically.

Katze laughed delightedly, his eyes sparkling with high humor. “Uhm, yeah,” he hooked one leg over Raoul’s hips, his broad shoulders shaking with mirth. “It’s certainly started out that way.”

Sighing contentedly, Raoul relaxed, resting his head back on his pillow. Keeping Katze securely within the circle of his arms he shifted again, this time onto his back, easing the mongrel over to lie comfortably beside him, his head pillowed in the crook of his shoulder. “I must confess, Katze, we appear to have developed a somewhat energetic morning routine of late.”

“You’re complaining?”

Raoul snorted softly with amusement. “I most certainly am not.” He ran one hand down the length of Katze’s arm, stroking him gently.

“Good.” Katze stretched luxuriously before settling again with a soft sigh. “Raoul?”

“Hmm?”

“How long have we got before we have to get up and start the day like responsible adults?”

Chuckling, ticked by Katze’s turn of phrase, Raoul lifted his head briefly at glanced at the clock on the bed-side table. “About thirty minutes or so,” he replied. Turning a little, looking down at the soft red hair spread across his shoulder, Raoul smiled again. “Do you have much in your schedule today?”

“Yeah, a bit,” Katze answered though a yawn, “I’m finishing up the system upgrades for the bio-lab’s admin and accounting department for the rest of this week. I want to get it out of the way as soon as I can.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah,” Katze eased one hand over Raoul’s smooth chest, his long fingers gently pausing to brush across a dark nipple before moving up to stroke over the skin of a broad shoulder. “I had a couple of work orders for Jupiter Tower come through to my in-box yesterday. Nothing urgent, it looks like, just a couple of small glitches that are causing some headaches. Plus I need to schedule in my regular meeting with the Ceres black market. That always ends up taking the better part of a day.” Propping himself up on one elbow, Katze smiled down at Raoul’s sated face. “And you? What’s on your agenda today? Further advancements in the field of reconstructive medicine?”

“Alas, no,” Raoul ran one hand down Katze’s side, cupping a firm warm ass-cheek for a moment. “I’m afraid the quarterly conference with the various Syndicate department heads is due. Iason will need me the entire day.”

Katze winced. “Ah.”

“Yes,” Raoul quirked a wry brow at him.

“So… a whole day full of verbal eye-gouging and hair-pulling, huh?”

Raoul frowned a little. “Honestly, the way you talk sometimes, Katze,” he chided mildly, “You make the greater number of the Elite class sound like a room full of spoilt brats.”

“Aren’t they?” Katze grinned, a wicked little glint entering his eyes. “All those enhanced brains, all those exceptional physical and mental attributes and yet most of them still haven’t cottoned onto the fact yet that the average standard non-genetically engineered man in the street is totally capable of doing exactly the same jobs they do.”

Raoul’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You know, I think you’ve been spending far too much time listening to Riki’s take on social principles.”

“Actually, Raoul, I’ve always felt this way.” Slowly Katze sat up, stretching again as he scooted out of bed and padded toward the bathroom. “I just hid it better than Riki did, that’s all.”

“One would wonder then,” Raoul muttered, almost to himself, suddenly feeling slightly piqued for some reason he couldn’t quite explain by Katze’s casual observations, “If that is the case, how you’ve allowed yourself to become so intimately involved with me.”

Katze halted just before the bathroom door, turning to look back at him, his face becoming serious. “Because you’re different, Raoul. You know that.”

“Am I?”

“Well… yes.” Katze shrugged. “You’re not blinded by your own superiority, for a start. You actually see worth in people even if they aren’t a part of the ruling class.”

Raoul sighed softly, sitting up and staring down at the rumpled bed-covers for a moment. “I also see worth in my Elite brethren, Katze,” he replied, not so surprised to hear a genuine note of hurt in his voice. “I know that our ideologies differ. I have accepted that as a part of accepting you. But, in many ways, I do feel that what you know of the Elite class has been limited to what you have seen in your specific dealings with them in the past. You don’t, for example, know that most of the Elites that Iason and I work with in the Syndicate are committed to their duties and are loyal to Iason Mink above all else… that they are genuinely trying, Katze, to adapt to the changes that Iason has introduced as best they can.”

“Raoul...”

The Blondie held up one hand, looking up at Katze somberly. “It has not been easy, do you understand? For any of us.” He smiled sadly. “What you said before, about me being different. I suppose you’re right. I am different in that I have you. I have your affection. I have your support on a personal level. This helps, Katze, a great deal; it is a comfort to me, but it does not make it any less difficult… in fact it makes it so much more complex, especially for me,” Raoul’s voice lowered to a murmur, “when you make such comments about Elites. Remember that, in spite of how much I mean to you, or how much you mean to me, I am still one of them. And what you say about them affects me too.”

Katze moved back towards him, his expression now openly troubled. Sitting close to him on the edge of the bed, the ex-Furniture slipped one hand around the back of Raoul’s neck, rubbing the tense muscles gently. “I’m sorry,” he said softly, dipping his chin to look directly into Raoul’s eyes, letting him see the sincerity in his gaze. “I didn’t mean to insult you. I sure as hell didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

Raoul smiled at him, huffing a soft and slightly tired little chuckle. “I know this, Katze.”

Leaning forward, Katze kissed Raoul’s face tenderly. “Maybe it’s time for me to do a little soul searching too,” he murmured, the warmth of his breath brushing against Raoul’s jaw. “I mean the irony is that Iason’s social restructuring is all about moving forward, right?”

Lifting his hands to cup Katze’s face, Raoul nodded at him, his deep green eyes warming once more, the former tension in his broad shoulders easing away.

“So,” Katze shrugged. “In the vested interests of domestic harmony, how about I ease up on your colleagues, and you promise to call me on it whenever I start backsliding again.”

“If you promise to extend the same service to me,” Raoul replied, his rich mouth curving up at the corners, “I would say that we have a workable agreement.”

“Deal.” Katze pulled in a deep breath, straightening his shoulders as he rose to his feet. He held one hand out to the Blondie, winking at him. “Shower with me?”

Chuckling, feeling much improved within himself, Raoul pushed the covers back and rose gracefully, taking Katze’s proffered hand in his. “Of course.”

Moments later, standing under the warm spray in the spacious shower unit, enjoying the quite delightful sensation of being stroked from neck to knees by the gentle soap-slicked hands of his lover, Raoul Am closed his eyes and considered the previous conversation.

Differing ideologies…

And indeed, yes, this was quite true. From most outward perspectives, he and Katze were a logical improbability. Born and raised upon the same planet yet within two virtually separate worlds; trained and molded to take positions in life that, in the time prior to Iason Mink’s remarkable return from near death, would have meant they would never have crossed social paths, let alone come to know each other. One an Elite of the highest ranking, and one a mongrel from the slums, each viewing the world around them from a vastly differing point of view.

And yet, here they were.

Lovers and in love.

That fact alone, Raoul thought as he turned under the soothing spray and began to soap Katze’s sleek and well formed body with every sense of enjoyment, the fact that the two of them were even possible, gave him his greatest hope for the future. Yes, there were the inevitable teething problems, conflicts and misunderstandings. But they were adapting, that was the most important thing. They were finding their way forward, learning each other’s temperaments, defining their needs, their limits… and in some cases just agreeing to disagree.

The comparison boded well, Raoul felt, for the greater populace of Amoi. He smiled again, bending his head to kiss the smooth curve of Katze’s shoulder, sipping water from soft warm skin.

Yes, the comparison boded very well, indeed.


TBC….