Do you remember?

I take thee ...



Hey, everybody, apologies, apologies, from the bottom of my heart, I know it’s been too long, I cannot believe it myself. I hope you will all accept my sincere apologies.

Barrie18, oh, I think you find it funny how Raoul also does a number on Iason with his want of a public ceremony ;) Yes, I do love to show Raoul’s more gentle and insecure personality, because this is how I am picturing him always (don’t know exactly why). More problems, you say? (winking shamelessly)

Jishe, dear, I’m glad you are on Riki’s side, who wouldn’t? Maybe it’s not so bad to bring Iason down a little from his pedestal, don’t you think?

DTE, yeap, Iason and Riki are not just spectators here. Hope you’ll enjoy the wedding!

Orant mihi, yes, Riki does have a cockring … There would not be so much trouble without the so called evil ring. ;)

Yuki, I hope that I’ll answer your questions, as the story unfolds. Thank you for reading!

Irmina, thank you for your words, I hope you’ll stick around some more for the next chapters.





-What\'s with the big grin?

-I ... think I\'m happy.

-Hm, \'happy\', how\'s that feeling?



Katze could sense something was terribly wrong. Riki was usually so joyful and full of life, so it was rather disconcerting to see him so ... bitter. Carefully, the dealer tried to approach him.



-What\'s wrong, Riki?



-What, you really don’t have a clue ... You and Raoul are getting official and shit, while I\'m still stuck with this pet bullshit with that freak!



Riki was almost yelling, keeping his fists tight.

Katze also noticed something else, the tears in the beautiful black eyes.

The youth was clearly furious, but there was also something else under that fury, despair, maybe, and the redhead suddenly realized how hard this had been for Riki. Katze had always noticed Riki\'s struggle to cope with Iason\'s demands. It had been difficult for him to adjust to a pet\'s position, swallowing his mongrel pride every single day.

Katze wished something clever would come to his mind, to be able to say something to ease the pain he could clearly see in the boy\'s eyes. Instead, he gently touched Riki\'s arm.



-Have you spoken to him? Told him how you feel?



-Yes, but the fucker just doesn\'t give a damn about how I feel.



Riki let Katze embrace him tentatively, but he slumped his head in defeat.



-I guess he just wanted my ass, Katze. He doesn\'t even speak to me anymore. We haven’t even done it ever since Raoul told him you and him were getting united. The asshole is holding himself back until this is all over, and you and Raoul blend into the picture. I ... simply don\'t get him anymore.



-Don\'t let go, Riki! You\'re a fighter, aren\'t you? C\'mon, show him who\'s boss!



-Yeah? And how am I supposed to do that?



-Play him. You know you’re the expert in that.



-Apparently, Katze, not when it matters ...



Riki was really broken hearted, a worn out look in his eyes. He turned to Katze and kissed him on his cheek.



-I\'m done fighting. The last days have been hell for me. He just ignores me, letting me know my place. But, hey man, don\'t waste your time with me. You have a wonderful man to prepare yourself for.



-Come with me. Let\'s do some shopping.



-Katze, as much as I appreciate your wish to make me feel better, shopping ain’t gonna do it for me. The only thing that could make me feel better would be to smash a certain someone’s face.



With that, Riki freed himself from Katze\'s arms, and slammed his fist into the wall behind him.

The dealer frowned.

-What are you going to do, Riki?



Still heaving from the rush of adrenaline still coursing through his veins, Riki turned to Katze, his jaw tight, a determined look in his eyes:



-Oh, I do intend to do something. I’m going to get myself out of this fucking mess!



-Riki! What are you ...



-Shut the fuck up, Katze, ok? It’s none of your business! Go make mushy mushy with your lover, who I had not so long ago and leave me the fuck alone!



Katze could only look at him.



"Yes, Katze, just get the fuck out already, I won\'t let you screw with my head anymore and make me believe that everything is going to be alright!"



Riki knew that mentioning Raoul\'s dealings with him was a hit below the belt, but he just wanted Katze to leave him alone with his misery.



“Bull\'s eye,” he thought, as the dealer stiffened and, without a word, left the room.



Riki watched him go, feeling like he cut his last tie with Eos.

**********

Once alone, Riki cursed, burying his face into his palms. It had really been hell, these last few weeks. Iason had shown him absolutely no sign of affection, and it had gone beyond being a joke. It was now a huge problem.

He had even tried to seduce him, decided to play every dirty seductive trick that he knew, just to have Iason softening under his touch, melting to the point where he would be able to talk straight to him again.

Closing his eyes, Riki felt shredded between pain and anger. It had all been useless. He couldn’t forget how Iason’s frozen glare following him as he walked past him heading into his master’s bedroom.

Dressed only in a pair of skin tight shorts that he knew Iason loved to see him in, he had laid himself on the bed and waited impatiently for Iason to join him.

It seemed to take forever for Iason to follow not the usual minutes he had known. And then when the Blondie did come to bed, he kept a distance between them, as he wished Riki ‘good night’.

Katze had no idea what he was talking about. When he had tried to touch Iason, the only answer had been an aggravated sigh and a gesture of refusal that had taken Riki by surprise.

-Iason, he had demanded, what’s wrong?

-Don’t bother me, pet, the harsh answer came.

-You don’t talk to me anymore, Riki had accused.

-I don’t have anything to say to a mere pet.

-A mere pet?

Instinctively, Riki quickly turned and quickly jerked himself up from the bed, grabbing Iason’s hair. Without even thinking about it, he had tried to punch the fucker right in the kisser.

His moves, however, had been anticipated by the indifferent Blondie, and Riki quickly had ended up pinned under Iason’s considerable weight, panting, but still the position was a compromising one. Riki lie there hoping a good fight would be the long awaited necessary foreplay for them to start mating again. But the Blondie had just stared at him, blankly, making Riki feel a chill running down his spine.

He couldn’t help but whisper:

-Is that all I am to you now, Iason? Just a pet?

-Yes, that is exactly what you are. Pull another stunt like this, and I’ll have you chained. Apparently, I have given too much leeway to a slave that doesn’t know his place.

Iason’s harsh words had fallen like shards of glass on Riki’s heart. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He felt the need to know more. He needed to hear it straight out that Iason didn’t want him anymore.

-Why don’t you free me then, if you want nothing to do with me?

-Who says I don’t have uses for you? You’ll be kept here as a pet for as long as I desire it.

-What uses? We don’t have sex anymore!, Riki had spit angrily, fully conscious of his own humiliation, in asking to be treated as a sex toy.

-Pets are not used for sex by their masters.

With that, Iason pulled himself up, and left Riki alone in the bed, without even looking at him. Riki could not believe his ears.

Desperately, he had yelled:

-I’m not a friggin’ pet, you bastard!

Iason laughed.

-Oh, yes, you are, and an inferior one at that. Perhaps, it is time I really should start to take into consideration getting rid of you.

Iason then left without another word. Riki had never felt so deserted in his entire life as he watched him walk away.



****

That night, Riki wept for hours in his room. But after that, his mind had begun to hatch an escape plan. It was never his intention to be used as a pet. The only thing that had kept him here, swallowing his mongrel pride for this entire time had been Iason’s acknowledgment of him as a person, … as well as his lover.

****

The crowd was murmuring in excitement.



-Did you hear? Jupiter will be the one to unite them!



-I can\'t believe it! So this means that we will get to see her, too?



-Of course, silly! You are such a dumb pet sometimes!



-Oh, look who\'s talking! Do you know what\'s weird?



-Tell me!



-Not if you don\'t take it back!



-Ok, ok, you\'re not silly! Now spit it!



-It appears that Lord Am is getting united with a mongrel!



-A mongrel? How disgusting! I bet he is all ugly and dirty!



-Maybe he\'s not. Do you remember Riki?



-Lord Mink\'s pet? Yeah, I know him.



-He\'s a mongrel, too.



-Really? I thought he was especially made so dark so he would fit Lord Mink\'s taste.



-No, he brought him here from \'outside\'. I wasn\'t here, either, when that happened, but I heard about it.



-Riki is very handsome. Are you sure he\'s a mongrel?



-Yes, and I heard Lord Mink treats him as \'special\'.



-What do you mean, \'special\'?



The two lovely heads were almost touching while sharing their precious gossip.



-What are you two whispering about? Stop embarrassing me!



The master pulled his leash, making one of the two heads swing towards him. The gesture was a bit harsh, but it was necessary since those whisperings were really getting on the master\'s nerves. In truth all the Blondies had become all too touchy during the last weeks.

While the pets tremendously enjoyed gossiping about the ceremony, their masters were trying to remain composed, disguising well their curiosity.



***

Cries of surprise welcomed Jupiter\'s appearance. On a silver pedestal, her unearthly silhouette was gracing the audience with a slight bow of her head. When her voice was heard, every one present fell silent.



-Today, I have the greatest pleasure of uniting one of my beloved sons with the person of their choosing.



It was now the Blondies\' turn to murmur. The word \'blasphemy\' whispered harshly could still be easily heard.



-Blasphemy? Jupiter asked, with a faint smile on her, otherwise, unreadable face. I will not ask \'who dares?\'. But I will show you the ancient books that once were used for governing this planet, where it is clearly stated that people living here could join together, if their relationship was based on love and trust.



With a simple gesture, Jupiter caused the appearance of a succession of documents, clearly visible for the guests to read.



-I\'ll be damned ... Iason whispered under his breath, as he perused what now lay before him.



Seated on a pillow, at his master\'s legs, Riki was able to hear him.



-So? he asked, unceremoniously.



Iason yanked the boy\'s leash, and brought his lips to Riki\'s ear.



-Jupiter is lying through her teeth, Riki. She just bends the law for Raoul\'s sake.



Trying to free himself from the tight grasp, Riki whispered angrily:



-She wasn\'t too willing to do that kind of law bending for you, fucker! Or didn\'t you even ask?



Tightening his jaw Iason let his hand encircle Riki\'s neck, craving the touch that he had denied himself. Instead, he showed his pet the fury he used to cover his want.



-If I were you, Riki, I\'d be careful if you plan to keep your position as my favorite pet. I have not feel any urges lately to use you for my pleasures, so I don\'t even know why I am still keeping you.

Riki closed his eyes. He didn\'t want Iason to see the hurt.

Iason let him go, angrily, and tried to concentrate on the ceremony that was about to begin. He let his mind travel to the conversation he had had a few days earlier with Raoul.



"Do you really have to do that?"



"Actually, I do, Iason, and I don\'t understand why this is such a problem for you."



"Never mind then, it is really just a minor bother."



Iason couldn’t go further than that. He had not been sure if Raoul would have understood his dilemma.



What would Raoul have said if he had told him that he would never let Riki be free. Having Riki as an equal meant giving him a freedom to come and go as he pleased. And even though they would be mated, he wouldn’t have that previous control to keep Riki by his side. And Jupiter help him, he feared that once Riki tasted freedom again, united or not, he would leave him and return to Ceres permanently.

In the meantime though, Riki was angry and showing it. The powerful Blondie could not let a pet treat him like that. He deluded himself into thinking that once this circus was over everything would go back to the way it was. All he wanted was to have Riki back in his arms, kissing him endlessly, totally lost in the passion they shared.

****

-Are you ready?



-Never been more.



Katze grinned and let his lips brush over his lover\'s lips, making Raoul moan in despair.



It had been Katze\'s idea to not see each other for a few days before the ceremony, to enhance Raoul’s desire.

Not that he did not miss the Blondie\'s touch, but he had a lot of stuff to put in order, and Katze was smart enough to know that business and pleasure did not go well together.

There was also something else playing on his mind. That look in Riki\'s eyes still haunted him.

He had told no one about it, not even Raoul, even though he had a dark premonition regarding the situation between Iason and his pet.

He did not know what to do. He hadn’t seen or spoken to Riki since he had walked out that day, but he knew the mongrel well enough to know that things hadn’t gotten better.

***

The beautiful red cape adorning Katze\'s back was gently touching the green cape on Raoul\'s shoulders. They kneeled face to face before Jupiter and let the jewels on the crowns on their foreheads touch. A calm, beautiful light descended on their bodies, as Jupiter\'s hands rested gently on their heads.



-Your minds will now become one, the feelings you carry for each other will always let you know about the other\'s health, or misfortune, or pleasure, or pain. Let this light guide you and lead your life on the path of eternal happiness.



Jupiter\'s silhouette began to disappear, while the two lovers reached for one another, embracing and sharing a long kiss. A few pets dared applaud in excitement, but they were rapidly silenced by their masters.

Raoul and Katze were not aware of anything at that moment but each other. Their happiness had already begun a while ago, and they were determined never to let it go.



***



-Could you get me out of this leash now?



-Now, pet? We must go and present our good wishes to Katze and Raoul.



-I have to take a leak, fucker.



With an exasperated sigh, Iason freed Riki.



-Watch your mouth pet, I don’t care what the occasion is, I won’t hesitate to tame you here and now if you push me any further.



Riki didn’t bother to answer him but turned and began to walk away.



However, as soon as Riki was out of his master\'s sight, he began to run.



*****

Jamming the pet ring had not been easy, but then again, Riki had had other difficult tasks to do in his life before Iason. For days, he had been going into Iason’s study, and fiddled with the ring controller, using skills he hadn’t used for a very long time, until he had succeeded in hacking it. With a heave, he now pulled the ring from his genitalia. Clad in new clothes, ready to take a hike, Riki was determined to leave Iason behind for good.

It had all become too much. “It was only an illusion”, he thought, but this time, the tears did not leave his eyes. It was time for him to leave, even if that meant he was killing a part of his own soul. He remembered some strange words he had seen written in a book in Iason’s library. He had asked Iason what they meant, and the Blondie translated them for him, after pronouncing them in their original form. He had loved how the strange language had sounded in his lover’s mouth. The book was on Iason’s desk, never read entirely. Now, those words seemed just perfect. “Partir c\'est mourir un peu”, Riki murmured. Yes, they were just perfect. He took the ring that now seemed lifeless in his palm and placed it on the open pages of the book. He exhaled, closing his eyes. “To leave means to die a little”.

***



With dread in his heart, Riki decided to try his luck. He knocked and waited. The door opened with a cracking sound.



-Riki, is that you, man?



-Hey, Guy.



They both stood contemplating each other for a long minute. Suddenly, Riki felt completely tired. What was he expecting? Wine and roses? He was ready to apologize and make a 180 degree turn, when Guy pulled him into his arms, patting his back.



-Get inside, man, what are doing standing there like that?



Riki let himself be led into Guy\'s home. The interior looked as poor, as he remembered it, but now it looked nice and tidy.



-Are you hungry? Guy asked, not waiting for Riki\'s answer.



Guy called someone.



-Hey, Kirie, fix us something to eat, would you? We have a visitor.



Light footsteps were heard, and Riki was soon facing a kid, slightly shorter than himself, with odd coloured eyes, fixing him nervously.



-I know who you are, the boy spat. Why are you here?



A light smack drew Kirie\'s attention back towards Guy.



-Be nice now. Riki will be staying here with us.



Riki suddenly felt relieved. He had known Guy would welcome him, no matter what had happened in the past. But he could tell in a glance that Kirie wasn’t too happy about the new living arrangements.

The only thing he could do, so as not to screw things up for Guy, was to try and get on Kiri’s good side.



Because he didn\'t want to ruin his ex\'s life anymore.