Arranged

Joshua sped through the streets, disregarding laws and regulation, not that any cop would dare stop him. Lights flashed and he was lucky the roads were deserted, or he'd be weaving in and out of cars. By the time he pulled into Sade's driveway, he was almost certain he deserved at least three tickets and a breathalizer test - just in case.
Expelling a breath, he peeled his hands from the wheel and forced himself out of the car. He should have gotten dressed, at least. He felt like an idiot showing up in his pajamas, but nothing could be done now.
His heart pounding in his ears, he raised his hand and knocked, swallowing down his anxiety. What if he didn't answer? Wat if he did? What should he say? How could he explain? Joshua wasn't ever sure if there was anything to explain, but he was determined to find something. Anything, really, as long as the ache in his chest went away.
The door opened and Joshua's heart skipped, but the person standing there wasn't who he wanted to see.
"Where's your brother, Shade?" Joshua asked, angry at Sade for being such a coward.
Shade stepped aside, surprised that Joshua had pegged him for the right twin. Looks like the switch plan Sade had thought up wasn't going to work. Shade pointed to the back of the house. "He's hiding in his room."
Joshua shuffled inside. He'd been here many times already, but he'd never felt like such an outsider before. There was a first time for everything.
He looked at Shade, stalling. "You know, I've never met your parents."
Shade tilted his head. "Nope. We live here alone. They have another house in the city, closer to work."
Joshua nodded. "Right." He paused, wishing he had pockets so he could shove his hands in them. "First on the left?"
Shade nodded. "Yup. Good luck." He turned to leave and Joshua noticed the keys in his hand.
"Where are you going at this hour?"
Shade faced him, sighing. "Look. Whatever's going on is between you two. As much as I care for Sade, I don't want to be around for anything that happens. I'll interfere. I'm going to a friend's. Sade will call if he needs me."
Joshua gritted his teeth, but nodded and Shade left. The house went quiet. Damn it. Joshua was hoping for someone else to be here so he wouldn't do anything stupid. Like a buffer to keep his emotions in check. Now that that wasn't going to happen, there was no telling how this was going to play out.
Resigned, Joshua walked down the hall and stopped outside Sade's door. Deciding not to knock, he turned the knob and swung open the door to find Sade over by his window. It was open and he had one leg out, ready to escape.
He looked over. "Shit." He made a break for it, trying to get his other leg out the window, but Joshua reached him first.
"Don't you dare!" Joshua grabbed him by the collar, making him give a surprised shout as he lifted him, kicking and screaming, into his arms.
"Let me go!" Sade shouted, banging his fists onto Joshua's chest. "You big brute! Put me- Oof!"
Unceremoniously, Joshua dropped him on his bed, then sat on him to make sure he wouldn't try to make another run for it. There was no way he was letting Sade get out of this and leave him hanging again.
"I changed my mind!" Sade shouted, covering his face with his hands. "I don't want to see you. I don't want to talk. So you can leave now. Really. It's okay."
"Will you shut up!" Joshua yelled, no longer finding Sade's rambling cute.
First, the kid tells him he loves him, then he runs away. Then he ignores him, then he says he wants to work things out only to try and run away again. Joshua was done. He was going to fix things whether Sade wanted to or not.
"You started this," Joshua gritted. "You can't run away anymore, Sade. I'm not going to let you."
"But you think I'm gross," Sade sobbed behind his hands.
Joshua was baffled, his anger briefly disappearing as he stared at the teen beneath him. "When did I say that?"
Sade shook his head, his voice muffled. "You didn't have to. I could see it in your face." A tear leaked out from behind his hands. "You think I'm disgusting. You think that the way I feel for you isn't right. You're just like everyone else."
Joshua rolled his eyes, reaching out to grab Sade's wrists. Gently, but firmly, he pulled Sade's hands away until he could see him, pinning them to the bed so he couldn't hide again, but Sade kept his eyes tightly shut, his face turned into the bed.
Joshua sighed. "Sade." This boy was so difficult. Was it any wonder he'd turned Joshua on his head? He didn't think so. "Sade, look at me."
Sade shook his head, squeezing his eyes tighter. "I don't wanna. You think I'm worse than melted twinkies."
Joshua tried - and failed miserably - not to laugh, especially because Sade was so serious, but it just wasn't going to work. "I don't think anything is worse than that. Especially not you."
Sade turned disbelieving eyes on him, his lips trembling and his face red. "But I saw the way you looked after I told you! You thought I was gross! A freak!"
Joshua stared at him, waiting. When Sade stayed quiet, he ventured to speak again. "You finished? Are you ready to listen?" Sade's features turning stubborn made Joshua nod, continuing. "First of all, you're confusing my shocked face with my disgusted one. I've never found you or your personal choices disgusting in the least.
"And, second, you shocked the hell out of me." He shook his head. "What were you expecting? You completely threw yourself at me when I had no idea how you were feeling. I'm a complete idiot when it comes to noticing others feelings for me."
Sade had given up. What could he say? Joshua was right. He'd caught him off-guard and he'd known it. He could tell Joshua had had no idea how he had felt and if he hadn't lost his temper, Joshua never would have found out. It was his own fault that the man he loved was in his room, sitting on him and about to reject him a second time.
He sniffed, holding back the hurt that wanted to spill from his eyes. "B-But you're not gay."
Joshua finally smiled, letting go of Sade's wrists to cup the boy's face. He used his thumbs to wipe away the tears he'd caused to fall. "You're right. I'm not gay," he agreed. He could see Sade's heart break, but Joshua kept smiling, leaning down until he was only a breath away from Sade's mouth. "I'm bi."
Joshua didn't wait to hear an answer, all he saw was Sade's eyes going wide before he closed his own and kissed him for all he was worth, praying that he wasn't making a mistake they both would regret later.



Rhone was humming as he and Nessa walked the city streets. Nothing could dampen his spirits today - not even the fact that he'd actually had to take a bus to get here since Joshua still hadn't come home. He could let him off this time. He was happy enough to be on a date with Nessa. Not that he could call it a date to her face, but he was able to think what he wanted, so, in his mind, this was a date.
And he was loving it!
They'd been at it for two hours already, going to various shops to find Nessa a costume. She'd tried on a few, but none of them had been right. It didn't fit with her, and it didn't match his costume - a secret he was keeping to himself.
For now, they were eating lunch in a little cafe since it was starting to get too cold to sit outside. And it was getting damn annoying having people stopping him for an autograph. It was interrupting his date and, even though Nessa didn't seem to mind, they still had another store he wanted to take her to before they were finished. It would be nice if they could be uninterrupted for the remaining time.
"Almost ready?" Nessa asked as Rhone shoved another fry into his mouth. She was getting anxious just sitting there. She didn't mind hanging out with Rhone - it wasn't awkward like she'd expected - but all the girls staring and whispering and sneaking pictures on their cellphones were making her nervous. Rhone didn't seem to notice, munching away as he was, but she really wanted to get moving. Even if it meant trying on more ridiculous costumes.
She'd only gone out on Halloween once. That had been with Jay a very long time ago and, when she'd gotten home, she'd gotten beat up one wall and down the other. The consequences had vast outweighed the fun of going out a second time.
She shoved unnecessary thoughts away, not wanting to think about Jay. Like ever. What had he been thinking, forcing himself on her that way? Had he really thought it would earn him brownie points? If so, he had been sorely mistaken.
She sighed. "Can we go?"
Rhone, noticing that somehow Nessa had lost the spark she'd had all day, put aside his food and rose. He held out a hand to her, offering a smile. "Come on. One more store. I'm sure you'll find something here."
Giving him a suspicious look, but wanting to piss off the fans whispering about them, she slipped her hand in his and stood. Somehow, she wasn't surprised when he kept hold of her hand and led her out of the cafe. She was, however, feeling a little smug when the girls gasped and looked severely put out.
"Where are we going this time?" she asked, trying to get her hand back without being too obvious about it. He was making it difficult, though, damn him.
"To Cry and Smile," Rhone said, smiling himself. "It's where I get my costume every year."
"You dress up every year?" she asked, not believing it. It was hard to imagine Rhone dressing up. But, then again, it would draw him attention, so maybe it wasn't so far-fetched.
"I didn't for a couple years," he told her. He shrugged. "I got tired of waiting for my old man or my mom to come home so I went on hiatus." He smiled, but it was tainted with bitterness. "That didn't work, either, so I gave up. Besides, the fans expect it now."
Nessa changed the subject. "You have a lot of fans."
He grimaced. Great, she'd stepped on another landmine. "Not nearly enough," he told her. He sighed. "But we're getting there."
Nessa frowned. "What are you talking about? All of the girls in that restaurant back there were going nuts."
He raised his brows, stopping as they came to a red light. "You think? I hadn't noticed."
"Yeah, right," she scoffed.
He grinned. "Okay, maybe a little."
They bantered playfully back and forth as they walked to the store. When they got there, though, Rhone turned into the charming businessman. It was interesting, Nessa had to admit. Watching him switch from one persona to another was amazing since it seemed so natural. There was the playful and caring Rhone she liked; the businessman who came off as charming but aloof, and the celebrity: A spoiled and over-confident brat that was permanently etched into the top of her Shit List.
He turned back to her, his business smile turning warm in an instant and making her tense. She may be okay with two of his personas, but she still wasn't sure she could trust any of them.
"Let's find you a costume," Rhone said, excited as he dragged her back through the store and into the private section. As Nessa followed, she was annoyed and astonished to see that this was the same boutique she'd been dragged to when Rhone had kidnapped her. It looked different in the daylight and without the bouncers and, thankfully, there was a noticible lack of frills and pink this time.
"Here," Rhone said, stopping abruptly. He gestured to the long room that had wall-to-wall costumes all in clear or opaque, protective bags. "Choose one."
"But I-"
Rhone rolled his eyes and pushed her towards the clothes. "If you don't choose one, I'll choose one for you."
Nessa's heart thumped and she darted towards the racks. "I'll find one myself, thanks."
He smirked. "Thought so. The dressing rooms are in the back. I expect you to show me a lot."
"How many is 'a lot'?" Nessa asked, eying him skeptically.
He shrugged and took a seat at the end of the room by a set of three mirrors and a pedestal. "However many until we find the right one."
She frowned harder, brushng past a cat costume that reminded her more of sluts with a fur-fetish than a snuggly kitty. "We're not looking for a wedding dress, you know."
Rhone's brows raised as he watched her. Intersting idea, that was. Ness in a wedding dress. . . No doubt she'd look stunning, he thought. Especially if she was walking towards him. He would love that. To be able to stand in front of a crowd and publicly claim that she was taken - that she was his would be a dream.
The thought sparked an idea and, elated with his own cleverness, he shot out of the seat and starting rifling through the costumes since Nessa had yet to pick even one. He pulled three and went back to her, shoving them into her arms. "There. That will get you started."
"But I-" Nessa protested, then sighed at his expectant look. She walked towards the dressing room. "Fine. I'll start with these. But if they're embarrassing in any way, shape or form, I'm not coming out and then I'm going to kill you."
Rhone grinned, pulling out another costume and handed it to her. "Fair enough. Hurry up, or I might find more."
With that threat looming over her head, she hurried into the dressing room to the left and began to change.
The first costume was a witch. Not one of those cheap witch costumes you found in a department store, but a sleek and cool, movie-like costume done in bright colors and flowy material. It came complete with a hat that was wired to look fashionably drooped.
Opening the door, she went out and stepped up on the pedestal, turning this way and that to see. "I like this one for style, but I'm not a witch-y kind of girl."
"You wanna bet?" Rhone mocked.
She threw him a look. "I'm sure if you looked hard enough, you could find a dick amongst all these costumes."
He just grinned. "Ouch. Below the belt."
She smiled brightly, turning so her skirt flared and closed the door to try on the next outfit.
"Hey, Nessa," Rhone called.
"Hmm?" She pulled on a white, filmy dress with bell sleeves and hung off her shoulders. A little confused, she opened the opaque bag further and smiled triumphantly. Just as she thought: White-feathered wings. She pulled them out carefully.
"What are you doing for Christmas?" Rhone's voice drifted in.
She struggled with the gianormous wings. "Uh. . Nothing I'm aware of." She sucked in a breath as she moved the wings into place, the harness holding them up tightening around her midsection. At least they didn't have straps around the shoulders.
"So you're free?" Rhone pressed.
She pulled up the top of her dress. "I don't know. Why?" Readjusting herself, she opened the door and walked to the pedestal. "Is Terry throwing a party or something?"
Rhone stared. He couldn't help it. Forget the damned wedding dress, he'd marry her just as she was right now; A perfect, stunning, pure, white angel.
"Rhone?" Nessa asked, glancing at him. She did a double-take when she saw how he looked at her. She smiled. "I take it you like this one?"
"What?" he asked, jolted back to reality. "Oh. Right. Yes, I do. I mean, back to what I was saying." He waved a hand as if clearing thoughts away. "I'm playing a concert on Christmas here in the city. It's classified as a school event, but you won't get credit or anything for it since it's a holiday." She stared at him and he had to look away, the costume nearly blinding. "Anyway. I was hoping you would come."
Nessa blinked in surprise. "You want me to come to your concert?" She thougt for a moment. "Will people actually go? I mean, it is Christmas, after all."
He waved a hand dismissively. "People always come. It's packed. Hundreds of people crowd the place. Most of the school will be there." He leaned back in the chair, crossing his arms. "I'll give you a backstage pass so you won't have to deal with the crowds."
"Um. . Sure," she conclued, nodding as she got down off the pedestal. She liked this costume a lot, but it was way too pretty for her. "I think I can swing that. I'm going to try on the next one."
Damn. No angel then. That was perfect for her, so it really was too bad, but he didn't want to stop the fashion show. "So, you'll come?" His heart pounded as he waited for an answer.
Her muffled reply filled him with relief and adrenaline. "Yeah. I'll be there. As long as you don't pull me on stage again."
He gave a wicked smile, thinking back on when they'd first met. "But you liked it the last time."
She opened the door, her face flaming and angry, but Rhone could tell she wasn't mad at him. She stepped up on the pedestal. "It was a one-time thing, Rhone. Not gonna happen again."
Not wanting to spoil the mood, Rhone let it go, leaning forward onto his knees and resting his chin in his hand. "I like this one," he said about the costume.
"You would." Nessa was never wearing this out in public. It was one thing to be Catwoman, it was another to be verging on dominatrix.
Leather from head to toe, the pants were tight and had cut-outs in sheer material reaching as high as the thigh. The top - if it could be called that - seemed to have been a vest at one point, but now it stopped covering just under her breasts, replaced by straps that criss-crossed over her mid-section and buckled to the pants. It had been hell to get into, but she had to admit, she looked damn sexy.
"What's wrong with it?" Rhone asked.
"How about the fact that if I bend over, the seam isn't going to be the only line you'll be seeing on my ass?"
Rhone laughed. "So it's a little tight in some areas."
She rounded on him. "A little?"
He held up his hands in surrender. "Look on the bright side; it makes your boobs look awesome."
She blushed, indignant, and turned on her heel, walking back into the dressing room and giving Rhone a nice view of her ass walking away in all that leather. It made him rethink how tight he wore his jeans.
"Oh, wow," Nessa breathed as she looked at herself in the mirror a few minutes later. "This is aweseome."
Rhone stood, going over to her. "No kidding. You look great."
This time it was a fairy costume. Irredescent wings connected to the corset bodice arched out of her back in an opaque material that hung lose at the bottom and shimmered purple. The dress itself was pastel purple and white and blue, the ends shredded to look like ripped strips ending at her calves. The bodice was tight and pushed her breasts up enough to worry that they might fall out. There was little nothing in the way of straps and, all in all, Nessa figured the costume would be severely cold.
"Do you like this one?" Rhone asked, watching her through the mirror.
Nessa touched the skirt, looking down at the ballet slippers that completed the costume. "Well, yeah, but don't you think it will be too cold?"
Rhone squinted at her. She had a point. For as cold as it was getting, this may not be the best choice and any old jacket wasn't going to look right. "I'll go ask if they have something to go over it." Nessa started to protest, but Rhone hushed her. "You like it, right?" When she nodded, he smiled. "Then it's fine. I'll be right back."
Frowning, Nessa turned back to the mirror. What was with Rhone all of the sudden? It wasn't like she was complaining, but she hadn't exactly been nice to him. What did she do to deserve his kindness? It didn't make sense.
She sighed and went back to the dressing room to search the costume's bag. Whatever was making Rhone change must be pretty significant, but Nessa had to admit, for the time being - even though she was Shade's girlfriend - it was nice being Rhone's wife.