Project Title: Flavour Challenge

Objective: To write three (3) one-shot fics about the Illusion guys – David, James, and Russell – using three classic coffee flavors as title and theme.

Guidelines and Rules:

1) Designate the following flavors for only the indicated characters:

David Caramel

James Irish Cream

Russell Hazelnut

These indicated flavors have to be used/integrated into the plot. Meaning… the characters have to use/eat/cook/drink/buy/etc each flavor assigned to them.

2) Each fic should either be lime or lemon (meaning no lower than PG13, should be NC17 rating or higher). Only hetero pairings are allowed. No yaoi, shounen-ai, yuri, group, bestiality, etc. allowed. Just keep the pairings straight and relatively canon-based. Non-canon pairings are allowed but not encouraged.

3) Each of the three fics has to be a one-shot deal. No sagas and novels please. Just short stories.

4) Fics should be AU (Alternate Universe). Think what-ifs scenario.

5) Guy’s (David, James, or Russ) POV all throughout the fic. (Of course as long as the POV doesn’t destroy the integrity of the plot). Other character’s POV is allowed but keep them as minimal as possible.

6) Do NOT discuss your fic idea with others. Don’t ask the other authors what their fics will be like.

7) Your favorite character – of the three guys – should be written last; so as not to lose interest when writing for the other two characters’ respective fics.

8) Characters have to/should be/ must be in character. Like was said before, stick to the canon as closely as possible, but be creative enough.

9) Disclaimers, Warnings, Ratings required.

10) If you have time and the inclination, you may submit a picture of a scene in one or all of the three fics you are to write. (This is optional, of course.)

This fic challenge was issued by anabarton at around 1-3:00 am of September 26, 2004 after being introduced to DaVinci Gourmet syrups. For further information about said syrups, refer to this

Furthermore, these one-shot fics are to be our gifts for each other for the coming Christmas and thus the challenge deadline shall be on: December 24, 2004

Entries must be uploaded to the IlluCorp ML File section inside a folder called “Challenge Entries.” Please do not read early submitted entries until December 25, 2004.

We are operating in an honor-basis. Please follow all the rules and guidelines. And thank you for participating.

Feifu

Site Moderator

Illusion

Flavour Challenge fic

ana barton

This is an original story that’s based on a dream I had some time ago.

ALL CHARACTERS, NAMES, and EVENTS are fictional in nature or may be based on personal friends and occurrences in my life. Any resemblance to real life is purely coincidental.

Mention has been made of the DaVinci Gourmet Syrups, specifically the Caramel Flavour Syrup for this story. This is a very real company, visit their website if you will ). I do not claim any connection to the company, other than as a prospective consumer of their products.

I got the idea for this challenge when feifu mentioned the syrups in a chat session.

Rating: NC-17

Warning: Character death

Caramel:

The Morning After

The aroma of freshly brewing coffee wafted through the air and drew a smiling, if still a bit sleep-rumpled, David Wesley to the small kitchen area in his apartment. The automatic coffeemaker merrily infused water with the ground coffee as he made himself a simple breakfast of toast and scrambled eggs to go with the beverage.

He caught himself when he found he was humming even if he was alone in his apartment. Who’d have thought that he’d have anything to hum about these past five years? Well, there was this girl…

He almost knocked the bottle of classic caramel flavour syrup from the table as he thought of her, Kristina Mendrez, his unofficial girlfriend; Tin had been the one to introduce him to the flavour syrup when they went grocery shopping one time. He remembered she’d been pleasantly surprised to find the item in the shelves…

But he was digressing. She was everything he could have hoped for in a woman to be in love with: refreshingly honest and down to earth, amazingly upbeat, eagerly positive, and beautifully sexy to boot. And as soon as he had the finalized papers in hand, he was planning on adding another entry on his list of things he loved about Tin: always mine.

So he was sounding a bit like a caveman, so what? After being married to that woman some people still insist was his “wife,” it was a miracle that he could even have a positive (if primitive) outlook in life. Eunice, his “wife,” had fought for years not to have the marriage dissolved and when she realized that he wouldn’t be swayed in his decision, she’d put up another fierce fight with regards to the property and settlement. But just because he wanted to be rid of her didn’t mean that he’d readily give up any part of his estate to her.

Thank God for his Dad who was and still is a damned good lawyer. After three years of court proceedings and whatnot, the papers were finally going to be signed today and then he was a free man!

After today, he was finally going to be free of the dark specter that was Eunice Gutierrez (he’d cringed every time someone referred to her as Eunice Wesley).

After today, he was finally going to be free to ask the woman of his dreams out on their first public date; a date in which he was going to ask her a very important question, and he was understandably nervous about the whole thing.

He plated his breakfast, pouring a bit caramel flavour syrup into his coffee, and sat down to eat, hoping against hope that some food in his system would calm the butterflies in his stomach.

David scoffed at himself. Here he was at twenty-six years old and he’d been married for the past five years (to a witch, he added mentally) and he was nervous about asking a woman out to dinner? His friends – James and Russell – would make fun of him. Heck, his parents and siblings would have a field day with this. Actually, they’ve already done that when he asked them rather anxiously of his plans for the evening.

He’d actually been shocked when his friends and family had supported his relationship with Tin more than with his soon-to-be non-wife. He expected them to be angry and disapproving of the relationship, considering he was a married man, albeit a married man on the verge of dissolving the marriage, but a married man nonetheless.

He thought his eighteen-year-old sister had put it best when she’d told him, “Heck bro, I reckon it’s time you got some happiness in your life, what with that horror calling herself your wife. Besides, I like Tin. She’s cool and she doesn’t try to make me wear those hideous dresses. Honestly, David, can you see me in that frothy pink dress? At my age?! I don’t think so!”

David sighed fondly at the memory. His mother, albeit the last one to accept that his marriage was over and he’d really wanted out, had been fully supportive of his relationship with Tin, even talking with Tin’s parents and siblings about their situation and assuaging whatever concerns the Mendrezes had.

The ringing of his phone jolted him out of his memories.

“Good morning, Tin sweetheart,” he greeted without even looking at the caller ID.

“…It could have easily not been me, you know.”

David chuckled. “Who else would be calling me this early?”

“Hmm, you have a point there, darling,” she replied and he didn’t need to see her face to know that she was smiling at him. “As I recall, your friends consider any time before lunch to be ungodly and would thus still be asleep. Furthermore, I doubt if your brother and sister would bother you given that they’re probably both half-asleep on their way to school.”

“They do consider us early risers insane, you know.”

She snickered. “Tell me about it. Anyway, I wanted to tell you that I’m probably going to be late coming in today. We’ll have to get a later flight tonight coz of Leila,” she said wryly. “She wants to do some last minute shopping, and you know how that’ll go.”

He chuckled. The past couple of weeks had seen Tin vacationing with her friends in a tropical paradise. She’d been calling him every morning and sometimes at night, of course, and David had appreciated the gesture very much since he’d been missing her terribly even before her plane had taxied off the runway.

Pathetic, but he could live with that if it meant Tin was feeling the same way.

“Last minute shopping that turns into an endurance race?” David replied with tongue firmly in cheek. “Oh yeah, I’m very familiar with that pattern. Reminds me of this woman a couple of months ago who shall remain unnamed who told her boyfriend she just wanted to pick up a dress for this office party. Of course, naïve in the ways of women and shopping—”

Here Tin snorted disbelievingly. But he went on as if he didn’t hear anything.

“Said boyfriend willingly accompanied her to the boutique and before you could say “Go,” he’d been dragged off for more than four hours of endless trekking with numerous shopping bags hanging on his arms.”

She sniffed. “You went willingly. And how was I supposed to know we’d meet ‘te Faye and that she wanted to get a whole new wardrobe that day?”

“It certainly took no effort on her part to convince you to tag along.”

Silence.

“David, are you still sore about that?” she asked hesitatingly.

He rolled his eyes at her even if she couldn’t see him. “Of course not, sweetie,” he replied with a hearty chuckle. “I’m just teasing you.”

“Hmph. Good. Coz of you were…”

David grinned and raised an eyebrow. “What will you do?”

“Hmph.”

“Drawing a blank, dear?”

“Hmph.”

“Oh, don’t be like that, Tin.”

“Hmph.”

“Need I remind you that Russell had a really good laugh at me when we finished shopping with his girlfriend?”

“…Oh yeah. How did he manage to escape that anyway?”

He snorted. “Something about an inquest he had to attend.”

“…So…”

“So… You’ll be back tonight?”

“Yup. I even made sure that the hotel reserve us the plane tickets now so Leila knows she has a schedule to keep!” She raised her voice a bit at the end and David surmised that it was an additional reminder to her shop-a-holic friend.

“I know!” He heard Leila call out.

“Just making sure!”

“Sheesh!”

He laughed quietly. “Sounds like she’s raring to go,” he told her.

“That she is… I miss you.”

“I miss you too.”

“Uhm, David?”

“What is it, love?”

“Are the papers, I mean…” she trailed off uncertainly.

“Yes. I’ll be getting the papers with Dad today.”

“…Are you okay?”

“Of course I am,” David replied gently. “One of the best days of my life.”

She sighed. “Just making sure… sweetie, I have to go; Heidi’s finally finished primping.”

David chuckled when he heard her other friend shout, “I do not primp!” from the background.

“Okay. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

David was thoughtful, though not pensive, as he put the phone down and got back to his cooling breakfast. He would be the first to tell people that Tin wasn’t the sort of woman to willfully break up a marriage, even one as on the rocks as his was. She was a great friend to him before he got married and even after the fact, even Eunice disliked her a great deal.

She had nothing to do with the dissolution of his marriage; if anything, Tin was one of the first people to advise him to go to marriage counseling – not that it had helped them. He’d actually gone out with a number of other women, discreetly of course, before a chance remark made by Russell started him thinking about Tin.

Years into their friendship he’d always felt something like, he thought then, brotherly love and affection. They’d been teased a number of times but they’d always maintained that they were the best of friends and nothing more. Never mind that he never really did like Miko and any other guy she’s ever dated… Never mind that he was always so protective of her… Never mind that he’d always thought that she was more beautiful than anyone could ever say… Never mind that she always came first to him…

A sincere and rather brutal conversation with James and Russell later, he was shocked to discover that he’d been in love with her for a very long time. Needless to say, his friends had been amused by his somewhat hysterical denial and disagreement before accepting the fact.

It was only then that he began pursuing a relationship with her. True, his marriage had hampered him at the beginning but he’d slowly but surely convinced her of his sincerity. As far as he was concerned, his marriage was over and he was only waiting for the paperwork to make it legal anyway.

David looked at the clock and ate quickly. He’d rather have this day over with and everything in the past put behind him so he could look forward to a new future. And to do that, he’d have to hurry up to meet his father in court on time before going to his rounds at the hospital.

David rolled over onto her and began moving inside of her. He could tell she was nearing her peak by the arch of her back and the deep moans she was emitting with each of his thrust. Tin was gripping his shoulders and grinding her hips against him, increasing the tempo of their rhythm.

Aside from sharing a very simple hug with her, this was his other favorite times in her arms. It felt wonderfully safe and comfortable in her arms, and he could just let go and be David, the man who was madly in love with her, the man who wanted nothing more than to shout from the highest building his love for this woman, the man who would be supremely satisfied if she would just be his for eternity.

Her mouth opened in a silent scream as her body clenched him tightly, deep inside. Tin, caught up in her orgasm, writhed beneath him. He held her securely in his arms as he groaned, helpless not to respond to a call such as hers, and he came inside of her, crying out her name, shaking as his warmth flooded into her.

David collapsed tiredly onto her, kissing her sweat-moistened skin. He could barely catch his breath and it felt like his heart was trying to beat its way out of his chest. He could tell that Tin was in much the same condition as him, and he thought to himself that it was just as well because he didn’t feel like he had the necessary strength to move off her just yet.

“I’ll just have to make it up to her later,” he told himself roguishly.

Finally regaining enough vigor to raise himself up from her, he rested most of his upper body weight on his elbows. “God, she’s beautiful.” And even more so now after they’d just made love. Not even willing to fight it, David leaned down and kissed her as tenderly and as lovingly as he could after that bout of a feeding frenzy. “And mine.”

He pulled out of her then moved onto his side, pulling her lithe body with him. “Did I hurt you?” he asked huskily.

“Oh no,” Tin replied, her breathing ragged but recovering. “David, that was… wow.”

He chuckled and his hands continued stroking the length of her back, pulling her even closer to his body. “I missed you, you know.”

“And I missed you.”

David bent and kissed her on the forehead. “Maybe next time, we could go away together?”

Her pleased and beaming smile was answer enough but he welcomed her enthusiastic “Yes!” just the same.

He traced the outline of her mouth with the tip of his finger before kissing her. He pulled Tin up and over to lie on top of him but before he could interest her into going for Round N, she slid away from him and off the bed with an impish grin.

“Tin?”

She picked up his shirt on the floor by the bed then glanced at him as she put it on. “Be right back.”

“Where are you going?” David leaned up on his elbows and watched her sashay out of the bedroom.

“The kitchen,” she called out.

He debated against going out there himself and seeing for himself just what his girlfriend was up to but then again, there was nothing like letting the anticipation build of what she had in store for him. Besides, she looked real sexy in his shirt and nothing else and he didn’t want to ruin whatever surprise she wanted to give him.

Tin came back moments later with a small bowl of…

“Is that ice cream?” David asked curiously as he sat up. He certainly didn’t remember buying ice cream the last time he went to the grocers but then again, she could have easily brought that when she got in. He had honestly not paying much attention to anything she had with her, other than getting her clothes off as fast as possible, hence their stop-over at the couch before they could get to the bedroom.

She smirked and climbed into bed with the bowl. She settled above him, straddling his lap and offering him a spoonful of the treat. It tasted familiar but at the same time unfamiliar… but he didn’t have time to contemplate on that more as she handed him the bowl and undressed.

“I made it,” she explained. “Well, the first part of it is all me then I had to borrow ‘te Faye’s ice cream maker. I put it in the freezer earlier; you didn’t notice?”

He shook his head in the negative. Did she really expect him to notice anything but her after a couple of weeks separation? Speaking of which…

“I found this cool recipe from ‘te Ann’s collection, caramel ice cream,” she continued. “So I thought why not make it. Just to see how it turns out. Do you like it?”

“Yes, I do.” And as fast as lightning, he reversed their positions easily as he regarded her with more than a touch of lust. “I’m finding out that I’m really fond of this caramel flavour, especially like this.”

David lifted the spoon and let the cold and melting sweet liquid fall onto her skin, forming a spiral around her breast. She’d hissed out a breath on the first touch of the cold and now moaned as he dipped his head and licked the liquid off, his tongue eagerly following the corkscrew pattern.

“Oh God…” Her body lifted to him in reaction.

He grinned as he repeated the process on her other breast. “Caramel ice cream… it’s more delicious served this way,” he whispered as he lowered his head to her, “don’t you think?”

“Oh God, David…”

“And think of all the other surfaces I can use.”

David snapped awake.

It felt so real and lifelike that he could taste her skin on his tongue and feel her skin under his hand. He half expected her to be on the other side of the bed, ready to chastise him for waking her up in the middle of the night when she had a gallery opening to see to the next day. But Tin wasn’t there and her side of the bed was cold and dark.

Suddenly, he didn’t want to be in the bedroom anymore. He pulled the covers off and stalked over to the French windows opening out to his 24th floor apartment balcony for some air.

It will be two years today – a glance at his watch confirmed that it was indeed early morning of the next day – that cruel Fate decided that she didn’t want one David Wesley to be happy. Two years ago, She decided that it would be amusing to let the love of his life be one of the victims in that horrific bomb explosion at her hotel.

Two years… and it felt like it had just happened yesterday.

He’d been so happy that day when the annulment papers were finalized. He was rid of his “wife” and he was ready to embark on a new life with Tin, but that was horribly destroyed when news of the bomb blast reached him.

He had known it was her hotel but he’d prayed to every deity known to man that she’d managed to escape that with her friends. They had been on their way out for a shopping trip; of course they wouldn’t be there. They’d managed to get out in time before that mad car bomber crashed into the building.

It had been a harrowing five hours wait for news. His father had commandeered the telephone and taken it upon himself to contact her family for any news. He’d also called in favors from some of his contacts abroad for information.

But David had known even then that she was gone. It could have been that distinctive caramel scent mixed with the subtle hint of roses he’d associated with her that he’d breathed in at the courthouse. It could have been that sudden sinking feeling in his chest, that pain he’d felt, at exactly the same time that the bomb had gone off. Or it could have been that dark brown butterfly that had fluttered around about his head as he was being told of the explosion.

To say that he was devastated would have been an understatement. He hadn’t been able to function for months after that; he hadn’t even gone to work. He’d secluded himself in his apartment and just curled up in his bed, not crying, not seeing anything, not hearing anything, not feeling anything… He supposed the only way he survived was his mother coming in every single day to take care of him.

But he still didn’t cry.

The second month, his father had stormed into his apartment and read him the riot act. Needless to say, he didn’t like what looked like an interference with his grief and had screamed and yelled insults at his father. He had no recollection of what had exactly been said but he did remember that at the end of it, he was crying, a sobbing mess in his father’s arms.

It took him a good three months to accept that she was gone and another week passed before he could visit her grave.

The pain was still there and he knew it would still be there ten, twenty, thirty years on to the future and would stay with him for the rest of his life.

The thing was, though, David didn’t know if he wanted to be there to experience it anymore.

05 November 2005

Author’s Notes:

The what-if situation that I chose was that of David actually marrying Eunice when he found out she was “pregnant” with his child.

It’s kinda… angsty yet sweet… at the same time, don’t you think? sweatdrop I could be biased about the sweet comment since I’ve always thought David was sweet

Erh, apologies to anyone who wants to “hurt” me for writing the story this way. I could always say that this was what David wanted me to write, eh? And it’s true! He threw a somewhat similar AU story line to this at me the moment he found out I’ll be writing him first.

Now, if I can only get hold of Russell so I can move on to his AU story…

ana J