Red horses


Nothing – that's what's Mekhi see's in Heito's gaze after ten years apart. It shouldn't bother him, it doesn't bother him... but it does, and it's that look that leads to a simple act of revenge that goes too far, and that will slowly un-ravel everything Mekhi thought he knew about himself. But Mekhi has been pretending to be interested in something he's not for three years, how hard can pretending to not to be interested in something be? But as the summer progresses will Mekhi be able to keep track of who knows what, when he isn't even sure of what's true himself?

Then there's Heito...


Content warning: Same as usual guys, you should probably be over eighteen and open minded if you're going to read this. Nothing much in this chapter, but at some point this story will probably contain graphic sex (definitly gay, possibly straight), as well as content about a minor, and incest.


One - The Game

The air was still and humid, but the incessant rolling of the waves up the beach seemed to fill the night, giving the impression of wind when there was none. Mekhi tucked his hands behind his head as he lay back against the sand and tried to imagine a breeze. He closed his eyes against the beautiful Thai beach that surrounded him and concentrated on imagining himself back home in England, sitting in his Grandparents' lovingly tended garden. It would smell of the roses his Gran adored, a tangy explosion of Thyme perhaps as it was rippled by the breeze that would be cool and hardly humid at all, perhaps the sky would be darkened by the rolling front of a summer storm. His Grandpa might be sat on the patio, a pipe he hadn't smoked for fifteen years rolling through one hand, the other occasionally raising Turkish delight to his lips. His Gran would chortle in that sweet high pitched way of hers as she dusted icing sugar from the old man's collar.

A particularly big wave washed up the beach. It embraced his toes with its burst of refreshing coolness but completely destroyed Mekhi's tenuously constructed mirage.

Eyes the rich, golden colour of warm caramel blinked open to stare up at the black abyss that stretched above him. Except it wasn't black, it shimmered with a startling number of stars, strewn across the night sky like motes of dust floating in a shard of light. The teenager made for a haunting sight, stretched out across the sand, with his hands tucked behind his head of dark hair, the universe was reflected in the depths of caramel eyes that were worn beyond their sixteen years.

To his left the ambient glow of a hotel oozed up from the far side of the jutting tower of rock that isolated this beach from the one the hotel used. Mekhi had walked from that hotel, it had taken all of ten minutes passing under the towering mass of the rocky bluff, he had jumped easily between rocks and sand that were exposed by the low tide. But the sea had rolled back in hours ago. He had watched it creep in and slowly turn the thin stretch of sand in front of the rocky outcrop into a churning mass of currents and deadly undertows.

Now Mekhi considered his options: He was a strong swimmer, so despite the darkness he had no fear about his ability to swim far enough out to go around the deadly currents that circled the broken chain of rocky islands that spilled into the ocean; or he could walk back along the two miles of dusty pot holed track that was so unkempt it took half an hour to drive it never mind on foot. But he had got off the plane from England just this afternoon and his jet lagged body was still on UK time. Right now even though it was only eight-pm it felt like three o'clock in the morning and he thoroughly did not fancy either of those options. Which left: staying where he was – it was plenty warm enough to sleep out, but he could hear the high pitched whine of mosquitos already; or he could go to the only source of light on this side of the rocky hill.

To his right there was a little wooden house up beyond the sand. Tucked among the tropical greenery, the single story rectangular building was up on stilts in case of flooding, it was made of dark unpainted wood, and despite its small size it was ornate enough to not be a simple farmer's home. The sweeping concave lines of the roof overhung a little balcony that ran around the whole thing. The walls themselves weren't really walls at all, just a series of sliding panel doors, and every other one was open. Fluttering opaque mosquito nets obscured the scene inside, but they did nothing to hide the soft glow of light that spilled out. Faint waves of laughter and occasional pulses of someone playing the violin washed down the beach. Along with a familiar scent of a simmering fire and the spicy tang of oils to keep the mosquitos at bay.

A beautiful tune whispered its way down the beach, urging its way into Mekhi's head. The music wove its way through his senses, driving away his memories of his home in England, and drawing him back into memories he would rather forget. He pressed his eyes shut again, as he focused on the memories he wanted – being at home with his Grandparent's or at school with his friends. In fact, any memories that were not of this beautiful but desolate and lonely place.

A place that he had once called home. Now he knew better.

He wanted to sleep, but his brain twitched and thrummed as his exhaustion clashed with the coffee he had foolishly drank to try and keep himself awake. He knew it was too early to sleep anyway, not unless he wanted to be Jet lagged for days. But he didn't want to think anymore. He didn't want to feel the churning mixture of anger, sorrow and loneliness, which in his exhaustion he could not keep at bay. So he pressed his eyes shut and thought of home as he tried to will his body into sleep. But everyone knows that when you really want to sleep you never can. The oppressive heat and humidity, the bugs, the laughter, the caffeine, they were all just things for his brain to think about as his thoughts danced determinedly through wakefulness.

Mekhi wasn't asleep when he felt a wash of warmth covered him, but as he blinked his eyes open and stared up into the face of a stranger he wasn't exactly awake either. The stranger was currently on his hands and knees, and those hands and knees were either side of Mekhi's shoulders and hips.

'Why hello, you're not local are you?' The voice was definitely male, but if someone had told Mekhi that the young Thai man who was staring down at him was a girl, he wouldn't have had any problem believing it. His voice was definitely male though and he spoke in a flawless English accent as he stared down at Mekhi through big brown eyes. His face was very close Mekhi realised absently, but he was still in that dazed half asleep state so he didn't bother trying to move, he just stared up at the man who was probably nineteen or twenty. It was hard to tell exactly because he had the smooth flawless cocoa butter skin and petite build of the locals that made him hard to age.

Mekhi realised that the Thai boy wasn't alone, there was someone holding a lamp standing a foot or so behind Mekhi's head. He tipped his head back through the sand, at the back of his head there was half a thought that he should probably be worried.

His eyes took a moment to adjust to the lamp the other man was holding. It wasn't bright, just a soft glow to break the darkness.

The other man wasn't local. He looked about twenty-two, and he was tall and muscular but in a lean way that was as far from Mekhi's own well-muscled swimmers build as it was possible to get. Where it was touched by the soft white light of the lamp his skin was that strange peachy dark tea colour that Caucasian skin goes when it gets exposed to enough sun, and was dusted with eggshell freckles. His hair had a messy uncared for look that some people strived for but was probably natural on him, the same way the rich coppery colour it was died was probably a result of sun and sea rather than a bottle.

Mekhi noticed all of these things in a few short seconds. Then his gaze settled on the man's face, and on the golden hazel eyes – the creamy colour of solid honey – that were staring down at Mekhi and the man on top of him with a faint mixture of amusement and irritation. And Mekhi knew that the amusement was for the Thai man, and the irritation was for him.

'He…' Mekhi started but he was interrupted by a hand tugging his chin down, forcing Mekhi to look back into brown eyes.

'Oi, don't ignore meee,' whined the guy on top of Mekhi and the teenager final noticed the faint aroma of lager that clung to the man's breath.

'Don't Ai,' chided the pale eyed man, and the guy over Mekhi hesitated where he'd been about to drop his grinning lips against the teenagers neck.

'Aw, but he's kind of adorable,' chuckled the guy who was clearly called Ai. He pushed himself up so he was sat back on his knees but still straddling Mekhi's thighs.

'And also probably from the hotel.'

A frown suddenly creased Mekhi's forehead and his eyes flicked back up to catch the copper haired young man in his gaze.

'What?' he said with a nonchalant shrug, as he met Mekhi's obvious irritation with a dismissive smile. 'It's not like there's anywhere else you could have come from, is there?' he looked a little drunk and he waved a hand around absently taking in the deserted beach. His melodic voice was clearly native English, but had a few soft tones and inflections picked up from living here.

Mekhi carried on staring up at him, not letting those eyes go from his as he searched the pale depths for anything… for any jot of recognition or acknowledgement.

The guy laughed and turned his gaze on Ai, and then the two of them switched to Thai. They ignored Mekhi completely even though Ai was still sat over the teenagers thighs. Mekhi didn't really notice, or care about the other boy. But each word he didn't understand was like a knife in his gut, a knife that was digging into the wound left by the utter lack of recognition in the eyes of the man who stood above Mekhi.

A man that Mekhi knew, but who clearly no longer knew Mekhi.

How long had it been? He hadn't lived here since he was five. But he had come back regularly for two years after that. Ten years was a long time. Plenty long enough to forget somebody if you didn't care enough to remember.

Mekhi watched as the man he knew as Heito spoke animatedly to Ai. The foreign words washed over the teenager's ears, every now and again a syllable would catch at his thoughts, vaguely familiar, and yet the meaning danced out of his reach.

He didn't know what he had expected.

But it wasn't this.

The realisation was taking its time to work through his exhausted brain. But inevitably it was seeping through his bones like a bitter cold. And it hurt.

He didn't know what he had expected.

But it should have been this.

'Oi,' said Ai as he poked Mekhi's abdomen. 'Stop lusting; did you hear what we said?' he asked as he dropped his head back in front of Mekhi's, blocking the younger boy's view of Heito. Mekhi turned his eyes back to Ai, and this time the Thai boy jerked back slightly as he was met with the cold and detached glow of the teenager's eyes.

Mekhi didn't know why he had been so surprised. It was hardly the first time in his life he had been forgotten. The coping mechanism was easy; cool anger replaced pain with a fit like a tailored suit.

He sat up and cocked his head to one side, leaning forwards to grin darkly at the Thai boy as he raised a hand to Ai's chest and pushed him firmly from his knee.

'Why would I lust at him? You're much prettier,' Mekhi said with a quiet huff of air.

Ai looked startled for a minute as he rose to his feet, and then his full lips split into a grin.

'Oh, Heito, we definitely have to keep him now,' said Ai in English.

Mekhi dropped his head back so he was almost staring at the tall boy upside down, he quirked his lips into a smile.

'Yeah, Heito; you should definitely keep me,' he mocked lightly.

For his part, Heito just laughed, 'did you not see the signs, kid?'

'Yeah, are you stupid? Or just can't read? Why would you stay on this side of the bluff? Or did you sleep though the tide coming in?' chimed Ai in short singing sentences.

'I'm not stupid, I can read just fine,' Mekhi answered Ai's question but turned so he was staring at Heito over his shoulder instead as he propped himself up on his arms. 'I just hate that hotel.'

'Well, you can't stay out here,' said Heito, either too drunk to notice Mekhi's surprisingly cold look or he simply didn't care enough to be bothered. 'We've all had too much to drink, I can radio up to the hotel and get a car to come and pick you up.'

'Unless you plan on carrying me to a car, just leave me alone,' Mekhi dropped his arms out from behind him to lay back on the sand. He pressed his eyes closed and tucked his hands back behind his head.

His eyes darted open again as he felt a hand dusting along his arm. Heito had dropped into a squat just above his head. The barest ghost of a smirk curled up the corner of his lips as he noticed the brief flash of surprise in Mekhi's eyes before the teenager could quash it.

'I can think of other places I'd rather carry you,' he whispered, as he held his face just above Mekhi's and left his fingers against the boy's skin. He smelt of aromatic coriander and chilli, a warm wash of exotic oils and sweet undertone of rosewater, the combination confused Mekhi's senses completely and he stared blankly.

Heito erupted into peals of soft laughter. His hand coming round to rough the teenager's hair.

'It's fine if you don't want to back to the hotel; believe me I get it,' Heito's honey eyes glistened with amusement. 'But I still can't let you stay out here all night.'

He reached down and wound a hand under the teenager's armpit, tugging him to his feet with a surprising amount of strength. Mekhi frowned as he ended up standing flush with the older boy. Mekhi wasn't short, maybe five foot ten or so – and hopefully still growing – and his body was wrought with strong, toned muscle from years of swimming training. But Heito was perhaps a little over six foot and because he'd pulled the younger boy so close, Mekhi had to crane his head back to meet the guy's eye.

'Come on, you can stay at my place,' he started normally. He inclined his head and dropped his voice to a soft conspirators whisper against Mekhi's ear, 'I promise I won't let Ai do anything to you; or at least, nothing you don't want.'

Mekhi frowned as the guy stepped away from him. Heito's hand was still attached to the teenager's arm and the older guy started to tug Mekhi towards the glowing chalet that was the only building this side of the bluff. Ai skipped to his side, his face slipping into a massive grin as he stared at Mekhi, who was staring at the man dragging him.

The teenager kept his face in a carefully schooled frown, and let himself be led up the beach. He tried to objectify what Heito had just said and done. But whichever way he looked at it the young man had just implied that he wasn't promising not to attack Mekhi himself. Which was disturbing.

Not because Mekhi wasn't gay. Although he wasn't, but then he wasn't straight either, he just didn't care. For example, Ai was a guy, but he was pretty enough and Mekhi would have had no problem kissing him, he just didn't really want to. So it wasn't like he was bothered by Heito coming on to him.

Which he should have been.

Mekhi stopped in the sand and tugged Heito's hand from his arm.

'I can walk,' he growled, to try and hide the fact that he was flustered. The jet lag, exhaustion, and caffeine combination was clearly having more of an effect on his head that he'd realised. The cold anger of earlier was wearing off, and really all he wanted to do was sleep.

He'd just clear this up, sleep in Heito's house, and deal with being angry with the guy when he was less strung out.

'Don't you want to know my name?' he asked carefully as the approached the chalet. Now he was closer the voices from inside were louder, there was laughing over the discordant sounds of someone trying – and failing – to play a violin. Heito's violin.

Ai and Heito turned as they got to the stairs that would lead up to the main floor of the wooden house. They had matching condescending smiles on their faces.

'If I asked the name of every guest visiting the hotel, do you think I'd have enough space in my head for anything else?' chuckled Heito. Mekhi scowled at him deeply, as he felt a fresh wash of anger ignite in the embers of the first.

Heito just gave another dismissive shrug and then tugged Mekhi lightly so he was ahead before he pressed hands into the small of the teenager's back to urge him up the stairs.

'Seriously, relax a bit, kid,' he continued as he reached over Mekhi to pull back one of the mosquito nets and reveal the room on the other side.

'I'm not a kid,' Mekhi hissed as he stepped into Heito's house.

'Sure,' Heito chuckled lightly and patted the top of the slightly shorter Mekhi. His tone, face, and actions were all perfectly condescending, and perfectly balanced to infuriate the younger guy.

The chalet was almost exactly how Mekhi remembered it: a long rectangular room, split lengthways by a low slung and uncomfortable couch down the middle, there was a very basic kitchen – a pair of gas hobs and the new addition of a fridge that at first glance appeared to be the only electrical item in the whole pace – separated from the rest of the room by a short island with a round sink set into it. There was nothing personal, no photos, no ornaments, just the bare wood of the walls and the white of the mosquito nets. The only colour came from the brightly coloured carpets that covered the floor, and the piles of cushions currently being lounged upon by the people he'd heard laughing from outside.

A simmering fire flickered low in a wide metal brazier at one end of the ignored couch, and it filled the air with a pungent mixture of oils that would keep a whole army of mosquitos at bay. Every other panel door was open, but beyond the opaque gauze of the mosquito nets the beach was removed except for the background wash of the waves and an underlying tang of salt and seaweed that even the brazier couldn't obscure. The room was lit by the same soft white electric lamps that Heito and Ai had been carrying, it gave the scene an oddly surreal air.

The only differences were the fridge, and the battery powered lamps that had replaced most of the candles. Clearly Heito would only embrace electricity so far.

Six other people were lounging on the floor in a circle in various states of undress. They were all clothed, it just seemed like for some of them the clothes seemed to be less effective at hiding flesh. Then again Mekhi wasn't inclined to judge them: the chalet was cool in comparison to outside, but it was still uncomfortably warm. They were sat around a pint glass that contained a quantity of liquids Mekhi wasn't sure were ever supposed to have been combined because it was the colour of puss and appeared to have curdled. The three women and three men looked round as Mekhi, Heito and Ai entered, their knowing smiles turning curious as they noticed the newcomer.

'Found another stranded one,' announced Heito in English while Ai muttered something in Thai at the same time.

There was a chuckle, and Mehki fought down the familiar disconcerting and irritating feeling of not knowing whether they were laughing at him or not. He kicked his flip-flops off by the door and he couldn't help but glance at Heito yet again, nor could he help the frown that creased his forehead at the condescending grin that appeared on the young man's face.

'He doesn't want to go back so I said he could stay in here; don't pester him guys,' Heito finished.

Which Mekhi thought was a little rich considering what Heito had said and done not five minutes ago.

'Anyway,' Heito pointed to the other side of the room, where there was a pile of folded futons. 'Help yourself and find a corner, it might be noisy but at least you won't get eaten alive by mozzies.'

'Uh, yeah, thanks I guess,' he muttered with a last frown at the golden eyed man before he turned to get a futon. A soft wave of patronising laughter hit the back of Mekhi's neck, then Heito went over to join the game of ring of fire that was underway.

Mekhi grabbed the top one and went to the corner that would put him farthest away from the group of drinking people.

He flattened the futon and lay down, closing his eyes and trying to lose himself in the memory of his home. He was jet lagged and exhausted but the coffee he'd drunk was still twitching through his senses. It made his eyeballs itch and caused his ears to catch on the discordant nattering of his hosts. With a last sigh he rolled onto his side to watch.

The reason their talking was so distracting was because they switched between English and Thai fluently, even within single sentences, and each time they switched his brain had jolted back to wakefulness. The six people he didn't know were three women and three men, in a mixture of Thai and Caucasian. One of the women had an American accent, and one of the men sounded Australian, the rest spoke with British accents. And it was odd to hear the voices suddenly change from familiar to foreign. They were all probably between nineteen and maybe twenty five and they were all beautiful and handsome as befitted their gender. Except for Ai, because he was a guy, but he was definitely beautiful, and Heito, because he was…

Mekhi winced as Heito looked round and caught him staring. His face softened into a smirk and he cocked his head to one side, and for some reason Mekhi found himself thinking about what the young man had whispered in his ear.

Stupid pervert.

'Hey.'

Mekhi jumped half out of his skin as Ai dropped into a squat in front of him, his lips parted in a cheeky smile.

'Uh, hi?' mumbled the teenager as he collected himself.

'Can't sleep?'

'Too much caffeine on the plane,' Mekhi eased himself into a sitting position because he didn't want to be trapped by Ai again.

'Oh you just got in today? Makes more sense why I don't recognise you. Weird day to arrive though,' Ai seemed content to just talk at Mekhi, so the teenager just stared levelly at the Thai guy and waited for him to get to the point or finish. 'Want to come play? A beer might balance you out?'

'You usually invite sixteen-year-olds to join your drinking games?' said Mekhi but Ai didn't look perturbed.

'I was just trying to be nice. We're done with ring of fire anyway, and one beer won't get you drunk.'

'Bloody hell, I know one beer won't get me drunk,' he grumbled, and then sighed wondering why he was making such a big fuss out of it when a beer probably would help tune his head back down out of his caffeine buzz. His eyes skipped over Ai's shoulder and settled on the Heito. The guy was lounging back on one arm, sipping at bottle of lager. Yeah, that was why.

'We dealing you in or not, kid?' shouted one of the men Mekhi hadn't been introduced to.

Mekhi drew his eyes back to Ai, and the Thai boy had a knowing grin on his face that Mekhi didn't much like.

'Sure, can't sleep with you guys wittering on anyway,' he muttered as he pushed himself back up off the futon.

Ai was grinning inanely by his side as they both dropped cross legged into a gap between a guy who sounded Welsh and a girl.

'Clarice,' said the girl with a smile, she was the American one. 'No name?' she asked when Mekhi didn't offer one in return.

Mehki gave a small shrug and his eyes darted to Heito's, 'you'll only forget, right?'

Clarice laughed besides him and tugged him against her side, she was warm and soft and smelt of Jasmin and American whiskey.

'You broke the poor kid's heart already, Heito?' she said with a grin, and the pale eyed guy just laughed lightly and held Mekhi's gaze in his for a second.

'Here, Thai beer is strong so drink it slow,' Ai handed him a beer and let Mekhi watch as he popped the lid off.

'I can probably drink more than you, you realise that?' Mekhi muttered as he raised the cool bottle to his lips and took a long pull.

'Maybe, but you're already fucked from lack of sleep,' said Ai with a small shrug and Mekhi just let it go.

'Know how to play shit head, kid?' asked the Caucasian guy who'd dealt the cards, he was the one with the Australian accent and looked like a typical surfer stereotype.

'Sure,' Mekhi said and decided to let the "kid" part go. He was the youngest here, and he really wanted to be able to finish his beer. He listed off the rules as he knew them and with only a couple of adjustments he was soon playing a two deck game of shit head with a room full of almost complete strangers.

His friends from school were all older than him, so it wasn't like this was the first time he'd sat around playing cards and drinking beer. Although, it was definitely the first time he'd done it with a group of strangers. He also realised that Ai probably had a point about the exhausted thing, so he drank slowly and carefully, and was relieved that the way it blurred the edges was in the familiar alcohol kind of way, not tainted with anything else.

He started to relax as he laughed with the eclectic group of people, whose names he didn't even know until half way through the third game. They stuck mostly to English for him, only occasionally slipping into Thai, usually when they got annoyed and once when the Auzzi guy – Francis – and a lithe Thai girl – Silvy – ganged up on him to stop him from winning a round.

'You're certainly a very responsible runaway, eh?' chirped Ai with a quirked eyebrow at Mekhi's still half full beer. The Thai boy was sitting back down with a handful of fresh beers and a couple glass tumblers of spirits which he handed around to those that wanted.

'I'm not a runaway,' Mekhi said, his voice droll as he took a controlled sip of his beer.

'Course not,' chirped Heito from the other side of the circle. 'Your parents know exactly where you are, right? And are perfectly happy that you're sat drinking beer with a load of drunk strangers.'

Mekhi couldn't help but laugh slightly at that.

'Dude, my family just doesn't care enough to give a shit.' Mekhi muttered, his tone dripping with sarcasm as he took another slightly longer drink of his beer.

Heito just laughed.

Which really irked.

'Aw, poor kid needs some loving,' Clarice grinned and slipped her palms either side of Mekhi's cheeks, she pulled his face round and planted a soft wet kiss against his startled lips. She was still grinning as she let him go, but her eyes flicked over Mekhi's shoulder to grin at Heito, and she stuck her tongue out at him.

'Sheeh, Clarice is drunk,' said Francis as he leant back on one arm and sipped at his bourbon.

'Haha, I am; what you going to do about it, Francis?' She stuck her tongue out at the surfer and knocked over an empty bottle by her knee. 'Ooo, let's play spin the bottle, we haven't played that for ages.'

'Clarice, we only played that so Pauli could kiss that hot little French virgin,' bemoaned Francis, and a chuckle went around the room at the shared memory.

'Aw, but look at the poor unloved boy; take pity,' cooed Clarice as she pulled Mekhi against her side.

'Fine,' Francis knocked back the rest of his drink and rolled the glass across the wooden floor to Ai, 'I need another one though, too many guys to do this sober.'

Clarice ran her eyes around the rest of the group who just took it in turns to shrug or nod.

'Ooo, yay,' Clarice jumped to her feet to help Ai, and Mekhi was left with a gap either side of him and too many eyes on him for comfort.

'Seriously? How old are you guys?' he looked around the circle, and one by one they all gave nonchalant shrugs. 'I'm going to sit this one out,' muttered Mekhi.

'Don't be such a pussy,' chuckled Francis. 'So you might have to kiss a guy, you're on holiday right? You going to go home to your friends and tell them you didn't stay to watch some girls making out because you were afraid of kissing a guy? You're in Thailand for god's sake, half the girls have dicks,' he laughed then turned an apologetic grimace to the Thai guy on his left. 'No offence, Leon.'

'None taken,' Leon gave a small shrug.

'Hey, don't I get an apology?' chimed Ai as he handed Leon his drink.

'Hell no, you're part of the problem,' Francis gave a toothy grin and ducked Ai's mock swipe.

Mekhi found his eyes drifting back to Heito. The guy was leaning back against one of his arms, his face set in a casual smile as he met Mekhi's gaze.

'I just don't think it's a good idea,' Mekhi muttered, as he tried not to scowl too deeply at Heito.

'Don't refuse on my account,' Heito said softly as he raised his beer to his lips, holding Mekhi's gaze in his warm honey eyes.

Mekhi bristled. Heito's gaze was smug and mocking; like the idiot thought he knew perfectly well why Mekhi was refusing. Mekhi met Heito's silent challenge with cold eyes as he tipped the last of his beer to the back of his throat. Part of him knew this was a really bad idea. But a bigger part of him wanted to throw that smug look back in the arrogant idiot's face.

'Fine, I need another beer though.' There was no way in hell he was doing this with only one beer in him. Ai dropped and unopened beer and a bottle opener in front of the teenager.

'Just remember you asked when your head hurts tomorrow,' said Ai.

'I'm not going to get a hangover from two beers,' Mekhi grimaced as he knocked the top of the bottle and passed the opener back to the Thai boy. He took a big gulp of lager then he propped himself up on an outstretched hand and didn't bother pretending not to glare at Heito across the circle.

Heito chuckled, his pale hazel eyes shimmering with mirth in the low light.

'I'll start,' Clarice chimed as she settled back besides Mekhi, reaching over to give him a loose hug as she went for the bottle. She spun it haphazardly and squeaked when it stopped on the girl with the English accent.

'Me and you Diana,' Clarice said with a grin as she crawled across the circle.

'Ever seen two girls make out?' asked Pauli from the other side of Ai, his Welsh accent somehow gruff and melodic at the same time. Mekhi stayed mute and shook his head. He didn't bother pretending not to watch as the American girl took the other girl's full lips between her own.

His friends would probably be having a field day right now. But Mekhi found it kind of boring. Kissing was kissing, and it really wasn't that great to watch other people doing it, even if it was two hot girls.

After Clarice was Francis, and he had a brief argument when his bottle pointed squarely between Heito and Silvy, but the Australian won and got Silvy. Then there was Leon and he stalked across the circle on his hands and knees without complaint to kiss Ai. Mekhi turned to watch that too, marginally surprised when Leon didn't just give him a quick peck and be done with it, but then it wasn't really hard to pretend Ai was a girl.

When Leon was done Ai sat back with a grin on his face and caught Mekhi's gaze as he wiped his flushed lips with the back of his hand.

Diana's spin landed on the teenager. And Mekhi took a deep breath as the English brunet crossed the circle towards him.

'Well I know it's not your first kiss 'cause I just saw Clarice give you that,' she said with a quirk of her eyebrow. Mekhi didn't have time to tell her that Clarice was definitely not his first kiss because Diana was already wrapping her hand around the back of his head to pull his lips against hers. He kissed her back, reacting naturally to her caresses. It wasn't a bad kiss, but he was hardly surprised that it did about as much for him as watching her kiss Clarice had.

'Hmm, not bad, kid,' she said with a smile as she returned to her spot.

'Whatever,' Mekhi said and gave a shake of his head. A couple of them were watching him with curious glances but he didn't give them anything and concentrated on getting a bit further through his second beer.

Then it was Heito's turn and Mekhi realised he was holding his breath as he watched long hands wrap around the empty bottle and then release it with a flick. He hoped he didn't look quite as relieved as he felt as the bottle top pointed squarely at Clarice. Heito crawled across to the American but his eyes flickered to Mekhi once as he darted his tongue out over his lips just before he kissed her.

Mekhi shifted his gaze away, not quite able to bring himself to watch with the nonchalant ease he had managed for the others. He heard Heito make a low noise in the back of his throat as he pulled away. Mekhi looked back around in time for the golden eyed young man to shoot the teenager a small grin as he returned to his seat.

Silvy, took her go, and as she leaned round to kiss Pauli, Mekhi was beginning to have regrets about agreeing to this. Pauli and Ai took their turns, and then everyone was staring at him expectantly. A mixture of condescension and excitement painted across their faces in various proportions. He didn't give himself time to think. He just reached forwards to take the bottle, it spun and spun and spun.

Not Heito.

Anyone but Heito.

It stopped on Leon. Which wasn't perfect but was at least not Heito.

The group started to cheer and lean forwards to whisper encouragements to him as he crawled across the circle and came to a stop in front of the Thai guy. With a small sigh he caught the guy's eye for a moment, then he leant forwards and kissed him. It was different to Diana, of course it was, because she was a pretty girl, and although Leon was Thai he wasn't pretty like Ai. He didn't have much stubble but it was still noticeable. And his lips were a bit dryer, the returned kiss felt a bit firmer and more precise.

But apart from the physical difference, in his head he didn't feel any different to when he'd kissed Diana, or anyone for that matter: a nice sensation and nothing much else.

He dropped back, and Leon cocked his head to one side with a nonchalant smile on his head.

'Hmm, Diana was right. So, how was it?'

Mekhi rolled his eyes and went back to his place, everyone was still staring at him, waiting. Which they hadn't done for anyone else.

'I go to an all-boys boarding school, you think I haven't kissed a guy before?' his voice was droll as he took another drink of his beer.

'ooo… look at you all surprising and mysterious,' giggled Clarice as she broke the slightly startled silence and pulled him against her side again as she reached forwards to take her own go.

She got Pauli this time and she crawled passed Ai and Mekhi with a bleat of happiness.

'So you've kissed guys, hmm? Why the big fuss about joining then?' asked Ai with a chortle as he turned to the teenager.

Mekhi shrugged, and examined the label of his beer so he didn't look at Heito again, who he was almost certain was staring at him.

He'd kissed guys at school, for dares mostly. It had been different, because those other kisses had been rushed and hasty, with clashing teeth rather than question tongues and finished with grimaces rather than curious smiles. By contrast Leon had felt like he enjoyed the kiss, so Mekhi had relaxed into it. But that only meant he felt as much kissing Leon as he had Diana. Which was to say; not much all.

He zoned out again as the bottle went round, until it got to Heito's turn and once again he was praying for anyone but him. The bottle seemed to take an age to slow, and he could see the neck of it creeping towards him.

It stopped just to his right, pointing at a grinning Ai.

After the smug little smirk he'd got from Heito last time, Mekhi was determined not to look away as the two guys kissed. There was no holes bared there; tongues slipped past lips and faint moans rumbled up through the background giggling. Heito drew back with a grin for Ai, and a brief cock of his head for Mekhi.

Where on earth did the bastard get off being so bloody arrogant? Mekhi fumed, completely lost in his thoughts as the others took their turn.

'Ooo, lucky me.'

Mekhi had completely zoned out. He looked up from his awkward daze to see the bottle pointed at him, and he turned to see Ai grinning at him. Ai caught Mekhi's cheek against his palm and pulled their faces closer together.

'Think,' he whispered just before their lips were about to touch, his voice low enough so only Mekhi would hear. 'It's kind of like you're kissing Heito, right?'

Mekhi didn't have a chance to respond or steel himself against the thought before Ai's lips were over his. They were soft and full and the guy's tongue darted out to pry Mekhi's mouth open, and slip just inside, softly questing. Mekhi desperately tried not to think about what Ai had just said, but he could feel himself sliding away, as soft sensual lips caresses his. A faint murmur of appreciation went up from Ai. And Mekhi realised that a similar noise was coming from him too as he pressed his tongue up against the Thai boy's and let his hand tangle through his dark hair.

Mekhi suddenly realised they had been kissing for too long. He let Ai's hair go and leant back, his breathing was a little short as he met the Thai guy's dark eyes that were sparkling with a touch of arousal, but mostly faint amusement.

The rest of the group had carried on playing and it was back up to Leon again.

'Now I'm really glad I didn't send you back,' chuckled Heito darkly as he lounged back on one arm, not bothering to hide the fact that he had been watching intently. 'That was hot,' he added in a slow sultry voice when a still dazed Mekhi looked round at him.

Mekhi felt himself flush bright red from his eyes to his hips, and not from the kiss, or from the cloying humid heat. He really couldn't believe what he'd just done. Because he couldn't deny that as he had kissed the Thai guy, it had been the honey eyed young man he had been thinking about.

The man that was now staring at him with unabashed appreciation. As if he too had been thinking of a different pairing.

'Fucking pervert,' Mekhi muttered under his breath, and dropped onto his back to stare at the ceiling so his eyes wouldn't betray him and sneak back over to Heito. But Ai at least heard because the guy dropped a reassuring hand on the teenager's head.

'Hey, chill out. It's not a big deal; enjoying a kiss with me hardly makes you gay,' Ai said with a dismissive shrug.

'Yeah, I know. Oh, I mean, sorry…' Mekhi mumbled and trailed off as he dropped his hands over his face. This had definitely been a bad idea.

Ai just chuckled, 'you want some water, kid?' He got up to fetch a plastic bottle of water, once again bringing it unopened, and once again Mekhi was struck by the odd contradictions of them all. Then again, didn't he know first-hand that living out here got pretty boring? And the humidity could drive a guy crazy. That was definitely it.

He'd managed to skip his go thanks to his extended make out session, and the bottle didn't land on him again that round. He'd been sipping water, but by then his second beer was mostly gone and the alcohol combined with the heat and the jet lag were finally starting to hit him.

'You still playing, kid?' said Ai with a soft smile as he nudged Mekhi's arm where the teenager was still lain out on his back.

Mekhi just sighed and sat up to reach for the bottle. His head was too full of messed up shit, and he didn't even remember to do his silent chant as he set the glass spinning.

It landed on Heito.

Mekhi stared at it the neck of it, and let his eyes travel slowly up. Heito was smirking at him, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.

Which was oh, so very wrong.

He chuckled when Mekhi didn't move and lifted a hand, crooking a finger. The movement tugged at Mekhi's gut and he felt like it was pulling him across the room with a strange dark thickness that stirred in his spine. Mekhi pushed that feeling away, he dropped onto his hands, trying to draw a less panicked look onto his face as he put one hand in front of the other.

He was going to crawl over there, he was going to stare into those golden eyes, and he was going to tell Heito his name and watch that self-satisfied look slide right off the guy's face.

But Heito had pushed himself up so that wasn't lounging against his hand anymore, and he was chuckling darkly as he reached forwards. He tucked a hand behind the back of Mekhi's head and closed the gap to almost nothing before Mekhi had time to draw a breath and speak.

'Mmm, I love the look of you crawling on your hands and knees towards me, so hesitant, yet so dammed hot,' Heito whispered against Mekhi's lips and then with a firm hand he removed the last millimetre of air between them before Mekhi could back out of it.

Heito held Mekhi against him as his lips massaged and coaxed the boy's mouth open and then his tongue was hot and firm as it plunged between the teenager's lips. Mekhi's brother flooded his senses with a scent and taste of tangy coriander, chilli, and a definite flavour of rosewater Turkish delight. The taste alone was enough to melt Mekhi's brain, but the tongue that pressed into his mouth was hot and as possessive as the lips that claimed his mouth. And Mekhi kissed him right back as he leant forwards on his hands to get closer to the man, to let his brother's hot tongue slip further into the cavern of his mouth.

The hand at the back of the teenager's head ran small circles against his skull, and the sensation sent desire skipping down his spine like water off hot coals. Mekhi groaned.

The sudden realisation of what he was doing was like a freezing hand twisting through his soul.

He sat back quickly, causing their teeth to clash together as he forced his head out of Heito's grasp. And he was scrambling back across the room wide eyed and kind of horrified because his drunken and sleep deprived head wasn't freaking out enough for his lingering conscience.

Then Ai's arm was wrapping around his shoulders pulling the teenager against his side.

'Now then, kissing Heito like that…' whispered the pretty Thai boy conspiratorially into Mekhi's ear. 'That might make you a little bit gay.'

'Oh fuck, I'm sorry,' said Mekhi and he dropped his head into his hands to block out the sight of Heito who was staring at him across the room. His honey eyes were dark and hooded with brazen hunger.

Ai chortled, 'oh, don't worry. You don't have anything to be sorry about; me and Heito aren't dating or anything, we're just good friends.'

'Nnn,' Mekhi mumbled something incoherent and against his side Ai just chuckled again.

'Relax, drink some more of your beer,' he said softly. Mekhi scrabbled for the bottle and finished the last inch of his beer in two big gulps. Then went for the water bottle and finished the last half of that because suddenly he didn't want to be drunk anymore. But it was too late, and as he dropped the bottle from his lips Heito caught his gaze once again.

Mekhi realised it was Heito's turn. And his brother – Mekhi's stupid, arrogant, oblivious brother – held the teenager's gaze in his as he reached for the glass. He twisted and released the bottle. And Mekhi could hear his blood beating in his ears as the glass scraped against the wooden floor, slowing down time as it came to a rest.

Heito's lips split in a breathless smile, and his tongue darted out over the flushed flesh of his bottom lip that was still damp from their earlier kiss.

Mekhi knew this was all his fault. Because he had known: he had recognised Heito as soon as his eyes had settled on the young man, whereas Heito had looked down at Mekhi and seen nothing. This was supposed to just be Mekhi getting his own back on the bastard who was too much of a self-absorbed idiot to realise he was hitting on his own brother. But Mekhi was mortified, because Heito was oblivious, but Mekhi had known, and he had kissed his brother… and wanted more. And now the teenager watched; mute and motionless, as mortification and something far worse froze him in place while the golden eyed Heito fell forwards onto his hands, his movements graceful and fluid.

Ai had detached himself from Mekhi's side.

Heito stalked along the length of the bottle, towards where the neck was pointed, towards Mekhi. And the teenager realised that as that the rest of the group seemed to have dispersed. They had floated to the other side of the room or headed out onto the veranda for cigarettes, or to piss or to get new drinks, or to do anything except stay in the room where Mekhi was being stalked down, trapped in Heito's gaze like the lamb to the slaughter that he was.

'Don't, Heito,' breathed Mekhi as the other boy finally reached him and took another step forwards forcing Mekhi to lean back slightly.

'I'm just taking my turn,' Heito's voice was a breathy whisper as his hand scooped behind Mekhi's head pulling their lips together.

Mekhi whimpered as he was kissed for a second time by his brother. Heito's lips were soft and possessive and his tongue hot as he slipped it back into Mekhi's mouth and the older boy groaned lightly as he pressed Mekhi back, urging the younger boy towards the floor and following him with his body.

'You taste really good,' Heito breathed the words against Mekhi's lips, breaking the kiss just enough to speak as he slipped his leg between Mekhi's thighs and pressed firmly down against the boy's groin.

'Oh fuck, stop Heito,' Mekhi half snapped back to his senses, his hands coming up to push against Heito's shoulders. The older boy chuckled breathlessly and dropped his mouth against the faint stubble of Mekhi's chin.

'It's fine, kid,' he muttered between kisses where he pulled Mekhi's flesh into his mouth, sucking and biting and caressing the flesh and pulling a faint wash of blood to the surface. 'I'm too drunk to do much anyway, but you can have some fun, eh?'

'No, fuck no,' Mekhi was panicking now as his hands pushed at Heito's shoulders and he could feel hot tears of embarrassment burning behind his eyes.

'Shh, relax,' Heito finally stopped, and the smug smile melted into a genuine look of concern as his hand came up to stroke Mekhi's dark hair. 'I'll stop if you want,' he said gently, and then just a hint of that smug smile returned. 'I just figured, what with the way you were so blatantly staring at me all evening, looking all cute and lonesome, that you were out already.'

Something inside of Mekhi snapped.

He felt it close down over his eyes, turning warm caramel into hard cold anger. He recognised the flash of confusion as Heito saw it happen too.

'How the fuck did you think I was going to stare at you, Heito?' his voice was a bitter hiss. 'You know, I didn't know you were gay; doesn't surprise me though.'

'What the fuck, kid?'

'Not kidMekhi,' his name was a cruel whisper, but he knew Heito heard. Hazel eyes like creamy honey, stared down into those of golden caramel. They widened in slow horrified understanding.

'Holy fuck… Mekhi?'

Mekhi felt his lip curl up in a faint snarl.

'How ya doing, bro? It's been a while.'

Heito's face melted into a look of appalled horror and he scrambled backwards whipping his hands across his mouth as he pushed himself across the floor until he hit the far wall.

'Fuck, Heito… since when do you have a brother?' cursed Ai as he reappeared in one of the cabin doorways a look of horrified fascination on his pretty face.


A/N: Thank you to the people who reviewed the first draft, your help is much appreciated. If you've just found this, I hope you enjoy it, and feel free to ask questions and leave feedback :)