Innocent Deception (11/12)
Chapter 11
When Yuya finally eased the car to a stop, Massu managed to keep his sigh of relief to himself as he pushed open the door and planted his feet on a firm ground.
“I love coming up here.” Yuya said. Skipping around the car, he grabbed Massu’s hand and pulled him.
Massu resisted for a while, wanting to enjoy the sensation of just standing there, his hands in Yuya’s. With deep breaths of air dragged into his lungs, he focused on putting the aftereffects of the rollercoaster ride behind him. Prying the keys from Yuya’s hand and slipping them into his pockets, he muttered, “I am not sure I like it as much.”
“My driving scares you?” Yuya asked his face alive with glee at the prospect.
“You drove fine. It’s the road that scared me to death,” Massu replied. He recalled the twisted trail that led to the mountain. He couldn’t forget how Yuya steered aggressively on a hairpin turn leaving his stomach rotating 90 degrees.
“So maybe you should have closed your eyes,” Yuya suggested playfully, lifting his arms to Massu’s shoulders.
“Or maybe I should let you sit on the passenger side and give you a dose of your own medicine.” Massu countered, lowering his head to meet the offered kiss. Yuya’s lips parted under his, and his tongue invading the warm cavern, stroking. . . .and teasing.
Yuya threaded his fingers through Massu’s hair, pulling him harder against his mouth. The drive up the mountain had been exciting but it was nothing compared to the thrill he experienced at Massu’s touch. He was hungry for him, eager to relive the wondrous passion they had shared the previous night. He tightened his fingers when Massu’s tongue slid across his in a rhythm he recognized well. Totally dependent upon the arms that held him, he stood high on his toes, wanting more, needing it all.
It took the sound of another car pulling alongside his car to force them apart. Both looking frustrated at their disrupted passionate play, they content themselves with twining their fingers. They turned to walk up a nearby hill.
Slanting a glance at Yuya, Massu realized he had never seen him looking more breathtakingly gorgeous like now. It wasn’t the stark white silk shirt that caught his imagination, certainly not the way the wind was blowing, leaving not much of the body underneath to imagination and causing his throat to dry. It was his glowing face - laughing up at him, eyes sparkling in the morning sun. Lovely eyes, he mused - eyes that darken in anger and clouded in passion.
Yuya is beautiful in a way he could not define. Was it because he loved him that made the difference? Or could it be that Yuya had fallen in love with him? His heart skipped several beats as he contemplated that. Having Yuya in his life forever was suddenly a distinct possibility, and he had never imagined a life so full of joy.
“I still won’t let you drive.” Yuya said, interrupting Massu’s thoughts, drawing his mind back to their earlier conversation. “And using sensual blackmail won’t make me change my mind.”
“Does that mean I should stop kissing you, stop touching you, stop -----“ Massu started saying as they thread the grassy slope.
“Don’t you dare!” grinning at the wolfish look in Massu’s eyes, Yuya felt his breath quicken. It was so easy to picture the two of them, lying on a blanket of flowers beneath the morning sky, practicing the erotic lesson they have just so recently shared.
Swinging him to a stop in front of him, Massu cupped his face, holding him still for his lips. He kissed him lightly, his tongue only teasing. “I can see what you’re thinking,” he murmured huskily against Yuya’s mouth. “And if you don’t stop looking at me like that, I won’t be able to walk.”
“So, who wants to walk?” Yuya breathed against his lips, stunned by the sensual throbbing that weakened his knees.
“You’re the one who suggested this trip,” Massu reminded him, backing away. “Let’s get this over with.”
It suddenly occurred to him that this would be a good place as any to propose marriage to Yuya. He grinned at the thought. He admitted silently that this hike up the mountain was indeed one of Yuya’s better ideas. He put his thoughts on choosing the right words, needing to make it as clear as possible. HE LOVES HIM. He wants to marry him and the whole world be damned, he does not intend to take NO for an answer.
Yuya snuck a peek at Massu, curious as to what had brought on his sudden smile. But then, his own mood was euphoric as he mixed his thoughts with memories of the previous night and dreams of tomorrow.
Permanency, the future shared with the man he loved. It had never been a reality before. He was too busy being defensive and wary to get involved. He became paranoid because of Sakura and Joey.
With Massu, it all seemed natural. That’s why he had brought him up the mountain. He loves Massu. He wants to let him know, tell him in the open and fully clothed. Not in the aftermath of their lovemaking. He needed to make him understand that passion had not brought those words to his lips.
“We should have brought a blanket.”
Massu’s words startled Yuya out of his thoughts, grabbing his interest as he let himself be distracted by the warmth in the eyes that told him Massu was happy to be with him. “Why a blanket?” he asked.
“I just thought it would be nice to sit here and enjoy the view, and talk a little,” then maybe I can propose, Massu finished silently. He took a couple of deep breaths readying himself to do it. He had never been more nervous in his life.
“We can get by without a blanket,” Yuya said. “Trust me.”
Talk, Massu had said. Yuya couldn’t help it as his thoughts went back to the long night before. They talked then too, and it had been a different kind of bonding. But one that was equally important as the sexual attraction that had drawn them together. They each revealed their secret goals and aspirations, compared their likes and dislikes, good habits and bad. He had discovered that Massu’s not only someone he loves but also someone he respects. Without doubts and questions, Massu is someone he wanted to spend his lifetime loving.
They had not said the word yet - had not said love at all, but then, some things didn’t need words. He could feel his love. It gave him the courage to say it first . . . . and he will . . . soon . . . before he lost his nerve. He sighed; it was almost heaven - sitting beside Massu, his arm around his shoulders.
“I wish I had known when I met you that it was going to turn out this way,” he said, his lips brushing Massu’s cheek before he tucked his head against his shoulder.
“It has only been at least a week; I don’t think it counts as wasted time.” Massu said
“I guess with all those stupid secrets between us, one week is doing pretty well,” shifting closer to Massu’s embrace, he sighed happily.
“I didn’t have any secrets,” Massu countered. “You just assumed wrongly about my business dealings that time at the restaurant and I was not ready to talk about it yet,” he said, remembering how Yuya walked out on him at the restaurant.
“Who wouldn’t have, with your friend around? He was too excited about it he talked too much.” Yuya teased. “Added to the way Yamapi was dragging his heels, I guess it could have been worse.” He sighed.
Massu smiled down at him, a little confused but getting used to it. “What does Yamapi have to do with anything?” he asked. It seemed to him that he had asked that question a lot lately.
Relaxed and contented, Yuya couldn't help the yawn, his lack of sleep beginning to make itself felt. “The background check he ran on you. He should have done it right away. I would have known better than to suspect you of trying to scam me.” He said casually.
“Background check?” Massu repeated.
“Um-hmm,” Yuya purred, his limp body failing to notice the sudden tension in Massu’s.
“You had Yamapi check me out?” Massu asked slowly, his eyes darkening.
“Of course,” Yuya turned in his arms to look at him. “That’s part of his job.”
It was too late, he saw the fire in the depths of Massu’s eyes, it was not desire. He noticed the clenching of his jaws and felt the muscles going rigid across his back. It was not passion. It was anger.
When Massu saw the puzzled gaze, the flames turned to ice, and anger became rage. The next words out of his mouth were oddly delivered, ensuring Yuya understanding of the depth of his fury.
“You had me investigated to find out if I was rich enough to suit you.” It wasn’t a question. It was a statement.
“You’re deliberately misunderstanding me,” Yuya said. “Yamapi just made sure that you weren’t after my money.” And that, he hoped, was plain enough for anyone to see.
“And if I had been poor that would have been the end of it.” Massu said flatly. “You would have retreated behind your BABY SITTER’S defenses rather than get involved with a man who couldn’t buy you.”
Massu’s arms dropped away from Yuya, leaving him strangely cold in the brilliant sunshine. He trembled; suddenly afraid he had made a mess he couldn’t fix. Massu was upset at being investigated. He also realized there was nothing he could take back from everything he said, no matter how hard he tried.
Still, he had to try and fix it. “It was nothing personal ----“
“NOTHING PERSONAL!” Massu’s voice thundered. “Having someone snoop through your back account is not personal?” He rolled to his feet and dusted off his slacks with quick hard swipes, berating himself for trusting the younger man in the first place. He felt so incredibly stupid. He had assumed from the beginning that Yuya didn’t care about his money.
“I thought what we had between us was just that - between US. But you can’t seem to keep Yamapi out of the picture, can you?”
“I TOLD YOU ABOUT MY SISTER! Yuya shouted back, feeding off Massu’s anger as he rose from the bed of flowers and grass. “You know why it was necessary!”
“I know ONLY that you’re a spoiled little brat that has to look to his keeper for his decisions.” Massu ground out, clenching his fists at his sides. “No wonder there wasn’t anyone in the picture when I met you. Nobody in his right mind would put up with all the games you play.”
Yuya could have put a stop to Massu’s accusations by telling him Yamapi had not given him the report until just an hour or so earlier. He could have, but he didn’t - because he was suddenly just as angry as Massu was.
Massu had asked him for his trust, he gave it to him. In return, Massu refused to do the same thing to him. Seething with anger, he wanted to hit something. Massu didn’t look as though he was in the mood to give in and listen to him. He gritted his teeth and said the one thing that made any sense at all. “Get out of my life, Masuda Takahisa. Get out and stay out!”
“With pleasure!” Throwing Yuya a last scathing look, Massu swung around to head back down the hill. He took three steps then whirled back to snag Yuya’s wrist. Yuya snatched it back and dared Massu to try it again.
“You can either come with me right now, or I’ll leave you here.” Massu ground out, showing Yuya the keys he had pocketed earlier. Then he snagged Yuya’s wrist again and set off down the hill at a pace that forced the younger man to trot along after him.
“You’re sure as hell not driving back!” Yuya yelled, finding anger made him feel less vulnerable than the hurt it covered.
Coming to an abrupt stop, Massu turned around to face him. “Don’t offer me a challenge right now sweet stuff, I just might take that precious car of yours and wrap it around a pole.”
“Over my dead body,” Yuya muttered.
“The way I feel now, that could be easily done.” As abruptly as he had stopped, Massu turned and charged down the rest of the hill, Yuya in tow.
When they reached the car, Massu took the precaution of opening the passenger door first before tossing the keys across at Yuya. No way was he going to let the younger man maroon him on a mountain high above the bay. By the rebellious look in Yuya’s eyes, that was exactly what he had in mind.
He studiously ignored Yuya as he settled the glasses on his nose. When Yuya carefully slipped on a pair of driving gloved, he pretended not to notice.
It was not the first mistake he had made. He had said terrible things to Yuya. And though he didn’t mean them, the anger that had erupted in the hill was no match for the hurt that was tearing him apart inside. He allowed himself to believe that Yuya wanted him….as himself. And not his money, he was fooled…again. It was a replay of his previous marriage, a mistake he had sworn never to repeat. Without money, he believed that Yuya would never have given him the time of day.
If Yuya had used the road coming up as a morning workout for his car, it was a punishing race on the way down. He refocused the adrenaline from their argument on the car, pushing it to its limits as he plunged down the mountain.
The hairpin curves absorbed his energy and tested his skills. Not once did the wheels fight the pavement. Never did he get the feeling he was out of control.
To Massu, it was a harrowing ride. He forced his hands to remain flat against his thighs, feigning indifference he didn’t feel. Yuya knew what he was doing - he was sure of it. Yuya was scaring him to death.
When the brakes started smoking, Yuya grinned and focused on the telephone booth ahead. He would leave Massu there, not because he wanted to, but he would be better off. Racing down the mountain like that had been a stupid thing to do. Not dangerous, because he knew the car and his control of it, but stupid because he had revealed yet another childish personality to Massu.
He needed to get Massu out of his car before he did something even more childish. . . . like cry.
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Well, it seems that no matter how much they loved and trusted each other . . . it can still get crushed down . . . .
BUT no matter how strong the storm is Koyamama and big brother Yamapi will help them and weather it down (err, this one is an attempt at humor guys. . . seeing as how nasty this chap ended, so smile and don't kill me, okie? love, after all, conquers all, so i promise a happy ending)