Crisco is for Sissies[M]

[TruthSayer]

OOC: I have tried my hand at writing out the French accent. Now, it shall be assumed that Christian has one ^^

IC: "Male? Female?" Christian raised one shoulder. "It does not matter to me."

Behind him and down the hall, his apartment door slammed open, loud voices echoing in badly slurred French, the shouting of his name and threats if he did not show himself immediately covered almost completely by the shattering of a vase. Christian closed his eyes, sighing softly. He just knew that his mother was going to blame him for that.

"I must go, as well," he said, already reaching for the mouse. He offered a quick half smile. "I look forward to meeting you in person, Marcus, as well as this... Raa."

He clicked the Skype window closed, wondering at the strangeness of Marcus' lover's name, and how difficult it might be to separate them.

--

Raa counted to sixty, very slowly in his mind, before he finally let Julian up for air, kicking hard away from the shallow bottom of the pool to propel himself as far away from his sputtering friend as possible.

"Asshole!" Julian croaked, water flying everywhere as he emerged, full dressed, from beneath the water.

Raa grinned at him, getting into position as Julian began his predatory approach, reaching out to bat a floating black sneaker out of the way as he did so.

Julian had started it, reaching down to supposedly check the temperature of the pool, and proceeded to fling a handful of water down the back of Raa's long sleeve shirt. What had proceeded was enough splashing to soak the tables, chairs, and walkway around the pool.

"I told you not to splash me," Raa said, realizing too late that he'd backed himself into a corner. He turned, planted his hands on the side of the pool to heave himself up, and swallowed water as Julian grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked, dunking him as he maneuvered himself to sit on Raa's head.

"Could I help if if I thought you needed a shower?" Julian asked rhetorically, rare grin stretching his mouth wide. "Seriously, man! Take a bath!"

His only answer was a series of furious bubbles.

[Tammika]

Derrick rolled his eyes as they came through the doors of the pool room. "All I'm saying is-" He dropped his voice. "All I'm sayiing is, just be careful okay. There. End of discussion." He expected Marcus to continue arguing and begging him to explain but paused and followed his line of sight.

"What the hell? You two were supposed to be cleaning up!" Derrick marched over to the tables and used a towel to wipe away the water before he set down the arm full of cups and plates he carried. In the middle of his rant Marcus moved pass him to set down the first few trays of food. They saved money by letting Marcus, his mom and Sheryl from CA class help with the food.

Marcus giggled. He was in too good a mood to be bothered by a messy room. It was going to look like this ten minutes after everyone arrived anyway. Dancing to the constant song in is head Marcus casually stripped out of his shoes and his shirt and cannon balled into the pool in his jeans.

"I'm surrounded by idiots."

Gwen walked through the side door with Sheryl and a couple of others bring in more food. "What is-"

Derrick shook his head... "Don't ask." and then promptly took of his shirt and jumped in the pool too.

[TruthSayer]

Raa had stopped struggling at forty-five seconds, gave a few dramatic jerks, and then went limp. Maybe if Julian believed he'd died, he would stop sitting on his head. It didn't work, but it did give Raa the momentum he needed to launch Julian half way a cross the pool when he finally shifted to get off. Unfortunately, he didn't know that Derrick had jumped in, and his brother landed flat on him.

As funny as that was, and Raa did laugh quite loudly at the sight of Graves brothers attempting to untangle themselves, the largest amount of his attention was focused on Marcus, dripping wet, shirtless, and only a few feet away.

Raa kicked off his own sneakers, leaving them to float in the water, and dived below, chlorine stinging his eyes as he made his way toward him, completely submerged. His arms wrapped tight around his thighs and he planted his feet on the bottom of the pool, heaving upward with all his might to launch Marcus halfway across the pool..

[Tammika]

"Holy!-" Marcus windmilled in the air for a few seconds, but managed to turn it to a graceful flip in the end, landing in the water near Julian and Derrick. After a few seconds of sputtering laughter, Marcus looked at both Derrick and Julian, then slowly turn to glance at Raa. He gave the brothers a nod an Derrick grinned.

"No no no. Guys! We so don't have time for this! Get out of there and help. Especially you two. Marcus , Derrick. Are you gonna go get the rest of the food all dripping wet like that? It's freezing outside!"

Marcus grinned and climbed out of the pool.

"Marcus ...do not do what I think you are going to do... Marcus.." derrick tried to warn him but he was already squirming out of his wet jeans down to his swimming trunks, which he nearly lost in the process. Dripping wet, he slipped back into his shoes, and put his hat on. It was a black and white knit slouch beanie that Sam had made him for Christmas

"...Marcus..?"

"What I have a have on and it's mostly inside from here up to your apartment!"

"Whatever, freeze your ass off if you want I'll go with you, just let's do it now before people start arriving!" Gwen shooed Marcus out the door and he squealed and giggled as the cold air hit him. His voice was heard until the heavy door slammed shut.

"That boy is nuts, you know that Raa?" derrick still stared at the closed door in disbelief.

[TruthSayer]

Raa backed away slowly from the devilish grins sent his way, eyes going slightly wide. He could out swim Julian, he knew, and maybe even Derrick, but there was no way in hell he was going to make it to the edge of the pool to vault himself out of it to potential safety before Marcus caught him.

He would be forever grateful to Gwen for pulling Marcus out of the pool when she did, although he watched him go with just as much disbelief as Derrick. No way would Raa have done something like that; he could wear a leather jacket in July and be comfortable.

"If he gets sick..." Raa said slowly, glancing from the door to Derrick, "you're taking care of him."

[Tammika]

Derrick climbed out of the pool and before he could say anything Sheryl started to squeal. "Don't even think about it!"

"Too late. I thought it, but I'm gonna let you slide, at least until you finish with the food." He grinned and lunged at her and she ran around the other side of the table. He hadn't planned on bothering her ...just yet.

"Why is everyone so jumpy? This is a damn pool party!" After a few laughs he began arranging things for the party and helped the DJ that arrived shortly after to set up. They were halfway finished when Gwen and Marcus came back down with more food. By now Marcus wore Gwen's pink tweed peacoat.

"I look fabulous don't I? He strutted like a model beside the pool and the DJ decided to 'test' the system by playing 'I'm Sexy and I know It' at that exact moment. The laughing gave him away though, that and him and Sheryl bumping fists.

"Oh shit! derrick where are my pants?!" He just remembered the bell was in them and he didn't want to loose it. "Where are my pants?"

"How the hell should I know? You are the one that decided to strip!"

"I moved them!" Sheryl piped up. "They're behind the extra chairs in the corner, I think."

[TruthSayer]

He chuckled at the pink tweed coat Marcus wore when he returned, propping himself at the side of the pool as he watched the perfect wiggle wiggle wiggle Marcus performed when that part of the song played. He kicked lightly under the water, enough to feel the heavy pull of his socks as they threatened to leave his feet, and he reached under the water to pull them off, balling them to toss in the same corner as Marcus' pants. His own jeans soon followed, revealing beneath the now calm water of the pool the red-on-black lightning bolts that were the signature icon of his favorite band that decorated his trunks, though he opted to leave his shirt on.

He did wonder what was so important about Marcus' pants, though.

He climbed out of the pool as more and more people began to arrive, leaving Sheryl and Gwen to direct where their contributions to the party were to go, as the girls seemed to have some sort of system between drinks, chips, and sandwiches, but he did do his part to welcome them, show them where they could change, and toss a few into the pool when they passed too close to the edge, whether they were in swimsuits or not.

[Tammika]

The party wasn't that big, but more than they expected showed up, Marcus was glad there seemed to be enough food. From across the room Marcus giggled when he could easily spot Raa among the others. not that he stood out in general, he just stood out to Marcus. He smiled as he watched him talk with some of the football team that showed up, Derrick and Julian, when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Oh my god you got it bad. Standing here starry eyed looking at Raa. He does have a nice ass, but the whole team has a nice ass."

"Shut up! Raa's is the nicest." He folded his arms defiantly and Sheryl giggled. He still rolled the bell in his hand and turned to put it back in his jeans.

"Oh, what's that?"

"It's just a late gift. Shh! No telling."

"My lips are sealed."

"Right."

Across the room Derrick was talking to Raa about Marcus. Him, Gwen and a few others that knew him trying to explain Marcus' new years tradition.

"...I'm telling you it started in sixth grade. He becomes a kissing demon and tries to kiss everyone in the room. he;s done it every year. Hell I even try to hide and he gets me, every time. Within fifteen minute the dude has kissed everyone in the room. They've taken to timing him, but ... I don't know, this is his first year with a boyfriend. Maybe you could make him..not do it, Raa. He'd listen to you."

"I don't know. I think it's kinda fun. It's hilarious."

"You mean watching me run from him."

""It's a peck on the cheek, not like he's lip lockin you!"

[TruthSayer]

"Just so long as there isn't tongue involved with anyone but me," Raa said with a shrug, eying the cup in his hand with suspicious curiosity. It tasted funny, sort of like soda gone flat, except this was supposed to be lemonade. He glanced at the refreshments table, staring blankly at Jake Sullivan and Javier Aragon standing behind the large basin with shit eating grins on their faces.

Raa ran his tongue over his teeth, and dumped the remainder of the cup into the nearest trashcan. "They're spiking the lemonade," he said, nodding his head toward the table, then went to make sure Marcus hadn't had any.

He wove through the crowd, dodging his way across the makeshift dance floor that spanned one entire side of it in front of the DJ's table, and wrapped his arms around Marcus as soon as he was close enough, a grin on his face as he kissed Marcus hard and quick on the lips. "I hear you like to tongue everyone at midnight," he said.

[Tammika]

"I do not!" Marcus' eyes darted over to Derrick and Gwen, then back to Raa. "Oh my god they are exaggerating!.. " he paused smacking his lips and crinkling his face, eyes looking at the cup in his hand. "This taste nasty. Who brought the shitty lemonade?"

[TruthSayer]

"I like the lemonade," Raa said, taking the cup from Marcus and tossing it into the trash bin behind Marcus, "but I could do without Jake and Javier making it special. I mean, they should know that vodka goes much better with lemonade than tequila." He made a face, then grinned at Marcus.

"So you don't tongue people at midnight. Want to tongue me now in the sauna?"

[Tammika]

"Yuck. It's nasty, but- whatever." He wrapped his arms around Raa now that his hands were free of the cup. Resting his forehead against Raa's he waited before answering, just enjoying the brief moment of just Raa. "I love how it feels like you are the only person in the room when you put your arms around me." Those were his thoughts, but he didn't mean to say them out loud. For some reason he felt all embarrassed and giggly at his random mushy moment. He didn't usually say such things when there were so many people round to hear it, not that many could hear over the music anyway.

"Yes. I wanna do all sorts of things to you in the sauna. ..You know I can hold my breath for a long time." Yes, silly perverted stuff like that, but man, sometimes Raa just blew his mind.

[TruthSayer]

Raa's grin softened. They were astoundingly affectionate in public for being a homosexual couple, often kissing, holding hands, or holding each other full view of the public as they were doing now, whether the public liked it or not, and Raa wouldn't have it any other way. But as much as Marcus had no problem telling Raa how attractive he found him in the middle of a crowd, it was a rare occurrence when he said something that heartfelt where anyone could hear. He felt an instant clench in his chest that radiated down his arms, causing him to pull Marcus closer.

"Hell yeah," he said in reference to Marcus being able to hold his breath. That was definitely something they would have to try. He walked backward, shoulders bumping into a few people before they got smart enough to move out of the way. "You do realize that the list of places to have sex is growing daily, right? We're going to be old men before we check 'em all off. Breaking hips against counter tops, losing false teeth in interesting places, living off Viagra."

[Tammika]

The significant factor was the absence of the damn cast. To have his hands wander all over him without being hindered felt absolutely divine. He wondered if Raa noticed all the extra moaning when he touched him today. Marcus giggled fiercely at what Raa mumbled into his ear as he walked backwards towards the sauna. "You know this is a bad habit of yours, we're gonna fall in the pool or something."

They had to step up to the sauna so Marcus moved away so they wouldn't kill each other or any one else. Though most invited here didn't have a problem with them one couple got out when they climbed in, which was find by him. He slipped into the door and decided to sit on the bench with his feet in the shallow water, relaxing with a sigh. "You know some people like to kiss when the clock hits midnight but I want to be sealed to your lips for the last minute of this year and the first minute of the next. Think you can handle it?" He leaned in for a kiss thinking they might as well start now.

"Guys! It's almost time!" It startled Marcus to hear that, the last time he checked the clock it was a quarter till.

"Oh shit! it's five til!..My pants!" Marcus stood up suddenly and climbed out of the sauna making a dash for his pants in the total opposite corner of the room.

"Marcus! Here!" Derrick tossed his pants to him and he sprinted back to the sauna.

"Yeah I know you're wondering about my obsession with my pants today. I have a present for you. Not a belated Christmas present since you don't celebrate Christmas and all that jazz. It's...uh new years present." He pushed back the hair that was drying slowly and getting in his face. nervous stalling, he felt like he was giving him an engagement ring. That though made his heart fluttered in his chest and he had to calm his breathing down some. With a plastered grin on his flushed face he unceremoniously held his fist out at three minutes til.

"Open your hand."

Marcus handed him a guardian bell and then slipped the matching charm around his own neck. A rolled leather cord with a smaller rectangular tome on it.

The bell read in Raa's language 'Sweet like candy to my soul' and Marcus's charm read 'Into your heart I'll beat again'.

At that moment they were totally alone in the sauna and the door was closed. Marcus stepped closer watching Raa carefully, hoping he had chose well. It took him forever to figure out the perfect gift and he was nervous to find out if he liked it.

[TruthSayer]

Raa could more than handle a little making out before the clock struck twelve. He grinned, eyes slipping closed as his lips slipped over Marcus', his hands wandering in abstract patterns up and down the column of his back. There were some snickers from those around them, some silence, and the opening of the door sending in a rush of cold air as people left, but it didn't matter; whether those people were comfortable with the display or not, if they wanted to give them privacy, Raa wasn't going to argue. It allowed for more exploration, more exercising his fingers as they walked over warm flesh slick with moisture and tasting of sweat and chlorine.

When Marcus pulled away suddenly, it left Raa's front feeling cold, and he reached out to grab him back, but caught nothing but air as Marcus disappeared, yelling for his pants. Raa blinked, one brow raised, but chalked it up to Marcus being Marcus, and leaned back against the upper bench with his arms behind his head. Personally, Raa would rather wait in the privacy of the small sauna until his erection went down, not go running around searching for pants that might help to conceal it.

He turned a grin on Marcus when he came back in, stretching his feet out before him and crossing them at the ankle. He sat a little straighter when Marcus mentioned a present, a light frown crossing his features. He didn't celebrate Christmas, that much was true as his loose following of the Muslim religion didn't allow it, but he'd lived with Kendall long enough to expect something Christmas morning wrapped beneath the tree the man insisted on putting up, even when Aban insisted on topping it not with the traditional star or angel, but with the half moon and star symbolizing Islam. He also knew to expect some presents when they visited Kendall's family for their traditional family get together later on Christmas day.

He just wasn't comfortable accepting them.

But when Marcus put the bell in his hand and he turned it around to read the inscription upon it, and the one engraved on the one Marcus placed around his neck, he felt such an amazing rush of gratitude and love that, for a moment, he couldn't speak. Guardian Bells were a necessity for riders, a superstition going back generations of motorcyclists that said the bell caught gremlins on the road that posed a threat to riders and trapped them inside of it, keeping the rider safe. The fact that Marcus had chosen lyrics from that song, a song that Raa had come to believe was their song, and that he'd gotten a second bell to wear around his own neck was...

Raa cleared his throat, opened his mouth to speak, then closed it. He stepped close to Marcus, a soft smile appearing on his face as his arms went around him, and he kissed him gently. "Thank you," he said, and buried his face in Marcus' neck.

[Tammika]

Marcus let out an excited little squeal and squirmed and danced in place. "I love you, Raa." Him hiding his face cheated him of looking longer at Raa's soft eyes. "Awe, Raa. Let me see your face. No fair hiding. Plus I need those lips again. New Years or not I need more than that from you." He kissed his neck just behind his ear and nibbled both ear and neck until he lifted his head. "Raaaa. Kiss me again," he whispered in his ear.

[TruthSayer]

"I love you," Raa whispered, pressing a kiss to Marcus' cheek before he kissed his lips, one hand cradling the back of his head as his other pressed against the small of his back, the bell caught between them. Outside the sauna, he heard the loud countdown begin, the DJ leading the throng over a microphone turned up absurdly loud so he could be heard. Raa stepped forward, heart going twice as fast as the seconds the party goers ticked by as Marcus' back pressed against the jam next to the door and Raa's body fit against him.

Maybe it was the symbolism of the day, or the gift and the meaning behind it, but Raa had never felt so energized, so vital as he did in that moment. He groaned low in his throat, the hand at the back of Marcus' neck sliding down to his side, the pads of his fingers feeling electrified as he shifted his hips forward. He could die in this moment, and he'd do so with no regrets.

[Tammika]

Marcus whined into Raa's mouth. A growling clicking little whine that worked it way up from his very soul. He loved kissing Raa, it made him crazy high sometimes and this was one of them. His arms raised in a slow motion version of a crazed panic as the intensity of it all drove him wild. One floated in the air beside his head, wrist limp and dangling, the other rested on the wall behind him. He brought it around to cup Raa's cheek gasping for a breath when he pulled away. The countdown had stopped ten minutes ago and yet here he was still attached to Raa. His gaze brushed up his face to those dark eyes, expression repeating the words he had already said. Slowly he sobered from the mind numbing kiss and sighed, eyes still locked on Raa.

"I wa-" he was about to say something when a hand gripped his arm.

"Marcus! You can't break the tradition! We will all be cursed for a year or something stupid like that, at least that's according to Kevin. You have a record to break! You can kiss sweet cheeks anytime, there's a roomful of party people that need Marcus love!" Sheryl tugged on Marcus, winking at Raa as she called him sweetcheeks. It was not secret she though he had a nice ass, though Marcus often smacked her in the back of the head playfully accusing her of overstepping the line.

He whined and gripped Raa around his waist. "I don't wanna. Can't you just time me on how long I can kiss Raa?"

Sheryl gave him a blank look. "We'd all die of old age if we did that. Come on!"

"But I can't I'm stuck to Raa right now see?" He snuggled tighter around Raa mouth twisted into a silly grin.

"Raaaaa, please. It's for a good cause."

Marcus laughed. "How is me kissing a roomful of people a good cause."

"Uhh morale, or something. You do know you two have a small fan girl following right? Oh God you don't know?"

Marcus snorted and doubled over laughing, hanging on Raa. "Oh you gotta be shitting me.

[TruthSayer]

Raa had a dream once that featured Marcus, white sheets atop a feather down pillow the size of king-sized bed set out on the floor, and no clothing. Around them, servants milled, their faces blurred, their bodies hidden behind flimsy white togas that made Raa instantly think of Rome, offering up trays of food that he knew many people considered kinks in that sort of situation, but Raa and Marcus ignored them all. All focus was on each other, playful, moaning, gyrating, nipping, and that was it, and they'd never have to leave the bed again.

He was reminded of that dream now, the same sensual grace stealing over him, enveloping him in a soft haze that was gentle and unhurried, just as thrilling in a completely different way than the slam-Marcus-against-the-wall desperation he so often felt.

When they broke apart, Raa looked upon Marcus with a reverence he'd never felt before, as if a part of himself that had been sealed away was revealed, and as sacrilegious as he knew it was, he thought, The hell with Allah. This is the god I worship. He wanted another kiss, wanted to offer and receive another prayer, give up another sacrifice, and saw Marcus' mouth moving as he moved forward to kiss him again, a completely unconscious snarl erupting from him when the door opened, all the heat that surrounding them rushing out as Sheryl rushed in. He hung his head, one hand on the wall behind Marcus' head, the other flexing lightly against Marcus' side, and shook his head, a soft laugh escaping; he supposed it was a good thing that at times like these they kept getting interrupted. Otherwise...

He did have to cock his head at 'sweet cheeks', though.

He sighed, trying to wipe the acute feeling of loss off his face as he offered a smile at Sheryl, pushing himself away from the wall, and Marcus. "Your adoring public awaits," he told Marcus, offering a sweeping bow toward the door.

Fan girls? That was fine with him. Just so long as the only one on their knees in front of Marcus was him.

[Tammika]

Marcus felt it pass. That delicious danger of making Raa snap and the risk of both of them crossing a line too soon. He pushed away the consequences that mentally nagged at him and for just a moment gave into the thought of Raa slamming into him just as hard as he liked to push him against the walls. He didn't hide the expression that manifested on his face from entertaining that future fantasy and winked at Raa before he turned and kissed Sheryl on the nose. "One."

He jumped out of the Sauna and ran heading straight for Derrick.

"Oh hell no!" Derrick tried to run but Gwen held him. Marcus moved in and held his head in his hands and kissed Derrick on both cheeks.

"happy new Year, Derrick!"

"Asshole."

"Love you too."

"Don't say that in public."

Marcus usually responded with a com back about whispering it to him in private but he was already well into the Marcus kissathon. Before it ended he was sure he kissed a few girls and at least two guys for sure way more than once. A few were a little frisky and most likely drunk. He got his ass groped a few times, but that was when he dived into a group of people. Marcus hoped Raa didn't catch any of it, since starting the New Year with Raa putting a few people in the hospital didn't seem like very good luck.