It had all started so innocently, too...
The Merovingian had not been happy with the Twins'... request regarding Ki, as the new Keymaker liked to be called. Not happy at all.
But he had no choice. They'd declared - no, not declared, that was too melodramatic a word for it - advised him, without room for contradiction, that she was now under their protection. If he made any hostile moves towards her, they would retaliate.
Not a threat to be taken lightly.
The Merovingian didn't take kindly to threats...
They'd wondered, to start with, how they were going to organise their lives. Going back to the chateau was not a good idea: it was the Merovingian's territory, they'd be at a disadvantage there. Staying in the block that housed Le Vrai was a more amenable notion, the bombs notwithstanding: phasing made them safe, while Ki could escape through one of her doors - taking Trash with her, since the damned human refused to leave her side and she refused to be parted from him.
This had come as a considerable and very unpleasant surprise to the twins.
"Why?"
Trash smirked behind Ki's back as the programme folded her arms and regarded One mulishly.
"Because you're the Twins. I don't trust you."
*She has some sense, then.* Two growled. One flashed him a quick frown then turned back to the Keymaker.
"He is human. He cannot protect you."
"Maybe not, but I feel a damn sight safer with him here!"
"That is illogical."
"Don't care. It works for me."
"We do not have anywhere for him to stay."
And not just Trash. Their suite below Le Vrai had no spare rooms, and they refused to give up their own bed. Nor had she expected them to, though Trash looked a little affronted when told. Ki grinned.
"Oh, that's no problem."
She selected one of the small silver keys she carried on a ring that seemed to be at least half novelty bits and pieces, including a pikachu, an owl with flapping wings and a small plastic skeleton with a cutlass clasped in its bony fingers, sauntered over to one of the two wardrobes built into the wall, inserted the key into the wardrobe's keyhole, turned it, and opened the door onto a beautifully appointed bedroom with a large double bed. Trash goggled at the sight, then turned to Ki, grinning broadly.
"Cool! We gonna share?"
She eyed him for a moment, then smiled and nodded.
"Sure. Why not?" She glanced at the twins, her code peaking curiously for a moment: One wasn't entirely sure why. They'd seen something similar on the odd occasion when Persephone had tried to make the Merovingian jealous...
"I can lock it from the inside."
One inclined his head.
"If you do so, and we cannot gain access, we cannot be held responsible for any problems you might encounter."
"Yeah, I know. So I won't lock it." She hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "Can I trust you if you give me your word?"
One regarded her for a moment, then smiled tightly.
"No."
Her face fell.
"Oh. Um... where does that leave us then?"
"We have no reason to wish to enter - unless we suspect you are in danger."
"Which shouldn't happen, since no-one else can get into the room without coming through yours first."
"Then we see no problem."
"Well, OK then." She smirked. "And I promise I'll knock before we come into your room."
"Good."
Ki grabbed Trash's wrist and marched him through into the room.
"See you later - pale dudes."
One glanced at his twin as the door closed firmly behind them. Two grimaced.
*We may come to regret this...*
*Maybe. But not right now.* He glanced in the direction of the bathroom, then waved an elegant hand towards the door. *Shall we? We enjoyed bathing.*
Two smirked, dissolving his clothing and tossing his sunglasses onto the bed, loping into the small room, One closely following...
Over the next few days they settled into a somewhat uneasy but not uncomfortable routine. Ki and Trash stayed in their room - doing what, exactly, the twins did not want to know. Ki locked the door when the assassins were out of their suite, emerging with the human to eat and exercise when the twins returned. It wasn't an ideal way to exist, but it was, in Ki's opinion, a damn sight better than the life the previous Keymaker had led.
The Merovingian had ranted and complained, but finally, grumpily, accepted that this was the way things were going to be for the foreseeable future. Ki had agreed to loan him her services, on a strictly limited basis and as long as it was for purposes she didn't find offensive, and while obviously not happy about it, he eventually stopped complaining and put up with the way things were likely to stay.
One kneaded the nape of his neck, shoulders bowed. It had been a prolonged and most uncomfortable assignment, necessitating a lot of time spent in phased form inside a wall, listening to the conversation in the room before despatching the occupants. The Merovingian had been very happy with their report, and solicitous about their health. That in itself should have rung warning bells, but they were both a little concerned about their 'guests': unless Trash had been able to leave to obtain supplies, the pair would be hungry by now. They'd left the Merovingian as quickly as they could and hastened back to their suite - to find that Ki and Trash were fine. The human had 'scavenged', as he put it, and the pair had eaten well. Now they were going to spend the evening watching a film marathon on the vast TV set in their room...
Two answered the tap on their door, watching as Le Vrai kitchen staff laid their small table, placed a selection of dishes on the hotplates, then left as silently as they'd come. Removing his glasses he gazed at his twin.
*Bathe first?*
One considered, then shook his head.
*Eat first. Then bathe. Then sleep. We are - fatigued...*
Two pulled out the chair, pushed his twin into it, then inspected the dishes. A simple coq-au-vin with rice, assorted vegetables, their usual chocolate dessert... interesting how the chefs were beginning to anticipate their preferences after particular sorts of assignments...
He served his twin, then seated himself, gathering rice and chicken onto his fork and lifting it to One's lips, smirking as his twin's eyes closed in appreciation of the taste. As One returned the favour Two caught his twin's wrist, thumb stroking at the soft skin on the inside as he savoured the dish in turn. One smirked.
*Good, isn't it?*
*Delicious as ever...*
Eager as they were to finish and relax in the bath, the meal didn't last long. Two stood to serve the dessert, eyeing it curiously.
*This is different.*
One glanced languidly at the plate, then smiled.
*White chocolate torte with cream. For a change.*
Two quirked an eyebrow: One could be thoroughly decadent at times. Not that he was complaining, of course... He sat down again and forked a little of the rich sweet between his twin's parted lips, smirking as flickering eyes slowly closed.
*Mmmmm...*
One looked quite beautiful like this, Two thought to himself, momentarily lost in sensation... Then he frowned. Something - odd - was happening to his twin's code.
*One?*
One's eyes opened, his expression changing to one of alarm. He pulled off his tie and opened the top couple of buttons of his shirt, then his eyes closed tightly as he sharply bent double, his forehead narrowly missing the edge of the table. Two leapt up, overturning his chair, and knelt at his twin's side, one hand on the broad back, the other on a lean, muscular thigh.
*What is it? What is happening?*
One's hands were clasped tightly over his groin; he was panting, hips rocking, a groan escaping from between gritted teeth.
*... Mero... vingian...*
Two's eyes widened. The torte... he focussed on it, reading its code, then snarling silently to himself. One of the Merovingian's 'specials' - but a far more virulent form than he'd ever seen before...
One was whimpering, the crotch of his silver trousers darkening damply as he climaxed unwillingly, immediately hard again, his control over his body lost. Two dragged him to his feet, still doubled over, hands clutching his groin, and half-carried the whimpering, unsteady twin over to the bed, hastily removing his clothing since One couldn't... His twin rolled onto his side, curled up, hands gripping his erection and pumping brutally hard, almost sobbing as he came again.
Two stared, not knowing what to do. One was hard again: a look at his code showed distortions, a twisting, slow unravelling of parts that had been stable and - they'd thought - static... Growling to himself, Two dissolved his own clothing and lay down in front of his twin, hands joining One's on the pale, rigid penis, stroking and squeezing as One cried out and came again, body spasming violently against Two.
With a sob he wilted, and for a moment Two thought that might be it, but his twin grew hard in his hands yet again, fingers digging into Two's shoulders, pulling him close then wrapping long fingers over Two's where they still held his erection. Gritting his teeth Two allowed One to guide him, wincing as strong fingers pressed his own more tightly over hot, hard flesh...
It wasn't enough. One was weeping now, eyes clenched shut, body shaking helplessly. Then Two saw it, a nasty little quirk in the code.
Just to make sure they knew who had engineered this bit of unpleasantness, it resembled the Merovingian's face, set in a leer, and the message was perfectly clear. There was only one way to stop this, and that was to have One fuck his twin.
Vowing vengeance on the author of this situation, Two forced One over onto his back, then moved to straddle his hips, not pausing to think about what he was doing - or how much it was going to hurt. All that mattered was relieving his twin.
Well before Two was ready, One grabbed his hips and yanked him downwards, simultaneously shoving upwards and into the lean pale body above him. Two nearly phased - he hadn't had time to close off his awareness of pain, and it hurt like... like nothing he'd ever felt before. Biting his lip to prevent himself crying out, gazing down into his twin's tortured face through eyes screwed half-closed, Two pushed down, into One's furious, frantic upwards thrusts, gripping his twin's shoulders and wishing he had the leisure to wipe away the tears streaming from behind the closed lids...
One screamed as he came, slamming up into Two's body, his own rigid before collapsing back onto the bed with a sob. Releasing his hold on Two's bruised hips, he covered his eyes and rolled his head to the side, humiliated and ashamed of his loss of control. Two leaned forwards carefully, wincing, and turned One's face to his own, stroking a wet cheek.
*Are we alright?*
*No, of course we aren't! We hurt. We are... violated.* A choked sob. *We want to kill him.*
Two pressed his cheek to his twin's face.
*We know. And we will, eventually.*
Shaking, One eyed him, then pulled him roughly down into a tight embrace.
*We're sorry.* he whispered. *We couldn't... control ourself. We're hurt?*
*Nothing that phasing won't cure.* Which unfortunately wasn't true of the ragged anguish in his twin's mind. Two flinched as One's flaccid penis slid from his body, trailing stickiness in its wake. One shuddered and held him more tightly.
*We're sorry.* he repeated. Two nuzzled his face.
*There is no need. It is over now.*
One shivered violently, then pushed Two away, his eyes wide and horrified.
*But it isn't...*
Two's gaze narrowed.
*It isn't?*
One almost wailed.
*We want it again...*
Two sighed as he felt the solid flesh pressing against his backside. Focussing, he saw that the distorted code wasn't entirely fixed: wincing, he shifted slightly, raising himself and allowing One's penis to slide into him. It was easier this time, stretched, and slick with semen as he was, though the pain was worse. And One was distraught, hating himself, hating what he was being forced to do, hating the fact that he was hurting his twin...
Two hung on grimly as One pounded into him and came, then collapsed back onto the bed panting hoarsely, body limp and quivering. Two eased himself carefully upwards and off his twin's softening penis then rolled onto his side, pulling One closely against him, brushing a kiss over his forehead. One curled up against him, body tense and shaking despite his exhaustion.
Two closed his eyes, feeling his twin's distress. Yes, he'd hated every second of it, would find a way to make the Merovingian pay - but at the same time...
One had liked it. Loved the feeling of being inside his twin, the sheer brutal intimacy. The blinding pleasure of release. And he was desperately, hopelessly ashamed of feeling so.
Two frowned. It hadn't affected him the same way - of course not, he hadn't tasted the torte - but he admitted to being intrigued, now that the pain was fading. It was a kind of closeness they hadn't known before, less intense, less intimate, than when they phased into each other, but... not unpleasant, if you disregarded the pain, and he knew from their researches that that would fade with practise. Or become less intrusive, at any rate.
It might be interesting to try this again, when neither of them were being manipulated.
But in the meantime, they were both uncomfortably sticky, and aching, and a bath was very much in order, for its comfort factor if nothing else, since phasing would clean and cure them both - but sometimes something a little more physical was needed... Pulling One's face up to his, Two gently kissed his mouth, unsurprised when he whimpered and returned the kiss, lips hard and possessive. Two chuckled quietly and shifted to lift One's tired body into his arms.
*Later, perhaps? Let us bathe, first. Then rest.*
Nodding acquiescence and slumping against his twin, One allowed Two to carry him through to the bathroom...