Authors:lee_west and ceria Rating: R Pairing: Gideon/Kingsley Summary: Written for the AWDT prompt, “He's very quiet and enjoys puzzles” Timing is of the essence. Disclaimer: We don’t own the boys at all; if we did, their story would have a happy ending. And we'd be very rich if we had invented Floo-travel, but we didn't. Warnings: Chan-ish - but the minor in question isn't innocent at all!
Missions were always hell, but missions during Quidditch season were worse. Even with a week of light practice, Gideon was still sore and could barely move by the time he crawled home in the early afternoon on Friday.
He and Fabian had had a horrible mission this time, fraught with one disaster after another, and the man they had been asked to find was still missing. Five dead ends, two false leads and one wasted trip was what their mission amounted to by the end of the week.
Not to mention all the trips Apparating back to the pitch for practice. His coach made it very clear that Gideon wasn't to miss practice with his second employment. Gideon needed the hit wizard job to hide his travel for the Order.
Moody conveniently sent the brothers on Ministry of Magic work that coincided with Dumbledore's needs. Those were the same trips that Robards, Fabian's official partner, couldn't take for one reason or another, thanks again to Moody and another Order member who worked for the Ministry.
Damn! He felt like a dragon's dinner that had been hit with a Stunning spell. His whole body ached, but he was too sore to move. Falling through the Floo, he dropped his Quidditch equipment on the floor, dragging himself to the sofa.
He managed to remove his boots and shirt and toss them aside before giving in to the pain and collapsing. He hadn't hurt this much since his first week of Quidditch camp, during tryouts for the Arrows. Moaning as he shifted on the sofa, trying to find a somewhat comfortable position, Gideon wanted nothing more than to sleep the rest of the day. Meg would have rolled her eyes to see him and scolded him for being wimpy. What was it with women anyway? They always said men were babies when it came to being sick.
***
Kingsley was sleeping soundly when Mrs. Wilcott knocked at his bedroom door, to let him know that Miss Marlene McKinnon was waiting in the Floo. He forced his eyes open and jumped out of bed, pulling on shorts and a t-shirt on his way out. He was glad she was back; she'd been on vacation with her parents and was probably as willing to shag as he was.
Since he’d decided that Gideon was out of bounds, he’d felt like his old self again. He’d had Hestia over and had even managed to find a few minutes alone with her, despite Southwood’s close supervision. Both Anna and Jack had also been very glad he was around and alone and had kept him company during the week. And finally, the night before he’d gone to Shaft by himself, for the first time. Sean had been, as usual, a very happy lay, although Kingsley had to tell him to stop asking what had happened between him and Gideon if he wanted to be fucked properly.
He had realized that he had pretty much stopped shagging anyone else since he met Gideon a few weeks before and was glad to be back to normal. Now, after this week, he was ready to meet Gideon that Friday as friends and not feel inclined to touch the man. Especially because he hoped he’d meet Marlene after that.
He knelt in front of the Floo and grinned at her when she looked him up and down and asked him if he’d like to come over later that day; her parents had a party to go to, and she was sure that this time there would be no cancellations.
After she ended the call, he went back to his room, took a warm shower and dressed in jeans and t-shirt. He returned downstairs, going outside to have breakfast just to find out it was already lunch time. He ate with his grandfather and told him he’d be going to Diagon Alley with Gideon to choose his broom and, after that, to a party at a friend’s house. Counting on his grandfather’s willingness to allow a late curfew, he rushed inside to call Gideon, as promised.
It seemed that the moment he fell asleep he heard a male voice in the Floo. Grumbling at the unfamiliar voice, Gideon rolled off the sofa and literally crawled closer, carrying his wand. After the week they had, Gideon wasn't comfortable without it, and wandless magic wasn't attemptable. If the sofa had been any further away, or not facing the fireplace, he wouldn't have bothered.
"What?" he said, grumpily, before looking at the caller. He was tired enough that it took him a moment to register the smiling face.
"Hey, Kingsley." Then he remembered it was Friday and their plans for Diagon Alley and broom selections. "Oh. Damn. Can you just come through?" The floor was killing him, and it would be easier to talk to him while he lay on the sofa. At Kingsley's nod, Gideon waved his wand at the fireplace, putting the embers out immediately.
Setting his wand on the floor near him, he was crawling onto the sofa as Kingsley came through.
Damn! Does he look bad! He looks like he was hit by a really powerful Stunning spell. I doubt he'll be going to Diagon Alley at all, Kingsley thought as he stepped into the Floo. He would go to Gideon's, say hello just out of politeness and then go to Diagon Alley by himself. Maybe he could Floo Marlene from Gideon's flat and ask her to meet him at Quality Quidditch Supplies.
A second later he was inside Gideon's living room, staring at the sofa, where Gideon appeared to be breathing.
"Do I look as bad as the expression on your face?" Gideon asked, smiling. He knew he was pale, but didn't think anything else showed. He was mostly tired, not terribly bruised or cut up. He could feel a massive bruise on the back of his left arm, but couldn't see any markings without stretching. Which wasn't worth the pain of trying.
Kingsley, on the other hand, looked great in his form-fitting t-shirt and jeans. Gideon decided Kingsley shouldn't ever wear anything else. Even if Gideon could only look, it was a nice view.
"Like death warmed over," Kingsley laughed out loud. "What happened to you? Was this Quidditch or Auror-caused?" He sat on a chair facing Gideon and congratulated himself mentally for not being interested in Gideon any more and for having had a full week. If he had come to the flat horny and wanting some shagging, he'd leave pretty frustrated. Gideon didn't look like he had the energy to get it up.
"Auror-related mostly, but I made it to practice every day, so Quidditch might tie for Most Damaging to Gideon's Body this week." He shifted his weight, hoping Kingsley didn't see him flinching as he did.
"I feel like a dragon chewed me up and spit me back out. I've not been this sore since I first made the team."
Gideon wondered what else to say, for a moment; he was incredibly uncomfortable. They hadn't parted on a very good note, and he didn't want to ask about Kingsley's week, or anything else for that matter. He assumed it was simply because he was tired.
"I guess this is something I have to look forward to, yeah? Next year, when I join the Aurors?" Kingsley stood up. "Well, I don't think you'll be able to go to Diagon Alley with me, so do you want to leave the Gringotts visit till Monday? And can I –" he was about to ask if he could Floo Marlene when he remembered his manners. "Can I get you something? Food or drink?"
Laughing, he only said, "Just you wait, I was still at Hogwarts during Fabian's first year, but I remember his letters. He was miserable the first few months. But I'll get to see you during parts of your training; I can't wait to tease you about it."
Thinking for a moment, he said, "A magical cure for sore muscles?" He waved Kingsley toward the kitchen. "You know where you're going; something to drink would be great, if you don't mind."
"Fine, then you can give me a hot drink when I'm all sore and weak. Tea's fine? Plain or with something stronger in it?" He enjoyed this easy banter with Gideon and made a mental note to talk about the training one day, when Gideon was feeling better. He always felt that people didn't tell him the whole truth – the younger recruits tended to stress the gruesomeness of the program, while his father used to say that it was what separated the men from the boys. Gideon wouldn't lie to him.
From the kitchen door, he turned and asked Gideon, "What do you have for sore muscles?"
"Tea is great, and yes, I'll make you some next year." Personally, he didn't think Kingsley would do badly during the initial training period. It mostly affected trainees who didn't have the physical build to withstand the rigors of long days. Kingsley obviously made time to exercise. "You know what would be good? Running," Gideon threw into the conversation randomly.
"And I don't think I have anything. I used to keep some Muggle concoction around, but I'm sure I threw it away long ago."
Kingsley came back with tea and a bottle of whiskey he found in the kitchen. "Do you want some in your tea? Grandpa says it's great for pain." He handed the cup to Gideon and looked at him quizzically. "I can Floo back home and see what we have. Mum was a Healer before she and Dad got married. She doesn't work any more, but she's the family Healer still. She always has potions and balms around. I can ask her what you should take."
"A bit, you're not trying to get…" Gideon frowned; he wasn't in the mood to remind Kingsley about the bar and drinking.
"Thank you about asking your mum, but no. I'll be fine soon enough." He motioned to the chair. "Sit for a minute, if you have the time. Did you hear what I said about running?"
"You said that running would be good. For what?" Kingsley poured some whiskey into Gideon's tea and sat down on the chair. He had some time and decided he could keep Gideon company. He was also racking his brain, trying to find out what his mother would prescribe for sore muscles. He should remember – he'd had a few, especially when he hit his growth spurt and started exercising almost manically.
"Moody, even though he's not the only trainer, is the best of them. Most of the senior Aurors follow his example. He believes that you can't rely strictly on magic. Sometimes you're too tired and it's easy to forget a spell. Other times you lose your wand, and if wandless magic isn't your forte, you could be in trouble. Besides your mind, your physical strength is your best defense."
Gideon looked around, the tea helped but he was still cold, Molly had given him a throw for Christmas last year, and he was sure it was close by. Leaning back, he saw it on the only other chair in the room. It was too far away to worry about, so he curled up, wrapping his fingers around the cup, still talking.
"The best way to keep up your physical strength is running. Start slow, build up to a kilometer a day, then begin building it again. That's the best advice I have."
"I already run quite a bit. Grandpa has been drilling me in physical exercises. We got a few Muggle machines, like the ones Santini uses in Italy and I've been lifting weights for a couple of years now." He laughed. "It's funny. Grandpa told me the same thing – in order to be a good Auror you should be very fit."
He looked up to the ceiling in deep thought. "My housemate Caradoc Dearborn wants to join the Aurors, too, and I keep telling him he has to exercise more to develop his strength. He's very quiet and enjoys puzzles, but doesn't seem too interested in running." He shifted his eyes to Gideon and realized he was all curled up. "Are you cold? Do you need a blanket?"
Gideon rolled his eyes, but nodded. "There's one on that other chair," he said indicating with a turn of his head, "if you don't mind." As Kingsley stood up, Gideon added, "If I'm ever really sick, I might have to call on your nursing skills." He couldn't be too bad off - he watched Kingsley walk around the sofa with interest.
"There are other positions in the Auror Department, some of them don't rely on physical strength as much as brains. However, the training is the same for each of you. Your Housemate will have to prove he wants to be an Auror, and that requires physical strength.
"It's strange really; Moody, who ascribes to nothing Muggle, wants you to learn defenses I've only heard used in the Muggle world. I wonder if he knows that."
As Kingsley came back and draped the blanket over him, Gideon sighed, "Thanks." He tugged on one of Kingsley's arms, making him lean over. "I feel like I have my own personal nurse; it must be my lucky day."
Of course he wasn't sick, just bruised and sore. Ignoring any sort of pain for the moment, he wrapped his bruised arm around Kingsley's neck and sat up long enough to briefly kiss him on the mouth before settling underneath the blanket.
Kingsley started when Gideon kissed him, seeing his resolve dissolve quickly. All of a sudden, broom shopping and Marlene shagging took backstage position in his mind. Granted, the kiss was not more than a peck on the mouth, but come on, blokes didn't peck other blokes on the mouth unless they were interested, did they? Hell, blokes didn't peck anyone on the mouth as thanks, period!
Well, except for his dad, who seemed to love kissing his mother, and holding her hands… his uncles also had the same behavior with their wives. But that was different, of course. They were couples.
He had noticed Gideon's tendency to kiss him softly, in a non-sexual way. It was a new experience for him. Kissing had always been foreplay for sex, either instantly or, in the case of some girls who needed coaxing, as a warm up for future action. He thought briefly about it and had to admit it felt nice, in a weird way.
His hand moved almost as if it had a life of its own, and it touched Gideon's forehead, brushing his hair back.
Meg had offered to Floo home with him, saying that he wasn't in any condition to take care of himself. He had almost accepted, before he looked up to see Sanders and Arrice making silly faces at them. Even Victor assumed they were a couple, and his wife had commented more than once about Meg and Gideon. When they had social functions as a team, Meg and Gideon were expected to arrive and depart together. Unsure why it was bothering him now, Gideon wondered how Meg felt about it. They hadn't talked about it before; it was possible he was taking their friendship for granted. Suddenly curious, he decided to ask her the next opportunity.
He had expected Kingsley to take one look at him and leave. That he was still there surprised Gideon. That he just impulsively kissed Kingsley shocked him. Hadn't he told himself that he'd had enough? Turning his face into the touch, Gideon watched him, waiting for Kingsley to speak.
Forcing his treacherous hand to stop what it was doing, Kingsley moved it to Gideon's shoulder, kneading it. "Man, you're all tight. You need a good massage to loosen those muscles." That was an all right thing to do. He and his teammates routinely did that before matches to release the tension. "Do you want me to do it? You'll probably feel much better afterwards."
A little voice inside his brain told him that he'd just offered giving Gideon a massage, but another, stronger voice answered, "So what? We're friends."
He didn't answer for a moment, enjoying the warm hands on muscles that hadn't warmed up from the blanket yet. Silently watching him for another moment, he smiled as Kingsley frowned and stilled his hands. Just as he started to pull away, Gideon grabbed his wrists. "It feels great. Don't you dare stop."
Rolling onto his stomach, he hung his bruised left arm off the edge of the sofa and stretched out, wincing a little as he used his arms to adjust his weight to something comfortable. Turning his head to watch Kingsley, he left the blanket hanging off his hips, the sudden cold prickling across his back.
Kingsley swallowed when he saw Gideon's bare back. He had noticed, when he Floo'ed in, that Gideon was shirtless, but he had been so intent on convincing himself that Gideon was only a friend that he concentrated on the bruises.
It was ironic that he had Gideon exactly the way he wanted, lying half naked on his stomach, alone in a flat – and he couldn't do anything at all. Sighing, he knelt on the floor next to Gideon, and started kneading the tense muscles.
Knowing the result would be better than any state he currently was in, Gideon silently promised he wouldn't complain if it hurt. Considering the week he had, two warm hands on his back shouldn’t be considered bad at all.
It took three minutes for Gideon to stop thinking about the pain, and start feeling the blood pool elsewhere in his body. He would have groaned in embarrassment, but that would require an explanation to Kingsley.
Instead, he started reciting everything he remembered from Fabian's letters during the three-year trainee program. Nothing worked better than talking about Moody or his brother to control his hormones.
Kingsley's knees started to bother him; the position was awkward, so he let go of Gideon's shoulder for a second, just to stand up and stretch his legs. He felt his foot touch something, and looked down briefly to see Gideon's wand sliding under the sofa. He bent down to retrieve it, but at the same time, Gideon asked him why he had stopped.
Kingsley stood up again and answered, "Just stretching my knees." He leant over and started massaging Gideon's back again.
"The floor too hard on your knees? I can move…" he shut up instantly. He still had his practice trousers on, and not much else. However, it wasn't fair to ask Kingsley to stay on the floor, and inviting him to straddle his hips was… blatant. Rolling onto his side, he sat up in the middle of the sofa, "I'm sorry, I should have made room for you to begin with."
As Kingsley sat behind him, Gideon looked over his shoulder, "If you want to continue that is."
"Is it helping?" Kingsley asked, settling his body awkwardly behind Gideon's. He crossed his left leg over the right one in a yoga position and started kneading Gideon's shoulder again.
"Yes, thanks." He looked back again and realized he hadn't left Kingsley much room at all. Standing up briefly, he tugged at Kingsley's feet until he unwound them, "If you wrap them around me, there'll be more room."
Sitting again, making sure there was empty space between his hips and Kingsley's groin, he wrapped his arm around Kingsley's bent leg, leaning against it. Kingsley's massage moved from the neck and shoulders to down his arms, then across his shoulder blades before either spoke again. He welcomed the silence; it was comforting when they were not bickering, and Gideon felt lazy, content.
Bending his neck from side to side, Gideon realized it was really helping. As Kingsley dropped lower, massaging the middle of Gideon's back and his sides, Gideon caught his breath. The comforting touch changed again as Gideon felt less pain, leaving only the slow arousal.
As Kingsley's hands touched his hips and lower back, Gideon's gasp had nothing to do with pain. Reaching around – with only a slight twinge – he grabbed both hands and, for lack of better placement, wrapped them around his chest, leaning back against Kingsley.
"Enough," he said quickly, hoping his heated face would be mistaken for something other than the truth. He enjoyed the brief feeling of arms wrapped around him before turning his face to catch Kingsley's jaw in a sloppy kiss.
"You're a wonder at this, I can't thank you enough," Gideon tried to sit up.
When his hands were wrapped around Gideon's chest, Kingsley lost it. To hell with decisions to lay off Gideon, not when they were this close and Gideon was leaning against him.
And then Gideon kissed him. Again.
Gideon thanked him and made a movement to sit up, but Kingsley held him in place and kissed his neck, letting his tongue lick the soft skin leading to the back of the ear. From there, he took Gideon's lobe in his mouth and sucked slowly.
His hand, still wrapped around Gideon, found an easy path, rubbing Gideon's bare chest.
He should have known better, and he probably did in some part of his brain that still worked. But he was ignoring rationality at the moment. Tilting his head, he shoved himself back with his legs until he was pressed firm between Kingsley's legs.
With Kingsley's mouth busy, he yanked one hand up to his mouth and sucked in a finger, swirling his tongue around it. He pulled it in and out, pantomiming what he really wanted to do.
Reaching between them, he began undoing Kingsley's jeans.
There was nothing Kingsley wanted more than have Gideon undo his jeans, but he knew that he was in a very precarious position. The jeans were, as usual, very tight, he had a hard-on and there was no way that Gideon would be able to unzip them without a serious pinching. So he begrudgingly took his finger out of Gideon's mouth, let go of his earlobe for a second, lifted his hips slightly and opened his jeans himself, sliding them off his hips and down his legs.
He sat back, Gideon pressed against him, his bare hard cock against fabric, and he circled Gideon again with his hands, putting his finger back in his mouth and the other hand inside the waistband of Gideon's trousers.
Gideon shook his head no to the finger. Now that Kingsley's mouth was free, he twisted his body round carefully, letting Kingsley's hand slide around his hip inside his pants. Rising up to his hands and knees, he pushed Kingsley down further on the sofa, lying on top of him.
Grinding his hips against Kingsley, he worked one hand up his t-shirt to pinch a nipple. Propping himself up with one hand, he grinned before lying on him, pushing his tongue inside Kingsley's mouth.
With his free hand, he grabbed Kingsley's other hand and set it on the waistband of his trousers.
Kingsley didn't waste one moment, sliding Gideon's trousers off his hips and thinking briefly how in the world he'd be able to convince Gideon not to wear pants, at least once. He slid his hands inside the waistband and, using a combination of hands and toes, managed to pull trousers and pants off Gideon's body.
Hands unencumbered, he soon found a perfect place for them, fondling Gideon's arse.
Gideon bunched the shirt up underneath Kingsley's arms. He wanted it off, but it could wait a moment. Breaking off the kiss, he pulled up, breathing heavy, trying to get a hold of himself.
He could feel the dull ache of overused muscles, then laughed internally that the hardest muscle on him currently was the least used one. Holding still, he whispered "shhh" when Kingsley opened his mouth.
He liked this moment, the instant before committing to do something. An act that, in this case, would be held irrevocably against him. Normally this time was something he liked to prolong as it only came once. In most cases, he only let it happen once. Gideon liked his one-night stands.
He was curious how often he and Kingsley would repeat it, though. At the man's frown beneath him, Gideon lowered his head, biting his collarbone. Wiggling down Kingsley's almost naked body, kissing along the way, he would finally get a chance to return the favor from last week before engaging in the act that could very well send him to Azkaban.
Funny how he wasn't scared of that right now. Probably because it was his own flat.
The consecutive pops of the Floo stopped all thought.
Kingsley shivered when Gideon bit him and spread his legs wider as Gideon slid down, anticipating the head he was about to get. He wondered if Gideon had some lube; having made plans to go out with Marlene, he hadn't thought about bringing it himself. And he needed that lube, badly, because today he would fuck Mr. Prewett. Finally. No grandpas, no dinners. Nothing between him and Gideon's arse.
When he heard the sound of the Floo, he yelled, "What the fuck?"
The blanket was pooled on the floor, forgotten, near the base of the sofa. Gideon wasn't expecting anyone, which meant of course that it could be a number of people. His Floo wasn't hooked up to many places. He had had to arrange it two weeks ago to accept the Shacklebolts.
The only calls he received on a regular basis were Fabian and Meg. Of course, the team, the Order, his family and Moody were tied into it. Any of those choices would be a disaster.
He saw the familiar red hair as his brother hunched over to crawl through. Gideon knew what Fabian would see the moment he looked up; the tableau of scattered clothes and naked bodies would be unmistakable.
Thinking only to protect them for a moment, Gideon grabbed the blanket and threw it over Kingsley's head, hoping to hide him for just a second.
For the love of everything holy, leave it there, Gideon thought desperately. He jumped up, trying to block Kingsley's face from his brother's line of sight.
"Fabian!" he yelled, "What are you doing?"
Standing upright, Fabian first took in his brother's strewn equipment, which wasn't a surprise. Then he glanced up, thinking inanely that his brother was really naked, until he saw the moving blanket on the sofa. It was more than obvious from the black legs and er – Merlin's balls! other parts - that he'd interrupted something.
Whirling around, Fabian folded his right arm against the mantle above the Floo and tucked his face into the crook of it. He could leave immediately and be none the wiser.
He was sure Gideon would appreciate that.
Kingsley was surprised by the blanket being thrown on his face and was wiggling to pull it off when he heard Gideon's voice informing that the unexpected visitor was Fabian. The cold on the bottom part of his body was a clear indication that it was uncovered and in full view of Fabian's. He didn't care about that, but he cared, a lot, about having his face covered.
With a sharp tug, he uncovered his face and shouted, angrily, to Fabian's back, "What the fuck do you think you're doing, barging in like this?" obviously forgetting that Fabian would be his boss one day and, worse still, that he might just relate the whole incident to McIntosh Shacklebolt.
Fabian lifted his head off his arm but didn't turn around - he really didn't want to see that much of his brother again.
Gideon, for the love of… You didn't. Fabian knew the second voice; he'd heard it at work enough times while the owner of the voice visited his dad at work, he'd heard it more often at Gideon's recent games, and he even heard six days ago, at the Shacklebolt's family dinner. It's not like there were that many black wizarding families in England that Gideon knew. And only one boy with whom his brother had been spending much time lately.
"Gideon Percival Prewett! You fucking Slytherin whore," Fabian drew his wand, all thoughts of leaving as scattered as the clothes on the floor. Advancing on his brother, he grabbed him by the throat, pushing him away from the sofa and up against the far wall.
"You bastard. Tell me why I shouldn't send you myself."
Gideon had seen his brother tense the moment Kingsley opened his foolish mouth. Up to that point, Fabian would have left without knowing. It really had been his mistake to not cast a Silencing spell on Kingsley, who probably wouldn't have forgiven him for it.
Kingsley's eyes bulged when he saw Fabian push Gideon against the wall, and then it dawned on him that Gideon was unarmed. He jumped off the sofa and quickly strode towards the two brothers, demanding in a loud voice, "Let go of him. You have a wand and he doesn't."
The fact that he was almost naked and, furthermore, was an underage wizard yelling at an Auror didn't cross his mind. Later on, he would think about the incident and would recall Fabian's words, thinking it odd that he'd called Gideon a whore. Gideon was actually quite prudish.
Without turning, Fabian swung his wand arm around to point it unerringly in Kingsley's face. "Another word from you and I'll put you in a full Body Bind and deliver you to your father just the way I found you."
Without moving, Gideon snapped, "Leave him out of this, Fabian." He held up a hand, waving Kingsley toward the Floo.
"Why brother," Fabian said sweetly, "he's old enough to fuck, but not old enough to be responsible for his decisions?"
"I'm responsible for what happened here today. Not Kingsley."
"Gideon, we had this conversation six days ago."
Gideon glanced over Fabian's shoulder. "You probably should go," he said.
"No, I won't," Kingsley retorted, even more angrily than before. "You both should stop treating me like a child right now.
"Go ahead," he told Fabian, with a bravado that he didn't feel at all, "take me to my dad. What do you think he'll do? AK me? And I am responsible for my acts. I want Gideon as much as he wants me. Whatever happened here – and mind you, it was not much - was my fault as much as his."
He crossed his arms and stared defiantly at Fabian's back. "And it's none of your business, Fabian." He was incredibly frustrated. At this rate, with Gideon's initial reluctance and all the interruptions, fucking Gideon was going steadily into the realm of the impossible.
"Not much? Don't lie for him, Shacklebolt. I know my brother better than that. He doesn't bring people back to his flat; he can't stand casual shags knowing where he lives - that's what my flat is for. The only possible reason you're here is…"
Fabian frowned, registering what he said, "Why did you bring him…" Gideon covered Fabian's mouth. Fabian's eyes widened at Gideon's actions.
"He's not calling you a liar," Gideon said as Kingsley opened his mouth, "he's accusing me of it, so don't get your knickers in a twist." Shrugging his shoulders - something hard to do with his brother still trying to push him through the wall, Gideon said, "Stay if you want. But do me a favor and get dressed. Fabian won't let me go or turn around until you do."
When he didn't move, Gideon added, "Kingsley, please?"
Gideon could see the anger boiling over in his brother. Fabian was trembling, barely hanging onto control, something incredibly rare after years of being an Auror. He wasn't sure what Fabian was thinking, but the shocked expression on his face told him he'd find out soon enough. He removed his hand, hoping Fabian wouldn't say anything else stupid about his personal life.
"You lied Sunday."
Gideon shook his head, "No, I didn't."
"Since when is omitting the truth not a lie?"
"I… er…"
"You can't even explain it, can you?
Kingsley watched the interchange between the two brothers curiously. He wondered what Fabian had wanted to say that had caused that strange reaction from Gideon. Quietly he pulled his jeans on and smoothed his t-shirt, but stood ready to help Gideon if need be. He was an underage, wandless wizard, but Merlin knew he could tackle Fabian long enough to let Gideon get a hold of his own wand.
"I'm dressed, Fabian. You can turn around. I won't hurt your sensibilities any more," he said with an angry smirk.
Gideon, nearly as angry as Kingsley at the interruption, moved away from the cold wall as Fabian relented. He had no clothes in the room, yet didn't want to leave the two alone with their explosive tempers. He could imagine Fabian's reaction if he took Kingsley with him.
Giving up, he said to his brother, "Not one word until I return," and went to his room, grabbing the first pair of trousers and shirt he found. Pulling the trousers on, he threw the shirt over his head as he walked back out.
"Not my business?" Fabian said as he turned around to face Kingsley, obviously not heeding Gideon's warning to shut up, "Of course it's my business. He's my brother. Do you know what your father would do to him, if he found out?
"Do you know the conversation we just had at your home on Sunday, with your father and grandfather? They were both giving thanks that you weren't like your cousin. I know your father and what he would do to Gideon. I'd rather my brother face Azkaban than get flayed and fed to a manticore."
"My father won't find anything out if you keep your mouth shut. If you really care about your brother, you should just leave now and pretend you didn't see anything. I know exactly what my grandfather and father say about Chambers and I'm not like him at all – he's a git."
"And what makes you different?" Fabian asked.
Enough! Gideon thought, pushing his brother backwards and into a chair. He didn't think Fabian would appreciate the sofa right then. Walking toward Kingsley, he grabbed his arms and swung them around until Kingsley's back was toward Fabian.
"Not helping!" he said, winking at him to show he was teasing and covered Kingsley's mouth with his hand.
"Listen to me for a moment, please. I need to deal with him. I don't want you involved since Fabian might be your boss some day." Gideon trailed one hand down his chest, tucking a finger into his jeans, "Let this blow over, and I'll work it out. Trust me."
Kingsley wasn't too convinced that it would be a good idea, but Gideon's finger inside his jeans promised something good in the hopefully near future. "Are you sure?" he asked. Gideon nodded and Kingsley turned to Fabian – he just had to have the last word then. "You're not putting a stop on this, Fabian. You're just postponing it." He made sure that Fabian was watching them and said to Gideon, "Floo me after he leaves. I want to know you're all right." He glared at Fabian, leant over and kissed Gideon full on the mouth.
Without another word, he stepped into the Floo and, mostly hidden by the flames, shot the finger at Fabian and disappeared.
As soon as the Floo settled Fabian jumped from the chair and crossed the room in two strides, "I don't usually mix my friends and lovers?" he asked, crossing his arms and tapping his wand on his shoulder.
"I didn't lie to you."
"So he's not your lover."
"Not in the legal sense of the word, no."
"But he might as well be, and is he not your friend?"
"Er…"
"You lied. When did you begin doing that, brother mine?"
Running fingers through his hair, Gideon frowned; apparently more things had changed after his introduction to Kingsley than he thought.
"You've shagged at least two birds since you've met him. Normally your monogamous habits could put a married couple to shame. Everything I knew about you has changed. What's going on, Gideon?"
"I…" he really didn't have a glib answer to give his brother, or an honest one.
"Do you think you can keep this from Mac? That boy has the subtlety of a hippogriff."
Gideon pulled the chair Kingsley had used toward the one his brother had been sitting in; turning it around, he dropped into it, chin resting on his hands on the back of the chair.
"You're being obtuse, brother. He's sixteen, is your life worth shagging some minor? Do you think I could protect you from Mac? Do you think I'd try?"
"Mac won't learn about it, Fabian. I'm not doing anything to get me in trouble."
"Hello, Gideon. I Floo'ed in today on you two. You were both naked on your sofa. Don't tell me it wasn't going anywhere."
Fabian could see the troubled look; he knew that Gideon would finally listen to him.
"It's the end of June, almost July. His birthday is only weeks away. All you have to do is relax and watch your back until then. After that it won't matter what idiotic thing you do, Mac will be constrained by the law."
"As I won't," Gideon said, thinking about it.
"It's not long, brother. Just long enough for you to be safe." Fabian did not add that he hoped that Gideon would come to his senses before then.
"Why did you Floo over? I can't believe you're any less exhausted than I am," Gideon asked suddenly, tired of the lecture.
"Lydia sent us an owl; they want to go out tonight. You'll go, right? "
As much as he wanted to say no, Gideon knew he couldn't. It was rare for Fabian to express interest in someone, and if that someone came with an attachment for now, so be it. Nodding, he motioned toward the Floo.
"I'll go, but I need some sleep first. Go home and rest. I'll be over later."
***
Kingsley tumbled out of the Floo, stretching out and seeing his grandfather, who was watching him with a puzzled face. "Home so soon? I thought you were going to Diagon Alley with Gideon Prewett?"
"Erm…yeah, Grandpa, but he wasn't feeling very well. Sore muscles. I kept him company for a while and left when his brother arrived."
"Well, I'm glad you came back. Your date called you; she wants you to Floo her."
Marlene! Fuck, I forgot. He was supposed to go to her house and spend a few shaggable hours while her parents were out. He had been really excited about it before he went to Gideon's, but now he was less so. He didn't want to shag her, which was a new thing for him. It was strange, and he attributed it to being worried about Gideon.
He would call Marlene and try to find a way out of this date. He thanked Southwood, who left the room to give Kingsley privacy, and knelt in front of the fireplace.
Marlene answered immediately, with a mutinous look on her face. "Kingsley, we have to change our plans."
He managed not to beam and plastered on a quizzical look. "Why?"
"Because my parents invited my uncle and aunt to go out with them and they have dumped my very nerdy cousin Bridget on me. She'll have to go out with us. Who can you call to go on a blind date with her?"
That wasn't bad. He could certainly go out after he knew Gideon was fine. "I can try Caradoc."
She rolled her eyes. "They'll get along just fine. Go ahead." She moved closer to the edge of the fireplace. "I can't believe it, Kingsley. I was counting on fucking until we passed out. We have to find another day. When can you?"
He really didn't want to think about it right now. At the same time, he knew that his prospects with Gideon were poor at best. If Gideon had been reluctant before, he'd be impossible now. Kingsley was very pissed at Fabian, first for interrupting and then for probably threatening Gideon with murder if he ever touched Kingsley again.
Kingsley wanted to shag Gideon badly, but he couldn't be celibate until his birthday. "Tomorrow. Wanna come here? We can swim."
"Can we go skinny-dipping?" she asked, licking her lips.
"We can try," he answered, knowing that it'd be hard to fool Southwood. But Marlene was fun company - and very resourceful.
"Good. Call Caradoc and then get back to me."
Before he could make the call to the Dearborns', the Floo flashed. It was Gideon. Kingsley moved closer to the fire.
He waited until Fabian left to settle on his knees near the Floo. As Kingsley answered, Gideon grinned, "Hello, imp. I'm still alive."
"Oh, so he didn't skin you alive and feed you to a manticore?" he laughed, shaking his head. "Your brother has the worst sense of timing ever, doesn't he?"
"You said it. He was pretty reasonable after you left. He's my best friend, has always been," Gideon shrugged, smiling lopsidedly. "He knows how to anger me or make me feel guilty." He said nothing else, assuming Kingsley would understand.
"I will say though, that's the last time he'll come through the Floo unannounced."
Finally laughing aloud, Gideon simply said, "I think it's okay for now. We just need to be careful around him for a bit. My game is in Wales this weekend, so I'll see you on Monday?"
Given a choice, Kingsley would've returned to Gideon's flat, to their unfinished business. But Gideon's mention of Monday was a dead giveaway that it wouldn't be a welcome idea. In any event, he had to meet Marlene that afternoon.
He'd be pretty busy until Monday anyway. Tomorrow Marlene would come over and on Sunday there was a big Shacklebolt gathering planned; he was dying to let Santini know about what had happened in Gideon's flat. And then he and his cousin could go dancing.
He nodded to Gideon. "Sure. See you then." It would be a strange date, with his father and grandfather around and now with Fabian and his newfound knowledge. But he promised himself that his name wasn't Kingsley Shacklebolt if he didn't give Gideon at least a kiss on Monday.