Authors:lee_west and ceria Rating: R Pairing: Gideon/Kingsley Summary: Written for the AWDT prompt, “I like your pants around your feet." Kingsley and Gideon have some encounters, close and casual. Disclaimer: We don’t own the boys at all; if we did, their story would have a happy ending. And we wish we had a nice cool garden. Warnings: Chan-ish - but the minor in question isn't innocent at all! Thank you to andrea__88 for your sharp eye and help with this one.
Santini Shacklebolt looked at himself in the mirror one more time and then prepared for the difficult long-distance Apparition. He was used to that, going from Italy to England quite often to visit his family.
He was carrying a package with him: a smart outfit for his favorite cousin. Kingsley had grown from a pesky kid to a fun almost-adult. The two cousins had a lot in common, despite their age difference. Right on top of the list was a fondness for dancing.
They were both bisexual with a heterosexual tendency. Santini knew that one day he'd get married and have a family. He also knew that, when that day came, he'd no longer go to bars or have sex with men. Because of this, he was taking advantage of every occasion he had.
He'd talked to Kingsley about it and had been pleased to know that his cousin had exactly the same thoughts. They were just sowing their wild oats in places like Shaft.
Kingsley had mentioned, during the last family reunion, that he'd met a Quidditch player who refused to have sex with him because he was a minor. Santini hoped his cousin had invited the - atleta - the great sportsman to go dancing with them. He planned to create an opportunity to remedy that situation. Kingsley's balls were probably fuchsia right now with the the sportsman's reluctance.
When Santini asked him why he hadn't invited Gideon, Kingsley replied simply that "He's a git."
Santini looked at Kingsley curiously, then opened his eyes wide. Kingsley had never talked about any of his shags like that. He thought about saying something to his cousin, but decided against it. He wanted to have a good time and couldn't afford to have Kingsley in a bad mood.
***
Gideon knew he didn't have to stay at Molly's very long; even so, he dreaded going there for dinner without Fabian. Even the prospect of seeing his father didn't make him feel better. A knock on the door surprised him a few minutes before it was time to leave. Opening the door, Gideon was puzzled to see Meg standing there, in a tasteful dress, carrying her robes in the crook of her arm.
"Hello, beautiful. Did we have plans tonight?"
Shaking her head, blond hair flowing loosely, she said, "No, but a certain someone I know had to face the family alone. And since he's my best friend, I thought I'd spare him."
Kissing her extended hand, Gideon thanked her, thrilled. He realized that she only came because he had been complaining on Wednesday. Feeling guilty, Gideon smiled as Meg shook her head, "I don't mind, Gideon, honestly. Besides, your sister likes me."
He couldn't deny the truth of that; Molly had dropped more than one unsubtle hint that it was time her brothers married. "This will only encourage her," Gideon began but Meg interrupted him.
"True, but it will help to hide the truth, as well."
"What truth?"
Meg rolled her eyes; men could be completely obtuse. She and Gideon had gone to dinner and a movie two days ago, and after an hour of apologies about his bad habits as her friend, Meg finally pieced together what had happened.
Whatever Kingsley's mum had said to him concerned Gideon enough to make him talk about their relationship. Privately, Meg admitted that she had considered herself in love with him once upon a time, but that was two years ago. Since then she accepted the truth that while Gideon deeply cared for her, he didn't love her.
Since that time last year, she treated him as a best friend and brother, a position she adored. Gideon was close to no one except Fabian, and Meg loved being considered part of his family. It was humorous then, knowing how much this relationship with Kingsley bothered him. He probably didn't even realize it was a relationship yet.
***
Friday night the two cousins went to Shaft, where an eager Sean was very happy to see Kingsley alone again, immediately dragging him onto the dance floor.
A little later, inside a cubicle in the men's lavatory, Sean was bent over the toilet while Kingsley fucked him with his eyes closed, imagining that it was Gideon under him.
***
Saturday night, after Benjy's party, Kingsley asked Santini if he would mind trying another club; he'd been to Shaft a lot and wanted to go somewhere new. They went to Heaven, another one of Santini's favorites.
The clientele at Heaven was slightly older, and Kingsley had been reticent to go there because of that. Despite his experience, he felt awkwardly young among those thirty-something men. This time, however, he had a sudden desire to prove that he wasn't that young.
As soon as they walked in, Kingsley felt eyes on him. It wasn't an unusual occurrence, but this time it seemed different. He looked around and saw a tall blond man checking him out.
Their eyes met, and the stranger pulled himself off the wall where he'd been leaning and walked towards Kingsley. "Edward Stanton. Wanna dance?" Without waiting for Kingsley's answer, he pulled him to the dance floor.
***
Thankful for the early practice, Gideon and Meg Disapparated early, returning to the quiet of his flat. Molly hadn't been terrible that night, and his father had been thrilled to see Meg outside of Quidditch. "They love you," he said quietly.
"They love you," she replied, "They only like me because of what I might mean to you. Believe it or not, they worry about you."
"I'm fine, they needn't bother."
"Are you ready to talk yet?" she asked.
"About what?"
"Whatever is bothering you," she said evasively.
"There's nothing wrong," he answered her, confused by her insistence.
***
Edward was just up Kingsley's alley – attractive, a good dancer and damn aggressive. They had just started dancing and his fingers were inside the waistband of Kingsley's jeans. Before the first song even finished, they were making out, and Edward was leading them to the bathroom.
Kingsley was ecstatic: he'd not enjoyed shagging Sean as much as he used to and had attributed that to the fact that he needed to try something – or someone – new. Edward certainly would do. He was lanky like Gideon, but Kingsley was certain that he wouldn't be thinking about Gideon this time.
Edward pushed him inside the cubicle and kicked the door, not caring that it was ajar. Kissing, they wasted no time in pulling each other's jeans down, and Kingsley noticed that Edward wasn't wearing pants, either. He couldn't avoid thinking about Gideon then. See, Mr. Prewett, no pants! Smart man.
As Kingsley reached down to grab the tube of lube from his jeans pocket, he saw that Edward was mimicking his gestures. "That's all right, I got it," he told him.
"Fine. Hand it over," Edward demanded.
Kingsley did and jutted his hips forward for Edward to coat his cock with the lube. To his immense surprise, Edward started spreading the lube on his cock.
"What the fuck you're doing?" Kingsley asked, stepping backward and almost falling down, as his calves hit the toilet.
Edward squinted at him. "What am I doing? It's obvious, isn't it? Or do you want a dry fuck?"
"Who's fucking who?" Kingsley asked in shock.
Shaking his oiled cock, Edward answered flippantly, "I'm fucking you. You know, putting this cock up your arse."
"THE FUCK YOU ARE!" Kingsley shouted, indignantly. "I don't bottom."
"Of course you do. Everyone bottoms one day or the other," Edward said, holding Kingsley's arm and trying to turn him around.
"Let go," Kingsley jerked his arm free. "If you want any action at all, I fuck you."
"Oh, yeah?" Edward asked despondently, "Normally I wouldn't mind much – you've a got a big one there. But because of your attitude, it's either I fuck you or nothing at all."
Edward was blocking Kingsley's way. He was a tall man, but much slimmer, Kingsley wasted no time in pushing him back and striding out of the cubicle, pulling his pants up and shouting angrily. "You go fuck yourself, arsehole."
He had a big hard on and was trying to stuff it inside his tight jeans without much success. A man standing inside the bathroom gave his cock an appreciative look and said, invitingly, "I don't mind bottoming, darling." Kingsley was so furious that, instead of taking the bloke up on the nice offer, he answered, "Good, go inside that cubicle and bend over for the fuckwit in there. It's lubed and all."
Trying to zip up his jeans, he looked for Santini.
***
With Fabian still gone Saturday afternoon, Gideon found himself restless and at odds with staying home. He didn't want to ask Meg to go out again; she'd been kind enough to him this week. He was thinking about sending Sienna to find Renee when a strange owl tapped at his window.
Unfolding the parchment, he read that she was working late that evening and wondered if they could postpone their date until tomorrow afternoon. Gideon scribbled his assent, promising to meet her at Fabian's flat for lunch, then fed the owl and asked it to return to St. Mungo's with his response. He sent Sienna home to Fabian, repeating the same information.
It was a Quidditch day, and even though they lost the game spectacularly, celebrations would still be going on at the pub. Which meant his casual acquaintance might be there as well. Within fifteen minutes, Gideon saw him in a dark booth, nursing a scotch.
Asking the waitress to refill the man's drink and to send another along, Gideon caught his eye briefly before joining his teammates. Some things needed taken care of first; it would have been rude to Disapparate with the stranger before speaking to his team.
Unwilling to settle for their usual quick screw in the alley, Gideon hesitantly began a conversation. Within the hour, he learned that the man lived close by, and indeed was willing to share his flat with a visitor.
Gideon enjoyed his Saturday night after all.
***
Kingsley found Santini on the dance floor, making out with a small, effeminate bloke. Kingsley always thought it funny that his cousin's taste ran to the men who were more feminine than most women he knew. Shrugging, he weaved his way through the dancers and tapped Santini's shoulder. His cousin was hunched over, being so much taller than his dancing partner, and straightened with a grimace. "What's up, Kingsley? Back so quickly? That was fast."
"There was no shag," Kingsley shouted over the loud music. "He was a fucking top, too. And he wanted to fuck me!"
"Doesn't he know that the only bottom in the Shacklebolt family is Chambers?" Santini laughed out loud, grabbing his date by the waist and pulling him off the dance floor. The three men went to the bar and Santini made a motion to order more drinks.
"I don't want any, Santini," Kingsley answered moodily. "I wanna go. I can take a taxi to the Lea-, to the pub and from there to grandpa's. You don't have a curfew, so you just stay." He looked at the bloke attached to his cousin's waist; Santini was having a good time and Kingsley didn't want to be a spoilsport.
"Nah, let's all go to Shaft then," Santini replied. "Your happy bottom Sean should be there. Are you game, Will?" he asked the bloke next to him, who nodded eagerly. Kingsley laughed at the expression; most men thought any place would be a good place to shag a gorgeous Italian man.
***
Gideon, used to waking early for Quidditch, returned to his flat for a shower and some well-earned sleep before going to meet his brother. Arriving to a quiet flat, he carefully knocked on the bedroom door; worried that Lydia might already be there.
At his brother's mumbled "What?" followed by a hacking cough, Gideon opened the door, peeking his head inside. "Hello there," he said, blinking his eyes to adjust to the dimness. It was rare that Fabian left the room so dark. "Everything all right?"
The pillow hitting him in the head gave the obvious answer, and instead of retreating like a smart man, Gideon found his way through the dark room to his brother's side.
"Are you sick?" he asked, feeling around until he found Fabian's cool forehead.
"Just tired. What time is it?"
"We've about fifteen minutes, if they arrive on time," Gideon said, knowing they would.
"Right, shower then," Fabian said, "Stall them for me?"
Nodding even though Fabian couldn't see him, Gideon left him in the dark. His brother was notoriously grumpy before food and usually kept a well-stocked kitchen. He pulled out flatware for four, assuming they would eat lunch together, and began searching for something to make when he heard the Floo.
"In here, ladies," Gideon called out, walking to the doorway. Both women greeted him with a kiss on the cheek and Lydia immediately took to the idea. "A picnic?" she asked.
Shrugging, Gideon said, "If you like. Only leave something out for Fabian to eat before we leave. It'll put him in a better mood."
Befuddled how any woman could learn the layout of a strange kitchen so easily, Gideon watched the two of them Transfigure a container into a basket and throw enough prepared sandwiches in there for five or six people.
***
Santini had never seen Kingsley so grumpy before. As the youngest grandson, he was a little spoiled, but was usually in excellent spirits. Sunday morning, at a late breakfast, he decided to delve into that. "Kingsley, what's eating at you?"
"At me? Nothing. why do you ask?" Kingsley asked, eyes lowered to his plate.
"You're acting strange."
"'M not."
Santini thought about the past couple of days. It was obvious that Kingsley's strange behavior was caused by someone else. Through conversation, he'd determined that Kingsley was all right as far as the upcoming school year was concerned, that he knew he had great chances at being accepted for the Auror training and his relationship with his parents was normal. The only thing missing was the influence of someone not related to all of the previous things.
He'd watched Kingsley with Marlene at Benjy's party, and they seemed to be getting along well. She was a fun girl, very much like his cousin. At one point in time Santini thought he'd be going to Heaven by himself, if the sight of the furious snogging between Kingsley and Marlene was any indication. But then Kingsley himself told Santini it was time to go and set a date for the following week with Marlene. On the way to the club, he explained that Marlene had a curfew for that night, but he'd be going to her house one day when her parents weren't around.
If Marlene and Kingsley were all right with each other, this only left one person unaccounted for – the great sportsman. Kingsley had talked about him at length during the family reunion, but hadn't mentioned his name at all that weekend, except to say, "He's a git." Git or no git, the sportsman – whatever his name was – was probably the cause for his cousin's moodiness. Santini decided to find out.
"So, Kingsley, what's going on with the Quidditch player?" he asked in a casual voice. The clank of the fork on the plate gave Santini all the answer he wanted. He suppressed a smile and looked at Kingsley with an innocent face.
"Which Quidditch player?" Kingsley asked, shoving food into his mouth.
"The one who refuses to have sex with you because of your age. How's he doing?"
Kingsley shrugged, "Dunno."
"Haven't seen him?"
"Saw him last Wednesday."
Santini sat up, his quick mind making the connection that Kingsley had asked him to come to Britain on Wednesday. "Really? Where?"
Kingsley swallowed slowly, "At home," he answered curtly.
"Oh. What was the occasion?"
"No occasion. He just…came and ended up having tea with Mum."
"Hmm…Aunt Maura! Did she scare him away?"
Kingsley laughed, "Probably."
"Why didn't he go dancing with us? I wanted to meet him."
"I didn't invite him. Don't want to see him any more."
That was odd. "Why not? You told me he was a great bloke."
"He's a git."
"You've told me that also. What makes him a git?"
Kingsley pursed his lips. "Well, take Wednesday. He came here, we went to my room and sucked each other off. Then he goes home and shags a bird."
Santini watched Kingsley for a while before answering. "Number one, how do you know? Number two, you shag birds, too."
"But not right after we have some sort of sex! And he lies, too – he told Mum that he didn't like the girl like that."
"Which girl?"
"His teammate, Meaghan. And how do I know? I Floo'ed him and they were on his couch, about to kiss."
That sounded to Santini like a severe case of jealousy. He considered needling his cousin a little and telling him what he thought, but decided against it. Kingsley, for all his size and smarts, was still a very young man. "And why does this bother you?" he asked instead.
Kingsley shrugged again. "Because…because I really want to have sex with him and he won't. You know, Santini, I know all I have to do is fuck him once and it'll be over. It's this anticipation that's driving me nuts."
Five years older and much more experienced, Santini knew that this was probably not true, but he let it pass. "Maybe. Say, want to go to Italy with me for a few days? I'm seeing this girl, Sophia, and she has the cutest sister. She's about your age and I know she'd like to meet a dashing Englishman like you," he said with a laugh. He hoped Kingsley would accept. This would help distract him from the sportsman. I have to ask what his name is again. Later, when Kingsley is less uptight. Sportsman won't do for someone who'll probably be around for more than one shag.
"Sure," Kingsley answered quickly. He loved being in Milan, in Santini's bachelor pad.
***
The park was a pleasant place - for families. It was a warm day with big downy clouds floating above the trees. Gideon laid on his back next to the blanket watching them while Lydia and Fabian teasingly picked out shapes, each one getting more and more whimsical. Renee sat at Gideon's feet, watching the children playing at the bottom of the hill.
Realizing that she'd been quiet for some time, Gideon rolled onto his side, looking at her inquisitively.
"I'm fine," she said immediately, smiling at him.
"You sure?"
"Positive. Want to go for a walk?"
Nodding, he stood and began to tell Fabian, only to realize that Fabian wouldn't care at the moment. Renee rolled her eyes and softly said, "Someone's mum is going to yell at them, snogging in public like that."
"I agree," Gideon said, pointing to the copse of trees on the left, "That's a much more private location."
Grinning, Renee raced him to the trees. She looked at him oddly, most likely surprised she beat him, and Gideon said, "Quidditch player, not a runner."
Two steps into the grove, Renee turned, throwing her arms around Gideon and tried to press her lips against his. Turning his head at the last moment, she caught the corner of his mouth and Gideon trailed his lips across her jaw. "Thanks for lunch today," he said, trying to distract her.
One minute later, Gideon and Renee heard a woman's voice scolding Lydia and Fabian for their lack of discretion. Laughing quietly, they stepped out of the woods as Fabian sat up, his face bright red, and Lydia turned around, subtly straightening her blouse.
***
Thanks to Santini, Kingsley had a wonderful time in Italy. Sophia's sister, Elena, was indeed a lovely girl who took great joy in showing him around. After a teary goodbye from her side and promises to return soon from his, he took a Portkey back home.
It was Thursday, and he had promised Marlene that he'd stop by her house after he shopped for new robes at Diagon Alley.
***
Leaving Gringott's with Gideon, Fabian watched his brother carefully. Gideon was warily looking around, anxious to avoid… everyone it seemed. He'd been in a lousy mood most of the afternoon and Fabian had been trying to tease him into a better one for three hours. If Fabian was truthful with himself, and he always was, Gideon had been out of sorts for some time.
They had met Lydia and Renee for lunch at St. Mungo's that day; during the meal, they had bumped into Maura Shacklebolt in the cafeteria. Gideon had been cross ever since, appalling Fabian with his vehemence about the meeting. He hadn't spoken about Kingsley for two weeks, which wasn't a shock considering, but Fabian had been surprised when Maura greeted Gideon warmly, inviting him over for tea again whenever he wanted, informing him that Kingsley was finally home from Italy.
Fabian found himself regretting the distance between them. He knew that he'd handled the situation badly when he barged into Gideon's flat, and Gideon had been out of sorts since then. Maybe Fabian had misjudged the situation -- not the actions of the two, because those were obvious -- but he didn't like seeing Gideon upset.
Heading toward the Leaky Cauldron, Fabian turned toward his brother to apologize, when Gideon hissed loudly and pushed him off the pavement and into Fortescue's.
"What's wrong with you?" Fabian yelped, trying to look over Gideon's shoulder to see who might be outside. "Nothing," Gideon said, "I want ice cream, all right?" he pushed Fabian toward the line.
Sighing, Fabian began to ask him again when he heard Mac's voice behind them.
"Well, if it isn't the Prewett brothers. Come on, Kingsley, you said two minutes ago you wanted ice cream."
Fuckfuckfuck! The two people I least wanted to see. Putting a neutral look on his face and purposefully thinking about Marlene and the nice shagging they'd be doing that night, Kingsley followed his father into Fortescue's.
The last thing he wanted right then was a fucking ice cream - with the fucking Prewett brothers.
Standing in front of Gideon, before he turned around to greet the Shacklebolts, Fabian could see Gideon's expression literally wilt.
"Gideon?" he whispered, concern lacing his voice. Barely shaking his head, Gideon closed his eyes and took one quick deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, Fabian was very worried; Gideon's face was the mask of pleasantness that typically was reserved for Molly.
Fabian turned around, keeping Gideon behind his back. He stuck his hand out, shaking Mac's hand, and nodded at Kingsley. Curiously, Kingsley had the same blank expression pasted on his face. Fabian stood his ground as Gideon said hello. Technically, Fabian was in the way and Gideon couldn't shake either of their hands. Nor did he try and move.
Kingsley nodded a brief hello to Fabian and, when he saw Gideon hiding, he told his father, "Dad, I forgot something at Madam Malkin's. Why don't you get us a table and I will be right back?" Not waiting for his father to ask what he'd forgotten, he left hurriedly. With a little bit of luck, he'd eat his ice cream and take off; his father knew he had a date anyway.
It was amazing how quickly Gideon relaxed once he left, though most people wouldn't recognize the signs, Fabian thought. He assumed that whatever had happened, it had ended whatever was going on between them. For that Fabian was thankful; anything that kept Gideon safe in the long term was a good thing, no matter if it hurt him in the short term.
The conversation stalled while they ordered their ice cream, only to be picked up again when they sat down. Immediately, it turned toward Quidditch and Gideon's match on Saturday against Puddlemere United.
Unable to stay away any longer, Kingsley dragged his feet back to Fortescue's, passing by the table without stopping and coming back with a large sundae. The seat that was left was between his father and Gideon, and he pulled the chair closer to McIntosh before sitting down.
"What did you forget at Malkin's, son?"
"Nothing. I just wanted to make sure that she'd leave a large hem. Last year's robes were too short by Christmas."
"Good thinking, Kingsley. You're still growing fast." Turning to the two brothers, he added, "He'll be taller than me by Christmas. And his shoulders will be double my size," he continued with obvious pride.
With a "Marlene, think about Marlene" mantra on his mind, Kingsley smiled at his father and went on eating his ice cream without another word. The conversation was about the upcoming Quidditch match, and Kingsley had no desire to go. He'd have to find a good excuse, which would be very hard, since his grandfather had bought excellent tickets.
Or I'll go and support Puddlemere United. The thought made him a little happier.
Fabian was staring at him as if he'd grown a second head or something. It was silly. He looked confusingly at Kingsley several times, whom Gideon continued to ignore. What the hell was wrong with that? First, Fabian wanted him as far away as possible, and now he was confused by it?
Gideon was tired of everyone asking him about his nerves. He was tired of knowing that every fan preferred to see Puddlemere win. He wasn't going to ask Kingsley what he thought, since he still wasn't speaking to him. He considered asking about Italy, but didn't want to admit he ran into Maura earlier - especially while he was with Renee.
This is ridiculous, Gideon decided finally. "Speaking of Quidditch, Kingsley, how's the new broom? Have you had a chance to practice with it yet?"
Kingsley turned to Gideon, unsmiling. "No. Grandpa will have it delivered on my birthday. As a gift for being of legal age.
Mac roared. "Your best gift that day will be the legal age."
"Just think of all the things you can do then," Fabian said, smiling wickedly, "Apparation - once you pass the test - and all the things you'll no longer get in trouble for." He turned to Mac, "They grow up so quickly, don't they? They're always in such a hurry to prove what an adult they are."
And you're in such a hurry to prove what a fuckwit you are. With an equally wicked smile, Kingsley replied, "But I don't get in trouble, Fabian. I'm utterly law-abiding. I don't do anything illegal – no underage magic, for instance. He turned to his father. "Underage magic is the only thing that can get me in trouble, isn't it, Dad?"
Mac nodded. "You're right." Turning to Fabian, he continued, "He's actually quite good. Only one detention in all those years and it was a misunderstanding. There was a big brawl during one Quidditch match and Kingsley and the youngest Lestrange boy got caught in it. Can't complain," he said, patting his son's back, "Kingsley's given me no reason to worry at all."
Always the innocent one, is it, Shacklebolt? I bet you'd love to see me thrown into Azkaban for our encounters. Gideon bit his tongue.
"Fabian, are you finished?" he turned toward Mac. "We have a meeting that we have to attend soon, I'm afraid we have to go.
"Kingsley, I'm sure I'll talk to you soon." He stood, waiting for his brother, who was finishing his last bite.
"Yeah," Kingsley nodded, his attention back to his ice cream. He had no great desire to talk to Gideon again and especially to that even bigger git Fabian.
Mac stood up. "Well, Fabian, I forgot that I was supposed to Floo you later and invite you both for dinner tomorrow night. Maura told me she had a great time with you at tea last week, Gideon. She said it was a most entertaining conversation. You're both free?"
Kingsley racked his brain to see if he had anything important to do the following night, but couldn't come up with anything.
Fabian, who was still sitting, frowned as Gideon minutely shook his head no.
"As long as it's an early evening, we're both free, what time?" Rolling his eyes, Gideon knew that Fabian misinterpreted his no. Damn him anyway.
"Dinner will be at eight, but come earlier so we can enjoy cocktails outside. Six-thirty, seven o'clock, then?"
Gideon shook his head again and Fabian nodded, "Tomorrow it is. Gentlemen, it's been a pleasure; I thank you for the invite and we'll see you then."
Following Fabian out of Fortescue's, Gideon paused in the doorway a moment, as if waiting. Fabian continued, then stopped when he turned to speak to his brother and realized he wasn't there.
"Everything all right?" he asked quietly.
Realizing that he had no reason to stand in an empty doorway, Gideon scowled, "Ask me again and I'll hex you.
"And lay off Kingsley. You've said enough."
He followed Fabian to the Leaky Cauldron. He wanted to go home, but knew he couldn't, not with the Order meeting beginning in a fifteen minutes.
***
At six o'clock on Friday, Kingsley stepped out of the shower and got dressed unhurriedly. He was feeling much better that day. Firstly, the evening before had been ace, as they usually were when Mr. and Mrs. McKinnon were out. And then he'd had a great Friday swimming with his friends Caradoc and Benjy. They'd talked about the things that interested teenage boys the most: girls and Quidditch.
Dinner wasn't formal enough to require a jacket, but his mother wouldn't allow him to wear jeans for dinner with company. He looked at the mirror: clad in casual khakis and button-down white Oxford shirt, he looked older and more mature than his seventeen years.
He sincerely hoped that Fabian wouldn't needle him. His mother would immediately pick up that something was the matter if he answered the way that The Git deserved. With a snort, he had a funny thought that the Prewetts should have Git as middle names.
He had to be in best behavior tonight, but it wouldn't be a hard thing to do; he'd thought about the conversation he'd had with Santini and determined that the reason he was uneasy around Gideon was the lack of real sex. As soon as they fucked – and fuck they would, despite whichever bird Gideon was shagging – he wouldn't think about Gideon any more. It was just the anticipation that was killing him.
He'd also reasoned that the presence of the girls in Gideon's life was upsetting because he was afraid that Gideon would be too serious with one of them and decide that he wouldn't shag men any longer – just like Santini and himself planned to do once they found the right girl. You're more than welcome to hook up with whoever you want, Mr. Prewett, but only after I fuck you in earnest.
For that to happen, he had to be on good terms with Gideon. The sooner they shagged after his birthday, the faster he'd write Gideon off as just another shag.
With that happy thought, he went downstairs; the guests should be arriving soon.
Unsure why he bothered taking care when he dressed, Gideon berated himself for his attitude lately. Even Renee could see a change in him; after they returned to Fabian's flat following the picnic, she had asked if something was bothering him. Unwilling to answer honestly, he shrugged his shoulders, distracting her with teasing.
Confused himself, he couldn't give a proper response when he didn't know the answer. Gideon, usually the self-sure one, found himself at loose ends. If he was younger, he'd accuse himself of acting like a girl.
Fuck this, he thought The part of his brain that housed the stupid emotions wondered if he could live by that choice.
Apparating to the Shacklebolt's patio at half past six, he knocked on the front door.
"I'll get it, Lucille," Kingsley called out, striding to the door and opening it. He smiled congenially at Gideon and shook his hand. "Good evening, Gideon, come in. Mum will be down shortly, but Dad called and said he and Fabian will be a little late – some sort of last minute thing at Headquarters." He led the way through the house and out onto the terrace. It was a lovely evening and drinks had been set up outside.
He approached the table and picked up a glass. "Whiskey?"
"No, thank you. Too bad Mrs Wilcott isn't here; lemonade would be lovely. I'll take some water if it's out here, or whatever you're drinking."
The quietness turned his mind toward autumn. Things were changing rapidly, something Gideon had no control over, and it bothered him. It was the probable reason Mac and Fabian were late. Leaning against one of the poles on the edge of the terrace, he looked across the yard, watching the descent of the sun. "It's a shame that we don't have more days like this. Days like this make me want to stop the world, and live right here, right now."
Shaking his head, he turned to accept the glass from Kingsley, "Sorry, morbid thoughts."
Kingsley watched Gideon for a moment; he seemed taciturn and his words had been almost ominous. Kingsley decided to change the subject. "You know, I was just in Italy visiting my cousin – everyone's already talking about next year's World Cup. Italy had just qualified and the place was a zoo. I'd love to go to it; it'll be held in Brazil, yeah?"
"I heard about Italy winning; I was worried they wouldn’t beat Norway. I also hope Australia goes; they have a phenomenal Chaser and I've never seen him play.
"Yeah, it's in Brazil next year, never been there, but I'd love to go."
"If England makes it to the Cup, I'll go. It'll be a nice diversion between school and the real world. Auror training starts in September. That is," he added a little sheepishly, "if I make it into the program."
"If you make it into the Auror program, I'll buy us tickets. Deal?" Gideon planned to buy the tickets anyway, the World Cup was around Kingsley's birthday, and he expected Kingsley to qualify. Besides, Moody was already inquiring about his grades and potential, along with a few other students, according to Fabian.
Gideon grinned; the only one to not live up to Moody's expectations had been himself. Funny how that worked.
Kingsley beamed. What could be better than watching a World Cup match with a Quidditch player? "You're on! And I can borrow Grandpa's tent. That'll be awesome, Gideon. Have you ever been to a World Cup?" he asked, not paying too much attention to the answer; he was already making plans for the following year, hoping that Santini could join them and hoping even more that Gideon wouldn't invite his brother.
"Never. My parents hated Quidditch, the last one was held in Japan and they wouldn’t let Fabian attend. I've heard about them, though. It will be great. I assume that we're cheering for Italy?"
All he could really think about was the tent. Hell, they could make a long weekend of it, if not longer, and he wouldn't have to worry about intruding brothers or parental consent by next year… he could do whatever he wanted in the privacy of a tent with the proper spell.
Thinking about the possibilities of it, Gideon's grin turned wicked. Eyeing Kingsley, all he could suddenly think about was getting him alone long enough to play through some of the images flashing through his brain.
"Italy, of course, unless Britain makes it to the final. That'd be awesome, an Italy-Britain final. Can you imagine, Santini and us, sitting side by side and cheer-" Kingsley had just noticed Gideon's very wicked grin, which could only mean one thing. He finished, "- cheering for different teams," looking at Gideon's mouth and licking the side of his own, as if cleaning some pumpkin juice off it.
"You know," Gideon said, setting his drink down and walking closer, "I'm sure Santini is great, but he better find his own place to sleep." He put his mouth right under Kingsley's lower lip and sucked, "You missed a drop."
Pausing, he waited for Kingsley to tilt his head back, "Agreed?"
"Hell, yeah," Kingsley answered hoarsely. He wanted to kiss Gideon badly, but he knew they were in a rather precarious situation. His mum could come down at any moment, or Lucille could decide that the drinks needed refreshing. "Come," he said, "there's a place I want to show you."
Without waiting for an answer, as if Gideon would have told him no, Kingsley pulled him down a stone path leading to the back of the property. He caught a glimpse or two of the yard in the setting sunlight, but not enough to appreciate it. He'd have to convince Kingsley to bring him back in the daylight so he could properly admire the gardens they rushed past.
Deviating from the path, Kingsley finally slowed, pulling him off the side and into the trees. Damn, they were far enough away to have sex, even with Kingsley's loud voice, and not be heard. Shaking his head literally to clear the temptation from his mind, Gideon focused on what they could do.
"We far enough away now?" Gideon asked, barely waiting for Kingsley's nod to invade his mouth.
Kingsley congratulated himself on having decided to make amends with Gideon – Git Number Two was a damn good kisser. And, after all, his birthday was coming close and the much anticipated shagging would happen. He registered Gideon's talk about the World Cup and a private tent the following year and decided that, if the birthday shagging was all that he expected, they could certainly be occasional fuck buddies.
And Brazil had all those awesome looking witches! He and Gideon could actually choose if they wanted straight or gay sex during the Cup. Their bodies pressed together, their mouths locked together in a kiss and his hands massaging Gideon's buttocks, Kingsley was happy that he'd finally understood the nature of his relationship with Gideon: good friends who enjoyed sex together.
The thought of the shapely Brazilian witches in bed with Gideon didn't bother him in the least. The thought of the possibility of group sex made him pull Gideon even closer and his tongue push even deeper.
Gideon realized that even with all their bickering lately, Kingsley was too responsive and too damn good at this part of their… whatever… to walk away. Deciding to keep things simple between them was easy -- hell, all one of them had to do was kiss the other to make it painless to forget.
Kingsley's birthday approaching soon, Gideon concentrated on showing him what he wanted through the kiss. He loved Kingsley's aggressive nature, and whatever the imp was thinking right now was good for Gideon. Wrapping one leg around Kingsley, Gideon pushed against his hand, wanting more friction.
Hands trembling on Kingsley's head, Gideon sucked his tongue in deeper, wondering how much Kingsley could take before lust turned to pain. Not that he minded the pain, he liked it rough. More than anything, he wanted Kingsley to turn him around and rub him off, hands buried in his hair, teeth buried in his shoulder.
Groaning, Gideon pulled away, trembling, needing the space before he came all over himself, fully dressed, like some schoolboy.
Kingsley let out a loud complaint when Gideon pulled away, but accepted it. Things got carried away too easily when they were together, and all they needed now was for that nosy git Fabian to have arrived and decide to find his brother. "We've got to get back," he said, shaking his head and eyeing the bulge in his trousers. "Mum's probably waiting and Dad and your brother may have arrived already." He turned his back to Gideon, closing his eyes and thinking about his father walking in on them right at that moment. The thought made him shiver and he felt his cock starting to soften. He looked down again: still hard, but manageable. By the time they got to the terrace, he'd be fine again. He turned back to Gideon, eyeing his crotch openly. "You okay to go?"
Gideon scrunched up his nose, and made a stupid noise, "I will be, as soon as you stop gawking at me." At Kingsley's surprised look, he laughed. "Shacklebolt, you just mentioned your father and my brother in one sentence. After kissing me. What else do you expect?"
Then he grinned, "As much as I like your pants around your feet and your cock in my mouth, this is the safer choice." he shrugged and smoothed the front of his shirt then straightened his hair. "This is smarter though; the git has nothing to hold over us tonight."
"Come here," he said, straightening Kingsley's shirt. He bumped into Kingsley's shoulder companionably, placing his hand against the small of his back as they walked out of the woods. "Just do me a favor, and don't mention the World Cup in front of my brother. He's the last person I'd want to take with us."
He turned the conversation to Italy and Kingsley's trip there, questioning how many times he had visited his cousin, what they had seen, and did he have fun. Just general, safe questions as they approached the well-lit house. He could hear voices around the corner and assumed everyone was there.
The closer they got to the terrace, the slower Gideon walked. Putting some distance between them before seeing their families, Gideon shoved his hands into his trouser pockets for lack of something better to do with them. He really appreciated the fact that Maura didn't stand with formal robes for these dinners.
By the time they reached the steps of the terrace, they were joking about family vacations and mishaps.
"Kingsley!" Mac called out when he saw the two men coming from the backyard. "We were wondering where you were. And Gideon, your brother was concerned, but I told him you had probably arrived already."
"Hello, Gideon," Maura greeted with a warm smile. "I was about to go upstairs and see if you both were in Kingsley's room listening to music." Turning to Fabian and Mac, she continued, "The other day they stayed there for the whole afternoon. I understand Kingsley has turned Gideon into a Muggle music lover."
Staring at Fabian and suppressing a smile, Kingsley thought wickedly, You know that we weren't listening to music, don't you? And you can't do anything about it. Take that, Git. He said simply, "I was showing Gideon the gardens, Mum."
"Oh, my pride and joy," she answered happily. "You have to come during the day, Gideon, to really enjoy it."
Locked in a stare with Fabian, Kingsley hoped that the Auror was a Legilimens and could read his mind. Mum, don't worry. One day soon he'll enjoy that garden to the fullest.
"I'd like that, Mrs Shacklebolt, what I saw of them tonight was great." Purposefully not looking at his brother yet -- he could feel Kingsley gloating -- Gideon said hello to Mac and Maura, then refilled his water. What he said earlier was true; any sign of their attraction was subdued by the thought of the other two men. Finally, he left Kingsley's side and approached his brother. "Was everything at work all right?" he asked, knowing that Fabian had been given an Order assignment the prior night.
Nodding, he answered, "I found the information at the office, I just need to do some more research first." He walked to the edge of the terrace and lowered his voice, "It's not looking good, and it looks like a long trip. I might request another partner this time." Gideon set his drink down with a thud, drawing attention to himself, "I think not."
Curious about the tenor of the brother's conversation, but not willing to needle Fabian any further, Kingsley refilled his glass of pumpkin juice and sat down next to his mother and father, making small talk and surreptitiously observing Gideon and Fabian. The older Shacklebolts had exchanged a quick glance at Gideon's outburst, but had pretended not to notice, thinking that it was a family affair that didn't pertain to them.
Finally, Lucille announced that dinner was served and Maura directed them to the dining room. Her usual long table, fit for more formal dinners, had been Transfigured into a round table. In an effort to avoid shoptalk between the two Aurors, she sat Fabian between herself and Kingsley and Gideon between her son and her husband. Normally she'd have one brother at each of her side, but that would mean Mac and Fabian together. Maura loved to eat in peace, and lately all shoptalk was about the war.
"Sorry about that, Maura," Fabian said softly, as they sat, "We're comfortable enough here to forget that some things are better left unsaid." He was canny enough to know to apologize and quickly change the subject.
"Well," Fabian said loudly, raising his glass, "here's to tomorrow's game and all my wishes for the Arrows.
"You're going to need it."
Gideon rolled his eyes as he drank his water, "Thank you, brother, for your vote of confidence. At least you're not openly supporting Puddlemere." Gideon raised an eyebrow at Kingsley, grinning at him.
"Hey, I'm an Arrows fan," Kingsley laughed, handing in his plate for his father to put in a piece of the roast he'd just carved. Helping himself to a jacket potato and vegetables, he thanked his mother with a wink. Maura always made sure that Kingsley's favorite dishes were served while he was home from school.
The conversation revolved around Quidditch and family trivia. The Shacklebolts learned a little about the Prewetts and vice versa and they were telling family anecdotes when Lucille came in bearing a huge bowl of chocolate mousse. Maura dished generous portions of pudding into the men's dessert dishes and a very modest one for herself. She watched her figure like a hawk and was used to the healthy appetites of the Shacklebolt men.
Kingsley dipped his spoon in the mousse and suddenly recalled a certain ice cream parlor and a chocolate sundae. Instead of putting the spoon in his mouth, he turned the spoon upright and licked the mousse slowly, only once glancing at Gideon out of the corner of his eyes.
"Kingsley!" Maura exclaimed. "I can't believe you're still doing this." Turning to the guests, she explained, "He used to eat mousse like an ice cream when he was a child."
"It's still the best way, Mum," Kingsley replied, dipping his spoon in his dish and continuing to lick the mousse off the spoon. "And besides, I can do this for another month – I'm not an adult yet."
"Yes, son, but we have guests," McIntosh admonished mildly, although it was obvious that he didn't mind what Kingsley was doing.
"Them?" Kingsley pointed at Fabian and Gideon. "They're not guests. They're practically family. Aren't you?" he asked Fabian sassily.
Gideon almost choked on his spoon at Fabian's astonished expression. He knew what Kingsley was implying. He'd had some time to adjust to Kingsley's sense of humor. In a moment, Fabian would know that no one but the three of them cottoned on to the remark.
"That's right, you're birthday is still a month away. That leaves you thirty days to enjoy your mousse," Fabian looked at Gideon and smiled evilly.
"And yes, practically family indeed, which is good since you just said you're rooting for Gideon tomorrow. Too bad you have to sit with your family, you could always join us if you want."
Kingsley shrugged. "I'll be sitting with my grandpa. It'll be fun: he's a Puddlemere man through and through. You, my friend," he pointed his spoon at Gideon, "have the responsibility of thrashing Puddlemere, all right?" Then, laughing, he added, "No pressure, though."
”Will you be going to Dad's house afterwards, Kingsley? Or do you have a date that evening?"
"Not sure, Dad. Haven't made any plans yet," Kingsley replied a little cryptically.
"If we win, I want to go out," Gideon said, addressing Kingsley, "want to go somewhere after the game?"
"No way, brother mine," Fabian said, shaking his head, "We made plans with the girls, remember?"
"Er, no," Gideon said, looking at him oddly.
"Lydia's cooking dinner, how could you already forget?"
Gideon didn't answer, he turned toward Kingsley, rolling his eyes dramatically to tease Fabian, "Apparently Saturday is out of the question, I must have plans already, how about Sunday?"
Kingsley thought for a split second, before answering with a smile. "You're on." So Mr. Prewett and his fair maiden would have some fun on Saturday, right? Fine, Kingsley would make sure Gideon would have an unforgettable Sunday. He knew what to do. "Movies?"
"Great."
Fabian frowned briefly, but hid it as Maura asked him a question. Declining after-dinner drinks Fabian ushered Gideon out, stating that he had an early game and needed his strength to thrash Puddlemere. "Thank you, Mac, for the invite, Gideon and I appreciated the wonderful dinner."
Laughing at his brother, Gideon broke away long enough to tell Maura goodnight. "I don't think you know how much I appreciate this," he said, uncharacteristically serious.
"Kingsley, Sunday then?" he threw him a salute at him as Fabian sighed, "Oh, come on," and took his arm, Disapparating from the Shacklebolt's terrace.
Fabian wasted no time once they reached Gideon's flat. "To bed, Chaser, to bed."
"Yes, Mum," Gideon replied.
"And no thinking about that afternoon of Muggle music. Merlin only knows why you're trying so hard to go to Azkaban. He better be worth it."
Gideon bit back the instinctive yes that he almost blurted out, shocked that he'd even think that. Instead he called out, right before he heard the pop of Fabian leaving, "I'm not going to Azkaban, no one is worth that."
Finally alone, Gideon surprised himself by following his brother's advice; he took a quick shower and went to bed, hoping to channel the frustration into tomorrow's game. He was asleep within minutes.