Crimson Shadows - 1. Chapter 1

It could feel time moving. It could, oh yes it could. It moved over its silky hard skin and rough fake hair, just teasing it oh so slightly with the promise of more when the perfect time came.

The time was so close, it just wanted to reach out and push, to hit the top of its wooden prison, but it knew that it wouldn’t work. It would still be surrounded by wood in the end and then even more wood, but this time covered with crosses and ankhs and other such symbols that that made it hard for it to touch. But soon, oh yes, soon it would be free once more.

Time promised it that as it continued to caress its cheeks.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

He was going to shoot the last of his immediate family, or at least his siblings, at the rate he was going. They were all idiots, that was all he could really say about the three older adults, making him frown lightly at his thoughts. They just didn’t understand how he thought; his way of thinking confused them apparently. Hell, they still couldn’t understand who he was or how their now deceased father acted during the last 10 years of his life, and why he had left everything to the youngest of the four of them.

Slamming the door behind him, ignoring the fact that his brothers and one sister were following him up the walk, Markus dropped into a chair the moment he could, long legs sprawled out before him as he twitched unhappily. He could hear their voices as they walked into the main hallway, all of them cursing his name and his birth more then likely. He could care less at that moment as he rubbed his eyes with a sigh.

“Why can’t you just let us do all the work, huh?” Alexandria demanded the moment she walked into the living room, spiked heels click-clicking on the hardwood floor before coming to stand before her sprawled out brother, glaring down at him. The youngest just smirked and shook his head, red hair falling into his eyes.

“No. And you know exactly why I am saying no to that,” he cooed, voice laced with disdain for the woman before him, fingers taking to tapping on the chairs arm. He was starting to crave a cigarette, something that he hadn’t wanted in nearly a year, about the time he had finally quiet the bad habit. “If I do, we lose everything, except your children. And we both know that they won’t spend a dime on you three since they all have their own plans that need money. You know this; you heard the will and all of his, as you’ve called them, idiotic stipulations. He didn’t trust you to stay true to the family and quite frankly, neither do I and you fuckin’ well know it.”

Edward, the eldest of the four, snorted as he dropped onto the couch, soon followed by Leon on the other end as Alexandria followed their example, perching on another chair primly. All of them sparkled in the mid-afternoon light that came through the window, perfect and neat as they had been at the start of the funeral nearly 6 hours earlier.

Markus sneered and pushed his own hair out of his face, annoyed at having to deal with the three people before him. They had nothing in common, so why they insisted on bothering him, he would never understand. “Now, will you get lost? I have things to do.”

“No! Not until you tell us what you damn well plan on doing with all the power you now possess,” Leon retorted, foot tapping on the ground quickly as Markus turned bored eyes towards his brother. The look he got from his youngest brother made the man clamp down on a full body shudder that wanted to work through his body; his eyes narrowing at the other male. The younger of the two sneered in his mind, unconcerned about what the other, or any of them thought. They were all brilliant, very creative about their lives and careers, but Markus was the only one that was gifted with more then brains.

And that pissed the others off. It was just the cherry on top of the sundae.

“I’m gonna do what dad set for me to do. I’m going to go through his bills and pay them all off. Then I will go through everything else, including stocks, bonds and the various accounts; I’ll merge some, and liquidate others before separating out the money to everyone in special accounts. After that, I will go through this house, cleaning it, starting with dad’s room and then moving down from the attic and make it fully mine,” he drawled, getting narrowed eyed looks.

“Why did father leave it to you?” Edward asked, finally speaking up. The third oldest was cool, very standoffish, but got along with Leon and Alexandria perfectly due to only being born only 14 months after their sister, who was 12 months younger then Leon.

“Because I’m the only one that can appreciate this old place and really restore it to its original condition, which is what dad planned last year. This house was built in the 21st century and is a historical monument without the pretty little certificate. I can fix it, turn it into something lovely and perfect again. Unlike you three,” he returned, standing up and padding over to where he knew their father had kept a pack of cigarettes hidden, opening the alcohol cabinet up. Finding the pack along with a zippo, he had to smile and shake his head before opening the new pack. Pulling out a long white cigarette, he leant against the cabinet and gazed at his siblings as he lit the stick. “I know all about your plans for this house. I heard you three talkin’ last night about how you would empty it out of antiques and anything sellable, stashing the family heirlooms in some storage place before leveling the house and selling the land off to some development company.”

Feeling a smug sense of satisfaction at the rather uncomfortable looks he was getting, Markus took a long drag, enjoying the taste of smoke and tobacco sliding over his tongue and down his throat. Blowing out a stream, he hummed happily, eyes half lidded.

“We didn’t know you were awake then, Markus,” Leon said slowly, getting a rather brittle laugh as the other man glared at him with dark mint eyes.

“I was awake because I was the one putting files into order so I can pay off the damn bills, including the funeral bills and the catering bills, unlike you lazy brats,” he snorted, eyes flashing in the light. “I had to pay them today, remember? Anyways, you can’t do shit, since this is my home now. It’s in my name and no one else. It was done back when dad was still alive, about three weeks ago, but then again, you wouldn’t know that because you weren’t here after his minor heart attack.”

“We were all busy with things,” Leon replied, trying to keep the defensive tone from his voice, making Markus stare at him with flashing green eyes, looking beyond unhappy.

“Look, you three can make all the excuses you want. Just know I was the only one to come when dad called, therefore, I’m the executor of the will. He did this with moms’ family when she died to, remember? Even though I was only six, I remember that quite clearly,” the youngest drawled, eyes sweeping over the three others before he turned around. Opening the cabinet, he pulled out a crystal decanter and a glass, before kneeling down and opening the doors, finding a small freezer with ice. Dropping two into the cup, he poured a bit of the amber colored liquid over them. If he was going to deal with the idiots, he needed whiskey.

“How were we supposed to know it was that bad? All the damn doctor and lawyers said that it was a minor heart attack and that he looked good to go home in a few days,” Edwards said, voice cool as he watched Markus move, eyes darkening as he enjoyed the movements. He was the only one of the four that wasn’t their fathers’ child, having been created before their parents married from a fling their mother had during a trial separation. In his mind, that was enough of a reason to enjoy their younger brothers looks but not really look.

“It doesn’t matter about how bad it was, or how bad it wasn’t. It’s about coming to family when family calls for help, Edward,” Markus snorted, standing up and walking back over to his chair, black jeans making a ‘shush-shush’ sound as he walked. Sitting down into the chair again, he swirled his glass before sipping a bit of the whiskey, enjoying the burn as it slid down his throat, sighing softly. “He called you to him because he knew he was going to die, even though the doctors said that he was fine and just needed lots of bed rest. So when you didn’t call, he made his new will, turned over the deed and then died two days later.”

“And then what? You did all the funeral arrangements and only called everyone a week before it so we’d stay out of your hair?” Alexandria asked, sounding bitter. Shaking his head, Markus smirked and swirled the liquid around his glass once more.

“Hardly. I spent all that time mourning his death and getting the needed documents to transfer everything into my name as executor since I knew what was in daddies will. Now, I have things to do, including starting with the bills and you’re keeping me from my work. Can you guys bugger off now?” he asked, standing up, waving the glass towards the hallway and front door. Watching them silently communicate with each other before they stood, he smiled sweetly, careful to hide the disgust that he held for his elder siblings.

Following them to the front door, Markus watched as they gathered briefcases and in his sisters’ instance, a purse, before opening the door and showing them out into the sticky heat of the day, feeling it slide over his front. Waving his glass at them, he then proceeded to slam the door on their faces, glad that they had moved to hotels the day before so he didn’t have to deal with them for longer then needed. Finally able to, he locked the door and making sure that the chain and alarm system were on, he padded to his fathers study, standing in the door way to look over the room.

Shadows crawled up walls the color of a fresh peach, painted ivy creeping along the edges and bright green against the softer color of the rest of the wall. The colors had been his mothers’ choice, the woman painting them when he was still an infant, and his father had never repainted them, having wanted to keep something of his lover and wife in their home. The floor was covered in a dark wine colored carpet that was plush and thick, hiding all the stains that had happened over the years.

He idly wondered if he should just replace the old carpet with a new one of the same color.

Shaking his head, Markus’ eyes turned to the desk that dominated the middle of the room. It had to be taken apart and put together in what ever room it was to sit in, taking up most of the room if it was a small one. Book cases lined one wall, hitting the ceiling and lined with book after book and scroll after scroll. It was amazing just how many books his father had collected over the years in the time of the ‘pads, the decedents of the IPad and electronic book readers that had come out so many years ago. But then again, he had always been a lover of anything he could hold in his hands, could read and caress. He loved the smell of a good book, the scent of ink and paper just so enticing.

And Markus had come to love a hard copy of a good book just as much as his father.

Moving over the carpet, he paused and looked out the large bay windows, noticing that there were a few more pillows on the window seat then before, making him smile at the comfortable perch that it looked like. Turning to the opposite wall, he snorted at the fact that the fire place was already set up to light up for a cheery fire that would heat most of the bottom floor, just like his father had wanted.

Continuing to walk, Markus settled into the comfortable chair and settled in to start writing out checks and pay the last of the bills off that had been left over from the last month. Shaking his head, he grabbed his fathers personal ‘pad and started to send off checks, glad that he didn’t have to deal with paper checks, much less paper cuts. By the time he was finished with the checks, sighing happily at the fact that there weren’t a lot of bills that their father had accumulated in the last few months of his life, the sun was kissing the horizon and shadows were dancing on the walls of the study.

Sitting back, he shoved a bit of hair back out of his face as he settled back in the chair, hearing it squeak with his movement. Markus watched as the shadows stretched out over the floor, turning the wine colored rug into something akin to a maroon velvet carpet, making him smile as he remembered the times that he had sat in front of the fire place doing this or that. He had kept up the tradition since his childhood and all the way up to the moment his father had taken his last breath and had no doubt that he would continue to do that.

Rubbing at his bottom lip, Markus reached out and grabbed a ‘pad, opening a file labeled ‘what to do with the home’ and wrote out his ideas for what he was going to do with the study. He made a note about looking for a couch to stick before the fire place. Looking up quite a bit later, he surprised himself at finding the sun completely set and twilight starting to glow through the window, the stars twinkling dimly in the sky.

“Damn,” he muttered as he stood up and stretching, finding that he needed food, stomach complaining about not being feed in the last four hours. Shaking his head again, he muttered softly and walked out of the study, flipping off the light and plunging the room into darkness, making a shiver slide down his spine at the sight. Something about the darkness was different then before, or so it seemed to him at the moment.

Pushing the thought aside as so much nonsense, he headed down the hallway to the large kitchen that had everything that a person could want when it came to cooking and baking. Soft hues of blues and greens offset the concrete counters that had been dyed a dark blue, the dark oak cabinets and the various stainless steel appliances glinting in greeting under the bright lights.

Moving over to the large refrigerator, he pulled it open, digging around the various drawers and easily finding the lunch meat and provolone cheese that he wanted, including a small jar of Miracle Whip and honey mustard. Some things just never changed through the years and centuries.

Putting everything onto the counter and opening the bread box that looked more like a mini roll top desk, he grabbed the rolls that Marana, his fathers’ housekeeper and assistant, had made and left for him the day before. Soon he had a small sub with a side of potato chips and yogurt dip along with a glass of cold apple cider for dinner before him. Sitting down at the breakfast bar just off the kitchen, he curled his legs onto the seat and started to eat, ignoring the feeling that he was being watched.

Which was crazy, absolutely nuts. He was alone after all; no one was in the house as stated in the will. The only person who would have come around would be Marana or Lien, his sweet boyfriend; Maria wasn’t due in until the next day and Lien was still at work.

Shaking his head as he finished off his food, wiping his mouth with a napkin, the slim male cleaned up the dishes that he had used, putting them up after they were dry. Pausing by the main controller next to the stairs, he set the timer to turn off the lights all over the downstairs before heading up the slightly curving stairs. Stepping onto the top of the stairs, the lights went out behind him, making him stop to let his eyes adjust to the lack of a lot of light for a few moments.

Shaking his head with a sigh of displeasure, he padded his way towards his bedroom, knowing the way through years of following it, as he continued to ignore the feeling that he was still being watched. He was going to have to figure out what was going on, but later, after he showered and started on cleaning out his fathers’ bedroom. He had a lot of things to do after all, but he had to start with a good shower since he could still feel the heat of the day on his skin. It felt sticky and rather unpleasant.

Opening the door to his bedroom, he flipped on the light, blinking at the way it bounced off soft blue walls with a darker blue gauze like fabric draping over them and right into his eyes.

His bed stood in the middle, more of the blue gauzy fabric falling down around the bed and the headboard, leaving the foot board open to one wall that had a painting of a woman, a man and a young babe on it. Ignoring his bed in favor of moving to the rather large dresser, he reached down and pulled open one of the bigger drawers, digging around a bit before pulling out sleep pants before shutting that drawer. Reaching down and opening another, he grabbed a shirt, than once more closed the drawer.

Standing straight, he moaned and rubbed at his back with a pout of pain. What he wouldn’t do to see his boyfriend at that moment. He was tired, grumpy and just wanted a back massage from the older man, especially after sitting over that damnable desk. He always knew how to just force his muscles to relax and to make Markus into a happy puddle of cuddly goo, or so said the man. Smiling at the though of Lien, the young man headed for the bathroom, hair falling into his face once more. Opening the door to the attached bathroom, he flicked the light on, the blue theme carrying into the room with dark blue floors, dyed and sealed concrete counters and a light blue on the walls.

Putting his night clothes to the side, he wiggled out of his day clothes, dropping them to the floor and stepping into the shower. Turning it on, he yelped at the rush of cold water before the hot water started to come down over him, warming his skin and taking the feeling of sun and graveyard dirt with it down the drain. Sighing softly as he washed his body, enjoying the heat and pounding of the water on his skin as it washed away the dirt and grime on his skin. Sighing in pleasure, his hands moving over his limbs, Markus continued to ignore the feeling that he was being watched, thinking it was nothing more then his imagination.

Washing away the day, his memories of a dark stone urn being placed into one of the families many crypt ‘hidey holes’, as his father had called them, being one of them. He washed away the memory of placing the stone front into the hole, pressing it in before letting the maintainers seal it up. He washed away the memories of caressing the words on his fathers’ final resting place before doing the same to his mothers before walking out with his siblings following close behind. He washed away the memories of the lawyers’ office, of the will reading and his families shock at him getting everything to separate it out amongst the family, just because he came when called by their patriarch.

Finally turning off the shower, skin pink from the heat, he shivered lightly as the slightly cooler air around him slid over his flesh. Shaking the water from his hair, he grabbed a towel and started to dry off, warming up again easily. Stepping out of the shower, he looked up, frowning as the door slowly swung open as he wrapped the towel around his waist. Picking up a bottle of shampoo, he held it up, ready to chuck it at who ever had dared enter his home without his permission.

A dark head popped around the door, familiar green eyes sparkling brightly in amusement at the sight of the lean male holding a hefty bottle of shampoo, ready to throw it at him.

“Lien! You jerk! When did you get here?” Markus asked, relaxing at the sight of his lover. As the other man laughed lowly, opening the door completely, the younger of the two put the bottle down and leant against the bathroom counter, shoving a red lock of hair out of his face.

“A few minutes ago actually. I tried the door but you apparently didn’t hear it, so I let myself in with the code,” Lien replied, smiling as Markus got dressed, enjoying the curve of hip and ass, eyes sparking with a bit of lust. “I figured you could use some company, especially since I wasn’t able to make it to the funeral. Sorry about that, again,” he continued, smiling when Markus started to poke him back into the bedroom.

“I told you it was fine. Your sister and mother are more important then a funeral,” Markus huffed, shaking his head with a smile as he moved to the bed. Pulling the curtains back and anchoring them to the posts, he sat down as he watched his boyfriend pull off his shoes and drag off his jacket near the dresser. “You were celebrating life and that’s more important then mourning a death. You’re here now and that makes me happy.”

“Good,” the older man hummed, coming to stand between his lovers legs, smiling when lean fingers tugged on his jean loops. “How did your family take the will and what your father set up?” he asked, leaning over to cup the soft cheeks and gentle jaw line, stroking his thumbs over the softness there. Markus snorted and leant into the touch with a purr of pleasure.

“They took it like I thought they would. Like I was some spawn of hell and our father had lost his mind. Not that they can do anything since if they try to, it all goes to the nieces and nephews in an untouchable savings that they would have to sign an agreement on to not give their parents a dime of,” he replied, eyes sparkling as he leant up and pressed a quick kiss to Liens lips. “Will you spoil me and give me a massage?”

“Of course. Settle out on the bed, without the shirt and let me get the massage oil,” Lien replied, standing straight and heading for the bathroom. Smiling and working his way out of his shirt, the younger male climbed onto the large bed, laying out his towel just in case any of the oil escaped before laying down onto it with a sigh of pleasure, one hand reaching out to grab a pillow and shove it under his chin.

Watching his boyfriend come out of the bathroom, shaking a bottle of oil in his hand, the smaller man hummed in delight at the sight, a smile dancing over his lips. He was going to be spoiled and he couldn’t wait for it to happen. Shaking off the feeling that they were once more being watched by something or someone, he sighed as Lien settled over his hips and poured a bit of the oil onto his back, massaging it into his skin, loosening the muscles with a practiced ease that made the red head purr in delighted happiness.