London Loves Ch. 04

If Rayne wanted to tell Xavier about Manchester then that was up to him, Lord Warren decided. He had tried to talk to Xavier about this during their journey back to London but the younger man had steered the conversation away from Rayne's past, and maybe rightly so. He would not play the Devil's Advocate this time. Some things were probably better left unsaid.

3 WEEKS LATER

Xavier was sprawled on his belly on the futon puzzling out a sudoku when the mail came. It had been a few weeks since the fight at Dominic's house and since then he was aware that his lover had been round to see Lord Warren and all was presumably well between them again, for which he was glad. He liked Dominic's company and the older man had been a good friend to him both in Italy and since their return to London.

He could hear Rayne tinkering idly with the guitar in his makeshift studio and Xav gave him his space when he was in there. They had not talked about this,Rayne had never specifically asked to be left alone when he was trying to write, but Xavier seemed to know naturally when he was off in thought or concentrating on a tune and didn't want to be disturbed, so he stayed out of the way. That was one thing Xav was good about; he didn't have to constantly be by his lover's side and he didn't come on like he was being neglected if Rayne had things to do without him. The only thing that ever really riled him was being kept out of the loop.

Apparently this was something of a new experience for Rayne, and it was therefore initially treated with some suspicion. Only when a little time had passed without them having another blazing row was he finally forced to accept that Xavier genuinely wasn't the needy, clingy type.

Xavier got up to collect the post since he'd nothing better to do and he carried the customary pile of envelopes and small parcels through to the lounge where he set them on the coffee table for Rayne to get around to, if and when he felt like it. Generally, Xav never even looked at the letters, there was no reason to expect that any of them would be for him, but this morning there was a largish manila envelope in with the rest of the assortment and as he set it down his eye happened to land on the label. He was more than a little surprised to see his own name there, not even on a pre-printed label but hand-written in dark blue ink, in a firm, square, precise script.

Picking the package back up, he looked at the return address curiously and realised that it was from Marco DeCellio, the photographer who had been so keen to work with him in Naples. He chuckled under his breath as he stood there for a moment holding it, thinking that it had been so long since he'd gotten a piece of mail that he almost didn't know what to do with it. He sat down with the package, figuring that Marco must have coaxed the address out of Aldo, as he opened it and pulled out another tightly wrapped bundle in waterproof paper. From this he finally extracted a thick sheaf of mostly eight by ten photos, another thinner manila envelope, and a letter.

Marco's letter was brief and to the point.

Xavier, put these into a portfolio and get yourself an agent. The magazine was extremely pleased with the shoot and they are in the process of doing a layout using many of these shots. I've also had an offer on the exhibition pieces, not one, but ALL of them, by a very interested party. I have enclosed copies of these in a separate envelope along with some private shots.

All the best, Marco.

Xavier set the letter aside and thumbed through some of the photos bemusedly. They did look very professional, for all that he was dressed in nothing but skimpy underwear in most of them. Xavier played well to the camera, having that ability to seem to look right through the lens so it felt less like viewing a picture and more like he was looking right at you from the photographs. A thread of playful sensuality seemed to infuse them and Marco had done interesting things with the light and shadow too. He liked the light coming from the side rather than straight on, which gave the images a softer, more natural look. He didn't think he'd take Marco's 'suggestion' all the same, but it was sort of interesting to think about.

"What you got there?"

Rayne's slightly husky voice, right behind him, just about made Xavier jump out of his skin.

"Jesus!" he yelped, dropping the photos onto the futon, startled. "Fuck, Rayne...I'm gonna hang a bell on you or something!"

He laughed to disguise his shock and the vampire flashed a fanged grin and flopped down on the day bed beside him, reaching for one of the pictures idly as the other hand caressed his boyfriend's sexy arse. His eyes widened as he checked out the detail.

"When did you get these done?" he wanted to know. There was no clue in his voice but the pupils of his eyes widened and darkened as he admired the sleek lines of his lover's body and the shadow of the twin bite marks on his neck in one particular shot. "They're recent."

"Aldo had a party whilst you were... away... and introduced me to this guy, Marco." Xavier hesitated only briefly as he handed Rayne the curt missive from the photographer. He picked up one of the photos and looked at it critically, making a small contemplative sound as he did. "I should have charged him more," he said in a distracted voice.

He opened the second packet and spilled its contents out. These were completely different to the others, the shots more natural and obviously meant for more than just a magazine spread.

The series Marco had showed in his exhibition (and had subsequently already sold for a pretty penny) comprised several black and white prints. These were the ones that Marco had taken of Xav dressed in leather and cuffed to the ladderback chair. They had turned out to be subdued and beautifully erotic.

There was a close up of Xavier's hands with the leather restraints around his wrists, his fingers curled lightly as if he were testing the give in the cuffs. Every detail was picked out, the creases of his knuckles, the long elegant shape of his fingers, the neat clean nails that were almost too perfect for a man's hands, except for the one ragged edge that looked recently torn. The next picture showed him at an angle to the chair, his head tipped back, knees bent and ankles strapped to the legs; a coy, playfully submissive look on his face. The next photo was arresting, the kind of shot that was both beautiful and so poignant it was hard to look at. The expression on Xavier's face showed a naked, raw pain from the intensity in his eyes to the slight parting of his full lips, as if he'd made a little gasp or cry.

Rayne cleared his throat as he studied this last image, adjusting himself consciously on the bed and settling again, on his belly, to stare into the darkness of his lover's eyes. Most of the shots were delicious fluff, with Xav doing what he did so well, acting out a role; playing to the audience and giving the lens of the camera what it wanted to see.

This picture was different. It seemed to go beyond the surface and delve deeper into his partner's soul.

"What did he say to make you look at him like that?" he asked distractedly, still staring at the reflection of Xavier's pain-filled eyes.

Xavier stared down at the photo silently. Marco probably could have stabbed him and he wouldn't have been as surprised and hurt as he'd been by what the photographer had said. At the time he believed Rayne had left him for good and he had just learned that his fear that Rayne had died was a mistake, or so he'd thought at the time. He had been very confused and wounded and Marco felt no hesitation in twisting him up inside even further, the result being this haunting picture, which Xavier had to admit was the best of all he'd taken. His tongue flickered nervously between his teeth and unconsciously he bit down for a moment on the lower lip.

"He asked me..." He had to clear his throat, taken by surprise at how much the memory still hurt. "He asked me... hadn't I been seeing you, and when I told him you'd gone, he said it must have hurt to get dumped like that," Xavier finally answered.

For a moment or so Rayne was completely silent, utterly still. Then he laid the photo down on the bedcovers and pushed himself to his feet without a word. The wrapper from the parcel was still lying on the edge of the day bed and he picked it up, scanning it for a return address before casting it aside and turning back towards the door.

Xavier hadn't once lied to Rayne since he met him, but he wished he had lied just then, or at least evaded the question.

"Rayne?" he called after him and stood when he didn't get a response. "Hey...um, where are you going?"

For a moment his lover hesitated in the doorway then he muttered; "I'm going to do what I should have done while we were still in Italy. I'm gonna wring his fuckin' neck. Cunt!"

Xavier's eyes widened and he stopped short, not sure what to say. He hadn't expected Rayne to get that pissed.

"Um, you're going to fly all the way back to Naples to kick his ass?" he asked, carefully controlling the urge to crack a goofy grin.

Rayne met his eyes, suddenly caught between righteous fervour and anxiety.

"You don't want me to kick his fuckin' arse from here to kingdom come?" he asked, and his expression added; Why not? He deserves it, yeah?

Xavier let a small smile curl his lips as he closed the space between them, gave a little one-shouldered shrug, and slipped his arms around his bristling mate.

"It was an asshole thing to say, but other than that he didn't treat me badly," he said kissing the edge of Rayne's hard set jaw. "He didn't try and rip me off and he didn't try and fuck me...well, he didn't try to that hard anyway," he conceded, at last. "I think he got off more on taking the pictures."

"I can see that," Rayne answered testily. "Another reason to kick his fuckin' balls up into his gullet!"

He couldn't maintain the scowl with Xavier this close to him though. His hands came to rest on his lover's hips and he kissed Xav's nose quickly. "So you don't want me to give him a kicking?"

Xav finally let out the grin that he'd been holding back. He kind of liked how protective Rayne got, even if he didn't need to be in this case. "If you went all the way to Naples just to kick some dude's ass that talked smack to me that would play hell with your reputation, baby." Xavier teased, and then laughed lightly at Rayne's expression. "No, I don't want you to go wring his neck. I can think of better things to do."

Xavier nibbled suggestively on the tender skin just below Rayne's earlobe.

"Oh yeah?" Rayne's mood relaxed a little but the look in his eyes said that he was still mulling over ways in which to make Marco DeCellio pay for the slight against his lover. "We-e-ell... you may have to persuade me."

He pulled Xavier's lips onto his very softly. He didn't like the idea of letting anyone get away with hurting Xav like that, but also the thought of flying off to settle a score was a convenient distraction. He was still fretting a little over the idea of having to leave his lover behind in London whilst he went North but not sure how to take him along without having to explain a whole load of shit that he wasn't ready to talk about just yet. Somehow it was all easier when Xav was in his arms; when they could just kiss and fuck and not have to talk at all.

"I can be very persuasive..." Xav whispered in his ear, tickling along the outer ridge with the tip of his tongue. He moved backwards, his hands sliding down Rayne's arms to his wrists and pulling him gently back toward the low fold down couch.

They tumbled across the mattress again where the photos were still scattered and the second envelope still holding the rest of the pictures shifted and spilled its contents out by Xavier's shoulder. These images were in color, but the light was low and soft and showed Xavier stretched out naked and aroused on the crisp white sheets of a bed.

For a moment Rayne just blinked at them, not sure whether to be angry or turned on. He sprawled on the mattress and pulled Xav astride him then reached for a handful of prints, flicking through them distractedly. From time to time his hand slid down to caress his lover's slim thigh as he stared at the photographs, his face pale and unreadable. His body was easier to read, though. He was getting steadily harder between Xavier's legs as he looked at each print in turn.

"What sort of client does this Marco bloke take pictures for, exactly?" he asked at last, shaking his head.

Xavier shifted his body slightly, pressing his growing erection along Rayne's through their jeans.

"The underwear modelling ones were for some menswear catalogue, and he wanted the black and white bondage shots for his gallery exhibit." He glanced at the photos still in Rayne's hand that showed him naked, his face relaxed and sleepy, the fingers of one hand toying with a nipple while the other wrapped around his hard cock. "These he took for himself," Xav said, seeming not the least embarrassed or distressed. "He told me he wouldn't sell them," he added, plucking the last photo from Rayne's fingers gently and leaning down to brush a kiss across his lips. "I'd just woken up from a dream...in which you played a starring role," he concluded, smiling at his lover.

The vampire looked up at him with a small, incredulous twitch of his lips. He put the photos aside. "You'll tell me anything! Did you know he was snapping you while you were doing that to yourself?"

He ran his hands lightly around Xavier's lean hips, loving the way the younger man's body undulated slowly against his own when he touched him like that. Tenderly he began to massage Xav's delicious backside.

Xavier nodded.

"Yeah." He had his hands braced on either side of Rayne now and he lowered his head again to kiss him teasingly. "I was so fuckin' horny from the dream, I didn't care if he watched."

Rayne's lips lingered on his but he did not seal the kiss. His hands gripped Xavier's arse a little harder.

"So he spent the night with you?" he whispered, eyes narrowing as he processed this information. He reached over and picked a few of the photos back up. If he put them all together and flipped through them they could almost make a shot by shot movie. The expression on Xav's face was soft and sexy from sleep, but his lean young body was hard and ready, his slender graceful hands touching his own willing flesh and taking full advantage of that fact.

Xavier looked down at him curiously. He'd felt a little ripple from Rayne and his expression turned slightly confused. A moment ago he'd thought Rayne was just angry on his behalf but now he wasn't so sure, which didn't make sense. Surely he wasn't jealous, why would he be? He didn't seem to mind sharing him. When Xav thought about it though he realised, since meeting Rayne ,every time he'd been with someone else either Rayne had been involved too or it had been with someone they'd fucked before. He still wasn't sure if that was the problem or not but he knew Rayne wasn't exactly happy about something.

Xav shook his head slowly. "No, he didn't. He never touched me. I think he came into the bedroom to wake me up to get ready to shoot. He took a picture of me sleeping and the sound of the camera woke me."

"He stayed at Aldo's then?" Rayne's tone was light but persistent. Clearly he wasn't about to let the matter go.

"No..." Xav said, still looking at him curiously, a small uneasy frown starting to draw his brows together slightly. "After we met at Aldo's party he asked me to come work for him and I stayed at his place for a couple days." He paused, hating the feeling that he needed to somehow explain himself. "Rayne, you were gone... It was just a way to make some quick money," he said, trying to not to sound defensive but not entirely succeeding.

"Did Aldo know about this?" Rayne asked, indicating the photos of Xav spread out on the bed masturbating, clearly still mulling the situation over in his head. He could not stop looking at the photos though. What had Xavier said? They were for the photographer's own collection? "Fuckin' dirty bastard!" he exhaled tremulously, shaking his head. His temper was rising again. "What kind of cunt takes advantage of the fact that a young guy's on his own and vulnerable in a strange country so that he can take soft porn photos to jerk off to later? I can't believe you let him do that, Xavier? I thought you were a bit smarter than that!"

He regretted the choice of words the minute they were out of his mouth but he couldn't take them back now. The photos were trembling in his hand and he just wanted to... actually he didn't know what he wanted to do with them. They were amazing pictures actually; so sensual. They made him want to strip Xav and just take him hard. Instead they were fighting over this.

Idiot! his conscience sneered at him.

Xavier's eyes narrowed slightly. "Yeah? Well I guess it's so much smarter to let a total stranger tie you up and do whatever the fuck he wants to you, huh?"

He threw the words back at him in a low voice that simmered with heat and reminded Rayne of exactly what he had been doing while those photos were being taken. He slid off Rayne, angry now. Things had been so peaceful, they hadn't had a single disagreement since that night at Dominic's a few weeks ago. He knew he shouldn't get angry but whenever they argued Rayne always managed to push his buttons. In a single sentence Rayne had managed to make him feel both cheap and like a wet behind the ears kid that didn't know any better.

He swept up some of the scattered photos and stalked through to the kitchen where he threw them into the trash, as if by doing so he could erase what he'd done or what Rayne had seen. His throat felt tight and that pissed him off too, that Rayne could make him feel so stupid, so easily.

Rayne rolled onto his stomach and buried his face in the cool linen for a moment, breathing slowly, bringing his hair-trigger temper under check once more. It would not help matters to stalk into the kitchen after his lover and stoke up the flames of an argument he had no appetite for in any case. And they were amazing photographs; just a little too intimate for his ego to handle right now.

After he felt he'd regained some tenuous control he pushed himself to his feet and followed Xavier into the kitchen a shade reluctantly. His beautiful lover was still bristling, both hands gripping the worktop as he stood with his back to Rayne, his spine and shoulders an angry cross, forbidding him to come closer. And Rayne hated that invisible barrier. He wanted more than anything to go to Xav and take the boy in his arms and kiss away the hostility but he was rooted to the spot, unable to take the first step.

"Xav... Xavier, I'm sorry," he said quietly, instead. "I... I didn't mean to upset you, I wasn't thinking straight. I seem to be able to fuck things up with you every time I open my mouth right now. And I don't want to do that. You... you were right, I left you alone there and it was none of my business what you did or didn't do afterwards. I couldn't stop thinking about what might have happened and how I'd feel if he'd done something bad to you. I'm an idiot and I'm sorry."

Xavier didn't move and he didn't speak for several long moments. Then his shoulders slowly dropped and he turned around. His posture was still a little defensive, arms loosely crossed over his chest as he leaned back against the counter.

"It was just business, Rayne. I didn't want to let PJ and Aldo take care of me, no matter how much they tried to. It was easy money, he paid me a lot more for those extra pictures and I didn't even have to fuck him. I didn't think it mattered." He finally lifted his eyes to look at Rayne, telling him without words that he wished he would just come over and hold him. "I didn't think you were coming back, Ray. It's not like...like, I just forgot about you. I thought about you all the time."