Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2023 13:01:08 +0100 From: Kichirou Ito Subject: Enemy of The Architect Chapter 1 Thursday, 27th June: 2019. "I get it!" Artarion said with a hint of sarcasm. His mother responded with a devilish scowl. "Aware? Good. She may be your aunt, but you haven't seen her since you were a baby, and she's firstly a client on this trip. You're at their beck and call, you hear me?" her authority was astonishingly clear. Artarion rolled his eyes, "Yes!" taking a deep breath, "Go to your convention. I'll cover for you." The words seemed to put her at ease, allowing her to express a nervous laugh. Not so long ago, her son would cry out for a bedtime story, cuddling a soft bear teddy, a bear he confidently named "Turnip" from his love of the rooted vegetable. Now Art was a young man helping her to co-run a small-time garden architecture company, Mercer Gardens Limited. Artarions mother, Maggie, pulled her suitcase to the car and struggled aimlessly to get it into the boot. Then her beloved son swooped in, nonchalantly depositing her belongings and closing the trunk. Maggie was on the verge of tears, knowing she'd be leaving her son, knowing he didn't need her anymore. "Art," she said softly, "Don't get into any trouble and call me!" She pulled the boy into an awkwardly long embrace with a cringe-worthy cheek kiss. Maggie hesitantly entered her car and departed for the convention. Art waved her off until she turned a corner, "Well, at least I'm getting paid for this," he reassured himself. It wasn't just his mother that was taking a trip. His aunt lives in the southeast of Spain, a quaint little village called Teruel, about an hour's drive from the coastal town of Sagunto or a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Madrid, where he'll be landing. His aunt's husband is a big-time lawyer, and this whole arrangement was so his mum could lengthen her clientele list after a sizeable family discount. Artarion was a few short hours away from embarking on the longest three months of his life. Although he had to admit, he enjoyed the creativity of garden agriculture. Generally, his mum did all the work, but she was busy, and the job wasn't too big for him to handle. Art was only 15 years old but responsible for his age. He had to be. His dad walked out on them when he was 5, but now he was a young man standing tall at 5'6" with short, dark, wavey hair and emerald eyes. Roughly 4 hours later: 2-hour and 25-minute flight - Bournemouth, UK to Madrid, Spain. Art finally arrived. Luckily, it wasn't a long flight, but it felt great to stretch his legs. The airport was bustling, and he was grateful he had no luggage to collect. All he had to do was wait by the entrance for his aunt to show up. As Art passed the threshold, there was repetitive honking for all to hear, "ARTARION!" a middle-aged woman hollered, waving her arms like a wacky inflatable flailing arms tube man. She was a slender, long-haired brunette with a warm, fluffy face. You could probably mistake her for being a hippy. Art walked towards the crazy lady, giving her a dismissive wave, trying to mask his embarrassment of being publicly outed. "Aunt Olivia?" he asked, sheepishly extending his hand. She clasped the hand with both of hers, beaming with energy, "Indeed, young Arty. You've changed so much!" she gleamed, "Shall we get going? It's a long drive from here to Teruel, over 3 hours. If you're tired feel free to sleep in the back." she smiled walking around the white SEAT Alhambra to the driver's side, climbing inside and bringing the mechanical beast alive. Art was still deciding if having a quick nap would be good in the long run. Overall, he decided against it. If he slept now, he'd probably be awake all night. He clambered into the passenger seat, and they started their journey. The drive up to this point had been quiet, besides the radio playing. Art had kept his eyes closed for most of the ride, trying his best not to concede to his tiredness. "We're just passing through Maranchon, which means we're halfway there," Olivia informed. The young lad opened his eyes and turned, nodding to acknowledge the information. Olivia lowered her window to let in a consistent breeze as the AC wasn't enough to combat the heat. "There are a few things I want to go through before we arrive," she stated, glancing over at her nephew, who nodded in approval. "Our villa is out in the sticks, which means there's very little to do, I'm afraid. We do, however, have an outdoor pool that you can use. I went ahead and bought you some clothes. God knows English clothing isn't suitable for this weather." She chuckled, knowing she found that out the hard way. My husband, who is looking forward to meeting you, works a lot. His practice keeps him busy, unfortunately. I manage a small exotic florist shop in town. I'm usually home by 6. We sit down to eat around 7, minus my husband, at least during the weekdays," she wiped her forehead on her arm, keeping her hands firmly on the wheel, "You have a younger cousin, Thiago. Nine years old, but keep your wits about you. He prefers to go by Tai. He will be your personal tour guide. We have him homeschooled, so he's usually with a tutor, but it's summer, so he usually joins me at the shop." She ended with a cheery smile. Art was surprised. There was no mention of a cousin from his mother. At least he wouldn't be alone, but who enjoys the company of 9-year-olds? "I can't wait to sit down and eat." It was all he could say after receiving all that information. Olivia laughed, "You men live only on your stomachs," she stated humorously. 2 hours later: Teruel. Art had been travelling for more than 6 hours, sat on his butt, and to no surprise, he had passed out. Soft rhythmic breathing and beads of sweat dotted his forehead. Olivia pulled into the driveway, hitting a bump and shocking her young nephew awake. "Sorry about that. We've just arrived," she winked as her car came to a stop. They both exited the vehicle. Olivia walked to the trunk, "Art dear, could you help bring the shopping inside?" The boy swiftly came to her aid, taking a few bags and following behind as she entered the house, leaving his shoes at the door. The building was quite lavish, with a modern silver door, diagonal panelling, and broad window walls covering one side of the house. The interior was bland white, which Art found drab and cliche. He placed the shopping on the kitchen island and watched Olivia put things away. She started talking about her work and the types of flowers she grows. Given his current occupation, Art found it interesting, whereas most kids his age would die of boredom. Through all of the talking, neither of them heard the second car pull in. A man walked in with a smile, and Art couldn't help but appreciate how handsome this stranger was. It made him blush to find his aunt's husband slightly attractive. "Mateo! I didn't hear you come in. This is Artarion, my sister's son. Art, this is my husband, Mateo," she introduced as they embraced one another for a kiss. "Hello, Art. It's nice to meet you," the man spoke with a thick Spanish accent. He extended his hand, and Art shook it graciously. A young boy came gliding around the corner, stopping when he saw the stranger standing in his home. Mateo put his hand on the young boy's head, "Thiago, this is Art, your cousin. He'll be staying with us for a while. Why don't you show him around." The short, tanned, dark-haired boy looked at his father and nodded before waving at Art to follow him. Thiago ran to the living room and presented it with open arms in a questionably sarcastic manner, but Art was confident the kid didn't even know what that word meant. The little sprite ran for the stairs, 'I don't have the energy for this,' Art thought to himself with a sigh. Art followed the energetic boy up the floating stairs, lined with a shaggy cotton carpet to add a layer of comfort for the feet. Thiago left his cousin for dust in his eagerness, and Art walked along the landing to the only door that wasn't closed. There he was, lying on the floor, playing with two action figures, acting out a fight and making weird exploding punch noises. "This is my room. You can play with my toys if you want," he looked at his cousin for a response, rolling onto his back. "Nah, It's okay. Do you know where I'll be sleeping?" the young boy pointed up at his bunk bed, "Mum said I have to let you choose first, but I like the top bunk." he rolled himself over onto his knees, staring at Art with his big dark eyes, like a playful kitten. "I'll take the bottom bunk then," he said with a smile, walking to the bed and giving in to gravity as he fell on the soft duvet and mattress. It wasn't intentional, but Art passed out for the 2nd time. "Hey... Hey. Hey!" a voice called, and a hand shook his shoulder. It was Thiago. "Hey man," was all Art could say as he forced himself awake. "Mum said to wake you up cos' food is cooking," he said whilst biting his fingernails. Art nodded to show he got the message. The boy didn't take the cue to leave and stood guard like a sentry. Art was about to ask if something was wrong when Thiago beat him to it, "Will you swim with me?" he asked. Art laughed a little, "I don't have any swimwear, sorry," he said, rubbing his eyes whilst sitting up. "Mum bought you some." the boy walked over to his chest of drawers and pulled out a pair of gray swim shorts, "I'm wearing mine already," he said, tugging his waistband. 'There's no getting out of this,' Art admitted. "Okay. I'll meet you down there," He stood up, stretching and moaning. Thiago started walking out of the room but stopped at the door to make sure his cousin was getting changed. Art turned his back to the door once the boy was gone. He lazily fiddled with his belt and dropped his jeans, only then realising he was sporting a boner he desperately wanted to deal with. It hit him like Chris Brown hit Rhianna. He was trapped here for months, sharing a room with his little cousin with no privacy or space to a wank. There's no way he could go three months without touching himself! "Fuck..." he said softly. If he had a room to himself, fine, but sharing with Thiago. It would be impossible. Art tried to push it from his mind, putting on his shorts and heading downstairs toward the outdoor pool. Art stood out in the blistering heat and surveyed his surroundings. His aunt sat in a wicker chair under a giant umbrella, reading a book. Olivia noticed her newly awoken nephew and gently waved him over, "How was your nap?" she asked as she continued to read. Art chuckled, "It was good. I didn't mean to sleep so long." "Don't worry. The trip here was reason enough, not to mention the unbearable heat. Drink plenty of water." she instructed. "Food is cooking. Pasta and homemade meatballs with sauce." Art put a hand over his stomach, "I can't wait. It sounds perfect. Thiago wanted me to swim with him." No sooner than being mentioned, Thiago ran past and launched himself into the pool, cannonball style. Olivia laughed, "Speak of the devil. He gets lonely sometimes since we live on the outskirts of town, it's hard for his friends to visit often. I hope he doesn't annoy you too much." she said softly. "That sucks. I'm sure we'll get along." Art smiled, walking towards the pool, where Thiago was hovering in the water. "Hey buddy, is it cold?" he asked. The child squinted at the sun, looking up at his older cousin, "Nope! Come in." beckoning as he swam away. Art needed little convincing. A frozen lake would be preferable to this unbearable heat. The young teen dropped into the pool, completely submerging himself. The water was so clear he could see Thiago's spindly tanned legs swaying back and forth, struggling to keep the child above the surface. He swam stealthily towards his younger cousin and wildly tickled the boy's feet. Above the water, Thiago was laughing uncontrollably. Beneath the water, he was trying to escape Art's evil clutches. Coming up for air, he could see a big smile on the little boy's face and hear the chuckling laughter that made his heart melt. The giggling was contagious. Thiago started splashing water and backing away. Art engaged in a pursuit, RAAAH!" he growled playfully, watching as the kid tried to clamber out of the water, but to no avail. Art grabbed his prey around the waist and pulled him back in, "Nooo! Haha!" Thiago laughed. The boy tried his best to break free but was hauled to the middle of the pool, only to be thoroughly tickled again. "You can't escape lil' cousin!" Art boasted and eased up to let the kid catch his breath. Holding on to the side of the pool, Art was surprised at how relaxed he felt being amongst strangers, 'I guess that's how families are,' he thought to himself, pondering the true meaning of family when Thiago suddenly held on to his shoulders. "Throw me into the water?" he suggested, not waiting for a response before he climbed out of the pool, jumping up and down on the spot, smiling from ear to ear, waiting for his newfound cousin to follow suit. There wasn't much of an option, not that he was complaining. It was the most fun Art had had in a long time. A kid he barely knew, who he initially thought would annoy the fuck out of him, but then again, it had only been a few hours. 'Ever the skeptic...' he told himself. Exiting the pool and grabbing the boy under the arms, "You ready?" he smiled, and Thiago nodded, who was then promptly yeet'd into the water. The child let out a high-pitched scream before being consumed by a big splash. Art decided to jump in after, becoming weightless. Time came to a halt when he caught sight of the young boy's body, frantically trying to keep itself afloat. Momentary gazing turned into staring at the slim, tanned body that compelled him to reach out and touch. The pain in his shorts made him realise how hard his dick had become, 'What am I doing... He's just a kid,' he tried to reason with himself before resurfacing. Thiago turned in surprise, "There you are. I thought you left!" he beamed. Art didn't know what to say. He was back to staring and studying his young cousin's unique features. 'Freckles! He has freckles, how did I miss that...' he asked himself, "No. I'm still here." Shifting his emerald eyes to encounter Thiago's soothing brown eyes, the kid laughed in response. Art knew he had a suppressed attraction to other guys, but he couldn't recall ever having looked at a boy younger than himself and found them, in any way, shape or form, sexually attractive. Tai might be a unique case simply because he was family. "Food's ready, boys. Get dry and come inside." Olivia alerted the mischievous duo, who had the same reaction as they both rushed to get out of the water. Art didn't have breakfast before setting off on his journey. He was ravenous! "Thanks, Aunt Olivia." the older boy yelled as she walked inside the house. They were dripping wet and frantically tried their best to dry themselves the best they could. Art threw his damp towel over Thiago's head with a playful chuckle, "Yo, ghost boy." Thiago giggled, looking clueless under the towel. He began acting like a ghost, "Oooooo! I'm a ghooooost!" waving his arms around, trying to find Art, who in kind gently grabbed the boy's hands, "Come on, Ghost. We need food." he pulled the towel off of the kids head, throwing it aside and leading young Thiago towards the kitchen. "Okay, boys. Take your seats. I'll dish it out." Both boys sat next to one another at the rectangular oak dining table. Thiago's legs wouldn't stop swinging. Art smiled to himself. "Where's dad?" the boy asked whilst playing with his nose, "He's at work. Stop picking your nose. Plate." Thiago moved his hand away from his face and handed his mother his plate, watching as she dished out a plentiful serving, "Don't waste any," she chimed. "Art." he handed her his plate and drooled, watching her pile it high. "I hope you like it. It's a family favourite," she stated. "I will!" was all Art could say as he began eating, chomping... inhaling. Thiago laughed as he witnessed his cousin eat like a feral animal, and Olivia also found herself chuckling at the sight. Art looked at both of them, confused, before he realised why they were laughing. He shyly composed himself and started eating with some modicum of respect. The atmosphere at the table was light and cheerful, with general chit-chat and jokes. Olivia sipped her red wine, "I hope you don't mind the sleeping arrangements, Art. You can always sleep on the sofa if the little monster over here gets too much." She winked at her son, who, in turn, stuck his tongue out at her. "No, it's fine. I don't think he's annoying." he smiled, eating his meatballs. "Do we get dessert?" Thiago inquired with hopeful eyes. The child's plate was relatively clean. Art was bewildered at how a fragile, petit child could eat so much food. "Yes. There's ice cream in the freezer. Art can get you both some after he's finished eating. As for me, I'm going to settle down and watch some TV." After refilling her wine glass, she kissed her son's head and squeezed Art's shoulder before retiring to the living room. Thiago squirmed around in his chair, blatantly staring at his cousin, trying to get his attention, resting his face on his hands. Art was unnerved by his younger cousin's overbearing eye molesting, but how could he not play with the kid's head? As he ate the last few scraps on his plate, he decided to slow down and accentuate his slow eating, looking Thiago dead in the eyes. It had the desired effect as the boy tried to hide his face whilst giggling but kept taking peaks. "Come oooon! youre eating slow on purpose!" he playfully whined. "Purposely doing what? I'm just eating, dude." Art claimed as he continued to eat dramatically slowly. "Nooo! You're eating like a snail!" Thiago placed his hand on his cousin's jaw and tried to help him chew faster. Art put his fork down, "You want some ice cream?" already knowing the answer. The older boy placed the dirty dishes into the sink and retrieved two bowls and two spoons. He filled both bowls with decent amounts of ice cream, a level that satisfied his young companion. They sat back at the table and silently consumed the cold, flavoursome delight. After the distraction of dessert was gone, Thiago was back to his playful self, even more so after eating all that sugar. Art glanced up at the clock above the garden door, the hands presenting 7:52 pm, and it was still light outside. Ghost Boy sped up the stairs while Art casually walked into the living room, "I'm heading upstairs. Thanks for the food and dessert." "You're welcome, dear. No need to be so polite." She playfully teased. "I'll be up later to say good night to you both." Art silently nodded as he walked towards the stairs, slothfully ascending, 'So tired. It's been a pretty fun day.' he mused to himself. Turning into Thiago's room, he found the boy hovering around his TV with childlike enthusiasm. "What are you doing, Thiago?" Art asked as he planted himself firmly on the bed. The young boy turned to show a big smile, "Putting my favourite movie on. It's called Big Hero 6, and it has this big bouncy robot called Baymax! I have a teddy of him." He promptly climbed his bed ladder to retrieve said teddy handing it to his older cousin "See, he has this cool armour." he grabbed the TV remote and closed the bedroom door. The blinds were down, giving the room a dark ambience. The screen began to flicker, and the movie started. Thiago quickly jumped next to his cousin and took his Baymax doll back. "Tai." the child spoke. Art looked visibly confused at the boy, "What?" "Call me Tai. I like it more," he said, snuggling up to his older cousin's arm. Art recalled his aunt saying he preferred that name, "Oh, okay. Sorry, Tai." He teased, moving slightly to get more comfortable. He pulled the quilt over them both, not that it was cold, but it made things feel more cosy and relaxing. The bedroom door clicked shut and woke Art from his blissful sleep. He couldn't remember when he drifted off. It must have been Olivia checking in on her way to bed. The movie was no longer playing, and he felt guilty about missing it. They'd have to watch it another time. Tai was lying over his lap, making soft purring noises. It felt strange for Art to be here in this house, with these people. He didn't expect to connect as well or quickly with young Tai, but he was grateful he had. He tried to move from under the sleeping beauty without waking him, but he sturred, groaning groggily, "Mum?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. "No. It's Art. You okay?" the older boy asked in a concerned whisper, moving them both into a more appropriate sleeping position. The young child nodded and settled back into his sleep sequence, too tired to climb into his top bunk. Art looked at his little cousin as they lay face to face, "Good night, Tai." The boy smiled when he heard his name. Both boys eventually conceded to the inevitable embrace of Morpheus.