GLITTER GULCH

Chapter 7: Waterworks

The next morning Kento awoke to the sound of clanging pots and pans. He rolled his eyes and flopped over onto his stomach. He had the entire bed to himself. That must be Cye in the kitchen. He’d practically begged Rosemary and Mia to let him cook breakfast and dinner from now on. He hadn’t found out what had upset the teach so badly yesterday, but he guessed it had something to do with the note he’d clutched so tightly. Kento had barely gotten any sleep last night because the Brit had sniffled and whimpered all night long. He’d reached out and hugged him at one point, but that only seemed to make the blubbering worse. I sure hope that whatever it is blows over soon so I can get some sleep.

He grabbed Cye’s pillow. Well, if he’s not here…He won’t be needing this. Mmmm… He buried his face in the pillow and inhaled Cye’s scent. He moaned. Not a good idea to do that right after I wake up with a stiffie. He ground his hips into the bed to relieve some of the ache, but it only added fuel to the fire. He groaned into the pillow and breathed in. He added his hand to the grinding motion. That’s it. Oh, yeah. He buried his head into the pillow, imagining auburn hair and green eyes. He pumped his cock hard with his hand — the only partner he’d had for awhile — and bit his lip to keep quiet. It wouldn’t be good to have the guys wonder what I’m doing in here. Poor Kento, found him humping his bed the other day. Yeah, that’d be a hoot. I think I’d scare the teach half to death. He’d never want to sleep in this bed again. Yesterday, he’d had the teacher in his arms. He could still feel the warmth of his body and hips pressed against him. He rubbed harder. The pouty lips that begged to be kissed. The slender neck and hands. So close…

SHIT! He tried to lie there like he was still asleep. His heart was pounding in his ears.

"Kento, luv." He’d found out last night that Cye called everyone "luv." "Um…Kento?"

Kento tried out his sleepy voice. "Huh? What?"

"Sorry to disturb you, but could you help me? There are some things on a high shelf that I can’t reach. Would you get them for me?"

"Sure. Just give me a minute." Kento’s hand was still trapped under his body.

"Are you all right?"

Kento panicked. "Uh, yeah, I…er…uh…I have a cramp. That’s all."

"Well, here let me help."

"NO! I mean, it’s better now." Kento had managed to get his hand free. "I’ll be in there in a minute."

Cye didn’t move. "Are you sure…"

"YES! I mean…er…yeah, I’m okay. You go on. I’ll be in there in a minute."

"Well, all right. Dreadfully sorry. I wouldn’t have woken you, but the others are gone, all except Rowan, anyway. And he’s not exactly very pleasant in the morning."

"It’s okay. Go on. I’ll be there in a minute."

"All right. Thanks, Kento."

The door shut and Kento moaned. This one’s gonna hurt going down.

Kento helped Cye cook that morning. The stove was a beastly thing -- four hotplates and an oven with a giant pipe that ran up and out of the ceiling. Kento snerked as he thought of the old tale of Beauty and the Beast. Cye of course being the Beauty that tamed the savage Stove Beast.

The cooking went smoothly except for the plate that Kento broke when Cye bent over to get something out of the oven. But other than that, everything was fine. Cye babbled about his family in England, his mother and two sisters and how they taught him everything he knew about cooking, sewing, and cleaning. Cye laughed when Kento’s stomach growled, interrupting the speech.

"Sorry," Kento stammered.

"I guess you’re pretty hungry, huh? Here, why don’t you have a biscuit while we wait on everyone else." Cye handed him a large fluffy country biscuit. Kento grinned. Cye’d made a friend for life.

"This is wonderful! Where’d you learn to make these?" Kento shoved the biscuit into his mouth, not even bothering to chew.

"Mum. She dabbled in all sorts of cooking. She’s the best cook in the whole world."

"If she cooks better than you, she’d have to be! I can’t believe she can cook better than this!" Kento said as he practically swallowed the biscuit whole. Cye beamed. Kento’d made a friend for life.

Kento had two more biscuits before everyone else arrived. Ulee was first. He and Ryo had raced to see who could get washed up and get to the table first. Cye noticed a little bit more dirt on Ulee’s face than what should be there, but the child was so pleased with himself that Cye let it slide. Ryo was next, grinning sheepishly. Rosemary and Mia walked in hand in hand followed by a frowning Sage.

"Smells awesome, Cye!" Ryo sniffed the air.

"I hope that everyone’s brought their appetite!" Cye’s comment produced nods all around, except for Sage.

"Where’s Rowan?" he grumbled.

"Oh! He’s still asleep. I didn’t have the heart to wake him," Cye lied.

Sage sighed. "I’ll go get him."

Sage walked down the narrow hallway to his room. He’d been stuck with Rowan since Ulee wanted to sleep with Ryo and there was no question as to whose room Mia was going to sleep in. He frowned. His plan to forget Ryo was not working. Instead of taking his mind off Ryo, Rosemary and Mia were making him think more of the dark haired half-breed. And it didn’t help that Rowan was his roommate. Rowan had always been open about his sexual orientation and had offered to include Sage. He’d refused of course. But now….

He pushed open the door and looked in on the sleeping Yankee. The unruly lock of blue hair draped across his nose and one arm was hanging off the bed. Sage smiled. Only Rowan could be comfortable anywhere. Even in a stranger’s house. He walked over and sat on the bed. He gently shook him. "Rowan. Rowan, wake up."

Rowan rolled over and grunted. "No, mom, no school."

Sage sighed. Rowan had to be the hardest person to wake up in the mornings. That is until Sage had accidentally stumbled upon the catch phrase that never failed. He’d actually said it as a curse but it always proved to be effective. He leaned over and whispered in Rowan’s ear, "Fuck me, Rowan."

The Yankee immediately sat upright. "What? Who?"

"Come on, Rowan. Breakfast is ready." Sage stood up.

"I don’t need breakfast," Rowan growled and lay back down, pulling the covers over his head.

"Oh, yes you do. Cye has made breakfast for everyone this morning. And that includes you." Sage pulled the covers off Rowan. "Get up. It would be rude not to."

"Oh, all right. Get off me." Rowan sat up and swung his feet over the side of the bed. "I’m up. Are you happy now?"

"Not until you are at the table. I know better than that, Mr. I-Can-Sleep-Anywhere."

"Boy, you sure are bitchy this morning. Have a spat with Indian boy or something?"

Sage’s face grew hot. "Breakfast is ready. If you’re not there in two minutes, I’m bringing a bucket of water." Sage slammed the door on his way out.

"What’s his problem?" Rowan swore and pulled on his pants.

During breakfast, Ulee talked non-stop. Kento sighed. You gotta admire the kid’s stamina.

Cye had plans to go the schoolhouse today to do some cleaning to get ready for the students and all of them (but Ulee) volunteered to go help. Even Rowan agreed, but after a nap.

Kento laughed. "Good one, buddy," he said, negating Sage’s scowl.

Rosemary gathered buckets for cleaning. Ryo got the soap. Mia brought a needle and thread to repair any curtains. They hitched the horses up to the wagon and set off. It wasn’t too far to the school, only about a fifteen-minute ride. They reached the schoolhouse and Cye’s heart dropped. If the outside was any indication, the schoolhouse was a wreck. Boards hung off its small frame and some of the windows were broken. Cye’s lower lip quivered.

Oh, shit. Kento clapped Cye on the back. "Hey! It’s not so bad. Well, why don’t we go inside?" The inside was worse than the outside. Apparently a few mice had taken up residence in the cloakroom and someone had been sleeping here recently. Not to mention some of the floorboards had been ripped up to make a fire in the middle of the room.

Mia clapped her hands. "Okay. Let’s get started. First of all, I guess we should do some straightening to figure out what needs repaired." Cye nodded, tears staining his cheeks.

Kento wrapped an arm around the smaller man’s shoulders. "Don’t worry! We’ll have the place fixed up in no time!"

It didn’t take long for Kento to realize he need to go to Smitty’s and get a few things.

"I’ll go with you," Sage offered. "Rowan said somebody named Doc Kaos needed to see me about something. Maybe he can help with this shiner." Sage pointed to his black eye.

"Old Doc Kaos," Kento snorted. "I’m sure he’s got something to fix that up, but I don’t know if you’ll wanna use it."

Kento waved goodbye as they trotted off.

Sage found the place easy enough. It was on the edge of town. I guess so Kaos can beat a hasty retreat if he has to. He pushed open the door and gasped. The mixture of smells was overwhelming. He ducked his head when he heard the bell jingle. He took off his hat and squinted into the darkness. "Hello? Anybody here?" There was no answer. He walked to the counter at the back of the store. "Hello? Doc Kaos?"

"I heard ya. I heard ya." A small wrinkled old man limped out of the backroom. "So what will it…Korin! I told Tenku to send you when he got a chance! Thank goodness he remembered."

Sage smiled. Evidently this old man was off his rocker.

"Here. Here. I have something for you." The old man started searching his pockets. "Now where did I put that…Hmmm…It has got to be here somewhere."

Sage noticed a pale green light coming from the old man’s breast pocket. "Is that it?" He pointed to the light.

"Ah! Yes, yes, so it is. Come here, my precious beauty."

Sage smiled at the old man as he pulled a glowing green stone from his pocket. A faint Chinese symbol flared brightly within the glass orb. He reached for it and it flashed when it came into contact with his skin. "*This* is Korin, isn’t it? I know this…I’ve felt this before."

Instantly, he was standing in a battlefield, bodies littering the ground. He held a long sword and wore a strange armor of green and white. He heard chimes and saw a figure coming toward him. He wore a wide brimmed straw hat and carried a staff with rings that chimed when he walked. "What…?" Sage began. The figure approached him and tipped back his hat. The face was familiar. "Kaos? But you’re …you’re…"

"Young?" Kaos grinned. "Sage of the Halo, you have transcended time and space. You are Korin no Seiji. Release your outer shell and embrace your destiny." Kaos struck the ground with his staff and a warm yellow light hit Sage square in the chest. He stumbled backwards as the warmth of the light permeated his body. He could feel the glow spreading from his fingertips and traveling to his heart. He gasped with the realization of the ages and the power his soul contained. He blinked when he realized he was still standing in Doc Kaos’ shop, the green orb now dull in his hand.

"I am very proud of you, Korin. You are the second to realize your full potential, but you have only just received yours. The other has had his for years."

"Wha…What does this mean, Ancient One?"

"I believe I will let you figure that one out on your own, young one." He patted Sage’s hand lightly. "The powers of courtesy and light are yours to command when you need them. And you will need them, Korin. You will most definitely need them."

A bell jingled signaling the entry of someone new.

"Hey, Sage! Are you ready?" Kento shoved his head in the door. "I got the stuff. Hey, Doc!"

"Good to see you, Kongo. So I see you have met Korin."

"Well, yeah. Come on, Korin! We got a schoolhouse to fixup and daylight’s awastin’."

"Okay, I’ll be there in a minute, Kong…Kento."

Kento waved and went back outside.

"Kaos?"

"Yes, Korin?"

"Why…why me?"

The old man laughed. "Why not?"

Sage stared at the marble in his hand.

"You have things to do today, Korin. Come back anytime. I will be here. But now, your friends need you. Do not fail them. They will all have the need for your abilities. Go to them."

Sage nodded and stuck the small orb in his pocket. He bowed to Doc Kaos. "Thank you, Ancient One."

"Would you get out of here all ready? I have things to do."

"Oh, sorry." Sage staggered to the door.

"EEEEEK! GET IT! GET IT!" Cye clawed his way up on Rowan’s back.

"What the…?"

"SNAKE! SNAKE! GET IT! GET IT!"

Rowan chuckled. "That? That little thing is a black snake. It won’t hurt you."

"I don’t care! GET RID OF IT!"

Rowan gently picked up the snake and looked it over. "Here, Cye, look."

"NONONONONONONO!GETITAWAYFROMMEEEE!" Cye was trying to blend into the wall.

"Come here."

"NO!"

"Just touch it."

"NO!"

Rowan walked over to Cye with the snake stretched out in front of him.

"Get it away! No! ROOOWAAAANN!" Cye stumbled over some desks and ran out the door of the schoolhouse.

Ryo looked up in time to see Cye streak by him. "Huh?" He looked back at the door and saw Rowan leaning against the frame, a snake draped over one arm.

"Cye, don’t be such a sissy! There’s nothin’ to be afraid of. Get back here."

"No! Not until you get rid of that…that…thing!"

"I told you that it won’t hurt ya!"

"I don’t care! I don’t want it anywhere near me!"

"Come here, sissy!" Rowan walked toward Cye. He ducked back behind Ryo.

"No! Please, ROOOWAAANNN! Don’t…!" The Brit was near tears.

"It’s not gonna…"

"ROWAN STRATA! What the HELL do you think you are doing?"

Rowan winced and turned to glare at Rosemary. "I was tryin’ to get Cye…" Rosemary punched his arm. "Ow!"

"You asshole! You were teasing him weren’t you?" Rosemary dared him to defy her.

"Hey, Ro, he’s really scared maybe you oughta…"

"But he needs ta…" Rowan moved forward. Cye squealed and used Ryo as a shield.

"Rowan! Cut it out!" Rosemary put her hands on her hips and glared at Rowan.

"It’s not gonna hurt ya. It was looking for someplace to get outta the sun for a little while." He took the snake to a shady spot and let it go. "And Rosemary, you don’t have to be such a bitch about it."

"What?! Look here, blue boy…"

"That’s enough, you two," Mia shouted. "We have to get this place ready. Let’s get back to it, okay?" Rosemary huffed and Rowan sulked. He went back inside, mumbling to himself.

Cye still clutched the back of Ryo’s arms.

"Are you okay, Cye?" Rosemary asked.

Cye nodded.

"Okay, we’ll be in the cloakroom if you need us." Rosemary and Mia went into the schoolhouse.

"Um, Cye? You can let go now."

Cye shoved his head against Ryo’s back and shook his head.

"The snake’s gone, Cye, and Rowan’s gone back inside." <pause> "It’s all right. Really."

"Really?" Cye whimpered.

"Yeah." He turned to face the Brit. Cye’s eyes were brimming with tears. "Hey, it’s okay." He patted Cye’s shoulder. "I like snakes, myself, but I’m scared to death of spiders. I freak out when I see ‘em. Especially the big ones."

Cye sniffed. His face twisted with rage. "I hate this country! I have had nothing but problems since I arrived! I have had a sunburn and a hangover. I didn’t get the house I was promised! And the schoolhouse…And the snake! And…and Philip told me he was seeing someone else!" Cye bawled. Ryo stared at him. "AND he did it in a NOTE! A NOTE! It was stuck in the pocket of one of my shirts! He left me for a professor!" He cried and put his head on Ryo’s shoulder. Ryo blinked and hugged Cye whose body was shaking with sobs. "I can’t take this anymore! I’m going back."

"Uh, okay. Wait until Kento and Sage come back and I’m sure one of us…"

"No! I mean back home to England! I can’t take it here anymore! Nothing but horrible things has happened to me since I set foot on this cursed continent!"

"You can’t give up now, Cye. So you didn’t get your house, you still have a place to stay. And the schoolhouse looks bad now, but we’ll fix it up."

"I suppose you’re right, but…"

"You can’t quit. Who’ll teach the kids? And who’s gonna cook for Kento?"

Cye blushed and sighed. "You’re right. I can’t give up. It looks so hopeless…"

"Hey." Ryo forced Cye to look in his eyes. "You can do it. You have us."

Cye nodded and smiled.

"We’re your friends, Cye. And we’re gonna help you."

"But you barely even know me…"

Ryo shrugged. "So? You’re a great guy, Cye. And I guess we’re gonna be here for a while, so you might as well stay with us."

Cye threw his arms around Ryo’s neck. "Thank you, Ryo! It just hurts so much…"

Ryo grimaced. "I know it does. But at least you don’t have to see him everyday…" Ryo’s words trailed off and Cye looked at him.

"Ryo? Are you all right?"

"Uh, oh, yeah. I’m fine," Ryo stammered.

Cye hugged Ryo tighter. "Remember, I’m your friend, too. If you need to talk about something, I’m here for you."

Ryo thought about telling Cye about what had happened with Sage, but at that moment, Kento and Sage pulled up in the wagon.

Kento had managed to get lumber, red and white paint, not to mention a few hammers and nails. "Smitty’s didn’t have any glass panes, so I ordered a few to fix the windows. For now, we can board ‘em up."

As the afternoon wore on, the heat became stifling. In the small schoolhouse, a slight breeze blew through the broken windows, relieving the heat somewhat. Cye wiped his forehead. The inside of the schoolhouse had been mostly repaired and he was putting the finishing touches on a new coat of white paint on the walls. He sighed. They’d done a lot in one day. If it weren’t for the missing windowpanes, the schoolroom looked brand new. He smiled and put down his brush.

"Cye! We’ve got it done! Come look!" Kento ran in, excitement in his eyes. Cye blushed. Kento had taken off his shirt and Cye found himself admiring Kento’s broad tanned chest.

"Okay."

Kento guffawed.

"What?"

Kento leaned forward and looked at Cye’s forehead. "You got white paint on your head." He laughed.

"I do?! Where?" He started touching his forehead.

Kento grabbed his hands. "Hold it. I’ll get it." He licked his thumb and rubbed at the white paint. He still had hold of one of Cye’s hands. "There." He placed a small kiss on Cye’s forehead. "Got it."

Cye’s heart thumped in his chest.

"Are you coming?" Kento pulled on Cye’s hand.

"Oh, yes." He let Kento pull him out of the schoolhouse.

"So, what do you think?"

Cye was stunned. The schoolhouse was perfect! They had managed to repair the loose boards and painted the outside red with white trim. Mia and Rosemary had planted wildflowers all along the outside and the grass had been trimmed. Cye thought his heart would burst. The sun was just going down and the orange glow added a fey look to the small building. This was his dream. This was a dream come true.

"SO?! What do you think?"

He turned and faced his new ragtag bunch of friends. He was on the verge of tears, and he silently wondered if it was healthy for him to cry this much. "It’s beautiful…" he whispered. "Thank you! Thank you so much!’ His arms outstretched, he ran in for a group hug.