The Brass Butterfly

This is a collaboration story between me and my friend Black Velvet. Sara belongs to Black Velvet while Matt and Simon belong to me. All written text and characters are copyrighted and may not be used without permission. This story will contain boy/girl, girl/girl, boy/boy, and threesome sexual content. Some chapters may not contain any sexual content. In which case, we also hope you enjoy the story. BTW, we love comments so send them to us, stroke our egos, and we'll give you more faster!

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The office actually turned out to need Sara for several hours. She got home to find Simon had gone, and Matt on the couch, watching TV moodily.

She came in with a heavy sigh and looked around. "Where's Simon?"

Matt didn't bother to look over at her. She shrugged, barely lifting one shoulder and not skipping a beat with the remote, "Left after he took the tape off."

She nodded and sat on the couch next to her. "Are you in much pain?"

Matt shook her head, "Not anymore. It stung like a mutherfucker when he took it off, but we rubbed some stuff in it, and it's ok now." She still wouldn't look at her.

Sara leaned over and kissed her gently. "I'm sorry love." She brushed her hair back slightly. "What do you want for dinner?"

Matt shook her head, still not looking at her. "I'm not really hungry."

Sara was puzzled. She had the feeling there was something more to this, but she wasn't sure what. "What's wrong?"

Matt took a deep breath. "Simon found something, when he helped take the tape off."

"Oh?"

"Some marks. On my back. He says they're like the ones on the box, but most of them are new."

Sara was startled, "Show me?"

Matt sighed like it was a massive chore and took the hem of her shirt over her head and pulled her hair to one side. Sara scooted closer to look. At first she thought Matt had leaned into something causing red pressure marks, but on closer inspection, she saw it did look like five Chinese symbols.

Sara gasped slightly and gently touched them. They were smooth and didn't rub off. "How long have these been there."

Matt squirmed away from her touch and dropped her shirt and said sullenly, "No clue. Simon copied them down to research later. He says one is the same one from on top of the box. The one for "Switch."

Sara frowned, "That's interesting. I wonder what the rest of it says."

Matt leaned back on the couch again, taking up the remote again and flipping to a shampoo commercial. "Yeah, so that's about it. How was work? I'm guessing you were gone so long because the place fell apart."

She leaned back and groaned, "He wiped out half of the weeks time cards in payroll. I had to re-enter them into the system then back it all up, update it, then back it up again."

Matt flipped through a few more channels and said absently, "Figures."

Sara frowned at her. "Well if you aren't interested, don't ask."

Matt shrugged and ignored her. Sara was starting to feel annoyed, but couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more going on than Matt snubbing her from the brief little fight earlier. Matt had a temper, but usually forgot things quickly.

She decided to try to talk about the new marks again, "Were there any other marks?"

Matt tensed and blushed suddenly and inexplicably, "No." she said flatly.

She blinked. "Did Simon check?"

Matt finally flicked her eyes to her. "Why do you ask if Simon checked?"

That was said much too fast and intensely. Sara was betting anything that he

had

checked, and leveled a look at Matt. "Because he was the one that found them on your back, and there are other places you can't see."

Matt turned even redder in the face and snapped, "NO, we didn't find any others."

"FINE, sheesh! Take a pill or something, there wasn't a need to bite my head off!" she replied as she stood up. "Are you sure you don't want dinner?"

Matt stood up, looking very annoyed. "I already told you, NO. " She started to pace. "I'm thinking we need to find somebody other than Simon for this."

Sara was flabbergasted, "What? Why?"

Matt gestured vaguely like she was trying to find the words, "I just...I just do. I just don't think he can do this right." Sara gaped and her mind reeled. What the hell had happened? She felt her voice start to rise. "He's perfect for what we need - he knows several dialects of Chinese, he knows Chinese artifacts - he has every available resource needed and we know him and we know he'll be discreet." She narrowed her eyes at Matt, "What aren't you telling me? What happened here while I was gone?"

"NOTHING. But I don't believe in the "discreet" part. I don't think he'd tell anybody about what happened, but he's anything BUT discreet."

Sara shook her head rapidly as if trying to dislodge the incredulity like an insect in her hair, "Something must have happened for you to be this defensive. Why are you hiding it from me?"

Matt gritted her teeth and lifted her lip in an ugly snarl and yelled, "NOTHING HAPPENED! FUCK, don't you ever listen?!"

Sara jerked as if she'd been slapped. "We've never kept secrets from each other Matt. You were fine with Simon helping us this morning, and now you're not. Something happened today and you refuse to talk to me!"

Matt slapped her forehead. "Would you DROP it? I'm just sick to death of his innuendo, and the goo-goo eyes he makes at you!"

This wasn't making any sense to Sara. "This is SIMON we're talking about. He's always been a double entendre idiot making eyes at women - and not just at me. I wouldn't be surprised if he took the teaching position just so he could make "goo goo eyes" as you put it at half the female student undergrads!"

Matt pulled a face like she'd swallowed a lemon. "Yeah, me neither. But he's actively GOING after you, and that pisses me off."

"He is not actively going after me! It's ridiculous that you'd even think that!" She reached towards her. "He knows I'm in love with YOU."

Matt pulled back out of reach. "It's not stopping him from trying. I swear to god I'm going to kick his ass if he makes one more move on me! Er...you....us."

There was a dead silent pause in the room. Sara furrowed her brow. "Are you saying he hit on you?"

Matt spread her hands and looked at her like she was clueless. "Hel-LO, what do you think all that innuendo IS?"

"That's not it, that's not what's got your panties in a bunch--"

"Oh, STOP trying to pretend like you know what the hell is going through my mind."

"I would never pretend to know what's going on in YOUR mind. But I do know you well enough to know that a little harmless flirting wouldn't upset you this much!"

Matt curled her lip at her. "Are you DENSE? It's not HARMLESS—that's what I'm trying to tell you!" She threw her up her hands. "I don't believe you. You say it's not harmless, but you won't tell me what he did that isn't harmless! It's no use talking to you when you're like this!" Sara grabbed her purse and stormed out of the house. "I'm going out!"

"FINE!"

Sara slammed the door on her way out. She was absolutely furious, with Matt and with Simon, but mostly with Matt. She slammed the door on the car and jammed the keys in the ignition, fuming as she squealed the tires out of the driveway.

She wasn't sure how long she had driven around when suddenly she realized she had ended up near the UW campus. She hadn't meant to drive there; it had been completely unconscious. She thought instantly about swinging by and talking to Simon, but then again, maybe now wasn't a good time. What had Simon done? She had guessed it had been something sexual in nature and just about every scenario had run through her head until she had gone numb from the emotion.

She debated this for a bit, wondering what to do. Finally with a sigh, she pulled over into a nearby Starbucks to get some coffee and think. She had just gotten her drink when she turned around and saw Simon walk through the door. Their eyes met almost instantly and he smiled, though it didn't seem as open and friendly as it usually was. "Hi Sara. Were you on your way to see me?"

She blinked and blushed slightly, "No! I mean yes... no...I..." She stopped, feeling the heat in her face intensify and she walked over to the coffee stirrers, unable to put a voice to the confusing jumble of questions and emotions going through her head.

Simon blinked and followed her, "Er, well, I can't imagine why else you would be out in this direction otherwise."

She sighed as she watched her hands sprinkle chocolate into her drink with an extra sugar. She spent more concentration than was warranted stirring with the little wooden stick because doing that was easier than trying to look at Simon and speak at the same time. "I was driving around, trying to gather my thoughts."

She took a chance to peek at him, and he had a peculiar look on his face is like he was trying to figure something out. Something about her. "Would you like to talk about it? I'm free right now, I just got out of the office, and I live around the corner."

She looked at him for a long moment then shrugged, "Sure. Why not."

He nodded, "OK, you can leave your car here. It's just a block."

She waited for him to get his own drink and then he lead her out of the coffee shop and down the hill a block to a group of nice apartment buildings. He opened the gate and took her up in the elevator to the second floor. His apartment as the end of the hall and he opened the door and clicked on the light. It was a standard but roomy one bedroom, and Sara caught her breath in awe. It was like a well-done Chinese museum. The furniture is all dark wood, hand carved yet simple, with screens, fans, and framed paintings of China all over the place. Small statues of the Buddha, dragons, and other religious images were placed around here and there. Along the wall above the dark wood entertainment center and next to a bookcase was mounted a 9 Ring sword, a Quan Dao, and a beautifully carved staff.

He gestured her in ahead of him and took her purse and placed it on a small side table and tossed his keys down. He slipped off his shoes and had a place for visitors to change their shoes for warm slippers. "Feel free to make yourself at home," he said.

"Thanks, its lovely." She took off her shoes and after three tries found slippers that fit.

He gave her a quick tour. The apartment was neat without being neat-freakish and the bedroom was slightly messy, but he had a large and comfortable looking bed. His computer desk was a mess, and she noticed his music and video collection held a lot of eclectic music and videos, some in Chinese. He had a 20-gallon fish tank near the window with freshwater fish swimming lazily around. He finally guided her to the living room and the comfy dark brown suede sofa and sat next to her with his coffee. "So. What's on your mind?"

She sipped her drink for a moment then looked at him, "You."

He blinked rapidly a couple of times and lifted his eyebrows. "Me."

"Yes."

He waited a few beats for her to explain herself. He seemed tense and ridged instead of the flowing ease that he usually carried himself with. Finally he prompted, "How so?"

She looked down at the white plastic lid of the coffee cup. "What happened when I left for work?"

"Oh." He sipped his own drink and looked at the floor for a minute. "How much...did Matt tell you happened? I assume you went home and talked to her...him."

She fiddled with the plastic top, "That's why I was out driving around. We had a fight. She won't tell me what happened." She gave him an accusatory look and continued, "He said nothing happened and then went off about you hitting on me all the time, then slipped and said you hit on him."

Simon was silent, thinking about this, and then he sighed and loosened his tie. He pulled it off and draped it over the arm of the couch, "I do believe I owe an apology to you both on that count. He showed you the marks we discovered on his back after we took the tape off?" He looked at her warily out of the corner of his eye.

She sipped her coffee again. "After I insisted."

He was quiet another moment and rubbed his brow tiredly, "After we took the tape off, I was standing behind him and noticed the marks. He didn't have any idea how long they had been there, and I suggested we should check the rest of his body, just in case. I got...um...a little carried away, in the checking."

"I gathered that from his reaction to my questioning and then his denial that anything went on." She said blandly. "Would you be willing to tell me exactly what happened?"

Simon was clearly uncomfortable with all this. He ran his hand over his hair, causing his long bangs to wave like feathers as they were pulled up and out of the way, to float back again to frame his slender face. He was bent over a little so his shirt gaped a bit, showing off a tiny section of his beautifully smooth and muscular chest. "When I suggested that we inspect the rest of him, and Matt didn't want to do it. I already knew he wasn't too happy about being alone with me, and at this point, she--he--was half naked. I—I suppose I could have let him check on his own, but I kept pressing and finally got her to take off the rest of her...his clothes." He sounded remorseful.

"Go on."

He swallowed and took a deep breath, not daring to look up from the floor. "I started touching him to inspect him, and one thing led to another--" He gestured with his hands like he couldn't think of how to put it.

She rolled her eyes. "Just spit it out Simon. I've already imagined every possible scenario, you're not going to shock me."

"I think I'm less worried about shocking you and more worried about keeping my masculinity intact after I say it."

"Just tell me."

"Ok, ok," He sighed, "I ended up touching her a little more intimately than I should have, but nothing else! I swear it didn't go past touching. She didn't try to stop me at first, and I mistakenly took it as a sign of consent. I ended up discovering she was a virgin with my fingers, and scared her badly enough that she was ready to fight me--She--he--ugh, it's hard to keep it straight."

She sipped her coffee and asked casually, "Anything else?"

Simon furrowed his brow and looked at her oddly. "You're not upset about this?"

Sara sighed and flicked an imaginary speck from the lid of her cup. "I'm not sure what to think."

Simon licked his lips shifting slowly on the couch to turn towards her more. "He was furious with me, and I don't blame him. I stepped WAY across the line. After that, he called me to the carpet for flirting with the both of you. I didn't even realize that was what I was doing the last couple of days, but...he was right. He was more upset about me flirting with you than me doing it with him. He said he'd kick my ass if I tried to screw things up between you."

She nodded. "And he means it. He's always had a bit of a jealous streak."

He said softly, "Yeah. I know. He got rather nasty about it too. I tried to apologize and assure him I wasn't trying to steal you away, or him away from you, but he told me to quit treating him like a girl. I was getting irritated with him by this point, and pointed out he was attracted to me too. He didn't try to deny it."

She nodded again. "He wouldn't, but then again he wouldn't admit it either."

Simon looked at her again. It was like he wasn't sure how to take her being so rational about the fact he tried to seduce her boyfriend turned girlfriend, but continued, "I think I hit a low blow with that one. I told him it wasn't because he was a girl—that he'd be looking at me as a male too. I...I think he's bi and won't admit it. That's why he was the first person I came out to in college. He just told me he had a good thing going with you and he wouldn't jeopardize it. But I think he wasn't talking to you about it this afternoon because he's feeling guilty, and that's my fault."

Simon folded his hands and looked at them. "He's madly in love with you, you know."

She nodded wistfully, feeling a smile come to her face. "I know. I love him just as much." She couldn't look at him. Sara stared at the tapestry on the wall off to his right, not really seeing it. Slowly the tears started to slip down her cheeks.

He bowed forward, elbows on his knees and resting his forehead in the fingers of his right hand, embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Sara. I truly am. I've made a complete idiot out of myself. I didn't realize I was laying it on that heavily until...what I did today. I couldn't help myself. He's a cute guy, and a beautiful woman, and I couldn't resist it with him standing naked in front of me and NOT try. That was despicable of me, especially trying it with somebody who's as vulnerable as he is right now."

She sniffled softly and nodded. "I know."

Simon shifted awkwardly like he didn't know what to do to comfort her without coming across as obscene. He finally reached over to the end table and pulled a couple of Kleenex from a holder and handed them to her. "I've been wondering all day about it. My conclusion is that I'm insanely jealous of the both of you and what you have."

She took them, then wiped at her face. "You shouldn't be."

He snorted softly. "I can't help it. I haven't dated since I returned to the states. There aren't many people I'd want to date." He placed the box of Kleenex on the coffee table in front of her. "Of course, the second I run across two strikingly sexy people that I'd go for in a hot minute—they are into each other."

They sat for a long moment, staring into their coffee cups. A clock on the wall ticked unnaturally loud as the silence spread. Finally Sara muttered, "I wish--"

"You wish--what?"

She shook her head and stood up. There was nothing left for her to say or do here. "Nothing. I'd better go."

He stood and put his hand on her shoulder, sounding anxious. "No, wait. You came here to get stuff off your mind, and I've been the one doing all the talking. Don't go yet. I...I need to know what you're thinking."

Sara found herself incapable of looking at him. She felt a mixture of emotions between shame, embarrassment, anger, and desire. "I don't know what I'm thinking. Matt got upset because I was taking things so calmly. But I don't know how else to handle it. It's not useful to break down and be hysterical over it all."

He slid both his hands onto her shoulders and turned her around so she was facing him. He slid his hands up to cup her face so she'd have to look at him. He looked pleading. "Then you don't have to, but please, talk to me. Please, Sara. Tell me I haven't screwed up so badly that I've lost you as friends. I didn't want to hurt you, or try to break you up, I mean that."

She looked up at him, feeling her emotions shut down as she stared at him blankly. "I know that."

She knew she wasn't giving him much comfort, but she really didn't know how. He stroked his thumbs across her cheeks and the look on his face was raw. First with pain that he'd hurt her, then with frustration that he couldn't figure out what she was thinking. He looked like he was trying to search for something else to say, but that shifted to something more intimate as she watched his eyes change from looking at her face to looking at the details of her face.

She didn't move as he trailed his fingers across her temple to pull some hair out of her line of vision, and suddenly she felt a low pulse tighten in her abdomen. It was a simple gesture, but he'd managed to make it a very intimate one. He paused, as if suddenly realizing what he was doing. She watched him struggle with himself, and she suddenly felt bad for him. Poor Simon, he'd always been on the outside. Never understanding, never able to figure out the pieces of the social puzzle that could bring him what he was looking for. The closest he'd ever come was being friends with her and Matt, and now he was worried that he'd wrecked it forever.