His Seduction

~Sorry it took so long to get this in, but with the holidays and family, I hardly had anytime at all to get on the computer. I'm sure you understand. But here it is. I'm rather happy with the way it turned out, really. If you're reading it for the first time, please read Parts 1 & 2 so this one will make more sense. Hope you enjoy it!~

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Keith limped around the living room floor restlessly, his hands pulling at his newly donned shirt. Somewhere on campus, his terror of a father was walking around. What could he possibly want? He had called just yesterday. Generally that small amount of communication was enough to make his father leave him alone for several months. Had something happened that no one had told him about yet?

"Keith, you alright?" Mike asked from the couch. He'd watched Keith pace like a caged tiger for the better part of an hour. "It's just your dad, man. Not like some firing squad come to take you out."

Keith gave a half-hearted laugh, but kept pacing. Mike didn't understand. Of course not, how could he? He hadn't grown up with the tyrant.

A strong knock sounded on the door.

"He's here." Keith looked at the door, but made no move to get it.

Mike sighed and rose from couch. He headed for the door, patting Keith on the butt as he passed. He could practically feel Keith glaring at the back of his head.

Opening the door, he got his first glimpse of the man Keith refused to talk much about. Kelly had been right about the way the guy dressed. It looked as though he should be on the cover of some Italian businessman's magazine. His impeccably clean loafers, pressed suit, and royal blue tie definitely gave the impression of wealth and power. This was not a man you wanted to get on the wrong side of.

"Hello," Mike said opening the door. "You must be Keith's dad, Mr. Damon. Please come in!"

Mr. Damon looked at Mike as though he was some bug he couldn't decide weather he wanted to squash or not. With a simple nod in greeting, Mr. Damon walked in past him, his eyes scanning the small living space with distain.

"Father, it's good to see you," Keith said, stepping forward. It still surprised him that he could feel so nervous around his own father.

"Do I give you an allowance so you can live in squalor?" Mr. Damon looked at his only child, taking in the disheveled cloths and bare feet. "You disappoint me, Keith."

"Now wait a minute," Mike started, but cut off when Keith jumped in front of him, distracting his father.

"I don't believe you have met my roommate, Mike, have you, father? Jason is out at class right now. Don't you have class, Mike?"

Mike looked at Keith, barely restraining from glaring at the man he called father. "No, but I'm sure I can find something to do."

"Thanks."

Silence descended on the room as Keith watched Mike leave. He wasn't overly surprised by Mike's reaction to his Father. None of his friends ever liked him. The feeling was often mutual.

"That boy is heading nowhere but jail if he has the temper I saw in his eyes. You would do best to stay away from him, Keith." Mr. Damon sat down in one of the table chairs, somehow making it give off the impression it was a throne instead of the fifteen-dollar Wal-Mart special that it was. "You should have followed the family tradition and went into my old fraternity. It would have served you better. Made you a man!"

"Mike is my best friend, Father. I get along quite well with him." Keith's mind went back to the previous night and resisted the smile that threatened.

"I don't care if you get along with him or not. He is not of your class and therefore is beneath you."

Keith sighed. It was an old argument. "Why have you come here?"

Anger flashed in his father's eyes and then was gone. "You're grades are slipping. Your teachers are concerned so they called me."

"What do you mean, they are concerned? My lowest grade is a C!"

"In your business class! You're most important class! You are a Damon, and Damon's are not average. You will bring that grade up to an A. How else do you expect to take a hand in the family business?" He rose from the chair and began to pace thoughtfully. Keith could just picture him doing the same thing in the boardroom. "You just might have to get rid of that ridiculous art class so you will have more time to study."

"I will not get rid of my art class. I'm getting an A in it, and I happen to love that class."

"Don't be foolish. You can't do anything in the real world with art," Mr. Damon said with distain.

"You're wrong. Painting was one of the few things that brought Mom happiness. She always loved my art." Wishing he'd never brought up his mother, he continued on. "I hate that business class. I wish I could just drop it! The only reason I've kept it this long is to make you happy, which we both know is futile! You're never happy unless I'm not!"

Keith never even saw it coming. His head snapped back, twisting his body to the side to absorb the blow. Falling backwards, he landed on the stairs, his ribs breaking his fall. Tears stung the backs of his eyes at the pain his body now found itself in.

His father looked at him with pity, rubbing his sore knuckles. "Why do you make me do that, Keith? You know I only want what is best for you, don't you?"

Keith kept his head low as he slowly climbed back to his feet, resisting the urge to have his hand creep up and cradle his cheek. Weakness was not expectable to his father. "Yes, Father. I know you do. I-I'm sorry."

His father sighed. "I will allow you to keep your precious art class, but you must pull up the grade in your business class."

"Yes, Father, of course."

Mr. Damon started for the door before turning back again. "Ah, yes. You almost made me forget the reason I came today."

Keith felt his stomach drop. There was more to this visit? Had his father been saving up for the really bad news?

"You are to have dinner with my fiancé and I tonight. I would love for you to meet her since she will become a part of the family next month. I'm sure you will come to love her as I have." Mr. Damon walked toward the door once more, waving his hand indifferently in the air. "Bring your friend along, if you must. I'll send the limo for you both at seven. Do not be late."

Keith watched his father leave without a good-bye or a backward glance, than wiped angrily at the tears that had started to fall, smarting at the sting when his hand brushed over the rapidly growing bruise. His cheekbone ached fiercely.

Why did he let his father treat him like that? Why couldn't he just tell the man to go away and leave him alone? Why did he still yearn for the approval he knew he'd never get?

And what the hell was this about a fiancé?

"Damn it!"

He grabbed some ice from the fridge, wrapping it in a paper towel. He leaned over the sink and pressed it to his eye. Damn that hurt! Already his eye was beginning to swell enough that he couldn't keep it open all the way.

He heard the door open and groaned. He should have known Mike would have been lurking somewhere, waiting until his father left to come back in.

"Hey, Keith? I saw the limo pull away; I'm assuming your father was in it. Boy, he is some piece of work. No wonder you weren't looking forward to his visit." Mike came around the corner and looked into their kitchen, finding Keith leaning over the sink. "Hey, you okay?"

"Um, yeah, I'm fine. Just feeling a little sick."

Mike could hear the lie in his voice. Walking over, he gently turned Keith around to face him. With a sinking suspicion, he lightly pushed down the cloth Keith held up, his breath catching at the bruise forming around Keith's left eye. "What happened, baby?"

Keith didn't answer right away, but looked at Mike's chest. It was always humiliating trying to come up with some kind of excuse for his varying bruises. For some reason it seemed so wrong to lie to Mike, but what other choice did he have? How could he tell his best friend he was weak enough to have let his father continued to hurt him even after he'd moved away to collage? He just couldn't do it, couldn't face that truth about himself. Not yet. "I just slipped when I was walking my father to the door and hit the corner of the table." Keith gave a shaky laugh. "Pretty clumsy, huh?"

"Did that bastard do this to you?" Mike's hand touched Keith's chin, slowly tilting his friend's head this way and that to better look at the rapidly growing bruise.

Keith's voice went cold. "I said I tripped. Just drop it okay?"

Mike wasn't buying it. "Has this happened before?" He saw the truth in Keith's eyes just before Keith pulled his head away. At that moment he could have hunted down Mr. Damon and gladly killed him.

"I said drop it, okay? I don't want to talk about it." Keith sidestepped him and backed out of the little kitchen area, hating the edge of panic he heard in his voice. Couldn't Mike just pretend he didn't see the bruise and accept the lie like all of Keith's friends and teachers had done for the last nine years?

Desperate to change the subject, he pasted on a smile, twinging as it pulled at his eye, and fluttered his hands helplessly. "Hey, um, my father invited me to dinner tonight. Wants me to meet his fiancé or something. I don't know when that happened. He said I could bring you along, but I'll understand if you don't want to come. My father is a real suite and tie kind of guy even when he's eating. I know how you hate that kind of thing, and it was fairly obvious there was no love lost between you two the moment you met so you really don't have to go at all, I won't mind."

Mike watched Keith rattle off his little speech as though afraid he wouldn't get it all out and he would have to remember what had just happened, his eyes darting around the room but never coming to rest on Mike. His heart began to break even as hatred for Keith's father welled up inside him. Never once in all the time Mike had known him had Keith ever let on he had come from such a troubled childhood. Now Mike understood why it was so hard for Keith to be outgoing and to really get to know and trust other people. It all seemed to make sense now.

The thought of sending Keith off to dinner with that monster alone was more than he could stomach. "Of course I'll go with you, Keith."

He'd said it so quietly, Keith wasn't sure he'd heard him correctly. "What?"

"I said of course I'll go with you." Mike gave a little smile and walked over to stand before Keith who was looking at him like he'd grown a third eye right in the middle of his forehead. "Who knows? It could be fun. Especially if I'm not footing the bill."

Keith gave a laugh, tension draining out of him. "Thanks."

Mike leaned in and kissed him, making Keith blink in surprise, a blush dusting his cheeks. He loved how easy it was to fluster him. "I look forward to dessert most of all."

Grinning, Mike left Keith standing there, bounding up the stairs for a shower.

*****

Keith listened to the shower go on upstairs, still standing in the middle of the room, his fingers on his lips. Why did Mike have to do that to him? How could he make him feel so much with such a silly little thing like a quick kiss on the lips? A mere peck, even! Keith shook his head in bewilderment. "Damn, I'm turning into such a girl!"

He slowly limped around the room, straightening up things unconsciously as he went around. So much had happened to him in the last couple of weeks, he was having a hard time taking it all in. First he had thought Mike was playing some cruel trick on him only to find out he'd been hitting on him. Then, he'd been delightfully, if not a bit nerve-racking, been seduced by his best friend on his twentieth birthday, only to fully find out the following day after a slight panic-attack that he was quite gay and had just never known it. To be topped off with his father coming into town to tell him he was "getting a new mommy", it had been a hell of a couple of weeks.

The doorbell rang, and for a split second, Keith was afraid it was his father again. He quickly dismissed the notion and limped to the door.

Scott grinned back at him almost predatorily when he opened the door, making nerves dance around in his stomach. "Oh, uh, Scott. Hi. What are you doing here?" He could still remember how just a few hours ago, Scott had tried to take advantage of him. Heat crawled up into his cheeks as he led the way back into the living room. Maybe he should have just slammed the door shut when he'd seen who it was?

"Oh, I'm just fulfilling my duties as a friend and roommate and am coming to check up on you," Scott said, following Keith into the room as he closed the door. Even in two big of jeans, the view was spectacular. "Kelly was really worried about you, so here I am."

"Oh, that was nice of her, but she really doesn't need to be concerned. I'm fine." Keith kept his head down as he sat on the edge of the couch. He was afraid that if he sat down on one of the cushions, Scott would try to sit next to him again. Oh, why did Mike have to take such a long shower? Why didn't his ESP tell him to get the hell down here?

"Yes, I can see that," Scott said, his eyes roaming over Keith.

Keith looked up with a blush. Did Scott simply have no tact naturally, or did he just like unbalancing people? Probably the latter. His voice going curt, he said, "Is there anything else you wanted?"

Scott simply laughed. "Oh, you are too easy sometimes. You really have no idea of how you look or the things you say, do you?"

Keith fought down another blush. When had he become so easily embarrassed? "I think I understand all to well where you are concerned, Scott."

"Oh, really? Please, do tell," Scott purred moving to stand only inches away from Keith, knowing full well it would make him uncomfortable.

"I . . . well, that is you . . . you've never looked twice at me until this morning, not that I've wanted you to, you understand, but you haven't and you've been openly gay since the first time I met you. I can only assume you were eavesdropping on my conversation with Kelly so you know all about . . . err . . . everything that's happened to me. Now you seem to think that I belong to Mike or something and that drives you nuts! Don't think I didn't see that evil gleam in your eye this morning when he walked in. I'm not some pawn in a game between you two."

Scott stepped closer until he was pressing against Keith's knees. Keith had nowhere else to go except backwards onto the couch, which was just fine with Scott. "It's too true I've never looked at you until this morning, I won't deny it. That is something I'll just have to live with. It did teach me too look at guys other than jocks, I'll tell you that." Keith rolled his eyes, leaning back dangerously far. "How could I have seen you when you took so much trouble to never stand out, you little wallflower. Bookworms aren't known for trying to bring a lot of attention to themselves. But this morning when you stood in the hallway wearing practically nothing, you had nowhere to hide. You have no idea how many delightful fantasies have been running around in my head since I opened the door this morning to see you standing there, practically begging to be thrown into a bed and eaten alive."

Keith's eyes wide, he didn't even try to fight the blush. He was beginning to feel like his face might never be its normal color again, ever. He never felt this flustered around girls! What the hell was so different with guys that they could push all of his buttons anytime they wanted?

"I was not," he said outraged.

Scott leaned in, bracing a hand on the back of the couch. Keith was leaning back from him so far one good push and he'd be lying on the couch. "Oh, but you are."

Keith gulped audibly. The shower went off upstairs and he nearly laughed with relief.

Scott glanced up at the ceiling. "I should have known your protector was here."

"He's not my-" Keith started to say indignantly, but was cut off when Scott grabbed the back of his head and pulled him into a far too dominating kiss. Keith pushed at him as Scott's tongue invaded his mouth, but he found that struggling was useless. Scott's grip was firm enough that he wasn't going anywhere until Scott decided he could.

Only when they could hear Mike coming down the stairs did Scott release him.

"Mmm," Scott said, licking his lips as Keith fell backwards onto the couch and glared up at him.

He'd never been kissed so much in his entire life as he had in the last two days! What the hell was going on? Did he have a sign on his forehead saying, 'Kiss me, it's okay if you're not a girl'?

"Keith? Where did you go?"

Keith rolled off the couch as though it had burned him when he heard Mike's voice. Hurriedly whipping at his mouth, he took several steps back from Scott for good measure. For some reason, he couldn't stand the thought of Mike having found out that Scott had kissed him.

Mike came around the corner into the living room and sighed. It was fairly obvious what had happened with the way Scott was smiling innocently, (he'd never been innocent a day in his life) and the way Keith kept taking unconscious steps backwards with slightly panicked eyes and his swollen lips evidence to a recent attack on them.

His eyes never leaving Keith, he said, "Hey, Scott. What's up?"

Scott shrugged and flopped onto the loveseat. "Oh, nothing. I was just asking Keith what had happened to his eye. I don't remember that being there this morning."

"Ah, is that all?"

Not liking the way the conversation was going at all, Keith headed for the stairs. "I'll see you guys later. I've go to get to class."

Mike grabbed his arm as he passed by him. "You okay?"

Keith gave a dry laugh and bit his tongue. What he really wanted to say was, 'No, of course I'm not okay! Do I look okay? Has anything happened in the last two days given you any indication that I am okay right now?' Instead, he just said his standard that usually would pacify people, his father included. "I'm fine."

"Liar." Mike gave him an encouraging smile and let him go. He watched Keith bound up the stairs and listened for the closing door of his room. When he heard it, knowing Keith was momentarily out of hearing, he turned to Scott. "What the hell do you think you are doing here, Scott?"

"Simply being a good friend."

"Hah! You're never a good friend unless there's something in it for you."

Scott laughed, letting his head fall back onto the couch as he spread out. "You know me too well, my friend. Too well."

Mike walked over to stand before him, his arms crossed. "Yes, I do, Scott. And that's why I want you to stay away from Keith."

Scott looked up at him, an evil gleam in his eyes. "What, you think that just because you broke him in, you get to keep him?"

Mike said nothing; he didn't have to as the answer was written on his face. Of course he wanted to keep Keith all to himself. But more than that, he wanted to keep slime balls like Scott away from Keith.

"Ah, I see. Well, my friend, as I said before, you know me all to well. Therefore you should know that as I respect your request, there is no way I'll ever follow it. Keith is simply too delectable for me to simply walk away from him. No, I think I'll try my hand at showing him what man can do for him. He still has so much to learn."

"I'm-" Mike cut off as he heard Keith coming down the stairs again. He watched as Keith bounded down the last couple of steps, favoring his right foot, threw a backward glace at them, and walked out the front door carrying his books and notes for his next class. Mike turned back to Scott. "I'm warning you, Scott, leave Keith alone."

Scott stood up almost nose-to-nose with Mike. "Or you'll what? Beat me to a pulp?"

"Don't tempt me."

"You don't scare me, Mike, my boy. You never did and you never will. You've never minded playing for the affection of boys before with me. The fact that this one seems special to you makes him all the more enthralling to me." Leaning in, Scott kissed Mike full on the lips, lingering just a tad. "See ya around, Mike. May the best man win the young boy's heart. Or at least a good fling with him."