Toya's eyes gazed over the lines of his sleeping pet's face. It wasn't unusual for Toya to awaken long before his pet did and the one thing that Riva never realized was how often Toya would wake himself from sleep just to spend time doing nothing more than watch his pet. Often times Toya felt more than a little flustered to be caught openly staring at Riva's handsome form. So when Riva was asleep was the perfect opportunity for Toya to gaze undisturbed at Riva's well sculpted body.

Riva looked so very relaxed and almost boyish when he slept. The pet's normally serious features softened, making him even more appealing. He idly wondered if his pet had looked more like this before he was sold to Elric, or landed in such a complicated relationship with him. His mind thought of what his pet might have looked like when he was a child growing up with his younger brother and he imagined Riva's peacefully sleeping face.

Toya's eyes followed a particularly long scar down Riva's ribs. It was jagged and pale on the darkened bronze skin of his pet. It was one of the scars that always made Toya wince in sympathy. He couldn't even imagine how much it had hurt when Riva had received it. Although all of Riva's wounds had long since healed, many of them had left brutal scars on his beloved pet; scars that Toya wished weren't there. He knew even if they were removed, the memories of how they had been received would never disappear from Riva’s mind. Still, they bothered Toya a great deal and he had often thought of asking Riva if he would allow them to be removed.

Toya slipped out of bed quietly, picking up the discarded sheet to wrap around naked body. Walking silently he went over to the painting that Riva had made for him. He was amazed at the beauty of the piece with its soft colors and flowing brush strokes. He had never really liked the more traditional sort of portraits of people, but with this piece of artwork he found his views changing. It was so life like and real, and he could sense so many emotions in it.

He wondered if this was really how Riva saw him. He looked so vulnerable in the painting and there was an innocence around him despite his unclothed state. He had always thought of himself as rather ugly, but somehow, looking at this painting, he didn’t feel he could say that anymore. The things he had hated the most about his body seemed somehow less ugly when he looked at the painting before him and he wondered why. He reached out to touch the canvas when he strong arms wrap around him from behind and the hard warm body of his pet press against him.

"You shouldn't touch it you know, at least not on the camas itself," Riva whispered, his lips pressing against the side of Toya’s neck.

"Do I really look like that?" Toya asked leaning against Riva.

"No, of course you don't," Riva answered his lips moving onto his shoulders as his hands slid under the sheet.

Toya stiffed a little at the words despite the pleasant feeling of his body. Those were not the words that he had expected to hear. He didn't know what Riva meant and he instantly began to worry until Riva spoke again.

"There is no way I could capture your unique beauty on a canvas. You are definitely more sexy and handsome, especially when you are aroused," Riva said as his hand began to work on Toya's sex, his nimble fingers producing a wonderful feeling making Toya sigh.

"Now I know you must be exaggerating," Toya said as he turned to face Riva.

"Don't tell me you are going to ague with me?" Riva asked archly.

"Of course I am. When I look at that painting I can't help but think that the man in it is alluring yet I know for a fact that I am not," Toya protested.

"If you were unattractive then I wouldn't have to beat all these Blondies off you," Riva joked then looked down at him as he looked away.

He felt a hand turn his face up towards Riva's and he saw the same dark eyes that had first captivated him the night Riva had been auctioned. Strength and determination swirled within Riva's dark eyes along with something that hadn't been present that night, a tenderness that made Toya shake from within.

"I will say it again and again until you believe me, Toya. You aren't a freak or ugly. You are magnificent and the fact that you don't even know it makes you even more beautiful. Now stop sulking or I will tie you up again," Riva said his gaze never wavering from Toya's.

Toya remained quiet, not knowing what to say. All of his life he had thought himself odd and rather ugly compared to the other Blondies around him. It was hard to think of himself as anything other than that, yet Riva's words were unshakable. According to Omaki, Riva had been a pet a cut above others before he’d been sold to Elric. Riva had spent his entire life around the most perfect men that Jupiter's engineering could create, he would know what was beautiful or not.

Toya’s thoughts were turned in an entirely new direction when he felt Riva firmly push him down to his knees in front of him. His pet was already completely aroused, with his member bobbing erotically in front of him. Without any further prompting he delicately took the leaking member in his hands. All thoughts of his appearance and the painting disappeared as his mind and body turned their full attention to pleasing Riva. He had come a long way from the hesitant virgin that Riva first stole a kiss from. Yet he was far from being able to do what Riva was able to, and he was still unable to totally hide his embarrassment at his own wantonness. He couldn't control himself when he thought of Riva and sex, and although Riva had put a pet ring on him he found it rather embarrassing that Riva never actually had to use it. His pet rarely ever had to force him into readiness for Toya was always ready for his pet's touch.

He teased the length with his hands as his tongue flickered over the head. He felt Riva's large hands bury into his long hair pulling him closer demanding more contact even as his hips twitched. The pale green sheet slipped off of Toya's body as he welcomed Riva inside of his mouth, loosening his throat as the organ invaded deeply inside of him. He caressed his pet's legs, moving higher as he heard Riva's breathing become even more ragged as he hissed in pleasure. When he felt Riva try to pull away from him he seized his pet's hips and instead continued to work on him.

"Let go, I want inside of you," Riva moaned trying to pull free.

Riva looked down to see intense silver eyes looking up towards him. He could see the open desire on Toya's face and knew exactly what the Blondie wanted. He stopped trying to pull away and relaxed, giving in to the desires of his Master and allowed him to continue working on his sex. Toya had improved a great deal in the time that they had been together and was using all his skills to bring him to his peak. He loosened his grip on the soft ivory hair in his hands, letting Toya take complete control.

Riva continued to gaze down at the Blondie on his knees in front of him feeling closer and closer to releasing. When he saw Toya's hand move down to stroke his own pulsing erection Riva couldn't contain himself anymore as he cried out his release, watching Toya greedily lap up his offering even as he worked to bring his own release.

Riva gasped and shuddered for a moment before leaning down to pick up his Master and carry him over to the desk that sat right in front of the newly painted picture of Toya. He gently spread the creamy white legs apart as he knelt down in front of his Master. As he’d predicted, he watched Toya's eyes gravitate toward his painting as Riva smiled a little to himself, idly caressing the man's soft thighs. He lowered his mouth onto his Master's sex to hear the unique whimper that could only come from Toya. A sound caught between embarrassment and lust that never failed to excite Riva. His tongue traveled down Toya's length as his hands found every sensitive part of his lover's lower body. He enjoyed listening to Toya's whimpering cries as he worked the man closer and closer to completion.

He was surprised to feel the long firm legs wrap around him, pulling him closer as Toya's hips thrust upward demanding more. Riva complied quickly, wetting his fingers to slide them up into Toya’s body as his mouth continued its intense exploration of the leaking member. He felt himself crushed against the table as Toya tensed in release. The erotic cries of his Master sent a shiver through Riva's whole body.

The legs around him went limp as he moved to cover Toya’s body with his own and kissed the pale exhausted man. Toya lay sprawled upon the desk, totally relaxed. He chuckled slightly when he looked down to see that Toya, in his lust, had clutched at and crumpled some of the loose story boards of the manga that he was working on. It was apparent that having sex in front of Riva's painting had ignited something in the man.

"Well, I see you enjoyed that," Riva said, gently stroking Toya' s face.

He looked down to see Toya blushing yet again and wondered if the man would ever truly get over his shyness of sex or his total enjoyment of it. Privately, Riva was pleased simply for the fact Toya's blush was absolutely adorable.

"What is this?" Toya asked taking the now mangled sheet and trying to smooth it out.

"Just a work in progress. It's actually the fifth chapter," Riva said watching his Master's face.

"Riva! What is this, this scene... you didn't...," Toya gasped, his pink face turning an even darker shade of red.

"I wanted to try something different from what I normally do," Riva said with a smile.

"Riva, this is us!" Toya stammered.

"Of course not. I think it is illegal to even suggest a Blondie cavorting with his pet. But it is an elite. Forbidden love, hot sex, what could be more perfect for a manga? I haven't come up with a title yet," Riva protested enjoying the look on his Master's face.

"This Aries looks exactly like me, don't tell me that it is a coincidence. And we just did that a few weeks ago, I could barely stand up afterwards," Toya argued worry in his now blue eyes.

"Hush, it is something for me to do while you’re away, its not like anyone is ever going to see it except us," Riva said reasonably.

"But why?" Toya pleaded looking up, embarrassment written across his face.

"Because I love the way you look," Riva laughed letting go of Toya.

"Riva..."

"Enough or I really will have to spank you. So what are we doing today?" Riva asked, changing the subject.

"We were invited to Omaki's villa for the weekend," Toya said distractedly as he sat and sorted through the story boards on Riva's desk.

"Omaki? When did he invite us, you never said anything?" Riva asked surprised.

"Yesterday," Toya replied not looking up.

Riva remained quiet, looking at Toya. He would have preferred to spend sometime alone with the man considering the rough time they had been having. Still, he didn't want to start an argument or make Toya unhappy yet again. He also realized that Oki had been right about one aspect and that Toya did need friends, although he would have preferred some friends with less sexual interest in him. Toya was far too shy and introverted and Riva knew that wasn't good for him. Seeing Elwyn had reminded him that while having someone cling only to him was satisfying in a way, it could also be unhealthy if he were their only support. Toya’s recent bout of being withdrawn and uncommunicative had forced Riva to look at Toya’s friendship with Omaki and Oki in a different light, although he wasn't about to admit it to Oki.

"So did he call you up at work?" Riva asked turning to the closet.

"No, I went over to his place," Toya said hesitantly from behind him.

Riva stopped what he was doing in surprise. It was the last thing he had expected to hear from Toya.

"Nothing happened. I just needed someone to talk to about us. There aren't many people I could turn to," Toya said quietly.

He could hear the fear in Toya's voice, as though he expect Riva to be upset, as if he had done something wrong. Riva shook his head a little wondering how much he had really hurt Toya by his protests over Omaki and Oki. Yet he couldn't bring himself to admit he liked the two Blondies. They represented something Riva himself could never be. They were rivals for Toya's attention and love. They could offer so much more than a broken down pet could. The bonds between Toya and him were so very fragile, simply because of what they really were, a Blondie and a pet. A Master and slave.

"It is ok, Toya, I don't mind. It's good that you have someone to talk to" Riva said quietly, going through his closet.

"But I thought you didn't like Omaki?" Toya asked softly.

Riva turned with some clothing draped over his arm and went over to Toya, gathering the Blondie into his lap as he took over the chair.

"I don't know what I feel toward him. He owns the Taming Tower and he looks at you in a way that makes me want to punch him. But he's your friend and you need friends, Toya. You need to come out of your protective shell and live a little. There is so much you can do besides work all the time. I want to be the one to show you that, but as painful as it is to admit, there are things I just can't do. I'm a pet, And in public, we can't cross those boundaries. With Omaki you can," Riva sighed, laying his cheek against Toya’s head.

He felt Toya's hands run down his chest as his Master remained silent. Neither one of them had talked about the realities of what they were. Neither one of them were willing to explore the boundaries of their relationship outside of the confines of their home, or to think about what would happen in the future because if it. Both had their defined roles in society that could never be broken. Only inside of the large apartment could they ever bend those roles. Riva knew that and guessed that his Master did as well, and remained silent.

"Come on, enough gloom. You have been worrying and brooding for far too long. If nothing else, Omaki is good at cheering you up. Let's get ready, and I promise to relax a little if you will," Riva said smiling a little as he set Toya on his feet.

"Riva..." "Don't worry about it. Let's just try to be happy,.We both love each other and for right now we are together," Riva said as he stood, pulling Toya into his embrace.

Toya looked at him for a moment with his face looking more than a little concerned before he finally nodded, letting Riva lead him into the bathing hall to start the new day.