The Reminder

It was late in the afternoon drawing on towards the late hours of the evening. But time had no bounds for the tediously working redhead. Even in his old age he still indulged himself into working the late nights on his projects as if tending affectionately and lovingly to an old lover. But by this hour his wastebasket was over flowing with squashed and torn paper with candy wrappers.  He was tapping the pencil against his lips trying his best to work out a new design that he was offered at least a hundred grand to create.  It was a new type of racing car that had become the latest fashion. He had to be able to fuse jet fuel inside of it, but the engine had to be strong enough not only to switch gears for the different type of motor functions but run the fuel lines without over heating. The other hard thing was size; it couldn’t be too big and bulky—which was a challenge considering he would have to rework the engine size.  He would have to add a cooling mechanism, maybe some Nitro liquid to cool it down. Lastly was the type of metal covering, he could get the strongest, but it would be too heavy and slow the car down, and anything too light would heat up and melt—or possibly mix wrong and create an explosion.

It was the little details that had him hung up. Still he began to glance over the reference of other racecars taking notes of their engines and just as his pencil began to hit the paper he felt a tug on his chair and he was drawn away. The computer chair leaned back against some added weight and Izzy could feel familiar limbs wrapping around him. He half smiled wondering if he were going to get scolded again for working so long or if Madison had just grown bored and tired with his own meddling project.

“Yes, amore?” Izzy said first trying his best to pick up that faint little accent and roll of his tongue to “Amore” as if it were more treasuring to say then anything. Though it never sounded nowhere near as alluring then when Madison said it.

“You’re going to overwork yourself again Iz.” he quietly reminded as Izzy half expected feeling him lean closer his breath heating the outside of his ear as his gaze went from Izzy to the little project to survey it up.

Izzy slumped back in to the chair more willing to let those arms pull him away—Almost, he was still willing to fight Madison. He glanced at the clock working up his defense but he was beaten to it.
“Its seven, doctor said you need to get plenty of rest and relaxation.”
There was that firm tone in his voice that Izzy hated hearing it more than anything. He pouted narrowing his eyes off on some random object.
“Doctor says,” he mimicked in a hotly childish tone as he folded his arms over his chest with a heavy sigh. He hated being old—there were so many restrictions and little things that started to add up that never affected him before.
“And you’re not even wearing your glasses…” 

Izzy shuttered, those were a definite reminder that things were only going down hill for him. He didn’t want to have to think of relying on something just so he could see. He wanted to just stare hard enough and pretend that he could see and that magically his eyesight would instantly be back to the way it had before. All he got was sore tired eyes with the muscles twitching and one pounding headache.

“Excuse me, last time I checked you aren't my mum.” Izzy retorted rather bitterly and he expected to hear the usual “I told you so” the famous line often said from Madison but he didn't there was a bit of silence before a curse.

“Che cosa devo fare con te? Sei proprio un piccola peste! No tu sei peggio di così! Ed e io sono pazzo bloccato con voi!*”

Izzy had no idea what the other was hissing, except the first part because had heard it so many times: “what am I going to do with you?”

A good question, probably with no real answer and in some ways Izzy did feel sorry for Madison at times—he couldn’t even imagine a fraction of what Madison had to deal with; or the idea of what Izzy would do if he weren’t around any more.

“Guess you’ll have to lock me away and throw away the key.” Izzy said absently calming down a little as if he were too tired to care about being scolded.

He felt the chair whirl around and their Madison was leaning over him. In some ways, even though he was losing the volume to his hair and his curls were becoming less and less and that his height seemed to have been cut down a little; he still had that appearance that was a little overwhelming. He was still confident but in a more modest undertone, with the added and still remaining very subtly cocky but not so subtly blunt. It all added up to still keep him on top, and dominant over the years—even if he seemed less energetic as he use to be, more calm, and tired around these days—and Izzy never really noticed it till he looked into those fading brown eyes of his. Some times if he looked hard enough he could see that little twinkle that he always had in his eyes in the days of youth—when he was nothing but a torment to Izzy.

Now it was sort of like a passing star, it glinted from time to time when he was really worked up; like now. And Izzy always found him self treasuring that glance, because it meant that Madison might do something out of hand and over the years Izzy had found himself learning to pick up on it and brace himself for it.

“Don’t tempt me…” he warned leaning forward and resting his hands on the arms of the chair, he looked rather firm and exasperated as if he were considering locking Izzy away, but then a soft smile yielded as his eyes drew over the other.
“…But you’d find away out, I know you would la mia volpe d‘argento.*”

He leaned further in and Izzy knew instantly that he was going to kiss him, his stomach lit up with butterflies as he tried to settle his excited nerves down. But he didn’t, he didn’t feel the rush of those coarse thin lips pressing against him like thought; like he wanted. But they were close enough, only a small space between them as Madison stared into his eyes with that adoring gaze of his. Which Izzy always wondered what he thought most the time when Madison stared like that, but it was almost like a taboo to ask—as if it would ruin the stare itself if he knew, so he never asked and he always pondered from time to time.  What he got out of it though was that Madison was expecting Izzy to kiss him, to “apologize” as they had come to terms with over the years—if Izzy couldn’t say it, he better show it.  He inwardly sighed and wanted to be as defiant as any five-year child would be when they were forced to do something… Still, he probably did owe too many sorry’s to keep track of.

He gaze an evenly held a stare down match letting the tension build between them—though whether it was bothering Madison or not he never revealed. The only thing that Izzy could account for and feel bad for was making him lean forward like that; it had to be bad for his back. He wondered briefly if Madison would be complaining tomorrow and cursing him all day. He half smiled and to not create that problem he leaned forward but not giving Madison what he wanted, their lips brushed and Izzy’s pressed forward almost nipping and then shrank back. Small little peck that he always qualified as counting when it came to those apologies.

“I hate when you do that…” Madison growled yet there was a grin on his face and Izzy quietly laughed till he leaned forward and felt that beard of his tickle him; over his neck and cheeks, nuzzling into the little nooks that had Izzy squirming.

“No, no no! Not the beard attack!” Izzy yelped but in his defense he tried to return the gesture—and it became known as the beard attack; reason being, or partly being why Izzy grew one, so that he could retaliate on these attacks.

But it ended as quickly as it had began two of them breathing and laughing too heavily to even continue. Madison more so leaned against Izzy to support his weight and adjusted to bending so as not to strain. When the laughter died down and they had their breaths, they had found that their hands had secretly joined against their will and were affectionately rubbing at each other while their eyes stared each other down again.

“Where were we…? “ Madison asked.

“You were scolding me, like usual. “ he held back a smile, “Honestly, and you say I have bad memory. “
Madison still had a free hand and it dropped to Izzy’s waist poking him and making Izzy’s weight jump against the chair. That was just a warning…

“Not entirely what I was referring to.”

Izzy’s eye softened and he found himself smiling, there was too much built up in that moment that he couldn’t resist when he met that gaze again; that gaze that was holding that little flicker of youth. He leaned forward and gave a rather tender and forceful kiss—Madison returned it and after a few moments that’s all they could do as if they’re very life depended on kissing. Then he pulled Izzy up out of the chair and they seemed to be confused on which direction they were going to, the bedroom or to remain here. Izzy felt himself being pressed back into his desk, and he sat against it as their tongues untangled.

“The bedroom would probably be better for your back.” Izzy whispered teasingly between breathes.
Madison grunted something of an exasperated sigh before leaning his forehead against Izzy’s.

“… Thanks for your input…” he muttered bitterly wrapping his arms around Izzy’s waist, “But that’s not what I was thinking…”

“Oh…?”

Izzy’s hands worked over Madison’s lower back massaging gently and apologetically.  Madison relented after a moment to continue his response.

“I want a guarantee you’re going to take your medicine tonight Iz.”

There was an immediate annoyed sound strangled in Izzy’s throat as he winced and dropped his head against Madison’s chest. But Madison’s hands rubbed rather sweetly over his neck before Izzy gave into answering. “Alright…”

But in hopes of further distracting Madison he pulled up and began to entangle their lips in a heavy little kisses—Still Madison’s concentrated thoughts seemed unbroken as he quickly muttered in-between the next kiss.

“And in bed before midnight.”

“Alright, alright, alright…” Izzy growled hands washing up from Madison lower back and up over his chest pushing him backwards as he himself moved away from the desk and guided him towards the door. He was at the ends of his toes to match the other’s lips.

“And—“ he began as they stumbled into the hallway but he was cut off as Izzy grabbed a hold of those suspenders under his coat and yanked him down as a glowering gaze narrowed down on him.

“…Are you going to keep bloody chiding me all night, should we stop? Or can we just get to the bloody bedroom and you can assume by this point I’ll say yes to everything.”

Izzy was met with a smile but it didn’t ease his frustration any less.
“I was only giving you a last reminder…”

There was a deep inhale from the redhead as he rolled his eyes, but his grip on the straps relaxed and he found himself on his feet again.

“As long as it’s the last, “ he replied with a small hiss eyes still glaring in a very narrowed glance as he tried to prepare himself for what Madison might dutifully remind him to do next.

There was a pause as Madison’s arms drew around Izzy and he leaned forward again, caressing his nose against Izzy’s softly making the other blush a little.

“And that you know I’ll always love you, even if you are a hassle.”

The words played the right affect because instantly all that irritation melted off the red head’s face as he was swept up in the small little romantic effects of just being with the older male. He leaned into him narrowing his eyes playfully.

“Oh don’t be so bloody cheesy.”

“Why, you like it.”

“I do not.”

“I think you do.”

“Your opinions have no reign over my own thoughts.”

“I love you Iz.”

That was almost the final word and Izzy was melting with a smile against his lips again as they shared a few deep loving kisses before he quickly replied in-between,

“I love you too Madison.”



*What am I going to do with you? You're such a little brat! No you're worse than that! And I'm the fool stuck with you!
*My silver fox