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The Gift is in the Giving	By : ZoeyLeigh Category: Anita Blake > Slash Views: 2362 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Anita Blake series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
- 3
Pairing: Hints of Gregory/Zane, Stephen/Vivian and Stephen/Jason

Notes: There might be some OOC ness here but as LKH doesn’t really give us great insight into the lackeys this is the best I can do. As always please give feedback
~blah~ = thoughts * tadah * = emphasis

Gregory stared blankly at the crisp white envelope before flipping it open. There wasn't any money in it. No lumps, he knew this since he often got money from giving occasions. He couldn't believe it! Some of his best friends forgot his birthday and got him some rush job card. Unbelievable. Well, okay, technically, they couldn't forget because his twin brother Stephen was surrounded by gifts and giving him a sympathetic and slightly confused look from his seat across the room.

Tears started to blur his jade green eyes as he pulled out the card. Plain white like the envelope. No design. Nothing. ~Well, this was boring. Hadn't he specifically asked for something exciting? Or, well, he thought he might have actually said, "Interesting enough to catch my attention for a while. Something I haven't tried before." Same diff right?~

Instead he was getting this plain, BORING, looking card. Blinking back the tears before they could actually start to fall, Gregory looked up at Jason. He was just sitting on the large black leather couch against the far wall with his loose black knit sweater hanging over faded blue jeans. Considering their normal attire he was uncharacteristically dressed down. He was also grinning like a fool, which in Gregory's opinion he often was. The grin was lighting up his sky blue eyes making them twinkle merrily and Gregory had to squelch the instant thought that the young man looked sexy as ever.

Sitting next to him on the couch, and looking entirely too anxious, was one of his best friends Nathaniel. Nat was also dressed down in dark blue polo shirt and black jeans. He was, in Gregory's opinion, spending way too much time with their Namir-Ra. ~Hopefully *he* at least got me something good.~

That hope was dashed seconds later when Nat opened his mouth. "It's part my gift too."

"Jean-Claude helped us all get it for you." After saying so Jason reached over and patted Nat's knee like he was trying to comfort him.

"Great...that's just great."

"Open it already. God Gregory, cards are one of the easiest presents around to open."

Yeah. Because, this one at least, carried nothing in it. Greg took a deep breath to steel himself for disappointment, then opened the card up. The top half was blank but on the bottom side it read:

Feather Key
1-800-269-8697. (1)

Odd, if it had been a 1-900 number Greg would have sworn it was some kind of weird sex line.

"What the hell is this?"

ll tll the number Kitty."

"Shove it Wolf-boy." Trying to ignore Jason, Greg turned bright green eyes to meet lavender ones. "Nathaniel what's all this about?"

Smiling hesitantly, Nathaniel scooted off the couch looking briefly at the rest of the gathered group. Which consisted of Zane who was sitting in a matching leather chair kitty-corner to the couch. He was decked out in tight leather pants and a leather vest that was open to show his pale chest and stomach except for the loose hoop button in the middle. (2) His hair was gelled up into short spikes making him look like some odd blue hairorcuorcupine.

Zane had his arm around Cherry who was leaning casually against his chest. Sitting aluggluggled up in his lap. Her leather ensemble was a short black skirt and a blood red halter-top that barely covered the essentials. Gregory wasn't even sure how she managed to sit on Zane's lap without flashing the rest of the room but no one was going to complain about it for sure.

Today her short blond hair hung loosely around her triangular face making her look softer then usual. It also helped that her face was make-up fand and didn't have the normal thick back eyeliner or black lipstick she favored.

Zane winked and gave Nat a quick grin, which showed off his dainty upper and lower fangs. Zane had spent a little too much time in leopard form, and now not everything would go back to normal when he changed to his human form.

Taking a deep breath, Nathaniel stood all the way up bringing a box out from behind him. It wasn't very big, maybe seven or eight inches long. ~But surely,~ Gregory thought, ~a real gift!~

"See Greg, they did get you something. Stop pouting."

"Thanks bro." ~Asshole.~

"Actually the present was supposed to be for both of you to share but then we decided that because Stephen is dating Vivian, we'd just give it to you."

And so saying Nathaniel handed over the box. It was plain wood, again with no design in site. Gregory sighed, dropped the card onto his lap and took the box. Trying not to get upset all over again, since he had a feeling this gift went with the stupid card, he flicked open the top.

Inside was a fitted velvet mat. Lying on the mat was an ivory feather. Or at least that's what Gregory thought it was at first. Upon closer inspection, he actually took it out of the box and pretended interest, and saw that where it would normally come to a point, there was instead what looked like a key end. He carefully set the key back in the box and took a shaky breath.

Greg looked up at his so-called friends then plucked the feather key back out of the box. ~Ha ha. I get it. Real fucking funny. A Feather Key. To go with the Feather Key card. Super clever guys. Thanks a whole freaking bunch.~

Plastering an amused smile on his face Gregory continued to inspect it. He had to give credit to who ever made it. It was exquisite. If the key hadn't had a key end and it wasn't so heavy Gregory might have almost believed that it was really a pretty feather.

"And how exactly were we to share this...key, Nathaniel?"

Cherry finally spoke up in her deep husky bedroom voice. Gregory always wondered how she was genetically lucky enough to be born with such a voice but the one time he'd mentioned it to her all he got was a snort and disgusted look before she walked off and left him standing there. He hadn't brought it up again.

"We tried to get the Gemini Key since we thought there might be two. One for each of you. But it was already.... taken. Plus we found out that there's only one anyway so you still would have had to share. So it didn't matter."

"Yes, but I say again. How do you share a key? Why would we *want* two? I mean even if we both had one. What good would that do us?"

Zane chuckled. "There still would have only been one key like the one in your hand."

"But you just said...."

Jason cut him off. "It's not the key that's the present. It's what the key opens. Like I said Kitty, call the fucking number!"

Gregory's eyes narrowed dangerously, jade orbs flaring with anger. ~For God's sake! was was *his* birthday. Jason didn't have to be such a flaming jerk all the time.~

Before he got a chance to say anything in return to his beyond rude friend, Stephen spoke up.

"There's cake and ice cream right?"

"Of course Stephen. We aren't bad friends. Honest." Cherry smirked when she said it though.

~*~

Laughing, Jason sprang off of the couch and strutted over to Stephen, leather clad ass swaying in a purposefully sexy manner and pulled him out of his chair.

"Come on man let's let your brother pout. He's going to come back begging to give us all sexual favors because we're so awesome."

Stephen looked uncertainly over at his brother. Pouting wasn't exactly the word he would use. Smoldering with anger and at the same time on the brink of tears was closer to the truth. They might have had their differences, and Greg might have screwed him over more then once, but he was still Stephen's brother.

"Jason couldn't you have gotten him a real gift? I mean, I know you don't like him but your joke gift is slightly cruel don't you think?" Still watching his brother Stephen saw an obvious look of, "I'm sitting right here guys!" come over his face but then Cherry distracted him, moving his attention away from Gregory.

"No, Jason's right. Once Gregory finds out what the key opens he's going to regret not thanking us when he had the chance." Standing up, Cherry walked over to Greg and ran her fingers through his dirty-blond hair pulling it out of his face. "I mean really, why would we want to hurt you Gregory?"

"Yeah if that had been our intent we could have just not gotten you any gift. Now come have cake with us." Nathaniel gave Gregory one of his patent 'adorable little boy' smiles. Only this time is was readily apparent that Gregory didn't feel like giving in.

"No thanks. I'm going to go to bed." Picking up his card and the key, he stalked out of the room.

Stephen immediately started to go after him but Jason's arm coming around his waist brought his forward motion to an abrupt halt.

Zane gave him a little smile and then gave Nathaniel a quick hug. "It's cool. You guys enjoy the cake and ice cream. I'll cover Gregory."

"Literally." Jason quipped softly into Stephen's ear knowing full well everyone else in the room could hear him. But it made Stephen relax and smile slightly.

Zane just ignored Jason though Stephen noticed the other man's smile turned more predatory. "I don't much like cake anyhow. Happy Birthday Stephen."

And then Zane disappeared out the same door as his brother. Stephen just sighed. He knew Zane would take care of his older brother. That didn't mean he had to like it.

Pushing Gregory from his mind he willingly let himself be dragged out of the room to enjoy post present goodies.

(1) 1-800-boy-toys
(2) I have no idea what they're called. But the button it self is an oblong wood thing and the hoop is, in his case, leather and it like loops over the button so there's still skin showing but it's closed?? I'm not sure how to better explain it.
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The Gift is in the Giving