Ai No Kusabi Fan Fiction ❯ Forever Caged ❯ Chapter 15 ( Chapter 15 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Ai No Kusabi nor do I make any money from this fanfic.
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Iason/Riki, Raoul/Katze
Parts: 15 Of ?

Authors Note: Thanks for reading! Please tell me what you think!

 

~~**Forever Caged**~~

 

Running as quickly as and quietly as possible down trash filled alleys Luke crawled up and under metal fences pausing every now and then to stop and listen to make sure he wasn't being followed. Just because a street or alley looked empty didn't mean it was. Convinced that, for the moment, some Slum rat wasn't stalking him he continued on, pulling the straps on his backpack to make sure it was nice and tight and also the made shift belt to keep his tattered trench coat closed to keep the cold from seeping in he continued on, taking the long hard way to get to where Guy was hiding out.

 

The abandon sewer lines of Ceres. Abandoned even for Mongrels. No one went in there because of the unpredictable flushes that filled the miles of tunnels, cleaning out every nook and cranny making it impossible for anyone to hide in there and live…almost.

 

Years ago Riki, Guy and he discovered a hatch deep within the large labyrinth and from continual exploring, playing with death each time they went in there when boredom got the best of them, they found a true hideaway that they could stash their goods without fear of it being washed away or snatched away. They stumbled upon it while playing “Death Run” The Slum's game of seeing how far you could run before hearing the water coming and turning back to safety. A hatch that opened up to a large room and kept them safe when they took a wrong turn and the water almost got them.

 

There was enough fresh air that came from the tunnels, that came from somewhere so all they had to do was open the hatch and in it came. It was also so huge that you could have ten guys living in there and not be all up in each others faces. To them it was a haven that they kept a secret only to themselves, not even the rest of the gang knew about it. It took a long time to get crap in there. Crap like lumber and bedding and other shit to make it look like a home. So when they needed to run and hide all they had to do was come straight here without having to stop anywhere else first.

 

Finally reaching the entrance to the sewer tunnels Luke took one last look around him, then slipped a pair of fancy night goggles on his head and darted under the fence and faded sign that once said `Caution unpredictable flushing. Danger' but had long ago been covered up with the Slums version of a warning `Death opens its arms to you all in welcome. Come all who seek eternal rest'.

 

With the map to their hideout permanently etched in his mind and with the goggles Luke was able to fly down the 10' x 6' tunnels. Few lefts and rights he got to the last safe point, if you wanted to turn back this was were you did it. Pass this point was where drowning was the worst thing that could happen to you. I meant you were alive long enough to feel every bone break when you slammed against the cement walls while you were being swept way, tumbling in the dark waters to god new where. Of all the mongrels that disappeared in these tunnels not one body had yet to be found.

 

Trying to calm his breathing Luke listened hard, going on his hands and knees, pressing his ear to the ground trying to hear if the tell tail of thunder that would tell him if the wall of water was on its way. All was silent which meant that he could have maybe five minutes to one hour before it came and when it came to the time you always, always, went for the five minutes. The fools that thought that they had more time then that were always the first to die.

 

Psyching himself out for the mad run ahead of him Luke slapped himself on the face a couple of times. Looking straight ahead was a rope that they used to get down. Making a running leap he snagged the rope and when spiraling down as fast and safely as he could. Once his feet hit the ankle deep water he set off in a mad dash, counting the tunnels as he passes them by. Pass two tunnels turn left. One tunnel turn right, sharp turn left. Pass three tunnels and a right. By the time he got to the hatch Luke felt like puking mostly from fear then the run. He wasn't nearly as fast as he normally was mostly due to the weight of his backpack's bothersome load.

 

Even though he wanted nothing more then to open it and dive in he knocked to let Guy know he was entering. Opening the hatches tricky door thinking the more noise he made the better since he didn't wanna surprise the crazy fucker hiding within. The hatch closed with a `gong' the sound making the metal and brick walls vibrate.

 

Taking off the spiffy goggles he called out to Guy in greeting. The Mongrel in question was sitting in a circle of candles. The light reflected eerily against the walls.

 

“Did you see him?”

 

Luke flinched as he looked into Guy's cold grey eyes that stared at him from the cracked mirror he was sitting in front of and the blade he held in his hand. His newly attached freaky arm and hand were raised up, holding a chunk of matted hair.

 

“Ya I saw him.”

 

Luke watched hypnotized as that blade sawed off brown hair and “that” hand reached to grab more.

 

“You going to make me guess fucker or are you going to tell me what you saw?”

 

Walking closer Luke unbuttoned the ratted, but clean, trench coat throwing it in the corner. “This uniform worked like a charm as did the security card. No one suspected I wasn't a server.” Luke ran his hand down the soft cotton of the waiter's digs he was wearing. Even the damn servants' clothes were top of the line shit, better then the rags he wore day after day.

 

“…How did he look?”

 

“I took some pictures.” But they sure as hell weren't going to be what he was going to want to see. Riki in the lap that Blondie, laughing, making out…looking happy. Guy was already cracking. Nix that he was cracked already had been the before he found out that Riki was alive and still a pet of Iason Mink. The Top Blondie. The fucking Leader of the Tanagura Syndicate.

 

The day that, that scar faced, emotionless redhead had dropped Guy off to their Bison hangout it had taken months to get the story out of him. He being the closest to Guy, as a rival and friend, he had been blown away by what Guy had sobbingly told him. What he did to Riki while crazed with jealously. He had been pissed at Riki for being a pet too…but not to the extent to do that to Riki, never to Riki. They kept it from the rest of the boys. Riki was dead and he and Guy didn't want everyone to know that he had been…unmanned. Didn't wanna taint everyone's memory of him.

 

“Give it to me.”

 

Digging in the side pocket in the backpack he had on he tossed the camera to Guy and turned to the crates to where he threw his coat, pulling a bottle of pricey booze he stole from the party he popped the cork and sat down leaning back on the crates, stretching his legs he sighed, taking a deep drink and closed his eyes. He didn't want to see the rage in those eyes, the hate. He was tired of it all. Of helping Guy get this far, of helping him attach that freaky half metal, half flesh arm on, of listening to him plot and plan. He was tired of it all.

 

The only reason why he continued to help Guy was because one way or another he was going to see Riki. He wanted to make sure he didn't die before that happened. Because maybe just maybe Guy would go back to normal after he saw him with his own eyes again. After Guy told him of what he did he had been fine, depressed but fine. But slowly by slowly he began to notice Guy becoming unhinged. Little things would make him snap; it took very little, spilled drink, a curious look…anyone with dark hair.

 

But that was in the beginning. Besides trying to help heal Guy he had been convinced that Riki was a slave, that he was in pain and needed them to help him get out of there. Now…now he wasn't so sure after tonight and after what he saw…

 

What he saw showed him nothing like what he pictured. What he saw was Riki laughing with a couple of hotter then hot pets looking was eatable as ever laughing and having a great time. Watching as Riki cheered when a group of pets got in a fight but what changing his mind on helping Guy was seeing the love that clearly showed in the eyes and expressions Riki and his Blondie had. The way they looked at each other convinced him that Riki was where he wanted to be. He had never seen Riki look at someone with so much love not even when he and Guy were pairing partners and Guy would see that too in the photos.

 

Hearing the sound of the camera shattering against the walls, pieces sliding every which way along the floor made Luke take another drink.

 

“We need to get him out of there. That fucking Blondie is brain washing him, making him think that he belongs to him, he's got him so fucked up he's confused.”

 

Luke didn't say anything. From what he saw of Riki and heard straight from his mouth was the old Riki. Smart mouth, no fear, kick your ass first question you later Riki was all still there. The only difference was that his location, clothes and lover.

 

“Well we won't be able to use this outfit or this security card again. One time usage the dealer said right?”

 

“Ya but we have a few more.”

 

Luke cradled the bottle between his legs. “Guy?”

 

“What?”

 

“Don't get pissed man but…are we doing the right thing?”

 

“What? You wanna just leave Riki to suffer in that shit hole? You wanna give up?”

 

Eyeing the blade that inched up, pointing in his direction Luke lied. “Nah man. What I mean is you tricked that Blondie into meeting you once. He ain't gonna fall for it again. And from all the stakeouts we've had Riki hasn't left Eos not once since you heard he made a run for home. So how are you going to rescue him? You took on one Elite and lost an arm and almost died. Our chances of taking on hundreds of those bastards and escaping alive are zero.”

 

“Don't worry about it.”

 

“You're planning on filling me in aren't you?”

 

“When the time comes. Not telling you now just in case you pussy out on me.”

 

I probably would Luke thought. It wasn't just that he had a really bad feeling about the whole thing it was also because he didn't think Riki would leave with them and that was if they were able to find him in that Elite palace. Whatever reason he had for running could have been for fun for all he knew, relieve some boredom, piss someone off, could have been the only way he could start a fight. Knowing Riki it could have been all of those and then some.

 

The `clink' of the blade being set down shook him from his thoughts. Guy stood up, all around him lay the long hair he had once been so proud of. His hair now was short and spiky from Guy repeatedly running his new fingers thought it trying to get any cut hair off that hadn't fallen when he cut it. Luke eyed that freaky arm again.

 

“How's the arm?”

 

“Fucking lying ass dealer said this was top of the line. Shitty thing probably got rejected and tossed in the `to be dispose' box. It works fine eighty percent of the time and locks up at the most crappiest of times. Hurts like a mother fucker when it does that.”

 

“Maybe you shouldn't have knifed him.”

 

“Nah. He wasn't going to deal with me again I could see it in his eyes. Besides I had to make sure he didn't talk when that scar face found out he sold me access cards to enter Eos. That's all I need is for that cold blooded fucker destroying all my plans.”

 

Tipping the bottle back Luke drank and continued to drink as he watched Guy check the animatronics of the prosthetic limb that was fused to the nerves in the stub of his arm. The whole thing in attaching that thing was an experience he never wanted to go through ever again. He had to cut up the scare tissue on Guy's arm so whatever that freaky robo limb needed to latch onto it to make it work. Thing reminded him of how parasites attached themselves to humans. And all that blood the screams of pain, now he knew why it came with so many pain killers.

 

Looking at Guy without his shirt on he was glad to see he had put on some weight. He was still thinner then shit, every muscle and vein stood out. From what he saw of Riki, whose body was buffer then fuck and oh so much more lick-able there was no way Guy could over power him and force him to leave and that's what they would have to do. Knocking Riki out and carrying him out was not an option. I mean how the hell would they be able to explain why they're carting him off?

 

He couldn't do it that was out of the question as well. He'd never been able to defeat Riki in a fight, mock of not. Asshole was quick and flexible, being able to twist out of what should be unbreakable holds and had a hit like a fucking sledge hammer. To say that he fought dirty was true and false because in the slums there was no such thing as fighting dirty. They needed help.

 

“We might need more help. Why don't we call the rest of the gang? Word out on the streets is that V and the twins have smuggled themselves back onto the planet…Although I still don't know how they got off.” Anyone that could maybe talk Guy out of his unsaid suicidal plans Luke thought.

 

“No go.”

 

“Why not? You want just the two of us to take on all those Elites ourselves? You're crazy man.” Luke cringed. One thing he learned was never to say the “C” word to Guy. His delayed alcohol soaked mind was slow to react. This made him forget how fast the crazy fucker was. Guy lifted him off his feet, into the air, with the strength from that freaky arm before he could dodge it.

 

“Wanna repeat that?”

 

Hell…maybe he was the crazy one. Luke sighed and lifted the bottle to his lips. Sure he should feel scared after all he had a psycho cyborg on his ass but fighting would only get his ass kicked and that was if he was lucky. “Chill Guy. You seriously need to chill the fuck out.” Luke said almost nonchalantly and held the wine out to him, thanking Jupiter when he put him down and took it.

 

“So you wanna at least explain why we can't call for reinforcements?” Luke's fingers itched to snatch the bottle back from Guy who was chugging that pricey booze down his cake hole like it was water. When Guy handed him back the bottle it was empty…asshole. But he wasn't stupid; he stole more then one bottle in fact he stole a crate. They were just going to throw it way, he had been amazed when he heard that so he decided to feed the poor, only with alcohol not food and by poor he just meant himself. Took two trips with the threat of being caught but it was worth it especially since he got away with it.

 

“Less people, less chances of getting caught and less chances that someone will fuck up.”

 

The walls started shaking and a thunderous roar sounded. Both he and Guy ran to the hatch it just in time to securely lock it. Water dripped down from the corners of the hatch as the tunnels were flushed. Trapped with Guy…joy…Luke walked to his back pack and took out another bottle.

 

* * * *

 

Opening his weary eyes, shielding them from the morning light that streamed in from the slits of the heavy draperies Katze pushed at the arm around his waist and the large body spooning him. A strip of ripped white silk fluttered over one of his eyes when he turned his head to look at the time. Eight o'clock….groaning Katze forced himself to sit up. He had half an hour to take a shower get dressed and get out the door if he wanted to be on time to see Iason.

 

Smiling when the arm around his waist tightened Katze smoothed a hand down Raoul's bicep. He really didn't want to get up. What he wanted to do is stay in bed with his Blondie. His Blondie…Katze shook his head. Not more then eight hours ago he hated him. It was amazing. But as much as he wanted to stay Iason wasn't someone he could blow off.

 

Gently removing himself from Raoul's embrace he quietly left the room to go to his and straight to the bathroom. Removing what was left of the tattered, ripped, silk gown he stepped into the steaming sprays of the shower, sighing as the heat of the water eased the soreness of his muscles from the night before.

 

When Raoul came back from the party he had been pissed but excited. Chained to the bed and in a dress none the less, he had only thanked god that be had gone to the bathroom before Raoul came home. But when Raoul told him about the little talk he had with Iason he saw red. He preferred to have Iason not think of him doing such things. Not only was it embarrassing but it made him feel like he lost some of his positioning with Iason, in a professional sense. And he knew it was Riki who told him but if anything Riki didn't give up the info without a reason. He may be a punk but he wasn't a back stabber.

 

After some angry kissing, groping and the first, of many to come, rips to Niko's wedding dress Raoul told him that he planned to do as Iason advised but he didn't want to control him that way. He did want to control him yes but just not that way. He wanted him to want it the way he wanted it. That he didn't want to follow in Iason and Riki's foots steps. He told him that he was overwhelmed with the passion he brought out in him and he thinks that he may care deeply for him. The unknown emotion had him holding onto him too tightly and until he was secure with the knowledge that the hold he had on him was unbreakable it would be a while until he calmed down. Aggravating him did not help.

 

That was close to a confession of love that Katze ever got, even if the Blondie didn't know it. It amazed him and maybe humbled him a little that such a perfect person would have those kinds of feelings for him. After that things got a little wild. Katze blushed remembering some of the things they did.

 

Getting out of the shower Katze quickly dressed, retrieved the bandages in his shaving bag and went to his desk to fetch the papers with the information he needed to show and talk to Iason about. Double checking to make sure he had everything Katze folded the papers and put them in his breast pocket before leaving his room.

 

Niko wasn't around, thankfully, probably out getting breakfast so he wrote a quick note to Raoul, even though the Blondie already knew where he would be going and left the apartment. Stepping into the elevator he hit the button to take him to the top floor. Taking the time to calm him self. Slipping back into his Black Market boss persona was easy as breathing.

 

* * * *

 

Iason lay in bed reading the latest report Cal had given him this morning, another request for fund for projects for so and so. He had been awake for the last two hours just reading while Riki lay sprawled across hi chest, exhausted from their bed time acrobatics from the night before. He had made sure to work his mongrel good and hard, not to punish but to make sure he would be out cold when Katze showed up in the coming morning.

 

The only place he could trust to not have anyone listening in was his apartment but the down side to doing that was he didn't want Riki to have any clue of what he was doing. If something was being done to him he didn't want him to know, not right now when he didn't know anything himself. His Mongrel also would not take kindly to it; not that he did either, but if something of a suspicious nature were going on it would need to be handled with a light touch. Not only that but what was going on was internal. Someone in Eos was using his pet and maybe others as his unknowing lab rats. He didn't want Riki to be anywhere near if it was dangerous.

 

Whoever was doing this was really good. So good that if it wasn't for coming home early that one day it would have gone undiscovered maybe indefinitely. He didn't care if others were being experimented on, he would stop them that was a given. Something like this was unbecoming of an Elite. Not the experiments, but the experimenting on another's property. And if Riki hadn't been involved he might have let it go for a while out of curiosity on what they were doing.

 

A soft knock sounded at the door. “Master Iason? Katze is here to see you.” Cal said from behind the closed door. Carefully, lovingly, sliding Riki off his chest he kissed him gently on the lips, brushing a black lock off his forehead before getting out of bed. Covering his naked form with a red velvet robe he exited the room making sure to close the door without a sound so not to wake Riki up.

 

Walking up to his Overseer Iason wondered if Raoul was only seeing what he wanted to see in Katze. The man gave nothing of the fiery temper or spark of the one Raoul described. Katze was as he always appeared in front of him. He was unmoving, impassionate, a completely stoic personality. But if he did have that kind of side to him then he was happy he showed it only to Raoul because he didn't need to nor did anyone in the Black Market. What he needed was the cold professionalism Katze always presented to the out side world.

 

“Master Iason.” Katze bowed.

 

Iason nodded and motioned him to follow him to his study after making sure that Cal knew to only interrupt him if Riki woke up. Behind closed doors Iason sat behind his desk, motioned Katze to sit as well then rested his chin on his laced fingers and waited for Katze to start talking.

 

“The night you gave me the list I was able to hack into Eos. I found nothing in the beginning so I went back to the dates you had circled on the list, the one were where Riki attached some of the staff. I saw that, that day a bottle of steroids had been signed out of the pharmacy for a patient but when I followed it there hadn't been anyone that day or anyone in that month what needed it.”

 

“So they injected him with it.” Iason said.

 

“Assuming I'm correct then yes, resulting in him attacking everyone.” Katze put everything he brought on the desk in front of Iason. “Yesterday I had a doctor's visit. While there a Ruby told me about bandages that were able to hide wounds and it's true.” Katze showed Iason the arm that they had taken blood from. The tender flesh of his inner elbow had a slight discoloration, a small bruise other then that smooth skin. He showed it to Iason who looked at it then raised a pale brow and waited. Then Katze scraped a nail on the edge of the invisible bandage, pealing it off showing the small cut.

 

“I had also uncovered that on each of Riki's recorded visits refresher drinks were always marked as being given and unrecorded it would be marked as being given to an unknown patient, that unknown patient being Riki. These drinks are only given if large amounts of blood are taken from someone.” Katze swallowed as pale eyes narrowed dangerously.

 

Iason fingered the small packets that held the bandages. He knew about them. In fact he had approved them to be used not three months ago and he told Katze so.

 

“I had wondered about that. I had never heard of them, which is strange. There is nothing that I don't know especially if could be profitable to the Black Market. But the tech that was talking to me about it said that the healing rate was in the high ninety percentiles. Three months is too short of a time to test and get those figures if only just starting to use on patients.”

 

Meaning that it wasn't a new invention, it was old and only now being brought out into the open.

 

“With this no one would notice any wounds that were made on Riki.” Katze shifted in his seat a little. “Have you ever noticed Riki in pain or moving as if uncomfortable, sore?” Katze asked.

 

Many times in the past, Iason thought but stayed silent. “Continue with what you found.”

 

“I hacked the system as long as I was able but instinct made me withdraw and not return. I could feel someone shadowing my movements, blocking me when I got close to something. Because of this I didn't think it would be safe entering again and not with the hardware I had, it wasn't wise to keep going and not get caught so I recruited Alex to do some digging. I had hoped to take over but I just found out Jupiter has extended my vacation here for another week.”

 

Iason tilted his head at that. This was the first time he heard any thing about this. To everyone Katze was the Black Market boss but it was he not Katze that ruled there and only now finding out that his key player was sitting out of the game without his knowledge didn't sit well with him. “What did he find out?”

 

Katze took one of the papers from the stack and handed it to Iason. “Alex discovered a link, a hacking program that attached itself to Eos system. It allows them to enter and roam free undetected and take information that is not protected by anything but the best of firewalls. He was able to find an opening and sneak in and get some information.” Katze paused wondering how to give the news to Iason without him getting angry at him, the messenger.

 

Iason sighed. “You are safe from me Katze, but not if you keep me waiting.”

 

Katze nodded. “Alex found every entry of the visits given to Riki, recorded and unrecorded. What I found was there but with more detail. They have been taking massive amounts of blood from him but not just that. They've been taking tissue samples. Hair, nails, saliva, skin and…semen. From what I saw this had been going on for a few years.” Katze kept his eyes down not wanting to see the look on Iason's face.

 

“How many years Katze?”

 

“…Five almost six.”

 

So from the very beginning he brought Riki here. “Anything else?” Even though he kept his voice calm and made sure his face was clear of any emotional facial expressions Katze still flinched at his tone.

 

Definitely not good Katze thought, he knew Iason very well and he knew when he was pissed and Iason was very, very pissed. “There were a few notes on “infected parties” people that were infected but by what we still have not found that out. Riki, whom I am guessing is “Subject Priority 1” is mentioned but only that he was present for xx amount of time, there was nothing that said he had been infected or was the infector. Alex wasn't able to go any farther to find out. He needs me to continue and…there were mentions of experiments being done with his DNA.”

 

Iason leaned back. This was much more then he had originally thought, much more. “Did Alex find anything on what kind of experiments they were doing?”

 

“Nothing as of yet.”

 

“Is it Elites that are doing it?”

 

Katze slowly shook his head no. “I can't be a hundred percent in this but I don't think so. Elites wouldn't leave their initials nor would the information Alex got be so easy to find and also from what Alex wrote the scientists now are getting frustrated. Elites wouldn't note their frustration. Seems like the main doctor doing all of this had disappeared and they are stuck trying to figure out who will take his place. Alex went on to say that no one seems to want step into his shoes. They are all scared to death of the boss. But who that is he doesn't know. The boss is the only one they don't have an Initial for.”

 

“Is there anything else?”

 

“One more. There seems to be three subjects being tested on. Originally there looked to have been four but the fourth has been crossed off and labeled E.S.S.U.C what that stands for hasn't been found out just yet.”

 

“One of the subjects is Riki. What of the other two?”

 

“Riki is one yes. He is labeled as a success with continue to study. The second subject is also a success with study started.”

 

“And the third?”

 

“The third has been deemed a failure but termination of subject has been delayed.”

 

“…”

 

“Iason?”

 

Iason looked up from the hieroglyphic symbols on all the papers Katze gave him and gave Katze a questioning look. “What is it?”

 

“These people are able to get into Eos to Riki without getting caught. They could be anyone here. If possible I would have Riki be seen by a private doctor. Someone you trust to try and stop them and see if you can also see if they haven't …done something to him.”

 

“Is that all?”

 

Katze nodded and stood.

 

“I need you to keep Alex searching. Once your week is up I want all the time you can spare on this.”

 

“I'll use everything to find out what is going on.” Katze paused as if to say something more but stopped. Bowing he left.

 

Reading all the reports Katze gave him, committing them to memory Iason crumpled them in his fist. Standing he looked at them in his hand for a moment then walked out calling for Cal to fetch him a metal bowl and a lighter. Walking out to the balcony Iason set the papers on fire and watched them burn. Making sure there wasn't a scrap of paper unburned Iason took the bowl and dumped the ashes over the railing leaving Cal to clean up any ash that flew back he went back to his bedroom.

 

Looking down at Riki his expression was gentle but troubled. Laying down he pulled his Mongrel into his arms. Katze didn't say it before he left because it didn't need to be said. To have so much access to Eos meant “they” had someone from Eos helping them.

 

Their position had to be high enough to be able to bring them into Eos without suspicion. Katze may have said that an Elite was not involved with the actual testing but it did not mean there wasn't one pulling the strings in the background.

 

Just thinking that for the past five years they had been using Riki and whatever they had done to him they were still doing. Iason squeezed Riki a little too tightly making Riki moan and push at his chest. Easing up his grip Iason soothingly rubbed Riki's back and continued to do so even after he calmed down and sank back down into a deep sleep.

 

Iason paused when the thought hit him. They had taken so much from Riki, what did they hope to accomplish? Why did they need his Mongrel when there were hundreds rotting in Ceres that all they needed to do was dangle a few credits and they'd come running.

 

Too many questions and too many possible answers had Iason rubbing the ache between his brows.

 

Before Katze had said anything he had already come to the conclusion that merely being with Riki while seeing the doctor would be useless. They could be telling him that they were giving him something but it could be something else. No, Riki wouldn't be going back to the hospital again. He would ask and see if Raoul could see him and also see if they did anything to him.

 

But what bothered him the most was what success did they have with him?

Iason kissed Riki's forehead worried. What had they been successful on?

 

Riki had seen the doctor only a week ago… Iason sat up and started to run his hands down Riki's body carefully, starting with his inner elbows then to his wrists and inner thigh but found nothing. But that just meant that the wounds were gone and the bandages had dissolved. The perfect tool to hide the fact from him that Riki was being mistreated.

 

“Groping me so early in the morning?”

 

Sleepy black eyes peeked up at him through thick lashes, eyes that scrunched in concern at the worried expression he saw on Iason's face before the Blondie wiped his face clear of the emotion. “What is it?” Riki reached up and cupped Iason's smooth check with his hand.

 

Leaning into Riki's hand for a second Iason brought that bronze hand to his lips and kissed it. “Nothing beloved….” Laying back down Iason kissed Riki's brow again, tucking him snuggly into his arms. “Everything is fine.” He'd make sure of it.

 

TBC…