D. Gray-man Fan Fiction ❯ A Game of Poker ❯ Only Temporary ( Chapter 19 )

A/N: This is my first multichapter fanfic for the DGM fandom! Yay! I'm fairly new to the fandom, but hopefully I haven't made any unforgivable mistakes.

 

Warnings: YAOI, which means BOYS LOVING BOYS. If you dislike that, then the back button is easy enough to find. Please click that and leave. Limes are in the future, and lemons in the uncut versions (not on fanfiction(dot)net). Maybe some OOC, spoilers for the end of the anime later on.

 

Disclaimer: I don't own these lovely characters, that honor belongs to Katsura Hoshino. (Though if Hoshino-sama ever has a sale, I call dibs on Tyki… what?) I don't own anything but a copy of the anime series and all volumes of the manga in English. Anything you don't recognize (like the plotline of `A Game of Poker') does belong to me. Everything else… not so much. Please don't sue.

 

Kudos to the awesome SisterWicked of AssHat Productions (a group I am now a proud member of), who got me started on Lucky and lets me use 'lovely'! Beta'd by Misster Cackles! All remaining mistakes are mine.

 

SPECIAL DEDICATION: Thanks to SisterWicked, Misster Cackles, and Niamh for being awesome and helping me with this chapter!

 

Last Time On `A Game Of Poker':

 

Tyki smirked. His heart felt as though it was expanding inside his chest, an inexplicable happiness rising within him at the thought. He resumed shuffling, mind playing back images of the redhead under him, above him, crying out in ecstasy.

 

Soon he would get to see that again. He shivered once in anticipation as he began to deal the cards.

 

And Now, The Continuation

 

A Game of Poker, Chapter 19

Only Temporary

 

Tyki allowed his eyes to trail slowly over Lavi's body. He could recall how most every plane and angle of the redhead's flesh looked underneath his clothes, but memory wasn't nearly the same as actually seeing it. The Noah couldn't wait, a bolt of lust traveling through him and brown eyes darkening in anticipation.

 

Though he didn't particularly mind playing a card game if the Exorcist wanted to, he couldn't deny that a significant part of him wanted nothing more than to pin Lavi to the bed and sheath himself deeply inside. That part of him wanted to simply take his pleasure without regard for the Exorcist's well being or enjoyment.

 

That part of him he would make sure to keep controlled. He had let his 'black' side have its way once before and had regretted it ever since. At least the manacles seemed to have a dampening effect on his more dangerous instincts. Though the images of Lavi's pained expression and the sight of red on white had yet to leave his mind and were powerful deterrents, it had been a long time since he had found real satisfaction. Perhaps the chains weren't too terrible after all.

 

His eyes flicked briefly to and from the cards as he dealt them, more of his attention focused on the Exorcist than the deck of cards. By the end of the night he would have the redhead; it was only a matter of time.

 

Lavi could feel the brunet's heated gaze on him and he shifted a bit, self-conscious. If he was honest with himself, he didn't truly mind the attention but was rather uncomfortable with the sensation that spread through his body in response. It was a pleasant discomfort, if that made any sense.

 

He wanted to burn every moment deep into his brain and memorize every look and every touch since now time was truly limited. How many more times he'd be able to steal moments or hours like this? It was selfish of him, but he almost wished that Komui never found out for certain that Tyki was no longer an agent of the Earl. He hoped that Bookman never found out and he wanted to stay with the Black Order and stay 'Lavi' forever, no matter how impossible those desires were. If things could stay just like this forever, he wouldn't have to lose anything. Time, however, waited for no one and the redhead was painfully aware of that.

 

Even so, no matter what he ended up losing or how much he ended up hurting because of this, he wanted it for as long as he could get it.

 

Lavi's attention was called back to the present moment as the fifth card was dealt with a final sounding 'thwap'. He looked towards his cards and reached down to pick up his hand. He looked through his cards, not really caring what he got. The game was just a formality before-

 

The thought stopped dead as he registered what cards he had.

 

Though the cards were not all of the same suit, he had a ten, a Jack, a Queen, a King, and an Ace. The Noah had just dealt him a royal straight, the second highest possible hand in poker. Lavi stared, dumbstruck, then quickly schooled his features to indifference as his mind worked furiously behind his blank mask.

 

He glanced at Tyki to see if the older man had noticed his temporary speechlessness, but it seemed the brunet was staring intently at his cards rather than the Exorcist. With a deep but silent intake of air, Lavi turned back to his cards.

 

His win was practically assured. Unless Tyki had a royal flush, Lavi couldn't lose.

 

The redhead bit his lip lightly. He really didn't want to win. He would much rather lose, if such a thing could really be called 'losing' under the circumstances-

 

"Trading in?" Tyki asked, breaking into his thoughts. Lavi jerked his gaze back up towards the brunet, then looked back down at his cards. Slowly, he began to reach for two of them - any two, it wouldn't matter which. It didn't even matter how many he traded in, just so long as he broke the straight. As he touched the ten and Jack, he hesitated.

 

There was one question that had been bothering him. Would a few more minutes of waiting make that much of a difference in the long run?

 

Slowly, he let go of the two cards and shook his head.

 

"No," he said firmly. Tyki raised an eyebrow, confusion plain on his face for a split second before it was covered by his usual confident smirk.

 

"Throwing the game?" he asked, flipping his hand. Three fours and two Aces. "Full house."

 

Lavi flipped his own hand.

 

"Royal straight," he said, a brief flare of smugness flashing through him at Tyki's shocked look. This time, the expression was not so quickly covered by a smirk. "My win."

 

The Noah recovered, mentally shaking himself while outwardly smiling. He was growing a bit impatient, but he sternly controlled the impulse to sweep the cards off the bed and have his way with Lavi. He could handle one question; the redhead's win was a mere fluke and he would win the next hand. After that they could get down to business, but until then he supposed he could wait.

 

"So it is," he replied, folding his hand and setting the cards aside. He regarded the Exorcist with some degree of caution, not sure what the redhead would want to know. "What is it you want to ask me?"

 

The redhead folded up his cards, looking down at them rather than at the older man. He took a deep breath, noticing that the air in the room had taken on a slightly tenser note than the heat of before. He mentally winced at the slight loss, knowing what he was about to ask would probably turn the air completely tense and awkward.

 

He had to know. It would kill him - well, not literally, but he'd die of curiosity - if he never found out. The answer could very easily make things very difficult later, but that was 'later' and he would prefer to know, no matter what happened in the future.

 

"Why did you save me?" he asked quietly, looking away from the Noah's face as the older man's expression became guarded. "Why didn't you kill me any of the times you had the chance?" he added softly, feeling the tension in the room thicken and become suffocating.

 

Tyki studied the redhead, at a loss for what to say. Most of him wanted to give his tried and true phrase as his answer - 'call it a whim'. Even as he opened his mouth to let the familiar words roll off his tongue, something stopped him. He shut his mouth again, eyeing Lavi contemplatively.

 

It wasn't just a whim that had saved the Exorcist's life all those times. That much he knew. Could he really lie to Lavi when he had promised to answer truthfully? He was certain he could - it wasn't really a question of ability. He was a gambling man and a man who had managed to lead a successful double life so far; one lie, especially one as minor as this, would be no problem.

 

He opened his mouth to tell Lavi that it was a mere whim that had spared him so far, but the words caught in his throat and would not leave his tongue. Slightly irritated with himself, he shut his mouth again. He studied the redhead, annoyance softening as he took in the younger man's tense posture and how he kept his face averted.

 

He didn't want to lie. Not about this.

 

With a sigh, he opened his mouth and let the words that wanted to be spoken come.

 

"I spared you because I was becoming... fond of you," Tyki said quietly, keeping his eyes firmly on the Exorcist as Lavi jerked his startled gaze up to meet the Noah's eyes. "I didn't want to kill you. I still don't. I believe you call this feeling an 'attachment' or 'affection'."

 

Tyki averted his gaze, feigning nonchalance as he picked up his cards and the deck and began to shuffle his hand back into the pile. It wasn't necessary - there were more than enough unused cards to play another few hands - but he suddenly felt as if he had left himself wide open for an attack, as though he and the Exorcist were fighting and he had all his weapons deactivated.

 

'Helpless', 'naked', and 'uncomfortable' weren't normally words he associated with himself and he didn't want to apply them now, but those were the only words he could come up with for how he felt.

 

On the other side of the bed, the redhead still hadn't moved. He stared in shock as the Pleasure shuffled the cards, still holding on to his own hand numbly.

 

Tyki... liked him?

 

Surely Fate wasn't cruel enough to dangle what he was just coming to realize he wanted - a want so intense it was almost as necessary to him as oxygen or food or water - just within his grasp when he couldn't allow himself to reach for it. He was Bookman Junior, not Lavi. He couldn't be just 'Lavi', no matter how much he thought he wanted to be. This... just wasn't fair.

 

Mentally, the Exorcist shook himself. Despite how sincere the man looked, Tyki had a lifetime to practice lying and had gotten very good at it. That the Noah's human friends had been apparently unaware of the Portuguese man's true nature was a testimony to his abilities with falsehoods. He could just be telling Lavi what the redhead wanted to hear.

 

A good part of the Exorcist wanted to believe it. He wanted to let himself believe that Tyki did like him - or anything more for that matter, since `more' wasn't a part of this and could never be - but...

 

Bookman's disapproving scowl appeared in his mind's eye, then slowly faded.

 

It was safer and easier to believe that Tyki was lying. Lavi was the only person the Pleasure could get to fulfill certain needs, at least for a while. The redhead supposed that, by assuring him that the older man 'liked' him, Tyki was attempting to subtly encourage him to come back.

 

Lavi looked down at the bedcovers, quietly handing his cards back to the Noah. Tyki took them after a pause and the sound of shuffling filled the room. Wrapped in his own thoughts, the redhead didn't see the older man's eyes flick from the cards to him and then back again.

 

The Exorcist smiled wryly to himself. Though he could never tell Tyki, the brunet would never need to tell him such sweet lies to get him to come back. The redhead wouldn't be able to force himself away until Bookman made him quit this or Tyki no longer needed him. This was only a temporary arrangement as it was - he wasn't about to cut his remaining time with Tyki even shorter because the Noah didn't whisper sweet nothings in his ear or worship his body every time they made lo-

 

Lavi shook himself, mentally slapping himself across the face.

 

-every time they had sex. That was what he meant. That was all.

 

Lies like this - 'I was becoming fond of you', 'affection' - would only make things even more difficult than they already were. As nice as the words sounded in his ears and though the sweet phrases made his chest feel warm and light, they were lies and could only hurt him in the end. Even so, he couldn't help but want to hear more beautiful and terrible lies.

 

The sound of cards being dealt brought him out of his thoughts. He watched silently as Tyki carefully dealt the cards, the sound of paper sliding against paper the only noise in the room. When he had five, he reached down and picked them up, eyes scanning but not truly seeing them. Over the tops of his cards, he could see Tyki pick up his own hand and study it.

 

After a few moments, the Noah looked up with a smirk. His brown eyes darkened as he looked Lavi's body slowly up and down and he reached for the deck on the bed between them.

 

"Any cards you want to trade in, Lavi?" Tyki asked, acting as if the awkwardness of a few moments ago had never happened. The Noah's eyes rested between the redhead's legs deliberately, then trailed over the younger man's chest and lingered on his lips. The Exorcist could see the man's pupils dilate, his eyes darkening as the tension in the room regained its lustful edge. A heated feeling Lavi knew from his other encounters with the older man coursed through his body, making him shiver with want. It seemed the mood, for Tyki at least, hadn't fully died and the Noah had just successfully resurrected it with one look. The revival was almost surprising, but then again...

 

If Lavi was all the Noah could get, he was sure that the Pleasure would do everything in his power to make sure that his needs didn't go unfulfilled. If that meant dealing with an awkward question or two, the redhead was fairly certain Tyki would bear with it so he didn't jeopardize his only 'source', as it were. If it meant forcing the mood back to sensual and giving the Exorcist's body appreciative, desire-filled glances, then that's what Tyki would do. Who knew when Lavi would be able to sneak down again to see him?

 

Lavi shook his head, shoving the depressing thoughts away. For now he wouldn't worry about their next meeting, only the present moment.

 

He nodded in response to Tyki's question, picking four cards at random from his hand and handing them over. It didn't matter if he won or lost, though to be honest he was hoping he'd lose so they could move on to the main event. Heat coiled in his body, a slow burn demanding that he touch the Noah or be touched... his lust didn't care which. He just wanted the older man and he wanted him soon.

 

Tyki accepted the four cards and quickly exchanged them for four new cards from the deck set between them on the bed. Lavi took them without really caring what he got, briefly scanning them and realizing he didn't even have a pair. He smiled, desire spiking in his veins.

 

"Show your cards." Tyki seemed to sense it too, the imminent end of their game and the impending change to a more pleasurably activity. The words were soft and slow, the older man's voice almost seductive as if he knew that Lavi didn't have anything.

 

Lavi flipped his hand around.

 

"I've got nothing," he said quietly. The Noah seated across from him smiled widely, turning his hand so the Exorcist could see the collection of spades.

 

"Flush, lovely. I win." Tyki quickly arranged his hand into one neat pile and dropped it carelessly on the bed, reaching to grab the front of Lavi's shirt and yanking the Exorcist towards him. Lavi let out a startled yelp as he began to fall forward, dropping his cards and catching himself with both hands. The Exorcist could feel the cards that had been neatly piled on the bed move with the sudden extra weight close to them and slide down to hit his hand. He didn't care. He shifted to his knees rather than keep his legs crossed; it was so much easier to lean forward when his legs weren't locked around each other, and lean forward he did in order to meet Tyki's parted lips as the older man's mouth descended.

 

The Noah didn't so much request entrance into the redhead's mouth as demand it, lips moving aggressively against Lavi's and tongue sliding insistently against the petal-pink skin. The younger man let his mouth open under the brunet's, feeling the man's skilled tongue rub against his own and dip in to taste him. He moaned quietly, having missed the feel and the taste of the older man, pleased to note that Tyki's natural flavor was even stronger than before without the taste of cigarettes to mask it. He kissed back, moving forward and bringing one of his hands up to the back of the Noah's neck to pull him down even more firmly into the joining of lips.

 

He could feel the brunet shift away slightly in surprise, but then the man relaxed and gentled his attack on the redhead's mouth so Lavi's tongue could sweep forward to taste the Pleasure more fully. A bit surprised by the unexpected allowance, the redhead's tongue moved forward hesitantly and needed to be coaxed into Tyki's mouth by the older man, who gently sucked on the tip of the muscle and pulled more firmly on the Exorcist's shirt, the chains around his wrists audibly shifting with the motion.

 

Lavi moved forward willingly, kiss gentling to a slow, sensual movement of tongue against tongue. The redhead could feel Tyki's hand clench tighter against his shirt, the deliberately slow motion of the man's mouth against his own as if the Noah was holding back. It was easy enough to recall what had happened when the Pleasure hadn't gotten to see or touch Lavi for three weeks - the redhead could still remember the pain of that afternoon in the ally, but it seemed that tonight wouldn't be a repeat performance.

 

The older man's free hand moved to the small of Lavi's back, pulling him closer. Lavi felt something bend and heard that same something crinkle under his weight and with a sudden rush of clarity remembered the cards they hadn't moved. He broke the kiss with a gasp, lungs demanding air. He breathed for a few moments, allowing himself to catch his breath while Tyki stared at him intently, like a falcon waiting for a moment of weakness before swooping in and devouring its prey. The man hardly seemed to be affected by their kiss, his breathing only a little bit louder than usual and chest not heaving the way Lavi's was.

 

As soon as the redhead had caught his breath, Tyki began moving in again for another kiss. Lavi stopped him, sliding the hand that had been in Tyki's hair to the man's shoulder and pushing slightly. The Noah paused, faintly annoyed.

 

"What is it, lovely?" he asked. Lavi looked at the cards that were slowly being crumpled and ruined under their shifting weight. Tyki followed his gaze and laughed quietly, releasing the Exorcist to pick up the deck. He arranged them in a careless, hasty pile before setting them on the bedside table. "I must be doing something wrong if you can think about cards at a time like this."

 

Lavi opened his mouth to protest, but Tyki was already back and the older man's focus was back on other, more important matters. The Noah claimed his lips again, one hand moving to the nape of the redhead's neck and pulling him in closer while the other grabbed the bottle of lotion Lavi had so thoughtfully brought before wrapping around the redhead's hips. Maintaining his grip on both Exorcist and bottle, Tyki began to slowly back up. Lavi followed without hesitation and the brunet smiled into the kiss before twisting and laying the younger man on the mattress. The Exorcist looked up at him in surprise as his head hit the pillows, obviously not having expected the move.

 

Tyki smirked down at him and moved to his preferred spot between the younger man's legs. He still held the bottle of lotion and he leaned over the redhead's body to put the bottle on top of the table next to the bed, within easy reach for later. As he drew back, he ground down lightly and moaned as his hardening manhood rubbed against Lavi's clothed rear.

 

Lavi moaned too, careful to keep the sound quiet. He didn't want the Finders bursting into the room and ruining things. He arched into the motion of the older man's hips, hesitantly reaching up to slid his fingers into the Noah's dark, wavy hair and pull him into another kiss. Tyki instantly leaned forward, one elbow supporting the man's weight while the other hand began to yank at the redhead's shirt.

 

Lavi mentally chuckled without humor as he opened his mouth for Tyki's tongue. Even though this couldn't last much longer and he was the only option, he supposed there were some good points about his situation. For one thing, the Noah wouldn't refuse him a kiss for fear of losing the means to fulfill his sexual appetites. For another, the redhead found himself more willing to be more active and reach for what he wanted instead of just letting the Pleasure do as he pleased.

 

He pressed himself more firmly against the older man's body, opening his mouth wider and letting his tongue dance sensually with Tyki's. The Noah tugged firmly on his shirt, pulling it free of his pants and the brunet took the opportunity to slide his hand under the material and along the redhead's warm flesh. Lavi could feel the chain connected to Tyki's wrists drag along his skin and he shivered, the cold metal seeming to sensitize the nerves. Noticing the reaction, the brunet chuckled.

 

"Like that, do you?" he asked, moving his hand up further. His fingertips caressed the skin of Lavi's chest, drawing random patterns on the younger man's flesh. The redhead raised his hips, fingers tightening in Tyki's hair as the man pulled his shirt up further to bare most of his chest to the cool air of the room. The Noah's fingers played idly with one of the younger man's nipples, coaxing it to firmness while the brunet's mouth dipped to nip at the pale skin of the redhead's chest before sliding to surround the other nipple. Lavi gasped in equal parts surprise and arousal, feeling Tyki's teeth lightly scrape the hardening bud.

 

The redhead moaned, fighting to keep himself quiet as the older man ground down against him, the brunet's hard manhood rubbing at the sensitive skin of his entrance through the layers of cloth both still wore. He moved his body to Tyki's rhythm, arching into the older man's touches. He tugged lightly on the locks of hair he held, drawing the Noah's mouth away from his chest for another kiss. Tyki moved willingly into the liplock, dominating the kiss with an all-consuming lust Lavi could sense he was trying to hold back. He didn't care, gasping into the kiss as the cold chains scraped against a hardened nipple.

 

Tyki smirked into his mouth, pulling back so the Exorcist could see the expression. Deliberately, he grabbed the chain and drew it across the younger man's chest, scraping along his nipples and moving lightly over his sides. Lavi squirmed, the cold metal a delicious contrast to the heat he could feel pressing against him.

 

"You really like that, don't you lovely?" Tyki repeated his question from earlier, letting the chain drop and sliding his hands along Lavi's sides. "I'll have to remember that for the future."

 

The redhead opened his mouth to ask what the Noah meant, but Tyki's thumbs brushed his nipples as the man spread his hands and began sliding the Exorcist's shirt up further with the clear intention of taking it off. Lavi shifted to help him, tugging his arms through the sleeves as soon as the garment was at his elbows. Barely a heartbeat passed before the Noah's hands were back, sliding through his hair and removing the redhead's eyepatch to reveal the scars and the multicolored iris hidden beneath. Lavi reflexively tried to catch the black patch, hand moving towards his eye, but then he let it drop again. Tyki had seen his deformity before and hadn't cared. The Pleasure tossed both articles aside carelessly, chains clinking at the motion. He bent down to press a soft kiss to the scar tissue surrounding the redhead's eye before pressing a firm, demanding kiss to Lavi's lips.

 

The redhead propped himself up on an elbow, moving into the kiss and reaching up with his other hand to tug at the Noah's shirt. Tyki mostly ignored his efforts, more interested in grinding harder against the Exorcist's ass and moving his hands down slowly over the redhead's chest, chain sliding against the skin, to play with the younger man's belt.

 

A bit frustrated with the buttons on the brunet's clothing, Lavi shoved forward and sat up fully, pushing Tyki back slightly so he had enough room before attacking the man's shirt in earnest. He brought his fingers - trembling with need - to the first buttoned fastener on the white cotton cloth, fumbling with it for a moment before managing to slide it free. He moved on to the next, hips rocking into the motion of Tyki's hand as the man got the button of Lavi's pants undone and slid his hand into the front of the redhead's pants, cupping him intimately.

 

Lavi groaned quietly at the sensation of fingers gently rubbing him but tried to concentrate on his task. It didn't matter if the manacles would prevent him from removing the shirt, he wanted to be able to touch the other man's skin and see as much of it as he could.

 

At a particularly hard caress, Lavi moaned loudly and clutched the older man's shirt, hips thrusting mindlessly after the hand as it slid out of his pants. The zipper had come undone as well with all the rocking and the fondling, loosening Lavi's pants enough to the point where they slid down his hips. Tyki's hands came up to the redhead's wrists, gently sliding over his hands and coaxing the fingers to let go of their hold. The redhead stared into the Noah's eyes, a bit confused until he felt the cold hardness of a button between his fingers. The older man stopped, releasing Lavi's wrists and cupping the redhead's face with one hand while the other moved to the small of the Exorcist's back.

 

"Continue, Lavi. I think I like it when you undress me," the brunet murmured, drawing the younger man in for another kiss. Lavi moaned quietly, ever mindful of the unlocked door and the Finders just beyond it, and returned to his task. He pulled desperately at the buttons, tugging the cloth free of the older man's pants. Tyki rubbed slow, encouraging circles on his back, still moving softly against the younger man. The chain connecting the metal shackles around the Noah's wrists dug in to Lavi's bare chest a bit, but neither really noticed nor cared.

 

Lavi's shaking fingers made relatively short work of the buttons, Tyki's shirt falling open to bare his chest to the redhead. Both moaned into the kiss as the Exorcist tentatively laid his hands on the brunet's light olive skin. Lavi slid his palms over the Noah's toned muscles, half-wondering why he hadn't done so before and wishing he had been more of a participant in their previous encounters. There was something electric - he wouldn't go so far as to say 'magical' - about touching Tyki's bare skin with his own, being the one doing the caressing instead of the one being caressed. Having the Pleasure's hands on him was good, unbelievably good, but the soft, encouraging noises Tyki made when the redhead hesitantly drew his nails lightly over the man's abdominal muscles was almost as wonderful.

 

The skin color - light olive instead of gray - was a bit disconcerting, but it was still the Noah he was touching. He was sure that the man's skin would feel just as soft if it were the unnatural tone he usually saw it as. Tyki's skin was so soft but there were defined muscles underneath, firm shoulders and strong arms - likely from the man's job as a miner. The redhead let his hands trail over the strong body, attempting to memorize the feeling of steel wrapped in several layers of the finest silk.

 

He had touched the brunet a few times before but never with this drive to know and burn every sensation into his memory. Sight wasn't as important as tactile sensation; by memorizing the feel, he would be able to recall the way Tyki looked at moments like these. Even though the man's skin was lighter and more human than usual, as well as his eyes, in his mind he could put the memory of sight with the memory of touch to form a picture of the Noah as he usually saw him. He only regretted that he had never tried this earlier. Back then - had it really only been a few months ago? - he hadn't been as aware of the clock running down. Now he was painfully aware that he was on borrowed time and he wanted to memorize this if only so that he could perfectly recall how each sensation felt when he could no longer get the real thing.

 

He ran his fingers over the older man's nipples, feeling them harden in response. Tyki groaned in appreciation, moving his lips to Lavi's neck and nipping at the skin. The Noah's hands were not idle, chain quietly shifting as he ran his hands up and down the Exorcist's back a few times before resting them on the younger man's rear. The brunet slid his hands in between the cloth of the redhead's boxers and his pants, pulling Lavi more firmly towards him.

 

"I've never marked you before, have I?" Tyki asked, lips pressed to Lavi's neck so that the words were more a vibration than a sound. The Exorcist shook his head, impulsively tilting his head to give the older man more access to his neck. His hands stilled, resting over the Noah's heart.

 

"Do you want to?" the redhead asked, knowing he'd catch hell for it if Bookman ever saw but not particularly caring. He wanted some sort of proof, other than the soreness he knew he'd feel in the morning, that he had this.

 

Tyki 'mmm'd quietly against the younger man's throat, trailing his tongue slowly over the spot he had nipped moments before. The idea of leaving a mark, a visible sign of his presence on that beautiful skin was tempting. Claiming what was his in such an obvious, undeniable manner appealed to both his light and dark sides. It was as though he had never wanted to mark a partner before, but there was almost a visceral need to lay claim to the Exorcist upon the realization that he hadn't done so before.

 

Instead of answering, he opened his mouth and nipped harder at the skin, the move drawing a quiet, slightly choked cry from the redhead. Tyki soothed the area with his tongue, pressing the younger man ever closer to his body and grinding lightly against the other's hard arousal. The Noah sucked on the reddened area, bringing more blood to the surface to leave his mark there for anyone who cared to see it. Lavi moaned, arms moving to wrap around the brunet as he tilted his head as far as he could to open up more skin to the older man's reach.

 

Tyki slid his hands down even further, squeezing the firm roundness of the redhead's ass before moving the Exorcist's pants down, trying to remove them. Lavi shifted, bringing his weight up and pressing himself more firmly against the older man's body. He gasped at the friction, keeping the noise quiet so as not to alert the Finders outside as to what was going on in the room, instinctively rocking into the firm muscles before the Pleasure was forced to push him away slightly in order to remove his pants. Tyki dropped the constricting material over the side of the bed, the entire process completed without ever removing his lips from the redhead's neck.

 

He finally broke away, licking his slightly swollen lips and staring with a mixture of satisfaction and possessiveness at the mark that was already darkening on the younger man's skin. He moved back to claim Lavi's lips again, feeling the redhead's hands clench in the material of his shirt. Tyki leaned forward, laying the Exorcist on the bed once more. Waiting had grown rather tiresome and he was more than ready to take things to the next step. It was almost a relief to not have his Noah instincts urging him on to thrust inside the redhead, to sheathe himself in the body beneath him without a thought to the Exorcist's pleasure since he doubted he'd be able to resist the urge.

 

Lavi tried to hold on as Tyki pulled away but released his grip after a moment of hesitation. The Noah sat up, chains sounding quietly in the room as he moved his hands to his painfully tight pants. He quickly unbuttoned and unzipped them, shifting a bit in between Lavi's spread thighs in order to shuck off the material. As he pulled them off his hips, he snagged the waistband of his underclothes and pulled them off as well. He kicked both articles off the bed, fully naked and aroused before the redhead. Tyki could see Lavi's eyes flick downwards, staring at his manhood for a moment as his eyes darkened perceptibly in lust before the Exorcist jerked his gaze back to Tyki's face. The redhead pressed himself to the Noah's body, holding his barely clad form against the older man's completely unclad one and spreading his legs wider in invitation. Unable to resist, the Pleasure thrust against Lavi's covered bottom, both moaning in response.

 

The older man moved one hand, chain lightly shifting, to the waistband of Lavi's boxers. He pulled them down teasingly to expose one hipbone, half tempted to simply rip the annoying material off and see the younger man completely nude, but he knew it would be much more difficult to resist the urge to push inside if he could see the Exorcist's unclothed form. He settled for a brief but intense kiss, tongue moving inside Lavi's mouth possessively. He swallowed the redhead's gasp of surprise and pleasure as he moved harshly against the younger man. The Noah pulled back, moving only far enough away so that he could stare into the younger man's eyes.

 

"How do you want to do this, lovely?" he asked softly, feeling the Exorcist's breath brush passed his face as Lavi's eyes met his own and held his gaze, traces of confusion in the mismatched irises. The older man smiled, grinding lightly against the redhead and causing Lavi to arch into his body with a soft cry. "Do you want it to be like this, with you on your back and legs around my waist as I take you, or do you want it on your hands and knees with me pounding in from behind?"

 

Smirking slightly, he grabbed the chain connecting his wrists and drew the links harshly across Lavi's chest. He made sure to drag the metal across the redhead's nipples. Lavi curved his body up into the touch with a quiet cry, too far lost in pleasure to worry about the unlocked door. Tyki braced his hands on either side of the younger man's chest, pinning part of the chain so that it drew taut over the younger man and prevented the redhead from shifting and touching the Noah's body to bring himself to climax. Tyki hovered close, hearing Lavi's quietly frustrated breaths and he tried to press against the older man's body. He shifted his hands, enjoying the ragged cry the action produced - the links were directly over the Exorcist's nipples, allowing him to pinch and stimulate them with the least motion of his hands.

 

"Decide quickly," he urged. Lavi nodded, breathing heavily.

 

"I don't care," he replied, a faint whine in his voice as he tried and failed to find friction against the Noah's body, chain preventing him from moving enough. "Just... please, I want-" He cut himself off, turning his head to the side with a dark flush as though embarrassed and inadvertently displaying the mark on his neck. Seeing it made the older man growl possessively and he made up his mind.

 

"Like this it is then," he said, moving his hands to the younger man's hips, chain scraping lightly along Lavi's chest. The younger man gasped at the sensation. Tyki began tugging at the redhead's boxers as Lavi looked back towards the Noah, belatedly lifting his hips to assist in the removal of his undergarment. The brunet quickly yanked them off the redhead's body, carelessly tossing the article aside and already moving to grab the lotion on the bedside table.

 

"I would think you'd prefer to see me this time anyway," he said, picking up the makeshift lubricant and popping it open with a thumb. He paused for a moment, smiling mirthlessly. "Like this I don't look like an enemy, do I, Exorcist? Like this, you could even pretend that I'm not one of the Noah."

 

He dipped forward briefly, pressing a kiss to Lavi's lips and ignoring the lack of response he got as he forced open the redhead's slack jaw with his tongue, tasting the younger man deeply. After a moment, he pulled away and averted his eyes from the Exorcist's stunned face.

 

It shouldn't matter to him whether the redhead saw him as an enemy or not. This arrangement was only for pleasure and lasted only until he got tired of hearing Lavi's breathless cries or when the sensation of the younger man's body around him failed to entertain him. He shouldn't care what the redhead saw him as, unless that vision of him caused the Exorcist to refuse his advances.

 

Unless he was refused, it shouldn't matter. It irritated him that it did. Lavi's lack of a reply bothered some part of him, the agreement silently implied by the silence making his darker urges rise and he almost wanted to hurt the redhead and make him bleed for wanting to pretend that Tyki was merely human and nothing more.

 

He smiled sardonically, turning the bottle of lotion over. He supposed that way of thinking shouldn't have surprised him. They had been enemies, after all. It was still irritating, even maddening, but if Lavi wanted to pretend that he was less than what he was and play make-believe with an illusion of humanity, then that was fine with Tyki. Should Lavi choose to reject half of what Tyki was, that was just fine. Totally fine. Completely fine.

 

It infuriated him.

 

He squeezed the bottle, lotion pouring generously into his hand. He quickly spread the substance over his fingers, coating them thoroughly before turning his gaze to the body below him. For now, there were more important matters than the issue of whether or not the Exorcist accepted him as he was, though why that mattered in the first place the Noah didn't know.

 

He lowered his lotioned fingers to the redhead's entrance, teasingly tracing the puckered flesh around the opening and spreading minor amounts of lotion there. Lavi finally seemed to find his voice as he squirmed under the Noah.

 

"No, Tyki, wait-" His words ended in a gasp followed by a breathy moan, a look of almost-pain crossing his face as the older man slid one finger inside. The brunet smirked, immediately adding a second lubed finger. The Noah enjoyed the pained cry his actions drew from the Exorcist. He looked up again, eyes on Lavi's face. The redhead's expression, pained bliss, was almost as satisfying as the tight heat surrounding his fingers.

 

It didn't matter that he knew that his anger was irrational. It didn't matter that there was no reason to suddenly be so angry, especially when he had never before wondered what the Exorcist thought of losing his virginity to a Noah. He didn't care... right? He shouldn't care, so why was he suddenly so concerned that Lavi might wish that things had gone differently the first time they had played poker? Why did it suddenly bother him that the redhead might prefer him like this, olive-skinned and brown-eyed with nothing to his name but the clothes on his back and gambling skills, to how he had been that night with his unnatural gray-toned flesh, golden eyes and stigmata?

 

He bent his fingers, shoving the questions from his mind furiously as he pressed firmly against the younger man's prostate and rubbed against the gland. Lavi gave out a choked cry, arching into the touch as his senses were overwhelmed by the sensation.

 

Tyki ceased the rubbing motion soon after he had started it but kept his fingers pressed to the pleasure zone inside the younger man's body.

 

"'Wait'?" he echoed mockingly. "Don't you want this?" He made as if to pull his hand away but Lavi drew his thighs together, preventing the older man from moving far. The Exorcist shook his head vehemently, reaching up and lifting his torso partially off the bed in order to reach Tyki's shoulders. He rested his weight mostly on his tailbone, holding on to Tyki as much for balance as to get the man's attention. The Noah held mostly still, fingers idly stroking the redhead's inner walls.

 

"Not what I - oh, god - meant," the younger man said, moving as much as he was able against the hand with two fingers buried inside of him. "I-I don't..."

 

His words were cut off by a loud moan, unlocked door completely forgotten in his lust as Tyki's fingers rubbed his prostate firmly.

 

"You don't... what, Lavi?" the older man asked, adding a third finger. Lavi cried out, curving his body into the Noah's as three slender digits worked inside of him to prepare him for the coming intrusion. The Exorcist squirmed, shoving mindlessly against the hand as he tried to find his voice.

 

"I... I don't-" he gasped, moaning as Tyki stroked him inside.

 

"I don't see you as an enemy," he burst out, hands tightly squeezing the older man's shoulders. "Not since... our first night."

 

Tyki jerked his shocked gaze to the younger man's face, fingers stilling as they pressed against the pleasure gland inside the redhead. Lavi cried out and moved his hips, body craving stimulation. He arched up, struggling to rub his aching hardness against the older man's body while he kept his gaze on the brunet's dark eyes in search of a reaction.

 

Tyki was stock still in surprise, staring into the Exorcist's eyes and looking for any hint of deceit though why Lavi would lie about this way beyond him. The redhead held his stare, not flinching under his brown eyes but quivering under the Noah's body. The only things showing in the younger man's mismatched eyes were desire and honesty.

 

The Exorcist truly hadn't seen him as an enemy. Though the boy was a Bookman apprentice, that information still meant a lot. Even the supposedly impartial keepers of true history had opponents. That Lavi didn't see him as a foe, even in his Noah form...

 

He began moving his fingers more gently, anger evaporating. He concentrated on spreading the lotion inside the boy's body, stretching him more carefully. The redhead relaxed under his ministrations, laying back on the bed and trembling in helpless need.

 

"You don't prefer me like this, lovely?" Tyki asked softly. "I know I look human-"

 

"I don't care," the younger man moaned, staring up at the Noah's face pleadingly. "You're still you, no matter what you look like, just please, Tyki-"

 

He moved against the older man, motions tense and almost desperate. He didn't finish his sentence. He didn't need to.

 

The brunet nodded, withdrawing his hand. Lavi groaned at the loss but held still, waiting for what was to come in breathless anticipation. The older man quickly moved his hand and upended the lotion bottle, squeezing out more of the substance onto his palm. Once satisfied with the amount, he recapped the bottle and tossed it aside. The dull 'thunk' of the bottle hitting the ground was just audible over the sound of the chains.

 

The brunet grabbed his manhood with his lotioned palm, stroking himself briskly to coat his reddened member in the lubricant. He groaned quietly as the cool substance touched his heated flesh, covering himself and quickly as possible before wiping the excess on the sheets. The task finished, he grabbed the redhead's hips and pulled the younger man towards him. He leaned forward, pressing his lips to Lavi's as he moved and touched the head of his manhood to the younger man's opening.

 

The Exorcist moaned quietly, spreading his legs wider and pressing his knees to Tyki's hips. The younger man's hands came up to tentatively rest on the brunet's shoulders as Lavi returned the kiss. Tyki slid one of his hands along the redhead's thigh to his knee, coaxing the leg to wrap around him. The younger man followed the silent request, hesitantly encircling the Noah's hips with his legs.

 

"That's good," Tyki breathed, pushing forward. Lavi moaned in response as the Noah entered him, the head of the older man's arousal moving through the tight ring of muscle. The brunet resisted the urge to simply thrust forward, keeping his pace controlled. The redhead gasped and moaned breathlessly as the Noah moved deeper into him, his body stretching to accommodate the older man. He shifted his grip to give himself more purchase on the Noah's body, hands caressing Tyki's chest as they slipped from his shoulders to come up behind the brunet's back.

 

Tyki broke the kiss, pressing his forehead to the younger man's as he pushed forward one last time and stopped, fully sheathed inside. He paused, moving his arms between the Exorcist's shoulder blades and the bed in order to hold him. They just breathed for several long seconds Lavi trembled from the dual sensations of pain and pleasure and Tyki shook from the desire to thrust forward and find completion inside the tight heat surrounding him. The brunet held himself in check, breathing raggedly. The redhead shifted constantly, wriggling in the Noah's embrace as he adjusted to the feeling of having the other man inside of him.

 

"Can I move, Lavi?" Tyki asked, voice coming out in a soft, husky tone. The redhead nodded, arms tightening around the older man's body. He moaned quietly as the brunet began to pull out and then cried out in surprise and bliss as Tyki thrust back in, hitting his prostate directly. His arms and legs clenched around the Noah's body, moving on instinct.

 

"Tyki-!" Lavi cried out, hips bucking against the older man as the action was repeated. The brunet groaned in satisfaction, trying to keep his motions slow and deliberate, but the feeling of the redhead around him was intoxicating. He found himself speeding up, moving harder and faster against the younger man as the Exorcist's cries grew louder and louder.

 

"Tyki... more, hard-" Lavi's cries faded to wordless moans as they found a rhythm together, moving hard and fast against each other as they drew ever closer to completion.

 

Tyki could tell that the redhead was close, but not close enough. He shifted with a groan, maintaining his thrusts while he moved one hand to the boy's neglected manhood. Lavi's nails dug into his back and he cried out the Noah's name at the unexpected touch.

 

"Come for me, lovely... come with me..." Tyki urged, stroking the younger man in time to his thrusts. Overwhelmed by sensation, Lavi cried out one last time and came, inner walls clamping down on the other man's arousal. Tyki came with a moan of the Exorcist's name, spilling his release into the redhead's body before he collapsed onto the bed, half on top of Lavi.

 

They were quiet and still for several moments, then with a contented sound, Tyki gently pulled out of the Exorcist's body. Lavi sighed softly, grimacing a bit as the older man's cum leaked from his entrance. He could feel more sticky white liquid - his own - drying on his stomach and chest.

 

The older man moved lethargically back up to press a kiss to Lavi's lips, the contact soft and brief. Surprised, the redhead didn't react for a few seconds and by the time he had thought of it, the brunet was already pulling away.

 

An ache grew in Lavi's chest, one he wouldn't name. He silently watched the Noah gather up an edge of the sheet - which had been badly wrinkled by their activities - and remained silent while the man cleaned off his own chest and lazily wiped off the hand that had been stroking Lavi. Something like longing crept into the redhead's gaze and he unconsciously put a hand to his lips.

 

'I'm fond of you', the Noah had said. 'Affection'. 'Attachment.' And then the kiss just a few moments ago...

 

The ache intensified. Tyki probably didn't mean to play with his emotions, but the knowledge that this could never be more than physical release - he was a Bookman and Tyki just wasn't the type to settle down - weighed heavily on the redhead. Even if those words and actions were lies, he wanted more of them. He wanted more-

 

"Is something wrong?"

 

Lavi blinked, attention abruptly drawn from his thoughts. Tyki was looking at him with something like concern, brown eyes deep and seemingly endless. The younger man froze, staring back for what felt like several minutes but was in fact only a few seconds before he got himself under control and forced a smile onto his face. He shoved the longing and all the dangerous emotions that went with it away, wishing he could will them away forever.

 

"Nothing, Tyki. I'm just fine," he replied, inwardly wincing at the obviously false cheer in his voice. He was usually so much better at faking his happiness than this.

 

The brunet clearly didn't believe him, but nodded slowly. As if wary of scaring a small animal, Tyki moved closer and lifted the sheet, holding up a clean section not quite on the edge. The redhead didn't move, averting his eyes from the older man lest the Noah be able to figure out what was going on inside the redhead's mind.

 

Tyki moved the cloth to Lavi's chest, wiping gently at the cooling piles of white there. The redhead let him, blushing slightly when the older man's hand drifted too close to a nipple. Tyki cleaned him off, neither speaking.

 

Lavi shut his eyes, allowing himself to enjoy the sensation and pretending it was more than what it was. In his mind, he could pretend that there was no Bookman and that he was someone special to Tyki, rather than just someone who was available. He could imagine a scenario much like the one they had just acted out, except instead of needing to leave at the end he would be free to stay the night and share the bed for more than just 'exercise'.

 

Reality had to intrude sometime, though, and that moment came as soon as the Noah finished wiping off the inside of Lavi's thighs with a gentle, unassuming touch.

 

Tyki dropped the dirty edge of the sheet over the edge of the bed, pulling at the clean parts of the material until it covered him from waist down. After a moment, part of the sheet was offered hesitantly to the Exorcist. The younger man shook his head a bit sadly.

 

The Noah had never wanted to sleep next to him before. The only difference between now and then was that Lavi was now the man's only 'supply'. He was half tempted to take advantage of the fact and spend the night - he had nothing more to lose at this point - but common sense prevailed. As much as he wanted to sleep in Tyki's arms and wake up to the sight of the older man's peaceful expression, the Order wouldn't like it. Bookman wouldn't like it. Sleeping in the Noah's arms, wonderful as it sounded, would just make things more painful later on and he was already dreading the hurt that would come when it was time to say 'goodbye'.

 

It would be best if he didn't fool himself. If he started believing that the man cared for him, he would never be able to cut ties and he would cling to the older man even after the Noah started chasing and seducing other people. Not that Tyki would need to chase much...

 

Laughing dryly to himself, the redhead shifted and turned away from the brunet. He swung his legs over the edge of the mattress and put his feet on the cold floor, ignoring the sound of rustling cloth behind him.

 

"Where are you going, lovely?" Tyki asked him, voice unreadable. Knowing he'd lose his resolve if he looked back at the older man, the redhead began to pick up his clothes and put them on hurriedly. Most of his clothes were right by the bed, so it didn't take much searching before he found and pulled his underwear on. His pants and shirt quickly followed, though he left the latter un-tucked. His bandanna he hung around his neck and shoved his eyepatch into his pocket. He wanted to get out of the room before he did something foolish, like get undressed again and crawl back into the bed with the older man.

 

He bent down to retrieve his socks, deciding to simply carry them rather than sit down on his tender bottom to pull them over his feet. Fixing a smile on his face that he didn't truly feel, he turned back to the Noah.

 

"I'll be going now. I don't know when I'll be able to come back down to see you again, but it shouldn't be more than a few days," he said, turning away quickly. He kept the smile on his face, though he knew it looked more forced by the minute. "'Bye, Tyki."

 

The older man made no sound as the redhead moved towards the door. The lack of protest, though the Exorcist hadn't really expected the man to ask him to stay, hurt. He rubbed at his chest briefly before he turned the doorknob and exited into the hall.

 

It was for the best that he didn't stay. This thing between them was only temporary, after all.

 

He ignored the stares of the two Finders as he left the room, turning from the door and walking away. The door shut behind him, the sound echoing faintly in his ears and only just audible over the inexorable ticking of an imaginary clock.

 

TBC…

 

A/N: It may take a while for chapter 20 to come out since the muses are on a temporary vacation. They may be persuaded to return if I get more reviews - if over seventy people have this on Favorites, then surely more than nine can be bothered to review, right? ^_^