Death Note Fan Fiction ❯ PITCH ❯ Let Go ( Chapter 32 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

PITCH

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Light x L

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Part 31

L is a reclusive detective who takes his job seriously. Too seriously, in fact. Once he takes note of how neglected and stagnant his life truly is, he decides to make some changes. Challenges arise through an unanticipated meeting. AU

A/N: This is a continuation of last chapter, but it had gotten too big to post in one piece. 24 pages. Yeesh.

Chapter title is a song by Red.

Disclaimer: (See part 1 for full disclaimer.)

Pitch: (def.)

A substance commonly utilized to bind materials in construction... Tar pitch appears solid, and can be shattered with a hard impact, but it is actually fluid. Pitch flows at room temperature, but extremely slowly. To attain maximum fluidity, to be used, it must be exposed to heat.

Minds are like pitch. To reveal their full potential, they must be exposed to environs that apply stress. They must be challenged.

Part 31: (Let Go)

By this time, Raito was becoming more than accustomed to Lawliet's disappearing act. It wasn't overly concerning, as he'd only retreated to the other room. But that pathetic little "sorry" was going to have to be addressed later. In detail.

Celia returned, looking sheepish. "It seems he's not feeling that well and decided to have a lie-down."

Raito smiled benignly at her. "There's no need to apologize." She seemed to think that there was something to smooth over. Or perhaps felt she needed to say something in order to spare his 'hurt' feelings? Did she think Lawliet's behavior was strange and that he'd be sitting here feeling abandoned over it? That was the implication, ridiculous as it was. "I'm not offended."

She looked a little flustered then. "I wasn't... Well, I didn't mean..."

"He told you not to worry and that he'd contact me later, didn't he?" Raito said pleasantly, refraining from rolling his eyes. It wasn't like they were tied at the hip and his well-being rested upon being within 5 ft. of the recalcitrant detective. It was nice that she was concerned about Lawliet making a tactical blunder in their relationship and causing an issue, but things like this he'd already learned to expect; he'd hardly be put out over it. Besides, he wasn't planning on leaving quite yet and wanted to impress upon her that he was comfortable continuing on with the two of them in Lawliet's absence.

The older woman looked a little surprised. "How did you--?"

"We know each other quite well," he said meaningfully. He then adopted a somewhat conspiratorial tone, "He probably also threw in something about me being more social than he is?" He allowed his expression to show a trace of exasperated amusement and tossed in a sardonically raised eyebrow for good effect.

It wasn't a big leap to make. From how Lawliet was acting right before leaving the table, he seemed preoccupied, downtrodden and maybe a little overwhelmed. He hid it well, but there were signs. He was probably hoping to sleep it off. (Short escape though that would be).

He's also likely to make excuses to Celia, in proportion to the excuses he didn't bother to offer me. Was it a belated sense of guilt or propriety, he wondered.

Celia was amazed. "Almost to a T, dear. However would you know something like that? Haven't you only known each other for several weeks?"

"More or less," Raito said congenially. "It must be our chemistry."

That earned him a snort from Watari. "Chemistry, my as--" he began sharply.

"Quillish," Celia promptly interrupted, with a reprimanding gaze. "Don't you dare speak that way in my home."

Watari's white moustache drooped, somewhere between defeat and annoyance. He was never going to win against Raito with Celia on his side. He mumbled an apology.

"You know," Raito offered, sipping his wine as he regarded the British man, "it could be that your constant needling is what caused Lawliet to retreat." He usually reserved use of the detective's full name to times when it was just the two of them, but he sensed an opportunity to take a jab at the older man. He knew full well how Lawliet's name tended to sound rolling off his tongue, even when he was being good, and that the evidence of intimacy would likely set the man off.

Watari's face flushed red in anger. "This is what I'm talking about!" He kept his outraged voice low, possibly so his protege would not hear this exchange from the other room. "You feel perfectly entitled to say and do whatever you want! And I seem to be the only one willing to challenge you on your atrocious behavior."

Raito found these words to be uncannily similar to those of his mother's disapproval. 'Atrocious behavior'. What have I done that could possibly seen in such a way just now? It was laughable and kind of irritating. "And you, Watari-san, you feel perfectly justified in all that you have said to or about me? Do you really believe yourself to be upon some sort of higher ground here?"

"Yes, I do," he affirmed harshly. "You are manipulative to a fault. Even now, you're doing it."

Celia's eyes were moving back and forth between them and she was wringing her hands as if unsure of what might be done about this.

Raito raised a brow imperiously, though he kept his tone mild. "Am I out of place in saying that you have been rude to me on numerous occasions?"

Watari looked pissed. "And am I wrong in saying you underhandedly seduced L, and pushed things along before he had time to process whether it was something he even wanted?"

Raito bit down the flare of reaction he had to that, knowing he still had the upper hand if he kept his cool. "You know, this mother hen bit is getting old." He graced Watari with a mildly hostile stare. "I understand you want to protect him, that you nearly consider him your son, but you can't make all his decisions for him. He's grown, and there are things that are up to him alone, and you no longer have a say. Whether you like it or not."

The grinding of teeth was nearly palpable.

It was at this moment that Celia jumped in and intervened. She put a restraining hand on Watari's arm. "A word, Quillish?" she asked in a firm tone that brooked no argument. He shook off her hand and walked back to what Raito assumed was the bedroom. Celia followed close behind. She was a kind woman. That brush-off probably hurt her quite a bit.

Raito scoffed at the man. At least I have some tact. He downed his wine.

He was agitated. There was so much more he'd like to have said, but he hadn't wanted to impugn his image in front of Celia. It worked for him that the woman liked him and supported his relationship with Lawliet. (He needn't ruin that with sharpened words or faces, just to satisfy his aggravation at the older man.) Besides, he liked Celia. And she reminded him vaguely of his mother somehow.

Whereas Watari... the way they snapped at each other like mad dogs... he couldn't help but think of his father. Why was it that he and father figures reacted with such volatility? Maybe it was their controlling nature? Their pathological need to be right? Their unwillingness to yield or see things in another way? He couldn't help it if such traits made him antagonistic towards them.

---

Some time later, Celia emerged from the bedroom to find Raito dozing off upon the couch. He was sitting like a proper gentleman, but his head had tipped back slightly and his face had smoothed out in unconsciousness. He looked quite young like this, though he had a gaunt tiredness lurking about his features as if he had not slept properly for a time.

She took note of the empty wine bottle and glass on the coffee table before him and felt sympathy touch her heart. She was certain that Raito had been feeling more stress than he'd let on. Watari, who was currently holed up in their bedroom and not of a mind for further politeness to this young man, had told her what L had written in his email about the events of the past week or so. There had been turbulence with Raito's career and with the boys' relationship, not to mention the issue with Watari being so stubborn about accepting him as L's chosen partner.

She bent down slightly to rouse the brunet and found his eyes were drowsy and slow to focus upon her. Oh my, the poor dear overindulged, she thought. Not surprising what with everything. Who could blame him?

"I'm sorry," he apologized foggily, righting himself and smoothing hands over his clothes as if they might have been rumpled. "I must have drifted off while waiting." Raito rose and patted his pockets for his keys, still looking as uncollected as she had ever seen him, as if he was playing at being awake when he was really just a moment from dropping off again. "I should be going--"

He swayed slightly, alarming her greatly. "Dear, I think maybe you had a little too much to drink..." Her restless hands reached out to steady him.

Raito shook his head. "I'm fine," he said with a faint smile, keys finding their way into his hand. "Thank you for a lovely evening. We must do it again some time."

Celia positioned herself in front of the door, hands on her hips. The impression that he was not quite with it, but was making a good show of pretending to be fully alert was not swayed. "Raito, I must insist that you are not in a condition to drive."

He started to protest but she curtailed that. "You are not even steady on your feet," she pointed out. "I cannot in good conscience let you leave like this." She held out her hand for his keys. "You can share the room with L. If you are worried that Quillish is going to be put out over it, don't be. This is my home, after all, and you are just as welcome here as anyone."

Raito looked perplexed, but ended up laying the keys upon her palm. "If it would make you feel better..." he trailed uncertainly, his face saying he wasn't sure why she would fuss over this, but that he was inclined to humor her rather than be rude.

"I would," she affirmed. "Better safe than sorry. Heaven knows I would be beside myself if anything happened to you on your way home. It's best to err on the side of caution." She bustled past him. "I'll just get you some blankets and things."

"Thank you."

Her voice dropped to quieter tones as she pulled bedding out of the hall closet, "You can have your keys back in the morning."

He nodded and merely trailed her as she carefully opened the door to the guest room, as if to not waken L, and made up a bed for him on the floor. He noted that the guest bed was not overly large.

"There you are, dear," she said in a whisper. "If you need anything, help yourself. If you start to feel ill, there is a bathroom across the hall, and filtered water in the kitchen if you get thirsty."

"Thank you," he said again as he lay down upon the makeshift bed.

"You're welcome. Sleep tight."

Many long minutes passed in darkness after Celia left. There was only the sound of soft breathing. "You aren't asleep, are you?" Raito said, knowing very well that Lawliet was wide awake.

"No, I'm not," came the response from the bed. There was some faint rustling of fabric and the detective was peering down at him assessingly, through there couldn't have been much to see in the lack of light. "Why are you here? I thought you were leaving?"

"I drank too much, obviously."

"Seriously?"

Raito could just about picture the face that would have accompanied the query. Those black eyes would be sharp, focused on him like they could tear him open and bypass all but the barest truth, though the face that held them would be as blank and flat as his voice. It still amazed him how Lawliet could inflect things into such a deadpan tone, such as a pervasive sense of, 'I think you're full of it'.

"Your stepmother seemed concerned I was going to drive myself into a ditch or into a head-on collision," he said meaningfully.

"You don't sound drunk to me," Lawliet said skeptically.

Raito smiled in the darkness. "I assure you, I was quite convincing. But it would take more than a little wine to do me in. The empty bottle did give her pause, however."

Lawliet cursed and muttered under his breath. "I was actually worried for a minute that you'd had had too much to drink when you'd come in here."

"Worried that I'd be sick? How sweet of you," he mocked. "Did you think your childishness would drive me to drown my sorrows?"

His dark eyed companion started to protest with indignation.

"Or," Raito continued silkily, cutting him short, "were you worried about not resuming our earlier 'conversation'?"

Raito could tell from the quality of silence that Lawliet was flushing and floundering for words with which to curb his insidious intentions. Not that he would ever find words that could make Raito veer too far from his intended course. Raito was adamant once he set his mind to something, especially when that something, or someone was right before him.

"Raito, I am not getting involved with you here," Lawliet said firmly, adorably deluded that he was going to be heeded, especially with that captivating quirk that had crept into his voice... "It's a bad idea, and--"

"So you're telling me that out there on the balcony was so forgettable?" he queried, his voice conveying his lifted eyebrow. "That the passion behind those kisses just dissolved and isn't still lurking just beneath your skin?" he said, letting his voice fall into the low, rich tones that seemed to affect Lawliet so strongly. "And that the thought of continuing where we left off isn't stirring your blood, even now?"

"That's irrelevant."

Lawliet's voice sounded strained and that pleased Raito greatly.

"Forget it, Raito," he said, expelling a sigh. "Just go to sleep." He turned over on his side, putting his back to Raito with finality. "I'm not engaging in anything further under this roof. The last thing we need is to risk someone seeing through your little ruse."

The exasperation, dismissiveness, and finality were all carefully calculated. Raito could practically taste the tenseness and vulnerability in detective's turned back. Sweet Lawliet was holding him at bay, but only just.

"Oh, I fully intend to have you," Raito warned him with threats and promises twining within his words. "Just hope for your sake that you are able to keep those enticing little noises to yourself, or your family is going to have a rude awakening." He rose to his feet and moved to the bed, his pulse already quickening within him. When the detective was adamant about refusing him, it just made him relish the chase that much more thoroughly. "For the record, I don't mind either way."

He crawled onto the bed, eyes locked with Lawliet's petulant ones in the dark. "How are you holding up, fighting with yourself like this?"

The detective shook his head, glaring at Raito in annoyance.

Raito slinked closer, then braced an arm on either side of him, fencing him in. "Don't tell me you weren't affected earlier," he said huskily, "I know you were." He had Lawliet on his back and was looming over him. The slighter man was stubbornly shaking his head. "You were, Lawliet, I could feel you stirring against me."

---

"Must you say things like that?" L protested with annoyance, his cheeks flushing.

Raito leaned in and kissed heated skin. "Why?" he murmured, hunting the detective's mouth. "It's the truth, isn't it?" Before L could offer another empty protest, he snaked a hand between L's legs and squeezed. "Just like now."

L's eyes fluttered closed. "Please..." he said in a strained voice. "Raito, let this be." Fighting the brunet off like this was taking an inordinate amount of will, and his resolve was already flagging.

Raito's mouth sought and melded with his, bleeding away his useless words. He moaned as Raito caressed him firmly, not about to let him escape.

God, he wanted to...

I shouldn't. I can't. Not here. Why does this keep happening? He used to think his self-possession was second to none, yet he was shown over and over again how easily it could be dismantled.

Raito sat up, straddling his hips and began unbuttoning his shirt. The pressure of the other man's weight upon his throbbing flesh was undoing his resolve. Against his will, his hips rocked upwards and he couldn't stop the sigh that spilled from his lips.

"That's better," the brunet murmured, spreading hands across his chest and rolling his hips against L's.

No... "Yes," L breathed.

I'm going to lose my mind, he thought. His body was trembling, speared with desire. Raito was leaning forward, nuzzling the flesh of his neck, hands ever busy.

A fog-like haze swept over his mind and he was becoming muddled. He felt industrious hands undoing the button to his slacks and he craved their touch.

Raito sank down upon him, bringing their flesh into heated contact that was as maddeningly intoxicating as their kisses. Lips and teeth and tongues were locked in an intricate dance that was echoed in the writhing of their thrumming bodies and restless hips.

When Raito rolled them over, placing L on top, L blinked at him questioningly. "I'm feeling charitable tonight," Raito said solicitously, head tilting arrogantly as he looked up at L with bedroom eyes.

L was slow to react as meaning trickled belatedly through his clouded brain. Raito didn't seem inclined to wait for that process to reach its conclusion. He pulled L down, crushing his lips to his own once more.

This sort of communication made more immediate sense to L's passion-befuddled mind. He kissed back, feeling the brunet ceding control to him, and understood then that Raito was giving him the lead if he wanted it.

His arousal throbbed at even the thought of it, and he lost no time expressing his interest in the offer. His hands wandered over the brunet's smooth, firm skin, memorizing his torso, his chest. He traced the curve of strong collarbones with his lips as he pushed Raito's pants further down his hips and over his thighs. It was overwhelming, the intensity of this desire. To be privy to this sort of closeness once more... to be able to feel, once more, the brunet open up to him and embrace him so tightly with arms and flesh. To feel those long legs slide apart for him...

He found Raito's hot mouth and sank into it, plunging deep into the silky heat of it, reveling in the sensual movement of their tongues.

Their naked flesh was hard and tight between them, pulsing as their hips ground together. It was an exquisite sort of torture, this precursor to the consummation they both craved. This alone felt so good it was hard to stop.

L soon lost the ability to hold back. He nipped at Raito's neck as he slid two saliva-slicked fingers into him, egged on by the way the brunet's breath came faster and his body writhed. He hooked his fingers and stroked upwards, like Raito had done to him, and was rewarded by the most enticing of sounds, which the brunet was doing his damnedest to suppress.

"Not so keen to have others hear you, are you?" L said huskily in the brunet's ear.

"Shut up and do it already," came the cantankerous reply, his voice thick with desire.

L couldn't help wanting to tease him. Raito was so obviously feeling this every bit as much as he was, though he seemed sullen about admitting it. "What if I want to play with you some more?" He nibbled lightly on Raito's ear and slowly thrust his fingers in and out, making him shudder. In truth, he found it inordinately difficult to sound in-control of himself and to hold back like this, but... "I think I like seeing you look this way," he confessed, kissing the other's mouth deeply to keep the expected acidic reply unvoiced.

---

Raito fought free of Lawliet's hold (though his body protested and proclaimed him insane), breaking the debilitating kiss and stilling that treacherous hand. He suspected the dark-haired man was thinking to make him lose hold of himself, just like this. His pride wouldn't allow that. This was getting easier, being 'submissive' with Lawliet, but it was still somewhat foreign to him and suppressing his dominant streak could be quite difficult. He ran his fingers through jagged black locks of hair and pulled Lawliet's head down so he could speak in his ear. "Your window of opportunity is narrowing, Lawliet," he said indulgently, sounding more breathy than he would have liked while threatening him.

He loved how quickly he could make the other man react to him at times. Just a few words, and uncertainty infected Lawliet's actions and demeanor. He might feel guilty for such a thing, but he was becoming certain that his partner could become more than used to leading these sorts of encounters if he ever got his feet under him so to speak. He liked Lawliet having that red thread of doubt which he could tug at whenever he wished.

However, it was so very interesting to see his partner evolve like this.

"You're not very passive for being on the bottom," his detective complained. He sounded just a little sullen, but he was by no means cowed. He might even have been looking for a way to get even.

"You like me aggressive," Raito said flippantly.

He grit his teeth a moment later, hands digging into his lover's shoulders as Lawliet began to slide slowly inside of him. This especially, he wasn't used to, but the euphoric look on Lawliet's face, half obscured by his dark hair was worthwhile.

"I suppose I do," Lawliet panted, pausing after he had pushed in to his limit. His pale skin shone like a beacon in the darkness, a slight sheen of sweat reflecting in the faint moonlight. His eyes were twin orbs of deepest black and his kiss-bruised lips looked delicious.

Ratio dragged that mouth to his, making every movement as dirty and scandalous as he could.

Lawliet moaned against his lips, and Raito could feel his desire swell inside him. "Well, come on then," he taunted him, his own body responding even more strongly to evidence of the detective's lust. "You'll have me falling asleep at this rate." He rolled his hips encouragingly, biting his lip as sensation eddied through him. Jesus.

"You're so... impatient," Lawliet said thickly, beginning to move within him in slow, sure thrusts.

Raito dug his fingers into the flesh beneath his hands. He wanted more. Lawliet was trying to punish him with this reserved pace, he was sure. He guided one of the detective's hands to his aching flesh. "So what?" he breathed. "Hard and fast is fine every once in a while." His eyes closed as Lawliet's slender fingers worked his sensitive skin almost expertly, while he continued to stroke him from the inside. He really is a fast learner.

He could nearly give himself up to this, losing his reservations about who was in control of what. It just felt so good, the details didn't seem to matter.

Lips grazed his, and he felt the ache in him intensify as Lawliet's hot mouth melded with his own. The pace was still so infuriatingly slow, but perfect somehow. He was becoming lost in the rolling motion of their hips, the pleasure of that angular hand, and the taste of passion on his tongue.

Oh, you bastard, he thought hazily.

I really could be satisfied with this.

It was infecting him. Lawliet was inside him, toying with his inner workings. He had no right, really. Only that he must have given Lawliet the keys somewhere along the way. Even now, he felt it - the impending wave of release rising far above his head, threatening to smash into him with incredible force. It was amazing to him how strongly he'd been able to feel for Lawliet, unlike anyone else. And here, the caveat, Lawliet was even able to make him like something like this which he'd long ago decided he had no use for. Insidious.

He grit his teeth as orgasm hit him, every bit as harshly as promised, and it was inordinately difficult to smother the sound of it. He clenched his teeth into Lawliet's shoulder, knowing no kiss would bear this force. He came with a muffled groan, feeling every inch of Lawliet within him, driving the sensations as he continued to move.

Hot lips grazed his neck, dragging kisses and heated breath, stirring him up further. Then Lawliet's mouth was opening against his throat, latching onto his flesh with strong teeth and repaying him in kind as his own body shuddered violently.

"What a pair we are," Raito said a little while later, after they'd caught their breath, half sitting up and tilting his head a bit awkwardly in order to assess the bite wound on his shoulder. It looked much like the one he'd left on Lawliet's. "Matching teeth marks."

"Well, it hurt," the dark-haired man said unrepentantly, lying lazily on his side next to him. "I figured I owed you."

Raito rubbed at the mark. "Not directly, you didn't." It hurt, but he didn't really mind. He actually found it kind of amusing. "You could have waited a while," he suggested playfully, "then whipped it out like an ace up your sleeve to spice things up a bit when they became dull."

Lawliet rolled over onto his back, his arms falling haphazardly beside him. "Any more spice would probably kill me."

Raito propped his chin on his hand and gazed at him, smiling benignly. "These are times of plenty. How about when you get bored?"

Dark eyes regarded him blandly. "You really think that's a concern? I think you underestimate yourself."

"Of course I don't." His smile turned smug. "I'm just teasing; but I must have exhausted you too thoroughly for you to have noticed it." He spared no effort in making his voice as suggestive and goading as possible, trying to elicit an embarrassed response. "I didn't even get a proper blush out of you."

"Blush?" The detective laughed shortly, ignoring the brunet's ego-stroking at his expense, thereby winning their game of wordplay. "Not after what we just did."

"See?" Raito complained lazily. "I can't even bait you properly." He slanted calculating eyes towards his companion. "How long until you go back to normal?"

"Mmn." Lawliet closed his eyes and settled in like he was going to fall fast asleep in seconds. Raito's pestering was falling on deaf ears. He must have been feeling too peaceful and contented to pay it much mind, though it was a point of contention for the brunet. "Maybe after I sleep a little while."

Raito poked his index finger into a pale, smooth cheek in a rude fashion. "And you call yourself an insomniac."

"No, I don't," the drowsy insomniac mumbled, swatting his hand away in a languid motion. "I can fall asleep just fine. I just don't require a lot of it."

"Hmm," Raito replied in a thoughtful purr. He traced the dark circle beneath the detective's right eye. "Then what do you suppose these are from?" It was perfectly obvious he didn't get enough sleep on a regular basis.

"Stress from dealing with you?" he murmured, unconsciousness lapping away at his enunciation.

"An interesting theory, but a flawed one," Raito said archly, turning aside his deadpan jibe. It really entertained him that Lawliet was bothering with this inane conversation, indulging him by answering even though he was about to drop out any second. "For these were firmly in place before I even met you."

Lawliet's frustration at being kept awake finally broke the surface. "Mn tired, Raito..."

Feeling appeased now that he'd gotten a reaction, Raito smiled, a glint in his eye. He also sensed an opportunity to goad his companion further. "What's it worth to you?"

The detective groaned in exasperation and rolled over, jamming the pillow over his head.

Raito decided to leave him be, and lay back with his hands beneath his head, totally at peace with the world. He allowed his eyes to drift shut. Lawliet was so delightfully entertaining. He really couldn't have picked anyone better. He'd joked about boredom setting in, but he really didn't think that it would.

Fatigue flirted with his consciousness, and he knew sleep would eventually consume him as well. Until then, various thoughts flickered through his mind. One of which was the solidifying of their current situation. They hadn't talked about it yet, but he got the feeling that much of Lawliet's resistance to living with him had diminished. He was certain of it. Or at least, he had been until Watari started talking to him about new living conditions. This had caused his detective to become less decisive. He didn't like that. It made him feel threatened.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll ask him again.

He sighed. Even if Lawliet decided that they should maintain separate living spaces, he had to respect that choice. Even if it irritated him. Even if he thought it was ridiculous.

I have to respect his autonomy.

To put it into perspective, he considered Misa, who would blindly do anything he asked. She only thought things through insofar as to get something she wanted. Lawliet, on the other hand, would defy him on principle or because he felt his independence was compromised. He didn't always go with what was easy. If he did, he could have avoided countless arguments just by agreeing to move in with him. And looking back, they were in a much better position now for living together than they would have been when he'd first suggested it.

It had been hellish, but they'd been steadily hacking through some of the issues in their relationship, making it more viable and stable.

Raito knew his own jealousy and control issues had played their part in damaging things, but so had Lawliet's mistrust.

So, while he was learning more restraint over newly intense feelings, his companion was learning to believe in him. It was working out great so far. These last few days had been...

He stretched lazily and rolled over onto his side, throwing an arm around his bedmate and pulling him close. These past few days, it was as if he was finally seeing his life come together. He'd never really considered such things as whether he was happy or not. But recently, he was suspecting that he was and that, before, he'd merely been surviving with no purpose.

What if I had never met you?

He buried his face against Lawliet's warm body. It was a somewhat horrifying thought. If Misa had never laughingly pointed out the eccentric, dark-haired man at the bar that night, might he have gone unnoticed? Might they have never met? And then at this juncture, it could have been that harpy he was sharing a bed with as he counted his days like a prison sentence. Married. Wasting away. Living only for his work.

Though I didn't know anything more, until meeting you.

He smoothed the thoughts from his head, being that they weren't very restful at all, and settled more comfortably against the slight form he held against him.

It was ironic. He'd never really believed in such sentiments as love, and here he'd found someone that he'd totally fallen for.

I wonder if I should tell him? he thought with wry amusement just as he was drifting off to sleep.

_____________________________________________ _______________

TBC