Fake Fan Fiction ❯ Shattered Illusions ❯ Web Of Intrigue ( Chapter 4 )

FAKE

Shattered Illusions

by Lady Dragonphire

Summary: When Ryo, a vengeful assassin, is sent to kill Dee, the sovereign of a kingdom, can they discover love amongst the driving forces that rule their hearts?

Disclaimer:  FAKE and its characters are the property of Sanami Matoh.

WARNING: Angst/Lime

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Chapter 4. Web of Intrigue

Ryo wearily emerged from the dense forest and blinked into the sun's morning rays that were cresting over the horizon. All he wanted to do was to go soak in the hot springs and relax his sore muscles before finally tumbling into bed. He had had a long night, and he was feeling drained both physically and emotionally. To his dismay, he saw the daunting figure of Rose stationed as a sentinel outside of his tent. Taking a deep breath, he realized that the confrontation was unavoidable and although he would have preferred to talk when he was washed and rested, Ryo knew that things were done on Rose's terms around here and his much-needed respite would just have to wait until the man was finished interrogating him.

"Ah, so you have returned," Rose observed with a self-satisfied smile. "I take it that Dee was an easy target to subdue and dispose of?"

Ryo lowered his midnight eyes and stepped closer to his tent. Much to his chagrin, Rose cornered him, placing his arm as a barrier across the tent's entrance. "Can we discuss the details of the mission after I have bathed and rested?" Ryo asked softly. "I am weary from my travels." Indeed, Ryo had walked an entire day and night and had forfeited the luxury of sleep in an attempt to reach Dee's castle and then return to the campsite as quickly as possible.

Ryo bowed and slipped into his tent, stripping his skintight assassin's apparel off of his lithe frame and picking up a robe that he intended to wear down to the hot springs. Just as he was about to slide his arm into the fabric, he realized that he was not alone in the tent. A hand clutched his wrist, stopping him from covering up his body. "I think I rather like you without it," Rose purred next to his ear as he extracted the garment from Ryo and draped it over his arm, leaving Ryo exposed and vulnerable. Ryo could feel Rose's breath on the back of his neck and it made his hair stand on end, causing a shiver to run through his body.

"Please sir, may I have my robe back?" Ryo questioned as he lowered his head, ashamed at his state of undress that revealed the more intimate places of his body.

"You will turn around and face me when I talk to you, and we will discuss the events of the mission NOW, not when you feel like it," Rose commanded with a vile hiss. Ryo slowly turned around, a shy blush burning on his cheeks that he desperately willed to disperse as he brought his dark eyes up to meet Rose's. His deepening blush only served to heighten the feeling of submissiveness that he felt in the other man's presence. "That's better; I was starting to sense a hint of insubordination present. Remember, you serve me and only me. You do know what happens to those who dare to defy me, don't you, Ryo?" Rose threatened ominously.

Ryo desperately wanted to shield himself from the man's penetrating icy blue stare. He could feel Rose's eyes roaming his body and he flushed further in shame. "Y-yes," he replied softly. Ryo hated the way Rose talked to him with such derision and contempt that made Ryo feel like he was somehow unworthy of even washing the other man's feet. Ryo longed to just confront him openly, break all ties, and end the feeling of subservience that he was forced to endure every time he encountered the powerful blonde man. However, without the safety of the tent and the protection of the encampment that Rose provided him with, he was as good as dead wandering in the rugged unchartered territory that was ruled by the land's barbaric codes of justice. The ruthless men who inhabited these territories were concerned only with survival and they lived and died by the sword, knowing no other way of life. Ryo had no choice but to endure the humiliation if he wanted to live long enough to avenge his parents.

"That's better," Rose crooned, running a possessive hand up and down Ryo's side, inching lower each time. When he reached Ryo's hips and moved down towards his upper thigh, Ryo squirmed uncomfortably and took a step back, the feeling of Rose's vile hands on him leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. Rose observed his actions with amusement and dropped his hand to his side. "Now, where is the dagger stained with Dee's blood?" he asked sharply.

"I-I don't have it with me," Ryo stammered. "Th-there were too many guards surrounding the palace. I never got a chance to complete my mission." Ryo looked down in shame as Rose narrowed his eyes dangerously and moved closer to the trembling honey blond.

Despite Rose's intimidating presence, Ryo looked up bravely and continued in an attempt to appease his superior's anger. "I had vastly underestimated Dee. I was ill-prepared for a confrontation with the knowledge and equipment that I possessed. I'm sure that anyone else who would have gone would have been dead right now. It was only by a whim of fate that I was spared to return here," Ryo said, his voice unwavering as a fire burned within the midnight depths of his eyes in defense of his actions.

Rose seemed to ponder this information before replying. "Very well. Dee is indeed a worthy adversary. I will give you a chance to allow you to redeem yourself, but fail this time and it's your life on the line, Ryo. I am not usually so generous so you should heed my words," he said with a hint of foreboding present in his menacing voice. Tossing Ryo's robe at him, he sauntered out of the room, turning back and reiterating, "Your life or his - you choose," before he was gone with a flurry of the tent flap.

Ryo clutched the robe to his chest and stood there trembling with silent fury. How dare Rose speak to him like that? Why couldn't the man do his own dirty work? Ryo halted his musings suddenly. He had never felt this newfound defiance before towards Rose. All of his previous missions had not affected him in this way or made him question the actions of his superior. He had always been emotionally distant and had closed off the rational part of his mind. He had only existed to deliver justice to those who had refused to repent for their actions. However, none of his previous missions had involved a certain ebony-haired ruler. Even now, he could feel the man's emerald eyes upon him. The unfathomable depths of those windows to Dee's soul had been so different from anyone else whom Ryo had come across. He had talked to Ryo with respect, treating him as if his self-worth was of an equal level as his own. Wrapping his robe around his lithe frame, Ryo set off for the hot springs at the edge of camp to mentally prepare himself for his second attempt on Dee's life.

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Rose stormed into his tent with a seething fury and splintered a small wooden table with his fist before an unrelenting stream of curses escaped his lips. He had only managed to keep his rage under control until after he had departed Ryo's tent and had taken shelter behind the confines of his own. How dare Ryo defy him, after all he had done for him? Rose's plan was not going as desired. Something had happened to Ryo during his encounter with Dee that had produced a subtle change in the way that the man carried himself. Dee had inexplicably altered Ryo's mindset and had obviously created moral doubt concerning the mission, of that Rose was sure, lest Ryo wouldn't have failed. He would have to instill fear in Ryo's heart once again in order to make sure that he understood who he served. Composing himself once more, Rose exited his tent in search of the honey-blond assassin.

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Ryo entered his tent after he had just finished soaking his weary muscles at the hot springs. The tension seemed to ebb away with each minute that he spent wrapped in the water's calming embrace. As the steam pervaded his senses, he also had time to reflect and sort out his feelings concerning Dee, and although he had not reached any definite conclusions, he had decided upon his course of action to employ during his next visit to the castle. Ryo was feeling more refreshed than he had been when he had initially returned to the camp as he lay his head down against the pillows, ready for a well-earned day of sleep. He closed his beautiful eyes and fell asleep immediately, overcome from sheer physical and mental exhaustion.

Rose slipped into Ryo's tent and observed the sleeping form of the gorgeous man. He looked so innocently peaceful lying there. However, underneath the calm surface, Rose knew that he was capable of deceiving him. He did not trust Ryo's farce of naivety anymore. A stone had been cast into the lake that was his mind, upsetting the smooth surface and causing the ripples of knowledge and doubt to course powerfully throughout him. He felt only contempt for Ryo, coupled with the driving need to have absolute control over him. If respect could not be earned, then it would have to be ingrained into his very soul with unrelenting discipline.

Ryo was surprised when rough hands roused him from his brief slumber and his blanket was forcefully pulled from his body. He shivered as he sat up in bed and turned a questioning gaze onto the one who had deprived him of comfort. "S-sir?" he questioned a bit fearfully, wondering what had provoked Rose's obvious anger towards him as he pulled his arms towards his bare chest.

"I meant what I said, Ryo. Do not fail me a second time. You are already at the boundaries of testing my limits. I believe that you should be going now if you are to make it to your destination before nightfall," Rose advised.

"B-but, can't I at least have a day of rest before embarking on the journey? I am very tired. I will not be able to perform at my best. I want to go when all of my skills will be their sharpest," Ryo entreated his superior.

"May I remind you that I am the one who gives orders around here," Rose said harshly. "You had use of all of your faculties the first time and yet you failed. Why should I be any less lenient this time? Besides, due to your foolish actions, you have left a trail behind. I'm sure that Dee sent someone to follow you here and will know the location of our base of operations come nightfall upon the messenger's return. You must get to the castle ahead of him and finish your job. I refuse to pay for your mistakes, Ryo, and I will not condone your actions further." He tossed Ryo's assassin's apparel that had been drying in the sun outside at the startled man. "Get dressed. You leave as soon as you are out of bed." With that, Rose spun on his heel and walked out of the room, his head held high.

Ryo sighed and slipped on his body-hugging black suit. He knew that Rose would have killed him if he had been anyone else in the camp, save maybe Diana. He did not want to push the limits and test the extent of the warlord's wrath that boiled underneath the deceivingly calm and controlled surface of his exterior. With a heavy heart, Ryo set out from the campsite and retraced his path from the night before, not sure what to expect but prepared for anything nevertheless.

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Rose lay down on his bed and closed his eyes. He hated seeing such insolence in his men, and wondered why he didn't just do away with Ryo on the spot. Ah yes, because the man was the best weapon that he possessed. He just had to keep reminding himself of this ever since the man had spoken to him out of turn, which had occurred upon his return from his encounter with Dee. Rose wondered just how much longer he would be able to keep Ryo caught up in his web of deceit or where the man's loyalties lay.

The bed shifted slightly as another body joined his. "You do know that by sending him back in his current state that you may very well have sent him to his death?" Diana observed as she removed Rose's armor and began to knead the stiff muscles in his back.

"If he dies, so be it. He has failed me once already. I don't need him as a liability. Already my plans have been pushed back due to his mistakes," Rose said bitterly. "I only hope that he can make it there in time before Dee's messenger. The last thing we need now is for Dee's army to attack and draw us into battle before we are ready. Ryo has ultimately sealed his fate since the moment he chose to doubt me. His death is a risk I'm willing to take."

"Then why didn't you kill him when you had the chance? Why did you let him return to Dee and perhaps fortify the alliance that they had built the first time you sent him?" Diana asked as she moved to work at the muscles of Rose's arms.

Rose sneered in contempt and replied, "Because every man has a weakness. Up until now I was unable to determine Dee's. However, seeing how my fair beauty reacted upon his return to the camp, I was able to see that Dee certainly made an impact on him, despite their brief encounter. With Dee's compassion for the exploited coupled with Ryo's desire to be loved by another, my plan could not have worked out more perfectly if I had forged the wills that drive them with my own hands. I will use their weaknesses to my advantage. Their fates have been sealed. Maybe they would be so lucky to die in each other's arms. How ironic. The very attraction that brings them together will be their undoing."

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Ryo arrived at Dee's castle weary from his travels. He had not had a moment's rest for almost two days. Wiping a bead of sweat from his brow, he surveyed the daunting structure of the castle wall that he would need to climb in order to reach his destination. Ryo swung his grappling hook in a wide arc and tossed it upward. It caught onto a parapet and he pulled the rope taut, hoisting himself up and nimbly scaling the wall. He swung his leg over the ledge and silently dropped onto the stone balcony, pulling up the rope behind him. Ryo stopped a moment to catch his breath, almost collapsing from exhaustion. He certainly could not face Dee in his current state. The honey-blond assassin was not ready for another draining confrontation yet. Removing his bag from his shoulder, he used it as a pillow as he lay down against the cool stones of the balcony, sighing. He would confront Dee in the morning. For now, he would get some much-needed rest. Ryo closed his beautiful dark eyes as sleep encapsulated his entire being in a state of utter surrender.

Dee awoke from his slumber in the middle of the night to perceive a beam of moonlight reflecting off of a shiny metal object on his balcony. Curious as to what was causing the shimmering reflection, he cautiously pulled his robe closer against his supple body and crept out of his bed, moving along the wall to investigate. He drew in his breath sharply at the sight that met his eyes. The gorgeous assassin from the night before was huddled on the stone floor in a deep sleep, his arms wrapped around his lithe body to offer some protection from the high tower's slight breeze that whipped his silken tresses across his handsome features that were illuminated by the pale moonlight. Dee was entranced by the perfection that was embodied within the man slumbering before him. Looking to the side of the sleeping beauty, Dee noticed that a grappling hook lying next to him was the source of the light that glinted in the moonbeams.

Ryo shivered again and turned over in his sleep, a blissful sigh escaping his parted lips as he found comfort in his new position. Suddenly he felt strong arms surrounding him as he was lifted up and held against a warm body. Ryo tensed up slightly before letting down his defenses. He felt so safe wrapped within the arms of his unknown protector.

Dee carried Ryo into his bedchamber and placed him gingerly onto his bed so as not to wake him, setting him against a large overstuffed pillow. The soft surface seemed to mold against the contours of Ryo's weary body, and he sighed softly. Dee's brow creased in worry. The fair assassin looked utterly exhausted, the deep circles under his eyes belying his apparent lack of sleep. Dee gently pushed a strand of hair out of Ryo's eyes and leaned in closer in wonder to the shy man who had ensnared his heart since the previous night. The enigmatic honey-blond assassin with the deep midnight eyes had returned to Dee.

As the sensations of being carried and placed against something soft inundated Ryo's senses, he reluctantly opened his sleep-laden eyes and blinked slowly into smoldering emerald depths. "I found you out on my balcony," Dee said in order to alleviate the onslaught of panic that plagued Ryo's features at finding himself in unfamiliar surroundings. "You know, most people who come to see me use the front door," Dee said wryly, but the moonlight that cascaded across his dark features could not hide the amusement in his voice.

Ryo smiled despite himself. Dee was amazed that the man could look even more alluring, but Ryo's beautiful smile seemed to light up his whole face, its rarity only heightening its elegance. "I-I'm sorry," Ryo said softly, a deep blush spreading across his face. "I didn't mean to disturb your slumber. Please forgive my intrusion," he said meekly as he looked down and swung his legs over the side of the bed. The man had undoubtedly been treated subserviently all of his life, Dee mused. He would have to take things one step at a time if he was to get anywhere with getting Ryo to trust him, of this he was sure.

"Shhh," Dee said comfortingly, as he took Ryo's hand reassuringly in his own and restrained him from getting up off the bed. "Please don't go. There's no need for you to sleep outside when I've got plenty of room in my bed."

Ryo glanced up at Dee at hearing the subtle innuendo present in the man's words and his cheeks flushed a deeper shade of crimson. He knew that he should protest, but he really didn't have the energy at the moment to put up much of a fight. Besides, the thought of spending the night next to the handsome ruler was quite tempting. Ryo reluctantly lay back against the pillows once more as Dee handed him a white silk robe, beautifully embroidered with the royal insignia, which he had retrieved from a trunk. "Here. I think that you'll be much more comfortable sleeping in this," he said as Ryo surveyed the elegant garment in awe. Ryo reverently held the silky material between his fingers. He had never seen something so remotely luxurious in all of his life, let alone had it offered to him.

Dee noted with satisfaction that the assassin had seemed to relax against the comfortable bed. Indeed, Ryo had subconsciously let down his guard a bit further with each passing moment in the raven-haired man's calming presence. "You must be thirsty," Dee observed with a winning smile. He handed Ryo a cup of water that he had poured from a pitcher by his bedside.

Ryo stood up and took it gratefully before hesitantly putting a question to the ebony-haired sovereign. "Why are you being so nice to me?" Seeing the look of surprise on Dee's face, he relented slightly. He did not want to seem like he was challenging the raven-haired man's actions or speaking to him out of turn. After all, Dee was the king. Lowering his dark eyes, he amended softly, "I mean, it's not necessary for you to serve me. You've done so much for me already. Please, don't trouble yourself."

"Don't worry about it. The important thing is that you get some rest right now. We'll talk in the morning," Dee said in reply. He moved closer to Ryo and took the empty cup from him, placing it on the bedside table before taking Ryo's hands in his own. Ryo was entranced once again as Dee looked deep into his eyes and captivated him with the intensity of his emerald depths. Ryo shivered with anticipation at the nearness of Dee's body to his own. The raven-haired ruler still had an undeniable effect on Ryo and Ryo was drawn to him even more strongly than he had been the previous night. "However, there is one thing that I must ask of you," Dee continued. "Tell me your name."

"Why do you ask?" Ryo inquired softly as if in a trance as Dee moved to put his arms around Ryo's waist, pulling him closer. Ryo's breath caught in his throat and he found that he could not look away from Dee even if he had wanted to. He was slowly becoming consumed by the intoxicating nearness of Dee's presence.

"Because I want to place a name to the face that has visited my dreams," Dee breathed as he brushed a strand of Ryo's honey-blond tresses away from his face. Ryo's beautiful dark eyes widened. So the charismatic man before him felt an underlying attraction to him as well? Ryo was overwhelmed by this sincere confession. Dee had opened himself up so vulnerably to Ryo in this moment of raw emotion.

Ryo gazed at the man who silently waited for a response. Much to Dee's delight, an enchanting blush swept across Ryo's cheeks. He was amazed that he seemed to fluster the honey blond whenever he asked him anything about himself. Dee could tell that it had taken a lot for Ryo to open up to him so quickly. He did not want to rush the bashful assassin, but given the circumstances, he knew that they did not have much time together before they would once again be parted.

"Ryo. My name is Ryo, sire," Ryo replied at last, once again meeting Dee's emerald gaze with his midnight eyes.

A genuine smile spread across Dee's handsome features. "Welcome to my castle, Ryo. And please, call me Dee." His voice lowered seductively as he continued, "Although I have forgotten my manners. I should give you a proper welcome."

With that, he pulled Ryo close against his body so that Ryo was pressed up against him. In a heartbeat, Dee had closed the gap between them and claimed Ryo's mouth in a searing kiss, the warmth of his body radiating a passionate intensity that only heightened Ryo's feelings of pleasure as he responded wholeheartedly to the kiss. Ryo regretted that he had been lost in a sea of confusion during their first kiss, but was fully intending to take whatever the ebony-haired man had to offer now. At first, Dee tenderly caressed Ryo's lips with his own, although there was a driving fire burning behind the onslaught of Ryo's hot mouth that soon built into a blazing inferno with each instant that Ryo's sweet yielding mouth was against his. Ryo moaned in supplication and parted his lips to allow Dee's satiny tongue entrance. Dee willingly plunged his tongue into the warmth that was Ryo, finding his own tongue and engaging it in a bout of intrigue that only fueled Ryo's anticipation of the tempting promise of what else Dee had to offer.

Ryo's knees buckled beneath him and he clutched onto Dee's broad shoulders for support as Dee continued to ravish his mouth. Reluctantly, Dee broke the kiss for air. He pulled back to observe Ryo panting slightly from the intensity of the kiss. Dee had left Ryo flushed and breathless, his midnight eyes further darkened in passion and his skin tinged with a faintly pink hue. The assassin had never looked so alluring, Dee reflected as he pushed Ryo down onto the bed and hovered above him, his emerald eyes burning with a fierce intensity and his ebony tresses falling across his face in seductive disarray. Dee's black silk robe was opened slightly, revealing the defined muscles of his chest and abdomen as he leaned down and once again devoured Ryo's mouth with his sizzling tongue. Ryo thought that he was in heaven as he basked in the sensations of utter abandon that the ebony-haired man was conveying to him with each stroke of his velvet tongue. Despite the ferocity of Dee's advances, Ryo had no doubts that he was being shown true affection. This very thought alone amplified his longing for the man above him whose heart mirrored the forbidden desires that his own possessed.

Dee moved down to lavish attention on his neck, encouraged by the moan that escaped Ryo's lips as his hands came up to tangle in the raven tresses. Ryo arched his back and gasped as Dee hit a particularly sensitive spot at the juncture between his neck and collarbone. Dee clamped his mouth down to suck hungrily against Ryo's neck, driven by a passionate fury. He administered soothing licks to Ryo's smooth flesh that he had assuaged and reveled in the slightly salty taste of the assassin's skin against his tongue. He just wanted to devour the compliant honey-blond who writhed and whimpered beneath his touch, his body begging for more. Dee had never felt so protective and desirous of anyone before, and he was overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of his emotions that Ryo had elicited in him.

Ryo threw his head back in bliss and closed his passion-glazed eyes, losing himself in the sensations coursing throughout his responsive body. God, it felt so good. Never before had he been showered with such consuming passion and desire by another. His mind told him to force Dee to stop, to push him away because he didn't deserve Dee's affections, but his heart told him to finally allow himself to feel something for another. It all felt so right to Ryo, him being here in Dee's arms with both of them physically expressing their underlying feelings for each other.

Before, Ryo had been lusted after by many, such as with his superior, Rose. The man had emanated an animalistic desire to dominate him, sealing Ryo's fate so as to always control him in mind as well as body. However, Ryo had resisted his advances when he could and had shut himself down emotionally when he could not. Dee was showing him a whole other side of what it meant to be possessed by another, and Ryo could never get enough of the tender affection that his body craved. He had been deprived of it for too long.

Dee pushed himself up off of Ryo's steamy body and smiled seductively. "Welcome to my castle, Ryo. You may stay as long as you like. Oh, and the pleasure was all mine," Dee said in a husky voice, his emerald eyes darkened with desire as he whirled around, walking briskly out to the balcony.

Ryo could only lay on the bed where Dee had left him, breathing heavily and besieged by the previously unknown feelings that were now inundating his senses ever since he had met Dee. They were prominent in his mind, and he did not know how to deal with the intensity of how his body had responded to Dee's ministrations. Ryo knew that he wouldn't have been able to stop Dee even if he had wanted to, and the feeling of how Dee had rendered him helpless with a kiss was both frightening and exhilarating at the same time. Sighing deeply and closing his midnight eyes wearily, his body and mind shut down from the sheer exhaustion of his travels and he drifted into a dreamless sleep. He would confront Dee in the morning.

Dee sighed and ran his hand through his silky raven tresses, resting his other hand on the balcony. His emerald eyes were narrowed deep in thought as he reflected how easily it would have been to take the honey-blond right then and there. The shy assassin had been so willing, and the man's naivety coupled with his unbridled exuberance for the raven-haired man above him had sent a thrill down Dee's spine. If it had been anyone else, he probably would have given in to his carnal desires, but with Ryo it was different. Something about the man had changed Dee's seduction tactics, converting them into something more than just satiating his own lust. For the first time in his life, he had wanted to put another's pleasure above his own.

Dee walked back into his bedchamber, pulling his black silk robe tighter around his lithe frame. He knew that he would have to talk to the gorgeous assassin and find out why he had returned to him so soon after their first meeting, although he had his suspicions. Pulling the curtain that hung from his huge canopy bed closed and enveloping them in a shroud of semi-darkness, he noticed that Ryo had fallen asleep. The gentle rhythm of the rise and fall of the man's chest indicated that he had let his guard down completely. Ryo was utterly exhausted.

"What did Rose put you through?" Dee whispered sadly as he gently brushed some silken tresses out of Ryo's eyes and kissed him softly upon the lips. To Dee's chagrin, he noticed that Ryo had not changed into the robe that he had offered him to sleep in. He would be cold lying there in only the thin material of his outfit on this chilly night. Dee gently slid the material down over Ryo's shoulders. When Ryo didn't even stir, Dee pulled it lower to reveal his broad chest and defined abdomen. He slipped it down further until he had removed Ryo's suit fully from him and drew in his breath. The shy honey blond was even more beautiful than he had imagined, lying magnificently in his bed like an angel fallen from heaven. Dee tenderly draped the white silk robe over Ryo and slipped his arm into it, rolling him over slightly before guiding his other arm into the material. Dee tied the robe around Ryo's trim waist and pulled the sheets up to cover his form before walking to the other side of the bed and getting under the covers. He pulled Ryo close to him, reveling in the comfort that he felt at having another in his arms and wishing that they could stay like this forever. As Dee drifted off to sleep, he knew that this magical night was only a clever disguise of fate. Rose would not let a second failed attempt go unpunished, and Dee did not want to imagine the aftermath of his fury that Rose would bestow upon Ryo in light of his defiance. As he succumbed to sleep's spell, he wondered if he would be willing to forfeit his life if it meant that the one in his arms would finally be able to attain true happiness.

Ryo was only vaguely aware of deft hands moving over his body as he drifted in and out of awareness, fighting a losing battle against the dark abyss of sleep's depths. He welcomed the feel of the soft material that cascaded in abundance around him, surrounding and enveloping him in its silky caress as it traced every curve of his smooth flesh and settled over him. The last thing that he remembered was Dee wrapping his strong arms around him protectively and holding him tightly against his body. Ryo leaned back into the gentle embrace and smiled. He felt a wonderful sense of belonging and completeness that he had longed for his whole life. Ryo felt safe and secure with Dee, like he had found the other half of his soul that he never knew he had been searching for. Now if only this illusion of fate could become a reality and they could stay like this forever. However, their destinies had already been written in the stars. He knew that they could not be together. Come morning, he would have to kill the one that he had hopelessly fallen for or die trying.

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