Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ A Fine Line - FY ❯ Of Hits and Near Misses ( Chapter 2 )

Author's notes and warnings: Arigatou, no da! Gods, I love you guys!!!! I thought I bit off more than I could chew with this story but you guys are so supportive!!!! ((((HUGS))))

The same warnings for the first chapter apply to this chapter, no da! Read at your own risk! From now on, the stories will branch out on their own and the characters from the two fandoms won't mingle as much. Well maybe AFTER this chapter… Xellas wanted a Ran/Tasuki moment… Please enjoy and let me know what you think!

The end of this chapter and WK's second chapter has about 6 hours time difference… I don't like that since I'm ridiculously anal about things matching… By the end of WK's third chapter, they will be the same. So, to keep myself in line, in the beginning of each chapter, I'll at least say what day it is… Day one will be their meeting at the Rabid nightclub. I won't give specific dates because I don't know much about the customs, traditions or holidays of the specific geographical area the boys are in… Not to mention weather patterns… yikes!

Wai! Hitari-chan is much better now and betaed this chapter for me! Thank you, sweetie!

A Fine Line - Chapter Two: Of Hits and Near Misses

By Moonraven

(Day One - after Midnight…well technically Day Two, ne)

"Ow…ow…what the hell…?" Tryffin came to with a pounding headache.

"Hey, don't get up, the paramedic's got you on a gurney of some kind." Kouji's voice advised and a strong hand held him down firmly by the shoulder. "How do you feel?"

Tryffin opened one eye and peered in the direction of his lover's voice. Kouji came fuzzily into view as he smiled down at the redhead apologetically.

"Head hurts." Tryffin mumbled. "What happened?"

"Nobody knows." Kouji said and looked worriedly at the younger man. "We thought…maybe…well…maybe you knew."

"We?" Tryffin tried blinking his mind back into focus but it didn't work. We who?

"I'm officer Toshi, Tryffin-san. When you're up for it, I'd need to ask you a few questions." A tall, thin man in severe uniform stood next to Kouji and he seemed like he was ready to drag Tryffin through those questions now inspite of what he said.

"Why?" Tryffin croaked.

"It seems that you were with Shitahara-sama this evening, is that correct?" The officer asked.

"Yeah, I was. Why? What did he do now?"

"We don't know that it's anything he did, sir, but he was found killed in his room along with two of his bodyguards."

Tryffin became alert instantly. He turned sharply toward Kouji and looked questioningly at the solemn man. Kouji nodded silently and glanced at officer Toshi. "You didn't see anything, did you?" Kouji asked.

Tryffin thought about that for a long moment then he said, "No. We were…you know…" He glanced self-consciously at the officer before continuing. "Then there was this explosion and I don't remember anything else." Tryffin closed his eyes so he didn't have to look at anyone in particular. He didn't know why he said that; for all he knew, Aya and Ken were the ones that killed Shitahara and the Tweedle brothers…but somehow he didn't think so. If they were the killers, why leave him as a witness? Why not kill him too? He had the distinct feeling that there was more to all this and he was reluctant to say anymore until he knew more about what was going on.

"Are you sure?" The cop wasn't exactly buying it but Tryffin didn't care. At that very moment, he just wanted to be left the fuck alone with his Godzilla of a headache while he tried to figure this whole mess out.

"No, I'm not sure." He turned hard eyes on the cop. "I was fucking knocked out, man. I don't KNOW shit!" He'd turned the hostility on and directed it full force at the insensitive man. "Why don't you go find someone who was conscious and ask them?"

"Perhaps I should comeback when you're feeling better." The man stiffened visibly as he prepared to leave.

"Don't bother. I won't miraculously know anymore than what I've already told you." Tryffin said tiredly and rubbed at his aching temples.

"Was there anyone else with you and Shitahara-sama?" The officer who said he was leaving asked.

"There were two men but they didn't like what Shita was planning so they left." Now why did he say that?

"Who were they?"

"I don't fucking know! Shita liked the way they looked, sent me to get them so he could screw them and that's all I know." He scowled at the bastard. "Weren't you leaving?"

"Ah…just one more question. What do they look like?"

Tryffin closed his eyes and thought about Ken's refreshing naiveté and Aya's exotic coldness and said, "One was a short brunette and the other a tall redhead. That's all I remember. They didn't really stand out as far as I was concerned."

"Thank you, sir. I'll let you rest now. If you do remember anything else, please contact us." He did an impressive heel-clicking thing before he spun on his heels and marched away.

"Damn! Where do they get these people?" Kouji asked as he watched the man disappear inside the squad car. He turned and smiled at Tryffin and ran his hand through the wild fiery locks. "I'm sorry, Tryf. I shouldn't have left ya."

Tryffin shook his head and sighed. "You didn't know. Who did? Man, I knew Shitahara was into some shit but to actually get killed…and with me being there...it's just…shitty, ya know?" Tryffin peered up at Kouji and asked, "Where's the blond?"

Kouji shrugged. "I don't know. After the last explosion, everyone was running around like chickens without heads and I guess he joined the crowd. They really should talk to these people about disaster management." Kouji sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair. "I can't believe this! I told him his security sucked but he thought he was untouchable. This is unbelievable." Kouji mumbled in disbelief as he paced back and forth along the side of Tryffin's bed. "It's not like we were best friends but I've known him for years. I just can't believe he's gone."

Tryffin pushed himself off the makeshift bed and sat up gingerly. His head still pounded painfully but the world wasn't spinning around anymore. He pulled Kouji to sit next to him and he held the older man close. Shitahara was never a favorite of Tryffin's but he knew that the man had helped Kouji start his business in security years ago and he knew that Kouji was fiercely loyal to Shitahara. Even to the point of denial when it came to Shitahara's dubious behaviors in his club.

As they sat huddled together on the gurney, several reporters found them and Tryffin found himself answering questions as well as getting information from them. These guys knew a lot about the murders and were not unwilling to disclose anything especially when they thought it would help to loosen Tryffin's tongue.

Shitahara and the Tweedle brothers were killed with a gun. One shot to the head each and two in the chest. Someone didn't want to take any chances. Tryffin didn't see Aya or Ken with a gun but it didn't mean they didn't have it hidden somewhere. Okay, Ken probably couldn't have had it on him but Aya did have a coat. Still…his instinct told him that they couldn't have been the killers… Tryffin trusted his instincts; they had saved him numerous times before. When living on your wits, it was always good to trust your senses.

When Tryffin swayed tiredly, Kouji held up his hands and asked the reporters to leave them alone. Tryffin looked up and saw that the men from Kouji's security team had arrived and were now pushing the reporters back. As they moved away, one turned back and yelled out a question.

"Since you're a potential witness, aren't you afraid the killer might come back for you?"

The man didn't get his answer. Kouji's men pushed him roughly across the street and didn't stop until they made sure he was in his van and driving away.

Kouji turned to Tryffin with a serious look. "My men will be all over the place. No one's going to come within a mile of you that we don't know about."

Tryffin smiled and nodded. If anyone could keep him safe, surely it was Kouji. Security WAS his forte.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next day… (Day Two - Late afternoon)

"I don't fucking think so! I've been cooped up here all day!" Tryffin shouted at Kouji from the balcony of the bedroom on the second floor. Kouji glanced up from the side of his car and shook his head.

"Look, Tryffin, until we can figure out who tried to kill you, you're not moving from this place."

"No one tried to kill me!" Tryffin yelled. "So the fucking car blew up, it could have happened to anyone." Right?

"Two days ago, maybe, but not after last night!" Kouji opened his car door and leaned against it. "When that guy hinted last night that there might be attempts on your life, we should have taken him seriously. My fault, not going to happen again!" He sat down in the driver seat and warned Tryffin one last time, "Do not leave the house. If you need to leave the room, my men will be with you. At all times…well maybe not the bathroom but have them check it before you get in."

"Are you freaking serious? This is imprisonment! Is this even legal?" Tryffin yelled ineffectively at the door of the car as Kouji waved and slammed it closed. "I don't fucking believe this!"

He marched back into the bedroom and headed straight for the door. Tryffin yanked it open and sure enough, two of Kouji's most trusted men were just outside it. Mako was across the hall, facing the bedroom door while Riki was standing right next to it, facing Mako. Tryffin shivered involuntarily as the scene eerily reminded him of Shitahara and the Tweedle brothers. He felt bad about the dead bodyguards. He'd called them that for so long he couldn't even remember what their real names were.

"What's up, Tryffin?" Mako asked. The large man in dark blue shirt and khaki pants raised his eyebrows at the redhead.

"Don't you guys have better things to do?" Tryffin asked them irritably.

"Nope." Riki, who was dressed the same way, said with a little smile.

"C'mon, Tryffin, let the boss find out more about what happened to the car. If it's just false alarm, he'll be back soon. If not, we're here to make sure nothing else happens." Mako said calmly then pulled out his walkie-talkie and went into series of perimeter checks with the men around the compound. There were a lot of grounds to cover since the house itself was set in the middle of 10 acres of heavily forested land. Kouji had affectionately dubbed his abode, the Bandit Hideout. The fact that the name was hardly appropriate for the head of security of the largest firm in Japan didn't faze Kouji. He said that it was inspired by his childhood dream and even designed series of ponds, creeks and rock formations to match his visions.

"Why bother?" Tryffin was well aware that he was whining at this point but he didn't care. "The police left hours ago, let THEM figure it out."

"You know the boss." Riki said. "He wants to make sure the police didn't miss anything. If they did and we're not on top of it, you could end up dead."

"Fine! Whatever! I'm gonna go get dinner." Tryffin said unhappily and walked passed the two men toward the stairs.

"As long as you know that dinner is in the house, no problem." Mako said quietly as he and Riki walked after Tryffin.

"This is SO fucking lame!" Tryffin mumbled as he headed towards the kitchen. Luckily he didn't have to cook his own dinner, Kouji has a kitchen staff that was well verse with all kinds of cuisines. At least his meals won't be a disaster, Tryffin thought as he told the cook what he wanted for dinner.

The rest of the evening took the same tune; Tryffin whined and moped about the place while the two men shadowed him and checked perimeters. He shuffled off to his room and slammed the door at the two men guarding him. When Tryffin was done making a face at the closed door, there came a knock.

"Who is it?" He asked.

"It's me, Mako."

"How do I know that?" Tryffin asked flippantly.

"Tryffin…" Came Riki's warning tenor.

"No, really. How do I know that you didn't kill off the real Mako and Riki and are now impersonating them?"

"We have the keys, Tryffin, don't make us use it." Riki warned again.

Tryffin had to admit that they hadn't invaded his privacy so far. They had always knocked before entering or waited patiently for Tryffin to let them in. Tryffin was sure, however that had they suspected foul play, they wouldn't hesitate to break down the door…they were both big enough to do just that.

"Oh, fine! What now?" He snatched open the door and stood aside while Riki remained by the door and Mako did a swift but efficient sweep of the room and balcony. "Satisfied?" He asked.

"All clear, here." Mako said into the walkie-talkie and nodded to Riki. The big man smiled apologetically at Tryffin and walked out the door.

"Hey, guys." Tryffin called the men and they turned to look at him, their expressions carefully neutral as they anticipated more abuse.

"Thanks." Tryffin said softly before closing the door. He could be a jerk but he knew that it wasn't their fault he was house arrested. He would hate to think that while they were protecting him, they might get hurt and he hadn't shown them how much he'd appreciated their efforts. He wondered how many times Shitahara had said thank you to the Tweedle brothers. None, he would guess. It just wasn't something the man would do.

Tryffin didn't want to be like Shitahara.

He shuddered as he remembered their last moments together. He shook his head and wished that Bombay guy had drugged him earlier, preferably before he'd let Shitahara fuck him. He could still feel the guy…

Yikes! Tryffin shuddered almost violently and rubbed at his arms. He got out of his clothes and hopped into a hot shower and scrubbed vigorously. He visualized all of Shitahara's touches as dirty patches on his skin and as he washed himself, the clean water carried them away down into the drain. It was a water cleansing technique that he'd learn from a friend and he'd find it most effective. When he felt much better, Tryffin turned off the water and stepped out of the stall. He looked around the room and rolled his eyes. He didn't bring his change of clothes. He grabbed the towel and walked out of the bathroom, toweling himself along the way.

Tryffin came to an abrupt halt when a very sharp tip of a mean looking katana nearly pierced his throat.

"Make a sound and the two men outside die."

Tryffin followed the katana to the man holding it and took in a sharp breath. Cold violet eyes studied him dispassionately, waiting to see what he'd do.

Tryffin swallowed and nodded. The fact that he was completely naked except for the towel he was drying his hair with completely slipped his mind. Aya…

"I'm not here to hurt you. I just wanted to ask you a couple of questions." Aya said quietly. He motioned with his katana for Tryffin to go back into the bathroom. Tryffin did silently and Aya followed close behind.

Tryffin barely managed to wrap the small towel around his waist when he heard Aya closed the bathroom door. He turned to see the man leaning against it as the violet eyes appraised him coolly. One scarlet brow rose mockingly when Aya saw Tryffin's hands clenching around the tiny towel.

"Nothing I haven't seen." Aya commented dryly.

Tryffin colored and cleared his throat. "Well…this, you know, it's not the same thing." He looked around the room and reach for another towel but before he could pull it off the rack, a strong, slender hand gripped his wrist and held it down.

Tryffin looked at Aya questioningly and the taller redhead smirked. "I prefer you this way. It's always good for the prey to be at a disadvantage."

Prey? "I thought you weren't here to hurt me." Tryffin said.

"I'm not." Aya let go of Tryffin's wrist and took a step back. He continued to watch Tryffin as if trying to determine what made the other man tick. "Why are you helping us?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"I think you do." Aya's piercing eyes narrowed dangerously. "Why were you withholding information from the police?"

"Did you kill them?" Tryffin countered.

"No." Aya said quietly. "But you didn't know that. So…why?" Aya watched him intently and Tryffin felt as if the man had jumped into his mind and was wading through his muddled thoughts.

"I don't know." Tryffin shrugged. It was true. At the time he really didn't know that Aya and Ken weren't the murderers, but he followed his gut instinct that told him they were safe. Even now, with the wicked looking katana, Aya didn't feel like a threat to him. Had Aya wanted him dead, why was the man talking to him? "Do you know who killed them?" He asked in return.

Aya was quiet for so long that Tryffin thought he wasn't going to answer him. "The same people who're trying to kill you."

"Duh! No shit?" Tryffin snorted.

Aya ignored his sarcasm and continued, "The accountant is saying that Ken and I killed your friend. Personally I don't care what anyone thinks but there are…people working with me who feel otherwise. It's a matter of principles, I suppose, to clear our name." Here Aya paused as if he didn't want to say the next part. "You seem to feel that we are innocent, is it because you have an idea who did it?"

Tryffin smirked. "Are you asking for my help?"

Aya's eyes narrowed. "No. We are quite capable of solving the mystery. If you are helpful, however, my colleagues may feel more inclined to keep you alive."

"What do you mean? I thought you weren't trying to kill me." Tryffin took a step back and hit the wall.

"Not yet." Aya said. "We have about 24 hours to prove that YOU didn't have anything to do with the deaths."

"WHAT!?!" Tryffin shouted and slapped a hand over his mouth. Almost immediately there was knocking at the door.

Aya was instantly alert and Tryffin made shushing motion with his finger. He squeezed pass Aya and open the bathroom door a fraction. "It's okay, boys, I nearly slipped in the tub, that's all. Go back to your playboy magazine, okay?"

He listened a few moments more then closed the door and turned to Aya. The man was watching him curiously and Tryffin became aware that they were pressed together rather intimately when he poked his head out the door.

"Um…bodyguards…" He told Aya lamely and tried to maneuver himself back into his corner. Unfortunately his body didn't want to go anywhere else, Aya was as sexy as he had remembered and SOME parts of his anatomy had responded to the proximity of the man.

Aya didn't seem to want him to go far either since the man grabbed hold of his towel and pulled him even closer. When Tryffin was flush against the taller man, he could feel Aya's erection pressing against his own. Tryffin was mildly surprised since none of Aya's expressions had indicated any interest…well not tonight at any rate.

"They're not very good." Aya whispered against Tryffin's ear. "If I'd wanted to kill you, you would have been dead." Aya gave Tryffin's towel a quick tuck and the small piece of material fell to the floor. The tall redhead's hands had moved around to cup Tryffin's ass and pulled him even closer as their arousals rubbed against each other. "I think I'd rather do something else though." Aya whispered and nibbled gently at Tryffin's ear.

"Ah…now?" Tryffin's breath caught in his throat as Aya drove his tongue in his ear.

Aya didn't answer but turned Tryffin around to lean over the counter top. Tryffin watched Aya in the reflection of the large bathroom mirror. Their eyes met and Tryffin swore that he was instantly twice as hard. Aya moved behind the shorter man and spread Tryffin's legs far apart. Tryffin moaned in anticipation, he had wanted this man from the first moment he had set eyes on him. He could hardly breathe as he waited for Aya to fuck him.

"Condom." Tryffin was stunned that he still had the present of mind to think about safe sex. He opened the medicine cabinet and pulled out a packet and handed it to Aya along with the tube of lube. The taller redhead took the condom and put it down on the counter then he flipped the cap off the lube and squeezed some onto his fingers.

Tryffin held his breath as the cool, slick digit rubbed against his opening and he lifted one leg over the counter to give Aya better access. Moaning softly, he thrust down as two fingers entered him and twisted deep inside. Tryffin tossed his head back and Aya bend forward, capturing his lips in a fierce kiss. The fingers continued to pump in and out of him making Tryffin tremble with sheer pleasure.

"Aya?"

Aya froze and both men held their breaths.

"Aya, are you in there?" A soft voice hissed on the other side of the bathroom door.

Aya pulled his fingers out of Tryffin and wiped his hand on one of the towels hanging in the room before casually straightening out his clothes. Tryffin groaned at the interruption and swiftly wrapped the dropped towel around his waist. He was slightly irritated that the tall redhead didn't look the least bit ruffled. They could have just been talking about the weather judging by the taller man's expression. Aya scrutinized Tryffin's towel and raised his brows at him before handing him a bigger towel. Tryffin snatched it from the man and wrapped it around himself before yanking the door opened.

Ken fell into the bathroom and crashed into Aya with an audible 'Oof'.

"Er…sorry." Ken pushed himself off the taller man and flushed becomingly. He turned to Tryffin and then to Aya and his face redden even further. "You're not…I mean, you aren't… Oh, crap!" He turned to Aya and smacked the taller man's arm repeatedly. "What the hell is the matter with you? Do you have to fuck everyone?"

Aya narrowed his eyes and said, "Not everyone."

Aw man! Tryffin cringed at the comment; THAT was cold. From the look on Ken's face, Tryffin would hazard a guess that Aya was definitely not fucking Ken. But wait a minute…weren't they a couple? Was Aya in the doghouse because of him the other night? Ken was pretty pissed at the club...

"My fault." Tryffin said quickly. "This was NOT Aya's idea. This is the only place I can have some privacy from my bodyguards. Aya didn't want to come in here, honest. I practically had to seduce him to get him to…"

"I seriously doubt that." Ken rolled his eyes and gave the tall man a withering look. "Never mind. Kouji's coming. We have to go."

"Wait, wait…how the hell do you know Kouji? And how the hell did you get in here?"

"I told you. Your security sucks." Aya told Tryffin absently, his eyes were still on the flushed brunette. "You shouldn't risk coming up here. Why didn't you use the communicator?" Aya gave the brunette a hard look and Tryffin could see Ken winced.

"Er…well…you remember the koi pond? You know, the one you told me not to fall into?" Ken shuffled his feet and looked anywhere but at Aya.

"Ken…" Aya sighed as he watched Ken and Tryffin could see a look of tenderness flashed briefly across his face. Tryffin felt a warm feeling growing in the pit of his stomach. Aside from their strange behaviors and whatever problems these two may have, there was no doubt in Tryffin's mind that Aya loved Ken. Now if he could only figure out what the hell kind of relationship they had…

"Who ARE you? Do you break into high security places just for kicks?" He looked from Ken to Aya as if trying to determine who would tell him the truth.

"High security? Don't make me laugh." Ken looked like he was about to do just that when he caught sight of Aya's cold, no-nonsense eyes and cleared his throat. "Um…we could tell you but then we'd have to kill you." Ken told him seriously.

"Ken…" Aya gave the brunette an irritated look before turning to Tryffin. "We didn't kill the three men at the club, that's all you need to know." Meaning they killed someone else… Tryffin wasn't sure THAT was a comforting statement at all.

The two men turned to leave and Tryffin reached out and grabbed Aya's arm. "Wait! Kouji is trying to find the culprit. Why don't you work with him…with us?"

Ken watched Aya silently as the tall redhead stared at Tryffin. "We don't need him." Aya said coldly.

Jerk! "Yeah, well Mr. High and mighty, we don't need you either!"

"Really." Aya looked almost amused. Almost. "You're very lucky Ken and I are not here to kill you. Tell your boyfriend to quit his day job. He's not very good at it."

Tryffin sputtered in outrage and swung at Aya's arrogant face. His fist never made contact. Ken had intercepted his assault and now held his wrist in a vice grip.

"Um…if you two lovebirds are done, we have to get going." Ken released Tryffin and looked at his watch impatiently.

"How can you say that? What the hell kind of a boyfriend ARE you?" Tryffin wanted to know.

"What the hell kind of a boyfriend is HE? He's been around the block more times than the local harlot!" Ken hissed as quietly as was physically possible.

"Well if you would GIVE him some, he won't be looking around."

"What? Eew! That is so gross!" Ken shivered and glared at Tryffin, completely missing the pained look that flashed across Aya's face. "We're not like that!" Ken hissed again. When he saw Tryffin's unconvinced look, he threw up his hands and stalked out the bathroom mumbling about having no time for this kind of crap. Tryffin watched Aya school his expression back to nothingness and felt sorry for the man. For all of Aya's aloofness, the man was really hurting. Why couldn't Ken see that?

Aya and Tryffin followed Ken onto the balcony and watched the brunette pick up a wire of some kind that was draped across the railing. It seemed to be attached to the tree about twenty feet or so away. Ken turned and gave Tryffin a nod before swinging on the wire to a tree. The wire was tossed back and Aya grabbed onto it then turned to Tryffin and said, "Stay alive." Then he too was gone. Tryffin stared into the darkness and shivered. So much for Kouji's tight security; he was going to have a serious talk with that man.

By the time Kouji came into the bedroom, Tryffin was still undressed and waiting naked on the bed. He was lying on his stomach with his legs slightly parted and his ass a good six inches off the bed. What Tryffin didn't expect however was that Kouji would have someone with him.

"Aw hell…" Kouji sounded unusually constipated.

"Perhaps I should wait outside."

Tryffin froze at the unfamiliar voice then scrambled to cover himself. He dove under the safety of the blankets and shoved his head under the pillow. What the hell was Kouji doing with another guy? Surely he didn't expect a threesome?

"Tryffin." Kouji called, his voice had regained some of its normal tone. When Tryffin didn't move, he slapped the redhead's buttocks sharply and called again. "Don't tell me you're shy all of a sudden. Although I'd have to say that this is the first time I've seen you greet a guest…er…in the buff."

Tryffin mumbled under the pillow but still refused to come up for air. This had to be one of the most humiliating moments of his life. Yeah…right next to getting caught giving his foster father a blowjob…

Kouji laughed and patted Tryffin's rump again. "Okay, buddy, we'll be in my office. Get dressed and meet us there. This is important, Tryf, it could save your life. Be there!"

Tryffin came out from under his cover when he heard the door closed. Fuck, he was going to have to face the stranger? Damn, this was so not cool!

He got dressed in record time, and was marching with his head held high into Kouji's office not 5 minutes later. His black turtleneck sweater and black pants contrasted marvelously with his bright hair. Black was also a power color and Tryffin found comfort in that after the disastrous first meeting.

Kouji's office was spacious with bookshelves lining three walls. Kouji's desk was by the window, the only side of the room without bookshelves. As Tryffin came into the room he noticed a tall, lean man pulling the curtains closed. The man had short brown hair and also dressed completely in black. Tryffin grimaced; so much for wearing power color.

"Tryf!" Kouji called to him with a smile and the stranger turned toward him.

And Tryffin froze in his tracks.

He gaped at the man standing slightly behind Kouji's chair. The man had a slight frown on his face as he regarded the redhead. His expression was mild if not somewhat irritated and it looked like he'd rather be anywhere but here with them. But it was none of these facts that had stopped Tryffin's heart. What nearly floored him was the fact that the man was wearing an eye patch. Tryffin blinked dazedly at the man and turned confused eyes to Kouji.

He'd found Patch…Kouji had found Patch.

"I know!" Kouji smiled and beckoned Tryffin over. "I thought he looked familiar too and I was right. He was the guy at the Ginza that day." Kouji pulled the numbed Tryffin against him and turned to face Patch. "Well, this is your charge. This is Tryffin."

Nani? Tryffin pushed against Kouji and looked at the man uncomprehendingly. "Charge? What charge?"

"Ah…Ceilen here is the best in the business. He's the number one choice in high profile security and he's agreed to protect you until we could find out who's behind all this."

Number one choice…Kouji made it sound like they were selecting meat for dinner.

"But I thought security was YOUR forte. I thought you said we don't need the police or anyone else." Tryffin asked his lover placidly.

Kouji sighed and nodded. "I know I said those thing but after spending a few hours with the police looking into this, we found that it's much more complicated that we first thought. There are people we don't even want to touch let alone accuse them of murder. It's going to take time and until then, the police commissioner recommended Ceilen highly."

Tryffin looked over to Pat…Ceilen and nodded to the man. "Nice to meet you but honestly, if you're Kouji's choice, then I'd have to say 'thanks but no thanks'." Ceilen didn't move a muscle. He didn't twitch, didn't look away, and didn't even acknowledge that Tryffin had spoken. The man just stared at him then turned to speak to Kouji.

"The location is not secure. There are too many security breaches here." Ceilen said emotionlessly to Kouji.

Tryffin wanted to laugh out loud at the expression on his lover's face. THAT couldn't have sat well with Kouji. He was the head of security after all. To be told that your own house had security problems was like getting hit below the belt.

"That's what Aya said!" Tryffin smirked at his lover. "Which reminds me." He jabbed a finger at Kouji's chest. "While I was in the shower, with YOUR men standing guard, two men snuck into my room and if they were the killers, I would have been dead. If he's anything like your men, I don't see how that's going to help me."

"What are you talking about?" Kouji frowned.

Tryffin was aware that Ceilen's attention was fixed on his every word and he suddenly felt self-conscious. "Well, I…you know the two men that Shitahara had me go get? Well, they were here tonight, they left right before you came back."

"What? Did they hurt you? What did they want?" Kouji looked Tryffin up and down worriedly.

"I'm fine. They didn't want to hurt me." He reassured Kouji and sneaked a glance at the Ceilen who was doing a pretty damn good imitation of a statue. "They wanted to know if we have any information on the killer. Apparently Tako had told the police that he thinks they did it and they wanted to clear their names. Sounds pretty reasonable to me."

"Why not go to the police and tell their side of the story?" Ceilen asked yet managed to look like he didn't care. "Why come here?"

Tryffin shrugged and looked away. Even with his power sweater and pants on, Ceilen had managed to make Tryffin feel completely naked and vulnerable. He wasn't sure he liked that no matter how sexy the man was.

Nani? The man was NOT sexy! Tryffin sneaked another sideways glance at Ceilen and swallowed. Yep, the man sure as hell was sexy.

"My men are not laxed, no matter what you say. They are some of the best in the business." He told Ceilen with a frown. "The fact that these men could break through my security meant that they're professionals. What the hell were they doing in the Rabid and what the hell are they up to now?"

"I don't need your men, I work alone. If that cannot be agreed on, I cannot take the case."

Damn, the man was stiff. Tryffin wondered who starched his underwear.

"What are you suggesting?" Kouji asked wearily.

"Wait a minute…" Tryffin started but Kouji raised a hand to silence him as the older man stared at Ceilen.

"I'm not suggesting." Ceilen said. "Tryffin comes with me. No one, not even you will know where he'll be."

"Wait a minute…" Tryffin started again to be completely ignored by both men as they faced each other.

"I don't think that's necessary." Kouji's voice had dropped a few degrees and Tryffin silently cheered his lover.

"Who knew Tryffin was going to Asakusa? Who knew he was driving the Porsche instead of his usual car?" Ceilen asked blandly. "It appears that your security is much more compromised than you believe."

Kouji paled and remained silent. Tryffin's heart sank. It was true. He had snuck out using the spare car and going out the service exit. No one even knew he was gone. He made sure he wasn't followed; it was a game he played many times before with Kouji's men. He was very sure no one followed him…

"A tracking device." Kouji said softly. He looked disgusted with himself and Tryffin moved closer to the older man. "Who?"

"He comes with me." Ceilen said in a tone that bode no argument.

"Wait a minute here." Tryffin finally get his sentence in. "I'm NOT going anywhere with you! I don't even know you. You could be the guy they hired to kill me."

As soon as Tryffin said that he knew it was a mistake. He didn't have time to react when he found Ceilen behind him and holding him in an inescapable chokehold.

"I wouldn't waste my time talking if I had wanted to kill you." Ceilen said softly into his ear but Tryffin hardly noticed it. The man's exotic scent filled him and he was suddenly hit with an acute sense of nostalgia. Tryffin nearly fell when Ceilen released him and he grabbed on to a nearby chair for support. Kouji was next to him in an instant but Tryffin shook his helping hand away. Where the hell was the man when the psycho attacked him?

"Your call." Ceilen said to Kouji.

"No! It's MY call." Tryffin straightened up and face the man. "It's MY life." He turned to Kouji who looked unsure of what to do. Tryffin felt bad, he couldn't leave the man. Kouji would feel as if he'd failed. Tryffin could not desert him now.

Yet the prospect of going with Ceilen sent thrills down his spine and his whole body hummed with excitement. He gave the one-eyed man a sidelong glance and felt his chest tightened. The man was watching him with a carefully shuttered expression. Tryffin couldn't tell what the man was thinking or hoping. Was the man hoping that Tryffin would refuse? Or that Tryffin would come with him? What would it be like to be alone with Ceilen?

What was he expected to do? What did he WANT to do?

Tryffin looked from one man to another then said firmly to Ceilen, "I'm staying."

Ceilen's eyes narrowed briefly before he looked to Kouji and said, "I'm leaving." He didn't wait for anyone to answer him but turned on his heels and walked out the door.

Tryffin felt suddenly empty. He unconsciously pressed a hand to his chest and frowned at the dull ache that was slowly growing inside of him. What was this feeling and why was the thought of never seeing Ceilen again made his heart sink. Why did he suddenly have the urge to rush after the man and tell him to stay?

Tryffin closed his eyes and dismally wished that he had kept his mouth shut. Maybe then Ceilen would have taken him away and he wouldn't feel this unexplainable sense of loss.

Maybe if he could just get Ceilen out of his system, he could go back to the way he was…

Maybe…

TBC…