Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ A Fine Line - FY ❯ Of Deceptions and Revelations ( Chapter 6 )

Thank you everyone for your feedback. No special warning for this chapter except that Chichiri is going to be quite mean…

A Fine Line - FY: Chapter 6 - Of Deceptions and Revelations

By Moonraven

(Day four -VERY early morning…)

"God damn stupid piece of junk!" Tryffin yelled at the cell phone in his hand and threw it hard, smashing it against the closed door of his cabin. "Shit!" He wasn't able to tell Kouji much; just that he was about six hours from Tokyo. He couldn't be sure how long he was out before Ceilen put him on the boat or how long he was out AFTER the damn tea but he hoped it wasn't too long. He knew that Kouji had these computers that can trace phone calls and had hoped that he could stay on the line long enough for Kouji to find him. He glared at the offending pieces of what used to be Ceilen phone as if he intended to ignite them into flames with just his looks alone.

With a frustrated huff of air, Tryffin sat back on his bed and drew his knees up against his chest, hugging them close. He leaned his chin on one of his knees and thought about what had just happened. Ceilen wanted him. Oh, yeah… he certainly did. So what was up with the eye patch thing? Was the thing behind the patch so gruesome that he would freak if someone were to see it?

Or had the thread snapping reminded Ceilen of what they were doing? That Ceilen had lost control and he had to regain it? So why the disgust? Was it directed at Tryffin? Tryffin didn't think so. Man, Ceilen was REALLY into him earlier, and there was NOTHING disgusting about HIM, thank you very much!

So the one-eyed wonder was disgusted with himself for… what? For wanting a man? For wanting Tryffin? What? What? Tryffin growled in frustration and jumped off the bed. He couldn't stay here by himself; he would go crazy from all the unanswered questions alone, nevermind the ocean. He needed Ceilen close by, to hell with pride.

Tryffin took a deep breath and did his best not to think about where he was. Even with his best effort - thinking about a very naked Ceilen moaning with every thrust - he was still sweating and panting heavily when he finally reached Ceilen's door. Or he hoped it was Ceilen's door. It was the only one with lights shining beneath it.

Tryffin banged on the door loudly and without waiting for reply, turned the knob and pushed the door open. He couldn't wait. The fear was crowding in on him and the darkened corridor only made it worse.

Nothing. There was no one in the room and Tryffin cried out in anguish. He slammed the door closed and looked around frantically. A large bed was against one wall, a large desk with, of course, the man's computer and… Tryffin blinked as he realized there were quite a few more computers than he'd thought any one man would need. It reminded him of Kouji's headquarters where he monitored all kinds of stuff.

But no Ceilen. Tryffin didn't want to go back to his room; he would be all alone again. At least here, he was near Ceilen's stuff. He walked to Ceilen's neatly made bed and crawled into it. He buried his face in Ceilen's pillow and took a deep breath. Everything smelled like Ceilen. He smiled to himself and snuggled comfortably between the sheets and felt his fears slowly but surely ebbing away.

"What are you doing here?"

Ceilen's harsh voice shook Tryffin out of his near-happy place and he peeked over the sheets to see a very wet and very bare-chested Ceilen standing in the doorway. He wore loose, gray sweatpants that hung very low on his hips, and had a towel draped around his shoulders as he used one end to dry his hair. Tryffin swallowed at the gorgeous sight in front of him but couldn't find the voice to reply.

"Get out." Ceilen's voice was chilled to near arctic temperature and that only made Tryffin burrow deeper under the covers.

"What are you doing? I said get out!" Ceilen said again from the doorway; the man seemed afraid to step into his own room.

"Why can't I stay here?" Tryffin asked from under the covers.

"Because…!" Ceilen's voice was still by the door. Tryffin peeked over the sheets again and sure enough, Ceilen did not budge an inch. Gods, he looked good without his clothes on! His chest was well defined, toned and so fucking sexy with all those little water droplets Tryffin was dying to lick off.

AGH! Bad, Tryffin! Down, boy! You're gonna scare him away again!

But it wasn't my fault!!!!

"Because… what?" You fucking wanted me! He wanted to yell at the man. So come and get me!

Ceilen blinked at him but didn't reply. He looked like he was debating with himself and after a short time, he advanced cautiously into the room... and went straight to his computers. Freaking idiot! Tryffin really wanted to throw something at him, maybe he should have kept the damned phone to chuck it at its owner instead. But thoughts of violence soon gave way to something else as Tryffin continued to watch the drool worthy torso. Some men, he thought with a sigh, should not be allowed to wear a shirt.

After Ceilen checked the various screens and found everything to be satisfactory, he threw his towel in the wicker hamper in one corner and pulled out a cotton, button-down shirt from a drawer. He casually threw that on but left it unbuttoned as he sat behind one of the computers and started typing.

Tryffin was getting a very distinct feeling that he was being ignored. He narrowed his eyes and glared at the man while he began debating with himself.

Should he just stay put and go to sleep? It would be like the previous night in the cave; him sleeping on Ceilen's bed and the man working all night by his computer. If he did, would that mean Ceilen would go without sleep two nights in a row? Surely he couldn't do that to the man? But he didn't want to go back to his room, damn it!

Or he could just bug the hell out of the guy! He was going to beat the crap out of Ceilen and the man did say he could try… but somehow he knew it wouldn't be as easy as all that, black belt or no black belt. But what he wouldn't give to wipe that self-satisfied smirk from that all too arrogant face! Yet with Ceilen, Tryffin knew that beating him to a pulp wouldn't do it.

An evil little smile appeared on Tryffin's face as he thought about what would. Surely he couldn't just jump the man…? Now that he knew Ceilen was interested, he didn't feel so timid and insecure. He felt pretty damn good.

"Hey." He called softly to Ceilen.

Click. Click. Click. Went the keyboard. Tryffin narrowed his eyes but decided to keep going.

"If I promise not to do anything, will you come to bed?" He asked softly, his eyes watching Ceilen carefully.

Ceilen paused briefly in his typing and his jaw muscle actually twitched. "No."

"Why not?"

"I can't leave the helm unmanned. It's not safe." Ceilen said without looking up.

"How are you manning the helm here?" Tryffin lifted himself up on one elbow and continued watching his strange bodyguard.

Ceilen frowned and looked at his many computer screens then he looked over the top of a monitor at Tryffin as if the redhead was daft. Then he shook his head and went back to whatever it was he was doing.

Tryffin glared at the bowed head. Okay… so how the hell was he supposed to know what the fuck `helm manning' was? It just sounded like there would be a whole lot of physical activities involved. Ceilen didn't have to be such a snotty brat about it!

"You can't go two nights in a row without sleep. What the hell is the time anyway?" Tryffin tried again. Oh the things he was willing to do to get that body into bed next to him.

"One in the morning and I'm fine." Ceilen said without bothering to look at him. "If you insist on staying here, go to sleep."

One in the morning! Damn, was he out for that long? What the hell kind of tea was that anyway? Tryffin chewed on his lips thoughtfully for a few seconds then plunged on. He figured he wouldn't be able to sleep anymore anyway, might as well find out what Ceilen really thought about their little romp.

"Ceilen?"

"Hm."

"What happened earlier?" Tryffin held his breath as he watched the other man. The muscles in Ceilen jaw moved again but the man didn't stop what he was doing nor did he look up.

"Nothing happened." The room's temperature dropped about ten degrees.

"Nothing." Tryffin repeated softly then sat up angrily and swung his feet off the bed. "NOTHING? Do you go around fucking all your charges, is that why what we did was `NOTHING'?"

"NO!" Ceilen cried in shock and looked up at Tryffin. "Neve---no, of course not." He looked back down again hastily. "It should be nothing to YOU, though; don't you do that kind of stuff all the time? It means nothing… so why don't you just forget about it?"

What the hell? Tryffin blinked confusedly at the bowed head. He didn't know why but Ceilen's comment made his heart drop to somewhere around his ankles and he didn't like the aching hollowness in his chest at all. Means nothing…

"Means nothing to you… so you do that kind of stuff a lot too?"

Ceilen frowned and shook his head. Ceilen looked… almost guilty and there was an undeniable sadness in the depth of his eye. "That's not what I meant."

"So it DID mean something to you?" Tryffin asked as he pushed himself off the bed and came to stand in the back of the monitor Ceilen was working on. He folded his arms across the top of it and rested his chin on his arm as he blinked innocently at Ceilen. Was it his imagination or was his bodyguard hiding something?

"No!" Ceilen looked really perturbed now. "I… it was a mistake. Forget it happened."

"Mistake or not… you were pretty amazin---"

"Stop!" Ceilen stood up abruptly and took several steps back. His face was bright red.

Tryffin straightened up from the top of the monitor and frowned at Ceilen. "Okay. Chill, man. What the hell is the matter with you?"

Ceilen didn't answer right away but stood there, staring hard at Tryffin. When he spoke. His voice was sad and tired. "Nothing. Just go to bed and let me work." Tryffin didn't want to leave him but he didn't know what else to do, either; the man was such an enigma.

"Too much tea." Tryffin mumbled.

Ceilen tilted his head to one side and gave him a puzzled look.

"Don't wanna go to bed. I've BEEN sleeping."

Ceilen blinked at him then asked, "Aren't you supposed to be cowering under the covers or something?"

AGH! Tryffin's grip on the monitor tightened and he glared back at his bodyguard. "You are SUCH an asshole!" But instead of going back to bed, Tryffin moved around the long table and came to sit on a file cabinet next to Ceilen… much to the other man's horror.

"Hah!" Tryffin crowed triumphantly. "It's your own damn fault for drugging the goddamn tea! I don't think I'll be able to sleep for a long time and bugging you is almost as good as cowering under the sheets." He smiled humorlessly at Ceilen and shifted to be just a little closer to the man.

Ceilen, on the other hand, moved a little further away. "I can always make more tea." Ceilen suggested seriously.

"Only if you take it with me."

Ceilen started at him intently, as if by doing so, he could understand the unpredictable redhead. After a short while, Ceilen shook his head as he decided to ignore Tryffin again and went back to his screens. Sitting where he was, Tryffin finally saw what Ceilen had been so engrossed in all this time… One monitor had an aerial map of what looked to be an island. Another was more of the radar screen that was similar to the one in Ceilen's car. Another monitor had pictures of some very sour looking people and some writings were next to each picture, as if describing each person. Tryffin was too far away from that screen to see what it said and curiosity almost made him leave the comfort of Ceilen's side. The last monitor had the diagram of a boat.

"Hey, is that… this boat?" He asked, pointing to the screen.

"Yes." Ceilen said without looking up from the charts that were laid out on the table. "Still not afraid?"

"Fuck you." Tryffin muttered darkly but moved a little closer to the man nonetheless.

"I don't think so."

"Oh, you are so full of it! If that damn string didn't break, you'd be screaming my name right about now!"

Ceilen gasped and turned to Tryffin incredulously. "YOU are full of it! You think too highly of yourself." The look of utter surprise turned malicious as he continued. "What you offer is a dime a dozen. You don't think I would realize sooner or later that I was bedding a common whore? Believe me, I'm NOT that hard up." With a cruel sneer, Ceilen turned his attention back to the charts and the computer screens.

Tryffin couldn't understand the paralysis that came over him. He couldn't understand why his heart was pounding agonizingly in his chest. His mouth was dry and his throat was tight, making breathing almost impossible. But the thing that he didn't understand the most was why Ceilen's opinion of him should matter so much. Ceilen was right. He WAS a whore. That had never bothered him before… Why was it killing him now?

Numbly he stood and without a second glance left the room. The once comforting presence had turned suddenly unbearable and he couldn't stand to be in the same room as the man who had such a poor opinion of him. Tryffin didn't even know how he'd gotten to his cabin and under his covers. His mind kept playing back the contemptuous look on Ceilen's face and the cold tone that chilled his heart.

************

"You don't want to do that." Shinji said quietly as Kouji started to make calls to get a boat ready.

Kouji turned around and gaped at the youngster standing in his bedroom. "What…?" He looked around the room in confusion. "How did you get in here?" Hadn't he dropped Shinji off a few hours ago?

Shinji shrugged evasively and smiled. "Nevermind that. You shouldn't be following him." He settled down casually at the foot of Kouji's bed and continued to smile up at the older man.

"Why? What the hell do you know? Who the hell ARE you?" Kouji asked as he reached into his dresser drawer and pulled out his gun.

Shinji raised his brows and his smile turned less amiable. "I'm a friend. I'm not here to hurt you."

Kouji laughed harshly then pointed the gun at Shinji. "You're so sure you can?"

Shinji looked thoughtful for a moment then nodded. "Yes. But like I said, I'm a friend."

Kouji glared at the smiling face and lowered his gun. "What the hell do you want?" Kouji watched the pouting lips tightened and wondered why he hadn't noticed the hardness around those brown eyes before. Shinji seemed to be a totally different person from the shy youngster he had picked up earlier. He actually looked… dangerous.

"I'm here to… help you."

"Help me with what? Why? And what do you know about what's going on?"

Shinji sighed and fell back on the bed. Kouji swallowed as he watched the soft pink hair spread out on the black silk of his sheets. Shinji looked really delectable at the moment and quite harmless. Kouji put his gun on the nightstand and involuntarily tightened the folds of his robe, his eyes never leaving the attractive young man on the bed.

"Help you in your investigation, of course. As to why and what's going on… that's a little complicated. Let's just say we don't want you to get hurt, okay?"

"We? Who's `we'?" Kouji narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Are you with the tall redhead, what's his name… Aya?"

Shinji rolled over and propped himself on his elbows, chin resting on his entwined fingers. He gave Kouji a bright smile and nodded.

Kouji's eyes narrowed further as he peered at the younger man. "Did you guys kill Shitahara?" He asked softly as he flexed his fingers, ready to go for his gun if he didn't like the answer.

Shinji frowned and then pursed his lips in thought. "My friends and I did not." He said slowly, carefully weighing each word.

"But you know who did." It wasn't a question; Kouji could sense that the young man knew something.

Shinji sighed again and studied the older man in front of him carefully. Kouji could see that he was trying to decide what to tell him. Finally Shinji said softly, "Maybe."

Kouji growled in frustration and closed the distance between them. Who the hell did Shinji think he was, playing games with him like this? He wasn't some dolt to be trifled with!

He grabbed the slender wrist, intending on yanking the young man off his bed but before he knew what happened, Kouji found himself lying prone on his bed with Shinji straddling his hips. Something very sharp pressed up against his neck and he looked up to see Shinji frowning down at him disapprovingly.

"THAT wasn't nice."

Kouji struggled but the sharp point on his neck dug deeper and Kouji was sure it drew blood. "Nice? You called playing me for a fool NICE? You pretended to be interested in me to do what? To spy on me? Don't fucking lecture me about nice!"

Shinji bit his lips guiltily and pulled the weapon away from Kouji's neck. He pocketed it but did not make a move to get off the older man. Kouji looked up at the reddened lower lip and unconsciously licked his own lips. He remembered from earlier how sweet they were and his body immediately responded to the stimulating images in his mind.

Shinji gave a startled cry and looked down at where he was sitting… right on top of Kouji's rising erection. His face turned bright red and he hastily moved off the prone man. Kouji snorted at the display of innocence; although they had not gone further than some very heated kissing and petting, Kouji wasn't so sure about the boy's innocence anymore. He had actually liked Shinji. To know that all of the young man's attention and care had all been a deception was really… strangely painful.

"Gomen… Kouji-san." Shinji mumbled and moved a little ways away from the Kouji. "It was the only way to find out what you know and hopefully prevent you from getting yourself killed. We meant no harm."

"Che!" Kouji sat up and rubbed at his neck. "I can keep myself from getting killed. So you can keep your fucking helping hands to yourselves and stay the hell away from me."

Shinji stood a few feet away watching him unhappily. "You're trying to find out who killed Yuichi Shitahara."

"Damn right! He was my friend."

"He was killing innocent people."

"That was a lie!" Kouji rushed Shinji and grabbed him by the collar, pushing the younger man against the wall. Shinji frowned at Kouji but allowed the older man to manhandle him. "There was never any proof! You LIE!" Shitahara was his friend. Sure he had his strange quirks but he was not a murderer, damn it!

"I'm sorry but we do have proof." Shinji said softly, then gasped as Kouji pressed his arm hard against the boy's throat.

"I checked. The police had nothing!"

"I'm not talking about the police." Shinji's bright brown eyes stared up at him and Kouji had to harden himself against the fluttering he felt in his chest. What the hell was wrong with him? The kid was bad news and he was being used, damn it!

"Then who? Who has the proof?" Kouji pressed harder and Shinji coughed as his face started to turn red. Kouji released the younger man's throat but kept a firm grip on Shinji's upper arm and shirt.

Shinji took some deep breath and rubbed at his throat then gave Kouji a wane smile. "I guess we're even, ne?" He asked softly.

"Not by a long shot, kid." Kouji growled. His pride was injured and there was no quick fix for it.

Shinji seemed to understand; the boy looked guilty again and avoided Kouji's eyes.

"I can't tell you exactly who we are, just that we fight criminals that are above the law - criminals who are powerful enough to bribe their way out of prison. We stand for their victims and we are their justice."

"So you DID kill Shitahara!" Kouji's gripped both of Shinji's arms and shook him against the wall.

Shinji seemed to have had enough of the rough treatment and his arms snapped up between Kouji's and he broke free of the older man's grip. He pushed his palm hard against Kouji's chest and Kouji found himself stumbling back and fell on his butt.

Shinji straightened his clothes and frowned down at Kouji. "No, I told you we didn't do it but there are traitors in our group and we feared that it was they who killed Shitahara. We are trailing them now, you need not bother."

"The hell, I `need not bother'!" Kouji got up on his feet and tugged irritably on his robe. "You tell me where to find them and I'll give them justice myself!"

Shinji sighed and rolled his eyes. "It's not that simple. These people are trained killers, ruthless and conniving. You didn't even know they'd planted a bug on Tryffin… didn't know they had a bomb in one of your cars." Shinji shook his head. "I don't mean to insult you but I'm afraid they are of a different league than the criminals you're used to dealing with."

"I can take care of myself, thanks for the concern." Kouji's tone was filled with sarcasm and Shinji colored slightly.

"I can't allow you to go after them… not alone…" Shinji said slowly and looked up at Kouji through tousled pink bangs. Kouji's heart skipped a beat and his groin stirred to life once again.

Kouji ignored the throbbing between his legs and concentrated on what Shinji said instead. "What do you mean?"

Shinji closed his eyes and sighed in resignation. "If you promised to do as I say, I may be able to help you."

Kouji narrowed his eyes at the gorgeous young man in front of him. "What's this, another ploy so you can keep a watch on me? Like I'm going to trust you."

"You have no choice." Shinji's eyes snapped opened and Kouji got another glimpse of the danger he'd seen earlier.

Even though he didn't like it, he knew Shinji was right; he didn't have a choice. The boy knew where to find the killers. Maybe.

"Fine. What do we do now?"

"We sleep." Shinji shrugged and smiled cheerfully at him. "You're going to need your strength tomorrow."

"What about Tryffin?"

"What ABOUT Tryffin?" Shinji frowned irritably at Kouji. "He's in good hands."

Kouji was still unhappy. Tryffin had sounded terrified and as far as he knew, Ceilen wasn't there to comfort him. He turned to Shinji abruptly and peered at the younger man. "Wait… wait a minute… Ceilen… he's not… NO! Don't tell me he's with you guys."

Shinji blinked at him for several seconds then shook his head. "No… no. He's not… WITH us but we've heard of him. He's… um… very famous." Shinji smiled innocently at him.

Kouji was still unsure and he frowned uncertainly at Shinji; that smile was just a tad bit TOO innocent as far as Kouji was concerned. The younger man laughed then walked over to Kouji and tugged playfully on the lapel of his robe. "Don't worry! Now go to sleep, I'll meet you in Ueno Park at ten sharp, okay?"

Kouji wrapped his arms around Shinji's waist and pulled the younger man flushed against him. Shinji looked up, startled, his cheeks colored brightly.

"Why don't you stay here and make sure I behave?" Kouji suggested huskily. Having the young body pressed up against him like this was making him hard again.

Shinji shook his head and pushed gently against Kouji's chest. "I… can't. Besides, f I stay, you probably won't behave."

Kouji tilted the younger man's head back so he could see into those expressive brown eyes. Surprisingly, they held a hint of nervousness that made Kouji loosen his hold on Shinji's waist. Surely the boy can't be all that innocent? His kisses earlier nearly drove Kouji insane with want but now Shinji acted like he's a scared virgin. Was it all an act? Could he have misread the younger man so completely?

"Am I just a job then?" Kouji asked as he gazed intently into Shinji's eyes.

"Am I just a diversion while Tryffin is away?" Shinji countered.

Kouji studied the suddenly serious face before him and reluctantly let the younger man go. They were both guilty of something yet Kouji wasn't sure if he thought of Shinji that way. Strangely enough, when he was with Shinji, he hadn't thought of Tryffin at all. All day his mind had been focused solely on Shinji. That had never happened before. No matter whom he was with, he had always thought about going home to Tryffin…

Why was being with Shinji different?

"I guess I'll meet you in Ueno Park at ten, then." Kouji muttered.

Shinji looked strangely disappointed as he nodded and walked towards the balcony. Just as he was about to step through the opened doorway, he turned and looked directly at Kouji.

"Just for the record, you're not… just a job." Before Kouji could make a reply, Shinji slipped onto the balcony and disappeared into the night.

Kouji glared darkly out his window. Tryffin was right, that damn tree had to go.

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

Tryffin jerked upright on the bed and stared around the dimly lit cabin nervously. What was that crashing sound he'd heard? Was the boat sinking? Terror filled mind conjured up images of his watery grave, making the tightly strung redhead grip the blanket tighter around him.

He had been lying on his bed for hours, trying to forget the scorn in Ceilen's tone. Needless to say, it didn't work. Why was it hurting so badly? So what if the only thing he had to offer - the only thing that was worth anything - was cruelly rejected? Why should HE care? Wasn't he with Kouji? So why can't he get that arrogant asshole out of his mind? What the hell was wrong with him? There were too many questions rampaging through his mind and he had answers for none of them.

Then he heard it again; the sound of something breaking. It was faint but unmistakable. Tryffin frowned and stared at his closed door. Did something happen to Ceilen? The man hadn't slept in two days - that he knew of - but who knew how many more nights Ceilen had gone without sleep?

Without further thoughts, Tryffin pulled back the sheets and headed for Ceilen's room. The door was closed but he could see lights shining beneath the door. It must be close to morning and the man was still awake. Tryffin knocked softly and pressed his ear to the door as he waited for reply.

Nothing. He frowned and tried the door. It wasn't locked so he turned the knob and cautiously pushed it opened. What he saw made him cry out and he ran into the room.

One of the computer monitors was lying on the floor, glass from the screen shattered all around it. The pitcher of water and the small table it was sitting on were knocked over, spilling water around the fallen monitor. But worst of all, Ceilen's still form slumped over the desk in a pool of blood.

Tryffin ran over to Ceilen and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the man was breathing and even panting slightly. Ceilen whimpered softly, a sound that sent chills down Tryffin's spine. Never in a million years did he expect to see Ceilen like this.

He tentatively placed a hand on Ceilen's shoulder and called softly, "Ceilen." When there was no response, he pulled Ceilen back gently and called again. "Ceilen. Are you alright? What happened?"

Ceilen moaned and pushed him away. The man staggered unsteadily to his feet and stared blankly at Tryffin. Then Ceilen swayed and Tryffin put his arms around him and pulled the resisting man into his arms. "Hey, here… let me help you." He led Ceilen to his bed and gently lay him down. His bodyguard's injuries had Tryffin gasp out in shock. Ceilen had deep gashes on his forearms and chest. Blood flowed steadily from several wounds and Tryffin wondered how the hell he had managed to hurt himself so badly. Tryffin looked around the room for something to staunch the blood. There had got to be something he could use.

"Go away." Ceilen said tiredly from the bed and Tryffin's concern turned to anger.

"Yeah, don't worry, I will. As soon as I make sure you don't bleed to death."

"I won't. Just go." Ceilen closed his eye and turned his head away.

Tryffin nearly growled out in frustration. The man was going to be the death of him and it had nothing to do with his fear of water.

"Look, I don't know shit about where we are, where we're going or anything about his goddamn boat! So believe me when I say that helping you is all about helping ME. And don't worry; I'm not going jump you or anything! I'M not that hard up!" He said between gritted teeth.

There was no response from Ceilen though Tryffin thought he heard the man catch his breath.

Seeing that the man's shirt was trash anyway, Tryffin gently divested Ceilen of it and tore off pieces to wrap around the cut. Ceilen turned an unimpressed eye toward him and watched his effort impassively.

"You've got blood all over you." Ceilen suddenly noted. "You shouldn't get other people's blood on you."

Tryffin blinked at Ceilen then looked down at his blood soaked chest and arms. He had gotten Ceilen's blood on himself when he helped the man to his bed and when we removed Ceilen's shirt. He shrugged carelessly. "Too late now," was all he said as went back to work.

He could feel Ceilen's puzzled gaze on him as he wiped away the blood to see the wounds. Then he wrapped the strip of Ceilen's shirt around each one tightly to stop the bleeding. He'd clean them properly later when the bleeding was controlled. The cut on the chest was harder; he didn't have long enough a strip so he sat there pressing the remaining cloth firmly over the gash.

"Where is your first-aid kit?" He asked as he looked around the room again. When there was no reply, he turned anxiously back to the prone figure on the bed, fearing the worst.

But Ceilen wasn't unconscious; he was staring fixedly at Tryffin. The man's piercing gaze made Tryffin take a sharp breath and he involuntarily pulled back from Ceilen.

"In the cabinet above the bed." Ceilen said softly, his eye still on Tryffin.

Tryffin swallowed and nodded. "Okay." He got up and fetched the metallic box, all the while very aware of Ceilen's gaze on him.

Tryffin looked moodily at the spilled water then rummaged through the first-aid kit. "I am NOT going anywhere to get water so we're going to have to make due with alcohol and hydrogen peroxide, okay?" He took said bottles out of the box and set them down of the bed next to him. He picked up syringes and several glass bottles with clear liquid then stared at them in surprise. "Damn! This is SOME first aid kit." He put them back, shaking his head at the amount of supplies and surgical equipment he'd seen. "You are SO freaking weird. I hope you're not into pain or anything `cause you don't need stitches and I DON'T do stitches." Tryffin shuddered as he looked at a pack of suture needles.

Ceilen watched him silently for a few seconds then asked quietly, "Where did you learn how to dress wounds?"

Tryffin shrugged and he poured alcohol on some cotton and wipe the smeared blood off Ceilen's torso. "Kouji and the guys do get into some pretty bad scuffles sometimes. I guess there is something else I can do besides getting laid, huh?" He hadn't meant to say that last part. Honest he hadn't, he just couldn't keep the horrible thought that had occupied his mind since he'd left Ceilen from surfacing. Tryffin groaned inwardly at how pathetic he must have sounded and kept his eyes focused on his task. What the hell was wrong with him?

An uncomfortable silence followed his unfortunate comment and Tryffin tried hard not to think too much about what was done. Ceilen lay still and allowed him to clean and properly dress each wound without protest. Then the man suddenly said, "I'm sorry."

That was the last thing he'd expect from Ceilen and Tryffin looked into the cautious brown eye in surprise.

"It was an awful thing to say." Ceilen continued softly as if to clarify why he was apologizing.

Ceilen had said a great many things but they both knew which he was referring to. Tryffin nodded mutely. He didn't know what to say. He was glad that Ceilen had apologized but a part of him was still hurt. Ceilen hadn't said that he didn't mean it… he just realized he shouldn't have SAID it…

"And your kung fu." Ceilen said almost shyly.

Tryffin raised his eyebrows questioningly but Ceilen's eye was closed. "My… kung fu?"

The corner of Ceilen's lips quirked slightly but he didn't open his eye. "Another thing that you can do… well - your kung fu."

Tryffin blinked and wondered if this was Ceilen's way of telling him that he was REALLY sorry. A warm flush of pure joy filled his being and Tryffin had to work hard to suppress the idiotic grin that threatened to break across his face. "Oh… yeah, thanks. It's Shorinji Kempo but you didn't really see it, did you? And why do you call it `kung fu'? Sounded like a Jet Li movie or something." Shut the fuck up! Geez! Tryffin ignored the urge to clamp his hand over his mouth and finished the dressing then closed the first-aid kit with a snap.

"Hmmm… Shorinji Kempo." Ceilen murmured softly. "Shaolin Ji Chuan-fa."

"Eh?" Tryffin stared at the beautiful face blankly. He was totally lost.

Ceilen smiled at the baffled tone in Tryffin's voice and opened his eye to look with some amusement at the redhead. Tryffin found himself practically melting right off the bed. Ceilen was so fucking gorgeous. "It means Fist Method of the Shaolin Temple. It's part of the Chinese martial art form known as Shaolin Kung Fu." Ceilen continued. "I use that form sometimes."

Wow. Tryffin stared owlishly at Ceilen. THAT was all volunteered information! Holy shit, he must have lost a lot more blood than Tryffin had thought or the guy must REALLY be sorry. Ceilen's smile got bigger at Tryffin's expression but then as if realizing that he was being uncharacteristically friendly, Ceilen cleared his throat then looked away.

"Wow." Tryffin repeated his thought lamely. "I never really paid attention when they talk about the history or nothin'. I just went in so I can kick some ass." He told Ceilen as he stood up and put the first-aid kit away.

"I'm surprised they let you in; that's not a reason for learning martial arts."

"I had… other reasons." Tryffin sat back down next to Ceilen on the bed. "Why did YOU learn… martial arts? And the Chinese version at that."

Ceilen didn't say anything for a long time and Tryffin was sure the man was going back into the silent mode. He just hoped that Ceilen would leave the asshole portion out of it.

"Revenge." Ceilen whispered, his eye focusing on the blood on Tryffin's t-shirt.

"For your parents."

Ceilen looked into Tryffin's eyes and nodded slowly. "Not much better reason than yours, I know, but the people that taught me didn't really care for my reasons… just theirs."

Tryffin blinked at Ceilen's openness. The man was really trying; Tryffin couldn't do any less.

"I… learned Kempo because my foster father was a real jerk and he tried to…" Tryffin broke off not wanting to mention anything about sex. He swallowed and went on, "Well… anyway, he liked to beat up on his wife too so I got myself an instructor and after a few lessons, beat the crap out of him. " He gave Ceilen a crooked smile. "He left us pretty much alone after that."

Ceilen stared up at him in silence, his eye searching Tryffin's face intently. Tryffin wasn't sure if Ceilen was trying to see if he was lying. He frowned and asked Ceilen, "What?"

Ceilen shook his head and tried to sit up. "What happened to them?"

Tryffin helped Ceilen and soon they were sitting side by side on the bed. "Rina left him so the government threw me into another foster home."

Ceilen stared unseeingly at the mess on the floor, lost in thought. Tryffin wondered if the man had even heard what he'd said.

"You must have been very young." Ceilen finally said. His voice was soft and distant, as if he was somewhere else.

"My parents died when I was thirteen." Tryffin shrugged and tried to pretend that it didn't affect him anymore. "You do what you can."

Ceilen was silent again then he nodded. "Yes, we do."

Tryffin turned and looked sideways at the pensive man besides him. Millions of thoughts and questions about Ceilen's past flashed across his mind yet he couldn't find the ability to put many of them into words.

"How old were you when… your parents died." Tryffin asked softly, not wanting to break this bond he felt they were forming. If it took this kind of incident to get Ceilen to open up, he'd wish for it everyday, even if it meant that he'd have to constantly endure Ceilen's venomous tongue.

"They were murdered." Ceilen's voice was hard yet he didn't raise his voice. "I was fifteen." He continued in a softer tone as he stared down into his hands. Tryffin wanted to ask about Ceilen's parents but he knew that it was probably too soon. Ceilen wasn't ready for much more.

Tryffin nodded his understanding. "You went through some of them foster homes too, huh? Aren't they shit?"

Ceilen turned sharply to look at Tryffin, his expression almost amused. Then he gave Tryffin a small smile. "Yeah, something like that."

Tryffin was sure from the man's expression that it was probably NOTHING like that. Ceilen's life was definitely nothing like his.

Ceilen turned back to the mess in his cabin and stood up slowly with a sigh. "I guess I'd better clean up."

Tryffin looked at the heavily bandaged man and frowned. "I can do that. Why don't you rest? I know I can't sleep any more but I don't think you've slept a wink."

Ceilen's back was toward Tryffin and the redhead could see Ceilen stiffened slightly. "I'm fine."

Tryffin snorted as he looked around the room. "Yep, sure looks like it to me, too." He got up and came to stand next to Ceilen and they both surveyed the room together. "So what happened? Got pissed off at the monitor or something?"

Ceilen didn't answer but Tryffin could feel guilt and shame flow off the man in waves. It was freaking scary.

A strange beeping came from one of the computers and Ceilen went to the source of the sound immediately. Tryffin gingerly went around the broken monitor and met Ceilen coming from the other side of the table. The monitor in question was black with green circular lines, a lot like the radar screen from Ceilen's car.

"What is it?" Tryffin asked, completely mystified by the blips and dots and lines on the screen.

Ceilen studied the screen for a while then shook his head. "Nothing. We're on one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. The alarm is programmed to go off if one of the vessels gets within a certain range of us. That was just an oil tanker. Pretty normal stuff." He studied the dots and lines again then turned and looked at Tryffin coolly. "I thought you were going to clean up the mess."

Tryffin sighed in resignation and shook his head. Their moment of truce was over; the asshole was back. Tryffin went over to the fallen monitor and carefully picked it up. Well, at least he knew the man was back to normal even if normal was going to be hell for Tryffin.

Then Ceilen surprised him again for the umpteenth time when he spoke softly without looking up. "Thank you."

Tryffin wasn't sure what he was being thanked for; cleaning Ceilen's wounds or for cleaning up his room but he wasn't about to ask. "My pleasure." He said simply and noted with delight when color rose in Ceilen's cheeks.

Tryffin was never one to give up and he wasn't about to start now, not when he knew that Ceilen wasn't impervious to him. Tryffin wanted Ceilen but what he wanted FROM Ceilen was still a mystery to him. Sex was a given but that wasn't enough. It suddenly scared Tryffin that he might be having feelings other than lust for someone.

Scary but was it worth it? This went against all of his beliefs; no feeling, no attachment, no pain… He looked up at Ceilen again and noted the clean lines of the man's body, the deep concentration on his face but most of all, Tryffin noted the suppressed vulnerability of the man.

Ceilen was one troubled soul and if Tryffin could change all that, it would be worth all the pains in the world.

TBC…

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

Thank you, thank you! I hope you weren't TOO mad at Ceilen earlier? He's really, really sorry. Next chapter of FY will be a flash back chapter for Ceilen. It'll take place about five years before he met Tryffin, which is about 3 years after he left Kritiker. It will introduce Kouran and Hikou… It will also explain some of his more… er… mean tendencies… ^__^

See ya then!!!!