Trinity Blood Fan Fiction ❯ Blood Sacrifice ❯ Chapter Five ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter Five

 

Abel and León found nothing of any further interest during their search of the church, the two men working quickly yet thoroughly. Slightly frustrated, they left the building and made their way to the police station as planned. They arrived at the station, which was nearly deserted. A quick inquiry revealed that the majority of the daytime staff had been dispatched to notify and interview the relatives of those who had been slain in the church, as well as escort them to where they could identify their loved ones.

The pair was able to talk briefly with the detective they had met previously, the man looking decidedly grayer and more worn out then he had before. The scene at the church had taken a toll on all of the officers who had responded. Abel asked the man if they had removed anything from the church only to be told that only the bodies of the slain and the weapons that had been found had been removed as evidence. Before they had departed, the detective gave them a copy of the promised report of the incident at the first church as well as a copy of the preliminary findings after the second massacre. Taking the pages, Abel and León thanked the man and took their leave.

They made a brief stop at their hotel so that Abel could drop off the paperwork they'd received, before they headed off again, in the direction of the first church they had visited upon their arrival in Valentia. Though they had been told while at the police station that the bodies had also been removed from there as well, neither man was looking forward to returning. Abel, in particular, couldn't help the vague nausea that rose when he thought about going back. But he had no choice. He knew he had to go back again. The impulse was too strong to ignore, and the priest knew to trust his instincts. The two arrived to find the building still under guard, though there was only one officer, an older man who looked like he would rather be anywhere else but there. It didn't take much convincing, therefore, to get the man to let them in, and Abel took a slow breath as he stepped inside. His hands, hidden beneath his cloak, were clenched into fists.

Though the bodies had been removed, the interior still carried the stench of death, the iron tang of blood seeming to cling to everything as the two passed through the doors and into the church. Abel moved quietly down the aisle, his steps slow, tense as he waited for any of the tell-tale signs that had marked his first two "episodes" since arriving in Valentia. But none of it came. No ringing ears, no tingling skin. "Odd..." he murmured.

"What is?" León glanced over at the pale-haired man.

"It's the same as before...something's been changed."

"Looks the same to me," the other man said. "Sans all the corpses."

"There has to be something different," Abel said, frowning a bit as he looked around, then started making his way for the pulpit. "Help me look..."

León opened his mouth to ask just he was supposed to be looking for, but thought the better of it as he trailed after the priest. Abel was silent as he mounted the short stairs, his eyes going immediately to the statue behind the pulpit. His frown deepened. He remembered that statue. And it looked the same as it had before --coldly beautiful and splattered with now-dried and darkened blood.

And weaponless.

León watched his partner, the brunette moving to stand next to the priest as Abel continued to stare at the statue. "This one's gone, too," Abel murmured. "That makes no sense..."

"What's gone?"

"This statue's sword has been taken, the same as the other..." He trailed off as he took a step closer to the statue.

León's dark brows knitted together. "But the cops said they didn't take anything."

"And they've had a guard posted here since the initial incident occurred...I don't understand...obviously it didn't walk away on its own."

"Someone else must've been here then."

"I wonder if there's a door we don't know about..." Abel said, already starting to look around. "Although I don't know how we could have missed it..."

"Its not like we gave this place a real going over before you started to freak out." León pointed out. "There's probably a lot we missed."

"That's true," Abel said. "We should rectify that now, especially if there's a way someone's been using to get in and out. Who knows what else they might have taken?"

The dark-haired man nodded. "Let's split up again."

"All right."

With León taking the left side and Abel the right, the two parted and started their inspection of the church, the pair pouring over every inch of the interior - the pews, the paneling, the windows, the carpeting and floor. It was a long and tedious process, the air inside the closed up building near stifling from both heat and the still lingering smells of the carnage that had taken place there. León had long grown frustrated with the search when he unexpectedly found something, the broad-shouldered man letting out a little exclamation of surprise. The sound immediately caught Abel's attention, and he turned toward the other man. "What is it?"

"What do you make of that?" The dark-haired man stepped back, his eyes turned upwards towards the corner of one of the windows.

Fairly well concealed within the shadowed corner was a small electronic device, the object appearing to be smaller than León's palm. Abel looked up and squinted a little as he peered into the shadows, stepping a little closer. "I'm not sure...wait, is that a camera?"

"Only one way to find out." Bracing his hand on the stained glass window, León climbed up on the ledge. Taking a moment to get his balance, he reached up, stretching his tall frame to its fullest to reach the device. The device had not been fastened permanently and all it took was a few good pulls before he had it in hand.

Abel watched quietly, knowing there wasn't much he could do if the man fell, but lingering close enough to try and catch him if he did. Once he had a good grip on the object, León jumped down, the big man landing lithely on his feet. "Let's have a look," Abel said, relaxing a bit when once León had rejoined him. The brunette opened his hand displaying the device, which upon closer inspection was indeed a small camera. Abel frowned a little. "Well now," he said softly. "That's interesting...I wouldn't have expected there to be any need for a security camera in a place like this..."

"And why just one?"

"We're not finished with our search yet," Abel pointed out. "Perhaps we'll find another elsewhere?"

"Maybe...” León said.

"I know...I don't really think so, either, but I don't like this," Abel said, pointing to the camera. "I want to know what else we've missed..."

The dark-haired man nodded in agreement. "Back to work then."

The two returned to their search, continuing to scrutinize the building carefully. Abel's eyes sought ahead of him always, trying to discern anything that was the slightest bit out of place. Sighing softly, he leaned against what looked like a relatively clean spot along the wall, and gasped softly as the wall behind him shifted. León meanwhile was busy on the other side of the church still, the broad-shouldered man stomping on the floor, looking for hollow spaces underneath. Abel pushed away from the wall, and reached out to give it a gentle push. It shifted just a little bit, and then the priest turned his full attention toward trying to find a catch or something to clue him in to what he had found.

Pausing for a moment, León glanced over in Abel's direction, his brows crooking a bit as he watched the ivory-haired man. Abel nearly growled in frustration before he finally found the catch, carefully concealed between two of the wooden panels that made up the walls of the church. "There we go," he murmured, before slowly starting to pull the panel, the entire piece swinging out near-silently.

"What the hell?" León's voice sounded from behind Abel's shoulder, the broad-shouldered man having made his way over while the priest had been searching for the catch to open the concealed door.

"I'd have almost guessed supply closet," Abel said, gesturing to the neglected shelves and an equally long-neglected mop. "But that seems to go a bit against it..." There was a small branch off the tiny room the panel had been hiding, an opening that looked just big enough for Abel to squeeze through, if he tried.

"Hidden cameras...hidden rooms...quite an interesting place."

"In a building this small, having a storage closet hidden thus isn't terribly surprising," Abel said, moving toward the opening. "But this does seem a bit suspect."

"You wanna check it out?" León asked, gesturing to the opening.

Abel nodded. "Absolutely," He said, and was pleased to see, as he approached it, that it was larger than it first appeared. "Looks like we'll both fit, too. Are you coming with me, or shall I go on my own?"

"Like you have to ask."

Abel nodded, and slipped into the opening, finding it opening into a tunnel that angled downward into the ground. "I don't suppose you've got a flashlight on you, do you?" He asked, moving into the tunnel slowly.

León shook his dark head. "There are candles out on the altar." he offered up a few moments later.

"Would you be so kind as to grab a few of them?"

With a nod, the broad-shouldered man backed out of the room and hurriedly made his way up the aisle towards the altar.

León returned several minutes later with a pair of fat pillar candles and a book of matches. Handing one of the candles to Abel, he lit it and then lit his own from the candle Abel was holding. Abel stepped up to take the lead, his candle held in a light but firm grip. He waited until he was certain León's candle would remain lit before stepping away from the man and heading further into the tunnel. Giving the room a last glance, León followed the priest, the two of them stepping into darkness with only the feeble flickering of two candles to guide them.

 

 

It was hard for Abel to gage just how long they were walking before the tunnel angled upwards again. "How far do you think we've come?" He murmured.

"I dunno," León answered. "Maybe sixty or seventy yards if I had to guess."

Whoever had installed the tunnel had taken great care in its construction, the floor relatively smooth despite being dirt, the ceiling of an equal height along its length, and high enough that both men were able to walk fully upright. "Won't that mean this lets out in almost the middle of nowhere?" Abel asked, frowning thoughtfully to himself.

"Maybe," León replied. "I mean there were woods all around, but who knows. There could be something we couldn't see from the church."

"True..." Abel's free hand slid into his robes, and he drew his pistol. They were nearing the exit, the end of the long tunnel finally in sight, and since he didn't know what was going to be on the other end, the weapon was a comforting weight in his hand.

The brunette followed his companion's lead, León slipping one of the silver chakram from his wrists, curling his fingers around the familiar smooth metal ring. The tunnel ended in a smooth door that had no visible knob or lock, and Abel stopped and waited for his companion to join him. "Would you be so kind as to open the door while I cover you?" He asked.

"Sure thing, Junior." León blew out his candle, tossing the wax stub to the floor of the tunnel before moving past the pale-haired priest to the door. Adjusting his grip on the chakram slightly, he slowly shouldered the wooden door open.

León could see little as the door cracked open, other then dusk was beginning to fall. He had pushed the door open almost halfway without incident when he shouldered it the rest of the way and dashed outside, immediately going down into a crouch, the chakram spinning on his long fingers in readiness. Abel was right behind him, pistol at the ready, aiming over León's head as his pale eyes darted around. But there was little to see.

The tunnel had opened into a small clearing with a dirt track that looked to be just barely wide enough for a car to travel on leading away into the woods. Rising to his feet, León looked around, the brunette unable to see the church through the forest surrounding the clearing. Abel lowered his pistol and blew out his candle as he stepped around León, looking around as he did. "This...is unexpected."

"You were right; it is the middle of nowhere."

"Yes...but why build a tunnel that leads out here? It doesn't make any sense..."

"What about this case has made sense?” León snorted.

"Well, I suppose we could follow the track...but without knowing how far it leads, I'm hesitant this close to sundown."

The dark-haired man nodded. "It's going west, so I bet its going back to Valentia."

"Should we come back and see what part it leads to tomorrow?" Abel asked, reaching to slip his pistol back into the holster under his robes.

"Can't hurt."

"All right...in the meantime, let's do a quick search of our immediate surroundings, see if we can find anything useful, then head back to the hotel. I've still got our report to update and the paperwork from the police station to look over."

León nodded and the two men split up, each of them moving in opposite directions to scour the area while they still had enough daylight to do so. The fading light made it easy to see tracks in the dirt, and Abel knelt to peruse these, trying to determine just what kind of vehicle had been traveling this particular path. León found signs that the clearing had been occupied in the not so distant past as well, a trail of grass that led from the door to a distance near to where Abel was investigating, that had been crushed and trod upon. The two kept searching until the sun had sunk completely, and the shadows made it difficult to see. Abel sighed softly. "We should go."

The brunette nodded as he slipped the chakram back on his wrist. "Back the way we came then?"

"Yes, I think so."

The two re-lit their candles before they re-entered the tunnel, León retrieving his and lighting it from Abel's. Making sure that the door was closed securely, they retraced their path through the tunnel, once again re-emerging in the cleaning closet inside the church. Abel stepped out of it first, and then held open the concealed door for León. The broad-shouldered man edged out of the entrance, the two holding their candles up before them as they stepped out into the church.

Abel moved over to the altar and set the candle into one of the holders that decorated it. León opted to keep his, the pair still having to make their way to the front doors of the darkened building. Abel lingered for a few moments, before leaning down and blowing the candle out, and then moved silently down the aisle to join his partner. The two made their way up the main aisle and towards the front door, León hoping that the guard hadn't forgotten about them and locked up the building before departing for the night. With the bodies removed and the required evidence taken, the police really had no reason to keep the building under twenty-four hour guard. The door wasn't locked, though the guard was gone, and the two AX agents stepped out of the church and into the cool night air.

 

 

The trek back to their hotel was without incident, the two stopping briefly to have a quick meal at a food stall that had been in the process of closing down when they had approached, though the proprietor had been more than happy to serve them once he saw the flash of coin in Abel's gloved hand. The meal was nothing compared to that at the café the day of their arrival, but it satisfied their hunger. Fed, the pair continued on to their hotel, Abel pulling the key from his pocket to unlock the door.

Once inside, he took the time to make a report to Sister Kate to pass along to Catarina, detailing what they had found, and that they had something for the Professor to look at. He also mentioned the reports given to them by the police station, though he admitted he hadn't looked through them yet, in light of their search of the church. Once his report was finished, he slipped off his cloak, hanging it from the back of the chair and removing the small radio as well, rubbing the back of his ear as he did.

While his partner was busy reporting in, León took the opportunity to slip down to the shared bath at the end of the hall for a shower, the brunette returning about a quarter of an hour later dressed in a long, loose tunic-like garment made of thin pale fabric, his dark hair wet and glistening. Abel looked up from the reports he had started as León entered, smiling a little at the sight of the other man. He cut an impressive figure at the best of times, and like this, it was only that much more apparent. León was still rubbing at his damp hair with a towel as he entered the room, the big man silent as he padded over to the bed and sat down on the edge of it. "Feel better?" Abel asked softly, still smiling.

"It's a wonder what a hot shower can do." the other man responded with a bit of a grin, the dark-haired man letting the towel slide down to his lap before he ruffled his hand through his hair.

Abel chuckled at that. "It's good to see you so relaxed."

"You should go get one yourself."

"I know, I know..." Abel sighed. "If only to let my eyes rest for a little while."

"Kate having anything to say?"

"They'll be sending a special courier to pick up that camera we found as soon as they can," Abel said. "And they want a follow-up report about what's going on tomorrow, as well as a summary of all the reports we've been given by the local police. I can have that finished by morning, I think..."

León nodded as he reached to take the pages in Abel's hand from the priest. "Er...León...what are you doing?"

"I can look over these while you go take a shower." the other man replied. "I do know how to read, you know."

"Yes, I know," Abel said, giving the man a wry look. "Something you've demonstrated in the past, if you'll recall."

"I remember." León said with a bit of a grin. "I also remember you didn't care very much for the subject matter either, even though it was your book."

"It wasn't my book, it was a book I'd been loaned," Abel replied, standing up and stretching a little.

"Yeah sure, I believe you."

Abel only chuckled softly, and shook his head. "Of course you do." He said, gathering a change of clothes from his pack in preparation of his shower.

Once the pale-haired man was gone, León tried to turn his attention to the police reports that the priest had been reviewing, the dark-eyed man shifting a bit on the bed to get more comfortable as he read.

Abel's shower was quick and to the point, only the cleansing of his hair slowing him down. The hot water felt like heaven, though, and he had to admit he felt better than he had when he had gone in. he had left his glasses in their room, and the world was just slightly out of focus as he unlocked the door and let himself in. The priest was greeted by the sight of León stretched out on the bed, one foot dangling down towards the floor, the brunette having fallen asleep, the copies of the reports still in his hand.

Abel took the time to brush his hair, and resettled his glasses before moving toward the bed to take the papers back, smiling at the sight of the other man and shaking his head a little. Leon stirred a bit, his brown eyes blinking as he awoke. Abel had gently grabbed the papers but hadn't quite managed to get the other man to let go of them. "Just give these back and go back to sleep," he suggested softly.

"Come to bed with me." León said softly, the broad-shouldered man not relinquishing his hold on the pages.

"I really should finish that summary first," Abel said, though the protest was weak, at best.

"You and work..." the other man sighed and let go of the papers.

Abel took the papers and moved back toward the table, then paused. "But...I suppose if I could persuade you to go find breakfast for us, I could always do it in the morning," He murmured.

"Now?"

"Not now," Abel said, shaking his head. "In the morning." he said softly, laying the papers and his glasses down again and moving toward the bed.

Leon dropped the damp towel that had still been draped over his lap to the floor, his dark eyes on the other man. Abel stopped when he reached the edge of the bed, smiling a bit. "Is that more acceptable?" He asked.

"I think I can roll with that."

"All right, then." Abel removed his bed robe, leaving him clad in just a long nightshirt, before sliding onto the mattress. León turned onto his side so that he was facing the priest, his brown eyes on the other man as he got settled.

Abel settled on his side, his head pillowed on his arm, the other moving out after a moment to drape across León's middle. The dark-haired man returned the gesture, León sliding his arm around Abel's slim waist. Abel slid closer at that, smiling to himself as he did. Although there was a dim part of him that knew he really should be trying to finish the report summary he would be sending in the next day, he couldn't bring himself to feel guilty for putting it off, now that he had settled. "Still thinking about paperwork?" León's voice was soft as he adjusted his arm around the pale-haired man, tightening it a bit.

"Thinking about a lot of things," Abel replied, shifting his arm to let it drape more comfortably over the larger man.

The brown-eyed man chuckled a bit. "You think too much."

Abel let out a soft chuckle of his own. "You're probably right," he admitted.

"I guess one of us has to."

"Don't sell yourself short like that," Abel murmured quietly, moving the arm around León's waist, bringing his hand up to sweep a light touch along one cheek.

"Even I know Catarina didn't bring me on because I'm a genius." León said. "Though I am good at what I do."

"And you're not nearly as dense as you like to try and make me think you are," Abel replied. "You're street smart."

"Damn, there goes my cover."

"Where I'm concerned, at least."

"You always could read me pretty good." the brunette said.

Abel smiled, and let his hand come to rest on León's chest, over his heart. "Only because I knew where to look."

León's eyes softened, his hand sliding from the priest's waist as he brought his hand up, his fingers brushing over the blue-eyed man's jaw as he lifted Abel's head up a bit so that he could kiss him. The pale-haired priest exhaled a quiet sound as their lips met, the last dregs of tension easing out of his body. The dark-haired man's hand slid into Abel's hair, gently tangling in the pale strands. León loved the feel of the priest's hair against his skin, Abel's hair as fine as any woman's, like threads of silk as they glided between his fingers.

León's fingers in his hair was also one of Abel's weaknesses, the priest loving that gentle touch, and his hand slid slowly from León's chest, gliding along his side until Abel could settle a slender hand on the man's hip. The brunette made a soft sound as the other man's gentle touch slid along his body, León's hand cupping the back of the priest's head as the kiss heated up between them. Abel moaned softly, his lips parting in silent invitation with the sound, his hand gripping León's hip just a little as he scooted a little closer still. León wasted no time in accepting that quiet invite, the brown-eyed man delving into the ivory-haired man's mouth with a soft moan of his own, his tongue seeking out its like.

That drew another sound from Abel, his tongue twining with the other man's as his hand slid back up the length of León's torso, tracing the muscled planes of his back slowly. Abel's light touch drew a slight shiver from the broad-shouldered man, León moaning in his throat as the kiss became hungrier. The shiver made Abel purr, and he shifted a little, freeing the arm that had been pillowing his head and bringing it up to cup the other man's cheek. Their mouths still locked together, León tilted his head slightly into the priest's touch, his other arm snaking out to slide around the man's slim waist and pulling him closer.

A soft gasp escaped Abel as he was hauled in, but he went more than willingly, gently pushing León onto his back and settling on top of the larger man, never once breaking the kiss as he did. The brunette man made a slightly surprised sound as he was pushed back, though it was only momentary, León tightening his arm around Abel, pressing his slighter form closer. Abel chuckled into the kiss, finally breaking it with a gentle nip to the other man's lower lip. León's breath caught slightly, the dark-eyed man growling faintly in his throat as he looked up at the priest. "So fearsome," Abel whispered, smiling as he met León's gaze with his own.

"Grrrrr..." León grinned at the other man as he shifted slightly, wrapping his leg over the back of Abel's.

Abel laughed softly, before the sound caught in a gasp as the man's leg pinned him some. The brunette's grin widened a bit more, a mischievous glint in his golden brown eyes. "What are you plotting?" Abel asked, giving the man an exaggerated suspicious look when he saw the expression in the other man's eyes.

"Me? Plot?"

"Yes, you," Abel said, giving the tip of the man's nose a gentle poke.

León's hand slid from the priest's waist and down to his hip and then his thigh, the broad-shouldered man bunching up the soft cotton of Abel's nightshirt. The fabric made a soft sound as it slid along Abel's skin, and the pale priest smiled just a bit. "Ah, of course," he said, smiling. "I'd almost forgotten you don't care for my taste in night clothing." He kept his voice deliberately light, still feeling playful and not wanting to inadvertently discourage the man.

"The only good thing about it is that it doesn't tend to hang around very long." The dark-haired man slid the light fabric further up his companion's thigh, his fingertips trailing over the newly exposed skin.

Abel chuckled at that, only to gasp at the feel of those warm fingertips on his skin, leaving tingling trails in their wake. León grinned at the blue-eyed man's reaction as he tightened his fingers in Abel's pale hair and pulled him closer until their lips met. Abel smiled as he was pulled down, pressing his lips firmly to León's, one slim hand moving to weave into the man's dark hair. León made a small sound in his throat, his hand settling on the cool pale flesh of the priest's thigh. Abel was almost hyper-aware of the touch and it made him shiver. Although he had teased León about the man's intent to remove his nightshirt, it hadn't been much of an exaggeration. When they could, the two of them nearly always slept together nude or partially nude, just for the sake of that intimate closeness, something neither of them had when they were away from one another.

As the kiss deepened between them, León's hand restarted its upward trek, sliding over the swell of Abel's buttock to his hip. The fabric followed León's hand most of the way, before it got caught, pulled as far as it could go while the rest of the long nightshirt remained trapped between them. Abel moaned softly, his legs shifting and freeing his nightshirt somewhat, his legs tucking themselves up under him a little, leaving him straddling León as he broke the kiss gently and sat up to remove the nightshirt himself. León's dark eyes watched the priest, his hands moving to settle on Abel's slender thighs, while the ivory-haired man pulled the light cotton material up and over his head, his hair falling back into a glistening curtain around his shoulders as he shook his head slightly.

He dropped the thin nightshirt to the side, and then reached up with one hand to tuck some of his hair behind his ear, looking down at León as he did. The whole of the brunette's attention was on the priest as his hands lightly slid up Abel's thighs and up to his hips. Abel shivered a little at that, his hand falling away once the offending bits of hair were out of his eyes, and he smiled a little. "Better?" He asked softly, letting his hand rest on León's stomach.

"Much."

Without warning, León slid his arms around the other man's waist and pulled him down against him, a faint growl sounding in his throat as he rolled the two of them over, pinning the paler man underneath him. Abel barely had time to gasp before he was on his back and gazing up at León, his hair tousled across the pillow and his own face, but this time, he made no move to brush them away, his pale gaze intent on the other man now, a spike of arousal going through him at the aggressive act. Giving the priest barely enough time to draw a breath, León bent his head and claimed Abel's mouth in a hungry kiss. León was rewarded for that with a low moan, Abel's arms sliding around the dark-haired man immediately, drawing him closer.

León's hand slid up Abel's side, his thumb tracing over the ivory-haired man's ribcage as the kiss burned on between them. Abel shivered, pressing a little more firmly up into the kiss, burying a hand in León's dark mane again. It was the brown-eyed man who broke the kiss, a growl sounding in León's throat as he pulled away from the priest, giving Abel's bottom lip a light nip as he did so. Sitting back, he shifted until he was straddling the ivory-haired man's slim form before reaching for the hem of the gauzy garment he was wearing, the neck ties already undone making it easy for León to pull it up and over his dark head.

The moment it came away from his tanned form, Abel reached up, letting his hands smooth slowly over León's chest and stomach, slipping through the dusting of hair on his chest, the cool fingertips of one hand circling his navel slowly. León's breath caught faintly in his throat, his golden brown eyes sliding closed at the erotically soft touch. Abel smiled a bit at that, sitting up to touch his lips to León's chest, one hand moving to settle at the small of his back, the other repeating the slow circle before sliding slowly down, following the trail of hair that led downwards toward León's groin. Aside from the differences in their skin tone, Abel had always been just slightly fascinated with the other man's body hair, perhaps because he possessed very little of his own, and what little he did possess was nowhere near as dark or coarse.

A low moan escaped from the brunette man, his hands coming up to slide into Abel's glistening pale hair as he pressed into the priest's soft touch. Abel groaned at that, continuing his gentle explorations, lips brushing along León's skin, his hand slipping ever downwards, intentionally avoiding where he knew León would want that touch most, sliding down his thigh slowly.

The priest's attentions drew a series of moans from his companion, his eyes squeezed shut as Abel's lips and hands sent a spike of arousal through him. Thus encouraged, Abel smiled a bit, his lips brushing one dark nipple lightly as he brought his hand back up to the inside of León's thigh. Abel was, as he often found himself, mildly embarrassed by his own forward behavior. But he couldn't help it; León inflamed him in a way no one else could.

A groan rumbled in León's throat as his head went back, his fingers tightening in the priest's silky hair. Abel moaned softly at that, letting his fingertips glance along the other man's length, already hardening, and it gave the pale-haired man a slight thrill to know he was the one who was affecting León thus. A slight shudder went through the dark-haired man, another low groan escaping from him at the glancing touch. Until he had met and gotten to know Abel, León would have never even considered being intimate with another man. What had sparked between them had been completely unplanned, taking León completely by surprise. He never thought that he could have feelings for anyone again, believing that he had buried his heart forever when his wife had been laid to rest.

But Abel had revived what he thought to be dead; the two of them finding solace in one another's arms on a rainy night in Venice a few years after León had joined the AX, the brown-eyed man still able to recall every nuance of that first encounter. At times, it was one of the few things that made his incarceration bearable. It was a memory Abel held close to his own heart as well, as surprised by their mutual attraction as the other man. And the thought made him smile as he pulled back just a little bit, long fingers curling around León in a firm grip.

The brunette growled low in his throat as Abel's cool hand closed over his stiffening flesh. Tilting his head back up, he used his grip on the man's ivory hand to pull the priest in for a kiss. Abel moaned softly into the kiss, returning it hungrily, his free hand wandering freely across León's skin now, giving the other man a slow stroke with the other. A visible shudder went through the dark-eyed man as he untangled one of his hands from the gossamer-like strands of Abel's hair before gliding downward, his fingertips brushing over the priest's cheek as it continued on.

The slender man pressed into the touch, continuing the slow stroking, wanting to keep his lover aroused, but not wanting to overdo it, either. León's hand brushed down the side of Abel's neck, then his shoulder, his fingertips ghosting over the cool pale skin as he continued on gliding down along the priest's ribcage and then his hip before slipping between them in pursuit of Abel's burgeoning length. Abel gasped and then groaned when León's hand found its prize, his own hold on León tightening some reflexively. The brunette's fingertips brushed along the priest's length, the velvety flesh cool to the touch like the rest of Abel's body. Abel was the one who broke their kiss then. "L-León..." he moaned softly against the other male's lips.

León's lips brushed over the pale-haired man's chin as he closed his hand over his lover's shaft, giving it a slow yet firm stroke. A groan escaped Abel at that, his hips rolling into the touch just a little, breaking himself out of his own reverie to return the stroke. The return gesture had nearly the same effect on his partner, León's hips thrusting forward, a low groan escaping from him, their lips still close enough to kiss. "You make me ache for you," Abel whispered against León's lips.

"Sometimes I can barely stand not being with you...” León's voice was a husky whisper, his lips brushing over the priest's chin.

Abel moaned softly at that, and tilted his head to catch León's lips with his own briefly. He couldn't quite find words to reply to that, nothing that would come close to expressing him clearly. Aside from his memories of being with Abel, the missions he took for the AX and the day when he would see his daughter again as a free man, were just about the only things that kept León sane during the long days in his cell. Still, there were numerous days when all he could do was pace back and forth in the small barred room, resembling nothing so much as the great tawny cat that he had been named after.

"Given a choice," Abel whispered softly when the kiss finally broke. "I wouldn't leave your side..."

"Given the choice," León murmured against the priest's lips. "I wouldn't let you."

"Perhaps someday we'll have that choice," Abel whispered back, his lips brushing León's lightly as he spoke.

The other man's dark eyes squeezed close. "Maybe...”

In truth, León never expected to be a free man again. Twenty years here, thirty there...the brunette held no illusions that it would ever be enough to equal the thousand year sentence that he was under. Still, that didn't mean that he wouldn't try to see just how many of those years he could knock off for as long as he was able. "But no more talk of the future," Abel murmured softly, reaching to cup León's cheek. "I'm here with you now..."

The brunette unconsciously tilted his head into the other man's touch before covering Abel's mouth with his once again, his hand continuing to stroke the ivory-haired man. Abel returned the kiss with as much warmth and emotion as he could muster, his own hand resuming its earlier teasing of the other man. Even aside from the probable reality that León would never be a free man again, Abel didn't like thinking too far into the future. It meant looking at the time when León finally passed from this world while Abel himself remained alive, eternal.

It was a bleak thought.

Gasping for breath, it was León who eventually broke the kiss, a deep moan sounding from his as he rolled his hips up into his companion's hand, the brunette's length rock hard and throbbing. "G-God...ugh...A-Abel...”

The pale priest leaned up then, his lips brushing his companion's ear lightly as he spoke. "I need you, León..."

The words were apparently all the dark-haired man needed to hear as he once again found the blue-eyed man's lips before slowly pushing Abel back down on the mattress, covering the man's body with his.

 

 

Abel didn't realize he had been dozing until he woke, still comfortably tangled with León in their bed, the sheet and thin blanket pulled up over them, his senses filled with the warmth of the other man, and air still thick with his unique scent, as well as the last lingering traces of their lovemaking. It made him smile a bit as he cracked open his eyes, wondering if he had been the only one to fall asleep. From all appearances, he wasn't. León was lying on his side, facing the priest, one muscled tan arm draped over Abel's slim waist, the brunette's dark eyes closed, his breathing a rhythmic rise and fall of his broad chest.

Abel lay still for a time, just watching the other man sleep, considering their brief conversation before, and wishing, not for the first time, that he could somehow change things, just a little. He wanted to give León his freedom back. He wanted to give the man his daughter back. And he wanted to be with León for the rest of the man's life. León made a small sound as he shifted slightly, one golden brown eye cracking open blearily, drawing Abel from his thoughts. The pale-haired priest smiled a little at that, his words a whisper when he spoke. "Go back to sleep, Tovaresh," he murmured softly. "We've got some time yet before sunrise..."

The other man made a non-committal sound, as he scooted closer to the priest, León lazily nuzzling the pale-haired man's neck as he pulled him closer. Abel's smile warmed a bit, and he pressed his lips to León's forehead gently.

"You want me to scratch it?" León asked softly with a sleepy smile.

Abel blinked. "Hm?"

"Your toe. Didn't you just say that your toe itches?"

Abel was silent a moment, then chuckled softly. "No...I..." Then he was quiet, embarrassed that the other man had actually heard him use the term.

"What?" León asked as he propped himself up on his elbow a bit, his other arm still around the priest's slim pale waist.

"It's a term I learned not long ago..." Abel murmured softly, trying to buy himself a little time to distill what he knew of the word down into a fairly simple definition.

"Some new way to call me 'old man'?"

Abel shook his head, and offered León a smile. "No...It's a term for..." He frowned a little again, and then his expression eased as he found the words he was looking for. "For someone you trust with your life unconditionally, and with no hesitation."

León was silent for a few moments. "How did you say it again?"

"Tovaresh," Abel repeated.

The dark-haired man softly repeated the word to himself, his brown eyes settling on the priest. Abel met León's eyes for a few moments, then looked away, still feeling a little embarrassed and glad the darkness hid his blush. León slid back down, the brunette pressing a soft kiss to the side of the other man's neck before laying his head on Abel's shoulder. Abel smiled at the gentle kiss, and ran a hand affectionately through León's hair, and resettled himself. The dark-haired man purred at the gentle touch and gave Abel's hip a light squeeze. "You should rest," Abel said softly.

"Is that an order, Junior?"

The pale-haired priest chuckled. "More of a suggestion," he replied, and gave León's hair a gentle ruffle. "It's not like you listen to my orders anyway," he teased.

"I take them into consideration on occasion." León said as he nuzzled the side of the other man's neck.

"When it suits you," Abel replied, closing his eyes at the nuzzle.

"You rarely complain...” the other man said as his lips brushed over the skin just under the priest's ear.

"That's true," Abel murmured, shivering at the kiss.

León's hand glided upwards from the pale-haired man's hip, ghosting along Abel's side as he brushed his lips over that sensitive patch of skin once again. "But...I suppose that's because you make it very hard to argue with you," Abel murmured softly, teasingly.

The brunette's lips brushed down the side of his companion's neck, León sliding his leg over the priest's as his fingers continued to glide in lazy circles over Abel's pale skin. Abel let his legs tangle with León's, his fingers continuing to stroke through the other man's hair slowly. "Tovaresh." León whispered the word in the priest's ear, his breath ghosting over the delicate-looking shell.

A gasp escaped Abel at the sound of that word spoken so softly in his ear, and his arm slid around the larger man. The brunette pressed a final kiss to the side of the ivory-haired man neck, León settling his head back on the slighter man's shoulder. Abel felt a smile pulling at his lips and he gave León a little squeeze before whispering. "We really should sleep..."

"Yeah yeah. I hear you." León sighed faintly, his dark eyes sliding closed as he resettled his arm around the blue-eyed man's waist. Chuckling softly, Abel pressed a gentle kiss to the top of León's head. "Sleep well," he murmured.

His companion made a non-committal sound, sleep already beginning to tug at the brunette man. Abel said nothing more, only relaxed into the bed and let sleep overtake him again as well.