Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Father Padilla Meets the Perfect Gnat ❯ Chapter 1

Author's Notes: This was a request from Kira. She wanted Schuldig/Nagi. ^^ Spoilers for Weiss Gluhen ahead. If you can guess where the title is from you get a prize!

**Father Padilla Meets The Perfect Gnat**

by Megan

"Schuldig."

The redhead looked up from where he was sprawled on the couch in his suite. Nagi was standing in the doorway leading into the bedroom, arms folded, and looking as if he'd keel over in a heartbeat if he could just relax enough. Not very surprising, given what they'd just gone through.

Schuldig leaned over and grabbed a pack of cigarettes off the coffee table. "How's Crawford?"

"Sleeping." Nagi ventured far enough into the room to close the door behind him. "He'll be all right, once he gets over the blood loss."

"Hm," said Schuldig, closing his eyes as he lit up. "How're you?"

He didn't really need to ask. The aches Nagi still bore from his fight with Rosenkreuz's telekinetic, and the bone-deep exhaustion resonated within his mind. He could feel, faintly, the way the muscles in Nagi's right shoulder pulled and twinged when he moved. The way his eyelids were determined to droop.

Acknowledging Schuldig's never-ending need to make conversation, Nagi shrugged. "I'll be fine. You?"

"Not bad." He grinned. "Not bad at all. I've never fought a pyrokinetic before." Schuldig considered it a mark of both his own skill and the other's incompetence that despite the sheer destructive power of fire, he had come off not only the victor in their encounter, but the least hurt of the three members of Schwarz present. Without being able to read the other man's mind, yet.

Crossing the room to sit gingerly on the other end of the couch, Nagi's eyes never left the cigarette in Schuldig's left hand. "You'd think you would've had enough smoke inhalation for one day."

The telepath laughed. "It's just not the same, mein schatz." He clicked his tongue. "Not the same at all."

Nagi snorted, looking amused, and leaned back. His eyes tipped up to view the ceiling. "We can't stay here. They'll find us."

"Well . . ." Schuldig glanced at the bedroom door. "Crawford's not going anywhere tonight. Relax. They don't know we were here. Those Rosenkreuz idiots didn't think to try to contact anyone, and Weiss isn't going to blow our cover when it'd mean blowing their own."

"Mm."

"Really." He didn't know if Nagi agreed or not. In the time they'd been apart, the youngest member of Schwarz had gotten better at shielding his specific thoughts. It didn't matter anyway. Schuldig was at least right that Crawford needed to rest before they started planning their next move.

For that matter . . . so did Nagi.

"You should sleep."

Nagi glanced at him, frowning. "There are things to do."

Schuldig sat up and leaned forward, catching Nagi's chin in one hand and forcing those guarded eyes to meet his. "I mean it." He weighted his words with more than a little mental suggestion. "Sleep."

There was a flash of some emotion -- too brief to be identified -- before Nagi's eyes slid closed and he slumped forward into Schuldig's arms, breathing evenly and deeply. Schuldig sighed and rearranged the telekinetic so that he was lying full length on the couch before going out to have another smoke on the balcony. As he walked he cast his mind out beyond his body and towards the burning building where they'd left Estet's facility and employees, touching the thoughts and feelings of the firefighters now gathered hopelessly outside.

"Turning me into a workaholic," he muttered softly. "Only for you, mein schatz."