Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ In The Shadows, In The Light ❯ Advancement ( Chapter 18 )

Author's Notes: All Weiss Kreutz stuff/characters are not owned by me and all rights apply to the lucky bastards who do own them. I make absolutely nothing off this except gratification of my own sick and twisted desires.

 

Thanks goes to Race for beta-ing this for me. Hugs for the beta babe.

The smut in this was initially to be Mac's drabble. That scene wanted to be more. Here it is.

 

~ indicates character POV

** indicates internal conversation.

 

9 Advancement

 

~Brad~

 

I sighed as my office door slammed behind Schuldig. He was already in a snit over the Cleaners and the fact that I had withheld information as long as I had; chewing his ass for deviating from the mission plan, while deserved, was poking a rabid dog with a too short stick. I knew he was running to his lovers, probably telling himself that he wanted to vent his bad mood on the ones who had actually disrupted the mission. If Schuldig were capable of being honest with himself, he'd know, as I did, he was merely going there just to make sure that his lovers were safe.

 

More power to him. I had nothing against Abyssinian or Balinese at all; in fact, their presence ameliorated the escalating ugliness of the scene when I was finally forced to break the news to Schuldig about the Cleaners; without them, he surely would have tried to puree my brains. If I had known kinky sex made Schuldig easier to handle, I would have exploited that years ago.

 

Still, it was amazing how well they had been able to keep him calm and reasonable. I saw the signs of an intense mental argument even as I explained the situation. Schuldig seemed the most upset that I had told his lovers but not him; he did concede the point that he would have done something suicidally rash if he'd known about the Cleaners before hand.

 

Trying to massage away the lingering headache that was the result of any confrontation with Schuldig, I could not help a smile of satisfaction. Things were coming together. I hadn't Seen it fully yet but I could feel it in the air. I didn't need precognition to sense all hell was about to break loose. Things had been quiet for too long; as much as I liked it, the very unnaturalness of it unsettled me. Something was coming down the pipe soon.

 

I just prayed we'd be ready for it when it hit us.

 

~Schuldig~

 

Like I had total control - or any, for all that - over Weiss. Was it my fault the Kitties turned up, after the same target? Brad I-Never-Make-Mistakes-So-It-Must-Be-Your-Fault Crawford knew I didn't talk business with my lovers. So Brad's `Plan Of Attack' was messed up, like I fucking cared. Seems to me if anybody should get blamed, it was Crawford. Some fucking pre-cog he was.

 

Oracle, my ass.

 

What had Brad expected me to do, anyway? He knew I was sleeping with Yohji and Aya. He knew I wasn't going to let some menial piece of shit take a pot shot at them. I'd even told Brad that Aya and Yohji were mine; I protect what belongs to me.

 

I didn't expect my heart to start pounding like it did when I saw the gunsel aiming in their direction, though.

 

Brad was wrong about why I stepped in. I didn't want to lose two creative and passionate lovers and have to waste the time to find new ones, that's all. I liked the ones I had. We had a lot of things in common. What were my chances of finding another beautiful assassin willing to share my bed that I could trust, never mind two? Pretty fucking non-existent. And Yohji's Talent. When the hell would I ever find something that erotic again? Never, that's when. There was nothing more to it than that.

 

What the hell would Brad know about passion anyway? Closest he came to orgasm was when his stocks went up. I don't think he'd gotten laid since we came to Japan. Christ, even Farf scored a few times; with a willing partner no less.

 

Besides, it wasn't like the mission was a total failure. No one died… aside from the target. So Brad got his precious suit dirty? Cry me a fucking river. White was a dumbass colour to wear when you're going to kill someone. Sticking me with the dry cleaning bill was just pissy. And Brad was a total asshole.

 

Like after all my interviews with Brad lately, I was left with a less than sunny disposition. I needed to work out a little aggression and I couldn't think of anyone's ass better to take it out on than the ones who had gotten me in trouble in the first place.

 

I let myself in the house with the key that Aya had given me. He said he didn't like me skulking through windows. I knew better. He didn't like the fact that it was only Yohji's window that had the fire escape. He loves me but he loves Yohji too and Fujimiya Ran really doesn't like to have people play with his toys when he's not around; even when it's his toys playing together.

 

That wasn't going to be a problem tonight.

 

**Knock, knock, ** I sent to Yohji and Aya as I climbed the stairs to the second floor.

 

**Schu? ** came Yohji's mental voice.

 

**Ach, who else talks to you in your head? Are you sleeping with any other telepaths? **

 

**What are you doing here? I thought you'd be at home licking your wounds, ** said Aya with a hint of amusement in his mental voice.

 

**This is the thanks I get for saving your lives? I came to get some sympathy from my lovers for putting myself in mortal danger to save their lives. Don't you want to hold me and stroke me and tell me what a brave and noble soul I was? ** I asked as I stepped through Yohji's doorway.

 

“You'll find sympathy in the dictionary between shit and syphilis,” Aya snorted.

 

Yohji snickered and looked away when Aya scowled at him. Yohji was sitting naked on his bed, his hair damp from his shower. Aya had a towel wrapped around his waist. Water still dripped from the ends of his ear tails, tracking down his smooth chest. They both looked so good that if I hadn't already gotten an erection from what I planned, seeing them like this would have given me an instant rod.

 

“You're such a bull shitter, Schu,” Yohji said with a laugh as he leaned back on the bed, displaying himself to my hungry eyes.

 

Aya was also distracted by Yohji and I took the opportunity to set my plan in motion, moving to him with that faster than an eye blink speed of mine. I had Aya backed against the wall before he knew what hit him. A shake of my arm had the cuffs drop into my palm and the only warning he had was the ratcheting sound of the cold metal circling his wrist. I snapped the other cuff on and stepped back. I must say, if looks could kill, I would have been smouldering ruins. Aya stood with his hands cuffed in front of him and radiated fury, his muscles tensing to lunge at me. I caught Aya's eye and slipped into his mind.

 

**Come play with me, Schärfe. I won't hurt you, ** I said in my best seductive mental voice, stroking over all of Aya's pleasure centers.

 

Aya glared at me. I knew enough not to steal control of his mind away from him. He would forgive a lot from me because of how he felt about me but that wasn't one of those things. I poured on the charm full blast and let him know just how important it was for me to be with him and Yohji right now. I felt him waver just a little and moved in for the kill.

 

**It will feel so very good, Ran. Please, ** I tossed in the plea `cause Aya always responded wonderfully to politeness from me.

 

Aya gave the barest of nods and I wondered how I kept from smiling in triumph. I leaned on his mind, subtly restricting his muscle movements. He wasn't doing anything that I didn't allow him to do and I gave him a quick, hot kiss to show him I understood the trust he was giving me.

 

I turned mentally to Yohji and coaxed his mind into submission. He went along with it without so much as a whimper. I still didn't have full access to his mind and that was slowly pissing me off. I could have forced complete control on him but that would have broken something in his head and I didn't want to really hurt either of my lovers. They were too important to me; how and why was irrelevant. I didn't need to know to enjoy my time with them. Yohji didn't resist me taking over his mind; he was much more trusting - or kinky - than Aya. Yohji was curious as to what I was planning and he was willing to go along with it.

 

Silly kitten. He really should know better. Just because I was sleeping with them didn't mean I wouldn't torture them. Granted, it would be a torture they'd like, but it was still a form of gentle torture.

 

I moved to the box Yohji had started to keep beside his dresser and pulled out a length of silk rope. I slipped it through the chain of the cuffs on Aya and pulled him to the bed with the makeshift leash, ignoring Aya's best death glare. Although he allowed me to have semi-control of his mind he was still pissed over the handcuff thing. Aya's were such interesting, unpredictable creatures. I stood us both on the bed and passed the rope through the eye-bolt in the ceiling that I had helped Yohji install for the swing we bought. I pulled the rope taut so that Aya was standing in the middle of the bed, arms pulled above his head. The rope trailed down his back and pooled at his feet. I tied his feet together and felt him start to struggle mentally against what he suspected I was going to do. He had no idea the delicious bit of torture I was about to indulge in. I released my control of him and moved back a little to watch the fire works.

 

Aya hissed like a scalded cat and jerked against the rope, almost loosing his footing on the soft bed. His chest heaved in anger and he glared at me from under his ragged bangs. He growled low, violent death threats, as well as insulting my parents and personal habits. I jerked the towel from his hips, earning a snarl. Ohhhh, I had an angry kitten on my hands. Anger lent such passion to Aya. I could feel the fury rolling down the link and had to stop a moment to temper the hot, aggressive emotions. This was going to be so good. I loved it when a plan came together.

 

I trailed my fingers down his chest and tugged on the gold hoop through his nipple. Aya bit his lip in an effort not to gasp with pleasure from the action before his gave me a glacial look. I smirked and drifted my hand down to his dick. I stroked his cock until it started to harden in my hand. I bent and fastened my mouth over Aya's pierced nipple and flipped the ring back and forth with my tongue, making Aya suck in his breath sharply. I continued to stroke Aya's cock until he was fully erect. Fury wrestled with arousal in Aya's head until the two combined into one heady emotion that was pure Aya at his best.

 

I left Aya angry and aroused and turned my full attention to Yohji. He was curious about what I had planned and aroused at seeing Aya trussed up. A bound Aya was a beautiful thing. A bound and angry Aya with an erection was simply stunning. I returned to the box and pulled out a pair of leather restraints. I had Yohji put his arms behind his back and buckled the wrist restraints on him. I took his half-hard erection in hand and stroked him with sure moves until he was starting to thrust his hips in time with my motions. I gave him one more stroke and made one more trip to the box for the final toys of the evening before I turned back to my lovers. I snapped a cock ring onto each of them before starting to undress.

 

**I'm going to fucking kill you when I get free, ** Aya snapped in a voice equal parts anger and arousal.

 

I sat on the edge of the bed and pulled Yohji facedown across my lap. I threw one of my legs over his and gripped the restraints in one hand before I released control of his mind. I linked Aya and Yohji together as tightly as I could, being careful to keep myself out of the loop. The only thing I allowed down the link from me was my arousal at having both my lovers under my control. Yohji tensed up and then struggled as he realized my intentions. I brought my hand down on Yohji's upturned ass as hard as I could.

 

Two startled yelps broke the quiet of the room. Yohji tried to wiggle off my lap but the restraints and his position gave me excellent control of his body. He wasn't going anywhere I didn't want him to. Another swat followed the first. Neither man made any noise after that first strike. Aya jolted with each slap just as Yohji jerked under my hand. I know it hurt. My hand was stinging from the force of the blows. Yohji's ass was turning a lovely shade of red.

 

**Because of you two being careless, I got my ass chewed out by Brad. Apparently, it's all my fault that mission went to shit. We had to chase the target down and could have been spotted any time, and all because I had to cover for you two idiots. So, I'm going to tan your asses to make sure it isn't repeated. Don't ever fucking do that to me again. **

 

“You're a fucking asshole, Schu,” Yohji ground out as he strained against my hold.

 

**Nein. I'm a bastard. How's the ass feel? I'd imagine it hurts. **

 

Yohji clamped his lips together and refused to answer me. It didn't matter. I knew anyway. It stung like hell. My arousal from spanking him was stirring Yohji's lust and making him squirm in my lap. His wriggling was arousing me more and feeding more desire to him. It was a sensuous circle that was making both of us pant with need. I had to stop spanking him before the want became too much for me and I cut short this little encounter before I was ready.

 

Aya was furious but helpless against the desire growing in Yohji and bleeding through the link. I moved Yohji off my lap and stood him up with his back to me. My mood was now significantly improved and desire spiked through me. While I realize it was wrong to play like this when I was feeling dangerous, I had gotten quite the scare when I saw that gun pointed at them and so felt a little justified in breaking the rules. And I wouldn't hurt them. Not really. We'd played harder before.

 

Yohji's ass was a lovely red from the spanking. I pushed between his shoulder blades until he was bent over and ran my hands over his ass, spreading his cheeks apart. He hissed softly at the feel of my hand over tender flesh. I heard Aya draw in a breath at the wonderful view of Yohji's firm, reddened ass and puckered opening. Yohji cursed under his breath at the feel of my hand moving over sensitive skin. Aya growled at the sight and strained against the cuffs and rope holding him in place.

 

I tested the mental link to make sure that Aya was still included in experiencing the things Yohji was before I shot a wicked look at Aya and I leaned in and licked Yohji's exposed hole. Yohji moaned, nearly falling forward, and Aya gasped. I steadied Yohji with my arm around his thighs, and quickly pushed my tongue into him, earning a groan, which Aya echoed with a growl. I gave Yohji's ass a quick tongue fucking and suddenly stopped; making Yohji whine and the chain of Aya's cuffs click together as he strained forward.

 

I grabbed the lube from the nightstand and pulled Yohji over to Aya. I pushed Yohji to his knees and finally opened the link between the three of us. I staggered under the complex thoughts that swirled through.

 

Love, anger and reluctant desire from Aya. Love, desire and pleasure from Yohji. My own emotions that I refused to categorize except for the desire and pleasure I was feeling. We sighed as one and the arousal tripled through the link.

 

**Suck, Yohji, ** I commanded softly as I squirted lube onto my fingers and rubbed them between his cheeks.

 

Yohji gave a little pleasure filled gasp and Aya pushed his hips forward at the same time. I watched over Yohji's shoulder as Aya's cock disappeared into Yohji's mouth. Again, we reacted as one through the link. As Yohji moved to take more of Aya in, I pushed two fingers into Yohji. He squirmed but quickly settled into a rocking rhythm of forward onto Aya's cock and then back onto my fingers. I could feel Yohji's Talent start to re-charge and that wonderful addicting energy in his head foam and froth. I moaned and pulled my fingers from his body. It was too much for me. I needed to be inside him.

 

**I can't… ** I said with a groan as I positioned myself and pushed into Yohji.

 

He grunted and tensed before relaxing. I slid home and shuddered at the exquisite feel. I unsnapped the cock rings from my lovers and pulled them even closer in my head as I started to move. I took Yohji's cock in my lube slicked hand and let my thrusts work his cock back and forth in my hand for me. I reached up and tugged on Aya's nipple ring with my other hand, making him whimper with pleasure.

 

Aya was soon lost in the stinging, sharpness of his passion. His bound and helpless position, combined with feeling what both Yohji and I did, made everything he was feeling even more intense. His breathing was uneven and little noises of pleasure started to escape his throat.

 

Yohji was liquid, honeyed heat. He lost himself in the pleasure of being filled from both ends, something I knew he enjoyed. His groans of delight, muffled by the cock in his mouth, were all the more erotic because of that. The pleasure he was experiencing, as well as what Aya and I felt, were rocketing him along to orgasm.

 

I was a controlled burn that drew them together with me into one group mind. Yohji's feelings of being filled and dominated and Aya's reluctant submission to the passion he buried deep increased my own feelings of arousal. I drew them in tightly and waited until they were both close to orgasm before joining them and stepping off the edge.

 

Aya choked off a hoarse cry as his hips jerked, forcing his cock down Yohji's throat. Yohji moaned around the cock throbbing in his mouth and shuddered as his cock spurted over my fingers and his ass began to rhythmically squeeze my cock. I growled low in my throat and ground my hips hard into Yohji's ass as my cock pulsed with release.

 

Warm, golden energy from Yohji washed through me. Shivers of ecstasy travelled through my body. I felt some of that energy slide through Aya and his head tipped back with a quiet moan. I was forced to slip free of Yohji's heat and sit back on my heels to try and catch my breath. Yohji let Aya's limp cock fall from his mouth and toppled to his side with a sated look to his face. Aya sagged against the cuffs, breathing hard, his knees turned to water.

 

I struggled forward against the desire to simply lie down and enjoy the rush Yohji's Talent had given me. Aya could be hurt if he hung in the cuffs much longer. I groped for my pants at the edge of the bed, pulled out the key to the cuffs and released Aya. He collapsed to his knees on the bed, leaning against me and remained kneeling for several minutes, panting. Once he had his breath back, he made quick work of the rope around his ankles before helping me to release Yohji from his restraints. I dumped the cuffs and restraints over the edge of the bed and drew back the covers. I pushed Yohji and Aya under the blankets and crawled in after them.

 

**You're still a fucking asshole, Schu, no matter how good that was, ** said Yohji with a pleased yawn. **My ass fuckin' hurts. **

 

**Bastard. I'm a bastard not an asshole. Brad is an asshole, ** I said as I buried my nose in the back of Yohji's neck and inhaled the scent of him. *Ach, you liked it. Stop your complaining. You won't feel anything come morning. **

 

**I'll get you for this, Schu, ** Aya warned as he tried and failed to glare at me over Yohji's shoulder.

 

**I know. I remember last time you got me back. I liked it. **

 

Aya huffed, which was ruined when he yawned. His hand crept over Yohji's waist to rest on mine before his eyes closed with exhaustion. I closed my eyes and fell asleep content in the knowledge that my lovers were safe and relaxed in my arms.

 

~Brad~

 

The vision came again.

 

It was no less powerful the second time around. There were few new details and there was now a sense of urgency that had been missing the first time. That meant the events I Saw were going to happen within days. I needed to decipher the vision quickly so I could warn my team and take the necessary steps to avoid the undesirable outcome.

 

Blood and fire at night.

 

Considering the kind of work we did, a fairly useless clue. The only thing it told me was that everything would start at night during a fire.

 

People screaming and the flash of a blade into flesh.

 

Again, not much to go on there; Farfarello used knives and Fujimiya used a sword. Siberian used bugnuks, but it had been a single blade I Saw in the vision. Since the news of Schuldig sleeping with Yohji and Aya had broken, we'd been under an unspoken truce of non-harm so I didn't think the blade from the vision was wielded by either member of our teams. That meant an outside source. There was also the question of who the blade pierced. The vision didn't show me that. The vision also didn't show me who or where that blade was coming from.

 

Purple, blue and green colours swirling together.

 

I wasn't one hundred percent sure but I think those colours represented Aya, Schuldig and Yohji. Those three were in a serious relationship, regardless what Schuldig may have talked himself in believing. He'd never been this protective or possessive of any lovers in all the years I'd known him. Just the fact that he immediately went to his lovers during that last mission to `save them' from a danger they weren't actually in, spoke volumes to me.

 

Rage stronger than Berserker at his most insane.

 

I wasn't entirely sure of the source of this; whoever it was, the feeling was all consuming.

 

Blood fountaining from headless corpses.

 

This, I had a handle on. The latest vision had shown more detail of the corpses, as grisly as that was. The headless corpses were either cleanly decapitated or their heads had exploded. That was the handy work of Abyssinian and Mastermind on a rampage. But why and who were the headless corpses? Was the previous rage theirs?

 

Flowers on freshly turned soil being beaten into nothing from a cold driving rain.

 

The vision had expanded and showed me a flower covered grave. Two shadowy figures stood in the rain, oblivious to the cold and wet and wind. The sorrow of the moment was crushing and made me gasp as I tried to catch my breath.

 

Two huge birds, one black and one white, fall from the sky; wings touching before smashing into nothing when they hit the ground.

 

The birds weren't birds at all but people in long trench coats. The edges of the trenches flapped in the rush of wind as they stepped from a high building, holding hands. My heart thudded heavily in my chest as I saw the deep scarlet and bright orange heads of hair. I did not like the way this vision was going. My stomach churned as the pieces of the puzzle of this vision began to fall into place rapidly.

 

A pale corpse with the wounds of Christ hung from the ridge beam of a destroyed church.

 

The corpse could have only been Farfarello. He had committed the final sin against God by taking his own life in the house of God.

 

A child lay dead on a bed, a clear plastic bag secured over its head.

 

The child had to be Nagi. He'd sworn to me that he was never going to let Esset or more importantly, Rosencrantz get their hands on him after he found something on one of his fishing expeditions into their secured files. He never said what it was he found but he had been shaken for days after that.

 

A hand clutched a gun in a growing pool of blood. A shattered pair of glasses reflected the light and caught the splintered ghostly image of a cadaverous figure screaming in frustration.

 

The final person could have only been me. I'd never had a vision that showed me getting injured or dying. I was told it was impossible to See your own death. Apparently, there were some things that even Rosencrantz didn't know for sure about psionics. I assumed the cadaverous figure was one of the Cleaners finally come a calling. I don't doubt he would be enraged to find the entire Schwartz team dead.

 

But where was Yohji in all this? If Aya and Schuldig were to go on a rampage, where was Yohji? Why would Aya and Schuldig step off a building to their deaths? Why would the rest of Schwartz commit suicide? My eyes widened as the final piece clicked into place.

 

Yohji.

 

Everything revolved around that man. Without Yohji, my team had no realistic hope of beating the team of Cleaners I knew were coming. We needed Yohji to boost our Talents. We needed his team to work with ours so we could finally be free from Esset and more importantly, Rosencrantz. I hadn't figured out how to broach the subject of joining forces yet but my hand was about to be forced.

 

The flesh pierced by a blade was Yohji's. The rage was from his lovers. The headless corpses were those responsible for Yohji's death as that grave could only be his and the figures at the graveside Aya and Schuldig. I wasn't entirely clear on why Aya and Schuldig would commit suicide. But I understood the deaths of my own team.

 

My hands shook as I pulled my laptop to me. I needed to enter this data and then call Schwarz together. In the next day or so, there was going to be an attempt on Yohji's life, probably while on a mission. Once I finished with the data entry, we were all going to head over to Weiss' place and have a little talk.

 

~Ken~

 

It was Friday night, and since I was currently unattached, I was home watching the `Living Dead' series on Midnight Monster Movie Madness. I was in the kitchen on a snack run when I heard someone outside, and I'm not ashamed to say I was seriously creeped out. I wished briefly for my bugnuks as I went to investigate, and I just about jumped out of my skin when someone rapped sharply at our back door. I told myself zombies don't knock, but when I opened the door, I would have preferred to have a few dozen zombies to who was standing on our porch.

 

And I really really wanted my bugnuks.

 

“What are you doing here?” I snapped as I stood in the door, barring their entrance.

 

“We need to talk. This concerns both our teams,” Crawford said as he stared at me.

 

“Do you have any fucking idea what time it is?”

 

Crawford checked his watch and when he looked back up at me, the light from the kitchen glinted off his glasses, giving him an evil look. “Two seventeen am.”

 

I scowled at him and let my annoyance coast over the members of Schwartz behind him. My eyes narrowed when I noticed a certain orange haired German missing from the group. It didn't take a big mental leap for me to figure out where he was. I swear he was here more than he was at his own house.

 

“This is more important than whatever problem you have with us. I Saw something that affects both our teams. We need to talk. Now.”

 

I wanted to slam the door in Crawford's face. Reason told me that he wouldn't be at our door in the wee hours of the morning, asking to come in and talk if it wasn't important. I sighed and grudgingly stepped aside to let them into the house. I motioned them to the kitchen table and gave them a look that said not to start wandering around. I took the stairs two at a time, reluctant to leave the enemy alone in the kitchen for long.

 

I flung open Omi's door and hissed his name. He was awake in an instant, responding to the tension in my voice.

 

“Ken, what's wrong?”

 

“Schwartz is in the kitchen. Crawford says they need to talk with us. He said he Saw something that affects all of us. Can you go down and keep an eye on them while I wake up Aya and Yohji?”

 

“Sure. Um… Ken? You do know Schuldig is there too, right?” Omi asked softly.

 

“When is he not?” I headed for Yohji's room, my first visit since that morning I'd accidentally discovered them all together in bed. I wasn't looking forward to waking them up again, but there was no way I'd let Omi do it. He didn't need to see that again. I didn't need to see that again, but somebody had to do it.

 

I pushed the door open and flicked the light on. There was no reaction from the occupants of the bed. Some assassins they were. I'm sure there were reasons but I refused to dwell on them. My eyes skittered around the room, noting clothes scattered on the floor and an open chest that had… stuff… trailing over the edge. I jerked my eyes away from that and to the bed. Seeing three naked, entwined bodies was easier on my mind than thinking what some of the stuff in that chest was for. Barely.

 

“Yohji, Aya… Schuldig, wake up. We got company.”

 

Yohji groaned and Aya muttered something that sounded suspiciously like `Die'. Schuldig gave me the finger and dragged the covers higher. I didn't want to come any further into the room but I needed to get them downstairs into the kitchen. I wasn't about to drag the covers off them; I wasn't ready to see them naked again. I was still trying to burn the first experience out of my brain.

 

“Schuldig, your team is in our kitchen right now. Crawford said we need to talk. He said it affects both our teams.”

 

Schuldig sat up and ran a hand through his hair. It stuck up at odd angles and I couldn't help the snicker that escaped. He looked like he was wearing a fright wig. Schuldig sent me a narrow look and I felt the barest flicker of pain behind my eyes.

 

“We'll be down in a moment, Ken,” Aya said as he sent a Schuldig a look. Yohji, more direct, whapped Schuldig upside the head.

 

The pain in my head stopped and Schuldig sighed. I turned away and left the room when I saw Schuldig start to pull the covers back. His annoying laugh followed me down the hall and I stomped down the stairs. All eyes focused on me as I moved to lean against the kitchen counter.

 

“They'll be down in a few minutes,” I said sweetly, as I folded my arms across my chest and waited.

 

~Yohji~

 

I almost couldn't believe Ken had the balls to step into my room again. He'd been extra careful not to go anywhere near my room, even going so far as to leave my neatly folded laundry outside my door, like we had gay cooties and were catching. Ok, unfair, it was Schwarz germs he didn't want to associate with. Ken was okay with me and Aya sleeping together as long as he didn't see us naked together. He still wasn't very happy about Schu being in the mix but I'd stopped worrying about possible bloodshed between the two.

 

**Move your lazy asses out of bed. I'm sure Crawford isn't here to check on why Schuldig is out past his curfew, ** Aya said as he stood, fully dressed, at the foot of the bed.

 

**But Yohji's bed is so comfortable, ** Schuldig whined as he stretched his body and stroked a hand down my ribs.

 

“Up. Now,” Aya snapped.

 

I pushed myself out of bed and hunted for a clean pair of pants. Schuldig remained in the bed, watching me bend over. I caught snatches of thought from him about how nice my ass was and that it was cute when it was still faintly pink. I saw Aya walk out of my room and tossed Schuldig's pants to him.

 

“I'd get dressed if I were you. When Aya gives an order like that, it's best to do what he says.”

 

“Ach, what's he going to do? Yell a little? Get all sulky? I think I can handle that. Could be fun handling him,” Schuldig said with a confident smirk.

 

I let the memory of the last time I had been slow to get my ass out of bed unfurl from my brain to his. Images of a katana being thrust through the bedding very close to some rather dear parts of my anatomy were capped with the remembered sting of where the sword had nicked me on my inner thigh. I let Schuldig know that the nick hadn't been accidental but just Aya's way of showing me that he was serious. Schuldig was dressed almost as fast as I was.

 

If I lived to be a hundred, I swear I would find no stranger sight than Schwartz sitting in our kitchen having tea at two thirty in the morning. Omi, bless his polite and well-mannered soul, had even provided a plate of cookies for our uninvited guests.

 

Ken leaned against the counter where he could keep an eye on all our guests. Omi fluttered around making sure they were comfortable. Aya was sitting in a chair that had its back to the stairs and a clear view of the room. Nagi slouched in his chair, half asleep, and Farfarello was examining the knives in our butcher block. Crawford was sitting comfortably in my usual place at the table, sipping from Ken's regular cup. I bet Ken threw it away once they left. Still, it almost looked like a regular, friendly gathering. Schuldig and I moved to stand behind Aya.

 

“Ken says you have something to tell us that affects both our teams. I'm assuming it's too pressing to wait until a more reasonable hour,” Aya said.

 

“I've had a vision. In a few days time, Yohji is going to die on mission,” Brad said calmly before taking a sip of his tea.

 

Suddenly I wanted to sit down.

 

“I won't let that happen,” Aya said fiercely as he stood abruptly, his palms slapping the tabletop sharply. I took the opportunity to sag into his chair.

 

“It won't happen,” Schuldig said in a grim voice as he fixed Brad with cold, blue eyes.

 

Ken and Omi had moved to stand next to the three of us in support; Ken fairly radiating hostility that was, for once, not directed at Schuldig. Omi was supportive concern. Nagi woke up enough to look bored with the whole proceedings and Farfarello had moved on to examine the contents of our cupboards, oblivious to what was going on in the room.

 

“I'm telling you what I Saw. I first had this vision a while ago. I've never had one affect me so strongly. I didn't understand it at first. I knew I was going to have another vision as the time for the event got closer. I needed to See the vision again to try and figure out what it was about. I believe I know what it means now.”

 

Brad proceeded to tell us about the vision and what he believed it meant. When he explained why he thought the vision was about me dying, I had to admit that was the best possible way to interpret the vision. Didn't make me very happy to know that I was about to have my number punched.

 

“Why tell us? Wouldn't that make things easier for you, as a team, if Yohji died?” Omi asked.

 

“We need Yohji and you need us. We have to work together if we want to save all our asses,” Brad answered.

 

“We don't need anything from murdering bastards like you,” Ken spat.

 

“Uh, actually, Ken, we do,” I said.

 

“Excuse me?” Ken asked with a look of disbelief on his face.

 

“Our former employers have a rather harsh way of making sure that we function at top form as a team. They send in a team of people called Cleaners. These… barbarians go into our heads and erase any personal links we may develop for each other,” Brad explained.

 

“So? Maybe we'd finally get rid of him,” Ken said with a jerk of his thumb to Schuldig.

 

“Actually, you'd lose Yohji and they'd kill the rest of you. They'd kill an entire orphanage of children to get their hands on someone with Yohji's Talent,” Brad replied as he took another sip of his tea.

 

“No offence meant to Yohji but he's just an Empath and a low level one at that. Why would they care so much about an Empath,” Omi asked.

 

“But Yohji isn't just an Empath. He's also an Amplifier. That's the Talent they'd be interested in. Yohji can boost any Talent and that boost will become permanent the more he does it. They had someone like this before but didn't realize the special considerations of the Gift and used it up,” Brad said.

 

“Used it up?” Ken asked with a frown.

 

“They killed the girl by accident. They drained her Talent dry,” I said softly.

 

Ken and Omi looked at me in shock. I could see the denial on their lips as they wanted to protest my using this Talent. I felt that quick, slippery emotion from my team-mates that left me feeling warm and fuzzy inside as well as their concern for my safety. I was smacked between the eyes with the realization that what they were sending was love.

 

Not a love like I had from Aya. That was a completely different feeling. Aya's love was icy hot and all consuming. That filled me with such joy that I wanted to just wallow in the feeling. What I felt from Ken and Omi was like what I assume you would feel for a brother. It was a tight, close bond and felt like strength and support and was deeply rooted. Somehow, I resisted squirming with pleasure where I stood.

 

“It's okay guys. That won't happen. We know how to re-charge my Talent. It sorta works like a battery and as long as I'm re-charged, I'm fine to boost whoever.”

 

“How do you re-charge?” Omi asked curiously as he sat back down in his seat.

 

I saw the blush creep up the back of Aya's neck and Schuldig snickered. I shifted my eyes away from Omi's earnest blue ones. Brad rolled his eyes. Ken looked between Aya, Schuldig and me and suddenly sucked in a sharp breath. Colour crept into his cheeks. Ken moved back to his spot against the counter and looked uncomfortable. A thin smile spread over Nagi's face. Farfarello was still absorbed in going through our cupboards looking for gods only knew what.

 

“Yohji?” Omi persisted.

 

“Sex. He re-charges through sex,” Schuldig answered with a leer.

 

A faint blush tinged Omi's cheeks and he cleared his throat. “Makes sense I guess.”

 

I couldn't help it. I laughed. Quiet, cute as a button, Omi coming to a realization like that.

 

“We need you to start boosting everyone as soon as possible. I've given it some thought and if we are to join forces, Yohji, you should see if you can boost your own team-mates as well as us. Since you can boost Aya's natural gifts, it stands to reason that you may be also able to boost Ken and Omi,” Brad suggested.

 

“How does this boost thing work? I'm not sleeping with him, no offence, Yohji, but you are too flat chested for my tastes.” Ken said firmly.

 

“I wouldn't share him with you,” Schuldig shot back. “Although a good screw would probably take care of the attitude you have.”

 

Ken's reply was in several languages I didn't know, but I could tell it was vulgar. What surprised me more than Ken's multilingual cursing ability was that he did not try to physically attack Schu. Maybe Ken and Schuldig had learned to play nice with each other over the past few weeks. I guess miracles do happen.

 

~Omi~

 

I watched the exchange between my team-mates and the members of Schwartz. I had gotten use to seeing Schuldig at our house over the past few weeks and I didn't really understand Ken's continued antagonism over the man. Schuldig hadn't done anything to either Ken or me since he had started the relationship with Aya and Yohji and he'd even been on surprisingly good behaviour. Yohji and Aya were happy with him. I didn't completely trust the man but I did try and treat him like a welcome guest.

 

I wondered why Yohji and Aya hadn't said anything to Ken and I about this other Talent Yohji had. Sure, it took a little adjustment to get use to the idea that Yohji had one Gift, never mind two, but we should have been told. We were practically family. I wondered what Brad meant when he said that Yohji boosted Aya until I thought about how Aya had been on the last mission. He had moved with even more deadly grace than he usually did. My interest was now piqued.

 

“Do me first,” I said and then blushed as I realized how that sounded.

 

“Excellent idea. I know you know how to actively use that talent of yours, Kudou. You used it on Schuldig. Just do the same thing to your team-mate and we can see if it will work on other non-Talents or if Aya is just a special case because of your relationship with him,” Brad said.

 

Aya blushed, Yohji glanced away from me and Schuldig snickered.

 

“I… uh… I'm not sure I should do that to Omi,” Yohji hedged.

 

“Why not? It doesn't hurt does it?” I asked.

 

Aya blushed even redder and Schuldig snorted with laughter.

 

“Uh… no, it doesn't hurt. It just… I mean…” Yohji sighed and dragged a hand through his hair. A blush crept up his cheeks and he looked me straight in the eye, “You'll get very aroused from it.”

 

“Oh. Is that all? I'm not going to want to jump you or anything am I?” I asked. I had no desire to find out what all the noise going on in Yohji's room was about.

 

“No, I don't think so. Unless you swing that way. You don't, do you?” Yohji asked with a little trace of panic in his voice at the thought that I might tackle him to the floor and try to hump him.

 

“No, Yohji, I don't swing that way. So I'll have a hard on for a while. I can deal.”

 

I sighed as my team-mates all looked at me with varying degrees of shock and horror. They seemed to see me as a perpetual fifteen year old virgin. I never aged in their eyes or had thoughts about sex. For me to even suggest that I might have sex…. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and caught the sympathetic look from Nagi. Seems like I wasn't the only one to suffer from the Peter Pan Syndrome my team-mates had.

 

“Yohji, just do it, okay? If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. If it does, you're not going to try and jump me are you?”

 

“No, it doesn't work like that for me.”

 

“Fine. Do it. You say we need Schwartz. We should be on some kind of equal footing with them. At least as equal as we can make it.”

 

Yohji sighed and nodded his head. Aya moved back to Yohji and rested his hand on Yohji's shoulder. Schuldig took up a position on his other side and also rested a hand on Yohji. Yohji closed his eyes briefly and drew in several deep breaths before opening them. He reached across the table and held my hands in his and stared at me with intense concentration. I watched as he frowned and a light film of sweat broke out on his face. Schuldig opened his mouth to protest and snapped it shut just as fast while shooting a dark look at Aya. I opened my mouth to tell Yohji to stop; that it wasn't working and I didn't want him hurting himself, when a burst of incredible warmth rushed through my body.

 

Energy surged through me pushing an arousal more powerful than anything I'd ever felt at me. I groaned as I felt my cock spring to life. I felt like a velvet covered hand had stroked every single erogenous zone on my body at once. Yohji let go of my hands and gave me a shaky little smile. I felt stronger and faster than just moments ago. I was invincible. I could barely sit still from the energy zipping through my body. This was heady stuff and I immediately understood why Schwartz's former employers would want a Talent like Yohji's for their own purposes.

 

“It worked,” Aya confirmed with a little nod of his head.

 

“You feel like this all the time with him?” I asked as drew and replaced a dart faster than I thought I'd ever be able to. “No wonder you guys are so loud. This feels fantastic.”

 

Aya's blush, which had almost faded, came back full force. Schuldig howled with laughter and Yohji let a seductive smile grace his face. Ken made a strangled noise in his throat and looked like he wanted to be anywhere but where he was.

 

“Can you do Ken or do you need to rest or something?” I asked as I moved around the kitchen, fascinated with the speed I now had. I wondered how long these new abilities were going to last and when they'd become permanent.

 

“I'm good. You guys can't take a lot from me anyway. Not like Schu or another Talent could. I was topped up earlier tonight so I have some to spare. Ken, have a seat and I'll do you next,” Yohji said as he gestured to the chair.

 

~Ken~

 

Seeing Omi move like he walked on air was cool but I wasn't in any big hurry to experience the sexual rush that he seemed to have gotten too. Omi had a flush on his cheeks and didn't seem to care that anyone glancing at his crotch would see the erection he had. I really wasn't keen on feeling sexual things from Yohji, and especially not in front of Schwarz. I liked the guy; I just didn't like him like that. I could go my whole life without feeling stuff like that from Yohji - or any guy. I was about to refuse when Schuldig opened his big mouth.

 

“Ach, the kitten is scared.”

 

Son of a bitch. I narrowed my eyes at the German and stalked to the chair that Omi had just vacated. I laid my hands on the table and dared Schuldig to say something else. I was very proud of myself that I didn't so much as twitch when Yohji took my hands in his. I stared back at him and waited for… something. Even after seeing Omi's reaction, I wasn't prepared for Yohji's Talent.

 

Heat, pleasure, need and power surged through my veins making me gasp in surprise. My head spun delightfully and I was rock hard in moments. Omi was right. It was no wonder Aya and Schuldig were so damn loud. I wasn't sure what sensation I liked better and that surprised me. The lush arousal was like nothing else I'd ever experienced. The superhuman feeling of having energy and power to burn was intoxicating. I looked at Yohji and wanted more.

 

“That's all you can take, Ken. Even if I tried, you can't take more; at least not tonight.”

 

I somehow managed to hold my disappointment in check. I was very grateful that I was wearing loose shorts and my t-shirt was untucked. Even still, I didn't want to stand up and pitch a tent. I wondered how long this little confab was going to drag out. I had a raging hard on that I suddenly, desperately, needed to take care of. I wasn't even bothered by the fact that Yohji had technically been the one to give it to me. For the feelings of power I had moving through me, I think I almost would have let Yohji bang me. I blinked and replayed that thought in my head, testing it for truth. Yep, for this kind of rush and power, I'd have offered him my cherry ass. What kind of person did that make me?

 

**Power-hungry just like the rest of us. Welcome to humanity, ** Schuldig drawled in my head.

 

I scowled at him and ignored him as best as I could. I'd gotten good at that over the past few weeks. Because Schuldig was a bastard and not content with letting a prime opportunity like this slide past him, he sent me a rapid fire burst of images and feelings that I could have gone my whole life without knowing about him, Aya and Yohji. The lust in me grew until I was teetering on the brink of orgasm. I slapped my palms on the top of the table and fled the kitchen before I came in my pants like a randy teenager in front of my team-mates and Schwartz. Schuldig's laugh was cut off and I heard his pained cry of `Aya' just as my bedroom door closed. I barely got my pants down before orgasm ripped through me. I knelt on my bedroom floor and panted as shivers and aftershocks rippled through me. I hadn't even touched myself. That was some Gift Yohji had.

 

**You're welcome, ** snickered Schuldig before he abruptly cut the connection and a muffled whine of `Aya' floated up the stairs.

 

~Nagi~

 

I watched the proceedings with feigned indifference. I was actually curious and excited to see what this Talent of Yohji's was like and how much of an increase I'd get from it. Schuldig had certainly benefited. After Brad explained about the Cleaners I was anxious to get this boost to my Talent that Brad said we needed if we wanted to stay out of the hands of Esset and Rosencrantz.

 

And I wanted to stay out of their hands. I had found things out when I was snooping through their files. The Cleaners were the least of our worries. There were even nastier creations employed by our former employers. If the Cleaners couldn't do the job, other dogs were loosed. Dying was an attractive option when compared to what would be in store if we didn't obliterate the Cleaners the first time around.

 

I moved into the chair Ken left so quickly and placed my hands on the table. Schuldig started to open his mouth again and narrowed his eyes at the back of Yohji's head. He grumbled and didn't look happy. Aya didn't look thrilled either. I was certain Yohji was telling them he knew what he was doing and to leave him be. They didn't matter though. The Talent wasn't theirs to use.

 

Yohji took my hands into his and stared at me. I returned his gaze and waited for whatever it was that he could give me. His brow furrowed and his hands gripped mine harder. Lines of pain appeared around his mouth. I felt nothing. He let go of my hands and made a frustrated noise in his throat.

 

“What happened or maybe I should ask what didn't happen?” Brad asked as he leaned forward in his seat.

 

“I don't know. I did the same thing that I did with both Ken and Omi. I have enough juice left to boost Nagi. Schuldig can confirm that,” Yohji said in a tired voice. Schuldig nodded his head in agreement.

 

“Can Nagi just take what he needs? Do it like Schuldig usually does?” Brad asked.

 

Schuldig and Aya scowled and Yohji gave Brad a worn smile that was probably meant to be seductive.

 

“Nein. I take from Yohji when he comes. I only share him with Aya.”

 

My disappointment at not getting a boost didn't show on my face. I wouldn't have slept with Yohji to get the boost even if Schuldig had been willing to share. I was still the strongest telekinetic that Esset had even without the boost. According to Brad, that wouldn't be enough when the Cleaners came for us. My Talents had never been enough before and since nothing had changed, it still wouldn't be enough now. I leaned back in my chair and wondered what we were going to do now if Yohji couldn't boost the rest of Schwartz.

 

~Yohji~

 

I chewed on my bottom lip and stared off at nothing. There had to be a way to make this work. We needed it to work to save all our asses. I couldn't figure out why it wasn't working for Nagi. I wasn't doing anything different than I had with Ken or Omi. I wanted to try again but it was damn near three thirty in the morning and I was dead on my feet.

 

“I don't know why it isn't working. I'm tired. Everybody's tired. Why don't you guys come back tomorrow and we can give it a try again?”

 

“We're staying,” said Farfarello as he stuck his head inside the freezer and gave a little sniff of disgust at the contents.

 

All eyes turned to stare at the one-eyed man as he finally stopped poking around in our kitchen. I thought he wasn't paying any attention to what was going on. He leaned against the counter and casually pulled out a knife from somewhere and turned it this way and that to catch the light.

 

“I believe Farfarello means can we stay here? It would be easier for Yohji to work with us to boost our Talent and we can protect him better if we're all involved,” Brad said.

 

“Hey! Sitting right here. I can protect myself you know,” I snapped, miffed that my abilities were being slurred.

 

“Most times, yes. Not this time though. Something happens on mission and you die. My visions are never wrong.”

 

“We'll refuse the next mission. We're allowed to do that,” Omi offered.

 

Crawford shook his head. “Something will happen to make this vision come true. Wouldn't you rather be prepared for this to happen rather than waiting for the other shoe to drop?”

 

There was some low level growling by Aya and some snarling by Schuldig as they conceded the point. They weren't happy with the idea of Schwartz staying under our roof. I know if Ken had been present, he'd have protested too. I wasn't exactly thrilled either but it did sort of make sense. It was Omi who agreed with Brad and hurried off to set them up in the living room with blankets and pillows.

 

I headed for the stairs and back to bed, my lovers trailing behind me, still muttering evilly about having Schwartz in the house. I suppressed a snicker at that thought from Schuldig. I doubted he'd see the humour in that thought that I did. I had the feeling the next few days were going to be surreal in the extreme. A little part of me could hardly wait.