Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Shadows ❯ machinations pt 2 ( Chapter 8 )

Shadows

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chapter six

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machinations, part two

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Ran pulled on yet another new tunic, glaring slightly at Yohji when the man tugged his long strands of hair out from the top's collar. Shifting his gaze to rest on Cassandra, he frowned at the woman. "They're all fine, can I stop trying them on now?"

"Fine then, but no complaints if something doesn't fit. It will be another week or two for the costume, but there is no rush on that. Yotan, would you like for me to make one for you as well?"

Having just had his hand smacked for tugging on Ran's hair, Yohji stuck his tongue out at him before answering the other bound. "That would be great, Cass. Have it match Aya's, since we'll be going to the wedding together."

Those words made Ran shiver as he thought of Yohji witnessing him kill the king and his family. The older man mistook it for a chill and wrapped his arms about Ran. Was there no way for him to escape this mission? He was starting to feel pulled in two different directions; between Aya-chan and Yohji and Nagi, and wasn't sure how to keep the people he cared for safe. And Yohji's promise this morning was not helping matters.

Warm breath tickled his ear, distracting him from his dark thoughts. "You cold, cat?" Yohji rubbed his hands along Ran's arms and held him close.

"Hn."

"I noticed you changed your bed, Yotan. Your mother would be happy to see this out of the attic and put to use once more."

Yohji's voice was husky and filled with laughter and innuendo. "Oh, I'm putting it to use all right. The bed's in danger of falling apart." With his arms trapped to his sides, all Ran could do was mutter curses at the idiot, but Cassandra helped him out by smacking the blond head. When she stepped back, Ran stared at her with cold eyes, letting her know he wasn't all too pleased with the abuse directed at his lover. Yohji was his to reprimand.

The woman paled for a moment, but then a smile spread across her face, lighting her lovely features. "You were raised to be a gentleman, Yohji, now behave like one. You shame your Aya so, to talk such filth."

"Sorry, love." Yohji nuzzled him on the neck, stopping only when there was a knock on the door. He left Ran to open it and usher Botan inside. Mickey followed on the wizard's heels and upon seeing Ran walked over to his side.

"I'm glad to see you've healed from last night. Cass, your salve is a miracle worker. I don't know what you put in it, I just wished it worked as well on me as it does on Yohji and Aya."

Cassandra hugged Mickey for a moment in greeting, and presented her cheek for a kiss, and the burly man immediately obliged her. "Everyone heals differently, Mickey. It but speeds things up."

Botan, when he was done muttering over the washbasin, bowed to the precog and introduced himself. "Excuse me, I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. You're Cass, am I right? Omi told me you have some skill with herbs and I heard mention of a salve."

The precog was silent for a moment, as Ran stared at her, noting the dazed look in her eyes as she gazed at the wizard. He felt a tingle of magic that wasn't Yohji's or Botan's and assumed that Cassandra must be experiencing a vision. The look faded from her eyes and she bowed in return, her shakiness visible only to an observant bound's eyes. "Yes, I have some small knowledge."

"Small… hell, Botan, she knows more about plants than anyone I've met." Yohji snagged a `grey' lock of hair and tugged on it. "You're selling yourself short, Cass."

Botan smiled at Cassandra and bowed again. "I've always had an interest in herbery and would like to discuss the matter some more with you, if I may."

Cassandra sniffed and tilted her head graciously. "I live at 37 Tillman Lane. Stop by for a pot of tea one day. Now I must be going. Yotan, make an old woman's day and kiss her goodbye." She once again offered her cheek, but Yohji, with an evil smile on his face, swooped in and kissed her breathless on the lips. She smacked him lightly on the chin for his impudence once she was free, and after wishing everyone else goodbye, left the room.

Mickey and Botan followed her out the door, chuckling as they left. Ran turned to face his lover with a frown on his face. When he saw Yohji wiping his smiling lips, the look became a vicious glare.

"Hey, don't look at me like that, I was just kidding around. Cass is a second mother to me, no matter what she loo-." Yohji stopped talking and flushed, then tried to cover his slip with a cocky grin. "You jealous, cat?"

"Hn." Who was he to be jealous of a slut? But his non-answer seemed to please Yohji, and the man snagged Ran by his arms and yanked him close.

"I'll just have to prove to you that I'm not interested in anyone else. Seems to me I can do that best by resuming where we left off." He bent his head and nibbled on Ran's neck, making his knees feel weak.

Threading his fingers through the blond locks, Ran started to push Yohji's head away, but the feel of a tongue rasping along his bruised skin, along with the tingle of magic and pleasure that raced through his veins weakened his resolve. It was so hard to control the impulse to cloak the two of them in shadows and hide from the world, ensuring that no one interrupted them this time. Ran found he couldn't fight both himself and Yohji. Sparing a curse for useless, meddling precogs, he gave in to their mutual desire.

*******

Making sure that no one was paying attention to her, Cassandra slipped down the Koneko's stairs, intent on the bathing room. As she walked through the door, she shed her glamour and smiled at the man soaking in the tub.

It took Crawford a second to fumble on his glasses and to recognize her. "Cass, what the hell are you doing here?" He reached out for a washcloth and draped it over his groin.

Her smile grew wicked at the flash of modesty. "Tsk, it's a bit late for that, I've already seen what you've got." She couldn't resist laughing at the look she received for that comment. "So touchy, and I didn't even make a remark about its size."

"Cassandra, get to the point of this visit and then leave me the hell alone."

"What, is that any way to talk to your beloved? Perhaps I'm here to relive a few old memories. We can always try again if you still feel Schuldig isn't your son." When the uptight prick shivered in horror, she stamped her foot, and after looking about found a bar of soap to throw at him. "Bah, it wasn't that bad, for you at least! Else there never would have been a child."

Crawford pushed his wet bangs off his face as he fished the bar of soap out of the water. "It wasn't altogether enjoyable, a certain biological response aside. No, what had me so repulsed was the thought of another Schuldig roaming the world. He's even worse than you, Cassandra, which I thought impossible."

Oh, what she wouldn't give for a talent other than precognition and glamour. She'd fry the man to a crisp or squash him flat, if she but had the power. "It's because he's half yours. There was only so much my nature could do with that handicap."

The room fell quiet, save for the trickling of water, until the silence was broken by a sigh. "Are we going to insult each other all day or what? You have to tell Schuldig to come here this evening, Yohji needs to be incapacitated so Aya can carry out a mission for me."

"Why for?"

The flash of pity and sorrow in the other bound's eyes shocked Cassandra. "Schuldig found out this morning that Eto has a precog at his disposal, and I… we need Aya to release the man from his suffering. If not, he might see something that will warn the lord of what we plan, and Yoru will continue to use his blood for spells."

For a moment, tears threatened to spill from her eyes at the news. There was only one type of `release' that required a kage, and things must be bad if Crawford was willing to risk Aya. It must have something to do with why her son had shown up on her doorstep this morning and had hugged and kissed her before announcing he felt the urge to spend another day in his old bed. She had caught the relief on his face when he'd seen her and the odd note of seriousness in his voice when he wished her a safe day. "Is there no other way?"

"No, Cass." The poor bound, she could only imagine what he'd suffered. It must truly be bad, if Crawford wanted his death and not his rescue. He'd never betray his own kind for the sake of convenience.

"He'll be here. How will you make Yohji let Aya go? It won't be an easy task, after what happened last night. He barely took his eyes off the kage while in my presence."

A slight smile spread on Crawford's lips as he massaged his neck. "Jei will have a little work to do today, not that he'll mind. For once I have a task for him that he won't complain about."

She'd always liked Jei and considered him a saint for dealing with his partner for so many years. No wonder the man was insane. "You've felt it, haven't you? How the threads are weaving together. The announcement will be soon, and our destinies set. We've yet to win the kage's trust, though."

"We still have some time. Besides, we have something to offer him that he'll want more each day, now that Yohji's his mate. We can break the hold the Takatoris have on him."

"Or so we hope." She still felt guilty about the manipulation and stroked a hand along her healed throat. Miyuki would be so upset at her for using her son so. "Yotan will have to find out the truth soon, about what he is at least."

Crawford nodded his head. "Yes, it won't be long, now that his true nature has been awakened by Aya. I've never known a bound to remain dormant for so long."

Yes, due in large part to her and Schuldig's efforts. Cassandra sorrowed at the loss of Yohji's innocence, at least of the world he truly belonged in. There would be no future of him growing old in the Koneko, passing the inn on to his children as he'd once dreamed. Instead, it would be battle after battle, years of isolation and hiding. But he'd have Aya by his side.

"Well, I must be off. Make sure you don't stay in there too long or else it might shrivel too much. You never know when you'll be called on again to produce another hero." Her laughter filled the stone chamber, followed by a curse and the closing of a door.

*******

Yohji licked along a pale shoulder as he thrust into Aya, earning a strangled moan from his lover. He shifted his hand from a slender hip to stroke the man's neglected shaft, but the feeling of sunlight didn't increase, rather, just trickled into him. Something was wrong, causing Aya to fight the pleasure. He could feel the man's discomfort and unease as if they were his own emotions. Running a hand down Aya's scarred back, it occurred to Yohji what the problem might be when the redhead shuddered.

Pulling out of the smaller man, he turned Aya onto his back and noted the tightly closed eyes and lips on the pale face. Lifting a slim leg onto his shoulder, he pushed back into the luscious, clenching heat, earning a moan from the both of them. As Aya's eyes flew open, his nerves were set afire by the warmth and light flooding into him. Ah, that was it; his love was sensitive about his back.

"I won't hurt you, never ever hurt you," he whispered against Aya's lips as he thrust in as deep as he could, hitting the spot that made Aya mewl and writhe beneath him. "But this way is fine, now I get to see your beautiful face. Look at me love, watch me fucking you." His lover stared back at him, and hands settled on Yohji's hips, urging him deeper as his name was moaned aloud. Aya arched up to meet his thrusts, mewling softly as he stretched out his neck and gazed at Yohji through half lidded eyes that glowed silver in the shadowed darkness of the bed.

Unable to resist, Yohji trailed his tongue over the two bite marks as his hips pistoned back and forth, causing the sunlight to pour off Aya in waves, spiking to a blinding intensity whenever the man's sweet spot was hit. Aya rasped out his name, shifting a hand to his hair and yanking Yohji's head down for a searing kiss. Gods, he tasted so damn sweet, making Yohji drunk with the flavor alone. He was in heaven, filled with sunlight and clenched tight by a velvet heat that was pure bliss, Aya on his tongue and lips and against his skin….

He rocked back onto his heels, pulling his lover with him, settling Aya on his lap and letting the man ride him with a bruising passion. Yohji moaned as a hot mouth latched on to the crook of his neck, skimming his hands down Aya's sides and clutching the slender hips thrusting against him, forcing them to slam back down so he could get that much deeper inside of his love - to have that much more of him. Ecstasy thrummed through every last centimeter of his being until he felt he was made entirely of pleasure and light, but it still wasn't enough. He had a sinking feeling it never would be, that this all encompassing need for Aya would hound him til the end of time and beyond, but it felt so incredibly fucking good, and the man was _his_. So, who gave a fuck? This was all that mattered.

A wave of sunlight and bliss crashed through Yohji, making him gasp as Aya came. Sharp teeth bit deep into his shoulder as the man's body shuddered again, but this time in pleasure. Tossing his head back, Yohji called out the redhead's name, his hips thrusting upwards as his essence poured into Aya. He fell backward; Aya held against his chest and lay on the mattress gasping for breath. When he could finally move, Yohji looked down at himself, half-expecting to see himself glowing from the sunlight that raced through his veins, making him shiver in pleasure even after the sex was done.

A rough tongue rasped along his shoulder and neck licking up the trickle of blood he could feel along his skin. The bite mark throbbed with pain for a minute, but he was distracted from the wound by the sight of Aya staring at him, a trace of blood on swollen lips and heavy lids half concealing a pair of luminous eyes. The smaller man appeared as sated as he felt and was exhausted. He rumbled out a low purr when Yohji tucked back the ragged bangs falling onto the lovely face: so fucking beautiful and all his, forever. He'd spend that long trying to satisfy this yearning inside of him and do so with a smile, all because Aya was his. Yohji could smell his scent clinging to the pale skin and knew that it would never fade away. He'd poured himself deep inside that lovely body and had marked the smooth white skin. Aya was his.

He tugged on an eartail until Aya's mouth crushed against his, tasting his blood with its copper tang in contrast with the man's sweetness. Yohji shivered at the taste of himself mingled with Aya's. When he let his head fall back onto the bed, he shot the pale man a sexy smile as he brushed his thumb along the pouting lips. Aya nipped at his finger and then tried to sit up, only to be jerked back down by an eartail. "Yohji, stop using my hair as a damn leash."

"Only when you stop trying to pull away. I'm all nice and comfy and don't want to move." He wrapped his arms about his lover, nuzzling Aya's right ear and smiling when the man sighed and melted against his chest. "Feels so good to hold you."

Aya didn't say anything, just tucked his head underneath Yohji's chin and purred. He took that for agreement. About to skim his fingers down the man's spine, Yohji remembered the scars just in time and ran them down Aya's arms instead, ending the caress by twining their fingers together. "You know, since you have all those new outfits now, it would be a shame not to show them off a little. I could escort you around the city if you want. There's so much of it to see and you barely caught a glimpse the other day. We could stop and pick you up some more of those cookies while we're out."

"Yohji… not today. I don't feel like being around a bunch of people right now."

Ah, guess someone was still a little upset about last night. Growling for a moment, Yohji wondered if the Guard had found Timon yet. It was very rare for a criminal to escape them. He wanted the bastard to be found and made to pay for hurting his love

"Well, you feel like hanging out downstairs? Jo's gonna make some cinnamon rolls today, since they're Koyu's favorites, and she could use some help. Her assistants get to try them fresh from the oven, to make sure they turn out all right. And let me tell you, the rolls taste even better than her pancakes."

The smaller man shifted about until he was facing Yohji, and stared down at him for a moment before nodding his head. "All right then, we better get down there." Before Jo hauled them out of bed, conscripting them for labor.

Reluctantly letting go of Aya's hands, he let his lover rise from the bed and lay there watching as Aya found and pulled on his clothes. Once dressed, the redhead returned to the bed and shyly kissed him on the mouth before saying he had to go wash off and change, and would meet Yohji downstairs.

Not moving until Aya had left the room, Yohji stretched his long body and crawled out of bed, proud of himself for resisting the urge to keep he and Aya in it all day long. Walking over to his washbasin, he thought of the plan he'd come up with the night before. He wanted to get Aya involved in the Koneko, to prove to the quiet man that he had a home and a place here, to make him care about its staff and owner so much that Aya wouldn't want to leave when the time came.

Watching as steam rose almost immediately after he poured water into the porcelain bowl, Yohji thought of what would happen if Aya still wanted leave after the wedding. Not that he'd let the man go, even if he had to knock him out and keep him chained to the bed. Once he made Aya a part of the Koneko, it wouldn't just be him wanting the redhead to stay; it would be everyone. Once a stray was adopted, they were adopted for good. Just look at Jo; she'd sworn up and down she would only remain here long enough to let her wounds heal after escaping her husband and had never left. Nope, Aya didn't stand a chance. Especially when he recognized the look on Omi's face and knew that the boy would be working on Naoe as well, trying to keep the teen here by him. If worse comes to worst, Omi could always use his title to force the two stubborn fools to remain in the capital.

He wasn't that worried about Aya's mysterious lord, not when he had the crown prince's support and knew he could count on the Guards, and Botan and Birman to back him up. If it was the unknown man who had abused his lover, all he'd have to do was show Aya's scars, and the bastard would spend the rest of his life rotting in some cell, if he was lucky. Maybe he should find some way of letting Aya know who his friends were, to let him know that Yohji was powerful in his own right. Although Birman would probably demand he rejoin the Guards in return for any favor on her part. If he had to, he'd graciously pay whatever price the spymaster asked. Somehow, his disgrace didn't weigh so heavily on his mind anymore. Not when he felt so energized and complete.

Soaking a washcloth, Yohji started to wipe himself clean. He glanced at the mirror, catching sight of some blood that Aya had missed, smeared along his shoulder. Gingerly wiping the bite, he was stunned to find a healed scar instead of torn flesh. Formed by Aya's teeth, the light brown lines marring his skin appeared to be a month old injury. But he distinctly remembered being bitten just minutes ago, had felt the blood run down his chest. Something was wrong here; people didn't heal like this, not unless magic was involved. Even then, a spelled wound took days and not moments to heal.

Unsure of what he was trying to prove to himself, Yohji grabbed his razor and uncovered the blade. He was imagining things, surely he was. Gritting his teeth, he ran the sharp blade along the ball of his thumb and sliced the skin open. Hissing a bit from the pain, he sucked on the cut finger, tasting blood on his tongue. It hurt for a few seconds then both the pain and blood stopped. Yohji pulled his finger out of his mouth and examined it, his vision going blurry as he looked at the mostly healed red line that crossed his finger.

Okay, it used to be said that he had a brain, back before he met Asuka. He knew that there had to be a reason for this; there always was for everything. Sometimes not a real logical one, but everything had a reason. So, he'd just healed incredibly quickly. That meant either he was healing himself with the aid of magic, after showing no wizarding skills in all his years, and that was something that every child was watched closely for, or…. A bound. It was the only other possibility. He'd been around Schuldig and Cassandra long enough to see them heal almost as quickly as this, but… he couldn't be one, could he?

Hell, he remembered Schuldig's puberty; the headaches his friend had suffered as his talent kicked in, the day his nails had fallen off to be replaced by a wicked set of claws. The increased appetite that had them stealing food left and right to feed the bound… and him. He remembered being almost as hungry as his friend, at least for the first year or two, until a serving girl who had been accompanying a well known artist had taken an interest in him, and then who had time to be filching food all day when there were people to entice into bed?

Yohji dropped his washcloth and spun around, smacking his fist into the wall. "Dammit, Kudoh, try and think for a moment. All of a sudden you're a bound? Right. You're imagining things, the blood hasn't left your dick yet and your brain is making this shit up. Or maybe Botan's playing a trick on you. You can't be a bound." Nope, no way in hell. He didn't read thoughts, he didn't feel the urge to drink someone's blood, and he couldn't start fires or blow things up by thinking about it. Yohji Kudoh was completely human.

Jerking a hand through his hair, he tried to calm himself down. But what if he wasn't, and somehow had overlooked what he was for so long? No, he was normal; well, mostly normal. So what if he was stronger than he looked, so much so it always surprised people? Or that he'd always had better senses than everyone but Schuldig and Cass? It didn't mean a thing. And he'd always healed quickly in the past, thanks to Cass's cream. Maybe there had still been some on Aya's skin, and it had rubbed against his and….

Fuck, Aya. What if he really was a bound? What would Aya say to him? Would the man run in fear and disgust from him? The mere thought of his lover being repulsed by him had Yohji snarling out loud. No fucking way, that was no longer an option. Aya was his, forever. He wasn't going to let the man go; would rip out the throat of anyone stupid enough to get in his way, would drain them until they were a lifeless husk for keeping him from the pale man.

"Oh gods, Yohji, listen to your fucking self. Rip out their throats? Drain them dry?" He was acting like some sort of wild beast, like a, like a… bound. Before he could panic again, Yohji yanked on his hair, trying to stop the snarls that were coming out of his mouth. He was getting carried away, acting like an idiot. Schuldig would know for sure and would probably laugh his ass off when Yohji told him what he was thinking. He'd never live this down.

Taking deep breaths, he finally managed to push the thoughts and panic from his mind. He wasn't a bound; that simply wasn't possible. He was just messed up from drinking enough alcohol over the past year to stock the Koneko for a whole quarter that was all. Yohji got dressed, refusing to let his mind drift back to his fears. He was going to meet Aya downstairs, eat a pound or two of batter, sprinkle cinnamon on his lover and nibble it off the pale skin, and pretty much drive Jo crazy the whole entire time they spent baking. Then, when Schuldig arrived to mooch some drinks off him, he'd talk to the man and embarrass himself silly. It was as simple as that.

He wasn't a bound.

*******

Ken sighed as he looked about the empty apartment for the second time. Nope, Omi wasn't hiding anywhere; the boy was gone. Three guesses where. Dammit, didn't the kid hear a word of what Manx and he had said yesterday? About it not being safe to hang out in a place where he got drunk and fights broke out, even if it was Yohji's inn? Especially, if it was Yohji's inn. Omi couldn't count on a drunkard to keep him safe. Tonight the announcement would finally be made, and that meant the capital would be flooded with strangers, many of whom would love to get their hands on the crown prince and use him for various reasons.

But he didn't want to get his young friend in trouble and report to Manx that he was gone. With a sigh, Ken resolved to wait until his shift was over then go return the mug Omi had borrowed to the Koneko, collecting his erstwhile ward while he was at it. Hopefully Yohji would be too drunk or busy fucking a stranger to realize he was even there, and Teddy wouldn't have arrived home yet. Maybe he'd be lucky for once.

Ken tried not to think of how lousy his luck was as he headed to the hallway to continue his rounds. Perhaps it would be in his best interest to stop at a temple on his way to the Koneko and make a small sacrifice and an appeal to the goddess of fortune.

*******

Jei opened his eyes and sat up in bed, looking in the direction that the sound of scratching was coming from. He found his partner sitting at the desk busy writing. From the look of the shadows filling the room, it was afternoon, which meant he'd slept for twelve hours or so. Great, nothing like being bitched at as a way of starting the day.

Might as well get it over with. "Morning, Crawford."

"Afternoon, technically, but thank you for the sentiment." The older bound glanced over a black clad shoulder and attempted to smile at him. Jei shivered at the mangled expression. "How are you feeling? Well, I hope."

"Crawford, what the hell do you want?"

The precog blinked in surprise, the blue eyes narrowing in anger after a moment. "What makes you think I want something?"

"You're being nice. Stop it now -- you're scaring me. Go back to being your evil, domineering, manipulative bastard self and just give me my fucking orders for the day. Afternoon, evening, whatever the hell time it is."

Crawford pinned him with a glare and then smiled, this time properly with a hint of malice to the expression. "I think you'll like your orders for today. I want you to fight Aya."

Shaking his head, Jei asked the man to repeat what he'd said. Shit, it sounded the same this time too. "No fucking way, I'm not that insane."

"Oh, stop being such a wuss. I don't want you to really fight him, I want you to ask him to spar with you."

"Huhn." Now that didn't sound too bad; he'd been wanting to spar with the kage since that night in the woods… wait a second, Crawford wouldn't give him a pleasant duty, no way in hell. "What's the damn string this time?"

Putting down his pen, Crawford looked at him with a frown. "What are you talking about?"

"The string attached; I want to know why you want me to fight with Aya. Ran. Whatever his name is."

The precog rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Jei, please, I'm not in the mood for this. I've dealt with the brat and his mother today and will have to deal with him again later. All I want is for you to fight Aya, provoke Yohji into attacking you, and then you'll knock the man out. It's as simple as that."

As simple as that? And people called _him_ insane? "I repeat, `no fucking way'. You want me to provoke a mated succubae-bound, and then hurt a kage's lover? I quit. I'm heading back to Esset and will gladly take whatever punishment the Elders dish out. Goodbye." He rose to his feet and looked about for his bags to start packing.

"Jei." He looked up to see Crawford move to his side and jerked his hand back when the man tried to grab it. "I'll have Aya's permission for all of this, I swear. Plus, I've had a vision. Everything will be fine. Don't forget, I need you for the future or else I'd have let your ass die decades ago."

Jei stared at his partner for a moment and judged him to be sincere. Damn. "Let me guess, this needs to be done for the sake of our freedom."

"Indeed, it does."

"Fucking great." At least he was sated from the meal last night and wouldn't have to worry about his bound nature breaking loose during the practice session. "Oracle, just so you know, one day you will die, and no matter what the cost, even if I have to sell my soul or something, I will live long enough to piss on your ashes. With intense relish. Laughing with glee all the while. Get the picture?"

The older bound just pushed up his glasses up his nose and sniffed. "I love you too, Berserker. Now get your ass in gear."

*******

Ran glared at Yohji when yet another finger laden with sugar icing was bopped against his nose, leaving the sticky food behind. That was the dozenth time this afternoon, at the very least, that Yohji had smeared or sprinkled something on him. "Shi-ne," he growled out, his voice deeper than usual from the amount of malice he felt. He was going to kill the bastard and stuff him in the oven. He was sticky, and one thing that Ran hated to be was sticky.

Oblivious to his fate, Yohji just smiled wickedly and leaned in to lick the icing away. Ran held still, trying not to shiver in pleasure at the other bound's closeness, and when the blond shifted back he punched him in the stomach. When a hurt pair of green eyes looked his way, he scowled some more and rubbed his wet nose. "I warned you what would happen if you did that again."

"You didn't have to hit me. Such a mean little cat." Yohji sniffed, affecting an injured air for a moment then suddenly yanked Ran onto his lap and kissed him breathless. Struggling against the embrace for several minutes, Ran finally managed to wiggle free, his glaring ability severely hampered by the fact that he was gasping for breath. How the hell did Yohji manage to do this to him? One moment he was ready to kill the blond, the next he was kissing him.

"Now that should put you in a better mood. You can't blame me; you're the one who looks good enough to eat. I just figured I'd have you with a little garnish for once." How the hell was he supposed to remain pissed off at the man when he was being smiled at like that? Muttering curses under his breath, Ran scooted away and returned his attention to icing the cinnamon buns fresh from the oven.

Yohji immediately scooted after him, but only got a few centimeters before Jo's voice rang out. "Yohji Kudoh, stop right there. If I see you touching that man before all those buns are iced, I'm whacking your hands with a rolling pin."

"What a brilliant idea, Jo. I see a particular pair of buns I want to ic-OW!" Yohji glared back and forth between Ran and Jo, who had just smacked his hand with a spatula and snapped a wet towel at the back of his head, respectively. "You guys are just too cruel for words," the blond pouted.

"Yohji, you're lucky you're still alive. I'm ready to kill you myself, and I'm not the one who's had more cinnamon and icing sprinkled and spread on him than on the damn food, or been endlessly groped the past couple of hours. Gods, Aya, you really must love this idiot to put up with him." With that, Jo stalked over to the wooden table she had been working at, making sure to lift her marble rolling pin and wave it threateningly in Yohji's direction when she got there.

Not that Yohji was paying attention to her. No, instead he once more yanked a stunned Ran onto his lap and was rubbing noses. "Well, you can't help but love me, I'm too sexy for words." Before Ran could try to refute that statement, he was kissed breathless again. And like a fool, he just sat there and let the succubae-bound do whatever he wanted. What the hell was wrong with him? He couldn't really be in love, could he? Cassandra and Jo had to have it wrong. It was bad enough he was mated to the horny idiot.

Then, lack of oxygen shut off all higher brain functions, ending the internal debate. All that mattered to Ran was the delicious tingle that filled him making him not even mind the strength he felt slowly leaving him. Yohji was holding him, was making him dizzy and happy and…

He gasped air in huge gulps as Yohji snarled at Jo, rubbing the back of his head again. "What the fuck was that for? You almost cracked my skull."

"Well, considering where your hands were, I couldn't hit them without hurting Aya." That made Ran aware that one of Yohji's hands had crept under the back of his pants and the other hand was in his hair. Letting out a snarl, he jerked himself out of Yohji's grasp and stood to his feet.

Yohji hissed softly as he rubbed the back of his abused head. "I can't believe I nearly got done in by a damn rolling pin for just being a little affectionate with my boyfriend. How many times has Teddy pinned Koyu, and you haven't done a damn thing?"

"Because it never looked as if Koyu and Teddy were about to start flinging off their clothes and having sex in my kitchen, ruining my batch of cinnamon rolls, might I add." Jo smacked the rolling pin into her palm and jerked her head towards the door. "I want you out of here, now." Yohji grumbled but stood up, reaching out a hand to snag one of Ran's as he did so. Ran allowed the gesture, but glared in warning when the taller man tried to tug him close. They didn't get more than a meter closer to the door when Jo's voice rang out.

"Wait a second."

"Okay, Jo, you've been sniffing a little too much flour today. First you tell us to get out, and now to stop," Yohji huffed.

The cook only glared his way as she assembled a plate of fresh buns and put it on a tray that held a pot of tea and two mugs. "Don't be so pissy, Yotan. You're not exactly hurting for sex and can go without for a couple of hours." She handed the tray to him. "Now go into the main room and sit down and eat. Dinner will be in another hour or two, but Aya looks too pale to wait til then. He needs a little sugar in him, what with you wearing him out all the time." Jo winked at Ran and patted him on the cheek. He forced himself not to flinch from the affectionate gesture, much preferring a friendly Jo to a suspicious one.

Yohji spared the woman a mutter or two, something about being a busybody and a prude, and led Ran out of the kitchen. They did as they were told and went to the common room, finding a table in the corner. The room was mostly empty as the majority of the Koneko's guests were out and about before dinner, and the nightly patrons wouldn't be arriving for another hour, at least. Ran sat down and sighed when Yohji settled right next to him, practically in his lap. He got the impression that something was upsetting the man, but couldn't figure out how exactly he knew that. One certainly couldn't tell by Yohji's actions. He'd been obnoxiously chipper all day long.

The older man grinned at him and handed him a cup of tea. "You do look a little paler than normal. Maybe it's from all the flour that was flying about in there."

Or maybe it was because he'd unwisely allowed himself to be mated to a succubae-bound who wasn't happy unless he was practically drained dry. Ran didn't say a word as he just hn'ed into his cup of tea and reached for a cinnamon bun, only to have the treat snatched from his grasp as his fingers brushed against it, and waved in front of his face by a smirking Yohji.

"You want?"

"Yoh-mphn." Ran glared as he chewed on the bit of bun that had been shoved into his mouth. Yohji broke off another piece and pressed it against his lips.

"Come on, open up."

He had two options: sit here with his lips clamped shut and try to wait out Yohji's weird mood, or open them and eat the pastry. Not feeling like sitting down here all night, Ran opened his mouth, earning a grin from Yohji. He let the blond feed him the cinnamon bun in pieces, even resisting the urge to bite into the fingers brushing against his lips, and wasn't very surprised to find himself kissed again at the end of the treat. But this time it was short and sweet, not like the all encompassing and almost desperate kisses he'd received back in the kitchen.

Yohji stroked his cheek for a moment before grasping an eartail and twisting it around his finger. There was an almost pensive look on the blond's face for a moment. "Yohji, what's wrong?"

"Hmm? Nothing's wrong, cat. Just thinking about how sweet you taste, and how I hope that Jo is right."

Ran stared at his lover in puzzlement. "What, that you're a horny idiot?"

The green eyes he was staring into went wide for a moment, then crinkled in amusement. "No, I already knew that, but about… you loving me."

Unsure what to say, Ran sat there with his mouth open, wondering if he should lie and say no. Then he realized what he'd just thought, and felt the world around him waver. He didn't just think that, did he? He couldn't love Yohji, or his future would become that much more bleak. There was no way he could intentionally hurt someone he loved without that fact shattering him.

Yohji smiled at him again, a touch sadly, and cupped his cheek. "I know, it wasn't fair of me to ask that. After all, we've barely known each other a week. But I'm desperately hoping that you do."

There was nothing he could say, nothing that wouldn't tie him even tighter to Yohji, that wouldn't damn the both of them. So Ran leaned forward and kissed his lover, trying to put his emotions in the caress even as he wanted so terribly to hide them away. But the part that had chosen Yohji for a mate and had him purring at the man's touch wouldn't let him do that.

At first the other bound just sat there, stunned, then he wrapped his arms around Ran and held him close, kissing him back with an equal fervor. This time there wasn't as much of a drain on his energy; it seemed that Yohji was drinking in just his emotions. He clasped his arms around the man's neck, clutching him tight and refusing to think of what yet another change in his relationship with the idiot was going to mean for him.

The sound of something shattering on the floor broke them from their trance. Instantly wary, Ran turned to see a young man dressed in a Guard's uniform, brown hair tousled and eyes wide with surprise, staring at the two of them. He immediately became tense and was shocked to feel Yohji stiffen as well.

"Hidaka? What the fuck are you doing here? Did hell finally freeze over?"

*******

Unable to see anyone in the foyer of the Koneko, Ken hesitantly entered the inn. He'd go into the common room, find someone to take the damn mug, glance around for Omi, and then leave. Hopefully dragging a delinquent prince behind him.

Stepping into the large room, he found only a few people sitting around, and none of them were the Koneko staff. They all seemed to be staring back at a dark corner, instantly making Ken suspicious. Afraid he might find a drunken Omi tucked in the shadows, he strode over to the far corner.

It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness, but when they did he was treated to a glimpse of Yohji with his tongue down the throat of another man: A rather striking man at that. Disconcerted to having stumbled across the one person he'd hoped most to avoid, the mug slipped from his grasp and crashed to the floor.

Yohji turned to look at Ken, lush lips curving into a snarl, and then seemed to be taken aback. "Hidaka? What the fuck are you doing here? Did hell finally freeze over?"

It took him a moment to realize that Yohji was referring to the last thing Ken had said to him almost a year ago. About the next time he'd willingly set foot inside the Koneko. Ken had shouted the words at his former partner, determined never to see the man again. Now he was eating crow.

"I ah, I came here to return something, and to find Omi. Where is he?"

"Not here. And thanks so much for bringing whatever that was back in one piece," Yohji snarled at him. Ken flushed at the words, momentarily distracted by a pair of violet eyes that peered at him suspiciously from over the blonde's shoulder. Yohji had shoved his latest fuck buddy behind him when they'd been interrupted.

Ken tried to marshal his thoughts and think straight. Dammit, this was harder than he'd thought. He'd always admired the older man so incredibly much, had even tried to stand by him after the assassin incident. But Yohji had decided he'd rather have the company of alcohol and whores instead of true friends and had shut him out. "Bullshit, I know he came here, and I want to see him right now."

The former Guard glared at him evilly. "He's not here. He came by earlier with Botan, and then left with a friend. If you want Omi, you can either comb the city for him or sit here and wait for him to return. He's with a friend of Aya's, so he'll be back for dinner. You gonna stick around with a drunken degenerate or go looking for him?"

"Botan? He came here with Botan? And who's Aya?"

Yohji sighed and tugged the man he was hiding out into view. "Get your damn hearing checked, Kenken. Omi came here with Botan, who asked me to make sure he doesn't get drunk again. Which I will. As for Aya, here he is. Omi's with his friend, Naoe. Whom Botan met and approves of."

All he could do was stare at the beautiful man while Yohji answered him facetiously. Aya didn't seem to care for his attention as he jerked a hood over his face and shifted closer to Yohji. The blond glared at Ken and bent his head to whisper in the smaller man's ear. They seemed to have a discussion of sorts, but he couldn't hear a single word. After a moment, Aya rose to his feet and left, while Yohji stared at his lover until the man vanished from view.

"Botan came here?"

"Gods, can you pay attention, please? Botan came here with Omi, gave the kiddo and me a short but to the point lecture, and then willingly let him go off with Naoe. And I can't think of a better guard for Omi than that little demon; I pity anyone who tries a thing in his presence. Omi is safer with him than a cadre of Guards."

Ken could only stare at Yohji, still trying to grasp the concept that Botan fully supported Omi being here. Not to mention the teen going off with a stranger, who must be the boy he'd been talking about the other day. It didn't help that Yohji was sitting in front of him, completely sober and looking better than he'd ever seen him, glowing with health and vitality. Oh, it hadn't been surprising to see him fooling around with someone, but he'd seemed very affectionate with this Aya. And not in a merely sexual way.

"Ah, do you happen to know which part of the city he was heading to? Maybe I can find him."

Yohji sighed before crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at Ken. "What's the matter, Hidaka, you can't even stand to be in my company for an hour or two? I have no fucking clue where Omi disappeared. Whatever you and Manx may think, he's a smart young man who can take care of himself, so I don't bother keeping tabs on him."

"A smart young man who got so trashed the other night he couldn't even come home til morning," Ken retorted, carefully ignoring the first question.

"Gods, Ken, I know for a fact that you got trashed long before you reached his age, and he was in a fucking inn where almost everyone here would gladly slit a person's throat for looking at him funny. Yeah, he got a bit too drunk; Omi was a normal teenager for once, but he was never in any danger. Schuldig, Naoe and I were right beside him and wouldn't have let him leave anyway." Jerking a hand through his long hair, Yohji snorted and started to shred a pastry. "Omi's almost all grown; back the hell off him and let him live a little."

Straightening his jacket, Ken scowled at the older man. "It's my job to see that he remains safe, not that he experiences the joys of a hangover. You have any idea how hard it is for me to keep an eye on him, after all the years you spoiled him? He just takes off whenever the hell he wants to. He's the heir- well, you know who he is, and he needs better supervision than an alcoholic who's more interested in getting into someone's pants than he is in keeping Omi safe." It had been bad enough when Yohji had retired, why did he have to sink this low? All because of some woman who'd played him false. Ken couldn't understand how Yohji had let himself fall apart over another person like that.

"Listen to me, Hidaka, and then I want you to get the hell out of my inn," Yohji growled, his voice low and rough. There was an equal mixture of pain and fury in his green eyes, and it seemed to Ken as if the corner of the room had become even darker. "I've never, even for a single damn second, considered my duty to guard Omi to be finished. Why the hell do you think I let him spend his days here? So he isn't out in the city, or letting some noble fuck with his head at court. Yes, I've crawled into more than my share of wine bottles the past year, but almost never until he was gone for the night. I've always kept an eye on him, along with the rest of the crew here, and he wouldn't spend most of his free time in the Koneko if he didn't feel safe and wanted.

"Omi is a bright, observant, savvy young man. He's also stubborn as hell. The more you tell him to stay away from me and my inn, the more he'll refuse to do so. Especially now that he's found someone to care about. So trust the kid, or risk alienating him so much that he won't consider you his friend any longer. Trust Omi's judgment if you won't trust mine. Botan doesn't have a problem with him being here, and the wizard's a lot smarter than you are. He also isn't an officious prick who sees everything as black and white. Now get the hell out of here, and don't come back as long as you still think of yourself as poor suffering Kenken, who always knows what's right for others."

All he could do was stare at Yohji for a moment, and then Ken once more tugged his uniform straight. "Fine, Yohji, I'm going. Far be it from me to try and talk some sense into your thick head. You'll just keep on sitting here, fucking and drinking your life away, while everyone else pays the cost for you sulking. Omi will keep running around until he gets hurt, and the Guards will keep fighting amongst ourselves over a position that should have been yours. If you hadn't decided to wallow in your misery and self pity these past months, all because the great Yohji Kudoh screwed up. Because you found out you could make a mistake, just like the rest of us."

In a flash of motion Yohji rose to his feet, and Ken thought he'd be hit for his comments. But just as suddenly as the blond had moved, the anger seemed to drain from him. "You know Ken, I can imagine us having this argument until the day we die. How many times do I have to tell you that I didn't quit the Guards because I screwed up? Well, not entirely." Yohji rubbed his eyes with his right hand for a moment, and when it dropped back to his side he appeared tired and sad. "You try having something in your life that you've always hungered for, that you'd given up the hope of ever finding, and then discover that it was all a great big lie and you were all alone once again. I quit because I didn't have any heart left in me at all, and that's one thing you need to be a Guard, or at least a good one. I didn't care about a damn thing when she… after I killed the assassin. That's all changed now…" for a moment there was a smile on Yohji's face that took Ken's breath away, "…and the funny thing is, I'd probably have missed this second chance if I had remained in the Guards."

Yohji stared at him solemnly. "I'll keep Omi safe; that is one promise I've never forgotten, and I'm not the same as I was the last time you saw me."

"I hope so, Yohji, for his sake. Tell Omi to get his ass home at a decent hour tonight," Ken gruffly replied. He wished his old friend goodbye and turned to leave, no longer as sure about a few things as he'd been before he'd stepped into the Koneko.

*******

Yohji watched his former partner walk out of his inn, a pain in his chest. It still hurt a bit to see Ken and that uniform, being reminded of what he'd lost. What he'd thrown away, in Ken and Birman's opinion. But he really hadn't been able to remain in the Guards, not when each time he put on the blue jacket he'd been reminded of the awful night he'd strangled Asuka, having no other choice if he wanted to protect the king and Omi. He'd sacrificed his heart and happiness for the sake of the oath he'd made when he'd been sixteen, and he'd decided he'd given the Guards more than enough of himself.

Besides, if he had remained with the organization, he'd probably never have noticed Aya and would have missed out on his chance of real happiness with the redhead. Yohji felt a smile tug at his mouth and thought that now he really did feel complete and content. Aya was the one he'd waited his whole life for, not Asuka. Now to find out where his lover had gone off to.

He stepped into the hallway and looked around, but there was no sight of the beautiful man. Huhn, Aya said he'd wait for him here while he talked to Ken. Yohji hadn't wanted Aya around for that discussion, since the last few conversations with the fool had led to them screaming at each other, Ken upset at his sudden change in lifestyle. The fights had gotten so bad at the end that they'd decided not to see or talk to each other ever again, or else they'd kill each other. Nice to know that things hadn't gotten that bad, though Yohji was still pissed off about a few comments. Yes, he'd acted like a proper degenerate the past year, but he'd never endangered Omi's welfare.

Deciding to see if Aya was in the kitchen, Yohji hurried to the back of the Koneko. He found Jo finishing the last of the cinnamon buns, and Touya, Ani and Kira starting to get things ready for dinner. "Hey, anyone happen to see that gorgeous redhead of mine lately? I lost track of him."

"He went out to the garden," Kira replied then let out a squeak as Yohji frowned furiously at her, wondering why the hell his employees had allowed Aya back out there alone after last night. "He wasn't alone," she rushed out as if reading his mind, "Schuldig and his two friends were with him."

Schuldig. Shit, he'd actually been distracted for a short while from his suspicions. Suddenly wishing he could have a drink or ten, Yohji headed for the back door. He'd make sure Aya was safe, and then try and have a private talk with the telepath. Which would hopefully end with Schuldig making fun of him. Yohji didn't want to think about what he'd do if he really was a bound. Or how Aya would take the news.

Yohji prayed to whatever gods could hear him that the man really did love him, and wouldn't care if the worst came to pass. He knew that there was nothing Aya could tell him that would make him not care for the man, and all he wanted was for his lover to feel the same about him.

Stepping into the garden, he took a deep breath of the fragrant air. It was a cloudy afternoon, and the sun was starting to set. He tried to figure out where Aya and the others were when he heard the scrape of metal against metal. Yohji's years in the Guards quickly identified the sound as swords clashing, and he immediately took off in the direction it came from.

At first his eyes registered Schuldig and Brad standing off to the side, and then he caught sight of Farfie. The man was grinning widely, his eye glowing with joy and excitement. He was dressed only in his boots and blue leggings, and held a sword in his hands. As Yohji watched, the silver haired man jumped back suddenly as he let out a burst of laughter. It was then he noticed whom the man was fighting.

Aya parried a blow with his sword, his face impassive and half covered by his hair. He'd shed his black jerkin, which laid in the grass in a pile with Farfie's shirt and their sword belts. At first Yohji stood there, motionless, as he watched his lover swordfight, mesmerized by Aya's grace and skill. Then a pair of violet eyes flicked in his direction. Farfarello took advantage of the distraction to leap forward with a yell, swinging his sword at the redhead, who barely managed to block the blow.

As Yohji watched, a spot of red formed on Aya's wrist and fell to the ground. He could smell the other man's blood from here, and something inside of him snapped. Letting out a scream of his own, Yohji tugged on his bracelet and sent a handful of wires at Farfie, determined to kill the man for hurting his mate. The half-blind man got his sword up just in time, preventing the strands from landing on him, but the weapon fell into fragments, sliced by the gold threads.

Moving forward, Yohji intended to slam into Farfie, knock him to the ground and then remove his head from the scarred body. As his shoulder slammed into the man's stomach, something hard came crashing down on his skull. There was a wave of pain, and then nothing but darkness.

*******

Ran cradled an unconscious Yohji in his arms, snarling at anyone who dared to approach him. He knew that the blond had to be rendered unconscious, knew that Jei hadn't meant any serious harm to the man and had just knocked him out, and that Yohji would soon heal from the wound, but he still had a hard time preventing himself from calling the shadows and ripping apart the other men. Trying to control himself, Ran buried his face in the crook of Yohji's neck, breathing in the man's scent and listening to his heartbeat.

"Aya, he'll be alright, I promise you. Let's get him inside, so you can go on your mission."

Snarling viciously, Ran wanted to tell the precog to fuck off, but was bound by his promise to the bastard. He'd been figuratively pounced upon when he'd stepped into the hall earlier and was informed of what Crawford expected of him this evening, as well as being reminded of his oath to obey the man. That was the only reason he'd agreed to Crawford's plan, that and the thought of another bound suffering. But he couldn't handle Yohji being hurt, and it was hard to control his instincts at the moment, which were telling him to annihilate anything that came near him and his mate.

"Aya, we need to get Yohji inside. He'll be all right. Listen to me Aya and remember your promise," Crawford's voice held a note of stress as shadows crawled along the grass and plants, weaving on the ground at the bounds' feet. It would take but a thought on his part, and there would be three more deaths to savor, three more threats that would be gone.

It was Jei who spoke next. "Snap out of it, Aya, right now. He'll be waking up from that little love tap soon, do you want Yohji to find you like this?" That thought was like a bucket of cold water to his face, a cruel shock that took his breath away. No, Ran didn't want Yohji to wake up and find out the truth, not like this. Not until the blond knew that he was a bound as well and had grown accustomed to the fact.

Letting out a deep breath, Ran stopped snarling and rose to his feet with Yohji still cradled in his arms. Crawford stepped closer to him, cautiously at first, and then with more confidence when all Ran did was glare at him.

"You can't carry him in like that, a human your size shouldn't be that strong. Let me help you."

Barely restraining himself from snarling, Ran let the older bound approach and adjust Yohji until the two of them were supporting the lanky man, an arm over both of their shoulders. They entered the Koneko through the kitchen, deciding to inform the staff what had `happened' to their boss. Otherwise, Jo and the others would be suspicious if Yohji failed to show for dinner.

As soon as they stepped into the kitchen, Jo and Kira rushed over to them. Ran forced himself not to strike at the women, though the shadows in the warm room seethed and shivered with his thwarted desire. Yohji would be upset with him if he killed his employees.

"What the hell happened now? Don't tell me someone attacked you again!"

He glared at the woman while Crawford and Jei explained about the sword fight, and Yohji stumbling upon them unaware. "He must have thought it was real, since he dove right at Farfie."

"Yeah, I didn't mean to hit him so hard, I was just trying to protect myself," Jei commented as he barely managed a guilty expression. "We'll tuck him in his bed, and he should be fine, other than a sore head."

Jo pried open Yohji's eyes and then felt along his skull. "Well, you didn't break the skin, but there is one hell of a lump. Good thing Yotan has a thick skull. Maybe we should contact a healer."

Schuldig stepped forward and touched the cook on the elbow. "No need, my mom's taught me some of her skills, and I'll take a good look at him upstairs." Jo stared at him for a moment then nodded her head as she stepped out of the way.

"Let me know if you need anything. Someone should stay with him until he wakes up, and make sure he's okay."

"I'll do that," Ran said, his deep voice quiet. Nonetheless, Jo heard it and gazed at him searchingly, as if looking for something. He met her gaze, not breaking it off until the woman lowered her eyes. She turned around and resumed barking out orders to the rest of the staff.

As soon as they were out of the room and in the empty hallway, Ran picked Yohji up in his arms and called the shadows around the two of them, hiding them from everyone's sight. He raced up the stairs to the blonde's room, followed by the other three bounds who were cursing him. They caught up to him as he was laying his lover down on the poster bed.

"Gods, Aya, if anyone had seen you disappear like that, they'd be burning the Koneko down just to get at you," Schuldig snarled.

Sparing the man a glare, Ran continued to strip Yohji of his boots and tunic. "I wouldn't put Yohji at risk."

"No, I don't believe you would," Crawford smoothly interjected, sending the telepath a warning look. "Schuldig, make sure Yohji doesn't wake up for the next few hours, and then show Aya where he needs to go this evening."

The longhaired bound didn't appear to be happy taking orders from Crawford and turned an angry face in Ran's direction. "You need to lower your damn shields so I can send you the information." He didn't say anything, just stared at Schuldig impassively as he stroked a hand through Yohji's hair. He felt pressure against his mind and reluctantly let Schuldig's talent inside.

Ran's mind was flooded with images of the city; of streets leading to a large castle, festooned with blue and gold banners and stained glass windows, then inside of it to a dark corridor.

<You'll have to find the poor bastard on your own past that point.>

"It won't be a problem." The shadows would help him. Schuldig remained in his mind for a moment longer, and he could feel the man's hatred and jealousy towards him, and the revulsion the telepath felt at being inside his head. Ran knew he wasn't human and wasn't surprised that his thoughts were so different from everyone else's. No longer seeing a need to let Schuldig behind his mental defenses Ran pushed him out, earning a wide-eyed stare from the man. "What about Yohji?"

Removing his glasses, Crawford cleaned them with a white cloth as he answered Ran. "As I told you earlier, Schuldig will keep him unconscious while you're gone and prevent anyone from checking up on you."

"It would be best if you don't take too much time, he's trying to wake up already, and fighting the compulsion." Schuldig rubbed his temples for a moment then reached out to touch Yohji. Only to snatch his hand back as a wall of shadow formed between him and the succubae-bound. Pale green eyes stared at Ran, filled with jealousy and fear. "Well, are you going to sit there on your ass all night?"

"Everyone get out of the room; I'm going to ward the door." When Schuldig looked ready to argue with him, he repeated the order, this time dropping his human mask completely. The other bounds flinched upon hearing the sibilant tone in his voice. Ran didn't care in the slightest if he was frightening or repulsing the three bounds. He simply didn't trust them to be here with Yohji while his lover was unconscious and alone.

For a moment the other men were still, then Jei stepped forward and rested Ran's sword, which he'd dropped when Yohji had been hit, against the wall by the bed. "Not that I think you'll need this, but here. I'd like to continue the fight one day, if you don't mind. You're damn good with the thing." That said, he turned and left the room.

Crawford reached out a hand and grasped Schuldig's wrist. "I'm sure you won't have any problems. How long do you think you'll be?"

He thought of the distance to the castle. "An hour, no more." Most of the time would be spent searching out the other bound.

"Good. Schuldig, keep Yohji unconscious for two then. Luck be with you, kage." Crawford departed as well, dragging Schuldig behind him. When the two men were gone, Ran stepped closer to the door, calling the shadows to him and weaving them around the entrance. Sparing one more caress to golden skin, he called more shadows to him, cloaking himself with them and then leapt out the window.

He was a blur of darkness down the capital streets, moving so fast it seemed as if the world had slowed down around him. In a matter of minutes Ran found himself in front of Eto's castle and paused for a moment to stare at the foreboding structure. It reminded him of the Takatoris' residence, and for a moment the hate and fury within him seethed, calling for him to tear the structure down until it was rubble. He could feel the shadows that dwelt in every nook and cranny of the building, amongst the mortar and bricks and beams, and Ran knew with but a twist of his mind he could make them shiver and writhe until hairline fractures became cracks that became holes that shook the castle apart. One thought on his part and down it would come.

But he reined in the urge, as he had every day he'd existed with the Takatoris, laying in his bed in the morning, wishing that he could do nothing more than pull the stones down around him and his masters. Only the thought of Nagi and Aya-chan paying for his moment of weakness stayed the impulse. Shaking away his dark thoughts, Ran reminded himself that it would not escape the king's attention if one of his lords' castles suddenly collapsed. Besides, he was sent here for only one death, no matter how much he longed differently.

Moving forward, he retraced Schuldig's steps to the warded hallway passing several oblivious servants on his way. He felt the magical barrier as he approached it, and there was a tingle along his skin as he crossed over it. Ran stopped in a shadowed alcove, feeling for all the shadows in this section of the castle and searching to see if any fell across an old bound with fading magic. It took some time, but he could sense a faint tingle, one associated with bound magic and not wizard's, and set out in its direction. He knew he was right when he crossed several more wards, none of them giving him the slightest pause.

Ran stopped in front of a locked door, wrinkling his nose in distaste at the stench emanating from behind it. With a touch of his hand the various locks clicked and opened, and he glided into the room. There wasn't a single glimmer of light, but he could clearly see the wretched figure lying on the floor.

The bound was nothing but skin and bones clothed in rags, and the scent of blood still clung to him. Sharp eyes noticed the half healed wounds on an emaciated wrist, causing Ran to rub one of his own unconsciously. He could very well imagine how the other bound felt at the moment, having himself been drained of blood on innumerable occasions. Shivering, he recalled the terrible languor that would soak into his very being, a bone wearying exhaustion that made every little moment an agony and a trial, leaving him no choice but to lie still for days, tortured by the slightest beam of light.

A clawed hand stirred, its owner moaning as a skull-like face shifted in his direction. "Darkness, I smell darkness. Seen you I have, seen the end. My end. Please, tell me you're real. I can't take another dream of you."

Stepping forward, Ran crouched in front of the precog and noticed the empty eye sockets. "You couldn't have seen me, no one can."

There was a weak chuckle, the sound of dried leaves being blown across a stone floor. "Darkness, I've seen darkness. It will come, and then I end. I've longed for you for so many, many years. So tired. So much pain. Please." Each word took precious seconds and strength, and the man's voice grew more faint and pitiful with each one. Here was someone who wanted the one thing Ran could give, the one victim whose face would never haunt him, save as a possible future for himself.

Shadows caressed the dry, cracked skin, a soothing touch that made the old precog moan in pleasure. "No more. There will be no more," Ran whispered. For this soul at least.

"No pain?"

The pitiful, pleading mewl could barely be heard above the man's breathing. "No pain, I promise." A pale hand stroked a red cut, teasing at the torn skin. Shadows flowed into the wound, working their way along desiccated veins, converging in the bound's heart until they filled it entirely, preventing the organ from beating. As Ran watched, a smile blossomed on the worn face.

"No, no pain. An end. My darkness. Yes." It took a few minutes, the man's vital organs slowly starving of oxygen enriched blood, but Ran felt it when he finally died, a joyous implosion of energy that had him sighing in delight. He could see the shinigami stroking the still form, feeding off the man's death, and allowed them to caress him when they shifted away, only feeling a slight ache at their touch. Normally their presence filled him with painful loneliness, but now… he had Yohji waiting for him back at the Koneko. He wasn't alone anymore.

Calling the shadows back to him, Ran stared down at the dead body for a moment, making sure there was no visible sign of any foul play. He'd done this in the past, ensuring an undetectable death for one of the Takatoris' enemies, but he was extra cautious tonight. Once sure there was no evidence for anyone to find, he turned and left the filthy cell. The door locked behind him, showing no sign of tampering.

*******

Schuldig nursed his beer as he watched Crawford explain Yohji's `accident' to Omi and Naoe. Concern radiated off the prince, but Naoe… he guessed that there was more to the story than he was being told, since Jei was still alive and breathing. Smart little bastard. Checking his watch, he noted that Aya's hour was almost up.

Thoughts of the kage made him clench his hands in anger. The smaller redhead's mind had been so… alien, it had both revolted and attracted him. Schuldig couldn't get the `taste' of it out of his head. He'd only been able to deposit the information about the captured bound, had found himself unable to make any sense of Aya's thoughts while he'd been in the man's head, and that troubled him.

Yohji was now irrevocably tied to that _thing_. What galled him the worst was that his friend had no idea of Aya's true nature, but thought the pale man to be some poor abused stray. He didn't know that Aya could level the damn capital in half a night if he wanted to, leaving nothing behind but crushed bodies and dust. That was what Yohji had made his mate.

While forcing the blond's mind to remain unconscious, Schuldig had come across Yohji's feelings and thoughts. It hurt so much to feel just how strongly Yohji loved the kage already, and he knew the emotions would only become stronger with time. There was nothing he could do to prevent that from happening, now that the two bounds had mated.

There was another unexpected result of the bond between Aya and Yohji. The slight mental dampers Schuldig and Cassandra had placed on the succubae-bound's talent and thoughts were disintegrating fast, so much so that Yohji had actually noticed his odd nature this morning. The man had never given a thought to his unusual characteristics before, or the speed with which he healed. Then again, Yohji had never been full of kage energy before, which had literally resulted in his wounds healing before his eyes. It wouldn't be long now before Schuldig's dearest friend discovered the truth; all that waited was his confirmation of the fact, and Yohji would know he was a bound.

Yet with this disturbing revelation before him, all Yohji cared about was how Aya would handle the news. Gulping down the last of his beer, Schuldig felt his stomach twist at how important the shinigami-bound had become to Yohji. It wasn't fair, he'd shared his whole life with his friend, and _Aya_ was all that mattered.

Listening to Omi exclaim that he hoped Yotan would be feeling better soon, a thought occurred to the telepath. Maybe there was something he could do to affect Yohji's feelings for the kage. The man was about to discover the truth about himself shortly, why should Aya keep his nature secret for any longer? After all, it was only fair, the kage knew what Yohji was. Oh, it wouldn't break the bond between the two, but it would most likely cause Aya some pain, and at the moment Schuldig was all for spreading that emotion around some. He hated to suffer alone.

*******

"Love is an old root that creeps through the meadows of sleep

when the long shadows cast

thin as a vagrant young vine, it encircles and twines

and it holds the heart fast

catches dreamers in the wildwood with the stars in their eyes

and the moon in their tousled hair

but love is a light in the sky, and an unspoken lie

and a half-whispered prayer."

Ran could hear Koyu's voice even here in the garden. He stood among the flowers for a moment, letting their fragrance wipe away the memory of the dead bound's cell. For a precious few seconds everything was perfect: the lovely, multi-noted scents, the trickle of a fountain, Koyu's beautiful music, and the waning moon. Calming down, Ran opened his eyes and flowed through the greenery until a brick wall loomed before him. Shadows danced along the stones, and he placed his hands on them, climbing up the wall towards Yohji's window. He would check on his lover, go wash himself off and change, then return to the man's side and wait for him to wake up. His body shivered in anticipation of the pleasure that lay ahead of him this night.

"Love is a garden of thorns, and a crow in the corn

and the brake growing wild

cold when the summer is spend in the jade heart's lament

for the faith of a child

my body has a number and my face has a name

and each day looks the same to me

but love is a voice on the wind, and the wages of sin

and a tanglewood tree."

Hooking a leg over the windowsill, Ran swung his other one over and sat on the wood board for a moment as he pushed aside the curtains. Something was wrong. He hadn't left so many candles burning before embarking on the mission. He scanned the room, sending shadows flying to each corner. Looking about desperately for his lover, Ran heard the scrape of metal and rustle of fabric as the bed's curtains were jerked aside. Yohji, awake and handsome face grim, stared back at him as he shakily crawled out of the window. Attracted by his unease, the shadows raced back to Ran, flowing over and settling around him. Green eyes gazed at him unwaveringly.

"What the hell are you?"

*******

Lyrics by Dave Carter