(Standard Disclaimer: Utena characters and settings belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them for a little while and promise to put them back when I'm done.)

Author's Voice: I often wondered how Saionji went from that perceptive insistence that he would not dual again for the Rose Bride to the wild, manic idiot that came back for her again the next day. This takes place right after When Staring Into the Abyss...)

Night Ride

The car zipped down the roadway at speeds normally considered highly illegal, but Akio hardly seemed to notice, liking the feel of the wind whipping through his hair. His smile never faded, cryptic and smug as his gaze stared out at the asphalt the car ate up at an unnatural pace. The fabric of his shirt fluttered and rustled, barely heard against the onslaught of rushing air and the heavy bass pounding from the car stereo's speakers.

Each note thudded against Touga's chest as if it attempted to determine the pace of his heartbeat. Dawn was perhaps an hour away at the most and the streetlights still sent a myriad dance of shadows over the convertible, passing with a frenzy-ish pace. The whole world flew by in a mere blurr and he could not bring himself to look out as he wished, finding it too dizzying on his weary mind. There would be no escape for his conscience, yet.

Somehow Saionji slept, despite the wind flicking green ringlets and curls around his face and the music blaring loudly enough to wake half Ohtori even from this distance. Sprawled out across the back seat, his head ended up in Touga's lap, the rest of his body slightly curled inward. Unconciously, Touga found him drawing the wind enthralled locks away, smoothing it from the placid expression on Saionji's face. It was rare to see anything other than a scowl or a wary narrowing of violet eyes on Saionji's countenance, but his dreams at least carried him somewhere else. Perhaps to somewhere eternal. In a way Touga envied him, for his sleep rarely provided such an escape outlet.

"You'll need to wake him up soon," Akio's voice cut over the music and he reached over to turn the radio down and allow for conversation. Even still, the rush of wind made it difficult to hear.

"Are we nearly home?" Touga asked, leaning forward slightly with one hand drawing back the whip of crimson hair captured in the wind.

"Ne, not yet, but he'll be dueling for the Rose Bride soon."

To that a crimson brow lifted. "So soon, Akio-san? We were out all night." His voice dripped with jaded honey, a purring tone to meaningless words. In part Touga meant what he said. He could feel his exhaustion at the back of his thoughts and wanted nothing more than to curl into his own bed. Akio seemed nigh immune to such weariness. His smirk never wavered, not even as he forgot the road entirely to look over his shoulder at the backseat, predatory gaze falling on the sleeping innocent in the backseat.

It felt exceptionally bizarre to think of Saionji as innocent, Touga realized, but compared to the likes of Akio, they were both mere infants before the master.

"Hai, he's been to the Ends of the World, Touga-san. Best to strike while the iron is hot. You've heard that adage, haven't you?"

Touga canted his head to the side, leaning a cheek into the palm of his hand. "He's exhausted. I think I wore him out."

Akio's laughter startled him. "You aren't going soft on me, are you? Or perhaps you still feel a bit of kinship with your old friend, hn?"

"Only a fool believes in friendship, Akio-san, you know that."

Silence drifted between them after that, for Touga's voice had dropped the overly ripe tone to fall flat and wry. He looked up to realize the streetlights had shifted, Akio was driving in circles rather than returning to the Academy toute de suite. What was he up to?

"I've heard that before."

"Hai, you said it."

"So I did," Akio chuckled. He turned again, enough to take his eyes completely off the road and hold out his hand to Touga. "Have him swallow this. I think it will change his mind."

Touga nearly hesitated, mentally cursing himself for nearly displaying weakness in front of Akio. He felt something small and smooth passed into his palm and as he withdrew his hand, he glanced down to see a small white pill resting there.

"What is this?" he couldn't help asking, the question slipping past his lips before he could stop himself.

Akio's eyes narrowed maliciously in the rearview mirror, meeting Touga's gaze for only a second before drifting away again. "Something to bring him around to our way of thinking, Touga-san."

Fingers closing over the pill, Touga closed his eyes as Crimson hair drifted across his face with abandon. Hadn't enough been done to his friend? Dare Touga ask what exactly this drug would do? Even subverting his best friend. He could still picture Saionji's expression the moment he'd taken him earlier that evening, the shock, the pain, the indignity, the confusion.

"I hate you," he whispered coarsely, no matter how his body betrayed him otherwise.

"I know," was all Touga could reply with.

"Kyouichi," he murmured softly, patting his friend's cheek to rouse him from his sleep. Violet eyes drifted open, blinking rapidly to chase away the sleep and then to keep green ringlets from invading his field of vision.

"Where are we?" he murmured sleepily, mind still numbly grasping at the straws of his memories. Touga settled the pill into his mouth, just under his tongue.

Leaning down, he smiled at his friend, unknowingly mimicking the predatory smugness often displayed by Akio. "We're nearly home."

And he leaned down to kiss him.

(Fin.)