Title: 10 Commandments

Series: Tactics

Rating: M is for mmmm…yummy

"Your order, Master?" Haruka's voice was stiff, controlled fury underlying every breath and twitch of eye.

"I told you, she can't be allowed to continue. Kill her." Kantarou turned on his heel and left the dusky room, leaving Haruka staring after him.

"AHHH!!!!"

With a flick of his wings the possessed woman was turned to ash by his feet, the evening breeze bearing her remains out the window and into obscurity.

Something's wrong, he thought absently. This was the fifth time in as many days that Kantarou's way of dealing with possession had led to Haruka killing them, a far cry from his arguing vehemently against his master that the only way to deal with certain spirits was to destroy them.

Kantarou not only was letting Haruka kill, he was forcing him too. He was also so very quiet and controlled these days. It wasn't something he was imagining either, Mou-chan had dropped by the other night and raced to his side only to yelp and run scurrying across the room, shivering in fear from something.

That's when he thought Kantarou must be possessed himself. Nothing else made sense.

"Youko."

"Hai? Oh, Haruka, what's wrong, another hard exorcism?"

"What exorcism? He had me destroy the creature before he even tried to save her." He leaned against the doorframe looking out over the living room and the silver-haired man.

"You feel anything odd when you're around him this past week? A change in his power or anything?"

"No, I don't think so. He did turn in all his manuscripts last week all of a sudden though. That was kinda weird. And he hasn't been eating very much. You know, I don't think he's slept at all this past week either."

Haruka gave the fox a sideways stare, "And you don't think that counts as weird?"

"Well, I guess so, but it's Kantarou we're talking about, it's not like he can keep a secret or anything!" the yokkai laughed nervously and ran one hand through her short hair.

"Hmm…we'll see."

Haruka pulled himself off the wall, he almost felt like he was stalking some prey the way he came into the room and sat across from the folklorist.

"Kantarou?"

"What is it Haruka?"

"Kantarou, you've been acting strangely the past few days, I want to know why."

"Hmm…do you? Sorry, I don't feel like telling you. All you have to do is obey my orders, isn't that right, Haruka?"

Haruka blistered under the surface, he was using power to avoid the question, and that bit about obeying, Kantarou knew how he felt about that.

"Fine. Be that way!" Haruka slammed his hand on the table, the old wooden surface cracking dangerously under the force.

Youko's gasp as he fled the room, sliding door slamming open, rattling in the holders did nothing to quell his anger and frustration at the man.

He never saw the dark shadow flit across the red eyes that followed his every movement through the open doorway.

"I'll leave, he can't do anything if I'm not here, stupid human, that's why I can't stand them!" he fumed as dark inky wings unfurled from his back, fanning them he pushed down angrily, catching an updraft and propelling him farther away from the house.

***

Kantarou stood watching the dark spot as it sped towards the horizon. He'd go to Sugino's then, predictably.

"Kantarou? Don't you think enough is enough? He's not going to understand if you keep pushing him away like this."

"Youko…sorry, can you bring me some tea and then leave me alone for awhile; I need to get some work done." Soft crimson eyes glanced at her from the window, sadness and shame mingling in their depths, there was no malice there and she wished she could show them to Haruka, but she knew he wouldn't understand. Very few would.

"Sure. I'll bring the tea and some snacks, ok?"

"Thank you."

Kantarou sighed and leaned heavily against the wall. This was taking so much out of him, but if he didn't do this now, he'd never be able to look Haruka in the eyes again.

***

"I swear, what was that 'obey' stuff?! I'll kill him next time, there's no way I'm staying with him after this! I thought he was stupid, but seriously?!" Haruka paced the small wooden tree-house, a dark cloud of frustration building around him.

"I told you nothing good comes from mixing with humans." There was a loud slurp from the table to his left. Haruka had to look away as Lord Sugino fed the various worms and bugs he collected to his wife.

"I don't know how you've put up with him until now. I mean he keeps trying to steal my precious Mou-chan away from me!" Sugino caught said Mou-chan in his arms and flailed back and forth.

Haruka sighed and ran a hand through his shoulder length black hair. Walking to the doorway he stepped over the landing and sat down heavily on the large branches.

Why did he stay with Kantarou? He was way too soft on demons normally, he never completed his work on time, he was always broke, what was so redeeming about him that he stayed?

He'd named him.

So? He'd had other names. And some of his masters had been stronger than Kantarou. If he really wanted to, he probably could get the Onmiyoji to release him. But did he want to be released?

He sat there in the tree, the afternoon light dappling his skin and leaned back to think.

***

Kantarou had the door barred the minute Youko had left. He didn't want anyone walking in on him like this. Not like this.

His skin burned and stretched, he could feel the crawling powers twisting in his gut, making his breath come out in ragged gasps. There had to be a better way of dealing with this. It was starting to take control of his actions, his voice, and his very thoughts. He couldn't let it.

He was a trained Onmiyoji, there should be a breathing technique he learned as a child that could contend with this. The flush was starting to make his head fuzzy, or maybe it was the lack of sleep. Yeah, it was probably lack of sleep that made the visions come, swimming around in his brain was never a fun trip, but being how he was now…. He didn't even want to be trapped in there, so he knew no one else would either.

No one else.

***

Haruka woke in a cold sweat. He wasn't sure what the dream had been, but he knew it was bad. It was bad and it involved Kantarou. He shook his head, cool wind teasing the dark strands back from his face, cooling his racing mind as he sorted though the feelings, because there were no real images with this dream.

There was the overwhelming smell of Kantarou-crisp, clean, like soap. Then there was the rippling of power, sickly sweat and cloying to his overly sensitive nose, permeating the air, threatening to drown out the spiciness of his own scent.

Then the fear. He smelled the fear mixed with embarrassment and shame shadowing the crisp scent that meant Kantarou. Then there was a surge of heat, the taste of salt hanging in the air between them, the flush of his body telling him more than anything else that this was wrong, that something was terribly wrong.

He was up and heading into the wind before he realized it.

***

Youko was pounding on the door when he touched the ground. He could taste it now, the sticky scent of power and lust hanging in the air. He pulled Youko outside while a deep rumble sounded in the back of his throat.

"Stay here, don't let anyone come in and don't open the door. I knew something was wrong." He spit out between clenched teeth, feathers bristling in the fading light.

He didn't even bother to call out or test the inside door, he just blasted it away with his staff and stood there, disgust and hatred mingling on his angular face.

*Tsk!*

"Pathetic, I would have thought you'd have better taste."

Kantarou was splayed out across the table. Arms bound behind his back and yukata pulled down exposing most of his chest and neck. His eyes were heavy and drugged looking, the dull crimson showing no sense of himself or the situation he was in. Haruka eyed the deep bite marks on his neck and mentally kicked himself, he should have known.

"He tastes sweet, demon eater. You should try some, I think you'd like the taste of his dreams, they're a lot wetter than I would have thought." The slippery voice slid over his skin, leaving an oily feeling behind.

Haruka raised his staff and aimed just to the left of Kantarou's ear.

"I have no interest in eating humans, you'll do nicely though. Now leave his body this instant."

"Why? I can help you know? I can see into his dreams, I know what he feels towards you. I could show you…it's quiet delicious actua..AHH!!!!"

Haruka fought the urge to expel what little of his breakfast he'd eaten. The room glowed red for a few more minutes, though the demon's shrill shriek still echoed loudly in his ears even after she was gone.

Haruka sighed and walked over to his bound master. He shredded the binding holding his wrists easily with his claws. Pulling the silver-haired man against him his fingers slipped over alabaster skin as he gingerly touched the fresh bite marks. For some reason he was more upset that the Incubus had been able to brand him this way than anything else.

His gaze followed the line to his collar bone and down to his chest, the ragged rise and fall of his breathing telling him that Kantarou was still under the other's power.

Kantarou shivered against his chest, his hands balling up in the fabric of his shirt, dragging at the ribbon entwining his neck, "Har..u..ka…"

Haruka could feel the heat of his breath against his chest, the soft pressure of Kantarou's hands as they fumbled for a hold in the silky fabric.

"Kantarou. Kantarou, wake up, she's gone now, wake up!" his hand stung, he hadn't meant to hit him that hard, but the frustration of everything had just built to a crescendo he couldn't ignore.

Youko came running at the sound, "Haruka? Haruka, what happened? Haruka!" Youko came to a sudden stop by the doorframe, knuckles white, wood splintering under her grip.

"Haruka, how could you?! Kantarou, hey, Kantarou, its ok, please stop shaking, its ok now." Youko glared at him. Falling to her knees she pulled Kantarou into her lap and pulled the torn yukata up around his shoulders.

"What happened?! Tell me Haruka, what happened here?" her eyes glowed golden in the twilight.

"He got himself possessed is what happened! Stupid human, I don't know why I bother to save him at all." He huffed out.

Slowly, Youko gently placed Kantarou's head on the ground and stalked over to the black tengu.

*Crack!*

Haruka's head snapped at the force of her slap.

"You idiot! He's been hiding this for a week so as not to alarm you! He's been a complete jerk to you to protect you! He knew what was happening, he'd stopped sleeping and eating hoping to expel it himself! That's why he's been commanding you to do things you didn't want to! He figured if you weren't here you wouldn't be at risk. He did it all for you!" Youko slumped against him crying. Her sobs coming out in ragged gasps.

"You..ko..it's ok. It's all over now. He's right, if I can't stop something like this, he shouldn't have to stay with us. Haruka..I..I release you. You may choose your name and your master. You don't have to stay here anymore." Haruka's eyes went wide. He heard Youko's gasp, audible in the sudden silence and felt the abrupt loss as her body heat vanished; standing by himself, watching her run to him and begging him not to say something so foolish, but it was his eyes that spoke the loudest.

Mournful and brimming with shame and unshed tears, those crimson orbs completely encompassed him. They were speaking, Youko was saying something and he was shaking his head, gently pushing her out of the room and he had heard nothing at all of their exchange.

Kantarou was pulling himself up by the doorframe then, a sad smile twitching on his lips as he shakily tried to stand and walk away from him. Haruka was moving forwards before he knew it, roughly grasping his wrist and twisting it up over his head, unheeding of the pain Kantarou displayed at the touch.

"What do you mean, you release me? I'm not some dog to be kicked out whenever it gets too tough." he ground out.

He had pinned Kantarou's arm to the wall above his head while the other lay by his side unmoving. Kantarou's face was turned away from him, but he could see the quiver of pale lips and the shimmering tear that slipped down his cheek.

"I said, I release you. If you hate it here so much, if you…if you hate me so much, then I will not force you to stay. You may do as you like!" Kantarou's voice was shaky and insecure as he spoke.

"Who said I hated being here?" a low growl escaped Haruka's throat. Leaning in he ran a moist tongue across the exposed bite marks.

Kantarou whimpered softly, shaking in the tengu's arms.

"I believe I said that I shouldn't have saved you." Kantarou ground his eyes shut as Haruka's tongue slipped lower, his breath gliding across the soft skin of his chest.

"I should have taken that Incubus up on her offer, but I never was much into forced relationships, or groups."

Haruka let loose his hold on Kantarou's wrist and lowered his head farther, his tongue and teeth lightly sucking and nipping a wandering path down the smaller man's chest.

"Ha..Haruka..!" Kantarou's voice came out in ragged gasps as he drew his hands through Haruka's thick hair, balling his fists in it as the black tengu lightly bit down on his nipple.

"Wha..Why?" his brain to mouth functions weren't working properly, but he couldn't think this was still a dream either; it was to detailed, the lines to sharp and in focus.

"I hate being ordered, I prefer taking the lead in everything, so you'll excuse my bad manners if I don't listen to you now, master." He made a slur of the term, words slightly mumbled as he continued his trip down to the yukata's sash.

"I have dealt with many humans, but none were stupid enough to think they could hide their true feelings from me. What made you think you could?"

Haruka slipped a hand around to the front of Kantarou's crotch, lightly cupping and pressing in against the hardening member hidden beneath the fabric.

"I didn't want you to…ah…think I would force you…your choice, always your choice…ah!" Haruka looked up at the man, red eyes hooded, a light flush tingeing his flesh, breath hitched, and wondered, did that mean he'd spent the entire time they were together repressing himself?

"You, you could have ordered me."

"No." The answer was immediate and sure and Haruka bit back a retort at the hardness in those red eyes.

"Never for this. People have to trust each other, they have to believe in each other and love each other for this. I would never order you to do this. Ever." Kantarou pulled the yukata up against his chest, clenching the material in sweaty fists as he struggled to get past the tengu.

A fluttering sound filled the room, inky wings unfurled, flipping past him and effectively capturing him, since he'd never hurt them, even to get away.

"Haruka, it's over, just let me go." His voice sounded heavy with rejection.

"No."

"Why? I've released you; you don't have to stay here anymore." He was starting to get tired of this circular arguing that was going nowhere fast.

"What if I don't want to be released?"

"Huh?" he looked up confused.

"I like being in control, you releasing me without my demanding of it does nothing for me."

He ran a finger over the bite marks.

"And these…these annoy me to no end. How dare she mark you like this." He leaned in and gently stretched Kantarou's neck to the side before biting down hard over the wounds.

"Ahh! Ha..Haru..ka…" he whispered as the tengu's teeth branded him, marking him as his. His master, his slave, Kantarou didn't care anymore.

Haruka caught him as his legs gave way.

"Making me mad was probably the stupidest thing you could have done in this situation you know."

"Why? I was trying to keep you out if it, this was my battle to fight." Kantarou looked up as Haruka lifted him effortlessly and carried him into the adjoining room.

"Do you even know what a Succubus is?" he asked as he set the confused man down on his futon.

"They suck your energy away."

"Not exactly. They feed off of sexual energy. That's why you were stupid to try and defeat her alone."

"Se..sexual energy?" Kantarou's face burned crimson.

"Yes, I don't think I even want to know where you picked one up from. Look, next time you get all hot and bothered, check with me first to make sure one hasn't latched on to you again." Haruka licked the side of his mouth.

"I now understand what she meant by you being 'sweet' though."

"Wha…Haruka?!"

Kantarou looked up through a cascading curtain of dark velvet.

"I thought I told you, making me mad was a very stupid thing to do."

Kantarou blinked rapidly before lightly lacing his fingers behind Haruka's neck and gently pulling the tengu closer, "Then show me what I need to do to make you happy, Haruka. Show me."

Kantarou let the power of his name wash over them, shutting the world out and just breathed the spicy scent that flooded all of his senses. He hoped it was going to be a long night.

Fin.