CHAPTER NOTES: The story you never knew you needed. I don't even know what this is, but it was hella fun to write.

It all started with a glance- though some might say it started with the war, considering it was the war that caused those two gazes to cross, the split second of amber meeting violet was all it took for the world to stutter to a stop for a moment before starting up again, though it wasn't quite the same as it used to be.

}i{

Munakata Reisi was carefully picking his way through the rubble of the city to rejoin his commander at the front of the main force when a flash of red caught his eye in the broken landscape. Half buried in the smoking ruins of a decimated building lay a boy with flaming auburn hair. He was awake, though that was clearly not a great mercy, as one of his legs was trapped under a large piece of concrete. His breathing was too fast and labored, his eyes closed. He was surrounded by fallen clansmen of both allegiances, the rust of dried blood staining the road.

"Here to finish the job?" It was a strained gasp, raggedly torn from the boy as he squinted up at him.

[Amber met violet. The world stopped.]

Reisi idly noted that the boy was beautiful.

[He was also familiar, though he couldn't quite place it. He thought he might have seen a photo of him before.]

"Now why would I want to do that?" It was an honest question that had slipped past his teeth without his permission.

[He blamed the boy's striking eyes for distracting him enough for something even as small as that to have slipped past his defenses.]

The boy laughed tiredly. "You know we're on opposite sides of a war, right?"

"No. I mean," he said slowly, "aren't you General Suoh's son?"

". . . Yes?"

[Oh. So that's how he knew him. The commander had made everyone memorize key enemy personnel. The boy did look remarkably like his father.]

"Why would I want to kill you? You'd make a brilliant hostage."

[He had to deny the small voice in his head telling him he wanted to take Suoh with him for any other reason.]

The boy laughed in earnest this time. "You're a fool if you think my father will give you anything for me."

[It must be the shock, that his leg wasn't hurting him enough for him to be able to laugh.]

He smirked. "Am I supposed to take your word for it? As you've so kindly reminded me, we're on opposite sides of a war."

"I suppose I wouldn't mind a tour of the inside of your camp too greatly."

"Let's get that rock off your leg, then."

[He could always kill him later if he needed to.]

}i{

"It's a good idea if we can actually manage to make it work . . ."

"Yessir."

"Fine, then. You brought him in, he's your responsibility. If he gets too nosy, kill him. If he's too much trouble, kill him. If he so much as breathes in a way we don't want him to, kill him. 'Till then keep him in good condition. You understand?"

"Yessir."

"Good. Don't let your other duties fall behind with this . . . side project."

"Yessir."

"Do me proud, Reisi." His commander's eyes softened for a moment before returning to the cool jade he remembered so well. "Dismissed."

"Yessir."

}i{

Mikoto lay on the lumpy mattress and stared at the stone ceiling of his cell. They had treated him well for all that he was a prisoner, for which he was grateful for. He was well aware that only his life was safe guarded. Everything else was fair game. He could easily return to his father missing fingers, arms, legs. Sanity.

The turning of the lock on his cell door interrupted his thoughts. He turned his head in time to see his door swing inward, revealing the boy who had taken him here in the first place.

[Having no name for him, he had taken to calling him Captain Gorgeous.]

"Suoh," Captain Gorgeous started. "This can either be very easy, or-"

[He was seriously giving him the easy-or-difficult speech? How cliché.]

Mikoto returned his gaze to the ceiling above him and tuned him out, only occasionally putting in a 'Hn'.

Captain Gorgeous' voice drifted back into his attention. " . . . will also be required to wear a dress to help me practice flamenco dancing-"

"What?!" He looked sharply over at his captor.

"Oh, so you're finally listening." He smiled.

[Mikoto told himself the twist in his gut was from gas.]

"You know you just agreed to bear Elvis' children and stick your head in a toilet every Tuesday."

"Oh. Uh . . ."

"I'll just keep it short and sweet. I'm Munakata Reisi. I'll be looking after you, but I do have other duties to attend to so try not to cause too much trouble. I will kill you if I feel I have to. Are we clear?"

"Yeah."

"Alright. I'll send someone down with lunch for you soon. Have a pleasant day, Suoh Mikoto."

[He didn't like that he had to force himself not to stare at Captain Gorgeous' Munakata's ass as he walked out of the cell.]