Author's Note: Story has been revised for the better. ^_^ Plot (there's sorta one...) remains the same with quite a bit of changes along the way. It's more in-character, too, I think.
He scarcely remembers anything as he groggily wakes up.
His temple is pounding in revolt like there's a little man inside his head trying to escape and all thoughts are heavy like wet paper. He tries to peel a mental picture together, regain some of his cognitive thought, but everything is coming back too slowly.
Hanzo flips open his eyelids, blinking in rapid success when a nearby candlelight burns agony into them. From what he can tell of his surroundings is neutral. He can't tell if he's in enemy hands or not. Certainly the first rather than the latter, seeing as his mission put him dangerous territory.
His mission!
A small memory of his hasty flight into the Takeda camp reminds him of Ieyasu Tokugawa's eagerness to provide his master, Nobunaga Oda, with valuable information for their confrontation against Shingen Takeda and Ujiyasu Hōjō.
The ninja props himself up on his elbows in dismay. How long has he been—? He shrinks back immediately. Three full-grown wolves are sprawled within his immediate proximity, seeming to think that he shouldn't be the only one who deserves such an agreeable place to rest. They also seem to agree that personal space is nothing of the sort to be worried over or to be thoughtfully considered, seeing as one has decided to lay over his legs and the other two pressed against his side.
Hattori cannot help the rising, guarded feeling that begins to swarm within him. Suddenly he is keener to get out of bed than anything.
The wolf at his right side suddenly opens its eyes and yawns extensively. It seems to open its mouth more widely than necessary as if to purposely show off an impressive array of large canine teeth, teeth that could comfortably rip flesh and snap bones. To Hanzo it seems as if the creature is nonchalantly giving him a warning not to move anymore. And he obliges by going rigid as the big, yellows peer lazily at him. He can effortlessly imagine the fear victims would feel gazing into those predatory hues. Yet, he only sees a curiousness muted by sleepiness. He relaxes somewhat when the eyes lose interest in him and close. Among other signs, it gives him the most reassurance the wolf doesn't mean to devour him.
Glimpsing around the room, Hanzo can perceive nothing. The bedside candle bathes only the three wolves and himself in a light. The rest is hidden in shadows. His position suddenly seems even more precarious than before. It's obvious the owner has something to hide. Still, there are enough hints that he can guess who the owner may be.
He starts, eyes jerking back to the wolves. The queer, but loud and sudden sound of a sneeze is more than enough to send away what lack of concern he had for the wolves. The same one that had woken had been the one sneezing. Its eyes meet his and seem to laugh at his edginess, and what Hanzo would have normally felt certain was just be a trick of the candle's flickering light, felt too real to be simply that.
He watches closely as the wolf paws it muzzle. He might have started to feel relaxed again if it had not decided suddenly to find him of interest. It crawls up the bed and rests it large head beside his waist, looking at him with such woeful eyes he might have felt enough sympathy to strokes its head if he didn't have the uncanny feeling he might have to dodge its jaws at any given moment. A soft, black nose gently nudges his hand resting on his leg. Hattori carefully moves his hand away, vigilantly watching the wolf's ears perk up. A sound that appears to be a disappointed snort huffs out its nostrils, but it decides to leave him alone.
Having been thoroughly distracted, Hanzo only now notes the appearance of another person. His eyes flicker from the wolf to the darkness beyond the foot of the bed.
Kotaro Fuma.
The other ninja's presence is as obvious as smoke in mist, but distinct enough when one knows what to look for. Hanzo has been enough confrontations to know, and his steely gaze focuses on the darkness long enough to let Kotaro know his presence will no longer go unnoticed.
"You're finally awake," he quietly drawls, stepping out of the darkness. The candlelight dances on his face, revealing the dark flicker of mischievous eyes. "Where am I?" Hanzo growls. He ignores the rest of the wolves waking at their master's presence. "So… you really don't remember anything," Kotaro says. He seems to be speaking more to himself as he gazes at the wolves gazing expectantly up at him. "No." Kotaro's eyes jump back to Hanzo's.
The artic blue beneath heavily lidded eyes is striking to Hattori, even after seeing them a good deal of times before. Yet, whether as those times it was only fleetingly, he can now observe without any interventions. Similar to the curious wolf, Kotaro's eyes have a lazy appeal to them and the simmering of quiet calculation. Anything else is too well hidden. Fuma hums. "I suppose I should give you a short recount." He pulls a stray braid over his shoulder. "What is your last memory?" Hanzo stares uncooperatively at him. He is the enemy. That is all he wants to think.
Kotaro patiently crosses his arms, and the gesture somehow is mnemonic. He remembers the warmth of something broad against the side of his face and the confining feeling of being entirely supported in arms, but being able to do nothing about it. "Recalling something?" Kotaro questions. His voice has the sinister undertone of a mischievous boy eager to lay his self-satisfying joke. Hanzo remains silent, feeling the disturbing sensation of heat in his cheeks. Had that been Kotaro carrying him? "You know how I can tell?" Kotaro asks. "You're not wearing a mask." Humiliation boils in the ninja's blood, but he refuses to speak, to move, lest he give Kotaro all the more satisfaction.
Kotaro's intentions of humiliated him seem brief, however. "Your last memory?" he questions.
"What concern is it to you?" Hanzo retorts.
"Oh, it's for not my concern, but for yours concern. It would be a shame to have forgotten important details in your report…" Hanzo glares at him. Perhaps the bastard still intends to humiliate him more after all. Well, he will give Fuma no such satisfaction. He sits in silence, methodically searching through his memory, luring out every single memory until the whole mission is fresh in his mind.
"I remember everything," he replies at last. For the sake of being carefully indifferent, he refrains from letting his voice reveal his satisfaction at this—Kotaro feeds of emotion. "Except…" he considers. "…for everything after you appeared." Kotaro peers at him with what almost looks like curiosity. "Why do you think it was me?"
"Then who else?" Kotaro 'tsks'.
"That is poor reasoning, Hanzo."
"I am right."
"More's the pity."
"Perhaps you should not have wasted your time, then." The words are more heated than he'd intended, but it's too late. Kotaro is perked with interest. "But where would poor you be? Dead. Or perhaps before Takeda being interrogated."
"I do not see how it would matter to you, either way." Yet, the thought of interrogation brings Hanzo's suspicion into tune.
Perhaps this whole thing is a set up. Kotaro captures him and fleshes out what information he can by appearing to be suddenly neutral. "Honestly, Hanzo, I'm hurt," Kotaro says, as if reading his mind. "Already accusing me of being deceiving?"
"Give me a reason to not."
"The ninjas that ambushed were working for Takeda not Hōjō. Kunoichi was in charge of taking you to Shingen Takeda. But I intercepted her. Made it look like you were only pretending to be unconscious."
"Why?"
Kotaro's face becomes pensive with indecision. "Takeda would have had you executed," he admits. "You're too much a threat against him and too great an ally for Nobunaga Oda. Knowing you would not betray Ieyasu Tokugawa, he could see there was no other options." Hanzo remains silent. His heart suddenly starts beating harder, and his gut twists. It's not the fear from thought of a death that would have been imminent, but the confusion and sudden indecision about Kotaro.
Kotaro… saved him? He does really know his nemesis at all?
"My death should not bother or concern you," he says silently. A flash of anger jolts through Fuma's eyes, but doses itself just as quickly. "Perhaps," is all he says. The room falls silent, save for the soft whine of the wolf lying over Hanzo's legs.
Hattori watches Kotaro tilts his head and look at the wolf with amusement. "Thank you," he says under his breath. Fuma looks at him, the amusement dropped from his face. There's something else, something Hanzo cannot comprehend because it looks so foreign on the pale ninja's face and in his eyes. "You are in my debt now, Hanzo," Kotaro says, quietly. Hanzo looks at him carefully, eyes narrowed in a silent warning. "I do not ask for anything you cannot give." Kotaro pauses. "Only a kiss." Hanzo draws in a fast breath, unable to do anything against the overwhelming surprising feeling.
Maybe he's just delirious? Perhaps Kotaro actually asked for something else. A kiss? Of all things to ask, a kiss?
Fuma makes his way around the foot of the small bed mat, towards him. The wolves retreat from his sides as if knowing their master wants the space at Hanzo's side more than they. Perhaps they're right.
As soon as the weight of their bodies is gone, Hattori realizes he could escape now. Kotaro may be stronger, but he's faster. Using the blanket as a diversion, he could disappear into the night. Find out where he is and return to his master.
All it would take is movement. And that seems to be what he is incapable of. His limbs feel paralyzed, his joints frozen. Thinking of moving is the only thing he seems capable of. Then that, too, leaves as Kotaro is looking down at him by the bed's side. He is as helpless as if he had been poisoned. It seems as if he wants to stay, to earnestly see if Kotaro wants a kiss, more than to escape. The pure curiosity he harbors for the aspect is overpowering in this way. And held spellbound by this overpowering curiosity, he lets the window of opportunity slip out of his reach.
Chestnut brown eyes meet exotic artic blue eyes. Contrary to previous times of which these two colors peered at one another, this time is entirely unorthodox.
"Wait," Hanzo croaks, as Kotaro sits at the edge of the bed mat. Kotaro seems oblivious, however. He leans over Hattori, putting a hand on either side, enclosing the ninja beneath him. His copper red hair dangles over his shoulders in small, fine braids. He goes no further than this as if respectful of Hanzo's wish.
Hanzo wonders if this is, indeed, why he stopped, but he can decide nothing of such looking into Fuma's eyes. He feels small and trapped, and yet, somehow, this is not entirely an uncomfortable feeling. Something that makes one feel small and trapped perhaps should, but the look in Kotaro's eyes makes Hanzo feel something else.
His heart starts beating wildly in his chest as Kotaro begins to lean down towards him. The thought of escape has become distant. Hanzo is too lost in artic blue that come closer. He's never felt more lost in his life. A surge of the unfamiliar sensation of panic makes him tense even more. Kotaro pauses only moments away from his face. "Are you afraid?" he asks softly, his breath ghosts against Hanzo's face. He shivers, realizing his eyes have become desperately wide. He must look froze in utter alarm. Is he afraid, though? "N-no." A small smile appears of Fuma's pale lips. "Good."
He then leans down and gently places his lips against Hanzo's.
Kotaro's lips are smooth, soft, and cool. The touch is tender, coaxing. He doesn't want to steal a kiss from Hanzo; he wants to share a kiss with Hanzo. Hanzo remains frozen, however. One might perceive this to be a defensive reaction and pull away, but Kotaro is patient.
Hattori feels struck by something entirely foreign. For once in his life, he doesn't know how to react. His mind can only focus on the sensation of lips against his own and knowing who they belong to. He's startled out of what thoughts he could manage by the touch of a slick tongue outlining his lips. His heart seems to skip a beat in surprise.
Something inside him—the same something that kept him from running—makes him curious to kiss Kotaro back. It's only a kiss, isn't it? He knows it's more, but thinking about that would surely make him refuse to do what he's about to do.
Very carefully, gingerly, he closes his eyes and presses his lips against his enemy's. It's as lightly as he can manage, hoping not to be noticed. Somehow the motion is exceptionally effectual at pouring a queer sensation over his body, nonetheless. He feels… he feels a light tingle and generally strange all over. It's almost as if he's floating, but still entirely at the will of gravity.
Kotaro's lips press against his more firmly and a cool hand brushes against his cheek. It's only too apparent the latter felt Hanzo's movement—then again, when lips are touching nothing is secret. Kotaro is all the eager to accept it. And yet, he satisfies only a few more moments before pulling away.
Hanzo's eyes snap open, but it feels as if Kotaro has already been studying him for some time. He feels uncomfortable beneath, what he can tell, is a very scrutinizing gaze. Still stuck beneath the ninja and unable to nothing more than wait him out, Hanzo tries to refuse meeting Kotaro's gaze. But a damnable spark of curiosity flickers his eyes towards his nemesis and there his chestnut brown eyes are unable to remove themselves from the striking blue luminosity before him. Yet he flinches as pale fingers gently pull a stray strand sooty black hair behind his ear.
"Your debt is paid," Kotaro murmurs. His voice sounds strange speaking so gently. Because of it and what's happened, Hanzo remains silent. He is uncertain to say. Normally words are brief and decisive when they come to him. He doesn't need to think of much what he needs to say, because he always knows what needs to be said. While he may not be as tactful as some in this way, he is very able.
He seems to have waited too long, however, and Kotaro moves off him. He folds his legs and sits very near the bed mat. "You are free to go now." Hanzo sits up slowly, still wary of the wolves that lie around. "There are fewer guards on the southeast side," Kotaro continues. He slowly removes a black cloth from his pocket. Gazing at it for a moment, he hands it to Hanzo. Once Hanzo has it, the Fuma ninja stands. "I will see you again, Hanzo," he says. "Until then…" His figure ripples and disappears.
Author's Note: Thank you so much for all the reviews and follows! ^_^ Hope you enjoyed reading~
This goes out to Cherryninja, who seems to have a knack for putting these ninjas together in some sexy and awesome away! ;D