So, another update! This is the second-to-last chapter, and I reckon the last one will be out this weekend sometime – probably Sunday, or maybe Monday. Remember, this was originally a oneshot, so each chapter will lead directly into the next; you might want to reread the last couple of paragraphs from the last chapter if the start of this one is a bit confusing. Thank you so much to everyone reading, reviewing and supporting this story! I hope you enjoy – Jem
Ryo made his slow way back through the streets of Domino, slip of paper clutched tight in his fist. He ducked his head in the sunlight, slipping quickly through the crowds and avoiding any signs of police officers, knowing that the last thing he needed was to be caught now. Ryo licked his lips as he continued through the streets, his footsteps loud on the pavement. The events of the alley burned away in the back of his mind, sending delicious warmth trickling through his veins. Ryo couldn't hold back a smile.
It didn't take him long to return to his house, letting himself in quietly to find Bakura in the living room, squatting amongst the mess of cloths still decorating the floor. Ryo rolled his eyes. "Have you not cleared that up yet?"
"Have you not cleared your mess up yet?" Bakura snapped back, his gaze flashing angrily at Ryo. "Will I be able to leave the house without getting hounded now?"
Ryo chewed his lip, shifting nervously, and Bakura heaved an angry sigh. "You didn't talk to the police? Why the fuck not?"
"I ... ran into the man again." Ryo closed his eyes for a moment before opening them to glance down at his brother again. "The one who kidnapped me. His name's Kek."
Bakura quirked a brow. "You know his name now? What the hell is wrong with you?"
Ryo squirmed under his brother's scrutinising glare, repeating the question inside his own mind. What on earth was wrong with him? Kek had proven without doubt that he was a sadistic, dangerous man, and yet Ryo was voluntarily going to visit him the next day, and he was looking forwards to it. His brother was right to question his sanity, after all.
"Ryo? Don't space out when I'm talking to you."
Ryo jumped, sending Bakura a glare. "I'll space out whenever I want to, thank you very much."
Bakura shook his head, lips quirking upwards into a smirk as he tilted his head in the direction of his brother. "You won't when I'm around."
"Oh, quit it." Ryo stumbled further down the hall, entering the kitchen with a groan. "Bakura, have you not gone to the shops yet?"
"That's your job," came the disgruntled shout from the living room.
Ryo rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath, "Well, I've been a little busy these past couple of days, not that you would care." Hunting right into the depths of their kitchen, Ryo eventually dug out a not-too-out-of-date packet of pasta, along with a jarred sauce that smelled alright. Ryo sighed, switching on the hob and resting against the counter. Various crashes and curses sounded from the living room but Ryo largely ignored them, not really interested in whatever his brother felt like destroying today. Pasta, thankfully, didn't take long to cook and Ryo served two plates up, setting them carefully on the table and yelling for his brother. Bakura stomped in a few minutes later, collapsing onto the seat and poking at the pasta with a slightly disgruntled expression. "Is this it?"
"It's all that's in the cupboard, since you decided not to shop," Ryo sniffed, his own plate already almost half-gone. "If you don't like it, make your own."
Bakura growled, spearing the food angrily. "You're really fucking annoying."
"At least I actually made something edible, unlike last time you were in the kitchen," Ryo commented haughtily. He finished his meal quickly, placing his plate neatly by the sink before heading to the door, tossing a casual, "You can wash up," over his shoulder as he climbed the stairs. There was a disgruntled shout followed by a muffled shout, but Ryo just laughed. Bakura never helped him out; Ryo figured he was due a break.
Heading into his room, Ryo collapsed onto the bed, falling onto his back as his fingers automatically went to massage the cuts at his throat. Dried blood cracked under his fingers, and Ryo half-heartedly thought that he should clean them up, but his muscles were exhausted. It had been a stressful couple of days. Ryo felt his eyes sliding shut and rolled onto his back, mindless of the clothes he still wore and the fact that it was really not very late. With a tired sigh, Ryo felt himself slip into the vestiges of sleep.
Purple flared in the corners of Ryo's vision, a strikingly familiar shade that tugged at his heartstrings. His interest piqued, Ryo walked hesitantly forwards, the purple teasingly alluring at the edge of his vision. Ryo picked up his pace a little, his bare feet more insistent as they marked the blank ground, his eyes narrowing the closer he got. The purple flared at him, growing gradually closer the further Ryo ran. He lifted one hand, his fingers stretching, breath wheezing through his chest. His nails met soft cloth...
And then it flew out of his hands as the figure in front of him turned around.
Ryo's eyes widened when they met a dark violet gaze. The man was tall, tanned, and arrogantly handsome, blond spikes outlining hard features. He smirked sidelong at Ryo, his lips thin and stretched, his chin upturned arrogantly as he surveyed Ryo with an almost hungry expression. Ryo's lips immediately dried, his heart in his mouth as the man leaned closer. That smirk edged ever closer until Ryo's eyes were forced shut, and he felt hands tangle in his hair, tugging his face forwards until his lips were met. Ryo sighed happily, tingles searing through his veins as he moved closer, winding his arms around the tanned neck. He felt a tight grip catch his waist, lifting him up, pulling him close to the hot body of the other. Ryo writhed in pleasure, his hips meeting the other's with a delicious friction. Ryo moaned a little against the other's tongue, loving the feeling of being so close, sensing rather than hearing the amusement of him as they kept close together.
Then they were moving, and Ryo's back landed on something soft. The other lay with him, crawling over his prone form and meeting his lips once more, tongue swiping at his lips. Ryo gasped and arched up, his fingers finding purchase on the cloak of the other, moving under the purple material to brush black cloth, fumbling hands finding the hem and tugging, revealing perfectly toned tanned skin leading to a strong, beautiful chest. Ryo leaned up, his hands roaming, loving the warmth and heat coming from the body above him. There was a dark chuckle that sent shivers rolling down his spine, and then Ryo's jacket was rolling off his shoulders, his shirt pulled up and over his head, and hot tanned hands were suddenly everywhere. Ryo melted into the mattress, his hands desperately clutching at strong shoulders as his body reacted to the wonderful movements of the other, finding all his sweet spots. Ryo's eyes slid shut, and when they reopened they met a dark gaze clouded with lust. The hands dipped lower, finding Ryo's belt, and undid the clasp with practised movements as Ryo's lips were met once more. Ryo bucked upwards, the material sliding down his legs, and then the other was above him again, hot hard heat pressing down into Ryo and sending delicious shivers through his veins...
Ryo shot upright, his eyes wide and his breath coming in loud gasps, his hands clutching at his chest in shock. Where was the other? Where was that beautiful heat, the wonderful hands that knew exactly what to do, those dark eyes so exotic when they were directed straight to him? Ryo stared around his room for several more minutes before he slowly realised that he must have been dreaming – his lamp was still on, but other than that the room was dark, the open curtains showing him the city shrouded in night. Ryo blinked, running a distracted hand through his tangled white locks before leaning over to check his clock. It was 3am.
"For goodness' sake," Ryo muttered to himself, clambering awkwardly off his bed and heading unsteadily to his window. He leaned against the glass, his breath frosting the image as his eyes slid shut, the image of the tanned man all too vivid behind his lids. Ryo snapped them open again with a sigh, leaning back and shutting the curtains before turning back to survey his room. Every shadow took the form of a dark, leering figure, spiked hair appearing in the corner of his eye, that dark chuckle emanating through the very air. Ryo shivered. In all honesty, he wouldn't put it past Kek to stalk into his room at night, and the most worrying thing about that scenario was the Ryo actually sort of almost wanted it to happen. He shook his head, pressing a palm to his forehead. "What on earth is wrong with me?"
Glancing down, Ryo's nose wrinkled at the sight of his sleep-crumpled clothes, wishing he had thought to change before dropping off like that. Taking a deep breath, Ryo quickly stripped and pulled on his favourite pair of pyjamas, diving back to the bed and curling under the covers. Needless to say, he didn't succeed very well in getting any more sleep – the image of the purple cloaked figure refused to leave him alone, much like its real-life counterpart.
When dawn broke across the city and sunlight started streaming into his room, Ryo eventually gave up and clambered hesitantly into the shower. He purposefully ran the water cold, hoping to calm some of his reactions to that unfortunate dream, although the fact that Kek was constantly on his mind didn't really help to solve his problem. Ryo shook his head with a groan. Why on earth would he have had a dream like that? Yes, Kek was extremely handsome and Ryo was really looking forward to seeing him again, but it was almost laughable to consider anything more happening between them. Ryo felt his lips quirk into a smile. After all, Kek really doesn't strike me as the relationship type. And what would we say when people ask how we met? He kidnapped me because I got in the way when he was robbing a bank? Yeah, right!
Ryo pursed his lips in a long sigh, resting his head against the tiling of the shower and allowing his eyes to close again, thinking through his options. The slip of paper Kek had given him yesterday, with the address of where to meet him, was in pride of place on his desk. Ryo had spent time looking on his laptop, checking the exact location; it appeared to be some sort of mansion on the outskirts of the city, set in its own orchard. Ryo was itching to go, itching to be once more in Kek's intoxicating presence, but the sensible part of his brain was warning him just how foolish such an action would be. But, Ryo reasoned with himself, It isn't as if I don't know what I'm getting myself into, and I'm pretty sure Kek will let me leave when I want to. Plus, I can tell Bakura what I'm doing and take my phone, so if I get into trouble I can always call him and get him to rescue me.
In his heart, Ryo knew his mind was already made up. No way was he missing out on a chance to meet Kek again.
In an hour Ryo was dressed and fed, keys in his hand and shoes on his feet as he hunted the living room for his phone. He eventually found it buried under random strips of cloth from whatever Bakura's project was, the battery half-out. With a sigh Ryo slotted it back in, securing the back on his phone before switching it on. It still worked; that was all that mattered. Quickly traipsing his way back up the stairs again, Ryo knocked boldly on his brother's door and entered without bothering to wait for a reply. "Bakura? Wake up."
There was a muffled groan from somewhere to the right; the room was still plunged in complete darkness. Ryo rolled his eyes. "Listen, alright? I'm going out. I've got my phone, so if I call, answer. Ok?"
There was another muffled grunt which Ryo took as agreement. With a final nod, Ryo exited his brother's room, carefully closing the door behind him before he tripped back down the stairs and exited the house. The sunlight glowed against Ryo's light jacket, warming his pallid skin and setting a huge smile on his face. It was busy out today, the crowds the thickest Ryo had seen in a long while, so he kept his elbows tucked close to his sides and weaved a nimble route around the other people, his feet confident as they led him to the outskirts. He stopped short when his destination first came into view.
It was a mansion, alright.
A pair of huge, grandiosely decorated gates stood proudly at the head of a long driveway, leading through an apple orchard to the wide, sweeping expanse of the entrance to a vast house. Ryo looked up and counted seven floors, the house a wide squatting menace against the horizon, arched windows decorating every room. The front doors were huge and oak, towering and leering, leeching the sunlight from their surroundings. A vast shadow cast right over the driveway, stopping at Ryo's toes as he gazed in awe at the mansion.
Ryo swallowed.
There was an intercom system on the gates. Ryo drew in a careful breath, edging closer, chewing on his lip as he eyed the button. He got the distinct feeling that once he was inside those gates, there would be no turning back.
Ryo had already made his choice.
His finger hit the buzzer, holding it for a couple of seconds before he released it, slowly. A voice immediately snapped through the speakers, the reception clear as day. "Who are you and what do you want?"
Ryo gulped. Now what? Hi, my name's Ryo and I was kidnapped by your leader, and now I want to see him again? Yeah, right.
"Hello?" The voice sounded irritable, so Ryo squeaked.
"Um, hi. I'm ... I'm here to see Kek..."
"Who is this?" The voice instantly turned suspicious. "And how do you know that name?"
Ryo swallowed. "He told me ... Kek told me, and then he told me to come here..."
There was a startled splutter, followed by several crashes and a bang, and then a familiar dark voice sounded that had Ryo sighing in relief. "Well, hello again. We just seem to keep running in to each other, don't we?"
Ryo held back a laugh. "That probably has something to do with the fact that you keep stalking me."
"You came here on your own," chuckled the dark voice. "Come on in, if you're sure you still want to."
"I'm sure," Ryo breathed, watching the gates swing open with nerves jumping around in his stomach.
The walk up to driveway seemed to take hours, the long-fingered shadows of the trees stretching out to meet him as Ryo made his trembling way along the wide path. The doors soon rose to greet him. Ryo clambered up the vast steps, just watching the wood for a while – was he supposed to knock, or what? Shifting on his feet, Ryo just began to lift one fist when the doors were swung wide and he was met with that tall, cloaked figure he had last met in his dreams.
Ryo couldn't hold back a grin.
Kek grinned right back, stepping back with an expansive sweep of his arm. "Hello, Ryo. Get your ass in here now."
Ryo held back a laugh at the crass statement, instead primly entering and folding his hands behind his back. He looked around with wide eyes at the vast entrance hall that greeted him – the ceiling stretched away impossibly high, covered in shadows. Kek laughed when he saw his preoccupation, wrapping a strong arm around his shoulders and guiding him forwards. "Come on, little one. I'll show you around."
"I can't stay long," Ryo cut in quickly, although he wormed a little closer under the man's arm. The heat waving off him was incredible. "I'll have to get back to my brother soon."
A peal of laughter echoed around the vast hall as the man led them into a narrow, winding corridor. "Well, fuck. I had absolutely no intention of letting you leave today."
Ryo instantly stiffened, attempting to slip out of the man's grasp, only for Kek to hold him tighter. "Oh, no, you don't. I've got you now, Ryo, and you are going nowhere."
Ryo grumbled under his breath, stumbling to keep pace with the man's much longer strides. "I should have known."
"Yes, you should." Mirth was still evident in Kek's tone as he led them through the hall, eventually drawing to a halt outside a large oak door. Kek released Ryo's shoulders in favour of gripping his wrist as he twisted the handle of the door, pushing it open with a wide sweep.
Ryo groaned as he was forcefully dragged in to the room. "I can walk for myself, you know."
"So you keep saying," Kek chuckled, swinging Ryo off the floor once the door closed behind them and placing him securely on a plush chair. "But I'd rather not risk you running off again. You really messed me about last time."
Ryo shook his head, gazing about the room – he was on a seat facing a large mahogany desk that covered most of one wall. Kek didn't sit, preferring to pace the room and fix Ryo with a piercing dark stare; shivers rolled down Ryo's spine whenever he met it. Taking in a breath, Ryo looked away as he managed to mutter, "I messed you about? You were the one who kidnapped me."
"Oh, but no hard feelings, right?" Kek was grinning again, his teeth glistening in sharp contrast to his darkly tanned features. "It was sort of necessary. You were really fucking up my bank robbery."
Ryo shook his head, a small smile playing around his lips. "You did that all on your own, I think you'll find. Threatening an innocent civilian and knocking out a bank worker aren't the best ways to keep low profile."
"And how would you know that?" Kek stopped his pacing momentarily, fixing Ryo with a dark glare that had Ryo almost rocketing off his seat. "Just exactly how much do you know about crime, huh?"
Ryo swallowed. He kicked at the carpet aimlessly, turning his head away and gazing down as he tried to avoid that piercing stare. Kek had other ideas, it would seem. Warm tanned fingers attached to Ryo's chin, forcing his head up and his brown gaze to crash onto Kek's. Ryo froze.
The moment lasted a long while, Kek leaned almost comically over as he bent to be at Ryo's eye level; Ryo's fingers clutched awkwardly at the plush cushion of the seat, fidgeting from side to side as he found himself captured in those dark violet eyes. Kek narrowed them, the black lines under his eyes creasing as a grin once more lit his lips, tugging them up towards his ears. "Still afraid of me, then?"
"No," Ryo choked out breathlessly, his fingers knotting together on the chair. "I'm not scared. I never have been."
Kek drew back a tiny bit at that, his brow creasing before he broke into the wide smile once again. He pressed his face closer to Ryo's their foreheads bumping together as Kek's grin stretched. "Oh, really? Not ever? I might have to work harder at that, then."
Ryo shook his head quickly, as much as he was able whilst his chin was still held in Kek's tight grip. "I don't think you could ever scare me, Kek."
The grin dropped into a sudden scowl, Kek's grip becoming painful, leaving raw red marks on Ryo's pallid skin. Kek shoved the chair back, tipping it until Ryo's feet left the floor and he was at the complete mercy of Kek, his eyes widening slightly as the world tilted around him. "Why the fuck would you think that?" Kek growled, his lips a thin, furious line as he glared down at Ryo. "Of course I could fucking scare you. I could fucking kill you."
Ryo swallowed, but he stayed calm. His features carefully relaxed, Ryo volunteered sheepishly, "Oh, you could certainly kill me. But I wouldn't necessarily be scared."
Silence held over the room for a long, long moment, Ryo's calm brown gaze firmly holding Kek's furious glare, until Kek threw his head back and laughed, releasing the chair. It fell back with a loud thud, sending Ryo tumbling head-over-heels as he struggled to keep his balance. He landed painfully on his side – the same side that was bruised from meeting the pavement two days ago – and Ryo hissed, winded. He lay still for a moment, ignoring the continued laughter that only doubled when Kek spotted Ryo's position. Ryo rolled his eyes slightly, grumbling, "Yeah, don't help at all," as he struggled to lift himself into a sitting position, wincing with every movement. Suddenly, strong tanned arms were wrapping around his torso, lifting him carelessly from the floor and slamming him into the wall, only serving to make Ryo wince further. He froze, however, when those mirth-filled violet eyes turned on him, holding him in place.
Kek stepped closer, his body pressed flush against Ryo's as he kept the smaller male against the wall. Ryo's feet dangled; he kicked half-heartedly for a few moments before deciding that really, he didn't have much choice. If Kek wanted him against the wall, then Ryo would be staying against the wall.
Kek grinned. "What, not going to fight me this time?"
"It's an exercise in futility," Ryo pointed out with a sigh, his lids sliding closed before he opened them again. Kek was grinning, his face split in half as he thrust his nose almost completely against Ryo's.
"Right you are," Kek laughed, his fingers digging in to Ryo's shoulder and hip as he held him carefully in place. "It tends to be more fun when you fight back, though."
Ryo sighed loudly. He would have crossed his arms, had they not been trapped between his body and Kek's. "You also think it's fun to play with knives. I think I trust my judgement more than yours on this."
"You're no fun." Kek's tone was almost petulant, causing Ryo to break into a delighted smile. Kek frowned, pressing himself right up close to Ryo again, his dark eyes narrowed as he examined his form. "Why aren't you scared of me, though?"
Ryo cast his eyes downwards, attempting a shrug around Kek's grip. That was the million dollar question, really; by rights, he should be absolutely terrified of the tall dark stranger in front of him, instead of voluntarily going to his mansion, which Ryo was almost certain was paid for by criminal means. But there was just something about him that kept Ryo intrigued, that kept him intoxicated, and kept him coming back for more. And Ryo could swear, sometimes, that there was a flash of that same something in Kek's eyes, whenever he looked at Ryo...
Ryo was shaken violently, his head snapping back against the wall. "Answer me!" Kek all but roared, his lips close to Ryo's ear, hot breath dancing along his pale cheeks. "Don't fucking keep me waiting."
"Alright! Alright," Ryo held back a giggle when he met Kek's questioning stare. "I was just trying to work out the answer to that question myself. I think ... at least, I hope, that you already know why."
Kek growled, shoving Ryo further into the wall, causing him to wince. "What the fuck are you talking about?"
"It's like you said yesterday," Ryo wheezed out, his body recovering from the sensation of being slammed so hard against the wall. His teeth jarred as he sucked in a breath. "In the alley, you said you knew it wasn't just you. Well, I hope it isn't just me, either. I hope you know why I'm not scared of you."
"You're not making any fucking sense," Kek declared darkly, his tone dangerous. "Tell me what you mean."
Ryo swallowed when he lifted his eyes to brush gazes with that dark violet stare. What if he had this all wrong? What if Kek really did only see Ryo as a victim, someone to manipulate, to toy with before torturing them to a slow and painful death? Remembering the manic grin and wild dark eyes Kek had sported the first time Ryo saw him, Ryo shuddered; he wouldn't put Kek past doing something like that. So what if Ryo truly was just a plaything? What was he doing here?
Ryo drew in a deep breath, calming himself as he looked back into Kek's dark, confused eyes. He was wrong. After all, Kek had had numerous opportunities to torture and murder Ryo, but he was still here, living, breathing, and relatively unharmed. And in the alley the day before Kek had even allowed him to walk away with no real guarantee that Ryo would come back, not to mention the fact that Kek had kissed him. Ryo's lips tingled as he remembered that bruising heat. No, Ryo was safe here; for some strange reason, he was sure of that.
And there was his answer.
"I'm not scared of you, Kek," Ryo muttered softly, his brown eyes beseeching as they held Kek's gaze. "I know you'll keep me safe."
Silence dropped between them again at Ryo's words, Kek's hands warm and firm where he held Ryo in place, his expression still a thin frown as he stared straight at Ryo. Ryo looked back calmly enough, despite the pounding of his heart and the fluttering of his veins, heat burning his skin wherever Kek touched him. Ryo was immobile.
Eventually, Kek spoke, his voice gruff and low. "Why would you feel safe around me?"
"I don't know," Ryo responded honestly, his tone even. "Maybe it's because I'm still alive. And I keep coming back to you."
Kek broke into peals of laughter again at that, the familiar smirk returning to his face and lighting up his eyes; Ryo couldn't hold back a soft smile when he saw it. Kek just shook his head, allowing Ryo's feet to touch the floor again. "I guess you're right about that one, though Gods know why I haven't just killed you yet. You're a great inconvenience."
Ryo almost felt happy as he lifted his brows. "I'm the inconvenience? You're the one who just randomly thought it would be a good idea to kidnap me."
"We've been over this," Kek grinned. "You were the idiot who tried to see my face. I couldn't not take you after that."
Ryo smiled back, leaning against the wall and folding his arms. "I was just curious."
"Oh, were you now?" Kek's tone took on an almost teasing lilt, warmth underlying the dark tone. He took a step towards Ryo, one hand on the wall above Ryo's head as he grinned down at him. "Have you satisfied your curiousity yet?"
Ryo's heart sped up the closer Kek got, his skin warming just from being close. Those dark eyes bored into him and Ryo was lost, wandering somewhere in the mesmerising depths. He lifted one pale, slightly-trembling hand to brush it against Kek's cheek, surprised at the softness beneath his fingertips.
Kek quirked an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"
Ryo pulled back a little, hesitating, but Kek's eyes were grinning down at him. One tanned hand went to Ryo's neck, brushing his hair back with a much softer movement than Ryo had experienced so far; at least, it was until the fingers wormed their way around the back of Ryo's neck and his head was pushed forwards, Kek leaning down to meet him in a searing, forceful kiss.
Ryo sighed in something similar to relief, welcoming Kek's eager tongue as his hands wound around his shoulders. Kek lifted him easily, slamming his back into the wall again as his mouth became more demanding, his hands tangling in Ryo's white hair. Ryo automatically wound his legs around Kek's waist, his fingers finding purchase in spiked golden locks, marvelling at the softness of the texture as he ran the strands across his palms. Kek pressed closer, kissing along Ryo's jawline and down to his collarbone, stopping when Ryo writhed in sudden pleasure. "Found your spot, huh?"
Ryo drew in a sharp breath when lips returned to the crook of his neck, and then he let out an almost-scream because teeth were marking him. He tightened his fingers in Kek's hair as he panted for breath, the ungodly sensation at his neck sending shoots of warmth tingling through his veins. Ryo's eyes slid closed as a tongue swiped his neck before Kek leaned away, grinning down at him. Ryo mewled a little at the loss of sensation, his cheeks flushing when he opened his eyes to meet Kek's dark gaze.
Ryo squirmed a little uncomfortably and Kek laughed. "No need to be embarrassed. I was just marking you as mine."
Ryo shivered at those words, his fingers moving to the mark at his neck. "You didn't need to bite me."
"You didn't seem to mind," Kek laughed, grabbing Ryo's head again and pulling him into another kiss. Ryo complied happily, enjoying the rush of tingling heat that coursed through his veins. Kek's tongue swiped at his face demandingly, his hands moving from Ryo's hair and sliding down his body, leaving hot patterns burned into Ryo's skin. Ryo released a small sound, his fingers tightening in Kek's hair, but he froze when fingers gripped onto the hem of his shirt.
Kek didn't notice the sudden lack of response, his lips continuing to press forcefully against Ryo's as he pulled on the ends of his shirt. Rho wriggled in shock, the heat between them almost unbearable, Kek's demanding presence too much for Ryo to bear. He writhed against the wall, his hands gripping tightly onto Kek's hair and tugging him back, forcing him away. Kek growled, his hands clutching Ryo's hips, nails digging in as he pushed Ryo back against the wall. "What the fuck is wrong with you now?"
"I ... can't stay," Ryo hissed, his fingers knotting in the front of Kek's cloak. "I've got to go."
"The fuck you do," Kek growled.
Ryo shook his head, his body trembling as he pushed away and jumped down to the ground. "I'm sorry, but I have to. My brother..."
"I don't give a fuck about your brother," Kek snarled, his tone dark once more. "I let you walk away yesterday. What makes you think I'm going to let you walk out of here?"
Ryo's eyes flashed. He stared up defiantly at Kek, his arms crossing front of him and his lips drawing into a thin line. "You will let me go because I am not some pet for you to keep. I will come back for you – I promise – but I can't just leave my life now. You're going to let me go, and I will see you soon."
Kek stared at him, his violet eyes dark and his hands still tight against Ryo's hips. Ryo looked back sternly, his jaw set. Silence held between them for a long time before Kek finally growled and edged back a step. "You had better fucking get back here tomorrow."
Ryo couldn't help breaking into a wide grin as he turned to leave the room, planting one last kiss on Kek's cheek as he passed.
So, yeah, it's a pretty short chapter, but that's because it was originally the second half of the last chapter, and originally before that just a small segment of a oneshot. Hah. Yeah. I fail at planning. ^_^ Anyway, next chapter shall be the last. XD Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! - Jem
