Chapter 4

During the time that Takaya allowed Naoe to recover, he and Chiaki did some investigation; they found that Ranmaru had taken the kidnap boy somewhere into the Kanto region. The Kanto region consisted of many cities, Tokyo was one of them. The other cities were Yokohama, Kamakura, Nikko, Hakone, Kawagoe, Kusatsu, and so on. They had narrowed the possibilities down to Tokyo, the capitol of Japan. Oda was known for being a preposterous man; he would most likely want to control from the central of Japan and expand his power from there.

Once they had confirmed that all the sources were correct; they gathered together in the lecture hall of the temple to come up with a plan to save Yuzuru. They discussed many possibilities, but with their team of four, they were a little short handed. The plan which they all agreed on was for them to split up into two groups.

Haruie and Chiaki headed off first to seek help from Lord Masamune of the Date clan. Whether or not they were able to seek help; they agreed to meet up with the rest of their team in Tokyo in three days.

The other team departed on the same day.

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Naoe and Takaya searched the most obvious places in Tokyo, but after two consecutive days of running around, there wasn't any sign or clue of the missing boy. It was as if he disappeared from earth completely and no one had ever seen him.

"Where the bloody-hell do you think that Ranmaru has hidden Yuzuru?" The frustrated boy asked his partner as he dropped his exhausted body onto the comfort of the mattress in his room.

Naoe found a seat on his bed which was parallel to his lord's bed. At the time that they arrived at the hotel, the only room available was a two beds suite. He sat there calmly admiring his lord while the boy continued his babbling.

"We searched everywhere that we could think of, but there wasn't anything suspicious activity around Edo Castle nor was there anything around those dead and boring temples. Is there anywhere else that we've overlooked? Man! Yuzuru has been detained for a week now. Do you think that he's okay?"

"Yuzuru is a being with high abilities. With this factor, they will be wise not to get rid of him." Naoe replied as he continued to stare at the long slender body lying in front of him. His young lord was wearing a white t-shirt and a pair of tight blue jean. With his hands crossed behind his head, the t-shirt was pulled up a little exposing a strip of skin above his navel's area. Naoe stared at the displayed navel and found it very intruding.

"Of course, they won't get rid of him!" Takaya exclaimed as he turned onto his side and looked through the window that was located closer to his bed. He wasn't afraid of Oda getting rid of Yuzuru because he knew that that wouldn't happen. If anything did happened, Oda would most likely control Yuzuru and force him to do bad things like killing other people or worst to kill Takaya, then he and his best friend would have to battle against each another. He ran his fingers into his hair and sighed. "We're getting no where with this!"

"Haruie and Chiaki should be here tomorrow." Naoe spoke to his lord's back.

"Do you think that they're able to seek help from the Date?"

"Yes. If Oda were to overpower the Underworld, then his next conquer will be earth. The Dates are justice people; they will never allow this to happen, therefore they will be in our favor." Naoe controlled his voice. The sight of his Takaya's back facing him with dark bared skin in plain view, from his bony hip running down along the hem of his t-shirt caused Naoe to desiccate. His merely wet tongue met his lips as he swallowed down his desire; he bit down on his lower pulp and closed his eyes hoping for the growing temptation to cool off. Instead of cooling off, it did the opposite. His dream with Takaya revisited him. Due to the state that he was in at the time, after his injuries were healed; he had forgotten about the affair with Takaya that one night. It was a blur to him. For him, it was just a dream, a dream that was too good to be true. Since he had no conscience if it did in fact happened and Takaya had never mentioned anything about it; he had filed it as a dream. Right now, images of Takaya's in his white yukata stripped down to his feet made Naoe winked as he felt feverish and his growing desire inflamed beneath his belt.

Takaya could feel the heat simulating inside the room. Though he couldn't see Naoe in his position, but somehow he felt the older man eyeing him from behind. It wasn't a good idea to share a room with a man who was obsessed with him, but he didn't have any choice. Last night, they were able to get separate rooms, but tonight after their long search, this hotel was the only one they found with vacancy. 'Oh man! This is awkward.' He fought hard, trying to think of something else to distract him from thinking of the man behind him. 'It's not working.' The more he resisted the more he wondered what Naoe was up to. After he sweated it for a few minutes, he decided to confront the man. He turned a 180 over and caught the man's purple eyes. 'Shit! He's staring at me!' Takaya knew that Naoe was looking at him, but he didn't expect to see Naoe's eyes seeping so much lust. He didn't know how to handle this situation. Of course, he knew exactly what Naoe wanted, but was he ready for it. Even if he was ready to couple with Naoe, would he be blasting uncontrollable spell and cause Naoe more damages? As they continued to stare in each other's eyes, Takaya's sharp glare soon softened and a small gasp quickly filled his lungs and emptied his body instantly as he looked away to hide his frustration.

Naoe also drew in a breath as soon as his lord looked away to the corner of the room. He managed to halt whatever that was escalating under his skin and kept his sanity, "You should rest. We have a long day ahead of us."

Those words eased the troubled boy as he gently peeked back, "Yeah, you're right." He agreed and rolled back down onto his side. His back was facing Naoe again; he couldn't face the man, at least not at the moment. He knew that one day very soon he had to confront the man whom sworn to protect him at all cost. Yet, the question still remained, when? When would he have courage to tell the man? When would he be able to fully understand his past and control his future? When could he bury his arrogance and admit that he wanted to be mutual with the man?

As Takaya lay in bed, thoughts of such nature prolonged and became nuisance; they carried on and wouldn't depart his mind. He tried to bury his head under his cover to avoid Naoe from see him stressing out. Under the blanket, his warmth spread, his body heated and his breathing got hotter. He could feel his skin getting moist and the creases of his arms and legs were getting sticky from his perspiration. "Hgh!" He groaned as he pulled off the blanket and stormed into the bathroom. "I can't deal with this!" He cried to himself as he dropped down onto his buns against the bathroom's door. Being in the same room with Naoe was too much for him to handle. He was flustering. Now that he recognized his feelings for Naoe, he wanted to be with the man, but he also wanted to keep his distance so that he wouldn't hurt the man. It was easier to deal with Naoe during the day when his mind was occupied with Yuzuru, but right now his mind was occupied with only Naoe.

"Naoe." He cried the man's name softly to the dim light that lit the bathroom. The dark lighting in the room somehow helped the boy to ease a little. As he leveled his head back down, he saw the shower. A shower he thought. A shower would refresh his mind or at least cool off the heat that was circulating around, in and on him.

Naoe wasn't able to rest either; especially with his lord just a few steps away from him. The room was getting darker and colder as the night progressed. Strange things, unexplainable things often lurked out and occurred in the dark and coldest nights. Autumn nights could be cold sometimes, but tonight, the low temperature of the room was ignored by the growing climate of the two sleepless men. Heat was the only sustain that was being acknowledged. Naoe felt his wanting grew every second as the thought of his lord becoming vulnerable crossed his filthy mind. He wanted to hold his lord in his arms. He wanted to touch and feel the body that once loved him in return. He wanted so much, so much more than just holding and touching.

He could hear the shower running, drumming a rhythm in his head. As he allowed his weary eyes to relax, the sound of water took him back to one gloomy night over four hundred years ago. It was a cold and wet night; the night that drew him closer to his lord. It was also the night that had driven him to be the man that he became today. His destiny, his life and his everything was refined under that pounding rain that night. He could never forget the vision that broke his heart; the sight of his lord on the verge of death: Pale skin, sad eyes and trembling body. As he stood by and witnessed his lord's suffering, he found himself drowning in pain. The rain also cried hard and loud that night; it covered every inch of his body as well as his lord. As the images of his lord's young and misery soul soaked deeper into his mind; he found an unexplainable urge, gravity pulled him closer to the dripping body in front of him. He held onto the body and secured it from harm. He cradled his lord into his warmth and admired the boy's beauty. That night so long ago, he was everything to his lord. This thought painted a small smile on his face.

Takaya came out of the shower in his wet hair and Naoe immediately stared at the boy. The sight of the boy's hair pulled down by the weight of water was striking; it was as beautiful as the night that he fell in love. The picture of his lord standing gorgeously in front of him; his lord was so close and within his reach, but at the same time unreachable. Looking at his lord now, he felt as if a sharp knife was smiling its blade on the skin of his throat. He felt his heart throbbing in pain as his desire rose, but the invisible blade prevented him from reaching his lord. His lord was the source of his mad desire, but his lord was also the blade of his hesitation. If he could have one wish; he wished to go back in time and fix every mistake that he made. If they were fixed, then he would be able to take back the one lost that he regretted the most: The trust that he shoved away.

Takaya was under a frozen spell. He was a bit baffled to find Naoe still awake. After a moment of intense eye contact, he noticed that Naoe's eyes were different. They looked sad, but under that sadness they glowed distinctively in the dark like eyes of a wolf; a hungry animal that was ready to catch its prey. "What's wrong? Did I wake you?" He asked boldly.

After much debate, Naoe could no longer lie in bed and allow his thoughts to continue. If they were to continue, then he might do something that he would utterly regret again. He sat up and found his jacket. He drew out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Right now some fresh air and nicotine would neutralize his hungry. He lifted his weight off the bed and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"I need a smoke." He replied, but didn't look back to notice Takaya's panicking expression.

Takaya couldn't say another word. Naoe left the room before he was able to say anything else. He found his heart ached as Naoe closed the door behind him. He stood there for a while to let the image of Naoe's leaving him to sink in. "Jerk!" He cursed at the closed door. Then he turned around to find the window sill and pulled up the curtains. He found Naoe smoking nearby the front lobby of the hotel. He took in another breath and dropped the curtains back down. "He's still here with me." Relieved to find the man was still with him; he snuggled back in bed and pondered his thoughts about the man outside. "What's wrong with him? Did I do something to upset him?" Soon, with no effort, he slept.

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"NAOE!"

A loud scream woke up the light sleeper, "Kagetora?" Naoe sat up and found his lord sleeping, coverless in bed.

"Why? I need you." Takaya cried hugging his arms around his chest.

"You need me?" Naoe was surprised to hear that comment coming from Kagetora. He immediately found himself kneeling down by the side of his lord's bed.

"Na-o-oe." The sleeping voice shuddered in its trance.

"I'm here." Naoe said trying to comfort his lord. He saw the trembling body, but didn't know what to do. He could tell that his lord was dreaming and from the sound of his broken voice, it must be a bad dream. He looked at the boy's trembling body and wondered what kind of dream was displaying in his lord's sleep. Should he wake up his lord from his nightmare? How could he help his lord's from shaking? He stood up and pulled the blanket up to cover his lord's body. As the blanket met his lord's neck, he leaned forward and placed a soft chaste kiss on his lord's lips; the trembling stopped.

When Naoe pulled away and was about to settle back into his bed; his lord screamed again, "Don't leave me!" Naoe immediately turned back to his lord, "Kagetora?"

The young lord struggled in bed, "No! NO!" He continued to cry.

Naoe couldn't take it anymore. He advanced to the crying boy and held him into his arms. "Kagetora, wake up." He shook the body gently.

Takaya gradually opened his eyes, "Naoe?" His arms instantly clung onto the warm body that was holding him.

"Are you okay?" Naoe asked, but the boy didn't respond, instead the boy snuggled closer to his chest. Naoe wasn't sure if his lord was still dreaming or if he was awake, but it didn't really matter because right now at this moment, his lord was holding him. The comfort in these arms equaled an infinite bliss.

Takaya could feel his center beating hard and fast. His skin was vibrating underneath his cloths due to the hasty breathing which caused by his sudden wake. He knew that he had just wake up from another dream. Why was he dreaming when Naoe was with him? He gripped tighter to the back of Naoe's shirt and inhaled his scent. He knew why. He wanted to know more about the man whom had loved him for over 400 years. He wanted to understand the reason why their relationship lingered on for so long. Why couldn't they find resolution? Whatever happened in the past, it should have been resolved by now, why didn't it? Was it true that he was the source that held it back? Naoe said it before that Kagetora was the one that caused him all the pain and suffering that he had to endure over these four centuries. Chiaki also said the same thing once that Kagetora didn't accept his fault; therefore he could never find a solution to his troubled relationship with Naoe.

Takaya had slowly, yet accepted his fate; he recognized that he was Kagetora. As he accepted his name, he also accepted Naoe. In fact, the need to be with Naoe was more important to him than getting back the title and powers that he was bestowed on him so long ago. He tilted his head back a little and peeked up to see the Naoe. He wanted to see what kind of expression Naoe was wearing right now while holding onto him. He found the same expression from the other night when they were together. 'Why does he always look so sad?' The man's eyes were creased tightly together, his brows wrinkled from the center forming two straight lines above his eyes. 'Why? If loving me give you so much pain, then why do you continue to love me?'

"Is it that painful to hold me?" Takaya asked, still staring at the fidget expression of the older man's face.

Naoe opened them, "No." He replied right away through a calm and level voice. After his response, he released his grip, but his lord held him back.

"Kagetora?"

Takaya could hear confusion seeped through the man's voice this time. "I want you to hold me for the rest of the night."

"…" Disbelief was written all over Naoe's face.

"This is an order! Whether you like it or not, you're obligated to fulfill my wish." Takaya didn't want to give Naoe any choice in the matter; he shut the man off before anymore language was used. He knew that his words were harsh, but he didn't know how to express his feeling otherwise. He couldn't come to say those three words, not yet, not until he grasped the whole picture of their relationship, not until he could control his power and not until he felt the time was right.

Naoe drew in a breath of relief. He was confused, yet happy at the same time. He wasn't offended by the order and he didn't care to question it either. He laid his lord back down while admiring the boy's dark eyes focusing on him. Those eyes continued to stare at him and didn't look away. 'Why is he looking at me like this?' Naoe asked himself. Kagetora's look displayed so much desire and love. 'Love? No, it couldn't be. He had buried that emotion long ago.'

Naoe collected his hands from beneath his lord's head and torso. He looked at the boy for another second then finally looked away to find ground on the small bed. He lay onto his side and his entire length was practically touching, pressing against the side of his lord's body due to the small mattress.

Takaya turned onto his side and circled his arms around and underneath Naoe's arm. 'This is nice.' He thought to himself and rested his head against the Naoe's chest once more.

Naoe was speechless, he couldn't describe his feeling. All he could think of was holding onto his lord. He and his lord were arms in arms. He wished that this moment could last forever and for what he knew, this moment was probably just another illusion that he wanted to see in his dream. Tomorrow when he woke up, reality would hit him.

They slept.

Tomorrow came.

Naoe opened his heavy lids. "Kagetora?" He found his lord sleeping in his arms. "It wasn't a dream. Last night…, was not a mirage."

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End of Chapter

Smile: This story is harder to write than I thought. The science between these two is too hard to capture. Do you think that I'm doing okay so far? Let me know, okay? Your opinion helps! I'll try to update once a week if possible, but no later than two weeks, I hope. And, don't hate me if I can't because life happens and I don't want to stress too much over it.