Beneath the water Haru drifted aimlessly. He had lost the light nearly as soon as he dove in, as expected. The pool had seemed shallow and still, but like everything else here that was only a treacherous mask to lure the unwary. He let instinct guide him for the most part, ignoring the currents and eddies that tried to catch at him and sweep him away. He was tempted certainly, but this journey had already been enough to test his mettle and Haru found that with his pelt so near his patience for the game was beginning to wane.

So he drifted, correcting his angle occasionally, allowing his hands to find purchase wherever they could, though more than once they found cutting shelves and prickling stings. Though the inky darkness clouded his vision he forced his eyes to stay open even as the icy water began to sting and burn. Once Sousuke had kept all manner of creatures here: his constant companions and the assorted curiosities he had found before his exile. Beauty was in the eye of the beholder as the saying went, and Sousuke's tastes were like nothing Haru had ever encountered before. His pets would have been monsters by any other name- too many limbs, too many teeth, eyes that could trap a man until he happily drowned in them or claws whose wicked gleaming had made Haru's gut clench with the knowledge of how easily they could rend flesh.

Sousuke loved them as only a god balanced on the brink of insanity could. Haru however was not eager to meet any of them with his eyes shut.

Farther and farther down the current pulled him until his lungs ached for want of air and the pressure threatened to squeeze his last breath from them. He never could have allowed Rin here, especially not so soon after his trauma. Haru clung to that thought- the memory of Rin lying in the hospital bed so still and pale. Any thoughts of Mako he promptly forced out of his mind, not sure he could afford the distraction.

He couldn't help a shudder of excitement when he spotted it at last: the washed-out blue and green phosphorescence that marked the entrance to Sousuke's cove. Haruka made for it as quickly as he could, his chest spasming with every thwarted attempt to breathe and head spinning from being denied too long. His first breath when at last he breached the surface was like swallowing fire, his eyes clenching shut despite his best efforts and hands flailing for anything other than the droplets that slipped right through his fingers. His pelt would make the return journey far kinder, but that was precious little comfort when his body was already protesting the work it had taken him to reach this point.

When he could open his eyes again Haru was surprised to find he was bleeding. His once neatly trimmed nails were jagged and short, cuts and abrasions scattered across his hands that tinged the water about him pink. Hurriedly Haru made for the rock shelf before him and hauled himself out, casting a suspicious glance back at the water for any sign of life. The light was dim even to his keen eyes but he didn't hear any ripple of movement or see any tell-tale signs of it.

Where were they? Had Sousuke grown so weak since they had last spoken? It took a toll on him, Haru knew, safeguarding this little glimpse of paradise from the jealous eyes of his own former kind. But to sacrifice all the living things that had made his exile bearable… Haru worried. All the more when he thought of Rin above the water, probably exploring every hidden corner of Sousuke's domain already. Endlessly inquisitive himself, Sou would be loathe to part ways with like-minded company. Here in his home Haru had no hope of forcing the issue either. Sousuke was not unjust, but he was a god and all who revered him knew better than to expect him to follow a human code of morality; not all of Sousuke's companions had followed him here willingly.

Haru moved faster, depending on sheer luck to keep him from blundering into any stray sinkholes, wracking his brain to remember which paths would lead him to the center of the natural labyrinth and which would lead to the void. If he thought too long the ways might change beneath his very feet, trapping him here until Sousuke's moon shifted to its brightest phase. His powers would be at their height then, but after all that time Mako would undoubtedly consider their bond broken. That was not a risk he was prepared to take.

A gust of wind ruffled Haru's hair, freezing him in his tracks. There were no openings this far below the water, and Sou was not one to issue such a blatant invitation as an unguarded entrance to the sort of things that lived in this pocket dimension. The next flurry brought with it the fetid stench of rot and decay. Fuck.

Maybe Sou hadn't sacrificed his companions at all, perhaps they had simply outgrown their fishbowl.

He turned, clenching his fists at his sides and scanning the way he had come with wide eyes. In the shadows something stirred; Haru allowed his glamor to lapse, unsure of how the encounter would play out. In theory, the beasts should have no objection to his taking his own damn pelt. In practice they were viciously protective of Sousuke's possessions, and Haru's pelt had rested among them for so long they might not recognize a prior claim.

The creature that crept out before him wasn't quite a horse, for all the humans liked to call them "water horses." For one thing, Haru had never seen a horse whose neck was gilded with silver scales before, neither one whose eyes glinted back at him with such feline menace. Patches of moss clung to its coat, what he could make out of it, and its straggly mane had more the consistency of seaweed than the coarse hair Haru remembered. At least it did him the courtesy of appearing before him in its truest form. He dared to hope that was a good sign. They were all creatures of water, kin after a certain manner of speaking. The trouble with kelpies was how little they cared for things like blood and kinship, and their innate sense of mischief that all too often ended with their 'playmates' dead or dying. Why Sousuke had such a fondness for them, Haru had never been able to guess.

Slowly, alert for any sudden movement, watchful of its lips lest they peel back to bare the deadly fangs beneath, Haru held out his bloodied hands. Young as this one was he was wary of offering it a bloody anything, but it should know his scent-

Its lips peeled back and Haru started, weaving a song to pry the water from the beast if necessary. Instead it craned its neck, as wary of him as he was of it, lipping at his hands reluctantly. With a snort it skittered back suddenly, legs flying in directions Haru was very certain they shouldn't be able to go, muscles bunching in preparation for a frantic flight as its unsheathed claws skittered on the stone. It bolted before he could even draw breath to murmur empty, soothing words of reassurance, vanished back into the safety of the depths.

Haru's gut churned; the kelpie hadn't been so wary of him last time. In fact he had carried a very pretty scar just below his left ribs that had lasted for a little over half a century. A lucky thing it and its siblings had been only infants then or he might have died. Short of the centuries that had passed him by, Haru could think of only one thing that had changed since their last encounter and that was his blood bond with Mako.

Mako. He didn't have the time to dissect that thought, so once again Haru forced it to the very back of his mind and pressed on until at last the rock beneath his feet turned to water and silt once more.

Here.

The cavern opened up before him, ceiling so far above even Haru's keen eyes could not see it. The pewter gray rock was ivory here, disconcertingly similar to bleached bones; he had wondered a time or two in the past if that might not actually be the case. The sand too had changed, coarse and unforgiving beneath his feet, pinks and grays catching what frail light the phosphorescent water offered and magnifying it. Haru tried not to see the ripples in the sand, the peculiar shifting and twitching that looked like a living, breathing beast.

The air was frigid, raising goosebumps on his skin once more; Sou had advised him not to linger here the first time he had brought him. A man could have frozen to death before he realized he was cold, and while the fae were more resilient, the temperature was punishing even to him. Distantly Haru noted that the water was slow to respond to his call, sluggish and and resistant; his magic was chilled by the gathering cold. He set off at a lope, ignoring the pain stinging the soles of his feet that felt more like fire licking at his heels than stone. Pain was the cheapest price one paid to find this place.

Too soon the frail light was lost and Haru was forced to slow down, hands groping before him, lips twisting with distaste whenever they found slime or insects. He didn't think he could ever scrub away the feel of beetles racing up his arm or the sticky sap that resisted his every effort to wash it away with sand or water. Even Sousuke rarely came here and the place had not benefited any from his benign neglect. More than once he tumbled over steep drop-offs, wrenching ankles and knees in unexpected holes or catching hands on strings that felt like roots but that cut him deeper than even the finest of knives.

It craved his magic more than anything, that second life source the fae took for granted, but it contented itself with his blood and sweat. The third time he felt one of the wicked tendrils clamp about his foot to yank him into the dirt, already stained with flecks of his blood, he finally gave in and drew his glamor about him. Normally there was nothing simple in shaping a glamor, blunting his claws and teeth, dimming his eyes and hiding the preternatural beauty that had always drawn human hunters to his kind. It was shockingly easy now, smothering him like a thick blanket as though it had only been waiting for his summons.

The world cleared before his eyes, dim light creeping back into the scene, the sand no longer burning him and his cuts healing as though they had never been. If Haru was not precisely welcome then at least he was no longer so actively despised. He drew himself back up to his feet, striding with purpose toward a gleaming white rune on the wall. This damned whateverthehell it was had been leading him circles, pricking and stinging until at last it had tasted his magic. His glamor felt slimy and tainted for having been forced on him. Haru hated this place, but it was still being far gentler with him now than it had ever been in the past.

Fire purifies. A tremor wracked his body at the words, as though Mako himself had whispered them in his unsuspecting ear. There was nothing a dragon's fire could not melt, nothing it could not cleanse. Haru sensed that whatever guarding spirit Sou had set upon this place knew that, and rightly feared it. Not that Mako would ever so much as find his bones if he vanished here, but his pelt was close and if the water was slow to respond then at least he could still sense it.

He was not defenseless, and with his pelt once more in hand this place would no longer trouble him.

The rune began to glow at his approach, inviting him to touch. Haru had been young enough to accept the invitation the first time, but with experience came wisdom. It had taken him the better part of a day to find his way out of the labyrinth it had trapped him in. This time he waited patiently, as Sou had laughingly taught him to do once he had clawed his way up from the deep all those years ago, ragged, panting and still jumpy after something had licked his back.

Haru's skin twitched violently at the memory. Sou didn't keep the Minotaur, but whatever it was down there had clearly enjoyed selkie meat because Haru had barely evaded its fangs as he scrambled for the faint light that marked an exit. The maze had been arid and dry, the perfect hell for a creature of water who couldn't sense his element anywhere near. Haru had wondered at the time if that particular trap had been devised for those that touched the rune or the creature kept there. Sou hadn't given him any clues, and Haru didn't like to dwell on the question much either.

He hadn't been waiting long when a strand of violet slid down the wall like a raindrop on glass, dripping into the sand to light a slender path. It led into the stone wall on his right, but Haru didn't hesitate to follow. Each rune bore its own meaning, each lit its own path and knew the way to the object Sou had keyed it to. Haru wasn't surprised in the least when the stone gave before him like a mirage evaporating in the desert. Behind him, the makeshift path faded as though it had never been. He could have found his pelt on his own from here, memory alone to guide him, but sometimes the path changed and Haru was wary of outstripping his guide. Sousuke had always favored nonviolent means of dealing with intruders, but for the fae it was possible to be lost forever; Sousuke certainly didn't bother looking for the fools that ignored his safeguards.

It didn't take long for him to finally find the chamber where he had consigned his pelt. The air's temperature dipped even further until even drawing breath pricked his throat and chilled his lungs. Haru clenched his teeth shut against their chattering and made his way to the edge of the iced pool at the chamber's center. There beneath the ice in the very center of the pool he spotted it. White gold, dove gray and gossamer-thin, it twirled madly beneath its glass cage, trying in vain to reach its master. He strode across the surface, wincing as his skin caught on it. He gathered the strands of his magic and willed the water to release him so that his skin would not tear.

The ice creaked and groaned, resisting him. Sousuke was master here, and Haru's interference only barely tolerated. It remembered him though, and gradually the ice that contained his pelt began to thaw. Of all the horrors Sousuke kept, all the traps and blinds, this was the easiest and yet worst part of the reclaiming. He could not take without first giving back, and with his precious coins spent upon the keeper, the only thing of value left was his name.

Haru knelt there above his pelt, barely hesitating before he began sketching upon the ice, releasing the glamor just enough that his claws could etch his name there. The guardians tasted his name, that was the only word for it. They weighed its syllables, pried into its secrets and all he had ever been, all the paths to whom he could become that even the most gifted of seers would not have glimpsed. It wasn't a pleasant feeling- like being bumped and jostled on a busy street, tossed around like a leaf on the breeze or stranger's hands rooting through his possessions, casting away what they didn't care for.

It was no easier the second time than the first, but finally his name was his own again- cast back at him like so much refuse. He had no way of knowing what had been taken from him; it was a kindness in a way that even the memory of it was gone, but for the fae memory was a precious thing. Unlike the body it didn't last forever. Whatever had been taken could not be returned so easily as a sip of water- it simply wasn't there anymore, and the place where it had been already felt like a tender scar. He didn't pluck at it like he had the first time, gaze fixed on his pelt as every last vestige of his old power began to seep back into him again, bringing with it a hectic joy more intoxicating than even Sousuke's most carefully brewed sake.

In his moment of inattention the pelt freed itself at last, clasping him tight as a mother's embrace- Haruka didn't bother stemming the tears of commingled relief and regret that slid down his cheeks. It had been too long since he had felt this, and he was no longer sure it had been worth all those centuries of being separated merely to protect a soul he had still chosen to bargain away. Especially since Mako could so easily stretch out his hand and never let him feel it again. If he'd had any lingering thoughts about abandoning his pelt to Mako's keeping without the safeguard of a bond, that dispelled it. With Mako's fire in Rin's veins and Haru's pelt in his keeping, it wouldn't take much for Rin to bind them.

Makoto could hold his soul as long as he liked, but Haruka had no intention of meekly surrendering it.

!

!

Irrepressible as ever, Rin had only managed to entertain himself for twenty minutes or so before the novelty of gawking like a hayseed at a fallen god had worn off. It had been an hour since Haru had submerged himself beneath the lake and he could only occupy himself so long nervously drumming his fingers and eagerly watching the surface for any ripples of movement. How long could selkies go without breathing anyway? Haru had to be reaching his limit down there.

Keeping a wary eye on Sousuke, who appeared to be sleeping though Rin could feel the man's- god's- eyes watching him wherever he went, he picked around the cavern for something to do. Haru had trusted Sou enough to leave his pelt here, and that was all the assurance Rin needed that this place at least was safe.

"Is any of this real?" His voice didn't echo, that was the first thing he had second was the scent of brine though the lake itself seemed to be fresh water and he could find no source for it.

Sousuke stirred, twisting to dig his elbows into the soft sand and propping his chin on his hands. "All of it." He glanced up at the moon, eyes tracing a constellation in the stars before amending his words: "As real as I can make it."

Rin was used to the half-answers; he didn't press. Instead he made his way to one of the twisted, stunted trees that dotted the sand here and there to run his fingers over the jagged leaves. They were soft, but his fingers pricked with uncomfortable sensation wherever they touched. "What are these?"

"Some of my earlier attempts." Sou nodded to the huge trees whose canopies cast shade where none was needed, blocking only the moonlight."Imperfect I know, but I couldn't bring myself to get rid of them."

"No, I guess not." Rin agreed absentmindedly. Absorbed in his study, he didn't notice when Sousuke levered himself to his feet, dusting the sand from his skin and already spotless robe before making his way over to crouch next to Rin.

"What is it about them that interests you?" He cocked his head, eyes roaming over Rin's face as though to commit every feature to memory.

"I'm not an earth elemental, but even I can see none of these should be able to grow in this." Rin lifted a handful of the black sand, sifting it through his fingers. "I can feel fire in it."

Sousuke watched the sand sift through his fingers, seemingly enraptured by the gesture. "It's volcanic. You're wrong though, the trees grow like weeds. Everything does. The sand is good for it."

He watched Rin paw through the sand a few seconds longer before reaching out to run tentative fingertips through it himself, like a child only just learning how to explore the world around him. Rin watched from the corner of his eye, feeling a prick of fondness despite himself. Sousuke had centuries more experience to draw upon, and if this garden was any indication then his skills had not gone to waste during his exile. Yet he watched everything with a sort of wide-eyed inquisitiveness Rin would never have expected of a god, mimicking Rin's motions as though he could make sense of them by repetition alone.

Nothing was ever as it seemed in the Elsewhere, Haruka had cautioned him; it was a place for the desperate and abandoned. Even abandoned deities, apparently. This man was the farthest thing from a god Rin's mind would have conjured.

"I thought everything here was true to its nature." Rin began again, tracing his name in the sand with a fingertip. "If I can feel fire-"

"You haven't dabbled much with earth, have you?" Sousuke's sincerely questioning tone drew the sting from his words. "I hadn't either until I came here." The last words came on a sigh laden with unspoken melancholy. "I've had plenty of time to practice since then."

"Did you come or were you sent?" Sousuke didn't answer, and sensing the shift in his mood Rin chose not to pursue it. He stood and stretched, blinking up at the sky as he tilted his head all the way back to crack his neck. His eyes tracked a shooting star, marveling at the detail of the sky above them. "How many stars are there?"

"So many questions." Sou murmured almost thoughtfully, no annoyance in his tone. "Millions. As many as I have ever seen."

"Do you recreate them every night?"

That startled a laugh out of his host at least, warm and rich if short. Rin started to smile, but Sousuke's words wiped it from his face before it had a chance to truly begin: "It's always night here. This is my home."

Rin noticed the strange emphasis on the words, but thinking back to that telling sigh he chose not to ask the question that first came to mind. Little good it did him, apparently his host could read his face as easily as a book.

"Do you think it is a strange that a god of the moon, the purest water elemental, cannot summon flame?" His tone was encouraging, like a tutor prompting a reluctant student to all the right conclusions. "Water is mine, even earth if I am careful." The twist of his features suggested he had not always been, "But fire is beyond me. Even if I could, I can't remember what it feels like any more." He glanced down at his arm, the constellation of freckles there and the myriad beneath hinting that had not always been the case. Moon god he might have been, but it was obvious Sousuke had once loved the sun.

Rin drew a breath, releasing it forcefully as he called fire to the palm of his hand. Nothing too grand, just a flickering blaze even the youngest of novices might have called. Sousuke's gaze flew to his hand with naked shock, forgetting himself enough that his mouth opened on a gasp of surprise. Rin smiled widely, "I can't bring the sun here or anything, but if you want fire-"

"Yes." Sousuke hurried to his side, almost forgetting himself enough to touch the flame. "Please, yes."

Rin started, his turn to be shocked. Gods didn't say 'please', as far as he knew they didn't even have a word for the concept, but Sousuke's longing was obvious. He at least understood the word and all its permutations; Rin thought he might even have been willing to beg. The thought wrenched at his heart in a profoundly unpleasant way, sympathy and pity mixing in equal measure.

"Just show me where."

Hardly daring to take his eyes from the flame lest it be extinguished, Sousuke cast about, leading Rin a merry chase about the lake shore and back into the corridors beyond. They were hewn naturally into the stone, veins of different minerals striping the walls in dark scarlets, emeralds and blues. Rin followed dutifully, charmed at his host's enthusiasm. Fire elementals were not so rare beyond the Elsewhere; other fae took them for granted, and Humans all too frequently feared them. Sousuke however, seemed delighted with his skill with not a shred of nervousness to taint it.

Doubtless it helped that his water could have doused the fire in under a second, but even that thought hadn't occurred to Rin until much later.

They stopped at last in a small, intimate room lit by moonstones embedded strategically in the wall and ceiling, mirrors tilted at just such an angle to catch the light and reflect it back.

"Here." Sousuke breathed, hardly daring to disturb the eerie calm of the scene. Rin balked at the thought of leaving his crude fire here; it would chase away the shadows that lurked in the corners, banish the silvery light with gold and bronze, mirrors reflecting the bright blaze instead. Yet this was Sousuke's home, and he was watching Rin with such breathless eagerness the elemental could do nothing but honor the request.

There was even a pit carved into the rock at the center of the room- much like the pits he had seen at the inn only without the scoring and ash of living flame. This pit was pristine, only awaiting its fire to be complete. Feeling a little playful, Rin made a show of calling his fire to it, a cascading flame of white and blue that blinded both of them with its brilliance, Sou's laughter high and reckless beyond him. It settled at last into a roaring blaze of reds and oranges, white only at its base.

With the room lit at last Rin dared a glance around, breath hissing out between his teeth in a whistle as he caught sight of the scrolls tucked neatly into canisters arranged on the wall in no order that he could make of them. A lectern stood before them of finely burnished wood, another brightly illustrated scroll splayed across it, catching the light to reflect the gold of its gilded illustrations.

"A library?" No, too small for that, and what use would a god have for a library? Couldn't they simply see and know everything?

"No, only a collection." Sousuke murmured fondly. "These lost tales find their way to me sometimes, but I don't find so many that I can bear to be parted from them. It's the first time in lifetimes that I've seen them in this light though." He stepped forward to trace the golden lines, fingers lingering on characters probably only ever half seen since his exile. "I wonder if I can still make sense of them."

He turned to glance back at Rin, and the light in his eyes was every bit as warm and welcoming as the fire Rin had conjured. "I am grateful, Rin."

"No problem." If his throat was a little dry it was probably because he had just summoned pure fire, and if his skin felt like it had been scorched, well it was a damn big fire and no one was going to call him on it anyway. But it was a bit of a problem. If he had thought Sousuke looked ethereally pretty beneath the moonlight, it was nothing compared to this:

The firelight picked up amber and bronze accents in his skin that the moon had all but bleached from him. The smattering of dark freckles on his skin were complimented by lighter shades, like a painter's careless brush had scattered them all over. There was healthy color in his cheeks, and gods all help him but Rin could see shadows teasing the shape of his muscled forearm as Sousuke casually pulled down another scroll. It was a sin against nature that this being should be confined to the Elsewhere, a tragedy that he hadn't seen the sun in so long.

"Ah, Haru has found his pelt." Sousuke sighed, worlds of disappointment in the sound. "He's eager to leave. We should go back."

Rin swallowed to wet his throat, licked his lips out of sheer habit before he nodded. He didn't trust himself to speak, still caught up in a study of Sousuke's hair, no longer simply brown but every possible shade of it in every strand. As Sousuke slipped by him he reached out to card gentle fingers through Rin's own locks, "This light suits you better, I think."

Rin nodded dumbly, only half hearing. He followed Sousuke from the room, no longer so wary of the Elsewhere or its denizens but every bit as eager to be gone as his friend.

Haruka was waiting for them when they found the lake at last. Somehow the way back had not been so straightforward as the trek in; several times Sousuke had slipped down hallways Rin was very sure hadn't been there before, but he didn't offer an explanation and Rin didn't ask. Haru practically flew to him, feet hardly seeming to touch the ground as he raced from the lake and across the sand to Rin's side. He eyed Sousuke sideways, almost worried as he took in the cast of Rin's face.

"Where were you?"

"I-"

"Rest easy, Haru. I never intended to keep him."

Rin snorted, but Haru took the words at face value, searching Sousuke's face until he found something there that satisfied him.

"Though it's been so long since I've had company-"

"I know. I ran into one of your companions on the way down." Haru interrupted sourly, "It was… different."

"Likely because you reek of dragon." Sousuke's nose wrinkled with distaste. "What sort of company are you keeping, Haruka?"

Rin hardly noticed the tense silence, too preoccupied with taking in the sight of Haru.

He was changed, and it went beyond the obvious gray and bronze markings that trailed down his neck and shoulders to twine lovingly about his arms and across his chest. It wasn't the way his eyes sparked with a new shade of playful green that only served to accentuate the normally dark blue- like seaweed beneath ocean waves, Rin thought idly- or the way he held himself, infinitely more comfortable in his own skin than Rin had ever seen before. Haru had changed from the inside out, but it was nothing Rin could put his finger on. Nothing uncomfortable or untrustworthy; he was still Haru, but only now was Rin starting to see that the selkie he had known had always been fatigued, always bent beneath an invisible weight. It was more than a little startling. For years now Haru had been a member of the council, one of the most powerful representatives of his kind. Obviously he hadn't even been scratching the surface.

"Rin?"

Haruka's voice was subdued, but it echoed loud as a thunderclap in the quiet. Rin leapt to attention. "Guess we should get going. Wouldn't want to be late for anything."

Haru's eyes flicked from him to Sousuke, back again. "Right." His hand clenched about his forearm protectively, tracing the markings with absentminded affection.

Rin tried not to see the furrow between his brows that was as much pain as weariness. For Haru's sake, he tried not to hate the fire Mako had given him, as much a part of him now as his own skin.

"Right." Haru repeated a second time, straightening his shoulders to dip his head respectfully to Sou. Rin tried not to wince when one of Haru's hands clamped about his shoulder, guiding him to the water's edge with enough thoughtless command in the gesture that Rin was tempted to dig his heels in.

Which he promptly did when he realized Haru was taking him in the water. "Haru, no. I can't. I just fucking woke up and the water-"

"I'm here. You're fine."

"Wait just a damn second." Rin growled.

Miracle of miracles, Haru actually stopped. None too soon either; the water was lapping at Rin's toes and it would be a century at least before he ever wanted to feel that again. Not so long ago he had nearly drowned himself in his best friend's element and now that same friend was going to lead him into the lion's den without an explanation? Not a chance.

"The exit. Is that. Way." Rin gritted out, tossing his head toward the way they had come.

"This will be faster."

"This will be wetter." Rin snapped, eying the lake distrustfully. Haru had been down there too long for his liking; he couldn't possibly hold his breath that long.

"It's safer." Haru countered. "Especially now that I have my pelt. It'll only be a moment, I promise."

"He could always stay if he preferred."

Rin nearly leapt out of his own skin at Sousuke's surprisingly close voice. He whirled, hissing his displeasure as he took that crucial step backward into the water. His skin crawled at the sensation, but the heavy weight of fear in his gut dissipated slightly. The lap of water on his ankle was not as revolting as he had thought it would be.

"You're not funny." He said flatly, but Sousuke wasn't exactly smiling either.

"How long is a moment? Are we talking seconds or minutes?"

"Less than a minute." Haru assured him, twitching spasmodically. He wanted out of here, that much was obvious, and it was just as obvious that Sousuke didn't want to bid his farewells yet either.

"If you're lying to me-"

"Don't finish that thought." Haru cut in firmly, eyes flashing with annoyance. "You're insulting me."

"Sorry." Rin murmured, taking another cautious step. "You sure there's a way out here?"

"Always." Sousuke spoke again, a suggestive tendril of some unidentifiable emotion seeping into the word. "Deep water can always bring you here, but it will only take you home if you already know the way."

Rin laughed mirthlessly, "Can any of you give me a straight answer for once?"

"If we leave now, we'll be in the enclave in less than a minute. Can I say it any plainer?"

Rin drew a deep breath; before he could do more Haru yanked him down into the deep.

Coughing and sputtering, Rin didn't resist when Haru tugged him from the lake, running shaking fingers through his hair.

"Fast enough?" Haru didn't bother stifling his teasing grin, not deterred in the slightest by Rin's glower.

"Fast enough, asshole. A little more warning would have been nice."

"I didn't want you overthinking it." Haru helped him to his feet, practically dancing on his toes with excitement. Rin couldn't find it in himself to stay peeved, not when Haru was so obviously on top of the world with his soul laid bare for all the world to see.

"Because overthinking is what I'm known for." Rin chuckled wryly, surprised that he even had it in him. When Haru had said it would take less than a minute Rin had assumed he meant something like fifty-nine seconds, not a blink and a breath. Not that he was complaining; Rin had the feeling it would be years before he dared deep water again, though privately he could admit that with Haru at his side the journey hadn't been as nerve-wracking as it could have been.

He shook himself off like a dog after a bath, ignoring Haru's delighted laughter as he was speckled by flying droplets. The lake they had surfaced in looked much like any other at first glance, but the dark patch in the center… Rin looked away before it had a chance to sink in. Sousuke had claimed deep water was a doorway to his domain, but much as Rin had pitied him, much as he had enjoyed the god's unguarded reactions, he wouldn't be setting foot there again any time soon. Not through the water or the gate.

Down to business. With pelt in hand and hides safely intact despite their close brush with that other world, there was still the matter of a binding to attend to. "You're still going through with this, right?"

The words were hushed, but they fell heavy as a ton of bricks between them. Haru's enthusiasm visibly dimmed at the reminder. "Y'know, Sousuke would probably let you-"

"Forsake my debt?" Haru shook his head, "No. And I wouldn't ask it of him either. We're going to Mako."

Rin glanced down at his sopping clothes, huffing with resignation. "We can change first, right?"

Haru didn't even dignify his question with an answer. From too many years of prior experience, Rin knew that was a resounding No.

!

!

5:07

Makoto hated that clock. Hated the sickly green glow of the display, the seconds counting down in the corner that he absolutely refused to look at, the screen still clinging to the plastic because Rei wouldn't let him smudge it with his fingertips. Mostly though, he hated the time. After being dragged out of his bed at an unheard of hour of the morning, poring over documents Rei had slyly insinuated into his roster every time it looked like he might try to cut and run early, attending all the meetings he had been putting off for several days…

After all that Haru hadn't been waiting for him by day's end seven minutes ago. Not that he expected Haruka to break the terms of their deal, and in his euphoria he had foolishly forgotten to set a definitive time that Haru could seek him out, but a man could hope. Had hoped and was bitterly disappointed.

Unlike Rei whose face had lit up like a summer morning when he spotted Nagisa sprawled across the pristine couch in the waiting room, tie dangling from his right hand and button-down shirt charmingly ruffled. Mako tried not to be begrudge them their obvious contentment. His turn would come; hopefully sooner rather than later. Until then he tried to tune out Nagisa's idle chatter. Until the conversation inevitably turned to him, of course.

"What's eating you?" Nagisa uncurled enough to rest his head on the armrest, reluctantly wrenching his eyes away from Rei where he sat bent over a keyboard, finishing off the last of his work. Mako felt a tiny prick of remorse; had he been more involved in his work rather than dwelling on Haruka, Rei could have been on his way home by now. Yet as per usual he stoutly refused to leave the office until all the day's tasks were complete.

"Nothing." Makoto tried for a neutral tone, but there was a rumble beneath his words that gave them the lie.

Nagisa's gaze brightened with interest, sensing all the secrets he shouldn't. "Doesn't have anything to do with Rin, does it? I heard there was some sort of scuffle." Nagisa paused suggestively before delivering the final blow. "And that Haruka was involved. Which I figure means you're involved too."

"Where do you hear all these things?" Rei tsked so that Mako didn't have to.

"Inter-species advocate, remember?" Nagisa tapped the pin on his lapel, smirking proudly. "I was with a client today when Gou came in. She was distressed." His lips curled at the memory. As a demon- an incubus, Rei had smugly corrected him once without even a hint of a blush- Nagisa was always vulnerable to emotions. The stronger the emotion, the more of an impression they left. Makoto gathered fear left a particularly bitter aftertaste.

Even Rei paused in his work, glancing at Mako over the top of his glasses. Two instincts warred inside him: the first to hoard his secrets, the second to show off his treasure. The latter won by a landslide.

"Haru and I had a mutual interest. We've made an arrangement." He said carefully, hating the way the words sounded on his tongue, but there was only so much he was willing to share. Haruka had willingly given his soul into Mako's keeping, and Mako would not for all the world jeopardize it. Neither was he about to admit to striking a bargain; not until it was completely struck.

"That's not intriguing at all." Nagisa arched a golden brow, sharing a look with Rei that spoke volumes. Makoto wondered how many decades it had taken for them to perfect that wordless communication. "Is it a sexy arrangement?"

There. That look for instance indicated that if Nagisa had been sitting closer, Rei would have stomped on his shoe.

"No." Mako nipped that line of inquiry in the bud with a single syllable, pleased to see it vexed Nagisa to no end.

"Then what's the point?" He muttered rebelliously, pretending to lose interest. Mako wasn't fooled in the slightest; Nagisa could have rivaled any dragon for acquisitiveness, particularly when it concerned rumors and secrets.

Mako glanced at the clock again. 5:20 it taunted. He rose and stretched, making a show of gathering his things as nonchalantly as possible. Perhaps Haru wasn't even expecting to find him here in his office of all places; perhaps he had chosen to quite literally beard the dragon in his den. Immeasurably cheered by the thought Mako bid a hurried goodbye to Rei, tipping Nagisa a sly smile but nary a word as he made his way out of the office with ground-eating strides, making for his home as fast as legs could carry him.