(A/N: Hehe :D Ten reviews, OMG thank you guys!
LFM: The twists will keep on coming so check regularly ^^
Celery Stalks: Thank you for noticing Baba's love reference from the game, I like stealing quotes from him occasionally :)
Derp: You can read my update just below, and congratulations for being my tenth reviewer ^^
Anyone who I've missed, who has followed or favourited, thank you to you too ^.^
Love you all, thank you for reading my story ^^
That said, on with the update :D)
Episode 7
When I wake in the morning, I'm cuddled tightly to Ota's chest, and he's breathing deeply, his pale skin slightly tinted with a light pink. He looks so peaceful lying there, you wouldn't think, to look at him now, that he'd been so close to dying yesterday, and for half the time, he didn't even know. Just one wrong move on anyone's part, myself, Ota, or even Baba, and Soryu would've taken us out from his shadowed cover. No-one would've seen, or been able to do anything about it. The proof of that was Kuboyama, and we still don't know what they did with him.
I fondly reach out and stroke his cheek, brushing a soft lock of his caramel fringe away from his eyes, and they flicker open, his golden irises fixed on me. The intensity of his stare makes me blush, and I'm about to pull away, when he grabs my wrist and pins me on the bed, chuckling softly. "Good morning Tasha." His usual teasing smile plays across his lips as he looks down at me, "Did you sleep well?" I'm stunned into silence, crimson flooding my cheeks, and seeing my vulnerability, he attacks, peppering my neck with kisses. A knock at the door makes us both look up. "If this is who I think it is…" Ota starts, before getting up, and looking me over, checking I'm suitably hidden beneath the silk sheets. He pulls the door open, and blocks it with his body, but Baba looks over his shoulder regardless.
"Morning pretty lady." He grins at me, and I return the smile without hesitation. "Good morning Baba." Ota returns from the door to settle on the bed, and it takes me a moment to realise he's shielding me from sight. Baba comes into the room, but noticeably keeps his distance. "Ota, I need to talk to you… alone." I'm expecting Ota to reply in my favour, say that anything Baba wants to say to him can be said to me. However, his face turns serious, and when he looks at me, all traces of humour have gone from his eyes. "Tasha, go and wait downstairs. If anyone tries anything, come back, but until then, stay until I tell you otherwise." This is starting to sound a lot like he thinks I'm a pet again. I sigh gently, and don't move. "Whatever it is, I can handle it." I say firmly, and Baba gently shakes his head, causing anger to flare in Ota's eyes. "Do I have to call you Koro for you to listen to me?" He addresses me in a sharp tone, "Go and wait downstairs."
A little stunned, I get up, and without looking at either of them, I make my way down into the lounge where the three men are, who usually wouldn't pay any attention to me. Eisuke looks up and smirks, but doesn't speak, and I stand in the corner, feeling awkward.
Ota's POV
"They're doing what?!" My heart sinks as Baba repeats what he just said. "Putting Tasha up for auction." His eyes are bitter, "Eisuke knows that you're the one who sent the reporters to his door. He wants a way to get to you. I guess she's the only way he knows." I scowl, "Or the only way he wants to use to show that I'm still under his control. Still, we can cancel the auction, can't we?" His eyes flicker with hope, "We can?" I nod, and smile innocently. "There's got to be a reason he didn't want me to know. Surely if I confront him with it, he'll stop the auction." Baba looks unsure, "I doubt that Eisuke will stop just because you tell him to. Besides, letting you know was as big a crime as not wearing my mask with a new auctioneer. If he knows you know, he'll know I told you. Then I'll get in trouble too." I sigh quietly, "We have to make sure she doesn't find out. If Tasha knows, she'll try to stop him, and I don't believe he'll hesitate to kill her." The words shock me as they leave my lips, but I know that it's true. "But wait…" Baba smiles, "She can't be sold if she isn't willing." I consider this fact, "Don't forget that they're not on our side any more, the rules may not apply for this auction."
Soryu appears in the doorway, ending our discussion. "Eisuke is calling a meeting, you're expected to be there." He tells us firmly, before turning and going back downstairs. We both follow, and I breathe a sigh of relief to see Tasha unharmed, for now.
Tasha's POV
I rush over to Ota and hug him tightly, and he smiles lightly, stroking my hair. "Go to my room and wait there." He tells me calmly, and when I meet his eyes, I can see past his angelic smile, there's pain in his golden irises. Instead of arguing that even though I haven't seen him for most of today, and I want to spend time with him, I simply nod, and walk past him, keeping my focus on the ground. I can't help but wonder what it is that they're keeping from me.
An hour later, Ota returns, and sinks down on the bed, and now, there's more than pain, there's despair. "What's happened Ota?" I sit at his side, and he doesn't reply, he just pulls me tightly against him. I can feel his heartbeat frantically pounding inside his chest, whatever this is, it's worse than just public demand. "Shhh…" He says quietly, "Don't ask questions." His fingers trace small circles on my back, which would usually soothe me, but now I'm concerned. "Ota please…" I beg him softly, wanting to lessen his burden. He pulls me away by my shoulders, and looks into my eyes. "Ask me one more time and I'll demote you to Koro again."
His voice is so sharp that I actually flinch. "S-sorry…" I reply quietly, still stunned by the ferocity of his tone. "I… I'll be right back. I just need to go and talk to Baba." Ota growls softly under his breath. "He won't tell you anything either!" He calls after me, but I just let the door close. I see Eisuke in the corridor, and he smirks at me. "Right on time, the auction starts soon." Then I feel a sharp pain in my skull, and I sink to the ground, my vision fading to black.
When I wake up, I can't move. There's gold in front of me, blurry gold lines. I try to reach out to touch them, and feel something pull at my wrists. I look down, and as everything comes into focus, I see that the lines are solid, and shiny. Bars, there's bars in front of me. I can't turn, my cuffs are attached to a chain which links to one of the bars at the side of me. The darkness lifts, like a curtain being swept up from the ground, and I realise that I'm in a cage. A giant birdcage, just like the one I was auctioned in when Eisuke first bought me. His words echo in my mind, and as the glaring lights of the stage blind me, it hits me. 'Right on time, the auction starts soon.' I'm being put up for auction again, that's why Ota was so upset. Couldn't he have stopped it?! I see the greasy skinned man who was at the first auction, his big teeth exposed as he grins menacingly. Up above me, a happy singsong voice sends chills down my spine.
"Shall we start the bidding?"
To be continued…