A/N: I'm really sorry for delaying this! I mean... it's been stuck with me for a month now, but unfortunately I wasn't able to proof it immediately. I haven't proofed it to perfection as well so... please bear with typos and all if there are any... Also for those who are waiting for the action, I'm really trying to inject more of it... but we'll still have to see if it works. :D


Chapter 5.

It only took a few echoes of dewdrop from outside the windows to rouse Ivan to full consciousness. Darkness greeted him as he opened his eyes, silence continued to fill his ears with only a few sounds to disrupt every now and then. There was not a single light, the Russian's surroundings was pitch-black. But honestly, he did not mind. Somehow, the silence felt peaceful, and the darkness felt like a blanket around him... What he did mind though, was that he was awake for too long and after a while, minutes or hours, whichever, he already hated the fact that he was alone and he could not do anything. True, his wound was not painful anymore, but Ivan knew that one wrong movement of his body might make it bleed. And that was why he could not move. Not that the injury was fatal, but the bullet did pass through him, and even though moving would not hurt, bleeding to death was still dangerous, and messy. Ivan knew that if he would want to finish what he came here for, he had to avoid just that.

Thankfully, the Russian's agony was put to an end as the door opened, and closed, and the lights were turned on and he saw the prince standing a few steps away. He was able to watch as Yao's face showed struggle as he tried to keep his movements silent before the expression turned shocked at seeing him awake, before it changed again, lastly to apologetic. Ivan could not keep himself from laughing, but he made sure to laugh softly so there would not be any pressure on his chest. "Good morning, Yao," he greeted.

"Good morning," the prince greeted back before pacing to the bed. "I'm sorry. Did I wake you up?"

"Have been awake for hours now, to be honest," Ivan said with a casual smile. Somehow despite everything, there was this feeling inside him, feeling that made him smile like that, of lightness or glee or something similar and obviously something he should not be feeling. He realized he has felt this since he woke up, but he only managed to notice now. But what was the reason, he did not know yet.

"Hmm," Yao hummed, disrupting Ivan's thoughts. "Can you move?"

"Of course I can," Ivan answered. "I just choose not to because I fear I might bleed to death if I will not be careful."

The prince nodded at that. "I can assist you if you let me," he said.

"You do not have to," was Ivan's answer, though. "I honestly do not need assistance... And besides, it is not a prince's duty to do that, right?"

But the prince scowled, and Ivan thought it was even cuter than the last time. By now, he had to wonder if protesting and getting away with what he wanted was the prince's specialty. It seemed impossible to say no to him anymore, whatever he'll say next, only because of that cute scowl on his face. "If I want to do things on my own then I'd do them on my own."

"So you want to 'assist' me?" Ivan said instead, then.

"Why not?"

Yao immediately walked even closer to Ivan after that. He offered a hand, and Ivan took it, slowly, but without hesitance. Yao helped him out of the bed, careful and mindful of the sensitive injury, and walked him to the bathroom a door away to the right, after Ivan told him he wanted to take a shower immediately. They both entered, and Yao helped Ivan remove the bandages. The easy expression on the prince's face immediately faded as he saw the wound, though. It wasn't big, it wasn't ugly, it wasn't even fatal, but he knew it was his fault.

"I feel guilty all over again," he muttered. He thought that if he didn't, his heart would explode.

"I ended that topic yesterday," Ivan said with a reassuring smile, and an insistent tone that meant to make sure the prince will already stop torturing himself for it. But the Russian had to pause for a second to think. Why did it feel wrong to upset the prince? And strangely, why would his chest constrict painfully every time he was reminded that he was here to kill the prince, not to befriend him? He knew, the closer he'd become with the prince, the easier it would be to end this mission... but it was also tougher to accomplish, and he was also now more uncertain if he really should keep on with this matter.

"Yao," he voiced mainly so to snap himself out of his own thoughts.

"What is it?" was the prince's reply.

"Thank you for helping me, but I can move on my own from here," Ivan said, somehow making the prince's face turn pinkish. It was cute, especially because he knew what really caused that reaction.

"Call me if you need anything then," Yao said before pacing to the door, and then stopped and turned as he remembered something. "I forgot to hand you your clothes. Please wait a moment before you take a bath, yes?" And then he hurriedly left, and returned just as fast, already with the clothes he had mentioned. Ivan took them when they were handed to him, and inspected them curiously. The white pants and black shirt seemed to fit him well, but of course he would not really know without trying them on. But that would be after he takes that shower he's been wanting.

"Thank you," he said, earning a nod and a beautiful smile before the prince left. He stood there for a few seconds before he realized he had to remind himself that he should stop being amused and charmed by the prince all the time. But to be honest, he did not know how to stop. So settling with those thoughts, he shook his head, as if that could make him forget, and finally took a shower.

After everything, Ivan wore the clothes given to him, except the shirt. He'd have to patch his injury up first, for safety, before putting it on. Unfortunately the bathroom seemed to be lacking what he needed so he had to go out to the bedroom to search. Thankfully, Yao was still there, standing against a wall.

"Need anything else?" Yao asked with a smile the moment he saw Ivan. Ivan smiled back sheepishly.

"I need some bandages," he said. "I was just going to look for some."

"Oh there's no need," Yao told him before pacing towards a cabinet in a corner and showed Ivan that the bandages, and other medical materials, were there. "Let me help you."

"I will honestly be more confident if your doctor would be the one to 'help' me," Ivan could not help but say with an amused laugh. As a result, he earned yet another scowl from the prince.

"What does that suppose to mean?"

"It does not mean anything," Ivan said. "But... would you know how to do it?"

"Of course I'd know," Yao answered as he took a container full of cotton balls, a bottle of antiseptic, some gauze and sticking plasters, a roll of clean bandages, and of course a few bandage clips. "Sit on the bed and just let me."

Ivan only nodded and obediently did what he was told.

Yao followed suit with all the materials from the cabinet. He placed those materials on the bedside table before taking a single cotton ball and putting a few drops of antiseptic on it. "Let me clean your wound first?"

Ivan only sighed and nodded. He knew for one thing that he didn't have a choice anyway.

So Yao cleaned Ivan's injury as they both let the silence fill in. To Ivan, the silence was both comforting and unbearable, unfortunately. It made him feel so confused and suffocated, especially because Yao was so near, just a few inches away and was even closer than 'in reach'. But that was also the very reason why half of him felt so peaceful. And so as he realized this, he had to make sure Yao would not notice his raising pulse against his hands— but that seemed impossible. The injury was very close to his heart, and the heartbeats were just too powerful to take no notice of.

"Is something wrong?" Yao asked. The prince refused to look at Ivan, only focusing on cleaning the wound on the latter's chest slowly and carefully. After that he went behind the Russian to clean the other end of the injury there.

"Nothing," Ivan only mumbled to answer before he attempted to lessen the force of his raging heartbeats by breathing in deeply. He sensed Yao nod behind him before the prince took the gauzes and plasters to cover the bullet hole on his back, and afterwards the one on his chest. Once finished, Yao securely wrapped the bandages around his upper torso and lastly locked them using the clips.

"Done," he said with a jubilant and relieved smile as he finally eased himself on the bed. "Told you I know how to patch it up."

"Yes..." Ivan muttered. Somehow, the longer they just sat in front of each other, the stronger his pulse even raged. It was so smothering; if Ivan would not do anything soon, he knew he would black out. But what was happening in the first place?

It was as if a spark suddenly set all of Ivan afire. The fire spread through his veins quickly as he grasped what was, indeed, happening, and he could only panic inwardly as he felt something soft and warm against his own lips. He could feel Yao's discomfort as they kissed, but he also felt the way the prince relaxed more and more and just accepted what he gave. Yao's hands were safely on Ivan's chest, holding him back half-heartedly, but as they slowly fell down on the soft four-poster both also just gave in. Their lips moved slowly with one another, their hot breaths mixing in between. And for a moment, every logical reasoning just vanished.

Ivan let his left arm hold Yao's waist under him, earning a soft pleasured cry from the prince as their hips crushed. The latter's hands traveled to wrap themselves on Ivan's neck before one went to tangle itself with his silky silver hair. Another moan came out from Yao as Ivan tried to deepen their kiss by letting their tongues dance and entwine. But just before they could fall into the deep pit of desire Ivan felt himself being pushed away slowly.

"Ivan..." the prince breathed after needy puffs of air. "We... we can't."

But that only made the Russian smirk because, obviously, Yao wanted him just as much as he did. "You pushed me away not because you wanted to, right?"

The prince's flushed face pinked even more as his brows wrinkled and as he averted Ivan's gaze sheepishly. That was enough for an answer. But Yao said anyway, "My efforts with your injury might get wasted if we continue."

"True," Ivan agreed with his smirk now toned down to a smile. "Yao, please answer me with this, though... Last night... was that a kiss?"

Yao answered with another. A swift one, but he did not say anything about it. He immediately stood up and took the black shirt and handed it to Ivan. "Wear that already. Afterwards, let's have our breakfast. You haven't eaten yet." But the way he tried to evade the previous topic only made Ivan even more... wanting. Yao was beautiful, he told himself, and such beauty was something, someone, he wanted to his own. So he's decided...

After all of that, Ivan and Yao had to pass by many hallways to reach the dining room. Not much people were up, but there were a few, and each one bowed and greeted as the prince passed. There was only this one person that didn't— he simply tilted his head down a bit to acknowledge Yao, but he did not say a word or even stop or slow down with his walking. For a moment Ivan felt a dangerous atmosphere surround the man especially as their arms almost grazed. The Russian could not help but glance behind him as the man walked past them. That man did the same thing, and unexpectedly their gazes met. Both had threatening looks in their eyes.

Ivan realized that he and the prince had stopped walking, only after the dangerous-looking man disappeared. His eyes did not move, not until Yao caught his attention by asking, "What's wrong?" as if nothing happened just a while ago.

"Who was that?" Ivan asked back as he turned around and started walking with the prince again.

"You mean Mongolia?" Yao asked. "He's my brother's right-hand. Aside from that he's pure mystery. I just met him a few days ago, too... and he's a bit too scary if you ask me."

Mongolia, Ivan thought with a hum. "Why is he scary?" he asked despite somewhat knowing what the prince meant.

"His eyes are always frightening and threatening, as if he's full of want to... kill. I don't really know, I'm probably just too judgmental, but he's really suspicious. Apparently my brother is the only person he trusts... if he even trusts Kiku."

"Why 'Mongolia', if I may ask?"

"Kiku only mentioned he's from that country. But aside from that the reason behind it is out of my knowledge, if there is anything else."

Ivan only nodded as he thought about it. Surely it would be helpful if he found out who 'Mongolia' really was.

...

Ivan watched as Francis asked permission from Yao to talk privately with the former. True, at first there was the delight on the French's face at seeing them on his doorstep, but that delight faded just as fast as the concern and the need to talk in private now surfaced. Yao, of course, simply said yes and Francis pulled Ivan out of the room and into somewhere the prince won't hear them.

"That was reckless," he hissed immediately. But Ivan only shrugged and nonchalantly raised both hands as if to surrender, his easy smile never leaving his pale lips.

"You did not stop me before, did you?" Ivan asked.

"That's not the point, Ivan." Thankfully, slowly, Francis started to calm down. He exhaled heavily. "Look what's happened to you. You have a hole on your chest."

"What could I have done then, Francis?"

"You could have just let it happen."

"And let the prince die?"

"Isn't that what you're here for in the first place? To kill the prince?"

True, that was why he was here, but Ivan was decided now that that wasn't his plan anymore. The smile disappeared. And what replaced it was a glower other people wish they'd never see. And in just a flash, Francis could only stare wide-eyed as he felt the Russian's big strong hand slowly crush his throat.

"I-Ivan...?" He fought to catch his breath as the grip even tightened.

"Not another word, Francis," Ivan growled. "We both know the answer to that, but I cannot risk Yao to hear it."

There was a moment of silence, silence that made Ivan realize he has not let go of Francis yet. So he did once he remembered, and heaved a heavy sigh. "Where is Matthew?"

"I'm here," the Canadian's voice rang from the stairs two doors away just before pacing nearer. "It's good to see you up, Ivan... but you know you didn't have to shield the prince with your body in the first place."

"Do you have my communicator?" Ivan asked to change the topic immediately.

"Yes," answered Matthew. "Fortunately I was able to get it."

"And the other sniper?"

"Just another hit man," Francis replied this time, although he was still a bit choking. "Worry not. Mathieu and I took care of him. Not a trace."

And that was the end of it. Ivan refused to hear more, so immediately he went back to the sitting room just to find Yao standing alone in the center, deep in thought.

"Yao?" Ivan called, but that pretty much did not do anything. So he tried again, this time making his voice louder. "Yao." And that called the prince's attention.

"Ivan," the royalty called back as he faced him, the worry in his eyes refusing to vanish. "Are they... are they blaming... me?"

"No," Ivan answered immediately as he walked towards the other. "You're not to be blamed."

"But—"

Yao was cut off as Ivan pressed their lips together once again. Somehow he just wanted to do that, and seeing that he had to stop the prince from talking anyway he mused it was a good timing to do it now. There was no fighting back, or holding back, or pushing away, or discomfort anymore. Yao was entirely calm with the kiss and so was Ivan. But they both knew they had to make sure no one sees them so they also parted immediately.

"Please, Yao. It is frustrating to talk about it," Ivan said, referring to the sniper incident.

"Um... okay..."

Then came a loud crashing noise from downstairs. Ivan guessed it was Francis' two weird friends, and for the first time and probably the last, he was thankful that a loud Gilbert was there to make a distraction so the irritating concern would just disappear.

"We should probably check what happened."

Everyone went down to see what was up with Gilbert and Antonio. Ivan, suddenly losing interest, said his goodbye to Francis, Matthew, and the other two, and hurriedly went out of the building with the prince. He was more than thankful that was finally over.

"We should not have visited."

"Why not?" Yao asked with a calm beam formed by his lips.

Ivan did not answer. Instead he said, "You should probably go back to the palace."

Yao nodded slowly but with obvious hesitance. "I'm not going back without you, though. You will come with me, right?"

Ivan froze for a second before he let himself look at Yao. "Honestly, I was not planning to go back."

"What?" came Yao's panicked reaction.

"I think I am becoming a burden. That is all. I wanted to go back to my apartment already, too," Ivan explained. "But I guess I shall accompany you nonetheless... I do not want to see you sad."

"Oh, not that—"

Ivan pointed at his apartment, which was just on the other side of the street. "It would not be troublesome. I could go back on my own." Ivan noticed the prince's stare at the building. It was far and wondering, and curious. "What is it?"

"Will you mind if I see how it is inside?"

A pair of violet eyes widened in panic. The apartment, truth to be told, has not been touched for three days and surely all his secrets were scattered all over the place. No, the prince still cannot. "Maybe some other time, Yao. I do not think I can let you see it in its current state."

It was a serious topic but Ivan found the prince laughing, and nodding, and apparently understanding what Ivan tried to mean. "Okay," he said. "How about tomorrow then?"

"Does that mean it is okay that I do not stay in the palace anymore?"

Yao nodded. "It's okay that you don't go with me to the palace anymore as well. You should rest, at least in your apartment if you're uncomfortable in the palace. Could I drop by tomorrow?"

"I would not mind," Ivan answered.

"I shall see you tomorrow then. Please Ivan, take care of yourself."

To be continued...


Just something I want to add, my friend Wrenne (she changed her penname which was Arcane Arcana before), wrote a tie-in about Mongolia entitled, PULSE. I just want to include this here for those who are interested and those who can't find it. I won't be giving too much details about Mongolia because that's Wrenne's task. (^-^)