"Where did you grow up, Yao?"
"We had moved to Beijing by the time I started school, but I actually grew up in the Shandong province, in Jinan City." Yao paused. "Shortly after my mother died, I remember my father gathering me up in his arms and carrying me out of the house. We left everything exactly was it was the day she died, and as we walked away from the city… not once did we look back. Eventually we made our way to Beijing. "
"What was your mother like?"
"I remember her being very, very devout. She ate no meat, never drank, and wouldn't harm a single creature, not even the ants and cockroaches that crept into our kitchen during the summers. Her parents had been raised Buddhist as well, and sometimes they would take us on their treks to visit the local temples and pagodas. Before she took sick, she had even promised to bring me to the Four Gates."
"Four Gates?"
"One of oldest pagodas in the China, possibly in the entire world. It was built during the Sui dynasty and has a Buddha sculpture located behind each of the four gates."
Kiku was silent.
"It's directly adjacent to Nine-Tip Pine. It looks so simple from the outside, and made from plain quarry and mortar. You'd never guess it was impor—"
"I'll take you there."
Yao raised his head. "What did you say?"
"We'll go. Someday soon. I want to see it. I'll take you there-I promise."
Kiku's smoky eyes locked into Yao's golden ones, leveling at him, almost questioning. After a moment's hesitation, Yao raised his hands over his head and closed his eyes.
He was literally swooped down on. Kiku stood, holding him for a moment, and carried him bridal-style to his bed. As he walked, the folds of the spare kimono draped around Yao's body came undone, and Yao buried his face in Kiku's chest as his bare sex pressed against the buckle of Kiku's belt.
Kiku claimed his mouth deeply as he lay Yao down on the bed, the robes spreading around Yao's nude body. "Please," Yao begged.
Kiku's fingers brushed against Yao's sensitive skin; Yao pleaded him to touch harder, his hands holding the Japanese man's face as Kiku pulled him forwards and entered him roughly. Kiku's mouth was everywhere, nibbling on his neck, whispering in Yao's ear, sucking on a nipple. Yao arched back, Kiku's strength supporting him, his arms moving the Chinese's body on him, until Yao cried out. His slender body shook with the force of the climax, and Kiku held him tightly, moving himself inside Yao as he released, the Chinese boy's hands reaching out for him. Kiku's mouth came down on him again, alternating between tender and cruel, finally ending on a soft kiss.
Yao fell back limp in Kiku's arms. Kiku let him lean back, never stopping his movements inside the Chinese boy as Yao draped back over one strong arm. Yao's eyes opened to see Kiku staring back at him; he watched as those smoky eyes darkened, until Kiku arched up hard and filled him. Yao reached up quickly, pulling Kiku down on him, holding him tight as the Japanese's body trembled. Yao heard a soft cry, and realized it was Kiku. He held him as Kiku released, giving everything he had, until he was finished. They lay back and Kiku wrapped him in his arms.
Kiku slept. A deep sleep that held him with its dreams of feather-soft caresses, warm lips, dark golden eyes. He floated in his dreams, unaware of Yao rising up, and casting a watchful gaze over his sleeping form.
"All good things come to an end," Yao whispered softly, stroking Kiku's dark locks. "I suppose… this must be the end."
The trial was brutal, and merciful in that it was over quickly.
"Look at this boy," Alfred said angrily, pointing across the room from the stand. "He is young and he is beautiful, but he is a monster. Take him to the holding cell and keep security on him at all times!"
Despite his words, Alfred was the one who roughly escorted Yao to the cell. When they were out of ear- and eye-shot, in front of the prison door, Alfred turned to Yao and placed one hand gently on the Chinese boy's face. Yao's eyes bulged in shock.
"Take that out," Alfred instructed, pointing with his other hand.
Blinking, Yao removed the tie from his ponytail, which had been tightly pulled back.
Alfred smiled, a melancholy smile. "I have always wondered what it would look like, if it were allowed to fall free."
Yao did not return the smile. Instead, he gazed blandly upwards, at the clear blue of Alfred's eyes, as if trying to blur him out from his line of vision. Alfred said, brusquely, "It's not too late. There is still time. We can still completely clear your sentence, if you would only relinquish where your Resistance family is holed up."
Yao was silent.
Alfred cocked his head. "They're everything to you, aren't they?"
"Who?" Yao replied immediately. Alfred nearly flinched at the frigid who. As a high-ranking Federation officer, Alfred was hated by many, and it had never bothered him before. But he knew now, more than any other thing, he wanted this boy to trust him. As he trusted the Resistance, as he appeared to feel towards Arthur. While they were standing barely inches apart, Alfred could practically feel their closeness slipping away.
"Why are you doing this?" Yao said, motioning towards Alfred's hand on his cheek.
But the American didn't understand. "A good question," he said. "I would have wanted you to come over to our side. Arthur would have wanted it."
"That is impossible."
"I admit, it is disappointing. Using Kiku, and now Arthur-I hadn't expected to put up with all this fuss." He straightened his shoulders and removed his hand from Yao's cheek. "I suppose," he said, now looking Yao coldly in the eyes, "you might just be what you seem to be."
"What do I seem to be?" Yao asked.
The American man paused before answering.
"Beautiful," he finally said, and there were tremors of regret in his voice. He turned away, directing Yao into the cell; locked the door securely, and left the room.