New characters: Gilbert (Prussia, or East Germany)


CHAPTER ELEVEN


Gilbert was a recluse, an eccentric, often called a psychopath by even those who knew him, and he knew damn well everything. Yao had first met him years and years ago. He'd introduced himself with a cocky salute and a devil's grin, offering his 'services' for whenever Yao found he had need of them. The 'services' meant selling his information for a hefty sum (at the time, Yao hadn't a coin to his name—later, he'd bought information sporadically for varying prices and found the information was detailed and exact), but it was worth it.

When asked, Matthew said nothing about how he knew Gilbert. He just averted his eyes and went a bit red.

Understandably, Lars began to get worried.

Problem with Gilbert was that you wouldn't find him unless he wanted you to find him. He was impossible to track down. There was no mailing address, no inn they could call on, nobody that they could send out to fetch him. They'd asked Arthur, but he had replied, crankily, "I used too much energy just trying to see that madman and you expect me to try and find Gilbert?"

They'd gone to an inn—Matthew refused to ask Alfred to stay in the castle—and Yao found himself in a room with Aksel, Xiang and Yong Soo. Lars still didn't trust Aksel enough to sleep in the same room with him (even while Matthew exasperatedly said Aksel hadn't even done anything to them).

Going about their respective businesses (Aksel started cleaning his axe, Yong Soo was stretched out on the bed), Yao hadn't expect Xiang to suddenly ask: "Are you a bounty hunter?"

Aksel's shoulders jerked and he turned his bright blue eyes on Yao.

Quickly, he lifted his hands, shaking his head. "No, no, I'm not a bounty hunter," Yao told him. Aksel eyed him, eventually decided he wasn't lying, and went back to cleaning his axe. "Xiang, why did you ask—"

"Were you a bounty hunter?" Xiang said, cutting him off neatly. Yao fell silent and Yong Soo looked up from the bed curiously at him. "You know a lot of people. Even if you're a merchant, to know such odd people, have some owe you favours, to know about faeries and everything else…"

Yao didn't say anything for a long time. Yong Soo sat up, resting his palms on the bed between his folded legs. "Brother?" he encouraged, blinking at him.

A sigh. "A long time ago," Yao answered.

"Gave it up?" Aksel asked, peering down at his axe and scraping something suspiciously red from chips in its blade.

"Five years ago. Don't ask why." Yong Soo slid off the edge of his bed and walked over to Yao's. The man looked up at him inquiringly but yelped when he was toppled back on the bed, a heavy, warm body on top of his own, arms wrapped around him snugly. "G-get off, Yong Soo!"

"No," Yong Soo said into his ear. His voice became quieter, "You can tell me, Yao…about whatever happened before, you know! Why you gave up being a bounty hunter. I love you, after all!" Yao swallowed—both at the use of his name and at the words. Like always, his body grew warm at the earnest, unafraid exclamation of affection.

"Off," Yao said with reluctance, pushing at Yong Soo's sturdy chest. Yong Soo reluctantly drew back but flopped onto Yao's bed with a declaration of "I'm sleeping here tonight!" Yao didn't have it in him to protest, no matter if Xiang sighed and shook his head with mock exasperation or how much Aksel snickered.


Cheep.

Yao opened his eyes slightly with a sleepy sound. Yong Soo was stretched out in a sprawl next to him, limbs thrown everywhere, his arm resting across Yao's stomach. He looked around for the noise, yawning slightly and combing his fingers through his loose hair. He felt something sitting on his chest through the blankets and looked down.

He stared at the fluffy yellow bird sitting there. It stared back, tilted its head, and let out another chirp.

"Let's have drumsticks, brother…" Yong Soo looked like he was going to start drooling in his sleep. Yao grimaced and sat up on his arms, the younger man jostled beside him, as the bird let out another cheep, ruffling its wings and straightening up. It hopped around on the blankets insistently.

"You're Gilbert's, aren't you?" Yao asked it quietly. It looked as pleased as a bird could look and chirruped, body bouncing slightly. Yao sat up, Yong Soo making a noise of complaint as his arm was knocked away from his waist. He opened up one of his brown eyes, looking up sleepily.

"What's up…?" he yawned.

"Gilbert—he's sending for me," Yao told him quietly, slipping his feet out of bed. "You stay here. Go back to sleep." Yong Soo was suddenly wide awake, tumbling out of the bed and scooping his shirt off the floor. He pulled it over his head, the sleeves flopping. "Yong Soo?"

"I'm definitely coming!" he declared. Yao made a 'shh' noise at him—not wanting to wake Xiang and Aksel—and Yong Soo clapped a hand over his mouth with an apologetic grin. The bird fluttered over to the window and wriggled out through the crack it had come in through. Yao slid his feet into his slippers and walked out of the inn room, nearly bowling into Lars, who glanced down at him and Yong Soo with quirked eyebrows.

"It came for you, too?" Matthew questioned. At the nod, he smiled a bit and indicated they should go, leading the way down the stairs and into the cold night air. Yao shivered and Yong Soo moved to wrap an arm around his shoulders, but he ducked away from it, cheeks warming.

The bird fluttered down in front of them, seemed to look them all over. Then it turned, flapping away as the four followed after it. It led them away from the inn, down a dark alley (Yong Soo kept looking around expectantly for a trap), and out into an empty plaza. It perched on the edge of the fountain—unused for many years—and sat there contentedly, puffing up its feathers for warmth.

"Nobody's here," Yong Soo said, pointing out the obvious. Yao walked over to sit on the edge of the empty fountain.

"I'm sure Gilbert will be along when he waAAAH." They all jumped at Matthew shout, Lars whipping around and instinctively reaching for his gun. He paused as he saw a pale, silver-haired man, his arm wrapped around the blond man's waist, his chin propped up on Matthew's shoulder, a shit-eating grin on his face. "Eh—Gilbert!"

"Long time no see," remarked the man casually, looking at Yao. His red eyes gleamed with amusement, teeth flashing. "I heard you've been keeping yourself busy."

"Yeah, it's hilarious to you," Yao said with a sigh. "I get it."

"Mind letting go of him?" Lars asked the man—Gilbert—whose arm was still around Matthew's waist. Lars got an insolent look, and then Gilbert grinned wolfishly.

"No, I'm good," he said. "Don't you have something to ask me?" He ignored Matthew, who had begun to wriggle in his hold, making faces and pushing at his arm. It didn't budge an inch. Lars looked irritated.

"Yeah!" Yong Soo raised his sleeves. "How'd you know?"

He got a strange look. "You sure do know how to pick them, Yao." Yao pressed his lips together and glared a little at him. "But, I know fucking everything, kid." He grinned and looped his other arm around Matthew's waist and the blond sighed, just giving up, his head hanging. "So? Gonna ask me?"

"What do you want?" Yao asked him. "I know you don't do anything for free."

"Hmmm." Gilbert looked thoughtful. Then, he shook Matthew around a little in his arms. "This will do just fine." Both Lars and Matthew made indignant noises, the former moving forward. Gilbert pulled Matthew back closer to him, grinning. "I'm kidding."

"Seriously, Gilbert." Yao eyed him apprehensively. "What is it you want?"

"All your money," said the man.

Yao stared at him. "All of it?"

"Yup."

"How about," started Matthew, yelping and stuttering briefly when Gilbert gave him a squeeze, "s-something from the royal palace, instead? You can have my royal circlet."

"A circlet? Is it pure gold?" Gilbert asked, grinning.

"Um, yes…with rubies and pearls." Matthew let out a sigh of relief when Gilbert slid his arms away from his middle, letting him free.

"That'll do," he said approvingly. "Some creep named Ivan from Talyin, right?" He grinned and leaned casually back against a wall, stretching out his legs. "I already know how you can get there, the way to his base, and how you can get in." He folded his hands behind his neck. "So, what do you want for the circlet?"

"All of it!" Yong Soo said, looking at him oddly.

"Ahahaha! I'm not that generous." Gilbert grinned enormously. Matthew and Yao sighed in unison; Lars looked thoroughly annoyed by his attitude. "You want it all, you'll have to give me more." He quirked up his eyebrows, smirking slightly.

"What do you really want, Gilbert?" Matthew asked tiredly. "I don't remember your information being this expensive."

Gilbert waggled a finger. "Hey, this is valuable information. People have been killed over it." He rotated his shoulder and eyed Matthew appraisingly. "As to what I want…"

Lars shifted forward protectively in front of Matthew. Gilbert snorted.

"Let's see," he drawled. "I want…one night." He held up a finger.

"One night?" began Yao before it dawned on him and he flushed. "O-oh." Lars growled from deep in his chest, narrowing his eyes, his mouth already forming the word 'no'.

"Hey," Gilbert said to Lars, "what're you thinking about? I haven't had one of his meals for years. So give him to me for a night—I'm gonna make him work until my place is cleaner than that fucking castle and I've had enough to eat for a year." He grinned arrogantly and Matthew groaned.

"Of course," he muttered, shaking his head.

"Deal!" Yong Soo exclaimed. Yao and Matthew made angry noises at him as Gilbert clapped his hands together.

"Great!" he said, smugly.

"Hold on a second—all of us didn't—" spluttered Lars.

"No use," Matthew said miserably. "Once someone says that, it's pretty much binding for Gilbert." He sighed loudly. "The information?" The man pushed himself off the wall, grinning. The bird had flown over, nestling down into his hair, and he placed his fists on his hips, puffing up his chest.

"I'll have it sent to you! Isn't safe to pass this shit around on the street!" Gilbert said. "I expect that circlet soon." He grinned. "I'll be in touch after you guys get back for the rest of my payment." He looked over at Matthew, who sighed. As he turned to go, he paused suddenly and looked back at Yao. "There's a man on the inside, pretending to work for Ivan but supplying me with information."

Yao looked at him with confusion. "Why are you telling me this?"

"'Cause it's Kiku. You know, your old partner." When Yao's whole body had gone taut, his eyes wide, Gilbert turned and waved a hand in farewell, disappearing into a road leading from the plaza. Lars looked after him with an expression of dislike, Matthew combing his fingers through his hair, and Yong Soo stared from the two of them to Yao slowly.


'I never thought I'd hear that name again,' thought Yao moodily as they made their way back towards the inn, the dark road empty and silent save for them. Lars and Matthew were further ahead, talking quietly with their heads close together. Yao was lost in his own thoughts and paused in surprise when warm arms looped around him from behind, a face pressing against the back of his neck.

"Yong Soo?" Yao asked softly, surprised. The arms tightened and now, he could practically feel the unhappiness radiating off the younger man.

"You had a partner?" was the muffled question. Yao nodded and the arms squeezed slightly, pulling him back against a sturdy frame. "You weren't—I mean, you didn't—" Yao's silence was inquiry enough, and Yong Soo's voice went a bit quieter. "You weren't like Lars and Matthew…right?"

Yao balked at the thought. "No! My gods, no! He was five years younger than me—I couldn't imagine—"

"I'm seven years younger than you," Yong Soo said with a tiny sigh. Yao paused, turned his head to try and see his face. It bothered him, after all?

"He was just a child," Yao soothed him. "He was like my brother. I had no romantic feelings for him." Yong Soo pressed his face against the side of his neck, exhaled. "And this is different—we're both adults."

"But aren't we like brothers?" Yong Soo said moodily. Scowling, the man shoved at his arms suddenly and he let out a startled, unhappy noise. "Wait, I—" He stopped, mouth suddenly covered by Yao's, pale hands pressing against his cheeks and holding him in place.

"If I thought of you as a brother," Yao said fiercely as he pulled away (and lowered down off his toes; damn that height difference), "I wouldn't do that. Don't decide things on your own, Yong Soo." He huffed, turning his head to the side. "Honestly."

"Yao!" Yong Soo flung his arms around him again, kissed his face, his hair, his neck, anything in front of him. "I love you!"

Settling against him, into the touches, Yao allowed himself the moment. "Me too."


END CHAPTER ELEVEN


I adore Gilbert, srsly. But he's probably not gonna be back for a while. If at all—no! I will include him again!
Making poor Lars' life difficult.