Into You, I Go

Into You, I Go

Chapter 29h: Plotting and Planning

They eyed each other like combatants in a dragged-out-anything-goes-duel-to-the-death, waiting for the perfect moment to deliver the killer blow.

The sensation that he was being measured and searched for any kind of weakness to be taken advantage of was familiar enough for Leo to actually make him feel comfortable.

So, he stepped closer and raised a hand in greeting. "Welcome to my humble abode."

Ruka's ice blue eyes tightened. "This is Natsume's room."

Leo's rolled his eyes. "It was just a greeting, blondie. Don't get your panties in a twist. We needed a place to meet and I figured this was the best place. Neutral ground and all that."

Yuu placed a hand on Ruka's shoulder before the boy does anything rash, "Thank you for the invite, Leo-san."

Leo strolled to the kitchen, after he mulled over the contents of Natsume's refrigerator he glanced over his shoulder to Koko who grinned at him. "Having a mind reader does have its advantages."

"May we know why you suddenly have a change of heart and decide to talk with us? And what's with all the subterfuge? The 'I will hurt you and I will hurt you good' speech?"

"Had to make it look real for all the perceptive eyes that were observing." Leo munched over a chunk of chocolate and watched the probing eyes of Koko, the amiable eyes of Yuu, the resentful eyes of Ruka and the flat eyes of Hotaru Imai. "But then again why are you asking me for? You're the one with the mind reader."

Ruka glared at him, frustrated with Leo's roundabout manner. "The mind reader has a name."

Hotaru ignored Ruka and answered Leo's question. "Just to make sure that what you're saying matches with what you're actually thinking."

Leo leaned over the counter, a glass of milk in his hand and stared at Hotaru. "Are you suspecting that I'm trying to trap you or something?"

"Are you telling us that you're trying to trap us or something?" Hotaru asked back; the casual, inquisitive tone in her voice and the way she tilted her head to the side as if she was just another delicate, normal girl who was just asking an unassuming question made him want to smile—in disbelief.

He finished the milk and put the empty glass on the sink before he turn to look at them, his face all business now. "Do you know what kind of situation you're in?"

Yuu waved a dismissive hand in the air. "Is there any other kind of situation?"

Leo thought the question over and pursed his lips. "Touché. You guys do tend to get into trouble. A lot."

Leo's green eyes watched as the four of them shrugged at precisely the same time. "Natsume is being watched, Sakura is being watched. All of you are being watched."

He saw them exchanged glances but they didn't look even remotely surprise.

"You certain that nobody saw you guys come in here?"

"We know how to escape detection." The class president assured him.

"I guess you have to be." Leo shrugged. "I have questions for you."

"And we have questions for you. For starters Natsume is being bartered off overseas?" Ruka leaned forward from his seat beside Hotaru Imai.

"They're thinking it. Now—"

"Where is he?"

Leo narrowed his eyes at the blond boy. "That's none of your concern."

"The hell—"

"That's none of your concern. Natsume can take care of himself."

Now it was Hotaru that cut him off. "Mikan then."

"She's being taken care off."

"Narumi is with her."

Yuu wasn't asking a question and Leo wondered on how much they know. "I should ask where you got that information but that will be a waste of time, won't it?"

They merely stared at him with innocent eyes, he had to hand it to them—they can play the normal teenager as well as—well, a normal teenager.

"Yes, Narumi is with her. Any other question?"

The candle light was reflected back from the class president's glasses, Leo was always uncomfortable when he was unable to see the eyes of the person he was talking too. "Lots, but that will also be a waste of time, won't it?"

"Not if you plan to just nudge me along and have your mind reader pluck them from my mind." Leo sneered when Koko made a face then sunk into the sofa he was sitting. "You know very well that I can't."

A smirk broke through Leo's face as he crossed his arms across his chest. "The advantages of being a dangerous ability are that you can play with a lot of neat toys, such as something to stop a mind reader from reading our minds." He nodded to Hotaru. "Including yours Imai, you're a household name among us. You always have the most—creative of toys."

The three boys swept their eyes towards Hotaru who ignored their looks. "You said something about questions?"

Leo boosted himself up the counters. "Yes, I need information."

"What kind of information?"

"For starters, why does the academy has such a hard on for Mikan Sakura?"

He almost missed it, if he wasn't paying very close attention he probably would have. They were pretty good—unfortunately for them—he was better. He noticed the way Ruka pressed his thigh against Hotaru's—considering the situation and who they were, Leo figured it was more in warning then some subtle play on flirting—who stayed still. He also noticed the way Koko glanced at them then quickly lowered his eyes as if he read something in their minds that surprised him but didn't want to give them away. He saw that the class president knew nothing but he knew his friends enough to actually sense them tense but he maintained his composure. He didn't look at them suspiciously or accusingly, he didn't try to ask him with an expression or even show any kind of reaction to his two friends rising tension than a very slight tightening of his hands.

He probably didn't want to give the impression of any dissension among the troops which of course would be taken immediately as a weakness to exploit.

Leo realized that although Yuu and Koko knew their two friends kept a secret from them, they also knew that whatever reason they have, justified their discretion.

Trust.

That's what it was.

If he wasn't a dangerous ability, he probably wouldn't have realized the subtle workings of their group but he was, so he knew.

They were hiding something.

"So?" He prodded.

"Why do you want to know?" Yuu leaned back on his sofa, posturing relaxation and control. Leo almost believed it.

"Because I want to know all the facts before jumping in any kind of foray." He answered.

"Will there be any kind of foray to jump into?" Koko asked, meeting Leo's mocking eyes.

"Don't try so hard, mind reader. You'll give yourself a brain hemorrhage."

Koko sunk in even further in the sofa and sulked. But his eyes never wavered from Leo's face, as if he was waiting for cracks in his defenses to wheedle through which reminded him of his mind reader barrier deadline.

"You want to keep Natsume? I'm your greatest chance of that ever happening. So, spill."

Yuu frowned at him. "What does Mikan's situation have anything to do with Natsume's?"

Leo sighed, opened his mouth but something on Hotaru's face stopped him.

"You want to exchange whatever it is we have on Mikan for Natsume."

He shrugged. "Something like that."

For the first time since Leo saw them, the pack lost their composure. They stared at him with open mouth fascination. It was Ruka who blew up first. "Absolutely not!"

"Keep your voice down, blondie."

"You want to throw Mikan to the wolves? You're insane." Ruka stood up and paced the carpet, his movements angry and jerky. "We won't allow it."

"Think about it. What do you give someone that already has everything?"

"Something that they want." Hotaru murmured.

Ruka whirled to her. "Imai."

She aimed an annoyed glance toward Ruka. "Calm down, Nogi." Her violet eyes returned to Leo. "You know that she is not a price that we're willing to pay. Natsume himself, won't consider it."

"Well, it's not his decision to make, is it?"

Yuu's usually kind eyes sharpened. "What's in it for you, Leo-san? We have our reasons. What's yours?"

Leo considered his answer as he watched them watch him with unnerving focus. "Let's just say, things are more fun when Natsume is here."

"So, your aim is merely Natsume, correct?"

"Yes."

"You don't care about Mikan?"

"No."

The sudden smile on Yuu's face caught him off guard. "You should."

"I should what?" Asked Leo who was suddenly suspicious.

"Care about Mikan's well being."

"Why?"

The pack suddenly looked at him as if he was the village idiot and it suddenly clicked. He groaned and answered it himself. "Because Natsume does."

Love, especially that kind of love was foreign to Leo, so he sort of tuned it out of his mind. Then add his linear and one track mind, that one particular piece of the puzzle didn't have a chance to resurface.

"If you save Natsume at the expense of Mikan's, well, it won't be pretty." Ruka smirked at the older boy, finally finding something worth smiling about.

Leo rolled his eyes at all the sentimentality but reconsidered. He shook his head. "That doesn't change anything. What you have on Mikan might be information that could help."

"It might." Hotaru cautiously admitted. "Then again, it might not."

Leo stared at them while he deliberated on a strategy. Mind games weren't for him, but he knew how to get what he wanted. "I can just ask her, you know."

That information made them looked at him pretty fast. "You've seen her?"

"Sure. I'm her primary guard."

Leo almost winced at the naked look in their eyes, it reminded him of why he avoided any kind of attachments. He knew all sorts of questions were bubbling up their throats but they knew he wouldn't answer them in exchange for nothing.

Love, Leo reminded himself. Now that he remembered, he added it to the equation in his head. And used it.

"She was willing to sacrifice her life for Natsume. I just bet that she will agree with me."

The animosity was thick enough to punch a hole through.

"Tell me, what would she say if she knew you could've done something to help Natsume but didn't when she nearly sacrificed her life?"

As if his feet gave under him, Ruka eased himself down to the sofa, a pained look on his face. "Natsume will never allow it."

Leo made a thinking sound before slipping off the counter. "Fine, I realize there's nothing else I can say to you so you'll agree with me. Good luck explaining it to her when she found out Natsume is gone."

He shrugged and casually passed them with slow, even steps. When they remained quiet, he wondered whether he went overboard and inwardly cursed himself.

"Wait."

Leo had a hand on the window frame and was ready to propel himself but he rearranged the victorious smirk on his face before turning toward them, an annoyed look on his face. "What?"

Victory never tastes so sweet.