Disclaimer: Me no ownie.
Precious Things
Chapter Nine
The night was a brilliant contrast of black and white, the darkness of the sky, the pristine white of the snow falling down and thickening the blanket already covering the earth. The glow of the full moon over head cast ghostly shades and hues of silver and blue across the landscape, giving it a surreal, dream-like appearance, void of both sound and movement but for the ever falling snow.
Dr. Jackal moved through the night steadily and silently, no more than a black shadow advancing single-mindedly through the frozen night. Neither his gaze nor his footsteps wavered from his path, as he knew exactly where he was going, even in the dead of night; he could have made the trek while blindfolded.
He really did enjoy it up here at the cabin, the cold, the snow, the scenery, and the solitude... It was very peaceful and reassuring to him. A sanctuary.
Stopping when he reached a small clearing, he relaxed his stance, shifting his weight to his back foot as he stood there, dark gaze sweeping easily over the area.
The snow continued to fall.
Akabane sighed with mild exasperation, his head tilted to the side expectantly. A man dressed in white stepped out from behind a large tree, a hooded cloak protecting him from the cold and a trailing muffler covering part of his face.
"How nice to see you again, Professor." Offered Akabane in a pleasant tone, his dark eyes narrowed cruelly though.
The other man lowered the white muffler around his face, brow twitching in irritation.
"Patient number: AXG942. I assume you have some reason for demanding to see me like this at such an ungodly hour?"
Raising a brow in feigned surprise, Akabane challenged, "Don't you know? I thought I made it clear when I contacted you before." His eyes narrowed again. "In fact, I know I was perfectly clear on the subject."
The older man snorted a puff of white from his nostrils, giving him an appearance liken to a bull. "You want me to stop in my endeavors, to cease the pursuits of my extensive research."
A dangerous smile crossed Akabane lips as he gave the slightest hint of a nod. "It would be in both our best interests."
The professor seemed incredulous. "Why should I listen to anything you have to say? You are but a test subject, a lab rat-"
"And I won't allow you another one." Interrupted Akabane shortly.
The other man was completely unfazed. "Allow me another one? You have no authority on the matter. You existence is but data to me, data I no longer require. What makes you believe you would hold some manner of authority or leverage?"
The dark haired man shook his head, running a gloved hand through his hair. "I have none. I merely came to warn you. If you continue in this pursuit to gain possession of the boy, you'll find that I'll be most vexed, and things will fall sorely out of your favor."
Indignant, the other man nearly sputtered. "Are you attempting to threaten me? I, who made you what you are? I, who could destroy you just as easily? You would dare threaten me?!"
"You seem so surprised..." Chuckled Akabane, his frozen smile in place.
Flustered with anger, the professor snorted and turned away, readjusting his muffler as prepared to leave.
"I will have what I seek, you can not stop me, and you cannot protect him."
The man disappeared into the night, and Akabane stood there for another moment in the silence before turning around, following his tracks back to the cabin. "And you can not have him," He whispered into the night. "I will not allow it."
--
--
Bounding down the stairs, Ginji arrived on the first floor feeling very energetic and looking forward to another day. Dressed in jeans and a chocolate colored sweater, he quickly examined the situation he'd arrived in. 9 am, Ban and Himiko were drinking coffee in the kitchen, and Shido was reading in a chair by the window. Emishi was still dressed in his pajamas, his hair down around his shoulders, and trying to drift back to sleep on the couch, while Natsume was sitting on the loveseat and sipping hot tea from a coffee mug, watching the morning weather report.
Walking into the kitchen, Ginji offered his best friend and Himiko a cheerful grin, receiving a slight nod from both of them in return.
"Good morning everyone! Where are Kazuki and Juubei?"
"They left already." A bleary eyed Ban stated over his coffee mug.
"Well, where's..." Ginji looked around to see who else was missing. "Akabane?"
Himiko pointed towards the window in the kitchen. "Back porch."
Frowning at the two sitting at the table in the kitchen, Ginji arched a brow slightly. "Not a couple of morning people, are you?"
"No." They bit out in unison, glaring over their cups of coffee at the blond whose cheerfulness they held in disdain so early in the morning.
Nodding in understanding he turned to the people in the living room. Emishi was asleep, mumbling something incoherent with a ridiculous grin on his face. Shido didn't even look in Ginji's direction, only turned the page in his book and continued reading. And Natsume glared dangerously, her eyes flashing in a very threatening manner, causing the blond male to back away slowly rather than approach her. They'd learned earlier Natsume was not one to be trifled with while still sleepy.
Sighing heavily, Ginji turned to leave out the back door.
"Well, fine. I'll see what Akabane is up to then." He left the warmth of the kitchen and quietly closed the door behind him, before turning to look where Akabane sat over of the porch swing by himself. The blond immediately froze where he stood, flushing.
Akabane sat comfortably on the wooden swing, an arm draped across the back of the swing and one leg crossed over the other, gently pushing the swing back and forth with his foot. His hair was down, hanging as it pleased around his shoulders, and he wore a cream colored sweater and slacks, dark blue eyes peering out over the scenery. He appeared completely at ease and relaxed, somehow making him look incredibly sexy to the poor blond who stood gaping in awe at him.
"Wow..." A voice whispered causing Akabane to turn to Ginji in mild surprise, a smile instantly blossoming on the other man's face.
"Wow, what, Ginji-kun?"
The blond blinked in surprise, realizing it was he who'd spoken first without even realizing it. Flushing he took a step forward as he scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"You just look so..." He searched for a word to use without completely humiliating himself, "comfortable..."
Akabane laughed easily, beckoning Ginji to come sit on the porch swing as well. "Thank you. I believe it is this place." His gaze shifted back to look out at the scenery, the woods and the frozen lake behind the house. "It's so beautiful here. I forget how much so at times."
Taking a seat beside the male transporter, Ginji nodded in agreement. "It really is. I think it snowed again last night."
The dark man beside him nodded. "It snowed heavily all night, stopping only a few hours ago when the sun rose over the horizon." He smiled affectionately at the landscape before them. "You should see this place in the Spring and Fall, Ginji, it's beautiful then, too. There are all sorts of wild flowers in bloom of every variety and color. The animals will come right up to the stairs of the porch: deer, foxes, wolves..." He shook his head lightly, lost in his own thoughts. "It never ceases to amaze me, a living portrait of an ever changing landscape."
Ginji smiled softly, watching Akabane out of the corner of his eye. "I bet it is, but... how do you know?"
Though it was very subtle, barely even noticeable, Ginji saw Akabane stiffen at the question. The other man waved his hand dismissively, "Well, you know..."
Frowning sadly, Ginji turned to look at the man beside him, his brown eyes lacking the glimmer from only moments earlier, the look taking Akabane by surprise.
"You're keeping something from me, aren't you Jackal?"
Akabane nodded slowly. "Yes."
"Why?" Questioned Ginji, before looking away dejectedly, troubled eyes focused on his lap. "...why?"
Dark blue eyes watched him silently for a moment before Akabane rose suddenly and moved over to the banister, placing his hands against it as he continued to gaze out at the scenery before him. "I'm afraid I can't tell you that, my dear friend. It's not something important, but to know it might change things, no, it would change things." He turned his head to look at Ginji over his shoulder. "And things need to progress as they are for right now."
The blond didn't say anything for a moment, instead kept his head lowered and his gaze focused on his lap; then he suddenly stood to his feet and walked off the porch and out into the yard heading towards one of the trails into the woods.
"Where are you going, Ginji dear?"
"I'm gonna go find Kazu and Juubei." Stated the blond curtly, causing Akabane to quickly take up step after him.
"I wouldn't suggest doing so."
The blond shot him an annoyed look over his shoulder.
"Why not?"
"They've gone to the hot springs." Explained Akabane, still following after the blond.
"And?" Pressed Ginji sourly.
Laughing lightly, the dark man tilted his head to the side. "Well, they went there because there weren't all these people around, you see." He stated, motioning to the house further and further into the distance behind them.
Brown eyes snapped back to the trail in front of him, his mood turning sour with each step. "Kazu won't mind if it's just me."
Akabane quickened his pace behind him. "Friend, I'm afraid you don't quite understand." He reached out and grabbed Ginji by the wrist, stopping him and making them face each other. "The hot springs is where they go on this trip when they want to be alone, so they can be," He carefully chose his words. "together..." Ginji still didn't seem to grasp the full concept of what Akabane was trying to tell him, so the other man decided to elaborate a bit more. "Intimate. It's where they go when they wish to be intimate."
"Oh!" Exclaimed Ginji in surprise, his eyes flying wide open as a deep blush encompassed his face. "I-I didn't realize..."
Akabane chuckled despite himself.
"So I gather." He turned to go off down another trail, pulling Ginji along with him. "Now if you merely wish for the effects of the hot spring, I know of another one you can use, it's slightly different than what I'm sure you're use to but it does do amazing things. I'm quite fond of it myself."
The blond shook his head in confusion, frowning at the back of Akabane's head as he was pulled along behind him.
"So-so wait a minute. Are you telling me every time they go off to the hot spring it's so they can- can... you know?" Hissed Ginji finally, blushing furiously again.
Akabane offered a coy grin at the blond over his shoulder.
"Is that what they do every time they go? I don't think so. Is that the place they go when they do want to? Yes. Honestly, Ginji dear, do you not remember the other day when they spent the entire day at the hot spring and both came back quite exhausted and pleased?"
Ginji did remember.
"I just thought, y'know, Juubei was showing progress in his recovery, that's all."
The dark man laughed and winked at Ginji as he continued to lead the blond male through the woods.
"Oh, he was making progress, I can assure you."
The blond offered him a cross look in response. He didn't find anything even remotely amusing about it. Why was it Ginji always seemed to be the last one to catch on to things? Did everyone else at the house know the real reason Kazuki and Juubei went off to the hot spring together? They had to go at least two or three times a week. Were they really going to cure Juubei's eyes or were they going so they could...
Ginji blushed bright red again, then blinked in surprise at Akabane.
"Hey wait. How did you know that's why they went?"
The dark man leading the way shrugged lightly. "I happened upon them one day. Luckily they weren't aware of my presence, or else it would have been quite awkward. They were both too far gone to know anyone else was on the planet, much less twenty feet from them. I would have thought they would have at least put up some better security measures that what they did, well, I take that back. The next time they went, there were no security devices because they were merely relaxing, but the next time... well, even I would have had some amount of difficulty getting anywhere near them without their knowledge."
Ginji raised a brow incredulously. "Were you trying to get near them without their knowledge?" His expression shifted to playful teasing. "I didn't take you for the peeping tom type, Akabane."
The other man laughed and shook his head. "Because I'm not."
Looking around, Ginji frowned in confusion. "Where exactly are you taking me?"
"To the other hot spring." Stated Jackal simply. "You wished to go, did you not?"
Shrugging nonchalantly, Ginji replied, "I guess. I mean, there was nothing else to do. Everyone at home didn't seem too enthusiastic, and- hey wait! I'm still mad at you!" Exclaimed the blond, yanking his hand away from Akabane's grasp. "You're lying to me and you won't tell me why or what it is. And this is after you know I know you're lying!"
A tired sigh escaped the male transporter as he stopped to face his friend. "Ginji... I promise that once I am able to explain everything to you, I will. If I were to explain it to you now, things between us would change, and I don't want that."
"Oh really?" Challenged the blond, glaring. "What? Would we suddenly be enemies?"
Akabane shook his head lightly. "No. Just... things would change. Not just between you and I, but between the others as well and how they all interact with you and each other. The carefree environment would be shattered and replaced by a much more strained feeling. Despite that we are here because we were hired for a job, I would like for us to also be able to enjoy that time." He tilted his head to one side. "Do you understand?"
Ginji turned his head away crossly, folding his arms over his chest. "I suppose..." He stated sourly. "But that doesn't mean I agree with it!" Akabane took him by the hand again, continuing to once again lead the blond through the woods. "And what did you mean when you said that this hot spring was a bit different than what I was probably use to?"
"Well... you can't actually get in the hot spring. The chemical compounds are so strong it would just eat into your skin-"
"Ugh."
"Exactly. But, the water is so hot, that the area is filled with the steam of the hot spring, so just being in it and breathing it in can have equivalent effects on the body. Though, it is a touch warm, you may be over dressed, in fact, I know you are. The humidity can be quite stifling, my friend." Ginji noted the slight pause in Akabane's step as he turned his head just slightly. "The area is perfect for you to sit or lounge comfortably while you're there... do you, uh, think you can remember your way back to the house without me?"
The blond frowned in confusion.
"Without you? You aren't going to stay, too?" He asked just as they reached the small clearing filled with steam, a hot spring right in the center of it.
Akabane motioned towards the flat rock much like an altar next to the hot spring, a slab at least as big as a bench and covered in a thick green moss that looked velvety soft.
"You may rest there while you are here. As you'll notice, everything in this area is completely healthy and green thanks to the hot spring, and I can assure you, you too will soon feel the effects." He stated taking a step back to leave. Ginji turned to him in confusion.
"I don't understand. You're leaving? Why?"
Akabane clearly seemed to be struggling with something, eyes darting back and forth from the spring, to Ginji, to the slab, and then over his shoulder to the path they'd come from. It was almost as though he were trying to escape in order to avoid what he knew was to come.
"Ginji, pet... I..." His tongue darted out over his lips as he gaze dropped to Ginji's own mouth then back to those brown eyes. "I already know to some extent the springs effects on me... I think it would be best if I went, I don't think I could control myself, and I really rather not over step my boundaries... at least, not about this."
The blond didn't understand. Maybe it was the steam, but he was starting to feel light headed and somewhat mischievous, not to mention hot. What he wouldn't give to take off the sweater he was wearing, Akabane hadn't been kidding about the fact that he would be overdressed.
Taking Akabane's hand, Ginji stepped back, pulling the dark man further into the clearing, towards the slab.
"Would you relax, Akabane? Unless you plan to kill me, then everything is fine." He sat down on the edge of the large slab, still holding Akabane's hand so he wouldn't flee. Ginji noted the muscles flexing in the taller male's jaw, the way he swallowed hard as his eyes darken lustfully. Was this what he'd meant by how the steam affected him? A devilish grin crept over Ginji's lips. Did being in the steam arouse Jackal, making it harder for him to have self control... That sounded fun.
Yeah, the steam was definitely starting to affect Ginji's mind, too. It was nice, it was like he suddenly knew what he was doing and what he wanted. And Akabane several times over was on his list of top priorities.
"Stay with me." Instructed Ginji, removing his own coat and tossing it carelessly to the side, kicking off his socks and shoes as well. "There's no reason for you to go..." He assured the taller male softly.
Akabane almost immediately obeyed, removing his coat and tossing it over by Ginji's, followed by his shoes while his gaze never once left the blond's, who smiled pleased. Ginji felt more and more like he were in a dream, he felt warm all over and really very... playful. Akabane still stood there looking down at Ginji, as though waiting instructions. Ginji noted how every muscle in the darker man's body was completely tense, the muscles in his jaw still working as he seemingly clenched his teeth. A slow smile crept its way over Ginji's features as he looked up at Akabane through dark lashes.
"Kiss me." He instructed, the words barely out of his mouth before Akabane was on him.
Akabane wasn't at all hesitant like the last two times they'd kissed, he devoured Ginji's lips like a starving man. Ginji scooted back on the slab, having Akabane crawl after him, their mouths never parting. Ginji parted his lips to let Akabane have access and the darker man greedily accepted the invitation, his tongue delving deep into Ginji's mouth as his right hand played up and down Ginji's side, the other hand tangled in the blond's hair. Ginji began undoing Akabane shirt buttons, leaving his chest exposed as the blond began to caress him in a rhythm of soft touches and anxious clawing, as Akabane's own hand began creeping under Ginji's sweater, lovingly caressing the blond's abdomen.
Frustrated, Ginji forced Akabane away, yanking off his own shirt and tossing it to their growing pile of clothes before sliding his hands up Akabane's chest and across his shoulders to remove the other man's shirt himself. Jackal's eyes were pitch black with lustful intentions, his gaze purely animalistic, nearly frightening, and yet it only served to further arouse Ginji, to make him want Akabane more. God, what had happened to the days when he'd been terrified of this same man? Who would have ever believed that one day they would be here, like this, both unable to comprehend possibly wanting the other anymore than they currently did. God, why hadn't they done this sooner? Ginji could only imagine what an excellent lover Akabane would be if a mere touch from him could do such marvelous things.
Half dressed, Akabane was suddenly back in Ginji's embrace, the blond diverting his attention from Jackal's mouth to his neck, kissing and licking the spot where his pulse raced beneath the surface, trailing a line of kisses just lower, biting , licking, sucking, making sure to leave a mark. Akabane belonged to Ginji, the mark would be proof, and when it faded, he'd just put another one there. Hell, he wanted to put marks all over Akabane, and Akabane seemed more than willing to let him.
Akabane was in a dream, everything else no longer mattered or even existed, and dear god, he wanted to make love to Ginji so badly it was quite painful. The little blond minx was already writhing with impatient anticipation beneath him, pressing their hips together, grinding the proof of both their arousal together, making Akabane hiss between his teeth, trying to remain some amount of control. He'd wanted Ginji for so long now, he wasn't simply going to give in to chaotic hormones. No, he was going to have Ginji exactly the way he wanted him, he was going to take him nice and slow and torture the blond get backer to the brink of ecstasy with each thrust. He'd make Ginji cry out again and again in pleasure, before collapsing, completely spent. And then Akabane would make love to him again. And again, and again. Oh yes, Ginji, my pet, Thought Akabane, you always did belong to me and I'm going to prove it.
An image of the doctor standing in that snowy clearing flitted through Akabane's mind, causing him to go dead still. Dammit. He'd nearly forgotten about that.
Ginji wriggled against Akabane impatiently, wondering why the dark man had suddenly ceased his administrations, his hand stilled as it had been making its way down Ginji's torso to his fastened pants. Akabane pressed a hard kiss to Ginji's mouth and pulled away completely, away from Ginji and off the slab, putting several feet between them. The blond stared at the object of his desire in a mixture of confusion and frustration, and Akabane nodded once as though understanding, before holding out his hand as though to stop Ginji from getting up.
"This is why I knew I shouldn't stay, I knew I would have a hard time restraining myself from you."
The blond seemed somewhat hurt. "You don't want me?"
Dark eyes narrowed on him, a sinister and lustful smile creeping over Akabane's lips. "Don't want you?" He echoed, before barking with laughter. "Ginji, my love, you are the only person I DO want, from the moment I first laid eyes on you I knew that one day I'd lay claim on you, that you would belong solely to me."
"Then why...?"
The dark haired man shook his head lightly. "Because I can't put up a series of barriers like Kazuki and Juubei, because my awareness would be compromised were I to make love to you here and now. Because there is no guarantee we wouldn't be giving our enemies the opening they were looking for by us being out here like this."
Ginji only glared at him crossly, moving to get off the slab and retrieve his things before undoubtedly storming from the clearing and back to the house, probably without another word to Akabane. Jackal went to the blond, wrapping his arms around the blond from behind, his lips nibbling on Ginji's earlobe, then to his neck, causing the blond to tilt his head to the side slightly, his body leaning into Jackal's.
"I won't make love to you now, Ginji, not in the open like this, but I will later, as many times as you can stand it." He stopped his administrations, turning to blond around to look at him. "Come to my room tonight, after Midou has gone to sleep. I swear that tonight I will finish this. But Ginji," He warned in a serious tone, his grave eyes locked with Ginji's. "Once I make you my lover, that's it." He stated with a light shake of his head. "You belong to me, you won't ever be rid of me, even should you want to be, and should you leave me for another, know that I am even more dangerous when provoked by jealousy."
The blond frowned in confusion, his eyes playing over Akabane's face. "Why are you telling me this?"
The dark man placed a kiss to the blond's forehead. "Because I'm giving you a way out should you take it. The choice is yours to make. You can either come to my room tonight or not, but if you do, there is no going back."
--
--
Ban looked up as Akabane and Ginji both returned to the house, stamping the last of the snow from their shoes before coming in from of the porch. Ginji immediately darted from the kitchen and up the stairs, the sound of running water soon following.
Akabane cursed under his breath. "He beat me to the shower." His gaze pivoted to the get backer fixing himself lunch in the kitchen. "I'm going into town. Do you know of anything we need while I'm gone?"
The brunette shook his head. "No, but take some people with you. I don't want any member of this team to set themselves up for an ambush."
"I'll go with you, Dr. Jackal." Offered Himiko from where she sat on the couch in the living room, she twisted around so that she could see him better. "I had some things I wanted to pick up myself, and to check in with the authorities about that guy from yesterday."
The dark man nodded his consent as she quickly stood, grabbing her coat from by the front door before looking back at him expectantly.
"Let's go, then."
Akabane immediately complied, following after her out of the house, allowing for her to drive as she immediately went to the driver's side of the vehicle most of their little group had come in. Silently, Akabane got in on the passenger's side, staring out the window at the cabin they were leaving. Staring at the second floor where just on the other side of the wall a very hot, naked former lightening emperor was taking a shower, steamy water cascading over every inch of his body... Oh dear God, it took all of Jackal's resolve and strength of will to not storm back into that house, force his way into the bathroom and lay claim to Ginji's body as his own.
"You can take a cold shower once we get back." Himiko stated shortly, causing Akabane to glance at her out of the corner of his eye.
"Excuse me?"
She kept her gaze focused on the road in front of her as she drove, only chancing a quick glance at her partner. "I'm very sensitive to smells, Akabane. I have to be in order to properly wield my perfumes or defend against someone else's. You and Ginji both came back to the house surrounded by the smell of pheromones, the smell of unfulfilled desire too, I might add. At least Kazuki and Juubei come back having actually gotten some, rather than just having to race to go get in a cold shower. If the mere thought of him in the shower is enough to put you back in a state of arousal, go at it already, if not take a cold shower when you get home."
Akabane turned his gaze to the scenery out his window, appearing disinterested in what Lady Poison was telling him.
"Is that the reason you were so quick to come with me? Or perhaps did it drudge up memories of your own unfulfilled desires for Midou?"
She snorted, her grip on the wheel tightening. "That's a low blow, Jackal. I came because I had something else I wanted to talk to you about."
"Not involving the purchase of condoms and cigarettes, I'm sure." He offered conversationally; the wheel jerked to the side a bit, causing them to veer off to the side of the road before quickly realigning with its center.
"Akabane!"
He turned to her, lifting a brow in surprise. "Oh, am I wrong? You have my apologies then, my dear Lady Poison."
"Are you always this... disagreeable when you want Ginji and can't have him?!" She demanded, chancing a glare at the man beside her.
"I give new meaning to the term 'frustrated', yes. It's why I left the house, it wouldn't do to be in such a sour mood while amongst his friends, and I do wish to be discreet for his benefit, when it comes to what I feel towards him."
Himiko shook her head in disbelief. She'd seen Akabane in battle, seen him go on a killing spree, smile at the carnage he had caused, but what damage could he cause if in such an unpleasant mood when he was generally smiling and pleasant during all of his other onslaughts? Could there be no force to stop him?
Geez.
She sighed heavily, keeping her gaze focused on the road. "Akabane, I found something interesting in my search of the grounds yesterday, I thought I would run it by you." The man beside her said nothing, only continued to watch the scenery. "A lab beneath even the basement of the house." She watched him for a moment, waiting for him to respond. "It looks as though the lab was lived in more than the rest of the house. Funny thing: there was a framed picture of Ginji down there, on the desk, actually."
"The world must be smaller than I realized," Drawled Akabane in a bored tone. "that or Ginji was far more famous than even he realized."
"Either way it left me curious, as did your little walk at two o'clock this morning when everyone else was asleep."
"Except you, naturally." He stated, eyes shifting to watch her out of the corner of his eye.
"I'm a light sleeper." She explained simply, causing the dark man to look back out the window.
"I'm sure." He offered no other response, causing her to frown lightly, then pinch her lips together in annoyance.
"Why didn't you just tell us you were the client, Akabane? That this was your house? Why all this secrecy?"
"The risk that most of you wouldn't have taken the job was too great." He stated simply, sighing lightly.
She gave a nod, okay, she'd give him that much, but... "Why not tell us what we're all here to protect at least? I mean, I've got it figured out, but what about the others?"
"If they knew what it was, everyone, namely Midou, would only overreact and quite possibly make things worse. I even ran a worst case scenario by Makubex to calculate using all of his computer systems and he agreed that mine was the best course of action and that any other would only compromise the mission objective. And Makubex also agreed, keeping the key players out of the loop was the best course of actions to allow them to simply react when the time comes, rather than be worn down by the anticipation." He rolled his head around to look at her. "Admit it, Himiko, you know as well as I, had they known everything before hand, we would all already be at each other's throats about how to handle this because we would each have a different idea of what would be best." He smiled cockily just as they pulled into the parking lot of the store they were going to. "Besides, I'm the client, therefore everything is to be done to my specifications, is it not?"
She laughed and shook her head, shutting off the engine.
"I suppose so, Akabane. And I suppose you'll want me to play dumb to Ban and the others about everything I know, correct?"
"If you wouldn't mind." He told her with a pleased smile, causing her to laugh again.
"You're the boss, Akabane, but if things go bad and they find out I knew before hand, it's all your fault and I expect you to deal with it accordingly."
He continued to smile, but his gaze turned dark and sinister.
"I won't allow for things to go bad."
--
--
It was well after one a.m. and Akabane still lay awake in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He shifted to his side facing the door to his room, propping his head onto his hand as he sighed heavily. Part of him was filled with disappointment that Ginji had not yet come to his room, another part of him was filled with anticipation to see if Ginji would, while yet another part of him was wondering how he would cope should Ginji not come at all that night. Akabane had given the blond a way out, what if he took it? What then? Could Jackal really give up on making Ginji his? Continue this 'at a distance' relationship, this obsession?
It was an obsession, and what Akabane had told him earlier that day had been completely true, he wouldn't ever allow anyone else to have Ginji once the transporter made the blond his own. But despite the more psychotic side of Akabane's personality, and despite that it was an obsessive fixation, it was also something else...
It was love.
It nearly made him laugh when he thought about it, yet it was a bittersweet realization, too.
He was in love with Ginji Amano.
He smiled to himself, there was some amount of comfort in that fact. He'd found someone that he couldn't possibly imagine his life had they never been in it, or to go on without them in it. But it was also a sad thought. What if Ginji couldn't love him in return? Jackal was the first to admit he was a monster of sorts, that his mentality wasn't normal, and that he wasn't able to carry out relationships with normal people like so many others, much less like Ginji could. Why should Ginji love him in return? Akabane really had nothing to offer... at least not of himself. But he could take care of Ginji, protect him, and be his personal slave forever if that was what Ginji wanted.
It would even be okay if Ginji didn't love Akabane, just so long as he stayed with him.
Sighing again, Akabane adjusted the covers that came up to his waist. He was dressed only in a pair of gray cotton pajama pants, a low fire keeping the room free from the chill of the snow falling outside. Settling into his pillows, Akabane closed his eyes, surrendering to the idea that he would most likely be spending the night alone. Which was depressing.
At least he could dream about the two of them together, couldn't he? Making love and then just laying together in bed the next morning, Ginji tucked gently against his side, still sleeping peacefully.
A creak on the floorboards of his room had Akabane sitting up in an instant, his hand pulled back to launch his scalpels at his intruder.
And there stood Ginji.
Leaning against the now closed door into Akabane's room, Jackal noted that one of the blond's hands locked the door, yet he didn't move away from it. Akabane stared at him in confusion, his brain not quite comprehending if what he saw was real or if he had fallen asleep and was living out one of his fantasies already. Ginji stood there bashfully, gaze averted down and to the side, while stealing peeks at Akabane who was across the room. He reminded Akabane of a kid, standing there in an oversized shirt and baggy plaid pajama pants, a cute blush staining his cheeks.
"I believe you promised to finish what you started if I came tonight." Stated the blond softly, finally lifting his gaze to meet Akabane's.
A slow smile crept over Jackal's features as he gave a soft nod.
"I believe I did." His smile turned darker. "But you'll have to come closer, I can't keep my word if you're all the way over there."
Smiling shyly, Ginji nodded and made his way over to the bed.
TBC
Tenoko: Gomen nasai. I don't write smut scenes, sorry. I think it's more fun to leave it up to the imagination rather than ruining it with details you might not have wanted, see and ending it this way just seems more romantic, don't you agree?