A Different Fate

by Musal

What if Train didn't know Creed killed Saya? What if he believed it was Chronos? What if Train helped Creed create the Apostles to get revenge on Chronos? What happens when Train learns the truth? CxT

23. New Beginnings

Disclaimer: I do not own Black Cat or its characters.

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Rinslet cursed as she ducked behind a wall, reloading her gun as bullets rained on her from down the hall. She moved her head to the side again when she realized she was not behind the wall enough to prevent herself from being shot and pulled out a grenade. She tried using a bomb before and it didn't work, but she was hoping a smoke bomb would change that.

Just as she was about to roll it towards her enemies she saw a fog filling the hallway, including the room she was in. She coughed and tried to wave it away then growled loudly as she realized what had been causing it.

"DAMNIT, TRAIN! I'M RIGHT HERE!"

She saw a blur run past her that she knew belonged to the Black Cat and growled again, seeing as he didn't respond to her earlier complaint.

"Train! Come on! At least let me see what the hell is going on!" She yelled again as she tried to crawl closer to the ground, hoping that would allow her to see the enemies down the hall.

The thief shivered as a chill began to fill the room and growled again knowing this was also the cat's doing. However, before she could yell at the gunman, a burst of cold wind was shot at her, removing the fog that surrounded her. She blinked a few times then touched her face and head, feeling her eyebrows and hair had frozen from Train's wintry blast.

She screamed again, knowing that even though she couldn't see Train, he could hear her. "DAMNIT, TRAIN!"

Suddenly, she felt overly hot as Kyoko appeared next to her, breathing fiery air at her to thaw her hair and eyebrows. It wasn't hot enough to burn the older woman's skin, but it was enough to melt anything that was frozen on her. Except now she had to deal with wet her and singed eyebrows.

Again, she touched her face and glared at Kyoko, screaming loud enough so Train would hear her grievances as well. "WHY THE HELL DID I GET STUCK WITH YOU TWO!?"

Train finally appeared in front of her, smirking wildly as he twirled his gun on his finger, his body sparking with electricity. "Come on, you know you love us! Aren't you having fun?"

Rinslet pointed at her face as she addressed the cat. "DOES THIS LOOK LIKE I'M HAVING FUN?!"

Kyoko touched her hair and frowned. "That'll dry fast, Rin! Kyoko can even blow dry it for you!"

Rinslet pushed her away before she could do anything. "You will not be blowing fire at me ever again!"

Kyoko frowned. "But… Kuro-sama gave me permission to use it today. As long as I didn't hurt anyone…"

"Well, my pride is hurt!" She gave the teen another glared as she pulled out another grenade. Before she could get back into the fight, she looked at Train's face who was looking rather strangely at her. "What…?"

Train was biting his lip, trying not to laugh at the woman. He could feel his face turning red and knew he wouldn't be able to hold it in much longer. When the thief tried to raise an eyebrow that no longer existed, Train fell to the floor in laughter, seemingly forgetting they were in the middle of a battle.

Rinslet glared at him. "WHAT'S SO FUNNY?!"

Kyoko looked at her crush, then at Rinslet and giggled a little too. "Oooh no, Rins-chan! Your eyebrow is gone!"

Rinslet's hand went to her face immediately and felt where her eyebrow once was. She screamed and pointed at the dying cat, who seemed to think her anger made the situation even funnier.

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Rinslet kept one hand on her face, trying to cover her shame.

Train caught his breath enough to wipe his eyes and tried to address her. "Hey, she's the one that set you on fire!"

"But you're the one that froze me in the first place!" Rinslet felt her face getting red from frustration.

Train rolled his eyes. "Because you were complaining about the fog!"

"BECAUSE THAT WASN'T PART OF THE PLAN! NONE OF THIS WAS!"

Rinslet was getting more and more aggravated with the Black Cat by the second. They were finally chasing down Allie Hue after Train let Ray Leggan go four months ago and he wasn't doing anything Sven had planned. She was supposed to be with Eve and Sven right now, sneaking in through one way and Train was supposed to be with Creed, Lin, and Kyoko preparing for the real fight to begin. How she ended up with literally the two most impulsive members of their team she didn't know.

That's a lie, I know how it happened. Train got impatient and decided to follow after me which caused me to lose Sven and Eve somewhere along the way. I don't even know where they are right now!

Train shrugged his shoulders and put Hades away. "Hey, the gunfire stopped, didn't it?"

Rinslet blinked at him then looked down the hallway. She noticed all the people who were shooting at them had been knocked out and the fog was clearing out of the way. The thief looked back at Train and narrowed her eyes.

"That's all well and good, but you could have told me that was your plan!"

Train waved her comment away and walked down the hallway without a care in the world. "That's assuming I had a plan. I just follow my instincts."

Rinslet sighed and stood up, following after the gunman while still covering her bare skin where her eyebrow once was. "Do you even know where your team is? Aren't you supposed to be with your Black Cat groupies?"

Train glared over his shoulder at her, but she could see the blush on his face. "Why do you think I came in? I was starting to lose my mind out there!"

Between Lin's flirting and Kyoko's clinging, Train felt like he was going to explode. Kyoko kept giving Number X empty threats and Lin was more than happy to continue pushing her buttons by doing everything he could to be near Train or to touch him. The most surprising thing was Creed doing his best to leave Train alone. He spoke with Train casually and kept asking him if he was okay, but he didn't react overly angry or violent towards either of them.

Which is shocking because I know his feelings for me are stronger than Lin or Kyoko's combined. And he kept his hands to himself. I could tell he didn't like what either of them were doing, but he was respecting my wishes by not getting involved.

Train had started to see that more and more over the last four months. Creed had his moments of forgetting himself and staring at Train a bit too long for his comfort or saying something overly affectionate, but for the most part, he was in control of his urges. It was nice because it allowed for a bit of their old friendship to return. While he still didn't fully trust Creed and held a resentment he didn't think he could ever let go, Train was happy to feel at least a bit of their rapport come back.

And I have to admit, it's nice seeing that friendship slowly return. It's still hard to spend an extended amount of time with him, but it's good being able to work with him again.

The rest of the group was able to tell right away why they were partnered together in Chronos. Despite their history, they still worked well together. Their fighting styles and Tao abilities complimented each other and Creed knew Train better than anyone else. The swordsman was also always on top of the cat's impulsive behaviors which was why he wasn't worried about their plan being screwed up right now.

Chances are he saw my anxiousness outside and made a plan to work around me busting in here and shooting up the place right on the spot. After all, that's what happened when we were at Chronos.

"Kuro-sama, wait up!"

Train groaned as Kyoko caught up, the teen pushing past Rinslet who rolled her eyes at the overly affectionate girl. The cat sparked his body before she could latch on, warning her he wasn't in the mood. It was bad enough he had to deal with her and Lin outside let alone with the last four months. He really didn't want to have to deal with her now.

Although, Lin's not that bad. He doesn't tackle me to the ground every time he sees me. But he does know exactly how to fluster me…

That was something Train didn't like. He had never met someone who could fluster him before. Even Creed's loving words never flustered him that badly when they were together and Train didn't know how to react to Lin's advances. He figured it was different because Lin would outright flirt with him or make suggestive comments while Creed spoke poetically to him. Train didn't want to admit it, but the part of him that still craved some kind of intimate contact enjoyed the attention and he knew he definitely wasn't going to let Kyoko have that kind of contact with him.

Or Creed. But,still, Lin needs to cool it. And I refuse to let him know he's giving me any reactions.

Before his relationship with Creed, he wouldn't have even known what these feelings were. However, this was different from what it was with Creed. It was hard for him to put his finger on it, but it didn't feel the same as when he fell in love. He wasn't even sure he would describe it as a crush. It was confusing since he never expected anything like this to be offered to him again, so he decided to ignore it.

"Do you even know where Hue is? Do you know where you're going?"

Rinslet's words brought him out of his thoughts and he shrugged his shoulders. "No, but I'm following my gut which means we'll find her soon."

He could hear the thief sigh angrily. "Why did I get stuck with the two most annoying members of the group?"

"HEY!" Train and Kyoko both yelled, glaring at her as they continued walking down the hallway.

"You know it's true!" Rinslet yelled back.

Train gave her one more glare, then continued his way down the hall he noticed had been emptied already, which led him to believe Creed wasn't far ahead. The Black Cat smirked, happy to know his ex-partner was already on the case.

I knew he'd have a plan for my impatience. He always has…

"Why are you smiling like that, Kuro-sama?"

Train blinked at the girl's question and touched his lips to see he was smiling. He shook his head and waved her away, not wanting to answer the question because he wasn't entirely sure himself either.

"Hey, Rins, you were asking where my groupies were earlier?" He glanced over his shoulder and smirked at her. "Well, one is here and this empty hallway tells me the others aren't far behind. When will you learn Creed always has a plan for my spontaneous behaviors?"

Rinslet rolled her eyes as she caught up to them. "Whatever…"

Train wasn't done pushing her buttons and decided to ask another question. "And where is your group of 'rational' people?"

The thief glared at him again. "I don't know… Maybe because someone caused such a commotion I lost them in the chaos!" Rinslet eyed him as he chuckled and asked her own question. "How did you manage to end up with the worst of your groupies?"

"HEY!" Kyoko protested, but the thief ignored her.

Train narrowed his eyes at her. "I didn't have a choice. She followed me."

Before Rinslet could respond, Train stopped suddenly and put his arms to stop them. They were just about to turn down another corner and his instincts were telling him to be cautious. He pulled out Hades again and glanced at the women on either side of him. They took his warning and prepared themselves as well. Without another word, Train ran around the corner and towards the door he knew the final battle would be behind.

The Black Cat kicked the door down, Hades ready and aimed, but was forced to roll back immediately since Creed was leaping across him and to the other side of the room. He watched as his former partner blocked bullets with his level one Imagine Blade, glad to see he was listening to Train when he told him to avoid using the other levels unless absolutely necessary. They normally didn't run into anyone that would require such a powerful weapon and since his blade was so easily recognizable, he didn't want to risk someone finding out Creed Diskenth had become a sweeper.

I know the bounty on him has been dropped by Chronos, but we don't need some hot shots hunting him and therefore the Black Cat just because they have something to prove.

No one knew what his abilities were, nor Kyoko's so it was safer for them. Besides that, their powers were a bit more inconspicuous than Creed's. His was literally a giant blade with a mouth that reflected his emotions. Train's was weather control which he could hide quite easily and Kyoko's was barely used thanks to her promise to Train.

I'm glad he's listening. Not that I'm surprised, but it's nice that he agreed with me.

Train blocked a few bullets with his gun and returned fire, hitting several of Hue's lackey's in the legs, causing them to fall to the ground. This is where Allie Hue hid all of her important documents and the sweep was actually for that instead of her. While there was a price on her head, they decided to just get the files since they had a feeling she wouldn't be here anyway.

And it looks like we were right. Now we just need to clear out the room and get them.

Train rolled out of the way of a few more bullets, watching as Eve flew around the room, distracting the flunkies so Sven could get a few hits in. Kyoko and Rinslet ran into the room as well, firing shots wherever they could, taking down as many guards as possible. The teen was doing her best not to use her fire breath, but since Train had given her permission, she used it every so often to trap someone that Rinslet could then take out.

Creed was launching himself around the room as well, his tactic very similar to Eve's to act as a distraction so the rest of the group could knock the lackeys out. Train managed to catch his eye and smiled cheekily. He regretted that immediately as he saw his former partner blush and get distracted, slamming face first into a wall. Train wanted to make sure he was okay, but didn't have the chance as he felt someone tackling him to the ground. The Black Cat rolled on with whoever the person was and groaned as he tried to steady his vision when they stopped.

"Hey there, cutie! About time you showed up!"

Train knew that voice belonged to Lin and opened his eyes to glare at the man. "What the hell are you doing?!"

Lin didn't look like his usual self. Whenever they went on a sweep, Number X always made sure to cover up his tattoo and disguise himself at least a little. Right now, he had blonde hair instead of black and his skin was a little more tan than normal. He said he did this to hide his identity, but Train knew he also just liked dressing up.

Line shrugged his shoulders and smiled at Train. "Getting thrown by some useless man. But, seeing as it put me in such a favorable position, guess I can't be too mad."

Train felt himself blush wildly as Lin caressed his cheek lightly, then saw someone running up to the two of them from behind. Acting quickly, Train flipped Lin over to protect him from getting shot in the back and returned the attacker's assault with an electric bullet of his own. Train enjoyed using these bullets because they acted more as a taser than a bullet which was great for his 'cause no harm' lifestyle.

"Well, I stand corrected. This is a much more desirable position…"

Train turned his head to look down at Lin who was smiling amorously at him, wrapping his arm around the cat's neck, one of his hands tangled tightly in his chocolate locks. The gunman had one hand on the floor to the side of Lin's face, the other pointing Hades behind him. Train felt his face turn an extremely bright red as Number X gave him an alluring look, not sure what to do when he felt the man's hand apply a bit of pressure to his neck, as if he was trying to pull him down.

For a second Train forgot about the battle around them, his physical desires getting the better of him as he allowed the man to guide him down slightly. However, he managed to shake his head and pull back before Lin managed to make contact with his lips. Train pushed himself off the number and gave him a warning look.

"We're in the middle of a battle!" Train said, though he knew he wasn't much better than Lin right now.

What the hell is going on with me?!

Lin frowned and looked around the room. "Seems to be over to me."

Train blinked at the man then looked around the room. Sven and Eve were checking to make sure the lackey's they knocked out were okay while Rinslet broke into one of the many filing cabinets. Kyoko ran over to the thief to help her, but it looked more as though she was just annoying the woman with her constant questions.

Before he could see where Creed was, Lin decided to try and finish the moment he had created with Train and rolled himself back on top of the ex-assassin, smiling deviously as the cat felt himself blushing madly again.

"Plus, no one's looking… You can't hide the fact that you enjoyed it. I can see it in your eyes."

Train felt his eyes widen at his statement and decided to look away. Apparently, his eyes changed color based on his emotions. They turned a dark blue when he was angry and electricity was taking over, white when he was having negative thoughts, and an orange-red when he was excited. Lin was more than delighted to point out that last color and emotional pairing to him, and Train cursed his Tao ability for this unwanted gift.

Lin took this chance when no one seemed to be paying attention to make a move on his crush, seeing as he hadn't pushed him off yet. He slid his hands up Train's stomach and chest, stopping at his shoulders and wrapping them around his neck again. He saw Train was refusing to look at him, but knew the blush meant he enjoyed how it felt and nuzzled his face against the Black Cat's cheek.

"Just relax and enjoy the sensations…" Lin purred in his ear and Train felt himself turning an even brighter shade of red.

When he felt Lin's lips against his cheek, Train decided that was enough and pushed him up again. The cat glared at the number as he hovered above him, making sure Lin couldn't reach him as he spoke.

"Control yourself, Number X."

Lin frowned at him and dropped his head. "You are so mean…"

Train hardened his glare. "And you are outrageously inappropriate. Now get off."

The number smiled mischievously at him again, but did not make a move to get off. "But we were having so much fun..."

The Black Cat narrowed his eyes. "No, you were having fun. I was being molested. How many times do I have to tell you to get off?"

Lin seemed to ponder that a second, then smirked. "Maybe at least three more times."

Train felt his eye twitch and was about to shove him off when he saw the number being pulled up by the arm by someone else.

"Train said get off, so that means get off." There was a hidden anger behind Creed's voice as he spoke, as if he didn't want Train to know he was mad even though it was clearly evident on his face.

Lin looked at Creed strangely, then rolled his eyes and yanked his arm away from the swordsman. "You're always ruining my fun…"

Train watched as Lin walked away and towards Rinslet and Kyoko who were working on opening another filing cabinet. The number decided to start going through some documents on his own, checking to see what was there before he let the sweepers take anything to give to the police. Whenever paperwork was involved, he always made sure to see if there was anything that would be of interest to Chronos before handing it over.

Train laid back down for a second, covering his face with his hands to rid himself of the lingering warmth. He felt this feeling before so he understood some of what it meant, but it was still different than when he had romantic feelings. This made it hard for him to decipher and therefore know how to handle it.

It's similar, but different. I just wish I could make heads or tails of it.

"Are you okay, Train?"

The Black Cat removed his hands from his face and opened his eyes to see his ex-partner giving him a concerned look.

"I'm fine, Creed. How about you? When I walked in, I saw you hit that wall pretty hard." Train gestured to the wall in question.

Creed felt his eyes widen, then blushed in embarrassment as he looked away from his beloved. "Yeah… I was… distracted…"

Train rolled his eyes and took the hand Creed was offering him to help him stand up, straightening his clothes once he was on his feet. He didn't need to know what he was distracted by, so he didn't question it. The swordsman would often get distracted on their missions whenever Train made eye contact, so he didn't know why this time would have been any different.

It's my fault, really. Especially since we're not as close as we once were, he must take any attention I give him to sustain himself for weeks.

Smirking, he instead decided to spare the man's shame by patting him on the back kindly and smiling cheekily at him. He also hoped the gesture would make him feel a little better after having to witness Lin try to kiss him.

I know he saw it. I can tell by the look on his face.

Train made sure to make eye contact again, so Creed knew he was being sincere with his words. "Thanks for working around my inability to follow a plan."

Creed blinked at his cat in confusion, then smiled when he knew what he was talking about. "I told Sven it wasn't going to work. I told him you'd get bored and go charging in anyway."

And I told him pairing my Kitten with Kyoko and Lin would only hasten his boredom. He was losing his mind with the two of them constantly fighting over him. I understand why Sven thought this plan would work, but he really needs to learn Train will do what he wants at the end of the day.

Creed swooned when his love patted his shoulder, resisting the urge to sink to Lin and Kyoko's level by embracing him.

His free spirit is just one of the many reasons I love him so much…

In the last four months Creed had noticed Train warming up to him a little more. The fact that he just willingly touched him and looked him in the eyes was proof of that. While his beloved didn't trust him fully and still occasionally needed time away from him, Train was definitely coming around slowly This was actually the first time they were able to be teamed together on a sweep. For every other mission, Sven made sure Train would have no interaction with the silver man, knowing the cat wouldn't be able to stand being next to him for that long.

But this time, not only was he able to tolerate me, but I was actually the only one he could tolerate.

He was also really happy to be teamed with Train again not just because he missed working with him and always wanted to be near him, but because he was able to be a buffer for his cat and his admirers. Creed saw how attached to his beloved Number X was and he did not like it one bit. Lin was always making sure to be extra close to Train and what hurt Creed more was his love's reactions.

It's like he wants the attention, but he also doesn't. His eyes can't hide it either…

While Lin may have been the first one to voice Train's color change in his eyes, Creed had noticed it long before the number did. Creed also knew Lin wasn't entirely correct in his assessment of what his cat's eye colors meant. He was right about the blue and white emotions, since those were the two colors Creed painachingly noticed he saw the most, but he wasn't entirely right about the orange-red. With the endless knowledge he had of his love and all the studying he had done on Train's beautiful eyes over the years and the last four months, Creed was able to work out that red was his passion coming through and orange was his happiness.

That's why it hurts so much to see those colors coming out when Lin flirts with him… I can't handle watching him develop feelings for someone else. It hurts too much.

It didn't look like Train was falling for the number just yet, but Creed was scared it was only a matter of time. He couldn't ignore his cat's bright blushes whenever Lin became overly affectionate or that fact that it took Train a few times of the man touching him to tell him to stop. Whether Train wanted to admit it or not, there was a part of him that was attracted to Lin in some manner, and Creed felt like dying.

I've cried myself to sleep almost every night over it. I know he doesn't belong to me, but it hurts so much to watch… Why can't Lin at least be sensitive to my feelings?

Kyoko was no better, but Train was very clearly not interested. She was a kid, after all, so her advances bothered him less. And while Train did try to spare his feelings every so often, moments like what just happened were occurring more and more and Creed didn't know how he would handle it if they started a relationship.

I know how I have to handle it though… I have to be happy for my Kitten… I want him to be happy and if that ends up making him happy… Then I'll support it. I only pulled Lin away just now because Train told him to get off and he wasn't.

And that was the only time he ever stepped in. He always made sure to check in with Train to see if he was okay, and whenever his cat said he was, he would back off. But, moments like that when he was being clear about what he wanted and it was going ignored, Creed was the first to step in and put a stop to it.

But… How much longer is he going to push Lin away? Am I really going to have to watch him fall in love with someone else…?

Creed felt his eyes swell up and swallowed thickly as he watched his cat get yelled at by Sven for not following the plans. He chuckled sadly when Train started laughing at the green haired sweeper's flustered face, obviously saying something that set the older man off and caused his beloved endless joy. These were the moments Creed lived for now. The moments when he could see his Kitten be happy and laugh as if life had never done him any wrong. As if Creed had never caused him an unforgivable pain and he was living life freely and normally.

If he falls for someone else, I need to be happy for him… Whatever makes Train happy will make me happy… No matter how much it hurts…

"Train… I think you'll want to look at this."

Creed was jolted out of his sad thought and wiped away a few tears as he heard Lin call his beloved over to him. The silver man frowned when Train walked over to the number as the shorter man put his arm around his love's shoulder and leaned close to his face again. Creed clutched his chest painfully when he saw Train's face blush brightly again and saw a bit of red flash across his glorious, golden eyes.

I love him so much… So I have to be happy for him. I have to support whatever he wants…

Creed's heart skipped a beat when Train looked up at him and waved for him to come over. He practically ran to his beloved, subconsciously positioning himself between Lin and Train, hoping to separate the two at least a little. He was only half aware of the angry look he gave the number, then turned adoring eyes back to Train.

"Yes, Train?" Creed resisted the urge to pout in his Kitten's face, needing the man's attention more than anything else to soothe his aching heart.

Lin tossed the swordsman a glare. "There's no need to be so close."

Creed returned his glare with one of his own. "I could say the same thing to you…"

Train rolled his eyes at the men. There were entirely too many interactions like this shared between them and he was getting sick of it. There were moments they practically fought over Train, which he always made sure to walk away from since they made him extremely uncomfortable.

But I can't avoid it right now. This is too important.

"Just look at the papers I'm holding…" Train's voice was strained as he spoke, hoping his ex-lover would hear it and know he was being serious.

Creed put sorrowful eyes on his love, regretting what he said and angry at himself for allowing his jealousy to come out in front of Train. He didn't apologize, though, since he knew Train hated it when he did that. His eyes went from his beloved to the documents he was being offered. Creed took them and read them quickly, flipping through a few pages and feeling his eyes widening the more he read.

He turned to Train who had the same look he did and spoke quickly. "Allie Hue is working with the Apostles?"

Train nodded slowly. "She started supplying them with weapons and members three months ago…"

Creed frowned again and looked through a few more pages. "That means-"

"-That means these papers are now the property of Chronos." Lin reached across his crush and took the papers from Creed rather roughly. He then put an arm on Train's shoulder, winked at him and gently took the papers from him. "Sorry, Sweetness, it's part of the job."

Creed growled quietly and balled his hands into fists at the man for calling his love that name. He had started doing it more and more recently, and it broke his heart to hear every time.

Especially since I can't call my Kitten by the pet name I gave him…

Train sighed in frustration at the number. "Come on, Lin! Don't we deserve to know what they're up to as well? Creed and I are targets of the Apostles' after all."

Lin shrugged his shoulders and placed the papers in his jacket pocket. "Sorry, Sephiria's orders are to obtain any information on the Apostles I can."

"I thought your orders were to babysit me?" Creed narrowed his eyes at the number, not liking the sweet voice he used on Train even when stating facts.

Lin rolled his eyes at the ex-assassin's jealous tone. "And ever since we started finding more information about them through our sweeps, she added that to the list."

Recently, the group had been tracking down criminals who had some affiliation with the Tao group and Lin was sure to report everything to his leader. This worked in his favor as well since his orders were now to be around Train and Creed pretty much all the time. He hadn't even been called away on another mission for three months which gave him all the time in the world to try and woo his crush.

Train sighed and looked Lin in the eyes, trying to give him a puppy dog looks in hope that would get him somewhere. "Come on, can't we at least have a copy? Please?"

Lin bit his lip and tried to ignore how cute the cat was being right now. He knew what he was trying to do and he couldn't let it work. If he started to let his feelings for Train persuade him, Sephiria would pull him out faster than he could blink and all the months of work he put into winning the man over would be thrown out the window.

Number X swallowed back a moan and shook his head. "No. I can't. You know how Sephiria is…"

He was hoping putting the blame on Number One would make Train take those cursed adorable eyes off him, but it didn't. "We already gave you the documents Creed had about Aja. Can't you throw us a bone?"

Lin cocked his eyebrow at his crush. "Why do you want to know so much about what they're up to?"

"He told you already. They're after both of us. We should know what they're up to." Creed spoke in an irritated tone.

Train glanced at him quickly, making sure Creed saw the smirk on his face before he turned his sad eyes back on the number. Creed had to work hard not to swoon again when his love gave him attention, knowing Lin couldn't know why Train gave him that look. It was true that the Apostles were after them and they wanted to know what their plans were for that reason, but the bigger reason they wanted to know what was going on with their former comrades was because they still planned on going after them.

But, Lin doesn't know that. We only gave him the documents on Aja after we made copies to keep for ourselves. My Kitten has even been able to distract Lin long enough so I could snap a few pictures of other documents on my phone before we handed them over to him.

This was a secret only he and his beloved had and Creed was going to cling to it with all his might. The rest of their team knew, but they didn't bother Creed as long as Lin was kept in the dark. Train told him they couldn't tell Lin they planned on taking the Apostles down since he knew Chronos was still watching the two of them. The Black Cat mentioned their plans the night Lin first arrived, but Train were able to brush that off as a hypothetical situation. Lucky for them, Lin believed him and didn't bring it up again. Now, whenever they showed an interest, they were able to say it was because they wanted to be ready when the Tao group came for them.

Which still is true, so we're not actually lying to him. Just not telling him the whole truth.

Lin felt himself beginning to cave at the look Train was giving him and Creed smirked. He knew that look his beloved was giving the number all too well. Train had used it on him many times and Creed always caved. It was impossible to look into his dazzling eyes and not want to give Train everything he wanted. Creed fell for it time and time again and knew he would continue to lose that battle for the rest of his life.

And now it's only a matter of time before Line caves as well. I guess there is something good about Lin's feelings for my cat. He's been able to use them against him more than Number X realizes.

"Come on, Lin… Please? Just let us read a little bit?" Train didn't break eye contact with him, knowing this had worked before.

Number X glared at the cat, then sighed deeply as he rubbed his eyes. "You play dirty, Black Cat…" As Train pouted at him, he smirked as an idea occurred to him. "How about this… We can read these papers together over dinner." Lin looked at Creed as he spoke to Train. "Just the two of us."

Train blinked at the man. "What?"

Lin looked back and Train, the devious smile back on his face. "You heard me. Take me on a date and we can go over these documents together."

Train felt himself blush then shook his head. "That seems inappropriate…"

"Oh, and flashing those beautifully persuasive eyes at me is? Don't pretend you haven't used my feelings for you to get what you want. All I'm doing is actually getting what I want for all the times you've manipulated me."

Train narrowed his eyes at the man, angry he had been able to figure out what he was doing. "Does it have to be called a date?"

Lin nodded. "Yup! If you don't call it a date, then you don't get a glimpsed at these." He patted the pocket he put the papers in, still smiling impishly at him.

Creed watched his love with wide eyes, holding his breath during this whole conversation so he wouldn't scream at the number for asking Train on a date right in front of him. He could feel his heart racing and his face paling with each word they shared. It took every bit of his strength not to throw himself at Lin and strangle him until he passed out so he would stop trying to bend his beloved to his will.

I know Train isn't any better, but I don't care! Lin needs to learn when no means no!

This wasn't the first time Lin tried to get Train to go on a date with him, but this was the first time he did it so blatantly and in front of Creed. This was worse than watching the number flirt with his cat, especially since it was starting to look like Train was about to say yes.

Please, Train… Don't do this to me…

Train continued staring at Lin and the number pulled out the papers again, waving them in the Black Cat's face. "Come on, Sweetness, it's just one date. I'm not asking you to fall in love with me. I'm just asking for one night alone and then I'll let you read this and the other documents I have stashed away in my hotel room…"

As much as he wanted to stay with Train at their hideouts, Sephiria wouldn't allow it. He invited his crush back to his room on multiple occasions, but he was always shot down. This time, however, he had leverage, so maybe he could finally get the cat to agree to his offer.

Train looked at Lin, then sighed in defeat and ran his fingers through his hair. "Fine. One date and that's it. And don't think into it."

Lin smirked brightly and gave Train a huge hug. "Wonderful! I already know where we can go! I'll make a reservation for tonight."

Train made a strangled noise as the number squeezed him. "Tonight?! So soon?!"

Number X pulled away and smiled as he patted the cat's cheek. "Yes. I need to get these to Sephiria quickly, so if you want to look at them, it needs to be sooner rather than later."

With that, he blew Train a kiss and turned on his heels. He waved to the other sweepers as he left the building, jumping out through the window he and Creed used to enter in order to attack from behind due to the Black Cat's inability to follow directions. The rest of their group looked at him in confusion, not sure why he was leaving when they weren't done yet. Sven, Eve, and Rinslet were gathered around a different filing cabinet, grabbing whatever documents they could and stuff them into a bag.

Train felt everyone looking at him for an explanation and addressed his friends. "Sorry, Sven, but Lin took some documents we can't hand over to the police. They're about the Apostles."

The green sweeper widened his eyes then looked at the papers he was stuffing in a bag. "Does that mean we need to look through all of these?!"

Train frowned. "Everything Hue had on them was probably in this cabinet, but yeah, we should check again just to be sure."

And maybe that will get me out of this date…

He turned around to start this task and blinked when he saw Creed had already gotten started. Train knew the swordsman was a speed reader and he already got through quite a large stack since Lin had left. Train looked at his former partner's face and frowned.

I guess he pieced together the same thing I did just now…

There were evident tears in Creed's eyes and his whole demeanor had turned into that of a puppy who had just been kicked in the stomach by its owner. He could see the silver man's hands shaking as he read through the documents, cursing occasionally when he read they had nothing to do with the Apostles.

Train frowned, feeling sorry for the man for having to witness that. It couldn't have been easy for Creed to watch his ex-lover agree to a date right in front of him. Especially when Train knew Creed couldn't object. The swordsman had gotten much better in making sure he didn't make selfish claims on him, so watching something Train knew broke his heart beyond repair must have been harder than he could imagine.

And I can't say I don't have sympathy for him… He's been getting better recently and the fact that he is handling it this well is proof of that.

The Creed from Chronos would have gone into a jealous rage and the Creed from two years ago would have become possessive instantly. Instead, he was actually keeping his mouth shut and getting to work without question. He didn't try to guilt Train or even give him a sad look. Instead of reacting in an unstable way, Creed had buried himself in the busy work Train knew they needed to get done.

Train sighed and kneeled next to Creed, grabbing a stack of papers the silver man had not gotten to yet. He kept looking at his former lover, just to make sure he was okay and not about to lose it. There were still tears in his eyes, which tugged at Train's heartstrings a little and made him want to say something to make him feel better.

"Creed… It doesn't mean anything… I'm just going to find out information you know we need…"

Creed did his best to smile, but did not look at him. "It's okay, Train. You don't owe me an explanation. I just don't want you to have to do something you don't want to do…"

Train nodded slowly at the man, letting his eyes fall away from Creed as he read through some papers. During that time, the swordsman managed to look at his beloved and felt his heart shatter even more.

"Unless, that is… You do want to go on a date with him…?"

Train looked up at Creed, blushing as he made eye contact, not sure what to say to that. Seeing that crushed look in his blue eyes made Train's heart drop to his feet. The cat shook his head quickly, not sure why he wanted to make sure Creed knew he didn't want to do that.

"N-no, I don't. If I did, I would have agreed to it much longer ago."

Creed didn't seem convinced, but tried to smile at his love nonetheless. "Then let's get to work so you don't have to."

Train nodded at the man, then looked over his shoulder at the other sweepers. Kyoko didn't seem to be paying attention or working hard to help her friends look through the documents and Train chuckled, finding it ironic that the other person who wouldn't want him to go on a date with Lin didn't seem to know what was going on. Wanting to make Creed feel better and knowing the swordsman didn't have as much against the teen anymore, Train elbowed Creed and gestured towards Kyoko.

"Do you think we should tell her what happened so she'll actually help out?"

Creed felt his heart beat faster at the small contact his love gave him, then looked over at the teen and giggled along with his love. "I mean, would she help or hurt our cause? She might be so desperate to stop this thing that she'll destroy the papers or misread something."

Even though he was enjoying joking with his beloved, he didn't want to say the word 'date' in regards to Train and Lin's predicament. That would only give life to the idea that the man he loved was going to be in an intimate situation with someone else and his heart wasn't ready to accept that yet.

Even though it's going to happen… None of these papers have any mention of the Apostles on it…

Train laughed at the man and patted his back playfully. "You're right! She's better off twirling alone in the corner than reading important papers."

Creed's heart skipped another beat at the contact his love gave him, happy to see it was starting to get easier for Train to touch and joke around with him. He looked over his shoulder at the girl who seemed to be doing exactly as Train had said.

"Did you say that because that's what's happening, or because that's in character for her?"

Train followed Creed's eyes to the corner where Kyoko was indeed twirling around like an idiot, humming about him happily as she bumped into a wall and glared at the object. The Black Cat laughed again, this time falling to the side and leaning his face slightly into Creed's shoulder, using the other man for support during his hysterical fit.

"What is she doing?! Does she even know where she is right now?!"

Creed sighed blissfully at the contact his love was giving him, delighted beyond belief that Train had become comfortable enough with him again to joke around with him like this. He had a feeling his cat didn't know he was pressed against him, but Creed wasn't going to stop him. Four months ago, Train could barely stand to have a conversation with him, let alone laugh and lean on him.

It's a small step, but… It's a step nonetheless. I know he'll never forgive me and he'll never fully trust me, but… It looks like we can at least be friends again…

And if that was all he could get from Train, he could handle it. It might even be enough to get him through watching his Kitten fall in love with someone else. Creed's heart ached at the thought, but if that meant he could see his beloved happy like this again, if he could have a friendly relationship with him again, he would survive.

As long as he's happy, I'll take whatever pains life throws at me. I want my Kitten to have a happy ending… even if that's with someone else.

Despite this, Creed continued looking through the papers, hoping that maybe he could at least slow the process down, just so he could ready himself for the inevitable heartbreak. While he couldn't stop his beloved from falling for someone else, he could at least prep his heart for the pain. He had no claims to Train's heart, but he did have at least somewhat of a say in what happened with his. Creed couldn't control what his heart wanted, but he could at least ready it to be mangled once again.

Creed looked over at his beloved who was still laughing against his shoulder, smiling warmly as he cherished the contact his beloved was okay with giving him. He couldn't help but think about how adorable Train looked as his laughter died down to a chuckle slowly.

And in the meantime… I'll take whatever my love is gracious enough to give me. No matter how much the future may hurt…

---

"Aren't you going out?" Rinslet asked Train as he stepped out of his room and into the living room, taking a heavy seat on the couch next to Eve.

Train glanced at her as he opened his phone to check his messages. He was still hoping Lin was going to cancel for whatever reason, but he had a feeling that wasn't going to be happening. The only thing he received from the man was the restaurant they were supposed to meet at which only made Train frown and put his phone away.

"Yes…" Train's voice was weak as he spoke to the thief.

Rinslet made a strange face as she eyed the cat up and down. "Is that seriously what you're wearing?"

Train cocked an eyebrow at her and looked himself up and down, not sure what was wrong with his outfit. "Um… Yes?"

Rinslet rolled her eyes. "Isn't it a date?"

Train grimaced at the use of that word and rubbed his face with his hands. "That's what he wants me to call it… But I'm just going to read those documents he got from the sweep today. That's all."

Rinslet smirked at the small blush on Train's face. "Are you sure that's all…?"

The Black Cat growled at her and folded his arms across his chest. "Yes. I'm positive."

He really was sure of that. He knew whatever attraction he felt for Lin wasn't romantic. While Train still was confused with whatever was going on with his emotions towards the number, he knew it wasn't the same as whatever Lin felt for him. He also knew he wasn't looking forward to tonight.

I really just want to get this over with so I can read those documents and come back home.

"Either way, don't you think you should wear something other than what you wear pretty much every day? For his sake at least?" Rinslet, took a sip of her coffee as she spoke to Train.

The cat sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "No, I don't. Besides, I don't own much else than this and I don't like buying clothes…"

Rinslet groaned in frustration at him. "Could you at least not wear that jacket? It's hideous!"

Train glared at her. "First of all, it's not hideous, it's cool. Second, considering the ex-number XIII and the current Number X are going to be in public, I think it's better if I wear this in case we are attacked."

He didn't wear the jacket just because he liked it. He also wore it to protect himself from his own Tao ability.

Rinslet sighed at the cat's stubbornness. "Then at least wear something nicer underneath. A plain white shirt and blue pants are not date worthy."

Train hit the arm of the couch with his fist as he continued glowering at her. "I told you I'm only going for the paperwork on the Apostles. Dinner is just a caveat to that."

Rinslet narrowed her eyes at the cat. "Still, I think you should change. Who knows, something could change tonight."

Train sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Why are you pushing this so hard?"

The last few weeks Rinslet had begun to take more interest in his relationship with Lin. There were even a few times Train swore she was helping the number out, which he did not appreciate at all. He and Number X were just friends by proxy, since he needed to stick around due to Creed.

Although, I'm pretty sure that's just an excuse to be near me. He's made that pretty clear.

Rinslet shrugged her shoulders. "I think you guys would be cute together. Sue me."

Train groaned in annoyance and slumped on the couch. "Shoot me now…"

Eve looked up from her book at Train and Rinslet, then continued with her reading. "Why does it matter what Train wears?" She didn't want to agree with Train, but she also didn't understand why his clothes mattered.

Rinslet smiled kindly at the girl. "Because you're supposed to dress up when you go on a date."

"It's not technically a date…" Train reiterated.

Eve nodded in understanding. "Do you dress up when you go out with Jenos?"

Rinslet's face turned a bright red and Train laughed merrily at her then smirked at her and spoke between bits of laughter. "Yeah, Rins, do you dress up for Jenos?"

She turned a glare onto the cat, not happy to see how much enjoyment he got out of her discomfort. "Shut up…"

Eve looked between the two of them, not sure what was so funny and getting a little annoyed at the situation. "Do you really think Lin will care what Train's wearing? He seems to like him even when he's a mess."

Train's laughter stopped and Rinslet's began as the cat made a strangled noise and annoyed face. The thief smirked at the cat and leaned her elbow on the dining table she sat next to.

"That's a good point, Eve. Lin is quite infatuated with our ungroomed cat. He could probably go naked and-" Rinslet stopped herself, then smirked even wider at Train. "Actually, I think he'd prefer if you went naked…"

Train threw a pillow from the couch at her, ignoring the blush on his face as he glared at the woman. "DROP IT, RINSLET!"

Creed walked into the room at that moment and watched as his beloved threw a pillow at Rinslet. He looked at Train who was blushing wildly, then at the thief who was laughing hysterically. Creed frowned and decided to voice his concern.

"What's so funny?" He asked the woman, but kept his eyes on his cat who was looking quite bothered by something.

Rinslet wiped her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself down. "Just messing with Train about his date with Lin."

"I told you it's not technically a date! I'm just trying to get information from him…" Train sunk lowered on the couch, trying to hide from his embarrassment.

"Oh…" Creed said, his voice trailing off as he held back a disappointed sigh.

Creed had been spending the rest of the day trying not to think about it. After they looked through everything else and didn't find anything about the Apostles, Creed almost cried right on the spot. That meant his love was going to have to go out with Lin and Creed had a feeling that was going to be the beginning of the end for him. Even if Train didn't fall for him tonight, he thought it was only a matter of time.

If Lin can get my Kitten to agree to one date, he can get him to agree to another…

Needing a change of subject before he started crying, Creed asked a different question. "Where is Sven?"

Eve turned a page in her book as she answered his question. "Sven went to hand in the documents and collect the reward."

Creed gave her a confused look and sat in the armchair that was next to his beloved on the couch. "This late? Why didn't he go sooner? We finished hours ago."

Eve nodded. "Yes, but it took us a long time to put them back in order. After we went through to make sure there was nothing else about the Apostles, Sven wanted to put them back in order so the police didn't know we looked at them."

Creed nodded in understanding. "Why didn't you ask the rest of us to help?"

"Probably because he knew Rinslet and Train would decline and you didn't really... seem to be in the right mind space…" Eve added that last part weakly, not wanting to set the man off again.

Creed frowned and glanced at his cat, knowing exactly what she meant. He didn't say a word on their way home from the mission and would barely look at anyone, even his cat. When they got home Creed locked himself in his room so he could finally cry in hopes that it would make him feel better. It only worked a little since all that happened was he had cried himself to sleep and was no longer able to shed any more tears. The only reason he came out was to get a glass of water so he could hydrate and go back to cry some more.

Not to mention I was going to try and find another pillow to cry into. I was trying to keep quiet so as not to make my Kitten uncomfortable, but now my pillow is completely soaked.

Creed took a deep breath as he forced his eyes away from his love and asked another question. "What about Kyoko?" He was surprised she wasn't there throwing a tantrum for the same thing he had been sobbing over the last five hours.

"Sven took her with him so she wouldn't be here when Train left. She still doesn't know about the date." Rinslet added, making sure she could see the cat for his reaction.

Train threw a second pillow at her. "How many times do I have to tell you?! I'm-"

"-I know, I know, you're only going for the information. But, let's not take love off the table, huh, Black Cat?" Rinslet smirked at the cat as she stepped into the kitchen to refill her tea.

Train growled loudly and yelled at the woman. "SHUT UP, RINSLET!"

Creed felt his body tremble slightly from a sob he held back and shook himself to prevent another one from coming out in front of his beloved. He decided to try and channel his sadness into a bit of anger at the thief, since that seemed to be what his beloved was doing.

"What are you doing here anyway, Rinslet? Doesn't Sven usual just wire you the money?" Creed looked at her through the corner of his eye, once more hoping to get the subject off his love's date and onto something else.

Rinslet nodded. "That's true, but since Train is leaving for his date-"

"-Not technically a date!" Train added as he glared at her from the couch.

"-He wanted me to stick around and watch Eve. Since he doesn't know what he or Train will be back."

"Oh…" Creed felt a little sad at that. He knew that meant Sven still didn't trust him to be alone with Eve, which is why he asked the thief to stick around.

Eve frowned at Creed's sad face, knowing he was taking hit after hit today. She wished there was something she could do to make him feel better, but she couldn't think of anything.

I wish Sven would learn to trust him a bit more. I actually think I'd prefer Creed watching me to Rinslet or Train.

She cared about both of them, but Creed was quieter and a bit more subdued. They would usually sit and read together, which Eve enjoyed. Rinslet and Train were too loud and always trying to get her to do something more than just read. It was nice when it was just her and Creed, but even when they were alone in the same room, there was someone else in the house that was ready to jump in and protect her just in case.

I don't understand why they think he'll hurt me. He never has. Even when he was at his worst he never laid a finger on me. He even had the chance to once and chose not to.

Eve grabbed a book from the coffee table and stretched her arm across Train to hand it to Creed. "I found this book at the library yesterday. I think you'd enjoy it."

Creed blinked at her hand, then looked at her. "You finished it already?"

Eve nodded. "Yes. It's good, trust me."

He stared at her for a moment, then nodded his head, grateful for the girl always having his back. "Thank you, Eve."

Train was able to come out of his misery and embarrassment enough to hear the interaction between Creed and Eve. It was then that he was able to notice what a mess his ex-partner was. He frowned as he took Creed's figure in, seeing how slumped and broken he was, the tear stains on his cheeks and how sunken in his eyes were. The cat felt a pang of guilt mixed with pity as he looked at the man, knowing he had been crying non-stop since they got home. He tried to ignore it, but there was no way he couldn't hear how hurt the silver man was.

And again, I can't blame him. Rinslet isn't helping by reminding us of the date every three seconds. It also doesn't help to be reminded Sven isn't comfortable enough around Creed to let him babysit Eve.

Train wished the green haired sweeper trusted Creed a little more, but he also understood where Sven was coming from. Train also wasn't totally trusting of Creed yet, even after all these months of working next to him again. However, he could feel that changing slowly. He was starting to trust Creed a little more every day which surprised him.

He really has started to show a change himself. I haven't had to stop him from killing anyone and he's actually been quite gentle with the sweeps we take in. And he's generally been nicer to everyone and just over all calm.

Creed was almost a completely different person and had proven that on many of their sweeps. He looked out for not just Train, but the rest of the people in their groups. He had taken many hits for all of them, including Lin who Train knew he absolutely hated.

Not to mention Lin is completely capable of taking care of himself and Creed knows that. He's also protected them from harm even when he knew there was no way I could see it. I just always make sure to always have an eye on him, so I can see if he's having a change in his thought process.

That was becoming clearer and clearer every day. Train could see a shift in his mind and he could see it even now at the realization that Sven still didn't trust him to watch Eve alone. Creed genuinely looked sad at that thought and Train felt bad for him. Especially because he could tell there was an unspoken bond between him and the small girl. Eve was the most forgiving and understanding of the group, so out of everyone in it, beside Train, she was the last person Creed would ever want to hurt.

Creed wouldn't hurt the one person around him that truly trusted him from day one. He wouldn't want to lose that bond. But… I do think I'm starting to trust him more. It's almost like a light is starting to switch in his mind. Like he's coming out of a long, drug induced state. As if we're starting to see the real Creed.

Overall his personality hadn't changed. He still enjoyed his various forms of art, even if he couldn't pursue them like he used to, and he still had the same sense of humor and tastes in clothes and food. Creed was still fairly laid back and intelligent, but also very polite and charming. In general, the man he had known for nearly his entire adult life was the same man, but… different.

Like he's able to actually be himself without restraints. As if there was something holding him back before and it's finally worn off and Creed can breathe for the first time.

Whatever was happening, Train liked it and hoped it would keep going. This was the Creed he was hoping would come out because he liked this Creed. This was the man he knew was there deep down and was happy to see had come out over the last four months. While he still didn't know if he could ever fully trust the man nor did he think he could ever get over what he did or what happened between them, but he was getting more comfortable with the idea that he wouldn't ever do it again.

And who knows, maybe I could get to the point of calling him a friend again. I definitely at least care enough to want to spare his feelings about Lin.

Train patted Creed's knee to bring him out of his sad stupor. He had started reading the book Eve gave him, but Train could tell he was having a hard time concentrating on it. Creed jumped a little and looked at his beloved, feeling his heart melt as he gazed into those palliative, golden eyes he adored more than life itself.

Train smiled kindly, hoping this would be enough to make him feel a little better. "It's just for information, Creed. Nothing more."

Creed returned his kind smile with a warm one. "I told you before, Train, you don't owe me an explanation. I just want you to be happy and I hope you have fun tonight with Lin."

His last words came out between chokes and Creed could tell he was about to cry again. He closed his book and stood from the armchair, looking away from his beloved as he took a deep, shaky breath to prevent himself from crying.

"I-I'm gonna read this outside. It's nice out."

Train frowned at him as he left, feeling guilty again knowing he was hurting the silver man.

That's another change in feeling, I guess. Four months ago, I actually enjoyed seeing him get hurt. Now… it kind of bothers me.

"Train, don't you need to leave?"

The cat turned to look at Eve who was staring in the direction Creed had left. Train saw the pity in her eyes as well and was happy to know there was at least one other person in the house who cared enough about Creed to not want him to be hurt. The gunman sighed and stood up.

"Yeah, I guess so…"

He knew he could flash to the restaurant, but Lin was probably already waiting and the sooner her got going, the sooner it would be over. He waved bye to the girls in the room and headed towards the door.

"Remember, Train! Don't give away too much on the first date!"

Train tossed Rinslet an angry look as he opened the door and slammed it shut behind him, then they heard a rumble of thunder, signaling Train had left. Eve's eyes were still on the back door where Creed had exited, frowning when she could hear distinct sobs coming from behind the door.

"I feel bad…" She said when she heard Creed curse at himself for being so upset.

Rinslet looked at her, then towards the door. It took her a second, but she finally heard the same thing Eve did and sighed. "He knows how Train feels. He can't expect him to hold back any potential new relationships for his sake."

Eve looked at the thief. "He's not stopping Train from doing anything, but we can't expect him to not be hurt by it. As his friends, I think we should do something to make him feel better."

Rinslet cocked an eyebrow at her. "Are we really friends with him?"

Eve nodded. "Yes. It's a strange friendship, but a friendship nonetheless." She stood from her chair and left her book on the couch as she headed towards the door. "I'm gonna go talk to him."

Rinslet watched her go and sighed as she put her tea down. She couldn't deny she felt bad as well, even though she was happy Train had finally taken Lin up on his offer and she actually kind of hoped something more would come of it. The thief stepped into the doorway and watched as Eve took a seat next to Creed on the bench that rested there. His back was facing the door and he didn't seem to notice either of them at first.

Eve gave Creed a couple seconds to notice her, then finally put her small hand on his back. Creed jumped and turned around quickly, wiping his eyes subtly as he tried to catch his breath.

"E-Eve… I-I'm sorry I didn't see you there." He cursed himself for being caught while being so weak.

Even sighed and patted his back. "It's okay, Creed… We understand how you feel. You don't need to hide it."

Creed blinked at her. "We?" That was when he noticed Rinslet leaning on the door frame behind Eve and he cursed himself again and looked away.

Pathetic! You're so pathetic! Crying over a man you have no claims to. You should just be happy that he's happy.

"Did… Did Train leave?" As much as he wanted his beloved to stay, he also didn't want Train to walk out and catch him like this as well.

"Yes."

Eve's words were a stab to his heart, but a relief to know his cat wouldn't see him crying.

"G-good… I hope he has fun…"

Rinslet rolled her eyes. "No you don't and we don't expect you to."

Creed glanced at the thief, then looked back at the ground where he had dropped the book Eve gave him. "I thought you wanted Train and Lin to get together…"

He had known that for a while. The woman was constantly pushing Train onto Lin as if Number X were the last man on Earth and there was nothing Creed could do about it. He could only watch painfully as Rinslet tried to play matchmaker with the assassin and his Kitten.

Rinslet sighed. "That doesn't mean I don't acknowledge that it hurts you. I just want to see Train happy, but I also don't want to see you hurt."

Creed sighed and dropped his head in his hands. "I do too… But it seems his happiness will be my undoing…"

"Stop being so dramatic, Creed. Train is his own person who can do whatever he wants to be happy." Rinslet mentally slapped herself and sighed deeply. "Sorry… That came out wrong. What I mean is-"

"-What can we do to help, Creed?" Eve interrupted before Rinslet could say anything else. She knew the older woman was trying to help, but so far she had only made matters worse.

Creed looked at Rinslet, then Eve and shrugged his shoulders. "The only thing that would make me feel better is the one thing that, as Rinslet said, I have no rights to."

The thief sighed in frustration. "That's not what I-"

"-You've been in this situation before, right?" Eve interrupted again, giving the thief a warning look. "What did you do back then? When you and Train were in Chronos together?"

Eve knew Creed had loved Train for years now, so there must have been something he used to cope with their one-sided relationship. She couldn't imagine loving someone for that long and that deeply without having something to occupy your mind from the pain.

Creed looked at the small girl and tried to think. A thought occurred to him and he slumped further into the bench. "There is something… But I don't see how that could happen…"

"What is it?" Eve pushed. "As long as it doesn't involve Train, we can at least see what we can do."

Creed looked at his hands and smiled wistfully. "Back when I would long for Train, but knew there was nothing I could do to have him… I would take my heartache out on the piano…"

Eve blinked. "The piano?"

Creed nodded. "Yes. It was the best way I could let my emotions out without forcing them onto Train. It… soothes me… I miss it so much, but… There's no way we'd ever be able to afford a piano…"

Eve frowned and felt her heart drop for the man. "You're right…"

Rinslet looked at the two of them and sighed. "I… Actually think I might be able to help with that…"

The both looked at her curiously and the thief smiled warmly at Creed. "Get your coat. We're going out on our own little date."

---

Train groaned as he checked his phone again, reading Lin's message to make sure he had the right time and place. Although he was positive he was at the right place, considering the name of the establishment, he was beginning to question the time. It was already ten past their agreed upon time, and Train was getting ready to leave.

Alright, he's got five more minutes until I leave. I need to see those documents, but the boredom of waiting is driving me insane!

He was currently sitting on a bench outside an ironically named restaurant waiting for Number X. He sighed again and shut his phone. Train knew he was more than just bored, he was anxious. If this was really going to be considered a date, it would have technically been Train's first and he wasn't sure how he was supposed to act.

Well, there was that time with Creed… But that ended in us fighting a dinosaur, so I don't know how much it counts.

At the time, Creed was really upset that their time had been ruined and Train reassured him that he wouldn't expect anything else from their relationship. They were two ex-assassins and were running a terrorist group together. What other kind of date could they really expect to have? It would have been weirder if they actually had a normal night out on the town.

Seriously, he was being crazy for being upset about that. Did he really expect us to have a normal relationship?

As Train thought about his past he started to remember how happy he was, which then led to him remembering what happened between them and getting angry all over again. This was a vicious cycle he kept getting stuck in and also why he had a hard time staying in the same room as Creed for too long. While it had gotten better over the last four months, his brain eventually would return to what Creed did to him and how much resentment he still held against his ex-partner.

I'm trying my best to be nice and build back some form of friendship with him, but every time that starts and I feel like I might be able to move on from what he did, everything comes rushing back to me like a terrible nightmare and I'm angry at him all over again.

There were even a few times he stormed out of the room over something small that Creed said or did. He knew if the things the silver man did that made him angry came from anyone else he wouldn't have reacted nearly as negatively. But, because it was Creed, Train couldn't help but lose his temper. That night he left Creed was the worst night of his life and he could never forget it.

I really wish I could forgive him, but… I just can't. How do you forgive someone who killed your best friend and then lied about it?

Train felt his body start to spark as he thought about it again and took a deep breath to calm himself down. He hated this feeling. He hated being so inconceivably angry at someone else, but it was something he couldn't stop. Time and time again he tried, but his head and his heart wouldn't let it go.

No matter how much I wish I could… I can't deny I actually miss his company… Also the physical contact.

Train blushed a little when he thought of that, but was quickly able to push it aside. This was another reason he finally agreed to Lin's demands. He was feeling lonely especially since Creed was back in his life and acted as a constant reminder of what he once had and how good the physical aspect of their relationship was. He also knew there was at least some kind of attraction he had to Number X, so he figured he may as well give it a shot and see what came of it.

Although, I don't know this would be any different. This is still just an ex-assassin and a current Chronos number going out in public. I'm half expecting someone to attack us before we even walk in the doors.

There was also a part of him that really didn't want anything to come of it. He was still so scarred from what happened with Creed that he was positive he would never trust someone enough to let them get that close again. The cat was hoping that if they went out, Train would finally get over whatever feeling he kept having when Lin hit on him and Lin would finally back off and they could remain friends.

I'm not ready for anything romantic. Probably never will be, but I at least need to entertain these desires I keep having. It's the only way to get rid of them, right?

Despite everything else, the number one thing that remained the most important outcome of tonight was to get his hands on those papers. He wasn't lying when he told his friends that was the reason he said yes and he wasn't lying when he was trying to reassure Creed. This was the biggest reason he had agreed to this date.

Train sighed and looked at his phone again, noticing it had been five minutes. He nodded and slipped his phone back in his pocket.

"Alright, that's it, I'm outta here." Train stood up, but was stopped from leaving as a voice whined sadly.

"Aww, come on, Sweetness. For someone who is always late, you sure are impatient!"

Train turned around and saw Lin standing there, shocked to see he wasn't in disguise. He always made sure to hide himself at least a little whenever they were in public, but right now he wasn't.

His long black hair was pulled back in a ponytail so Train could see more of his face. Train knew he was a good looking guy, but he hadn't seen how young he actually looked. The gunman knew they were approximately the same age, but Lin was definitely going to age differently than everyone else. It also appeared he decided to dress up, unlike Train. Lin wore a button up maroon shirt that left the top few buttons open and black slacks. The only thing that seemed to be disguised on his was his number tattoo, which is something Train actually never went out of his way to cover up.

The Black Cat narrowed his eyes a little at the man for his comment. "I am not always late…"

Lin rolled his eyes as he approached the cat. "Name one time you were on time?"

"Right now." Train said confidently since it was true.

Lin giggled. "And I'm flattered by that, but it doesn't change that you're late every other time. I planned on you getting here late which is why I'm late."

Train looked offended at him. "Do you do that often?"

The number giggled again and winked at him. "Maybe… Although, I must say, had I known how excited you were to get our date started I would have gotten here earlier. I don't want to miss a second of this."

Train decided not to correct him. The only reason he was actually on time was he wanted to get this night started so it could end sooner. No matter how good the food was, how nice the restaurant was, or how handsome Lin looked, he still didn't want to be here.

Wait, did I just say he looked handsome?

He felt himself blush at the thought then saw a bouquet of flowers in front of his face. It wasn't roses that he had been used to getting from Creed. Instead, there was an assortment of flowers and Train blinked down at the smaller man, not sure what to do.

Lin rolled his eyes and took the cat's hand, wrapping them around the carefully picked flowers. "You're supposed to take flowers from a gentleman when they're offered."

Train open and shut his mouth a few times before he was actually able to form words. "Thank you…?"

Lin chuckled and wrapped his arms around the gunman to pull him into a hug, sighing blissfully at the contact. "You don't need to sound so unsure about it. I picked them out specifically for you. Each one represents something you make me feel."

Train felt his face go red again as he looked at the flowers. He didn't recognize any of them, but even if he did, he wouldn't know what their meaning was. He only knew how to take care of one flower and he did not see that one in the bunch and he had only ever been given roses, which he also did not see. Thinking about his knowledge of flowers was starting to bring back terrible memories, so before he started to show his discomfort in his eyes, he decided to ask the man.

"What kind of flowers are they?"

Lin pulled away and smiled up at him, pointing to each flower as he spoke about it. "These purple ones are zinnias. They are a reminder to not forget about absent friends, meaning: Don't forget about me when I'm away on Chronos missions. These blue ones are morning glories which represent affection. I think it's obvious what that one means. The white ones are sweet love, because you are just so sweet-" He paused so he could pinch Train's cheek and take a moment to enjoy his cute blush. "And the yellow ones are daffodils which represent new beginnings, which is why I hope tonight will bring."

Train stared at the man, not sure what to say in response to such a sweet sentiment of the man's feelings for him, but glanced down at the flowers and noticed there was one he missed.

"What about the red ones?"

Lin smiled at him, then winked as he took his hand to lead him into the restaurant. "Those are red tulips. Look those up after the date."

Train was about to push him for the answer, but found himself being pulled into the restaurant by the very excited and eager Number X. Once they were through the doors, Lin made sure to wrap his arm around Train's elbow, trying to make it obvious to anyone who saw them that they were on a date.

Or that we're a couple. He's clinging pretty hard to my arm.

Train wiggled his fingers to get the feeling back in them as Lin explained to the hostess they had a reservation. The young woman smiled at them both and grabbed two menus.

"Follow me and I'll show you to your table."

Lin pulled Train after the girl, the cat already starting to get tired of being dragged around. When they reached their table, the hostess gestured for them to sit, which Lin did as he smiled at Train, waiting for him to sit. Train held back a sigh and sat in his chair, placing the flowers to the side and taking the menu as the woman offered it to him.

She smiled happily at them as the men opened their menus. "I must say, you two make a very cute couple."

Train was about to protest, but Lin spoke before he could. "Thank you, miss!"

The hostess tilted her head and asked one more question before she left. "How long have you been together?"

"We're-" Train tried to get a word in before Lin could interject again, but was cut off once more.

"-This is actually our four month anniversary. We came here to celebrate!" Lin reached across the table and grabbed Train's hand, caressing the cat's fingers with his own as he smiled playfully at the golden man.

The hostess made a sweet face. "Aww, how cute! Fresh love is always the best. Someone will be here soon to serve you."

Train shot a glare at Lin and pulled his hands away. "What the hell was that crap?"

Lin pouted at Train and leaned forward a little so he could whisper. "That's how you get a free dessert, Sweetness. Just wait and see."

Train looked him up and down. "Yeah, I'm convinced that's the reason..."

Lin gave the cat an indigent look. "Not my fault if I want people to think I have such a cute man for a boyfriend."

Train felt himself blush again, angry at himself for continuing to be flustered by this man and leaned back in his chair. "Where are the documents?"

Lin sighed sadly, seeing the cat was more interested in that than their dinner. "There at my hotel room locked away. You'll get them after the date."

Train cocked an eyebrow at him. "You said we could go over them tonight."

"And we will. Do you really think I would bring classified documents to a public restaurant?"

Train thought about that, then sighed and opened his menu. "Guess that makes sense…"

Lin smiled happily at him, leaning on his hands to stare at his crush. "Besides, I wanted to make sure we could enjoy the night together before we started talking business. You don't get what you want until I get what I want."

Train threw him an annoyed look, then looked back down at his menu, noticing once more what the name of the restaurant was. "By the way, could you have picked a more ironically named restaurant?"

Lin blinked at him in mock confusion, even though he knew exactly what he had done. "What do you mean, Sweetness?"

Train cocked an eyebrow at him. "Le Chat Noir? The Black Cat? Really? I can't believe a place like this even exists!"

Lin gave him another sad look. "French food is delicious. And no, I will not pretend I didn't pick this place on purpose. I just want tonight to be memorable."

Train chuckled bitterly. "Croyez-moi, je n'oublierai jamais ce soir…" (1)

Lin smiled happily at his crush. "Si je le fais à ma manière, vous ne le ferez certainement pas."

The cat felt himself blush again, forgetting the number could speak just as many languages as he could and therefore understood exactly what he said. He was so used to Creed being the only one to understand him when he spoke another language. Eve was definitely getting better at it as well, although she seemed to focus mostly on German which Train approved of since it was his favorite language.

It's actually fun messing with Sven by talking to Creed and Eve in different languages. Even when Creed and I start getting carried away and Eve can't keep up, it's still fun.

Train shook his head to get himself to stop thinking about his ex-partner.

It's really annoying my mind keeps going back there and I know if I keep doing that, I'm going to start getting angry which I already know I can't hide from Lin.

Since Train had only ever been with Creed romantically, he couldn't help but make comparisons and think back to their relationship. However, he knew whenever he did that his mind then wandered to what happened between them and would get angry almost immediately. This was definitely not the time to think back to a part relationship and get angry over it.

Just all the more reason I'm not ready for this. I'll have to make that clear to Lin tonight.

Seeing the number kept giving him adoring looks across the table, Train decided now was better than later. It wasn't hard to tell how Lin felt and Train could see he was really getting into this date. With the flowers, the fancy restaurant, how nicely he dressed up, and already telling people they were a couple celebrating their anniversary, it was clear tonight meant a lot more to Lin than it did to Train.

And it's not right to lead him on…

"Listen, Lin-"

"-Are you ready to place your orders?"

Train was getting tired of being interrupted tonight and gave the woman a slightly annoyed look. Lin smiled at her and closed his menu.

"Yes, we'll each start with un Plateau de Fromages and Soupe à l'oignon. I'll have the Confit de canard and my boyfriend will have the boeuf bourguignon. And I can't help but notice you have The Green Fairy on your drink list?"

The waitress smirked at him. "Yes! It's made its way back to restaurants and bars as of 2011. It's become very popular among our customers."

Lin nodded and smiled back at her. "We'll each have a glass of that." He closed his menu and handed it to the woman, then took Train's from him and gave it to her as well.

The woman nodded and took the menus. "I'll be right back with your starters."

Train blinked at his hands where his menu just was, then looked up at very happy Number X.

"Just trust me on the order. You'll love it."

Train gave him a confused look. "The Green Fairy?"

"Yes!" Lin said very excited. "I haven't had it in years. It's bright-green, aniseed-flavored liquor that's famous for its hallucinatory effects, which is what gave it the nickname 'The Green Fairy." It was incredibly popular at the turn of the twentieth century, especially among Parisian writers and artists. However, absinthe's psychoactive properties got the drink regretfully banned. I'm happy it's been making a comeback the last few years."

Train didn't know much about liquor, but he recognized one of the words the Chronos number mentioned. "Absinthe? Are you trying to get me drunk? You know I don't have a high tolerance, right?"

Lin giggled and took Train's hand again, tracing the cats fingers with his own. "I figured, but we can't turn this down. We'll just order one and if you can't finish it, don't worry about it. The bill is on me tonight."

Train saw the enamored look in his eyes and sighed sadly, gently pulling his hand away from the affectionate man.

"Listen… Lin, I-"

"-Before you say anything else, I just wanted to say thank you."

Train blinked at him. "Wh-what?"

Lin smiled wistfully as he took Train's hand back into his, pulling it close to his face as he spoke. "Thank you for finally taking me up on my offer. I know I can be annoying and maybe even a bit clingy, but… I've never acted like this to anyone else because what I feel for you is different than what I felt for them. I…. I've never felt this way about anyone before…"

Train felt guilt rise in him as Lin tried to explain his feelings for him. The cat frowned and tried to start his sentence again. "Lin… Before you get too invested, I need to tell you-"

"-No, you don't."

Train looked him in the eyes and saw a look of understanding and determination he had never seen the man show before. It was almost as strong as the way Creed looked at him the first time he told Train he loved him, which actually made the cat worry even more about what Number X was about to say to him.

Lin smiled warmly at him. "You don't need to explain anything to me, Train. I know you've been hurt. I know you're not ready for anything serious, which is why I wanted to say thank you. Tonight means more to me than you know and while I hope something comes from this, I also want you to know there is no pressure. It's hard to give you space when I want you so bad, but I want you to know that I won't think into anything that may happen tonight. I just want to have fun and spend time alone with you. That's all."

Train felt himself blush again, taking in each word carefully as the number spoke then nodded gratefully at the man. "Thank you."

Lin kissed Train's hand then put it back on the table, but did not let go. "So, let's just enjoy the night and see where it takes us."

Train chucked, but gave him a weary look as he took a sip of his water. "I'm not sure what you mean by that statement, and I'm also not sure I like it…"

Lin winked at the cat and patted his hand. "Like I said, let's just enjoy ourselves and see where the night takes us."

"Repeating the same sentence doesn't make me feel any better or understand any more what you mean…" The gunman's voice was flat as he spoke.

Train rolled his eyes and smiled a little as Lin shrugged his shoulders and leaned on his hand again so he could stare at the Black Cat once more.

Whatever, like he said I may as well enjoy the night. At least until I get my hands on those documents.

---

Creed watched as Rinslet crouched down and picked the lock to a local music school. He frowned and pulled his coat a little tighter around himself. The thief was taking longer than usual, and with fall quickly approaching, it was starting to get colder at night. He was starting to get impatient, but didn't want the woman to feel rushed on his account

The cold is actually a good distraction for the hurt I'm feeling. Oh, God, now I'm thinking about Train again!

He, Eve, and Rinslet had driven a pretty far distance to get to this school, farther than Creed thought they were going to travel, but the thief kept promising it would be worth it. The drive was tough considering he had very little to distract him from thinking about what his beloved was doing with Lin right now. He brought the book Eve gave him with them, but he found it impossible to think of anything except Train and Lin.

Rinslet better be right. This studio better have the best piano in the world with the most amazing acoustics. However, I don't think that will even make me forget how much I miss Train right now.

Now more than ever he wished he had one of Shiki's bugs. He knew it was wrong to spy on his beloved while he was on the date with another man, but he felt like dying right now. Knowing Train was out with someone else hurt more than a thousand daggers to the heart and the swordsman didn't think there was anything that would make him feel better.

Creed glanced at his phone and sighed sadly as he wrapped his arms around himself to shield him from the cold and the pain.

They're probably in the middle of dinner right now… Or maybe they came home. Maybe Train was able to end the date sooner and he came home and is wondering where everyone is.

Creed looked at Rinslet who cursed as her lock pick slipped out of the door knob again. "It's getting late… Should we just leave?"

Eve gave him a knowing look. "No. Because if Train isn't back yet you're going to just start crying all over again."

Rinslet nodded in agreement. "Besides, we came here to help you feel better. At least let us try before we give up."

Creed frowned down at the woman who looked like she was trying to warm up her hands so she could get a better grip on the door. "I appreciate everything you're trying to do for me, but I don't even think it'll help. It might be a good distraction, but it won't make me forget about how much it hurts."

The silver man held back the urge to tell her she was doing a terrible job breaking into something as simple as a music school.

Seriously, she's a well renowned thief. Why is this so hard for her?

It seemed like she was actually holding herself back a bit. As if she didn't want to break anything or leave any marks. Creed wasn't sure, but it was like she wanted to be extra careful that she didn't leave any traces she had broken in, which led Creed to question what significance this school had to her.

Doesn't matter. I just want to get back and see Train again…

Creed looked up at the night sky and felt a tear fall. He was reminiscing all the nights he spent on the roof with his beloved, staring at the stars, holding each other close, whispering loving words into each others' ears. A small, wistful smile graced his pale lips as he remembered what he Kitten felt like in his arms, what his warm breath felt like against the chilly night air. It had been almost a year since they were lovers, but Creed still tried to remember it like it was yesterday.

If I didn't, I think I would have gone completely insane. My memories of my past with my Kitten are all I have to sustain me now.

He was happy to have Train near him again, but now it was just like it was when they first formed the Apostles, only worse. Now that he knew what it was like to be with Train, to be loved by him, it hurt even more to have him so close and so far away. And even though his love had started to be more comfortable around him again, there were still too many moments when Train would suddenly get mad or something seemingly small he said or did and stormed off.

I wish I knew what I said that triggered him. But, I guess it's because I keep unknowingly reminding him of what I did to him... I wish he understood how sorry I was…

"Aha!" The thief exclaimed, throwing Creed out of his sad thoughts.

Rinslet smirked as she finally opened the door, shaking her hands to get some of the feeling back in them. She walked in quietly, Eve following close behind then Creed soon after. He only paused for a second more to stare at the stars and ask them more questions about his beloved. Once he stepped inside he sighed in relief at the warmth he felt.

"Thank God the heat is still on." He whispered as he caught up to the women.

Eve agreed with the silver man. "Yes, I was starting to lose feeling in my legs. Why did that take you so long, Rinslet?"

Rinslet shrugged her shoulders. "I didn't want to leave any marks. This place is important…"

Eve could tell she didn't mean to say that last part out loud, so she decided to question the woman further. "Why is this place so important?"

Rinslet made a strangled noise and although Eve couldn't see her as they walked down the dimly lit hallway, she could tell the thief was blushing. "

"I… I used to play the violin and… this is where my teacher gave me lessons. She actually owns this building…"

Eve blinked at her in surprise. "You played the violin?!"

"Yup." She replied quickly. "No jokes. And this stays between us." She turned and pointed to Creed. "That means we do not tell Train!"

Creed gave her a surprised look then shook his head. "You know I can't make the promise…"

He told Train everything and they all knew it. Creed was desperately trying to win back his love's trust and keeping any secrets from him felt like another betrayal.

Rinslet sighed in frustration and turned around. "Fine, whatever. I guess I understand. I'll just find something to make fun of that cat in return. Just follow me."

Eve ran a little to catch up. "Where are we going?"

"To the recital hall. That's where they keep the grand piano." Rinslet picked up the pace a little, knowing her teacher sometimes hung around late to do paper work. That was another reason she tried to be as careful while breaking in.

Creed caught up as well and asked his own question. "If you used to take lessons with the woman who owns the place, then why did you have to break in? Wouldn't she welcome you back?"

Rinslet slowly open the door to the recital hall, then stepped inside when she noticed it was empty. "We… Didn't end on the best terms. I started stealing from the other students and when I stole from her, she kicked me out of the school and told me never to come back."

Creed frowned, shocked at the sad story Rinslet had just willingly shared with him. He knew the thief didn't feel safe around him, but lately she had been softening even more than his cat. The fact that she was going so far out of her way to make him feel better was further proof of that.

I guess my relationship with her is getting better as well. I already knew Eve had nothing against me when I joined the group, but I didn't expect Rinsley to ever warm up to me.

It was nice though. He felt like he was making a friend, which he really needed after all the loneliness he went through when his Kitten left him. And even though Train traveled and worked with him and even lived in the same house as him, he was still so lonely. Without having Train be completely with him, Creed always felt destitute and empty, so it was comforting knowing he was making another friend in their group outside of Eve.

He smiled at the woman gratefully as they approached the stage where the piano was. "Thank you, Rinslet. You didn't have to go through all this for me."

He didn't add that she didn't need to tell him that story either. She already knew that and it was nice that she offered it up willingly.

Rinslet brushed his thanks aside as she walked backstage to turn the lights on. "No thanks necessary. Consider this my apology for being so inconsiderate back at the hideout."

The stage lit up and allowed the silver man a view of the piano and the vastness of the stage. He could tell just by looking around the room, the acoustics were going to be amazing. The piano looked to be in good shape as well, but he wouldn't be able to know that for sure until he played it.

Rinslet stepped off the stage and took a seat. Creed watched as Eve sat next to Rinslet and they looked at him expectedly. Not sure what they wanted, Risnlet gestured towards the piano that waited to be played.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Show us what you're made of." Rinslet smirked at him as she crossed her legs.

Creed looked at her, then at Eve. "I've never performed for anyone other than Train…"

Eve gave him a sympathetic look. "It's okay, Creed, we're here to make you feel better, not hurt you more."

He stood there and watched them a minute longer, then glanced at the piano. Creed could hear it calling to him and his fingers ached to touch the keys almost as badly as they ached to touch his beloved once more. After a few more minutes, he stepped onto the stage and sat down on the bench in front of the piano. He placed his hands on his laps and stared at the keys, as if he had never seen a piano before in his life.

The last time I played was when Train left… And then I destroyed the piano… Before that, it was when I serenaded my Kitten. Can… Can I really do this again? Without falling apart and breaking this beautiful instrument.

"It's okay, Creed."

Creed looked over and saw the girls smiling peacefully at him.

Eve nodded. "You can do this."

He didn't know why it was so hard for him to play since they were being so kind to him. They didn't push him to talk about what was wrong, but they also pushed him to do something they knew he very badly wanted and needed to do. Creed smiled at them.

It's nice to have friends…

Creed shook his hands then played a few scales to warm himself up. Once he was done, he took a deep breath and began playing the song he used to play for his beloved. As he played, he could hear the music echoing off the walls magnificently, the room working in his favor to create an even more beautiful sound than he thought possible. Creed smiled and shut his eyes, allowing himself to get lost in the music, hoping it would soothe his tortured soul.

Train…

Thoughts of his beloved captured his heart as he played. He could see Train's eyes looking lovingly into his again. He could feel his Kitten kissing and caressing him again and he could taste what his love's lips felt like once more. He could hear his cat's voice dance in his ears, reminding him of how bewitching Train was, of how easily the man could enchant him with three simple words.

"I love you, Creed."

A tear fell down his face as he pictured his love in front of him, speaking such sweet, celestially words to him.

"I make a promise to you, here and now: I will never leave your side. I will never let you be alone. I won't let anything or anyone harm a hair on your silver head."

"Train…"

He didn't hear himself whisper his beloved's name as reached the climax of the song. His heart focused on the music as his cat's promise began to decrescendo in his head like a fading melody. Back then, he knew Train meant every word he said. He knew his Kitten loved him, and Creed ruined it. His beloved's heart once belonged to him and Creed did the one thing that would ensure he could never have it again. Creed broke his promise to Train and hurt him. This piece was the song he used to remind himself of Train's devotion to him, but now… It only reminded him of how much he hurt the only person he had ever loved and would ever love.

"…And I will always love you."

As the piece ended, silence took control of the room, the women were speechless at the beauty their ears had just absorbed. Creed collapsed on the piano and sobbed wildly. Unlike last time, he didn't feel like destroying the piano. Instead, he just needed to cry. Playing actually did help him feel better. While he had been crying at the hideout and it may have sounded hysterical to anyone who didn't know him well, Creed knew he was holding back. Performing his promise to his Kitten even when he wasn't there allowed him to fully grasp how sad he truly was and he was finally able to let it out freely.

Eve and Rinslet watched as Creed sobbed on the piano, not sure what to do. Both of their ears perked up when they heard clapping coming from behind them, towards the entrance of the recital hall. The women turned around to see an eldery woman smiling merrily, looking at the crying man on stage.

Rinslet's eyes widened and she sunk into her seat, cursing quietly as she tried to hide herself. "Shit…"

Eve glanced at the woman and was very quickly able to piece together this was the thief's old teacher. This was confirmed when the woman made eye contact with Rinslet and narrowed her eyes.

"I see you came back…"

Rinslet sunk lower in her chair, not wanting to meet the older woman's gaze. Eve didn't blame her. While the woman didn't look intimidating, there was something about her stare made the bio-girl feel like she needed to do whatever the woman said.

How is someone so small and so old able to make me feel so insignificant? Like I'm not doing enough?

"However…" The woman said as he eyes turned back to Creed, who still didn't seem to notice she was in the room. "...At least you brought someone who is worth my time."

She walked up to the stage, limping slightly as she reached the steps and stood behind Creed. He still didn't seem to notice she was there, so she placed a hand on his back and spoke soothingly to him.

"What's your name, young man?"

Creed jumped a little when she spoke, then looked at her hand in confusion. He finally made eye contact with the woman and blinked sadly into her old, pale blue ones. "Creed…"

She smiled again. "Pleased to meet you, Creed. I'm Anastasia Willis. You can call me Ms. Willis."

Anastasia stepped away from him and to the side of the piano so she could better see him. She frowned at the sad look on his face. "Who's the princess that slayed your heart?"

Creed wiped his eyes and chuckled bitterly. "What makes you so sure twas a princess who slaughtered the beast?"

The old woman blinked at him, then smiled knowingly. "I see… Then allow me to rephrase: Who is this prince that has hurt you enough to create such a beautiful interpretation of Mr. Nyman's The Promise?"

Creed looked her in the eye for a moment longer before he turned his gaze to the piano, as if he could see his beloved in the reflection of the black metal. "Train…"

Anastasia smiled kindly at him. "What a unique name. Much like your own. And where is your love?"

Creed kept his eyes on the piano, but he felt himself beginning to tear up again and shook his head. "He's…"

"...With another?"

Creed glanced at her quickly, then nodded his head and sighed shakily. "He once was mine, but now… No more."

The old woman sighed sadly and squeezed this shoulder slightly. "I doubt he will stray from you for long. With love as strong as what you just showed in your performance, it's impossible to not return those feelings."

Creed desperately wanted to believe her, but he didn't know who this woman was. She also had no idea what he had done to Train and he knew if she did, she wouldn't be speaking so kindly to him. In fact, she may run away when she found out what a piece of garbage he was.

He looked at his own hands, the same hands that had just played the love he felt for his cat. "I'm a monster…"

Anastasia frowned at him, then leaned forward so she could place her hands on his. "No man that can play that beautifully is a monster. Whatever you've done, it's in the past. I'm sure he'll forgive you one day and see how much you truly love him."

Creed looked at her aged hands, then into her eyes. Despite not knowing who she was, there was something about that look she was giving him that made him think she understood more than he realized. As if she had walked this road Creed is walking now and knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

He gave her a confused look. "Why are you speaking so kindly to someone you don't know?"

She stood up straight, groaning a little as she looked down at him. "Because I can see the pain in your eyes and I can hear it in your soul. You hold a heartache the world has never seen and never should. I can't imagine how you've been able to hold it in all this time."

Creed smiled a little at her. "The piano helps. As does gardening and painting… However, I have been unable to do any of those things in quite some time…"

The woman gave him a concerned look. "Why?"

Creed shrugged. "Lack of resources. Plus, we're always moving…"

She sighed. "Well, you shouldn't restrict yourself. A creative, sensitive man such as yourself shouldn't be forced to lock away your artistic abilities." She then turned to Rinslet, who seemed to be in shock at the friendly encounter she was having with Creed. "You. Blunder Broad. Where did you find this man?"

Rinslet glared at her. "Don't call me that, Senior Stasia! Why didn't you ever talk to me that sweetly before?!"

The old woman narrowed her eyes at the thief. "I guess I can just tell when someone is actually worth my time…"

Rinslet shrugged her shoulders and turned away from the woman, folding her arms across her chest in a stubborn manner. "It's not my fault you were such a terrible teacher. I'm glad I got kicked out of this joint. It allowed me to persuade my true passion."

The old woman cackled loudly. "And what passion is that? Stealing French Horns and Flutes from small children, then wiping an innocent music teacher of all her money?"

Rinslet felt her face redden. "There's more to that story and you know it!"

"Oh, so what I said is not true?" The woman smirked at her, happy to see she was pushing the younger woman's buttons.

Rinslet muttered a few obscenities under her breath and sat back in the chair, refusing to look at her former teacher. Anastasia decided to ignore her ex-student in favor of the young girl who sat next to her. She was watching the entire exchange wide eyed, not sure what she was witnessing, but learning very quickly their relationship was worse than Rinslet implied.

The music teacher smiled at the bio-girl, speaking to her almost as kindly as she spoke to Creed. "Since the busty broad won't answer my question-"

"-HEY!" Rinslet shouted, face turned red with anger once more.

"...Would you mind telling me how you all met? I take it you know their history as well?"

Eve looked at Rinslet uneasily, then nodded. "Yes. We were introduced by a friend…" She didn't know how else to put it, but that was really the best way to describe it. After all, it was true. Just more of a light truth.

Anastasia frowned. "Am I correct in assuming that friend is Train?"

She heard Creed whine quietly which answered her question. It was confirmed when Eve nodded and gave Creed a sad look, then looked back at the teacher. Anastasia sighed again and turned back to the silver man, noticing another tear had fallen from his desolate blue eyes unknowingly.

"You really shouldn't hold in these intense feelings. It's only going to make it worse…" She rested her hand against the piano to help give her support. She wasn't used to standing for this long and she could already feel her legs getting tired.

Creed shrugged his shoulders in defeat. "I'm used to it… I've loved him for so long and it's gone unrequited most of my life that I don't think I could live without it…"

"I'm not asking you to live without it. I can tell just by looking at you that you will never stop loving this man. But, you can at least learn to focus that pain into something healthy. To help you cope with the heartache."

Creed looked at her and frowned, noticing she looked weak. He stood up and led her to the bench he sat on, allowing her to take his spot. Seeing her sigh in relief and smile up at him, Creed felt a small, genuine smile spread across his lips as well.

She doesn't look well… I know she's old, but it looks like there's something else going on. Asking would be rude though.

Creed shook his head. "While I agree, it's simply not in the cards for me. As I said, we move around so much we can't keep a piano anywhere and even if he stayed in one spot, we can't afford a piano."

The woman laughed and then coughed a little. "Music isn't the only outlet. You said you paint? Then get an art kit. Those are easily portable. You can also write, that's another great way to let your feelings out."

Creed nodded slowly. "Yes, but…"

"It's not the same, I know." She eyed him up and down, then asked another question. "Have you ever been formally taught to play the piano?"

Creed shook his head again. "No. Self taught."

Anastasia blinked in surprise. "Impressive. What else can you play?"

Creed shrugged his shoulders. "Lizt's La Campanella, Ravel's Gaspard de la Nuit, and Stravinsky's Trios mouvements de Petrouchka. I know more, but those are the ones I spent the most time teaching myself."

Anastasia gawked at him. "I ask you what else you can play, and you list three of possibly the most complicated piano solos ever written?"

Creed tilted his head in confusion. "Is that bad?"

She chuckled lightly at his sweet innocence. "No, no, not at all. It just makes me all the more impressed with your skills." She eyed the piano, caressing its keys lightly as she spoke. "Can you play me La Campanella?"

Creed nodded and took a seat next to her as she scooted over. Eve sat back down when the swordsman began to play and Rinslet finally turned her attention back to the stage. The room fell silent as Creed played the song by memory, the women in the room entranced by his playing, watching as he was able to leave the world in those minutes he played his music, the pain in his soul clearly evident in the music, breaking everyone's heart while he performed.

When he stopped he stared at his hands again, then smiled sadly, feeling a bit of relief come to him. He turned to look at her and she smiled.

"Now, play Ravel."

The silverman nodded and did as he was told. The effects were the same, a room full of beautiful music and silent women watching him in fascination. When he finished, the woman patted him on the knee and smiled reassuringly.

"Lastly, Stravinsky."

Again, the music filled the air, echoing off the tall walls and high ceiling gracefully. As he played, Creed still thought of Train, but felt himself smile now. His heart still ached to be with his Kitten, but he felt better equipped to deal with the pain.

When he stopped, Anastasia put a gentle, frail hand on his shoulder. "How do you feel?"

Creed smiled. "Better…"

She was right, playing the piano did help. His heart hurt and he knew it would always hurt, but the music made it at least bearable. With just a few songs, Creed was now able to think of Train and smile. He still longed to be with his beloved more than anything, but now he didn't feel like dying. Creed knew he would always love Train, there was no stopping a force that strong, but at least right now, the tears had stopped.

Seeing that smile made the old woman return the gesture. "How about I become your teacher?"

Creed blinked at her. "Wh-what? There's no way we can afford that." He looked at Rinslet to be sure. The wide eyed look and pale face of the thief was all the answer he needed. "Even if we did, as I said before, we change locations so much there would be no way I could come back here."

Anastasia gave him a proud look. "This isn't the only studio I own. My business has expanded over the years. I have locations all over the place. We can work around meeting at different spots."

"Pfft, how were you able to expand this dump?" Rinslet rolled her eyes as she spoke.

Anastasia glared at the younger woman. "It's amazing the things you can accomplish when you decide to put some effort into what you do."

"Hey! I put effort into my work!" Rinslet stood and pointed angrily at the woman.

"How about you call me when you've made an honest living, Bimbo?"

"HEY!"

Eve patted Rinslet's shoulder and gestured for her to sit down. The small girl continued to restrain Rinslet so Creed could continue his conversation with the older woman.

The silver man gaped at her, then shook his head again. "I can't ask you to travel that much on my account…"

She laughed, then coughed a little. "It'll be a great excuse for me to move these old bones around and see the world a little. Might actually be nice to travel…"

The tone of her voice worried Creed, but he still didn't think it was his place to question her. He even glanced at Rinslet when she said this and noticed the concerned and confused look on her face as well.

He turned back to Anastasia and smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Ms. Willis, really. But… I'm truly not worth it."

Creed felt her fragile hand slap him across the face harshly. He looked at her in shock, not sure where that act of aggression had come from. However, when he saw the stern look in her face, his angry surprise was turned into meek submission.

She narrowed her eyes at the silver man. "That's exactly the kind of attitude that won't win you your love back and precisely why these lessons are needed. In actuality, there is nothing more I can teach you about playing the piano that you don't already know, but we need to learn how to channel your emotions in your music. I can see you're a passionate man that feels too much at once, and music is a great way to get those feelings out without exploding."

As Creed listened to her speak and remembered what his beloved had told him four months ago.

"You only think you understand because I am telling you it was wrong. You only care what I think and how I feel about all those people… especially Saya, but that's not the answer. You need to do this for yourself, Creed. I'm just here to help."

He smiled at the memory. Train wanted him to find peace within himself, and while he had felt himself beginning to calm down even more over the last four months, he knew it was going to be a long process. There hadn't even been a shadow of his former murderous self coming back, but he was struggling with finding healthy alternatives to negative, self hating thoughts. It was hard not to fall back into that depressed hole he was in when Train left and it looked as if this woman was offering him a solution.

Maybe this will help me find the peace my beloved was talking about. Maybe I'll be able to stand beside my Kitten with a healthy soul and a strong heart.

Creed knew he needed to do it for himself and on his own, just like his love did. However, there wasn't a question in his heart that he was doing this for himself. He felt so much more in control of his emotions after playing for Anastasia, so he knew she was right.

It's nice to have someone else show concern for me… Especially someone like this woman.

He didn't want to admit it, but this old lady already felt like she had taken a motherly interest in him. That was something Creed never had before, and he couldn't deny it felt good.

Train is right… Making friends is nice…

Creed looked at the woman and smiled warmly. "That sounds great. When do we start?"

---

Train was waiting outside Lin's hotel room, holding the wall to keep him steady as the number searched for his key card. The cat was beginning to regret finishing that drink Lin bought him since he could tell he was more drunk than he wanted to be. He wasn't totally out of it, but it was enough that he didn't trust himself to flash them to the number's hotel room.

Although, I don't think Lin would have wanted that anyway. The restaurant wasn't the last place we went to.

Once they finished eating, Train was ready to get back to his room and read over the documents, despite his slightly drunken state. However, Lin had other plans in mind. He took the Black Cat for a walk through the local park, stopping at a bench so they could stargaze and then brought him to a lake. He ever tried to get them a boat, but Train told him he was much too tired for that.

And that wasn't a lie. The drink combined with the late hour makes me worry if I'll even be able to read any of the papers.

He glanced at his phone to confirm the lateness of the hour and frowned. The gunman then glanced back at his hand that held the bouquet of flowers. Train almost forgot them at the restaurant, but Lin made sure to grab them and then guilt trip him about almost leaving them behind.

He sighed and leaned his whole body on the wall, closing his eyes as he spoke to the smaller man. "Did you lose the key? Should we just go get another one from the front desk?"

It was hard to look at Train in annoyance, but Lin managed to do it while continuing to dig through his bag. "No, it's here. I never lose anything, unlike you."

Train groaned and shoved the flowers in his face. "They're right here! And it's not my fault! It's your fault for buying me that drink."

Lin giggled. "I told you that you didn't have to finish it…"

"You said that, but you didn't mean it. You egged me on knowing how competitive I am!"

Lin reached over to the cat and patted his cheek. "I didn't know that applied to drinking as well."

"Sure…" Train opened his eyes so he could roll them, then turned so his face was leaning against the wall. "Come ooooon! Let's just go get another one. I wanna go home. I'm tired…"

Lin frowned a little at the idea of his crush wanting the night to end so soon. "We will look over the papers. I promised I would let you see them and I've never broken a promise before."

Train made a strangled noise at that comment. It reminded him once again of his relationship with Creed which happened a few times tonight, but luckily he was able to push it aside quickly. The fact that there was alcohol coursing through his body made it a bit easier this time. It was hard to focus on anything for too long, so that was one thing he was grateful for.

"I don't even know if I could focus on them right now… You might just have to show them to me another day. I think I should just go home." Train looked at his phone again, then put it in his pocket.

Lin glared at his bag as he searched for his key. "No. If you leave now, you'll owe me another night out to get the papers." While he liked the idea of going out with Train again, he knew it would be a deterrent to the cat, which is why he offered it. He wasn't done with the man for the night.

Train looked at him in slight shock at the bitter voice the man used. He never spoke to him that way, so he had a feeling he said something that hurt his feelings. "Sorry, I'm just really tired…"

"It's fine." Lin said quickly as he smiled and pulled out the key. "I found it. Let's go in. The papers are right on the table when you walk in."

Train walked in after the number and straight to the table in the dining area. The room was fairly large and there was a full dining and living room set. Lin's bedroom was separate from this area, and the shorter man walked past everything else to reach said room.

"I'm gonna get changed real quick. Feel free to get started."

Train watched as Lin closed the door quietly behind him and immediately pulled out his phone. He leaned on the table for support so he could steady his arm enough to get a picture. He wanted to make sure he got a copy of the documents since he had a feeling he wouldn't be able to focus enough to actually understand what he was reading.

Besides, Creed is the smarter one of us. He'll probably be able to find more in these than I will.

Train growled at himself in annoyance as he thought about his ex-partner again. He told himself to stop the first time it happened, so he wouldn't start making comparisons to Lin and Creed, but he found it kept happening throughout the night. It wasn't fair to anyone, especially himself. Thinking of the past would only make it harder to move forward, which is what he knew he needed to do.

No matter how hard it is, I need to keep moving forward. And it's even harder with Creed around. I really want to be friends with him, but it's difficult when I still have such anger towards him. I'm surprised at myself for actually wanting to be friends with him.

He knew being friends with him would be easier than hating him. As time went on, his feelings had started to shift and he was seeing the man more and more as a friend. Now, he just needed to learn how to let go of this resentment so they could finally move on with both of their lives.

Even though I know he never intends on leaving mine…

Train shook his head and put his phone away as he finished taking the pictures. He sat down at the table and began looking through the papers, not noticing when Lin's door opened and the man re-entering the room. It wasn't until Number X walked up behind him and wrapped his arms around his neck did Train noticed his return.

The cat jumped a little, cursing the alcohol silently for dulling his senses then took a deep breath to calm himself down. "Don't do that…"

Lin smirked and leaned closer, gently pressing his lips against Train neck as he spoke. "Don't do what?"

Train shivered as the number kissed his neck gently and felt his body get warm. He shook himself of the feeling and removed the man's arms from around his neck, but did not push him away. "You know what I meant."

Lin shrugged his shoulders and gave him a playful smirk. "Can't help myself. When I see something delicious I just have to have a taste..."

Train yelped as Lin bit him seductively, then moaned despite himself. He swallowed thickly as the number then sucked at the area he bit, his arms returning around the cat's neck when he noticed Train was actually enjoying what he was doing. He decided to test the limits he could go by moving his lips along the gunman's neck and to his jaw, kissing and sucking the soft skin there, enjoying the feel of the goosebumps that popped up on the Black Cat's soft skin.

Train found his body acting on its own as he shut his eyes and titled his head to the side so Lin had more access to his neck. The alcohol made everything feel that much better and Train didn't notice as he dropped the papers back on the table he was holding, one hand reaching up and landing on the side of Lin's head, pressing him harder into his neck.

Lin smirked wickedly when Train pressured him to go further and took the opportunity with glee. He moved his lips up to the cat's ear and nibbled at his lobe, enjoying the quiet moans and purrs the cat was letting out. He imagined doing this to Train since the moment they met, but he never thought the man would make such adorably enticing noises.

Lin pulled away quickly then positioned himself so he was in front of the chair Train sat in. Train looked at him with dazed eyes as the shorter man wrapped his legs around the cat's waist, sitting on his lap and resting his hands on both of his crush's shoulders. Lin saw the red in Train's eyes combining with the haze of the alcohol and smirked, knowing the cat was waiting for the number to go further. The pleasure Lin felt from Train's lips was incredible and the look he was giving the number was enough motivation he needed to make him attack the cat's neck once more.

Train hissed as Lin reattached himself to his neck, biting and nibbling every bit of his flesh that he could. Again, Train felt his body moving on his own, his limbs feeling both heavy and light from the drink he consumed that night as they wrapped around Lin's lower back, pulling the man closer so their chests pressed against each other.

Lin took the go ahead signal with an excited eagerness he had never felt before and scooted himself forward, kissing and sucking as hard and passionately as he could. He could already feel himself getting hard from the intimate contact and he pressed himself as close to Train as he could. He removed his arms around the gunman's shoulder and slid them down his chest, leaving them there for a minute as he continued ravishing the golden man's neck, enjoying the quick breaths he felt the cat taking.

The Taoist moaned loudly and adjusted his hips a little so Lin wouldn't feel how else his body was reacting to the contact. He knew they shouldn't be doing this. Train knew this wasn't appropriate since Lin was ordered to follow them by Chronos, but his body had craved this kind of contact for so long it was hard to stop himself. He hadn't been kissed like this in so long and now that he was receiving the physical attention again, his body ached for the intimacy so badly and he found the alcohol made it even harder to say no. His inhibitions were low and he felt like he had very little control of what his body did.

However, Train knew he was at least in some control of himself since he made the choice to move one hand up Lin's back and to the back of his head, holding him in place so he wouldn't explore the other side of his body. The gunman did this because he didn't want the number to kiss the other side of his neck, remembering how Creed had discovered his weakness there.

"That's so cute, Train. I didn't know you were ticklish."

Train's eyes shot open at the memory and he pushed the man off him. Lin glanced at the hands holding his wrists then looked at Train and saw a pained look on his face.

"Did I do something wrong?" Lin's body was on fire and he desperately wanted to continue. He also genuinely wanted to know if he had done something his crush didn't like, since he wanted nothing more than to give the other man pleasurable feelings.

Train caught his breath and stared sternly at the man. "N-no… No, th-this isn't appropriate. We can't do this…"

Lin sighed in frustration and gave Train a beseeching look. "Why? I thought you were enjoying it."

Train chose not to acknowledge his last comment and concentrated on the first. "Because you're only here on a mission. You're an assassin for Chronos. It's not right."

Lin gave him an angry look and spoke with a sour tone. "Just because I'm on a mission doesn't mean I can't have fun. And we both know Chronos' mission isn't you. If it was, then yes, this wouldn't be appropriate. But, Chronos does not care what happens between us. Sephiria made that clear. We are free to do as we please…"

Lin pulled his wrists free of the Black Cat's grasp and moved them back to the golden man's body. Train shivered again as Lin slid his hands under his shirt and up his stomach, landing gently on his chest. He massaged the cat's muscles tenderly, smiling merrily as he watched the gunman's face turn to instant gratification at the contact. Again, Train moaned despite himself and felt himself relaxing back into the chair as he lessened his hold on the other man's wrists. Lin took this opportunity to latch his lips onto the cat's, slipping his tongue into the man's mouth earnestly, praying he wasn't stopped again.

When he felt Lin's tongue rub against his own Train he let out another sensual moan he felt his arms move of their own free will once more as they slid up the other man's back and ran through his dark hair lustfully. Train returned the man's deep kiss, holding the number close against him as Lin explored his mouth for the first time. The cat allowed Lin's tongue to wander, feeling his own tongue traveling around Number X's mouth as well as the man on his lap mimicked his lasciviously sounds as well.

Lin's finger brushed against his nipple, sending a shockwave of pleasure through the cat's body and he pulled away again, yanking the number's hands out from under his shirt and turning his flushed face away.

"No… No, it's not right. You work for Chronos… It's not right…"

Train was talking to himself more than Lin and the number knew it. He rolled his eyes and leaned forward, nibbling at the cat's eat before he whispered gorgeously into it.

"Just because I am a number does not mean I don't have physical needs… Much like you clearly do…"

To emphasize his point, Lin pressed his hard member into Train, causing the cat to cry out loudly and grip his waist tightly. Lin smirked and gripped the back of the chair Train sat on and did it again, harder this time thanks to the extra leverage the chair gave him. He repeated the motion a third and a fourth time, making sure his eyes stayed locked on the Black Cat, seeing the evident red in his gorgeous golden eyes and feeling his body reaching an indescribable level of heat as he bit down harshly on the cat's neck.

As he sucked at the man's skin powerfully, continuing his gyrating motions against Train's hips, he made a frustrated growl and Train pushed him away again.

"What now?!" Lin said, annoyance evident in his voice as he gave the cat another impetuous look.

Train leaned his head back, trying to regain control of his emotions, but the alcohol that still coursed through him and the feelings Lin was giving him made that hard.

"I… I can't… Not with another assassin…"

Lin blinked at him and realized Train was comparing him mentally to Creed. He frowned and cupped each of his crush's cheeks, moving his head so the gunman was looking him in the eyes.

"I'm not an assassin. I haven't killed anyone."

Train blinked at him. "Wh-what? B-but you're-"

"-A number with Chronos, yes. I think I've told you this before, though. They don't send me on missions to kill. They send me on stealth missions that require me to charm the enemy. I've never actually killed anyone."

Train shook his head, then narrowed his eyes at the man. "So you're just trying to charm me to get closer to Creed?"

Lin sighed again in frustration and rested his head on Train's shoulder. "How could you possibly think that's true after tonight?" He lifted his head again, smiling warmly as he gently caressed the cat's cheek. "If anything, you've charmed me…"

Train blushed slightly, then looked away again, mumbling something under his breath Lin couldn't quite make out. However, he also knew he didn't care. Lin wanted to drive his point home so they could hopefully continue.

"Train… After everything you've been through, don't you think you deserve this? Don't you think you deserve a night of pleasure with no strings attached?"

The cat turned and gave him a confused look. He knew the man felt more than just a sexual attraction for him, so he wasn't sure what he meant by that statement. It didn't make sense that he wouldn't expect more out of tonight.

Lin giggled at the confused look and ran one of his hands through his hair, the other back on his cheek to gently massage his smooth skin. "Yes, I would love it if something more came of tonight, but I told you before, there is no pressure for you to make a commitment to me. If you just enjoy the way my body makes your body feel, that's fine with me. I'll happily oblige your physical desires and won't end the night thinking we are some more than what we are."

Seeing Train relax a little, Lin moved his face closer to the cat's, his lips brushing against Train's as he spoke. "So why don't you just sit back and relax and let me give you the sensations you've been clearly desiring for some time now."

Train looked at Lin's lips, then nodded his head subtly to let the man know to go ahead. Lin was on him again in an instant, resuming their deep kiss with less restraint than before. Train felt the man grinding against his lower body again and he allowed a louder moan to leave his lips and enter the other man's mouth, pulling the number closer to his body as Lin slid his hands up Train's shirt once more, fondling every inch of his muscle that he could.

One more thought occurred to Train and he pushed the man away again, earning a rather loud growl and sigh from him as he looked absolutely exhausted with the constant interruptions.

"Oh my God, what is it now, Train?!"

Train actually looked a little startled by the angry tone Lin used and the strained look he was getting. He pointed meekly at the desk that still held the papers he came here for.

"What about those?"

Lin growled at him, then looked over his shoulders at the table and rolled his eyes. "We both know you already took pictures while I was getting changed. Just read it later and let me do my work on your flawless body."

Train felt his face turn a bright red at the man's compliment and gasped when the number sealed his lips against his own once more. The cat glanced at the papers one more time, then slowly shut his eyes and allowed his carnal desires to take over. His hands slid up the back of Lin's shirt, tenderly tickling the shorter man's skin, earning him a grateful moan and a gratifying shiver. Lin moved his hands quicker this time, worried he was going to be interrupted again and really wanting to continue exploring the Black Cat's body.

Lin left his hands on Train's chest, circling his nipples quickly, enjoying the quiet moans his crush let out. He pinched them quickly, giggling at the loud gasp Train let out, but did not remove his lips and tongue from the cat's mouth. He slid his lithe fingers down Train's chest and to his stomach, tracing the muscles there delicately, then moving them rapidly to the golden man's belt, undoing it as fast as he could before the cat thought of something to make him stop.

Train barely registered where the man's hands were since he was still enjoying the sensations his mouth was giving him, his chest still on fire from the harsh, yet pleasurable treatment it just received. It wasn't until Lin unzipped his pants did he realize what was happening, but it was too late to stop him as Number X slipped one of his hands down his pants and gripped his shaft tightly. Not that Train planned on stopping him, but a little warning would have been nice.

Lin smirked when Train's body stiffened and pulled away from his mouth. Deciding not to say anything in case the gunman was going to use it as another excuse to stop him, Lin moved his lips back to Train's neck, frowning when Train stopped him yet again. Before he could object, he felt the cat pushing him to the other side of his neck, pressing his hand against the back of his dark head, inviting him to continue working at the area he felt he had already worked quite hard.

Curiosity was killing him, since it seemed like Train was determined to keep him on that side of his body and he wasn't sure why. He pulled back a little, but kept his hand where it was. "What's wrong with the other side?"

Train shrugged his shoulders. "This side just feels better…"

Not quite believing him, but also not wanting to keep the conversation going, he shrugged his shoulders and sucked on the area Train led him to. He didn't think it really mattered where he kissed as long as Train was enjoying it. After all, he already decided this night was about giving the Black Cat as much physical pleasure as he would allow him, no strings attached.

And if I fall harder for him because of it, it's my own fault. Train was honest with me about his feelings, so I'm doing this to myself.

As he moved his hand up and down Train's shaft, he sighed longingly at the shiver and moan the cat let out. He did it again and again, making sure his motions were slow at first so he could enjoy himself as well, relishing each twitch and sound the Black Cat made.

However... if what he wants from me is physical pleasure… I'll happily oblige and deal with my heart on my own time.

Lin made sure to grease his hands up before he left his bedroom in hopes that something like this would happen, so it made his actions easier and more satisfying for the gunman. He gripped a little tighter, his other hand remaining on the cat's chest, teasing his nipple over and over as his other hand worked magic against his cock. His tongue continued moving elegantly against his scrumptious skin, devouring every inch of flesh Train allowed him with both his mouth and his hands.

Train made sure to hold the man steadily on his lap so he wouldn't fall and this sensation wouldn't end. It had been too long since he allowed himself these pleasures and ever since his first time with Creed, it was hard going without it. His relationship with the swordsman had opened the floodgates of his more animalistic desires and he had ignored them for too long.

Not that there weren't times it was offered to me in my time away. I just kept turning it away. I also need to stop thinking about Creed right now!

It was hard since Creed was the only other person he had ever been with like this. Everytime the silver man slipped into his mind, he would quickly push it aside and try to replace it with the man sitting on his lap who was working wonders against his member. Lin made it pretty easy since everything he did made Train think he was a pro. The number had clearly done this many times before, and the cat found himself grateful for the man's experience since he was now benefiting from it.

Train gasped loudly as Lin synced his motions up. Number X gripped his shaft tightly, pinched his nipple harshly, and bit down against his neck roughly at the same time, making the cat's vision blur slightly from pleasure. He already felt like he was going to explode soon, but thanks to the alcohol that was still racing through his body, he hadn't released his seed yet.

He could feel Lin smirk against his neck, then lick the spot he bit eagerly, his hand gliding back down his chest and to his stomach, outlining each inch of his skin as his hand resumed it's jerking motion against his cock. Train swallowed thickly as Lin picked up the pace a bit more, holding onto the number hips tighter to keep his body steady.

However, when the number stopped suddenly Train moaned angrily and opened his eyes, ready to protest as the feelings stopped. Lin saw the frustrated look, smirked seductively, then kissed him deeply as he moved himself off of Train's lap. When he pulled away, he placed a finger on Train's lips, stopping him from speaking as he went to the ground, kneeling on his knees and positioned his head between the cat's legs.

"Don't worry, Sweetness… I'm not done with you yet."

Train already knew what was coming and swallowed again, moving his hands so they gripped the chair underneath him. He allowed Lin to spread his legs a little and pull down his pants more so he had more room to work and felt a sensual chill go down his body when he felt Lin's breath brush against his hard cock.

Lin licked the tip of it quickly, smirking wickedly at the purr Train let out unknowingly and repeated the gesture a few more times. Once it was cleaned of its precum, Lin wrapped his lips around it, then twirled his tongue around the tip again and again, relishing each of the moans and gasps the Black Cat let out. He continued teasing Train's tip for a while longer, not wanting to rush their time together. He wanted to remember every second of tonight, and it seemed like now Train was no longer in a rush to get home.

Feeling his own member throbbing painfully for release from its prison, he listened to his body and used one of his hands to undo his own pants, sliding his it down quickly so he could begin to jerk himself off. Hearing Train's pleasurable sounds and tasting his piquant cock was all the motivation he needed to provide satisfaction to himself.

Train moved his hands to Lin's hair and pushed his head down. Lin obeyed his crush's desires and took the man fully into his mouth, moving his hand quicker against his own shaft as the Black Cat let out a particularly loud moan. Number X moved his head up and down, enjoying the feel on the gunman's fingers digging into his hair, reveling in the taste of his crush's cock.

He twirled his tongue around Train's member as much as he could, wrapping his lips tighter around his shaft, moving his head faster and faster with every passing second. He matched the movements he made on himself with those he made against Train, trying to time it so they would cum at the same time.

Of all the times Train had done this before with Creed, he never had the help of alcohol to increase the sensations he was feeling. It was incredible how much better something that was essentially poison made everything Lin was doing to him feel. Train had a feeling that had something to do with his lowered inhibitions, but he also knew he didn't care. It felt good and it had been far too long since he was given these sensations. The fact that Lin promised him he wouldn't get too attached made it easier for him to cave into his perverted desires.

However, there was still a part of him that was worried he was doing the wrong thing. Not just for himself, but for Lin too. But, the alcohol quickly quieted that voice and told him to just enjoy the night like Lin wanted him to.

When he felt Lin's teeth brush lightly against his shaft he gasped loudly and gripped even hard into the man's hair. He knew he was going to cum soon and he cried out loudly, holding it in so he could enjoy the feelings for a bit longer. Throwing his head back, he gasped for air and his eyes shut so he could concentrate fully on what Lin was doing to him. He still wanted to make sure the man knew he was about to cum, so he tried to focus enough on his voice to say something.

"Oh God…" He moaned. "Oh God… I'm gonna…"

Lin knew what the end of that statement was going to be and moved his head and hand even faster. He knew he was about to burst as well, so he wanted to prepare both his mouth and his hand for the seed he was about to collect. He tightened his lips even more, pivoted his tongue back and forth as much as he could and bobbed his head as fast as possible. After a few more sucks on the Black Cat's cock, he heard the man cry out loudly, thrusting his hips upwards as he gripped tightly to Lin's head.

"A-AAHH!" Train yelled into the ceiling as he felt his semen leave his body and enter Lin's mouth.

Lin smirked and swallowed every bit of the Black Cat's essence, pumped on his own member a few more times before he exploded as well. His cry of pleasure was muffled slightly as he was still swallowing Train's cum, shocked at the amount that had been released. However, when he cried out his lips tightened a little around Train's cock, and he was happy to hear the quiet gasp the cat let out because of it.

Once he was sure his crush was done and he had swallowed every bit of his release, Lin pulled his mouth away and licked his lips, making sure Train saw the motion as he looked gratefully into the cat's eyes.

"There sure was a lot. Has it really been that long?"

Train gasps for air and tried to glare, but knew the gesture was weak since he felt like the number had just drained the life out of him. Lin giggled lovingly at the man and reached up to cup his cheek gently.

"Thank you for letting me do that, Train…"

The Black Cat blinked at him, not sure why Lin was thanking him. He felt like he should have been thanking the number, but it looked like he was serious about his thanks. As if Train had really done him a solid by allowing him to give the gunman a blow job.

Lin stood up and brushed his legs off. He smiled at Train, running his hand through his hair, then trailing his fingers down his cheek and to his chin, taking a gentle hold of his crush's face. His heart was racing fast as he gazed into those beautiful, golden eyes. In that instant, he knew his feelings for the cat had reached the next level, but he was aware Train wasn't ready to hear those words yet. The fact that he let Lin do what he just did was enough, and he already told himself he would deal with his heart on his own time.

I can't push my feelings on him. It's not fair. There's a lot going on with him right now. I'm just happy he let me give him a release.

And Lin knew he would allow Train that release over and over again if he wanted it. He leaned forward and kissed the cat gently, sighing at the feel of the man's lips against his own, enjoying the last kiss he was going to receive that night.

He pulled away and turned to the kitchen, grabbing the wine glasses as he pulled out a bottle he just bought.

"We don't have to end the night quite yet. How about another drink?"

---

Creed sat on the roof of their hideout, his eyes red from crying and his cheek stained from tears as he gazed at the dark night sky. They were out for several hours after they met Anastasia since the woman took it upon herself to give him his first emotional music lesson. He talked to the woman for hours, but only after Eve and Rinslet left him to his own devices. Rinslet was more than happy to leave them alone since she couldn't stand being in the room with Creed's new teacher.

I only know a little about what happened between them and it didn't sound good, but I'm sure there's more to the story. I tried to ask Anastasia, but she didn't seem to want to talk about it.

She seemed more concerned about learning about Creed's pain. What surprised him more was how willingly he opened up to her. He wasn't sure why he felt so safe with her, but he did. There was just something about her that made him feel like he could trust her with his tragic past, something he had only ever told his Kitten before. Yet, he found himself telling this old woman not only about Chronos and his history with Train, but his mother and the pain she caused him.

And she didn't bat an eye at anything I have done. I even told her I was an assassin for Chronos and killed my beloved's best friend and she took it very calmly. As if it didn't surprise her at all.

She kept telling him over and over again there was a certain kind of mad genius to him that drove him to be the way he was. She also hinted several times that Chronos had something to do with his madness, but he wasn't sure about that. He knew he was pretty unstable before he joined Chronos, but he also couldn't deny he had gone a bit more over the edge once he joined them.

The only thing that kept my calm back then was Train… Where is he?

When he got home and saw Train was still not back, he felt his heart shatter once more. It was late enough when he got back, but now it was almost unacceptable how late his cat was getting home. It was bad enough he spent most of the night crying on Anastasia's shoulder, but now he was crying over all the places his mind was going on what he cat was doing with Lin.

No, stop it, Creed! You have no rights to him. Whatever he's doing in none of your business.

Still, he couldn't help himself from wondering. He could see how strongly Lin felt about his beloved, and it hurt to know Train was still out with him. Creed tried to tell himself over and over again they were just taking extra time reading over the papers, but his heart knew that wasn't true. He knew his cat too well. Chances were Train's plan was to take pictures and leave as soon as he could, but the fact that he wasn't home yet hurt Creed beyond belief.

And I don't even have a piano to go to. I don't have the creative outlet Anastasia says I need to help.

She suggested painting and writing as well, which is actually what he was doing right now. Before he came up to the roof, he grabbed a pen and some paper, deciding to try and preoccupy his mind with writing. It worked a little, but he found himself continuing to think about where his beloved was and what he was doing. Everything he wrote about was for his cat, writing down the things he knew he couldn't say to Train for fear of losing him forever again.

It lessens the pain a little, but it still hurts beyond belief. I just wish he would come home…

"Creed?"

The silver man's heart leapt when he heard that voice, knowing exactly who it belonged to. Creed moved to the edge of the roof and looked down at his cat. He frowned when he saw him stumble a little, confused at the dazed look that was in his eyes.

"Train? Are you okay?"

Train blinked at him, then looked down at his arms as if there was something physically wrong with him. He then looked back up and Creed and smiled cheekily. "I'm fine!"

When Creed heard his slurred voice he sighed, knowing exactly what was wrong. "How much did you have to drink?"

Train tapped his head in thought, then brought that same hand to his face and held up three fingers. "I had three glasshesh of wine, and shomething called a 'Green Fairy' at dinner."

Creed jumped a little at what he said. "The Green Fairy? Train, that's a really strong drink. And then you had three glasses of wine? You should go to bed…"

Train brushed away his words, then Creed heard some thunder and watched as his beloved flashed away. The cat's state caused him to misjudge where he was going to land and he ended up at the edge of the roof, trying to steady himself so he didn't fall off the edge. Creed was on his feet in a second, grabbing his beloved's hands so he wouldn't fall and pulling him forward.

Train had very little control of his body and found himself falling towards Creed and against his chest. The cat laughed drunkenly into his ex-partner's chest and gripped his shirt tightly for balance. Creed wrapped his arms around his love's back and pulled him away from the edge of the roof. His heart was beating fast at what almost happened to his Kitten and he desperately wanted to get him to safety.

Train followed Creed willingly as the swordsman pulled him across the roof and to the center. When they reached it, Creed sat him down and sighed in relief. He took a seat next to his cat, then noticed Train had found his writings and was squinting at the words. Creed took them away quickly, shoving them into his robe's pockets as he hid his face from his cat.

Train blinked at him in confusion. "What are you writing?"

Creed blushed and refused to make eye contact with his cat. "Nothing, don't worry about it…"

The Black Cat knew that tone of voice and smiling knowingly. He leaned forward so he could see his ex-lovers face and poked his nose playfully, almost missing as his hand seemed to be doing its own thing.

"You're writing about me, aren't cha?"

Creed's face turned a bright shade of red at Train's words and his actions, but found himself smiling despite his embarrassment. He knew his beloved was quite drunk, so he was most certainly not going to read into anything Train might have said or done tonight. However, that wasn't going to to stop him from taking any affection he received from his Kitten. Even if it was meant in a friendly manner.

"Wh-why did you come up here, Train? It's late and you're clearly intoxicated. You should just go to bed." Creed reached out and steadied his beloved again, seeing as he was about to fall over and the silver man didn't want him to fall off the roof.

Train shrugged his shoulders and leaned against Creed's shoulder so he wouldn't keep falling over. "You looked shad. I wanted to shee what was wrong with my friend."

Creed felt his heart flutter at Train's comment. "Friend?"

Train laughed again and patted Creed's knee. "Yeah, friend. I know we're more complicated than that, but right now, I don't feel like thinking about complicated thingsh right now. I think it'sh shafe to shay we're friendsh."

Creed couldn't help but swoon at how cute his cat was as he slurred his s'es and he was happy Train didn't notice his adoring gesture. His heart was beginning to repair itself as Train used him for support, over the moon with joy as his love snuggled in a little bit. When he felt Train shiver, he knew he was only doing it because he was cold and he was sure the alcohol wasn't helping. But, right now, Creed didn't care. His love was home and safe and giving him attention.

Not only that, he's calling me a friend again. Does that mean he's forgiven me?

"H-how… H-how was your… d-date?" Creed was scared to ask this question, but he knew if he was going to be friends with his Kitten, he had to show at least some interest in any relationships he might form.

Train felt himself blush and sighed deeply, not sure how to answer that question to a man he knew he was still completely and utterly in love with him. It was then he noticed he was leaning on the man and pushed himself away. He knew that wasn't fair to Creed and as much as he may still resent him, he didn't deserve that.

But, I did just call him a friend, didn't I? Is that really true?

"It wash… Fine. I guessh I had fun. But, I'm glad it'sh over." Then he remembered the reason he went on the date and pulled out his phone. "Oh! That remindsh me, I took picturesh!"

Creed giggled at his cat's slur and adorable way he drunkenly pulled out his phone. He sighed when Train moved away from him a little, but happy to see his beloved remembered the real reason he went on the date. However, as his Kitten fumbled with his phone, Creed glanced at Train's other hand and noticed what he was holding. He saw it before when he stopped him from falling off the roof, but now he could fully gather what he was holding.

Flowers… Lin gave him flowers… And Train brought them back with him…

When they were in Chronos, Train never kept any flowers Creed gave him. He only started keeping the flowers when he had begun developing feelings for Creed, which worried the swordsman. Again, he knew he had no claims to Train and his beloved had every right to fall for anyone he wanted, but it didn't help his heart.

Train groaned as he looked at the pictures, realizing they were completely blurry. He was tipsy at the time when he took them which apparently affected the pictures in a negative way.

And then Lin started going at me and I forgot to check before I left… But I can't tell Creed that.

"I'm shorry, Creed. They didn't come out right… I'll have to get them from him another day…"

Creed didn't seem to care about the documents since his eyes were locked onto the flowers his Kitten was holding. "D-did Lin give you f-flowers…?"

He tried to make his voice sound causal, but he knew it didn't come out that way. He cursed himself for sad sounds he made and cursed himself for stuttering. Everything about him reeked of desperation and depression and he really didn't want Train to hear how much pain he was in.

Train blinked at Creed, confused what he meant then looked at his hands. "Oh, right… When did that happen?"

"When did what happen, Train?"

The Black Cat shook his head. "Nothing. Yesh, he gave me flowersh."

He knew when Lin gave him the flowers, but he didn't remember leaving the hotel room with them. Train tried to think back to when he got them back, but he had a feeling Lin must have put them back in his hands before he left.

"Remember, looking up the red tulips when you get home…"

Train nodded as the memory came back to him.

That's right, he put them in my hands before I left. I walked home because I didn't trust myself to flash and I also needed to clear my head.

After what happened with Lin tonight, he needed to think. The way the number was acting was very similar to how Creed acted around him, so Train was beginning to worry Lin's feelings for him went deeper than he realized. He kept wondering if he did the right thing tonight, even though Lin assured him over and over again that he wanted to do it. And that he was open to doing it again if Train wanted.

I also can't ignore how much better I feel now. I think that's why I was able to call Creed a friend just now. I feel… lighter. Less stressed. I just hope I don't end up hurting Lin.

He knew his feelings for the man were still purely friendship, but he was obviously physically attracted to the man. He knew that before tonight, but their sexual encounter only solidified that. Train really didn't want to make Lin more attached to him, but he couldn't deny how good it felt to finally have that intimate contact with another person.

Train looked back at the flowers since he noticed Creed was still looking at them. "He shaid there wash a meaning behind each of them. I can't remember all of them, but he told me to look up theshe when I got home."

Creed looked at the red flowers his beloved was pointing to and had to hold back a sob. "There's no need for that. I know what they mean…" He smiled sadly at the curious look his love gave him. "Red tulips. They represent a declaration of love…"

Train's eyes widened and he looked at the flowers. "Oh…"

He didn't know what to say. Train knew that must have hurt Creed a lot and he regretted taking the flowers home. It also made him question even more if what he did tonight was the right thing. He glanced at Creed again and saw a tear fall from his eye, even though he tried to hide it. Train sighed deeply and put the flowers down, resting his head in his hands as he tried to let the cold night air clear his thoughts.

And now I'm hurting Creed more… I already knew he was hurt before, but this only made it worse. And now Lin is subtly telling me he loves me? What the hell am I supposed to do?!

He also didn't see why they were both attracted to him. Train didn't think there was anything special about him, but it seemed like people kept falling at his feet no matter what he did. He didn't feel like he did anything to make that happen, but it just kept happening and he was getting tired of hurting people.

I haven't even been the nicest to Creed these last four months and I can tell he's still completely enthralled with me. What's the deal?

"Are you okay, Train?"

Train looked up to see Creed had stifled his sadness yet again to comfort him. The cat sighed and leaned back on his hands, looking up at the starry sky, trying to find his answers there. Normally he could talk to Saya and she would give him the answer, but right now it seemed like she was being quiet.

Sighing again, he decided to voice his thoughts to the only other person that would listen, even though he tried his best to avoid these kinds of conversation with the man.

"Creed… What ish it about me that people are drawn too?"

Creed tilt his head in confusion at his love. "What do you mean, Train?"

Train took a deep breath and turned to look at Creed, his eyes doing their best to focus on the man. "I know thish ishn't the kind of convershation we should be having considering…. Our pasht, but I need to know before I shtart hurting more people… What ish so… appealing about me?"

Creed giggled at his cat. "I feel like I told you all this before…" Train gave him a weak glare and the silver man smiled fondly at his beloved. "Are you sure you're okay with me talking about you like this? I know you used to like it, but it makes you uncomfortable now… And I don't want to cause you any discomfort."

Train sighed again and ran his fingers through his hair. "It'sh fine, Creed. Go ahead."

Creed nodded and looked up at the sky, trying to find the right words to explain his cat's allure. "There is no language in the world that could ever describe how perfect you are, Train… but I will try…"

Creed took a deep breath and looked back at his beloved. "You have this… way about you that makes everyone want to understand how your mind works. I know you better than anyone else, yet even I find myself questioning what your logic is. You live life with such carefree abandon and you're always able to find the humor in any situation. That's a trait many spend their lives trying to obtain, yet you make it look so easy. As if that's how you're supposed to live life, as if there's no other way."

He looked back at the sky, smiling peacefully as he spoke about his beloved. "You're strong in more ways than one. Your physical strength is obvious and impressive, but with everything the world has thrown at you, most people would be destroyed. I know you have your demons, but it's almost as if you looked them in the face and laughed. As if you were able to slay them years ago and for whatever reason, you don't see the big deal. And, as someone who has demons of their owns, I have to tell you, it's remarkable and has had a profound effect on me."

Creed turned back to his Kitten again, seeing his drunk eyes focused intently on him and smiling warmly at him, resisting the urge to caress his cheek and run his fingers through his hair. "Your passionate spirit, combined with your physical prowess, uniquely enchanting eyes, and utter bodily perfection, you're a deadly weapon to most hearts, Train. I'm sorry, but there isn't much you can do about it. You're just simply… too perfect for this world to not feel the need to bend its needs to your majesty… I know I plead my fleaty long ago and I'll never be able to take it back."

Train stared at his ex-partner, feeling a tiny bit of warmth the man used to make him feel constantly return to his heart. It was hard not to feel something after such strongly spoken words and, once more, alcohol was not helping him. Creed hadn't spoken so lovingly to him since they were in Apostles together, but he also knew that was because Train told him not to. It was also why Creed stopped giving him flowers.

Even back then, I don't think he went on for that long about why he loves me. It must be because he was holding back for so long.

However, it was an easy feeling to push aside quickly. He wasn't anywhere near close to feeling affection for the man beyond friendship. But now, he felt stuck. He didn't know what to say in response to such a warm declaration of love. That thought made him glance back at the flowers Lin gave him, and he felt himself pulling his legs up to his chest, burying his face into his knees.

And then there's Lin… I don't know what to do… Should I just seclude myself from the world so this stops happening? I really don't want to go through all that again.

After what happened with Creed, he knew he wasn't ready for another relationship. Lin may have told him that didn't matter to him, but he also knew it wasn't going to stop him from being hurt. Creed told him the same thing as well, but here he was now, holding back his tears for Train's benefits, telling him how much he loved him and still putting the cat's happiness first.

"I'm sorry, Train…" Creed said as he saw his beloved curl deeper into himself. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable… I never want to cause you any pain again…"

Train growled a little and balled his hand into a fist, feeling a bit of the anger he had for Creed coming back. However, he took a deep breath and calmed himself down. As much as he wasn't sure what he and Lin did tonight was going to be good for either of them, it did help clear his mind and he felt like he was actually able to talk to Creed about his feelings a little.

"Creed… I think we should talk about… that…"

Creed felt his heart freeze at his love's words knowing what he was talking about, but nodded nonetheless. He would always agree to anything Train ever wanted. "Okay, Train…"

When he saw his Kitten shiver again, he started to take off his robe to give to his cat. "Here, take this. I have a feeling this will be a difficult conversation and I don't want you to be cold."

Train looked at the robe then at Creed, noticing he was wearing very thin pajamas and was very obviously holding back his own chilliness. He could also tell Creed had been up here for a while, most likely because he didn't want anyone else to hear him crying. Also because he knew this is where the two of them spent most of their time when they were lovers.

Train shook his head and pushed the garment away. "No, I'm fine. Let's just talk."

Creed took his robe back and slipped it back on. They sat in silence for a few minutes, Creed waiting for Train to get started and the cat searching for the correct words. While his night with Lin cleared his head, the alcohol in his system was muddling it again. But, ironically, he was pretty sure the liquor was what was giving him the confidence to have the conversation in the first place. They hadn't talked about what happened at all since the night Train left him and Train knew they couldn't avoid the subject forever.

Train took a deep breath and then spoke. "I think I'm shlowly shtarting to forgive you, Creed. But… I'm not there yet."

Creed smiled at him. "Yet?"

Train glanced at him quickly, then looked at the sky. "I don't even know if 'yet' ish the right word, but I do know I've been feeling lessh… angry around you. I don't know if you noticed, but I've been able to be around you longer."

Creed perked up a little at his words. "I've noticed, Train, but I didn't want to say anything to make you uncomfortable. I don't-"

"-I know, Creed. You don't want to hurt me again. Jusht sho you know, when you shay things like that it jusht remindsh me that you hurt me and makesh me angry all over again. I'm shtarting to feel leash angry, but you need to shtop reminding me of what happened. I know you want me to feel better, but I thish ish shomething I need to work out on my own."

Creed nodded, giggling a little as he agreed with his Kitten. Train noticed his laughter and narrowed his eyes. "What'sh sho funny?"

Creed giggled a little louder and brushed his love's words away. "It's nothing, Train. You're slur is just too funny."

Train blinked, his body feeling wobbly again as he held back a yawn. "Shlur?"

Creed laughed harder and nodded his head. "Yesh, your shlur. You probably should have shlowed down on your drinksh, Train."

Train felt himself blush and looked away. "Lin ish very convincing…"

Creed felt his happiness fade quickly at Train's reminder of his date tonight. That was a good example of what Train was talking about and he was able to understand more what his cat meant.

"But... I understand what you mean, Train. And I'll make sure not to bring it up again." Creed looked back at the sky and sighed shakily. "I know it's off topic, but… I'm glad you had fun tonight…"

Train frowned at the sad look in his ex-partner's eyes and felt his eyes close slowly. He shot them back open, refusing to fall asleep before he finished this conversation with Creed. The cat even slapped his cheeks a little, trying to wake himself up.

"Thanksh, I guessh…" He yawned again, shaking his whole body to try and keep himself from falling asleep. "I alsho wanted to tell you… I've shtarted to shee a change in you… Even tonight, I'm shocked to shee you're not reacting angrily or jeashoushly. I know you're shad, but… I think that'sh a much healthier reshponshe."

Creed smiled lovingly at his Kitten. "Thank you, Train. And… I do think I've felt a change. And I think tonight we were able to find a good outlet for the pain I still feel." His heart fluttered as he saw Train's eyes close slightly, then open again quickly. "Is… Is it okay if I talk about my pain? Does that bother you or make you think of bad times?"

Train rolled his eyes, regretting it immediately as he felt himself wobble again. He unknowingly leaned against Creed again, using his ex-lover for support once more. "Yesh, Creed. And I want to know what you found tonight. And who ish 'we'?"

Creed resisted the urge to run his fingers through his beloved's hair and continued his story. "Before I tell you what I did tonight, I should tell you Rinslet used to play the violin."

Train felt himself starting to fall asleep despite his desire to stay awake but sat up quickly and shot his eyes open at Creed's statement. "Rinsh played the violin?! When?! What?! How?!"

Creed giggled as his Kitten's eyes twinkled with a bright orange, signaling that he was happy to hear this news. "When she was a kid and if I knew how I would probably be playing it myself."

Train smirked and felt himself fall forwards, landing on Creed's shoulder again, barely aware of what he did and gestured for his ex-partner to continue.

"Eve and Rinslet saw how sad I was and they wanted to make me feel better. Rinslet brought us to her old music school and I met her teacher. Her name is Anastasia Willis. She's quite old, but she's a wonderful woman." Creed smiled down at his cat, sighing happily at his beloved's peacefully shut eyes.

Train nodded, signaling he was still awake. "That must have been weird for Rinshlet. Introducing her new friendsh to her old onesh."

Creed nodded. "Yeah, they didn't seem to have a good past. Apparently, Rinslet stole some instruments and money from her. She was kicked out after that."

Train laughed loudly. "Why am I not shurprised?" He yawned as he tried to finish his statement. "I knew you and Eve got a long from the getgo, but it'sh good to shee Rinshlet is warming up to you ash well. I'm glad to shee you making friendsh."

Creed smiled warmly at his beloved. "Yes, it's nice… However, I wish Sven would come around."

Train frowned as his eyes closed. "That'sh going to be a tough one, but I'm shure it'll get better. After all, if I'm beginning to forgive you, I'm shure Shven can…" Train blinked and touched his own lips in confusion. "Shven's name ish hard to shay…"

Creed giggled and felt his heart leap at his cat's cuteness. "Have you been drinking water, Train?"

The cat nodded. "Lin gave me a bottle before I left. I don't know where it went…"

Creed pushed aside the pain and changed the subject. "I'm glad you met these people, Train. You've really opened up my world to a whole new lifestyle and… I think I like it…"

Train lifted his head, still not aware he was using Creed's shoulder as a pillow and looked into his former partner's eyes. He was looking for any signs of sincerity, and smiled when he saw it. Creed was never able to hide his true emotions from Train, especially after they had laid together as lovers and the cat saw nothing but the truth there. He could tell, without a shadow of a doubt, that he really was starting to come around to this carefree sweeper life. Train wanted to ask if he still planned on staying with them, but he already knew the answer was going to be yes.

Asking him that will only make him think I'm trying to kick him out, which I really am not trying to do.

His drunken state and clear mind had allowed him to work out more of his emotions on the spot and he knew he didn't want to kick the man to the curb. Not only was he starting to consider him a friend again, but he was a great asset to the team. There was also a small part of him that would kind of miss him if he left

Very small though. And not something I will ever mention to him. He might latch onto it in hopes that something more will happen. And that's something I know will never happen again.

Train felt his eyes close again as she fell back on Creed's shoulder again, not aware of the closeness he was creating between them. "That'sh good to hear Creed. And it shoundsh like you made another friend tonight ash well…"

Creed nodded. "Yes. Anatasia is going to teach me how to channel my emotions into music. She also suggested painting and writing, hence what you saw when you first got here." He didn't add that he was writing about Train. His beloved already figured it out, so there was no need to draw attention to it.

Train liked the sound of that and felt himself falling asleep. "That'sh nice… She shoundsh nice… I should meet her, make shure she'sh on the up and up…" He yawned again, knowing he was losing the battle against his own exhausting and he didn't have the strength to fight it. "And I agree, that shoundsh like a healthy alternative to me. Maybe we can get you a portable keyboard. Sho you can practice on the road."

The silver man nodded at his beloved. "That sounds wonderful, Train… But I don't think Sven will agree to that."

Train yawned again, his body slowly slipping forward as he spoke. "I'll talk to him. We can work shomething out."

Creed sighed happily. "Thank you, Train. You've done more for me than I deserve… Then I'll ever deserve…"

Train didn't hear his last words. He finally gave in to his body's fatigue and he fell forward, his head landing on Creed's lap inadvertently. Train curled up a little, his body shivering from the cold night air, subconsciously seeking warmth in the other man's body.

Creed watched as his cat snuggled closer, his whole body on fire with yearning as he watched his cat's beautifully, tranquil face. He wanted to stroke his silky chocolate locks, caress his smooth, opulent skin so badly, but he didn't. He pushed all those urges aside and instead enjoyed the view his beloved graced him with.

After a few minutes, Creed decided he should wake his Kitten up. It was really late and Train was obviously too drunk to get down on his own. However, Creed was awfully tired as well and wasn't sure he trusted himself to get them both down safely either. There was no easy access to the roof other than to jump up like he had hours ago and he didn't think it was a good idea to jump down with both him and Train.

As much as I want to watch him sleep, I know he wouldn't want me to. Plus, he needs to get to bed.

Creed shook his love's shoulders gently. "Train… You need to wake up so you can go to bed."

Train laughed drunkenly. "That's a contradiction…"

The silver man blinked at his love, remembering the last time he said this to Train and giggled happily. "Sorry, but it's true. You need to go to bed."

Train moaned and fell back asleep instantly. Creed tried to shake him awake again, but his beloved seemed to be dead to the world. He tried a few more times, but received the same results each time, making him sigh sadly. The silver man watched as his cat slept deeply, whimpering longingly as Train snuggled a little closer, shivering wildling from the cold night air and trying to find as much warmth as he possibly could.

Without a second though, Creed slipped his robe off and wrapped it tightly around his cat. Seeing his beloved was still shaking, Creed wrapped his arms around the cat, laying his body on top of him to protect him from the cold. It was an awkward position for him, but he didn't care. He didn't want his beloved to get sick and he didn't care what happened to his own body.

He heard Train mumble pleasantly in his sleep and felt his love's smile against his chest as he pressed it against his Kitten's face, trying to cover his ear since he knew most of a human's body heat left from there. When he felt his beloved settle in, Creed smiled and fought the urge to kiss the man or caress his hair. As much as he enjoyed holding his cat again, he knew he was only doing this to keep his cat warm. He wasn't going to think into it and if Train woke up in the middle of the night, Creed would let him go right away and help him get to bed.

However, when he heard his cat slurred speech in his sleep, Creed knew it was going to be a rough, yet wonderful night for his heart, but his body was no longer able to hold on to its consciousness anymore. The silver man smiled heartily, and cuddled closer to his beloved, enjoying himself despite the uncomfortable position or the lack of love coming from the man in his arms.

"I love you, Train… Thank you for giving me a second chance…"

While it wasn't the second chance he wanted, it was a start. He knew he would never have his cat the way he pined again, but that was just something he was going to have to live with.

But… If this is what he'll give me… it's enough. And maybe with Anastasia's help, I'll be able to handle watching him fall for another man…

Creed nuzzled his face into his love's hair, taking in a deep breath to rid himself of the sad thoughts. If he didn't, he'd have a nightmare and wake his beloved up. The silver man took a deep breath and allowed sleep to take him, no longer able to fight it anymore.

"I love you, Train…"

---

Translation:

(1) "Trust me, I will never forget tonight…"

(2) "If I have my way, you certainly will not."