QUESTION: How do you get someone to face you? Especially when said Someone is rather...reluctant to do so. ^____________________^

Disclaimer: *sniffs* Those gorgeous guys from "Mayonaka no Tantei" (i.e. "Night Walker") still DO NOT belong to me. (But one can always wish for it, ne? ~__^)

Warning: This concerns a Relationship between two MALES. As I said, this fic WILL be lemony in the near future. (read: next chapter at the latest!)

Author's Note: Third Part. 'Nuff said. (P.S.: Just for the record – I LOVE pointed ears!!)

For Once, Then, Something

by Subaru

~ Part Three: He will be staying!? ~

He couldn't be serious.  . . . . Could he...?

I tried to pull away, to put some distance between myself and...him. Instantly, Cain's arm around my shoulders tensed. Refusing to let go of me, he instead tightened his grip and, bending even closer, whispered silkily: "You won't get away this easily, Shidou. . . ."

Damn! Even without having to look, I knew, I absolutely knew Cain was smirking. The same infuriating smirk he always had: when he had me at a...disadvantage – and was aware of me knowing that. And being powerless to stop him.

". . . not this time."

I was quite angry by now. Surely Cain was aware of my rage – not that it mattered to him in the slightest. At least not enough to deter him from whatever he had planned. Why...? Why didn't he pull away and Finally. Leave. Me. Alone!!

"My Shidou. . ." He bent closer still and—

"Ouch! What did you do that for!?" I Instinctively whirled around and away from him, facing him. Undoubtedly this was what he had intended but... Why in hell had he bitten me? And...in my ear no less!?

Cain must have seen my chagrin, my confusion. Seen and enjoyed it. He chuckled softly, darkly, for once not quite menacing. I couldn't help but shiver. His voice, especially his laughter, had always had that effect on me... Rich, deep and slightly husky. Making me tingle all over, shivering partly in...discomfort? and partly in...anticipation?

Then I looked. Really Looked at him.

If I hadn't, somewhere in a deeply buried part of myself - I refuse to believe it is my heart! – known and somehow...felt that this couldn't be anyone but Cain, I barely would have recognized him. He was still tall and stately as ever but. . . He had...changed. His appearance really was different – although his demeanor had most certainly remained his old arrogant, infuriating self.

Even before the bridge-incident, Cain had been beautiful, much as I hate to admit it, but now. . . . Now he was stunningly so, masculinely handsome, his beauty heightened to the point of— Don't. Go. There!!, I admonished myself. Instead I continued to gaze at him. Cain, in turn, simply did...nothing. He just remained sitting there, smile-smirking at me in that particular way only he could manage.

His hair, once a tumbling mass of rich, red-brown locks, had become a wavy, luxurious mane of honeyed gold. Absentmindedly I wondered whether it was as soft and silky as it looked. Following the line of his hair upward, I idly noticed that his ears were still pointed. Wouldn't the rest of his body also be...? —Wait a moment! What am I thinking!?

I stopped then and there. This was about as far as I wanted to...see him.

If his appearance had really changed so much, so...drastically... Wouldn't those gorgeous, hypnotizing eyes (Where had that come from?) of his...?

Cain moved. Only minutely so, true, but even this small movement jerked me out of my Cain-induced trance and back to reality. Then, instinctively, I looked at him, right in his face. And then, as if my situation wasn't bad enough, I couldn't but look in his eyes. Great! Just the thing I had wanted to avoid the most. . . .

His eyes had been compelling before, garnet pools of radiant darkness, drawing his victim's mind down their wine-coloured depths to where he wanted you to be.

But now... Now they were no less compelling, no, quite the contrary. They were positively mesmerizing. Having turned a shining golden color, they were no less burning, no less intense, their bright amber fire was... A predator's gaze.

Once someone was ensnared by that hypnotizing gaze of his, his victim was held – and held fast! – until Cain deemed it fit to release him.

And now – Cain had caught me.

I looked at him, somehow registering each and every tiny detail about him: from his midnight-blue coat to that single strand of silken gold that gently fell on his left cheek, but—

— I was unable to look away! What kind of spell had he worked on me!?

"None, my darling Shidou." Cain's smile widened a bit. "Yet. . ."

Had I, at this very moment, still had some semblance of control over my body, I would have drawn back, no, run, fled in the opposite direction. However, with Cain's spell working like that, I had no choice at all but to remain where I was: on my couch in my office in front of my TV – next to me the one person I had fervently hoped to have disappeared for good.

"Shidou... I'm hurt," Cain mock-pouted. "Is that any way to greet a lover who has come so far just to see you?" He reached out.

I flinched. It was never 'just to see' with him. Never. Expecting him to strike me, Cain surprised me yet again. His hand just brushed my temple, trailed gently down my cheek and, upon reaching my jaw, Cain's hand turned around and tightened its grip.

And still I couldn't look away. . . .

"...After I have come such a long, long way?"

I was beginning to lose my focus, was beginning to lose myself in those infinite, endless pools of shining, golden radiance. I was beginning to drown. . . .

Help...

He drew nearer until our faces were only some mere, feeble inches apart.

"My Shidou. . . ."

Someone... Help me...

I could feel his breath ghosting over my face, caressing my features as a lover might do.

Why...? Why couldn't I look away...!?

And yet I had no choice. No choice at all. Helplessly pinned by his gaze, I watched him draw closer and closer, not even noticing his other hand coming up to rest on my shoulder.

When our lips were almost about to touch, he whispered softly: "...Ai shiteru..."

...I was speechless. This was something I'd never ever have expected him to say.

He can't be serious! . . . . . . . Can he...?

Still struggling with that 'shocking' revelation of his, I opened my mouth to reply, to give voice to my disbelief in and of his statement – a move that, apparently, had been anticipated. Cain swooped down, capturing my lips in a fierce, possessive kiss, pressing his mouth harshly on mine.

Shocked to the very core of my being, I instinctively tried to pull away from him. 'Tried to' was the right expression – for when Cain felt my reaction, he growled deep in his throat and tightened his grip on my shoulder. Cupping the nape of my neck with his other hand, he forcefully pulled me closer against him still. All the while he continued that mind-numbing kiss, simply ignoring my rather pathetic struggles to break free.

In the back of my mind, deep, deep down in my consciousness, I somehow just knew that Cain wouldn't accept any struggling, only surrender. I was half-afraid of what other...things might still be in the coming. Lifting my hands I set them against Cain's broad, well-muscled chest, trying to push him away. I could as soon have tried to move a mountain for all the success my efforts showed.

I tried to mumble a protest. That was – as I almost immediately realized – a big mistake. As soon as I opened my mouth, Cain's tongue swept inside, easily overriding my startled dissent, once again claiming dominance.

To be continued. . . . .

*hides in closet* I'm scaaaaaaared!! *has never written a lemon before*

Reply to reviews:

A biiiiig 'Thank you!' to all the nice people who reviewed so far. I really appreciate your insights and comments.

@ LadyoftheLake40: Concerning Cain's looks...well...I was thinking about the difference in eps. 1-4 and 5-12. (He's gorgeous no matter what he looks like. ^^;;)

@ depressio: I'm glad that you like my story although I somewhat doubt you'll be really happy with this short chappy...

@ Darkmaster2: I agree. Poor, poor Shido. (And it's not getting better. *beg* At least not for him. ^^v)

@ VampireKidKara: Wow! Thanks. That was a really enthusiastic review. It was very encouraging!!