Bad Kitten: Chapter Five
By. Bento Box
07/05/04
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The stony, grave face of his butler appeared at the door, ready to take his overcoat and dress jacket away. A clear glass filled with the sharp scent of delightfully aged wine was then presented to him on a simple, silver platter. He graced the man with a smile, feeling inordinately pleased today.
The meeting had certainly gone a lot smoother, having discussed the terms of payment anew with his partner's head advisor. He had not been pleased with the representative they had sent to him the previous day, and the irritation at finding himself dealing with such incompetence had resulted in the ugly task of disposing with the man. It was a smart move on their part to give him the respect that he deserved the second time around. A third incident would have cost them much than just a single life.
He smiled again, to himself, savoring the bitter taste that burned down his throat.
Walking the short distance from the entryway to the private lounge, he settled comfortably into the wide expanse of a leather couch and with a slight flicker of his wrist the flat screen hummed silently to life.
"--and the body was found lying in the dark alley between Hana's Supermarket and the residential apartment complex. Police chief Suzuki Ichiro has disclosed the following information."
A tall man, short-cropped dark hair peppered with gray, appeared in the screen, microphones thrust about him from all sides. His face was solemn as he spoke, neither remorseful nor optimistic.
"We have been unable to identify the body as of this present time, but it can be stated that the young boy died from drug overdose. The body shall be examined and further details shall be disclosed at a later time."
The screen narrowed to a silver slit before blanking out completely. The wine glass rose to his stretched lips once more, a quirky smile in place of the pleased one from earlier.
Such a shame his last toy had died. But he was a monogamous man, in all of his varying relationships. And it just wouldn't do keeping his old pet when he had such a lovely new one whose delicate training needed his utmost attention.
The wine disappeared slowly behind pale lips.
—
Nagi was on edge, but had a firmer grip on his emotions than the last time he had awoken to the sight of his unknown surroundings. He was fairly certain that two days had passed since he had been taken to the room he was currently trapped in, but he had spent a majority of the first day unconscious so it was hard to really say.
It was during Nagi's waking moments that he had the unsettling feeling that he had not spent the time in the dark recesses of his mind completely alone. Oh, he knew there had to be some form of surveillance monitoring him, but it wasn't that intrusion that bothered him most. It was the sense that someone else had physically been in the room with him, and not just for a physical check-up or to pump him with drugs or whatever it was they were doing to control his powers and keeping his connection with Schuldig blocked.
The sense of hands ghosting over his bared skin, of lips pressing against his own, made his stomach want to heave. He was surprised he hadn't already, after the vivid recollection of a thick tongue sliding gently past his lips had come to him earlier today.
These vague impressions were all that he had though, of any other presence besides his own. He could not remember feeling hunger or the need to relieve his bowels. There was no lingering aromas of food or otherwise to indicate that he had been fed or washed. It was a curious thought, but also a terrifying one because he had no idea who held him captive. Fighting blindly without any back-up or the comfort of his powers also set his teeth on edge, and if at least one of his answers wasn't answered soon he was going to lose his tenuous control over his raging emotions.
Wrapping his naked body underneath the thick bedspread, he hoped the layers of material would shield the monitors from picking up on the slight tremble that shook his hands as he stared blankly at the wall. One complete and total breakdown was one too many and Nagi berated himself for allowing his control to deteriorate so much that he had given the enemy a glimpse behind his stoic facade.
Stupid Nagi, stupid, stupid.
He wanted to go back to the apartment, with Schuldig and his nasal voice whining about needing more cigarettes, and Crawford coolly reminding him to do a quick scan regarding a new target. Even Farfarello with his odd ways and manic smile was missed.
He hadn't felt this alone in so long, ever since joining Schwarz, always having the comforting presence of Schuldig in the back of his mind to keep him connected to the rest of the group.
But he couldn't let his fear rule him, not when he needed his wits and composure most in this unfamiliar and uncertain territory. Nagi had to wait and bide his time. The presence would reveal itself soon enough, and in the meantime, he would bury the burning sensation of lips bearing down against his own.