His image whispered to him in the dark.
"Crawford..." Blind fingers reached out into nothingness, unable to grasp what they were searching for. A slow smile carved into his face. "Release me. You said we would be free...Let's go now..."
A familiar touch, a hand slowly closed around his. A strong hand. A warm hand. Schuldig curled his fingers into the other and tried to open his eyes. Why did he feel so weak?
Lips brushed against his knuckles and slowly made their way to his shoulder. Schuldig's breath hitched in his throat as he called Crawford's name again.
"Let's go..." He murmured, "Let's go to Tokyo."
"You're not going anywhere." A strong voice commanded him.
Drug hazed jade finally crowned open, expression ridden with dull shock. The hand that had been holding his slowly slipped under the covers, settling on his groin. The touch burned him.
Schuldig never thought of Crawford having such warm hands.
Sazha smiled.
*
Nagi's steady cerulean gazed moved from the unconscious red head to the pacing psychopath. Schuldig was knocked out, but he must have been dreaming. A moment ago he had started to twist and whimper, probably from withdrawal. The flailing was starting to make Farfarello nervous.
Withering, feeble things drew hatred from deadly animals.
"This is all your fault." He accused, not bothering to face Crawford. At the moment the American didn't deserve his gaze. "I don't have to ask to know what you see. What's coming for us." His fist clenched around the sleeve of his shirt. "None of this would have happened if we hadn't stayed in Vienna."
Crawford's mouth thinned and he didn't reply.
A blur of ivory crossed the small bedroom room as Farfarello stalked to Schuldig's side. Nagi jumped with anticipation, sure the Manipulator would go for the older boy's throat, having had enough with his sickening cries and muffled keening. Crawford took in the movement with casual acceptance, not at all surprised when Farfarello toed his way onto the mattress and sat next to Schuldig's pillow. He began to whisper something inaudible and stroke at the red head's hair.
Nagi couldn't help but stare for a moment at this quant, yet surreal scene. Farfarello's ability to totally disarm a situation with his almost sadistic manner of patience and indifference never ceased to unnerve him. If the bloody animal wasn't aware of the danger than was there any reason for him to feel alarmed? Was he the only one panicking hear?
No, he reasoned, Farfarello was just crazy and stupid and didn't know any better.
He wish he had never gotten involved with any of these men.
"Nagi..." Crawford's voice tore into his dark musing. "Do you not trust me?"
There was a sinister glint in that sentence, a pain darker than simple annoyance or doubt. It was as if Crawford was challenging him.
For all bravery he had felt a few sentenced ago, Nagi couldn't bring himself to meet the Americans gaze. "How can I trust you..." He admitted, "You've lied to me at every corner."
The room went silent. Even the raving Schuldig had sobered down. A chill crawled down Nagi's back as it seemed the whole world had stopped to dare him speak against the Almighty Oracle.
Crawford nodded. "Hm. This is all going according to plan."
His exit was silent, it left both Nagi and Farfarello staring after him.
Farfarello drew a strand of Schuldig's hair up to his lips and smiled. "Funny one. You can never tell when he is bluffing. I bet he's good at card games."
Nagi shuddered, "He's gambling with our lives, you know."
"...what did Crawford promise you? He promised me a battle. He promised me blood." Farfarello licked the tips of Schuldig's scarlet hair. "He never promised me extended freedom or a happy ending."
Nagi's reply was cut off as suddenly a body, attached to a repel cord, plunged through the living room window.
"Crawford..." Blind fingers reached out into nothingness, unable to grasp what they were searching for. A slow smile carved into his face. "Release me. You said we would be free...Let's go now..."
A familiar touch, a hand slowly closed around his. A strong hand. A warm hand. Schuldig curled his fingers into the other and tried to open his eyes. Why did he feel so weak?
Lips brushed against his knuckles and slowly made their way to his shoulder. Schuldig's breath hitched in his throat as he called Crawford's name again.
"Let's go..." He murmured, "Let's go to Tokyo."
"You're not going anywhere." A strong voice commanded him.
Drug hazed jade finally crowned open, expression ridden with dull shock. The hand that had been holding his slowly slipped under the covers, settling on his groin. The touch burned him.
Schuldig never thought of Crawford having such warm hands.
Sazha smiled.
*
Nagi's steady cerulean gazed moved from the unconscious red head to the pacing psychopath. Schuldig was knocked out, but he must have been dreaming. A moment ago he had started to twist and whimper, probably from withdrawal. The flailing was starting to make Farfarello nervous.
Withering, feeble things drew hatred from deadly animals.
"This is all your fault." He accused, not bothering to face Crawford. At the moment the American didn't deserve his gaze. "I don't have to ask to know what you see. What's coming for us." His fist clenched around the sleeve of his shirt. "None of this would have happened if we hadn't stayed in Vienna."
Crawford's mouth thinned and he didn't reply.
A blur of ivory crossed the small bedroom room as Farfarello stalked to Schuldig's side. Nagi jumped with anticipation, sure the Manipulator would go for the older boy's throat, having had enough with his sickening cries and muffled keening. Crawford took in the movement with casual acceptance, not at all surprised when Farfarello toed his way onto the mattress and sat next to Schuldig's pillow. He began to whisper something inaudible and stroke at the red head's hair.
Nagi couldn't help but stare for a moment at this quant, yet surreal scene. Farfarello's ability to totally disarm a situation with his almost sadistic manner of patience and indifference never ceased to unnerve him. If the bloody animal wasn't aware of the danger than was there any reason for him to feel alarmed? Was he the only one panicking hear?
No, he reasoned, Farfarello was just crazy and stupid and didn't know any better.
He wish he had never gotten involved with any of these men.
"Nagi..." Crawford's voice tore into his dark musing. "Do you not trust me?"
There was a sinister glint in that sentence, a pain darker than simple annoyance or doubt. It was as if Crawford was challenging him.
For all bravery he had felt a few sentenced ago, Nagi couldn't bring himself to meet the Americans gaze. "How can I trust you..." He admitted, "You've lied to me at every corner."
The room went silent. Even the raving Schuldig had sobered down. A chill crawled down Nagi's back as it seemed the whole world had stopped to dare him speak against the Almighty Oracle.
Crawford nodded. "Hm. This is all going according to plan."
His exit was silent, it left both Nagi and Farfarello staring after him.
Farfarello drew a strand of Schuldig's hair up to his lips and smiled. "Funny one. You can never tell when he is bluffing. I bet he's good at card games."
Nagi shuddered, "He's gambling with our lives, you know."
"...what did Crawford promise you? He promised me a battle. He promised me blood." Farfarello licked the tips of Schuldig's scarlet hair. "He never promised me extended freedom or a happy ending."
Nagi's reply was cut off as suddenly a body, attached to a repel cord, plunged through the living room window.
