Author's notes and warnings: Gomen nasai! *bows very low* I know this chapter is very, very late. I was very sick for a while and couldn't get anything done! I hope you'll all forgive me! *big, gigantic puppy dog eyes*
This chapter has a bit more Kouji/Chiriko than I had intended… Once I started writing, I couldn't stop. Please let me know what you think of them, especially Chiriko.
Warning: very mean Chichiri at one point, which leads to a very sad Tasuki…
Mounds and mounds of gratitude for my reviewers: (I know it gets long so just scroll down if you want to start the fic ^_^)
Sakata Ri Houjun: Arigatou, no da! ^_^ LOL…yeah, not a lot of Chiriko anything out there, let alone a slash pairing, ne? Glad you like it. How have you been? Any new chapters coming out on any of your fics?
Lola: *giggles along with Lola* I am evil, no daaaa…..!!! Will make them wait… anou… but maybe not too long or they may go on strike on me, ne? Thank you!!
Space Cat: Wah! I love the Tasuki all cute and needing his Chiri too! Well, I'm the pro strong Chiri writer so that's a given, ne? But Tasuki's going to have his moments too… *sigh* Thank you for your review!
Xellas: *laughs* Yummy, yummy, yummy, I got lime in my tummy… Er…gomen…*laughs* but when I read your review that's what came to mind! And do I even want to know what naughty images are popping up with Ceilen's 'thing for efficiency'? HUGS!!! Thanks, Xellas, for all your input! Love ya to pieces!!!
Celeste1: Ah…gomen, gomen…the chapters are taking a bit long but I promise to start the WK-7 right away. Thank you so much for hopping to FY fandom to read this. I'm glad you like it!
Midori Natari Himura: Arigatou! Yes, Tas-chan was a bit…*ahem*… frisky, ne? LOL. Chichiri obviously thinks that he's sexy too… Glad you like! ^_^
Ashen Skies: LOL. Ah, my muses and yours are definitely partying! Thank you!! I'm really tickled pink that you like it!
Fallen Wind: *sigh* Yeah, Chiri has a lot of issues…poor baby. But you are so right! Tasuki's gonna make him all better, ne? Thank you!!! ^__^
Bakachan!: Hello! Thank you for your kind email! I was very touched, no da… (((hugs bakachan and wubear))) And yes, the pink hair dude is Chiriko. He and Manx won't hurt Kouji…much…*laughs* Just kidding! I think Kouji may just like what Chiriko has in mind…*whistles innocently* And I will try to get SS and WK out at the same time, so Wufei better be ready with that panda suit… Thank you, sweetie!
Methodic Madness: Heh, heh, heh…well… Unresolved sexual tensions can be quite electrifying, ne? Can't have them hopping into each other's pants just yet…but it's coming… Thank you!
Carter Tachikawa: Thank you for coming back! ^_^ Yes, an aggressive Tasuki is a good thing…Chiri better watch out, ne?
Tearlesereph: WAH!!! *cries* I'm so sorry!!! I don't write as fast a so many writers out there and some of the things I have to research just aren't cooperating! Gomen, gomen, I'll try much harder, no da!!
Hcbenitez: Isn't Tasuki all cuddly? I love him like that too… Thank you for your review!
Ambika-san: Hiya! How's Insight, no da? LOL. You get a really pivotal chapter to write, don't ya! It's going to be just great, I know it! ^_^ How's school? Thank you for taking the time to review! (((HUGS)))
Yuki Bombay: ^__^ Heh, heh, heh…need a mop? Ooops, I forgot, Kenken threw it overboard, no da… thank you for your review!
FireKat: Nani? Me? *looks around innocently* Mean? *cackles evilly* You haven't seen mean, no da! Mwaaaahahahah!!! Thank you!!!
Zeto: LOL…no, no, no! Not Shuuichi, Chiriko! Yuki's gonna have my head if I let Kouji anywhere near his Shu-chan, ne? Thank you for your compliment. *blushes* Gives me warm, fuzzy feelings, no da…
SLL: Wai! Sorry about the lime! ^_^ I guess, that'll work too, ne? Most of the stuff is pretty PG-13 anyway, but I will warn you when limes or lemons are gonna show up, okay? Thank you!
Kouryou Sanomi: O__O;; Nani?! Updating, no daaaa……
Cindy Poo: *grins* I'm glad you like, no da! LOL. I'm sorry, I AM mean…and the boys are glaring at me like you wouldn't believe! But I promise to make it all better soon, ne? Hugs!!!
Krysana: LOL. *hugs moto-chan* I aim to please, ne? I'm so glad you like it! Now I'm going to write WK and give you more RanKen goodness, okay? ((HUGS))
Hana no Ceres: *giggles* I love reading your review…cracks me up everytime. ^_^ Yeah, Ceilen is a little skittish but it's not really the eye patch thing… More will be revealed in FY-7, no da! Thank you for reviewing! Tasuki-chan loves it when people complain when I won't let him have any… ^_^
Sirrah: *ROFL* Gomen, gomen! No lemon until the next chapter, no da! Sorry…. But I'm glad you like the story. Thank you for reviewing!
Akennea: I'm writing, I'm writing!
Leila: Thank you for the review! And the mail! ^_^ And yes, that's Chiriko, no da!
Now on with the story!!!!
A Fine Line - FY: Chapter 6 - Of Deceptions and Revelations
By Moonraven
(Day
four -VERY early morning…)
"God damn stupid piece of junk!" Tryffin yelled at the cell phone
in his hand and threw it hard, smashing it against the closed door of his
cabin. "Shit!" He wasn't able to tell Kouji much; just that he was about six
hours from Tokyo. He couldn't be sure how long he was out before Ceilen put him
on the boat or how long he was out AFTER the damn tea but he hoped it wasn't
too long. He knew that Kouji had these computers that can trace phone calls and
had hoped that he could stay on the line long enough for Kouji to find him. He
glared at the offending pieces of what used to be Ceilen phone as if he
intended to ignite them into flames with just his looks alone.
With a frustrated huff of air, Tryffin sat back on his bed and
drew his knees up against his chest, hugging them close. He leaned his chin on
one of his knees and thought about what had just happened. Ceilen wanted him.
Oh, yeah… he certainly did. So what was up with the eye patch thing? Was the
thing behind the patch so gruesome that he would freak if someone were to see
it?
Or had the thread snapping reminded Ceilen of what they were
doing? That Ceilen had lost control and he had to regain it? So why the
disgust? Was it directed at Tryffin? Tryffin didn't think so. Man, Ceilen was REALLY
into him earlier, and there was NOTHING disgusting about HIM, thank you very
much!
So the one-eyed wonder was disgusted with himself for… what? For
wanting a man? For wanting Tryffin? What? What? Tryffin growled in frustration
and jumped off the bed. He couldn't stay here by himself; he would go crazy
from all the unanswered questions alone, nevermind the ocean. He needed Ceilen
close by, to hell with pride.
Tryffin took a deep breath and did his best not to think about
where he was. Even with his best effort - thinking about a very naked Ceilen
moaning with every thrust - he was still sweating and panting heavily when he
finally reached Ceilen's door. Or he hoped it was Ceilen's door. It was the
only one with lights shining beneath it.
Tryffin banged on the door loudly and without waiting for reply,
turned the knob and pushed the door open. He couldn't wait. The fear was
crowding in on him and the darkened corridor only made it worse.
Nothing. There was no one in the room and Tryffin cried out in
anguish. He slammed the door closed and looked around frantically. A large bed
was against one wall, a large desk with, of course, the man's computer and…
Tryffin blinked as he realized there were quite a few more computers than he'd
thought any one man would need. It reminded him of Kouji's headquarters where
he monitored all kinds of stuff.
But no Ceilen. Tryffin didn't want to go back to his room; he
would be all alone again. At least here, he was near Ceilen's stuff. He walked
to Ceilen's neatly made bed and crawled into it. He buried his face in Ceilen's
pillow and took a deep breath. Everything smelled like Ceilen. He smiled to
himself and snuggled comfortably between the sheets and felt his fears slowly
but surely ebbing away.
"What are you doing here?"
Ceilen's harsh voice shook Tryffin out of his near-happy place and
he peeked over the sheets to see a very wet and very bare-chested Ceilen
standing in the doorway. He wore loose, gray sweatpants that hung very low on
his hips, and had a towel draped around his shoulders as he used one end to dry
his hair. Tryffin swallowed at the gorgeous sight in front of him but couldn't
find the voice to reply.
"Get out." Ceilen's voice was chilled to near arctic temperature
and that only made Tryffin burrow deeper under the covers.
"What are you doing? I said get out!" Ceilen said again from the
doorway; the man seemed afraid to step into his own room.
"Why can't I stay here?" Tryffin asked from under the covers.
"Because…!" Ceilen's voice was still by the door. Tryffin peeked
over the sheets again and sure enough, Ceilen did not budge an inch. Gods, he
looked good without his clothes on! His chest was well defined, toned and so
fucking sexy with all those little water droplets Tryffin was dying to lick
off.
AGH! Bad, Tryffin! Down, boy! You're gonna scare him away again!
But
it wasn't my fault!!!!
"Because… what?" You fucking
wanted me! He wanted to yell at the man. So come and get me!
Ceilen blinked at him but didn't reply. He looked like he was
debating with himself and after a short time, he advanced cautiously into the
room... and went straight to his computers. Freaking idiot! Tryffin really
wanted to throw something at him, maybe he should have kept the damned phone to
chuck it at its owner instead. But thoughts of violence soon gave way to
something else as Tryffin continued to watch the drool worthy torso. Some men,
he thought with a sigh, should not be allowed to wear a shirt.
After Ceilen checked the various screens and found everything to
be satisfactory, he threw his towel in the wicker hamper in one corner and
pulled out a cotton, button-down shirt from a drawer. He casually threw that on
but left it unbuttoned as he sat behind one of the computers and started
typing.
Tryffin was getting a very distinct feeling that he was being
ignored. He narrowed his eyes and glared at the man while he began debating
with himself.
Should he just stay put and go to sleep? It would be like the
previous night in the cave; him sleeping on Ceilen's bed and the man working
all night by his computer. If he did, would that mean Ceilen would go without
sleep two nights in a row? Surely he couldn't do that to the man? But he didn't
want to go back to his room, damn it!
Or he could just bug the hell out of the guy! He was going to beat
the crap out of Ceilen and the man did say he could try… but somehow he knew it
wouldn't be as easy as all that, black belt or no black belt. But what he
wouldn't give to wipe that self-satisfied smirk from that all too arrogant
face! Yet with Ceilen, Tryffin knew that beating him to a pulp wouldn't do it.
An evil little smile appeared on Tryffin's face as he thought
about what would. Surely he couldn't just jump the man…? Now that he knew
Ceilen was interested, he didn't feel so timid and insecure. He felt pretty
damn good.
"Hey." He called softly to Ceilen.
Click. Click. Click. Went the keyboard. Tryffin narrowed his eyes
but decided to keep going.
"If I promise not to do anything, will you come to bed?" He asked
softly, his eyes watching Ceilen carefully.
Ceilen paused briefly in his typing and his jaw muscle actually
twitched. "No."
"Why not?"
"I can't leave the helm unmanned. It's not safe." Ceilen said
without looking up.
"How are you manning the helm here?" Tryffin lifted himself up on
one elbow and continued watching his strange bodyguard.
Ceilen frowned and looked at his many computer screens then he
looked over the top of a monitor at Tryffin as if the redhead was daft. Then he
shook his head and went back to whatever it was he was doing.
Tryffin glared at the bowed head. Okay… so how the hell was he
supposed to know what the fuck 'helm manning' was? It just sounded like there
would be a whole lot of physical activities involved. Ceilen didn't have to be
such a snotty brat about it!
"You can't go two nights in a row without sleep. What the hell is
the time anyway?" Tryffin tried again. Oh the things he was willing to do to
get that body into bed next to him.
"One in the morning and I'm fine." Ceilen said without bothering
to look at him. "If you insist on staying here, go to sleep."
One in the morning! Damn, was he out for that long? What the hell
kind of tea was that anyway? Tryffin chewed on his lips thoughtfully for a few
seconds then plunged on. He figured he wouldn't be able to sleep anymore
anyway, might as well find out what Ceilen really thought about their little
romp.
"Ceilen?"
"Hm."
"What happened earlier?" Tryffin held his breath as he watched the
other man. The muscles in Ceilen jaw moved again but the man didn't stop what
he was doing nor did he look up.
"Nothing happened." The room's temperature dropped about ten
degrees.
"Nothing." Tryffin repeated softly then sat up angrily and swung
his feet off the bed. "NOTHING? Do you go around fucking all your charges, is
that why what we did was 'NOTHING'?"
"NO!" Ceilen cried in shock and looked up at Tryffin. "Neve---no,
of course not." He looked back down again hastily. "It should be nothing to YOU,
though; don't you do that kind of stuff all the time? It means nothing… so why
don't you just forget about it?"
What the hell? Tryffin blinked confusedly at the bowed head. He
didn't know why but Ceilen's comment made his heart drop to somewhere around
his ankles and he didn't like the aching hollowness in his chest at all. Means
nothing…
"Means nothing to you… so you do that kind of stuff a lot too?"
Ceilen frowned and shook his head. Ceilen looked… almost guilty
and there was an undeniable sadness in the depth of his eye. "That's not what I
meant."
"So it DID mean something to you?" Tryffin asked as he pushed
himself off the bed and came to stand in the back of the monitor Ceilen was
working on. He folded his arms across the top of it and rested his chin on his
arm as he blinked innocently at Ceilen. Was it his imagination or was his
bodyguard hiding something?
"No!" Ceilen looked really perturbed now. "I… it was a mistake.
Forget it happened."
"Mistake or not… you were pretty amazin---"
"Stop!" Ceilen stood up abruptly and took several steps back. His
face was bright red.
Tryffin straightened up from the top of the monitor and frowned at
Ceilen. "Okay. Chill, man. What the hell is the matter with you?"
Ceilen didn't answer right away but stood there, staring hard at
Tryffin. When he spoke. His voice was sad and tired. "Nothing. Just go to bed
and let me work." Tryffin didn't want to leave him but he didn't know what else
to do, either; the man was such an enigma.
"Too much tea." Tryffin mumbled.
Ceilen tilted his head to one side and gave him a puzzled look.
"Don't wanna go to bed. I've BEEN sleeping."
Ceilen blinked at him then asked, "Aren't you supposed to be
cowering under the covers or something?"
AGH! Tryffin's grip on the monitor tightened and he glared back at
his bodyguard. "You are SUCH an asshole!" But instead of going back to bed,
Tryffin moved around the long table and came to sit on a file cabinet next to
Ceilen… much to the other man's horror.
"Hah!" Tryffin crowed triumphantly. "It's your own damn fault for
drugging the goddamn tea! I don't think I'll be able to sleep for a long time
and bugging you is almost as good as cowering under the sheets." He smiled
humorlessly at Ceilen and shifted to be just a little closer to the man.
Ceilen, on the other hand, moved a little further away. "I can
always make more tea." Ceilen suggested seriously.
"Only if you take it with me."
Ceilen started at him intently, as if by doing so, he could understand
the unpredictable redhead. After a short while, Ceilen shook his head as he
decided to ignore Tryffin again and went back to his screens. Sitting where he
was, Tryffin finally saw what Ceilen had been so engrossed in all this time…
One monitor had an aerial map of what looked to be an island. Another was more
of the radar screen that was similar to the one in Ceilen's car. Another
monitor had pictures of some very sour looking people and some writings were
next to each picture, as if describing each person. Tryffin was too far away
from that screen to see what it said and curiosity almost made him leave the
comfort of Ceilen's side. The last monitor had the diagram of a boat.
"Hey, is that… this boat?" He asked, pointing to the screen.
"Yes." Ceilen said without looking up from the charts that were
laid out on the table. "Still not afraid?"
"Fuck you." Tryffin muttered darkly but moved a little closer to
the man nonetheless.
"I don't think so."
"Oh, you are so full of it! If that damn string didn't break,
you'd be screaming my name right about now!"
Ceilen gasped and turned to Tryffin incredulously. "YOU are full
of it! You think too highly of yourself." The look of utter surprise turned
malicious as he continued. "What you offer is a dime a dozen. You don't think I
would realize sooner or later that I was bedding a common whore? Believe me,
I'm NOT that hard up." With a cruel sneer, Ceilen turned his attention back to
the charts and the computer screens.
Tryffin couldn't understand the paralysis that came over him. He
couldn't understand why his heart was pounding agonizingly in his chest. His
mouth was dry and his throat was tight, making breathing almost impossible. But
the thing that he didn't understand the most was why Ceilen's opinion of him
should matter so much. Ceilen was right. He WAS a whore. That had never
bothered him before… Why was it killing him now?
Numbly he stood and without a second glance left the room. The
once comforting presence had turned suddenly unbearable and he couldn't stand
to be in the same room as the man who had such a poor opinion of him. Tryffin
didn't even know how he'd gotten to his cabin and under his covers. His mind
kept playing back the contemptuous look on Ceilen's face and the cold tone that
chilled his heart.
************
"You don't want to do that." Shinji said quietly as Kouji started
to make calls to get a boat ready.
Kouji turned around and gaped at the youngster standing in his
bedroom. "What…?" He looked around the room in confusion. "How did you get in
here?" Hadn't he dropped Shinji off a few hours ago?
Shinji shrugged evasively and smiled. "Nevermind that. You
shouldn't be following him." He settled down casually at the foot of Kouji's
bed and continued to smile up at the older man.
"Why? What the hell do you know? Who the hell ARE you?" Kouji
asked as he reached into his dresser drawer and pulled out his gun.
Shinji raised his brows and his smile turned less amiable. "I'm a
friend. I'm not here to hurt you."
Kouji laughed harshly then pointed the gun at Shinji. "You're so
sure you can?"
Shinji looked thoughtful for a moment then nodded. "Yes. But like
I said, I'm a friend."
Kouji glared at the smiling face and lowered his gun. "What the
hell do you want?" Kouji watched the pouting lips tightened and wondered why he
hadn't noticed the hardness around those brown eyes before. Shinji seemed to be
a totally different person from the shy youngster he had picked up earlier. He
actually looked… dangerous.
"I'm here to… help you."
"Help me with what? Why? And what do you know about what's going
on?"
Shinji sighed and fell back on the bed. Kouji swallowed as he
watched the soft pink hair spread out on the black silk of his sheets. Shinji
looked really delectable at the moment and quite harmless. Kouji put his gun on
the nightstand and involuntarily tightened the folds of his robe, his eyes
never leaving the attractive young man on the bed.
"Help you in your investigation, of course. As to why and what's going
on… that's a little complicated. Let's just say we don't want you to get hurt,
okay?"
"We? Who's 'we'?" Kouji narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Are you
with the tall redhead, what's his name… Aya?"
Shinji rolled over and propped himself on his elbows, chin resting
on his entwined fingers. He gave Kouji a bright smile and nodded.
Kouji's eyes narrowed further as he peered at the younger man.
"Did you guys kill Shitahara?" He asked softly as he flexed his fingers, ready
to go for his gun if he didn't like the answer.
Shinji frowned and then pursed his lips in thought. "My friends
and I did not." He said slowly, carefully weighing each word.
"But you know who did." It wasn't a question; Kouji could sense
that the young man knew something.
Shinji sighed again and studied the older man in front of him
carefully. Kouji could see that he was trying to decide what to tell him.
Finally Shinji said softly, "Maybe."
Kouji growled in frustration and closed the distance between them.
Who the hell did Shinji think he was, playing games with him like this? He
wasn't some dolt to be trifled with!
He grabbed the slender wrist, intending on yanking the young man
off his bed but before he knew what happened, Kouji found himself lying prone
on his bed with Shinji straddling his hips.
Something very sharp pressed up against his neck and he looked up to see
Shinji frowning down at him disapprovingly.
"THAT wasn't nice."
Kouji struggled but the sharp point on his neck dug deeper and
Kouji was sure it drew blood. "Nice? You called playing me for a fool NICE? You
pretended to be interested in me to do what? To spy on me? Don't fucking
lecture me about nice!"
Shinji bit his lips guiltily and pulled the weapon away from
Kouji's neck. He pocketed it but did not make a move to get off the older man.
Kouji looked up at the reddened lower lip and unconsciously licked his own
lips. He remembered from earlier how sweet they were and his body immediately
responded to the stimulating images in his mind.
Shinji gave a startled cry and looked down at where he was
sitting… right on top of Kouji's rising erection. His face turned bright red
and he hastily moved off the prone man. Kouji snorted at the display of
innocence; although they had not gone further than some very heated kissing and
petting, Kouji wasn't so sure about the boy's innocence anymore. He had
actually liked Shinji. To know that all of the young man's attention and care
had all been a deception was really… strangely painful.
"Gomen… Kouji-san." Shinji mumbled and moved a little ways away
from the Kouji. "It was the only way to find out what you know and hopefully
prevent you from getting yourself killed. We meant no harm."
"Che!" Kouji sat up and rubbed at his neck. "I can keep myself
from getting killed. So you can keep your fucking helping hands to yourselves
and stay the hell away from me."
Shinji stood a few feet away watching him unhappily. "You're
trying to find out who killed Yuichi Shitahara."
"Damn right! He was my
friend."
"He was killing innocent people."
"That was a lie!" Kouji rushed Shinji and grabbed him by the
collar, pushing the younger man against the wall. Shinji frowned at Kouji but
allowed the older man to manhandle him. "There was never any proof! You LIE!"
Shitahara was his friend. Sure he had his strange quirks but he was not a
murderer, damn it!
"I'm sorry but we do have proof." Shinji said softly, then gasped
as Kouji pressed his arm hard against the boy's throat.
"I checked. The police had nothing!"
"I'm not talking about the police." Shinji's bright brown eyes
stared up at him and Kouji had to harden himself against the fluttering he felt
in his chest. What the hell was wrong with him? The kid was bad news and he was
being used, damn it!
"Then who? Who has the proof?" Kouji pressed harder and Shinji
coughed as his face started to turn red. Kouji released the younger man's
throat but kept a firm grip on Shinji's upper arm and shirt.
Shinji took some deep breath and rubbed at his throat then gave
Kouji a wane smile. "I guess we're even, ne?" He asked softly.
"Not by a long shot, kid." Kouji growled. His pride was injured
and there was no quick fix for it.
Shinji seemed to understand; the boy looked guilty again and
avoided Kouji's eyes.
"I can't tell you exactly who we are, just that we fight criminals
that are above the law - criminals who are powerful enough to bribe their way
out of prison. We stand for their victims and we are their justice."
"So you DID kill Shitahara!" Kouji's gripped both of Shinji's arms
and shook him against the wall.
Shinji seemed to have had enough of the rough treatment and his
arms snapped up between Kouji's and he broke free of the older man's grip. He
pushed his palm hard against Kouji's chest and Kouji found himself stumbling
back and fell on his butt.
Shinji straightened his clothes and frowned down at Kouji. "No, I
told you we didn't do it but there are traitors in our group and we feared that
it was they who killed Shitahara. We are trailing them now, you need not
bother."
"The hell, I 'need not bother'!" Kouji got up on his feet and
tugged irritably on his robe. "You tell me where to find them and I'll give
them justice myself!"
Shinji sighed and rolled his eyes. "It's not that simple. These
people are trained killers, ruthless and conniving. You didn't even know they'd
planted a bug on Tryffin… didn't know they had a bomb in one of your cars."
Shinji shook his head. "I don't mean to insult you but I'm afraid they are of a
different league than the criminals you're used to dealing with."
"I can take care of myself, thanks for the concern." Kouji's tone
was filled with sarcasm and Shinji colored slightly.
"I can't allow you to go after them… not alone…" Shinji said
slowly and looked up at Kouji through tousled pink bangs. Kouji's heart skipped
a beat and his groin stirred to life once again.
Kouji ignored the throbbing between his legs and concentrated on
what Shinji said instead. "What do you mean?"
Shinji closed his eyes and sighed in resignation. "If you promised
to do as I say, I may be able to help you."
Kouji narrowed his eyes at the gorgeous young man in front of him.
"What's this, another ploy so you can keep a watch on me? Like I'm going to
trust you."
"You have no choice." Shinji's eyes snapped opened and Kouji got
another glimpse of the danger he'd seen earlier.
Even though he didn't like it, he knew Shinji was right; he didn't
have a choice. The boy knew where to find the killers. Maybe.
"Fine. What do we do now?"
"We sleep." Shinji shrugged and smiled cheerfully at him. "You're
going to need your strength tomorrow."
"What about Tryffin?"
"What ABOUT Tryffin?" Shinji frowned irritably at Kouji. "He's in
good hands."
Kouji was still unhappy. Tryffin had sounded terrified and as far
as he knew, Ceilen wasn't there to comfort him. He turned to Shinji abruptly
and peered at the younger man. "Wait… wait a minute… Ceilen… he's not… NO!
Don't tell me he's with you guys."
Shinji blinked at him for several seconds then shook his head.
"No… no. He's not… WITH us but we've heard of him. He's… um… very famous."
Shinji smiled innocently at him.
Kouji was still unsure and he frowned uncertainly at Shinji; that
smile was just a tad bit TOO innocent as far as Kouji was concerned. The
younger man laughed then walked over to Kouji and tugged playfully on the lapel
of his robe. "Don't worry! Now go to sleep, I'll meet you in Ueno Park at ten
sharp, okay?"
Kouji wrapped his arms around Shinji's waist and pulled the
younger man flushed against him. Shinji looked up, startled, his cheeks colored
brightly.
"Why don't you stay here and make sure I behave?" Kouji suggested
huskily. Having the young body pressed up against him like this was making him
hard again.
Shinji shook his head and pushed gently against Kouji's chest. "I…
can't. Besides, if I stay, you probably won't behave."
Kouji tilted the younger man's head back so he could see into
those expressive brown eyes. Surprisingly, they held a hint of nervousness that
made Kouji loosen his hold on Shinji's waist. Surely the boy can't be all that
innocent? His kisses earlier nearly drove Kouji insane with want but now Shinji
acted like he's a scared virgin. Was it all an act? Could he have misread the
younger man so completely?
"Am I just a job then?" Kouji asked as he gazed intently into
Shinji's eyes.
"Am I just a diversion while Tryffin is away?" Shinji countered.
Kouji studied the suddenly serious face before him and reluctantly
let the younger man go. They were both guilty of something yet Kouji wasn't
sure if he thought of Shinji that way. Strangely enough, when he was with
Shinji, he hadn't thought of Tryffin at all. All day his mind had been focused
solely on Shinji. That had never happened before. No matter whom he was with,
he had always thought about going home to Tryffin…
Why was being with Shinji different?
"I guess I'll meet you in Ueno Park at ten, then." Kouji muttered.
Shinji looked strangely disappointed as he nodded and walked
towards the balcony. Just as he was about to step through the opened doorway,
he turned and looked directly at Kouji.
"Just for the record, you're not… just a job." Before Kouji could
make a reply, Shinji slipped onto the balcony and disappeared into the night.
Kouji glared darkly out his window. Tryffin was right, that damn
tree had to go.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tryffin jerked upright on the bed and stared around the dimly lit cabin
nervously. What was that crashing sound he'd heard? Was the boat sinking?
Terror filled mind conjured up images of his watery grave, making the tightly
strung redhead grip the blanket tighter around him.
He had been lying on his bed for hours, trying to forget the scorn
in Ceilen's tone. Needless to say, it didn't work. Why was it hurting so badly?
So what if the only thing he had to offer - the only thing that was worth
anything - was cruelly rejected? Why should HE care? Wasn't he with Kouji? So why
can't he get that arrogant asshole out of his mind? What the hell was wrong
with him? There were too many questions rampaging through his mind and he had
answers for none of them.
Then he heard it again; the sound of something breaking. It was
faint but unmistakable. Tryffin frowned and stared at his closed door. Did
something happen to Ceilen? The man hadn't slept in two days - that he knew of
- but who knew how many more nights Ceilen had gone without sleep?
Without further thoughts, Tryffin pulled back the sheets and
headed for Ceilen's room. The door was closed but he could see lights shining
beneath the door. It must be close to morning and the man was still awake.
Tryffin knocked softly and pressed his ear to the door as he waited for reply.
Nothing. He frowned and tried the door. It wasn't locked so he
turned the knob and cautiously pushed it opened. What he saw made him cry out
and he ran into the room.
One of the computer monitors was lying on the floor, glass from the screen shattered all around it. The pitcher of water and the small table it was sitting on were knocked over, spilling water around the fallen monitor. But worst of all, Ceilen's still form slumped over the desk in a pool of blood.
Tryffin ran over to Ceilen and breathed a sigh of relief when he
saw that the man was breathing and even panting slightly. Ceilen whimpered
softly, a sound that sent chills down Tryffin's spine. Never in a million years
did he expect to see Ceilen like this.
He tentatively placed a hand on Ceilen's shoulder and called
softly, "Ceilen." When there was no response, he pulled Ceilen back gently and
called again. "Ceilen. Are you alright? What happened?"
Ceilen moaned and pushed him away. The man staggered unsteadily to
his feet and stared blankly at Tryffin. Then Ceilen swayed and Tryffin put his
arms around him and pulled the resisting man into his arms. "Hey, here… let me
help you." He led Ceilen to his bed and gently lay him down. His bodyguard's
injuries had Tryffin gasp out in shock. Ceilen had deep gashes on his forearms
and chest. Blood flowed steadily from several wounds and Tryffin wondered how
the hell he had managed to hurt himself so badly. Tryffin looked around the
room for something to staunch the blood. There had got to be something he could
use.
"Go away." Ceilen said tiredly from the bed and Tryffin's concern
turned to anger.
"Yeah, don't worry, I will. As soon as I make sure you don't bleed
to death."
"I won't. Just go." Ceilen closed his eye and turned his head
away.
Tryffin nearly growled out in frustration. The man was going to be
the death of him and it had nothing to do with his fear of water.
"Look, I don't know shit about where we are, where we're going or
anything about his goddamn boat! So believe me when I say that helping you is
all about helping ME. And don't worry; I'm not going jump you or anything! I'M
not that hard up!" He said between gritted teeth.
There was no response from Ceilen though Tryffin thought he heard
the man catch his breath.
Seeing that the man's shirt was trash anyway, Tryffin gently
divested Ceilen of it and tore off pieces to wrap around the cut. Ceilen turned
an unimpressed eye toward him and watched his effort impassively.
"You've got blood all over you." Ceilen suddenly noted. "You
shouldn't get other people's blood on you."
Tryffin blinked at Ceilen then looked down at his blood soaked
chest and arms. He had gotten Ceilen's blood on himself when he helped the man
to his bed and when we removed Ceilen's shirt. He shrugged carelessly. "Too
late now," was all he said as went back to work.
He could feel Ceilen's puzzled gaze on him as he wiped away the
blood to see the wounds. Then he wrapped the strip of Ceilen's shirt around
each one tightly to stop the bleeding. He'd clean them properly later when the
bleeding was controlled. The cut on the chest was harder; he didn't have long
enough a strip so he sat there pressing the remaining cloth firmly over the
gash.
"Where is your first-aid kit?" He asked as he looked around the
room again. When there was no reply, he turned anxiously back to the prone
figure on the bed, fearing the worst.
But Ceilen wasn't unconscious; he was staring fixedly at Tryffin.
The man's piercing gaze made Tryffin take a sharp breath and he involuntarily
pulled back from Ceilen.
"In the cabinet above the bed." Ceilen said softly, his eye still
on Tryffin.
Tryffin swallowed and nodded. "Okay." He got up and fetched the
metallic box, all the while very aware of Ceilen's gaze on him.
Tryffin looked moodily at the spilled water then rummaged through
the first-aid kit. "I am NOT going anywhere to get water so we're going to have
to make due with alcohol and hydrogen peroxide, okay?" He took said bottles out
of the box and set them down of the bed next to him. He picked up syringes and
several glass bottles with clear liquid then stared at them in surprise. "Damn!
This is SOME first aid kit." He
put them back, shaking his head at the amount of supplies and surgical
equipment he'd seen. "You are SO
freaking weird. I hope you're not into
pain or anything 'cause you don't need stitches and I DON'T do stitches." Tryffin shuddered as he looked at a pack of
suture needles.
Ceilen watched him silently for a few seconds then asked quietly,
"Where did you learn how to dress wounds?"
Tryffin shrugged and he poured alcohol on some cotton and wipe the
smeared blood off Ceilen's torso. "Kouji and the guys do get into some pretty
bad scuffles sometimes. I guess there is something else I can do besides
getting laid, huh?" He hadn't meant to say that last part. Honest he hadn't, he
just couldn't keep the horrible thought that had occupied his mind since he'd
left Ceilen from surfacing. Tryffin groaned inwardly at how pathetic he must
have sounded and kept his eyes focused on his task. What the hell was wrong
with him?
An uncomfortable silence followed his unfortunate comment and
Tryffin tried hard not to think too much about what was done. Ceilen lay still
and allowed him to clean and properly dress each wound without protest. Then
the man suddenly said, "I'm sorry."
That was the last thing he'd expect from Ceilen and Tryffin looked
into the cautious brown eye in surprise.
"It was an awful thing to say." Ceilen continued softly as if to
clarify why he was apologizing.
Ceilen had said a great many things but they both knew which he
was referring to. Tryffin nodded mutely. He didn't know what to say. He was
glad that Ceilen had apologized but a part of him was still hurt. Ceilen hadn't
said that he didn't mean it… he just realized he shouldn't have SAID it…
"And your kung fu." Ceilen said almost shyly.
Tryffin raised his eyebrows questioningly but Ceilen's eye was
closed. "My… kung fu?"
The corner of Ceilen's lips quirked slightly but he didn't open
his eye. "Another thing that you can do… well - your kung fu."
Tryffin blinked and wondered if this was Ceilen's way of telling
him that he was REALLY sorry. A warm flush of pure joy filled his being and
Tryffin had to work hard to suppress the idiotic grin that threatened to break
across his face. "Oh… yeah, thanks. It's Shorinji Kempo but you didn't really
see it, did you? And why do you call it 'kung fu'? Sounded like a Jet Li movie
or something." Shut the fuck up! Geez! Tryffin ignored the urge to clamp his
hand over his mouth and finished the dressing then closed the first-aid kit
with a snap.
"Hmmm… Shorinji Kempo." Ceilen murmured softly. "Shaolin Ji
Chuan-fa."
"Eh?" Tryffin stared at the beautiful face blankly. He was totally
lost.
Ceilen smiled at the baffled tone in Tryffin's voice and opened
his eye to look with some amusement at the redhead. Tryffin found himself
practically melting right off the bed. Ceilen was so fucking gorgeous. "It
means Fist Method of the Shaolin Temple. It's part of the Chinese martial art
form known as Shaolin Kung Fu." Ceilen continued. "I use that form sometimes."
Wow. Tryffin stared owlishly at Ceilen. THAT was all volunteered
information! Holy shit, he must have lost a lot more blood than Tryffin had
thought or the guy must REALLY be sorry. Ceilen's smile got bigger at
Tryffin's expression but then as if realizing that he was being
uncharacteristically friendly, Ceilen cleared his throat then looked away.
"Wow." Tryffin repeated his thought lamely. "I never really paid
attention when they talk about the history or nothin'. I just went in so I can
kick some ass." He told Ceilen as he stood up and put the first-aid kit away.
"I'm surprised they let you in; that's not a reason for learning
martial arts."
"I had… other reasons." Tryffin sat back down next to Ceilen on
the bed. "Why did YOU learn… martial arts? And the Chinese version at that."
Ceilen didn't say anything for a long time and Tryffin was sure
the man was going back into the silent mode. He just hoped that Ceilen would
leave the asshole portion out of it.
"Revenge." Ceilen whispered, his eye focusing on the blood on
Tryffin's t-shirt.
"For your parents."
Ceilen looked into Tryffin's eyes and nodded slowly. "Not much better
reason than yours, I know, but the people that taught me didn't really care for
my reasons… just theirs."
Tryffin blinked at Ceilen's openness. The man was really trying;
Tryffin couldn't do any less.
"I… learned Kempo because my foster father was a real jerk and he
tried to…" Tryffin broke off not wanting to mention anything about sex. He
swallowed and went on, "Well… anyway, he liked to beat up on his wife too so I
got myself an instructor and after a few lessons, beat the crap out of him. " He
gave Ceilen a crooked smile. "He left us pretty much alone after that."
Ceilen stared up at him in silence, his eye searching Tryffin's
face intently. Tryffin wasn't sure if Ceilen was trying to see if he was lying.
He frowned and asked Ceilen, "What?"
Ceilen shook his head and tried to sit up. "What happened to
them?"
Tryffin helped Ceilen and soon they were sitting side by side on
the bed. "Rina left him so the government threw me into another foster home."
Ceilen stared unseeingly at the mess on the floor, lost in
thought. Tryffin wondered if the man had even heard what he'd said.
"You must have been very young." Ceilen finally said. His voice
was soft and distant, as if he was somewhere else.
"My parents died when I was thirteen." Tryffin shrugged and tried
to pretend that it didn't affect him anymore. "You do what you can."
Ceilen was silent again then he nodded. "Yes, we do."
Tryffin turned and looked sideways at the pensive man besides him.
Millions of thoughts and questions about Ceilen's past flashed across his mind
yet he couldn't find the ability to put many of them into words.
"How old were you when… your parents died." Tryffin asked softly,
not wanting to break this bond he felt they were forming. If it took this kind
of incident to get Ceilen to open up, he'd wish for it everyday, even if it
meant that he'd have to constantly endure Ceilen's venomous tongue.
"They were murdered." Ceilen's voice was hard yet he didn't raise his
voice. "I was fifteen." He continued in a softer tone as he stared down into
his hands. Tryffin wanted to ask about Ceilen's parents but he knew that it was
probably too soon. Ceilen wasn't ready for much more.
Tryffin nodded his understanding. "You went through some of them
foster homes too, huh? Aren't they shit?"
Ceilen turned sharply to look at Tryffin, his expression almost
amused. Then he gave Tryffin a small smile. "Yeah, something like that."
Tryffin was sure from the man's expression that it was probably
NOTHING like that. Ceilen's life was definitely nothing like his.
Ceilen turned back to the mess in his cabin and stood up slowly
with a sigh. "I guess I'd better clean up."
Tryffin looked at the heavily bandaged man and frowned. "I can do
that. Why don't you rest? I know I can't sleep any more but I don't think
you've slept a wink."
Ceilen's back was toward Tryffin and the redhead could see Ceilen
stiffened slightly. "I'm fine."
Tryffin snorted as he looked around the room. "Yep, sure looks
like it to me, too." He got up and came to stand next to Ceilen and they both
surveyed the room together. "So what happened? Got pissed off at the monitor or
something?"
Ceilen didn't answer but Tryffin could feel guilt and shame flow
off the man in waves. It was freaking scary.
A strange beeping came from one of the computers and Ceilen went
to the source of the sound immediately. Tryffin gingerly went around the broken
monitor and met Ceilen coming from the other side of the table. The monitor in
question was black with green circular lines, a lot like the radar screen from
Ceilen's car.
"What is it?" Tryffin asked, completely mystified by the blips and
dots and lines on the screen.
Ceilen studied the screen for a while then shook his head.
"Nothing. We're on one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. The alarm is
programmed to go off if one of the vessels gets within a certain range of us.
That was just an oil tanker. Pretty normal stuff." He studied the dots and
lines again then turned and looked at Tryffin coolly. "I thought you were going
to clean up the mess."
Tryffin sighed in resignation and shook his head. Their moment of
truce was over; the asshole was back. Tryffin went over to the fallen monitor
and carefully picked it up. Well, at least he knew the man was back to normal
even if normal was going to be hell for Tryffin.
Then Ceilen surprised him again for the umpteenth time when he
spoke softly without looking up. "Thank you."
Tryffin wasn't sure what he was being thanked for; cleaning
Ceilen's wounds or for cleaning up his room but he wasn't about to ask. "My
pleasure." He said simply and noted with delight when color rose in Ceilen's
cheeks.
Tryffin was never one to give up and he wasn't about to start now,
not when he knew that Ceilen wasn't impervious to him. Tryffin wanted Ceilen
but what he wanted FROM Ceilen was still a mystery to him. Sex was a given but
that wasn't enough. It suddenly scared Tryffin that he might be having feelings
other than lust for someone.
Scary but was it worth it? This went against all of his beliefs;
no feeling, no attachment, no pain… He looked up at Ceilen again and noted the
clean lines of the man's body, the deep concentration on his face but most of
all, Tryffin noted the suppressed vulnerability of the man.
Ceilen was one troubled soul and if Tryffin could change all that,
it would be worth all the pains in the world.
TBC…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Thank you, thank you! I hope you weren't TOO mad at Ceilen
earlier? He's really, really sorry. Next chapter of FY will be a flash back
chapter for Ceilen. It'll take place about five years before he met Tryffin,
which is about 3 years after he left Kritiker. It will introduce Kouran and
Hikou… It will also explain some of his more… er… mean tendencies… ^__^
See ya then!!!!