Aya's world swam. He felt hot and cold and dizzy all at once. He was nauseated.
"Excuse me?" he asked.
Nakemura's eyes were cold and completely without pity.
"Morita is dead, Fujimiya," he repeated, using the same tone he would have used if he had been speaking about the weather. "What's more, security cameras show that you were the last one to speak to him in this office."
"I…he attacked me, and I responded." Aya forced himself to meet the man's eyes, knowing his glare was fierce. "I hurt him, but I didn't kill him. I have the right to defend myself."
"Your secretary reported witnessing him harassing you."
"But I wouldn't kill him over it." UnlessI had to.
"She also reported overhearing your boyfriend threaten Morita's life."
"Yohji wouldn't - !"
"Why wouldn't he? Isn't it in an assassin's very nature to kill?"
Aya suddenly found it very difficult to breathe.
"What?"
"In two days, Morita's body will be discovered by authorities in a shallow grave in the park near your apartment building." Nakamura informed him evenly. "They will find him strangled to death, and on him they will quickly discover long strands of wavy, blonde hair."
From his desk he drew a hair brush that Aya recognized as belonging to Yohji.
"Where did you get that?" Aya rasped. "You…you broke into my place - ?"
"This can all go away, Fujimiya."
"Why?"
"Krittiker needs an operative of your expertise in Germany."
"Krittiker?"
"Agree to go, under the guise of an international tour for Narumoto, and your lover is safe."
"You can't - !"
"There is nothing beyond Krittiker's reach, Fujimiya." Something moved behind Nakemura's eyes. Something dark and dangerous. "You should have realized that before it came to this. Your plane leaves tomorrow. Be there, or suffer the consequences. Tell no one."
"Tomorrow? But, that's…"
"You'll be one the plane, Fujimiya. Regardless."
"That you, bunny thong?" Yohji poked his head out of the kitchen, grinning at the sight of his lover coming through the door to the apartment. He felt his grin slip a little at how pale and tired the man looked, how bowed and broken. "You all right?"
Aya hung up his keys and pulled off his jacket, not answering. Concern growing, Yohji went to him.
"Aya?"
The small man moved, coming easily into his arms.
"Aya…you're shivering!"
"Make love to me, Yohji," he whispered. "Please. Just…please."
His voice broke, his shivering became more violent.
"Please!" he whispered again, hands balling into fists in Yohji's shirt.
Yohji drew back, a small knot of unease forming in his gut.
"What is it, Aya?"
The man pressed forward, trapping Yohji's lips in a sudden kiss.
"I love you," he whispered with sudden fierceness, wrapping his arms tightly around the taller man. "Please believe that. You mean…everything to me, Yohji."
"Aya, won't you tell me what's wrong, love?"
"I can't." his voice broke again and Yohji felt tears against his neck. "I just can't."
"All right."
"No matter what, I love you."
"Aya…"
"Make love to me, please."
They remained where they were, holding each other.
"No." Yohji said at last.
Aya drew back with frightened, betrayed eyes.
"Why not?"
Yohji gave a gentle smile, reaching out to tuck long strands of hair behind Aya's ear.
"I never technically won that old bet of ours," the blonde drawled. "You kind of just…gave up."
"Yohji?"
Nuzzling closer, Yohji tightened his arms around his small lover.
"You feel like trying something a little different tonight, bunny thong?"
"I wouldn't even know how."
"Sure you would. I trust you." Yohji drew back, smiling down at him. "What do you say? Want to be in charge tonight?"
Aya swallowed hard, looking away.
"Not tonight," he said quietly. "Tonight I want to wrap myself around you. I want to feel you with me…I want you to make love to me."
"All right, love." Yohji leaned forward for another soft kiss, tugging on Aya's tie. "Just remember that it's always an option."
"No more talk, Yohji, please. Just be with me." Aya buried his face against Yohji's chest, clinging to him in desperation. "Please, Yohji. Please. Just love me, Yohji. Please."
Yohji kissed him gently, shushing him. "All right, baby. All right."
Yohji lifted him up into his arms, and Aya clutched at him, body trembling violently. There were tears in his eyes as Yohji laid him on the bed.
Yohji was so gentle, so careful with him. His hands on his body were nearly reverent, his hungry lips bringing more comfort than Aya had dared hope for.
His eyes, those brilliant emerald orbs, shone with an inner light – passion and love and need. His body gleamed golden in the moonlight as it moved above him in that ancient, throbbing rythem, all tight muscles and sharp angles.
Aya closed his eyes and threw his head back, willing each moment, each touch, to last forever. Eyes closed, he sought to memorize every last inch of his lover's body, to remember the feel and taste and look of his skin for the rest of his days.
"I love you…so much." Yohji whispered against his skin. "No matter what happens. You hear me, Aya?"
"Yohji…"
"I'll love you forever, Aya."
"I love you," he whispered back.
The moonlight their only companion, they reached their height of passion as one, crashing down together into a satiated exhaustion.
Still whispering words of endearment, Yohji kissed his sweat-soaked brow and gathered him close against his body, holding him in arms that had never denied him against a strong chest that had somehow become his shelter.
Aya waited until he was certain his lover had fallen asleep before he allowed the tears to come.
Yohji was going at least twenty miles above the speed limit, but he didn't care. A cold fear was holding his heart in a vise-like grip.
He hadn't thought anything about it when he had woken to find himself alone. Aya often rose before him.
He usually didn't leave without saying goodbye to Yohji first; however, they'd had a long night and Yohji had slept even later than usual.
The entire day had passed, though, and Yohji hadn't heard from Aya once all day.
There were some days when his lover was so busy with work that he forgot to call though, and Yohji had learned that the man didn't appreciate being bothered when he was strapped for time.
The two had agreed to meet at a restaurant at seven to celebrate their anniversary. Yohji still had been okay when Aya had been a few moments late.
But when an hour passed without word from his lover, terror began to slowly overtake his limbs. He had been about to leave when his cell phone rang.
"Aya? Aya, where are you, babe?" he'd asked, fighting to keep the worry from his voice.
Several moments passed in which there was silence on the line. Still, Yohji had known that it was Aya with a cold certainty that he could neither explain nor deny.
"I'm sorry, Yohji." Aya's voice said at last.
Then the line had gone dead.
Reaching the apartment complex at last, Yohji parked crooked and jumped from the car, not even bothering to close the door as he dashed into the building.
Deciding the elevator would take too long, he sprinted up the stairs.
His hands shook too much for him to get the keys into the lock, so he ended up kicking in the door and rushing inside.
The apartment seemed completely empty.
"Aya?"
Sliding into the empty bedroom, he ripped open the closet door and stared.
Empty, but for the few articles of clothing that belonged to Yohji.
He was shaking, his eyes burning.
Aya kept few keepsakes, but now the blonde saw that the few the man had kept were gone.
Like a zombie he stumbled from the bedroom.
Only then did he see the vase of striped carnations sitting on the end table.
Broken, Yohji fell to his knees.
Fin.
All right, before you start yelling at me and/or threatening me with death, remember that there is a sequel coming. Also, I don't have a lot of experience writing endings. I usually never finish anything. So…be glad that the muse is still pumping out the ideas.
Anyway, I have so many hopes. I hope it wasn't too short. I hope it made sense. I hope it wasn't too quick.
A world of thanks to everyone who has read this, and stuck with me the entire time. Be sure to look for the sequel, Inferno.
Striped carnations - "sorry, I can't be with you" or "I wish I could be with you"
Response to Unsigned Reviews:
Kirai - Yohji's been waiting, too.
glinwulf - perceptive, aren't we? (grins)
morningglory - hope you enjoyed
CaT70 - Still love me? No, we aren't finished with Bob yet.
Thanks so much everyone, for all the love and support. I hope to see you in the sequel.
