The Kibo ritual had finally been completed.

Honestly, Yukihina didn't understand why Heike had been so adament about doing it again. He knew that it was probably fishy, because everything Heike did was fishy, but he couldn't wrap his head around why. It was obvious that he had a goal, and that he needed the current CØDE:BREAKER to become stronger in order to archieve it, but still ? Him, fighting his sin again ?

Yukihina sighed, bringing Kouji's and Rui's attentions on him. They were back in the Shibuya mension for the night to rest before the end of the fair, and the three of them were currently sitting in the kitchen, with Rui cooking.

'You seem awfully down tonight, Yuki.' Said Kouji's calm voice next to him. 'Care to share what's on your mind ?'

He shaked his head, sighing again. 'That's nothing.'

Rui, with a ridiculously frilled apron tied tighly around her waist, turned toward them, a ladle in her hand. 'Yeah, sure. I mean, you never look especially happy to be alive, but even for you this is a bit too much frowning. What's up ?'

Yukihina glared at her but said nothing. Because he really had nothing to be bothered about. Today had been a good day, really, since he had got to expose Heike's true nature to his 'friends'. Even better, he had felt the infinite satisfaction of putting an arrow right into his face. Well, in his demon's face. But still, that had been enjoyable nonetheless.

A finger poked his cheek, making him look up at Kouji. 'See, she's right. You're frowning again.'

And maybe he really was. But that didn't mean he was bothered by anything.

Upon seeing his stubborn gaze, Kouji sighed, looking away to take a sip from his sake bottle. Rui, behind him, was waving her ladle around with a pensive look on her face.

'Is it perhaps about Heike ?'

He felt his frown deepening despite him.

'Oh, seems like you shot right, Rui.' Kouji put his bottle on the table with a small tud, looking back at him. 'So, what about him, hm ?'

'Nothing. Nothing about him. Why do you care so much anyways ?'

They shared a look, and then simultaneously shaked their head with something akin to surrender. Yukihina sighed again, with what he wanted to be relief, but was really just annoyance. He was not bothered by Heike, not more than what he usually was. And he certainly wasn't starting to worry about him. Never.

He suddenly stood up, startling the other two, and he exhaled sharply. 'I'm going out for a bit. Need some air.' That brought him a lost look from Rui, and a knowing one from Kouji. He averted his gaze from him, feeling self-concious as he left the room.

At first, he wasn't sure about what he was going to do. Meaning, he knew where he wanted to go, and to who, but his pride was slowing him down. He went up the stares, still unsure about if he was really going to do it or not, and, even in front of the door, he was still hesitating.

He stopped for a minute. The door in front of him was painted in a dull old brown, with the paint starting to peel on the edge of it. He let his eyes wandered on it, silently debating with himself, his hand up halfway in the air. After a bit, he nodded to himself, and then knocked.

'Come in.' Was the soft answer he got. Pushing the door open, he was greeted by the – sadly – familiar view of Heike sipping his tea while reading one of his books.

When he looked up at Yukihina, his eyes widened slightly before his usual obnoxious smile creeped back into his face. 'Oh, what an inhabitual sight. Can I do domething for you, Yukihina-san ?'

And for a second, Yukihina felt stupid for worrying in the first place. Of course the obnoxious bastard wouldn't feel bad about it. Of course. It was Heike he was thinking about : the man clairly didn't let that kind of thing stop him from reaching his goals.

Yet, somehow, something felt wrong.

Heike was still looking at him, his gaze turning a little suspicious, and maybe even a little curious. 'Yukihina-san ?'

'Can I take a sit ?'

His eyes narrowed. 'What for ?'

Yukihina found himself at a loss of word. What for ? Why was he even here in the first place ? He wasn't sure it was such a good idea anymore. Yet, something in Heike's behavior told him that he wasn't unwelcomed, or at least not totally.

'I want to talk to you about this afternoon.'

'This afternoon, huh ? Do you mean the little performance you put up in front of the others ?' His tone seemed sweet, but his words were sharp. Yukihina only shaked his head.

'No. About the ritual, actually.'

Heike's fingers twitched. He could have missed it, would probably have if he wasn't looking at him so pointly. But he didn't. And that simple twitch told him everything he needed to know.

He sighed.

'Can I sit, Heike ?'

He just got a stare in answer. He didn't move, only staring back, until Heike sighed and pointed him one of the chairs around his tea table, curiosity burning in his eyes. Yukihina took the closest seat, their thighs almost touching.

Heike put his book neatly closed on the table, slightly turning toward him and crossing his legs one over the other. Yukihina knew that pose. He was defensive.

'So, what did you wanted to talk about ?'

'You've met it again. The lust.'

It was blunt, he knew it. He didn't really knew how to bring the subject any other way without making it sound like he cared. Because he didn't.

Heike froze for an instant, once again only caught by him because he was watching him closely. And then he smiled.

'What a clever young man. Do you have any other discovery you want to share with me ?'

Yukihina only sighed again. He should have expected the dry sarcasm, really, but he wasn't in the mood tonight. He was already out of his comfort zone, and delicacy had never been his thing.

Slowly, he held out his hand toward Heike, without a word, earning himself a suspicious glare.

'Do you perhaps want something ?'

'Let's pretend, just for tonight.'

He felt a little proud of himself when he saw Heike's lost look, but was careful to not let it show on his face.

'Pretend ?'

'Pretend that nothing happened.'

His fingers flinched again, and he would certainly have frowned if he had eyebrows. 'Why would we do that, Yukihina-san ?'

'Because you've met it again, Heike. I remember the state you were in last time, and i am willing to bring you the comfort you need this time again.'

He felt himself blush a little as he spoke in a calm and clear tone, his eyes never leaving Heike's ones. They had widened again, his golden iris shimmering with something akin to fear, and Yukihina suddenly found himself hoping it was caused by his memories and not by himself.

Heike didn't say anything. He just kept staring at him with a bewildered look on his face. Yukihina was starting to feel awkward, and his stretched hand seemed heavy between them. And yet, he didn't move, keeping his posture as open as he could. Heike suddenly swallowed.

'Is all of this a new assassination attempt, Yukihina-san ?' His voice was dry, but surprisingly steady.

He couldn't stop the soft smile that spread across his face.

'No. Not tonight. I promise.'

He extended his hand a little bit closer to him, Heike's eyes following it cautiously. He stopped himself just before he could touch him, overing above his knees.

'A promise, huh...'

Yukihina hummed lowly in answer.

Suddenly, he was thrown back in his seat, an unexpected weight settling over his laps. A gentle 'oof' leaved his lips as his hands overed awkwardly above Heike's thighs. He had passed his arms around Yukihina's shoulders, holding tightly onto them as if he was an anchor. His hair were softly brushing his cheek, meaning his hood had probably fell due to the sudden mouvement.

He blinked slowly, trying to adjust to the change of position – damned was Heike and his stupid light speed sometimes. He softly lowered his hands until they were brushing the body under them, and when he didn't flinch or move away, he fully settled them on his thighs. He let his thumbs draw small circles on them as the silence stretched over the pair.

In the quietness of the evening, Yukihina could only hear Heike's soft breaths against his neck. It could have been a peaceful moment if he managed to forgot why he was here.

A muffled whisper pierced through the silence around them.

'I didn't want it...'

And just like that, the peaceful atmosphere shattered. Yukihina felt Heike's breathing coming slightly quicker against him, and he began to softly shiver in his hold as he let his mask fall. Without him thinking about it, one of his arm left Heike's leg to circle around his waist, pressing him against him, as his other hand found his way into his soft white hair.

'I know you didn't.' He murmured quietly back, gently strocking his locks.

'... Even if it happened often, and even if sometimes it felt good. I didn't want that. None of that.'

Yukihina only hummed in answer, tightening his embrasse.

'I'm not a whore, Hi- ... Yukihina-san.'

'You're not.' And he wasn't. Yukihina felt his fist clenching into the small of Heike's back.

Right now, he didn't wanted to think at all. He didn't wanted to think of how familiar the weight of Heike in his laps was, with his slighlty heavier than normal feeling due to his stupid control jacket. He didn't wanted to think about how used he was to embrasse him to keep him from overthinking. He didn't wanted to think of the fact that it was already his second time comforting him because a fucking demon made him feel like he should be ashamed of things he couldn't control.

And, most of all, he didn't wanted to think about how warm the stupid stupid nickmane Heike almost called him made him feel.

He wasn't supposed to care about him. He hated him, hated him so much for what he had done on the 32th of december, for the fact that he killed him and kept his life as if it was a toy, for the fact that he didn't respect his promise. And yet, yet, he couldn't let him alone. He couldn't let him go. Not when he was still somehow the same Heike he wanted to protect with his life, the same Heike he wanted to worship and love more than everyone and everything else in this world. The same Heike that had been hurt so much before, and yet still managed to softly smile at him as if he was truly happy to be with him.

He burried his face into his neck and exhaled softly, holding onto him as much as he was.

He wasn't supposed to care, and yet he did. And he hated it.


'So you really went to see him, didn't you ?'

Kouji was leaning against the wall of the mansion, softly smocking with a window opened next to him. He held the pack out for him, and Yukihina gracefully took one.

'...'

'I'm not accusing you of anything, Yuki, no need to look that closed up.' He turned his lighter toward him, and Yukihina inhaled. He wasn't used to smocking, so it burned his throat, but he really didn't care right now.

'... Yes, i went.'

He let himself flopped down on the floor, his back agaisnt the wall as he settled his eyes on a croner of crackling paint on the ceiling. Kouji joined him softly, less graceful and more falling.

'You should stop if you end up looking that sad everytime after.' He deadpanned.

Yukihina let out a chocked out noise. It could have been a laugh, as it could have been a sob. He wasn't sure himself. Kouji didn't looked at him. He never looked, always respecting his privacy.

'If only I could, Kouji.'