The club opened at about seven o'clock that night. At ten till, The Lady made an appearance.
"Good evening my Lady." Kinau said, happy to be back at work.
Her aged body was in incredible condition and Kinau would have pegged her for about thirty years old. If he didn't know for a fact that she wasn't human. She was a succubus that just happened to be part witch too. A very powerful witch. She also gave that pilots and Kinau their missions, whether it was through the Doctors or directly.
" Ohayo, Kinau-kun. Congratulations on your successful mission the other day. You did very well."
Her praise made Kinau grin. Heero ruffled his hair approvingly. He'd taught him alot of what he knew. They all had. Kinau was a product of all five pilots', as well as The Lady's, hard work. He was their special project. A project they had formally and fondly named ' Project 20994-Black Wings'.
"Arigato." he said graciously, bowing to her formally.
" Now this week we'r going to be having some very important people coming to our club for a meeting of the Old Alliance. Kinau, Rai-san will be here," Poor Kinau sighed and both Heero and Duo growled under their breath," So feel free to come sit with me anytime you need to" She told him kindly.
The teen was grumbling alittle.
"Last time, Heero tried to shoot him. You'd think he'd learned his lesson but nooooo..."
The Lady's laugh was like silver bells in the wind. It was beautiful.
Wu Fei tapped Duo on the head with Trowa's security baton.
"And Maxwell, I will be forced to restrain you if you try to poison him again. Then I'll give you to Treize for the weekend." he said, deadly serious.
Duo shuddered but perked up alittle.
"I knew you and Treize were an item! Your sleeping with the enemy!"
Duo laughed and received a sharp smack on the head from both Kinau and Wu Fei.
"Wu-kun knows what he's doing, Duo. He can handle his own affairs." Kinau said, giving Wu Fei a small smile.
The chinese soldier nodded to him, silently thanking him.
"Rai wishes to turn you, Kinau." The Lady admitted.
Heero went into perfect soldier mode and Duo's eyes widened. Quatre held his lover's hand gently. Kinau lowered his head, letting his bangs shadow his eyes. He knew what it had taken for his Lady to admit that. The Alliance members were never supposed to tell what was discussed in their meetings to anyone but other members. It was a taboo subject and was considered a very crass thing to do.
"What did he offer you...?" the small teenager asked, his voice quiet.
She lifted his head with a slender hand, making him meet her eyes. She wanted him to understand how important this was.
"Everything." She whispered before turning around and making her way back to her Inner Sanctum where she lived.
Kinau was shaking. What was Rai playing at? Everything...Rai would throw in the support of the vampires just to turn him? Then again, it would never be just a turning with Rai. He wanted him to grace his bed. Kinau would never be able to see Duo or Heero or even Quatre, Trowa and Wufei again. Rai would watch his pople kill and die just to have him as a lifemate. Heero and Duo's arms slid around him from both sides. They understood what was at stake.
"Come on, Nau-kun. Time to work."
Duo comforted him and Kinau smiled softly. Heero's lips touched his neck. Oh, how he loved them.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The patrons filled the bar and laughed and danced on the floor. Other employees hustled about on the first story but Duo, Quatre and Kinau were working the Second Floor Balconeys. Unfortunately, this was where the Old Alliance members were staying before the meeting. Kinau had just gotten done serving a group of werewolves when a sharp throbbing began in his temples. He swore, leaning against the wall for a moment. He began the calming breathing excersizes that the Lady had taught him when he first developed the headaches. Around very skilled or powerful people, he always got headaches ven if their power was being masked. Now, around so many powerful beings, it ached terribly. Kinau felt it begin to dissipate and headed for the next room. The wooden stylishly carved door panel slid open.
The Second Floor had always facinated him. It was nothing but a huge wrap-around hall with balconeys for those patrons who wished for privacy. Usually, patrons with less than human backgrounds. The balconey had red, heavy velvet curtains all around. It made him think of Phantom of the Opera. Gold pull tassles hung from braided rope so one could cut the small area off from the rest of the building and a gold angel candelabra sat in the corner. But what caught Kinau's attenion was the man sitting on the balconey. He had wavy black hair and bright hazel eyes. He looked like he could be Kinau's older brother. His onii-san. The man turned to look at him with a pleasant smile on his face.
"Hello, are you our waiter?" He asked.
His voice was like a warm massage on his brain. Kinau felt a blush creep up his neck and he forced himself to focus on the task at hand.
"Hai. My name is Kinau Yuy. Can I get you anything?"
Damn! His voice came out soft and childish sounding. He mentally berated himself. Damn it! Who the fuck was this guy?! How dare he make him feel uncomfortable in his own skin! How dare he make him think he was gorgeous... Kinau wanted to roll his eyes at that thought. Heero and Duo were the only ones he needed. Anything was just part of The Job. An act. The Job and his acts took on lives of their own sometimes and incorporated themselves into his everyday life. It worried Duo. Heero just shugged it off and said it was a sign that he would be an amazing assassin.
"Warm sake, please, and perhaps some Hibachi and onigiri." The man said, pointedly ignoring his blonde companion's incredulous look.
Kinau bowed out, listening to their light banter.
"How can you eat those rice balls?" the blonde asked, crossing his arms.
The man smiled.
" They are good Lucius, if you'd just try one..."
"No! I hate rice!"
" You are in the wrong part of the world, mate. Oh well...more's he pity."
Kinau hurried out of the room. Something about the strange man set his blood on fire. He hated it. No. He hated that he liked it. Maybe he would get Duo to serve them. No. That would be cowardly and rude. He would do it himself. Halfway down the hall, he came across Quatre wheeling a cart of trays.
"Sake, hibachi and a side of onigiri, Kinau?"
He smiled thankfully. Their cooks, with the exception of Wu Fei, were Seers and knew just what each customer wanted as soon as they came in the door. It was amazing! Quatre returned the sentiment befre turning around. Kinau felt a surge of affection for his friend. He really hoped the Lady would choose him as her heir. Quatre was a good person who took care of everyone. He deserved it. He balanced the trays on his hands, walking back to the room he'd just left.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I've never seen a child with as much hair as his before." Lucius commented after the boy had left.
Tom just made a humming noise.
"He's very younge. Definately not of age, yet his power signature is enormous. Strange, though. It's like he isn't even aware of it." Lucius added broodingly.
"He's one of The Lady's Elite. He has her magic all over him." Tom said.
The blonde turned the fact over in his mind. The Elite were the Lady's most deadly assassins. For that boy to be one of them...
"Emeralds are the gems of life. His eyes are like emeralds."
Lucius raised an eyebrow.
"How disturbingly ironic."
The door opened with a snap and Kinau came in carrying the food.
"Sake, onigiri and hibachi." he chimed, smiling again.
Tom thanked him. He watched the boy pick up their earlier drinks.
"Kinau, how old are you? Truthfully." He asked, sipping on the sake.
Kinau smiled mischeviously, tilting his head and leaning to the side innocently.
"I'm fifteen years old."
Lucius's eyes had widened but Tom just nodded with a shrug.
"My turn."
Kinau gave Lucius a playful grin.
"What are you?"
The blonde looked at him like he was asking something nonsensical.
"I'm my Lord's second in command."
Kinau made a 'tsk'ing sound, shaking his head.
" I didn't ask you what your job was."
"I don't understand."
"I said: What are you."
Silence reigned supreme for a moment. Lucius's grey eyes narrowed at the teen who just smiled at him sweetly. How could a child see through the wards and glamours around him?! Both he and Tom had poured their magic into the glamour that kept his true self at bay. It was inconceivable that this boy could tell he wasn't was he appeared.
"I'm a Veela."
Kinau nodded and Tom's intrigue spiked. He patted his lap, silenly asking with a raised eyebrow if he wanted to sit there. Kinau bit his lip hesitatingly. He usually didn't get that close to the patrons. Heero had nearly killed one man who'd groped him after thinking he was a girl. Well...the man had tried to do more than grope him but the ever dependable Heero hadridden to his rescue. But the man sitting before him felt warm and safe and familiar. Kinau wanted to be close to him.
Over the years of killing, he had learned to trust his instincts above anything else. They were telling him that it was alright. He stepped forward, sliding into his lap.
"My name is Tom."
Kinau was confused for amoment. He hadn't spoken english in a long time and most of what he said to the patrons was rehearsed. They didn't really speak english in Kyoto. Some of the words had slipped his mind.
"Oh! Hai, hai! Tom..."
Tom nodded, smiling. The teen sighed comfortably, laying his head on his shoulder. He was warm. His power beat at Kinau, gentler now, like soft ocean waves. It was soothing. A hand started petting his hair, feeling it's softness.
"What kinds of things do you like to do, Kinau?"
"Oh, I like sports and reading and video games.and...I don't know the word. You play with cards to make a tower that blows up if it falls..."
"Exploding Snap?" Lucius offered helpfully.
"Hai! But Duo-kun is so bad at it..."
At that second, the door to their section opened and Trowa stepped inside.
"Kinau-kun, you may want to start working again. It is a busy night. You can come back when the rush dies down." He said calmly.
Trowa gave them and expressionless face by somthing slid behind his eyes. A curiousity. Kinau jumped up and bowed to him.
"Gomen nasai, Trowa-san!" he apologized before turning back to Tom and Lucius.
"I have to go but is it ok if I come back?"
"Of course."
He gave them a beautiful smile before practically bouncing out of the room. Trowa, however, stared the two men down for a moment more. He shut the door behind him with a click.
"Here is the tray for section 12. Be careful, Kinau. I don't trust any of these people." Quatre told him in a whisper.
He offered a supportive smile before wheeling the cart away. Kinau sighed and walked towards the twelfth door. The hallway was covered in crimson drapes all along the walls just like the balconeys. It was lovely and he liked to imagine people dressed as princes and princesses walking down it. A small daydream he had in his spare time. They would laugh and shine happily like stars in the sky. No one would be sad. The door had a silver twelve on it and was polished to a shine just like all the others. He'd polished it himself, actually. When he was just about to open the door, it opened itself.
A vampire stood in the room, a pleased smirk made it seem he was thinking naughty things about you. In Kinau's case, he was. A spill of dark, black hair with blue undertones fell straight and smooth as glass around him to his waist. Intellegent lavender eyes leered out at him. Suddenly, Kinau wasn't so happy. He spun back around and began walking away immediately.
"Now, now, Kinau. Is that any way to treat one of your Lady's guests?" Rai asked.
His voice played like wet silk on his spine making him shiver. He always made Kinau's name sound pornographic and sensual. He turned back around.
" To you? Hai. Hai, it is."
Rai's eyes roved over him like a caress, doing the up and down searching look. It was filled with lust and promise.
"May I at least have the drink I ordered?"
He thought about it for amoment. Kinau really didn't want to get that close. Rai wanted to turn him now, and once he'd made up his mind, nohing could change it. Not even The Lady. Rai had a thousand years to back his decisions and the Lady had already said he'd offered her everthing. Just for Kinau. In some strange way it was flattering but in another it was very, very frightening. He loved Heero and Duo more than anything and if Rai turned him he would automatically be his lover. If he became Rai's childe, the vampire could force him to do something and he would. He could make him want to do it. On the other hand, the drinks were payed for so he had to give him his order. He could always just shoot him.
"I suppose but if you try anything, Rai, ANYTHING, I will shoot you on the spot. No magic shit."
The vampires smile grew and he nodded.
"No magic shit, kitten. I understand."
Kinau was still suspicious but walked towards him into the room. When he brushed past him, a tingling spread through his body. The room was empty. Rai made a pleased sound in his throat.
"Your fear is palpable, Kitten. You were not this afraid of me last time I visited. Merely angry. What has changed?"
The door closed and Kinau set the tray on the table, his heart racing. Damn it! He was right.
"I should ask you the same thing."
His fear may have been obvious to someone who could smell it but his face was as blank and empty as a doll's. Rai raised an elegant eyebrow.
"You ae full of surprises,pet."
A vein began to tick in Kinau's temple, anger overriding fear for a time.
"I'm not your pet!!! I'm not your kitten either so knock it off!!!!!"
Before he knew what was going on, he'd been forced to the floor with his arms behind him and Rai at his back.
"You will be soon, Kinau. Count on it."
Just as suddenly as he'd jumped him, Rai was gone. Not a breath of wind or a sound, or anything. Just disappeared.
Kinau groaned, picking himself up off the floor. Damn it, there was going to be a bruise on his back later and an ugly one too. He was lucky that the bastard hadn't broken his spine. The room was, once again, empty. Crossing the threshold, he tried the door and swore. It was locked! He didn't even have his lockpicking tools with him! They were down in his bag in the locker room!
"Kuso!"
Kinau kicked the door angrily before, pitifully, settling against it. And, of course, for safety reasons, there were anti-unlocking charms saturating the door so an alohamora spell wouldn't work.
The door swung open. Unfortunately, he was still resting against it and fell out onto the floor (again), onto his already damaged and injured back. He let out a hiss of pain, curling up and shut his eyes. At first he thought Rai had come back.
"Kinau?"
He opened his watering eyes quickly, looking up.
"Tom?"
Tom was kneeling down beside him with a concerned expression on his handsome face. Vaguely, Kinau wondered how a man could be so pretty and decided it must be a spell.
"Are you alright?"
All he could do was stare for a long moment before a heavy blush crept up his face. He thought about saying he was until he his back gave a particularly sharp, nasty throb.
"No..."
"What happened?" Tom asked, helping him to pull himself up to his feet.
" A thousand years worth of vampire happened. At about forty miles an hour." he grumbled, wincing at the pain.
"That's a lot of vampire to have chucked at you."
It took Kinau a moment to realize he'd made a joke. He started laughing. Tom smiled.
"Show me where it hurts."
In the middle of the hallway, Kinau let him take off his shirt to assess the damage. He had to show him how to unstrap the nest of leather first but after the main straps fell away, the rest unraveled with a soft sigh. Tom ran his hands over his skin gently but professionally. They were warm and soft and he had to hold back the pleasant shiver that threatened to creep up his body.
"How did this happen?"
"Nani...one of the vampires has...wanted me for some time and now he wants to turn me. It was kind of a warning, i guess."
" You must live a very interesting life, Kinau."
"And you don't?"
He just laughed, resuming his attentions while Kinau winced and swore under his breath.
"I'm sorry. This is above my, admittedly, mediocre healing abilities. My specialty isn't helping people."
"Then why are you helping me?"
Tom gave him a studious look.
"I don't know. Something about you haunts me. Would you like me to take the pain away?"
He seriously considered it for a minute before remembering what his comrades and the doctors had taught him.
"No. Arigatou, but no. Pain is your body's natural defense. It lets you know when something isn't as it should be. If I numb it I won't know how serious it is."
Tom just looked at him.Kinau matched his gaze with his empty, perfect soldier expression.
"That's very interesting of you to say."
There was a long silence during which Kinau tried to put the straps back on.
"Would you like to come talk to me tommorrow night? I'm coming back but I have to leave right now."
He couldn't help the smile that burst into life.
"I'd like that."
Tom reached over and started helping him replace the straps. Interestingly enough, Trowa and Wu Fei chose that moment to come around the corner into view. Trowa looked slightly surprised. Wu Fei just raised an eyebrow.
"Are you leaving Maxwell and Yuy now?"
"N-Nani?! No! Rai locked me in that room..."
"What did that fucker do now? Did he hurt you? Cause if he hurt you..."
"Tackled me, locked me in a room, tried to molest me. The usual."
"Heero is going to be very angry."
Tom didn't bother disguising the questioning look.
"Who is Heero?"
Trowa had his gaze locked onto the older man again.
"Heero and Duo. My Koibitos."
The questioning look was noe directed to Wu Fei, who rolled his eyes.
"His lovers"
"Ahhh..."
Trowa tugged on the long, thick braid.
"Come downstairs and take over for Heero at the bar. He wants to take his break and besides," He looked meaningfully at Tom," Duo misses you."
He turned and escorted the playful Kinau to the turning point but the teen looked back.
"I will see you tomorrow, Tom!""
With those parting words, the cheerful waiter bounced off, leaving Tom with Wu Fei. They stared at each other for a long time.
" We are not allowed to harm our Ladies guests but know this, Dark Lord. If you harm Kinau in even the smallest way, I will kill you. But only if he doesn't first."
Tom's eyes narrowed.
"Your friend is safe with me."
" I beleive you have a meeting to get to."
" I beleive i do."