OMG guys I am so sorry. Working life has been pushing me hard and I've hardly had time to sleep, let alone write anything in the last couple of months. So I know I promised that I'd have this done and dusted by Easter, and yeah, I fail, epically, but better late than never, right? Right?

Chapter 16

For a moment Allen just sat there, completely stunned. A detached part of his mind registered that Kanda's grip on his jaw was only just on the nice side of painful, preventing him from moving away even if he had wanted to. Unlike the grip on his chin however, the mouth pressed against his own was gentle, uncertain, and though it had begun as harsh and crushing in Kanda's attempt to shut him up, it had soon softened to something bordering on tender.

The lack of response was obviously putting Kanda off- the rather one-sided kiss slowed and Kanda's eyes blinked open, a frown already forming on his face, and the hold on Allen's chin slackened as though Kanda was about to pull away.

Though he was still feeling confused, Allen did have enough about him to realise that sitting here stupidly, not doing anything, was not conducive to a long and healthy life- Kanda was sure to murder him in embarrassed fury.

Before the older man could end the kiss, Allen reached out with his uninjured left hand and clenched his fingers around Kanda's collar, keeping Kanda in place as he opened his mouth and returned the kiss like for like.

Kanda still seemed ready to move away, perhaps thinking that Allen's hesitation was because he actually didn't want to be doing this. Well, Allen wasn't having any of that- maybe they shouldn't be starting down this road, maybe it was contradicting everything he'd ever told himself about relationships, but the other side of him, the side he tried to ignore so he couldn't give himself false hope, told him firmly that Kanda knew the risks- he knew why Allen couldn't do this, but had gone ahead anyway.

And know that he knew what kissing Kanda felt like, he didn't think that he'd ever be able to go back.

His hand left Kanda's collar and slid over his shoulder, tangling in the dark hair at the base of Kanda's neck, changing the angle slightly in an attempt to get as close as possible to the other man.

Kanda seemed to realise that Allen wasn't just going along with the kiss because he was afraid the Kanda would hurt him if he didn't, because the slackening grip on Allen's jaw suddenly tightened and his other hand clasped around Allen's side above his blanketed waist, turning his body to face Allen's fully, his hand sliding across pale naked skin as he gently pushed the younger teen back onto the mattress.

He pulled back, allowing them both to snatch a hasty breath before the simultaneously moved together once more, mouths crashing together and tongues sliding against their counterparts.

Kanda blinked hazy dark eyes open to find those familiar-unfamiliar brown eyes watching him with a surprisingly clear expression. He looked a little confused however, as though he still wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but there was something else there, something sparkling deep in his eyes that Kanda hadn't seen for a long time- something like happiness. Allen Walker had arrived at the Dark Order exuding the emotion, but slowly the strain of Hevlaska's prophesy and then the fourteenth Noah had drained it away, replacing it with heavy acceptance and a cynicism that was kept well hidden but was there all the same.

All trace of that was gone now though- just as Kanda had thought, no matter what excuses Allen had given earlier, pushing Kanda away had been the last thing he wanted.

He pulled away slowly, moving his hand to Allen's face to stall any protest, tracing the faint line of the scar showing through the ruined makeup and gently brushing aside a lock of dishevelled hair.

"What?" Allen asked, his voice almost a whisper as though he was afraid to break the fragile silence.

"Che" Kanda said, not moving from his position hanging over Allen. His face was blank, not scowling as usual, but not smiling either, and Allen suspected that whatever happened between them from now on, Kanda would remain the same stoic swordsman he always was. "I thought you didn't want to do this" he commented dryly.

Allen flushed angrily. That also seemed something that wouldn't change between them- Kanda's innate ability to piss him off. He didn't look away from Kanda's mocking expression, instead his face crumpled into a frown and he disentangled his fingers from Kanda's hair, wrapping them in the blankets in his lap. "I never said that" he muttered, not much louder than his whisper before. "It would just be better if I didn't."

Kanda scoffed, his words a harsh contrast to his actions, long fingers now gently carding through Allen's tangled hair. "Well that's tough shit, Moyashi. If you think for one minute that I'm going to let you go…." He trailed off ominously.

Allen supposed that for Kanda, the comment was actually quite sweet, harsh tone notwithstanding. He smiled ruefully, agreeing with Kanda's sentiment. "It's too late now anyhow," he sighed, and before Kanda could ask him to expand on that cryptic remark, he was rolled sideways as Allen knocked the supporting arm from under him, following him in one fluid movement that one wouldn't have expected from an injured person, so that he was settled astride Kanda's hips, the blanket tangled around them both.

Allen's mouth found Kanda's once more as his eager fingers worked on the fastenings on the exorcist's coat that hid the chest beneath him from view.

As soon as it was undone, Kanda sat up, forcing Allen to sit back and dropping the coat down his arms. He shrugged it off one arm, which, once it was free, tangled itself in Allen's untidy hair, tipping his head back and disengaging their mouths only to reapply his own to Allen's neck.

Which is the scene that met Jo's eyes as soon as she walked through the door.

Kanda was the first to spot their audience, his eyes catching the movement of the door opening over Allen's shoulder, but didn't feel that there was any need to draw Allen's attention to the fact that they were no longer alone, not while he was straddling Kanda's waist and using the hand buried in his hair to direct Kanda's mouth to each sensitive spot on his neck.

Smirking slightly to himself, Kanda bit down on the skin beneath him, drawing the first full-fledged noise of pleasure from Allen's lips, the sound lingering in the air even after it ended and breaking the girl in the doorway from her stunned silence.

"Uh…" she began, the word strangled sounding and hoarse.

The noise drew Allen's attention away from what Kanda was doing to his neck. He tipped his head back and was presented with an upside-down image of his room and the spluttering teenaged girl standing stunned in the doorway.

For a moment he was frozen, hanging limply in Kanda's arms, legs clamped around the older man's waist, his left hand tangled in the base of his ponytail, then the next his eyes were closed and he was arching against the man beneath him as Kanda's teeth closed over a especially sensitive spot on his neck. The sound he made as he did so was particularly animalistic.

Jo squeaked a little and took a step back, although she seemed unable to tear her eyes away from the scene on the bed.

Allen tried to blink back the lusty haze that had clouded his mind, only succeeding somewhat since ignoring Kanda's mouth was proving very difficult.

"Uh… hi Jo" he gasped out, managing to free his hand and turning slightly on Kanda's lap so he could face the girl better instead of upside down.

A strangely twisted look flashed across the girl's face, gone before he could fully form, though something bitter lingered in her hazel eyes even as her expression closed off. "I'm sorry" she said, her voice oddly flat. "I should have knocked, but I didn't realise that the two of you were busy in here!" her voice had risen to a loud screeching by the end, so loud in fact that Allen was worried that her words would carry to the other inhabitants of the building.

Kanda, who had stopped his ministrations when Jo's voice had risen loud enough to rattle the window in its frame raised his head and blinked coldly at the French girl still standing in the doorway. He didn't know what she had said, but he assumed it hadn't been very complimentary, and noticed that the door was still slightly ajar. "If you're leaving, go already" he told her "shut the door if you're staying, but don't think for one minute that we're fucking stopping for you."

"Kanda!" Allen admonished, futilely trying to gather the twisted sheets around himself with his only usable arm while Kanda's arm at his waist prevented him from lifting the covers any higher.

Jo's eyes fell to the expanse of bare skin, tracing the scars and muscle unashamedly.

Kanda removed his hand, allowing Allen to draw the blanket over his shoulders. He wasn't stupid- he had seen the looks that the black haired girl had been casting in Allen's direction, the jealous sneers directed at Kanda and, though he didn't understand the words, the tone of voice conveyed Jo's feelings perfectly.

Jo hadn't understood Kanda's words any more than he understood hers, but she turned furious eyes on him anyway. "Why are you here?" she cried desperately. "You've ruined everything!"

Allen, startled by the desperate tone and strange words, scrambled off Kanda's lap, dragging the sheet with him, knotting it about himself and grasping hold of the girl's shoulders. "Jo, what's wrong? Did something happen?"

Jo blinked up at him, hazel eyes wide and wet with tears. "Why did you have to bring him here?" she sobbed, burying her face in her hands.

"Him who?" Allen asked, perplexed. Of course, there was only one 'him' that Jo could be talking about. "What? Kanda?" He looked over his shoulder at the man still sitting on the bed, fruitlessly trying to follow the conversation. "Why?"

"What's the matter with the stupid bitch?" Kanda asked, fully removing his coat as he sat up.

Allen frowned at the name-calling, but was too confused with the whole situation to admonish Kanda properly.

Jo sobbed brokenly, anger giving way to bitter sorrow. "I thought…" she managed to articulate around her hiccupping sobs. "Why not me?" she gasped out. "Why him?" she knocked Allen's hands aside, making him take a step back in surprise. "What's wrong with ME?"

Allen blinked at her stupidly, not following at all. "What's wrong with-? What do you mean? There's nothing wrong with you" he said with a frown.

"Then why?" she burst out, her entire body shaking.

"Moyashi?" Kanda asked, stepping up behind Allen and putting his hands on his shoulders. He might have been at a loss when it came to the actual words spoken, but no one could miss Jo's desperate tone- it was clear that she was on the verge of a breakdown. "What's she saying?"

Allen gave Kanda a summary of Jo's outburst, but when he finished he was surprised to find that unlike himself, Kanda didn't look confused at all. In fact, he actually looked amused, though Allen could find nothing remotely funny about the situation at all. "What?" he asked sharply in response to Kanda's smug, knowing smirk.

"Stupid Beansprout" Kanda commented lightly. "The stupid girl thinks that she is in love with you."

Allen gaped unattractively. He tried to say something but all that came out was an undignified squeak. Eventually he managed a "huh?" which summed up his confusion quite effectively.

Kanda's smirk widened further, and if it were anyone else, it could almost have been classed as a grin. "She thought she actually had a chance with you." And he swept his gaze over Allen's sheet-shrouded form possessively, and it was clear what he thought of Jo's assessment of the situation.

Allen's face flushed, though whether it was from Kanda's appreciative expression or from embarrassment at the realisation of what Jo actually thought of him it was unclear. "Why?" he eventually asked, perplexed. He had done nothing to give Jo the impression that he felt anything beyond friendship, the protective older brother… not… nothing like that… he pulled a face and shuddered unconsciously. Kanda watched him, that amused expression lingering about his eyes as he saw what Allen thought about that. Allen noticed Kanda's expression and scowled at him, obviously unhappy that the older man was deriving any amusement from the situation at all. "Stop laughing, this isn't funny!" he snapped.

Kanda's expression changed not one iota.

Allen glared. Which didn't have any effect whatsoever. Deciding that ignoring Kanda would be the safest thing for his dignity (conveniently ignoring the fact that he was currently wrapped in only a bed sheet), he turned to Jo. "Why? Why would you think that?"

Jo sniffed ferociously and wiped her face on the back of her hands. "You were so nice to me. You looked after me… I thought…"

"I thought you were a thirteen year old boy!" Allen exclaimed, speculating that he was still asleep and having a very strange dream, and if so could he wake up soon please?

"And a half!" snapped Jo, bristling with anger. "Maybe you would have preferred me to stay a boy!"

Allen blinked, wondering just when everything had started to get so surreal. "I was just being your friend- I was just trying to help you… I don't…" He shrugged helplessly. "What did I do to make you think that?"

Jo drew herself up, seeming to swell with fury and embarrassment. The calm, yet utterly bemused way that Allen was talking to her made her feel even worse. How could she have misjudged the situation so much? She had been so sure… Nobody had ever treated her the way that Allen had these last few weeks. She had actually felt loved for the first time in her life, felt like someone cared about where she was sleeping and whether she was getting enough to eat, whether she was happy or not… and thinking about it now, she knew that whatever she had thought about Allen's motives, he had indeed felt that way about her, purely because that was the type of person that he was. Seeing the way that he acted around his 'friend', the way that he looked at him, all helpless smiles and shining eyes, she knew that there was no way that he felt anything remotely romantic for her- he would never love her back.

Her rage and despair rose within her, pushing all rational thought from her mind.

There was no way that Allen hadn't known what she felt- she hadn't been subtle about it and no one could truly be that oblivious, so he must have been ignoring her attentions, even before his strange companion had arrived. And once he had, Allen must have been having a good laugh behind her back.

Even if he hadn't known that she was a girl, the way that he had been wrapped around his friend showed that he couldn't be all that fussy about gender, so the only explanation was that Allen was treating her attraction to him as a joke.

She hated that.

She hated him.

So she told him so.

"How could you?" she growled, eyes blazing, sorrow forgotten in the face of her rage. "I'll never forgive you for doing this to me! I hate you!" she screamed at him, fists balled at her sides. It almost looked like she was going to take a swing at him and he stepped back cautiously just in case.

The she appeared to change her mind and spun on her heel, charging through the door and disappearing down the stairs.

Silence reigned.

Then Allen cleared his throat awkwardly, shuffling his feet a little to try and dispel the discomfort as he shrugged the trailing sheet more firmly around his shoulders. He couldn't quite meet Kanda's eyes, instead his gaze flitted around the room in an attempt to find his missing clothes.

"You're still injured, you shouldn't be out of bed" Kanda's voice, low and rough with some unknown emotion, almost startled him, and he couldn't have prevented the tensing of his shoulders if he had tried. He didn't look up, awkwardly shrugging a shirt on at the same time as keeping an iron grip on the sheet, all with only one fully-functioning hand.

He wasn't sure how mush use that was- someone had got him naked in the first place, and had therefore most likely got an eyeful- somehow he couldn't imagine Kanda standing idly by, watching as Jo stripped him.

"I'm fine" he said when he though he could do it without revealing just how aroused he was, and braced himself to actually meet Kanda's eyes. When he looked up however, the older exorcist was facing the wall, a hand brushing his hair aside in frustration.

Allen thought he heard him curse under his breath.

"I should go after her..." Allen said, buckling his belt as he took a step towards the still-open door.

He didn't get any further that that though, because suddenly the door was shut and Kanda was standing in front of it, arms crossed over his bare chest and dark scowl on his face.

"The fuck you should" he said. His voice didn't sound any different from his usual cool tone now, as though what had passed between them was nothing to him, already forgotten.

"I can't ignore this" Allen replied, squashing the unwelcome disappointment down- Kanda had sounded like he hadn't been affected at all. "I did something to her- I hurt her and I have to ack-!" Allen squawked in an undignified manner as Kanda grabbed him by the arm and dragged him to the bed. Ignoring how his body responded to Kanda's touch was difficult, but he managed, freeing his arm from Kanda's grip and scowling defiantly. "This is nothing to do with you" he snapped, backing up to claim some breathing space.

Kanda's scowl deepened and he glared back at Allen, dark eyes sparking with fury. "Nothing to do with me? The fuck, Moyashi?" He took a threatening step towards Allen, somehow managing to loom over the younger teen despite the meagre difference in height. "I saved your fucking life, you ungrateful piece of shit, and now its nothing to do with me whether you rush out blindly and get yourself killed?" He was breathing heavily, his nostrils flared and arms tense across his chest, as though he was restraining himself from attacking Allen where he stood.

Allen didn't think he'd ever seen Kanda in such a rage before- sure he'd been angry enough to take a swing at him with Mugen, but this was different to the cold, almost emotionless was they had interacted in the past. Allen knew that the obvious explanation for Kanda's new attitude was what had passed between them not so long ago, but he didn't understand why that quick fumble would have such an effect on the man.

And suddenly this was all his fault!

Allen scowled. "So, I'm in your debt now , is that it? You saved my life, and I owe you something?" His voice dropped to a low growl, deep and dangerous, and he stalked forward, trying to crowd Kanda back against the door. "Never mind," he breathed, "the number of times we've saved each other's lives on missions." He was most definitely in Kanda's personal space and the Asian man tensed further still, for all appearances not at all threatened by Allen's presence, though the way that his eyes flicked to the side for a moment told the truth.

"Never mind," Allen whispered in Kanda's ear, his body pressed against his and hands either side of Kanda's head, holding him a cage of flesh and bone, "that I brought you back from the fucking dead. And you call me ungrateful?" Allen's voice rasped, though it was something other than pure anger that drove him now. His breath hitched and his voice broke as he let his head fall onto Kanda's bare shoulder. "I give up. I don't understand you at all. I really like you, you stupid prick, but I don't understand you. What do you want from me?" He took a deep breath and looked up, braving Kanda's eyes as he pleaded. "Please Kanda... I give up. Whatever you want, you can have it, just please tell me..."

Kanda's brain... stopped working. He stared down at Allen's eyes, noticing for the first time that the brown wasn't as deep as it had been before, and slivers of grey were seeping through. He vaguely wondered why that he didn't care. He had more important things to worry about now.

Like why Allen had gone from frankly scary to this broken-down, worn-out child, pleading for an explanation that Kanda couldn't, wouldn't, shouldn't give, because if he did, it would be enormous, terrifying, terrific- everything would change, they'd have no control, an Kanda didn't know whether he could live his life that way.

But Allen was here, now, pressed against him, offering everything of himself, anything that Kanda wanted in exchange for a why.

Why was Kanda so affected by the things that Allen did? Why did Kanda care?

Well, that was a question and an answer all in one. Kanda cared because he did, it was as simple as that- he didn't need complex explanations or heartfelt declarations- he cared about Allen because he was Allen.

He didn't think that that would satisfy Allen though, and he was never that good with words anyway, so he uncrossed his arms, catching Allen's hurt disbelieving look as the motion dislodged him from his resting place.

Kanda scoffed. If he really wanted Allen to move, the British teen would know about it. But Allen was tired and emotionally exhausted and had never been that good at reading people anyway, so he supposed the reaction was forgivable.

With a sigh Kanda wrapped his arms around Allen's back and dragged him close again, dropping his head onto Allen's shoulder and tried to explain without words what he was feeling.

He wouldn't apologise of course, but instead searched for something to say that could have passed for one in a dark alley at night while you were drunk.

Nope, nothing.

Dammit.

"I don't want anything from you" he said, giving up and shutting off the part of his brain that policed his words. "I just want you."

He cringed internally. Really, what the fuck was that? He suddenly wished he was holding Mugen so he could kill himself with it. And then the Beansprout. In that order.

Only, his thoughts of murder-suicide (or rather suicide-murder) were cut off by hands in his hair and a mouth on his.

Allen wasn't sure what he had expected Kanda to say, but a simple statement of desire was not it. If anything, a denial, or a complete avoidance of the topic, but not- not this.

Of course, the only viable response that he could make was to shut Kanda up and distract him before he realised what he had said and decided to murder him in a fit of embarrassed pique.

The way that Kanda's arms tightened around Allen's back, one hand sliding up to the back of his neck and the other moving to sit lightly on his waist, fingers dipping beneath his belt to rest on his arse told Allen that subjecting him to a violent death in the name of pride was the last thing on Kanda's mind at the moment, but he couldn't quite understand what the hell he was doing. Why did all his arguments amount to nothing right now?

What in the name of all that was Holy did he think he was doing?

He wanted Kanda, he couldn't deny that (he knew he couldn't- he'd been trying forever), but that didn't mean that he could have him. There was too much going on in his life- he was on the run, for God's sake! And Kanda would have to go back to the Order at some point- Allen could hardly waltz back into Headquarters, could he?

Not to mention that thanks to Tyki Mikk, the other Noah and the Earl himself would know that he was living in disguise away from the protection of the Order.

But he was tired of it all, utterly fed up of giving and giving and not getting anything in return, no matter what he did. If he never got anything else in his life, he'd be happy with just having Kanda, even for a little while.

And just like that, all of his arguments, his defences, his excuses were all washed away.

0o0o0o0

Jo couldn't believe it. Tears still clouded her eyes as she stumbled blindly down the stairs, bursting through the door with a single minded necessity to just get away. The sunlight washed the alleyway that the complex opened out onto in yellow warmth, but she was oblivious to it, dashing the tears from her eyes desperately as she turned and sprinted away over the cobbles, feet meandering awkwardly over the uneven ground.

She clapped her hand over her mouth, stifling the sob that wanted to break free, and staggered sideways into a wall, her other hand splayed across the brickwork in an attempt to remain upright. While she had been in that room she had been able to remain strong and defiant, but now she was alone… She sank to her knees, head bowed as she gave herself over to mild hysteria for a moment.

She had honestly thought that Allen had felt something for her. Okay, at first he had though that she was a boy, but Allen had still taken her in, and after so much time spent around each other, surely Allen had not been incapable of noticing the strange idiosyncrasies that surrounded his roommate. No one was that oblivious. Were they?

Allen had been warm and kind and had looked after her. She had been so sure that Allen knew her secret but was refraining from mentioning anything, unsure of how to broach the subject that his thirteen (and a half) year old male roommate was actually his sixteen year old female roommate. Obviously she had been wrong and it hurt. It hurt so much… In Allen she had found a kindred spirit. He had known the life she lived, he hadn't pitied her, he had accepted her for the person she was… well, except for the fact that he thought she was a boy at any rate… Her splayed hand clenched into a fist that she pounded against the unforgiving brick again and again and again. She had let him into her life like no other. Punch. She had trusted him with all her secrets. Punch. She thought she had loved him. Punch. She thought that he loved her. Punch. Blood smeared the rough brick with every blow, the skin on her knuckles ragged and red. He was gay. Punch. She hated him. She hated him with ever fibre of her being. Both him and the girly-man. They had ruined her life. Punch. This time there was an odd sickening crack as one of her knuckles gave way under the onslaught, popping out of place. She sobbed in pain, collapsing on all fours, head bowed, cradling her hand against her chest.

She hated him, and she was going to get even.

Like that, the pain was gone, leaving nothing but a dull weary ache that she was able to ignore. It was like someone had lit a fire in her heart, burning with a passionate rage that would not be sated until she had satisfied this urge to bring Allen Walker and the damn girly-man he was so infatuated with to their knees. A sly sneer crossed her face, twisting her pleasant features into something ugly and primal.

It was then, after making this silent vow to herself that she realised that she was no longer alone, and that a man was watching her from the other end of the street. He was wearing neither suit nor hat, but despite that, he appeared exceedingly well dressed, his shirt, unbuttoned at the collar and cuffs rolled to the elbow, was pristine white and his black trousers pressed to perfection. His shoes were polished to a high shine, and all-in-all he looked extremely out of place in this dingy alley. His hands were buried in his pockets, a cigarette drooping at an angle from his lips, which were pulled back in a smile that, although there was no reason for it to seem so, appeared slightly sinister.

She wiped her face hastily with her uninjured hand, using the blood-smeared wall to help her gain her feet.

The man said nothing as he observed her, before appearing to come to an abrupt decision and stalking towards her. No human had a right to walk like that, she thought, it was… predatory, and if the smile he had been wearing before hadn't alerted her to the danger that this man presented, then the way he moved was a dead give away. Still, she drew herself up, trying to appear unafraid, still using the wall for support as she glared defiantly at him.

The man loomed over her, not quite near enough to invade her personal bubble, but close enough that he was pushing at the boundaries. He was extremely good looking, in a clean-cut, smooth, suave sort of way. Nothing like the kind of men that Jo was used to dealing with.

When he spoke, he did so in fluid French with no hint of an accent of any sort. "Let me see your hand" he instructed. It was a gentle command, but there was no escaping the order in the words.

For some reason, she found that she couldn't disobey. She held her injured hand out mutely, trying to meet his eyes, but finding her own gaze drawn elsewhere, unable to make contact. They finally settled on his cheek, smooth and perfect save for the blemish of a beauty mark below his left eye, but such a small flaw did not detract from his looks at all, rather it added a certain something to the otherwise faultless perfection of his face.

A sharp pain in her hand made her look down in surprise. The man had his fingers inside her hand, nimbly realigning her displaced knuckle. It hurt… but she was too overcome with awe at the fact that the man had just fixed her broken joint without spilling so much as a drop of blood that she could ignore it.

"Who are you?" she whispered, though what she really wanted to ask was what are you?

The man smiled at her, making a sweeping bow that was both polite and mocking all at once. "Just a gentleman concerned for the welfare of a lady in distress" he murmured, caressing the hand he still held before bringing it lightly to his lips.

Despite herself, Jo flushed. "How did you do that?" she asked, her voice nothing but a faint mumble on the air. Her gaze was still fixed on their joined hands, his thumb now brushing back and forth absently. Perhaps he was like… him and his girly-man boyfriend. "Are… are you an exorcist too?"

The man smiled softly. "No, I am something much more. I am truly chosen by God."

She blinked at him. "You're not an exorcist?" She shook her head, it didn't matter. This man, whoever he was, no matter what strange powers he had, was the first to treat her like the lady she was in years. "Never mind" she said with a smile. "It's none of my business."

The man gripped her hand tighter. "Does that mean you have had contact with exorcists? Are you alright? They didn't hurt you, did they?"

"Hurt me?" Jo asked, confused. Alle… he had said exorcists were warriors of God, why would they have hurt her? "What do you mean? Why would they have…?"

"Oh thank goodness!" the man exclaimed, cutting her off. "You managed to get away!" He wrapped both his arms around her and pulled her to his chest, hugging her in relief. "I'm so glad!"

"But I don't understand" she confessed, drawing back a little to look up into his face. "Why would they have hurt me?"

"Exorcists are bad people" the man explained, relaxing his hold a little, allowing her move away slightly. "They lure innocent people in, tell them lies and give empty promises."

She looked at him sceptically. Sure… he had taken her in, gained her trust… but she could more see him deliberately causing her pain as she could see… her thoughts stuttered to a standstill. As she could see him naked straddling the lap of another man. And that other man definitely seemed the sort that would have no problems hurting other people.

The man seemed to see the realisation in her eyes and nodded solemnly. "You see? You were lucky to get away when you did. Now dry your eyes, you are safe with me."

She nodded, sniffing and scrubbing her face with her hands. "Thank you" she said with a small smile, no longer afraid of this man. How could someone so kind be so dangerous? "I'm Jo, Jo King. What's your name?"

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss King. My name is Tyki Mikk."

0o0o0o0o0