Lightning would have been slower and not so electrifying, and lightning would certainly not be smelling of … honey, some hint of hot ginger scones, whiskey, chlorine, a whiff of patchouli, blood red roses, musky sweat ... Mikhail could have swooned alone from that, had not the leather boot pressing into his jugular and the scorching glare sweeping from those sparkling, slitted dark eyes made him faint in the head and weak in the knees, and a bit tight in between.

Shiny black hair flying all around his exotic, glowing countenance, Liu Fei Long, for of course it was him, adjusted his stance before the Russian could grab his foot to unbalance him, bringing up the side of his hand instead to his classmate's neck.

"Answer, quick!", he hissed, and in a dismissive aside to his companion, "(in Cantonese) won't need your help with this fool, Yoh!"

Dazed, Mikhail felt Fei's hot breath, laced with Chinese spices, ghost over his face, and a heaving chest press close to his own … it seemed impossible to get enough air …

Around them Mikhail's friends and also the pale trench coat shifted, like dancers in a ballet, awaiting the cue for mass action, should one of their principals falter…

"Dah!"

Mikhail had actually spoken.

"What do you mean 'dah'?", Fei mouthed testily, " 'dah' as in Dadaism?"

He applied a little more pressure with his hand, causing the Russian to gasp and roll up his blue eyes in his head. Alexej and Pjotr closed in and Yoh reflexively assumed a protective stance.

"Or is it 'dah' as in the one year old's speech, dahdahdahdahdah….", he whispered into Mikhail's ear, who looked as if about to collapse, even though Fei had completely released the pressure on his neck.

"Dahdahdahdahdah…as befits the stage of your brain development!"

"Yes", Mikhail uttered faintly, " 'yes', 'dah' means 'yes'…"

"It's Russian", the younger of Mikhail's friends, Pjotr, put in helpfully, "the Russian word for 'yes'!"

"Yes?"

Black narrowed eyes and blue wide ones locked beams, the tension palpable. Fei, still invading Mikhail's space, had become very still, the dark halo of his hair framing the perfect oval visage of a medieval Madonna. The high voltage he was radiating black lighted his stunning beauty into something completely out of this world. Even the bartender, a shaggy haired blonde kid, who had been watching the two of them wary of a brawl, got a dreamy, vapid look.

Mikhail, on the other hand, seemed to have grown, half rising from his lounging position, his body language morphing from shock to … attack? in one missed heartbeat. He leaned in slightly.

"Yes."

The Russian's aura, surprisingly intense and powerful for such a drunken clown, hit Fei like a solid wall, making him blink for one heady moment. What was that? Hadn't he stuck to just one shot of whiskey, knowing by now what alcohol, alas, did to him? Leather, soap, sandalwood, lemon, fresh sweat and also chlorine met his slightly flaring nostrils, bringing with it another human essence. When he opened his eyes again he saw the Russian stare at him with a strange expression, leaning in even more, until their noses almost touched.

He spoke softly, almost shyly, completely lacking his usual banter and bravado.

"Yes. I say yes to any kind of experience with Liu Fei Long."

(to be continued)

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