A Watchful Few

Niran was bored out of his mind! He missed Bap and wanted to be in his space, but he had to stay focused! He'd woken up in his arms that comfortable Saturday morning and wished for all of his eternity to be so sweet. 'Soon…' with the plans he had for his handsome Caribbean knight, he'd soon get his wish! But for now, he had to settle for people-watching, which wasn't such a bad way to pass the time. It actually used to be one of his favorite pastimes before he locked onto Bap!

He sat in his puffy cloud chair in one of his favorite otherworldly spaces, watching Bap's old friends through a cloud ring as he sipped on wine from his fancy vineyard. What would his future with Bap be like? How would he take it if he knew of his plans to cleanse his soul so he was secured a spot in Heaven? He wouldn't be upset about it, right?

"Knock, knock! I have new eye candy!"

"Luna!" Niran greeted his longtime—and quite possibly his only—angel friend as she fluttered down, putting together her own chair of clouds next to him. "That's right~ your class ended on Friday, didn't it?"

"Yes, yes, yes! And this class was much more successful than the others," Luna gushed, manifesting her student's artwork and putting them on the chair. "Your wine was a big hit!"

"I'm glad!" Niran stood and looked through her new collection of artwork, excited to help frame them. Although, he was a bit busy, so that would have to come later. "Looks like the extra oomph I put in it helped! These look good!"

"Well, with a subject like this," she picked up Jesse's, growing fonder of it the more she looked at it. He hadn't chosen a frame for it since it was far from finished, but hoped she'd see him complete it. Even though it wasn't the best, there was something in his that she hadn't seen in any other work from her students. It was so passionate, as if he… felt something sincere for the subject. It was fascinating. She should call him soon.

"You're really taken with this demon," Niran thought back to the story she told him a few years ago about a demon she found and rescued from the streets. He apparently didn't have anywhere to go, and he wasn't malicious, so she took him in and gave him a place to sleep as long as he modeled for her in return. It was unorthodox, but it was still a really kind gesture, and Niran's respect for her only grew when she told him.

"He is magnificent, is he not?"

"He's alright…" Niran peered at the half-finished painting she was holding, understanding why she liked that one. "Not as handsome as my Bap, though!"

"Ah, so you've gone to see him finally?" All Niran talked about for the past fifteen or so years was this human named Baptiste and how smitten with him he was. She never understood why he waited so long, but she supposed he had his reasons.

"Yes, and I should have shown myself sooner!" Niran wondered how different Bap's life would be if he had shown up before he started working for Talon. Of course, around that time, he was in a serious relationship with that big guy, so that wouldn't have worked. He would have had to show up right before they met, but at that time, he was still getting the feel of Bap as a person. He met that guy pretty soon after he became an adult, so there was never really a good time to pop up.

"Showing up in his dreams not enough?" Luna giggled. She was pleased with the frames her students picked from her selection and was excited to put them together. "Maybe I should show up in his dreams," she thought aloud, a naughty idea brewing in her mind. He said he wasn't looking for anything serious, but nothing about not having a little fun!

"Oh? Find someone you like?" Niran never thought he'd see the day! She always threw herself into art and her classes, so she never stopped to think about her other needs. "I'm happy to hear it!"

"He's this new guy in my class," Luna blushed at the thought of the handsome American and the things she wanted to do with him. "He's rough around the edges, but I can tell he's a sweetheart beneath that tough exterior."

"But your class ended. I hope you at least got his number," Niran sat back down and looked through his cloud ring, checking on their progress.

"I did!" She put the paintings away with a wisp of grey smoke and sat down on her cloud chair, helping herself to a glass of his wine. "I'm going to call him in a few days."

"Have you watched over him yet?" Niran had to say, being able to watch things from a distance was super convenient!

"You know I can't do that," Luna rolled her eyes. She wished she could just open up a live portal and keep an eye on him, but unfortunately, only guardian angels had the ability to make one. "How I long to be a weirdo like you, just people-watching," she grinned. Sometimes she'd just sit with him and watch whoever he was watching, but since she wasn't a guardian angel, it got boring quickly!

"It is quite fun!" Niran said, topping off his glass. "Either way, I'm excited for you! You must let me know how it goes."

"You will be the first one I inform," Luna looked around, actually taking the time to check out his space. He mentioned this was one of his favorite spots, and she'd shown up here a few times, but she never really looked at it. Fluffy white clouds made up the floor far as the eye could see and crystal blue skies speckled with more puffy clouds surrounded them, a bright, warm sun stationed right above them, bathing them in golden rays. This place screamed Niran, but she preferred the nighttime.

"Too bright?" Niran saw her looking around and fabricated his tree, shading them both generously. His pale friend wasn't a fan of the sun like he was and didn't spend much time in this world, so he knew she was probably dying inside just being there! How funny!

"A tree? Why is it pink?" Luna marveled at his creation, having never seen it before. She could feel the health radiating from it! "And why is this the first I'm seeing it?" She asked, sipping her wine.

"I never have a need to use it," Niran shrugged. He thought about Bap and how amazed he was when he saw it. Oh, how he missed him so!

"What else are you hiding from me?" She joked with a laugh. "I know about your petal chair and your glove, is there anything else?"

"I don't think so," Niran thought about anything else she may find interesting. "I suppose I can create a platform that raises me up a few feet, but that's about it. I'm nowhere near as powerful as you, that's for sure! I'm more of a miracle healer."

"Why have we not talked about this before? We've known each other forever," she sat back in her soft chair and crossed her legs. "I'm a little embarrassed."

"Don't be," Niran grinned, clinking his glass with hers and taking a gulp. "We both like to go off and do our own thing, and besides, we've talked about tons of other stuff. There's bound to be a few things we miss." While Niran liked to watch over things from whichever space was most comfortable at the time, Luna was more hands-on, spending ninety-nine percent of her time on Earth. Because of that, their paths didn't cross often, but the times they did, they'd spend forever catching up.

"You're right, as usual," she joined him and had a drink and relaxed, thinking she should probably take a small hiatus from teaching classes so she could experience this on a regular basis. "Mind if I tweak the settings?"

"Go for it." Niran had been waiting for her to ask to change things up! He honestly thought she'd ask sooner!

"Thank you," she breathed out, snapping her fingers and changing it from day to night, getting rid of that pesky sun and replacing it with a big, beautiful crescent moon and adding millions of stars that glittered against the deep navy sky. "Much better!"

"What, are you a werewolf?" Niran laughed, checking out the sky. It was definitely gorgeous, but not nearly bright enough! He had a few spaces like this, but he didn't spend much time there. "Suits you."

"Right? I feel like I can truly relax now. And werewolves only come out during full moons!" She looked at his cloud ring and wondered what group of people he was fixated on this time. "So, what's this? What are you doing?"

"I'm watching Bap's old friends to see what they're up to," Niran explained, watching them eat together at a park. "Huh. They were just looking for a place to sell alabaster."

"You know time moves differently for us," Luna knew he didn't watch people for no reason, so there had to be something important going on.

"It was Saturday when I started watching them," Niran looked at the invisible sundial on his wrist. "It's Sunday afternoon now."

"What are you watching them for?" Luna peered at the live show, watching a big, burly guy eat with two… women? She could tell the smaller, Hispanic one was a woman, but she was having a hard time determining what gender the other one was just from looking. "Do you know them?"

"I wouldn't say I know them, but I've watched them before," Niran saw her trying to piece things together and explained. "I'm just seeing if they've caught wind of whatever's going on and if they're going to find Bap."

"What for?"

"Well, for a few reasons. One of them being that I don't exactly know what's going on behind the scenes, and I have a feeling they do!" Niran chirped. "And the second… I just don't want to overwhelm him, you know? He has a habit of isolating himself when he's stressed and I'm afraid if I just come out with the truth of him being brainwashed, he's going to shut down and shut me out! If I can just ease him into it, tell him little by little and help him bit by bit, the cleansing process will be much easier!"

"So, you're hoping his friends will find him and tell him so you don't have to?" Luna understood quickly where his concern was placed, and when she thought about it, Jesse's soul looked like it had been clouded over, too. She didn't really think too much about it because she found that a lot of humans carried burdens. Maybe she could be the one to ease them a bit. "What's going on with him again? You said he's brainwashed? How do you know?"

"I didn't tell you? He works for Talon!"

"Talon…" Luna avoided anything related to that evil company! They lied, cheated, and stole, and had Italy in its icy grip, the rest of the world not too far behind. All they cared about was money and power, no matter how they obtained it. "Hmph! Anyone working for them is beyond redemption if you ask me."

"Bap's not. I know it, I can feel it." Niran saw the good leftover in Bap clear as day! He and his roommate were both strongminded individuals and had positive energy flowing from them both, but every day it diminished. Time was of the essence! "But this is a delicate situation. I have to handle this carefully."

"And you think these people will save him in your stead?" She was skeptical, but Niran was a good judge of character, so she'd believe him.

"I have a gut feeling that whatever job Bap is going on is a serious one, and I'm hoping his old crew will stop him before it passes the point of no return."

"Why do you think they know what he's doing? Do they work for Talon?"

"No, they're the good guys! I can't believe Bap ever parted ways with them," Niran said with a sigh. "They do good, anonymous work, saving people from the very beings Bap went to work for. Not too long ago, one of their late crew members came into some top-secret info and was killed because of it."

"So, the secret info…"

"I listened in on a few of their coded conversations and found out that they were pretty much sitting on a goldmine. All of Talon's private files and records, sitting on their flash drive. There's no way they don't know what Bap's up to."

"And there's a good chance Talon wants them dead," Luna scoffed. "So risky! And they're walking around freely?"

"They remain anonymous," Niran tilted his head to the side as he looked through the smoke ring, were they headed into Bap's neighborhood? "While people may know their aliases, no one knows their faces. I supposed they were able to trace the one that hacked into their system and just kill the first person they saw on location."

"Hey, my class isn't too far from there," Luna perked up, remembering when she ran into Jesse on their way to class. "What a small world."

"It looks like they're going to Bap's place," Niran watched them approach the house and scan for anyone inside. "They're too late…" Niran closed his eyes and focused on Bap, who was currently sightseeing around Kyoto with Jesse. If this was such an important mission, he was certain they were being watched, but by whom?

"They're breaking into his house?" Luna asked with wide eyes. "And those are his friends?"

Niran opened his eyes with a light laugh. "Yeah, they're a bit, uh… how can I put this? Unorthodox? But they have nothing but pure intentions!"

Luna watched, completely entertained while Niran's focus was taken by whatever that large man was doing. "You seem bothered," she said with a grin.

Niran was bothered! What on earth was he doing in Bap's bed like that?! Smelling his sheets as if he missed him desperately! "Little does he know I was just in that bed with him!" He accidentally said aloud, eyes darting over to a mischievous Luna. "Don't say a word!"

"I wasn't going to say anything at all," she replied sweetly, polishing off her wine and pouring more. "You have to take me to the vineyard where you find this wine. But we can do that after we frame the paintings."

"Yeah…" Niran was disconnected from the conversation while he watched that guy go through Bap's stuff. What was up with that red shirt he pulled out of his dresser, and why was he looking at it like it held great significance? "I can't say I've seen that shirt before…" he mumbled to himself.

"Is that his ex, or something?"

Niran whipped his head to the side with a blush as she giggled in her chair. How silly he must have looked! So what if that guy still had feelings for him? Bap was all his now, so he had nothing to worry about!

"It was obvious with the way you and that guy are acting."

"Just pretend like you didn't see that!" Niran crossed his legs, mimicking her and finishing his wine. "And as for framing the paintings, that can wait, right?"

"What? Why?"

"I have a quick stop to make," Niran watched them leave and turned the volume on to see where they were headed next.

"Let's head to the airstrip. He's going to what looks like an old mansion in Kyoto. I'll call in one of our free favors!"

"A mansion? What's he doing there?"

"It was supposedly owned and lived in by one of Japan's most notorious clans, but Talon wiped them all out a handful of years ago," Niran listened to the woman tell them the story of the famous Shimada clan, something clicking in his head. "Hey, didn't you say that demon was a Shimada?"

"I suppose he is," Luna had forgotten all about that! Hanzo was such a peaceful guy that she sometimes even forgot he was a demon!

"Maybe we could ask for his help?"

"He'd reject me before I even finished the question," Luna chuckled. "He's very reserved and content with his life of peace. I don't see him facing anything major anytime soon, let alone going back to his old life."

"Oh well," Niran sighed. "I can just continue with my original plan. If Bap is going to the Shimada castle, I'm more than certain there's something there Talon has been dying to get their hands on. As I suspected, this is no ordinary mission."

"Going to go check on him?"

"Indirectly," Niran stood, taking down his tree and waving away the cloud ring. "There's a good chance he's being watched, and I want to find out who or what it is."

"Hoping for a friendly encounter?" Luna thought that sounded unlikely, but her friend was very optimistic. Who knew, maybe he had some good luck on him somewhere. "Why even bother? I think you should skip that step and go straight to Baptiste."

"And risk us both getting hurt?" Niran scoffed. He knew how ruthless Talon's members could be, and he didn't want to put Bap at risk. "Besides, if I just kidnap him in the middle of his mission or convince him to drop it, I fear his life would be in danger. You know how that place gets!" He thought back to how reluctant he was to go to Rome to get reprimanded for his last job, and how relieved he was when he got this opportunity… even though it wasn't a good one. "It's better if I just find whoever it is and attempt to get a little more information before doing anything too hasty."

"Well," Luna turned her cloud chair into a recliner, leaning back and closing her eyes. "Good luck. You're going to need it."

It was an annoying Monday morning, and Gabe was stuck babysitting again as usual. But the part that was annoying wasn't the fact that he had to work, it was the fact that the bastard who'd taken the job checked in the day prior and still hadn't shown up! Had he known he'd still be waiting, he wouldn't have rushed to leave Mexico! Instead, he had to spend his time sitting idle in the trees watching the run-down castle from afar, waiting for this asshole to show up, whoever it was.

As much as he complained, he was looking forward to getting paid for this job. It was time for him to drop off another anonymous payment to his wife and son, who'd been silently struggling for the past few months due to old debts catching up. It was tedious, meeting up with a lawyer every so often and having him send them checks as if they were life insurance payout checks, but knowing he could still take care of his family was really the only thing that kept him sane.

During times like these, he thought a lot about his old life and how he ended up where he was, and then about how the doctor wanted to get rid of his lingering emotions. While that sounded great and would allow him to work without distractions, maybe even open up opportunities within Talon, he didn't want to forget about the people he cared about.

He used to be a cop, and then an enhanced military soldier until his unfortunate encounter with Talon while on a classified mission, tasked to rescue one of the Army's best snipers. Unfortunately, he arrived too late and found her no longer herself and extremely hostile, resulting in an unsavory interaction and a fight for his life. He woke up days later on an operating table in immense pain, his memories hazy and his body emitting black smoke. He'd been legally declared dead but was offered a second chance. How could he not take that offer?

It was months later as his body recovered, that he realized he couldn't show his permanently disfigured face and body to his family, and the guilt he had from being caught by the likes of Talon solidified his decision to remain dead on paper. The doctor that saved him told him she could make him forget all the unpleasantness and he jumped on the opportunity, unknowingly agreeing to become another one of Talon's ruthless killing machines.

Fast forwarding to now, and he was no longer burdened with the regret that kept him awake at night before his emotions were nullified. He took job after job, no matter the task, killing, torturing, watching… which was by far the worst of the bunch. He hated babysitting adults and would much rather be putting someone in their place, but the following payout was nearly double what he'd usually get, so he bit his tongue and did his boring job, checking the time what felt like every five minutes.

He wasn't sure when, but eventually, he noticed he was being watched. What really irked him was the fact that whoever was watching him wasn't human. Who the hell were they, and what did they want? Did they have any idea of the territory they were trekking into? Did they realize he could end them with no hesitation?

He stood from his perch in a tree, closing his eyes and feeling the energy around him. To his distaste, he couldn't pinpoint the source! It was as if they were treading carefully on purpose, which only led him to wonder why they even showed if they were aware of the danger. He growled, annoyed that he was going to have to apply his focus elsewhere until he found the fucker spying on him.

It wasn't until he decided to move to another tree and used one of his fade abilities that he found the culprit, only noticeable while the demonic cells in his body painfully reshaped and repositioned him. So, it was an angel watching him. What the hell for?! And a guardian angel at that!

He found another tree and collected his thoughts, trying to figure out why a guardian angel was approaching him. While he was excited to blow off some steam, he wanted to figure out what they were doing first, and it seemed like he was about to get that answer! A malicious thought popped up into his head as he faded away again and appeared directly behind the wretched being, one of his shotguns aimed at the back of his head. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you where you stand," his voice a gravely hiss through his mask.

Niran whipped around fully alert, disarming him and about to knock him back a few feet when another gun appeared from black mist and connected to his face. He dropped to the ground, throwing down his petal platform and raising him up a few feet in the air. It wasn't much, but it allowed him a few seconds to compose himself and activate his glove.

"You think that'll be enough to save you?" Gabe shot the platform, shattering it instantly and watching the angel dash away, knowing exactly how to cut him off. He vanished, appearing stationary right in front of him and tackling him to the ground.

Niran was completely caught off guard! He'd known demons could teleport, but this guy was different! It was almost as if he wasn't one hundred percent demon! He'd gotten the drop on him and popped up behind him when he was checking things out, and then again when he tried to run away! He was tackled to the ground, and he immediately retaliated, shooting thorns at him to try and get him to back off, but for naught.

"I eat angels like you for breakfast!" Gabe scoffed at the useless way he tried to fight back, punching him in the face a few times before wrapping his hands around his neck. "Usually I'd end this quickly, but it's been a while, and you caught me in a bad mood."

"I… didn't… come here… to f-fight…!" Niran choked out, flailing beneath him. He thought about his tree, but that wouldn't really do what he needed to get this guy off him! Times like these, he hated the fact that he was only a guardian angel! All he had the ability to do was heal himself and others, and possibly defend himself when he got caught up, but not against this! He should have had Luna tag along!

Gabe punched him again, thinking about breaking each bone in his face until he was satisfied. "Then why did you?" He asked, accentuating his question with a few more strikes. "How pathetic you must feel being an angel who can't even defend himself against scum like me." He realized he was going to have to stop injuring him if he wanted an answer, but he just couldn't help himself! Angels were always fun to beat up.

"I'm here… to protect someone!" While he was still pinned down, Niran was finally able to breathe and heal himself a bit as the man briefly stopped abusing him.

As he suspected, this angel was there for whichever contractor took this gig, but before he could put one in his head, he wanted to be sure. "Protect who?" He asked darkly.

"There's something that someone's on their way to collect, and I can't let that happen!" Niran pleaded, knowing this creature was not going to allow that! Crap! What on Earth was he supposed to do now? Bap's friends were too far away to stop him in time, and he was now severely lacking the energy needed to get to him, and that would take an Earth day or so to recover! He kicked himself; he should have known it was going to go down like this! And to make things worse, Bap was now calling for him, and he couldn't even go to him!

So much for a friendly interaction!

"Over my dead body you'll interfere!" Gabe swiftly manifested his shotgun and pulled the trigger, pissed when the angel vanished just as quickly. Knowing what he did, there was a good possibility he'd be seeing that nuisance again, and he'd make sure luck wasn't on his side next time.

"I'll hand it t'ya," Jesse said as they walked through the streets of Kyoto. "This was a good idea. I see why you were so excited to travel."

"Isn't it?" Baptiste was in the best of moods! The Kyoto weather was beautiful, the room they booked was lush, the job was easy and paid enough to be comfortable for a few months, and to top it all off, he had a cute special someone watching over him! Though every time he thought about him, he couldn't help but wonder what he meant when he kept talking about saving him. What was he insinuating when he said he wanted him to get back to his old self, and why was he beating around the bush with it?

It wasn't as if he was upset or didn't trust him; he'd put his life in his hands anytime! He just hated being in the dark about stuff, especially stuff that sounded important. And those thoughts led him to wonder what business he had to handle that was so important that he couldn't spend all of Saturday lying in bed with him.

"How the hell d'ya know yer way around here so well?" Jesse squinted his eyes at the paper map he brought along, unable to point out exactly where they were. He was a little envious, but that only encouraged him to ask Han to teach him Japanese. What would it be like if they visited together? He wanted to know everything about him, where he grew up, where he'd escape to get a little peace, what his family was like… well, the non-violent aspect of them.

"My lotus was kind enough to give me the ability to speak and read Japanese fluently," Bap looked over at Jesse and chuckled. He was such an old man, clinging to old-fashioned ways! "Maybe if you upgraded, you'd be able to find your way around!"

"Well, I ain't as lucky as you," Jesse muttered. "Learnin' Japanese with a snap of a finger an' whatnot."

"Jealous much? Just have your demon toy teach you." Baptiste openly laughed, something in the window of a nearby shop catching his eye. "Hey, let's stop in here really fast."

"He has a name," Jesse rolled his eyes, following him into a small shop filled with trinkets and homemade accessories.

"You know, you don't have to sneak him in like a teenager," Bap grinned, heading to the display window. "I woke up early yesterday and heard him in your room. Bring him by for real sometime so I can meet this so-called 'harmless demon'," he joked.

"Same goes for your guardian angel," Jesse raised a brow at the white umbrella Baptiste was reaching for, piecing together that it was probably for said angel. "A parasol?"

"Yeah," Bap checked out the details, amazed at the craftsmanship. It was hand-crafted and woven with gold lace and intricate flowers around the edges, and the polished shaft was carved from a beautiful, deep brown wood that reminded him of a tree trunk. "I saw this and immediately thought of Niran. I think it would suit him."

Jesse nodded in acknowledgment, looking around and thinking he should get a souvenir for Han. Would he even want something that reminded him of home? He expressed how he had nothing to return to when he woke up on Earth and how much he liked his current life. He wanted him to know he was thinking of him, but what if this was too cheesy? Well… it was the thought that mattered, right?

He listened to Baptiste converse with the employee fluently while he looked around for something to get Han. He thought about their conversations and how he said he liked to write poetry from time to time, and it didn't take him long to find something that suited him perfectly. He picked up a fancy black quill and a stack of paper for him to write on, remembering to also grab some ink.

"You never did anything in your free time?" Jesse asked as he pulled the sheets over their bodies and hugged him close, tipsy from the sake they drank together.

"Free time in the Shimada clan?" Hanzo scoffed, lightly combing his fingers through a soft brown mane. "Unlikely."

"C'mon," Jesse hummed. "No free time at all?"

"I suppose," Han thought aloud. "When I was younger, I dabbled in poetry, and then again when I became an adult. But soon, my responsibilities became more of a priority."

"What about now? Is it something you wanna get back into?" Jesse wanted to help him find his inspiration again. It was the least he could do since Han was his.

"I have thought about it, but I have not felt motivated." Hanzo liked how calm he felt when he wrote, but he didn't have anything worth writing about… until now. "However, I believe I can write again now that I have something that brings me happiness."

Jesse blushed at the memory, having taken him passionately not long after he uttered those sweet words. He'd spend every day buried inside him if he could!

"Find something?" Baptiste found Jesse with a pen and some paper and figured he was going to work on some more art. "Seems a bit fancy for you," he snickered, heading toward the register.

"Ha, ha," Jesse laughed sarcastically, following him to the front. "It ain't fer me, so shove it!"

"Oh! Getting your toy a gift? Copycat." Bap couldn't help but make fun of him while he paid for his things and offered to buy Jesse's too while they were there. It was only fair since he bought breakfast!

"I just thought it would be nice to get him something that would help him write again," Jesse hoped he could be as much of a muse to Han as Han was to him.

"Oh, yeah," Baptiste returned his earlier sarcasm. He was feeling particularly playful and was excited to get this job over and done with so he could shack up with his lotus! "Because a stack of paper and a pen is all the inspiration someone needs!"

"Shut it," Jesse rolled his eyes, following him out of the store and presumably back to their hotel. "It's more than just the pen and paper. I'm tryin' to show him that I can be his motivation."

"I guess so," Bap chortled, amused that Jesse was finally showing interest in someone. He thought he'd be single forever! "Hey, do you mind if we drop this stuff off back at our room first?"

"I was hopin' we'd drop back by since we're not far," Jesse adjusted his hat, keeping the sun out of his eyes.

"You know you stick out like a sore thumb, right?" Baptiste gave him a once over, shaking his head at the large cowboy hat and vibrant orange serape he had on. "Maybe you should change into something less… bright."

"I stick out everywhere I go! They're just used to me by now back home," Jesse had become numb to the stares he got long ago. Even in the States, he'd get some strange looks when he ventured into the city, but at least he still fit in as a country boy. He'd admit, it wasn't often he came across someone in full attire, so he understood how jarring it could be at first glance. "But sure, I'll appease ya an' change my serape."

"We are going to be trespassing and looting on private property, so make sure to keep a low profile," Bap reminded him as they walked the trail that led them to their hotel.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Jesse said with a wave of his hand. "This ain't my first rodeo!"

"Yet you still tagged along looking like that," Bap couldn't hold back his laughter as they walked into their hotel. "I'm almost ashamed!"

"Don't be ashamed and just embrace it! I'm still the same 'ol Jesse you had the hots for a while back!" Jesse liked making fun of the fact that Baptiste had a little crush on him some years ago because he got all worked up about it! It was comical!

"Bondye, here you go again, bringing up old stuff!" Baptiste pushed past the small collection of people in the lobby and reached the elevator, pressing the button for their floor. "I was just looking for a distraction, and you happened to fit the bill."

"If that's what you gotta tell yourself!" Jesse was actually flattered when he approached him with impure intentions and also welcomed the distraction at the time. He didn't like to admit it, but he had a heavy weight of aloneness sitting on his shoulders. Before he worked for Talon, he was a gun for hire who refused to create relationships due to his kind of work—personal or otherwise. After a while, he was sent an anonymous letter praising him for his good work and was offered healthy pay and decent benefits as long as he agreed to relocate to Italy and be taken to headquarters for the onboarding interview. He'd known of their shady reputation, but he had nothing and no one to lose, so why the hell not? It wasn't like he was a decent person anyway.

Four or five years later, he was still alone and reserved, but even more so than before. It was easy to ignore for a while, then they told him he would be teaming up with a medic named Baptiste. He moved in and they hit it off, reminding Jesse of how lonely he actually was. Why had he felt so dead inside? Why did he go this long without making a friend? Why… didn't he care that he was participating in questionable gigs without a care in the world? Unfortunately, the thoughts never stayed with him very long as he continued about his business, completing jobs as usual with his unlikely duo.

And then, another handful of years passed and he was still living the same life. He felt stationary, dull, bored and boring, and it wasn't until the unexpected fell into his lap that he realized something was amiss. He just couldn't put his finger on it! And maybe that was why he was so consumed with Han because he was the biggest and most positive change in his life. He made him feel happy, elated, and for no good reason! He was enamored with everything that was him, the things that made up his past, and the quirks that made him who he was now. He made him want to drop everything and just stay by his side, to just whisk him away and start a new life.

He was obsessed, and he didn't even care.

"I don't have to tell myself anything. I know the truth," Baptiste laughed. He did have a brief moment when he was crushing on Jesse, but that was because he seemed cool at first! Now, he was just an old man stuck in old times, and a really good friend.

"Y'know, it almost kinda hurts to know you were just usin' me!" Jesse joked.

"You knew what it was," Bap never wanted to date Jesse, he just wanted to get his mind off Mauga, and Jesse was good-looking. It worked for a little bit, but he began to feel guilty, so they just decided to be friends without the benefits.

"Yeah, I'm just pokin' at yer funny bone," Jesse chuckled. "I'm real happy for you though, that ya found someone to cling to. I know you been feelin' kinda lonely, an' it's nice to see ya in high spirits."

"Same to you. Happiness is rare these days, so when you have it, hold onto it." Baptiste let thoughts of his lotus take him all the way back to their room, wondering what he was up to. He missed him and couldn't wait to see him again when he was done! But… what business did he have to handle?! It was all he could think about!

If he wanted to, he could just call out for him, and he'd show. Should he? Just for a quick second? "Lotus?" He said aloud in his room, voice barely above a whisper. He looked around, confused. Normally, he would have shown before he could even finish his train of thought! What was keeping him busy? His shoulders drooped, bummed that he would have to go do his job without a pep talk.

He put the parasol away and changed into his mission clothes, gathering his necessities and shoving them in his gear bag before heading out to the common space. "Ready to go? Castle's not far so it shouldn't take too long," he said to Jesse, who'd changed into a navy-blue serape and a black suede hat. All he could do was sigh and shake his head.

"What? It's not as bright!" Jesse defended his outfit, wanting to know what exactly he expected him to wear. "I don't like that stealth stuff you wear!"

"I didn't say a word!" Baptiste laughed, throwing his bag across his back and heading toward the door. "You can take the man out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the man!"

"Got that right!" Jesse drawled. "Now, let's go get this done."

Ever since Jesse told him he was headed to Kyoto for a box, it was the only thing on Hanzo's mind. From then onward, he had the suspicion he knew who exactly he worked for, but he didn't want to jump to conclusions. If he was honest, he had the suspicion when he found out he was originally supposed to kill him, but at the time, he was too swept up by his charm to think about it.

There was only so much he could ignore. Heading to Kyoto for a job was one thing, but for something that also sounded familiar?

It wasn't long afterward that he found himself staring at a Sakura tree he'd planted with his mother on the property back when he was a child. It'd grown since he last saw it, and it brought forth memories both pleasant and unpleasant. When he became a teen, he used it as an attempted source of solitude, and he would leave his room in the middle of the night sometimes to meditate or just lie beneath the leaves.

It was also the unfortunate place where his father got into his head and had him attack his brother.

Why would he purposely show up at the only spot in the castle where he felt peace and corrupt him like that? Why did he have to come from the same sick, twisted family tree?

In that moment, he missed Jesse and the sweet cigar smoke that encompassed him. He would have soothed him, wrapped him in his loving embrace, kissed his forehead, and told him everything was going to be okay, but for now, he had to deal with these treacherous thoughts alone.

Shortly after he grew tired of staring at the tree, he found himself amongst the rubble of what once was his bedroom. As expected, it had been ransacked thoroughly, only shreds of old artwork remaining on the graffitied walls and busted-up furniture knocked around. He walked through the old corridors and stood at the door to the basement that was always kept locked, not surprised in the least to see the lock destroyed and the door nearly ripped from its hinges.

He trekked down the cement steps and into the cold darkness, seeing a mess equal to the one upstairs when he activated the surprisingly still working lights. There wasn't a single doubt in his mind that people had been sent for the key, but it could be easily missed without knowing exactly how to look for it. His clan kept it hidden away in what would appear to be an ordinary wooden box with nothing inside, but his clan had secrets. The key inside the box was hidden by a spell only visible to demons and members of the Shimada clan, and the box was tucked away in the walls.

Taking a walk through the mess and looking at the untouched walls, he could tell no one had been smart enough to check, which gave him the hunch that it was still there. He got to a specific area of the basement and sat on his knees, hands hovering over a cement brick in the bottom corner of the wall until the edges of it glowed red. "Foolish humans," he muttered to himself, removing the brick and reaching into the wall, feeling around for the box.

Of course, it was still there and untouched as he remembered. He pulled out the raggedy box and sat there with it on his lap, memories flooding his brain. He remembered the deal his grandfather made to get the key, only because his father embedded it into his brain and told him to never let the demons get ahold of it. Now look at him, a demon with the object that could undo humanity in his possession.

It was obvious to him that it needed to be destroyed, but his knowledge on it was minimal. He only knew what was told to him, and like he'd mentioned before, his family kept secrets. He didn't know where to begin when it came to wiping this thing off the map, but the least he could do was keep it on his person to avoid it falling into the wrong hands.

He had to remember to thank Jesse for unintentionally reminding him about it when it came up in conversation!

"You. Who the hell are you?"