A Bloody Confrontation
So, he wasn't alone. Hanzo was really good at feeling the presence of other beings, except for those who intentionally went out of their way to mask their energy, like the interesting demon hybrid that was standing behind him. Without even looking at him, he could feel the hostility coming off him in waves. "I could ask you the same thing," he said calmly, putting the box to the side. There was only one reason he was there, and he refused to hand it over! Swiftly, he manifested a sword and spun around faster than the creature could react, slicing the front of his black coat.
"You're gonna regret that," Gabe growled out, two shotguns appearing from black mist. It seemed like everyone was getting in his fucking way today, and it was pissing him off! He shot at him as he charged, being thrown off when he blocked every bullet with his blade. "Tch." He faded just before it plunged into his gut, moving around to try and get the drop on him.
"You will have to be smarter than that if you wish to win this battle," Hanzo used a breathing technique to sense where he was even in his undetectable fade form and timed his movement perfectly. With his eyes closed, he held his breath and swung his sword with his body, connecting it to his leg as soon as he materialized. "Should I cut it off completely?" He asked as it was still lodged in his calf.
Gabe grunted, glancing at the box he left in the corner. If he could somehow take the fight to the other side of the room, he could teleport to the box and hide it with his mist. First, he was going to have to get this asshole to let his guard down, even a little.
"Wondering why you brought guns to a knife fight? That makes two of us," Hanzo wasted no time pulling his blade and manifesting a second one, skillfully blocking each scatter of bullets being hurled his way. This was nothing. Whatever this guy was, Hanzo had gone up against minions ten times worse and still put them in the ground. Though, he was a little rusty. It'd been years since he wielded his katana!
Gabe was in a predicament. It was obvious this guy was affiliated with this long-forgotten clan, seeing how he knew exactly where the box was stashed when Talon had been trying to find it for years. That, and how skilled he was in combat! But he'd roll over in his grave before he admit defeat so easily. As he barreled toward him with that dumb sword again, he vanished and appeared behind him via his other fade technique and shot him in the back, satisfied when he collapsed to the cold ground. "More like, I'm wondering why you brought a blade to a gunfight," he said, standing over him with a gun aimed at the back of his head.
Hanzo had been around long enough to know when not to let his pride get in the way, and while this childish method wasn't his favorite, it always got the job done. He lie on his stomach, waiting for the perfect moment to attack when he slowly began to realize something was wrong.
"You see," Gabe crouched, watching the wound on his back grow. "I figured you weren't the average demon, but these aren't your average bullets. All I needed to do was hit you once." He nudged him with his gun, making sure he was still alive. He had some questions he needed answered, because as far as he knew, there were no surviving members of this stupid clan. "Wanna tell me who you are?"
Hanzo pushed through the foreign pain, rolling over and shoving his sword through his chest while he was distracted. "I am your worst nightmare," he said as the creature coughed up blood. He twisted the blade and yanked it out of him, getting hit by an up-close blast of his gun as they both stumbled backward. He grunted out in pain while he gripped his chest instinctively, this injury far more painful than anything he'd ever experienced.
Gabe had taken that blow to his heart, which would have been fatal if his cells weren't in a state of constant regeneration, but that didn't mean it didn't do serious damage. This demon was fast, and from the looks of it, his bullets were only agitating him. Yet, something still managed to come over him, ignoring the pain and lunging at him as if he'd gone mad.
This creature was stronger than Hanzo expected him to be; he wasn't expecting him to keep attacking him after taking a blow like that! They'd fallen and rolled on the floor, and he was unfortunately pinned down on his stomach by a knee in his spine, feeling a stinging grip on his scalp shortly after. This wasn't the ideal position to be in, but it wasn't something he couldn't break free of.
"I dunno who you think you are, but I will kill you!" Screw getting answers! Gabe just wanted to deliver his head on a platter to the boss, along with the box! He pinned him down on the ground and gripped his hair with both hands, slamming his head onto the cement repeatedly. "You! Will! Die!" It wasn't until he went limp that he was almost satisfied enough to stop, but it was as if he were possessed by rage! He couldn't stop! He stood up and kicked him several times in his ribs, loading up his guns and littering his body with poison bullets.
Just because Hanzo couldn't die, didn't mean he couldn't feel like he was! There was a brief moment when the being stopped and stood up, only to realize he was only gearing up to dump a few more rounds into his body. He lie there, taking the abuse as his body began to shut down. Since he'd become a demon, he hadn't been in a situation like this, so he was unsure how long it would take to recover. The only thing he did know was that he definitely didn't have the upper hand in this fight, and this creature's lust for violence was taking over.
Gabe emptied both guns into him before lifting a foot and stomping on one of his hands, crushing the bones and listening to the sweet sound of his cries. "Yeah, I knew you were still alive," he growled, what the hell kind of demon was he?! He clutched his chest and coughed up more blood, it seemed he was overexerting his severely injured body without even noticing! How had he gotten so caught up in his rage like that? It'd never happened before! Deciding to hurry up and keep to his original plan, he teleported to the box while he was just lying there, unable to stop him.
Hanzo groaned, he knew immediately he was going for the box, but whatever that bastard shot him with hindered his movement! He hated to say it, but he needed to get the ingredients to whatever was in those bullets and forge a sword with them! He looked over at him weakly and saw him hiding the box with whatever black smoke he emitted, wishing he didn't have that mask on so he could burn his face to memory.
"Once I find a way to kill you, you're dead," Gabe growled, not only did he pretty much complete the job himself and couldn't take credit for it, but he also got himself hurt! How annoying! This piece of shit had better be lucky that he needed quick medical attention from the doctor, or he'd stay and rip him a new one! At least the bullets seemed to incapacitate him quite a bit.
"You are welcome to try," Hanzo rasped out as the being seemed to vanish. Whatever concoction that made up those bullets was keeping him from healing! If he could just… dig them out of his body… he could muster up the strength to…
Ah.
His thoughts were slipping from him.
He needed to sleep.
"Anything?"
"Nothin' in here."
"We've been looking for hours! I should have known it wasn't going to be simple!"
"Could be worse."
"Ugh…" How much time had passed? Hanzo opened his eyes, vision blurry and still adjusting to the dim light. He regained some of his movement, but he was still in so much pain, it hurt to even breathe! How long until he would regain the energy to return to his studio? He lifted his head weakly, surprised to find himself still in the basement. He let his head fall back onto the floor, ashamed of getting into a situation like this. He told himself he was done with this life, yet here he was, simply thrown back into it! He never should have come back. And to make things worse, again, he wasn't alone!
Footsteps and muffled conversation sounded above him, and he prayed whoever it was didn't trek into the basement. He just wanted to lie there and recover in peace!
"Worse, yeah right," Baptiste scoffed, kicking an old shelf over in frustration. "This place has been picked clean! Whatever box they want me to find is long gone by now!"
"You check the basement yet?" Jesse asked, moving rubble and sliding broken furniture around. He understood now why Talon agreed to let his last job float; this wasn't easy, especially since they had no clue what this box was supposed to look like! 'You'll know it when you find it.' The hell kind of nonsense was that? He hated the way they detailed jobs sometimes.
"I was saving it for last, but I think that's our only option now." Bap moved the near-broken door and clicked on his flashlight. "Headed down now, keep your comms on."
"Got it," Jesse said, activating the speaker on his arm and debating on whether or not he should take a quick smoke break.
Bap walked down the steps, temperature getting colder and colder as he descended. He didn't feel like rooting through more trash, especially since he had a feeling the box wasn't down there either, but he really didn't want to leave that place empty-handed. He'd turn that place upside down if he had to!
As he neared the bottom, he noticed the lights were on. "Someone was here recently…" he mumbled to himself, pausing when a pair of legs lying on the ground came into his view. "Uh… Jesse?" He alerted, pressing the button on his earpiece. "There's a body down here."
"Is it dead?"
"I don't know, I haven't gotten that far in," Baptiste became alert, pulling out his gun and slowly walking down the last few steps.
"Alright. I'm comin'."
Bap rounded the corner and saw a bloodied body lying on the floor face down, unable to tell if he was dead or just unconscious. He looked dead, but with what he'd seen in his lifetime, he could very well still be alive! He approached, keeping his gun up and staying vigilant. "Looks like some fight," he said to himself, noticing the sword and the puddles of almost dried blood scattered around. He wondered if this guy was defending the place since it was obvious he was of Asian descent, but what was he doing here if so? This mansion had been abandoned for years!
"Ya alright down there?" Jesse asked as he made his way downstairs.
"Yeah, just trying to piece things together," Bap got a little closer to the body and he still couldn't see any indication of life. "I think it's safe to say this guy is dead."
"Welcome to the job," Jesse chuckled as he rounded the same corner, his stomach dropping when he saw a familiar set of legs and a tattoo he'd recognize anywhere. "Shit!" He scrambled over to the body and rolled it over, nearly boiling over with rage. What the hell was he doing there?! This wasn't his family home, was it?!
Baptiste watched stunned while Jesse tried to hoist the body up. "Jesse, what's—"
"Adrenaline!" Jesse shouted, holding Han's face. He wasn't dead, but good Lord, he looked like it! "C'mon, stay with me, darlin'!"
"What's going on?" Bap asked, pulling a small container from his pants pocket and quickly handing it to him. Confused wasn't even the word! "Who is this?"
"It's Han!" Jesse snatched the container and nearly broke it open, a needle falling out of it. "I dunno what he's doin' or what the hell even happened here, but he's been here a while!" He jammed the needle in his chest, holding his face and tapping his cheeks lightly. "C'mon, Han! Wake up!"
Baptiste didn't even know what to say! How coincidental was it that he was here? Jesse told him he was in some clan that was wiped out, so was this his old home? Why was he here now? "If that's your demon toy, I don't think the adrenaline is going to work. I think it only works on humans."
Hanzo recognized the comforting voice of his new lover as it got closer, but he couldn't gather the strength to say anything. All he could do was lie there, limp as he was rolled onto his back. He hated how worried he sounded and wished he could convey to him that he would be okay with a bit of rest, but he really had no energy whatsoever! Suddenly, he felt something sharp in his chest, and as a cold rush coursed through his veins, he shot upright, panting heavily.
"Han! Holy shit!" Jesse hugged him while he caught his breath. "Yer awake!" He checked him out, getting angrier the more he looked at him. He looked like his face had been bashed in! "Who did this t'ya?!"
"Jesse…" Hanzo leaned against him, trying to catch his bearings. His being here only confirmed he worked for Talon and was there to find the box… that he had foolishly lost to the creature that attacked him. He was so disgusted with himself! Not only did he leave the solitude of his peaceful life, he gave who he assumed was that evil corporation the one thing that could make them stronger! Just another thing to add to his list of burdens.
"Han, can you move? Don't overexert yourself," Jesse knew he could heal himself, but it was obvious he'd taken more damage than he could handle! "I wanna get ya outta here and cleaned up, but damnit," he glanced at Baptiste, who was going through his bag for what he hoped were supplies. "I can't leave him here by himself. We're on a job."
"Here," Baptiste said, handing him his medkit. "I'm going to look around while you fix him up."
"I am okay, Jesse," Hanzo sighed out. Just because Talon had the key didn't mean they knew how to use it. There was only one family in the world that had the power to activate it, and as far as he knew, they all died out… unless they had a trick up their sleeve.
"You look like this, an' yer tellin' me yer okay? C'mon." Jesse wiped his face as best he could with what he had at his disposal, frowning when he winced in pain. "Sorry, darlin'. This'll only hurt for a sec."
Hanzo hissed, squeezing his eyes shut while Jesse did whatever he was doing. He wondered if he knew the weight behind the box he was looking for. He wondered if he knew the truth about the beings he was working for. Would he continue to do their dirty work once he opened his eyes? "Jesse… you are here for the box, right?"
"I am," Jesse remembered telling him about his retrieval job and put two and two together. "This place, it was your home, wasn't it?"
"It was, however, I have never once felt like this was truly home." Hanzo spent years away from that life, finally experiencing the freedom he'd always wanted. In the clan, he was controlled, unable to make use of his free will. Now? He was content, but how much longer would that feeling last?
"That means the box is yours too," Jesse shook his head, taking his wrist and looking at his mangled hand. It was now his number one goal to find the asshole that did this to him, and dump his revolver into his head! "Ah, I feel like shit now. Sorry 'bout this, Han."
"Do not worry about it," Hanzo saw the other guy looking around for it and figured he'd save him the trouble. "And as for the box, it is gone." He tried to stand and clung to Jesse to keep from falling. This was as good as he was going to get for now, and he'd much rather be in the comfort of his studio while he recovered.
"Gone?" Baptiste glanced at the two, what the hell did he mean 'gone'? No way he just spent several hours of his life looking for something that wasn't even there!
"Whaddya mean?" Jesse helped him up, putting an arm around him to keep him stable. "Where is it?"
"It was stolen by the being that attacked me," Hanzo said dejectedly. "Had I not come down here in the first place, this never would have happened!"
"Whoa there," Jesse felt him getting upset again and tried to soothe him. "No need to get yourself all worked up again, darlin'. We'll get'cha home an' fixed up, okay? Don't worry 'bout it."
"What do you mean, 'don't worry?'" Bap fumed. Jesse may not have cared, but this wasn't his gig! "Talon is going to have my head if I screw this up! Two jobs in a row?!"
"There is a good chance Talon already has the box," Hanzo grunted, a new wave of pain filtering through his body. He held onto Jesse tighter, thankful for the support. "The being that attacked me… he took it. He was not one hundred percent human, and he had familiar energy." He remembered the malicious energy he felt when Talon raided the castle. It was a sour, vile feeling he'd never forget.
Baptiste and Jesse shared a look, nonhumans working for Talon? It wasn't too far-fetched, but they didn't know for sure. "This guy," Bap started. "Did you catch his name or what he looked like?"
"No," Hanzo shook his head. "All I can remember is the mask he wore that was in the shape of a skull, and those infernal guns of his."
Jesse grit his teeth and clenched a fist. "Sounds like Gabe." Gabe was a specialist who went by the name 'Reaper' when he was out in the field. He worked closely with one of the scientists at headquarters, and had been experimented on several times over. Rumor had it that the doctor turned him into a demon, but it had never been confirmed. Gabe wasn't anyone he ever wanted to get into a scrap with, but after what he'd done to Han? All bets were off!
"If Gabe has the box, that means he took it to headquarters," Bap was somewhat relieved that he no longer had to spend his day looking for something that wasn't there, but what would happen once he turned it in? Would he still get credit for it? Or would this count as a loss and two failed jobs in a row?
"Yeah, with that bein' said," Jesse propped Han against a wall, his heart crushed with how banged up and tired he looked. He was going to stay with him until he recovered, no ifs, ands, or buts! "D'ya have enough energy to get back to yer studio?"
"I did not until you injected me with whatever that was," Hanzo was glad Jesse was coming back home with him. He wasn't sure how long it would take him to get better, and he didn't want to be alone while he did.
"It was adrenaline, and I'm surprised it worked on you," Baptiste walked over to them, it sounded like Jesse was about to leave him there! …Which was fine, he supposed. He figured he could head back to the hotel and rest for a bit, or just call out for his lotus and have him bring him home if he needed to. Although, last time he called for him, he didn't show, and it bummed him out a bit. What if he flaked again?
"If you got it from your place of employment, then of course it would work on me," Hanzo could see now that both of these fools had been brainwashed by Talon. They hadn't the slightest clue what they were dealing with. He went to explain, but the bullets in his body were still releasing whatever poison they were loaded with. He keeled over, almost falling to his knees but was caught by Jesse. "I… I cannot…"
"It's okay, darlin'. Just take it easy," Jesse helped him back up, shooting Baptiste an apologetic look. "You don't mind, do ya?"
"I mean, the box is gone, so I guess our work here is finished," Bap replied. He felt super uneasy about this whole situation and wondered if he should have even accepted this gig to begin with, but what was done was done, and he could only move on from there and hope nothing bad happened in the near future. "I'll head back to the hotel and rest up for the night, head home in the morning."
"Sounds good. I'm gonna stay with Han until he gets better, so you probably won't see me for a while," Jesse looked at Han and held onto him. "Ready?" He asked as he nodded.
"I'll bring your bag back with me," Bap said as Hanzo and Jesse vanished with a nod, leaving him alone. Geez. He wanted to meet his toy, but not like that! What had he done to Gabe that upset him so deeply? More importantly, what was Gabe doing there in the first place? Was he watching him to make sure he completed the job? How did he get the box? If it was supposedly that Hanzo guy's box, how did Gabe end up with it? So many thoughts and questions ran through his mind, but for now, they'd remain unanswered. All he wanted to do now was go back to the hotel and drink a few beers!
"Back so soon?" Luna asked from her puffy cloud chair. She was planning on sleeping for a few days while Niran was out, but she didn't expect him to be done this quickly! She felt his presence and woke up, knowing he probably had stuff he was dying to talk about.
"Luna…" Niran just barely made it back to the space he was in before he left, lying on a fluffy cloud all beat up. Usually, he could heal himself rapidly, but that demon-human hybrid used some sort of crazy dark magic when he attacked him! "Heal me…"
Luna peeked open an eye, sitting up in alarm when she saw how injured he was. "Niran! Oh my goodness, what on Earth happened?!" She went over to him and healed his face, confused as to why it didn't work as well as it usually would. "I… I can't heal you fully. What is this?"
"You jinxed me," Niran joked, feeling a little better, but not completely fixed up. His face and neck were still sore, and he was sure his pristine skin had been scarred!
"I take it the confrontation didn't go so well?" Luna smiled softly, shaking her head.
"Not at all," Niran sat up, holding his head. He was going to have a killer headache for a while! "There was a half-human, half-demon watching the place, and I just wanted to see what he was doing and talk to him, but he was incredibly hostile."
"I could have told you that," Luna helped him up and into his chair, watching as he manifested his tree again.
"You know what? I don't think 'hostile' is the right word," Niran recalled. "He was more of the 'bloodthirsty' type! If I had stayed any longer, I would have been a goner!"
"I am glad you made it out safe and sound," Luna got back in her recliner, kicking her feet up. "And Baptiste?"
"I couldn't see him," Niran felt horrible, both physically and emotionally! "I had to get out of there quickly! And the worst part was, he was calling for me! I couldn't go to him like that! Gosh, I should have brought you with me!"
"I wouldn't have gone with you," Luna laughed, refilling the empty wine bottle with a wave of her hand and pouring him a glass. She wasn't one to seek trouble, especially when it came to Talon.
"I know~ but I would have found a way to bribe you!" Niran took the glass and had a sip, relishing in the relief provided by his tree. He let his head fall back, staring up at the shimmering petals. "You could have knocked some sense into him!"
"Anything I would have done would've killed him," she replied coolly. "I don't play fair, you know that."
"At least I would have been able to stop Bap!" Niran huffed, shutting his eyes and focusing on him. He was currently looking for the box with his roommate Jesse, and he thankfully seemed to be having some trouble finding it. He hoped he never found that thing!
"So, you want to declare a war on Talon? Those demons will hunt us down and rip us from our peace," Luna knew how headstrong her dear friend could be, but starting a holy war wasn't wise.
"Ugh, you and your logic!" Niran waved his hand, dismissing the topic and gulping down more wine. "Don't you have a new class today?"
"I pushed it back a week. I figured I should take some mental health days since I never get a chance to," she felt bad for rescheduling her next class, but this one was nearly free! If anyone had a problem with it, they could just request a refund! "Let me know when you're ready to help me frame those paintings."
"I might have to sit this one out," Niran had a feeling Bap was going to need him soon if that guy was still watching him, and he wanted to be ready just in case he needed to grab him and go.
"Seriously?! I was waiting for you!" Luna rolled her eyes, standing up and waving her cloud chair away.
"I'm sorry! I didn't know it was going to be like this!" Niran whined. "I'll make it up to you, I promise!"
"You better!" Luna said, a hand on her hip. Now, she was going to have to go to her space and get started soon since she wasn't going to have the help! "Gosh, this is going to make them late! I have students waiting on them!"
"Are you leaving?" Niran asked, sitting up and pouting. "Don't go! I need someone to talk to!"
"Well, I have to go get started on this artwork since someone can't help me," Luna snatched the bottle off the cloud table. "And I'm taking this with me!"
"Ugh, fine," Niran scoffed. "I have plenty more in my vineyard. Leave me a glass at least!"
"Nope! Come visit me when you're free," she chirped. "You remember where my sanctuary is, right?"
"Of course," Niran loved her sanctuary! It was sort of like an outdoor library, with grass and weeds and trees and such, comfortable sofas and large bookshelves scattered around. Though now it was probably cluttered with artwork and frames! It truly was her space.
"Keep me posted on what happens and find me if you need anything," she said before disappearing.
Niran sighed, opening his cloud ring so he could watch Bap while his tree nursed him back to as full of health as he could get at the moment. They'd been looking for the box for hours and their hopes were dying down. As much as he hated to see Bap upset, he was happy that he couldn't find it. "Oh!" Now that he thought about it, maybe his old friends would be able to make it to him in time.
He closed his eyes, focusing on the three individuals who were now on a flight headed to Kyoto. Maybe, just maybe, he'd get lucky and Bap would return to his hotel empty-handed. That way, he could pop up and comfort him!
"Uh… Jesse? There's a body down here."
Niran sat up and watched the ring, the sound of caution in Bap's voice piquing his interest. A body? Who's body? He hoped it was the guy who attacked him! He deserved to rot!
"Is it dead?"
"I don't know, I haven't gotten that far in."
He tilted his head to the side, looking at the body on the floor. That wasn't the guy who attacked him, that was… He stood up, getting a closer look. He was covered in blood, but he could still see the tattoo he left exposed with that racy shirt of his! Why did it look so familiar? It wasn't until Jesse went downstairs and rolled the body over that he recognized who it was. "No way…" he muttered. That was Luna's model! What happened to him? He turned the volume up on the ring so he could hear.
"Jesse, what's—"
"Adrenaline!"
"What's going on? Who is this?"
"It's Han!"
Niran watched Jesse tend to him in a way that told him they were more than just friends, but how was that connection made? The way Luna spoke about the model made it sound like he was a homebody who never left his apartment, not to mention how adamant she was when it came to him not being willing to help. So, what in the world was he doing there, and injured, no less?! It was a shame that she'd left right before he could show her what was happening!
"Han, can you move? Don't overexert yourself. I wanna get ya outta here and cleaned up, but damnit," Niran watched him glance at Bap. "I can't leave him here by himself. We're on a job."
And like the sweetheart he was, Bap handed him a medkit so he could fix him up. How strange was this situation? There were so many questions he had, starting with who banged up Luna's model. Niran had a hunch it was the same being that he ran into not long ago, but he couldn't confirm.
"I have never once felt like this was truly home."
"That means the box is yours too. Ah, I feel like shit now. Sorry 'bout this, Han."
"Do not worry about it. And as for the box, it is gone."
What? It was gone? Then… that was a good thing, right? Well, not good for Bap, considering how upset he was getting! "Oh, Bap…" Niran wished he could just pop up and comfort him like he wanted to, but he'd have to wait just a bit longer!
"What do you mean, 'don't worry?' Talon is going to have my head if I screw this up! Two jobs in a row?!"
"There is a good chance Talon already has the box. The being that attacked me… he took it. He was not one hundred percent human, and he had familiar energy."
Oh, no. So, he was attacked by the same guy! And it was so obvious that he worked for Talon! "Crap!" With the way things were unfolding, this apparently wasn't something he could stop! If only Luna would have just grown a pair and gone with him, this wouldn't have happened!
He paced back and forth, listening to their conversation. It sounded like Jesse was about to leave, so what did that mean for Bap? What did that mean for his old friends? They were still headed his way, once they found out he didn't complete the job, what would they do? Would they try to recruit him back?
His thoughts trailed, leading him to that big guy and how he clearly missed Bap! Why did he ever think it was a good idea for them to meet up again? What would happen once they reunited? Would old feelings start to return? Suddenly, he was worried about their reunion! Sure, it was easy for that guy to say he didn't want to get back together with him after spending so much time apart, but who knew how that would change once they met face-to-face again? And Bap was a weak man when it came to affection! What if that guy said something that reminded him of their past?
He tapped his cheeks rapidly; he needed to get ahold of himself! He had Bap in the palm of his hand! He wasn't going anywhere! "I just need to be stuck to him like glue! Yes, that will work," he said to himself, not even caring how obsessed he sounded. If he stuck by his side and took care of him for the foreseeable future, he'd have him locked down and all to himself!
"I mean, the box is gone, so I guess our work here is finished."
"Sounds good. I'm gonna stay with Han until he gets better, so you probably won't see me for a while. Ready?"
"I'll bring your bag back with me."
"What a mess," Bap muttered to himself as he sunk deeper into warm water. After Jesse vanished with his toy, he left the area and stopped at a convenience store for some beer before heading back to his hotel. He was in a foul mood, and he just wanted to go home, but he felt like he should stay an extra day or two to see if his boss would contact him. He just wanted to finish one job, but everything kept getting in his way! Seriously! What was Gabe even doing there? Were they afraid he wasn't going to do his job or something?
He met Gabe when he was hired, and a few times throughout the years, and he was one scary bastard! He wasn't one he ever wanted to cross, and the proof was all over that Hanzo guy. "Who calls themselves 'Reaper'?" He scoffed, reaching for his sixth beer and cracking it open. He wasn't sure what his exact job title was, but he knew he did a lot of dirty work. Was he a damn babysitter in his free time?
So much for getting paid! The last job he completed was over a month ago, and he was banking on this money to keep him afloat for a while. He didn't really know what kind of guy Gabe was, but he wouldn't blame him if he took credit for it. After all, he did all the work getting his hands on it, which… how did that happen anyway? The next time he saw Jesse, he was going to have to get some answers!
"Wow~ a private spa! How fancy!"
"Lotus!" Bap went to stand up to greet him, but he failed to realize how strong the beer he picked up was and nearly fell over.
"No, no," Niran waved his hands, stepping out of his white chong kben. He looked around the tub and saw all the empty beer bottles, his heart was so heavy for him! He hated it when he was down in the dumps. "I'll come to you."
"I'm sorry, Lotus," Bap mumbled, sitting back down and reaching for him. "I'm a little tipsy."
"I see that," Niran smiled, taking his hands and stepping into the tub with him. "This is really nice! The minerals they added to the water were a nice touch!"
"Yeah, I figured I'd enjoy it while it lasts since Talon paid for it," Bap waited for him to get situated between his legs before wrapping his arms around him and kissing his shoulder. "Mmm, I missed you, but you didn't come when I called like you promised," he muttered.
"I know, I feel terrible about that!" Niran leaned against him, happy to be cocooned by his embrace. "I was caught up in something, but I'm here now!"
"Are you here to stay?" Bap asked, letting the alcohol amplify his emotions. "I can't watch you leave me again."
"Yes, dàalíng, I am here to stay," he let his head fall against him while he clung to him. "We have much to talk about!"
"Mmm, I agree," Bap hummed again, moving silky hair to the side and kissing his neck. "I need you now more than ev…" he trailed off upon seeing the faint marks on his skin. "What is this? What happened?"
"Bap…" Niran sighed, he knew he was going to worry when he saw it!
"Who did this to you?" Bap traced the bruised skin around his neck with his fingertips, his mood only getting worse. He wanted to find the person who did this to him and rip his head off! "Was this why you couldn't come to me earlier?"
"I didn't want you to worry," Niran replied honestly. "And I was hurt pretty badly, so I had to use my tree."
"I'm always going to worry about you, lotus. Turn around, I want to see you," Bap helped him adjust so that he was facing him and pulled him closer, holding his face. He stared into his honey-brown eyes, easily getting lost in them and leaning in.
Niran could tell the alcohol had taken over him and was completely unaware of it. But it didn't matter, he felt safer and more comfortable with him than anywhere else, which was silly, he knew; he was an angel! But goodness, there was something about his Caribbean king that made him want to give him everything! "Bap, wh—"
Bap kissed him tenderly, his tongue swiping his lip and asking for entry. It was when he felt the blood rushing downstairs that he remembered he wanted to check out his face. He pulled away, slightly embarrassed he let himself get sidetracked. He peered at his skin and turned his head side to side, noticing more faint scars and bruising. "Who did this to you?"
"It's nothing…" Niran looked away shyly, knowing he wasn't going to let this go until he got an answer. He met his gaze again, his expression clouded over with anger and voice deepened with venom. Why was that turning him on?! "It'll get better with time…"
"That's not what I asked," Bap was furious, and he hadn't been this angry in years! How could anyone hurt someone as sweet and kind as his lotus?! He took his hand and kissed his knuckles before investigating the rest of his body for injuries. "Tell me."
"I…" Niran hesitated, if he told him exactly what he was doing, he'd more than likely have to explain to him why he needed to distance himself as far from Talon as he could, but… was he ready to learn the truth in the state of mind he was in right now? "…went to go check on you."
Bap kissed his hand again, silently waiting for him to continue. He'd known he was watching over him, so how did that end with him getting hurt to the extent that he couldn't fully heal himself? "And then?"
"I found someone watching the mansion, presumably waiting for you," Niran recalled the painful memory, still wishing he would have brought backup.
"Who was it?" Given the day's events, Bap had a feeling he knew who he'd run into, and it only pissed him off more.
"I don't know, he had on a skull mask and a black cloak." Niran let him investigate his body even though only his face and neck were injured. He liked the attention! "He was half human, half demon, the first I've ever seen a hybrid!"
"I'm sure he's not the only one in existence," Bap murmured, lifting his arm and pressing lips against damp skin to calm himself down. That piece of shit Gabe crossed the line, and he was going to pay! More than that… Talon was creating demons? Well, half demons? He supposed that wasn't as surprising as it should have been. What other shady stuff were they up to? "What happened?"
"I went to try and talk to him, but that didn't go so well," Niran said with an awkward chuckle. "He was incredibly hostile."
"What was your end goal?" Bap asked, staring intently at him while the water splashed around them comfortably. Why would he approach him in the first place?"Why did you want to talk to him?"
Niran was stilled by how intense his gaze was! Was it because he was inebriated? His body temperature rose a few degrees. "I just…" he looked away and squeezed his eyes shut. Bap was already not in a good mood. Surely, this would only make it worse!
"Look at me," Bap held his chin and turned his head. Why was he so nervous? "What is it?"
"I wanted to stop you from doing this job," Niran said, his voice small.
Bap furrowed his brow, confused. His brain tried to piece together that this was related to him 'needing to be saved' and whatnot, but that was some really good beer! He was going to have to take some home if he could! "Why were you trying to stop me, lotus?"
"Are you mad at me? I don't want you to be mad at me!" Niran held onto his shoulders and drooped his head, embarrassed.
"I'm not mad, Niran," Bap lifted his chin and kissed his forehead. He trusted him with his life, so why would he be upset? There was clearly a valid reason why he didn't want him to do it, and he always had good intentions. "I just want to know why."
"Bap, I…" Niran struggled to find the right words. "You must understand, I was only looking out for you! But that guy… that thing! He wouldn't let me!"
"He's not really one you want to approach," Bap nodded lightly, smoothing his hair back and getting it wet. "But if it makes you feel any better, I didn't finish the job. Gabe did."
"Gabe?"
"The guy who attacked you," Bap grew agitated again, knowing there was no good reason for him to have hurt his lotus.
"So… that means Talon has the box then." Niran didn't know the fine details like his old crew did, but he knew for certain it wasn't good for Mother Earth! Should he take Bap to one of his spaces until the entire thing blew over? No, he shouldn't run from this. He'd stay and fight if he had to! He just hoped he could convince Luna and a few other angels to fight with him!
"Yep, and I'm probably not getting paid for it, either!" Bap said exasperatedly, picking up his beer and chugging it. His brain completely glossed over why Niran wanted to stop him, but he didn't care. It was already done. "All day, wasted!"
"I wouldn't call it a complete waste, dàalíng," Niran slid forward into his lap, caressing his face sweetly. "I'm here now, and I meant it when I said I was going to stay by your side. Plus, I want to cheer you up a bit!"
"Yeah?" Bap pecked his lips a few times, draping arms around him lazily. "And how are you going to do that?"
"I have a few ideas," Niran returned his affection, feeling his mood improve bit by bit.
"Are they sexy ideas?" Bap let his head fall back while his lotus kissed his neck and chest. This was much needed.
"Do you want them to be?" Niran purred, dragging his fingers down his pecs. He was tired of waiting, he wanted him now!
Bap took his hand and dragged it down, having him wrap his palm around his already firm girth. "Does that answer your question?"
"Oh, Bap," Niran said against his lips, pumping him slowly. "Did you miss me that much?"
"I think you already know the answer to that," Bap cupped the nape of his neck, bringing him in and connecting their lips with a yearning passion. He didn't want to think about anything else but the divine entity in his lap, healing his soul with his love. "I want you to make a mess of me, lotus," he muttered drunkenly, probing his mouth with his tongue.
"I think I can do that, dàalíng," Niran stood, water cascading down his nude body as he held out a hand. Last time he tried to stand on his own, he almost fell over! "Come, let's take this somewhere more comfortable."
Bap just gawked at him while he stood there, slim yet muscular body glistening and begging for his attention. Everything about him was perfect, effervescent, and he couldn't keep his eyes off! "Tèlman bèl…"
"Ooo~ mèsi," Niran grinned, helping him up and letting him fall clumsily into his arms with a giggle. He planned on having his way with him until neither of them could move!