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The Epic	By : kyochan Category: +S to Z > Spiral Views: 1747 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Spiral, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 10
- 11
- 12
Title:� The Epic

Chapter:� 11/ many

Authors:� Kyo-chan and
Koko-chan

Genre:� Shounen-ai

Disclaimers:� We do
not own the characters or the series.�
They belong to Kyo Shirodaira and Eita Mizuno.� This fanfiction is written by fans purely for
the enjoyment of fans.

Summary:� Ayumu just
can't seem to win when it comes to the women in his life.�

~*~

�� Ayumu
headed home very thoughtfully. In the week or so that he'd spent with the Blade
Children, he'd been living minute-to-minute, not really letting everything
digest. The time it took him to get from Eyes's building to his own apartment
was filled with a lot pondering on what he'd seen and what Kousuke had told
him. He had some assumptions in mind, but he wouldn't really know for sure
until their seemingly fearless leader thought that it was the right time to
tell. Deciding he'd worry about it more after a long nap in his own bed, he dug
out his key and let himself in.

�� Sadly,
peace and quiet were just not in the cards for Ayumu. It just happened to be
Madoka's day off, and she was sitting in the main room, drinking coffee when he
came in.

�� "Ah-HA!"
she shouted, standing up and pointing at him. "There you are! Where the
hell have you been, Ayumu? Do you have any idea how worried I've been
this past week?!"

�� "Oh
no.." he muttered under his breath. He played his usual indifference as he
walked in, kicking the door shut behind him. Hanging up his coat, he fixed his
sister with the look a parent would give a child, as if she were the one that
had been a delinquent and not him. "Shouldn't you be at work or something?
Think of all the criminals that are getting away with everything while you sit
waiting to lecture me."

�� "It's
my day off. Even Ultraman had normal days. And don't change the subject!
Whether you like it or not, I'm still your legal guardian and I have the right
to know when you're going to go somewhere! You've been sticking your nose into
things that should be a police concern, haven't you? Let me tell you,
you're in very serious trouble, young man!"

�� Ayumu let
out a gargantuan yawn. "I haven't been sticking my nose in this week,
Madoka, I swear. Hard to get involved in police work when you're recovering
from being poisoned, don't you know? I need a nap." He shuffled past the
living room, knowing he had a very slim chance of making it to his room, but he
would have at least had to make the effort.

�� "Poisoned?!"
was the angry shriek. "What the hell have you been doing?!"

�� "Trying
to stay out of trouble, but it seems to follow me wherever I go these days, or
haven't you noticed?" He turned to face her and crossed his arms, letting
out another yawn.

�� "Which
is why I told you to try and stay out of trouble. I take it that you're not
going to tell me what you've been doing this past week?" Madoka was not
backing down. She truly was worried for her brother-in-law, and had had half
the city looking for him over the last week.

�� "I was
in the wrong place at the wrong time, visiting Sayoko. Someone went after her
again, and I got caught up in it." He sighed, knowing that he was close
enough to the truth to not have to lie to Madoka. He hated what little he was
hiding as it was. "Thankfully, she's safe, and I managed to get away, but
it was not a pleasant experience."

�� "Let
me guess, you're not going to let me take you down to the station to file a
report." the older woman growled.

�� Ayumu shook
his head. "I lived, Sayoko is safe, and that's all that matters. Besides,
there are very few people I trust lately, and you're one of them. I'd really
rather not extend that to the entire police force. Please, Madoka, I know that
this is hard for you to understand, but you're the one that has to trust me
this time."

�� Madoka gave him a long hard
stare before slowly nodding. "Fine. But that doesn't mean you're getting
away without due punishment." She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket
and pressed the speed dial. "Hello, Hiyono-chan? He's home."

�� "Aw,
geez. What did you have to do that for?!"�
Ayumu could already hear her squealing on the other end of the phone and
swearing that she'd be there on the next train. Maybe he could take some
painkillers and be unconscious by then...

�� Madoka hung
up as soon as the squealing stopped. "I did that because she's been
calling here every day, just as worried as I am and wearing herself to a thread
looking for you. You did this to yourself, Ayumu, so you'll be the one to talk
to her and explain things. And that means you stay awake until she gets
here."

�� "Fine.
Have you eaten?" He wandered into the kitchen, the only place he felt he really
belonged here. He knew that he'd worried them both, and some part of him
registered guilt for it. But he couldn't see dragging them as far in as he was.
He might tell Hiyono what was going on. Might.

�� Madoka
sighed, but smiled. "No, not since the instant curry this morning. Make
enough for Hiyono-chan, too."

�� Ayumu
nodded. "As you wish, Madoka-sama." He'd missed her. He couldn't wait
until this whole mess with the Blade Children was over. He'd have to step up
and take Kiyotaka's place again soon so that she wouldn't drive herself crazy.
He owed her that much for putting up with his indifferent behavior.

�� "Hmph.
At least you recognize my greatness. But seriously, Ayumu. Next time you're
going to be away for a while, contact me! Even if it's just a text message on
my phone that says you're not lying dead in a gutter somewhere! The streets of Tokyo can be dangerous,
and I don't want to have to someday explain to Kiyotaka why I let his little
brother wander out and get killed."

�� When I
find him...I'll tell him how well you raised me while he was gone... Ayumu
nodded his head in agreement. "I promise."

~*~

�� The Hope of
the Blade Children had never felt so tired in his life.� Well, maybe there was the recovery time after
being poisoned, but it was closely followed by this morning.� It didn't look like he'd get some rest any
time soon, thanks to Madoka calling the world's most persistent school reporter
over for a visit.� Hiyono sat at the foot
of his bed, watching him with her inquisitive honey-colored eyes.� It was lucky for her that she hadn't begun
interrogating him right off, or he might have bludgeoned her with a pillow in
an exhaustion-induced frenzy.� The girl
was a bit smarter than that, taking one look at him down in the kitchen and
loudly insisting that he get upstairs to bed.

�� After he
finished making breakfast, of course.

�� "You
look like hell, Ayumu," she said bluntly, her tone a little more subdued
than normal.� Holding out a package of
pocky to him, she took a harder look at his condition than she had when she
first arrived.

��

�� Ayumu knew
her words to be truth.� He had only
gotten one quick shower before being shipped off to rescue Kousuke and the lack
of sleep was a moot issue.� Maybe it
would be worth it to forgo one more hour of sleep for a long, hot soaking.� Sighing, he unwrapped the treat, pulling out
a stick and nibbling at the chocolate tip.�
"I can't imagine I'm a pretty picture," he commented in response.� Ayumu would almost swear that the circles
under his dark gold eyes had lead weights in them.� He had pulled the hood of his sweatshirt up
to hide the tangled mess of his hair, and he wasn't focusing like he should
have.� He knew he should be trying to kick
Hiyono out, but this was one fight he was willing to lose for the moment.� She'd get the hint if he fell asleep in
mid-sentence.

�� "What
happened, Ayumu?" Hiyono asked, her concern more evident in her lack of
usual hounding.

�� The way she
said his name sounded both demanding and relieved.� In that, he couldn't deny at least a little
explanation.� "Last Friday, I had
this�notion that something was up with Sayoko, so I went to check it out.� Turned out that Asazuki was there too, and we
both ran into one of those Hunters that are after the Blade Children."

�� "Like
Sonobe?" Hiyono murmured with a frown.�
"Did Sayoko get hurt�or Kousuke?"

�� Ayumu
munched down the rest of his pocky stick before flopping back onto his
pillows.� "That's a hard thing to
answer.� Sayoko's okay.� As far as I can tell, we deviated the Hunter
away, and she probably doesn't even know she was in danger."

�� "That's
probably true," Hiyono commented, a thoughtful look on her face.� "I haven't heard any rumors about her,
and she hasn't acted any differently in class.�
She did ask about you when you didn't show up all week.� Now what about Kousuke?"

�� "Well,
this Hunter wasn't like the other one."�
Ayumu closed his eyes, remembering all too clearly how assured she
was�and how even she knew about Kiyotaka.�
"Is there anyone that doesn�t know about my brother?" he
wondered out loud.

�� Hiyono
tilted her head, looking curious at the random question.� "So the Hunters know about him too?� He must have done something to get caught up
in this mess with the Blade Children if the ones trying to kill them know about
him too."

�� "No
kidding," Ayumu almost grumbled, stifling a yawn.� "Of all the things to keep quiet
about.� Now he's gone, and I think he's
the only one who knows exactly what's going on.�
Maybe."� His brows
furrowed.� "At the very least, he
could have told me I'd be neck deep in this mess before he took off."

�� "What
if he didn't know?"

�� "I
can't believe that.� They know too much
about me.� Rutherford, Asazuki, and even Rio all talk about me as if they know me by
association.� Some of those things, I
wouldn't even tell my best friend, let alone complete strangers.� He knew.�
He made them promise to keep limits concerning all their stupid little
tests."� He sounded bitter, and he
couldn't help it.� He was too tired to
care about his acts of indifference.� To
be honest, Kiyotaka's involvement in matters that had almost cost Ayumu his
life in more than one instance pissed him off.�
He took a deep breath and altered the subject a little.� He knew that if he kept brewing on it, he'd
be too busy thinking about it to actually sleep after Hiyono left.� "As for Asazuki and I, instead of
killing us when she�"

�� "She?"� Hiyono looked surprised.

�� "Yes,
she.� When she cornered us, she didn't
off us.� She took us hostage, shot
Asazuki in the shoulder, and tried to put a dart full of poison in my
neck."� Unconsciously, he reached up
to touch the slight rise of skin that was left behind when the dart cut
him.� It brought to mind the brief
moments that Kousuke's lips were pressed to the wound�an act that had saved his
life.� He shuddered and had to ignore it
when Hiyono let out a horrified shriek.

�� "How
can you say that so casually?!" she demanded.� "You could be dead right now!"

�� "But
I'm not, and I won't tell you the rest if you won't stay calm."

�� That shut
her up.� She pursed her lips and clutched
at the fabric of her skirt.� He knew she
wanted to protest, but her drive to get the rest of the story was a much
stronger influence.�

�� "We
were taken to a lab," Ayumu continued when he was sure he had her
attention.� "Apparently, she thought
it would be a great idea to make Blade Children even more messed up than they
already are."� Ayumu held up his
hand.� "Don't ask the details; just
trust me that it's bad."

�� Hiyono
nodded.� "Why take you too?"

�� Ayumu
shrugged.� "Why not?� Ever since being under investigation for
Sayoko's accident, everything I do has been tied into the Blade Children.� Whether I'm an assistance or a threat, I'm
still important somehow.� Suffice to say
that being there was unpleasant and getting out was even more so."

�� Did it take
you a whole week just to get out?"�
Hiyono was too caught up to be flipping out so easily, a fact for which
Ayumu was grateful.

�� "No.� It didn't take me long to get out once I
could stand up on my own.� Rutherford and
Rio made me rest and then I went with them to
get Asazuki out.� After that, I came
home."� Ayumu finished his tale
rather anti-climactically, but he didn't care.�
As far as he was concerned, that chapter was over, and it was time to
prepare himself for an inevitable next encounter.�

�� He was
surprised at the lapse and silence, having expected a hundred other
questions.� Even with his eyes closed, he
could feel Hiyono's gaze on him, intense.

�� "Ayumu?"
she said quietly.

�� He'd almost
drifted off.� "Hmm?"

�� "Why
don't you jet get out?"

�� "Huh?"� The brunet leaned up on his elbows, a
confused look on his face as he blinked at the girl.

�� Hiyono
sighed softly and shrugged, as if she wasn't sure she shouldn't have spoken
up.� "Ayumu�ever since you've gotten
involved with the Blade Children, you've been through non-stop chaos.� Bombs, knives, killer bees, kidnapping�
that's just the surface.� You're just a
high school kid, just like me.� Even if
hanging around you almost guarantees a hot story for the paper, it's not worth
losing your life, is it?� You're smart
enough to know how dangerous your association with the Blade Children really
is.� Why not stop getting in the
middle?� Leave them be and get on with
your own life.� You don't have to be involved."

�� Ayumu let
her say her piece, and for a moment, he almost considered taking such a concept
seriously.� "I can't."� He dropped back to the pillows with a soft
thud.

�� "Why
not?"

�� "I'm
in it too deep now.� Three of them
already go to our school; thanks to my brother, they all seem to know who I
am.� Even if I wanted to disassociate
myself with them, they still would know who I was, where to find me, and
without them, how will I know if there's some Hunter wanting to snatch me up
like this last one did?� Who's to say
that I'm not in as much danger without them as I am with them?� Besides�"

�� Hiyono
watched him, patient enough by this point to not push him.� She tilted her head, the intensity in her
gaze proving she was paying attention.�
He could feel it.� Sometimes,
Ayumu wondered why she cared so much about his decisions.� Was he just a hot story lead for her?� Frowning, he fought back the bitterness
again.

�� "Besides�it
looks like I'm already bound to them somehow."� Ayumu's voice had become a little more
distant, somewhere between thoughtful and sleepy in tone.� "When I was getting Asazuki out of the
lab, I met some other Blade Children.�
One of them called me the 'Hope'.�
I'd never even seen her before in my life, but she knew me just by
hearing my name.� I�I mean something to
them.� It's like they're depending on me
for something, whether I know what it is or not.� And it is
dangerous; it is a matter of life
or death.� They see me as someone who can
save them from this�Fate they keep talking about."� He chuckled quietly.� "No one's ever depended on me that much
and they take it so seriously.� Sure,
they keep comparing me to my brother, but if I really didn't meet their
standards, they wouldn't be so tangled up with me.� Maybe this is something I can do that he
couldn't.� I can't turn back, not until I
can't take anymore, and I'm not there yet."

�� "Is it
worth it?" Hiyono wondered.

�� There was
no hesitation when Ayumu answered with a quietly firm, "Yes."

�� Hiyono
nodded her head and offered him a smile.�
"Something's changing in you, Ayumu.� You're different than when I first met
you�and a reporter's instincts are never wrong."

�� "If
you say so."

�� "I
do," she insisted.� "But you
need your rest."

�� He cracked
an eye open at her.� "Does this mean
you're going to stop harassing me now?"�
Admittedly, she had acted a lot better than he'd been expecting, so he
was mostly teasing her.

�� "Hmph!"� The girl stood up in a flutter of braids and
skirt.� She seemed annoyed by the
comment, but her smile betrayed that she didn't take it too hard at all.� "I guess some things haven't
changed.� You're still as ungrateful as
ever."

�� "Get
out," he threw back with no emphasis behind it, only weariness.� He rolled over, tugging the blankets over his
head.

�� Her giggle
was the last thing he heard, and then he was sound asleep.

~*~

�� Eyes had
never looked so calm, so quiet before. Even as he walked through the airport
baggage claim with the sense that this was the last place on earth he wanted to
be, it didn't show on his face. As he normally did when he hoped to reduce his
chances of being recognized in public, he had tied his hair back into a
ponytail and draped himself in a long coat with a fuzzy, white collar that
obscured some of his face. Blue eyes searched for the man that he wished had
stayed in England,
hoping that somehow, he'd missed his flight...

�� Arms far
stronger than they looked suddenly wrapped around him from behind and a lightly
accented voice whispered in his ear. "Hello, Eyes."

�� Reflex
almost made him cringe or pull away, but Eyes held onto his composure,
remaining where he was. He neither leaned back nor moved forward.
"Kanone," he whispered, feeling that unsettled weight in both his
chest and stomach. He was careful to keep it from showing on his face, even if
it couldn't be seen.

�� Kanone
stepped around to face the silver-haired musician, smiling in his most charming
fashion. He ran one hand admiringly through the tail of pale hair, absently
twining his fingers in it for just a second. "Tying your hair back suits
you, Eyes. It brings out the delicacy of your features." A delicacy that
matched Eyes's heart, unbeknownst to the rest of the world. Kanone took great
pride in being the one who held that heart in his fist.

�� If he had
known Kanone would have liked it so much, he might have suffered his own
popularity to leave it down. "Thank you," he said politely.
"You're looking well, Kanone." Why was his heart beating so fast? He
resisted the urge to press a hand to his chest, as if he could muffle the
pounding, hide it.

�� Kanone
nodded in acknowledgement of the compliment and smiled, hearing the slight
acceleration of Eyes's breathing as he grew more agitated. The mocha-haired boy
rather enjoyed the fact that Eyes feared him, because that meant he could not
forget him. And Kanone knew every single trigger in both Eyes's psyche and his
body to turn fear to desire, if he so wished. "So, shall we go? We have so
much to catch up on, and the airport is hardly the place to do it."

�� Eyes
wondered just what Kanone had intended to catch up on, but he let that thought
pass. "The car is waiting outside. Would you like me to carry something
for you?" He indicated the luggage that Kanone had put down when he'd
hugged Eyes.

�� "No,
I'm fine." Kanone replied, picking up the suitcase easily. "I've
gotten a bit stronger since you last saw me. It's a nice thing. I no longer
struggle with peanut butter jars, at least." He walked past the musician,
brushing just slightly against the other boy's arm, the back of his hand
touching Eyes's for a fraction of a second. It could easily have been an
accident in this crowded airport, and the question of whether it was or not
would keep Eyes guessing and slightly off-balance. Such fun...

�� Eyes
bristled the moment Kanone's back was to him, following him out the doors and
trying not to think about how much physical contact he'd likely have to put up
with while the other was here. "It used to amuse me when you'd ask for
help opening them. It's about time you've toughened up." It was also a
silent threat, and Eyes knew it. It was a good bet that Kanone could take on
more than a peanut butter jar now.

�� "Hmmm...I
owe it all to time, determination, and a few good associates." Kanone
said. He noted that Eyes was warier than usual, probably because he felt he had
to hide his indiscretions with Asazuki from him. Well, he would have that
settled and corrected by the time he left. It was a pity they were in such a
populous area, though. While Eyes's hands were sensitive and useful for
Kanone's manipulations, he preferred to use the sensitive areas on his hips and
lower back because it was more of a challenge to reach them. That, and the
reaction was that much more dramatic, even if Eyes hid it.

�� For once,
Eyes was thankful for the crowds, and lamented the loss of them as they got
outside. He kept his pace to the car brisk and quick, his own test to see how
well Kanone would keep up. Strength was only good if it was matched with speed
and agility, he knew that much. "What made you decide you needed to become
stronger? I thought you were content with the way you were, Kanone?" He
opened the trunk for the brunette to heft his suitcase into, making no move to
help as he moved to the driver's side to unlock the doors.

�� Kanone kept
up easily, seeming not to notice that Eyes was testing him as he loaded his
suitcase into the back. "It was something to do. And besides, I got tired
of having the peanut butter mock me. I didn't have you around to open them any
more, after all." he murmured, again brushing over one of those delicate
hands before pulling away to get in the car.

�� Eyes's
fingers curled into a tight fist that made his pale knuckles even whiter as he
opened the door and slid into the smooth, leather seat. The car was his own,
something he kept here since he seemed to spend more time in Japan than even his own home
country. "I was quite sure you could handle the peanut butter on your own
while I was gone."

�� "I
certainly can now." Kanone settled comfortably into the car seat, his
regal air almost making it a throne. The sun lightened his hair to reddish
amber, his eyes blazing like tigers eye. A part of Eyes that the musician had
tried in vain to separate himself from found the picture beautiful...and
desirable.

�� Damn it..
what's wrong with me..? Kousuke doesn't deserve me feeling like this for Kanone.
I don't love Kanone. He turned his eyes away from the image to start the
car and pull out of the cramped lot. The driving, he hoped, would help take his
mind off of that twisting feeling in his gut. Oh, but you love Kousuke?
that little part of him mocked.�
"How was your flight?"

�� Kanone
turned to look at him, admiring how even in the year since they'd last seen
each other, Eyes had grown even more beautiful. It seemed worthless causes like
fighting Fate agreed with him. "It was fine. A bit of turbulence, but
nothing terrible."

�� "I've
never been on a flight without turbulence." It was rather like living. But
Kanone was right. Fighting and staying healthy enough to live in spite of Fate
made his features stronger, more prominent. In that, he could not argue if he
knew what Kanone was thinking. "I hoped you would not be late." More
like I'd hoped you'd never boarded...

�� "I
would never be late to meet you, Eyes. Our time together is always so short as
it is." Kanone decided to make a point of not touching Eyes for the next
little while. Knowing the way the pianist thought and what he was expecting, he
would wear himself down just waiting for some other touch. It was always easier
to show beloved pets their proper place when they'd tired themselves out.

�� And as
predicted, Eyes was waiting for the next attempted touch, knowing that it
couldn't just stop at the airport. Even though the other boy had made it quite
clear that he wasn't in the same mood, the same mindset as the last time Kanone
saw him, it seemed that his former lover would keep making the attempt to draw
him close again. He didn't like it. Not one bit. "So it would seem. Would
be a shame to lose what little we have, wouldn't it?" He almost put stress
on the 'little', but he knew he implied it as it was, so he let the words flow
normally.

�� "That
it would. But I was hardly going to stop you from doing what you felt was
necessary, even if I didn't agree with it. How goes your little quest, by the
way? Any closer to a solution?" He knew Eyes wouldn't lie to him. While
there hadn't been much time in which they had been close enough for it, there
had been enough to train the musician in a few things. One was not to attempt
lying to him. The other was to melt when certain areas of his body, such as his
shoulders, were touched.

�� "Not
as close as I'd like to be, especially since Kiyotaka disappeared," Eyes
answered, his gaze focused entirely on the road while his mind raced to keep up
with giving the right answers. "It's difficult to get answers when there seem
to be more and more Hunters after us."

�� Kanone
nodded. "That's what happens when you draw attention like you do. I did
warn you they were coming. And I'll warn you now. My contacts tell me Huntress
Cassandra has also begun taking mild interest in your operations. I've been
running interference best I can but...well, even I am wary of Cassandra."

�� "I
draw attention because I'm not ready to put my life in hiding for some
small-minded Hunters who compromise their own humanity under the guise of
saving it." Eyes shrugged. "If I am to be deemed a monster, then I'll
live as one under the lights. It does not bother me." His brow furrowed.
He'd heard a little bit of such a Hunter, but hadn't gotten enough on her to
know exactly what he was up against.

�� "But you
forget, you are responsible for more than just yourself. Is it fair to bring
the title of monster onto those who stand by you? One of that number even got
hurt, this time." Kanone pointed out. Not dead, sadly. But then,
Samantha was a fool. He waited patiently, knowing that Eyes would
eventually ask him for more information on Cassandra. Making Eyes come to him
for something needed was just another little step in keeping the musician in
his hold. It was rather endearing, in a way. Eyes tried so hard to be independent,
and yet never quite realized just how in thrall he still was.

�� Eyes
frowned. "If you know me so well, then you'd know that I'd make them well
aware of what risks I take, and how much of a risk that puts onto them. I make
the choice for no one, and they're free to leave if they wish. Apparently, I'm
doing something right if they've stayed." It ate at the edges of his mind,
he wanted to know what danger was out there, but he also knew how it
made him appear, and he would hold out, for just a little bit.

�� Kanone was
an expert at the waiting game. He knew Eyes would crumble eventually.
"Perhaps, but does giving them that choice make it any less your
responsibility? Especially if a Hunter managed to get lucky and destroy one of
your little family?"

�� It hurt him
to think about such a thing, he'd grown so close to Kousuke and Rio. He suspected that it wouldn't take long to endear
himself to Riku as well, if the time he'd spent around her was any indication.
Even Jhette and Ryoko made him a little more protective with each day. "I
am responsible to an extent. I promise nothing other than a fight to find a way
to avoid Fate. I promise no one will live or die one way or another.� It would be an impossible and fragile
promise."

�� Kanone just
smiled. "However, you were always the gentler one of us. Knowing you, you
have already given them that promise in your heart, even if you have never
given voice to it."

�� "You're
the one that chose to shed tears for me. I hardly consider myself the softer
one," Eyes defended with a frown. He felt as if he was being mocked, and
he didn't like it.

�� Kanone held
up a hand to halt the defense. "I said 'gentler', not 'softer'. It is
possible to be gentle without being soft, Eyes. You know that as well as I.
After all, softness is deadly to one of our kind." He lowered his hand,
again not touching Eyes, though from the very slight flinch of the arm, the
musician had been expecting it. Good. Then the lack of contact would continue
to confuse him and wear him down. Eyes's defenses were considerable, but only
if at full strength. They were as delicate as his heart and face, otherwise,
and shattered beautifully when given the right treatment.

�� Eyes
couldn't wait until they were home. Then at least he'd be in more familiar surroundings,
and he wouldn't have to concentrate so hard as to not veer into oncoming
traffic whenever he felt the inclination to bolt. "It is. Something I've
instilled in both myself and those that are around me."

�� "And
yet you keep yourself open enough to pick up stray cats," Kanone said,
referring to the conversation over the phone yesterday. Eyes could still lie
when they weren't physically in the same area, it seemed. "I trust I'll be
allowed to meet the feline?"

�� "If he
comes out to meet you. It's a shy little thing, has had its share of rough
times, I'd wager," Eyes answered in a flat tone. The cat wasn't
important...he just had to make Kanone believe that.

�� "Most
strays do. That's one of the reasons being close to something that offers
security is such a novelty for them." Kanone purposefully couched the
statement in vague terms. It fit both a cat and Asazuki that way. Best to make
Eyes worry...just a little. "You may want to get the little thing a
collar, though. Otherwise, someone may end up catching it and sending it off
somewhere."

�� "That
only becomes necessary if it strays too far, and even then, it's wrong to keep
it captive. Like anything else, it's meant to roam where it wishes." Eyes
was feeling uneasy, and it was all he could do to keep his heart from pounding
like it had when Kanone embraced him in the airport.

�� "True,
but even then, most strays end up caught. And if not taken in somewhere,
they're generally terminated. A sad thing, really." Though admittedly, one
particular 'stray' seemed to have the devil's own luck concerning death...

�� "Yes,"
Eyes agreed, refusing to fall into the trap of the word game. He pulled into
the garage of the high rise, parking and trying not to look too hasty as he
pulled the key from the engine and moved to get out.

�� Kanone also
got out, and waited for Eyes to unlock the trunk so that he could get his
suitcase. All in all, the ride had been fun. Eyes was quite unsettled, even if
he hid it well.

�� "You'll
be staying on the floor beneath mine, so if you need anything, I'm
nearby." And I'd know if you were coming before you could get here to
surprise me...

�� Kanone
nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. It's always so nice to be with you."
He reached up, running his fingertips along the line of Eyes's jaw, the very
mildest of flirtations before pulling away.

�� Eyes didn't
immediately recoil, but it wasn't because he enjoyed the touch, it was more
from a thought of fascination. For a split second, he'd expected the touch to
be rough, calloused, and it surprised him when the skin wasn't. Instead it was
smooth, like being caressed with warm silk, and while he might have preferred
that once upon a time, he found that it wasn't to his taste. Kousuke had the
more pleasant touch now, and the thought of it brought the tiniest smile to his
face. "You're flattering me, Kanone."

�� Kanone
raised an eyebrow, and gave a slight smile of his own to hide annoyance. He
could see the smile on Eyes's lips, even if most others would not. And he knew
somehow that it was not for him. "It can hardly be flattery if it is true,
now can it? And I do believe you're smiling, Eyes. Care to let me in on what
amuses you?"

�� It was
dangerous just how perceptive Kanone could be, but Eyes couldn't find it in
himself that moment to be worried about it. "Just your hands.. You said
you were stronger, I thought that meant that your touch would feel different
than it always had, but it seems the same."

�� Kanone
realized he'd just been compared, and probably unfavorably. Rage burned for a
moment, but then cooled. He would deal with this and set it straight soon
enough. "Saa, I think the only way you'd tell a difference is if I ended
up hitting you. And I have never once hit you."

�� "I
would hope the statistic never changes, Kanone. For all that I am attached to
you, I wouldn't want to see that severed by a very foolish mistake."

�� Kanone
turned to gaze straight into those sapphire eyes that he admired so much, and
smiled. "I assure you, Eyes. It would not be me that made such a
mistake."

�� Eyes
nodded. "I assure you that it's quite a relief." He motioned ahead of
them. "Shall we?"

�� "After
you," Kanone murmured graciously, picking up his suitcase.

�� Eyes led
them into the building and into one of the elevators that had a wall of clear
glass in the rear, looking out over the city as they started to rise above it. The
pianist found himself staring out there as if he were a caged bird, and he
tried not to hold that comparison too close to truth.

�� Kanone
admired the view of the city, letting his mind wander just a little. This
elevator would be a fun place to take Eyes...but that was for later, when he
had reestablished his ownership. For now, there was business to deal with. He
needed to see for himself if Narumi Ayumu had become a threat, and if he'd
already pulled Asazuki off the proper path of the Blade Children.
"So...tell me a little about the younger Narumi. I assume you've told him
I wish to see him?"

�� "Kousuke
told him before he left for home, so it will depend on whether or not Little
Narumi decides to accept the invitation." Eyes crossed his arms. "As
for telling you things about him, I know very little as he's about as quick to
open up as I am. He's intelligent, which can only be expected from Kiyotaka's
bloodline."

�� Kanone
nodded. "Intelligent and probably very lucky, to have survived everything
you and your compatriots have thrown at him. But nothing compared to his
brother, from what I hear."

�� "No,
he is merely a shadow of what Kiyotaka was," Eyes replied, recalling the
words that he used himself. Whether or not he so strongly believed them anymore
was questionable. "But luck does seem to be his forte."

�� "I
wonder if that luck's turned sour, to suddenly have a mental connection with
Asazuki, of all people." Kanone murmured.

�� Eyes didn't
react and that might have been a good thing. "Perhaps his luck improved if
it didn't last. For all I know, it could have been a result of the Hunter's
failed attempt at programming."

�� Kanone
nodded. "We'll see. That's why I want to talk to Asazuki, after all.
Though I may do it privately. I'm sure he wouldn't care to discuss such
personal things in front of everyone." And Kanone had a few tricks to pull
out information from even the most stubborn and unwilling of minds...'

�� Eyes
shrugged. "Do as you like." He prayed that Kousuke could hold his own
against Kanone, but he figured that his lover stood a better chance than he
himself did.

�� "That
I shall," Kanone murmured, eyes turning to the elevator door as they
reached their destination.

�� Eyes felt
he should at least accompany Kanone to get settled in his own room, so he
followed the brunette onto his floor, offering him a key that went to his room,
and his room only. "That's for you. I'd like to make sure the room fits
your needs."

�� Kanone
nodded and smiled. "Very well. I'm hardly going to complain about having
your company a few moments longer."

�� "I
didn't think you would." He let Kanone open the door into a room that was
decorated just as nicely as the topmost floor, but in a little more homely
fashion.

�� Kanone
looked around the room before turning to Eyes. There was no one else here, and
the bed looked quite comfortable. Perhaps he could...

�� "Eyes-san?"
The image of Jhette suddenly popped into existence next to the musician.
"Riku is cooking tonight. She inquires as to whether you will be joining
the others for supper, or taking supper by yourself. Rio-san informs me that is
what you normally do in the days before a performance."

�� It looked
like Rio had given Eyes an out, if he wanted
to take it.

�� Silently thanking her, he
glanced to the image of the young man and nodded. "Thank you for telling
me. I will be up in a few minutes, I would like a plate prepared."

�� "Acknowledged.
Request is delivered." Jhette then turned his eyes to Kanone, obviously
wondering who the person was. He blinked a few times, the data banks that made
up most of his conscious mind searching and cross-referencing...and coming up
with an unexpected result. The computerized eyes widened. "I....know
you...!"

�� Kanone's
own eyes widened in shock, and he inwardly cursed and quickly used his magic to
create a small malfunction in the other Blade Child's system. Stupid of him to
forget about that one... "Do you? How so? I cannot recall meeting
you."

�� Jhette
blinked. "I know you from--" he started, than the image promptly went
grainy, fading in and out. "Warning! Warning! System malfunction in power
nodes 3, 7, and 8. Commencing emergency shutdown for immediate repair."
And with that, the image was gone.

�� Kanone
blinked. "Well," he said, expertly keeping any trace of smugness out
of his voice, "That was...interesting. Does that sort of thing happen
often?"

�� "I've
only known him for a few days, I do not know. Riku would probably be the better
one to ask." He frowned, wondering if that was merely coincidence...or
something more.

�� Kanone
nodded, letting go of the hope for working on his claim to Eyes for the night.
Jhette's appearance had ruined that chance. "Perhaps I'll do that. But for
now, you should go eat while your food is hot. I'll get myself settled in."

�� It wasn't
good manners to not invite Kanone, but Eyes couldn't see trying to curb the
others' behavior at the dinner table. "Remember, if you need anything, all
you need is to call. But you should find yourself well-provided for. I even
made sure you had a fully-stocked kitchen."

�� Kanone
nodded, walking over to Eyes and running a hand over the other Blade Child's
cheek before leaning up to claim a quick kiss. "I'll make use of it. Thank
you."

�� "You're welcome,"
Eyes murmured, fighting back a blush at the action. Since the airport he'd been
waiting for something, and when he should have expected it most, he'd been
unprepared. He cursed himself for it. "Until later." He turned and
left, fists clenched in his pockets.

�� Kanone
chuckled. Eyes was so very easy.
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