Yohji sighed as the door closed behind Aya. What the hell had possessed him to say such a stupid thing? A part of him would always love Asuka, but Aya was something else again. He couldn’t stop thinking about the man and how it would feel to touch him and be touched by him. That was now extremely unlikely to ever happen. Cursing himself as a fool, Yohji finished the sake and fell back on his futon.
He thought about the woman with Takatori Masafumi and wondered if it really was Asuka. If it was, what had happened to her in the past two years to make her go to the warlord’s son?
Finding no answers to his questions, Yohji retreated into sleep. Strangely he dreamed of Aya.
* * * * * * *
Schuldig shifted nervously as he waited with Nagi to see if Takatori Masafumi would attack his brother. A sudden movement caught his eye.
/Here they come./
/We see them,/ Crawford’s mental voice was calm. Schuldig just hoped this little fight would play out according to his lover’s vision.
There was no time for more thought as Masafumi’s women stalked into the courtyard where the adepts waited. There was a second of surprise, all the time Nagi needed to slam the little one into a wall and hold her there.
Schuldig dived out to take on one of the dark-haired women and found himself up against someone with obvious ninja training. Abandoning a physical fight, he attacked mentally instead and was relieved when she fell to the cobbles, unconscious.
The two remaining women were getting nowhere against Crawford’s visions and Jei’s speed with shuriken so they retreated, leaving the unconscious one and the little one behind them.
/Is it just me or was that too easy?/
/Considering I’ve got a slashed arm and Jei is covered with whip marks, I wouldn’t call that especially easy./
Someone wasn’t happy, Schuldig decided with a grimace. He kept his opponent unconscious until Crawford and Jei approached.
/What do you want done with the captives?/ he asked.
/This one needs to be taken to the Vessels./ He indicated the woman that Schuldig had disabled. /Kill the other one./
/NO!/ Schuldig, Jei and Crawford turned to stare at Nagi who had a supportive arm round his obviously frightened captive.
Crawford sighed. "Nagi, she is not quite right in the head so she’s of no use to us or the vessels for questioning,"
"She’s just a frightened girl, Crawford," Nagi argued.
Schuldig felt a headache coming on. /Let him keep her, Brad. Unless it does any harm./
/I’ve seen no visions indicating that it would, but that could change./
Schuldig shrugged. /If it changes, we kill her. It’s not a problem and the kid needs to learn about the birds and the bees./
There was an amused snort from Crawford at that. "Very well, Nagi, we’ll take her with us. However, at the first sign of trouble, she dies. Do I make myself understood?"
"Perfectly," Nagi said coldly, but he held the girl even closer, Schuldig noticed.
Grinning slightly in amusement he toed the unconscious woman. "Nagi, we could do with some help here. I’d rather keep her unconscious until we can get her to the Vessels. That means getting her over the back of a horse…"
Nagi gave him a really venomous look, which he ignored, and lifted the woman up into the air and over the back of Schuldig’s horse. "You carry her," the boy muttered.
Schuldig smirked at him and mounted behind the unconscious form. He slapped the woman’s ass and turned his horse ready for the long ride to the flower shop.
/We’ll meet you back at Reiji’s castle./
Schuldig smirked at his lover and nodded his understanding. Then he urged the horse forward at a canter.
* * * * * * *
Aya awoke to the sounds of someone banging on the door. It was still pitch dark so he could only assume that whoever their visitor was had important business with them. He felt as the others came awake and Joined them.
/It’s the telepathic adept./ Ken sent, surprise evident in his mind voice. /He’s brought an unconscious woman with him./
A mental gasp from Yohji left Aya in no doubt as to who that woman was. /Okay, Omi, let him in./ He broke the link and dressed quickly, reaching the shop just in time to see the telepath lay the woman on one of the worktables with Omi hovering in the background.
"Why have you brought her here?" Aya was surprised by the amount of venom in his voice as he glared down at the unconscious woman.
The telepath actually managed to look a little uncomfortable. "Crawford thought it best," he said. "As Vessels you have more strength to hold her for questioning than we do. There is something about those women that simply isn’t right and one of Crawford’s visions showed us failing if we tried to question her."
Ken and Yohji had turned up by this time and Yohji went straight to the unconscious woman. "Asuka," he murmured.
The telepath gave Aya a questioning look. "Does he know her?"
"He thinks he does."
"Shit!"
"Very eloquently put….what is your name anyway?"
"Schuldig. It means ‘guilty’ in my country’s language." Schuldig was smirking as he said that, as if he’d earned the tag.
"That figures. Did Crawford tell you to bring this particular woman here as opposed to any of the others?"
"No, she just happened to be the one who attacked me."
Aya sighed. He hated having to ask for any favours from the adepts, especially as he didn’t entirely trust them. "Can you check and see if he’s had any visions about this woman, please. As Yohji is so convinced he knows her."
Schuldig’s eyes went distant for a moment or two. "Yes, he has. She’s not what she seems and she will attempt to lead you into a trap. There will be great sorrow leading to happiness. That’s all he’s got, sorry. We will let you know if anything changes, though."
"Why are you helping us?"
"Because right now, we need to. If that should change….well, watch your backs."
"That was very clear."
Schuldig was thoughtful for a moment. "I hope we never do end up on opposing sides. But if we do…" He shrugged.
"I understand."
"Well, I’d better get moving. I have a long ride ahead of me and I want some sleep! She’ll come round a few minutes after I’ve left. See you around, Fire Boy!"
Schuldig left with a cheery wave at Ken and Omi. Yohji was still staring down at the woman on the table. Aya sighed. "Yohji, did you hear what he said?"
"I heard him," Yohji said grimly, "yet she definitely is Asuka."
The woman stirred slightly and groaned. Yohji went to touch her but Aya pulled him away.
"Let me go you asshole! She’s in pain!"
Aya felt his temper reach snapping point but still managed to stay calm enough to point out what Crawford’s vision had shown. "She’s NOT Asuka!"
He made the Join and forced Yohji to look again with the other Vessels’ skills to aid him. As the group mind studied her they noticed several oddities.
/It would be best to remain joined while we talk to her/ Omi sent. /There is something very weird about her mind./
/And her body/ Ken agreed. /Do you see that strange aura? That is not natural power/
/Yohji! Break through your own emotions and do your job!/
He felt Yohji’s part of the mind settle and gasp quietly. /So cold! She is Asuka but not as I knew her./
His own power was letting him know that the woman had been enhanced from another source that was totally dark. /It’s as if she’s possessed/
/Then there is hope for her?/ Yohji demanded.
/I don’t know/
The woman sat up slowly gazing at them without any special recognition of Yohji. There was nothing human in her eyes at all, Aya noted with a shudder.
"Who or what are you?" Omi demanded.
The only reply was a piercing cry as the woman jumped off the table and made straight for him. Why the hell had he left his katana upstairs? He waited for the impact, ready to take her on unarmed if need be but she never reached him. Instead she was flat on the floor, rubbing at her head, with Ken standing over her.
Aya had felt a wash of power through the group mind and suddenly realised it had been the Earth Vessel’s. /What did you do?/
Ken scratched his head. /I’m not sure but I wasn’t about to let her attack you so I ‘pulled her back’ except I didn’t lay a finger on her/
/It was your power, Ken-kun. Please hold her still while I find out what I can./
Aya felt it as the group mind, now directed by Omi, probed the woman’s mind. It was full of cold hate for all except her ‘sisters’ and Takatori Masafumi who appeared to be the source of both her hatred and power.
/Can we break her links to them?/ Yohji asked and Aya could feel his grief as he finally realised the truth.
/We can try/ Omi agreed. /Aya-kun, can you feed me some of your element’s will?/
Aya felt the drain as Omi set about breaking the links. He felt Yohji’s desire for the real woman to come back also feed the Air Vessel and Ken’s solid strength pouring in also. As he watched, all the links broke, except for the very powerful one attached to Takatori. That one lessened enough for the woman to cease struggling.
/Whatever he’s become, he’s incredibly powerful/ Omi’s mind voice sounded exhausted.
/Try finding out what she knows/ Aya was surprised at just how exhausted he was.
* * * * * * *
She was free! She took a deep breath and once again stared at each of her captors in turn. Her eyes widened as she recognised one of them.
"Y..yohji?"
He smiled gently at her and she remembered that smile. "Asuka."
Yes. That was right. She had been Asuka. She smiled back at him. "Thank you."
"Are you feeling up to a few questions, sweetheart?"
"I…yes, I suppose so."
"What is Takatori Masafumi planning?" The voice was deep and she turned to find it was the beautiful crimson-haired man that had spoken.
Takatori Masafumi? The name was like a blade in her mind and she stared at the crimson-haired one, hating him. He was the danger here. He was the one she had to dispose of first.
She shook her head, letting Asuka take over again. Throw them off guard, keep them unbalanced. "I’m not really sure beyond killing his brother and possibly his father."
Now that was an interesting reaction. It was almost as if the man wanted that to happen. But he hated Masafumi too so couldn’t be allowed to live.
"So, it’s just land that he wants?" The man was getting annoying.
"And power. Land is power is it not?" she said as if tired.
Ah, poor smitten Yohji hovering so protectively by her side. Perhaps she could use that against the others.
Masafumi’s power strengthened in her again and she came swiftly to her feet. The crimson-haired man would be the first to fall. She ran at him, screaming her hate only to be brought up short by something round her neck.
Suddenly she was off her feet and lying on someone’s back. It made no sense. Then Asuka remembered Yohji’s skill with the garrotte but it was too late to save Neu. "Masafumi," she murmured as everything started going dark, "I love you." The last thing she heard was a scream of anguish.
* * * * * * *
She was free! No longer drowning. No longer Tot then? Neu…Neu was gone. The link broken, though she could still feel Masafumi and the others. She lifted her gaze as the door opened and that cute boy came in. She smiled. "What’s your name?"
"Nagi."
She repeated it, deciding that she liked it. She opened her mouth to say something to him when a wash of hate and grief from Masafumi and the others overwhelmed her and she was drowning again. She jumped up and tried to attack Nagi, even though a part of her didn’t want to hurt him at all, only to be held still by an invisible force.
"Stop it! I don’t want to hurt you!"
A man appeared at the doorway. "She has to die, Nagi. The Vessels just sent word that they’re all linked."
"Then I’ll break the links somehow," Nagi said, glaring at the man.
"You might succeed with breaking them to the other women but not with the demon. Even the Vessels didn’t break that one."
There was a snapping sound in her head and Hel and Schon were gone, just like that. But Masafumi, he frightened her. "Please," she whispered, "help me get rid of him. Stop me from drowning."
* * * * * * *
"He still refuses to eat anything." Two days had passed since Yohji had killed Asuka and Omi was beginning to seriously worry about the Water Vessel.
"Damn it all, he’s got to snap out of this! We need him if we’re going to take on this…whatever the hell it is."
Omi sighed. Ken was reacting to Yohji’s pain the same way he reacted to most things that hurt one or other of them. He was getting angry. He glanced at Aya to find him outwardly calm but as worried as the rest of them on the inside. "Aya-kun?"
"What do you expect me to do, Omi?"
"I don’t know. Something. He saved your life and you’ve not been near him since!" And that was strange in itself, he realised even as he made the accusation. Aya knew that Yohji had saved him yet he hadn’t acknowledged it even once. "Perhaps if you spoke to him…"
Ken snorted. "Him? He can’t get over his own hurt pride!"
"Ken-kun, that is hardly helpful." Sometimes he wondered if he was dealing with a bunch of children even though he was the youngest physically. He turned to Aya once more. "Please, Aya-kun, it might help."
"Help! I’m likely to take that tray of food and ram it down his throat!"
Oh great! Just what he needed, one in despair and the other two having tantrums! He sighed and turned to take the tray back to the kitchen. Aya’s hand on his shoulder stopped him.
"Give me the tray."
Omi smiled in relief and handed it over.
* * * * * * *
Aya wasn’t sure just what he was supposed to do or say, but he carried the tray to Yohji’s room and slid open the door.
The Water Vessel was lying on his futon, one hand across his forehead and his eyes closed. He looked beautiful but Aya couldn’t focus on that right now.
"Yohji?"
The green eyes opened and Yohji looked across at him. There was accusation in his gaze but whether it was directed at Aya or himself, the Fire Vessel didn’t know. He extended the tray as explanation for his presence.
Yohji pulled himself into a sitting position. "I don’t want the damned tray!"
"You have to eat, Yohji."
"Why do I have to eat? She’s dead and you don’t care if I live or die!"
"That’s not true. We all care."
"Oh, really? Is that why you haven’t been near me for two fucking days?"
Aya frowned, confused by Yohji’s words. "I wondered…I thought you might not want to be reminded. I…I didn’t realise you’d taken it as my avoiding you."
Yohji glared at him. "You know, I’ve been lying here trying to figure out if I would have been so hasty if she’d attacked one of the others. But she attacked you and I had to… absolutely had to stop her."
Aya could find nothing to say to that. He had wondered if that were the case but thought that he would only make bad worse if he asked or even saw Yohji. Now it seemed he’d done just that by not seeing him.
He looked around for somewhere to put the tray and, spotting a low table, placed the tray on it. Straightening up he turned to gaze at Yohji again. "Why for me, Yotan?"
"Because no matter what I do, I can’t get you out of my head. I should be mourning her, wallowing in self hatred, but I can’t. Every time I try, you get in the way. Why do you think that is?"
"I really don’t know."
"Don’t you?" Yohji jumped off the bed and approached him like a hunting cat, his very gaze predatory. He backed up a step only to be brought to a halt by the wall. Yohji’s hands landed either side of his head and the Water Vessel leaned in close. "Perhaps because of what we are, or perhaps because I want you so much…I don’t know, either."
Aya opened his mouth to say more then shut it again. Words would not help Yohji but actions might. He reached up and grabbed Yohji’s head, pulling him down and kissing him. He felt the Water Vessel’s arms go round him, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss.
Aya’s hands strayed to the sash of Yohji’s yukata and he untied it, slipping the garment off of his shoulder’s. He felt a shudder run through Yohji’s body and broke off the kiss, panting slightly. His gaze moved from Yohji’s face and drifted over the lean plains of his body. His own clenched in anticipation at the sight.
He gave Yohji a shove that sent him back a few steps towards the futon, before fumbling with the ties of his hakama.
"Let me," Yohji pleaded and reached out to the ties.
Aya nodded and stood still as Yohji removed his clothes almost reverently. Finally naked they fell onto the futon and an immediate tussle for dominance began. Aya managed to pin Yohji to the futon and straddled him, effectively keeping him supine, before swooping in for another passionate kiss. He didn’t break off the kiss until Yohji stopped struggling.
Gazing down into those deep green eyes, he smiled. "Do you honestly believe I’m going to hurt you?"
Yohji still looked a little dubious but shook his head. "It’s just me. I’m…"
Aya placed a finger against the Water Vessel’s lips. "I know. You think you’re too dominant. Relax, Yohji, let me show you how it should be." Feeling Yohji finally relax Aya moved slowly down his beautiful body, kissing, nibbling and sucking as he went. He spent time on Yohji’s nipples until they hardened into little brown pebbles. Moving lower he took Yohji’s erection into his mouth, sucking and licking while his hands searched for something to use.
Finding a bottle, Aya grabbed it and glanced at the label. Moisturising hand lotion, that would do. Still sucking on Yohji, Aya poured some of the lotion into the palm of his hand. Coating a finger, he eased it gently past the entrance to Yohji’s body. A soft gasp from the Water Vessel convinced him that he was enjoying that much. Pulling out and adding more lotion, he inserted two fingers, scissoring gently and stretching Yohji.
"Fuck, Aya, that feels…."
He glanced up to find Yohji’s green eyes heavy-lidded with passion. He removed his fingers, added more lotion and inserted three fingers. Yohji whimpered and tried to impale himself on them.
"Please, Aya, just…please…"
Feeling the need to be inside him as much as Yohji by this time, Aya spread the rest of the lotion over himself and, letting go of Yohji’s cock, positioned himself. He smiled reassuringly at the Water Vessel. "You ready?"
"Gods…yes…do it, Aya, please…"
Needing no further encouragement, Aya eased himself slowly into Yohji a little at a time until he was fully inside him. It was like they were made for each other, like coming home. Slowly he began to move, searching for that spot that he knew would have Yohji seeing stars. A slight adjustment to the position of his lover’s legs and a hoarse cry from Yohji’s lips let him know when he had found it and he smiled at the beautiful man’s reaction.
He moved slowly, keeping his thrusts long and steady, hitting that spot as often as he could. Beneath him Yohji arched and writhed, just as sensitive and abandoned as he could have wished. Feeling his balls tighten in the prelude to his climax, he wrapped his hand around Yohji’s erection and stroked firmly a couple of times. Yohji came, moaning his name and he followed a second or two later.
They both hissed slightly as he pulled out and collapsed onto the futon next to Yohji. Without a word he held out his arms and Yohji moved into them. He ran his fingers through Yohji’s hair, loving the texture of it. A shaky little chuckle from Yohji pulled him back from the brink of sleep.
"I think you’ve just ruined me for women."
"Do you mind very much?"
"As long as you’re here, no, not at all."
He smiled into the darkening room. "Good."
~TBC~