Part Two:
The
Skirmish at Port
The loud, harsh sound of an incoming ship tore
through the cool night air like a black crow shot in flight. The cacophony of
frenzied shouts from port workers – foreigners and locals alike – heavy, steel
chains being pulled by able-bodied men to anchor the looming piece of machinery
and subsequent loud clanging of metal against metal, had Tsume and the others
wincing inwardly. They remained hidden in the shadows, dark beings mingling
with their surroundings as they watched the activity below.
Port
Tsume held the binoculars to his face, squinting in
an effort to make out the right ship that held their cargo. The ship’s name
(according to Sykes) was ‘The Beatific’ – a rather odd name for a ship, Tsume
thought. It was to arrive at 2300 hours, less than half an hour from now. Large
cranes were stationed along the pier to welcome the ships in. The crates
containing supposed Indian tea and cloth would be loaded unto pallets that
would be taken to waiting delivery trucks and then stored in the warehouse a
few miles away. The task allotted to Tsume and his crew was to hijack the
delivery trucks and drive them to their ‘client’s’ warehouse instead. It seemed
easy enough, but with the amount of security loitering about, Tsume could tell
that this was going to be one hell of a job tonight.
He gritted his teeth and shifted his position,
wincing as his legs protested the sudden movement. He had been in this hunched
position for quite some time and his leg muscles ached with the effort. He
turned his head to the left, watching warily as Sykes and Jake began to whisper
harshly to each other. There was already a dispute going on and Tsume could
take a wild guess as to where this was going. Tina and Marla were going to be
decoys. They would be sent down to the dock to distract the officers on duty.
Blood would be spilled tonight if things got out of hand and Tsume was already
itching for that to happen. He closed his eyes and licked his lips slowly, his
senses becoming more acute with each passing minute.
When had he begun to notice this change in him? He
had always lived his life on the edge, had gone about his daily business with
no real thoughts behind them. But now, things seemed so much clearer and more focused
to him. He found that he could see much better, especially in the dark. His
last girlfriend had also noticed the change. She had said his eyes looked like
golden flecks of light in the darkness. Tsume hadn’t been sure if that was
supposed to be a compliment or not. Either way, he had become more aware of how
much clearer things were and just how much his sense of smell had heightened.
Tonight alone had been torture for him. The combined smells of hot oil, grease,
fresh sea water and smoke was beginning to do a number on him. He struggled to
control his breathing, grimacing as beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. All
of a sudden, he longed for fresh, clean and crisp air – the need to be away
from this chaos and to be in a place where he could be free to roam in the
wild.
Kiba…
He jerked upright, eyes widening in disbelief at
the image of the stray he had picked up earlier that filled his mind. That was
it! His ‘changes’ had actually begun yesterday – perhaps they had begun over
time, but yesterday had been more pronounced than ever. Today alone, it had
threatened to make him nearly insane with how much it was messing up his mind.
He had sensed Kiba’s presence miles before he had arrived at the chaotic scene
in the middle of the city. The other man’s scent had been incredible to say the
least. It was like nothing he had ever experienced before. The smell of
wildness, an untamed beast – one just like him. Tsume licked his lips again,
but this time it wasn’t in response to the scent of blood but to the thought of
that damn man in his apartment.
If he was still there that is.
Kiba had wrapped his arms around his waist like he
had belonged. Kiba had shown no fear when Tsume had threatened him. Kiba had
looked…
…beautiful…
…when he had wanted to take a chunk out that man’s
neck. What was so beautiful about watching another person die? No, it wouldn’t
have been an ordinary death, Tsume deduced with a small smirk. This would have
been the perfect death. To watch Kiba take the life of another would have been
a fantastic thing to watch for Tsume was sure that Kiba was just like him, deep
down inside. He wasn’t sure of what that connection was yet. But he wanted to
explore it all the same.
Be home, he wished fervently as he
watched Sykes make the signal with a flick of his lighter. Don’t you dare run out on me, Kiba!
“Now!” Tsume cried out as he leapt down from the
wall and into the surprised group of armed men now training their guns on him.
He whipped out his knife and stuck it between his teeth, a wicked grin now on
his handsome features as they took on a feral look. Bullets whizzed by him as
he broke through their ranks. He felt the sting of gunshots, but nothing felt
better than the smell of hot, thick blood from his unworthy opponents.
__
Kiba stopped short as the loud
sirens from panic stations around the port went off with a flurry of lights. He
sucked in a harsh breath and pressed himself tightly against a wall as frenzied
searchlights danced over him for a moment. It wouldn’t do to be caught now.
Besides, he had only come here to see what Tsume and his friends were up to.
However, one look at the chaos in the dock below was enough to tell that things
hadn’t gone as smoothly as they would have liked.
He leapt down the high wall and
crouched between stacks of huge crates, keen eyes watching the scene before him
as another flood of armed guards came running down the pier. Kiba eyed the
heavy artillery with wariness, knowing he shouldn’t butt in, knowing that if
Tsume found out that he was here, he could be in serious trouble. But then
again, when had he ever listened to reason? Let alone from someone he had just
met today. He wasn’t afraid of Tsume. So yes, the other man had a tantalizing
scent that had begun to worry him on his trip here, but that didn’t mean
anything. Right now, the smell of rich blood and gun smoke was beginning to
stir his blood. His body thrummed with an energy that needed to be expended and
with no further thought of his safety, he leapt out of the shadows and reached
for the nearest guard. As his teeth sunk into warm flesh, his eyes glowed with
satisfaction and relief.
He was finally killing again.
__
Tsume growled in disbelief. What
the fuck was Sykes doing? It was clear that they had messed up the plan and all
they could do now was drive the trucks out of this madhouse and towards the
warehouse. He had already seen a few of their teammates killed during the
skirmish and Tsume wondered just how many of them were left. Without turning
around, he reached for the guard that had sneaked up on him, strong fingers
wrapping around his neck – tight…tighter still. He felt the bones crunch
beneath the pressure, the man’s gurgled sounds of death as he clung on for a
last few moments of precious air. But a final twist had him dangling limply
from Tsume’s hand. He was dropped unceremoniously and promptly forgotten. Just
another damned statistic in this bloodbath.
“Shit!” One of the delivery
trucks was already beginning to make its way out of the port and as Tsume
looked closely, he could see that it was Sykes in the driver’s seat. The slimy
bastard had every intention of leaving him here.
“Sykes, you son of a bitch!” Tsume bellowed as he
began to run after it. The redhead’s mocking laughter reached his ears and
Tsume felt his very soul aflame with fury. He growled – a sound unlike any
thing remotely human. His eyes flashed with hate, his lips parted in a snarl to
reveal deadly fangs that could pierce through the thickest of skins. He was
going to kill Sykes and have his satisfaction. There was no way he was going to
let that bastard go free.
Leaping over dead bodies, dodging bullets that
still flew over his head, Tsume’s mind was on one thing and one thing only. He
ran and leapt between crates as the truck continued its mad maneuver between
other cars, hardly caring for anything in its path. Sykes sat behind the wheel
looking insane and wild. His blue eyes looked too big for his drawn face and
his laughter maniacal.
“Haha! Gotcha there,
Tsume, you fuck! I’m gonna take this to the boss and
get all the money! You hear me, you sick fucker! It’s all mine now!”
“Tina! Marla! Jake! Tommy! They are all dead,
Sykes!” Tsume yelled as he ran alongside the truck. “Everyone’s dead because of
you and your lousy plan! I’m gonna make sure you join
them soon, you asshole!”
“See you in hell too, buddy boy!!” Sykes screamed
in laughter as he held up the small black and round object.
Tsume barely saw it coming. He had been so blinded
by his anger that it took his senses much longer than necessary to see that it
was a hand grenade. He watched in mortification as Sykes pulled out the
ignition with his teeth and threw it towards him.
Oh, fuck.
He wouldn’t be able to get away in time. So this
was how he was going to die – by the hands of some crazy asshole, who he had
never liked to begin with. He tried to stop himself from running and watched in
horror as the looming sea beckoned. That was his only option. He would have to
jump into the icy waters if he hoped to survive. And just as he thought his
feet would never cooperate with him, he felt strong arms around his waist and
the force of another warm body pushing him away from the grenade and towards
safety.
Kiba…?!
The water was like a thousand icy needles piercing
through their skin as they dove deeper into the inky depths. The explosion that
followed seconds afterwards caused the water to roil in turbulent waves around
them. Debris – both wood and metal (and sharp ones at that) swam around them,
forcing them to dive even deeper to escape from being injured. Kiba released
Tsume quickly and began to point towards their left. Understanding Kiba’s
reasoning, Tsume nodded in response and began to swim as fast as his legs could
take him.
They broke to the surface minutes later, both
gasping and panting for precious air as they stared about them wildly. Kiba pushed
wet hair away from his eyes and stared at the dock which was now in flames.
Sykes’ grenade had done a whole lot more damage than once thought.
“Fuck,” Tsume cursed softly as he shook his head
and pounded the water with his fist. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”
Kiba remained silent, understanding that Tsume had
every right to be upset with a failed mission. The other’s anger was tangible.
“And just what in the hell were you doing here in
the first place?!” Tsume asked deciding to turn his anger on the silent man
beside him. He hated it! Hated the fact that this whole thing had been a total
screw-up! Hated the fact that Sykes had managed to survive! Hated the fact that
he had almost died like a dog! And worst of all was that this man – this man,
who was slowly driving him crazy – had shown up from nowhere to rescue him! How embarrassing was that?!
“Consider it a repay of the favor,” Kiba replied
quietly. His legs were beginning to ache from threading water for so long now.
“We owe each other nothing now.” He finally turned to meet Tsume’s furious
gaze. “Would you like us to go to shore? We might get bitten by sharks…or
something.”
Tsume blinked at the dumb statement, not sure if he
ought to laugh or throttle Kiba for acting so naïve after all of that. But as
he watched Kiba begin to swim away, he decided to hold back his thoughts for
another time. He would get to know all about this man someday.
Even if it was the last thing he did.
__
Kiba’s sneakers made wet, squelching sounds as he
walked and he was beginning to shiver from the whole debacle. He was incredibly
tired now and longed for someplace warm to sleep for the night. However, he
doubted that Tsume would want him around after showing up at the port and for
some reason that thought made his heart ache with a pain he couldn’t
understand.
How stupid. You just met
him today and you already wish for him to accept you for what you are.
But I can’t help it, his mind cried at the
rational thought. He smells…he’s…just
like me…
“Ooofff!”
“Watch where you’re going,” Tsume grumbled as he
tore himself away from Kiba’s touch with an effort. He had been feeling cold,
but just those hands upon him – for just one glorious moment – had felt like
hot fire on his skin. They stopped at the intersection between Tsume’s home and
the highway and Tsume found himself gritting his teeth again in his dilemma. He
wanted Kiba to stay and yet, he didn’t want it to seem as if he were that
desperate for his company.
“You should get out of those wet clothes,” he began
and then kicked himself for how suggestive that sentence had been. But he had
already thrown the gauntlet and it was time to finish up the challenge. “If you
want to come back to my place…you’re free to do so.”
And sinking his hands into the pockets of his
pants, he shrugged in dismissal and began to walk away. For a moment, nothing
was heard except for Tsume’s boots crunching upon the pavement. He could feel
something cold and hard sink to his stomach and he recognized that as
disappointment. Perhaps it had been too much to ask for Kiba to stay with him.
But to his surprise, the squelching sounds of
Kiba’s sneakers soon reached his ears and to his inner chagrin and slight
embarrassment, he felt a responding smile (hidden from Kiba’s view) come to his
visage.
__
Tsume’s jacket and shirt were stripped off almost
as soon as he stepped through the front door. Kiba watched – while wondering
why his cheeks were a bit hot – as Tsume rolled up the wet clothes in tight ball
and tossed them into the bathroom. The black boots were kicked off impatiently
and now, Tsume stood in the middle of the living room, dressed in only his
tight leather pants with his back turned to Kiba.
“What are you waiting for?” he growled. “There’s
the bathroom. Go change in there. Here…”
He opened up his closet to pull out a dark blue
t-shirt and a pair of black shorts. Kiba barely caught them or the prominent
scar that was in the shape of an X upon Tsume’s chest. His eyes widened in
curiosity but one cold look from Tsume had him turning away and walking into
the bathroom.
As Kiba closed the door behind him, he realized
with concern that the door was made out of glass – well, not glass but a sort
of plexiglass that was hazy. He could vaguely see
Tsume moving about outside, but he wasn’t sure if the other could see him as
well. Not that it mattered whether Tsume saw him naked or not. He wasn’t
ashamed of his body. Why should he? Happy with his inner pep talk, Kiba
shrugged out of his jacket and began to pull his wet t-shirt over his head.
__
Tsume opened up the can of beer and drank
thirstily. He gave a light belch after almost drinking half of the can and then
made the mistake of glancing towards the bathroom and Kiba’s silhouette as he
undressed.
He watched in hypnotic fascination as Kiba hopped
from one foot to the other to remove his pants. Tsume bit his lower lip, his
fingers tightening around the cold can of beer as he watched Kiba’s erection
spring free from the confines of his cloth.
Are you kidding me? The guy
wears no underwear?!
Fuck.
He paced restlessly and took another hurried gulp
of his beer, swallowing tightly as he watched Kiba turn around in confusion for
a moment. The younger man was clearly naked now and his physique was amazing.
Strong but slender shoulders led to a tapered waist and well toned torso. His
hips were just as slim. He was clearly well-endowed and his legs looked lean
and strong. Tsume imagined them wrapped around his waist. He imagined Kiba’s
hands upon his flesh again and he groaned in dismay.
He shouldn’t have invited Kiba home. This was a
mistake through and through. He didn’t go about chasing stray men on the
streets. His tastes had ranged from blond, vivacious women to redheaded
vivacious women. He had no time for guys let alone one like Kiba, whose scent
was now beginning to have an effect on his psyche in more ways than one.
He realized with growing panic that his breathing
was becoming harsher and shallower. It was still relatively cool in his apartment,
but he was sweating again. His fingers clenched and unclenched tightly. His
eyes (unbeknownst to him) had become narrowed slits of golden heat. He wasn’t
sure of what was going on – on why the need to have Kiba was so strong, but
he’d be damned if he gave in to this madness.
“FUCK!” He paced to the window and threw it open,
allowing the fresh cool night air to brush against his fevered skin. He vaguely
heard the bathroom door opening and closing, but he clenched his hands around
the window sill a bit tighter than before. The tightness in his groin was
becoming unbearable. He had to think of revenge on his dead friends. He had to
find Sykes and kill his cheating ass but here he was wondering what it would
feel like to have Kiba at his mercy – screaming out his name over and over
again in pure abandon or in the throes of passion.
“So…” Kiba began quietly as he sat down on the
floor and crossed his legs. “I guess you have a million and one questions to
ask me, Tsume.”
He shifted his position as his gaze strayed to the
smooth curve of Tsume’s rear trapped beneath the tight cloth. He coughed
self-consciously, lowered his lashes and forced his attention on the tatami mats next to his feet. The tension and silence
between them was becoming a bit uncomfortable and hoping to relieve it a
little, Kiba invited softly.
“Ask me anything, Tsume and I’ll do my best to
satisfy your curiosity…”