Title: Eyes in the Night
Chapter: Oneshot
Type: Fanfiction
Fandom: Legal Drug (by CLAMP)
Character(s): Saiga/Kakei
Genre: Pairing, Introspective
Word Count: 1, 100
Notes: Something I've been thinking about. You know, I never particularly loved the pairing before. But upon writing this, I found I've changed my mind.
Summary: Of lamps and alarm clocks.

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Eyes in the Night

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The bright red numbers on the alarm clock clicked, minute fifty-nine putting the hour over and ending all in zeros. Kakei swished his tea around in his mug, watching leftover bag debris swirl with delayed movement. He counted. Seconds – minutes – hours – sheep – dogs – cats – kittens. Nothing eased his anxiety. He took a sip – held the tea in his mouth till it cooled – then swallowed. Zeros turned to zero-one. Zero-two.

He rolled over and contented himself with clicking the lamp off and on – yanking the small chain with an uncharacteristic impatience he hadn't shown since he was a teenager. On – off. Light – dark. Shadows – black. Kakei – Saiga. He set the tea on the bedside table after a moment of feeling it trickle down his shirt. Cup had been tilted too dangerously. Careless. Carelessness had cost him before.

The lamp was off for a second, and when it was on again, there was Saiga, looming over him like some enormous bird of prey. All black fabrics and shadows in the crevices. But instead of danger, there was a sense of comfort. After a moment of silence, wherein Saiga poised perfectly balanced over the edge of the bed, Kakei opened his arms. Saiga let himself fall – gently but not so gentle that his weight wasn't felt plainly. His face wound up in the vicinity of Kakei's neck, sunglasses pressing into his skin uncomfortably and nose breathing in his scent deeply, almost shakily. Likewise, Kakei's arms trembled as they gripped his back.

"Don't worry so much," Saiga whispered, a hint of raspy humor in his voice. "If anything were to happen, you'd know."

Automatic reply in a dead voice.

"When you go there, I can't see you at all. They're stronger than me and I can't see when you're under their shroud. What's going to happen to you – I can't see it."

Saiga raised his head to stare at him. He considered this for a moment, then let his face flop back to its resting position. His lips moved hesitantly against Kakei's collarbone, forming the words of a question unvoiced.

"You were late today," Kakei continued, forcing his voice to return to its warm and somewhat lilting quality. "It's almost morning."

"I'll sleep in tomorrow."

Quick laugh.

"You sleep in everyday."

Saiga sniffed childishly.

"I deserve it after all of my effort. You work me to death."

"Don't put it that way." The mention of death, especially when connected to Saiga, was taboo in Kakei's opinion.

"I really deserve a reward," Saiga continued devilishly, curling his hands around Kakei's waist intently. "Don't you think?"

Kakei forced himself to laugh earnestly.

"I thought you were tired."

"I am," Saiga said grumpily, wiggling his fingers underneath Kakei's shirt.

"Hmmm," Kakei hummed, arching his back slightly as rough fingertips scrambled for purchase against his skin. Struck by a sudden realization, he lifted his head and coked an eyebrow. "Your shoes."

Saiga made a noise of discontent as he tried valiantly to kick them off.

"They're laced boots," Kakei informed him gently, mirth bubbling to the surface as he sat up. Saiga remained stubbornly attached to him, burying his face in his lap. Kakei maneuvered around so he was somehow able to reach his feet. He worked steadfastly on the laces. After he got the shoes off, chunking them carelessly over the side of the bed, he got to work on Saiga's bulky coat.

"Baby," Kakei accused after catching sight of the obvious pout on the other man's face.

"Baby," Saiga repeated, waggling his eyebrows with newfound cheer. "I like that."

Kakei smiled to himself as he settled the coat over the footboard of the bed.

"Of course you do," he cooed as he let Saiga pull him into an embrace.

Their lips melted against one another – familiar and welcome warmth. But the sunglasses really got in the way, and when Saiga sought to deepen things, he was forced to discard them, letting them hit the floor with a resounding clack. He became desperate, fumbling around in personal darkness until Kakei caught him and guided him back. Saiga felt his way around Kakei's body, running his hands along loved planes and favorite places. His breath came heavily.

"I want to see you."

It was a breathless whisper, with scratchy and broken syllables, but Kakei heard it nonetheless.

"I want to see you," Saiga repeated, sweeping his mouth down the column of Kakei's neck and punctuating the movement with a defiant suck on his Adam's apple.

Kakei gasped pleasantly, running his own hands over Saiga's jumpy shoulder blades. He remembered Saiga's eyes. The memory was like red-hot fire, drowned by the whiteness and after-shock of leftover images. Afterimages always left him in a colorful daze. Was that when he had loved Saiga for the first time?

"Kakei."

It was a frantic growl – a plea. Kakei soaked in the image of Saiga on top of him, lids fluttering eagerly as his eyes moved restlessly underneath, and resigned himself to his own darkness. He reached over to the lamp and gave the chain a sharp yank. Within moments, the lights were gone, but he knew that Saiga had opened his eyes.

He could feel Saiga looking at him with those focused pupils surrounded by otherworldly irises – eyes he had only glimpsed once before. And that had been painful for him, too. He felt Saiga undo his shirt buttons with unmistakable precision.

"I thought you were tired," Kakei whispered lovingly, searching for Saiga's hair and burying his fingers in the sweaty mass.

Saiga responded smugly – practically ripping the shirt away.

"I'm always tired these days," he chuckled, voice rough with lust. "But that won't stop me."

Kakei's laugh was breathless anticipation.

"Can you see me?" Saiga asked mischievously, no doubt leering shamelessly.

"My eyes are beginning to adjust," Kakei said, greedily searching for the dark silhouette of Saiga's body.

At least his eyes adjusted with time. Not like it mattered. They'd soon be screwed shut against an onslaught of sensation. But it still bothered him that, while his eyes were bound to adjust to the darkness, Saiga's could never ever adjust to the light.

Couldn't face it without extreme pain.

"Kakei."

There was underlying irritation – the kind that came from being disturbed from his so-called rightful reward.

"Yes?"

"Turn off that damn alarm clock."

He went on to mumble something incoherent involving the mention of annoyingly bright red numbers.

"We'll sleep late," Kakei warned.

"I know," Saiga murmured against his stomach.

Kakei reached over, searched for the cord to the wall, and gave it a sharp tug.

But you deserve it, he thought quietly.

END.

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