Title: Loyalties from the Side without Light

Warning/s: Yaoi (need I say more?), characters are pretty much out of it (yep, they're really OOC in here, it is in an AU after all), crack pair ahead, very, very slight violence and gore (Sorry, the sadist in me won the argument), a bit of language (I'm not really one to curse…much)

Disclaimer: I disclaim. The characters I used here belong to their respective creator and I own nothing aside from the crazy plot of this tiny fanfic I wrote (or typed for the matter).

x-o000o-x

Thank You Corner!

~Lavender Rose of Faith: Your review actually made me re-read my work and I totally have to agree with you. The last chapter was pretty intense. (I didn't even realize I was capable of something like that *laughs*) Thank you for reading and reviewing!

~Fallenbey: I'm glad you loved the previous chapter and as for your question…the answer is yes, yes they did. (My mom read the previous chapter too and she asked the same thing, probably knowing it already but wanted the confirmation *blushes* It was so embarrassing when I answered her yes and she just looked at me like I've grown another head!)

x-o000o-x

Chapter 4: The Cat's Deadly Game

It had been nearly a month since that night happened, however, very few things had changed. The young noble was still cold and emotionless, getting mad at everyone in the mansion whenever some of them mess up. All of the servants from the household were still terrified of the noble, trying their best to avoid the man if they could, though they never fail to notice the drastic shift in the noble's mood—Dashan's dark narrowed eyes suddenly turning into something soft and bright—in the presence of Kyoya, something that confuses every single one of them greatly. The servants could only wish being able to tie the green-haired youth with the noble, if only to keep the man in a good mood, knowing that it's a far off dream because it's no secret that Kyoya could be as terrifying as the noble if he so wanted to be.

The dynamic of Dashan's and Kyoya's relationship, through all those times, remained the same as well, at least to an outsider's point of view.

Behind closed doors, however, both men revert back into being seventeen year olds, youths who were simply living a life fit for their age. Away from prying eyes, scrutinizing looks and judgmental gazes, they were just teens. Dashan and Kyoya, a pleasing shift from being a proud noble and his loyal follower. When there was only the two of them, there were no titles, no names to uphold, no reputations to keep, nothing. When there was no one else but the other, they could easily forget their dark wish for revenge, reveling in the fact of how nice it was to refer to themselves as teenagers instead of men, times when they could be utterly vulnerable and yet feel safe at the same time without having to worry about anything. Moments when they could be happy for there were no pretenses, no lies, no facades, relieved that they could leave all their burdens behind once in a while, glad to feel the heavy weight upon their shoulders being lifted even if only for a few stolen moments.

It was also nearly a month since Kyoya last performed his job, Dashan making it specifically clear to him that he was not allowed to do any assassinations until he was completely healed, which, taken the current circumstances, wouldn't be too far away from the present. The bruises he received as well as the cuts upon his face was healing really fast anyway, all thanks to those nasty, weirdly colored ointments—Kyoya's nose crinkled at the thought, remembering how said ointments smell and feel against his skin—Dashan insisted he should use. Despite not being able to do something dangerous, which Kyoya had just recently found out that he enjoys doing, as well as being subjected into freaky medicines and ointments, the green-haired teen realized that he doesn't really care. He wasn't complaining either, no, definitely not. As a matter of fact, he actually found his break from all the killing wonderful, the fact that he could spend as much time as he wanted with Dashan made it even better. The noble was so adamant about staying with him, the black haired teen wanting nothing but to spend all his time with the other as much as he could. And Kyoya loved every small fracture of a second he was with Dashan, knowing that the noble was feeling the exact same thing.

They were taking advantage of those few short private moments they have, taking back all the times that had been wasted and lost, times when they could have been showing each other affection but couldn't because of certain circumstances.

It was in these private times that both teens could enjoy the other's warmth as they sat side by side in pleasant silence, fingers entwined securely. Engraving every little kiss shared between them to memory, as well as making sure none of them would forget those moments they spent out in the balcony, the blue eyed teen sitting comfortably on the young noble's lap as they gazed upon the moon, bathing in the ghastly glow the magnificent night wonder was giving off. Treasuring every night they were alone and undisturbed inside the noble's room, snuggled together under the covers on the soft and fluffy bed, either clothed or not, Kyoya's form fitting perfectly in Dashan's strong protective arms.

Just like tonight. Dashan and Kyoya were lying comfortably on the huge bed; a single thick blanket was the sole thing shielding them from the cold temperature, their bodies still flush from the aftermath of their love-making. Kyoya's head was resting on top of Dashan's bare chest while the noble was absentmindedly playing with the silky green strands of his hair. And as Dashan's fingers treaded lightly on Kyoya's hair, he noticed the troubled look present upon the other teen's face, causing him to break the silence that had settled between them, getting Kyoya's attention.

"Kyoya, what's wrong? You look troubled." The noble prompted in a tender voice, looking straight into the other's eyes, knowing that it would keep Kyoya from lying.

Unable to lie, Kyoya took a deep breath before answering, revealing the cause of his troubles. "I'm becoming your weakness." Kyoya mumbled before averting his gaze, suddenly finding the lamp interesting.

Kyoya's answer caused Dashan to reach out, caressing the assassin's face gently, smiling a bit as the green haired teen leant into the touch. "What makes you say that? Because I believe that you're still the strongest fighter I know."

"But there are still those who're stronger than me. It may be true that we have yet to face them, but, they're there." The assassin replied in a low voice. "I don't want them to get you through me."

"They wouldn't be able to hurt either of us." The noble assured softly, brushing the hair out of Kyoya's face. "And you're not becoming my weakness, in fact, you're becoming the opposite."

"I'm becoming…the opposite?" Confusion clouded Kyoya's eyes as he silently asked the noble to explain his words.

Dashan pulled Kyoya closer, brushing his nose against the other's as he attempted to put Kyoya's worries to rest. "Having someone to protect and keep safe, having you, it helps me to become stronger than I already am. With you by my side, I know there would be nothing that could stand in my way. Call me cliché, but that's how I feel." He then moved forward, closing what little gap standing between him and the other as he delivered a chaste feather light kiss over Kyoya's soft lips. "So put all your troubles aside and just stay with me. We'll take it from there, all right?"

Seeing the raw confidence glazing the noble's green eyes, Kyoya felt all of his worries evaporate into thin air, nodding ever so slightly as he felt his eyelids dropping, sleep finally started catching up to him.

Noticing this, the noble pried in a whisper, "Are you tired?"

Kyoya stifled a yawn, murmuring 'yeah' in a drowsy voice, an action that caused Dashan to let out a soft chuckle. The young assassin could be so adorable sometimes. And yes, Dashan was most definitely in love.

"Go to sleep then." Dashan stated as he shifted a bit, pulling the blankets slightly to cover both of them properly, making sure that Kyoya was comfortable as he tightly wrapped his arms around the other teen.

Kyoya let out a barely noticeable nod, not forgetting to wish the noble good night, smiling unconsciously as he felt the slightest touch of Dashan's lips on his forehead followed by the noble's calming voice whispering 'sweet dreams' near his ear, sending him off to dreamland peacefully.

x-o000o-x

Somewhere else, in a different yet equally huge mansion, a man could be found inside his office, sitting in a relaxed manner on a luxurious looking chair, a cup of naturally brewed coffee was being held in his hands. This man, whose face was indiscernible due to the darkness of the room, was currently entertaining a very special guest. Said guest, a professional assassin, whose appearance was also hidden from view, was crouched in front of the older man, the smallest shift in his posture suggesting his impatience, his nose scrunching up unpleasantly from the strong smell of coffee assaulting his senses. There was nothing but silence between the two figures, until finally, the older of the two spoke, his voice cutting the silence in a way a hot knife would on butter.

"You may rise." He ordered in a powerful voice, conveying his rank and authority towards the younger, letting the assassin know who the real boss between the two of them is.

In one swift motion, the younger did exactly what the nobleman was asking him to do, springing up right away, glad to be on his feet once more. "Finally." He mumbled, loud enough for the other man to hear, the noble's voice, full of authority and power, seemed to have no effect on him as he craned his neck from side to side in an attempt to ease the stiffness it acquired from crouching so low.

"I take it that you are already aware of the reason as to why you're standing here before me." The older stated, signaling that their negotiation had officially begun.

"I've been doing this job for years now." The younger scoffed, feeling indignant at the noble's words. "Do you honestly believe that I wouldn't have any idea as to why I'm here?"

"Don't you think that you're being rude to me, your current employer and the person who would be paying you?" The man asked, one of his eyebrows rising up as he did so.

"You are paying me to kill someone, not to act polite." The assassin answered haughtily, making it clear to his so called new employer that all he wanted to hear was the details about his current assignment

The noble, taking the hint from the younger, decided to finally get to the real point of the whole conversation. "True, I'm not paying you to act polite, so I'll get straight to the point now." He started, taking a nice slow sip of his coffee. "You see, there's a little mouse running around the city and killing off my dogs."

The younger let out a low whistle, his lips curving up to form a tiny smirk. "Impressive. Something tells me that this little mouse is no ordinary pest."

"Indeed, but I, as a cat, finally decided that I've let the little rodent roam around and play more than I intended it to." The noble declared, grabbing a photograph from inside his file drawer. "Get rid of it." He ordered flatly, his tone remorseless and uncaring, throwing the glossy paper over his guest, who in turn caught it easily. "Let me warn you though, that mouse is very tricky."

"Do not underestimate me! I have my own tricks up my sleeve." The assassin snapped, eyes narrowing as he scanned the photograph in his hand before turning it over, not the least bit surprised to find every information he needed written at the back—his target's name, age and address—his brows rising the slightest bit upon seeing the number written after the word age, but then again, why would he care about the age of someone who would die soon.

"Very well, I expect a lot from you." The older of the two said, ending the negotiation between him and the younger, throwing a small pouch filled with gold pieces towards the assassin. "That's your down payment. Impress me and I'll triple it."

"Generous." The assassin smirked widely, raising the pouch near his face to examine it for a little while before turning around to head for the door only to be stopped by the noble.

"Wait." The older man's voice echoed within the four walls of the room. "I believe I haven't learned your name yet."

His hand on the knob, the assassin replied shortly. "It's Hunter."

"I'm asking for your real name." The noble emphasized, his eyes boring holes into the younger's back. "I'm fully aware that 'Hunter' is what the police refer to you as."

"I actually prefer being called Hunter and keep my real name to myself." The assassin said, turning around to once again face the older man. "However, since you wanted to know it so badly, and also, you look like you're going to make a fit if I don't tell you…I'll make an exception." Then his eyes hardened, warning the nobleman that there's a condition the older needed to follow. "But this stays between you and me."

"You have my word." The nobleman promised. "Whatever it is that you would tell me would never get out of this room."

The assassin nodded, and as he opened his mouth to reveal his name the clouds drifted away from the moon, its light seeping through the thin curtains of the office, illuminating a few objects.

"My real name…" The mysterious young assassin begun lowly, the light from the moon hitting his form, its ghastly glow revealing fair skin complemented by strands of golden blond hair and dangerous bright blue eyes as he smirked eerily. "…is…"

A dramatic pause.

x-o000o-x

A/N: I totally adore this chapter! (I don't know why exactly, I just do.) And oh, I'm sorry about the cliff hanger, that's not really what I had planned but it just felt right to cut it from there. (But I'm pretty certain most of you already figured out who the mysterious assassin is *sobs* I know I'm not that good at being subtle.)

Tell me what you think?

Thank you for reading!