Heroes & Ghosts

by SA Payne

  couldn't. There was no way Ichi could stop thrusting into the tight, willing body, at best, he was

  able to slow down a little. Ichi felt breathlessly male, primal, strong, to know that Rye, so strong and vital and completely masculine himself, was reduced to near tears from the pleasure Ichi

  was giving him.

  Rye was gasping for breath and wasn't sure he could stand to get hard again. Unfortunately,

  Ichi's slow, deep thrusts took the choice from him. His body responded and with each stroke his

  cock started to harden again. "Oh you found it." He managed to gasp out, feeling Ichi trembling with the need to finish, the twitching in the other man's legs pressed so closely to his own. "Ichi's spot, you found it." Rye muttered again, exhausted and limp everywhere but in one, admittedly

  important, spot.

  The meaning of those words sunk in slowly, past the fogging layers of lust and pleasure and Ichi

  heard himself half growl. "Mine!" He gripped those hips and pulled Rye higher up, moving a bit harder, deeper, needing blindly now.

  "Make me yours..." Rye gasped in challenge.

  Ichi couldn't stand to watch any longer. He closed his eyes and turned his world into blackness

  filled with unbelievable sensation. His hips were snapping with a mind of their own and each time

  he found that bright spot, his spot, deep inside of Rye's body, the red head below him would

  twitch and whimper too exhausted and spent to scream anymore. Each strike left him limp and

  weakened, needing more and unable to do anything but take all that he was being given.

  "Iku.... Iku...." Ichi moaned in warning, reaching blindly along Rye's legs. His fingers tickled along bare flesh, stroking, up over tight balls which earned him a new pitch to Rye's moans and

  forward to grasp his weeping, demanding length.

  Rye didn't need to speak Japanese to know what Ichi was saying. The stuttering rate of his

  thrusts mixed with the near anguished pain of his voice was all he needed to know that Ichi was

  about to come. Rye wasn't sure he would be able to follow so easily, exhausted, wound too

  tightly and unable to find that level of satisfaction that would put his cock to rest for good, he

  didn't know how Ichi could notch up the already mind numbing pleasure he was providing to

  carry Rye over the edge for the big fall, the last one he needed.

  Fingers tickled across his legs, ghosted between them and found their mark. Ichi's hand was

  barely wrapped around him and his vision went black. "Oh, oh fuck yes, oh, Ichi!" He nearly screamed and came so hard he lost feeling of everything but his own release.

  His mind cleared just enough, just soon enough, to feel the last, stuttering deep thrusts into his

  body and the burning hot fire of Ichi's release. The man was silent, gasping in breaths as his

  mind was too overloaded for words. Rye moaned, absorbing the moment deep into his soul. If

  nothing more, if never again, he had this moment and nothing could take it from him, not even

  Conti had been able to steal his memories.

  Rye collapsed forward, Ichi falling with him to land on his back. He could feel Ichi's breath, hot

  and panting, against his skin, feel the kisses the other man pressed to his sweat glossed flesh as

  he came down from his own release. Rye would have been happy to lay with Ichi's weight

  against him until time ended but all too soon Ichi squirmed.

  When Ichi managed to remember that he was pillowed on and most likely crushing, Rye, he

  struggled to get his body to work and his weight lifted. His now spent and limp cock slid

  unhappily from the home it was nested in and Rye moaned long and low at the loss. Before Ichi

  could think of anything to do or even where he should try to lay down, strong, pale arms found

  him and pulled him down.

  Rye wrapped himself around Ichi, pressed his sweaty and sticky body to every bare inch of Ichi

  he could find. "Love you... so much." He sighed out, every muscle fiber in his body trembling in twitchy exhaustion.

  "Did I..." Ichi sighed as Rye pulled him impossibly closer. "Was it okay?" That was the first thought to drift up when thoughts returned.

  The chuckle was low and warm and rocked them both. "No, no okay doesn't cover it, amazing,

  wonderful, perfect, that's closer. What did you think, of topping?" Rye found himself kissing the side of Ichi's neck in lazy, sated exhaustion.

  "Amazing, wonderful, perfect... but..."

  "Hmmm?"

  The kisses against his skin, the body snuggled so close to his own, was lulling Ichi down into well earned sleep. He hated sleeping all sticky and sweaty but maybe, this once he could make an

  exception. "I like the other way better." He sighed and hoped Rye wouldn't be too disappointed.

  That warm chuckle welled up again and Rye tossed a leg across Ichi's. "Me too, baby, me too but is nice to sometimes play pet and owner, hmmm? God," he sighed, drifting quickly to sleep.

  "That was so.. So.. Amazing."

  Pet and Owner, Ichi hadn't thought about it but how Rye had been waiting for him on the bed was

  just as he'd waited while a Pet. He wasn't entirely sure those sort of games were totally healthy

  but if some part of Rye would occasionally need to let go and fall into that role again, Ichi wasn't going to blame him for it. Not when the results were so mind blowing and delightful for them

  both.

  As he drifted into sleep inside the circle of Rye's arms, a second thought floated up and his sex

  addled and sleep seeking brain blurted it out. "I'm going with you... for Conti..."

  Rye didn't protest, he was already asleep. Ichi glanced over and saw the man hadn't really heard his declaration and shrugged it off. He'd made his stance clear, Rye hadn't protested, the matter

  was now officially settled. Content, warm, and not caring how sticky and sweaty they both were,

  Ichi let himself drop into exhausted and happy sleep.

  Chapter Thirty Five:

  The hotel was far nicer than Ichi was comfortable spending money on. He was frugal by nature

  and raised to detest the trappings of excess. Which made the suit he was wearing even more

  uncomfortable, it cost a disgusting sum of money all to earn it a designer label. What was worse,

  the absolute worst part, was that Rye had paid for it all.

  Ichi had dug his heels in about going with Rye when he left, expecting to have to fight Rye tooth

  and nail but the red head had merely gone silent and nodded. When pushed, Rye simply

  admitted he'd feel better knowing Ichi was safe, personally knowing, and the only way to do that

  was to keep him close at hand. Only, Ichi had refused to be baggage, knowing his role as Pet

  owner could get them at least into the same secure office complex that Lerman rented, he'd

  stood his ground until Rye accepted him as an equal.

  It had made Will sick with worry. He's protested more than Rye had and in the end had been

  upset enough to be angry. Only, when the day came for them to leave, he'd hugged them both

  and seen them off. They'd traveled via Avalon transport back to Concord space and from there

  to a middle of nowhere colony. Officially, they were going there for Ichi to evaluate the logistics of adding a new species to his collection. In reality, it was one of the locations Rye had used as a drop.

  In the span of a few hours, they'd picked up Rye's stored information and he'd taken another

  name. A visit to a local bank and a short wait made them wealthy men. Not that Ichi didn't have

  plenty of money of his own, his family was quite comfortable and his own personal money was

  well invested but this was ready, on hand, accessible cash.

&nbs
p; He had stopped protesting when he saw how easily Rye moved in this world. When Rye took him

  to buy new clothing, he hadn't protested. When Rye had made reservations, Ichi had agreed.

  He'd let Rye make the plans, so long as those plans had included him.

  Which had led them to Lerman's doorstep, with Ichi in a suit that cost an indecent amount of

  money, checking into a hotel that was far more than he needed. Rye stood behind him, naked

  but for one of his longer, custom made kilts. Around his neck was an ornate collar they'd bought

  new and a new leash was attached. Ichi held the other end uneasily, knowing it had to be done

  and still not liking it.

  "Ah, here it is, sorry for the delay Mr. Vitorui, everything is arranged. If you require anything, please, contact the front desk. Will you be needing a caretaker for your Pet while planetside?"

  "No, that won't be necessary." Ichi tried to sound cold, aloof, superior as Rye had suggested but he felt frightened and worried. Lucky for them both, when he felt scared, he tended to sound just

  as Rye wanted.

  He waved off the help of one of the hotel bellhops and shouldered his own traveling bag. They'd

  made the choice to move light and still holding the end of the leash, Ichi led them down hallways

  to the room they'd rented. Once inside, he dropped the leash and locked the door.

  Rye still didn't move, not until Ichi opened their bag and pulled out a small, hand held electronic scanner. He turned it on and it hummed slightly before beeping and glowing green. Rye sighed

  and clawed at the collar, desperate to get it off. When the latch gave way he tossed it onto the

  near by bed.

  "Did you really think they'd have the room bugged?"

  "Better safe." Rye nodded to Ichi and moved to set the small device to continue scanning and to automatically block anything it might find. He glanced up to where Ichi was half frowning. "I have to do this."

  "I know."

  "Getting in will be easy, finding Conti will be easy, the rest?" Rye shook his head. There was no way to smuggle a weapon in without drawing notice to them, he'd either have to find one or kill

  Conti with his bare hands. The thought alone turned his stomach.

  "And this can't wait until the morning?"

  Rye dug out the small satchel they'd put together before the ship landed and tossed it toward

  Ichi. "Can't risk it, I can't swear that Lerman doesn't monitor the docks. If they do, they'll have

  captured my face and if I'm still in the files it'll pop up in the daily reports on Conti's desk in the morning."

  He caught the satchel and draped it over a shoulder, suddenly sick with nerves. "And they're

  going to just let us in?"

  "They're going to just let us in. You're a Pet owner, you've an open invitation to visit the plant anytime you wish. Once there, I'll get us diverted, easy as can be." There had been a distance between them since the morning Ichi had declared he was going with Rye and Rye hadn't fought

  him about it. During the entire trip, Rye would catch Ichi staring at him with a lost, hurt look in his eyes but no amount of asking got the man to speak. "Remember, this is my home. I know that

  compound better than anyone alive."

  "I know." Ichi nodded and smoothed out a wrinkle from his suit. "What do you think our odds are of living to see the morning?" He asked just above a whisper the question that had gnawed at

  him for days.

  That stopped Rye's fussing and brought his head up so quickly it almost made him dizzy.

  "What?"

  "You heard me."

  "Ichi," he moved to where his lover stood, eyes worried and dark. "Nothing is going to happen to you."

  "I'm not afraid to die."

  Rye's hands came up to cup either side of Ichi's face, his thumbs traced the line of his

  cheekbones. "Nothing is going to happen to you, nothing."

  "And if something happens to you?"

  "You do just like we talked about, Lerman won't hurt you if they think you've got proof of all of this. Turn around, walk out and don't stop until you get back to Avalon." Rye had gathered an

  extensive collection of evidence against Lerman over the years and he'd tucked that away just

  as securely as he'd put aside fake names and cash.

  "If something happens to you, there is no turning around for me." Ichi met those cold grey eyes and didn't flinch.

  "You promised me."

  Ichi just shook his head as much as he could while Rye held it. "What are the odds?"

  For as much as he wanted to tell Ichi everything was going to be fine, Rye knew better than to lie

  to the smart man. "Less than half, but if I... we, don't do this, we've no chance. They will come for you eventually."

  "I know."

  "Even if I left you and never saw you again."

  "Don't even think that."

  That quiet stubbornness made Rye smile softly before he leaned forward and kissed Ichi. Their

  lips barely brushed against each other and it was more for comfort than passion. "Let's go."

  There was nothing that could be said from that point on, Rye put the collar back on and fell easily into the role of Pet. Ichi took up the end of the leash and guided them to a cab and from there to

  the very industrial complex that housed Lerman and PETS Living Companions. It took every

  ounce of his will and every fragment of his faith in Rye to not simply turn them around.

  Rye had the skills, training and expertise to simply disappear. If he'd never met Ichi it would be a simple matter of making a choice between revenge and hiding. Ichi had no illusions about his

  own skills at such covert things. He couldn't disappear, he had his work, his family, his life. The very thought of being forced to give up everything that defined him, to run and hide for the rest

  of his life without ever making a mistake seemed an impossible task.

  There were no choices and the cab dropped them off at the main entrance. Ichi slid out, trying to

  hid his own fears, and Rye followed where he was led. The secure complex had only three

  entrances, one was private, one was secured for deliveries and shipping and one was the public

  main entrance. Before, Rye had used the smaller, private entrance but he knew the level of

  surveillance there and knew he'd be noticed.

  The delivery and shipping entrance was exploitable. Yes, it was secure but Rye had grown up

  running scenarios for infiltrating buildings his entire life. He could think of four ways they'd most likely gain entrance that way, none of them were a sure thing and all of them could easily lead to

  detection.

  The main entrance was a different story. Less monitored, more heavily trafficked, just as secure but easier to slip by in. There were local deliveries made here, office workers came and went,

  visitors to Pets as well, sometimes even groups of school children were invited to the tour. There

  was a gift shop for PETS, of all things, and even Lerman didn't bother to scan every face that

  came through the door.

  It was busier than Ichi had expected, and made him less nervous. He'd been most worried about

  being the only two people there, standing out, looking odd, gaining attention Rye had warned as

  a bad thing. Instead of being empty, the place was modestly busy, there was even another man

  standing to the side holding a gold chain leash. Only his pet was a female wearing the simple kilt

  and a single band of fabric over her breasts. Her blonde hair fell to below her waist, her eyes

  downcast but even Ichi who didn't think twice about women had to admit the female was

  stunningly beautiful.

  He glanced to Rye and felt the fear dissolve. A smirk tugged at his mouth, for as beautiful as the

  blon
de was, she looked like she'd been hit by an ugly stick compared to Rye. It made him feel a

  sense of pride that straightened his spine and gave him the perfect amount of confidence to

  approach the help desk.

  He scanned his thumb print and a holograph of the same recorded woman that had announced

  his surprise upgrade appeared. "Greetings," a half beat too long pause. "Mr. Kenichi Vitorui of,"

  another half beat too long pause. "Avalon Station S14592." The holograph smiled blindly.

  "Welcome to the home of your Pet, the Living Companions division. I see you've brought your

  Pet along for this visit. Would you like to arrange a training session?"

  "No." He answered coldly.

  The holograph paused and the response processed. "Very well, we have many wonderful training

  sessions available, should you re-consider. In as little as a week, your Pet could learn many

  useful new things all for very affordable rates. Is there a current difficulty or problem with your Pet that you would like addressed?"

  "No."

  "Good! It's nice to see a satisfied customer. Would you like to tour our facility?"

  "Yes."

  "Excellent. Please follow the gold light on the floor, it'll guide you to the lifts. Please continue to follow the gold light during the tour, it will show you all the best that Living Companions has to

  offer. And don't forget to visit our gift shop before going home, you'll find many wonderful items

  for you and your Pet." She smiled again and blinked off but now a gold light glowed on the floor just below Ichi's feet.

  He followed it and wasn't surprised that it lead near to the other man and his waiting Pet. The

  man was in his late middle aged and wearing a suit that made Ichi's look cheap. He had a slick,

  wealthy, look that reminded Ichi of the patrons that funded research because it was expected not

  because they had any love of science.

  "Well." The man greeted as Ichi came over toward him. "Didn't expect another of us to be here."

  "Small world." Ichi nodded back, refusing to back down to the other man.

  "Quite a looker you got yourself, well trained is he?"

  "Well enough."

  The man smiled. "He's new to you."

  "Less than a year." Ichi felt no need to lie.