Shadow Wolf (Shinobi Saga)

by Sessha Batto

  “We were lovers,” Yoshi said. “We were important to each other. He needed me. No one ever had before. No one hurt me or forced me to do anything. It was nice.” He smiled wistfully, unaware of the horrified look on the kunoichi's face.

  “Someone hurt you?” she managed.

  “Didn’t Tatsuya tell you?”

  “No, he didn’t. Are you alright, Takahashi-san?” Mayu's voice was full of compassion as she wrapped her hands around the elite's.

  The shadow wolf shrugged expressively. “Maa, it was nothing … and call me Yoshi, please. Takahashi-san sounds like my father.”

  “I’d be happy to help you find some clothes, Yoshi-san,” she offered. “It would be my pleasure.”

  ****

  Makoto burst into the Kobayashi no Shuhan's office, skidding to a stop in front of the desk. “Where's Souta? I need his help right now.”

  “What did he say?” the assassin asked as he stepped out of his concealed position.

  “He said yes. Now what?” the interrogator asked.

  “You really are hopeless,” Daisuke declared with a laugh. “Take the day off and give him a hand, Sou. He’ll muck it up if you don’t.”

  “Okay,” the assassin agreed. “Where are you taking him?”

  “I have no idea. I don’t really go out to eat. Oh Kami, I don’t know what he likes. What if he's allergic to something?” Makoto began to panic at the thought of what should be a simple dinner.

  “We’ll check his records, they’d list any allergies. I’ll book you a room at a decent restaurant so you can have some privacy.” Souta drifted into fantasizing about the white-maned shinobi. “He is gorgeous, isn’t he?”

  “In my opinion he's very good-looking,” Makoto admitted.

  “He has all the luck, good-looking, talented, genius,” Souta said.

  “Yes, I’m sure it's so lucky to be abused for years,” Daisuke broke in.

  “Oh Kami, I’m so sorry, I didn’t think,” the assassin back-pedaled. “I didn’t mean…”

  “It's alright, Souta,” Makoto assured him. “I know you just weren’t thinking. You’ve been a huge help.”

  “I want my foursome,” the assassin explained.

  “I need a twosome first,” the interrogator grumbled. “Can we please get back to my date? What should I wear?”

  After Souta recovered from the fit of giggles triggered by Makoto's question, he took a deep breath, willing himself to relax. “What were you thinking of?”

  “All I really have is basic blacks, but I said nice clothes, like an idiot.” The interrogator smacked himself on the forehead. “I have no idea what's appropriate.”

  “Would you like me to go shopping with you?”

  “I’m not going to fit into your clothes,” Makoto pointed out. “So I don’t see that I have any choice.

  “You make it sound so horrible,” Souta complained. “I’ve got good taste, don’t I, Dai?” he asked.

  “Yes dear,” the Shuhan answered with a snort of laughter. “I’m sure you’ll turn Makoto into a sex god.”

  “But I don’t want to be a sex god,” the interrogator protested. “You said I was supposed to wait and woo him.”

  The Shuhan and his lover leaned against each other until their gales of laughter had passed. Souta ventured, “Like it or not, you are a sex god, Sasaki. Now let's go get you outfitted to snag your man.”

  “I’m liking the sound of this less and less,” came the mournful reply. The enthusiastic Souta easily swept Makoto's protests aside as he grabbed the interrogator's arm and towed him off toward the market.

  ****

  Seven forty-five found Yoshi studying himself in the mirror. After an entire day of shopping he had somehow ended up dressed in the kimono he’d had in the first place. “You look very handsome, Yoshi-san,” Mayu assured him.

  “Good, now let's get going and give the poor man some privacy.” Tatsuya took his wife's elbow and steered her towards the door. “I’m so sorry,” he mouthed over his shoulder.

  “Thank you for your help, Mayu-san,” Yoshi said with a bow. “I never would have gotten it done on my own.”

  “Just remember what I said.” The kunoichi continued coaching as her husband hustled her toward the door. “You need to seduce him.”

  I have no idea how to go about doing that, the shadow wolf despaired as the couple left him alone with his scattered thoughts. I don’t want to screw up. This is my chance to tempt him away from Jun. But is that really fair to Makoto? He deserves so much better than me. He was so lost in his internal debate he almost missed the bell. “Coming.” He bolted for the door, stopping to smooth his kimono and compose his features.

  “Sasaki-san, you’re right on time,” Yoshi murmured, looking up into startled ebony orbs. “Is something wrong?”

  “No, no,” the interrogator assured him as he tried to cover his nervousness. He is so far out of your league, Makoto's mental voice piped up. Just look at him. So look he did. The torture master couldn’t seem to stop staring at the elegant figure, back ramrod straight and alabaster skin flashing against the black silk of the kimono. “Please, call me Makoto. There's no need to be so formal with each other, is there?”

  “So, Makoto,” Yoshi purred. “Shall we go?” He used the opportunity to study the interrogator, raking his eyes over the large form, enjoying the play of muscles under the fitted pants and shirt. “Where are we headed?”

  “It's a new restaurant. They have a special method for grilling the meat and vegetables that's supposed to be delicious,” the interrogator explained. “I haven't actually eaten there myself. I hope it's alright.”

  Ten minutes later they were being seated at a cozy table in a small private room. Before they had a chance to speak a flurry of staff poured into the tiny space, warming sake and setting heated stones in front of each man. Large platters of meats and vegetables were placed in between them before the waiters turned as one, bowed, and disappeared.

  “You cook on the stones.” Makoto was thankful he asked about it when he made the reservation, it was better than searching for something to talk about. “I thought this way you could relax and enjoy the food.”

  “Thank you. I was wondering how to make a good impression while still managing to stay vigilant. I'm not worried about you,” the elite hastened to explain. “I'm just not comfortable around strangers.”

  “You don’t need to make a good impression.”

  Of course it doesn't matter what impression I make. I've already blown it. “It was particularly thoughtful of you then,” the shadow wolf whispered.

  “What's wrong?” the interrogator probed. “Did you not want to be here?”

  “Oh no, it's not that,” Yoshi demurred. “I just wish things had turned out differently, that's all.”

  “You miss him, don’t you?” Makoto asked.

  “Who, Kazuki?”

  “Who else?” the interrogator replied with a shrug. “You said he was important to you.”

  “He understood me,” the shadow wolf explained. “He suffered as I did. We had nothing to fear from each other.” He turned his piercing gaze on the impassive torture master, studying him carefully. “I killed him. I didn’t intend to, but my actions led to his death. How could I leave him to die alone knowing it was my responsibility?” Sharply distrustful eyes watched the interrogator like a hawk, searching for signs of rejection. “It's really for the best that you’re seeing someone else. I’m bad luck. Jun's a good man. I think I understand what happened.”

  “I don’t,” Makoto replied. “What does Jun have to do with anything?”

  “I saw you two yesterday, at the market. He's a bit loud, but I think I can see the attraction.”

  “I am not attracted to Jun,” the interrogator insisted. “Believe me, that is the farthest thing from my mind.”

  “But he was hugging you, and then he carried you off in his arms,” the shadow wolf protested. “It was all very romantic.”

  “Trust me, the words
romance and Jun never even entered my mind at the same time,” Makoto insisted. “He wanted help with an interrogation. He has insisted on 'helping' me until your return.”

  “Helping you?”

  “After I got out of the hospital I had trouble getting around on my crutches,” the interrogator explained. “Jun felt he had to help me since it was at least partially his fault I was injured.”

  “You’re not dating?” the shadow wolf asked.

  “Oh, Kami, no. That will never happen.”

  “Why did you turn me away then?” the elite whispered.

  “I didn’t turn you away. I just gave you your key,” Makoto protested. “I thought you would still be upset over Kazuki. Souta said I should give you some time and space to recover.”

  “You’re taking relationship advice from Fukazawa Souta?” Yoshi arched a single brow in surprise.

  “I need to confess. I saw you with Kazuki when Rin escaped. You were having sex, and from what I could see, you were enjoying it. I assumed you weren't coming back and I … well, I was pissed off. I wanted to hurt you, so I slept with Daisuke, and then with he and Souta together.”

  “What?” The shadow wolf was confused. “You slept with Daisuke?”

  “I’m sorry,” the interrogator swore. “I know it was petty and childish, not to mention pointless. I couldn’t forget you, no matter how hard I tried. Please don't reject me just because of that. I know it's the oldest excuse in the book, but it truly didn't mean anything.”

  “You don’t owe me any apologies, I missed you too. I thought of you every day. I always intended on coming home, but I knew you’d be better off without me.”

  “That's ridiculous,” Makoto insisted. “How could losing you be better? I’ve missed you terribly.” He lifted a long fingered hand to his lips and kissed it. “So, how is it being back in your own home again?”

  “It's a little weird, to be honest. I haven’t lived there since I was a child. I had a hard time sleeping,” Yoshi admitted.

  “It's a beautiful house.” The torture master slid some meat onto his stone, covering his awkwardness with the small talk by fussing with his cooking food. He poked at it with his chopsticks, drawing a smile from the solemn shadow wolf.

  He's nervous. Yoshi relaxed enough to draw his first deep breath. “It's too big for one person.” He selected a few shrimp and some eggplant, studying the interrogator as he placed them on the stone to cook. “You look good in those clothes.”

  “They’re a little clingy for my taste,” Makoto concluded after a moment's thought. “Souta assured me I looked hot. I wanted to impress you. You look amazing in that kimono.”

  “It's too formal. I knew it would be wrong,” Yoshi fretted. “I just wanted to make sure I looked my best so I could lure you away from Jun.”

  “Silly man. No one with eyes could resist you, no matter what you wear.” The interrogator cupped a creamy cheek in his hand, rubbing the satiny skin with his thumb as he locked eyes with the elite. “You’re beautiful.”

  “So,” Yoshi ventured, eager to change the subject. “How have things been around here since I've been gone?”

  “It's been good, busy,” Makoto decided. “Things are running a lot more smoothly. Daisuke's almost caught up on the backlog. The clan heads have been helping him out.”

  “That's good,” the shadow wolf said. “You slept with the Shuhan?”

  “You were sleeping with the head of Nakamura shuudan. Kazuki was powerful, beautiful and charismatic,” came the bitter retort. “How could I possibly compete with that? Daisuke and Souta were kind enough to offer me some comfort.”

  Yoshi had no response, merely studying his companion as they continued to eat. He leaned back from the table and remarked, “That was very good. I’ll have to remember this place.”

  “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Does this mean you’ll go out with me again?”

  “Are you sure you want to?” came the wry retort.

  “How could I not?” the interrogator admitted. “No one could possibly measure up to you. How does tomorrow night sound?”

  ****

  All too soon the pair were standing outside Yoshi's door. “So, would you like to come in?” The shadow wolf peered uncertainly into unreadable ebony eyes.

  “There is nothing I would like more,” Makoto said. “However, I’m going to pass.”

  “Aaaa. Well, then…” Yoshi trailed off in surprise as a large arm moved up to block his escape.

  “That doesn’t mean I’m done with you,” the interrogator whispered. The shadow wolf realized he was trapped when the other arm moved up to pin him in place, and a delighted shiver raced up his spine when the large body pressed intimately up against him. “I want to learn everything about you,” Makoto rumbled. The hairs on the back of Yoshi's neck stood up when hot breath washed over his sensitive ear. “All the good and the bad. Who's been kind, and who hurt you. I don’t care how long it takes. When I know you inside and out, maybe I’ll know how to make you never want to leave me.”

  The shadow wolf's heart sped up when Makoto leaned in to press their lips together, eyes sliding shut as he memorized the feeling of soft silky flesh against his scarred, slightly chapped pair. The interrogator kissed his lanky lover to the beat of their hearts. After a lifetime, or a few moments, he wasn’t sure which, those delectable lips opened and he was granted a taste.

  Makoto's tongue swept into the shadow wolf's mouth, coaxing, caressing and finally claiming it for himself as he dominated the smaller man. “I never wanted to leave you,” Yoshi whispered when the kiss broke. “You make me feel safe.”

  “I swear I will keep you safe.” The interrogator trailed his lips over high cheekbones and ghosted over the distinctive red eye. “You are precious to me.”

  Yoshi pulled back, eyes sharpening as he searched the impassive face for answers to unspoken questions. “I’d appreciate it if you’d at least come in for a cup of tea. It's surprisingly lonely being back in this house.”

  “Of course, I’m always happy to spend time with you.” Makoto followed him inside, peering into the rooms they passed on their way to the kitchen. Once there, Yoshi exploded in a flurry of activity, locating the tea and a pot before setting the water on to boil, only to hunt for two clean cups.

  “Enough.” The interrogator pulled the shadow wolf into his arms and kissed him thoroughly. “You don’t need to fuss over me.”

  “I know you didn’t want to stay,” the elite demurred.

  “I didn’t say that,” Makoto corrected him. “I said I was going to pass. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to restrain myself.”

  “Why should you? I’m a bit confused.”

  “I don’t want to have sex with you.” Makoto paused to marshal his thoughts, only to be jerked out of his introspection by Yoshi's bitter response.

  “Because I’m a filthy whore,” he stated. “No, not even that. I’m just a slut who’ll sleep with anyone. Why would you want to sully yourself.”

  “No, that's not what I meant.” The interrogator grabbed Yoshi's arms, forcing him to stay. “What I was trying to say is that I don’t want to just have sex with you. I told you I spent time with Souta and Daisuke while you were gone.”

  “Yes,” the shadow wolf muttered. “That wasn’t slutty at all.”

  “Would you shut up and listen to me.” Makoto pushed the elite's arms above his head, pinning him in place so he could continue. “I want what they have. Not just sex. Fun, companionship, friendship, family. So I don’t want to just fall into bed with you. Not that I don’t want to, it's taken all my will power not to just rip that kimono off you. I want to do this right, and that means I need to get to know you. I don’t want to have sex with you Yoshi, I want to make love with you.”

  Makoto studied the dumbstruck shadow wolf, unsure of what his reaction would be to the interrogator's unplanned, and uncoordinated, confession. “You love me?” Worried eyes searched the interrogator's face for answers.

  “Very muc
h,” Makoto assured him. “You’re all I can think about.”

  “You don’t hate me?” Yoshi pressed. “This isn’t some kind of trick? Punishment for what I did to the shuudan?”

  “You didn’t do anything to harm us. You risked yourself to save Souta. Besides,” the torture master continued, “anyone who wants to hurt you has to go through me. I swore I’d keep you safe.”

  “You can let me go now,” the shadow wolf muttered, red flaring in his cheeks. “The tea is ready.”

  “But I don’t want to let you go.” Makoto pressed himself flush against the elite. “Can you feel how much I want you, Yoshi?” The interrogator bent his head and kissed him passionately, heart soaring when the shadow wolf melted in his arms.

  “Stay with me? We don’t have to have sex, but, it's so lonely in this house, I can’t sleep. Please, I don’t want to be alone.”

  “Of course I’ll stay.” Makoto smoothed rumpled strands out of the shadow wolf's eyes. “Anything you want.” He scooped up the smaller man, shocked at how fragile he seemed, striding back the way they’d come until he reached a large comfortable room with a couch draped in sheets and a long unused fireplace. “This looks like a good spot.” The interrogator whipped the sheet off the couch and deposited his cargo before setting the logs ablaze. Then he stretched out with Yoshi sprawled on his lap, cradled in strong arms. “So, why don’t you tell me about growing up in this house?”

  “I don’t remember much. My mother died when I was four, I have her eyes … eye.” He fixed the interrogator with a shuttered gaze, pausing for several moments. “After that it was just me and my father. We were both away on assignment most of the time. One day when I was nine I got home early. I knew something was wrong as soon as I opened the door, it was so quiet. Then I smelled the blood, there was so much blood. I tried to revive him, but it was too late. That was the last time I was in this house. I went to live with Oonishi-sama and his family. When he died I moved to the bachelor quarters. Now I find myself back here again.”

  “You should renovate. You know, change the rooms around, get new furniture, paint,” the interrogator suggested. “I’d be happy to help.”