by Sessha Batto
“Why would you want to do that?” Yoshi asked.
“This is your home. I want you to be comfortable in it,” Makoto explained. “I think we could be happy here.”
“You’d move in with me?”
“If you’ll have me. I’ll live wherever you wish.”
“Here is good,” Yoshi said with a small, genuine, smile. “Here is very good.” He rolled over and nuzzled into the interrogator's broad chest, relaxing into the affectionate embrace. “Your turn, tell me about your childhood.”
“My father died on a mission when I was eleven,” Makoto explained. “My mother was pregnant with my brother. She died when I was fifteen. When I was seventeen I was captured by Iwagashi shuudan. It was supposed to be a straight-forward in and out, just get an idea of their numbers. Everything that could go wrong, did. Both men with me were killed and I was captured. Since my return I rarely accept assignments outside our borders. My brother was killed at fifteen, since then I’ve been alone. It's a pretty typical story for a shinobi.”
“That was over ten years ago,” the shadow wolf realized.
“You seem surprised,” the interrogator said. “Unfortunately you’re not the only lonely man around.”
“Well now we don’t have to be lonely anymore. We have each other.” Yoshi tilted his head up to fix the tall man with a wary eye.
“Yes, we do,” Makoto agreed. “Now relax, go to sleep. I’ll be right here.” He rubbed comforting circles on the shadow wolf's broad back, smiling slightly when the tension left the lanky frame and Yoshi slipped into slumber. The interrogator frowned as his thoughts turned to how light the elite was. We’ll get you back in shape, 'shi-san. His musings extended from the man to the evening they had just shared, and he drifted off to the rhythm of his lover's breathing.
Yoshi woke in the wee hours of the morning, snuggling further into the warm body beside him as he watched the last of the logs crumble into embers.
He thought back over the events of the past months, taking note of all he had gained and mourning what had been lost. The shadow wolf said a last good-bye to Kazuki and all they had shared before shutting the door on his past. Makoto was offering him a chance to start over, and he planned on making the most of it.
It wasn't what he'd hoped for, perhaps, but it was a start. For now it was enough to lie in the warmth and listen to the comforting sound of Makoto's heart.
THE FOURTH GATE
WINDS OF CHANGE
Makoto woke early the next morning to rhythmic pounding. He yawned and tried to stretch, quickly orienting himself when he caught a glimpse of the whirlwind of tousled locks resting on his chest. Smiling at the sight he worked himself out from under the slumbering elite and stumbled off to answer the door.
“Good morning Sasaki-san,” Mayu greeted him with a knowing smirk. “Is Yoshi up yet?”
“No, he's not,” the interrogator grumbled. “Neither was I until you decided to bang the door down. Is there something I can help you with?”
“So,” she continued. “How was your date? It was a date, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, it was a date and it was fine, thank you. Shouldn’t you be at home with your husband instead of haranguing me?”
“Well, I actually came to talk with Yoshi, but since I have you—” Mayu smiled in a way that made the interrogator decidedly nervous. “I suppose now is as good a time as any to ask you about your intentions.”
“Excuse me?”
“Your intentions toward Yoshi. You are serious, aren’t you? He said you were involved with Jun. Now, here you are, the morning after your big date.”
“My intentions are none of your business,” Makoto hissed. “Keep your nose out of my affairs.”
The kunoichi pursed her lips and studied the interrogator. “No, he's been hurt enough. If you’re not serious you need to back off now.”
“I am very serious,” he growled. “More serious than you can possibly imagine. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going back to bed. I’ll tell 'shi-san you stopped by.” He shut the door in Mayu's face and shuffled back down the hall, intent on slipping back onto the couch before the shadow wolf realized he was gone.
“Who was that?” Yoshi's soft, husky voice broke into the interrogator's thoughts.
“Mayu. She wanted to get the dirt on our date,” Makoto explained.
“So, what did you tell her? Or, do I not want to know?”
“That I was more serious about you than she could imagine and that she should back off and keep out of our relationship,” the torture master declared.
“Do I get to tell Souta the same thing?”
“If it pleases you. I won’t see him if it bothers you.”
“I don’t care if you talk to him,” Yoshi explained. “I would prefer it if you refrained from sleeping with him. Especially since you won’t have sex with me.”
“About that,” Makoto began. “Souta is under the impression that I promised him a foursome.”
“What?”
“When you were kidnapped, Souta promised to bring you back in exchange for a foursome,” Makoto explained, cheeks flaming with embarrassment. “I didn’t agree. He just sort of assumed.”
“Well, at least that explains what he was prattling on about. When they brought him in he was singing about a foursome. I’m glad I didn’t know the details, I would have been less inclined to help.”
“Look, I’ll tell him to back off,” Makoto hastened to offer, only to be cut off.
“No. I‘ll talk to him,” Yoshi declared. “He needs to learn not to make plans without permission.”
“He wouldn’t force you,” the interrogator tried to reassure him. “It's not like that. It's an invitation to join them for some fun.”
“You think that's fun? Well, you should decide now if it's what you want. I have no intention of being used as barter.”
He was cut off by a distraught Makoto. “Oh, no. Never, ever. I would never do that to you. Not to anyone, but especially not you. I swore to keep you safe, remember. I don’t want anyone else. I mentioned it because I didn’t want you to hear it from Souta first.”
“If you say so.” Yoshi's voice was heavy with disbelief. “I think I need to have a word with Fukazawa-san, and our new Shuhan.”
“Daisuke's a good man. He's broken a lot of traditions trying to make up for what Kobayashi-sama and Rin did to you. Please don’t punish him for my decision,” the interrogator implored.
“You’re awfully concerned about him. Why do I have so much trouble believing you?”
“Fine,” Makoto sighed. “Let's go see him then.” He grabbed a silk clad arm and traced a few kanji in the air. They appeared in the middle of the Shuhan's office, still wearing their rumpled clothes from the night before.
“Good morning gentlemen,” Daisuke greeted them with a smile. “From the looks of it you had a pleasurable night. What can I do for you this morning?”
“I’m going to go have a talk with Souta,” the interrogator declared, rushing into the Shuhan's apartment and slamming the door shut behind him.
“Shuhan-sama,” Yoshi began deferentially, bowing deeply before beginning to speak. “I need you to do me a favor.”
“Anything, Takahashi-san. The shuudan is in your debt.”
“Please tell your lover that he will not get the foursome he was promised. Sasaki-san does not have permission to offer me in that way.” The shadow wolf's fists clenched as his voice dropped to a whisper. “I am sorry if he feels slighted by this. Perhaps he can convince Sasaki-san to find someone else to take my place.”
“Yoshi.” The Shuhan grabbed the elite's hands and locked eyes with him. “You have the wrong idea. Makoto had nothing to do with it. A foursome was just one of Sou's fantasies. We both find the two of you attractive, the thought of you together—”
“Shuhan-sama, I do not wish to be disrespectful, but concentrate on your own relationship, please. My past makes it unlikely I will ever be receptive to your ‘invitation’. Please
don't take it personally. It's not a topic I feel particularly comfortable even discussing, much less acting out. Please tell Fukazawa-san I would appreciate it if he refrained from mentioning such things.”
“Of course,” Daisuke conceded. “I do not wish you to be uncomfortable. Please believe me, no one had any intention of doing anything without your permission.”
“You slept with Makoto,” the shadow wolf pointed out. “I don’t recall agreeing to that.”
“You were with Kazuki,” the Shuhan countered. “I don’t recall Makoto agreeing to that.”
“You are correct, Shuhan-sama,” came the overly deferential reply. “I’m just going to have a brief word with Fukazawa-san and then I’ll be out of your way.”
“Wait... I didn’t mean...” Daisuke trailed off unhappily, wishing he could call back his final words. He watched the shadow wolf stalk out of the room, back ramrod straight and eyes overly bright.
Makoto jumped from his seat at the kitchen table, putting as much distance as possible between himself and the oblivious assassin. He shivered at the disdainful look Yoshi sent his way before he began to speak. “Fukazawa-san, I expect you to stop propositioning me.”
“Just you?” the assassin quipped. “What about Sasaki-san?”
“He is free to do as he likes,” the shadow wolf said.
“But I don’t want to be free,” Makoto blurted. “I don’t want anyone but you, I swear.”
“We can talk about that later... in private,” Yoshi stressed. “Right now, I’d like some breakfast.”
“Anything you want,” the interrogator agreed. “That sounds wonderful.”
“You are so whipped.” Souta broke into a broad grin, head snapping around guiltily when the Shuhan growled behind him.
“Sou, you really should learn when to keep your mouth shut,” Daisuke declared.
Once out of the tower and on their own the shadow wolf slowly began to relax, much of the tension melting out of his frame as the pair headed toward the market. “What sounds good?” Makoto asked, anxious to put the events of the morning behind them and move on.
“Tamagoyaki?”
“Are you cooking?” came the wry response. “Because I think that's beyond me.”
“I’ll cook,” the shadow wolf assured him. “Shishou taught me.”
“Oonishi-san could cook?” Makoto's puzzled expression drew a chuckle from the elite.
“Of course, what do you think we lived on,” Yoshi demanded, “take-out meals? How have you stayed alive all these years if you don’t cook?”
“Ration bars,” the interrogator admitted. “And a lot of take-out.”
“Well, that stops right now. I’m going to teach you to cook.”
“Couldn’t you just cook for me?” Makoto pulled the startled man into his arms. “You look really hot all ruffled and possessive and angry by the way.”
“Stop that.” Yoshi smacked the interrogator's hands down and primly smoothed his rumpled kimono. “We’re in public, anyone could see.”
“Let them. I don’t care who sees us, the sooner everyone knows you’re taken, the better in my opinion.”
“Aaa,” the shadow wolf replied enigmatically. “Let's go find what we need, shall we?” They moved from stall to stall, gathering ingredients, Yoshi now hyper-aware of the watchful eyes following their progress. He breathed a sigh of relief when they finished, glad to be moving out of the range of prying eyes and fidgeting when Makoto dashed into a store to make a few purchases.
“Can we go now?” The shadow wolf shifted his groceries from arm to arm in his agitation.
“Yes, let's go.” The torture master turned toward Yoshi's house, only to be stopped by a growl of frustration.
“I forgot the meat,” Yoshi hissed, shoving the bags into scarred arms and stalking into the butcher's. He returned moments later with a large bag, storming past a startled Makoto on his way home.
“Is something wrong?” the interrogator asked once he caught up.
“Everyone was looking at us. They must know what we did last night. I mean look at me,” Yoshi fretted. “I might as well paint the word easy on my forehead.”
“In the first place, we didn’t do anything of the sort,” Makoto reminded him. “And in the second place, you look magnificent.” He leaned over and pulled the shadow wolf close, cradling a pale cheek in one hand as he thoroughly explored his lover's mouth. He finally broke away, pulling back to observe the man currently cuddled against his chest, smiling at the trust the normally reserved elite was showing. “Let's get home so I can look at this beautiful face all I want.” He slipped an arm around the lithe form before starting off again.
Once they arrived the shadow wolf hurried into the kitchen, shoving the groceries onto the counter and hastily unwrapping the package from the butcher's. “I need to feed the pack.” He opened the door and gave a sharp whistle before quickly pulling back out of the way. The interrogator, unfortunately, did not follow suit. The first few wolves easily avoided the tall figure, albeit narrowly, and Makoto relaxed, just in time to be flattened by a mountain of drooling fur.
“Easy, Oushi.” Yoshi pulled the massive black wolf off the interrogator with an apologetic smirk. “Are you alright? Oushi has a tendency to get over-excited at meal time.”
“Sorry boss,” Oushi rumbled. “But some of those guys are pigs. I get hungry too, you know.”
“There's plenty for everyone,” the shadow wolf assured him. “Now go have breakfast.”
“You have a bear,” the interrogator mumbled. “Why do you have a bear?”
“Up you go.” Yoshi yanked the taller man upright and wrapped an arm around his waist to hold him steady. “Did you hit your head when you fell? Too many head injuries in a short period of time can be dangerous. Should you go to the hospital?”
“Why do you have a bear?”
“Oushi's not a bear, he's one of my familiars. He's really very gentle. I’ll introduce you to everyone after they eat, it's calmer that way,” the shadow wolf decided. “Now sit down.” He pushed the interrogator into a chair and squatted down to peer into his eyes. “Just stay here while I cook, we’ll start your lessons tomorrow.”
Yoshi quickly chopped and stirred, sliding the finished tamagoyaki onto two plates and depositing it on the table. “This is delicious,” Makoto swore as soon as he took a bite. “Do you eat like this all the time?”
“I like to cook when I’m home. That isn’t often. Maybe that's why I enjoy it so much. Tamagoyaki isn’t hard though. Since you like it I’ll teach you tomorrow, or would you prefer pancakes?”
“The boss makes great pancakes,” a tawny female wolf pointed out.
“That's Onchu,” Yoshi explained. “The big guy's Oushi, and that's Hishou next to him. The three over there are Chuugi, Guruko and Shinzui. The pig with his face in the bowl is Konki, and you know Pi-natsu.”
“That's a lot of wolves.” Makoto squinted suspiciously at the moving pack. “What are the rest of them called?”
“There's just the eight,” the shadow wolf insisted. “Isn’t that enough?”
“Only eight?” The interrogator focused intently and counted on his fingers. “Looks more like twenty-six to me.”
“I would not have twenty-six wolves in my house,” Yoshi protested. “I’m not an animal.”
“Almost,” Makoto sulked. “Besides, the bear has to count as more than one.”
“He's not a bear,” Yoshi said indulgently. “Although I’ll admit he's almost as big as one. He's much more intelligent.”
“Thank you, boss,” the massive wolf rumbled, ambling over to sit in front of a still woozy Makoto and peer into his eyes. “Your mate doesn’t look too good.”
“He looks good to me,” Yoshi retorted. “Like you’re any judge. You’re a demon, remember?”
“I meant he looks like he's about to pass out.” Oushi huffed indignantly. “Why are you so touchy?”
“I brought you a present.” Makoto pulled out a paper bag
and dropped it in Yoshi's hands.
“Home improvement magazines?”
“So we can plan the renovation,” the interrogator explained. “You agreed and I’m anxious to get started.”
“You really want to do this with me?” Yoshi asked. “It's going to be a lot of work.”
“We’ll do it together,” Makoto said with a shrug. “It will give me an excuse to spend all my free time with you.”
“I’m sure you have other—” the shadow wolf began, only to be over-ridden.
“I don’t have other, better or more important things to do. Maybe you didn’t understand me when I explained it last night. I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I’m looking forward to doing this.” The interrogator grabbed the elite's hand and rubbed his thumb over the back. “I hope you want the same thing. If you don’t—”
Yoshi didn’t respond, merely staring intently into inscrutable onyx eyes for a long moment before silently nodding his head. “I need to get cleaned up.” He ghosted out of the kitchen and toward the back of the house, leaving the interrogator sitting at the table.
Yoshi gratefully stepped into the shower, scrubbing himself absently as he turned Makoto's declaration over in his mind. I don’t think I’m ready for this. I can’t give that much of myself right now. But he loves me, and he wants to go slow. I give up. Yoshi acknowledged the futility of trying to predict anything when it came to relationships. He had absolutely no basis of comparison.
Clean, dry and comfortably clad the shadow wolf sauntered back into the kitchen, stopping to appreciate the sight of Makoto being interrogated by the pack. “Enjoying having the tables turned?” he quipped, smiling at the trapped look the torture master threw his way.
“Not particularly.”
“Then get up here,” Yoshi suggested, holding out a hand. “Before we make plans I should give you the tour.”
****
Months passed quickly as the couple worked to turn the long disused house into a comfortable home. Days were filled with contractors and decision making, while evenings found them cooking dinner as they traded heated kisses. Yoshi, however, never seemed to relax completely, so Makoto struggled to give him space to move on. The interrogator watched the elite spend more and more time at the cemetery, coming home only to sit and stare blankly at the koi pond, his mind a million miles away.