Black November

by Redpandamaa

Summary:

After Havoc's death, Hei has his world upturned by MI6. He's forced to think on his feet and spawns a rather surprizing amendment to his cover story. It results in MI6 looking to recruit him, as a scientist, and November interested in him for more than just his brain. Soon both November and Hei will be forced to confront foes from their past, deal with threats in the present and hope there will be a future together.

Notes:

This is what happens when I stumble upon an amazing fic in one of my favorite and little expanded upon Fandoms, because Hei and November are not shipped enough! (Stares at After the Red Sunset) and I got impatient and decide to expand the pairing myself.

Chapter 1: Chapter One

Hei sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that evening. Yesterday had been disastrous. He had wanted - hoped -  he would be able to get information out of Carmine about Bai’s disappearance. Instead Carmine had poked holes in his already unsteady foundation forcing him to come to terms that his walls were cracking. He should have tried harder to keep her safe, but he had failed so many times trying to protect people. The sting of loss was still bitter in his mouth. He had faced MI6 still hazy with rage and loss, he would have used all of his abilities to avenge Carmine. The look on the blonde contractor’s face when he had attacked even though it was not the rational response was worth the lecture he had gotten from Huang shortly after. 

The morning had not been much better as much of it consisted of his debrief post mission in the park. Huang had proceeded to once again berate him at length about failing to follow orders like a good monster. From there Huang seemed to take a substantial amount of joy in holding it over him that he had required to be rescued. At least that is what Huang had decided. I would have managed. It just would have been a lot more dangerous, and I would probably have had to kill more people. Hei had grumbled to himself at the time while ignoring much of Huang’s rant. It was not the first time he had gone against orders, and it would not be the last. The members of the executive rank in the Syndicate all knew he would do it again should his interests not align with theirs. 

After his rogue activities last night with Carmine, Hei doubted that the next mission would be long in coming. The Syndicate tended to get antsy when things didn't go how they wanted, and would push that team with typically something more difficult shortly after. It was their way of weeding out weak teams. Hei wasn’t weak, he had faced this before. There would be the typical stress on ensuring he did not screw up this time, because he would eventually stop being useful. Ten years I’ve kept up being useful, with no end in sight. Hei bemoaned internally. 

Carmine’s death had forced memories from five years ago back to his focus. Memories he had managed to block out, she had managed to rip off the proverbial band-aid he had hidden them under. He felt unstable, but he couldn’t let it show and the effort was taking a toll on his focus. The only reason he had shown up at his cover job - bartending this time - was he had needed to get out of the apartment. The walls had started to close in and even his long walk in the afternoon hadn’t managed to lessen the tightness in his chest. 

So he had decided to pretend to be normal, pretending nothing was wrong. Just be Li Shengshun, the harmless exchange student who wasn’t bothered by Contractors or plagued by memories of Heaven’s war. That was what he had wanted, it should have been something easy to slip into… Li Shengshun had the easy carefree life Hei wished desperately to have, but like many things in his life in the last ten years, he did not get his way. 

He hadn’t realized what had immediately put his senses on edge when he arrived for his shift, but it had not taken long for him to find the source of his unease. Of all the bars in Tokyo, why did the blue haired MI6 agent have to come to the one he was using as his cover. Hei struggled to contain his inner turmoil, turning to breathing exercises to remain calm and his mask in the form of Li Shengshun.

It wasn’t completely working despite his best efforts. He felt like he was constantly taping up parts of his mask to keep things in place. Calm down. This is a public place. You can’t zap her. She can’t attack you here either. His nerves were already beyond fraying from the last 24h events, but he needed them to hold out a little longer. Just long enough so that he would manage to make the walk home. Should he mess up in front of the blue haired Contractor, he would need to ensure she was taken care of. She shouldn’t be much of a problem, water was an excellent conductor, unlike her blonde counterpart. If he was here and Hei messed up, Hei knew he was not in an emotional state to face off against the blonde tonight. It would be all instinct and reaction. He couldn’t afford to be complacent regardless if MI6 was present, not if he wanted to live.

Hei focused on his surroundings to bring himself out of his head. The dim lights shrouded himself and the various customers in the bar in light yet warm shadows. Shadows he could work with should he need. Various types of alcohol vied for prominence with his sense of smell, the hoppy scent of beer winning over the others. There was the low hum of chatter behind him as customers conversed with each other, for the most part quietly. The other contractor refused to comply with the social norms in Japan. She was loud and unafraid to seek out the other customers should they strike her fancy. Hei willed the tension out of his shoulders as much as he could while looking over the room.

The blue haired one smiled at him, raised her glass giving it a slight shake, signaling she wanted another. Hei sighed again. Astoundingly she had consumed yet another drink, her 28th according to the running tab they had at the bar. He knew she was a contractor but that much usually resulted in alcohol poisoning even by their kind. When will she leave? He growled to himself. Hei felt the tension return and anger he had tamped down welling up again. With a small smile and slight nod, Hei gripped the counter of the bar tightly with his left hand, willing some of his anger out his fingertips and into the wood. With a deep breath he reached for the red bottle she had currently been using as her chosen poison. 

April, he had discovered her name was, had been there an hour before his shift had started.  Terrorizing the evening staff as she stayed on the fine line of being boisterous but not to the point of having to be removed from the premises. He hadn’t managed to get much information out of her that he had not already known. Yet in her drunken state she did not shy away from letting people know she was with MI6. 

He was almost ready to escape her presence and he most certainly intended to ensure she did not notice when he left. Hei had managed to deflect her advances all night, but he felt should he fail escaping unnoticed, there was a very real possibility that she would insist on further contact, or worse, attempt to follow him home. Hei shivered involuntarily at the thought. He must avoid that at all costs.

“Hey cutie! How about when you bring over the next round you join me?” April called out to him from her table, giving him a wink and patting the seat next to her. Do not commit murder at work. Deep breath, you are Li Shengshun, innocent exchange student from China. He schooled his features into Shegshun’s smile as he added the drink to the tab before he poured it for her. 

The drink smelled vaguely of raspberries, however he was sure it did not taste the same. Most fruit flavoured alcohol, he found, tasted more like medicine than something he wanted to drink. Slipping an orange wedge on the side he placed the drink on the tray and projected an outward calm he certainly was not feeling, as he walked over to her table. 

“I can provide you with further beverages, however as this isn’t that type of club. I can’t join you.” Hei maintained his strained smile as he placed the glass down in front of her and collected her discarded drinks. Hei felt the hairs stand up on his neck a moment before he felt her hand on his arm. It took his years of training not to flinch or slap her hand away. He looked up at the sudden contact, his smile -and mask- straining, verging on the point of breaking. Hold it together! Hei screamed at himself.

“Aww, but can’t you make an exception for me? I’m surely the best customer tonight.” April purred at him, pouting her lips. He could feel bile in the back of his throat. She was not the type of person he had any interest in… not that he had the chance or ability to be interested in someone for himself. Hei found her advances left him hollow and disgusted. He had to physically resist himself from committing murder, as her hand stroked down his arm. He backed away quickly. Hei decided tacitly, it was more important to keep an eye on her as he made sure to ensure there was distance between them before he turned, fearing if April was within arms reach, there would be other things she might attempt to grab. 

His whole body tingled this time, screaming a warning, as he spun around, only slightly slower than his usual speed, and almost collided with her blonde haired counterpart. Hei felt his heart stop while all of his muscles coiled ready to strike, adrenaline flooding his system. He managed to maintain his balance, quickly avoiding crashing into the man, keeping  the tray of glasses he held on to just steady enough that none of the glasses fell to the floor. Shit! When did he get here?! Hei couldn’t stop his eyes widening in shock at the sudden appearance of Carmine’s killer. His instincts told Hei to flee to the other side of the room, and fast or at the very least unleash a deadly burst of his powers directly into the unsuspecting blonde. He needed distance, but instead rooted himself to the spot, maintaining his cover.

“Oh! Uh-, I-I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there.” Hei muttered as he attempted to recover, running a hand through his hair. The blonde had somehow entered the building without him noticing. If this had been a battle you would be dead right now. He chastised himself, the thought shook him to the core. Had he been so preoccupied with April? Carmine was right, his emotions were getting the better of him, if he wasn’t careful, they would be his death. He needed to get out of there, and quickly.

“That is quite alright. I do seem to have that effect on people. I see you have been keeping my friend occupied.” November smiled warmly down at him, the few inches height difference seeming to be so much more in Hei’s mind, before he looked past Hei to April. “Have you at least behaved this evening?” the smile had disappeared into a disapproving frown.

“Eh?” Hei threw on a confused expression, before looking behind him at April who beamed at November. There was no way Shengshun would know these two knew each other, let alone worked together.

“Of course! Li here wouldn’t even let me convince him to join me.” She pouted and leaned forward as she gestured at Hei. The position highlighted her breasts, but remained unappealing and ignored by Hei. It seemed the blonde also disapproved of the sight. They were larger than ones he typically enjoyed, not that he had much experience. Hei cut his thoughts off there before She popped up in his mind. He needed to control his features, and thoughts of H er he could never keep the disdain from showing on his face.

“As I told you April-san, this is not that type of club.” Hei sighed and turned slightly to face her, trying to maintain at least a peripheral view of the blonde. 

“Oh, you would make a killing at a host club! Don’t you think so November?” April smirked before taking a drink. November raised an eyebrow at April. Hei could feel his skin break into goosepimples as he knew November was looking him over. Hei glanced around nervously. I can’t do this. I can’t snap here! I need to leave now! He had just wanted a quiet evening pretending to be Shengshun so he could sort out the turmoil he had been battling since Carmine’s death. If there was a higher power, Hei was certain they would be laughing at him right now. 

“While I am inclined to agree, considering he has managed to keep your path of destruction to a minimum.” November glanced around the bar in surprise. “As he says, this is not a host club. Settle your bill April. It’s time to go.” November chastised April before he turned and smiled at Hei. Hei swallowed nervously, shifting from one foot to the other.

Hei suddenly felt November’s hand brush the small of his back motioning him to the bar. Hei’s breath caught in his throat as all of his muscles tightened at the contact. He glanced quickly over to the blonde again, certain his slight reaction had been noticed. Don’t react, don’t panic. He screamed to himself. All thoughts of April being a threat were gone, the blonde called November had gotten too close. Hei quickly stepped away and retreated behind the bar. He did not care if Shengshun shouldn’t have scurried quite so quickly away from the contractors. The tension in his shoulders lessened infinitesimally with a physical barrier between him and the contractors, even though Hei knew it would not keep him safe should they use their powers, it would at least dissuade them from touching him. 

“Fine.” April groaned as she slid herself off the chair and sauntered over to the bar. She flicked her sunglasses open before putting them on and recovered a card from within her bra. Hei accepted with a reluctant smile and attempted to hold the offending item as little as possible as he processed the transaction. April accepted the card back with a smirk. 

“You sure you wouldn’t want to join us after you’re off? I might even be willing to share you with November.” April leaned further over the bar. Hei instinctively leaned back before he managed to stop himself. Not in a million years would I want to leave here with you. Hei bit down on his emotions and shook his head slightly. He wasn’t sure he would be able to keep the venom out of his voice. The sooner he could put some distance between himself and both MI6 agents the better. Hei swallowed thickly, it was expected of him to thank her or say goodbye, as was custom in Japan.

“Have a good night April-san.” He gave her one of his least strained smiles of the evening. Let the door hit you on the way out! Watching with no small amount of glee as November held out his arm, gesturing for her to lead the way out the door.

“Come on April, leave him alone. It seems you are not his type.” November called over to her. Hei took his eyes off of April’s exaggerated saunter, and noticed November was looking at him. The predatory glint to November’s eyes made his insides squirm. He couldn’t know… could he? Hei thought in mild panic. His blood suddenly ran cold as he realized his Black Reaper mask had been off for much of the time he had been with Carmine, including when November had killed her. The unsettling feeling of something crawling down his spine kept him rooted in place. Oh fuck, he could. Hei tried his hardest to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach at his realization. He would have to find out if the MI6 agent had figured out who he was.

Hei watched as November’s eyes left him and rolled to look at April. November’s face morphed into a disapproving scowl before he led her out of the bar. Hei held his breath for a moment, waiting to ensure they both were gone. Finally! He let his breath out in relief forcing his muscles to relax. He would have to be on his guard to ensure that his walk home tonight was not interrupted by MI6.

Chapter 2: Chapter Two

Hei scowled as he looked out over the bar before stepping out from the kitchen. April was back. He had ensured he was not followed last night. It had taken almost an extra two hours walk, to dissuade his paranoia that he was not being followed. He had been on edge most of the day. He was relying on the fact that all the two MI6 contractors had to go on was that his family name was ‘Li’. Hei had known there was a strong chance that April would be back as they were aware he was working at this bar, but he had hoped he would not have to suffer through another night near her. He really should learn not to hope for things.

It was going to take all of his control over his emotions, which as of late was not nearly as much as it needed to be, to not flay the blue haired contractor alive. The prospect of having to walk through the door and interact with her had him considering abandoning his job at the bar. It was a good cover, but he didn’t need it. I know I have to find out if November knows… but April’s company is it’s own form of torture! With a quiet growl to himself, Hei resigned himself to fate and pushed the door open, to what he knew would be a very long night. 

Unsurprisingly, his prediction was accurate as the night proceeded much like the previous. April drinking copious amounts of alcohol and flirting with everyone who had two legs and a heartbeat. It appeared as though she was not digging for more information on him than she had the night before. Hei managed mostly successfully to direct her affections towards others. He held no pity for the other staff who were unlucky enough to succumb to her focus, if it left him free of her company. He could not get past the feeling of revulsion he got when she focused her attention on him. 

Hei knew it would only be a matter of time until November showed up to collect his inebriated co-worker. He knew he had to be better prepared for the sudden appearance of the blonde contractor. Not that it would take much to react better than he had the night before. Once April past her twentieth drink, Hei began periodic glances at the door, awaiting the inevitable appearance of November. The true test as to whether or not MI6 had discovered his identity would come from November.

“Are you waiting for someone?” One of the waitresses named Sagara Umi, teased him as she collected a drink from him. Hei froze in place.

“Eh? Sagara-san, I’m not sure what you mean?” Hei looked up at her confused. Was he being so obvious even his co-workers were picking up on his actions? If that was the case he was in a lot more trouble than he realized.

“Li-san, you keep looking at the door.” she smirked knowingly at him, then commented with a wink “Seems to me, like you are expecting someone to show up.” Hei stared at her genuinely confused for a moment. Was she just attentive or was he slipping that badly. Hei weighed his options for a response. Could he bluff? Not likely. He was expecting someone, but he somehow was so far off his game that his attempts at being discrete were in vain.

“Um, well… not really, but - uh - April-san’s friend will probably come again to get her.” he rubbed the back of his head as he admitted nervously. Not really what I was going for, but perhaps I can work with it. Her mouth dropped instantly before she giggled. 

“I wish you luck Li-kun!” She smiled and took the drink back to her customer. I will need more than luck. Why did she change my honorific? Hei puzzled over, glancing at April. He had managed to keep his emotions contained better tonight. Now that the sting of failure was not as fresh. Carmine’s death had affected him more than he wanted to admit. 

‘Are you really a contractor?’ Carmine’s voice echoed in his head. He didn’t know the answer to her question. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to delve into that rabbit hole, and he hoped that no one else would consider the implications if he wasn’t truly a contractor. Movement caught his eye as he focused back on his surroundings. Inwardly scowling, Hei nodded in Apri’s direction and began to prepare her another drink. Her tolerance level is insane! He couldn’t help being a little impressed at how coherent she still was.

Hei heard the door close quietly, his ears much more attentive tonight. He glanced up, confident as to who had just walked in. He briefly met the blonde’s eyes, and was greeted with a confident grin. Hei felt his guard snap into place as he locked in Shengshun’s signature smile. He could not slip up tonight, he needed to ascertain if his cover was blown. 

Hei took a slow steadying breath, his heart rate had increased with the spike in his adrenaline. Slipping around the bar and he sauntered towards April with her latest drink, in no rush to interact with either contractor. November was at his side before he could reach the table. Hei could feel his adrenaline already increasing by the proximity of the blonde, his earlier attempt to remain calm already rendered irrelevant. Hei glanced over at November’s hands and prayed that tonight he might avoid being touched by either.

“You are Li, correct?” November asked before settling down in the chair across from April. Well, if he is sticking around for a bit I will have a better chance to figure out if he has realized who I am. I hope he is more tolerable than April at least. Hei grumbled to himself. He couldn’t tell from their interaction the night before if the blonde would be as obnoxious, he had a feeling the blonde was more cocky and entitled than obnoxious.

“Yes. Would you like a drink?” Hei forced the fake smile to remain as he slid the strikingly pink drink to April. Tonight he would focus on not giving anything away, all he wanted to know was if his cover was blown.

“Double scotch on the rocks, please.” November’s smile never wavered as he spoke, his eyes not leaving Hei. He nodded once and could feel November’s focus remaining on him as he walked back to the bar. Well, I do have his attention. Not a good sign. Hei couldn’t shake the dread he was feeling. Each step back to the bar felt like it was bringing him closer to doom.

“Oy! I saw him first.” April complained loudly behind him and Hei heard a loud thwack as April hit, presumably, November. Wait… what? Resisting the urge to turn and stare at the pair of contractors, Hei quickened his pace to the bar so that he would be able to observe their interaction. 

“You have already been rejected, remember.” November teased April, Hei having made it to the bar, watched him lean forward on the table as November bantered playfully with April. Hei resisted the frown of frustration as their conversation was just low enough to be out of his hearing range. Hei prepared November’s drink quickly and brought it over to their table. Doing his best to constantly keep one eye on the pair of contractors. 

“Thank you sir!” November smirked at him, accepting the drink from Hei rather than waiting for him to place it down. “If I may be so bold, why are you in Japan?” He swirled his cup before taking a drink.

“I- ugh, I’m here studying.” Hei maintained his polite Shengshun mask and took a step back, hoping it would signal he wished to return to the bar. His mask was easier to keep in  place tonight, but he could still feel the cracks. He could not appear too interested in the pair, it could put them on guard against him. He would only have to toe the small line of obscurity to get them to relax around him.

“Really! What subject?” November leaned his head onto his hand, clearly not understanding his intention. Is he intentionally interrogating me or just flirting like April? DamnI can’t rule out that he didn’t see me with Carmine. Hei needed to proceed very carefully. He needed a subject he could bluff his way through, something that would not give away his background. Was there a subject he knew enough about where he would be able to appear harmless?

“I guess the simplest way to explain it is; astronomy.” Hei shrugged. It was a topic familiar to himself from years of stargazing with Bai. It was also a subject people did not generally ask too many questions about or have significant background knowledge of. 

“If there is a simpler way to put it, there also is a more accurate one, am I right?” November prodded. Hei nodded but did not elaborate, well… that didn’t work. His mind scrambled to come up with a close but more focused topic. “Given Astronomy is no longer a relevant field of science, what might you be studying?” November pressed, seemingly a lot more interested in trying to get Hei to comment further. Hei looked down, playing up the shy student, he shifted from foot to foot and fidgeted with the tray in his hands. Crap, I should have anticipated that. Astronomy now has to do with the Gates. I do have a fair amount of knowledge about that too… it’s just more suspicious.

“It’s easier and, um, safer to say Astronomy than it is to tell people I’m studying Gate Astrodynamics. People tend to have…” he paused as if struggling for the right word. “strong reactions when I tell them.” Hei muttered, glancing off to the rest of the room, hoping that someone would need something and he would have an excuse to leave the pair of MI6 agents. Now I’m going to have to tell Huang to modify my background info. No doubt MI6 will be checking up on me. Hei groaned inwardly. Hopefully at least he had a bit of time before they decided to run a background check. Hei made a mental note to warn Huang after he got off.

“Yes, I gather they would. I happen to find the subject fascinating. I assume you are in Tokyo due to the proximity to Hell’s Gate?” November leaned back, glancing over at April who rolled her eyes at him. Of course you would… time to end this topic before I get in more trouble with Huang. Hei fidgeted with the tray.

“Ah- yes. If you will excuse me, I have to get back to work.” Hei spotted one of the waiters walking his way and took the opportunity to escape. His gut told him that was more of an interrogation than November flirting. It would be a tense dance between gathering and potentially revealing information tonight.

November managed to keep April in check while the two of them talked quietly. He wanted to keep tabs on their conversation, but he doubted that they would talk about contractors in public. He also wanted to avoid getting into his own background any further. The less they knew of him right now, the longer he had before they could start digging. Given how angry Huang was going to be when he found out Hei needed his cover modified, it warranted the tactical retreat.

The few times he stopped by to refill their drinks, they were casually talking about setting up in Japan and working from now on with someone named Kirihara Misaki. The name was familiar, he knew he had heard it since coming to Japan. It took him a while to place it as the name of Section 4’s chief. He still had her card tucked into the doorframe of his apartment from when she had asked him about Shinoda Chiaki. 

It seemed Section 4 was working with MI6 and would be for some time as they sounded like they were staying in town. It wasn’t surprising, but Huang hadn’t mentioned either tidbit. Another thing to tell him tonight. Hei thought while cleaning and restocking the bar for the next bartender, his shift was wrapping up. Hearing the kitchen door swing closed he looked over as Nakamura Hijiri the late night bartender arrived, his shift was over. Neither contractor had pressed him further on his background, or even his full name, which was encouraging. Don’t consider things in the clear yet. He glanced quickly over at the two MI6 agents still chatting and half through their most recent drinks. 

He gave a quick summary of current customers to Nakamura before slipping out the door to the kitchen. He had felt November watching him as he made his way to the kitchen. He had not been able to avoid being detected leaving. He quickly pulled on Shengshun’s signature green coat, deciding it would be better not to linger on site and end up faced with the two of them outside of a public setting. He barely managed any goodbyes to his coworkers before he slipped successfully out the back door. 

Hei slowed his walk as he approached his apartment. He had detoured to ensure he was not followed tonight. Being overly cautious had kept him alive, time and time again, he was not about to slip up now. He scanned the area for Mao. If he could not locate the contractor turned black cat, he would have to detour to Huang’s. Something he would like to avoid if possible. Thankfully the black cat was sitting on one of the walls near his house waiting for him. Hei paused beside Mao, scratching his head.

“Two MI6 agents were at the bar tonight. November and April. The ones who brought Havoc.” There was no emotion to his voice as he spoke. There was no need to pretend to be Shengshun around Mao.

“Do they suspect you?” Mao asked quickly.

“I’m not sure. I was not followed or tracked. They intend to stay in Tokyo and are working with Section 4.” Hei scratched behind Mao’s ear. 

“Should I go and tail them?” Mao swished his tail and turned his head, directing Hei’s fingers to where he wanted to be scratched.

“No, I need you to relay a message to Huang. Could be urgent, they asked some questions about my background.”

“Alright.” Mao pulled his head away from Hei’s hand.

“I need him to ensure Li Shengshun is enrolled in the Gate Astrodynamics graduate program. It’s a precaution for now, but if MI6 does any digging it needs to hold up to scrutiny.” Hei stepped away from Mao, turning towards his apartment.

“Understood.” Mao jumped down from the wall and ran off to the left. Hei sighed, at least he wouldn’t have to deal with Huang tonight. He was sure he would hear an earful in the morning, but for now; food and sleep. 

* * *

Huang had grumbled at him for a good ten minutes about the work he had to do until late in the night in order to confirm Li Shengshun was enrolled at Tokyo University. Hei was grateful the ex-cop had the resources he did. Though he was certain part of Huang’s ability was also the Syndicate pulling strings behind the scenes. Tokyo University’s Gate specific research, while unable to compare to PANDORA, was the main source of gate scientists. Having Hell’s Gate so close, aided in many of their research projects. It also helped that they regularly supplied PANDORA with fresh scientists or test subjects - depending on who you asked.

“You would need to come up with a general thesis idea. It’s a standard requirement for the university to have on file. Had you just kept your mouth shut I would have been able to avoid this mess!” Huang grumbled loudly, crushing his cigarette with extra vigor. “You also have a  professor-mentor, who’s responsible for you. They have some connection to the Syndicate so they can help if anyone asks about you in person. They sent a list of potential theories for your thesis.” Huang passes a scrap of paper with three scribbled lines on it to Hei. 

“None of them made any sense to me, but you have to pick one now so I can relay it to the university before MI6 pokes their noses where they don’t belong.” Huang added gruffly.

Hei looked down at the list. Huang’s penmanship was atrocious. Did Mao write this? Hei wondered mildly. 

If all the stars fall the gates will disappear

Heaven’s gate merged with Hell’s gate. This is what happened to South America

Heaven’s Gate not gone, just can’t reach it

Hei considered the list, he was sure the actual theory was more elaborate than Huang’s clearly simplified version. Option one was probably wishful thinking, it wasn’t known what caused people to turn into contractors, but they kept appearing. Hei did not like the implications of option two, so it was also a no. The gates had arrived at the same time, it would make some sense for them to disappear at the same time too. It had been clear the two gates were somehow connected given their position opposite to the other. Option three was at least plausible in his mind. It was also the theory that gave him the most hope that Bai might still be alive, albeit a very slim chance.

“The last one.” Hei muttered, handing Huang the paper back only getting a grunt in reply.
“Mao will find out where MI6 has set up with Yin’s help.” Huang dismissed the others. Turning to Hei he added “Pretending to be a scientist isn’t like what you have been doing as your alias. I will get the prof to put together a basic background packet for you, also you should meet with the prof so they can give you pointers on how to act like a scientist and so they will be able to recognize you. You don’t look the type, and I wouldn’t be surprised if MI6 has made you because of this. I will start looking for an exit strategy to get you out of the country should shit go south.” Huang groaned loudly. “For now, if anyone asks, you aren’t allowed to discuss your research.”

Hei schooled his expression, keeping it neutral at Huang’s comments. While irritating, Huang was going to get him what he needed to pull off this role. Though, the comment about setting up his exit was uncalled for. Hei excused himself with a curt nod, quickly leaving the park behind.

Hei made his way back to his apartment quickly, stopping only to pick up a few food items when his stomach grumbled loudly. He started piecing together potential ideas to add to the theory while cooking. As a student he would need to have lots of knowledge about the gates. So what could he put together while he waited for Huang to get him the packet from the professor. There was speculation, which wouldn’t hold up should November start to question him. So, he would have to rely on some of his first hand knowledge for now. 

What Hei did know, was mostly information surrounding Heaven’s Gate. He had been there for most of the war and he was there when Heaven’s Gate and a good portion of South America all but disappeared. His memory of the last few days of the war were hazy at best, which would complicate things. What he did remember, left him in a foul mood. Amber. He loathed that woman, how she could toy with everyone on their team and then betray them. She had been the one to report the mission was a success, yet he and Carmine had been led to believe the rest of the team was gone. 

I should have picked something else as a topic Hei grumbled to himself. He had to think about the events five years ago. A topic he avoided as if his life depended on it. Bai, what happened to you? Hei’s heart clenched as he forced himself to take a breath. He focused on making a mental list of what he did know about the Heaven’s Gate disaster. Just focus on the facts. Hei mental steadied himself. 

1- The Heaven’s Gate Catastrophe was directly related to his last mission in South America. He had been told it was a success. The only one who could have informed the Syndicate of this was Amber, as she was the only one who was ever given all of the information on their missions. 

2- Amber and Bai had been closest - possibly in or next- to the gate. Amber had said Bai was needed there for something only her powers could do, he and Carmine were to keep the escape route clear.

3 -If Bai’s power had been needed for the mission, there must have been something to do with matter manipulation. 

4- There had been a mission not long before the last one, where Bai’s powers had synchronized with the nearby gate particles, something that had made Amber, and by extension, the Syndicate both pleased and very nervous. Hei could not discount that this could be related.

5- When he had woken up at the field hospital he had Bai’s powers, he had known it was specifically her powers, and he had not made a contract. He had lied to the Syndicate out of fear at the time and said his contractor power was electrokinesis and his remuneration was wearing his mask. He wasn’t sure if they still believed him about that, given that Bai's star reacts to him. He had been so scared whatever had happened to Bai would happen to him as well if they found out her powers had manifested in him. You’re deviating from facts, focus!

7- He, Carmine and Amber had survived. A small part of him didn’t believe Bai did, but without confirmation he wanted to hope.

6- Carmine had little to no memory of what happened. Given she couldn't remember anything and then woke up on a different continent some time later, it was possible she had been subjected to a ME wipe. His own memory from then was hazy but he suspected it had been his injuries at the time, given among the long list of injuries he had woken with had been a serious concussion. 

Before he had kidnapped and tortured Carmine, he would have said there was no way he had been subjected to a ME wipe, now however, the possibility nagged at him. He had flashes of things, most made no sense, which was not typical of a ME wipe. The most prevalent memory was seeing everything enveloped in Synchrotron radiation glow. 

Da-ge something whispered nearby. All of his muscles contracted as he spun around. A quick glance around his apartment revealed there was nothing there. Hei visibly shivered, that had been Bai’s voice. His heart was thudding against his ribcage, almost as if it was trying to escape. His breath was becoming more and more strained. 

“ Meimei. ” He muttered aloud in mandarin before he could stop himself. His eyes started to blur as his chest continued to constrict.  

Hei had to force his focus elsewhere. He needed to clear his mind of these emotions. Suddenly, Carmine’s words came back to him. ‘ Did I upset you? Even though your a contractor? You’ve really changed, but not in a bad way.’ He was different now, there was no doubt about that. He no longer had the same ability to keep his emotions in check from when he was fully human. The way he had acted with Carmine was proof enough of that. How could he be a contractor when he couldn’t control his emotions? How could he be human when he has contractor powers. 

Hei focused on his breathing. Get back in control . He needed deep and slow breaths, his heart would slow in response. Hei slowly sank to the floor as he started to calm down. I wonder if this theory could be used to help figure out what the hell is wrong with me? Hei chewed on his bottom lip as he thought. Contractors and Dolls were classified information, he probably couldn’t. He also wouldn’t be able to talk about this with anyone else, unless he wanted to end up someone’s lab experiment. His own curiosity aside, he preferred his freedom.

Notes:

translation
Da-Ge - Older or eldest brother
meimei - younger sister

I hope you enjoyed the chapter! More to come soon.

Chapter 3: Chapter Three

Notes:

Thanks Everyone for the response to this fic! I love all the comments! as a reward... here's a new chapter!

Hei smiled to himself, he had made it to the last half hour of his shift and there was no sign of MI6. Perhaps they have decided I’m not BK-201 and therefore not a threat. If his luck held he would be able to stop at Home Run Ken for some noodles before they closed. His stomach rumbled in agreement at the thought. Thankfully no one noticed, before his missions he had to ensure there was still food in there else it would give away his position at some point. I will not have another Seoul incident. He and Bai had ended up having to fend off six contractors because he had neglected to eat. At least here, if anyone heard his stomach, he could play up the starving university student persona.

Hei was wondering when he should meet up with this professor and get more intel on his addition to his background. If Huang managed to get him some information for his cover, he would have to memorize much of it. He rubbed his temple, it was an important part of blending in, but that much reading always left him with a headache. Huang was right, it was going to be difficult to pass off being a gate scientist, albeit one in training. He could do it, but it was not going to be easy.

It was a mere ten minutes before he was done when the blonde haired current bane of his existence waltz into his work. Given the glint in November’s eye as he discovered Hei was there, Hei was no longer sure he was off the suspect list. In fact, he was certain he was now on the top of the list. The thought disturbed him but he plastered Shengshun’s smile on his face. 

“Good evening, what can I get for you?” Hei decided to play up not remembering him from yesterday, or the night before. Just treat him like a regular customer, not the current biggest threat to you in the country .

“Actually, I have a question for you, if you would permit me?” November relaxed against the bar. Hei raised an eyebrow at him. Here we go, I hope Huang was wrong about me being able to bluff being a scientist. Hei relaxed his stance and steadied his nerves.

“Alright, you can ask, but don’t get upset if I am not allowed to answer. There are employee rules about giving out personal information.” Hei’s voice did not betray any of his concerns. He left himself a way out, while maintaining Shengshun’s polite tone. Hei internally braced for what question the blonde contractor might be about to ask him. He doubted it would be a blunt ‘Are you Mr. 201BK?’ but the blonde’s actions had not exactly been as predictable as the typical contractor. 

“That’s fair.” November chuckled. “In that case, I have a two part question for you. Are you currently seeing anyone and would you be so inclined to join me on a date?”

Hei automatically opened his mouth to speak then blanked. What!? He wouldn't have been able to cover his shock even if he had tried. Hei managed to keep his mouth from hanging open, barely. 

November grinned at his stunned look. Waiting patiently for him to answer. Why? Contractors aren’t interested in relationships. Simple hook-ups occasionally if needed… but dating isn’t rational. Hei’s mind raced. The Brit was either better than he had anticipated or just foolish. He can’t suspect me to be BK-201 if he’s asking that, could he? Hei’s stomach twisted. It wouldn’t be a typical way for a contractor to get information…but it also wouldn’t be too out of place. Hei himself had been forced to appear romantically inclined with a few of his targets, though none of them were suspected contractors. 

Would November try to get information out of me that way? No… he would believe me to be mostly rational in my behaviour… granted stabbing him and trying to electrocute him the last time we met does go against that idea. If November did not think he was a contractor, there was really only one option. The blonde believed him to be human. Could I use this to my advantage? I would be able to keep track of him and find out if he does suspect me, but it’s risky, very risky. Hei glanced over at November, who was still waiting for his answer. He was attractive and very clever, two characteristics he wouldn’t have to bluff enjoying. Should he agree, every little thing he said could potentially end up modifying his cover. Huang was going to hate him, even more should he find out. He’s a much more tolerable option than April. Maybe I should keep quiet about this to Huang in case it turns out he doesn't suspect me. He focused and took a breath, his mind made up. 

“No, I’m not seeing anyone. I’ve only recently come to the country and don’t know many people.” Hei paused and toyed with his lip between his teeth looking down at the towel he had been twisting in his hands. Deciding how to phrase the answer November was clearly more interested in knowing as the blonde shifted slightly closer to him. “I am not opposed to giving you a chance.” Hei murmured his words quietly, glancing up nervously at the blonde. 

He hadn’t had much experience with relationships when he was human… there just wasn’t the time while he was fighting in the Gate Wars with Bai, nor any after. The few experiences he had chosen a partner were casual events, born more out of need for release due to hormones than feelings, much like a contractor. 

Otherwise, his experiences had been a requirement for his missions, with no thought about his preferences. This was… different, it wasn’t exactly for a mission. While it could potentially keep him safe, he did not have to take this route to find out if November knew he was BK-201. This route was potentially a huge risk to his safety, but he had decided to take the opportunity presented to him. April probably would have been easier to get to spill if MI6 knew who he was, but there was no way he would even consider doing this with April. 

November’s face lit up, excitement clear on his face. He certainly is more expressive than a typical contractor. Hei noticed the towel had been twisted by him enough to squeeze out some of the water onto his hands. He quickly flicked it out, folded it over once and placed it on the bar counter, suddenly more nervous than he should be. Now that he had agreed, what would the next steps be? He’s not coming back to my apartment. His mind supplied firmly. He hadn’t left anything out in the open, but the idea of having November in his small space made his stomach tighten.

“Excellent! Would it be too bold to inquire if you would be willing to give me a chance tonight? Perhaps we could get something to eat other than bar fare.” November leaned a bit closer and Hei had to will himself not to instinctively step back. He had just agreed to attempt dating November, if he backed off his opportunity might be gone.

“Well, I am just about done here.” Hei muttered. I guess he doesn’t waste time. This is more typical contractor behaviour. He hasn’t even asked my name! Hei mused to himself, then continued. “I suppose before I agree I should say my name is Li Shengshun and ask yours.” Hei prodded gently. April had called him November yesterday, but that did not mean he should call him that. Huang had told him that morning it was actually November 11, but it wouldn’t hurt to let the blonde think that he had given so little an impression the previous two days, that he hadn’t made a note of it.

“How rude of me! My name is Jack Simon. Call me Jack.” November looked genuinely contrite at having forgotten such a basic courtesy. 

“Well Jack-san, if you don’t mind waiting around outside until I finish here, I would be happy to join you. How about you could come up with some suggestions for places to go while you wait?” Hei glanced down. Projecting a nervousness, which he had to admit to himself, was not completely an act. 

“I can do that.” November beamed. “No allergies or anything I need to be aware of?” November had stepped back from the bar and Hei watched as his face clearly showed he was narrowing down on the potential options for places to go.

“No allergies. I will be done...” Hei looked over at the clock, “In about five minutes, maybe longer, depending on when my replacement gets here.”

“Then I will wait for you outside.” November smiled with a wink as he turned and walked towards the door. Glancing back when he had reached the door, then with a confidant grin he slipped outside. 

* * *

November had decided to take him to a small curry house. He had said on the drive over that, back in England, curry was one of the more popular night time dishes. Hei smiled as November led him to sit at one of the corner tables. It was the one with the best view of the door and the path to the kitchen. It seemed he wasn’t the only one who couldn’t fully let go of his training even when supposedly in a civilian situation. Hei opted for the seat with the view of the main door, feeling less exposed watching the main point of entry.

The restaurant was filled with the scent of spice, it was warm and inviting. All too easy to be lulled into lowering his guard. The warm yellow painted walls trimmed in red added more to the overall relaxed atmosphere in the restaurant. November had chosen the place well, if Hei hadn’t been as well trained as he was, this setting might have ended up leading him to accidentally giving up some information. 

“So Jack-san, why are you in Japan?” Hei asked as he pulled a pair of chopsticks out of the bunch in the middle of the table. He folded the wrapper, placing it down on the table and rubbed the chopsticks together to ensure there were no splinters left before resting them on top of the paper.

“I work at the British Embassy. Mostly I liaise with the Japanese police should any British Nationals get into trouble.” November spoke while watching Hei.

“Sounds like it could be exciting at times.” Hei paused, then clicked his tongue before continuing. “but I also imagine it could be very dull. I doubt that you have to work with the police often. Surely there can’t be too many of your countrymen who break the law here.” Hei raised an eyebrow and frowned in doubt. November shrugged across the table and nodded in agreement.

“At times it is quite dull, but I enjoy my work. You would be surprised how often the police reach out to me. How about you? Do you enjoy your work? School or otherwise.”

November redirected the conversation back to Hei. 

“I do enjoy school, but work is just a job to keep things paid.” Hei glanced down at his hands. “My life is probably pretty boring compared to yours. All I do is read and puzzle over things then go to work at the bar, or wherever else I manage to find work.” Given how often he would change jobs for missions he would need to ensure November held no expectations he would remain at the same job the entire time they were ‘dating’.

“So, from what you said last night, you're working on a theory about the Gates?” November leaned forward on his elbows, cocking his head slightly to the right. Wait, is he trying to get to know me because of that? The thought was a shock, he hadn’t even considered that to be an option. Wouldn’t that be a change, MI6 trying to recruit him as a gate scientist. Take that Huang!

“Yeah, but I’ve been warned by just about every professor not to talk much about my theories outside of university.” Hei looked down at the table with a sigh, sticking to the excuse Huang had told him to use this morning. Make it sound like I don’t like to keep secrets but it’s a requirement. 

“I expect your teachers are rightly protective of you. I for one know there are plenty of governments or organizations who would love to acquire a gate scientist.” November sat back relaxed against the back of his chair. Very smooth. Leaving it open to interpretation if he would be looking to recruit or not. Hei was growing more confident that November wasn’t there because he was BK-201.

“Like the British Government?” Hei chuckled, clearly disbelieving November, and shook his head. “I doubt that my theories would be of interest. Besides, I’m just a grad student. I wouldn’t be considered a Gate scientist yet.” Hei dismissed the potential offer, falling back to Shengshun’s shy, almost painfully oblivious persona as he looked over to the counter to see if the food was forthcoming.

“You would be surprised.” November shrugged. “But perhaps another topic would be more appropriate. How are you enjoying Japan so far, Shengshun?” Hei caught the lack of honorific used by November, but decided it was probably more cultural difference than intentional. November must have picked up that it wasn’t the time to push him further about potential recruitment. 

“So far…” Hei thought about it. Was Japan any different from other places he’s been to? It was generally more peaceful - during the daytime at least, but he couldn’t tell November. Jack his brain supplied. He needed to get used to calling the other by his alias and not his code name. “The people are nice, for the most part. I’ve run into a few who don’t trust foreigners, but I really haven’t gone out much since getting here.” Hei decided to settle on something truthful. “Other than work or school, I think you are among the very few I’ve just sat and talked with.” Hei admitted quietly. Interrogating Carmine really didn’t count, besides she wasn’t actually from Japan. He hadn’t talked with any of his neighbours - the doll Shinoda Chiaki did not count- and his landlady only made the occasional casual conversation with him. 

“I feel privileged to have been granted the opportunity.” November smiled and looked up as a server brought the food to the table. With a chuckle he commented upon seeing the amount of food that was being placed on their table. “Did you want to try everything on the menu?”

“Eh… Well, I have a high metabolism, so I eat a lot.” Hei winced and willed his voice to sound more nervous and shy. Fidgeting with his fingers for added effect. 

“Good to know, I will have to keep snacks stocked up for when you come over.” November smirked at him and began to pick at his food.

“You are looking that far ahead already?” Hei was genuinely surprised, he had spoken before he had a chance to think and stop himself. November was a contractor, he should only be looking out for himself. Perhaps I should start a ‘November defying contractor behaviour’ list. Hei wondered to himself. I sound like Mao talking about me. The thought struck a chord in him. Could there be contractors who felt emotions like him out there? What could have caused November to behave differently? He knew his own emotions had been caused by Bai’s disappearance. I wonder what might have influenced November. Hei wondered quietly as he began to eat. 

“Why shouldn’t I? You have not shown me anything that would deter me from continuing things with you.” November looked over at him with a serious expression, pausing for a moment before continuing. “You can handle yourself well in the face of the chaos which is April, that in itself is remarkably attractive. You seem to be willing to take risks; by moving, alone, to a new country with, from what I can tell, no friends or family to pursue your field of study. You are also hardworking, balancing work and school.” November’s gaze was intense as he explained himself to Hei. 

Hei shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He piled some curry onto the rice in his bowl to distract himself. To be fair, although not for the reasons November stated, Hei was all of those things. I will have to be careful. If he can extrapolate from just what he got out of our brief conversations, I will have to stick to what truths I can. I can’t have a small lie give me away. His choice to pursue November just increased drastically in risk. Perhaps he was better than Hei had considered and not just foolish. Hei glanced over at him, letting his chopsticks hang not far from his mouth for a moment as if in thought before commenting. 

“Is it part of your job to analyze people as well? You’ve only known me for a few hours, at best, I don’t know if that is enough time to make those types of decisions about someone.” Hei added a shrug, reaching for more curry, while declining to confirm if November had assumed correctly.  

“I am very confident with my deduction of you so far.” November sat back with a smirk. His small gesture full of relaxed confidence, almost daring Hei to dispute him. Hei felt himself falling for the bait despite himself. Oh, two can play this game.  

“Hmm, let me see..” Hei tapped his chopsticks against his lips looking up in thought. “From what I have seen of you… I’d say you are extremely self confident bordering on cocky, probably more than a little reckless as well.” Hei rested his chin on his hand as he reached for another bite before continuing. “But you also seem to genuinely care about April, who I doubt is related to you so she must be a friend or close co-worker.” Hei cocked his head  while still resting it on his hand at November with his own sly grin.

“You are pretty good at analyzing people yourself. How did you come to your first two characteristics?” November chuckled, seemingly pleased that Hei had risen to his challenge, if the twinkle to his eyes was anything to go by. 

“Well, partly from the way you hold yourself; head up, shoulders back and unafraid of anything the world could throw at you.” Hei sat up straight, emulating November’s posture as he spoke before returning to Shengshun’s typical relaxed one and continued.  

“You speak in such a way, even in a different language, that you are sure you will get your way, in one manner or another. Like how you shot down April’s attempts to get me to meet up with her, but injected yourself instead. You are reckless, because you know nothing about me and yet decided to jump right in, even planning for the potential future, confident enough that things will work out regardless of potential obstacles.” They had been evenly matched in their fight, but November was cocky, and had April not been there with rain, he doubted November would have been as much of a threat. You still had to be rescued by Huang. His mind reminded him. It wasn’t exactly the same. November thinking the fight was over when he had caught Hei with ice was reckless, given if he had known of his electricity manipulation, he should have also known of his signature wire and knife. 

“Excellent observations on all counts. I am very impressed. Although, I am concerned, what might be potential obstacles for us? Would your family not approve?”

Hei immediately looked down at his now mostly empty plate. He had walked right into bringing his background back to the main topic of conversation. Idiot he chided himself. With how close he was going to have to get to November, he would have to skirt the truth as much as possible.

“Everything ok?” November asked cautiously. It was the first time Hei had heard him speak without his usual confidence. 

“I- I don’t really… It’s complicated.” Hei mumbled quietly. “It's been years, I don’t really know if they are still alive.” Hei continued as he pushed the last bits of rice around in his bowl. Distracting himself from how uncomfortable the topic was making him.

“Ah. I’m sorry.” November leaned over and gave Hei’s hand a quick squeeze, lingering a moment before retreating back to his side of the table. Did.. he just…  try to comfort me? Why would he do that? Contractors don’t do that. The thought made no sense, but it had happened, naturally even! Contractors were selfish, they didn’t care if someone was uncomfortable or upset.

“I doubt that your family, if around, would have an issue with who you date.” Hei mumbled giving November a sad smile, taking the opportunity to get more information on November. 

“Well, I don’t have any biological family left. Maybe a crazy aunt in Chester.” November teased trying to lighten the mood. “I do however have April and July who are basically my family. Both of them are here in Japan actually. April you have of course met.”

“I hope July is not like April.” Hei groaned automatically. Hei wasn’t sure he could deal with two Aprils. He wasn’t sure the world could deal with two Aprils. 

“July is almost April’s exact opposite. He’s quiet and very shy.” November chuckled.

July must be the team doll. Why would he call them his family? Mao would never say the same about Yin or I. Hei knew he did not act like a typical contractor either, and while he did not see his current team as family, a nagging part of him knew he would look out for them should anything happen. 

“In that case, he might be the most agreeable of the three of you.” Hei teased glancing at November’s mock horrified expression with a chuckle. I wonder if this is what a normal date would be like? The playful banter bordering on flirting, enjoying the other’s company. It would be nice to think it was, but this was Li’s life, not Hei’s. As soon as the Syndicate said the word, Hei would be out of Japan and Li Shengshun would disappear.

“Agreeable he might be, I hope that I get to be the one who holds your attention.” November leaned forward, his tone seemed a bit deeper towards the end. 

“Honestly, you are doing a pretty good job so far.” Hei admitted as he pushed the final dish away from him. So far, the night had been enjoyable. November was pleasant to be around. The challenge to keep as much information out of the conversation that might make November believe he was BK-201 was exciting. If this is what dating November - Jack - was going to be like, it would be much more enjoyable than he had thought.

“Then I propose we take a stroll.” November smirked at him across the table. 

“A short one, it’s already late and I have to be up early.” Hei remembered he was supposed to be a student, there were usually classes to attend and he found himself not ready to return to his apartment.

 

There was a park not far from the restaurant. Much of the area was shrouded in darkness but the walking path was lined with lights. Hei glanced up at the sky, frowning slightly when he saw clouds blocking the fake stars.

“Do you miss the old stars?” November asked, noticing his frown.

“I still go out and stargaze, even though I know they are fake.” Hei nodded as he spoke. Honestly I just hope Bai is looking up at the stars too. He tried not to frown at the thought. 

“Is that why you wanted to study Astronomy?”

“I would have loved to have been able to study the old stars. The world would be such a different place if they never disappeared. What about you? Do you miss the stars?”

“To be honest, not really. They were never something I gave much thought to. I was always busy. I find no real difference between these and the old ones, other than unpredictable shooting stars.” November shrugged.

“I suppose that is true. With these stars you can’t really predict when they will fall. If you believe the rumours; they say someone has died when one of these stars fall.”

November hummed in response. Not agreeing or disagreeing with him. They walked in silence for a few moments. November was close enough that Hei had to actively remember to not put distance between them. He successfully did not flinch when November took his hand, managing to glance over with a small smile instead. November returned his smile inching a bit closer and tightening his grip. 

“Perhaps, now that we have had a successful date, you might be willing to give me your number?” November smirked and gently bumped into his shoulder.

“I- uh- don’t have one.” Hei confessed quietly, glancing off into the shadows of trees beyond the illuminated pathway. 

“You don’t have a phone?” November stared disbelievingly at him.

“No. I thought about getting one when I first came but got the runaround from the phone company requiring that I had a Japanese bank account in order to get one, so I gave up on it. Besides, it's an added expense which I really don’t need and honestly haven’t really missed.”

“How do people get a hold of you?” November paused and looked at him, the information still shocking to him.

“I don’t know many people. If it’s work related, they tend to leave a message with my landlady. It’s pretty rare though.” Hei shrugged, he tugged at his hand that was still being held by Novembers but the other’s grasp remained firm, even giving him a slight squeeze in response to the tug.

“So, how would I get a hold of you to arrange a second date?” November looked at him with what Hei would best describe as a pout, though it seemed wrong on the blonde’s face.

“You actually want to see me again?” Hei laughed disbelievingly. He really does seem to be more emotionally driven than most contractors. 

“You sound like you don’t believe someone could be interested in you. I will have you know, I have greatly enjoyed tonight, and wish to continue to spend time with you.” November shook his head and began to walk forward again, pulling Hei along slightly until he fell into step beside him.

“It’s just unusual.” Hei muttered quietly. The night had felt more natural than acting to him, which would make it more difficult to remain Shengshun around November. “Most people either find me boring or eccentric. I’ve been told I’m friendly enough but different.” Hei shrugged with a small frown. If the blonde wanted an easy way out of any potential further interactions, this was it. 

“Would you like to go on another date?” November asked him seriously, November’s thumb tracing a circle reassuringly on his hand. Hei toyed with his lower lip as they walked. Do I? How odd for a contractor to put someone else first. Hei hummed and considered if he wanted out of this before the risk became too great. It is nicer than I thought it would be to pretend to be normal. It would help Shengshun appear less suspicious. They had walked the full circuit of the park and reached the entrance again. Patiently waiting for an answer, November quietly held his hand as he led Hei to his car.

“I would like that.” Hei finally answered as they approached the red sports car. Hei felt a tenseness in his stomach, he hadn’t realized was there, relax at his decision. Okay, that wasn’t expected. Hei thought as he opened the car door and sank into the seat. November slid into the seat next to him. His eyes twinkled in excitement as he glanced over at Hei. 

“So, when would you permit me to have a second date with you?” November asked turning the engine over. 

“Hmm. Well, I will be busy tomorrow and the next day all day but I have a free morning after that. If you aren’t busy we could meet up for tea or coffee, but if I recall correctly Brits are more tea drinkers.” Hei mumbled as he tried to think of when he might have some time. Especially some time where Mao wouldn’t be following him for entertainment. He had a meeting in the morning with Huang and the others, which meant he probably would have a mission. Hopefully it would last less than two days. If not he would have to make some excuses the next time he saw November. Not November… he’s Jack. There’s no room for slacking off with him. 

“Three days?” November frowned, his lip sticking out ever so slightly. Hei snickered at the reflection. “Are you sure there isn’t any time before then?”

Hei paused looking out the window. He needed a reason why he didn’t want November - Jack - around while he was on a mission. They were almost at his apartment. 

“It’s the next left. I won’t have much time… besides this gives you the opportunity to think things over and decide if you really want to show up.” one last chance for November to take the way out.

“It seems I will have to convince you of my interest.” November chuckled quietly, shaking his head.

“It’s this one.” Hei commented quietly and pointed at the building. He really hadn’t wanted November to find out where he had lived so soon, but the curry house had been quite a ways from his work, and even further from his apartment. Was that a ploy on N- Jack’s part to ensure he found out where I lived? November parked the car and turned the engine off. 

“Can I walk you up?” November asked while undoing his seatbelt. Clearly intent on doing just that. Hei didn’t really want him to, but against his better judgement he nodded his head and got out of the car. November followed him up the stairs in silence and past the other doors before stopping at apartment 201. 

“So, I’ll see you in three days? There’s a cafe down the street, say 10am?” Hei asked, looking over at November -Jack- who was standing almost uncomfortably close to him. Hei resisted backing away, his instincts rebelling against him as he forced himself to remain in place. 

“If that is the soonest you're ready to meet up, I can agree to that, but I want to prove your worth being interested in first.” November’s grin made warning bells go off in Hei’s head. 

Hei raised an eyebrow and was about to ask ‘how?’ When he felt November’s hand cup his jaw and soft lips cover his own. It felt different from his most recent kiss with Shinoda Chiaki, perhaps because he wasn’t the one initiating or the height difference between him and November which had him tilting his chin upwards. The date had gone well, a goodnight kiss wouldn’t be out of place. Still ignoring his screaming instincts to back away, he leaned into November, just enough to show he wasn’t against the idea of kissing him.

 He could feel November’s lip curl upwards in a smile just before he felt November’s tongue trace his bottom lip. Startled by the sensation, Hei unintentionally parted his lips slightly only to have his mouth invaded by November’s tongue. He made an involuntary and embarrassingly high pitched noise. Hei felt his knees weaken as November’s tongue seemed to want to discover every part of his mouth. Hei’s instincts warred with him, a battle he was beginning to lose. He was no longer sure if he wanted to push November away or pull him in, as he gripped November’s lapel in one hand to keep himself from sinking to the floor. 

Hei’s own tongue went on the attack, forcing its own way into November’s mouth. Hei’s heart was pounding as he instinctively refused to back down from the challenge issued by November’s tongue. He needed better leverage to overcome November. Hei’s other hand reached up to grip the back of November’s jacket, pulling them closer together. 

November’s response was lightning fast as the space between them disappeared in an instant as Hei was roughly pushed up against the wall outside his door. 

Hei was pinned, but he didn’t feel the usual panic of being trapped. His stomach tightened in excitement as he used the wall as an anchor pushing slightly against November as he swirled his tongue around November’s. The ensuing tongue battle was as evenly matched as their previous fight. Neither giving any ground as they sought to uncover any weakness through sensation. 

Unable to find an advantage with just his tongue, Hei let his hand rake down November’s back. Hei felt November's hand slid into his hair, gripping it tightly enough to force Hei’s head back. The new angle allowed November greater access. In retaliation Hei let go of November’s lapel and pulled November’s tie downward hard, and their teeth clinked before both adjusted, November’s other hand was distractingly sliding down his side in a way that made Hei’s blood heat low in his abdomen. 

Hei pressed forward, chasing after the taste of smoke and spice. His other hand, having slid under November's coat and up November’s back, pulled him impossibly closer. A low groan reverberated from November against Hei’s chest. It sent a shiver tingling down his spine, while his blood felt like it was on fire. It felt like a victory, he needed to make November do that again.  

Hei gasped, breaking the kiss, as November’s hand at his waist made contact with his skin at the hollow of his hip and the sensation threatened to have his legs give out entirely. His brain finally catching up to his body, Hei realized he had let things go too far way too fast. Their breaths mingled as they both panted for air, time pausing as neither moved. Hei looked up at November, who was clearly considering kissing him again. Shit. That was not how a shy university student would react. The thought quickly helped to cool him down.

Hei blinked a couple of times. He needed to get his heart to slow down, the blood pounding in his ears was making it hard to think. Hei loosened his grip on November’s shirt and let his hand fall back to his side, not yet ready to let go of November’s tie which was helping steady him. 

November took in a shaky breath, it was mockingly more composed than Hei’s own ragged breathing. November let his fingers trace along Hei’s jawline as he stepped back. Somehow the MI6 agent managed not to wobble on his feet and Hei knew he wouldn’t have been able to pull that off right now as he leaned heavily on the wall. 

“I am definitely looking forward to our next date.” November grinned at Hei. “You’re very good at hiding your emotions, aren’t you? You almost had me convinced you weren't actually interested in dating and just humouring me, but that kiss…”

“I-” Hei looked up at November in shock. Realizing he had been all Hei and no Shengshun when kissing November, felt conflicted by his reaction. Usually he was able to keep his mission and emotions separate. “I’m not sure why I did that.” His voice was low and unsteady. Hei swallowed hard, his mouth suddenly very dry. 

“Intentional or not, it was fantastic.” November chuckled as he leaned against the balcony rail. Hei felt his face flush all the way to his ears at the comment. Not trusting his voice, given how his body was reacting, Hei hummed in agreement. He hadn’t felt anything like that before. November had completely managed to bypass his act as Shengshun and teased out a visceral reaction he had not managed to stop, hell he hadn’t even realized it was happening until it was almost too late. Part of him wanted to see what continuing would feel like, but the more sane part of his brain screamed he wasn’t prepared for that. 

“So 10 in the morning in three days time. Don’t you get cold feet on me, because I will be there.” November teased before pushing off from the rail. Hei nodded, searching his pockets for his keys. 

“Okay.” His voice was still a bit deeper than normal and warbled more than he would have liked. Locating his keys, Hei managed to not appear as unsteady on his feet as he felt while he unlocked the door. He paused in the doorway, glancing over at November. 

“Goodnight Jack” he couldn’t help but smile slightly as he intentionally dropped the honorific and slipped inside before November could attempt to follow him. Door now firmly between him and November Hei leaned back against it and slowly let himself sink to the floor. 

Once his legs were ready to support him, he was going to have a very cold shower.

Chapter 4: Chapter Four

True to his word, Huang had acquired research material for him to study. He tossed, with some difficulty, a grey satchel that was practically bursting at an inwardly slightly confused Hei when he arrived for the meeting in the morning. Right, gate thesis work. It has been easier to keep his face neutral this morning, at least while around his team. Hei had been distracted from November’s kiss much of the night that with the little sleep he had gotten he had forgotten he would need to ensure his background as a grad student was believable. If he was being honest, he had spent a lot of the morning so far also very distracted by a certain pale blue eyed contractor, that he hadn’t actually been paying attention to Mao’s rambling. 

‘Make sure you read it all.” Huang growled. Hei nodded simply, not changing his expression. Waiting for Huang to either go into detail about the next mission or a minor rant about the problems contractors caused him, specifically Hei. 

“There’s a new contractor in town. Corporate spy who stole some prototypes based on gate research from the Flore cosmetic’s company. They are now killing off the upper management. You’re to recover the stolen material.”

Hei nodded again, it was a mission this time. He slung the satchel over his head and adjusted the bag behind him. Huang didn’t even bother to sit down, just kept walking once he had passed on the bag and mission. Alright then. He looked over at Yin and Mao, the cat had been resting in her lap and jumped down now that they had work to do. With a nod, Yin returned to the cigarette shop. She had nothing to track and would wait for further instructions.

It wasn’t a lot to go on. They would have to try and get background information on the company and see who had been killed and see if they could narrow down who might be the next victim. Hei sighed, it seemed there would be a lot of leg work with Mao today. It would make his intrusive thoughts about November much more problematic having to worry about Mao noticing him being distracted. The other contractor had developed the curiosity aspect of his cat form, and spent at least part of his free time monitoring Hei’s odd behaviours.

Hei focused on the mission, or he tried. He spent far too much time actively squashing intrusive thoughts or the even worse phantom sensations, his brain produced when remembering November’s kiss. November was a problem two days from now. Right now he did not have time to deal with how he had enjoyed being pinned against the wall by him or November’s hand in his hair. He really did not have time to dwell on how November had managed to sneak by his defenses and had him not Shengshun reacting. He would deal with that later. He would have to deal with that, if he didn’t this fling with November would be too risky.

The thoughts were persistent, much like the blonde who had caused them. More than once during the day Hei found himself having to get his heart rate under control as his body reminded him just how much he had actually enjoyed the kiss last night. Thankfully he managed, almost entirely, to keep his wandering mind in check when Mao was around, only getting a sideways glance once. Hei was not as successful when the cat contractor was doing his own search. He had not had a reaction to someone this intense since… her. Granted he attributed that attraction to teenage hormones in overdrive more than any other cause. With November, Hei could not claim the same… and that concerned him.

Their first break in the mission didn’t come until nightfall. A contractor’s star reacting to the use of their powers nearby. They took the gamble that the contractor using their powers was the one who they were chasing and were rewarded when they found him. During a brief clash Mao revealed the contractor they were up against could possess humans like he could possess animals. Frustratingly, the contractor had escaped. The target now knew they were being tracked. They wouldn’t be making any further moves tonight, not when their star could give them away. Hei and Mao would have to pick up the trail in the morning. 

Mao went off to relay the information to Huang as to the direction the contractor had headed to see if they could get some CCTV footage for an ID on the target. Hei on the other hand, went home. He was mentally exhausted from warring with his own errant brain and the persistent thoughts of November. Hei let himself slump into the lumpy futon, remembering briefly the pile of material he was supposed to read, and deciding to ignore it for now. At this rate he would have to make time by sacrificing sleep, but not tonight. Tonight he intended to let his brain win for a while, knowing his dreams would be invaded by a blue-eyed contractor like the night before.

* * *

With no word from Huang, as to an ID, their advantage was that Yin now had a face to scan for. Hei and Mao were able to pick up the target’s trail by late morning. Unfortunately, that was where Hei’s luck ran out. He had been bumping into a private investigator who stank of cigarettes and body odour at almost every turn, to the point Hei began to suspect their missions had something in common. Hei hoped to avoid him as the scent of smoke had his brain thinking of someone else, while he had not raised Mao’s curiosity yesterday, Hei was getting less confident he would be able keep the cat from asking questions today.

The day went from dealing with his own internal chaos and just managing, to an emergency as Mao had gone missing shortly after lunch. To make matters worse the sleazy PI had gotten in his way and he had been forced to abandon tailing the target, having told Mao to stay on the trail. Only Mao had disappeared. Yin was unable to locate him and Hei had backtracked and scanned the surrounding ten blocks now, expanding his search by a block each time. With no sign of the black cat contractor.

It was already dark, if the contractor turned cat didn’t turn up soon he would definitely miss his date with November tomorrow. He had already given up on potentially being able to read any of the papers from Huang tonight.  He would find out what had happened to the cat no matter what, his team came first. I guess we are a weird sort of family. Huang being the grumpy uncle.  

“Hei.” Yin’s soft voice rang out over the com, halting his train of thought. “Three blocks west. Riverbank. Mao is there.”

Hei didn’t respond, opting to simply turn on his heel and sprint west as directed by Yin. she didn’t need confirmation he had heard, she would be able to see he had changed direction Where the hell has he been! He will  be lucky if I don’t flay him alive and serve him up for my landlady. He growled to himself as he covered the distance at Black Reaper speed.

“Hurry. Target is there.” Yin added quietly.

Shit. Hei felt his blood run cold and he pushed himself faster. If Yin said hurry Mao was in trouble. The river was in sight now, he pulled out his wire, coiling it around his hand preparing to throw it. There was a chance he wouldn’t make it there in time, the wire would give him a chance for attack. Quickly scanning the riverbank as he crested the hill, Hei saw the target’s body laying face down on the concrete, the PI from before was over the railing almost in the water, head down looking at something. 

Mao must be in the water. Hei threw his wire at the PI, hooking it quickly around his neck and pulling back hard. Please be alive . He held back from using his powers. While annoying, the PI had nothing to do with this, and he preferred to avoid killing humans if it was avoidable. The other contractor would return to the body that was on the ground if he incapacitated this one.

“Hei!” Mao screamed from the water. Hei felt instant relief from hearing the voice of the somewhat annoying cat-contractor. “Move to his blind side!” Mao ordered from the carrier he was trapped in. He switched his grip and tugged the PI towards him. With a quick leap over the rail and the PI, Hei positioned himself out of harm's way, thunking the PI’s head on the rail in the process. The other contractor needed no more encouragement to leave the stolen body and return to his other one. Hei cut the wire, releasing the PI and jumped over the railing to go after the target.

“W-wait! Hei! Shit! Help me!” Mao called in panic. The carrier he was in had slipped further into the water. Hei clicked his tongue in frustration but let the target go. He easily cleared the railing once again and scooped up the carrier. As an afterthought, he reached down and pulled the PI up by the collar, so that he was three steps out of the water with no further threat of drowning. 

Hei tipped the carrier up to let the water drain out. Leaving Mao in there and struggling to not end up with his face smashed into the front of the carrier.

“Let me out!” Mao demanded in frustration before Hei relented and opened the door of the carrier.  

“What happened?” Hei asked, dropping the carrier. He walked over to the rail and unwound his wire, best not to leave evidence . Mao dashed between the rungs of the railing shortly before Hei vaulted over it again. Clearly wanting to put distance between himself and the water.

“I was picked up by the PI, thinking I was his client’s cat. They realized I was the wrong cat and the PI - who’s name is Guy, was thinking of drowning me when the target showed up. Seems Guy had accidentally swapped jackets and had the stolen material on him.” Mao grumbled as he surveyed his wet fur.

“If you're going to end up compromised  by civilians, perhaps I should let Rika keep you, Hernandez.” Hei teased, tucking the cut wire into his coat pocket. 

“Don’t you dare!” Mao paused in his survey to glare back at Hei and hissed. “The target will probably go quiet. I will report to Huang.” Mao gave his fur a long shake, to get what remaining water he could out.

“Good. I have to study.” Hei grumbled. His date with November was in the morning, he had neglected the time he had intended to be reading, in favour of searching for Mao. Sleep would have to wait, so that he could be ready to pass as a grad student for his date with November in the morning. He knew he could handle the lack of sleep, Hei was more worried that his brain would be too distracted by the blonde to retain any of the information contained in the papers.

 

* * *

 

Hei yawned, the words were blurring together on the page in front of him and his brain felt like if he wasn’t careful it would dribble out his nose. He had accidentally fallen asleep on top of some of the papers last night. He would never admit aloud that he had startled himself awake when his stomach had growled. And the suspicious hole in the wall certainly wasn’t caused by him throwing his knife. Hei rubbed his tired eyes, he had seriously underestimated how long it would take to get through the papers. He had also been overconfident in his ability to make it through them; it also didn’t help that some of the papers were in other languages. It had the unfortunate effect of having his thoughts blur into a fusion of three languages that really shouldn’t blend together.

With a sigh Hei decided to give in to his protesting stomach and make breakfast. He had arranged to meet up with Mao and Yin in the afternoon, as the target would probably be laying low. Mao was going to try and set up a trap with Hei as the bait for that night. This way, Mao would be distracted and Hei would be able to allocate more of his focus on staying one step ahead of November.

Hei had tried to settle back down after placating his stomach with food and reading some more before he would have to go and meet up with November, but his brain had other ideas. It kept sneaking idea’s of November stopping by to pick him up at home, and their date not making it to the café. Hei shook his head to try and rid himself of the more salacious idea’s his brain came up with.

In frustration Hei packed half of the papers into the satchel and headed out to the café down the street. He was going to need help to stay awake and focused. The café was where he would need to meet up with November anyway, it was in public, which would help - he hoped- to deter some of his wandering thoughts, especially the one of November murmuring his name next to his ear while he had him pinned. Hei prayed that his reaction to November would cool off soon. That particular tangent had encouraged him to have an icy shower before he headed out. At least if he was at the café researching it would also help him maintain his cover. 

The waiter had only shrugged and hummed an affirmation when he asked about taking over the table for a few hours after ordering. It seemed to be a regular occurrence. Hei  settled in at a table facing the door with a wall to his back and arranged a notepad to one side. He had  already made a number of scribbled comments and notes last night. Mostly terms he would need to know or needed to find out what they meant. 

His notes at least stayed in one language, Mandarin. He had decided to take pity on his brain and used it while making his notes. The bulk of the papers had been in Japanese, which was unsurprising, given they had come from a Japanese professor. He had been using that language almost constantly, so there wasn’t much difficulty in most of the words, but the scientific terminology had given him some trouble. 

The next most common language was English, those papers took him a lot longer to read. He couldn’t rely on characters being similar as the Romanized text had required him to focus a lot more on remembering what each character was then on ensuring he remembered what the words meant. Some of those papers took three or four times longer, and it was one of the English ones he had fallen asleep on in the wee hours of the morning. 

To his relief, there were a good deal of papers in Mandarin. Hei had been glad for those ones, they had helped him understand some of the basic concepts and terms unique to the topic before forcing his brain to switch languages. After he had discovered the first paper in Mandarin, he had searched the pile for any others. He had read, and mostly understood all of those ones before he had fallen asleep. He had taken them with him so that he could reference them should he get stumped on a concept in one of the other papers.

He was on his fourth - or was it sixth? - cup of jasmine pearl tea when the hairs on the back of his neck prickled. Someone was watching him. He didn’t look up, given the time it was likely that November had arrived early. Hei lazily circled ‘solar maximum’ on the paper. The term no that’s not quite right… event? had appeared in most of the papers that focused on the Heaven's Gate catastrophe. It correlated to what happened when the gate and a large portion of South America had been cut off from the rest of the world. He felt like he had heard ‘solar maximum’ before, but struggled to place where or when it was. 

He suspected it had something to do with his last mission in South America, given the timeframe, but he was not going to poke around at his memories of then in public, even less so when he was being watched. Hei rubbed his temple and grimaced. It was going to take a long time to get through all of the papers. It would be even longer before he could claim he understood them. Mentally giving up for now, he finally glanced up confirming it was Jack - still struggling with not calling him November- who had been watching him. Smiling slightly he waved the blonde over and began to straighten the stray papers.

“Homework?” November asked as he approached the table.

Hei shook his head no. “Research. I was falling asleep at home so I decided to come here early and get some caffeinated help.”

“Dry topic?” November raised his eyebrow at Hei.

“No. It’s a lack of sleep problem.” Hei groaned. “ I’ve read this report from South America five times and still not sure if I’ve actually read it and even less sure I understood it.” Hei pushed one of the papers in front of him forward in frustration. November picked up the paper Hei had discarded before taking the seat next to him, shuffling the chair closer to Hei’s own.

“Lancelnopt Synchrotron Radiation Localized Resonance - Prelude to Gate Collapse?” November read the title aloud in English in an astonished tone.  

“Um, yeah… In areas closer to Heaven's Gate just before it disappeared, objects and people were haloed in a blue glow.” Hei muttered in explanation, resisting the urge to switch to English he spoke in Japanese. Of his memories of the time, he could recall seeing something similar to how they had been explained in the paper. “Ugh. I probably should put these away.” Hei remembered, the topic was probably classified information. He glanced at some of the other papers, actually probably most of these were. Hei began stacking the papers so he could tuck them away in the satchel.

“You speak English?” Jack continued in English. Oh, his original accent is nice. Focus!

“I had learned it when I was younger, but a lot of the research on the gates is in other languages so I’ve had to keep it and a few others up.” Hei replied in Japanese, it was the truth, he had been forced to learn it when he was seven. Bai had struggled with it and she often would turn to him for help. Given the amount of languages he has been looking at today, it was a minor miracle that he managed to only talk in one and not broken bits of three.

“What others?” November was clearly impressed, handing over the paper.

“Korean, Portuguese and I can get by in German. I usually can find English translations of any of the other languages papers are written in.” He had been stationed with Bai in Korea not long after the gates had appeared once their training was over. When Heaven’s War had begun they had been moved to Brazil, where he picked up Portuguese. After he had woken up in the field hospital in Argentina he had managed to piece together enough German to be proficient in basic reading and conversation.

“So, you know six languages?” November’s eyebrows were up to his hairline in shock.

“Well, I’m competent in both reading and speaking in those. I pick up languages easily enough if I’m in a place for more than a couple weeks, but understanding text takes a lot longer.” Hei mumbled nervously shoving papers into the satchel. Why did I tell him that! It would have been fine to only say yes. Well there’s no going back now. Hei finished with the papers and flipped the cover over the bag, shoving it down by his feet.

“Sounds like you’ve travelled a lot.” November chuckled quietly. “Why are you working at a bar and not as a translator?” November claimed Hei’s hand that had begun to fidget with his cup.

“There was a lot of moving around while I was growing up.” Hei let November take his hand. He had thought that November’s hands would be cold, given his ability. They weren’t cold when he was kissing you. His mind reminded him. The warmth was comforting, he gave November’s hand a slight squeeze. “I had thought about looking at one of those jobs…but the hours aren’t conducive to allowing me to still go to university, so not really an option for me.” Hei commented quietly.

“Military family?” November asked, sliding his chair slightly closer to Hei, eliminating any remaining space between them. It seems November had taken the last two days to look into his background. Hei nodded, his cover involved him being a child of a middle to high ranking military official. He, having served some time in the military himself before enrolling at Hunan University and coming to Japan.

“My Father.” Hei grumbled. This was a sore topic, his cover was painfully close to his own history. While it did help things be more believable, it was dangerously close to giving things away. He really did not want November to push further on this topic. 

“Let me guess, he wanted you to follow in his footsteps.” November snorted, almost as if it had been something similar for him growing up. Chances are it was. MI6 isn’t exactly a typical profession for the average British person to pursue. 

“Yeah. I tried to, and I was fairly good at it. But, Heaven’s Gate has been a puzzle I’ve been trying to solve since it disappeared. When I had the opportunity, I left the military and decided to focus on finding out what actually happened five years ago, and why.” Hei traced a circle around his pen on the table, spinning it slowly around. He looked up suddenly. “Oh! I’ve cleared a basic version of my thesis with my prof that doesn’t give away anything confidential. I mean, if you want to know what I’m working on, if you don't, that's alright too.” Hei managed to sound excited and slightly embarrassed at the same time.

“Really? I would love to know what you can tell me.”

“I don’t think Heaven’s Gate is gone.” Hei leaned in, almost bumping his head with November’s and whispered excitedly. The scientists he had interacted with, all became very animated when they talked about their topic of study, so he copied their enthusiasm as he spoke. “I think there is a barrier around it. And that barrier manipulates objects on a molecular level as they pass through and that part which is changed makes the object unable to make the return trip.”

“And that relates to the radiation resonance?” November looked at him with a puzzled expression. Why is he focused on Synchrotron Radiation? Granted it was something November knew was classified, he also now knew Shengshun was aware of it. It shouldn’t be something to focus on, should it?

“Well, it’s not actually radiation.” Hei dismissed quickly, continuing as things clicked in his head. “But yeah, I think the LSR resonance is what causes the change.” It was related to how contractor powers manifested so it would make sense that the sighting of people and objects being surrounded in it just before Heaven’s Gate disappeared would imply a change to the structure of the area. Given Bai’s power was probably involved, it implied things were  changed on a molecular level. “The biggest struggle I’ve been having is that no one in the last five years can confirm seeing an LSR localized event again. I’m trying to figure out why. Maybe it has something to do with the solar maximum at the time… or maybe the presence of something influencing gate particles…” Hei trailed off, would just changing things at the time be enough to set up the containment zone? Would Bai have been able to create something that large? Could he? He looked down at his notes with a frustrated scowl. There was silence from November. After a moment Hei looked up and found November’s - Jack! Remember- eyebrows were furrowed and his face set in a pensive expression as if something Hei had said correlated with information he knew. Shit, am I actually onto something?

“You okay? Sorry if that’s a lot to process.” Hei commented quietly, gently prodding to see if November would comment about what he was thinking.

“Have you ever seen… LSR?” November asked pausing to use the same acronym Hei had. Startled, Hei sat back a little bit before he forced himself to stop. Fuck, how am I going to explain the correlation between the radiation and things changing if I haven’t seen it. Shit. November was definitely a better agent and decidedly not a fool, than he had considered. He was consistently finding the weak points in what he said. It’s a good thing my cover is close to the truth, November would spot any holes or catch a slip up right away.  

“I- Ugh… yeah, I have.” Hei murmured and looked down at the table uncomfortably. He wanted to lean back in and reclaim the warmth from November’s shoulder but he didn’t dare. Hei waited while his stomach twisted as November continued to remain silent. 

“I can see why your professor would be cautious about letting you talk about your theory.” November finally muttered. Hei glanced up at him, there was still a crease to his brow indicating something was still weighing on his mind, but November didn’t speak.

“Anything exciting at your work or was it quiet?” Hei decided to change the subject. November did not appear to be inclined to share his thoughts. There would be time for that eventually. He would have to try and start poking his own holes in November’s backstory. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to manage as flawlessly as November had unknowingly found some of his. 

“Well, I guess I should say that initially I had thought I would only be in the country for a short while. However, after my most recent involvement with the police, I’ve been stationed here until that case is solved.”

“Really? Will you leave if they solve it quickly?” Hei let a bit of his disappointment through in his voice. He knew the police would only solve the case if he died or was caught. Which would certainly end things with N- Jack, but from Shengshun’s perspective it would sound like Jack might not actually be looking for something serious.

“I have been thinking about that. While it is highly doubtful this case will be solved quickly, should we be so lucky as to catch the perpetrator, I am inclined to take up a more permanent post in Japan should there be something - or someone- to keep me here.” Jack grinned as he resumed his position leaning against Hei’s shoulder. Hei felt his face warm. He barely knows Shengshun, but… wow. Top MI6 agent potentially tied down by a grad student. He doubted the contractor side of November would follow through with the offer, but the idea November was bold enough to consider wanting to spend time long term with him made his heart flutter. 

“Well - um. I have a probably unsurprising confession.” Hei mumbled, catching Jack’s smirk at his blush in the corner of his eye and quickly glancing down again. 

“Oh?” November switched Hei’s hand to his other. Shifting in his chair, he slipped his arm around Hei’s waist. The fluttering feeling spread down through his stomach. 

“I really don’t know much about dating… or have much experience. It… hasn’t really been an option for me.” Hei stumbled over what he had intended to say, more distracted by November’s proximity than embarrassment, although the effect was the same. This shouldn’t affect me this strongly! It’s just his hand. It’s not even touching skin. Calm down! His mind’s wanderings and various fantasies from last few days, probably at fault for the reaction. 

“But you are willing to give it a try?” Hei didn’t have to look to know November was grinning when he spoke. Hei could smell sandalwood with bergamot and a faint smell of tobacco and wanted to stay like this a while longer. 

“I would. The thought is terrifying, but I would like to try.” Hei leaned a little back into November’s chest, if he wasn’t careful he could really get used to this. What… wait. No. Don’t think like that. Hei mentally chided himself. That train of thought would get him hurt or being that this was November he was dealing with, dead was much more likely. 

“Then we will do that. One day at a time, we will see where this leads us.” November murmured, the sound pleasantly reverberating against his back. One day at a time, Shengshun would be able to look forward to that, but I can’t. Hei was glad November wouldn’t catch the brief sadness that he was unable to keep from his eyes at the thought. It was awful being jealous of his alias. 

“Between university, and both of our jobs, there won’t be much time left for us.” Hei sighed, his sour thoughts bleeding through disappointment into his voice. 

“This might help with that.” November’s hand left Hei’s waist as he leaned back and pulled something black out from his inside blazer pocket. He then set a mobile down in front of Hei. “If we can’t see each other during the day, we will at least be able to send each other messages.” November then snaked his hand back around Hei’s waist. 

“You really have been thinking ahead.” Hei chuckled. Could it be; November is actually smitten? No… it can’t be that. He probably is still looking to recruit Shengshun as a scientist. Great now I’m going to have to try and find out if this is bugged. Hei stared down at the phone.

“I told you, I am very interested in pursuing you. If I need to let you set the speed, I am willing to do that.” November leaned in and  whispered into Hei’s ear eliciting an involuntary shiver from him. 

“If I remember correctly, it was you leading the other night. Are you really ready to slow down?” Hei wondered aloud doubtfully. Nothing he had seen of November thus far led him to believe the contractor did things slowly. 

“Anticipation is half of the fun Shengshun.” November teased him. Before Hei could respond November’s phone belted out a cringe worthy tinny jingle, and he sighed. “One moment.” November sat back in his chair and answered the phone. Hei leaned forward and adjusted himself so he rested his head on his hand to watch November with a smirk. 

“Yes April, what is it?” November’s frown was prominent and there was clear frustration in his tone. 

“November! Where the hell did you get off to? I’m out of beer, bring some back for me. Oh, yea, Misaki wanted us to stop by Section 4. Something about paperwork.” April’s voice erupted from the phone. Hei could hear her even from his seat, given November’s eye roll he was aware Hei could hear. Maybe I can use this opportunity to be able to use his code name. If I could relax at least in that I would be able to stop constantly having to remind myself to use his alias, I might be able to focus better and potentially dodge some of these emotional pitfalls November has been knocking me into. 

“I did say I was going out. Misaki has been saying that for a couple of days now, a few more hours is not going to kill her. I will be back in a bit, I am sure the world won’t end should you have to wait for alcohol.” November grumbled. Paperwork? A couple days… oh, it’s probably about his fight with me. 

“Not fair! You can’t just dump July on me and go off!” April whined, even through the phone it was an awful noise. 

“You mean like you have been doing to me the last five nights?” November retorted flatly. Ha! A dose of your own medicine. Hei chuckled. 

“... Fine! Get your ass back here soon, or I will have July find you and show up.” April grumbled as she relented.

“Now I can’t have you doing that.” November reprimanded her with a slight chuckle. 

“What are you up to?” April asked. It seemed she didn’t know about his date with November. It seemed she wasn’t usually left out of the loop. If April doesn’t know November is trying to recruit Shengshun, is he actually only romantically interested in me? I mean Shengshun. Hei wondered, studying November's features. 

“I am enjoying my time in Japan. I am especially enjoying the lack of your company for a little while. Goodbye April, I will be back around lunch.” November snaps the strikingly lime and dark green phone closed.

“Sorry about that.” November cringed in embarrassment as he tucked his phone back into his pocket.
“Why does she call you November? I think she called you that when you were at the bar as well.” Hei tilted his head slightly looking back at November.

“Er, well it’s become a nickname of mine.” November struggled looking slightly uncomfortable. “She and July both have names that are also months of the year. Perhaps they felt I was left out and decided to call me November.” He shrugged as he passed off the explanation. Seems I’m not the only one having trouble keeping your code name and alias separate.

“November…” Hei tested the word out loud. Up until now he had refrained from saying it aloud, as if speaking it would make it more difficult to keep from saying it around the blonde. Hei nodded with a smile, I wonder, if I could manage to get two answers out of this. An idea had taken root, if he was successful, he’d mange to kill two birds with one stone. “It does suit you. It flows better too. Not as harsh of an ending to it.” Hei wanted to get November to confirm he could use his code name, and perhaps he could also use the opportunity to see if November had been as distracted as he had been since their kiss.

“What do you mean?” November’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“It’s easy to roll an ‘r’ sound, but a ‘kh’ is more of a sudden stop.” Hei explained his reasoning with a sly grin. Trying hard not to alert November to his plan.

“I’ve not really thought of it that way. Does that make a difference?” November shrugged, still looking decidedly relaxed in his chair. Hei decided to spring his trap.

“You tell me… which sounds better:” Hei leaned over towards November, and in a slightly breathy voice continued. “Jack or November” accentuating the ‘kh’ sound with a slight intake of breath afterward and turning the ‘v’, ‘b’ and ‘r’ into more of a deep purr. 

“Oh… I see what you mean.” November sat up a little and shifted suspiciously in his chair. I guess he was distracted too. Hei sat back into his chair, pleased he had managed to tease out of November that he wasn’t just superficially interested in Shengshun and there was actual attraction. He was also pleased that he clearly also had a similar effect on November as November had on him.

“So, which one had more effect?” Hei teased, unable to hide his proud smirk. 

“For someone who hasn’t dated much, you certainly are exceptional at flirting. Keep this up and we may end up back at your apartment.” November threatened, a dangerous glint tinting his kingfisher eyes slightly darker than their normal hue.

“You didn’t answer my question.” Hei prodded, seeing if  his luck would hold. He wanted November to let him call him by his code name.

“The second.” November admitted in a low voice.

“So is that a ‘please keep calling me that’, or a ‘don’t call me that’”Hei chuckled. The thought of November saying ‘Hei’ in a similar tone had been one of his more distracting thoughts from the last few days. It had been very distracting, which is why he had teased November with it. Hei was disappointed to think November would probably never utter it like that. He would have to settle for however he would mutter Shengshun. 

“So long as you don’t stretch the ‘v’ and ‘r’ sounds - and keep it from reverberating in your throat” November paused a moment, clearly being struck by a sudden, decidedly filthy thought before continuing. “You can call me that. If you do accentuate those sounds… I will not be held responsible for what happens after, which will probably involve you being pressed up against a preferably horizontal surface.”

Oh… it had that much of a reaction. Hei was slightly stunned and thoroughly interested in seeing November would make good on that threat. 

“I think I can manage. I will consider myself forewarned should I happen to tease you in that manner.”

“Good.” November’s voice had dropped a couple of octaves, setting sparks off in his belly.

“Well… I don’t know about you, but I need to stretch my legs. How about we get some caffeine to go and wander for a bit? I know April wants you back soon, but I - I don’t really want you to go yet.” Now that Hei had gotten November to let him use his code name, this date could be considered his win. He wasn’t lying about needing to get up. He was an active person, and all this sitting and studying left him stiff. 

“Well how can I say no to that? You finish packing up and I will grab some tea.” November smiled before sneaking a quick peck to Hei’s cheek. Hei felt his cheeks flush at the contact. 

Hei hummed an affirmation and reached down to pick up the satchel. Looking down at the black phone he tucked it into the pocket of his jeans, slipped his notepad and pen into the satchel and got up to meet November by the door. 

Hei didn’t have to wait long for November, they stepped out into the late morning sun, Hei leading November away from the direction of his apartment. Too tempting of an option after that teasing. It wasn’t long before November had snagged his hand and fallen into step beside Hei. 

“Your theory is very interesting. From what I've read on the topic, it sounds very plausible, more so than some of the well regarded theories.” November commented after a few moments. Hei hadn’t expected him to bring it back up. Maybe November would tell him what had distracted him when Hei had first explained the theory.

“Um. thanks. Like a lot of the theories, it will be hard to prove. There are only so many other witness accounts of the last days, and many are full of gaps. Some people were able to give very detailed accounts when they first arrived at the field hospital, only to have no memory of it the next day. It is very frustrating.” Hei grumbled. After he had woken up in Argentina and he had been allowed out of his cot, he had interrogated many of the other patients to try and piece together what had happened. It was only later he realized that most other survivors had their memories wiped. 

“Other witnesses?” November questioned giving Hei’s hand a squeeze.

Hei paused, his next step faltering. Fuck ! He had not intended for November to find out he had been there. Looking down and away, he scrambled to think if there was a way to deflect November’s suspicion away from him.

“You were there.” November commented before Hei could deflect the statement. 

“I- um, well…” Hei stuttered, grasping at straws for an excuse and coming up with none. How could I mess up this badly! Damn I got overconfident. 

“That’s why you know about Synchrotron radiation.” November sounded as if things were making more sense to him. He’s right… it would be the easiest explanation if I just admit to being there. “But, you shouldn’t have been in the army then. You would have been, what, sixteen?”

“Seventeen.” Hei responded automatically.

“Brazil! That’s why you know Portuguese! Wait. German… Argentina too?” November’s face contorted in concern, realizing Li Shengshun had been present in the middle of one of the most gruesome wars of modern times. I doubt I will be able to pull off being innocent anymore around him.

Hei stayed quiet, hoping he could find out what November suspected before giving anything else away. He looked at November nervously. 

“My father was stationed there.” Hei mumbled quietly, deciding that was probably a safe excuse. 

“And he took you along!? Into an active war zone!” November hissed, colour draining from his face.

Hei nodded but stayed quiet. His father had sent   Bai and him to Brazil, knowing full well what awaited them there. Knowing that one or both of his children wouldn’t make it back. And Bai hadn’t made it out.

“What kind of-“ November cut his outrage off, seeing Hei’s expression change to sadness. “I’m sorry.” November took a breath to calm himself before continuing. “That’s why it’s always been something you felt you needed to figure out, isn't it? Something happened there and you want answers.”

“A lot happened there. Everything changed after that.” Hei took in a shaky breath. “But, I’ve gotten through it, and am so much closer to finding the truth.” Hei couldn’t think of Bai now, he couldn’t lose control like he had around Carmine, not in front of November.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have pushed.” November muttered then pulled Hei into an unexpected hug. Hei only put up a token resistance, using more of strength to ward off memories that were trying to bleed through. Shit! Nononono this is bad. How does he keep doing this! Too close! Hei willed his heart to slow and forced the doors closed on the memories. Breathe! He was Li Shengshun, grad student in Gate Astrodynamics, part time bartender, former soldier and someone who hadn’t been on the front lines during Heaven’s war. Focus on being him. His theory is what brought this up. Hei swallowed hard, steadying his breathing as best he could.

“It’s alright, but I want you to promise to tell me if anything to do with my theory bothers you. I will stop talking about it.” Hei paused and hissed through his teeth in frustration before continuing. “I knew it might make things complicated. This is why I said you were reckless. You knew nothing of me and still… Still you're here! You’re here. Oh, oh no. Maybe… Maybe this is a bad idea… maybe this won’t work. Maybe this can’t work. Shit, I shouldn’t have let you- damn. I’m sorry, I probably-“ Hei had started to ramble into November’s shoulder, words coming out faster and faster in apparent mild panic. He felt November’s arms tighten around him. One of his hands rested on his lower back rubbing in a soothing motion, the other had pushed Hei’s head into November’s shoulder, stroking his hair.

“Shhhh… I promise if it bothers me I will tell you. I don’t want you to stop talking about something you are so passionate about. It would be like clipping a bird's wings. Don’t worry, didn’t we already agree to take things slow. I’m letting you lead, but don't think for a minute that means I will let you walk away.”

Hei untangled himself from November, this was not a conversation to be having in public. This was not a conversation he was ready to have at all. The amount of self loathing he felt eclipsed the sun, this topic was done. 

“Are all dates like this?” Hei asked in frustration, still getting his emotions under control. “Banter and sugar then you turn my world upside down?” Hei struggled to change the topic. Carmine had shown him the cracks in his walls, November’s kiss revealed those walls were crumbling. The worst of it was, he wasn’t sure he wanted to put them back together, even though he knew his life depended on them remaining in place. 

“Sugar?” November looked at him puzzled.

“Ah… um, I guess that doesn’t translate well. In China the saying ‘eating sugar’ refers to watching a happy couple interact. Sugar being the interactions between a couple, something pleasant and quickly addicting.” Hei explained quickly. 

“So, what you are saying is  you enjoy my company.” November grinned. Maybe this round November had won, his earlier thoughts of victory a mere consolation prize.

“Mm, but I didn’t like this turning of the world upside down as much as I did the last.” Hei grumbled as he admitted aloud.

November burst into laughter. “Alright, for the next date, I will try for a more pleasant world shaking.”

“Good. Try not to do one like this for a while.” Hei pouted. Li Shengshun could get through this, Hei just had to fall back into character. Lock himself away where November couldn’t tease him out from behind his walls. Just be Shengshun . Hei sighed and took a step back towards November.

“That’s not a ‘don’t do it again’.” November stated cautiously. November was right, it wasn’t. Why hadn’t he just said that? Why did his reactions to November constantly complicate things?

“Isn’t that part of being in a relationship? Getting to know all sides of the other?” It was the only reasoning Hei’s mind could provide. Shengshun was smart, he knew how things ‘should’ work, he just hadn’t had time to apply it in real life.

“And you said you don’t have much experience with relationships. You seem to have a decent idea of how they should work.” November smirked.

“Theory is not the same as practice.” Hei pointed out bluntly.

“Very true.” November smiled and took Hei’s hand again. “So, Shengshun, when do you have another free day?” 

“I’m not sure, I still have the other half of the papers to get through, so it might be a couple days.” In truth, Hei still had a mission to finish on top of all of those papers. The thought of having to stay still and finish the remaining stack made his head spin. 

“The ones you had today weren’t all of them?” November frowned in sympathy.

“Afraid not. Perhaps you can rescue me from them sometime tomorrow or the day after for a little while.” Hei suggested. He was certain he had managed to convince November he had a background in science and wouldn’t have to try quite as hard going forward.

“I can do that. For now, I will have to leave you in their clutches. April will be getting impatient soon. Can I walk  you home?” November sighed dramatically. Very smooth, but I’m going to have to deny you.

“I think I’m going to walk around a bit more. I need to stretch and process what I’ve read. Wandering helps with that. It was nice being able to talk a bit about it to someone other than my professor.” Hei smiled shyly.

“I would be happy to listen to what you can tell me. Text me later? I should be able to answer quickly even if I’m working.”

“Okay.” Hei nodded. November pulled him in for a chaste kiss that was over all too soon in his opinion. Hei watched November as he walked off to his car. If he wasn’t thinking of trying to recruit Li Shengshun before today, he is now. How am I going to explain this to Huang? One thing at a time. Hei needed to make it through the research papers. Although, November’s reaction to his theory had been odd. Hei pulled out the notepad and pen making a note to adapt his theory to include the localized resonance and solar maximum.

Notes:

November kept trying to hijack the chapter. like... a lot! I had to practically sit him down and tell him that isn't supposed to happen yet after the third re-write. He doesn't like to listen. <.<
In other news, Chapter Five will probably be a week or so, depending on how busy life gets.
As always, thank you for the kudos and comments (comments are motivational!) and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Chapter 5: Chapter Five

Hei had ignored the papers after getting in late in favour of getting some extra and much needed sleep. Mao’s trap for the target had worked perfectly. The target was dead and the stolen material recovered. Huang had let him know  on the rooftop that he was to meet up with Dr. Naoe Shikikoza the day after tomorrow at 10 in the morning. Today, he had a deadline to finish the papers. Hei doubted, Huang and the others believed he could finish the massive amount of material. They probably thought that he wouldn’t be able to understand it. Huang had certainly vocalized his doubts. Even if he didn’t get through all of the scientific papers, at the very least he had to be able to show Dr. Shikikoza his amended thesis. That should be enough to silence Huang about his ability to pass as a scientist. 

After his date with November, Hei had a good idea about what he wanted to add to it. He would need to decide how much about contractors would actually be included. Given the lack of direct reference to contractors he guessed he would have to avoid talking about contractors. He would need to confirm that with Dr. Shikikoza tomorrow. 

Hei spent the morning trying to not go cross-eyed as he trudged through the still mountainous amount of papers. None of the ones he had read today had anything to add to what he had already put together. Right now his working thesis was: The Heaven’s Gate containment area had concealed, not destroyed, Heaven’s gate through LSR localized resonance and contractor related manipulation of gate particles on a molecular level.

Hei stretched out on the floor staring up at the ceiling. He was almost certain that Bai wouldn’t have been able to create a zone that large with her powers. There would have to be some sort of amplifier, maybe the gate particles did that? He wouldn’t have to include that in his thesis statement, but being able to mention the potential requirement would help Shikikoza see his potential as a pretend scientist. 

Ruffling his hair in frustration he got up from the floor. He could no longer think straight as his stomach was making its ravenous demands known. A walk would help his head and some noodles would silence his stomach. The sun was glaringly bright and from what he could feel from the slight breeze it was quite warm, forgoing his jacket for the walk. He reached into it to retrieve his keys and discovered the phone that November had given him yesterday. He had forgotten all about it last night. He still hadn’t figured out how he was going to get it checked for bugs, or how he might ask Huang to. He wasn’t ready to explain to Huang that he was somewhat dating the MI6 contractor. Flipping the black phone open he discovered there were several messages from a contact listed as ‘Jack’ I should probably respond… Well, let's see what he said. Hei went first to change ‘Jack’ to ‘November’ but paused. If I have to get Huang to check for bugs, he might not know November’s alias. He clicked into the messages instead.

-I certainly hope you have not succumbed to the papers today.-

-It seems you might have… - 

-Should I send out a search party?-

A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. It had been a very long time since he had someone check in on him to see if he was okay. The next message was from early this morning.

-I hope the lack of messages means you managed to get some sleep. You looked exhausted yesterday. -

November’s next message had been sent two hours ago. 

-I am working with the police today, but should you need an extraction from your studies do let me know-

Hei frowned down at the message. Working with the police today? That’s right, I used my powers last night. November would be working with Section 4 trying to get any clues about him. His star would have only reacted briefly, given he had only used a few seconds of electricity on Kapoor. He must be high on their priority list to hunt down. Perhaps with November working with Section 4 he would be able to gain some insight as to how close they are to finding him. Probably not worth the effort, and too risky.

-No need for search party. There might have been paper avalanche induced sleep. AKA I forgot there was a phone in my pocket and didn’t hear it go off.- Hei replied. He put the phone down on the counter as he got his shoes on. The thing buzzed at him before he had finished. Someone is enthusiastic.

-Good Morning! Paper avalanche sounds dangerous.-

-So does ‘working with the police’. What happened?- Of all the things Hei had done in Tokyo, reading and getting tension headaches was probably among the list of the least dangerous. He decided to take the opportunity to see what November might tell him about his work.

-The person I’m looking for was active last night. We are trying to find clues. Decidedly not dangerous… in fact it would be better described as dull.-

Section 4, and MI6, wouldn’t find anything left behind. Mao had scoured the scene after he and Huang had left. Using his cat’s nose and eyes to ensure there were no traces remaining. It would be dull and tedious work for someone like November.

-Dull is reading a scientific paper on dust collected inside Hell’s Gate.-  Hei typed back, slipping his key’s into his pocket after locking his door. That paper had threatened, repeatedly, to lull him to sleep. He needed two pots of tea and reading while pacing around the room to get through it.

-Let me guess… no abnormal properties?-

-Correct. Took them 30 pages to explain that.- Hei typed while keeping part of his view on the steps down from his apartment. 

-Ouch-

-I am rewarding myself for slogging through it with lunch from a noodle place a short walk away.- Hei glanced around to see if Mao was present, finding no feline presence Hei continued towards Home Run Ken.

-Drat! I cannot join you.-

-Another time.- 

Hei smiled as he typed. Perhaps he would manage to get another date with November soon. He did enjoy his company, even with the constant stress. Hei noticed out of the corner of his eye that a spectre was watching him from the glass window of the shop he was walking past. I wonder if November had July check up on me. 

-A time soon?-

-Aren’t you working?- Hei shook his head slightly at the phone. November really was trying for another meet up. There wouldn't be time today, not if he wanted to get through the papers. 

-Soon as in this afternoon?-

-What will you tell April?- From what he had seen on their one date, the aqua haired contractor preferred to roam and wanted to know all of the gossip. There was little chance she would let November sneak over and see him.

-I could tell her I’m seeing you.-

-And how well do you think, you skipping work and making her take care of July, will go over?-

-Like a lead balloon.-

-About what I expected.-

-What are your afternoon plans then?-

-Searching through the papers for Gate particle theories and resonance amplification. -

-I’m guessing this is one of those ‘don’t ask about it’ topics-

-I did give you a broad description at least!-

-Fair enough. Do let me know if you require assistance.-

-I should let you get back to work, I don’t want you to get into trouble.-

-Probably wise, Misaki is giving me some serious side-eye. Text me later.-

-I won’t forget the phone in my pocket this time.- Hei snapped the phone shut and tucked it into his pocket and continued on his way to lunch.

Once practically bursting with noodles, Hei made his way back to the apartment for round three… no this is four , with the research papers. As far as he was concerned, he and the papers were tied. He had managed to understand enough of it to make a plausible working theory, but he was struggling with all the mental capacity it was draining from him. Even Rika had commented he looked more tired than usual. Hei armed himself with a fresh pot of jasmine tea- with twice the usual leaves, and settled in for a long afternoon. 

There was a jingle from a bell off to his right, it had woken him from the word soup induced nap he had fallen into. It was getting closer. Mao, how did you get in? Hei remained still, keeping his breathing even. He waited until the cat was within reach before he snatched him by the scruff of the neck. 

“Mao. You shouldn’t be here.” Hei growled at the cat with dangerously narrowed eyes. 

“Fuck! Put me down!” Mao squealed as he attempted to wiggle, but Hei’s grip held fast. 

“Why are you here?” Hei stood in one fluid motion taking the cat over to the window that had been pried open. 

“I wanted to see how you were handling the bag Huang  gave you. I hadn’t expected you to be asleep. You know Huang wonders if you even sleep!” Mao spewed quickly in panic as Hei dangled him out the window. 

“I have the meeting with the professor in the morning, you and Huang will find out if he thinks I’m convincing enough after that, until then leave.” Hei snarled, letting go of Mao. The cat flailed, catching the railing and righting himself before he scampered off without comment. 

Hei sighed, he had lost several hours of study time as the sky was now dark. I won’t be able to finish the papers tonight, even if I try to pull an all-nighter, they will just put me to sleep on their own. He closed the window, making sure it was extra secure this time before pulling the curtain across. His reaction should keep Mao away until tomorrow afternoon at least. Hei walked back to the table, a blinking green light on his phone caught his attention. He picked it up as he passed and continued to the small counter that was his kitchen.

-How's the battle?- 

The message from November was time stamped two hours ago.

-I fell asleep.- He replied. Then added -Was rather rudely woken as the neighbourhood cat announced they had not actually been missing since yesterday.-

Hei began to pull out cabbage and carrots from the fridge. A simple stir-fry would suffice. He washed the rice and put it on to boil before he began to chop. He heard the buzz this time when the phone went off. He finished chopping the vegetables before he picked up the phone and checked what November had sent.

-I’m glad you are getting sleep. You keep track of the neighbourhood cat?-

-If by keep track you mean I notice if it’s been gone more than 24 hours… then yes. The landlady hates it, but it keeps mice and other rodents away, so it’s not such a bad animal. Besides… It's good company when I can’t talk about my thesis to people or if I hit a block.- 

Hei set the phone down and tossed the vegetables into the wok then doused them in sauce and a bit of spice.

-Should you need a more constructive companion; I would be happy to oblige.-

Hei looked down at the phone he had left open while waiting for November’s answer. He wasn’t sure what to reply. Mao wouldn’t be around tonight, so there was little threat of the other contractor finding out he was meeting up with November. That would mean, November and him, alone in the apartment. Goose pimples flared all over his skin. A very dangerous idea. Hei took a step back. There wasn’t any way he would be able to finish the papers, but he might be able to spend some time with November. But, if November was here Hei would have to tread carefully with what he said. His brain was struggling from the influx of information he had been pouring into it. He certainly was not in the best shape to have a mental battle. Hei warred with himself, not ready to answer November yet. 

Did he want November to come over?

Yes!

The reaction was immediate, shocking even himself. Was it worth risking November poking at any holes in his cover?

Well, if you can cover them before he realizes they are holes… Yes.

He would have to keep things… tame, between them. He did not need a repeat of the day after November’s first kiss again. But that kiss was… we will have to try that again. Hei could feel heat in his stomach at the thought. Just not tonight. I need to be ready to meet with Shikikoza in the morning. On that note, Hei added an alarm to the phone so that he wouldn’t miss the meeting. That would be a disastrous way to introduce himself. 

Rice now well mixed, Hei grabbed a bowl and chopsticks before piling the food into the bowl. Setting it aside for a moment, he cleaned the wok and oiled it before picking up the bowl, chopsticks and phone and went back to the small table. Hei took several bites before he gathered his courage and typed his reply.

-Would April let you come over tonight? Or are you on July duty?-

Hei snapped the phone shut and slid it to one side, nervous that November might say no, even more nervous November would say yes. Hei focused on finishing his rice and ignoring the butterflies in his stomach. The phone dinged. Hei paused mid-bite staring down at the innocent looking device that held November's reply. Hei took a deep breath as he finished the bite and put his chopsticks down. 

-I should be able to relinquish July duty tonight. Are you prepared for April’s insistent pestering? She already insisting I was on a date yesterday and has been fishing for details ever since.-

April would have to know, there was no getting around that. November would be hard pressed to spend any time with him should she be kept in the dark. He would be keeping this from his own team, a difficult feat in itself, but November wouldn’t be able to do the same. 

-Ban her from coming to my work or apartment to bug me and don’t give her this number. I can handle most other things she can do.- if he could avoid April and Mao meeting, the world - and Hei’s sanity, might remain in place.

He put the phone down again. Intent on finishing his food before he would look or reply to November's next message. Minutes ticked by with no reply. Hei took his bowl to the sink and washed it while anxiously waiting for the next message. His reaction time was the only thing that kept the bowl from slipping from his fingers to the floor when he flinched from the sudden noise from the phone. It’s just him coming over! Why am I so jumpy! Putting the bowl down, Hei made his way over to the phone. 

-I have to stock April up with alcohol, but after that I am free.-

-Do you remember the way?- Hei could feel his heart rate increasing.

-Yes. I will let you know when I’ve finished with April’s errand.-

-Okay.-

Hei breathed out long and slow. He shouldn’t be nervous, he had never been nervous on missions like this before. He had some time to settle himself and to ensure that November would not see anything amiss in his apartment. Looking around he knew he had already staged the place to appear as normal, but he checked again. November was an excellent agent, any minute flaws could give him away. Once he was satisfied there was nothing November would find out of the ordinary for a student, Hei placed the satchel next to the low table. What else would a student have when they are studying? Hei went back to the counter and put some water to boil and took out a bag of prawn crackers. Students typically had things to keep them awake and snacks.

Hei placed the crackers on the table and looked down at his piles of papers. The one on the left were ones he felt weren’t relevant to his theory. The middle contained the papers he felt might have some influence on his theory. The pile on the right was the unfinished papers. He had made a significant dent but there were still several to make it through tonight if he could. They were his plan to keep November from taking things too far tonight. By the time the water has boiled his phone dinged.

-Mission accomplished, on my way.-

Hei decided not to text back in case November was driving. He poured the water into a pot to steep some tea, taking the pot and a cup over to his table before settling down and waiting anxiously for November to arrive. Hei managed to decide the paper he had fallen asleep on this afternoon was probably not relevant to his theory and only skimmed through the rest of it while waiting for November. He had started to look for a few key words while he was reading to help things go faster, those being ‘Solar Maximum’, ‘Resonance’, ‘Lancelnopt Synchrotron Radiation or LSR’ and ‘Manipulation of Gate Particles’.

Hei pulled the next paper over towards him. ‘Anti-Gate particle utilization as defensive measures.’ Could be relevant. Hei shrugged and started reading the paper, which was painfully one of the English ones. Within a few pages, Hei had come to the conclusion that, while this paper was technical term heavy, it would be one he would have to add to the pile of useful papers. He would probably have to read through it more than two or three times too. He groaned inwardly at the thought. He had written down half a dozen terms he didn’t recognize in his notebook already. I wonder if November would be able to explain what they mean? Hopefully they aren’t too heavily classified. Hei munched on crackers and drank his tea making notes until he heard a light knock at the door. 

All of his muscles tensed due to shock and excitement. Hei scrambled up, but was careful not to spill any of the tea on the table as he went to open the door and let November in. 

“I’m guessing April agreed to my demands?” Hei smiled with a slightly raised eyebrow in amusement at November.

“Yes… but, she wants the next two weeks off July duty and insists that you have to come over before the end of that for a ‘proper grilling’ from her.” Although his tone was serious, November’s face betrayed his excitement.

“Should I be worried?” Hei asked as he moved aside to let November in.

“I think you can handle it. The constant teasing will probably be the worst of it.” November walked past him quickly, almost as if he expected Hei to change his mind.

“Let’s hope it is.” Hei shut the door behind November. Now, I have to keep this TAME.. this is going to be hard… wrong word! Difficult, yes difficult. Very very difficult. 

“So how much of this do you have left to get through?” November asked, looking down at the table in the main room.

“Well, I’m working on that one.” Hei pointed to the paper he had dropped to go and answer the door. The pile at the end is what needs to be finished. I’m optimistic I will be able to get through them before morning.”

“How about you snuggle up with me and read, and I will do my best to help if I can, if I can’t at least I will be better company than the cat.” November grinned at him. His blue eyes twinkled with some hidden plan. I am so done for.

“Okay, but, try not to be more of a distraction than the cat.” Hei chuckled and countered. He hoped it would be enough.

“I will restrain my distracting tendencies, as best I can.” November held his hands up in surrender briefly then walked over to the table. “Let's move this to one side so we can lean against the wall.” 

Hei nodded and helped November tuck the shorter end of the table against the wall. Settling down next to the table, November held a hand out to Hei, inviting him to join him on the floor. The position wasn’t what Hei had been expecting, but he allowed himself to be tugged down to his knees before he turned and settled his back against November’s chest. Tame, I can do tame, really. November wrapped his hands around Hei, tugging him further into him then letting them rest high on his stomach. I can work with this. 

“Will this be too distracting?” November asked as he let his chin rest on Hei’s shoulder. Yes, yes it is very distracting. Hei could feel the heat from November’s chest seeping through to his back. 

“It is distracting, but within tolerable limits. So long as you do not let your hands wander.” Hei lied and forced himself to relax. After a moment he let himself lean back into November.

“Is it only hands that can’t wander?” November placed a tentative kiss on Hei's neck. No! No, that will be the end of my self control.

“I need to get through this. If you keep that up, I will not be able to focus.” Hei grumbled, but still tilted his head slightly so November had more access.

“What if that is my end goal?” November muttered into his neck.

“Then the cat is a better study companion.” Hei blurted, he needed to reel November back so he could actually finish the current paper at least.

“Unfair!” November huffed in protest, his breath tickling Hei’s neck.

“Behave,” Hei pushed back into November briefly before continuing. “and we can stay like this. He could compromise with November. 

“Alright, try not to wiggle and be too distracting yourself.” November grumbled. Oh, I hadn’t thought of that! BAD Idea! 

“If I do, retaliatory action is permitted, but only briefly.” Hei doubted that he would unintentionally provoke November tonight. 

“Mmm, I like the sound of that.”

Hei suppressed a shiver and picked the paper up off the table, resuming reading where he had left off. After a few minutes, Hei was fairly certain that November was reading over his shoulder. He allowed it, not like any of this information was beyond November’s clearance. 

“You wouldn’t happen to know if isotopic abundance is the same as natural abundance, would you? I’m assuming it is, but This author likes to tweak words and I’m not always sure if it's just them trying to be clever or if they are using a new term.” One of the worst things he had realized about these papers was that sometimes the authors would slightly change the wording of a concept and only ended up making it so much more confusing. He was positive a good portion of the notes he had taken were just authors wording things slightly differently.

“Not, off the top of my head. Explain the one you know to me then what the author is talking about.” Hei felt November shrug behind him, his arms tightening around Hei slightly while he did.

“Natural abundance refers to the amount of naturally occurring isotopes in a chemical element. It has to do with an element’s atomic weight.” Hei tried to parrot one of the papers he had read earlier.

“Is the author talking about the weight or a type of measurement of an element?”

“Ah. So, he’s just being deliberately confusing.” Hei sighed in frustration. He really was not enjoying this author.

“I guess?” November chuckled. “What are they talking about?”

“A type of mass spectrometry.”  

“I’m guessing you shouldn’t go into more detail about it?”

“No, but thank you for helping.” Hei let his head fall back to look up at November and gave him a smile.

“You’re welcome.” November placed a kiss on his head before Hei went back to reading. He felt uneasy about what the author of this paper was hinting at. It sounded like they wanted to develop a method to eliminate gate particles via their theoretical anti-gate particles. This paper would need its own pile; one for research into potential threats. 

Hei moved onto the next paper, finding himself relaxing into November. He was being lulled into a content state by November’s body heat and secure arms. The steady beat of November’s heart against Hei’s back and the way November’s breathing would occasionally tease his neck made him want to stay like this. Hei found he read the next two papers easier than many of the ones prior. Perhaps inviting November over had been a good idea after all . His presence certainly seemed to help him process the information. Or is it that you are relying on him to notice if there are any threats? Hei looked up, startled by his own thoughts. He hadn’t been doing his mental checks on the noises and creaks of the building. He had felt safe, like he hadn’t in over ten years. 

Hei chanced a look back at November, hoping he hadn’t noticed the way he had moved and tensed. Hei was stunned to see November’s eyes were closed. He paused and listened. November’s breathing was slow and steady.

He’s asleep! He had somehow managed to lull the top MI6 agent to sleep in his apartment. He should be thinking about how to get rid of him. How to use this rare opportunity, but instead Hei made a very different choice. He deftly unhooked November’s hands from around his stomach, pausing to see if there was any change in his breathing. He then carefully extracted himself from the floor, using all of his training to not wake the sleeping contractor. If November was to startle awake with him so close… Hei had no intention of being all or partially frozen before November’s brain registered who he was. With where they had moved the table, he should be able to set the futon up without disturbing November. Working quickly and quietly Hei abandoned the rest of the papers and arranged the futon on the floor next to November.

Hei knew from personal experience that the next step was going to be very dangerous. There was no way he would be able to move November to the bed without waking him. He had to manage, in a very non-threatening manner, to wake November. Hei steadied himself, if this went badly he would be fending off an all out attack until November’s brain caught up with his body. Touching would probably be a bad idea, especially since the risk of being frozen was significant. Hei sighed. Here we go…

“November.” Hei called out quietly from what he felt like was a safe distance a couple of feet away. 

No response. With a small huff, Hei crouched down, still ready to bolt if needed, and tried again a little louder this time. “November.” 

Still nothing. He’s really out. How did I manage to do that? Hei nervously inched forward on his haunches until he was close enough to touch November’s shin. It was a lot closer than he wanted to be, given his own rather violent tendencies when startled awake, but grabbing November’s foot would be more alarming than resting his hand on his shin. At least from this distance he would have some chance to react and potentially get out of the way. Once again he breathed deep and prepared himself for an explosive reaction.

“November.” he called out and gently placed his hand on November’s leg. Hei’s eyes never left November’s face, monitoring it for any sign of waking. Hei had a fraction of a second to react when November’s eyes snapped open. November lurched forward and Hei grabbed both of November’s wrists, keeping them from going for his throat. Hei let himself fall backwards, pulling November forward with his momentum. He was counting on November realizing what had happened by the time he was on the floor. A huge gamble, but Hei felt confident November would succeed. 

Hei felt his back hit the floor hard but managed to keep from bumping his head as he braced for impact from above. November’s reaction time was fast, almost as fast as his own. November had managed to catch himself instead of collapsing into Hei. The movement forced Hei’s elbows out to the sides so that he wouldn’t hurt November, he also made sure to keep his legs out of the way of November’s knees.

“I guess, I’m not the only one with military training.” Hei muttered jokingly with a smile. Trying not to think about what position he had put himself in. Especially trying not to think about how November’s knees were up against his thighs. 

“I am so sorry!” November grimaced but made no movement to get off Hei.

“I thought you might want somewhere more comfortable to sleep, so I set up the futon.” Hei motioned with his head towards the bed.

“Will you be joining me?” November asked with a smirk. His head was starting to sink towards Hei. If he kisses me like he did after our first date I might not be able to stop things… Fuck! I will need my head on the mission in the morning. 

“If you agree to just sleep, I will. I have a meeting the morning that I can’t miss. I also can’t go to it constantly remembering… activities we might have gotten up to. But like when I was reading, if you can do that, you can stay over.” Hei spoke quickly, halting November’s descent. November seemed to be at war with himself over what to say or more likely, do.

“I did say I would let you set the pace. I also promised I could go slow. What kind of gentleman would I be if I break those promises within 24 hours. Slow it is, but can I enjoy this sight a moment more before I take you to bed, but can’t have you there?”

Hei blushed all the way to his ear tips. He didn’t know how to respond to that. He let go of November’s wrists and let the backs of his hands fall to the floor. Afraid if he moved them too much he would end up inviting November to go ahead and do whatever he wanted with him. That seemed to be the right decision as November sat up slowly a moment later. 

“I’m glad I didn’t scare you. It’s been a long time since I’ve done something like that. But you didn’t hesitate. And your reaction time combined with that look… if you have to wake me again, do that. Next time though, let me kiss you.”

“I almost let you.” Hei murmured as he propped himself up on his elbows. November smirked and Hei added. “Soon, but not yet. I have a progress review in the morning and can’t botch it.”

“Ah, hence the frantic reviewing of papers.” November stood up and held a hand out for Hei.

“Yes. As it is, you are extremely distracting both when you are here and when you are not. At least when you are here it is easier to concentrate.” Hei took November’s hand and let himself be pulled up. November chuckled at the comment. 

“I concur, you are exceptionally distracting, but the real thing is much better than fantasies.”

“Go on, I will get the light.” Hei turned to hide his blush, waiting only a moment after he heard November settle on the futon before he turned out the light. His eyes adjusted quickly to the dark, as he made his way to the futon slipping under the covers on the other side. 

“Good night November.” Hei whispered, turning to sleep on his side to take up less room on the small futon. Hei felt November’s hand wrap around his waist pulling him in close. 

“Sleep well Shengshun.” November murmured into his ear. Hei wanted nothing more than to turn and kiss him but he used all of his willpower to remain still. Focusing on listening to November’s breathing and matching it with his own, drifting off quickly next to someone who should have been an enemy. 

There’s a warm weight on my hip. Why? There’s also warmth along my back. Hei’s lucid thoughts broke through the liminal space between dreaming and waking. Suddenly, he was wide awake, his muscles coiled ready to spring to action. He kept himself from reacting beyond a jolt with considerable difficulty. The arm at his hip gave him a reassuring squeeze. I fell asleep with November. Hei reminded himself, willing the spike in adrenaline he had felt down. At least I managed to react better than he did.

“Hopefully, you will get used to waking up with me.” November’s voice was low as he murmured the greeting next to Hei’s ear. Hei’s breath caught in his throat as the cadence set his blood racing. November nuzzled his neck, trailing several kisses down towards his shoulder. 

For the briefest moment, Hei thought that he might have inadvertently called on his powers, as his whole body shivered, feeling as if all of his nerves responded to November. Hei felt November’s lips curl into a smile placing another kiss at the nape of his neck, only this time November’s teeth graze his skin shortly before his tongue teased the area, causing a repeat reaction in Hei along with a sharp, but hitched breath that he did not want to admit was a suppressed moan. Hei twisted around in November’s grasp until he was facing the contractor. 

“Good morning.” Hei smiled up at November. The Blonde’s hair was pleasantly bemused from sleep, but the look in his eyes made it seem like he was barely holding off from devouring Hei.

“Mmm, it is.” November’s hand cupped his face, tilting upward slightly, but stopping just short of kissing him. Hei had closed the distance before his brain could stop him, and that was all the invitation November needed. 

Hei quickly found himself once again beneath November, this time having his mouth frantically consumed. The older contractor had expertly shifted above him in one smooth motion, slotting himself dangerously between Hei’s legs. Hei’s hands wandered up November’s back, pulling the other down onto him, while his tongue swirled around November’s. 

November shifted downward, relinquishing his claim on Hei’s mouth he trailed kisses down his jawline to his throat until he found the same spot that had sparked Hei’s earlier reaction. This time November wasn’t going to let him squirm away, with Hei pinned by his body weight, one of November’s hands tangled in Hei’s hair, kept his head tilted to one side as November nibbled and teased the base of his neck. 

“Ah-ah, November” Hei gasped and moaned while the blonde continued to assault his senses with his teeth and tongue. November made a deeply satisfied hum against Hei’s neck at his reaction. Hei’s brain struggled to remind him, he shouldn’t be doing this now, but that protest was overwhelmed by November’s other hand sliding up under his shirt. Hei’s body tried to arch into November at the contact, but with nowhere to go, he squirmed underneath November’s weight.

 

Beep. Beep. Beep. 

 

The alarm Hei had set to make sure he made it to his meeting with Dr. Shikikoza went off. Both Hei and November froze at the sudden noise. It took Hei a long moment to process what the sound was. Shit, shit, shit… I have to go to the university.

“I- ah- I - um, need to get up.” Hei panted, reluctantly letting his hands travel back to November’s waist. November’s grip tightened and his whole chest rumbled with a possessive growl. The noise and vibration sent Hei’s blood rushing low so fast he was a little light headed. He must have made some noise, but he couldn’t recall, as he felt November chuckle.

“It doesn’t sound like you really want to.” November pulled himself up just enough to be able to look down at Hei. His eyes glinted with lust. Although the statement was beyond true, Hei forced himself to answer, and not pull November in for another kiss.

“That… may be true.” Hei struggled to get his breathing under control. “I still… have to get ready.” 

“A couple more minutes, I will drive you.” November mumbled and claimed Hei’s lips again. That might work. Hei reasoned with himself, leaning into the kiss. Will I be able to stop myself if he continues? The less lust focused part of his brain prodded. November’s hand had changed directions. Hei shivered as the featherlight touch retreated from under his shirt. It travelled down his side until finding its prize, cupping Hei’s ass. Hei groaned at the contact and adjusted his leg to allow November better access. If I don’t stop now, I probably won't be able to. Hei steeled his resolve, with one fluid motion flipped their position and straddled November. 

“No, I need to get ready.” Hei breathed as he sat back. One of his hands used November’s stomach to help him sit up, balancing his weight on his heels.

“Holy fuck you're gorgeous.” November panted, his hands gripping Hei’s waist roughly forcing him down onto November’s hips and holding him in place. Hei gasped as he felt November grind against him. “I may not be able to get enough of you.”

“Ah-, mmm… fuck, why are you so distracting!” Hei growled, reluctantly pulling November's hands from his waist. “I need to be able to concentrate today. Thinking of you and this,” Hei rolled his hips, pulling a deep groan from November. “Will have me distracted to the point I won’t be able to concentrate.” Hei leaned forward, keeping November's hands contained. “I am going to get up now and make breakfast. The shower is over there if you need to cool off.” Hei tilted his head in the direction of his small bathroom. He closed his eyes for a moment to encourage himself to follow through before he sat up on his knees and from there quickly stood up, only letting go of November’s hands when he stepped back from him.

Hei’s legs felt like rubber as he attempted to walk over to the counter. He hoped at least that he didn’t look as unsteady as he felt. Simple omelettes and rice would work for breakfast Hei thought as he raided the fridge for ingredients. Hei could hear November grumble from behind him, Probably should have crouched and not bent over. He apparently wasn’t the only one having trouble with fantasies about the other. Hei blushed, certain that even if November couldn’t see his face, his red ears would give him away. Hei put the rice on to boil and set to work getting the omelettes ready. 

Hei glanced back at November while mixing the egg. Surprisingly the sight of November stretched out in Hei’s bed watching him make breakfast felt so normal. I wish I could have this. Hei wanted to go back over to November. He wanted badly to feel their bodies pressed against each other again. 

“You’re reconsidering, aren’t you?” November chucked from the floor. He held out a hand, inviting Hei to come back to bed. Deep breath, resist. Resist!  

“If you’ve not going to shower, could you put the futon away?” Hei asked redirecting the foot that had gone to take a step closer to November, so that he now turned back to the counter. 

“Alright, you win this round.” November sighed and Hei heard him get up. “I can see your resolve waning, I look forward to claiming you.” November’s voice was low from lust as he growled his threat. Hei gripped the counter, any progress he had made in calmly himself down after their make out session evaporated instantly. Hei considered a cold shower himself, but quickly realized the likelihood of November deciding to join him was almost 100%. Icey water or not Hei was certain November would still manage. 

Hei heard November moving the table through his inner musings. He hazarded another glance into the other room. November was looking down at the notes he had left on the table. Can he read Mandarin? Hei wondered. Wait, I think I made notes in Japanese in the margins of the ones I was working on last night . He would have to check the note later.

Hei focused on getting the rest of breakfast ready. He wasn’t that far behind schedule and if November did drive him, he might even be early for his meeting. He flipped the eggs with practiced ease, setting the pan back on the stove before dishing up the rice into two bowls. Hei hadn’t enjoyed cooking for someone in a long time, part of him loved the small domestic interaction with November. Reminding himself this wouldn’t last is what finally brought his libido to heel. 

Breakfast had been quick, November repeatedly  complemented his cooking causing Hei to blush some more. The two of them managed to keep their hands to themselves until November pulled up to the university. Hei had gone to give November a quick kiss, but November had pulled him in, claiming his lips until Hei relented and allowed him entrance to his mouth. 

“Thank you for last night, I might have dozed off, but I really enjoyed being your company.” November commented when he finally released Hei. “Text me how your review went. I know you will do fantastic.”

“I will.” Hei smiled and stole a final quick kiss before reluctantly leaving November behind. After entering the building, Hei pulled out the paper that November had been looking at while he was cooking to see what he had written. 

  Bai molecular manipulation cause of Heaven’s Gate containment area, side effect memory loss?

Hei froze. Wait… November would have read Bai as if it was in Japanese. The Japanese character shiro was the same as Bai. White molecular manipulation. Okay, that shouldn’t give anything away. LRS was blue so the idea of a colour associated with an event wasn’t all that farfetched. With that crisis tentatively averted, Hei headed up to the third floor to find Dr. Naoe Shikikoza. 

The extra time he had thanks to November driving him came in handy as the directions to Dr. Shikikoza’s office Huang had given him had been completely wrong. The door was closed when Hei arrived, and his knock went unanswered. Professors have class, maybe he was delayed by students? Hei glanced down the hallway. With a sigh he decided to wait. After ten minutes an old Japanese man shuffled down the hallway towards him.

“Are you Ri-san?” The Japanese man struggled with the ‘L’ sound. Hei nodded. 

“I’m Li Shengshun.”

The other man nodded and unlocked the door to the office. “Come in, come in. We have much to discuss. Can you make tea?” Dr. Shikikoza motioned towards a relic of a kettle sitting on a neat bookshelf. 

“Ah-  Yes.” Li walked over, the kettle was full of water already so Hei plugged it in, praying it wouldn’t spark. Underneath the shelf there was a worn porcelain teapot, several cups and an assortment of tea. Choosing one of the stronger green tea’s Hei placed the pot next to the kettle waiting for it to boil. 

“I hear, I have to teach you how to be a scientist. Did you read any of the material?” Shikikoza sank into his chair behind the desk. Seems someone doesn’t have a high opinion of either me, or contractors in general.

“I have. I want to amend the thesis I picked.” Hei poured the now boiled water into the teapot and carried it and two cups over to Shikikoza’s desk, placing them down gently on his side before taking the seat meant for students during these types of meetings.

“Too difficult eh?” Shikikoza shook his head, disappointment clear on his face. Anger flared briefly through Hei. He had worked hard to get through the material and even harder at coming up with a plausible thesis. Hei swallowed the emotions down, poured a cup of tea for Shikikoza, he placed it in front of the man, choosing his next words carefully.

“I think the one you provided is too broad.” Hei poured himself a cup. “I agree that The Heaven’s Gate containment area is concealed, not destroyed… but I think Heaven’s gate disappeared due to LSR localized resonance and contractor related manipulation of gate particles on a molecular level.” Hei kept himself from smirking as Shikikoza looked at him in shock. “I’m not sure if gate particles could be used as an amplifier or not, but one would be required.”

“You’re not as dense as they led me to believe.” Shikikoza commented after a long silence. “Why do you think there was localized resonance?”

“There are scattered reports claiming to have seen it.” Hei shrugged. It was the reason he intended to use should his theory be challenged, like it was being by Shikikoza.

“There are many who don’t believe those reports.” The grey haired man frowned.

“The reports are accurate.” Hei replied simply with a shrug.

“How can you be so sure?” Shikikoza scoffed.

“I saw it when it happened, and if I’m right, I know which contractor’s powers were used to create the containment zone.” For the briefest moment, it was clear on Shikikoza’s face that he had forgotten Hei was supposed to be an assassin for the Syndicate, and potentially a contractor himself. 

“You… were there?” Shikikoza’s curiosity and self preservation instincts warred with each other on his face. Curiosity won in the end as he scooted forward in his chair.

“I won’t be able to use that in the thesis. I will have to rely on witness accounts. Am I allowed to mention contractors? I noticed that many of the other papers didn’t explicitly say anything about them, but did imply if you already knew of their existence.” Hei remembered suddenly he had intended to ask about contractors.

“What do you remember about the disappearance? Which contractor? Did they survive?” Shikikoza had started to lean even further over the desk. Seems self-preservation has been abandoned.

“I’m sorry doctor, but none of your questions are relevant to my thesis. I am not here to talk about what I remember of Heaven’s War’s last days. I am here to prove that I am capable of passing as one of your grad students. Have I succeeded in that?” Hei shot his questions down quickly. 

“You have. I will leave the mention of contractors out of your amended thesis and provide an update to the Dean. Given your insight, they might want to meet you down the road as well. I will give you some more narrowed down material which should be relevant to your new thesis. Did you bring the ones I had sent?” he glanced down at the satchel Hei had brought with him.

“These ones, I didn't think were relevant.” Hei set a pile down on Shikikoza’s desk. “But these ones might be.” Hei held up his second pile, including the one on anti-gate particles. “I was unable to finish these four in the time available.” He handed the last ones across to Shikikoza. He glanced over the titles. 

“These wouldn’t be worth your time reading. I wasn’t sure if you would be able to read the English ones. Seems you managed just fine.”

“They were more challenging. I would be grateful if any of the ones you give me in the future are in Mandarin, but I will manage so long as you stick to Japanese, English or even Korean”

Shikikoza nodded. He got up and opened a long filing cabinet, pulling out several thick folders. 

“These should help with your thesis. Read them all and come meet me in two weeks.” He handed Hei a fresh pile to go through dismissing him from his office.

Notes:

next chapter will take longer. I am going on vacation~

thanks to everyone who left comments/kudos!!!
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!

Chapter 6: Chapter Six

Notes:

So I've upped the rating... it gets a bit graphic this chapter.

Hei sat against the tree in the park waiting for Huang to show up to their meeting. I hope Shikikoza told him I passed. He doubted that Huang would believe him, if he had to tell him. Yin had joined him by the tree staring off into the distance while Mao was curled up in the sun a few feet away. The cat occasionally sent Hei a cautious glance, still wary from their last encounter. How will I get him to stop watching me so I don’t have to explain November. Hei wondered. Mao was too curious for his own good, Hei would have to be careful. Hei looked up hearing someone coming towards them, Huang shuffled into the small park shaking his head. 

“I don’t know how you did it, but that professor was impressed. He said had he not known better, he would have thought you one of his usual grad students. He’s practically begging for the Syndicate to have you come by more often.” Huang shook his head as he lit a cigarette to Hei’s left. “They’ve slipped information about your alias to a contractor known as VG-062. They are independent and have been picking off potentially valuable targets who’ve had their memories changed by ME. You are to kill them. Be at Ochiai Park tonight at eight. The target has been told you like  to take walks there at night.” Huang commented then took a long drag off the cigarette. Great. Hei grumbled internally.

“What do we know of their abilities?” Hei asked. Not pleased that his alias was being used in a mission. The more often it happened, the more likely it was that the police might pick up on who he was. Why did I make myself into such an appealing target? Damn it November… The explanations he’s had to come up with around November, because of his own stupid inability to avoid complications were becoming problematic. He hadn’t considered how the Syndicate might use him due to his change to field of study. I have a bad feeling about this.

“He has a form of geokenisis. Manipulating rocks and shit like that.”

Perfect…So, I’m bait! Sent off to an area where they COMPLETELY have the advantage and my electricity will only be useful if I’m physically touching the target… great, just fucking great. Hei forced his expression to remain neutral. The day had started off so well, now… well now he felt like he was set to be served up on a platter. This is a trap.  

“Anything else? Description?” Hei prodded, hoping there would be more. Even a little might help him avoid disaster. 

“No. Yin and Mao will be on recon in the park to let you know if they spot anything out of the ordinary.” Huang shrugged. Seemed even the scruffy Japanese man wasn’t pleased with this assignment. 

“Understood. If my alias has been shared, should I assume they might be watching the apartment?” Hei asked. Maybe there is a chance I can pick up on them and ambush them somewhere other than a park. Any advantage he would have to take on this assignment.

“Wouldn’t hurt, the information was only shared a few hours ago, your apartment address was not given.” Huang shrugged, finishing his cigarette and snuffing it out with his toe.

At least that means I wasn’t spotted with November this morning. Small conciliation.

Hei nodded. He would continue his Shengshun appearance, but also be wary in case he picked up a tail. I will have to tell November I’m working tonight so he will not be suspicious. The only way things could go worse on this mission was if November decided to tag along on this ‘walk’. There was no way Hei would let himself be practically helpless as bait. He could text November when he got home. He also needed to let him know his meeting had gone well. Hei got up to leave, Huang seemed to be done with talking. When there was no further comment, he headed home. 

He hated being bait. He loathed being bait. It was too reminiscent of Heaven’s War. As the only non-contractor, the job of bait ended up on him. At least then I was armed. He wouldn’t be able to use his coat or usual tools. It feels like I’m being set up. Hei grumbled to himself. Who better to go after him than a contractor with an ability to manipulate the ground. His electricity would be effectively neutralized. 

The Syndicate… no, it has to be him,  might be trying to see if I have the full extent of Bai’s abilities. This was a trap specifically for him, one that limited his options. He would have to be very careful. If he used his abilities, he had to make sure it still looked like electrokinesis, he had no other option. If he showed them he had Bai’s molecular manipulation, he was done for. Hei glanced up at Hell’s Gate. I’m not the only one at risk here.

Once he made it back to his apartment. Hei sent a quick message to November.

- Meeting went well. I’ve been given access to the more specified information I requested.-

He had hardly put the phone down when it announced November had replied. 

-Fantastic! I knew you would ace it!-

-I will take a break from the papers for tonight at least. I need to decompress plus I have work tonight.-

-April is aware she’s to avoid your work. That should save you at least a little headache.-

-Thank you!-

Hei put the phone down. He would need to come up with options to keep his powers appearing like electricity and more urgently, he needed to be mentally prepared to be bait. He couldn’t have memories from Heaven’s War popping up while he was waiting for the trap to be sprung. If he couldn’t do that, this whole mission would end up with one very dead Li Shengshun and BK-201’s star falling.

 

*              *               *

 

Per Huang’s instructions, Hei strolled into Ochiai Park shortly after eight. It was a quaint little park, just big enough to block off the noise of the city, but not big enough that you couldn’t still see the skyscrapers over the trees. The gravel path was dotted with street lamps, it almost reminded him of the park he had walked with November in on their first date. He needed to find time to figure out what was going on with him about November. There were too many instances of him wanting it to be real. He couldn’t keep letting himself dream of what if’s. He wasn’t actually Li Shengshun, and Li Shengshun’s life was not his.  

He had come to this realization because he had made sure that the phone from November was safely stored in a hidden compartment he had created in his first week in Tokyo. He had wanted to make sure that should the Target decide to break into his apartment while he was out, it would not be among his things found. He had discovered he was strangely protective of the item. It had shocked him when he realized it was because with November he had a small, almost real, glimpse into what it would be like to be normal - as much as he actually could be, and he wanted to keep it, but there was no way he could.

He tried to focus on his surroundings, forcing his thoughts of November to the side. He kept his pace leisurely, he was in no hurry to spring whatever trap might be laid for him. The park was suspiciously empty. Neither Mao or Yin had commented about anyone suspicious being around. He hadn’t passed anyone else while he was walking. What if they use today as recon to follow me home and set up a trap another day? He paused and looked up at the night sky. He really hated being bait. He missed having Bai as back up even more.

His own words from years ago echoed in his head 

If you are ever lonely or homesick, look at the stars. The stars are the same, whether we are home or away. If we are apart, know that wherever I am, I will be looking up at the stars with you.

He had said it to Xing… before she became Bai. Their father had dragged them with him on a tour of meetings with various ‘important people’. He hadn’t bothered to pay much attention at the time, but he should have. He should have understood that those people his father was meeting with were actually diplomats. He and Xing had been dragged through twelve or more countries and Xing had never done well with change. Stargazing had been his answer to her homesickness. It was one constant he had thought he would be able to count on.

“Wherever you are… I’m with you.” He muttered mournfully, the fake stars mocking the memory. 

“The person you lost?” A voice called out. Hei tensed, his blood running cold. He hadn’t felt a presence, there still wasn’t a presence. There hadn’t been anyone following him. This voice was close, too close. He had sprung the trap. Hei glanced around quickly. Nothing above, or around… Geokenisis! He looked down in time for the path he had been walking on to dissolve. Stumbling he managed to flip twice out of the way, finding secure footing. Where was the target? Hei hadn't seen anyone, but they were here.

“You’re fast! I guess I should have suspected you to have training, having survived Heaven’s War.” The thick accented voice was definitely below him, but he couldn’t pinpoint a location. Underground? He had no tools, no jacket for extra defense and his electricity wouldn’t be much help, this fight was meant for him to lose. He should know better, I don’t give up when presented with a challenge. Hei gritted his teeth and focused on his surroundings. He needed to figure out where the target was and fast. 

The worn soles of Shengshun’s shoes gave him the fraction second warning he needed as the ground barely trembled before the next attack came. Hei threw himself to the left, twisting around and scanning the direction the attack had come from for signs of a person. No one. They could only be underground. Their voice had been too close, He would need to spot the telltale blue glow as the contractor used their powers. If they could see him, then at least some part of them was exposed, he just needed to find the glow. 

“Wow! I’ve never seen someone be able to dodge that!” The voice called out again. Scanning the area quickly, Hei determined it came from someone below ground to the right. “Oh, you are very good, aren’t you. No… you won’t be finding me.” the voice taunted. Hei tried to narrow in on the voice.

The taunt was a distraction. He should have realized it. The ground at his feet dropped suddenly making his stomach swirl. While everything from two feet out from him shot upward at speed that rivalled lightning. He was pelted by melon sized rocks, keeping him from jumping out of the way, while the ground closed above him. Hei had to use his arms to shield his head from the onslaught. 

Shit, I need to get out of here!

In the darkness left while the ground closed around him, Hei felt the walls around him compress, squeezing him tight and pushing all the air out of the space. He could no longer move as the earth started to squeeze further. He needed to escape. He was out of options. There was no doubt in his mind that this contractor had been picked specifically to counteract his abilities.

He activated his powers. What he had planned would require a lot of power. This had better work. Hei pulled the electricity inward, the hairs on his arms standing on end from static, he needed to compress the raw power around. He clamped his jaw shut to keep from making a noise, he hadn’t expected it to be painful. Hei let his electricity mix with the rocks around him, bonding the two together so he would be able to control them temporarily. He focused, he intended to make it appear as if he released a shockwave. The lack of air was starting to go to his head, he had no more time to prepare, he forced everything out letting go of the rocks, hurtling them out from him in all directions. 

“Ah, so you are one of us.” The voice was clearer now. Hei shook some of the dust off. He needed to find the contractor before he got trapped again.

Hei looked over in the direction of the voice, his shockwave had pinged VG-062, revealing his hiding spot, but hadn’t cleared all of the debris from around him. Hei needed to be fast, the longer this fight took, the more he risked. He rushed towards the other contractor. It appeared as if the other cocked their head to one side in confusion. Then the ground warbled and Hei’s footing faltered, the ground disappeared from under his feet, his momentum propelling him forward until he crashed into the ground. Hei scrambled to get up, making it to his knees and rushed forward. Pain exploded along his back as he was thrown back down by a wave of dirt from behind. He would have been trapped fully had he not moved, but the force of being slammed into the ground had his vision briefly turning black. His breath had been knocked out of him on impact, now Hei felt the ground compress and he wheezed, any air left in his lungs being squeezed out. 

“Why do you struggle so? We are rational beings. You were no longer my target… but you insisted on attacking.” the other contractor sighed in frustration before tutting down at him. “I am afraid I will not be able to let you live now.”

He couldn’t breathe, the compression on his chest continued to deny his lungs oxygen. Hei struggled against the pressure, there were two ominous snaps and pain suddenly shot through his chest. He couldn’t scream from the pain, he couldn’t even whine as his lungs screamed for air. The squeezing pressure wasn’t just on his chest, the force on his stomach would soon threaten his organs. He pulled on his powers again. He had to end this fight now. Hei gritted his teeth and let the power coil closely around him again. This time enveloping him in a layer of electricity so strong his teeth ached. Hei pushed back against the stones. He focused on his own powers sinking into the earth that surrounded him, changing it just enough that it no longer would be manipulated by the other. Sparks flashed all around him as lightning scorched the ground. He began to push the ground back steadily. Finally managing a few inches of space Hei gasped in his first painful breath and kept going. His lungs burned as they were filled with air once again. Slowly Hei pushed up from the ground which he held steady, threading his own powers below his feet so the other contractor couldn’t use their geokinesis, finally able to stand.

“H-how?!” The other contractor stumbled out from the ground they had shielded themselves in as their concentration wavered. A thirty something darkly tanned, and very short, Javanese man gaped at him. Hei managed to take three steps forward, before the other contractor regained his senses and pulled on their powers to try and encase Hei again while producing a fresh layer of rocks around themselves to try and keep his electricity away. Hei continued towards the Javanese contractor, maintaining a secure foothold with his powers and keeping the rocks that were thrown at him away with the halo of electricity he had surrounded himself in. The noise produced by the lightning was deafening, each time something was thrown at him it would erupt like thunder. 

He wouldn’t be able to keep up this level of manipulation for long, his focus divided between ensuring there was electricity and changing the ground just enough it wouldn’t be evident anything was different. The strain was taking its toll, sparks had started to singe his clothes as he failed to keep the lighting far enough away from himself. He couldn’t hear anything over the crackling, and he wondered if his eardrums might burst from the noise. I need to end this now!  

Hei reached the shield that surrounded VG-062 and pressed his hand through the layers. The shield they had encased themselves in, wouldn’t protect them as his powers easily broke through. Finding the other’s wrist, Hei clamped his fingers around it. He hissed out a breath and redirected all of the electricity around him into VG-062. 

The other contractor wailed in pain and Hei’s nose was filled with the smell of ozone and an acrid burnt pork smell. Hei felt the skin in his hand blister and ooze. The screaming had become frantic; the contractor contained in the stone shield, had made their own tomb. The rocks in front of him bleeding from brown to red with the expenditure of energy. Hei flicked the liquid that had come from the other contractor off his hand quickly before it could burn as the screaming stopped. 

Hei stumbled backwards a few feet before he could hold himself steady. The world was spinning around him, the sudden in and outflux of power playing havoc with his system. He hadn’t used that much power in a long time. Ha! Still managed to survive! Hei warbled a bit on his feet, his shoes felt suspiciously squelchy or maybe that was just his legs.  

I need to focus. Something close, something I can control. Hei wheezed. It hurts. He kept himself from whining aloud, focused on taking stock of his injuries. His limbs burned from the impact of rocks earlier, there would be bruises, but nothing was broken. His muscles felt strained and  protested the smallest movement, even though he was trying to stay still he could feel himself swaying. Each breath was a painful gasp, he still couldn’t get a full breath. He probably had broken some ribs … It would t be the first time, though this felt different from the last time. He could deal with broken ribs, he’d just have to take his injury into account on the next mission he was forced to do. His entire stomach ached, as though he had taken multiple blows, Was that the crushing or the rocks? He couldn’t remember. His back hurt like hell. There was pain that burned, pain that stung and pain so bad he itched to scratch at it. He would prefer the feeling from when he had been dragged behind a car to this. 

He hadn’t noticed any bleeding, but he probably had several scrapes. How am I going to explain this to November? Hei huffed out loud at the thought. Survived a life and death battle with a contractor and he was more worried about November wondering where the bruises came from than his own potentially broken bones. November will have to wait. I will make some excuse not to see him for a few days. 

“Hei?” Mao called from somewhere far away. Hei forced himself to open his eyes. When had I closed them? His eyes felt like sandpaper from all the dust in the air. He blinked to try and clear his sight. His eyes were beginning to work again, but he wished his nose would stop. The smell of burning permeated everything, he didn’t want to remember what had burnt. Glancing over, the rocks still glowed red around what had been the other contractor.

“Hei?” Mao called again. Hei finally focused on the cat in front of him. How long had he been there?

“Mao.” Hei finally managed to find his voice. The word coming out strained and hoarse. His throat was raw like he’d been screaming for hours in these last few moments.

“What was that? Are you okay?” The black cat crept closer, its nose wrinkled as it caught the scent from the glowing rocks.

“We need to leave.” Hei wheezed. His star, Bai’s star , would have been blaringly active. Astronomics would have their dolls out scouring the area searching for him, Section 4 wouldn’t be far behind. With Section 4 there was the potential that November could show up, this night would end in disaster if he did.

“Yeah. Yin any police in the area?” Mao called into the comm. Hei had to forgo his for his role as bait tonight, fortunate in a way, it would have been fried from all the electricity he had produced. His ears were still ringing from all of the cracking his electricity had produced. 

“Follow me.” Mao turned and started to run off down the path. 

Why couldn’t the trap have been closer to the exit? The last thing Hei wanted to do right now was run, but even less did he want to be caught. He forced as much of the pain to the back of his mind as he could, concentrating only on putting one foot in front of the other and following the cat in front of him. 

“Hei? Are you sure you're okay? You haven’t said anything since the park.” Mao asked. He had led Hei to where Huang was waiting, but Hei couldn’t remember the journey. 

“You’re a mess.” Huang grunted. “I saw the light show and the star fall. I assume he’s dead.” Huang handed Hei his usual Shengshun coat to cover the scorch marks. He had left his Reaper coat home for his cover. Not like it would helped much against being squashed.

Hei nodded absentmindedly and slipped into the jacket. He managed to keep his wince to a minimum when pain shot through his side and back, and only a slight hiss escaped his lips. His lungs were still protesting with fire and pressure each time he took a breath.

“You are to lay low for a while. I will send Mao to let you know of our next mission.” Huang muttered, pausing to look Hei over again he asked; “Will you make it home on your own?” 

Hei paused. Is Huang asking if I’m okay too? Yep he’s the grumpy uncle. He could make it to his apartment, it would probably take him at least an hour.

“If it takes you that long to decide, get in, I will take you to within the block.”

“Thank you.” Hei sighed in relief. He kept himself from falling by gripping the headrest of the passenger seat as he sank down into the back seat of Huang’s car. He contemplated just laying down as Mao jumped in and settled by his feet. No, laying down would potentially let the exhaustion he was feeling take over. Hei gasped slightly as he leaned over to shut the door.

The small car stank heavily of cigarettes. Huang adjusted the mirror and looked back at him. 

“Any of your injuries serious?”

“I think I’ve either fractured or broken some ribs, there is no shifting so that isn’t a danger. I don’t think there is any internal injuries, and I haven’t blown out my eardrums”  

Huang was quiet for a while as he drove. 

“Hei, what was that back there? You’ve never used your powers like that before.”

“I have, but it has been a long time.” Hei felt sleep tugging at his consciousness. Did I use enough power at once that Bai’s payment is coming through? No, probably an adrenaline crash. He had never had a remuneration before, but he was exhausted. Hei let his head rest against the window and watched the lights pass partially in a daze, realizing after a few moments, they did not seem to be going to his apartment.

“Huang, where are we going?”

“I know someone who has a small clinic, they can check you over before you go home.”

“Syndicate or other associate?” He didn’t want the full extent of his injuries reported back to the syndicate. 

“Other. I used to go to them if my CI’s needed attention and couldn’t go to the hospital.”

Good. Hei didn’t answer aloud. He let his eyes close as he continued to lean against the glass. He resisted dozing off, keeping himself alert enough should the car stop, but he didn’t have the energy to keep his eyes open right now. Hei felt Mao hop up to the seat beside him.

“I don’t like it, Huang. That contractor was singled out just for Hei. They set him up to fail. Will we have to worry about them coming for us?”

Hei heard Huang sigh. Hei was pretty sure tonight was about finding out if he had Bai’s powers. He had a good indication who might have given the order. I can’t let him find out. Not after what happened with Bai. The Syndicate’s perspective on them had changed once they discovered she could manipulate things on a molecular level. He had been dancing on a blade these last five years to keep them from knowing he could too. 

“It feels wrong. If they are to come after us, your server would be one of the places they will target. It’s the easiest as well. If they were to come for us. I would expect they would take you out first. We’re here, wait in the car.”

Huang’s associate, a fierce yet short middle aged Japanese woman whose hair was greying at the temples, came out of the building with a quick and determined pace. She hadn’t bothered to wait for Huang, it seemed she recognized his car as she knocked lightly on the window next to him. Hei lifted his head to look at her. The motion made things spin and the world shifted out of focus again. Once his head was off the window she had pulled the door open and immediately started to poke and prod at him initially gently, but increasingly with more force once she confirmed the area she was poking wasn’t broken. 

“What the hell happened to him Kiyoshi?” She hissed over her shoulder at Huang. “He looks like he’s been crushed and fried like garlic!”

Hei smirked. I like her. Hei managed to bring things back into focus, slowing the spinning.

“That’s an accurate description.” Hei wheezed. “There was crushing… and there was a fair amount of things getting fried.” Hei felt like he needed to cough. He swallowed roughly to try and suppress it.

“Can you stand?” her dark eyes quickly glanced over him, making a final internal assessment of him.

“Mhm,” Hei leaned forward, the doctor stepped back, holding her hands out in case he slipped. She seemed surprised and decidedly unimpressed, when he managed to get out of the car. He was slightly proud of himself that he didn’t wobble much, but the doctor's frown quelled the feeling quickly. Hei was still feeling lightheaded, and the ringing in his ears was interfering with his balance, but the short rest in the car had helped him adjust to the pain.

“Kiyoshi, help him to the clinic.” She turned and marched off. Hei exchanged a brief unsure look with Huang and made his way on his own. He managed a quick pace and only fell a few feet behind her on the short walk. Hei covered a smirk at the glare she gave Huang when she held the door open for him. 

“I suppose I should be glad you at least brought him to me and didn’t just leave him to suffer.” She grumbled looking over Hei at Huang. 

Huang grunted but didn’t reply. 

“Why is there a cat following you?”

“It’s mine. He’s very protective for a cat.” Hei grunted as he walked by the doctor. He doubted Mao would want to be left outside. He hoped his excuse would be enough to allow him to come inside enough to know what was happening. The cat contractor at least had the sense to not talk or protest about his comment. 

“Fine, it can stay. Kiyoshi if it gets into anything I will tan your hide.” She growled and led Hei into a room off to the left. She waited by the door until he was inside then shut it firmly. The room felt sterile, there was the lingering smell of antiseptic cleaner. Throw in the disturbingly bright white walls and he just wanted out. The room was only marginally better than a hospital. He’d been in a lot of hospitals, he’d been attacked in several of them. Something about them set his teeth on edge and made him feel helpless. 

“I can help you take your jacket and shirt off or I can cut it off. You choose.” The doctor’s words pierced through his musing. 

“Not cutting.” Hei started fumbling with the buttons of his shirt only to have his hands slapped out of the way and undone quickly. Deciding it was in his best interest to follow her direction, Hei only moved when it would help her. The faster she finished the faster he could leave. 

She frowned as she looked him over, walking slowly around him. She occasionally poked or prodded his back or ran her hand along his ribs and he did his best not to flinch at each touch. The areas were very tender, but he could tolerate the pain. A day's rest and he would be able to ignore it for the most part. She paused in front of him and frowned.

“You said there was crushing? Given the state of you, how long were you pinned?”

“Um, I think less than a minute, at most two.” Hei muttered. In truth, he had no idea. Between the two times VG-062 had trapped him, it could have been longer. Her frown deepened, clearly not pleased with his answer.

“I’m going to start you on a saline solution, to ensure you don’t go into kidney failure from crushing syndrome. You seem fine, but I will take this precaution so I don’t have to deal with you dying on my table.” She muttered and moved about the room to gather the equipment she would need.  

Hei sighed and leaned against the examination table waiting for her to finish. The short walk and brief period of standing had his muscles reminding him how strained they were. She pulled his left hand over to her when she had everything set up and without hesitation, jabbed the IV into one of the veins in his hand.

“From what I’ve seen your back is the worst off. Lay down on your stomach.” The doctor, whom Hei had yet to find out a name for, ordered. Hei complied wordlessly, but grimaced at the pain that flared through his back as he moved. He settled on the table and rested his arms by his side, careful not to disturb the IV.

“If there’s pain, you need to say something. I will not have any tough guys here.” Hei heard her approach the table.

“It’s a hard trait to stop.” Hei grumbled, mostly into the pillow.

“Just tell me if it hurts, I’m not asking you to scream or cry.” he could tell she was glaring down at him without listening. She reminded him of his aunts. Those were people he would never cross. Fight in a war, no problem… steal government classified materials, sure why not. Force him to tell one of his aunts what he did for a living… He’d take any other option available and fake his own death for good measure. 

Hei hummed a noncommittal noise as she began to put more pressure into her fingers. Starting low on his spine she pressed down next to each vertebrae, pausing to see if he reacted. When she reached the base of his ribcage, pain exploded through his back and reached down as if gripping his lungs. He hissed in pain sucking in an excruciating breath.

“That hurt.” He grunted. He wheezed a few more breaths in before he could manage a deeper breath allowing him to  focus after the pain had parts of his vision going white. 

“You take orders well.” She adjusted her position, possibly deciding on a new angle to avoid that spot. “You’re not the type Kiyoshi usually brings by.” She prodded his ribs on both sides of the vertebrae, checking further on each side without any noise from Hei. 

“Yeah, I’m not one of his CI's. I will blow my cover if I go to a hospital so he decided to bring me -ow!” Hei gasped, strangling the scream that threatened to escape as he felt her put sudden intense pressure on the spot he has already identified as painful. There was a loud series of cracks and pops that resounded through the room. 

“Better?”

Hei was about to protest but paused. It was. 

“Yeah.” Hei felt the pressure on his lungs recede almost instantly. It felt so good to be able to take a full breath again. His back still hurt but the pain from before was much more manageable. 

“Good. You are fortunate. You might have bruised, at most fractured ribs, but they aren’t broken. Hold still I’m not done.” She forced his torso back onto the table after he had shifted.

She continued up his back, finding no further spots that Hei identified as being painful. She stepped away from the table. Hei stayed still, given her temperament and previous comment, moving would only result in him being yelled at. It wasn’t long before she came back and he had to keep himself from jolting as her hands were icy this time. He couldn’t keep all of the muscles in his torso from contracting in shock.

“Nothing to worry about, just a topical muscle relaxant.” She dismissed whatever protest he was going to bring up. Squeezing more of the freezing gel onto his back. “I know you won’t be able to reach and Kiyoshi won’t help. I will give you some painkillers as well.” Her voice was firm but reassuring as she worked the gel into his back. 

“No thank you.” Hei tried to keep his voice polite, but there was still some venom. He didn’t like how painkillers muddled his brain and lowered his defenses. Two things he couldn’t risk, especially if November happened to show up.

“You can take them tonight and tomorrow morning minimum, or I will inject you with enough to put you out for two days.” Her tone left no room for rebuttal. Being awake was better than being unconscious, and easier to explain. Damn she really is like my aunts.

“Fine.” He hissed through his teeth. Not like she will be able to tell if I don’t take the second dose.

“Good. If you don’t take the morning dose, I will find you and fry you myself.” She threatened as if reading his thoughts before she finished applying the frigid gel to his back. 

“Does it hurt anywhere else?” She questioned and stepped back to let him assess. 

“That was the worst of it.” He felt a lot better than when he had entered Huang’s car, everything was manageable now. The gel was making his back feel slightly numb.

“I didn’t ask that. Where else does it hurt?” she huffed in frustration.

“It’s just sore or bruising, nothing serious.”

“Flip over. Let me check out your stomach. I can let the bruises to your forearms slide, not much to be done with them.” her voice was flat, a shiver ran down Hei’s spine. That was the no nonsense, do as you're told or else tone.

Once again careful to not pull the IV Hei re-arranged himself to lay on his back. The gel she had just finished putting on was changing from cool to warm along his back. The doctor prodded various spots on his stomach, while extremely tender, there was no sharp pain. 

“You seem to have the devil’s luck. Given what you looked like when you showed up, I was certain there would be more. I guess, Kiyoshi can take you home, but if things start to go south do not wait, go right to the hospital. Do you understand me?”

Hei nodded. The doctor huffed as if she didn’t believe him. I wouldn’t believe me either. Hei sat up and watched as she walked over to the cabinet along the wall and retrieved a small pill bottle. Picking up a paper cup she filled it with water from the sink next to the cabinet. With a pointed glare at him, Hei relented and held out his hand for her to dispense the painkillers. He popped the two that were deposited into his hand in his mouth and accepted the water to wash it down. She reached down for his hand and gently took the IV out. 

Hei shifted and let his legs slide off the table as she walked over and collected his shirt and jacket. He cautiously took a couple of steps to see how his muscles would protest, deeming it within acceptable limits he moved to take the clothes from her but stopped seeing the disapproving look on her face. Reluctantly he accepted her help to get back into his shirt and jacket. 

“Try to take it easy for the next couple of days. Rest and drink lots of fluids.” She pleaded with him before handing him the rest of the bottle of painkillers. “These are for the pain. If you feel pain, take them. Don’t try to tough it out.” She then quickly opened the door open for him, ensuring he wouldn’t do it himself. 

“I will try.” Hei murmured as he walked out of the room steadier than he had walked in. He wouldn’t be able to promise her he would take them and there was no way he was going to be able to rest much in the coming days either. Mao and Huang both looked relieved to see him not obviously struggling to stay upright and breath at the same time. 

“Kiyoshi, make sure he takes the painkillers. Pester him until he does.” she growled at Huang. 

“Not going to die then?” Huang ignored the doctor’s instructions, giving Hei a once over and deciding he was going to be alright. Hei thought he saw, now dubbed grumpy uncle, Huang relax further almost even a small upturn of his lips. 

“Sorry to disappoint.” Hei managed a weak smile. It seemed he had acquired his own small family in Japan, like how November had referred to his own team. “I could probably make it home on my own n-” 

“No. You will not be walking home! Kiyoshi, you are to drive him. If there are stairs you have to help him.” The doctor curtly cut Hei off and glared at both him and Huang. Huang flinched slightly.

“Best not to argue with her when she gets like this. Let's go. Thank you Keiko.” Huang sighed and walked to the door. Mao glanced up at him, before coming over and rubbing against Hei’s legs, actually seeming to pretend to be an overprotective cat.

The doctor huffed from behind Hei, when he started to bend down to pick up Mao. Apparently that’s too much exertion. He paused, this time crouching down to pick up the black cat. He could feel her watching him intently as he slowly made his way to Huang’s car. Mao remained still in his arms for the walk, though the slight purr he was producing indicated the contractor was also happy to see that he was no longer in danger. The drive to his apartment was quiet. He didn’t feel like making conversation focusing solely on staying awake and for once, Mao didn’t try to fill the silence. Mao did however, spend the entirety of the drive curled up in his lap, the slight purr continued as well. When Huang stopped the car, they were within the last block to his apartment, just as Huang had said he would.

“Thanks Huang. I can make it from here.” Hei picked Mao up and placed him on the seat next to him. 

“I will send Mao around to check  on you tomorrow.” Huang had turned around to look at him.

“Let me sleep. Afternoon or later will be acceptable.” Hei grumbled as he got out of the car. 

“Alright afternoon, but if you don’t come to the window quickly I will call in a wellness check.” Mao commented, standing up by the window of his door.

“Goodnight Mao.” Hei ruffled the fur on Mao’s head before he turned and made his way back to his apartment. The short walk was tiring. He still ached but it had become more of a dull sensation. He could already feel the painkillers kicking in, they always made him sleepy, but knowing he would be able to sleep soon was a welcome thought. Hopefully I’ll sleep through the worst of the effects. Painkillers also stripped him of many of his defenses he’s put in place. There would be a lot more of him in the things he would do or say in the next couple of hours and less - if any- of his alias. He also tended to be much more impulsive on them, which was why he did not intend to take anymore of the ones Keiko had sent home with him. 

The stairs left him winded but he managed to get into his apartment with a lot less difficulty than he would have had without Huang’s friend Keiko’s help. Whatever she had done to his back, had made his breathing easier than it had been in ages, but his lungs still hurt from the ordeal earlier. Hei put his jacket away, his back still twinged at the movement. The bottle of painkillers he set on the counter, not sure where to put them yet and it didn’t feel right to just throw them out. 

Hei needed to do something with his scorched clothes, but had used up his reserve energy on the short walk back to the apartment. He settled on tossing them into a drawer to deal with later. There was one other thing he needed to do before he could settle for sleep. He retrieved the mobile from November from its hiding spot and checked for messages. He smiled down at the device as he tugged the futon out of the closet, letting the mattress fall to the floor and manoeuvring it into place with his feet. November had sent him several messages while he had been at ‘work’. 

- I hope your night goes well.-

- I have made sure that April will not bother you.-

- Would it be too much to ask that you let me know you made it home safe?-

- I’m not sure when your shift ends, and Tokyo isn’t as safe as some think.-

Hei’s smile spread as he shook his head at the screen. If November knew he had been injured tonight, Hei was certain he would have a mother hen to deal with. 

- Home safe. It’s been a long night and I’m about to collapse into bed. - Hei typed out as he finished setting up the futon and gently sat down.

November’s reply was almost instant.

- Sleep well Shengshun.-

- You too.- Hei typed out, letting his head sink into his pillow he placed the phone just off the futon next to him and let sleep take him. 

 

*            *             *

 

Hei opened one bleary eye as he was woken by a nearby buzzing. Not insects, mechanical… What buzzes? It’s close, I don’t think it's harmful. Fumbling with one hand he pulled the cause of his wakefulness towards him. I hate painkillers… He flipped open the black phone and squinted at the bright light. The glaring numbers proclaimed it was just after seven in the morning. 

- Good Morning! I was wondering if you had class this morning?- November had sent him a few minutes ago followed with. 

-Because if you don’t… would you be interested in meeting up for breakfast?- it had been this message that had fully roused him from sleep. 

-No class. I am not moving.- Hei struggled to type out, the words blurring more often than he liked. He closed his eyes briefly, letting the phone in his hand rest on his chest. It would not take November long to respond, but he wasn’t sure he would remain awake for it.

-How about breakfast in bed?- November replied quickly. 

-Tempting.- Hei didn’t have the energy to argue. He just wanted to sleep some more, at least until the painkillers wore off. He hoped that would be in the next few hours. 

- I will take that as a yes, and get extra caffeine.-

-I will be asleep- Hei typed out before letting the phone fall next to him. Not bothering to look at November’s reply he closed his eyes and let himself return to sleep’s embrace.

 

Knock knock knock

 

Nope. Go away. Still sleeping . Hei rolled over trying to ignore whoever was at the door. November is coming over… His brain reminded him. Shit I need to get up. Hei groaned and forced himself out from under the blanket. Clothes… Hei stumbled sleepily to the drawers, pulling out a fresh pair of jeans and a white shirt. His focus was sluggish at best, as it was it took most of his attention to get the jeans on, so he settled for only doing up one of the buttons to his shirt as he made his way to the door.

November looked too awake for however early this was now. Bright blue eyes twinkled happily at him as November grinned. There was a tray with two cups in one of November’s hands and bags in the other. Hei managed a small tired smile as he stepped out of the way to let November into the apartment. He caught a whiff of whatever food November had brought. It smelt buttery, sweet and there might be earl grey tea, or November - both smelt of bergamot. Breakfast smelt wonderful.

“Good morning.” November grinned at him. Placing the cups and what was in actuality three bags on the counter. He remembered I eat a lot. Hei’s smile crept larger, he could almost forget the two of them were enemies. 

“Mmm. I’ll pack up the futon.” Hei yawned as he closed the door behind November. Before he could take a step away, Hei felt November snag his hand. He looked up at the contact and saw the sly grin on November’s face. Mmm.. yes please. He let himself be tugged into a kiss. 

Hei melted into November, letting the other deepen the kiss. This is a much nicer way to wake up. His hands slid around November’s waist catching the hem of November's shirt on either side and slipping underneath as he untucked November’s shirt. November grinned against his lips before he started to trail kisses down the side of his neck. Hei’s head lull to the side, shivering slightly as November teased the hollow of his neck. November’s hand slipped between them. Hei frowned briefly wondering if he was going to stop, before he felt November’s fingers quickly undoing the one button he had managed to do up before coming to the door. 

The groan erupted from his throat before Hei had a chance to stop it. November’s hands trailed sparks where they travelled along his skin. He quickly reclaimed November’s mouth, stifling the sound before it was too loud. He felt November nudge him away from the door. Following November’s prompt he slowly made his way backwards pulling November with him towards the futon. With November’s help he shrugged off his shirt before they were halfway there. November’s coat quickly followed after. Hei’s heel bumped into the futon, and he pulled November down onto the bed with him.  

There was a moment as they were falling that Hei felt something was off, something was wrong. It wasn’t November. The curtains were still drawn so they weren’t being watched. It felt like he had forgotten something important. It wasn’t until his back made contact with the futon and gasped at the pain, did he remember. Hei fought to suppress the pain. I guess the painkillers are wearing off. November had caught his own weight, reacting quickly to his distressed noise and was looking down at him in concern.

“You okay?” November shifted back letting Hei sit up. Fuck, I need an excuse. Student… ex-military… gym? Yes, gym works!

“I - ugh, had wanted to blow off some steam before work last night, so I stopped in at the university gym.” Hei started to explain. “I’ve sparred a couple of times with the trainer there, so they know what I’m typically like… but I was…” Hei paused looking for the right wording. “Considerably distracted and he landed more hits than he normally would… he also managed to flip me onto the mat with a fair amount of force.” November’s eyes widened in shock at the comment so Hei added quickly. “Don’t worry, the on site physician checked and there’s only bruises.” Hei watched as November’s eyes trailed over him, taking in some of the bruises visible from his angle. 

“Enough force for them to call the physician?” November’s brows had furrowed, his lips tensed into a hard line. He’s worried.

“I had the wind knocked out of me… and probably blacked out briefly.” Hei commented meekly, adding the last part for good measure. It was hard not to squirm under November’s gaze and his fingers tracing a bruise on his side.

“Can I see?” November asked. Concern was clear in his eyes. Why? Contractors don’t think about others. Then again, I’ve established November doesn’t always act like a typical contractor.

“Um… Yeah.” Hei nodded, sliding out from under November and turning around. There was no point in keeping it from him, he now had a plausible excuse. Hei heard November’s breath catch. Hei hadn’t seen what it looked like himself, he had hoped it wasn’t too bad, but given November’s reaction it probably was. Hei felt November’s fingers trail along his back and he had to fight against himself to keep from making noise. The featherlight touch had him wanting to tackle November, not the reaction was probably intending. His breathing started to pick up as November’s hand travelled lower. Keep it together! How is this different from Keiko last night? Hei knew fully well the difference; he wanted November to touch him. Something he hadn’t allowed himself to give into in the last five years.

“Does it hurt?” November asked, shifting behind him and placing a kiss where his spine connected with his neck. 

“It’s not that bad. I had mostly forgotten about it until just now.” Hei let his head fall back and rested it to the side on November’s shoulder. That seemed to quell any worries November had as his hands traced along his waist, tracing the skin that disappeared under Hei’s jeans.

“Good.” November mumbled and trailed kisses along Hei’s neck as his hands reached the hollow of Hei’s hip. Hei closed his eyes as the sensation threatened to overwhelm him. He was already straining against his pants, November’s hands were tantalizingly close.

Hei twisted in November’s grip and finally let himself tackle November onto the futon. He had claimed the other’s mouth before November’s head made it to the cushion. His hands tugged at November’s tie until he could pull it away. 

November’s hands had slipped further down, gripping Hei’s ass as he pulled him closer. Hei adjusted his knees so they rested on either side of November’s hips and began to undo the buttons of his vest. November’s grip tightened as he pulled himself up off the futon and Hei further down into his lap while Hei fought with the remaining buttons on November’s shirt. 

November broke the kiss to help Hei with his vest and shirt. 

Hei let November finish with removing his clothing and let his hands trail down November’s chest. He didn’t have as many scars as Hei had thought he would. He also wasn’t thrown into a war as a teenager. Hei leaned in and mimicked what November had done earlier, teasing the base of November’s neck with his teeth and tongue. His efforts were quickly rewarded with a full body shudder from the older contractor. Hei continued, trying a little further in each direction to find where caused the most reaction. Given the mass that was now pressing against him, November was thoroughly enjoying what he was doing.

November groaned, threading a hand through Hei’s hair while the other remained possessively gripping his ass, ensuring he would stay pressed firmly down on November. Without much warning, Hei found himself back on the futon as November had rolled them to one side. The pressure of his weight on his back sent a twinge of pain through his system, but his mind focused on November.  

Hei glanced down at the blonde and gasped as November captured one of his nipples in his mouth. All thought of the pain in his back gone, overridden by the pleasure caused by November’s tongue. November’s hand slid up Hei’s side and claimed the other with a swirl and pinch. Hei groaned through his teeth and arched into November. Hei was losing himself as his breaths increasingly included a mewling noise in response to November. Maybe I can… Maybe once in five years is alright. Maybe I can take what I want for once.

Hei caught November’s wrist and rolled them back. Trapping the wrist next to November’s head. Hei leaned down and claimed November’s mouth, easily granted access to swirl his tongue around November’s as he squirmed further downward. November groaned as Hei shifted lower, pleased with the reaction Hei repeated the action pressing his hips further into November this time. He was rewarded with a longer and deeper rumble from November. There’s the sound. He had been dreaming about that low and possessive reverberation since their first kiss. It made his whole body tingle. 

Hei let go of November’s wrist and let his fingers trail along his arm, down November’s chest while Hei rocked slightly on top of November. November let out a low moan as his hands quickly gripped Hei’s hips pulling him down and urging him to go faster. Hei didn’t comply, he had other plans and kept his pace purposely slow. Hei grinned against November’s lips as he heard the growl of frustration. Hei leaned back slightly, letting his hands trail along November's arms. 

“What happened?” Hei asked as his fingers brushed the twin set of stitches in November’s right arm. I caused this. Hei thought mournfully but kept himself from frowning.

“I had a run in with the man I’m in Japan to arrest.” November murmured as his hands trailed up Hei’s sides and twitched as his hands went higher. November tugged Hei back down into another quick kiss, he grinned up at Hei with a devilish look in his eyes. Hei was about to sit up when November flipped them over again, gripping both of Hei’s hands and forcing them above his head. November leaned down and chuckled next to Hei’s ear.

“I’ve caught you now.” November muttered into Hei’s ear before descending on the base of his neck. Hei’s breath caught in his throat at the comment, adrenaline flooded his system while his blood rushed south. Oh, if you only knew. Hei didn’t want to admit it, but he wouldn’t entirely mind being caught. If his reaction just now was anything to go by, he would have to snuff that out soon, but not yet. 

Hei whimpered as he managed to breathe again. November’s teeth were teasing the base of his neck just enough to be slightly painful but had him tugging to free his hands so he could keep November there. There was going to be a mark, Hei’s stomach flipped knowing He’d have at least a small reminder. His last experience with a contractor was brief. They had both needed it, and once they were done it was over. He had suggested further meet-ups, but he contractor had seen no need for anything more. Then a few days later, Hei had been forced to kill her. The time before that… He didn’t want to think about that, he had been so foolish and lost so much because he had let his guard down. She too had been done with him once she had what she wanted.

If November was a typical contractor once he was satisfied that would be the end of whatever this was. The running list of things November does contrary to usual contractors is long. He kept reminding himself, November hadn’t been acting like a typical contractor. Hei, though his brain told him it was foolish, held out a small glimmer of hope that November wouldn’t be gone after this. Struggling to keep some measure of composure, Hei dragged himself out of those thoughts and hooked his legs tightly around November. I will have to enjoy it, if this is it. 

“Who’s caught whom?” He groaned out as November’s teeth let go of his neck. Hei felt November tremble slightly against him before November transferred both of Hei’s wrists into one of his own and devoured Hei’s mouth. November’s free hand travelled quickly down Hei’s side and his fingers sank below the back of Hei’s jeans, which were already sitting low on his hips, roughly grinding the two of them together. Enough of this, clothes off now! Hei tightened his legs around November and moaned into the kiss. November seemed to agree with his internal thoughts as his free hand was tugging Hei’s jeans further down. 

 

They were both brought out of their haze as the jingle of November’s ringtone sliced through the air. 

 

They both paused. Breaths coming in ragged gasps. No, not now! Go away! I don’t care who you are, let us be! Hei seriously considered the ramifications of simply zapping the phone. Do that and no way anything else is happening. Even so, he was struggling to resist frying the object for interrupting and only barely managing with all his remaining restraint. November must have had similar thoughts as he growled threateningly at his own phone without making a move to retrieve it. November sighed, coming to some decision, before his fingers retreated from the back of Hei’s jeans. No… Hei relaxed his legs around November’s waist, thinking that he was going to answer the phone, but was reluctant to actually let him go. Instead, November shocked him by tugged his jeans down further by the front pocket and let his fingers tease the newly exposed skin. Hei’s hips bucked in response and Hei let out a low and embarrassingly wanton moan.

“Are you sure? Should you ignore it?” Hei panted as the phone fell silent. November didn’t answer, but released  his grip on Hei’s hands, shifting downward to take the nipple he hadn’t tasted yet into his mouth. November twirled his tongue around it before teasing it with his teeth. Hei’s legs tightened around November. One of Hei’s hands slipped into November’s hair, keeping the other’s head in place while his other hand trailed down November’s back. November’s now unoccupied hand worked the other side of Hei’s jeans downward as well. 

 

The phone once again blared November’s ringtone. 

 

Hei felt November groan in frustration against his chest. November’s hands retreated and Hei heard November steady his breathing before he reached over to retrieve the phone from his coat. Hei went to unhook his legs from November but the other shook his head slightly as he briefly locked eyes with him. Hei smirked, but locked his ankles behind November. Hei worked on getting his own breathing under control. 

“Chief Kirihara, I do hope this is important. Dire straits, there was no one else you could reach, important.” November huffed into the phone, his annoyance exceptionally clear in his tone. 

Crap, Section 4 would have found VG-062… why had they waited so long to call November? With my star pulsing like crazy last night, it shouldn’t have taken them long to locate VG-062. Damn it, stupid police politics! Hei internally groaned in frustration and missed what Kirihara said on the phone. 

“So, our friend was active again last night.” November grumbled and settled on his haunches, one of his hands tugging Hei’s hips up into his lap. Hei gladly shifted downward, tightening his legs around November. This position at least had him closer to the phone so he could listen in better. Yeah, sure tell yourself that. It isn’t at all about how easily it would be for him to… stop that thought right there! Hei was already painfully strained against how low his jeans were sitting, but his thoughts had his dick proclaiming loudly it was on board for any attention from the contractor.

“Astronomics confirmed activity from Bk-201 and VG-062 last night. VG-062’s star fell and although the area was searched thoroughly, there was no sign of BK-201. What was left of VG-062 was located this morning. You will want to come and see this.” Hei heard Kirihara say, while trying to not look like he was listening. November sighed and glared up at the ceiling for a moment. I wonder if he’s unknowingly mentally cursing me? Yep the notorious BK-201 has his legs wrapped firmly around your waist, and at your mercy. Not exactly how you might envision catching me. Hei closed his eyes and suppressed the shiver as he remembered November whispering that he had caught him in his ear. Fuck, Kirihara get off the phone…

“Text me the address. I will be there soon.” November snapped the phone shut and tossed it to the side. November rocked forward into Hei. Hei’s eyes snapped open as he looked up at November and raised an eyebrow. “I’ll tell her there was traffic.” November smirked down at Hei before reaching for the button of his jeans.

“You sure? I don’t want you to get in trouble at work.” Hei muttered, not actually trying to dissuade November.

“Yes, even if I did, it would be worth it.” November commented with utter conviction as he grinned at Hei and unhooked the button. Using his legs to lift his hips off of November’s lap he let November hook his fingers in the waistband of his jeans and pull them down past his hips. Hei pulled himself backwards letting his legs slide out of the rest of his jeans before November tossed them to the side and set to work removing his own trousers. Hei toyed with his lip watching November intently.

“I don’t suppose you have any lubricant on hand?” November asked. Hei paused, taking stock of what he had in the apartment. 

“No… at least, not in the typical sense.” Eyebrows furrowed, he realized he didn’t, but he had an alternative. 

“What would that be?” November smirked.

“I’ve got olive oil. It’s on the counter.” Hei motioned with his head in the direction of the little kitchen. 

“It is one of the oldest forms of lube.” November chuckled and went to retrieve the bottle from the counter. He paused there for a moment before turning around and quickly made his way back to the futon. 

“I do hope I’ve been reading this right and you are agreeable t-“ November began as he approached Hei on the futon.

“Yes.” Hei answered November’s question before he could ask. He moved his legs so November could settle between them. In truth, he hadn’t done the other way, and only had experience this way because he had been required to for a mission. They had a target in South America… who had particular, and well known interest, in younger men, and there was no persuading three female contractors he didn’t want to, when that was their only way to complete the mission. In this situation, Hei felt it best to let November take the lead. 

November grinned, placing the bottle to the side he leaned down to kiss Hei. Hei pushed himself up and met him halfway. November kept the kiss brief, he nestled himself between Hei’s legs and dispensed a small amount of oil on his fingers. Hei lowered himself back down to the futon as November’s finger circled his entrance before sinking inside. 

Hei focused on not squirming as November’s second finger joined the first. He had gripped the futon with both hands as he willed himself to relax at the intrusion. November was watching his reactions closely, pausing his descent if it seemed too much and instead scissored his fingers stretching him slowly outwards as well. Like the last time, it was a bit uncomfortable, but not intolerable. He just needed to focus on relaxing, he had been told that was what he had done wrong last time. He didn’t want this time to hurt quite as much, not with November. 

Hei’s hips bucked and he let out a low unrestrained moan as November’s fingers stroked a spot inside him that triggered a wave of pleasure through his whole body. That didn’t happen last time! Hei heard November chuckle above him before he repeated the motion. Again Hei felt his body respond to November and he was unable to hold back. Now I see why they said I had done it wrong. That had felt fantastic.

Hei felt November’s fingers retreat slightly before a third was added. November didn’t go for the same spot again, instead he focused on getting his fingers as deep as he could before he started a slow and shallow pumping motion. Hei found himself moving his hips in sync with the thrusting, as November’s finger got deeper his fingers started grazing the spot just briefly. It was a slow pleasurable torture for Hei, but he wasn’t bothered by the pressure on his back anymore. He was desperate for more and from the concentration on November’s face, Hei could tell, so was November.

November slowed his pace before stopping altogether, removing his fingers entirely. Hei hadn’t intended to, but he whined as November’s fingers left him, feeling unreasonably empty and glanced down at November. Hei’s breath caught in his throat, November had the bottle in his hand again. Hei’s breathing quickened in anticipation as he watched November stroke himself, coating his cock in oil. 

November aligned himself against him. Hei toyed with his bottom lip, rocking his hips towards November, silently begging him to proceed. Both of November’s hands held Hei’s hips steady as he pressed forward slowly. Hei’s back twinged as he thrust his hips upwards and squirmed as November crept forward, the pace was frustratingly slow, but November’s hands held Hei’s incessant hips still as he continued to sheathe himself. Hei couldn’t wait any more, his current tactic was being held at bay as he tried to urge November along with his hip. Another angle then… He wrapped his legs around November’s waist and closed the last of the distance between them in one go, gasping at the sensation of both pleasure and pain.

“Mm, I certainly don’t mind if you're impatient.” November closed his eyes and groaned. Starting with slow thrusts, pulling further back each time he slammed back into Hei. Hei’s back was beginning to burn with pain, overtaking the pleasure as November increased his pace. He gripped the futon, trying to ignore his protesting back. November paused. What happened? Hei opened his eyes to look up, not realizing he had closed them. November’s eyebrows were furrowed in concern. 

“I forgot about you back. Are you alright?” November reached down and cupped his face. 

“It’s alright.” Hei panted, leaning slightly into November’s touch. November frowned, his thumb stroking Hei’s cheek, just under his right eye. Hei was started to feel wetness spread along under November’s thumb. When had that happened? Tears were unusual for him, even in pain. There must have only been one or two as the rest of his face felt dry. 

“No, it isn’t. You’re in pain. Here, let's try this.” One of November’s hands gripped his hip pressing them together, the other pulled Hei closer to November’s chest before the blonde rolled the two of them to one side until Hei was on top. 

“There, this way you can set the pace and actually enjoy yourself. I would hate to think I was so inconsiderate as to ignore your discomfort.” November kissed his temple and let his hand gently stroked Hei’s back.

“Ah… okay.” Hei nodded. Sitting up on top of November, Hei repositioned his knees snuggly against November’s sides to give him more control. He’d not done it this way before, the principles were the same, he just had to figure it out. November smiled up at him, sliding his hands along Hei’s legs and resting them on his waist. 

“Take it slow, find the angle that works for you. Focus on that first then we can work on speed.” November’s words were reassuring. At least his nervousness and inexperience would blend with his background story. November was unknowingly taking several of his firsts tonight. Hei nodded, guided by November’s hands at his waist he raised himself up slightly then back down again. Okay, not bad. I can do this. Hei felt November’s thumbs press into his hips.

“Lean back a little, and try again.” November groaned, with his eyes half closed. Hei did as directed, leaning back until there was no more pressure from November’s thumbs. Once again he lifted himself a few inches and slid back down. This time gasping in surprise as November’s cock brushed against the spot that his fingers had found earlier. He had tensed and came down hard on November in shock.

“Ah- my god… Shengshun.” November moaned under him. “Again?” November panted, grinning up at him. Hei nodded, lifting up a little further this time and coming down a lot faster, but not as hard this time. He felt November’s hips thrust upwards hitting the spot again. Hei bit back a moan, but couldn’t stop the mewling he seemed to be doing with almost every breath. He didn’t wait for November to tell him to keep going. Hei began to set a steady pace, November meeting him each time on the way down. November urged him on, as they both picked up the pace. Hei could feel his limbs trembling as continued. There was a building tension low in stomach, Hei knew he was getting close. Looking down he could see that November was too, his hips were thrusting into Hei at a crushing pace. Hei did his best to keep up, but his thighs were starting to twitch from the pleasure and burn from exertion. So close. He knew it would be soon. 

“Ah-, November.” Hei purred out the other’s name. “Hah, Bǎobèi - ah- Wǒ lá- haa.” all his other languages failed him as he went over the edge. Hei leaned down and captured November’s mouth as his body twitched uncontrollably. November growled, his hands slid from Hei’s waist to his ass, thrusting roughly a few more times, as November was pulled over with him. 

The two of them gasped for breath, each still reeling from their orgasm. Hei let his eyes close and rested his head on November’s shoulder waiting for his heart to stop pounding. November’s arms wrapped around him, tracing circles low on Hei’s back. He felt safe, secure and dare he even dream it - loved. Hei banished those thoughts quickly. November was a contractor, it wasn’t in their nature to love, or even to date someone without an ulterior motive. Maybe he’s using this as a means to recruit me. No, he wouldn’t need to do that. Just let this last a little longer. Just a bit more, I can be content with this memory when it’s over. Hei sighed, readying himself in case his fling with November would be done. Preparing to force himself back, Hei couldn’t get any closer to November, even if Shengshun did. 

“I wish I could stay and cuddle you longer, but even saying there was traffic only gives me a short window of extra time.” November grumbled. Hei nodded, but nuzzled his head into November's neck. Pull back, slip back into Shengshun! He can’t see anymore of Hei. He forced his warring emotions aside, shoving them deep into a box in his mind. He had had his fun, enjoyed himself - thoroughly- but now he needed to retreat and give the reigns back to his alias. This was Shengshun’s life, not Hei’s. Neither of them moved for several moments, the stickiness between their chest would have to be dealt with soon.

“You should probably have a quick shower too, she might suspect something if you show up smelling of sex.” Hei murmured into November’s neck. Feeling he could successfully stay hidden behind Shengshun, he reluctantly sat up. “Care to join me? We can’t go around being sticky all day.” Hei teased, willing his rubbery limbs to move as he disentangled himself from November. Hei had to pause as he stood up. Okay, hadn’t expected that! his legs warbled dangerously, threatening to give out. His arms went out instinctively to help him regain his balance to keep from falling. November was behind him quickly. Hei hadn’t even heard him move before he felt his warmth behind him.

“Woah, careful. You did put your legs through a lot just now.” November pulled Hei into him, his arms holding onto him low on his waist. “But you are right, a quick shower would be advisable. You said the shower was over here?” November’s  head inclined towards the kitchen. Hei nodded and took a cautious step forward. Reassured that his legs would now hold his weight, Hei slowly made his way to the small bathroom and turned the faucet to let the water heat up. Slipping into the stall first to be followed closely by November. 

The close proximity enforced by the shower had the two of them frequently pressed against each other. Hei didn’t entirely manage to keep from purposefully trailing his fingers along November’s skin or bumping into him at opportune times. This resulted in November pinning him against the back wall of the shower, kissing down his neck as November’s knee forced its way between his legs. Hei gladly enjoyed the touch.

“I think you are more distracting now than you were before.” He groaned into Hei’s neck. He then teasingly bit down at the base of his neck and sucked hard.

“Probably the lack of clothes.” Hei closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of November’s mouth on his skin. If this didn’t stop he’d be hard again. A second round in the shower…yes please!

“I am painfully aware of that.” November groaned into his neck as he ground into Hei’s hip, proving November was also considering round two.
“Then I should put some clothes back on, so I can stop distracting you.” Hei chucked and teased the other. So much for being able to keep Hei hidden. How does he do that? This relationship, if it continued, was now venturing into too dangerous territory. 

“Oh please no, you must remain naked.” November paused his ministrations at the base of Hei’s neck to look at him. His light eyes pleaded with him as if the thought of clothes had the world ending.

“Can’t, you have to go to work.” Hei fake pouted back at him.

November sighed in defeat. Hei took the opportunity to slip out from November’s hold and exited the shower. Round two couldn’t happen, he hadn’t managed to figure out how to keep November from slipping right by Shengshun and bringing Hei out. Pulling two towels out of the cupboard, drying off with one and handing the other to November. Hei made his way back into the main room and collected their clothes, putting on his own as he came across them and handing November his once they were all collected. 

Hei went over to the bags of food that November had brought, curious to find out what they contained. He opened one and pulled out a blackcurrant scone. November must have found an English-style bakery for breakfast. There was an assortment of other baked goods in the bag he had retrieved the scone from. A taste of his home to share with me? It felt too sentimental a thought for a contractor. Hei took a bite, while not his usual breakfast, he hadn’t had scones since his last trip to England… with his father and Xing.

“How long are you supposed to take those?” November asked motioning to the painkillers then wrapping his hand around his waist. The other followed quickly as he snuggled up to Hei from behind.

“Uh, they would like it if I took another dose.” He muttered and nibbled on the scone. 

“I get the feeling you are considering ignoring the doctor’s suggestion.” November huffed next to Hei’s ear. There was disappointment and frustration in his tone.

“Maybe?” Hei mumbled reluctantly. I was right! He is a mother hen! Hei grinned slightly, already knowing he was going to end up taking the next dose, and that he would probably regret it. This might have just shot past being too dangerous for me. Hei sighed. 

“Take it with the tea I got you. It’s a London fog.” November planted a kiss high on his neck.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had a good Earl Grey.” Hei smirked at the cup. He picked up the bottle and retrieved two of the pills, matching the dose from the night before he downed them with a mouthful of lukewarm tea. The smell of bergamot coming from the tea and November behind him. 

“Thank you.” November muttered after he swallowed the pill. “You should not let yourself be in pain. Now I really have to go. Misaki will start to wonder what happened.”

Hei turned in his arms and gave November a quick kiss goodbye.

“Have a good day.” Hei muttered, keeping his eyes closed as he pressed his forehead against November’s.

“It’s certainly off to a fantastic start.” November kissed him again before letting go of his waist. Hei watched in silence as November made his way to his car, munching on the scone. He didn’t say he would text. The dark part of his mind pointed out. Hei opened the window over the sink, catching a glimpse of November waving to him before he got into his car. No, see you later either. Hei waved back briefly before turning to face the room. It’s going to be a long day. Hei sighed, November was a contractor, he shouldn’t be surprised if this was it. The hope and doubt still hurt. At least, if it was over, he wouldn’t have to worry about giving himself away around the MI6 agent. It would also be easier to keep himself separate from Shengshun. Hei shook his head, that type of thinking would be of no help. Whatever was going to happen, would depend on November. 

Hei took a deep breath to calm himself. He let his hand trace the mark at the base of his neck left by November. The room smelt of sex. He wanted to enjoy it and the lingering scent of November, but he would need to clear the air. Mao would be there shortly after noon and if his nose could currently tell what they had been up to, then Mao’s nose would pick up on his and November’s activities easily. Finishing the scone, Hei packed up the Futon, securely hiding it back in the closet, keeping some of their scent trapped before he opened the other window and let the breeze erase the remaining traces of them away. With a sigh he packed the bags away, he wasn’t hungry anymore, but he took the other cup of tea, and the aroma of bergamot, with him to the table. He might as well try and read the papers he had been given by Shikikoza. He would need to keep up appearances as Shengshun.

Notes:

I hope you enjoyed! I had thought about making this two chapters... but couldn't resist the temptation for having chapter six be the sex one.
Next chapter will be a bit of a change of pace, as it will be from November's POV. Hopefully it won't be too difficult to change to his mindset!

Chapter 7: Chapter Seven

Notes:

Welcome to the chapter from November's perspective! He was a little harder than Hei to nail down, so I apologize if he's a bit out of character.

November regretting having collected July before arriving at the crime scene. He didn’t regret bringing April. The smell that permeated the area was… overwhelming. Although July didn’t express emotions, November could tell if he kept the boy nearby, July would end up throwing up, much like April was currently. So, he had July stay by his car with one of Misaki’s lackeys, the more stocky- respectable looking one. He hadn’t know what to expect when Misaki had said he needed to see this, but what appeared to be a kiln in the middle of a destroyed park, was not it. Not even in the realm of possible suggestions. 

Bk-201… you never cease to surprise, but next time try not to be active when I’m with Shengshun. He had wanted to murder whomever had rung him. He had considered encasing his mobile in ice so he could continue. Shengshun had been openly expressive this morning, his iron will of restraint had cracked. So much like when he had kissed him that first time. He wanted to see that side of Shengshun more. To see those midnight eyes allow themselves to express the emotions Shengshun was feeling. 

He had realized by the end of their second date, that Shengshun kept everyone at arm's length, or further if possible, from getting to know him. He had said he hadn't talked to many people because he was new to the country, but that was clearly a lie. November had thought initially it was because Shengshun didn’t want to let people get close to him, but it was clear now it was that Shengshun wouldn’t let himself get close to others. It wasn’t because Shengshun wanted to be alone, no, the reaction he had gotten when he surprised him and snuck past his walls with the kiss proved the dark haired student wanted company but was denying himself. 

Shengshun had tried - repeatedly - during their first date to convince him that he wasn’t worth November’s time. Hell, He had even tried during the second. Shengshun wanted  November to believe he shouldn’t bother with him. Shengshun had always made his excuse in a way so that he himself was the one at fault, not once implying November was inadequate in any way. Given what he had managed to find out about Shengshun’s past, the student had experienced the horrors of war and devastating loss before he was even considered to be an adult and this was the defense mechanism he had surrounded himself with. What could have happened to him… November knew contractors who let themselves feel more openly than Shengshun… namely April. 

He had also come to realize that Shengshun’s need to keep himself from others was something he constantly and actively maintained, as if it never left his mind. It’s almost as if he thinks himself toxic to others. That first night he had easily avoided all of April’s advances, and it was rare for her to give up on someone, even when November had expressed an interest. No, from what he had seen, Shengshun had damage control skills rivalling English PR firms, displayed by his ability to not only keep April from getting frustrated by the lack of advance, but did it with such stunning polite style. It had been the reason why April had admired enough to go back the next night. Her description of ‘Li’ and his own brief interaction when collecting her, had piqued his interest. 

Looking back, November was surprised Shengshun had even agreed to go on that first date or that he had shown up for the second. He definitely seemed to have an effect on the Chinese man, one that constantly had the other scrambling to put his walls back up, and it was positively adorable. Startlingly, he had discovered the younger man also had an effect on him. He hadn’t intended to take their first kiss that far, but when the others' lips had parted so invitingly he hadn’t been able to stop himself. Then when Shengshun had responded, giving him the smallest glimpse of the fire the other kept hidden away, November knew he was hooked. 

He had spent the next three days, tortured like a drug addict in detox, with thoughts of what it could be like with Shengshun… and now he knew all of those dreams paled compared to what he had been like this morning. Shengshun was addictive, one taste was never going to be enough. It was in the way Shengshun would light up when he talked about his theory or the stunned look he got when he had said something he shouldn’t, it made November want him. But it was the times when Shengshun actually let his true self out; like after knowing he had slipped up - and still decided to reveal parts of his past or when November had snuck past the walls through shock, that left November so hard he had trouble restraining himself. 

Fuck he wished he was back at Shengshun’s apartment. He should have stayed a bit longer. As much as he loved the more unrestrained Shengshun, his behaviour this morning wasn’t typical. His injury was the probable cause. He would have to check in on him later, and make sure he was properly taken care of. Shengshun’s reluctance to take the painkillers also hinted the injury was the cause, and more darkly, it made November wonder what in his past had caused Shengshun to prefer being in pain, than let drugs numb his senses. 

November had a sinking suspicion Shengshun hadn’t just been forced to go along with his father to Heaven’s Gate. The scars that marred Shengshun’s otherwise perfect pale body, also agreed with what he feared. Shengshun had admitted to being only seventeen when Heaven’s Gate disappeared, and that he had been there. Not just there, he had been so close he had seen the localized resonance few there had. Had Shengshun’s father forced him to fight? November’s heart clinched thinking about Heaven’s War. Contractors had been used by both sides, and they had been cruel to those they came across, both soldier and civilian. The thought of a seventeen year old Shengshun fighting against contractors made him seethe. If I’m right… I hope his father is dead.

“Ah, November 11.” Misaki called out from closer to the kiln in the middle of the park… given the smell, he suspected that was where VG-062 was. The fight between the two contractors had been brutal. It actually appeared that BK-201 struggled with this one. Given the displacement of rocks and the kiln… VG-062 probably had an ability related to manipulating rocks… What was that called? The study of rocks is Geology… so Geo.

“Let me guess, Mr. 062-VG had a form of geokinesis?” November commented finally peeking into a crack in the side of the kiln. The end of two blackened bones could be seen along with a pile of burnt flesh that was suspiciously hand shaped on the sand beside the kiln. BK-201 doesn’t usually cook people. Only zaps them long enough to kill or incapacitate, depending on his objective. Geokenesis would have the distinct advantage over BK-201’s electrokinesis in both ability and from their location, yet the masked contractor had won. 

“Correct. Astronomics confirmed his star fell at 22:01 last night. They also confirmed sustained and prolonged activity from BK-201, which is inconsistent with past reports of his activity.” Misaki was watching him closely, her team had no doubt already thoroughly searched the area long before they had called him. They had probably removed some more pertinent bits of evidence too. 

“I’m guessing, our masked friend ran into some trouble.” He tried to not breathe through his nose. The smell had been bad before, but this close had even his stomach churning.

“It would appear that he struggled with VG-062, Astronomics is reaching out to PANDORA to see if there are other reports of his star’s activity for that long.” November looked over at Misaki, she had a frown on her face as she thought. It’s almost as though her face defaults to that when thinking.

November looked closely at the edge of the hole in the kiln, it appeared as if it had melted. BK-201’s electricity hadn’t produced enough heat to melt ice when we fought, how had he been able to melt rocks this time? Had he been holding back? Things weren’t adding up. Electricity itself didn’t have heat, it was a form of energy but the air around it would react to the energy and at times produce spectacular amounts of heat. November frowned, walking away from the stench coming off the dead contractor, following the sandy path away from the kiln. He stopped next to the closest of the three points where the contractors had obviously clashed. 

It was hard to tell what had happened, but the ground had swelled, similarly to a wave and presumably had crashed down on BK-201. November crouched down. There was a suspiciously human shaped dip in the middle of the wave, but only on the edge closer to the dead contractor. It seemed this was where BK-201 had been. Somehow, BK-201 had managed to get himself out, what was different with this spot? He picked up a handful of the dirt and let it run through his fingers. It felt sharp, but didn’t puncture when he rubbed it between his fingers. It wasn’t melted, it was almost as if it had been turned from rock and dirt into sand. When heated, sand would turn to glass, and there was none of that. It didn’t feel quite like sand either. It was similar in colour to the dirt around it, but the texture was wrong. What had BK-201 done?

 

Molecular manipulation as a cause for Heaven’s Gate...

 

Shengshun’s note sprung to his mind. November’s head snapped up staring over at the ominous wall in the distance which hid Hell’s Gate. Could BK-201 have molecular manipulation and not electrokinesis? He would have to get the not-sand analyzed. It might explain the other part of Shengshun’s note too… electricity tended to impact the lungs, heart and brain so it could cause memory loss. There was a rumour that BK-201 had been in South America during Heaven’s War. He couldn’t help the sinking feeling spreading through his chest. If BK-201 did have molecular manipulation and had caused the containment area around Heaven’s Gate… is he thinking of doing the same here? He would have to get it confirmed if BK-201 had been active during the war. His theory had serious implications, there was no room for speculation in it before he told it to anyone. He had to confirm BK-201’s location five years ago, and there was only one source he trusted to do that. 

“Is something wrong?” Misaki asked, walking over to him. The dread he was feeling from what could end up with Japan being wiped from the face of the world had probably shown on his face. 

“Maybe. Then again it might be nothing. Could you find out what this is?” November let the remaining not-sand fall from his hand.

“Sure. We had assumed it was something produced by VG-062. Do you think it wasn’t?” Misaki was looking at the not-sand in a different light now. 

“I think he had BK-201 trapped here.” November pointed to the dip in the wave. “I suspect you will discover this material isn’t like anything else here. If I’m right… It could potentially be catastrophic.” He looked back down at the place BK-201 had been trapped. I hope I’m wrong. Misaki remained silent for a few moments. He had expected her to answer right away. November glanced up, she was staring at him as if waiting for him to tell her it was a joke. Not this time Misaki.

“What do you mean?” She finally asked. 

“I won’t know for sure until I check on a couple of things. Could I make a request of you, Misaki?” November sighed as he stood back up.

“What?” Her face was as serious as an English nanny, after catching a child sneaking a biscuit, she would not agree before she knew what exactly it was that he wanted. 

“Don’t mention the sand or anything I’ve said in your report. I will let you know if my theory pans out. In the meantime, I think it is safe to assume that BK-201’s increased star activity is related to his ability to make the electrical energy he produces react with the air and other materials to produce heat.” November walked over to another location where it looked like BK-201 had done something else unusual with his powers. This location had a clear circular platform surrounded by a ditch. The ground, like at the other location, was scorched in places, but this time there was no sand.

“That would make sense. It was our working theory as well. He also seems to be very reluctant to use it. Do you think he might not be immune to the heat aspect of his power? It could be the reason for his mask.” Misaki had followed him over to this location. How had BK-201 escaped this prison? November stepped over the ditch and slowly turned around. It was the epicentre of high velocity gashes in the ground. It looked like the shockwave of a bomb. Another unusual use of his power, but still within using the energy aspect of electricity. He walked over to the closest of the rocks which had come from the blast. It also appeared to be partially melted.

“A decent theory. If you will excuse me, I think there isn’t much else I can do here.”

November let the rock drop back down to the ground. 

“Come by Section 4 for eleven, we are having a debriefing.” Misaki commented as November turned to find out if April had managed to get any closer to the crime scene or if she was still retching. Yes I think we will want to be there for that.

April had decided not to attempt to get any closer and had instead, raided her emergency stash of Guinness from the boot of his car. Misaki’s lackey had gone off, presumably when April had returned. July had taken up residence in the car, with all windows closed blocking out some of the smell. 

“I know that look. I don’t like that look. Whatever BK-bub did, he ruined all of Li’s work this morning.” He could see April’s frown behind her beer. She had figured out exactly what he had been up to quickly. He wasn’t exactly hiding it either. Both of them had wanted Shengshun, he just happened to be the one who succeeded. She had teased him relentlessly on the drive over. She had also discovered the hickey Shengshun had left on his shoulder, almost causing an accident in the process. 

“Shengshun. Li is his family name.” November grumbled. This was an argument he wasn’t going to win. She had insisted on calling him Li since the first night.

“Spill. Why do you have the ‘shit’s going to hit the fan’ look?” She glared at him and leaned back against his car.

“I need to call James.” November confessed. April stared at him for a moment almost letting her beer slip out of her hand in shock. She then glanced over at the trees obscuring the view of the damaged park.

“What the fuck happened over there?” April hissed through her teeth, even July looked over at him. 

“It doesn’t look like much, but I have a theory, and if I’m right. It’s 1066 and we’re Saxon.” He didn’t want to get into the details in the parking lot. Even if they were speaking English, there was too much of a possibility they would be overheard. There was little possibility of anyone there getting the reference to the Norman conquest of Britain.

“Which is why you’re calling in your last resort.” April frowned.

“Yes.”
“Bollocks. No time like the present then.” April downed the last of the liquid in her can and tossed it into the nearby rubbish bin. November sank into the driver seat and pulled out his mobile. Staring at the keypad for a moment and sighing. James Spencer was his ace in the hole, or as April put it; the last resort. It was probably the best decision he had made not turning James into the authorities when he had caught him hacking into MI6’s database server. The man was a paranoid recluse, harmless for the most part, but fantastically skilled and desperate to have all the facts. In exchange for his freedom and the safe house November had secured for him, James used his skills to data-mine information from other organizations about contractors. 

His library was probably the most comprehensive list of contractors, both active and inactive in existence. 

November had only resorted to calling James one time before; when February had defected and he had run out of all other leads. James had found she joined the Syndicate and was now codename: Amber, on mission in South America. That was three days before the Heaven’s gate catastrophe. He had been certain then, and still suspected she was behind whatever had happened. Anytime he called James, there was the potential that he would expose him. James’ library was not something November would risk lightly, but he was out of options. He needed to know everything he could about BK-201, and fast.

April flopped into the seat next to him and slammed the door closed. 

“I hope you weren’t waiting for me.” She shifted in her chair so that she was facing him. November nodded. 

“Better not to have the door slamming to spook him.” James had two moods and they were the source of the code name November used if he had to reference James in any reports. James was The Rabbit and his two moods meant he was either highly skittish or horny. 

“Fair.” April shrugged. July slid over to the middle and poked his head between the two seats. November dialed the number he had memorized long ago. It was just after three in the morning right now in the UK, but James would probably not have slept yet.

There’s a grunt as the line connects 

“James, can you tell me what your records from 5 years ago say about Messer code BK-201? I need all the data you have from when that star appeared to current.” November spoke clearly but quickly. Both he and James would want to keep this short. Especially if James was in his more skittish and paranoid mood. 

“Morning to you too… at least buy me coffee first.” Came the deep grumbled reply. 

“I didn’t know you ever left your dungeon, you barely invite anyone round.” November shook his head, it seemed James was in his other mood. At least he would get more information quickly and not a ‘I’ll send you the details’ and hang up. 

“Only handsome men are allowed, you know that. Speaking of that, how’s Japan?”

“More interesting than I anticipated.” November didn’t bother to ask how James knew where he was. Keeping tabs on contractors was what he wanted him to do. 

“Oh? Perp or personal? Do I need to do some other digging?” There was a hint of excitement in the deep voice on the line. 

“Both and no digging.” Anything he was going to find out about Shengshun from here on out, would be coming from Shengshun. He was curious, but he had to trust the other would open up to him in his own time. 

“Really? Been a long time since someone held your interest. Will they be coming back with you? Probably not, you don’t tend to keep anyone around for more than a few weeks. Ah BK….201, here we are. Seems she’s part of the first wave of recorded contractors. Chinese national-” James rattled on, on his way to where he kept the paper records. James refused to make an electronic database even if it wasn’t connected to the internet. 

“She?” November glanced over to April in shock. April mouthed ‘She?’ Unable to hear what James was saying, he would fill her in later.

“Yeah… Why is that a surprise?” There was confusion in James’ tone as if November missed the obvious.

“The BK-201 I fought was most definitely male.” He stated and April’s eyes widened as she connected the dots. 

“Odd.” James mumbled, there was a pause as he read through the report in front of him. “Chatter from ten years ago implicated her in some early contractor related events. She was first reported in China then Korea and then further afield. Here we are. She was in South America five years ago. Taking part in Heaven’s War on the side of the Syndicate on a four person squad…” The line went silent for a moment, followed by a sharp intake of breath. “Shit, February was with her as Amber.” 

“Who else?” November’s stomach sank, he did not want his theory to be correct. If Amber had been with BK-201 in South America it was increasingly likely BK-201 was the cause of the containment area and February was pulling the strings.

“Former CIA agent code name: Havoc and The Black Reaper.” James answered quickly. 

“What do you have on The Black Reaper?” November frowned. The Black Reaper was BK-201, why did James have them as two separate people?

“Ugh…” November could hear shifting and papers being moved then he could hear James’ quick footsteps as he went to another section. 

“Anyway you could send me what you have on both of them? You wouldn’t happen to have her ability listed there would you?” November didn’t want to hear the answer to his question, but needed to all the same. Please not molecular manipulation!

“I figured you’d want a doc packet. It might take a couple days to compile everything there’s a lot. Ugh… ability… says here she’s got electron manipulation. Fuck, stay away from that one.”

“Unfortunately, I won’t be able to.” November sighed. He hated being right. BK-201 didn’t have electrokinesis, his ability just manifested to look like it. 

“Huh… that’s odd.” James muttered.  

“What is?” He didn’t like it when James thought something odd. It wouldn’t be good news. 

“Before South America - The Black Reaper is mentioned as being on missions with BK-201 but after South America… The two names are always referring to the same person. How the fuck did that happened? I know my files aren’t organized as well as they could be, but clearly BK-201 and the Black Reaper were two different people!” 

“What info do you have on him from before?” The puzzle that was BK-201 continued to grow.

“No star associated, probably human male. I guess if he’s the one you fought that’s confirmed. Also Chinese National suspected to be closely related to BK-201. There’s speculation they’re siblings for sure, possibly even twins due to their suspected ages being listed as 15-16 on both during Heaven’s War. Up until the disappearance of Heaven’s Gate, The Black Reaper and BK-201 were always listed together whenever they popped up. I’m not talking mostly, always. If one stopped showing up, they are probably dead.”

“I think February needed BK-201s power in South America. I also think she’s figured out a way to seal and also how to transfer contractor powers.” November put facts together in his head. Of the four man team, February had survived, Havoc had become a regressor, Female BK-201 was probably dead and The Black Reaper was now BK-201, so February was pulling the strings.

“You mean how Havoc had regressed? You think it was because of something February did?” James didn’t sound very sure.

“I do. I also think she moved female BK-201’s powers to the current Male one.” 

“From Bai to Hei… that would explain why The Black Reaper takes over getting called BK-201. My records are never as bad as mistaking one contractor for another.”

“What? Bai?” November wasn’t sure what James was talking about.

“Female BK-201 had the code name Bai. If your current BK-201 is her brother then his code name is Hei. If you're right, and Bai’s ability is how February can change contractors, Bai must have been able to control gate particles. They’re required to make contractors. Possibly that’s how she could move abilities or regress them.” He could hear the wheels turning in James’ head. No doubt he would connect the containment area as well. The addition of BK-201 potentially being able to manipulate gate particles had his stomach in knots. BK-201 you have been hiding what you can do. That’s why you make it look like electrokinesis. The BK-201 in Japan would have to be Hei, and whatever happened in South America, they were desperate to keep people from finding out what he could do.

“James, the minute February shows up in Japan, call me, no matter the time.” November rubbed his temple. What would happen if I let it slip that he's got his sister’s abilities. Would February come after him to take Hell’s Gate? It would be a good trap, but the risk… no, I’ll sit on the information for now. He would have to proceed carefully now that it seemed his theory was correct. He would first need to wait for the documents from James to prove it. 

“You think she will go after Hei to seal Hell’s Gate? If she did use Bai to make the containment area, using her brother makes poetic sense, still February, thou art a heartless bitch.” James didn’t even miss a beat picking up on his theory. 

“I find it dangerously suspicious that BK-201 is near Hell’s Gate. It’s like he’s a chess piece being moved into play.” November frowned. VG-062 had all of the abilities that should have easily beaten BK-201 if his ability was solely electrokinesis. Last night had been a trap, and while there was a longer reaction from his star, it appeared as though electricity was still the explanation for the events. 

“Hmm. Let me chew on your theory for a while. I’ll let you know what I come up with in the pack I send you. Go have some fun with your Japanese dandy.” James teased through the phone. 

“He’s Chinese actually.” November commented and immediately regretted it. James had a thing for Chinese dramas, especially the not so subtle bro-mance ones. 

“Oh now I need a picture.” James groaned into the phone. November’s eyebrow twitched involuntarily. 

“This one I am not sharing. Thanks for the help James.” November couldn’t help the slight growl. When he had been getting James set up he had a fling with one of the locals. James wasn’t exactly his type, but the three of them had had quite the time. 

“Don’t call me again unless planning on coming over with your beau, and… I will want a taste.” James’ voice had gotten lower and November suspected James was enjoying the company of his hand while he imagined November’s lover. November snapped the phone shut, not dignifying the comment with a response. Not a chance in Hell. He’s mine and I won’t share. November paused, he was still getting used to the emotion Shengshun managed to stir in him. 

“Well… you really don’t dick around when it comes to the end of the world, Hell’s Gate… huh? How does February and our masked friend play into this?” April let out a long breath. 

“I think February is the reason behind the Heaven’s Gate containment area.” November had desperately wanted to be wrong, but it seemed he now needed to plan for the worst. 

“ And can take contractor powers away? Because being able to take or move powers is not frightening enough.” April looked at him skeptically. 

“I know, but I think she needs the person Messer code BK-201 responds to in order to do it. I also think they have to be near a gate.” November shifted to look at April and July. He would need both of them if February was to show up. July gave him a small nod before he sat back into the seat. 

“Hence the female BK-201 comment. Which is still weird by the way, but I could enjoy that too.” April chuckled, she was already leaning on crude humour to help her process. 

“The original BK-201 - code name Bai, hasn’t been seen since being with February at the end of Heaven’s War. Her brother - code name Hei, is from the end of the war onward the new BK-201. I think the powers were transferred, but there’s also the possibility Bai took over Hei’s body.”

“So, what’s the next move?” April was on board, good. He would need all the help he could get. Right now he needed people he could trust. April had never failed him. 

“We need confirmation and proof. There’s a lot of convincing speculation going on, but we need solid evidence before we can take this further. To get that, we wait. Misaki is testing some sand-like substance I found on the scene.”

“Alright. I’m going to need something stronger to process all this. Alcohol, then bother Section 4 for those test results.”

“We will also attend their debrief and see if they had neglected to inform us of anything at the crime scene.” November added, turning the engine over. 

 

*           *             *

 

Misaki had pulled a fast one on him, and now there was no way to escape. The debrief she had mentioned was not about last night and this morning’s events. Oh no, it was the fragment of a star's reaction to his activities a few nights ago. April and July sat off to his left, July was staring at the water in the cup in front of him and April was slack in her chair, clearly asleep. He didn’t want to listen to the debrief about BK-201’s activity from a few days ago either. It had been some of his usual activity. Nothing really of note, there hadn’t even been anything to find at the scene. He was interested in what had happened last night. 

His mind swirled with possibilities. He now had a name for the masked contractor. November itched to be able to confirm if it was the correct one. That would require meeting up with the elusive contractor again, not something easily arranged. Could Hei manipulate gate particles like Bai? A contractor with that ability would be highly sought after. They potentially could constrict the area around Hell’s Gate… or expand it. Gate particles are needed to make contractors… Could Hei do that? If Amber had taken Havoc’s power and moved BK-201’s power from Bai to Hei… then it was a reasonable assumption Hei could make contractors… or change them. November frowned. Gate particles weren’t exactly everywhere. Hei would need to be closer to the gate to use them. Is that why he’s in Japan?  

Hei wasn’t working with February… all information he has so far clearly had him working for the Syndicate. February had left that organization, but he hadn’t… was it because of Bai? The two hadn’t been apart on any of their missions. He had been a human fighting alongside contractors. A need to protect his sister? There weren’t many that dedicated, even family, that would willingly go into war to stay with someone who was no longer the one they had loved. Hei had been a strange human. He was a strange contractor too. Logic didn’t seem to be his primary focus. He had taken Havoc to the gate only to suddenly start backtracking. He could have tried to escape after she was dead, instead he had faced November head on flatly refusing what would have been an entirely reasonable offer to any other contractor. It almost seemed like his attack afterwards was meant to avenge Havoc, a decidedly un-contractor like response… and an altogether too human one.

I should check on Shengshun… November’s mind slipped to the human who had been occupying more of his mind than BK-201 as of late. Texting in a meeting was a faux pas, he would have to reach out once the meeting was done. It concerned him that Shengshun had been near BK-201 and February. The localized resonance he saw was probably Bai using gate particles. He had been that close to the gate? How close had he gotten to contractors?

November was certain Shengshun not only knew about contractors, but knowingly had previous interactions with them, probably during Heaven’s War. Previous, potentially intimate interactions with them. How Shengshun had woken him, while fantastically sexy, fit how someone might deal with a contractor. Shengshun had watched his face, his eyes, as he had fallen backwards without fighting back. Shengshun had taken his wrists, not his hands, and ensured not only that November wouldn’t go for his throat, but that should his powers be activated through his hands he would be safe. Shengshun had left himself open enough to not be a threat, but in a way that kept him safe long enough for November to wake up. That was the fastest he’d ever gotten hard. He had almost taken Shengshun right then.

Probably best not to think of that right now. The way Shengshun had done that, no hesitation with a look that was somewhere between ‘I trust you with my life’ and ‘take me now’... It had forced November to come to terms that his time with Shengshun needed to continue. April already boasted he was smitten, and while he would never give her the satisfaction, she was right. He was beyond smitten. He had ended up staying awake most of that night watching Shengshun sleep while he fought with himself about just how much he wanted to keep the Chinese man with him. If contractors could feel it, it was almost as if he was in love with the younger man.

Contractors weren’t supposed to feel love or loss, but November knew, if anything happened to Shengshun, he would be devastated. Huh… no. but, it would explain his actions. A dangerous thought struck November, making him consider Shengshun might have only been intimate with contractors. It would explain why Shengshun had agreed to that first and shown up for the second. He had spent the first date trying to convince November he wasn’t interesting, that he wasn’t worth November’s time. Things you would tell a contractor, a regular one , to get them to look elsewhere for a potential sexual partner. The second date Shengshun had shown up, with a mountain of papers, probably intent on talking his ear off about the most boring ones he had found, but their conversation had gone in other directions. 

There was something else that bothered him, something November was hellbent on changing. Shengshun forced himself to stay quiet during sex. It didn’t necessarily mean his partner had been a contractor, but it was most certainly related to being in an active combat zone while having sex. It hadn’t escaped him that Shengshun would clamp his own mouth shut to keep quiet, or to use November’s mouth instead. While that option was thoroughly enjoyable, November wanted to hear him. Shengshun had kept all of his vocalization to gasps, whimpers, and mewling. He had barely let out any moans, even when he had been so much more open this morning. November frowned, I wonder what he said. At least November knew he had managed to unravel Shengshun to the point he no longer could even think in anything else than his mother tongue, and the sight had been glorious. He would have to ask Shengshun about it later. 

There was a long list of things November wanted to ask Shengshun about, he had managed to tease out some of the background he had discovered already. The Chinese embassy had been reluctant to give out any information, however he had a contact of his do a little digging. All that November had been able to find out was that Shengshun was in Tokyo after graduating from Hunan University and being officially discharged from the military. Shengshun’s military records were sealed. He hadn’t looked into Shengshun’s father’s records but given what he knew now, perhaps he should. What type of military official drags their son around with them? There was only one answer to that. Diplomatic ones.

 

*           *            *

 

November waited for Misaki after the briefing. He had sent April and July on ahead, with the promise there would be alcohol for April afterward. The furrowed brow and deep frown on her face, betrayed there was something behind the not-sand at the crime scene. November was no longer surprised, Hei would have used Bai’s full powers on it. 

“It was powdered glass not sand.” Misaki huffed as she sat down in her chair. “If I am going to keep this out of the report, I’m going to need some sort of good faith information in exchange.”

“Misaki, and here I thought you lived and breathed by the rules!” November grinned and teased the far too uptight woman. She needs to get laid. The stocky one seems to have a thing for her, but he’s the type not to make a move… pity. “I’m joking.” He waved off the unimpressed look she gave him. “I can share two things I have learned, however you will have to sit on this information too.”

“Alright.” She crossed her arms over her chest, unlike when April did it, Misaki used the action to hide her natural assets and not accentuate them. 

“One: The current BK-201 is not the same one from five years ago. Two: I am almost certain our BK-201 goes by the code name Hei. Have a good night Misaki.” November smiled as he turned to join up with April and July leaving a stunned Misaki in the hallway. Their next stop was the British Embassy. He needed to talk to Decade about snapping up a potential gate scientist named Li Shengshun for the British Government. 

The drive over was short, April chattered on about anything to fill the silence. He could tell she was worried about the implications of his theory and what they had found out from James. She looked and acted aloof, but she hid how deeply she cared for those around her. I guess my whole little family acts contrary to the norm. Even July, he always seemed to be watching out for them, even when he hadn’t been told to. He would tell November if April needed to be collected after binge drinking. He also began to wonder if July had been checking up on Shengshun as well. There had been times in the last few days where July had been staring into glass as if he was searching for something when both he and April were there. If he is, at least I know Shengshun’s doing alright.

Decade had waved them into his office almost as soon as they had stepped off the lift. 

“I hear that the masked contractor had some peculiar activity last night. What have you found out?” Decade sank into his chair. There was no offer of drink or invitation to sit, it seemed the older man wanted to keep this very brief.

“I believe that is related to how he used his powers. Having to pull on them for longer in order to have the electricity he produced react with the air to produce intense heat.” November went with Section 4’s theory. His own would have to wait. He wasn’t even sure who he would trust with this information. Decade would be required to report it to his superior, and then it would go up the chain. Too many risks as more people knew, it could also potentially snowball out of his control should the one who had set up last night’s trap for Hei find out about his theory.

“What was the scene like?” Decade leaned back in his chair. A trait he did when he was trying not to appear as interested in a topic as he truly was. Decade had kept them in Japan because of BK-201, what interest might he have in Hei? Filtered information about BK-201 only for now, I think. He needed to stay in the country for Shengshun. 

“I think he is reluctant to use this method. Which is why he typically only uses short bursts of power. Perhaps he is not immune to the temperature.” November offered Misaki’s theory to Decade.

“It’s plausible, ensure to go over anything collected by Section 4 at the scene and see if it sheds any further light. If BK-201 was forced to use powers he wouldn’t normally, he could have left something else behind in his haste.” Decade waved them off. April and July turned to leave, but November had something else he needed to inquire about.

“Is there something else?” Decade looked up at him, a small twitch to his eyebrow betrayed he was irritated. 

“Yes. There is a graduate student in gate astrodynamics, Li Shengshun, who would be a valuable asset to us should we be able to procure him.” November tried to make it sound like he wasn’t intending on having Shengshun come back with him to England and this was a convenient excuse.

“Go on.” Decade leaned closer to his desk. November had his interest.

“I have only managed to hear part of his theory on Heaven’s Gate, but it is a very compelling perspective. One I believe, would align with what we know of February and South America.” He was careful with his wording, actively leaving out Shengshun’s actual theory on purpose. 

“Look further into this. If you can convince him, recruit him.” Decade nodded. Permission had been granted. November kept the smile that was bubbling up from showing on his face. Opting instead to simply nod and follow April and July back to the lift. 

“Mixing business and pleasure? How does Li figure into this?” April waited until the doors had closed before talking and giving him a confused look.

“Shengshun’s theory is what made things fall into place.” November leaned against the wall after pushing the button for the garage. 

“Okay.. how?” April cocked her head to one side. She’s getting frustrated. He hadn’t done a stellar job explaining things, so he couldn’t fault her. 

“He thinks the containment area was created by molecular manipulation. BK-201’s ability is electron manipulation.”

“You left that part out before! It’s kinda important.” April grumbled, threateningly pointing her finger at him. “So, that means February needs BK-201 - what was the name James had found?” April took a small flask from her coat and waited for November to remind her of the names. 

“The current one I think is Hei. The old one, Bai.” November watched as July stared into the mirror that was the back of the lift. I wonder who he’s watching.  

“Hey and Bye? Like hello and goodbye? Those code names suck.” April scoffed. November wasn’t sure if that was the meaning behind their names, he would have to wait until James’ documents came. 

“Not like November and April are much better.” He shrugged. 

April grunted. “I guess it’s a good thing that I stumbled upon Li. You wouldn’t have figured out Hey otherwise.” She gloated and stuffed the flask back in her pocked before putting her hands behind her head and leaning against the other wall. 

“It’s a good thing I managed to convince him to tell me his theory. You wouldn’t have been able to get him to talk.” November countered. 

“Sure I would, feminine charm and all.” April dismissed him with a small kissing noise. No, that wouldn’t have worked on Shengshun. He had made it explicitly clear he had no interest in April before November had collected her on the first day.

“You wouldn’t have made it past the first date. He’s not your type, a lot more work than you’re willing to put in.” He had put the effort in, and it had been worth every moment. 

“Alright, I’ll give you that. I bet he was a fantastic lay.” 

November smirked. April was prodding for details again. He hadn’t given any up this morning, and he wouldn’t now. No that side of Shengshun was his alone.

“Seriously though, I’ve been watching you these last few days, you aren’t acting like this is a typical fling. Given what you just asked Decade, You are thinking long haul. Taking him back home with you and putting down roots, long haul.” April dropped her playful banter. She was right, he wasn’t acting like this was his typical fling. He did want to take Shengshun back to England with him. He wanted to take Shengshun to a lot of places, many of them involving a bed.

“Maybe I am.” He shrugged. It wouldn’t hurt for her to know he was serious about his relationship with Shengshun. Although it might mean that her grilling of him would be more serious than she would have done. 

“My god! The icy November 11 had his heart melted by a cute bartender.” April burst into giggles.

“He’s more of a gate scientist than a bartender.” November retorted. April’s giggles kept going, they had her bent over in a fit. She will eventually come up for air. 

“You’re not denying it.” She beamed at him gasping for air.

“You can’t tease me over something I’ve already accepted.” November shrugged and smiled.

“Hey July, it seems our family is expanding by one!” April snickered. “I need to find my own hot bartender. Drop me off at the next bar!” She playfully punched his shoulder as the lift doors opened. 

 

After ridding himself of April for the evening, November took July back to the loft they had rented for their stay in Japan. The first order of business was to check in on Shengshun. He hadn’t been able to get a free moment to make sure the other was doing alright. At least he knew Shengshun had taken the next dose of painkillers, and wouldn’t have been suffering. 

- I’m sorry I haven’t messaged! It has been chaos at work. Very hectic and very enlightening! This is the first time I had a moment to myself. Oh I did not get in trouble for being late.-

-I hope you enjoyed breakfast, and managed to get some more rest. You have been going full tilt juggling everything.-

November set his phone down and set to getting July fed before he was ready for bed. With July all tucked in and still no reply from Shengshun, November began to worry. Shengshun had been out of it… could his injury be worse than he let it appear? He had tried to ignore it this morning. Or could it be something else? The most logical explanation was that he had gone to work. Shengshun had said he worked the night before after being injured, and that hadn’t sat well with November. Shengshun needed to take better care of himself, and if he didn't, November would do it himself.

There was another reason that Shengshun might not respond. That reason was the source of November’s worry. If Shengshun had only known typical contractors, he would think November had no further interest in him. Surely when he sees the text he will understand… He hadn’t sent anything to Shengshun all day. Which would be an indicator to someone who had only known contractors, that November had moved on. 

November froze. Shengshun had kept his back to him or his eyes closed while they were saying their goodbyes. Like he was trying to hide his emotions. He might be thinking too much about this, but knowing November was leaving had triggered a change in Shengshun. November went over their conversation in his head.

He hadn’t said anything that would indicate further contact.

I’m such an idiot! I should have sent something as soon as I arrived at the scene to at least let him know I had made it there.  

But Shengshun hadn’t sent anything to him either. That had his stomach filling with dread. He wouldn’t let Shengshun think he had no further interest. Once Shengshun responded he would convince him to come over. To show him what was between them was more than a need for sex. If his midnight eyed lover didn’t respond, he would show up with breakfast again in the morning. 

Notes:

Thanks to everyone for reading/ commenting/ and the kudos!
I love all the comments and being able to interact with you guys!
with how fast things are progressing I will have to go back and fix some grammatical errors soon, (but not yet, because I'm itching to get Hei's chapter out) so if you spot some, please let me know!

Chapter 8: Chapter Eight

Notes:

Between November demanding re-writes and work actually being full tilt. this chapter took longer than I wanted. Hopefully you all enjoy!

He heard the jingle of Mao’s collar when the cat contractor landed on his window frame. He had been going in and out of consciousness for a while and time had become a bit vague to him. Damn it November, I shouldn’t have taken the next dose. He had fallen asleep, again. The painkillers made focusing on the papers impossible, each time he had made it more than ten pages he would start to get drowsy and then he’d wake up some amount of time later. This time he had curled up next to the table and distinctly did not want to move. So he didn’t, opting instead to simply raise up his hand enough that Mao would see he was alive and mostly conscious. 

“Mao.” He muttered and opened a bleary eye when he felt the contractor rub their head against his hand. “Are you turning into an overprotective cat?” He opened his other eye and struggled to focus on the black form in front of him. He had to blink a few times before he was successful. 

“You took the painkillers?” Mao walked along under his hand before turning around and bopping his head against Hei’s hand again until Hei scratched behind his ear.

“Mmm.” He hummed in response, waiting for more information from Mao.

“I’m surprised, Huang was certain you wouldn’t have.” Mao tilted his head directing Hei’s fingers to where he wanted them.

“I wasn’t going to.” Hei murmured, but didn’t elaborate on what - who - had gotten him to take them. Hei groaned and added “Don’t expect much from me today. Other than the shift I have at the bar, I intend to sleep.”

“Okay, lay low like Huang said. Oh, he wanted me to relay that you are to have a mandatory weekly meet up with your university professor every Thursday at ten. It is typical for grad students to do this, so there’s no way out of it.”

“I don’t like it.” Hei frowned. Shikikoza would try and get more information out of him - that he could handle. It was the regular pattern that concerned him.

“You’re the one who decided you were going to be a believable scientist.” If a cat could shrug Mao would have been doing that, even so he managed to get his point across with a dismissive tone. 

“No, I don’t like that it forces a set time and place for me to be. It makes it easier to lay a trap.” He had learned it was better to be unpredictable. It was one of the most basic tactics - know where your target will be and use it to your advantage. 

“Too bad. That was the time which was submitted to the university, and they like regular schedules.” Mao walked out from under his hand and Hei let it fall to the floor. While he  groaned in response. I have a bad feeling about this.

“I will let Huang know you’re alright, a bit loopy from the painkillers but otherwise fine.” Mao commented before jumping up to the windowsill.

“Bye Mao.” Hei closed his eyes. He waited until the jingle of Mao’s collar bell faded before he let himself roll onto his back. He was sore, even with the painkillers. His thighs continued to protest being overworked this morning, something he did not regret in the slightest and would gladly repeat given the opportunity. Hei groaned. He had enjoyed this morning in a way he hadn’t in a very, very long time. He was enjoying that occasionally he would get a twinge and it would almost feel as if November was still there. He was sore there too, even with the oil they had used, but that pain he wanted to keep. 

Nothing lasts, something he knew all too well. The pain and marks would fade, just like the smell had dissipated from the room. Once the marks healed all traces of him and November would be gone as if it had never happened. He should be happy about that, or at least pleased he had confirmed that November had not seen him without his mask when Carmine had died. He should be reassured that he was not under suspicion of being BK-201 by MI6. But… he wasn’t and that was a serious problem. Hei stared up at the ceiling as cold tendrils constricted his chest. How had November managed to get by his defenses so easily?

More importantly he needed to figure out a way to keep November from… from becoming too important to him. MI6 would now have their sights on Li Shengshun, and that would be the only reason November might stick around. Hei couldn’t let November continue to breach his defenses, pulling what was left of him to the surface only to cast it aside when it no longer was of use. He needed to keep that small bit of himself hidden. He had long since thought he had succeeded… No one had managed to get to him like November, not even Amber. Nothing he did seemed to work to keep November away from Hei. Shengshun had begun to morph more into Hei than just an alias, and that needed to stop. This situation had spiraled out of control and had become far too dangerous. He needed a plan.

“Carmine was right, I am too emotional.” Hei sighed and let his arm rest over his eyes. He was more human now than he had been back in South America. I’m not a contractor or a human. I’m a bit of both, but I’m also neither. He wished he wasn’t this strange human-contractor fusion. An emotional contractor was dangerous. A human with no remuneration and contractor abilities even more so. He had been struggling with his emotions more and more since he woke up after Heaven’s Gate disappeared. It was like someone had kicked open the box he had hidden his emotions in, bending the hinge in the process and now he could never get it shut again. 

If he was going to survive, he needed to keep himself separate from Shengshun from now on. Keeping the human side of himself locked away had been one of the first things he had learned after Bai had become a contractor. The Syndicate’s training regiment hadn’t just been about fighting skill. It had forced him to numb the emotions that bubbled up, to always keep calm and complete the task. They had wanted to mold him into as close as a contractor as they could get. Anything less and he wouldn’t have survived fighting against them in Heaven’s War. Emotions would get him killed if he let them rule his actions. It was as simple as that. 

Why couldn’t he stop what was happening with November? What makes November different? They had been comparably matched during their fight- that had never sparked anything like this before. Fighting skill and looks? Am I really that superficial? Hei had to admit he was extremely attracted to November, but just being attracted to the blonde shouldn’t get him this flustered. He had been attracted to others before and hadn’t had this problem. He’d been overwhelmed with raging teenage hormones and still managed to not have this problem. So, it couldn’t be that. Right? He wasn’t entirely convinced with himself. He hadn’t felt this controlled by lust since then, and this time it was almost worse.

Was he still slipping up because of how unbalanced he had become since what happened with Carmine? It was possible. If that was the case how could he stop it from continuing. He might need to decide what he was for himself; an emotional contractor or the most dangerous human on the planet. Okay pin down what makes the most sense. When he was fully human he had been able to control his emotions, now he simply couldn’t. He was barely managing to hide them. If he was an emotional contractor would he become unstable like a Moratorium? Unlike them, he had control over his powers, just no price to pay for using them. Solid maybe. No human would accept that he was one of them.  Not when he had a star that reacted to him and the ability to use contractor powers. So, emotional contractor. I guess it fits. A contractor who isn’t ruled by rationality. I mean, it’s not like I’ve only been making irrational decisions. So I have some measure of control over that. Ugh! How can I get that to apply to November? Hei growled in frustration, he still was no closer to an answer.

“It’s just so easy to be myself around him.” Hei grumbled to himself. Perhaps that was his problem, or at least part of it. The first time November had gotten to him was the kiss. Hei groaned remembering it. That reaction had been instinct and shock, but it was also what broke the emotional dam he had in place. Namely it had been what had made him want November. If needing to sleep with November was enough to get him past this, he had failed and failed miserably. Not only did he still want to have sex with November, he wanted to do it a lot. Hei’s hand automatically went to his neck and traced the hickey left by November and shivered. Yeah, that side of this hasn’t diminished, if anything it’s more intense.  

Hei forced himself to focus, how had his perspective on November changed from lust to something else? Hei let out a small huff of laughter. That answer was simple. It was how wonderfully normal he could pretend things were with November that had made him jealous of Shengshun. How the two of them could easily slip into being a couple without any effort, seemingly from both him and November. It had been how November had fallen asleep cuddled up to him in his apartment. Fully asleep, probably deeper than he had in a long time, holding him, in an unfamiliar location with someone he still did not know well and yet still trusting him -intentionally or not- with his life. A trust Hei knew he didn’t deserve, but couldn’t help but feel warmth spread through his chest at the idea of being trusted so completely by another. 

Ah… That is my problem. His heart sank and he wasn’t sure he had the strength to do what would be required. With November, he had been given a taste of something he knew he would never have - could never have. November had made it feel like there was a chance it was real, like he wasn’t as tainted and damaged as he was, like he was something worth being cherished and taken care of. It had been so easy to be Hei, to let himself relax, because November had made him feel safe . It was so difficult to keep November away, because he had felt real hope for the first time in a decade. To stop November from getting through his defenses he needed to crush that part of himself once and for all, but… he couldn’t.

Like Pandora, hope was all he had left. His hope Bai was alive was what kept him going. His realistic hope that one day this would all be over and he could at least find a small place where he could be alone and not have to worry about killing or missions. His desperate hope that he wasn’t as tainted as he believed, as others told him he was. The vain hope he was making a difference, even though he had to kill. There was so little of what had once been him left now… Would there even be a trace left if he gave up on hope? 

Hei clicked his tongue in frustration, letting the air hiss through his teeth. He knew what had to be done now. He just wouldn’t be able to do it. If he didn’t hear from November, then he wouldn’t have to. It would be over and eventually the pain would go away. He would be able to remember, there had been a brief time, he had seen what normal could be like. He could lock that memory away and treasure it when he needed to not feel alone. Please don’t message. He begged the small black phone on the table. He wasn’t ready for what would come next.

Maybe I need to be the one to end it. He could send a text, trash the phone and just pick up and go. The tendrils from before seemed to seize his heart, gripping it tightly. Hei gargled back a pained noise and felt his eyes burn. That’s not an option either. Fuck. He hadn’t felt this type of pain since he had woken up in Argentina and Bai was gone. He wouldn’t survive that again. Hei took a deep breath and forced himself to relax. There was no need to get worked up over something he currently couldn’t control. He needed to wait. If November didn’t contact him again, he wouldn’t have to worry about any of this. 

“I hate painkillers.” Hei growled through clenched teeth. His defenses were down, even from himself. Today was not a day he would be going anywhere. He couldn’t show the world this side of him. He wouldn’t risk going anywhere until they had worn off. Hei sighed and rolled over. Picking himself up slowly he made his way to the futon closet. He slowly disentangled a blanket from the rest of the bedding and wrapped it around himself. Closing the closet to seal it shut. Hei let himself sink back down to the floor pushing all of his worries away. He curled up in the corner surrounded by the scent of him and November, and willed sleep to take him again. At least he could be happy in his dreams.

 

*             *              *

 

Hei woke up next when the sun was starting to dip under the horizon and the sky was stained orange and purple. He felt rested and he felt more like himself now that the painkillers had worn off. Downside to that was everything hurt. He was stiff and exceedingly sore. There were muscles that he didn’t know could protest, screaming profanities at him for the treatment he’d put them through in the last 24 hours. Hei grit his teeth and forced himself to stand, ignoring the burning sensation in his legs and the deep itch from his back.

He would have to work soon and he needed to get ready. Folding the blanket he tucked it back in the closet and took a long hot shower to try and get his muscles to relax. He stood looking down at the phone for a long time. There was no green blinking light to tell him there was a message. November hadn’t reached out. It would mean he would be able to keep Hei locked away, he would be able to focus once again. This was supposed to be the best possible outcome. 

But… it wasn’t. Stupid Emotions! This is how it has to be. He screamed at himself. He needed to get out of his head, to focus on the next mission. For now, that meant working at the bar and being a grad student. He picked up the cold tea and the phone and walked over to the small kitchen. He took one last deep inhale of the scent of bergamot then dumped the contents into the sink. Hei glanced over at the fridge… no those could wait, besides he still wasn’t hungry. Hei sighed he would take a walk before work to clear his head and work some of the stiffness out of his muscles. After a moment of hesitation, Hei tucked the phone into his coat pocket. Just in case.

 

*              *              *

  

He had managed a mostly normal shift at the bar. Only regulars and a scant few others, all of them stayed firmly within the acceptable social norms of Japan. He hadn’t had to deal with anything remotely like the blue-haired rambunctious contractor who had set him down this spiraling path. His only problems tonight had been his aching muscles and the lingering regret over November. That is, until now. Now he stood paused in front of his coat at the end of his shift. The phone he had left in his pocket. A ticking time bomb that threatened to bring his world down or kill what was left of him. He didn’t want to look, but he needed to

Alright, you can do this. It’s just a phone. Hei took a deep breath and retrieved the phone from his pocket. Before he could flip the phone opened he noticed the green blink and his heart stopped. Good news or bad, let's find out. He chewed on his bottom lip and flipped open the phone to see what November had said. 

- I’m sorry I haven’t messaged! It has been chaos at work. Very hectic and very enlightening! This is the first time I had a moment to myself. Oh I did not get in trouble for being late.-

-I hope you enjoyed breakfast, and managed to get some more rest. You have been going full tilt juggling everything.-

The time stamp was within his first hour of work. Hei grinned down at the phone. It’s not over! He felt relief wash over him and let out the breath he had been holding in.

“Li-kun I didn’t know you were seeing anyone!” One of the servers, Mitsukai Hikaru, was smirking at him from a few feet down the hall. How long had she been there? And why does it look like she knows what is going on.

“Eh?” Hei threw on a shocked look and acted like he had no idea what she was talking about.  

“You were very distracted tonight like you were worried about something - or someone. And just now when you checked your phone anyone with eyes could tell you're in love with whomever sent you the message you were reading.” Her smirk spread into a grin as she approached. 

“I- I don't’ -” Hei sputtered. Love? No. November is important, but love is out of the question. Hei’s mind raced. 

“There is no sense denying it.” She cut him off quickly. She grabbed his arm and pulled him down to the nearby bench. “Now spill, who is it! At least tell me the name of the girl who sent you the message. I am dying to know!” she squealed, the noise hurt his ears. He clicked his tongue hesitating, A different perspective might help. She would be able to confirm what would be normal in this situation. He remained silent, letting Hikaru vibrate with excitement.

“His name is Jack.” Hei finally confessed. He glanced up and watched as her face morphed between confusion and glee.

“A guy! Li-kun I would never have guessed. How long have you two been together?” She spoke so quickly Hei wondered if she had even managed to breathe while speaking.

“Well, Mitsukai-san we started hanging out just recently, I don’t know if I would say we are a couple, let alone being in love.” Hei shook his head and hands. 

“Well, you know love at first sight exists. My father knew the minute he met my mother he was going to marry her. She took some convincing, but here I am.”

Hei gave her a dubious look, he had tried to kill November the first time he met him. Not something you would associate with being in love. Although, when November actually saw my face the first night he did seem interested. November was a contractor even love at first sight wouldn’t apply to one of them. Right?

“Both of our schedules are so hectic it’s hard to spend much time together. I didn’t even know if I’d continue to see him after tonight.”

“You were thinking of breaking it off or was it him?”

“I- ugh… well. He tends to have flings, never anything serious. I… I don’t want that.” It was the easiest way to explain a contractor’s interest, and he had to confess, he really didn’t want that with November. 

“Good! You need to stand up for yourself. The message you got tonight indicated he is willing to be more serious with you?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“I’m so happy for you! Managing to turn a playboy serious isn't easy…but, given the look on your face,  you’re both happy and scared about continuing things with him, am I right?”

“Yeah.” Hei didn’t like the idea that he was scared… but he was, he was beyond scared… terrified would have been a better description.

“Which are you more scared of: giving him a shot and seeing if he can actually be serious with you. Or stopping things right now, dropping him like he’s hot, and playing it safe?”

“The second.” Hei muttered quietly, that much had been made painfully clear this afternoon.

“He makes you happy?” Hikaru was still smiling, but there was more of a happy puppy look in her eyes than before. Hei had nodded before he really had a chance to think about it. He really did enjoy the short amount of time he had spent with November.  

“If he was gone would you be sad?” She asked, but her eyes screamed she already knew the answer to the question. He let his eyes fall to the floor, but nodded once. He hadn’t wanted things to be over with November, even if it was what would be most likely to keep him alive.

“You want to do a lot more than just kiss him don’t you?” She gave him a little nudge and he felt his ears heat up as flashes of him and November from that morning came to his mind. He tried not to smile, but she noticed anyway. He didn’t have to answer that question aloud. 

“Do you constantly think of him when he’s not around?” she giggled. 

He found himself nodding again. November had taken over his mind since their first meeting. Initially as a potential threat, then after the first date as a potential lover. Hikaru tugged at his hand to get him to look at her. When he met her eyes she tried to make herself look very serious, while holding back her mirth. 

“Li-kun, I hate to break it to you, but you're head over heels in love with Jack. Now go and answer him, maybe go get lucky and tell me about it when you’re in next!” She gave him a quick playful shove to his shoulder and stood up to leave. 

“Mitsukai-San!” Hei couldn’t believe what she had just said. There was no way he was going to be sharing any of that with his co-workers. That wasn’t normal… right? His confusion and shock had Hikaru in a fit of giggles as she slipped out front to the bar. 

Getting her perspective was a bad idea. He couldn’t be in love with November. Contractors don’t fall in love. Could an emotional contractor? Even if he could, there was no way it could work, November might have traits that differ him from the typical contractor… but even then, love would be impossible. Hei shook his head and typed a reply.

-I’m glad I didn’t get you into trouble. I just finished work.-

Hei slipped into his coat, keeping the phone in his hand, expecting November would reply quickly. The walk home would help him sort out his head but it wouldn’t help his sore body. Hei yawned as he made his way home. I slept most of the day! Why am I tired? Could be the long night’s catching up to him, wouldn’t explain why he was lightheaded though. He pushed those thoughts aside when the phone buzzed in his hand. 

- Do you have class in the morning?-

- No plans until afternoon. Why?- He didn’t have plans, but he also hadn’t been given any sort of official schedule to follow other than his ten am Thursday meetings. He was about to close the phone, when he noticed something that hadn’t stood out before because he had been distracted. Two words had him frozen in place. 

very enlightening 

Oh no... November had been called away to VG-062s remains. Where he had used more than electrokinesis. Dread gripped him and he felt his stomach drop. If November figured that out, his superiors would know and in time so would the Syndicate. It would be safest to assume the Syndicate knew, but he would continue to avoid pulling on that part of his ability. He hadn’t had a choice yesterday. There had been nothing more he could have done to make it look like a form of electricity. His hope that the changes to the dirt might go unnoticed evaporated. Hei swallowed the knot in his throat. He couldn’t change what had happened or what was found out, now he just had to accept it and keep going. So, he took a step forward and continued his path to the apartment. 

-Would you like to come over? As you know, I’m on July duty. I’ve put him to bed already… and April is out drinking.-

Hei stared at the message for a long time. His conversation with Hikaru had him confused. He knew the safer option was to decline. Especially if November had figured something out about him. The clear course of action would be to reach out to Huang and see if he could find out what conclusion about his different abilities from last night were. That’s what he should do. 

-Let me grab some things first. Text me the address.-

He was being irrational again, letting his emotions dictate his actions. He was acting like a foolish love-struck human. Hikaru is right. Hei stopped and leaned against the wall of a building. He had been deluding himself by thinking November was only someone important to him. He had known he would suffer like he had five years ago if things had ended. Even if he was the one to end it. He just hadn’t realized what that meant. 

What am I going to do? He couldn’t let the Syndicate find out. They would use November as leverage against him. He would have to keep his feelings bottled up tighter than any secret he had before. He would tell them about Bai’s powers before he told them about November. He would have to be very careful. Mao would be a problem. He wouldn’t be able to have November at the apartment unless he knew Mao wouldn’t be around. Would that be enough? He could feel his chest tightening. It wouldn't. He had become too expressive. His civilian coworkers were picking up on his emotions . Fuck! How did I get myself into this corner? This would all be simple if he could just walk away. He should just walk away. It would keep November safe. No one would know November 11 was his weakness, no one would even suspect. 

The tendrils of panic were beginning to spread through his chest to his lungs as his breathing quickened. One way or another he wouldn’t survive this, it was a matter now of how much damage he was willing to cause others in the process. November is supposed to be the best MI6 contractor, he should be able to keep himself safe. November and April had almost caught him the night Carmine died. He would have to trust November could handle himself. November would be fine. 

I should just text and say I changed my mind. Hei pulled out the phone and stared at the screen. Trying to will himself to type out the words. His body rebelled against his mind, keeping him from doing what would be rational. He thunked his head against the wall. He was weak. He should be able to do this, but right now he wanted nothing more than to feel safe with November. He couldn’t even blame the painkillers for his inability to do what he needed. Hei sighed. One way or another November was going to be the source of his downfall and he couldn’t stop it even if he wanted to. 

“I’m a coward and a fool.” Hei shook his head. He would let his emotions win, they had won over his body already which had decided to veto his logic. He would spend the night at November’s, and probably would again after that as often as he could.

 

*           *           *

 

Hei hesitated, looking at the inconspicuous door in front of him. This was the last chance to turn around, to take the safer option. He knocked on the door instead and sealed his fate. He was certain this path would not end well for him, but he would take it anyway, for as long as he could. Hei would never have this, so he would enjoy what he could through Shengshun until it ended or got him killed. 

November opened the door quickly with a bright smile, and Hei could feel the stress from dealing with all his emotions melting. Hei stepped forward and November pulled him the rest of the way into a kiss. There wasn’t a press for more out of this kiss, but the way November’s hand cupped his cheek made it feel like November was savoring it. Hei grinned and maneuvered them just enough so he could close the door behind him. With November he could let Shengshun feel cherished. 

“Did you manage to rest?” November asked when he did break the kiss. 

“I think I was asleep more than awake today.” Hei leaned his head into November’s hand. “I didn’t even go through the papers I just got.” He added after. 

“Good, you needed the rest. How’s your back?” November’s other hand lightly traced a path up his back following his spine. 

“Still hurts, but it’s manageable.” Hei closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensation. His decision tonight would end up with him revealing more and more about himself to November. He wasn’t about to tell him everything, and would do his best to mitigate any information he did spill, but he knew it would be inevitable. Shengshun and Hei would blend more with November, eventually November would be able to figure out Li Shengshun wasn’t his name. Until then he’d relish the time he got. 

“Manageable? As in you’re dealing with it or it actually doesn’t hurt much.” November raised an eyebrow at him and frowned when Hei looked up at him. 

“I’m pretty sure even if I say the second option you would know better. You did see it this morning.” Hei sighed, the feeling of being safe was back. He needed to at least keep some emotion hidden. It would help this last longer if no one from the Syndicate figured out about him and November because of his current inability to keep his emotions in check.

“Would you let me convince you to take another dose of painkillers?” November brushed his thumb across Hei’s cheek. 

“Not this time. I really don’t like being that hazy and I need to be able to read those papers tomorrow.” Hei shook his head. He couldn’t go through another day like today. Had he not been able to sleep as much as he had, he wasn’t sure he would have been able to stop if memories started to come to the surface. He had the situation with November to deal with today, and that had kept his mind at least somewhat in line. 

“Then as a compromise, would you stay over?”

“I might be able to be convinced to do that.” Hei smiled and nodded. November grinned and led him by the hand into the much more spacious apartment than his own. The style was modern in contrast to the more traditional Japanese rooms he had. We are opposites in so many ways. 

“I might not have been able to text you much after I left, but you actually helped me out a lot today.” November led him over to a western style couch and sat down, ensuring there was enough space next to him for Hei. 

“I did? How?” He settled down next to November on the couch, but kept a little space between them.

“The person I’m in Japan looking for, has a connection to the gate, and I think I might have figured something out that’s actually relevant to your theory as well.” November shifted to face him and let one of his hands ever so casually rest just above Hei’s knee.

“Oh?” Hei shifted to face November as well. Keeping his face between excited and intrigued. Would November actually tell me what has been revealed about my power?

“You know the localized resonance in your theory?” November’s eyes twinkled in his own excitement, although his was more about figuring out a key to a puzzle.

“Yeah…” Hei’s eyebrows knitted and confusion showed on his face. He wasn’t sure where November was going with this. What he had done last night had nothing to do with that.

“And how in your theory, you say there were changes on the molecular level around Heaven’s Gate?”

Again Hei nodded, waiting for November to continue. Okay, a little more sense… but still nothing to do with producing localized resonance. 

“I think that you’re right, and that the changes were caused by a contractor who can manipulate gate particles when they are close enough to the gate and electrons when they are not.” November had leaned closer to him as he spoke. 

“I’ve never heard of a contractor being able to manipulate gate particles.” Hei answered automatically, cocking his head to one side and staring puzzledly at November. That would confirm his suspicions that Bai had been able to manipulate gate particles. Which meant he probably could too. That would be why the Syndicate was pushing harder to find out if he could too. This isn’t good.

“At least you now won’t have to edit down what you say to me when you talk about your theory or your past.” November smirked like the Cheshire Cat at him. 

Hei was pulled from his internal spiral by November’s comment. Shit. What did I say? How badly did I just mess up? Contractor… he said it as bait!

“I supposed if what April said at the bar is to be believed, as  a member of MI6 who works with the Japanese police, you would be privy to that information and possibly more.” Hei sighed and rolled his eyes. If he was lucky knowing about contractors and probably interacting with them was all November suspected him of. 

“April does like to run her mouth… yes MI6. And as such know enough to realized you’ve worked closely with them before, not just closely, but for extended periods of time and potentially even more than just worked with them.”

Hei shifted his weight on the couch. What does he mean? He needed to deflect and find out what November is getting at without unintentionally giving anything away. 

“How would the time you’ve spent with me reveal if I had been around contractors or not?” Hei asked cautiously, hoping to tease a bit more information out of November. 

“You know how to react when you wake one, a way in order to stay alive. You also seem to know some tricks on how to dissuade contractors from being interested in you.” November’s hand slid a few inches up his leg and Hei fought to keep his attention on what November was saying and less on what sensation’s were being produced by the other’s fingers. 

“Seems you have extensive knowledge about contractors.” Hei chuckled dismissively. Perhaps this could be a good turn of events. He wouldn’t have to fake not knowing anymore. November’s hand stopped its distracting progress up his thigh. 

“I should. I am one.” November answered bluntly. 

Hei froze. He hadn’t expected November to reveal that. It seemed November was also opening up to him. He had confirmed being MI6 and being a contractor tonight. Two things he should be keeping tightly under wraps. Could he actually be serious about continuing this?

“Y-you don’t act like one.” He stumbled over his words in shock. Hei watched as November’s smirk grew when he didn’t flinch or shrink away from November. 

“No, it seems I am acting increasingly less like a contractor the longer I am in Japan.” November muttered before the hand that had been on his thigh gripped the top of the done up buttons on his shirt and pulled Hei into a kiss. This kiss was more intense than the last Hei could tell November’s restraint had crumbled when Hei hadn’t rejected him for being a contractor. He wanted to continue, but he needed more information, this was his best opportunity. 

“What’s your ability?” He had reluctantly broken the kiss but shifted closer to November. 

“Liquid cryogenesis. My payment is smoking.” November slipped his hand into Hei's, giving it a little squeeze. Hei returned the reassuring gesture and let his head rest on November’s shoulder.

“You say you're acting less like one… why?” He glanced up at November letting the nervousness he had been feeling show a little. November was trusting him and that burned away the doubt that had plagued his mind about November being done with him. 

“I’m not entirely sure. I do know, it has changed the way I view things. For example, I realized that with you, I want to see all sides of you, especially the one you keep tightly hidden from the world. I need to see you, as much as I can if not everyday. To the point I have gotten permission to recruit you as a gate scientist so you could come back to England with me, should you be agreeable to the idea.” November shifted and cupped his face with both hands adding with an exasperated sigh. “I have also come to terms with the fact that if anything were to happen to you, I would not take it well, and those who had hurt you would not be able to hide from me. Contractors, as you know, aren’t supposed to feel these things, but I do with you.” 

“You- you want me to go to England? But… why? Contractors don’t have relationships.” Hei was stunned. November had been feeling things similar to what he had been going through. November was supposed to be a full contractor, not the strange hybrid he seemed to be, and he had begun to feel emotions again. He covered one of November’s hands with his own. He didn’t want November to think he meant what he had said in a bad way, it was just confusing. 

“Something you know from experience.” The way November said it was not a question, the blonde was positive of his statement and Hei tried not to squirm under his gaze. His hand slipped down from November’s as he glanced down. 

“Yes.” Hei muttered after a long moment of silence. He didn’t want to lie to November.

“How old were you?”

“Sixteen.” Hei muttered. That time things had happened so fast he barely had a chance to register what was happening as his brain and body had given into the urge and the hormones. While quick and intense, his first had left him knowing exactly what to expect from contractors. Casual sex with no intention of anything beyond physical release. He had known to expect that, but that lesson was still a bitter one. 

“That was the first?” November asked getting a nod from Hei and he continued. “But not the last before me.”

Hei shook his head. There had been other contractors, not many. After the first he had been more reluctant. He had avoided further encounters until Amber. That woman had weaseled her way past many of his defenses.  She had gotten him to bring his guard down. Once she had, it was as if she had attained some prize and there was no further challenge. After that, Bai disappeared along with a chunk of South American. Any time after that he refused to become invested. He had tried to react like the contractor he had been told he was. His times with humans involved no choice on his part as all of those had been required for missions. 

“No, it seems I still haven’t learned my lesson. I still seem to be attracted to contractors… even when they don’t seem to be ones.” Hei chuckled with a sigh. Looking up at November, Hei could see that the older man was hesitant about something and he gave November a small genuine smile. 

“Would you be willing to try and see if a relationship with a contractor could work… with me?” November’s usual confident cadence was gone, replaced with a much more nervous one. Hei nodded. 

“It seems I’m doomed to keep falling for contractors anyway.” Hei cupped November’s cheek. Getting November to bring his pale eyes up to his own before managing to say in a tone just as nervous as November seemed to be. “Try not to break my heart and I’ll do my best to keep yours safe.”

“I intend to keep you and your heart happy, healthy and safe.” November whispered, sounding as if he didn’t believe this was happening. Hei leaned in and kissed November. Li Shengshun’s life was turning into what he always wanted for himself but could never have. To have someone who could know his past was dark but still trust him, for them not to be afraid of him and to feel as if they truly wanted to be with him. It was a dizzying feeling, yet he couldn’t get enough. 

He felt November’s hand wrap around his waist as he was tugged closer. He opted to straddle November rather than sit in his lap, an outcome November was more than pleased with given the groan he was rewarded with as he settled down. November’s hands sank to cup his ass, pulling Hei flush against him. 

“I think, maybe we should relocate to the bedroom.” November mumbled as he kissed down Hei’s throat. 

“Yeah.” Hei agreed in a low voice, rocking forward once before standing up. 

However, standing proved to be much more difficult than it should have been. His lightheadedness and the dizzying feeling from earlier had his vision almost going black before he was on his feet. Hei wobbled for a moment, as the world spun around him, before November had caught him. Maybe I should have taken the lightheadedness more seriously.  

“Shengshun? Are you okay? What happened?” November asked quickly as Hei tried to steady himself. 

“Just a bit lightheaded.” Hei mumbled and blinked the last of the spots out of his vision. He wasn’t sure what had caused this reaction. He hadn’t felt this bad when he had left the bar. He had been lightheaded but not like this. Could this be what Keiko had meant about if anything went south? Surely he would have felt something earlier if it was related to yesterday. 

“Are you sure you didn’t get a concussion yesterday? You said you had blacked out.” Hei felt one of November’s hands run through his hair searching for any bumps or tender spots. 

“Yeah… the doctor ruled that out. I have only been feeling like this since halfway through work.” Hei murmured, leaning back into November. 

“Any other symptoms?” November held him steady. It seemed he could count on November becoming a mother hen if he was injured. 

“Not really. I’m still tired and sore, but that’s related to the painkillers.” He couldn’t exactly tell November he had been crushed multiple times by VG-062 yesterday and there was the potential there was some internal bleeding.

“You said you slept most of the day.” November asked suddenly. 

“Mmm, I did.” Hei nodded. Sleeping wouldn’t cause this. Maybe this was an after effect of the painkillers. They had seemed stronger than they needed to be. 

“When did you last eat?”

Hei paused. It couldn’t be as simple as that… could it? His appetite this morning had been ruined by his mood… he had slept through lunch and he hadn’t bothered with supper, again due to his mood. 

“Did you have anything after the scone this morning?” Hei could hear the disapproving scowl in November’s tone. 

“No…” Hei admitted and hoped November wouldn’t press him for an answer as to why he hadn’t eaten when November had brought him breakfast. 

“Sit, I will get you something.” Hei felt November shake his head against his shoulder. “You may have to settle for an egg and cress sandwich with cheese and onion crisps. July favours them and we haven’t stocked up the flat yet.”

“Okay.” Hei let November guide him back onto the couch letting his head rest on the cushion while he waited. He knew better than to not eat… he should have had something before going for his walk… he just hadn’t wanted to. He had been stuck in his head, like when Bai disappeared. Hopefully with his revelation into his relationship with November any further incidents would be avoided. 

“It may not be your usual feast, but it should help at least.” November reappeared with a plate and a very nostalgic blue and yellow bag. He and Bai had munched on these when doing homework in England. They had occasionally taken some with them when they had snuck into Regents Park late at night to look at the stars, the light pollution made stargazing difficult, but the park had the best view in the city, it also helped it was close to where they were staying on Albany St. 

“Thanks… where did you even find cheese and onion Walkers in Japan?” Hei snickered as he opted to open the bag of crisps before taking a bite of the sandwich.

“You can find anything in Tokyo. How long did you spend in England?” November settled down next to him on the couch. 

“Almost two years. I was eight when we left.” Hei replied between bites. It had been a long time since he had cress too, turns out he still didn’t like it, not that he would tell November.

“Have you been back since?” Hei was certain that November would commit that to memory, perhaps use any information he shared tonight to look further into his history, only to find the name associated wasn’t Li Shengshun. England was a large country and even if he told November he had been living in London, there were millions of people in that city. 

“Not to England, I spent some time in Wales though. It messed with my enunciation of English.” Hei frowned down at the last of the sandwich which seemed to be mostly cress before adding. “My father considered sending me back to London because of it.” Perhaps he disliked cress because his father liked it, things that green shouldn’t be peppery. 

“He wasn’t with you in Wales?” November looked concerned.

“No, he sent me there so I could prove a point.” Hei set the empty bag on the plate and placed it on the end table beside the couch. His father had said if he couldn’t pass the SAS training course he wouldn’t be able to stay with Bai. His father had underestimated his need to keep Bai safe. It had been the last thing his grandmother had asked of him before they left for England, and he had let her down in the end.

“In Wales?” November raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“Yes.” Hei commented simply. 

“I’m guessing you weren’t in Cardiff.”

“I wasn’t for very long. I proved my point in the end, so he agreed to let me stay wi- well it doesn’t matter anymore.” Hei glanced out around the room. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to say anything about Bai yet. It would eventually come up, but he wasn’t ready to talk about her.

“Bad memories?” November asked quietly after a moment.

“Yeah. Things best not talked about before sleep. I’m more interested in how you figured out a contractor could use gate particles.” Hei turned back to November, the conversation had drifted away from what November had found so enlightening, it also was a convenient way to bring an end to questions into his past for a while. 

“I can’t tell you much, because it’s part of an active investigation, but I’ll say what I can if you answer one more thing for me.” November looked serious, but had a gentle curve of a smile. The question can’t be too dangerous…  

“What’s that?” He asked cautiously but allowed himself to lean back into the couch.

“What did you say in Mandarin this morning? Bao… something.”

“Bǎobèi” Hei repeated with a grin. “It’s a term of endearment meaning precious or treasure, it’s like saying darling or love.” He hadn’t meant to say it, but given what Hikaru had said, it didn’t surprise him now. 

“So, you wouldn’t be against me calling you something similar?” November leaned into him and stole a quick kiss.

“You can call me Bǎobèi if you want.” Hei smiled. This was the first time he had told someone they could call him that. November might not know how significant that was to him, but Hei was pretty sure that November had an idea he didn’t just let anyone use pet names for him. 

“I may just stick to calling you love and Shengshun.” November wrapped his arm around his shoulders and Hei let himself lean into November. He did have another nickname November could use…

“Ah-Shun or Shun-Er work too, but I’d prefer Ah-Shun.” It was a name no one would get to call him, something exclusive for November. 

“Ah-Shun? What does that mean?” It has been a very long time since he had heard someone use that prefix when referring to him. His father had stopped using it when Hei had decided to stay with Xing when she had become a contractor. His father had told him that day he could no longer consider him as family because he had chosen a monster over his family. That was the day his old self died, the day he was turned into Hei and Xing became Bai. 

“It’s a familiar way to use my name that is usually reserved for family, or very close friends.” Hei smiled sadly. He snuggled a little closer into November’s side.

“Ah-Shun.” November muttered and kissed his head. It felt like a weight was gone. As if he had been accepted. He had only been able to dream about someone being willing to be his family up until now. 

“Mmm, yes that one works. Now, my question.” Yes, that name would definitely work. It had warmth spreading through his insides and it made things a lot more difficult to resist. He wanted to  ignore finding out about what November had figured out in favour of having November on the couch, only barely managing to stay on topic in the end.

“Well, it’s not something I’ve been able to prove yet, but it’s the explanation that explains the facts.” November confessed truthfully. Maybe he hasn’t told his superiors yet. That would mean there was hope yet that the Syndicate didn’t know of his abilities. A hope that depended on November being cautious with his information. Hei needed to watch any expressions change on November’s face, it might betray what he was thinking. After a moment’s hesitation he shifted position, turning and laying down on the couch with his head in November’s lap.

“Am I allowed to know an out of context rundown of the facts?” Hei prodded once he was settled. November smiled down at him and ran his fingers through Hei’s hair. Hei wasn’t sure if November was going to continue. November remained quiet for several moments, letting his other hand stroke along Hei’s sternum until Hei laced their fingers together. Hei waited, his nervousness eating away at his patience.

“Well, I had been under the impression the contractor I’m searching for had the ability of electrokinesis, however it’s more complicated than that.” November finally spoke, his brows knitted in what might almost be concern and confusion. So he has figured out my abilities. Hei’s nervousness began to settle into a pit in his stomach, before he had decided to answer November continued. “I also think they are hiding what they can do because of what happened in South America.” Hei looked up quickly, failing to hide his shock. How could he know that! Could his attempt at remaining within what could be considered electrokinesis yesterday have given that away?

“And something from this morning confirmed both?” Hei asked cautiously. November knew Shengshun had been near Heaven's gate when it disappeared, his interest in this contractor would be both personal and professional given his experience and that it might impact his theory. November nodded. It still looked like something about what he found out this morning had November on edge, but it didn’t feel like it was because of BK-201. November’s expression had more concern to it when talking about him, than Hei had expected. 

“I also had a contact of mine do some digging. Turns out the one I’m chasing hadn’t always been the one their star reacted to.” November’s lip turned down on one side in a frown as he shook his head slightly. Hei felt his whole body tense. How did he find out about Bai?! There were very few people who knew he wasn’t the original BK-201. He fought to keep his panic down. He allowed the shock on his face but forced his muscles to relax as much as he could. 

“What? How c- how’s that possible?” November had felt his reaction, his hand in Hei’s hair lightly - reassuringly - scratched the top of his head before continuing to stroke his head. 

“That’s where the gate particles come in. I’m sure you know, but gate particles are needed to make contractors.” November explained and Hei nodded, urging November to continue. “I think the original one was directed by someone else on their team to seal one of the other contractors on their team and to transfer their own powers to the last member - a human. If that caused the catastrophe in South America or if they deliberately sealed the area off I am not sure. I do know the original is gone, likely dead, and the new one is here near Hell’s Gate. You were there, does it make sense? Anything you can add to it?”

Hei sat up. Amber. Hei was beginning to see red. Was that what had happened? Had Amber manipulated Bai to seal Carmine? Carmine had regressed, while her powers had reacted the closer they had gotten to the gate- they had not come back. It implied something more had sealed them. Hei suddenly felt sick. It would also mean Bai… had knowingly given him her powers. Then… then disappeared? Why? Was there another explanation? She couldn’t have just disappeared. Even if she had given him her powers she would have had to have gone somewhere! His mind was spiraling, He felt November’s hand on his back. Shit… I’m going to have to say something to November… what I’ve read would agree with what he has said. He knows I was nearby when things happened. How close should I confirm? Hei tried to calm himself enough to answer. 

“I- I didn’t really see anything. Everything glowed blue; like a contractor using their powers. I mean everything. Trees, rocks, objects, even me and other people - everything. Beyond that things get hazy and the next thing I remember is waking up in Argentina.” Hei rubbed his temples trying to keep memories at bay but they persisted in coming through. The fight to keep others away as he and Carmine cleared the path as Amber had instructed. The feeling of blood in his hand and watching as those who fought against him die. His breathing had picked up again. He was struggling not to gasp. His heart was pounding in his ears. He felt November’s hand on his back begin to rub along his spine and he tried to focus on that. 

“Hey, hey… it’s okay, calm down. You’re not there.”

Hei took a shaky breath. No he wasn’t there. He was the safest he’d felt in a long time, November’s hand on his back was tethering him to the present. Hei blinked back the memories, focusing on the smell of bergamot and November’s hand on his back. His pulse began to slow and his body relaxed. He was safe. He would have November as backup should the Syndicate send anyone after him, and he wouldn’t have to hide anything other than Bai’s powers. 

“You fought in Heaven’s War didn’t you?” November asked quietly. Hei nodded once. With his reaction just now he wouldn’t be able to deny it. November’s hand stopped and slipped from his back to the couch. Something’s wrong . He shifted to look at November and was shocked to see the blonde struggling to contain rage. November wasn’t looking at him. His eyes were fixed on the floor in front of him, no it was someone else who was the source of November’s anger. 

“November?” Hei asked tentatively, gently putting his hand on the blonde’s arm. He wasn’t sure what reaction he would get from the other. He had never seen a contractor react so strongly with hate. What could have set him off? How can I calm him down? He gently rubbed the other’s arm trying to pull November back from what had ignited his rage.

“Your father made you fight didn’t he?” November finally spoke. His words were hiss through clenched teeth. Hei sat back a little, startled by both the venom and accuracy of November’s question. How? November needed to stop stabbing correctly into his past. If this continued, he would know everything before Hei was ready. November’s gaze fixed on him. The pale eyes pleading with Hei to say he was wrong. 

“Yes… and no.” Hei struggled to say, his throat felt like wool. He held up a hand to keep November from interrupting. “I had already made my choice by then… There was someone I needed to protect. Someone I had promised to protect.” Hei shifted back on the couch and pulled his knees up to his chest while he forced himself to continue. “My father hated my choice, he wanted to force me to see I couldn’t possibly manage. So, he gave me an opportunity to prove if I was capable.” Hei shook his head and wrapped his hands around his knees to keep them from shaking. “It should have been an impossible task, but I passed. He began sending us on missions after that, and yes, he was the one who gave the order to send us to South America. He knew exactly what we would face.” Hei put his head down on his knees. Not wanting to look at November yet. November now knew what he had gone through. Not an exact timeline, but more than enough for him to piece together that he had been damaged and tainted long ago and was probably a lot more dangerous than November had initially suspected. Would November still want someone like that?  

“Us?” Hei paused at November’s question. That wasn’t what he had been expecting. I shouldn’t have said that! He couldn’t bring Bai up. November already suspected BK-201 had transferred their powers to another. 

“I was part of a- a small team in South America. The others were contractors.” He shouldn’t say how many were on the team. November had implied BK-201 had been on a 4 person team. While they had been typical in Heaven’s War, he didn’t want to offer too much correlation between himself and BK-201.

“How many are still alive?” Hei heard November shift closer to him, but didn’t look up. 

“One other than me.” He managed quietly, trying desperately not to think of her.

“Are they the one you wanted to protect?” November asked cautiously. Hei growled in response and heard November shift. Hei was trying to not think of Amber. 

“I had considered wanting to protect them too… but, they proved to be a typical contractor.” Hei let his frustration vent as he spoke. Please don’t ask anymore. 

“Your first?”

“Second. The one I regret the most. They were the one who struck home that I shouldn’t trust contractors. The reason I figured out ways to dissuade them from any interest in me.” Hei’s tone was dark as he growled out the words. If November won’t drop the topic, I need to change it. He took a deep breath. “You seem intent on breaking that view, and all my attempts to keep you away have failed.” Hei finally glanced up and saw November’s concern transform into a small grin. Hei let himself slowly relax, shifting to cross his legs rather than be curled into his knees. November continued to defy his expectations. Each time he thought it might be enough to make November back away, the contractor pushed forward instead. 

“Thank you Ah-Shun, for giving me this chance.” November pulled Hei into him, locking Hei in a tight hug and burying his head into Hei’s neck. He wasn’t sure how to respond. He didn’t know what to say, he wasn’t sure if he could say anything. So, he twisted in order to return November’s embrace, only to have November pull him completely into his lap. Hei smiled and let his head rest against November’s. November held onto him like he might disappear should he loosen his grip. Maybe, he can’t believe this is happening to him either. I am supposed to be a human. One who’s willing to let a contractor feel emotions and not treat him like a monster. He would keep his promise to November. He would do everything he could to protect him and keep his heart safe. 

“Ah-Shun?” November murmured into his neck, sending shivers down his spine. 

“Yes?”

“Come with me to bed.” November’s grip on his waist tightened slightly. 

“To sleep?” Hei could quite keep the tremor out of his voice as November’s comment had goose pimples spreading across his skin as anticipation shot through his system. Hei felt November shake his head before he spoke. 

“Just sleep, you need longer to recover. Can I just hold you tonight?”

“You really don’t act like a contractor.” Hei chuckled and let his fingers stroke the back of November’s head. “Alright, take me to bed.” Hei purred into November’s ear. He felt November shiver against him a fraction of a second before he stole a quick succession of kisses keeping each one deliberately short and mostly chaste. 

“It is hard to resist you when you say things like that.” November groaned and let Hei stand.
“You were the one who asked me to join you in your bed. So lead the way, then maybe you can continue.” Hei shook his head with a smile and tugged November up from the couch. November led Hei along the hall by the couch to his bedroom. It was a much more western style room, than his own but similarly sparingly furnished. Hei paused a few steps into the room. The scent of November enveloped him, calming any remaining anxiety he felt. 

Hei pulled November into him, raising himself up on his toes to account for the height difference as he claimed November’s mouth. November needed little encouragement to allow Hei to deepen the kiss. Between him and November the buttons to his shirt were undone quickly as the bit of cloth was discarded to the floor. It was joined shortly after by November’s own jacket, vest and shirt. His muscles might protest, but he wanted November, more so now that he knew November wasn’t going to abandon him. 

He pressed forward, getting November to step back towards the bed until they bumped against it. Hei only broke the kiss for a moment as he lightly pushed November down into the bed and straddled him before descending once again on his mouth. November groaned, the deep and possessive one that made Hei tingle right down to his toes. He grinned inadvertently, breaking the kiss. November went on the attack and Hei felt everything spin briefly before he was pressed into the mattress. 

“You, need, rest.” November kissed him between each word, but held Hei firmly on the bed. November was clearly struggling with the thought of letting Hei have his way. Hei pouted teasingly up at November hoping to encourage the other to continue. November shook his head and continued. “Sleep, just sleep tonight. Tomorrow we will see how you feel. Think of it as revenge for making me only hold you at your place while your amazingly tempting ass was pressed against me.” November groaned the last part, clearly remembering his torment. 

“There will be retaliatory action in the future.” Hei teasingly threatened. He let his hands snake a featherlight trail up November’s side. With speed that rivaled his own, November grasped both of his hands and pressed them further into the bed. 

“I welcome it, and look forward to having you when you're back at full health. I get the impression you are fantastically flexible, and I intend to find out the full extent of your abilities.”

“I am.” Hei purred temptingly, enticing another groan from November. His resolve was steeled, November rolled to one side and pulled Hei into him. 

“Sleep Ah-Shun.”

“Alright.” Hei sighed in defeat. It seemed he had no resistance to November when he called him that. He shifted slightly to get more comfortable, earning another deep groan from November due to his wiggling, before he let himself fall into a deep sleep. 

***

Hei woke up knowing someone was watching him. He kept his reaction as small as possible. He focused on keeping his breathing even and tried to figure out if it was November, whom he still felt pressed against his back, or if it was some other threat. 

“Go away April.” November growled in English from behind him. Ah, that would make sense. She would be home from drinking. November buried his head into Hei’s neck and tightened his grip around Hei’s waist. November’s hand that wasn’t draped over him managed to bury its way into the mattress under him, pulling him so close it eliminated any space between November’s waist and Hei’s butt. 

“Couldn’t even go a whole day without him? You’ve got it bad.” April giggled in reply from the doorway.

“Nah, I’m thoroughly enjoying myself.” November’s voice was deep and a bit hazy from sleep, but given the pressure he could feel near his tailbone, November’s was very much enjoying their position. 

“I can see that.” April snorted in laughter. “Should I keep July occupied so you can bone him this morning?” She teased and Hei could hear her heels click as she took a couple of steps into the room. He felt November’s head move and assumed he was probably glaring at her. Hei sighed quietly. 

“You do know I can understand you, right?” Hei finally pipped in. He twisted just enough to open one eye at April. She looked unhealthily awake for this time of morning and the ungodly amount of alcohol she had consumed. Her mouth had fallen open in shock. Hei heard a low groan behind him from November as well. Oh, right, I hadn't spoken English around him yet. 

“Holy shit! Wow that’s quite the accent! How long were you in Wales?” April managed to recover as she did a double take. I guess November didn’t mention I could speak English to her. He wasn’t surprised she could tell where the accent was from. Many people in the United Kingdom had a decent ear for accents within the British isles. 

“You can still hear a bit of the London accent, but I see what you meant last night.” November commented loud enough for April to hear, then whispered in Hei’s ear. “Keep it up and I may have to take her up on that offer.” Hei managed to suppress the shiver, keeping it to a minimal twitch. 

“You won’t have to worry about him struggling when you take him back home, his English is fantastic.” He could hear that April was impressed, he was just glad she had stopped coming any closer. 

“Mmm,” November hummed into Hei’s neck trailing kisses from his ear downward. Hei wasn’t successful in keeping that shiver down and he felt November respond to his movement. 

“Don’t take too long, I still get to grill him this morning!” April teased and smirked before she closed the door. 

“I don’t believe it, but she’s one too isn’t she?” Hei shook his head and sighed before adding. “July must be your doll.” 

“You’re right.” November breathed before planting another kiss on Hei’s neck. “I’m going to have a rough go of it, until I get used to your accent.” November grumbled as his hand began to trace circles low on his hip each circle threatened to dip further down. 

“Would you rather I switch back to Japanese?” Hei chucked. He wiggled around in November’s arms until he faced the blonde. 

“No, but honestly you could speak in any language and I’d still feel like I need you, still want to keep you safe and make you mine.” November pulled him close again. Seemingly unhappy there was even the slightest gap between them. 

“I do believe I still have your mark on me from last time.” Hei leaned his head to one side and traced the fading mark on his neck. 

“And I have yours. Should I claim you everyday Ah-Shun?” November’s eyes had watched his hand as he had traced the mark. A pleased and possessive smile graced November’s face. 

“That depends on how territorial you are.” Hei chuckled and tried to ask in a more serious tone. “Do you need to constantly proclaim to the world that I’m taken in such a primal manner?” It still managed to come out in a much more teasing manner than Hei had intended. 

“Yes.” The blonde answered immediately. November’s pale eyes had gone a little hazy. Oh, it seems I found a kink of his. Hei felt his blood heat from the look November was giving him. So long as he could keep the mark hidden while in his gear, his body was all for letting November claim him.

“Then I guess I will submit for today’s mark, but afterwards food. I am ravenous.” He didn’t want a repeat of yesterday, and his stomach already felt like it was trying to consume itself. Soon it would be complaining loudly until Hei ate. 

“Alright. Where should I claim today? Mmm I know.” November pinned Hei under him and traced a spot low on his neck not far from his right collarbone with his tongue. Hei arched into the touch. This mark would be more exposed, he would need to be careful. Hei gasped as he felt November suck on that section of skin, intent on leaving a mark that would last. Hei squirmed as November continued to tease pain with his teeth and pleasure with his tongue. 

“Ah-November.” Hei whimpered. Forcing himself to focus he threaded his fingers into blonde hair. “We will never make it out of bed if you do not stop and I need to eat, I can’t have what happened last night ruin anything that might happen tonight.”

November groaned in frustration but with a final trace of the mark with his tongue he relented. 

“I know, it’s just… you’re so hard to resist.” November huffed with a disappointed frown. 

“Not something you're used to either.” Hei smirked. “I will have to figure out a way to reward your patience.”

“I like the sound of that.” November stole a quick kiss, leaving Hei in the bed to watch him get dressed. They both emerged from November’s bedroom, fully dressed, a short while later to a very  stunned April.

“Either he’s as quiet as a mouse or you neglected to take my suggestion.” She shook her head at November. Clearly unimpressed he didn’t use the opportunity she had given him. 

“I needed food.” Hei confessed followed by the loud rumble of his stomach agreeing wholeheartedly. He looked down at the floor in embarrassment. 

“And he eats enough for an army.” November teased. 

“Not a whole one. Just a four to six person team.” Hei smirked and snuck a glance over at November. 

“Well then, why don’t you go off and retrieve breakfast, and I can decide if you should keep this one or not.” April pushed November towards the door. 

“Will you be alright?” November asked over April. Providing enough resistance to remain in the apartment until Hei answered. 

“I did agree, considering some of my history… I should be able to handle it.”

November nodded. Looking at April sternly. “I want him to stick around. Don’t go overboard.”

“Shoo!” She pushed him out of the door and closed it firmly behind him. April turned around quickly and grinned wolfishly at him. Hei glanced around and decided to sit on the couch and wait for her first question. 

“How long were you in Wales? And what were you doing there?” She scurried over to him and sat on the arm of the couch next to him. 

“About six months.” With April he would keep his answers short and whenever possible, vague. 

“Okay. November said you still had a bit of a London accent too. Why?” She was firing questions quickly at him. 

“I lived there when I was younger for almost two years.”

“What school did you go to?” She asked, letting her head tilt slightly to the left. She wanted information that would prove he had been in London. 

“North Bridge House.” He knew even if she called, the headmaster wouldn’t give out any information about him or Xing. His father wouldn’t have let them attend if he wasn’t sure their information could be kept secret. 

“Why are you interested in November?”

Hei paused. She was actually decent at interrogation. Her tactics wouldn’t work on him. But, throwing rapid fire questions on topics to see if he would slip up and also putting in questions she wanted automatic answers to was a good approach. 

“He… he makes me feel safe for the first time in years. He’s someone I don’t feel the need to hide who I am around.” Hei answered quietly. He wasn’t sure yet if he wanted her to know just how badly he had fallen for November. He wondered if he would ever want her to know that. 

“He’s also a fantastic lay isn’t he?” She leaned forward and teased. It wasn’t beyond the realm of possibilities that she knew what he and November had done yesterday. 

Hei blushed but countered her question boldly. “I would know that better than you.”

“Oh, feisty. And true.” She shrugged and nodded. “He wants you to come back to England when we go. Would you?”

“I- I don’t know if it would be possible. I think I would want to… but I’m not someone who usually gets what they want.” Hei projected nervousness. He didn’t want her to know too much about him yet. He certainly didn’t want her to realize he had interrogation training. 

“Why do you say that?” She raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Experience.” He stated simply. 

“Care to elaborate?” She let herself slide from the arm of the couch onto the cushion. Her interest was piqued. 

“No.” There was a finality to his tone that seemed to startle her a bit. She paused and scrutinized him from head to toe. 

“Was he your first?” She asked after making some decision about him. 

“No.”

“No? Not your first time, or not your first guy?” She failed to contain her curiosity. 

“Not my first time, guy or even contractor.” Hei smiled at her stunned expression as he willingly offered up a tantalizing chunk of information before he threw some more at her. “I’m ex-Chinese military and almost a gate scientist. Yes, I know what you guys are.”

“Oh, I’m seeing what he likes in you.” She nodded approvingly. “You fight back and stand your ground. How long were you in the military?”

“Long enough.” He shrugged. If he played his cards right he wouldn’t have to hide completely from her either. He wasn’t sure how much November had told her already, but it seemed it wasn’t much.

“Did you fight in Heaven’s war?”

“I can’t answer that.” He wouldn’t be answering that question. November had figured that out, and he wasn’t here to help should his ghosts try to pull him back to the past again. 

“Oh, I bet he also likes how you're a mystery to solve too.” She was teasing him now. He had probably passed her test, but she would have more questions for him. 

“He’s figured out quite a bit already.” Hei shrugged looking over and spotted a small figure sitting with their back to him at a table. That must be July. 

“What do you think of contractors?” She had followed his gaze, but didn’t elaborate on who the child was. 

“To be fair neither you or November act like typical ones, but considering this isn’t the first time I’ve been with one, what do you think?” Hei rolled his eyes. That answer is obvious. 

“Do you have any associations that might put him at risk?” Her posture denoted this as a bit of a throwaway question, but Hei knew better. 

“Less than he might for me.” He deflected. While it was a truthful answer it wouldn’t confirm if he did or not. The Syndicate certainly would be a risk for November, but both MI6 and Section 4 were for him. 

“You’ve been interrogated before.” April smirked. 

“Ex-Chinese military. It’s part of our training, but this was supposed to be more of a grilling about dating your partner rather than a full on MI6 shakedown.” Hei frowned at her. He added when her face contorted in confusion. “You mentioned working there at the bar.”

“True.” Realization dawned that she probably shouldn’t have said that. She was quiet for a couple of moments before commenting further. “You actually do have feelings for him don’t you?”

“Yes.” Hei nodded and sighed. 

“And that is dangerous for you. Why?” Hei froze. He hadn’t given that away. I guess my answer about associations might have given a bit away. 

“Many reasons, including how startling contractors can be fatal.” Hei looked up as November walked back into the apartment and exchanged a quick smile with him. 

“Well, seems you can keep secrets when needed, be flexible if required and genuinely care about him. He’s got my approval.” April called out to November as she looked over her shoulder as he walked over to them. Hei let a grin spread on his face as November leaned down and gave him a quick kiss. It was going to be a nice change to not have to hide knowing about contractors. I hope this dream lasts a while longer.

Notes:

Thanks everyone for the comments and kudos! I love replying to the comments and seeing the kudos! it helps keep up the motivation!

Chapter 9: Chapter Nine

Notes:

As much as I want to include all the domestic fluff, the plot needs to progress... so it's been something like 4-6 weeks since the last chapter.
TT_TT I'm sorry fluff we love you but... plot. This fic would expand to crazy proportions if all fluff I wanted to include was there.
<.<
It's still tempting.

Hei rolled over on the futon, he hadn’t slept well. The futon was not half as comfortable as November’s bed, and it lacked the comfort he felt from having a companion. That sentiment was something unexpected he had begun to notice on nights he wasn’t sleeping over at November’s. As much as he wanted to -and he desperately did- he couldn’t… shouldn’t . The risk that the Syndicate would find out about November, April and July was too great. He had such a difficult time recently resisting November's requests, but when it came to this, protecting November from his past was more important.  No matter what, I have to keep him away from them . Hei let his hand linger over November’s most recent mark - over his heart. 

Hei groaned aloud and wished he could just stay in bed with November for a week,  especially this week. Today was November 1st. While the name November and the person associated with it had become something precious, the month of November was fraught with bittersweet memories. His usual approach once the month of November rolled around involved him disappearing for at least three days, and often for quite a bit longer. He needed that time so he could deal with the emotions he wouldn’t be able to keep at bay. This year, he knew disappearing was not going to be an option. Between November and his own team, his absence would end up causing too much trouble and he would still end up having to explain himself. No disappearing isn’t an option. 

It had taken a long time but he had decided and forced himself to take a different approach this time. This year, for the first time in five, he wouldn't face tomorrow alone, he would spend it with November. I can do this… I need to do this. I need to be able to survive the day without running away. To solidify his still incredibly weak resolve, he had resolved to embrace the day and prepare a specific yet simple meal. Which he was going to share with November, April and July - but it was a meal he hadn’t had or made since Bai had disappeared.

He would need to prepare himself for tomorrow, but he was nervous . Hei had told November tomorrow had significance for him but he couldn’t bring himself to tell November why it was important. I really should warn him … Yet every time he had tried to say why tomorrow was important he choked. Too many memories bled through his defenses. There was no way he was going to make it through the whole day without losing his composure, he had already accepted this. Although November typically handled the situation well if he stumbled too close to a topic that related to Bai. Hei was already balancing on an emotional knife’s edge and he knew he would become, as November put it: ‘a hot mess’ long before it was time for the supper he had planned. 

Yesterday he had felt his resolve to not be alone cracking. The need to run had risen to the point he had to turn around -twice- when he had ventured out and tried get the ingredients he would need. Even after finally making it to the store he hadn’t been able to buy the two specific items he required; lotus seed paste and yi mein. Panic had gripped his chest and its claws sank so quickly into his lungs it had become difficult to breathe. He had then resorted to something very out of character, he had reached out for help and asked November to pick them up instead. He had ended up throwing together a list of everything he would need just to try and make it look less suspicious should someone ask about the ingredients, and he felt so ashamed for doing it.

It's just noodles and bao! He growled at himself. Only the significance of it meant it was so much more than that. Tomorrow he was going to make his grandmother’s noodles and bao. The recipe she had learned from her own grandmother, and had made for Xing and him every year they had been able to stay home with her instead of going off with their father. He had forced himself to memorize the recipe when he was six. Xing had cried herself to sleep when she found out it was the first year they wouldn’t have any. His grandmother had always relied on him to protect Xing - he was her older brother, even if only by an hour.

Xing’s  misery over something like bao and noodles would be something simple enough for him to fix - at least he had thought so at the time. He had snuck down to his father’s den on Albany St. in the middle of the night in order to call his grandmother and get the recipe. She had asked him to get the cook to make them, but that would have ruined the surprise. He had saved up his allowance to get the ingredients. Making sure to spread out the purchase so Xing didn’t get suspicious. He had spent so long planning his surprise he had barely been able to contain himself as he worked on the recipe in the wee hours of that chilly November morning. In the end he had managed to make several misshapen buns and rubbery noodles, but he had been so proud of himself. Xing had lit up with joy when she gobbled up the bun. They might not have looked like much, but they managed to still give her a sense of being home. The burns on his fingers and the wrath of his father, had been worth her smile.

He hadn’t made these recipes in five years, but time wouldn’t have taken away from his ability. He had worked hard to be able to reproduce his grandmother’s recipe and had ended up being the only one in the family who could. Even as a contractor, Xing had still preferred to eat noodles and bao on November 2nd. It made it feel like she was still in there somewhere. Tomorrow felt in a way like he was introducing November to his relatives. None of them would be there, but the recipe that had been passed down would serve as their presence. He would have to focus on that tomorrow. Not that Bai was gone and he was alone. Tomorrow, like that morning on Albany St., would be worth his pain and effort to share with November. 

There was a scratch at the window while he was packing the futon away. Right, I need to tell Mao something. If he just told Mao he will be away for a couple of days, even if reported to the Syndicate it would appear part of his usual pattern. I guess it wouldn’t hurt . Hei closed the closet now that the futon was packed away and opened the window for the cat contractor. Mao dashed into the room as if he was being chased. Hei glanced out the window and down at his landlady who was brandishing her broom shouting about a cat. I can depend on her to discourage Mao from showing up… at least somewhat.

“What did you do Mao?” Hei chuckled as he turned around to lean against the wall waiting for an update from Huang. 

“It feels like she has a proximity alert! She ambushes me whenever I have to come and give you updates.” the small contractor huffed, licking his ruffled fur. It will take more than that to get your heckles down. Hei smirked to himself. “Huang says keep quiet. Seems the police have come up with a theory about how you used your powers on the last mission that implies you were seriously injured, we will be leaning on that.”

“That will not be a problem.” Hei shrugged. He hadn’t actually heard about what Section 4 had come up with for the strange use of his powers on VG-062. He only knew it was different from November’s own theory. “I’m more concerned with why you are watching this place?” He narrowed his eyes at the black cat. While Mao did not squirm, he glanced around nervously.

“I- ah- found it strange that you haven’t been home much recently.” Mao batted at one of the pens that had fallen to the floor during his numerous study sessions recently. 

“It’s not strange. It’s the time of year.”

“How is that not strange?” Mao stared at him, as if his explanation was just as odd as him not remaining in the apartment. 

“I don’t like this time of year. When I can’t sleep or get restless, I go for walks. Hence, not here.” Hei clicked his tongue in frustration, startling Mao. “Don’t be surprised if you can’t find me over the next couple of days. The Syndicate won’t send any work, they know I typically go AWOL at the beginning of November.” Hei walked over and pilfered the pen from Mao, placing it back on the table. 

“Huang is not going to like this.” Mao groaned. 

“Won’t stop me.” Hei stated simply. 

“Make sure you don’t miss your appointment with the professor today at least. Huang will kill you should you skip out on it.” The black cat sighed and sauntered away from Hei. 

“Mmm. I will.” Hei had spent many of the last few days sifting through the most recent batch of papers, he was not about to let all of that effort go to waste.

“Don’t be gone for long.” Mao jumped up onto the window ledge, and glanced back at him for a moment before he disappeared out the window. That went better than I expected. Now that Mao was taken care of, he looked around. He would need a couple of things before his meeting so that he wouldn’t have to come back to the apartment before going to November’s.

He gathered up all of the papers he had been given last week. The scientist he had flagged as potentially dangerous earlier on, was turning out to be very dangerous. One of the articles he had read this week had suggested the removal of all gate particles, which in theory would remove the gate and restore the old stars. The article implied without actually explicitly saying, it would also wipe out all contractors in the process. Like many of the gate theories, there were so many unknown factors to consider. Some of the articles he had been given felt more like wordy stabs in the dark than having any root in fact. He was actually becoming proud of his own theory. Granted he would never be able to actually put together one of these papers, his own theory had a solid base and each of the expanding components had come from a first hand account of what had happened. Papers firmly sorted Hei grabbed some fresh clothes and the phone from November before heading out the door.

He had only gone a couple of blocks towards the University when a thought struck him. If Mao had been watching him, had Yin been as well? Shifting his step, Hei decided to take a detour to talk to Yin. He still had some time before his meeting anyway. He caught sight of a spectre hovering in a window not far away, and acted like it wasn’t there. Good Morning July. He had been noticing more often July had been sending his spectre to check in on him. He could generally tell if it had been him rather than Yin. July’s medium was glass while Yin’s was water. He rounded the corner and could see the white haired doll occupying her usual post at the cigarette shop. A quick and discreet glance around the area proved it was clear of potential spectators - other than July’s spectre.

“Have you been directed to check up on me?” He asked in a quiet voice. There was a slow simple nod in response. 

“Hei was out. Hei was safe.” she spoke quietly. Slowly her pale eyes looked up at him, while unreadable, Hei thought he could see a hint of concern. “He would say if Hei was in danger. He watches too.”

“He?” Hei paused. Could she be talking about July?  

Yin nodded again. “The one in the glass.” Hei couldn’t help the small smile. Not only had Yin not disclosed where he was, but she had started what would probably be the doll equivalent to friendship with July. 

“You talk to July?” He whispered. He wasn’t sure if Yin and July would be able to use words with their spectres, so he wanted to make sure she knew his name. He would have to figure out how to tell July Yin’s name as well. 

“July. He wants Hei to be safe. Part of his family.” The sentences were short, to the point and melted his heart. All of November’s team had accepted him. When he had come to Japan he hadn’t even dared to dream something like this would be possible, and now… here he was. Hei sighed happily and patted Yin’s head. “Don’t tell Mao or Huang about July okay?”

Yin nodded and looked up at him questioningly but didn't say anything further. She didn’t need to. She wanted to be included in his family.

“You’re family too.” Hei leaned in and whispered, Yin pressed her forehead against his. “I’ll be at November’s, see you in a few days.” He muttered, giving her another smile and patting her head before he turned back towards the university. Family. He still could hardly believe it . His steps were light and for once the first of November didn’t make it feel like he was going to drown. He had a small family now, and it filled him with joy. While he might not be able to introduce Yin to November and April, she and July could bond in a way none of them would understand. If the two of them set out to find someone only the Astronomics spectres would be more formidable. It was reassuring to know even July was beginning to see him as family.

He knew April had happily welcomed him, but he was slightly glad she had chosen to continue to call him ‘Li’ rather than attempt to take over Ah-Shun. Not that he would have let her. He had explained to November that his family name was something he was used to responding to. Similar to how he would respond to it from people he knew in Japan. To many he was ‘Li-san’ or to most of the waitresses at the bar now and his landlady he was ‘Li-kun’. Using Shengshun was something more personal, and he had made the point to tell November that using Ah-Shun was exclusively reserved for him. That had been when November had started calling him Ah-Shun all the time. He seemed to almost lose all ability to resist November when he called him that. Unfortunately November is very much aware of that fact . If November wasn’t trying to get his way, the use of that name had his restraint to keep from having his way with November on the nearest available surface dwindled to almost nothing. While Hei was beginning to get used to hearing the name, he was still unused to the strong emotions and would often be at war with himself - and losing more often than winning. Yet that was one battle he was more than willing to lose, over and over again.

Hei shivered, only partially from the cold. He pulled his green jacket closer around him. If the temperature kept going down he would have to find something warmer. November had teased him last night about having to warm him up when he stopped in before work. Granted Hei had enjoyed his version of warming up, only they hadn’t managed to get into anything serious because of April. 

April, since her grilling session, had made it her mission to try and ambush them while things were getting heated. Something she had kept to herself the first couple of days then sprung on them by stopping in at their flat unexpectedly when she was supposed to be out drinking. Her intent had been to see if she could catch them in a compromising position. She had almost succeeded too. They had been saved the first time because he had heard the door lock click and the two of them had only just started to go for shirt buttons. The second time November had noticed her attempted intrusion. He on the other hand had been quite a bit more… focused on what November was doing with his tongue at the time and had almost zapped the blue haired menace for interrupting. After the second time, at his insistence, he and November had begun to keep all of their more racy activities strictly within the confines of  November’s bedroom with the door locked. Having given July instructions - that should he need one of them, he was to knock loudly .  

November had easily agreed to having Hei all to himself in the confines of his bedroom. Initially Hei had been surprised by the possessiveness of the blonde. He was reluctant to share Hei even with his own team if he could only be around for a short time. While at the beginning of their relationship he had thought November would be able to handle going a couple of days without seeing each other, he knew better now. Now it almost seemed as if his presence around November allowed him to feel more of his emotions, and it was something November did not want to share. Not that I want to share either. November had made good on his threat and continued to mark him daily. It wasn’t until after Hikaru and Ume had noticed a mark November had placed a bit higher on his neck, had he regrettingly insisted November keep his hickeys below the collar of his shirt. November, had agreed however since then had put considerably more effort into the placement and on ensuring his marks would last longer. Hei currently still bore the marks from the last four days. He would gladly admit, he didn’t mind in the slightest. 

The waitresses had even made it a game to try and figure out where the day's mark was. He had become the hot topic at work because Hikaru had been unable to keep it to herself that he had in her words: bagged a playboy. He wasn’t entirely sure what she was referring to, but it had all of the girls trying to figure out who it was until Ume remembered his comment about waiting for April’s friend. From there he had found himself increasingly at the center of their attention. He still was not comfortable discussing what he and November got up to, but it turned out all of them were rabid fans of ‘BL’. He had also made the mistake of asking what that was and the lot of them were horrified at the gap in his education. He hadn’t needed to see anymore after the first book. He much preferred his scientific papers over the intensely emotional manga they seemed to fawn over. 

Hei adjusted the satchel on his shoulder, as he entered the campus. He had begun to take it everywhere with him and it almost made him feel like a real student. All of his notes and the current selection of papers were contained inside. Considering the papers had classified information as a base part of their contents, it had made sense to keep it with him rather than at his unsecure apartment. It also made it easier to read them when he had a chance. It also meant that he didn’t have to run back to the apartment in order to collect them should he decide to stay over at November's flat on Wednesday’s. Which had happened more than once now as he got used to having to actually be somewhere at a set time.

The route to Shikikoza’s office had become very familiar to him over the past few weeks. So had some of the students he would see in the hall or the Astrophysicists student’s lounge - they had kept the name when the discipline changed over to studying the gate. The students had begun to wave or talk to him in the hallway after the second week. Their curiosity was clear, while some of them were more hesitant than others, all of them had been welcoming. It seemed he had started as a bit of a mystery to them. No one knew who he was and he wasn’t in other classes, his presence had intrigued them and they had needed to know more. Scientists, it seemed, were not that dissimilar to his gossiping aunties. There had been wild speculation as to what he could be doing on campus - or so he had been told minus any actual details. Once they had found out he was a Grad student here on exchange, things seemed to make more sense to them. 

He had been dragged into the lounge prior to one of his meetings after the information about him being an exchange student had made the rounds and asked about his thesis. It had been strange to him how all of those present in the lounge stopped what they were doing to listen to him as he told them his thesis had to do with the Heaven’s Gate containment area and LSR. he hadn’t dared tell any of them he had been present when the containment area appeared. Shikikoza’s reaction had made it clear he needed to keep that bit of information away from everyone here. He in turn had found out from some of the other students about their own theories. He hadn’t been able to keep them all straight as they ranged extensively from exploring the mutative properties of gate particles to psychological reactions to both being near the gate and the impact the gates and fake stars have had on everyday lives. Every single one of the students would become excited about their own theories and loved to toss about potential ideas for new perspectives. In the beginning he hadn’t felt comfortable joining in those conversations, but he was more confident now. 

Shikikoza had continued to give him more targeted and sometimes more classified material each week that related to Hei’s thesis. For the first few weeks it had made his head dizzy trying to process all of the information to the point he had ended up falling asleep on or with November frequently. Naps it seemed were a required part of student life… or so he had been told when he complained about it in the lounge. Shikikoza would also spend a few minutes of their meetings trying to get more information out of him about Heaven’s War. Hei had found it much easier fielding Shikikoza’s questions recently, something he attributed to November. The blonde would get him to say little things here or there about his past, the questions were mostly open ended and never felt like he had to answer them. It was November wanting to get to know what he had been through, each time it started to get too much November backed off and would make sure Hei felt safe and in the present before he would either insist on him spending the night or letting him go home with great reluctance. This outlet seemed to act almost like a pressure valve, allowing him to keep Shikikoza, and his insistence to introduce him to the Dean to a minimum.

While Hei was still hesitant about these meetings, he was starting to enjoy them. They had given him something to occupy his mind while there were no missions. Well the meetings and November. He owed a lot of his current calm to the blonde. Especially given the time of year. Typically laying low like this would have made him more skittish and paranoid until the next mission. With the longer time that passed the more each shadow became a potential enemy. Novembers being especially bad on his paranoia. 

A quick glance down the hallway confirmed Shikikoza was late, which from the last few meetings, seemed to be typical for him. The only thing that gave him pause was a group of westerners at the other end of the hallway. He wasn’t sure if he had seen them before, but he knew there were a number of European students enrolled in the gate astrodynamics program. He didn’t feel like loitering in the hallway and waiting for Shikikoza and there seemed to be some sort of ruckus going on in the lounge, so Hei decided he would wait there and keep an eye out for Shikikoza. 

“A few scattered accounts doesn’t make it true! It could have been mass hallucination!” two students sat across from each other in worn armchairs. He had seen both of them before, but he hadn’t been able to confirm names yet.

“And yet you are convinced to believe the Argentinian government used a new type of nuclear weapon in South America when there is NO evidence! At least my theory has supporting witness accounts!” The second student who spoke had rolled his eyes and kept using his hands as he spoke to accentuate his words.

“Most of those witnesses recounted afterwards!” The first student snorted in response. It was a fair point. The two were clearly talking about LSR, and most of those who had reported seeing it, had their memories wiped and denied the initial experience. 

“It’s still more proof than you have!” Student the second spat back, It seemed they had devolved in the conversation from actually using facts to debating their opinions.

Ah, the conspiracy theorist is poking anthills again. Hei had seen student one get into another shouting match with a different student two weeks ago. He turned to leave, it wouldn’t matter the evidence, the other student wouldn’t be able to convince that one. 

“Li-san!” Student two called out excitedly. 

Fuck. I didn’t want to get pulled into this. Hei paused in his step and turned back to the arguing students. 

“You’re the resident expert on LSR. other than when the gate disappeared, have there been any other instances of LSR?” Student two hadn’t bothered to wait for any acknowledgement, only his attention before he asked for help.

When did I become an expert? The statement startled him on many levels. Hei knew he was a decent actor but bluffing scientific concepts to others who actually had a background in that discipline was a whole other level. Even with all the effort he had been putting in with Shikikoza and the meetings, he had only started being a gate scientist a few weeks ago. He was in no way capable of being considered an expert.

“Even he knows there isn’t. Don’t waste his time.” the aggressive conspiracy theorist insisted from their chair. Hei had to fight to keep his face neutral. Arrogant bastard. He happened to be one of the very few who knew there had been another LSR event. Ha! I guess I am the expert.

“Actually..” He started cautiously. He needed to word this very carefully. “Now, I’ve only been allowed to see those records once and I’m not allowed to go into detail, but.. Yes there have.” he had kept things purposefully vague, but giving any listening just enough to believe what he had said to be true. Several of the other conversations in the room paused. Hei glanced out the door and down the hall to see if Shikikoza might be coming so he could flee before he said any more. Luck wasn’t with him today.

“How high is your clearance?” someone muttered while he hoped the old professor would appear.

“Uh… I can’t answer that.” Hei really couldn’t tell them his clearance was due to his actual involvement in the incident.

“Woah… that high?” someone else muttered awestruck. The person next to them hit their arm before commenting.

“You don’t see any other exchange students here do you? He would have to have top level clearance to have them extend him an invitation.”

“I hear you’ve already been approached by PANDORA.” Conspiracy student finally decided to answer. Can’t dispute so you change the topic. I hate people like you. Hei shifted his weight on his feet and adjusted his satchel. 

“You heard wrong. Although I have been in contact with two other influential organizations.” he felt a small amount of pride for not actually glaring at the student. He did have to maintain his cover, and having even one student with a grudge could throw a wrench in things should anyone come to ask about him.

“Ah, good Ri-san you are here! Come, come - we have much to discuss.” the older Japanese man called from the hall. Hei felt a wave of relief as he was presented with an exit. He even considered answering one of Shikikoza’s questions today out of gratitude. Hei quickly ducked out of the lounge and promptly had a pile of papers thrust into his arms. The silver haired scientist hobbled off to his office and unlocked the door while Hei followed behind. 

“Make some tea will you?” Shikikoza always started their meetings like this. Hei found a clear spot on the professor’s desk to deposit the papers before cautiously dealing with the fossil of a kettle. He still wasn’t sure how it was still functioning, it was clearly older than he was. He was pretty sure it should be considered a fire hazard. 

“What did you think about Schroeder’s theory?” Shikikoza asked from his seat, organizing the papers Hei had deposited.  

“I think his theories are dangerous to contractors.” Hei mumbled, filling the teapot and returning to the desk with two cups. He had picked English Breakfast tea this time, spending more time around November had him going for black teas over green ones recently.

“It could be argued that contractors shouldn’t exist.” Shikikoza supplied. A lot of their time during the meetings were actually devoted to ensuring Hei had a working knowledge of gate astrodynamics at a level befitting a graduate level student and that he was able to successfully debate a point should he be faced with greater scrutiny.

“It could, that doesn’t change they exist now and that wiping them out would be equivalent to genocide.” Hei countered and poured tea for the two of them. Handing Shikikoza his before filling his own and placing the pot down next to the heavy glass paperweight. Shikikoza took a drink of his tea and nodded.

“That is also a fair point. Which is why there are those who are trying to ensure contractors get recognized before people like Schroeder can figure out how to get rid of them.”

“I don’t know if just taking out the gate particles around Hell’s gate, like Schroeder suggests, would work though.” Hei swirled his own tea as he pondered. “There are still gate particles being found around the Heaven’s Gate Containment Area. Sealing one and rendering the other useless, shouldn’t kill off contractors. You would have to render both of them useless. To do that, Schroeder would need to figure out how to access Heaven’s Gate again.” Hei drank his tea before leaning over and refilling Shikikoza’s. 

“Unless.. What if they both acted like the same fixed point? Connected to each other through the Earth’s core like Maxwell’s theory? Applying Schroeder’s theory to that, it would kill off both gates.” 

“It still doesn’t confirm if there would be any impact on the stars or contractors. You can’t simply assume that because all three things appeared at the same time, that if you took one of them out the others would simply disappear. What if, like a bad weed, two new gates appeared instead?”

Shikikoza paused and stroked his chin, contemplating Hei’s rebuttal and finishing his tea. Hei waited, having finished his own cup and placing it down on the table. He hadn’t actually thought about this before. The weed analogy had just come out, but thinking about it… he couldn’t discredit the idea and it seemed, neither could Shikikoza. What would happen if two new gates appeared? Would there be another Heaven’s War? Another wave of new contractors with different attributes? Would they be more like me and feel emotions and no longer have a remuneration? Human’s would have a difficult time with that. There were a lot of potential outcomes if suddenly new gates appeared. 

 

Thunk.

 

Hei looked up at the noise. Shikikoza had flopped forward and was now unmoving on his desk. Hei stood up to check if he was still alive and felt his legs warble. What? He glanced at the teapot. We’ve been drugged? He scrambled to pull out his phone. His fingers were starting to feel numb, he needed something he could send quickly that November would understand he needed help. He quickly switched the keyboard to numbers and typed

-505- 

Hitting send he tried to steady himself against the desk. 

“se pare că suntem devreme, e încă treaz.” he heard from behind him spoken with a thick accent he didn’t recognize. 

That was fast! I only told Mao I would be AWOL a few hours ago. Who did the Syndicate send? Dread suddenly gripped him. No! No no no. Did I just drag November into this? Hei’s heart thudded faster in his chest. He managed to get a grip on a paperweight from Shikikoza’s desk and launched it at one of the three who had entered the room as hard as he could. He wasn’t out of it enough to miss his target yet, as the man on the left went down quickly as the object connected with his head. 

“Mathias!” one of the others called out and went to check on the fallen one. The third rushed Hei. He stumbled to the side at the last minute, catching himself on Shikikoza’s bookshelf. He gripped the ancient kettle, as he heard the other angrily shove the chair out of the way and rush him again. Using all of his remaining strength Hei turned quickly and connected the kettle with his attacker's head as hard as he could manage. He kept turning, no longer able to stop himself as his legs gave out and he fell heavily to the floor. His vision was fading as the last of the attackers gave him a sharp kick to the stomach.

“Păcat că te vor în viață, dar mă voi asigura că regreti ceea ce ai făcut.”

He didn’t need to know what was said, the final attacker’s expression told him enough - he would be out for revenge. He hoped his frantic message to November wouldn’t bring the blonde into conflict with the Syndicate. I guess this year they won’t let me run away… I’m sorry November. Hei thought as he lost the battle with unconsciousness. 

Notes:

Okay - so Hei and Bai are close in age, I couldn't find anything that gave a specific year range. So a re-watching took place of all scenes with Bai in them. they appear to be at most 2 years apart, I would hazard less than that with one year or less being more likely. It felt right for them to be twins so I took some artistic liberties. Plus the Chinese Numerology worked out really well. I even checked to see what day it would be back in 2007 and it was meant to be!

Also, sorry not sorry.
I'm not usually one for cliffhangers... but this was the best way to get everything I wanted out. The next chapter will probably be LONG.

Chapter 10: Chapter Ten

Notes:

Prepare for a bumpy ride! As promised it's a long one.
November's POV

November was in a meeting when he felt his phone vibrate in his jacket pocket. He was silently thankful he had remembered to change it to vibrate. Misaki would likely have throttled him had it been his actual ringtone going off right then. Ah-Shun must be done of his meeting. November loved that he had been given permission to call him that. He had realized it got a reaction out of Shengshun and the explanation he had gotten that night implied it was significant to let him use it. Finding out he was the only one Shengshun would let call him Ah-Shun hit home just how special the term was for the Chinese man. November in turn used it as often as he could. Showering him in affection the other had long since been denied. November couldn’t get enough of how Shengshun would almost come undone when he used that name. There were many, many times the younger man hadn’t been able to resist when he had called him Ah-Shun, much to November’s delight.  

November glanced over at April and July, both had dozed off against each other while Misaki droned on about their lack of progress on BK-201’s case. After VG-062, their masked contractor had gone silent. Their star still hovered over Japan, indicating he was still in the area, but the contractor had ghosted them for the last month. He hadn’t yet told anyone other than James, April and Shengshun what he suspected about BK-201’s powers. Misaki had run with the theory that he’s not immune to using his electricity in ways that produced heat; his usage of his powers were contained to the short bursts they had seen up until then. The longer reaction of his star and the powdered glass left at the scene had been the result of BK-201 letting the energy from his ability react with the air and produce heat. They also thought that BK-201 was currently quiet because he had been seriously burned by the extreme temperatures he had produced. It was a good theory. It was an entirely believable theory, but November was certain he was right about BK-201.

November sighed and started to tune Misaki out. He was looking forward to the next few days. Shengshun had said he would come over tonight and would be staying until sometime Saturday or even possibly Sunday. There were a great many things he wanted to do with Shengshun and now would have the time for at least a couple of them, and he couldn’t wait. It was going to be the longest length of time Shengshun had spent with him and it even sounded like he wasn’t going to be distracted by school or work. Everything about this weekend was odd for Shengshun, and he wanted to unravel what about tomorrow prompted such a change in behaviour. November wanted him over as much as possible but Shengshun was still quite fiercely independent. I suppose spending years with no one else to depend on… It would be hard to adjust when someone wants to help. 

So when he had given November a shopping list of things to pick up for tomorrow, November had jumped at the chance. Shengshun hadn’t told him why or what exactly he intended to make, only that there was some significance to the day and these ingredients were required. Shengshun had seemed even more out of character when he had given him the list, and while he hadn’t questioned Shengshun about it, it had vexed him ever since. To begin with, it was odd that he had even asked; usually Shengshun would shrug off any and all help. This time it was more like he couldn’t do it on his own, like there was something he couldn’t get past in order to collect the ingredients. Whatever tomorrow is, it’s not just significant. It’s important in the same way Shengshun hides himself from others.

When November had looked at the list most of the items seemed normal enough. Only the lotus seed paste and noodles seemed odd to request together. While neither was immediately telling as to the meaning behind the ingredients. They were both found commonly enough in Chinese recipes. He would be stopping at a Chinese grocer to get their insight into what the ingredients might mean. If he had learned one thing about Shengshun, if he was struggling to open up about something, it was very precious to him and something he rarely, if ever, shared with someone else or possibly even let himself enjoy. He probably hasn’t done anything for this day in years given his reluctance to get the ingredients.

The more he found out about Shengshun, the more he felt he had to keep any more disaster from befalling the younger man. His dark haired lover had been through so much already in his life - and he knew there was so much more he hadn’t been told about yet, November wanted to ensure the rest of it was nothing but happy. He had long since come to terms that while he could unravel Shengshun by saying Ah-Shun, the other need only ask and November would gift him the moon. April insisted he was completely whipped, and November didn’t think there was anything wrong with that. 

April had insisted on doing some more digging into Shengshun’s past after her ‘grilling session’ just to satisfy any remaining reluctance she possessed. Everything they had found through their digging into his past hadn’t shown what one would expect from someone who was in Japan to participate in covert activities. If anything his past would have been a massive red flag to the authorities and something that would have been hidden away in an alias. Shengshun honestly might only have been allowed into the country because of the University’s interest in him. Shengshun’s past was dark, but while he didn’t go out of his way to talk about it, he hadn’t hidden it, and had openly admitted to taking part in Heaven’s War. In all likelihood, like his record, he had been discharged from all of his military duties prior to coming to Japan and was doing his best to adjust to civilian life. 

November could see that adjustment was not an easy one, and Shengshun was working everyday to try and appear normal. It pained November to see just how hard his lover strived to not be a bother to others and would always put himself last - that was Shengshun’s way to keep people from noticing he was ‘damaged’. The scars from his past ran deep, he had been thrown into war too early. He was certain Shengshun’s time in Wales had been only the beginning of his misery - at least he prayed there wasn’t anything before then. 

He had initially told November that he went to Wales to prove a point. Later Shengshun had confirmed his father had sent him on an impossible task to try and prove he couldn’t protect someone. With those facts, there were few places in Wales he could have been. He hadn’t wanted to consider it in the beginning, but Shengshun must have been at Brecon Beacons. He had needed to rule it out as a possibility and had called home to a friend. It had cost him a long held favour, initially they hadn’t found anything and on a whim November had gotten them to search back the last ten years. It was then that they had been able to confirm there had in fact been a Chinese candidate taking part in the training program nine years ago. Nothing more could be said about that candidate, their file required a higher level clearance than November currently possessed. A few hours later he had gotten a call from the Home Secretary herself, informing him to officially back off. Whomever Shengshun’s father was, they had some serious influence if he had gotten him into the SAS training at thirteen and his file still needed ultra level clearance to access almost ten years later. 

April had received a similar call after she had spoken to the records keeper at North Bridge House. April had called pretending to be a previous student trying to reconnect with a childhood friend and had managed to confirm there had been an adorable pair of Chinese students enrolled at the school, but once the records keeper accessed the file she apologized and said she couldn’t give out any further information. Had the other student been the contractor Shengshun had wanted to protect?. If he had any doubts the Chinese SAS trainee might not be Shengshun, they had been crushed when April received her call to back off. Shengshun had trained and passed the SAS entrance course at thirteen, something grown men failed and some even died attempting. What thirteen year old has that type of resolve to keep another safe? 

Shengshun wouldn’t talk about them. He wasn’t ready to deal with those demons yet. November hadn’t even managed to ascertain if the one he wanted to protect was male or female. The only things he had managed to get out of Shengshun as of yet was that this person had been very special to him and he had promised someone else - clearly not his father- he would protect the contractor. It implied the other was a relative or very close friend. He also knew that person was gone and their death had utterly broken Shengshun. It had only been his drive to find out what had happened and his studies which had kept him going. 

November had picked up on mannerisms to look for to indicate if he was veering too close to a topic which had memories of the other. He had noticed how Shengshun would start to shut down - his answers would be quiet or not at all. November had watched on several occasions as he brought his emotional walls back up and physically curled into himself  or wrapped his arms around himself when the topic started to get too close to that person. It signaled that there was an innate need to protect himself, whenever they were brought up. It made a deep part of November want to rip apart those who had any part in making his Ah-Shun react like that. 

His

November smiled quietly to himself. It had been an unexpected pleasure how willing Shengshun was to let him continuously leave love marks on him. His own small declaration of ownership on the other’s body. It was beginning to appear as if Shengshun enjoyed the marks, because he could remind himself their relationship was real. It was as if he had been letting November mark him each day to confirm, November wasn’t going to leave him. So in an effort to put Shengshun’s mind at ease he had placed his most recent one in the most sappy place he could think of. He had left yesterday’s mark above Shengshun’s heart. Where should I put today’s mark? Maybe on one of his shoulders or near where his neck and spine meet, or maybe both… Mmm he will be staying over. I could litter him with love bites until he understands this is real. Shengshun tended to struggled to control himself whenever he marked him low on his neck, and while he had focused on those points in the beginning, it had been a while since he had. 

In the past few weeks, he had discovered that Shengshun with his guard down was a rare and beautiful thing. After their first time, when Shengshun had been on painkillers, he had been more reserved and tried to resist his own urges. That man’s control over himself was nothing short of remarkable. November had managed over the next weeks to coax Shengshun into allowing himself to give in to what he wanted around November. Those days where he cracked through the midnight eyed man’s resolve, which was becoming easier when calling him Ah-Shun, was a sight that he gladly let haunt his dreams. Best not to think of that yet. Those types of thoughts were especially dangerous in professional settings.

Misaki seemed to be finally wrapping up the briefing. Perhaps he could sneak off after dropping April and July off at their flat to pick Shengshun up from the university. From there maybe they could enjoy an afternoon romp before Shengshun would end up cooking for all of them. April had been over the moon when she had discovered Shengshun not only could cook, but he was a fantastic cook. Even July seemed to enjoy the meals that were prepared by him and the Doll tended not to like much more than sandwiches and crisps. November looked over at the rest of his team and gave April a little nudge with his foot. As she sat up quickly she also roused July from his nap. November chuckled quietly as he shook his head at April. They both caught Misaki’s frown in their direction as she dismissed those present. 

Freedom!

November pulled out his phone to see what Shengshun had sent during the long meeting. 

-505-

November frowned, the message was time stamped almost 40 minutes ago. What type of message was that? Shengshun never sent cryptic messages and it seemed too specific to have been done by accident. What could 505 mean? He felt April lean into his shoulder and glance over his arm at his phone. 

“Is he asking you to rescue him from his professor or something?” April chuckled next to him. November’s blood froze in his veins. 

Not 505… SOS. Shengshun had sent a call for help. It would have to be something dire for him to resort to sending an SOS out. He had used the numbers because it would have been faster to type. He was rushed, and in trouble. November’s head was spinning. This can’t be happening. I’m over reacting.

“July, is Shengshun at the university?” November asked quickly. April stopped laughing at the strained panic in his voice, clueing in quickly that he was being serious. July silently walked over to the window. Misaki, now the only other person in the room, was also paying attention. November could hardly breath while he waited and willed July to say everything was alright. It’s taking too long. Something’s wrong, July knows where his professor’s office is. November hadn’t felt panic since becoming a contractor, but he felt it’s icy grip now. He also felt dread, a sinking sickening feeling telling him there was something very wrong. That part of him knew it would take a lot to overpower Shengshun should he not want to do something. Shengshun was ex-military. He had trained with and fought against contractors. He should be more than capable of defending himself, even from multiple attackers. 

“No.” July’s small voice had November’s world crashing down around him. “Police and ambulance on site.” The small boy added. November exchanged a panicked look with April. She feels it too. He could see her hands shaking as the weight of July’s words registered. Shengshun had been overpowered and taken. There was a stirring of rage in April’s golden eyes. Somehow Shengshun had the ability to make contractors feel again, and November doubted his lover even knew of his effect. Right now, the three of them would do everything in their power to get him back safe.

“What’s going on?” Misaki interjected upon hearing the comment about the police. 

“Can you find him?” November’s voice was strained. He wanted to protect him, to keep the other safe and to shower him with affection the Chinese man so deserved. Why would someone go after him? Are they from his past or mine? Both options were possible. Shengshun’s work in the military and fighting in Heaven’s War would have garnered him many enemies as well. 

“Misaki, can you find out why the police are at Tokyo University? Specifically the gate astrodynamics department.” April managed in a remarkably calm voice. Misaki, the wonderful woman, didn’t need to be asked twice and was on the phone almost as soon as April had finished speaking. November kept one ear on Misaki’s conversation but watched July for any sign that he had found Shengshun. It had been 40 minutes since whatever happened had occurred. That left a lot of options as to what state Shengshun could be in, he took some reassurance that July hadn’t said Shengshun was dead. July hadn’t found anything yet, which meant Shengshun was somewhere hidden away from reflective surfaces. Something those who had prior dealings with contractors would prepare against… but Shengshun wasn’t one. Who from my past could have gone after him?

“Why did no one notify Section 4? Two gate scientists were drugged and one of them kidnapped, how is that not something you need to tell us?” Misaki growled into her phone. 

Kidnapped. Shengshun had been drugged and kidnapped. That’s how they overpowered him. 

Whomever had dared to take him was going to pay. November balled one fist and gripped his phone tightly in the other. He would find who did this, and tear them limb from limb. November took a breath, he needed to calm down. Rage wouldn’t help him yet. He needed more information to figure out who might have been idiotic enough to go after what was his and not think there would be consequences and then he could turn them into human ice-lollies.

“What do you mean two dead? Two attackers?” Misaki’s eyebrows knitted, frustration showing through that not only had Section 4 not been notified of a potential gate level breach of security, but that incident had just gotten very messy. 

Shengshun didn’t go down without a fight . He had known his lover would have done all he could to resist being taken, but hearing Misaki say it out loud made a small part of his heart puff with pride. He had managed even while fighting whatever drug they had inflicted on him to take out two of his attackers.

“Any IDs yet?” Misaki slumped into the chair as she pulled over paper and a pen to scribble down what information she was being given. They would go to the university and see the crime scene. He needed leads on who had taken Shengshun. 

November’s phone vibrated in his hand. Looking down at the phone his heart stopped. He couldn’t breathe. It was a photo message from Shengshun’s number. Shengshun texted, he hadn’t managed to figure out sending pictures yet. Whoever had sent this message was not Shengshun. The dread filling him made it almost impossible for him to start downloading the image. The phone vibrated again. April looked at his hand as if it held a bomb.

-Your little tiger has quite the bite Mr. Simon.-

He had been the reason Shengshun had been taken. Would they barter to return Shengshun or would they kill him. The photo finished downloading. Please be alive. He prayed with everything he had as he opened the photo. Shengshun was laying on what appeared to be a concrete floor, his arms tightly bound behind him. The photo cut-off by Shengshun’s stomach. He was in his usual button down shirt which seemed to have a boot print on it, but his jacket was gone. November forced himself to look closer. Shengshun’s eyes were closed, his face was relaxed. Probably not dead. November felt a small amount of relief knowing they would at least entertain bartering for Shengshun. His hair was askew and looked as if someone had pulled on his hair to lift his head. There was a trickle of blood coming from his nose. November struggled to contain his rage. They will pay… There was also a digital thermometer next to Shengshun’s head reading 0 Celsius. They were keeping Shengshun in a freezer. They were using his own ability against him. He would need to find Shengshun fast, without his jacket he would lose heat quickly. November knew the stages of hypothermia well. Shengshun being unconscious would not help him right now. He wouldn’t be shivering to keep warm. The real danger would come after, when he stopped shivering while awake. Hang in there Ah-Shun. I’m coming.

The phone vibrated again. Swallowing the lump in his throat, November went back to the message. 

-His actions and yours will cost him dearly.-

-Do not hurt him.- November answered. He was still proud that Shengshun hadn’t given in without a fight, but it had lessened knowing that they would now seek revenge and Shengshun wouldn’t be able to defend himself.

-If you wish to save him, bring triple what you were offering in Constanta. Better act quickly, the temperature is dropping. We will contact you in one hour.-

“Romanian Mafia.” He and April muttered together. “July, the Romanians have him. Probably in or near a warehouse with a freezer” There was a small nod from the boy and he continued to stare at the window. 

“Romanians?” Misaki glanced over at them as she shut her phone. 

“The ones we took Havoc from.” November added simply. That red haired regressor was turning out to have been more problematic than she had been worth… but then again, she was also the reason he had come to Japan.

“Why would they take a gate scientist in retaliation for Havoc?” Misaki rubbed her temple, not following the progress of the conversation. 

“He’s November’s boyfriend.” April supplied the information Misaki had been missing to understand what was going on.

“Nov- what?” Misaki stared at him in confusion. 

“We aren’t completely incapable of having relationships with humans. This one has been significantly longer than typical, and I want it to last for quite some time still.” He didn’t mean to include the venom in his voice, and it had shocked Misaki to hear, he was feeling too many emotions right now and his rational contractor brain had decided to abandon him. 

They heard a small huff from July which rendered everyone present silent. The doll turned from the window, walking straight over to one of the abandoned glasses of water. He collected the glass and walked back over to the window, setting the glass down next to him. November and April watched the entire process with confused expressions. They glanced at each other, questioning if the other knew what the doll was doing. Mutually they shook their heads. July’s medium is reflective surfaces, not water. Why would he need water?

“What’s going on?” Misaki glanced between July and the pair of confused contractors. 

“I’m not sure.” November confessed. 

“Will we need you to clear us to see the scene?” April asked Misaki. It was a strange thought, but somehow April was being more rational than him. He would have to change that, and she could never know that thought had even crossed his mind. 

“Let’s go.” Misaki nodded. July collected the cup and walked over to November, taking his hand. He was ready to go, and clearly wanted to help in any way he could. 

 

*                *              *

 

It turned out, July had somehow made contact with another doll. One that he even seemed to trust, both actions were unusual for dolls. July had brought the water so that, should the other doll find Shengshun, they would be able to let July know. How this other doll knew of Shengshun was a bit of a mystery, but at the moment - any and all help was appreciated, questions could be dealt with later. Misaki, as it turned out, had also reached out to one of her friends. A friend who worked in Astronomics, and had managed to get her to send out their dolls to help as well. A favour November was grateful for and didn’t know how he would be able to repay. November had sent the photo from the Romanian’s to Misaki who in turn had passed it on to her friend in Astronomics. 

As they passed through the campus in a hurry, November lamented that there was a serious lack of surveillance cameras. They wouldn’t be able to identify the attacker’s or give the Astronomics’ dolls an image of them to base their search on. They wouldn’t even be able to confirm how many attackers there had been or what vehicle they had made off in. As they got closer to the floor where the gate astrodynamics department was, the police presence became more pronounced. The stairs had one or two officers ensuring anyone who ascended or descended were permitted to do so. The hall which contained the department had been taped off and there were more officers stationed by the tape. They had secured all students and staff who had been on site at the time and had been corralled into two classrooms. November would try to speak to them later, he needed to see the scene first. 

They were led down a hallway to a modest office. Where just inside the doorway was the first body. He had died from blunt force trauma to the head. Their death was far too quick. The glass oval paperweight not too far away, the likely murder weapon. Shengshun probably threw it at his attackers. While Shengshun didn’t look to be exceptionally strong, he packed a lot of power into his lean form, him being able to kill an enemy with a thrown object was well within reason of his abilities. The next body was by a bookshelf. November had to kneel down to examine this one but concluded that he had also been killed by blunt force to the head. The murder weapon was equally easy to discern, it was what appeared to be a kettle, albeit a relic of one and one that had probably been on top of the bookshelf which was now dented and laying askew on the floor.

November glanced around for further clues. His heart clenched as his eyes fell on a small amount of low velocity spatter blood on the floor. It was not far from the second body, but far enough away it couldn’t belong to them, and it was also within reach of the kettle. Ah-Shun… November battled with his internal turmoil and rage threatened to take over as a desire to freeze the whole scene permeated him down to his bones. They had hurt his Ah-Shun after he had fallen. By that point the drugs probably would have taken full effect and Shengshun might not have even been conscious. November tried to console himself as there clearly was only a small amount present on the floor and it would not be life threatening. Calm down, I will be of no help if I can’t appear to still be rational. Looking for a distraction further from the body, he spotted Shengshun’s bag. Ever since their second date, it was rare to find his lover without that satchel. Shengshun had everything about his thesis confined within its depths. It was something his midnight eyed lover would never have left behind. Despair reared its head within November. What if I don’t find him in time? This is all my fault. How will I even begin to apologize to him for this? He drew in a shaky breath. He needed to stay positive, he had an army of dolls, with access to all of their mediums aiding in the search for Shengshun. They would find him. He looked up, feeling April’s hand on his shoulder. 

“We’ll find him, and we will kill those responsible.” She growled in a low voice, then in a much softer and altogether more April tone added. “We will have him back in your arms in no time.”

November nodded, but couldn’t say anything. His only choice was to find Shengshun in time. He wouldn’t be able to get the ransom amount. He had known that from the beginning. He only needed to keep the Romanians from killing Shengshun. A bluff he wished with all his might wouldn’t end up costing Shengshun his life. He would need all the information he could get from the scene and those who had seen anything. He would also need a list of frozen warehouses or facilities nearby. Given the walk that it had taken to get to the office and time needed to get Shengshun into whatever freezer they had him in, they could be no more than 30 minutes away. A timeline he had thanks to Shengshun’s initial 505 message. 

“Misaki, do you think your team could make a grid of how far the Romanians could have gotten to within 30 minutes with traffic at about 10:30 this morning? From there we will need to find all facilities with freezers, can your team do that as well? If it comes down to it, we will have to search them one by one.” November wasn’t sure how many resources Misaki was going to be willing to let him use, but he would take anything she would give.

She nodded from the door. Turning to make the call out in the hallway. There was one stubby Japanese cop present in the office giving him the stink eye, his best guess would imply him to be the one in charge of the scene. He would also be the one who was not pleased to have had Section 4 called to his scene.

“Did any of the students see anything?” He asked the man directly and stood back up. 

“One of them called it in. Most of them remained within their lounge or classrooms - any who have been identified as having left are being searched out. The rest waited for the police to show up. There are some reports of European looking people hanging around earlier in the morning. The amount varies. Some say two, some say five. We know there were at least three. As there had to have been at least one to take the victim. They are one of Dr. Shikikoza’s graduate students, a R–r-ri Shengushun” November resisted cringing over the mispronunciation. 

“Thank you.” November looked over at Misaki who had entered the room again. 

“Best estimates say they wouldn’t have gotten further than the outskirts of the following districts: Shinjuku, Shibuya, Minato, Koto, Edogawa, Katsushika, Adachi, Kita, Ota, Shinagawa, Meguro, Setagaya, Suginami or Nagano. I have Kanami searching the area with Astonomic’s resources.” They now had an area to search. Kanami must be Misaki’s friend in Astronomics. They were better off because Shengshun had managed to send that message. If only I hadn’t turned off the ringtone. I would have seen it immediately. But it had been April who had understood the meaning. He should have recognized the message was him needing help, but he hadn’t. November glanced over at Shengshun’s satchel again. He’d keep it safe at least. 

“Thank you. Might I take his satchel? All of his research and notes are in it and most of the information is highly classified.” He had no intention of letting them have it. It was going to come with him. 

“You mean he knows?” Misaki looked shocked, she really shouldn’t have. They were in the gate astrodynamics department and Shengshun was a graduate level student. 

“He does. Yet, he doesn’t treat me any differently now than he did when he didn’t know of my situation. Frankly I think that is wonderfully refreshing.” Shengshun, in truth, seemed to treat everyone more like contractors than human. It made him constantly wonder how much of the last nine years had Shengshun actually spent with humans. 

“Will it interfere with the investigation if they remove the bag?” Misaki asked the stubby cop. There were several long moments of humming and hawing… but eventually the man gave his approval. With a fake grateful smile to the police officer, November collected Shengshun’s satchel. No one else would get to see the research inside. 

November’s phone belted out his ringtone and announced it had received a message. November steadied his nerves as best he could and quickly pulled the lime device from his pocket, even trying to keep himself steady he fumbled to get it open. His chest constricted, there was another photo message. Without hesitation he quickly initiated the download. Followed by the text.

-Your tiger is quite wild… but don’t worry. We will tame him.-

No you most certainly will NOT. No one would ‘tame’ Shengshun more than the Chinese man had done to himself. November lived for the times he got to see the younger man let himself truly relax and let the iron grip he usually held onto self control go. No one would be taking that away. 

-He is not to be harmed. The worse his condition the less you will get.- November typed out quickly. If he could convince them he was trying to assemble the funds, they might not harm Shengshun… much. 

-have you secured the money?-

-That amount takes time to secure.- he continued his bluff. 

-We can give you time, but his is limited.-

The photo had finished downloading before their reply, he needed to see what state Shengshun was in, but he almost couldn’t bring himself to look. He couldn’t leave it any longer; so biting the bullet he tried to ready himself for the contents. 

Shengshun’s eyes were midnight fire glaring at someone in front of him but off to the side of the one taking the photo. There was a red mark on his forehead. Did he headbutt someone? His jaw was clenched, holding back from crying out in pain at whatever the one in front of him was doing. While there did not seem to be any more blood coming from his nose, there was now a larger trail of it from the right side of his mouth down his throat and a corresponding red mark on his cheek where he had probably been punched. November’s breath caught as he followed the trail of blood only to find that there was dark purple staining Shengshun’s neck. Someone had gripped -choked-  him hard and long enough to bruise. There were two different hands on Shengshun’s shoulders holding him down on a white surface, probably a table. Given the angle, Shengshun’s arms were still bound behind him. Once again, that damn digital thermometer was present and mocking him. This time it read -1c. One hour… one degree. His only lead was a large circle around Tokyo University where they could be. He would begin from the closest warehouse and spiral outwards from the list that Misaki’s team made. 

 

Misaki had managed to summon a small army of regular officers and set them on searching all grocery and small shops that had freezer’s large enough to have someone lay down in. There was no doubt in his mind she commanded the respect of all her peers and subordinates in order to achieve the results she did, and she deserved every bit of it. While they were progressing with their search Section 4, April and himself set to searching the cold storage facilities in the area. His heart sank when he had seen the list Misaki had produced. There had been a lot more places that he had initially thought there would be. He hadn’t known that Haneda airport was within their search area. There had been twenty five potential locations. His heart and hope was sinking, in the last four hours they had only managed to search eight. Not even half of them yet! Each facility was massive, to accommodate for the international air traffic. They needed to hurry, Shengshun was running out of time and wouldn’t last long enough for them to search the remaining seventeen locations. 

His ringtone echoed in the current cold storage facility they were searching. April looked up quickly. This was the first message in those long four hours. This time he knew he wouldn’t be ready to see what picture they had sent, but he opened the phone anyway as April rushed over. He started the download, and waited knowing five hours in a freezer would be hard on the one he had wanted to ensure didn’t have to suffer anymore, and yet was now currently the cause of their misery. 

-Better Hurry, your tiger isn’t shivering much anymore.-

This photo made it feel like his heart was being ripped from his chest while he was filled with rage towards those who had taken Shengshun. The malicious thermometer read -4. He regretted being right that the temperature was dropping each hour. The fire in Shengshun’s eyes from the last photo was gone, now they were almost hazed over and glassy. He was struggling to stay conscious and from the faraway look, he was losing that fight. Shengshun’s beautiful lips were now a pale blue and the blood that had been on his face was starting to crystalize. He couldn’t tell if there were any new injuries, but there wouldn’t need to be. If he didn’t find Shengshun soon, he could lose him. Shengshun was going into the second stage of hypothermia. For the first time in a very long time, November felt utterly helpless. April gripped his shoulder.

“Let’s pick up the pace, he needs us.” The worry was clear on her face, but he knew she was right, the only thing he could do right now was keep going. So he would keep searching and hope that one among the army of dolls would manage to locate him first. 

 

They had only just arrived at the next facility when November’s phone went off ominously. It had barely been half an hour since the last message. Oh no. Hang in there Ah-Shun! He flipped open the phone to read the message while April crowded over next to him.

-It seems we will have to de-fang your tiger for him to learn his lesson.-

November stopped breathing. There was no photo this time. What did you do, Ah-Shun? How do they expect to ‘de-fang’ you? Had Shengshun reacted out of instinct when one of them came to check on him? He must have injured or killed another one of the Romanians. He knew Shengshun would slip into flight or fight should they do something while he was conscious, and Shengshun would fight. 

-Do not harm him! I have almost secured the funds.- He lied over text, he needed more time to find Shengshun. Minutes ticked by, but there was no reply. 

 

Each minute after that which passed, did so slowly like a pendulum sinking ever closer to doom. They had managed to search another three facilities in the last two hours. Shengshun could be slipping into stage three hypothermia by now. He might be… NO don’t think like that. He will make it, I will get there in time!

“Tokyo Danchireizo. Heiwajima, Oto City” July’s quiet voice pierced the silence, and for the first time since Misaki had ended her meeting about BK-201 there was a glimmer of hope. Chaos erupted as everyone present scrambled to a vehicle. Misaki was on the phone instantly, calling in for an ambulance to be prepared for a hypothermic and potentially unresponsive patient. They were close. He would get to Shengshun soon, and he would murder those who had harmed the one he loved. 

November and April did not wait for Misaki and Section 4. November was underway as soon as the doors closed on his car. July directed him from the back seat as he approached the massive six or more story white building. Shengshun is somewhere inside. Even knowing he was in this building, it could take hours to locate him in a place this large without the aid of a doll. He was grateful July knew where to go as they rushed through a maze of corridors. They should have waited for Misaki, she would also need to find her way here, but he needed to get to Shengshun now. He couldn’t let any more time pass.

As they rounded another corner, the first of the Romanian came into view. July let go of April’s hand and the two of them went to work. While April’s ability was slightly hindered from being indoors, there was enough available water for November to be relentless as he removed the guards from the door. He wanted to freeze them solid for good measure, but the icicle through the chest and neck would have to do. He needed to be quick, he didn’t want to think he was too late, but the possibility weighed on his mind. 

There was the sound of scraping as the door was flung open by April. Five Romanians scrambled for weapons in vain, knocking over a white table to try and use as a shield from them. November unleashed his powers in sync with April again. The Romanians did manage to get a few shots off, but it had only taken a few moments for him and April to finish the five of them. In a rare turn, April had even used some of her ability to condense water around one of the Romanian’s nose and mouth. It was rare for her to go on the attack. It showed just how much she had come to view Shengshun as another member of their family. 

July walked in shortly after they had finished, directing them further into the warehouse. November paused for a moment, sending Misaki a quick text, informing her of the section of warehouse they were in. He would need her help getting Shengshun out quickly. He would need the ambulance to be ready at the door when he came out with Shengshun. He then switched his mobile to silent. It wouldn’t be the thing to give away his position on his hunt for those who had hurt Shengshun. 

There was a forebodingly thick door behind the bodies of the five Romanians. He stood to one side of the door while April pulled the heavy door open as quickly as she could. Shengshun was there, curled as tightly as he could manage into himself for warmth and he was alone. November quickly shrugged off his jacket and handed it to April. Kneeling down, he carefully untied his arms and picked up Shengshun. He was never so grateful to hear his dark haired lover whimper. He’s alive. It also meant Shengshun hadn’t transitioned into severe hypothermia yet. April quickly draped his jacket over Shengshun, tucking it in the best she could before November rushed back the way they had come. The ambulance had better be there. He could feel the cold coming off of Shengshun and seeping into himself. November’s heart soared as he saw the flashing lights as they approached the exit. He had gotten to him in time, he just hoped they would be able to get his temperature raised quickly. 

“Stay with him, July and I will take care of things here.” April muttered as she rushed past him and held open the door. He nodded, he didn’t need to be told twice. He would stay with Shengshun until he woke up. November quickly made his way to the paramedics who had only just gotten the stretcher out of the ambulance. Upon seeing November rushing towards them with Shengshun in his arms, one of them directed him to place Shengshun on the stretcher while the other began to ask questions. 

“Are you family or with the police?”
“Both, and I am going with him.” November’s tone left no room for argument. He had just gotten Shengshun back; he was not going to leave his side yet.

“How long was he exposed?” the paramedic asked with a nod. 

“About eight hours.”

The paramedics nodded and finished strapping Shengshun in. One of them placed warming pads along Shengshun’s sides and his chest before draping a thermal blanket over him. Once that was done they quickly loaded Shengshun into the back of the ambulance. One hopping in on the left  and November took the seat on the right, the other paramedic closed the doors rushing to the front to get them to a hospital. He felt the ambulance move forward an the sirens began to wail. November looked down at the pale unconscious form of the one who had stolen his heart. He slipped his hand under the thermal blanket to find Shengshun’s cold hand. November gripped it tightly, Shengshun would make it. He was rewarded a moment later with a small squeeze in return and November’s heart soared in relief.

“Does he have any medical conditions or allergies we should be aware of?” The paramedic across from him asked. He had a clipboard and was noting down Shengshun’s stats as the ambulance weaved through traffic. 

“No allergies that I am aware of, but it should be noted that he has PTSD from active combat.” 

”It’s likely he will have an attack, are you capable of calming him when it occurs?” The paramedic made a note, but looked up to ask his question. 

“Yes.” He answered without hesitation. November felt Shengshun’s grip tighten around his hand this time and not just a squeeze. Looking down at Shengshun, there were bleary half open midnight eyes looking back at him. November brushed his hair to the side. “You’re safe Ah-Shun. I’m here.” Shengshun’s eyes closed again but the grip on his hand remained constant, holding on to him like a lifeline. November would be there for him when he woke again. He would do everything he could to show Shengshun he was sorry for what happened and to make sure the other man knew November would always be there for him. 

He hadn’t wanted to let go of Shengshun’s hand when they arrived. He knew he would need to, but his reluctance stemmed from the tight grip Shengshun had maintained on his hand for the remainder of the drive. He didn’t want Shengshun to feel like he was alone. Although Shengshun hid it well, November had pieced together his greatest fear was being left by someone he loved… again. It had been why Shengshun kept himself from others, even though he hated being alone. In the end he had no choice as one of the nurses insisted he needed to let them do their work. With a shaky breath he placed a gentle kiss on Shengshun’s forehead and whispered. 

“I can’t come with you for the next part, but I am here. If you need me I will come running.” Then with great reluctance he unhooked his hand from Shengshun’s. The small mimper Shengshun made and seeing Shengshun’s hand reach out for him was like a punch to November’s gut. It won’t be for long. As soon as they let me I will be back with you. He managed a hitched breath as he followed the nurse to the closest waiting room. 

November waited. The process to warm Shengshun would be steady, they couldn’t risk shocking his system with sudden heat. He leaned forward in the chair placing his elbows on his knees and rested his head in his hands. Shengshun was out of danger, but he wasn’t yet out of the woods. They had gotten to him in time, his chances for a full recovery were high and that helped with November’s worry as he sat and waited. Doubt plagued his mind as the minutes slowly passed. Would Shengshun still want to be with him knowing that November’s own past had caused his current misfortune? Would those beautiful midnight eyes start to hate him for what his past actions had inflicted on them?

Time crawled on. April and July stopped in after they had finished up at the crime scene. It was getting quite late. April had snagged him a sandwich from the hospital cafeteria, it was partly soggy and he shared it with July. November couldn't remember if they had eaten anything since breakfast. Poor July was half asleep from exertion. The young doll had given the search for Shengshun everything he could and more. 

“Thank you for everything today.” November ruffled the boy's hair and gave him a hug. “April should take you back to the flat so you can sleep. I will keep watch over Shengshun. You can check in on us when you wake up.“

The boy nodded and took April’s hand. 

“Do you still have that list Shengshun gave you for tomorrow's supper?”

“Why?” November nodded. The note was still in his coat pocket. The nurse who had led him to the waiting room had given it back to him after arriving at the hospital. 

“July and I will search for a Chinese grocer tomorrow morning to see if we can find out what he had planned to make. Hopefully it will give us a clue as to what tomorrow means to him.”

“Okay. If it’s something you can pick up, make sure to get some.” November pulled out the slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to April. April knew the only thing she could do right now to help was to stay with July. She wanted a distraction. A task to keep her mind off of the situation. Shengshun’s grocery list would at least give her that. 

“Don’t worry. He’s a fighter, and he knows you got him in time. He will pull through.” April patted his shoulder and pocketed the list. November nodded slightly. Shengshun would pull through. He just felt so horrible that he was the reason this happened. He watched as April and July left the room and he was alone once more. He would wait. He would keep his promise to Shengshun. He would come running if the other needed him. It was almost another hour before he was approached by one of the nurses. 

“Simon-San?”

“Yes.” November’s head snapped up as he heard his alias. 

“They are getting ready to move Li-San to a room. Would you like to come with me?” She gave him a sympathetic smile. 

“I would love to.” He wanted nothing more than to see Shengshun, to hold him again and know he was alright. He could still feel phantom cold seeping into his chest and arms from when he had carried Shengshun to the ambulance. 

They met up with two orderlies pushing the gurney down the hall. There was pink to Shengshun’s cheeks and his lips had returned to a slightly paler version of their normal colour, no longer tinted blue. November was by Shengshun’s side in an instant, his hand slipping quickly into the others. There was no squeeze in return. He looked up at the nurse as they walked down the hall. 

“They sedated him before starting to ensure a smoother recovery. An anxiety attack could have proven fatal.” She explained seeing his pained and confused expression. 

November nodded. He held on, willing the other to know he was there. That he would not be leaving. They walked down the hallway and entered a standard room. November briefly had to let go of Shengshun’s hand while the orderlies transferred him from the gurney to the bed. Once their job was done the orderlies took the gurney and left. The nurse added some extra blankets to the chair in the room and placed one more on Shengshun before looking over at November. 

“The sedatives should be wearing off shortly. If he needs anything, press this button.” She placed a corded remote next to Shengshun. November nodded. He took a seat on the side of the bed and held onto Shengshun’s hand waiting once again. This time for the smallest sign that he would be able to see those midnight eyes again. To see the smile that lit up his world he would wait. Shengshun had waited eight hours in a freezer to be rescued, and November would never forgive himself for it. 

November felt Shengshun’s fingers twitch slightly in his hand. He couldn’t contain his glee. A smile broke out on his face and he rubbed the top of Shengshun’s hand. There was a small squeeze in return and November felt as if the world had finally stopped spinning. Shengshun was alright. Slowly hazy dark eyes opened. November watched as Shengshun’s mind started to process his surroundings. The white walls, and medical disinfectant smell would register as a hospital. The haze to Shengshun’s eyes cleared instantly, as he noticed where he was. Those wonderful night sky eyes were momentarily filled with panic until his gaze focused on November. As fast as it had come the panic in his eyes abated and there was a sigh of relief from Shengshun. 

“I knew you’d come.” There was a small smirk to Shengshun’s lips but his voice was low and raspy. The doctors had bandaged Shengshun’s neck and wrists, but hadn’t given him any indication as to the extent of his injuries. That could wait until the morning. For now, the only thing that mattered was Shengshun was here and safe. 

“Of course. No one could keep you from me.” November smiled and leaned down to cup Shengshun’s now warm cheek. No one will ever do this to you again. He couldn’t say those words aloud. He had failed Shengshun already. Shengshun closed his eyes and leaned his head into November’s hand. 

“Lay down with me. I can’t seem to keep my eyes open.” Shengshun sounded so small, not afraid, but the need for comfort laced his words. 

November shifted position so that he lined Shengshun. He had only just managed to snake his arm around the other as Shengshun nuzzled his head into November’s shoulder and was asleep again. November kissed Shengshun’s head. He’s safe. He knows he is safe. He knew I was coming for him. How did I deserve this amazing human? November smiled and breathed a sigh of relief and let himself drift off holding Shengshun in his arms. 

 

It was still dark out when November woke. He blinked the haze of sleep from his eyes. Something was not right. Shengshun was next to him but his breathing was shallow and irregular. The heat coming off him was immense, it had been what had woken November. Hypothermia doesn’t cause fevers! He needed to get help quickly. He gently removed his arm from under Shenghun’s head and pressed the button the nurse had pointed out. 

“Yes?” a small voice came from a nearby speaker. 

“He has a fever.” November called out, he wasn’t sure where the speaker was but he hoped the urgency would be relayed. 

“I’ll be right there.” the speaker cut out. 

November got off the bed and turned on the light that he assumed one of the nurses had turned off when they checked on Shengshun and had found the two of them asleep. The nurse, with a doctor in tow, arrived before he had returned to Shengshun’s side. November was grateful she had acted fast and managed to bring along support. The doctor checked Shengshun’s pulse and shone his penlight into Shengshun’s eyes. There was no visible response and November felt the icy grip of panic once again spreading through his body. The nurse was at work as well while the doctor was checking Shengshun. She had quickly taken Shengshun’s temperature. Whatever it was, the serious expression that passed her features when she saw the numbers did not bode well. She glanced at the doctor before saying quietly “39.5.”

November struggled to breath, Shengshun’s temperature had gone from hypothermic to high fever in a matter of hours. He could only stare on in horror as a whole conversation between the nurse and doctor was held via eye moments. She wanted to keep him around, the doctor wanted him gone. There was some urgency to their conversation, with a temperature as high as that, getting it brought down was going to be their first priority. In the end the doctor won, the nurse turned to November. 

“I’m afraid you're going to have to come with me to the waiting room. We are going to have to find out what’s wrong with him.” She gestured to the door. 

November’s heart was in his throat. No, he’s supposed to be safe now! His eyes lingered on Shengshun as he was led out of the room. As she passed the nurses station another eye conversation was had as the other nurse rushed off to Shengshun’s room. Once she had deposited him at the waiting room down the hall, she also quickly ran off. Then a few minutes later she returned with a cart full of medical supplies in tow heading to Shengshun’s room. The flurry of activity over the next hour by the hospital staff was because there must have been something else the Romanians had done to him that was missed when treating the hypothermia. Was this the result of the de-fang message? What had they done to Shengshun? He felt the rage from before return. They had died too quickly. He hadn’t gotten any information out of them, he knew better than to do that, but he had needed to get to Shengshun as fast as possible. 

He was waiting again. He hated this feeling. He loathed feeling powerless. There was nothing he could do to help, all he could do was sit here and wait for them to bring him news, good or bad. He looked up as he heard a commotion in the hall. He was on his feet in an instant, they were moving Shengshun somewhere. He rushed over to the doorway and locked eyes with the nurse. After a quiet word to one of her colleagues, she came over to him.

“They are taking him to radiology to get a CT scan. The doctor will have more information in a while for you.” She gave him a sad smile then rushed off. 

He wasn’t sure how long a CT scan was supposed to take, but he assumed it was less than the three hours he had been waiting since his quick word with the nurse. They must have found something, they would have come back by now if they hadn’t. Right? He raked his fingers through his hair for the umpteenth time this morning. The sun had long since come up, and its slow trail across the floor was eating away at his resolve the further it crawled. Shengshun is going to be alright. He’s strong, he will fight. 

“Wow, have you even slept?” There was concern to April’s tone as she and July walked into the waiting room. She looked like she had barely slept herself, though her raccoon eyes were hidden underneath her makeup. Next to her, July was holding a small cake box in both hands, like it was some sort of precious treasure.

“What’s in the box?” November shook his head as he asked the question.

“Shoutao bao. It’s one of the things Li was going to make according to the Chinese grocer.” While there was the hint of pride to her voice from figuring out the puzzle, she was still very worried, even more now that she had found him waiting once again for Shengshun.

“Did they happen to tell you what meaning it might have for it to be made on a certain day?” Maybe he would be able to figure out why Shengshun hadn’t been able to get the ingredients himself. 

“Yeah, when I handed them the list they asked who’s birthday it was. When I told them I was trying to figure out what my friend, who’s now in the hospital, was going to make. I wanted to be able to buy some so I could cheer them up, but I didn’t know what they were. They told me the best place to get authentic ones and they added that I was, under no circumstances, to get four… so we got six.” She glanced down at July with an approving nod. 

“His birthday.” November frowned. It would explain why Shengshun had told him the day had been significant, but it didn’t explain why he hadn’t been able to get the ingredients himself like he had all the other times he had cooked for them. There must be something more to it. 

“I’m going to grab some takeaway, cause I doubt you’ve eaten anything since yesterday. July will keep you company. When I get back you can fill me in on what’s happened.” With that April turned and left. Under all her obnoxious layers, there was a heart of gold in there. She was trying to carry their family while Shengshun, and he himself were unable to take their usual roles. 

July sat down next to the water cooler, still holding securely onto the cake box. The doll clearly wanted to present Shengshun with the contents. Yesterday had been hard on the boy, and today wasn’t shaping up to be much better. It would probably be a while before he was told anything further about Shengshun, and while he debated seeing if July would look in and tell him how things were going, he resolved to wait. For now at least he wouldn’t burden the boy further. November looked over at July, who was staring at a spectre in the water cooler. 

“Who’s that July?” November remembered that July had seemed to have been talking with a water spectre yesterday as well. He would need to find out more about this other doll that July was relying on.

 “My friend. They watch, keep him safe.” November paused. Friend? Dolls didn’t make friends. Wait… watch?

“They watch Shengshun?” He asked cautiously. He hadn’t noticed any stray spectres when he was around Shengshun. He hadn’t even considered there would be any. Dolls for the most part only followed the directions they were given. They weren’t known for going out and making friends. 

July nodded.

“Why?” Their behaviour was odd, both July’s and this other doll’s. It went against many of the known attributes. While July seemed to be atypical, it was unusual for there to be another doll to make their own decisions.

“He’s their family. He’s my family.” The small boy reached one hand out and placed it on the water cooler next to the spectre. 

Shengshun had worked with contractors before, it was still within the realm of possibilities that he had worked with dolls as well. Shengshun had patience for days when it came to July. His love would slowly interact with the boy in a way that had November suspecting there was some experience in working with dolls, but it had never been confirmed. Why would a doll continue to follow him? Shengshun was no longer on active duty, there was no need for a doll to follow him. The family comment hadn’t actually surprised him, given Shengshun’s ability to allow their kind to feel again and even July had said that he thought of Shengshun as family.

Family… There was a possibility that November didn’t really want to consider. If Shengshun’s father was still alive - and he really wanted that man to be dead. He might have a doll or even a team sent to watch over Shengshun. The man clearly had a significant amount of influence ten years ago, and that wouldn’t have gone away unless he had died. If he had sent someone to watch over Shengshun, only the doll had made any attempt to locate him, and he was certain that July had asked for that help. No, he didn’t think this doll was here because Shengshun’s father had assigned them to watch him.

November mulled over who this other doll was and debated on multiple occasions to just get July to invite them to wait for Shengshun to wake as well. In the end he didn’t. This other doll, who saw Shengshun as family, might be assigned to a team here in Japan and if they were seen acting out, who knows what might happen. I guess we are both bringing kids to our joint family. November chuckled quietly. His family was expanding again, and when it was safe he wanted to meet this new member. 

April had come an hour later with takeaway, she had even gone out of her way to try and find some place that would do curry chicken and chips with mushy peas to try and cheer them all up. Her valiant effort wasn’t entirely for naught, but the three of them still shared a somber meal where he filled her in on what had happened last night. With no further information forthcoming from the doctors she and July had gone back to the flat to wait. July had refused to even let go of the box to eat and April had humoured him by slowly feeding him. November knew that the boy would be watching Shengshun and once he was safe and awake, July would get April to come back to the hospital. 

November’s eyes snapped open as he heard footsteps approach. He had drifted off waiting for an update. A quick glance down at his watch revealed it was 14:53, he had slept for almost two hours. It was one of the doctors who was approaching, not one of the nurses, which meant he would actually get some information. November stood quickly. 

“How is he?” He was anxious. The doctor didn’t look distressed, so the news was probably not bad. At least he hoped.

“Stable now. We have located the source of the infection and he’s on some broad spectrum antibiotics.” The doctor gave November a tired smile. It had been a long day for him as well. 

“Can I see him?” He needed to be back with Shengshun, he felt so unstable not knowing if his beautiful Ah-Shun was going to be alright. Shengshun is stable, he will be alright.

“Yes, they should have him back in his room in a couple of minutes. He was sedated and should be coming around shortly. I understand you know how to handle him should he have an attack?” There was an edge to the doctor’s voice, as if he knew what a panicked Shengshun was like. Oh no…

“I do. Did he..?” November asked cautiously. He was positive he knew the answer, but he needed to ask it anyway. Why hadn’t they come to get me?

“Yes. He was sedated quickly before anyone was hurt. I will leave that to you then. Call the nurses station should you require assistance.” 

November nodded. Before anyone was hurt. It sounded like without him there, the panicked look he had seen on Shengshun’s face earlier when he registered where he was, had spiraled without him there to calm the younger man. I’m not surprised he’s afraid of hospitals… Not after Heaven’s War. November made his way quickly to Shengshun’s hospital room. A different nurse, male this time, and two orderlies were already there with Shengshun. For the first time since that morning November breathed easy. He wasn’t sure his heart could handle anything else happening. He wasn’t sure how he was going to face Shengshun when he did wake up. That dread had settled in his gut during his time in the waiting room. He had been the cause of Shengshun’s life being at risk multiple times in the last 24 hours. Even the careful plans Shengshun had made to celebrate his birthday had been ruined because of him. 

November sat on the edge of the bed and slipped his hand into Shengshun’s. Even just holding the other's hand was a tether keeping his world from falling apart. He didn’t notice the nurse and orderlies leave. He sat with his worried gaze fixed on the only one who mattered and let the moments tick by as the medication keeping Shengshun sedated wore off. It started with a small twitch of his fingers. A movement that November happily answered with a squeeze. A few minutes later he felt Shengshun squeeze his hand. Shengshun’s eyebrow furrowed adorably as he struggled to open first one eye then the other. It took Shengshun a few blinks before his eyes managed to stay focused. 

“Wǒ zài nǎr?” He muttered in a hoarse voice. The gruff voice was music to November’s ears. He didn’t care what was said, Shengshun was there and awake. November chuckled and leaned down to kiss Shengshun’s forehead. 

“How are you feeling Ah-Shun?” November asked slowly in English to allow his lover’s brain to catch up and translate. Shengshun frowned as he struggled to get his brain to switch languages. November smiled down at him and waited, he could wait as long as Shengshun needed.

“I’ve had better days… I’ve also had worse ones.” Shengshun’s voice was rough, but he gave him a small smile as he glanced around the room. He shifted gently to one side of the bed and tugged at November’s hand to get him to join him on the bed. Once again November gladly cuddled up to Shengshun. Shengshun turned onto his side with a brief pained expression. One of his hands slipped under November and he pulled himself close with the other. November smiled and ran his fingers through the dark hair as Shengshun settled his head on November’s shoulder. There was a small contented huff from Shengshun.

“I am on a lot of drugs, aren’t I?” He asked in a scratchy dazed voice. “What happened? I don’t remember much after the ambulance.” November had known there had been bruising on Shengshun’s neck, but he had hoped it hadn’t damaged his voice. The doctors had bandaged his neck before he had his fever. It appeared that the ones there now were fresh, as were the ones on his wrists.

“There isn’t much I can tell you. They got your temperature up and brought you here. We fell asleep then you developed a high fever and they had you elsewhere until now. You have some sort of infection.” The doctors hadn’t given him much more information than that either. He knew they had taken Shengshun for a CT scan and it was through there they found the sight of the infection, at least he assumed. There hadn’t been much blood, so that would mean internal injury.

“No wonder I feel worn out and lightheaded.” Shengshun muttered into November's chest. He loosened his tight grip around him for one hand to rest on November’s heart. Shengshun’s breathing was slow and steady and for a moment November wondered if he had fallen asleep again. Shifting in slight panic to see if he was still awake he was greeted with dazed midnight eyes looking up at him. 

“I’m so sorry Ah-Shun. I didn’t think my dealings in Romania would have followed me to Japan.” His voice quavered. He needed to find out if Shengshun would hold this whole debacle against him. He regretted asking him while he was drugged, but he also knew he would get a truthful answer out of Shengshun this way. It was the coward’s way to find out, but… Shengshun meant too much to him. He had to know.

“One free pass. How about that? We each get one for when something from our past comes knocking.” Shengshun shifted his head to look up at him. His eye twitched slightly as his neck stretched. The bruises were deep if he still felt them. Shengshun smiled up at him and all his doubts disappeared. Shengshun wasn’t one to trust easily, and it was even more difficult to get past his mask. Something November hadn’t even managed to get him to keep down around him yet. His small smile and deep midnight eyes looked up at him with nothing hidden. Somehow he had won the affection of this beautiful human. One who could see past his faults and forgive his past. Somehow, even with Shengshun’s own tragic past he had held onto an intrinsic ability to see past other’s faults.

“Can this one be mine?” He whispered, his own voice cracking slightly. If anything came up from Shengshun’s past, even more than one, he would never hold it against the one in his arms. He had asked for forgiveness, and instead Shengshun had waved his guilt aside. He had complete faith that I would come for him, and now chooses not to hold it against me. November had never in his life felt such utter devotion to another before. It thrilled and terrified him. The fear he had felt while they were searching for Shengshun was something he never wanted to experience again. But, the bliss he felt holding him in his arms now was something he never wanted to forget. 

Shengshun hummed in affirmation.

“I don’t deserve you, but I love you with more depth of emotion than I ever felt as a human.” November stared in wonder at Shengshun. A smile curling his lip upwards. He threaded his fingers through Shengshun’s hair. Shengshun’s eyebrows creased, and he frowned at November’s response. 

“You do deserve it.” Shengshun shifted onto his elbow, pulling his arm out from under November to look down at him. Shengshun's midnight eyes were still a bit hazy and soft yet conveyed how serious he was. “With or without emotions, contractors aren’t more of a monster than humans can be. Love doesn’t have to be beyond them.” He added quietly and leaned down and gave November a quick but reassuring kiss. “No more self loathing, I do that enough for the both of us. I need you to continue to be the optimistic light in my life.” He muttered and sighed. He suddenly paused. “I didn’t mean to say that aloud.” Shengshun blinked a few times in confusion and blushed, adorably even to his ears. It was something he would only do when his mask was down. It was the medication, but the sight still thrilled him. He had known Shengshun was hard on himself, but he hadn’t expected the self loathing comment. He would have to work on that.

“That’s probably some of the medication they gave you.” November grinned. I can be that for you. Not only was Shengshun’s mask down, he was struggling with keeping his internal thoughts to himself. Even the last time he had seen Shengshun on painkillers, he hadn’t struggled with that. It was endearing to know what he truly felt but it was also eye opening into how he viewed himself. November had been given a rare glimpse into how Shengshun's mind worked. Anything and everything that Shengshun said right now was unfiltered and he should take note. 

“I don’t like it. Tell them no more.” Shengshun shook his head with a frown. He then buried his face into November’s chest with a huff. November had to keep himself from chuckling. He was certain Shengshun would have hidden himself away rather than let anyone else see him like this. It meant the world to him that Shengshun wasn’t insisting on being alone. He ran his fingers through Shengshun’s dark hair, earning a small grumble. He felt Shengshun relax slightly against him as he continued to stroke his head. 

“I can't, and won't do that. I need you to recover as fast as possible. Besides, this side of you is adorable.” November finally let himself chuckle. His Ah-Shun was more like a sulking cat than his usual self. All cuddled up to him but grumbling about the situation. Shengshun wasn’t typically the one to snuggle, but it seemed, when he wasn’t feeling well or in this case; on a significant amount of medication, he became exceptionally cuddly. He had done the same thing last night too. He had wanted November with him, managing to wake up as his fever must have been starting in order to have him crawl into bed with him.

“No.” He grumbled and November could feel him frown against his chest. “I feel like I’m standing in a field, exposed on all sides with no defenses.” November wished he could see his face, it had almost sounded as if he was pouting. November wrapped both of his arms around Shengshun and gave him a comforting hug, pulling him slightly further onto his chest.

“Let me be your defense Ah-Shun, I will be your back-up until you're healthy.” November mumbled into Shengshun’s hair. There was a long pause, but the single hesitant nod filled November with a joy he had long forgotten. This was Shengshun’s mysterious power, he could find the emotions buried deep within contractors and dolls and pull it to the surface. Shengshun was opening up to him. Letting him share some of the burden he carried. He hoped it wasn’t just the medication directing his decision, deep down he knew even medicated, if Shengshun hadn’t wanted to let him, he would have let something unfiltered slip.  

They stayed like that until there was a knock at the door. November had loosened his grip but Shengshun hadn’t budged from his position half over November’s chest, his head resting over November’s heart. Shengshun shook his head at the sound of the knock. November smiled down at the mop of dark hair and chuckled. He probably doesn’t want anyone else to see him like this. April and July were family, he would keep their visit short but they needed to see Shengshun awake and safe as much as he had.

“Is he awake?” April asked quietly and un-April-like from the door. There was a low groan from Shengshun as a reply. 

“He is. Although, he is quite out of sorts from the medication.” He gave Shengshun a reassuring squeeze. He smiled at April and July as they walked into the room. With a quiet disgruntled snort only November managed to hear,  Shengshun tried to sit up, he didn’t manage to get much beyond his elbows before his jaw clenched- he was still in pain. November was quick to help him, slipping a hand around him under his arms. Shengshun’s strength was still there but his actions were beyond sluggish and each movement seemed painful. He was concerned about that. He would have to ask Shengshun later about what had happened. There were clearly more injuries than his neck and wrists. Adjusting the back of the bed into a more upright position he settled a pale and exhausted looking Shengshun against his pillow. July had approached the bed, waiting until November had finished before setting the cake box from that morning into Shengshun’s lap. 

Shengshun stared down at the package. It appeared as if he didn’t know what to do for a moment. Then with slow deliberate movements he lifted the lid and froze. He remained fixed in place and November wasn’t sure he was breathing. The lid to the box quivered as there was a slight tremor to his hand on the box lid while Shengshun’s other arm curled around his stomach defensively. Oh no. He does that when thinking about them.

“That’s one of the things you were going to make tonight, right? I figured since you wouldn’t be able to make them, we should bring some to you.” April words were hesitant but proud. She made her way over and sat on the end of the bed waiting for his response. November was beginning to worry, he hadn’t seen Shengshun take a breath since he froze. April had gotten the correct item, given the extreme reaction. November rubbed his hand over Shengshun’s leg reassuringly. 

Shengshun nodded as he took several unsteady breaths. Okay… something is wrong. Why is he thinking of the other contractor now? He exchanged a confused look with April. 

“Does that mean today is your birthday?” April continued with the more cautious tone rather than her more boisterous one. She has seen one or two of the times November had pushed too far about the other contractor and his reaction now was similar. 

Shengshun nodded again. He doesn’t trust his voice. Why? Is he afraid of what he might say? November shifted and tried to catch Shengshun’s eyes through his hair. It was his turn to freeze. He didn’t quite manage to see his eyes, but November didn’t need to as he watched a tear slip down Shengshun’s cheek. He suddenly felt awful. They had wanted to try and do something to cheer him up and instead had accidentally stumbled into a minefield. 

“Your birthday is a sad day?” November reached out and rubbed Shengshun’s shoulder. There was a small nod as another tear fell and Shengshun struggled to pull any part of his mask up to keep his feelings hidden. 

Suddenly things snapped into place. 

A pair of Chinese students

Someone Shengshun had to protect 

Someone who was gone

A sad birthday. 

Either the contractor Shengshun had gone to war for had died on this day - or it was his younger twin. 

“The one you wanted to protect was your twin.” November muttered and felt a shudder rip through Shengshun. A dam had broken in the other, but even in his current state, Shengshun wouldn’t let himself sob. 

“Yeah.” Shengshun’s voice was so very quiet. Slowly, he reached into the box  and picked up a bun. He smiled through a few more tears as he handed the bun to July. “Thank you.” He choked out and rubbed July’s head. He then hesitantly took one for himself as well. Holding his bun in one hand he offered the box to November and April. “I’ve spent this day alone for the last five.” He continued in the quiet voice before swallowing back some of the emotion. He took a moment to look at each of them, resting his eyes on November “Thank you for letting me share it with you this year.” 

“Heh, isn’t that what family is for?” April blinked back a couple of her own tears and smiled brightly at Shengshun. November couldn’t agree more. Shengshun returned the smile with one of his rare, completely unguarded smiles that made his eyes twinkle like a summer night’s sky. This time it wasn’t because of the medication. Shengshun was truly happy to be with them. With his new family. 

We just need to find July’s friend and our little family will be complete. 

 

Notes:

A/N 05 SEP
Things have been hectic so it's taking longer at getting the next chapter out.
It is coming and currently is 16 pages <.< but I might split it into two chapters, I haven't decided yet.

Chapter 11: Chapter Eleven

Summary:

Trigger Warning!
panic attacks/ PTSD and other physical trauma.

Notes:

So, work has been full go... which has been why there was so long since the last update. I have countered it with a massive chapter that I hope you enjoy.

Okay, so I am in no way fluent in Mandarin. I have included a few sentences with English translations in brackets - which I hope are right and they certainly might be completely wrong! (Let me know so I can fix them if they are) I am not sure if I will continue to do it this way or just say after that Hei's speaking a different language. If you like one over the other let me know in the comments!
Another thing to note. I chose to use the Romanization for 鬼 (ghost) as Kuei rather than the more typical Gui (It's pronounced like quay and for me Gui automatically comes out as gooey and that is just not right...).

Awareness flooded Hei’s senses as he felt the presence of someone touching his hand. His eyes flew open, confronted with the unfamiliar white room his system flooded with adrenaline in anticipation of the oncoming fight. Hospital. He sat up suddenly, barely registering the screeching pain that exploded through his stomach. He needed to get out. He couldn’t stay here, it wasn’t safe. He ripped his hand back instinctively. He couldn’t let himself be bound or medicated. Anything they would give him would interfere with his ability to think and react. Pain he could handle. If he was found unable to react, he would be dead. He needed to survive. He needed to find Bai. They had a bolt hole in Rio Verde he needed to get there and hide. Bai could find him there. Hospitals were searched daily, enemies that were discovered were quickly executed. 

He hadn’t been in friendly territory- Amber and Bai had gone to Itumbiara while he and Carmine were to keep route 452 clear for the escape. There was an explosion, after that he couldn’t remember anything. Although he spoke decent Portuguese he wouldn’t blend in as a native speaker. If they took him to be with the Chinese military, he would be killed. If they figured out he worked with contractors, he would be killed. Why does the nurse look Japanese? I don’t remember them being involved. A warm hand cupped his cheek and Hei’s whole body jolted in shock. He hadn’t felt anyone else in the room. How could they have been that close and I not notice?  The hand guided his head away from the startled nurse to look at the one it belonged to. He locked onto a pair of sky blue eyes. 

November.

His mind flooded with memories of recent events. Being drugged, the kidnapping - and what followed, being so very cold and then November in the Ambulance. He wasn’t in Brazil or Argentina, this hospital was in Japan and for the most part; safe. He shoved the past back into a box in the back of his mind. He wasn’t there. That was five years ago, five years ago! He screamed at himself as the memories tried to bubble back up. He was with November 11 in Tokyo. He took several steadying and painfully wheezed breaths as the panic subsided. The need to flee remained strong, but he wasn’t alone. November was keeping him safe while he was injured.

His whole body took that opportunity to begin protesting as the adrenaline subsided. His head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. His neck burned while his throat felt like sandpaper. Things didn’t get better from there. Moving his arms had his shoulders twinging and the pain in his wrists was making his fingers shake. His chest protested each breath. Everything in his abdomen from the diaphragm down felt like someone had taken an eggbeater to his insides. There was a dull ache from his hips but thankfully his legs -minus his knees which were probably black and blue- and feet seemed to be the only parts of him not protesting over the medication that the nurse must be there to re-administer.

“It’s alright Ah-Shun.” November cooed reassuringly from his side of the small cot. The blonde contractor’s eyes were lined with worry. He was in pain and November’s eyes told Hei that the other was hating himself for what had happened. Hei begrudgingly held his hand out for the nurse. He didn’t want anymore painkillers, he hated what they did to his head. To get rid of that look of guilt in November’s eyes, he’d end up taking these painkillers, and the ones that followed. November adjusted behind him, moving the pillow and bed so the Hei would be sitting up slightly by the time he had leaned back. Hei hissed through gritted teeth in pain as he settled into the mattress. He had tried not to make the noise, knowing it would make things worse for the other. Feeling November stiffen at the sound, Hei closed his eyes and did his best to overcome his discomfort. When he opened them again the nurse raised an eyebrow at him and checked on his IV. He stared at it for a moment. Had that been there the last time I was awake? He couldn’t remember. There was a lot that was fuzzy. He didn’t even know if it was the same day or not.

“How are you feeling?” November asked as he held out a cup of water for him. There was a pitcher on the table beside the bed they were currently sharing. He was glad November was there. He might not have been able to reel the memories in before he had done something to the startled nurse. 

“Sore” he rasped and his throat burned. It felt as if the word was torn out of him.  He gratefully took the water, his throat still felt raw, but he knew better than to gulp this soon after waking. He had made that mistake in Argentina. He had ended up unconscious again, so this time he was cautious and only took a sip. Thankfully the water wasn’t cold. His throat would have constructed more if it had been. The sandpaper he had felt before, turned to glue as he drank. He tried several more sips hoping to water down the stickiness in his throat  and to keep from coughing. It wasn’t working. His chest started to tighten and he knew it was coming. He passed the cup back quickly as the first few coughs bubbled up. He gripped the sheet tightly as he struggled to gasp between coughs. Hei kept curling forward a little more each time. The pressure on his insides from the cough made him feel like he might actually pop. He could feel the nurse and November at his side as the coughing finally began to subside. Try as he might, he couldn’t keep from whining as he wheezed. White hot pain claimed all of his abdomen and he fought back against the blackness creeping all too quickly into his vision. Hei leaned heavily into November as the wheezing slowed. His whole body felt heavy and weary, he didn’t feel like he even had the strength to keep himself upright.  

“I’ll let the doctor know you are awake.” The nurse commented, their voice sounded muffled in Hei’s ears. He felt November move slightly, presumably nodding at the nurse. Hei tried a few deeper breaths testing to ensure he wouldn’t relapse into another coughing fit. He focuses on the feeling of November’s hand rubbing his lower back. His breathing finally slowed to normal. While raw, his throat no longer felt like sandpaper or glue. Didn’t pass out this time. Hei held out his hand for the cup.

“Let me try again.” His voice was low and hoarse. This time, the liquid passed freely and he managed to finish the cup without issues. His throat felt some measure of cool relief. He wouldn’t be able to keep drinking to soothe it, but for now it’s protest had lessened. He passed the cup back to November. The slight movement had him feeling lightheaded. It was probably from the coughing, so he curled into November, getting the other to lean back into the mattress before Hei settled his head on November’s shoulder. With a small tug to the line to make sure there was enough slack, he wrapped his arm which was attached to the IV over November’s stomach. 

“I think the nurse,” he paused for a breath, feeling some of the pain subside. “Increased the dose.” The lightheaded feeling was shifting, and not in a good way. 

“Good.” November kissed the top of his head. Hei frowned and grumbled incoherently into November’s chest. The blonde ran his fingers through Hei’s hair and added. “I think you’re letting yourself be in too much pain as it is.” 

Hei tightened his grip on November slightly, it was beginning to feel like he was floating and spinning. He could see that he wasn’t moving, but he felt like he was, and it was getting faster. He hadn’t felt anything like this since Argentina. He tried to think back through the fog, his current muddled brain was not making the task simple. What had been the drug they put him on back then? They had said something about his reaction to it. What was it called? 

“I-I don’t know.” He couldn’t seem to grasp the memory through the fog. Hei closed his eyes, instantly the spinning sensation started to increase. It was beginning to feel like he was in one of those carnival rides he and Xing had gone on as kids. He knew he wasn’t. “I’m not moving.” Hei muttered aloud, trying to tell his brain to stop. The world wasn’t spinning, he wasn’t spinning, the bed and the one he was holding were still. He opened his eyes again, and the sensation slowed but didn’t stop. He needed an anchor. Something physical his body and brain could latch on to to fight back against the sensation. Swallowing hard he  curled further into November, making his body into a rock he could latch on to.

“No, you aren’t moving. You can stay here as long as you need.” November rubbed his shoulder. The movement was meant to be reassuring, but the slight jostle had bile inching up his throat. 

There was a knock from somewhere far away, but he felt November shift in the bed so it must have been from the door. He swallowed down the bile threatening to rise further. Hei had no interest in trying to roll over and find out who it was, moving would make the dizziness worse. 

“How are you feeling Li-san?” The new person to the room asked from behind him.

“Dizzy.” The word felt like it lodged in his throat. Nothing he had tried was helping. If he didn’t get the spinning to stop soon, he might pass out like the last time.

“I heard you had a bit of a coughing fit, that does tend to cause dizziness.”

“The room…” he swallowed down the nausea threatening to bring the empty contents of his stomach up. “is spinning.” November tensed under him. He really needed to stop making November feel worse about what had happened. He wasn’t’ that hurt. Everything would heal quickly and there wasn’t going to be any lasting damage. The amount of painkillers they had him on could really be a whole lot less. The doctor quickly appeared in his field of vision. He was grateful that the man hadn’t made him move. Leaning down, the doctor looked him over, although Hei was having trouble focusing on him. They just needed to take him off of these drugs and he would be fine . His mouth decided it was not going to cooperate with him and that expressing anything beyond single word answers was decidedly out of the question. 

“Given your previous injuries, have you experienced vertigo like this before?” 

“Argentina.” Hei gasped out, blinking repeatedly as the doctor shone his glaringly bright penlight in Hei’s eyes. “I- it felt like this.” His breathing started to pick up, his body registering all was not alright as black began gathering on the edges of his vision. He wanted to close his eyes, turn inward and battle down how his body was reacting. Only the spinning was so much worse when his eyes were closed. 

“How long ago?” 

The question was simple enough, as was the answer. Just up was quickly becoming left and down was around while right had fucked right off. He needed off of this medication now.

“Five years” November answered for him, when Hei didn’t immediately respond. The doctor looked up suddenly at November then back down at Hei.

“Alright. We will try a different medication. I will need you to lay on your back, so that I can check on your internal injuries. Do you think you could do that?” The doctor asked as he disappeared from view. He seemed to have gone over to the other side of the bed and adjusted the machine connected to the IV from the sound of the beeps. He hoped the doctor was turning the machine off and not just down. He wouldn’t last much longer like this.

Hei forced himself to uncurl from November. The process was so painfully slow, but he couldn’t risk going any faster. Even the slight movement was making the spinning worse. The blackness was creeping further and further into his vision. November shifted from underneath him and for the briefest moment the blackness took over his sight. His vision cleared as he felt himself being guided onto his back by November’s steady hands. Hei gladly let him have control, his body was not his own right now, but it still knew November’s touch. He focused firmly on keeping himself from passing out. When November got him settled, the blackness that still covered most of his vision, finally started to back away. 

November moved carefully off the bed to get out of the way of the doctor. No! He needed November right now. He wouldn’t be able to stay conscious if he didn’t have an anchor. Hei reached out as quickly as he dared for November’s hand. The spinning and blackness were threatening to take over completely without a tether to remind his body he was actually laying still. November lifted his hand, giving it a gentle kiss on the back. Reassuring him that November wasn’t going to leave him right now.

“I have turned off the morphine, you should start to feel the dizziness go away soon.” The Japanese doctor commented as he took Hei’s pulse. It was probably erratic as his heart was trying to keep up with his strained breathing. The doctor was right, by the time the doctor had finished his basic checks, the room was turning at a gentle pace in comparison to the tornado it was before. He might even be able to articulate a full sentence now if needed, however he would rather wait a bit longer. He might say something incriminating.

“I’m going to palpate your injuries now. Tell me if it begins to hurt too much.” 

Hei managed a slight nod. Hei felt November tighten his grip on his hand as the doctor pulled back the cloth over his stomach. The bruises are probably pretty bad. The Romanian’s had not been gentle with him, between the various blows he had received he would be surprised if there was any part left unscathed. Hei glanced down, it didn’t look much better than it felt. His stomach was a patchwork of pale, deep red and purple skin. I guess they did miss some areas. The doctor started prodding gently at the darker areas, they twinged a lot more than he felt they should and it was hard to focus on keeping his face neutral. The doctor looked up at him as he prodded an area close to his hip. There was something about this spot that the doctor clearly wanted to know about. The doctor's fingers barely put any pressure on the spot low on his hip and Hei yelped before he could clamp his mouth shut. Why was that area much more tender than the surrounding ones? He didn’t remember getting hit there particularly hard.

“You are lucky that your partner noticed your fever. You had been slipping into sepsis.”

“I- ah- It’s happened before.” Hei gasped as the doctor began prodding around the tender area, exploring how far the pain extended. Hei felt November squeeze his hand. Hei focused on his breathing to combat the new wave of dizziness and loosened his own crushing grip on November’s hand.

“Argentina?” The doctor asked. 

Hei nodded.

“That would make you more susceptible to it. Any other medical history we should know about?” The doctor was frowning. He couldn't have been expected to relay any of that before now, and he hadn’t had reason to tell November about it either.

“Uh.” Hei paused, unsure how to answer. He had been injured a lot in his life and he wouldn’t need to tell the doctor about all of that. His head still felt fuzzy and it was so hard to focus on any other reactions he had prior. “I don’t think so. Usually I just get patched up and sent on my way.” He mumbled and heard a disapproving huff from November beside him.

“I noticed. Some of your previous injuries weren’t tended properly.” The doctor’s tone was equally unimpressed with the treatment his body had gone through.

“Probably the ones I did myself…” Hei commented quietly then clicked his tongue in frustration, he had said it aloud by mistake. “I don’t like painkillers. Ah!” The doctor had found a second tender spot, this time it was on his left side near his ribs. He must have injured his spleen, that had happened in Argentina too.

“Your internal injuries are not too severe currently and will remain that way so long as you allow yourself to rest and recover.” The doctor looked up at him with a slight glare. “No strenuous activities, don’t even lift things more than nine or ten kilos, five or less would be preferable. Should you strain either of the tears and they get larger, your injuries will become serious very quickly. If you take things easy, it should be stable enough within five to seven days that the risk of tearing should be minimal. You will need to take painkillers and antibiotics for at least the next ten.” The doctor shifted his gaze over to November. “I trust you will ensure he takes them?” Hei opened his mouth to object, his previous comment the probable justification for insisting someone else make sure he takes the medicine.

“Most definitely.” Answered November without hesitation with a slight squeeze to his hand. November was the one person he would take them for. Hei sighed in defeat. 

“When is the earliest I can go?” Hei groaned. Hospitals always triggered him back to Argentina. Each time he woke up was a game of Russian Roulette; would he be in the present or past? Would he be able to bring himself back before hurting someone? The longer he was here the more likely he would be thrown into the memories from his past and coming out became unlikely.
“Preferably I would keep you here for another three days given your susceptibility to sepsis.”

“And if I promise to rest and take the meds? Can I get out sooner?” He knew he was pushing his luck, but he couldn’t stay here. If he wasn’t going to be cleared, he would leave against medical advice. Even November wouldn’t be able to keep him in the hospital more than another day.

“Ah-Shun…” November growled in frustration.

“That depends. Would your partner be willing to monitor you?” the doctor glanced between him and November.

“I think he’d be more than happy.” Hei interrupted before November could answer. The blonde would be overly attentive to his care, and while it would probably grind against his nerves at times, he would rather be at November’s apartment than the hospital.

“Tonight possibly. If anything comes up you will be here for at least another three days. First we will need to make sure you do not have more of a reaction to the next type of medication.”

“Alright.” Hei muttered in defeat, but there was no way he would let himself be in the hospital that long. The spinning had slowed to an almost tolerable speed. He tested closing his eyes for a moment to see if the spinning would increase. It was still here, and a bit more intense, but it wasn’t going faster.

“I will get the nurse to get you set up. If either of you notice a reaction, page the nurse right away.”

“I will.” November answered for him. With a quick nod the doctor left the two of them alone again. 

“Your bed is more comfortable than this cot, and I would rather you be my doctor.” Hei looked up at November before he could chastise him about wanting out of the hospital. Hei had the inclination that November probably understood why he didn’t want to be in the hospital, and hoped the other wouldn’t protest his choice. 

“I would probably fuss more than a doctor should.” November chuckled, letting his fingers run through Hei’s hair. 

“Well, you could be the nurse then.” Hei smirked and looked up at the clear blue eyes staring at him lined with concern.

“I do believe that is my job.” There was a chuckle from the door. “I hear you need some different medication, Li-san.” the petite Japanese woman held a bottle and syringe in her hand.

“Preferably less.” Hei muttered his thought’s aloud with a grimace.
“Not a chance Ah-Shun.” November leaned down and kissed his head.

“I follow your doctor’s directions. This should take effect quickly and might make you drowsy but shouldn’t make you too dizzy.” She smiled brightly as she measured the dose and added it into the IV line.

Hei sighed and closed his eyes. The sooner things fully stopped spinning the faster he would be able to focus on other things, like not thinking aloud. When he opened them again he was shocked to find the nurse had gone. The shadows around the room had shifted from where they had been, revealing that the sun was now high in the sky. July sat on the end of his bed. The young boy was staring into the distance in his direction with his legs dangling over the side and one of his small hands rested on Hei’s ankle. How long was I out? He no longer felt the warmth of November’s hand in his and a quick glance around the small room revealed he and July were the only ones present.

“July, where are November and April?” Hei shifted and worked on sitting up, slowing down when the pain started to increase. He reached over for the bed controls and used them to help himself sit up further. Pain burned through his stomach at the movement, centred around the two spots that the doctor had found before he had passed out.

“The hall.” July muttered without looking away from him.

“Have you been talking with Yin?” Hei asked quietly, taking the opportunity to inform July of Yin’s name while no one else was present. 

“She is worried.” July mumbled as he nodded looking over to the water pitcher beside the bed.

“I know. I will see her soon.” Hei glanced over and saw the spectre briefly before it retreated back into the water. 

July nodded, then looked over at the door a moment before November, April and a Japanese woman dressed in a tailored dark blue suit walked in. Hei recognized her. She would have to have something to do with the Japanese police if she was here with November. Who had he met from the Japanese police? There had only been once he had met with anyone who would be working with contractors. The ones who had come to his apartment after Chiaki Shinoda had died. She was the one who’s card he had tucked into the door frame. Head of Section 4, Kirihara Misaki. November must have used their resources in the search for him.

“You’ve met?” November asked and Hei glanced up, confused. “You have the look on your face that you get when you are struggling with information then connect it to something you already know.” November grinned as he explained.

“Seems these painkillers go to my head as well.” Hei grumbled but nodded. The pain at his hip was going cold and spreading downwards. 

“We have?” Kirihara exchanged a glance between him and November.

“Only briefly.” Hei adjusted himself gently on the bed to try and find a more comfortable position. “You were asking about a neighbour, but I had just moved in that day.” November was at his side quickly and adjusted the bed downward a few inches. His actions getting the pain to subside more than his own Hei breathed easier. “I still have your card.”

“Hmm.” Kirihara’s eyebrows knitted as she went over past cases. He had heard the name somewhere else as well. It hadn’t been Huang who had said it.. It had been November!

“Ah! She’s the one who called that morning.” Hei felt his ears heat up remembering being interrupted by ‘Chief Kirihara’.

“Morning? You mean.. VG-” Kirihara cut herself off. “You said there was traffic.” her eyes narrowed in a glare directed towards November. April chuckled from behind Kirihara, as she sipped something from a flash retrieved from her jacket.

“There was. Just not as much as you were thinking.” Hei glanced up at November and watched as the blonde’s eyes travelled over him, as he probably was remembering that morning as well. 

“You guys use messer codes not codenames?” If November had gotten Section 4 involved, Kirihara would have been informed he knew of contractors. This might be an opportunity to see what sort of person was hunting him.

“It is easier to follow the star than it can be to follow the contractor.” Kirihara sighed. She is right about that. A contractor could go into hiding, but their star would remain in the area if they were still there. The only reason she would know he was still in the city was because his star hadn’t moved from where it hovered above Japan.

“So that means you were looking for a contractor when you were asking about my neighbour.” Hei added some surprise to his voice to make it sound like he had put things together as to why Kirihara had been there. He had known she was looking for him or at the least more information about the doll. 

“Most likely.” Kirihara tapped her finger to her lip as she thought for another moment. “I think I remember you now. Apartment 201.”

“You remember my address?” Hei’s eyebrows raised in genuine surprise. 

“No, just the number.” Kirihara waved her hand dismissively.

“201 is significant?” He prodded. There was no way she could think he was BK-201 just based on his apartment number… right? Well I had said I had just moved in, and BK-201 was only recently spotted. Could she have made a correlation from that small bit of information and that I live in apartment 201? It was a stretch, but Hei couldn’t discredit the thought completely. Kirihara exchanged a look with November.

“Misaki, I doubt there is any correlation between an apartment number and a messer code.” November scoffed from beside Hei. No correlation at all… Kirihara’s eyes narrowed at November for giving away that 201 was related to a messer code.

“Ah. I may know about contractors, but don’t worry I don’t typically memorize their messer codes. I don’t even know November’s.” Hei raised his hands up defensively. He wanted to not appear as a threat to Kirihara. He needed her not to suspect him of anything. It was going to be a momentous task, as he didn’t know what of his background was shared by November in order to help find him. 

“Typically? Does that mean you remember some of them?” There was more than the hint of interest in November’s voice. 

“I only know four… no, three currently active ones.” Hei paused, Carmine’s code wasn’t active anymore . He thought sadly.

“I’ve come to see about getting your statement as to what happened while you were abducted.” Kirihara injected into the conversation, to bring things back to the matter at hand.

“November… Can this be put off until I’m more myself?” Hei rubbed his temple, he couldn’t afford to let anything slip around her. With November here, his guard was already dangerously low. Hei wasn’t sure he hadn’t let something slip with his expressiveness already, given November’s perception. He could at least put pressure on November’s sympathy for him to get him to ensure Kirihara didn’t press the matter.

“Yes Ah-Shun. I will get Kirihara to come back after you are released, for a statement.” November squeezed his shoulder gently and exchanged a pointed look at Kirihara. A touchy subject? Had their conversation in the hall had something to do with putting his statement off? The Japanese woman’s shoulders slumped slightly, clearly November had won whatever argument had taken place. 

“Alright. Let me know when he’s been released. It’s better to get statements when things are fresh.” Kirihara commented, she bowed politely and quietly exited the room leaving Hei alone with MI6’s team in Japan.

“Why do you have three messer codes memorized?” April was the first to break the silence. She had finished her flask and had been leaning against the wall to stay out of whatever warpath had been between November and Kirihara.

“I’ve worked with them.” He answered quietly. “I will check on their stars occasionally, but nothing beyond that.” Hei fidgeted with the sheet in front of him, but he had no intention of saying he had BK-201, UB-001 and HM-432 committed to memory.

“Any of them in Japan?” April cocked her head at him. 

“I- ugh- I don’t know if I’m allowed to answer that.” Hei glanced around nervously. “If they are or not, it’s not my life I would be giving away. If anyone carelessly gave one of you away like that to a different agency… that’s just too much of a risk.” Hei rambled his excuse. The idea of someone giving November and April’s location to the enemy felt like a dagger in the side. No, if something like that happened… someone would get a visit from the cursed contractor. 

“It’s okay Ah-Shun, you don’t have to say.” November squeezed onto the bed beside him, one of his arms circling around his waist. He leaned back into November. The hospital had him on edge. 

“I need out of here.” He whined. November’s hand around his waist squeezed just enough to be reassuring but not enough to put pressure on any of his injuries. 

“I think that’s the first time I’ve heard you’ve let yourself complain.” April laughed. “Either the meds have really got you messed up or you really don’t like hospitals.”

“Both.” Hei frowned. “Last time…” Hei’s voice warbled. “Last time I was in one… was Argentina.” November’s hand rubbed along his spine. There were bruises there too. November didn’t know about those yet. 

“One of us will be here with you. You won’t wake up alone here.” November mumbled into his ear. Hei shuddered. November understood why he was afraid. Bai had disappeared the last time he woke up in a hospital. 

“Well, then we should get things ready for you to come home. July and I can do that. Is there anything you need us to grab so you will be ready to spend some time with us?” April’s expression had softened. She wasn’t comfortable in hospitals either, he could see that in how quiet she had been. She would help with her own brand of fussing when he got to the apartment. Hei dreaded it and felt comforted at the same time. 

“I will check with the doctor to see if you can be released tonight.” November kissed Hei’s temple and slipped off the bed. He headed out the door with only a quick look to April to ensure she would stay until he was back. 

“Thank you.” Hei croaked to both of them before November was out the door. July’s hand rubbed his leg too. Hei smiled warmly at the boy. 

There was a knock at the door and the nurse who had disappeared on him before was there. 

“I hear you want to go tonight. We’re waiting on the doctor, but I can unhook you so you can get ready.” She smiled brightly as she approached the bed. She paused next to the IV and held her hand out, waiting for Hei to give her. He handed it to her with only slight hesitation. The IV was removed quickly. 

“Your first task will be to get dressed.” She declared, glancing around. “Ah, there.” She picked up a small pile of clean clothes from the chair next to his bed and held it out to him. It was some of the ones he had thrown into his satchel before he had gone to meet Shikikoza. Hei nodded as he accepted the clothes. The nurse ushered July and April out of the room before commenting; “I will be just outside the door. If it gets too much, call out. Okay?”

Hei nodded. He didn’t wait for her to leave before he gently maneuvered himself off the bed. The process was slow but the pain level was manageable. Bending, turning and putting his arms up were the most difficult parts of the process. He debated foregoing the socks but gritted his teeth and finished getting dressed, shoes and all. 

November was waiting for him when he opened the door. A weight fell off of November’s shoulders as he laid eyes on Hei back in his usual attire. The only visible signs the bandages at his neck and wrists. Hei paused, November wanted to take care of him. There was no guilt or shame in the look he was giving Hei. Just a need to make sure he was okay. When was the last time someone wanted to take care of me? He thought, not in the last ten years, Xing had been the last one to care for him when he wasn’t well back when they were young.  

November must have recognized something in his pensive expression. There had been the briefest dark look to his eyes before the blonde was at his side. For the next ten days, he would have more people concerned for his health than he had ever had. Ten days. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to make it through that time without revealing things he shouldn’t. He wouldn’t be able to relax for very long, let alone the whole ten days. He was also concerned the syndicate would send someone to look for him. Even with his pattern of being AWOL this time of year, he had never been gone for more than four days. By the end of that period, should he not report in, Huang might get the order to end him. I will need to get word to him. I need to get out of here tonight.  

“You are up faster than I expected.” The doctor commented from down the hall. Hei shifted his weight to look at him rather than turn his head. His neck was uncomfortably stiff and the pain meds from before were starting to wear off. 

“I bounce back quickly.” Hei rubbed the bandage on one of his wrists. The doctor frowned at him. 

“Well, if you can make it to the waiting room at the end of the hall and back to your bed without too much discomfort, and when I check on your injuries there is no worsening pain. I will clear you to leave.”

Hei nodded his head. The waiting room at the end of the hall was at least forty metres away. I can do this. The doctor had chosen a task that, while not impossible, was unlikely a normal person would be able to complete. He wasn’t normal and he needed to pass this test. If he could survive Pen y Fan, he could survive this. He leaned over towards November and whispered. 

“Stay here, I’ll be right back.” Which earned him a warm smile from the blonde. He locked his mask in place to hide any signs of pain from the doctor. He needed November to be the finish line. A goal to lock onto when his endurance would be waning. He would need to have November behind him when going towards the doctor so his mask would remain in place. 

Slow steady breaths. He took a step forward. Pain creeped across his stomach as he took his next few steps like a snake coiling in and around itself. He kept his face neutral, it was imperative the doctor not know the extent of his pain. He managed to pass the nurses station before the pain began to burn. That’s not tearing, it’s exertion. He reassured himself and pressed on. His coccyx and hips began to ache, throwing their protests in with the searing pain in his belly. 

It had better be only to the door. Hei bit down on the side of his tongue to keep from clenching his teeth. The doctor would be able to tell if he was doing that. He tapped the doorframe of the waiting room next to the doctor. The doctor watched intently as he turned back towards November. He managed a small smile at November who was waiting anxiously back at his room before he focused on the floor in front of him and headed back. 

He managed to keep his breathing steady until he passed the nurses station again. The pain was clawing its way up his ribs and spine now. He stumbled slightly only a few feet from the door to his room. November took a step forward and Hei shot him a look with a lot more angry Hei in it than Shengshun. He had caught himself quickly and didn’t need help. I can do this! His expression gave the contractor enough sense to stay where he was or else. During his last few steps before the door his knees had begun to shake, but he made it all the way back to his bed without either of them giving out. Rather than getting back into the bed he opted to lean against it. November frowned at him from where he was on the other side of the cot. The blonde desperately wanted to help him, but that might keep the doctor from letting him go. He swallowed hard and focused on getting his breathing back under control. The doctor would prod him again and he would need to get back in the cot for that. He let one hiss through his teeth out as he settled back down seconds before the doctor walked in. 

“One more thing, and I will see if you can be cleared to leave tonight.”

Hei nodded and undid the buttons to his shirt. The red spots from before were getting darker and the purple ones were now almost black. He watched as the doctor’s fingers explored the purple spots. He prepared himself as the doctor approached the more troublesome areas. Hei knew where to expect the pain this time and as the doctor pressed on each of them in turn, he kept his reaction as minimal as he could; gritting his teeth and a couple of eye twitches. The doctor nodded solemnly and a smirk cracked on Hei’s face. Passed!

“Alright, I will permit you to leave tonight on a couple of conditions. One- for the next two, preferably three days you remain under someone’s supervision. Two- spend as much of those days as you can immobile. Short walks are permitted, from what you just did work up to what would be from here to the car park. Three- take your medication. Not just the antibiotics.” The doctor's eyes betrayed his disapproval of letting Hei go.

“Alright.” Hei nodded. Relief flooded his system knowing that he wouldn’t be forced to stay any longer. He had passed the first hurdle. His next was November, it wouldn’t be easy to get November to let him out of his sight for a while, but being with him was a million times better than being in the hospital. He glanced over at November, there was still worry lines around his eyes, but there was also an understanding as to Hei’s need to get out of there quickly. 

“The antibiotics need to be taken three times a day. The painkillers can be every six do not stretch it more than ten hours between doses. If you feel he is in too much pain he can have them every four hours.” The doctor explained after Hei looked back up at him. He could see November nodding along from his peripheral vision, probably making an extra mental note about ensuring Hei had the painkillers every four hours for the foreseeable future. Hei hoped he wouldn’t let too much slip in his medicated state over the coming days. 

“He’s picked up on your dislike of painkillers.” November teased playfully.

“I did blab it out loud earlier.” Hei huffed mournfully. “I will let him set the painkiller dose. I will be at his place anyway so there will be someone around to watch me. The immobile part is going to be difficult, but I will try my best.” Hei looked down at his hands as he spoke.

“I will try and help with that as well.” November reached over and plucked his hand from his lap giving it a light reassuring squeeze. 

“I will get the paperwork ready to have you discharged.” The doctor nodded finally and left the room. Hei leaned back into the cot, which was still in an upright position. He closed his eyes with a sigh and focused on getting the pain back under control. November carded his fingers through Hei’s hair before placing a gentle kiss on his head.

“You shouldn’t have pushed yourself.” November finally commented on what was plaguing his mind. Yeah, it’s going to take a while before he stops worrying. Hopefully he will settle in his overprotectiveness soon.  

“I need to get out. The longer I am in a hospital the harder it gets to separate what happened in the past and what’s happening now.” Hei murmured, focusing on the tingling feeling of November’s fingers on his scalp. 

“Ah, That was the reason behind the look then.” November’s voice registered understanding for the glare Hei had given him earlier. 

“The ‘let me do this’ look?” Hei opened one eye and looked up at November. He hasn’t meant for the look to be quite as intense as it had been. 

“It really was more intense than that. More along the lines of ‘I will fight you if you try to stop me’.” Hei felt himself relax as November continued stroking his head. 

“I thought you liked that?” Hei teased. November did enjoy when he had to work for Hei to submit to him, those times were quick and intense. November also enjoyed knowing Hei trusted him completely and would go slower and pay attention to his every reaction when Hei let him have more control. 

“Oh, I do.” November groaned and swallowed hard. “I am also looking forward to having you home, where I can fuss over you properly.” He smiled warmly down at Hei. The worry lines were less than before. I can give him a couple of days to fuss. Hopefully that will be enough. It had been so long, he wasn’t sure how he would react. He would try his best to let November coddle him for a bit. 

“It’s been a long time since I’ve had that.” Hei commented meekly. He was sure November knew it already but saying it aloud had the dark look pass quickly over the bright eye he loved. 

“I will do my best to help you get used to it.” November leans down to kiss his head again. Hei tilted his head back and caught the other’s lips with his own. It was different from their usual kisses. This kiss wasn’t rushed, it conveyed November’s worry and Hei’s trust, and how they both wanted to reassure the other that things would be alright. 

 

***

 

The biggest downside to staying over at November’s was April. Hei knew she had been worried about him, but the constant teasing needed to stop. He could barely handle it normally. Being on painkillers had him so close to slipping up at times - he had almost said she was worse than Mao. She was, but it would have led to questions of who Mao was. Between her bombarding presence and pointing out every single time November or he was even slightly affectionate or her attempt at playful poking or punching which in the end were actually painful, Hei had had enough. He hadn’t even been able to curl up with November on the couch without her going on a tangent about hoping they hadn’t done too much on the couch already.

He had forced himself to retreat to November’s bedroom before mid morning. He had done it to ensure he didn’t accidentally zap the cotton candy haired contractor out of frustration. It was clear that should he be in one of the more ‘public’ spaces of their flat, she would continue relentlessly. November had firmly put his foot down and vetoed all teasing shortly after. The blonde had noticed April’s teasing was aggravating him and that his move to the bedroom was him taking himself out of the situation before it got violent. November instead sent her on an errand. 

Even with April out of the flat he wasn’t allowed to wander too much. Trips between November’s bedroom, the couch or kitchen were permitted. However, he had discovered at breakfast that cooking was firmly off the list of things he was allowed to do. Hei had to remind himself, November was trying to take care of him, but that in particular aggravated him. Even though he knew without a doubt that November was right. I never thought having someone take care of you would be so frustrating . 

Between his expressiveness due to being on painkillers and November’s ability to read him already, Hei felt like his thoughts and emotions were an open book. November would watch for some sign that he had begun to feel the pain through the meds - one which Hei himself wasn’t aware of - and would then insist on him taking the next dose. He had even been trying to hide it, but November just knew. He also had a tiny shadow in July who would frequently be found sitting beside the couch on the floor if he was resting there or his spectre could be found in the window of November’s room. He had tried to convince the boy he could sit on the couch too if he was there, but July shook his head. The recent events seemed to have turned all members of MI6 present into overprotective mama bears.

The errand November had sent on April was to the Chinese markets. He found this out when she returned shortly before lunch with an assortment of foods from different regions of China. There were many he hadn’t tried before. November must have wanted to find something for him that would be a comfort from home while he was sick. While November wasn’t aware he was from Wuhan, he wasn’t sure what he would answer if November asked him directly. The truth was only a little risky; the population was large enough not to give too much away. He had spent most of his life away from there, it wasn’t like it was ‘home’ anymore. Even so, when it was revealed that April had managed to find some lotus root and pork soup on her excursion, he ended up claiming that dish in spite of himself. There were just some comforts you couldn’t pass up when unwell. Lotus root soup was one of those. Xing had been the last person he had shared it with, and she had gotten some for him the last time he was sick. This version wasn’t quite how he remembered although it was delicious.

After lunch Hei curled back up on the couch, he knew he would probably fall asleep soon. He might manage to miss one of the doses of the painkillers if he did. He heard July settle down on the floor or at the end of the couch by his feet. He was really worried for me. Hei smiled to himself as warmth spread in his chest. He still wasn’t used to knowing he actually had people who cared about him. Yin probably was worried about him too. He hadn’t seen her spectre since the warehouse. Presumably it was because November was by his side almost constantly and having another doll’s spectre pop in would bring his alias back under suspicion. July would let her know he was alright, it could be part of why he was staying so close. He drifted off with a content sigh, he was safe and loved.

 

Something had moved, bringing his consciousness back from sleep and setting off every one of his internal warning bells. There was a presence behind him. Too close! How had he fallen asleep so exposed! Hei flipped around as fast as he could. His legs curled up towards his stomach, ensuring he ended up in a crouching position as he rolled off the couch. He had no weapons. As he faced his attacker ready to strike, sky blue hair and gold eyes struck a memory. It was an important one too… from where? April! He halted his arm from landing the blow, falling to the floor to keep from making contact. He yelped as the hard surface of the floor jolted his body into registering pain. There was so much pain. He gasped in a shrill breath in pain and shock. He gritted his teeth and held his breath to keep from making any more noise as wave after wave of pain washed over him as his body vehemently protested his movement. 

“Ah-Shun are you alright?” Hei could hear November’s rushed footsteps as he came over. 

“Holy Fuck you’re fast.” April gasped. Hei didn’t dare move. The pain from impact was receding, but the rest of him was vying for the rank of most painful. He focused on a small black dot on the floor. Using every ounce of willpower he had, he fought back against the pain.

“Ah-Shun?” November bent down in front of him, cutting off his view of the spot. Hei sucked in a breath through his teeth and let it hiss out slowly. November shot April an icy look. “April! What the hell did you do?”

“Nothing!” She huffed. “I only moved his shirt a little. I didn’t know that would wake him or that he was that fast or flexible! I’ve only ever seen cat’s move like that.” April still stood, stunned in the spot he had almost hit her. 

“If he’s torn anything, I will freeze you.” November growled. Hei tried to laugh at the comment but it came out as more of a cough. He really wasn’t going to get used to having people fuss over him anytime soon. His body reacted on instinct, and that wasn’t something he could let slack off because he felt safe with November. 

“I’ll be alright." Hei groaned, finally trusting his voice not to betray the level of pain he was in.

“April, go get a glass of water and his painkillers.” November shook his head. “Won’t skip another dose will you?” November tutted at him in disapproval. 

“Maybe.” Hei grunted as he tried to see if he could adjust himself back up to the couch. November was quick to help him, taking much of his weight as he got onto the couch. Hei hissed a bit at the pain clawing around in his stomach and curled into the arm of the couch. He didn’t hesitate when April reappeared to take his meds. I need off them, but being able to move is more important. 

“How have you survived being injured before?” November let out an exasperated sigh. He had lots of different injuries in the past, just most of them had not happened at the same time. 

“Do you want the gentle answer or the more honest one?” Hei smirked as he glanced up at November. 

“Both.” November responded pointedly and waited for Hei to answer. Hei let his head rest on the arm of the couch. 

“With great difficulty.” He groaned. 

“That’s the gentle one isn’t it? What’s the honest one?” November sat down next to Hei. He felt one of November’s hands rub along his shoulders and his thumb trace circles around pressure points to help him relax. 

“I am very good at avoiding being injured or managing minor ones. A lot of my combat experience relies on my ability to dodge and evade. I’ve never been caught before. I’ve been put through training situations that simulate it, but not the real thing.” Hei closed his eyes and breathed out slowly, focusing on November’s fingers and thumb on his back and the warmth from him at his side. “It’s been years since I’ve had this many injuries.” He murmured. 

“Argentina.” November grumbled and Hei nodded in confirmation. “I hope your recovery at least will be better than that time.” November pouted. The worry lines were back. 

“It is infinitely better. Even with April.” Hei teased and reached out for November’s other hand. “Thank you, I know I’m not the best patient.” He smiled gratefully. He wasn’t used to any of this. Having people who cared for him or letting people take care of him. It was all so foreign to him. He was brought out of his musing by a knock at the door. 

“That would be Misaki.” November groaned. April waved him off when November went to get up. Hei shifted carefully so he could lean into November. November gladly accepted the contact and he let his hand trail up and down Hei’s side. 

“Chief Kirihara?” Hei asked, trying to ignore how even injured, and through his shirt, November’s fingers could still set sparks off in his belly.

“She wants to hear what happened from your point of view.” November leaned his head on Hei’s. 

“And you had requested I come back after you had been discharged.” Kirihara cut in as she walked into the room followed by April. 

“I don’t know how useful it will be. A lot of it is really fuzzy. Whatever they put in the tea was really strong.” Hei looked up at the Japanese woman. 

“It was. The lab confirmed it was about twice the strength of a typical roofie. Doctor Shikikoza, while unharmed, remained unconscious for almost twelve hours. The fact that  you were awake within two hours is quite remarkable.” Kirihara pushed up her glasses as she stopped in front of Hei. 

“Not really… my metabolism is probably the reason. It did linger a long time, I don’t remember most of what happened. I remember they asked about contractors and got frustrated and violent when I wouldn’t answer their questions. Later, when it was getting really cold I kept blacking out. I know one of the times I came to as they were going to question me again, I reacted violently and they really didn’t like that. That time did end up with me outside of the freezer for a while… long enough I could even feel my fingers again.” He rambled off a vague description of what had happened. He knew November felt bad enough and he wanted to spare all of MI6 present the gory details. “After that, they threw me back in the freezer and when I woke up next November was there. I don’t remember anything at the hospital until I woke up yesterday and November told me about what happened.”

“Do you remember anything else from when they had you?”

“No.” Hei shook his head. The Romanians were all probably dead so there was no need to bring it up. Kirihara gave him a hard stare, giving him a lot longer to add anything to his answer. I didn’t break when tortured, a look really isn’t going do do anything. After another moment Kirihara’ furrowed her eyebrows and frowned. 

“Well, if you have nothing more to add, I will leave you to recover. Let me know if you do decide to remember.” Misaki huffed in disappointment then nodded to November and April before she excused herself with a small bow. 

“Why do I get the feeling she knows there was more, and you aren’t saying anything.” November turned and looked at Hei, concerned over whatever Miskai had been hinting at. “What happened that you don’t want to talk about?”

“Nothing worse than I’ve experienced before or was warned could happen, so don’t worry about it.” Hei mumbled and let his arms curl around November. “You found me, and I will recover. That’s what matters.” Hei heard November grumble as he rested his head on the other’s chest. He doesn’t need to blame himself for what happened. I let my guard down too.

 

***

 

Hei was starting to feel a little better the next day. He wasn’t ready to try and go off the painkillers again yet. Not after yesterday’s disaster. The rest he had gotten yesterday had done wonders for his healing. He could see November was wondering about what had happened every time the other saw some of his bruises. Like the wheels of his brain were trying to figure out how each type of bruise would form. April had stopped actively trying to tease him. Her eyes betrayed how upset at herself she was about yesterday. She had even gone back to the market and gotten two different types of lotus root soup for him. She is growing on me. July was giving him a little more space today as well. He was staring into the glass more and it made Hei wonder if he was talking to Yin. He would need to get a message to Huang soon so the Syndicate wouldn’t think he ran off for good or switched sides if they had heard about November.

November had started making sure that if Hei fell asleep on the couch he was nearby as well as July. He didn’t want a repeat of the previous day’s event. Because of this November ended up frequently becoming his pillow on the couch, not that either of them minded. He was leaning into November just starting to drift when July suddenly stood up from his post at the end of the couch. Curiously the doll walked over to the door. He felt November tense behind him. Whoever was on the other side was not an expected guest. 

Hei glanced down the hall as July opened the door. Hei sat up quickly, ignoring the pain that shot down his legs as he noticed the white hair opposite July at the door. Yin! The two dolls seemed to communicate with each other silently before July took Yin’s hand and led her into the room. 

“Yin.” July announced simply to the stunned room.

Why is she here? He didn’t know what he was going to say to explain her presence. 

“Is this your girlfriend?” April scoffed disbelievingly. The situation was so unreal, two dolls making plans on their own just didn’t happen. 

“How do you know Shengshun Yin?” November asked from behind Hei. Hei clicked his tongue, frustrated with himself for having given away that information. Hei stood up slowly, he could tell November’s hands were only inches away from him as he got off the couch. July and Yin stopped beside the end table. 

“From before. Work together.” Yin commented quietly, staring off into the distance. 

“It was after Heaven’s War. I- Ho-” Hei stumbled over his words. Upon hearing his voice, Yin walked over to Hei and hugged him around the waist. 

“Worried.” Yin muttered as she pressed her head into his shoulder. Yin had worked so hard to find him when he had been kidnapped. It had been her spectre he had seen and knew it wouldn’t be long before someone would come. Hei rubbed her head reassuringly. 

“I’m sorry I worried you. I’m getting better now.” He whispered and returned the hug. 

“Mmm.” She took a step back and tapped Hei’s heart. “Healing. Found family.”

“I did.” His face cracked into a quick smile. He had found a family. Mao and Huang might not get to officially join, but having Yin be included felt right. There was a rustle behind him as November stood up. 

“So did you.” November commented to Yin. Hei turned to look at November in shock. What? “July said you see Shengshun as family.” November added. When did he find out that July was talking to Yin? Was it when I was taken? Yin nodded simply in response to November’s question. “Then you are welcome in our family.” November said with a warm smile. Hei struggled with words. His mouth gaped slightly in shock. His family was coming together.

“HA! You each have a kid and I’m the outgoing and hot aunt.” April announced loudly to the room. Hei felt his whole face, ears and neck go red at the comment. November wrapped his arms around Hei from behind and pulled him into a possessive hug. 

“I think our family suits us.” November mumbles into Hei’s ear before placing a kiss on his neck, setting off pleasant shivers down his spine. 

“Our family…” Hei repeated in wonder. 

“I do wonder, why are you in Japan Yin?” Hei was still in a daze; he almost missed November’s question. He hoped November wouldn’t pry much into Yin’s current mission. He also needed Yin not to give away that they were working together now. 

“Working.” She stated. Short answers were good. It kept her from giving extra information out. 

“For whom?” November pressed for more information. Hei wanted to see November’s face as he asked, or to even let him know not to pry, but before he could do either he stopped himself. November might pick up that they were still working together from his own expression. 

“Not permitted.” Yin shook her head. It was basic doll programming to limit what they could talk about. Especially the ones they worked for. He internally sighed in relief. 

“You weren’t sent to look out for Shengshun, were you?” Hei felt the slight shake to November’s head as his question was more of a statement. Implying the blonde already knew the answer. 

Yin shook her head.

“How did you know he was here?”

“Saw July. Followed.” The explanation was simple and to the point. 

“Will your current team notice you are missing?” April asked and Yin cocked her head to one side as if thinking. 

“Not yet. Soon.”

“Thank you for watching out for Shengshun. Thank you for helping find him.”

“Keep him safe.” Yin nodded and gave November and Hei a quick hug before turning to leave. 

“You do seem to have quite the effect on our kind.” November kissed Hei’s neck as July and April walked Yin to the door. 

“What do you mean?” Hei murmured, still in awe over what had happened. 

“The three of us and now Yin, are all experiencing emotions again, and find ourselves wanting to stay with you and keep you safe.” November swayed slightly, rocking Hei gently from side to side. 

“How could I be the one doing that?” Hei chuckled dismissively. November hummed into Hei’s hair. Hei dismissed the comment. He couldn’t be the reason contractors were feeling emotions again. 

 

 ***

 

Hei was bored. 

He was feeling significantly better than he had in the past few days, but November was still insisting that he wasn’t allowed to do much of anything. It stemmed from the fact that his doctor had originally wanted to keep him there until today. Being  told to sit or lay down after walking around the apartment when November thought it was too much, was grating on his nerves. He was an active person and rarely was forced to stay this long in one location. Even in Argentina when recovering from the creation of the containment area, they had let him roam the grounds. He had even ended up in a fight only a day after waking up! The walls of November’s apartment were starting to feel like they were closing in on him. 

November took pity on him shortly after lunch and his twentieth circuit of the flat, and presented him with his satchel. The sight of the bag had his eyebrow twitching, but going over the material contained within it was better than succumbing to cabin fever. November had his own case files to review it seemed. He received a large box of files from Britain that morning. Part of him wanted to know what the contents of the box revealed about him, but he knew that he shouldn’t pry. He was enjoying his time -being kidnapped and tortured aside- with November.  Asking without a segway would be too suspicious and could look like he was trying to insert himself into the investigation into BK-201. So he took up residence once again on the couch, this time with his notes. He claimed November’s lap as a pillow when he joined him on the couch. November began threading his fingers repeatedly through Hei’s hair with just enough pressure on his scalp to be dangerously relaxing. Hei closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensation, letting it lull him into sleep.

“You mean James thinks your theory is not only credible but actually likely?” April’s voice registered through the haze of sleep. Theory? Does she mean his theory about BK-201?

“Yeah. What I’ve read so far from what he sent me, those siblings… they would have been a force to be reckoned with. Especially her. It’s easy to see why February would want to control her and manipulate her ability. What confuses me is why she had the powers transferred. If she had control over Bai, why would she move the powers?” November mused over the puzzle out loud. 

Hei had to use all his training not to budge hearing November say her name. Who was his source? How did they get information? Who’s February? They had to be ex-MI6? Hei felt rage spread like poison in his veins. There was only one ex-MI6 person he knew of that also knew Bai.

Amber. 

“That doesn’t matter. What matters is we keep February away from him. Far away! They must have had some sort of falling out. She’s off on her own and Hey’s been sent here.” April’s voice was louder now, something she did when she had been drinking or was stressed. 

“Hei.” November corrected. His heart stopped. Hei couldn’t believe it. November knew his code name. He knew he had given himself away because of the twitch he hadn’t been able to stop due to the shock of hearing November say ‘Hei’. That damned tempting dream popped back up in his head, only now he had the proper cadence to associate with the sound. It sounds better than I thought it would. He yawned and rolled into his back to look sleepily up at November. 

“Good Morning Ah-Shun.” November smiled down at him, brushing a few strands of hair off his forehead. 

“I believe it’s afternoon. Unless I’ve slept all the way into evening.” He yawned. “What were you two talking about?” He couldn’t have asked for a better way to find out what they knew of him. They had openly talked about the contents of the box while he slept, and November knew Shengshun was curious, especially about gate relevant subjects. 

“A pair of contractors from Heaven’s war.” November paused, he hummed as he pondered something. Coming to some decision November asked. “Don’t answer if it’s too much, but during Heaven’s War, you wouldn’t have heard of a contractor code named Bai or a human code named Hei. He was also known as The black reaper?”

Hei wasn’t sure what to answer. Yeah that’s me and my sister… nope. Maybe something else? But what? Oh! That was something vague enough . It was probably the painkillers that pushed him to talk. He did hope one day November might actually accept him, this would be a unique opportunity for him to sow some seeds without too much risk. 

“Do you mean Hei Bai Wúcháng?” He asked, disguising his nervousness as caution. There weren’t many who knew the reason behind his and Xing’s code names. 

“Maybe? I’ve not seen Wuchang mentioned. What or who is that?” November’s bright blue eyes watched him intently. Hei rolled his bottom lip in his teeth, pausing as he wondered if he was making the right choice bringing this up. This is such a big risk… and it’s probably because I want him to say ‘Hei’ more. Hei was internally disappointed with himself, but couldn’t help the desire to hear November say his name again. He knew he wouldn’t be able to say ‘Bai’ or ‘Hei’ without revealing too much, so he chose to translate them instead.

“The code names are a reference to a pair of Chinese Immortals. The reason I think you are referring to them is because it’s basically the same concept as the western grim reaper. Only there are two of them.  Black would punish evil deeds and white would reward those who had done good in their life. It actually translates as Black and White Impermanence.”

Hei paused. He wasn’t able to keep from expressing his hesitance about continuing. He had thought it would be easier to talk about it this way, but it wasn’t. Like it wasn’t about him or his family. He took a breath and steadied his heart. The source of their names had actually been their father’s code name. His father’s codename stemmed from characters with the same sound as where they were from and their family name. Hei closed his eyes, doubting his decision to talk, but  he had already started. If he stopped now it would be even more difficult to not only bring up but to talk about, so he steeled his resolve and pressed on. “There is also a third: Wuchang Kuei. That one… h-he’s the Ghost of Impermanence. Sometimes they are seen as a representation of both Black and White, other times Ghost is seen as Black and White’s commander.” He opened his eyes and chanced a look up at November. His blue eyes were intently watching as he committed what was said to memory.

“How does that relate to Heaven’s War?” April asked and walked into his field of view. 

“They were all there.” Hei paused. How much should I say? “Ghost commanded Black and White, but always from the shadows and almost never got directly involved. Black and White roamed the battlefields, leaving very few alive.” Hei paused again as he felt his heart clench thinking of Bai. “I heard White had disappeared at the end of Heaven’s War, but I’m not sure what happened.” Hei forced himself to sit up; I might be able to inject some differences between Shengshun and BK-201 as well if I’m careful. He sat up and turned to look at November and April. “The person you are in Japan looking for… they aren’t… Please tell me it isn’t them.”

November and April exchanged looks. 

“We are looking for Hei.” November confirmed with a frown. 

Hei got up from the couch. He wouldn’t be able to look at either of them right now without giving himself away. The medication made it too easy for November to read behind his words and expression. He knew the two contractors were watching his every move right now. He drew in a shaky breath as he calmed his nerves.

“I hope you don’t find him.” Hei whispered. Then added sadly. “I have no interest in having to go against Ghost.” If November did figure out who he was. He would have to choose between running away from November or hiding for the rest of his life from the Syndicate and his father. If his father harmed November, Hei wouldn’t relent until he had killed him or died trying. Hei was certain of one thing; his father could never know how much November meant to him. 

“Why would you get involved?” Hei could hear November’s confusion. Hei clicked his tongue and shook his head. The reason he would get involved should have been obvious.

“Tell me, what did you do to the Romanians?” He glanced back at the two contractors briefly before looking down at his feet. 

“Killed them.” Both April and November responded without hesitation. 

“And the reason you did…” Hei turned and looked at November as he raised his eyebrow. Letting his statement sink in.

“Because they had taken you- oh.” Realization dawned on the contractor. November’s mouth curled up slightly making the connection that Hei would battle the world of any harm came to him. 

“I may not have your resources, but Ghost is the one pulling the strings. He is always there in the shadows if Black or White are involved. It makes no sense for me to go for anyone other than the king.” Hei stated firmly. 

“How much do you know about them?” April had caught on faster than November for once. She was also being careful around him still and didn’t want to outright ask how close he had gotten. You really don’t want to know just how close I am to them April. 

“Enough to know to stay very, very far away from Ghost.” his voice was barely a whisper. He wanted November to know the dangerous ground he was treading on. He might think he was in the clear, but he was dancing in a minefield. Hei knew November wouldn’t stand much of a chance if he needed to take on his father. His father could turn, not just MI6, but every organization related to contractors in the world against his blonde love. There wouldn’t be many places they could hide should his father go on the warpath. 

“You’ve fought them before.” November muttered aloud in surprise. November stood up quickly from the couch as the connection shocked through his system. Hei had fought his father once, and only the once. It had been in Argentina. 

“I… uh.” Hei stumbled over words as images of Heaven’s War began to flood in front of his eyes. He couldn’t keep from shaking as memories poured past his lowered defenses. 

Da-ge!

Something inside him snapped as the floodgates keeping the memories locked away, were flung open and he was immersed in the past. He could hear his father’s voice in his head from when he had shown up in Argentina. His father didn’t have a scratch on him and was venting his frustrated that Hei had gotten injured. That had not been part of the plan. Amber had completed her mission, but it wasn’t the outcome he had wanted. Hei had never seen his father that mad. He wasn’t mad because Bai was missing, or that Hei was injured, he was mad because things hadn’t turned out the way he had planned!

“Ah-Shun?”

The way that he talked about Bai, as if the events not turning out was all her fault. It sounded like his father viewed Bai as if she was three days old take-away that he should have disposed of long ago. Hei couldn’t take it anymore. He couldn’t listen to his father talk about Bai that way. He had just lost the only person who had meant anything to him and their own father was saying Bai’s life was meaningless. For the first and only time in his life; he snapped. Anger took over him and he let all of his anger and frustration out. He hadn’t cared that he was seriously injured, he was blinded by the rage he felt in that moment and needed to get rid of the blight on humanity that was his father. 

“Ah-Shun!?”

His father and four bodyguards hadn’t expected the first blow. They barely had time to react by the second. It was over for Hei by the fifth. His father had staggered back and let his goons subdue him. He had fought them like a wild animal, desperate to survive. The only reason he hadn’t zapped the four of them had been because he was fighting purely with instinct and muscle memory. Bai’s powered we’re still foreign to him. He had known it was over when they had pinned him face down to the floor. At the time he was sure they were going to kill him and had accepted that he would be joining Bai soon. 

“Li what’s wrong?”

But they didn’t. 

His father grumbled about Hei needing to remember just who was in control of his life. So he had his goons hold him down while he carved a deep and physical reminder of who was in charge in the form of the two Chinese characters for impermanence (無常). He had struggled. Wiggling and flailing with every ounce of strength he could muster. The characters on his side were messy and, unless you knew what they meant to say, were illegible. He had passed out not long after the last stroke. Hei’s hand went instinctively to the scar on his side, surprised there was no hot sticky blood coating his hand. Why wasn’t there?

“Ah-Shun, are you alright?”

When he had woken up again, this time securely bound to the bed. His wound lay open and untended. His father had told him, if he was a good monster he would be able to know where Bai was… in time. That had been the last time Hei had seen his father. Since then, out of the need to find his sister, he had been the loyal dog his father had wanted. Five years, wasn’t that enough time? He needed to know what had happened. The only one who had all the facts, never came out of the shadows, and probably didn’t care if he was alive or that he had almost died recently. Hei stopped breathing as terror crawled up his spine freezing the breath in his lungs. 

Section 4 had helped November. There would be reports filed and sent up the chain. 

MI6 would have their own report filed and also given to the higher ups. 

His involvement with November would be exposed soon. Dread gripped his heart. Hei’s shaking legs finally gave out. He didn’t even attempt to catch himself. His limbs wouldn’t respond anyway. Pain coursed through him as he hit the floor hard. He didn’t stop the whined yelp that escaped him or the pained noises he was making as he wheezed for air. Each breath was accompanied by a high pitched whine as he clawed his way back to the surface of his brain fighting desperately against himself to regain control. 

Warm arms wrapped around him. He wanted to cry. He wouldn’t be able to keep November. The Syndicate would know soon. If his father found out about his feelings, he would consider his loyalty compromised, and it was. All his work the last five years to find out what had happened to Bai would be worthless. He wanted to stay but his new family would never be safe and it would be his fault. 

He felt himself being moved. He cried out as a new wave of pain coursed through him as his body shifted. He was dimly aware that November had pulled him into his lap. He tried to focus on November. The warmth that was seeping into him, melting the grip the past and panic had on his mind. The soft reassuring noises and mumbled ‘Ah- Shun.’ 

No not that, don't focus on that. His mind pulled him back under with the reminder he wasn’t actually November’s ‘Ah-Shun’. He could never be that, he had entertained the fantasy, but if he was going to keep November safe, he would have to stop, he would have to give up November and become Hei again. The black reaper. The cursed contractor. The one November was hunting. Maybe I should just let November catch me? I won’t be able to fight him again. He could feel the cooling trail of tears leaking out of his eyes as reality was crashing down. 

November was rocking him slightly as he held him close. He could hear the frantic beat of November’s heart as the other worried for him. He needed to regain control, he focused on matching his breathing with November’s. He needed an anchor to the present. November was wonderfully perceptive and it only took him a fraction of a second to notice what Hei was doing and helped by exaggerating his breathing. Slowly Hei’s breathing, although ragged, matched the steady in and out of November’s own. November stroked his head, but Hei felt so far away and hollow. November lowered his head to check on him, his blue eyes were so worried, but Hei couldn’t seem to focus on November and continued to stare into the distance. 

“April, could you make some tea? Earl Grey with lemon.” He heard November’s voice rumble through the other’s chest into his ear that was pressed against it. 

“Is he okay?” April’s voice floated into his perception, he tried to will himself to look around for her, but his body won over his mind.

“No.” November shifted around him. He felt November’s arm slip under his legs. The world shifted as November stood up with him cradled in his arms. Hei whined as pain registered from the movement. Very slowly, and with all the effort he could manage, Hei let his arm, which wasn’t against November, slide up November’s chest and hook behind November’s neck. Hei pulled himself closer until his head rested against November’s shoulder. Hei let his eyes close and willed himself to relax. He was safe, surrounded by November and nothing awful had happened because of him… yet. He had time. Time to plan, time to adjust, time to make sure November would be safe. Hei felt November lean forward, and Hei tightened his grip and panic surge in him once more. He couldn’t let go yet. 

“Shhh Ah-Shun, you’re safe. I’ve got you.”

“Duìbùqǐ (I’m sorry).” He choked out in Mandarin. Unable and unwilling to say it in English. He was beginning to understand he would have to distance himself from November to keep them safe. He was a poison to anyone who cared for him.

“It’s okay. Everything will be alright.” November sank into the couch holding onto Hei. November’s hand slipped out from under his legs and held on tightly to his waist. Hei held on and worked to put his broken walls back up. He would need them to hold himself together. Once he was back at the apartment he wouldn’t take any more painkillers. He would need to be able to focus and plan. Pain he could handle, the emotional instability he felt on painkillers he could not.

“Here, drink this.” April handed a cup to November. Hei relaxed his grip and let his hand retreat as he reluctantly uncurled enough to accept the cup from November. He breathed in the scent of lemon and bergamot before taking a sip. He still felt numb, but it was warm and comforting.

“I’m sorry. I should have known better.” November muttered into Hei’s ear. Hei took a drink, this time willing the heat to spread and chase away the numbness. 

“I’ll be alright.” Hei managed to whisper the lie in English. 

He felt November’s arms tighten in a hug and heard a sigh of relief from April. Hei took another drink. He hadn’t had a reaction like that in a long time. He couldn’t afford to have another one. He needed to get off the painkillers, and soon. He needed his head in the game if he was going to keep his… no, it was time to stop thinking of him that way. He had disowned them ten years ago. He wasn’t his father anymore. He needed to outwit Wuchang Kuei. 

“You’re in a lot more pain than you let on, aren’t you?” November grumbled into his ear. 

“I don’t want more painkillers.” Hei had meant it to come out firm, but it ended up a whine. 

“And I don’t like seeing you in pain.”

“Which is why I’ve been taking them.” Hei sighed. “You’re the only reason I would continue to take them, but don’t ask me to take any more than I have been. I don’t like feeling like I am not in control of myself. I hate going through things like that because I can’t stop my brain before it’s too late.” He leaned his head into November’s chest. 

“I don’t like it, but thank you for doing it for me.”

You won’t like what I will have to do to protect you either. Hei thought grimly. 

 

***

 

The next morning Hei insisted it was time for him to go back to his apartment. If he stayed with November, he wouldn’t be able to figure out his next move. He also desperately needed to check in with Mao and Huang. Huang could already have been told to take him out. He would have to maintain appearances. He had to look like Kuei’s good little monster, returning from his usual time away. It had been a challenge for him to convince November to let him go back to his apartment. It had been April, siding with him that had finally convinced November that he could manage on his own. She had told November that should he smother Hei, he could push him away. November had understood that. He hated it, but he relented to give Hei some space because of it. That… and the promise that he would ensure there was a reflective surface that July could check in on him.

November had insisted he drive Hei home. Letting Hei walk home had been completely out of the question in the blonde’s mind. There had been another argument over that, this time Hei compromised. He wanted to not be with November as he approached the apartment in case Mao was around. He instead let November drive him to the store down the street so he could pick up some supplies. He had to promise what he picked up would weigh no more than 5 kilos - and November stayed with him to ensure the bag wasn’t too heavy. He had to point out the doctor had said he could go up to ten, which was what convinced November to agree he would go no further. 

November was nervous. What had happened to Hei had shaken the other to his core. His feeling of being in control had been ripped out from under him. The blonde wasn’t ready to let Hei out of his sight, but to his credit, once they were done at the store he stood beside his car and waited. He watched Hei walk off with a mournful look that made Hei think he had kicked some puppy and not just forced MI6’s top agent to spend some time away from him. As he walked off he knew that he would have to make several trips back to the store to be ready for his meals. Keeping his promise about the weight of his purchases, strained what he could carry each time.

On his second trip back to the apartment, Mao appeared out of the bushes. The cat contractor took one look at the bandages around his neck and wrists and his eyes widened in shock. The black cat paused mid-step as he tried to comprehend how the infamous Black Reaper had managed to become injured. Not one of their missions had even managed to so much as scratch Hei save the first one when he had been Li Shengshun and not the Reaper. 

“Hei, what happened?” Mao managed to recover and dashed to catch up with Hei. 

“Doesn’t matter. When is the meeting?” Hei grunted in reply. Mao’s eyes widened again as he realized those were not the extent of Hei’s injuries. The contractor wanted to know more and paused for a moment before he replied. 

“One o’clock. Will you be alright if there is a mission?” Hei caught the concern in Mao’s voice. Too bad you won’t get to meet the rest of the family. Hei thought sadly. It had been nice to have Yin meet everyone, but he would have to try and keep some distance between MI6 and his current team. 

“I’ve survived worse.” He grumbled, looking down at the cat as he approached the driveway. He could hear his landlady complaining loudly. If she saw Mao she would end up chasing him off with her broom. 

Mao gave him a dubious look, but scampered off. He knew what awaited him should she see him. She had already offered to let Hei cook him. Hei watched as Mao disappeared over the wall, presumably to tell Huang he was back. Hei sighed, how had trying to find out if MI6 had figured out his identity turned his life completely upside down? Food first, planning how he will convince the syndicate November means nothing to him after.

 

***

 

“What the fuck were you thinking?!” Huang didn’t even attempt to appear discreet as he stalked towards Hei after entering the park. The older man was angry. By the quick and rough gait, Hei guessed Huang might even be livid. 

“You will have to be a little more specific.” Hei grimaced as Huang’s face grew redder in his frustration. To be fair, he didn’t want to confess to anything Huang didn’t already know about. 

“Between you going AWOL, getting kidnapped or sleeping with the enemy, I don’t know which is worse!” The old man shrieked in frustration. I guess he’s pretty well informed . Mao’s mouth hung open. His eyes were so wide there was hardly any pupils to see. It seemed, Huang had not shared any information with the cat. 

“I go AWOL in early November every year. That shouldn’t be a surprise to any of the higher ups.” Hei shrugged. He was mildly surprised Huang hadn’t been informed of that. He took a breath and continued. “There was no way for me to have predicted the kidnapping. I had said that being in a set place at a set time was a bad idea, but the university shouldn’t have been a risk. I was kidnapped as Li Shengshun, not BK-201.  Had I used my powers at any point during that, I would have been handing BK-201 to them on a frozen silver platter. As to sleeping with the enemy; it tends to be a good source of information.” Huang’s face was turning a shade of purple that matched some of his bruises in his exasperation. 

“It’s also a huge risk! What would have happened if they hadn’t found you? We had no way of knowing you were in danger!”

“My star would have fallen.” He stated simply. He hadn’t had to make the decision to use his powers to escape, and he was glad of that, thanks to Yin’s spectre finding him. Once he had seen that he knew it was only a matter of time before November would show up. 

“Where do you think that would leave us!?” Huang growled loudly through his nose. 

“Completely in the dark and in no way associated with my stupidity.” He kept his face neutral, but he felt the warmth of knowing people cared about him spread through his chest. Huang had been worried for him. So much so, the old man hadn’t realized that not knowing about Hei’s antics would have kept them clear of any repercussions from the Syndicate. 

“You need to figure out your priorities. The police were gabbing about your alias freely, the Syndicate will know about your fling. Clearly this contractor is more trouble than they are worth. End it. If you need a new identity, I can get you one by the end of the day.” Huang rubbed his temples in frustration as he picked up on his blunder. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it. Now appearing at least slightly more calm. 

“No, I have his trust now. Why would I give up such a good source now that they are finally going to be useful?” Hei shook his head with a frown. Huang coughed the first bit of smoke up. 

“He?!” Mao choked. Hei wondered who exactly Mao had thought he had been sleeping with when Huang had brought it up. 

“November 11, the blonde MI6 contractor I had to rescue him from a few weeks back.” Huang grumbled in clarification to the cat. 

“He.” Mao repeated disbelievingly, his eyes wide staring at Hei.

“I’ve done worse things to get information out of people.” Hei snorted. Trying to make it appear this was purely him manipulating November. 

“And have you managed to get any decent information out of your boyfriend ?” Huang hissed the word as he breathed out smoke from his cigarette. 

“Yes. I found out he didn’t see me without my mask on the night Carmine died. Since then I have also found out that they have someone at their disposal who has access to unprecedented and thorough information on contractors. This person was able to piece together my past assignments and even teammates. They will need to be found. The information they have could be priceless. The person themselves could be highly valuable or extremely dangerous.” This was the trail he was planning to leave. He was using November to keep tabs on MI6s movements and to gain more information on this source. He needed to make it look like November was just a part of this mission to him. Nothing more than that. Yin gave him a sad look, now that the painkillers had worn off he was thinking clearer. He needed to reconstruct his walls. He had no defence against November, but no one else could find out about his weakness. 

“Fine. If he’s useful I will pass the information along, keep him from figuring out who you are. I will say you were assessing the situation to see if you could get him to trust you with information and hadn’t reported it in case it turned out you couldn’t. He certainly trusts you now. I wouldn’t have believed a contractor would care enough to rescue anyone not on their team.” Huang grunted. 

Hei nodded in agreement, November hadn’t reacted according to typical contractor behaviour. He wasn’t about to say that November was experiencing emotions again. While the other might contribute that experience to him, Hei doubted he was the explanation. November had been showing signs of being different from the beginning. What they had was unlike any contractor pair. Hei’s stomach rolled, he was going to end up hurting November one way or another. He despised that he would have to abuse November’s trust. There was no other way to keep November safe, and far away from Wuchang Kuei. He needed the Syndicate to believe November was only a target. 

“We have a new mission. You have five days to be ready. There’s a birthday party for the daughter of Wang Shaotang at his hotel. You will be undercover as a waiter. Make sure your boyfriend doesn’t sniff around! They have cultivated stone flowers from Hell’s Gate. You are to retrieve it from the garden above the penthouse.” Now that Hei’s absence had been addressed, Huang moved onto the topic at hand. 

“Understood. Any known active contractors I need to watch out for?” He had five days to get back into fighting form. It would be better if there was a chance there would be no other contractors present, but Hei doubted his luck would allow for that. He would need to push his limits each day to build his stamina back up. 

“VI-952 is rumoured to be one of their members. I don’t have too much info on them, they have some sort of matter transportation ability.” Huang seemed dismissive of the other contractor. Hei felt wary. Matter transportation was concerning. It would depend on the medium they used for the transportation. Those types of contractors were always troublesome. He thought back to the French contractor from his first mission to Japan. He would have to be extra careful. 

“I will look out for them.” If Huang had information about his appearance, he would have said it. Given the owner of the building was Chinese, there was a chance that VI-952 was as well. 

“Good. We only have one shot at this so don’t fuck it up because your injured.” With that Huang stomped off, not waiting for any further comments from him or Mao. 

“November 11?” Mao gawked at Hei. How much about the mission did he actually hear? Hei wondered. Mao seemed to be struggling with the idea he would sleep with a guy. It shouldn’t have been that startlingly… he had framed it as if it had been a logical way to retrieve the information he needed. 

“My options were him or April. I don't know how much you know about her, but she really was not going to be a tolerable option.” Hei commented dismissively. 

“She’s the loud one?”

Hei nodded.

“You can really pull out some surprises can’t you?” Mao shook his head and wandered off. Hei sighed. His walls had held enough for him to convince Mao and Huang. Yin walked over to where he was leaning against the slide. She picked up his hand and gave it a squeeze.

“I have to keep our family safe, if the Syndicate finds out about them, they will be killed or used as leverage against us. I can’t let either happen.” Hei whispered struggling to keep his expression neutral incase Mao had looked back. 

“Hurts you.” Yin frowned at him. She was getting as good as November at reading him. 

“Keeping them away from him is all I can focus on now. For them I can do this.” Hai muttered quietly as He took his hand out of Yin’s. “I will keep you safe too.” Then with a small smile walked off.  He needed to clear his head and get ready for the upcoming mission. 

A walk would help build his stamina back up without too much strain. If he ran into another contractor he would need to be ready for anything. The walk also let him work out some of the caginess he had been feeling from being cooped up so long in November’s apartment. He let his mind empty and focused on one foot in front of the other only deciding it was time to head back when he started to feel the exhaustion pulling at his muscles from wandering around the city. By the time he was approaching the small store near his apartment the exhaustion and strain had settled in fully. He grabbed a couple more items for tonight, making sure that he kept within the promised weight limit for November. Leaving the store, he was starting to push past his limit. It was time to get home, eat and crash.

He rounded the corner to his apartment and paused in his step. November’s fiery sports car was parked out front. November was leaning against the car, a frown evident on his face even from this distance. Hei pushed back against the exhaustion, November would be upset with him for doing too much today.

“How long have you been waiting?” He asked as he approached the red car. November turned around quickly to face him. Relief evident on his face before it was replaced with annoyed frustration. 

“Almost an hour. Did you not hear your phone?” November was clearly trying not to come off as exasperated as he felt. He didn’t exactly succeed, it was clear November was still overly worried about him.

Hei paused. He hadn’t heard anything. He looked down and pulled the phone out of the satchel. He had put it there for the meeting so Huang wouldn’t hear it if November sent a message and had forgotten to move it back to his pocket. 

“I’m sorry. I should really have put it in my pocket. You didn’t get too worried I hope?” Hei did his best to look as apologetic as he felt for not remembering. November had tried so hard to let him have space today and Hei hadn’t done something as obvious as keeping his phone on him so that would have made it easier to communicate with the other. 

“I will worry for a long time after what happened last week.” November slipped his hand into Hei’s and gave it a quick squeeze. 

“Well you can join me if you're not on July watch tonight.” Hei smiled and nodded towards his apartment. He no longer had to worry about Mao finding out about him and November, so the two of them could resume activities away from April’s negative influence. 

“April thought I would have separation anxiety and would need to stay with you to make sure you were settled.” November took the bag from him and let Hei lead him up the stairs to the apartment. Hei tried his hardest not to betray the fact that he hadn’t taken the painkillers and had definitely overdone it on his walk as November followed him. 

“She’s right though.” Hei commented over his shoulder and unlocked the door. “You probably have worn a path in the carpet already. Even I doubted you would be able to go the whole night and not come over at some point.”

November sighed. He cupped Hei’s cheek as he turned to close the door.

“I almost lost you. I am permitted to be a bit overprotective at the very least until you are fully healed. You did say I could be your back-up until then.”

Hei pushed the door closed behind November. He leaned into November for a quick kiss. 

“Back-up, yes. I don’t want or need a bodyguard.”

“Alright.” November grumbled and pulled him in for another kiss.

November didn’t pester him about not taking the painkillers earlier, but guilted him into taking them as he was cooking a simple meal of fried rice for the two of them. Afterwards, Hei struggled to go over his notes while the painkillers were in effect. November had brought over some of his documents about BK-201, but didn’t bring up anything about what he was reading to Hei. His reaction yesterday probably killed any potential information he would get about the contents of those documents. 

The next two days proceeded much the same; November would text him during the day to check in then would show up close to or just after supper to spend the night and insist on him taking the evening dose of painkillers. Hei spent his days avoiding the painkillers and getting ready for his mission, building his stamina and flexibility back up. He had to bring the mission up to November soon. He knew it was not going to be something the other would be comfortable with and letting him know beforehand would be easier for the other to come to terms with. November was still being overprotective, but the blonde was trying to let Hei have his space back. Hei could see the struggle was difficult for the contractor, even April was volunteering to watch July at night to let November come over. Hei decided to bring up the mission as they were setting up the futon for the night. 

“One of the managers has a friend who works at a local hotel which is owned by a Chinese family. There's a party for the hotel’s heiress in two days. They … um… asked if I could help out, given that I know both languages and all.” Hei asked cautiously. 

“Isn’t there anyone else they could ask? You really shouldn’t be working yet.” November frowned in concern. Knowing that Hei would have to go back to work, and actually being comfortable with him going back to work was something November still hadn’t succeeded in yet. 

“I’m fine now.” Hei huffed at the old argument. “The medication will be done before then, and the bruises are almost gone, here you can see.” Hei took off his shirt and tossed it to one side. He intended to show November there were only the occasional patches of yellow-brown bruise remnants on his skin, much of it having returned to its normally pale colour. 

November sighed, letting the corner of the futon rest on the floor he stood up. November paused to look over the revealed skin and he slowly ran his hand over one of the lingering bruises. From there he started tracing along where he knew that bruise had been. He moved slowly from one bruise to the next along Hei’s stomach. Hei curled his toes and bit down on his lip to keep from squirming under the intense investigation. November’s fingers hadn’t lost their ability to convince his body there was a requirement for significantly less clothing.

Hei watched as a smile crept across November’s face as the other became aware of his internal struggle. November teasingly slowed his progress intentionally as he finished tracing along Hei’s stomach and walked around behind him only to do the same thorough examination of his back. He heard November chuckle behind him at a startled intake of breath that escaped his lips when November’s fingers suddenly started tracing along the waist of his jeans. Threatening every time they moved to dip below and find unexposed skin. 

“I will agree, on one condition.” November placed a kiss at the base of Hei’s neck. 

“What condition?” Hei tried not to gasp as November’s fingers snaked under his arms and along both of his sides. They followed the edge of his jeans and met up below his belly button where he let both of his thumbs sink below the cloth. So temptingly close, Hei rocked slightly forward, encouraging November to go further. Only to be disappointed when November’s thumbs didn’t take up his suggestion. 

“Tonight,” November kisses higher on his neck. “I want you to let your body make the noises it wants to.” He moved higher still. “Don’t hold back.” November’s voice dipped into a deep husky tone as he whispered into Hei’s ear. “ I want to hear you.”

“But…” Hei began, but was cut off by November.

“That’s my condition.” November kissed a bit lower. Hei whimpered as November’s fingers teased him as they fidgeted with the button of his jeans. 

“I-I will try. Ah!” November reached the base of his neck and teased the skin there with his tongue before his teeth took over. Hei’s hand reached up and his fingers tangled in November’s hair, keeping his head firmly in place. Hei leaned back into November and groaned in pleasure. November grinned against his neck but his teeth didn’t relent and his fingers worked the button of his jeans loose.  

“November” Hei purred the other’s name, remembering how it had affected him before. November roughly pulled Hei’s hips close and ground against him with a possessive groan. Hei gasped as he felt the rumble against his bare back, the low tone sending shivers right through him. His squirming against November had the contractor already pressing firmly against him. While Hei himself was starting to strain against his unbuttoned jeans. 

With a final lick to his neck, November trailed kisses along Hei’s shoulder and down his back as he tugged Hei’s jeans down. November hardly made it below his shoulder blade before Hei kicked his pants off accompanied with a frustrated huff due to the slow pace. He turned around to face November, he needed to get November out of his clothes -and fast. His hands searched out the buttons to November’s shirt and vest. Why does he need to wear so many layers! He grumbled to himself.

November took hold of one of Hei’s nipples in his mouth as Hei fumbled with buttons. Hei had been struggling to keep his legs from giving out before, now the sensation of November’s teeth rolling his nipple in a tight pinch had them threatening to buckle. A prospect Hei was seriously considering while his tongue lapped at the nub. Hei gasped through his teeth as November twirled his tongue around distractingly. He was getting frustrated with the buttons and November was not making the task easy for him. Hei whined in frustration as there was still altogether too much fabric between them. November chuckled and took pity on him. He guided Hei down into his lap as he finally helped to remove his shirt and vest. Finally free to focus on other tasks, Hei claimed November’s mouth. It felt like a lifetime since he had been granted access and Hei devoured November in an effort to take in his fill. 

November pushed back against his invading tongue, using his most potent weapon to distract Hei from his attack, as November’s hands trailed over his ass before gripping it tightly. He moaned into November’s mouth and rocked forward. November was frustratingly still in pants. Hei found his state completely unacceptable, automatically he tried to keep himself from growling, but remembered November’s condition. It wouldn’t hurt to be a little noisy. The walls of the apartment weren’t soundproof by any means, but his neighbours should mostly be gone to work for the night. He couldn’t help but feel slightly embarrassed about how it illogically still made him feel like the noise would somehow give up their position. 

“Trousers off. Now.” Hei grumbled huskily as he nipped his way down November’s neck to the hollow where he sucked and teased, letting his frustrated growl out this time as November made no movement to remedy the problem. November trembled underneath him at the sound. It was the only warning Hei got before his hand travelled up his back quickly, causing him to involuntarily arch into November’s chest, releasing a high pitched hum and almost dislodging him from where he was working on leaving his own mark on November’s neck. November shifted his legs under Hei and in one swift movement he suddenly found himself underneath November on the futon.

“I have a request.” November whispered into Hei’s ear. 

“November…” Hei groaned. He released his hold on November’s neck and teased the area with his tongue. “What else would you have me do for you tonight?” Hei murmured breathily into November’s ear. November’s fingers trailed along his arms until each had found one of Hei’s wrists. He let November guide his arms to rest above his head. November shimmied down and back above Hei so that his lips were just tantalizingly out of reach. He glanced up at pale eyes, so blue they almost matched the sparks he could produce with his powers. The depth of emotion held within them made Hei’s breath catch in his throat. This request is different from his usual play, it has more meaning to it than just the action he will ask. Hei thought startled more that November paused so long before he could manage to make his plea.

“Keep your hands here.” November gave his wrist a gentle squeeze before releasing them. Hei kept his hands in place, twitching slightly as November trailed his fingers slowly down his arms back to his chest. “I want to claim all of you.” November claimed his lips in a disappointingly chaste kiss. You already have. Hei stretched forward to at least catch a second quick kiss before November retreated out of range, but was careful not to move his hands too much. “I don’t want there to be one place they touched that I’ve not made mine.” November mumbled as he peppered kisses over Hei’s collarbones and down his chest. If that will help him process and get past what happened, I can do that. Hei nodded even though November wasn’t looking at his face.

“No more talk about them. Only you matter, but I will need you to be naked before you do anything else.” Hei panted as the anticipation had set his skin alight in response to November’s fingers and mouth. 

“Don’t move.” November chuckled. The warmth from November being pressed against him disappeared as he stood. Hei kept his limbs still, but chewed on his lip as he watched November remove his remaining clothing. November let out a long low groan as he paused to take in the sight once his task was done. Hei felt the heat of those blue eyes on his skin as they trailed over him. Hei licked his lips, smirking as November’s cock twitched as he did. The appendage was proudly protruding in his direction. November stroked himself with a dangerous look, the intent to possess Hei evident in his eyes. 

Hei whined loudly, he wanted to move. He needed November to move. The noise snapped November out of his reverie. He sank down between Hei’s legs and leaned forward to catch Hei’s mouth in a kiss. Instead of curling towards November to lean into the kiss, he thrust his hips upwards as the other moved. He growled out a low moan as their cocks briefly rubbed against each other. November paused before he reached his lips. Hei watched as a heinous plot was hatched behind November’s eyes. The blond reached down and took the both of them in a hand, stroking them together. Hei gasped at the overwhelming sensation. Both hands gripping fistfuls of blanket to keep from wandering. Hei thrust forward, chasing the sensation, but November’s other hand pressed down on his hips, keeping them steady.

“You will have to wait.” November groaned as he teased one final stroke before releasing both cocks. Hei whimpered, waiting was the enemy in these situations. He wouldn’t make it much longer if November continued his slow torment. Part of him wondered if it was November’s goal. 

He leaned down and took the kiss he had neglected before. Hei strained forward fighting back against November’s tongue as he stroked the inside of the other’s mouth. November pulled back out of range once more. Hei squirmed as November kissed and trailed his fingers all along Hei’s chest and sides, worshipping every inch of skin. Hei tangled his hands in the blanket to keep from touching November. The urge to pull the blond into him was becoming overwhelming. November’s touch occupied every corner of his mind. Nothing else existed as he panted and moaned; begging November to go faster. Hei needed more than this wonderful torture. 

Against his wishes November continued to slowly descend. He whined as he watched November pay extra attention to all of his off-colored patches of skin. Kissing and licking  every inch of him was driving Hei mad. Hei didn’t hold back as all manner of groans or moans erupted from him from November’s ministrations, he wouldn’t have been able to even if he tried. Hei whined pitifully as November’s cheek brushed his cock. His lips trailing down Hei’s hip. So close, but millions of miles from where he wanted November’s mouth. 

Hei could feel November’s hot breath across his skin, prickling goose pimples over his skin. November didn’t have to touch him anymore to set off sparks straight to his groin. 

November stopped kissing his hip and Hei whimpered. He needed November to continue. A tortured eternity past and still the blonde did not move. Something’s wrong. Hei looked down at the mop of blonde hair hovering above his hips and almost lost himself at the sight of the other so close to his cock. He pushed his thoughts to one side as November slowly began to move. There was a slight tremor to November’s hand, the action was slow and deliberate, but there was an emotion Hei couldn’t see behind it. 

Hei waited and watched as November’s hands rested on each side of his hips before slowly tracing four small round mirrored marks. Hei held his breath. He had hoped those bruises would go unnoticed, or at least that November wouldn’t connect them as having happened at the same time. That thought was dashed as November hesitantly lined his fingers with the bruises. Each bruise clearly corresponding to a digit. There was a slight shake of his head as the blonde wanted to be wrong. He needed further proof, November glanced first at one side and then tipped Hei’s hip enough to see the other. The fifth marks were revealed exactly where expected, confirming with a finality that these bruises were made by hands. Hei watched a tremor rock through November, but the blonde didn’t look up. 

“November?” Hei called out cautiously after a moment. There was a long shaky exhale from November before he inhaled with a hiss. Hei didn’t want to move, November had asked him to stay like that, and he knew it was an exercise in trust. He knew that he couldn’t let November dwell on his injuries. Letting go of the blanket he reached down and tipped November’s chin to get him to look up. There was rage in his light eyes. If any of the Romanians had survived, Hei was certain they would breathe their last by morning.

“They-“ November snarled, trying to put his fury to words.

“Shh.” Hei stroked November’s cheek; a physical reminder for the other that he was alright. November leaned into Hei’s hand. “What did you say you were doing?” Hei prodded quietly, moving November’s focus from rage to something more productive.

“But-“ Outrage flashed in his prairie sky eyes. 

“No. Tell me.” Hei cut him off quickly and firmly. Emotions warred with each other for dominance in the pale eyes, pain, rage, sorrow, remorse, and the briefest flash of defeat shone to the surface. The Romanian’s hadn’t broken him, he would be damned if what they had done broke November.

“Reclaiming you.” November scoffed, as though he wasn’t sure what he could do would be enough to undo what had been done.

“So don’t stop.” Hei smiled encouragingly at November, the defeat in his eyes disappeared, but the remorse persistently remained. 

“How can you be so calm about this?” He frowned and placed his hand over Hei’s.

“I’ve been forced to do a lot of things in my life, this doesn’t even make the top ten.” Hei shook his head and tried to convey he wasn’t as bothered as November currently was by what had happened in his tone. 

“That doesn’t make it any better.” November growled, his frown taking on an exasperated form. 

“Not my point.” Hei curled down and tugged November up enough to put their foreheads together. “Nothing they did is enough to break me. Not even close, you hear me. It’s closer to leaving a bad taste behind, and I want it gone.” Hei curled his fingers into November’s hair giving it a little tug  for emphasis as he continued. “You are the only one who can do that, the only one I want to. So, take back what is yours and leave no trace of any other.”

“And you’re alright with that?” November’s voice was barely a whisper. Of course I am! I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t. That wasn’t the response November needed. 

“November…” Hei teasingly purred, getting the other to look back up at him. “Claim me.” 

November needed no further encouragement as he leaned up and kissed Hei quickly. 

“Lay back down and I will continue.” He chuckled and smiled weakly. Hei nodded and fell back onto the futon, replacing his arms where November had told him to keep them. November kissed each of the bruises with a small growl. Take what’s yours, my heart and body. Hei smiled down at the blonde, as much as he was able to be, he was November’s. 

November’s hand stroked his cock as he placed a kiss near the base once he finished with the bruises. The slow process had been replaced with a much more urgent pace. Hei gasped and gripped the blankets as November’s hand held him still and he continued upwards. His legs twitched as his breathing picked up in anticipation, torn between watching and closing his eyes. His choice was made for him as he arched and groaned when November’s soft mouth descended on him and he focused on the sensation rather than sight. The all encompassing warmth as November went down and the tight pressure as he bobbed back up. November’s tongue lapping and swirling around him made the request to remain still unbearable. He clinged on to the blanket like it was his only lifeline to keep from touching November.

Hei had long since lost the ability to keep his hips from chasing November’s mouth as he wondered if November intended to force him over the edge even before entering him. 

“November, please… Ah!” Hei begged. November was the only one who could get him to beg, and he was already so close. November hummed a response as he descended again, and Hei saw stars. His whole body pulsed as November continued, pulling him all the way over and then kept going as Hei whimpered and twitched, unable to do anything more. 

“This sight is mine alone.” November grinned down at him as he sat back slightly. Hei nodded, getting his breathing under control. Hei was dimly aware of November shifting. He heard a drawer close, knowing November has retrieved the lubricant he now kept nearby. 

November’s fingers trailed along his leg then he let them sink downward along Hei’s inner thigh. Hei whined as his leg’s twitched, still recovering from his first orgasm. November hadn’t given him time to catch his breath before he was gasping again. His fingers had gone from setting off sparks in Hei’s belly to a liquid heat that travelled from wherever November’s fingers touched to wrap tightly around his core. He was a withering mess, completely at November’s mercy and was enjoying every moment of it. He let some control slip, only maintaining enough to follow November’s instruction, leaving himself at the mercy of November. 

November continued to tease as his fingers trailed back up then further down repeatedly until he circled around Hei’s entrance. There was a pause as November poured some lube into his fingers. Hei groaned as November slid first one then a second finger inside him. He had gotten used to the process over the last month, but the sensation of November’s fingers brushing that spot still had him writhing and moaning every time. When it came to this, Hei was always impatient. He knew the stretching helped but the torment of grazing the spot was enough to make him squirm uncontrollably. This time it was accompanied with deep moans as he encouraged November to go faster.

November retracted his fingers, letting them slide under his thigh until he had guided Hei’s leg upwards. Hei gasped as he felt November push his way inside. November hadn’t spent his usual amount of time stretching him and he strained against the pressure. He wanted to pull November all the way in, but the position he was in didn’t allow it. He whined in frustration, tightening deliberately around November to exact some revenge. 

“Patience Ah-Shun.” November cooed mockingly as he set a slow and shallow pace. Hei rolled his hips up to meet November with each thrust, willing the other to go deeper as he clenched against November as he pulled back. November growled and granted Hei’s wish, taking him to the hilt and picking up the pace. Hei moaned beneath November. 

“Ah-Shun…” November groaned in pleasure. Taking Hei’s cock in his hand and stroking it in time with his thrusts. 

“Wǒ xīwàng wǒ néng tīng dào nǐ hǎn chū wǒ de míngzì. (I wish I could hear you cry out my name.)” Hei whimpered in Mandarin quietly. He now knew what his name sounded like from November’s lips and he longed to hear him say it instead of Ah-Shun. He would have to be satisfied with this. November chuckled as he picked up the pace, he enjoyed it when Hei switched to Mandarin, it was a sign he had no more ability to focus on using other languages. He was getting so close now. Hei could feel the tension pulling, ready to snap and throw him over the edge. This time he let himself fall. 

“November.” He cried out as he came again, his body tingled from his scalp to his toes as spasms rocked through him once more and everything faded into the background. Hei embraced the warm floating sensation as his body continued to twitch. He could feel November’s weight on him, the other probably in a similar state. All too quickly he returned to reality. He twisted and looked up at the mess of knots he had made in the blanket, his movement earned a low growl from November and set his body off in a fresh wave of twitches. He managed to free his hands and pulled November up to rest on his chest. 

“Xiè xiè, wǒ xīn de shǒuhù zhě (Thank you, guardian of my heart.)” Hei muttered in Mandarin and kissed November’s head. Hei sighed and closed his eyes, laying back down on the futon.

“What does that mean?” November asked as he drew random shapes on Hei’s stomach.

“Mmm?” Hei didn’t move, he felt calm and relaxed in a way he almost never had in his life. Moments like these he wanted to keep forever. 

“What did you say just now? The first part was thank you, but what was the rest?” The blonde mop on his stomach shifted to look up at him.

“Wǒ xīn de shǒuhù zhě” Hei repeated languidly.

“I meant in English.” November chuckled, placing a kiss on Hei’s chest.

“Guardian of my heart.” Hei muttered breathily.

November grinned and kissed above Hei’s heart. 

“What did you say before that?”

Hei paused. Furrowed his eyebrows for a moment, then answered. “I’m not sure. I can’t remember exactly.” he lied. 

“You said ‘wo’ several times. That refers to you doesn’t it?”

“Trying to learn Mandarin?” Hei chuckled.

“Driven by the desire to know what you say when you can’t think in any other language.” November proclaimed proudly.

“You are getting very good at doing that.” Hei murmured and blinked slowly. His body was feeling heavy from the exertion and his relaxed state was making it hard to keep his eyes. open.

“I aim to please. You look like you’re almost asleep.” November’s hand traced along his jawline.

“Mnm, I am.”

“Then sleep Ah-Shun, I’ll take care of the clean up.” November leaned up and kissed Hei. “Don’t worry Ah-Shun, I’ll keep saying your name.”

Hei felt a shock of adrenaline shoot through him. November had understood some of what he had said. He hadn’t interpreted it correctly, but he had gotten some of the context. He would have to be more careful. Hei curled his lip upward in a smirk and muttered “Xiè xiè.” And let himself drift off to sleep. 

Notes:

I will probably have to go back and edit this again, but after so long... the whole thing just started to blur together and it was finally at a spot I was mostly happy with it.

I had some really neat synchronicities happen while doing some research for this and future chapters and am all but bursting to share... but I will resist!

Thanks to everyone who commented and for the Kudos! they are always appreciated and help keep the motivation up! I love seeing each one!

Chapter 12: Curiosity and Cats

Notes:

I decided that it would be better for this to be included here rather than as it's own stand alone. so this chapter is short and different from usual, but it's fun.

So Enjoy!

November’s POV

November looked down at the sleeping form next to him, moving a few strands of hair off of the relaxed face. Normally the other would wake shortly after him as any movement would rouse Shengshun from his light sleep. The only time November had seen him sleep past his own movements had been when there had been painkillers involved. He hadn’t reminded Shengshun to take them last night, and he doubted that he had taken any since the night before. Which meant that the slow and steady breaths were Shengshun genuinely sleeping deeply and uninhibited by medication. 

November sat up cautiously, watching for signs the other was waking. With no movement from Shengshun, November stared in wonder at the first time seeing Shengshun so completely relaxed and unguarded. So much of Shengshung’s life had involved a need for light sleeping, so this small unintentional reaction was a huge step and confirmed solidly that Shengshun felt safe around him. It was something his dark haired lover almost never felt. November had seen it in the way the other scans rooms as they enter. Finding the exits and potential threats. The way Shengshun hid his fighting abilities and made himself look harmless. The way he always kept people from getting close. Until I managed to get past his walls

Shengshun had been conditioned to behave that way. That conditioning went back at least nine years. And that was just the time November knew of. Almost half of this precious one's life had been involved in some sort of combat or combat training. The fault of his conditioning belonged to someone who should have protected him, not exposed him to those atrocities. November wanted to hope that Shengshun’s father was dead… but a nagging part of him knew someone as vile as that man would weasel his way out of it. It had probably cost Shengshun’s twin their life. His twin had been a contractor and someone Shengshun had a deep need to protect, like a little sister. November was willing to bet his car that Shengshun’s twin had been his younger sister. 

November let his gaze trail down the body he had gotten to know almost as well as his own. He paused at Shengshun’s right side. It had been the one that he had gripped during his panic attack then looked at his hands as if there should have been blood. November let his hand trail over the spot, feeling the rough shape of old scars. Surprised further when Shengshun still didn’t stir. These scars had been caused by Ghost. Shengshun had chosen to use the translations rather than the Mandarin words for Hei, Bai and Kuei. That fact had not escaped November, which meant the names meant something more to Shengshun. He traced the lines of the scars. The edges were ragged, the knife that had made the cuts hadn’t been smooth or steady. He had struggled. Why so many strikes to the same location? He wondered. November leaned down to inspect the cluster of scars along Shengshun’s side. The marks weren’t as random as they first appeared. They had been made deliberately; there also seemed to be a pattern to them. 

It’s text! November’s eyes widened as he could discern two characters that had been carved into Shengshun’s skin. Given Shengshun’s panic attack, Kuei had done this. What did the characters mean? I should copy this down. November doubted Shengshun would be able to talk about it. He regretted being the reason Shengshun had that attack. He’d seen smaller ones before, Shengshun’s iron will kept the attacks from getting out of hand. November never wanted to see that broken look on Shengshun’s face again. He slipped out from under the blankets. Only putting on his trousers before retrieving a paper and pen from his jacket. 

Turning back to Shengshun he stared in awe. Shengshun was beautiful, scars and all. The blanket clung low on his waist from where November had moved. On impulse he snatched his phone, capturing the moment in a picture. Shengshun probably wouldn’t approve, he didn’t like pictures. This photo would only be seen by him, this sight was precious. He tucked the phone into his pocket and knelt down next to Shengshun. He copied down the characters quickly, anxious that he would wake up at any moment. 

But he didn’t. 

As Shengshun slept peacefully, November tried to decipher what the characters were. His Mandarin was below a basic understanding still. November scowled in frustration … his dictionary was out in his car. Would he stay asleep if I went to get it? November doubted that he would, or that it would be a good idea for Shengshun to wake up with him gone. No, he would have to wait. 

Mao POV

Whatever had been in the letter yesterday had shaken Hei in a way Mao had never seen. It was also extremely rare for The Ghost to communicate with anyone directly. He had thought Hei was just an ace. The cursed reaper had a legendary reputation, even that wouldn’t have earned him a connection to The Ghost. Then there was how often they had gotten off easy for botched missions. No, Hei had some connection to the Ghost. He had recognized the writing right away. Hei was more than familiar with Ghost. 

Mao approached Hei’s apartment. The back window was open. He wouldn’t have to slink around and avoid the heinous woman. He leapt the familiar path and balanced along the window bars until he reached Hei’s window. From the shadows beyond the curtains it looked as if the futon was still out. Is he still sleeping? That would be unusual for Hei, especially after last night. Poking his head through the curtain, revealed that Hei was indeed still asleep. 

Mao dropped down to the floor. An unfamiliar smell assaulted his nose. It was deep and musky. Has someone drugged Hei? Mao hesitated. His human brain caught up to the cat’s processing of scent. It was familiar, but not something he had smelt since becoming a cat. The room smelled of sex. Mao lowered himself cautiously. If Hei was asleep… would the MI6 agent be here?

“You must be the neighbourhood cat that keeps him company.” A voice chuckled from behind him. Mao’s heckles stood up straight and his back arched as the cat body reacted to the shock. Mao scrambled to Hei. He could protect him from November 11. He gripped his claws into the mattress as he skidded into Hei. 

The Black Reaper, feared cursed contractor… didn’t move. 

Mao slowly turned towards Hei. His face was relaxed, his breathing slow and even. I must be dreaming. It was among his list of impossibilities to catch Hei sleeping deeply. Every time he had come while Hei was ‘resting’ because he never really slept the other was always… always attentive. Yet now, here he was, all but dead to the world asleep with the enemy in the same room. This isn’t right. Something is wrong with Hei. Mao tucked his head under Hei’s fingers letting them trail along his head as he rubbed his cheek against Hei’s side. Surely that would wake him. 

Surely… But  there was a small sigh from the sleeping one and no other reaction. Mao couldn’t believe it. There was no way this was possible. Hei didn’t sleep deeply. He was always ready to defend himself in an instant. Hands wrapped around Mao's chest and he found himself scooped up into the arms of November 11. 

“Shhh don’t do that. He never relaxes outside of taking painkillers. This is a rare sight, and I want to enjoy it.” The MI6 agent cooed at him. Cooed! Isn’t he supposed to be a contractor ? His actions were illogical. This situation was so wonderfully perplexing. He wasn’t the only contractor who embraced curiosity. The blonde settled down against the wall and stared at a piece of paper. There were two badly drawn Chinese characters on it. His penmanship is awful.

“I’m trying to figure out what the characters on his side mean.” November scratched behind his ear. Okay I can understand some of the appeal. He certainly knows how to used his fingers. Mao closed his eyes briefly and the cat part of him began to purr. Wait he said those marks were on Hei. Mao glanced over at Hei. There were no discernable marks or any tattoos that he could see. Considering the blonde had gotten to see a whole lot more of Hei than he had, there must be marks somewhere. 

 

November’s POV

“My Mandarin isn’t good enough to know what the characters mean.” He huffed and looked at the paper in front of him. He had tried to copy the script so he could look it up, but his access was limited while he waited for Shengshun to wake. He scratched the head of the black cat in his lap and paused. 

“I wonder if Kanji would have the same meaning?” He asked absentmindedly to the cat. Shengshun was right, it was a decent listener. A strange trait in a cat. He retrieved his phone from his pocket and took a picture of his rendition of the characters and sent it to Misaki. 

-What would this be in Japanese?-

She might get annoyed with his question. She might assume it has something to do with BK-201. While it probably did on some level, he wasn’t going to tell Misaki that Shengshun knew of The Black Reaper from Heaven’s War. That Shengshun might even know what their infamous masked contractor looked like. He wouldn’t ask Shengshun that. Shengshun was so much more valuable than a source. Minutes ticked by before there was a small buzz from his phone with Misaki’s reply. 

-Impermanence.-

He had heard that recently. Shengshun had said it before his attack. What had he called Hei and Bai?

Hei Bai Wuchang - black and white impermanence. 

Wuchang meant impermanence and it was etched onto Shengshun's side.

Shengshun had fought Wuchang Kuei or the one he said was Ghost, and survived. How did he survive? Not many have seen Ghost, fewer have fought him. Even James hadn’t included anything on him in the files.

Why had Ghost not killed Shengshun?

Ghost had instead left that mark on Shengshun’s body; a permanent reminder of something. 

No, not just a mark. He had cut his name into Shengshun. Like he was property. A reminder that Shengshun belonged to Wuchang Kuei. No, he's mine. November growled and startled the cat who looked up at him curiously. 

“What did Ghost do to you Shengshun?” November muttered worriedly. The cat in his lap twitched at his comment. Why would a Syndicate leader try to stamp ownership on him?

Could it be a personal connection? November’s heart clenched. Could it be that Ghost was Shengshun’s second contractor?  The one who caused such fury to glow in Shengshun’s eyes when he thought of them. The contractor that first broke his heart? No, that didn’t seem right. Shengshun wasn’t mad at Ghost, he was scared. 

If not that… Had Shengshun worked for them? November let his gaze linger on the beautiful mop of dark hair in front of him. 

Could Shengshun still be working for Ghost?

Notes:

More is on the way~

Outline is done for the next chapter... It will be quote heavy from episode 10, but lots of Hei and Misaki interaction.

Chapter 13: Chapter Twelve

Notes:

I probably should have re-read this before posting... but I'm probably more impatient than anyone here about this chapter.
There is a lot taken directly from Ep 10... so I tried to keep that short cause everyone knows what happened.
Enjoy!

This was too easy… he must have missed something. Hei looked cautiously around the garden. He had found Wang Shao Tang dead, a large section of his chest missing. That would be VI-952’s ability. He crept towards the greenhouse, it didn’t appear that VI-952 was still around, but something screamed that there was a trap. He hesitated in front of the doors. Just take it and get out. 

The elevator door dinged behind him. 

Hei dashed into the bushes. Cursing himself and his luck. That had been too close. He hadn’t changed from his waiter outfit and being seen here would blow his cover. The daughter approached the greenhouse followed by Kirihara. He had seen her briefly downstairs, she had been speaking to one of the other waiters named Saitou. Undercover section 4? Probably. Why was Kirihara with Wang Shao Tang's daughter?

He didn’t catch their conversation but when there was a gun drawn he acted before he could think. Sending his power through the electrical outlet at the back of the greenhouse and overloading the lights. Shit, now Astronomics will know I’m here too. He knew she worked with November, but he hadn’t needed to save her. So why had he? He didn’t get to dwell on his thoughts when he felt someone bump into him. How had she managed to find the one spot in the garden where he was hiding when she dashed off!

He turned and looked nervously at her. He didn’t know how much November had told her about his background, but he was going to side on the theory that he had only talked about him being a scientist. When the daughter fired off another shot he made a startled noise only to have Kirihara shove her hand into his face. 

“What are you doing in a place like this?” Misaki demanded with her hand over Hei’s mouth to keep him from making noise. Behind them the daughter kept firing off rounds from the revolver. 

“I was told to bring drinks to the owner… but when I arrived… “ He looked over at the body of Wang Shao Tang. “At this rate we’ll be killed as well. Try to do something.” He whispered, throwing in a lot of nervous caution into his voice. 

“Easier said than done.” Misaki growled. 

Three, Four… he counted the shots. 

“When I give you the signal, run.” Kirihara whispered. 

She waited; the last round went off. Five . Hei readied himself for the signal.

“Now!” She grabbed his hand and dragged him out of their hiding spot. He made sure to stumble and threw in a few unstable flails as they made a dash for the doors to the elevator. He flopped down against the back wall of the elevator as she smashed on buttons to get the doors closed. 

“Why are you even here? You should still be on medical leave!” Kirihara snarled at him. Saitou had been right, she could be scary. 

“A contractor did that, didn’t they?” Hei dodged answering her question. 

Misaki nodded. 

“They are still here?” He laced his words with fear. He didn’t have to lie about his knowledge of contractors and the gate, but that knowledge would have a normal human scared to be facing a contractor. 

“It’s Wei Zhi Jun. Alice’s bodyguard.” Kirihara was angry. Vi-952 was the one in blue with the pointed ears. That was useful information. 

“Isn’t she your friend? What are we going to do now?” He emulated confusion and fear. Pretending to be Shengshun was easy when November wasn’t around. Kirihara wasn’t too familiar with him and probably hadn’t made a decision on what he was like, given they had only met while he was hopped up on drugs. 

“I’d like to get out of this building, for one.” Kirihara sighed. He needed a distraction so that Wei Zhijun would be away from the garden. Whatever was going on between the daughter and Kirihara he might be able to use it to his advantage. The daughter would order him to search for Kirihara. 

They snuck out of the elevator and down the hall. She was quite good at stealth herself, given she was in a bright red Qipao. Their path was blocked as all of the elevators were closed for maintenance and the guards were directing people away. He was thankful for that. He really didn’t want to try and get back up if they had managed to escape. He needed to get that flower. They retreated to a relatively safe location - the bathroom. 

“Um…What are we going to do now?” Hei had plastered himself against the wall of the stall. Kirihara’s anger and frustration was stifling. 

“I’m thinking about that right now,'' Misaki huffed. 

“Okay.” He squeaked. 

“Do you have a cell phone?”

“Carrying one around during work is against the rules. I’m sorry.” He shook his head. The phone he had gotten from November was in his coat pocket three floors down in an employee lounge. 

The lights went out.

“Ah, it’s a black out, but there’s no need to worry. This hotel is equipped with a proprietary power generator…” Hei rattled off. Trying to sound reassuring. “see?” Hei added as the lights came back on.

“Did they cut the power from the lines to prevent observer spectres from entering?” Kirihara mumbled to herself. 

“They can do that?” Hei asked in wonder. As if that was a bit of information he didn’t currently have for his thesis. 

“It’s nothing!” Kirihara snapped. He grinned internally, she was trying to cover up her blunder. Did I look like that when November had me stumbling? He wondered idly. With a huff she leaned forward, her head almost to her knees. “Why is this happening?” 

“Who knows?” 

“Why would Alice want to kill me? She’s my friend… Why?” Right, the daughter’s name was Alice. 

“You were betrayed, poor thing.” He had been in her position once. Well… not hiding out in a bathroom, but he knew what it felt like to be betrayed. 

“What would you know about this feeling?!” Misaki barked at him. More than you could imagine . He looked away from her sadly.

“I’m sorry.” He answered quietly. 

“I’m the one who should be apologizing.”

“Being betrayed by a friend is probably a terrible experience.” He tried to be comforting, but he was trying not to remember feeling exactly like she had five years ago. 

“Why are we talking about these things in a place like this?” 

“You’re right.” Hei shrugged. The whole situation was absurd. He was stuck in a bathroom stall with the woman in charge of hunting him down. He couldn’t help but chuckle. Kirihara soon joined him. 

“You’re a strange one.” 

“That’s what everyone always says about me. I wonder why.” He smiled and shrugged. It really was something that came up often. So often he had tried to use it as an excuse to drive November away. Not that it had worked. 

“That aside, you don’t have to hide here since you haven’t been seen.”

Hei felt his face slack in disbelief. He had been seen running out of the garden with her by Alice. Why would Misaki think he would be in the clear?

“You didn’t realize that?” She had completely misread his expression. Hei decided to run with that excuse. “Wait a minute… in that case, can you go to the hall and bring Saitou here?” Once you do that you can run away or do whatever you want. Please.”

“Okay.” Hei snuck out of the bathroom. It didn’t take him long to locate the other member of Section 4. Nor was it hard to convince the naïve cop to come with him. 

They decided on the plan to smuggle Misaki out in a laundry cart. Hei walked slightly behind Saitou, looking for an opportunity to escape as they cautiously made their way to the laundry. He didn’t have to wait long. The two of them started to have a conversation as Saitou pushed the cart and he sipped away. 

This time, he changed into his gear before heading up to the garden. Misaki was his distraction, and Shengshun should be off hiding, so his cover was safe. There was still the air that there was a trap ready to be sprung, but he pushed those thoughts out of his head as he approached the tallest flower in the greenhouse. The stone crumbled in his hand, leaving behind only a large crystal. Without their source all of the other flowers turned to dust.

“You came, as expected.” A voice called from behind him. Hei glanced over his shoulder. It was the contractor. Wei Zhijun. “Did you think you could use that officer as a decoy? Very imprudent of you. I don’t know which organization you are from, but you're no match for me.” Wei’s tone was sheer condescending arrogance. We will see about that. He thought and assumed a fighting stance, getting ready for whatever Wei would use as a medium to initiate the transfer of matter. 

“I will make sure you return it to me.” Wei smirked as he removed the bandages from his right hand. Blood flowed freely down Wei’s fingers.  What? Why would he expose an injury? There had to be more to his action…

“Oh this?” Wei had picked up on his confusion and explained. “Shedding blood is my remuneration as a contractor. Shall we begin?” Wei looked as if he was going to throw something at Hei, but instead a long arc of blood was flung in his direction. Blood is the medium! It wasn’t just his price. Hei threw himself to one side to dodge the droplets.

There was a snap of fingers and he felt the explosion of the blood that he hadn’t managed to dodge against his arm. His coat had taken most of the damage to its bullet proof coating. Yet, blood still flowed from his right forearm. Fuck! How am I going to explain this to November? Hei gritted his teeth from making a noise at the pain and dropped the crystal. Dodging is a priority.

“What’s wrong?” Wei strode confidently into the green house, slitting another cut on his arm. “The show has just begun.” Wei taunted. He thinks he’s toying with me? He was at a disadvantage, there was no place to go in the small greenhouse. He threw himself through one of the glass panes before Wei could launch another spray of explosive blood at him.

He dashed along the exterior windows and threw his wire to get up onto a steel support beam. Maybe the high ground will help. 

Wei snapped his fingers, and Hei felt the beam sag. Oh Fuck. The beam collapsed beneath him and he groaned as he was tossed into the frame of the greenhouse. This wasn’t working. Wei had the upper hand. He would have no opportunity to attack if he had to keep focusing on having to dodge. It was almost impossible to miss each droplet and one well placed one would end him. Perhaps there was some grounds to his cockiness. He needed to surprise Wei. To do that he would have to escape and come back. Wei had created a hole in the exterior windows, he could use that. Exaggerating his injuries, Hei limped out the window to the ledge. He then rushed around the corner, waiting for Wei to follow him. There was a flash of a shadow and he launched his knife at the other. 

Wei parried the weapon. Hei already had his other one in a swing aimed at Wei’s throat. He dodged the oncoming kick and stretched his arm out, letting some of his electricity flow into the blade. Not close enough! He growled internally watching as the electricity only arced towards Wei’s throat. Not enough to do damage. Hei needed a new tactic. Make him think he’s won. He flipped and smeared some of his own blood on his mask . He landed low and stayed down. 

“I heard a rumour about the existence of a proficient contractor who manipulates electricity at will. I see. You’re that BK-201. You intentionally lured me toward you so that I’d drop my guard. However, it seems that you’ve made a critical mistake at the last moment. Apparently, I’m faster than you are.” He could hear the sneer to Wei’s voice as he spoke. What he would do next was never easy. He slowly stood up turning just enough so that Wei could see the blood on his mask. Wei had fallen for the ruse, he waited for the sound of snapping fingers before he flung himself backwards off the building. He forced himself to fall limply as long as he dared, before he shot out his wire. There was a tug as it connected and he felt the whiplash as he was flung to the side. He needed to figure out where Wei went. 

“Yin. Can you see Wei?” He reached out over the coms while he dangled off the side of the building. 

“Looking.” The quiet voice answered. He could feel the strain on his arm as he held on. The minutes ticked by as wind blew his hair around wildly and he tried not to shiver as it passed through his coat as if it wasn’t there. 

“One floor down, six windows left.” Her voice came over the coms again. 

“Hang on, I’ll blow the window.” Huang’s voice sounded over the coms. Hei pressed his feet against the glass using it to help in gain momentum as he raced towards the window Yin had said. Glass exploded in front of him and released the wire. Propelling himself forward into the room. He aimed his attack at the one person standing and knocked him across the room with the force of his momentum. There was a trail of blood leading over to where Wei had fallen. From his crouched position Hei called on his powers sending a powerful wave of electricity into Wei. 

“BK… 201” Kirihara whispered in disbelief off to his left, where she was huddled with Saitou. Hei stood up and walked slowly over to Wei.

“How… are you still…” Wei groans out from the floor. Hei pulled back his coat sleeve to reveal his injury. “So that was your own blood… In an instant… That can’t be…”

Wei struggled to speak, not managing to finish what he was saying before he stopped moving.

“It looks like I was faster than you.” Hei mumbled in a low voice, not wanting to let Kirihara recognize him. There was a noise from behind him. Kirihara! He dashed back towards the window as  Kirihara reached for Alice’s revolver.

“Hold it!” She called out. Hei paused in the window. He looked over his shoulder briefly then jumped out the window, throwing a wire to catch him before he could fall too far. He pressed himself with the building so that it would appear as though he just disappeared to Kirihara and Saitou as they looked out the window above him. 

He needed to get back into the building. Kirihara knew Shengshun was there and would be expected to give a statement because he had been the one to find Wang Shao Tang’s body. 

“Yin, is there a way other than climbing to the top or the window I just came out of to get back in?”

“No.”

“Tell me when the room is clear. If it isn’t in five I will have to go to the roof.” He wouldn’t have a lot of time to reappear as Shengshun. Hei looked up at the roof and dreaded having to make the climb. His fingers were already going numb from the cold even through his gloves. He had noticed since his time in the freezer the cold was affecting him more. He breathed into his hands as he carefully balanced on the window ledge. Get out of the room Kirihara. His jaw was starting to shake, and he had to keep his teeth from chattering. 

“Clear.” Yin’s quiet voice came over the coms. Hei turned around and with the help of the retractor on his wire, he slowly climbed to where it had attached. He took the second wire leaning back and threw it up to the damaged window. It took three tries before he was satisfied the connection would hold his weight. The cut on his arm burned against his cold skin. He would need to have a reason for Shengshun to have the wound. He snuck along the hallway to where he had stashed his clothes. It will have had to have been when we were being shot at. He had decided as he changed quickly. 

He headed down to the kitchen quickly, he would need to tear the shirt to make it look believable. Taking one of the knives, he heated it on the stove so that there would be a slight burn to the cloth to emulate it being grazed by a bullet. He gritted his teeth as he let the knife sear his skin on one side. Now he needed to rejoin the party. 

The police had already started separating people into groups to facilitate getting statements. His quick scan of the room revealed where they were there had staff located in the crowd and he silently melded in with the group. He hated waiting around in crowds after missions, it was too easy to be caught in a lie. He had lost many teammates because of it. He much preferred when he could escape, which was why disappearing was one of his signatures as the Black Reaper. When his statement was taken he was taken aside and told to wait because of what he had seen and his interaction with Misaki. Who from section four would come now? He didn’t want to be a prime witness, but there was no way around it because of his encounter with Kirihara. He slid down the wall and brought his knees up to his chin. The cold hadn’t gone away yet, but his fingers weren’t shaking anymore. 

“Li-kun?” Saitou asked. 

“Ah- Saitou-san, I was told to wait here. Is everything okay? I hope Kirihara-san made it out of the building safely.” He asked with a nervous smile. 

“En, we didn’t get out but she is fine. You gave your statement?” He asked, holding a hand out to help Hei up from the floor. Hei nodded and took his hand. Saitou’s grip was strong and the tug to his arm, while not jarring, was more than enough to pull him up without his own assistance. 

“What am I to do now? Am I free to go?” Hei asked, looking around the room. Kirihara was nowhere to be seen. 

“Almost, come with me.” Saitou inclined his head and led Hei to one of the board rooms on the floor. A de facto command centre had been set up to process through the information being gathered. Kirihara was in the middle of a crowd off to the left of the doors. Hei’s eyes fell on the distinct cotton candy hair of April. November is here. His eyes didn’t have to look far from the blue beacon to find the one who owned his heart. 

“Ah-Shun?” Confusion was clear on his face as he looked from Hei to Kirihara. “Did you not think it important to tell me he was here?” He growled at Kirihara.

“Considering how meticulous you are, I was under the assumption you already knew he was here.”  Kirihara glared back at him. The comment hit hard, she was right. He had told November the name of the hotel he was going to be working at tonight. 

“I did try to stay out of things.” Hei muttered. “I was the only one working who spoke Mandarin, so I was sent up to deliver drinks to the owner. Only he was dead. I then ran into Kirihara-san. Once she had joined up with Saitou-san and had figured out a way to get out I rejoined everyone here.” Hei knew he would have to repeat what happened again, so he volunteered the information with Kirihara there so November wouldn’t question him about it later. She nodded along with what he said.

“Thankfully he was able to get Saitou for me. I don’t know if I would have escaped Alice without him.” Kirihara added quietly. 

“Did she call you because of the contractor?” He looked over at November. It was probably because his star reacted. Misaki knows November is hunting me. 

“Yeah, the one we are here to catch was here tonight.” November was looking him over. Kirihara must have told him about being shot at. He frowned at November’s comment. He knew November was hunting Hei and Wei was the only contractor present he was supposed to know about. “Misaki, Do you need Ah-Shun for anything else? I would like to take him home.”

Kirihara shook her head. At least I won’t have to wait around to be cleared. He gave her a small bow and followed November out of the room to the elevators. Once the three of them were alone he asked.

“The contractor we saw had a matter transportation ability… that’s not Black.” He rubbed his right hand on his forehead as if thinking. The skin along the tear in his arm pulled hard at the movement. Crap. November had grabbed his wrist pulling it towards himself to examine the injury.

“When did this happen? Why haven’t you had it treated?” November was back in mother hen mode. It’s just a scratch!

“Chief Kirihara and I were being shot at… it must have happened then. I- I didn’t really feel it or notice.” He mumbled to the floor as November shook his head, mumbling something Hei couldn’t catch to himself. 

“How do you manage to get yourself into these situations?” November grumbled a little louder as he inspected the wound.

“To be fair, there was no way I could have known that there was going to be an attempted takeover of a Hong Kong mafia family taking place at a birthday party for a debutante in Japan!” Hei growled back.

“He’s got you there November.” April Chuckled. Hei heard the low growl November would make when he knew the argument was lost. Sometimes it was good to have April on his side. 

“This will need stitches. We can see if one of the paramedics can do it downstairs.” November continued his examination of the wound with a puzzled expression. He looked up at Hei, cutting him off before he could comment. “You had better not be about to say you could do it yourself.”

Hei shut his mouth. He had been about to say that. November held onto his wrist looking at the wound a bit longer. No longer examining it but looking as if it was part of a puzzle. Similar to the face he made while reading the files about him and Bai. Dread coiled in his stomach. Had Kirihara told him BK-201 had been injured on his right arm? He would need to tread carefully. Once he got home he would have to make sure there were no bruises from his fall into the frame of the greenhouse. His coat would have given him a little insulation from those. If there were any and November saw those, his fate would be sealed.

“Alright, I will let someone else do it.” He slumped his shoulders slightly in defeat. 

It wasn’t difficult to find a paramedic willing to stitch him. Convincing November to drop him off at his apartment rather than go to November’s flat was like walking on thin ice. He had to recruit April to his side with a pleading look, so that she could remind November he didn’t need to be watched. She had whispered that he would be on a month’s worth of July duty for it when he got out of November’s car. It was an acceptable exchange. If November figured out who he was, he wouldn’t be able to do it anyway. After a quick shower and inspection of his back he was pleased to see that the bruises were minimal and he would be able to pass them off as having gone to the gym in the morning. He frowned down at the futon. He really was starting to prefer to have November next to him at night than be alone. Tonight it has been the right choice, even if he would miss November. 

***

He wasn’t really listening as Huang went over the debrief. The only thing that stuck was that Wei hadn’t died last night, and was on the loose. He got up to leave, no further interest in the meeting. 

“Hei.” Huang called. He paused and turned to the stout Japanese man. “I was told to give this to you.” In his hand was a neatly folded bit of paper resembling an old fashioned letter. He took a step closer and froze. 

He knew that calligraphy. 

Hei involuntarily stumbled backwards. It was from Wuchang Kuei.

“What? It’s a letter. Not like it’s a bomb or something.” Huang scoffed at his reaction. 

“I’d be more comfortable if it was.” Hei muttered. He could feel his heart rate increasing as adrenaline flared through his body. “You have no idea who sent that, do you?” It was difficult to keep the panic from his voice. He had Mao’s attention now too.

“It’s in Chinese, so no.” Huang shrugged, holding the letter out further for him.

“It’s from Wuchang Kuei.” Hei barely whispered as he reached out for the letter. Then in case Huang didn’t know who that was he added. “The Syndicate’s Ghost.” 

Huang shoved the letter into Hei’s hand. Well he at least now knows it is most definitely a bomb. Just a different type of bomb.

“What does he want from you?” Mao hissed from the bench. 

“I don’t know. I’ve not spoken with him in five years.” Hei broke the wax seal and opened the letter. Whatever the contents, there was no escaping. As he unfolded he noticed that there was a second letter inside. It was already open, but the handwriting was familiar too. Grandmother? He wouldn’t be opening that letter here. That one he would have to wait to open when alone in his apartment. He took that letter out and tucked it behind the one from Kuei.

 

XianXu

I heard what happened.

We have no need for the additional resources he might provide. 

Cut ties. 

If you refuse, I will do as requested and send you home.

Your Grandmother is looking to the future.

 

Hei dropped both letters as if they burned him. Seething rage spread through his veins.

How dare he! He has no right to use that name. Both hands clenched tight enough to draw blood from half moon shaped dents in his palms. His breathing was starting to sound more like a snarl and his arms were shaking. Public! Meltdowns must happen where no one can see! He needed to get himself under control. He couldn’t snap, but he was so close. Hei shook his head as he struggled to get his emotions under control. More than the use of his name set his blood on fire, two words had it running as cold as the ice the one it referenced could make: cut ties. That wasn’t just an order from the Syndicate, it was a threat.

“Bad news?” Mao cautiously walked over to Hei. Even Huang had a concerned but confused look to his face.

Hei focused on getting his breathing under control first. He nodded and bent down to pick up both letters. His hand still shook but his walls had closed in around him letting himself separate the situation from his expression. His father had never threatened to send him back home before. It must have something to do with the other letter. Looking to the future… there was only one reason he would say that. He wouldn’t look at the other letter here. He had a pretty good idea as to the contents now and it wouldn’t be pleasant. Opening that one would throw his current emotional instability over the edge. No, that one he would have to wait until he was back at the apartment. 

“It’s an ultimatum.” Hei hissed and folded the letter before slipping both of them into his pocket. He didn’t need this complication. Why was Kuei even paying attention to him? There had been nothing from Kuei since he had been abandoned in that hospital after his side had been carved into. 

“About what?” Mao was circling around his legs now. He wasn’t sure if it was meant to be reassuring or if it was the cat brain influencing Mao’s actions. It was comforting that his team was worried for him, but he wouldn’t involve them with Kuei. Kuei had too much control over them as it was, if he believed they might be helping Hei he would end them.

“That’s between him and I. There should be no impact on you three other than I might be replaced.” Hei hissed out a breath through his teeth. Even talking about it was rattling his unstable mask. “How long do I have to answer?” He looked over at Huang. There would be a time limit, and a short one at that. He might get a week if he was lucky, 48 hours if he wasn’t.

“Meet back here in two days”

Hei clicked his tongue and sucked in a breath through his teeth. He got the unlucky option. Figures. Two days to decide to stay in Japan or be pulled back to China. He turned and stalked off. His mood was sour and he doubted it would get better when he reached his apartment. Nothing else could matter until he had sorted his options. 

Yin’s spectre kept popping up in any available water he passed by. He paused. She’s worried.

“I’m sorry Yin.” He muttered at her spectre. “It will be alright, I just need some time. Okay?” He let his head fall before whispering. “Please don’t worry July. I need some time to myself. I can’t have November around right now.” He needed his walls. He needed to focus. He would probably break before he had come to a decision, and he wanted to be alone for that. 

He only managed a half hearted greeting to his landlady as she called out to him. He probably looked like he had just pulled a double or triple shift, her expression softened and he felt her eyes follow him all the way to his door. 

He closed the door behind him and leaned against it. He hadn’t expected Kuei to catch on so quickly. How could you be so stupid. He thumped his head against his door. He should have known that Kuei would find out quickly. Had the report of his kidnapping stirred some form of familial sympathy? Unlikely. There must have been another reason that Kuei had reached out. 

He needed to read the other letter. He glanced around the room. He would have to make sure no one, not even Yin or July looked in. He quickly made sure the windows were closed, the curtains drawn  and a cover over any reflective surface. He had no mirrors aside from the one in the bathroom. That would take care of July. He tightened the faucet so there would be no drips and after dumping out the glass he normally kept out, he wiped down the sink. Now Yin wouldn’t be able to see either. Finally, he took out the phone from November.

- I’m going out of range for a little while. I don’t want to worry you, by not replying. I’ll let you know when I have service again.-

- Thanks! It is appreciated. Stay safe. Xoxo –  As always, November’s reply was quick.

And with that, November wouldn’t check on him for a few hours. 

Hei reluctantly took both letters out of his pocket and settled down next to the table. He had a feeling he knew what was going to be in his grandmother’s letter, but he didn’t want to see it. He set Kuei’s letter to one side on the table and picked up the other. This one, wasn’t so much as meant for him, but it would be Kuei’s dangled proof he wasn’t bluffing. He had never needed to bluff when it was about his grandmother. If Kuei said she was doing something, nothing would stop that woman. Biting the proverbial bullet, he opened the letter.

 

LuanYi

I will not have our family line die out because of your arrogance.

Send XianXu home now. 

It is time he married.

 

He had been right. His grandmother had written Kuei about him. His stomach twisted into knots over the last line. It had been what he dreaded. He had known this day would come his whole life. He was the only male of his generation. His grandmother had tried to ingrain into him the importance of his role for the family. He was the only one who would be able to continue the name.

He didn’t want to. That name deserved to fade to history, forgotten by all. His father had thought he was being clever when he took the city name where their family home was; Wuchang and their name 媯 (Kuei) and used it for his codename Wuchang Kuei (無常鬼). Kuei had known his and Xing’s codenames would be Hei and Bai long before either of them had known of the Syndicate. It had been part of his plan; to bring the three reapers of his favourite legend to life and take care of the contractor threat.  

Hei felt sick. The use of his name had been because of his grandmother. Kuei didn’t deserve to use it after what he had done. She had to know of their falling out because of her comment about Kuei’s arrogance. She was the head of the household, and when it came to family matters, Kuei would not stand up to her. Why hadn’t he sent me home already? Hei scoffed. It was probably because Kuei had disowned him and wanted to keep it that way. His grandmother didn’t know where he was and that was the buffer Kuei would use. Kuei wouldn't want to trust the next generation to him. That was fine by him. He had no intention of continuing that tainted family tree. Not for Kuei, not for her… he wouldn’t even do it to know where Bai was.

But, 

He wanted to refuse. He wanted to stay with November so badly his chest hurt. Even the threat of being sent back to China and being forced to marry wasn’t enough to change that. He needed to figure out his options. Was there anything else he could do other than comply or refuse?

There was… it wasn’t a good option but it was the only one where he would manage to have at least two of his three prime objectives: Not being the cause or reason November and their family were killed and not having to go back to China to start a new one. He would have to be selfish to choose that option. No, he couldn’t do that. He wouldn’t be able to run. November would never stop looking for him, and neither would the Syndicate. A life on the run would end up with him dead. That’s another option. A bad one, but an option. There was no way he would be able to convince November to go with him. He had too much pride to tuck tail and run… besides, he was hunting Hei. November would see their relationship as a huge betrayal of his trust once he found out who he was. I wouldn’t be able to blame him for it. I was planning on making it look like he was just a source anyway.  

Hei flopped down on the floor. One way or another, he had two days to decide how to cut his heart out. He only had two days left to enjoy being November’s Ah-Shun. His eyes stung and he draped his arm over his face. Why had it come to this? He should have listened to himself at the beginning and ended things with November before the remnants of his heart had been stolen away. He had been weak. He had known what was needed after they had first had sex and hadn’t done it. Now, it was too late. 

Stop. Figure out options. Then I can focus on November. Only after that can I try to selfishly take what I can in these last two days. Before… before… 

“I’m so sorry November.” His lip quivered as he spoke. He shouldn’t have let things get this far. November had started to feel his emotions again, only to have his heart crushed. He would make sure November knew he was loved. No matter which option he decided. November needed to know. 

Things did not get better over the next few hours. Try as he might, he couldn't come up with more than three at least feasible options. He’d come up with many that had no chance of success. From trying to find wherever Kuei was now and killing him to convincing everyone to run off. He had to do this, and it would have to be alone. Hei sighed. 

His options still sucked, but he would have to choose one of them. 

Option 1 - Comply. 

Give up his family to keep them safe and have Huang get him a new identity. This option would have him forcing himself to continue working for the Syndicated in Japan until he had to fight against November - and it would happen. He wouldn’t be able to fight November and November wouldn’t know it was him. The end. 

Option 2 - Refuse. 

See if Kuei is bluffing about sending him back to China. There was the slightest possibility he wouldn’t. This option would potentially risk a hit being put out on November and his team. This option would also all but confirm November was more than a source. The main bonus to this option was that it was the option he got to stay with November the longest. For each of the others he had less than two days.  

Option 3 - Flee. 

Leave the Syndicate and November behind. Hei hoped that Kuei wouldn’t think he had run because he had feelings for November. Rather it was the threat of marriage and being pulled back into Kuei’s family which had caused him to flee. It would break Hei to do it and he wasn’t sure he would survive. In fact, he was certain he wouldn’t. 

He had let November know he was back in service range after he had finalized his three options. The next few hours had him meditating and squashing the dread of what was to come. Tonight he would forget about the rest of the world and focus only on November. Tomorrow he would make his decision. 

Hei wanted to go over the top, make one of the few recipes he remembered from his time in the UK… but that would make November suspicious. He didn’t want tonight to be spoiled by giving away what he had spent the last few hours putting out of his mind. He hadn’t heard from November much today. Had getting April to have him back off yesterday upset him? That would be my luck. Hei thought grimly as he ate alone. He had cleaned up before his phone buzzed. 

-April has volunteered to stay with July tonight. Can I come over?-

Hei grinned. He would get tonight with November after all. He quickly typed out his reply. 

-Yes! Thank April for me.-

He waited anxiously for November to arrive. He busied himself with moving the table and setting up the futon.  As he finished smoothing out the blanket he spotted the two letters on the floor. Where should he hide them? His eyes fell on his satchel in the corner.  They would blend in. It was as good of an option as any. With that he tucked them in his notepad. 

The soft knock at his door sparked endorphins through his system. He shoved the bag back into the corner before opening the door for November. 

“You are a sight for sore eyes.” November’s smile was like the sun after a storm. Warm and soothing. It was what he needed after today. Hei grinned back at him as he committed the sight to memory. He would need it later. 

“Oh? Where you at the hotel all day?” He banished those thoughts. November was an expert at reading his expression and he couldn’t have November poke at his unsteady walls tonight. Kirihara would have her work cut out for her in processing all of the evidence from last night's mission. Just the blood collection and documentation would be a nightmare, let alone all the statements and other potential evidence.

“Yes. A grim and vile task of collecting and deciphering evidence.” November exaggerated his tone as he stepped into the apartment, his arms wrapping around Hei as November leaned into him for a kiss. 

“Mmm, I wouldn’t be able to do what you do. Don’t take this the wrong way, but there is too much paperwork for me.” Hei shook his head and stepped back past the counter. 

“Says the one who regularly reads extensive amounts of scientific articles and… how long is your thesis now?” November snorted and raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Forty two pages.” Hei mumbled. “But it’s not the same! Your paperwork is filling out forms and cataloguing. Now. No more talk of work.” Hei reached out and tugged November into the apartment by his lapels.

“I haven’t kept you waiting, have I?” November chuckled and closed the door behind him.  

“Maybe.” Hei pouted and tugged November’s tie loose before lifting it up and over his head. He tossed behind him in the direction of the main room of the apartment. Once that had been discarded he began undoing November’s buttons. 

“I think it’s more than a maybe.” November smirked and pulled Hei into a kiss. Hei struggled not to just give into the kiss and let November guide. He let his fingers move quickly to ensure all of November’s layers were removed quickly. November followed his lead and was making short work of the few buttons Hei had done up on his own shirt. Tonight, he wouldn’t hold back. There would be no attempt to keep some part of the shy Shengshun to his actions. 

Once he kicked his jeans off to the side he curled his fingers into November’s hair, pulling him deeper into the kiss before he pinned November against the wall separating the kitchen from the main room. Hei was meticulous in ensuring he had mapped out the interior of November’s mouth. He needed to know every inch, to remember every sound… Stop. Don’t think of that. Hei panted for breath as he broke the kiss to trail down the side of November’s neck nipping and kissing spots he already knew November enjoyed. 

November groaned deep and low. He loved hearing that noise. He paused his assault on November’s neck to steady his knees before he continued, his nipped a bit harder and his tongue teased the blemishes he was causing on November’s skin. He could feel November’s quickening pulse against his lips. November slouched down against the wall, giving Hei more access to continue his exploration. Hei shivered as November’s hands trailed along his sides. Hei focused on November’s skin. Trying to ignore how November’s hands trailing along his sides and hips had him hard already. November’s hands kept going down and in one quick motion he had lifted Hei up with a firm grip on both of his cheeks. Hei made a startled noise as his angle shifted, pulling his knees up against the wall. He gripped onto November with his thighs and put more pressure on his shoulders before claiming his mouth. He rarely had to lean down to kiss November. He tested out how the other reacted as he licked and stroked the inside of November’s mouth. 

November groaned again as he rutted against Hei. Hei’s stomach flopped as November pressed into him. I wonder how this angle would work. He ground down against November feeling the pressure at his entrance but not enough to penetrate. November’s shallow thrusts chasing after him. Let’s try. He let his hand glide down November’s chest, twirling his thumb around November’s nipple before pinching it firmly. November nuzzled his neck before biting and sucking on his left collarbone. 

“Ng-ah” he gasped at the sudden pain only for it to end up as a moan as November prodded the area with his tongue. He pressed down on November’s shoulders, letting them take more of his weight as he held himself higher and he shifted to allow his hand to slip between them and grasped November’s cock. 

“Ah-Shun.” November groaned as he stroked him tightly. Only pausing for a moment to force himself to relax before he enacted his plan and impaled himself on November’s cock. 

The pressure was so much more than it usually was. He panted for air and forced his way further down as November’s whole body trembled. November’s grip on his ass tightened, but didn’t try to force him further or stop him. His chest rumbled in a long, almost feral growl. Hei pushed further down, willing his muscles to relax and take November in further. He pulled his hand back and held onto November’s shoulders as he slid further down. Hei tried to swallow the whine that traced his harsh breaths but it escaped against his wishes. November’s breathing was sounding more haggard than his own. 

He was so focused on his task he didn’t feel the change to November’s grip until the world spun and his back connected with the wall in a rush. He cried out in shock and pain as November used the momentum to take him to the hilt. He was pinned against the wall with November’s cock pressed firmly against his prostate. How did he manage that! Hei whimpered and trembled under November, the sensation becoming overwhelming. Hei needed to move. He needed November’s cock to back off just enough so that he could regain some semblance of mental focus. November’s hands held him firmly in place as he mewled and tried to squirm.

“Ghn, Ah-Shun, stay still.” November’s head was resting on his shoulder and his voice was strained. “You’re so fucking tight.” he gasped. The movement was enough to shift November’s cock and Hei managed to loosen his grip on November’s shoulders. Hei watched as the muscles along November’s back shifted and danced under his skin. November was forcing himself to not move, watching the movement he could see times when the muscles wanted to move, but were quickly restrained. Did I stumble on a kink? He leaned down to November’s ear and watched as the other struggled to keep himself in check.
“I won’t break November.” he whispered huskily into his ear. “You don’t need to stop yourself.” Hei squeezed his legs around November’s waist in encouragement. If it had been any of their previous times, he wouldn’t have dared to taunt November to let go, but tonight November was playing with Hei. Tonight he would find out what it was like to play out November’s hidden desire.  

“Ah-Shun..” November hissed through his teeth.

“Show me what you deny yourself.” Hei purred into November’s ear. He smirked and added. “Please.”

“Ah!” He yelped in surprise, his arms tightening around November’s neck. November pulled almost all the way out and slammed back into Hei so fast Hei hadn’t even felt the pull of gravity. November shifted underneath Hei. The movement allowed Hei’s weight to be supported with only one hand. 

“Hold on with your legs.” November groaned as he captured one of Hei’s wrists and pinned it by his ribs. Hei nodded quickly and hooked his ankles together. November’s other hand let go of his ass and Hei squeezed around November to keep from slipping down.

November growled, thrusting upwards as gravity pulled Hei down. November grabbed Hei’s other wrist and pinned it similarly to the other side. Excitement swirled in his belly as November set a quick rough pace. It was rougher than November would usually be, more like he had to rush with his prize. Is he imagining catching and having his way with BK-201? Hei smirked. He didn’t want to mention his other name to November, but he might be able to test the probability. Hei pulled against November’s grip on his wrists, only to have them tighten. Yeah this has something to do with catching someone. Next he tried squirming only to have November increase the pace. The movement seemed to be encouraging him. 

Yes, it’s definitely that and probably me. Hei was panting as the strain and excitement were building quickly coiling tightly low in his stomach as he egged November on feigning struggling to free his wrists and squirming as he was pounded into the wall. How would I get out of this? He had wanted to do something special for November, letting him have this fantasy would work. 

Hei pushed off from the wall with most of his strength, unhooking his legs so that he could catch one around November’s knee to knock him off balance. The two of them fell loudly half into the main room. This time Hei was on top of November and had a solid grip on November’s hands. Pinning them to his stomach. 

“It won’t be that easy to catch me.” He taunted November. The full body shiver and low groan confirmed that was exactly what November had been thinking about. He rocked slowly on top of November, repositioning himself after their fall. It wasn’t a great angle, but tonight wasn’t about him. November struggled to free his hands as Hei lifted himself almost completely off November and only moved up and down slightly and just teasing the head while November struggled to have him go deeper by thrusting upwards but his range was limited from where Hei had his hands trapped. 

November wiggled under him and twisted his wrists. His eyes sparkled with excitement at the challenge before him. Hei kept his grip firm, but allowed some movement. He felt November’s legs moving behind him, but it didn’t seem as if they were getting ready to flop him to one side, one of November’s more frequent tactics. He rocked further down on November, which was countered by a hard upward thrust. Sending shivers through his body and loosening his grip on November’s hands. It was enough for November to break free and take Hei’s wrists. November moved quickly as Hei’s lapse had given him the opportunity he had been waiting for. Hei resisted as his hands were forced behind him and his balance was shifted enough for him to be pulled down hard into November. He gasped at the sudden shift giving November enough time to take both of his hands in one. The other disappeared for a moment before Hei felt something tighten around his wrist. 

He had used his legs to find his tie I had tossed!

The bond wasn’t tight enough that he wouldn’t be able to get out should he seriously try, but he let it remain in place. November’s hands trailed off his bound wrists, caressed his ass causing Hei to moan, before he gripped Hei’s waist with one hand and pulled the two of them back towards the futon with his other arm, while his feet pushed. Hei whimpered at the jostling movement causing November’s cock to continually rub and put pressure on his prostate. 

“Will you surrender?” November teased as he added a trust for good measure. Hei moaned but shook his head from on top of November. Not yet. November grinned and flipped Hei onto his back, trapping his hands under him and forcing his back to arch. November smirked and took Hei’s cock in his hand. “You have no escape.” November’s grip was tight enough to hint at pain as he pumped Hei’s cock, but the pleasure from it and November’s thrusts was overwhelming. “Surrender, or I will make you beg.”

“N-no” Hei gasped as the pressure in his stomach was building quickly, he wouldn’t be able to last much longer. November’s hand pulled him towards the edge while his dick threatened to throw him over. 

November stopped, pulling him back from the brink. Hei whined in frustration, he had been so very close. Hei’s chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath beneath November, his heart thudding against his chest as the tension that had threatened to send him over the edge slacked. “Ngh, don’t… stop.” Hei gasped. 

“Will you admit defeat?” November teased and pumped his cock. With one stroke his whole body trembled. The next one was slow, his stomach tightening as the pressure began to build again. 

“November… please.” Hei mimpered. His body’s need for release muddled his thoughts. The need for November to move, to push him to orgasm becoming the sole directive his body would listen to. 

“You want me to continue, say it.” He let go of Hei’s cock, prompting Hei to growl in protest. November smirked as his hands trailed along Hei’s stomach tracing the lines of his abdomen. November shifted forward enough to lean down, mere inches from Hei’s face. “Say it.” November knew he had won. In this fantasy he had caught Hei. 

“I- I surrender, but only to you November.” Hei strained against November’s tie as he tried to free his hands. November grinned wickedly before he descended on Hei’s mouth. Hei poured himself into the kiss, willing November to know his feelings. He wanted November to know, he was the only one he would submit to. He was the one he loved. November broke the kiss with a smile and slammed into Hei. His pace was erratic, they both were so close. November’s hand brushed against Hei’s cock, closing around it was enough to pull him to orgasm and he took November with him. 

Hei blinked slowly as he floated down from the high. He felt lighter than he had in a long time. Like a weight had been lifted off of him. The stress had, for now, melted off of him. Hei smiled down at November, who  had already untied him and was gently kissing the faint pink mark on his wrists. 

“Mhm, that was fantastic.” Hei sighed and shivered. The gentle caress set off tremors through his body. 

“You are a treasure, Ah-Shin. I hope I can live up to the title you gave me.” November whispered as he continued to pepper kisses on any mark he came across. 

“It’s not a title.” Hei smiled gently. “It’s the truth. Keep it safe, no matter what, okay?” He strained to keep his voice from cracking. November’s eyes shifted from wonder to concern.

“Is that your way of telling me to be careful in my search for Hei?” He asked quietly. 

Hei shuddered and nodded. He wanted to hear November say his name to him. The sound alone was enough to have his body trembling and preparing for another round.

“Then I will take every available precaution to keep you safe.” Hei knew he would, but it might not be enough. 

“I will hold you to that.” Hei cupped November’s face as he kissed his forehead. 

“Now, come my love, we need to shower.” November smiled as he tugged Hei off to clean up before bed. Tonight was more than he could have hoped for. The morning would bring a bittersweet reminder, his time was up. I hope tomorrow doesn’t come. 

***

His body was sore from abusing infrequently used muscles, but still felt pleasantly relaxed. The familiar warmth of November wasn’t beside him. November wouldn’t just leave. Hei opened his eyes and glanced over at the empty spot beside him. I slept in? The thought startled him as he looked around the room, finding November sitting against the wall by the window looking down at his phone. In his lap staring back at Hei was Mao, and November was casually petting the cat. Hei stared at the sight for a moment and it took longer than it should have to process what he was seeing as his mind struggled to put the two of them in the same room. Mao jumped from November’s lap and rushed over to Hei. The movement had November look up and lock eyes with him, smiling  warmly as Mao bounded over.

“What are you doing here?” Hei muttered to Mao, rubbing his head. Mao purred, glancing at Hei’s side and pawed at the characters Kuei had etched there. Hei’s eyebrows furrowed. Mao wouldn’t be here because of that. It must be what he had observed while Hei had been asleep. “Go on, I’ll feed you later.” he scratched under Mao’s chin before looking over at November. Mao dashed off to the window. He’s going to have lots of questions.

“Good Morning Ah-Shun. Your cat is quite the companion.” November put his phone and a bit of paper into his pocket. Is that what Mao was hinting at?

“He’s not mine, I just watch out for him.” Hei muttered as he rolled over to look at November, propping himself up on his elbows. “Have you been awake long?” Hei couldn’t remember the last time he had slept in. He couldn’t remember sleeping past a partner either. Sleeping in shifts didn’t count. He had forced himself to become a light sleeper after Xing became a contractor. He made sure to be awake before or just after she was. It became a habit after that and from there it had saved him more times than he could count. November had really passed all his walls now. Not even Amber had managed to have him relax his guard to this point. Awake or asleep, Hei knew November would protect him and he trusted November enough to let him.

“Not too long, enough to enjoy watching you sleep. I had to come over here so I wouldn’t disturb you.”

“I wouldn’t have minded.”

“No, I’m sure you wouldn’t have…I was quite the task to keep from touching you.”

“Then I really wouldn’t have minded.” Hei smirked at him.

“What are your plans for the day?” November scooted over next to him and Hei rolled onto his back.

“I’ve got stuff to go over for my thesis, but other than that not too much. I’ve been told to take some time off from the bar. They felt really bad that my first shift back ended up with me injured again.”

“I’m glad. I really felt like you should have taken more time off anyway.”

“Will you have to work today?”

“Yeah, we still have to help Misaki with the mountains of evidence.” November sighed. “It is much more appealing to spend the day in bed with you.”

“I’ve never done that.” Hei shifted, putting his head on November’s lap. 

“I will have to remedy that.” November groaned as he began running his fingers through Hei’s hair. 

“I look forward to it.” Hei smiled at November knowing he wouldn’t be able to. 

***

Mao must have stuck around the apartment after Hei had sent him off. It was mere minutes after November’s car drove off that he appeared once again in the window. Hei flopped down on the futon as Mao approached. He didn’t feel like putting it away yet. Mao sat down next to him with his head cocked as he examined the mark on Hei’s side.

“The MI6 agent… he doesn’t act like any contractor I’ve met. He’s possessive and worried about you. If it were possible I might even think he had feelings for you.” Mao shook his head in disbelief. “He’s figured out that it was Ghost that put the mark there.”

“I knew he would. It doesn’t change things” 

“What are you to Ghost?”

“It’s… complicated. He’s the one who gave me my code name. I can’t tell you anything else.”

“Have you decided what to do about his letter?”

“I’ve narrowed down my options. I will have an answer ready for Huang tomorrow.” Hei sighed. Mao nodded and jumped up to the window ledge, hesitating to go any further. 

“I don’t know if it helps, but I would rather you not be replaced.” He looks back at Hei managing as much of a smile as a cat could. 

“Thanks Mao.” Hei smiled, watching as Mao disappeared out the window. 

Will November ask about Ghost… or Hei? November’s eyes still had traces of guilt over the  attack he had at the flat. He would wait to ask… and by then it would be too late.

***

He didn’t have any more time to dwell on potential options. He had wasted too much of the day already, he needed to decide. If he was going to run, he would have to go now. He would need as much distance as he could get between him and the Syndicate… and November, before they understood he was gone. He just couldn’t bring himself to do it. He stared at the small black phone November had given him on the futon. The physical weight that kept him in place. He had tried leaving it, getting up and hadn’t even made it to the door before his body forced him back. He needed it to stop protesting and just listen to reason. There wasn’t enough of him left to survive cutting ties and running, perhaps his body knew it too.

November will die if I don’t leave. He pleaded with the claws digging through his insides. His stomach had been swirling since Mao had left that morning as the dread kept building within him at what he needed to do. Leaving November would be the only way he would be able to keep him safe and away from Kuei. Once Kuei found out about his feelings, there would be no hesitation before November’s death was ordered. 

Hei let his head fall into his hands. Kuei would make Hei do it… much like he had done it himself. He and Xing had spent their early years with their grandmother because Kuei had robbed them of a mother. Kuei had cut out his own happiness so he would have no weakness. He and Bai were the next generation and had no place in his shriveled heart. There was no way he would let Hei have what he had denied himself.

Leaving November would mean he might get the information about what happened to Bai. Kuei had dangled it in front of him five years ago, he still needed to know. But, even knowing the only way to find out what happened was to stay with the syndicate didn’t help. I’m sorry, Bai. His body was determined to hold on to the last bits of his heart and not even the only goal that had kept him going the last five years was enough to get him to move forward with what was needed. His body was being selfish. It wanted him to stay with November, even if it meant that one or both of them would die. He had to do this, he had to make sure November lived. 

I could stay in Japan, and watch over him from a distance. Hei tried desperately to convince the tightness threatening to crust his chest to loosen and listen. Huang would get him a new ID and he would blend into the crowd. Yin might be able to convince July not to tell November he was still in the city. He would be able to be the Black Reaper for the Syndicate and watch over his family. But Kuei would figure out something was off. He would struggle to focus, spending so much of his time fighting with himself to keep from going to November. He would slip up and get caught… but more likely killed. Especially if November and him had another battle. 

Why can’t I do this! Hei growled at himself. His fingers slid into his hair and he tugged in frustration. The decision was clear. He needed to follow orders. There was no positive outcome. If his damn emotions would just listen he could move forward. He let out a shaky breath as his nails dug into his scalp. Let me do this! He screamed at the raging turmoil swirling inside him. It wouldn’t relent, the logical part of his brain was lost in the storm. 

Pain and cold had taken over his body, his heart and emotions wouldn’t budge. The hopelessness he felt from not being able to do what was needed, doing more to turn the tide of his internal struggle than any argument he had come up with. He had tried all afternoon to convince himself to do what was needed. He had gotten no further than curling into a ball on the futon he hadn’t put away. The orange light filtering through his window was a looming death sentence. 

“I’m sorry. I’m not strong enough.” Hei whispered his defeat aloud.

He had no answer for Kuei. If he didn’t decide soon, time would choose for him. It would be too late to run. As soon as he sees Huang tomorrow he would have to agree to a new life. At that point if he said no, he would guarantee himself a trip back to China and November’s blood on his hands. He couldn’t see November tonight. There would be no hiding his inner struggle from him. He was slowly breaking, the cold would turn to numbness and that would eventually replace the pain. He would be able to move then. He would be able to walk himself to his doom in the morning. He just needed to wait. He huddled further into himself. There would be no sleep tonight, no one to keep him safe.

Thump thump thump. 

Hei blinked slowly. Someone was at his door. 

Go away. He shook his head in his hands. I can’t. Even his walls wouldn’t help him with whoever was at the door. The lights were out, maybe they would think he wasn’t home. 

Thump thump thump thump.

The door rattled as the knocker incessantly banged in his door. They weren’t letting up. 

“Ah-Shun!” November called as he continued to bang on his door. 

No. no no no. Not November. He couldn’t see him right now without having to tell him what was wrong. November would do anything to help Ah-Shun… but he was Hei. 

“Ah-Shun please, if you can hear me, open up!”

I can’t. I’m sorry. 

Hei squeezed his eyes shut. His breathing was picking up as panic began to set in. November knew he was here. July must have seen him and told November to come. He would have to send November away. He needed to get up. Hei forced himself upright. Forcing his breathing to calm down before he tried to stand. I’ll tell November it was memories coming through, but I’m alright now. I don’t need him to stay. Hei tried to convince himself November would just accept that answer. 

“Shengshun please… open the door!” 

He’s worried. Worried for someone who doesn’t exist. Hei shambled to his feet. He tried to put on a mask that would calm November’s nerves enough to leave and go back to his flat. No… I will be the one doing the leaving. Hei’s legs buckled at the thought. He managed to catch himself in the doorframe. 

I can’t do this. He thudded his head against the frame venting some of his frustration. Only a couple more steps. Just tell him it’s nothing to worry about and send him home. 

Hei nodded resolutely to himself. He pushed off the frame, took the few steps in front of him and reached out with a shaking hand to open the door. He hesitated, he took in a rattling breath and he locked in what shambles of a mask he had left and opened the door. 

Relief spread across November’s face as the door opened. 

This was a bad idea. There was the one he had to do this for. That wonderful smile he had to keep safe. Shining blue eyes he never wanted to see sad, but he would be the one who would cause it. Hei’s lip quivered, forcing his face into a strained frown. He took a step back to keep himself from flinging himself into November. This was a very bad idea. His head shook slightly as he backed up. 

The relief evaporated from November’s face as Hei took another step back. November quickly stepped into the apartment, closing the door behind him. November’s brows knitted. I’m sorry. He closed his eyes, he couldn’t look at the one whose heart he was going to have to crumple. He had promised to keep it safe. He had been a fool to think he could be trusted with anyone’s heart. He felt November’s arms pull him into a hug. He didn’t resist being pulled forward, but that was all he could manage. He didn’t deserve this. He wasn’t someone who should get happiness after what he’s done. 

“What is wrong Ah-Shun?” November held him tightly in his steady arms but November’s voice was full of concern. 

“I - I don’t like my choices.” Hei struggled to say. He leaned his head into November’s shoulder but didn't return the hug. 

“I am going to need a bit more information than that. What choice do you have to make?” He maintained his hold on Hei and rubbed up and down his back. His voice was soothing, a balm to his frayed nerves. I shouldn’t do this. I won’t be able to cut ties if I tell him. 

“I have to choose which matters more. Being good, stubborn or selfish.” Hei whispered against November’s suit jacket. His mouth had run off and ignored his brain. Now he would have to tell November about Kuei’s letter… or at least the contents.

“Ah-Shun… That doesn’t clarify what is happening. Besides, only two of those qualities describe you. I have never known you to put yourself first in anything.” November’s voice was soothing as he guided the two of them into the room. 

“I-I can’t have that option anyway. I’ve known that from the beginning.” Hei dismissed quickly. Running away, he had known wasn’t going to work for this. 

“Why can’t you be selfish?” Hei let November guide him back towards the futon. He didn’t have the energy to resist. He really was being selfish. He shouldn’t have opened the door. He shouldn’t  have dragged November into this. November would get the information out of him and then… then…Kuei would find out. 

“I- I…” Hei strangled back a sob. He had to push through to the numbness. It would be easier when he couldn’t feel. He might even survive the night if he could get the numbness to take over. November stopped at the noise. His hands tightened around Hei’s waist. Hei squeezed his eyes shut. He wouldn’t be able to convince November everything was fine now. “I can have two of the three things I want, with that option.” he whispered.

“Okay, two of three is alright. It doesn’t sound like that’s too selfish but you are certain it wont work…What would you have to do for that option?” November’s grip only lessened slightly. The blonde would coax the information out of him gently. Maybe that would be enough to get the numbness to take over. 

“Vanish.” Hei mumbles almost inaudibly. Hei felt November’s whole body tense as November’s grip tightened around his waist. He had known November wouldn’t like that option. He had already lost the ability to use that option, November could know about it now. 

“I don’t like that option very much. I can see why you don’t want to pick it.” November’s voice was low and hesitant. He’s figured out how close he came to having me disappear on him again. It still could happen. If he went to the meeting tomorrow, he would disappear. November loosened his grip so that he could rub reassuring circles around his lower back. Hei could feel his muscles unwinding under November’s touch. He tensed, he couldn’t let that continue but he didn’t want to struggle. 

“So, you have to choose being good or stubborn?” November murmured into his ear.

Hei nodded. He felt so drained. He gave into the feeling,  letting his head rest against November’s shoulder. November’s hand traced along his spine and took another step towards the futon. 

“What does being good involve?” November was approaching this like he did most puzzles; find out as many factors as you could first then make a move. He would want to know the other two options and Hei would end up telling him. He was doomed. 
“Following directions, giving up on things I want, but securing one thing that matters.” Hei sighed, accepting his fate. He would probably end up either unable to attend tomorrow’s meeting, which would equate to him refusing or November would figure out he was Hei and probably turn him to an icicle. 

“Okay, and what about being stubborn?” November’s hand had slipped into his hair, rubbing with just enough pressure to send tingles down his spine. 

“Refusing to do what I’ve been told, risking what I’m not willing to lose but getting more time.” November pulled him down to the futon, but Hei didn’t want to show November he had given up. He turned around and put his back to November’s chest as they sunk into the mess of sheets he had left there, they had left there that morning. 

“It sounds like there is part of this equation you’re not mentioning. What directions have you been given?” Hei let his head hang forward. There is a lot I’m not mentioning. November pulled him in close and tucked his chin on Hei’s shoulder. He closed his eyes. November was all around him. His presence, warmth and scent pulled down the walls he had tried to keep in place all day. 

“Cut ties. Attachments create problems.” His voice sounded hollow. 

“And you don’t want to.” November stroked his hair. “What is the risk in keeping attachments?”

“Being sent h- to China and… losing them.” He had almost said home. It wasn’t home. Home was where he was right now. Safe with November. His voice broke as he tried to finish his sentence. He couldn’t think of what Kuei would do to November. What Kuei would make him do to November. He wouldn’t do it. Even if he was ordered. He wouldn’t. 

“Are those two different things or the same?”

“Different.” A shiver ran down his spine and he tried to banish the frozen blue eyes glazed over and unmoving from his thoughts.

“What does your heart tell you to choose?” One of November’s hands drifted from his side to hover and circle gently the area over his heart. I can’t listen to what it wants. I can’t have that.  

“It’s not the one I should choose.” Hei shook his head and laced his fingers in November’s pulling his hand away from his heart. 

“Your heart is stubborn.” November chuckled and placed a kiss on his neck. 

“My heart belongs to you.” Hei whispered so low he almost couldn’t hear himself. November smiled against his neck.

“Then, can I weigh in on your choices?” His breath teased the moisture left on his neck from the kiss. 

“You think I should be stubborn?” Hei frowned with a sigh. November would want him to be happy. Happiness wasn’t something that someone like him was allowed. It had been beyond his reach since he had decided to stay with Xing as she became Bai. 

“I want you to trust me. You’re not in this alone. Let me help. If we work together you won’t be risking as much.” November gave him a squeeze. He was sure it was meant to be soothing, but it sent his emotions over the edge. 

“I want to… but… I-I can’t. I can’t risk losing you.” He gasped out the words as he struggled to settle down the turmoil within him.

“Trust me Hei.” November whispered into his ear. Hei was paralyzed where he sat and struggled to breathe, his lungs frozen in his chest. His insides screamed for him to run but his body wouldn’t move. 

November knew who he was.

Notes:

AAAAAaand with that... we should see the end of mopey Hei!!!!

yay!!!
there will be fluff!
Beware the fluff!

Thanks for all the comments and Kudos! The are sooooooooo appreciated.

A/N Sep 24- So, been hit with a hurricane (am safe!) and possibly won’t have power until Wednesday. Writing will be phone charge dependant (so not much). Hopefully they will get the power on sooner…

Chapter 14: Chapter Thirteen

Notes:

It appears even the hurricane couldn't keep me from getting this chapter done in time for Thursday posting!
Lots of fun and fluff in this one.

This was it. His lungs wouldn’t breath, paralyzed by the revelation November had connected the facts and knew who he was. His time was well and truly up now. He wouldn’t resist. He couldn’t fight November, he had known his life would be over if he had to face November in a fight. He also knew he wouldn’t survive if November died. He would let himself be turned to ice first. 

Wait. 

He… wants me to trust him.

His throat was dry. Did November mean what… what he thought he meant? There was no hint of blue synchrotron radiation. November wasn’t turning him to ice. Why? This was his best opportunity to capture BK-201. Can… can I take this chance? He trusted November, more than he had anyone else. Could he do this? If he could or not… right now his life was in November’s hands. 

“I do believe the first time we met I told you I didn’t intend to take you to the local authorities or PANDORA. I meant it then, I mean it now. Only this time no strings. Can you trust me, Hei?” November asked when Hei remained silent. 

Hei didn’t know what to say. Had November said that when he had fought after Carmine? He couldn’t remember. He had been angry then and so confused. How things had changed, He knew he could trust November. He would trust November with his life. Hei let out a slow breath, letting his coiled muscles relax. He leaned back into November and nodded once before letting his head fall back to rest on November shoulder. November wasn’t rejecting him. He had figured out I was Hei… and had come to help me anyway. 

He still wasn’t ready to open his eyes. Part of him was not ready to believe anyone could accept him. He was too far gone, no one could love what he had become. He wouldn’t deserve it anyway. November pulled their entwined hands back up to rest on his heart. November wasn’t pushing for information or pressuring him to move or open up any faster than he was ready. He just waited. Hei’s heart ached, not from worry or pain, but from the overwhelming sensation of knowing November loved and trusted him . 

“I had wanted to avoid you after what happened with Carmine, but you were more persistent than any contractor I know.” He murmured with his eyes still closed. “You managed to worm your way through my defenses and nothing I tried could stop you.” He let out an unsteady sigh. “I’ve never had a reaction to someone like I did with you and that kiss.” Hei surrendered, confirming that November was correct about his identity and left what would come to November. 

“Who’s Carmine?” November asked quietly. The arm around his waist wrapped all the way across his stomach. The storm inside him settling as November’s steady presence and warmth brought the first glimpse of calm he’d had in days. He was never as grateful to be wrong about something as he was right now. November knew and still… still wanted to help him. 

“Havoc” Hei finally opened his eyes, just a little. He hadn’t managed to fully banish the lingering dread but he was getting there. He dared a glance over at November. His face was so close to his own. There wasn’t a hint of betrayal or malice to the clear blue eyes looking at him. Only love and relief shone through, and a happy smirk graced his lips. 

“Well, you can’t really blame me for persisting. One look at you and there were sparks.” November pressed a quick kiss to Hei’s temple. “After that first kiss, I was addicted. There was clearly more to you than what you showed the word and I needed to see more of the side you let slip that night.” Hei turned his head and let November kiss him. “The further I got, the more I wanted you. The more you got past my defenses too until you were someone I wanted to protect, someone who mattered more to me than anything.” November whispered with their foreheads still touching. 

“You won’t turn me in?” His voice sounded so vulnerable, and unlike the feared cursed contractor he was known to be. He had to hear it to believe this was happening, that November was accepting Hei. 

“There’s no way I’d give you up now.” November’s arm around his waist squeezed and the one holding his hand pulled his chest into November in a tight hug. “Li Shengshun, Ah-Shun, Hei, Bk-201 - it doesn’t matter what you are called. You are mine .” The possessiveness of the word sent shivers through his body. He was, and he felt giddy knowing that November really was ready to accept him- all of him, and not just the Ah-Shun he had come to know. 

“Call me Hei when we are alone, Ah-Shun otherwise.”Hei smiled, acceptance felt wonderful. The relief of no longer needing to hide from November pulling off some of the burden he’d forced upon himself. 

“Alright, Hei.”

Hei shivered violently from his shoulders to his hips. November saying his name, not just in passing but to him… made his stomach flop and tighten at the same time. That dream had nothing on the real thing.

“Hei?” November looked down at him. Hei couldn’t resist any longer, the light butterfly kisses were reassuring, but he needed more, to show November how grateful he was. He cupped November’s cheek and pulled him into a kiss. It wasn’t a hungry rushed kiss, he took his time reveling at how he wouldn’t have to give this up. 

“Again. Say it again.” Hei murmured breathily when he finally broke the kiss. November grinned. Hei felt the stress of the last few days melting. The anxiety was still there, but the weight was so much less… No, it was shared . He had someone who wanted to share his burden. 

“Hei.” He lowered his tone, enticing Hei to kiss him again.  This time Hei savoured the taste of November. He wanted it to stay with him forever. 

“I’ve wanted to hear you say that for a long time.” Hei mumbled with a smile. He felt content like he hadn’t before in his life. Gently November tugged his waist. He nudged Hei to shift to one side enough so he wouldn’t have to strain to look at him. Hei didn’t want to move too much, he was content against a November but he shifted to the left and let his legs drape over November’s. 

“Now, care to explain a bit more as to what is going on?” November’s gaze was serious but in a way that warmed the last frozen bits of doubt. November wanted to help, to protect him. To do that he needed details. 

“I got a letter… from Kuei.” Hei swallowed hard, he didn’t want November to feel more guilty about what had happened but, he also shouldn’t avoid telling him. “He’s not happy about what happened with the Romanians. And because of it he’s threatened to send me back if I don’t cut ties.” Hei curled himself into November as he spoke. 

“So, the sending back to China isn’t a figurative thing. He would actually be sending you to China?”

“Mhm.” Hei confirmed but neglected to elaborate. He didn’t want to bring up his relationship with Kuei, not yet at least. One major revelation a day was more than enough. 

“So being good was cutting ties. Stubborn would be saying no. the third… was run?” November frowned and pushed a strand of Hei’s hair behind his ear. “How is that being selfish? I don’t understand why you would think that was being selfish.”

“It was the option where I got almost all I wanted. I put my goals first.” Hei frowned and toyed with one of November’s buttons. 

“I have a feeling the things you wanted had very little to do with making you happy.” November grumbled. “What are the things you want?” His arms snuck around Hei’s waist, keeping him securely in place against November. 

“I… want to keep Kuei from finding out about my feelings for you.” Hei tapped his index finger of the hand that had been playing with buttons against November’s chest. “I want to stay with you and our family…” he tapped his middle finger next. “and I don’t want to leave.” He tapped his thumb for three. 

“I want you to stay as well, Hei. What does Kuei know about us?” November’s voice was soft, there was worry but not as much as before. Hei chewed on his bottom lip. He would have to tell November what he’d revealed. 

“I’ve tried to make it sound like you’re a source. I’m sorry, there wasn’t anything else I could think of that wouldn’t make him suspicious.” The words spilled out quickly out of nervousness. He regretted betraying November’s trust, but not in deceiving Kuei. 

“Okay, I would have done the same. What did you tell him?” Hei felt November nod, his comment seemingly didn’t deter November at all. Hei glanced up. How did I win the heart of someone like him? 

“That you didn’t see me without my mask the night Carmine died and that you have access to an impressive amount of data on contractors, which is separate from MI6’s files.” Hei blurted quickly, still embarrassed from having revealed some of November’s secrets. 

“You weren’t wearing your mask?” November’s mouth hung open for a moment. “How did I miss that?… I mean I’m glad I did, our meeting in the bar would have gone very differently had I recognized you.” November glanced down at him and Hei didn’t manage to not look worried about giving out information. “ I don't blame you for using that, but we will have to warn James… and soon.” He gave Hei’s waist a squeeze.
“MI6 doesn’t know about him?” Worry settled into his stomach. He now felt worse about passing on the information. November had kept it private from his superiors, and he had gone and blabbed it to the Syndicate.
“No.” November removed one of his hands from Hei’s waist as he pulled his phone out of his pocket.

“There are moles in MI6. Could they have put a trace on your phone?” Hei reached out and closed the phone before November could dial. If MI6 didn’t know about the source I will do what I can to make it up to the poor guy I threw under the bus. 

“Possibly. If I call him just before you tell Kuei no, they will suspect that number.” November paused. Then with a frown asked “Can I use your phone? They don’t know about it.”

“I haven’t mentioned the phone to the Syndicate either.” Hei nodded. He twisted a bit in November’s arms until he located the black device within the folds of the futon blanket. He had missed messages. 10 of them, and all from November, increasing in panic and worry. Hei smiled gently for a moment at the phone before he handed it over. 

November dialed a long number. He let it ring once and hung up. He then repeated the process. The third time he let it continue ringing. 

“New phone, who's this?” A deep English voice chimed as the call connected. 

“An old friend. Can I put you on speaker?” November looked like he regretted calling, or that he would regret calling. Was his relationship with James strained?
“Only if your beau is there.” The deep voices replied. He… knows November is dating?

November shook his head and pressed the key for the speaker and nodded to Hei. He held the phone not too far from Hei’s chest. 

“I am.” Hei supplied in English for the one on the other end of the line. 

“I thought you said he was Chinese!” The disappointment was audible in James’ voice. 

“I am Chinese. I learned English in London actually. The Welsh accent happened later.” Hei mumbled the last part because he still had too much of an accent when speaking English. 

“That would be the SAS training?” November glanced up from the phone at him. 

“How… I shouldn’t wonder how you know. Yes it is.” Hei rolled his eyes as he confirmed November was right. 

“How would a Chinese national get into the SAS program? Wait…. Why is SAS in Japan?” James was confused on the other end of the line. This call was already off topic. Is that why November looked like he regretted calling?

“They’re not. I only did the training.” Hei kept his answer short and vague. He wasn’t sure how much this source knew of him or how much November trusted him. 

“So… you obviously called for a reason and it wasn’t to tempt me… which you are doing wonderfully by the way sexy b-“

“I found Hei.” November cut James off. Hei glanced over at November. It wasn’t often the blonde was short with someone or even rude, but James seemed to have managed to grind one of November’s nerves, and Hei didn’t know if it was during this conversation or one previous. 

“You… Really! Does that mean your beau knows?” Hei heard things clatter in the background. November smiled softly and gave him a slight nod. He understood.

“I am Hei.” He said to the phone, November’s hand still at his waist pulled him tighter. The grip was more possessive and less reassuring. Could it be?

“Whaaaaat?” Hei didn’t answer. He let the drawl go on without being pulled into more questions yet. 

“To be specific it’s Hei Wuchang. Right?” November had remembered what he had said before his anxiety attack at his flat. He had only mentioned the word once or twice but he had remembered. 

“It is.” He smiled at November. Warmth seeped into his limbs, even small details didn’t escape the one he loved. 

“That… makes sense. It’s never mentioned.” It sounded like James had begun to sift through sheets of paper. Was the information not kept in a database? Did that mean there were physical copies somewhere? It meant no hacker could access the information… but if someone were to raid the place, it would be a goldmine. 

“How much do you know of Wuchang Kuei?” Hei changed the topic, directing it back to the original reason for the call. 

“Ugh… Other than that they are an insanely powerful and mysterious human, not much. Just a second I’ll read you the file.” Hei listened as he could hear James shuffling and moving what sounded like heavy objects about. “Wuchang Kuei - suspected to be a Chinese human. Unsure if one person or multiple but very influentially powerful. Was in Brazil and suspected to have knowledge of what was going to happen. Thought to be the head or second in command of the Syndicate.” Hei was surprised. James’ not a lot of information was actually more than most knew about Kuei. Hei took a breath. He would offer additional information for both November and James. 

“Do you have a pen? Because I will not be repeating this.” Hei looked over at November and motioned towards his satchel. The blonde handed Hei the phone and reluctantly disentangled himself from Hei as he went over to retrieve some paper and pen from his notepad causing both letters to fall out. Hei’s breathing stopped for a moment. November didn’t dwell on the letters and Hei sighed, preparing himself for talking about his father. 

“Yep. Go ahead.” James rang out from the phone. Hei glanced at November who reached out and gave Hei’s hand a squeeze before nodding to say he was ready as well. 

“I can’t tell you his real name.” Hei’s head shook even though James couldn’t see it. “He is Chinese and is approaching sixty. While not the head of the Syndicate he is a founding member and very powerful. Some of his connections stem from his family background, but his connections have expanded since he has been involved in the Syndicate. As far as I am aware, he has not left China since the incident in Arg- Brazil. While he did know what was going to happen, the outcome was not the one he wanted.” Hei paused, pushing down memories of the hospital in Argentina. One hand sliding to rest over the scar. Once he felt steady enough he added. “I suspect he has been in Wuhan or Shanghai for the last 5 years.” November’s eyebrows knitted together looking at Hei’s hand at his side. Crap. What’s he figured out now? Hei reached out his hand that had been on his side to November. There was no hesitation, November scooted over to him and took his hand.  

“He… he’s your father isn’t he?” November asked quietly. Hei pulled him a little closer and let his head rest against November’s forehead 

“Unfortunately.” Hei mumbled. He hated that Kuei was his father. “Though being disowned these last five years hasn’t been as bad.  I have had some degree of freedom.” Hei managed a small smile. 

“Holy… shit.” James commented from the phone in his hand. November cupped his face, rubbing his cheek with his thumb. Hei leaned into November’s hand. 

“He should know.” Hei reminded November. 

“We’re calling, because he knows about the database.”  November pulled Hei back into him in a hug. 

“I’m sorry.” Hei apologies quickly. “I had to give him bait to not go after November… I didn’t know about you.” He blurted quickly after. 

“Bollocks! How long has he known?” There were a few other words muttered but Hei couldn’t quite catch them all. 

“About a week. The letter I got was dismissive of the information. It would still be pertinent to be on guard.” He gave James as much information as he knew. There was more cursing from the line as James must have walked away as his voice while still would have been loud was much quieter. 

“Is the number you called safe?” James finally asked once he had calmed down and returned to the phone. 

“MI6 has no record of it.” November confirmed quickly. 

“I never mentioned it to the Syndicate.” Hei added. The phone was as secure as they could manage. There was silence. How mad is he?

“Wait… I now have Hei’s number?” There was a dangerous hint to his voice, similar to how April sounded when she had realized an angle she could get away with things she normally wouldn’t be able to. This can’t be good.

“Yes. Don’t abuse the privilege. But his phone is safer than mine.” Given November’s grumbled response, James was very much like April, at least in the tone uses sense. 

“So no demanding photos?” The pout was audible. Hei almost laughed. 

“Absolutely not.” November growled and pulled Hei tighter. He did enjoy November’s possessiveness, it was one of those things he had always wanted, but never experienced. To be wanted and not shared, to be desired and protected. He had spent his whole life having to be the one to shoulder the burden of protecting others. He and Bai had shared so much growing up he hadn’t known he could have his own things until embarrassingly late in life. Even after Bai had become a contractor he hadn’t stopped trying to protect her and putting others first. November was the first time he had let someone else take care of him. 

“I don’t know how to send photos.” Hei added after November, more to convince the blonde there wasn’t much risk in him complying with James’ demands. 

“November… you must teach him.” James groaned pitifully. “Please just one. The two of you if it must be. I need at least one photo to get me through having to go to ground.” The deep voice over the phone begged. Hei could relate. Having to go into hiding while important, was also dreadfully dull. He wasn’t sure how a photo would help, but different people had different ways of coping. November looked at Hei gauging his opinion. He shrugged. One wouldn’t hurt. 

“It is my fault, I suppose I could manage one.” He pondered how he could manage to make the photo something November would be alright with letting James see, without giving James too much. 

“Yes! A sh-“

“No. You can have one with both of us. I told you before. I won’t share.” November quickly cut off James. Hei’s stomach churned with butterflies as November growled at James. 

“You had better do something naughty to him in the picture then. And I want to see it!” Hei blinked at the comment in surprise. Oh, that’s why he wants a picture. It was one way to pass time, messy… but enjoyable. He really didn’t want to think of the faceless voice on the phone looking at his face while doing that. What else could he do? Oh!

“No.” November shot the request down quickly. 

“Actually… I have an idea.” Hei interjected. This should keep November happy, keep him from knowing James is jerking off to him and at the same time would give James kind of what he wanted. 

“You do?” November looked very confused.  He knew Hei hated photos. 

“Yes! Oh please make sure November’s doing something racy!” James begged and pleaded. 

“Ah-Shun… are you sure?” November looked uncertain. Hei gave him a reassuring smile. He was sure and almost as positive that November would enjoy it as well.

“Ah-Shun? Is that his name? Isn’t that honorific reserved for family and such.”

Hei got up and made his way over to the futon closet. He could feel November watching his movements. He lifted himself onto the top shelf. He scooted down far enough until he was at the end and moved the panel in the ceiling to allow him access to where he stored his gear. 

“It’s his alias in Japan. And he is family.” November filled James in. Hei pulled out the box that contained his Black Reaper mask, replacing it once he had retrieved it. After scooting back he set the mask down beside him so that he could get back down. “Oh, I like your idea.” Hei hoped down to the floor and was greeted with a huge grin on November’s face. 

“What do you want November to do?” Hei asked as he rejoined November on the futon - mask in hand. 

“Don’t encourage him.” Hei was half convinced that even James knew there was an eye roll accompanied with that statement. 

“He asked! Let me think. Is shirtless an option?” November glowered at the phone. James was pushing his luck 

“No.” November’s voice wasn’t much more than a continuation of the growl. 

“Compromise shirt open. If he doesn’t have the right type of shirt, give him yours.” By the lack of change to November’s expression, the blonde was still not pleased with the suggestion. 

“I can do that.” Hei smiled warmly at November as he put the mask over his face before getting to his knees and started undoing buttons. November’s growling stopped as he undid the first button. The phone in his hand was all but forgotten.

“James… Once this photo is done, I’m going to have to let you go.” November’s voice had gotten deeper as Hei watched his fingers twitch and his hand inched forward only for November to stop before he could reach out. 

“He‘s doing something sexy isn’t he?” James asked with a whine. 

“No. I’m not.” Hei shook his head. Not yet anyway.

“Yeah…” November all but groaned. Yeah, yesterday was definitely about catching me. Hei smirked under the mask. 

“I side with November. If he says it is, it’s probably hot as hell.” Hei shrugged as he finished undoing the last button. He pulled the shirt open further for good measure. That was what broke November. He joined Hei on his knees and let his hand trail along his exposed abdomen. 

“One moment James. Let’s get this photo done. Hei, you will have to take it. I will be occupied.” November handed the phone over to him then as his hands reached Hei’s hips he gingerly got Hei to turn his back to November. 

“Oh I like the sound of this!” James was practically panting into the phone. 

November grinned and pulled Hei into his lap. This position would make it easier to get both of them in the photo. Hei watched as November got the camera part of the phone ready. November’s breath caught a couple of times because of his well placed squirming.

“Just hold it at arm's length and press this button.” November whispered into his ear. 

“Okay.” The directions were simple enough. Point and shoot. He could do that. He settled in against November’s chest as he wrapped his arms around Hei. One of November’s hands drifted down towards the button of his jeans and the other upward, tilting Hei’s head to one side away from November’s head. 

“Ready?” November whispered. He’s planning something. Excitement swirled through him. 

“Oka-ah!” He tried to answer only to have November bite down on the hollow of his neck followed by his lips and tongue teasing the sensitive area. “Gngh…” he forced himself not to make too much noise as he clicked the button, November really wouldn’t want to share that. “I hope that was intentional.” Hei gasped as he let the hand with the phone lower until it was in his lap. 

“It was” November licked the spot he had nipped, sending more shivers through Hei’s system. 

“Oh I can’t wait!”

Hei handed the phone back to November and took off his mask. He set it down to one side before twisting to the side in November’s lap. By the time he was done November had finished sending the photo. Hei could hear James anxiously dancing about on the other line as the photo came through. 

“Wha~. I wanted to see his face.  But…fuck that’s hot.”

“Not sharing.” November summed up all the finality he could with those two words. 

“This will keep me occupied while hiding out. Mmm” 

“Goodbye James.” November hung up the phone. Before he closed it Hei chuckled as November sent himself the photo as well. November then placed the phone next to Hei’s mask. “As much as I want to have you right now, we need to figure out a plan. I’m guessing the deadline to reply is imminent.”

“Tomorrow morning.” Hei looked down nervously. This was new to him; being able to rely on someone else was not something he had allowed himself. At least not with anyone other than Bai. Even then, he had tried not to have to rely on her, instead being the one who was relied on. 

“You are going to have to continue to be BK-201. I am going to have to continue as if I don’t know.” November confirmed what Hei knew already. If they ended up facing each other, they would have to make it look like both were trying to hurt or capture the other. He wasn’t sure he would be able to be convincing. He would be able to manage running away, but attacking November would be difficult. 

“Yeah. But how should I tell Kuei no, and not make it sound like it’s because I’ve fallen for you?” This was one the points that had him going in circles. He hadn’t been able to figure out a reason that he would risk Kuei and the Syndicate’s ire because of a source. The two sat in silence as both considered available options. 

“He knows of James. Any way you could work that into a reason to stay?” November considered out loud. Hei felt like an idiot. The answer was painfully obvious now. Maybe it had just been a case of him being too close to see the bigger picture. 

“Yeah, Actually. If I suspected he might know about what happened to Bai.” He shook his head, kicking himself for not seeing that as an answer. He could have avoided so much stress from the last two days had he considered things from a different angle. But, then November would still not know. Having November with him, and knowing about who he was… it was worth it. It wouldn’t be something that could be used against them now.

“Use it. If he does have anything it would be in the papers he sent. You can go through them after this is sorted.” November gave him a little reassuring squeeze. Hei nodded, leaning forward and got one of the extra pieces of paper and the pen November had gotten earlier. In neat characters he wrote:

 

I refuse.

His source might have information you will not share.

I will find out what happened.

With or without your help.

 

“Alright. That might keep him from suspecting for a while.” Hei sighed. He hadn’t addressed it or signed it, but the message was clear. He would have to warn Huang tomorrow. He didn’t want Huang to pass off the note only to have backlash reach him first. 

“Can I ask you something about your relationship with Kuei?”  November pulled him down so that the two of them were laying down on the futon. Hei curled into November’s side and let his head rest on November’s shoulder. November’s arm pulled him in snuggly before resting on his side. 

“Alright. I’ll try to answer.” Hei was thankful that November hadn’t referred to Kuei as his father. That man didn’t deserve to be called that. He had been disowned, he didn’t have one anymore.

“Why are you so scared of him finding out?” November let his head rest against Hei’s. He let his hand draw random patterns on November’s chest to distract himself from thinking too much on the subject. 

“Because he will order me to kill you.” He whispered finally. November tensed underneath him.

“But… why? Because you're with a man? That seems a bit extreme.” The blonde hadn’t expected that answer. Hei didn’t know if his father would have a harsher reaction because November was a man or not. His father hadn’t mentioned one way or another his opinion on that matter while he was growing up. Hei’s Grandmother, on the other hand, would not take it well. She might let him have someone on the side, but she expected him to settle and… continue the bloodline. She knew he was alive, but Hei didn’t know anything else. After Bai had changed, he hadn’t been back to Wuchang. He hadn’t seen anyone from there in ten years. Not that he was ready to go back and face her or any of his extended family.

“No it’s not that. He sees love as a weakness. A way to break or exploit someone. He won’t allow it. In his mind it has to be cut out.” Hei muttered grimly into November’s chest. November caught the hand he had continued to draw patterns with and laced their fingers together.

“There’s more isn’t there?” November’s voice was laced with a hesitant curiosity. He was thinking about what he said carefully. He didn’t want to accidentally push Hei over the edge like he had at the flat.

“He wouldn’t allow it for himself… there’s no chance he’d let me.” Hei whispered and squeezed November’s hand. Hei felt November’s muscles shift and tense under him. He shifted his head to look up at November’s face. The usually clear blue eyes were stormy. 

“What… did he do?” November hissed through his teeth. He’s probably already figured it out. Hei sighed and looked back down at their hands.

“I… I never knew our mother or her family.” He said quietly as he rubbed his thumb against November’s. He took a breath and continued. “I know her name was Xiu, and it’s why Xing and I have names that start with Xi, but that’s all. I don’t even know if any of her family are still alive.” He mumbled the last part quickly. This wasn’t usually something difficult to talk about, he had never known her… but tonight it was different. He sucked in a breath and held it for a minute to calm himself. November’s hand at his side trailed gently up and down. “After he killed her, he left for a long time. We were raised by our paternal grandparents until he sent for us to come to London. We had only seen him a handful of times in our whole lives before we were forced to live with him. Xing was miserable in London. My grandmother knew she would be.” 

He paused again. He could still remember the night he had found out. He had been so young, He had known then why his grandmother told him to protect Xing. He had vowed then he would never let their father do anything to hurt her. It stung that he finally knew the reason why any questions they had about their mother would go unanswered. “My grandparents had argued about sending us. My grandfather sided with Kuei - LuanYi, my grandmother was against. I had woken up because of the noise, that’s when I heard… What… what he did to her. My grandmother didn’t trust him with us, she said we were too important to risk.” Hei swallowed hard. “I never told Xing.” he finished, he had kept it from her to protect her so she wouldn’t have to know their father was a monster.

“Xing is your sister? The one who became Bai?” Hei smiled against November’s chest. He had picked something light to focus on rather than try and ask for more information. Hei wasn’t as unstable as he had been on the medication, but every little action helped affirm November’s affection and kept him stable. He would be lost without November.

“Yeah. It’s XianXu  before you ask.” Hei muttered his real name for the first time in ten years. The syllables sounded almost foreign to him now. He had suspected his grandmother had named him and Xing, but he hadn’t asked when they were younger, and no one would confirm it for him now. His name meant ‘manifest brilliance’ and he had been told he would shine like the sun. Xing meant ‘star’- while she would be his shadow, she shone with her own brightness. The two of them meant to balance each other out. Light and night linked together in a weird human shaped yin and yang where she had ended up with the lighter coloured eyes and him the dark. 

“So, you would have called her Ah-Xing and she would have called you Ah-Xu… wait... Xing (pronounced Shing)… Xu (Shu). That sounds pretty similar to Shengshun.” November shifted to look down at him to confirm if he was correct about where he had gotten the given name for his alias.

“I know, it helps me to think she’s still with me. And Ah-Shun is just different enough for me not to think of the past.” Hei nodded and looked up. November stole a quick kiss.

“I bet you were a fantastic older brother.”

“It wasn’t enough.” Hei frowned and looked back down at November’s chest.

“Shh, don’t think like that.” November’s hand tipped his head back up. “You are amazing, and I wouldn’t have you any other way.” November kissed his head and hugged him. 

“We make quite the pair.” Hei sighed. “I’m glad you were persistent.” Hei whispered with a smile. He reached down and pulled the blanket up around them before snuggling in with November once again.

“Thank you for giving me a chance in the first place.” November wrapped his arms around Hei. The stress of the day was gone, his brain mentally exhausted, but he felt safe and warm as he let his eyes close and breathed in the scent of bergamot.

 

***

 

He woke up in the morning, the content feeling still persistent from the night before. He could feel November running his hand along Hei’s arm that had reached up and flung itself over November’s shoulder and hooked on his neck at some point during the night. He let out a sleepy grumble. He really didn’t want to get up yet. The morning was perfect, anything beyond now would be downhill. 

“I thought seeing you sleep yesterday wouldn’t happen again for a while. I am really enjoying waking with you in my arms. More so, knowing you trust me enough to fully relax.” November sounded far too awake, and amused for however early it was.

“You’re the only one who’s managed it. I’m paranoid about sleep.” Hei groaned out as he yawned then opened a bleary eye at November.

“Why?” His blue eyed love gave him a bemused smirk.

“Bai’s remuneration was to sleep. I would stay with her until it was paid. I would stay awake and protect her no matter what. Some of my previous teammates didn’t like that. It led to nightmares of one or both of us being killed while we slept.” Hei murmured his words as he breathed. He let his eyes close again and listened to the steady thump of November’s heart almost lulling him back to sleep.

“What’s yours?” November asked, bringing Hei back from the tempting clutches of sleep. He had nothing further to hide from November, but it was still something that was hard to explain. He already knew he had Bai’s powers; he had said as much when he had overheard April and him talking while he took a nap in November’s lap. But he hesitated.

“I… well, um.” He looked down at November’s neck and let his finger’s twirl around some of the hair at November’s nape. 

“It can’t be worse than Havoc’s” November’s voice had the hint of worry. He knew BK-201 didn’t use their power often, so the cost might be something even a contractor was unwilling to pay unless necessary. Or a cost that was hard to complete.

“Not in what is needed… but could be by what it implies.” Hei clarified. November didn’t need to worry that he had to drink children’s blood like Havoc. November really didn’t need to know that he had still fit into her remuneration’s concept of ‘child’ during Heaven’s War. Bai however, being a contractor somehow didn’t. They had discovered that one night when there were no children to be found and she had come back to camp and sliced his arm instead. He frowned looking at the faded scar that travelled up his wrist. 

“Implies? Remunerations aren’t like that.” November glanced at the scar. There was confusion swirling in his eyes. Probably wondering why I looked at it. He doesn’t need to know. 

“I don’t have one.” 

“Don’t have one?” November’s eyes darted from his wrist over to Hei’s face. I guess he’s never heard of that happening. There were many who didn’t know, he had only found out from Mao about still being able to use his powers although he no longer had to pay the price as his contract had been fulfilled. He would have to explain from the beginning. 

“It’s like when a contractor who can transfer themselves into another being - say another human or an animal - and through some accident then loses their body… they no longer have to pay their contract. I have Bai’s power, but I never formed a contract so I don’t have one… but, it implies Bai’s gone.” He could barely put the last part to words. November was quiet. Hei looked up and could see his mind was putting something togethers. Somehow he had just given November a piece of a puzzle he hadn’t known he needed. November’s body tensed and twitched. Hei waited, November would eventually tell him what he had just figured out. 

“That’s why!” November finally gasped. 

“Eh?” Hei watched excitement dance in November’s eyes. Anytime you want to explain . 

“February, she needed BK-201’s powers to not require payment. Whatever she’s planning must be huge if she needs to use a contractor’s power long enough that it would start to impose on remuneration limits. You… you were the only human on the team and you would have been the only one she could convince Bai to transfer the powers to.” November explained excitedly. Hei lifted his head off of November’s chest. No. His stomach churned. That would mean Bai knew she was going to disappear and give me her powers. Hei sat up all the way as his stomach plummeted. 

“Why would She need that?” Hei hissed as he forced the bile he could taste at the back of his throat back down. Amber had made him into this… Hei’s blood ran cold. The containment area, that was the limit. With her remuneration she had only been able to get as far as the containment area. South America was a failure in Amber’s eyes… She’s not done. She would come for him and for Hell’s Gate. Hei pushed the thoughts to the back of his head. First deal with Kuei, after that I can figure out how to deal with her.  

“I don’t know. It’s very specific though. How did you know about contractors who can take over others losing the requirement to pay their contract?” November sat up next to him. He was concerned. He should be. He must have also realized Amber’s going to target me.

“Mao.” Hei answered, the word came out more like a sound a cat would make. 

“Mao?” Who’s Mao?”

“The cat.” He looked over at November with a sly smile. 

“The… cat? That cat! He’s on your team isn’t he? Yin too?” November’s mouth hung open for a moment in shock. Hei nodded and stifled the chuckle. 

“It was quite the site to wake up and find him in your lap. I wasn’t really sure what was happening or if I was dreaming.” Hei managed to keep his mirth to himself, but only just.

“I hope you weren’t jealous.” November teased and mockingly stroked his head like he had Mao the other day.

“No, it was nice to see more of my family together.” He said with a smile, all joking aside. He had really been happy to see his family start to know each other. 

“So we have a pet now?” November raised both his eyebrows and gave Hei a ‘do we need to talk about this’ joking look before asking; “Who’s the stocky one?”

“Huang. He’s the grumpy uncle. But don’t worry he will warm up to you.” Hei bumped his shoulder into November.

“Oh my. Our family keeps getting bigger. Speaking of… I should let April know I will be late.” November fished his phone out of his jacket pocket. 

“Late? Why will you be late?” Hei cocked his head to one side. There wasn’t a reason for November to not be there in time to pick April and July up to go to Section 4.

“I want to be here for you after you tell Kuei no. Just in case.” November glanced up at him as he began to dial.

“You think I might run?” Hei frowned. He had thought November would know him better than that. 

“No, I think you might need support. I don’t want to go to Section 4 leaving you here alone to fret over what if’s. I want to make sure you’re okay before I leave.” November paused dialing to look up at him. There was a trust he didn’t deserve to November’s face.

“Alright” Hei grinned and gave November a quick kiss so that he could finish inputting April’s number.

“I hope you’re calling because whatever crisis July discovered has been averted?” Even over the phone April was loud enough that November didn’t have to put her on speakerphone for both of them to hear her. Hei hoped July had let her know all was well long before now. She probably was just reaming November for not letting her know himself. 

“I am. I plan to stay a bit longer just as a precaution. I’ll let Misaki know we won’t be there till at least…” November paused and looked at Hei.

“Noon.” Hei supplied. Noon should be enough time for his meeting with Huang to be finished and get back to the apartment.

“Noon.” November repeated. There was silence from the other end followed by an exacerbated sigh.

“You had better not be spending the morning doing the bedroom rodeo.” April grumbled. November must have understood what she meant as he rolled his eyes before answering.

“No, I am not. I’m going to make sure Shengshun’s stable before I go.” There was disapproval in his tone, so what April had said was probably inappropriate and which would mean it had implied sex.

“Why don’t you just bring him with you?” She sounded slightly annoyed. He would have to ensure to take up his month of July duty starting sooner rather than later. Between last night and covering for him when he was trying not to be caught he owed her. 

“Do you really think Misaki would let a civilian into Section 4?” November shook his head as he spoke. Even being a gate scientist, it would be a stretch to get me in. Kirihara was one who inspired confidence and led by example, she wasn’t the type to make exceptions.

“Maybe. She seems to have a soft spot for him.”

“What?” Hei looked over at November and the phone in shock. He had gotten along fine enough with Kirihara up till he had gotten Saitou for her, but she had mostly avoided him after. It couldn’t have been because he was her type…

“I’m pretty sure if you weren’t with November, she’d be wanting to jump your bones.” He knew that innuendo. He had heard that many times in Brazil.

“I-I… no… really?” Hei denied aloud. There’s no way.

“April is rarely wrong about these things.” November shrugged. Hei looked off to the side. He hadn’t thought about Kirihara like that… but being truthful, she was his type. He had always preferred an older partner. She was attractive but refused to flaunt it. She had looked fantastic in the qipao. “Uh-oh. I think if he wasn’t with me he might consider it if she offered. Should I be jealous?” November’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Kirihara was attractive, but she couldn’t hold a candle to November.

“No. I only want you.” He spoke truthfully.

“Although… I’m sure that would be an entertaining threesome. Li in the middle. He’d be wrecked pretty quick.” April snorted over the phone. The logistics for that limited potential positions… and April was right, he wouldn’t make it long if he was in the middle. He probably wouldn’t be able to tell up from right or down and left by the time November and Kirihara had finished. Hei shivered, that might not be such a bad thing.

“I doubt Misaki would be up for that… but Shengshun might.” November chuckled beside him. April erupted into laughter on the other end of the phone.

“I- no… the thought was entertaining but no, I don’t think it would work.” Hei shook his head. It seems I’m very expressive this morning. His guard was down lower than it had been in a very, very long time. 

“I will ask.” November’s expression was serious as he shrugged his shoulders.

“What! No!” Hei held up his hands to protest. He did not want to think about Kirihara, him and November… especially if he had to see her in any sort of professional setting later. 

“If she’d let you come to Section 4.” November clarified with a grin. He had intended for Hei’s brain to remain on that topic! Hei pouted and glared playfully while April was still struggling for air through her laughter. Hei gave her a few more seconds to try and recover to the stage of wheezed gasps. 

“Oh. I don’t know. It might be a risk.” Taking him to Section 4 just after refusing to follow the Syndicate’s orders would in no way look good. There were moles there, and he wasn’t sure who they were. Hei caught November’s eyes and shook his head. 

“She might snatch him from you.” April gasped and lost herself to laughter again.

“Do you think that soon?” November had picked up on what he was referencing, poor April was still giggling over the phone. 

“There was a deadline. It would be possible to have someone in place.” Kuei had given him the shorter deadline, which usually meant Kuei had an idea of what answer to expect. He would have his own plan in place while the other was still scrambling. 

“You guys are talking about something else…” April finally had recovered and had picked up the conversation had changed topics at some point and she was no longer following it. 

“Yeah. I’ll tell you about it later.” Hei looked at November with a very pointed ‘don’t say anything until I can talk to her’ look. He nodded in agreement. April deserved to hear it from him and not November. 

“Bye April. I’ll see you this afternoon.”

 

***

 

Hei walked into the park with his reply tucked into his coat pocket. November had complained he needed a thicker coat when he had gotten ready to leave. He was right, things had just been too busy and it hadn’t been a priority. It is quickly becoming one . He thought as he blew onto his hands to take the edge off the chill. Yin was sitting on the wooden bench that had been built around the trunk of a large tree. Mao was curled in a ball on her lap. As he got closer he could hear his content purr. Hei reached down and scratched behind his ear. 

“Did you figure out what to say to Ghost?” Mao cracked open one eye to look at him while enjoying the scratches. 

“Mhm. We will see how he takes it.” Hei sat down next to Yin, close enough that he shielded her from the wind and their combined body heat would warm them both on that side. 

“Sounds like you are butting heads with him.” Mao raised his head up to look at him. The contractor turned cat looked concerned. Maybe that wasn’t the answer he was expecting. Kuei certainly had a reputation for coming down hard on anyone who defied him. Hei wasn’t exempt, his side was proof of that. 

“He knows me well enough to expect it. I am hoping there will be a response rather than action.” If there wasn’t a response within the week, action would be already in play. 

“Should I be on the lookout for potential tails?” Mao stretched, swished his tail and walked over to curl up in Hei’s lap. 

“For you guys. Not me. He won’t kill me.” No he needed Hei alive for whatever was going to happen with Hell’s Gate, just like Amber did. Besides… killing someone wasn’t the only way to punish them. Kuei wouldn’t go for him. It would be November or if they could find him; James. Hei absentmindedly pat Mao as he mused over the information in his head.

“You seem certain of that.” Huang grumbled from behind the tree before he walked around to face the three of them. 

“I am. He needs me alive.” There was another reason Kuei wouldn’t kill him. He had hinted at it in the letter. Hei’s grandmother wanted the next generation, and Kuei would listen to her… eventually. “The one person he listens to has demanded that.”

“I didn’t know Ghost took orders from anyone.” Huang scoffed and lit a cigarette taking a long drag before slowly letting the smoke out through his teeth. 

“He will from this person.” Hei had no doubt Kuei would eventually hand him over to her, but until then he would be kept alive. It did make him wonder about his past missions. Had Kuei been so confident in his abilities to survive not to worry? Or had something happened when he had been kidnapped? It had been the closest he had come to dying since Argentina, but in a way he had been in control of the situation. Had Yin’s spectre not found him, he would have used his powers to escape. He hadn’t up until that point to maintain his cover. That was clear, wasn’t it? Or was there something he was missing?

“Should I make preparations for him coming after us?” Huang rubbed his temple before holding his hand out for the reply. 

“Planning wouldn’t hurt but be quiet about it.” Hei slipped the letter into Huang's hand. He saw the old man shake his head slightly. Also not the outcome wanted. He would need to ensure that any fallout from his actions avoided them. That would be difficult, but not impossible. As a last resort it would be part of his conditions of surrender.

“Then I will need you to tell us what’s going on. I can’t plan if there’s things I don’t know.” Huang sighed, resigning himself to this outcome. 

“I…” Hei began. Can I tell them? They were family. They were trusting him, it would only be right to trust them. “The person he will listen to is my grandmother. He will listen to her only because she’s the head of our family… and his mother.”

“He…. Ghost, is your father? Or is he your uncle?” Huang looked up at him confused, a bit of ash falling from the cigarette at the movement. 

“Father.” The word left a sour taste in his mouth. Kuei might be the one to have sired him, but he was no father. Huang's eyebrows hit his hairline in shock. He just stared at Hei, unsure of what to say.

“Your father cut into your side?” Mao broke the silence. The cat managed a horrified look and sat up on his lap. Hei scratched under his chin to try and settle the cat part of Mao.

“Yes.” He answered quietly. Mao had already known about the marks. Huang managed to recover from his shock only to give Hei a confused look over Mao’s comment. With a sigh Hei lifted his shirt. Goose pimples spread across his skin from the cold as he showed the characters for impermanence that were carved into his side to Huang. “He did that after I attacked him five years ago when my twin sister disappeared in Brazil and I woke up in Argentina. It’s to remind me who I belong to.”

“Your father’s a piece of work.” Huang looked rightfully disgusted with Kuei’s behaviour. He took a few minutes to digest the new information before he warily asked. “Anything else I should know?”

“Ghost’s letter was to order me to cut ties with MI6. I’m refusing. The source I mentioned to you could have information on Bai - my sister. I’ve behaved these last five years to get that information and Kuei knows that.” Hei paused. This next part he wasn’t sure would go according to plan. November was inclined to believe his team would join up with November’s, but Hei always had a difficult time believing that people would be willing to help him. He should have known that November would have helped, but he had automatically assumed he wouldn’t. Much of his experience in the past had led him to only rely on himself or Bai.

“What else?” Huang threw up his hand, exasperated that there was more Hei had to share with him. More he would have to consider when planning.

“November knows and wants to help.” Hei mumbled quietly. He trusted November. He had said the words against all his instincts telling him this was a bad idea.

“Are you suggesting we team up?” Huang looked unsure. Rightfully so, they were going rogue against the Syndicate and MI6’s team was offering their help. Agreeing would leave them as good as dead should it be discovered. Declining would rob them of the potential resources they needed right now. 

“I’m suggesting we shouldn’t look like we are. Yin has already been in contact with July. She was helping to find me when I was kidnapped. Information could be relayed through them safely.” Hei offered. The doll network was not heavily scrutinized and July and Yin had become close friends. Each would easily be able to communicate with the rest of their team. 

“You must have a death wish.” Huang growled at him. He wasn’t wrong. Hei had known going against Kuei had a likely possibility of death for anyone who did help him, and he wanted to avoid that. 

“Try to keep it as if you don’t know what I’m up to. That will give you some buffer. I want you guys to be safe.” 

Huang sighed and snubbed the butt of his cigarette into the ground. 

“I can relay information as well when it’s safe.” Mao offered from Hei’s lap. Hei gave him another scratch behind the ears for his comment. Mao’s on board now.

“No more surprises?” Huang glowered over at him, daring him to say anything else. Hei hesitated. He probably should know that Amber might be coming after him…and by extension Kuei. Both would want him for something to do with Hell’s Gate.

“Um, there’s the possibility there’s one more thing. It’s not confirmed but as a suspicion, it seems highly likely.”

Huang let an angry huff of breath out through his nostrils like some angry Japanese dragon.

“Do you know of Amber? Messer code UB-001?” Hei asked cautiously. She had a reputation, and there were few circles of those who knew of contractors that didn’t know of her.

“Ex-MI6, had something to do with what happened in South America and now has her own organization… EPR I think.” Mao supplied when Huang only blinked at Hei. 

“She was on my team in South America. I… we think she needed Bai’s powers for something but it wasn’t enough. So whatever had been planned was unsuccessful. November suspects that she needs there to be no payment for using my contractor abilities for her plan to work.” Hei quickly ran through what he and November had concluded that morning. Even now, it made a sickening amount of sense. If this theory was right, Bai had known she was going to leave him alone. She had made that choice and left him out of it.

“What does electrokinesis have to do with the containment area?” Huang didn’t look like he believed what Hei had just said. Oh… yeah, he might need to know that too. Hei twisted one of the strings of his coat for a moment. Mao glanced up at him and his gaze went from confusion to worry. 

“It’s not electrokinesis.” He mumbled. He swallowed the lump in his throat and continued. “It’s electron manipulation… including the electrons in gate particles.” Hei confessed in a whisper. 

“What?!” Huang and Mao both exclaimed at the same time. Huang shifted back from Hei and Mao fell off his lap. 

“If the theory is right, she and also the Syndicate are planning something. Probably opposite outcomes, both requiring my powers and Hell’s Gate.” Hei curled his fingers together to keep his hands from nervously twitching. The whole conversation had him uncomfortable. His insides were screaming at him now. He forced his nervousness down. He was resolute in his decision; he was going to trust them.

“Fuck.” Huang barked loudly. “How was I unlucky enough to get paired with you! Gah! Nothing else? Please say there’s nothing else?” He rubbed his temple in frustration. It seemed none of what Hei had told him was sitting well. Have I made a mistake? His stomach knotted with worry. 

“I think the Syndicate doesn’t know for sure I have all of Bai’s powers and are trying to confirm it.” Hei closed his eyes as he spoke. If Huang planned on betraying him, he now had all the information he needed to do it. I trust November and his judgement, this will be okay.

“You’re telling me, you’ve just basically handed yourself to us on a silver platter and you trust we won’t betray you?” Huang spoke quickly through gritted teeth. “Goddamnit! Why don’t you act like a contractor?” He growled deep in his throat to not scream while glaring at Hei.

“I- I’m not sure I am fully one. I never made a contract. Bai’s powers were given to me without my consent.” Hei tried to make himself smaller. He knew it didn’t help, but it was an automatic reaction. He hadn’t intended to upturn Huang’s opinion of him quite that much today. Only… one thing had led to another and he no longer wanted to lie to his team.

“You…” Mao sat down at his feet, his eyes wide with only a small amount of pupil showing.

“What?” Huang gasped with an intake of breath. 

“You're still human?” Mao’s cat mouth hung open and his back slumped. Did… I just break Mao? Hei worried the cat brain might take over and reached down and scooped Mao up. He didn’t want to have to chase after him right now. 

“They don’t know that either do they?” Huang took out another cigarette, this one was clearly to calm his nerves. Mao was still slack in his arms as he tried to keep the cat part of the contractor content.

“No. I told them in Argentina when I realized I had her powers that my remuneration was wearing my mask. Even then I knew I had to keep it secret. I told them that Bai’s star reacted to me because we were twins and it had switched to me when Bai had disappeared.” Hei felt Yin’s hand on his shoulder and smiled at the doll. He had known she would be on his side from the beginning, the only one he was waiting for was Huang.

“Alright. I will work with this to make plans. Mao make sure to watch Hei. It would be expected for us to keep a closer eye on him because of his boyfriend.” Huang sighed and joined in as well. Hei had to keep the smile from spreading across his face. Everyone had agreed to help him. This had been on his list of impossible outcomes yesterday, and yet… here he was.

“Alright.” Mao sat up in Hei’s lap, finally recovered from the previous shock. 

“Come, I will introduce you to November.” Hei gave him one more scratch behind the ear before setting the cat contractor on the ground to get up. 

“Hei… Be careful.” Huang said quietly. His concern finally came through in his words.

“You too. Can’t have anything happen to the beloved but grumpy uncle, now can we Yin?” Hei smirked and glanced over at Yin.

“Mhm.” Yin hummed in affirmation and nodded as well.

“Wha?” Huang stared slack jawed at Yin. Hei had noticed she was starting to do more things based on her own decisions, it seemed Huang had not yet picked up on that. 

Mao snickered and followed Hei back to the apartment. 

As they approached the apartment, Hei paused to get Mao’s attention so that he would notice the landlady sweeping out front. No words needed to be exchanged as the cat snuck around the back. 

“Good Morning.” He called out to her with a smile, ensuring she would have her attention on him and not notice the black cat sneaking past the rubbish bins. 

“Ah Li-kun! I’m glad to see you are looking better. You looked so pale yesterday I was concerned you were sick.” She glanced over at November’s car. “It’s good to see you have someone here willing to look after you when you’re unwell. He seemed quite worried about you last night.” She looked back at him with a knowing smile. Hei felt heat creep up to his ears as he remembered November had pounded on his door last night. He had probably been loud enough to wake any of the neighbours had they been home. She at least did not seem to disapprove of his relationship.

“En. I am quite lucky. I’m sorry if he woke you last night. I’m not sure how long he was at the door before I managed to answer it.” Hei looked nervously down at the ground. It hadn’t been that late, but noise was frowned on in many circumstances in Japan and he didn’t want to have to move.

“That’s alright.” She waved his concern aside. “Let me know if you need a spare key to give him.” She positively beamed. She had that look to her eye that Umi and the other girls at the bar would get when they talked about their BL manga. No… her too? He pushed the thought out of his head.

“Thank you. I will think about it.” He gave her a quick bow then headed up to his apartment where November was waiting.  

Hei slipped into the apartment quickly. Glancing around he spotted November sprawled out on the futon. He had gotten dressed while Hei had been out, and while he had to suppress the pout, it was for the best. Mao would be at the window any moment. He paused in the doorway looking down at the sight of the one he loved comfortably occupying his bed. He watched quietly for a moment, able to see November was thinking through their options on where to go from here. 

“How did it go?” November folded his hands behind his head and arched into a stretch. Hei wanted to go over and ensure November was very late for meeting up with April and July before going to Section 4… But he quashed the rising desire in him, catching the shadow in the curtain.

“Better than expected.” Hei sank down next to him and gave him a quick kiss. Had Mao not been there he would have straddled him for a much longer greeting instead. Another time. “I get to introduce you to Mao.”

“The cat?” November cocked his head to one side shifting some of his hair into his face. Mao dropped down from the window silently as he approached. 

“Yes, the cat… or any other animal I choose.” Mao announced his presence when he stopped less than a foot from November’s head. Hei watched the flash of panic in November’s eyes as his whole body tensed hearing the new voice. He relaxed quickly after looking over at Hei. There was no threat, Hei would willingly expose him to and after last night November knew it. 

“That’s handy for surveillance.” November sat up, turning to face Mao. Hei laced his fingers into November’s hand as the two contractors stared at each other.  

“Quite.” Mao’s answer was curt. Hei knew better, Mao was trying to hide how curious he was about November. “I hear you're a strange contractor like him. So, you’ve decided to help out Hei?” The cat glared cautiously as he sat down at the edge of the futon. His fur was slightly fluffed as if to appear larger than he was. Hei resisted a smirk. Is he trying to intimidate November?

“I have. Not just me, the whole team too. Although he’s not told April he’s Hei yet she will be on board.” November glanced at him with a grin. Hei gave November’s hand a little squeeze. April like Mao would probably have questions for him as well. He would be able to handle them. November would be there with him as well. That would make it easier than this morning with Huang. He wouldn’t have to feel quite as nervous. There was little possibility that April would consider betraying him and November.

“Why?” Mao growled slightly. Hei smirked, not holding it back this time as a happy warmth bubbled in his chest. Mao, it seemed, had a big brother complex. He had never seen it from this angle. He had never had to vet potential suitors for Bai, so he hadn’t even seen it from the other side. Protective older brother he knew well, and Mao was emulating that to the extreme as his heckles started to prickle up. His cat form was not half as intimidating as he would want it to be. 

“As hard as it is to believe, because of what we are, I’ve somehow managed to fall in love with him. I have experienced emotions again, and I’m certain it’s because of him.” November returned the squeeze and Hei scooted closer to November. There was a smile on his face, that didn’t seem to have anything to do with how close Hei was to him. Could November be happy Mao’s being protective? He still couldn’t quite believe he had this patchwork family, which it seemed was held together by him. He had never thought he would have something like this, let alone be the glue keeping it together. And I had almost left it behind without knowing. This was why he and November worked, they balanced out each other’s shortfalls. November could catch him when he became unstable, being the rock Hei needed. While Hei provided November constant mental stimulation and a willing outlet for his possessiveness. No they weren’t complete opposites, but each made up for things the other needed. 

“That’s why you used all your resources to find him when he was taken. It isn’t something a contractor would have done. But, love makes people do crazy things. Even for contractors it seems.” Mao’s fur started to settle. November had abated any worries the cat contractor had about their relationship. They would become his newest source of entertainment. 

“It changes your perspective.” November leaned his head against’ Hei’s. “He means more than the world to me. From what I’ve seen, he feels the same.” November’s hand let go of his and wrapped around his waist. Hei leaned into the touch and nodded. Now that he knew November wouldn’t leave him for being Hei, he would burn down the world before he would let something happen to November. Mao nodded at them and stood up.

“I will watch your backs. Keep each other safe.” Mao quickly made his way to the window and hopped out to either take up his post as tail or report back to Huang. 

“Huang is going to start quietly looking into escape options for them. Mao is going to be watching to see if anyone picks up a tail.” Hei muttered, enjoying the closeness with November and the warm feeling that had taken root in his chest.

“Everyone is on board. You just need to tell April.” November placed a kiss on his head. 

“I guess the next stop is your flat.” He should tell April sooner rather than later. She was the last one to find out and she would not take that part well. She would have no problem with him being Hei, but that she was finding out last would be his biggest obstacle. 

“Misaki said you could come to Section 4, if you wanted. Given your gate knowledge you have enough clearance. How did you manage to get the university professor to accept you? I heard he is one of the best, but toughest to accept grad students.” November tipped his chin upwards. Hei gave him a quick kiss before answering.

“I turned my brains to goo for a while after stumbling into that as a cover with you. I used all of my available time to read up on the subject. Then pushed off our second date to try and get some more time in before I could screw up any worse. It also helped that the Syndicate probably bribed him as well. But, Huang had said he was impressed after our first meeting, enough that he would have accepted me. Having first hand experience at Heaven’s Gate didn’t hurt either.”

“Brains and a fantastic body… I lucked out.” November pulled him into another kiss. Hei smiled against his lips and pressed forward until November fell back onto the futon. Hei didn’t break the kiss as he straddled November quickly after he had fallen backwards. This was more the greeting he would have liked to have given November when he had gotten back from his meeting. Hei traced November’s lips with his tongue; he wanted to go deeper. November groaned, pulling Hei’s hips down to grind against him. His lips parted just enough that Hei could slip his tongue inside. November didn’t try to fend off the assault by his tongue. Hei’s tongue was stroked and caressed like a treasured guest as their tongues danced together.

He knew they didn’t have much in the way of time before they had to leave, but he couldn’t bring himself to back off. He trailed kisses down November’s neck trying to convince himself they needed to get up and meet up with April. He nipped and sucked close to November’s jawline. Today he would make sure everyone knew November was his. He was beginning to understand why November enjoyed leaving marks on him. He could let himself think of November as his , not just the one he had given his heart to.

“Hei.” November moaned next to his ear. Hei’s whole body trembled. He panted against November’s neck, the one word had rendered him to mush. November chuckled, the sound resonating through November’s chest and into Hei. He knew November would flip them. He waited and didn’t resist as he was rolled to one side. Hei grinned up at November, stealing another quick kiss before the other sat up.

“I know we need to go and get April…” Hei panted and let his hands wander to the edge of November’s belt, tugging on his tucked shirt. “But…”

“No buts, we have to get going. Especially if you are going to tell her before we have to leave to meet up with Misaki.” November caught his hands before they could find skin. November got up backwards from his knees pulling Hei along with him. Hei nodded in defeat but enjoyed the sight of the darkening bruise just below November’s jaw. 

 

***

 

“Please tell me you have brought me some Irish coffee?” April called out from within the flat as November let the two of them in.

“We did not.” Hei called back.

“Li? I didn’t think you would come with him to Section 4. Will you be able to look Misaki in the eye now that you’ve thought of her in a threesome with you and November?” April giggled as she walked towards them. Hei’s face, neck and ears all heated as he recalled the comment from earlier. It was going to be difficult to not see the three of them entangled or her bouncing above and November underneath him. He shivered all that image. Damn April is right. November laughed beside him. He had probably seen his shiver. He would probably pay for it later, and enjoy every moment of it. 

“You are probably right about Misaki, she gave permission for him to come to Section 4.” Hei glanced quickly over at November. Oh it’s starting now… November and April might gang up on him about Kirihara at this rate. He would have to keep calling and thinking of her as Kirihara… if he started using Misaki he would be done for. 

“Of course I’m right! So, are you coming to work with us?” April grinned and wrapped her arm around his shoulder, pulling him away from November. Hei let himself be tugged a few feet away. 

“I actually came over to tell you what November and I were talking about this morning.” Hei ducked under her arm. He turned to look at her. He didn’t go back over to where November was. She needed to know the topic was serious. 

“You’ve decided to come back to England with us?” She clapped her hands together happily, perhaps a bit mockingly. There’s a lot we need to get past first. They would have to deal with Kuei before they could even begin to discuss that. 

“I- ugh… no it’s not that.” Hei fumbled with his words. He shouldn’t be nervous. He had already gone over this with his own team. April had become his friend as Shengshun, she was already family and he didn’t want to lose her. 

“Well you sure as hell ain’t leaving him.” She snorted. She stepped back to glance at November. “The two of you look like puppies staring at each other.” She rolled her eyes at them. She cocked her hip out to one side and folded her arms over her chest in her usual under her breast manner. 

“It’s about why November came over last night.” Hei rubbed his shoulder. November smiles at him reassuringly. November said she would accept him. Like with Huang and Mao he couldn’t help but doubt himself. It was hard to go against everything he had learned the hard way. 

“Why July said you needed help?” April’s face went serious. He knew a lot of what She knew of him came from November. He hadn’t shared too much with her but, with her he hadn’t needed to. She didn’t push and just accepted him at face value. It was the redeeming part of her boisterous personality. 

“Yeah. I got a letter from Kuei.” He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. She looked him up and down. Her usual smile a tight line as she could tell he was nervous. 

“Wait. The guy you fought in Argentina?” She frowned. Her eyes lingered on his side. The one Kuei had marked. I must have grabbed it when I had my attack. He swallowed the lump in his throat. 

“My father.” He nodded confirming her statement and giving her the first bombshell of information. Her mouth formed a perfect o and her eyes went so wide he could see sclera all around her iris. 

“… your… holy shit. That’s why we got calls from the Home Secretary when looking into your background.” November shook his head at her comment. The British Home Secretary got involved? His father had always been thorough in making sure their information was secure. It was something Hei had realized was a family trait. His grandparents had stressed the importance of keeping certain things secret. It was part why it was so hard to find any information about their mother. 

“There’s more.” He mumbled. She had begun to blink as the information sank in. Her eyebrows cinched together as he spoke. 

“More? Like being the son of a psychopath isn’t enough?” The concern in her voice for him and hate for his father made his lips curl into a small smile. 

“I wish it was.” He grumbled. He sighed, no more delaying. “I’m Hei.” She stepped back and the dread and worry that she wouldn’t accept him gripped his chest. She burst out laughing. What?

“You. Cute, adorably messed up teddy bear- Li Shengshun is BK-201?” She shook her head at him. She doesn’t believe me? His mouth hung open slightly. Adorably messed up teddy bear? That’s how she sees me?  

“It was actually my sister’s Messer code.” He locked eyes with November. He wasn’t sure this was going well. November’s gaze was steady and sure. Hei nodded slightly and waited. 

“Right. James said that.” April muttered. Her hand came up and rested on her chin. Hei watched as she connected the facts she knew of him and what she knew of Hei. Her eyebrows drew closer together the more she thought. Finally she looked up at him. There was a hesitancy there hadn’t been before. She understands at least. 

“If you're willing, I could use your help fighting Kuei.” Hei asked quietly. He rolled his bottom lip in his teeth nervously. The waiting had his stomach churning. 

“How long have you known?” She snarled and glared at November. The blonde took her tone in stride. Hei had flinched slightly. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but he had. It was the worry eating away at him that had done it. 

“I found out last night.” November relaxed against the wall. He had guessed? No. He got confirmation last night. November had probably put everything together after his injury was the same as BK-201 at the hotel. November must have been looking for an opportunity to confirm it. 

“Considering you’re telling me within 24 hours of telling him…and you had made sure he and I knew you intended on telling me this morning means you really trust this family of ours..” April stalked towards him with a pointed finger, she jabbed him to hit the point home as she spoke. She finally smiled. “Alright, I’m in.”

“Thank you.” Hei felt relieved. He had never had support like this. This was what family was supposed to be like. He had people who he could rely on and would help him if things got rough. They cared and watched out for each other. Not even with Bai had he felt like this. 

This is my family. 

Home is where I can be with November and our family. 

Hei paused, startled by the thought. He had a home. He’d moved around so much he had never felt rooted to any place after his grandparents. It hadn’t felt like home the last time he had been there either. He felt it now. His face broke out into a grin.

I'm home.

Notes:

I do hope you all enjoyed it! - cause I certainly did.

Thanks everyone for all the comments and kudos!
they really helped a lot when stuck in the dark with no power for almost five days!

Chapter 15: Chapter Fourteen

November POV

November looked down at the file in front of him. He hadn’t even started reading it although it had been in front of him for several minutes now. He was worried. He hadn’t wanted to leave Shengshun… no, he’s Hei , at the flat alone. He had asked to go through James’ files, and November had given them to him, but he was worried they would trigger memories of Heaven’s War. There were so many battle reports. Every single one of those reports had to do directly with him. November shivered involuntarily. He had read through those files, it had been impressive and terrifying to see Hei’s past. To read what Hei had been exposed to, what he had done. Only now, that Hei was his Ah-Shun. He also now had his real name. Well, his given name; XianXu. He wouldn’t push for his family name, as far as he was concerned that family wasn’t worth him and he shouldn’t be tainted any further by them. Hei could take his if he wanted.

He wouldn’t call him Ah-Xu. He had said Ah-Shun was just different enough to keep the bad memories away. Those memories would be a problem today. He had gotten Sh- Hei to say he would stop and text if things started to get too much. I doubt he will. He could hope, but Hei had always been independent. Now November had an understanding of why. He had probably been taking care of his sister since they had been six or seven, more likely six. Hei had said he was there about two years and had left when he was eight. It sounded like he had promised his grandmother before they went to London he would protect his sister from their father. When she become a contractor, his father had thrown her into the Syndicate and Hei had followed. He had to keep his promise and go with her. He can be so stubborn . He must have been putting her first almost all his life, no wonder he keeps putting himself last, he’s trained himself practically his whole life to do it. 

Xing had been his focus when with his father. After she became a contractor he kept going, keeping her as safe as he could manage, but finding Bai had been the only thing keeping him going after South American. The thesis was new, but Shen… Hei was brilliant. He had come up with one of the most believable theories on what had happened November had come across. He was probably one of the only people who had figured out what had happened. He still needed the why, and that weighed heavy on Hei. But, Hei hadn’t picked that when Kuei had told him to cut ties. Their ruse to convince Kuei it wasn’t his feelings for November that was the reason for his refusal was good, but they both knew there was nothing in James’ files that would tell him why. Hei had picked him over what had kept him going after being broken. He was starting to move on. 

Now knowing his past, it made Hei’s behaviour and the timing of things he and April had found out made so much sense now. November smiled to himself, he would help him. No, they would help him. Hei had a family now. One that actually would care for him. It would take time for Hei to change, and they wouldn’t rush him. He had been conditioned for the last 10 years to do things one way. He wouldn’t be able to stop a lot of the habits he had formed, especially ones relevant to being BK-201. But Hei knew he had them to help, to support him. He would be able to know what having a real family was like. For the last fourteen years of Hei’s life he hadn’t known what family should be. The last ten he hadn't even had that small bit he had known. When Bai had changed, what he knew of family had disappeared with her previous personality. He chose her, even though she was different, she was still the closest he had to knowing what having a family was like. 

His father had thrown Hei to the wolves because of his choice. Kuei had forced him to do something impossible to stay with Bai, hoping to discourage Hei from following his sister. November still couldn’t believe he had passed SAS training at thirteen. Hei was resilient and stubborn, more than November had understood previously. Kuei, obviously, didn't know back then just how determined and stubborn his son was. Kuei should have known, had the vile monster been paying attention to his children. Hei had been living with him for six or seven years at that point. He should have been able to see what little Ah-Xu had been like. How protective he had been of his sister. Kuei should have been able to see that Ah-Xu had decided he had to protect his sister from him. But Kuei hadn’t, and Ah-Xu had put everything he had into protecting her - at six ! He essentially stepped up to become her parent. It should have been crystal clear to Kuei how determined his son was.

November sighed, Hei had let so much of himself go for her he wouldn’t know what parts of himself were left. November had a feeling that his personality as Shengshun was closer to what he had been like. It made November’s chest hurt to know that the kind and gentle Shengshun was all that was left of XianXu after he had been forced to grow up so quickly only to have that side of him torn to shreds by the time he was thirteen. Heaven’s War had destroyed much of what was left to the point Hei felt he could only pretend to be that anymore. 

It still felt like there was something he was missing. Why had Kuei wanted them in London? Why had Hei’s grandmother said he and Xing were too important to risk. It wasn’t how someone would normally go about trying to win an argument. Had Hei misheard or was there something more? Regardless, Kuei and his parents must have or was it had? a complicated relationship. They had taken his twins away from Kuei when they were young, so young Hei didn't remember his mother, and mostly kept him away. Kuei’s father had decided to let them go. Like Kuei had finished some sort of banishment... could he have gone to jail because of what happened with their mother? Or had he cut ties and it was meant to be a way to mend bridges? Kuei's mother hadn't agreed... so maybe it was her and Kuei who didn’t get along? 

It sounded as if once Kuei had gotten the twins he had done the same; cut the grandparents out. Dragging the twins wherever he went. Hei had said they moved around a lot... maybe that wasn't just because of military - that was probably just a cover... it would have been work for the Syndicate. Could it also have been to keep Kuei's parents from finding Hei and his sister? All that stopped when Xing became a contractor. She was thrown to the Syndicate, probably told something at least moderately convincing rationally to get her to work for them. Kuei was still a vile human, but he had at least tried to keep Hei from this life. He had also made sure the two of them stayed together on missions. There must be at least some sense of paternal responsibility or even a shred of caring for him to have done that. 

Those small facts weren’t enough to redeem him for what he had put XianXu and Xing through. He had robbed them of a mother. It sounded like they were still infants when it happened. Why would Kuei wait until they were born to remove their mother? If he had loved her that much and knew she was his weakness, wouldn’t he have acted sooner? Before he had extra people to deal with? Why had he left the twins alive? Hei had said Kuei was approaching sixty. That meant he was in his late thirties when the twins had been born. No, there must be something else. By that time in his life he would have been able to tell his feelings had developed into love. Something about the twins must have triggered the need for her death, but what?

He needed more information, the current facts didn’t make a whole lot of sense. Especially Kuei threatening to send Hei to China. Granted China was a large country… but it felt more like he was threatening to send Hei back to where they were from. Back to Hei’s grandparents. Only given how he had kept the twins away from them, it didn’t seem to have any rationality behind it. Why was going there a threat to Hei and something Kuei was willing to do? He might have to ask Hei why going to China was a threat... and not just being separated from their family.

That was one of his missing pieces. Why is returning to their home a threat? Another piece would be why Hei’s mother had been killed - November was certain it wasn’t just because Kuei had loved her. What else… He was missing something. November tapped his finger idly next to the file he still wasn’t reading. Was Kuei following a directive from his parents? Why would they need Hei? Why now? Why had Kuei made contact? The kidnapping… Kuei had reached out because of it. Why was it significant? Hei would have eventually used his powers to escape… right? November wasn’t sure he would have. The small content smile Hei had given him in the ambulance, he had known November would come. He had let all of those horrible things happen because he was waiting for November. November’s stomach churned dangerously at the implications.

It hadn’t bothered him as much as it should have because, somewhere in Hei’s mind, it was just another part of a mission. What had he been forced to do in the name of a mission that was worse? He would have to take a closer look at those files. What had Kuei forced his son to do, that he would justify what happened as an acceptable risk and not even on his top ten worst things that have happened to him. The fact Hei had a list of worst things had him grinding his teeth. Kuei needed to be put down and he wanted to be the one who did it. 

If someone had felt Hei would have let himself die in that freezer, why would they call him back? Why would Kuei need him out of the country? If November’s theory was right about Hell’s Gate… Kuei would need Hei here. A chill ran down his spine… Kuei wasn’t the only one who would need Hei here. February would need Hei here too. With all the planning she had put into getting Bai’s powers moved over to Hei, she wouldn’t just let him go. Her new organization would be coming for him to try and get what they had been planning in South America to work on Hell’s Gate. James was watching her star, he would tell him if she came here. November would never let her take Hei. 

Hei wouldn’t go with her either. The venom in his voice when November had mentioned her, it was unlikely he would want to do anything other than kill her. There was only one other person who Hei loathed to that point. When they came up, he used the same restrained fury tone. Part of November wanted to see what he would do to the one who caused that pain. Would Hei even let himself give in to the rage he felt for a person he had once loved? November was certain Hei hadn’t let himself give into rage more than a handful of times in his life, if that. 

Wait… no. 

Hei had wanted to protect his second contractor. Only a contractor with passive powers - like February, would need protecting. They would have been someone on his team for an extended period of time - like Heaven’s War, else the relationship wouldn’t have progressed. Their actions had all but destroyed Hei’s willingness to get attached to contractors. It would have been a spectacularly violent or traumatic break up given the hate and hurt that was still there. The sealing of Heaven’s Gate by February checked all the boxes. Regardless of if February had been the one to break Hei’s heart, she had been the one who took Bai away. She was responsible for part, if not all of what had broken Hei five years ago. If I see her first, she won’t be around long enough for Hei to kill her. November seethed in his chair. February would have to pay for what she had done to Hei. 

“Ah!” Misaki stood up suddenly. “VI-952 and Wang Shao Tang aren’t the only ones who bled in the greenhouse! They’ve identified that there was one other source of blood. It has to be BK-201! He was injured, VI-952 had done it. There was a battle between them that happened after I left the garden.” She looked so excited to have figured out that piece of information. Hei had been injured and he was probably the one that blood belonged to. I hope she didn’t memorize Shengshun’s blood type because she likes him. If he remembered correctly, blood type was similar to horoscopes here. Where people with one type would act a certain way. 

“So, we can confirm who was there with it. It wouldn’t be able to solidly say yes that’s BK-201. Him being the one the blood belongs to, is well founded speculation but it’s still speculation.” April huffed at Misaki. November smirked. She’s protecting Hei. She’s more of a protective big sister than the aunt she claimed she was. Then again Mao had been protective of Hei as well. He had been adorably puffed up this morning. Hei had an increasing number of contractors wrapped around his finger, and he didn't even know it.

Misaki frowned and went back to looking over reports. It almost looked as if she pouted. If she had, it was the briefest pout ever. Maybe that’s why Hei would consider her as a partner? While November wasn’t inclined typically towards women, he could appreciate their beauty. While Misaki hid hers well, it was still evident. Hei had considered her as a potential sexual partner- albeit after April had pointed out her interest. Misaki was someone Hei would have considered bedding had November not gotten him first. When he had first met him, April had no chance even though she had openly expressed interest. So Hei wouldn’t have reacted the way he had if there wasn’t some potential attraction. 

April’s idea was something he might consider entertaining. Hei had gotten flustered when teased about it. So he would be game once things were agreed. It would depend on if Misaki would be so inclined. Now that he thought about it, he wouldn’t say no to her joining them once or twice just so he could see Hei rendered completely to goo. What a sight that would be. He had gotten glimpses of that recently, as Hei let himself coming back down slowly after sex. Hei hadn’t let himself enjoy that part until very recently. He almost had not gotten to see it a second time, but November was so glad he would get to see it more. Hei was finally starting to let go of some of his guards while with him. It was so hard to resist working him constantly to that state at every opportunity he got. 

Hei had been starting to let November behind guards he hadn’t let anyone else even see, and likely hadn’t let down since He became Hei. November smiled to himself. He might not have intended to do it this way, but he had ensnared his target. Only this way was so much better than turning him in. He had been able to turn the legendary cursed contractor BK-201 into putty in his hands. He will have to wear that mask again. He hadn’t been able to resist marking him for that picture. It irked him to know what James would likely be doing with it, but it also meant he had his own copy. A small price to pay for it in the end. That and the one he had taken while Hei was sleeping were both precious. 

There had been a shift in Hei now that his family all knew of each other and who he was. His usual worn out look was a little less. The biggest change was the shine in his eyes. It was a genuine light, one he had only previously glimpsed when calling him Ah-Shun and even then it was only occasionally. In the beginning that had been more of a reaction than November had expected. He had been able to crack through Hei tight hold on himself by using it. But, saying ‘Hei’ surprisingly had his pale lover basically panting for him. Hei had almost made them late this morning, but when November had said ‘Hei’, the tremor that went through the other had both made November want to take him right there and gave him the upper hand at getting them out the door. November smirked to himself, he would have to exploit this new weapon.

I wonder if anyone else has managed to get that reaction out of him… if anyone else, it would only have been one - potentially February. Hmm… I wonder how many men vs women he’s had. He hadn’t been inexperienced their first time, but he has also clearly not done much experimentation. If there was ever an opportunity to ask, November might inquire. November shifted in his chair. He needed to think of other things, he’d end up hard if his train of thought continued.

He finally looked seriously at the file in front of him. VI-952 had fought Hei and injured him. How close had VI-952 come to killing Hei?… the injuries on his back! It had been from VG-062. He had been trapped and had only gotten out because of using the full extent of his power. He could have lost Hei back then, but rather than let himself get hurt he had used his electron manipulation. It also meant that Hei was willing to use that if the fight got to the point he might not make it. 

Hei hadn’t been forced to that point in their fight. While November had caught him, had he felt threatened enough he would have used the other abilities. He hadn’t actually seen November as a viable threat. No wonder Hei hadn’t seemed concerned about being caught. He had been basically toying with November. With his abilities and how close they had been to the Gate, both he and April were very lucky Hei hadn’t used more of his abilities. Both of them could have ended up dead… or regressors like Havoc. Hei could do that. He wouldn't… but he could. 

November’s ringtone broke the silence of the room. There were a few glares from some members on Misaki’s team, but her face was more understanding. Last time he had turned off his ringer for a meeting, Hei had been taken. He wouldn’t miss another message from him. 

-I was wrong. Taking a break-

He was shocked, Hei had actually let him know the files had started to get to him. It meant that ever so slowly, Hei was starting to feel safe enough to lean on November for support. He quickly typed his reply. 

-Do you need me to come back?- 

He couldn’t disappoint or let Hei think he wouldn’t help when asked. He knew Hei trusted him, but the other so rarely asked for anything. The fact that he had reached out at all meant he was probably already at his current limit of keeping the memories at bay. 

-Not yet.- 

The reply was almost instant. November had expected Hei to say he was alright and the break would be enough. However, not yet implied Hei knew he would need help. His heart tightened in his chest. He was alone right now, facing whatever demon his past had conjured up. They would have to go. He glanced up at April, her eyes were watching him and waiting to see if the news meant they needed to go. Her head motioned towards Misaki. He nodded once. 

“Misaki, we need to go.” He answered her unasked question. She understood more about Hei now, and why he would drop everything for him. She had her own interest in Hei and would bend rules she normally wouldn’t for him. 

“We as in everyone or you guys?” She hesitated, given what had happened, it was a valid question. 

“Just us. Shengshun is at the flat, and just sent a message that makes me think he’s going downhill fast.” He confirmed her suspicion of who it had been, she wouldn’t deny letting them go, not that she could stop them. 

“Is he okay? It’s not about his injuries is it?” He was glad he hadn’t mentioned where Hei had been injured when he had been shot at with Misaki, just that he had. But in this she was referring to from when he was kidnapped, those were healed or healing well. She had been glancing at him occasionally, probably wanting to ask if Shengshun was alright. Oh yeah, she’s got a crush on He i. He never would have thought her the type to like younger men. He was so different from the one who liked her. No wonder she doesn’t give the poor bloke the time of day. 

“No, he was given access to some files for his research… but he knew they might trigger uncomfortable memories.” Everyone present was aware Shengshun not only was a gate scientist, but now knew he was potentially a high value one after their interviews with the staff and students at the university. 

“What do you mean? Wait. The Argentina comments by the doctor! He was there!? He wouldn’t have been old enough.” For the first time he and from the looks of it, her team, had seen her with a pained and horrified expression. She’s got it bad. 

“He was there. His father was stationed at Heaven’s Gate and had him with him.” November frowned, repeating the story he had been told earlier by Hei and was part of Shengshun’s background history. He watched as Misaki’s eyebrow spazzed upon hearing. 

“He… but…” This time it was Saitou that was rightfully horrified. Misaki still hadn’t recovered from knowing Shengshun had been there when Heaven’s Gate disappeared and had been heavily injured. November was a little surprised the doctor had included that information in the report he had given the police. Now he really wanted to see that file. 

“I know. It’s not something he likes to mention. For good reason. Its also why he’s so valuable as a gate scientist, he was there and his memories weren’t erased. Which is why we need to go.” That pulled Misaki from her horrified stupor. 

“En, if he needs help you guys don’t need to stay.” She nodded and waved them off. November flashed her a grateful smile and quickly typed.

-Will be there soon.- 

-Ok- 

The reply was quick, but did nothing to help November feel like Hei was handling things well. He was getting worse quickly. He needed to know how badly Hei was doing. He glanced over to July who was sitting next to April. . 

“July can you check on him?” He had only gotten half of the sentence out before the lad had gone over to the window. 

November handed off the file he had only briefly looked at while April did the same. . 

“He’s sitting on the floor. Not moving… he waved.” July’s voice might have sounded monotone to anyone else but both he and April knew he was relieved because of the wave. Okay we should be able to make it before he gets too much worse. With a quick final nod to Misaki they slipped out of Section 4 and headed quickly back to the flat. 

November didn’t even wait to take his key out of the lock when they got to the flat, April would get it for him. Right now he needed to see if Hei had gotten any worse. Hei was sitting on the floor with his back to the couch, curled into a tight ball. Even his arms were wrapped around his head which was tucked down. The pack from James was on the side closer to the door. There were a couple of piles of papers around him. What worried November was that Hei hadn’t moved. They hadn’t been quiet when they had entered, he would know they were there… unless the memories had taken over. November heard April drop his keys on the counter and the faucet started running. Good she’s getting tea . November cautiously approached Hei. There was another reason he might not have moved. He could be keeping himself from doing anything that might hurt them. 

“Hei?” November asked cautiously. A violent shudder rocked through Hei. November paused his approach, but Hei still didn't move otherwise. Okay it’s option two . Hei was not moving on purpose. November knelt down in front of him slowly. Hei knew his limits, and strictly enforced them on himself. If he felt he needed to be contained as he was, there was a reason. 

“Hei?” He repeated. Another shudder but this time he ever so slowly uncurled one of his arms and held out his hand. He hadn’t looked up, but this was progress. November took Hei’s hand, rubbing his thumb along the back. He would pull Hei back from what memories had taken over. He watched as July sat down next to Hei. The doll was worried about him too. Hei’s grip on November’s hand clamped down into an almost painful squeeze and November watched in surprise as Hei suppressed a flinch. November needed to know what had caused this. July’s presence had never made him react like that before. He looked down at the papers, scanning them quickly. 

All the ones he could see had to do with his time in Brazil. 

Heaven’s War battles.

“Talk to me. What’s going through your head.” November spoke softly, he would have to coax him out of this gently. Hei’s head twitched, like he wanted to shake it to say no, but had changed his mind or stopped an automatic reaction. Hei started muttering in Mandarin and November cursed internally, he needed to speed up trying to learn that language. He wouldn’t be able to help much if Hei didn't switch to English or Japanese.  

“Bai... So many stars fell. She got so angry.” Hei’s body started trembling, his words switching to English. November sighed in relief at the change of language, but knew Hei had forced himself to do it. Did he do that because he wants help or because he’s accommodating us? November shifted forward. Gently he tried to tug Hei into a hug, but for the first time during any of Hei’s attacks there was resistance. November paused but Hei’s tug back let November catch a glimpse of his eyes and his heart felt like it was being crushed. Hei’s eyes were unfocused and distant. He looked hurt and lost. No, it wasn’t lost, he looked as if he knew he had been abandoned and had no hope of getting out. February, you will die slowly for this. November breathed out slowly to quell his fury. 

“It’s alright. Ah-Shun, you are safe. I will have your back. Nothing can harm you here.” November kept what he was feeling out of his voice, speaking to Hei as one would a startled and hurt animal as he tried again to see if he could convince Hei to come forward into the hug. “Deep breath. Say what you can. It helps to get it out.”

Hei still wouldn’t come forward, so November sat down next to him keeping Hei’s hand in his and touched his waist to see if he would flinch like he had with July. He didn’t, so November snuck his hand around Hei’s waist, he didn’t pull him any closer, letting Hei move when he was ready. November could feel how coiled Hei was. All of his muscles were tense. Hei had known they were coming and had forced himself into a position he knew he wouldn’t hurt anyone except maybe himself. Even struggling with his internal demons, Hei put himself last. 

“Bai… we got seperated.” He struggled with his words. “I had to find her.” Hei’s breathing started to pick up. “So many dead.” He gasped, then forced himself to stop. He got his breathing back under control. “I got injured.” Hei whispered as he put his other hand over his left shoulder. 

November knew there was a nasty looking scar underneath his shirt. Whatever had caused it had either broken his collarbone or had gone right under it. He also knew that there had been enough force that there was a matching scar on his back for an exit wound. November didn’t want to dwell on the fact that, had it been a few inches lower, Hei wouldn’t have survived. 

“Bai used so much more of her powers. I had never seen her do that before. Everything went blue. That… that’s when Amber found out what she could do.” Hei took a shaky breath. “Amber got so angry when I refused to let anyone touch me until Bai woke up, but I had to wait. I needed to know she would be safe.” Hei leaned slightly into November. He could feel the slight tremors go through Hei’s muscles as he kept the spasms from showing. “I was so close to passing out.” His voice was almost a whisper. “She yelled so much. I thought it was strange at the time but didn’t question it. She’s a contractor, why did she get angry? It doesn’t make sense.” Hei shook his head and finally leaned fully into November letting his head rest on November’s shoulder. 

“Amber got angry?” November found that odd as well. He had never known February to express emotions. When he had known her she had behaved like a typical contractor. Rational and knew her limitations. Had Hei changed her too?

“Very angry… you don’t think?” He looked up, the lost and abandoned look was getting less. There was a hint of worry there now too. “Do you think she had started to feel emotions then? It can’t be me that’s changing contractors… but, she was different that night… and from then on. Her motives changed.” Hei’s eyebrows knitted in concentration. It is Hei that’s changing contractors. He may not want to admit it, but if February had changed back then, and all of us gathered around him now have as well. Yet, why can he do it and how? Hei’s eyes darted about as November watched him piece together details from the past in his head. 

“Amber is February, right? How was she different?” April asked as she approached and handed Hei a cup. He only glanced up quickly, but took the cup with the hand that wasn’t in November’s. Hei stared down into the steam of the cup. It seemed he either didn’t want to answer or didn’t know how to answer. November watched red tinge Hei’s ears. Sometimes I hate being right. Hei had hooked up with Amber.

“Things were a bit rough?” November guessed aloud. February would pay dearly for what she had done to him. The red got darker and Hei nodded confirming he was right. He tried not to react. Hei was too emotionally raw, he was just barely starting to relax. He had to remain steady for Hei. November gritted his teeth and kept himself still and as relaxed as he could. Hei would be able to feel if he tensed.

“Rough?” April looked confused. November glanced up and gave her a ‘take a guess’ look. He rubbed along Hei’s side, working a little more tension out. April wouldn’t be able to keep her reaction reigned in. He focused on making sure Hei didn’t start to tip back over the edge. Her eyes went wide with realization. She took half a step back and her mouth hung open. “He had angry sex with February?” She whispered in shock. For her that was a tame reaction. Her features darkened, there was a brewing rage in her too. “After being injured and almost passing out? That bitch is a cradle robbing piece of shit!” April’s fist clenched and shook as she also kept her reaction in check. Hei you’ve managed a minor miracle. Even April was doing her best to keep calm. 

“She’s the one you regret.” November whispered before he kissed the top of Hei’s head. November could only tell he had nodded because his cheek was still against Hei’s head. November wished February to the deepest darkest pit of hell. She had shattered Hei and left him broken. Ripped out his heart and took away the one person he had spent half his life protecting and the only person who had always been with him. She had then abandoned him in South America. Kuei had stomped on him after she was done, the mark on his side had happened while all of that was still so fresh he wouldn’t have had time to process everything. He never gave up on finding his sister. Even after all he had been through he still couldn’t manage to be selfish. He had put what he was feeling aside. Broken as he was, he focused on doing what he needed to find Bai. 

“I know you don’t need it, and would probably normally protest, but let me take care of you. You aren’t alone anymore Hei. You don’t have to always be the strong one. I can share that burden.” November mumbled into Hei’s hair. Hei took a sip of the tea in his hand before putting the cup to one side. 

“Hey! I don’t need protecting!” April snorted from her still somewhat stunned position a few feet away. Hei chuckled softly next to November. 

“We will all look out for each other then.” November corrected his statement to appease April. 

“As long as the ‘taking care of’ you are intending isn’t like your mother hen mode.” Hei glanced up at November with a small, only slightly forced, teasing smirk. 

“He is such a mother hen!” April giggled. 

“I reserve the right to bring out that mode if you are sick or injured.” November let go of Hei’s hand to guide his face upwards. The past had been mostly chased off and Hei’s eyes were looking focused and more normal. 

“And if you are sick or injured, you aren’t allowed to complain should I subject you to the same - or worse treatment.” It should have been a retort, or even a counter… but it felt more like Hei had accepted November wouldn’t let him sacrifice any more of himself for others. 

“Deal.” November nodded and sealed it with a kiss.

Notes:

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. It's not as long of a chapter as I wanted, but there was a whole lot of reworking/ restructuring the next 3-4 chapters instead.
<,<
There's a lot coming in those chapters...
and there have been so many hints as to what is coming!
Thanks for all the comments and kudos! I love interacting will you!

Chapter 16: Chapter Fifteen

Notes:

This has by far been the hardest chapter for me to write.
I had wanted it to be from November's perspective... had a good chunk written and didn't like it at all. That ended up being a theme as I have re-done this chapter no less than 7 times now! (that doesn't include the redoing of scenes either)

Hei wasn’t exactly sure what to expect as he approached the Gate Astrodynamics department for the first time since the Romanians had kidnapped him. He was trying to quietly slip by and go unnoticed as he headed to Shikikoza’s office. He had caused the university students a lot of trouble because of that incident and he didn’t want to go through that on his first day back. He intended to wait outside the office quietly until his mentor arrived. He had only just made it past the door to the lounge when one of the students darted out the door and hooked his arm. They pulled him quickly back into the room. What now?! He stumbled inside the room, relying on his training to maintain his guise as Li Shengshun and not fight back against the one who had grabbed him. 

The student beamed at Hei glancing across the room. Hei followed his gaze and his mouth hung open seeing the “Welcome Back” banner strewn across the wall. Hei stood there stunned and unable to move. His eyes scanned the banner in front of him. It was littered with notes from the students wishing him well or hoping he had a speedy recovery. Hei felt his chest tighten, overwhelmed by emotions. He had barely interacted with these students, and yet this was more of a welcome than he had received in more than a decade. 

“I’m sorry for startling you Li-San.” The student who pulled him into the room bowed to him apologetically. “Everyone has been worried about you and anxious to see you return to school.” 

“Thank you.” Hei managed after a long stunned moment. He couldn’t help the smile spread across his face. While the last few weeks had been harrowing, he now had a family who accepted and knew who he was. Now, these students had cared enough about him to not only want him back but worried about him. The sound of his name quickly had the attention of everyone in the room and their previous tasks were abandoned as people scrambled to gather around him.

“Are you alright now?”

“What was it like?”

“Why were you targeted?”

“Idiot, he's probably sought after by many organizations.”

“Then why didn’t they take Dr. Shikikoza?”

“Stop. Stop! One at a time!” Hei sighed at the onslaught but his patience with their pestering was at an all time high school thanks to the sign. “Yes I’m mostly healed now, I still should take it easy but I’m allowed to be up and around. As to what it was like… painful, cold and a bit scary. Ugh… I wasn’t targeted because of gate research. That’s why Shikikoza wasn’t taken. They were after me to get to my partner.” Hei struggled to answer all of the questions. Their faces morphing between concern and confusion. 

“Partner? You’re co-operating with someone on your thesis?” Someone finally had the courage to ask. 

“Uh… no. My romantic partner.” Hei glanced down at the floor nervously. 

Silence descended on the room. 

“They’re a British Diplomat, and the ones who kidnapped me thought they could extort them for my return.” He glanced around at the still confused faces and tried to explain why November might cause him to be kidnapped. Only it didn’t seem to have helped. Anyone who hadn’t looked stunned before looked stunned now. 

“Okay, we all thought you had some serious clearance… but I don’t think any of us considered that you might also have connections to people in high places.” Someone else finally stuttered.

“En… well, I don’t talk about it unless I have to.” Hei nervously rubbed the back of his head. He hoped he hadn’t made interacting with them worse now. 

“Li-San, just how well connected are you? You're dating a diplomat, are the only known exchange student and the first grad student Dr Shikikoza has taken on in two years.” 

“Ah… well, you make it sound a lot more impressive than it is. I met my partner at my job and Shikikoza was intrigued by my thesis.” Hei tried to downplay his importance. He didn’t want any of them trying to get too curious about him. But it might be too late for that now. 

“And enjoys picking your brain. Come Shengshun-kun, I need to discuss something with you.” Shikikoza interrupted from the door. Hei was startled by the use of his alias’ given name rather than the typical ‘Ri-San’ he got from Shikikoza. Perhaps the old man’s opinion of him had changed because of the kidnapping. He bowed politely to the students and followed Shikikoza to his office. He would have to tell November about this later. 

The room was almost the same as before. The ancient kettle had been replaced with a new one and the paperweight Hei had used was gone as well. Both were probably taken as evidence. The office was littered with get well cards taking up every available surface other than the desk. Hei went over to the kettle to make their usual tea, but the pot was missing and the kettle empty. Hei frowned a little; Shikikoza had amended some of his habits because of what had happened. 

“Ah, I now keep the pot locked in my drawer and fill the kettle only before use.” Shikikoza answered his unspoken concern as he slouched into his chair. 

“Would you like me to go and fill it?” Hei asked quietly, looking over his shoulder at Shikikoza. Shikikoza shook his head. He reached into one of the drawers and pulled out a small bottle of sake. He then took out two cups and placed them next to the bottle. 

“Today we will toast to surviving. Next time you can make tea.” The old Japanese man smiled fondly at him. Hei couldn’t remember ever having so many people concerned for his well being. 

The smile from before was back on Hei’s face. Shikikoza knew what he was and some of his history. He had been wary of him before, but now he seemed to have accepted him, treating him more like an equal than a tool. He really liked the change, he hated how he had been treated by so many before… this change warmed his heart. Hei joined Shikikoza at the desk, setting the satchel down beside him. Shikikoza poured two cups and handed Hei his first. Hei looked up at Shikikoza, startled that he would be served first. He was the younger one, it would typically be his job to serve. 

“I understand the incident was caused by your lover’s previous engagement with those people. I find it odd for a contractor to not only participate in a relationship, but to not use their powers when threatened. Yet I am grateful you didn’t. Should you have at any point while you had been kidnapped, I along with many others would have had our memories wiped. So, thank you.” He raised his cup before they both drank. Sake like most alcohol wasn’t much to his taste, but he wouldn’t turn down the toast. 

“I could have kept from using my powers in order to maintain my cover.” He tried dismissing the grateful praise from Shikikoza. He hadn’t don’t much. Being thanked for not using his power felt hollow. 

“You can try to make it sound logical, but in that situation preservation of self trumps everything else. You chose, risking yourself, to not use your powers.” Shikikoza poured himself another drink, offering another to Hei; which he declined. 

“It was not that big of a risk.” Hei frowned and set his cup back on the desk. Shikikoza smirked and finished his next drink. He poured himself another and filled Hei’s again, although he had no intention of drinking further. He much preferred tea to alcohol. Not that he couldn’t handle drinking, it just didn’t do much for him and tea tasted better. 

“Now, I do have something to discuss with you. While you were recovering, I was approached by another professor here concerning their research. What they spoke of reminded me of what we had been discussing before the attack.” There was a twinkle in the others eye as he sipped his sake and spoke. Shikikoza must have had some development in gate research in the weeks he had been away. Hei tried to think back to before the Romanians burst into the office. What had we been talking about?  

“You will have to refresh my memory as to the topic, a lot has happened since then.” He drew a blank. Between the torture, drugs and emotional stress of the following days he couldn’t place their conversation at all. 

“You had made a comment about what might potentially happen should the gates be forcibly closed. I believe you compared them to weeds.”  Prompted by Shikikoza’s words he could remember they had been talking about Schroeder’s views and Maxwell’s theory. He had said something they both had considered possible. 

“Yes… I think it was something about more gates appearing should these gates be sealed.” He mumbled piecing together hazy bits of conversation. 

“Indeed. Dr. Chen, theorizes that the gates have happened before. I had thought to dismiss the potential as nothing more than conspiracy but I allowed him to finish.” He paused to refill his cup and took another sip. “He had been researching Chinese Ghost festivals and the various types of Chinese ghosts and demons when he compared some of what was documented to what is known of Heaven and Hell’s gates. His descriptions of abilities and traits of some of the demons were strikingly similar to contractors. I doubt he is aware of the existence of them, but he concluded that there are people who are changed by the gates.” Shikikoza swirled his cup while he spoke. 

“They’ve found some documented historical occurrences?” There has been lots of research done when the gates had appeared to try and figure out both why they had appeared and if they had happened before. Nothing had been found then. If Dr Chen was researching Chinese ghosts, he was not a professor from the same department as Shikikoza, which also explained the comment about conspiracy. 

“On a significantly lesser scale, but yes. I believe this warrants further investigation, which is why I requested copies of his source material and notes. It is not something I would typically do, but these documents need to have someone with knowledge of the gates go over them to deduce if they are relevant or not. He has graciously agreed and I’ve been going through them for the past two days.” Shikikoza pulled out a pile of folders from his desk and set them down heavily. It dauntingly reminded Hei of the first batch of papers he had been given by Shikikoza. 

“Would that be my task for the next few weeks?” Hei asked cautiously. He had only just gotten used to how the scientific papers were structured. He wasn’t sure he would be able to just switch to a different discipline and still be able to follow along. He would be almost starting from scratch with the terminology. 

“I was hoping you might consider looking them over as well, given your unique insight on the subject. I find it concerning that these records indicate the potential for multiple gates; that is exactly what we would be looking at should people like Schroeder have their way.” He tapped the pile then pushed it towards Hei. 

“That’s a terrifying concept.” The idea of more gates appearing and by extension more contractors, was scary. It could lead to another Heaven’s war or even contractors becoming more numerous than humans. Schroeder wanted to rid the world of contractors, it would be ironic if his actions led to more. 

“Agreed.” Shikikoza leaned heavily back into his chair. “These are copies I had made for you. I do hope you are able to read traditional Chinese.”  He rocked back in his chair, the comment was more teasing than anything else. Shikikoza knew he could read multiple languages, this would be simple. Hei opened the top file and glanced over the page. It was filled with tiny neat modern Mandarin characters. 

“I can. The professor, however, writes in Mandarin.” Hei smirked, stating the obvious. 

“Don’t get snarky.” Shikikoza grumbled. “I’ll see you next week at the same time.” He smirked and dismissed Hei with a nod towards the door. 

“See you then.” Hei gathered up the pile of folders, placing them into his satchel before heading out. 

November was paranoid about his first meeting since the kidnapping and had insisted on coming to get him from the university after. Even knowing he was BK-201 November still was nervous about him being at the one place he had a scheduled time to appear. Hei sighed it was slightly reassuring to have him there as backup but it was overkill. He glanced quickly towards the lounge, seeing none of the students looking, he snuck down the back. He didn’t want to get dragged back in and worry November because he was waylaid by curious students. 

Hei looked up at the dark purple-grey clouds darkening the sky as he made his way to the parking area. I wonder if it will snow? He hadn’t seen snow in years but those clouds reminded him of the ones he would see when he was young just  before it would snow. Snow always made things look so clean and pure. He had loved the way the sun would glint on the snow banks like they were crystals. Hei blew into his hands as he followed along the path. He would like to see snow again. Ahead he could see the bright red of November’s car. Maybe he won’t have to go right back to Section 4. They might manage a lunch date  before he had to meet up with Huang in the park, if November could spare the time. 

“XianXu.” A deep voice called from his left and Hei stopped in his tracks at the sound of his original name. He could feel his blood drain from his face. They had sworn never to use that name again. He struggled to force the memory of him holding Xing’s hand and being so scared, but telling him he wouldn’t let her go alone - they went together or not at all, back into the locked part of his mind. Hei’s hands started to shake. He had hoped he would never again hear that voice. 

Why is he here? Hei’s breath caught in his throat and panic gripped his heart. November! He glanced over at November’s car, resisting turning towards Kuei just yet. All other thoughts and memories were pushed back, he had one focus - keeping November safe. Please look . He begged internally hoping November, who was leaning against his car, would respond. Hei balled his fists to keep his hands from noticeably shaking. He couldn’t leave without letting November know. At the same time, he couldn’t let Kuei know he was trying to communicate with November. Hei managed a small breath as November looked up. Almost as if the blonde had heard Hei’s plea. A smile graced his beautiful face briefly until he saw something was wrong. November's eyebrows furrowed and he stood up straight about to walk over to him. Knowing he had November’s attention Hei shook his head just enough that November could see but Kuei off to the left couldn’t. Don’t get involved. Stay there. November halted by the bonnet of his car, concerned and confused, but respecting Hei’s unspoken request. His eyes glanced around to see what threat Hei was responding to. 

Hei took a breath and did his best to steal his nerves as Hei turned slowly towards the voice. Wuchang Kuei, the blight to humanity which had sired him, was standing beside a black limousine with diplomatic flags on both sides of the bonnet. He had several more wrinkles than the last time Hei had seen him. But the sharp cold dark eyes were at contrast to the fake smile on his face. As always he was dressed impeccably. It was part of the reason Hei chose to wear loose jeans and an often rumpled white shirt. Kuei’s black tailored suit fit snugly on his frame. He wasn’t as slim as he had been, having developed a slight gut in the last few years. He had a white scarf tucked under his open chestnut coloured coat, held back by the hands in his trouser pockets. As always he had several bodyguards nearby. Hei counted three but guessed there was at least one more if not two. 

“You look well XianXu. I trust your time on your own has been well.” Hei watched the slight eye twitch on Kuei’s face as he strained to maintain the fake smile on his face. Hei took it as a small victory knowing his appearance displeased Kuei. 

“Why are you here?” He hissed in Mandarin aware that November was watching their interaction. He couldn’t let November get involved. Hei’s nails began to dig into his palms as he clenched his fist tighter. He needed to control the shaking, but it wouldn’t stop. He was scared for November and scared that Kuei would drag him back to China like he had threatened. He couldn’t run, as much as he wanted to. He also couldn’t lash out here, and Kuei knew it. His morning had been so wonderful, he should have known something was coming because of it. Things never worked out for him. 

“Come now, we have much to discuss.” Kuei motioned towards the door to the car. Hei shook his head and refused to move. Getting into that car would not end well for him. He desperately wanted to turn and bolt for November. He felt unsteady and didn’t know if he could face Kuei alone, but there was no other way… he had to do this. They had known he would have to face Kuei in some form, this soon was just surprising. 

“I’ve said all I need to say to you. Unless you intend to give me the information I want, there’s nothing I need from you.” Hei glared at Kuei. He took a step back. Maybe he will let me go…  who am I kidding, this is the end. If I get in that car I might never come back. He heard Kuei click his tongue. His dissatisfaction bleeding through his guise. 

“Do not make a scene XianXu. Get in the car.” There was no hiding that threat. Hei glanced at the bodyguards he could see; each of them muscled and large Chinese men and all of them now looked ready to force him into the vehicle. His choice had been made for him; if he struggled then November would intervene and Kuei would have him killed. It was an outcome he wasn’t willing to risk. Kuei wins round one. Hei swallowed hard, the lump in his throat refusing to budge, and stepped towards the limo. Kuei leaned over and held open the door for him with a cruel smile. Hei slid across the leather seat to the other side, he wanted to take the seat across but knew Kuei would ask him to move back - he always had a guard sit there. Kuei took the seat next to the door as his guards dispersed. One in the front seat, one across from him and the third in another vehicle. 

Hei felt the phone in his pocket vibrate. He was grateful that the noise didn’t seem to be noticed by the other two. Once I can safely respond I’ll tell you what’s going on. He had to resist looking back. If he had, Kuei would know November was there. It still felt like his heart was being ripped out. There was a chance he’d never get to respond to November’s message. He bit on his tongue to keep from revealing his inner turmoil. Kuei was watching him closely. He might have already known November was there and is judging my reaction. It was imperative that he didn’t give his feelings for November away. Even before he had been accepted by November he had known he would put November’s life and safety before his own. 

The letter had been unexpected, but Kuei himself coming to Tokyo hadn’t even been on his radar of potential outcomes from his response. Kuei hadn’t left China since Bai disappeared. Why would he be making a move now? There must be another factor he was missing. Some pressure being pushed on Kuei to get him to act. But how did it relate to him? He knew this all started because of the kidnapping. Why would that have Kuei reaching out and putting himself in danger. It wouldn’t be enough. The Syndicate  founders had all remained in their own areas since Heaven’s Gate disappeared, something big must be going on for Kuei to deem meeting up with him necessary. 

“I was surprised by your reply. You have rediscovered your stubborn streak it seems. That will have to be remedied quickly.” Kuei chastised him as he crossed his legs and neatly folded his hands in his lap. 

“Unless you intend to tell me what happened five years ago, I have no reason to change my decision.” It made him feel like a petulant child, but he folded his arms and slouched, turning slightly towards Kuei and leaning against the door on his side. Could the reason he was here be related to how he had dealt with VG-062? That had been so long ago and had nothing to do with the kidnapping. It had been Kuei testing to see if he had Bai’s abilities but he hadn’t used them like that since. It was possible, but it seemed a bit of a stretch.

“Neither he nor his source will be able to tell you what you want. Just end things with him now and stop this childish tantrum.” His disdain was evident in his voice. 

How is dating November a tantrum?! I say no once in five years and that means I’m having some sort of fit? Hei forced his breathing to remain steady as he battled his own rage. He couldn’t afford to slip up around Kuei. He needed, for November’s sake, to stay level headed.

“You didn’t come all this way to tell me to behave. What is really going on?” Hei dismissed Kuei’s comment and went on the offensive. He needed more information on why Kuei might have come. Neither option he had come up with made much sense. 

“Your stunt at the university; allowing yourself to be caught and then subjecting yourself to torture, implies your objective has changed. Why would you be willing to risk so much when he won’t be able to give you what you want?” Kuei stared at him intently. 

What? How would that have changed my objective? I’ve just told you it was the same. I want to find out what happened to Bai. Why would Kuei think the kidnapping had changed things? Hei raised an eyebrow at Kuei. 

“I’ve given you five years to tell me what happened and still you refuse. You taught me, when one source proves useless, find another. So I found a new source.” He shook his head as if his answer should have been obvious. Kuei frowned. That had not been the response he had expected. It was the answer he would expect if Hei was a contractor. Round two goes to me. He knew his nerves would be shot by the time this encounter was done. 

The limo stopped in front of a high end hotel. Hei felt relief briefly, the situation was still dire but not as bad as it could be. Kuei intended to continue this conversation at length. He at least wouldn’t have to fear Kuei would have him subdued forcibly. He would have brought him someone nondescript for that. Hei’s stomach twisted. It was more like he was playing up the concerned parent, the role didn’t suit Kuei. 

“Come.” Kuei exited the car and waited for Hei to get out. Hei risked looking around as he got out of the car; he could pass it off as a perimeter check looking for threats to him. He caught sight of November’s bright car down the street but couldn’t see November’s expression from this distance. Hei knew he would be worried and waiting for any call to action. He would have to find a moment to let November know it was alright, but he would only do that if he could safely text. 

Hei felt his instinct call out a warning that someone was too close just seconds before Kuei put a hand on his back guiding him along into the hotel.  The touch made his skin crawl and made him nauseous. Adjusting his pace did little to keep Kuei from the contact. The other would be able to tell how tense he was now. He had become so used to being around November his control over his own body had waned. Will that be what gives me away? He kept his face neutral as they passed into the lobby. 

One of the desk clerks snapped their fingers at someone else motioning towards them before several started scrambling. Given how attentive the staff to Kuei, he had probably rented out one of their best rooms. They hadn’t made it halfway to the elevator before one of the footmen or possibly even a manager fell into step next to Kuei. 

“Good Morning Li-San, is there anything we can have sent up to your room?” The man was overly cheery and polite. He was perfectly suited to hotel work. 

“A large selection of what’s on your lunch menu should do.” Kuei inclined his head towards Hei. “My son has quite the appetite.”

What? 

Hei’s step faltered slightly in shock. His training was the only thing that kept him from tripping but couldn’t keep his eyes from going wide. “Ah! Welcome Li-San.” They bowed to Hei quickly before scurrying off to ensure food would be promptly sent up to the room. 

Kuei hadn’t called him that, in any capacity since Xing changed. Has Kuei gotten sick? It was one of the only options he could think of that might explain the changes to his usual demeanour. He had sworn Hei was no child of his and had disowned him for choosing Bai. Why would he show up now, using his alias’ family name and calling him his son. Something was very wrong. He was in the dark as to what and that made him cautious and scared. 

Two of Kuei’s guards flanked him in the elevator. Both towered over him and were twice his size in muscle alone. After that their similarities stopped. The one on his left had long hair while the one on the right was bald with glasses. A third stood next to Kuei. He, like the other two, was tall and bulky but his hair was neatly cut and styled in a way to keep it out of his face.  Silence hung heavy in the air as they rode the elevator up. It made the hairs on his neck and arms stand up in anticipation. There were too many unknowns right now and it had all of his triggers on high alert. 

The door dinged and Hei stepped out of the elevator before Kuei could touch him again. One of his goons was already there and Hei had to stop quickly to keep from crashing into him. Their dark eyes widened at his sudden appearance, managing at the last minute to step out of the way as the others disembarked from the elevator. 

Hei had been right, Kuei had rented one of the better rooms in the hotel. The deep mahogany double doors opened up into a receiving area with a table in the middle filled with fruit and flowers. Kuei handed off his coat to one of the guards and went deeper into the suite. The next room was less formal and branched off on both sides into other parts of the suite. The guard glanced at Hei to see if he would do the same and Hei shook his head. The less time here the better. It also kept the opportunity for Kuei’s men to bug it to a minimum. He followed Kuei to the next room, on one side would be a bedroom, the other probably a dining area. Kuei ignored both and motioned for Hei to sit with him on a couch. That was closer than he wanted to be to Kuei, being on the same continent was too close for him. Hei declined the chair with a slight shake of his head and opted for a chair a bit further away. 

“Care to explain what you were trying to prove with the Romanians? There is more to it than securing a source.” There was the more familiar annoyed disdain cadence Hei was used to as Kuei’s eye twitched slightly. Some of the pleasantries were still in place but he was quickly losing them. Why is he even trying? This is a relatively private area he doesn’t need to keep up the act? Hei was feeling more unsettled. 

“It had nothing to do with the Syndicate, I don’t see why I need to justify my actions. I was in less danger there than when you sent VG-062 after me.” It was the fine line of still behaving yet almost implying he had gone rogue. The Syndicate never questioned what he had done in his own time before, but he had also never been sought out by the enemy before. He had never been shy about his priority of finding out what happened to Bai, and they knew he would butt heads with anyone who got in the way of that. 

“You did not end up in the hospital over that encounter.” Kuei frowned. Hei was stunned; there almost appeared to be actual concern on his face. He must have imagined it, that wasn’t possible. 

“I still had everything under control. I was maintaining my cover as long as I could so that I wouldn’t cause more problems.” Hei shifted in his chair. He didn’t like how Kuei was portraying himself. Kuei had no right to feel concern for him; his position had been made clear five years ago. To him Hei was nothing more than a tool he owned. 

“Why did you think that contractor would come for you? It’s contrary to their behaviour. You would know that better than anyone.” Kuei leaned back into the couch. He thinks he’s got the upper hand. Hei had picked up long ago that Kuei would get cocky and look relaxed as conversations - or in this case interrogation - progressed. He hadn’t let anything slip yet. He however also hadn’t gotten anything out of Kuei yet. 

“He has been trying to recruit me as a scientist for MI6. He wouldn’t let a high value asset be taken for long.” Hei leaned on the arm of his chair trying to appear bored and aggravating Kuei. He did know better than anyone what contractors were like. Most were like Amber and would abandon anyone for their goals. He also knew Bai had never acted like that towards him. She had never shown any hostility towards him and had always treated him differently than she had other humans or contractors. 

“He’s been trying to recruit you?” Kuei looked over inquisitively at him. Hei knew better. Kuei would have done his research before coming out from under the rock he had crawled. He doubted there was much that had been documented about the two of them that he wasn’t aware of. 

“Don’t give me that act, I know you would have reviewed all reports pertaining to me or him before you had arrived.” Hei was done playing. This back and forth was getting them nowhere. 

“He did request permission to recruit you. That doesn’t explain your relationship. There are other ways to get at his source. What need do you have of pursuing him romantically?” Kuei seemed hung up on his relationship with November. Was being a contractor and sleeping with them causally perfectly fine, but actually dating someone was out of bounds? He must suspect there’s more to our relationship. Nothing Hei had said so far had changed Kuei’s mind about Hei’s potential feelings for November. 

“It was a convenient way to find out what he knew about me in the beginning.” He shrugged, trying his best to not be overly concerned about the conversation. 

“Except you blundered about at the start. I never would have thought you capable of passing off as a scientist, yet for him you managed what many thought impossible.  I was surprised that you seem to have no problem seducing your targets… it used to be something that bothered you, perhaps I should assign more missions along those lines to you.” Kuei was like a spider making a web, setting up traps for him to fall into. Hei was familiar with his tactics and the longer he was around Kuei, the faster old habits snapped into place. He wouldn’t be the fly on the menu tonight. 

“You and I both know that’s not my forte. He was interested and I just didn’t say no. The modification to my alias happened before he inquired; I was being cautious.” Hei dismissed the probing, sidestepping another of Kuei’s webs. Kuei’s eyes betrayed he was frustrated with the lack of progress in the conversation. 

There was a quiet knock from the door to the room on the right.

“Yes?” Kuei called out glancing over to the door as one of the hotel staff poked their head through the sliding door. 

“Lunch is ready.” They commented simply and were gone. 

“Come XianXu, we will eat and discuss things further.” Kuei got up and slid the doors open fully, revealing a long table with two place settings and lots of different dishes. Hei hesitantly joined Kuei at the table. It was time to go on the offensive. 

“Grandmother sent you, didn't she?” Hei asked after his third bite. She was the reason he had used his name in the letter and was probably the reason that he had been using it here. 

“She did.” Kuei muttered with venom in his voice. Progress! His grandmother had prompted the letter and visit. 

“How did she hear about the kidnapping? She’s not involved in the Syndicate, and you wouldn't be the one to tell her.” He had more questions than before now. He pushed further, he needed more information. 

“She has her own sources.” Kuei scoffed and chewed his food slowly. 

“Why now?” This question bothered Hei the most. He had been on his own for years. Why had she only now reached out to Kuei and demanded he be returned? Something must have changed to prompt her into action. 

“I told her you had died in Argentina. You became one of them, you were no longer human.” Kuei rolled his eyes at Hei. Fair, she would have thought the same had you told her that. His kidnapping hadn’t been well publicized, how would she have found out? She had always been well informed, but this was a whole other country and just a small scale incident. She would have had to have feelers out for him. So she doubted the story Kuei told her. 

“How did she convince you to go get me?” Unless she had given him a direct order, Kuei would have ignored or put off her request like he had when she said send him home. Even then he was pushing close to the line of what she had ordered.

“Her desired outcome opposes mine. While she requested this excursion, I will further my own goals while here.” His tone was so cold, it was just like how he would talk about Bai. They were just chess pieces to him, he had no attachment to any of them. Only his grandmother was the opposite player.

“Malicious compliance is typically my tactic not yours. You can tell her I have no intention of returning there.”Kuei kept a smirk from forming on his face, but the slight twitch betrayed he was pleased with Hei’s statement.

“She is not the type to take no for an answer, as you are aware.” Kuei paused eating and looked over at him. Hei tensed, he was talking about what had happened when she found out what Xing was. Hei forced those memories back. Kuei was pushing triggers he knew of, Hei couldn’t let it work this time. He needed to protect November. 

“She’s been forced to accept it before. Does she know what I am? She won’t want me back if she knows” Hei glanced up at him, they both were aware of her stance on contractors. 

“She had not been informed of your… condition. She is under the impression your alias is accurate. She is also aware of what you had been doing before the accident, and that you are still employed by us.”

Accident? Bai’s death and the containment area is just an accident? Hei fumed internally. He had to keep his emotions sealed. Kuei was under the impression he was a full contractor, that he had a remuneration but not all of Bai’s powers even though he had her star. 

“Sir.” One of the guards poked their head into the room. 

“Yes?” It was hard not to notice Kuei was angry at being interrupted. Not an interrogation tactic then. Something had actually come up. 

“Masahiko Komura wishes to speak with you.”

Kuei frowned but nodded, excusing himself from the table into the other room. Why does the Foreign Affairs Minister want to talk to him? Another source or Syndicate member? Hei glanced around quickly. He had been left alone briefly. He quickly took out the phone from his pocket and quickly typed a reply to November. 

-TLK but steady. Go back to the flat. Do not reply.-

They had decided on using TLK (Threat Level Kuei) as a code for when there was the expected retaliation from his response to Kuei.The buzz from his previous message might have not been noticed, but he had to ensure he wouldn’t have his phone confiscated. It was his way of communicating with November, and it had James’ number on it. Should Kuei find out about that, James would be killed and Hei would have no reason to stay with November. Hei ate in silence nervously as he waited for Kuei to return.

“You don’t seem too afraid.” Kuei spoke a few minutes later as he leaned on the door frame. 

“Should I be? Had you wanted to incapacitate or dispose of me, this is not the location you would have chosen.” Hei glanced over his shoulder at Kuei and watched him as he returned to his chair.

“It’s good to see you haven’t lost your ability to understand a situation after becoming one of them.” Kuei leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs scrutinizing Hei yet again. It seemed Kuei was grasping at straws now. Hei felt a small measure of pride having been able to frustrate Kuei by not falling for his traps. He knew he couldn’t relax until he had been dismissed, but things weren’t going as badly as he thought they would.

“Considering how long you have ordered us around, you should be aware that it isn't impacted by a contract.” Hei rolled his eyes at Kuei. It felt like he was pushing to find out how much of a contractor Hei was. 

“And yet you are still stubborn.” 

“You have done nothing to prove a logical argument to change my mind. You have kept this information from me for five years now. Why would I not take the opportunity presented that someone else could have access to that information, when I have seen how meticulous their research can be.” Hei pushed out his chair at an angle so he could focus on Kuei. He was laying his own lure now. 

“MI6 doesn’t have a source that knows what happened to Bai.” The serious finality of Kuei’s tone, told Hei that Kuei was telling the truth MI6 didn’t know what happened to Bai. 

“MI6 doesn’t know about November Eleven’s source. I’ve seen the file they have on me, they are very thorough.” Hei smirked, he needed to give enough information for Kuei to need more. He needed Kuei to consider it possible that James had information on Bai to make Hei’s reasoning seem more valid. 

“How Thorough?” Kuei leaned forward in his seat. There was an interest there that wasn’t before. Hook! He had finally lured Kuei into asking more about James. Now he just needed some of the more hard to find details to tempt Kuei further. 

“They knew we were sent after eight people in Seoul, not the five that made the news. They even had figured out that we had been sent after Ramalho in Brazil. There was no Star activity for that mission. I was the only one who could infiltrate his compound - thanks to his particular and unsavoury appetite.” That night had made his worst list. It was near the bottom but it was there because he had forced himself to play into the other’s fantasies when he was disgusted by them. Ramalho was the reason he would refuse most missions that involved some form of seduction. 

“You are saying that he’s kept this information from MI6?” Hei watched as Kuei’s mind considered the potential. Just a little more… Kuei was close to considering this source as viable.
“I know he has. I also know his source is very paranoid so November Eleven is hesitant to reach out to him. He was also desperate enough for information on me that he did make contact a few weeks ago.” Hei sat forward a bit. Kuei did love a challenge. A paranoid source armed with a mountain of knowledge was a puzzle he would enjoy. 

“You intend to get this skittish mouse to come out and play in order to find out what he might or might not know about Bai? If you have seen the file he has on you, why do you still need him? Has he even figured out you weren’t BK-201 five years ago?” Kuei smirked as he pushed back against Hei’s trap. 

“He sent November Eleven the file on the Black Reaper . It actually isn’t BK-201’s file. The source groups things by code names when available rather than Messer Codes. He doesn’t have Bai’s file because November Eleven didn’t know BK-201’s star reacts to someone different than it did five years ago. It’s not a common occurrence so it’s unlikely the source has realized it either.” Hei felt that there was a growing chance Kuei would agree with him as he watched the smirk turn to a frown. 

“It’s still a long shot at best.” Kuei conceded. Hei was shocked, Kuei was admitting it was a possibility. That was the end goal, but the thrill had his heart pounding in his chest. 

“Unlike you, he hasn’t given me a reason to doubt he would share the information with me should I ask.” He kept his voice level as he continued the conversation. 

“The chance of his source having the information you seek are slim.” Kuei rubbed his forehead with a frown. 

“I am aware.” Hei kept himself from vibrating with excitement. Now he just needed Kuei to dismiss him so he could get out of here. The way the conversation was going, he might not have to wait too long. 

“Should he deem your current alias no longer worth recruiting, he will not hesitate to break off your relationship and your access to his source.” Kuei’s frown deepened, but the look in his eye had Hei’s excitement evaporating. He’s got something else up his sleeve. Hei shifted slightly in his chair to cover his nervousness. “He does have a well known history of hooking up frequently, which seems typical for most contractors - other than you. I am surprised you’ve managed to keep him from wandering.” Kuei’s smirk was back. Which part was the trap? November’s loyalty or his own lack of casual relationships? Or was it both? 

“Contractors are logical people, should it look like his interest in me is waning… Well, let's just say I have my ways of dealing with that.” It was hard not to squirm, the smirk was still there, which meant he hadn’t avoided the pitfall yet. I’ve got a really bad feeling about this .

“If I may.” One of the guards piped up. Hei glanced over at the one who had spoken. It was the long haired guard from the elevator. They appeared slightly nervous, but not completely uncomfortable. He must be one of the trusted ones. What could Kuei be using him to set up?

“Yes Mingjue?” Kuei leaned back again. He was acting confident. Hei’s stomach sank, he was on unsteady ground. He wasn’t even sure what Kuei’s end goal with this topic was yet, and that scared him.

“It isn’t much of a stretch to see why even a contractor would be interested in keeping him around.” Mingjue’s gaze travelled to Hei. His skin began to crawl as Hei watched the bodyguard clearly imagining Hei in a lot fewer clothes. “He is pleasing to the eye and his physique implies he is quite flexible. So long as he is willing to be… ugh, the one receiving, would make him a more than adequate lover.” The guard was almost visibly drooling now. How do I get out of this? Confirming was his only option. November  - the contractor - wouldn’t have continued his romantic pursuit had Hei not been. Hei was beginning to think he might have backed himself into a corner. 

“Would that be accurate?” Kuei’s eyes twinkled with satisfaction. 

“It is.” Hei was worried. The conversation was firmly in uncomfortable territory. If he was a full contractor it wouldn’t bother him. He needed to keep up that act of being a contractor. But it was more of a struggle now as he did his best to keep his expression neutral. 

“Then I see no reason why you wouldn’t be willing to partake should it be on offer. Contractors have no attachments themselves, yet you are still loyal to Bai even now. Are you as dedicated to November Eleven as you were to her?” Kuei reached over and picked up his cup, taking a long sip as he watched Hei over the rim. Kuei was testing if he was a true contractor and if he had found someone to replace Bai. Cold gripped his insides as he came to terms that he wasn’t going to be dismissed yet, and he certainly did not have the upper hand. 

“I am loyal to myself. If an offer presents itself I can decide to say yes or no.” Hei tried to downplay his growing panic. He hoped this wasn’t going where he thought it was. He doubted it, giving the hungry look to the bodyguard’s eyes.  What was his name? Mingjue? Hei kept looking over at Kuei. He didn’t want to invite disaster, although it seemed to have already arrived.

“Would you be inclined?” Kuei asked the guard in a hauntingly playful voice. Hei’s panic spread throughout his body. He could only just keep himself from shaking. Kuei was exploiting what he knew of Hei… and his lack of interest in casual partners. 

Please say no! Hei screamed internally but outwardly he glanced over at the one Kuei was trying to have him sleep with. He was older than Hei, which played to his type - did Kuei know that? He wasn’t just tall, he was a wall of muscle and tanned a deep nut brown. He kept his long black hair in a neat ponytail, minus a few strands to frame his face and he had a sideways c shaped moustache. He was attractive enough however Hei wasn’t sure about his moustache, it would be prickly. If the guard answered yes, he’d have no choice. He felt sick as where this was going sank in. 

“He is very attractive, and yes I would be interested… but only if he is.”

This is where he was trying to  direct the conversation earlier! He had avoided it once, but Kuei had been persistent and won in the end. 

“Then by all means. The spare room is free.” Kuei waved towards a door on the other side of the dining area. Outwardly he kept his expression as neutral as he could and it took all of his willpower to do it. Stupid! I should have known he would test my loyalty. Hei glanced over at Mingjue again. He would have to get this over quickly. As it was, Huang would be wondering where he had gone. He was supposed to be at the park in ten minutes and would not be making it. Hei shrugged and stood up. Mingjue had already made his way into the room and held the door open for Hei to follow him. 

It’s to keep November safe… I’m doing this to keep Kuei from knowing. Hei pleaded with the knots in his stomach. He would have to put on a flawless performance. If this was a test, then Kuei would have warned Mingjue to look for any sign he was hesitant. Hei pushed his swirling emotions down, forcing himself to pull on his training and separated himself from what he was about to do as he walked over to Mingjue. 

As soon as he had cleared the door, Mingjue walked right into Hei forcing him against the now closed door. Hei suppressed his screaming instincts while they told him he needed to flee as Mingjue’s hand tilted Hei’s chin upwards and descended on his mouth. With everyone but November this position made him feel trapped. His stomach was twisting in knots but he couldn’t let it show, a contractor wouldn’t feel anything ; this was just a form of foreplay to some, a logical explanation. 

Hei hated how the older man had blocked his escape on both sides. The hand that held his chin in a gentle but firm grip blocked his right. Mingjue’s other hand was sliding up Hei’s side under his shirt blocking off the left. He wanted out , he needed to get out. He battled his emotions back, even if he dropped to the ground the hand on his chin would keep him in place. He was trapped. He willed the growing panic in his chest back, keeping his breathing as steady as he could. He couldn’t show Mingjue or Kuei any weakness. He had to make them believe he wasn’t attached to November. He had no choice but to pass this test. His panic had nothing to do with November, but he couldn’t let it show either. Showing it would bring doubt on him being a full contractor. 

Kissing Mingjue was nothing like how it was with November. He tasted like hot pepper and ginger and was just as jarring as the flavours could be. There was always a sense of excitement with November; they were evenly matched and the two of them had a fluidity that he’d never experienced before. Mingjue was large and domineering; there was no room for much other than submission with him and Hei wouldn’t submit to anyone other than November. A low growl erupted in his throat, he wouldn’t lose to Mingjue. 

Mingjue’s kiss was rough and insistent; he wanted everything right away. The hairs of his moustache tickled Hei’s cheek as Mingjue’s tongue forced its way into his mouth. Hei fought back, pushing up to his toes and he battled against Mingjue’s tongue. Mingjue’s fingers under his shirt gripped his hip to keep him in place. Hei knew he wouldn’t be able to overpower him, but he might be able to manoeuvre around. Hei squirmed and tugged at the hem of Mingjue’s shirt to distract him enough to back away. It didn’t work. Mingjue instead forced his knee between his legs and Hei felt small and pinned. This isn’t working! Mingjue pressed him further into the door, crushing Hei between it and his chest. Hei's already strained control over his breathing started to falter, no longer able to keep his breathing even. He couldn’t take anymore as his lungs began to protest for air. Panic had settled in his veins, his heart was beating erratically enough to cause black spots in his vision. Enough! Hei broke the kiss, pulling back as much as he could in the tight space. He forced his hand between the two of them and pressed against Mingjue’s chest until the other backed off. Tactical retreat… not submission . He needed to establish his own ability to control Mingjue.
“Do not leave any marks.” Hei growled keeping his voice low to not betray his emotions as he stared up at Mingjue. He felt relieved that his voice was surprisingly steadier than he thought it would be. “Not unless you wish to become an icicle. November Eleven has been quite possessive since the kidnapping.” Hei clarified after Mingjue’s head tilted to one side. He kept using November’s full code name, it made it sound more distant, like the other didn’t matter enough to be less formal. Mingjue backed off enough to cock and eyebrow as his eyes wandered down then back up to his eyes. The hand that had been on his cheek drifted down his neck, pausing to rub where November had marked him when they sent the photo to James between his fingers. He watched Hei’s face to judge his reaction to the contact. Hei furrowed his eyes and gave him a mildly annoyed glare. Mingjue seemed satisfied with his reaction and moved on to trace his collarbone. November had bit down hard on that spot, it was still tender. Hei stood his ground and didn’t back down from Mingjue’s gaze as the other dragged his thumb over the mark.

“I see he likes to leave marks.” Mingjue's hand slid lower, undoing the buttons to Hei’s shirt and one of his hands splayed across Hei's chest. At least if Mingjue is impatient, this won't last long . It was a small consolation, but right now he would take that, he needed Mingjue to back off. It was getting harder to keep his panic from being trapped at bay.  

“He does, and he remembers where he’s put them.” Hei trailed his hand up from where he had pushed against Mingjue along the collar of his jacket, his other quickly catching up to the first as he reached up over his shoulders and pulled Mingjue’s black jacket off his shoulders. Hei forced the others' hands off of him for a blissful moment. He used the momentum to force Mingjue back a step as he leaned forward off the door.

Hei felt his shirt fall open with the increased space between them. He breathed in, willing the panic away now that he was no longer trapped against the door. Letting go of Mingjue’s jacket Hei removed his jacket and shirt as he side-stepped and made his way towards the bed. He didn’t want to be trapped again. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to keep his reaction hidden the next time. As it was he was sure he would be more paranoid about it after this - it always happened. He managed two steps before thick arms caught him around the waist and dragged him back against Mingjue’s chest. Hei gasped and the noise sounded scared to him, but Mingjue didn’t seem to have the same opinion. The other was radiating heat against his back in excitement or anticipation he wasn’t sure which. He was already at least half hard from what Hei could feel. Hei waited, the other was planning something, struggling would make him appear weak. Hei watched with mild disgust as one of Mingjue’s hands travelled down and slipped under the button to his jeans, teasing but not going any lower. He should have been more concerned about the other hand. It had found its way up his chest and rolled his nipple rough enough that Hei almost didn’t manage to keep from yelping. The noise came out more like a whine as he swallowed what he could of the sound. 

Mingjue groaned and ground against him. The hand in his pants pressing him further into Mingjue. Great, he's one of those who like causing pain. Hei thought grimly as he felt the drastic increase in pressure against his ass after the noise. The hand in his jeans moved to undo the button rather than try and go lower. Hei shifted forward towards the bed, trying to lead Mingjue along, but the man was an immovable mountain. This was better than being against the door, but he was still trapped and the panic that had started to recede was back with full force. Does he have some sort of dom kink?! Hei couldn’t help but squirm, testing if there was any give to his grip. Hei’s squirming found no flaw he could exploit in the steady grip and his movements only amounted to the other now being fully hard and his jeans being worked down but still clinging low on his hips.

Mingjue slid down against Hei, planting kisses along his neck. It felt disturbingly familiar and completely wrong. Oh no… November had done the same thing before he had picked him up. Hei managed to brace himself as Mingjue not only picked him up, but tossed him effortlessly onto the bed. He twisted in the air as his reflexes made sure he would be facing his opponent when he landed. He bounced back another foot after making contact with the bed. The extra space would give him a precious few moments untouched and not trapped to get the panic back down. 

“Damn, I knew you would be flexible but it seems I underestimated you.” Mingjue smirked, quickly tossing aside his clothes as he stalked towards Hei. Hei could feel the tension in his chest from his emotions flaring up again as he stared at the monster coming towards him. Calm down. It’s just like a mission… it doesn’t mean anything. Hei shifted his gaze, seeing the blue sky through the window a chill ran through him. What if November gets July to look for me? The doll might already be trying to find him. Hei didn’t want the poor boy stumbling across this scene. 

“Close the curtains, I don’t want spectres looking in.” Hei ordered from the bed before Mingjue could get any closer. 

“Is there one there now?” He asked as he altered his course and closed the curtain. At least he can take orders. If he needed he would try and get the upper hand that way if the option presented itself. 

“No, but he frequently has his doll check in. I would rather avoid unpleasant explanations later.” Hei leaned back onto his elbows as he watched. He projected a relaxed calm, trying desperately to keep the tattered bits of his mask in place. Mingjue’s approach was very predatory; he reminded Hei of a large brown bear - and Hei was on the menu. Hei suppressed a shiver and swallowed the lump forming in his throat as he watched Mingjue lick his lips as he stared down at Hei from the end of the bed. 

Mingjue groaned. He reached forward, getting a good grip on Hei’s jeans. He glanced up with a wolfish grin and tugged them down roughly. Hei had just enough time to raise his hips off the mattress before his jeans were pulled down to his ankles and then off entirely. Had he not managed to move, he was sure something would have torn. 

“Yes, it’s easy to see why even a contractor would keep you around.” Mingjue muttered as his eyes wandered over Hei. He licked his lips again. The glint to his dark eyes implied he would like to devour Hei whole. “I bet I could bend you in half and not break you.” he groaned and trailed his fingers up the inside of Hei’s leg climbing onto the bed as his fingers continued upwards. 

“I do not break easily.” Hei watched Mingjue’s fingers intently as they inched upwards. He could feel his body beginning to respond to Mingjue’s fingers as they reached his thigh. While he wished it wouldn’t, he knew he would have to get both of them to orgasm for this act to be believable. 

“Any other stipulations other than not leaving marks?” The predatory look was more intense now. Can I put any other restrictions without giving things away?  

“I will tell you if there is anything I don’t want.” Hei settled with an answer that would leave him the option to decline later. 

“Then I will do as I like until you object.” He quickly slipped his hands under Hei’s legs, getting him to pull his knees up. Nervousness swirled in his chest, he knew he wasn’t going to like what would come from that statement. He felt Mingjue’s finger circle his entrance before plunging in as deep as he could go. Hei gasped in shock as his body tensed.

“Fuck, you’re going to be tight.” Hei felt Mingjue shudder and without warning pulled back quickly only to have a second join the first as he forced them both inside. Hei bit down on his lip to keep from crying out. This was going to be like his first time, only more rushed. At least November had the decency to ask about lube our first time! Hei felt Mingjue pull his fingers out and braced for a third. He was moving too fast, not giving enough time for Hei's body to accommodate the change. 

Hei growled to keep from crying out as Mingjue pushed his cock instead of fingers into him. He didn’t want to make any noise that indicated it hurt, not after his reaction earlier. He hissed air through his teeth as the other kept going. I won’t be impatient with November again! He squeezed his eyes closed as the pain and pressure began to be too much. He wouldn’t be able to keep it out of his eyes. He had a high threshold for pain, and this was too close to his limit. Mingjue’s hands kept his legs up as the other shifted closer forcing Hei to curl as Mingjue’s weight forced Hei into the mattress. No! Don’t trap me again! Hei tried to make his ragged breathing sound more like panting. Both of his hands clenched fistfuls of the blanket beneath him and his arms shook, betraying he was holding back. 

“You don’t need to be quiet, the rooms are sound proof.” Mingjue purred not far from Hei’s head. Hei opened his eyes and willed his body to relax around the intrusion. At least Mingjue wasn’t moving, he could possibly manage to stretch enough before the other started thrusting. 

“Some habits are hard to break.” Hei grunted and declined to say any more. Mingjue shrugged and pulled out half way before slamming into him again, this time pushing Hei to curl more as he pressed into him. Don’t egg him on! Since he came into this room he hadn’t been able to get Mingjue to do the outcome he wanted. Mostly he ending up pinned and trapped. Stop being snarky and do not let him know about pain. He chastised himself. His knees were being pressed into his shoulders as Mingjue began slowly thrusting. He hadn’t stretched enough. Each insertion burned as his muscles struggled to accommodate Mingjue’s girth. 

“I was right, you can bend in half and not break.” Mingjue groaned. “You’re so flexible I could probably keep going -gnh and so Damn tight. Ah!” He paused his movement and smirked at Hei. “Your other contractor can’t be very large, you wouldn’t be this tight if he was.” 

At least he doesn’t try to break me! Hei bit back his comment. He rolled his eyes at Mingjue pretending to not care about the dig at November. He pushed back against Mingjue with his legs. They were beginning to go fuzzy from the pressure and angle. The pain was giving him something to focus on other than being trapped. But even with that the panic was shifting dangerously towards terror and he needed to get it under control. He needed to get Mingjue to stop pressing him into things. 

“We aren’t here to talk, if you aren’t going to keep going we might as well be done.” Hei hissed coldly. Just get it over with so I can get out! He pushed again, harder this time. 

Mingjue shifted, His hands slipping under Hei’s back pulling him up into his lap with ease, using the shift and gravity to pull out and thrust back into him. Hei yelpped this time. He hadn’t been able to stop the noise. He felt a small measure of relief from the new position. He wasn’t trapped here even though Mingjue’s hands gripped his ass tightly. Fingers digging into the soft flesh before he thrust upwards into Hei at a rapid almost breakneck pace. Please be the kind that doesn't last long! Hei gripped tightly onto his shoulders to keep from slipping. The friction on his cock from their closeness and Mingjue’s movements had him hardening quickly. 

“Arch back.” Mingjue grunted without slowing his pace. Hei leaned back, putting his arms over his head to catch him as he leaned back as far as the position would allow. One of Mingjue’s hands moved from behind him trailing, in an unexpectedly gentle way, up his side to his chest then down towards his navel marvelling at the curve. His hand kept going, catching Hei’s cock as he continued at a slightly slower pace. The previous gentleness was forgotten as he tightly pumped, and twisted the appendage in his hand, dragging out a gasped groan from Hei as his arms warbled and gave out forcing his body into a tighter arch. 

“You’re so malleable, damn. That contractor doesn’t know what treasure he’s got.” Mingjue groaned. It was the same deep one that November would do. Hei’s whole body shivered and he gasped loudly at the noise in spite of himself, he had tried to hold it back, but between the position, sensation and lingering panic, he hadn’t been able to. Mingjue paused his onslaught suddenly. Hei gasped attempting to catch his breath and tried to look back at him from his current contorted angle. 

“Is that what you like?” Hei could hear the smirk in his tone. Mingjue’s hands slipped to his low back as he placed an unexpected kiss on Hei’s stomach. Hei twitched at the sudden change to tenderness as he felt another kiss. It didn’t feel right, it was such a drastic shift. 

“What do you mean?” Hei pulled himself back upright. He caught Mingjue’s eyes widen as Hei pulled himself back into a sitting position. The other stared at him as if seeing Hei in a whole new light. Did… did I just somehow convince him? Hei wondered and frowned at Mingjue who hadn’t answered him yet. 

“Being someone’s possession.” Mingjue finally clarified. He let his hands wander over Hei’s back then leaned in and teased Hei’s nipple in his mouth. Hei tangled his fingers in Mingjue’s long hair, tugging the elastic out and letting it fall loose. Mingjue groaned as Hei massaged his scalp. Was that a thing? Did he want to belong to someone else? He knew the thrill he had gotten when November had ‘caught’ him. He also knew he enjoyed the possessiveness of that groan. It wasn’t something he could dwell on now, he needed to finish here. 

“No. That was you finally brushing a decent angle.” Hei lied. He hadn’t been able to think of anything else to say, and he wasn’t about to admit that he might enjoy some aspects of being owned. Mingjue’s fingers stopped their exploration of his back and he looked up at Hei.

“Finally? Alright then.” Mingjue scoffed and shifted the two of them so that he was laying on his back and Hei was straddled on his waist. “Find your ‘decent angle’, and give me a show.” he gave Hei an arrogant sneer as he cushioned his arms behind his head. Someone’s temperamental. He really hadn’t been able to understand why he so easily set the other off.  “Go on.” Mingjue thrust his hips upwards when Hei didn’t immediately move. 

Hei swallowed hard. This was not the outcome he had intended. It was at least better than being ‘bent in half’ against the mattress or pinned to the wall. 

He repositioned himself before Mingjue could thrust upwards again, raising himself up on his knees, making sure to hesitate slightly before the other came all the way out, and coming back down. Mingjue’s eyes half closed as he groaned. He needed to find the angle first, then work on speed. The angle he just tried wasn’t the one he was looking for. He always had to lean back when he and November used this position in order to find the right spot. He tried leaning back and raised himself up again, still not the right angle. He frowned with a little huff before he leaned back further and tried again. He felt the smallest hint he was close. He tried again, arching more this time. Hei gasped as he felt contact that time. 

Mingjue moaned as Hei had found the right position. Hei braced himself with his arms behind him so he wouldn’t fall backwards and tried again, this time Mingjue thrust upwards as Hei came down. Hei mimpered at the force, both painful and pleasurable. He wouldn’t be able to hold this angle long, he increased his pace hoping his arms wouldn’t give out on him again as Mingjue crashed into him at each down thrust. 

Mingjue’s hand roughly squeezed Hei’s cock. Hei faltered in his pace and whined at the tight grip before he could focus again. Mingjue began pumping in time with the thrusts gripping tighter as he pulled away and only lessening it enough to still be a firm grip as he came back. Hei could feel Mingjue urging him to go faster, growling low and feral with each thrust. Please be close! Hei pushed his strained and screaming muscles to comply and matched the speed. With a bellowed groan Mingjue finished. Hei could tell he wouldn’t last much longer either and pressed on. He would push Mingjue to over stimulation, he smirked wickedly down at the twitching form below him as he felt his own climax approach speeding up enough to push himself over the edge. 

Hei flopped backwards gasping for air. His knees were still folded underneath him and he had only just slipped off of Mingjue, resting on the bed between the other’s legs. Hei forced his mind back from oblivion as quickly as he could. He had completed his task, now he would have to see if he had passed this horrible little test. Hei felt Mingjue sit up and one of his fingers traced a circle high up on his inner thigh and his whole body spazzed at the contact. He heard the other chuckle before he repeated the motion only this time he trailed his hand up along the hollow of his hip. Hei growled but his body still twitched. No more of this! Hei didn’t want to spend any more time than he needed here. His muscles all protested the movement but Hei rolled himself off to the side of the bed and tentatively stood up. He needed to make sure his legs would hold him long enough to make it to the shower. He didn’t want to get trapped again because he had fallen into Mingjue. 

“How about round two?” Mingjue asked and let his finger trail along the curve of Hei’s ass.

“One was enough.” Hei didn’t bother to look back as he forced his legs to take his weight and stalked off to the shower. He wanted to scrub every inch of himself clean of what had just happened. 

 

He stepped out of the shower, leaving the water running as he pressed his ear to the door to see if Mingjue was still in the next room. Hei hoped the other might have gone, but he could hear talking in the other room. 

“The other contractor probably keeps him around because of his abilities. He’s basically a power bottom and damn good at it when you let him do what he wants. I doubt he’s emotionally invested in that contractor, given what has been reported on him he would have refused otherwise. If he had managed to accept in that circumstance, I doubt he would have been able to perform like that. He made no attempt to defend the other contractor, and he certainly did not hold back demonstrating his abilities.”

It had been a trap. Cold spread through his chest. Hei would have to be very careful, Kuei had no qualms about testing him in whatever cruel manner he deemed necessary. Hei could feel panic and rage stirring inside him and turned back towards the shower. He needed to get out of here. He reached into the shower and quickly turned off the water. That would signal Kuei and Mingjue to halt their conversation. He gave Kuei a few minutes as he towel dried to leave the other room. Once he felt like the other should be gone he walked out of the bathroom to collect his clothes from the floor slipping unhurriedly back into them. Unhurriedly mostly because if he went any faster the pain would show on his face. The reassuring presence of the phone from November in his pocket helped calm him. Kuei wouldn’t have had time to bug it, but Mingjue might have felt it. He would have to assume that Kuei knew he had the device now.
“Should you ever get bored with your contractor, I am always game.” Mingjue purred from the bed. Hei forced his features to remain neutral as bile threatened to climb up his throat. He glanced over the other in mock disinterest keeping the turmoil of emotions he’d been dealing with from his features. 

“I doubt we will be in the same location much.” Hei dismissed the advance. Not a chance would I do that again unless forced. He didn’t spare Mingjue a further glance once his clothes were in order to return to the dining area where Kuei was waiting and reading what appeared to be reports. Walking was more painful than he would have liked, but he kept any hint of pain off of his face as he approached Kuei. Hei eyed the chair he had vacated to protect November and didn’t want to sit down just yet. 

“Bring him to Nan-En tomorrow evening at seven. I will make my own decision on your contractor.” Kuei looked up from the papers in front of him. Thankfully it sounded like Kuei was going to dismiss him. That doesn’t make sense. Hei remained standing where he was and tilted his head to one side in confusion.

“You need to make a decision on him? Why? It’s not like I’m intending to keep him longer than he’s useful.” He focused on how he might sound if he had to say that about Mingjue and not November, cold and distant. He would have to find out if Kuei might have an ulterior reason for wanting November’s presence. An upscale restaurant was an unlikely place to try anything illegal, but like most things with Kuei - it was another trap. What would he be testing now?

“I am aware of how you still have some semblance of attachment to people, should this fling develop further I will need to mitigate damage with your grandmother. If his involvement risks you further, he will be removed. If I see no harm in letting you continue your pursuit of this source he may live. I need to know his perspective on things before I will pass judgement.” Hei was confused by Kuei’s remark. Mitigate damages? Would he actually step in and say no to grandmother? Hei doubted he would, but then again, Kuei had told her he had died five years ago. She wouldn’t take being lied to very well. She won’t take me being a contractor well either.  

“We will be there.” Hei answered simply, anxious to be allowed out of this place. He knew his mask would shatter from the strain of keeping everything bottled soon and he had to be out of there before then. 

“We are done. Mingjue can drive you home if you wish.” Kuei glanced over Hei in the direction of the spare room. Within seconds the hairs on his arms and neck stood as he felt the other's presence approaching from behind. He could still feel the weight of him pinning him to the door and bed. He swallowed to keep his breathing steady while his heartbeat was starting to pound in his ears. 

“No thank you, I would prefer to walk.” He strained to keep his tone unaffected by his emotions. He needed to get away from that man. Should the opportunity present itself, he would zap enough electricity through Mingjue that VG-062 would be the less crispy of the two. He’d get at least two more bursts of electricity for good measure and a knife through his heart. 

“You should get a better coat. The one you were wearing is not suitable for the weather.” Kuei frowned and waved him off. Hei bowed slightly - just enough to not be rude and left the room. He walked at a slower pace than his nerves wanted him to as he made his way out of the hotel. Snow was falling gently as he left the hotel. Already there was a coating of dazzling white fluff making everything look clean and fresh. The cold air had him shivering before he was off the property but he forced his limbs to stay still and shoved his hands deep into his pockets. Kuei could have people watching the hotel. He had to keep things together until he was at a safe distance. Each step reminded him of what he had just done and hating himself for it. 

Hei stepped into an alley, praying six blocks was far enough, and slouched against the wall. The last of his strength just keeping himself from slipping to the ground. He felt disgusted with himself. Letting the Romanian’s do what they had, was something he had done to maintain his cover and his desire to be able to stay with November. He had known he needed to buy November time to come get him after he had started to black out. While he hadn’t intended for it to happen, it had worked to keep him out of the freezer enough that he could survive until November came. 

With what he had just done, he had to not just be an active participant, he had convinced Mingjue and hopefully Kuei as well, that November didn’t mean anything to him. Kuei was still hesitant, and now he demanded to see November. It was to keep him safe. Hei reminded himself and leaned his head back against the wall his damp hair had gone stiff in the cold. He couldn’t keep from hating himself for having just done that. It was a feeling he had been very familiar with in the past; but hadn’t felt in five years. 

Suddenly he was back in Brazil, panic gripped his chest as he forced memories back. He gasped as the alley in front of him fading. He was with Bai, forced to fight for his life and hers against contractors. Fights blended together always ending with his heart aching for what he had done, for what he had become for his sister. She was still there after becoming a contractor, he had known she was. No one had been able to convince him otherwise. Somewhere burried within Bai, Xing had still been with him. 

Would it have been better if they had both just died that day in Wuchang? He was kidding himself if he thought his grandmother would have let him die that day. Jungle’s dyed red with blood morphed into the high red walls of the Kuei family courtyard. Hands holding him down and knees on his legs keeping him against cold stones while Xing glowed blue as she danced around those their grandmother had ordered to kill her. He had been pinned and helpless as he watched Xing commit murder. It had been the first time he had felt terror. It hadn’t been because of what Xing had done but his own helplessness and inability to protect the only person who didn’t want something from him. 

He shivered. It was colder than he remembered. No… that’s not it. His teeth began to chatter. That hadn’t happened either. I’m not there! I’m in Japan! He screamed internally. His legs buckled and the alley came back into view. Hei gasped down several unsteady breaths. The last time he had doubted what he had been doing had been back in Brazil. He hated killing, and had only done it to stay with Bai. That had been their father’s condition when Hei had refused to be separated from her. If he wanted to be with the monsters he would have to become one. He knew this was what was needed to keep November safe, but just like then, he hated that he had done it. 

Hei wrapped his arms around his chest, he felt dirty in a way he had only experienced once before and never wanted to feel again. He had scrubbed every inch of himself, but he could still feel phantom fingers. His overworked muscles burned and protested, yet another reminder he was tainted. It didn’t help that November would understand why he had done it. His blonde contractor would be furious he has been put in that situation but wouldn’t blame Hei. The thought only left him feeling more hollow. He deserved the blame, he could have said no. The risk to November would have been greater, but he would have stayed faithful. He could still see the look on November’s face when he had realized what the Romanians had done. The brief look of defeat still haunted him. Would he look at me like that if he knew? Hei shook his head. 

Hei took the phone out of his pocket. He should let November know he had made it out. His stomach churned in knots as he stared down at the black device. His hands were shaking and the lump in his throat made it impossible to speak. This wasn’t something he should put in text and there was no way he could talk. He would have to make his way to the flat and tell him in person. He slipped the phone back into his pocket. He pulled himself off the ground and forced his feet to take one step at a time towards November’s flat. The cold air wasn’t half as cold as he felt inside and the falling snow wouldn’t be able to make him feel any less tainted. 

Notes:

TT_TT I'm sorry Hei!
I really shouldn't do such terrible things to you, it get's better I swear! Hang in there November's got you!
Exciting things to come now that Kuei's come out from the shadows.

As always thanks to everyone for the comments and kudos! they help keep things going - even when I'm torturing Hei <.<

Chapter 17: Chapter Sixteen

Notes:

Have some well deserved comfort for Hei!
Translation note: Gongzi - young master

Hei stared at the door. Just knock. November was worried and he needed to know Kuei himself was in town. He would want to know what had happened, but Hei wasn’t ready for that yet. He would have to face November sometime, he knew sooner was better but he needed time to process. He had done the logical thing but even knowing that, it wasn’t enough for him to put his mind at ease. He squeezed his eyes shut and willed his erratic heartbeat to slow and knocked on the door. He heard a scramble of noise from the other side and November opened the door. 

November looked relieved to see him and Hei felt calmer seeing the blonde, but the shock and guilt kept him from relaxing like he wanted. Hei’s throat closed up, unable to force his voice to work. Hei stepped forward, letting his hands slip around November’s waist and buried his head into November’s shoulder. He might not feel up to telling November what happened yet, but it soothed him to know he wasn’t alone in his fight against Kuei. 

“Shit you’re freezing.” November gasped. Hei gripped him closer, letting November’s warmth chase the numbness away. November rubbed some warmth back into his arms and back as he waited for Hei to speak. Hei closed his eyes and breathed in the soothing scent of bergamot and sandalwood. How am I going to do this? Kuei had all but shattered him today and he was expected to continue to be subject to these mind games until he broke. At this rate it would be soon. He couldn’t box up his feelings and stay distant from everyone now. November had put an end to that defence.

“What’s going on?” November asked quietly next to his ear. I’m going to get everyone killed. Hei’s chest tightened at the thought, but he couldn’t bring himself to move just yet. He needed to reign in his panic. He knew he was overreacting because of it. November stopped trying to warm him up and  returned the hug, pulling him close. Terror flaired through him at the light pressure. He could feel himself start to shake, he grit his teeth and focused on getting his body under control. Stop. I’m safe here. November is safe. November won’t trap me. Hei squeezed his eyes shut and focused on calming down. He had to tell November what happened. He couldn’t fall apart, it would only make things worse. He needed to hold on a little longer, long enough to find a way to go back to his apartment.

“Hei?” November asked cautiously. Hei breathed in deep and pulled himself together as much as he could manage. He thrust the panic, guilt and as much of his discomfort as he could into a box and relied on his training to keep from giving his emotions away. He felt exhausted and worn out but he could let that show here at least. The numbness he still felt would act as a buffer between his emotions and everyone. He managed to get the shaking under control. Okay… here we go. He reluctantly let go of November and stepped back. There was no resistance from November’s arms as he pulled away, it helped stamp down on his unsteady feelings. He couldn’t even manage a strained smile for November, but otherwise his walls were holding.

“Inside.” He managed to choke out around the lump in his throat and waited for November to step aside. November’s eyebrows knitted and his pale eyes filled with worry. I’m sorry. The guilt felt like a knife in his chest. Hei’s eyes fell to the ground in shame. 

“Worse than expected?” He shifted and closed the door behind Hei. November’s movement mirrored Mingjue’s from earlier. Hei covered the flinch he couldn’t suppress by stepping aside. Flashes of being trapped against the door again had the hairs on his neck standing on end and the tremor in his hands was quickly going to become noticeable. He nodded slowly and glanced towards the couch. Mao was staring at him from the arm and July was on his knees petting the cat.

Hei managed the three steps to the end of the hall and paused again. Sitting with July on the couch would bring uncomfortable questions. He wouldn’t be able to hide his pain from November, not after how well he had gotten at picking up on his cues. April was in the chair by the window and looked as concerned as November holding a cup with a dark liquid in it. Hei leaned against the end of the wall, it was the safest option to delay having to talk about what had happened. November stopped next to him and he was conflicted between wanting to lean into the warmth and comfort and wanting to run because his paranoia was throwing flashbacks at him and not registering he was safe.

“Kuei is here.” Hei managed barley louder than a whisper. “He’s not happy that he’s been sent here.” His throat still felt thick and it made his voice lower. Mao’s heckles stood up as the cat reacted to the shock. July kept patting trying to get them down. He knew the doll was listening and was probably just as concerned as everyone else but was, in his own way, trying to help. April downed her drink and got up to get another. If he thought it would help he’d ask for one as well. He was hanging on by a thread and alcohol would destroy any remnants of stability he had left. . 

“Sent?” November questioned shifting closer to Hei. His whole body tensed and his heart rate spiked at the proximity. Hei closed his eyes and kept his breathing slow and focused on the smell of bergamot. It’s November calm down. Hei nodded slowly and opened his eyes again. He’d managed to get over the first hurdle. If only he could be done with that… but even then there would be questions, and he was dreading the questions.

“It gets worse.” Hei muttered before anyone could ask anything else. “You and I are to meet him tomorrow for supper, So he can interrogate you as my prospective partner.” Hei looked up at November. Hei had little doubt that November had figured out something had happened when he was with Kuei. His eyes kept looking him over with concern, he had probably figured out he was in pain somewhere. He had tried and failed to hide that tonight. Will I be able to hide things from Kuei with him there? His chest tightened with doubt. It would mean having to control every movement, ensuring he didn’t let his gaze linger and avoiding all contact with Mingjue. If just being next to November had him this skittish, being next to the one who had caused it would make being there impossible. Crap, I have to tell him before then. He had a day and a bit to get himself back under control and tell November about what happened. And the day started out so well.  

“He wants to meet me?” November stepped back slightly. He missed the warmth, but his nerves relaxed a little with the space. Mao’s head tilted to one side as he watched Hei. I can’t even keep things from Mao right now. Hold it together! He chastised himself.  

“He will then decide what to do. He told me three of his options, I don’t know if he has others.” Hei’s eyes drifted once again to the floor. He took a shaky breath that betrayed his current state and continued. “If you aren’t a threat then you can live and he will probably, although not likely, leave us alone.” Hei swallowed and closed his eyes, forcing himself to continue. “If you're a threat - you die.” It still only came out as a harsh whisper.  

“And the third?” November asked hesitantly. Hei was grateful he didn’t move back next to him. He wouldn’t have been able to keep from jumping had November touched him.

“If he is going to tell grandmother.” Hei focused on his breathing. His heart was thudding against his chest and he needed it to slow. She had meant so much to him and Xing growing up. She had raised them as her own while they had been there and fought for them to stay when Kuei had demanded them back. After what happened when Xing turned he had tried to block that night from his memories. He had tried to remember her as she had been to them. That had been part of his reason for continuing to make their birthday dishes each year. 

“Is that a bad thing?” Mao asked, his heckles had finally smoothed out from July’s petting.

“Yes.” Hei sighed. He had thought when he and Xing left that was the end of his connection with her. There was nothing about his life she would approve of, least of all November. He was so many of the things she would disapprove of all in one. 

“Why would that be a bad thing? How could she be worse than him?” April scoffed as she finished her drink. Kuei had his own reputation but his grandmother was an unknown factor. How had she found out he was alive?

“She loathes contractors. She insists that they all should be killed on the spot. Kuei sees contractors as tools and therefore more useful alive.” If he could keep the conversation off of Kuei, he might be able to at least stabilise himself enough that November wouldn’t insist on him staying over. The unknowns worried him, but right now that was minor in comparison to what had happened today. 

“How does she even know of us?” April’s features darkened as she reached for the bottle, the glass wouldn’t be enough given his news. They all were well aware that no one outside of government officials and scientists who knew of contractors, found out in a good way.

“I didn’t get a chance to ask before we escaped.” Hei mumbled. He didn’t want to talk about this. He had already had flashbacks and he wanted to avoid any further thought of that night.  

“What do you mean?” November asked cautiously. He had inched closer, probably to comfort him. It wasn’t comforting right now. He wished it could be, he wanted to hold onto November and never let go. He would recover from what happened… but time wasn’t on his side. 

“When Xing changed, Kuei decided she would be put to work. I didn’t want that for her. So we ran to the only other place I thought safe.” He paused to keep his voice steady. He focused on the leg of the end table to block out memories that threatened to take over as he spoke of that day. “Only it was going from the pot to the fire. My grandmother took one look at Xing and knew. I- I don’t know how… The gates had only just shown up. The first thing she said when she saw us was ordering the guards to kill Xing. They…” Hei paused to get his breathing and heart rate back down. Memories were threatening to bleed through. “I tried to keep them from hurting her… but I wasn’t strong enough.” He avoided going into the details, talking about it while this jittery would break the small amount of control he did have. “My grandmother told me that I needed to understand my sister was no longer Xing and she needed to be ‘put down’ to keep everyone safe.” Hei swallowed hard. “She tried to have us separated so they could kill Xing…” Hei balled his fist to keep the shaking to a minimum. It wasn’t long until November had noticed and took his hand. “Kuei found us not long after we escaped. He had known we would go there and somehow he knew she would react like that... At least with him I could stay with Xing, so I chose the option where we wouldn’t be separated.” He had left so much out, but even the bit he had managed had his body rebelling against him as he struggled to keep the tremors as restricted as possible. November’s warm hand kept him grounded in the present. He was thankful that the other was only holding his hand and not squeezing it. 

“So when Kuei threatened to send you to China he was implying she would have you killed?” November asked and Mao and April both glared at him for leaving that part out. He hadn’t wanted to talk about it. At the time, compared to Kuei it had felt minor. It still felt minor, he needed to deal with the current problem.

“No. She doesn’t know, Kuei told her I had died in Argentina.” He managed to steady his breathing as the conversation shifted. 

“So she’d have the initial welcome back then try to kill you once she figured out you have powers?” April flopped back down into the chair, managing not to spill any of the liquid in the bottle. 

“She sent him here.” November commented quietly. Hei was thankful that he could avoid actually answering April’s question. While she wouldn’t kill him even knowing what he was capable of… not if her note was any indication, he still didn’t want to get into that conversation.

“Yeah, she found out about the kidnapping. She has demanded he bring me back. She wouldn’t react well to being lied to. Kuei has no intention of complying, unless it benefits him.” Hei shifted his weight away from November. He had gotten the trembling under control, but he still felt too confined and that was keeping him from getting a steady footing on his emotions. 

“How did she find out? The police kept it pretty quiet.” Mao was laying down on the arm of the couch, enjoying July’s attention but his heckles had started to rise again.

“She has her own sources according to Keui. I think she had known he had lied, but only got proof when I was kidnapped.” He shook his head as he spoke. How had she known without proof? It hadn’t made sense then. Could she know about Bai’s star? It hadn’t fallen, it implied she was still alive though. Maybe that was why she needed proof. Proof it was him and not Bai.

“So she knows you're alive but not that you’re BK-201? That means she’s got police or criminal connections.” Mao tilted his head to one side and looked at him with one eye. His grandmother wouldn’t have many connections with Japanese officials. She had been very vocal about her hatred of them and what they had done to her and the country during the War of Resistance (1937-1945), while they had been growing up. 

“I don’t think she has police connections. She was eighteen when the Japanese captured Wuhan in 1938. She hates them more than contractors for what happened.” Hei mumbled and heard April hiss at the reference. 

“So… if not the police, it's criminal contacts. Is your grandma some sort of badass Chinese Triad boss or something?” April snorted, trying to lighten the mood. 

“I was six when we were sent to London- kids aren’t exactly told those types of things and Kuei didn’t exactly talk about the family business after he burnt that bridge.” Hei struggled to think of a way to disprove that, and couldn’t. She and his grandfather when he was alive were unusually well connected and informed. They had been very private about their personal information and there had always been armed guards at the Kuei family complex. “I don’t know what contacts she might have.”

“She’s not part of the Syndicate?” November was surprised and rubbed his thumb against the back of Hei’s hand. Mao’s ears perked, he was also interested in more information on the background of the Syndicate. Hei had known that Kuei had helped found it shortly after they had been born and spent their first six years getting established before he had convinced his grandparents to have him and Xing move in with him. Could it be that they approved of what he had done? He had helped establish a worldwide criminal empire, then been able to get his kids back. What kind of organisation did his grandmother run? Why hadn’t Kuei been allowed to inherit? The questions helped steady himself as he focused on other things.

“Kuei and four others founded the Syndicate. I heard a long time ago that Kuei had left whatever organisation my grandfather led because he had been told he would not inherit leadership. I can’t see any of my aunts taking over, so my grandmother is probably running it.” Hei stopped himself from continuing his train of thought. If his father wasn’t allowed to take over… and he doubted his aunts would - as terrifying as they could be. She wants me back… to take over and secure the next generation. It made a sickening amount of sense. It did not explain why Kuei had been denied the head of the family position. He was the only son, and clear heir. It had happened when they had been born. What would cause grandfather to choose to deny Kuei the position leading to him being kicked out when we were born? He had taken after his grandfather when they were little. He had the same mild temperament and predisposition to kindness. They also had the same eyes, but he was positive more of his features came from his mother than his father - and he was grateful for that.

“Shit she really could be a Triad boss.” April murmured in shock as he tried to think back to when he was young. To any hints to what his family had been involved in. He needed to know what his grandmother was going to ask of him. 

He could remember lots of guards. The Kuei family complex was large enough that the whole extended family lived there and it had always been clean. Three families with at least one child in addition to his grandparents, Xing and himself. He couldn’t remember his grandfather talking about work… or his uncles for that matter. How had they made enough money to support that many people? He vaguely remembered being told their family had held unbroken possession of their property for several hundred years, the exact number escaped his memory - but they had been impressed with the large number. Owning the property didn’t explain where the money came from.

“She would also have had to see a photo to confirm you were alive. Could the Romanians have contacted your grandmother?” November interrupted his thoughts. That’s true. She had known it was him that had been kidnapped, but hadn’t been able to confirm he was alive before then. Does she have connections to the Romanian Mafia?

“You could check the phone records and see if they were in contact with someone from Wuhan.” Hei glanced up at November, he was feeling more stable now that the conversation was away from Kuei being in Tokyo. November didn’t let go of his hand as he pulled out his phone with the other and began texting. I wonder if Misaki will question why he’s asking.  

“I knew you were from somewhere in Hubei!” April barked victoriously and took a long drink with a grin. April had focused on lotus root and pork soup after he had chosen that when staying with them. It was a regional specialty and he knew she would have found that out. 

“I figured the soup had given that away.” Hei nodded in confirmation.

“I think we may have to set James on digging up what he can on Kuei and his parents.” November muttered. Hei wasn’t sure how much information he would be able to provide. He had no information on his mother’s family and wasn’t positive he could remember what his grandparents' names were. He had never called them by their given names.

“We can’t plan against unknowns. He will have his work cut out for him. My memories from back then are hazy but I do remember that I was taught personal information was not to be shared.” He frowned apologetically at November. He would have to come up with a list of things that might tie in to his family before they reached out to James. Considering the risk and potential exposure… James might ask for something along the lines of the last photo as compensation, and November wouldn’t like that.

“I will go update Huang. He will need to know Kuei is here.” Mao sighed and jumped down from the couch. Hei reached down and scratched behind the cat’s ear as the contractor rubbed against his leg.

“Tell him Kuei isn’t here in Syndicate business. This visit is personal. It might help his stress level.” Mao nodded and purred before stepping away. 

“Take care of him.” Mao looked up at November. The blonde smirked and stepped towards the door as Mao signaled for the blonde to open the door. Before he moved to leave Mao looked at Hei. “You had better let him.” There was a slight growl to his voice but Mao didn’t wait for Hei’s answer as he dashed out the door. He would have to delay complying with Mao. He had made it through the conversation, now he needed to figure out a way to excuse himself to go back to the apartment. Hei closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall. How can I convince November to let me leave? He probably didn’t look as bad now as when he walked in, so that would be in his favour… but November would want to do as Mao had said. Could he use the papers from Shikikoza as an excuse? Not likely, November was fine with him reading them here. Hei felt for the satchel. I don’t have it!

His eyes snapped open as he tried to remember the last place he had it. Panic flared through his system faster than he could stamp it down, all thought of his satchel gone. Fuck! November was standing directly in front of him and only inches away. He tried to back away, stopping himself as he stumbled against the wall as panic threatened to switch over to terror. His eyes went wide, unable to fully control his reaction in time. He fought against the trembling in his limbs, willing his body to remain still as he felt the phantom pressure of being pressed into the door by Mingjue prickle across his skin. He’s not here! That’s November! November is safe! He screamed at himself, focusing on November’s blonde hair and blue eyes which contrasted with Mingjue. His heartbeat pounded in his ears and he forced his unsteady breathing to slow. I won’t be leaving now…

“What happened?” November demanded as he stepped back. The space helped quell the shaking and his breathing was getting steadier. The overwhelming guilt was back and he felt like his chest was being compressed. He couldn’t seem to shake off the feeling of being pressed into the door, even though he was standing against a wall. 

“I- I can’t - I need to calm down first.” Hei shook his head trying to keep his voice as even as he could, grimacing internally at how unstable he sounded. Hei knew he wasn’t fooling anyone as he watched the colour drained from November’s face. There was no doubt November knew something awful had happened even if he didn’t know what yet. Hei felt gutted by the concern in November’s eyes. He didn’t deserve it, he had chosen this, it hadn’t been forced on him. He never had issues when he let things happen, no matter how bad… but the things he chose to do, could feel like he was being eaten alive when he regretted them. He would have to deal with it on his own. He needed to leave. I’ll have to tell him tomorrow.

“Are you alright?” November slowly moved forward again, clearly trying not to cause a repeat of his previous reaction. His fingers sent tremors down Hei’s spine as they brushed his cheek but he didn’t flinch this time. 

“I - I just need some time to myself.” Hei felt hollow and cold. He should just go and not cause any more trouble today. He always ended up causing problems… it was better to keep people away, they wouldn’t be dragged down by him if he kept them away. He didn’t want to be the reason anything bad happened to his family. But you will be. His brain taunted him. He couldn’t dissuade himself from knowing that with Kuei being here it was probably true. 

“No. You’re in no state to be alone right now, Hei.” He felt November’s fingers hook on his ear and jaw and gently guided him forward. He gave in and stepped closer to November. He let himself be pulled into a hug as his panic was trying to register that this wasn't Mingjue, it was November. He felt sick with himself, that his body was confusing the two, they were nothing alike. His throat closed over and he wanted to bolt and bury himself in Novembers arms at the same time. He’s right. My guard is so frayed right now that if Kuei sent anyone after me I wouldn’t survive. Hei shivered at the thought. The shiver morphed into trembling and try as he might, it wouldn’t stop. 

“I only know how to deal with this alone.” He confessed mournfully into November’s chest. Bai had never been there to comfort him as he dealt with the aftermath of joining the Syndicate. As a contractor it hadn’t affected her, and his emotions weren’t a priority. 

“How about you two take it to another room and I’ll drink with July. I’m here if you need me.” April called out from behind November, probably still sitting in the chair drinking from the bottle. 

“Would that work?” November asked quietly, carding his fingers through Hei’s hair. He’d be alone with November. Normally he would jump at the chance… but right now it wasn’t something he wanted. November hadn’t yet noticed the change in his stride and Hei knew it wouldn’t be long until November noticed his discomfort. 

Hei’s heartbeat picked up. November would have questions, many of them he wasn’t ready to answer. He wasn’t ready to answer any of them right now. He couldn’t do it. How long can I keep doing things like that? Kuei won’t stop pushing and he knows what sets me off. Kuei had probably told Mingjue about his fear of being trapped. It was one of the parts of his training he had faltered in. Kuei hadn’t resorted to using it against him before. Trapped and alone, like what happened in Argentina. If Kuei had decided to use what he knew against him, today would only be the beginning… he couldn’t do it again. 

Kuei had hinted at him being rejected and left alone at the table that afternoon. He’s probably aiming for that. It broke me last time. He thinks he can do it again… It won’t work this time. He wouldn’t be going through what he had when Bai disappeared again. Could Kuei convince November to abandon him? November was still a contractor. One who was starting to feel emotions but still a logical contractor. His heart constricted, the chance wasn’t zero. He didn’t want to think November would do that. He knew November wouldn’t treat him the same way Amber had. I would have been positive she wouldn’t betray me right up until Heaven’s Gate and Bai disappeared. 

It had hurt so much, he still didn’t know why she did it. He deserved an answer. She had known he had loved her, and toyed with him anyway. Would November? No. Nothing he had seen so far should make Hei think November was anything but sincere. He was the guilty one. The one who would - no.. he had betrayed November’s trust. November hadn’t even wanted James to have a photo of him. Yet today… today he had let someone else… have one thing November didn’t want to share. He wasn’t just tainted with everything he had done… he was filthy and no better than Amber. Please forgive me. His heart ached with words he couldn’t say. 

“Hei!” November shook him gently. His eyes focused on the one in front of him. When did he move? November breathed a sigh of relief as Hei blinked in confusion. He didn’t think he had been that far in his head not to notice November moving or trying to get his attention. 

“I’m sorry.” He whispered and shook his head. “I-“ Hei didn’t know what to say. All words seemed to die on this tongue. 

“You don’t need to talk, but you are staying.” November’s eyebrows had furrowed like they do before he  had to force April to do things she didn’t want to. He wasn’t April… and Kuei wasn’t something as easily dealt with as keeping April from liquor. 

“I need to be ready to face him again and… and I know I won’t be able to! I don’t - I can’t .” Hei cut himself off from saying anything about what had happened yet. He focused on getting his breathing under control again. “I won’t be able to fool them a second time. Not like I am now. I need to go.” Hei muttered regretfully. He hadn’t wanted to admit it aloud. He had only barely managed to maintain his bluff in front of Kuei today. If what had happened earlier was a prelude of things to come, he was doomed.

“Is your grandmother here too?” November interrupted his thoughts. 

“What?”

“You use ‘him’ when talking about Kuei… but just now you said ‘them’. Who else do you think you can’t fool?”

Hei stood dumbstruck. He had given away Kuei wasn’t the only one he would struggle with tomorrow. He felt like a deer; frozen in headlights but ready to bolt at the same time. November frowned when Hei didn’t answer. 

“What happened today… it was someone other than Kuei, who left you like this.”

Hei felt sick, bile stung the back of his throat as his brain swapped Mingjue for Kuei. Mingjue was bad enough, but that... He doubted even Kuei would cross that line. Hei swallowed back the acid. November didn’t need him to answer, his reaction would have been clear enough

“I won’t let you leave.” November leaned down slightly to look him in the eyes. Hei felt himself start to shrink back and stopped. “I know you’ve been dealing with everything on your own for so long that it is hard to let others help.” There was a small curl of a reassuring smile on November’s face. “I offer a compromise: you stay here; where both of us know you are safe, but I let you have some time to yourself before I come and try to be your human teddy bear.”

“Alright.” Hei whispered and closed his eyes, he didn’t want to fight, he just wanted to hide. He wouldn’t be able to convince November to let him go home, and he was right, he was safe here. November and April would be able to handle most things that might come for him. He couldn’t relax, but he could take some time to just breathe. November pulled him into another hug. The panic was still there but Hei also felt heavy and numb. He let himself lean into the hug but was unable to return it. 

“How long do you need? You can use our room.”

“A couple hours?” Hei wasn’t sure how long he would need. He didn’t know if he would be ready by the time they had to meet up with Kuei tomorrow. He would have to be, for November and his family’s sake.

“Can I check in once an hour?” November asked as he placed a gentle kiss on Hei’s temple. 

“Bring Earl Grey and biscuits.” He muttered, focusing on the scent of November to keep his emotions under control. November chuckled. Hei could hear November’s relief in the noise. He hadn an hour to steady himself before November would check on him. It would help. He leaned back and the other broke the hug. 

“See you in an hour?” November smiled down at him. 

Hei nodded slightly as he forced himself to walk slowly, but as normally as he could, towards November’s room. He closed the door behind him and leaned his forehead into the door. He had to force what had happened into a box and push it as far from his mind as he could. He sighed and turned to face the room. 

The western style bed in front of him threw him right back to the hotel and Hei felt his legs warble. Don’t fall! He screamed internally. If he collapsed as soon as he was alone, with November so close the other would surely come and check on him. He steadied himself against the wall as he began to shake. He didn’t have to keep it hidden now that he was alone. He needed somewhere he wouldn’t feel trapped or exposed… and where he wouldn’t be looking at the bed. The last part would be difficult, unless he was leaning against it. 

Hei followed along the wall, keeping one hand against it to keep him steady as he made his way over to the window. Step one; make it difficult for someone to know where he was. He closed the curtains blocking out potential prying eyes. He doubted there would be, but this was his process to re-establish control. There wouldn’t be any threats from the window now, he would need to face the door. His legs still felt like rubber, but he forced himself to walk towards the bed. 

He frowned down at the normally comfortable bed he shared with November. Maybe I can convince him to stay at the apartment for a few days? If looking at it was causing this much of a reaction, laying down in it was currently out of the question. I’ll be able to let him stay when I can lay on the bed. That was step two; setting an achievable goal related to what had set him off. Start small. He would have to lean against it to not think about being compressed into a mattress. Knowing it was behind him would be its own trigger but that would be where he would start. He pulled November’s pillow out from under the sheets before he walked around to the side next to the door. 

He let himself sink slowly to the floor next to the bed, feeling silly clutching the pillow. He had a purpose for it. He would use it as a tether to keep himself from going too deep into his own mind. Scent could trigger memories faster than most other senses and he hoped that keeping a bit of November’s close would help remind his rebelling body that he was safe. He winced at the pain as he sat on the floor. Why did Mingjue have to be so rough? Hei shifted trying to find a sitting position that was comfortable, only to give up and lay down next to the bed.

Hei closed his eyes and focused on calming down. He breathed slow and deep, it was the first part of him he would take back control of. He needed to contain his emotions, but emptying his mind and meditating wouldn’t be possible right now. Every movement threatened flashbacks. Curling in on himself made him feel like Mingjue was forcing him to do it. Stretching out caused his body to protest what he had put it through. He settled on his side, November’s pillow partially under his head but mostly gripped in his arms while his legs curled just enough to keep either from being more prominent than the other as his mind swirled.

“Stay still Kuei-Gongzi. It will be over soon enough.”

No, I'm not there!

“She’s not your sister anymore.”

I’m in Japan. There was no bergamot then.

Hei gasped into the pillow, the scene fading back into his memory. He had managed to pull himself back quickly from that memory. It had been the first time, and the source of his fear of being trapped. It wasn’t claustrophobia, it was specifically being pinned by someone else. He had struggled with it ever since. He usually could keep others from finding out about it, but Mingjue had an unfair advantage; Kuei knew about it.

Would Kuei try it again? Would he bring it up to November tomorrow? Would he try the jealous lover angle to try and get November to break things off with him? Hei knew he would tell November before then, Kuei didn’t…  but would he even use that angle? It was unlikely. Kuei knew November was a contractor, and jealousy wasn’t something that should trigger a reaction. Kuei was more likely to convince a third party higher on the food chain than November to send word Li Shengshun wasn’t worth recruiting. They were prepared for that outcome. 

“Hei.” A sultry voice surfaced in his mind. 

No! Not her.

“Come with me. Bai and Carmine will be fine.”

Teenage hormones had him following after Amber, thinking he had fallen for her. He discovered with her that his feeling of being trapped didn’t go away when he trusted someone. She had always liked being the one in control, but as soon as the unease of being pinned started to sink in he would deny her that. 

He should have known something was off the night before Heaven’s Gate disappeared. She had been different. It had been different. Slow and drawn out. She had known it would be the last. She had done that knowing she was going to leave him and take Bai away. Amber had known she would break him. Her powers would have shown her that. Her sad smile before they split up should have warned him something was wrong. 

I was a fool then. I’m probably no better now. Amber had known Bai was the one person he would always put first, and she had taken her away. November was different; he had already decided he’d tell the Syndicate about him having Bai’s powers before he’d tell them about November. He was the one who made him feel safe - the only person he could say that about. He was the first person to make him feel like he had a home. Bai was - had been? No. was. He couldn’t give up on her being gone. She was his sister, but after she changed, no where they went felt like home. Anywhere could be home, so long as November was with him. The way November had gotten to him, breaking through every one of his defenses - it almost sounded like the red thread his aunts had talked about when he was younger. A destined someone he was meant to be with. He scoffed aloud, he wasn’t the type to believe in such things. 

Hei buried his face in the pillow. Had someone told him when he came to Japan his life would be turned upside down, he would have been able to believe that. His life had been a mess for years. Had they said it would be because he had fallen for an enemy contractor he would doubt their sanity. He had sworn off love after Amber, it wasn’t something he deserved. Had they continued and told him Kuei would show up and he’d be an emotional wreck, he would know they were delusional. Yet, here he was. 

He heard the knob turn on the door and tensed. Has it been an hour already? He didn’t move as he heard footsteps patter across the floor towards him. There was rustling of cloth as someone sat down next to him. He sighed into the pillow before moving enough to glance up at the one next to him. November’s fingers brushed his hair away from his eyes.

“How are you doing?” November ran his fingers through his hair to keep stray strands from falling back into his face. Hei shrugged and shook his head. Any questions November would have still needed to wait.

“That bad?” November whispered as his eyebrows knitted in concern. Hei looked back down at the pillow. Yeah… that bad. But didn’t vocalise his response. “Misaki is going to pull the phone records. Hopefully we will be able to find out if they contacted your grandmother.”

He managed a nod and focused on November’s fingers. He was making progress. Be it the position they were in or that all he could smell right now was November, the panic from before wasn’t back. Hei blinked slowly as November’s fingers were helping some of the tension leave his system. 

“I’m going to send April for some food. Is there anything you want?” November continued his slow petting. Hei shook his head. He wasn’t sure he wanted anything right now. He heard November huff and glanced up again. “Is there anything you don’t want?”

“Chinese… or anything spicy with ginger.”

November seemed relieved to hear him speak but looked confused about the last part. It was going to be a long time before he would be able to manage to eat that combination of flavours without thinking about how Mingjue tasted. Hei shivered as he tasted the phantom flavours. November’s fingers stopped and worry took over the blonde’s pale eyes. It wasn’t what you did. None of this is what you did. Hei pulled himself forward, propped his head on November’s lap and gently rolled onto his back. It wasn’t much but he knew it would reassure November that he would be ok. 

November smiled down at him. Hei’s heart rate picked up as November put his arm on Hei’s chest, his palm resting just over his heart. I’m not trapped. He’s trying to be soothing. He let his eyes close and kept his breathing even. November’s other hand resumed rubbing his head and allowed him to relax again. 

“I’m going to need longer.” Hei whispered after a few minutes. He needed to make it onto the bed, and he wouldn’t be doing that with November in the room. 

“Okay. I’ll wait another hour and come back.” November curled down and kissed his forehead. 

“Thank you.” He smiled slightly, the gentleness of November was helping keep visions of Mingjue from popping back into his head. November cradled Hei’s head as he got up until Hei had moved the pillow back in place. It didn’t smell as much like November now. He hoped it would still be enough to fulfil what he needed it for. 

He waited until November had left the room before he forced himself to sit up. He hissed through his teeth as quietly as he could as the pain from Mingjue’s lack of stretching shot up his spine. Not far away from where November had been was a cup of steaming tea and a plate of biscuits. They were July’s jammie dodgers and the little hearts in the middle made him smile. He retrieved both of them as he forced himself to sit on the bed rather than the floor. 

He held the tea up to his nose, using it to chase the image of Mingjue stalking towards him from his mind. He took a sip and let the warm liquid wash the lingering taste of him from his mouth. I can do this. He finished off a couple of the biscuits and half the tea, placing both on the side table. He left the rest of the tea in case he needed the smell or taste again. Slowly he shifted further into the bed and forced himself to lay down. 

His muscles tensed even before he had started to sink into the soft mattress. He was back at the hotel and Mingjue was above him. Hei squeezed the pillow to his chest. His heart was pounding, thudding loudly in his ears. He curled his toes with his legs flat to the mattress to remind himself that he was laying down and not trapped or being held down. Slowly his body began to register his surroundings. The lingering scent of bergamot on the pillow and the tea on the side table. The familiar mattress and all of the known shadows in the darkening room. He was safe in November’s room. He was still tense when November came back into the room, but his pulse and breathing were steady and normal. He had even put November’s pillow back. Hei felt the bed sink as November sat next to him. 

“How are you now?” November asked as he slipped his hand into Hei’s, giving it a small squeeze.

“Not great, but better. Join me?” Hei motioned towards November’s side of the bed. 

“Of course.” November smiled before going around the bed and laying down next to Hei. 

Hei managed to curl into November with only a small wince as he wrapped one arm around November’s stomach. If November noticed or not, he didn’t comment. Hei let himself relax with his head on November’s shoulder. There wasn’t any panic developing, and finally the sense of being safe was coming back.

“Do you remember when you were in the hospital and you said we each get one free pass?” November mumbled into Hei’s ear after a few moments. 

“Vaguely.” Much of his stay in the hospital was hazy because of the painkillers. But it did sound like something he would say to make November feel less guilty about what had happened.

“If you want, anything to do with your family could be your free pass.”

“You don’t know my family… one wouldn’t be enough.” Hei toyed nervously with one of the buttons on November’s vest. His family had been messed up before the gates had appeared. A free pass wouldn’t be enough to cover the damage they could cause. Even he wasn’t sure how much damage they could cause, but with his father being one of the Syndicate leaders… and his grandmother having her own criminal network it would be significant.

“What matters to me is you. If you need an endless supply of free passes because of your family or background, you’ll have them. You deserve so much for what you’ve been through, letting you off the hook for things beyond your control is pittance.” November’s voice was soft and full of affection, it brought the guilty feeling back in full force. He didn’t deserve any passes for what he had done in the past. What he had done today certainly shouldn’t be worthy of one.

“And if I had chosen to do something awful?” Hei asked in a low and hesitant tone. He needed to tell November what had happened. He had settled his emotions enough he could hide out should November react badly. There was cold doubt spreading in his chest. Kuei is wrong about November. He won’t leave me. He closed his eyes and kept his breathing even before it could start to pick up.

“I know you, and I know you wouldn’t unless you had no other choice. To stay with your sister you had no other choice but to do awful things. To keep secret the extent of your powers you had to do more of them.” November shifted and wrapped both arms around him in a hug. 

“Even then, there were other options.” His voice was barely a whisper. The guilt from before was eating away at him. Had Mingjue not trapped and pinned him, he would have been able to hide what had happened. Had Mingjue not been so rough, November wouldn’t have to find out what he had done. 

“You’re talking about what happened today aren’t you?” November stroked along his spine, pausing to rub at tense muscles. The need to run was steadily increasing. He wasn’t sure he would even be able to talk about what had happened, but there was no turning back now.

Hei nodded. Words caught in his throat and he swallowed to try and get rid of the lump in his throat. 

“Would what happened today make your worst things list?” It sounded like November already knew it had. Given this was the closest he had been to shattering in front of November even with painkillers, he would have been surprised had November not figured that out. 

Hei nodded. It was definitely on the list and given his reaction, it was high on it. If it had been before November, it would have been for a mission and Mingjue wouldn’t have had prior knowledge of his fear. He would also be dead now. This was on the list because of how it made him feel. The guilt, shame and terror combination that had left him all but broken. He had chosen to do it to himself; that was why it was on the list. Is it worse than having to occasionally find a substitute for Havoc or letting her feed on me? He had felt horrible any time she had come for him, unable to find someone on her own. Those times he had to help her look for a child or let her open his wrist. Yeah, it’s higher than that. Top five then. 

“Can I know what got bumped off?” November gave him a reassuring squeeze. There was no flare of panic, he was finally getting back to himself. He hoped it wasn’t only a temporary thing. 

“Top ten or five?” Hei managed to whisper. He couldn’t look up at November. He knew there would be worry and concern in his eyes, and that made him feel worse. 

“That high on the list?” November sucked in a breath in shock. Hei sighed, November probably hadn’t realised his list wasn’t about physical trauma, as his only reference to the list was the Romanians. He had let that happen, he had struggled and fought back, but held off on using his powers to give November time and he didn’t regret it. His list were things he had willfully chosen to do and hated himself for it. “I would like to know both but we can start with ten.” November murmured softly as he ran his hand up and down Hei’s side.

“My first kill.” He blinked back the memories. “He had always been so nice to Xing and I when we were young, they… they had been like an uncle to us. Almost like part of the family.” Hei tightened his grip around November’s waist. “But, when grandmother ordered him to… to restrain me so Xing could be killed, he didn’t even hesitate. Had my grandmother said kill me, he would have.” Hei felt himself start to shake as the feeling of heavy pressure on his back started to settle in. There’s nothing there! “I needed out. I needed to get Xing out of there.” Hei paused to steady himself. He focused on getting the shaking to stop and keeping his breathing even. “He was distracted by Xing’s powers… I felt so helpless watching her have to fight so many grown men. I had to figure out a way to get free. As I struggled I found out he had a knife. If I didn’t get out, I wouldn’t see Xing again. I can still feel it at times- the weight, the blood. Being… trapped under him and having to wriggle free from under dead weight.” November held him close, he couldn’t keep from shaking. 

“What happened that night, being held down… it became a fear of yours.”

Hei nodded. November had pieced together what had happened with him earlier with what he had just been told. Knowing he didn’t have to say anymore, helped get things under control. 

“Someone used it against you today didn’t they?” November asked once the tremors subsided.

“Yeah.” Hei sighed, the questions would start soon. November was cleaver, while Hei might not have to say everything, the other had an uncanny ability to guess correctly about his past.

“But- today was the first time I’ve seen you react like that. How have you been able to keep a fear like that hidden?” November sounded impressed and confused. “I’ve had you pinned under me and there hasn’t been any hint of fear.” He curled to look down at Hei

“I’ve never felt it with you.” He smiled meekly at November. He didn’t know why the blonde hadn’t gotten the same reaction as everyone else. “That first kiss would have normally set me off… but it didn’t… with you, there’s more excitement than fear, right from the beginning. I don’t know why, but I’m glad it doesn’t respond to you.” Hei tilted his head back to look up at November. The worry was less now. I’m glad I can set him at ease over that. “I only reacted today be-because of what happened.” He wished he hadn’t flinched like that when November got close. Even when he had been recovering from what happened with the Romanians, he had still been able to recognize November and how safe he was with him. 

“Are you ready to talk about it?” November’s hand brushed his cheek as he rubbed his thumb along Hei’s cheekbone. Hei closed his eyes and took a deep breath. 

“Kuei… set a trap, I should have seen it coming. He’s been trying to confirm I’ve got Bai’s powers… not just my own and piggybacking on her star.” Hei frowned, that much at least was easy to say. It was going to get a lot harder very soon. He choose his words carefully. “The trap was something that a contractor, a normal one, would have no problem with. He knew it was something I would struggle with if I hadn’t fully changed into one. Saying no, would allow doubt in the story we came up with, saying yes would not. I could have decided to say no… but I didn’t want him to have any doubts.” Hei swallowed back his growing dread of the topic to come. He has outlined his logic, it was rational like a contractor should be. “That choice and following through would have been bad enough… but Kuei must have told M-them about my fear and instructed him t-to exploit it to see if I reacted like a contractor.”  Hei balled his fist to keep from shaking. “I had never been fully able to cover that fear during training. I managed today. They may not know their trap worked… But I won’t be able to pull that off again. I never want to go through that again.” He growled the last part, angry at himself, because he would do it again and again if it meant keeping November safe. It would destroy him slowly, but he would do it. 

“Will you tell me what you did?”

“Mingjue.” It was the first time he had said the name aloud and it tasted like ash in his mouth. Just thinking about him had his stomach in knots. Knowing Kuei, he would position his guards so that Hei would have to stare at Mingjue tomorrow.

“Mingjue? I don’t know that word.”

“It’s a person’s name. One of Kuei’s bodyguards.” He reluctantly clarified then chewed on his lip, waiting for the inevitable as November would figure out what he had done. 

“What do you mean? You did Ming… oh.” November’s eyes went wide as his brain reached the obvious conclusion. “Did he hurt you?” November moved to sit up but Hei pressed down on his chest to keep him where he was. He had said he’d be my teddy bear.

“I insisted on no marks…” he mumbled quietly. The shame made it hard to look at November. He tilted his head back down so November wouldn’t be able to read his face as he continued. “It would have been worse if I hadn’t.” He felt November tense at his comment. 

“Do you really think you had a choice? It sounds more like they wanted you to think you had a choice but in reality you didn’t. Like you said; it was a trap.” November’s tone was stern. He’s angry… he has every right to be. Traps were dependent on people walking into them. He had stumbled right into Kuei’s trap. Maybe like November was implying, he hadn't had a choice… but he had chosen. 

“I should have said no.”

“It’s not your fault, Hei. Don’t think it is.” November shifted up on to his elbow to look down at Hei. The movement had dislodged Hei from using November’s shoulder as a pillow. “You even made sure he wouldn’t leave marks. I know you will say it was so he wouldn’t leave evidence.” Hei felt exposed under November’s piercing blue eyes as they scanned over him quickly. “I also know how you feel about marks.” November’s voice softened. “You wouldn’t want any reminders of that. I’m the only one you’ve given that permission to.” November reached over, brushing Hei’s shirt collar to one side and traced the love bite he had left there. 

“You are. And you’re right.”

“Good. I’ll keep it up so long as you want them.”

“I still want them.” Hei cupped November’s chin, tilting it down, guiding November into a kiss. It was one that lingered unhurriedly as both of them enjoyed the sensation of the others lips without getting heated. “Thank you.” Hei smiled after breaking the kiss. November was more than he had ever dared dream for himself. They had each other and their family, and that was worth more to him than anything. 

Notes:

I hope you guys enjoyed this one!
All the bits I had wanted in the last chapter or in this one have been shoved into the next chapter to see how much can be salvaged... but that also means I've got a fair amount of potential material to include... doesn't mean next chapter will be posted any sooner thought... It might take a while.

Thanks for all the comments and kudos! I really appreciate all of them and love interacting with you guys!!

Chapter 18: Chapter Seventeen

Notes:

Hey~ It's November's day!
here's an 11 page update to celebrate.

“Are you ready for this?” November asked as they travelled up the elevator on their way to meet up with Kuei. Hei had spent much of the day slowly getting November to help him be able to deal with situations should Mingjue get too close. He had successfully managed to let November pin him to the bed earlier in the afternoon and had been rewarded thoroughly for his efforts with his newest love bite. November had made sure that it would be just slightly visible on the left side of his neck, as if to tell Mingjue to back off. November’s possessiveness and support had helped him get through his skittishness a lot faster than normal. 

“No, but that’s never stopped me from doing things.” He smiled meekly. He had spent so much of his life doing things he wasn’t ready to do, that this wouldn’t be much different. Even his first kiss with November he hadn’t been ready for, but things had turned out alright for them. 

“If it gets to be too much, give the signal and I will make an excuse to leave.” November reached over and gave Hei’s hand a squeeze. They had decided that him tracing a circle around his newest mark with his left index finger would be the signal to leave. 

“I will. I also need to get my bag back. Shikikoza might end up back in the hospital if I tell him I lost the other professor’s research.”

“Yes. That might be their only clue as to how much yesterday affected you.” 

“I know. I’m hoping to be able to make it seem like it was on purpose. I just hope the short explanation I got from Shikikoza is enough to bluff with.”

The elevator door dinged and opened to reveal the large form of Mingjue standing next to the restaurant entrance. Hei sucked in a breath through his teeth but kept his features neutral. 

“That’s him isn’t it.” November muttered under his breath as they stepped out of the elevator.

“Mn.” Hei managed to hum in affirmation. His mouth had gone dry and he could feel tendrils of cold panic start to swirl in his chest. Hei swallowed hard and did his best to find his voice. Here we go.

“Mingjue, were you sent to collect us?” Hei asked in Mandarin. He hadn’t heard him speak another language and wasn’t sure if he could speak Japanese. 

“I was. Does the Englishman understand much?” Mingjue looked November over, sizing him up as a potential threat. Mingjue had size and muscle on his side, but November was fast and smart. In a battle, there’d be no contest: November would win. 

“He has been learning, I’m not sure of his current level of comprehension.” It was true, November had shocked him at just how well he had been picking up the language. If the last few weeks were anything to go by, November would be trying his best to be at a level to understand Hei when he reverted to it. 

“My offer still stands.” Mingjue smirked, his eyes travelled over to Hei and lingered, clearly his mind was thinking of something from yesterday. Mingjue’s smirk faltered as his eyes fell on November’s newest mark. 

“My response is the same. We should not doddle, Kuei doesn’t like waiting.” It took much of his resolve to not shudder as Mingjue leered at him. This is going to be very difficult. Mingjue nodded simply and led Hei and November into a private room. There was a very large round table covered in various dishes that dominated the room. Kuei smiled at them and got up from the table to greet them. 

“XianXu, you were late. I took the liberty of ordering. This is him?” Kuei’s cadence sounded cheerful even though his words were not. “Good Evening, I’m Li LuanYi. You must be Jack Simon.” Kuei switched to English without skipping a beat, his tone was more serious as he addressed November. 

“I am. I’ve heard much about you from Shengshun. What brings you to Japan?” The two shook hands politely but the air around both was tense. It’s going to be rough on him too. Hei had seen the barely contained rage November struggled with when topics related to his father came up. The blonde probably wanted nothing more than to unleash his powers into Kuei during that handshake. 

“Business mostly. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to meet up with my son as well while here.” The fake affection dripping from Kuei’s words made Hei sick. Even if November hadn’t known who Hei was, he would have been able to discern that Kuei held no feelings for Hei from his act. Politician he may be, actor he is not. Kuei might have travelled around, but he had never had to go on missions and pretend to be someone else. He wouldn’t have been believable to anyone. 

“It is good to make time for family.” November glanced over at Hei with a small smile. Hei’s lip curled upward. Yes, for my real family. He was here to protect them, and he had the best backup with him. With November, even facing Kuei didn’t feel like an impossible task. Dangerous for sure, but not impossible. 

“Agreed.” Kuei seemed to finish his initial assessment of November. He turned his focus to Hei. “Ah-Shun, you forgot your bag when you left yesterday.” Kuei motioned to one side of Hei, signaling one of the guards to retrieve his bag. Hei knew it would be Mingjue. Kuei would try and press on his fresh memories to make him snap. His body tingled in warning of someone too close, but he held his ground. He curled his toes to keep from tensing where Mingjue might be able to tell as his satchel was passed to Kuei from behind Hei.

“It was late when I noticed I had misplaced it. I was going to ask about it later, but I can take it now.” Hei held out his hand to accept the bag. There was rage stirring inside him as well now. That name is for November alone. He focused on that to try and ignore how Mingjue hadn’t moved away yet or the smell of him that was threatening to send his mind spiraling. 

“I am curious, the topic of your current papers is very odd.” Kuei’s pinky twitched as he spoke. It was a nervous twitch of his that Hei had noticed long ago. Why is he nervous? “I wasn’t aware you were looking into our history.” Kuei’s head tilted to the left, looking down at the bag as if he held some venomous serpent in his hand. 

“It’s relevant to my thesis.” Hei shrugged and tried not to appear intrigued by Kuei’s response to papers he got from Shikikoza. Why did he say ‘our history?’ The papers were about ancient Chinese ghosts and how they could be related to the gates… nothing to do with them. What is in those papers?

“Hmm…” Kuei frowned but kept himself from saying anything else on the topic. “Well, we should eat before the food gets cold.” Kuei handed Hei the satchel. Mingjue was still standing behind him as he adjusted the bag on his shoulder, and ensured that as he adjusted, the bag hit Mingjue with a solid ‘thunk’. 

“Yes, Ah-Shun has an appetite that rivals a small army.” November smirked as he teased playfully. Hei knew November was trying to distract him from Mingjue as well. 

Kuei glanced over at Hei, surprise clear on his face. Yes he’s allowed to call me that. Hei had to keep himself from smiling proudly at the reaction from Kuei. 

“He has ever since he was young. He has always taken after my father rather than myself.” 

Hei and November sat next to each other, taking the seats nearest the door, while Kuei took the chair across from them. Mingjue paused for a moment near Hei’s chair, then went to stand behind Kuei. 

“So why are you in Japan, Mr. Simon?” Kuei asked, although it was clear he wasn’t interested. He began to pick at the dishes in front of him, finding the ones he preferred. 

“I am a liaison between the British consulate and the Japanese police.” November smiled politely looking over the various dishes and clearly not recognizing any of them. November could handle some spice, but each of the dishes in front of him would have left scorch marks on even those who loved spice’s tongues. Save embarrassment or intervene and potentially give away my affection for November… November had decided to put some of the spiciest food present on his plate. He hesitated only a moment after that before picking out several of the medium spice level dishes and putting a bit from each on his own plate before handing it to November. November gave him a puzzled look but accepted the plate and didn’t protest when Hei took the one he had started. 

“Do you intend to remain in the county for long?” Kuei smirked as he watched the exchange. Hei had a fine line to walk; pretending to be a full contractor pretending to be human in love with a contractor who wasn’t supposed to know what he was. Saving face would be something normal partners would do for the other… I’ll pass it off as that. 

“Yes, I don’t foresee returning to the UK anytime soon.” November looked over the items on his plate glancing over the dishes on the table and identifying where each had come from. November would know those were safe, hopefully he understood the ones in front of him were too spicy. Kuei was being petty by doing that. 

“No family to call you back?” Kuei was watching him not November as Hei used extra rice to spread out the spice. He preferred flavours you could enjoy, Kuei was aware of that. He regretted changing plates with November the instant he put the bite in his mouth. There was the overwhelming taste of spice and just at the end a hit of ginger.

“Unfortunately not, the last of my immediate family died a year or so before the gates appeared. I do have a great aunt remaining… However, we aren’t very close.” November was keeping the conversation cordial; but it was starting to sound far away as his memory of kissing Mingjue started to bleed through in his mind. He did everything he could to keep from reacting visually. Slow but keep going! He forced himself to take another bite, managing to keep his chopsticks still enough no one could tell he was all but vibrating as the fear threatened to take over. 

“I’m sorry to hear that. The end of a family line is such a tragedy, wouldn’t you agree, Ah-Shun.” Kuei was smirking confidently at him as he forced Hei to join the conversation. Hei chewed the bite to give himself a little more time. Hearing Kuei use the name meant only for November made his blood boil enough to battle back the fear. 

“It would depend on the family. There are some that should die out.” He reached over and filled his cup with tea to wash some of the flavour away. He had almost faltered, but was recovering, thanks to Kuei. 

“All things must come to an end sometime. A family line is no different.” November smiled a bit mournfully. He looked down and tried some of the selections Hei had made for him. The silence stretched as they ate. Hei felt November’s fingers brush his leg. A simple but reassuring gesture. Hei kept his smile small as he glanced over. No one else would have been able to read November’s expression, but Hei knew he was checking to make sure he was okay. 

Worry flashed in November’s eyes. Am I being too expressive? He forced himself to finish November’s selections.

“Your grandmother has her eye on a few of the prominent local girls for you. She will not accept this relationship of yours.” Kuei commented coldly in Mandarin with a smile on his face. I hope November has picked up some more of the language. This would be one of those times it would be opportune to know what people are saying when they don’t think you can understand. 

“Grandmother can be displeased, but our line will die out.” Hei replied in Mandarin. He hadn’t told November about his grandmother’s note yet. I should let him know. He scanned the dishes on the table. They’re all spicy or ginger based or both! Kuei had always been fond of spice, but the ginger must have been specifically because of Mingjue. His stomach flopped tightening into a knot. Kuei knew he tolerated spice but if ginger was here because of Kuei, then they were trying to see if yesterday had caused any trauma. Ginger it is. They can’t know how bad I was last night. He resolved and he focused on those dishes. 

“You think it will be as easy as that? You do not know her very well. She will not be dissuaded from the task she’s been given.” Kuei didn’t cover his tone as he scoffed at Hei from across the table. The head shake was an admonishment to let Hei know he was in over his head. 

“I am aware of her intent. I will not return just so she can treat me like some breeding stallion. I am nothing like she remembers.” He kept his own tone polite and level. His pointed glance at Kuei ended up with him noticing Mingjue also watching him closely, but with a very different and entirely predatory intent. Hei felt sick, Mingjue wasn’t even trying to be subtle about his leering. 

“No, you are not. She would be displeased that you seem to have forgotten all of the lessons you have been taught.” Kuei commented with a frown. Hei adjusted his posture. He and Xing had been forced to endure etiquette lessons in China by his grandmother and in England because of Kuei. He had little use for either during his training or in all but one or two missions. He could humour Kuei tonight. 

“I did not forget. I just have had no need for them. Not that you can say much unless you change back to English as you are being terribly rude to your guest.” Hei shrugged and forced himself to eat another bite. 

“You mean our guest.” Kuei corrected him. Hei glanced over at November. He had been watching the conversation quietly while he ate from the dishes that Hei had picked out for him. There was concern in his eyes, but he didn’t seem to be worried.
“No I don’t. He isn’t a guest to me and you are the one hosting this interrogation.” The spice and ginger in the food were making it a split battle between keeping memories away and not revealing anything to Kuei. November might not be worried about him, but he was. This meeting was not going well for him. Kuei hadn’t dropped his confidence the entire time they had been there. Hei was now functional after his interaction with Mingjue yesterday, but he was anything but working at full capacity.

“A-Xu, Do you actually have feelings for him?” Kuei smirked and pushed his dish to one side.  Hei felt every nerve prep for action as adrenaline had his whole body tense. Hei furrowed his brow in feigned confusion, trying to cover any other reaction that might be seen.

“Do not call me that.” Hei managed to keep most of the venom from his tone. He focused on the part that should have offended him, rather than on his feelings for November. Kuei leaned back in his chair staring intently at November. His focus made it clear that there’s been a shift in the atmosphere. Oh this is not good. Nothing he had done should have given him away. He had ensured not to be too affectionate, just enough to pass off as a human couple. 

“Why does MI6 have an interest in my son?” Hei almost choked on his drink at Kuei’s sudden shift back to English and blunt question. November looked up suddenly as well, not covering his shock before smiling back at Kuei.

“It seems you are quite well informed.” November sat forward and put his chopsticks down. “If it eases your mind, I am interested in a long term relationship with your son. Be it in Japan, China, Britain, or wherever else he decides he wants to go. MI6 has expressed interest in his theory after I had started seeing him, but I would be pursuing him regardless.” He glanced over at Hei with a warm smile. He felt November’s hand rest on his leg and some of the tension eased from him. 

“It does not.” Kuei frowned. Not the answer he was expecting. Did he think that I didn’t know that November was MI6? It was possible, but not probable that Kuei didn’t know that April would run her mouth about where they worked. “I do believe you are discouraged from relations while on missions. Do you think your superiors would approve? Mr. Richards, I believe his name is, would object should I raise concerns about your intentions towards my son.” 

“You seem to have astounding connections. Should I have looked more thoroughly into you and not just a quick check on your son?” November smiled and nodded, clearly impressed but not intimidated by Kuei’s resources. Hei felt his anger rising as Kuei threatened November. 

“Enough.” Hei hissed in Mandarin. “What good do you think exposing his background is going to do? Now he will start digging. This is why you’re kept out of the field! Keep this civil and put politics aside.” He grit his teeth and made it sound like he was concerned about his cover being blown and not that he wanted to jump across the table and strangle Kuei for threatening to get November’s superior to force an end to their relationship. 

“After I ascertain how much of a threat he will be.” Kuei tutted, as if he was scolding Hei. It was a tone he had heard a lot when he was younger. 

“After what you just pulled, he will be a bigger threat.” Hei grumbled and leaned back in his chair. He felt November give his leg a reassuring squeeze. Pull back, you're getting too emotional and he will notice! He needed to calm down and not get pulled into the conversation any further. Kuei smirked, taking Hei’s movement as a victory for himself. 

“I doubt your search would reveal much of interest Mr. Simon.” Kuei folded his arms confidently in front of his chest. 

“Perhaps. I did have my suspicions that you were well connected. Ah-Shun’s professor is not one to typically accept grad students, but he was given access to PANDORA documents at the beginning of the semester, which implied there were extra strings pulled.” Hei schooled his expression. He was impressed. Huang hadn’t said what had gotten Shikikoza to agree to being his mentor, but MI6 had managed to figure it out.

“I may have inquired, but it was PANDORA’s choice to loan the material.” Kuei brushed off November’s background search, but he was also at least slightly impressed with November. 

“The business you are in Japan for is related to PANDORA.” November sat back nervously, his hand shifted off of Hei’s leg. Hei wanted the steadying contact back, but instead set his own chopsticks down. He had eaten enough to appear polite and that was all he could manage tonight.

“It is. I have come to oversee some experiments. One of the scientists we back is conducting a preliminary small scale demonstration.” Kuei wasn’t able to completely cover his surprise as November once again proved he had not come into this meeting empty handed. What demonstration could he be talking about? He hadn’t been at the university in a few weeks so he wasn’t sure if there had been any information on it. Shikikoza certainly didn’t mention anything at their last meeting. 

“Dr Schroeder?” Hei took a stab in the dark as to who it might be. He had a bad feeling about this demonstration and of the papers he had read, Schroeder was the one he was wary of the most. 

“Yes. I wasn’t aware your research would cross paths with his.” Kuei’s head snapped over to look at Hei quickly, unable to hide any of his shock. November glanced over at Hei, curious and impressed he had been able to come up with the scientist. I did turn my brain to goo to pass off as a believable gate scientist! Knowing it was Schroeder who was going to be doing a demonstration that Kuei was going to, made him very uncomfortable. The Syndicate used contractors, but it didn’t approve of them. They were tools, but ones they wanted more control over. There was the unsettling possibility that, like Schroeder, they even wanted to get rid of them all together. 

“His research has the potential to overlap with mine.” Hei dismissed Kuei’s comment before continuing with the more pressing matter. “He’s going to test out his anti-gate particles?” This was what he was nervous about. As of the last paper Schroeder had released, those particles were still a theory. Did the Syndicate backing get him the resources he needed to do this demonstration? He wasn’t sure if he should bring what he knew up with Shikikoza at their next meeting or not, he was also being sponsored on some level by the Syndicate so his own research - which he had never shown Hei, was probably in some way related to Schroeder.

“Yes.” Kuei’s mouth hung open slightly in shock. He was clearly very impressed with Hei. November chuckled quietly beside him and a quick glance over proved the blonde was grinning proudly at Hei. November’s smile dimmed as Hei shook his head slightly. This is bad news.

“How small is this demonstration? His research has the potential to be catastrophic.” Hei turned back to Kuei. His voice sounded worried in his ears and he knew he had messed up. The anti-gate particles were something Schroeder had developed to get rid of contractors and the gates. He wasn’t concerned with whether or not the contractor survived. Which meant if something went wrong with this demonstration and it got out of hand, contractors in Tokyo -namely November- would all be in danger.

“Would you like to join me? I could probably ensure you have clearance for it.” Kuei offered, mistaking his knowledge as interest. Maybe I didn’t screw up too badly.  

“No. If things go wrong, I do not want to be anywhere in the vicinity. Even if he’s using a 1 to 1000 ratio to scale things down, it’s still too dangerous.” Hei shook his head quickly and held both of his hands up. There was no way he would set foot anywhere near untested anti-gate particles. Although… I’m probably the only one who would be able to render them useless. Bai’s power to manipulate electrons worked on gate particles, so it was likely they would work on Schroeder’s anti-gate ones too.

“I do believe it is a significantly smaller scale. 1 to several hundred thousand, I do not recall the exact number.” Kuei seemed almost disappointed that Hei had declined.  

“I still would not want to be there.” Hei glanced warrily over at November. Is Schroeder experimenting on a contractor? It could have been why PANDORA had wanted Carmine. She would have the gate particles but wouldn’t have been a threat because of her dormant powers. Hei’s heart rate started to increase. PANDORA had wanted Carmine. He had known they would probably experiment on her… but Schroeder’s theory… It was all but modified eugenics focused on contractors being the ones to be exterminated. She would have been tortured and put through hell had he tested those particles on her.

“Perhaps I should send my regrets to Dr. Schroeder, if you consider it so dangerous.” Kuei seemed to be recalculating his options. When did he decide to consider my opinion? Kuei being there if Schroeder’s demonstration did become catastrophic… would potentially make his life easier and get rid of his chance to find out what happened to Bai. 

“I can’t make that decision for you. He might have come up with various failsafe mechanisms that he hasn’t put forward for peer review that I would have no knowledge of.” Hei shrugged. He would not go himself and he wouldn’t let November be anywhere near Schroeder.

“That is true. I will look into what preventative measures are in place before I confirm attendance.” Kuei nodded in agreement. Hei doubted that Shikikoza and PANDORA would schedule a demonstration over the weekend… so Kuei would be around for a couple of days a week at most. 

“So you will be here until Monday?” Hei prodded. He wanted to find out how long they would have to suffer through Kuei’s presence and how long they would have to prepare should Kuei want to drag him back to Wuchang. Hei chanced another glance at November. He wasn’t ready to think of that outcome yet. He would have to face that as a potential threat, but not yet. 

“Yes. I head back Monday evening, following Schroeder’s demonstration.” 

“Any other plans while you’re here?” Hei smiled as November pushed for more information after Hei’s opening. They were working with too many unknowns, narrowing down on the variables would significantly help them plan. 

“Yes actually. Tomorrow night I am to attend a party being held by Masahiko Komura. Ah-Shun, I would like it if you would attend.” Kuei smiled brightly at them. That’s never good. Masahiko Komura was the Minister of Foreign Affairs, any party he was hosting… would be full of diplomats, require fancy dress and the full use of his knowledge of etiquette. No. Not a chance. 

“I would ra-” Hei began to decline the invitation. 

“You can bring him if you wish.” Kuei cut off his refusal quickly. This was a trap. Why else would he allow him to bring November to the Foreign Minister’s party.

“I wouldn’t want to impose.” Hei tried again to refuse the invitation. Even with November there; he wouldn’t feel safe. Politicians and Diplomats were all dangerous. Too much power in the hands of wolves pretending to be sheep. 

“If he can survive the politics involved in pursuing you, he may live.” Kuei commented quickly in Mandarin. Ah, it’s a test. One he was confident November would be able to ace. 

“Do you want to go?” Hei looked over at November as he asked, shifting the decision off of himself. Hopefully that would make it appear that he was less emotionally invested. Kuei also wouldn’t pick up on his confidence. 

“I would not be opposed to the idea.” November was trying not to grin. There was a glint to his eye that hinted November had no problem with this test either. Hei tilted his head slightly as November looked him up and down. Maybe he was thinking of some other benefit of going to this party… but what?

“Very good.” Kuei glanced back at Mingjue, some predetermined signal for Mingjue to leave. Hei followed his movement out of the room. “I had Mingjue select something for you Ah-Shun, your current wardrobe is unacceptable for the event.” Kuei answered Hei’s unspoken question as he brought his attention back to Kuei. “Come to the hotel by 15:00 and we can travel together.”

“I would prefer to not be there until two or three in the morning. Jack and I can meet you there.” No way would he strand himself anywhere without an escape option. Going with Kuei was out of the question. It would also mean being in the same vehicle as Mingjue, unless November was going to turn him into an icicle, Hei wanted nothing more to do with him. Kuei frowned and was quiet for a couple of moments. Did we just avoid a trap?

“I will send Mingjue to your place in the morning with your invitation.” Kuei relented as Mingjue returned to the room. 

“Fine.” Hei agreed quickly. Mingjue had stopped next to his chair holding a suit bag and a shoebox. Hei had to look up and being able to feel his body heat made Hei’s chest tighten. 

“I believe it will suit you well, Gongzi. I look forward to seeing if I was correct in guessing your size.” Mingjue smiled playfully. He was clearly confident he had and was looking forward to seeing him in the outfit, and imagining him without it. Maybe I can avoid wearing it? It was likely unavoidable, as Kuei was aware of what was in the bag and should he show up in something else it would not go over well. That would be detrimental to November’s chances in passing this test. He could stomach wearing some fancy clothes… even if they had been picked out by Mingjue. 

“Thank you.” Hei reluctantly accepted both items. He successfully managed not to flinch or pull away when Mingjue made sure their hands touched. “We probably should be going, I promised April we would be back in time to put July to bed.” Hei looked over at November. He was ready to go, he didn’t need the signal, but he couldn’t stomach this any longer. 

“Ah, yes that’s right.” November looked down at his watch. Hei was out of his chair just as Kuei had started to nod in agreement. 

“It was nice meeting you Mr Simon. I will see you both tomorrow.” He stood up and shook November’s hand again. 

“Likewise Mr. Li.” There was more going on than a simple handshake. Hei watched the unspoken threat issued by Kuei ‘ see if you can pass this!’ and November’s confident ‘ just you watch me.’ Reply. 

“Goodnight Ah-Shun.”

“Goodnight.” Hei slipped the satchel over his head and handed November the suit bag when the other held out his hand to help. With a quick polite bow they turned to leave. Hei had a lot to think about. The looming party, Schroeder’s involvement with the Syndicate, and the papers from Chen. 

 

***

 

When they got back to the flat Hei immediately pulled out the papers. It had been too dark in the car to look at them. Something about them had made Kuei nervous and he needed to figure out what. Scanning the page, nothing seemed significant. It was talking about ghost festivals in ancient China. Hei frowned. That wouldn’t be something of concern to Kuei. Why ‘our history’? He flipped to the next page, skimming the text. More about ghosts. 

“Hei?” November asked cautiously as Hei flipped the page and frowned in frustration. What could a historian talk about that could possibly make Kuei nervous?

“I see you both made it back. What’s with the extras?” Hei hadn’t heard her approach; but that didn’t bother him anymore, November was with him and April was safe. 

“We have a party to go to tomorrow. What’s wrong Hei?” November’s hand on his shoulder was enough to split his focus. 

“He said ‘our history’… something here made him nervous.” He mumbled. The topic was shifting to the history behind the festivals. Chen was going on about one of his great ancestors. 

“What kind of papers are they?” November wrapped a hand around his waist and looked down at the papers. 

“There’s a history professor who thinks the gates have happened before. Ancient China. These are his notes.”

“Could ‘our history’ mean China?” November offered. Hei shook his head. That wasn’t how Kuei worked. If he was talking about China he was more likely to start talking about people and nation not ‘our’.

“I don’t thin-” Hei paused mid sentence as his eye caught a familiar name. “No… it’s not.” He looked up nervously. “That’s the character for my family name.” Hei sunk down, November guiding him onto the couch and continued to scan the page. It was about Duke Hu of Chen. Dr. Chen had scribbled the character for Kuei beside his name with a note about it being his family name. Other than the mention that Duke Hu of Chen was a descendant of Emperor Shun and married to the daughter of King Wu of Zhou there wasn’t anything else he could see that might be relevant. Hei flipped to the next page. 

This page was devoted exclusively to Emperor Shun. It seemed they were central to the theory Dr. Chen had been working on before connecting his research to the gates. Dr. Chen seemed to be implying that Emperor Shun had split the duties he had been performing as Emperor. Which included doing tours of the empire and purifying areas that had been taken over by ghosts. 

“I don’t know what his theory is… but It sounds like he thinks there used to be smaller versions of the gates that would appear. Very regularly from the sounds of it. Frequently enough that Emperor Shun decided it was too much for one person to be Emperor and take care of the smaller gates - Dr. Chen calls them ghost areas not gates… but given he and Shikikoza think it has to do with the gates I think that’s what he means.” Could that even be possible? The gates appeared after a meteor shower… there couldn’t be a person who could seal them… no, Bai hadn’t sealed Heaven’s Gate, she had made it inaccessible. 

“What do you mean ‘take care of the gates’?” April sounded skeptical, he didn’t blame her either. It was something many people dreamed of but few thought possible. 

“I mean according to Dr. Chen, there used to be someone who could remove or close smaller versions of the gates.” Hei rubbed his temple. Could Bai have sealed Heaven’s Gate if she had more power? People wouldn’t believe the containment area had been caused by one contractor… so maybe there could be grounds to this theory. 

“How does this relate to your family?” November tucked a strand of his hair behind an ear. 

“Duke Hu of Chen, was a Kuei and one of Shun’s descendants.” He wasn’t sure how long ago either had lived. He guessed it was a long time ago. 

“Wait, you said it was too much for one person, Emperor Shun could close smaller gates?” There was confusion in November’s voice , but Hei didn’t look up Dr. Chen have was describing the Shadow, but it didn’t make sense. 

“So could his son, if Dr. Chen is right. Emperor Shun gave him the title of Emperor’s Shadow and gave the title of Emperor to someone else.”

“That means there could be people out there who could get rid of the gates.” April whistled long and low. Hei read the paragraph again, he still didn’t understand what it meant. 

“What… What are double pupils? That doesn’t make any sense… Did Dr. Chen copy that wrong?” Hei muttered aloud in frustration as he read over the paragraph again as it talked about a trait that might be related to becoming Emperor’s Shadow.

“Double pupils?” November and April asked in unison. If I knew what it meant I wouldn’t have needed to ask! Hei huffed in frustration. He was going through this as fast as he could. 

“Apparently it’s a trait Emperor Shun had, his son who became the shadow had it as well. Dr. Chen thinks it is related.” Hei looked up and shrugged. Had Kuei known about this? Was their history related to this Shadow? Hei’s head was beginning to hurt. He needed more information, but being able to sit and read through these papers was going to take more than the night and he had to attend the party with November tomorrow. He would be in no shape to deal with Kuei if he turned his brains to mush like he had tried to fool November.  

“What if that trait had died out? Then we’re stuck with the gates? So what?” April huffed and got up to seek out a drink. 

“It is something to be wary of, that is for sure. What else does he say?” November shifted closer to Hei. 

“The mysterious areas that would appear had the ability to influence and change people into a type of living corpse devoid of emotion. The spots themselves would also make regular people go mad when they came across them.” Hei read aloud. “Chen thinks that they were part of the development of Ghost Festivals in China.” 

“That does sound similar to both gates and contractors. Does Dr Chen know about contractors?”

“Shikikoza doesn’t think he does. I wonder though, that is a suspiciously similar description.” Hei frowned at the paper. I have more questions than answers now. He didn’t need this curveball right now. He needed to focus on making it through until Monday evening and keeping his family safe. He couldn’t leave this until Monday either. He needed to find out if this was something Kuei had been hiding his whole life or if Kuei had convinced Shikikoza to give him just to unbalance him for Kuei’s visit. Right now it felt like the second option was more likely.

“In all of those instances of ghost areas… this Shadow was called?”

“I don’t know yet. I need to read more to find that out. I have seen a reference to the Song Dynasty.” Hei shook his head again. 

“Does he know what made them stop appearing?” November was just as curious as he was, only he couldn’t read the text. November was also as impatient as he was.

“No. He’s mentioned that already. I wonder if the length between gates showing up  might correspond to the size of the gate that appears next. Given that no one in living memory could relate the gates to these types of events.”

“Which would be why these ones were so large, if before they had been appearing regularly then stopped for so long all the built up energy would make a significantly larger pair of gates.” November nodded along as he spoke. “What else does Dr. Chen say about the Shadow?”

Hei flipped through some of the pages, trying to see if he could find a summary. 

“Ugh…The Emperor’s Shadow had the ability to tame the ghosts, often being able to return them to their previous selves. Once the ghosts were gone the Shadow would disappear and return to The Emperor. They just disappear? That doesn’t make any sense.” Hei shook his head. “I think I need to have a talk with Dr. Chen.”

“We will have to deal with that after tomorrow’s party.” November sighed and turned to look at April. “Hei and I will be over at his place tonight.” 

“Waaah. No. I wanted to go out and drink! That was the whole reason you two were coming back here!” April immediately whined. November’s tone had left no room for argument. 

“We... why?” Hei wasn’t sure what November was planning. He tried to recall what had been said earlier which might require them to be at his apartment rather than the flat.

“Yes. Kuei said he was going to send Mingjue to your place in the morning. I want to be there for backup, should he try anything.” Hei shivered at the possessive look November was giving him as he spoke. Okay, with him I might… no, I definitely don’t mind being his. Mingjue had been right; he liked the idea of November being possessive and defensive of him a lot more than he should.

“I missed something, didn't I?” April glanced between the two of them waiting for an explanation.

“Mingjue is one of Kuei’s guards.” Hei started and found it difficult to choose the right words to describe why he needed November there without telling her what he had done. “H-he… is very jealous of November.” He mumbled looking down at the floor. 

“Oh… that type of backup.” April was quiet for a moment. “This has to do with yesterday doesn’t it?” Hei and November both nodded in response. “Fine, I’ll stay with July.” She threw her hands up in surrender. She’s gotten soft. She didn’t even demand anything to do it. Hei smiled. As stressful as the dinner had been, his family was there for him and that thought made going against Kuei so much less daunting.

Notes:

I hope you enjoy!
I realised when tweaking the rest of the storyboard that there's something like 5-7 chapters left! It could stretch out to 10, but that would probably be the max.
I'll have to come up with some other tasty November/ Hei content after that.

A/N DEC 2- things are a bit hectic so the next chapter is delayed. I’m hoping to have it ready for Thursday… but it might be another two weeks yet. After that it’s going to be crazy busy at work until mid Feb so updates will be a lot slower.

A/N Jan 1 - Not dead… just work is crazy. Next chapter is coming I promise (it’s 16 pages currently). If there’s a lull before lunar new year I might manage to get it done. After that it will be mid Feb before anything more is ready. After that it’s back to regularly scheduled writing at work time.

Chapter 19: Chapter Eighteen

Notes:

*surfaces from the depths*
Finally! I've been trying to get this finished for weeks now... thanks to a lull in work we have this very tasty update!

Hei smiled as he looked down at November, still asleep on the futon. He had finished making breakfast and was waiting for the tea to steep. This is probably the most peace there will be today .  He thought sadly as he leaned against the counter. The edge was cold against his back. They hadn’t gotten up to anything last night, mostly because of how physically drained Hei was. It had done his emotions a world of good to just lay there in November’s arms. He didn’t do much more than doze during the night. He knew he would have to focus on what might happen at the party and hadn’t been able to sleep. He gave up on sleep when the sky had started to lighten. After untangling himself from November he had spent much of the early hours reviewing the papers from doctor Chen. 

He needed to try and figure out as many of Kuei’s traps as he could in advance. Kuei had plans in motion for tonight. There was a possibility that Kuei would use some of the information in the papers, especially because of his reaction at dinner. If he wasn’t prepared, he might blow his bluff about them being related to his own work. He wouldn’t power through them like he had the scientific papers but he needed to read as much of them as he could today. 

Kuei’s plans were more likely to involve trying to force a wedge between him and November. Something a normal contractor would rationalise as the best outcome for them. He expected it to be a two pronged attack - using Mingjue to unsettle him and potentially reveal to November they had slept together recently and involve one or more of November’s superiors with the  potential that there would be an offer of promotion or even money to leave him.

He wasn’t really worried that November would accept the offer, but Kuei was resourceful and there could be something that would give November a reason to consider it. That small voice of doubt ate away at him. November had done nothing to show any reason to doubt him. Hei knew his own quest to find what had happened to Bai was something Kuei might dangle again. He wouldn’t accept; but he would bluff and pray Kuei wouldn’t call it. Hei sighed. Kuei was leaving the day after tomorrow. He had to get through tonight. Hopefully that would be the end of his interaction. 

He glanced down at the satchel next to the entrance to the main room. The contents of the papers from Dr. Chen concerned him. Even beyond the need to maintain his bluff. Kuei wasn’t a common family name and Chen himself had even said he had a connection to Emperor Shun as a descendant of the Duke Hu of Chen… so it was possible that the traits Chen spoke of as belonging to the Emperor’s Shadow hadn’t been passed down the Kuei family. Hei wanted to believe that it could be a Chen or even a Hu family member who now possessed that ability. His gut told him it wouldn’t be either, it was the unsettling twisting feeling of not wanting to be right. There wasn’t much chance of being wrong after the papers had made Kuei nervous. 

It didn’t sit well with him that Kuei had known of the topic beforehand, and hadn’t expected Hei to know. It implied not only that his family had a connection to the Shadow but that the Shadow’s traits were in their family. The lone physical identifier referenced in the papers was perplexing as well. He needed to find out what double pupils meant. He had a sinking suspicion it had something to do with his family’s unusual blue eyed trait. The implications of that had his stomach twisting in knots. It would make him the most likely candidate to be Emperor’s Shadow. As far as he knew only he, Xing and their grandfather had inherited that trait. If any of his aunts had more children… there might be another. They each had a daughter older than him and by now his three cousins might even have kids of their own.

Could that be how grandmother knew? Had she been looking for blue eyed Chinese males about his age? It is an unusual trait. It would mean the Romanians just happened to be in her circle of contacts. It sounded a bit far fetched. If the Romanians had heard about some reward being offered for his return, that might be an incentive. If Misaki confirmed the Romanians sent his grandmother a photo it might even make that theory plausible. He hated not having all the pieces. He would have to wait until Monday to go and see Dr. Chen and ask him specifically about the double pupils and if he thought that the Emperor’s Shadow was still part of the Kuei family. 

There was another thing that bothered him about his theory about his family’s blue eyed gene. Kuei had known long before they had been born that he wouldn’t inherit the head of family position. Kuei’s own eyes were a dark chocolate brown. If blue eyes were required to lead the family, he would have known from early on. It also meant that when he and Xing had been born, their blue eyes marked them as the heirs. Having control passed over him to one of his children would have enraged Kuei. Could that have been what made Kuei kill mother? He wanted to think that if Kuei had tried to kill him and Xing, his mother would have tried to stop him. Blinded by rage, Kuei wouldn’t have cared who had gotten in his way; not even the love of his life.

His eyes wandered back to November. The slow steady rise and fall of his bare chest had his lips curling upward as he looked fondly at the sleeping blonde. The sight alone helped calm his nervousness. November might already suspect he was the Emperor’s Shadow. He claimed Hei was changing contractors. That was one of the Shadow’s abilities Chen had mentioned. Bai had sealed Heaven’s Gate… but the shadow was supposed to be able to get rid of the Gate, not just seal the area. Could the fact that we had been born as twins mean that one didn’t have enough power to close the gate? Had both he and Bai been required to complete the process of sealing the gate and the containment area the result of him being absent from the process? 

I may need to get out of Japan . He didn’t want to get rid of the contractors like Schroeder and Kuei did. He certainly had no interest in creating a second containment area. Returning them to what they had been before didn’t sound that bad, but it might mean that November would have a different personality. He might not have the same feelings if returned to his previous self. As much as he wanted to see the real stars again, he wanted to keep the November he knew and loved more. 

What would happen if the Shadow refused to remove the Gates? Would things just stay the same? He would have to make sure to stay as far away from Hell’s Gate as possible. He didn’t want to accidentally trigger any catastrophic event. I had no idea how dangerous taking Carmine there would have been for everyone. He could have set off a containment area before he had even met November. Hei shivered involuntarily, they had been very lucky that night.

He couldn’t keep dwelling on ‘what if’s’; he and November needed to prepare for today. The first task was to be ready for when Mingjue showed up this morning. Hei walked over and knelt down next to November. They both had long since become used to the other's presence, so he no longer feared that he might inadvertently be turned to ice. Hei brushed a few strands of hair off of November’s face allowing him to slowly wake as Hei trailed his fingers along his cheek and down his jaw. 

“I like it better when you kiss me awake.” November grumbled sleepily. Hei smiled and chuckled before he shifted his weight to straddle November and leaned down to kiss him. “Mhm, much better.” November’s hands trailed up the outside of his legs to his hips as he let November deepen the kiss. They both could do with a slow and lazy start to what would inevitably be a stressful and potentially life threatening day. 

“If you keep this up we might end up with a cold breakfast.” Hei mumbled. It was more a reminder than a threat. He knew that neither of them would mind if their food was cold. He smirked and bumped his nose on November’s. 

“I don’t know… my breakfast is pretty hot.” November grinned back at him and Hei felt November’s hands travel briefly up his back then down, pulling Hei flush against November’s hips and forcing more of his weight on the other. 

“I’m not breakfast.” Hei chided playfully as he rocked slightly on top of November.

“Oh you might be.” November groaned. He half closed his eyes enjoying the sensation. He hummed with satisfaction. A sly grin spread across his face. “I feel the need to be vindictive towards Mingjue after all of his leering last night.” November opened his eyes and looked up at Hei. A devious plan was being formed behind his bright blue eyes. 

“What do you have in mind?” Hei raised an eyebrow and grinned back at November. Mingjue does need to be put in place, and my word doesn’t seem to be enough. November rolled them to the left and Hei let himself be pinned by November. There was a twinge of panic but it was quickly pushed down, he was almost back to normal with November. It still grated on him that he hadn’t registered November as safe and that it had taken this long for his instincts to settle back down. The other lasting reminder from his time with Mingue, while mostly unseen, was still healing. He hadn’t confirmed how rough Mingjue had been with him, but November knew the brute hadn’t been gentle.

“I want to cover you in love bites, so there is no chance for him to miss that you are mine .” He descended on Hei’s neck and kissed and sucked on the base. Hei shivered at the possessive tone and moaned as November’s tongue teased the skin his teeth had grazed.

“Marking territory and - ngh - telling him to -ah- back off?” Hei gasped and slipped his hands around November, pulling down as he arched off the futon.

“Do you think it would work?” November whispered as he teased Hei’s earlobe.

“It might.” Hei groaned. Mingjue had been somewhat right; he did enjoy being November’s. He loved the way it made him feel; it wasn’t a controlling form of possession but a cherished one. He doubted he’d feel the same about anyone else claiming him as theirs. Even with Amber, he hadn’t had the same protective possessiveness as he felt for November or the overwhelming desire to be claimed as theirs

“Is that permission to mark anywhere, and as much as I please?”

Hei whimpered at the thought of trying to hold off from sex while he let November do that. He wasn’t sure he was entirely ready for that. November would probably render Mingjue to ice if he found out. He really wasn’t opposed to the idea, in fact he supported it, but it would lead to too many problems. 

“Not exactly.” Hei closed his eyes, willing himself to calm down. November’s actions already had his jeans tightening uncomfortably. Keeping things from going any further wasn’t going to be easy. “I will still need to be presentable tonight. All marks will need to be ones I can hide below my shirt.”

“You will have trouble with this one.” November licked the mark he had just left sending shivers down Hei’s spine.

“Keep the rest below ther- Ah!” His train of thought was lost as November’s teeth teased the spot he had licked. It would be a dark bruise and higher on his neck than would be covered by his usual collar. He might be able to get away with hiding it tonight with the suit, but only just barely. “Lower. Mhn you need to go lower.” Hei groaned and felt November grin before he started kissing up Hei’s neck. “I will retaliate if you won’t listen.” He growled threateningly when November didn’t comply. 

“Will you?” November purred in his ear. 

“Yes.” Hei breathed the word out dangerously low. He no longer had to hold back to maintain his alias. In a series of quick movements, Hei pulled both of Novembers hands off of him and simultaneously moved both to one hand as he rolled with enough force to end up on top of November again. He hooked his feet over November’s knees to keep him from flipping them back. “You’re not the only one who can leave marks.” Hei smirked as he leaned down and teased his own love bite just above November’s collar bone. Perhaps with his own mark on November Mingjue would get the hint to leave him alone. He doubted it but part of him revelled in knowing that Mingjue would see he had no problem accepting or leaving evidence of his connection to November. 

“Mhm, Hei.” November groaned. Hei gasped and shivered at the sound of his name. He wasn’t used to hearing November use it and it still set his blood on fire. Cool it. He reminded himself. He would need to divert focus on activities so he could get both of them settled down enough that sex wasn’t immediately going to happen once Mingjue left. 

“I understand why you enjoy doing this now.” Hei murmured into November’s neck, letting his breath and lips brush the fresh mark. 

“I never stopped you from doing it before. Why is it different now?” November stroked his back as he spoke, causing sparks to travel down his spine. It wasn’t that he hadn’t left any marks on November before. Just now, it was different. November knew who he was and wasn’t going to leave him. Any marks he left on November no longer felt hollow now that he had been fully accepted. Now that there wasn’t a threat of having to disappear on November. 

“I can finally let myself think of you as mine.” Hei confessed quietly. He hadn’t let himself even consider it an option until after November had figured out who he was. 

“You haven’t thought of me as yours until now?” Hei heard the confusion in November’s tone. He felt heat bloom on his cheeks and kept his face buried in the crook of November’s neck, letting his grip on November’s wrists slacken. 

“I couldn’t.” Hei shook his head. “If I had… I- ugh.” Hei swallowed as he searched for the right words. “ I wouldn’t want to see anyone else with you. Not ever, and I might not be able to stop myself from acting out. I could be yours because I knew no one else would be allowed to claim my heart… but because I might end up gone, you couldn’t be mine, it wouldn’t be fair to keep you from happiness.”

“Oh Hei.” November broke free of Hei’s loosened grip and pulled him into a tight hug. “Even if you had left I wouldn’t stop looking till I found you and in that time, there wouldn’t be anyone else. I’d probably knocked some sense into you the moment I found you too.” Hei felt November sigh. “I’ve known since the kidnapping that there wouldn’t be anyone but you.” November whispered before placing a kiss on the crown of his head. 

“That’s different.” He protested with a huff. “I’ve known for a long time that you had my heart. But…I dreaded that there would be a day I was told my next mission was somewhere else. I had no right to lay claim on someone in all likelihood I would end up having to abandon. So I didn’t think of it. I was yours, that was all I needed.” Hei’s voice kept getting quieter as he spoke. He hadn’t meant for this to come up. He hadn’t been like this before Mingjue. Had his inability to manipulate Mingjue bled over and had him revealing things he had intended to keep quiet. 

“Hei, can you tell me the last time you put yourself first?” November asked after a long pause. 

“Eh? What do you mean?” His brows knit together trying to figure out how this was related. He didn’t like feeling like this. He didn’t feel like he had control and he kept stumbling into pitfalls. 

“Has it been so long that you don’t even remember doing things without thinking about how it would impact Xing or more recently, myself?” He could hear concern in November’s voice and the arms around him tightened slightly. He frowned into November's neck. 

“I… I don’t. I usually go AWOL in November… The day you killed Carmine, I had gone rogue. I had been told to keep her hidden, instead I dragged her to the gate… and her death.” Hei grumbled in his defense. 

“I’d be willing to bet my car you took Havoc to try and find out about Bai.” November scoffed but his hands were trailing calming circles on his back. 

“We… turned around because she didn’t want to become like she had been back in South America. I don’t blame her for that. Her power and remuneration were terrifying.” Hei tried not to openly admit November was right. 

“You took her because you wanted information about your sister. Then, when you turned back, it was because you sympathized with Havoc. I’m talking about something you wanted to do for yourself without adapting for someone else.”

“I got out of the hospital early.” He had wanted that. He had gone against what the doctor and November had wanted him to do. 

“And stayed with me because you knew I -rightly- wouldn’t let you out of my sight. You even took the painkillers, because of me and not because of the pain.” November countered. There was no hostility in his voice. He had known November wouldn’t let him be on his own even though he would have preferred it. Even with Mingjue he had agreed to stay at the flat when he had wanted to be alone. 

Hei stayed quiet. Before November his life had been about finding out what had happened to Bai. Before South America, it had been about staying with her and keeping both of them alive. Before that… keeping her safe from their father. It couldn’t have been that long ago. No, it wasn’t. 

“The night you told me about your theory of BK-201’s powers. I knew after work that I should have just gone home, or even ignored the text altogether… but, I didn’t want things to end. I wanted to be with you. That’s why I ended up at your place. Not for your feelings, information or anything else. I wanted to spend as much time with you as I could, so-“ Hei cut himself off. November didn’t need to know he had wanted to soak up feeling loved so he could know there had been at least one time someone other than family had loved him. Amber hadn’t loved him, she wouldn’t have taken Bai away if she had. “So… yeah, that’s probably one of the most recent times.”

“I’m glad it wasn’t too long ago.” November smiled against his head. “I’m also glad you continued things because you wanted to, not because you thought you needed to.”

“Now, I’m going to do something else I don’t need to, but want to.” Hei grinned, taking the opportunity to steer the conversation away from the uncomfortable topic. He kissed just below November’s collarbone- opposite his previous mark, then began to tease another dark bruise into blossoming on November’s skin. It could be safely hidden away, much like the other. His stomach tightened nervously after that conversation. Hei wasn’t sure how long it would take before he felt comfortable leaving more visible declarations on November’s skin. For now he would start with these. 

“Mn, it’s going to be harder than I thought to keep from having you before that lecherous wanker arrives.” November groaned as Hei continued to darken the bruise he was working. “I get to do the next mark.”

Hei hummed in affirmation. Satisfied the bruise would remain for several days he sat back. He traced his finger around the bruise and adjusted further down on November, allowing the other to sit up. It might make it easier to keep from getting too heated should he not be pressed between November and the futon. 

“Remember, keep it below the neckline.” Hei gasped as November kissed and teased his nipple. His subtle attempt to keep from going too far was failing. He closed his eyes and toyed with his lip briefly as November began to leave a trail of love bites from his chest to the hollow of his neck. I said lower. He grumbled internally. He let out a low growl and rolled his hips in protest as November continued to inch higher. His movement had November pausing for only a moment before he sucked just enough to be able to tease some of his skin in November’s teeth, applying more pressure in response to the second warning growl. At least it was supposed to be one. It sounded a lot more like a groan. 

Hei ran his fingers through November’s hair, tugging just enough to try and keep him from going any higher. November didn’t relent; he went on the attack. November wrapped one of his arms tightly around Hei’s waist, pulling him flush with November. November rocked the two of them and the movement was quickly rendering him incoherent. November’s other hand trailed along ass, following the bottom seam of his back pocket. He wasn’t going to make it if Mingjue didn’t show up soon if the trembling in his limbs was anything to go by. 

Hei almost didn’t hear the light knock on the door over his own panting . Finally! He moved to stand and answer the door, but November’s hands around his waist held firm as did November’s mouth on his neck. 

“That’s probably him.” Hei gasped while he squirmed in November’s lap. November snarled as he possessively tightened his grip. The vibration from the noise on his skin shot a wave of pleasure through his system causing him to tense and arch. 

“I know.” November growled then licked the spot he had been teasing. There was another knock on the door. This time a little louder. Hei wasn’t sure if he would be able to trust his legs to hold him right now. November let his grip on Hei’s waist loosen only to groan as he sat back. “My god Hei…” November licked his lips. His usual bright eyes looked stormy. “I take it back. He’s not allowed to see you like this.”

“It’s a bit late for that.” Hei closed his eyes and focused on getting his breathing back under control. He didn’t have long. Mingjue would knock again anytime now. Hei managed to get to his knees but had to resort to using November’s shoulders to help him stand the rest of the way. November had worked his jeans down so they now sat low on his hips. Hei watched as November resisted pulling him by the pocket to kiss the exposed skin. 

Mingjue will probably think about doing that too. The thought was like a bucket of ice water. He had understood their actions would make Mingjue jealous, but he hadn’t thought about having to stand in this state in front of Mingjue and knowing he would be thinking of doing more of what he had at the hotel. Suddenly he could feel Mingjue’s crushing grip on him. Hei stepped back, his stomach churned dangerously and his fingers began to tremble. 

“Hei?” November asked worriedly. November had stood up in one smooth motion with his  arms just enough apart to catch Hei should his balance waver. 

“I’m alright.” He tried to downplay his sudden change with a nervous smirk. “Well at least he won’t get to see quite the same thing as you did just now.” He turned to face the door before November could reply. He kept the shaking he felt from showing as he crossed the short distance pausing at the door to steel his nerves before opening it.  

The morning was clear and bright in contrast to the swirling nervous emotions milling about in his stomach. He could feel November’s presence behind him. November’s usual calming effect on him was muted as Hei looked at Mingjue. 

Mingjue’s dark eyes glinted hungrily at Hei and he tensed involuntarily. His grip on the doorknob tightened as he tried to keep his emotions from showing. Mingjue licked his lips quickly as his gaze slid from one of November’s love bites to the next until it dropped right down to Hei’s jeans. He felt the hairs on his neck stand on end as he fought to suppress the shiver as he heard a low groan from Mingjue. 

“Good morning Gongzi.” Mingjue smiled at him briefly once he dragged his eyes back to Hei’s face. Hei bit down on his tongue to keep from showing the revulsion on his face. Mingjue’s gaze shifted this time looking past him to November. There was an obvious flash of jealousy in Mingjue’s features before he tempered the glare he had directed at November. 

“Mingjue.” Hei tried to sound cordial but it was harder than usual to keep his default mask in place. He had been able to handle the leering last night because he had known Mingjue wouldn’t have done anything… He wasn’t so sure that was the case anymore. “Did you bring the invitations for Jack and I?” 

“En.” Mingjue shifted his focus back to Hei. He pulled an envelope out of his jacket pocket and held it out to Hei. Hei felt Mingjue’s fingers brush his own as he accepted the envelope. It was worse than when he had touched him last night to give him the suit. He hoped no one noticed the slight tremor to his hands as he opened the envelope to look down at the card inside. It was a simple but elegant invitation addressed to Li Shengshun and guest Jack Simon stamped with Masahiko Komura’s seal. The Japanese Foreign Minister was either a syndicate member or in their pocket.. 

“Looks like everything’s in order. We will see him there tonight.” He feigned mild interest and placed the invitation down on the counter. He gave Mingjue a polite nod to dismiss him and started to shut the door. Mingjue didn’t move from where he was outside the door, his eyes had wandered again. Hei felt November brush by his left shoulder as the door thumped closed the last few inches from November’s movement.

Keep it together, Mingjue is just outside the door. Hei pushed the cold tendrils of terror back down focusing on the doorknob before he felt November cup his cheek. He managed a weak smile and let November guide his chin upwards to look at him. I didn’t flinch! It was a small victory, but right now it felt like he had cleared a mountain. He reached out to November and was pulled into a hug. The warm embrace broke through his resolve. His whole body trembled but he held on tightly, burying his face into November’s neck.

First hurdle, dealt with. 

 

***

 

Hei flipped through the papers, while there was more information he had picked up by reading slowly, the key topic and the main issue they were facing still remained the same. There existed or more likely exists a person who has the ability to remove the gates and contractors. If he was right, that person was himself. If there had only been one thing in the paper that pointed to him, he would have been able to shrug off the connection. With November’s insistence that he was making contractors and dolls feel emotions again on top of what had happened with Bai at Heaven’s Gate… it was too much to dismiss. 

Hei pushed the papers forward and rubbed his temples. He had chosen to remain at the apartment for the morning rather than join November back at the flat. It hadn’t been easy to convince November to let him stay on his own after the incident with Mingjue. It had taken using how it was easier to focus without April around and the rather low blow of bringing up how November said he didn’t do things for himself. He had promised to join him in a couple hours so that he could get ready for the party. 

He was still on edge from what should have been an easy interaction. He was glad that November had been there. He was sure Mingjue would have forced his way into the apartment if he hadn’t. Murdering someone in his apartment was out of the question. His body tensed as there was a sudden buzzing noise beside him. Stop being so jumpy! He growled at himself, it was probably just November texting to check in on him. When the buzzing continued he realised it was a call and reached over to retrieve the phone from the table. The country code of the long number displayed was the UK. 

James . He was the only other person who had the number. Hei quickly flipped the phone open.

“What’s happened?” Hei asked quickly once he had the phone to his ear. 

“February’s in Japan.” James’ voice was quiet and serious. 

“Shit.” Hei hissed. He really didn’t need this complication now. If she was in Japan and November was right; she would be looking for him. With the new information on the Emperor’s Shadow he wondered if her end goal was to secure the gates so that they couldn’t be destroyed. If that was the case, and he shuddered just thinking about it, he might have the same goal as her. Then again, this was Amber… she might just want to turn all contractors back to humans. He would be needed for that as well if Chen’s theory was right. I need more information.

“Hei, you still there?” James’ voice broke his thoughts.

“En.” He paused. I wonder if James would be able to get some information. He had been able to get a lot of accurate data on his own past missions. It wasn’t a stretch to think he would be able to. “I know it’s not your normal topic of interest, but could you get some information for me on a family? As much digging as you can… but be cautious.”

“Ohhhh, I like finding dirt on people… Is this related to February being in Japan in some way?” James paused for a moment. “OHhhhhh~ Will I be able to ask for another photo as payment?” Hei could hear the excitement in James’ voice.

“In a roundabout way, yes, it is connected to Amber.” Hei huffed as he considered what sort of lewd photo James might want. “As to the photo… possibly but it will depend on the results.” He wasn’t fond of using himself as bait in any fashion, but he’d have to be the carrot to get James’ interest.

“I’m game, what Family?”

“How’s your traditional Chinese?”

“Ugh… it’s fair. I’m a sucker for a good C-Drama.”

“Good, that will help. The family is Kuei. They use a Han character for their family name, it is the same one that was used by officials when they addressed the Emperor in court.” Hei froze. That has to be a coincidence. He had automatically defaulted to the explanation that his father had used when he and Xing had asked why they had to still write their names in Chinese instead of English when in London. He had said their name was important because of its historical connection to the Emperor. “Ugh…” He forced himself to focus back on the present. “They have been living in Wuchang for centuries, but what I need to know is what they have to do with The Emperor’s Shadow. Not the Emperor. Something known as The Emperor’s Shadow. The person you are most likely to find first is Kuei LuanYi, he was born April 14th 1957, his mother was born in 1920 and father in 1918 -” Hei stopped. What were their actual names? He hadn’t had to know that when he was young and his father certainly hadn’t told him, at least not that he could remember. They had always just been Ye ye and Nai nai. “I… I don’t know their names.” He confessed with a huff of frustration. James would need more information to go off of, but Hei could hear James scribbling down notes over the phone. “LuanYi’s father died in 1997.” He remembered when they had been told of his death, Xing hadn’t reacted. That had been when his father found out she had become a contractor. “LuanYi has three sisters and they were all married by sometime in the late 1970s and each of them has at least one daughter born before 1984.” Hei paused to let James catch up. 

“Anything else you can tell me?”

“LuanYi married someone named Xiu but I don’t have any dates or maiden name. They had twins… XianXu and Xing born November 2nd 1984. Um… this isn’t related but, if you can find out more about Xiu, even a family name… I’ll try and convince November for a much better photo.” any information on his mother would be more than he had currently.

“How much better? I know he won’t send any naked photos… it will have to have your face in it and preferably not much in the way of clothes. Mmm… maybe a chest and up shot while November’s balls deep… yeah that would be nice.” James rambled and Hei felt his face flush. 

“I’ll see what I can do.” He doubted he would be able to convince November to do something like that, but it could be considered for information on his mother. 

“Th- That wasn’t a no.” James stammered in shock. “Who the hell are these people that you’d actually consider that? I’m not complaining… fuuuuck… now I’m hard just thinking about that.” Hei cringed internally at the comment. He might not have ever seen James… but somehow still could have done without that image. 

“Call with what you can find out, I can’t wait for something like you sent to November.”

“Is there a deadline?”

“ASAP. If Amber is here then things are moving faster than expected.” Hei glanced around the room, he would need to pack up and head over to the flat once he got off the phone with James. November would need to know Amber was in Japan. Hei reached over for the satchel and started gathering papers. 

“Right… Can I have some motivation?”

“What do you mean?” He asked cautiously while slipping the pile of papers into the satchel. 

“Like…Say my name like you would November’s in the bedroom.”

Definitely not . He didn’t need November there to know the other wouldn’t want to share that cadence with anyone. 

“That’s a distraction not motivation.” Hei scoffed, leaning his head into his shoulder to hold the phone in place as he continued to pack up.
“Oh it would be both.” James purred.

“How about information instead?” Hei countered. James‘ main focus was contractor information. There surely would be something he knew that would be useful. 

“Conniving!” James sounded excited as he gasped. “Can I ask for something personal about you?”

“Like?” There was a lot of leeway in what James could ask about him. Depending on what he wanted to know, he might be able to share that information. 

“What’s your real name?” James’ tone sounded cocky, like he thought November didn’t know that bit of information yet. 

“Kuei XianXu.” Hei answered quickly. He had no need to hide it, especially when James was going to be digging into his family history. The connection would be made soon enough. 

“... It’s your family!?” for a moment Hei wondered if he had broken James until the other had shrieked into the phone. “Oh Shit.. yeah I suppose that’s pretty motivating. Wait… you said Ghost was your father. That means Kuei LuanYi is Ghost!” James’ voice rose in pitch till it was almost a squee.

“Yes. I need to find out how n- my grandmother, who has nothing to do with the Syndicate LuanYi is a part of, managed to find out about my kidnapping. Our current theory is the Romanian Mafia.”

“... That sounds like you have one badass grandma. What is this Shadow you mentioned in relation to?”

“The Emperor’s Shadow. I hope I'm wrong, but there could be historical evidence of something like the gates in ancient China. The Emperor’s Shadow was supposed to be able to get rid of them. All I know is that The Emperor’s Shadow is connected to Emperor Shun and Duke Hu of Chen. Also The Emperor’s shadow is potentially a Kuei.”

“This really sounds like the set up for a Chinese Drama. I love it!” James giggled into the phone. “Yeah I’ll get right on it. Can I call anytime? You had better answer, even if you and November are in the heat of things.”

“I’ll try my best but make no promises.”

“Talk soon XianXu!” The use of his original name had his blood boiling.
“Call me Hei. Use the other name again and there will not be any photos.” Hei’s voice was cold. 

“... got it.” Hei snapped the phone closed, not wanting to hear anymore. 

 

***

“Something else happened, didn’t it?” November took one look at him when he opened the door and frowned. Hei nodded, sidestepping into the flat. He waited until November had closed the door to steal a quick kiss. He let his head rest against November’s shoulder and enjoyed the calm he felt being next to the blonde. November held him patiently and waited for Hei to continue.

“James called.” Hei finally answered. He felt November tense. “Amber is in Japan.” He added. 

“As if we didn’t have enough on our plate already.” November grumbled. 

“I know. I’ve asked James to look into the Kuei family and the Emperor’s Shadow.” Hei closed his eyes and listened to the steady thump of November’s heart. 

“Did he sound interested?”

“He did, but he was more interested after finding out it was my family. He did ask for a better photo as payment. I said I’d try to convince you but made no promises.”

“Good, I can still veto. For now, get through tonight and worry about February and this Shadow after…” November twisted the two of them so he could look into the living room “Actually, July can you start looking for February?” November called over to the boy sitting by the window. There was a slight nod before July turned his head to gaze into the glass.

“Yin doesn’t know what she looks like.” Hei added, hoping that July would somehow be able to describe what he was looking for to Yin. Hei exchanged a worried look with November. It wasn’t going to get any easier after Kuei left. There would be no recovery after this trial; they might have to face Amber at less than full strength. 

“So, you guys have a party to get ready for… I know November’s been all but dying with anticipation of seeing you all cleaned up.” April smirked as she sauntered into Hei’s field of vision. Neither of them missed her attempt to change the topic. 

“I suppose I should see if the outfit actually fits while there’s still time to get something else.” Hei sighed and walked off to November’s room. The suit bag and shoebox had been stored there last night before he and November had gone to the apartment. November hadn’t followed him into the room. Hei chewed his lip briefly before closing the door. MI6 would have a lot to discuss now that their former member had shown up.

The suit bag and shoebox were laid out on the bed, where he had left them the night before. Hei pulled a deep midnight western style suit out of the bag. Hei was surprised, he had expected some form of hanfu or even a Zhongshan suit. He slipped the jacket off the hanger, he would have to see what else Mingjue had in mind for him. There was a silver and black brocade double breasted waistcoat. Beyond that there was a white silk shirt and crimson tie. 

He changed and tried desperately not to think of Mingjue’s slimy fingers on him as each piece fit as if tailored. With a sigh he pushed the final remnants of those thoughts out of his head and made his way back to the living room. He paused and leaned against the wall as he looked into the room. July was still staring blankly at the window as he searched for Amber. November had his back to him looking over some of the files that had been in James’ doc pack from earlier. A long low whistle brought his attention to April. 

“Damn you clean up niiice! Come on, give us a twirl!”

Hei rolled his eyes at April, but pushed off the wall and did a slow turn. By the time he faced them again, November had gotten up from the couch. The few steps between him and November disappeared quickly as the blonde was losing his battle of control. 

Even when he had put his mask on for the photo they had teased James with, November had been able to stop himself from reaching out. This time one of November’s arms slid around his waist while the other guided his chin upwards enough for his mouth to be claimed. 

“I have a feeling this night is going to be more difficult than November had thought, and the main obstacle is going to be his libido. Well, it could also be his possessiveness. So many will only need one look before they start to fantasise about him..” April giggled from across the room. Hei was inclined to agree with her, at least about November, as he felt November’s hand on his waist slip lower. 

“I’m sure I will struggle with that, but come the end of the night… He’s mine and not theirs. I will be the only one to enjoy taking him out of these clothes.” November murmured as he nuzzled Hei’s neck just loud enough for April to hear. Hei felt his ears heat up at November’s tone which only caused April to laugh louder.

“Does that mean we are going to end up at my place tonight after the party?” Hei teased. 

“Hell no, you are coming back here so I can go out drinking. Don’t you dare be late.” April proclaimed playfully from across the room. 

“Well at least we will have an excuse to leave early.” Hei shrugged and stepped back from November. “Once you’re ready we can head out.” Hei adjusted the waistcoat back into place, November’s other hand had pushed it up in an attempt to sink his fingers under Hei’s shirt. 

“Alright, but before that; can I please get a photo of you dressed up?” November toyed with his lip as he fished out his phone. 

“And here I thought you’d rather get one of me in my other outfit.” Hei shook his head and took a step back. With a shrug he hooked his fingers into his pockets and waited for November to snap the photo. 

“Oh I would love one of those too, if you're offering.” November grinned at him, his pale eyes twinkling in excitement.

“Maybe some other time.” Hei smirked. “I don’t have any missions coming up so you will have to wait for a while. I might drop in after my next one and you can have a photo then.”

“I will hold you to that.” November licked his lips as he slipped the phone back into his pocket. November stole a quick kiss as he passed Hei, disappearing into the room to get changed.

 

The security was quite high for what was supposed to be a diplomatic party. There had been checks at the gate, invitation checks at the door and at least twenty plain clothes security milling about in the party on top of the ones posted in various rooms or halls. Hei guessed there must be many syndicate members present. He wondered if there would be some secret in person meeting taking place on site. Kuei almost never left China so this would be a rare opportunity and it would explain the extra security. 

November had opted to wear black to the party. He wanted to think November had chosen black because it was his name and as such sent a message of who he belonged to. Not that he would ask November about it. The idea still had a grin stuck on his face as they made their way through the crowd. There weren’t any familiar faces as the two of them weaved through the rooms. There were however, many shocked party goers, signaling them out as syndicate members. Well, it seems my alias and face are now known to most of the upper ranks in Japan. 

“Jack! I was surprised to see your name on the guest list.” An older and balding English gentleman called out and November paused to greet him. 

“Mr. Richards, I wasn’t aware you were coming tonight.” November replied, continuing the conversation in English. Hei had heard that name before. It didn’t take him long to place that Kuei had mentioned it at dinner yesterday. He must be the head of MI6 in Japan. Hei thought as November’s boss appeared to be scrutinising him to the point of memorising his features. Guess he’s with the syndicate too.

“You must be Shengshun Li. I’ve heard many good things about you and your Gate research. I was, however, surprised to hear about your relationship with Jack.” Had Hei not known better, he would have thought the smile and warm comments genuine. 

“Thank you. I have put a lot of work into my thesis. Dr. Skikikoza seems impressed with it as well.” Hei smiled slightly and answered in English. He let his gaze shift to November before adding; “While discouraged, relationships abroad aren't off limits for government officials.” 

“That is true. If you will excuse us I need to speak with Jack in private for a few minutes.” Hei watched Mr. Richards left eye twitch as he begrudgingly agreed with Hei. Yeah, definitely a syndicate member. Hei glanced over at November. There was a subtle nod to his head signaling it was alright. He hoped November had picked up on Mr. Richards probable syndicate association, if he hadn’t Hei made a mental note to tell November later. 

“Do not keep him too long. I need his help to navigate the connections and associations of many present.” Hei nodded to November. At least for the next while the chance of his face being connected with the Black Reaper would be less. November was known to many present and his foreign features would make him an ideal beacon to use when advising Syndicate members as to who he was with. 

Hei watched quietly as November was led off by his boss. This would be the start of Kuei’s scheming for the night. Hei glanced warily around the room. Perhaps I should just find some place quiet to wait for November. He knew too little about the guests to interact with them. Not that he had any real interest in mingling. He made his way around until he found a small room that was unoccupied. 

From the curved ceiling to floor windows and numerous plants lining the walls, it was a solarium. It was also blissfully quiet in comparison to the constant voices of polite chatter. Hei glanced up at the fake stars that were peppering the sky as the light faded. Up there the star that corresponded to himself would be twinkling, as well as the one for November. I should ask him what his Messer code is. Hei sighed and enjoyed the silence. Kuei had made sure he would be able to handle these types of parties, but he never enjoyed them. It was all; sip the drinks, avoid the food and find everyone fascinating. He found it disgusting.

“So this is where you decided to hide out.” The sound of Mingjue’s voice made his muscles tense and his heartbeat erratic. He hadn’t wanted to run into Mingjue, least of all end up in a room alone with him. Hei took a calming breath and schooled his features. 

“I am not hiding. I just have no desire to interact with any of them.” Hei stated simply as he turned to look at Mingjue. His hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail at the base of his neck and Mingjue’s usual suit had been upgraded to include a waistcoat that appeared to be the inverse of Hei’s own. Hei knew that must have been deliberate and it made him sick. He wasn’t sure why Mingjue had decided to pursue him so adamantly. They had a brief encounter, one that had been set up as nothing more than casual sex. It hadn’t been intended to be anything more. 

“Mhm, the clothes I picked suit you well. The colour brings out your eyes, while the silver and red hint at your profession. I would have liked to put you in more red, as few here would understand the significance… but as you would be arriving with him, I decided against it.” Mingjue stared at Hei hungrily, a mix of the look he had given him as he had stalked across the room and restraint. The contents of Hei’s stomach churned threateningly. Red was the traditional colour used for weddings. He wouldn’t have worn the outfit had it been that colour. 

“I didn’t know you had put that much thought into it.” Hei attempted light conversation as he battled back the nervousness taking over his body. He couldn’t let it show. He had managed to come so far since their encounter at the hotel with November’s help he just needed to hang on a little more. 

“Oh there was lots of thought. I enjoyed going over the memories of your body against mine to map out your sizes. I was very thorough in that enjoyable aspect, I see it fits perfectly.” Mingjue leered at him from the doorway. Hei glanced around the room, feeling his stomach sink as he discovered Mingjue was blocking the only exit. 

Shit. Hei could feel the nervousness changing into full on panic. He was trapped by Mingjue. The pleasant room now started to close in on him. The distance between them felt like the only thing keeping him from slipping right back to square one. He wouldn’t let November experience him flinching at contact again. He needed to deal with Mingjue now. 

“I’m not sure which outfit I’ve seen you in today is better. The one you are in now magnifies your natural allure, making it very difficult to resist you. But the one from this morning… Mhn, I have had that one on my mind all day.” Mingjue smirked and shifted in the doorway. 

“There is no reason for it to be. Not like it was something you haven’t seen before.” Hei shrugged and slipped his hands in his pockets in his best attempt to seem not bothered. It wasn’t a typical move of his as it would add seconds to the time needed to protect himself should an attack happen, but this would keep Mingjue from seeing his hands shake. 

“You’re right, I have seen all of you before. I want to see all of you again, but seeing him was new. You leave marks on him like he does you. When you were with me you showed no interest in leaving behind any proof.”

“It’s what he likes. You, on the other hand, seemed to desire control, and that I let you have until you demanded I take over. Besides, your rough treatment was more than enough proof left behind.”

“Yes… you did let me do what I wanted with you and didn’t complain about the pain… I would have liked that too.” Mingjue groaned, causing Hei’s stomach to tighten. “I barely had to give you any direction. It was almost as if you were so in tune with how to please me. I mean… Your core strength is insane, and I’ve not met anyone else as malleable. You adjust to your partner, no matter how contorted you end up. I seriously would love it if you'd reconsider my offer. There are so many things I’ve dreamed of doing to you since then.” Mingjue closed the distance between them, but Hei was only partially paying attention. The path to the door was now free. This was his chance to escape. The longer he was alone with Mingjue the harder it would be to keep from exposing how unsettled their tryst had left him. Hei made his way to sidestep around Mingjue to get to the door. His hand was pulled roughly out of his pocket as Mingjue grabbed his arm the moment he was within reach. The tug had left him dangerously off balance. Hei directed his momentum towards the door as he stumbled forward. Mingjue’s arms closed around him as his back connected with Mingjue’s chest. The door just a few feet away now seemed an unreachable summit. . 

“What are you doing?” By some miracle, his voice sounded steady. Memories of being pinned and trapped by him bubbling quickly to the surface. Hei’s heart was pounding against his chest as his whole body screamed at him to flee. 

There was no answer from Mingjue as his hands wandered. One drifted down and across Hei’s stomach to tease the hollow of his hip while the other crossed over his chest and his fingers snaked along Hei’s neck. Both of Hei’s arms were pinned from the elbow up. He knew there would be no escape. He couldn’t overpower Mingjue. He had tried when they had been at the hotel. He frantically wanted to struggle, to let his power loose and fry Mingjue. He could see no other way out of this position unless Mingjue let him go. He had to resist that urge and it made his chest hurt every second Mingjue touched him. 

Hei gasped loudly as he felt Mingjue’s lips and teeth on his neck. Hei fought with his system to keep from shaking in the form of squirming. If he didn’t get out quickly, there would be no hiding how much their encounter had shaken him. Mingjue’s hand on his neck tilted his head further towards his shoulder as Mingjue nibbled his way down to the base of Hei’s neck. Hei clamped his mouth closed but mimpered as Mingjue reached the still sensitive mark November had left on him that morning. Mingjue chuckled and launched a fresh assault on the bruised skin. 

“Ghn… Do you have a death wish? He will notice…hng.” His senses were warring as Mingjue roughly teased November’s mark. Hei kept himself from making as much noise as he could. There was no way he would give Mingjue that satisfaction. He could feel that Mingjue was already thoroughly enjoying the few things Hei was doing to try and keep himself composed.

“You really are too tempting for your own good.” Mingjue groaned against Hei’s neck. He couldn’t stop the shaking, he needed out now he was too close to breaking. Mingjue licked his neck again and Hei prayed that his shaking would be interpreted as shivering. He felt Mingjue’s arms loosen around his chest; a glimmer of hope that he would be able to escape before giving too much away. Hei focused on that so that the moment Mingjue’s grip was loose enough to escape he sipped out and made his way towards the door. 

“You will have to tone down your advances. I will not risk losing his source because you are incapable of restraint.” Hei growled over his shoulder in an attempt to make it appear he was not running away. He needed a moment to get the shaking under control as he forced his limbs to function normally. If he didn’t Mingjue might follow him. November will have to take that spot back tonight.

“Then reconsider and join me later?” The cockiness in his tone made Hei’s blood boil. You’ve been rejected by a contractor, get a clue! Mingjue knew contractors were rational, yet he kept pushing. He hadn’t even offered any incentive for him to change his opinion.

“This isn’t a debate. You’re not of interest to me and your continued leering is becoming a hindrance. Back off.” Hei hissed at Mingjue. Hei risked a glance back to ensure he wouldn’t be followed before stepping through the door. 

“What if I could tell you what happened to your sister?” Mingjue goaded him with a smirk. 

Hei stopped in his tracks. Fuck . He couldn’t ignore that comment and Mingjue knew it. He had spent the last five years trying to get that information. It was well known he would go to great lengths for any potential source and they believed right now he was bedding an enemy contractor for just that reason. 

“If you could, then I would be interested in that information.” Hei forced himself to say but the words felt like ash in his mouth. “Do not toy with me, I do not take being misled well.” He threatened. It was possible Mingjue was bluffing. He needed to find out if this was a genuine threat.

“You doubt I’m able to find out?” Mingjue scoffed  as he took a step towards Hei. He’s bluffing! He felt some of his panic recede. Mingjue didn’t know Kuei as well as he did. That bit of information wasn’t shared with anyone. He had gone after some of Kuei’s former inner circle members, ones Kuei had trusted, and none of them could give him any information about Bai.  

“I doubt Kuei’s willingness to share information. You may be one of the trusted right now, but I’ve seen them come and go. You will be no different. Should you somehow manage the impossible; there’s little I wouldn’t do to find out what happened to my sister.” Hei walked away trying not to appear rushed. 

Once he had put enough distance between himself and Mingjue, and was confident enough that he wasn’t being followed, Hei leaned one shoulder against the wall in a room containing three other people. He knew none of them, but he had long since perfected Shengshun’s confused but innocent smile and they paid him no mind. He focused his breathing to slow his heart rate and kept his fingers curled into a loose fist to hide the shaking. 

I hope November is done with his boss. Hei pushed himself off the wall and tried to find the room he and November had last been in together. From there he could make his way in the direction November had gone. He had managed to locate the room, but in the process also found Kuei as well..

“Are you worried he will abandon you?” Kuei asked from behind Hei as he tried to leave. 

“No.” Hei answered simply. Hei waited where he stood for Kuei to come over to him. If he fled, it would be seen as weakness. He had known this verbal battle would be unavoidable. They had planned to try and face Kuei together so that November could be his support and back up. Please hurry November.  

“Your confidence is charming at times. He is a contractor, when it comes down to it, he will be rational.” Kuei spoke down to him; much like he had the entire time Hei had known him. 

“So long as personal goals are achieved any response can be rationalised. The end always justifies the means.” Hei replied, sounding bored with the conversation as he scanned the room for signs of November. 

“You do a lot of that. Cutting out bits of yourself because you can find a reason it is needed. Like how you endured countless atrocities just to stay with that thing . Even now, as one of them, you play nice because I know what happened. For that information you have done everything asked of you, no matter how much it destroyed you inside.” Kuei was cold and confident; he believed he spoke the truth. 

“You are mistaken.” The words had left his mouth automatically. Hei knew he would do many things to find out about Bai, but there wasn’t much on that list that he regretted. He had found the line he wouldn’t cross when it came to what had happened to Bai. He wouldn’t put his family in danger. He loved his sister, but nothing would make him sacrifice November for her.

“Am I?” Kuei chuckled disbelievingly. “If I told you what happened to Bai on the condition that you kill November; would you be able to do it?” Kuei rolled his eyes. It was clear he had made up his mind that November could be exploited to manipulate him. He would have to squash that now.

“Are you offering in earnest?” He turned to face Kuei as if he was genuinely interested in finding out. “I’ve been trying to get that out of you for five years. Killing one more contractor wouldn’t be an issue.” Hei tried to sound more confident than he felt. He wouldn’t be able to kill November and prayed Kuei wouldn’t call his bluff. Kuei’s eyebrows knitted as he looked Hei over. The slightest twitch to Kuei’s pinky gave away that his act had been believable. 

“Ah You must be Li-san’s son! I have heard much about you. I am told you are studying gate astrodynamics here.” Their conversation was interrupted by the Japanese foreign minister. Masahiko Komura was the one politician here that Hei knew anything about. He was the host of this event and likely syndicate stooge. 

“En, I am Dr. Naoe Shikikoza’s grad student.” Hei smiled shyly as he fell back into character. 

“Ah, I’ve heard he can be a bit… difficult to work with. Have you been enjoying your time in Japan?” The man smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. For a politician that description of Dr. Shikikoza was positively scathing. The man was gruff and arrogant but he knew his topic of study and could guide someone as novice as Hei in it to become a believable colleague. 

“There have been some ups and downs. Overall I would have to say that I am.” Shengshun’s shy smile cemented on his face as he spoke. He could play the unassuming student that was nervous around so many people in power.

“That’s wonderful to hear.” Komura looked over to Kuei, about to ask something when his gaze drifted past Kuei. “Ah! Mr. Simon, have you met Li LuanYi and his son?” the invitation he had been given had November’s alias on it as well as his own, Komura should have known they were here together. He’s definitely not a syndicate member. All of those present tonight had clearly been advised that the one with the blonde British gentleman was the Black Reaper.

“I am very familiar with Ah-Shun but I have only recently met his father.” November smiled politely at Komura as he settled next to Hei. November’s hand rested on his waist and it was a welcome comfort.

“I came here tonight with Jack.” Hei shifted away from his father and leaned slightly into November. He managed to blush shyly by thinking about April’s suggestion of having Misaki join him and November.

“Oh. Um…” Komura’s eyes widened and he took a step back. He was clearly uncomfortable although it wasn’t clear if it was completely because they were both men or if some of it was because he should have known they were together. 

“It’s alright Minister, we aren’t the type to intentionally make others uncomfortable by being overly affectionate in public.” November made no move to step away from Hei, if anything the arm at his waist gripped him tighter.

“Ah. Li- San must approve of you to allow you to accompany his son.” Komura recovered his composure.

“He was the one who told me to bring Jack and the one who made sure we had an invitation, so you might be right.” Hei smirked. It was too perfect an opportunity to waste at getting a dig in on Kuei. November smiled back at him. They were both struggling to keep from laughing. Kuei didn’t approve of Hei as a son, there was no way he would approve of November. 

“Very good, very good! I will speak with you later Li-San.” Komura bowed politely and scurried off trying to be as unoffending as possible. 

“Mr. Richards wasn’t pleased when I informed him you had been seeing my son. I noticed the two of you disappeared for a while.” Kuei wasted no time in his attempt to regain the upper hand in their conversation. 

“He did express his disappointment in my current relationship. We have come to an understanding and he has acknowledged that I will be continuing with it.” November grinned in victory as Kuei stared disbelievingly at November. He was clearly impressed and a little shocked that November managed to pull that off. Hei felt relief and pride that November had been successful.

“It appears I may have miscalculated.” Kuei mumbled under his breath in Mandarin but not low enough that Hei couldn’t hear him. “His behaviour isn’t typical… then again, you’ve never behaved like a typical one either… I wonder. Perhaps you take after my father more than I had previously noticed.” He spoke a little louder as he looked over at Hei searching for a sign of something in his expression. Could he had thought only Bai might be the shadow because her eyes had been lighter?

“Well, we both know I’ve never taken after you.” Hei muttered his reply in English. He wouldn’t let Kuei steer the conversation to a place that November wouldn’t be able to defend himself. 

“That is true. Not even your stubbornness comes from me.” Kuei grumbled. This seemed to be an old wound they had stumbled on. 

“I didn’t get that from him.” Hei shook his head. His grandfather had been gentle and compassionate almost to a fault until it came to protecting those he loved. Hei had only heard about the times his grandfather had acted to protect others. Many of them had happened during the war. The last time people would talk about was the day he had kicked LuanYi out when Hei and Xing had been infants. 

“No. You get that from your grandmother.” Kuei clicked his tongue in frustration. That was still a sore topic for Kuei. The two of them had butted heads and left the other angry and hurt. Both were also too prideful to admit they had done or said anything wrong. Hei hoped it stayed that way. So long as the two of them didn’t team up he stood a chance of not being dragged back to Wuchang.

“Does he take after his mother at all?” November casually prodded. Hei looked over at him in shock. Would Kuei even answer? It was a topic constantly avoided while Hei had been growing up. 

“His…” Kuei paused and frowned. He slowly looked Hei over. “Yes. He looks a great deal like her. He gets the ability to control his temper from her. Even as a child no one dared pick on him or his sister even though they had never seen him angry.”

“His self control is nothing short of remarkable.” November nodded in agreement. Hei fidgeted with one of the buttons of his waistcoat. He hadn’t expected Kuei to answer or that Kuei would bring up his childhood. 

“If you will excuse me, I have other people to meet up with. Enjoy the party.”Kuei muttered curtly and walked off. That’s it? They had managed to get Kuei to back down. His heart thudded against his chest in excitement. Hurdle two dealt with!  

“I think that round went, don’t you.” Hei grinned at November. 

“I believe you are right. Do you think we should stick around?” November’s eyes begged Hei to say no. 

“I have no reason to be here. While being able to proclaim you mine to all Syndicate members present is enjoyable, it is also very dangerous.” Hei leaned into November as he whispered.

“Worried I won’t be able to handle it?” November raised an eyebrow in disbelief at him.

“No. It would be dangerous for them. ”

“I had better get you home then.” November’s voice had dropped an octave. It seemed November wasn’t opposed to knowing Hei was almost as protective as he was.

“Why?” Hei teased with a grin. 

“How am I supposed to resist taking you right here when you say things like that?” November groaned lowly and pulled Hei into him, emphasising his point.

“Time to slip away quietly then.” Hei whispered but he could feel his cheeks warm.

 

***

 

November had a difficult time keeping his focus on the road and his hands to himself on the drive back to the flat. The only reason November hadn’t started to make out with him in the elevator was the additional occupant. November fumbled with the keys as he opened the door and pulled Hei in with him. November stole kiss after kiss as the two of them stumbled out of their shoes. 

“I see you’re wasting no time.” April giggled from the couch. “I’m almost surprised you haven’t thrown him over your shoulder to get him to bed faster.”

“I’ve been good - all night!” November grumbled and stole another kiss. His hands had already gotten Hei’s shirt untucked from his pants. ”I have no reserves left to resist him looking like that.” Hei let himself be guided back into the living room as April burst into a fresh fit of laughter. 

“Goodnight April, we will try not to make too much noise.” Hei grabbed November’s hand as he turned to face April briefly. He didn’t wait for her reply as he led November to their room. 

“By all means make noise - lots of it. I won’t stop you, I might even enjoy it.” she called playfully after them.

The only response she got was the door thumping closed. Both of their hands scrambled to undo buttons. Hei managed with more practised ease than November. 

“You look fantastic in these clothes, but they need to come off.” November growled as he fought with the buttons of Hei’s waistcoat. 

“Now you know how I feel.” Hei chuckled and pushed November down on the bed before stepping back and tauntingly undoing the remaining buttons of both it and his shirt. He would have to be careful, he was still sore but neither he nor November would be able to stop tonight. November had managed to get his trousers off before moving to the middle of the bed waiting for Hei to join him. He stared transfixed as Hei let his shirt slide off his shoulders then he slowly removed any remaining clothing before crawling onto the bed with November. November hungrily pulled Hei into his lap for a kiss and let his hands wander over the newly exposed skin. It felt so much better to feel November’s hands on him.  He never wanted to experience the feeling of Mingjue that close to him again. 

“I need you to do something for me.” Hei purred into November’s ear as he broke the kiss. 

“Mhm, name it.” November ground and leaned back, waiting and willing to complete whatever task Hei wanted him to.

“I need you to take this spot back.” Hei traced a finger around the mark on his neck that Mingjue had kissed. “I don’t want there to be any part of me that is marred by another.”

“He didn’t pin you again, did he?” worry clouded November’s bright eyes as they darted between the bruise on Hei’s neck and his eyes searching for a sign if what had happened sparked a similar reaction to the one from the hotel.

“He… no… well.” Hei sighed and leaned his forehead into November’s. “I wasn’t pinned… but he did trap me.” Hei whispered. November sucked in a breath through his teeth. Even though November was trying to cover his outrage, Hei had felt November’s hands tighten their grip on him. “I-it wasn’t for too long. My neck was the only skin he touched tonight.” Hei tried to reassure November he was going to be okay.

“I will end up murdering him the next time he tries anything else with you.” November’s fury spilled into the grumbled words as he traced the now larger bruise. November’s hand trailed up Hei’s neck until it cupped his chin. “You made it through. Any lingering effects?”

“Nothing like last time.” Hei smiled at November’s worried expression. Hei leaned in and gave November a slow, deep kiss. November’s hands trailed featherlight paths along his back that made goose pimples ripple across his skin as he squirmed in November’s lap. He loved the sensation but he couldn’t keep still when November did it.

“Maybe I should make you stay still while I do this.” November teased as he trailed kisses down Hei’s neck.

“That would be impossible.” Hei muttered and tilted his head to the side to give November better access. November’s hand around his waist tightened as Hei let his fingers tangle in November’s soft hair while his other hand traced patterns on November's back. November teased and licked his neck enthusiastically to ensure there was nothing left of Mingjue’s attempt to take what was his. There would be no hiding the hickey over the coming days. Mingjue had expanded November’s original mark and now it would be even more pronounced. Even the high collar of my Black Reaper gear won’t be able to hide this. Hei moaned and shivered at the thought of November’s silent declaration of ownership on all aspects of himself. Hei let his hand roam November’s back as the other continued.  

“I’ve reclaimed that spot.” November breathed against his neck before leaning back. “But there are other spots I need to make mine again. Show me where he touched you before.”

Hei leaned back and trailed a finger along his jaw. He let his hand fall to his chest as he mapped out the spots Mingjue had touched when they had been at the hotel. He trailed his fingers down his side to the hollow of his hip.

“Anywhere else, other than the obvious?” November asked when Hei’s hand didn’t continue.  

“All of my back. He pulled me against him. Also the back and inside of my legs” Hei swallowed trying not to think about the phantom grip on his legs even though he was sitting astride November. 

November nodded and tilted Hei’s chin. He peppered kisses along Hei’s jaw and down his neck following the path shown by Hei’s fingers. Hei leaned back, trusting November’s arms around his waist would keep him from flopping back on the bed. He didn’t hold back his moan as November teased one of his nipples between his teeth. November slowly moved his arms allowing Hei to lean further back until he was on the bed. Gently November trailed his hands down past Hei’s hips and helped adjust his legs out from under him before he continued to kiss and tease. November took his time with the skin in the hollow of his hip. Hei could already feel his body trembling in anticipation and from the grin he felt November make, so could he. 

“Don’t forget I still need to claim your back as well.” November teased with a chuckle. Hei bit back the whine. He wouldn’t make it very long if November continued to draw things out. 

“Then should I turn over?” Hei taunted back hoping to get November to pick up the pace. 

“Only if you think it won’t be too much.” November’s playful gaze turned serious. 

“I don’t think it will be, so long as it’s you.” Hei smiled at November before he turned over onto his stomach. Hei felt November shift on the bed before he leaned down and kissed his shoulder. 

“Tell me if it triggers anything. We can stop if it does.” The affection in his tone made Hei’s heart soar.

“I will.” Hei whispered earnestly and nodded. 

Cautiously November trailed kisses along his back while his hands traced their own tempting path from his hips to lower back. November tested different amounts of pressure as his hands glided across Hei’s skin. November alternated between kisses and gentle nipping, hovering just above Hei so that none of his body weight would make Hei feel trapped. Hei whined loudly. November’s exploration of what he could handle had him shivering and gripping the sheet as if it was his lifeline. 

November chuckled and let his hand trace the curve of his ass and Hei found himself chasing the contact. He had resolved he wouldn’t try to rush November when he had been with Mingjue, but he wouldn’t be able to follow through on it. November knew his body and loved to push him to the point of begging. 

“No more teasing. I can’t wait any more.” Hei panted into the sheets. In truth the friction from his movements against the bed had revealed he was far closer to orgasm than he had thought. He had felt the telltale tension low in his stomach that proclaimed just how close he was.

“I tend to prefer seeing your face as I push you over the edge, but I can take you this way too.” November chuckled from behind Hei. He didn’t need to look to know that November was smirking but he glanced behind him as he watched November shift and retrieve the bottle of lube they kept in the bedside table. November quickly returned to Hei and let his fingers trail around Hei’s waist, guiding his hips up off the bed. Hei adjusted to get his knees under him until there was no more pressure from November’s fingers. 

“Mhmn, I can see the appeal of this angle.” November groaned as he settled between Hei’s legs. He pressed his hips into Hei tauntingly. November felt as hard as he was as he rocked into Hei. Hei shivered as November leaned back and one of his fingers traced the still chill liquid around his entrance. He gasped as November’s finger sank inside of him. He was able to walk normally, but after the rough treatment from Mingjue he was still recovering. 

From this angle November wouldn’t be able to see his pain and hopefully wouldn’t know so long as he could keep from making any pained noises. He would just have to direct any noises he might make into something less suspicious. Hei was grateful that November wasn’t rushing now. As much as he wanted November inside him, he knew slow was best right now. Hei panted and mewled as a second finger was inserted. He squeezed his eyes closed as he struggled to stay relaxed against the pain. Hei felt November kiss his lower back, managing to keep his startled flinch to a twitch. He hadn’t realised his attention had been that focused that he hadn’t felt November move. A second kiss followed and November trailed his other hand along Hei’s spine. 

“Tell me if it is too much.” November murmured against his skin while he continued to stretch Hei slowly. 

“It’s not.” Hei gasped out quickly. “I - ah, didn’t feel you move. Slightly distracted.”

 “As long as it is that and not anything else.” November kissed his back again. Hei gripped the sheets and moaned as November pressed and stroked his prostate. “Fuck, I’m not going to last much longer like this. You’re vocal tonight and it’s insanely hot.” November groaned as his fingers teased Hei once more before retreating. Hei couldn’t find words to retort with. He could only pant for breath as he waited what felt like forever before November pressed his cock slowly inside. 

The pressure as November pushed forward was taking away from the pleasure his fingers had left him with. Hei grit his teeth and whined. He was glad November couldn’t see his expression as he pressed his forehead into the mattress. Hei didn’t want him to stop and knew November would should he pick up on his pain. Hei felt November adjust and lean forward and managed to keep from twitching this time as November leaned into him. One of November’s hands trailed past his hips, snaking around his waist until he reached around enough to stroke Hei’s cock. Hei groaned loudly at the contact. His whole body began to tremble as November continued to stroke him in time with his thrusts. In that moment, there was nothing but November. November was all around him. November’s touch was overloading his brain, his smell was everywhere. November’s presence wrapped around him and the rest of the world was gone. Hei felt secure in November’s embrace. Hei shuddered as his senses threatened to be overwhelmed. Suddenly November pulled away. 

“Too much?” He asked quickly. Hei blinked in confusion as he struggled to register the words November had spoken. 

“No. Very much no.” Hei groaned after a long pause. He had needed to get his brain and mouth to function in sync. It was fortunate that he had managed to speak in English, he hadn’t been confident it would come out as that. 

“Oh? You enjoyed that?” November whispered in his ear as he leaned down into Hei. This time he let Hei take some of his weight as he kissed the back of his neck. The feeling of being fully enveloped was back and Hei couldn’t keep from trembling. 

“Yes.” Hei gasped, gripping fistfuls of sheet with both hands. November leaned further down and covered Hei’s left hand. His fingers sliding between Hei’s to replace the sheet he was gripping. November steadily increased his pace and all Hei could do was hold on as he let November have complete control. His breathing had been reduced to ragged gasp and the trembling was growing steadily worse the closer November pushed him to the edge. He couldn’t keep his usual grip over his own body, words were completely beyond him now as November’s touch threatened to push him past his limits with each stroke and with each thrust. 

Hei could let someone lead, but right now he was a willing puppet under November’s touch. November had gone past all of his other walls and barriers. He had briefly given November a glimpse of him letting go of control when he had been in the hospital, but now he had complete trust in November. Tonight November had - as of yet- unknowingly gotten him to finally let go of his last reservation. Hei closed his eyes and cried out welcoming oblivion, knowing he was safe with November. Safe to even try and find what little part of himself remained buried.

“I will never get tired of seeing you like this.” November whispered through the fog. Hei hummed in response knowing anything he might try to say would be incoherent as he felt November kiss his forehead. November had shifted the two of them sometime while he was enjoying slowly coming back to reality. 

“After things settle down, I would really like to experience spending the day in bed with you.” Hei murmured with a sigh when he finally felt he could articulate a sentence. He blinked slowly looking up fondly at November. His limbs were still tingling but Hei felt relaxed in a way he hadn’t experienced before. 

“Do we have to wait?” November pouted, giving Hei a squeeze. The last vestiges of endorphins were starting to evaporate from his system. Tomorrow they would have to work out how to deal with anything else Kuei might throw at them and plan for Amber coming after him. 

“Kuei and Amber are in the country, we need to gather as much intel as we can to figure out what they are planning and try to counter both at the same time. As much fun as it would be, it would leave both of us open to attack and unable to react quickly should something happen. I don’t know about you… but my focus is not the greatest when my mind is distracted with what you are doing with your mouth.” Hei traced circles on November’s stomach before mumbling. “April has almost been zapped several times.”

“Is that why you insisted that we no longer do things on the couch?” November chuckled at Hei’s confession.

“Yes.”

“That would have been one hell of a way to find out you were BK-201.” November’s gaze shifted to the ceiling. Hei wasn’t sure things would have ended up the same way had November found out that way. It wasn’t something he wanted to dwell on either. 

“The threat of becoming an icicle or losing you was my motivation to keep some focus on what was going on around us. I definitely can’t claim that I am attentive to our surroundings anymore.”

“Speaking of our surroundings. Do you think she’s gone off drinking or retreated to her room?”

“As long as she’s not still in the living room, it doesn’t really matter. Going to see if the path is free to the shower?”

“Indeed. Once your legs are stable enough to stand, I intend to take you in the shower and render them to rubber once again. This time I'm going to enjoy seeing your expression as I make you orgasm.”

“That… might take a while, standing isn’t an option right now.” His legs might be able to manage but another round didn’t feel advisable at the moment. November had been gentle and thorough but he was certain it would be too much for him, and having November able to see his expression dampened any growing desire. 

“Then I will just have to carry you.” November smirked with a wicked glint to his eye. 

“Don’t you dare.” Hei threatened back, knowing full well November would… and that he’d let him. 

 ***

Hei fiddled with the edge of the paper in front of him. He was restless and anxious. At the insistence of all members of team MI6, he was to remain in the flat. Even July had huffed his approval at that part of the plan. While they wouldn’t be able to keep him under lockdown, they also didn’t want him wandering around on his own with the threat of Amber lurking in the city. With her ability to stop time, it would be difficult to see an attack coming. November had insisted that he keep a ‘505’ message drafted should the only time he had was to hit send should he run into her. He was also to keep his phone with him at all times so it could be tracked if needed. Whenever not at the flat, he was to try and have someone with him. Mao had volunteered to keep a vigilant watch and there had been little he had been able to do to dissuade the man turned cat. July like usual would remain with his teammates, however Yin was to stay with him or Huang so that she could safely continue to scour the city for Amber. While he was the most insulated, they all were to avoid going out alone as much as possible. November had told Misaki to have Astronomics keep an eye on UB-001. While her powers weren’t dangerous in the normal sense, she was to be considered a threat greater than BK-201. He hadn’t been able to hear Misaki’s response to November, but she had agreed to his request. The three of them had gone off to Section 4 this morning, they were still sorting through the mountain of evidence from Wang Tower. Misaki would have let him come and possibly even help, but he had chosen to stay and try and finish going through Dr. Chen’s documents. Hei sighed as he looked out over the skyline of the city. The last hour had included more of the same information he already had. 

Is this all the information Chen has? He only seems to be repeating the same thing? Hei glanced at the remaining stack of papers. He had only gotten through a third of the pages but he hadn’t made any progress in getting information. He didn’t have the time or brain power to power through the rest. Chen was wordy and while the scientific papers Shikikoza had given him had seemed excessive, they were to the point in comparison. Chen would give an example and reference some historian or theory that Chen seemed to think his reader would know about… only Hei didn’t and it often only left him more confused. 

If Amber hadn’t shown up in the city, he would just go over to the university and see if he could find Dr Chen and see if he could get a better summary about the Shadow’s powers and how they were activated. Hei sighed again. Could I just call him? He wasn’t sure if Chen would be available to answer his call. Shikikoza didn’t spend much time in his office so Chen might be the same. It doesn’t hurt to try. He flipped through the pages. He had seen some contact information somewhere. It had probably been given to Shikikoza should he deem the information useful.  It took a few minutes, but he was able to locate the page. The information had been written on a sticky note that had been attached to one of the pages that had been photocopied. With a shrug he pulled out his phone and dialled the number. 

“Wéi” a voice answered even before the second ring.

“Is this Dr. Chen?” Hei asked cautiously, continuing the conversation in Mandarin.

“En, who’s this?”

“Li Shengshun, I am Dr Shikikoza’s grad student.”

“Ah! Yes, yes. He mentioned that he had given you a copy of the materials. A bit different from your usual material, but I trust you aren’t struggling with them?” Chen’s voice now sounded interested in the conversation.

“Not too much. I was wondering if you could clarify a few things for me? I have gotten at least a hundred pages in, but I still can’t find any reference to how the Shadow uses their ability.” Hei stood up and started to pace. He was nervous about where this conversation would go.

“Nor will you. I have yet to find an account that describes the process. In my professional opinion, it probably isn’t something that was seen. Their effect is seen as holy magic or even as if they were manipulating cosmic energies.”

“Could it be a passive ability?” November seemed to think he was changing contractors but it wasn’t something he knew he was doing.

“Potentially.” Chen hummed and paused. “Yes, at least part of the Shadow’s powers probably are. I think some of it would have to be directed, but things could be linked to their presence. I’ve found references stating the Shadow had a calming effect on the populace.” 

“Have you come across any other physical descriptions? The double pupil reference seems odd.”

“While there is a mutation in humans that causes double pupils, I am not certain what is referenced in the texts is the same. It sounds to me more like there was the regular pupil surrounded by a dark - but not brown discernible iris.” 

“Like dark blue?” Hei wondered aloud and hoped he was wrong

“Precisely! Although eyes of that shade are unusual, even more so in families of Asian descent.” Hei could hear the excitement in Chen’s voice.

“Your notes reference the Kuei family. Do you think that if the Shadow still existed it would be found there?” Hei rubbed his temple. So far Chen had only confirmed his suspicions. 

“Most certainly. The Kuei were constantly well regarded in society. Often within the inner circle of power. My research also shows that they were known to have a blue eyed trait passed down through the generations.” 

“Have you been able to locate any more recent Kuei’s that might have blue eyes?” Hei did his best to keep his nervousness out of his voice. He heard the shuffling of paper over the phone.

“I have, but I haven’t been able to locate any living Kuei’s with blue eyes.” Cheng grumbled.

“Could you tell me the most recent one you know of?” Hei’s heart rate increased. Might he know his grandfather’s name?

“Kuei ChengLing, it was listed on his military record that he had blue eyes. He died in Wuhan back in 1997.”

“What? Wuhan?” Hei hadn’t been able to stop himself in surprise.

“You’re from there! I was trying to place your dialect of Mandarin. It’s Hankou, isn't it?”

“It is. I’m from Wuchang district.” Hei was surprised. He wasn’t sure he still had his original accent anymore. 

“So was he. You don’t know any Kuei’s do you?” Chen was excited, almost desperate for information. 

“I haven’t been in Wuchang since 1991. I was six when I left and don’t remember too much.”

“Ah, any relatives you know of that could check?”

“No.” Hei answered quickly. He took a breath. Chen had confirmed his suspicion. “Thank you for your help Dr. Chen. I may reach out again later.” He mumbled, barely waiting for the other’s response before closing the phone. 

Amber was in Japan and he no longer held any doubt that he was the Emperor’s shadow. 

How would he be able to stay away from the Gate? Amber had gotten Bai to seal off Heaven’s Gate… What would happen if she managed to get him to Hell’s Gate? Another containment area? He hoped it wouldn’t lead to that. Chen hadn’t referenced something like that happening before in his notes, why had it happened this time? In the back of his mind another part about the shadow gnawed at him. Would he disappear like Bai had? He was starting to feel threads of panic. He didn’t want that to happen. He didn’t want either of those things to happen. Hei took a deep breath to calm himself down. They had a plan and Amber wouldn’t be able to get him easily. Hei looked down at his phone again. November needed to know about this development. Granted November probably already suspected he was the Shadow he still needed to know it was a certainty. He erased the drafted 505 message and typed out.

-Call me when you get this.-

 

Notes:

I hope that you enjoyed this chapter.
Thank you so much for all the comments and kudos. The comments often make my day when I read them!
It will probably be late February before the next one but after that things will be back to my previous ability to write at work.

Chapter 20: Chapter Nineteen

Notes:

Nope, not dead!
Just unexpectedly evolved into the boss and have had 0 time for anything.
I've finally gotten this ready to post and you had better buckle up. There's a lot happening in this and the next chapters.

November POV

November leaned against the exterior wall of Section 4’s headquarters looking up at the slow moving clouds. The drawback from his powers meant his body craved the nicotine even if he didn’t use them. He could, and frequently did, use it as an excuse to get a couple of minutes alone to just think. Today, he had a lot to think about. November sighed, he really wanted to be able to just relax and enjoy some time with Hei. Saturday night had been fantastic; it felt like Hei was finally getting used to letting himself express what he was feeling. November toyed with the cigarette in his mouth. Hei hadn’t held back, but he feared there was more to it. It wasn’t like Hei to focus his attention solely on one thing to the point he no longer registered where other people were. He had tried to cover it, but that twitch was the equivalent of Hei jumping out of his skin. If he had to guess, Hei’s comment that Mingjue hadn’t been gentle, was a serious understatement. 

As soon as the opportunity presented itself, November intended to kill Mingjue. Kuei would have to die as well; but Mingjue would be first. He had thought seeing Hei’s panic attack would be the worst he would see, at least he had hoped it would. That night, after he came back from the hotel, Hei had been raw and broken. He still was, although his years of training helped him hide it from many, November knew Hei well enough to see the cracks. Hei had let him in when he was putting himself back together after sleeping with Mingjue. It wasn’t something Hei let anyone see, and it meant the world to November that he had been granted the privilege, but Mingjue would die. Before he left the city, if November could arrange it. 

He had looked into Kuei and his entourage. Their schedule and routes around the city weren’t flawless, but they did stick to more public spaces. It made planning ambushes difficult when you needed to keep things under the radar. He had wanted to see if something could be arranged while they travelled between PANDORA and the airport, but February had made things more complicated. He had to be more cautious now that she was an active threat. Her sights would be on Hei and she would do whatever she had to do, to get her claws into him.

Hei could defend himself and November trusted he could, but he wanted to protect Hei. It was selfish, and only Hei had managed to make him feel this way since he had become a contractor. November had known that Hei was changing him, now knowing about the Shadow, he might have an answer as to why. This mysterious Shadow, although still a theory, helped solve some of the more puzzling aspects of Hei’s past. 

It had bugged him that Hei’s grandmother had said they were ‘too important to let go’. A statement that would be true if Hei and his sister were needed to keep the gates from forming. It also would explain why Hei or his sister were needed to manipulate the gates and February’s interest in them and why Kuei had stationed Hei in Japan. Hei wouldn’t want to be the one responsible for something like Heaven’s Gate. November also knew that should Hei think he needed to do it to protect those he loved, he wouldn’t even hesitate.

That was just who Hei was. November loved and hated it. Hei didn’t complain, he did what was needed. If it bothered him, Hei kept it to himself, even when he shouldn’t. He had grown up ignoring his own needs. Not unlike how he still needed to get a better coat. Maybe I should just get him one. A green one - he prefers that colour. Hei might not take care of himself, but November would. November smirked as he crushed the remnants of the cigarette under his foot before heading inside. 

“Will you tell Li what happened last night?” April leaned towards him as he sat down, ignoring the evidence file in front of her. She purposely used Hei’s alias to keep any member of Section 4 who might be listening from asking questions. 

“I don’t think so. With all that is going on, it’s not needed. He worries more than he lets on. Besides, me threatening to leave MI6 is only words. I didn’t have to act on it.” November whispered back.

“Still it makes it pretty clear where your loyalty is.” April chucked and sat back in her chair. It seemed she had no interest in the file in front of her.

“He already knows that, and I know I have his. One thing that did come from last night’s party; from the reaction I got, it made it pretty clear Decade is a mole. We will have to be careful”

“Don’t worry big guy, I’ll protect you.” April teased.

“Between the three of us, our mole is a sitting duck.”

“He hasn’t a chance in hell to escape.” April frowned as she looked down at the files in front of her. “How much longer are we supposed to sift through this shit?” April grumbled. 

“Until it is sorted.” Misaki glared from her side of the table. “We can’t afford to miss a single piece of evidence that might lead to the capture of BK-201.”

“Or finding out what happened to VI-952’s body?” November added. There was a slight eyebrow twitch from Misaki. A sore subject for her; as his star hadn’t fallen the night of the attack and afterwards his body had gone missing.

“Yes.” She answered through clenched teeth. Silence stretched for several minutes as all present looked down at the papers in front of them. 

“November, here’s the call log that you had asked for.” Misaki slid a file across the table to November. 

“Wonderful. Could I also trouble you to let me see the rest of the file on Shengshun’s kidnapping?” November asked with a smirk as he pulled the file towards himself. 

Misaki paused, chewing on her lip for a moment. “I will let you see the phone records, but I can’t let you see the whole file. You are too personally involved.”

November was startled that Misaki wouldn’t let him see the file. Is there more to it?

“Ah… Alright. I can accept that.” November flipped the file open to see the list of calls placed by various members of the Romanian mafia. He scanned through the list quickly, looking for calls to or from a Chinese number. His chest tightened, there was a call followed not long after by a photo message to another number. How did Hei’s grandmother know the Romanians?

“I’m guessing that you found what you were expecting.” Misaki gave him a hard look. How much does she suspect? It wasn’t like Misaki to lay traps.

“I did.” November confirmed. He would have to tread carefully until he figured out her theory. 

“What does Li-kun have to do with them? We went back six months, the only time they called that number was when they had him. How did they know to call that number? He didn’t mention giving them any information, and his phone only had your and April’s number’s.”

November felt the cold seep into his blood as Misaki pushed him into a corner. He would have to have an answer for her, but what? He had grown complacent, seeing Misaki as an ally who wouldn’t question him. She didn’t have the whole picture and was the type to dig until she got it. 

“I believe they were in contact with his grandmother, probably seeking a ransom. His family in China is quite wealthy and influential; it is possible the Romanians were aware of that.” November decided to use as much of the truth as he could. “Shengshun wouldn’t have given them the number. But he might not have had to, it could have been his unusual eye colour that gave them the idea to reach out. He … has a strained relationship with his family. He’s studying here, without their approval… or consent.” It was more information that he really would have liked to have shared with Misaki, but he wanted her to back down quickly. Making it seem like he had nothing to hide was the best route to achieve that.

“Why did you ask to see the file?” Misaki’s questions had piqued the interest of the other members of Section 4 as they all glanced up from their respective files at them. 

“I had my suspicions that someone had reached out to his family. I wanted to rule this out as a possibility but it seems I have confirmed it instead.” November sighed before continuing knowing Misaki would ask if he didn’t offer the reason for his suspicion. “His father showed up here on Thursday, intent on bringing him back to China. He hadn’t told them he was in Japan, so we were trying to narrow down how they found out.” 

“What happened last night?”

Damn Misaki’s good hearing. 

“Shengshun’s father invited us to Minister Komura’s party, where he attempted to pressure me into breaking up with Shengshun. It didn’t work. I am not one to be intimidated easily.”

There were stunned looks on many of the member’s of Section 4. 

“Are we sure we are talking about the same Li-san?” Saitou “I never would have pegged him for having a wealthy background.”

“Just how influential is his family?” Misaki’s eyes had widened with the startling information.

“His father arrived on Thursday, and by Saturday had gotten himself along with Shengshun and I on the guest list to the foreign minister’s private party. I would say very influential. Not only that, he also was invited to see a demonstration at PANDORA today and made it sound like it would be nothing to get Shengshun in to see it either.”

“I think ‘very influential’ is putting it mildly.” Kono muttered behind his mug.

“Influential enough to be allowed to drag his son to an active warzone.” Misaki muttered.

“You mean kids, Li’s sister was there too.” April scoffed in disgust at Kuei’s treatment of his children.

“Sister?” All members of Section 4 chimed together in shock.

November wanted to throttle April, she didn’t have to mention any extra information.

“She was A-Shun’s twin sister. She died, like many when the containment area was created. He’s studying Hell’s Gate because of her.”

“How did he escape if they had been there together?” Kono sat back in his seat, eyes wide. All members of Section 4 had worked on one of the cases involving Hei, so they had an idea of his background, but the information they had gotten today seemed to be a struggle for them.

“His memories are fuzzy about the actual incident, but they weren’t in the same location when things happened. He, thankfully, was far enough away to survive.” November muttered when Misaki stared at him.

“That much exposure to gate particles… No wonder his memory is fuzzy?” Otsuka mumbled. November didn’t know her very well. Misaki usually had her working at the National Observatory as a liaison. Misaki’s interest seemed perked. 

“I’ve heard many of those who were there when the Heaven's Gate catastrophe happened became contractors.” Misaki mumbled. Her comment was met with stunned silence then laughter. 

“Seriously Chief, there’s no way that Li-san is a contractor.” Saitou waved his hand as if to dismiss the comment. Hei had done a fantastic job ensuring that they wouldn’t even suspect he was BK-201.

“If that were the case there would be a lot more South American contractors than there are.” November shrugged. He had best sow some doubt into this theory and crush it before Misaki got any ideas. 

“I supposed that is true.” Misaki frowned down at the file in front of her.

Why would she think Hei might be a contractor? Hei didn’t act like one; then again neither did he or April. He did say he never formed a contract… so he might not actually be one. Misaki must have a reason for her suspicion, but what? It wasn’t like Misaki and Hei had spent a lot of time together… and she did have a crush on him. Could it be that she feigned interest to see if he would come around more to confirm or deny her theory about him? It didn’t feel likely. That wasn’t the type of person Misaki was, she was more direct than that. November’s thoughts were interrupted as his and Misaki’s phones went off at the same time.

That can’t be good. He exchanged a quick worried glance with Misaki before he flipped his phone open.

“Hello?” November had only briefly glanced at the number to ensure it wasn’t Hei. 

“There’s been an explosion at PANDORA. I need you to get over there right now.” Decade’s voice was low and rushed. 

“What!?” Misaki’s shock had raised the volume of her voice. She got the same news then.

“Schroeder’s experiment?” November asked quickly. Hei had been worried something would happen. He had also been worried about what it might cause should it go wrong. With all that had come up in the last few days he hadn’t had the chance to ask Hei more about it nor had Hei the time to explain his concerns. 

“How? Yes.” Decade sounded astounded as he stumbled over his words.

“Perks of having a brilliant boyfriend.” November grinned and took the opportunity to get a dig in at Decade for trying to force him away from Hei. 

“Just get over there!” Decade snarled. The man was clearly frustrated that November hadn’t simply followed orders. He wouldn’t be surprised if Decade suspected that his position as mole in MI6 had been exposed. They would have to be cautious around him from now on.

“Yes sir.” November snapped the phone shut. Decade is a problem for later. Misaki was staring at him, her own phone closed in her hand.

“What experiment?” Misaki’s question had all eyes on him. 

“Schroeder's experiment to test one of his theories. Shengshun was worried something might happen when he found out they were testing one of them at PANDORA today. He considers it unstable and that there weren't enough safeguards to proceed with any sort of full scale testing. He even declined an invitation to go and see it; it seems he was right to worry.” November explained what he remembered from dinner with Kuei. Hei’s worried expression when he had confirmed it would be Schroeder’s anti-gate particles that were being tested, now had November’s stomach sinking. Hei hadn’t been able to keep his worry to himself, it meant it was something bad enough to make the feared Black Reaper want to avoid it. 

“The one his father was going to? Are there any risks we should be aware of?” Misaki asked quickly as she began to pack up the files in front of her. April beside him had opted to just leave the files on the table and get July. November gathered her abandoned files and his own.

“Yes, the same one. I think Schroeder was testing anti-gate particles. I can -” November paused as his phone went off again, this time with a text. He flipped the phone open quickly.

-Call me when you get this.-

“One moment, I’ll ask Shengshun.” November muttered as he passed the files about Hei’s kidnapping over to Misaki and dialled. If he’s asking me to call, it isn’t good news. Has he heard already?

“Anyone other than MI6 around?” Hei answered before the first ring had finished.

“Yes. Did you hear about Schroeder’s demonstration?” November watched Misaki continuously look over her shoulder at him as she put the files away.

“... No.” Hei sounded stunned. “Did something happen?” 

“We are about to head over because there was an explosion.”

“Explosion?” Hei sounded confused.

“Yeah, not what you were expecting to hear?” November knew Hei was worried about Schroder’s theories and what they might do to contractors. Hopefully explosions were the worst of what they might face when they got there. 

“Well, it was a possibility but it wasn’t what I thought would happen. I thought it would be more along the lines of a radiation leak or EMP… “ Hei’s voice trailed off as he spoke. “There still could be. Please be careful. He was trying to nullify gate particles including those within contractors. If there are any anti-gate particles that are still active they could affect your powers and July’s abilities. I’m worried the particles will stay active and spread. We’re in trouble if that happens.” November could hear the worry and concern in Hei’s voice. He hadn’t considered that anti-gate particles might impact contractors. Clearly Hei had, and to him it was a very real threat.
“Any danger to humans?” November knew it would be Misaki’s first question when he got off the phone with Hei.

“No, just to contractors and dolls.”

“So Misaki and co are safe.” November watched Misaki relax as she ushered her team out of the room. April tapped her foot impatiently for him to hurry up. 

“Ah, you’re at Section 4. They shouldn’t have anything to worry about. Call me back when you’re on your way over.”

“Sounds good. Do you want me to update you should I run into your father?” November asked as an afterthought. Kuei had been there, and November was likely to run into him.

“... I doubt you will need to, he’s a cockroach, this wouldn’t have killed him.”

“Okay. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Stay safe.” Hei mumbled quietly. He must really be worried.

“Don’t worry, you won’t be rid of me that easily.” November teased playfully. He wanted to reassure Hei everything would be fine. He was the best agent MI6 had. Hei didn’t have to worry about him. Misaki would make sure to kick them out if things started to go sideways. Both he and Hei knew that. She wouldn’t risk any member of her team, even the ones that were temporary. 

“If that was a joke it was in bad taste.” November was taken aback, he hadn’t heard Hei’s voice that cold since he had fought BK-201. 

“That serious then? Alright, we will be cautious.” November paused in his step. It seemed even he had underestimated how dangerous Hei perceived this threat to be. 

“Thank you.” Hei’s voice was quiet before he hung up. November recognized that it was the nervous tone he used when he was more worried than he wanted to let on. He hoped that it was only Schroder’s experiment that was worrying Hei and not whatever he had wanted to talk about. He’d get to the car quickly so he could call back and find out what else had happened.

“He says there shouldn’t be any issue for humans. If any of the particles are active then April, July and I might have problems.” November quickly caught up to Misaki. 

“Should you stay behind? It sounded like he was very worried something might happen.” Misaki slowed slightly. She still believed Hei’s word as a gate scientist, so even though she suspects something, she still trusts him. I’ll still have to be careful of what I say around her. 

“We’ve been ordered to go as well. If there is a problem we will deal with it as it arises.” November stated simply earning a nod from Misaki. It was a short ride down the lift to the garage. April was waiting with July next to his car. She didn’t even have a smart comment as the three of them piled in. November hit redial before he turned the engine over. Turning it to speakerphone and handing it over to April as she sat down.

“All clear now?” Hei asked. He could still hear the worry in Hei’s tone. 

“You’re on speaker cutie, but you don’t have to keep it PG.” April chimed in quickly. July shifted forward, leaning in to hear better. 

“Yeah. What was it you wanted to talk about?” November rolled his eyes at April and shifted the car into gear. There was a long pause. April exchanged a worried look with him as they waited.

“I called Dr. Chen. He thinks the Shadow trait travelled down the Kuei family line and would theoretically manifest as dark blue eyes.” Hei finally managed to bring himself to say. 

“He thinks you're the Shadow?” November asked. He had suspected that would be the case, but hearing Hei say it solidified things.

“ I think I am. I made sure not to mention my eye colour to Chen. With how you keep saying I’ve changed you and other contractors… what happened at Heaven’s Gate… and how  it was caused by Bai, Kuei’s reaction to the files and so on, it's gone past coincidence. It’s hard to dispute the probability.” Hei’s voice was strained. It was probably what had been behind some of the worry he had heard earlier. Coming to terms with being the one person who could get rid of contractors and the Gates would be rough on anyone. Hei was right, his joke had been in bad taste, intentional or not. 

“Hei, don’t worry about being the shadow. We will cross that bridge when it comes.” November tried his best to sound reassuring. He would do everything he could to support Hei and Hei knew that. 

“Okay.” Hei muttered but he still sounded worried. 

“We’ve got a plan for February, it covers a lot of the worry about being the shadow too.” November added. It wasn’t like Hei to reach out for reassurance. November cursed Decade internally. He wanted to go to the flat and console Hei. He didn’t have moments like this often and he wanted Hei to know he was allowed to have them. That it was alright to want to reach out when he was worried or scared, but they had to go to PANDORA.

“You just have to stay away from the gate. Easy- peasy. You can do that. Stay at the flat and bang November some more. Done deal.” April blurted while he was distracted 

“A-April!” Hei stuttered into the phone. At least he doesn’t sound worried right now.

“I am not opposed to that idea.” November chuckled. If only it was that easy. They wouldn’t be able to keep Hei in the flat forever. Hei was being incredibly accommodating by essentially locking himself up while they tried to track down Amber. November knew how much Hei hated being stuck in one place. The days he had been at the flat after getting out of the hospital had shown all of them just how restless Hei could get. They weren’t to that point yet… but it wouldn’t take long before Hei had cabin fever. 

“Of course you’re not.” Hei sighed. “Tell me about PANDORA when you get back and if anything feels off all of you get out of there. Straight away if anything feels off, understand?”

“Yes Mum. I’ll make sure Dad doesn’t take unnecessary risks.” April teased further, grinning brightly as she did. 

“July and Yin are our kids. You’re their crazy aunt. So, keep your brother from doing anything stupid.” Hei snapped back playfully.

“Alright.” April managed as she laughed. November smiled. It was good to hear Hei banter with April. She didn’t know what had happened with Hei and Mingjue, only that it was something worse than his kidnapping. She knew his background, but she didn’t know just how well he could hide his emotions. He would have been able to trick her had he not flinched after coming back to the flat on Thursday. Hei was on the mend, but he had a long way to go. A break would do him a world of good. Has he ever even had an actual vacation? He really would have to get Hei away for a week as soon as they could manage. He needed to experience a vacation, preferably one where they had nothing but sex planned. 

“I’ll call you when we are on our way back.” 

“En. I mean it. Don’t take risks.” 

“I Love you too. I’ll be fine. I know you hate being on the sidelines and you're only doing it because we all vetoed you. I promise not to take risks so long as you do the same.” November knew Hei had no plans to put himself in danger and hoped that would reassure him at least a little. 

“Alright. I’ll see you when you get back. Hopefully you’ve got the kitchen well stocked so I can figure out something to make for supper.”

“Looking forward to it.” 

“Bye Sweetie.” April added before she hung up.

 

They were greeted by PANDORA security long before they made it to the building. The six white armoured goons didn’t seem pleased to have MI6 show up. They did seem nervous. Not the ‘the place is contaminated’ type of nervous either. He didn’t get much time to dwell on it as Misaki and Section 4 arrived, escorted by their own set of equally unhappy goons. Misaki was quick to fall into step next to him as they were led to the area of Schroeder’s demonstration.

“This doesn’t feel like an experiment gone wrong. They are too tense, like they are expecting an attack.” Misaki whispered to him.

“Or one just happened.” November muttered back.

“You don’t think that someone sabotaged the demonstration?” Misaki glanced quickly over to him. He could already tell she thought the same. 

“We will find out what happened soon enough. Looks like he’s in charge.” November nodded over to a dark haired man with glasses. November had seen him when they had arrived with Havoc. He wasn’t sure what the man’s actual job at PANDORA was, but it seemed to involve a good deal of organisation collaboration or public relations. 

“Mr. Simon, Chief Kirihara” the man in the glasses smiled one of his practiced ‘everything is fine’ smiles but even he seemed to be feeling the seriousness of what had transpired. “While we all understand that PANDORA is an international institution, I will reiterate that today’s events will require cooperation with many organisations to hunt down those responsible.” He continued. His posture betrayed that he was extremely concerned about what had happened, but from experience November knew that type of person wouldn’t give up all the information easily. 

“Can you explain what happened Mr. Nishijima?” Misaki cut in before Nishijima could begin to offer more diversion from the reason they were there. Nishijima sighed and pushed his glasses up. 

“We were targeted by the criminal organisation known as Evening Primrose. A group seeking contractor rights.”

“They chose Schroeder’s demonstration because of his anti-gate particles?” November asked calmly, probing to see what information might be given away. Nishijima’s focus shifted from Misaki to himself. It was a cold and calculating gaze that was assessing what level of threat November might pose. 

“Yes. Their actions today will not garner contractors any support, but it does set back his research significantly.” He hesitated longer than needed as he formulated a response. Another Syndicate member? It was possible. Decade was certainly one it wasn’t beyond improbable to think Nishijima was. 

“Did any of the particles leak out?” April asked from his side, still holding onto July’s hand. July was staring past April at a line of windows looking over a testing area. 

“No, the anti-gate particles weren’t their objective. They went after Dr. Schroeder and those who sympathise with his theories. Many of his benefactors were present today. They have kidnapped the doctor and many powerful and influential people who had come to observe the demonstration were killed. Their respective governments and organisations will be demanding justice.” Nishijima seemed uncomfortable that so much was known about what had been happening. He probably hoped we would be oblivious police grunts. They were fortunate Hei had inside knowledge of Gate theories. 

“Can we see the scene?” Misaki asked cautiously. Nishijima paused but nodded, gesturing towards a door to their left. The two goons guarding the door nodded in response before one opened the door. November’s nose was assaulted with the scent of burnt plastic and blood as he followed Misaki into the room. 

It was a small auditorium… at least it had been. The walls were charred and broken in places from several explosions. The scattered patterns didn’t match any explosive that he was familiar with. November stepped to one side to let the others into the room and continued to take in the scene. There was no reason to continue counting the origin points of blasts after he passed twenty. It had been a contractor who had been responsible. February must have gathered several contractors to her new organisation. There were clear signs that more than one contractor had been present. Explosions were the most evident, but there were gaps in the wall that resembled the blood matter transportation ability of Wei Zhijun and impact cracks of where something or someone had been forcefully thrown into the wall. That solves the mystery of where his body went. November thought grimly to himself. Hei hadn’t made it out of his fight with Wei Zhijun unscathed. From all that he had seen of the scene, Hei had struggled but hadn’t had to use his full powers. November sighed. It hadn’t been that long ago but he kept forgetting to ask Hei about it. 

His eyes settled on the front of the room. A lone corpse, hung pinned to the wall by two metal rods jammed through his shoulders. The whole front of their shirt was stained red and a knife pierced through a stack of papers was lodged over his heart. It seemed someone other than Schroeder had been their focus. Who might February consider such a threat that they warranted to be killed in such a way? The man’s death had been brutal and a clear message to someone. November walked forward, he couldn’t see the face from this angle. Midnight hair obscured the features of the one February had pinned on display. There was something about the figure that was strangely familiar. November knelt down to look at the face of Evening Primrose’s singled out victim. 

“Fuck. I wanted to be the one to kill you.” November growled as he looked at the vacant eyes and slack features of Kuei LuanYi. On top of the knife through his heart and rods impaling him to the wall, there was a jagged deep cut across his throat. It seemed February also had a strong distaste for the now dead man.

“Eh?” Misaki gasped beside him. She glanced quickly between November and the corpse.

“That’s Li LuanYi.” November stepped back in disbelief that Kuei was now dead. Hei had been certain that nothing would happen to his father at PANDORA. Will he be happy to hear his father is dead? With all that Kuei had put Hei through, some part of Hei might… but he had still been his father. “Shengshun’s father.” November added when silence followed his previous statement.

“What! I thought Li said he was a cockroach.” April called out from behind him. April had only heard of him referenced as Keui. Kuei LuanYi had been a cockroach, but one who’s time had come.

“Li-kun’s father?” Misaki’s eyes went wide. “The one who forced him to fight in Heaven’s War?” Misaki leaned in to examine the corpse in front of them. Kuei had been right, Hei got most of his features from his mother, but seeing the man in front of him like this sent a chill down November’s spine. His features were too similar to Hei’s.

“Ye- I never said he fought in Heaven’s War.” November barely caught himself before he turned to Misaki. I can’t let my guard down around her anymore. Misaki doubted Hei was human and now was picking away at loose threads that he would have to shore up. 

“He did though, from the doctor’s report he had seen lots of combat from a young age. I assume all of that was his doing. Li-kun ran away to Japan to escape that life didn’t he?” November was startled at the venom in her voice. Maybe… I wonder if her soft spot for Hei will help us divert her attention away. We can’t have her thinking Hei’s BK-201. Perhaps as long as they kept Misaki from figuring out Hei was the one she was after, things could continue as they were. 

“He’s been avoiding his family longer than he’s been in Japan.” November sighed. “Given the choice he would avoid them forever.” November dodged Misaki’s question, but did offer her a bit of truth. He glanced around the room. He would need to take a closer look at the other bodies to see if Mingjue was among them. It would be an odd turn should two of their main threats suddenly be taken out by the third threat. Hei wouldn’t think himself that lucky, but November wasn’t so sure. 

“I still will have to have him come in to identify the body and do a next of kin notification. MI6 doesn’t have jurisdiction to do those.” Misaki’s voice brought him out of his musings. That meant Misaki would be coming to the apartment, tomorrow probably or the day after depending on how bogged down with paperwork she became. International incident, lots of red tape. Hei will have a little time to process before she shows up with the official notice. With how unstable Mingjue and Kuei had left Hei finding out Kuei was dead - shouldn’t, but might just push Hei over the edge and he did not want Misaki to see that side of Hei. Hei barely let him see it. 

“True, but I will be telling him what’s happened when I see him next. You can come by the flat later.” November stepped back from Kuei’s body taking in some of the closer bodies to the front. He had left it open as to when Misaki could come over. He needed her to still feel welcome. They would have to tread carefully to avoid her suspicion. The poor sods near the front were in better shape than Kuei - at least the ones in one piece. November spent several minutes going over the bodies. There were several Chinese men in black suits, presumably Kuei’s bodyguards but Mingjue was not among them. November moved further from the front carefully inspecting the bodies as he went. There were lots of foreigners in attendance, but it seemed Kuei and his entourage were the only Chinese nationals. 

“You’re looking for someone.” April whispered next to him. Misaki was still down by Kuei and was unlikely to overhear them, but November was glad April was being cautious.

“Yes. His father had a hand in what happened to Shengshun on Thursday but he wasn’t the one who carried it out. I’m looking for that person and it appears he is absent.”

“If he’s not here, where could he be?” April mumbled as she looked over at July who had stopped by a puddle. There was a spectre looking up at him. Hei probably got Yin to check in on us. November smiled slightly as he looked over at the boy. 

“I don’t know. He was the one that Kuei had deliver our invitation to the party. He was also the reason we went back to Ah-Shun’s place after the dinner. From that, I know that Kuei would send him on errands so he could be on one of those. I know he’s been sent on everything from choosing clothes for Shengshun to waiting outside the restaurant to escort us.” With Kuei dead, Mingjue was off the leash. How good was Kuei’s intel? November couldn’t shake the feeling that Mingjue knew where the flat was. Kuei hadn’t bothered to ask during their supper interrogation about where November was living. Then again, he might have only gone with sending the invitations to Hei’s apartment because the Syndicate knew where it was.

“Will we have to be on the lookout for him returning?” April folded her arms across her chest. Her body language was giving away how worried she was. Finding out that the person who had managed to shake the ‘cursed contractor’ was missing, might have April showing just how worried about Hei she actually was. Maybe she did realise just how raw he’s been since then. He wanted to get back to the flat soon. With Mingjue on the loose and Hei alone at the apartment he had a bad feeling settling in his stomach. 

“It’s a possibility.” November glanced back at Misaki who hadn’t moved from Kuei’s body. Someone will have to tell the rest of his family. November doubted that Hei’s grandmother would take the news well, even if the two were at odds. Having Hei be the one to call her would be too risky. “I hope he does, it means Mingjue can break the news that Kuei’s dead. I hope Shengshun doesn’t have to.” November didn’t want to see the sleazy goon, but saving Hei from having to talk to his grandmother would be the best outcome for Hei. 

“Okay, so we keep an eye out for someone named Mingjue. Any family name?”

“Shengshun only called him Mingjue, so did Kuei. I honestly don’t know if Mingjue is his family name or his given name.”

“Well, it’s not exactly a common Chinese name so that will help narrow things down.” April shifted from one foot to the other as she glanced around the room.

“Yes.” November sighed and went over the scene again trying to see what he might have missed. February had come with at least four members of her new organisation. One had the explosive ability he had already identified, one seemed to be able to do another type of blast, someone else had been responsible for putting the rods through Kuei. November wasn’t sure if that was some sort of telekinetic ability or a form of metal manipulation. The last person he suspected could teleport. There wasn’t any sign of the only door being forced open in either direction and there hadn’t been any sign of the attack on their way to the room. He sighed again. February had put together a well rounded team. The one with the teleportation ability would make everything more complicated, especially when combined with February’s ability to control time. I hope Hei’s safe at the flat. Our whole plan is out the window now if someone can just teleport in and grab him. He looked over at Misaki as her phone rang out.

“Kanami? How’d you get through? PANDORA interferes with cell service - What? You mean now? Where?” Misaki stood up straight and glanced between the members of her team. Kanami… November remembered hearing that name before. That is the name of Misaki’s friend at Astronomics ! She had helped in their search for Hei when he had been kidnapped by the Romanians. The one he still needed to thank for her help. Could she be calling about what happened here? There shouldn’t be any current star activity. There must be something else going on. 

“He’s not used a sustained pulse since VG-062, and you're saying his star has been in an active state for ten minutes?”

Hei.  

November’s blood ran cold. Hei was supposed to be at the flat. He knew not to go out. Had there been an attack at the flat? Had February gone after him already using the PANDORA scene as a distraction. Bollocks she would have. Classic move to separate the target from their guards. 

“What? Is that even possible? I’ve never-” Misaki seemed to have been cut off by Kanami. She shifted nervously as she listened to some explanation. “If you’re sure. How close can you get?”

November had to resist pulling out his phone and calling Hei. If he was in enough trouble for him to need to use his electron manipulation ability uninterrupted for 10 minutes, he didn’t need the distraction. He glanced over at April, who nodded. They needed to go and investigate what was going on with BK-201.

“I’m sending people there now. Call me if you can get through or if something happens to his star.” Misaki didn’t wait for a response before snapping her phone shut. 

“BK-201?” November asked as he cautiously approached. Misaki knew that he was trying to find BK-210. He wouldn’t be able to appear too eager or worried, in case she started to suspect Hei was BK-201. He managed to pull off a tone sounding interested but unbothered by the potentially life threatening situation Hei was in right now. 

“Yes. Nandomachi, by the park. Saitou, Kuno go quickly.” Misaki singled out who she could spare from PANDORA to find out what was happening with BK-201.

“We will head there as well.” The flat wasn’t in Nandomachi, it was in Aoyama. Which meant Hei had gone out or had been dragged out. Neither situation sat well with him. 

“Kanami says Astronomics dolls can’t get close.” Misaki called out as he made his way to the door. April and July weren’t far behind him.

“Then we had best hurry and take advantage of the situation to catch him. July will take a look on our way.” He smiled back at Misaki before hurrying back to his car. Hei must be fighting all out, and this was the first time he had ever heard of Hei using his powers for that long. It would take them at least fifteen minutes for them to get to Nandomachi and each of those minutes would feel like an eternity. 

Please be alright.

 

They followed closely behind Saitou and Kuno, the siren on their car kept them from being delayed further by traffic. November had given in and tried to call Hei as they raced over, but as he expected there was no answer. November was getting more worried by the minute. Hei hadn’t even managed to send the 505 message he was supposed to have queued on his phone. If it was February, it would explain why he didn’t have the time… November prayed she hadn’t found him as he shifted the car into park. He turned to July who had been silent the entire ride. His little hand rested on the glass and his eyes distant. He can’t find him. November’s heart clinched. 

“Is there still interference like Astronomic’s dolls experienced?”

“There was… it’s gone now. Yin looked north to east. I watch south and west. We can’t find him.” There was a sad frustration to his voice that not many would have been able to notice. 

“He’s somewhere, keep looking, be thorough and you will find him.” November kept the worry from his voice as he glanced over at April and asked. “Has Yin told her team Hei’s missing?”

“En. Mao is coming. Huang and Yin will follow.” July nodded once and turned to get out of the car.

“Now that the interference is gone, were you able to locate the scene?” April asked as she took July’s hand to help him out of the car. July nodded once before accepting her hand and following close behind as November walked over to Saitou and Kono. 

“Did Misaki say if there were any other active contractors in the area at the same time?” He had forgotten to ask while she was on the phone with Kanami, distracted by his concern for Hei. Kuno glanced at Saitou who pulled out his phone. Clearly they hadn’t thought to ask that either. November glanced around as Saitou dialled Misaki’s number. They were by the Nandomachi park, but as of yet there were no signs of a struggle. 

“I left a message for her to call us back with information.” Saitou called over to them

“July which way?” April glanced back at November as she spoke. Her own worry for Hei was starting to show through. It wasn’t helping the lead that had formed in his stomach from worry. July’s small hand pointed down a side street. The three of them paused long enough for Saitou and Kuno to join them before they followed July’s directions for several minutes.

“God what is that smell?” Kuno gasped and quickly covered his nose. Kuno hadn’t been there the last time Hei had pulled on his molecular manipulation. When the smell registered to Saitou he grimaced. November glanced around looking for signs of the fight that surely had happened.

“That means we are close.” November muttered. It was the same smell from Ochiai park when Hei had fought VG-062. The only other time he had used his molecular manipulation in Japan and the only other time his star had sustained activity. 

“You mean he fried someone else?” Kuno groaned nasally and shot Saitou a pitiful look. I don’t know what’s happened to the one who means the world to me and you’re upset about the smell! November schooled his expression. He was a contractor. He couldn’t let the emotions that Hei had managed to re-awaken in him show.

“Kirihara did say that he used his powers in the same way as that time.” Saitou let out a defeated sigh, like the man had already realised that this was going to be the outcome. 

April groaned at the memory. July stopped at the end of a street and pointed towards a still  smoking heap but didn’t move any further towards it. 

November, followed by Saitou, approached the remains cautiously. Whomever it had been, Hei hadn’t held back. February was one who might be able to evoke such extreme emotions in Hei. Looking down at the corpse, it was too large to be February and Hei would have wanted to question her, not just kill her. Is there someone Hei would kill on site? Given the size, it was probably a man. One that was quite a bit larger than Hei. Mingjue? It made the most sense. Mingjue hadn’t been at PANDORA and November was positive if he had been given the chance Hei wouldn’t hesitate to kill MIngjue. 

“It seems BK-201 was successful in escaping.” November mumbled, keeping the relief from his voice. 

“Remind me to stay off his bad side…” April whispered as she stopped beside him.

The scene in front of them was a mess. Scorch marks were scattered all over the street, some of the marks still glowed from lingering heat while all of them had whips of smoke coming off them. From the impact dents on several bins and the cracks spreading outwards on the walls, it appeared that someone had been tossed more than once during the fight.  November suspected it hadn’t been the one who was still in the street who had been thrown. They had scattered debris from the tipped rubbish bins all down the street past a parked car.

November began to wander away from Saitou and Kuno as they inspected the charred remains. November studied some of the impacts.  They were smaller than what he imagined the person would have been confirming that it was more likely it had been Hei. Why would Hei be here? What’s in the area? Nandomachi district…. What might be in the area that could lure Hei here? Nothing sprung to his mind as to why Hei might have ended up anywhere near here. It wasn’t somewhere he could see February having a hideout, not with the Ministry of Defence so close. November closed his eyes and tried to remember the districts nearby which Hei might need to go. While he tried to think if there were any buildings Hei might be hidden away in. The small gaps between buildings might be an option for where he might hide… but he’d have to be pretty desperate to leave himself that open. If Hei had been heading for the bridge they had passed on their way here he might be heading for Fujimi district.

The university! That could have been where Hei was heading. Had Hei been lured there? Would he have gone there with February being in the city? He might. He wouldn’t go see Chen. Hei had said he had called him, which meant that he had already decided once not to go to the university, so if he had gone it would only be for one person. What reason could Shikikoza have for calling Hei to the university? April gave him a sharp poke to his ribs.

“You realised something. Care to include me in this discovery?”

“The university isn’t far from here.” November mumbled as he tried to remember what he had found out about Shikikoza. He is on the Syndicate’s payroll… so he has some distrust or distaste for contractors. “I’m no longer sure it’s February who’s targeting him.” He hadn’t been able to find out what Shikikoza had been working on, he had found out that his background before the gates appeared was developing and testing pharmaceuticals.

“Who else could it be?”

“It could be his professor. HeI said he had called Chen. They discussed The Shadow. If Chen then called Shikikoza and let drop that blue eyes were a physical sign of The Shadow, he might be able to piece everything together. He sympathises with the Syndicate and Schroeder. Knowing that the one person who might be able to get rid of the gates is his grad student… well, it might just motivate him to take action.”

“The one he was with when he was kidnapped?”

“Yeah.” They were both quiet for a bit. 

November walked further down the street, signs of a struggle cluttered the next few metres. The glint of metal in sunlight caught his attention. One of Hei’s knives was embedded deep into the wall with several feet of wire hanging from the base. Hei wouldn’t leave that behind. If he had gone to the university as Shengshun, why had he had the knife and wire with him? There were scorched cracks in the pavement and walls. All of the lights on the street that November could see had been blown. This wasn’t Hei’s fighting style. Hei used his speed and flexibility long before he went for any of his powers. This scene looked like he had been unable to use his physical abilities. Or panicked. It felt more likely that the remains in the street belonged to Mingjue. The brief moment he had seen fear in Hei’s eyes when he went to question Hei about what had happened was rare. There were so few things that could cause Hei to express terror to that level. November had seen panic at the hospital, fear when he had first questioned him about Kuei, but Mingjue’s effect currently surpassed Kuei. His encounter with Mingjue was still too fresh. Hei had managed to keep from showing all but hints of how broken Mingjue had left him. November hadn’t known the full extent himself, until he had closed Hei’s apartment door in the wanker’s face and felt Hei’s whole body tremble as he held him afterwards. But… where was he now? Astronomics, July and Yin were all unable to look in when he had been using his powers - which hadn’t happened before. All of them would have been monitoring the surrounding area and he hadn’t appeared. Could Hei still be nearby?

November took a deep breath. He needed to calm down. Hei could be hiding until everything was all clear. He would know using his powers would get the attention of Astronomics. To hide from them he would need to hide out of sight of the powerlines. There wouldn’t be too many of those places available and the chance that one of those spots having a reflective surface or puddle of water was slim. Which would explain why July and Yin hadn’t been able to find him. November needed to be patient and vigilant. He would find Hei. There was no report of BK-201’s star falling, Hei is still alive . When Mao got there, he would see about having the cat try and sniff him out, even if he had to take over a dog to do it.

“Is it just me or is this scene messier than normal? I mean Ochiai Park was a mess… but this seems excessively so.” Saitou wondered aloud. 

“Mh. It does look less… coordinated than his usual. Wait.. Is that his weapon?” Kuno gasped and pointed to Hei’s knife. “Shit it is! Kirihara’s going to be upset she missed this. He’s never left much evidence behind before!” The elation in Kuno’s voice grated against November’s worry.  

“Given the scene… something else was going on. He’s not this sloppy. Any idea what might be the cause of the change?” Saitou wondered aloud.

“Well, if he was fighting a contractor it could be part of their ability.” April shrugged and called back to them.

Kuno shrugged in agreement, but any further discussion on the topic was put on hold when Saitou’s phone rang out.

“Yes chief?” November watched amusedly as the man went rigid even just speaking with Misaki. “EH? No other contractor? Something’s off with him. He left one of his blades behind and the scene is a mess.” Saitou hummed in affirmation a few times after Misaki had given him instructions before he hung up. 

“He wasn’t fighting a contractor. At least no other stars were active in the area. She wants us to go over the scene carefully. There could be a lot more evidence here because we know he either didn’t have time or he wasn’t in shape to recover any potential evidence. Otsuka is on her way over from Astronomics to help.”

November nodded without commenting as he scanned the area again. There weren’t any places Hei could hide in the immediate vicinity if he had been injured. They would need to go and find Hei and somehow sneak him out of there. He needed to buy time to plan how he would spirit Hei away from wherever he had hidden himself away. 

“You guys cover the scene, we will see if we can find his escape route. Maybe we will get lucky and be able to trail him.” 

“Sure, sure.” Kuno waved them off dismissively. 

The three of them walked down the street, looking for signs of Hei escaping. There hadn’t been any signs of disturbance on their way to where what was probably Mingjue. November knew that didn’t mean Hei hadn’t gone that way but he would circle back to look more carefully after checking the direction with more signs of activity. They had been searching for several minutes when the tinny jingle of his phone broke the silence. He didn’t recognise the number on the display. Could it be Hei? He thought as he stared down at the unfamiliar number for a moment. 

“Hello?” November answered quickly and prayed that the one who answered him would be the one he was looking for.

“He’s missing isn’t he? Stupid cat should have let him know he was going to Yin.” A gruff and annoyed voice crushed November’s brief hope. 

“Huang?” November asked cautiously. He knew that was the name of Hei’s other teammate, but hadn’t met the man yet.

“Who else would be calling about an idiot who can’t follow simple instructions like ‘stay in one spot’?”

Hei had said he was the grumpy uncle…

“True. Yes, he is. He should be in the area of Nandomachi but no one has been able to spot him.”

“Shit.” Huang growled. “Mao should be there soon. I’ll get there when I can.” The call cut out before November could respond. He stared down at the screen at the abruptness of the call. Yep, grumpy uncle. His breath caught as he saw there was an answerphone message. Please, please be Hei. He held his breath as he waited to find out what the message was.

“I’m heading over to the university. Shikikoza said he was given some information from PANDORA that might relate to the shadow and asked that I meet him to translate as he can’t read traditional Chinese. I didn’t want you to worry if I wasn’t at the flat when you got back. Mao should still be watching so I’ll be fine. I promise I’ll be careful. See you tonight.” November’s heart felt like it was in his throat as he heard Hei’s voice. Hei hadn’t sent the distress text message because he had called. 

“What?” April asked and waited for November to explain both phone calls with only a slight tap to her foot.

“Hei left a message. I missed his call.” November frowned, closing his phone. He wouldn’t delete the message. It had probably been when they were at PANDORA. Misaki had mentioned something about mobile signals being jammed. 

“He’s not some damsel in distress.” April sighed and waved her hand back towards the smoking pile of what was left of Mingjue. Until he was told otherwise, the corpse belonged to Mingjue. “We will find him soon enough or he will call to let you know he got home safe.”

“I know, I do… It’s just -”

“You want to keep him safe. I know.” April cut him off and rolled her eyes at him. “Keep looking then. Misaki’s boys are right, something is off with this scene.”

“He had gone to see his professor.” November frowned as he tucked his phone into his pocket. 

“So this is probably not February?”
“Mingjue wasn’t at PANDORA. Shikikoza called Hei saying he had gotten something from PANDORA. I think Mingjue wasn’t there for the attack because he was delivering something from Kuei to Shikikoza. After that… Maybe Keui wanted to drag Hei back to China and they used Shikikoza to lure him? Only now Kuei is dead… and I’m confident the remains back there are Mingjue.” November glanced back at Saitou and Kuno. The pair were trying to cover their noses while they inspected the remains. 

“So, two threats could now be gone?” April shrugged. “Other than the fact that we can’t find him right now, it sounds like a good thing.”

“We just need to find him.” November looked back at the debris field in the street. The scene made his worry worse. It made him think there was more at play than just Hei’s fear of Mingjue. 

There was a small huff of frustration from July. 

“Don’t worry July we will. Do you know where Mao is?”

“Three blocks away. West.” He answered quietly.

“Good.” November looked around. There was a car not too far away that was parked at an odd angle. “I think we need to check that car out.” November pointed down the street. 

“Could you see here when there was interference?” April asked July who just shook his head. 

As November approached he realised the car wasn’t parked. While it wasn’t wrecked, it had scraped into the wall and stopped at an angle. It had been abandoned quickly as the engine was still running. The three of them cautiously approached. While it was unlikely there was anything still there, he had promised Hei he would be careful. The driver’s door was slightly ajar and the rear passenger seat hung open. Not far from the boot of the car it appeared there had been a struggle. November walked past the car to the tipped and collapsed boxes. Along the ground and about two feet up the wall were more scorch marks. 

The fight started here. Had Hei been targeted by the car? Hei tended to walk when he could. He rarely took the train and only seemed to be in a car if it was his, and maybe Huang’s.

“November…” April was looking into the car.

“What?”

She pushed the driver door open further before she bent down and reached inside. A moment later she stood and held out to him a familiar black phone. He accepted it quickly and pocketed the device before Section 4 could link Hei to BK-201. Why had Hei been in the car? Had he already met up with Mingjue and accepted a ride home? Unlikely. He shook his head. The facts weren’t adding up. He had worried there was something more at play, now he knew there had to have been. 

“His satchel?” November asked cautiously, looking into the back seat.

“I don’t see it.” April mumbled but reached down to pop the boot. 

November flicked the boot open, worried of what he might find. It would be a hiding spot where dolls wouldn’t be able to find him, but it was the last place Hei would pick. It all but guaranteed his cover would be blown. He sighed in relief; it was empty. Hei’s satchel was missing. It’s probably with his professor. Anger burned in his veins. He would be paying that man a visit once Hei was safe. The jingle of a bell brought his attention back to his surroundings. 

“He’s still missing.” November let some of his frustration seep into his words. Hei had thought Mao was on watch. The cat contractor was supposed to have been, how had he missed Hei leaving? He swallowed roughly. It wouldn’t help anything to get angry at the cat right now. They needed his abilities, and from his drooped posture, the contractor was upset with himself. 

“He was here.” Mao answered.

“This is where the fight started.” November gestured to the scorch marks. “Down the street there’s a crispy heap that had once been human. It’s too big to be him and too small to be two people.”

“Section 4 is down there, did you notice any of Hei’s scent as you approached?” April

“No, but it is here. I will sneak over and see if I can pick up which direction he went. I hope I won’t have to change into a dog to find him…” Mao shook his head. 

“July will tell us what direction you go so we will meet up with you after you pick up the trail.”

Mao nodded and bounded off towards Section 4. 

November and April checked over the car for any further clues as July had his hand on the window, following Mao as he snuck around the other part of the crime scene. There wasn’t much that had been left behind in the car. Thankfully there was nothing other than the phone now in November’s pocket that would imply that Li Shengshun had been there. The car was rented so they would be able to start a trail there to confirm his suspicion that Mingjue was now crispy.

“Mao is moving. Next street over now.” July took his hand off of the glass and started walking. That was Hei’s influence on July. The doll would never have decided to follow Mao on his own prior to their trip to Japan.

The cat contractor had waited for them once he had picked up the trail. The three of them walked slowly behind Mao as he followed the path Hei had taken. There were no signs that would potentially lead Section 4 to this area. He must have found himself a bolt hole to wait out in. It didn’t explain why he had left BK-201’s signature weapon and Li Shengshun’s phone at the crime scene. Hei wasn’t slopy like that. Even panicked, once Mingjue was dead he would have taken the time to at least ensure his alias was safe. The more November thought about it, the worse the sinking feeling in his stomach got. 

“He’s close.” Mao paused, sniffing around then ducking into a tight space between the buildings next to a restaurant named Uotatsu. November and April exchanged a look. The space between the walls was minimal and neither of them would be able to manoeuvre well. 

“I’ll stay with July.” April volunteered. 

With a small nod November followed Mao. The gap was no more than two feet, he suspected it was less as his shoulders would be against the walls if he walked straight. 

“Hei?” He heard Mao whisper. The light made it difficult to see more than a few feet in front of him. “Hei?” Mao repeated. This time the contractor’s voice sounded worried. There was something blocking the path not far ahead. As November got closer he could make out that it was a person huddled into a ball with their back to one of the walls. November hurried the last few feet until he was next to Mao. The cat was pawing at the unmoving figure. 

November swallowed hard and knelt down. Hei was in his usual Shengshun outfit and green coat. His head was resting on his knees and his arms, while around his legs were only just barely curled around his ankles. It wasn’t the same as the tight ball Hei had made himself into when he had been going through James’ files. Cautiously November reached out for the closer of Hei’s hands. It was cold and that already had November’s heart pounding, but what worried him more was there was no resistance or reaction from Hei. His fingers slipped to Hei’s wrist. Please let there be a pulse. He couldn’t even breathe as moments ticked by but there was no sign of one.  No, please not him. Don’t take him from me. He reached over and pressed two fingers against Hei’s neck trying again to find a pulse. Each long second that passed felt like his chest was constricting and his heart might give out.

“Oh no.” Mao gasped. 

November’s hands began to shake. When he had gone to check Hei’s pulse at his neck he had tilted Hei’s head slightly from where it had been resting against his knees. Hei’s eyes were open and glazed over. November couldn’t move as it felt like his world was crashing. He could barely breathe. He couldn’t even focus on trying to find if there was a pulse. Hei was cold and unmoving. This isn’t happening . Hei had to be okay. Astronomics would have called if his star had fallen. Right?

“What’s wrong?” April called from the street.

“Is he alive?” Mao asked cautiously. November didn’t know if he could move to check. The sounds around him were getting distant and he could feel his own erratic heartbeat in his ears.

“Oh fuck.” April gasped somewhere behind him. Mao pawed at Hei’s arm, lifting himself up to get closer to Hei’s face. 

“Gah!” Mao stumbled backwards in shock as Hei blinked slowly. November’s breath hitched as the tightness in his chest receded. Hei was alive. 

“We need to get him out of here.” November pushed the lump in his throat back as he carefully pulled Hei up from the ground, pulling one of Hei’s arms over his shoulder and gripping Hei’s waist as he slowly made his way to the street. 

“Huang just turned onto the street.” July’s quiet voice brought a fresh wave of relief to November’s system. He wasn’t far from the end of the building when an old car pulled up next to April. 

“Ya find him?” an older Japanese man called out from inside the car. Both of the front windows were down. 

“We did. He needs to be looked over. I’m not sure what is wrong with him.” November called back as he approached the sidewalk. 

“I know a place. Put him in the back.” Huang motioned with his head to the back seat. 

April pulled open the car door then went to help November with Hei as he made his way out from between the buildings. Once cleared the building, April helped guide Hei into Huang's car. Hei might be alive but he was dead weight. Once Hei was situated, November slid in next to him.

“Keep July with you. Tell Section 4 I was picked up by the embassy if they ask.” November tossed April his keys. “Once you're done, head back to the flat. We will join you when we can.” He hoped April wouldn’t ruin his car, but he needed to stay with Hei right now. His car was replaceable, Hei was not. 

“Got it.” April nodded as she pocketed the keys. “Take care of him.” That was all she managed to say as Huang shifted the car into gear. Mao jumped into the front window with only a fraction of a second before Huang pulled back into the street. 

“Any injuries?” Huang asked as he manoeuvred the car into traffic. 

“I’m checking.” November mumbled. There was no blood that he could see. Hei was so pale it would have been easy to mistake him for a corpse. Stop thinking like that. He’s alive. November checked his pulse again, actually focusing on finding it this time. It took longer than he would have liked but it was there; just slow but it was steady. It was reassuring, but Hei’s appearance and unresponsiveness still had him on edge. There were scuff marks and scratches on his knees and shoulders but they didn’t seem to correspond to any serious injury underneath. His hands were covered in soot but unblistered. From the cuff of his jacket to his elbows was charred but the fabric was mostly intact. “I don’t think he’s seriously injured.”

“So he’s been drugged?” Huang chewed on his cigarette. 

“It seems likely. We will have to find out with what.” Shikikoza. Someone needed to question him. Shikikoza had lured Hei away, he probably was the one to drug him… or at least would have an idea of what was used. November fumbled with his phone and quickly dialled April’s number. 

“What’s up?” 

“Get July to take you to his professor and find out what they drugged him with.”

“And if he doesn’t want to cooperate?”

“Be persuasive. Search his office for evidence if he is unwilling.”

“Got it. We’ll tell Section 4 we have to go to the embassy as well, but you were required to go immediately and we are just letting them know before disappearing.” April hung up the phone. 

“The professor did this?” Huang glanced back at him in the mirror. 

“The professor called him to the university. If he wasn’t the one who did it he would have an idea of who did.”

Huang growled in frustration. At the next red light he took out his phone and dialled a number. 

“Keiko, d-” Huang paused and there was a muffled angry voice from the phone. “Yea-” Huang was interrupted again by the angry voice. “Keiko, I can't take him to a hospital. It’s the same guy as before. Someone’s drugged him.” November couldn’t hear the response from the phone. “Thanks Keiko, we will be there in five.”

November pulled Hei into him, hoping to pass on some warmth and to keep a close eye on his pulse. Huang was accurate in his estimation, they pulled up to the back entrance to a small private clinic. Huang was out of the car and at the clinic door before November had gotten Hei over to the edge of the seat. He opted to carry Hei in his arms over to the door held open by Huang. There was a fierce elderly Japanese woman with her arms crossed standing in front of him. 

“The cat stays outside. I can’t have him in here this time. Is the foreigner trustworthy?” There was no room for argument to her tone. 

“Yea, the two of them are a pair.” Huang grunted. 

“Do you know what substance was used or how it was introduced to his system?” She began to look Hei over while he was in November’s arms. 

“We’ve sent someone to try and find out what drug they used but I suspect it was an oral dosage.” November commented before Huang could. 

“Good at least he speaks the language. Bring him.” The woman who was probably Keiko stalked off and November hurried to follow her. She led him to a small but brightly lit examination room. November brought Hei over to the cot before Keiko could tell him too. He backed off against the wall near Hei’s head. 

“You know how to stay out of the way. Very good.” She mumbled and began to check Hei over more thoroughly. November watched her frown deepen as she checked his vital signs. “How certain are you of an oral dose?”

“90 percent. They would have had to spike his drink. The person he was with wouldn’t have been able to restrain him to administer an injection.” Shikikoza would have easily been able to put something in a drink for Hei. Once Hei had taken it, Mingjue would have easily gotten Hei to the car they had found in the street. 

“It’s not a poison. An inhibitor of some sort, probably one that also acts as a sedative.” She sighed. “I’ve not seen something exactly like this, but I used to occasionally see conditions similar to this back in the 80s.” She hurried out of the room before November could question what she meant. November looked down worriedly at Hei, tucking the stray hairs behind his ear. A few minutes later Keiko reappeared with an IV stand and three bags. She deposited the bags on a nearby counter and took several other items and bottles from her pockets. 

“This should help, but I need you to make sure when he does start to come to, he doesn’t rip out his IV. Got it?”

November nodded quickly as he watched the doctor get the IV set up and inserted into Hei’s hand. She then went back to the counter and retrieved one of the bottles and measured out a dose before adding it to the IV line. For the next several minutes they waited, the doctor monitoring Hei closely for signs the medication was working or if other action would be needed. November watched closely as Hei’s breathing became a visible rise and fall of his chest and some of the paleness ebbed away. 

“Good. It’s working.” Keiko sighed finally. “So, who do you know who deals Blue Heavens?”

“I-I’m sorry what?”

“Amobarbital. I’m fairly certain that’s what he ingested.” Keiko huffed and November watched as she resisted tapping her foot in frustration.

“I’ve not heard of it before.” November confessed. 

“Sodium amytal?”

“Ugh…” November grasped a memory triggered by the name. “Truth serum?” It was a vague reference he remembered being told by his grandfather. It had been used to make those who wouldn’t talk give up information. His grandfather had seen it used during the war. 

“It is known as that. Looks like he’s starting to come too.”

Hei’s eyes were less hazy and he seemed to be struggling to focus. November leaned down into Hei’s field of vision. He didn’t want the unfamiliar environment to trigger a fight or flight reaction. Hei grumbled incoherently and blinked several times. 

“Hei.” November muttered to bring the others attention to himself rather than his surroundings. Hei tilted his head towards November but his eyes continued to stare past him. “Don’t worry you're not alone.” November whispered reassuringly. 

“Can you talk yet?” Keiko asked. Hei closed his eyes and huffed in frustration. November smirked; he sounded like July when he did that. 

“It might take time. Can you see shapes?” Keiko asked with a frown. Hei made the same frustrated noise. 

“Colours?” Again Hei huffed. 

“Is it just black?” 

Hei tilted his head towards Keiko then back to November, not a lot of movement, but clearly a no. Keiko picked up Hei’s hand. “Can you squeeze my hand?” 

Hei’s fingers curled around Keiko’s but November could see there wasn’t much pressure. 

“Take his hand.” Keiko said to November without looking up at him. November quickly complied and slipped Hei’s hand into his. It was cold and he could feel Hei shiver every few seconds. 

“When you can see colours, squeeze his hand.” Keiko stepped back, her frown had grown deeper. Not the reaction she expected? November wondered. 

November’s phone rang out and November fumbled to answer one handed. 

“Find anything?” He asked, hoping April had managed to get something out of Shikikoza that would help Hei.

“Shikikoza was working on a drug that would act as an artificial regressor. He gave Hei one of his prototypes; it acts like a sedative without rendering the contractor fully unconscious.” 

An artificial regressor! Shikikoza was working on something that would chemically neuter contractors. Was that why Hei’s star had been active for so long? Had he been fighting the effects? Had the drug been what caused his powers to act like that? November prayed the effects were temporary. Hei might not be a full contractor, but his powers gave him additional protection, and they needed that right now.

“What does it consist of?”

“The main two are flunitrazepam and amobarbital. I’m sure there are others, but those are the ones that would be active.”

“Flunitrazepam and amobarbital.” November repeated so Keiko could hear. 

“What idiot mixed barbiturates and benzodiazepines!” Keiko growled in frustration and headed back over to the counter, picking at some of the items she had placed there. November thumbed the speaker button. 

“Do you know how much he was given?” November asked April. 

“300mg Amobarbital and 5 mg Flunitrazepam.”

“Were they trying to kill him?” Keiko growled over her shoulder at the phone.

“I… I d-don’t think so.” Hei’s quiet voice silenced any response. November looked down at Hei, he had a little colour back but his eyes were still unfocused. 

“Good, you’ve found your voice.” Keiko sighed with relief. “Other than your vision, can you tell me what doesn’t feel normal?”

There was a long pause from Hei before he spoke. “It’s hard… to breathe.” Even to November Hei’s breathing sounded wheezy. Keiko nodded and selected a couple of items from the assortment on the counter. She seemed to have come to some conclusion on how to treat Hei now that she had more information. 

“Thanks April, we’ll head back to the flat once we are cleared to do so.”

“I’ll take care of the professor then head back.” April’s tone left no doubt that she had little patience left for Shikikoza. It was likely her ‘taking care of’ was the Mafia meaning of the phrase. 

“Get as much information as you can out of him first. I’ll see you back at the flat.” It seemed everyone was getting to help Hei with his problems but him. Amber took care of Kuei. Hei had avenged himself with Mingjue and now April would rid them of Shikikoza. Hei has shown he relies more on me than the others. I’m the only one he’s let himself fully relax around. November reminded himself. He didn’t need to be jealous of the others helping Hei. Like April has said; Hei wasn’t a damsel in distress. He could handle himself in most situations. 

November didn’t wait for a response before he snapped the phone closed. He watched as Keiko took her selection of items from the counter over to Hei. After a moment of connecting pieces together, she reached down to pick up Hei’s other hand. Hei’s whole body flinched at the contact. To his credit Hei didn’t pull away like he had tried at the hospital when he had woken to a nurse changing his IV.  Keiko placed a clip to Hei’s finger and turned the device on. She still looked worried as she watched the numbers on the display.

“I don’t think I can stand.” Hei murmured with a defeated sigh. November watched Hei close his eyes. It pained him to see how hard it was for Hei to admit that. Hei was someone who had never stood by or still for long. He had always been someone who had been forced to protect his sister, and admitting he was helpless would have meant one or both of their deaths. 

“Anything else?” Keiko kept prodding. She had seen Hei before, so she probably had some idea of what he was like. She had put together that he was someone who would omit injuries or downplay how bad things were. 

“I’m cold.” November looked down at Hei in shock. He had never heard Hei whine before. He had complained when he had been in the hospital, he had protested taking medication, but even then he hadn’t whined. Hei blinked slowly, it seemed the effort of talking had exhausted him and those two words seemed to take the remaining fight right out of him.

“Your heart rate and blood oxygen levels are low; which explains some of what you’re telling me. I’m giving you something that should help bring them both back up. You should start to feel it take effect in a couple of minutes.” Keiko pulled a fresh syringe from one of her pockets and measured a dose from another bottle that she had brought with her from the counter. 

Hei’s glassy eyes shifted slowly following Keiko as she moved. There was a delay between his eyes and her movement, but he hadn’t been able to do that up until now. November felt Hei’s hand tighten slightly. 

“Colours?” November asked as he squeezed Hei’s hand back. Hei shifted his gaze to November. 

“There’s shapes and shadows.” Hei nodded slightly. November felt Hei quiver and watched as the slight shiver became more prominent.

“Very good. I’ll grab you some blankets in a moment.” Keiko added the dose to the IV line. She then looked over at November. “I’ll only be gone for a few moments.” She pointed to the small display connected to the clip on Hei’s finger. “Watch those numbers. If they start to drop; come get me immediately.”

November nodded and she hurried out of the room.

“It’s different from last time.” Hei broke the silence a few moments after Keiko left the room.

“Last time?” November looked down confused. What last time?

“The tea…” Hei sighed and his grip slacked slightly. The shivering was almost constant now. 

“They drugged the tea? Last time..” November thought back. The kidnapping. “Oh. Different drugs probably.” He mumbled and tried not to think of that time.

“Mhm… same result.” Hei’s eyes were dropping. The shivering was sapping what little energy he seemed to have. November placed his hand on Hei’s forehead. He was still chill to the touch but he no longer felt cold like before. 

“What do you mean?” November asked as he let his hand slide down Hei’s cheek, letting some of the warmth from his hands seep into Hei. 

“Cold… and being saved by you.” Hei’s teeth were beginning to chatter. November watched as he tried to keep himself from doing it. He hadn’t gotten to see Hei warming up after they had found him in the freezer. He had probably gone through something similar then too.

“You also gave us a lead before you went missing.” November almost laughed aloud as he admitted once again Hei had given him a place and timeline of where to search.

“What happened at PANDORA?” Hei asked after a couple moments.

“Schroeder’s demonstration was attacked by Evening Primrose. February’s group. Schroder was kidnapped and most of the audience was killed.” November commented quietly looking down at the numbers on the display. They were holding steady. Keiko would be back soon with some blankets and that should help warm Hei up.

“Most?”

“I can’t say all because we don’t have an official count of people yet.” November paused. Hei needed to know, but it might not be the right time. He toyed with his lip before he made his decision. “Kuei is dead.” November watched as Hei visibly relaxed. 

“Mingjue too.” Hei tried to adjust on the cot. His limbs weren’t responding the way he wanted them to. He wasn’t able to put much force behind the movement. Hei’s brows furrowed and his squeezed shut. “He… said something… I can’t remember.” He seemed frustrated with himself. November ran his fingers through Hei’s hair, massaging his scalp lightly. 

“It’s okay. I’m glad he’s dead.” November spoke the truth. He was glad both Kuei and Mingjue were dead. I wish I could have ended one of them… but I suppose having Hei take care of Mingjue might help him overcome some emotional damage.

Hei glanced over at the door as Keiko walked back in with an armload of blankets. 

“Can you see more things now?” she smiled gently. She does seem to have a soft spot for Hei. Hei’s soothing magnetic presence seemed to influence humans as well. Hei had won over Huang as well. Their ‘grumpy uncle’ was not one who spared much affection for humans or contractors. Huang might complain but he has gone out of his way multiple times to keep Hei safe. Including bringing him to Keiko.

“Yeah.”

“I’m glad Kyoshi had brought you here before. I remembered how much you didn’t like to take medication. Which made it unlikely for you to have an addiction to those drugs.”

Kyoshi? Is that Huang’s real name? It must be. Huang did suit him though.

“How long do I have to stay?” Hei asked as Keiko stopped next to him and shoved the blankets into November’s arms. Pulling one of the blankets from the pile she draped it over Hei.

“I’d like you to stay overnight. I also know you probably won’t listen to that advice.” She pulled a second blanket from November’s arms and covered the first. “I’ll insist you stay till closing. From there, blondie will have to keep an eye on you all night.” Her head tilted to motion to November who was holding the final blanket.

“He’s a thousand times better than a hospital and the only one who can get me to do things I don’t want to.” Hei sighed. November smiled down at him before passing the last blanket to Keiko. She nodded at him before looking back at Hei and putting the blanket on top of the others.

“I need to borrow blondie for a moment. Stay there. Don’t move.” She turned and headed for the door. Whatever she wished to talk about, involved something she didn’t want Hei to over hear. What could she want to keep from him?

“I can’t move.” Hei grumbled. November smirked to himself. It seemed Hei’s usual self filter was absent. Hei was showing emotions he would normally have bottled so tight he barely registered them anymore. November stepped away from Hei. Keiko could tell him, but he wouldn’t be keeping it from Hei. November followed Keiko into the hall. She closed the door over, once he was in the hall but didn’t close it completely. It was just open enough that she could keep an eye on Hei. She’s mindful of her patient. I can see why Huang took him here.

“If nothing happens by closing, he should be alright. Most side effects should be evident within four hours. I gather he has seen some combat, is this correct?” Her eyes and tone were serious as she flashed him a quick glance before returning her gaze to Hei. 

“Yes.” November confirmed. She’s asking because she think Hei will lie or downplay his past. It made sense. He’d probably do the same in her position. He knew Hei well. Hei probably didn’t know it himself, but November had picked up that his eye colour shifts slightly lighter when he’s in pain. He had discovered that when Hei had been at the apartment after his kidnapping. Hei hadn’t been able to hide if he was in pain after November had picked up on that.

“Watch out for nightmares and hallucinations. I’ve had patients become aggressive coming off of amobarbital, when combined with the other… I’m concerned the effects might be more severe.” she sighed. “He probably won’t remember much of what has happened. That tends to unsettle those who’ve seen combat. So don’t take anything he might say personally- it honestly might not be you he thinks he’s talking to.”

“How long should I watch for symptoms?” November shifted nervously. Hei had many past demon’s he kept at bay through sheer willpower. If Hei had either while they were there and pulled on his powers, it wouldn’t take long from Astronomic’s to find them. November doubted that he’d be able to keep Hei safe from Misaki even if she had a crush on him. 

“It will depend on a lot of factors, including the dosage and if there were other drugs mixed in. I believe all of the drugs should be out of his system within 36 hours. If he’s lucky in this like he was with his injuries last time, potentially as soon as 12 hours but I wouldn’t stop checking on him for at least the next 18 hours.”

November glanced down at his watch. It was just after 15:00, so he needed to keep watch over Hei until nine or ten in the morning. It won’t be difficult to convince Misaki I’ll be home tomorrow… not with Kuei being dead. He at least had that working in his favour. I’ll have to tell him Kuei is dead again, and that he killed Mingjue… and do that before Misaki comes to do the next of kin notification.

“When do you close?”

“He’s going to be here for at least four hours. If he can’t walk out on his own by then, the two of you are staying.”

“Fair enough.” He would have to keep Hei from using his powers until then. He’d also have to make sure that Hei could walk out of the clinic. Neither of them would want to spend the night. November hoped that April had managed to get more out of the professor. He suspected she was right that there were additional drugs in the mix. Keiko’s treatment has helped him, but she wasn’t aware he was a contractor. Shikikoza’s research targeted contractors. It left too many open factors that could have things going pear shaped quickly. 

“Stay with him. I will give Kyoshi an update and be back in an hour to re-administer some of the medication.”

November nodded once and let himself back into the room. Hei hadn’t moved and he was still pale but even from this distance he could see the steady rise and fall of his chest. If November was capable of nightmares he would expect them for the next few nights. For that short eternity when he hadn’t been able to tell if Hei was alive, his world had almost ended. He’d never felt pain like that before, not even when he had been human. Walking forward he noticed Hei’s eyes were closed and every now and again his head would twitch. He’s fighting to keep memories at bay.  

“Hei?” He asked cautiously, letting his hand rest gently on Hei’s arm. Hei’s eyes snapped open but they took longer than normal to focus on him. There were a few muttered words in Mandarin that November couldn’t understand. 

“Sorry, I feel scattered. I - ” Hei switched languages.

“It’s alright.” November cut him off. “How about I just sit with you. If you want to talk you can talk.”

Hei nodded slightly and tried to move. November stopped him before he had a chance to sit up. Hei closed his eyes and sighed but let November help him adjust his position in order to let November sit on the end of the cot. It was unnerving how little resistance Hei put up as November settled Hei’s head in his lap. 

“En, that works.” Hei managed with a small smile. November let his hand rest on Hei’s chest. His frayed nerves relaxed as he could feel the steady beat of Hei’s heart under his palm. Hei stayed quiet in his lap and November watched as his eyes started to glaze over, staying closed longer and longer between blinks. The longer it became between blinks the faster Hei’s heart would beat and his breathing would pick up. The head twitch he had seen as he walked in happened again.

“Hei?” November asked quietly as he ran his fingers through soft black hair. 

Hei whimpered something in Mandarin. He wasn’t familiar with the last part but he had said something about himself. 

“What’s wrong?” November prodded. 

“I’m not there.” Hei squeezed his already closed eyes tighter. 

Memories. November clenched his jaw in concern. He had wanted to spare Hei having to go through them. November would have to carefully help Hei away from those memories. It wouldn’t do if things started to get too real for Hei.   

“No, you’re not there. You are in Tokyo. You’re safe with me and I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

Hei chewed on his bottom lip and nodded. 

“Tokyo… November is safe.” Hei’s breathing hitched and November felt Hei’s heartbeat start to slow.

That’s an odd way to put it. Is he worried about me? November let his fingers run through Hei’s hair as he watched Hei slowly relax. No, he’s telling himself he’s safe with me. November smiled to himself. 

“You’re safe.” November repeated when Hei opened his eyes to look up at him. Hei nodded and squeezed November’s hand over his heart. The tension in Hei’s body lessened and he slowly relaxed. 

November began to watch for the initial head twitch that signalled the start of another memory bubbling to the surface. Each time November would do his best to help Hei stay in the present so the past didn’t overwhelm him. November wasn’t sure he could handle it if Hei started hallucinating past battles. Even in the state he was in, Hei wouldn’t hold back. Hei had earned his moniker during Heaven’s War. A time where he would have been worn thin and worked to exhaustion - and survived. 

November knew he had to keep Hei close to the surface of his mind. Hei wouldn’t be able to handle an attack like he had after the kidnapping right now. His normal barriers weren’t there. He had promised Hei he was safe. A promise he wanted to keep, but November wasn’t sure he could handle watching Hei go through a panic attack like that again. As it was, the occasional muttered Mandarin and pained expressions were hard enough to deal with. 

November kept watch over Hei as he pondered what had happened that day. Had Mingjue known that Kuei was dead? If he had, why would he try to kidnap Hei? November had known Mingjue was infatuated with Hei… but he doubted that would be enough to have him just abandon Kuei to attack Hei. No, there had to be more to it. 

There was something that bugged him about how Kuei had been singled out from the rest of the crowd. His death was over kill, nothing about it was the way a contractor would approach making an example of someone. It screamed there was something personal, and it was something that had pulled a very human emotion out of a contractor. 

February, did you hate Kuei for what he did to Hei? November wouldn’t blame her if she had. He would have killed Kuei given half a chance. From what he had heard from Hei about his time with February, he knew she had been influenced by his ability as The Emperor’s Shadow. Could the changes to contractors from being around The Shadow be permanent? February’s handling of Keui would imply it was. Five years later and Hei’s effect on her still remained. 

November let his fingers sink into Hei’s hair and gently massaged, earning himself a contented sigh from Hei. The memories didn’t seem to be coming as frequently now and the shivering from before was all but gone. Maybe Hei would feel up to moving soon. The doctor - Keiko, had come back twice to re-administer the medicine. The second time she had come back she seemed more concerned. Hei hadn’t made any attempt to get up at all. Hei knew his own limits and if he hadn’t moved, even just out of stubbornness, then he really was struggling. It was starting to seem unlikely that they would be leaving this clinic tonight. 

“Do you think you can move?” November prodded, like Keiko, he was getting worried that Hei hadn’t tried to storm out of the place yet. Hei opened his eyes. They seemed less hazy as he contemplated his answer. 

“I could try.” It felt like Hei was trying to convince himself he could rather than a desire to get up and out of the medical facility. Hei’s odd behaviour was starting to worry him more. Hei curled forward slowly and November was ready to catch him, but he let Hei do it on his own. Hei’s movement was steady as he managed to pull himself upright. Hei continued the slow deliberate movements as he moved the blankets and swung his legs over the side. He paused for a moment looking down at the floor before he lowered himself to the floor. One of Hei’s hands gripped the edge of the cot, the other November quickly caught. When he felt like his legs would take the weight Hei let go of November’s hand. Hei warbled for a moment but managed to steady himself without reaching back for November’s hand. 

“Doing great so far.” November encouraged Hei to try and push a little more. It was a stark contrast to how things had been after Hei had been kidnapped. He never would have thought they’d end up in a position where Hei was the one who didn’t want to push himself after being injured.

“Yea… things just feel… disconnected.” Hei mumbled and took a hesitant step forward and froze. 

“Hei?” concern had November’s adrenaline spiking as he pushed himself forward in case Hei started to fall.

“I recognise this place.” Hei looked around the room. “This is the doctor who thought I was fried garlic.”

“You will have to tell me that story.” November almost laughed. “She had said she had seen you before and that you had been very lucky the last time.”

“Mhm. She wasn’t completely wrong. I did get squashed, pounded and fried that night.” Hei grumbled. “I hate being bait. The bait always ends up hurt. I used to end up being bait a lot. It was the downside to being the only human.” 

“Did February make you do that?” November felt sick with himself for pressing when Hei was being so open about his past. His conscience warred with his curiosity for more information. The logical part of his mind sided with his curiosity as talking about it, even if Hei didn’t really remember, could potentially help him process some of the atrocities he had been through. 

“In the beginning. She stopped after a few months. She no longer saw me as replaceable.” Hei paused his thought and took another step. “I wonder if she regrets what she had me do? Maybe I should ask her when she shows up?”

“She made Kuei’s death personal. It shows that your influence has changed her. I would be more surprised if she didn’t regret what she had you do.” November slid off the edge of the cot carefully watching Hei’s balance for signs he needed help.

“I doubt she even remembers.” Hei sighed. He slowly paced a small circle within the reach of the IV line and back to November. Hei leaned forward and let his head rest on November’s shoulder. “Thank you.” Hei breathed the words so quietly November wasn’t sure he had heard them.

“What for?” November cocked an eyebrow and tilted his head down to try and get a glimpse of Hei’s face. 

“Ah I see you finally decided to get up!” Keiko called from the door. There was a small huff from Hei but he didn’t move. 

“He’s managed a small walk.” November offered when Hei didn’t respond to Keiko.

“Good, means you are on track to be ready to leave tonight.” She nodded in approval as she walked over to them.

“I could leave now.” Hei mumbled into November’s shirt. November forced himself not to smile. His stubbornness is back. Hei was slowly returning to his normal self. It was a beacon of light to reassure him everything was going to be alright. The potential side effects of Shikikoza’s drug still weighed heavily on November’s mind. They would find out in time if there were any lingering effects. Dr. Keiko wouldn’t be able to help Hei if there were things that focused on his abilities as a contractor. Finding out about that would have to wait. Hei needed to be free of the effects of the drugs known to humans before they tested anything. 

“I’m sure you would like that. You have another hour and you will still have to walk yourself out of here before I will allow it. Blondie here will be staying up all night to make sure you’re fine. So go easy on him.” Keiko glanced up at November. It was refreshing to hear her speak of him in a more endearing tone. He had earned a measure of respect from her due to his actions with Hei. 

“Okay.” Hei sighed.

November raised an eyebrow at Hei’s head on his shoulder. It was very unusual for him to give in so easily. Was the retort from before a fluke? November rubbed reassuring circles on Hei’s lower back. He felt some tension dissipate from Hei’s muscles. Hei shifted slightly and let November take most of his weight. 

“I guess you don’t react aggressively to the drugs.” Keiko sighed. She glanced up at November then back down to Hei. “That’s not always a good thing.”

“He’s mostly been quiet. He tends to get cuddly when he isn’t well.” November looked down at Hei. He wanted that to be all that it was. He hoped that letting Keiko know of Hei’s usual tendency to snuggle when unwell would alleviate some of her concern.

“I see that. Can you turn around for me?”

Hei nodded and shifted around to face Keiko and let his back lean against November. 

“Is your vision back to normal?”

Hei nodded in response.

“You seem to have most of your motor control.”

“It does not feel that way. It’s hard to focus and moving takes most of that. I feel like I need to sleep; but sleep is the last thing I want.” Hei answered and November felt Hei lean more into him with each word. November put his hands on Hei’s hips to steady him.

“You’re in a lot better shape than I expected, having not moved until recently. I’ll give you another dose and come back in an hour. If you’re well enough then you can go.”

Hei nodded. Hei’s head turned as he followed Keiko to the counter and back to put the last dose into the IV line.

“How much do you remember after you had the tea? The doctor says you won't remember it much by tomorrow.” November asked once Keiko had left the room. He didn’t want to press, but once Hei forgot, there would be no way of knowing.

“Just flashes…” Hei mumbled. His head tilted up in confusion. “Yin and Mao are here?” Hei seemed surprised. He probably had a flash that they were there when we arrived.

“Huang brought us here. The doctor said that Mao couldn’t come in this time. He and Yin are probably not too far.” November commented quietly as he looked around to try and see Hei’s expression and how cloudy his eyes were. Hei’s eyes were clear but staring into the distance. Hei’s focus shifted over at the wall to their left. 

“They’re close.” There was a slight curl to his lip.

“What flashes do you remember?” November asked again. 

“Feeling heavy. My body was slow.” Hei leaned his head back and closed his eyes. “Bai’s power’s didn’t respond… for a long time.” November felt Hei shudder. “When they did they were hard to control and harder to stop. I couldn’t focus on anything else. I know something important was said, but I don’t know what.” Hei frowned and shook his head in frustration.

“April said Shikikoza was working on an artificial regressor and that he used it on you.” November mumbled. He struggled to control his powers. That would be why there was interference. Had Hei disrupted the gate particles to the point that the doll's abilities were voided? If he could do that… If PANDORA figured out someone could do that, Hei would be hunted. He needed to keep that under wraps. As it was the suspicion that BK-201 had something to do with the inability of the dolls to see was too high for his liking. Hei had been the only contractor active in the area. I will have to speak to Misaki’s friend. Kaname might be the only person who could bury that information before it became known.

“I’m not going to pull Bai’s power here. It was too hard last time and I.” Hei stopped himself. He chewed on his bottom lip before whispering. “I think something shifted when I did. I-I don’t remember. Mingjue said something, it got my attention… It’s important but I can’t remember.” Hei growled at himself in frustration.

“Hey… It’s okay. We will figure it out.” November let his hands wrap around Hei in a hug. Hei’s breathing had started to pick up and November could feel him tensing. 

“Nainai… it had to do with my grandmother.” Hei slumped against November as if that little bit of information had taken all of his energy. 

“Will you have to tell her that Kuei is dead?” Now that Kuei was gone she was more of a priority to figure out. February was more pressing, but Hei’s grandmother was a wildcard he would need to account for. If she was willing to deal with the Romanians to get Hei back… how might she take the news that her son was killed by contractors? She knew Hei was The Emperor’s Shadow - there was no way she wouldn’t. Not with how she had said Hei and Bai were too important to give to Kuei. That would be why she knew about contractors… although she might consider them ghosts or demons. Wait. Nainai… that means grandmother. Hei had said that word at the dinner when Kuei had tried to switch things from English. November tried to think back to the dinner. He gave Hei a reassuring squeeze.  

“I should… Even if Kirihara calls, she won’t believe a Japanese police officer. I doubt she’d even pick up. Even with me calling, she wouldn’t answer a Japanese number.”

November nodded absently in agreement. What was the topic before they switched languages? Kuei had been asking about his family. Hei had responded with a lot more hostility than his usual tone… Going to China was worse in Hei’s eyes than having to run. His grandmother must have plans for him. Plans he doesn't want to partake in. Given he’s The Shadow and Kuei had talked about family lines ending… It's probably about having kids.

“If she demands it, will you go back?” November felt like he knew what Hei would answer, but he needed to hear it. He needed to know that Hei wouldn’t abandon him.

“No.” Hei answered immediately and in a pitch that reminded November more of a yelp. “If I go back, she will not let me leave. Contractor or not, she will keep me prisoner.” Hei hunched forward slightly as he spoke quietly.

“To make sure there’s another Shadow after you?” November pulled Hei back into him as he brought up his theory aloud. 

“En,” Hei muttered gruffly. “I’ve already picked who my heart belongs to, I won’t be marrying anyone else. No matter what she tries.” Hei’s voice was close to his usual Black Reaper tone. No, he’d do anything he could to make sure he didn’t end up with her. Wait.. November tilted his head. Did he… just say what I think he did?   

“I’d gladly accept, but I don’t think you’re going to remember proposing.” He couldn’t resist teasing Hei. He hadn’t thought of this as a tactic to keep Hei’s memories from the surface. There was a pause from Hei and November watched Hei quickly turn crimson from the neck up. Seems he didn’t realise he had said it either. November smirked.

“Eh! I- Ugh, wow-  um…” Hei stumbled over his words as realisation sank in. November was happy that Hei hadn’t tried to escape November’s grasp in his embarrassment. He really does feel safe with me. It was good that Hei was starting to loosen up and let himself relax around November. 

“Don’t worry. That’s something we can think about after we deal with February and your grandmother.” November placed a kiss at the base of Hei’s neck. Hei hummed in agreement. It amused November how long it took the blush to fade, and that Hei rested against him until it had faded before deciding to lay back down. 

“I don’t think my grandmother will come to Japan. She has a long-standing grudge and doesn’t differentiate current from those in the past.” Hei waited for November to settle on the cot with him before he took up his spot in November’s lap. Long standing grudge? He did mention something about her being young during WWII. He had heard of some of the atrocities committed by the Japanese back then. It was understandable that she wouldn’t trust them because of it. 

“Because of the war?”

“Yeah. With her, I think it’s more likely that she will send someone else. Arrangements will have to be made… so we probably have a few days before we have to worry about her taking action.”

“Good. You are going to need a few days to recover. We will have to be vigilant that February doesn’t come for you.”

“Mhm.” Hei hummed and let his eyes close. 

November kept watch for the previous twitches and let his mind wander. Hei had said it had been hard to pull on his powers. So there was something to Shikikoza’s drug acting as an artificial regressor. Hei had pushed to get his powers to respond and when they had he couldn’t control them. That would explain why Hei’s star had sustained the pulse for so long. That might also explain why the dolls couldn’t find him. He could manipulate Gate particles; his lack of control could have been the reason for the dead zone. Something had happened to Hei when he had done that. It was strong enough for Hei to remember the feeling through the drug. It worried November that HeI hadn’t wanted to even try to pull a quick burst of electricity. The thought weighed like lead in his stomach. It might also be part of the reason Hei hadn’t wanted to move. 

November frowned. He doubted he would be able to get any more information out of Hei, he already was unable to remember more than bits and pieces. He’d have to take Hei somewhere away from Dolls and get him to try to pull his powers and find out if what had happened made some kind of mental block. If Hei couldn’t or wouldn’t use his powers, they would have to change how they approached keeping February away from him.

Until he found out for sure, Hei’d have to tolerate him being overprotective. 

 

Notes:

Hopefully it won't take too long to get the next one done... but being realistic, I have no idea when that will be.
Thanks for all the kudos and comments, they mean so much!

Chapter 21: Chapter Twenty

Notes:

How has it been a year already!
It was a year ago that Black November was put out into the wilds of the internet. I pushed to get this chapter out to mark the occasion. it's a little rushed but I got everything in that was needed.
I hope you enjoy!

Chapter Twenty 

He hadn’t been fast enough, but what little luck he had must have been cashed in. His arm didn’t want to respond as the pain in his shoulder began to register through the adrenaline. He had been separated from the others. The enemy had wanted him alone. The human was always the weak link, the easy target. Hei grit his teeth and push through the pain. He couldn’t stop yet. He needed to get to Bai. No one would keep her safe while she paid her remuneration if he died. Hei coughed up blood as he gripped the branch that was protruding from his shoulder. It had gone right through him, just a few inches shy of his heart. If he could break the branch and keep it in place, he would be able to keep himself from bleeding out but the contractor in front of him wouldn’t wait for that. 

He could feel his own blood coating his fingers as he tightened his grip on his knife. He could see the contractor’s mouth moving, but he couldn’t hear him. Focus, not yet. He steadied himself as the contractor stepped within arms reach. One more. He waited and his arm shook as he tensed and prepared to attack. He sprung forward, ripping himself off away from the tree he had been impaled on. He forced his knife upwards and across, slashing deep and quick through the contractor’s neck. The contractor slumped. Their eyes not even registering the emotion of shock as they fell to the ground. 

Hei pressed hard on the wound just under his collarbone. It wouldn’t do much as the larger hole was on the other side. He could already feel the blood soaking through his clothes. He needed to find Bai. Hei forced one foot in front of the other as he made his way to their re-group point. The three of them were already there when he stumbled into the clearing. Amber’s fake smile faltered upon seeing him but she didn’t move. It was Carmine who got to him first. She pulled his hand away from his wound and licked the blood on his fingers. Contractor priorities. He growled internally as he pulled his hand back and made his way over to Bai. 

He grunted to keep from yelping as Bai fell forward into his arms. He steadied himself from the impact. He glanced around quickly, picking out a safe spot to sit with Bai while she slept. The pain was going between burning and cold in his shoulder but he pulled Bai into him for the two steps he needed to get his back against a tree. 

“Hei!” Amber called out to him as he sat with Bai. He didn’t bother to answer. He needed to protect Bai, she knew this was what they did after she used her powers. It was so hard to breathe, and he could taste the blood he had coughed up earlier. 

“Hei!” Amber yelled at him. She had stalked over to him to inspect his wound. He moved away from her. Bai wasn’t awake yet. He wasn’t going to move until she was. 

“I need to stop the bleeding.” She growled at him and moved closer. Hei shook his head and slapped her hand away. 

“I’ll be fine.” He muttered. He wasn’t fooling anyone, least of all himself. His breathing was fast and shallow. He was keeping himself from going into shock by focusing on Bai. He could smell the ozone from the sparks she had used. There hadn’t been any blood on her before she had fallen asleep. Now his blood was soaking into her clothes. 

“No you won’t!” Amber was still yelling. It wasn’t normal for her to do that. Hei glanced over to her. She actually looked worried. You’re seeing things. It must be the bloodloss. Contractors don’t have emotions. He thought to himself as she knelt down next to him. Pain exploded as she pressed on both sides of his wound. He clamped his jaw shut, cutting off his own scream.   

“Hei?” a soothing deep voice called to him through the pain and reassuring fingers on his head pulled him from the scene in front of him. Hei whimpered. He squeezed his eyes closed. It felt like he was still there. His mind was playing tricks on him, he could still smell the jungle and taste the blood in his mouth. 

“It’s not real. It’s the past and I’m not trapped.” He muttered aloud in Mandarin to reassure himself he could pull himself out of his mind. He wasn’t sure he would be able to. The pain in his shoulder shifted to a weight on his chest as he struggled to bring himself back to November. 

“What’s wrong?” November asked him in English. Focus! He growled at himself as he forced his rattled brain to respond in the correct language. 

“I’m not there.” He managed to piece together. 

“No, you’re not there. You are in Tokyo. You’re safe with me and I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

Hei chewed on his bottom lip and nodded. 

“Tokyo… November is safe.” Hei’s breathing hitched as he spoke. He was safe. November wouldn’t let anything hurt him. November was the one person he trusted with his life. He forced his eyes open, relieved to see November looking down at him and not the jungles of Brazil. 

“You’re safe.” November smirked down at him. Hei gave November’s hand on his chest a gentle squeeze. He forced his breathing to slow and willed his body to relax. It was hard. He felt like he was floating. His limbs didn’t want to react. It felt like his limbs weren’t where they were supposed to be. Off from their usual location by inches, almost like his body wasn’t his own, only he knew it was. Everything was where it was supposed to be. He could wiggle his toes which felt snug in his shoes, his fingers moved but he had no strength. He’d end up crumpled on the floor if he tried to stand. 

 

There wasn’t supposed to be a contractor here. They were supposed to get in, kill or kidnap two dolls and get out. This was supposed to be an easy mission, Hei hadn’t anticipated having to wait around as people loitered before going home. This was only their third mission but he should have put more effort into planning. His traitorous stomach had given them away to the guard passing by. He blamed his rotten luck as Bai hadn’t been able to kill them before they had sent out an alarm. That was when they found out he was a contractor. They had been told all of the guards were human. Their intel was flawed. If he was a contractor, then it was possible the other guards were as well. 

The contractor across from him glowed blue and the floor under his feet warbled. Hei adjusted his stance, lowering his centre of gravity to steady himself as best he could. It felt like he was standing on jelly, the floor jiggled and heaved in no predictable direction. Bai was too far away from the Korean contractor to zap him. She hadn’t developed the ability to fight with wire and knives like he had. He needed to get them to move closer to Bai so she would be able to use her powers. Hei made his way forward on the unsteady floor. The contractor glanced between himself and Bai keeping a safe distance from both of them. He was probably trying to judge if both of them were contractors. He needed to move fast. He doubted he would be able to protect Bai if any of the other guards showed up. 

He waited until he felt the floor dip, bending his knees slightly in preparation. As he felt the floor raise up he launched himself towards the contractor using the momentum to his advantage. His knife sank deep into the contractor’s chest. Hei glanced around as the contractor slumped into him. He felt sick with himself as he pushed the dead contractor to the floor. The blood on his hands; a visual reminder of what he had become. He glanced over at Bai. She was the reason he had turned himself into a monster, but even now he would make the same choice. 

Bai motioned towards the door ahead of them. Their targets were supposed to be beyond that door. The Syndicate wanted them alive, but if getting them out was too much of a risk they were to kill the dolls. He pitied dolls. Contractors could still bargain and decline requests that were made of them if unreasonable. Dolls didn’t have that option. They were programmed to watch and gather information. They didn’t complain or protest and were often mistreated. Not that the Syndicate would treat them much better. 

Hei reached out towards the door as the one behind them burst open. A quick glance over his shoulder revealed five more guards pouring into the room. 

“Take care of the targets.” Bai’s voice was low. Hei nodded once and watched briefly as she walked towards the guards, the blue glow that signalled her as a contractor enveloping her as he turned the knob and snuck into the next room. They wouldn’t be escaping with the dolls. Not now that they knew some of the guards were contractors. He tightened the grip on his knife and made his way further into the room. 

Two small figures sat hunched next to a bowl of water. Hei stopped in his tracks as two pairs of dark eyes lifted from gazing into the water to stare at him. He had heard that dolls could be children, but he had hoped he’d never have to… was there a way that they could get out of here with them? Even one of them? The sounds of the battle just outside the room forced his brain out of shock. He couldn’t hesitate, he needed to get back to Bai, but his body wouldn’t move. The two of them were barely older than he and Bai had been when they had left for England. He heard a heavy impact and the clear sound of Bai gasping in pain. That was all the motivation he needed. No matter what, he would protect his sister.  

 

“It’s just the drugs, you’re not there Hei.” November’s voice called out to him and the scene in front of him shattered into pieces. He sat up suddenly and the world twisted sideways and around. Hei gasped as he struggled to orient himself. The air was heavy with the smell of cigarettes. He could feel that Mao and Yin were there as he flopped back into November. “It’s okay. We’re almost back to the flat. We will be safe there.”

Drugs? He had left the flat… why had he left? It wasn’t safe to go out. Amber was in town and would be looking for him. But I had to go out… there had been a reason. Hei rubbed his palm into his forehead. His head was pounding, he could feel each beat of his heart in his temples. He scrunched his eyebrows trying to grasp the traces of memory. Translating. He had been called to the university. Something to do with The Shadow. It must have been a trap. There was more to it. Beyond the piercing headache something didn’t feel right. From the tips of his fingers to his elbows stung. The feeling reminded him of before he had gotten Bai’s powers, when he had grabbed onto her while she was enveloped in them. He hadn’t had that problem since getting them. His stomach twisted. What had happened? He couldn’t remember. As unsettled as that made him, what concerned him more was how he could tell where November, Yin and Mao were with his eyes closed. He couldn’t feel Huang but given their positions, Huang was driving. In Brazil he had an uncanny ability to predict contractor ambushes… but even then he hadn’t been able to actually tell where or how many contractors there wer. 

 

He walked cautiously down the gravel path through the jungle behind his escort. They’d only been on their new team a few weeks and already it had become apparent that the contractor in charge, Amber, was fond of making him the bait to lure out enemy contractors. This was a new one even for her. He was solo on this mission. They couldn’t have any star react in the area. The person in question, Mauro Ramalho, was the focus of a Syndicate coup. They wanted to absorb his operation but didn’t want him to join. The order had come down to eliminate him but they didn’t want it to look like the Syndicate had anything to do with it. His team had been selected for the mission, but the three female members were unlikely to gain entry without scrutiny. He had been warned… well threatened, that he would have to do unspeakable things to stay with Bai. He hadn’t even thought that this might be among them. He had no idea how to seduce a target, let alone an older male. He was even less comfortable with the idea than he was with killing. He did his best to keep how much it still bothered him hidden from everyone else. He had initially started holding Bai during her remuneration to remind himself of why he was doing this. To be able to watch Bai sleeping and remind himself that she was once Xing. It was why he was steadily killing himself each time he took a life to stay with his sister. It was now the only thing that was keeping him somewhat sane. He was in control of his emotions, he had learned to mimic contractors as a shield, but inside he was less and less sure of his decision. The more he doubted his decision the worse he felt. 

Hei had memorised the path they had taken as his escort led him to a small out building away from the main house. They would either dispose of him here or he’d be forced to follow through on this mission. Amber had told him that he would need to be convincing. Ramalho wouldn’t relax his guard enough for Hei to attack until afterwards. Hei’s opening would be just after the other finished. He would stage it to look like the other was sleeping and sneak out. 

Hei swallowed hard as they were met at the door by a large well built Portuguese man. He matched the photo of Ramalho he had seen, only his tan was a darker brown. Ramalho smiled broadly at Hei, clearly pleased with what he saw. Hei felt his stomach explode with butterflies. He was more nervous than he had been on his and Bai’s first mission. 

 

“Hei.” November called out to him, the spell of the past dissolving at the sound of November’s voice. Hei blinked and glanced around, they were in the car park below the flat. When did we get here? Hazy images of being in Huang’s car, at Dr. Keiko’s clinic…Hei paused. He could remember fighting Mingue. It was only in flashes. He would doubt it to be true, but his body was protesting from injuries even beyond whatever medication that Dr. Keiko had given him. If that hadn’t been enough to convince him, the worried look from November would have. 

“Hei.” November called out again. His face looked less worried as Hei focused on him.

“I- You’ll help me make sense of this later?” Hei asked cautiously. November smiled and nodded. Hei could feel November’s hand on his waist guiding him towards the lift.

“To the best of my ability I will. I managed to get some information out of you while you still remembered, and with the evidence we’ve found I’ve pieced together a bit more.”

Hei nodded and let November lead him. He could trust November to keep him safe.

 

Hei sighed for what must have been the thousandth time that day and rested his head on his hands. He was trying to figure out a plan. Hikaru had been right, somehow in the short time he had spent with November he had fallen in love with the enemy. It was going to be a strained balancing act to keep things hidden from Huang… but he would especially have to keep Mao from finding out about his relationship with November. If anyone in the Syndicate accessed Mao’s database and saw information about him and November everything would be over faster than he’d see it coming. He had decided last night having November over to the apartment would be restricted to times he could be sure Mao wouldn’t be around for exactly that reason. He wouldn’t be able to be sure Mao hadn’t seen them and there’d be little in the way of warning if Mao did see them. The only question was; would they kill him or November?

He wished it would be him, even though he knew it wouldn’t. Just like November had said yesterday; he had caught him. The blonde just didn’t know how true his words were. He had caught the one he was hunting without even knowing it. He would have to keep himself from giving away that he was a contractor around November. His training would help there. He had mastered not reacting when he saw spectres. He would just have to keep from interacting with them. His blunder from last night had given away that he knew about contractors and dolls. If that hadn’t already raised November’s suspicion of him, finding out he had fought in Heaven’s War should be a huge red flag. 

November’s reaction still confused him. The rage he had seen in November’s eyes was not something easily faked in a contractor. Rage was also not the emotion he had expected as a reaction. Suspicion, disgust… or even pity would have been normal reactions for a contractor to fake. Instead it had looked like November wanted to flay his father alive with an icicle blade. Not that he’d mind too much, as long as he got the information he needed from him about Bai. 

Is there another layer to his powers? It still shocked him how quickly his body had reacted to November. All of their interactions after Carmine died had been after November had frozen his shoes to the pavement. Typically powers that manipulate people are more subtle and November had said his powers were liquid cryogenesis. Most contractor powers were singular. Bai’s powers just encompassed… everything. There had been times after he had gotten her powers that he had wanted to experiment with them but it had been too risky to use his star for that. The Syndicate was trying to figure out if he had Bai’s powers, him trying to figure out how much he could fiddle with electrons hadn’t been worth the risk. 

His fight with VG-062 had given him an idea of just how much he could manipulate and for how long. The other thing he had confirmed was that the things he had changed, remained changed even after he stopped using his powers. But why had it hurt? Using Bai’s powers hadn’t hurt before. Was there something about the way he had used it or was it related to his changing the composition of the earth? It was more likely that it had been related to how he had masked his powers in his fight with VG-062. The first time he had been trapped things had been painful before he had started changing the ground. The second time he had been trapped it had felt similar. The bigger drain on him had been concentrating on keeping from electrocuting himself and charring his clothes. He had only partially succeeded at that. 

Hei shook his head. He had gotten off topic. He needed to plan on how to keep Mao and Huang from finding out about his fraternisation with the enemy. He would have to limit his contact with November and anytime he went over he would have to make sure he wasn’t followed. He would need to set up a fake schedule for the university. November would poke through that part of his background if he didn’t have it nailed down. What times have I been around him? He would map out the times November had seen him or knew he hadn’t been in school. His Thursday meetings with Shikikoza was something November already knew about.  He would have to have two or three classes twice a week. He shouldn’t have much in the Evenings because of his job at the bar but it was possible he could have one evening class. No, it was just easier to avoid evening classes. Maybe just have his classes be on Tuesdays and Thursdays and the other days he could use as ‘self directed research’ for his thesis. 

Hei flopped back on to the floor of his apartment and let his legs slide forward under the table. Classes would be Tuesday and Thursday. It had been a good thing he had set the alarm to meet up with Shikikoza. It would appear to November that he had a regular schedule. He could then have two afternoon classes. He reached into the satchel Huang had tossed him. He had put in a list of classes offered this semester by the Gate Astrophysics department. He glanced over the contents and grinned; the time they were offered were listed. Now he only had to find out what was offered Tuesdays and Thursdays and choose two. He had told November he didn’t have class on Fridays after his incident with VG-052 so that was something else he needed to consider. 

He should also limit the time he spends at November’s flat. More than twice a week would start to be suspicious. Staying over more than one night wasn’t something he should do either. He would also have to take a longer route so he could be sure that Mao wasn’t following him. November would have to be satisfied with what free time Hei could spare and texting. Would that be enough? November seemed committed, and believed he was feeling emotions again, but he was a contractor. That fact alone made his doubt linger. 

 

“He’s still not all with it, is he?” His apartment faded from in front of him as April spoke. 

“Nope.” Hei mumbled. November had managed to guide him from the elevator into the flat, and he had no memory of the journey. Hei was on his feet, but leaning heavily into November who had an arm securely around his waist. 

“He’s more coherent than not. It’s when he gets quiet I worry.” November’s voice was heavy, there was more emotion to it than any contractor he had ever met. 

 

Hei glanced around slowly at the unfamiliar space. Golden clouds swirled around him before dissipating to reveal a night sky filled with the old stars. 

“I had known all along. I knew you never wanted to kill anyone, Da-ge.” A calm voice he knew almost as well as his own spoke from behind him. Hei spun around half convinced the voice was just in his head. 

“Meimei?” Hei muttered in disbelief as he stared at the figure of Bai. She was dressed the same as the last time he had seen her, in her fighting gear. This can’t be real. Bai couldn’t be there. Bai smiled at him, the way she had when she was still Xing. 

“I’m sorry I had to leave you alone Da-ge. We thought I would be enough, that you wouldn’t have to be risked.”

“Amber was the one who got it wrong. She’s the one who took everything from me and left me all alone.”

“She did leave you alone but Ah-Xu, you’re not alone anymore. You’ve found someone and started a family.”

“November?”

“Tell me about him.” Bai nodded with a smile. Hei couldn’t remember the last time she had used his real name. 

“He…” Hei looked around, not sure where to start. His code name is November 11. I’m not sure if Jack Simon is his real name, but I suspect it might be. He’s a contractor but I feel safe around him. In a way I’ve never felt before. He is considerate and caring but also stubborn and persistent. He can bring my guard down without me realising, which normally I’d find dangerous but with him I know I- no, we could get ourselves out of most situations that arise. I want to stay with him, even if that means going against The Syndicate. It’s foolish, but I’ve decided to embrace my feelings for him and that he knows about my past and still wants me around.”

“It sounds like you mean as much to him as he does to you.” Bai grinned at him before adding. “Keep letting him take care of you. You’ve neglected yourself far too much.”

“It was my choice. I wanted to protect you and couldn’t leave you with him. It didn’t matter that you had become a contractor. You were still my Meimei.”

“Ah-Xu.” Bai frowned at him, she seemed more like Xing than Bai. There was a sadness to her eyes he hadn’t seen before. “I need you to finish what I started. I’m sorry I have to ask this of you, but there’s no one else who can. Amber saw what would happen if Schroeder’s anti-gate particles were allowed to activate in the Jupiter ring around Heaven’s gate. We had to stop him. Now he’s constructed a match to it he calls the Saturn ring around Hell’s gate and is planning on activating it around the next solar maximum.”

“He was supposed to test them today… father was going.”

“Father wants contractors gone. He wants to prove that he should have been chosen as heir.”

“So he wanted to use Schroeder’s anti-gate particles to close the gate, just like the Shadow’s powers.”

“Yes. Grandmother wants the gates gone, but she will be after you to close them.”

“What happened at Heaven’s Gate? You weren’t trying to close the gate.”

“I had hoped I’d be enough to force the gate to stay open. Amber had secured a meteor shard to amplify my powers, combined with being one half of the shadow, our probability of success was high.” Bai sighed and looked down in defeat. “My remuneration started to take effect and I knew it wouldn’t be enough. So I sealed the area to keep Schroeder from being able to activate the Jupiter Ring. I got you out of the area. I tried to be gentle, but speed was more urgent.”

“If I do nothing, will my family disappear?”

“If Schroeder’s particles are activated, it is the most likely outcome. If you are taken to the gate you will have some ability to decide what happens. The more you can focus the greater probability you can keep those who you consider your family safe.”

“What will happen to me? Will I disappear like you?”

“Not like me. What happens will depend on how much you are able to control and if you have help and an amplifier. The energy of the gates is difficult to budge. It will listen to you, but it will take so much more effort to start the change than just letting the Shadow’s powers seal them. You will have to fight against it, don’t let it overwhelm you. Do not make the same mistake that I did.”

“The meteor shard you had? Does Amber still have it?”

“She does. Amber isn’t the enemy, Ah-Xu. Let her help.”

“I… will be civil. I can’t promise more than that. Not after what she has done to me.”

“That’s all I can ask. Now sleep Ah-Xu, I will keep the memories at bay so you can rest. You will need all of your strength and more for what will come.”

“Is this goodbye Ah-Xing?” 

She smiled sadly before standing on her toes to kiss his forehead. “Sleep.” She whispered and the world went black. 

 

When he opened his eyes next he was in the bed he shared with November at the flat. November was propped up against the pillows and Hei could hear the steady beat of November’s heart from where he was nestled into November’s side using his chest as his own pillow. November’s arm was wrapped around him, keeping him close while absentmindedly tracing patterns on his side. Hei tilted his head to look up at November. The serious expression on his face melted away as November smiled down at him. 

“Welcome back.”

“How long have I been out?”

“Hard to say. You were heavily dosed with Shikikoza’s research prototype. So, while you were conscious at times, you were very much out of commission. If you’re just talking about sleep, you stopped having hallucinations four or five hours ago.” 

“Wha-” Hei shifted to sit up and look at November, but halted before he could prop himself up on his elbow. The sudden movement induced a wave of nausea and Hei clamped his mouth shut as he flopped back down. 

“Hei?” November leaned forward but Hei managed to press down on his chest to keep him still. Hei closed his eyes and waited for the nausea to pass.

“I don’t feel well.” Hei managed to say after a few moments. “I feel like I went out with April and managed to out drink her.” Hei groaned. The nausea was now manageable but the back of his head felt like someone had attached a vice to it. “What happened? As much as you can tell me. Then I can try and figure out if what I can remember was real or not.”

“What do you mean?”

“Everything is hazy. I feel like I was back in Brazil but also in Korea and at a clinic here in Japan. I remember talking with Bai, as impossible as it sounds it wasn’t a conversation we had before. She said that she was trying to force the gate to stay open, but ran out of time. She seemed to turn back into Xing as we were talking. She wants me to listen to Amber when she shows up. She also warned doing nothing would endanger all of you and made it sound like I’m going to end up at the gate if Schroeder fails, either by force or choice.” Hei frowned. It felt like he had actually talked to Xing; it felt like a goodbye.

“February has kidnapped Schroeder. So he might not be in the picture anymore.”  

“What about his experiment?”

“It’s on indefinite hold. PANDORA won’t be able to pull it together without him and his supporters…” November trailed off. There was more to that statement than November was saying. He risked shifting to look up at November.

“What else?”

“Evening Primrose, killed most of the people who attended the demonstration. February killed Kuei.” November muttered the last part. He looked disappointed. The times Kuei’s actions had pulled on November’s anger over Hei’s past; he probably wished he had been the one to kill Kuei.

“Kuei is dead?” It felt like this wasn’t the first time he had heard it. It wouldn’t surprise him if it was. His mind felt scattered and there were so many things that were hazy he couldn’t tell what had happened after his conversation with November after hearing about PANDORA.

“He is. Misaki will be around sometime to do the official next of kin notification.”

Next of kin. With Kuei gone the Syndicate would still be an issue, but with one of the founders gone, there would be infighting until the power vacuum was filled. Amber’s Evening Primrose had put Schroeder’s experiment on hold, he was now the only one who could influence the gate. If the Xing from his dream was right, he wouldn’t risk his family. He would force the gates to stay open like she had tried to do. Will Grandmother make a move? The Kuei family and their desire to seal the gates were now more of a priority than the Syndicate. With him in Tokyo the Kuei’s would send someone to Japan. Someone with enough authority to ensure he would go. Probably one of his aunts, it wouldn’t be his grandmother.  I’m going to have to tell her LuanYi is dead. That was one hornet’s nest he didn’t want to poke. She already knew that he was alive and that LuanYi was here. If he didn’t call, she might just be mad enough to send an army to drag him back.

“Did anyone from Kuei’s entourage survive?” there was the slightest chance that one of Kuei’s guards had survived. It was slim, but if they had, he wouldn’t have to be the one to call his grandmother. 

“Yes, but no.” November frowned. 

“How?” Hei raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“Mingjue wasn’t at PANDORA. Because of that he survived February but he’s now a crispy addition to the local morgue.”

“Who killed him?”

“You did.”

“I.. did? How certain are you?”

“Very. You were the only contractor active in the area. He had tried to kidnap you and you fought back. You told me you had killed him as your memory was going fuzzy. Mingjue had Shikikoza lure you to the University, where you were drugged. He managed to get you out of there without being seen, but you came to enough to fight him in Nandomachi, which is where we found you. Huang took us to a friend of his who treated you before I could take you home.”

“Dr.Keiko… she’s the one who seen me after VG-052” Hei mumbled. It made sense. He remembered something about having to go to the university; that would have been the trap. Huang would have taken them to see the same doctor. She had seen him before and Huang trusted her.

“How does that relate to fried garlic?”

“How?” He looked up a November confused. “Did she mention that? Last time she saw me she said I looked like I’d been crushed and fried like garlic. She wasn’t far off the mark.”

“Because of VG-052’s powers and the electricity you used?”

“Yeah. D-did Mao stay over?” It felt like Mao was with July on the couch and April wasn’t far from them.

“I think he might have. Huang insisted we keep a close eye on you and let him know if you start to go downhill. Your grumpy uncle has a soft spot for you. I think seeing you like you were yesterday might have shaken him.”

“Considering all Huang has seen, I doubt that.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure. Last night certainly took years off of my life, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the same for him. The only other thing you mentioned was something about your grandmother, but I’m not sure if that was part of a hallucination or not. Do you feel up to moving?”

“Maybe, but not far.”

“Do you think you could make it to the couch?”

“If I can make it upright.” Hei shifted slowly, pulling himself to a sitting position. The nausea wasn’t as bad as before, the movement had made him feel more unsettled but it was within tolerable limits. He nodded slightly to November, letting him know he was okay before he managed to slowly follow November off the bed. 

“Doing okay?” November smiled as he watched Hei adjust to the changes. 

Hei nodded. His first goal was to make it to the door, then he’d work on making it to the couch. He hadn’t felt this type of nausea before. Outside of being ill or injured, he typically didn’t get nauseous. Each step he took felt like his insides were sloshing about, but in the end he made it to the couch unaided. He cradled his head on the arm of the couch and breathed slowly. Hei closed his eyes to block the sunlight streaming in the room, which had his head throbbing. November massaged his fingers through his hair from where he stood next to the couch.

“How’s he doing?” April asked from across the room. He had been right. Mao was in July’s lap on the other side of the couch.

“Mostly back to himself, just feels very hungover.”

Hei huffed in protest, even though November was right.

“I’ll put on some ginger tea.” April offered. He knew she was offering it to help his stomach. But he couldn’t deal with that right now.

“No.” Hei answered quickly without looking up, startling November enough for him to halt his fingers. “No ginger.” He shook his head slightly. He wouldn’t be able to block out any memories from his time with Mingjue at the hotel right now. 

“Mingjue?” November asked hesitantly. 

“Yeah.”

“Alright no ginger… got it.” April walked off to the kitchen.

“Stop struggling Gongzi, it won't help. I’ve been ordered to take you out of Japan and with what the Professor gave you, your powers shouldn’t be able to activate.” Mingjue’s voice echoed in his head. Hei pressed his forehead into his arm and tried to grasp the memory and pull more information about it. Why did Kuei suddenly need me out of the country? Had Kuei found out Amber had arrived? Her star would have appeared over Japan which would have alerted Kuei, but James had told them on Saturday she was there. Why would Kuei wait? What had Shikikoza been working on that could inhibit a contractor's powers?

“What happened after I spoke with you on your way to PANDORA? After you found Kuei dead.” Hei murmured into the arm of the chair. He relaxed as November’s fingers continued to work their magic.

“Misaki got a call from Astronomics saying your star was active.”

“Sustained activity. Not a short burst. We’re talking like ten plus minutes!” April called from the kitchen.

“She also said that spectres couldn’t get close to the area. Not even July or Yin could make it through the interference. By the time we got to Nandomachi it had dissipated. We found a very crispy Mingjue there. I doubt they will be able to identify him based on what was left.”

“I had gone to check up on Yin, during that time you left the apartment. I had to sniff out where you had ended up!” Mau grumbled from July’s lap. 

“You were in rough shape when we found you. Huang drove us to Dr. Keiko’s clinic where she treated you for the human symptoms you were displaying.”

“Were my powers still active?” Hei hazarded a glance up at November who shook his head.

“No, they had stopped before the interference with spectres disappeared. I’m sure that Misaki will be listing that as something to do with BK-201’s powers in her files now.”

“Then why did you say human symptoms? What other symptoms did I have?”

“Shikikoza was working on an artificial regressor to use against contractors.” April called from the kitchen. “He had been giving you low doses of an inactive component since you had started going to see him to build it up in your system. He gave you the catalyst and a lot of sedatives yesterday. Seems that Mingjue ordered him to get you to come over. Sounds to me that Kuei sent Mingjue to collect you.” April continued. 

“I think he did. I can’t remember much, but he said he was taking me out of the country.”
An artificial regressor? Did I lose control of Bai’s powers? It would explain why his arms felt like he had grabbed onto Bai to stop her from using her powers. A burning sting deep in the muscle. Had the drug taken Bai’s powers away and left him with only the Shadow’s abilities? Are the effects permanent? The thought left him cold. He could defend himself without her powers, but it had been years since he didn’t have them to fall back on. He’d need to test out if he could still use them. Somewhere away from where Dolls could check on him and both his apartment and November’s flat. He’d have to wait until he felt a little more like himself before he tried, preferably somewhere alone. If things went south and he couldn’t control his powers he didn’t want to hurt November.

He also needed to figure out why for some reason he could feel the presence of contractors and dolls.He had been able to tell that Mao, April and July had been in the living room when he had woken up. Each of them had a unique frequency he couldn’t remember feeling before. His brain was registering it as a specific noise but it wasn’t exactly a sound, as it didn’t seem to interfere with his hearing but he could feel it.  November’s reminded him of the low rumble he often tried to get November to make. Could that be why I like it so much? Hearing something aloud he hadn’t even known he could feel? April, rather surprisingly, felt like a slow and steady rainfall hitting canvas. Mao was the tinkling of a small bell. With July, it was different, he could tell it was him but unlike how November and April had a discernible sound, July was a quiet four beat pulse then a pause before it repeated. 

“I know you probably don’t feel like it, but here.” April had come over to the couch. Hei glanced up at the steaming bowl in her hands. Hei couldn’t help the small smile that creeped across his face when he looked down at the bowl of congee. 

“Thank you.” The congee smelt wonderful but his stomach still knotted as he tried to eat some of it. It was hard to keep his mind focused. It felt similar to when he had crammed all of those papers into his head. He started to notice times when he just ended up staring blankly with no idea how long he had been doing it. Just sitting there trying to dig up some of the memories and not worrying about if the drug Shikikoza had given him would have lasting effects was the extent of his abilities. Everyone was worried for him but there wasn’t anything he could do to help. Hei sighed and closed his eyes. The only thing he could do was rest. 

“Ah-Shun?” November shook his shoulder gently. Hei looked up slowly. He had fallen asleep curled up on the couch. “Misaki’s here.” November added with a smirk at his confused look. 

Ah - right, next of kin would be me. Hei shifted on the couch to sit up. Looking over towards the door, Kirihara and Saitou stood waiting. 

“Sorry, it seems all the studying and working has caught up to me because of the news.” Hei mumbled. It was a believable excuse. An event like a parent’s death, even one they hated, could easily have all of the barely handled stress crashing down on a student. 

“We’re very sorry for your loss.” Misaki seemed conflicted. While her eyes wandered to his arm on the couch and lingered there. 

“What will I have to do now? I’m sure there will be an investigation so there will be more required.”

“We will need you first to come in to identify the body. After that arrangements can be made in the next three to four days to have him moved from the morgue and for you to collect his belongings.” Kirihara nodded somberly glancing over at November, then him and again down to his arm. Why is she interested in my arm?  Hei resisted the urge to check to see if something was on his sleeve. They had been rolled down at some point so the cuff was still down to his wrist. Shit is there blood on it? If either Mingjue or I had bled, that would be hard to explain. So long as she didn’t press, he’d just wait until she left to check.

“Do I need to come over today or can it wait until tomorrow? I’m not sure I’m ready to do any of that right now.”

“Mh. We already have a tentative ID on him so that shouldn’t be an issue. His affects are currently in evidence until they are cleared, so it is probably best to wait until tomorrow for them as well. PANDORA was his last stop before leaving the country wasn’t it?.” 

“I believe it was. He was staying at the Park Hyatt if you need to find out if he’s checked out.”

“Thank you, we will do that.” Kirihara paused for a moment before looking over at November. “You could stay here with Li-kun today and bring him in tomorrow morning. We are going to have our hands full at PANDORA and at BK-201’s scene.” She paused for a moment, shifting her gaze back to Hei. “I don’t know what to make of what’s going on with his star. During the night it blinked out but came back and continued to flicker weakly until a few hours ago when it stabilised. The last report I got advised that it was remaining steady but at about 30% luminosity. Astronomics are completely stumped. Have you ever heard of anything like that happening before?” 

Shit, I’m supposed to be a gate scientist. He closed his eyes and thought back to his meetings with Shikikoza. He shook his head.

“No, I’ve never heard of that happening. Not even in the records I have seen from the Heaven’s Gate catastrophe. Is that something I’m allowed to share so I can ask around or is it strictly a need to know bit of information?” 

“Best not to ask anyone else.” Misaki frowned. “We should get back. Again, we are sorry for your loss.” Misaki bowed slightly followed shortly after by Saitou. 

“Thank you.” Hei mumbled quietly.

November walked Kirihara and Saitou to the door. Hei waited until he heard the door close to inspect his arm. He couldn’t see anything that would be suspicious. He twisted it around to try and see if he might have missed something and he felt his wound from Wei Zhijun pull. No, could she suspect I’m BK-201?

“What’s wrong?” November asked.  

“You don’t think that she suspects me, do you?”

“Hmm, I was surprised she asked you about your star. Was there something else?”

“She kept looking at my arm.” Hei pulled back his sleeve showing the mark he had gotten while fighting Wei Zhijun. “Did you tell her where I was injured?”

“I didn’t.” November frowned.

“So what, it’s just a scratch.” April waved off his concern.

“She saw BK-201’s injury. If I have one in exactly the same place, it will be hard to convince her I’m not BK-201.” 

“We will have to be very careful. She had considered the potential that your exposure to Heaven’s Gate might have caused you to become a contractor.” 

“Oh shit you’re right!” April chimed in. 

“Eh? What do you mean?” Hei sat up quickly, 

“She was asking about it prior to us having to go off to PANDORA. She showed me the call list from the Romanians. From there I explained we were wondering how your family found out and the list confirmed it was them. Then we got into how influential your family is… Brazil came up too. April let slip that you had a sister and you both were there.”

“Shit. Considering how little you three act like contractors, we had better assume that she thinks I’m BK-201.”

“I wonder if part of the reason she came here today was to see if you were alright. Considering what she said about your star, it implies something is very wrong with BK-201.”

“It will depend on how much damage Shikikoza’s drug did.” Hei slumped back into the couch. He would have to test out his powers soon. Misaki’s information on his star solidified something was wrong. November knew it too. 

“You should take it easy for the next couple of days. I’m sure Misaki will give Section 4 regular updates on BK-201’s star. If it isn’t back to normal we can test things then.” 

Hei nodded. It would be easier if November didn’t press for him to test things out too soon. He would have to try things out on his own before then. He also had a more immediate problem. 

“If Kuei had checked out - and I’m assuming he had before going to PANDORA, then all of his guards would have been there - I counted four but there could be another one including Mingjue. Which means now that Kirihara has completed the next of kin notification, it’s up to me to pass that information along.” Hei sighed. He didn’t want to have to call Wuhan.

“I believe they are all dead. I saw five with Kuei and Mingjue was killed by you.”

“Damn, I”ll have to call. I’ll need to find a payphone near Kuei’s apartment or Section 4. If they try to trace the location they won’t have any leads.”

“Hotel is probably safer. Going near Section 4 right now could be risky.” 

“Agreed.” Hei nodded before looking at November. “I’m guessing you’ll be coming with me.”

“After yesterday you’ll be lucky if I let you out of my sight for more than a few hours and even then I’d have to know someone was with you at all times.”

Hei shrugged in response before getting up from the couch. He could use the drive to find out if he could sense contractors or dolls outside of his family. The nausea and headache from the morning were now within tolerable limits. 

“Walking or driving?” He asked as he stretched his arms to get rid of some of the stiff feeling from having slept on the couch. 

“Driving if your stomach can handle it. Otherwise, we will wait until it can.”

“I’ll be fine; it’s only a short drive. I want to get this call over with.”

“Alright, but there will be another stop, maybe two.”

“Where else do you need to go?”

“You need a winter jacket. Third stop would be if you wanted food.”

“Okay, I do need to get one.” Hei smirked. 

 

It wasn’t long before he and November were on the road. November had already decided on which store to take him to find a winter jacket. November insisted on a wool peacoat. He wasn’t as concerned about the style, just warmth. Hei had wandered around the store until November found one that matched the green lining of his black reaper jacket. He was glad to have it as he stared at the payphone. November was leaning against the phone box watching him as Hei dialled the number to his childhood home. 

“Wei?” a familiar voice answered. Hei paused and blinked back the memory of sneaking into the kitchen and swiping bao for him and Xing as his Aunt was cooking.

“Gūgu.” The word was out of his mouth before he could stop it. He knew he shouldn’t have said it. He had planned to pretend to be a translator acting on behalf of the Japanese police. There was a pause from the other end of the line before a gasp.

“Ah-Xu!?” There was a crash in the background and he could hear shocked voices. 

“Mn.” was all he managed before she cut him off.

“Where the hell have you been? Why would you hide from us! You need to come home right now!”

“Gūgu, I’m only calling because of LuanYi.”

“What has your father done now? You should refer to him as such!” There was a slight growl to her voice. She was probably rolling her eyes. 

“LuanYi died while at PANDORA yesterday.”

“Eh?”

“You’ll have to send someone to collect him from the Japanese police. I will not bring him back. I’m never going back.”

“Ah-Xu! Wha-” He didn’t let her finish as he hung up the phone with a lot less force than he wanted to. 

“That didn’t look like it went as expected.”

“It didn’t. It’s done now at least. Let’s go.”

“She realised it was you.”

“Yeah. I guess it’s a good thing we’re planning on having me lay low for the next while, it’ll make it harder for someone to happen across me. You’ll just have to let me know when Kirihara advises that Kuei’s been moved.”

“Given your history, and how she knows you're avoiding them, she probably won’t be surprised if it isn’t you that comes and collects him.”

“Mhn.” Hei stared out the window as they drove. He was starting to be able to cope with his new ability to sense contractors and dolls. He had discovered that it wasn’t just his family he could feel on the drive. He had picked up on three others while they were out. One of them felt familiar, but he couldn’t place where or why. He hadn’t had much time to dwell on it, he had barely enough time to register them before they had passed by. There was more of a headrush than he was used to when they were driving. He had asked November to go slower because of it. It didn’t make him nauseous, it was almost overwhelming but he’d probably adjust in a couple of days. He wasn’t sure if it was an ability that he wanted to stick around. It had plenty of uses, namely being able to track down contractors. He only needed to see them once to be able to identify them. It was likely this was only temporary; some side effect of Shikikoza’s drug interacting with the Shadow’s powers. 

He hissed a breath in through his teeth and instinctively covered his ears as he felt another contractor. The ‘not sounds’ he felt around them up till now hadn’t been jarring. Whoever this contractor was, their sound was a shrill scrape of bone against metal.   

“Hei?” 

“I’m okay.” he mumbled but didn’t move until the sound ceased. 

“How about explaining what’s going on? Shikikoza’s drug still messing with your system?”

“Yeah.”

“In what way?”

“I think…” Hei paused. “Well, it didn’t just affect my contractor power.”

“The Emperor’s Shadow’s power reacted too?”

“I can tell there’s something there that isn’t the same as Bai’s powers. I’m not sure if I can do all the things Chen listed as being part of the Shadow’s powers… but I can sense contractors and dolls.”

“You… what? That… we just passed one?”

“Mhn. The others haven’t felt as harsh as that one.”

“How so?”

“it’s hard to explain. I can tell approximately where they are but they feel more like a sound. I suppose it’s like a ping, only each contractor has a different frequency and my brain associates a specific sound to each one. Dolls are different, or at least July and Yin both have a tapping type of rhythm that repeats.”

“Oh? What sounds have you come across so far?”

“You’re a low rumble, April is rain on canvas, Mao is a small bell. For the others I’ve come across, the one we just passed was bone scraping metal. There was also one that sounded like the ticking of an old clock, they were with two others, one sounded like bubbling water the other like a campfire. I feel like I’ve met the clock one before… but I can’t place where and I’m in no shape to find out who they are right now.”

“No… Could the clock be February? The sounds you used to describe Mao and April could be associated with their powers. She is in town and has several people with her.”

“Maybe. If that is the case, best to keep away from the clock contractor.”

“We can track them down in a couple of days. If it is February, then we will need to find out what her plans are with Schroeder and if she can be trusted.”

“And confirm what happened with Bai.”

“Agreed.”  

 

Hei shoved his hands deeper into the pockets of his new jacket to keep warm as he walked down the park path. He wanted to get far enough away from electrical lines so he would be able to test if Bai’s powers would still respond. He had told November after he had finished identifying Kuei’s body that he had accepted Kirihara’s offer to drive him home, to try and figure out if she suspected him or not. November had reluctantly agreed and Hei felt awful for misleading him. He needed to test Bai’s powers and he wouldn’t risk anyone else if things went south. Kirihara had commented that the star she had told him about yesterday was steadily returning to normal - currently sitting around 70 percent luminosity. If that was anything to go by, he’d be back to normal by tomorrow. He could still sense contractors but the drive to Section 4 hadn’t been as bad as the drive to call Wuhan, so his body was adjusting to the change. 

Huang had gotten word to suspend all activities from the syndicate last night. Kuei’s death would trigger a power struggle. Until that was settled and a new Asian head of the organisation confirmed, there would be no new missions. Everyone was to remain stationed where they had last been and were to wait for further instructions. Huang was nervous they would be called in for questioning or just removed. All contractor activity in Japan around when Kuei had been killed would be investigated. That meant the activity of BK-201’s star a few hours later would be scrutinised. The reports of dolls being unable to view the area around his activity would interest the Syndicate greatly. How fast they got their hands on the information depended greatly on Astronomics and Kirihara’s friend. 

“Ah-Xu.” A pleasant voice pulled him from his internal musing.

He stopped in his tracks and looked over at the familiar voice. She didn't look much different from when he was young. Her makeup was perfectly in place and the same as she had always done it. Her white hair, still done in the tight updo he remembered from the last time he had seen her. He didn’t know what to do or say as he stared at his grandmother in shock. She had been adamant about her hatred for the Japanese and never wanting to see another one again. He was positive she hadn’t ever left mainland China - and wanted to keep it that way. Why is she here!? LuanYi had sent Mingjue to get him out of the country because she was here… that was what he had been trying to remember about his grandmother.

“Come Ah-Xu, we need to talk.”

Hei didn’t want to go but followed her slowly towards a small gazebo not far from the path. With his attention now on high alert he picked up on six guards that he could see, some of them he recognised from when he was young. She gestured for him to sit as she sat across from him. His mind was racing. How had she known I would be here? I need to get out of here. How much does she know? The pleasant smile turned stern when he didn’t immediately follow her instruction. He would have to play along until he could escape. He cautiously took the seat offered to him while glancing around and spotting two other guards.  

“Do you know why I am here?”

“To collect LuanYi from the morgue?”

“LuanYi is dead?” Shock and sorrow passed over her face. She closed her eyes and took a single breath before looking back up at him. Watching her, Hei realised that was something he frequently did to hide his emotions as well. “Ah-Xu what did he tell you about our family?”

“Next to nothing. He stopped speaking to us after Xing became Bai.”

“He was a fool.”

“You tried to kill her.”

“For the greater good.”

“No. It wasn’t. Why do you hate contractors?”

“All of those demons deserve to die. Your grandfather tried so hard to keep them from appearing.”

“What do you mean?”

“It has been the responsibility of the Kuei family for generations to keep those monsters away. They had been getting stronger and stronger over the years. Your grandfather tried to do it alone, but he needed you and your sister to help and LuanYi had taken you from us. He died the night those horrid things appeared, unable to keep them away any longer.”

“You are saying that I am supposed to try and get rid of the gates?”

“You are the only one who can.”

“What if I refuse?”

“Because of your…” She paused to use the same word Hei had. “Contractor?”

“My what?”

“The blonde you are in love with.”

“Unlike you, I do not think they need to be wiped out.”

“You will come and get rid of the gates. If you have enough control you will be able to return him to human before you seal them. If you refuse I will tell my men to proceed to eliminating their targets.” tossed a handful of photos onto the table, each of them contained images of his family and strangely one of Kirihara as well.

“If I don’t agree, you plan on killing all of them?”

“I have people in place already. You will come with me now, or they will die.”

Hei clicked his tongue in frustration. She wouldn’t hesitate and like him, she went right for the kill. 

“I will come with you, but they are not to be harmed.” He had no choice, he would have to hope that what Bai had said in his dream about being able to control the Shadow’s powers to force the gate to stay open. It was his only chance at keeping his family safe.

“You have my word.” She reached into her purse and took out his grandfather’s bracelets. They were made of red woven thread around black beads, he had never seen his grandfather without them. “These are yours now.” She smiled sadly. “They are a symbol of your status and ability, please put them on.” 

Hei hesitantly accepted the bracelets. It felt like he was putting his own handcuffs on as he tied each of them on. Once they were attached, he could feel something tugging, starting as a trickle growing quickly as it reacted with the Shadow’s powers. 

“Wha.. what are these?” He was starting to get a head rush. It was so much stronger than what he had experienced driving with November yesterday. The area he could sense contractors was expanding every second the bracelets were on his wrist. Hei stood up and stumbled backwards. He had agreed to go with his grandmother, but he wouldn’t be able to focus and keep his family safe if he got overwhelmed by the bracelets. 

“The stones are remnants of ancient Ghost Gates. Each one can amplify your ability, together they were the reason your grandfather, and those before him had enough power to keep those creatures from appearing again. He said they took much adjusting to in the beginning. They have to be put on willingly to activate, but you won’t be able to take them off. Not until after the ghost gate is sealed, even then it will take someone else to remove them.”

Amplify? Hei was struggling to stay upright. Bai had said something about having an amplifier in Brazil and it not being enough. If he could just focus, he could use them to his advantage. He felt something spring up in his awareness. He tried to concentrate on the spot that was different and he could hear the faint tinkle of a glass windchime. It’s a contractor! Another contractor popped up, followed by another. The area he could sense was now exponentially larger than what he had been able to sense before and growing rapidly. Hei almost toppled when he connected one of the contractors he had sensed was Mao. The information pouring into his head was beginning to be too much. Dolls were registering as well. His vision was going hazy as an overload threatened. All Hei could do was focus on filtering the information flooding his brain. 

Hei tried desperately to bring himself out of his mind as The Shadow’s power found November, April and July. The clock contractor was with them… it must be Amber. He needed to go. He needed to help him. She couldn’t take November from him too. Nothing he tried worked, there was too much information. His surroundings long forgotten as The Shadow’s power extended further and further. He couldn’t even tell if he was still standing. 

November.

 

Notes:

Sorry about the cliffhanger! I will do my best to get the next chapter ready quickly!
thanks for all the comments and kudos! they really make my day.

Thank you all for a wonderful year!
^_^

A/N 06 AUG 23 - I've just finished storyboarding the last chapters and decided to throw in an additional chapter from a new POV. so there are 5 more chapters to look forward to. Then I might move onto one of the other November 11/ Hei stories that have been plaguing my brain for a while now (there are 10 potential stories on the list so far... <.<). Currently the cat and mouse one or the slow burn one are vying for top spot on the list - if you've got a preference let me know below.

Chapter 22: Chapter Twenty-one

Notes:

This Chapter is going to be rough.
if I've made you cry before - get the tissues.

November’s POV

He had stepped out to get away from the bickering of Misaki’s minions; the respectable looking one and the want-to-be biker had conflicting theories about BK-201 and neither would relent. Both of them were wrong, but November wasn’t about to point it out to them. April and July had followed him without a word - not that those two would notice with Misaki away. July had decided to stare into the glass walls of the building. Probably checking up on Hei or talking with Yin. Misaki’s friend Kanami from Astronomics had reported that BK-201’s star was steadily getting brighter. 

His own assessment of Hei was similar. Hei wasn’t back to his normal self yet and it probably had something to do with how he now could sense contractors. He was pleased that Hei wasn’t trying to hide what was happening to him like he used to. November wasn’t sure if the new ability was sapping Hei’s energy or if Shikikoza’s drug was still lingering in his system. Either way, since he had woken up yesterday his reactions had been slower and his guard was significantly down. Hei had slept past him a couple of times now, but this morning he had to actually nudge him awake. There had been a lot of grumbling about having to move too. That drug certainly did a number on him.

Finding out that the professor had been working on an artificial regressor was bad enough, but April had discovered during her interrogation that the professor had been building it up in Hei’s system in an inactive state until he needed to activate it. The bastard had been using Hei as a test subject from the start. Every time Hei had gone to visit him he had given Hei more, even after the kidnapping incident. Having that much of the drug built up in his system, how long would it take for him to be back to normal? Hei was worlds better than he had been after Keiko had let them go home, but he was far from his usual self. 

The more he thought about it, the more certain he was that Misaki was beginning to suspect Hei was BK-201. She had seemed more tense around him this morning than she had been around him before Kuei died. Her curiosity about his arm was suspicious too. She had seen BK-201’s wound so she knew exactly where it was. If she did manage to see Hei’s injury that was it, game over. He’d have to see if April could manage to cover Hei’s wound so that Misaki could ‘happen’ to see Hei wasn’t injured where BK-201 had been. It was their best bet to throw Misaki off Hei’s trail. Hei just needed to make sure that Misaki didn’t see his arm as she drove him back to the flat. 

November still wasn’t pleased about letting Hei go with her after he had confirmed it was Kuei who was in the morgue. He had also confirmed the other Chinese men as Kuei’s guards. He really wasn’t ready to let Hei out of his sight yet, not after finding him like that in the alleyway. November sighed and rubbed his temple. Section 4 had roped them into helping with both scenes and Hei would have had to wait around. It would have been hours until he would have a chance to drive Hei back to the flat. Hei was basically defenceless right now any time he would have had to spend around Misaki and Section 4 was too much of a risk. Even having her drive him home was more risky than November was ready for. Hei insisted he would be fine and any further debate in front of Misaki would have raised her suspicion as well.

“You know if you’re that worried about him you could just call.” April shook her head at him. She fished a can of beer from her seemingly endless supply in her bag. He knew it wasn’t but she always managed to have two shoved in there at all times. 

“Aren’t you the one who keeps telling me not to smother him?” he glanced over at the vending machines lined along the wall. He was tired. He’d spent most of the last 48 hours awake, to make sure that Hei was alright. If he was going to make it through the workday he needed caffeine. 

“Yeah, that was before. After what happened- he’d best get used to it. At least until this business with the gate blows over.” she muttered from behind her beer. 

“And if it doesn’t? He’s the only one left who can close the gates. Until all those who know of his powers or the gates themselves are gone, it’s unlikely that things will just blow over.” November was beginning to believe that they were in for the long haul. February was still in town and they had to be on guard. The February who had trained him had drilled it into his head to strike when the enemy was weak. She couldn’t have seen what had happened after PANDORA. If she had, he never would have found Hei. She would have taken him and forced him to use his powers on the gate. Why hadn’t she seen that future? Was she conserving the times she used her powers? Just how young had she become?

“Then he’s got us to protect him.” She grinned at him briefly before her expression changed to confusion. “What was that?”

“What was-” November felt the hairs on his arms and the back of his neck rise as a strange pressure enveloped him. He glanced over at July, who was similarly looking as confused as a doll could. “Whatever this is, it can’t be good.” He had a sinking feeling it had to do with Hei and he couldn’t shake the dread pooling in his stomach. 

“It’s not.” a young and strangely familiar voice called from behind him. He recognised the voice but it was different from what he remembered. Not that it surprised him. “Where’s Hei?” February demanded from behind him. November turned and glared at her. The rage swirling in his chest was close to bursting seeing her worried expression. How could she even pretend to be concerned about him after what she did?! The answer struck him immediately - somehow, even with all she had forced Hei to suffer, she was in love with him. She must have known what she was going to put Hei through. She could see the future, she would have known how broken she would leave him. How could she have done that to someone she loves? 

“What was that?” November forced himself to kept his voice level. February’s ability involved time. If she didn’t know where Hei was, she had either lost her touch or they were in serious trouble. The dread in his stomach from before proclaimed it wasn’t the former. 

“It’s the Shadow. Unless amplified we shouldn’t be able to feel it. This hasn’t happened in any of the futures I’ve seen. At least not outside of Hell’s Gate… and even then it wasn’t this strong. I need to find Hei, something’s changed.”

“He should be back at the flat.” April growled at February as she crunched the can in her hand before tossing it in a nearby bin.

“He’s not. I was just there.” February snapped. That one statement held more emotion than he had ever seen her express. Hei’s power over her from their time together during Heaven’s war was still in place, and from the looks of it, in full force. February wasn’t the rational emotionless contractor he knew anymore. November felt cold dread gripping his chest as he took out his phone, checking first for missed calls or messages before he dialled the number he had gotten for Hei. 

‘The person you are trying to reach has the phone turned off or is out of service.’

“Somethings wrong, his phone’s off.” He felt as lost as he had when they hadn’t been able to find Hei. What could have changed? Misaki had taken him back to the flat. Could she have taken him somewhere else? Did she agree to drive him just as a trap? That wasn’t the type of person Misaki was… but he couldn’t shake the possibility given how strange she had been around him this morning.  

“That’s what I’ve been telling you!” February growled and stomped her small foot. She looked maybe two or three years older than July. “Gah! I don’t have many more times I can use my powers.” February huffed and glowed blue. He knew she had used her powers but he couldn’t see any difference other than the loss of inches, her more childlike appearance and the even more worried expression and pronounced frown on her face. She was now probably no older than July. 

“Hei’s being taken to PANDORA by his grandmother. Why is she even here?! She hates the Japanese. How did the two of you manage to change her mind and get her to come here?” She rambled in frustration. She glared over at him and swallowed whatever else she was going to say. “He’s in bad shape. I don’t think he’s conscious. His grandmother has overwhelmed him by amplifying the Shadow’s powers. It is keeping him from being able to control them. That’s how she intends to get rid of the gate.” She finally explained.

“He wouldn’t have gone with her willingly.” November shook his head knowing what she said was true even if he didn’t want it to be. Hei wasn’t exactly in top form right now. Hei wouldn’t have been able to do much if he had been outnumbered. Why did I agree to let him go alone? He had known it was a bad idea. He should have gone with his gut.

“They don’t need him conscious to use the Shadow’s powers but we do. If Hei can figure out how to cope and get back in control before it’s too late we have a chance that he will be able to keep his powers from closing the gates and destroying all contractors.”

A chance. Only a chance. For February to term it like that then what she had seen wasn’t promising. It meant that any deviation from what she had seen would be disastrous. 

“What do you mean - get back in control?” November shoved his disdain for February aside. Hei was in trouble and he would use whatever resources he had access to, even from sources he detested. Hei had said in the strange dream conversation he had with Bai - she had asked him to trust February. He wasn’t one to trust dreams - mainly because he didn’t have them, but he trusted Hei. 

“So it’s an all or nothing situation? Either we get through to Hei or we’re all dead. No pressure… fuck up and we’ll end up destroying all contractors.” April scoffed.

“This meteor shard” February reached into the front pocket of her, now excessively large, jumper and pulled out what appeared to be an empty petri dish at first glance. “Is enough to amplify his ability to handle all of Schroder’s anti-gate particles at Hell’s Gate. Hei currently is wearing two bracelets that are almost entirely beads made up of a similar material. It’s several thousand times more potent and extremely harmful to him as he is being flooded with more information than a human brain is supposed to handle.”

November swallowed hard, the image of Hei’s vacant eyes at Dr Keiko’s clinic when he hadn’t been able to focus bubbled to the surface of his mind. How would he be able to help Hei process the information overload and help him get back in control? If he could get Hei to focus on him and filter out all the other information they might be alright… but that was a big if. 

“So, we just need to get those bracelets off him. Shouldn’t be as hard as you're making it out to be.” November could hear the nervousness in April’s tone. February shook her head mournfully. 

“It’s not just about the bracelets. Hei’s going to need help with the power that’s already been activated. It’s not just going to shut off like a faucet. We need to get November there. He’s the only one who will be able to get through and wake him.” February huffed mournfully before stomping over to November and poking him in the chest but avoided looking him in the eyes. “You need to do everything you can to get his attention and keep it as long as you can, no matter what happens.”

“What did you see?” November caught February’s hand when she tried to poke him again. Her head dropped in defeat. 

“We won’t get there in time to stop his powers from activating.” She mumbled. Her hand shook slightly before she clenched it into a fist. “Our only chance is to have him mentally fight back against what the Shadow’s abilities want to do naturally.” she sighed before looking up at him with a jealous glare “You will have to get him to do that. He doesn’t trust anyone else. It will take physical contact and he’ll have to let you past his own defences. He knows you will keep him safe. Which will help him focus on the Shadow’s ability; he might even let you take on some of what he’s experiencing and we need him to. That is why it has to be you. Hei forces himself through every situation - no matter the personal cost. You’re the only person Hei has allowed himself to be defenceless around. You’re the only one he would even consider allowing to protect him.”

November wasn’t sure how to respond to February. He knew Hei trusted him. He would do whatever was necessary to help Hei, but he wasn’t sure he understood what February was asking him to do. How was he expected to get Hei to focus? She said physical contact, so did that mean proximity or skin on skin? November didn’t get a chance to respond as the silence was broken as his phone rang out. Glancing at the number on the display prior to flipping it open revealed that it was Misaki. She had been the last person with Hei. She might have some insight. She had said she was going to the PANDORA crime scene after Hei had finished identifying Kuei. 

“What happened?” He didn’t even bother with a hello. 

“I just saw Li-kun being brought into PANDORA. He told me that he was going to walk home. What the hell is going on?” Misaki was worried. He felt a pang of guilt for suspecting she had a hand in why Hei was missing. 

“He said he was walking home?” November repeated what Misaki had said in confusion. The plan had been that Misaki was going to drive him home. November’s eyebrow twitched in frustration. Hei, it seemed, hadn’t learned anything from his previous disappearance. In fact he hadn’t even told November he was doing anything other than what they had planned. He must have done it on purpose, but why?  

“He told you something different?” Misaki interrupted his thoughts. “Nevermind, no more avoiding telling me your theory. You need to tell me what you know now .” Misaki was using her ‘boss’ voice. November rubbed his temple. Misaki usually reserved that tone for the one in love with her and the wannabe biker. November sighed to himself. Hei knew better than to wander off. He had just gotten into serious trouble for doing that. What had he been thinking? Could it be related to his powers? Hei had seemed hesitant about trying to pull on BK-201s powers since waking up at the clinic. 

He loved that man to death… but right now, he was seriously considering the ramifications on their relationship should he just lock Hei up in their bedroom for the foreseeable future. As entertaining as that sounds, no way Hei would make more than a week before climbing the walls. He glanced over at February, April and July, then with a flick of his head he gestured to his car. They needed to get to PANDORA and he needed Masaki to follow Hei. For that he needed her cooperation and willingness to help. 

“It’s a long story Misaki. I’ll do my best to sum it up. Just keep your questions till after.” He spoke quickly as he followed behind April. “The people who have him right now are trying to do the same thing with him as what was attempted five years ago with his sister at Heaven’s Gate. Only this time they are hoping it won’t result in another containment area. He wouldn’t have gone with them willingly so they probably drugged him. Misaki please, I need you to follow them. We have to stop them before they get him inside the gate.” November sank into the driver seat and buckled himself in as he spoke. 

“His… W-What? They want… Oh god.” Misaki fumbled over her words as what he had said sank in. He could hear her take a couple of breaths before she added. “I’ll do what I can.”

“We are on our way. Stay safe Misaki, I don’t know what they are capable of.” November felt a little of the stress ease off. Misaki wouldn’t hesitate to help Hei, even if she did suspect him to be BK-201, not with the safety of the country on the line. 

“Understood.” She answered quickly and hung up the phone. November tucked his own mobile into his suit pocket. 

February monopolised the drive over as she went over the route November needed to take in order to get to He. Insisting he repeat back to her the exact instructions down to counting how many seconds he should wait before rounding various corners. So long as the future she saw hadn’t changed, it would guarantee him getting to Hei as fast as possible, picking up Misaki on the way. 

There wasn’t any issue with the guard at the gate. As MI6 and Section 4 were actively investigating the scene all parties had been included on the approved list for entry. He parked as close as he could to the main entrance without attracting too much attention. 

February scurried out of the backseat she had shared with July over to April. She held out  the meteor shard. 

“Take this. I need you to go to the service entrance and make the biggest storm you possibly can. Hold on to it until July tells you that someone is coming. I need you to take out the Dowager Empress and her men. November and Hei won’t be in a position to fight after what they have to do.”

“The who?” April looked confused as she accepted the shard from February. 

“Hei’s grandmother.” February rolled her eyes as though April should have known that information. Dowager Empress is quite the title. Why would she be called that?

“November, take off your coat and roll up your sleeves.” It was the no-nonsense tone she had used with him during their early years of training. It sounded wrong coming from the mouth of someone the same size as July. Wordlessly he followed her instructions. Taking the mobile from his coat pocket and placing it inside his shirt pocket. With a small nod confirming she had covered all the required steps needed for the future she wanted she added. “Now run. I’ll catch up.”

November followed February’s instructions, reciting them in his head as he ran. He prayed she was right about the future. Within the first ten minutes he had passed any location that would have been familiar to him during the times he had been at PANDORA before. He was still nervous about trusting February, but he didn’t have time to wait for another option. November turned the last corner before he was supposed to meet up with Misaki from February’s directions. True to her word, he hadn’t run into anyone and he had caught up to Misaki. Okay, at least everything she’s said hasn’t been a lie.

“Misaki.” He whispered far enough away from her, that even if startled she wouldn’t be in range to strike him. She glanced quickly over her shoulder and relaxed visibly as she turned to him. Her expression remained serious.

“Explain. Now.” she whispered harshly before glancing back at the direction they were headed.
“We are still figuring parts out, but here goes. The gates aren’t actually a new thing. They used to happen in ancient China. They didn’t call them gates then, they thought they had something to do with ghosts. During that time there was a family that could remove the phenomenon we call gates and their ability could get rid of those under the influence - which would be us contractors and dolls..” November watched as Miaski’s eyes got wider and her mouth hung open. The idea there was someone out there who could turn the world back to how it was before the gates appeared was a fantasy many dreamed of. 

“Why are we only hearing about that now!?” Misaki kept her voice to a harsh whisper as the two of them made their way quickly down the corridor. 

“I think the information was kept very quiet or even all but forgotten outside of the family who possesses the ability. I doubt more than a handful of people actually know - even now.” November rubbed his temple. He needed to hurry his explanation along. He wasn’t sure how far ahead Hei and the Dowager Empress were. “Remember I said that he was researching Hell’s gate because he lost his sister at Heaven’s gate?”

“Yes.”

“There are, in fact, three organisations trying to manipulate the gate. The first is the Kuei Family. They’re the family with the ability to close the gate. At the time of Heaven’s War, only a set of twins possessed the ability - Ah-Shun and his sister. Remember the number that the Romainias called and I said it was his family back in China. Hei’s blue eyes are the indicator of his abilities so all the Kuei family would have to do was put a bounty on blue eyed Chinese males in their twenties. There is an organisation known as The Syndicate - an organisation in direct competition to the Kuei family of which Ah-Shun’s father was a founding member. They are set out to prove humans didn’t have to possess the special ability from the Kuei family to remove the gates. They were funding Schroder’s research, which is why his father was in town. Then there is also Evening Primrose, the group who attacked PANDORA. I have it on good authority that Ah-Shun’s sister was a member of that group. She was a contractor whose powers enabled her to manipulate electrons including gate particles. It was this ability that led to her being the one chosen to remove Heaven’s Gate. Evening Primrose’s plan was to use Bai to enable contractors to live. While both the Kuei family and the Syndicate want them gone. What happened during Heaven’s War was a catastrophe. His sister wasn’t able to fight against her ability as a blue eyed Kuei when she was trying to close the gate and I think the size of the containment area reflects when she could no longer escape her remuneration. Neither the Kuei family or Evening Primrose’s plans worked and she vanished, leaving behind the containment area. It’s likely she’s dead but no one knows for sure so he’s been trying to find out what happened to her ever since. He didn’t even know about this ability until a couple days ago. He was working on something for his professor about ancient China and his father got very nervous and already knew about the topic. It didn’t take long after that to put what I’ve just told you together.” November paused before continuing. “There’s another factor to his abilities that we’ve discovered. It explains a lot of what’s happened over the last few months. Just being around him has made April and I start to feel emotions. Even July has started to make his own decisions.”

“Will Li-kun be able to stop a containment area from forming here?” Misaki was nervous. Rightly so! Hell he was as well. If they didn’t manage to make the vision of the future February had seen happen, then there was a very real possibility that they’d be at ground zero when a new containment area formed.

“If February is to be believed… yes.” He wasn’t comfortable with trusting her, but all of the information she had provided had been right so far. He and Misaki had made it through the maze of corridors and were approaching the entrance to Hell’s Gate. 

“Does she have something to do with MI6?”

“She’s ex-MI6. Ex-Syndicate too. Her ability allows her to manipulate time at the cost of her age.”

“You believe her? Has she seen what is going to happen?” Misaki asked after a couple of minutes of silence. November sighed and paused to look back at Misaki. He had to trust February, he had no other choice.

“She says our current plan has the best chance of success. This plan requires me to make it to Ah-Shun, preferably before his powers start, but even if they do, I’ve got an idea of how to help things.”

“Much of what you’ve said makes sense.” Misaki’s eyebrows furrowed and her hand rested on her chin as she thought. “What I don’t get is how he can have a passive contractor ability.”

“He’s not a contractor. There wasn’t any contract and he doesn’t have a remuneration. His abilities will activate passively, but we need him to try and control it in order to stop what the Keui family are planning to do with him.”

“But BK-201 has a star that reacts when he actively uses his electrokinesis, how is it possible he has additional passive abilities and no contract?” The look in Misaki's eyes told November she had worked out that Hei was BK-201 and had just been looking for a way to bring the topic up. They didn’t have time to argue. He would just have to hope that Misaki’s crush on Hei was enough for her to play fast and loose with at least some of the rules. 

“Fuck. He’s a unique case, but the contractor powers and the star that reacts to them aren’t his. They used to be his sister’s. Her ability, electron manipulation, was transferred to him without his consent when she disappeared.” November turned to fully faced Misaki. “I won’t let you arrest him.” There was an underlying threat to his words. One that was clearly received given the slight widening of her eyes in shock. She nodded once.

“We need to stop this potential containment area. I promise to do nothing until at least after that. But I want an explanation from him.”

“Thank you…” That was the best he could expect from her. His voice trailed off as everything around them started to glow blue, expanding past them quickly. LSR localised resonance… his breath caught in his chest. They were too late to stop the Shadow’s powers, now he would need to help Hei with them. “Shit, we need to hurry. He had said this happened before the Heaven’s Gate Catastrophe.”

November and Misaki set off in a run down the hall. February hadn’t given him any further instructions to wait prior to taking corners. As they ran, November spotted a group of people passing at the end of the hall heading away from the gate. Did they know something about what was going to happen? Why else would they be fleeing? He didn’t dwell any further on them as they pushed open the last door and set foot into the area containing Hell’s Gate. 

There was a different feel to being in the area around the gate. It was an unsettling feeling of being watched when no one should be around combined with the sudden feeling of weightlessness you get when on an amusement park ride. While he had been in Brazil during Heaven’s War, he had never gotten this close to the gate itself. He clenched his jaw and made his way forward. The whole area was eerily quiet. There was no wind or animal noises, just silence other than his and Misaki’s breathing and the crunch of gravel beneath their feet. February’s instructions led them to a small shrine not too far within the gate. In the centre of the shrine courtyard, a lone wheelchair and hunched figure remained. 

Hei

The moment he stepped into the courtyard the air became thick like soup. There was a pressure trying to keep him from going any further. Within his five feet of Hei it started to become difficult to breathe, but November pressed on. He forced himself as fast as his body would allow to get to Hei.

“Li-kun!” Misaki yelled from behind him. She had paused only slightly inside the courtyard and was looking around nervously.

“Hei.” November called out as he knelt down one one knee next to Hei. The bracelets that February had spoken of glowed deep red around his wrists. I need to get him to respond. Carefully, November picked up one of Hei’s hands, the warmth November felt immediately helped calm him as he turned it over. He looked for the ends of the stings, as his fingers brushed the strings to untie the bracelets, electricity sparked at his fingertips followed by a loud clap of thunder. He heard Misaki yelp in shock as November dropped Hei’s hand when he instinctively pulled his own hand back.

November glared at the glowing beads. I guess it’s not going to be that easy. He shook out his now numb hand. Skin I can touch… but not those. November frowned at the bracelets. He had wanted to stop the overflow of information into Hei before he tried to help him control his powers as the Shadow, but it seemed that plan was out the window. Something February had probably known but neglected to mention. Okay, different tactic. He sighed to himself as he took hold of both of Hei’s hands, being careful not to touch the bracelets. He would have to do things the way February had described. 

November could feel the power surging through the younger man as it began to leech into him, even through the numbness in his right hand. It wasn’t quite like holding onto a live wire, but there was a strong urge to let go and run. He fought against his body’s desire to run away, gripping Hei’s hand tightly.

“Hei, wake up.” November called to him louder. The sensation in his hands began to prickle and sting its way up his arms. It felt like an extreme form of pins and needles that was spreading up his arms. He felt a small twitch in Hei’s right hand before both of his hands began to shake. Hei’s fingers slowly curled to hold onto November but his eyes remained closed. Yes!

“That’s it Hei, you can do this. Open your eyes for me Ah-Shun.” November’s lip curled into a small smile. There was hope that they would be able to do this. He could pull Hei back so that he would be able to control the Shadow’s powers. He held onto the small glimmer of hope, using it as a beacon to continue and endure the sensation that was past his shoulders now.

“I’ll keep watch.” Misaki’s voice sounded further away than it should have. He glanced over to her briefly to ensure she hadn’t suddenly gone further away. He was surprised to see she had actually come closer as she started to look around to ensure they were both kept safe. 

“Please Hei, I need you to focus and open your eyes.” November focused his full attention on Hei and trusting Misaki to take care of anything that might come along. November rubbed his thumbs over the backs of Hei’s hands as the prickling was spreading through his chest. There was a low whine from Hei as his breathing picked up. November watched as the other clenched his jaw and Hei’s breath hissed through his teeth. “I know it’s hard, but I need you to do this my love.” 

The grip on his hand tightened, but November didn’t take his eyes off of Hei’s face. Hei’s eyebrows were knitted in concentration as he struggled to open his eyes. What was probably only a few seconds felt like an eternity as blank midnight eyes stared past him. November pushed back against the image of Hei when he had found him in the alleyway. Hei was alive, warm and in front of him. When Hei’s eyes finally did focus on him, November could feel the full weight of the power around Hei on him. It felt like his body was being compressed from all sides. With a small gasp, which felt like all the air was now gone from his lungs, he warbled slightly his other knee taking the brunt of his weight so he didn’t lean into Hei. November wasn’t sure if they had locked the wheels and he couldn’t take the chance of precious seconds being lost because he had caused the chair to roll back. 

“November.” Hei mumbled slowly, his voice was rough and low. 

“I’m here. I can’t get those things off of you and I can’t get you out of here before shit hits the fan. Tell me what I can do. I’ll help however I can, but you will have to control this power. You have to make it stop.” November gave Hei’s hand a quick squeeze in encouragement. They would get through this together. He’d already managed to get Hei to wake up, he hadn’t been confident in the beginning that he’d be able to do that.

“I.. I can’t. It’s too much.” Hei squeezed his eyes closed and shook his head slightly. November’s smile grew larger. Hei was awake enough to assess the situation they were in, that meant his thoughts were coherent. If that was the case then, Hei’d be able to focus on controlling the Shadow’s abilities.

“You can. This power is part of you, don’t let it control you.”

“It’s more than me.” Hei whined, his eyes dropping down to their hands.  

“It’s not more than us . It’s not only your fight, let me help.” This wasn’t something anyone else could do for Hei. February had said Hei would have to let him in for the plan to work. There was still so much they didn’t know about the Shadow’s abilities. Would Hei even be able to share some of them with him? Hei hesitated, chewing slightly on his lip without looking back up at November. 

“Are you sure?” Hei asked hesitantly. “I don’t know how it will affect you.”

“Let me help you. Give me what you can’t take so you can get control of the power.” November gave Hei’s hand a gentle squeeze as he spoke. Hei let out a shaky breath before he loosened his grip on November’s left hand and for a moment November feared it was too late. Hei’s right hand slowly lifted, as if the movement was a herculean effort. 

“I can’t stop it, but I think I can guide what it will do.” Hei’s hand settled next to his ear, cupping his face, before he pulled November toward him. “I need you to take a lot more.” Hei murmured, followed by a quiet “I’m sorry.” before their lips connected. The pins and needles from before felt like electricity now. He hadn’t ever felt’ Hei’s powers first hand, but he imagined this wasn’t far from what it would have felt like. November inhaled sharply through his nose but didn’t pull away. February had said their chance depended on him being able to help Hei. 

He let go of Hei’s other hand and pulled the smaller man into him as he wrapped his hands around Hei’s back. The hairs on his arms stood on end from the power circling around them. He pulled the both of them to the ground, falling backwards so that Hei would end up in his lap. Hei managed to keep his hands on November’s face while maintaining the kiss as he adjusted to the change in position. November snaked his hands under Hei’s shirt, lifting it enough so that his forearms made contact with skin as well as his hands. That would be why February had told me to take my jacket off. He felt the vibration as Hei whined against his chest but he couldn’t hear the noise, the electricity had turned cold like his own powers were affecting him. 

A burning cold set into his veins as the power from Hei settled into his systems. November’s eyes, although closed, felt like he could see his surroundings. He could see Hell’s Gate. It was a twisting labyrinth that encircled the area around them. The small shrine that February had led them to was the heart of the gate. Hei kept pouring the excess power into him and the range around him that he could see kept increasing. It wasn’t long before he could see the city and feel all the contractors and dolls in Tokyo. He now understood what Hei had said about contractors having sounds while dolls had a tempo. His body wasn’t handling the shadow’s power well. The burning cold was tearing away at his insides and he wasn’t sure how long he could handle the pain but he wouldn’t let go.

November forced himself to focus back on Hei. He couldn’t let the sheer amount of information he was getting take away from what he needed to do. November focused on the area around him. First finding the labyrinth of Hell’s Gate then he could feel Hei’s shallow, fast breathing against his cheek and grinned in victory that he hadn’t been overwhelmed by the powers. Something wet was seeping into his shirt. He forced his eyes to open and his heart wrenched at the pained expression on Hei’s face and the tears flowing from his closed eyes. It sunk in that he was only feeling a fraction of what Hei was. He held onto the other trying to pull more of it to himself. He needed to take as much of the Shadow’s power as Hei would let him. 

As November pulled more into himself, the pressure around them shifted. He had forgotten about how thick the air had been when he had first gotten there because of the pain, but the loss of it almost had him tipping over. The heaviness might have dissipated but the glow around Hei was increasing. November gave Hei an encouraging squeeze. Whatever he was doing to the gate was having a positive effect. Hei’s eyes opened slightly; the dullness had returned and he looked exhausted. Hei’s eyes closed again followed by a loud crackling from all around them. The inner parts of the labyrinth around them crumbled away while the outer layers stayed intact. 

November felt the tide of energy pouring from Hei into himself slow to a trickle. The city disappeared from his view along with all the contractors and dolls. As the area he could see shrank, he could tell April and July were safe and outside of the building. Not far from them he could hear the ticking of a clock. February. How would things have turned out differently had they turned around yesterday and investigated that group of contractors? Hell’s Gate faded from view as one of Hei’s hands slipped from his chin down to his shoulder and started to drift down his back. Hei broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against November’s.

“The gates won’t close now.” Hei murmured quietly. The LSR localised resonance faded and while the blue glow around Hei was gone he still seemed unusually bright but dimming steadily. Hei was still panting from the exertion and November could feel his body trembling slightly, not to the degree that anyone else would be able to see. He wouldn’t have been surprised if Hei was trying to keep it contained like he usually did, but there was no hiding it with November’s arms around him. 

They had done it. They had managed what February had said was only a chance. His body ached from the Shadow’s powers. It seemed Hei wasn’t the only one who couldn’t stop the slight shaking as November hugged Hei closer as his own hands were shaking. The adrenaline that had been helping fight against the pain was fading quickly. His muscles felt like they had been overused to the point of burning and tearing. His lungs felt like they were being held prisoner and the rest of his torso felt like there was acid in his blood. November felt like he could sleep for a week. If he was this bad off, Hei must be so close to unconsciousness.  

“You can rest now, I’ll take care of you.” November whispered as he bumped Hei’s nose with his own. He wouldn’t let himself succumb to the weariness that he felt. Hei had done enough to earn the rest and November freely admitted to himself that he enjoyed being able to take care of the one in his arms. Hei’s whole body tensed at his words. November frowned slightly, that was the opposite effect from what he had wanted. 

“No.” Hei pleaded as he pulled himself back slightly. November was shocked to see clear but scared midnight eyes. Hei’s face was pale with dark circles under his eyes, looking like he’d gone days without stopping. The younger man was clearly more exhausted than November felt, but he wasn’t letting himself give into it. Hei was fighting with everything he had to not fall asleep. 

“No?” November asked cautiously.

“I- I don’t…” Hei swallowed, then closed his eyes and whispered. “I’m scared I’ll disappear like Bai.” His voice cracked slightly as he admitted it aloud. November could tell that Hei had been struggling with that worry for a long time. It was probably what had been concerning him more than his abilities as The Shadow. Hei had gone through five years of torment not knowing what had happened to his sister and dreaded he might end up just like her.

“Why do you think the same thing will happen? There’s no containment area, and the gate isn’t closed.” November did his best to be reassuring. Pouring in all the confidence into his words that he could. He had no way of knowing if they were true, but nothing like what they had just done had ever been done before. They were in uncharted waters and what had bound the Shadow before, wouldn’t necessarily continue to do so now. 

“In Chen’s notes the Shadow disappears.” Hei blinked back the sleep in his eyes and shifted nervously in November’s lap, possibly to also keep himself awake. 

“Not until the ghosts are gone and I’m still here.” November tried to fix on the few facts that they knew about what happened after the gates had disappeared in the past. 

“When the job was done. Only instead of closing the door, I’ve removed it. There’s nothing left for the Shadow to do but disappear.” Hei argued back. November could feel Hei’s muscles in his back tense as he spoke. 

“We don’t know for sure that will happen. You said yourself, the gate won’t close anymore but they are still there. That could be enough to halt the Shadow from disappearing.” November smiled warmly at Hei before he continued. “Besides, I wouldn’t stop looking until I found you even if you did.” November had figured out early on that one of Hei’s deepest fears was being alone. More specifically being abandoned or having those he loved taken away. While he was certain that during the early part of their relationship Hei hadn’t been completely truthful, November had still figured out that Hei wouldn’t let himself get close to others so he’d never feel abandoned again. Now knowing Hei’s past, he understood exactly why the other had developed that fear. 

“Promise?” Hei asked hesitantly. 

“Of course.” November smiled at Hei. He’d never jeopardise Hei’s faith in him, not after how hard it had been to earn his trust and love. Hei still looked worried but nodded slightly as he accepted November’s promise. Hei was trusting November to keep him safe while he faced one of his greatest fears. November watched as Hei stopped fighting sleep and closed his eyes, slumping into November’s shoulder. Slow even breathing tickled November’s neck. 

They needed to get out of PANDORA. As much as his muscles protested, he wasn’t about to get Misaki to help him with Hei. Gently he adjusted Hei so that he’d be able to carry him in his arms. Misaki was hesitant as she approached, red tinged her cheeks in apparent embarrassment. The two of them must have been quite the sight during the whole ordeal. He’d have to ask her about it later. 

“You were successful.” February called out from the other side of the courtyard. She smiled sadly as she approached them. She must have used her powers again as she had gotten smaller. Now she looked barely three. He didn’t know why she might have had to use her powers but he suspected it had something to do with the fact that she was holding Hei’s satchel in her hands.  

“He said the gate wouldn’t be able to close now.” November replied more for Misaki’s benefit. He knew February was already fully aware of what had happened.

“He decided both contractors and humans should live.” she walked over to Hei and November, placing the satchel down next to them.

“Does that mean it’s over?” Misaki asked cautiously as she joined them in the middle of the shrine.

“Ye-” 

“No.” February cut November off, brushing a few strands of dark hair away from Hei’s eyes. 

“What do you mean?” November tensed, he turned towards February. She looked sad and lost. It was an expression similar to what he had seen on Hei. Serves her right for what she’s put him through. He quelled his anger as it threatened to overtake him. February had information he needed right now. He could get rid of her later. 

“You’re going to have to keep your promise to him.” She answered mournfully. November looked down quickly. He couldn’t see what February was talking about. Hei was still there sleeping peacefully in his arms.

“H-he’s fading!” Misaki gasped. Her hand was shaking as she pointed to Hei’s feet.

November looked down to Hei’s feet. Just as Misaki had said, his pale trainers were almost gone and his calves had become translucent. 

“No! Where’s he going?” He glared at February but she didn’t answer him. November had to think fast; he needed a way to track Hei. He searched Hei’s pockets. His wallet was there but his phone wasn’t. November reached inside the satchel, finding it quickly within the contents. Please let this work. He wasn’t sure what might happen to the device but he prayed that it would travel with him and if he was very lucky, it would still work. He also prayed that Hei had some form of ID in his wallet, so long as it had his Japanese address they would reach out to the Japanese police - from there Kirihara would be able to tell him who contacted them about Hei. February looked defeated. In all the years he had known her she had always been confident and sure of what would happen. 

“You don’t have to worry about his grandmother. I had April take care of them.” She finally said something but her words were little more than a consolation. 

He cupped Hei’s face. “I will find you. I promise.” He kissed Hei’s forehead, holding the other tight as he disappeared, returning to wherever it was that the shadow was supposed to go once the gate was gone. When November looked back up, February was glowing blue. She was risking her life to use her powers and search for Hei. He was briefly thankful that she did still have feelings for him and that she was using what little time she had left to help find out where Hei was.

“He’s gon-” She didn’t get to finish her sentence before she disappeared as well. 

“Wha? What just happened?” Misaki stared wide eyed at him. 

Silence stretched for what felt like minutes in the small shrine at the centre of Hell’s gate. November focused on calming the frantic beating of his heart. February couldn’t mean he’s gone forever. She could but no. The defeat in her eyes hadn’t been there as she had said her final words. She could have seen where Hei was but hadn’t had time to relay the message. Let’s go with that. He had to stay positive. He had some options to help him locate where Hei might have ended up. The phone he had stuffed into Hei’s pocket had disappeared with him. Wherever Hei was, it should be there too. If the device still functioned, then he would be able to quickly locate him. If it didn’t things would take longer. How else can I track him? He grasped at straws. He’d never gone through Hei’s wallet but he had to have a resident alien card for Japan and that was likely to be in there. But how else? He snorted as the obvious answer struck him. 

“Misaki, I need to find out what just happened to BK-201’s star.” November struggled to his feet. Misaki blinked the stunned look off of her face and nodded. 

 

***

 

PANDORA was in chaos, no one paid attention to November and Misaki as they ran through the halls. Not that November was in much better shape. It felt like his world had been thrown upside down and finding Hei was the only reason he was able to put one foot in front of the other as he followed Misaki out of the building. He wasn’t sure where April was anymore. February had sent her to the service entrance to take care of Hei’s grandmother and the Shadow had shown him that she was outside, but that was ages ago now.

“No, I’ll drive.” Misaki barked at him as he turned towards his car. “Contractor or not, after what just happened, you’re in no state to be behind the wheel.” She grabbed his arm and led him towards her own. November didn’t resist her pull, instead reaching into his shirt pocket he pulled out his phone. He quickly dialled Hei’s number. It was likely that the other wouldn’t be able to answer yet, but he needed to find out if the device was functioning. He let out a shaky breath in defeat as the operator's voice advised the phone was off or out of service range. Of course it wouldn’t be that easy. He grit his teeth and dialled April’s number. 

“All taken care of here. One dead Empress and all of her followers. How's your lover boy?” She didn’t even wait for him to speak before letting him know how she had fared on her end. Given that there was no containment area, she knew they had at least been moderately successful. 

“He disappeared.” November wasn’t prepared for how much those two words hurt. He closed his eyes for a moment taking in a breath to calm the torrent inside him. I will find you, Hei . February hadn’t appeared as if her search for Hei in the future was in vain. Hei was there to be found somewhere . 

“Wha?” There was a momentarily stunned silence from April. “Shit. Like the stories? Where the fuck is the Emperor he’s supposed to go back to?”

“I don’t know.” It was hard to keep a growl from his voice. This was the downside of having his emotions back. The frustration, despair and helplessness were weights holding him back from thinking clearly. “February didn’t know either and didn’t have time to say if she did find out. She’s gone too.”

“Gone or dead?”

“She disappeared a few minutes after him. She had gotten very small. It’s entirely possible her remuneration took her life.”

“What now?”

“I’m going with Misaki to the National Observatory to find out anything we can about his star activity. I need you to take my car back to the flat. Have July and Yin scour the city on the off chance that Hei’s not gone that far. If you can, let Mao know what’s happened.” 

“Hey November, we’ll find him. Okay? We’ll get our family all back together. Let me know what you find out and we can figure out or plan from there.” 

“Mhn.” November snapped his phone closed. He couldn’t shake the sinking feeling that had settled into his gut. Hei had been looking for Bai for five years to no avail. Would he find Hei in time? Would he be able to find him at all? He frowned to himself as he joined Misaki in her car. Don’t think like that. I’ll find him and he’ll be alright. There was silence for a long while as Misaki drove. 

“When did you find out Li-Kun was BK-201?” Miskai finally broke the silence. Her voice was unusually soft, like she was comforting a friend rather than interrogating him for information. 

“I’ve known from the beginning there was more to Shengshun than he showed the world. I’m pretty sure you did too when you finally met him. He wasn’t quick to open up but eventually I managed to get him to lower his guard. I hadn’t pegged him as BK-201 until after the incident at the hotel. I had wanted to wait for him to trust me enough to tell me himself, but events forced my hand. When his father demanded he cut ties, he was forced into a corner. Forced to choose if he would follow orders or not. I had to give him the push he needed to stand up to his father and asked him to trust me, revealing in the process that I knew who he was, what he had done and wouldn’t hold it against him.” November confessed. Misaki had gone above and beyond what he’d expected of her today. She’d shown a dedication to them he hadn’t previously believed her to be capable of. She had always been a stickler for the rules, and yet it seemed that if someone had won her trust, there was a lot she was prepared to allow given the right conditions. Either that or she’s totally smitten. That wouldn’t explain her trying to comfort me though…  

“That’s around when you were asking about the phone records?” Her eyebrows creased, in the serious way she did when thinking. He had teased her about it before on many occasions, but couldn’t bring himself to do it now. 

“No, that’s when his father showed up. I found out before that. Remember the day we had to leave early because he was going through the files about Heaven’s War and it triggered memories. I had only found out the night prior.” November mumbled as he fidgeted with his phone. 

“Ah, that’s when I started to wonder if he was a contractor.” It seemed it was Misaki’s turn to enlighten him. 

“What do you mean?” He looked up at her in surprise. Hei hadn’t been there and shouldn’t have aroused any suspicion. She had wondered about the blood in the greenhouse and the potential that it could have been BK-201’s when it didn’t match Wei Zhijun. Had she actually memorised Hei’s blood type from the kidnapping and linked the two as far back as then?

“July-kun said that Li-kun waved to him. Only contractors can see spectres.” Misaki said simply while holding back a grin. November didn’t know what to say. Had that actually happened? 

“Eh? He did?” He muttered aloud. He remembered that he had asked July to look in on Hei after the messages… Shit, he did. It had been a relief to him at the time. How could he have been so shortsighted!

“You might have been distracted by your concern for Li-kun.” Misaki allowed the smirk to settle on her features. She wasn’t gloating, but she certainly was proud of herself. He had known that she was clever and observant and had taken that into account in their planning… he just hadn’t realised it was futile as the suspicion was already there.  

“You’re right. When did you peg him for BK-201?”

“When Kanami called at PANDORA. You volunteered to look into BK-201’s scene even though you had just been ordered to investigate what happened at PANDORA. That in itself was suspicious but then you practically dashed out of there before having all the information, like you were more concerned with what was happening with BK-201 than what happened at PANDORA. I knew something was up. You’re the type to get all the information so you can plan how to best react to the situation.” Misaki glanced over at him briefly. “There’s only one person you’d drop everything for, and yet I watched you do just that to go to BK-201. I had thought that I couldn’t be right. That there was no way that Li-kun was BK-201, but when Saitou said that you had been picked up by your embassy. There really wasn’t anything that could possibly be more important than what had happened at PANDORA, yet you never came back. Something serious had happened to BK-201 and suddenly you’re unavailable. That’s when I knew. I wanted to be wrong, but seeing Li-kun so out of it yesterday only solidified things more. You hadn’t been shy about telling me about his strained relationship with his father and how he’d been on the run from him. So it made no sense that he’d be in such a state because of his father’s death. But, BK-201 had been sloppy, like never before, implying he was rushed or impaired in some way. Li-kun was clearly suffering from the effects of some drug. While he hasn’t really looked like he was hiding his emotions, he’s never been as expressive as I saw him yesterday - even when he had been in the hospital.”

November stared at Misaki in shock. He had given Hei away. After all their careful planning he had been the one to slip up. She was right though. When it came to Hei, he’d drop anything to help him. November didn’t know what to say in response, so he didn’t say anything. Just stared at Misaki in shock. 

“So, what now?”

“Find out what happened to his star and see if we can track it.” November said calmly. Like Misaki said, he was someone who gets as much information as he can before making a move. He needed to do that now. He’d find out what Astronomics could tell him about BK-201’s star then he’d have to figure out what’s been said about where the shadow goes after the job has been done. He would keep his promise to Hei. His only lead right now was that the stories say the shadow ‘returns’ somewhere. He just needed to find out where and fast - he wasn’t sure how well Hei was going to be able to cope with those bracelets on. Hei hadn’t really been conscious until after November started to redirect some of the power from the bracelets away from Hei. 

The rest of the drive was quiet as November went over the facts that he knew about the shadow in his head. Hei had said the Shadow could change contractors. He, April and July were proof enough that was true. The Shadow could remove the gate. Hei had managed to manipulate the gate so that contractors and dolls wouldn’t disappear. Once the Shadow had completed their job at the gate they ‘returned to the Emperor’. He just had to figure out where that was. There wasn’t an Emperor anymore, but even then it might not even be the previous Imperial family if the Shadow was connected to a family line. There had been multiple dynasties and thousands of years since the last gate had appeared. 

Could it be a place or object rather than a person? Capital cities didn’t change very often, but they did change. An object would make sense, they tended to be kept even if dynasties were overthrown. The British royal family still had and used the Stone of Scone that had been taken from Scotland in the 12th century. There could be something similar in the Chinese Imperial collection. That presented its own set of problems. An object could be in a museum or private collection but… it also could be underground or underwater. Either of those options made his worry grow. If either of those options were the case, it would already be too late. November closed his eyes and sighed. Please be alright. 

 

Misaki knew exactly where she was going as she led him down the labyrinth of halls that made up the National Observatory. Much like how they had left things at PANDORA, the National Observatory was in chaos. The change in the gate had caused pandemonium, not just locally in Japan, but all over the world. Given some of the conversations he had caught as he followed Misaki, it was a global phenomenon that had taken precedence over everything else. He had also heard BK-201 mentioned a lot, which meant that he wasn’t going to be the only one looking for Hei. It was both a relief and a concern for him. On the one hand the world would be using more resources than he could ever hope to have in search of Hei. On the other, it was a race to see who could find him first.

“Kanami!” Misaki called out to a woman in a lab coat with caramel hair.

“Misaki? Why are you here? Do you know what’s happening?” she asked as she lowered her cup from her mouth. She had been staring off at an ancient woman who was hooked up to numerous devices. November’s eyes followed some of the larger tubes and realised that they connected to the line of dolls that Astronomics had at their disposal. He felt revolution seeing the state the dolls were kept in. They were mostly unconscious or semi conscious cramped into human sized pods that lined the wall. He couldn’t imagine subjecting July or Yin to such and even trying to only made him even more angry. 

“I’ve got a vague idea. Can we go somewhere?” Misaki didn’t seem as bothered as he had with the treatment of the dolls. Could she have compartmentalised it? Given what he knew of Misaki he didn’t think that was something she would support. 

“Yeah. just us or is the ray of sunlight behind you coming too?” Kanami’s voice trailed off as she noticed him behind Misaki. The situation with the dolls aside, he needed this woman’s help in finding Hei. She had helped Misaki the last time, but would she help him ? 

“I owe you some thanks. You were instrumental in helping locate Shengshun when he had been kidnapped.” November plastered a grateful smile on his face. He was grateful, he was also overly emotional for a contractor right now and in need of locating the one person in the world who could calm his nerves. 

“Ah! You’re the one. November was it?” Realisation dawned on Kanami’s face. She glanced around locating one of her juniors and with a pointed look wordlessly instructed them to take over. 

“Indeed. I’ve probably got a little more information than Misaki does, so why don’t we go somewhere quiet at least.” He wasn’t sure how much about Hei would be mentioned, and he certainly didn’t want someone to inadvertently get information that might jeopardise Hei in any way.  

“Mhn, follow me.” Kanami nodded and led them to a small office lined with files. Kanami flopped down in a worn chair beside a computer, setting her cup down on the dest. Misaki leaned against the wall that didn’t have files and November closed the door behind them. Misaki was watching him closely. Kanami was her close friend, but she was still letting November decide how much information about Hei would be shared. She’s still protective of him. The thought warmed his heart a little.

“Well, I guess I’ll start. There’s a family who, since ancient times, have been able to close and remove what we call the gates.” November’s words had Kanami’s eyes widening in shock and she sat up straight in her chair. November held up a hand and cut off Kanami’s question as she opened her mouth to speak. “Let me get through the basics first then you can ask questions. The trait is genetic and while it has been mostly dormant for a long time, there were two born with the ability this generation. A set of twins, Shengshun and his sister Xing. There aren’t many people who know about this ability, and they’ve worked hard to keep it that way. But they still want to perform the duty their family has for generations. Th-They dragged him to the gate and tried to force him to close it. Something similar had been attempted five years ago with his twin sister - resulting in the containment area and her probable death. Thankfully we’ve avoided that this time.”

“Hold up! The cute gate scientist Misaki’s been crushing on, has an ability that can get rid of the gates?” Kanami’s patience reached its end and she kept November from continuing. 

“Kanami!” Misaki all but shrieked. November smiled. It wasn’t a great secret that Miaski had a thing for Shengshun, but the blush that was tinging her cheeks betrayed how embarrassed she was. 

“He didn’t get rid of them though. He said that he ‘removed the door’ instead. It seems to have worked. I’m still a contractor, and dolls haven’t been affected either.”

“Hoshi-sama probably resonated with whatever he was doing - she was singing earlier.” Kanami nodded as she was silently putting pieces of information together. He wasn’t sure what singing had to do with anything or who ‘Hoshi-sama’ was, but both must have been relevant. It seemed Misaki wasn’t overly shocked by either so both must have come up in a previous conversation. He’d just have to ask Misaki afterwards. 

“Kanami, can you tell us what happened to BK-201’s star?” Misaki didn’t let the silence linger for very long. She, like him, was anxious to find Hei. Kanami looked a little confused for a moment. 

“Uh, yeah one second.” She mumbled, flicking the mouse to wake the computer up before she started typing. A few clicks and some more hurried typing had Kanami’s face resuming a confused state. “Huh?” she mumbled to herself as she continued her clicking and typing. The length of time it was taking and her expression had his stomach twisting into knots. 

“What’s wrong?” Misaki took the words from him. He hadn’t been able to voice his concern, the dread gripping his throat had kept him quiet. 

“It’s gone. BK-201’s star… It’s just gone. I don’t have a record of it falling, it seems to have just disappeared!”

Gone. His star… is gone? November couldn’t breathe. That was the one constant with contractors. You could track the star. That was the whole point of the new stars. It kept track of the contractors. There was only one reason a star would be gone, but Kanami had just said that she didn’t have a record of it falling. He gulped down a breath and forced himself to find his voice. 

“What do you mean it’s gone?” November was trying his hardest to keep his emotions in check. Misaki was watching him worriedly. Her own concern was clear on her face. Perhaps she’s looking at me so Kanami won’t see how what she just said is affecting her. He forced himself to breathe as he waited for her to explain what had happened to BK-201’s star. 

“It shone extremely bright, bright enough it probably could have been seen during the day with the naked eye. Around the same time Hoshi-Sama started singing. PANDORA has reported strange activity around Hell’s Gate during that time as well. You were there, what happened? How does BK-201’s star relate to what happened with Shengshun? What did he do?”

“November?” Misaki hadn’t looked back at Kanami yet.

“Shengshun is BK-201.” November admitted aloud. Misaki trusted her. She had helped him before she had even known him because Misaki had asked. He would trust her.

“What?” Her eyes widened further. 

“The brightness was probably connected to the LSR localised resonance. The area around Hell’s Gate shone just like a contractor does when they are using their powers.” It was the only answer he could think of that might correlate to the information Kanami had. It seemed to make sense to her as she nodded along as he spoke.

“Okay, I could see how that would cause the increase in luminosity and Hoshi-sama’s singing. What happened to him after that?” Her innocent question had the last moments before Hei disappeared flashing in front of his eyes. Misaki didn’t rush the answer, she stood there waiting. 

“He vanished when we were still inside of Hell’s Gate, followed shortly after by UB-001.” November struggled, but managed to have all of the words come out of his mouth without reflecting how he felt inside. 

“Let me check on that star.” Kanami focused back on the screen typing quickly. “UB-001’s star fell, it didn’t disappear. BK-201 went from 500 percent luminosity to ten then zero.”

“Do you think it could be possible, because it didn’t fall, that his star is still around just extremely dim?” He was grasping at straws, but he needed some hope. The little he had gotten from February’s expression had kept him going to this point, but Hei’s missing star threatened an impossible search.

“Theoretically. It is also possible we weren’t able to record the star fall because of the lack of luminosity.”

“I’ll hold out hope for the other.” he choked out. That potential was there, he couldn’t dwell on it. He had to keep hoping that wasn’t the case.

“You really don’t act like a contractor do you? Misaki had commented, but I hadn’t believed her.”

“That’s because of him actually. He has the ability to give contractors back their emotions.”

“Damn, any other world shattering powers I should know about?”

“Actually…” An idea struck him. He had intended to talk to her at the time, but in all that had happened he hadn’t managed to put that plan into action. Now was the perfect opportunity. “Do you remember a couple days ago when BK-201’s star had a longer sustained reaction and there was a black out area dolls couldn’t see?”

“He caused that?!” Kanami stood up suddenly. 

“He can’t remember much about what happened then but I’m almost positive he did. If any information gets out about it, then others will suspect as well.” November hinted at what he wanted her to do, but let her draw her own conclusion. 

“So, you’re asking me to bury that information?” She shook her head at him and sat back down in the chair. 

“Yes. He’s already got too much of a target if anyone else found out he could cut off the doll network’s access to areas, everyone who knew of contractors would want him.”

“That - you understand what you’re asking me to do? I’d have to destroy official records.” Her tone was disapproving and she shook her head slightly as she picked up her cup to take a drink.

“He just stopped Japan from becoming a second containment area, Kanami. I think we can keep his abilities a guarded secret for now.” Misaki stunned both of them with her comment.

Kanami dropped her drink. It seemed he wasn’t the only one who had pegged Misaki as a stickler for the rules. What could have happened to Japan started to sink in and the realisation of just how close they had been had her in shock. 

“Okay, when you put it that way… consider it done.” Kanami mumbled after a few minutes. 

 

Notes:

HEIIIII~
Poor November!
I shouldn't leave you too long before the next chapter's done. I've already got 6 pages of storyboard done on it. I also have the last remaining chapters storyboarded as well.

Thanks you for the patience as chapters have taken so much longer this year than last and thank you so much for the kudo's and comments. They really do help keep me going!
I'm now up to 11 potential other stories to write with this pair x.x How will I ever find the time for that!
The cat and Mouse one and the (now two) Slow Burn ones are still topping the list inspiration-wise but the completely silly one still manages to stay in the running.

Chapter 23: Chapter Twenty-two

Notes:

oh my, another chapter in the same month!
I do hope you enjoy.

November had only just put his key’s down on the counter at the flat after being dropped off by Misaki. He exchanged a worried look with April. She shook her head, giving him all the information he needed to be caught up. July and Yin hadn’t been able to locate Hei within the city. As he had feared, Hei must have gone further abroad. Hei had asked James to look into his family and the Shadow. Maybe he might have figured something out. He sighed and called James following their usual ring and hang up pattern until James picked up. 

“I thought you weren’t using this number anymore.” James had the ‘I told you so’ tone to his voice. November rubbed his temple, a headache was already forming with little sign it would be gone quickly. 

“Extreme situations call for desperate measures.” November grumbled into the phone. 

“So what’s happened to Hei? BK-201 has been blowing up the chatter.” James got right to the point. He must have been anticipating the phone call. Not that really surprised him. James was a digital bloodhound. With all that was happening at Hell’s Gate and how bright the star BK-201 had shone he would be more surprised had James not realised something was up. 

“Hei disappeared.” November managed to say, but the words stuck in his throat. He still wasn’t used to this much emotion. Even when Hei had been kidnapped, it had been hard to deal with. He had leads then at least. Right now he was up shit creek and he desperately needed help. 

“He-”

“I don’t mean just missing. I mean he faded to nothing in front of my eyes after losing consciousness. Astronomics here in Japan have confirmed his star shone very bright before dimming and blinking out. They can’t confirm it fell and I suspect that it hasn’t.” November cut James off before he could get too derailed. He pulled his tie loose and sunk into the couch. April’s eyes went wide as he spoke. He didn’t have the energy to explain this more than once. 

“The way I heard it, at the same time as his star was going nuts in Japan the containment area around Heaven’s Gate dissolved. It’s got everyone all rilled up.”

“What!? What do you mean the containment area is gone?” November froze. The containment area is gone? Hei had said the gate’s wouldn’t close but he hadn’t even considered something like that would happen. That could throw the world back into war. It would be different this time, but it would also make finding Hei infinitely more difficult. April paused mid drink to stare at him before downing the contents of her glass.

“It’s kinda self-explanatory. The containment area’s gone - poof. AKA it’s no longer there. There’s a big push to claim the territory too but the Brazilian government has managed to secure a significant portion of it and will probably keep all of its lost area. The general consensus from the chatter is that BK-201 is responsible. By the time his star stopped glowing brightly the containment area was gone.” James commented like it was no big deal, causing November’s eyebrow to twitch. April got up and went to the liquor cabinet. It’s going to be a long night. It was already the worst one he’s had since the kidnapping and he contemplated asking her to get him a glass as well. 

“Hei said the gates wouldn’t be able to close before he disappeared. He used The Shadow’s powers to ensure Contractors would live.” November looked over at the window where July was staring off into the distance. He was doing all that he could to try and find the missing member of their family. 

“The shadow he wanted me to look up?” 

“Yeah. What did you find?” November managed a small smile for April when she placed a glass down in front of him. He reached down, picking up the scotch and giving it a little swirl before he took a drink. 

“Well after a fair amount of digging, I got the address for his family in Wuchang. Their history goes waaaaay back. The Shadow has been in their family as far back as I can find. It also seems there was a whole separate court for them. That is if I’m reading this right. There really isn’t a whole lot of stuff to find online. The stuff I did find was pilfered from their compound by the Red Guard during the Cultural Revolution. Even then, only some of it was digital and the title ‘The Emperor’s Shadow’ doesn’t turn up much. There is the occasional reference to a Midnight Emperor in both their and the Imperial records. It’s been generally accepted it was just another aspect of the Emperor himself… but with what I managed to dig up I think it’s the Shadow. You said Hei disappeared… all the things I’ve found about the Shadow point to them disappearing after the Ghosts were dealt with.” James explained. He hadn’t been able to contain the excitement of uncovering what would on all accounts appear as a conspiracy theory but was turning out to be true. 

“We had realised that the Shadow disappears after things were sealed. This is the first I’ve heard of a Midnight Emperor.” November paused. What had February called Hei’s grandmother? “Wait… February called Hei’s grandmother the Dowager Empress.”  

“I’m probably on the right track then. While I was searching I found an article theorising about the existence of a shadow court. So I tracked the author, Dr. Hua Chen, and hacked into the University of Tokyo’s internal database to access his files. He specialises in Ancient Chinese history and seems to be one of the few who’s done any actual digging into the topic.”

“He had reached out to a Gate scientist, wondering if the two were related. That’s where we got our information too.” November confirmed with a small grin. “You probably found notes he hasn’t shared with anyone, did you?” 

“Oh, you’d better believe it. He's connected the Kuei family to the shadow and has been searching for Kuei XianXu and Xing, their birth certificate lists their eye colour as blue. So, Hei’s eyes are blue?”

“Yes.” November sighed as he took another drink.

“Mmm, I should have insisted on a photo of his face before…” James trailed off before he brought his focus back. “What shade?”

“Dark, pretty much midnight, why?”

“Oooh I bet they’re beautiful.” James groaned into the phone. November’s eye twitched. James, while aggravating, was his best chance right now.

“Answer my question.” November growled back.
“Okay, Okay, don’t get your panties in a knot. One of Chen’s theories is that the darker the blue the more powerful the shadow. Midnight blue would probably be the most powerful shadow in generations.”

“Add in his electron manipulation… if he had wanted to, he probably could have destroyed it all.”

“Without breaking a sweat.” James agreed. “I’m guessing it was a hell of a lot harder for him to not destroy everything. Chen makes it sound like The Shadow is compelled to get rid of the gate. He doesn’t think it’s a voluntary or controlled ability. Some parts of it maybe, but not the bulk of it.”

“You’re right about that. He struggled with manipulating the ability so that the gate’s wouldn’t close. It was hard not being able to help him more, harder still to see how much it took out of him. I need to find him fast; I don’t think he’s conscious. I need to find out where they return to and if it  is a location, object or person. It would make sense for it to be an object rather than a person or even place.”

“Yeah, I agree. Dynasties change - but they tend to keep treasures around. The Midnight Emperor might not have been related to any of the last few dynasties - considering how long they’ve been around. The Kuei family has always been well off and respected. I’ve been trying to track down the stuff that was seized from their place during the Cultural Revolution. It’s our best lead. There’s a partial inventory listed, but a lot was sold off to foreign collectors. The rest is scattered over museums.”

“Call me as soon as you have something. If not, call me tomorrow.” 

“Aye Aye Captain. I’m on the hunt for one missing shadow - If I find him first do I get some alone time with him?” James teased. 

“...If you do, it will be after me.” November’s hand tightened around his glass. 

“Well I certainly wouldn’t want to leave him all alone while we wait for you to get there.” James was baiting him. 

“Ha! Like you’d actually leave your little village.” November shook his head in disbelief.

“Oh, for Hei I would. Especially to get to him before you.” James sounded serious and eager. It would at least ensure that James put all his effort into finding Hei. He probably was already, but it didn’t hurt to have a carrot on the stick.

“Tell me as soon as you find him.” November sighed. “As long as he’s found quickly, and you tell me once you’ve got a location. I need all the help I can get.” November tried not to sound as desperate as he felt. 

“On my honour, and I promise I won’t do anything to him without his consent.”

“Thanks James.” November frowned down at the floor as he shut his phone. The emotions he as a contractor shouldn’t feel, we’re running rampant in his system. He needed to focus. He couldn’t let the fear, despair, helplessness or overwhelming sense of loss take control. He took a deep breath. I will find you. 

“I’ve let Hei’s team know what’s happened.” April broached the silence. “Huang’s using all his resources to listen out for anything that might imply Hei’s there, but they are also going underground. With the lack of communication from the Syndicate and now Hei’s disappearance, things are too risky for them. From your conversation just now, I take it James is on the case, what are we telling Misaki?”

“She knows everything. She saw what happened.” November drained his glass before continuing. “She had figured out Shengshun was BK-201 before she had even called to tell us he was at PANDORA.” He decided to not tell her that the reason that Misaki had figured out Hei was BK-201 was his fault. He felt bad enough about it and he didn’t need her to tease and gloat about that right now.

“So she’s going to help?”

“We went to the National Observatory and spoke with her friend that had helped when he’d been kidnapped by the Romanians. She’s going to hush up that he was part of the mysterious dead zone for dolls the other day. She’s also going to keep her eyes peeled for his star.”

“His… his star is missing?” The colour drained from her face. 

“It didn’t fall. It blinked out. Like it had when he was drugged.” November insisted. He had to believe that was true. He had to. He couldn’t even consider that Hei might be gone. He needed to let that belief stave off the despair that threatened should it not be true. “UB-001 fell. February is gone.” He added. He hadn’t mentioned that to James, but it wasn’t really relevant to what James was hunting for anymore. 

“Have you told Decade that yet?”

“No.” November paused. He’d have to call. It would keep up appearances that his top priority was February. “He will hear from Astronomics if I don’t, and he won’t like that.” November grumbled and opened his phone back up. 

“Yes?” Decade answered before the first ring had finished. Given all that’s going on he was slightly surprised there hadn’t been more of a delay or sending him to the answerphone to call back later. 

“February is dead.” Keeping this conversation brief was his best option. There would eventually be an official report, but that could wait. He had to decide how much about Hei he was going to put in it anyway, again could wait until after Hei had been found.

“You’re positive?” Decade asked quickly. The man had never doubted anything November had told him before, why would he now? Maybe he just has too much going on and hasn’t been informed yet.  

“I confirmed with Astronomics that UB-001 fell, after I watched her disappear.”

“Did she say anything?” Decade asked after a long pause.

“I’m not sure. Her last words were cut off.” 

“Was BK-201 there?”

“Yes. He had disappeared before she did.” November went with the truth. It would make things easier to keep it close to the truth should he be questioned later.

“He disappeared?” Decade sounded shocked.

“Yeah. Astronomics says His star is gone as well.” November’s stomach swirled, his own words implicating that Hei was also dead. There was a long silence and he wondered what might be going through Decade’s head. The man is a mole or informant for the Syndicate. How will he react when one of, if not their top operative was now gone?

“Wrap things up there. Once you’ve finished with Section 4, head home.”

“Yes sir.” November answered automatically. That’s a development I don’t need right now.

November snapped his phone shut and rubbed his temples. Did Decade mean just call Misaki and pack up or did he mean finish the cases they had on their plate and then go home? He had ordered us to investigate the PANDORA incident, so he’s probably referring to it. He decided on the latter, it would give him more time in Japan to search.

“Don’t leave me hanging.”

“We are to finish the PANDORA case then head back to England.”

“Shit. Well Misaki’s on our side, things might hit a snag and we need to be here longer.”

“Shit I need to call her too. James said the containment area is gone. That could be our reason to stay. Resources being divided and more ends up on our plate.”

“Li did that?”

“Seems so. There’s no longer a need for it. Hei made it so contractors and dolls are permanent. Schroeder and the like won’t be able to get rid of us.” Hei had managed to complete what his sister had started five years ago. Contractors were safe. It should have been more of a relief than it was. Right now it only left him feeling hollow. 

“Could he maybe be there?” April shrugged.

“I- I don’t know. It is possible, it’s just not like the stories of the shadow from before. What he did has never happened before.” 

“Do we have anyone on the ground there who could check? I mean, it wouldn’t hurt to look, even to rule it out as a possibility.”

“I don’t know of any off the top of my head, and going through SIS would be risky given we know there are moles. 

“True. What does James think?”

“He thinks America or Taiwan are the most likely places Hei would be. He’s only certain that Hei’s not in China. They are searching high and low for him.”

“Okay. We’ve got a starting point then.” April nodded firmly.

“Yeah. Yeah it is.” November let out a long slow breath. 

 

*

 

July and Yin hadn’t been able to find Hei and while they were stretching the limits of their spectres, there was no sign of Hei. November had tried to get July to sleep, but the boy steadfastly refused until he fell asleep standing up. November had carried him off to bed at that point. He had only managed to get him to eat a piece of toast with egg before July had started to search again. Wherever Hei was, he wasn’t in Tokyo. 

November had spent the morning calling every contact he thought even had the slightest chance of finding Hei. It didn’t seem to matter what department of the British government he called, they all had the same answer; they had orders not to look for BK-201. It seemed that the request to abandon the investigation into BK-201 hadn’t come from Decade but from much higher up. 

He leaned forward and glared at the lime device on the coffee table, giving it a little flick and watching as it spun around. He had tried Hei’s phone again, but it was still out of service. Everytime the call didn’t connect it was getting harder and harder to stay positive. He could only imagine this was similar to what Hei had felt when Bai had disappeared. He shook his head to himself. No, unlike me, he didn’t have any indication she was alive. He just believed it. He sighed and pushed back against the helplessness he felt. 

He had spoken to Misaki earlier, thankfully she had told Section 4 that they were still occupied by the embassy and wouldn’t be around today. There was no way around it, he would have to go against direct orders and delay returning to England. While there was a chance, if the Shadow returned to an item it was in a different region, there was a significant chance the Chinese might find Hei before he did. If that happened, it would be better to be in Japan. Plus it would be harder to drop everything to go to Hei if he was back in England. Here he had a lot more freedom and because of the investigations he had a little leeway before he’d be expected to have finished with Section 4. He’d need an excuse to delay his return, just in case it came up. 

The light knocking on the door roused him from his thoughts. After glancing over to April who shrugged, he gave her a little wave to indicate he would get it so she could continue with the drink she was currently nursing. He wasn’t expecting what he saw when he opened the door. Before him stood Misaki with three suitcases, a laptop bag and two smaller bags. 

“Moving in?” He asked as he raised an eyebrow at her as he reached out to help with the suitcases. 

“No. These are Li LuanYi and Li ZiYu’s belongings that are to be returned to the Li family with their remains.” Misaki stated as she walked past November into the flat.

“Then why are you bringing them here?” November closed the door before following her. Misaki placed the two smaller bags beside the coffee table and put the laptop bag next to his phone.

“We were contacted by Li ShiYuan to have them returned. She specifically requested that her mother’s body be handled by as few Japanese as possible. She was insistent her mother wouldn’t want to be touched by the Japanese again. Therefore, I’m authorising you to return them to Wuhan.” Misaki hesitated for a moment. “And, well, there could be clues in their belongings, that as a member of the police, I have no grounds to search.”

“That… that’s brilliant.” November grinned for the first time since Hei had gone missing. “Now, do you want to stay and see if there is anything or would that put you over your rule breaking quota?” November teased lightly. 

April snickered as he put down the suitcases in the living room. 

“Once handed over, I can claim plausible deniability of your actions. This is only part of what is to be taken back, but if there’s relevant information, it should be in there.”

“Misaki, I could kiss you.” He stared in disbelief. He would never have pegged Misaki as this shrewd. 

“Ha! You should leave that to Hei when he gets back. She’d probably enjoy it more.” April giggled from her chair. Misaki looked around nervously. 

“I’ve instructed that anyone looking for Li Shengshun should be directed to me.” Misaki changed the topic quickly, clearly still not very comfortable bending the laws.

“Nothing from Kanami then?” November asked without much hope for a positive response. It was probably that Hei’s star was dark because he was unconscious. While he had no proof, he believed that Hei’s star was reacting to the heightened powers of the Shadow and while he was conscious, his star was visible. While he was unconscious or otherwise impaired, his star was dark. If that was the case, Hei still was unconscious or… No. Just stop there. He’s unconscious. 

“No.” Misaki sighed and looked down at the floor. “I do have a question.” She asked quietly before looking up at him. Given all that she’d done for them in the last 24 hours, he’d answer to the best of his ability. 

“What’s that?” He hoped that she wouldn’t start to ask about Hei’s past or his family. There was only so much that he knew and even then it wasn’t his place to tell her some of the stuff that he did know. There were many things that Hei wouldn’t want to share about his past. Then again, she now knew that he was BK-201 and would have access to a lot of the information about his missions. Probably not to the same extent that he had gotten from James. 

“Who was the person he recently fought and killed? The one in Nandomachi.” Misaki clasped her hands to keep herself from playing with them. November breathed an internal sigh of relief. Her curiosity had won out on the more recent investigation. He wouldn’t be able to provide much in the way of insight for her on that though. 

“I don’t have a full name. He was only ever referenced as Mingjue, and he worked for LuanYi.” 

“Okay, why would Hei not want ginger because of Crispy two?” April asked from her side of the room. Misaki looked over at her curiously before looking back at November. November glanced down. He was certain Hei wouldn’t want either of them to know the reason behind his recent aversion to ginger in connection to Mingjue.

“It has to do with what happened when his father arrived in town. Beyond that… I don’t think he’d want me to tell anyone. He had a hard enough time letting me know about their history.” He tried to keep it as vague as he could while implying there was more than just the one incident. It would at least have them thinking of multiple options rather than getting close to the actual one. 

“Shiiit, I knew it was bad. I mean, there can’t be too many things that would make him jumpy like that.” April’s eyes were wide as she processed the information. Misaki had furrowed her eyebrows and was glancing between the two of them. 

“Was he trying to force Li-kun to go back to China?” She asked after a couple of moments.

“Yes. All things considered, Mingjue got off easy.” November growled. He had wanted to be the one to take Mingjue out. He would have made sure that the process was drawn out and excruciating. Hei didn’t need protection, but had he done it, Hei would have at least been able to know what had happened. How Mingjue had suffered. With Hei not remembering actually fighting MIngjue because of Shikikoza’s drug, he wasn’t sure that Hei would have the closure that would otherwise come with overcoming a fear. 

“I don’t think being cooked alive is getting off easily.” Misaki grumbled but didn’t press the subject. She, like April, had decided that whatever Mingjue had done was awful enough to shake the ‘cursed contractor’ she didn’t want to know. “So, he’ll be a John Doe, unless his dental records can be matched. You and Li-kun won’t be identifying the body, so he won’t be going back to China with the rest of them. As far as we are concerned, the cases are separate.”

“Misaki, it sounds like you might be slightly vengeful yourself.” November teased affectionately. Misaki nodded slowly. She was thinking to herself, and November couldn't help but conclude that she might be coming up with her own way to exact some form of retribution on Mingjue. 

“I’ll let you know when the flight will be. If there isn’t anything of use in there, you can ask his family in person.”

“Thanks Misaki. You have no idea how grateful I am for your help.”

 

*

 

November spent the rest of the afternoon going through Kuei’s belongings. With his limited understanding of Mandarin and traditional Chinese, there was a limit to what information he was able to collect from the belongings. There was next to nothing of Hei’s grandmother’s that he could understand or use. Kuei’s computer however, was surprisingly in English, but unsurprisingly protected by a password whose hint was: the day everything changed. It wouldn’t be something as obvious as the day the gates appeared. It also wouldn’t have been the day that Bai disappeared and the containment area was formed. It had to be something more personal. When was a time that LuanYi’s life would have been turned upside down? Hei’s birthday? That would have been the day that he found out XianXu and Xing were the heir’s, and likely the day their mother died. With a shrug he decided to try. He had only tried two variations of Hei’s birthdate when he gained access. He chuckled to himself in shock.

“What?” April asked from across the room.

“I’m in.” November replied more than a little stunned at his own success. 

“Holy shit!” She bounced over from her chair to sit next to him on the couch. 

“Yeah, I had thought I might need to send it to James… but this makes things a whole lot easier.” November mumbled as he started to click on folders. There was so much information. Even from the quick skimming he was doing he could tell that Kuei kept files on the members of the Syndicate. There wasn’t any way for him to be able to tell if it was all of the members or not, but as he scrolled the list got more and more extensive. There were a few names he recognised as he scrolled but he decided to take a look at all of what was there first before going back and looking further into certain folders. 

November frowned when he found a folder labelled Hei & Bai. What information did he keep on his children? He skimmed through surveillance reports and photos, feeling slightly unnerved when he discovered that he was the subject of some of the photos. Scrolling further he found mission reports, a startling amount of them. They knew of a lot of activity by BK-201, but it seemed Hei had been sent on a lot more missions than just the ones they knew about. He kept scrolling. It looked like Hei hadn’t had more than two days to himself between missions. No wonder he had always looked exhausted.

“Hey, it’s that the crispy one in the park?” April pointed down to one of the files below where he was currently looking. It was labelled Ochiai Park.

“Yeah, it is.” He clicked on the file. The file listed the mission as a failure. VG-062 had been unable to confirm the extent of Hei’s powers. While he had used his powers differently, there wasn’t any proof that he had used anything other than electrokinesis. November sat up slightly seeing the name on the report: Decade.

“Well… now we know for sure he’s a mole.” April snarled under her breath. 

“Yeah.” November went back to the main folder. “Who else can we find out about?”

They spent the next few hours going through and copying the contents of Kuei’s computer. Discovering that in addition to Decade there were other moles in SIS however it looked like the current head of SIS and the Home Secretary were not among their ranks. Both had people assigned to monitor their actions and hunt out anything the Syndicate could use as blackmail. The man he had met at PANDORA, Eric Nishijima, was also a mole for the Syndicate. It made November wonder how much members knew about each other. It didn’t seem that Nishijima knew that Kuei was also a member when they had been there after Evening Primrose had attacked. If he had, then Nishijima was a better actor than November had given him credit for. There were also two moles in the Japanese Police. Horai from Section 4, Misaki’s supervisor as well as Superintendent Kirihara - her father. November wasn’t sure how close she was to her father. She never spoke of him. He’d have to tell her the next time they had a moment. It wasn’t something he could text or say over the phone. There was a significant chance that her phone was bugged. He was glad his conversation with her about Hei had been in person and not over the phone. 

Buried deep within other folders November stumbled upon a file labelled ‘lost’. It seemed to only consist of photos. He scrolled through old photos. They had all been carefully scanned, some of them going back what must have been decades. Personal photos? The most frequent person to appear in the photos was a young woman with dark eyes and a familiar smile. It’s Hei’s mother. He sucked in a breath as he realised what he had just found. Could there be.. He scrolled down a little faster.

“Okay… fill me in here! Who’s that?” April asked impatiently from beside him. 

November stopped when he spotted a photo with a grinning young girl and a pensive boy dressed in school uniform. They stood in front of a black iron gate to the right of them there was a brick building and a vibrant blue door and a white stone building on the left. He couldn’t help himself but open it. He recognised the uniform from when they had done a little digging on Shengshun, it was from when he went to North Bridge House.

“Is that-”

“Hei and his sister.” November answered quietly.

“Albany Street.” April finished.   

“What?” He looked over at her. Hei hadn’t mentioned where they had lived while in London North Bridge house was near Regents Park so he had thought they would have been in the area, but Albany street was mostly the Regents Park Barracks and the Royal Artillery along with some high end houses.

“There in the background, that’s The Royal Artillery. I’d recognise those blue doors anywhere.” April pointed at the blue door on the screen, leaving a small smudge from where her finger had pressed the screen. 

“I suppose that would explain why he went to North Bridge House. Still, why would they be living on Albany Street? It’s not exactly the easiest neighbourhood to get into, unless you’ve got connections.” He voiced his question aloud. LuanYi had proven he had connections and influence from all that November had seen of him. It wasn’t a stretch to think he had it back then as well. 

“Beats me. SAS has people there. Could it be something to do with the Home Secretary at the time?”

“I don’t know.” November sighed. XianXu was adorable in the photo. Hei probably didn’t even know this photo still existed, let alone have a copy of it. He’d print off the contents of the folder later to give to him. Hei didn’t even know what his mother looked like, now November could show him. 

“He looks cute. Shy and protective, but cute.” 

“Yeah, he had already started to take care of his sister by this point.” November doubted the shyness. He had known about what their father had done and was doing everything he could to keep her safe. November wouldn’t be surprised if that meant that Hei had learned how to control his expression from an early age. November’s thoughts were interrupted by his phone. The number that flashed on the screen belonged to James. Please have found something.

“James, please tell me you have good news.” November implored as he answered the phone.

“Your beau certainly caused a number on all my sources. Everyone’s talking about the destruction of the containment area and how it corresponds to BK-201. Brazil’s hastily trying to secure their border, while other countries are eyeing the space, but not wanting to start another Heaven’s War. I swear there’s been so much information I’ve not slept.” James yawned the last part. November didn’t doubt that was true. It also sounded like James hadn’t found Hei, or even much of a lead.

“That doesn’t sound like you found anything useful.” November grumbled. Beside him April sighed. She then pulled the computer over towards her and continued to poke around at the files. 

“Because I didn’t.” James grumbled. “Don’t get me wrong, I’ve picked up on something but it’s circumstantial at best and I don’t know what it means yet.”

“Okay, explain.” November decided that it would be better for April to be able to hear everything rather than him having to explain everything again and pressed the button for the speaker before setting the phone down on the table.

“Given what I had found out about this shadow thing, I’ve focused my search on topics related to Chinese artefacts around the time BK-201’s star was active and the following few hours. The American’s are claiming credit for removing the containment area and the proof to back up their claim. Which is possible they have. Of my list of suspected incidents there was one thing on my radar that happened in the States at the right time. It was at the Smithsonian, in their Asian collection. Even if he’s not there, whatever happened at the Smithsonian is the American’s proof.”

“Okay. What’s your theory?”

“Well, like I said I focused on Chinese artefacts. I’m positive it’s an artefact that The Shadow goes back to. My guess is that there’s actually several artefacts that react when The Shadow closes the ghost areas or even when they are in transit from the freshly closed ghost area to The Emperor. Which one of the artefacts that I found The Shadow goes back to, I don’t know. I also have a blind spot. There’s a significant chance that items in personal collections wouldn’t be reported so I have no way to find out if there are more than what I currently have on my list.”

“But you’re saying that there’s multiple places that had objects react at the right time?”

“Yeah there are four others. There’s a set of statues that cracked at the Erlitou site - which is thought to be one of the first capital cities in China. It’s in Luoyang and the Chinese government is trying really hard to keep it and what happened at the Nanjing Museum very quiet. Nanjing has reported that several artefacts moved and others have cracked. I’m positive that the Chinese don’t have Hei. They’re searching high and low for him, and even said that anyone harbouring BK-201, must return their citizen at once or face harsh retaliation. They 1000% believe him to be alive.”
“Good.” November breathed a sigh of relief. Well I know some of the competition now, but at least they think he’s alive. “What are the other two?”

“There’s a more local incident. Two staff members from Christie’s were taken to hospital after an incident during the cleaning of some Chinese artefacts that were being prepped for auction. I’m guessing like the other sites, the item they were working on had some sort of reaction and injured them. The last one is The National Palace Museum in Taipei. I’ve never had difficulty getting into anything from Taiwan, but security is seriously beefed for a museum. Between it and the Smithsonian, I’d probably get into the latter first. I found out that China shipped a lot of the stuff from the Forbidden City there during the war, so it could have come over then. The Taiwaneese are also suspiciously quiet on the whole BK-201 situation. I’ve planted a trojan in their system and hopefully it will get me access soon.”  

“So, you think Taiwan or the States?”

“Yeah, they are most likely. I’m leaning more towards the States. The behaviour of SIS is suspicious though. They’ve called everyone back from Brazil and have flat out said they are not taking part in the search for BK-201.”

“I’m aware. I’ve been told to stop looking and that once we are finished with Section 4 to head back as well.” November grumbled. He heard James chuckle at his response.

“I mean, I did dig further and checked into the two at Christies. It doesn’t look like a cover up, my usual indicators aren’t there. I hacked their staff files, they go back almost three years for one and six months for the other. Nothing spotless either, so probably valid. We didn’t do so well during Heaven’s War, so it could be an abundance of British caution that’s steering their decision.”

“Keeping it on the radar though?”

“Of course! anything outside of China’s going to stay on my radar until I can narrow things down.” James scoffed as if November should have known that. Now that they’d been caught up with what James had found out, he should give James an update as to what happened. 

“I’m going to the Kuei residence to deliver Hei’s father and Grandmother. We are fortunate to have an ally in section 4 that’s made the arrangements. I’ll see what information I can get out of them.” 

“Good Luck. I’ll keep you updated on my findings. If anything concrete comes up, you’ll be the first to know.”
“Thanks James.”

“Oh, don’t thank me yet, you’re not going to like the bill when I’m done.” James teased. No doubt he wants the ‘taste’ he keeps going on about. Not that that’s going to happen. November managed not to growl. He had no intention of taking Hei to James’, or having the two of them meet. He’d need something else to distract James. Something that would keep him occupied for days on end.

“I might be able to bribe you with Kuei’s personal logs on contractor missions.” November smirked as his eyes fell on the computer screen.

“Huh?” James choked out. It sounded as though he had taken a bite of something and was stunned with the new information. 

“I’ve got Kuei’s personal computer and have been browsing the contents.” November shrugged as he replied, making no attempt to hide he was baiting James. 

“How the fuck did you manage to get in?” James was stunned and impressed.

“It was surprisingly easy if you knew the answer to his security question.”

“Which was?”

“What’s the day everything changed?”

“Well that’s not vague at all. Damn you and tempting me with that goldmine. Fuck, between it and potentially having my way with Hei it’s a hard -heheh- choice.”

“Bye James.” November had enough, he’d let James stew on the potential payment. He had better decide on a copy of Kuei’s computer - minus the lost folder - rather than anything to do with Hei.

 

*

 

He had known that Hei’s family was influential, well off and had been living in the same area for several generations. Wuhan was a large and densely populated city, so finding the Kuei family complex surrounded by a forest had been slightly surprising. Beyond the forest was a national park, it was startlingly quiet for a city. It felt like you were in the country with no one around. This was where Hei had spent the first part of his life. Where he had probably developed his love of stargazing. Where Hei would have been sent if he had chosen to be stubborn and wanted to avoid. 

Not the greatest way to meet the in-laws. He thought grimly. He was at the head of the procession as the bodies of LuanYi and ZiYu as well as their entourage were brought up a long stone staircase to a large black gate flanked by high walls which were painted red. He hadn’t even gotten to the top before the doors were pulled open by two large men, the one on the left looked strikingly like Mingjue. A sibling perhaps? November kept himself from looking at the man any longer and looked across the courtyard. There were scattered yellow paper circles fluttering about in the slight wind. Standing in the middle of the courtyard stood six people, they seemed to be members of the main house.

All of them wore elegant but plain white clothes. They looked to be organised into family groups. The older women were clearly Kuei’s siblings. Their facial structure was similar to his. The one on the left gave a brief nod to the men who had opened the door, they left their post and directed those who were carrying the coffins to a building off to the right. She must be the head of the household now that her mother and brother are gone. Beside her he assumed were her husband and daughter. 

“I’m glad that my mother’s wishes could be accommodated.” The one November had pegged as in charge spoke in English as she stepped forward to greet him with a strained smile. 

“My condolences on your loss.” November bowed his head slightly. He would need to find out if they were more like Kuei and his mother or if they were more like Hei. If they were the former, he might have more of a fight on his hands than he’d like to get the information out of them.

“Did you know them? Or were you just assigned the task to bring them back?” She tilted her head to one side as if to assess him. Seems some of Hei’s traits run in the family.  

“I had met LuanYi. I wasn’t aware his mother was in Tokyo as well. Are you Kuei ShiYuan?” He had only been advised of one of the Kuei siblings' names, although Misaki had said her name was Li not Kuei. It would do him no good to hide that he was more aware of what was going on than someone sent by the Japanese police might be. It would cut back on some of the useless back and forth that he’d otherwise have to put up with.

“Indeed.” She smiled more genuinely. She lifted her right hand and gestured to the others standing with her. “These are my sisters YuLan and FengYing and our families.”

“I’m Jack Simon. I am involved in the investigation into what happened at PANDORA and how LuanYi died.”

“Then you must not have known our brother well.” She shook her head slightly, giving him a sceptical look.

“In truth, I only met him twice. The first time I met him, he was basically him trying to interrogate me. The second I successfully evaded his trap. But, I’ve come for another reason.” November decided to dive right into his interrogation.

“Oh?”

“Can any of you tell me where the Shadow would end up after completing their task?”

They all look up at him shocked. Silence fell over the courtyard and November waited patiently for an answer.

“H-How do you know of the Shadow?” FengYing was the first to recover and ask. He recognised the stunned look on her face as the one Hei had made when he had managed to figure out parts of his past. They didn’t give off the same hostility he had felt when sitting across from LuanYi at dinner or at the party. He took a deep breath and decided to bet that they were more like Hei.

“I need to know where to find XianXu. What do you know?” He asked sincerely. The change from shock to concern was immediate. November sighed inwardly. They are more like Hei. He felt slightly reassured as the three older women quickly walked over to him. 

“Ah-Xu! Is he alright?” FengYing was the first to speak again. “Oh no, did he use the Shadow’s powers?” 

“He must have! Didn’t you hear the news? The containment area is gone.” the lone younger woman barked from where she stood next to her father. “Xu-er, was always compassionate and stubborn, of course he’d want to undo what happened five years ago and have people stop resenting Xing-er.” Hei’s cousin, who probably hadn’t seen or heard much about him since he left when he was five or six, had understood what Hei was at his core and without a doubt knew he wouldn’t want people indirectly cursing Bai for what she had done in South America. 

“But- but the Gates aren’t gone.” The man next to Hei’s cousin spoke. “You’ve always said if the Shadow uses their powers, the ghost area’s would disappear as well.”

“That is how it’s supposed to work. He… didn’t want to get rid of the ghost. So he did everything he could to make it so they wouldn’t go away.”

“Why would he want to keep them around?” ShiYuan stepped back, looking him over a second time. 

“Ah-Xu means a lot to you, doesn’t he?” YuLan asked softly. Her two sisters gasped, staring first at YuLan then back at November. He smiled slightly and nodded, confirming their suspicion.

“Please, I need to know where to find him. It’s already been too long and I’m worried he’s not conscious.”

“A kuei.” YuLan replied with a smile. That doesn’t make any sense. February said Hei’s family wouldn’t get to him first. They clearly didn’t know where he was because of their concern and shock. Is it possible that the time to go from one place to another is delayed and Hei just hadn’t made it here yet?
“Which one of you would he go back to?” He glanced between Hei’s aunts. YuLan grinned and shook her head.

“It’s not a person.” She confirmed what November had suspected. “It’s a bronze ritual offering vessel that was taken during the cultural revolution. Our father never got over how upset he was that it was taken. Nothing he did managed to have it returned.”

“What does it look like?” Now that he had a lead, he could tell James what to look for. If he could get identifying features, it would make things that much easier.

“I’ve never seen it. It was always hidden away in storage and there were no photos of it.” YuLan frowned. She looked over at her sisters but both of them shook their heads as well. They didn’t know what it looked like either.

“I have a couple possible leads on where it might be; China, Taiwan, England or America. Given the frantic search by the Chinese to find him, I don’t believe he’s in the country. Do you have any insight?” November hesitantly shared James’ theory on where Hei could be. The three women paused, there were a few hushed words in Mandarin. 

“If it’s not in the country… England or America would be most likely. The kuei was taken during the cultural revolution. It would have been destroyed or sold abroad. Taiwan was where the government stored things during the war, not after.”

November nodded. James might need to try and break into the Smithsonian’s files. If Taiwan wasn’t likely then America became the top contender. 

“What can you tell me about a set of bracelets that have black beads and red strings?” Once he managed to find Hei, that would be his next hurdle. He needed to know how to deal with them and if there were any secrets in how to take them off. 

“They- They belonged to our father. Mother kept them with her at all times since our father’s passing.” FengYing’s eyebrows knitted and she bit on her lip like she was trying to keep herself from breaking into tears.

“If you believe the stories about it…” Hei’s cousin interjected from behind his aunts. “Our Grandfather said that they were the red thread of destiny wrapped around the remnants of our ancestor’s past victories. It was an object designed to empower the current reigning Shadow so that they could keep the monsters at bay. I was told that Grandfather had inherited the bracelets as a child.”

“Yes, He said he had been told not to tie the strings until he was ready to accept the full weight of his responsibility. He told me he had worked for three years before he was ready for the bracelets. He had been taught to wrap the beads in a silk cloth and gradually increase the time he wore them daily until his body adapted. Once he could wear them for a week without issue the ascension ceremony was held. That was when he finally tied the bracelets on. From that day on, the bracelets never left his wrists. Not even he could take them off. Only the person he was linked to by the red thread would be able to remove them from him.” ShiYuan nodded, agreeing with what her daughter had said.

“I remember my mother saying that one of the conditions of her marriage was that she would only be accepted as Empress of the Midnight Court, if she could untie the bracelet. And she did. She untied and retied both bracelets at their wedding ceremony, binding the two of them forever.” YuLuan added as she placed a hand on FengYing and let the woman curl into her shoulder. November watched as FengYing buried her face into her sister’s clothes to hide her tears.

“Thank you.” November spoke quietly. It was time for him to go. He needed to call James with this new information. 

“When you find him, please bring him back to us. We’ve missed out on so much and his life has been so hard, he deserves to know his family. You both do.” ShiYuan grabbed his hand as he turned to leave.

“He and I have made a family for ourselves. I will let him know, but it will be his choice if he returns and I’ll support whichever decision he makes. I will tell him, you three are nothing like your brother. That at least will give you a chance.” November bowed briefly before turning to leave. Will I be able to get the bracelets off him? The thought plagued his mind. The stones had zapped him when he had tried to remove them at Hell’s Gate. Amber had been certain that he was the only one that Hei would let help, but why hadn’t he been able to get them off then? He sighed and made his way down the long stone stairs. 

 

Notes:

Poor Hei is still MIA. D:

I'm hoping to have the next chapter done by the second, but I make no promises.

Thanks for all the kudos and comments, they really help keep the motivation going and frequently make my day.

Chapter 24: Chapter Twenty-Three

Notes:

Well, Happy Birthday to Hei and Bai in this story!

“We have about a decent chance everything will work out.” Amber explained. “It’s less than I’d like but not as bad as it could be. The greatest factor we will be working against is time. It will depend on how much you can do before your contract starts to require its remuneration. If you run out of time, you need to get Hei out. He’s the only one your powers are compatible with and the only one who can seal Hell’s Gate. The worst case scenario is that you run out of time and he is killed. We can’t have that happen. I’m going to give us the best chance of avoiding that by having him and Carmine keep route 452 clear as our escape.”

“Mn.” Bai agreed quietly. Hei would have to survive. He was the reason she was doing this. He would be devastated should Schroder’s experiments work and contractors (namely herself) were killed. He had thrown his whole self into ensuring she was safe. Giving up on his own happiness to stay with her. 

“If time runs out, you will be trapped. If you survive will depend on both of you. How much you have of yourself left after the containment area is formed will dictate if he will be able to save you when he seals Hell’s Gate or not. If most of you went into creating the containment area he will not be able to separate you from it and you will die when he dismantles it. If you use up everything creating the containment area, then you will die as it’s created and he won’t be able to take it down when he seals Hell’s Gate. There’s also a chance, a very small one, that he won’t be able to fight against the Shadow’s power even with the help of your contractor power. If that happens, we fail and contractors will disappear.”

“But, he will survive?” Bai asked quietly.

“Yes. No matter what happens, we need to deal with Heaven’s Gate.” Amber mumbled quietly as she poked the fire. “Overall our chances aren’t bad, but they aren’t great either.”

Bai nodded quietly beside her as she watched Hei and Carmine sleep across from them. The plan was to seal Carmine’s powers, to ensure that she had control of the gate particles to manipulate, remove or create contractors in case things didn’t work out. If the worst happened she would then need to transfer her powers to Hei. He was their last hope if she couldn’t force the gates to stay open. If she failed, she’d have to seal Heaven’s Gate with herself in it and Hei would have to seal Hell’s Gate with the powers she’d transfer to him. Carmine’s powers were to be sealed, her experiences while sealed would shape Hei’s decision at Hell’s Gate.

Amber was hopeful it wouldn’t come to that, but even she seemed to be accepting it as the most likely outcome. It was clearly not the one she wanted. The impact it would have on Hei would be severe. Amber had said it would almost break him but his drive to find out what happened would keep him going. She had also said it would change his feelings for Amber to hate. Bai had noticed her feelings for Hei, not that Amber had hidden them from her. She was clearly smitten with him and had worked hard to manage to get Hei to let her get past his guards. 

Bai could tell he still wasn’t comfortable with it but Amber was persistent, something that was required to get him to come out from behind the shell he had hidden what was left of his human side behind. She herself wasn’t used to the human emotions she’d been feeling around Hei either, but she was now able to recognise them. She could also tell Hei still felt them, but he had mastered the ability to suppress almost all of them. He refused to give up his protectiveness of her. It had been what had allowed her to keep some of her former personality, even though it was hard to bring forward. She still wanted the reminders of before and he had picked up on that too. She still preferred his cooking, so he went out of his way to continue to cook for them.

“Are you ready?” Amber asked, her eyes were fixed on Hei. The slow rise and fall of his chest as he slept. Again Bai nodded in response and waited for Amber to glow. Tonight they would test if she could seal Carmine in a way that no one would be able to tell it had happened. Amber would freeze time to allow her to practise before they would have to do it for real in a few days.

 

*

 

Amber had warned her that this wasn’t going to be easy but that their chances were good. Right now she doubted that Amber had told her the truth. Her body felt like it was on fire. Every part of her screamed a single directive. Close the Gate! She gasped against the pain. The meteor shard in her hand the only thing keeping her mind from complying with her body’s demands. She needed to deal with the Jupiter ring. She grit her teeth and focused on the anti-gate particles within the device. Her body glowed blue as she pulled on her powers, quickly spreading from her to the surrounding area. She felt Amber as her powers passed her, the slow tick-tock of her powers a calming presence. Amber had chosen to stay with her as long as possible. Amber could use her contractor powers to stop time long enough to get clear of the danger. 

The further she spread her powers the stronger the pain became. As if the thinner she spread her contractor ability, the stronger the Shadow within her became. She gripped the meteor shard tighter. The edge of the glass digging into her skin. She needed to keep focus and hold the Shadow at bay. Every minute, every metre felt like she was being torn apart. She needed to hold on, to be strong and endure. That was their key to victory, but it was too much. She felt her eyes start to droop as her remuneration demanded her payment. Adrenaline shot through her system. She had run out of time.

Hei

She needed to get him out of the containment zone. It didn’t take her long to find him and Carmine. Amber had planned for them to be together in case this happened. She grabbed the two of them, sealing Carmine’s powers as she sent her far enough away that the Syndicate wouldn’t be able to find her. She grimaced as she got Hei out, unlike Carmine, she had to keep him close enough and that had inflicted several injuries on him that she would have rather avoided. Her hands were starting to shake as she fought against her remuneration. Just a little longer. She thought to herself as she focused on moving her contractor abilities to Hei. Her own abilities as the Shadow weren’t as strong as his, but it would be enough to keep her alive in this space, so long as the transfer went smoothly. Amber had said she needed to have enough of ‘herself’ left before it was sealed. Bai had taken that as the transfer completed yet she was still conscious enough to ensure everything was in place at the end. 

She blinked back the forced sleep of her remuneration as she felt her powers leaving her. Keep him safe. She begged her contractor powers as the transfer finished. Emotions washed over her as she became human again. She was terrified this wasn’t going to work. That this would be her death and she’d leave Hei all alone. He’d done so much for her he deserved better than to be left broken like this. She knew that Amber wanted to be the one who held his heart, but after tonight, there was no way that would happen. She prayed that someone would come into his life that would let him find and embrace his human side. Someone who would keep him safe so he wouldn’t have to protect everyone.

 

*

Time was different in the containment area. She was never really sure how long it had been between times she could register what was going on outside. Amber would check in on her occasionally. Perhaps more times than she knew of. Amber was the only one who was able to make it through the containment area to her. The times when she was awake around Amber, she would get updates on Hei and the changes to the future his changes had brought. She’d also update her on Evening Primrose. Their recruitment and new members, changes to plans. Amber was becoming increasingly aware that her time would be up when their chance to deal with the Saturn Ring came around. When Hei would choose if he wanted contractors to stay around or if he wanted to return to being fully human. Amber was losing heart. Starting to believe that Hei wouldn’t choose them, that because of South America Hei would choose to destroy the world they had worked so hard to save. 

Bai prayed she was wrong, but she wasn’t so sure herself.  She shared a strange connection to Hei through the transfer of her contractor powers, the Shadow and the gates themselves. She occasionally could also see things through Hei’s eyes. Something that became more frequent when he moved to Tokyo near Hell’s Gate. It hadn’t mattered how hard she had tried to reach out to him, she had been unsuccessful until he had been focusing on what had happened at Heaven’s Gate.

 

Da-Ge! She had called out with all her might. Carmine had done her job and forced him to think about his own unstable state of mind. The blonde contractor was new. Amber hadn’t mentioned him before.

 

Mei-Mei. Hei muttered and she felt elation at her success. Hei had never been able to hear her before. The new blonde’s interest in him had stirred emotions that Hei had long been trying to keep buried. This blonde contractor might just be what they needed to turn their current funk into victory. She knew well how hesitant Hei was to let anyone in. If this blonde could be persistent, then perhaps, they could pull victory from the situation still. 

 

*

 

It had only felt like she had blinked and the blonde was a lot closer to her brother. She stared in awe as Hei was pinned to the wall and against all odds - seemed to be enjoying himself. She knew better than most how that position made him feel. The night at their grandparents, when they had been turned away, had left deep scars on him. Ones that he’d never been able to recover from. Yet, here he was not only letting himself be in the position, but pulling the blonde into him. Her instincts told her to cover her eyes and leave her brother alone to enjoy the moment, but she couldn’t help but stare through her fingers as a small smile formed on her face. I’ve never seen Da-Ge react to anyone like that. This man might be exactly what we need. He will need to be stubborn and tenacious to get through Da-Ge’s layers. Something told her the blonde was up to the challenge and that she should be more careful when she checks in.

 

*

 

Hei still wasn’t comfortable in letting the blonde past his defences, but it was something that was happening more and more. He had accepted his own feelings but acting on them was still difficult and talking about them was even more so. She watched with joy as Hei let the blonde, whom he called November, take care of him. She had stayed with him as he had planned to make the bao and noodles they would have on their birthday. He had resolved to not be alone this year and she was so proud of him. She had tried to encourage him as he failed to get the ingredients himself, managing instead to guide him to rely on November to help. 

The kidnapping had been unexpected. Hei was not one who usually missed if he was being tailed. More surprising still was that neither him or the blonde had picked up on the surveillance. The two of them were distracting each other and letting their guards down. Normally that would be a good thing, but when there were people who were still actively seeking to harm them and the ones they cared for, some form of attentiveness should be maintained. 

She had been shocked at Hei’s faith that November would find him in time. His situation was something had he wanted to get out, he could have done so easily. It would reveal who he was, and probably end the relationship. Something that Hei clearly didn’t want to do. Something he very clearly wanted to avoid. November had become more important to Hei than his cover. She really would have to ask Amber the next time she came to visit who this November was. They would need him as an ally for when Hei had to deal with Hell’s Gate. 

Her resolve to recruit November only increased as he took care of Hei as he recovered by hovering, doting and steadfastly refusing to let Hei miss his medication. November’s actions pleased her to no end. He was exactly what she had wanted for her brother when she had ended up sealed in this place. 

The two of them had been through more than their share of trauma as they grew up. Hei kept those parts of him carefully hidden away, but with his inhibitions lowered from his injuries and the medications that November ensured that he kept taking, the conversation about their father and their code names was veering into dangerous territory. 

Da-Ge! She called out in warning as she could feel his emotions start to pull him under. She hadn’t seen what had happened after she had been sealed. She was able to see more of what was going on now through Hei, but most things back then were a blur. She was shocked to see their father. Shocked further when Hei’s unshakeable calm snapped as he attacked their father. Her hands covered her mouth to keep from calling out again as their father cut into his side as Hei was held down. Hei had been through hell when she had been sealed. She could feel the despair for her loss and the hatred and betrayal he felt towards Amber. It made her chest hurt from all the pain he had gone through because of her and Amber. 

 

*

 

If she had the ability, she would murder their father. All of their careful planning might have been undone because of his actions. Their plan hinged on Hei being able to keep the Shadow’s powers at bay with her contractor powers. Hei had struggled in that fight, his frantic emotions calling to her, in a way she’d not experienced before. She had done all she could to help, but it hadn’t felt like much. All she had been able to do to protect him was ask the spectres to leave the area. The powers of BK-201 weren’t hers anymore, they didn’t respond to her commands. Hei had managed to escape but had collapsed too close to the scene for her liking. She needed to get his new family, but she wasn’t sure which of the spectres belonged to the two dolls and she couldn’t risk him being caught by the Syndicate or PANDORA right now. 

She wanted to go and look for the dolls, but couldn’t leave him. His thoughts had gone quiet and he hadn’t moved in a long time. Don’t leave me Da-Ge. Where was Amber? She was supposed to be able to see the future! She should have been able to see this was going to happen! She should be able to come and save him. Had Amber run out of time? It had been a long time since Amber had come to visit her. She hadn’t been that old when she had visited either. There was too much on the line. Hei needed help but she wouldn’t be able to get the help he needed. She did the only thing she could, wrapping her arms around him and holding him close as she waited terrified his family wouldn’t make it in time. She feared she wouldn’t get to say goodbye as her own connection with Hei was getting weaker. 

 

*

 

She sighed and concentrated. This might be her last chance to talk with Hei before he was taken to Hell’s Gate. Her connection to him through her former powers was so weak she could barely feel it, but she pulled on it. She put everything she had into reaching Hei. It wasn’t looking good for their chances if he didn’t have full use of her powers. Hei still felt betrayal from Amber, and he needed to trust her to give them any sort of chance. That was something she could at least convince him to try.

Suddenly he was there, in her space within the containment area, staring in awe at her view of the old stars. She watched as the mask he kept over his emotions melted away and the awe of what he was seeing sank in. She let him enjoy the moment before she spoke. 

“I had known all along. I knew you never wanted to kill anyone, Da-Ge.”

“Meimei?” He asked in shock as he turned towards her. There were so many things she had wanted to tell him. To list all of her reasons for doing what she had done. Those were all in the past and wouldn’t change the future in the few minutes they had. 

“I’m sorry I had to leave you alone Da-Ge. We thought I would be enough, that you wouldn’t have to be risked.” She forced a strained smile to her lips. 

“Amber was the one who got it wrong. She’s the one who took everything from me and left me all alone.” the venom in his voice stung. Amber had left him alone, but she wasn’t the one solely responsible for the outcome. Amber had known that even if she had stayed with him, he would have resented her and had admitted she wouldn’t be able to face him knowing that would break her. She had chosen to piece herself back together in a place Hei wouldn’t know what their actions had done to her. She had accepted she would be the villain to Hei and still loved him.

“She did leave you alone but Ah-Xu, you’re not alone anymore. You’ve found someone and started a family.”

“November?”

“Tell me about him.” She nodded with a smile. 

“He…” Hei paused looking down at one of the swirling gold clouds. “His code name is November 11. I'm not sure if Jack Simon is his real name, but I suspect it might be. He’s a contractor but I feel safe around him. In a way I’ve never felt before. He is considerate and caring but also stubborn and persistent. He can bring my guard down without me realising, which normally I’d find dangerous but with him I know I - no, we could get ourselves out of most situations that arise. I want to stay with him, even if that means going against The Syndicate. It’s foolish, but I’ve decided to embrace my feelings for him and that he knows about my past and still wants me around.”

“It sounds like you mean as much to him as he does to you.” She grinned. “Keep letting him take care of you. You’ve neglected yourself far too much.”

“It was my choice. I wanted to protect you and couldn’t leave you with him. It didn't matter that you had become a contractor. You were still my Meimei.”

“Ah-Xu.” She frowned. She could feel the connection weakening. She wouldn’t have much longer with him. With a sigh she continued. “I need you to finish what I started. I’m sorry I have to ask this of you, but there’s no one else who can. Amber saw what would happen if Schroeder’s anti-gate particles were allowed to activate in the Jupiter ring around Heaven’s gate. We had to stop him. Now he’s constructed a match to it he calls the Saturn ring around Hell’s Gate and is planning on activating it around the next solar maximum.”

“He was supposed to test them today… father was going.”

 “Father wants contractors gone. He wants to prove that he should have been chosen as the heir.”

“So he wanted to use Schroeder’s anti-gate particles to close the gate, just like the Shadow’s powers.”

“Yes. Grandmother wants the gates gone, but she will be after you to close them.”

“What happened at Heaven’s Gate? You weren’t trying to close the gate.”

“I had hoped I’d be enough to force the gate to stay open. Amber had secured a meteor shard to amplify my powers, combined with being one half of the shadow, our probability of success was high.” she sighed with a slight shake to her head. “My remuneration started to take effect and I knew it wouldn’t be enough. So I sealed the area to keep Schroeder from being able to activate the Jupiter Ring. I got you out of the area. I tried to be gentle, but speed was more urgent.”

“If I do nothing, will my family disappear?”

“If Schroeder’s particles are activated, it is the most likely outcome. If you are taken to the gate you will have some ability to decide what happens. The more you can focus the greater probability you can keep those who you consider your family safe.”

“What will happen to me? Will I disappear like you?”

“Not like me. What happens will depend on how much you are able to control and if you and if you have help and an amplifier. The energy of the gates is difficult to budge. It will listen to you, but it will take so much more effort to start the change than just letting the Shadow’s powers seal them. You will have to fight against it, don’t let it overwhelm you. Do not make the same mistake that I did.”

“The meteor shard you had? Does Amber still have it?”

“She does. Amber isn’t the enemy, Ah-Xu. Let her help.”

“I… will be civil. I can’t promise more than that. Not after what she has done to me.”

“That’s all I can ask. Now sleep Ah-Xu, I will keep the memories at bay so you can rest. You will need all of your strength and more for what will come.”

“Is this goodbye Ah-Xing?”

The use of her name had any further words lodged in her throat. It might be. She thought before she stood on her toes, placing a light kiss to his forehead. “Sleep.” She whispered using what little power she had left to keep the memories that threatened to break out quiet so that he could rest.  

 

*

 

The light stung her eyes as she slowly opened them. The process was exhausting but bit by bit she managed to half open her eyes to glance around the room. Her limbs protested any response, remaining firmly where they had been as she had opened her eyes. Glancing around the white walls and disinfectant smell told her that she was in a hospital. She couldn’t see anyone standing there watching her, so if she had been caught, they weren’t too concerned with her escaping. Not that she would be able to make it very far yet. She needed her limbs to respond, and she needed them to continue to think that she wasn’t conscious.

She tried to wiggle her fingers and toes. It took several minutes, but she did feel some movement. Her left hand was still restricted by something. She forced her head to tilt to the left to see what might be inhibiting her fingers. She wasn’t prepared for what she saw. Laying next to her was Ah-Xu. They were both alive. She wanted to reach out and hug him, but her arms wouldn’t move. She wanted to see his face when he found out she was there, but he remained still even as she did her best to squeeze his hand. 

“Da-Ge.” She croaked out. Her throat stung from the effort. She had been certain she wouldn’t make it out of the containment area. There had been so little chance after that drug had messed with his system. Tears streamed down her cheeks in relief. They were both alive. She should have been used to the emotions by now, but it still felt foreign with a physical body. She was human again and would have to get used to them all over again. Perhaps Ah-Xu would help her. He needed to lean more on his human side as well. 

Beyond her initial assessment that they were in a hospital, there was little she could use to discern where they were from her position. She couldn’t even wipe her tears yet. She breathed slowly and focused on moving her right hand. Inch by inch she managed slowly to brush the last remnants of tears from her eyes. Not too bad for not having a body for five years. She smiled to herself. 

“I see you’re awake. I will get the doctor.” A smiling brunette spoke from the doorway. Given the uniform she was a nurse. From the smile and warm demeanour, the chance that this was a hostile location was diminishing quickly. She didn’t have a chance to try to say anything in response before the nurse had turned on her heel and was gone. 

English. She hadn’t wanted to learn that language. It was hard and made little sense but after almost two years of immersion, she had managed. She didn’t have the same affinity for languages that Ah-Xu had. He could have enough of the language basics down to hold a decent conversation within a month. It was the language that they had spoken in South America. Both Carmine and Amber had little understanding of other languages so it had been easier for her and Hei to use it. She was mildly thankful to Amber, as it had forced her to remember the language through use. It wasn’t long before the nurse returned with an older female doctor in tow. 

“Good Afternoon dearie.” The woman smiled. “You’re up sooner than we thought you would be. Any discomfort?”

“I-it’s hard to move.” she rasped.

The doctor looked relieved as she answered. 

“I’m glad you can speak English. We weren’t sure if we would need to get a translator or not. The circumstances of your arrival here were a bit unorthodox.”

“That’s putting it lightly.” The nurse beside her chuckled. 

“Could you tell us your name?” The doctor asked.

“Li Xing. How did we get here? Last thing I remember was being across the world from my brother, and yet he’s here with me.”

“Well, it seems you were picked up from Christie’s and brought here. How you got there, no one seems to know.” The nurse provided, before the doctor could answer.

“Well, at least that solves one part of the mystery. They’re siblings. Pay up.” The doctor smirked at the nurse. Her smirk spread into a grin as the nurse’s mouth dropped open. 

“No fair!” the nurse grumbled. 

“It’s perfectly fair.” The doctor snorted in response. 

She looked back over at Ah-Xu. He still showed no sign of waking and that worried her. Of the two of them, he should have been the first to wake. Her body should have had more to overcome before she could wake than he had. So why was he still unconscious?

“All of our tests have come back normal. It’s just a waiting game until he wakes. It could be in a few minutes but it could also be in a few weeks.” The doctor’s voice had turned serious, pulling her attention away from Ah-Xu. 

“Something’s not right. I shouldn’t be the first one awake.” She mumbled. Her throat was adapting to being used again.

“Why do you think that?” The doctor asked, tilting her head to one side.

“I.. well, it’s complicated.”

“I imagine it is. Why don’t we start with finding out if there’s anything wrong with you, then we can let the two at the door ask the questions they’re here to ask.”

“The…” She looked over at the door. It was slightly ajar but through the crack she could see the shoulder of someone. It seems we do have guards. “Who are they?” She asked cautiously.

“You’ll have to ask them that. Now, tell me do you have pain anywhere? Or any places that you can’t feel?” 

“No pain. I can wiggle my fingers and toes but it takes a while to respond.”

“Okay, show me.” The doctor lifted the blanket off of her toes. She focused on curling her toes. They reacted faster than they had the first time but there still was a delay. 

“It’s getting better but it’s still slow.” 

“Getting better is good. I’m going to check a few other things before I clear them to come in and talk with you.” The nurse helped her to sit up. Reluctantly she let go of Ah-Xu’s hand as she adjusted her position. She nodded and answered any questions she could as the doctor prodded her to ensure she was fit enough to talk with the ones outside the door. 

After she was satisfied, the doctor left to go and speak with the people outside the door. The nurse did a few final checks and made sure that she was comfortable before they would come in. It seemed likely, there were government officials outside the door, but they didn’t view the two of them as hostile. She wasn’t sure what their motive would be. They would almost certainly know that she and or Ah-Xu were contractors. She could only side with the idea that they wanted to recruit them. She steadied her nerves and decided to cautiously go with that assessment for now. 

One of the men at the door remained in place as the other entered the room not long after the nurse left. He was tall and slender, but the way he held himself betrayed he was more than capable in a fight. He reminded her of Ah-Xu with his dark hair and blue eyes. She managed a small nervous smile and waited for him to speak. The silence stretched and she wondered if she should be the first to talk, but the man in front of her seemed to be making his own assessment of the two of them and she wasn’t sure if talking would help the outcome or not so she waited. 

“I’m Benedict Speed, with the Home Secretary’s office. I’ve been tasked with finding out more about what happened. So, Miss Li, do you know how you ended up at Christie’s?”

“Um, I have an idea, but exactly where we showed up was a bit of a surprise. How much do you know about the new stars?” She asked cautiously. 

“We do suspect that contractors were involved.”

“Specifically UB-001 and BK-201?”

“There was activity from both around the time you two appeared.”

“I suspect that UB-001 is gone now.” She said sadly, letting her eyes drop down to her hands.

“Indeed. Which one of you are BK-201?”

“That question is not a simple one to answer. BK-201 was my Messer code as a contractor.”

“Was?”

“I’m no longer a contractor, nor am I a regressor.” She hesitated and let the nervousness in her stomach settle for a moment. “I have spent the last few years trapped in the containment area around Brazil. I transferred my powers to the only one compatible with them, my twin brother.” She motioned to the sleeping Ah-Xu beside her. “But, he isn’t a contractor either. I forced the power onto him without consent. Just as I forced him to finish what February and I had started at Heaven’s Gate. Given that I’m here, I take it that the containment area is gone?”

“It is. The Home Secretary wanted me to assess the situation and determine if we should deliver you those demanding your return or if it would be more beneficial for us to keep the two of you a secret for now.”

“I know which of the two I’d prefer, but which one have you decided?”

“For now, I’d say it’s more beneficial to keep quiet about the two of you.”

“Then we are in agreement. Who is looking for us?”

“Everyone. At least, everyone is looking for BK-201.”

“Ah.” She looked down at Ah-Xu. “I think we would both prefer to avoid unnecessary attention, if possible.”

“I’ll pass the request on. Thank you for your time today. I’ll leave my associate Rhys Williams here in case anything is needed.” He motioned towards the door. 

“Thank you.” she watched as he left the room and closed the door. 

I hope that went well. She sighed and looked down at Ah-Xu. His eyebrows were creased and his breathing was shallow and quick.

“Da-Ge?” mumbled as she put her hand on his forehead. It was warmer than her hand. She felt her head spin as her skin contacted his, there was a pull that made her want to close her eyes. She pulled her hand back and the pull dissipated. “What?” She mumbled aloud and looked him over. Something had changed from when she had woken up to cause this reaction, but what? She looked down at her hand and pressed it against his skin again to test if the pull would connect again. She frowned when it did. Her eyes fell on the hand she had been holding onto. Their grandfather’s bracelet was there, the ones that symbolised the current shadow. She reached over and pulled his other hand out from under the covers and found that the mate to it was on his other hand. She knew the story. The only one who should be able to get them off of him was November, but that didn’t stop her from trying and failing.

 

* 

 

It was a couple of days before they had another visitor from the Home Office. She had confirmed her suspicion that the bracelets were keeping Ah-Xu from waking up. Something she had hesitated in showing to the doctor, but it had led her to increase the urgency in getting their situation sorted. The appointment she was currently waiting for was the result of that and would hopefully end up with her able to get November brought to them quickly so they could get the bracelets off. 

The guard at the door was stiff as a man and woman entered. At least one of them are important if not both. She smiled gently at them as they stopped at the end of the bed she occupied next to Ah-Xu. The woman’s gaze lingered in Ah-Xu

“That’s Bk-201?”

“Yes Ma’am.” She answered quietly. 

“This is The Home Secretary Jacqui Smith. I’m John Scarlet, head of SIS.” The man filled in. 

“I need to reach out to Jack Simon, code name November 11. I believe he is the only one who will be able to wake my brother.”

“I have made inquiries. As you have said there’s an existing connection between Li Shengshun and November 11. One that confirms your claim to their relationship. Before we can move forward, how willing would Kuei XianXu and Xing be to defect?”

“I have no reservations. I’ve spent the last few years without an affiliation. Given Ah-Xu’s affection for November, I don’t believe he would be against the idea. How do you know our original names?”

“When November started to dig into his past the file was flagged for my attention. I dug into my predecessor’s files to gather more information. Your father was very influential but also very secretive. He is one of the founding members of a Syndicate we are investigating. You yourself were a member, am I correct?”

“I was until the incident in South America. My brother was one until just recently.”

“You spent some of your childhood in London. At that time, your father was offered British citizenship for himself and the two of you. At the time he refused. However, given the search that is going on for BK-201 I wish to amend your record so that the two of you had become citizens at that time. It will also become the reason that XianXu was accepted into the SAS program. As a British citizen he wouldn’t need special permission to enter the program. His age, while still a factor, could be overlooked due to the global turmoil at the time which required exceptions made for those who could fight contractors.”

“What of my history? I’ve been missing for the last few years.”

“You will have been deep undercover in Brazil working directly for the Home Office. Your missions are classified and all requests for further information must be made directly to myself. The story for your brother will be that he was recruited to SIS after Heaven’s War and has been infiltrating The Syndicate on their behalf ever since and has been reporting directly to Sir Scarlet for the last few years.”

“Will we be Kuei’s or Li’s?” She asked cautiously.

 “I’ll have documents done for both. Li as a work alias when needed, but officially you will be Kuei. I’ll make the arrangements for you to reach out to November.”

“The sooner the better. Ah-Xu needs him now. What I’m doing to keep him stable isn’t enough.” 

With a quick nod, Jacqui Smith agreed before she and John Scarlet left the room. She sighed and took Ah-Xu’s hand letting the pull drag her back into sleep to stablise him as She waited to be able to speak to November.

Notes:

Thanks for all the comments and kudos!
There's not much left in the story and I'm hopeful that it will be done before the end of the year! hopefully before December, but that will depend on motivation and ability to write.

Chapter 25: Chapter Twenty-Four

Notes:

Finally! a new chapter.
I was completely underestimating life's insistence to kill motivation when I had previously hoped to have this done before the end of December.
As an apology; this chapter has copious amounts of fluff.

Enjoy!

BTW Happy Birthday (FEB 5) to Hidenobu Kiuchi! (Hei's voice actor)

The bright light glaring directly through his eyes to his skull was the first thing he registered as the darkness around him shattered and fell away. The next thing he processed was his body did not want to move. It was exhausting just blinking to get some relief from the light that was making the pounding in his head so much worse. The one responsible for one of the worst wake ups he’d ever experienced, jumped back and muttered something that he really didn’t care to try and decipher. There was a response from someone to his left, the voice was familiar, but he was having difficulties focusing on his surroundings. Instead he concentrated his limited energy on blinking the spots in his vision leftover from the demon light away. 

“Ah-Shun!” The one on the left called out. Ah-Shun? Right, that would be me, wouldn’t it. His mind struggled to interpret the words and make sense of them while his body protested as he shifted his eyes to the one the voice belonged to. The slight movement had pain shooting through his skull. He closed his eyes to fight back the pain. He vaguely registered he was in a hospital from the smell and white walls. He was unable to muster the energy to even move, let alone defend himself. Had they wanted me dead, I wouldn’t have woken up. He slowly opened his eyes again. The blonde next to him had gotten closer. It didn’t take him as long to focus this time. He felt weak and worn, but managed a slight smile as November’s hand brushed across his temple coming to a rest on his forehead. It was cool and comforting against his skin. November looked exhausted. How long has it been?  

“How do you feel?” The demon light wielding doctor asked. Hei paused and looked around the room. It was slow, but the brain fog that he had been feeling since waking, was starting to loosen its grip. November waited patiently, removing his hand after a few moments. The doctor’s eyebrow twitched while waiting for Hei.

“Wǒ certeza arimasen yet.” Hei mumbled. No, that’s not right. He had meant to say that he didn’t know yet, but it had come out jumbled. He breathed out slowly. He needed to focus. He opened his eyes again. I need to try again. The doctor on his right had strikingly ginger hair. Nowhere in Asia then. He forced his brain to think back to what the doctor in front of him had said, specifically what language he had used.  

“Where are we?” His eyes settled on November. His words had come out in Mandarin. I meant for that to be in Japanese. Well, at least it was all in the same language this time.

“London.” November had paused before he answered. He really is picking the language up fast. Wait. London? As in England?

“… tha-  what?” Hei attempted to sit up in shock but his head began to spin before he had even gotten two inches off the mattress. Falling back into the pillow he gave November what he hoped was a quick ‘talk later’ look. He wasn’t sure it was successful. His body still felt stiff and sore. He must have been asleep for several days or longer given how difficult it was to move. If they were in London, then the doctor would have spoken English. He needed to get his brain to function at least enough to answer the doctor’s questions. There was worry in November’s eyes, but he let his hand rest on Hei’s and gave it an encouraging squeeze. It was a few moments before he felt he could manage and he switched his focus once again on the doctor. Hei wanted to get him out of the room quickly so he could find out what happened from November. 

“I’m surprised how calmly you’ve reacted and how quickly you’ve become alert. How do you feel?” The doctor shifted from foot to foot as he tried to fill the silence. 

“Awful.” Hei sighed. His eyes landed on his hand. There was an IV attached to him, but he didn’t feel the usual sluggishness from painkillers. It must be something else. His stomach felt empty but the usual ravenous hunger was less than he would normally feel. I wonder if I can get November to bring me something. “And hungry.”

“Understandable. You have been unconscious for ten days. Though, most people aren’t hungry first thing when they wake up from an extended time being unconscious. Do you have sensation in all of your limbs, or does anything feel off?” while he had heard all of the words that the doctor had said it took a lot longer for them to register. Ten days? He was surprised. November had found him quickly. Wait, there was a question too. 

“No.” Hei answered simply. He could feel his toes and fingertips, the rest of him felt sore and stiff, no doubt a result of being confined to the bed. Some physical activity would help with that. Might have to wait until after some food. He thought as he curled his toes slowly. His legs felt close to cramping. He would have to work out his stiff muscles slowly.

The doctor nodded and did a series of quick tests and checks before excusing himself with the threat of bloodwork to follow. The whole process left Hei exhausted. 

“What happened after I fell asleep?” Hei looked over at November. He needed to find out what had happened before he ended up asleep for who knows how long again.

“You were right.” He said simply. His typically pristine suit was rumpled in places The last ten days must have been torture. He remembered the first days after Bai disappeared. He had been an emotional wreck. It had only been Kuei’s breadcrumb of information that Bai was alive somewhere that had kept him going. 

“I disappeared?” Hei hesitated, but he was pretty sure he knew the answer. There wasn’t really another reason for him to wake up in London.

“Yes.” November deflated slightly, and managed to look even more haggard. “Turns out all of the Shadows return to a ritual vessel not the Emperor themselves, the records weren’t entirely accurate.” 

“How did you find me?” Hei wondered aloud. Finding him after he had disappeared would have been an insurmountable task, and yet November had succeeded.

“I promised I would, didn’t I?” November smiled at Hei. November made it sound so easy. Hei had spent the last five years trying to find Bai, but November had managed to locate him within ten days . It was nothing short of remarkable. Hei shifted over on the cot. His muscles screamed and burnt at the movement, but it was worth it. He gave November a small smile, wordlessly inviting him to join him. November’s smile widened as he accepted the invitation.  He pulled Hei into him, holding him close, like he might disappear again if he didn’t. 

“Thank you.” Hei breathed and closed his eyes. He enjoyed the warmth that was seeping into him from November. Finding out what had happened could wait. He needed this more. Wherever he had been had left him feeling lost and hollow. Having November hold him was chasing the last remnants of those feelings away. 

“There is another surprise for you.” November mumbled into his hair after a few minutes. Surprise? What else could November have managed while he was unconscious?
“Good surprise or bad?” Hei asked hesitantly, glancing up at November. The smirk on November’s face indicated it wasn’t a bad surprise. 

“Well… I’m hopeful I made a good impression, so I’ll go with good.” November replied sheepishly.
“Eh?” Hei furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. What type of answer is that? He shifted enough to be able to look down at November.

“I think she likes me.” November elaborated with a shrug, but that only left Hei more confused. November’s smirk broke into a grin and Hei asked the inevitable question.

“She?”

“Xing.”

“Where is she?” Hei’s eyes widened in shock. Xing! How? She was alive and November had managed to find her as well. He forced himself to sit up, ignoring the way the room spun as he leaned heavily on his hand.

“Currently with the Home Secretary, but I expect her to be back anytime. She's been gone for a few hours.” November grinned at him. All thought of sleep evaporated. Xing is alive!

“She… She’s safe?” Hei was still having trouble accepting the news he had hoped and dreamed of over the last five years. Hei steadied himself as the spinning got worse, but November was a step ahead of him, humming an affirmation to his question as he adjusted the cot so that he would be able to lean into it rather than sit up on his own. Hei sighed and let himself lean more into November.
“She’s human.” November muttered after Hei was settled. “When you forced the gate to stay open, you collapsed the containment area. The two of you appeared together in London. Through a lot of luck, your appearance was reported directly to the Home Secretary. She already knew of you. April and I had done a little background checking and she ended up calling both of us to get us to stop digging. She recognised you from that and put a damn clever plan in place that hid the two of you so well, even James was pretty certain you weren’t in London.” November explained before Hei could ask. If November’s best source hadn’t figured out where he was, how was November here?

“How’d you get here then?”

“Xing called me after convincing the Home Secretary you wouldn’t wake up any other way, but it’s not like our relationship was secret.”

“I think she was right.” Hei muttered quietly. Sleep was starting to call him. He wanted to be awake for when Xing came back, but he was fading fast and didn’t think he could stay awake for much longer.

“Me too.” November sighed. “I’m glad I was able to get those bracelets off. I honestly wasn’t sure I would be able to. I got zapped when I tried back at Hell’s Gate. Maybe I didn’t this time because they weren’t glowing.” November mumbled without his usual confidence. He opened his mouth to comfort him but stopped when he heard the door.

Looking up he was greeted with a sight he had waited five years for. Xing was standing in the doorway, she looked a little older or more mature than he remembered. A smile spread across her face as she realised he was awake. 

“Da-ge!” she exclaimed as she launched herself towards him after only a few steps. The impact left him winded but he didn’t care in the slightest. 

“Meimei.” Hei gasped, still stunned she was real. His arms felt weak but he did his best to return the hug. 

“Da-ge, I was so worried you wouldn’t wake up! You kept getting weaker and weaker.” She sobbed in Mandarin. Relief had caused the emotional dam to break and tears were falling down her smiling face.

“You’re here.” Hei had waited five years, five long years. He wasn’t sure if everything he had done would have been worth it to someone else, but he would do it all over again in an instant. Please don’t let this be a dream. “I’ve missed you so much.” The hug was interrupted by one of the people still at the door as they cleared their throat.

“Ah.” Xing pulled back, wiping her tears away. “This is the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and head of Military Intelligence John Scarlet. It was through their help that I was able to get November here.” Xing smiled brightly at him. He tilted his head to the side slightly and she nodded. There would have been a price for their help. Something Xing would be able to provide. Information was probably, but given both the Home Secretary and the head of Military Intelligence it was more likely he’s going to be asked to defect. Xing would have already agreed for herself and he was perfectly happy to follow her.

“Good Afternoon XianXu, your sister has indicated that you would also be willing to defect.” John Scarlet skipped the pleasantries and got right to the point. I thought so.

“She’s correct.” Hei did his best not to flinch at the use of his real name. November had felt his reaction, given that he felt November’s thumb rub against his spine. “I will go where she and November are.”

“We will gladly welcome the both of you. I will keep this brief, as it looks as though you are having trouble focusing. Your sister has been briefed on the situation and your codenames. She will be able to bring you and November up to speed. All we need is a photo for your passport.” 

That’s really to the point. Wait. Does that mean they are doing up documents for Kuei XianXu and Xing? He wasn’t sure if he’d be able to go back to using his real name. 

“I have one that will work.” November spoke up, snapping him from his train of thought. Hei looked questioningly at him, trying to remember when November had taken a photo. “You are quite irresistible in a suit.” November smirked at him.

Right. The Foreign Minister’s party. Hei closed his eyes and felt himself relax against November. If this is a dream, I don’t want to wake up. He didn’t usually feel tired in his dreams. Which meant that this was indeed real. How did I manage this? He tried to open his eyes but his muscles wouldn’t move. I must have over done it.

“Please send it to me directly and I will get their remaining documents prepared and sent over.” was the last thing he heard before he fell back asleep.

 

*

 

“Hei.” November called out, probably not for the first time, and Hei curled further into him. More sleep. Hei grumbled as he refused to budge. He was warm and content and he didn’t have to be anywhere anytime soon. November’s arms made him feel safe and he wasn’t about to move from where he was just yet. Let me enjoy this a little longer.

“Da-ge, you need to eat.” a familiar voice forced all thoughts of sleep from his mind. Wait… Hei’s eyes snapped open as he looked for the source of the voice. His limbs protested as he tried desperately to sit up. He was thankful that the dizziness he had felt the last time was less but he would have liked it better if it had been gone. He wasn’t sure he would have been able to stay stable. Even now, he was only up as far as he was because of November. Amazingly, standing in front of him and smiling brightly, was Xing.

“I-it wasn’t a dream? You’re really here?” He found himself asking in Mandarin.

“You’re adorable when snuggled up to November.” Xing teased him in English. “I’ve not seen you do that since we were little.”

“I- uh.”

“He gets really snuggly when he isn’t feeling well.” November added from behind him. Hei felt his ears heat at the comment. He felt November move and the back of the cot shift to allow him to sit and lean back.

“Only a little.” Hei mumbled. Xing giggled and sat down at the end of the bed with a bounce.

“You can be cuddly after you eat.” She pushed a table with a tray on it his way. “I made sure to send November to get extras. The hospital food isn’t bad, but it’s nowhere near enough to compete with your appetite. We only have a few days before we will be heading back to Japan to deal with the mole in SIS and the other Syndicate agents.”

“Mn. What happened while I was asleep?” Hei adjusted to a more comfortable sitting position and to give November more space beside him. He felt worlds better than he had the last time he had woken up. He would have to find out how long he had been asleep this time, but for now he’d relish in the fact that she was here and began to pick at the food on the tray. He had wanted to find out what had happened the last time he was awake but he hadn’t been in any shape to retain much.

“Well… the obvious would be that I’m back to being human and that contractors haven’t gone anywhere.” She proclaimed proudly before stealing a piece of melon. Hei glanced up at her and his eyebrow twitched. Already? He let it slide, she had been gone for five years. She smirked at him as she chewed.

“Our theory is that when you forced the gates to stay open Bai was pulled from the containment which is now gone.” November explained as he reached over to the chair next to the bed where there were a couple of bags. Hei could smell the curry long before November had set the bag down in front of him. “The world’s been on a manhunt for BK-201 but your star had disappeared, so no one knew where to start. It’s probably back now. I imagine that will make things a bit more difficult.” Hei nodded at the explanation. He pushed the tray to one side and took out one of the containers from the bag. It didn’t take him long to dig in or for November to sneak an arm around behind him.

“We should find out if my star is back for sure.” He mumbled between bites. If Xing was human, then the star really was his now. “If there are people hunting me because of the collapse of the containment area, we will need to know to watch out.”

“I think it would be safe to assume it has. It also would be safe to assume that people have put together that BK-201 was behind both the creation and destruction of the containment area.” Xing shrugged, pulling her legs up onto the bed. There wasn’t another instance of contractor powers being transferred to another. So it was likely that he’d end up being held accountable for both should he be caught. If people found out about that power they would connect Carmine’s regression and figure out that BK-201 could manipulate gate particles and create and change contractors. He couldn’t let that be found out the world would unite against him to kill or experiment on him. If Xing was saying she was human now then the British government might know about that power. As long as they don’t ask me to use it or tell anyone.  

“I think so too. Xing gave me a rundown of the background that’s been put in place for the two of you. It’s surprisingly a lot more solid than I expected.” November sounded genuinely impressed. “I didn’t know that your father had been offered citizenship when you were living in London. It certainly explains why you were living on Albany St. It would have you close to government offices including the SIS and SAS. Which is a convenient explanation of how you were accepted into the SAS program as a teenager.”

“He was offered citizenship?” Hei stopped eating in shock. He had known that Kuei had contacts in the British government from their stay in the country, but he hadn’t thought that it was to the extent that they would offer him and his children citizenship. Typically that was something that was requested in exchange for information or services. Kuei would never have accepted. He had been proud of his heritage and country. It was something that became evident if you spent time around him.

“Yup! So we had all the docs done up to show the change from back when we were seven. So even if the Chinese demand our return, the government can wave back in their face that we’ve been British for the last fifteen years.” Xing smiled proudly as she rocked back and forth holding onto her ankles. It was true that it would make things fairly simple. It was also something that would be hard to refute politically, especially with Kuei being dead. November was right. The story was a lot more solid than the typical cover story. It blended what had actually happened with the lie. 

“How are we explaining where you’ve been for the last five?” Hei looked at Xing. She had disappeared with no trace. It was a long time to gloss over, the extended gap would allow for people to poke holes in their story.

“Deep undercover in what was left of Brazil. The country and surrounding areas have been chaotic since the creation of the containment area. My story is that I’ve been working directly for the Home Office investigating the containment area now that it is gone I was called back. Making me an ‘expert’ on it. I mean I do know a lot more about it than just about anyone else.” She rocked in a circle as she spoke. I don’t think I’ve seen her stay still this whole time. Was she getting five years of energy out? Or was it that she was just excited to be back? “You on the other hand have been a mole for the SIS in the Syndicate. You haven’t been able to freely make reports in order to maintain your cover. Our codenames are May and October.” She pointed to him as she said October. He groaned internally. He really didn’t want a new codename. He could understand why he had been given October. He had been known as the black reaper since before Heaven’s War. 

“Do we have to tell April the code names? I would prefer to remain Hei.” Hei looked pleadingly over at November.

“She will have to know.” November sighed. “But you can use Li Shengshun or Hei. We just have to use October in the reports.” 

“I’ll still call you Ah-Xu or Da-ge.” Xing grinned at him and Hei sighed in defeat. Another new name. His brain was getting tired of having to remember names that he needed to respond to. He had to keep the list in his head of all his codenames and aliases so that he could respond to them should someone call out to him.

“If I continue to use Li Shengshun, you’ll have to start using Ah-Shun rather than Ah-Xu. We can’t assume that people won’t pick up on the difference. Otherwise just use Da-ge.” He finished the last dish and leaned back. November’s arm that was around his waist gave him a squeeze. 

“I suppose that’s true. I tend to use Da-ge more anyway. I’m sure November would rather be the only one to use Ah-Shun.” Xing teased.

“You wouldn’t be wrong, but I’ve discovered he likes it when I call him Hei even more.” November smirked back at her. Hei felt his ears heat and Xing giggled, but he didn’t deny it. He did like it when November called him Hei. November shifted beside him. Hei looked over expecting him to do something embarrassing but was surprised when November pulled out the black phone he had given Hei and flipped it open.

“James, is there a reason that you’re calling this number and not mine?” November’s tone was harsh and possessive. Yep, I really do like being his. Hei did his best to keep his face neutral as a spark of desire shot through his system. He hadn’t done a very good job of it, given the shiver and look Xing was giving him.

“Well, I didn’t think you’d be the one answering. Obviously.” James’ voice was loud enough on the speaker for Hei to hear him.

“This line is only working because the battery was replaced. I trust you’ve realised where we are already?” November sighed and rubbed his temple. 

“Yeah of course. Would you let the goons know to stand down?”

Goons?

November frowned and got up from the bed. Hei watched him as he opened the door and looked into the hallway. Standing just outside the door were two guards dressed in suits. Had they always been there? Hei didn’t remember if they had. Then again, the last time he had woken up, he hadn’t exactly been completely with it.

“I can honestly admit, I wasn’t expecting you to come.” November stepped into the hall. 

“How the fuck did you get here before me?” a scruffy looking chestnut haired man came into view. He was dressed in black minus the tan trench coat and white tie. So that’s James. His appearance was neither remarkable nor awful. He would easily blend in with a crowd and be forgotten. He knew James was a paranoid hermit, his appearance was probably planned for exactly that purpose. 

“By the grace of my sister-in-law.” November held  his arm out to motion James into the room.

Huh? Hei shot a look at Xing who smiled and shrugged in response.

“You lie. You don’t have one.” James rolled his eyes and walked right past November.

“I do now.” November followed James into the room and closed the door behind him. Xing smiled brightly at the new arrival, as if to signify she was the person November was referring to. The two of them get along well. Hei thought with a smile slightly before dread settled into his stomach. If they team up against me I won’t have a chance. Neither would do anything to harm him, but they would be able to get him to do just about anything. A fact he was certain November already understood to be a potential opportunity.

“Bai?” James asked with his head tilted to one side.

“Xing.” she corrected but nodded.

“So, how did you find out I was here?” Hei asked to distract himself from that train of thought.

“Your star lit back up. There was only one place in Europe that fit my criteria, and imagine my surprise when I found out it was over England. Honestly I thought you were in America. I got on the first train and booked it down here hoping to get here before this dork. Alas, it was all for naught.” James slouched in an exaggerated expression of defeat. Well now we know for sure my star is back. November didn’t give James a second glance before returning to his spot beside Hei. His hand slipped back to where it had been around his waist, only this time it was more possessive and less relaxed than it had been. November rested his chin on Hei’s shoulder and James raised his eyebrow, shooting November a look that screamed ‘really?’

“It’s not an unforeseen complication. We expected his star to come back. How bad is the chatter?” November’s other hand wrapped around his stomach. Hei didn’t have to look at November to know his unspoken reply to James was ‘Mine - back off.’ Hei’s stomach exploded with butterflies. He dropped his head down to try and hide his expression and some of the redness in his face.

“Scathing. The UK is in the hot seat for trying to stay out of things when BK-201 was within their borders. China is demanding BK-201’s return and the Home office is denying that they have the right to and are requesting proof they have a claim to you.”

How would they even show proof? Birth Certificate? That would out who BK-201 was but also open the door for people to claim grievances over contractor actions based on their nationality. No that’s political suicide, they wouldn’t do that. The change in topic quickly cooled his emotions.
“They don’t have a claim and I doubt they would offer up any evidence to say otherwise. We’re British.” He was surprised at how natural it felt to say that. “Officially since we were seven, unofficially since shortly after I woke up. China is screwed. They’d have to prove who I or Xing was, which they won’t do and Britain doesn’t have to show anything to grant asylum.” 

“Handy. Who’d blondie have to blow for that?” James looked impressed but his crude reply made him angry. Well, maybe it goes both ways. 

“Actually, I was the one who made the arrangements.” Xing waved, getting James’ attention. “He didn’t get brought in until I convinced them Da-ge wouldn’t wake up without him.”

“Ooookay. Same question but to you.” James leaned against the bed between her and Hei. The comment when it had been about November had made him angry, but now that it was directed at Xing he felt it boiling over. Xing looked over at Hei and chuckled at his dark expression before hopping off the bed and going around to the side November was on. She knew him well enough to know it was time to get out of the way. James watched her move and almost tripped on his face when Hei managed to kick him from under the blankets while he was distracted.

“That is my little sister you're talking to.” His voice was cold.

“Ow. Fuck, yah I figured that already!” James growled rubbing the spot Hei had kicked. There hadn’t been much force behind it but it would have been enough to drive his point home.

“The Home Secretary made the arrangements for me.” Xing clarified who had arranged their stories. James paused. Looked over at Xing then cringed. Apparently he doesn’t learn. Hei’s eyebrow twitched.

“That was an image I could have done without.” Which earned him another kick from Hei.

“Alright, alright I get it, lay off your sister.”

“Barely awake a day and already your protective big brother instincts have kicked in.” November chuckled.

“Yah, lay off. I was helping.” James griped.

“Considering you know what I’m capable of, you got off easy.” Hei leaned forward only to have November pull him back.

“I suppose. Still, given the work I’ve done… I’d like to cash in.” James leered at Hei.

“No, you can’t ‘have a taste’.” November growled.

“Aww, how about a peek?” James whined teasingly.

“Also no. I do have a once in a lifetime opportunity for you. This is a if you say no now, you’ll never get a chance again.”

“Hmm. This wouldn’t be the information you mentioned would it?” James clutched at the sheets leaning over Hei towards November. Hei glanced between the two. He wasn’t sure what information November was referring to, but it must have been something that he had uncovered while Hei had been asleep. A quick look at Xing told him she didn’t know what he was talking about either. He would have to inquire about it after James had left. 

“It would.”
“Daaaamn. Why must you do this to me!? Are you sure I’ll never get it?” James flopped dramatically down on the bed on top of Hei’s legs.

“Positive. It only exists on this thumb drive, no online access, and I’m not giving it to anyone else. If you say no, I’ll delete the contents.” November pulled a white and black thumb drive from the pocket of his jacket.

“You wouldn’t!” James looked horrified.

“Try me.” November shot back with a grin. The staring contest between the two of them only lasted a few seconds before James deflated.

“Fiiiine.” James huffed and held out his hand for the thumb drive. November tossed over to him and James smirked. “But that doesn’t cover the information Hei was interested in. In order for me to spill on what I found on his mom, I demand a kiss and won’t settle for anything else.”

Hei’s eyes snapped to James over this revelation. James’ smirk spread further at Hei’s sudden attention, but didn’t notice as Xing moved over towards him. She quickly grabbed his chin and kissed his cheek. He wasn’t the only one who wanted to know more about their mother.

“That’s not-” James sputtered, his hand covering the cheek that Xing had just kissed.
“ You failed to specify who and where.” Xing beamed. “You got your kiss, now what did you find out about our Mother?.”

“Her name was Wei Xie.” James says after a few moments of fuming. “She has no family remaining as she was an only child of only children. I couldn’t find any photos you’d want to see.” He grumbled as he stood back up.

“What do you mean by that?” Xing asked. Hei had a bad feeling he knew what type of photos James had found. 

“Evidence photos?” Hei asked hesitantly. James nodded.

“The one who did that to her is gone. At least we know that I look like her. Kuei said as much.”

“He did?” Xing gaped at him.

“November asked and he actually answered.” 

November smiled then leaned in and whispered in his ear. “Don’t react, but I think I found Kuei’s stash of photos of her.”

It was difficult not to let the emotion show on his face, and he was sure he hadn’t managed completely. He had at least managed to stay still instead of turning towards November. He really wanted James to leave so he could ask about the photos. Given that November had found them, the information he had offered James must have been from Kuei’s own records. Hei let a smile settle on his face.

“We know more about her now, than we ever did. I’m glad we have her name now.”

“Me too.” Xing smiled

“I still want that kiss from you .” James pointed to Hei. “But I also know this isn’t the time, teasing him is my favourite hobby. Believe it or not I rushed down here because I thought you’d be alone and I knew he didn’t want that, even if it was me.” Hei couldn’t help but smile. James was right. November would have preferred James be there to Hei being on his own. He knew how Hei was in hospitals when he was alone. 

“Don’t expect to be able to cash in on that request though.” Hei said quietly.

“I’m persistent. I’ll leave the matter for today, but I won’t give up easily.”

“It was good to meet you face to face James. Thank you for all your help.”

“Safe trip back to your dungeon.” November called out.

“If you want chatter updates send pics of him.” James teased and pointed to Hei before heading out the door.

“Not likely.” November called out as the door closed. Hei waited a few moments to ensure James was no longer in earshot before turning to November.

“What photos did you find?”

“I have to say you two were adorable as kids.” November smirked and pulled a laptop out from the bag on the chair next to the cot.

“If that’s Kuei’s computer, you lied to James about it being the only copy, didn't you?”

“Certainly did. There's at least three that I know of. I gave the Home Secretary a copy that matches what James has. Neither have the entire contents of Kuei’s files.”

Hei smirked and watched November type in the password.
“How did you get access?”
“Your birthday is the password.”

“Huh?” Xing echoed his own confusion.

“I was surprised as well. I’m grateful I actually knew your birthday. Here, these were the photos I found.” November moved the laptop closer to Hei. Xing made her way around the cot and leaned in from his other side. 

“He was right. You do look like her.” Xing smiled.

Hei smiled slightly and nodded in agreement. He did have similar features to the woman in the photos. He let his head rest on November’s shoulder as November showed them the photos Kuei had saved. 

“What! That’s us on Albany Street!” Xing blurted from beside him. November looked down at him curiously as her outburst had caused him to flinch slightly. It was getting difficult to focus on the screen, but he did want to see what Kuei had kept about them.

“There’s some more recent ones too.” November continued to show them the photos, all of them were of him and Xing. Any of the photos of them from the last ten years looked more like surveillance photos.

“I guess he kept watch. A little creepy, but I wouldn’t have expected him to have done even that.”

“Mhn.” Hei agreed with her. November shut the laptop and Hei glanced up at him. 

“You need a break.” November slipped the laptop back into the chair before resuming his place next to Hei. 

“I’ll go and study. I need to be able to converse in Japanese.” Xing smiled at him before hopping off the cot and skipping out the door. Turning off the light before she went. Hei was glad she hadn’t said anything teasingly as she had left.

“Will you stay with me a while?” Hei asked as he curled into November. 

“For a while. After you’re asleep I will grab more takeaway for you. Any requests?”

“Doner kebabs maybe. I’ve not had them in years.”

“I know a good place.”

“Thank you.” Hei muttered as he closed his eyes and relaxed. 

“For what?” November asked as his hand trailed up and down Hei’s side.

“For keeping your promise, for putting up with me, for everything you do for me and most of all for staying with me.”

“Better get used to it.” November whispered almost threateningly, sending shivers down his spine, before switching back to his usual tone. “I expect you to let me fuss over you properly when we are back in Japan.”

“I’ll let you start now.” Hei shifted enough to look up at November with a small smile. He knew that November had a better chance of him accepting the fussing now rather than if they waited until they were back in Japan. Right now he needed November to watch over him, because he couldn’t do it himself. 

“Even better.” November gave him a squeeze. Hei closed his eyes enjoying the comfort of November next to him, allowing it to remind him he wasn’t alone. 

 

***

He didn’t want to move, but the warmth that should have been next to him was gone. The bed didn’t feel right either. It wasn’t his futon or November’s mattress but something else, an uncomfortable something else. Then there was the smell; too clean and almost sterile. Hospital. Adrenaline spiked in his system but his body didn’t move. His limbs felt weight down but somehow, they weren’t restricted. He opened his eyes to find November standing with his back to the bed talking with the red-headed demon light wielding doctor. 

“He was awake a few hours ago. It wasn’t for very long, less than an hour. He’s not the type to stay idle for long. He especially does not like hospitals. His reaction when he woke up both times was completely different from the last time he was in one, and it concerns me. It’s like he doesn’t even have the energy to react.”

Well, he’s not wrong. Hei thought to himself, deciding to stay quiet and listen to the conversation.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case. When he arrived he wasn’t in great shape and he only got worse the longer he was here no matter what we did. To be honest, we were extremely lucky he hung on long enough for you to arrive. His tests are showing steady improvement, but he’s not out of the woods. Make no mistake, he’s still in critical condition even with the improvements.”

Yeah, I can tell. He would need to get up soon, but his body screamed that was a bad idea and he had to agree with it for now.

“Will there be any lasting effects?”

“Hard to say. We are in uncharted territory. His sister doesn’t seem to be suffering any, but that might not be the case for him. I’m optimistic they will have similar recoveries.”

“If the amount of energy Xing has is anything to go by, it shouldn’t take too long.” Hei commented, unable to keep from saying it aloud, startling both November and the doctor standing next to him. 

“You’re awake a lot faster this time.” November smirked at him after turning towards him. 

“It doesn’t feel any better this time around.” He answered honestly. He could see that November was worried. He was pretty sure it was related to how he hadn’t tried to sit up yet.

“It will take time for your body to recover. While visually you might not be able to tell the extent of your injuries, I assure you they are not to be underestimated. Now, how are you feeling?” The doctor stepped closer and Hei instinctively pulled back forcing himself further into the mattress briefly. He’s just doing his job. He’s not going to hurt me. He had to remind himself.

“My body feels heavy and I’m exhausted even though I just woke up.”

“Hm, I expected as much. Try to eat each time you wake up but take frequent rests. You will need to get up and around but do not push yourself. We will continue to monitor your condition, but if you recover like your sister it shouldn’t take too long.”

“That would be good.” Even he wasn’t sure if he and Xing received the same way. The two of them had rarely been sick and almost never at the same time. In this, he really hoped that their recoveries would match.

“Someone will be around in a couple of hours to do some more tests to make sure that everything is still going well.”  

Hei nodded and waited for the doctor to leave. 

“Once it stops feeling like I’ve got a lead blanket on me, I doubt the wake ups are going to be this easy.”

“Oh?”

“The fear is still there, it’s just just out weighed by the inability to move but the time it takes until I can move lets my mind wake up enough to find you nearby.”

“Good thing you didn’t wake up when I went to get you more food.” November smiled and sat down next to him on the cot.

“It is. Even though I doubt I would have been able to do much, I feel weak as a kitten.”

“For you, that’s still probably more than anyone the staff here would be used to.”

“I don’t know. I’m not confident I’d be able to do that much. The standing and walking around the doctor wants me to do is a tall order right now.” Hei sighed and muttered. “I prefer when you leave me boneless to this.”

November blinked a couple of times before chuckling. “While I’m sure you meant it as a compliment, given your condition I’m pretty sure you’d even prefer how you felt at the hospital over this.” 

“The lack of painkillers gives this situation a distinctive advantage.” Hei replied seriously, causing November to full on laugh. He hated being on painkillers. At least in this situation his mind remained his own and he didn’t have to worry about his memories and emotions getting the better of him.

“I’ve let April know you’re awake.” November changed the topic. “The bigger issue is that Misaki figured out who you were and was there at Hell’s Gate.”

Well shit. Given that November was here and not in a cell in Japan indicated she hadn’t held who he was against November. 

“That complicates things.” He struggled to sit up, only to be helped by November again. He leaned into November as he adjusted the cot. There was no dizziness this time thankfully. It seemed he was improving significantly each time he woke up.

“I don’t think that she’s going to arrest you.” November helped him sit back. “Actually, I’m confident she won't. She had her contact at the National Observatory hush up what happened in Nandomachi.”

“She- really?” Hei stared at November in shock. That’s out of character for Misaki. November nodded. The look on November’s face told Hei there was more to it, but he didn’t press for more information. He was still struggling to process that Misaki broke the rules for him and not just a little. She covered up what would have been another thing for people to hunt BK-201 about. He really was going to have to thank her when they got back to Japan.

“It also helped that Japan didn’t suffer the same fate as Brazil thanks to you.”

“It wasn’t just me.” He protested. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it alone.” In fact he was positive that Japan was still around only because of November. It had been so hard to focus back then. There had been too much information and his body had felt like it was being ripped apart and he had selfishly pushed that onto November so that he could focus on what the Shadow’s powers were doing to the world and not on what they were doing to him.

“I didn’t do much, just a little encouragement.” November smiled at him sheepishly. Both of them knew that was an understatement. “I’ve got to give her an update soon. Your star has been back for a while and I’m sure she’s getting antsy for an update.” 

“What time is it?” Hei had no sense of the passage of time right now. November had said something about him having been awake a few hours ago, but other than the fact that there was sunlight being blocked by the curtain, he wouldn’t have been able to tell if it was day or night.

“Just after lunch. So it’s close to ten there.” November answered after glancing down at this watch. Knowing Misaki, she’d be working right now. There were more contractors active during the night and he was one of them. 

“She’d still be awake. You could call.” There was a better chance of her being at the office or driving than her being asleep.

“Okay.” November fished out his phone from his jacket pocket and dialled Misaki’s number. It connected before the second ring.

“November?”

“Good evening Misaki.”

“How is he?” There was an edge to her voice that he had only heard once before. It had been when they were alone in the bathroom during the incident with Wei Zhi Jun. She was worried.

“Recovering and all in one piece. Would you like to talk to him?”

“Is he up to it?”

“He was the one who told me to call you.” November handed the phone over to Hei.

“He did?” Hei heard as he accepted the phone from November.

“I did.” He answered, trying to sound more like his normal self, and not as exhausted as he felt.

“Li-kun! Thank goodness you’re okay. Kanami said your star was hovering around 40% luminosity when she called an hour ago.”

“40% seems a bit generous given how I feel, but I’m told there’s been steady improvement since I woke up.” November put his hand on Hei’s thigh. His eyes betrayed how concerned Hei’s statement had made him.

“Will you be coming back to Japan?”

“En, we still have things to do there, but I need to get a little better first.”

November’s face told him he needed to be all better first. Hei doubted they would be allowed to wait that long. He’d never had a time where he was able to fully recover before being forced to move on to his next mission.

“I would suggest sooner rather than later. The longer you are in the UK the more intense other countries will be demanding to have you turned over. From what I’ve seen over here, things are already pretty heated. PANDORA’s request for you to be handed over to them has the most support as it doesn’t belong to any government there are more who can rally behind them.” Misaki voiced what he had been worried about himself. There was only so long he could be shielded. He would have to leave, and soon. November would have to be happy with what they got.

“They want a labrat. Me being at PANDORA would be too dangerous.” Hei rubbed his forehead. “They don’t understand how my powers work. It’s actually safer to be here where I’m away from both gates. Where it limits my access to gate particles.” 

“Why is that importan- Oh. November said your sister had electron manipulation.”

“She did before she passed them on to me.”

“Oh.” Misaki understood the implications from the sound of her voice. 

“I don’t think letting the higher ups know about that would be a good idea.” November shuffled closer so Misaki could hear his response.

“You’re probably right. In the long run it is a bad idea. I’ll just have to avoid being dragged off to PANDORA.”

“They’d have to go through me first.” November leaned closer. He didn’t want November to have to get between him and PANDORA to keep him from being dragged off. If that happened he’d lose all will to fight. November had to stay alive.

“You’ve got allies over here too.” Misaki agreed.

“Thank you.” Hei smiled. November held out his hand for the phone. The look on his face told Hei it was time for him to take it easy. “I’ve got to go, Kirihara-san. Thank you for all your help.”

“Get better so you can get back here quickly.”

Hei handed the phone over to November and leaned back into the cot. He wasn’t as exhausted as he had been the last time he had woken up, so that might not have been the reason that November had wanted him to get off the phone. November probably wanted to make sure he got more things done this time before he fell asleep again.

“I don’t know how fast things will move here once he’s out of the hospital. I may not be able to let you know if we are on the move.” November told Misaki. It would mean he wouldn’t have to remember to update her if they had to run and she would be unlikely to hold it against them.
“That’s okay. Kanami can let me know when your stars start to move.”

That’s right, our stars would be close. The thought brought a grin to his face.

“We will make arrangements to meet up once we are back in Japan.”

“Good. Take care of him November.”

“I intend to.” November smirked before hanging up the phone. 

 

* 

 

The next few days had Hei working to regain his strength while he was awake, and still spent a good portion of his time asleep. There was only once where he woke up alone. After that the staff insisted that November or Xing be with him at all times. The two of them took those instructions to heart as they barely left him alone for long after that. Both were dead set on enforcing the doctor’s requests. The walls were starting to close in on him long before he was able to convince the doctor to give him permission to go on a short walk outside with November. Trying to convince November and Xing to take him out had been met with hard no’s from both of them.

A week had passed since he had woken up before the Home Secretary and head of SIS returned to visit them. Misaki’s warning about the political problems surrounding BK-201 had escalated to the point that the government could no longer wait for him to be fully recovered before whisking him out of the country. Hei’s doctor was vehemently against discharging him early. Hei could understand his concern. He had recovered his strength, but his stamina was taking longer to come back.

The plan that had been presented to them didn’t sit well with Hei. The three of them were currently aboard a SAS plane where arrangements had been made for Xing to be the reason it was travelling to Japan. She was being sent there by the Home Office as Li Xing, to officially investigate what had happened at PANDORA. She was also to look into the situation with the Syndicate now that Kuei was gone. Before they left the Home Secretary had sent word to Decade about her arrival. He was to expect May and October to arrive in the country but October’s mission was covert and he shouldn’t expect any contact.

He and November would not be officially mentioned as being on the flight. When they stopped to refuel Hei was to put on the bracelets so that his star would go out again, making it less likely the SAS plane and BK-201’s reappearance in Japan would be connected. Originally they had scheduled the fuel stop in Tbilisi, but Hei managed to convince them to move that to Beijing. It was closer to Japan and he wouldn’t have to have the bracelets on for as long. He used the fact that contractor stars drifted slower than the actual contractor and China’s attempts to get their hands on him. In the back of his mind he was worried that someone would connect November’s star with BK-201. If that happened their plan could go up in flames. 

The risks were higher than Hei would like but his feelings aside, this was the gamble they were betting on. The British could accuse China of kidnapping him and shift the focus from them. The world would be distracted for the time that BK-201 was out and all their fury focused on China. When he reappeared in Japan, China would likely accuse PANDORA for setting them up. Hei sighed. He was going to be the centre of an international scandal. He really didn’t like all the attention, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. Even if he could, there was no time left to change their plans, they would be landing shortly. The SAS even had a plan should the plane be inspected while refueling. There was a secret compartment on the plane, no doubt previously used to sneak people into or out of countries. It would allow him to hide while November could claim to be Xing’s translator. 

November had his grandfather’s bracelets in his jacket pocket. The last thing he wanted to do was to put those damn things back on. While the world wondered where he had disappeared to, they would be able to sneak into the country and avoid a potential ambush by PANDORA at the airport. November had picked up on his reluctance to act on their current plan but he hadn’t brought it up until they had been alone. 

November had quickly dismissed his concerns about their stars being connected, and had little issue to be linked to him. While romantic as the sentiment was it put November at risk of being taken by PANDORA to get information on him. November had focused on Hei’s other reservation; the bracelets. November wasn’t thrilled with the idea of Hei putting the bracelets back on either, given he had just recovered. He had promised to take them off as soon as he could and wouldn’t wait for the 24 hours that the Home Office had asked them to. Hei was worried about a relapse but that wasn’t the only reason he was uneasy about putting them back on.  

He felt the plane start to descend and leaned into November. There were knots in his stomach. The last time he had put the bracelets on he had been completely overwhelmed by them in mere moments. He would be defenseless, a feeling he loathed. He would be with the two people he trusted most in the world, but he still was nervous. More than that he didn’t want to feel that alone again. He couldn’t remember much after November had told him he could sleep. The one thing that he did remember was he had been alone and had been crushed by the overwhelming feeling of having everything he cared for taken away. 

November squeezed his hand, settling some of the knots. 

“It will be alright Da-ge.” Xing smiled at him from her seat across from them. He hoped she was right but he wasn’t as confident as she was in their plan. She also wasn’t going to be the one unable to help if things went wrong. If things went downhill there was a very real chance he wouldn’t wake up this time. November wrapped an arm around Hei’s shoulders offering what comfort he could. His emotions were probably written all over his face. He hadn’t been able to fix his usual mask back into place since waking up. So long as their plan worked, he was concerned how he was going to keep from showing what he was thinking around April, or anyone else for that matter. 

The plane jostled as the wheels bumped into tarmac. One of the SAS pilots was going to reach out and confirm BK-201 was presently over China. They wouldn’t be able to put their plan in place until it was. The three of them waited as the minutes ticked by. Hei leaned into November, trying to settle the growing fear he felt with the comfort November was providing. “I don’t want to put them back on.” Hei confessed into November’s jacket.

“I know.” November rubbed reassuring circles on his back. 

“Will you do it?” He whispered, unable to look up at November. He knew his face was too expressive right now. “I don’t think I will be able to manage on my own.” Kuei would have called him weak for relying on November to do this. He felt bad enough for even asking, but he knew he’d fail to complete the task on his own. He wasn’t even sure if he’d be able to put one of them on. 

“I’d like to be able to tell you that you don’t need to put them back on, but I can’t.” November gave him a squeeze. “To be honest, I’d like nothing better than to fling them into the ocean and never see them again. What they did to you has haunted me since you disappeared. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared about having you wear them again. What I felt back at Hell’s Gate was only a fraction of their power. I can’t even imagine what it was like for you but if it helps put your mind anymore at ease about putting them back on again, then yes, I will take that responsibility from you.” November squeezed him closer.

“Wheels up in ten. We have confirmation from GHQ to proceed.” One of the pilots called out to them from the front of the plane. 

Hei took a deep breath and sat back. He chewed on his lip and hesitated before holding out one of his arms to November. His hand was trembling, but he knew neither would hold his fear against him. November took a cloth out of his pocket, unfolding it revealed the matching bracelets. November gave him a quick ‘you sure?’ look and Hei nodded slowly. With a sigh November tied the first one on, waiting until Hei held out his other hand to tie the other on. 

He could feel the same trickle grasping for the Shadow’s powers. As the trickle turned into a pull he looked up at November, who was staring at Xing with a strange expression on his face. Hei pushed back against the pull as he turned his gaze to her. There was a huge grin on her face. 

“Too bad the two of you weren’t in red. That would have been perfect!” She gushed.

Red? Oh. Hei felt his face flush as Xing insinuated that he and November should have been dressed to marry. They had been told that their grandmother had to untie the bracelets to prove she could before tying them back on when she had married his grandfather. The tradition had confused him as a child, he had thought that it might just be some kind of special knot that she had to understand how to undo. Xing burst into laughter as crimson spread to his ears and neck. 

“I don’t get it.” November said from beside him. 

“You tied the knot.” Xing snickered before Hei could say anything. 

“It doesn’t count.” Hei grumbled. He was losing to the bracelets as the area he could sense contractors started to expand quickly.

“If you say so Da-ge, but according to our family tradition you just did .”

Hei couldn’t respond, the headrush had caused the cabin of the plane to fade away. Contractors and Dolls were popping up in his perception. He closed his eyes and leaned forward knowing November would catch him.

 

Notes:

Thankfully the next chapter is already storyboarded and has a fair amount of the dialogue done.
the final scene is also complete.
While I have a goal in mind

Chapter 26: Chapter Twenty-Five

Notes:

Here we are, the last chapter!
I do hope you have enjoyed the story.

Hei opened his eyes slowly and was greeted with a familiar ceiling. It worked. He breathed out a sigh of relief and breathed in the comforting scent of sandalwood and bergamot. He was in November’s room in Tokyo. They had made it back into the country. He needed to find out how long he had been asleep. To do that, he needed to force himself out of the bed. He battled the strong temptation to return to sleep and rolled to one side, sitting up slowly. He didn’t feel as bad as he had when he had first woken up at the hospital, but a lot of his recovery efforts had been reset. Hopefully it will come back faster than it did last time. He wasn’t sure how long they would have before they needed to act. It wouldn’t be a long time, certainly not the two weeks the doctor had wanted him to rest.

He looked over at the wall between November’s room and the living room. He could still sense contractors and dolls. It wasn’t as strong as it was after he had been drugged by Shikikoza, but now that he knew about that power it was hard to ignore. November, April, Mao, July and Yin were  there. It didn’t surprise him that they were all there. This would be a safe place for Mao and Yin, where they wouldn’t have to go out and there were others who could look after them. Yin and July would be able to convince other dolls not to report their location as well. 

His stomach rumbled. He needed to get something to eat. You had better hold my weight. He thought to himself as he looked down at his legs. He wasn’t certain they would but he took a deep breath and stood up. He only warbled a little as he took his first step. A lot better than the last time. Back then November had been next to him, but really hadn’t realised how weak he had been. That time Hei had ended up a crumpled heap on the floor when his legs had given out within seconds. November’s reaction time hadn’t been fast enough to catch him. This time, while strained, his legs didn’t feel like they would give out so he cautiously made his way out to the hall. 

He was focused on putting one foot in front of the other and had almost reached the end of the hall when he heard rushed footsteps. Looking up, April was already crashing into him. November’s going to yell at her for this. He thought as he fell backwards with April. He only managed to tuck his chin to ensure he didn’t hit his head before impact. Then April landed on him, knocking the wind out of him. She obviously had thought he would have been able to withstand her enthusiastic hug and hadn’t been able to catch herself. April looked shocked as he blinked back the stars from his vision. 

“Glad to see you’ve missed me.” he managed a small smile. April still hadn’t recovered from her shock as she stared open mouthed at him. 

“April!” November growled as he approached. She quickly snapped out of it and scurried off him, giving November an apologetic look.

“I know you said he wasn’t well… but this is a hell of a lot worse than that.”

“I’ll be better in no time.” Hei’s smile spread as he held out a hand so November could help him up. He had gotten used to relying on November a lot more when they had been in London. It still felt wrong most of the time, but that feeling was getting less and less. It was something that November had picked up on, and was enjoying.

“You should have called out.” November mumbled to him.

“Where’s the fun in that?” Hei smirked at November as the other pulled him up. 

“Are you sure you brought Hei back? He sounds like me.”

“Positive. Blame not being able to do much more than comment while in the hospital.” Hei leaned into November. “I need food.” November nodded and Hei let November guide him to the couch. Yin watched him silently from her seat on the floor as she petted Mao. 

“Also the internal commentary has been more external than internal.” November smirked over his shoulder at Hei as he made his way to the kitchen. 

“I really hope that didn’t go back to square one. If it did, there are people I can’t be around.” Hei rolled his eyes and slumped into the couch.  April gave him an ‘oh really’ look but didn’t say anything. “How long was I out this time?” Hei rubbed his temples. Each time he had woken up after a significant use of the Shadow’s powers left him with a bad headache. It could be just a side effect of not using them frequently but it could also be something he’d have to deal with every time the Shadow’s powers were used. Maybe I can test them out later.

“Two days. As of a couple hours ago Misaki said your star still wasn’t back.” November called out from the kitchen. I wonder how much time there is between me waking up and my star reappearing. He probably wouldn’t press trying to figure that out. It would probably involve using the bracelets again and he had no intention of doing that. 

“Is she going to call when it is? Or do I have to worry about her showing up?” He knew that Misaki would have more questions for him now that he was back in Japan. She would also have had lots of time to mull over those questions. He’d like a little more time to be less expressive before he met up with her. Hei glanced around the room again. Someone was missing. Where’s Xing?

“Probably a call. I’ll let Xing know you’re awake.” November pulled out his phone as he was in the kitchen. “She’s at the embassy getting the official tour.” He answered Hei’s question before he could voice it.

Hei nodded, remembering her cover was having spent the last five years in South America and had been transferred to look into the incident at PANDORA and the power shift that was going to happen because Kuei was dead. I hope I don’t have to start using October. Hei frowned.

“Wow, I see what you mean about him being expressive. What awful thing did you just think of?” April blinked at him in surprise as she sat down in the chair across the room from him.

“Damn.” Hei grumbled to himself and slouched into the couch, declining to answer April’s question.

“You really have lost your poker face.” Mao stretched and got up from Yin’s lap and jumped up on the couch next to him. July, who had been at the other end, scooted over and started to pet Mao.

“For now.” Hei sighed. He glanced over at the kitchen, but it appeared November was going to be a bit yet. He looked back at Mao. “How bad have things gotten because of me?”

“As soon as your star started to move, people started to get all up in arms about tracking you down and wondering if you had been taken or kicked out of the UK.” Mao stretched as July continued to pet him. 

“We were right about China getting blamed for extracting you. When your star went out over Wuhai, the demands to hand you over began with Britain asking for your return.” November called from the kitchen. A moment later he appeared with a large bowl. “Things currently are quite  heated. I imagine that it won’t take long before China points the finger at PANDORA. From there things are just going to get more volatile.” November handed him a steaming bowl of lotus root and pork soup. 

“Xing must have insisted.” Hei smirked as he accepted the bowl. It smelled the way he remembered. She must have made this herself.

“She did. Wouldn’t let anyone else in the kitchen while she was making it either. She used ours rather than the one in her flat as we had all the tools.”

“So the plan has gone off without much of a hitch?” Hei muttered in surprise as he took a sip.

“Well, We had to amend how we got you out of the airport, but otherwise yes.” November hesitated in elaborating. 

“I don’t want to know, do I?” Their initial plan had been to sneak him out as part of Xing’s luggage. They had entered the country under the pretense that there was a diplomat on board, which meant they could bypass customs. If that plan had fallen through then November and Xing would have had to have gotten creative.

“Probably not.” November was suppressing a grin. Probably best I don’t ask. I’d just be embarrassed by whatever antics they used. Hei looked over at April. She seemed interested in finding out about how they had gotten Hei out of the airport. Best to drop the subject. Hei let his head flop forward with a sigh. 

 

November reached out to Misaki while he was eating, opting to let her know that Hei was awake rather than have her wait for Astronomics to tell her. He made arrangements for her to pick up Xing and come over in a couple of hours. They would have to act quickly to take advantage of the distraction his star would cause PANDORA. Hei was pleased to discover that he wasn’t put as far back in his recovery as he had been afraid of. The food helped steady his limbs and he could now think clearly. 

They had four targets to take out. November had already decided he was going after Decade. He tried to insist he could handle things on his own, but Hei wouldn’t let him. They would go together, or November would go after Eric Nishijima. April had laughed for several minutes during their debate because of his expression and threats. November had caved when Hei got up to go back to his apartment instead of staying there. She completely lost it when November realised he’d been had. Hei had no intention of following through on his bluff of leaving and Mao was no better than April. Hei had promised to let November fuss after all.

November ensured to get back at him; by forcing Hei to rest in the form of a nap. April and Mao had been surprised when he hadn’t protested. Instead asked November to join him at least until he fell asleep. Hei had really come to enjoy falling asleep and waking up with November over the last week. It was something he had never thought would happen. There were so many things over the last few weeks that he had thought would never happen and yet they did. All of them he was grateful for and all of them wouldn’t have happened without November. 

Misaki arrived with Xing not long after he had woken up from his nap. Xing was bursting with energy still and Misaki looked worn down but she hid it when she saw Hei. instead there was clear relief on her face. Xing bounded over to him without hesitation. November caught Xing as she passed the kitchen about to tackle Hei over the arm of the couch.

“Gently.” he cautioned her. She gave him a smile and a nod before sitting down on the couch next to him. Yin and July were sitting on the floor taking turns petting Mao. Mao looked like he was enjoying it and the warm sun that he was currently basking in.

“Da-ge, did you eat all the soup?” she asked in Mandarin. While she had been practising her Japanese while they had been in London, it was far from conversational.

“I don’t know if it was all of it, but I had a lot. It was delicious.” He was especially pleased that the ginger in it was mellow rather than harsh and that Xing hadn’t added too much spice.  

“Good, you’ve only got a couple of days to be ready.”

“I’ll be fine. It wasn’t as bad of a setback as I was worried about.”

“Well, that could have been what we did. November took off one of the bracelets after we confirmed your star was out and the other came off after we got back to the apartment.”

“I thought the plan was to wait 24 hours?” November hadn’t mentioned that when he had asked about things earlier. 

“We didn’t want to risk that you’d still be asleep when we would need to make a move. I’m glad we did. You only had both on for an hour and the other was off within six hours and even then you slept for two days.”

Hei frowned. The flight would have been less than three hours, why had it taken another three to get him back to the apartment. He was a little curious as to what they had to do. He was grateful that he hadn’t had the bracelets on for the full 24 hours that the Home Secretary had wanted. If six hours with mostly only one bracelet put him out for two days, he didn’t want to think about how long he could have been out had they followed the plan. 

“So, what is the plan?” Misaki asked in Japanese. I’ve got two choices; translate everything for Xing or fill her in afterwards. He sided with the latter as it would be easier on his head.

“Xing, you’re already aware of what we are planning, would you mind if we explained things in Japanese?” Hei asked in English so the others would understand what he was thinking.

“Sure, just let me know about the questions or changes.” She smiled and sat back on the couch. November nodded as well and took charge of the conversation.

“Now that Hei’s star is back, PANDORA will be forced to deal with the investigation about the EPR attack and the potential scandal of being the ones to extract BK-201 from England while attempting to blame the Chinese. This should put strain on the Syndicate mole. We will use this to our advantage. Xing will be able to find out some more about his schedule while she is investigating on behalf of MI6. I’ve been removed from the case, due to conflict of interest as one of the victims is my partner’s father.” November glanced over to Hei. “There are three other targets. I’m going to deal with Decade with Hei’s help. Which leaves the two targets within the Japanese police.”

“Huh?” Misaki had been listening quietly as November spoke but found the new information startling. 

“With the information we gained from Kuei’s computer, we discovered that there are two moles within the Japanese police. One in Section 4 and the other is a high ranking official.” November avoided telling Misaki who the targets were. Probably for the best. She shouldn’t be the one to go after them anyway.

“No, there can’t be one in Section 4.” She looked conflicted and didn’t want to believe what November was telling him. They would need her to believe them. While they had Misaki’s trust, they were talking about her father and superior officer.
“I think if Misaki is going to help, she shouldn’t go after the ones in the police.” Hei hesitantly spoke which surprised Misaki further. She was the type of person who would want to take care of the problem in house and not let someone else deal with it. Only they needed to do just that.

“Why not?” Misaki focused on Hei. 

“You’re too close to both of the targets.” He sighed. “If you go after Nishijima, you’ll have an alibi for anything that happens within the police force. Which will make sure that suspicion doesn’t fall on you. Even then, when dealing with Nishijima, you’ll have plausible deniability on the grounds of searching for me.” She nodded slowly. She wasn’t happy with the result but she understood Hei’s reasoning and agreed with it.

“Who are they?” She finally asked. Hei furrowed his brow and paused. How do you tell someone you are going to kill their parent?

“It might be better if you didn’t know.” November answered while Hei was still thinking. His answer overlapped with April’s.

“Horai Yoshimitsu and Kirihara Naoya.” 

Whatever way you tell someone… that would not be the best way. Hei groaned internally. Misaki’s face fell as she stared at him stunned by the information. She had to lean on the wall for support. November glared at April.

“What she is going to find out one way or another.” April retorted, defending her actions. Hei wasn’t paying attention to the exchanged glares between April and November. He watched as Misaki worked to keep the emotions off of her face. It reminded him of times he had struggled to hide his emotions from November. 

“November, can you get the laptop? I think the information will be easier to process if she can go through the proof.” Hei put an end to the glare battle between November and April. November took it as his victory and nodded before he got Kuei’s laptop. After logging into the computer, he hesitated a moment before he handed it over to Misaki. 

“These are the current Syndicate operatives in Japan, Hei included.” November explained as Misaki looked at the computer.

“Why these four and not any of the others?” Misaki asked as she clicked.

“They’re the ones in charge. While they aren’t in the top tier of Syndicate members, they are the highest here in Japan.” Hei explained.

“And you? Are you still working for your father’s organisation?” Misaki looked up from the computer at Hei. 

“No.” He answered simply. Misaki looked down at the screen again and was silent for several minutes. She sighed and pushed up her glasses, having come to an understanding of why the four of their targets were to be taken out. She handed the laptop back to November, focusing once again on Hei.

“So, do I call you Hei now?”

“You can continue to use ‘Li-kun’ if you want, but Shengshun is acceptable too.” Given what they had been through, it seemed fitting to tell her to drop the honorific and give her permission to use his alias’ first name.

“You can call me Misaki, Shengshun.” Misaki smiled, as she gave him the same permission.

“So you won’t be turning me in?” Hei asked just in case, it was a slim to none chance but he’d rather get confirmation. 

“No. I have you to thank for stopping a second containment area from forming. I think that warrants a pass on previous activities, plus you’ve joined MI6 now correct?” Misaki smiled and chuckled.

“I have.” Hei smiled, “But that’s not public knowledge just yet. I am officially MIA and will remain that way until these four are delt with.”

“So you want my help with Nishijima.”

“We should have Mao and Yin help as well. Huang can help as well.” He didn’t doubt Misaki’s abilities, but he also hadn’t worked directly with her. While Huang had declined being there in person because he didn’t want to give away that he used to be in the Japanese police, he would have a better understanding of her methods.

“I can let Huang know.” Mao stretched his cat body before going over to Misaki and rubbing at her ankles. Misaki flinched and gawked down at Mao.

“I-I didn’t realise he was a contractor too.”

“That’s Mao.”

“And the girl with the silver hair is Yin?”

Hei nodded.

“That leaves Me, Xing and July to take care of the other two. Shouldn’t be too difficult, July you okay with the girls team?” April asked the quiet boy who just nodded. 

“Do you think you’d be okay doing a mission with April and July?” Hei looked over at Xing and spoke in Mandarin.

“It shouldn’t be a problem. Commander Scarlet allowed me to spar with some of the bodyguards after their shift. I was a bit rusty at first, but things came back quickly.” Xing shrugged.

“If you’re okay with the arrangement April, Xing is as well.” Hei switched back to Japanese.

“Perfect. We’ll take em down!” April smiled and took a drink of a flask Hei wasn’t sure she had on her prior to this. If she had, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know where it had come from. April paused when no one else seemed to share her enthusiasm. She hesitated and lowered the flask, seeing Misaki looking nervously down at the ground.

“Oh, sorry.” April remembered too late that one of their targets was Misaki’s father. 

 

*

 

Xing would spend her day at the MI6 headquarters in the embassy getting acquainted with those there and at night she would join them for food before dragging Hei over to her apartment to spar. It had taken Hei two days to recover to the point of being on equal footing with Xing during their spars. Misaki would interact with Nishijima while at PANDORA investigating EPR’s attack. Yin and Mao would track Nishijima while he was away from PANDORA. They had decided it best to strike the three targets on the same night. They wouldn’t be able to increase their security or change their routines this way. November would have preferred to wait another day but Xing felt Hei was ready and he couldn’t argue further.

The drive over to MI6 headquarters was quiet. November was going to confront Decade alone while Hei took out the guards that might come to his aid. Hei closed his eyes, reaching out with the Shadow’s powers to see if there were any unexpected contractors. He kept his left hand on November’s leg as they drove to keep himself from being overwhelmed. He picked up on the quiet pattern of observation spectres travelling along the power lines. He hadn’t noticed them any of the previous times he was focusing on the Shadow’s powers. Maybe I’m getting better at this.   

His range was limited to what he could manage on his own. Without the bracelets he wouldn’t be able to check up on the others. They didn’t need him to be over protective. Their skills were more than enough to take care of their targets. He still felt nervous for Xing, this was her first mission in five years. Their sparring matches were the only reason he had felt comfortable enough to let her join. Not that he would have grounds to stop her. July or Yin were to reach out to him and November should there be issues. Otherwise they would all meet back at the flat by midnight. They would then report back to the Home Secretary, advising the completion of the mission. It would be then that he and Xing would officially become MI6 agents.

November’s warm hand on his, brought Hei back to his surroundings. He opened his eyes and scanned the area. They were a couple of blocks away from their destination. This was where the two of them would part. He had his usual gear and mask, but he was to avoid using his powers unless his life was in danger. It would be difficult to explain why BK-201 was there. It would also have the potential for the scandal that the government had created surrounding him to backfire on them.

“Anything suspicious?”

“No. There is another contractor but they are blocks away. Astronomics doll’s are on patrol but aren’t searching for anyone.”

“Do be careful. I don’t think I could handle it if I lost you again.” November reached out and cupped Hei’s face.

“I promise not to take unnecessary risks. I’ll take care of things quickly so I can join you.”

“Good.” November pulled him in for a kiss. Hei let himself enjoy it, breathing in the November’s sent. 

“I’ll see you soon.” Hei smiled at November before getting out of the car and fading into the shadows. He wanted to look back and watch November drive off but he needed to hurry. He unhooked his wire and made his way via rooftops to the embassy. November and Xing had advised him about the layout. There were four that were supposed to be on standby should anything happen, if he was lucky they would all be together. 

They weren’t contractors, so he wouldn’t be able to sense them. July and Yin were helping other teams and wouldn’t be able to let him know where they were. He had limited information, but he wasn’t going in blind. Xing had noticed a pattern to their patrols while she was getting to know the place. He silently dropped to a crouch as he landed inside the building. November would be arriving soon, he needed to get rid of these guards so he could join November. Working quickly, he made his way along the path Xing had told him of. Twice per hour rounds were done, there weren’t any set times but otherwise all four remained in the same room. 

 

Hei happened upon one of them shortly after they left the room. Hei snuck up behind him and snapped his neck quickly. The three remaining should all be gathered in the room. Hei took a deep breath and positioned himself against the door with a knife ready in one hand. His other knife was ready should he get the opportunity to throw it. He waited another moment, the time in which the other guard would conceivably be returning before he opened the door quickly. 

He threw the knife in his hand as soon as the first of the guards came into view, pulling the other from its sheath and repeating the throw on the next guard. The last guard was shocked but on his feet as the two others slumped to the ground. He closed the distance between them before the last guard could reach for a weapon. He forced the guard’s left arm behind his back as he wrapped his right arm around their neck. Using his body weight he forced the unsteady guard to the ground, tightening his hold around their neck and pinning their right arm beneath his side. The man’s movements became erratic and desperate. Hei wasn’t fond of killing this way. He rathered quick and painless deaths. The man’s flailing slowed to a stop and Hei waited a further two minutes before releasing his hold to ensure he wasn’t trying to pretend then strike when Hei’s guard was down. 

Hei let out a long slow breath and willed the spike of adrenaline down. November would need him soon. He got up and retrieved the body of the first guard, pulling them into the room with the others. He then pulled his knives out and wiped the blood off before replacing them in their sheaths. He was sorry for having to kill these men, but their loyalty was to Decade and not him or November. In the morning Xing was to find out if there were any others who sided with Decade or if they were loyal to the crown. Her job would be more difficult than his, also less violent.

Hei’s eye flicked over to the corner where a blue light came on. That must be the signal. Hei made his way out of the room quickly and opened the door to Decade’s office. The bald man who had introduced himself as Mr. Richards at Komura’s party stared gobsmacked that it was Hei who entered the room and not his men. November flashed Hei a smile over his shoulder before he turned his attention back to Decade. 

“How?” He couldn’t help but ask Hei before focusing on November. “You Knew!” 

The man flinched back as November was suddenly in front of his desk. November picked up Decade’s cup of scotch and activated his powers before flicking the quickly freezing solid liquid towards decade. Ice impaled Decade’s chest in multiple areas. Hei watched as frost spread out from each of the wounds, freezing Decade from each location.

“A bit anticlimactic isn’t it?” November huffed as he watched Decade succumb to his injuries. 

“I prefer jobs like that. The fewer traces I’ve been there, the better.”

“That’s a lonely viewpoint, but I can see why you got your moniker.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t vanish on you. We are long past that.” 

“Good.” November turned towards Hei, closing the distance quickly with a hand reaching for his mask. 

“You can take it off me after we’re out of here. I’ll see you back at the meeting point.” Hei stepped back quickly. November halted when he moved away and pouted at Hei’s words. 

“Fine. Do not keep me waiting.”

With that Hei bolted from the room and out of the building. He needed to race November back to where he was dropped off. There was no way that Hei would make it there as quickly as November in his car, but like November had said, he didn’t intend to have November wait for long. Hei landed on a low roof near November’s car to catch his breath before he dropped down next to November. 

“Shall we?”

November flinched in shock turning quickly towards Hei then smiled as Hei walk towards him. Hei stopped in front of November and waited. November reached out with his left hand, this time Hei didn’t back away as he let November remove his mask. November didn’t stop there, he pulled Hei in with his right and claimed a kiss. 

“You’ve wanted to do that for a while, haven’t you?” Hei smirked.

“Yes.” November breathed out, his grip holding Hei next to him.

“And you’ll be the only one who gets to.” Hei mumbled, knowing the effect it would have on November. He welcomed the second kiss.

“As much as I’d like to take you right now, we need to get back to the flat.” November grumbled.

“You’re right. We don’t want to be the last ones to return.”

 

November had been hoping that they would be the first ones back. Hei snickered at the brief frown on November’s face when he realised that Misaki’s group had beaten them back. 

“It’s done then?” Misaki asked as Hei and November stepped into the living room. 

“Yeah.” Hei could feel Misaki’s gaze focus on him. Her lips were drawn in a tight line as there were conflicting emotions being suppressed on her face. Right, this is the first time she’s seen BK-201 without a mask. Had he still doubted April’s assessment of Misaki’s feelings towards him, her current display would have confirmed it. Has she had the same fantasy as November? He struggled to not chuckle as he realised the two were similar on many fronts. November watched Misaki for a moment before Hei felt November’s hand tug him over to the couch. Hei caught the brief pointed look from November to Misaki that clearly said ‘Mine’. Misaki’s sad frown confirmed she knew that. 

“Yin, any word from July?” Hei asked to diffuse some of the tension in the room.

The doll simply shook her head and continued to pet Mao. Mao was watching them with interest but he clearly had no intention of joining the conversation.

“So, what will happen now?” Misaki asked hesitantly.

“We will report back to London the results. Then Xing and I will become official members of MI6. After that, it will depend on what is needed. I imagine the Asian branch of MI6 will need to be restructured and they will want to keep anyone they know to be loyal in the area. Which would mean that we would be sticking around.”

“I expect that there will be an increase in contractor activity. There will be a power struggle between the Syndicate and other organisations. All of those organisations will be hunting BK-201.” November added.

“The whole world is hunting me. The Syndicate has a slight advantage over other organisations as there are some who know what I look like.” Hei shrugged. He was already notorious as the Black Reaper, but the attention BK-201 was getting right now was more intense than any other time he’d been hunted.

“Will you go into hiding?” Misaki looked concerned.

“No. I’m not running.” Hei looked over at November with a smile. With everything he’d been through to get to this point with November, there was no way he would be leaving him. “I’ll figure out my next steps over the coming days.” 

Misaki’s phone rang out before she could ask her next question. 

“Kirihara.” She answered curtly then listened to what the caller had to say. From where he was, Hei couldn’t hear what information was being relayed to her. 

“I’m on my way.” Was the only other thing she said to them before she closed the phone.

“They’ve found Horai. I’ve got to go.” 

“Stay safe Misaki.” Hei gave her a small smile as she made her way to the door. 

“Don’t let anyone else catch you.” Misaki muttered before she left. Hei heard Mao snort at her comment and Hei sighed. Thankfully April, Xing and July arrived not long after Misaki departed. He was definitely ready for this night to be over. November took pity on him and made the call to The Home Secretary and Commander Scarlet early.

“Scarlet.” He answered quickly after the second ring.

“Good Evening, commander.”
“One moment.” The line went silent for several minutes before he came back. “Continue November 11.”

“We have confirmation on all four targets.”

“Good work to you and your team.” The Home Secretary’s voice answered.

“With the removal of Decade, we will require you to take charge of the office there.” Commander Scarlet’s tone was more of an order than a request.

“With respect sir, I am not much of an office worker. I can manage in the interim, but I would advise finding someone fit for the job.” November sighed but accepted the post. There was silence for a moment before Commander Scarlet replied.

“I’ll issue the notification to the staff there. We will look into a replacement, but I cannot confirm how long it will be.” 

“Understood.” November frowned at the development.

“Are the Kuei twins with you?” The Home Secretary asked.

“Yes Ma’am, you are on speaker.”

“Through cooperation with Interpol and The Hague, due to your heroic actions that saved Japan and restored Brazil, all charges against the two of you will be dropped. We have confirmed the secrecy behind the change, ensuring that neither of you will be singled out as BK-201.” Her voice conveyed pride, but it made Hei nervous. 

“Thank you Ma’am.” Xing answered automatically.

“Most of our activities weren’t under our Kuei names. How were you able to convince them?” Hei voiced some of his concerns. He was also worried about her comment about the security of his and Xing’s information. 

“With the information obtained from Kuei LuanYi’s computer we were able to falsify documents to show them that October and May’s activities were done while undercover and that the end goal was to figure out how to stabilise the gates. May remained in Brazil to do research on the containment area and to figure out what went wrong. While October was forced to remain with the organisation driving the removal of the gates to keep tabs on any progress that was made by them.” She had clearly expected that he or Xing would have more questions.

“So our codenames - both MI6 and the Syndicate, have been revealed to Interpol and The Hague?” Hei asked cautiously. 

“Indeed.”

“So we are to go back to using our original names?” Hei hoped she would say no, but he knew that wasn’t going to be her answer.

“Correct.”

Hei clicked his tongue in frustration. “Understood.”

“Congratulations XianXu and Xing, we look forward to your continued activity in MI6.” Her voice was cheery but Hei didn’t consider it happy news.

 

*

 

The next few weeks passed by in a blur. Xing switched easily to using her original name all the time. Hei felt that it was probably linked to how she had been using it since she had woken up. Those who didn’t know Hei well, would have thought the same for him. Hei struggled not to flinch each time he heard Kuei and XianXu. November, April and Xing all picked up on his dislike for his original name. However, the Japanese staff at MI6 headquarters were told more than once not to. The fourth time Hei had to remind them, they had a brief encounter with his black reaper side. The speed of which he dropped his friendly exchange student persona shocked them into ensuring they didn’t call him Kuei-san again.

The use of his original name was a source of amusement for April. In the beginning she would use it at every opportunity. Xing found her antics endearing. Hei did not. He wasn’t actually angry at her, but she seemed to know better than anyone else how to push his buttons. November suggested mild retaliation to vent some of his frustration. After falling victim to Hei’s initial retaliation, April toned down her teasing. She didn’t want to open another can of beer to get a mouthful of vinegar. Even though it annoyed him, he was glad she used XianXu and not Kuei. 

The world still wanted answers on why the containment area was gone and where BK-201, the contractor responsible, was. PANDORA still shouldered most of the heat for it. After several searches by various UN officials PANDORA was mostly clear of the accusation. Eyes then turned to the country his star was currently over. Japan’s official stance was that they owed BK-201 a debt of gratitude for what happened at Hell’s Gate. They declared that there would be no search for the contractor within their borders. Their stance further eased the heat on PANDORA as it implied the Japanese government knew of BK-201’s whereabouts and was concealing them.

It wasn’t exactly the truth. They did know that Hei was still in the country and that PANDORA never had him thanks to a meeting between Hei, as the Home Secretary’s representative, and the Japanese Prime Minister. At no point during that meeting did Hei let on that he was BK-201. Hei did get the Prime Minister to agree not to pursue any action towards BK-201. Should the contractor wish to make themselves known, they would reach out to the division of the Japanese police in charge of contractor related activity; Section 4.

Huang, Mao and Yin were assigned a new mission with Mao as their main contractor. They were to locate Hei. Hei was fairly certain all of the Syndicate contractors in Japan had been given similar instructions. With the Syndicate’s activities in Asia were in shambles, he wasn’t exactly their top priority. Kuei’s power gap had weakened their position, with the loss of Decade, Superintendent Kirihara, Horai and Nishijima they were struggling to stay on top. They weren’t even able to spare a contractor to replace him on Huang’s team. Mao complained and November said they could always defect to MI6, but then they wouldn’t have an in with the Syndicate anymore. In the end they decided to hold off for the time being.

Hei was cautious when he did venture out of the flat on his own but he didn’t let potential Syndicate threats keep him inside. He took the risk to return to the apartment to pass in his key and let his landlady know he was still alive. He did confirm that he and his partner were living together and that was why he hadn’t been by much. The look she gave him made him slightly uncomfortable but he was glad that he got to say goodbye.

Misaki was handling the death of her father as well as could be expected. She was grateful to them for not revealing his activity with the Syndicate and preserving his reputation. Allowing him to be remembered for his work as a police officer. She was back to work quickly, discovering that she was being eyed for Horai’s spot upon her return. Once again she refused promotion. Opting instead to remain with her current team. With how busy November, April and even Xing had become, Hei had become her primary contact for MI6. She would contact him about contractors active in the area and pick his brain to find out if he knew anything about them. He helped her when he could over the phone or at a cafe when that wasn’t possible. She kept asking for him to come over to Section 4 but he had been delaying until the new head of MI6 was decided upon.

He didn’t find out who was getting the position until Xing let it drop during one of their sparring matches. Xing hadn’t told him that she was interested in the position, so he was shocked when she casually mentioned it. It was a tactical move, as she used his distraction to attempt to pin him to the mat. His five years extra experience was the only thing that kept her from succeeding. The next week she spent taking over from November before she decided to just assign him to November’s team officially and have them be the liaison with Section 4. 

Her decision ended up with him having to have another meeting with the Prime Minister. This time he had to reveal that BK-201 was working for MI6 and would be liaising with Section 4. He stipulated that BK-201 would only work with Kirihara Misaki’s team. This was readily agreed to by the Prime Minister who was desperate for any information about BK-201s identity. Hei couldn’t help but smile when he said his own name to the Prime Minister. It took a moment to register that the person sitting across from him was BK-201. His guards had tensed as soon as he had spoken, so they had made the connection quickly. He excused himself before the poor man had a chance to recover.

Now that the Prime Minister knew it would be harder to keep his identity a secret from the world. Right now England and Japan would back him, but there were people like James who could access secure servers and mine that information. It would only be a matter of time before who BK-201 was would be revealed. November assured him that James was actually working in the background to lay traps for other data miners should they get too close. It wasn’t something either of them had asked him to do, and it was likely him trying to earn brownie points to secure a better reward the next time they had a request for him. 

Hei wasn’t sure how the members of Misaki’s team would take knowing his identity. His alias hadn’t hidden things from his past, but he hadn’t been entirely truthful with them. He’d be starting off with them knowing that he had deceived them. In a job where you had to trust those who you were working with, he’d be starting from negative. November assured him that they wouldn’t hold it against him. When he and April started working with them they had neglected to mention that they were contractors. Misaki’s team had adapted well to that information and didn’t treat them that differently because of it. 

He trusted November more than anyone in the world, but he was still nervous. Given what they knew of him as Li Shengshun, it might take some convincing for them to believe he was BK-201. He fidgeted with the strap of the satchel he had kept his thesis work in and now contained his mask. He was wearing his Black Reaper jacket and not the winter one that November had gotten him. November glanced back at him and gave him a reassuring smile before he opened the door to the room Misaki and her team worked. 

“Good Morning everyone! I thought we’d drop by to introduce the newest addition to the team.” November announced to the room, getting everyone’s attention.

“Oh? It’s official then?” Misaki put down the folder she was looking at as November entered the room.

“It is.” Hei answered as November stepped aside.

“So they are letting Chinese gate scientists into MI6 now?” Kono looked up from his coffee.

“That… was a cover.” Hei mumbled nervously as he stopped next to the large table.

“A cover? How the hell did you manage to convince actual gate scientists that you were one of them?” Kono didn’t seem convinced.

“It wasn’t what my original cover was supposed to be. I stumbled into it when I didn’t have anything else I could bluff through.” He glanced over at November who just smiled back at him. “It was a lot of work.”

“Wow. You had all of them fooled. Everyone we interviewed was convinced you were one of the up and coming gate scientists. More than one even said you were the expert on something called LSR localised resonance.”

“Well… in a way, that is actually true. I’ve been present for each time it’s happened. November tells me I caused the last one, but I don’t remember much.” They all stared at him, unbelieving of what they were hearing. 

“He’s a contractor.” Misaki broke the silence so Hei didn’t have to explain any further. Her team seemed more stunned over that revelation than him being an LSR resonance expert as each of them were staring at her like she had just sprouted a second head.

“So, your name isn’t Li Shengshun? Wait, that guy who died, was he actually your father?” Saitou was the first to recover and eventually asked.Hei shook his head and took a breath. 

“He was. The woman here as my grandmother was actually my grandmother too. My name is Kuei XianXu. I’ve not used that name in ten years and I’m still struggling to respond quickly to it. I don’t respond to the one that MI6 gave me and I’m not about to tell you that one. So it would be best to call me Hei.” Hei shot a look over at November, still slightly unsure of revealing who he was to the rest of Section 4. He took a deep breath letting that information settle before he continued. “Misaki tells me that you guys use Messer codes to track contractors, so you would be more familiar with me as BK-201.”

Silence from the room. 

“All charges have been dropped, both domestically and internationally. He was instrumental in ensuring Japan didn’t suffer the same fate as Brazil.” Misaki tried to get her team to snap out of their stupor but only succeeded in stunning them further. Her revelation that Japan could have ended up like Brazil and that ‘Li-kun’ stopped it and that ‘Li-kun’ was BK-201 seemed to have broken them.

“You’re serious? Li-san is BK-201?” Is eventually the only question asked.

Hei sighed, he had figured that they would need some proof. He reached into his satchel and pulled out his mask. The members of Section 4 watch stunned as he puts it on. With his mask in place he stared at the stunned members of Section 4 and waited. 

“Hei.” November called from beside him. He turned his head to glance at November. His eyebrow twitched as the flash confirmed November had taken a photo. 

“You had promised to let me get one of you in this outfit.” the blonde smirked.

“November…” Hei groaned. “You are lucky I love you.”

“Oh I know, and I love every photo I get of you.” November smirked as he tucked his phone away. 

“I know of two… are there others?” Hei had a bad feeling there were more.

“Yes.” November smirked, confirming Hei’s fear.

“When?” He asked cautiously. When could November have taken other photos of him?

“You were asleep. Very temptingly asleep.” He teased and leaned into Hei.

“Unless you intend to include Misaki in your next encounter, the two of you should tone it down.” April decided to butt in on November’s fun.

“Bw-What??” Misaki sputtered as red tinged her cheeks.

Hei was thankful he still had the mask on. He was certain he had gone very red as well, but the only proof anyone could see were his ears.

“Now April, that is no way to lead into that conversation. You will traumatise the kiddies.” November tutted. He was seemingly unmoved by April’s comment. It seemed like the members of Section 4 had also picked up on April’s innuendo as they were exchanging nervous expressions. Misaki was now fully beet red. Hei wondered if she had thought up some potential situation as a result of April’s comment.

“We should go. This is a lot of information for one day.” Hei managed to find his voice but didn’t remove his mask.

“That and November looks like he wants to eat you alive.” April giggled.

“Ehem. I look forward to working with you.” Hei mumbled turning for the door and taking off his mask. He paused as he slipped his mask into his satchel. Turning to look at Misaki he gave her a genuine smile. “Thank you again for all your help Misaki.” 

There were further stunned looks from her team as Hei used her first name without an honorific. Misaki somehow managed a darker shade of crimson than before as she stammered “Y-Your w-welcome.”

There were still hurdles to come, but for now he was where he wanted to be. He had found Bai and he had November and their family. He had a job for the first time in his life on the right side of the law. He didn’t have to worry about Amber and what she might want to use his powers for, or about his father or grandmother trying to get rid of contractors. The old stars wouldn’t ever come back, but he had managed to keep everyone he loved safe, even Xing. From here on out, he wasn’t alone and that had a warmth spreading through his chest and a smile on his face.

Notes:

Hard to believe this story has come to an end. Thank you to everyone for the support!
I'll be spending some time working on my next project but hopefully it won't be too long before a new November/ Hei story pops up.

There was one point that I don't know if people picked up on. The reason Hei woke up so fast when kidnapped was because of what Shikikoza had been spiking the tea with. The inactive portion of the artificial regressor actually worked to neutralise the drug. This led Shikikoza to choose a different one for when he actually drugged Hei. He needed the effects to be longer and more intense.