the one who got away↘↘ private1x1

[xo4eva]

a s s a s s i n __✖__v i c t i m

by xo4eva && de-es-ce-ha

[xo4eva]

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Oh how far he had come since his first job. It had been a struggle. There was challenge enough in earning the trust needed to even get the job. He had been punished for failing. He had been given lesser roles, having to prove himself once again. Now this hadn’t been his fault, no, this had been the boy’s fault. He almost had him too.

Son of a drug lord that Ace’s boss wanted to teach a lesson to.

It had been bad. The son had escaped, his father dying after for other causes years after. The assassination wouldn’t be attempted again, not under his boss’s command at least. It was too bad Ace had always been bitter, he held a grudge. He wanted the kid dead and now he had the funds, the reputation, and the skill to do so.

Ace had become an established assassin for a large crime organization involved in international drug running, gun smuggling, murder, anything that would bring in large sums. No one knew Ace’s name, there were no records of him even being born. He was free to chose his own identity, his own story suited to whatever he needed to do.

_____“Aiden Ahde,” A smile was given to older man he was had been speaking to. “I have quite a deal
_____for you to consider.” A black suitcase was set on the wooden table and opened. It was
_____filled with bills.

_____The man seemed generally surprised, skeptical. A raised eyebrow, “What do you want?”


_____“A recommendation,” Ace closed the suitcase. “I’d like to be your client’s new bodyguard.”

It had been that easy. People didn’t hold loyalty to one another, deep down they generally only cared for themselves. Money was the easiest bribe— and when it wasn’t, threats had always worked.

There was a sound coming from his kitchen. Ace quickly rushed to the room turning off the stove. He grabbed a dark red thermos from inside a cupboard then headed to another beside the fridge. He grabbed a peach green tea bag, dropping it inside the thermos before filling it with the boiling water that had been on the stove. Tea was a lot better than coffee.

He set the thermos down, grabbing a black jacket and putting it over the fitted crew neck. He dressed simple, blacks were formal and slim clothes because despite not wanting attention, he liked to look nice. He did look nice, gym, runs everyday. He wasn’t huge, no, he had never been tall but he had been trained. He preferred guns, the mess away from him, but that wasn’t the only way he could kill someone.

Grabbing his keys and the tea he headed to his car— not out of the ordinary, he didn’t need a fast car. He didn’t run, he didn’t get caught. No, never again would he make that mistake. And that mistake that had set him back would soon pay.

But slowly. Oh Ace wanted him to suffer for what he had done to him.

Today was one of the first days he was to accompany the kid— though his target really wasn’t much of a kid anymore— to a business deal. A warehouse the man’s gang had done trades in before. It shouldn’t be a problem. He wasn’t necessarily involved in the business, he was to stand aside and look intimidating along with a few other men. Although Ace— who the kid knew as Aiden Ahde like everyone else in his gang did— had been replacing his last, most trusted bodyguard.

It was hilarious really. Being paid to protect the man he was plotting to ruin. He would enjoy this oh so much. His car was parked at an alleyway nearby, he stayed in his car for a moment finishing the last of his tea before setting the thermos back into the cup holder. It was time to go to work.

With a smile, the black haired male headed in through the back. The deal was just starting.

[shinigamijuni]

His heart raced. Sweaty palms grabbed at the rope that entwined them, but there was nothing he could do. He had to get out. He just knew it. But there was no way. Just no way in hell... He would die today. Teeth gritted together like a wild animal as the boy let out a roar. He was too young for this s**t. He thought Death didn't like little snot-nosed kids like himself. Well, he supposed he should be used to people not liking him by now. The teen was sure there wasn't a single person in the world who didn't have some sort of level of dislike for him. So bring it on, Death, you b*****d. Give it your all.

The lanky body curled up in plain white sheets lay quite still as eyes slowly opened. It wasn't a nightmare, and it certainly wasn't a dream, so why wake up with a start? It was a memory, a very vivid one at that, and the young man whom it belonged to wasn't a stranger to the reoccurring visions. He knew why they would replay over and over again. There were so many unanswered questions, and there still are. Hell, the kid hardly even remembers how he managed to wiggle his way out of the situation. That's why this stupid memory wouldn't leave him alone. Twenty-one years of life and this memory was the only goddamn one that cared to get stuck on loop in the depths of Kain Bradshaw's mind. The strawberry blonde could have been mad about it, but he had far more important things to be pissed about on a daily business. Throwing his arms over his head, the man stretched long and hard until every vertebrae in his back had let out a distinct cracking sound. With a hefty sigh, Kain sat up and groped for a pair of thick-rimmed, black glasses. Pushing them onto his face, he gazed at the far end of his grand bedroom. As if on cue, a single knock echoed through the vast room along with a monotone voice, "Young sir, the limo is waiting."

After spending an appropriate amount of time preparing for the day, Kain slipped into the dark town car. On his schedule was a slew of miscellaneous tasks, like any other day. However, there was one event that warranted the well-tailored black three-piece suit he had bothered to pull over a pressed maroon button-up. Before he even clocked into his top-floor office at the exuberant "Bradshaw&Sons" building at the center of the city, the young Bradshaw was to have his first meeting with one of his more important "clients" as the President of the company, and also the leader of the gang. Bradshaw&Sons had been in Kain's family since his grandfather built the company from the ground up. On paper, they were a simple investment firm, specializing in high-end clients. However, behind walls, they were involved in much more than just that. From the moment Kain was born, it was understood that all this power, all this wealth, and all this responsibility would one day be his. And, boy, was he ready for it. Spoiled would be an understatement if describing the silver-spoon-baby. The haughty teen was lucky he was naturally resourceful and honestly intelligent, or the organization would have fallen to shambles when his father died on his eighteenth birthday. Sure, the executive board of the company had kept his presidency under wraps while Kain was still learning the ropes of his new position. But the hot-headed blonde was more than ready to take the reigns and delved into every aspect of the business as soon as he could, even the more shady bits.

"We've arrived, Mr. Bradshaw," the voice of the driver caused Kain to snap his eyes towards the average man. A frown stretched across his lips. How had he missed the entire car ride? He had been caught-up in those annoying memories again, but he had to be alert. This meeting he was about to waltz into wasn't like any PR bullshit he's done before. This client was major, and held a shaky treaty with Bradshaw&Sons, concerning a more lucrative matter. Kain couldn't taint their relationship. And even worse, he would have to prove himself, since he was sure the man he was going to be sitting across from today had seen him in diapers back when he was still toddling around his father's office. The car door opened and Kain slipped out, stretching once more before straightening his jacket, adjusting his cuff links and following his assistant into the unassuming building, a ripped man dressed in a suit at his side. He was informed one more was coming. Bodyguards: Kain generally ignored them as long as they were doing their job. It did annoy him, however, that so many had been hired for a simple meeting like this. What could go wrong?

The warehouse was mostly useless, save a square table with two chairs in the middle of the vast room. There were a couple crates filling up the empty spaces. Kain knew they were empty, just props to cover up what was really going on here. By the time the table came into view, Kain realized one of the chairs was already occupied. He was late. He was early, but he was late. His client already had the upper hand. Pushing the frames of his glasses up the bring of his nose, Kain sighed and motioned for the others to stay behind. "Ah! Good morning, Kain! My, have you grown~" The old man cooed in a singsong voice. Kain would have loved to barf right in his face, but that just wouldn't have been polite of him. His eyes scanned the room, noticing that the boss was not alone, having brought along several henchmen to stand behind him and look intimidating. Kain was tired of these games.

Pulling out his chair at the opposite side of the table, "And it seems you haven't aged a day, Alphonse." A grimace lingered as the name left his mouth. A shiver ran down his spine. Kain knew there was a big shipment coming in. His company was providing this sleazebag with the cash to bring it all over the border. It was an investment. But maybe Kain should've suggested they meet in like a park or zoo or some s**t like that. As he stared into the dull, wrinkly face of his business partner, he just knew something was churning in that pea-sized brain of his.

"Last I heard, you were still calling me Mr. Royce. I suggest you keep it that way," his voice was gruff and his cloudy eyes narrowed. Kain was sure he had cataracts or something like that. Biting his cheek to keep from retorting, he crossed his arms. "You may still be an ignorant child, but this deal is big money, son. You and your company better not ******** this up,"

A glare nearly pierced through the man's skull as Kain chomped down on his cheek so hard, he almost drew blood. There wasn't any politeness left in Kain for today, especially not for an a*****e like this. "You have nothing to be worried about, you sweaty old pig. The money's schedule to wire this afternoon. So unless you have anything you need to wrap your peanut of a brain around, I'll be taking my leave. It's been charming." Kain stood, pressing both of his palms flat against the table, causing a slam to ring throughout the warehouse. He turned his back with brows furrowed and hands tucked into his pockets.

"Hey! Hey! Listen here you miserable ********! No one walks away from Alphonse Royce!" Kain heard the man loud and clear, but he didn't turn back or even care to give him his full attention, "Calm down, old man. You'll get your money," Kain slurred his speech, half-heartedly. "No! You can't walk away from me! Your father would never do that to me! You got a death wish, kid?" Kain could practically hear the droll rolling from his mouth and dripping onto the table. Up went his middle finger.

The next thing heard was a gunshot and as Kain finally turned his head, a bullet threw back his left shoulder, burrowing itself into his flesh.

ooc: Sorry it's so long. I also had to rush the end, because I didn't want it to be a freaking novel. But please don't feel the need to copy length. Just a little wordy today. o n o Let me know if I need to change anything.

[xo4eva]

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As expected a fight started much sooner than Ace would have liked. He had arrived— without Kain giving any acknowledgement to his entrance. Although unlike the other, bigger bodyguard, Ace didn’t go stand behind the kid. He stayed of to the side, behind a few crates, though the other party really had to be dull to not realize his presence around.

He was going to get himself ice cream after this. He deserved ice cream. Chocolate ice cream and the kid definitely didn’t deserve any!

As the first gun shot was heard, Ace had pulled out his own gun. The other man had a few henchmen and very swiftly Ace targeted the one who shot his kid. Kain was his to kill, not some other a*****e with too much money who couldn’t handle being insulted. The things people kill over— at least Ace had a much better reason to want Kain dead. At least, he thought so.

Assassins had to have fine aim. He had only practiced whenever he could for years.

Although now his little hiding spot had been found. He could only hope the other bodyguard was smart enough to move his now injured boy to another spot. He could hear even more gunshots now, some thuds he could assume were bodies hitting the ground. Gritting his teeth, he moved yet again, not scanning the room for Kain— he was a bad bodyguard, valued his own life more than the kid’s even if he would have preferred the man to stay alive, he had to worry about himself first. He managed to shoot a few more of the other man’s guards and it looked like Kain’s other bodyguard had got a few good shots in as well.

Ace was better, faster, and didn’t waste time before putting a bullet through the old man’s head as well. The other party had more men than them— evident by the fact they had shot everyone but Ace by the time he had finished off their team. There was blood covering the floors, bodies, some still alive and bleeding out. The assassin didn’t care enough to put them out of their misery. That was the fun of shooting someone in the stomach— they died slowly in terrible pain.

Finally as things settled, Ace then looked for his boss. He swiftly ran to the man’s side, the other guard and even the assistant laying in a pool of their own blood on the concrete floor. His kid was bleeding but conscious. It looked to have gone through his shoulder, no fatal injury but still painful. And the process of extracting the bullet and treating the wound would not be done in a hospital. They had to record every gunshot wound and while often times staff could be paid for silence, Ace was trained in this sort of things. Surely Kain would have others as well.

They had to leave right away. Word would get out of this deal gone wrong, about Royce being shot by a handsome bodyguard (right so maybe they’d leave out the handsome part, Ace figured) and Ace didn’t want to be around for the repercussions. Kain could solve this on his own— hopefully without anymore gunfights over stupid little arguments.

“Out,” Ace instructed, grabbing Kain’s arm— the side that hadn’t been shot— he’d lead him to Ace’s car. He wasn’t digging out for keys to the one he had come in and he was much more comfortable with his own. Not to mention it was very unsuspecting. Ace knew better than to draw attention to himself in any situation. “We have to leave now.”

[shinigamijuni]

If you were to assume that up until this point, Kain Bradshaw had an easy life, well you'd be assuming correctly. The third generation of an extremely successful start-up business, and also the son of a ruthless and wealthy man, Kain pretty much had nothing to worry about during his childhood. Ever. Even well into his teen years, everything was at his fingertips. Everything was given to him at a mere mention or snap of his fingers. It would be a perfect lie to say that Kain didn't take full advantage of these privileges. And to top it all off, any statements on his "spoiled" attitude would have led to full denial, as well as an unnecessary, probably one-sided battle to defend Kain's dignity. There were no hardships in Kain's short life. Sure, his mother may have been a plastic money-hoarding bimbo and his father ever-absent, but who didn't have family problems? Kain had himself and the world at his feet. That's all the strawberry blonde ever needed anyway. Family was just a means of living. He never learned anything from them or experienced anything with them. To Kain, it was all smoke and mirrors. An illusion put on for the clients to prove his father might possibly have something called compassion. In fact, Kain was just nine-years-old when he decided that his birth was more of a business tactic than an act of love. Who would take over the business when his father reached his expiration date?

Who would take over the business when Kain reached his? Pain tore through his body, sending the lanky boy into shock. Up until this point, he thought himself a man. But as he lay on the cold concrete, shaking with the symptoms of shock, Kain realized that he still was very much just a scared, weak boy. A scared, weak boy who had just majorly ******** up. Gunshots exploded all around him. He looked straight ahead at a nearby crate, until his view was obstructed by the blown apart head of his assistant crashing into the ground in front of him. This all was going so wrong. And he had to get out. Turning over onto his back, Kain attempted to sit up, but he couldn't even feel his left arm, much less deal with the pain that the simple maneuver caused him. A guttural groan escaped his lips as the gunshots seemed to die out. Was everyone dead?

But then, a shadow dropped over his face, blocking the brightness of the blinding overhead lights. Kain flinched, attempting to move away, but failing. They were going to kill him. He was going to die today. It wasn't until he felt hands around his waist that he realized he was still alive, except now standing upright. Tunnel vision blurred his eyesight, but he was still able to see the black head of hair beside him that belonged to the man who had helped him up. He must have been one of Kain's bodyguards. Thank ******** Jesus Christ for someone doing their job right today. "Out," Kain heard the gruff voice say as he was dragged through the building, away from the sea of blood and bodies that Kain had to lower his eyes to in order to avoid hurling his breakfast from that morning. "We have to leave now!" The light of the sun was the only thing that kept Kain from passing out as the two exited the building.

As his thoughts started to straighten out, Kain figured the man was right. There was no doubt in his mind that someone nearby had heard the gunbrawl and had possibly called the police by now. He had to get a hold of the company and tell them... They had some influence on the police, but this many bodies... ********... [********] Kain emptied the one thought that overtook his mind. Boy had he really ******** up this time. Not only had he botched the deal, but now Royce was probably dead and.... [********] the word was more of a moan now as Kain felt himself being placed in the passenger seat of a small sedan. Now shaded from the sun, his eyes focused on his shaking knees in front of him. Blood ran down his arm, pooling in the upturned palm of his hand. The blonde didn't dare to look at the wound the blood was coming from, knowing it would only cause him to black out. Instead, his eyes followed as the dark-haired man moved around the car and got into the driver's seat. As blood emptied out of his shoulder, he felt his vision fading. Still, he focused on his savior. He didn't look much older than Kain, and he wasn't the usually bulky bodyguard type. And on top of all that, he was as handsome as a model. When the hell did the company start hiring pretty boys to keep high stakes drug deals in check? Did this guy really kill everyone in there? Rolling his head back, Kain felt his mind cloud. [******** everything..." he muttered one more time. This certainly wasn't an ideal start to Kain Bradshaw's day.

[xo4eva]

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Seriously kid? Just let it bleed out all over Ace’s car? Before he could put his keys into the ignition he moved to take off the black jacket he wore and leaned over to press it up against the kid’s shoulder. “Keep pressure on it,” He instructed, he could get a new jacket, he just needed some thick cloth to cover and absorb the bleeding. He needed Kain to calm down and hold the jacket against himself. Of course Ace had taken worse bullet wounds than this but this was a spoiled kid— Ace could bet this was his first time being shot, especially by the sound of it.

He moved to start the car, quickly taking off from the warehouse. Should he bring him to the company building? Would they have first aid? Ace had first aid at his house, antibiotics in case of infection, he could take a bullet out, sew up a wound… And they wouldn’t find Kain there. He could call his contacts in peace, try to fix things or whatever he had to do. Ace wasn’t a problem solver, he was the guy called when you didn’t want to solve the problem but just get rid of it.

The car ride was short— he was careful not to attract attention but speeding through a not-so-direct route seemed like the best option. He wasn’t being followed, they had got out of there before anyone else had arrived. It probably seemed to take much longer to the injured one than Ace however. They had arrived to a more rundown area of a city, what a usual spot for an assassin. He owned his own house even— it wasn’t big, some others on the block were abandoned. There was an alley out back of the houses Ace parked his car in.

Moving to the other side to help Kain, he opened the door, reaching for the man. ”You’re fine, Kain, you’re fine,” The words were more reassuring than his tone. He held the man around his waist, leading him inside through the back of his house. He brought Kain to the couch and he went into his bathroom, grabbing a bottle of pills that were not prescribed to Ace before grabbing a bag with a few different tools and bandages inside. Dropping them by the couch where he had set the kid, he moved to place two of the pills in the man’s hand that hadn’t been covered in blood. “Take these.” Ace was full of instructions today— but this was his job, right? He gave the man a minute before going on.

”This is going to hurt,” He warned, moving his hands up to where the bullet tore through the shirt. He ripped it further to see the wound better. The bleeding had let up, he could just leave the bullet in, it might even be safer— plenty of people lived with injuries similar, but he decided it’d take it out— because he could or, well, just in case is what he'd say if asked. Dipping a clean cloth in some antiseptic, he cleaned the wound the best he could before placing it to the side and going for tweezers next. He placed a hand against the shoulder without the wound to hold the man still. It had certainly been awhile since he had to do something like this and often time it was pulling bullets out of himself rather than another. He didn’t work with other people, he never had. Ace had never considered himself bad with other people, no, he could be charming, he was good looking and that alone worked wonders when it came to getting what he wanted from others without using violence. This was different though— protecting someone, being paid to care if the other lived.

Oh this was going to hurt all right, Ace would make sure of it.

“Ready?” He didn’t wait for an answer.

ooc: kinda moved it along a bit, hope it’s cool

[shinigamijuni]

"Keep pressure on it," Right okay. However much Kain didn't care about this strange man just minutes ago, he had saved the boy's life. Sure it was only a gunshot to his shoulder, you try saying "only a gunshot" to a kid that's barely even been punched before. As far as Kain was concerned, he had already died and come back considering the amount of pain he was in. It was pitiful really, but the young sir would deny ever feeling this way in the future. It would simply add to his tough-guy businessman cred. (That is, if he isn't killed by the Royce Company within the next remainder of his life.) But for now, he took his savior's jacket and pressed it against his wound, which was even more painful. As Kain shifted in his seat, he even thought he felt the metal slug scraping against bone. "Just hurry up," he snapped in a grisly voice, gritting his teeth. He knew that a hospital was out of the question, obviously, but how he wished that was where the two were headed. Who knows what kind of crack-fueled operation the stranger was going to take him to so some meth-head could rip out the bullet and messily stitch up his wound. Leaning back on the headrest as the car accelerated and swerved through pretty empty roads, Kain let out a groan.

As they rolled to a stop, Kain turned his head to glance out the window. They were in an alley, but thankfully the atmosphere of the area didn't scream "crackhouse". Maybe this bodyguard actually did have a reliable medical professional in his contact book. The kid was visibly relieved as his car door was opened and he stumbled to his feet with the help of his bodyguard. The pain was too great. But to keep from screaming out, Kain clenched his jaw and attempted to distract himself with thought. "You're fine, Kain. You're fine," Well that certainly wasn't reassuring. Kain looked over at his companion, studying his face. He'd like to remember the image of his savior, or at least his soon to be killer depending on how these next few hours went. He looked as though he'd been through this before. Kain was sure he had. The young president was too concerned with more important things to be bothered with where his bodyguards came from and how they were hired. Sure Kain had judged him from being too pretty before, but seeing the man wipe out an entire room of armed men and take control of the situation... Well, Kain might have to give his employment manager a bonus. Maybe something extra for this guy too. Lord knows he probably needed it.

The house Kain was basically lifted into was humble, small. But there didn't seem to be anyone around. Just the Bradshaw son and his bodyguard. For a moment, Kain was concerned. Maybe today was his day to die. It wouldn't be the first time someone tried to assassinate the kid from right under the company's nose. But this guy just saved him from certain death. If the bodyguard was truly a double-agent, he would have just let a bullet fly in and out of Kain's skull in the warehouse. There was no way this guy was that much of an idiot to let an opportunity like that pass by...

He was left on the couch as the man disappeared. Was this his home? It was plain and simple. Yeah. The guy definitely needed a bonus. Reappearing moments later, Kain sat in silence trying to control his expression of pain as the man tossed some pills into his hand. Taking them seemed like the worst idea he's ever had, but Kain obeyed with only a frown on his face. This is when he realized what exactly was going on. But before he could react, Kain felt himself pushed up against the back of the couch, the man ripping the hole in his jacket and shirt wider. Kain's heart started beating erratically and he felt color rise to his cheeks. "This is going to hurt," the man said. "Yeah, like it already ******** doesn't!" Kain spat back, glaring at his operator through narrowed eyes and gritted teeth. Though he wanted to throw the man off of him, Kain sat completely still. He wasn't sure if he was stunned, or just drained of all his blood, but the boy couldn't move. A rag was used to clean the entry, but it stung and blood still sprung forth as soon as the blood-soaked thing was removed. The body guard continued. "Ready?" Alright. This was it. If this guy was going to botch the job, or just let Kain bleed out, the blonde needed to know at least something about him, besides the fact that Kain thought he was probably some sissy model looking for some easy cash in the bodyguarding profession. Kain swallowed a lump in his throat, "I'd at least like to know the name of my potential murderer." But the man gave no time for petty insults. Long tweezers dug into Kain's shoulder and he let out an animal cry of pain. It felt like days that the torture went on. Was this guy even being careful? The boy was sure this was actually it. No more jokes, no more cynicism. Kain was going to die today. Black edged his vision as he started to fade in and out of consciousness. He felt warm liquid soak his clothes and pour over his chest. He got one last look at the man's stoic face before he slipped into unconsciousness. This was the man that had killed him, he was sure.


ooc: just fyi, kain is obviously unaware that ace is ACTUALLY trying to kill him. he's just being a little diva is all. sorry it took so long and it's kind of rushed. o n o

[xo4eva]

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What a little brat!

Of course Ace was making this a lot more painful than it had to be. He had glanced up briefly, eyebrow raised when he was asked for his name. It didn’t look like the kid was handling the pain and Ace hadn't offered pain killers yet, oh no, that would be too nice. He had given the man antibiotics for infection. If only Kain wasn’t so sheltered and protected he might have known Ace didn’t actually have to take the bullet out. That many people lived with bullets inside of them. Ace didn’t have any. But he was just counting the days until he’d have a bullet lodged inside of him that would either stay there forever or be the death of him.

”Aiden Adhe.” Ace was unsure Kain heard or if he’d even remember for it wasn’t long until the poor kid had passed out. All right, no more ******** around, Ace pulled the bullet out, setting down both it and the tweezers on his coffee table for now. He didn’t waste time in finding another rag and cleaning up the wound, disinfecting it and stitching it up carefully. This wasn’t his first time doing stitches.

Now he had a bloody mess and an unconscious kid in his living room. He frowned, starting on the cleaning procedures. First the kid— he stripped him of his bloody clothes, tossing them on the floor for now before grabbing a damp towel to clean any of the blood that soaked through his clothes to his skin. His smooth untouched skin. Kain really had never been in trouble, had never been injured so much. Oh how Ace wanted to scar it, damage it, but he had learned patience. There was much more he could do than just cause a little physical pain and get the kid murdered. Besides, he wanted to be the sole cause of death when the time came.

Gently— no sense in doing anything to the kid while he was unconscious— he picked up Kain and carried him into his bedroom. It was a one bedroom house. Ace had more money but he didn’t like to draw too much attention to himself and a bigger house and a nicer car would go against that. He moved to the dresser finding some of his clothes for the boy to wear, Ace was bigger but it was just for now. He even found comfy clothes to slip onto Kain while he was asleep— unconscious. It could be awhile before he woke up. That was fine, Ace left him in the bedroom heading back to the living room to finish cleaning.

With a sigh he grabbed the boy’s clothes along with all the rags and the towel, his couch cover and brought them to the basement where his washer and dryer was. He started laundry, bringing a blanket up to put over his couch after he washed that as well. Kain had bled a lot, part of this was Ace’s fault, he knew this, so he kept his mouth shut and his demeanor calm as he cleaned up his living room.

As he waited for his kid to wake up, Ace had brewed some mint tea. Calming. And found himself a nice French horror flick to watch on his television. Nothing in his house suggested he had money, he didn’t need a lot. He didn’t need to show off. He did get up to burn some incense— orange blossom— and grab yet another bottle of pills from his bathroom. Painkillers because he did not want to hear the boy whine, that would be more so torture for him. He left the bottle next to a cleaned up bullet he had pulled out of the man’s shoulder on the coffee table as he took a seat on the side of the couch that wasn’t just covered in blood. Holding a mug in his hands, he sat back and waited not paying as much attention to the T.V. as it might seem.

ooc: no problems. (:

[shinigamijuni]

The faint feeling of soft sheets slowly etched it's way into Kain's mind as he slowly began regaining his senses. He had never felt more comfortable wrapped in the foreign warmth. He knew he wasn't in his own bed, because the smell wasn't his own. It was far better. Taking a hazy moment to press himself into the sheets, Kain inhaled deeply. It was nice, and Kain wished he had realized that he rather enjoyed sleeping in strange beds before. However, as he rolled onto his side, pain shot up his shoulder and down his spine. A snarl pushed it's way past his teeth as he immediately stopped moving. What the hell? Eyes flew open.

Everything that had happened within the past couple of hours flashed through his mind. The botched meeting, the gunshot, his bodyguard ripping that bullet out of his shoulder. Kain rolled over onto his back and took his hands, pressing them to his face, covering his eyes. He really screwed up big time. The board wasn't going to be happy with him at all, that is, if he made it back to the company before he was assassinated or before the police figured out what happened without being bribed first. He was done for. But for now, all he could do was figure out his next step. Hell, the kid had just survived his first bullet wound, a feat he would have been proud of if it hadn't sucked a lot. Slowly pushing himself up, Kain looked around the simple room. He was right about being in a stranger's room. Pressing his forehead to his knees, he took another whiff of the sheets. Aiden. He said his name was Aiden. Immediately, a flush invaded his cheeks and he snapped his head up. Stupid. Don't be stupid.

Groping for his thick-rimmed glasses on the nightstand, he couldn't find them. Great. God his shoulder hurt, but he had to get up and at least find his glasses. So maybe this Aiden guy didn't kill him, but he still need to at least be able to see if Royce's boys were gonna be the ones who did. He stood slowly, careful not to disturb his shoulder. But as he stepped closer to the mirror he frowned. His hair elastic was gone, causing his long locks to fall soft around his face, hiding his stern jaw and framing his blue eyes. The black under shirt he was wearing was one size too big for him, as well as the athletic shorts he basically had to hold up to keep from falling down. The door to the bedroom was closed, but he knew that his bodyguard was out there, and her wasn't about to walk out there holding up his shorts. Looking around the room, he spotted a pair of jeans lying on the dresser. Kain carefully stepped into them and went to work cuffing them so he didn't trip over the extra fabric extending past his ankles.

With blurred vision, Kain pushed open the door and walked slowly, being in a foreign place and being unable to see anything five feet in front of him, Kain used his hands to trace the walls as he walked along. It was a small home, so it wasn't hard to find his new best friend, Aiden. Kain stood in the doorway, watching the blurry man on the couch watching something on TV. Shifting the long jeans and adjusting the black shirt, Kain took a deep breath, pushed his bangs out of his face and walked over to the couch. As soon as he walked around the couch, he could feel Aiden looking at him. "I took your jeans," he spoke quietly, embarrassed, "And thanks for not killing me," That was all the thanks his bodyguard was going to get. Kain paid him to do his job anyway, which was to make sure Kain didn't die. He did just that. Favoring his injured shoulder, Kain scanned the coffee table. Everything was so clean and Kain had started to wonder how long he had been passed out. Also, if this guy did this regularly. He remembered pretty much bleeding out all over the couch, but it looked spotless. The bullet lay sparkling on the coffee table, next to a bottle of pills. Kain's glasses also sat cleaned and neat nearby. Reaching quickly with his bad arm caused Kain to wince, but he switched arms and grabbed the frames, pushing them behind his ears.

Glancing over at this Aiden character, he raised an eyebrow. Seeing the man for the first time without being in complete pain was refreshing. He'd be sure to remember his face. Reaching down one more time to retrieve the bullet, he held it up, examining it. "This is it?" He kept the bullet in between his fingers as he plopped down next to Aiden. Taking it and pressing it to his forehead, he shivered upon feeling the cold metal. At least it had been his shoulder and not his head. "I really ******** up..." he spoke low. Kain wasn't sure why he was telling this to his bodyguard. He hardly knew the man. He could be "friends" with people for years without exposing his fears and worries like this. Perhaps he felt so comfortable because of the life-saving thing. He was also wearing the man's clothes after all. Honestly, maybe he just needed to talk to someone. But whatever it was, the hostile, grumpy, spoiled child that had been dragged from the gunfight had all but disappeared. Leaning his head back on the couch, Kain let his face fall to the side. He studied Aiden, waiting for a response.

[xo4eva]

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When Kain finally came into the living room Ace had to hold back the amused smile from fully reaching his lips at the sight of the kid in his clothes. He looked like an overnight guest. It was an entertaining thought and lead Ace’s mind to wonder somewhere it hadn’t. The kid… well, he wasn’t really much of a kid no matter how immature he may act sometimes, wasn’t bad looking. Would that be inappropriate of him? Well most likely, Kain was his employer but that didn’t necessarily mean anything considering his long term plans. Besides wasn’t it all the painful to be killed by someone who had gotten that close? And honestly, he didn’t have too many doubts he couldn’t get the kid to swing his way.

For now however he pushed the thoughts aside, watching the other male as he took a seat next to him. Ace moved to place his mug of tea on the coffee table as well before grabbing the remote and muting the movie. It hadn’t even been on loud— didn’t want to disturb the sleeping boy in his room— but he hadn’t been paying too much attention to it anyways. Just something to pass the time. He watched Kain for a moment, hand moving under his chin as he observed the man mess around with the bullet. Yes, that was it. That was the thing that Kain had thought was going to be the death of him. Ace kept his expression neutral although he let himself frown at the man’s final words. Finally he pushed himself off the couch and headed into the kitchen without a word.

Coming back he brought a glass of water and set it next to the pills. They were painkillers, not labeled with Aiden Adhe but still clearly marked what they were. He had taken the antibiotic given so what could it hurt if he took something else Ace was offering. After all, he hadn’t killed him. Along with the kid’s glasses he had put whatever he found in the pockets of his clothes nearby as well. Kain’s clothes were still in the laundry. “If you’d like painkillers, they’re there.” The water obviously for Kain to accompany the pills if he so wished. Ace moved back to the other side of the couch where he had been sitting before and resumed his previous position, although he put an arm behind himself right next to Kain on the back on of the couch to better face the man.

“You did,” He said, raising an eyebrow slightly at the confession. What was Ace expected to say? “Your clothes are being washed, you’re welcome to stay here as long as you need to. No one will find you here.” Ace continued, his tone and expression neutral. Obviously Kain had some cleaning up to do himself and well, whatever driver, assistant he had was dead so either he could call someone else or rely on Ace. It would be smart to ask the bodyguard considering Royce’s boys would most likely be after him.

Ace reached for his own phone in his pocket checking the time. The assassin himself hadn’t realized how long Kain had been out even. It had been hours. He did wonder how much had gotten back to the kid’s company and what they had thought happened to him with no contact from him yet. He placed his phone on coffee table unsure if Kain had his own phone, if it was unharmed from the incident earlier or not. “What’s your next move… sir?” It was clear Ace had trouble with the last word. He wanted to say kid or even Kain but this was his boss, he had to be formal. He paused, looking over Kain. Oh my did he look absolutely lost. Ace could have smiled but he caught himself. There was just something in his eyes, in his tone that didn’t display concern like one should. At least he didn’t look amused.

“I suggest you make a few phone calls.” Clearly Ace had been in this business a long time. No, he wasn’t a model looking to make a easy money— and being a bodyguard to such a bratty target was not exactly easy or safe money either. “I can leave you alone for a moment if you need.” He could go check the laundry although he did like seeing Kain in his clothes. If the man had his glasses earlier he might have seen a hint of an amused smile on his face when he had first come out of the bedroom.

[shinigamijuni]

The blonde watched as his companion got up, seemingly not paying much attention to his words. Kain usually would have protested being ignored like that, but as he twisted his body to yell, a sharp pain shot up his arm into his torso and all he could do was groan and sink back into the couch. It seemed like an eternity until Aiden returned to the room with a glass of water. "If you’d like painkillers, they’re there." Painkillers? He thought he had already taken those when he got there. Had it been that long? Probably not. So what had Aiden given him and what was he trying to give him now. Despite the pain, the boy pushed his hair out of his face with his good arm and simply crossed his arms as the bodyguard returned to his seat and faced Kain. The b*****d was probably trying to drug Kain or something. Well he wouldn't have any of it. He shot a glare at the man as he spoke, "You did." He did what? Oh yeah. That's right. Kain ******** up. Man how was he going to explain this to the board. No doubt he'd have to deal with his father's brother, long-standing vice president of the stupid company. He was an understanding man. But Jesus, everyone was dead including Al Royce. There was no understanding to be had. Frowning to himself, Kain glanced at his bodyguard.

"Your clothes are being washed, you’re welcome to stay here as long as you need to. No one will find you here," the man spoke again. He was doing his job well: being a bodyguard. And he looked like the kind of guy that knew how to properly wash a suit. Kain wasn't worried. If he could rip a bullet out of his shoulder, he could clean up an expensive three-piece suit. Hell, he'd probably have it taken to get professionally cleaned once he was done with this shitfest of a day. Hair fell in his face again. As Ace bent over and placed a cell phone on the table. Good. Kain hadn't brought his because he wasn't an idiot. What kind of fool brought a cell phone to a drug deal. Especially since he hadn't been able to get the company to give him one of those untrackable kinds. His work usually didn't involve high stakes deals like these. In fact, it was a little strange that they even asked him to do this in the first place. Kain literally had nothing to say and neither did Royce. They just exchanged insults and got a bunch of people killed.

The boy was still getting used to being called "sir" though it had been many years since people had started doing so. He didn't mind it usually, but coming from Aiden's mouth as he asked about his next move, it sounded so strained. He didn't like it at all. However, blue eyes fell to the phone he provided. Kain had his uncle's office number memorized, he'd call him right away. But he couldn't do it in front of Aiden. Pressing his lips together, his expression twisted into a slightly annoyed glare. "Yeah you can leave, and you can call me Kain," His voice was scratchy from not speaking for a while, but it was still laced with aggression. Pressing the phone into his palm, he stood and walked over to the light of the kitchen, standing in it like he owned the place, flipping the phone on and dialing the number running through his head.

Just one ring and he was connected, his uncle's secretary spoke in a high-pitched squeal. "Bradshaw&Sons. This is the vice president's office." Kain didn't reply until he was sure Aiden had left. He paced and spoke quickly as soon as he couldn't see Aiden. "Darla, it's Kain. Put my uncle on, quickly." The woman gasped and fumbled, as if she dropped the phone trying to patch Kain through. "Yessir. Right away, sir!" she spoke quickly and the line went dead. The next voice he heard was the cheery, alcohol drenched tone of his uncle. He always regarded the blonde as a son, which Kain always thought was strange, consider he basically stole the position of president out from under him. He was an aging man, but still boisterous and reliable. Like his father, he was a businessman. And just because Kain was family didn't mean he was going to give him an easy time. He tried to think of something to say, but his uncle beat him to it. "Hey sport! Darla told me it was you! How'd the big deal go buddy! You're still alive right?" a pause for him to guffaw allowed Kain to contemplate on how odd it was that he said that. Of course he was alive. These deals didn't always go bad did they? "Spit it out, Kain, they didn't kill Johnson did they?"

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Did they... did they actually know there was going to be a gunfight. "Who?" his voice was wispy and weak.

"Johnson! Your bodyguard! And Keith. Oh dear Lord, please tell me Keith is okay." Keith was the name of Kain's dutiful assistant that was slaughtered in the massacre.

"Hey what the hell is going on?" the boy was starting to get angry. Was this some sort of joke?

His uncle seemed to lighten his tone and take a load off as he grunted into the receiver, "Come on kid, calm down. You had to know this was going. Seriously, who died? They haven't gotten to the scene yet. Police traffic, you know?"

He was talking about it so casually. As if... As if it had been planned. It was as if his uncle knew about the massacre before it even ******** happened. And now he was asking Kain who died. His voice was low and threatening, as he crouched down on his haunches, burying his head in his hands, propping the phone with his good shoulder, "Are you telling me this s**t was planned, Uncle?"

A minute passed, "Well... Well yeah. That Royce guy was a ticking time bomb. We had to get rid of him. Politics worked best if it was his fault."

"SO YOU SENT YOUR PRESIDENT OUT INTO THE ******** FLAMES?!"

Sighing, "Yeah, kid. We knew you'd annoy the everliving s**t out of 'im. He was bound to snap."

Kain stood up an slammed his good fist on the counter, "I could have died you idiot!"

"Well you didn't," it sounded like he was biting into a sandwich.

The boy was fuming, his fists clenched so hard that blood started trickling from his palms do to his nails burrowing into soft flesh. "THEY SHOT ME IN THE SHOULDER!"

The man huffed, "Well you're not dead. And you sound fine. Got that taken care of right, did ya? You're a smart kid. So they really got Johnson? And Keith?" he sounded more concerned about those miscellaneous employees than his own nephew.

"THEY'RE ALL DEAD YOU a*****e!" Kain wanted to throw the phone against the wall and watch it explode into a million pieces.

"Aw ********. You're shitting me. They got Johnson. ********] A muffle yell was heard, as if he had attempted to cover the receiver, "DARLA! SEND JOHNSON'S WIFE A SYMPATHY BOUQUET BY THIS EVENING...... YEAH JOHNSON.... s**t, I KNOW..." Crackling noises were heard, "Anyway, Kain. You make it back safe, alright. Those Royce boys are going to be out for you. It was a great move for us though, politically. Really great job, kid." Kain couldn't believe what he was hearing, he now sat leaned up against a cabinet on the tile floor, his bleeding palms shaking. "Say, President, they didn't get that new guy did they?" He was talking about Aiden. Kain's brow furrowed as he buried his face into his knees. "He saved my goddamn life," Kain mumbled. "What was that? He's good? Well that's a relief. I heard a thing or two about his resume. Kid's a monster apparently. He'll have to replace Johnson, Kain. Keep him close, alright? We'll work on the paperwork later. I gotta get to his lunch meeting, kid." The line went dead.

Kain remained on the floor, the phone next to him on the cold tile. He had almost died that day. And no one cared. "Stupid," he spoke quietly to himself as he rubbed his face with both hands, warding away any signs of tears. He didn't need to cry now, and he wouldn't. If this was his life now, there was no room for being a child. Standing, he washed his bloodied hands in the sink and carefully checked his shoulder to make sure the wound hadn't ruptured from all the stress. It was then that he heard Aiden. Pressing his lips together, he looked up at the bodyguard. His face was obviously flushed, but he still replaced his glasses and saw the man's expression clearly. He was holding Kain's clothes. "Thanks for the phone," he spoke as if his voice was a blunt blade. He was still attempting to keep his emotions down, bottled up in his own throat, but this was business now. No more rolling about in good-smelling sheets or comfy clothes. Kain's life was on the line. "And I'm promoting you to be my full-time bodyguard now that the company says need one," Kain's gaze didn't wavier. And before the man had time to retort, he added, "You saved my life once, so I expect you to do it again. And again. I only deal with the best. Anything less than that is unacceptable." Anything less than the best and Kain would be dead, but he wouldn't say that. He looked up at his companion. A response wasn't really need. If he said no, the company would just make him do it anyway. The bodyguard really didn't have an option here. And neither did Kain.

ooc: longest freakin post ever. the phone call did it. plz don't feel the need to match

[xo4eva]

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The boy hadn’t taken any more pills— he had taken the antibiotics no questions earlier but now he didn’t trust Ace? Fair enough but the kid didn’t know the half of it. Regardless Ace had made it a choice. He wanted to be tough and deal with the pain, that was fine, it sure didn’t hurt the assassin. Well perhaps it would a bit if Kain got whiney or something. That would hurt, Ace didn’t want that. Thankfully he had been told to leave, although he couldn’t help but c**k an eyebrow at the expression and tone he had received. Was this boy always going to be a little b***h and, if so, how the ******** long would Ace be able to handle it? He had just saved the man’s life and Kain was irritated with him and being aggressive? Perhaps it was more so the situation the boy was upset about but if he was going to be the president of this company he sure should learn to better handle his emotions. Ace didn’t let aggression get to him. No, not normally, it took a lot to upset the assassin and even if he did hate and blame a lot of his early misfortunate on this kid, he was calm, collected standing right next to him taking orders.


Maybe that made Ace scary— he didn’t think so. He was just more in control of himself and regardless of what Kain thought, he was certainly in control of their situation. He could kill the kid any moment easily but Ace was a patient man. He was a thoughtful man who had issues holding a grudge (and blaming others for his own mistakes), oh but Ace would never admit to that.

At least he didn’t have to call Kain sir. That had actually been a bit painful.

Although he just gave the boy a nod, returning to a more neutral expression himself before heading into the basement where his laundry was. He wasn’t usually nosy— he could not care less about other people’s lives and conversations usually but this was one he really thought he might enjoy hearing. He had to give the boy time, he didn’t return back upstairs so fast, instead he waited at the bottom of the stairs, listening for what he could. Unfortunately for Kain, it wasn’t a big house and it was an empty house. Ace could hear bits of the conversation.

”… sent your president out into the ******** flames…” That was interesting! What if Ace hadn’t been as good as he let on? Did perhaps the vice president do this because he wanted the company himself? If there was going to be issues with family members and workers within the boy’s company itself that was only going to make Ace’s job harder. They were already close to Kain. Ace was still working on it.

”They’re all dead.” Well except for Kain and Ace! Nothing much he could do with this information. Ace had watched the other bodyguard and even the assistant go down. The other guard wasn’t too bad— got a few shots into some enemies— but he wasn’t as fast as Ace and had more experience looking intimidating than shooting, the assassin could bet on it.

Finally as the noise from the upper layer seemed to disappear, Ace made his way back upstairs to where Kain was. He could have ruined his suit— it would have been funny to Ace at least but he hadn’t. No, he was trying to be impressive, trying to earn the boy’s trust. He gave a little bit of a concerned look when he first laid eyes on the man but expecting Kain to not want sympathy he quickly returned to the same questioning expression he seemed to have given Kain more than once already since knowing him this short time. Kain was a funny kid— spoiled and dumb, sometimes Ace couldn’t believe he was being serious.

Ah, and what had Ace considered just moments earlier when he had thought about how the man he worked for could be such a b***h? And now he was being promoted and he really was going to always be around the other man. He better be able to handle it. He traded his phone back for the man’s clothes. He didn’t think Kain would appreciate the smirk that had been tugging on his lips— because well, he was the best— so he held it back and simply replied, ”I will not disappoint.”

[shinigamijuni]

It had been a few days since the whole incident. But it was like nothing ever happened as far as the company was concerned. Bradshaw&Sons had some men on the inside of the force. The shooting was declared random gang violence, the names of the actual companies involved went unnoticed or "forgotten". Kain remembers flying into his uncle's office, eyes ablaze and teeth gnashing, Aiden following closely behind as his newly appointed personal body guard. No one was going to treat the president of this company like some disposable play-thing. His uncle wrote it off, telling Kain he was acting like a child and offered him a new assistant. The boy threw a couple things, smashed a couple scotch glasses then stormed out. The vice president held Aiden back for a while as Kain simmered in his lavish office on the top floor of the illustrious building (probably taking care of some paperwork, though the man had a bad habit of flapping his gums too much). By the time Aiden returned, Kain had called a car to drive him back to his family's mansion. Getting shot in the shoulder was enough for a sick day. He didn't say goodbye to anyone.

The next couple of days floated by without trouble. Kain was getting used to his new shadow, often forgetting the man was constantly by his side during business hours and ventures. He was quiet for the most part, and that really bugged the blonde kid. It was almost as if he was a dumb sack of skin, and Kain hated stupid people. This new bodyguard of his was physically attractive, and apparently good as his job, already saving the kid's life once, but did he really have to be an idiot? In the days they had been together, not more than a few words were spoken at a time by this gent. At first, the young president could care less. Why should he care? It's just a bodyguard. But something was eating at him, and he couldn't let go of his want to converse with the man. The nagging thought consumed him. And before he knew it, Kain was addressing him directly, something he would have never even thought about doing with other accessory employees.

"Don't you ever sit down?" Kain glanced up over his glasses at the solemn man, standing in the corner of the room. Obviously annoyed, Kain furrowed is eyebrows and lowered his gaze, continuing to frantically scribble signatures onto the stack of papers in front of him. "It's like you're a ******** robot or something," Kain muttered. Perhaps he never noticed this before with other bodyguards, but this whole standing-at-attention thing was seriously driving him nuts. Waving his hand, Kain motioned to one of the many expertly arranged leather arm chairs in the center of his office, meant for high-priority meetings. "Seriously, you're making me nervous," the command was half-heartedly spoken as he continued his work.

In a few short minutes, Kain was expected for a business meeting at a local watering-hole his company owned and ran. It was nothing compared to the Royce meeting. In fact, it actually pertained to company matters and not any of that illegal s**t Kain was sent to deal with every so often. But still, it was the first meeting since the massacre and the boy was less than ready. The entire day his stupid hands had been shaking, and he constantly kept glancing over his shoulder, looking for Aiden's static form, and always finding him there. The boy would never admit it, but the ox-like bodyguard was actually a comfort for him.

Finishing signing the last of the documents before him, Kain stretched after pushing his glasses up on his nose. Running his hands through his unruly hair, he tied back the locks into a loose ponytail and stood. As if on cue, the intercom rang once. "President, the car is ready," Kain didn't answer. He never did, and the receptionist had learned the hard way not to expect a response. So, after a few moments of silence, Kain shoved his shaking hands into his pockets and eyed Aiden. "Let's go," he exited the office, only glancing back once before entering the elevator to see if the bodyguard was behind him.

The meeting was afterhours, and it took some time to get to the bar because of rush hour traffic, but Kain could care less. He had no plans. Glancing over at the silent Aiden, Kain cocked his head, wondering if the man minded working overtime or not. He probably appreciated the pay and it didn't seem like he had a family. A sudden shiver ran down the boy's spine as he thought of the man's empty house, a vision of blood and pain crossing his mind. Tearing his eyes away from the dark-haired male, Kain spent the rest of the ride staring out the window.

The small bar was crowded with the usual business folk looking for a drink before having to face the harsh realities of their home life. Kain wasn't recognized when the two first stepped into the room, which was normal. Though the president of such a prestigious company, his father's face was still the one people associated with the name Bradshaw. The spoiled kid actually rather enjoyed being just another guy in a suit. As he shot a glance to the private room in the back of the bar, Kain saw that the door was still open, indicating that he still had to wait for his partner.

Sighing, Kain looked around, eyes landing on an empty high top table. Without a word to Aiden, Kain perched himself on the vacant chair and nodded his head towards the other across from him, requesting that the man sit for the second time this day. A waitress seamlessly slithered up to the table, "Good evening! And what'll it be for you two?" Kain held up two fingers without expression, "Two Manhattans. Dry." The woman didn't even skip a beat glancing first to Aiden and then to Kain, folding her hands in front of herself, she rocked on her heels and put on her best smile, raising her pitch as if one would to a child, "Alright! I'll just have to see your ID, sweetheart."

If even possible, Kain's expression went even deader as an invisible frown darkened his demeanor. The waitress almost yelped as he wiped out his ID without even breaking their gaze, holding it up for her to see. As if the name pained her to read, the woman immediately bowed, "S-s-so sorry Mr. Bradshaw! I'll g-get those drinks in right away!" And she was gone. Putting his ID away, Kain let the frown etch onto his features as his eyebrow visibly twitched. He knew he had a baby face, but damn to be treated like a kid in his own bar. Looking up across the table at Aiden, Kain crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "Shut up," he growled before Aiden had the chance to tease him about the situation. Pulling a hand through his hair, he let some locks fall in his face. "My client isn't here yet. We'll have to wait. And I'm not drinking by myself." The drinks were delivered in that second by the flustered waitress, which pleased Kain. "So sorry again, sir," Taking the glass in his hand after ignoring her completely, he raised it towards Aiden, "Cheers."

[xo4eva]

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To be completely honest whenever he was addressed by the man Ace wasn’t usually paying attention. While it was true he had to be on alert, sometimes he just let his mind wonder. He’d think about that cute guy at the bakery he went to every other morning to get sweets for breakfast— it was too bad he saw the worker with a handsome redhead before. Sometimes he’d just think about sweets, recipes, or what he was going to make for dinner later on in the day. He liked to bake and cook if only he had more people to bake and cook for! For seeming to be so scary if one were to be able to read Ace’s thoughts as he stood there silently they might think otherwise.

Although when he was asked to sit down, Ace had to resist raising an eyebrow at the man. That was a step more he had to do if someone were to randomly break in and threaten his employer. It didn’t seem like it’d be too much but Ace found himself better alert to his surroundings on his feet. Even if he was thinking about something else entirely if something out of the ordinary or even something slightly different happened than what had been going on currently, he would immediately snap back to reality. It wasn’t often he had to worry since becoming the man’s full time bodyguard— it was mostly an easy job. Look intimidating and people didn’t generally start things. From what Ace understood it was expected that the Royce deal was going to go sour. That was a bit troubling and hopefully Kain took care of things where they wouldn’t send him on a mission that was bound to end up in flames yet again. It would make Ace’s job easier.

At times the assassin did forget what he was doing there. It just felt like another normal job to him with no other intentions floating about. He was used to standing silent, waiting quietly, looking good. He was supposed to be getting close to Kain, figure out what would be the best way to punish him for what he had done to Ace long ago. Perhaps a part of him understood it wasn’t entirely Kain’s fault although taking over his business for him sure sounded appealing to Ace. He would do a better job than the kid and could take care of himself. Although that kind of plan took a lot more effort, careful construction and time. He’d think about it further when he got more inside the boy’s head.

Finally Kain’s car was ready and Ace headed out with him without a word. He hadn’t even spoke when the man requested he sit because ”It's like you're a ******** robot or something.” Silly boy, if Ace was a robot he wouldn’t have made the mistake of letting Kain live in the first place. It didn’t matter now, he followed quietly, glancing at his boss as they sat in the car together. Maybe he should talk more to the boy, it would make getting to know him easier he supposed but he had to be cautious about it. It wasn’t a bodyguard’s place to make conversation with their client. However it seemed like Kain was a bit interested in him. He could credit that to saving his life he bet.

Their destination was a bar and it didn’t seem like the shady little place Ace really needed to watch out for. In fact the bar was owned by the kid’s family— that being said, wasn’t it now owned by the kid? He would still keep watch but letting his guard down a bit was all right. There would be security at the bar who would recognize the boy and keep things under control as well. This wasn’t to say he’d leave Kain’s side, it was still his job, but catching a glance from a cute blonde boy by the bar wasn’t so bad. In fact he gave the boy a smile back as he took a seat across from Kain. He did face his client again when the waitress came up, the small show was a bit amusing but Ace held back the urge to smirk.



“I wasn’t going to say anything,” He replied, taking one glass once they were brought over. He did wonder how Kain held his alcohol, something told him he wouldn’t be able to drink too much at all. Ace had days long ago where he might have drank too much than he should, but now he didn’t usually. Socially. He’d drink when others would now. He still complied to the boy’s ‘cheers’ before drinking what he had been given. Now they had to wait for the damn meeting. Ace didn’t mind staying out late— he was getting paid but as time passed by— rather quietly too, he did grow a bit annoyed. Maybe he wanted to chat up the boy at the bar— who was still there and it was pretty evident he had Ace’s attention when the assassin would look about the bar. Maybe he just wanted to get home and be alone since he spent most his time with a bratty child. Regardless, the wait was a bit longer than Ace expected and he bet longer than Kain expected as well.

Finally someone important looking approached the table. A manager? Perhaps he had some news on this client Kain was supposed to be meeting. Ace didn’t have a clue on what it was even about— wasn’t his job to know. He could suspect it wasn’t concerning something a bit more dangerous since he was the only one accompanying the kid. And well it didn’t seem to matter because the manager had soon told Kain the meeting was canceled. Canceled or well, it seemed more like Kain had been… ditched? Whoever he had been meeting had just decided not to show up at all. Ace could imagine that would not go over well. 



”So we’re going to have more to drink then?” And there was a hint of a smirk on Ace’s expression now. Maybe he was a bit curious as to see what Kain was like when drunk.

[shinigamijuni]

Was it weird to the bodyguard that he was drinking with his boss? Aiden returned his cheers, and drank. Kain wondered. Usually bodyguards were so damn serious. He had learned that his old bodyguard was a drinking buddy of his uncle's, but besides that, Kain literally never spoke to the man. He had an assistant for matters like that. And Kain would talk to his assistant, but he would never ask him out for a drink. He even had to turn down a few... more intimate outings... his dead assistant had proposed to him. An involuntary blush spread across Kain's cheeks as he immediately ducked his head, staring at the perfectly square ice cubes in his drink. The two sat silent like that for a while. It pained Kain, really, and he was growing quite annoyed at this client of his. First of all, it was like him and his damn bodyguard were on some terrible flop of a date, sitting across from each other, but not saying anything at all. Aiden would occasionally scan the bar, eyes lingering on someone for a bit before silently facing Kain again.

Kain almost heaved a sigh of relief when the manager walked up to the two of them. He obviously recognized Kain, though the kid had honestly never seen the man before in his life. After shaking hands, the man proceeded with telling Kain that he had just received a phone call from this client's assistant, explaining that he wouldn't be making it tonight, and to send his apologies and regards. Kain had just been ditched. Gritting his teeth, the blonde thanked the man curtly and nodded as the manager acknowledged Aiden and walked away with Kain and Aiden's empty glasses in hand. Leaning back in his chair, Kain let out a long groan as he laced both of his hands into his long locks. "What a pain!" he moaned as he shut his eyes while pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. ”So we’re going to have more to drink then?” Kain opened his eyes, locking them with Aiden's. A small smirk played on his expression. Was he actually amused by all this? And did he want to drink more? Kain stood up from his seat and glanced back at his bodyguard, a skeptical look on his face. "Just one more. Come on."

Kain moved through the now crowded establishment and found a space big enough for him and Aiden to stand at the bar. The bartender, thankfully, had been informed of Kain's presence, and also shot a look towards Aiden as they approached the full bar. Kain hoped it was that stupid waitress who had to explain how she ******** up. "What'll it be, sirs?" the man asked from across the bar. At this, Kain paused. It had been a while since Kain went out an had a night to himself. In fact, it hadn't been since the massacre. Had he really holed himself up that long? The bullet wound in his shoulder was starting to heal, but it seemed like it was taking longer for his nerves to heal. He would be fine here. Hell, Aiden was basically getting paid to drink along side the kid and keep him safe. Pressing his lips together, he looked up at the bartender who had been sizing up Aiden. "A whiskey on the rocks." Kain let out a sigh as the bartender nodded and moved on to Aiden's order. Go hard or go home, right? He needed this anyway.

"Hey! Aren't you Kain Bradshaw?" Oh god. The whiny voice almost pained as he glanced over his shoulder. "You're the son of that big company, right? I saw you on the internet!" Turning fully, Kain sized this annoyance up. Three girls stood in triangle formation, the one at the top asking all the questions. "So what if I am? Kain responded with a deadpan stare. The girls were taken aback by his response a bit. What? Were they expecting him to be charming, like his prestige suggested? "W-well we were going to invite you to sit with us," the girl timidly motioned to a booth littered with pocketbooks and small jackets. Kain took a few seconds to study them. Too much makeup, too much money, too small dresses, but hell. What harm could it be giving away a few drinks to some girls. There was no need to make a scene in his very own bar. Casting a glance to Aiden, Kain sipped his whiskey and turned back towards the girls, this time a soft (but entirely fake) smile on his lips, "You girls look thirsty," he had meant it in every sense of the word, but the girls didn't seem to catch on as they only smiled back and laced their arms through his, leading the young Bradshaw back to their booth, leaving Aiden at the bar.