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xxxxxxxxxxʃ ɑ с ҡ . || CITY BOY - SURFER BOY ||

“But if I’m quiet, how will I ever learn to fit in with the rich?” Jack asked, the overly sweet tone biting. For each drop of ice in Kaito’s words there was a lick of fire in his. Where the blue haired boy was hiding his honest feelings with flat tones and a cold front, Jack was masking his by throwing out anger and annoyance like live grenades, using their explosions as a smoke screen for anything he wanted to say or show but needed not to. In essence, he was using his lack of control to control himself. By the grace of a friendly god, it seemed to be working. No one would have looked at the boys at the table and seen them as anything but natural enemies. Hell, they should have been enemies. This fake fight made more sense than the kiss they’d shared upstairs, didn’t it?

Screw sense. Jack wasn’t sure how much more of this half acting he could take. He didn’t have Kaito’s background or training or mastery of the more subtle diplomatic arts. He knew how to throw a punch and twist the simple minded into entertaining him and generally be an a**. It was more tiring than he had expected. Or maybe tiring was the wrong word. He was completely full of adrenaline, but instead of being able to completely vent it, the surge of energy in his blood only swirled and gave him a headache. ******** senator. If Kaito wanted the man in a full panic, Jack was going to start pushing him harder, get this over with faster.

“The only reason your ratings rose is they thought all the news around your name meant some kind of scandal,” Jack threw out, making things up as they came to him. It sounded reasonable. He could bullshit with the best of them when it came to straight lies rather than acting. It was a bit different, but it was more comfortable territory for him. “You come to me and make a big deal about how you want to help me, because you want to give back to the community that supported you.” He flashed a grin that would have looked more natural on an approaching shark. “If you can’t hold up a lie you tell one person, how are you going to keep feeding those lines to the thousands of voters out there?”

“No…” Jack drew the word out, mimicking Kaito’s drawl. “You revolve around money. You chase the dollar through so much crap you don’t even know how bad you stink anymore. If the stock market dips, do you cry? Maybe sniffle a little when your investments don’t pan out? I mean, if you didn’t have money to burn the world might end!” He threw up his hands in an overly dramatic gesture and let them fall back onto the table with a heavy thud.

Food was placed in front of him in a way that suggested the waiter was afraid Jack might be rabid which at least brought a smile to the redhead’s face. Amusement flicked in his eyes and he glanced once at Kaito as if to share the joke before squashing the instinct and turning the expression into a hurried sneer. He ate to keep from having to say anything else for a moment longer, but swallowed when the senator mentioned the public. A wicked glint touched his smile. “You know what my favorite part of the interview will be?” he asked, eyeing the senator over the rim of his glass as he raised it and took another sip. “The part where I get to quote the real reason I’m here. News anchors just love false motives”

Oh that look on Hormel's face was priceless. The Senator had been so focused on Kaito, he hadn’t realized how much he shouldn’t have been saying in front of Jack. Jack was a pawn, a bit of the furniture that needed polishing. But Jack had just reminded him that by pulling the redhead into the spotlight, he’d given the boy a position of indirect power.

Aizen saw the doctor and stood up. He asked if he was okay and the doctor simply replied, he's conscious and was wondering where he was. He sighed in great relief patting the doctor's shoulder, running, but walking slowly to his room. He knocked on the door lightly and asked for enterance in the room. Whether or not he was okay with it, he came in anyway.

"Hey are you doing well?" Asked Aizen rather perky, yet with a bit of worry. "I got some snacks..." Aizen held up a bag of chips and sugar-free candy and pulled up a chair next to him.

An artist is a dreamer consenting to dream of the actual world

"You'll never fit in with the rich, your best bet is to remain below our notice. Quiet and useful occasionally."Kaito told him in a tone reserved for idiots and small children. Perfectly matching the drippingly sweet tone coming from his red-haired roommate. To the blue haired artist this was the worst moment of his life, his heart spending the entire time lodged deep in his throat while his stomach clenched enough to make him ill.

The worst part was that the fight flowed so naturally, proving how easily it would be to stand against one another. Other than the fact that all Kaito really wanted to do was find someway of quietly making Senator Hormel vanish and stand guard between Jack and the rest of the world that might want to touch him. He'd never felt protective of anything but his notebooks before, and he was finding it wasn't a pleasant sensation to fight down. Because of this his look was bitingly cold every time it settled on the senator who seemed to be having even more stomach problems than the young heir.

Because he knew it was expected of him Kaito speared his meat and cut it with a precision that was the biggest give away of how carefully he was holding himself. The meat lifted to his lips and chewed without any of the taste registering to him while Jack turned his acidic attention towards the senator. The blue haired male felt a flash of pride as the blue eyes of the heavy set male widened slightly at the sudden attack coming his way. It was a look someone savaged by a rabbit would hold, like he couldn't believe Jack had it in him to make that level of threat.

"Don't be ridiculous Jack, I am more than capable of handling the press." He huffed after a moment of recovering himself. Kaito slipped another bite of meat into his mouth as amethyst orbs turned back towards him and asked him if he cried if the stock market dropped. He meet the gaze coldly and chewed, showing clear disdain in every move he made. It was almost all shattered when the waiter set Jack's food in front of him next and the look in the other male's eye changed for just a second into the Jack he knew. Only the iron hold on his glacial cold kept him from responding to that brief flash of amusement.

The fork was set down as Kaito decided he couldn't eat any more of the meal. The waiter backing away clearly worried as no one seemed to be in a hurry to enjoy their meal. He'd been rather sharply informed of how important it was that the guests were happy. Suddenly the table went as still as death when Jack delivered a statement that literally sucked the air out of the small area. The artists hand freezing on its journey towards the wine glass while Senator Hormel looked as if he was going to have a heart attack right there in his seat.

Kaito felt a swell of emotion that threatened the ice barrier, quickly trying to suppress it before he gave himself away as he turned his arctic cold navy orbs towards Jack who was grinning over the top of his glass and playing a card that neither Kaito nor Hormel had expected. Jerking his attention to where it belonged he turned a look towards Hormel that fully expressed just how much trouble the man was in.

"I'm sure my father will be ecstatic to hear just how well you have the situation in hand. I believe this concludes our meeting. I'm sure you'll hear from one of us again soon."he drawled, pushing against the table and rising to the look of a horrified waiter. Hormel's eyes actually fluttered closed as he touched his chest at the not so subtle threat as Kaito kept himself from looking towards the red-head again as he turned and swept past the poor waiter who looked much like Senator Hormel and left the restaurant with cool, easy steps. His destination the elevator at the end and hopefully a moment to make his stomach behave. He'd never felt this sick to his stomach before. Mostly he blamed Jack, given everything was the red-head's fault in making him feel. Yet he kept part of his attention trained on the sounds of footsteps listening for one distinctive walk.

An artist is a dreamer consenting to dream of the actual world

Hormel staggered out of the restaurant after the too boys and headed straight for the limo waiting out front. He ended up heading straight home and taking tums before drinking enough alcohol to dull the terror. All the while he was unaware that all across California people were watching the local channel and seeing exactly what Kaito and Jack had wanted them to see...and forming opinions on it.

Kaito's head tipped every so slightly as he caught the familiar walk and realized that his roommate was right behind him as he crossed the lobby. He kept his cold front up because people were watching them with expressions that said they were well aware of who Kaito was at least. News of him had traveled through the hotel like wildfire. As the blue haired male stepped into the elevator he turned in time to see Jack slip into the elevator with him.

"That would require me to actually believe your worth the effort of attention."He drawled, turning his empty navy orbs towards the front as the elevator dinged shut. He held himself rigidly stiff as they rode up to their floor. He paid very little attention to the other male in the elevator with him. His glacial front as apparent as ever as he exited and stalked down the hall towards his own room without a further word to his roommate.

An artist is a dreamer consenting to dream of the actual world

Kaito slipped into his room and promptly sagged against the door. His hand rising to his stomach and the uncomfortable knots that twisted in it. His slate blue orbs closed as he concentrated on breathing, reminding himself he was alone and didn't have to sit next to the man he wanted to kill. Slowly his eyes opened and there was a level of darkness in them that probably should have frightened anyone watching. The second his father stopped supporting Hormen...the good senator was going to be having a very fatal accident.

Running a hand back through his slate blue hair he sighed slightly and pulled his tie off, carefully folding it and draping it across the back of his chair before stepping out of his shoes and placing them directly under the hanging silk. A second later he heard the door move slightly and glanced towards it in time to hear Jack's voice with the familiar nickname.

Kaito covered the distance from his front door to their joined rooms and pulled it open to see Jack standing on the other side. His hand lifted, grabbing the red-head's belt-loop and pulled him into a kiss tinged with a touch of desperation, almost an apology as well.

An artist is a dreamer consenting to dream of the actual world

As soon as a hand gently touched his face the knots in his stomach dissolved, allowing the blue haired artist to relax into the other male. He had never before understood how someone could hate to do something. Hate, like love, required emotions and those were something that Kaito was quite convinced he didn't have. Until Jack. He NEVER wanted to do anything like that again, but the logical part of his mind warned him that he would have to. Jack would never be safe, not with him. So he'd have to do things very similar in the future to insure he was safe.

He made no move to stop the second arm looping around his waist and dragging him tighter against the red-head. Shuddering when his head dropped to that spot on his neck. He let his own forehead rest against the other boy's chest taking in the moment to know that no matter what might have just happened at least they'd succeeded. There was no way Hormel was going to walk out of this one. His hands closed convulsively tighter on the belt-loops he was holding as he closed his eyes and tried to sink back into the placid waters of his consciousness. Not the ice, not the danger, but the calm center that simply was what Kaito WAS.

He hadn't thought it was a peaceful place until now, but emotions were too hard to handle. The fear, nausea, relief, and pride were strong and chaotic and left him feeling light-headed. So he relaxed further into Jack's scent, the cigarette clinging too him despite the fact that Kaito hadn't seen him light up in the suit yet. It was just part of Jack, like the deeper musky smell that twined with it. He shivered again when Jack spoke against his neck, the heat of his breath skittering down his spine and drawing a soft exhalation from the young heir.

"More than I needed."He slowly lifted his head to reveal navy orbs that had fallen into the emotionless state that was more normal for him, although the edge of his lip lifted and there might have been something warm in the depths of the slate.

"I still can't believe you pulled out that last line of yours."he drawled, the pride just touching the edges of his voice like the light in the back of his eye. Hard to see but there all the same. He started to step back lightly, to see if Jack would release him. Not because he wanted to necessarily end the contact but he was still struggling with the emotions that rolled through his system and made him almost jittery. Which for Kaito might have manifested in his walking slightly faster or more typically in what he wanted to do...draw.

An artist is a dreamer consenting to dream of the actual world

Kaito's teeth closed over his bottom lip to stop the sound from escaping his lungs when Jack nipped lightly at the bruise just beginning to get truly colorful on his pale skin. That one spot seemed to be hardwired to places best left unthought of at this point and despite the next shiver that spiraled down he wasn't willing to accept THAT part just yet. Little touches he was becoming complacent with, the thought of more made him both nervous and a little excited. It was a strange combination.

His lips lifted slightly higher, nothing close to a real smile but just about as close as Kaito got when he saw the warm glow his words caused in the red head. He didn't know why it was they were able to effect each other the way they did, but he couldn't deny that it was potent. Just the thought he'd made Jack happy with his comment made him want to bring it back any way he had to.

"Oh yes, how could I forget. Humble too."He drawled instead, but there was no bite to his words. It was the same light banter that had started their fall and it was ingrained in his system in only a day or so. That was the scariest part of all. He stepped back easily when Jack released him, walking towards the table near the front where he'd dropped his notebook next to the tie and picked it up easily with a slight questioning tilt of his blue head although nothing touched his expression.

A minute later Jack walked out with medical tape in one hand and a far to smug expression on his face. A single eyebrow vanished behind the slate bangs, only to be joined by a second when he received a purred command to keep his mind out of the gutter. Which naturally worked in reverse. Kaito dropped his arm slightly and used the notepad to help with the fact his brain had jumped into a mental image that had literally shut down his system before hot-wiring it back on with a very obvious problem.

While his roommate rigged the smoke detector Kaito breathed calmly and forced himself back into control. He didn't even mention that it wasn't that hard to manually shut down a smoke detector, as long as you remembered to reset it when leaving. As soon as he was sure he could walk again he followed the other male in, he'd been invited after all, and found him sitting at the window with his lighter and the cigarette with an expression that suggested he was enjoying every second of it.

Drifting towards him, Kaito sank to the floor under the window and flipped open his book, turning to a new page as the cards had been finished. The pencil lifted as he leaned his head slightly to rest against Jack's leg, someone who hated physical touch as much as he did and yet he found himself doing little things just to be nearer. It would take some getting used to, like not being in full control of your own body. Content for the first time since they'd left the school he began sketching the image from the plan, Jack sleeping in his chair, slightly tipped to one side. With each stroke of the pencil he felt a little more in control of himself and the emotions that seemed to be tearing his sanity apart.