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 Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 7:51 pm
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The past twenty four hours were too much for Ilya to really process clearly. The work part, that had made sense. The random attack, being dropped off across town, wandering home in the snowy dead of night, finding an unconscious Sterling, a talking cat, and powering up?
He was still trying to process it.
He’d spent last night in the hospital, thawing himself out. A few simple tests and he was cleared to go, told to rest, take his vitamins, and keep warm.
He did none of those things.
When he’d been cleared, he’d gone to stay with Sterling and Priam.
Sterling, hooked up on wires and machines, Priam, a dead look in his eyes. They’d snuck the Mauvian in--Soleiyu--in one of Priam’s bags.
Ilya had not asked questions; he had sat quietly by the bedside with them. Priam had left for a short while to go speak to the doctors, and in that silence, Soleiyu spoke in greater detail about being a Senshi. The words were nearly lost on Ilya, who could only stare at Sterling’s lifeless face.
When Priam returned, he had assured Ilya it was all right to go home and rest--to get in bed, to stay warm. There was a promise that he would call if anything changed, but he gave Ilya a house key and asked him to make sure the dogs were all right until his brother could get in. He asked him to put a note on the door for Yu, just in case he came back.
And Ilya had. He had gone home and tended to the dogs, left a note, and washed for nearly an hour straight, in nearly scalding water, because he was still cold. And then, instead of resting, he’d gone to work.
He couldn’t help himself. He couldn’t help Sterling. Maybe he could help someone else.
By the time the sun was nearly setting, he was just about to leave the shelter; he’d spent the past few hours with a family, ensuring they would be taken care of until they could get more permanent housing. Things were difficult with the holidays as they were, but they wouldn’t be out on the street in the cold.
He was tired. He wanted to be home in his bed, but he felt guilty when they couldn't be home in one of their own. He hadn’t eaten today. He felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. He’d been in constant contact with Priam, sending texts every half hour or so just to check in.
Priam hadn’t eaten either, and Ilya thought he could do a small favor by picking up some dinner. It was already ordered--more than either could eat, even together, and it was on the way to the hospital.
He said his last goodbye to the family, made sure they had his card, and insisted they call if they needed anything between now and his next check in. He turned to leave, dreading the bitter cold that came with the dwindling hours of sunlight--and froze when he came face to face with Yu.
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 8:01 pm
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 8:07 pm
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"Yu," Ilya said again, "If you're in trouble, let me help."
He didn't know why he said it, he just did. He had no doubt that Yu didn't want help. But this wasn't about him, not really. This was about Sterling, and Priam.
"You're only going to hurt them if you don't."
He needed to tell him about Sterling. But he felt like he could see the tension in Yu, the way he was all wound up and ready to spring. If he said the wrong thing, he had no doubt that Yu would bolt.
"I'm on my way to pick up dinner. I bought extra. Come with me, it'll be warm."
He didn't say that Yu looked hungry. He didn't say that he looked cold.
But he noticed.
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 8:09 pm
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Ilya took a step closer, crossing the distance both to make sure that Yu had less of a chance of escaping--and to make sure they weren't overheard. To some degree, there was a faint trace of relief. It wasn't a full answer, but it was the start of one.
...Even if it meant they were all in danger.
"If I get hurt, it's my own fault, Yu. That's on me. You're not responsible for my well being. I'm asking for an hour of your time. I need to talk to you. If you know something, you need to tell me. Whether you're there or not, something's going on."
There was a lump in his throat, like he wasn't even able to figure out how to tell him that Sterling was in the hospital, not when Yu was already so shaken.
"Please," he said, pride abandoned. He was ready to beg if it meant Yu got in the car with him, if they could talk in private, just drive away. If he could guarantee a few minutes of private conversation so he could work up the nerve to tell him.
"I woke up in a pile of snow forty minutes away from my car in the middle of the night last night. I spent the night at the hospital. If you know that something's going on, I need to know. I'm worried about Sterling and Priam, too. And you."
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 8:14 pm
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Yu sucked in a sharp breath hearing what happened to Ilya. His hand that rested in the bag pocket tightened, the sound of paper crinkling.
His mind spun, too tired to find the traction it needed. He knew whoever was doing it could go places they shouldn’t have access too, and seemed to be able to drug him… or… drain him.
And now, it seemed they had done it to Ilya too, for reasons he didn’t know or understand.
He grasped for ideas that might keep them safe because for all that Ilya said his own safety was his own responsibility if he died…
Even as little as he knew the man, Yu would never be able to forgive himself.
“Grab me…” He said quietly. “Like you’re mad… I don’t know who’s watching, but I … know some of what they can do.” He said and took a step back again like he was giving Ilya a reason to do just what he said. “Mad at what I did to Sterling, to Priam… just… don’t give them a reason to… to…” He couldn’t finish, not here.
“That or tell me where to meet you, It’s not…safe.”
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 8:15 pm
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Ilya looked at him for only a few seconds; he had to be calculating too. They were close to the shelter but not so much so that he had to worry about being seen.
Because he didn't want to be seen doing what he was about to do.
He moved in quickly and knew that he was a good few inches taller than Yu, and that alone gave him a power over him. He gripped the front of Yu's shirt and drew him up, enough to lift him just slightly but not enough to actually hurt. He leaned in close, too close for his own comfort.
"I am going to grab your wrist. I am going to drag you to my car. I am going to push you into the passenger's seat, and I am going to buckle you in. I am going to take your bag and put it in my trunk. If you try to fight me on the way there, or if you need to make it look like you're putting up a fight, I will grab you by the back of your neck and lead me to the car. If I'm hurting you, I want you to say '********'. Use any other word you need to make this convincing, but reserve that word if you need me to stop."
He gripped the shirt tightly and lifted him so just the tips of his toes touched the ground. "If that works, push against my chest. I will drop you and take your wrist. My car is in the parking lot around the corner. Can you do that?" he asked, cool and collected, and as non threatening as he could manage while trying to look intimidating from a distance.
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 8:17 pm
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Yu’s eyes were enormous to be so lifted, normally there was a more immediate and catastrophic follow through to such a move, but that wasn’t Ilya, even now.
He pushed against Ilya’s chest, only half cursing in his head that Ilya had chosen his ‘go-to’ word for his safeword, but if they survived this, they could talk about that later.
“The HELL are you doing!?” He protested more for witnesses than anyone else.
It was as close to ‘let's do this’ as he could get, even if he didn’t want to release his bag. He’d lost his phone… somewhere and that was embarrassing enough.
“Leggo!”
He ...also had the embarrassing realization that he hadn’t showered, he’d been in such a hurry to get away after finding the second note that it was lucky he’d even used the mini mouthwash. Poor Ilya, he was so intent on being clean and now Yu had suggested he grab him while he was like… this.
He half hoped the stupid meat pie he’d made before everything hit the fan had made it to him if only as an apology he hadn’t known he was going to need because he wasn’t sure he’d get the chance again.
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 8:18 pm
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Ilya gave no further response to show discomfort; if the closeness had bothered him, he didn't show it. He dropped Yu like he said he'd would, but grabbed his wrist. It was tight enough to give him the opportunity to pull away, but Ilya's grip was far from enough to bruise or cause real discomfort.
"I've had enough of this," he seethed with false rage, and dragged Yu to his car with. He was not overly dramatic, just functional. He yanked open his car door and pulled Yu's bag from his shoulder before he had the chance to protest. He followed through with precision; he held the bag out of reach as he forcibly buckled Yu in and slammed the door behind him. He threw the bag in the trunk--as gently as he could manage; he didn't know what was inside of it.
He was in the driver's seat of his car in only seconds and turned it on, buckling up quickly.
His expression was dour, but he reached for the hand sanitizer in the cup holder, squirting a copious amount that he slathered on his hands before he touched the steering wheel. "You can help yourself to some if you like. I'm sorry. Are you all right?"
He kept his eyes on the road and did not look at Yu; he didn't want to give the impression of friendliness or compassion if Yu was honestly so afraid of someone seeing them communicating peacefully.
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 8:19 pm
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Yu glanced at Ilya’s hands, red and chapped looking, and winced slightly.
“I’m ok…” he said softly, staring down again at his feet, the well-worn boots having long since saturated with the damp and the snow.
He was so ******** tired, and his head hurt, he paused to rub at his face and tried not to admit that the car was comfortable and warm, instead swiftly tucking his hands under his legs to warm them.
“Should drive…I don’t know how they find me, but they do….” He said ‘they’ because he didn’t know if it was one person or many. Whatever offenses he had done… they knew too much.
He hesitated and then reconsidered, snatching up a bit of the hand sanitizer and rubbing it onto the cut on his neck, which hurt like a brand. He bet that meant it needed it, but he wasn’t sure, he hissed through his teeth and sat on his hands again before glancing out the window ‘sullenly’ he hoped.
“Sorry, I’m gross.” He added
“I’m ok…” He added, remembering that there had been concern about his own welfare too.
“Did it… feel like you had the energy sucked out of you?” He added, unable to resist knowing. He needed to know how close they had come to Ilya, he wished he understood why they had if they had done what he thought.
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 8:20 pm
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Ilya's car, like all of his things, was immaculate. There was a briefcase in the backseat but it smelled fresh and clean. There wasn't a spec of dirt or grime, except for a small handprint on the back passenger's side window--the only indication that despite how clean Ilya kept his things, he did use this car to transport people he was helping.
He didn't look at him but he caught the sounds, the movements, out of the corner of his eye; he turned up the heat in the car and said, "You can move the air vents. Put your hands up to them if they're cold. There's a first aid kit in the glove box if you need it. And a few snacks. I don't have any drinks. If you need to hide from the windows, the seat lays back. I clean my car constantly. A lot of people come in and out. You're fine. You've been on the streets. I'm just glad you're in one piece."
He was pulling out of the parking lot; he was obviously a stickler to the rules and his driving was careful and calculated--used to driving safe to keep himself and the people inside comfortable.
Instructions out of the way he finally answered Yu, "I was at my office. I went out to my car to get my phone charger and someone was there behind me. I don't remember his face. I think he said something. I blacked out. He wasn't there when I woke up. Does that mean anything to you?"
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