Affection

A solid and spacious cottage, isolated from any other civilization by deep woods and rocks, was surrounded by the waking nature. The warm sun beams were quickly melting the morning frost on tree branches, making the ground under them wet and the air damp. Even some birds were already singing cheerfully, hopping between the falling drops, which were sparkling on their way down from the tree tops.

Jin peeked out from the barn, checking on the temperature first, before, satisfied with the result, he went outside and didn´t even bother to button his coat up. He stretched in the sunshine, deeply breathing in the fresh air. He slept for quite long after their adventure in the Cursed Mine, as they arrived to their refuge late in the afternoon, but the other guys hadn´t got up yet either. With the exception of Kazuya of course, as after waking up, Jin had found his sleeping place empty.

He focused his eyes in the direction of the corral for horses, confirming his suspicion– the slim figure was moving among the noble animals, probably grooming them. Jin just stood there watching the younger one from distance for a while, before he set off toward the house.

To his pleasant surprise, the kitchen was already filled with the fragrance of hot coffee, and Leo was sitting at the table with his girlfriend. They were attached to each other so closely that they almost sat on one chair. They were literally giggling over there and that amused Jin a lot – he didn´t expect his younger brother to ever make a sound like that.

"Morning, early birds," he grinned at the couple. "Would you mind if I take some coffee?"

"Help yourself, Jin," Jane smiled in a way, which made her face look so much younger, that he would have never guessed she was older than Leo. "I made enough for everyone."

"I think it´s you who´s unusually early," the Riders´ leader noted, copying his brother´s expression. "So far, only Kame showed up."

"Let them have some rest," Jane looked at him, pleading playfully. "They deserve it. And it´s so quiet around here without them…" she added, snuggling under Leo´s arm.

"You´re definitely right, love," Jin´s brother agreed, caressing her shoulder slowly.

"Uhm, I think I´ll bring one cup to Kame," Jin announced, taking two full mugs from the table.

Those two lovebirds didn´t even seem to notice he left; they were obviously very happy about the fact that they were both all right and together. Jin could imagine they had quite a lovely night. Unlike himself, whose only night´s pleasure was sleeping and knowing that Kame was right next to him.

But that was definitely not enough, he thought gloomily, as he approached the wooden fence.

The younger one was not grooming anymore; Jin saw the brush forgotten at one of the columns. Kame stood with his eyes closed right next to the white mare, with his face pressed against her big head, and his fingers kept running up and down her neck slowly. Ukushi stood there motionlessly, her own eyes half-closed as well. It almost looked like they talked to each other in a way. Kuro was observing them from careful distance and he just nodded his head at his master´s arrival.

Jin didn´t let the other one know about his presence, but Kame seemed to notice it anyway, as he suddenly opened his eyes, looking at him directly, and those eyes were very deep, with dark circles under them. Jin almost sighed, but he suppressed this sign of annoyance and smiled instead.

"Coffee?" he raised one mug.

Kame patted Ukushi for one last time and approached the fence from the other side, taking the warm mug with his hand, stroking Jin´s fingers during the movement.

"Thanks…" the younger one sipped from the liquid and then leant his elbows over the fence, right next to Jin´s ones.

"You didn´t sleep very well, did you?" Jin noted, observing that tired face closely.

Kame avoided his look, before he replied: "I´m fine."

"I didn´t ask about that," he informed the younger one. "Stop doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Blaming yourself."

The brownish eyes finally repaid his sharp look: "I know that I couldn´t predict what would happen, Jin. That cave-in is a consequence I must bear, that´s all," Kame stated, but his forcefully calm voice couldn´t fool Jin so easily.

"You are so not convincing right now, Kazuya."

The younger one frowned. He put the mug aside on the wooden column and clenched the fence firmly: "What do you expect me to say?"

"The truth. You keep thinking that, don´t you?"

"What?!"

"That it was your fault. That you´re responsible for anyone who might have died in that mine."

"And isn´t that the truth?!" the younger one finally snapped, releasing his emotions.

"Try again," Jin reacted; now he was the one being calm.

Kame opened his mouth and then shut it again.

"Anything could happen to any of us," the older one spoke, noticing an opening in that offensive attitude. "You just wanted everybody to get out of there alive. So it happened that people died. Well, I´m sorry but they die every day. You were not the one who chained them and forced to slavery. Stop with this martyrdom or I´ll make you," he stated looking right in Kame´s eyes.

His boyfriend was fighting for a while, returning Jin´s stare, before his shoulders lowered in defeat: "I know you´re right, Jin. I… I just cannot help it."

"Yeah, I can imagine," he murmured, not surprised at all. "Then let´s do something about your over-worked brain."

Kame raised his eyebrows questioningly: "What do you mean?"

"Do you see anyone in the windows?" Jin asked, embodied innocence.

The younger´s eyes glanced toward the cottage behind Jin´s back: "Well, no… But why…?"

Kame didn´t finish his question, as his shirt was suddenly grabbed by a strong hand. He was pulled forward and his mouth locked by the warm and greedy lips. Jin kissed the younger one with urgency which stole his breath.

Pulling away, Jin found Kame looking at him wide-eyed.

"Not enough," he assumed and captured the younger one again, caressing the lower lip first, then the upper one, before he added his tongue to the treatment and forced its way through inside the warm mouth, giving Kame a deep kiss, intentionally releasing his desire, which he usually tried to suppress.

When he eyed the other´s face this time, Jin smiled in satisfaction. Kazuya stood there with his eyes closed, his wet lips partially open, and his expression somewhat dazed.

Jin let his coat go: "Now try to think about stupid things."

The yellow brown eyes opened and the slim hands so far squeezing the fence reached out, closing around Jin´s neck. The older one dropped his mug, which he took to sip on some coffee, to the grass, when this time, Kazuya´s lips pressed against his, repaying the kiss hastily and hungrily, burying fingers into his skin. Jin didn´t need more encouragement to join in it again.

Kame let himself be engulfed in their kissing, eager for that excitement and high feeling which really made him forget about everything else but Jin. It was almost overwhelming to feel how Jin eagerly repaid his action, his lips sucking out anything negative from him and awaking the desire for more…

A not very gentle nudge from the side made Kame tear away from the greedy response of his lover. It was Ukushi, who snorted at him, her big eyes eyeing them both. Jin literally stared at the animal for that disturbance, but Kame already ran his eyes around them, discovering that the other guys had already got up as well and they had just left the barn.

Jin turned in that direction too, his face acquiring an annoyed expression seeing the reason for Kame to retreat.

"Thank you, Jin," a quiet statement made him turn to the younger one again.

Kame was soothing Ukushi now, but he was smiling at him. And the annoyance in Jin´s face literally melted away, when he saw the younger´s shining eyes.

***

Koki raced his horse ahead, ignoring the low twigs, which flicked over his hat from time to time. The Rider´s usually cheerful face was contorted with worries, which were caused by the folded newspapers in his pocket.

I should have gone to that damn mine with them, but no – they had to keep all the fun for themselves, right?

Koki was trying to be sarcastic in his mind, but in fact he was really worried about what exactly happened with the rescue group. Just sitting on his ass in the city, with that uncertainty eating him up, it was unbearable; he could not wait to check on the situation personally.

Finally, just shortly before the sunset, he spotted the lines of their precious cottage amongst the trees and the cheerful voices reached him, coming from the spacious porch. The blonde Rider stopped the perspiring animal just two meters from the building and stared at the gathered company, which welcomed his arrival merrily.

Hastily, Koki counted one individual after another and found everyone except Nick. Everyone, including Cullen and Jack. They all sat there on the available chairs, or on the wooden railing in case of Ryo and the older Akanishi, and the table in the middle served them as a tray for a row of glasses and big bottle of something what was definitely not the water.

"What are you standing there for?" Leo called out from his place at the head of the table, sitting with his back to the wall, which served as a rest to his girlfriend as well.

The blonde one sucked some air inside his lungs, jumped down from the saddle and crossed the space separating him from the porch in a brisk pace.

"You must be kidding me!" Koki exclaimed. "We´re dying of worries down in the town, while you just sit here… drinking!" he eyed the tempting table, trying to cover his envy.

"Why are you so upset, man?" Ryo wondered innocently. "Don´t you see? We´re in full numbers again!"

Esler just kept enjoying the cigarette, comfortably sprawled in the best armchair from the cottage furniture, while Jack, with a darkening bruise on his forehead but still grinning widely, showed two thumbs-up to the fellow Rider.

"Sure, I can see that. It´s great to have you back, guys," Koki suppressed his frustration for a moment, as he waved at the rescued men. "But it´d have been really nice if you had let the rest of us know!"

"We´ve already sent Nick with the message – you had to pass each other," Leo informed him.

Jane stood up from her seat next to the young leader and smiled at Koki comfortingly: "I´ll go to get you a glass, what do you say? You seem thirsty."

"He always is," Ryo noted, and the others joined him in the amused laugh.

"That´s just great," the blonde one grunted. "It´s so nice to make fun of somebody who was worried about you. Knock yourself up."

"Come on, Koki, no need to be so grumpy," his black-haired companion scolded him playfully.

"Maybe I wouldn´t be, but you´ve created quite a fuss… Here, you can read it yourself," Koki threw the newspapers, dated the previous day – the 10th March, on the table.

The wrinkled papers landed in front of Kame, but he didn´t seem to be willing to reach for them, so Jin, sitting right behind him, leant forward and took them instead.

"What does it say then, Koki?" Leo asked calmly, as he started to pour the third round of drinks for everyone.

The blonde Rider pulled the hat off and leant his elbows over the railing: "In a nutshell? That you helped convicted criminals, whose punishment was to work in that mine, to flee and caused an explosion, which took many guards´ lives. That the Black Riders are dangerous bandits and the top priority of the Marshals should be to catch them, preferably dead than alive. Is it sufficient for you as a summary, Chief?" he asked caustically, earning a pretty sharp glare from his leader. "Sorry, but we couldn´t know what happened with you from that article, guys… That reporter made it sound quite dangerous," Koki murmured, defending his attitude.

"It was dangerous, you can bet on that," Patrick assured him; with his best buddy Carl nodding gloomily.

Ryo patted the blonde head: "Be glad you were not with us."

"So, it´s true? Did you blow up that stock of dynamite over there?" Koki asked wide-eyed.

Leo´s eyes turned to silent Kame before he replied: "Yes, it was necessary for us to get out of there."

"Nice," Koki appreciated almost admiringly. "I´d love to see that."

"It also says that they managed to get most of the workers out from the collapsed mine alive," Jin spoke suddenly, making Kame turn his head toward him. The older one was still holding the newspapers, reading the article. "Just a couple of them died, some were injured… And I think they overstated that number of deceased guards quite a lot. I´m sure we didn´t hit so many of them fatally," he grunted.

"This will make us quite a name," Ryo assumed, grabbing one of the prepared drinks for himself and the second for Koki.

"How many?" Leo asked his brother, now more seriously.

"Twenty dead, twelve injured…" Jin announced. "That´s ridiculous! There wasn´t so many of them in the first place!"

"I agree…" Leo nodded.

"Our dear brothers, there were even more of them, you just didn´t notice in your enthusiastic shooting," Ryo informed them.

"Any complaints?" both Akanishis pierced him with their eyes at once.

"Not at all," the Rider assured them hastily, but kept smirking nevertheless. "Both of you, our precise shooters, have my never-ending gratitude."

The rest of the group willingly murmured their agreement, while Jin returned his attention to the newspapers.

"The interesting fact is, that somebody brought the Sheriff from Leadville over there and he ordered a shutdown of the mine," the older Akanishi continued pulling out the information printed on the thin paper.

"Wow, that´s what I call good news," Jack reacted excitedly.

"That´s even a better outcome than I expected," Leo noted with surprise.

"Except that they had also increased the reward on your head," his brother said, putting the newspapers down. "It´s three thousand and five hundred dollars now."

Leo finished pouring the whiskey into the last glass, which Jane just brought, in deep silence.

"Anything about the others?" he asked then, for the moment ignoring the worried looks of everyone.

"Not much it seems," Jin replied. "Nothing apart from what was already known. They think there were at least eight of us and they assumed we got somebody specific out, but with the numbers of all those runaways they have no idea whom."

"Nothing even about me?" Jack asked in astonishment. "I thought that since I worked in that casino…"

"No, nothing," Jin shook his head.

"Good," Leo nodded.

"I wonder what is so good about all that shit they wrote," Esler reacted frowning.

"They didn´t find out your identity despite you two being arrested," his young leader pointed out. "That´s what."

Esler grunted something inaudible.

"And we will drink on that!" Patrick announced, raising his glass. The others followed his example and soon the whiskey disappeared down their throats.

"Good… Very good," Koki stated satisfied. "But hey, I want one more! I have some catching-up to do with you!"

"But don´t do this too quickly, buddy," Ryo reminded him mockingly. "I won´t drag you to bed this time."

In the common noise created by Koki chasing the bottle, which went from hand to hand around the table, Jin leant forward again and gave the newspapers to Kame.

"See? Not everything is as bad as you always think," he murmured quietly, when the younger one took them.

Kame read through the front page just casually, admitting to himself that only now he was quite relieved, when they got to know what really happened after the mine cave-in. He already wanted to put the newspapers away, when one more article attracted his attention. It said that the local woodsmen discovered fourteen dead Sioux Indians in the north of the city; apparently, they were shot to death.

"Hey, what´s up now?" a deep voice asked right next to his ear.

"Nothing," Kame folded the unhappy news and put them aside. "It´s nothing important…"

A similar slaughter kept happening every day in the Wild West; it was nothing what he should be concerned about. But still, it made him feel somehow uneasy. What would such a big group of Sioux do so far from their usual hunting grounds? And according to the article, there were no white people casualties, as if the Indians didn´t even fight back. It was just strange… But he didn´t see the point in bringing out another serious topic.

"I think you should drink more on that nothing of yours," Jin decided. "Leo, pass that bottle to me! We need to toast properly on our successful mission!"

His younger brother didn´t have any objections against that and gave the whiskey to him right in front of Koki´s offended nose. Then the young leader pulled Jane closer with his free hand instead, which soothed the deep worry on the brunette´s face. Even Kame had to smile at Jin´s strict expression with which he placed a full glass in front of him.

The Riders cheerfully clang with their drinks, laughing when Koki ostentatiously didn´t and drank it in one go as the first. Nobody wanted to be serious that evening, just Esler still seemed to be concerned as he eyed the newspapers at the table. He didn´t like that they forgot about the situation they were in so easily.

"Leo… What do you want to do now?" Cullen´s serious tone made the leader turn to the older Rider, though he would obviously rather continue whispering something to his girlfriend´s ear.

The other youngsters stared at the oldest man in their circle quite spitefully for breaking the atmosphere with the heavy question, but Esler ignored them and he kept looking in Leo´s eyes.

"I know we need to discuss what to do next, Cullen," Leo admitted slowly. "But let´s rest for now, we all deserve it and you two need to recover. We´ll have a meeting with everyone later on."

Cullen could not help but notice that their leader was really tired and worried, though he tried to cover it. Many things happened too quickly one after another, but for the moment, they were safe, and he had to admit that a proper time for getting their strength back was important. The bounty hunters wouldn´t go anywhere and neither would Horace Tabor.

"Fine then," he nodded, trying to forget his pessimistic thoughts. "You´re right… Akanishi, it´s my turn, give me that bottle," he turned to the older brother with a high-handed gesture.

After those few drinks they already had, the youngster didn´t even take it any personally and handed over the mentioned liquid to the older man, grinning at him.

"I´m all in for resting as well, guys," Jane noted, watching Esler pouring the drinks this time. "But if we´re going to stay here for a while, we need to do some shopping in the city."

Leo nodded sharply: "All right, we´ll dispatch another rescue group tomorrow, dear. To prevent us from starvation this time."

"Hey," his girlfriend smacked him over the shoulder. "It´s important."

"I know it is, that´s why the rescue group," Leo smiled, obviously getting in the high mood. "I accept all volunteers!"

"I´ve just arrived, so not me," Koki stuck his tongue out, and leant over the table suddenly. "Give that to me already!"

The blonde one started pulling the bottle away from Esler, who held on to it and growled at the younger Rider warningly. But in the end, the older man let it go unexpectedly and the sudden lack of opposite force sent Koki to the ground, as he staggered back a few steps and ended up with his ass on the boards of the porch, causing everybody else to burst out in laughter again.

Kame observed the friends gathered around the table with a small smile. Somehow, it felt really nice to be in their company now. The previous mistrust towards him was forgotten. After their mission in the mine, it was clear that both he and Jin were totally accepted by everyone, even by Esler, who stopped sending his hostile stares after them, and that made Kame feel better than he would have admitted aloud. It was about to be a very cheerful evening for the Riders and their helpers.

Enjoying the warm after-effect of alcohol, Kame leant back, to settle himself more comfortably in the chair and glanced to the side, not surprised when he found the dark eyes there. The smile was playing also at Jin´s lips; the older one´s thoughts were probably very similar to his.

When Jin kept their looks locked, Kazuya forgot about the others a little. There was that shine hidden in them, which always brought shivers into his stomach. It was so incredibly good to be with Jin, no matter the troubles they had to go through; no matter that they were surrounded by unwanted witnesses all the time. For Kame, having that look upon himself, it was worth of even more…

Both youngsters got lost in the other´s eyes for a while, and because of that they failed to notice the curious observation of Jane, who kept watching them from the other side of the table, or the side-way look which Esler paid them, without hostility, but with the hesitation still in them.

Jin enjoyed the carefree atmosphere a lot. Some of the Riders could be very annoying, as Esler with his haughty attitude, or Koki with his unexplainable attachment to Kame, but in overall, he really started to like them. It was a cheerful bunch of guys, who were able to accomplish any stupid ideas and Jin found that quite likeable. He was sure that Yamapi would have fitted among them pretty well, too. But no matter that chatting and drinking with everyone was enjoyable, he was determined to use the first chance to get away from them for a while… And not alone.

Paradoxically, it was thanks to Koki, whose clingy friendliness towards Kame almost always spoiled Jin´s mood. The already very cheerful blonde Rider mentioned that some dinner would not be a bad thing, on which Jane reacted with a wide smile, pointing out that there were two bags of potatoes in the cellar, so that he was free to prepare them for everyone. But Koki insisted that Kame should be the one to cook them, because he could make them the best way. And he was immediately supported by the others, who were part of their trip to Ohio.

Ryo, Koki, and even Leo howled in chorus so pleadingly that Kame almost begged them to stop and stood up from his seat, which was appreciated with the shouts of joy. The younger one shook his head wordlessly and slipped around Jin, touching one of his knees on the way.

Jin watched as Kame crossed the veranda and disappeared inside the house. He felt a great urge to jump up and follow him right away, but he kicked himself to stay still for at least a short moment.

"And you just let him do it alone?" Jane scolded that satisfied bunch frowning. "Very nice of you, really."

"He didn´t complain!" Koki defended.

"Just probably because he doesn´t want to hear your whining," Ryo countered mockingly.

"And you call yourself my friend?" the blonde one pouted. "What about supporting me once in a while?"

"You don´t need it, Goldilocks," his buddy announced grinning.

Jin slipped down from the railing, sooner than anyone else might have thought of really going after Kazuya and poured the whiskey from a new bottle into their glasses.

"I´m going, so you can sit your asses out here," he announced caustically.

"Since when you´re so eager to cook, Brother?" Leo asked curiously, with Jin already leaving. He let the question without reply.

A jingle of one glass to another made Kame raise his head from the potato that he had just started to peel. The older one of Akanishi brothers was standing in the door, leaning over the frame casually, a little overgrown hair framing his face darkened from the drinks and he looked even more handsome than usually.

The stare, which Jin was giving him, was warm but somewhat greedy and Kame´s heart skipped a beat, as he sank in it. He could blame alcohol for his overreaction, but that was only one part of the truth. Kame took a slow shallow breath to tame his pulse and glanced at the drinks in Jin´s hands.

"I think I´ve had enough for one evening," he murmured, but didn´t sound convincing even to his own ears.

"No ranting, Kame, we deserve it," Jin stated relentlessly, moved forward and stood up above him. "Not to mention I came to help you so you cannot turn me down."

Kame sighed a little and put the small knife away. When it came to the stuff like that, Jin could be very persuasive. Not to mention that the whiskey, which Esler provided from his personal supplies, was really a good one. They both gulped the liquid down in one go and Jin headed to the cupboard to grab some plate and knife.

"Can you heat up the stove first, please?" Kame asked him, already peeling again, though he had to focus on it more now, with the alcohol making him feel relaxed, but also influencing his movements.

"Anything for you, Kazu~…" Jin chanted and went to fulfill his wish. Kame eyed his back with the narrowed eyes – Jin seemed to be in a playful mood…

When the older one sat at the table opposite to him, Kame ostentatiously ignored him, peeling the potatoes as if his life depended on it. By the corner of his eye, he noticed that Jin was trying to catch his look, but he resisted. Probably offended, the older one imitated his absorption by work.

The cheerful voices could be heard out on the veranda, but the kitchen turned very quiet, except for the cracks of the wood and the husks falling into the bowls. As if he only wanted to change the position, Kame shifted with his legs and straightened them forward, so that one of them ended up leaning over Jin´s ankle.

The older one stiffened and looked at him again, but Kame just continued peeling, as if nothing unusual happened. Jin smirked, being dragged into the little game.

"It seems they all trust us now, right?" he broached the topic calmly, not moving even by inch, pretending he didn´t feel Kame´s warm closeness at all. "Even Esler."

"Yes," Kame agreed, taking another potato from the big pile. "It was really risky, but I´m glad it all turned out so well. They´re not bad guys."

"You showed yourself in quite a good light over there," the older one stated, not without pride. "You always amaze me with something."

"The same counts for you, Jin… You´ve got a wonderful sight."

"Thanks, I used to train a lot."

"Hmm, I can imagine… What do you think that your brother plans from now on?"

"Hard to say what in specific, but I doubt they will give up on their little war against Tabor."

"And what about us then?"

Jin raised his eyes and this time, he found Kame looking at him.

"What are we going to do?" the younger one repeated the question seriously in a quiet voice.

Jin pondered it for a while, before he replied: "What about we follow the order of my brother and leave this discussion for later, after we´re rested? You doesn´t seem to be very willing to discuss serious stuff right now, anyway."

"What makes you think so?" Kame asked innocently.

"Because you´re flirting with me instead," Jin informed him.

He felt Kame´s leg moving a little, rubbing against his. Probably all those drinks made the younger one skip his usual distant attitude, and Jin was more that satisfied with that effect.

"You think you´re so irresistible, don´t you?" Kame reacted with a strange smile.

"I am," Jin reacted confidently. He grabbed Kame´s wrist above the bowl with the ready potatoes, before he could retreat with it and leant forward. "But you´re even more," he added in a deep voice.

Kazuya didn´t try to release from his grip. Jin saw how his eyes shone in the light of the lantern above them and how his lips parted a little, so attractive and just created to kiss them…

The light steps in the corridor made them flinch and return to the peeling work.

"Oh, my God, you´re really doing it," Jane came inside the kitchen with a wide smile and bottle in her hands. "I´ve never seen any of those super-Riders to be so hard-working," she announced as she poured some more whiskey into their empty glasses.

Jin kept his eyes low on the potatoes, pressing his lips together, as he didn´t trust himself enough to talk without being unpleasant to the brunette, while Kame thanked for them both.

"It´s not such big problem," the younger one assured Jane.

"You´re great, you two," she sighed honestly. "I´ll help you out a little, all right? Koki´s stomach keeps growling so loud it can be heard to the woods."

"Sure, thanks, Jane," Kame nodded smiling, but carefully avoided looking at Jin…

*

With Jane´s help, they were done much faster with the preparations. The brunette left the kitchen then again, leaving the rest of cooking to Kame, who was already picking up the seasonings. Jin stood up from the table as the last one, threw the husks into the trash and washed his hands in the prepared basin properly, glancing toward the stove.

Kame mixed the mountain of clean potatoes in the huge pan with the salt and plenty of herbs, and put it inside the heated-up stove. When he turned around, he almost ended up shoving the older one, so close Jin stood behind him.

"So… You were not seducing me this evening?" Jin asked huskily.

Kame gulped down heavily, noticing that shine again, which felt like burning him.

"Well… Maybe a little…"

"Really? I´ve got a notification for you then – even that little worked."

Quite roughly, Jin pulled the younger one closer for the hem of his shirt and locked his lips before he could utter another word. Kame shivered when Jin´s greedy tongue broke through into his mouth, exploring it eagerly. It cost him quite an effort to tear himself off.

"Jin!" he breathed out. "We…" next words got stuck in Kame´s throat, as he noticed the dark fire in Jin´s eyes.

"What? Did you want to say something?" the older one asked hoarsely, still holding his shirt.

Honestly, Kame couldn´t remember.

"Nothing?" Jin noted. "Good. Because I don´t want to talk right now."

Placing both hands on Kame´s shoulders, the older one pushed him backwards toward the passage to the biggest room of the cottage. It was dark there, the remaining coals in the fireplace were giving out only a little of orange light. They could still hear the others from the outside, but Jin didn´t seem to be bothered with that and he pressed against Kame´s lips again, as soon as they were out of the reach of light.

With his heart beating heavily, and with the senses flying out of the window, Kame wrapped one of his hands around Jin´s neck and the other around his waist, searching for the balance he almost lost, when his knees weakened under the sweet pressure. Kame would love to be kissed like that forever.

They spent days together now, but it was not the same as actually being together. Concealing the true nature of their relationship gradually became more difficult for them both. Even though the older one seemed to be dealing with it well, Kame could feel a hint of desperate urgency in Jin´s kissing, which made him realize he wasn´t the only one missing their mutual contact greatly.

He felt the strong hands tightening around his body, when he gave in to his own desire and sucked on Jin´s lips, as if he never intended to let them go again. Still in a firm embrace, they staggered a little. Kame pulled away and glanced around the room. Then he pushed Jin back uncompromisingly and made him sit in the spacious armchair next to the dying fireplace.

Jin almost started to protest against the younger´s escape from his arms, but Kame followed him right away and ended up sitting in his lap with knees bent over the seat next to Jin´s thighs. In the dim light Kame could see how Jin smiled and circled both arms around his waist again, obviously satisfied with the new position.

Kame caught his breath, when he felt the fingers burying into the cloth of his shirt. He ran with his own into Jin´s hair, leaning closer, but not touching him yet. He felt Jin´s breath on his lips, when the older one approached, but he retreated.

"Stop playing with me…" Jin whispered.

"Why should I? You like it," Kazuya replied, circling a strand of Jin´s hair around his finger.

Jin huffed a little, but then a smirk spread on his lips: "You will regret it. I can play too…"

Kame shifted in his lap teasingly: "I´d love to see that… But," he added quickly. "We need to leave that for some other time."

Jin sighed deeply and kind of annoyed. Then his head lowered, and he breathed in the scent of Kame´s shirt. The younger one embraced him, burying his nose in the pitch-black hair.

"We cannot let this go too far now, Jin," Kame reminded the older one, when he felt the teasing fingers slipping under the cloth of his shirt, where they started creating small circles on his skin. He totally loved that affectionate touch, but he was still aware of the fact they were not alone. "The others…"

"I´m more than well-aware of the others," Jin interrupted him murmuring, not ever stopping moving his fingers. "But we have a couple of minutes at least, don´t we?"

Jin raised his head, looking at him, and Kame felt his throat getting tighter just under that look.

"At least fifteen, before the meal is ready," he agreed hoarsely. "Unless they come to check on us…"

Jin placed one of his hands at Kame´s face to prevent him from moving away.

"They have no reason to…" he whispered and didn´t let the younger one escape from another longing kiss.

*

Leo was really happy to see everyone around him enjoying the drinks and carefree chatting. They got out from just another adventure alive and he couldn´t care less about any rewards or bounty hunters when all his friends were around him. And when the familiar hands squeezed his shoulders gently and started massaging them slowly, he thought it could not have been more perfect.

"Hey! Hey! What about our dinner?" Koki requested from Jane, who seemed to care only for Leo´s comfort.

"If you want to eat them raw, suit yourself," she informed him stiffly.

The blonde Rider sprawled himself in previously Kame´s chair with a groan: "I´m hungry…" he complained, which earned him a smack over head from Ryo.

"Some patience would do no harm to you. Be grateful that the guys even bothered to prepare something."

"I´m sure that Kame-chan wouldn´t let me die from hunger, unlike you," Koki snorted.

Ryo laughed: "Yeah, he´s too nice for that."

"I agree," Jack joined in, not without admiration. "I´d even say he´s awesome. You said it yourself, right? That mostly he and Jin got us out of there."

"They fit in among us well. Don´t you think, Leo?" Ryo´s suddenly sharp eyes focused on their leader.

"Yeah, definitely…" Leo agreed in a serious tone.

"But I´m not sure if they realize it fully."

Everybody looked at Esler, who was still smoking, and suddenly spoke up too.

"What do you mean?" the young leader wondered.

"That at the moment when they accepted those black scarves, they practically became a part of our group, don´t they?" Cullen replied.

Leo repaid his look for a while, and the others waited for his response.

"Would you have anything against it?" he asked then.

To his surprise, Cullen shrugged: "Well, if they continue like this, they will be wanted soon enough themselves."

"That´s true; they can´t deny they´re willingly helping the wanted bandits now," Patrick noted.

"As for me, I´m happy they´re with us," Jack murmured.

"No wonder," Koki chuckled. "I feel the same about it."

"There might be a small problem though," Jane spoke in a quiet voice, checking on the closed door shortly. "I don´t think they really want to join us…"

Leo turned his head to her: "What makes you say so?"

"Don´t know," his lover sighed. "Just the feeling."

"It doesn´t matter if it´s our feeling or not," Cullen spoke again. "Soon, they won´t even have a choice, you know that, Leo. We´re not in the situation we can allow ´outsider-friends´."

"I agree," Ryo joined him a little heavily. "They either leave now or join us permanently. You should talk to them."

Leo frowned: "You all know they helped us out a lot. I don´t want to push them into anything, neither drag them to the other side of the law completely without reason."

"Only recently you told me something else," Esler reminded him harshly.

"I changed my opinion," the young leader replied stiffly.

"Ah, sure, you want to protect your precious brother, right?" the older man figured. "Let me tell you something – he wants to protect you too and won´t leave so easily. So, I suppose you´re kinda stuck in the dead point."

The heavy silence fell onto the porch, which was so different from the cheerful atmosphere before.

"Cullen is right, Leo. We need to solve this soon," Ryo said in the end.

"I will talk with them tomorrow, ok?" Leo grumbled, already very tired. "Jane, please check on them, what´s up with that dinner…"

"Sure," the brunette soothed Leo across his shoulders, before she entered the cottage again.

Jane agreed with Cullen in everything he said, that was not surprising. What she didn´t expect from herself was that she really wanted the two of them to stay. In comparison with how she didn´t trust them on the beginning, as well as Cullen… But it was so good to see Leo with his brother. Jin was his only family, and this side of her lover, when he became so cheerful and competitive; she got to know only now. She liked also Kame, his composure and wits, despite him being so young. And since they really helped them a lot… It was always better to have more people on their side than less.

The brunette entered the kitchen, thinking if she should tell something to them in advance, or leave it to Leo, but the room was empty. Jane looked around in surprise. There was only a nice smell coming from the stove, but nobody at it. And then she caught some whispering voices from the next room.

Jane frowned a little, realizing that it might be them. What reason they had for hiding in the dark, just when they praised them so much? Did they really plot something, as Cullen thought before? Normally, Jane would not spy on her friends, but both the older Akanishi and Kamenashi were still somewhat unknown elements in their group.

She walked across the kitchen on her tiptoes, and reached the dark passage just when the voices died out. At first, she thought they would come out, but when it didn´t happen, Jane carefully glanced over the corner. It took a while before her eyes accustomed to the gloom in the other room and then she finally saw them… As two dark figures in the background of dim orange from the fireplace, in the armchair and…

Jane´s eyes widened, and she retreated so quickly that she hit her head over the wall behind. After a couple of heartbeats, she was sure that they didn´t notice her. Nothing was heard from there except… Except the soft sounds of cloths, as the limbs shifted over each other and the lips…

Damn… Couldn´t she be mistaken thanks to the dark in the room? No, she recognized them even better than she would like to – Jin was sitting in the armchair with Kame in his lap and they were… kissing.

Jane felt her cheeks burning over the scene she was not supposed to witness. So that was it… That was the perfect explanation of their sometimes-so-weird distant behavior or on the other hand, the attempts to end up together alone anytime there was a chance. They didn´t plan anything against the Riders or Leo in secret, they just wanted to be together. Now she knew why that affection between them seemed to be so… strong. They were not only friends.

As quietly as she could, Jane ran from the kitchen and stopped in the corridor, trying to gather her thoughts. It wasn´t like she never heard of man-to-man relationship, it wasn´t even the first time she saw two men kissing each other. On her family´s farm, there was a couple of cowboys, who were kind of weird, as they were never interested in their free days, when they could visit the town nearby with its brothels…

When she pondered it for a while, she was not even surprised. Now everything what she ever considered weird about Jin and Kame made sense to her. Oh, yes, to her, but not to the others… There was no way they would have noticed anything, for that the two played their friends-acts too well. And also… she had no right to tell on them.

Jane sighed deeply, wondering just why everything always had to be more complicated. It was clear they wanted to keep their cover and it was no wonder. Most of the people thought about what they did to be wrong and sick. Even she didn´t know what exactly to think about it now. It was not exactly normal, but the sight of Kame and Jin in each other´s arms didn´t repulse her. It was the same as above the mine, when they hugged. It was as if it was right like that.

There was no point to stir the matter, which was not her business. She decided to keep it for herself for the moment and let the things go their own way. Coming back to the porch, she returned behind her lover´s back.

"They will be here in a minute," she assured everyone, but didn´t dare to look at anyone directly. And she just hoped they really would appear soon, before somebody else, for example hungry Koki would go search for them.