Secrecy

With the rumble of massive wheels, just another hackney coach arrived in front of the Clarendon Hotel on Harrison Avenue of always lively Leadville. The cabman stopped it right at the main entrance and rushed down from the trestle to open the small door for an elderly couple in expensive traveling clothes. A young porter didn´t hurry so much, as he left his spot in the pleasant shadow at the door of the hotel lazily, eyeing the pile of suitcases on the roof of the carriage with a quite annoyed expression.

The harnessed stallions were snorting tiredly, while other horses stomped around them, carrying their riders closer to the city center. The old lady kept complaining loudly about the horrible journey from Denver, an errand-boy was obtruding the newest issue of local newspapers to each and every passerby on the opposite side of the street, a woman´s yell could be heard from the nearby saloon, some repairs were going in the Opera House building and unloading of new goods in front of Sandelowsky´s Store completed the whole cacophony.

Even though the window of a certain spacious hotel room on the second floor was properly closed, all these sounds came through inside, making the beautiful young woman frown discontentedly. Elizabeth McCourt, also known as Baby Doe, rolled on her side and ran an open palm over the chest of the man lying next to her with his hands clasped behind his head.

"When can I move to Denver, my love?" she asked moodily, playing with the half-dark, half-grey hair around her lover´s nipples.

"What are you lacking here?" the resting man asked a little tiredly, not even opening his eyes.

"You," Baby pouted. "Most of all. And it´s so noisy all the time…"

The Lieutenant Governor looked at her now: "Wear some ear plugs then, dear," he recommended.

"Oh, darling, you cannot leave me here forever," the blonde continued pleading, while her hand slipped down, to the edge of the blanket and what was covered under it.

"And I won´t," Horace grunted, watching the woman´s face closely. "But I need Augusta to agree to the divorce first."

Baby sat up fiercely, all her yellow curls falling down on the rounded shoulders with the movement, their tips even reaching her full breasts.

"You just keep saying that!" the blonde one burst out. "Make her agree! Give her more money and be done with your annoying wife!"

"We´ve been together for twenty-five years. Not every parting is as easy as yours was, Elizabeth," Baby´s two-time-older lover informed her rather coldly.

Baby gasped and her eyes glittered with tears. She threw the blanket from her legs away and stood up from the sweaty bed sheets. Naked in the whole glory of her body´s shapes, she tapped to the window, and looked out with her full lips twitched.

Horace sighed, noticing the blonde´s expression, which indicated the near-crying state. He didn´t mean to upset her… He came to Leadville to rest, not to evoke more issues.

From time to time, the Lieutenant Governor had enough of dealing with the complaints of mines´ foremen and with the bankers´ lectures about investments. Not to mention an unsuccessful search after that five-time-damned bounty hunter. Even though Sheriff Trent managed to find the bodies of his men in the woods, Ralph Harvey was not among them; just that hot-blooded Duggan. So, he had no idea what the hell went wrong with Akanishi´s capture, whether his gang set him free or Harvey broke the contract. Augusta´s opposition to the suggested divorce was just another item on his list of difficulties, and now he could add his upset lover to it. Nothing seemed to work out well recently.

He straightened up on the bed and put on the best of his nice expressions: "Baby…"

"I´m fed up of waiting for you," she interrupted him, her breasts going up and down with heavy breaths.

Horace suppressed an annoyed reaction. His head tingled from all those repeated complaints, but it made him feel pleased at the same time. His cute Baby couldn´t bear it without him around.

Carefully, as his back ached a little again, he stood up and crossed the room. When he locked his arms around the blonde´s warm body, she stiffened, but didn´t back off.

"Well, you don´t have to wait for me now," he murmured against the skin on her neck, inhaling the sweet scent. Baby squealed when he slipped lower with one hand and found the warm soft spot between her legs. "I don´t want to discuss Augusta right now. Come back to bed."

"Horace… Do you even need me?" the blonde one requested assurance from him, fidgeting under his greedy touch. "You´re so… eager now, but sometimes… It´s like you don´t miss me at all."

"Of course I do," he pressed against her buttocks hungrily. "Just be patient. I will marry you, Elizabeth, you have my word. Nobody will ever… have… more… beautiful… wife."

"All right…" Baby sighed under the kisses with which Horace tracked the line of her neck and shoulder. "I´ll be waiting for you then… Later..."

***

It was two weeks of hunting, fishing, riding through the woods, evening drinking, Jane´s cooking and fun. The spring reached its warmer half, with the weather getting nicer, both Jack and Nick recovered from their wounds completely, and the whole gang had more than enough rest, which they all needed so much.

There was only one matter, which spoiled the mood a little. Well, it spoiled Jin´s mood most of all… Right after the first private night, they had to solve the sleeping arrangement again, because suddenly the cottage was too hot for Koki to sleep in. The blonde youngster wanted to return to the barn, while Ryo insisted on staying inside. Which meant Jin and Kame could either stay with the annoying Rider, or one of them would move into the living room. Since none of them was willing to leave the other in Koki´s company alone, though from different unspoken reasons, the three of them got stuck in the barn together. And from time to time, they were even joined by Jack, who used to run from the bedroom because of Cullen´s unbearable snoring.

As expected consequence, Jin kept walking around with the dark clouds almost visible above his head, until Kame managed to take him aside and very convincingly assured him they could find some different place and time to be alone. But naturally, it was a difficult task with other seven people around.

Otherwise, all of them had a great time. Unfortunately, it was too good to last forever…

It was Nick, who offered to ride to Denver in advance and check on the current situation with Tabor, before they would move on. But he returned a way too soon, bringing not very positive news. Apart from the information that Tabor was temporarily accommodated in his mansion in Leadville, based on which they would have to alter their plans; there was also the newspapers full of dark headlines. And that meant the end of their peaceful vacation.

Except Jin and Kame, who hadn´t come back from fishing yet, Leo called everyone else to the veranda, as soon as Nick tied the horse to the pillar. And now they all sat there, horribly silent, looking at the sole woman in their gang with pity and worries.

*

Jane stared at the depressing list of recent victims with guilt eating her up, despite knowing that hardly anything would have changed, even if she had stayed home back then. They could fight against the adverse weather, tough living conditions or greedy Governors, but there was no way to beat the deadly illness. There was not much the doctors could do against influenza in those days.

It was not her fault, but she still felt guilty for not being there for her family. The names of her grandmother and her younger sister were on that list… Jane did her best to suppress the tears, which threatened to push their way out. She had to close her eyes for a while, but it didn´t chase that article away. Sixteen days of peace they had, before another strike came down falling upon them again.

"Jane?" the warm, firm fingers soothed her hand gently. "I´m really sorry…"

The brunette took a deep breath. She was glad that Leo was there, on her side, but at the moment, she needed to be alone. She didn´t want them to see her like that.

Jane pushed the newspapers away, as if it was poisoned and got up, avoiding looking at anyone: "I´ll be fine… I just… I need a minute," she couldn´t prevent her voice from shaking, feeling the worried look of her lover upon herself.

*

Leo wanted to go after the brunette, who disappeared inside the cottage hastily, but surprisingly Jack overtook him, with one hand on the leader´s elbow, the other on the newspapers.

"I´ll go…" the youngest Rider stated, looking unusually pale.

Ryo had a bad hunch seeing his expression: "Jack? Don´t tell me that…"

"My mother is on that list as well," the youngster confirmed his assumption in a strained voice.

Leo repaid Jack´s pained look for a while, before he nodded: "Go then…"

"Bloody hell…" Cullen murmured, as soon as the shaken Rider was out of their sight, while Leo stared at the lifeless messenger of the bad news helplessly. Once again the things went wrong awfully quickly…

*

After their return, Kame and Jin found almost all other Riders on the veranda. They were sitting there deadly serious and only Jane with Jack were missing. Just one look was enough for them to recognize that something was off.

"Will they be all right?" Koki wondered worriedly, when the two reached the stairs.

"There´s nothing we can do," Ryo reacted gloomily.

"We´re here for them and they know it. That´s enough for now," Leo assured them in a quiet voice, though he didn´t seem to be so certain at all.

So far carrying the basket full of fish each by one handle, Kame and Jin left it under the veranda and approached the gloomy circle.

"What happened?" Jin asked, while Kame eyed the newspapers on the table.

"An epidemic outbreak near the borders with Wyoming," frowning Ryo replied. "Influenza."

"Unfortunately in the area which Jane comes from," Leo completed the information not less gloomily.

"That´s bad… She fears for her family?" his brother assumed.

"More precisely for what is left of it," Cullen announced in a bleak tone.

Both youngsters stiffened.

"Oh, no… You mean that…?" Kame didn´t even want to finish the sentence.

"She lost her grandmother and sister," Leo reacted, still staring at the sinister letters. "Jack´s mother is a victim, too."

The following silence was heavy and shocked. Nobody was able to deal with the news easily. Did they really want too much to have just a couple of weeks without any problems?

"There´s not much we can do about it," Cullen took up a word the first. "And you all know it."

"She will want to go home," Leo announced quietly, but with such a certainty, it made the others look at him in surprise.

"But Jane didn´t say…" Ryo started speaking, just to be interrupted by Leo.

"I know she will."

Jin exchanged a short silent look with Kame. Ryo didn´t seem to be willing to argue with his leader about the statement, and even Koki bit his lip to keep any remarks inside his mouth. Only the oldest Riders had the guts to oppose the younger Akanishi.

"Leo, I understand it´s not easy for her to accept this, but what would be the point in going there?" Cullen moved forward in his chair, giving their leader a serious look. "It would be a useless risk."

"I don´t think it´s a good idea either," Nick joined him frowning. "I´ve heard some rumors in the city; it´s quite awful up there now."

The young leader looked at them: "I won´t force any of you to go along," he said slowly.

"Leo…" Ryo breathed out. "What do you…?"

"If Jane wants to go home, I´ll go with her," Leo stated more than clearly.

Jin leant over the railing without any word and crossed his arms; he didn´t seem to be expecting anything else from his younger brother. Kame was carefully observing Leo´s face, not reacting either. Ryo and Koki looked abashed, but not surprised.

"What about our plan with Tabor then?" Cullen asked rather harshly.

"We´ll carry it out," the younger Akanishi replied immediately. "We need money, anyway. We´ll leave after that."

"In that case it´d be better if all of us went there; don´t you think?" Koki reacted in a serious tone.

"I said I…" Leo intended to repeat his previous statement, but this time Ryo repaid him with the interruption.

"Not to mention that I have a family nearby as well," the black-haired Rider reminded him fiercely, pointing at the unfortunate papers. "It says it had spread to Wyoming as well."

"We´re not gonna let you disappear again," Koki completed decisively.

"Guys…" Leo took a breath, but seemed to be uncertain about how to continue.

"You really don´t have to go with us," a very quiet and hoarse voice was heard from the door. "We can make it there with Jack just fine."

Everybody turned to see returning Jane with red eyes and Jack with lowered head behind her.

"You´re not going alone, end of discussion," Leo reacted uncompromisingly.

"We are the Riders, right?" Koki supported him. "So, we do every stupidity together."

"Hey, you all," Cullen cut into the conversation rather impatiently. "Do you realize that you can just make the situation worse over there?"

"That´s true…" Kame joined the oldest Rider. "There´s probably quarantine, it might be impossible to get into any bigger city whatsoever."

"Family is important enough to us to risk that," the Riders´ leader reacted surprisingly harshly. "Not all of us should go, though…"

Cullen sighed, already giving up on objections: "The opposite, we should not separate now of all times. We can watch each other´s backs only when travelling together."

"Yeah, don´t think you´ll get rid of us like this," Ryo agreed.

"I wouldn´t even want that," Leo grinned sadly. "Cullen, I understand why you disagree, but…"

"I might disagree, but that doesn´t mean I´m not behind you as always," the gunslinger interrupted him. "Nevertheless, don´t think I won´t stop you if you do something reckless again."

"Thanks," Leo seemed to be much more certain now.

Jane took a breath for the last attempt to persuade them: "I´m grateful you all take it like this, but really…"

"You´re in the minority here, sweetheart," Ryo interrupted her kindly.

Leo reached for her hand and squeezed it lovingly: "It will be all right," he promised quietly.

"So?" Koki raised his eyebrows.

"So, we´ll do it, you bunch of reckless kids," Cullen reacted caustically. "End of wallowing around…"

Kame stepped closer to the table. He was not depressed, more like sad. So that was the end of their vacation… He pulled the newspapers to himself to read the unfortunate news, but except the epidemic headlines, he noticed something else at the first page. It was the article about the bloody clashes between the US Army and Sioux Indians.

It was not the first time, there were some problems in the north with them, but this already seemed quite serious. This Mountain Post papers was really a headache-causing piece of reading for sure.

Jane offered to prepare a cup of coffee for everyone, so that they could discuss their next move in more details and since Jack went to help her, Kame decided to take care of their catches meanwhile. In a broody state of mind, he took the basket and dragged it into the cellar. When he climbed the steep stairs out from the cool space again, he was not surprised that Jin was already waiting for him…

*

He turned to see what disturbed White from their sniffing game. It was Master and his Mate. They were walking along Fence side by side, discussing something very quietly. That was nothing unusual, but White seemed to sense something, what She didn´t like and walked away from Him. He snorted, unsatisfied that they were interrupted like that and then followed Her.

By the time He got to Fence, White let herself to be caressed by Her Master. Then also He noticed that something was wrong. Both Master and Mate seemed to be anxious. He reached over Fence with His head and pushed with muzzle to Master´s shoulder gently, to attract his attention. Master turned to Him, smiled and his small hand touched the place on His neck, which He liked so much.

"Leo didn´t say it yet, but as for the money, I think he´ll focus on the bank," Master said something to his Mate.

"Yeah, it´s unlikely that Tabor drags his safe along every time he moves," Mate replied, keeping his attention on the motionless White.

Master stopped caressing Him for a while, and looked at his Mate, obviously worried about something.

"Will you be fine with that?" he asked slowly.

Mate sighed: "Well, I didn´t come to Colorado to become a bank robber…"

"Me neither, Kame," Master assured him hastily. "But I take this as a… necessary evil."

His Mate patted White gently one more time, before he turned to Master.

"Nothing is only black or white, though some time ago I might have thought that. I won´t betray the Riders, just because I don´t like what they do. Not after everything what happened. Just… I hope this will bring us more profit than harm."

"Me too," Master agreed, seeming to calm down a little. "You know… Somehow, Tabor reminds me of Karnaka – another calculating, greedy bastard in the high position. And I want to help them against him as much as I can."

"I agree… Though, it´s a shame we can´t do something about him without drawing our weapons."

Master grinned, grabbed his Mate by an elbow and pulled him on the other side of Fence, away from House: "I like your pacifist nature… Among other things, of course."

"Don´t tell…" Mate sounded amused.

"If we go with the gang, we can watch over them, so that they won´t do anything stupid, right?"

"Don´t you think you need that as well?"

"Kame… That was mean."

A short chuckle was suddenly muffled.

He just snorted – it was always the same. They came to seek comfort from Him and White, but in real they were content just with being together. White heard Him and turned, nudging Him to His side, a little reproachfully.

He bared all teeth at Her, ignoring those two who made themselves one being again. They were quite persistent in it – He always wondered how they could keep breathing, when they blocked each other´s mouths like that. And as came for one being… He reached His nostrils to that sweet scent of White and took in as much as He could. White looked at Him amusedly and jumped away teasingly, starting their sniffing game again…

But suddenly something disrupted them. He raised His head to warn Master and his Mate too late to let them know that they were not alone anymore. That crazy Friend with flowery head stood at the side of Fence, with his eyes unusually big and his mouth wide open.

White snorted warningly, and Master with Mate jumped away from each other alarmed. Only then they finally noticed their Companion.

He backed off, pushing White with His head to move too – there was no space for them anymore. This was something to be solved among Humans.

*

When Koki left the veranda for a while, going to pee and then to check on the horses, as their small herd seemed to be a little restless, he definitely didn´t expect to be a witness to such a scene. As he approached the fence, the big stallion moved away from his view and revealed two persons on the farthest side.

At first, the blonde Rider thought that he interrupted Leo with Jane, mistaking the brothers for their similarity. But that would be possible only if they had some clones, since he was pretty sure their couple was at the veranda at that very moment, sinking in a not very positive mood. Not to mention that Jane definitely had much longer hair…

Their leader and his girlfriend came to Koki´s mind only because he couldn´t imagine anyone else in a situation like that one was. In a tight embrace, those two were kissing quite eagerly, obviously not for the first time. But once the kissing couple tore away from each other, he couldn´t deny whom exactly he caught up on the rendezvous anymore.

Both of them, Akanishi and Handsome, stared at him in dismay, but their widened eyes couldn´t be bigger than his own. Jin and Kame… Jin WITH Kame… They were hugging and kissing.

Koki opened and closed his mouth a few times, not able to form any words, while Kame´s face blushed and Jin´s expression turned into a picture of unhappiness.

"Holy crap… You… two… are… are…" Koki stuttered, totally astonished.

And then it hit him. So that was why Akanishi was so upset and Kame so anxious, when he moved back to the barn. Not that they somehow hated him, they just wanted to be alone. Also other things popped up on Koki´s mind, once he realized what they actually meant. No wonder they were so anxiously clingy to each other all the time! Poor things…

A smirk started to sneak up on Koki´s lips, but never made it there, since the older one suddenly moved, rushed around the fence and grabbed Koki´s collar to pull him on the other side. Behind the bodies of horses, to avoid any looks from the cottage, Akanishi pressed him against the wooden pillar rather harshly and Koki was so surprised he didn´t even defend himself.

"Jin!" the younger one obviously didn´t expect that reaction either. "What are you doing?"

But Akanishi didn´t seem to hear him. He just stared in Koki´s eyes and it was quite a scary look.

"You will keep quiet about this," he literally spat each word out, clutching the cloth of Koki´s shirt so closely, it was almost choking.

Koki returned that stare rather impressed; he hadn´t witnessed such an outburst of the older Akanishi yet and it was much scarier than angry Leo. Though he was a little confused about the reason of it…

"Did you hear me?" the gunslinger urged when the blonde one didn´t react.

"Damn it, Jin, stop!" Kame was quite upset already and he tore the older one´s hands off Koki´s neck by force, taking a stand by the blonde one´s side. "What are you thinking? We can talk about this calmly!"

Akanishi pressed his lips together and his eyes kept piercing the blonde one without reaction. Koki altered his shirt a little, finally collecting himself and knowing exactly how to repay Akanishi for such a rough treatment.

"Well… That was… unexpected," he cleared his throat. "I didn´t mean to disturb you, guys."

Kame looked at him sheepishly: "I´m sorry, Koki… We…"

Koki couldn´t help but burst out laughing, which made the other two stare at him even more shocked.

"What the hell are you apologizing for? I´m sorry, ok?" he chuckled again. "But there´s not exactly a door at which I could knock around here."

"Keep your stupid jokes," Jin grunted, while Kame still tried to save the situation.

"It was not your fault or anything. We forgot ourselves… a little."

Being embarrassed, the younger one was definitely cute and a lot easier to deal with than angry older one.

"I bet you did, Handsome," Koki grinned, while Akanishi´s face was getting darker and darker. "So, you two are… er, dating?"

"I´d say you should just forget what you saw and not ask stupid questions."

Kame glanced at his boyfriend with a rather hurt expression. Well, they definitely seemed to have some history…

Of course, the real nature of their relationship surprised Koki, especially in Akanishi´s case; it was not so long ago Leo claimed his older brother to be always fond of girls. As for Kame… Well, the younger one was a mystery in more aspects than one. Still, Jin seemed to be upset a little too much over the fact Koki caught them on the hop and didn´t think about what he was saying. Being in Kame´s place, he´d have been quite offended.

"Stupid? I´d be careful with the words you use," Koki recommended the older one.

"I don´t need any advices from you," Akanishi gritted through his teeth.

"Maybe you should ask Kame-chan, what he thinks about it first," Koki leant over the younger´s shoulder with his elbow, giving Akanishi a defiant look. "At least now I know, why you were so upset about me sleeping in the barn," he noted amusedly.

"Just shut up already, you blonde dumbass," Jin obviously didn´t appreciate his attitude and his gesture towards Kame angered him even more. "This is none of your business."

"Well…. Since I know your little secret now, I´d say it is my business," Koki couldn´t help but keep teasing him, even though Kame´s eyes pleaded him not to do that. It was just a too great opportunity.

Akanishi moved toward him again, but Kame was quicker and stood up in front of him first, looking right in Koki´s eyes.

"Can you promise us to keep it secret then?" he asked rather humbly. "We don´t want to… You know…"

"Cause any disarray?"

"Something like that," Kame admitted. "Can you do that for us?"

"Well, I´m definitely not promising anything to that douche bag, who has just torn two of my buttons off," Koki smirked looking at furious Jin. "But I can promise that to you, Kame-chan."

The younger one was obviously relieved, while Akanishi looked like he would jump at the blonde Rider and strangle him at the second Kame would turn his back at them.

"Thank you…"

Koki shrugged: "You´re right that something like this is quite… private. Nobody else knows?"

"What? No," Kame shook his head. "We didn´t tell anyone."

"Not even Leo? Wow, I´d love to see his face when… Sorry, sorry, I´m not telling anything," he stuck his tongue out on Jin, who started to growl something. "So, I´m going now, you know, to join the others. You should… eh," Koki coughed to cover another chuckle. "Come back too."

"Sure, we will. And Koki… Thanks for not judging us," Kame seemed to be pleasantly surprised by that. No wonder, Koki would bet they expected much worse reaction. People didn´t have much understanding for such… excesses. But Koki had a load of his own, so he could imagine what it was like. If they both wanted the other, what the hell others had to do with it?

"It´s all right, Handsome," Koki smiled and patted the younger one over the shoulder. "Anyone would fall for you."

"Stop joking, Koki, I´m serious," Kame tried to thank him again.

"Me too, I mean it," he assured the younger one winking. "I think you should even reconsider if this Mr. Angry deserves your attention…"

If stares could kill, Koki was pretty sure he´d have been dead already, so he decided that it was wiser to retreat for the moment: "I´m going first then! See you later, you secretive ones!"

*

The obviously amused blonde Rider walked away under the sky slowly darkening with clouds, while the motionless pair watched him all the way to the cottage in heavy silence. Kuro and Ukushi looked in their masters´ direction, as if to check on them, before they both turned and retreated even further than before.

Kame couldn´t shake off the incredulous surprise from such a positive reaction. According to what he knew, the society usually considered homosexual relations to be sick or ignored them with haughty ignorance at the best, therefore he didn´t expect some kind of understanding from any white man. But Koki surprised him greatly.

The blonde one might have been reckless and a little crazy, but he was definitely a nice person. He even started to mock them playfully right away; that was the reaction Kame expected the least of all. And if Koki reacted like that, then maybe also the others would not have condemned them, if they knew…

Kame turned to the older one to share his ideas, but just one look at Jin´s face almost discouraged him from it. His lover didn´t seem to be relieved, more like he was still pissed.

"I´ll strangle him, if he utters even a word," Jin stated aggressively. "Why it had to be him? The most talkative one of all?"

Kame observed the frowning face with dark eyes, feeling somehow sad. Jin took that accidental revelation much worse than was necessary.

"Koki gave us his word, Jin," he reminded him in a calming tone. "I think we can trust him."

"I´d like to be so sure about it," the pessimistic older one murmured.

Kame hesitated for a while, before he spoke again; it was a sensitive topic to discuss with Jin in such a mood: "Well, even if the others found out about us too, maybe it would not be as bad as we expect."

The older one gave out a cynical chuckle: "As you have so many good experiences with the reactions to something like this, right?"

That was true, but Kame didn´t want to give up so easily. It seemed to him that Jin took a too negative stance to the whole matter: "Almost none, actually… I don´t exactly walk around asking other people about it. But some…"

"Exclude Indians from the list," Jin cut in right away. "I bet not many will be left."

That was finally something what triggered anger in Kame as well: "You make it sound as if we do something unforgivable," he accused the older one.

"That´s not what I mean, I´m just not naive," Jin protested. "I can clearly imagine what this revelation would bring and it´s not anything nice."

"But the Riders are our friends now, your family even," the younger one clung onto the hope, which awoke in him thanks to Koki. "Don´t you have faith in them?"

However, Jin simply refused to consider the blonde Rider´s reaction to be positive.

"I do, but not in this case. Friends or not, they´re people and people judge," he insisted quite fiercely. "I just don´t want them to know about it. And I thought that we had the same opinion," he added in an accusatory tone.

"Is it really so important to you what they would think of us? Or are you just ashamed of me?" Kame asked in a strangled voice.

"What are you talking about now?!" the older one burst out. "This is not about what I feel for you!"

"It is!" the younger one objected fiercely. "It is about that very fact."

One of the horses in the fence, Jack´s one, which was the youngest and wandered too close to the arguing men, jumped aside alarmed by the voices. Also Kuro and Ukushi turned their heads to them uneasily.

"Fine!" Jin finally realized he was too loud and clenched his hands into fists, trying to mute his voice. "What do you expect me to do then? To march in front of all of them at once and introduce you as my boyfriend?"

Kame felt a strange pinching somewhere in his throat, which didn´t let him talk for a while. That tone Jin used hurt him. Why did they so easily end up arguing at all?

He took a slow breath, forcing himself to calm down, before he finally replied: "I´d have never wanted that from you and you know it."

Something in Kazuya´s quiet voice made Jin stop fuming for a second and he observed the younger one more closely. The anger was still flickering inside him, but he suppressed it. Damn, if they were more careful, they didn´t have to have this stupid argument. He let the rising wind soothe his face and hair, taking back some control over his emotions.

"Kame… We have enough troubles as it is, don´t we?" he said, trying to relieve the tense atmosphere. "What about we avoid adding even more to them?"

The other´s expression remained strange though and his eyes reproachful, though Jin was not sure for what he should feel guilty.

"No more troubles," the younger one repeated suddenly. "Sure. I understand… I´m going ahead then."

And then Kame turned away and headed toward the cottage, leaving the older one behind with a feeling that he had said something awfully wrong and hurt him.

Jin stood there for a while, before he dashed after him. He managed to catch up with him only at the back yard, where they could already faintly hear the voices from the veranda, and reached for his elbow: "Kame, wait…"

The younger one slipped from his touch hastily, avoiding his look, but Jin still managed to catch a glimpse of the other´s face… And his bad feeling only grew stronger.

"I think we´ve said enough, Jin," Kazuya´s voice was kind of shaky and Jin didn´t like it at all. The younger one didn´t tell him what was really on his mind.

I might have reacted a little exaggeratedly, Jin admitted to himself.

But it was only natural that he was upset when they were found out, especially by that blonde idiot. Even if Tanaka promised to hold his tongue, his behavior was so provocative, that Jin saw a red curtain in front of him just remembering it. He suspected it would be hell to deal with the blonde´s mockeries from now on and they couldn´t be sure if his talkative nature wouldn´t overwhelm the promise. Their relationship was their personal matter and Jin didn´t want anyone else to stick their nose in it.

Kame was obviously glad that Koki didn´t call them sick or weird, but there were other consequences to be considered. And the younger one seemed to be hurt by the fact that Jin was thinking about them.

"I said ´wait´," this time with bigger determination, Jin grabbed both younger´s arms, dragged him aside to the shadow of the shelter for wood supplies and pressed Kazuya against the wall, determined not to let him go so easily. "What are you thinking right now, Kame?" he asked urgently, looking in his glistening eyes.

The younger one breathed out heavily: "I don´t know…"

"Don´t lie to me," Jin hissed, strengthening the grip. "Just say it."

Kame swirled in his capture a little, but didn´t try to resist too hard. It took a few moments, before he replied and he avoided Jin´s look while speaking: "I just… I don´t know what you really think of us and that makes me… crazy."

"You… You don´t know what I think of us?" Jin repeated slowly.

He was baffled. How could Kazuya not know that he wanted him every damn minute of every single day? Didn´t he make it clear enough? It was complicated when they had to hide all the time, and their suppressed desires resurfaced every time they finally managed to be alone, but… It would be only more complicated if they told the others. If the gang knew, it would be as being watched all the time. They would never understand. Tanaka was always a little crazy, but the others… Why didn´t Kame understand it was easier for them that way?

Jin was looking at that handsome face and suddenly, he knew what to do about Kame´s doubts. He couldn´t find words anymore, but there were other ways.

Pushing away the idea of that they might be caught up again easily, he leant forward and locked the younger´s lips in the heated kiss. Their connection in this emotional state made his head spin and he persisted in the pressure even if Kame resisted at first and tried to pull away. But Jin´s passionate action soon overcame his resistance and Kazuya gave in with a muffled sigh.

His lips parted slightly and Jin conquered that warm tavern, feeling shivers, when their tongues touched. The younger one´s body trembled in his arms, when Jin deepened the kiss and pulled him closer, savoring on the other´s closeness.

It was long before Jin was willing to let Kame go.

"What this told you about what I think?" he asked hoarsely, with a fastened heartbeat.

The younger one opened his eyes and looked at him. Those brown eyes were shining, but they were still kind of sad.

"Damn it, Kame!" Jin bit his lip, reminding himself to hush his voice, before he continued. "No matter what the others know or don´t, it won´t change anything between us, all right? Just… I´d like to save that kind of discussion for later. Are you with me?"

Kame gulped down heavily and did his best to smile. That passionate kiss awoke the swirling desire inside him as always, but still, it didn´t chase his doubts away, only deepened them. They were not in an easy situation and they both had to deal with it somehow, but sooner or later the others would find out and Jin was not willing to admit that.

He couldn´t say aloud that exactly what Jin mentioned was what he was afraid of. He witnessed the older one´s reaction related to Koki and he also remembered his behavior when Liwan confronted them back in the village. Those experiences made Kame fear that once their relationship wouldn´t be a secret, it would never be the same for Jin.

He didn´t want to feel that way, it was as if he didn´t trust the older one, but he couldn´t help it. And he didn´t have the courage to talk about it either. So, Kame did the only thing he could think of, and in the darkening shadow, he kissed Jin back.