Confined Tolerance

A/N: Gomen, I didn't mean to take so long. I've been distracted by my new yaoi game, Enzai--Falsely Accused. I love it and that's all I've been doing. Hate me if you want... Anyway, here's chapter 2, enjoy and review

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I saw it once, the lust of man. It was a creature of unspeakable beauty and could seduce anything with one glimpse. I used to say that I could never be taken over by one. Each man had his own buried deep inside and could sleep for eternity or be awakened. Mine was supposed to be isolated in his grave until the end of time. But he brought it out, a man that was sent to kill me for doing my job—a bounty hunter.

Being a mercenary has never been easy but I do what I must to take care of Kai. He is my only family. When I was fourteen they took me into an academy to teach me to be a killer. At seventeen my parents died, leaving me with my brother. It’s been a year since then and I can honestly say that I’m grateful to have him around. He is the light of my life. After murdering horrid men I can return home to something so innocent and pure. But sometimes not even his presence can sooth out the damage that this job does to me. It’s a way of living though.

Can’t really complain in my position. You either do what you’re told or die. Becoming a murderer basically means that you’re selling your soul to the client. You have no say in the circumstances in which you go about the operation and are always told how long you have. It’s a job that requires both patience and haste. I just happen to be blessed with both. And I am good at what I do. People have always seemed like weak insects to me and taking their lives seems to give me purpose. There is no remorse and the harder I try to care the less I do. But he made me remember.

The only love that I have is for my brother. I have never known any other kind—never having had a lover. My parents didn’t care too much about me but they did acknowledge me and I guess that’s what’s important. I was always more like a friend’s son to them. Being that as it may, I don’t care all that much either. We were taught that parents were irrelevant and could be disposed of. But one day it all seemed to add up to something, the day that I was shot by him.

He had a partner that always tagged along and seemed to be the more experienced of the two. Delacroix was always hidden in the shadows while he did their job and it never seemed to bother them. It was an understanding between them that was unspoken and could be mistaken for hate. But they didn’t hate each other. He—Sayre—cared for Delacroix like a brother would. And yet they appeared like lovers, neither was ever without the other for long.

Two weeks earlier…

“Are you going to be home late again, Age?” Kai asks me.

“Yeah, but I’ll try to get here as soon as possible.” I smile at him. He is so adorable! He is cursed with good looks in a feminine way. He’s beautiful and small like a girl and his voice is a soft high pitch. I, on the other hand, am graced with a strange mix of male and female. While he has pale skin I have tanned. My blue eyes are stern like a man’s but my face is beautiful like a woman’s. My body is that of any fit teen. I am tall, six foot, with broad shoulders and have a small waist. I have a flat stomach and toned muscles but still look rather lithe. And my hair…well it’s…messy. Blue locks stick up in unusual ways and not a damn thing can be done with it, though we often try.

“Okay. There will be some leftovers in the cooler for you to heat up when you get home.” He smiles back and walks to his room.

It makes me feel bad that he has to be alone all day and even at night. But Kai understands the world that we live in. You either work or you starve. He is used to being alone since our parents were workaholics themselves. So whenever I get the chance I like to surprise him by coming home early, taking the day off, or taking him out on the town.

This night I am expected to take care of one of my client’s business partners. That is my purpose—when people step out of line I take their lives. It isn’t dirty business really. Being paid by suits always covers the bills and we are living comfortably. Only drawback is the consequences, not too many of them but enough. But this man has done more than step over the line, he has fucking erased it. That is unforgivable and nonnegotiable. So when the hammer comes down you pray that you’re still on your side of the now-gone line. If you’re not then the shit really hits the fan. This one won’t turn out to be just another one of my jobs. God must really hate me to send Sayre to kill me.

Like usual I set out to do some last minute reconnaissance before getting down to business. It isn’t going to be difficult. I know everything about this guy, right down to what kind of toilet paper he uses to wipe his ass with. His agenda has been forwarded to me and I only have once chance—a five minute window in which his lap dogs will be out for coffee. That’s all I need though.

It is 11:30 P.M. when the opportunity arises. I watch him from my perched position on the next building over. Just as scheduled his guards exit the room, leaving him with a moment of peace that will be ended quickly. Setting up the gun, I look through the scope and aim for the side of his head. It will be fast. I take a deep breath and pull the trigger. A few seconds later the glass of the window shatters and falls to the ground along with his body. No one notices. It was silent and clean. I pick up my gear and look at my work one last time before walking off.

Late again. I won’t get home until morning and even then I won’t be able to spend time with Kai. I’ll have to make it up to him. As I walk down the familiar alleys and deserted streets I become lost in thought. I sometimes wondered if I will be a mercenary forever. It doesn’t bother me to believe that. I enjoy what I did, but what about Kai? Some day he could be dragged into my affairs. He is strong for someone so young but he is a child and has his limits. I’m aware that my life won’t be long but I want his to be.

A noise breaks my concentration but I don’t look, just keep on walking. Someone is following me. How troublesome. I wanted to get home without incident but it seems as though someone knows. The alley is narrow and the vantage points are few so I don’t have to worry about getting caught off guard. Like I didn’t notice, I keep my pace casual and continue on. I almost reach the end of the street when one of them steps in my way. It is Delacroix. He looks as crazy as always with his hands covered in bandages and twin blades hanging from his belt. He gives a cunning smile at me and then swings his hand at me. I side-step and grin. We have been through this before. Me and him go back a long way. For two years he has been after my head. It’s just a game between us now.

Another shadow behind me catches my attention and I turn to look. I can’t see the face of this new person. I had known of Delacroix’s partner but I have never seen him before. The bounty hunter had never found it necessary to bring the other along. But now he was outnumbering me? Someone really wanted me gone this time. “That the partner that you never introduced me to?”

“Where are my manners?” Delacroix bows slightly and waves a hand towards the other. “This is Sayre. Sayre, say hello to Age. This is the brat that I’ve been after for two years. Today the games end though, Age. Someone has put an extremely high price on you and I’m afraid that I can’t let this one go.”


Brat? He’s not that much older than me. Six months tops… “Where’s the love? You chase me for so long and you still haven’t asked for my number but you ask for my head? If it wasn’t for me, Delacroix, you’d be so lonely in life.” I run my hand through my hair and smile sheepishly. We love playing innocent, it adds to the tension when we got to physical contact.

“Not as lonely as you think.” I turn to see Sayre step into the light of a close by streetlamp. He is gorgeous! Tall, lean, tan skinned, shoulder length brown hair, and aqua green eyes appear before me. I am speechless. He is handsome. “He can always keep your body even if it is missing your head.”

“You’re staring, Age. Did you fall in love?” Delacroix walks up behind me and hugs me from behind. He circles the lobe of my ear with his tongue and speaks in a husky voice. “Sayre has a wonderful body and is such a good lover. You would enjoy him but you won’t be alive that long. Sorry, friend, but this is where you die!” He reaches for one of the blades at his waist and pulls it out. Without warning that asshole tries to stab me. I elbow him in the stomach before he has a chance to finish the assault and backs off. “Don’t fight it. It is so much easier for me if you don’t fight.”

“You know that I can’t die, Delacroix. Who would take care of Kai?”

“Ah, your baby brother—he is rather beautiful. I would gladly care for him.”

“No such luck, pervert! As if I would allow someone like you to touch my brother. You want my head so bad? Come and take it. Or should I say that I’ll be taking yours?” I reach for the gun that is tucked in the back of my belt.

“Hold it!” I hear the cocking of a gun behind me. Sayre is holding an S&W44Magnum with a Nikon scope up and aimed at my chest. I freeze, that shit would really hurt to get shot with… “We don’t have the patience to deal with your experience right now. I hope you understand. We have our deadline and don’t get full credit if we miss it.”

My arms drop to my side. I’m not grinning anymore. I’ve gone neutral at the seriousness of his tone. “Sorry, but like I said before, I can’t die. I hope that you understand…” I charge at Sayre and knock his gun away as I draw mine and shove it under his chin. No one moves. Delacroix doesn’t even seem affected by this. They’re up to something… “Who wants me dead this time, Delacroix?”

“To be truthful, couldn’t tell you. He never gave a name and we haven’t met in person. All we know is the bounty—you know how it works. We don’t ask what isn’t necessary.” Delacroix fiddles with a strand of his long hair in an uninterested manner.

“If you’re going to shoot hurry up and do it.” Sayre gives me an annoyed look and presses the gun closer to his throat.

“What? You want to die? Don’t you care, Delacroix?” I stare at them, looking from one to the other in confusion. Bounty hunters are a strange breed of assassin and they are unpredictable. Unlike hired mercenaries they have no code or rules to abide by. They are free and never sign contracts that assure they will succeed or be punished. But they also have a lot more to worry about. Bounty hunters are often chased by the law for their cruel methods of dealing with business.

“When someone becomes a liability they are disposed of. That’s why me and Sayre work so well together—we each understand this and have no objection in killing each other. So if you won’t shoot him I will.” Delacroix reaches for his gun and aims it at his partner.

I think about it for a moment. If I shoot Sayre then that will be one less bounty hunter to chase after me. But on the other hand, I’m not getting paid to kill him and bullets aren’t cheap. Damn it to hell! I turn around and swung at Sayre with the back of my hand. Making contact with his jaw, I run past Delacroix and to the end of the alley. I hear a loud curse and then bullets began to fly past me. I hide behind the corner of the wall—a nice brick wall that is sure to protect me from any flying objects. Boy am I wrong. Bullets come closer and closer to me, chipping away at the thinning corner of the wall. Before I have a chance to move a round scrapes against my upper arm and tears away at the muscle. God, 44mags hurt…

I can’t run away though. Where would I go? No one in their right mind would take me in. Taking a deep breath, I steady my hand and jump out to face them. They had stopped firing and look at my arm with amusement. Holding my gun up, I aim straight for that silver-haired freak. I pulled the trigger. The last thing I remember before passing out because of something that mysteriously hit me from behind was a snicker. It was the sound that Delacroix always makes when he wins.

I awake with a start, the pain in my arm being the main cause, to find myself on a bed in a dark room. My eyes try to adjust. When they have I look around to see what my surroundings are. The walls are a blue color as appearing to me, the floor is a burgundy carpet, and aside from a small couch opposite the bed nothing else is in the room. Figures linger in the areas of shadow that are in the corners of the room. “Who’s there?”

“It’s just us. You’ve got to be more watchful for falling flower pots.” Silver hair moves gracefully with its body as he walks over and sits on the bed next to me.

“What are you talking about?”

Delacroix runs a hand down my face and smiles. “Some old lady chucked her vase out the window and you happened to be in the landing zone.”

That is bullshit! I’m the best damn assassin in the city and I was done in by a flower pot?! “So what are you going to do with me now?” I try to sit up but the pain that wracks my arm is paralyzing.

“Looks like you lucked out.” Sayre steps out of the shadows and approaches me. “Our employer was just pronounced dead which means that you’re useless now.”

“So what now?” I feel dizzy and can’t focus on everything. My eyes start to hurt and I close them. That pot must’ve really hit me hard.

“Ah, are you in pain? We tried to bandage you up and give you some sedatives. When you’re better we’ll see what happens, as for now, you have to rest.” He grins and pets me on the head.

Delacroix is sure a strange one. We are enemies through and through but he doesn’t believe in unfair kills. He wants the pleasure of killing me himself while I can fight back. I hate him. I really do hate him. He’s annoying and a flirt but that’s why he’s fun to have around. Is it wrong to enjoy the company of someone you can’t stand? Maybe I’m just weird like that.

“Get some rest. We’ll be back in a while to check on your progress.” Sayre gives a genuine smile and walks away. It is unusual but he seems to be less hateful than Delacroix. It’s a kindness in his eyes rather than the way he speaks.

“Why are you doing this? Why take care of me when you can just take me to the hospital?”

“It seems that Sayre has taken a liking to you. He insisted that he tend to you himself. Who am I to deny him? Besides, having you around should be entertaining. And when you’re better then I’ll kill you.” Violet eyes stare at me.

“That’s all really nice, but I’m concerned about my brother.”

“Why? Kai is in the other room.”

“What?!” He brought Kai here?

“Well we went to fetch him a while ago. Didn’t put up a fight. He really is a nice kid. Maybe I’ll go keep him company…” Delacroix stands and heads for the door.

“Don’t touch him!” I sit up quickly and am hit with a wave of nausea.

Without looking back he leaves me in the room alone. Would he really do anything to Kai? I’ll just have to trust that he isn’t that stupid.

Three days have passed since my arm had been torn open by the bullet graze of a 44mag. Kai has been kept in another room but often comes to visit me. They—Delacroix and Sayre—occupy Kai so that he won’t think too much about how I’m hurt. They don’t let me move around yet so I’m still stuck in bed. But at least they haven’t done anything to my brother. In fact Kai tells me how much fun they have. Deep down, regardless of what profession they have chosen, both those bounty hunters are good people on the inside. That doesn’t stop me from hating them though.

As I lay around in the room that has become leisurely boring to me I begin to wonder what will happen. My client had expected me back so he must believe that I’m dead by now. Pity. It was such a well paying job and now I wouldn’t see a cent.

“Big brother,” comes the voice of the petite angel in my life from the other side of the door.

“Yeah?” I sit up and wait for him to enter.

Kai opens the door slowly, like he always does—almost like he is afraid of what he will find on the other side. “Age, Sayre wants to take me out to see the town. I thought I should ask you first. Can I?”

Huh? Sayre wants to take him out? That sounds a lot like a date. But it is only fair that someone show him a good time while I’m handicrapped. “Yeah, go on.” I smile at him and see the joy on his face. He has grown attached to the others so quickly. It will make it all that much more difficult to kill them.

Considering Sayre, he is a pretty nice guy—definitely attractive. When no one is around I lay in bed thinking about him. But for some reason Delacroix always popped into my mind too. He is the one that laughs his ass off at my thoughts. God, even inside my head he’s a dick.

It’s getting late and Kai still hasn’t come back. I decide to see for the first time what the rest of the house, or building, or whatever it is looks like. Getting up I notice that even though my arm isn’t completely healed I can at least put strain on it without it hurting. Good sign… The sound of the door opening makes me stop. Violet eyes stare at me in a hungry way. What does he want?

“Where are you going?” Delacroix closes the door behind him and walks to me. “You’re not supposed to be up and around—doctor’s orders.”

“You’re no doctor, jackass. Where’s my brother?”

“Kai is out having the time of his life. No need to worry. He’s in good hands.”

“It’s not Sayre’s hands I’m worry about.”

“You think he would do that? No, not him. He has certain morals that I’ve never quite agreed with and that happens to be one of them. I on the other hand wouldn’t think twice.” He grins and licks his fingers before running them down his bare chest. He isn’t wearing a shirt, only tight leather pants that look way too tight in deed. “And that’s why I won’t!” Before I know it, he is on top of me, assaulting my neck with rough bites.

“What are you doing?! Get off, Delacroix!” I try to push him away but I can’t. My arm isn’t strong enough to do that yet.

“Something that I’ve wanted for a long time. Since I first saw you I knew that you were a virgin and now I want to take that innocence from you. You intrigue me, Age. Someone like you can have anyone they want and yet you don’t care. Some heartless bastard you are. You saved all your affections for me and our games. It was so thoughtful I thought that I’d reward you with some fun.” He grabs both of my hands and pins them above my head. With his free hand he roams my body. Fingers slide under my shirt and across my chest, and then back down my navel and to the rim of my pants. “You’ll love this.” He slides his hand into my pants and grasps my limp member.

“Get off!” I try to kick him but he pins me with his legs. I’m almost disgusted as he starts rubbing my dick in an attempt to get a reaction. He doesn’t get one and decides to try harder. When he reaches down to undo my pants I take the chance to shove him off. He’s thrown off balance but manages to still stay on me. “Damn it!”

“Don’t fight it, Age. Things will be so much less painful if you don’t fight.” He grins at me and licks his lips. I hate him so much for his insolence…

Delacroix once again holds down my hands, tighter this time, and works on my pants. I struggle all that I can but my arm begins to hurt because of the way that it is bent. I flinch involuntarily when he does manage to relieve me of my lower garment. Damn me for not wearing underwear… He stares at me for a moment and then takes my penis in his mouth. The warmth that immediately surrounds me feels sickening. I believe that it is possible I hate him so much that the pleasure I would have felt during this is turning into nausea. I feel like vomiting just having him touch me. After a few moments of attempt and still no progress he gives up and looks into my eyes.

“You are defiant. I wanted to give you a chance to enjoy this. But you’re being stubborn—so now I’m going to enjoy.” He grabs the collar of my shirt and tears it down the middle. My upper body is now exposed to his ravenous view. His eyes are full of lust and appear murderous in the dim light, raking down my naked body and deciding what to touch, bite, lick, or caress first.

I stop moving. This all seems so familiar somehow. I remember something like this but in my head it isn’t Delacroix. I don’t know who it is. The face of the man is in shadows and I feel the fear of being touched by a faceless assailant. His hands are rough and they hurt, not like the bounty hunter’s who are not trying to hurt me. The smell of alcohol drifts into my nose and I almost feel drunk with the smell. This shadow begins to rip away at my body, grabbing and bruising. Delacroix takes this chance to take his pants off and position himself at my entrance. Just as he moves, behind my eyes I see the other doing the same. They both look at me and grin before savagely thrusting in with one quick motion. No preparation or lubrication was provided and I can feel the burn of torn flesh with the sudden action. I scream. A heart-shattering noise that escapes my throat actually makes Delacroix stop his grin and look at me in concern for a moment. But the shadow never stops—it moves and tears away at the me in my head.

My eyes have gone away. They are in a different place and time, remembering what was never really there. Was it? Delacroix takes my silence as approval—how stupid—and starts moving. He gives me no time to adjust and begins quick and rough, like him. The man on me is heavy and has me tied down. Even without a face I can see the smirk and the contortion of his face into pleasure as he continues to thrust into me. My body is trying to reject them both. It tries to push out the invaders and close tight to keep them out. But it fails. All efforts encourage my rapists to find high ecstasy in my torment. I can’t move at all, frozen with pain and fear. Do I fear Delacroix? He brought back this moment and is reenacting it. But it is the other that I fear so much. He was the one that broke my body and tied me down to finish it all. Yes, I fear Delacroix. To me he fills the face of the other in this moment. He reopens the wounds and makes me bleed. I am bleeding. I can feel it slip from within me and slide down my thighs. Their grunts fill me both at the same time and I know that their glad for the lubrication of my blood.

“Stop…” I whisper, finding my voice in the fear. “Please…”

“Is the great Age begging?” I hear Delacroix mutter between moans and grunts. But the other voice is saying something far more different. It is a deeper growl and a far fiercer tone that tells me that I am useless and am a doll for his play.

My eyes begin to water involuntarily. They drip tears onto the bed but never blink. In my state I am lost to the world except for the attack on me. Even then I feared closing my eyes for fear that he would also be in my mind when I try to escape to the sanctuary I should have been able to provide myself. I cried for so long and begged with everything I was and he never listened, just as he’s ignoring me now. They both are. Delacroix thinks I’m playing and the other loves my sorrow. He’s feeding on my anguish and I hate it. I hate them both. But now I fear them both. I had forgotten this and now it returned. That idiot bounty hunter dug it up and now I will be in anguish for hiding it. He swore that I would never forget. Now he’s there in my mind to punish me for trying.

Delacroix is breathing heavily. His thrusts are brutal but nowhere near what the other is doing. His hands grip my hips like a vice to better aim, and is now trying to break me again. Violet eyes look straight at mine but I see nothing. He leans down to try and give me a soft kiss but I don’t feel it. I must look like a corpse, lost in between two times of mind. All I notice is the increasing malice that seems to seep out of the shadow and into me through my ass.

“God, Age, you’re so tight. Let up, you’re too tense.”

I hear him but I don’t understand. It must not be that important since he keeps at it. I don’t know why I’m not screaming. In my head I don’t shut up. Tears are rolling down my eyes like open faucets and my throat has gone hoarse from my constant wails. My body doesn’t follow suite though. Tears glisten in front of Delacroix but the horror is not escaping into the world. It remains inside me. These tears are for him. Delacroix is hurting me and my body is acting accordingly. They both continue to thrust, pumping into my torn skin. Again the shadow grunts his finish and releases his filth into my body. The bounty hunter follows soon after and arches his back before shooting his seed into my used body. I don’t realize why I do it but as he’s arching I grab onto Delacroix’s shoulders and clutch onto him as though I’m a child. Riding out his waves of passion, Delacroix falls forward and rest on top of me. His breath is labored and his body is covered with a thin coat of sweat. The shadow vanishes but my eyes refuse to come back. They stay in that dark room where I’m tied and bleeding with sperm leaking from my entrance. The pain is burning and the fresh bruises are showing. Already they’re black and swollen. I’m still holding onto him, but why?

“Hey.” I hear Delacroix’s voice calling softly. His lips touch mine and trace a line down my shoulder. Now he’s being kind? He looks at me as if he’s just now noticing that I’m crying. “Age, you’re crying. Did I hurt you that bad?”

I don’t answer him and squeeze harder on his arms. He flinches as my nails dig into his skin.

“Ow. Hey!” He tries to sit up but I’m holding him tightly down to me.

We remain face to face and I can see the discomfort it brings him to look at me while I’m so lifeless and hollow. “I hate you.” I whisper it so quietly that he has to lean in to hear. “I hate you.”

I don’t realize how much time passes or notice when he gets up and breaks away from my grasp. I’m left alone here to lie in my blood and semen just like back then.