Unexplored Territory

Walking into the hotel lobby, Christian looked around, lowering his shields down just a little bit. He didn’t sense the killer, but since the man could block his own Talent, at least for short periods of time, that didn’t necessarily mean that he wasn’t around.

At the desk, he asked for a suite. When he gave the hotel clerk his name, the gentleman responded with, “Ah, yes, sir. We have your reservation already. Your friends called in about half an hour ago.” Christian frowned at him; what friend? Nobody knew where he was going except for Yuki.

“Ah, Yuki?” he asked, and the clerk confirmed, looking at him oddly. Christian just waved it off, frowning. Why would Yuki have called the hotel ahead of time? He took the card key while he was preoccupied with his own thoughts, and headed for the elevators. Hmm….fourth floor. Pressing the button, he waited for the doors to open.

As he waited, he heard a familiar voice behind him. “Yes, Yuki Koruddo. Right, yes, thank you.” The elevator doors opened, and Christian waited for the family inside to exit before walking in, aware of Yuki’s presence behind him. The other man slipped inside and pressed the button for the fourth floor.

“Same room?” he asked sourly, and Yuki chuckled. Christian just glared at him, surprised to have heard the other man laugh. “Snow cold?” he asked again, and Yuki just shrugged, not bothering to explain. Christian just snorted; not like it mattered to him what Yuki’s name translated to. He was just trying to make conversation.

Christian slipped his keycard into the door slot and opened the door to room 407. He set one foot inside and turned right back around, nearly running into Yuki behind him. “Did you at least try and get us separate rooms?” he demanded. Yuki just stared coolly down at him before walking into the room.

He paused as soon as he realized what the problem was, though. There was only one bed in the single bedroom, king size. They’d have to share, or else one of them would have to sleep on the floor. Christian was all for the idea of booting Yuki to the floor, but he didn’t figure that would go over so well.

Yuki shrugged. “I suppose we’ll just have to share. I trust you brought a change of clothes?” Christian nodded, scowling as he held up the garment bag that contained a few more outfits, a duffel bag at his feet. He had a couple sets of clothing that he kept in his trunk or back seat for those nights when a case took him out of town, or an emergency led to him going straight from one precinct to another, with no time to run home.

Walking fully into the room, Christian started stripping, untucking his shirt and pulling it over his head. He heard a small sound and paused, his shirt past his head but still tangled over his arms. Looking over to Yuki, he noted that the other man had walked into the small bathroom. Chuckling to himself, Christian sat on a chair and waited for Yuki to finish in the shower. He’d go second, and then they’d go to bed. In the meantime, though, he set the alarm and hung the rest of his clothes in the closet.

He pulled out a pair of sleep pants from the duffel bag, and sat back down in the chair, staring blankly out the window. He wasn’t showing it right now, but the fact that the killer obviously knew who he was worried him. He had wandered into unfamiliar territory, chasing after a killer that he knew nothing about, while that same man baited him and showed that he could hunt him down if he chose to. Christian supposed that the only reason he was alive was that the killer wasn’t ready to take another victim. It was either that, or the bad guy was just having too much fun taunting him with his presence.

“What are you thinking?” Yuki’s abrupt question interrupted his uneasy contemplation, and Christian turned to face him, raising a single eyebrow. Why did Yuki want to know what he was thinking? It didn’t pertain directly to the case – rather, it wouldn’t give them any more clues about the killer’s identity – but still he had asked. Yuki just asked again, “Thinking about the killer?”

Christian rolled his eyes; of course he was thinking about the killer. What else would he possibly be thinking about? After all, it was because of the killer that he was stuck in this hotel room, sharing a bed with a partner who was so cold and indifferent it nearly froze Christian.

Perhaps he wasn’t so cold, though, Christian mused, leaving the chair and heading into the bathroom for a shower. Sure, he had been indifferent when they had met, but that had only been that morning. Since then, he had driven Christian to his home, fled with him to this hotel, and was even now showing a little bit of concern and curiosity. Somebody who truly didn’t care at all wouldn’t have done any of that, and would have left him to his own devices. So much for not seeing or hearing each other outside of working hours.

Once in the shower, Christian continued his contemplation of Yuki Koruddo. After all, it was far better than worrying about the killer, and how he was accessing police records. Or perhaps, he wasn’t accessing police records at all, but just public information. If he knew that Christian was a Talent and a police officer, then he had to know that he’d be on this case.

Regardless, it hardly mattered right now. He’d come, and they’d deal with it then, or Christian’s hunch was correct, and he wouldn’t leave the city limits. Either way, there was nothing to be done immediately.

Yuki, on the other hand, was right in the next room, probably already in bed. If he was lucky, the other man would be asleep before Christian got out there. He hadn’t missed the sound Yuki had made when he had started to strip, and he wondered idly if Yuki was interested in men. In all honesty, Christian had never actually met a gay man, and he found himself curious about what it would be like.

He chuckled to himself; his curiosity often led him into new territory, but this was one area that he had never explored. Christian was far too involved in his job to seek a romantic partner, male or female. Now that he thought about it, he noticed people that were pretty, like he noticed Lily, and like he had noticed Yuki when he had first met him sleeping in the office. But he had never noticed more than the basic features that made the person beautiful.

Christian was rarely interested in the personalities and lives of those around him. As long as he was allowed to work on a case, other people’s problems had nothing to do with him. The same went for relationships. Christian had worked with a fair share of guys who had girlfriends or wives or kids, but he hadn’t cared.

Still, Yuki intrigued him. How was it that a man as stunning as him had such a cold, uncaring personality? Had he always been that way? Or had he just gotten tired of having people chase after him? Perhaps he was more sensitive than he let on. Then again, perhaps he really was an unfeeling bastard, and Christian was just wasting his time thinking otherwise.

Turning off the hot water, Christian stepped out of the shower and toweled off. Pulling on some sleep pants, he walked out of the bathroom, still toweling his hair dry. His towel blocking his view, Christian didn’t know whether or not Yuki was asleep. Pulling the towel away and brushing his damp hair behind his ears, Christian stared down at Yuki, who was curled under the covers of the bed, sleeping.

He really was gorgeous, Christian thought, staring down at the pale face illuminated by the moonlight trickling in through the window curtains. And asleep, he looked far more innocent than when he was awake. There was no cold aloofness or icy anger chilling Christian to the bone.

With a sigh, he dropped the towel over the back of a chair and lifted up half of the covers, slipping under them. Turning so that he was facing away from his partner, Christian closed his eyes and drifted off. There would be plenty of time in the morning for him to try and figure things out. For now, though, he was just so tired. Too much had happened in one day, and until this guy was taken care of, Christian was certain that things weren’t going to slow down any time soon. With a yawn, he burrowed under the covers and drifted off, shields at the ready.

~*~

Morning came far too early for Christian, who had slept poorly the night before, uneasy with his shields lowered. He half-expected the murderer to calm waltzing into the hotel after Yuki and himself. And so, when his alarm went off, Christian was awake…and grumpy.

Slapping the alarm, Christian dragged himself out of bed and back into the shower, hoping that perhaps a shower would wake him up a little bit. He glared back at Yuki, who was still sleeping peacefully, his face relaxed and untroubled. Christian sighed; how was it that the man could look so assuming when he was asleep, and be absolutely impossible when he was awake?

Shaking his head, Christian stumbled his way into the shower and turned on the tap. Using the facilities quickly, he stepped under the hot spray and tilted his face up into the water that cascaded from the shower head, his eyes half-shut. Now that he was up and moving, his mind started to wake up, throwing ideas and clues around. But with nobody to bounce those ideas off of, he quickly gave up on that train of thought.

Climbing out of the shower, more awake now, Christian toweled off, threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, and walked into the kitchen. He grabbed his cell phone off the counter as he passed by to the coffee machine, and called the 39th precinct. As briefly as possible, he explained that the killer had come sniffing around last night, baiting him, and that he and Yuki were currently outside the city limits. He laid out his theory concerning the culprit’s hunting habits, and was given permission to stay away from the precinct for a few days.

The hotel had wireless internet access, and Yuki had the physical case files, so they’d use today to throw ideas around before deciding on the best way to trap this guy. In the meantime, Christian and Yuki would be able to keep up-to-date on their case, and would know if there were any new victims. Hopefully, though, the broken trend wouldn’t remain that way, and they’d have about a week before the next death.

Christian suggested that the police send out a generic request to local schools and businesses, requesting to know if their attendance records showed any unaccounted for absences. If the killer was still stalking, he wanted to know about it, preferably before there was a body.

Finished with his conversation, and with a cup of hot coffee in his hand, Christian walked back into the bedroom, where Yuki had risen and was currently in the shower. With a soft sigh, Christian quickly set the bed to rights, grabbed Yuki’s book, and then moved back into the living room and settled into an armchair, sipping his coffee as he pulled out the book.

A quick glance at the faded title told him nothing. The cover was well worn, as if it had been read several times over, by many generations. Flipping it open, Christian received the shock of his life. It wasn’t a book, but rather a diary. A diary that had been written in, faithfully, for approximately the past three years, if the date on the first page was anything to go by.

The entries were very short, but detailed, and Christian found his eyes riveted, scanning over the early entries quickly, skipping through the pages and choosing random dates as he went.

January 16, 20XX

Another boring case. Man killed his wife because he believed she was cheating on him. She wasn’t. Pity that he was cheating on her, though. Suspicious bastard.

February 27, 20XX

Lost my partner today. Third one in the last six months. He couldn’t handle seeing the children. What sort of moron becomes a homicide detective if he can’t look at the mutilated corpses of three children? Good riddance! I hardly hold any hope for my next partner though.

April 12, 20XX

Got my new partner today, finally. He’s cute. Now let’s see if he’s any good.

April 14, 20XX

Michael’s good. Not only did he not even flinch looking at the bodies, but he found a clue that the previous team had missed. There might be hope for him yet.

Christian blinked. He’s cute, huh? For the first time, it occurred to Christian that Yuki might not be everything that he appeared. Obviously, he had no patience for fools who couldn’t do their jobs properly, and he had a very sarcastic, almost angry, sense of humor.

But what Christian was most interested in was this new partner, Michael. Obviously, they weren’t still partners, and Christian didn’t remember there being a Michael in Yuki’ precinct, but it was possible that he had been moved or promoted since these entries had been written.

Hearing a small sound, he realized that Yuki was out of the shower. He’d no doubt be heading into the kitchen for coffee of his own soon. Closing the diary, Christian slipped it under the cushion. He’d move it again, later, when Yuki was otherwise occupied.

A part of him wondered idly why Yuki had left his diary in plain sight, but he dismissed it as irrelevant; the other man had certainly not been anticipating that he’d have to bring Christian to his place, and just hadn’t gotten around to putting it away.

Yuki walked past the living room, not even glancing his way, and into the kitchen, heading straight for the coffee pot. He downed an entire mug of coffee, and then refilled his cup, taking it into the living room and seating himself in the couch across from Christian, sipping his coffee slowly, his eyes only half-opened.

“Read anything interesting yet?” he asked softly, his voice betraying nothing. Christian managed not to choke, but he was sure his eyes must have given him away as he stared straight back at Yuki.

Shrugging, he figured there was no point in hiding it. “Not yet. I didn’t exactly get to read very far,” he admitted. Yuki just snorted, and they fell silent, drinking their coffee. Christian rose to pour himself another cup. When he returned, Yuki was shifting through his diary, skimming a page here and there.

When Christian sat back down, refusing to be embarrassed, Yuki asked bluntly, “What were you looking for?” Christian blinked, staring at him in surprise. If he told Yuki, would the other man answer him? Well, there was only one way to find out, he supposed.

“Actually, I didn’t realize what it was when I took it,” he admitted. “I just found out this morning. But I’m wondering about Michael.” And your orientation, he thought, but didn’t’ dare to say it. The glare Yuki sent his way told him that he at least suspected where Christian’s thoughts had strayed.

“Michael was probably the best partner I’d ever had, both on the job and in the bed,” he spoke bluntly, his voice cold as the arctic. Christian swallowed; that was more information than he was really interested in. “But he’s been dead for just under two years now. I haven’t had a new partner since he died.”

Until now. The words remained unspoken, but they both heard them nonetheless; they weighed heavily in the air. Christian bit his lip, unsure, before asking hesitantly, “Did he die in the line of duty?” That was the way that a lot of cops and detectives went, losing their lives while doing their jobs. It was the way that Christian expected to go someday, and probably Yuki, too.

“He died saving me,” Yuki’s voice was so quiet that Christian almost didn’t hear him. Drawing in a sharp breath, Christian kept silent, willing Yuki to tell him a little bit more. But it seemed that Yuki felt he had said more than enough.

Flipping two-thirds of the way through the book, he held the diary out to Christian. Reaching out for it, Christian took the book and glanced down, reading the entry Yuki had turned to.

November 8, 20XX

Got a partner today for the serial killer’s case. I don’t know if he’s stupid, or just a moron. Bet he won’t last a week, but the Commissioner assures me that he’s the best out there, and that he’s ‘uniquely qualified’ to work on this case. Bullshit. I also hear that he’s reckless, and a loner, and totally obnoxious. I just know we’re not going to get along.

Christian growled, glaring at Yuki, who just stared back at him steadily, his eyes vaguely amused. Reckless and obnoxious, was he? Oh, Yuki didn’t know the half of it.

Standing, Christian smiled, moving over to the couch and sitting next to Yuki, holding out the diary to him. Yuki’s eyes took on a wary expression as Christian grinned at him. He took the book from him carefully, and when he glanced down at it, Christian made his move.

Reaching out, he grabbed Yuki by the front of his shirt and pulled him forward into a kiss. A sound of surprise came from Yuki, but Christian ignored it, just as he disregarded the hands pushing against him. It felt different to kiss a man than it did to kiss a woman. There was none of the give that a woman had, and Christian found himself curious, pressing more firmly against Yuki’s lips, until the other man had to either open his mouth or cut his lips on his teeth.

Finally releasing the other man, Christian grinned wickedly at him, licking his lips suggestively. “That was…nice,” he admitted, rather surprised at his own daring. Well, and the fact that he had never kissed a guy before. But the comments about Michael had made him curious. He was sure he’d suffer for it later, though.

Yuki was stunned and mortified, but his face was quickly growing dark with anger, and Christian wisely took his leave, dancing out of the room. He might be wandering dangerously into unexplored territory, but he was bound and determined to have fun on the way, even if it killed him.