Hibiscus (Yaoi)(BoyXBoy)

Chapter 25: Winter's End

Yuki was escorted to the VIP lounge after heading home for a change of clothes. The assassin was dressed in a black tank and leather pants accompanied by knee high boots. He looked severely underdressed as he walked through the throng of the many different coloured suits that surrounded him. But Yuki remained unfazed. He had been around well dressed people for too long to feel uneasy.

"Yuki." Massaki's voice was calm and soothing when he pulled the smaller male in and kissed him on the lips. 

Even after countless times in Massaki's bed, each touch from Massaki was still a white-hot brand on his skin. 

"Massaki." Yuki greeted curtly, blushing furiously even though they were alone. "I need to talk to you."

Massaki raised an eyebrow with slight curiosity. The assassin had never voiced his opinion on anything. Yuki was easy-going in a way that he seldom questioned any decision made. 

"What is it?" 

"I shouldn't be representing you. The other mafias aren't going to like it." Yuki said, his voice holding steady. "Perhaps you should get Kia."

Massaki looked at him for a moment before picking up a velvet jewellery box from the table beside him. Inside on shiny black velvet laid a simple silver necklace with the club's crest emblazoned on a silver pendent and just below it was Yuki's name. 

"Keep this on you all the time. It'll tell people to keep their hands off you. And that you're mine." Massaki said and clasped it securely around Yuki's neck. 

Yuki touched the cool metal and took a moment of introspection before he spoke again. "There are only so many lines that you can cross, and so many people that you can offend. You don't want to bite off more than you can chew."

"You deeply underestimate me my delicate hibiscus."

"I am not about to be caught in a cross fire like how it was with Feifeng the last time."

Massaki gave Yuki a hard look and rounded on him. The smaller took a step back and seemed to shrink into the wall he was cornered against. "Who threatened you?" It was more of a demand than a question.

Yuki averted his gaze. "No one threatened me." He made a weak attempt at shoving Massaki aside only to have the older man catch his delicate wrist and pull him closed. 

"Tell me." His voice was gentler now.

Yuki shook his head and broke free from the other's embrace. "I won't lose. But I'm not about to be owned by you."

With that, Yuki made his way out and was escorted into the ring for his debut match. 

The man that was standing before him was one of the few who had confronted him in the gym earlier on. The assassin eyed him, assessing his opponent's build and movements with practised ease. He was larger than Yuki was, indicating that he could possibly throw heavier blows due to the weight advantage. But Yuki remained calm.

They each took up stances at either end of the ring and once the bell sounded, the world went quiet around Yuki. He only focused on the existence of his opponent and as he watched the male charge towards him, his assassin instincts kicked in. 

With the deadly precision of a trained sniper and razor sharp killing instincts, Yuki lashed out a well aimed kick to the opponent's knee and with a sickening snap, the bone gave. The larger male fell with an anguished cry and Yuki simply side stepped as he came crashing down.

"And Mako is out!" The announcer boomed across the arena. "The three time finalist and steed is out within seconds of this newcomer's debut!"

Yuki frowned. Perhaps he should have fooled around more. 

"Meet the new fighter representing Kokusui Massaki, the famed, one and only, Hibiscus!" At the mention of both their names, the chatter settled into a heavy, unnerving buzz. "We finally can put a face to the elusive flower!"

Kia came over to escort him up before his next match and even though he avoided everyone, he would feel their gazes searing right through his flesh. 

"Kia, I want to get out of here for a moment. I need some fresh air and a cigarette." Yuki said, his voice shaking slightly. Kia looked pained for a moment as he always did he when about to defy Massaki's direct order and led Yuki out into the cool night air.

The assassin gladly took the cigarette that Kia offered him and lit it, taking a long drag, feeling the nicotine hit his bloodstream. After the third puff, his shoulders began to relax and Yuki let go of the tension in his body that he had barely registered. 

"I can't do this." He was surprised that he was shaking and the cigarette trembled in his grip. "I've lived under the radar for too long. My job is one that requires me to go undetected." 

"Kokusui-sama just wants people to know that you're his property." Kia said calmly. 

"I'm no one's property." Yuki could almost snarl in anger. 

He used to be free, free like his name. Free like the wind. The wind does not stop. It stops for no one. It's gentle but at certain times devastating. That was the old Yuki. He wasn't sure he liked the new one very much. 

"You need to go in and finish the match." Kia's quiet voice was enough to break his moment of introspection.

Yuki simply nodded and cracked his knuckles. If they wanted a show, he'll give them the show of their lives.

With renewed clarity, Yuki forced himself to finish the matches that were lined up for the day. He wanted his old life back, and this was just another day in it. Hurting people and taking lives were what he did best for a long time now and going back in there was just another way to do it.

Yuki saw Massaki approaching him from a distance when he re-entered the club and held up a hand to stop him in his tracks. All he wanted to do right now was to finish today’s series of matches and head back. Nothing more, nothing less.

The moment he re-entered the ring, his competitors fell like dominos, one after another as Yuki breezed through the next few matches. When it finally came to the male that had confronted him earlier, he was barely panting.

“Last but not least, we have Gin representing Nakano-sama!” Yuki cracked his neck from side to side as he watched Gin tighten his bandages. 

Boxing was second nature to Yuki after firearms. He used to box daily under Chaos’ supervision to build his close combat abilities. Yuki was smaller than most of the fighters here which technically meant that his punches would be lighter compared to the others. But they were in for a surprise. Chaos had taught him how to overcome that and even though he had never knocked the other assassin to the ground, he could probably take anyone out even if it were a dirty fight. 

“I told you that I’d get even with you in the ring.” Gin was almost spitting now but Yuki gave a nondescript shrug and maintained his cool exterior. He had years of emotional control over Gin and this match was going to be quick one if the younger male kept his aggression going.

The bell dinged in a distance and Gin was lashing out well-aimed blows but Yuki dodged every single of them with relative ease. The assassin had to give it to him for being a precise and aggressive fighter but Yuki had trained with Chaos. There was no other close combat fighter like Chaos was.

Gin’s fist barely grazed Yuki’s cheek when he struck back with a heavy blow of his own, fist connecting solidly against Gin’s sternum and knocking the wind right out of him. Gin staggered, trying to regain his composure when Yuki struck down on his head hard, once, twice, thrice, till he lay on the ground twitching from sheer pain and the overwhelming speed that the blows were delivered in.

Yuki cradled his bruised fist and gave him a smug look. “I’m an assassin. Never forget that.” He growled as he made his exit from the loud cheering of the audience and back into the VIP lounge area where the other rich patrons were eyeing him like he was prize.

He found Massaki in at the end of the lounge and made his way over. “I’m done doing this for you.”