Hibiscus (Yaoi)(BoyXBoy)

Chapter 16: White

Yuki dropped the gun to the ground with a loud clatter. Suddenly, he felt old beyond his years, small and defenceless, like he was a child again. All the strength left his limbs and he seemed to shrink against himself. He could not keep up with this craziness in his life. Getting injured all the time was not his favourite pastime as well.

“I can’t do this anymore.” Yuki said quietly. His voice was soft but there was an edge of steel to it. “

Massaki bent down and draped his coat over the assassin’s slouched shoulders. He lit a cigarette and offered it to the younger male. Yuki took it gratefully; he had not had a good smoke in a while. “I understand.” The crime lord answered. “I’ll get Kia to take you home.”

Yuki blinked at the other male. He was surprised that the crime lord had relented so easily. He had expected the other to coax him into staying, and it hurt, surprisingly,  when the other had just agreed to let him go. Just like that, like he was dispensable. Then again, Yuki had expected it from the start. Massaki could have had anyone that he wanted. Perhaps he was just collateral damage or something to help the other pass time. Someone he fancied for a passing moment and realising that Yuki was nothing like the people around him, this was the right moment to get rid of the assassin once and for all. He was a burden, and something to be hidden away rather than shown off. He was not a prize, merely an acquisition.

“Okay.” Was all the assassin could manage. All he wanted to do was to go home and run himself a hot shower and sleep. He was both physically and mentally exhausted from the past few weeks.

Massaki helped him to his feet and led him to the car where Kia was waiting. He opened the door for the assassin and helped him in before shutting the door quietly. Yuki watched the crime lord mutter something to Kia before the other male nodded and entered the driver’s seat. Yuki had thought that the crime lord would come in after he did and was surprised when Kia drove off without him. But he kept quiet during the drive and thanked Kia quietly once they turned into the driveway of his apartment building. The other male merely nodded and then drove off without another word. Yuki gave a sigh before heading up to his apartment.

Stepping back into the confines of his own home never felt better. The assassin ran himself a tub of hot water and soaked in it, systematically relaxing his muscles as he did so. The heat from the water was a great comfort and all his worries and exhaustion seemed to just seep away. For a moment he felt as though the past week had never happened. As the water grew cooler, Yuki extricated himself from the comforts of the water and towel dried himself, wrapping it securely around his waist and a smaller one around his head. He had to do something about the hair. The thought of Feifeng slicing off his long locks made him angry. The Chinese boss was going to pay for what he did.

He pulled on a shirt and boxers, and then fired up his laptop. He needed information on the Chinese boss and that was just what he was going to get. He had an informant, someone who was as good as retrieving information as he was good at killing and hunting down others. The guy had also been part of the academy that he and Chrome were gathered at. While he waited for a reply, the male went to fetch himself a glass of brandy. The abstinence from alcohol and cigarettes were eating at him and finally having both nicotine and brandy in his system felt like a burden off his shoulder. When he returned, there was an email waiting for him in the inbox. He opened and recognised the code that the other used. It was a complex code but he had spent so much time with him, otherwise codename ‘Digital Angel’, that this code was just as easy as reciting the alphabets. Smirking to himself, he noted down the address of the syndicate’s largest hideout. It was time to get back to business.

Yuki smiled to himself as he collapsed onto the plush divan on his balcony and gazed fondly at the white hibiscus plant that he kept. White hibiscuses were rare, while his tattoo was that of the red hibiscus, they had given him the codename with the white hibiscus in mind. Hence the name Yuki, which meant snow. The plant had been given to him as a parting gift; it was the endangered White Molokai hibiscus that grew only on the steep terrains of East Molokai. He had cared for this plant for a long time and despite his absence, the plant had been well cared for by Massaki. His expression softened at the thought of the other man but steeled himself almost immediately. He did not want to revel in his own sadness. There was revenge to take, people to kill and wounds to heal. This was nothing. In one week, he would have his revenge, and he wa taught that there was nothing sweeter than revenge.