Shield

28.- Gifts And Greetings.

Shun took Nel's hand gingerly, preciously as one would take a priceless gem, afraid to dirty any of its sides with undeserving fingers.
"This better be good," she warned, a hint of good humor in her voice, she had warned him to disappear from her sight and as a loyal dog he had done just that "Who was that?" Nel asked as she followed him to her "surprise".
"Who?" Shun answered dismissively.
"Who you sent to follow me since Tuesday of last week," Nel had first noticed Max roaming outside the hotel as a lost passerby that backtracked too often, even stopping once in the reception of the hotel to ask for directions. He had made spotting him too easily, Nel even believed it was intentional a childish "look at me, my boss sent me, feel safe when I'm here" so annoying.
"That's Max," Shun began, the same certainty Max had had when he introduced himself to her, you have to know Max "the best getaway driver from the South district, I'm sure you know him"
Nel snickered "I'm sure I should. Make this quick "Boss" It's been a long day,"
Shun nodded and opening the side door of his office he smiled warmly "You won't regret it,"
Nel rolled her eyes "Cut the crap, Shun what is this?"
"Please Nelinha, just trust me for once," Shun's voice was hopeful and kind, he truly believed in whatever he was going to show her.
"It's better," Nel passed the threshold of the small dark room, the smell of acidic cleaning agents stung her nose, he clicked the buzzing lights turning on, and in the center of the room sat a petrified Criss his face bruised and beaten, head hung low.
Nel stood still hiding her surprise, she had seen him hours before free, and well, when had he abducted him? brought him back here? Secretly she was impressed by how swiftly he worked.
"Shun-" Nel began but he raised his hand to silence her and presented the restrained male like a golden prize "Shun-" Nel began again but stopped waiting for his explanation, she knew he knew who Criss was. Who he was to Milo.
"I present you with the snitch," walking forward he raised Criss's head by a fistful of hair "The once nice enough to text fat Bard the time and place for the shoot out."
"Shun-" Nel began for the third time "...Are you sure?" she raised her eyebrows crossing her arms over her chest "If you are wrong ..."
He shook his head solemnly "100%" was all he gave away "no doubt."
Criss's eyes opened wide, frantically looking back and forth between Nel and Shun he remained completely silent, his body shaking spasmodically tied down.
"Criss," Nel called out amicably "Can you explain yourself to Shun?" she waited, the silence heavy, crushing, "Criss?" Shun chuckled "he already tried unconvincingly" Nel walked forward, caressing his face gently with the tip of her fingers, and holding on hard to his cheeks she forced his mouth open, a bloody gapping whole welcomed her, his tongue gone.
Nel clicked her tongue loudly "God dammit Shun!" she let go of Criss's face with distaste "You better be right, for your own good." and she walked out taking along with her Criss's hope of salvation a small squeal followed her out.
"You work fast," she exclaimed, sitting down heavily on the leather chair behind the elegant desk "How did you stop him from bleeding out?"
Shun leaned on the wall Next to the closed side door "Hot pliers,"
"Ah!" Nel said understandingly "Simple enough," she rubbed her eyes with her thumb and middle finger, pressing hard "So sweet cheeks sold us out?" Shun nodded with a personal satisfaction "Who would have known the little rabbit had it in him?" Nel grimaced annoyed "Better call Milo, let him hear it from us first,"
Shun shook his head in dismissal "No need, it's taken care of,"
Nel blinked impatiently tilting her head softly to one side "Taken care of?"
Shun continued to nod "Taken care of,"
"Well-" Nel began not knowing where she was heading in this so-called conversation, intertwining her fingers in her lap searching her mind to put in the last word "Then I will be going, I don't seem to be needed here any longer, boss." As she stood to leave Shun moved forward in a quick, light stride once more gently taking her hand "Wait," he requested softly, he was so in control of himself it made Nel lose hers.
"Yes?" she said, retrieving her hand not unkindly "Are you expecting a thank you for your grand surprise?"
"No," he admitted and again reached out for her determined to feel her skin at any cost, with any excuse, with a hungry infatuation and a tenderness she had not seen from him in years, "Would you mind spending the night... not here, of course," he looked around the office "But under our protection,"
Nel smiled squinting her eyes softly "Our protection?" she moved in closer to Shun, freeing her hand once more and resting it on his chest, looking up straight into his eyes she expected to see them quiver, only a piercing clear gaze back "No need to go back in to "hiding". We can keep you safe here,"
She knew he meant the South district; she knew he meant him and HIS men, but something was off. She did not know if it was a flirt or a command, but there was a glint in him that made her determination falter.
"Boss," she said softly her hand slipping slowly between the buttons of his shirt she pulled on the fabric inching him forward "Has this become a hostage situation?" Nel breathed, her warm exhale felt damp so close to his skin, her fragrance transported him back in time to a cold winter night when she was his and the hair on his arms prickled with goosebumps beneath his rolled-up sleeves "A guest is all," he said placidly " I want to repay you for leaving off on the wrong foot last time, show you, you don't have to be mean."
Nel's grin became a playful smile and she inched closer to his ear as his body bent forward to match her height "Is the puppy still mad at me?"
Unexpectedly his hands slithered up behind her, one resting on the small of her back the other on the scruff of her head pulling her into him he too whispered in her ear "Why don't you find out," as his hand cradled the back of her head it was Nel's flesh that became suddenly infested by the nuisance of goosebumps and an unsteady heart of mixed emotions she believed long gone.
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"You are acting strange," Nel commented, sitting in the awkwardly peaceful silence across from Shun in the office.
"Am I?" he asked his serious face poorly concealing his high spirits "In what way?"
"Less... pitiful I guess" Nel spoke with an annoyed smile "What will you do with Criss?" her annoyance came from the imposed mystery Shun had made a conscious effort to maintain since she entered the office, she had little patience for cryptic scenarios, years of living in the dark amongst shady people.
"If I have it my way?" he smiled malevolently "My pitiful, little, unimportant way?"
"Sure," Nel shrugged "Or in general, what do I care?"
"His tongue won't be the only thing gone by the time we hand him over to Milo," Shun's gecko eyes stared intently at her "What do you want to do with him? After all he is YOUR gift,"
Nel shrugged, rubbing her shoulder, the more it healed the more it itched, "a few weeks my ass" she thought as she felt like ripping off her own skin. A slow anger brewed inside her for ever present just under the surface "Nothing yet, I am still not completely convinced. You have done nothing to convince me,"
Shun nodded "I can give you the files and call in the witnesses," he chuckled "Sadly most are a viscus goo in the bottom of a barrel by now." The joke human life had become in Shuns eyes was both frightening and amusing to Nel "It's getting late, let's go home,"
Nel smiled "Home to you or home to Milo?" she did not know if he remembered his own words but some things Nel could not forget even if she tried.
"Come one wifie, I'll buy you dinner," once more he extended his hand to Nel "what about the backroom party?" Shun shrugged dismissively "he will be there in the morning," she walked past him without a second though, still he rested it on her shoulder as they exited the building Max was waiting in the car.
"Hello Max," Nel greeted him amicably.
"Mam," He nodded to her as he looked behind her.
"You can go, I will be driving tonight," Shun said dryly and Max smiled nodding too both bid farewells.
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Nel found herself again in the small apartment, the round window room that had learned to haunt her best and some of her worst memories which to a person like her was embarrassing to admit. So many things had happened to her in her life and a silly boy still found a way to curse her.
"I miss it," Nel whispered as Shun closed the door behind them.
"What is that?" Shun asked not sure what he had heard, Nel always felt an impossible silence lurking in such a small place.
"Fighting here, breaking shit... rainy mornings, I sometimes miss it," she really did miss the rainy mornings in T city, even when it was sticky and hot, they were the best days.
Shun wanted to hug her, the idea crashed into him 100 miles an hour, the desire to wrap his arms around her small frame and pull her in to him, breathe her in and lock her in his lungs, the time hiding away from her had been torture knowing she was in town, the closeness agonizing.
Again, they were alone, so close but a world apart.
Nel turned to him and dug her face in to his chest, both had their hands in their pockets, both eyes closed.
"Nel," Shun whispered, afraid of breaking the overwhelming silence, only a soft breathing answered, more felt than heard.
"Nel?" he repeated just as soft.
Nel tilted her head to look up at him "What do you want Shun, why are we here?" she closed her eyes once more "what?"
Now he let himself embrace her, gently, it took all his might to be gentle "Aren't you happy I found the rat?" one of his hands found the small of her back once more it traced the familiar path of her body he knew so obsessively well, he dreamed about it often, the heat of her skin radiating from under the thin fabric of her clothes "Don't I deserve to face you again? To be with you again? Am I not in your good graces?" his other hand closing in around her waist "Won't you stay with me now?"
"You smell like smoke," Nel said softly and taking Shuns hand from her waist she put it against her lips smelling it.
"You smell sweet," his nostrils inhaled deeply, nostalgia hit him painfully hard "So, will you stay with me?"
"Do I have a choice?" she asked all taunting gone "You made it clear I am a guest,"
"Let's fight," Shun said smiling wide "With fists, with words, fuck me up, let's hurt each other."
Nel smiled as she exhaled loudly and threw her head back "Is that a no?" Shun smiled his reptile smile, stepping back he got down on one knee "You said you missed it, we have all night to fuck shit up!"
Nel's slow brewing anger continued to boil, lazy, noisy bubbles bursting thick one after another, dense odorless smoke filling the pit of her stomach, she feared the moment her mouth opened they both would asphyxiate in the lethal gasses of her long-fermented hate "Oh big guy, I would of loved to hear that a few years ago," her eyes where cold, her cheeks flustered, her smile calm, he could see her pulse beating fast in the arteries of her neck "if we stay we stay, but I don't see the point."
Nel thought that she would easily push him aside like so many times before, a few unkind words, cryptic metaphors and she would be on her way back to the motel, but standing up and embracing her again the hand on the small of her back found its way under her shirt and rested on her warm skin, his touch tingled and she wanted to pull away.
"Where are you going?" she said coldly, her cheeks slowly blushing, blood running to her face, away from her brain.
"Where ever you will let me... lets fuck shit up-" he moved closer trying to kiss her, Nel pushed back his hand keeping her in place his lips found her turned cheek and moved down on it gently caressing her neck.
"Shun... No." Nel warned with a hint of humor in her voice and she pushed him once more, he did not move but held on tighter. "Stop." Nel commanded once the humor in her voice gone "It's fine," Shun chuckled "There is no one here but us, its fine,"
Uncomfortable Nel cleared her throat and pulled on Shuns hand behind her back ash she pushed lightly against his shoulder so that he would separate his body of hers, smiling in to her skin he whispered "trust me its fine, don't think about it..." he began to pull at her clothes finding his way to the buttons of her pants.
For a moment she was afraid, had he lost his mind? would she really have to fight against him? did she want to fight against him? Her mind raced with so many questions she did not have to answer.
Nel shoved once hard against him, he moved back letting go and putting his hands in the air with a chuckle "I'm joking Nel-" he began but she cut him off "joke my ass, I said no. I'm leaving, we are done here."
Shuns face contorted in a serious grimace and he steadied himself putting his hands down "Nel-"
"Am I speaking French? We are done here, step aside." Nel was fierce, her mind still racing she was not in the mood to pick up what Shun was forcefully trying to put down.
"Nel, calm down, I did not mean to-" Shun tried to explain.
"I don't care what you tried or what you say, I don't like what you're implying or your attitude. One thing is flirting but no is no... whatever. I'm leaving."
Shun sighed "at least let me-"
"What part of get the fuck out of my way don't you understand? I don't care what you want or what you "think", you are not needed."
"Can I talk?" Shun blurted out exasperated.
"No need, your intentions are clear and if you don't care listening to me, I don't care about listening to you" Nel moved passed him and when he tried holding on to her by the arm to stop her, she immediately slapped him hard across the face without a seconds thought "Good enough fight for you, don't try this again. Ever."
Turning to him suddenly she spoke "you know" Nel hissed furiously, droplets of spit flying out of her mouth she whipped at her chin "I begged for you," she inhaled sharply, chest heaving, puffed in a pure rage that felt so natural that her skin erupted in goosebumps delighted of letting go "I begged! For YOU! Threw myself on the ground and fucking begged"
Shun was silent, stiff as a board and staring, his mouth slightly hung in aww of this emotional creature that finally spoke her truth, imagining her there on the ground in a heaving mess begging, he was disgusted "I didn't..." he began almost under his breath thinking she wanted yet another apology, but she cut him off immediately "I wish I didn't" she shook her head running her fingernails over her scalp "I wish I didn't."
Shun opened his mouth before he could make a sound Nel screamed "Get the fuck out of my way already!"
She stepped out of the room without closing the door behind her.
Nel felt her heart beating fast in her ears as she rushed down the stairs, not completely sure what had happened, but sure she would not stand for Shun's or anyone's insolence any longer. She did not intend to fiscally assault him but in this moment, it was wat it was.
She walked blindly through the closed businesses, people passing her distractedly not giving her a second glanced. The walk was more to calm herself then to get back to the motel.
After a few minutes she flagged down a taxi, strapping herself into the back seat she rested her head back closing her eyes, deciding if it was worth it to go anywhere that wasn't straight back.
The world was turned upside down, the window beside her exploded into a loud crash of rainbow tinted glass and crumpled metal, her body whipped violently to the side as a car impacted straight into her side of the vehicle. It turned around twice before stopping on its side, once more the world was silent as Nel blinked her eyes turning the present in to shadows and blurs as she tried to get her bearings out of breath her ears buzzing.
The blurriness of a shape approached her as she tried to get up, her hands weakened bolted under her weight and left her sideways once more, while closing her eyes she was tugged out of the vehicle, her skin on fire scratched off by the pavement a groan escaped her lips, her head was spinning, and she wanted to throw up. Nel's head bounced up and down she was grateful when dropped unceremoniously in the back of a van she lost consciousness.