A/N: I've been working on this fic for a long time now... editing and re-editing till I got things the way I wanted them. After all of that time - most of which was actually neglecting the darn fic, haha - the first chapter is ready for presentation! There is a prelude to this that's also posted separately, and if you read the author's notes there, you'll find out why. Thanks so much for your support. Don't forget to leave a comment so I know you read it, and so I can improve my writing. Thanks a lot.
...Elsren, aka Chris of Team ROI

Chapter 1 – Infiltration in More Ways Than One

Ken Keisuke slept soundly in his bed one cold night… dreaming of the past. So many dreams… so many memories… so much pain and anguish. He managed to shove them all down deep in his mind, and slept peacefully.

Meanwhile, Souji Miyazaki was absolutely shocked he was able to actually get so far into the Shadow Mansion without any trouble. Just when everything looked so good, someone had spotted him, causing him to run right away into a room. He held his breath and waited until the guards’ footsteps faded, and then suddenly noticed the uniform laying on the vanity near him. Peering more closely at it, he held back a gasp – he was in an officer’s room. He backed up carefully from the door and looked around for a gratuitously open window he could possibly climb out of… In his search, he carefully noted that not only were the windows all closed, the room was also tastefully decorated. The bed behind him, the vanity, and all of the furniture, were made of dark mahogany, looking antique yet tasteful. The windows were only covered with light, filmy curtains that hung all the way to the floor. The French doors leading out to the balcony would have been his only hope, but then he noted the many heavy locks that would surely make loud noises. The bed was in the middle of the room, large and taking up most of the space, though he could spot a small hallway that no doubt led to the bathroom. Two night tables stood at the sides of the bed, with large lamps on them. He muttered curses incoherently under his breath and almost growled in frustration.

It was the middle of the night, and he needed to finish his mission, then catch a meal. It had been almost 6 hours since he had… dined.

At that moment, Ken stirred and rubbed his eyes as he sat up in bed. “Who’s there?” he groaned. “Jeremy! Don’t tell me you sent in another male recruit you know WON’T make it.” Poor fool might even be straight.

Souji did a double-take, turned around, and sprinted for the door. Unfortunately, his foot got entangled in the blankets spread out all over it from Ken’s tossing and turning. He fell to the ground with a loud thud. AAACK! I’m gonna DIIIEEE!!! he thought.

Ken sighed in exasperation, rolling his eyes at the officer entangled in his bed sheets on the floor. “Yes, I suppose it’s another inexperienced young man, trying to obtain a high position. But…” He stood up (in nothing, and then put on his boxers), and walked over to Souji. He helped him sit up in the dark, and eventually made him move to the bed. “Unlike the other people who oversaw you and your application, I base my choices on merit. Of course, you can prove yourself useful in other ways. You’re here for that, right?” He moved in front of Souji and traced a finger slowly down his chest. He attempted to view Souji as a sex object, almost failing – Souji looked too thin.

Souji’s voice cracked in his answer as he tried to make his voice a little lower than it usually was. He might as well TRY to disguise his voice… “Uh… I-I’m not sure what you mean, sir!” There was a very peculiar… and worrisome… feeling settling at the pit of his stomach. Souji, I think you’re in some deep shit.

“You’re here for a job, yes?” Ken smiled a little. “Well, I just had a nightmare, and I need to be comforted.” He stared at Souji’s darting eyes and white hands clasped on his lap. He sighed in dejection and stood up straight. “You seem uncomfortable. This must be your first time.” He sighed again, this time out of pity. “How young are you?” Ken moved behind Souji and massaged his shoulders.

Souji took a moment to remember how to speak. “Job… er… yeah… First time?!” Souji’s mind ran in circles. “Um… I… don’t… remember, sir. It’s been a long time since I last… counted… sir… um… sir? What’re you doing?” He narrowed his eyes in the dark and eyed the uniform again. It… it wasn’t an officer. IT WAS THE HIGH COUNCIL. Souji just managed to stifle a curse.

Ken ground his elbow gently into the hollow of Souji’s back. “I am massaging your shoulders. If you don’t want what I’m offering to you, how much DO you want? I’m feeling lonely at this particular point in time, and you look… flexible.” He clucked his tongue in approval as he eyed Souji’s body. Maybe being as thin as he was had its advantages.

Souji scooted a little closer to the edge of the bed – away from Ken, the man who was apparently trying to… was he trying to make a proposition?! “The massage is n-nice, sir! But um… I don’t think I’m qualified for this, sir!”

Ken raised his eyebrows and moved his hands lower down Souji’s back. “You’re very tense… Let’s see, you don’t want a job, and you don’t want money. What do you want, hm? Are you willing to do this for free?” He massaged a little harder, at the same time bringing his waist in contact with Souji’s back, letting him feel the mild hardness growing.

“I w-want--!” His voice cracked and turned into a high-pitched squeal for a moment before returning a few octaves lower, once he had gotten his butt free of the unwanted feeling. “I want to forget the offer, sir. I j-just want to serve my company b---!” He broke off as he abruptly slipped off the edge of the bed and onto the floor bottom first.

“The hell…” Hidehito Takarai yawned and sat up from Ken’s bed dressed in nothing. “Why the hell are you always so loud, Ken? It’s aggravating.” Damn well interrupted a really good dream…

“I’m entertaining a midnight snack – er, guest, Hide. Glad to see you’re finally awake. I hope you’re not sore.” Ken turned his attention to Hide’s naked form, licking his lips as his eyes roved over Hide’s body. “And may I say, you’re looking quite disheveled.” His attention on Souji wavered as he crawled to Hide seductively and kissed his lips sensuously.

Souji only watched in horror, forgetting about his own awkward position as Ken moved on to lick Hide’s ear.

Then Ken sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “But back to business, at least for now.” He turned his head around, back to Souji, while his body remained intimately close to Hide. “Your name and rank, then?”

“C-Cadet, sir! New to the build-“ Souji stared wide-eyed at the person who had suddenly appeared out of Ken’s bed. He hadn’t noticed it while Ken was going on about his business, but now he stared open-mouthed. HIDE?! What’s he doing here at the mansion?!

Hide stared back at Souji with some incredulity at first, then relaxed his features in an openly friendly smile. His hand, meanwhile, played and teased on Ken’s smooth chest. “Soaps! What are you doing here? Interested in a job?” GREAT. I’m probably going to have to save his ass in the next 3 minutes.

Souji didn’t answer for a second. “Y-yeah, you could say that…” He frowned.

“Hm, a little history between the two of you, I see?” Ken raised his eyebrows at them.

“I met Souji a while ago. He’s an acquaintance.”

“You called him ‘Soaps.’ That doesn’t sound like something you’d call just an acquaintance.” This time, Ken moved off Hide and folded his arms, moving his body around so that he could see the both of them on opposite sides of him.

“People get to that name eventually,” Souji interjected nonchalantly, though inside he was uneasy at how fast Ken caught on. Only the High Council could do something like that… or maybe he was just a touch more paranoid than usual. “Acquaintance. Really. Hardly know the guy.”

“In any case, I have to compliment you on last night, Ken-kun. Boredom’s a bitch sometimes.” Hide grinned and leaned back on his arms, attempting to take his attention away from Souji.

“I can relate.” He turned his attention back to Souji, leaving Hide, annoyed, to curse silently at Ken’s unwavering attention. “If you’re an acquaintance of Hide’s, I suppose it’s alright.” Hide eased down on the pillows, satisfied.

Ken glanced at the clock. “Look, it’s only 2:00.”

“And your point is?” Hide reached onto the night table next to the bed, retrieving his cigarettes and lighter. He lazily lit up a cigarette and started smoking.

Souji blinked. Then blinked again. And again. “…Last night?” he asked flatly. He was finally catching on to the conversation, but was that necessarily a good thing?

“Yes, last night. I’ll let you guess what occurred, Soaps.” Hide grinned at him and drew in another breath from the cigarette.

“I mean,” Ken continued impatiently, ignoring their comments, “That there are three of us in one room, on one bed, and it’s still early.”

Souji crawled in the general direction of the door, not quite having heard what Ken had said. “You two look busy so I guess that means I should go,” he said, laughing nervously. I think I just escaped either an excruciating death or a traumatizing sexcapade which could have possibly scarred me for life… He stopped halfway to the door and stood up on his knees. “Three?!”

“Three,” Ken purred, a smile forming slowly on his lips. “You already said you were experienced, didn’t you? Hide, have you had him yet? Is he good?” Ken plucked the cigarette out of Hide’s mouth and took a drag on it himself.

“Souji is still young and still very naïve about these matters. In any case, he’s straight, so I see no point in forcing my sexuality on him, unlike a certain bisexual I know…” His eyes peered at Ken accusingly. “And give me back my cigarette… please.”

“Oh I didn’t know he was straight. Jeremy usually sends in gays or bis. But we can change his orientation soon enough.” After getting a look from Hide, he held up his hands and tried to look innocent. “I’m not forcing him, he came here on his own.” He put the cigarette back between Hide’s lips.

“I DID NOT!” Souji cried, but he abruptly slapped his hand over his mouth. Oops…

Hide sighed in frustration. Okay 5 minutes. But what’s the difference between 3 and 5? I still have to save his ass. “So how did you make your way to Ken’s private quarters? Only an exceptional few have access. Got lost on your first day or something?”

Souji nodded dumbly, taking the offered crumb. “Um. I think I might have taken a wrong turn.” His gaze turned to the floor he was sitting on. I really, really just wanna get out of this alive…

Ken’s eyes passed from Souji to Hide before he raised his eyebrows and scrutinized Souji. “Security is not very tight, I’ll admit, but finding your way here… it’s not something one can casually do.” Lightning-quick, he took out a knife from under a pillow, leaped to Souji’s side and held it to his throat. “What are you here for?”